Thursday, October 31, 2019

Identifying Changes in Manufacturing Process and Costs Due to Case Study

Identifying Changes in Manufacturing Process and Costs Due to Automation & Applying ABC to Small Businesses - Case Study Example 2. This kind of the manufacturing process reduces the employability of the unskilled labor. The semi-skilled labor or the highly skilled labor’s demand grows as some knowledge is required in operating the machineries of an engineering based manufacturing company. But the best part of the automated process is that the employee’s physical labor reduces but at the salary paid earlier or at an increased level of salary. 3. Depending on the level of automation the impact on the company workforce falls on the employees of the company. Generally the existing employees take a lot of time in adapting to the changing working condition of the company. This may result in the employees losing their job and being replaced but such employees who have prior knowledge about the automation process of the firm. 4. The automation process of the company may result in the improved quality of product which can be made affordable at a cheaper price than before. Automation process is both repeatable as well as precise which ensures the manufacturing of the product with same specification, thus leading to the high efficiency level of the company. 5. The overhead costs related to the direct material, direct labor and other manufacturing costs get affected after the implementation of the automation process to the extent that initially there is a rise in the cost because of the conversion to the automated process. But after reaching the break-even point of the company’s per unit cost of the product seems to decrease with time in terms of all manufacturing cost except labor. The labor cost is usually high because employing of skilled labor is essential for manufacturing companies with automated process. Moreover, with the further updating the machineries of the company; cost in labor increases in the process of training as well. 6. The automation affect may tend to increase the fixed and the variable proportion of the company. This rise may usually come

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Walking Through the Baroque Music Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Walking Through the Baroque Music Era - Essay Example Since the era was of absolute monarchy, the life of the nation would center around the exploits of the current leader. And such influence would be seen in all the structures in the country. Of course, spectacular musical and theatrical performances would be staged for the benefit of the monarchs and their foreign visitors. In other words, artists during that time served as instruments for the monarchs to stay or rise in rank. Moreover, JM Howard highlighted three major points vital in the formation of the Baroque as a historical musical era. First is reformation and counter-reformation, second is the existence of the wealthy families of Europe, and third is the desire of the Europe courts to maintain an image. The Reformation and the Counter-Reformation: Since the 17th century became more like a competition between recruiting parties of the Catholic and Protestant parties, many artists and musicians were able to perform on several concerts that were put up to convince people what the best church is. The Wealthy Families of Europe: Since during the 17th century, monarchs and aristocrats ruled, there was a need to somehow show the peasants that the ruling class had soft side, which would be shown through their taste in music. According to Thornburgh, music from the Baroque period is a mixture of many styles: there is Italian, French, English, and German Baroque music; early, middle, and late Baroque music; and even secular and sacred Baroque music. And of course, one must not forget. to mention the different personal styles of the many composers and musicians. Having said that, it would definitely be hard to clearly define what Baroque music is like because of its numerous elements. However, Thornburgh said there is a way to describe Baroque music in a more particular manner, and that is through its musical instruments, stylistic elements, and musical esthetic. Baroque Musical Instruments Voice. Being the oldest musical instrument, the voice would probably thought of being the most natural tool for music making. However, a true Baroque singer is very well-trained and is in many ways different from today's opera singers. Thornburgh said the difference is that Baroque singers accentuate the "difference in tone color between lower and higher registers" as compared to having "uniformity of tone color for which today's voice strives across the vocal range." Moreover,

