Juvenile Delinquency A Strong Predictor Of Adult Crime

Introduction Juvenile delinquency is a strong predictor of adult criminality. Therefore, professionals aiming to reduce overall crime can benefit by seeking preventative and early intervention methods with troubled youth. This article seeks to address the â€Å"psychosocial and psychopathological risk factors as predictors of adult criminal outcomes† (Aebi et al., 2013). The design of the study replicates an older longitudinal study performed by Zurich Adolescent Psychology and Psychopathological Study, or ZAPPS. First, the researchers utilized data from the original study to determine which risk factors have the possibility impacting future adult criminal behavior. Next, the coping strategies of offenders are analyzed to determine if poor coping skills attribute to long-term antisocial behavior. The new sample is comprised of 1,086 students between the ages of ten and eighteen. Various surveys, questionnaires that require a positive response to be rated on a Likert scales, and self-reports garner information about the offender’s socioeconomic status, life stressors, home life, coping styles, alcohol/drug use, and mental health problems (Aebi et al., 2013). After a statistical analysis, the overall conclusion is that children and adolescents who exhibit behavioral problems, consume alcohol, and are of low socioeconomic status are at risk for delinquency (Aebi et al., 2013). Additionally, the article notes that juvenile offenders who have a propensity to avoid coping with stressShow MoreRelatedThe Social Of Crime And Criminal Behavior882 Words   |  4 Pagesneighborhoods or environments have on crime has been observed and studied throughout the last two centuries. Many theories, such as the social disintegration theory, have been hypothesized to explain the effects o f certain neighborhoods on crime. In addition, other theories have been presented, such as the collective efficacy theory, which serve to explain the reasons for reduced crime in other neighborhoods while presenting possible solutions to solve the problem of crime in society. This paper willRead More Juvenile Crime and Socio Economic Factors Essay1610 Words   |  7 PagesCrime at any age and in any form is a social problem and should be stopped or curbed at any cost. Crime at a juvenile age is on one hand a crime against property and life, and on the other a crime against humanity. It is a much graver social danger that holds the seed of an evident social disaster implanted into it. Criminologists hold different views regarding the root of juvenile crime and that often leads into quite the argument. Irrespective of those theoretical head on collisions, the presenceRead MoreEarly Intervention and Juvenile Delinquency Prevention: Evidence from the Chicago Longitudinal Study2633 W ords   |  11 PagesEarly Intervention and Juvenile Delinquency Prevention: Evidence from the Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS) (Mann, E. A., Reynolds, A. J., 2006). The Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS) was a quasi-experimental design study which investigated the role of Child-Parent Center (CPC), early education intervention (independent variable) and child, family, peer and school-level predictors on court-reported juvenile delinquency (dependent variable). The predictor variables used have been supported throughRead MoreFamily Structure And Juvenile Delinquency1671 Words   |  7 Pagesexposure to crime is increasing the number of crimes committed by minors. This type of crime is mostly known as juvenile delinquency. Juvenile delinquency is defined as young adults, people under eighteen, braking or violating the law (Websters). Family structure can affect juvenile delinquency in numerous ways. Family structure can include family support system, home environment, and family unity. The independent variable is family structure and the dependent variable is juvenile delinquency. Home environmentRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency3872 Words   |  16 PagesJuvenile delinquency Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, or youth crime, is participation in illegal behavior by minors (juveniles) (individuals younger than the statutory age of majority).Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers, and courts. A juvenile delinquent is a person who is typically under the age of 18 and commits an act that otherwise would have been charged as a crime if they were an adult. DependingRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency3863 Words   |  16 PagesJuvenile delinquency Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, or youth crime, is participation in illegal behavior by minors (juveniles) (individuals younger than the statutory age of majority).Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers, and courts. A juvenile delinquent is a person who is typically under the age of 18 and commits an act that otherwise would have been charged as a crime if they were an adult. DependingRead MoreThe Role Of Family Structure And Youth Essay1678 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction News and media outlets have observed an increase in delinquent crimes committed by children under the age of 18. What causes a child to embark on such destructive paths at such young ages? Children are our future; they must be raised well to become the next Einstein, Oprah, Obama and etc. Raising a child starts within the home. Not all families are nuclear families consisting of a mother and father. Some families are single parent families where there is only one parent or even extendedRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency A Sociological Approach1408 Words   |  6 PagesA juvenile delinquent is an individual under the age of eighteen years old who fails to abide by the law. When identifying the causes of juvenile delinquency society can slow down or prevent the behavior by using strategies. The quality of peers, family, parenting, community and school area can all be predictors of juvenile delinquency. Theories help us explain why juveniles are engaging in delinquent behavior and it is im portant to understand why because it helps us explain the motives for theirRead MoreThe Relationship Between Child Maltreatment And Delinquency3358 Words   |  14 PagesJUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND DRUG USE Childhood Maltreatment and Delinquency By Ebele Udeogalanya St. John’s University CRM 119 Dr. Marquis R. White October 22nd 2014 I. Introduction and Justification This thesis proposal hopes to examine the relationship between child maltreatment in the form of physical abuse, psychological and emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect and subsequent juvenile delinquency as well as future adult criminal offending. Physical abuseRead MoreChild Physical Abuse And Juvenile Delinquency2311 Words   |  10 PagesChild Physical Abuse and Juvenile Delinquency Introduction According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, child abuse and maltreatment roughly doubles the probability that an individual engages in many types of crime (Picker, 2014). More specifically, it is noted that those who experience physical abuse as a child are 30% more likely than their counterparts to commit violent crimes as a juvenile (Wisdom and Maxfield, 2001). Physical abuse of a child may include but is not limited to injuries

