Invisible japanese gentlemen Essay

– A group of eight Japanese gentlemen: Most of them wore glasses and most of the time they were smiling. They talked in a not very understandable language. – A beautiful young lady: Blonde hair and pretty girl. She had thin features and a gorgeous face. She looked very sophisticated. – And her fiancà ©: He looked very handsome too. He was very similar to her fiancà ©, he looked from the high socialite. – The Narrator: Physically he is in the setting of the story. The author of this short story made a wonderful description of each of the characters. Physically he is in the setting of the story, sitting in a different table, worried about this particular couple which called him attention. He is looking both tables but he really got interested with the one where the couple was sitting. The observations that are made by the author of the story makes us, as readers more conscious about what is going on with the couple. We can identify their worries, especially the ones of the girl, about her future as a writer and also her concerns about the wedding and their future as a couple. The narrator is sitting at a table, alone, and observes a group of eight Japanese gentlemen having dinner together, and beyond them a young British couple. The Japanese speak q uietly and politely to each other, always smiling and bowing, toasting each other and making speeches in Japanese which the narrator doesn’t understand and describes in patronizing, derogatory terms. Seven of the Japanese gentlemen wear glasses. They eat fish and later a fruit salad for dessert. The Japanese Gentlemen are in the beginning a distractor but then we can realized that are fundamental in this short story. They try to show us an important characteristic of the girl ´s personality. Even though at the beginning of the story she seemed intelligent and a good writer, afterwards we can say that she is not a good writer because she is not a good observer. She is just a girl who is worried about her future and her career but she does not seem like a real writer because she does not have the power to look beyond things. That is why the story is called â€Å"The invisible Japanese Gentlemen† because through her eyes Japanese Gentlemen were nobody they were almost invisible. She was so concerned about her own superficial worries that she left the restaurant and she did not have a look at them. Although they sit farthest away, the narrator catches their conversation. The pretty young woman is a writer The female protagonist is a young woman who has just written her first novel. She is very ambitious and is always trying to please her publisher called Mr. Dwight. In order to be successful she changes the title of her book in accordance to her publisher`s wishes. She probably belongs to the upper classes which becomes obvious in the way she speaks. She is very self- centered, talking all the time about her problems without listening to her fiancà ©e. She is oblivious to his feelings. She has no doubts about her success in the future. Her fiancà © is a wine-merchant who has been offered a well- paid job by his uncle. He only listens to his fiancà ©e and doesn`t mention his own plans and wishes. It becomes obvious that he isn`t sure about marrying her. He is dissatisfied with his situation. He is more cautious about the future. He is a realist maybe, but his fiancà © is not. Writer is both jealous of the girl, because she is at the beginning of s omething and still has the ability to dream her future, and sympathetic, because she’s young enough to be his daughter and he would like to communicate his experience to her so as to preserve her from disappointments .

Chemistry lab on saturated and unsaturated fats Essay

This experiment has also been trialled using KMnO4(aq) (0.0005 mol dm ) as the indicator. This turns from purple to colourless while unsaturation is still present. The procedure is the same as for bromine water, but portions of the potassium permanganate are added with swirling until the mixture fails to produce a colourless solution. The mixture requires more and more swirling as the amount of potassium permanganate increases. Warming fats in the Volasil using a beaker of hot water helps the fat dissolve and also speeds up the reaction. see more:chemistry matriculation This experiment should be done in a fume-cupboard with ready filled burettes. Background theory Saturation and unsaturation. Classic chemistry experiments 21 Safety Wear eye protection. Answers 1. Depends on what is supplied. 2. Weighing the fats and oils and calculating the exact amount of bromine water used per mole. 3. Unsaturated compounds contain double covalent bonds. Classic chemistry experiments Unsaturation in fats and oils Introduction Advertisements often refer to unsaturated fats and oils. This experiment gives a comparison of unsaturation in various oils. Burette  containing  bromine water Conical flask Oil and Volasil White tile What to record Volume of bromine water required for each oil. What to do 1. Using a teat pipette, add five drops of olive oil to 5 cm of Volasil in a conical flask. –3 2. Use a burette filled with a dilute solution of bromine water (0.02 mol dm ) (Harmful and irritant). Read the burette. 3. Run the bromine water slowly into the oil solution. Shake vigorously after each addition. The yellow colour of bromine disappears as bromine reacts with the oil. Continue adding bromine water to produce a permanent yellow colour. 4. Read the burette. Subtract to find the volume of bromine water needed in the titration. 5. Repeat the experiment with: five drops of cooking oil (vegetable) and five drops of cooking oil (animal). Safety Wear eye protection. Questions 1. Which sample is the most saturated and which is the most unsaturated? 2. This comparison is only approximate. How could the method be improved? 3. What does unsaturated mean?

Goal Setting Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Goal Setting - Personal Statement Example I have some very lofty goals that I know are challenging but I am on the right path. Currently I am working towards becoming a Clinical Physcologist. I am attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a freshman. I am highly ambitious as I will be completing 26 credits for my 1st semester (normally coursloads run from 15-20 credits). I have sustained a high level of achievement throughout all of my academic career, my many awards and honors include Honor roll (200-2006), Who's Who Among American High School Students, High School student achievement award (2004 and 2006), Student of the month (2004), National Honor Society(2004-2006), and Kiwanis Club certificate of Scholastic achievement (2003). I have not only excelled in academics but in sports as well as participating in community service. I was awarded the Bradford athletic award for volleyball in 2003 and have volunteered at the lions club and Shalom Centre, where I have helped serving meals as well as helping those in need. I am an excellent candidate for the scholarship awarded by the Slovak American Charitable Association. I am the third generation of my family to be a member of the "First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association". I am proud of who I am and where my family has come from.

Classic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Classic - Essay Example In music there are many degrees of classic works. While the most recognizable are those works by Beethoven and Mozart, most people would agree that the music of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones is classic as well. I believe in the future people will look back and recognize Michael Jackson’s work as classic, as well as Madonna, Bruce Springstein, and even Dr. Dre or Jay Z. I believe these musicians might be slightly derided in the current critical climate as they are in a sense too modern and popular to be acknowledged by critics. Defining what is truly classic is a very difficult concept. While Mark Twain defined the term as, â€Å"Something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read,† it seems that there is much more to the term. First, it’s important to distinguish between what is classic, and classical music. Classical music refers to a genre of music and is different from the term that defines ‘classic’ on other sense of culture. It seems that Classical music is both classic in any sense of the word, but also historic and exemplary. One might also argue that it is possible for Classical music to be bad, as long as it is written in the classical style; however, by its very nature a classic is not ‘bad’ in the critical sense. It seems that what is deemed a classic is genre defining or style breaking. In this sense, it is often difficult to determine if something is a classic upon its release as it requires time to determine how the film or music or ar t will hold up and how many other artists it will influence. It’s quite possible that a number of things that have been made over the last century with immediate appeal didn’t withstand time as they lacked eternal qualities that make a work truly classic. This idea is true of all elements of art and culture, including music and literature. Things that are considered classic are Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. It is both moving and powerful, as

Compare and contrast Alcott's and Stevenson's depictions of 'growing Essay

Compare and contrast Alcott's and Stevenson's depictions of 'growing up' - Essay Example As Massachusetts is part of the New England, Alcott and her writings were obviously influenced by the political and social developments during her time such as the beginnings of Industrial Revolution (this revolution originated in old England and took first roots in the New England region) that transformed society and business, movement to abolish slavery (the author herself was an abolitionist who gave refuge to a fugitive slave), the introduction of free public education and feminism. It was during this period that the first stirrings for womens rights took hold in the form of the universal suffrage (which meant allowing the women to vote for the first time). Alcott with other female writers took the lead in these movements. It was a time of ferment and excitement, when social barriers were being challenged or being torn down. It was also in New England that the first pieces of truly American literature were published. This region produced so many prominent writers and poets like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Emily Dickinson. Some of them were her contemporaries, family friends or personal acquaintances and influenced her works. The other novel, â€Å"Treasure Island† by Robert Louis Stevenson, is one of the famous male adolescent novels of all time. It is a coming-of-age story that has acquired a life of its own in the annals of children literature. Although written entirely as fiction, its descriptions of sea voyages, pirates, maps, buried treasures and tropical islands are so authentic it had been a source of entertainment and inspiration for generations who longed for adventure, risk taking and excitement. The author used the knowledge and experiences he gained in travelling with his father and grandfather, who were both lighthouse engineers, on their maritime expeditions to check on lighthouses as the primary source of much of his exacting

Sustainable Tourism Strategy for Romania National Park Essay

Sustainable Tourism Strategy for Romania National Park - Essay Example The strategies included dividing the park into four different zones in order to develop each and every section with greater effectiveness focusing on its unique natural feature. Furthermore, the strategy proposed by the authority to improve the Retezat National Park focused on the concept of promoting the availability of medical services, hotels and emergency rescue services among within the park in order to augment the interest of tourists to visit the tourism location. The developmental strategies proposed by the authority also included the intention to increase the scope of employment for the local people who live in the surrounding of the park. The strategies also proposed the inclusion of certain ethical and practical rules that were expected to limit the activities of the tourists up to an extent which will reduce the negative impacts on the natural assets of the Park. Thus, from an overall perspective, the strategies proposed by the authority of Romania Tourism can be observed to represent a multidimensional approach in benefitting the overall performance of the Retezat National Park. Part B Introduction The concept of sustainable tourism is apparently becoming widely accepted all over the globe. It is regarded as an attempt to minimize the impact of the environment as well as the local culture on the tourism industry of any country. Contextually, it has been observed that the main aim of sustainable tourism is to make sure that along with environment preservation, a considerable development in the tourism sector of any country can be provided which can yield maximum positive experiences for the people who decide to visit a particular country such as Romania possessing a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) of natural heritage. The concept of sustainable tourism is often argued as an important aspect that largely influenced the modern day strategies concerning the tourism industry operations. It is in this context that sustainable tourism can be effectively achieved with the development of certain strategies with the purpose of designing a positive structure of the tourism industry (Ali & Frew, 2013; Tribe, 2010; Swarbrooke, 1999). Based on the theoretical underpinning, this paper intends to discuss about the appropriateness of the strategy for one of the national park of Romania, i.e. the Retezat National Park. The paper further aims to recommend certain inputs that might be helpful in developing and executing strategies with greater accuracy yielding maximum positive results. Overview of the Romania’s National Parks and the Tourism Industry of the Country Romania is a country located in the South Eastern region of Europe. In terms of its geographic location, the country is listed as the eighth largest in the European continent. It has been observed that the country is quite well known all over the world because of its natural beauty