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Theories of Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Theories of Emotional Intelligence (EI) Discuss how intelligence and emotion are linked and refer to the differing theories that unite these features in order to assess their relevance for adults. Introduction In 1990, Mayer and Salovey wrote, ‘Emotional Intelligence‘[1] (E I) which gave rise to this concept as a medium of individual assessment that accurately describes the attributions for responses to successes and failures in life. In 1995, Daniel Goleman wrote his popular follow-up to this work, entitled, â€Å"Emotional Intelligence, Why it can Matter More than IQ. †[2] Here Goleman, expanded upon this concept and provided it with an often criticised[3] and lay version of the earlier notions of Mayer and Salovey. This paper, concentrates largely on the works of Mayer and Salovey and Goleman as a tool to establishing the inherent link between emotion and intelligence. This paper will therefore begin by giving an overview of the origins of the concept of Emotional Intelligence and how these two attributes of the human condition are linked. There will be a description and critique of the meaning, distinctive nature and importance of E I. Following this, there will be exploration of Mayer and Salovey’s four areas of E I, which are assessed on the basis of the MSCEIT ability test. These four areas will be compared with the five areas stated by Goleman and each will be critically assessed. Finally there will be a discussion of the practical applicability of E I to the education of adults and its relevance in various genres of the workforce. A. The Origins of E I 1. Emotion Mayer and Salovey stated that the traditional image of emotion is as a vice of human nature that is to be controlled as it was perceived to have the capability of fully possessing the individual to create â€Å"a complete loss of cerebral control,[4]† thus depriving him of his rationality. This was then turned on its head with the new concept of emotion as the motivating force which for the first time gave insight into emotion as an integral function of the human condition. Emotion is therefore a response mechanism whereby the appropriateness of its intensity has been determined through natural selection. 2. Intelligence The same professors then turned their attentions to intelligence, which they acknowledge the definition provided by Wechsler, which describes intelligence as: â€Å"the aggregate of global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment. [5]† 3. Emotional intelligence The concept of emotional intelligence was therefore created by Mayer and Salovey as a means of identifying types of intelligences that go further to identify the social context of intelligence beyond that of the conventional IQ intelligence. They did this because they noticed that the two concepts are not wholly separable but their work was largely unnoticed at the time of its publication in 1990. Indeed, it was not until Goleman’s publication in 1995 when the E I concept finally gained popular recognition. The reason for this was the appeal of everyday life, and adult referencing to the E I concept, which provided it with a more workable model for the lay person. B. The Link between Emotion and Intelligence 1. What is E I? Salovey and Mayer define E I as a subset of social intelligence, namely, the ability to understand, manage and manipulate the responses of others[6]. E I is a sub-set of this concept that is defined as the ability for the individual to understand ones own feelings and the feelings of those around them: â€Å"the ability to monitor one’s own and others feelings and emotions, to discriminate among the and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions. †[7] The ability itself is a measurement of how an individual is able to make decisions based on their own and other’s personal, emotional responses throughout life. Goleman noticed profound differences in test groups of children in relation in simple temptation exercises when he referred back to his subjects fourteen years after the initial tests[8]. The result was a profound tangent of social maladjustment in those who acted on impulse and profound social adjustment in those who were able of overcome emotional urges. [9] 2. The Distinctive Nature of E I Unlike the conventional IQ concept, E I deals with emotion, which is given driver status as a key element to the personal influences that affect our lives. In contrast, the conventional IQ deals specifically with intellectual abilities such as dimensional perception, numerical ability, literacy and problem solving. Unlike emotional intelligence, the vital social dimension is not provided for. This means that IQ, although accurate in the determination of intelligence, provides no indication of success in life and emotional intelligence is a more complete picture[10]. 3. The Importance of E I Goleman’s writing on the subject of Emotional Intelligence has found its way into the main curricular of schools in deprived areas of the USA. An example is that of the New Haven, Connecticut Public Schools[11] with large scale unemployment and poverty. The result is an inherent need to diffuse the types of social problems that depressed areas such as these can create. The ability to understand ones own emotion, those of others around you and make decisions rationally based on these responses is vital to social wealth. This expands throughout all human, emotive concepts such as self esteem and confidence to interact with others, which inherently lead to improved abilities in leadership and teamwork. C. The three Areas of E I according to Mayer and Salovey in 1990 In order to fully understand the origins of E I, it is essential to draw upon the original three branch model of firstly, appraisal and expression, secondly, regulation and thirdly, utilization of E I that are present in the 1990 paper[12]. In 1997[13], these concepts were re-devised to encompass identification, use, understanding and management of emotion but they came after the publication of Goleman’s book, â€Å"Emotional Intelligence,† and contain the same broad concepts of the original 1990 paper. Another reason for scrutiny of the earlier work is that the 1990 text was the primary inspiration for Goleman. Explanation of the 1990 categories below does refer to the four branch model devised in 1997. 1. Appraising and Expressing Emotions in the self and others This is a double pronged notion of firstly identifying emotions in oneself and others and then using them to achieve a specific goal, which are facilitated through verbal and non-verbal communication. To understand others, perception is facilitated through body-language and empathy, all of which are key social skills. Mayer and Salovey state that clear communication of emotion is necessary in order to effectively convey feelings as well as be able to decipher emotive responses. The verbal version of clarity is therefore the use of coherent language as a way of expressing emotion. The non-verbal version of emotive expression is as far more widely used tool in emotive expression and appraisal as our specie is well adapted in the art of producing many facial expressions. E I is a recognition of the assessment level in ability to both express and empathetically decipher this non-verbal method of emotive communication. Empathy in particular is regarded by Mayer and Salovey as one of the most base and essential tools in any social specie[14]. 2. Regulating emotion in the self and others This is the process of understanding emotions in order to, ‘monitor, evaluate and regulate,’ them[15]. Mayer and Salovey also refer to the longer lasting ‘mood’ as a key facet of the emotional spectrum that also requires regulation. Moods and emotions tend not to be conscious decisions but are states of minds that the individual can learn from in order to ascertain for the future the precise environments and situations that will bring about these moods. This results in conscious efforts to either avoid or seek the behaviour that will trigger the mood. The complexity of this model is added to by further notions of social association so as to avoid jealousy and promote pride and also to more prominently recall positive mood stimulants as opposed to negative ones[16]. Further to this is the inherent desire to know full sorrow, which although somewhat baffling, is in its own right an educator as to the potential extent of profound joy[17]. Regulation of emotions in others is an essential tool for the workforce as it is key to the employer’s ability to pick out the best employees. This is determinable from indications such as appearance and grooming in the workplace, attention to work ethic, punctuality and contribution to the working environment[18]. 3. Utilization Utilization relates to the management of emotions and in the self. Mayer and Salovey refer to the varied ability in us all to ‘harness emotions in order to solve problems. ’[19] The mood that we are in will draw attention to different solutions that are dependent on a requisite mood as inspiration. This has the result that multiple moods create varied solutions that give way to skills in creativity, flexibility of planning and motivation. 5. The Meyer, Salovey and Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) In 1999, Mayer and Salovey’s 1997 four branch model of Emotional Intelligence was developed from an earlier test to measure performance tasks that assessed the ability to perceive the intensity of emotion. The test takers are required to answer questions relating to the outcome of increased intensity of emotion and changes in mood and the predominant task is to therefore select the correct course of action in a given situation. This is the E I equivalent to the IQ test and is a clear indication of the technical stance of Mayer and Salovey. D. The five Areas of E I according to Goleman 1. Self Awareness This is very similar to Mayer’s observation of the identification of emotion in oneself. Goleman points to the maxim of Socrates, â€Å"know thyself[20]† as a major key to the fulfilment of life. ‘Metacognition’ or ‘Self Awareness,’ are essential in order for us to be able to recognise our emotions and, more importantly, the thoughts that these generate: â€Å"being aware of our mood and our thoughts about that mood,† Goleman, accurately draws upon the profound spectrum of differences that are inherent among us in our ability to be self aware. He states that, on the one hand, some of us can be engulfed by our emotive responses and others can be accepting of them but neither of these groups is active in the pursuit of escape from emotional extremity[21]. On the other hand, the self aware individual applies rationality to the emotion in order to aid in its diffusion[22]. 2. Self Regulation An awareness of the self is a fundamental requirement towards self regulation which will allow us, not only to ‘know ourselves,’ but also regulate or control our emotive responses. The afore mentioned, self aware group, who actively rationalise their emotions are the most sophisticated self regulators. Plato himself made the definition between, ‘passion’s slave’ and sophrosyne[23] or: â€Å"care and intelligence in conducting one’s life; a tempered balance and wisdom,[24]† The ability to temper such emotions as rage is regarded as the forefront emotions to which escape is sought. [25] 3. Motivation Positive thinking is a further sophistication of E I that extrapolates from Mayer and Salovey’s notion on seeking specific moods. Goleman uses the concept of ‘hope,’ whose intensity in the individual will determine the outcome following a failure[26]. In simple terms, the defeatist will be utterly demoralised whereas students of a high hope will have the will power to motivate themselves to try harder. High commitment to motivation through hope will most certainly yield a positive outcome. In addition, the status of flow, which Goleman describes as the ’zone[27]’ between boredom through lack of personal stimulus and overwhelming sensations intrinsic to acute difficulty is the exact wavelength that teachers should seek in order to obtain optimum motivation. The problem however is that this is profoundly difficult in large classrooms where the state of ’flow’ is different for each student. 4. Empathy This is one of the most fundamental of emotive skills[28]. This represents his designation of the attributes that Mayer and Salovey described in their account of the ability to recognise the emotions of others. Empathy is the awareness to register the pains and the joys of others, which Goleman determines as essential for the development of ability to caring for the feelings of others and solidifies relationships between family, friends and partners. Without empathy, serious deficits of human compassion are noticeable and these can manifest in sociopath behaviour, child abuse and other acts that are inherent in a lack of empathy. 5. Social Skills The ability to determine the social structure of ones surroundings is a key skill in the development of knowing the emotions of those around us and being able to shape them. Goleman refers to the specific model of an argument between two toddlers and their mother as an illustration of sophisticated handling of emotional perception in others at extremely young ages[29]. This is related to Mayer and Salovey’s concept of appraising, expressing and regulating the emotions in others in order to achieve a specific goal. The adult counterpart is what Goleman describes as the ‘mastery’ of being able to diffuse the extreme emotions of others. E. Critical Assessment of the works The concept that Goleman adds little to the insights of Mayer and Salovey is to ignore the importance of creating a general work that is accessible to the lay individual. Emotional Intelligence is a scientific study of the interaction of the emotional and rational portions of the brain and any attempt to communicate such study and findings to the general public is surely the ultimate goal of the social science of psychology! Education in this field provides the individual with a greater understanding of how they think and react to life and it is essential that such knowledge become just as integral to the well being of basic fundaments of life as are the more practical skills of reading and writing. Further to this, the concept that Goleman is suggesting that we ‘be nice’ is an overly simplistic summary of his writings. Goleman describes intricate flaws that can occur in the neurological communication between the emotive and rational portions of the brain. He accurately describes the effect that long or short term deficits in either emotional or rational awareness can have on the personality and social, interactive skills of the individual. Meyer and Salovey argue profusely that there is more to E I than the simple feature of being nice and far from being contradicted by Goleman, he extrapolates upon this point. This is accurately illustrated by Goleman’s constant reference throughout the five elements of E I to the subjective decision making that is determined by dominance by the mind of either the emotional or rational brain portions. The result is that an argument to be nice contradicts the internal and external factors related to awareness of emotion in ourselves and others that lead to profound differences in displays of characteristics such as niceness. Goleman argues that a normative balance and sophisticated grasp of the above five skills will lead to the most positive response to a given situation and lead to the greater success in present and future life. These positive responses are not confined to displays of nicety. This is merely a common fiction that results from external perception of constant nic eness in individuals who in reality are highly attuned to their E I and reserve negative emotions for extreme situations. F. The Practical Application of E I as it applies to the education of adults The application of good E I in the work place is of fundamental importance. All five elements of E I contribute to a rounded perception of both the self and others that ensures a sophisticated navigation through the roadmap of social interaction, in which sophisticated levels of E I act to facilitate successful completion of the task in hand. The following are two key examples of how this operates in adult life. 1. Military Sophistication the Canadian Armed Forces Livingstone, Nadjiwon-Foster and Smithers prepared a on the use of Emotional Intelligence in the leadership skills of the Canadian Armed Forces[30]. The Forces are an ideal premise from which to analyse E I as they draw upon the two key areas of social interaction that are dependent on E I, namely, leadership and teamwork but that such skills are essential in all adult groups. Livingstone, Nadjiwon-Foster and Smithers draw upon Mayer and Salovey’s later four branch model of E I and identified key uses for leadership such as idealized influence of the role model and inspirational motivation that create the role model and encourage teamwork under the proficient and respected leader. Further to this, individualised consideration through attention by the leader to the individual skills and needs of each team member are fundamental to the utilization of the full potential of a company of soldiers. The intellectual stimulation required in the location of ‘flow’ and tran sformational leadership as a tool for the creation of job satisfaction are also fundamental to efficient armed forces that thrive on teamwork and leadership. 3. Sales Sales instils a third prong of skill sourced from E I and is highly useful for the adult world. This is the power of persuasion. In no other profession is the skill of establishing fast rapport and engaging in emotional sale through the rapid identification of a buying need more profound and acute than in the sales environment. This is because the hard sale technique, unlike the widespread application of E I for teamwork and leadership, requires the sales person to utilize persuasion in order to harness the emotional impulse. This carries with it a more passionate and more definite decision to make a purchase. Conclusion Analysis of both Mayer and Salovey and Goleman have revealed two outcomes. Firstly there are two versions of the E I concept of which the former is both intellectualised and scientific and the latter, by Goleman, is simplified and popular with greater reference to real scenarios as a tool to illustration. Secondly, it is emphasised that both schools are in harmony and each fulfil the two different yet essential goals for the use and teaching of E I, namely, a technical framework from which to develop further intellectual discourse in the highly relevant application of E I to adult life and secondly, a popular outreach those same adults which facilitates them with the opportunity to soul search their own personal endeavours with Emotional Intelligence. Bibliography Articles Mayer, J. D. , DiPaolo, M. T. , Salovey, P. (1990). Perceiving affective content in ambiguous visual stimuli: A component of emotional intelligence. Journal of Personality Assessment, 54, 772-781. Salovey, P. Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 9, 185-211. D Wechsler, â€Å"The Measurement and Appraisal of Adult Intelligence,† (Williams and Wilkens, Baltimore, 1958) N. Cantor and J. F. Kihlstrom, â€Å"Social Intelligence: The Cognitive Basis of Personality, in Review of Personality and Social Psychology, 6P (Shaver, 1985) 15-33 Holly Livingstone, Maria Nadjiwon-Foster Sonya Smithers â€Å"Emotional Intelligence Military Leadership, Prepared for: Canadian Forces Leadership Institute (March 11, 2002, as represented by the Minister of National Defence) Salovey, P, C. , Mayer, J. D. (1993). Emotional intelligence and the self- regulation of affect. In D. M. Wegner J. W. Pennebaker (Eds. ) Handbook of mental control (Pp. 258-277). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Mayer, J. D. , Stevens, A. (1994). An emerging understanding of the reflective (meta-) experience of mood. Journal of Research in Personality, 28, 351-373. Salovey, P. , Mayer, J. D. , Goldman, S. , Turvey, C, Palfai, T. (1995). Emotional attention, clarity, and repair: Exploring emotional intelligence using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. In J. W. Pennebaker (Ed. ) Emotion, disclosure, and health (pp. 125-154). Mayer, J. D. , Salovey, P. (1995). Emotional intelligence and the construction and regulation of feelings. Applied and Preventive Psychology, 4. 197-208. Mayer, J. D. , Salovey, P. , Caruso, D. R. (2000) Models of emotional intelligence. In R. J. Sternberg (Ed. ). Handbook of Human Intelligence (2nd ed), pp 396-420. New York: Cambridge. Mayer, J. D. (2000). Spiritual Intelligence or spiritual consciousness? Journal of Psychology and Religion, 10, 47-56. Text Books D Goleman, â€Å"Emotional Intelligence, Why it can matter more than IQ† (Bloomsbury, 1995) Salovey, P. , Sluyter, D. J. (1997). Emotional development and emotional intelligence. New York: Basic Books and Mayer, J. D. Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey D. Sluyter (Eds). Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence: Implications for Educators (pp. 3-31). New York: Basic Books. Steve Hein, â€Å"E Q For Everybody† (1996) Full text available at http://eqi. org/eqe96_1. htm Video Daniel Golemen Presents: Emotional Intelligence: A new vision for Educators (Video) (National Professional Resources Ltd, 1996) Footnotes [1] Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9 185-211 [2] (Bloomsbury, 1995) [3] See Steve Hein’s article at http://www. eqi. org/hrcom1c. htm [4] Salovey, P. Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 9, at p187 [5] D Wechsler, â€Å"The Measurement and Appraisal of Adult Intelligence,† (Williams and Wilkens, Baltimore, 1958) [6] ibid 4 at p 190 [7] N. Cantor and J. F. Kihlstrom, 2Social Intelligence: The Cognitive Basis of Personality, in Review of Personality and Social Psychology, 6P (Shaver, 1985) at pp 15-33 [8] D Goleman, â€Å"Emotional Intelligence, Why it can matter more than IQ† (Bloomsbury, 1995) chapter 3 [9] ibid [10] ibid chapter 6 at pp 80-83 [11] See â€Å"Daniel Golemen Presents: Emotional Intelligence: A new vision for Educators (Video) (National Professional Resources Ltd, 1996) [12] ibid 1 [13] See Salovey, P. , Sluyter, D. J. (1997). Emotional development and emotional intelligence. New York: Basic Books and Mayer, J. D. Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey D. Sluyter (Eds). Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence: Implications for Educators (pp. 3-31). New York: Basic Books. [14] ibid 1 at p 192 [15] ibid 1 [16] ibid 1 at p 195 [17] ibid 1 at p 196 [18] ibid [19] ibid 1 at p 199 [20] See Goleman chapter 4 [21] ibid p 48 [22] ibid [23] See Goleman at p 56 [24] Quoted from the translation of the ancient Greek by Page DuBois. See Goleman at p 56 (ch 5) [25] Goleman at p 59 [26] Goleman at p 89 [27] Goleman at pp 93-95 [28] Goleman at Chapter 7 [29] Goleman at pp 111-113 [30] Holly Livingstone, Maria Nadjiwon-Foster Sonya Smithers â€Å"Emotional Intelligence Military Leadership, Prepared for: Canadian Forces Leadership Institute (March 11, 2002, as represented by the Minister of National Defence)

