Hamlet Essay

What have you come to understand about the intense human relationships of Hamlet? How has this understanding been affected by the perspectives of others? In you response you should focus on 3 scenes in the play and a range of perspectives. The intense human relationships of Hamlet have been viewed through numerous perspectives yet all have reached the same conclusions. With the exception of just one, the friendship of Hamlet and Horatio, all the relationships are dishonourable, dysfunctional and destined to fail. Being a revenge tragedy it is immediately clear this play is filled with lies, deceit and treachery. The exact time of Hamlet’s composition is unknown, however it is assumed to be between 1599 and 1602. This was a dark, melancholy time in Shakespeare’s life with the death of his father in 1601 and the death of his only son, Hamnet aged 11, in 1596. It is believed that these events had a significant impact on the writing of Hamlet as the play is heavy with death and has a great similarity with this son’s name. Some perspectives that have been adopted to view and understand the intense human relationships of Hamlet are a religious, psychoanalytic and feminist perspective. When Shakespeare first wrote Hamlet he lived in a strongly religious society where people could be fined for not attending church. Therefore, at this time in history many people had a religious attitude and perspective on the play. The psychoanalytical perspective focuses on the unconscious mind and how it dictates behaviour. This perspective became popular when Sigmund Freud, a well-known psychologist, began developing his psychoanalytic theory, The Oedipus Complex, in 1897. The feminist perspective is often centred around strong women and became particularly popular in the 1950’s being a post world war 2 period. Women were involved in many aspects of the war and made ground in their equality with men. However, when the war ended, women were encouraged to return to their household duties and this sparked much controversy. The family relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude is one of the most intense in the entire play. Their relationship reaches a climax in act 3 scene 4 when Hamlet confronts his mother about her relationship with Claudius and her involvement in the murder of King Hamlet, â€Å"mother, you have my father much offended†. Hamlet sees Gertrude as an adulteress for marrying her husband’s brother two months after his death and believes she is aware that Claudius killed King Hamlet, â€Å"Almost as bad, good mother, As kill a king and marry with his brother†. When exploring this scene from a feminist perspective it can be seen that Gertrude cares deeply for her son yet he scorns her for her recent actions, â€Å"You go not till I set you up a glass where you may see the inmost part of you†. Despite there being no evidence that Gertrude is aware of Claudius’s deed, Hamlet does not trust his mother and this consequently results in his inability to trust other women. The Oedipus Complex comes to the fore when the relationship of these two characters is examined with a psychoanalytical perspective. Freud’s complex suggests that every boy from the age of 3-4 years begins to have unconscious sexual desires for his mother and regards his father as his rival. Through studying this scene from a psychoanalytical perspective it is prominent that Hamlet has an obsession with his mothers sexual relationship with Claudius. He claims that she lives â€Å"In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed†. The scene takes place in Gertrude’s bedroom, which is important as its privacy and intimacy allows Hamlet to express himself fully to his mother and being a place where sexual activity occurs, suggests Hamlets repressed sexual desires. The scene ends with Hamlet possessively demanding her â€Å"but go not to my uncle’s bed† and uses multiple sexual references when he tells her to not let Claudius â€Å"Pinch wanton on your cheek, call you his mouse†. Relating this to the Oedipus complex, Hamlet appears to be more like a jealous lover than a concerned son. Examining act 3 scene 4 from different perspectives gives varied insights into Gertrude and Hamlet’s relationship, yet each perspective deduces that it is a dishonourable relationship with no mutual trust or respect. Another dishonourable family relationship in Hamlet is that between Ophelia and her father Polonius. Polonius manipulates Ophelia for his own benefit, treating her like a tool rather than a person. Their relationships becomes pitiful when she receives orders from her father and responds with â€Å"I shall bey, my lord†, implying that she is at the service of her father. Through the analysis of act 4 scene 5 a deeper understanding can be reached about Ophelia’s relationship with her late father. Following the death of Polonius, Ophelia’s mind becomes unhinged as she drifts into insanity, speaking in songs and rhymes. Considering this scene from a feminists perspective it can be thought that Ophelia went mad with guilt having her desire for Hamlet to kill her father so that they can be together fulfilled. This theory strongly supports the idea that the relationship between Ophelia and Polonius was dysfunctional as she felt she’d never be free to make her own choices until her father was dead. The friendship between Hamlet and Horatio is the only admirable one. Horatio is the one character that Hamlet speaks to openly and confides in. He remains loyal and swears himself to secrecy about the ghost and the pretence of Hamlets madness. He conspires with Hamlet to prove Claudius killed King Hamlet and he stands by him through Ophelia’s death. It is the final scene of the play when the true extent of their friendship is confirmed. Act 5 scene 2 begins with Hamlet confiding in Horatio and reciting the fate of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to him. This further validates their friendship and Hamlets trust in his loyal friend. The scene draws to a close with Horatio wishing to join Hamlet in death. This selfless declaration and his final words to Hamlet before he dies â€Å"good night sweet Prince, and flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest† convey his everlasting faithfulness to Hamlet. Through examining the friendship of Hamlet and Horatio from the beginning of the play to the end, it is clear that, unlike all the other relationships, there is never a doubt about the sincerity of their friendship. Through the close and critical analysis of Hamlet, you can come to the understanding that all but one of the intense human relationships within the play are dishonourable, dysfunctional and destined to fail. Considering this interpretation in the light of other perspectives the same conclusion can be drawn about the relationships.

The Post-American World

eading this article I could only have one thing in mind as a small business owner myself, and that was to discuss options other then buying. Based on the reading as well as my own research this is what I came up with Franchising? Or Licensing. Franchising vs. Licensing: An Example Franchising: Some fast-food chicken franchises cost more than one million dollars to get into, a LFC store costs as little as $150,000 to establish a planned restaurant, even less for an existing one. This allows the â€Å"small guy† access to a successfully established product with a 30 year track record. Our relatively low start-up expenses have attracted hard working entrepreneurs with limited financial means, and because of this, 90% of LFC owners are minorities, whom many have achieved a high level of financial success. LFC competes directly with the big names like KFC, Popeyes and Churches; our highest volume stores are surrounded by these businesses. Licensing: The only requirements are that you purchase LFC ingredients (Seasoned Flour, Red Pepper Mix, Dirty Rice Mix) and imprinted items (boxes, bags, and cups with the LFC logo printed on them) through a designated LFC distributor. Definitions Franchising is a business model in which you purchase a license of a specific business. Franchising is a term which can be applied to just about any area of economic endeavor. Franchising encompasses products and services from the manufacture, supply for manufacture, processing, distribution and sale of goods, to the rendering of services, the marketing of those services, their distribution and sale. Licensing is granting of permission to use intellectual property rights, such as trademarks, patents, or technology, under defined conditions. It prevents others from exploiting the idea, design, name or logo commercially. It is a business arrangement in which a local firm in the host country produces goods in accordance with another firm's (the licensing firm's) specifications; as the goods are sold, the local firm can retain part of the earnings. Agreement A franchise agreement is a specialized license and will cover all aspects of IP, user obligations and use provisions A license agreement is a business arrangement where a licensor via a monopoly right such as a Patent, a Trade Mark, a design or a copyright has to exclusive right which prevents others from exploiting the idea, design, name or logo commercially. In business for yourself but not by yourself! In license agreement or business opportunity there is no ongoing â€Å"royalty or required relationship† in effect you are: In business for yourself and by yourself! Time Required to Finish It takes months for franchises to be done. It takes about ten to fifteen business days to complete. Distinct Areas of Law Franchising is based on securities law. It means compliance with the franchise laws, like the securities laws, requires registration of the franchise in the applicable jurisdictions Licensing is a form of contract law. It means licensing is merely a contract between two independent contractors and franchise registration is not required. Work Load Franchising route creates more work for lawyers in complying with all the registration requirements. Down the licensing road, it requires substantially less legal work. Amount of Control The parent company keeps very tight controls on every aspect of your business but they also provide a lot of assistance in the management and marketing of your store. The control by the franchisor over the franchisee is what is supposed to make the money for the franchisee; i. e. if you do what the franchisor says, you will make money. Buying a franchise is like buying a security; i. . the control over whether or not the buyer of the franchise or security makes money is in the hands of a third party; for the security situation it is in the control of the people who operate the company that issues the security, and for the franchise the control is in the franchisor who dictates how the franchise operates to make money. The relationship between a licensee and the parent company is not as tigh t-knit. Once the licensee launches the operation, the relationship with the licensing company is frequently limited to purchasing products. In a licensing preparation, you have more freedom in the operation of your business than with a franchising situation, but also more responsibility (there is also more risk and potential reward). You have the freedom to set your own hours, make-money policies, benefits, employment policies. Relationship with the Parent Company Franchisees can expect to have a much closer relationship with their parent company than their licensee counterparts. First and foremost, franchisees typically retain rights to the parent company’s trademark and logo. This is important ecause it is a visible representation of the connection between franchisor and franchisee. The relationship between licensees and the licensing company is looser than the relationship between franchisors and franchisees. In most cases, the licensee does not retain rights to use the company’s trademark Cost Difference It is substantially expensive. Franchisees can expect to pay royalties on a go-forward basis i. e. e very time a profit is made. License opportunities are often less expensive than franchises in both the upfront investment and ongoing charges.