Business Week Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Week - Article Example These kinds of sessions are particularly important when a company is poised to seek an edge over its counterparts in a rather expanding business. Such sessions supplement the essential steps of decision making, particularly in gathering data and coming up with ideas that can possibly be implemented. Extreme brainstorming sessions entail nearly all the essential steps of decision-making, with particular influence on information gathering and analysis steps. In terms of electronic business, where prices keep plummeting down with unrelenting advancements in technology with each passing day, businesses can only tackle their rivals by fulfilling the needs of customers at lower prices. Business related to electronics is highly versatile, hence it requires creative ideas and in-depth understanding of customers to meet their needs and beat the competition. Best Buy has serious competitors like Newegg and Circuit City; and therefore, such sessions are highly critical to a company’s dec ision making process if it is to mark its name against its competitors. Such sessions would give rise to further creative ideas coming up from employees because people belonging to the same sector and similar expertise would constantly turn up with diversified views of situations, hence these kinds of sessions involve enormous collaboration between employees of similar discipline. In addition to this, having a strong bond with people and sharing of ideas would culminate in supplementary creative thoughts springing up for the business. Irrefutably, businesses such as that of electronics are always at an imminent threat by the competitive world. A slight advancement would leave behind all the old technology; therefore, it requires an acute sense and better understanding of technological changes to survive in electronics retailing business. For this reason, sessions such as these would

An issue considered in the presentations or books Essay

An issue considered in the presentations or books - Essay Example This paper explores the concept of supply of labor, its dynamics, and key factors. Many economic theories describe supply of labor in unique ways owing to the dynamic nature of the concept. Perhaps it is imperative to note from the onset that the total hours and real salary rate are the fundamental components of supply of labor in any given economic system. The supply of labor curve, which is the graphical representation of supply of labor, depicts the theoretical wage rates versus labor. The vertical axis of the supply of labor curve represents the theoretical wage rate while the horizontal axis represents the amount of labor that workers are willing to toil for at any given wage rate (Chagny, Döpke, Plane, and Schmidt 61). The dynamics of the supply of labor depend on the compromise between leisure and labor. This tradeoff implies that workers earn more incomes by working for more hours and vice versa. However, such workers must cut down on the number of hours they spend on leisure in order for them to earn hire by dedicating more time for labor. Although this notion necessitates a delicate balance, it confirms the fundamental trade-off between labor and leisure. It means that a rise in the rate of real wage increases the opportunity cost for leisure. This trend leads to the substitution effect in the sense that the workers will develop a tendency to supply more labor (Soest, Das, and Gong 15). As workers dedicate more hours for labor, their earnings as well as their real wage rate goes up. Subsequently, the demand for ‘normal good’ leisure increases as the workers incomes rises. It means that workers will supply less labor in order to spend more hours on their ‘normal good’ leisure activities. They will develop the tendency of spending because of their higher income and they will dedicate more time (hours) on leisure activities. This tendency is called

General Theory of Relativity Essay Example for Free

General Theory of Relativity Essay The universe consists of many fascinating objects. Unfortunately, some of which cannot be known with just the naked eye. This is because it cannot be seen from Earth, and other technological advancements are needed to fully determine its nature. This is also the reason why several people have acquired false notions of what those objects are. One of those objects is the black hole. Science fiction films and and television shows have given the public a different view of black holes (Lochner 2006), poles apart from what they really are. This research paper seeks to discuss the definition and characteristics of black holes. Before the characteristics of a black hole can be discussed, it is first necessary to define what it is. An introduction is in order. So what is black hole? According to Lochner (2006), it is the â€Å"evolutionary end point of massive stars (p. 2). † There are stars which has sizes much bigger than that of the Sun. In fact, some of them are â€Å"at least 10 to 15 times as massive as the Sun (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † When a star of this size sustains a supernova explosion, it leaves behind some stellar residue. Since in space there are no other forces to fight gravity, the residue will crumble unto itself. Lochner (2006) narrates, â€Å"The star eventually collapses to the point of zero volume and infinite density, creating what is known as a singularity (p. 2). † Eventually, density will increase; the light rays which is diffused by the star will then be encircling the star. â€Å"Any emitted photons are trapped into an orbit by the intense gravitational field; they will never leave it (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † The moment the star reaches the point of no density, all the light is trapped. Hence, it is called the black hole. The phrase black hole was coined by John Archibald Wheeler (Bunn, 1995). Prior to that, the objects were called frozen stars (Bunn, 1995). Even in the time of Isaac Newton, the existence of objects as such has been thought of. Now it is more accurately explained using Einsteins General Theory of Relativity. This is â€Å"a geometric theory of gravitation, which incorporates and extends the theory of special relativity to accelerated frames of reference and introducing the principle that gravitational and inertial forces are equivalent (Lochner, 2006, p. 1). † This theory then explains the possibility for such occurrences like bent light caused by massive objects and the very nature of black holes. Such theory enables the event wherein â€Å"space and time become so warped that time practically stops in the vicinity of a black hole (Lochner, 2006, p. 1). † Black holes are identified to have an estimated mass of 4-15 Suns. Since black holes are formed after the death of a star, or supernova explosions, these explosions in turn have after-effects. These effects give way to X-ray binaries which is referred to as black hole candidates (Lochner, 2006, p. 1). Moreover, there exists galaxy-mass black holes. These massive black holes are usually placed in Active Galactic Nuclei, or AGN. AGN is a â€Å"class of galaxies which spew massive amounts of energy from their centers, far more than ordinary galaxies (Lochner, 2006, p. 1). † The black holes in question are said to have a mass of 10-100 billion Suns (Lochner, 2006, p. 1), a testament to how enormous they really are. The mass of one of these enormous black holes was recently determined by radio astronomy (Lochner, 2006, p. 1). The black hole has been portrayed by pop culture as one which sucks objects in; Lochner (2006) refers to the black holes inaccurate depiction as â€Å"a cosmic vacuum cleaner (p. 2). † He notes, â€Å"If our Sun was suddenly replaced with a black hole of the same mass, the earths orbit around the Sun would be unchanged Of course the Earths temperature would change, and there would be no solar wind or solar magnetic storms affecting us (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † This is because a black hole can â€Å"exert the same force on something far away from it as any other object of the same mass would (Lochner, 2006, p. 1). † If in any instance, an object gets â€Å"sucked† into the hole, that very same object will pass through what is called â€Å"Schwarzschild radius (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † â€Å"This is the radius r of the event horizon for a Schwarzschild black hole (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † In the Schwarzschild radius, the escape speed and light speed is equal. Therefore, in the instance that light passes through, the light would not be able to escape. Say for example, a black hole with the same mass as the Sun, takes its place. Then the radius will still be different. The Suns radius is estimated at 700,000 km, while the Schwarzschild radius is only 3km (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). This would entail that the Earth must be of closer proximity to get sucked in a black hole in the center of our solar system. From where we are it is impossible to see the black holes. How do we then determine their existence? Since black holes are merely massive star remains, it would mean that they are of a small size. Also, because all the light gets trapped into itself, it would be impossible to see. Nonetheless, there are instances wherein a black hole can make itself perceivable. According to Lochner (2006), â€Å"if a black hole passes through a cloud of interstellar matter, or is close to another normal star, the black hole can accrete matter into itself. As the matter falls or is pulled towards the black hole, it gains kinetic energy, heats up and is squeezed by tidal forces. The heating ionizes the atoms and when the atoms reach a few million degrees Kelvin, they emit X-rays. The X-rays are sent off into space before the matter crosses the Schwarzschild radius and crashes into the singularity. Thus we can see this X-ray emission (p. 1). † Thus, black holes are dependent on other stars to make its presence known. The very same X-rays are also determinants of â€Å"black hole candidates (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † It was said that a â€Å"companion star is a perfect source of infalling material for a black hole (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † Because the X-ray sources are binary, a binary system is also enforced. This system makes the computation of the black hole candidates mass possible. The moment the mass is calculated, it can be deduced whether the said candidate is a black hole or a neuron star. What is a neuron star? It is â€Å"the imploded core of a massive star produced by a supernova explosion (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † Now these neuron stars are characterized by masses which are estimated to be 1. 5 times more than the sun. Moreover, if there exists random variation of emitted X-rays, this is also a signifier of a black holes presence. Lochner (2006) states, â€Å"The infalling matter that emits X-rays does not fall into the black hole at a steady rate, but rather more sporadically, which causes an observable variation in X-ray intensity(p. 2). † In addition, â€Å"if the X-ray source is in a binary system, the X-rays will be periodically cut off as the source is eclipsed by the companion star (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † All these characteristics are considered in identifying possible black hole candidates. For further identification, there are X-ray satellites which examines the skies for X-ray sources that may point out black hole candidates. For the longest time, there has been an identified black hole candidate in the name of Cygnus X-1 (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). â€Å"It is a highly variable and irregular source with X-ray emission that flickers in hundredths of a second (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † When one exhibits such an irregularity, it becomes a black hole candidate. How? It is because it is impossible for an object â€Å"to flicker faster than the time required for light to travel across the object (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † Lochner (2006) highlights this fact: â€Å"In a hundredth of a second, light travels 3000 kilometers. This is one fourth of Earths diameter (p. 2)! † From this, it can be concluded that the region from which the x-rays surrounding Cygnus X-1 are derived, is relatively small. Now Cygnus X-1 has a companion star with the name HDE 226868. This companion star is â€Å"a B0 supergiant with a surface temperature of about 31,000 K (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † Now observations found that the spectral lines of HDE 226868, which is the â€Å"light given off at a specific frequency by an atom or molecule (Lochner, 2006, p. 2),† had been changing within 5. 6 days. It was also said that the mass of HDE 226868 is estimated to be 30 times greater than the Suns mass. This would mean that Cygnus X-1may possess at least a mass of 7 solar masses. Why 7 solar masses? This is what is required to create the tremendous gravitational pull that would result in the fluctuation in the spectral lines of HDE 226868. Astronomers thought that since 7 masses does not characterize a neuron star or a white dwarf, which is a star that has exhausted most or all of its nuclear fuel and has collapsed to a very small size, it must then be a black hole. However, this issue about Cygnus X-1being a black hole has also been surrounded by much skepticism. There is some speculation that the HDE 226868 may be too small for its spectral category, which in turn implies that Cygnus X-1is smaller than was previously declared. Moreover, uncertainty also shrouds the the mass calculations. It is because â€Å"uncertainties in the distance to the binary system would also influence mass calculations (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † If the computations are inaccurate, the Cygnus X-1may end up only having 3 solar masses. If Cygnus X-1 has only 3 solar masses, it could be classified as merely being a neuron star, and not a black hole. The good news is that there are more binaries which reveal the possibility of a black hole, that which is much stronger than in Cygnus X-1 (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). In the year 1975, an X-ray transient known as A0620-00 was discovered. In the mid-80s, it was found that the mass of this object was more than 3. 5 solar masses. This fact alone eradicates the possibility of a neuron star, since neuron stars usually possess solar masses of 1. 5. In fact, the discovery of A0620-00 may have put into question the feasibility of other theories. Nonetheless, the best finding regarding black holes is V404 Cygni. This star was found to have an estimated 10 solar masses. Several journals have also written about the existence of black holes. In the 1995 edition of Annual Reviews of Astronomy and Astrophysics,there was a review conducted by Kormendy and Richstone, which implied the eight galaxies were thought to have â€Å"massive dark objects in their centers (Bunn, 1995, p. 1). † These cores were found to have masses which range from 1 million to several billion times that of the sun. Their massiveness was determined by noting how â€Å"the speed with which stars and gas orbit around the center of the galaxy: the faster the orbital speeds, the stronger the gravitational force required to hold the stars and gas in their orbits (Bunn, 1995, p. 1). † In fact, this is how astronomy usually measures masses. There are two reasons why these massive galactic centers were deemed as black holes. To begin with, the centers are â€Å"too dense and dark (Bunn, 1995, p. 1)† to even be considered as a group of stars, or just merely stars. â€Å"Second, the only promising theory to explain the enigmatic objects known as quasars and active galaxies postulates that such galaxies have supermassive black holes at their cores (Bunn, 1995, p. 1). † Even though these reasons point out that the galactic centers are really black holes, there is no sufficient evidence to prove it. Nonetheless, there is a continuous discovery for proofs that systems do include black holes. According to Bunn (1995), â€Å"a nearby active galaxy was found to have a water maser system (a very powerful source of microwave radiation) near its nucleus. Using the technique of very-long-baseline interferometry, a group of researchers was able to map the velocity distribution of the gas with very fine resolution (p. 1). † They also determined that the velocity was â€Å"less than half a light-year of the center of the galaxy (Bunn, 1995, p. 1). † It is from this fact that they deemed the object as a black hole, simply because only a black hole can have that much mass concentrated in such a small volume (Bunn, 1995, p. 1). All these results are included in January 12, 1995 issue of Nature, vol. 373. , as was reported by Miyoshi et al (Bunn, 1995, p. 1). Is there a possibility that the Sun can be a black hole? No. According to Bunn (1995), â€Å"only stars that weigh considerably more than the Sun end their lives as black holes (p. 1). † For about five billion years, the Sun will remain in its present state. After that, the Sun will undergo a phase wherein it will be a red giant star. The Sun will then end its life as a white dwarf star. If there are black holes, are there white ones? According to Bunn (1995), â€Å"the equations of general relativity have an interesting mathematical property: they are symmetric in time. That means that you can take any solution to the equations and imagine that time flows backwards rather than forwards, and youll get another valid solution to the equations. If you apply this rule to the solution that describes black holes, you get an object known as a white hole (p. 1). † If a black hole then pulls objects in, a white hole would then push things out. The former sucks in, the latter spits out. However, there is no proof that white holes exist, and there are no studies to point out if their existence is a possibility. There has also been speculations about the existence of what is called worm holes. What is a worm hole? It is â€Å"a theoretical opening in space-time that one could use to travel to far away places very quickly (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † It is characterized by â€Å"two copies of the black hole geometry connected by a throat the throat, or passageway, is called an Einstein-Rosen bridge (Lochner, 2006, p. 2). † As is indicated in the definition, it is merely theoretical. There is no scientific basis nor experimental evidence for such existence. However, it is indeed amazing to think that such existence is possible. Do black holes disappear or evaporate? Even astronomers are not sure as to how black holes end their existence. Bunn (1995) notes that â€Å"Back in the 1970s, Stephen Hawking came up with theoretical arguments showing that black holes are not really entirely black: due to quantum-mechanical effects, they emit radiation. The energy that produces the radiation comes from the mass of the black hole. Consequently, the black hole gradually shrinks. It turns out that the rate of radiation increases as the mass decreases, so the black hole continues to radiate more and more intensely and to shrink more and more rapidly until it presumably vanishes entirely (p. 1)† This is a mere theory. There have been no proof or scientific conclusions as to how black holes really diminish. Black holes are just one of the many things included in the vast universe we are a part of. Thanks to science and the technological advancements at present, we can have greater awareness and knowledge of what is within our universe but beyond our reach. References Bunn, T. (1995). Black Hole FAQ List. Retrieved December 13, 2007, from http://cosmology. berkeley. edu/Education/BHfaq. html. Lochner, J. (2007). Black Holes. Retrieved December 13, 2007, from http://imagine. gsfc. nasa. gov/docs/science/know_l2/black_holes. html.