Friday, October 25, 2019

Personal Transportation vs Public Transportation :: Pollution Environment Argumentative Papers

Personal Transportation vs Public Transportation On my plane trip to the Philippines I had expected Manila to be a beautiful island with nature trails, tropical flowers, white sand and palm trees overflowing with coconuts outlining the border of the beaches. I was taken by surprise when I stepped out of the airport to find enormous skyscrapers; cars backed up bumper to bumper for miles in every direction that I turned my head for as far as I could see and a distinguishable stench of unclean air. My skin felt violated just standing there on the edge of the sidewalk. It felt as if my skin was being penetrated by miniscule pollutant dust particles. The city dwellers rushed around with handkerchiefs pressed against their faces to prevent the harmful chemicals from reaching their lungs. The traffic was so awful that if your license plate ended with an odd number you could only drive on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. If your license plate ended with an even number you could only drive on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. It was mind-boggling. It was like any other large city I had been to, only, more congested and more polluted. Who would’ve thought? This isn’t a single sad tale about an island out in the Pacific Ocean. The truth is the way the population is growing and places are expanding traffic is also greatly increasing. For example, a recent report from the U.S. Department of Transportation in Hosansky’s article on Traffic Congestion estimated that, â€Å"in 1994 governments at the federal, state, and local levels spent $124.5 billion on the nations transportation system. That figure has certainly risen sharply since 1998, when Congress passed the 6-year $217.9 billion Transportation Equity Act†(par.22). In just four years America has spent $93.4 billion dollars to build and repair roads. Citizens in agreement with constructing more roads do not realize that in five years the new roads will be just as congested and land will be even more scarce for further construction. Another negative aspect of constructing new roads is that, once new roads are built, more shopping centers, surplus ho using, food chains, and other sprawling suburbs pop up. These all contribute to more cars, which results in more traffic congestion.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Death of a Salesman Essay Outline

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (1915-2005) Explore the ways in which Miller constructs the identity of Willy Loman and what is suggested by his interactions with his work and his wife in this extract. Thesis Statement:In the passage, Miller criticises society for being stifling and breaking down youths once full of passion into meek workers resigned to their fate. To convey this, Miller uses Loman, an exaggerated version of what the population is going through. They are battered from exhaustion, too accommodating as they are afraid of change and also mentally crushed.Topic Sentence 1Miller constructs the identity of Willy Loman as one that largely comprises of him being â€Å"the Salesman†. The entire dialogue in the passage was dedicated to work, although they were placed in a homely setting, showing that it is hard to separate the private self with the public working self. Evidence from passage: The identity â€Å"the Salesman† is one that identifies Loman the m ost accurately. The title, â€Å"death of a salesman†, also shows that the identity of being a salesman triumphs over all his other identities and even his name. He is also depicted to be living a very rigid, robot-like life.Evidence from passage: Each action is stated clearly in a mechanical manner. â€Å"He closes the door† â€Å"then carries his cases out into the living room† or â€Å"unlocks the door† â€Å"comes into the kitchen† â€Å"thankfully lets his burden down† â€Å"feeling the soreness of his palm† Topic Sentence 2Loman is also seen to be, after 60 years of his life in this stifling capitalism system, resigned to his fate. He is beaten down and is dubious of new prospects as he is much too comfortable and familiar to his current life. Evidence from passage:â€Å"You’re too accommodating, dear. â€Å"I couldn’t make it† â€Å"his massive dreams and little cruelties, served her only as sharp reminde rs of the turbulent longings within him, longings which she shares but lacks the temperament to utter and follow to their end. This inability to change his life in real life seems to manifest into wild imaginations, where he lives out his dreams. Evidence from passage: â€Å"But it’s so beautiful up there† Speaks of his dream-like imagination with wonder, although it was a dangerous situation. Topic Sentence 3Much like his name, â€Å"Willy†, Loman is seen to be much of a willy-nilly and seems disordered and haphazard.Miller constructs this through the use of the Loman’s erratic dialogue with his wife. The constant repetition of phrases and restating his points Evidence from passage: â€Å"I couldn’t make it. I just couldn’t make it, Linda†, â€Å"I stopped for a cup of coffee. Maybe it was the coffee. † Conclusion:Loman criticises society for breaking down a man, stripping him of his individual identity as a person and giving him the identity of a worker. This life manages to drive Willy to slight insanity, and self-doubt so serious that he is unable to provoke any change in his life.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