Political Violence in Rwanda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Violence in Rwanda - Essay Example But understanding the historical context of this horrible phenomenon would evidently show that the root cause of the political violence tearing apart Rwanda goes back to its colonization by Western powers, which institutionalized racist doctrines to their advantage. II Historical Context: Rooting-out the Political Violence Rwanda, a small nation belonging to Africa’s Great Lakes region – considered to be among the most intense conflict zones in the world – has shocked the world not because of its dire poverty but because of the intensity of the political violence that erupted between the majority of its own people – the Hutus and Tutsis (Merlino, par. 1-2). At first glance, this could be understood simply as another ethnic violence, but historical facts would strongly dispute such characterization. In a study ordered by the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), Shyaka showed that the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa communities in Rwanda started not as e thnic groups, tribes or races because they share common culture and language, and live in the same territory, as they all belong to one unique ethnic group in Rwanda known as the Banyarwanda, which during the pre-colonial period served one monarch – the â€Å"Umwami.† Neither can they also be classified as social classes because they were all socially stratified. Instead, Rwandan identity was defined by their clan or lineage, which also implies their economic status. Furthermore, these communities were better distinguished by their expertise (eg. Hutus were known farmers; Tutsis, cattle breeders; and Twas, fishermen, hunters and potters). However, this identification had been deconstructed by European colonizers, who stripped off Rwandan society of its intrinsic values and imposed those which served colonial interest and who sharply racialized Rwandan people into opposing ethnicities, done through mythical and ideological construction using the Hamitic theory. Thus in the colonial period, Rwandan society was organized hierarchically into three antagonistic races: the minority Tutsis (9-14%) as the superior conquering race had become the privileged candidates to assist colonizers; the majority Hutus (85-90%) as the inferior Bantu race had become the dominated; and the Twas (1%) as the pygmoids. Such distinction created resentment and frustration on the part of the majority Hutus, while arrogance on the part of the minority Tutsis, alienating them from each other and making them easily colonized. In fact, European colonizers played them off whenever it works best to their colonial interest. (7-19) Succeeding events from 1950s onwards (Revolution of1959-1961, 1963-64, and Coup d'etat 1972-1973) were characterized by Hutu power ideology – annihilate Tutsis being the cause of Hutu sufferings, deeply polarizing Rwanda society. This erosion of middle ground tragically marked Rwanda’s decolonization and early postcolonial politics, which wo uld later culminate to the 1994 genocide. (Newbury and Newbury 7) III Local and International Conditions Exacerbating Political Violence The confluence of events in the local and international level exacerbated the enmity between Tutsis and Hutus leading to the 1994 genocide. First, the shift of political power from the oppressor (Tutsi) to the oppressed (Hutu) in the postcolonial Rwanda did not in any way improve but instead worsened their antagonism, as Hutus, instigated by the colonial power,

Persuasive research paper- concealed handgun laws Essay

Persuasive research paper- concealed handgun laws - Essay Example Pro Majority of the criminals are less daring to target individuals who are highly trained and fully equipped with weapons. Citizens must take privilege of this fact and utilize it for their personal protection. They must use the lawful approach for acquisition of legally authorized protective weapons. The armed officials can take absolute advantage of the fact that criminals mostly tend to attack people who are unarmed, and disguise themselves in general public attire to trap the criminals. In 2000, John Lott, PhD conducted a research that clearly asserted that â€Å"shall-issue† commandments have diminished slaughtering by 8.5%, intensified the attacks by 7%, abductions by 5%, and burglary by 3% (Wilson 60). Lott further clarified that if government would have passed the law of authorization of obscured handguns in 1992, which it dissolved in the year 1977, then 1570 assassinated people, 4177 abductions, 60,000 exaggerated attacks and 12000 burglaries would have been avoided in these fifteen years. The modified US bill clearly states that the possession of unrevealed handguns is absolutely lawful and it is not an offense. The modified US constitution further elaborates that there is no harm in legalizing the possession of hidden guns by private army personnel, and there is undoubtedly a dire need for such measures for the security of the people living in a democratic nation. According to the 1997 statistics of National Crime Victimization Assessment, the burglary and battering sufferers who had guns to protect themselves were less probably harassed or experienced a grievance, as compared to those implementing alternative techniques of self-protection, or those people who do not oppose at all in self defense (Wilson 55). Though carrying a concealed handgun is not always a necessity for a grown-up, but it undoubtedly generates a strong sense of self protection in an individual and delivers a state of liberation to go outdoors at night or in treacherous a reas. Many grown-ups who are lawfully carrying concealed handguns are honest and self controlled people who do not abuse their weapons and do not violate the county’s laws. In a report by William Sturdevant (2000) circulated by Texas Concealed Handgun Association website, the common man encounters a 5.7 times greater incidence of being lawfully punished for brutal crimes and 13.5 times more probable to be put up in police lock-ups for peaceful wrongdoings, than licensed hidden arms holders (Bird 38). Bearing a secret handgun possibly will aid in finishing public victimization extravaganzas. If there was a citizen carrying concealed handgun during the slaughtering incidents that were experienced during 1999 in the Columbine High School in Virgina Tech firing event on April 17,2009; then several lives could have been saved. The management cannot assure the security of its inhabitants (Elmer 2012). Every citizen must understand that it is their individual responsibility to prote ct themselves, their families and their community. Any citizen who considers himself bold enough to proudly take this responsibility, then government must not create an obstacle for that person in legal acquisition of concealed handguns. The question of importance that arises here is that if criminals can illegitimately avail concealed hand guns to victimize the innocent people, then why they should the responsible citizens suffer more by

Recent increase in suicide among young men in United Kingdom Research Paper

Recent increase in suicide among young men in United Kingdom - Research Paper Example A research work is made up of various processes that are based on of different systemic questions, on the chosen theme, which ultimately leads the researcher to arrive to an in-depth knowledge on that particular issue. In my essay, the problem is related to the topic of suicide committed by the young male population seen in England during the modern times. This issue is seen as an important part relevant to the modern society, where despite the availability of almost all luxuries to assuage one’s physical needs, young people of the age group of 15-35 years are ending their lives. Many researches in this line have shown that various psychological and socioeconomic factors are responsible for these young people to cut short their lives. In regards to fully comprehending the exact nature of this problem and understanding the reasons behind it, I have based my research work on the study of various data and a range of information obtained from various scholarly books, academic arti cles and journals, and the Internet. My article will conduct an in-depth study of various published articles from the newspapers, organizations associated with suicide preventing organisations based in UK, government archive files and statistical data from The UK Statute Law Database, Office for National Statistics, and WHO, and will also study the various psychological and socio-economic factors pertinent to this issue of youth suicide in UK; so as to fully comprehend the nature and scope of this public health problem.

Comparative politics wk1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparative politics wk1 - Essay Example However, as the other developing countries emphasize on industrialization to foster economic development, they should consider challenges that come with industrialization, which affect the biodiversity and the environment. As industrialization gets encouraged among nations, employment, trading, and production among other benefits increases, but the side effects are noticed later after having caused much damage within and outside their context far beyond the society, organization or the nations’ control. Industrialization as an economic development strategy has led to many environmental problems, which could challenge any newly industrializing country. Industrialization Ideology and Environmental Problems The economists believe in utilization of any space and scarce resources for production as sources for wealth generation. Industrialization has worked well towards this principle leading to different kinds of factories, companies, and production firms advancing the economy thro ugh increasing GDP, employment opportunities, exports, and household income flows among others. Industrialization is viewed as a concept of industrial revolution in an area based upon technology, factories, and commerce away from entire dependency on agriculture. According to Seshandri (1991), it occurs in two senses; as a procedure which has invariably been the accompaniment or a result of economic development, or rather as set of policies leading towards economic development. In industrialization, developing factories and industries make use of the idle population as the labor force among other capital, raw materials and land inputs, but the end products introduce more harm in the environment. Environmental degradation cannot be separated from industrial processes. The growth and expansion of most processing industries not only in production, but also in transport, lighting, and other supporting industrial sectors bring about pollution as a major effect on the surroundings. Taking an example of manufacturing industries, â€Å"the most common waste products are smoke, fumes and chemicals, which can pollute the air and water supplies† (Mweti and Wyk n.d., 9). Both air and water pollution has serious effects that spread into different regions, affecting climate changes and access to clean water respectively. Other environmental problems are noise pollution and disposal of solid waste material, either on the land or buried near human settlements. Technology has lead to development of new chemicals and reactions used in the different industries to fasten and improve qualities, where used in production. Environmental Problems Caused by Industrialization In the industries, especially in manufacturing factories of agricultural and chemical products, before the end product is delivered, the consumption of power and water are key features. Depending on the mode of heating, smoke becomes an issue that the neighboring society has to deal with. It is accompanied b y emission of harmful gases that affect the respiratory systems of human beings and animals, as far as it can reach through the air. More of this is the global warming impact influencing the climate of an area. Consequently, the rain schedules delay and patterns change adversely affecting the farmers, who rely on the available good climate for their crop production. For machines to operate efficiently, it has been a matter of improving

Analysing the financial performace if the automotive industry in the Research Proposal

Analysing the financial performace if the automotive industry in the United states - Research Proposal Example However, between 1920 and 1930, there emerged three giant car producers in the United States. Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors. The American automotive industry quickly grew to be the largest in the world. A ranking it held until 1980 when it was overtaken by Japan. America regained the top position only to be passed by another Asian country, China, in 2008 (Goyal, Netessine and Randall, 2012). Currently the American automotive industry is diverse, hosting top car manufacturers from all over the world. The market is dominated by General Motors who, Toyota and Ford, who have a market, share of 18%, 14%, and 13.5% respectively. Other notable manufacturers include Chrysler with 12%, Nissan 9% and Honda 8percentage. Hyundai, Kia, Subaru and BMW also own a collective market share summing up to 15%. Manufacturers are attracted to America because it offers superior infrastructure and a conducive environment for the production of cars. The automotive industry provides direct employment to over 1.8 million Americans. Jobs indirectly linked to the automobile industry in the United States accumulate to 8 million (Goyal, Netessine, and Randall, 2012). The primary reason for me choosing this topic is that the motor industry in America currently plays a very significant role in quality transportation. Taking this account, it is clear to note the importance of the American Automotive industry to Americans and general car users in the rest of the world. The primary aim of this research is to shed light on the financial performance of the American automotive industry. This research will seek to uncover recent financial results of key car manufacturing companies in the United States. The study will also analyze and interpret relevant aspects of finance in the American automotive industry. This research will also aim to find the main reasons for improving or dropping financial results in the industry. The study will examine how companies have managed to cope with challenges

BUS599 - Integrative Project, Mod 2 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