Hoods by Angelia Betzien | Analysis

Hoods by Angelia Betzien | Analysis Hoods is an Epic theatre play, written by Angelia Betzien, directed by Leticia Caceres and composed by Pete Goodwin which is about domestic abuse. The plot is about three children, Kyle, Jessie and baby Troy, left behind in the car by their mother, who desperately had to leave everything after the abuse she had from her husband. The current issue of domestic violence is expertly dealt with in the Epic theatre style play Hoods, This will be demonstrated throughout an analysis of narration, direct address to the audience, episodic structure, fragmentary costumes and props, multiple roles, use of costume and lighting and soundtrack. Narration, a convention of Epic theatre, is used in Hoods thereby making it a strong example of political theatre. This technique is often used by actors to describe the scene to the audience to tell them what is happening. This is used as a Alienation, or called by Bertolt Brecht as the Distancing Effect , to encourage the audience to retain their critical detachment and have them thinking about the issue, which in the Hoods is domestic violence. In the play this is seen when the father kills the cat with a plastic bag, Jesse asks for a hug from a teacher, and at the end when they tell the of the story. The two actors projected their voice in sync and acted on stage while narrating. This has made a strong distancing effect to the audience as it addressed the audience of the play without actually having them being involved in the play emotionally. Narration was used throughout the play to express a much more powerful message to the audience by having the audience remained focused on what was happening rather than feeling it. Direct address is a commonly used technique used in Epic theatre for the actor to have a direct address to the audience to prepare the audience for a scene change. Brecht has employed direct address to the audience too express the message more clearly . Betzien made the play to have scene changes as often as possible to distance the audience emotionally from the play from the sensitive subject of domestic abuse. This effect has got the audience thinking and reflect on what is happening. The actors personally address the audience what the scene is, quite often speaking in sync. They explained their ability to pause, rewind and fast forward the story. With that throughout the play, they intentionally swap scenes in a blink of an eye to get the audience to focus on the new thing that is happening. The two actors always gave a direct address to the audience to have them focus. Direct address was sufficiently used throughout the play to reflect Epic Theatre and has expressed a much more p owerful message to the audience. Brecht used episodic structure in his plays because it distanced the audience from being emotional involved with the play. He wanted his views to be seen, heard but not felt as people would not think about the message if it if the audience were emotionally drawn in. Epic theatre has since incorporated episodic structure into the style to distance the audience from being emotionally attached. In Hoods it is used to explain the story of the childrens life, the abused life they have lived and the desperation of Jesse to find affection and safety. Caceres has made the actors to have scene changes to shift the audiences attention from the emotion and have them focusing on the new scene. Most occasions the new scene change was to show the progress prior to where the children got in the car, the abuse the mother coped from the father. This gives the audience the message of the play that it is about domestic abuse Episodic Structure was sufficiently used throughout the play to reflect Epic T heatre and has expressed a much more powerful message to the audience. Throughout the play the two actors change costumes and change props whenever a new scene takes place. This is done to done to get the audience to focus on the new character and scene to follow the story. It also invoked humour in the scenes that which distanced the audience to being detached from feeling the play but listen instead. During, before or after a direct address, narration and scene change, the actors change their costumes by taking off their hood, put on a hat or hold a prop. An example of a prop used in the play is the fairy wand Jesse held. Another example is Kyles hat, whenever the actor wore it, they instantly know it is Kyle. This has an effect on the play because it makes it easier to follow because the costumes identify the character distinctively. The effect of clear character by the use of voice and only one costume/prop makes the play more stronger. This is done so the audience will focus and listen to find out who the character is. This distances the audience f rom an emotional connection with the actors so they focus on the play. The soundtrack and lighting worked together hand in hand when the action on stage tensed up. An example is the end scene when Jesse got Kyle to leave the car with her to call for help. This worked really well due to the tension building music which got the audience to listen more and involved in the issue on stage. This has made an amazing effect on the play due to the after effects of the play made the audience reflect the story and issue afterwards. This was done to build the tension on stage and provoke the audience to pay attention. The lighting with the soundtrack created an atmosphere to which grew the tension. An example is when one actor was telling the story of the cat, the lighting was dark and the music was dark ambience. This created the tension that focused the audience on the story and was made because it distanced the audience from being emotionally attached. The current issue of domestic violence is expertly dealt with in the Epic theatre style play Hoods by the use of dramatic languages: narration, direct address, episodic structure, fragmentary props and costumes and soundtrack and lightening that has given the play the strong message to the audience without them emotionally attached to it.

Madness and Fear in Assignation, Cask of Admontillado, Fall of the Hous

Madness and Fear in Assignation, Cask of Admontillado, Fall of the House of Usher, and Masque of the Red Death Poe’s madmen are all obsessed with death. Existence within reality eventually becomes impossible. Poe usually places his madmen within a room or other enclosure, but they are rarely ever outside. When we do come across an exterior, nature does its best to repress, confine and enclose the man. The protagonist in Poe’s â€Å"The Assignation† sums up the combination of time and space within Poe’s stories and says, â€Å"I have †¦ framed for myself †¦ a bower of dreams. Properties of place, and especially of time, are the bugbears which terrify mankind from the contemplation of the magnificent† (301). The mental state of the character produces the setting and atmosphere, which usually results in the manifestation of that which is feared. The character manipulates his environment and uses tangible buildings and their contents as talismans or charms to outwit death. However, while the madman may try to circumvent death, it is actually the experi ence of dying that he fears, and despite his best intentions, death comes anyway. â€Å"The Cask of Admontillado† features the madman Montressor who seeks relief from his tormentor, and plans the perfect crime, â€Å"to punish with impunity† (274). Montressor painstakingly formulates the plan to rid himself of Fortunato, his tactless and unsuspecting friend. The fact that the crime is detailed meticulously in â€Å"Cask† is odd considering the narrator’s obsession with planning the perfect crime and his equal obsession with the absence of detection. Does the anxious tone in the confession-like story indicate that Montressor falls victim to his own perfect crime and awaits execution? In his confession, Mo... ...sity Press, 1987. 177-214. Kinkead-Weekes, Mark. â€Å"Reflections On, and In ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’† Edgar Allan Poe: The Design of Order. Ed. A Robert Lee. New Jersey: Barnes & Noble Books, 1987. 17-65. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Assignation.† The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. Hervey Allen. New York: Parkway Printing Company, 1938. 293-302. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Cask of Admontillado.† The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. Hervey Allen. New York: Parkway Printing Company, 1938. 274-79. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher.† The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. Hervey Allen. New York: Parkway Printing Company, 1938. 231-45. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death.† The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. Hervey Allen. New York: Parkway Printing Company, 1938. 269-73.

Role of Women in Uzbekistan Essay -- essays research papers

Role of Women in Uzbekistan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women’s roles are not the same in different cultures. Most important is that women in Uzbekistan, where the population of Muslim people were from 50 % up to 70 %, made the big progress in eighty years. From that time women started to become more free in education, marriage, and fashion than they used to be eighty years ago.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The education has also changed since the 1910s. In the 1910s girls had separate schools from boys, and they could only get education in middle-schools not going anywhere further in level of study. A lot of girls couldn’t attend the schools at all. In the history books says that each class had about five to ten girls, half of the girls stayed at home with their family or grandparents. Now we have a lot of schools and they are not separated. Today all Muslim girls and boys go to same schools together with all other students. They also can go farther in level of study. A lot of Muslim girls and women go to university after High School and earning degrees and becoming scientists, writers, musicians, teachers and simply excellent mothers. It is a really big change for women. I think I know why they did this changes, its because they wanted to be more educated and be equal to men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marriage has also changed a lot. Eighty years ago women had to stay at home and do the house work. A woman couldn’t see any men except her father or brother until ...