History of the U.S. Income Tax Essay

The income tax of the United States of America, be it federal, state and local, has changed over time. Different circumstances pushed the government to create taxation and to amend the existing taxation laws. During the pre-Revolutionary War era in the 1700s, taxes were not imposed by the colonial government as their need for tax revenue did not exist. The colonies, on the other hand, had greater responsibilities therefore, had greater need for tax revenue. Because of this, different types of taxes were imposed by the colonies. The southern colonies imposed taxes on imports and exports while the middle colonies imposed taxes on property and a poll tax on each adult male. The New England colonies, on the other hand, collected taxes through property taxes, income taxes and excise taxes. When the English Parliament realized the need for money to pay for the French war, it imposed different taxes to the American colonies through the Stamp Act which was enacted in 1765. Later on, this Stamp Act was revised to include taxes for permits, newspapers, legal documents and playing cards. The Townsend Act was later on enacted by the Parliament to include taxes for paint, tea and paper . After a decade of paying taxes, there was much resistance to the tax imposed by the Parliament. During the Boston Tea Party in 1773, colonists, dressed as Native Americans, threw 342 chests of tea from a ship of the British East India Company to the Boston Harbor. In 1775, Isaac Backus during the Massachusetts Assembly said that â€Å"It’s not all America now appealing to Heaven against injustice of being taxed†¦We are persuaded that an entire freedom from being taxed by civil rulers†¦is not mere favor from any men in the world but a right and property granted us by God, who commands us to stand fast in it† . Taxation is considered as one of the factors that led to American War for Independence hence, when America gained its Independence, Article 1, Section 9, Article 4 of the U. S. Constitution in 1787 declared that there be no capitation or any direct taxes imposed on the citizens. The national government had very little responsibilities during these times and relied only on donations given by the States for its revenue. However, in 1789, the Founding Fathers realized that it could not function at its efficiency if it relied only on other governments’ donations hence the Federal Government was granted the authority to impose taxes. The sensitivity to taxation was still existing at this point in time hence the government has to be careful on how it impose taxes so as to minimize resistance from its people. Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury in the 1790s, decided that a â€Å"sin tax† was imposed . Through the â€Å"sin tax†, only items which society thinks is deviant or vice were taxed such as distilled spirits, alcohol and whiskey. However, this still led to the armed revolt called Whisky Rebellion by a group of South Pennsylvania farmers. Still during the 1790s, the Federal Government imposed direct taxes to owners of houses, slaves and land. However, when Thomas Jefferson was elected to office in 1802, these direct taxes were removed and for the succeeding 10 years, only excise taxes were imposed. The reason for this was because he realized the inverse relationship of tax rates and tax revenue wherein the higher the taxes imposed on the citizens, the slower the economy grows hence the tax revenue declines. A cut in the rate of tax means that income for the family will become higher, expenditures become higher and hence, the economy experiences growth. During the 1812 War, the need for tax revenue resurfaced again hence taxes on the sales of gold, jewelry, watches and silver were imposed. Treasury notes were also issued to raise money. However, in 1817, the Congress revoked these taxes and for the next 40 years, government revenue was based on high customs duties and sale of government or public land . In 1861, when the Civil War erupted, the Revenue Act of 1861 was enacted. This Act restored the previous taxes on personal income. This tax was similar to the modern income tax because it was based on a gradual taxation of withholding tax from its source. A person earning $600 to $10,000 a year paid 3% tax. Persons with income higher than $10,000 paid a higher rate of tax. In 1862, the debt created by the war was rising at a rate of $2 million per day hence there was another need for the government to increase its revenue. Because of this, the Congress passed another tax imposition on items such gunpowder, playing cards, telegrams, iron, pianos, yatchs, drugs, among others. After the Civil War, the need for revenue declined and hence the income tax was abolished and only the excise taxes remained from 1868 to 1913. The War Revenue Act in 1899 was enacted to raise funds for the Spanish-American War. Government revenues, thru this Act, was raised through sales of bonds, tax imposition on recreational facilities, beer and tobacco. However, the Supreme Court realized that the people of America were becoming aware that the high tarrifs and excise taxes were not good to the economic welfare of the nation and that these taxes were usually paid by the less affluent citizens. Hence, there was an agreement that business income instead was imposed tax. By 1913, Congress enacted a new income tax law which imposes 1% to 7% for persons with income above $500,000. These people earning above $500,000 was only 1% of the total United States population . During World War I, the United States needed to increase its revenue again to fund the war. The 1916 Act raised the tax imposition from 1% to 2% and could go as high as 15% for those with income of more than $1. 5 million. By 1917, the government still needs further government revenue to pay for the war, hence the War Revenue Act of 1917 was enacted. Through this Act, exemptions were lowered and tax rates increased that those who earn $40,000 needs to pay 16% tax rate. In 1918, the tax rates were further increased. Those citizens paying 1% had to pay 6%. The highest rate in 1917 was 15% but during 1918, this was increased to 77%. Due to this increase in tax rates, government revenue increased from $761 million during 1916 to $3. 6 billion in 1918. After the war, the government revenue rose and the government decided to cut taxes to 1% bottom rate and 25% top rate . The Great Depression during the late 1920s and early 1930s pushed the government to once again increase the tax rates. The Tax Act of 1932 was enacted and by 1936, the bottom tax rate was at 4% and the top tax rate reached 79%. When the World War II came, another price hike came into place which altered the tax rates. Those with taxable income of less than $500 paid a bottom rate of 23% taxes while those earning taxable income of over a million dollars paid about 94% of taxes . The tax structure in the United States was also heavily altered in that the number of taxpayers increased from 4 million during 1939 to roughly 43 million during the World War II. Throughout all these years of implementing taxation, the government learned a very important lesson which until now is being valued by government officials and economists and has affected the tax laws enacted in the country – the marginal dollar is far more important to the economy compared to the tax rate being used. The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 was implemented with this important lesson in mind. Unlike the previous taxation laws, this Act was intended to focus on marginal tax rates and it also included consumption taxes. However, due to the deep recession experienced by the country in 1982, the government was once again faced with the need to increase tax rates to overcome budget deficits. Following the 1982 recession was an economic boom which lead the country to believe that marginal tax rates are very important for a strong economy. During the Reagan administration, tax rates were further reduced and had a broader base through the Tax Reform Act of 1986. This reduced tax rate from 50% to 28% while business taxes were reduced from 50% to 35% . In 1997, the Taxpayer Relief Actof 1997 was enacted. The significant party of this Act was the Per Child Tax credit which benefited the lower-income families. During the Bush administration in 2001, the government experienced a budget surplus of about $281 billion hence a tax cut was once again conducted . This tax cut included raising the Per Child Tax Credit from $500 to $1,000 per child, as well as increased the Dependent Child Tax Credit. Until now, this tax law is being implemented and is expected to boost economic growth for the country.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Mass Media Implications

like â€Å"sharing,† â€Å"participation, and â€Å"association† (Carey, 1992). In contrast to the transmission view of communication, which emphasizes the movement of messages through space, the ritual view of communication emphasizes the maintenance of an ordered, meaningful cultural world based in time. The separation between these two views is more easily understood when concentrating on a specific comparison, such as â€Å"Today† and the â€Å"NBC Nightly News.† The September 26th episode of â€Å"Today† was completely based on the tragic terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11th. The program included segments such as current updates on the events occurring in Afghanistan, relief efforts thus far, toys for kids in trying times, the impact... Free Essays on Mass Media Implications Free Essays on Mass Media Implications Ideological Implications of the Mass Media News programs like the â€Å"Today† show and the â€Å"NBC Nightly News† are sources of mass communication for the American population. Mass communication does not allow for heterogeneous, isolated individuals. Through the media, people are united with general ideas and perceptions. Thousands of people turn on their televisions every morning and every evening to catch up on current issues and debates. However, how representative are these productions? Do they fully reflect the actual, historical time? The production of these television shows is an act in which the audience is not given unaltered information; rather, they are presented with a portrayal of American ideologies and assumptions. Individuals do not gain pure information from the news. Instead, they gain an understanding for a particular view of worldly events. News is not complete; however, it is not artificial either. By representing the underlying order of things, media is a conglomeration of the drama of this social world. This sacred act that is commonly associated with news media is a ritual view of communication. Carey compares the ritual view of communication to words like â€Å"sharing,† â€Å"participation, and â€Å"association† (Carey, 1992). In contrast to the transmission view of communication, which emphasizes the movement of messages through space, the ritual view of communication emphasizes the maintenance of an ordered, meaningful cultural world based in time. The separation between these two views is more easily understood when concentrating on a specific comparison, such as â€Å"Today† and the â€Å"NBC Nightly News.† The September 26th episode of â€Å"Today† was completely based on the tragic terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11th. The program included segments such as current updates on the events occurring in Afghanistan, relief efforts thus far, toys for kids in trying times, the impact...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Dissembled vs. Disassembled

Dissembled vs. Disassembled Dissembled vs. Disassembled Dissembled vs. Disassembled By Maeve Maddox A reader offers this interesting use of dissembled: On CNN a state department spokesperson just referred to our soldiers having dissembled some weapons in the hands of Iraqis. If what the soldiers did to the weapons was take them apart, then the word the spokesperson wanted was disassembled. If the soldiers were disguising the weapons in some way, then dissembled might work. To dissemble is to conceal the truth of a situation. Instead of lying outright, a person dissembles by putting a false appearance on things. To disassemble is to take apart. A large piece of furniture may have to be disassembled before it can be moved. The misuse of dissembled for disassembled by the State Department spokesperson is not an isolated example. Similar misuse may be found on websites offering advice and professional services. For example, a site offering paid educational services shows the segment of a teaching unit that lists ways to request help from foreign nations: Be able to request the help from foreign nations to  dissemble  the  weapons  of mass destruction. A site for a company that takes apart and removes play sets that are no longer wanted offers this information: If the play set is in good condition, [our company] will dissemble it and donate it to someone who can use it or hand it over to a donation organization which will find a person who can use it and not let it go to waste. A site offering instructions for taking a television set apart gives this warning: Safety goggles are very important. The CRT may implode while you are busy dissembling the TV or monitor. The government IRS site begins instructions for some kind of kit used in tax preparation this way: Review the sample in the following manner: 1. Dissemble the entire family pack of applications. Here are examples of the correct use of dissemble: McCain/Lieberman dissemble on AQ in Iraq Poole was as gracious as ever, but I could tell  he was dissembling. I wanted to tell him that  he was dissembling, that  dissembling  was ultimately dishonest. â€Å"I think he was dissembling to put it charitably,† said Cooper. â€Å"To imply that he didn’t know [] or that he heard it in some rumor out in the hallways, is nonsense.† Other ways to say disassemble: dismantle take apart take to pieces deconstruct break up strip down Other ways to say dissemble: dissimulate pretend feign act masquerade sham bluff posture hide one’s feelings put on a false front Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†8 Proofreading Tips And TechniquesWhat Is the Meaning of "Hack?"