BUS599 - Integrative Project, Mod 2 SLP - Essay Example Product X5 X5 product would be delivered to those customers who concern more about its price rather than its performance. In this regard, the product i.e. X 5 could be sold at a price of$290 keeping its performance to be almost constant but with a little decline from 2012-2015. This can be better understood with the help of the following table. Source: (Elson, n.d.) It can be observed from the above table that X5 performed well in its growth stage. But gradually, the performance of X5 has been observed to be decline at a minimum rate from its growth to maturity stage. It can be stated that the strategy employed by Joe Schmoe relating to the product X5 is better than Clipboard as Joe succeeded in maintaining steady performance. The financial data of X5 product of Clipboard has been provided hereunder (Komninos, 2002). X5 2012 2013 2014 2015 Sales 1521170 1939864 1742696 1059089 Revenue 441139433 562560659 505381705 307135801 Variable cost 346,152,154 375,821,546 598,751,425 358,694,21 6 Total cost 457,896,321 331,245,789 304,578,126 256,871,361 Profit 130043864 189381008 161777375 66072456 Product X6 X6 product will be targeted especially to the high class customers who are much more conscious about the quality and performance of the product rather than the price. The company could offer the product at a price of $460 as compared to X5 tablets which was $ 290 dollar. The performance of the product can be better understood with the help of the following table. Source: (Elson, n.d.) From the above table, it can be viewed that the performance of X6 is quite impressive in its introductory stage i.e. in 2012 but fall slightly in the next year. However, the performance has been viewed to be more impressive in the maturity stages. It can be affirmed that the strategy of Clipboard relating to the product X6 is better than Joe as it made constant growth at the maturity stages with a little decline in the year 2013. The financial information of X6 belonging to Clipboard ha s been depicted hereunder. X6 2012 2013 2014 2015 Sales 1,059,527 1,618,949 2,007,420 1,578,907 Revenue 487,382,302 744,716,491 923,413,185 726,296,995 Variable cost 354,474,689 487,105,945 350,116,782 307,489,042 Total cost 400,134,689 332,765,945 695,776,782 353,149,042 Profit 150,352,448 252,405,545 324,272,694 244,997,705 Product X7 X7 tablets will be targeted to those customers who concern both the price as well as the performance of the product. The price of X7 can be offered at $180 keeping in mind the perception of the customers regarding the product. The performance of the product can be better understood with the following table. Source: (Elson, n.d.) From the above table, it can be stated that the performance of X7 is not quite satisfactory at the growth stage but increased as well as remained constant at the maturity stages. It can be stated that Clipboard successfully managed to maintain a steady growth of X7 product as compared to Joe as the products of Joe showed no s igns of growth and remained steady. The financial information about X7 product of Clipboard has been provided hereunder. Development Decision Clipboard would decide the potential of the products on the basis of their performance in the market. All the three products performed differently in the market irrespective of price as well as performance. In this similar concern, it can be stated that the company would have to focus more upon the areas of research and development as well as different

Using the arguments of two of the three liberal scholars just Essay

Using the arguments of two of the three liberal scholars just mentioned (considering Keohane and Nye as one scholar), provide arguments as to why the internatio - Essay Example Moreover, violent conflict may not always arise in every situation because certain kinds of disagreements, such as those on economic issues, may preclude military action and the effects of such action would in any case, be costly and uncertain. Among the industrialized nations, with development in international relations and diplomatic initiatives, the perceived margin of safety has also widened and fears of attack have declined, hence force has become unimportant as an instrument of policy2. The use of nuclear power functions as yet another deterrent to violent conflict, since the destructiveness of nuclear weapons make their use as a threat equally as effective as the actual force of force.3 In democratic countries, the opposition to prolonged military conflicts from members of the public is also very high and thereby limits and restricts engagement in violent conflict by those countries. As also pointed out by Keohane and Nye, in a world characterized by complex interdependence, military security may not be the dominant goal of states. Each state may have a variety of other state goals to be achieved, and with variations in the distribution of power and political processes, militarily strong states are likely to find it more difficult to use their military dominance, when the use of military force is devalued for reasons such as those mentioned above. Linkage among the various issues, the strategies and defenses against them will pose a complex set of strategic choices, not all of which may be resolved through violent conflict, since the awareness of potential gains and losses and the level of interdependence between States, both economically and politically, may limit the use of force in terms of the goals it can achieve. John Mueller argues that the international system is not necessarily war prone, as revealed by the strong rivalry

How does Alexis De Tocqueville fail to see that the unequal Essay

How does Alexis De Tocqueville fail to see that the unequal accumulation of wealth resulting from Capitalism cannot be fully con - Essay Example He was from egalitarian society not the newly formed capitalist society, so this could justify why he had a blind spot concerning capitalism and could not redress the challenges of industrial commercial system on the democratic system that strives towards the equalization of social conditions. Discussion Tocqueville ideas have had extensive impacts on the concept of penance and crime, equality and democracy. His historical background immensely influenced his democracy theories. Equality of conditions is the main point of focus of Alexis Tocqueville theories. He suggests that parity is fundamental to democracy, and absence of parity caused crime. His opponents use this dependence on the concept of equality as the central weakness. For instance, Tocqueville failed to recognize that unequal wealth accumulation resulting from capitalism could not be controlled in a democracy, which meant to have socially equalizing tendencies. The equality of situations denotes a social state where one p erson’s influence over another –based on the aristocratic regime- is substituted with the egalitarian notion of individual consent. In these conditions, the act of each has two main reasonable basis, public will and personal will. The triumph of consent over the impact and the advancement of human autonomy closely connected to it have critical, political and social impacts, leaving little as it was1. Alexis Tocqueville felt religious terror, when he examined the inspiring power of this historical transformation, which he observed as providential and in agreement with humanity, therefore, his examination of the democratic world somehow is an attempt to explore his fear. Tocqueville argues that, â€Å"intellectual life would be changed by democracy, just like the passion of men† p 230. In addition, under pressure from autonomy of individuals, views would be generalized, mores softened. Therefore, public view translates to the central, influential voice. Whereas in dividual rights controls, men’s live, the ends of man heeds into neglect. Similarly, the moral life’s content is emptied from the vessel of democracy. The desire for equality, essential to democracy, overwhelms all other concerns, and starts its powerful battle to eradicate the inherent inequalities of people. It is possible to recognize the modern society in Tocqueville’s views. What critics stress in Alexis works is the tragic, and, in fact, paradoxical, recognition that democracy is extremely natural to human beings and, if not controlled, detrimental to human nature. Allowed free dominance, this desire for equality- an egalitarian instinct- restricts democracy itself, in various ways. For instance, it limits democracy by paradoxically rebuilding a natural state, originally elaborated by critical thinkers such as Plato, Marx and Hobbes as the pre-civilized situation at the centre of democratic civilization. In addition, its spreads envy, destructive of any sy stem; and finally, by gathering the natural autonomies of virtue and reason. Even though, Tocqueville recognized the aristocratic rule to be unfair, as it was anchored on an unnatural principle of familial autonomy, its hierarchical order still preserved room for principles transcending the individual will. The