How Infidelity Affects the Marriage and Family? Essay

A liaison, sexual or in any aspect, outside of a marital relationship is an immoral effort and excuse to improve something. Others may say that not all people, who are having or had an extra-marital affair, are regarded as bad and despiteful. These people are generally and oftentimes are in pain, bewildered and lonesome. However, for those who were betrayed, these reasons do not justify nor make one’s infidelity acceptable. One’s involvement to other than his or her partner has a lasting painful and devastating effect not only on the marriage of a couple but more on their children. Fidelity among the parents is the most treasured component of a marriage. It can be regarded as a strong foundation of the entire family. When infidelity sets in, the strong union of the couple is shattered, leaving traces of dishonesty, guilt, and anger. Aside from the betrayed spouse, the children who are not involved in the problem between the couple that caused the break-up are the ones who suffer from the effects more. Infidelity is caused by complicated and different reasons. Extra-marital affairs can happen in both happy and disturbed marriages. Regardless of the cause, what the family evidently needs to be overcome is the manners in which infidelity severely affects the couple’s marriage and the family in general. Characteristics of Infidelity According to Marriage and Family Encyclopedia, infidelity is characterized by a â€Å"breach of trust† which is a reflection of one’s adulterous and cheating of ethical and emotional responsibilities to his or her spouse. Infidelity normally and oftentimes connotes a person’s intimate or sexual relationship to another individual other than his or her partner (Treas). Aside from an immoral sexual relationship, infidelity also comes in other forms. For instance, despite the lack of physical contact, women generally consider a deep emotional liaison as another form of a treacherous extramarital relation (Treas). These characteristics present infidelity as any emotion or conduct that go against or not in accordance with what one expects from his or her spouse and what makes the relationship exclusive (Treas). Infidelity is a worldwide issue, with some countries going beyond their boundaries to address its causes and effects. Aside from the ways in which infidelity affects the marriage and the family, its related topic such as an open marriage that is practiced in liberal countries also has an impact to the overall understanding of such unfaithful relationship. The books of Blumstein and Schwartz, as well as that of Greeley, states that the practice of open marriage in the United States which allows and opens an opportunity for a married person to commit extramarital sex is the only exclusion. Although the two books report that some Americans apparently tolerate open marriage, majority of American couples still regard sexual fidelity as an ultimately significant aspect of their marriage and the one which hold their family together (Blumstein & Schwartz; Greeley). This high consideration to fidelity is supported by an article which states that almost one hundred percent of American couples look for â€Å"sexual exclusivity† from their partners (Treas & Giesen 48). The Effects of Discovered Infidelity An article written by Shirley Glass which appeared on the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy site states that it is usual for the couple, either the one who committed infidelity or the one who was betrayed, to be depressed. Glass further stated that such feeling of demoralization includes suicide tendencies and anxiety. She added that an intense perception of loss follows the discovery of infidelity. According to Glass, the responses of the cheated partner correspond to the indications of â€Å"post-traumatic stress† experienced by the victims of harmful or even fatal situations. At the onset of the disclosure of the unfaithful relationship, the usual effects are â€Å"loss of innocence and shattered assumptions. † Included in such premises are the obsessive contemplation of the details of the infidelity, nonstop observation of other aggravating symptoms of cheating, recurring and invasive images of the betrayal, and an increased biological arousal due to a sexual effort to win back the partner (Glass). Those who have exerted much trust and the least suspecting are the most badly affected and hurt. The philandering partner, on the other hand, is worried that his or her infidelity will result in a lasting punishment and further suffering. This is because the dreams he or she associated with the extramarital relationship were wasted (Glass). Ways in Which Infidelity Affects The Marriage Infidelity affects not only the marriage but the divorce proceedings that happen afterwards (Treas). Prior to the passing of â€Å"no-fault divorce laws in the 1970s,† a cheating spouse is expected not to be granted with custody rights over his or her children, endure disadvantages in the separation of conjugal properties as well as in payments of support (Treas). In eliminating adultery as grounds for divorce, the â€Å"no-fault laws† likewise remove extra-marital sex as a vindication for preferring one’s welfare over the other partner (Treas). Aside from affecting the marriage, infidelity or other related laws in the United States would forbid a philandering spouse from casting a vote, engaging in alcohol-related works, exercising law, legally adopting a child and living with the previous partner (Treas). It was unfortunate that adultery laws are almost never implemented, despite the fact that a lot of states have silently revoked such outdated legislative acts (Treas). Unrepealed laws then only function mostly for symbolic intentions, representing the state’s adherence for traditional ethical and family living (Treas). Laumann, and his colleagues, on the other hand, stated that the issue of how sexual infidelity impacts the marriage necessitates further research. However, experts on marriage counseling have attested that sexual infidelity definitely rocks a couple’s marriage (Laumann, et al. ). In their book, Laumann and his associates also identified another manner, aside from divorce, in which infidelity affects the marriage. This is the existence of domestic violence which was also already identified as an effect of sexual enviousness (Laumann, et al. ). Lawson corroborated the above destabilizing theory or effect of infidelity to marriage. According to Lawson, infidelity contradicts the couple’s intimacy, weakens the perceptions of shared â€Å"ownership† between a husband and wife, and cuts short commonality that exists when one’s spouse is the only one giving a treasured intimate or â€Å"sexual service. † Sexual infidelity also deviates â€Å"time, energy, and money† outside of the marital union. This is evident when a betraying partner allots or spends more of his or her quality time, physical energy, and cash with a person other than the legal partner. Lawson also said that women’s extramarital relationships are likely inclined to result into divorce or new marriage. This is because of women’s nature of involving of too much emotion into a relationship (Lawson). Ways in Which Infidelity Affects The Children Aside from the emotional and psychological trauma, the infidelity of the parents creates confusion among children, similar to the effects experienced by the betrayed parent that the children feel. An online article by Dianna J. Gould-Saltman stated that in the event the extramarital relationship eventually resulted into the separation of a couple, it becomes an issue if the presence of the new partner will be considered in limiting custody or visitation right over the children. Confusion among the children is evident when the new partner of their father or mother starts to live in the house and the new couple can eventually and freely exercise their sexual activities even when the children are around. This scenario causes children to ask if sex outside of marriage is alright. However, it was stressed that the law states that â€Å"the court must make custody orders consistent with the best interests of the children. † The said article added that unless there is opposing evidence, it is expected that the children of the separated couple still require constant contact with both the father and the mother regardless of whoever committed the infidelity (Gould-Saltman). Infidelity Affects Both the Marriage of the Couple and their Children The same Gould-Saltman article identified three combined issues resulting from infidelity that affect both the marriage of the couple and their children. First is misappropriation which is manifested when the philandering partner takes away or deviates the money supposedly intended for the needs of his or her family. A married person is obligated to manage his or her marital assets, such as the monthly employment income, for the purpose of addressing the needs and promoting the welfare of his or her family. Gould-Saltman said that â€Å"spending community money on a girlfriend or boyfriend, especially expensive gifts, paying for rent or mortgage, or vacations can be deemed a misappropriation. † In view of this the betrayed spouse and the children are authorized to refund â€Å"one half of the funds spent, possibly with interest, from the date of the misappropriation† (Gould-Saltman). Misappropriation, however, is different to another effect which is â€Å"supported spouse. † In the latter, the spouse who was left behind in favor of a new partner will be burdened with proof in getting support from his or her spouse. This takes place when the spouse already â€Å"cohabits† with his or her new partner who now receives the financial support. In doing so, the child support may also somehow be affected because the income is now shared with the new partner. However, this situation can be resolved through legal arrangements. The last effect, which is the possibility of acquiring sexually transmitted disease, is solely experienced by the betrayed spouse. With this impact, the offended spouse, who was transmitted with the disease resulting from the philandering of his or her spouse, is considered a battered spouse and entitled for monetary damages (Gould-Saltman). Conclusion Infidelity is a sensitive issue which does not only affect the legal union of a couple but also leaves the entire family devastated. It is perceived as a one-sided option wherein only the betraying spouse benefits while the offended spouse and their children suffer. The ways in which infidelity affects the spouse and the children cause them to endure suffering in terms of emotional, psychological, and financial aspects which are unfairly happening to them. Such unfaithful conduct unjustly favors the philandering spouse and steps on the rights and protecting the feelings of the betrayed spouse and children. This is because while the philandering spouse is enjoying his or her sexual trysts with the new partner, a husband or wife and the children are left tormented with the pains of infidelity. Works Cited Blumstein, Philip and Pepper Schwartz. American Couples: Money, Work, Sex. New York: Morrow, 1983. Glass, Shirley P. â€Å"AAMFT Consumer Update: Infidelity. † American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. 2002. 14 April 2008 . Greeley, Andrew M. Faithful Attraction: Discovering Intimacy, Love, and Fidelity in American Marriage. New York: TOR Books, 1991. Gould-Saltman, Diana J. Adultery: Does It Make Any Difference? Divorce Wizards. 1998. 14 April 2008 . Treas, Judith. â€Å"Infidelity-What Are The Consequences? † Marriage and Family Encyclopedia. 14 April 2008 . Laumann, Edward. O, et al. The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994. Lawson, Annette. Adultery: The Analysis of Love and Betrayal. New York: Basic Books, 1988. Treas, Judith and Deirdre Giesen. â€Å"Sexual Infidelity Among Married and Cohabiting Americans. † Journal of Marriage and the Family 62 (2000):48–60.

