Leaf Water Repellency Free Essays

Cloud forests are characterized by photosynthetic capacity which may be increased by reduced water retention of the leaf. The reason is that carbon dioxide diffuse air faster than water. The article â€Å"Leaf Water Repellency as an Adaptation to Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Environment† by Curtis D. We will write a custom essay sample on Leaf Water Repellency or any similar topic only for you Order Now Holder examines lead water repellency in three ecosystems of Guatemala: a tropical dry forest, tropical montane cloud forest and temperate foothills-grassland zone. The author’s hypothesis that cloud forest zones are characterized by higher leaf water repellency failed to be proved as leaf water repellency appeared to be higher in tropical dry forests and temperate foothills- grassland zone. Water repellency is defined as adaptation on the surface of the leaf in habitants which are constantly subjected to daily precipitations during the period of active growth. Holder assumes that leaf water repellency is lower in open-meadow habitants than in dry forest habitants simply because dew formations are occurring faster. Moreover, water repellency of any leaf is driven, primarily, by physiological factors. In wet zones the plants are claimed to be selected due to their water shedding abilities as they have to able to defend their stomatal pores and to enhance photosynthesis abilities after fog interception. Decrease in water repellency may result in increased disease rates, although it doesn’t affect selective traits. Holder argues that it is natural selection that predetermined water repellency on leaf surface in cloud forest zones. Fog droplets negatively affect water repellency as they prevent gas exchange in plants. In such a way, photosynthetic carbon exchange is prevented by fog droplets as carbon dioxide diffuse air faster than water. Leaves with high water repellency minimize the leaf surface and promote the beading of water assisting gas exchange processes. In cloud forest zones, high leaf water repellency increase photosynthesis efficiency. Holder stresses that leaf water repellency â€Å"is measured by calculating the contact angle between a droplet of water and leaf surface†. (p.767) As it is mentioned above, the paper examines three distinct areas and central thesis is that high water repellency is inherent for plants in cloud forest zones as plants are more able to maximize photosynthesis and gas exchange process. Three areas were chosen to test leaf water repellency: Sierra de la Minas, Chiquimula and Colorado. Firstly, leaf water repellency was testified near Sierra de la Minas in lower cloud forest zone. This region is characterized by humid slopes on the windward side and, consequently, slopes on the leeward side. Strong northern winds are prevailing in that region. Night temperatures are about 5-15 degrees all year round. Also, Sierra de la Minas is characterized by variable precipitation – rainy season is observed from May till October. Fogs are more common in dry season, rather than in wet one. Secondly, leaf water repellency was examined in Chiquimula which is situated in 75 km from Sierra de la Minas. Leaves were tested on the leeward side of the region and were selected from dry forests. The precipitation rate is 1050 mm occurring from May till October. The temperature range is 22-26 degrees. Thirdly, water repellency was tested in leaves in Colorado, in particular, near the campus of the University of Colorado. Mainly, Colorado is temperate foothills-grassland zone. Selected species are dormant plants tested in the coldest months. Summing up, all species were chosen from the three distinct regions as they had managed to survive to maturity in their climatic conditions. Researches gathered only leaves which received equal amount of sun light and shade as it would allow more accurate examination. Leaves were dried with filter paper and than were fastened to a wood platform to view the horizontal profile of the leaf. The test aimed at identifying the differences between adaxial and abaxial sides of the leaf in terms of water repellency. Holder specifies that â€Å"in the experimental design using nested analysis of variance, species were nested within study sites, leaves were nested within species, and leaf surfaces were nested within leaves†. (p769) The results contradict the initial hypothesis and showed that as leaf water repellency appeared to be higher in tropical dry forests, not in cloud forest ecosystem. Species chosen from Sierra de la Minas region appeared to have the lowest water repellency, whereas species retrieved near the University of Colorado proved to have the highest water repellency. The leaf water repellency appeared to be significantly different in the three distinct regions. Sierra de la Minas’ species differed from those in Colorado and Chiquimula, and water repellency in Chiquimula differed from that in Sierra de la Minas and Colorado. It proves that leaves in different climatic zones can’t have similar water repellency as they have different levels of adaptations. Holder stresses that cloud forests are characterized by reduced capabilities to photosynthesis because of abaxial leaf wetness and constant cloud cover not letting the sun in. Therefore, leaves in this region should develop adaptation capabilities as it would allow maximizing photosynthesis processes in the most humid regions. In cloud forests the productivity of ecosystems is limited. The author concludes that, despite his expectancies, cloud forests aren’t characterized by high leaf water repellency and, therefore, leaves are less able to minimize the water content on their surfaces. As a result, photosynthesis is decreased.   Higher leaf water repellency in Chiquimula and Colorado is related to increased soil moisture and water balance in plants. High water repellency may increase fog precipitation and flow of steam leading to greater hydrological inputs. Summing up, leaf water repellency is plays crucial role in hydrological processes. References Holder, Curtis D. (2007). Leaf Water Repellency as an Adaptation to Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Environment. Biotropica, 39, 6, 767-770.       How to cite Leaf Water Repellency, Essay examples

