Evaluate the appropriateness of business information Essay

In this task I will be evaluating the appropriateness of business information used to make a strategic decision. In this part of the task I will be focusing on Tesco business. I will be talking about the importance in strategic decisions within Tesco and how they use the decisions for their business. Also I will be evaluating how the strategic decisions affect the financial performance of Tesco. Tesco Price Promise Website: Tesco uses the price checker to show customers that they are the cheapest supermarket out of the three leading supermarkets, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda. This is an important strategy for Tesco as they are able to gain customers as well as being competitors this leads to Tesco being able to make more profit compared to Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s. Tesco has given this facility to people so that they are able to see where they have saved money and what they have got cheaper. Tesco has mainly got the price checker facility for themselves and this would be so that they can see what they need to do to be able to gain more customers as they are able to see what there consumers like. Tesco’s provide information which is valid and up to date so that it is easy and fast for the customers to compare the prices of every product they buy. This strategy is used to create marketing plans which then leads on to the strategic decisions made for Tesco. This is done by using the information as part of their marketing plan which will gain customers and maintain their business. Tesco Price Promise Receipt: Tesco doesn’t only provide their customers with the facility to go home and check on the internet how much they are saving but they also give their customer the opportunity to check how much they have saved compared to Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s. This is done when they buy 10 or more items, they would automatically compare your final prices with the other supermarkets and give you two receipt of which one contains your main shopping list and prices and one says you have ‘ £ (something amount) off your next shop’ and this something amount is the amount of money you have saved in your shopping that same day. You are given two options at the bottom of the receipt which is where you can go to the customer service desk and get a voucher for the  amount you have shopped of using the code go onto online. Most importantly Tesco is giving the chance for you to do everything while shopping this is an advantage towards the customers as they would not want to go home and go through a long process whereas they can do it fast and much more easily. This increase profits the profit within the business as Tesco is providing you with products for cheaper and helping you. This also becomes more competitive against a rival as they have a way to increase customers and steal the customers there rivals have. This concludes to a positive financial performance as Tesco are gaining customers and earning a profit compared to other supermarkets. Tesco Club Card: Tesco has a club card facility, and this is a card which can be kept as a key ring as well as a card in your wallet. This allows you to gain points every time you shop at Tesco. This is also beneficial to Tesco as well because they are able to see what you have bought in your shopping basket and according to that they send you vouchers on your most bought items, allowing you to buy more. Also they give you vouchers so that you come back to Tesco as your shopping would be cheaper than it normally is, this attracts customers as they are saving money on their shop and this is what they want. This information Tesco is gaining helps them as they are able to achieve more customers so this increase the rival competitors and they are also gaining an increase in profit and customers due to the fact more people are shopping at Tesco and using the services they provide, this also means Tesco are able to develop even more. Tesco’s financial accounts from 2011-2012 The image above shows the financial highlights of Tesco within the world and the image on the right shows the financial highlights of Tesco in the UK. These figures reflect on the strategic decision as it would help Tesco to make future budgets and it also shows whether the services and facilities they have set up actually help make a profit for the business. Also it helps make long term decision like where they should expand next and how they would meet their aims. Also the price checker would has contributed to this as it has increased the amount of customers that shop at Tesco also it has shown people awareness of the Tesco business itself and this has increased the sales of Tesco which has been able to increase the sales revenue. Conclusion: Overall, I believe that Tesco has many strategies and these strategies help Tesco to make further decisions on what they will be doing as they would be aiming to increase profit, and become the better rivals. Tesco’s financial performance is getting better due to the better strategic decisions made within the company to increase profit and gain customers. Tesco uses the clever tools for them to be an effective company so that financial performances increase, which allows marketing plans to be made. This allows Tesco to create their strategic decisions, proving the information is appropriate.