Elder Abuse and Neglect: Trends and Implications Essay

Considering the growing number of elder population in the world, and more specifically in the US, the reality of elder abuse or mistreatment has increasingly become a cause of concern specially for the health sector. Political and social forums have lent a stage for policy debates related to elder abuse. Though statistics show that elder abuse is common in many households and health care facilities, it is still considered as an underreported type of family violence. The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization define elder abuse as â€Å"a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action occurring within a relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person† (as cited by Perel-Levin, 2005). Abuse of elderly people occurs in several ways, and often the types of abuse overlap with one another. The five commonly identified categories of elder abuse are physical abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, financial or material abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. (Bergeron, 2005; Dyer and Rowe, 1999; Kingston & Penhale, 1995; Perel-Levin, 2005). Elder abuse is a violation of human rights Perel-Levin (2005) and it constitutes potentially serious health and social problems (Kingston & Penhale, 1995). Perel-Levin (2005) assert that because of the speed of population ageing worldwide, elder abuse will also increase unless interventions are done to address it. A study made by the National Center for Elder revealed that 1996 saw more than 500,000 victims of elder abuse in America and that the great majority (84%) were not reported. This implies that there are several millions of elder abuse victims who continue to suffer in silence and without due recourse or help from authorities (NCEA, 1996). In the UK, at least half a million older persons are abused each year, yet it is believed that most such abuse remains unreported because its victims are too frightened, ashamed or embarrassed to come forward (Department of Health, 2007; as cited in Cronin, 2007). Health professionals as well as researchers agree that elder abuse and neglect often take place in the context of illness and caretaking issues (Bergeron, 2005). It is ironic because these facilities should instead safeguard the welfare and well-being of patients and wards instead of condoning abuse and neglect or turning a blind eye. It is commonly believed that the risk factors for elder abuse are present caretaking facilities that are tasked to safeguard the welfare of the elders. These settings include home health care, mental health clinics, emergency departments, and acute settings, as well as in long-term institutional care (Bergeron, 2005). These contentions support the critical argument of this paper that the reality of elder abuse and its still blurred status in institutional policy orientations augurs many pejoratives and adverse implications for older adults particularly those residing in nursing facilities. A victim of elder abuse would most likely suffer from worsening health condition which could very well adversely affect his social relationships, mental health and life endeavours. Trends Various sectors of the society have taken the cudgel to win the battle against elder abuse, mistreatment and neglect. Heading the cry for eradication of the problem is the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) which is under the auspices of the US Administration for Aging. It is working closely with many other advocates. NCEA is composed of a consortium of professionals and experts from various disciplines, most of them being researchers, practitioners and educators (NCEA website). Addressing the elder abuse dilemma has also been pacing up at the World Health Organization and has commissioned researches to gather information about the problem for it to come up with working solutions and interventions on a global scale. The mandate of the NCEA gives an overview of the efforts of practitioners and advocates to solve the problem on elder abuse and to promote the dignity of elder persons. Elder abuse is studied and dissected in many aspects focusing on 1) causes and risk factors, 2) prevalence and incidence of elder abuse in various contexts (e. g. , the home and health care facilities), 3) clinical screening and abuse identification, 4) evaluation of risk assessment tools and elder abuse instruments, and 5) prevention and treatment protocols with emphasis on evidence-based practice, among others (NCEA website). In a research partly sponsored by the Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education and the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, it is asserted that family violence which includes child abuse, partnership violence and elder mistreatment has become a â€Å"major social, health and law enforcement issue† as it continues to impact on policy directions as well as strain the capability of law enforcement agencies, judicial bodies, social service agencies, and health care centers (Chalk & King, 1998). Elder abuse and neglect issues have been taken in political agenda. In a remarkable eye-opening testimony by Catherine Hawes (Professor and Director of the Southwest Rural Health Research Center at the School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center), she confirmed to the US Senate that indeed elder abuse is a sad reality in residential long-term care settings. The gist of her testimony contends that patients in such residential facilities are very vulnerable to mistreatment and abuse, that the problem elder abuse and neglect are caused by â€Å"low staffing levels and inadequate staff training†, that evidence suggests to the effectiveness of existing guidelines and practices to minimize the problem in residential facilities, and that the elder abuse problem in such settings have not been given the right attention (Hawes, 2002). Elder abuse and neglect has also become a critical issue in the fields of criminology and law enforcement. The number of elder abuse related studies in the field of criminal justice have escalated. A project conducted by the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging, with the assistance of the University of California , Irvine School of Medicine by virtue of a grant made by the National Institute of Justice, highlights several recommendations relating to medical forensic issues on elder abuse were presented and which may be used as a guide in research and policy endeavors of other practitioners. In another research, Blake & Dolon (2006) gives a comprehensive and methodical approach to the abuse and neglect issue that will be of great use to the criminal justice system and the social services sector, among others. Practical examples and situations are given to illustrate their concepts and to describe proposed interventions in the legal context (e. g. , establishment of guardianship), for the health sector (e. g. , diagnosis and treatment), and in the social services sector (e. g. , home care or counselling). Forensic studies also provide guidance in conducting research-based forensic interviews. One such study is that Cooper and King (2006), which set up clear interview guidelines in aid of forensic investigation of an offender who committed sexual assault against an elderly. An evaluation of the criminal justice response to elder abuse in nursing homes was conducted by Payne & Gainey (2006). Analyzing 801 cases of elder abuse in nursing homes revealed that physical assault is the most common form of abuse and that work stress contributes to elder abuse incidence. The researchers suggest that preventative measures should be implemented forthwith in nursing homes. Implications The health and medical sciences as well as occupational science are linked together because they focus on the health and well-being of human beings. Implications of elder abuse to the health sector come from different perspectives, but the essence of occupational science and justice are mostly integrated in these perspectives. For health care providers, they are not only in an ideal position to engage in early identification, support and referral of persons experiencing elder abuse but should also recognize and accept it as their responsibility to address the risks of elder abuse (Kingston & Penhale, 1995). However, Fulmer, et al (2004) say that the health care sector experience difficulty fulfilling these roles. Citing several studies, it was asserted that elder abuse treatment attitudes among nurses with older patients tend to be negative (McLafferty & Morrison, 2004) and that ignorance in hospitals of the problem of elder abuse is characteristic of the situation in general (Cohen, et al, 2006). Richardson, et al; (2002) found that at baseline, staff often do not recognize, record and report abuse. Still, Nahmiash and Reis (2000) found in their study that the most accepted and successful strategies for abused older adults are concrete: nursing and other medical care and homemaking assistance, thus health professionals, especially nurses, are likely to be among those accepted by abused adults. Accident and emergency departments are often the first point of contact for an abused older person (Dyer & Rowe, 1999). Notwithstanding the problems in recognising abuse and the complexities of dealing with older people, emergency nurses need not prove or disprove it is present; it is their responsibility though to act if they suspect it (Cronin, 2007) and they should not be afraid to seek help if they are suspicious of abuse, lest they fall short of their responsibility. (Dyer and Rowe, 1999). For the occupational therapist, an acute understanding of elder abuse and its symptoms could help him screen and identify elder abuse, refer incidence to authorities or to enhance therapeutic protocols to restore health and well-being of an abused elder. Knowledge of the experiences of an elderly patient will give the practitioner valuable insights on the patient’s physical state and mental condition and which will help the patient-therapist partnership in designing and implementing therapeutic programs. Conclusion The sad reality of elder abuse stares us into the face and we can’t help but stare back in terror and fear. The face of an old person with beaten black and blue or a disposition that showed the heartbreaking misery of being attacked or robbed by one’s own family are indeed not only poignant pictures but terrifying as well. Imagine millions of faces like these. It would be a terrible world to live in. As already underscored earlier, elder abuse is underreported. Even as statistics show that millions of abuse cases have been reported, there are millions more who are hidden and kept secret. The reported statistics is just the tip of the iceberg. As also discussed, elder abuse is committed in residential facilities by no less than the health professionals who are supposed to be the protectors of their health and well-being. This is a cause of panic. This is an issue that should not escape the judicious eyes and ears of law and government. Occupational science could contribute so much in policy-making as well as designing protocols to prevent or treat elder abuse. References Bergeron, L. R. (2005). Elder abuse: Clinical assessment and obligation to report. In K. A. Kendall-Tackett (Ed. ), Health consequences of abuse in the family: A clinical guide for evidence based practice.. Washington DC: American Psychological Association. pp. 109-128. Blakely, B. & Dolon, R. (2006). Elder mistreatment (from Crisis Intervention in Criminal Justice/Social Service). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher Ltd. Chalk, R. and King, PA, eds. (1998). Violence in families: Assessing prevention and treatment programs.. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Cohen, M. , et al. (2006). Risk of abuse by their caregivers: development of a screening tool for identifying elderly people at risk of abuse by their caregivers. The Journal of Aging and Health. Retrieved Sept 25 2008 from ttp://jah. sagepub. com/cgi/content/abstract/18/5/660 Cronin, G. (2007). Elder abuse: the same old story? Emergency Nurse. Vol 15, No 3 June 2007. Dyer, C. & Rowe, J. 1999. Elder abuse. Trauma 1999; 1: 163-169 Arnold Publishers Fulmer, T. (2004). Progress in elder abuse screening and assessment instruments. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Vol 52, No 2. Retrieved January 10, 2009 from http://www. hartfordign. org/publications/trythis/issue15. pdf. Fulmer, T. , Paveza, G. , Abraham, I. , & Fairchild, S. (2000). Elder neglect assessment in the emergency department. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 26, 436-443. Hawes, Catherine. (2002). Elder abuse in residential long-term care facilities: What is known about prevalence, causes, and prevention. Testimony before the U. S. Senate Committee on Finance, June 18, 2002. Retrieved April 13, 2009 from http://finance. senate. gov/hearings/testimony/061802chtest. pdf.

Goal Setting Worksheet Essay

1.Describe one academic goal that you have created using the SMART criteria. How do SMART criteria contribute to your academic goals? One goal I have created is to continue to attain the highest points possible each week in college. SMART criteria contribute to my academic goal by helping me identify what I need to focus on to complete this goal. By concentrating on how to set my goal to the guidelines of SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realist, and Timely) I am able to set reasonable steps to complete this goal within the timeframe specified. 2.Describe one professional/career goal you have created using the SMART criteria and Career Plan Building Activities results. How did the results of the Career Interest Profiler and Career Plan Building Activity on Competencies contribute to your professional goal development? Using the SMART criteria I have set a goal to research jobs I am interested in pertaining to the IT field and find out which certifications I will need on top of my degree to help me attain that edge over other prospective candidates. The results from my Career Interest Profiler and Career Plan Building Activity on Competencies reaffirmed my choices on the career I have chosen. As the other career fields I have been interested in were also on the profiler I feel like I am in connection with my competencies and am pursuing a career that I will not only excel at, but be happy with. 3.Describe the stress and time-management strategies you have learned this week that will help you achieve your goals. Of the stress and time management strategies I have learned this week I feel that overcoming procrastination will aid me the most. There are times when the list of things I need to accomplish by the end of the week seems quite daunting, and sometimes I feel procrastinating tendencies. The ultimate cure for this is for me to stop making excuses and accomplish my tasks at hand. Another helpful strategy for me will be utilizing a planner. With all of the time consuming tasks that I will need to accomplish, having them allocated to time slots and dates on a planner will help keep me organized, ensure to not miss deadlines, and effectively de-stress me at the same time. 4.Describe how you will balance academic expectations and your personal and professional responsibilities. I will balance academic, personal, and professional responsibilities and expectations by creating a time chart and not overextending my abilities. I plan to assess each aspect of my life pertaining to academic, personal, and professional goals by effectively prioritizing each in its order of importance or necessity to me. By doing this I can then effectively plan my time to meet my perspective responsibilities as well as eliminate unnecessary stress. 5.How can understanding the importance of SMART criteria and your career interests and competencies help you move towards your career and academic goals? Understanding the importance of SMART criteria and my career interests and competencies can help me achieve my career and academic goals by allowing me to see which areas I am competent in and which areas I need to focus my time on to be more proficient in. Knowing where your weaknesses are is the first step to improving on them and advancing in your career or academic goals. By utilizing SMART criteria I can set realistic and obtainable goals for myself, effectively not setting myself up for failure. If I am able to set a goal to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely I am sure to succeed at not only completing them successfully, but completing goals within a reasonable amount of time as well.