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Building energy management system (bems) Essay Example for Free

Building energy management system (bems) Essay What’s Wrong with Traditional Energy Management? Start Realizing Untapped Savings Opportunities and Tame Volatile Energy Costs Traditional Energy Management Approaches are Falling Short— How to Fix the Problem Energy utility costs—primarily natural gas and electricity—account for one to two percent of sales for the average business, and can be as much as four to five percent of cost of goods sold for manufacturers. With energy prices turning volatile, corporate management teams are exposed to the risk of unanticipated movements in energy costs. They are feeling relatively helpless because of the perceived inability to proactively manage regulated energy costs. At the same time, firms are publicly committing to sustainability goals and are now wondering how they will achieve them. Although many firms have implemented short-term measures to address energy costs and sustainability commitments, these efforts are falling short. Our benchmark data and research indicates that for most firms, 50 percent of their initial energy savings disappear within the first six to 12 months due to a lack of continuous monitoring, analysis and corrective action. However, significant opportunity to deliver value remains. Analysis from the U.S. Department of Energy indicates firms that embrace continuous monitoring and active energy management practices can achieve 15 to 40 percent energy savings. Conduct an energy audit: To establish an energy consumption baseline—a basic requirement for successful energy cost optimization— firms deploy monitoring devices to measure energy usage from the facility level down to the machine level. Implement audit recommendations: After assessing energy consumption levels and trends down to the machine level, managers can implement process changes to optimize energy consumption. Actions may range from policy formulation (shutting down computers at night, turning off idle equipment, etc.) to automation (automatically turning off lights) to equipment optimization (changing set-points on heavy machinery and equipment). Invest in high-efficiency equipment: With a full view of the energy consumption and equipment efficiency profile of the enterprise, firms can strategically invest in high-efficiency equipment. These capital upgrades can lower energy consumption and may also qualify for rebates and incentives that can significantly enhance potential return on investment (ROI). Figure 1: This paper looks at why traditional approaches are failing, and outlines an active energy management approach that changes the game and generates sustainable energy cost reductions. Savings Typical energy management strategies—and why they fail to deliver sustainable value. For example, when firms conduct energy audits, employees and equipment operators are aware that their energy usage is being monitored and they make changes to reduce consumption, such as turning off idle equipment. But when monitors are removed, initial savings peak and then slowly erode as employee behavior returns to normal. Similarly, when firms implement process changes, substantial initial savings accrue. However, when the monitors come off, gains decline as equipment schedules change. Operators go back to the old way of doing things and set-points revert to old levels. In addition, without detailed machine-level consumption data as a baseline (as opposed to a point-in-time snapshot), analysts are unable to come up with truly optimal process improvements because the data is not granular enough. Finally, with capital equipment upgrades, savings targets are seldom realized due to unrealistic operating assumptions used to build ROI cases and most firms’ lack of market intelligence about the complex array of incentives and rebates. 50% Savings A review of more than 100 companies and their practices reveal that most firms take three common actions to address the energy management challenge: Although these traditional energy management techniques can yield quick-hit results, there is a common pitfall: when the meters come off, it is back to business as usual and the savings disappear. â€Å"50 percent of initial energy savings disappear within the first six to 12 months due to a lack of continuous monitoring, analysis and corrective action† Months from start 2 A four-step Active Energy Management approach Recognizing where most initiatives fall short, an integrated, four-part Active Energy Management strategy can stop the bleeding and address traditional energy management shortcomings: There are several keys to making energy savings persistent. First, take monitoring and measurement from a one-time analysis to an ongoing, active competency. Leading firms use 24Ãâ€"7 advanced metering and monitoring technology with skilled analysts to proactively monitor energy consumption data and patterns. Continuous monitoring helps mitigate the savings leakage described earlier. Active monitoring allows managers to see—in near realtime—if employee behavior is beginning to change or old habits are starting to return, and identify the root causes when actual energy consumption differs from projections. In addition to preventing savings leakage, active monitoring helps identify new, incremental energy savings opportunitie s, raising the cumulative savings realized. Copyright  © 2014 Accenture All rights reserved. Go deeper: Use machine-level consumption data to drive sustainable process optimization. With a detailed understanding of energy consumption down to the individual equipment level, managers can implement detailed process optimization programs, such as changing set-points for heavy machinery. For example, an air compressor energy consumption study (see figure 2) revealed an opportunity to adjust the operating mode from continuous to throttled, resulting in 7 percent energy savings verified by ongoing measurement. In another example, adjusting improper temperature set-points in a chiller plant based on thorough analysis of usage data resulted in 30 percent energy savings. With the right intelligence and detailed monitoring, energy analysts can assess performance and immediately stop energy savings leakage. Analysts also can spot potential maintenance issues and proactively investigate when machinelevel performance deviates from expectations. Figure 2: 250 Baseline Model Target Model Baseline Data Actual Data 200 Air Compressor (kw) Get persistent: Apply â€Å"Active Energy Management† and take monitoring from a onetime activity to an active, ongoing analytical competency. 150 100 50 0 0 20 40 60 80 Air Demand (SCFM) based on Actual Production 100 3 Leverage insight: Use energy demand insight to enhance capital investment decisions and capture incentives and rebates to drive higher ROI. A comprehensive understanding of the consumption profile of the existing asset base enables much better capital investment decisions. Armed with detailed data and realistic energy consumption estimates, managers can rationally weigh the benefits of energy-efficient new equipment versus their purchase costs and other related expenses (decommissioning and disposal cost, production downtime, etc.). Beyond energy data, deep market intelligence of credits, incentives, and local, state and federal rebates can dramatically alter the ROI pr ofile of new capital investments. The opportunities are substantial: In 2011 alone, governments, nongovernmental organizations and utilities distributed more than $6.8 billion in cash payments to promote energy efficiency initiatives. Tackle the supply side: Extend Active Energy Management to integrated energy supply and demand management to drive the next level of savings. As this paper describes, current energy management practices are not delivering on their promises. The short-term benefits of energy audits and near-term recommendations quickly fade without continuous monitoring. On the other hand, Active Energy Management, which includes continuous monitoring and analysis, prevents the traditional savings leakage seen in most energy management programs. It also provides the data and insight that analysts and managers need to identify new savings opportunities and drive continuous improvement and cumulative energy savings benefits. With an established platform of ongoing measurement and management, firms can take energy savings to the next level. Detailed understanding of historical and planned consumption allows for acceleration of supply side strategies. For example, in deregulated markets, the accuracy with which a firm can predict its energy usage determines its ability to secure favorable energy rates by minimizing bandwidth charges. Energy consumers can also capture other savings through techniques like load shifting (shifting usage into lower-rate time periods) and peak shaving. Finally, in regulated markets, contrary to popular belief, firms can optimize their energy expenditures by taking advantage of the various rate structures available to purchasers and being aware of which available rates may be applicable to them. Energy and utilities represent a significant and highly volatile area of expenditure for most businesses. However, traditional energy management approaches frequently fail to deliver sustainable results. Many managers consider high energy spend as an area that cannot be addressed due to market regulations and commodity volatility. However, with continuous monitoring and Active Energy Management programs, leading firms can obtain substantial energy cost savings through better energy demand management, sustain those savings through ongoing monitoring and optimize energy purchases with deep market intelligence. Building energy management system (bems). (2016, Apr 10). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Friday, October 18, 2019

The Starry Night by Anne Sexton and Vincent Van Gogh Essay

The Starry Night by Anne Sexton and Vincent Van Gogh - Essay Example Sexton’s intense tone mirrors the passion of van Gogh’s â€Å"Starry Night.† The painting depicts â€Å"the fire that smoldered within† van Gogh (Dietrich). The canvas is in turmoil. Sexton’s poem also throbs with deep agitation: The sky is hot, â€Å"The night boils,† (†¦4); the stars are alive and move; â€Å"†¦the moon bulges†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (8) and gives birth to life. The poem echoes the painting’s hallucinatory tone with its hot, dramatic, unstable voice. Sexton’s liberal use of verbs like â€Å"boil,† â€Å"bulges,† â€Å"push,† â€Å"swallows,†Ã¢â‚¬ split† and â€Å"sucked† demonstrate her inner turmoil. Except for the silence of the town, the poem depicts a world of turbulence. Sexton’s tone conveys the message that her starry night, like her inner life, is in a state of ferment. Sexton’s poem is a feast of imagery. She matches the rich graphics of van Gog h’s poem with the skilful use of figurative language. Sexton makes van Gogh’s vibrant night a ravenous beast: â€Å"†¦that great dragon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (14) which is to devour her. The thick, serpentine swirl of his brush becomes the â€Å"†¦old unseen serpent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (10) which swallows the stars. Her words, â€Å"†¦in its orange irons† (8), conjure an image of the moon as a captive who is forced to give birth to the stars. The most striking image is that of the lone, black tree silhouetted in the foreground of van Gogh’s painting, which Sexton metaphorically compares to a â€Å"†¦drowned woman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3). Just as van Gogh’s tree reaches out to the Heavens for help, Sexton depicts herself as a lost woman seeking solace in the skies.

Ukraine and Russia conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ukraine and Russia conflict - Essay Example This essay demonstrates the social and cultural context of the crisis, the political crisis from theory perspective, e.g. realistic conflict theory, social dominance theory perspective, social dominance theory from the perspective of exploitation etc. The crisis are not just political in the nature, rather their roots are originally rooted in the social and cultural aspect. The Crimean region consists of the population where percentage of the people is originally settled in Russia or they are affiliated in the ethnic manner with the Russian nation and its citizens. This gives the Russian government an excuse to protecting their rights. The paper also looks into the domains and dimensions of this particular conflict through the perspective of the two prominent theories of political science. While the overall event and disturbance came to a boiling point in the form of military intervention of Russia, the crisis were precipitating in the form of the political turmoil and unrest which was building against the interests of Russia. It all started with the ousted of the elected President and the overall toppling of the elected government. The sequence of events followed by the ousted resulted in building of two blocks. The West, United States of America making up for the first bloc, the second bloc in the form of Russia itself. Russia was totally against the concept of ousting the previous government while United States of America and Europe extended their support to the stance and cause of government change in the troubled region.