Agriculture Essay Essay

Many discussions have been sparked on the topic of whether or not agriculture was beneficial or detrimental to human life. Hypothetically, agriculture, if cultivated correctly, will never allow any part of a group to go hungry. There is no stress about moving because every resource you need is in your back yard. Realistically, agriculture does cause a lot of issues. Problems such as increased population, non cooperative weather patterns, and territorial issues are just a few. Wars were sparked from overstepped territorial boundaries. Also, the creation of government was commenced as a result of hierarchy issues. Even though the issues on the surface can weigh down the positives, agriculture, at its core, has improved human lives and led to the development of the working/manageable lifestyles we have today. There are many issues that have sprung to the surface due to the subsistence strategy of agriculture. â€Å"Increased population densities†(Agriculture and Civilization) caused many problems with survival during empty seasons. As the population rose, more food had to be produced. During a good season, this was no problem, but during a dry season, this caused many problems. Instead of simply working 4-6 hours to find food, a full workday would have been needed. According to the article Agriculture and Civilization, â€Å"agriculture, to be successful, demands constant attention, good soil, good weather, and plentiful water. † As a farmer, many hours of the day was needed to make sure that the soil was rich with nutrients, turned correctly, and supplied with enough water so that the seeds would grow. The diets of agriculturalist was not necessarily as well rounded as a hunter-gatherers, pastoralist or industrialist. The article Agriculture and Civilization also says that â€Å"agriculture, while it can be highly productive, takes advantage of only a few thousand of the edible plants available on the planet†¦[and] agriculture-based societ[ies] relied on fewer food choices than hunter-gather societies. †

Chapter 1 the Investment Environment

Chapter 1 The Investment Environment 1. 1. Real Assets versus Financial Assets (Page 30) ? Real Assets ? Determine the productive capacity and net income of the economy ? Examples: Land, buildings, machines, and knowledge used to produce goods and services ? Financial Assets ? Claims on real assets 1-2 1. 2. Financial Assets (Page 32) ? Three types: 1. Fixed income or debt Common stock or equity Derivative securities 2. 3. 1-3 Fixed Income ? ? ? ? 1-4 Payments fixed or determined by a formula Money market debt: short term, highly marketable, sually low credit risk (T-bills, certificates of deposits etc) Capital market debt: long term bonds, can be safe or risky (Treasury bonds, municipal bonds, corporate bonds, etc) Bond ratings: in terms of default risk, from very safe to junk Common Stock and Derivatives ? Common Stock is equity or ownership in a corporation. ? ? Derivatives ? ? 1-5 Payments to stockholders are not fixed, but depend on the success of the firm Value derives from pri ces of other securities such as stocks and bonds Used to transfer risk (hedge) 1. 3.Financial Markets and the Economy (page 33-36) ? ? ? ? ? 1-6 Information Role: Capital flows to companies with best prospects Consumption Timing: Use securities to store wealth and transfer consumption to the future Allocation of Risk: Investors can select securities consistent with their tastes for risk Separation of Ownership and Management: minimize the famous agency costs and maximize firm value Corporate Governance and Corporate Ethics How to reduce the agency problems (Page 34-35) ? ? ? ? 1-7 Compensation plans: bonus, stock options, etc.The power of the board of directors Outsiders’ monitor Threat of takeover: proxy contest, mergers, etc. 1. 4. The Investment Process (page 36) ? When constructing a portfolio, investors need to decide: ? ? 1-8 Asset allocation ? Choice among broad asset classes Security selection ? Choice of which securities to hold within asset class ? Security analysis to value securities and determine investment attractiveness 1. 4. The Investment Process (page 37) ? 1-9 Portfolio strategies ? Top-down: starts from asset allocation Bottom-up: starts from individual securities 1. 5. Markets are Competitive (page 37-39) ? Implications from â€Å"no-free-lunch† proposition: ? ? Risk-Return Trade-Off Efficient Markets (security prices have reflected all information) (Chapter 11-12): ? Passive management ? No attempt to find undervalued securities ? No ? attempt to time the market ? Holding a highly diversified portfolio Active Management ? ? 1-10 Finding mispriced securities Timing the market 1. 6. The Players (page 39-42) ? ? ? ? Business Firms– net borrowersHouseholds – net savers Governments – can be both borrowers and savers Financial Intermediaries: Pool and invest funds ? Investment Companies ? Banks ? Insurance companies ? Credit unions 1-11 Universal Bank Activities Investment Banking †¢ Underwrite new stock and bond issues †¢ Sell newly issued securities to public in the primary market †¢ Investors trade previously issued securities among themselves in the secondary markets Commercial Banking †¢ Take deposits and make loans †¢ †¢ 1-12 1. 7. Financial Crisis of 2008 Reading (page 42-51) 1-13

Role of social media in the success of the 2011 Egyptian revolution Research Paper