The Hidden Truth on Samples Essay on Helping Your Community Revealed

The Hidden Truth on Samples Essay on Helping Your Community Revealed What You Can Do About Samples Essay on Helping Your Community Beginning in the Next Five Minutes Family is the very first school of the kid. Keep in mind that admission committees are thinking about learning about your child and what your family members can offer, and the way you will lead to their schools and school communities. Many college applicants make the error of attempting to incorporate all their accomplishments and activities in their application essays. If you're on the lookout for work, volunteering is a great way to add experience and references for your course of life. If so, volunteering at an animal hospital, for example, would be a fantastic prospect. Explain why you chose a particular cause and that which you did in your function for a volunteer. One of the end things to have in your essay ought to be the impact your community service had on you. For instance, describe how you want to continue your service involvement, and whether your career path is going to be related somehow. Before you register, read our guide on a number of the hazards of worldwide volunteer trips and the way to understand if it's the correct option for you. Reiterate how you changed as a consequence of your community support, why you found the work important, or the way it helped others. As a way to understand whether you're prepared to be part of a community service or not you need to know what it is. The children from various kinds of societies, regions and countries remain in orphanage. For the reason, there's a community that you can join to assist others. The second passage is a lot more detailed. How you structure your essay will be contingent on the demands of the scholarship or school you're applying to. Always remember a normal essay differs from a reflective essay. A poorly executed essay can lead to a stellar student to become rejected. Who knew essay writing might be so tough. Write like you are retelling a story. When reading her essay, consider details. In your introduction, be certain to state the point of your essay, define the idea, and make certain to bring some words to trigger your reader's curiosity. Usually a kid's essay assignment would consist of a few paragraphs. The topic will choose the central or main topic of the essay. A reflective essay talks about the experiences you've got, meaning that it's more personal than a normal essay. Stephen's essay is quite effective. As an observation, knowing where to begin and how to begin a reflective paper is the toughest part. It is a good idea to look for the one which has a fantastic reputation and offers high-quality papers at economical prices. The view of the client as for the consequence of the procedure for cooperation with our help with college essays provider is on the very first place that is the reason why the purchase form offered to the client on the initial stage of cooperation comprises a thorough survey describing all of the array of aspects influencing the standard of assignment. In addition, a customer may ask the writer to submit part of the job for review and, if needed, ask her or him to make corrections. Introducing Samples Essay on Helping Your Community My primary role is to answer people's questions and assist them with technological difficulties. Initially it may look like going out of your way, but after a while it simply becomes part of your day-to-day life. Both are necessary to the entire life practice. In brief, community service may be a very tricky issue to do but trust me, when you have begun doing it, you'll certainly love it.