Henrys intelligent investment, for the love of Portia Essay

Henrys intelligent investment, for the love of Portia - Essay Example Mark Twain’s â€Å"Million Pound Bank Note† is a version of a well acquainted and balanced contrast of romance and business prospects. Henry, who had been a pauper, was naively turned into a millionaire, when romance hit his life and a â€Å"million pounder bill† knocked his luck with business. Henry Adams (the main actor of the story) became the unanimous dupe of a bet put forth by two old gentlemen. A million pound bill was handed over to him as part of the bet, in order to negate the hypotheses of the two brothers, of whether or not he could be able to survive for a month. Henry made business on something that was unreal. His astuteness and honesty served as powerful resources for him, nurtured with his past experience as a clerk and interest in stock brokers. He made his experience, good will and sincerity count and found the love of his life with a status of a millionaire. He gained without spending a penny. Portia Langham came into his life and they instant ly fell in deep love with each other. Being an honest person by nature, he told every bit of his story to her of how he became rich, yet standing poor. Henry’s romance and business prospects went equally hand in hand throughout the story.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Stem Cell Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Stem Cell Research - Essay Example Indeed, when all the fact are in about stem cells, it still a very polarizing debate. On one hand, certain people think the issue is black and white. Theyre certain that using stem cells is morally wrong. They believe it can be solved simply, sometimes by just interpreting the constitution. For many people it is very hard for someone to believe research involving them should be banned. Stem cells offer some of the substantial and important possibilities in the fields of medical science open to us today. I believe we must seize this opportunity. The issue is a nuanced one that society really needs to think about (Herold 22). Whether or not you believe using an embryonic stem cell for research purposes is destroying a potential life, you must admit that it is opening up the possibility for someone else to live longer or better. The world today is more complicated than ever. In part this is because we know more about it than ever before and technology has dramatically shaped our world views. Certain moral questions have exploded in recent years because of the way technology is changing the moral dimensions of our lives. We can now see foetuses in the womb using ultrasound technology and can tell a lot about them and their health early on. We now know that there are certain cells inside the body—called stem cells—that are effectively the building blocks for many different cells. They can become a fetus, they can become a brain cell, or, for example, they can become a skin cell. Some people believe this proves that stem cell research involves killing. They think it is wrong. Other believe that with the right type of manipulation—something scientists are becoming increasingly proficient at—it may be possible for many previously incurable diseases to be dealt with. There are also gre at possibilities involving the generation of organs for transplant, among a

Marks and Spencer and John Lewis Pension Schemes Case Study

Marks and Spencer and John Lewis Pension Schemes - Case Study Example Until now workers of M&S did not have to make any contribution towards their own pension from their salary and they were entitled to a small part of their final salary as retirement income. Thus compared with John Lewis pension scheme in which workers do not have to make contributions towards the final salary scheme and retirement income from their existing salaries, Marks & Spencer pension scheme has changed so that workers will have to make a final contribution towards their final salary scheme or they may receive lowered benefits later. There are conflicts of interest between employees and trustees in both John Lewis and Marks and Spencer. However John Lewis is a partnership business which means it is largely controlled by employees. The employee trusts adequately maintain the benefits of employee ownership structures and in case of John Lewis there is breakdown of the strict dichotomy between employees and trustees with employees having direct ownership to an extent. However in case of Marks& Spencer, the trustees are responsible for funding and the pension scheme and the employee trustee distinction is quite obvious with both potential and real conflicts within Marks and Spencer. The John Lewis Partnership had still... 3. Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution. Which type of provision suits each organization and why The John Lewis Partnership had still recently reduced the benefits of its pension scheme to cut the costs of its operations and maintenance. However in the last year, with profits up to 27% increase, 85m has been marked out for pension based funds which would be nearly 10% of the company's budget (John Lewis, 2007). The pension costs being very high for the company when compared with other companies, the cutting down of pension costs provide reasonable savings for the company. Recent changes in the M&S salary schemes mean that pension contribution will have to accrue benefits at a slower rate or there has to be limits on the rate at which pensionable salaries rise. Contribution and benefits are tied in case of M&S salary and pension scheme as members contribute to their own salary and benefits by using some for later retirement income. In case of John Lewis benefit schemes, employee contributions are not direct and usually employees are subject to these schemes for their benefit on r etirement. 4. John Lewis Partnership is not a quoted company. How does that affect its pension policy (if at all) Is it a "better or worse" situation in this regard than Marks and Spencer John Lewis being not a quoted company but rather run by the concept of partnership showing that employees claim direct ownership to the business (John Lewis, 2007). Recently John Lewis has also launched a unique share incentive plan and it remains as primarily an employee owned company and this affects its pension policy that focuses on a large share of costs on the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Henrys intelligent investment, for the love of Portia Essay

Henrys intelligent investment, for the love of Portia - Essay Example Mark Twain’s â€Å"Million Pound Bank Note† is a version of a well acquainted and balanced contrast of romance and business prospects. Henry, who had been a pauper, was naively turned into a millionaire, when romance hit his life and a â€Å"million pounder bill† knocked his luck with business. Henry Adams (the main actor of the story) became the unanimous dupe of a bet put forth by two old gentlemen. A million pound bill was handed over to him as part of the bet, in order to negate the hypotheses of the two brothers, of whether or not he could be able to survive for a month. Henry made business on something that was unreal. His astuteness and honesty served as powerful resources for him, nurtured with his past experience as a clerk and interest in stock brokers. He made his experience, good will and sincerity count and found the love of his life with a status of a millionaire. He gained without spending a penny. Portia Langham came into his life and they instant ly fell in deep love with each other. Being an honest person by nature, he told every bit of his story to her of how he became rich, yet standing poor. Henry’s romance and business prospects went equally hand in hand throughout the story.

Marks and Spencer and John Lewis Pension Schemes Case Study

Marks and Spencer and John Lewis Pension Schemes - Case Study Example Until now workers of M&S did not have to make any contribution towards their own pension from their salary and they were entitled to a small part of their final salary as retirement income. Thus compared with John Lewis pension scheme in which workers do not have to make contributions towards the final salary scheme and retirement income from their existing salaries, Marks & Spencer pension scheme has changed so that workers will have to make a final contribution towards their final salary scheme or they may receive lowered benefits later. There are conflicts of interest between employees and trustees in both John Lewis and Marks and Spencer. However John Lewis is a partnership business which means it is largely controlled by employees. The employee trusts adequately maintain the benefits of employee ownership structures and in case of John Lewis there is breakdown of the strict dichotomy between employees and trustees with employees having direct ownership to an extent. However in case of Marks& Spencer, the trustees are responsible for funding and the pension scheme and the employee trustee distinction is quite obvious with both potential and real conflicts within Marks and Spencer. The John Lewis Partnership had still... 3. Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution. Which type of provision suits each organization and why The John Lewis Partnership had still recently reduced the benefits of its pension scheme to cut the costs of its operations and maintenance. However in the last year, with profits up to 27% increase, 85m has been marked out for pension based funds which would be nearly 10% of the company's budget (John Lewis, 2007). The pension costs being very high for the company when compared with other companies, the cutting down of pension costs provide reasonable savings for the company. Recent changes in the M&S salary schemes mean that pension contribution will have to accrue benefits at a slower rate or there has to be limits on the rate at which pensionable salaries rise. Contribution and benefits are tied in case of M&S salary and pension scheme as members contribute to their own salary and benefits by using some for later retirement income. In case of John Lewis benefit schemes, employee contributions are not direct and usually employees are subject to these schemes for their benefit on r etirement. 4. John Lewis Partnership is not a quoted company. How does that affect its pension policy (if at all) Is it a "better or worse" situation in this regard than Marks and Spencer John Lewis being not a quoted company but rather run by the concept of partnership showing that employees claim direct ownership to the business (John Lewis, 2007). Recently John Lewis has also launched a unique share incentive plan and it remains as primarily an employee owned company and this affects its pension policy that focuses on a large share of costs on the

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Thesis for POS Systems Essay Example for Free