Role of social media in the success of the 2011 Egyptian revolution - Research Paper Example Egypt uprising, or as otherwise called 25th January transformation of 2011, following 11 days after Zine El Abidine, the Tunisian president was toppled when a huge number of Egyptians rated in the roads requesting the acquiescence of Hosni Mubarak. During the challenges in Cairo, one lobbyist depicted why social media was vital to the association of political turmoil. "We utilize Facebook to plan the dissents, Twitter to organize, and YouTube to tell the world, â€Å"On June 6, 2010, Khaled Said was pounded the life out of by police in a cybercafà © near Alexandria. His death advanced a remarkable solidarity in Egypt. After his death Wael Ghonim had established a Facebook page titled, "We Are All Khaled Said," It posted cell phone photographs from the funeral home of his beaten and bloodied face, and YouTube recordings played up differentiating pictures of him upbeat and grinning with the realistic pictures from the mortuary. The Facebook page of Khaled Saeed wound up noticeably fo cal in the dispersion of challenges all through Egypt, as a substantial number of individuals utilized it as a wellspring of data chosen to get out to the road in a quiet exhibit set on the twenty-fifth of January, 2011.On the other hand, Twitter was another segment of social media that was generally utilized during the transformation of 25th of January. During the unrest, Egyptian Twitter clients utilized this government for political talk, association, sincerity, and enlistment, considerably changing business as usual".

Dams, hydroelectricity, and the effect apon the ecosystems Term Paper

Dams, hydroelectricity, and the effect apon the ecosystems - Term Paper Example However, the idea of constructing more dams in various places has been welcomed with great opposition. Many economic and social arguments have been raised against the construction of dam, but the most profound fact that has overshadowed all other arguments is the major ecological effects that large dams have on the ecosystem. Considering hydroelectricity, hydropower is actually a renewable energy since it depends on the water cycle on earth for the generation of electricity. The cycle of water begins when the water evaporates to form clouds which in turn condenses and precipitates back to the earth and gets back to the water reservoirs. Despite the fact that hydropower pose no effects on the quality of air, the process of constructing and operating large hydropower dams can have significant impact on natural ecosystem such as river systems wildlife and aquatic life population. The assessment of how hydropower affects the environment can be effectively done by reviewing different case s. This paper aims at discussing the effects that hydroelectricity and dams have upon the ecosystem. Effects of Dams upon the Ecosystem Dams have significant effects on both the downstream and upstream ecosystems. Dams comprise hindrances on rivers longitudinal exchange and they alter numerous processes in the natural environment. Flooding of dams in the upstream brings about total damage to the terrestrial ecosystems via a process known as inundation. Flooding eliminates all terrestrial animals and plants inhabiting the affected areas. Water reservoirs inhibit some aquatic species from migrating by obstructing their pathways1. On the downstream, there are obvious changes in sediment transport, water quality and temperature, and flow regime. These particular changes occur gradually and they are not easy to predict. The very common effect of large dams downstream is the reduction of annual water discharge; this lead to an increase in low flows and a decrease in high flows. Flood peak s reduction decreases the period, degree and frequency of floodplain outpouring. A decrease in the channel-formation shrinks the chances of channel migration. Transportation of sediment in the reservoir brings about complex alterations in aggregation and deprivation on the dams surface. Regulation alters the chronological flooding prototype, an effect that desynchronizes temperature systems and yearly water flow. These particular alterations have a direct influence on some dynamic factors affecting the heterogeneity of habitats and the integrity of the river ecosystem ecology. Changes in water quality, water to land interface, and thermal regime have direct impact in primary production, which translates to long term effects on aquatic life and other members in the upper food chain. Dams may also bring about alterations in the ecosystem even at a distance far from the dam2. For instance, any alteration on the transportation of sediments may result in changes in floodplains, coastal d elta and river morphology numerous of miles from the dam site. The river ecosystem responds to dams in several, complex, and diverse ways. Subsequently, while endeavouring to establish the impacts of dams on the ecosystem there is need for large bank of information relating to: riparian vegetation and related fauna; quality of water; rivers hydraulic features; geomorphologic features; aquatic animals and their environment; importance of river’