Customer Satisfaction & Consumer Attention-Samples for Students

Question: Write a Reflective Journal on Customer Satisfaction and Consumer Attention in the Food Industry. Answer: Introduction The objective of learning business research was to equip the learner with skills and experience to enable him to be able to get an understanding of the importance of satisfaction of customers by food processing companies to allow the researcher solve arising problems. The market for the food industry is majorly final users of food products. This reflective journal highlights a review of the topic of research and how effective it has been in attainment of the research objective which is to equip the learner with skills for reasonable judgment of the position of customers in the food industry and reinstate the importance of conducting business with the view of the consumer(Sunni, 2016). The learning experience has enabled the application of the standard theories that govern the research paradigm to a real world. The solution that has been found establishes that all the factors that affect demand have a direct relationship with preferences of a customer. The first task of research proposal on customer satisfaction and attention in the food industry was aimed at providing a roadmap to guide me through the process. It set the plan that ensured no area is left untouched. The whole process had to be occupied within the fixed period of twelve weeks meaning that it is possible to leave the process as incomplete and no extra time can be bought outside the school program. Some areas of research such interview were critical and their dates hand to be fixed through official communication between the researcher and the respondent. Such dates have to be adhered to strictly so as not to inconvenience personal and private plans of those involved. The process of literature review provides secondary information that made the concept of food processing, industry practice and the psychological influences arising from their consumption experience and to establish measures of satisfaction(Fornnel, 2014). The world of business is dynamic making it necessary for every player to have up to date information to be applied to control and development of sufficient strategies. Survival is only possible for the fittest because the industry is competitive calling for customer efficiency. The objectives of the course that have been facilitated are research skills, understanding of the theory, analytical thinking and social skills(Loureno, 2017). The practical part of the study has a root in memory and has built a capacity to solve problems. The importance of the investigation is not only for passing exams but also make a student be able to set up a practice as a research consultant because most organizations have been found to be relying on outsourcing research services as a measure on cutting costs. Outsourcing provides a higher level of expertise through the concept of specialization(Hedberg, 2017). The social life is coupled with multiple challenges such as crises that require relevant information to be solved. Private and governmental institutions have to undertake development strategies to rate viability of a project before it can be initiated(Fornnel, 2014). Investigation of situations such as crime has a background in research knowledge and will offer income to research practitioners. Future trends in the economy will only be understood through the projection of present and past information. The other place that will provide employment to research professionals is in organizations that have the research department. There are always several alternatives, and just one of these which is the best will be undertaken to reap maximum benefits. Business research primarily relies on secondary sources of information to get information that cannot be attained through the field procedures. The interesting part of the process is its interdependent with previously related researches of other people(Ruchika, 2017). Books, peer-reviewed article, magazines, journal articles, conference reports and internet sources will assist a researcher to get a clear understanding of the research gaps in the question. Even though the industry is changing, some factors will always remain the same such includes the human and scientific factors which in our point of view was customer attention and satisfaction to make past information relevant. Establishment of a variation in the course of a new practice is eased by projection by use of statistical tools. According to (Aryani, 2017) the