Trading Strategies Essay Example for Free

Trading Strategies Essay The Dutch Tulip Boom (1636-1637) The tulips, a beautiful flower usually associated with the Netherlands are flowers that have a very notorious economic history in that country. The tulip is not a native Dutch flower. Like many other products in western Europe, such as the potato and tobacco, tulips came to the Netherlands from another part of the world. Tulip was introduced to the Dutch on the year 1593. It was said that the tulip was first seen by Europeans in Turkey. Scholars now believe that the Turks had been cultivating tulips as early as AD 1000(Sykes, T. (2003),‘Tulips from Amsterdam). Most of these tulips probably originated in areas around the Black Sea, in the Crimea, and in the steppes to the north of the Caucasus. Back then it used to command a very steep price which could be amounting to a small fortune, today the said flowers are available at modest prices. When the Tulip was first introduced to Holland, tulip ownership was primarily limited to wealthy nobles and scholars. Antwerp, Brussels, Augsburg, Paris, and Prague are among some of the cities where such tulips first began to circulate. The exorbitant price as well as the great demand for this commodity gave rise to an extraordinary event in Dutch history – The Tulip boom of   1636 – 1637. The Tulip Boom was an economic phenomenon which   took place on the year 1636. This craze lasted for a year. (McGuigan, B. (2007), ‘What is a Tulip Craze?’, Conjecture Corporation) The cause of the said phenomena was the sudden surge of the demand for tulip flowers and bulbs. The Tulip was prized back then for its rarity, beauty and because of the fact that it takes around 7 years to grow a tulip seed into a bulb. It was said that a reasonable purchase price for an ordinary   single tulip-bulb of the Viceroy variety consists of: â€Å"two [loads] of wheat and four of rye, four fat oxen, eight pigs, a dozen sheep, two ox heads of wine, four tons of butter, a thousand pounds of cheese, a bed, some clothing and a silver beaker. This price roughly estimated to be amounting to   2,500 guilders (Dutch Currency) is of course ridiculously exorbitant nowadays considering that it is only for a piece of bulb which does not even guarantee that it will produce a flower. The said price however during those days   is deemed a Fair and reasonable† purchase price   for an ordinary tulip bulb. Rarer species during the height of the Dutch ‘tulip mania’ in the seventeenth century would be double or triple that price, a Semper Augustus, considered to be even more precious than the Viceroy tulip, could bring in close to 6,000 guilders. (Schulman, B. (2007), ‘Tulip’, The Regents of Minnesota University) Eventually, some tulips were sold at the rate of a single bulb for the value of a house, and lots of bulbs were exchanged for large estates. Tulips became a commodity on the Dutch stock exchanges, allowing people who weren’t cultivators or traders to try to take advantage of this boom. It was noted that many people began putting enormous amounts of wealth into speculation on the tulip market — in extreme cases, even their entire savings or properties. The Tulip craze reached a fevered pitch in the year 1636, which witnessed a lot of   money pouring into the market, as well as speculation on tulip futures offered by traders who had not yet planted bulbs. At around 1637, the market became saturated with the said product, and some traders began to sell, often in large amounts. This caused panic on the so called tulip merchants making them want to sell their tulips immediately even up to the point   of selling cheap. Needless to say the said   speculation caused an enormous downturn. As a   result the   tulip craze ruined many thousands of people financially, as tulip bulbs that had been purchased for the price of a great estate were nearly devalued overnight to the price of common onions. To stop the economy from plummeting and because of the fact that   tulip prices and the practice of tulip speculation became so excessive and frenzied the States of   Holland passed a statute curbing such extremes in the year 1637. (Jones, S. ((2005), ‘House Prices Tulip Mania A lesson from History !’) II.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Current Global Mining Resources Boom As of the present, Mining companies are in the midst of an immense economic boom, accompanied with high levels of demand and   an above average boost in revenue and profits. It is apparent that   the Global   demand for metals is closely related to global GDP, although rapidly expanding economies tend to have a higher intensity of use of some metals, particularly steels, than advanced countries (Mandaro, L(2006).   ‘Joy Global: No end to mining boom in sight’,). Many analysts believe that the current peaks may represent long-term strength in the market, driven largely by the economic engines of China and India. The rapid growth of   Chinese and Indian economies seem to have been inversely affected by   the   growth of Western economies. The advancement being enjoyed by the two countries is showing   no signs of imminent slump or stagnation. The said Phenomenal levels of this demand were not expected nor anticipated(Achieving High Performance in Mining: Winning Today, Succeeding Tomorrow (1996-2007). The mining industry may not have the same nature of cycles as typically perceived by investors, but the current level of high metals prices appears to be holding up and the predicted peak keeps on moving. Amidst the apparent boom   which the mining sector is experiencing presently, some measures still need to   be implemented   by the   executives of the mining sectors to focus on the opportunities that todays high commodity prices present, it is apparent that the mining sector needs to keep an eye on significant challenges that lie beyond the current boom to achieve high performance. It is a known fact that   although   prices are not likely to drop to the lows which occurred a few years back, the said prices   are likely to fluctuate and fall below todays levels. This assessment is considered accurate given the number of players globally, there is a high risk of investing in future excess capacity. Production costs are skyrocketing, especially energy and input material costs, these variables seem to have diminished the positive effects   the benefits of the commodity boom has in store for the mining industry. In a global industry, commodity price and currency volatility have the potential to erode the benefits coming from the profits being enjoyed by the Mining industry (Ernst Young.(2006) ‘A Timely Opportunity for Private Equity?’). Todays strong market gives companies an opportunity to invest in preparing to meet those challenges. Mining companies need to plan for a potential downturn as well as for continued high demand. In short, they need to balance the ability to exploit todays boom times with well-founded strategies that will continue to deliver value to shareholders in the post-boom period. They also must pay close attention to a range of issues to drive the triple bottom line and focus not only on economic results, but also on the social and environmental impact of their operations. In an era of global competition, mining companies must constantly look for ways to improve those operations, mostly by applying modern technology on the mining equipments used from mines to concentrators to smelters (Ernst Young.(2006) ‘A Timely Opportunity for Private Equity?’). III. The New York Stocks Exchange Commission (NYSE) Stock exchange transactions are basically transactions that involve the day to day activities of brokers and dealers. These individuals facilitate the buying and selling of financial assets. Brokers execute trades on behalf of clients and receive commissions and fees in exchange for matching buyers and sellers. Dealers, on the other hand, buy and sell from their own portfolios (Stock Exchange(2007)) Microsoft MSN Encyclopedia Encarta) .They earn income by selling a financial instrument at a price that is greater than the price the dealer paid for the instrument. Some exchange participants perform both roles. The said transactions occur frequently nowadays and is governed primarily by Stock exchange commissions, the most noted of these organizations would probably be the New York Stocks Exchange Commission.   The New York Stocks Exchange Commission is the worlds largest marketplace for securities. It was   organized back in 1792 by a group of stockbrokers who wanted a more orderly way to sell and buy company stocks (The New York Stock Exchange) (2007),   Encyclopedia Britannica Online). The New York Stock exchange was formerly located at number 40 Wall Street in New York City, But As the said establishment grew it was   later moved into what is currently the New York Stock Exchange Building. Membership was   limited to 1,366 since 1953, and is obtained by purchasing a seat from a current   existing member. Major stock exchanges in the United States include the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), both in New York City. The NYSE is   operated by a board of directors, whose primary role is to   list down   securities, to set policies and to supervise the stock exchange and its member activities. Another important function of the NYSE is to oversee the transfer of members seats on the Exchange, which would involve judging whether a potential applicant is qualified to be a specialist. Stock exchanges perform important roles in national economies (New York Stock Exchange – NYSE (2007), Investopedia). Most importantly, they encourage investment by providing places for buyers and sellers to trade securities. This investment, in turn, enables corporations to obtain funds to expand their businesses. The Stock market, is of course the mirror of the current economic situation of a country. The NYSE, being the largest of them all,   would of course imply that any fluctuation occurring in the NYSE stock market   would of course mirror the   economic situation of the U.S. This would best be illustrated by the economic turmoil experienced by the said country on the year 1929. It was an event remembered by many because of a lot of unseemly things happened within a blink of an eye. In the 1920s, things were really rocking in the US and around the world. The rapid increase in industrialization was fueling growth in the economy, and technology improvements had the leading economists believing that the up rise would continue. The enormous amount of unsecured consumer debt created by this speculation left the stock market essentially off-balance. It was on the 24th of October 1929, when   the stock prices began to fall and brokers began to sell. By noon of the same day, millions of shares had been sold. The selling frenzy continued all afternoon. Before the close of the day, 13 million shares had been traded and the market dropped an estimated amount of four billion dollars. Many investors, tried to even things up, and as a course of action they invested their life savings, mortgaged their homes, and cashed in safer investments such as treasury bonds and bank accounts. After some time the realization of what had happened began to sink in, and a full-blown panic ensued. People who had invested their entire life savings during the boom became destitute. Many of the banks which had speculated heavily with their deposits were wiped out by the falling prices, and these bank failures sparked a run on the banking system. As a result many banks and businesses were forced to close. Each failed bank, factory, business, and investor contributed to the downward spiral that would drag the world into the Great Depression. Five days later, the worst possible scenario took place. On that day, over 16 million shares of stock were sold and the market fell over 14 billion dollars. By comparison, the entire budget of the U.S. Government that year was three billion dollars. In one day, the United States lost more capital than it had spent in all of World War I. And so it came to pass that thousands of investors many of them ordinary working people, were financially ruined. By the end of that   year, stock values had dropped by fifteen billion dollars (The Crash,   NYC Architecture. Retrieved August 29, 2007). Bibliography    The Dutch Tulip Boom Schulman, B. (2007), ‘Tulip’, The Regents of Minnesota University, Retrieved August 28, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     http://bell.lib.umn.edu/Products/tulips.html McGuigan, B. (2007), ‘What is a Tulip Craze?’, Conjecture Corporation,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Retrieved August 28, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-tulip-craze.htm Jones, S. ((2005), ‘House Prices Tulip Mania A lesson from History !’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Retrieved August 28, 2007   http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article18.html Sykes, T. (2003), ‘Tulips from Amsterdam’, Retrieved August 27, 2007 http://www.rba.gov.au/PublicationsAndResearch/Conferences/2003/Sykes.pdf The Current Global Mining Resources Boom Mandaro, L(2006).   ‘Joy Global: No end to mining boom in sight’, Marketwatch Retrieved August 29, 2007 http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/5VZZZjDn3fVvlBkkp9z78Ht Achieving High Performance in Mining: Winning Today, Succeeding Tomorrow (1996-2007),   Accenture, Retrieved August 29, 2007. http://www.accenture.com/Global/Services/By_Industry/Mining/R_and_I/WinningTodaySucceedingTomorrow.htm Ernst Young.(2006) ‘A Timely Opportunity for Private Equity?’ Ernst Young Global.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved August 29, 2007. http://www.ey.com/global/content.nsf/International/Mining_Private_Equity The New York Stocks Exchange Commission The New York Stock Exchange (2007),   Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Retrieved August 29, 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9055541/New-York-Stock-Exchange New York Stock Exchange – NYSE (2007), Investopedia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved August 29, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/nyse.asp The Crash,   NYC Architecture. Retrieved August 29, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.nyc-architecture.com/LM/LM036-NEWYORKSTOCK EXCHANGE.htm Stock Exchange(2007), Microsoft MSN Encyclopedia Encarta. Retrieved August 29, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761560145/Stock_Exchange.html Gongloff, M. ‘Attacks could hit economy’. CNN Money. Retrieved August 30, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://money.cnn.com/2001/09/11/economy/wtc_econ/