Proposal Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Proposal - Term Paper Example Need for Healthcare Coverage Congratulations on the adoption of a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program for your organization. Employee Assistance Programs are quite popular and are the need of the hour, as the cost of medical coverage is becoming increasingly out of reach for the majority of Americans- especially among the middle class, the poorer classes and the homeless sections of society. Many of us have been the victims of the last financial crisis, losing homes, cars, jobs and even the chance to lead a proper lifestyle. All in all, the need for proper and complete healthcare coverage cannot be denied in today’s workplace. Healthy employees are the boon of any workplace; they can function at the peak of their performance and make a great difference to productivity and the bottom line. At the other end of the spectrum, how many of us have been affected by bouts of ill health that keep us from performing at our best on any given workday. Even the common cold or a naggi ng headache or worst of all an excruciating toothache or earache can make us take the day off and stay at home in pain and discomfort. So clearly, healthcare coverage has many benefits not only for the employees but also for the organization. Key Elements of the Employee Assistance Program It is worthwhile to remember a fundamental truth: an employee can only be said to be functioning at his full capacity if he is in sound health physically, mentally and psychologically. The stress of modern city and corporate life has undoubtedly left its mark on us all, and the pressure of working in a corporate setup often complicates matters especially if there is a lot of competition. Employees have been known to do everything from an excess of apple polishing to working beyond normal limits to gain the support of their bosses. Unfortunately some even take drugs and opiates to enhance productivity, which is unethical and can have disastrous consequences for the health of these employees, as wel l as the reputation of the organization in the long run. Consider what can happen if a disgruntled employee decided to get trigger happy in the office to vent out his anger of not being promoted, or being overlooked in terms of certain perks. This would amount to a public relations disaster and must be avoided. Knowing this, Aetna Insurance has provided for rehabilitation and care in the event of even such an instance of drug abuse. Sometimes drug taking for recreational use can turn into an addiction like smoking and alcoholism. Drug taking has even ruined the careers of such celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Robert Downey Jr. So let Aetna help you to avoid any drug related mishap or control its repercussions by virtue of access to our 24 hour clinics that have been established in every major American city as well as our online support facility that never stops, any time of the day or night. History of the Company Aetna Insurance Company has been providing healthcare to Americans like you and me for over 150 years and running. The company was started way back in 1853 in Hartford, Connecticut (www.aetna.com) and is today one of the nation's leading providers of health care including pharmacy, dental, disability insurance, group life and employee benefits. The company has a variety of plans and programs to fit your pocket and specific coverage needs. There are also a variety of plans for small, medium and large scale organizations with differing levels of

Needs Analysis of Microsoft Corporation Research Paper

Needs Analysis of Microsoft Corporation - Research Paper Example At the point when the event is harmful, some inspiration or objective of the hackers must be determined and addressed through the most appropriate measures. For example, the goal could be aimed at upsetting ordinary business operations, consequently denying information accessibility and production. Microsoft has been a leader in the design and programming of computer software, including operating systems and software applications. However, the future of Microsoft, as said by Steve Ballmer, the company’s CEO, is that of both a hardware and software corporation. According to the CEO, in about five to ten years, the company will be a manufacturer of devices as an addition to its software services and applications. The hardware, which the company is expected to manufacture in the future, includes Windows 8 Surface Tablets. In addition, it is postulated that the company will produce Windows 8 Smartphones. The entry into the mobile phone and telecommunication industry by Microsoft is likely to shape or change the competitiveness of this industry to a large extent hence the need for security. This clearly shows that Microsoft Corporation requires adequate security measures. Most firms such as Microsoft Corporation are on the look for superior and successful ways of managing their safety infrastructure. Nonetheless, technological advancement is a human innovation, but it surpasses human control. This is why most companies are afraid of security threats brought about by change while at the same time; they have to embrace technology as a means of improving their sales. Network threats and attacks are some of the challenges facing security personnel in various industries. This has pushed security operators to consider using complex systems or models to ensure compliance. In addition, these security threats call for stringent and network-wide security policies. The reason why most companies consider using sophisticated

Business law (Qatar) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business law (Qatar) - Essay Example Qatar is regarded as one of those wealthy countries in the world along with greatest mounting economies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It is worth mentioning that Qatar has introduced and developed trademark law for gaining help in conducting a business efficiently in varied domestic regions (Government of the State of Qatar, 2015). According to Qatar law, infringement is deemed to be regarded as one of the crucial issues. Thus, to prevent infringement in Qatar, domestic companies can register their trademarks according to industrial design governing the trademark, which came into effect after the year 2002. Companies are ought to commercially register for trademark law to get qualified for the respective services. Besides, any company in Qatar can use this trademark registration for ten years (WIPO, 2006). The various forms of trademark can be clearly understood from the following tabular representation: According to Qatar Trademark Law no. 3/1978, the Qatari official regulates the defense of trade as well as industrial marks. There lay certain specific processes or steps for registering the trademark for any company in Qatar (Government of the State of Qatar, 2015). According to the article 9 to 12, the processes of registering trademark have been discussed in detail below. Under the trademark law in Qatar, an owner of trademark can resort to civil remedies, if any case of infringement made by third party. Then, only the owner can forward this process along with filing a lawsuit before the court of civil jurisdiction (Simmons & Simmons, 2013). The respective government of Qatar is planning to adopt an effecting law to combat phishing as well as cyber-squatting, but this plan of the government is still waiting for the approval of higher authority of ministry. In relation to this consequence, cases related to online transactions as