methods of data collection have to be suitable to the specific research being done. We used tape recorders and the taking down of notes to record interview proceedings. These tools are compliments for human memories which are always limited in the amount of information that they can keep and to what duration. After the procedures in the field, listened to the tapes playing to analyze the information. Consumption patterns of eight consumers for basic food commodities always purchased regularly were observed and tracked through use of tables during the research period and the data reviewed to identify repeat of purchase and the reasons in case of repeats with reference to satisfaction and attention by the dealers. Research is a process and this means that logical steps and order have to be followed to get desirable results. The first thing is to acquire standard knowledge. The necessity of planning is to set the appropriate timing of procedures and establishing everything that will be required. The issues of privacy and security always demand the seeking of permission from relevant authorities. There is an infringement law actionable by the court on accessing private information and using it for unintended benefit by unauthorized persons(Demong, 2017). Learning processes will be made more efficient by incorporating the concept practical. The knowledge attained in class will be of no use if associated skills are not taught. Skills make it easier to understand theoretical knowledge and give the experience and competence that is always required to solve real-world problems(Tharanaj, 2017). Learning is associated with memory because the experience is supposed to be helpful to a learner on a later day. The subject of business research was extensively reviewed because it is a standard process that has to be followed from step to step(Branch, 2017). The next step was to answer the specific research question. The narrowing down is objective will result in an elegant solution. Pre-formation of research hypotheses facilitated the breaking down of the question of how important it could for a food processing firm by being attentive to customers and their satisfaction. It was easier to analyze smaller bits from defining the scope of the food industry, consumer psychology, brand loyalty and industry competitiveness. The characteristics of a consumer good which has implications for consumer safety and health(Aryani, 2017). Conclusion The essay recaps the objectives of the topic of business research over the duration of twelve weeks and its effectiveness through investigating the question of attention to customers and their satisfaction in the food industry. A thoughtful analysis of the learning process covers the procedures and the insights thereof. Here are provisions of the Australia standards on consumer food products that have to be complied to make a food processing company suitable to continue with operations. The value of a product in addition to this will determine customer efficacy(Thorpe, 2004). The standards regulations and theories are the principles that govern morality of my profession as a researcher. References Aryani, F., 2017. Reflective learning model in improving student critical thinking skills. Global Journal of Engineering Education, 1(19), pp. 1-23. Branch, W., 2017. Reflection-Based Learning for Professional Ethical Formation. Journal of Ethics, 4(19), p. 349. Demong, A., 2017. Influencing Factors on Customer Satisfaction towards American Brands in the Food and Beverage Industry in Malaysia. Consumer Loyalty, 3(9), p. 221. Fornnel, 2014. A national customer satisfaction barometer: The Swedish experience. Journal of Marketing, 56(1), pp. 6-21. Hedberg, P., 2017. Guiding Moral Behavior Through a Reflective Learning Practice. Journal of Management Education, 2(14), pp. 132-137. Loureno, F., 2017. Corporate reputation in B2B service customers: the effect on word of mouth, loyalty intentions and trust. Attention to a Customer, 4(14), pp. 1-49. Ruchika, C., 2017. A Study on the Relationship between Sensory Marketing on Customer Satisfaction. Consumer Satisfaction, 19(1), pp. 84-98. Sunni, R., 2016. Investigating effects of automated feedback on EFL students' reflective learning skills. International Conference on. IEEE, 1(11), pp. 6-17. Tharanaj, A., 2017. Constructive reflection: getting the best out of reflective learning. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research, 2(5), pp. 40-60. Thorpe, K., 2004. Reflective learning journals: From concept to practice. Reflective practice , 3(5), pp. 327-33.