Theory Mild Steel Material

Theory Mild Steel Material Mild steel or so-called carbon steel was the most common  types of steel  being used nowadays in almost all forms of industrial applications and industrial manufacturing. Basically, it refers to a group of low carbon steel with relatively low tensile strength, malleable and cheap which consist the maximum composition of Carbon between 0.15% to 0.3%. Furthermore its surface hardness can be increased through carburizing. Apart from the cheapest types of steel, it was widely used in every type of product created from  steel because of its weldability, good strength and hardness and although it has the tendency to rust, it is very durable to build materials. Plus, it had the ability to be be magnetized and used in almost any project that requires a lot number of metal. 2.1.2 Types of Mild Steel There were many types of Mild Steel that had been discovered until recently, among them were A36, High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) Steel, Abrasion Resistant (AR), Pressure Vessel Quality (PVQ), 4140, 8620 ,1045,1018 and Free Machine Steel (FM 45). The most popular mild steel specification for carbon steel is A36 which normally comes in shapes of plates and bars for bolted and welded construction. High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) Steel usually contain more than 15% composition of carbon and it is stronger than any ordinary plain carbon steels. HSLA normally comes in the appearance of Corten and Exten material. They are widely used in cars, cranes, bridges and other structures to handle stress at low temperatures. Abrasion Resistant (AR) is commonly used in truck and hopper bodies, shoots, and wear as it is a very hard mild steel that is abrasion or wear resistant. While for the Pressure Vessel Quality (PVQ), because of its properties which are high strength and low weight mild steel it wa s commonly used in earth moving, transport equipment such as booms, buckets, and pressure vessels. Among the example of PVQ are A514 and T1. 4140 and 8620 perform well under high heat, heavy load wear-resistant material and was used for dyes and molds. 1045 is a standard mild steel which is more durable than A36 though it is harder to machine and weld. It is commonly used for axles, bolts, connecting rods, hydraulic rams and etc. 1018 is the most frequently available of the cold-rolled steels and chemically similar to A36. It come generally in round rod, square bar and rectangle bar. It have good edges such as strength, ductility and ease of machining. Last but not least, Free Machine Steel (FM 45) is a mild steel that has average durability in strength and easy to machine. 2.1.3 Mechanical Properties of Mild Steel In materials science, the strength phrase can be assumed as a high resistance to breakage. Mild steel was well known because of its high resistance to breakage and therefore its mechanical properties can be considered as very strong due to the low amount of carbon it contains. Mild Steel also was recognized as having a high tensile and impact strength compared to the High Carbon Steel due to the fact that it can be easily malleable even when in cold. Another distinguished differences of mechanical properties between high carbon steel and Mild Steel was mild steel bends or deforms if being subjected under stress while a high carbon steels usually shatter or crack. This cause Mild Steel was widely preferred in the construction area in the interest of its weldability, machiniability, malleablility and high strength. As a result of its high strength and easy to malleable, the former is actually quite soft which cause its easy to machine and welding both to itself or to other types of ste el. Nevertheless, the former cannot be hardened through heat treatment processes unlike the latter. Mild steel usually contains few other alloying elements other than Carbon to give them certain desirable mechanical properties. For example, lets take a look at 1018, a common type of mild steel. 1018 contains an approximately 0.6%-0.9% Manganese (Mn), 0.04% Phosphorus and 0.05% Sulphur. Varying these chemicals will affects certain properties such as corrosion resistance and strength. For instance, Phosphorus, Sulphur and Silicon are undesirable and can be considered as trace elements as they have negative impacts on the steel due to their bad effects on the steel and its properties. The reason why Phosphorus is consider as a trace element because it affects primarily the ductility and the toughness of steel mostly when the steel is in the quenched and tempered conditions. In fact, the Phosphorus has a tendency to react with the iron to form a compound known as ironphosphide (Fe3P) which has the particularity of being brittle. Hence, phosphorus renders steel less tough and ductile wh ile it increases brittleness. While for the Sulphur which also was a trace element, it has a great tendency to segregate (that is to isolate itself in the structure). It also reacts with iron to form iron sulphide which produces red or hot-shortness, since the low melting eutectic forms a network around the grains so that these hold but loosely together, and the grain boundaries may easily break up during hotforming. So, from here we can see that Sulphur plays a great role in the decline ability of steel such as weldability, impact, toughness and the ductility of the steel. Carbon is an element whose presence is imperative in all steel. Indeed, carbon is the principle hardening element of steel. That is, this alloying element determines the level of hardness or strength that can be attained by quenching. Furthermore, carbon is essential for the formation of cementite (as well as other carbides) and of pearlite, spheridite, bainite, and iron-carbon martensite, with martensite being the hardest of the microstructures. Carbon is also responsible for increase in tensile strength, hardness, resistance to wear and abrasion. However, when present in high quantities it affects the ductility, the toughness and the machinability of steel. Whereas element like Carbon and Manganese are desireable as it can enhanced the properties of steel. First, lets observe Carbon element. Carbon is an element whose presence is imperative in all steel. Indeed, carbon is the principle hardening element of steel. That means that the alloying element determines the level of hardness or strength that can be attained by quenching. Furthermore, carbon is essential for the formation of cementite (as well as other carbides) and not to mention pearlite, spheridite,bainite, and iron-carbon martensite, with martensite being the hardest of the microstructures. Carbon is also responsible for the increase in tensile strength, hardness,resistance to wear and abrasion. However, when present in high quantities it will affects the ductility, the toughness and the machinability of steel. Same as Carbon, Manganese also contributes greatly towards increasing strength and hardness, but to a less extent than carbon. To be more precise, the degree to which manganese increases hardness and strength is dependent upon the Carbon content of the steel. In fact, manganese contributes to the increasing the strength of the ferrite, and also toward increasing the hardness of penetration of steel in the quench by decreasing the critical quenching speed. Moreover, still consisting of a considerable amount of manganese can be quenched in oil rather than in water, and are therefore less susceptible to cracking because of reduction in the shock of the quenching. In addition, the latter enhance the tensile strength, the hardness, the harden ability, the resistance to wear and it also increase the rate of carbon penetrating in the coefficient of thermal expansion of steel whereas it is detrimental to both thermal and electrical conductivity. 2.1.4 Application of Mild Steel Nowadays, every objects that are fabricated of  steel  are using  mild  steel type of material which includes automobile chassis, motorcycle frames and most cookware product. Due to its poor corrosion-resistance, it must be painted or protected and sealed in order to prevent rust from damaging it. A light coat of oil or grease is able to seal this  steel  and aid in rust control.Unlike high-carbon  steel,  mild  steel  is easily welded. The properties of the  steel  allow the electrical current to travel through the metal without distorting the makeup of the material. Some types of high-carbon  steel such as stainless  steel, require special techniques in order to properly weld the material. Being less brittle than high-carbon steels, the  mild  variant is able to flex and give in construction projects where a higher-carbon version could simply break. Most of the pipeline in the world is created using  mild  steel. This allows the pipe to not only be easily welded into place, but also lets the pipeline flex and avoid cracking and breaking under pressure. The corrosive properties of the  steel  pipeline mean that it must be properly sealed through painting or a process often used on pipelines that involves wrapping the pipe with a corrosive-resistant material.Often in very cold climates, a warming type of insulating material is wrapped around the pipeline. This material helps keep the cold inside the pipe running smoothly. The wrap also prevents the soft  mild  pipe  steel  from becoming brittle and cracking. The constant expansion and shrinkage due to cold and warmth cycling in the pipe could create structural integrity problems, but these are held in check by the insulating wrap. On a much smaller scale, household pipes can be prevented from becoming cold and breaking by the use of electrical heating tape. 2.2 Theory Test 2.2.1 Tensile Test A  tensile test, also known as tension test is the most fundamental type of mechanical test one can perform on the material. This tests are simple, relatively inexpensive, and fully standardized. By pulling on something, one will determine how the material will react to forces being applied in tension. As the material is being pulled, one will find its strength along with how much it will elongate. The objective of conducting Tensile test until the material breaks or rupture is to obtain a complete tensile profile. A curve will result showing how it reacted to the forces being applied. The point of failure is of much interest and is typically called the Ultimate Strength or UTS on the Stress vs Strain diagram. The total of 4 samples of mild steel plate were prepared for this test purposed where all the samples were machined following the standardized dimension given. Stress vs Strain Diagram 2.2.2 Hardness Test Rockwell hardness testing is a general method for measuring the bulk hardness of metallic and polymer materials. Although hardness testing does not give a direct measurement of any performance properties, hardness correlates with strength, wear resistance, and other properties. Hardness testing is widely used for material evaluation due to its simplicity and low cost relative to direct measurement of many properties. This method consists of indenting the test material with a diamond cone or hardened steel ball indenter. Only 1 samples of mild steel material plate was prepared for this type of test as this test only required 1 samples indent 10 data on that 1 samples. 2.2.3 Impact Test The impact properties of samples were measured using the standardized dimension from the strength lab that had been acquired from the lab technician. Then the samples that had complete the machining process will have to undergo two test which are Charpy test and Izod test. These two test were meant to measure the the amount of  energy absorbed by a material during  fracture. This absorbed energy is a measure of a given materials notch  toughness  and acts as a tool to study temperature-dependent ductile-brittle transition. The only distinctive differences between the charpy and izod lies in the way that the specimen are supported in the apparatus machine. 2.2.4 Microstructure Observation In Microstructure observation, the samples of mild steel plate will be observed under the microscope in order to monitor the microstructure of the specimen. Before the observation start, the sample will have to be prepared by first grinding the sample with grit sand paper starting from 240, 320, 400, 600 and lastly 1200. After that the sample will be polished by using either powder or paste depend on which is more suitable. Only after all these process were done we can start observe the microstructure under the microscope starting from 5x, 10x, 20x, 40x, 50x and etc.