Coast4Life Inc.

This report outlines the strategic options available to Coast4Life for the upcoming fiscal year. Through my research, I have identified the current situational analysis that is necessary to be considered for the options that will be provided in this report. Current situational analysis: Vision: Coast4Life cruise will be the first choice for vacationers who are seeking a safe, enjoyable and unique cruise experience in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Mission: Coast4Life meets the needs of vacationers by offering safe, enjoyable and unique cruises along BC coast at affordable prices and at a high quality of service.Coast4Life strives to minimize the safety effects of cruising on ecology and maximize the safety of customers, staff and marine life by ensuring ships are well maintained and environmental and safety regulations are exceeded. Preferences: The Board of Directors(BOD) preference is to be profitable and maintain a positive net income in light of upcoming economic downturn. The G eneral Manager of the Fraser dry dock believes it defines the reputation on BC Coast for Coast4Life safety. Constraints: Cash available on hand is $10,461,000 and an after tax rate of return on 16%.Key Success Factors: Coast4life cruises wants to provide high quality services to the passengers. Refer to the passenger/crew ratio in comparison to industry averages(see Appendix 3-1). Current Financial Analysis(See Appendix 1- Financial Ratios): Ongoing increase to Coast4life’s abilities to meet its short-term obligations. In light of the slight increase of acquiring additional assets, our revenue streams still continues to outmatch this on a steady basis; however, the incremental revenue is declining with each year.Our service offerings grow; generating incremental income each year; nevertheless, Coast Native and Natural Splendour gross margin’s are the same, and each offers different services. Company’s ability to cover interest is growing over the years, and our debts are declining. Coast4Life’s ability to convert investments into profit has increased. Strategic Options: To cut costs. Option#1: Divesture of the Fraser dry dock Pro(s): Gain on sale of $7,274,000; in favour of BOD preferences and in line of providing the necessary funds to maintain incremental financial targets for upcoming economic downturn(see Appendix 3- 2).Con(s): Against general manager’s preference, as can affect the reputation of the company – the quality of safety regulations the company adheres to. Option #2: Registering Coast4Life’s ships in Liberia Pro(s): Wages&Salaries will be cut by 30%; In favour of BOD’s preference to cut costs – $1,423,530 would be saved by outsourcing from Liberia(see Appendix #3- 3). Con(s): Affect quality of service provided by the crew; be against the mission statement Hiring unskilled labour can potentially increase management expenses(Additional Training).Minor options: For materiality purposes with respect to revenue sources the following are minor options to generate additional revenue: Option #1: Switching customer target markets Pro(s): By targeting 40-60 year olds, revenue streams will increase by 20%, which could also increase all financial ratios by the same rate and, thus be in line with the vision statement. This target group can afford a more unique experience given industry annual family income of $78,000. For ages 40 -60 Industry is higher by 8% so we have space to grow and target this age group (see Appendix 3-4). Con(s):By changing target there is no guarantee that revenues will be maintained throughout the downturn in the following fiscal year even with growth in tourism industry in Canada. Option #2: Implement a web-based booking system Pro(s): Can potentially save the company up to $1,341,250 [($2,146,000Ãâ€"10% reduction)/16% after tax rate of return] in travel agent commissions over the life of the company and assist in further increasing the companyâ⠂¬â„¢s activity ratio Can be paid off in less than 4 months. The payback formula proves that no cash is needed to be spent, as through the incremental savings this investment will be recouped(see Appendix 3-5).Cons: Decrease word of mouth advertising via travel agents. Increase global competition due to the online presence. Recommendation Given the uncertain future ahead, it is best to be conservative and in line with the current mission statement for company objectives. It would be best that Fraser dock would be divested and web-based booking system would be implemented. This would cut costs and increase revenues via savings that can be earned without risking the reputation of the company or established revenue stream. With this consideration, the company will still have enough resources to maintain its financial position.

Indian New Deal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Indian New Deal - Essay Example Although he was sympathetic to Indians, he depicted them in a stereotypical manner. Collier, who has made the Indians' cause his own, determined to change all that. He proposed a bill-the Wheeler-Howard bill drafted by the Office of Indian Affairs and the Office of the Solicitor of the Interior Department-which was designed to rehabilitate the Indians and give them land settlement. When Collier took office the records of the Indian Bureau showed that the Indian lands had shrunk from 113,000,000 acres in 1887, when the land-allotment law was passed, to 47,000,000 acres (Nichols 133). Tribal funds had been reduced from $500,000,000 to $12,000,000, and 93 percent of tribal income was being used for bureau maintenance. Politicians were in complete control; graft was said to be wholesale. Federal money was being wasted on boarding-schools, which took children from their parents and tried to make white children of them, and a national scandal was exposed at the asylum for Indians at Canton, South Dakota. Tribal and social customs were being suppressed. Collier put the bo

Market Risk Analysis on Solar Thermal vs. Solar Photovoltaic System in Essay

Market Risk Analysis on Solar Thermal vs. Solar Photovoltaic System in UK - Essay Example It is a universal knowledge that the burning of oil and natural gas could produce and emit excessive carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide that could trigger global warming. To combat the global climate changes, the UK government decided to gradually shift from the use of non-renewable to renewable energy resources (Committee on Climate Change, 2010). Recently, the Committee on Climate Change announced that the Scottish Government will reduce the carbon gas emission by 3.5% annually between 2020 to 2050 (Committee on Climate Change, 2011). As a result of increasing the use of non-renewable energy resources, the annual emission of carbon dioxide throughout the United Kingdom decreased from 8.95 metric tons per capita in 1995 down to 8.6 metric tons per capita in 2007 (Federal Statistical Office Germany, 2010). Solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal is another form of renewable energy resources that will enable the UK government to generate electricity using the sunlight that falls upon the silicon layer of a solar system (Goodall 2007, p. 268). To enable the reader gain a better understanding of solar PV and solar thermal system, a brief literature review will be conducted concerning the nature and advantages of these two alternative energy resources. Given that existing UK renewable energy industry is focused on the use of biofuels, wind power, and hydroelectricity, this report will conduct a risk management analysis whether or not the UK government should extend its financial and political support in the promotion of either solar photovoltaic or solar thermal as one of the potential renewable energy resources throughout the United Kingdom.

Classroom of the future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 6

Classroom of the future - Essay Example This research tells that classroom is an important environment affecting students in many fields. Studies have proved that the there is a relationship between the student performance and the classroom facilities. Classroom facilities affect students’ attendance and academic performance, so taking care of classroom facilities improve the level of student performance in the classroom. Additionally, the classroom often reflects the correlation between the students and their teacher. It’s important to understand not only what’s coming next but also where it all started. Classrooms throughout history have passed much of the technological changes. So, the purpose of this paper is to describe those changes and then visualize the future changes in the classroom. The classroom has changed a lot in the past. There are three main periods from the early days that helped build the education system we have now. The colonial period was first from the 1600’s to the 1700â €™s, the next period would be from the American Revolution to the civil war which was approximately a 70 year period from 1791-1861.The Information age came next from the mid-1900s to the very early 2000s. In the colonial period, the classroom was very minimal only consisting of a one-room building most likely with log walls, a dirt floor, and wax windows. For chairs, they would split a log in half and attach branches to the bottom to create a chair. Educational supplies were very scarce and expensive, most were homemade consisting of quill pens and boil down bark to make ink. Between the American Revolution and the civil war, the classroom experience got a lot better because classrooms had blackboards, slates, and maps. The furniture and architecture were also greatly improved even though at first during this period many communities didn’t have school buildings because if the revolutionary war, instead they had large rooms until the building was able to be rebuilt.

US Army history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

US Army history - Essay Example Today, four of America's five military branches are under the Department of Defense: United Sates Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air forces. The combined United States armed forces consist of 1.4 ml active duty personal along with several hundred thousand each in the Reserve. The United States Armed Forces are considered to be the most powerful millitery around the world (Luttwak, Koehl, 1998). Historians suppose that from its first stand at Lexington, the Army has always had a non-negotiable contract with the American people to fight and win the nation's wars. Now, over 400 years since the first colonial militia was formed in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565, the spirit and essence of the United States Army is celebrated for the first time. In retrospect, 1775 decision of the Continental Congress to create the Continental Army seems remarkably free from political strife. Delegates of all shades of opinion supported each step, and arguments largely concerned technical details. In 1794 Congress established the Office of the Purveyor of Public Supplies in the Treasury and the Office of Superintendent of Military Stores in the War Department to continue the same broad supply functions established in the Confederation period. This organization of military supply remained in effect with only slight modification until 1812.Training and discipline were the key to an effective militia. It should be mentioned that the President first exercised his authority to employ militia for suppressing insurrection and executing the laws of Congress in 1794 when Washington sent a large force of militia under Maj. The conduct of the war in 1812 revealed deficiencies in the administration of the War Department that would plague the American cause to the end. Lack of transportation was a major problem of the Army. By the end of 1848 the Army had reverted to a peacetime strength somewhat smaller than the 10,000 authorized in 1815 (Luttwak, Koehl, 1998). Congress in June 1850 approved "enlarging the companies serving on the frontier to 74 privates, a considerable increase over the 50 in the dragoons, 64 in the mounted rifles, and 42 in the artillery and infantry authorized at the end of 1848" (Millett, Maslowski, 1984). The new infantry units were armed with percussion-cap, muzzle-loading rifle muskets instead of smoothbore muskets. Nineteenth century technological developments had made possible an accurate, dependable muzzle-loading rifle with at least as fast a rate of fire as the smoothbore musket. At the U.S. Military Academy during this period, such great names as Robert E. Lee and Dennis Mahan (author of many works on engineering and fortification) appeared on the roster of staff and faculty (Millett, Maslowski, 1984). During the middle of the XIXth century the severe forms of corporal punishment were abolished in the U.S. Army. Still, Civil War medical science was primitive in comparison with that of the mid-twentieth century, an effort was made to extend medical services in the Army beyond the mere treatment of battle wounds. As an auxiliary to the regular medical service, the volunteer U.S. Sanitary Commission fitted out hospital ships and hospital units, provided male and, for the first time in the U.S. Army, female nurses, and furnished clothing and fancier foods than the regular rations (Conn, 1980). The industrial age, made a significant influence on military strategy, tactics, and organization. During 1907-1912 the U.S. Navy's

History of the Seventh Day Adventist Church Essay

History of the Seventh Day Adventist Church - Essay Example They stayed awake late into the night, waiting for the Christ and were totally disappointed when the time between sunset and midnight passed and nothing happened. Miller, later in life, realized that miracle is part of spirituality but miracle is not spirituality! This event, since then, is known as the Great Disappointment. Miller served in the American Army in various capacities and later discharged after the war, on June 18, 1815. He, perhaps, had no inkling that more stirring times in the spiritual field awaited him. Miller’s main concern related to question of death and an after-life. Some bitter incidents molded his thinking over this issue. Firstly, his experiences as a soldier; secondly the deaths of his father and sister! What happens to an individual after death?—this bothered him intensely. He concluded two possibilities—annihilation and accountability. â€Å"The inquiring, questioning, restless mind which had begun to reveal itself in early youth was as active as ever. By his own testimony he entered he Army with the hope of find in patriotism one bright spot in a seamy, sinister world. â€Å"But,† he said he, â€Å"two years in service was enough to convince me that I was in error in this thing also. When I left the service I had become completely disgusted wit h man’s public character.†(Nichol, p.9) Miller wobbled between two faiths. Initially, he wished to combine both the faiths, Baptist and Deism. Soon, his involvement in the Baptist church became more intense, and he read sermons during one of the local minister’s frequent absences. During one such religious exercise, on the subject of duties of parents, he happened to relate the topic to the character of a Savior. His emotions led him to the internal search of such a compassionate Being, who has the capacity to save humanity from suffering and penalty of sin. That Being is worth adoration and deserves complete surrender, Miller concluded. But Deism had the upper hand again.