An Inspector Calls Essay On Themes Example For Students

An Inspector Calls Essay On Themes Explain how the audience is made to appreciate how one character in An Inspector calls changes for the better.  There are two examples of characters that change for the better in the play An inspector calls. These characters are Sheila and Eric. I chose Sheila as I thought that she changed the most out of the two. At the start she was spoilt, jealous and arrogant, but when she hears about Eva Smiths death she becomes remorseful.  At the start of the play Sheila is celebrating with her Gerald Croft. Sheila had been brought up in a rich family and so had Gerald. This lead to her being stubborn as described by Eric in Act one. Shes got a nasty temper sometimes  He says this because she gets angry with things easily, because she is spoilt and always gets her own way as a result.  She gets jealous of people that are better looking than herself. In Act one the Inspector starts the conversation and Sheila replies.  You might have been said to be jealous of her.  Yes I suppose I was.  She is jealous of Eva because Eva is better looking than she is. She became jealous of Eva when she smiled while Sheila was looking in the mirror. As Sheila never works she feels superior and if someone has got something better than she has she thinks they need to be punished. She punished Eva by getting her sacked from Milwards. Sheila has always been brought up to be spoilt because she had been brought up by rich parents. This is shown when she is in Milwards in Act one.  I went to the Manager at Milwards.  This shows that she can get anything she wants and the best service, like buying an expensive dress when she wants to.  Sheila doesnt think about anyone but herself, as shown in Act one.  I couldnt be sorry for her.  At the time when she gets Eva sacked, she doesnt care about what has happened to her afterwards. She thinks that Eva can look after herself, but she cant. She wasnt aware of Evas money difficulties or her accommodation problems. She just felt furious and just thought about herself. Sheila wealth also brings her power and arrogance, shown in Act one when the Inspector says.  And so you used the power you had  This makes her big headed because she knows she has power and she likes to use it.  The changing point to Sheilas attitude is when she finds out about Evas death and how she died. Sheila shows her disbelief in Act 1.  Oh-how horrible!  This is the changing point for Sheila because she knows that she played a part in the death of Eva Smith. She also starts feeling sorry for Eva as she made her life hell. After this she wants to help Eva as shown in Act one.  And if I could help her now, I would  This shows that she is not angry and jealous with Eva but she wants to help her, but it is to late as stated by the inspector in Act one.  Its too late. Shes dead.  This means that she cant help Eva because she is dead.  You can also tell that Sheila is sorry because of her expressions. From stage directions in Act one.   She almost breaks down, but just controls herself  This shows that she almost begins to cry about the situation.  Now she has told everyone the truth she wants to hear the truth from everyone else. Gerald in Act two tells us this. Youve been through it and now you want to see somebody else put though it  This means that Sheila has owned up to her wrong doings and now she wants to see Gerald being questioned by the Inspector.  Then the Inspector describes the death of Eva again to the two of them. Sheila shows signs of sorrow in Act two as a stage direction reads.  distressed  This shows that Sheila has thought about what she has done wrong and is sorry. She wants to get the thought of Evas death out of her head.  Sheila feels partly responsible for Evas death. .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff , .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff .postImageUrl , .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff , .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff:hover , .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff:visited , .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff:active { border:0!important; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff:active , .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u781b9ca9a5db52ee33230ad5db595bff:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: GCSE Media Coursework EssayI know Im to blame and Im desperately sorry.  This shows Sheila is sorry and that she knows that she is partly to blame and it is not all her fault.  But I cant believe-I wont believe-its simply my fault.  Sheila thinks that its not just her fault that Eva committed suicide.  Sheila at the start of the play is like her mother and now she feels sorry. She is remorseful about what she did and if she could change her actions she would.