Thesis for POS Systems Essay ABSTRACT Several threats affect the survival of small, independent retail companies. Adoption and use of Point-of-Sale (POS) systems may offer important benefits to counter these threats. POS systems are not widely used by these retailers, however. This research investigates the determinants of the adoption of POS systems using a conceptual model based on existing adoption theories. Based on this, a survey has been held among 37 Dutch small, independent retailers, to answer the question what the most important determinants for POS system adoption are. This study furthers theory on IT adoption, specifically for small organizations. The practical relevance is that its findings may help in improving POS system adoption. . INTRODUCTION The Dutch retail sector consists for 94% of small retail organizations (≠¤10 employees), altogether employing around 250,000 persons. The retail sector is noticeably present in the trade-driven Dutch economy and acts as an intermediary between industry and consumer. The sector is an important and relevant subject of study from an economical, social and cultural perspective. In this paper we focus on in-store retailing. The environment of this type of retail trade is under pressure. Several interacting threats, like globalization, demanding consumers, increasing administrative burden and an economic recession force the retailers into action. Information and communication technology (ICT) is a double-edged sword in this context (cf. Turban, King, Viehland and Lee, 2004). On the one hand, it can be a threat to smaller retailers for its disintermediation effects and competition through e-tailing (cf. Chircu and Kauffman, 1999), and by its supply chain management effectuation of the larger(franchise) organizations (cf. David, 2008). On the other hand, ICT likewise provides opportunities to smaller retailers, like opening up new sales channels, reducing administrative tasks and/or enabling strategic management of their enterprise (Turban et al., 2004). A specific type of retail ICT that can be employed to achieve effective store management is a ‘Point-of-Sale’ (POS) system. POS systems are defined in many different ways. On Wikipedia, a retail POS system is defined as â€Å"a computer, monitor, cash drawer, receipt printer, customer display and a barcode scanner†. Webopedia.com defines a POS system as â€Å"the capturing of data and customer payment information at a physical location when goods or services are bought and sold†. YourDictionary.com defines it as: â€Å"A comprehensive computerized checkout system that includes a bar-code scanner, receipt printer, cash drawer, credit and debit card scanner, monitor, and inventory management software. A point-of-sale system tracks sales and identifies inventory levels in real time†. There are many different types and brands of POS systems available. eBay.com and BuyerZone.com provide a web-based ‘Point of Sale System Buying Guide’, containing over 4,000 different POS equipments for retailers, and 91 different types of POS software. The POS system market in The Netherlands contains no less than 150 vendors, each offering their own ‘unique’ software package. POS systems enable retailers to consult more detailed management information compared to traditional cash registers and Electronic Cash Registers (ECRs). As this management information is based on sales figures, retailers can improve their business by maintaining a better product strategy and pursuing a more efficient replenishment process matching customer demand, alleviating what is often referred to as the ‘bullwhip effect’ (Lee, Padmanabhan and Whang, 1997). This enables inventory optimization, minimizing storage space and ‘sold-out’ situations. Moreover, cash slips can be stored electronically and the results can be brought up in the POS system immediately, both reducing time spent on administrative tasks. This is specifically relevant for The Netherlands, where the administrative burden for SMEs has increased through regulations LITERATURE REVIEW: ADOPTION MODELS In this section we review eight different studies on the adoption of information systems, which were found through literature study. The meta literature search focused on theories and models concerning IS/IT adoption, more specifically of small businesses, retail and/or POS systems. Below, as a result, we first describe two generic adoption models with regard to IS/IT adoption. Next, we discuss six models that address adoption within the retail or small business domain. Generic models The first generic adoption model we refer to here is that of Rogers (2003). His Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory describes the adoption of innovations over time. He ascribes the dynamics of adoption behaviour in terms of different groups of people, like innovators and laggards. His theory also indicates how an individual or organisation (i.e. any decision-making unit) decides to adopt (or not) an innovation. This adoption process consists of five different stages: knowledge acquisition, persuasion, adoption, implementation and confirmation. Rogers specifies three groups of determinants that influence this process: characteristics of the decision-making unit, characteristics of the innovation and information channels. Based on DOI theory, factors concerning the decision-making unit that positively influence adoption are e.g. high social status, low age and financial flexibility. According to DOI, important characteristics of an innovation include: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability (the degree to which it can be experimented with), and observability (the visibility of its results). Information channels (personal and mass communication channels) are required to spread knowledge of an innovation. The second generic adoption model is based on Venkatesh, Morris, Davis and Davis (2003), who reviewed technology acceptance models, among which the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1986) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1985). They used elements of each model for a new unified model, called the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. Contrary to Rogers’ model, UTAUT concentrates on the adoption behaviour of individuals. In this model, four constructs are defined as determinants of a user’s acceptance and behaviour. Performance expectancy relates to the degree to which the technology is expected to improve job performance. Effort expectancy concerns the ease of use associated with the technology. Social influence is defined as â€Å"[t]he degree to which an individual perceives that important others believe he or she should use the new system† (Venkatesh et al., 2003). Finally, the construct facilitating conditions deals with the degree to which a support infrastructure for the technology is believed to exist. In addition, these four constructs are modelled to be influenced by four so-called moderators, i.e. gender, age, experience and voluntariness. Retail and SME-specific models We will discuss six main studies and their adoption models below. First, the study by Julien and Raymond (1994) can be mentioned. Their technology adoption model for the retail sector proposes eight organizational aspects as determinants of technology adoption: centralization, complexity, size, status (i.e. independent/affiliated), sector, and assertiveness, rationality, and interaction of the organizational strategy. These determinants were identified in earlier research on technology adoption in small organizations. Technology adoption in this case concerned the use of hardware (business computing, POS systems and telecomputing) and software. In the study 79 firms in food, hardware and clothing were assessed through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Clothing firms and large firms were less apt to use POS systems, while firms that had a longer organizational planning horizon used POS systems more often. Secondly, Chau (1995) researched which factors are important for small businesses in software selection. His research focused on packaged software, as small organizations usually do not buy custom developed software, due to their limited resources. Chau argues that owners/managers of small organizations are less focused on budgeting techniques like ‘net present value’ or ‘internal rate of return’ to make decisions on software investments. Instead, they focus more on criteria aimed at the functionalities and popularity of the software. Also, opinions of vendors, employees, consultants or acquaintances are believed to influence decision making. Based on empirical research among 122 small businesses, he found that the importance of selection criteria varied between owners and managers. In general, owners seem to focus more on technical aspects, while managers focus more on non-technical aspects. Third, Thong and Yap (1995) developed a model based on the notion that the adoption process of small businesses differs from that of large firms. CEOs play a major role in small firms as they are the primary decisions makers. In their research, the authors developed a causal model, which assumes that the following factors are positively correlated with the likeliness of IT adoption for small firms: business size, competitiveness of the business environment, information intensity, innovativeness, and attitude towards adoption of IT and IT knowledge. SYNTHESIS: CONCEPTUAL MODEL AND HYPOTHESES In the previous section, a total of eight models for adoption have been discussed. Most models view the (retail) organization and/or its owner as the decision-making unit. In small organizations, the owner-manager/CEO almost by definition determines IT investments and the IT strategy. Thong and Yap (1995), Ekanem (2005) and Chau (1995) all point out this phenomenon. Therefore, we consider personal variables of the owner (like age and gender) as key determinants of POS adoption by retailers. In addition, organizational characteristics (like size and competition) can be considered as additional, contextual determinants of the IT adoption decision.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Intracellular Biosynthesis of Cadmium Sulfide Nanoparticles