Group Dynamics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Group Dynamics - Term Paper Example But there some who are more hostile and are aggressive about their defense. The best example for this is when Gerry acted superior to coach Boone before he got on the bus for football camp. It is well established that the team member is a subordinate to the coach but Gerry felt the need to protect his comfort zone as the team's star player. Coach Boone, as a reaction to the insult, embarrassed Gerry and reminded him of his place. He could have just given him a simple reminder but instead he asked him "who's your daddy" Of course this was effective, but the main point is that that particular phrase slang among blacks. This was also a reminder for Gerry that he is a subordinate of a black coach. There are multiple reasons for the prejudice against the African American coach and players. One of which would be the norm. This is what the whites were use to. For years, blacks are considered as second class individuals and this cannot be changed overnight. The whites have experienced the life where the blacks would bow down to them and would follow whatever they wanted them to do. To some degree they still think this way and it is irritating them that the black would no longer do as they are told. The next theory is that the blacks have a history of rebellion and violence. They have fought for freedom and by doing so have ignited the assumption of being brute. This too is recent history and is still fresh to the memories of whites. Both the theories for the cause of prejudice stated above have something in common; the memories and experiences of the people. It all hinges in the fact that recent history is very difficult to erase. c. How did the new head coach increase group cohesiveness on the team and reduce the level of conflict between the groups To increase group cohesiveness, the separation should first be dissolved. The new head coach did this by pairing up one black player with one white. They were forced to sit together in the bus and later became room mates in the camp. This was a success in terms of them having to do things together and somehow broke the tension between the racial groups. For some time this was a conducive situation for social interactions; they may be of different races but now they were talking. This was until they found out that they had conflicting interests. The coach found this absurd because they had very similar cultural backgrounds, different but similar. The next step that he did was to force them to make deeper social interactions. Having them talk to each other and discover the similarities that they have. This may seem an effective approach but they just found out that they had less and less commonalities. Finally, one morning to took them out for a run in the woods and showed them the place when the battle of Gettysburg. He told them the story of how many have died for the same battle that they are fighting that time. This was an eye opener for all of them. From then on the team members are more active about establishing good rapport between races. This change is clearly shown in the scene where Gerry and Julius had an argument about their team's tactics. This argument

Pros and cons of working at home Essay Example for Free

Pros and cons of working at home Essay Many people work at home using modern technology today. Some people think only the worker benefit from this, not the employers. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Essay: Technology is rapidly changing everything in the world, including the way people work. Working at home, as a new mode of work enabled by internet and multimedia technologies, is getting increasingly popular in some industries, especially the burgeoning IT sector. However, people have differing views on this new work mode. For example, it is believed that it only benefits employees, rather than the employers. I tend to agree with this view to large degree.Among all the differing views people have on this new work mode, I’m very inclined to the view that it only benefits employees, rather than employers. Apparently, by no means can the benefits of working at home for employees cannot be denied. To start with, nothing can be more comfortable and relaxing than working in their one’s own homes which are the most familiar environment to them. They He even can even settle back in their his soft sofa in his living halls, and drink have their his favouritefavorite drinks, or even enjoy an exciting action movie while working on their laptops. In addition, they an employee also havecould have much time to spend with their his family if theyhe could do his work at home. This new mode of work might be the most effective remedy for many family problems that are caused by the lack of time to be with family.They even can have meals with spouse and kids or see them anytime they like. Furthermore, an employ working at home could be saved working at home can save employees much expense and time that would spent on their way to and from work every day. However, what is unfair to employers is that they can hardly benefit from this new work mode, except that some overhead, like office rent and water/electricity bills, can be saved. The most unfavourable worrying problem of this new mode has to do with team building. A lack of face-to-face communication between team members employees that work at their own homesdue to their different locations, can could essentially undermine the team spirit and also is also likely to cause problemscreate barriers for in collaboration and cooperation between them team members. Similarly, it also could set intangible obstacle hurdles to team managers in their day-to-day team management, for it. It will bewould be rather difficult for mangers to supervise employees and monitor their performance. In  conclusion, although technology makes working at home mode possible, the only one beneficiary of this advancement is the employees. What employers and manager can get from it is will be nothing but troubles in the end.