Theory X and Theory Y Theories of Employee Motivation free essay sample

Douglas McGregor in his research has developed theories in the human resource management that describe contrasting models that if applied by managers in the organizational behaviour of workers, organization communication and organization development can enhance maximum production from the human work force. This analysis enabled the generation of two opposing perceptions about people, i.e. theory X and Theory Y.Comparing the two Theories, The Following Are The Differences. In terms of the management style, theory X emphasises on Authoritarian management as the managers opt for a close supervision rather than delegation of the managerial roles in order to ensure work is done while in Theory Y, the management and duties are decentralised in the bid to help develop the potential of the employees towards the common goal as that of the company in question.Theory X, the managers has a perception that employees are naturally lazy, unmotivated, avoid responsibility and need to be closely supervised and comprehensive control systems are needed while in theory Y, Assumes that individual believe going to work is the only way of achieving their high level of satisfaction and self-respect therefore go to work on their own accord. We will write a custom essay sample on Theory X and Theory Y: Theories of Employee Motivation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Theory X emphasises on a well clearly defined roles in an organization which are mostly repetitive to enhance proper supervision of work done whereas in theory Y the workers tend to work in a wider areas of skills and knowledge as employees are encourage to exercise their innovation skills in making improvements.Carrot and Stick. This is an approach that offers the combination of motivation and punishment on employees to induce behaviour. In the theory X the approach is used since performance appraisal as part of the overall mechanism of control and remuneration whereas, in Theory Y, as much as appraisal is important and regular, it is always offered separate from the organization. Employees in this case are given various opportunities for promotion.In conclusion, the two theories that McGregor talks about in his book â€Å"The human side of enterprise† demonstrates the approaches used in the management of people as either through the authoritarian style of management or the d emocratic style of leadership, each of them are adopted by most mangers in the human management.