The Disorders Of Homeostasis Health And Social Care Essay

The Disorders Of Homeostasis Health And Social Care Essay This assignment will discuss the changes of normal  social,  physical, biochemical and physiological  functions of a disease process of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is a term used for a number of conditions; including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD leads to damaged airways in the lungs, causing them to become narrower and making it harder for air to get in and out of the lungs. The word chronic means that the problem is long-term. COPD is a condition which mainly affects people over the age of 40, and COPD has a higher prevalence occurring among women than men (NHS-Choices, 2008). COPD is also a condition that is long term and incurable that can have a serious affects on health and quality of life, its not fully understood why COPD develops. (Marieb, 2003). The student will also incorporate local and national health and social policies, including frameworks that are in place in relation to the patients illness. The student identified a patient named Mrs J. She was admitted to hospital due to exacerbation of COPD. Her primary diagnosis is Osteoarthritis of the Hip but also had symptoms of emphysema. Mrs J is a 55 year old woman and is married, Mrs J also has an older child of 34 whom she has become quite dependant on and felt like she had impacted on her childs life and had become a hindrances. Mrs J has become more breathless as her condition develops over time and more so while she was lying in bed unable to carry out her daily activities such as doing the housework, leisure activities, also looking after her appearance as she normally would have done at home . COPD is becoming one of the fastest leading causes of disability (NHS choices, 2008). According to British Lung Foundation, (2010) a recent survey, 83% of COPD patients said their COPD slows them down, 79% said they had to cut down their activities and 56% said their condition has a great affect on their families. COPD is the most common respiratory conditions in adults in the developed world and poses an enormous burden to society both in terms of direct cost to the healthcare services and indirect costs to society through loss of productivity. Recent analysis estimated that National Health Service (NHS) spends  £818 million annually in the United Kingdom (UK). (British Thoracic Society, 2006). However 50% of the cost is accounted for by poorly managed exacerbations resulting in frequent re-admissions to hospital (Coakley Ruston, 2001). COPD is a chronic inflammatory condition of the lungs that causes the respiratory passages to be swollen and irritated, increases the mucus production and damaging the lungs. (Marieb, 2003). COPD develops when irritants are breathed into the airway and down the bronchial tubes. Normally, oxygen is passed through the bronchioles into the alveoli, tiny hollow sack-like structures in the lungs where oxygen is absorbed in to the bloodstream. When air is mixed with smoke or irritants, it will damage the lungs and the ability to take enough oxygen in (NHS-Choices, 2008). Mrs J condition would of been triggered by her heavy smoking, the toxins from her cigarettes has made her bronchioles (airway and lungs) become inflamed and narrowing the airway, this will lead to irreversible damage to the respiratory system by obstructing the bronchial airflow and hindering gaseous exchange within the alveoli (Munden, J, 2007). Mrs J suffers from many symptoms due to her smoking these include shortness of breath, a persistent cough, yellowish green sputum, signs of cyanosis to her lips, also Mrs J has continued to smoke as she thinks the damage has already been done so her condition. The vast majority of COPD patients are smokers. By stopping smoking patients can slow the rate of decline in lung function and thus improve the patients prospects in terms of symptoms and survival. The NICE guidance recommends that short-acting bronchodilators should be used for the initial treatment for breathlessness and exercise limitation and goes on to say that, if this isnt having an effect then the treatment should be intensified using either a long-acting bronchodilator or a combined therapy with a short acting beta2-agonist and a short-acting anticholinergic. The respiratory system is the major part for gases exchange to take place, it allows takes the air that enters are bodies when we inhale and travels through the respiratory system, exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide and expels carbon dioxide when we exhale (munden, J, 2007). Mrs J has been smoking now for 45 years and on an average day having up to 40 cigarettes a day and is not prepared to quit as she feels the damage is already done. Mrs J smokes for comfort and feels that its all for her pleasure, she has become very isolated, her chronic bronchitis makes her breathless when doing actives and is not able to do her daily activities therefore is becoming depressed. Do this having a huge impact on her mental and social parts of her life. Patients like Mrs J with airflow limitation clinically they have become known as pink puffers and blue bloaters (Kleinschmidt, 2008). Patients with COPD have traditionally been divided into  pink puffers  and  blue bloaters  based on their physiological response to abnormal blood gases.  The former work hard to maintain a normal pO2  which is why they puff away. They tend to have a barrel-shaped, hyper inflated chest and breathe through pursed lips. The latter are blue because of hypoxia and polycythaemia. They are often obese and have water retention. This is why they are bloated. The  blue bloaters  are dependent upon hypoxia for their respiratory drive and to give oxygen and deprive them of this will lead to significant  hypercapnia  and acid base imbalance. (MedicineNet, 1996 2010) Mrs J falls under the term blue bloaters as she linked to chronic bronchitis due to cyanosis which causes a blue tinge to the lips, which occurs from poor gas exchange. Airway Smooth Muscle in Asthma and COPD: Biology and Pharmacology  by Prof. Kian Fan Chung pink puffers has been linked to emphysema as the patients may be showing signs of weight loss, using their accessory muscles with pursed lips giving them a reddish complexion, they may also adopt the tripod sitting position (Kleinschmidt, 2008). Although these conditions separate the patient may present with slight variations of them both, however they do differentiate through their underlying process, signs and symptoms (Bellamy Booker, 2004). The respiratory system can be separated into a conducting and a respiratory portion. The conducting portion consists of the air-transmitting passages of the nose, nasopharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and bronchioles. This part of the respiratory system serves to filter, warm and humidify air on its way to the lungs. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology by Gerard J. Tortora, and Bryan H. Specialized portions of the conducting system also serve other functions, e.g., the nose in the sense of smell, the pharynx in alimentation, and the larynx in phonation. The actual exchange of gases occurs in the respiratory portion which consists of the respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts and sacs and alveoli. Ross and Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology by Gerard J. Tortora, and Bryan H. Derrickson   There are two separate arterial systems in the lungs, the pulmonary arteries which carry deoxygenated blood, follow the respiratory passages and end in capillaries in alveolar walls, and the bronchial arteries which carry oxygenated blood. (Ross and Wilson,2009). The lungs are richly supplied with lymphatic vessels, which are organized into two sets a deep set that accompanies the pulmonary vessels and airways and a superficial set that lies beneath the visceral and parietal pleura. Little or no anatomises occurs between the two plexus except in the region of the hilum. (SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 2008) The lung is the organ for gas exchange; it transfers oxygen from the air into the blood and carbon dioxide from the blood into the air. To accomplish gas exchange the lung has two components, airways and alveoli. The airways are branching, tubular passages like the branches of a tree that allow air to move in and out of the lungs. The wider segments of the airways are the trachea and the two bronchi. The smaller segments are called bronchioles. At the ends of the bronchioles are the alveoli, thin-walled sacs. Small blood vessels (capillaries) run in the walls of the alveoli, and it is across the thin walls of the alveoli where gas exchange between air and blood takes place. 1996-2010 MedicineNet, http://www.medicinenet.com/chronic_obstructive_pulmonary_disease_copd/article.htm Airways and air sacs within the lungs are elasticised, with the air we breathe the lungs will change shape with inhalation they expand and return to the normal shape after they have been stretched with full of air. With in the Lining the of the nasal cavity is a mucous membrane full of blood vessels, with the many blood vessels this enable the nose to warm and humidify the incoming air quickly. Cells in the mucous membrane produce mucus and have tiny hair like projections (cilia). Usually, the mucus traps incoming dirt particles, which are then moved by the cilia toward the front of the nose or down the throat to be removed from the airway. This action helps clean the air before it goes to the lungs. Ciliated Columnar Epithelium which contains goblet cells and cilia, the goblet cells are responsible for secreting mucus which is able to trap the finer particles from inspired air and the cilia which are fine hairs to trap particles from going into the respiratory track. The cilia carrys the particles by a sweeping the mouth or nose where it can then be swallowed, coughed or sneezed out of the body (Munden, 2007). The two major sources of mucus secretion in the respiratory tract are the surface epithelial goblet cells and mucous cells. In lungs, goblet cells are present in the large bronchi, becoming increasingly thin toward the bronchioles. The sub mucosal glands are in the airways with the thickness decreasing with airway quality. With COPD, sub mucosal glands increase in size (hypertrophy), and the number of goblet cells will increased (hyperplasia) (Rogers, Jackson, 2001). The increased of goblet cells to ciliated cells will cause thickness in the bronchioles, this then impairs clearance of mucus. Patients affected by COPD also show the presence of edema, which can further reduce airway size and compromise the lung function. (Postma and Kerstjens, 1998). In clinical studies, these inflammatory parameters have been shown to correlate with a reduction lung function and an exaggerated bronchoconstriction (Postma and Kerstjens, 1998). The goblet cells are replaced within the small airways (bronchi) with Clara cells they are another form of secreting cell that are form ciliated cells and to help renew the bronchiolar epithelium, they produce hypophase component and a protease inhibitor these help protect the lungs by clearing foreign bodys from the airway (Stokley et al, 2006) Gasses exchange in the lung takes places in the airway with in the alveoli, The largest airway is the windpipe (trachea), this then branches into two smaller airways; the left and right bronchi, At the end of each bronchiole are thousands of small air sacs (alveoli) the walls are a thick network of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. The thin barrier between air and capillaries allows oxygen to move from the alveoli to the blood and allows carbon dioxide to move from the blood to the capillaries into the alveoli (Matterporth Matfin, 2009). Mr J has a poor respiratory drive due to having poor ventilation on the lungs. Hypoxemia and hypercapnia can take place due to the poor ventilation, hypoxia in Patients with COPD like Mrs J have raised CO2  levels and  depend  on a deficiency of oxygen (hypoxia) to encourage respiration. They will develop increased CO2  retention,  respiratory acidosis  and subsequently will require mechanical ventilation (oxygen). It also causes the kidneys to produce erthpoietin which stimulates excessive red blood cell production as Mrs J has poor ventilation intake the blood cells are not fully oxygenated there for cyanosis can occurs (Munden, J, 2007).This has lead to hypercapnia due to raised carbon dioxide levels resulting from suppression of hypoxic ventilation drive. However, this understanding does not account for the many factors that contribute to the control of breathing in patients, and has resulted in oxygen being withheld inappropriately from some patients with acute respi ratory failure.   (Brooker Nicol, 2004). Mrs J has lent to live in hypoxic drive as she has made adjustments in her life and has lived like this for 4 years now and has become normal to her. Mrs J has sensitivity to falling oxygen levels rather than raised carbon dioxide (Brooker Nicol, 2004). A higher level of oxygen within Mrs Js system reduces the stimulus to breath therefore inducing carbon dioxide maintenance (Walsh Crumbie, 2007). Emphysema occurs when the air sacs at the ends of your bronchioles gradually gets destroyed, smoking is the leading cause of emphysema. Resulting in the air sacs (alveoli), in the lungs becoming over stretched making their thin walls tear, there for losing the lung tissue and elasticity. The lungs cannot expand or contract fully, and so become less efficient when breathing. (McCance Huether, 2006)   As the condition worsens, emphysema turns the air sacs which are like a bunch of grapes to become enlarged, irregular pockets with gaping holes in their inner walls; this reduces the number of air sacs and keeps some oxygen entering the lungs from reaching the bloodstream (Munden, J, 2007). This makes you try and breathe harder as insufficient oxygen is not getting into our airways. Our bodies compensates by lowering cardiac output and we then begin to hyperventilate, which then results in limited blood flow through fairly well oxygenated lungs this is in contrast to chronic bronchitis (Brooker Nicol, 2004). Due to low cardiac output in Mrs Js body it will tend to suffer from tissue hypoxia leading to weight loss or muscle wasting (McClance Huether, 2006). Mrs Js chronic bronchitis is a Type 2 respiratory failure; this refers to hypercapnoea, which is a presence of an abnormally high level of carbon dioxide in the blood steam, which can occur with or without hypoxia. This type of respiratory failure is caused by a decline the amount of gas inhaled and exhaled (Higgins,D., Guest,J, 2008). Respiratory failure occurs when alveolar ventilation is ineffective to expel carbon dioxide in the body. Poor ventilation is due to reduced ventilation effort, it affects the lung as a whole, there for carbon dioxide accumulates in the lungs this could deadly if it is not treated (Partridge, 2006). This process is seen in patients such as Mrs J with COPD and can be made more aggressive by an illness (Higgins,D., Guest,J, 2008). Mrs J views her quality of life as poor and hates getting up in the mornings, this is because Mrs J becoming breathless and not being able to fulfil her daily activities. COPD can leave patients feeling anxious and suffering from panic attacks (Christen Antoni, 2000). Mrs J feels frightened becoming breathless as she has had frequent admissions of exacerbation with long stays in hospital, exacerbations is a increased case of breathlessness and sputum experience and very distressing for patients and disruptive to their lives (Alaxander,Fawcett Runciman, 2006). Because of Mrs J being short of breath she feels very lonely and isolated, Mrs J has now got a low self esteem and self confidence this has been induced by her affects of the disease, any activities such as washing, dressing and shopping has become quite dependant on her family in these tasks and feels helpless and a burden to them. The psychological affects of living with COPD can be overwhelming the anxiety and panic levels are very high as Mrs J is living in constant fear and frustration each day of the affects of the illness. COPD patients tend to have a high prevalence rate of clinical depression (N, Haynes, 2000). Depression is very common in COPD patients, around 40% are affected by severe depressive symptoms or clinical depression (Henriksen,A, 2008). Since Mrs J has been diagnosed she has had to make some psychological adjustments, she has some challenges ahead of her such as maintaining her ADLs i.e. self image and personal hygiene. Mrs J feels weak and drained on any activities she does due to breathlessness, most of the time she has to rely on her husband and family to meet these needs and has become dependant upon them; this can lead to activation of negative self image which has lasting changes to the patient (Christen Antoni, 2000). Mrs J feels that dealing with her chronic illness she has had to challenge her own self worth, her own sense of vulnerability and to think of what the future has in hold for her (N, Haynes, 2000). COPD may also adversely affect Mrs J self image which is negatively stigmatised her self inflicted this illness on her self due to smoking (Gore et al, 2000). Stigma has had a huge impact on Mrs Js low self esteem as she has smoked most of her life and has caused her condition to progress, so she only has herself to blame. Having low self esteem can be very difficult for some patients to handle as is plays a role in their lives (Christen Antoni, 2000). The more inactive Mrs J will becomes it will decrease her self esteem and can have an impact on her well being (Haynes, 2000). Mrs J also thinks that she has become depressed due to her condition which has had a huge impact on her quality of life with has lead to isolation and dependant on family and friends (Barnett, 2008). COPD patients are being stigmatized in todays society, this disabling condition has been linked to poor lifestyle changes and people that have smoked (Bartolame, Berger, 2009). Patients with COPD feel stigmatised due to medical profession as they have been labelled under pink puffers and blue bloaters this can have a negative impact on their image (Johnson et al, 2007). Mrs J feels that the main reason that she has become isolated is that she is embarrassed by her visible side affect due to poor mobility and breathlessness. COPD research has mainly focused on the medical side rather than the social impact of the disease. This neglect is seen as patients are not prepared for wider social attitudes of smoking related to their illness and has been looked at as self infliction and avoidable conditions creating stigma which is attached to the disease (Johnson et al, 2007). The National Clinical Strategy for COPD is currently being developed by the Department of Health. This was previously known as the National Service Framework (NSF). Following the Darzi report which stated that high quality for all this was based upon ways to reshape and improve the NHS. The National Clinical Strategy will address the lack of awareness of COPD and also focus on the undiagnosed or inaccurately and also making clear pathways for those diagnosed. (NICE, 2004). NICE guidelines on COPD Cover a full range of care that should be available from the NHS to adults like Mrs J who has this illness and to have the appropriate support and treatments this includes smoking cessation, pulmonary rehabilitation and management of exacerbations and to have easy access to these services (NICE, 2008). COPD has had a huge negative impact on Mrs Js life she has had to overcome challenges due to her COPD such as her basic day to day activities, by making some adjustments to meet these tasks. With Mrs J disabling disease this has lead to loss of function, low self confidence and has become socially isolated in her own home due to her clinical depression (Brooker, 2005). Alexander, M. F., Fawcett, J., Runciman, P. J., (Eds.). (2006). Nursing practice: The adult hospital and home. (3rd ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Barnett, M. (2008). Management of end stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. British Journal of Nursing, 17(22),1390 1394. Barr, R. G. Bourbeau, J, Camargo C. A. Inhaled tiotropium for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Apr 18;(2) Bartolame, A., Berger, R. (2009). Blaming the patient. Retrieved 2nd February 2010 website: http://www.breathingbetterlivingwell.com/lofiversion/index.php/t6895.htm Bellamy, D., Booker, R. (Eds.). (2004). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care: All you need to know to manage COPD in your practice. (3rd ed.). London: Class publishing. Bellamy, D., Brooker, R. (2004). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care. Journal of Community Nursing, 23(4), 24-25. British Lung Foundation. (2007). The affect of the disease of COPD. Retrieved 14th January 2010 website: http://www.lung.uk.org/you-and-your-lungs/conditions-and-diseases/copd.htm British Lung Foundation. (2010). The National Strategy for COPD. Retrieved 7th February 2010 website: http://www.lunguk.org/media-and-campaigning/campaigns/what-is-the-national-strategy-for-copd British Thoracic Society. (2006).The burden of lung disease and statistics report. Journal of Community Nursing, 22(7) 25-26. Britton, M. The burden of COPD in the U.K.: results from the Confronting COPD survey.;  Respir Med.2003 Brooker, C., Nicol, M. (Eds.). (2004). Nursing adults: The practice of caring. (3rd ed.). Edinburgh: Mosby Elsevier. Brooker, R. (2005). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and NICE guidelines. Nursing Standards. 19(22), 43-52. Christen, A., Antoni, M. (Ed.). (2000). chronic physical disorders: Behavioural medicines perspective. Oxford: Blackwell publishing Ltd. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, NICE Clinical Guideline (2004);  Management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults in primary and secondary care Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, NICE Clinical Guideline (2004);  Management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults in primary and secondary care Coakley, A. L., Ruston, A. (2001). Pulmonary disease and smoking: A case for health promotion. British Journal of Nursing. 10 (1), 20-24. COPD. BMJ Clinical Evidence.  www.clinicalevidence.com, accessed 10 June 2009 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; September 2005. Gore, J. M., Brophy, C. J., Greenstone, M. A. (2000). How well do we care for patients with end stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)? A comparison of palliative care and quality of life in COPD and lung cancer. British Medical Journal: Thorax. 55,1000-1006. Guyton, A.C. and Hall, J.E. (2000) W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia; London. Haynes, N. (Ed.). (2000). Foundations of psychology, (3rd ed.). London: Thomson Learning. Henriksen, A. (2008). Statistics on clinical depression. Retrieved 2nd February 2010 website: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/586751 Higgins, D., Guest, J. (2008). Acute respiratory failure: Assessing patients. Retrieved 1st February 2010 website: http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice-clinical-research/acute-respiratory-failure-assessing-patients/1833932-article Johnson, J. L., Campbell, A. C., Bowers, M., Nichol, A. M. (2007). Understanding the social consequences of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: effects of stigma and gender. The American Thoracic Society, 4:680-682. doi: 10.1513/pats.200706-0845d. Kleinschmidt, P. (2008). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema. Retrieved from Emedicine website: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/807143-overview Lacasse, Y. Goldstein, R. Lasserson, T. J. Pulmonary rehabilitation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database, 2006 Oct 18;(4) Marieb, N. E. (Ed). (2003). Essentials of Human Anatomy Physiology. (7th ed.). San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings. Masters, N., Tutt, C. (2007). Smoking pack years calculator. Retrieved on 14th January 2010 from website: http://www.smokingpackyears.com/ Matterporth, C., Matfin, G. (2009). Pathophysiology concepts of altered heath states. (8th ed.). Lippincott, Willams Wilkins: Raven Publishers. McClance, L. K., Huether, E. S. (Eds.). (2006). Pathophysiology the biologic Munden, J. (Ed.). (2007). Professional guide to pathophysiology. (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Willams Wilkins. NICE  (2007)  Acutely Ill Patients in Hospital. Recognition of and Response to Acute Illness in Adults in Hospital. Textbook of Medical Physiology (10th edition) SUNY Downstate Medical Center, . (2008, March 05). The Respiratory system. Retrieved from http://ect.downstate.edu/courseware/histomanual/respiratory.html MedicineNet, . (1996 2010). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) . Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/chronic_obstructive_pulmonary_disease_copd/page4.htm#symp