The Ultimate Guide to Results Day 2016

The Ultimate Guide to Results Day 2016 Results Day is an important time of the year for any student! Finally finding out if all your hard work in those exams and the extra hours of revision you put in were all worth it! Whether you're waiting for your A-Level results to move onto University, your A2 results to move onto your second year of A-Levels or even just your GCSE results. Your future is just inside that envelope. You probably have a lot of questions, hence why we've put together "The Ultimate Guide to Results Day 2016"! When is Results Day? We're pretty sure everyone should know when their results day is since it's only one of the biggest days in the upcoming month! But just in case you didn't know, we'll remind you! The dates for 2016 are: A-Levels: 18th August 2016GCSEs: 25th August 2016 You're probably not focusing on the years to come but the dates for 2017 are as follows: ​A-Levels: 17th August 2017GCSEs: 24th August 2017 What Should I do Before Results Day? You should have already sorted everything for before Results Day, so this should probably just be a checklist to you: ​If you're waiting on your A-Level results prior to going to University, then the smart thing to do is, check Track  and find out how your application is going. The University may have already confirmed your place - this would appear as "unconditional" within Track. You're probably wondering how they could possibly accept your application without you giving them your results, but they actually get your results before you do! If you're waiting for your GCSE results, you should already know if your chosen college has accepted your application. You will usually get a letter before results day, letting you know that provided you achieve the required grades, you already have a place. If you didn't achieve the required grades, don't be disheartened, you may still get a place. Picking Up Your Results The night before Results Day can be a restless one, but make sure to get some sleep and stop panicking, getting worked up and worrying about your results isn't going to change them, no matter how hard you wish it would. Get some breakfast in the morning and relax! When you get to  school, there's likely to be a full year of people thinking the same thing you are: "How did I do?". Usually, you'll find a table or member of staff handing out everybody's results. Open it up and find out how you did! Whether you did great or you fell short of your expectations, don't worry, you still have plenty of options! What Should I Do When I Get My GCSE Results? So you've finally got your GCSE results! Hopefully, you did well! Your GCSE results will be the main impact on your A-Level choices, usually a grade C or above is needed to continue a subject to A-Level. If you fell short of the requirements, you should speak to your head of year or anyone in charge of the subject you fell short in, provided you're studying your A-Levels at the same school. If you plan on going to a different school or college  you'll need to phone the school or college and explain everything to them, they may tell you that you can still study the A-Level you have chosen, but may also suggest an alternative that isn't reliant on GCSE results. If this is something you wouldn't be open to, you could always retake your paper to bring your final mark back up and hopefully achieve your desired grade. It's advisable that if you haven't achieved a grade C or higher in core subjects such as Science, Maths, and English you should retake those exams if possible as employers will require these, at a minimum. What Should I Do When I Get My AS/A-Level  Results? Sometimes you'll get your AS-level results in raw UMS (Uniform Mark Scale) marks, which will leave you having to calculate your own grades. Your AS-level results will not make a huge difference, other than giving yourself and your teachers a signal of how well you are doing in relation to your predicted grade. An AS-Level is equivalent to half an A-Level. When receiving your A-Level results, you should take any university letters along with you so you can check the requirements  they have asked in order to secure your place. You might also need to work out your grades depending on how you receive your results (UMS or Graded). You  Achieved My Expectations: If you have met the offer requirements of the university, your place will be virtually guaranteed, if you're checking your progress on Track, it'll appear as "Unconditional". You are also likely to get a letter in the post confirming your place and detailing any other requirements to confirm your place. You Exceeded Your Expectations: If you did better than you expected in your A-Levels, you will have the freedom to explore more courses through a process known as 'Adjustment', which you can apply for through Track. If this is something that interests you, be sure to phone the university and ask about available places and whether they'd be open to accepting you, be sure to let them know that you're going through 'Adjustment', rather than 'Clearing'. If they offer you a place on an alternative course and you accept, they will update your track for you. You Fell Short Of Expectations: So your results weren't as good as you'd expected. Don't worry, there is still the possibility that your chosen university might still be willing to accept you, especially if you only missed out on the grade by a short margin (Universities don't usually see your UMS points but instead your actual grade, so they won't know if you missed your grade by 1 point or by 40!). Check your Track, if it says "Unsuccessful" you have been rejected by the university and they're unlikely to change their mind. If it says "Conditional" then phone the university and find out what is going on with your application.   What Is UCAS Clearing? Sometimes you might be rejected from both your first and second choice of university (Be sure to try asking if either of the universities would be willing to accept you despite your lower than requested grades). If you have tried asking if they'd accept you despite your grades and they still reject you it's time to get to work finding an alternative university place through  UCAS clearing. UCAS clearing is a way for universities to fill any spaces they have left for the new academic year. This basically means logging into your UCAS account, searching for a suitable course at a university that you'd be open to attending and phoning them for an interview to see if they'll accept your application. If nothing in clearing takes your eye, perhaps you might want to take a year out and go travelling? Get your papers remarked (This will cost you a fee and doesn't guarantee  your grade will go up, it could even go down!), or even maybe re-sit your papers and try to get the grades you need. What Not To Do On Results Day Assume You Won't Need To Do Anything: You'll probably be fine, most students get into their first choice university. But even if you're confident of getting the grades you need to acquire your desired place, you should still be prepared. Make sure you have all the numbers needed in case anything happens. Get Your Parents To Call: You're not 10 years old anymore... If you need to call universities to talk about your options make sure you do it yourself. You're the potential student, not your parents. Have answers to all potential questions you think they might have and remain calm. Accept Any Courses: If you didn't get accepted into your universities, you might think about just accepting any course in order to get into a university, although you do have to work quickly to get the courses that are in demand, you should always take a little time and make sure you find the right course for you. Crumble To Pressure: You might have had second thoughts about yoiur choices. Perhaps you did better or maybe worse than you expected and feel like you need to make chnages to your courses. While this is acceptable, don't feel like you have to, if you don't want to. PANIC!: DO NOT PANIC! Results Day is a hugely stressful time, especially if you haven't got the grades you wanted, but, most of the time everything works out. Just go with the flow and see what happens, panicing never helps. Good Luck!