Why is Jaws still Spielbergs most effective thriller Essays

Why is Jaws still Spielbergs most effective thriller Essays Why is Jaws still Spielbergs most effective thriller Paper Why is Jaws still Spielbergs most effective thriller Paper Essay Topic: Film Jaws Jaws is a thriller with an exciting plot. A thriller is a genre that creates tension and suspense. A typical thriller can feature a terrifying predator and in Jaws it is the shark that is the predator. Films like King Kong and The Fly which were early predecessors had major influences on more modern films like Jaws. It was followed by The Return of the Fly. Jaws was made in Long Island America in 1975. It was made by Steven Spielberg. It is set on a beach resort and it is about a great white shark that was disrupting holidays. It firstly took the life of a young girl at night. Next, it took the life of a child when the sea green waters turn red. Police Chief Brody, the local Inspector decides to take up the case with the help of a marine biologist and a fisherman they put an end to the bloodshed. At the beginning of the first scene in Jaws it is a dark night which is typical icon of thriller genres which thrills and creates mystery, fear and tension in the viewer. We become engaged in the play by focusing on the two silhouettes across the beach. They create the initial plot and it keeps us hooked to the movie right from the beginning. There are a group of young teenagers socializing around a fire, all happy and enjoying themselves. The diegetic sounds of people chatting and music gives us a feel of romance genre. The camera focuses a close-up shot of two of the main characters in the scene amongst the crowd and they both stare at each other as if they are madly in love. Suddenly, the sense of danger comes into the scene when the young girl, who is the main character jumps to her feet and runs down the beach pulling her clothes off to attract attention to the teenage boy. In a long-shot the camera follows their two silhouettes. We can sense the vulnerability at that point as they are strangers, naked, alone and slightly drunk. After that a long shot shows the girl jumping into the water. Here the thriller genre begins. The teenage girl is swimming smoothly for only a little while. Suddenly, she is pulled down into the water and is trying to shout for help. The audience is confused and hooked when this happens. The close-up of the girl shows that she is being pulled from side to side continuously and eventually she dies and the scene ends. The viewer is confused and they feel sorry for the girl as they couldnt identify the attacker of the death. Mystery, which is the typical feature of thriller genre, is used at the end of this scene as we are left clueless. Also using Todorovs theory of disequilibrium is applied here, when the audience is left in confusion on a climax. The second attack scene starts with an evocative atmosphere with a calm relaxed beach scene in the morning with families enjoying themselves on Americas Independence day on Long Island. They are all happy and cheerful. This gives a sense of false security and the shark attack will have devastating impact on the people enjoying themselves. The viewer gets hints that another attack is about to happen when the camera focuses on Chief Brodys face. When we see his facial expressions, we see that he seems stressed and tense. There are mid-close-ups of the chief looking over shoulders. This creates tension by transferring the stress to the audience; the viewer knows more than the character about what is going to happen which is dramatic irony as we know about the previous attack which is shown in the Chiefs facial expressions. Non-digetic sound is used to add to the atmosphere when the Chief cant concentrate on the beach as the radio is on and people are talking and screaming. We are left in suspense wondering if there is going to be another attack. The central characters that are used as a focus indicate the dog and boy, the old man, the Chief, the little boy building a castle, the woman floating in the water and a big group of children. The viewers are nervous about what is going to happen which keeps us hooked to the movie. These characters are used to give two false alarms. The man in the black swim hat looks like a shark and the boy who lifts the girl underwater creates the impression of an attack. We are kept tense waiting for the attack and alarmed by the false warnings. Other signs and symbols used to denote danger when the man calls out for his dog and he has suddenly gone missing. The signified meaning of this is that the dog has been killed by the shark and the presence of the shark creates suspense. We first see the shark when it is introduced by underwater camera shots which make the audience tense and aware that the shark is going to attack. We feel helpless because we cant let the characters know there is a shark in the ocean. It is confirmed for the audience that an attack is going to happen because the sound is a signature sound which complements the underwater camera. The boy lies down on his float he goes deeper into the ocean and he is turned upside down by the shark and then we see a rush of red blood in the ocean which tells the viewers he is eaten. Next, we see a huge rush of families run from the beach onto the shore. The camera is then used to see Chief Brody from another perspective using a panoramic view to show the alarm and fear on his face after the attack. The dramatic irony in this scene is that we see everything from the Chiefs perspective. In the final scene we continue to concentrate on the hero as we have been following him throughout the film; the Chief. There are many camera shots ranging from a long-shot zoom which captures Chief Brodys reactions and emotions. This empathises and engages the audience. We want him to survive and true to conventions the hero does survive. The camera zooms upwards on his eyes at the key moment to register emotion when they are lowering the marine biologist into the cage. His fear transfers to the audience which makes us tense. The viewers see that there is chemistry in Brodys and the marine biologists friendship. The audience feels the sense of happiness between the two. There are symbols to suggest the possible outcomes and events; whether the cage will protect or confine the trap. This creates anxiety for the viewers. We wonder if he will survive his encounter with the shark. There is a hint of danger when the camera zooms on significant symbols; when the fisherman tries to drug the shark and the poison falls through the bars. This increases tension and there could possibly be different endings. There is non-digetic music, the jaws signature tune which plays when the shark appears near the cage and stops when the shark is more visual towards the end of the scene. This lets the viewer of the sharks presence and the music is peaceful and calm as soon as the shark is destroyed at the end and drifts towards the sea bed. This creates an effect of happiness and satisfaction as the audience is fearless. Overall, I think Jaws is a successful thriller because of the suspense that is created in the movie. For example, the signature tune keeps us in apprehension waiting to see what happens next. Also, the movie is realistic because sharks could actually kill you in real life which gives us creates a realistic effect. If you compare Jaws to Jurassic Park for example; this thriller wont keep us in as much suspense like it would in Jaws because dinosaurs are not actually living creatures and so the plot lacks terrifying realism. The plot in Jurassic Park is fantastical and also, the characters in the movie always escape death. The first frightening technique in the movie is in the opening scene when the girl is focused on and there is a close up of her being pulled under. This puts tension on the audience as we dont know what is attacking the girl. Then in the last scene where there is increase in tension for the audience and we think that there could possibly many kinds of different endings to the story.