Cell Culture and Protein Detection

Cell Culture and Protein Detection Overview: This practical is split into three main parts, each part allows us to develop certain techniques. The first part of the practical is focused on the techniques needed to successfully carry out cell cultures. The second part is using an analytical technique known as ELISA this is used to measure the amount of proteins secreted by the cells that were cultured in part one. Lastly, part three focuses on western blotting, this is a technique used to measure proteins too but it differs from ELISA in that it measures proteins that are present inside the cell. The fundamental objective of this practical is to look at how Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alters the growth and the expression of the smooth muscle cell ÃŽ ±-actin (SMA) in vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMC) while also detecting and quantifying cell signalling molecules (JNK’s) and cytokine secretion (TNF-ÃŽ ±) in vascular cells. Section 1 – Subculture Objective: The aim of this part of the practical is to subculture the bovine aortic vascular smooth muscle cells and to count the cells and check for viability by counting the cells in suspension on a haemocytometer using a microscope. The cells are also treated with a bacterial antigen (LPS) to look at its effect on viability, differentiation state and the activation of intracellular signalling and secretion of proteins. Immunocytochemistry is also carried out in this part of the practical. Method: Trypsin is used to remove the cells from the bottom of the flask. When the cells have dissociated, medium which contains a trypsin inhibitor is added. The medium stops excessive trypsin action from damaging the cells. The cell suspension is first diluted using trypthan blue to allow viable cells which remain white to be distinguished from non- viable cells which are blue. This method allows us to get a total cell count of cells/mL and the percentage of viable cells. Our total cell count was found to be 7.45105 cells/mL The non-viable cells were found to be 1.5104 cells/mL This means that the culture contains more 98% viable cells which indicates that it is a healthy culture. 3 different 6 well plates were then set up using different densities of seed cells. 3105cells/ml seeding density was used in one plate. This density was used as a lot of protein needs to be present for the assessment of JNK and ÃŽ ±-actin protein cytokine production. 1105 cells/ml seeding density was used in another 6 well plate. These plates are used to assess the effect of LPS on growth and viability of the cells. This density is used to give a clear picture of the cells to make counting easier. 5103 cells/ml seeding density was used in the last plate. This plate is used for ÃŽ ±-actin expression by immunocytochemistry. The low density will give us a clearer picture. The three different sets of plates are all treated with varying concentrations of LPS. Each plate has two wells which are used as controls, containing no LPS, two wells containing 1Â µg of LPS and two wells containing 10Â µg of LPS. Immunocytochemistry is carried out on the plate with a seeding density of 5103cells/ml. This technique is used to determine if a particular protein or antigen is present. An unlabelled primary antibody is used to bind to the antigen desired antigen. The presence of contractile protein ÃŽ ±-actin can determine the differentiation state of vSMC. Immunocytochemistry is used as a qualitative method of determining the presence of a protein, it is not quantitative. Results: Calculations for different seeding densities: Initial concentration = 7.45105 cells/mL Formula = Plate 1, seeding density 1.5105 cells/ml Plate 2, seeding density 0.5105 cells/ml Plate 2, seeding density 2.5103 cells/ml Table 1: Cell growth for each group Immunochemistry results: Figure 1: Cell growth in the control (0Â µg/ml LPS) Figure 1: Cell growth in the control (1Â µg/ml LPS) Figure 3: Cell growth with 10Â µg/ml of LPS Discussion: The first part of this section was to carry out a cell count and determine the viability of the suspension. Our sample had 7.45105 cells/ml and it contained more than 98% viable cells. This meant it was a healthy cell suspension and it was suitable to run tests on for the practical. A seeding density of 1105 cells/ml seeding density was used to assess the effect of LPS on growth and viability of the cells. This density was used to give a clear picture of the cells to make counting easier. The results of our experiment correlated with the majority of the class. However there were some unexpected results in some of the groups but this could be down to plates being labelled incorrectly or mistakes while counting when using the haemocytometer. Immunocytochemistry is used to allow us to analyse the results visually. We found that as the amount of LPS increased the number of cells decreased, this is illustrated in figures 1, 2 and 3. LPS is an endotoxin and it inhibits the growth of ÃŽ ±-a ctin. LPS also damages the structure of ÃŽ ±-actin, high levels of LPS stop the correct