Purpose Of Human Life Essays - Theatre Of The Absurd, Free Essays

Purpose Of Human Life Essays - Theatre Of The Absurd, Free Essays Purpose Of Human Life The purpose of human life is an unanswerable question. It seems impossible to find an answer because we don't know where to begin looking or whom to ask. Existence, to us, seems to be something imposed upon us by an unknown force. There is no apparent meaning to it, and yet we suffer as a result of it. The world seems utterly chaotic. We therefore try to impose meaning on it through pattern and fabricated purposes to distract ourselves from the fact that our situation is hopelessly unfathomable. Waiting for Godot is a play that captures this feeling and view of the world, and characterizes it with archetypes that symbolize humanity and its behaviour when faced with this knowledge. According to the play, a human being's life is totally dependant on chance, and, by extension, time is meaningless; therefore, a human+s life is also meaningless, and the realization of this drives humans to rely on nebulous, outside forces, which may be real or not, for order and direction. The basic premise of the play is that chance is the underlying factor behind existence. Therefore human life is determined by chance. This is established very early on, when Vladimir mentions the parable of the two thieves from the Bible. One of the thieves was saved. It's a reasonable percentage (Beckett, 8). The idea of percentage is important because this represents how the fate of humanity is determined; it is random, and there is a percentage chance that a person will be saved or damned. Vladimir continues by citing the disconcordance of the Gospels on the story of the two thieves. And yet...how is it - this is not boring you I hope - how is it that of the four Evangelists only one speaks of a thief being saved. The four of them were there - or thereabouts - and only one speaks of a thief being saved (Beckett, 9). Beckett makes an important point with this example of how chance is woven into even the most sacred of texts that is supposed to hold ultimate truth for humanity. All four disciples of Chirst are supposed to have been present during his crucifixion and witnessed the two thieves, crucified with Jesus, being saved or damned depending on their treatment of him in these final hours. Of the four, only two report anything peculiar happening with the thieves. Of the two that report it, only one says that a thief was saved while the other says that both were damned. Thus, the percentages go from 100%, to 50%, to a 25% chance for salvation. This whole matter of percentages symbolizes how chance is the determining factor of existence, and Beckett used the Bible to prove this because that is the text that humanity has looked to for meaning for millenia. Even the Bible reduces human life to a matter of chance. On any given day there is a certain percent chance that one will be saved as opposed to damned, and that person is powerless to affect the decision. The fate of the thieves, one of whom was saved and the other damned according to the one of the four accounts that everybody believes, becomes as the play progresses a symbol of the condition of man in an unpredictable and arbitrary universe (Webb, 32). God, if he exists, contributes to the chaos by his silence. The very fact that God allows such an arbitrary system to continue makes him an accomplice. The French philosopher Pascal noted the arbitrariness of life and that the universe worked on the basis of percentages. He advocated using such arbitrariness to one's advantage, including believing in God because, if he doesn't exist, nobody would care in the end, but if he does, one was on the safe side all along, so one can't lose. It is the same reasoning that Vladimir uses in his remark quoted above, It's a reasonable percentage. But it is God's silence throughout all this that causes the real hopelessness, and this is what makes Waiting for Godot a tragedy amidst all the comical actions of its characters: the silent plea to God for meaning, for answers, which symbolizes the plea of all humanity, and God's silence in response. The recourse to bookkeeping by the philosopher [Pascal] no less than the clownish tramp shows how helpless we are with respect to God+s silence (Astro, 121). Either God does not exist, or he does not care. Whichever is the case, chance and arbitrariness determine human life in the absence of