New Years Greetings in German, Region by Region

New Year's Greetings in German, Region by Region When you want to say Happy New Year to someone in German, you will most often use the phrase  Frohes neues Jahr.  Yet, when youre in different regions of Germany or other German-speaking countries, you may hear different ways to wish someone well in the new year.   Augsburg University in Bavaria conducted a study to find out which New Years greetings dominated certain regions in Germany. The results are quite interesting, with some areas of Germany sticking with tradition, while others offer variations of the greeting. "Frohes Neues Jahr" The German expression,  Frohes neues Jahr  literally translates to Happy New Year. It is widely used in German-speaking countries, particularly in the northern and western states of Germany. This phrase is most common in northern Hesse (the home of Frankfurt), Lower Saxony (including the cities of Hanover and Bremen),  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (the coastal state along the Baltic Sea), and  Schleswig-Holstein (the state that borders Denmark). As often happens, some Germans prefer a shorter version and will simply use  Frohes neues. This is especially true in many areas of Hesse and in the wine country of Mittelrhein. "Prosit Neujahr" It is becoming increasingly more common for many German speakers to use  Prosit Neujahr  instead of the traditional Happy New Year. In German,  prosit  means cheers and  neujahr  is a compound word for new year. This phrase is scattered regionally and is often used in the area around the northern city of Hamburg and northwestern Lower Saxony. You will also likely hear it in many parts of western Germany, particularly around the city of Mannheim. There is also a smattering of its usage in the southeastern region of Germany in the state of Bayern. This may be due, in part, to an influence from eastern Austria and Vienna, where  Prosit Neujahr  is also a popular greeting. "Gesundes Neues Jahr" The German phrase  Gesundes  neues  Jahr  translates to Healthy New Year. You will hear this greeting most often when traveling through eastern regions of Germany, including the cities of Dresden and Nuremberg as well as the Franconia region in the south-central part of Germany. It may also be shortened to  Gesundes neues. "Gutes Neues Jahr" Meaning Good New Year, the German phrase  Gutes neues Jahr  is also popular. This version is most often used in the country of Austria. In Switzerland and the German state of  Baden-Wà ¼rttemberg in the southwest corner of the country, you may hear this phrase shortened to Gutes neues. Its also possible that youll hear this saying in the state of Bavaria, which includes Munich and Nuremberg. Yet, its most often concentrated to the south, closer to the Austrian border. Standard New Year's Greeting If you are unsure of which greeting to use or find yourself in an area of Germany not described previously, you can use a few standard New Years greetings that are widely accepted. They are: Alles Gute  zum  neuen  Jahr! Best wishes for the new year!Einen  guten  Rutsch ins  neue  Jahr! A good start in the new year!Ein glà ¼ckliches  neues  Jahr! Happy New Year!Glà ¼ck und Erfolg  im  neuen  Jahr! Good fortune and success in the new year!Zum neuen Jahr Gesundheit, Glà ¼ck und viel Erfolg! Health, happiness, and much success in the new year! Use one of these phrases, and you cant go wrong, regardless of where you find yourself throughout Germany or German-speaking counties.

What are the major ethical issues associated with conflict in the Research Paper

What are the major ethical issues associated with conflict in the contemporary workplace - Research Paper Example Drug testing is one of the areas that can lead to ethical issues in the workplace. The use of drug testing in the workplace can create an environment where employees are in constant conflicts with the management (Sterba, 2009). For instance, the management of a firm can insist that workers undergo drug testing even when they do not want. This practice can be forced without mutual agreement with employees being threatened by their employers. All these instances present ethical scenarios that undermine relations in the workplace. Falsification of information is also another area that depicts the extent of ethics within a business organization (Chonko, 2000). Conflict can arise between workers and their employees because of falsified information. For instance, an employee can falsify information to receive a promotion or to portray others on the wrong thus leading to conflicts. Sexual harassment represents another area of ethical concern in a work place. According to Allhoff and Vaidya (2008), sexual harassment entails the harassment of people in a sexual manner. This practice is of ethical concern given that it moral permissibility in a workplace is debatable. With sexual harassment, the relationship between perpetrators of this act and their victims can suffer and translate to reduced interactions at work. It can also lead to limited commitment at work. In the workplace, sexual harassment can occur when workers touch their colleagues with approval in a sexual manner. It may also mean compromising with other workers by forcing them into sexual acts for them to receive favors. Lack of fairness can be considered as another area that presents ethical issues. In a business environment, workers expect to be treated fairly like others workers. Unfair treatment can affect the morale of workers and leads to high turnover of workers. As an example, the

Interpretation of Spss Outcomes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Interpretation of Spss Outcomes - Essay Example tions are mainly normal distributed: Normal Skewness shows that the participants’ distribution on the social influence questions were evenly distributed indicating a values fairly resembling the mean. This shows that the participants were equally statistically significant in determining the outcome. Performance expectancy questions are mainly left skewed: Left Skewness shows that the participants’ distribution on the performance expectancy questions was negative indicating a value lower than the mean. This shows that the participants were not statistically significant in determining the outcome. Effort expectancy questions are mainly left skewed: Left Skewness shows that the participants’ distribution on the intention questions was negative indicating a value lower than the mean. This shows that the participants were not statistically significant in determining the outcome. However, while some responses showed right and normal skewness, left skewness appeared more frequently. Facilitating questions are mainly left skewed, with a slight tendency to normal distribution for the last facilitating chart. Left skewness indicates that the participants’ distribution on the intention questions was mainly negative indicating a value lower than the mean. However, a slight tendency to the normal distribution shows that participants were fairly statistically significant. Perceived security risk answers are mainly normal distributed: Normal Skewed questions show that the participants’ distribution on the intention questions normal with almost even distribution and indicates a value closely tied to the mean. This shows that the participants were not statistically significant in determining the outcome. Perceived trust answers are mainly normal distributed, with a slight tendency to left skewness for the first chart: Considering the first chart, it is observed that the perceived question distribution is left skewed indicating that participants with opposing opinions