Gabon :: essays papers

Gabon ECONOMY Gabon has a PCI (per capita income) that is two to four times greater than that of most sub-Saharan African nations. The average income in Gabon is about $6,400 compared to the $1,200 of some other countries. The higher PCI has helped in the decline of extreme poverty but because of a high income inequality many families still remain poor. High income inequality makes it hard for families to move up in society, they remain where they are at. In 1992 there fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of there GDP and they did not settle the arrears on the bilateral debt which lead to the cancellation of all the official and private creditors. Fluctuating prices in the oil, timber, and uranium, plus poor fiscal management has also hurt the economy. Gabon’s GPD (gross domestic product) is estimated to be around 7.7 billion dollars. The GPD is divided into three sections the first being agriculture making up 8%. Gabon’s agriculture consists of cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, cattle, and fish. The second section, industry, contributes 67% of the nations GPD. Gabon’s industry includes textile, lumbering and plywood, petroleum, cement, manganese, uranium, gold mining, and chemicals. Oil was located of the coast of Gabon in the 1970’s. Petroleum alone now makes up 50% of the GDP. The last section of the GDP is services, making up 25%. Ship repair supplies the most to this category of the GDP. Gabon exports about $2.1 billion a year and imports an average of $890 million. The US, China, France, and Japan are there leading partners for exports. The US receives 67% of Gabon’s exports a year. Machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, petroleum products, and construction materials are included in Gabon’s imports. France imports about 38% followed by the US, Cameroon, and the Netherlands. The CFAF (Communaute Financiere Africaine franc) is Gabon’s currency. The CFAF started of as the French currency the Franc. The exchange rate for every US dollar is 577.61 CFAF’s. The inflation rate for the CFAF is about 2% as of January 1999. Gabon’s labor force works in three sectors, agriculture, industry and commerce, and services. Even though agriculture supplies only 8% of the GDP it makes up 65% of the labor force. Workers raise foods such as; cassava, plantains, sugarcane, corn (maize), peanuts (groundnuts), bananas, palm oil, and cacao. Gabon :: essays papers Gabon ECONOMY Gabon has a PCI (per capita income) that is two to four times greater than that of most sub-Saharan African nations. The average income in Gabon is about $6,400 compared to the $1,200 of some other countries. The higher PCI has helped in the decline of extreme poverty but because of a high income inequality many families still remain poor. High income inequality makes it hard for families to move up in society, they remain where they are at. In 1992 there fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of there GDP and they did not settle the arrears on the bilateral debt which lead to the cancellation of all the official and private creditors. Fluctuating prices in the oil, timber, and uranium, plus poor fiscal management has also hurt the economy. Gabon’s GPD (gross domestic product) is estimated to be around 7.7 billion dollars. The GPD is divided into three sections the first being agriculture making up 8%. Gabon’s agriculture consists of cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, cattle, and fish. The second section, industry, contributes 67% of the nations GPD. Gabon’s industry includes textile, lumbering and plywood, petroleum, cement, manganese, uranium, gold mining, and chemicals. Oil was located of the coast of Gabon in the 1970’s. Petroleum alone now makes up 50% of the GDP. The last section of the GDP is services, making up 25%. Ship repair supplies the most to this category of the GDP. Gabon exports about $2.1 billion a year and imports an average of $890 million. The US, China, France, and Japan are there leading partners for exports. The US receives 67% of Gabon’s exports a year. Machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, petroleum products, and construction materials are included in Gabon’s imports. France imports about 38% followed by the US, Cameroon, and the Netherlands. The CFAF (Communaute Financiere Africaine franc) is Gabon’s currency. The CFAF started of as the French currency the Franc. The exchange rate for every US dollar is 577.61 CFAF’s. The inflation rate for the CFAF is about 2% as of January 1999. Gabon’s labor force works in three sectors, agriculture, industry and commerce, and services. Even though agriculture supplies only 8% of the GDP it makes up 65% of the labor force. Workers raise foods such as; cassava, plantains, sugarcane, corn (maize), peanuts (groundnuts), bananas, palm oil, and cacao.