The Impact of Leader Behaviors on Group Functioning Essay

The Impact of Leader Behaviors on Group Functioning - Essay Example When a leader is chosen or appointed, the focus shifts from himself to the others making him much more focused on the external and results than the self or trying to seek comfort (Quinn, 2005). This is what makes the leader much more democratic than autocratic. When an individual becomes emotional while in the leadership position, they tend to shift their focus from others and bring it back to their own affairs. They try to seek the solution that will bring them much more comfort and hence the thought pattern is internal which comprise the characteristics of an autocratic leader. When the leader starts turning attention to him and making the solutions and decisions that bring him comfort in lieu of results, then the group members start suffering from lack of independence and participation. They lack inclusivity in decision making and this may weaken the ties of the group rather than make them

Independence vs. Commintment (Men and Women) Essay

Independence vs. Commintment (Men and Women) - Essay Example There are a number of researches showing that this is not really the case. In fact, these researches show that there is no difference between the predisposition of men and women to be committed. Most men just like the most ordinary women, desire to be in a healthy, happy relationship. However, the difference is in the fact that men face various societal and legal barriers, and/or penalties that women do not. These barriers are the key reasons why most men tend avoid commitments first (Rudov, 2004). They are still fixing up these barriers so that when they feel ready to commit themselves, possible problems are already eliminated. Rudov (2004) has categorized the evolution of man's readiness to commit in a relationship. The picture below shows the factors men take into consideration prior to entering into a higher level of relationship. In the picture above, it can be seen that the "bachelors" doesn't get involved with women to avoid dealing with different sets of friends, extended families and other community members who are the usual members of the women's circle. Meanwhile, men in the committed/unmarried category experiences all levels of the stack. He is either seeing his woman all of the time from a separate residence or is already living with her. This level of relationship contract is a continuously evolving.

Groups and Teams Essay Example for Free

Groups and Teams Essay Recall a small team or group you have been a part of. Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper about your experience. †¢Provide a brief description of the team or group. How many members did it include? What was its purpose? †¢Describe the behaviors the team or group exhibited as it went through each stage of development. †¢Describe a problem the team or group encountered. What steps were taken to address and solve the problem? Was the team or group able to generate a successful solution? Why or why not? †¢Discuss the influence that leadership—or the lack of leadership—had on the team’s or group’s ability to solve the problem. What style of leadership did the leader exhibit? What problem-solving steps were taken to resolve the situation? What steps would have produced better results? †¢Explain whether the team or group was effective. Support your position by discussing goals, roles, ground rules, norms, and characteristics your team or group displayed. How did these characteristics affect the team’s or group’s ability to accomplish its purpose and solve the problem it encountered? †¢Analyze how communication contributed to cohesiveness. Identify and address how diversity or technology affected the team or group members’ ability to communicate with one another to reach a resolution. †¢Explain your thoughts on how goals, roles, ground rules, and norms help determine effectiveness. How did these characteristics affect the team’s or group’s ability to accomplish its purpose and solve the problem? Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Simplifying Expressions Essay Example for Free

Simplifying Expressions Essay Include in this paper I have demonstrated the following solutions for the three problems listed below. Using th given vocabulary words I have broken down each problem using the proper steps in solving the algebraic expressions. Also shown will be what is important about real numbers and in what way they are useful in using real numbers in solving algebraic expressions. By breaking down the equation you can simplify the equation down to lowest terms. Gathering the like terms in the equation is a step in breaking down the expression correctly. Take the coefficient and multiply it by the variable. The distributive property in the expression is the letters in the expression. When solving a algebraic expression you always remove the parenthesis first. A. )2a(-5 + a) + 4(a + -5) Simplify the terms (-5 * 2a + a * 2a) + 4(a + -5) (-10a + 2a2) + 4(a + -5) -10a + 2a2 + 4(-5 + a)Reorder the terms -10a + 2a2 + (-5 * 4 + a * 4) -10a + 2a2 + (-20 + 4a) -10a + 4a = -6a -20 + -6a + 2a2 Combine the like terms : -20 + -6a + 2a2 a = 5This is the simplified answer  a = {-2, 5} B. ) 2w – 3 + 3(w – 4) – 5(w – 6)The given expression -3 + -12 + 30 + 2w + 3w + -5w The distributive property removes the parentheses. -15 + 30 + 2w + 3w + -5w Combine the like terms 15 + 2w + 3w + -5w = 0Combine the like terms 2w + 3w = 5wCombine like terms again 15 + 5w + -5w 5w + -5w 15 + 0 15 = 0The final answer C. ) 0. 05(0. 3m + 35n) + -0. 8(-0. 09n + -22m) (0. 3m * 0. 05 + 35n * 0. 05) + -0. 8(-0. 09n + -22m) (0. 015m + 1. 75n) + -0. 8(-0. 09n + -22m) 0. 015m + 1. 75n + -0. 8(-22m + -0.09n) Reorder the terms 0. 015m + 1. 75n + (-22m * -0. 8 + -0. 09n * -0. 8) 0. 015m + 1. 75n + (17. 6m + 0. 072n) 0. 015m + 17. 60. 1034345728n m + 1. 75n + 0. 072n The distributive property removes the parentheses 0. 015m + 17. 6m = 17. 615mCombine the like terms 17. 615m + 1. 75n + 0. 072n 1. 75n + 0. 072n = 1. 822nCombine the like terms 17. 615m + 1. 822n 17. 615m + 1. 822n Solving Move all terms containing m to the left, all other terms to the right. Add -1. 822n to each side of the equation. 17.615m + 1. 822n + -1. 822n = 0 + -1. 822n Combine like terms: 1. 822n + -1. 822n = 0. 000 17. 615m + 0. 000 = 0 + -1. 822n 17. 615m = 0 + -1. 822n Remove the zero: 17. 615m = -1. 822n Divide each side by 17. 615. m = -0. 1034345728n Simplifying m = -0. 1034345728n How are the real numbers useful in solving algebraic expressions? The real number line is a graph that is used to represent the set of real numbers. Using real numbers is useful by charting them on the graph helps to solve the algebraic expression.