formation of the filaments and so affects the function of the cell which is to facilitate cell contraction and migration. This result was expected as LPS is a major mediator to septic shock and is known to directly affect vascular smooth muscle cells. Question: What could you do to improve this experiment? To improve this experiment I would use a wider range of concentrations for LPS. This would give a better understanding of its affects. Repeating the experiment several times and getting an average of your results would also help. Section 2 – ELISA Objective: The aim of this section of the practical is to use Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) to detect production of the cytokine TNFÃŽ ± from the cells activated with LPS. Detection is based on a colour change. Firstly a standard curve must be generated so that absorbance values can be converted into concentrations of TNF-ÃŽ ±. Once the curve is completed we can determine the unknown concentrations of TNF-ÃŽ ± in our samples. Method: Firstly the antibody is immobilised onto the surface of the plate. The plate is then washed to remove any excess antibody, antigen is then added and it is allowed to bind to the antibody. A secondary antibody is then added, this antibody is labelled with an enzyme. The enzymes substrate is then added, this causes a colour change. The amount of coloured product formed is determined spectrophotometrically. The amount of coloured product is proportional to the amount of enzyme present and also to the concentration of the antigen. Results: Table. 2 Absorbance values of samples at 450nm. Figure 4. Plot of standard curve of absorbance versus concentration. Discussion: The aim of this experiment was to quantify the amount of TNF-ÃŽ ± present in our samples. To do this a set of known standards were used and their absorbance values read. This data produced a straight line with an R2 value of 0.99 indicating that a straight line was an excellent fit for absorbance versus concentration, and so the equation of the line could be used to determine unknown concentrations of TNF-ÃŽ ± based on their absorbance values. Our results showed that TNF-ÃŽ ± was present in its highest concentration of 25.15pg/ml in the sample with the highest concentration of LPS and it was found in its lowest concentration of 9.9 pg/ml in the sample containing no LPS. This result was expected as cytokines such as TNF-ÃŽ ± are produced in large quantities to respond to endotoxins such as LPS. Question: What could you do to gain more information from this experiment? To gain more information from this experiment you could test for other cytokines which are also activated by LPS, correlating these results would make your data more meaningful. Section 3 – Western Blotting Objective: The aim of this section of the practical is to prepare cell lysates from the vascular smooth muscle cells which were activated by LPS previously. SDS PAGE and western blotting will then be used to detect the activation of the intracellular protein JNK. Western analysis quantifies the amount of protein present in the cell. To do this cell lysis must be carried out. In this practical we used a method which generates whole cell lysates. To do this lysis buffer is added to the cells followed by sonication. Method: Cell lysis is carried out first. The next step is SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Western blotting involves transferring the protein bands from an acrylamide gel to a more stable and immobilising medium such as nitrocellulose paper so that analytical procedures such as detection with antibodies can be carried out. We carried out western blotting using iBlot dry blotting system. After blotting probing is carried out to determine the presence of phosphorylated JNK protein. Results: Figure 5. Ponceau S Staining Figure 6. ÃŽ ±-actin Figure 7. pJNK Discussion: To see if our transfer was a success before probing, the blot was stained with Ponceau S stain. The proteins can be seen as red bands with this stain. The result of this stain can be seen in figure 5. red bands are present which indicates our transfer was a success and that there are proteins present. The western blot analysis showed that ÃŽ ±-actin was present in all the samples as a strong band around 42kDa was observed which is expected for ÃŽ ±-actin. The results for pJNK did not work out as it was washed incorrectly, because of this no bands were observed, however bands would be expected in the samples containing LPS. Why did you run the sample on the gel before blotting? The sample was run on gel first as proteins are separated by molecular weight. This allows us to distinguish ÃŽ ±-actin from other proteins. It is then moved to the nitrocellulose paper so that analytical procedures such as detection with antibodies can be carried out Why measure the phosphorylated form of JNK? The phosphorylated form of JNK is a signal a cell sends out when it is stressed. Therefore pJNK should be present in the samples with LPS. If it is present then it confirms the fact that the cell is stressed as a result of the presence of the endotoxin.