Nuclear Iconography in Post-Cold War Culture :: Culture War Nuclear Iconography Essays

Nuclear Iconography in Post-Cold War Culture I wish in this paper to sketch a project involving nuclear iconography and post-Cold War culture. At the heart of this project is the claim that the current historical moment forms a legitimation crisis for the scientific, military, industrial, governmental, and "cultural" institutions whose interests are configured in the design, manufacture, deployment, and "use" of nuclear weapons. Within this moment, a variety of progressive and regressive movements have been intitiated through the production and reception of nuclear weapons rhetoric. The role of visual iconography in nuclear hegemony has traditionally received minor attention (e.g., compared with the "nukespeak" of foreign policy, mass media news coverage, and literary works). Recent scholarly articles and books have attempted to correct this verbalist imbalance by examining the genres and discourses of nuclear art (e.g., painting), cinema and photography. Collectively, this work establishes that the Bomb is -- after W.J.T. Mitc hell -- an "imagetext" in which verbal and iconic discourses interanimate to produce ways of (not) seeing and forms of (not) feeling that have historically positioned cultural subjects in relation to the technologies, policies, figures, locations, events, and institutions (in both senses as "customary practices" and "formal organizations") which have constituted the nuclear condition . . . "Now Do You See It?": Post-Cold War Nuclear Iconography I am interested in the role of visual rhetoric in maintaining this "war of position" between military, environmental, arms-control, pacifist, industrial, scientific and federal interests [in post-Cold War culture]. Issues in this research include the nature of verbal and visual codes in nuclear representations (e.g., in critical disagreement over the success of nuclear landscape photography in evoking viewer knowledge of the deadly, invisible radiation which "really" suffuses its depicted objects), the uses to which images are put in various social contexts (e.g., in museum exhibits commemorating the Japanese atomic bombings), and the consequences of images for existing power relations between nuclear authorities and citizens (e.g., in legitimating the "accelerated" -- and arguably incomplete -- cleanup of contaminated nuclear weapons plants by federal agencies and their contractors) . . . . . . A preliminary survey of prominent nuclear weapons images suggests [this] "new" theme in this process, unique to the post-Cold War era . . . . . . "Museumification" This theme describes the inter-related processes by which the partially decrepit and moribund nuclear apparatus is being dismantled, appropriated, recycled, commodified, and memorialized in contemporary culture (e.

Boundaries, Symmetry and Continuity in Radcliffes The Mysteries of Udo

Below is a passage from I.2 of Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho concerning the concept of "precepts" in relation to the characters of St. Aubert and his daughter Emily: I have attempted to teach you from your earliest youth, the duty of self- command [†¦] not only as it preserves us from the various and dangerous temptations that call us from rectitude and virtue, but as it limits the indulgences which are termed virtuous, yet which, extended beyond a certain boundary are vicious†¦All excess is vicious; even that sorrow, which is amiable in its origin, becomes a selfish and unjust passion, if indulged at the expense of our duties. [†¦] The indulgence of excessive grief enervates the mind, and almost incapacitates it for again partaking of those various innocent enjoyments which a benevolent God designed to be the sun-shine of our lives. My dear Emily, recollect and practice the precepts I have so often given you [†¦]. (20) The kinds of "precepts" instilled by St. Aubert are those that enjoin such "virtues" as moderation, simplicity, circumspection, and respect (5). Throughout the above passage and in her initial chapter, Radcliffe is establishing several binaries through which the novel as a whole can be mapped, and retirement in the country versus involvement in "the world" (1, 4), economy versus dissipation (2), simplicity versus exaggeration, serenity with congeniality versus tumult with incongruity (4), happiness and misery (4-5), affection versus ambition (11), health versus disease (physical and emotional [8, 18]), and life versus death, are only a few ways in which to articulate them. However, in the end, one binary can serve to organize the many: symmetry versus deformity. And it is in apprehending the logic of h... ...s dissatisfied with is the extent of Quesnel's "improvements," for the enlargemenmt of which Quesnel boasts is characterized by excess. (It is to be noted that, when improving his own house, St. Aubert adapted his enlargements "to the style of the old one" [2]). Thus, as an exploration of the importance of boundaries, and of the symmetry and continuity that those boundaries give, Radcliffe's novel enters into the discourse of its decade. Works Cited Burke, Edmund. "Proportion Further Considered". A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and the Beautiful. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909-1917 (New York: Bartleby.com, 2001). http://www.bartleby.com/24/2/305.html Lewis, C. S. The Discarded Image. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967. Radcliffe, Anne. The Mysteries of Udolpho. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Contempory Management Functions Essay

How do the theories proposed in your chosen reading inform your understanding of contemporary management functions and the employer-employee relationship? The Purpose of this essay is to determine how scientific management impacts contemporary management functions and the employer-employee relationship. This essay is based on the journal article [Locke,E (1982)The Ideas of Fredrick W Taylor: An Evaluation, Academy Management review,7(11),pp.14-24] and is regarding scientific management started by Fredrick Winslow Taylor which was a theory developed regarding management which analysed workflows. It was one of the earliest attempts to apply science to management. Scientific management’s main objective was to improve economic efficiency and productivity in the workforce. In most simple terms some of the many concepts were having a standardised method for doing a job, providing increased compensation to the worker as reward for being efficient and hiring the right person for the right job. Many of these theories are very commonly used in management today. Contemporary is a word meaning existing or occurring at the same time (Robbins,2012) . Management functions refer to the way somebody manages a business (Robbins,2012). Therefore contemporary management functions are how we typically manage today. Employer- employee relationship is the relationship in which a manager has with their employee’s and how they complete their work day together and if they are efficient together (Robbins,2012). The four contemporary management functions are Planning, Organising, leading and controlling. Planning is defined as a management function that involves defining goals, establishing strategies for achieving those goals and developing plans to integrate and coordinate activities (Robbins,2012). Organising is a management function that involves arranging and structuring work to accomplish the organisations goals (Robbins,2012). Leading is working with and through people to accomplish organisational goals and controlling involves monitoring, comp aring and correcting work performance (Robbins,2012). Scientific management theories proposed in this reading do apply to  contemporary management functions. Although many of these theories could be argued as common knowledge today, when Fredrick Taylor established them they were prehistoric terms. He wanted to find out ‘one best way’ for everything in the workplace. Taylor’s most well known experiment was the pig-iron experiment (Locke, 1982 ). The experiment involved workers loading ‘pigs’ of iron on to rail cars. He knew their current daily output, but believed more was possible using scientific management. This was done due to many things. First of all putting the right person on the job with the right tools and equipment. In today’s management people hire the best person they can for the job. Secondly he had the worker follow his instructions exactly. This is also normal in today’s management functions, because people do things the way the employer wants them to. Taylor also motivated successful and productive workers with higher pay (Locke, 1982). This is also very common in today, with higher salary packages for good workers and pay increases for productivity fairly common. This improves employer and employee relationships by making the employee feel valued. Although many people believe in Taylors scientific management functions Lawerence (2010), Green (1986) both argue that that this is not the case and that scientific management is the problem in today’s management. Although there arguments are well presented there seems to be no evidence suggesting that Taylor’s theories do not work. Chung(2013) Agrees with Taylors contemporary management theories but argues the point that people could be to caught up on contemporary management functions and forgetting some key aspects of general managing. Taylor’s scientific management theories help the understanding of the employer-employee relationship by making it easier to understand what the relationship is actually for. This relationship is primarily about productivity .Many things Taylor did such as relaying messages from the employer to the employee to improve productivity) are also widely used in today’s management(locke,1982) . He also discovered that giving feedback to your employees will increase there skills and there productivity ( Locke,1982). This method is also very commonly used today with weekly meetings in many companies between employee and employer. Many large companies today use contemporary management functions in the work place. Companies Such as subway, burger king and McDonald’s are all very structured from top to bottom of the company and people are constantly striving to think of ways to improve productivity thus maximising profits. Yang (2012), Talks about all the hugely complex mathematical equations that now go into various parts decision making in Burger King and McDonald’s. Although the equations are to complex to understand to the average person it is clear that management is a lot more planned and structured in today’s workplace. Williams (2008) statesâ€Å"Consistency is a priority at McDonald’s† (p.15). This is true because anytime you walk into a McDonalds anywhere in the world you know what to expect. This is due to the contemporary management functions of a large scale to plan and organise and regulate what every individual McDonalds can do to ensure people know what they are getting and what to expect every time they walk through that door. Williams (2008) also discusses the change between old management styles and new management styles that have produced positive results for the company. The new management styles are all very similar to what Locke (1982) says about Taylor’s theories. For example Williams (2008) speaks about all the new rewards McDonalds have brought in for successful franchises and employees ranging from bonus’s to promotions to higher positions which like Taylor suggests encourages people to work harder hence greater profits (Locke, 1982 ) . Williams (2008) also talks about the extensive process in training managers and staff and the new expectations of every employee within the company that has increased greatly over the years to insure everythi ng runs according to contemporary management functions. Taylor’s theories of scientific management are helpful in informing you of contemporary management functions and employer-employee relationships. The way the workplace is shaped today seems very relevant to Taylor’s theories. Many of his theories are normal in today’s management functions. Although he has had many critics of his work It is shown in the articles that not many have been able to prove there arguments. Using evidence such as Williams (2008) journal on the change in managing McDonalds makes it clear that Taylor has had a big influence on typical management functions in today’s  workplace. Chung, C. (2013) The Road Not Taken: Putting ‘Management’ Back to Taylor’s Scientific Management, Journal of multidisciplinary research, 5(1), pp. 45-56. Green, M. (1986) A Kantian Evaluation of Taylorism in the Workplace, Journal of Business Ethics, 7 (2), pp. 165-169. Lawrence, P. (2010)The key job design problem is still Taylorism, Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 31 (2), pp. 412-421. Locke, E. (1982) The Ideas of Fredrick W .Taylor: An Evaluation, Academy of Management Review, 7 (1), pp. 14-24. Robbins,S.R., Bergman, Stagg, Coulter. (2012). Management (6th ed.). Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd. Williams, E. (2008) Accelerated leadership development tops the talent management menu at Mcdonald’s ,27(4),pp. 15-31. Yang,N. (2012) Burger King and McDonald’s: Where’s the Spillover?, 19(2),pp.255-281