Intracellular Biosynthesis of Cadmium Sulfide Nanoparticles Intracellular biosynthesis of Cadmium Sulfide nanoparticles using culture supernatant of Escherichia coli Abstract There is a growing concern to develop environment-friendly and sustainable methods. Since the synthesis of nanoparticles of different compositions, sizes, shapes and controlled dispersity is an important aspect of Nanotechnology new costeffective procedures are being developed. Microbial synthesis of Nanoparticles is a Green chemistry approach that interconnects Nanotechnology and Microbial Biotechnology. Microorganisms play an important role in the eco-friendly synthesis of metal nanoparticles. Here an attempt was made to biologically synthesize fluorescent cadmium sulfide nanoparticles. The present study uses Escherichia coli PTCC 1330 as a potential producer for the green synthesis of CdS nanoparticles. Biologically synthesized nanoparticles were characterized and confirmed after 24 h of incubation at room temperature using electron microscopy, XRD, EDS and FTIR. The size distribution of the nanoparticles was found to be 5–200nm followed by which the consequence of time, growth of the organism, pH, concentration of CdCl2 and Na2S on the synthesis of nanoparticles were checked. Enhanced synthesis and fluorescence emission of CdS nanoparticles were achieved at pH 9. Keywords: Nanotechnology; Biological synthesis; Silver nanoparticles; Escherichia coli; Eco-friendly 1.Introduction Bionanotechnology has emerged up as integration between biotechnology and nanotechnology for developing biosynthetic and environmental-friendly technology for synthesis of nanomaterials. Nanoparticles are clusters of atoms in the size range of 1–100 nm. â€Å"Nano† is a Greek word synonymous to dwarf meaning extremely small. The use of nanoparticles is gaining impetus in the present century as they posses defined chemical, optical and mechanical properties. The metallic nanoparticles are most promising as they show good antibacterial properties due to their large surface area to volume ratio, which is coming up as the current interest in the researchers due to the growing microbial resistance against metal ions, antibiotics and the development of resistant strains[1-2]. Nanoparticles exhibit completely new or improved properties compared to larger particles of the bulk material and these novel properties are derived due to the variation in specific characteristics such as size, distribution and morphology of the particles. Nanoparticles present a higher surface area to volume ratio with decrease in the size of the particles[1-2]. As the specific surface area of nanoparticles is increased, their biological effectivene can also increase on the account of a rise in surface energy. Nanoparticles have a wide range of applications, as in combating microbes, biolabelling, and in the treatment of cancer. Size control during synthesis of particles is an important criterion in the arena of silver nanoparticle biosynthesis. Depending on the size of the nanoparticles, their applications branch out. Although AgNPs are synthesized both intra- and extra-cellularly, the latter method of biosynthesis of nanoparticles is highly advantageous because of ease of control over the environment, large-scale synthesis and easy downstream processing steps. It is well known that the electronic and optical properties of metal nanoparticles are heavily size- and shape-dependent. Controlling the size, shape and surrounding media of metal nanoparticles are important as many of their intrinsic properties are determined by these parameters[3-8]. This study illustrates the synthesis of CdS nanoparticles using the bacterium Escherichia coli PTCC 1330. The morphology of the samples was analyzed using Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the particles formed were characterized to be nanoparticles. The size of CdS nanoparticles in aqueous solution has been calculated using UV–Vis spectroscopy, XRD, EDS, FTIR and TEM measurements. The nanoparticles are found to be polydisperse nanocubes in the size range 5–200 nm[3]. 2. Materials and methods 2.1. Materials, bacterial strain The test strain was: Escherichia coli PTCC 1330, The strain was prepared of IROST, CdCl2 was purchased from Hi Media laboratories, India and Na2S was purchased from Merck, Germany. All other chemicals used are of analytical grade. 2.2. Preparation of supernatants Muller-Hinton broth (MHB) was prepared, sterilized, and inoculated with a fresh batch of test strain. The culture flasks were incubated for 24 h at 30 ºC for bacteria. After the incubation period, the cultures were centrifuged at 12,000 rpm and their supernatants were used for further experiments. 2.3. Synthesis of Cadmium Sulfide nanoparticles The obtained supernatants were washed with phosphate buffer saline (pH 7.0) for 3 times. 1mM solution of CdCl2 (for E. coli) was prepared using deionized water. 35 ml of the solution was added to supernatants and resulting solution was kept for incubation in a shaker at 220 rpm and room temperature for 30 min. Then, 35 ml of 1mM Na2S solution was slowly added to the solution. The samples were then incubated at room temperature with end-over-en rotation for 10 min[9-10]. 2.4. Purification of nanoparticles For measuring the amount of UV–Visible absorption by synthesized CdS nanoparticles, samples were washed twice with 50mM phosphate buffered saline (pH 7.0). Then, ultrasonic disruption of cells was performed using an ultrasonic processor (Retsch, UR1) over three 45 S periods with 10 s intervals between periods. The sonicated samples were then filtered using a 0.22 µm filter to eliminate cell-debris and other pollutants. The filtered solutions were then used for characterization of CdS nanoparticles. 2.5. Effect of growth parameters on CdS nanoparticles production 2.5.1 Effect of CdCl2 and Na2S concentration on synthesis and particle Sizes To obtain the optimum concentration of CdCl2 and Na2S that yields the maximum synthesis of nanoparticles and particle-size distribution, CdCl2 and Na2S, at concentrations ranging from 1 to 10mM, was added to the supernatant at pH 9.0 and temperature 30 ºC. 2.5.2 Effect of temperature and pH on nanoparticle synthesis and particle sizes To obtain optimum conditions for maximum synthesis of nanoparticles and particle-size distribution, the obtained the optimum concentration of CdCl2 and Na2S was added to the supernatant and incubated at various temperatures (25–30  ºC) and pH conditions(5–11). The pH of the incubation mixtures was adjusted using 1M HCl and 1M NaOH solutions. The optimum condition for synthesis of nanoparticles is temperature of 30 ºC and pH of 9. 2.6. Synthesis of CdS nanoparticles at various growth phases and time period To find the effect of growth phase of the organism on CdS nanoparticles production, Escherichia coli was inoculated into nutrient broth of four different flasks. The flasks were allowed to grow at various growth stages (lag phase, log phase, late log phase and stationary phase). After that the biomass was incubated with cadmium chloride or cadmium sulfate and sodium sulfide solution. The effect of time over the growth was evaluated by collecting the samples at every 1 h up to 120 h. Maximum amount of nanoparticles synthesized by bacterial strain was achieved in stationary phase. 3. Results and discussion The application of nanoscale materials and structures, usually ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm), is an emerging area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Nanomaterials may provide solutions to technological and environmental challenges in the areas of solar energy conversion, catalysis, medicine, and water-treatment. The development of techniques for the controlled synthesis of nanoparticles of well defined size, shape and composition, to be used in the biomedical field and areas such as optics and electronics, has become a big challenge. Development of reliable and eco-friendly processes for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an important step in the field of application of nanotechnology. One of the most exciting research areas in modern nano-science and technology is the interaction between inorganic molecules and biological structures. It is well established now that many organisms can produce inorganic materials either on intra- or extra-cellular level. In order to meet the growing demand of nanoparticles, eco-friendly methods for nanomaterials synthesis need to be developed which are free of using toxic chemicals in the synthesis protocol[11-13]. In addition to gold and silver nanoparticles, semiconductors such as CdS, ZnS, and PbS have been greatly focused on. Development of protocols for the synthesis of such semiconductors (the so-called quantum dots) is growing. These luminescent quantum dots are emerging as a new class of materials for biological detection and cell imaging, based on the conjugation of semiconducting quantum dots and biorecognition molecules. Fluorescent nanoparticles (CdS, CdSe, CdTe and etc.) can be used for conjugation of biomolecules instead of organic fluoroprobes such as peptides, antibodies and nucleic acids. Moreover, different electronic catalytic and optical behaviour of CdS and NPs have been investigated before. Also, CdS nanoparticles are used for cancer diagnosis and treatment. CdS is immensely used in field effect transistors, solar cells, light emitting diodes, photocatalysis, photoluminescence, infrared photodetector, environmental sensors and biological sensors [14-18]. 3.1. Characterization of synthesized Cadmium Sulfide nanoparticles 3.1.1. UV-Visible spectrophotometer Purified CdS nanoparticles were dried at 30  ºC for 4 h. The dried particles were dispersed in deionized water and were measured using a UV–Visible spectrophotometer (CARY,100Conc, UV Pharma spec1700 with a resolution of 0.72 nm and optical path length of 1 cm) in the wavelength range of 300-600 nm (Fig. 1). The maximum absorption was at 400-450 nm in UV-Visible spectroscopy. 3.1.2. FT-IR and XRD analysis Purification of CdS nanoparticles was carried out according to the method previously described. For FT-IR and XRD analysis, samples were dried. Freezing-drying method was used for this step. First, the samples were frozen at -20 ºC for 24 h and then dried at -37 ºC temperature for 10h with Freeze-drier system(CHRist,ALPHA 1-4LD). The obtained dried sample was subjected to FT-IR spectrum (Fig. 3) using Fourier Transform IR spectrophotometer (NEXUS, Germany). The phase formation and purity of CdS nanoparticles were checked by recording the powder XRD patterns (Fig. 2) using an XDL 3000 powder X-ray diffractometer(SEIFERT, 3003  PTS). The X-ray diffracted intensities were recorded from 10à ¢- ¦ to 80à ¢- ¦ 2ÃŽ ¸ angles. FTIR studies revealed that amino  groups bound to particles account for the stability of NPs. Also FTIR studies established the existence of protein as the stabilizing and capping agent. 3.1.3. EDS ( Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy) In order to determine the elemental composition of the synthesized nanoparticles, EDS spectrum was recorded. In the recorded EDS spectrum, strong signals showed the presence of Cd and S (Fig. 4). This confirms that the nanoparticles are made of CdS alone. EDS spectrum was recorded based on the micrographs measurements focusing on clusters of the nanoparticles. Resulting EDS spectrum from purified and dried CdS nanoparticle was shown in (Fig. 4). This figure also shows the signals from Cd and S elements from other metals. In the analysis of CdS nanoparticles by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) (LEO 440i, OXFORD), the presence of elemental CdS signal was confirmed. The CdS nanocrystallites display an optical absorption band peaking at 3-4 keV, which is the typical absorption of metallic CdS nanocrystallites due to the surface plasmon resonance. 3.1.4. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (model EM 208 Philips) was used to determine the morphology and shape of nanoparticles. Purified CdS nanoparticles from extra-cellular culture supernatant using centrifugation was characterized by TEM. TEM revealed the average size of particles as 100 nm. TEM images show that they are relatively uniform in diameter and have spherical shape. The different fractions obtained on a continuous sucrose gradient were analyzed. (Fig. 5) shows a representative TEM image recorded from the drop-coated film of the CdS nanoparticles synthesized by treating the CdCl2 and Na2S solution with culture supernatants of E. coli PTCC 1330. The particle size histogram of CdS particles (Fig. 5) shows that the particles range in size from 5 to 200 nm and possess an average size of 75.5 nm. In addition, the TEM image shows at least two different areas, one with higher contrast due to the CdS nanoparticles and other with lower contrast probably due to other micro (or even nano) crystals originating from insoluble Cd, S salts. 24 h (particles at higher resolution shown by scale bar of a:100 nm, b:200nm). 4. Conclusions Bacterial strain of Escherichia coli PTCC 1330, studied in the present research, can be used in order to biologycal synthesizer of Cadmium Sulfide Nanoparticles under special conditions of Time, pH, Temperature, grow of the organism, concentration of CdCl2 and Na2S. The synthesis of nanoparticle circles around enzyme phytochelatin synthase, which exists in surface of E. coli. This enzyme has been previously used for in vitro synthesis CdS nanoparticle under special conditions . The enzyme catalyzes the reaction of transpeptidation of c-Glu-Cys dipeptide from a GSH molecule to a second molecule of GSH. Thus, phytochelatin synthase enzyme may be involved in the synthesis of CdS nanoparticles. Acknowledgments We would like to express our gratitude to the laboratory of Microbiology, Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran for its support of this work. We also wish to thank Dr. A. Akhavansepahy, Faculty of Science, North Branch of Islamic Azad university, Tehran, Iran and Dr. M. R. Fazeli, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran university of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran for their useful advices and supports.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Life and Accomplishments of Sir Francis Drake Essay -- World Histo

The Life and Accomplishments of Sir Francis Drake The British Empire was a World dominant force throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th century, but if it wasn’t for the naval defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the British might have never settled what would be the United States. And the person we have to thank is none other than Sir Francis Drake, a common man whose rise from a small country town, to the mighty dragon that the Spanish feared, was the most brilliant Captain during the Elizabethan Era. Sir Francis Drake’s privateering in the Caribbean and the Pacific were the staging grounds for the destruction of the Spanish Armada and the Rise of the British Empire. It was in the Caribbean where Drake inflicted is greatest defeats and captured his greatest prizes. Sir Francis Drake was just the man the British needed to destroy a dominating Spanish monarchy. The Queen however was embarrassed half of the time for Drake’s ability to take basic orders and expand on them to greater serve himself and his country. Although this jeopardized the safety of the Queen by provoking the Spanish into war. Sir Francis Drake was a man who was feared by all countries who sailed under the Roman Catholic Church’s flag. He was hated by some for his piracy and rude, abrupt behavior. He was not a gentleman by British standards, but he was a fair and generous Captain known to let his captured prisoners go free. In some cases even the captured crew and their ships would be let go. He is not totally a just man, he was known to buy favors, and in one case even killed a man because of their disagreement in the Pacific Ocean. But by most people he was a man admired for his clever seamanship and treatment of his fellow sailors. And most of all, he w... ...owerful nation during the 17th, 18th, and 19th century. There’s no doubt that he was the Captain of his own ship and leader of many to follow even after his death in 1596. He would be admired for centuries for his leadership and brilliant privateering maneuvers. His leadership help catapult a nation into the status of world dominant power as well as dominant sea power for centuries to come. Sir Francis Drake, England’s father of the sea, all because of one man’s hatred for a religion and the love of wealth and fame. Work Cited John Hampden, Francis Drake: Privateer; University of Alabama Press, 1972. James A. Williamson, Age of Drake ; Adam & Charles Black, London, 1965. T. W. E. Roche, The Golden Hind ; Praeger Publishers, New York, 1973. Norman J. W. Thrower, Sir Francis Drake and the Famous Voyage ; University of California Press, Berkeley, 1984.