Achieving Universal Electricity Access

Achieving Universal Electricity Access PART I: INTRODUCTION Background of Study The importance of modern energy services in promoting socio-economic development has been extensively documented in the literature (Kaygusuz 2011), (Kanagawa and Nakata 2007) (Kanagawa and Nakata 2008). Access to modern energy services is closely related to other indicators of a descent standard of living in the 21st century, namely, availability of portable drinking water, literacy, health services, child mortality, etc (Meisen and Akin 2008). For example, in rural areas, the higher luminance of modern lighting brightens homes and encourages pupils to study in the nights; clean cookstoves and cookers using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) can reduce incidences of indoor-air pollution caused by reliance on traditional biomass for cooking (Isihak, Akpan and Adeleye 2012), etc. As the most versatile carrier of energy, electricity is important in the provisions of basic social services in health, water, etc. Electricity is also useful promoting the income formation in rural areas through t he development of rural microenterprises (Akpan, Essien and Isihak 2013a). Electricity also powers large machinery in factories to increase productivity. Modern energy services, especially electricity, are crucial to several sectors of the economy of any country: higher education, agriculture, financial services, communication, rural development, etc. Despite the huge advantages of having access to electricity, several millions of persons around the world lack access to electricity. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that in 2011 about xxx billion persons lacked access to electricity of which xxx million were in sub-Saharan Africa (IEA 2011). Consequently, one of the major energy challenges confronting countries in sub-Sahara Africa is that of providing access to modern energy services to its citizens. The electricity access situation in Nigeria is similar to that of many developing countries: the electricity access rate in Nigeria – the percentage of population without access to electricity – is 56% (NPC 2014) which is equivalent to about xxx million persons. However, the electricity access rates in the various states vary significantly from 10.9% in Taraba State to 99.1% in Lagos State as shown in Fig. 1. Figure 1: Electricity access rate in Nigeria by states Source of data: (NPC 2014) Three main factors which are inter-related are responsible for this disparity in the electricity access rates across the states: The population density across the states varies significantly as shown in Fig. 2. Places with higher population density have higher commercial activities and in-turn higher demand for electricity. Therefore, transmission and distribution lines are often constructed to deliver electricity to such locations because the electricity so delivered will not be under-utilized[1]; The major sources of electricity generation are natural gas and hydro. The gas-powered plants are located in the Niger Delta area where there is abundance of natural gas while the hydropower plants are in Niger State. Because transmission lines are constructed to evaluate power from the generation source to demand areas, these states and other states along the path of the transmission lines tend to have higher electricity access rates; Due to the first two reasons itemized above, the national grid does not cover all parts of the country. The electricity grid covers the states with high population density but not those with low population density as shown in Fig. 3. Figure 2: Population density across the different states in Nigeria Source of data: (National Population Commission, Nigeria 2006) Figure 3: Map of Nigeria showing existing, ongoing, and proposed generation and transmission (HV) projects Source: Transmission Company of Nigeria Given the importance of electricity access to sustainable socio-economic development of a country, the government of Nigeria carried out comprehensive reforms in the electricity sector to promote efficiency in the sector. One of the objectives of the electricity sector reforms is to increase access to electricity in areas with low electricity access rate. Consequently, the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005 created the Rural Electrification Agency to set up and administer the Rural Electrification Fund. As noted in the Act, the purpose of the Fund is to promote rural electrification programs through public and private sector participation in order to achieve more equitable access to electricity across the various states and to ensure universal access to electricity in Nigeria within the shortest possible time. Most rural electrification projects are done by extending the existing grid to the unelectrified communities. However, studies have shown that in situations where there is a larger problem of availability of sufficient generation capacity such as in Nigeria, extending the existing grid only connects households to the grid but does not necessarily imply that electricity will be available for household or productive uses (Akpan, Essien and Isihak 2013a). Moreover, grid-extension is capital intensive which implies that it will only be cost-effective when there is adequate demand for electricity in the unelectrified communities, otherwise, it will lead to underutilization. Incidentally, as we highlighted earlier, the population densities of the states with low electricity access rate are also relatively low. In addition, substantial percentage of the population in these places lives in rural areas where energy is needed mainly to meet the basic needs of lighting and cooking. The high cos t of extending the existing grid, coupled with the low population density and the low energy demand implies that other options for increasing electricity access in these areas, i.e. decentralized option, may be considered. Indeed, studies have shown that the use of decentralized option to increase electricity access in rural areas with sparse population settlement pattern and low electricity demand profiles is usually cost-effective (Bhattacharyya 2012a). The decentralized option will often use locally-available energy sources, usually solar, wind, or hydro, to generating electricity to meet the demand in the unelectrified community. These locally available energy sources may be complemented by a stand-alone diesel/gasoline generating set. The role of the rural electrification planner in this situation is to examine the cost-effective technology option, between grid-extension and decentralized electrification, for providing access to electricity in unelectrified communities. Spatial Electricity Planning Given the huge capital outlay required to construct transmission and distribution grids, and the fact the in many developing countries a large percentage of the population resides in rural where the electricity demand profiles may be low thereby leading to gross under-utilization of electricity, several studies have used electricity planning models to obtain the cost-effective option between grid-extension and off-grid electrification for increasing electricity access in rural areas (Sinha and Kandpal 1991), (Nouni, Mullick and Kandpal 2008), (Parshall, et al. 2009) (Deichmann, et al. 2011). These studies examine the cost of delivering a given amount of electricity from the point where the existing grid terminates to an unelectrified community by extending the existing grid and compares that the cost of using an off-grid option to deliver the same amount of electricity. The cost of grid-extension usually covers the capital cost of extending the medium and/or low-voltage transmission or distribution lines to the unelectrified communities having different levels of load, the cost of increasing the generation capacity to meet the additional load levels, the cost of constructing 33/11kV substations if required, the maintenance cost, and the potential transmission/distribution losses. The cost of the off-grid option usually include the cost of constructing the distribution lines and the cost of generating electricity using different locally available sources of energy, and the maintenance cost. In more recent times, some studies (Parshall, et al. 2009), (Sanoh, et al. 2012) have incorporated geographic information system (GIS) models to this traditional electricity planning method. GIS enables the planner to visualize the spatial location of the unelectrified communities in reference to the location of the electricity grid and to calculate the spatial distance of the communities from the grid. This procedure eases the process of estimating the capital cost of extending the existing grid because the capital cost is directly proportional to the distance of unelectrified communities from the grid. Another study (Kemausuor, et al. 2014) applied the Network Planner Tool which is a free web-based program that integrates geospatial information with energy demand information at a disaggregated level to assist electricity sector planners in determining the least-cost technology option for increasing electricity access. The model was developed by the Sustainable Engineering Lab of th e Earth Institute, Columbia University, United States. Objective of the Study This study seeks to examine the cost and the least-cost technology options for achieving universal electricity access in Nigeria, i.e. electricity access for all, within a specified investment timeline. This is done by applying the Network Planner Model at the state level and then aggregating the results to provide a whole picture for the entire country. It is important to note that the model may be applied at the national level but we preferred the state level so as to provide a picture of the situation at a disaggregated level. Organization of the Study This study is organized into five parts: Part I is the Introduction which sets the background for the study; Part II is an overview of the electricity sector in Nigeria; and Part III is a presentation of the Network Planner Tool which is used in the Study. In Part IV, we present the comprehensive results; while in Part V we provide our concluding remarks. PART II: Electricity Sector in Nigeria Legal Framework The year 2005 is a pivot year in the organization of the electricity sector in Nigeria because of the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act, 2005 which is the prevailing legal framework governing Nigeria’s electricity sector. Prior to 2005, the sector was managed by a centralized, vertically integrated, state-owned monopoly called National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) which was created in 1972. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, NEPA was characterized with large wage bills due to over-staffing, accumulated debt, low rate of recovery of bills, and corruption. The poor performance of the sector in terms of low generating capacity relative to high demand, and erratic nature of supply necessitated reforms. The reforms were envisaged as a vehicle to attract private sector investment in the generation segment, improve reliability of electricity services, and improve operational and managerial efficiency in the sector. Prior to the enactment of the EPSR Act 2005, there was the N ational Electric Power Policy in 2001 which expressed the readiness of government to engage in far reaching reforms to increase the operational efficiency of the sector and set the stage for the Act. The EPSR Act 2005 mandated the vertical unbundling the various segments of the electricity value chain; the horizontal unbundling of the facilities in the generation segment; the decentralization of the distribution activities; the privatization of the successor companies from the vertical and horizontal unbundling; the creation of an independent regulator (Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission) which is also mandated to promote private sector participation in the generating segment through independent power plants (IPPs); and the establishment of the Rural Electrification Agency. The present structure of the Nigerian electricity sector is shown in Fig. 1. Figure 1: Organizational structure of the Nigerian electricity market Source: Author’s compilation Energy resources and utilization Nigeria is highly endowed with energy resources. Its resources based comprises of solid, liquid, and gaseous fossil fuels as well as renewable energy although they are not equally distributed across the country. Fossil Fuels Nigeria’s crude oil is classified as â€Å"light† and â€Å"sweet† and is concentrated in the Niger Delta part of the country as well as the Bight of Bonny. At the end of 2011, Nigeria’s proved recoverable crude oil reserve was estimated to be 37.2 billion barrels making Nigeria to have the ninth largest  [2] crude oil reserves in the world and the second in Africa (World Energy Council, 2013). Nigeria produced about 1.75 million barrels of oil per day in 2013 (based on figures from the organization of petroleum exporting countries, OPEC) and exports a greater part of the unrefined crude oil. Xx% of domestic demand for refined products is met through imports. In terms of end-use, Xx% of gasoline (premium motor spirit) and diesel is consumed in the transportation sector, xx% for self-generated electricity, and the remaining used as industrial inputs (ref). As with crude oil, Nigeria’s natural gas is concentrated in the Niger Delta part of Nigeria and the Bight of Bonny. At the end of 2011, Nigeria’s proved recoverable gas reserves was estimated to be 5110 billion cubic meters (180.5 trillion cubic feet) making Nigeria to have the eight largest natural gas reserve in the world and largest in Africa (World Energy Council, 2013). Although Nigeria produces and exports much of its gas, a large proportion is being flared. In 2011, (World Bank, Flaring Estimates Produced by Satellite Observations, 2011) estimate that 14.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas was being flared in Nigeria. Domestic utilization of gas is mainly for power production and a small percentage is used for domestic cooking. Of the xxxMW of installed generation capacity in Nigeria, 6558MW is from gas-powered generating plants (UNECA, 2011). Nigeria also has considerable amount of coal and tar sand which are barely utilized. The Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) 2012 estimated these to be 2.7 billion tons and 31 billion barrels of oil equivalent respectively (Energy Commission of Nigeria, 2012). Renewable Energy Nigeria is blessed with enormous renewable energy resources, mainly hydro, solar, wind, and biomass. The hydrography of Nigeria is made up of several rivers as shown in Fig xx and these rivers are themselves parent rivers to many other adjoining streams. This network of water bodies provides huge potential hydro-electric power. The REMP estimated that up to 11250MW and 3500MW of large and small hydro electricity power respectively can be obtained from Nigeria’s hydro resources. However, this potential has been grossly under-utilized because only 1900MW and 64.2 MW of large and small hydro power plants have been installed till date. The southern fringes with the Atlantic Ocean experience up to 3500mm/year of rainfall occurring in over eight months while rainfall in the northern Sahelian region has rainfall sometimes last for only three months yielding 500mm/year. This implies that even though there is high potential for mini hydro electric schemes in the entire country, the most attractive regions for mini hydro power will be Southern region. Figure 2: Major Rivers in Nigeria Source: Author’s adaptation from blank map by RadosÅ‚aw Botev Due to the diverse climatic zones ranging from the mangrove swamps in the South to the Sahel savanna in the North, together with very diverse physical geography, Nigeria’s solar and wind resources vary significantly across different parts of the country. According to the REMP, average solar irradiation is between 4 and 6.5 kWh/m2/day while average wind speed is 2-4m/s at 10m for mainland areas. Till date, only about 15MW of solar installations exist often as solar home services, public lighting, or traffic lights (refs). Geothermal energy resources exist in some part of the country (Kurowska Schoeneich, 2010) identified warm springs in Ikogosi (Ondo State), Wikki (Bauchi State), Ruwan zafi (Gyakan hot spring, Adamawa State), and Akira (Awe local government area, Nassarawa State). However, a techno-economic feasibility and viability study on the potential for geothermal based electricity is yet to be conducted till date. Biomass is perhaps the most used energy form in Nigeria. According to xxx, biomass use consist of xx% of final energy consumption in Nigeria. Xx% of rural areas rely on biomass to meet their cooking needs (expand and consolidate). Biomass accounts for 37% of aggregate energy demand and 95% of rural energy use (REMP, 2005). Biomass is being depleted in some of the northern states due to desert encroachment. Studies have shown that even people with electricity access still really on biomass for cooking (Bhattacharyya, 2012; IEA, 2010). The reliance on biomass for cooking seem to be more cultural than economical Electricity Supply and Demand Publicly distributed electricity generation in Nigeria is dominated by hydro and gas-fired plants with an installed capacity of 1900MW and 6558MW respectively (UNECA, 2011). However, as at the end of 2012, the combine operational capacity of all the generating facilities was below 4600MW (FGN, 2013). There are also cogeneration plants; completed generation projects under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs)[3]; and stranded power from completed IPPs which are yet to be connected to the grid (Eberhard Gratwick, 2012). As a fast-growing economy with a population of over 165 million (World Bank, 2013) and a rising number of middle-class, the demand for electricity in Nigeria far outpaces the effective capacity to supply. Daily data on peak generation and peak demand forecast from May through September, 2014 from the website of the Presidential Task Force on Power Reforms[4] showed that peak generation fluctuate between 3000MW and 4000MW while peak demand is over 12000MW yield ing a supply gap of between 8000MW and 9000MW with resulting frequent sporadic outages in areas that are connected to the grid. Moreover, Nigeria’s generation capacity per capita is relatively low when compared to other developing countries as shown in table xxx while the demand for electricity is constantly increasing. (what is the estimated electricity demand in Nigeria and the projected level of increase? ) The program requires data at different levels – household, community, and national. At the household level, data on household electricity demand profile are required. Since households belong to communities, the summation of the electricity demand of all households in a community forms the electricity demand – and also requires different types of data which may be grouped into five categories. We present below the data requirement and the modeling procedure of the Network Planner Tool. Geospatial data The model requires data on the spatial location (longitude and latitude) of the demand centers. The model also requires data on the coverage of the existing medium voltage in the area where demand centers are located. [1] It is important to mention that in states that have very low population density, there is also much variation in the population densities across the local government areas (LGAs). For example, even though the population density of Taraba State is 54persons/km2, within Taraba, the population density varies from 10 persons/km2 in Gashaka LGA to 713 persons/km2 in Jalingo LGA (2006 Census Report figures) [2] Tenth, if oil sands are included in Canada’s oil reserves. [3] Details of the structure and projects under the NIPP can be found at http://www.nipptransactions.com/ [4] http://www.nigeriapowerreform.org/