[WATCH] Do you still need a college degree to be successful

[WATCH] Do you still need a college degree to be successful Many professionals are questioning the value of higher education, both in terms of obtaining a degree in the first place or going back to school for post-graduate work. Joe Short, founder and CEO of his eponymous brewing company, one of the most prominent in the Midwest, sat down with Daily Fuel to talk about his decision to leave college and follow his passion.Joe was asked if leaving his university studies prior to their completion was a difficult choice, and his immediate answer was â€Å"No, in fact it was easy.†Listen to Joe talk about why that was indeed the case, and how often in life experience can be the best teacher.Source: [DailyFuel]

Soc.#5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Soc.#5 - Essay Example They wanted the world to be a safe place to live in and every peace-loving nation had a right to live their own life, determine their own institutions and be assured of justice. For the sake of world peace the United States developed a Fourteen Point Program. These included granting independence to all the important European states. The US determined that how the other nations treat Russia in the coming months would be an acid test of their good will. It would also demonstrate to what extent Russia was needed by these European nations and whether they needed Russia’s sympathy at all. The Fourteen Point Plan also demanded that the invaded portions in every nation should be restored by Russia and that the United States would be partners with all such governments that fought against the imperialists. This made the Soviets become distrustful towards the United States. Another reason why the soviets developed distrust in the United States was when they refused to help Russia’s reconstruction after the war under the Lend-Lease Act of 1941. By the end of summer of 1945, after the WWII had ended, the United States knew that the Soviet economy was in a state of near collapse. The Soviets had lost 20 million soldiers during the war and another 20-30 million during Stalin’s decade of purge trials. Any number of factories and railroad tracks had been destroyed. Stalin had been able to fulfill his promise of industrialization during the Five Year Plan to his people but all that been achieved were now in a devastated condition. Because of all the destruction that had taken place in Russia, United States knew they were in a stronger position and when the Soviets approached the United States for the much-needed economic aid for recovery, they were denied this privilege. The Soviets’ request for a six billion dollar loan had already been denied. Under the Lend-Lease Act of 1941, earlier the United States had shipped

Business Environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Environment - Assignment Example In addition, the current economic, political, social and environmental factors significantly determine the organizational structure as well as financial performance of businesses. In order to address the needs of all the supply chain partners including the producers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, employees and customers among others, companies have embarked on creating an environment that enables the participation of all the stakeholders. This paper keenly analyzes how the current economic situations have shaped the operations of Coca-Cola and Body Shop Companies in the local and international markets. Coca-Cola Company Coca-Cola Company is an American based firm that is headquartered in Atlanta. Being the market leader in the soft drinks industry, Coca-Cola specializes in the production of wide range of non-alcoholic beverages. The company operates in more than 200 countries. In order to meet the demands of all its customers, Coca-Cola has wide range of products that include Coke, Nestea, Fanta, C2 Cola, Dasani water and Sprite among others. The purpose of Coca Cola is outlined in its mission that include creating customers value and making a difference, refreshing the world as well as generating moments of happiness and optimism in the contemporary world. In the same way, the company aims at involving its partners including the bottling companies in its global operations. Ownership of Coca-Cola Company Coca-Cola is a public limited company. This means that for an individual to own a share of the company he or she should buy the company’s stock. In its effort to strengthen its capital base, Coca-Cola shares are quoted in various stock exchanges that include New York Stock Exchange, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston as well as Pacific (George 9). Responsibilities The responsibility of Coca-Cola is to instigate healthy living among its consumers and members of the public in general. In order to achieve its objectives, the company has undertaken various corporate social responsibilities including sponsoring of Olympic Games in Canada and Vancouver among other places. In addition, the company is focused at improving the environment through adoption of various initiatives such as the use of recyclable bottles and reduction of footprints within its premises and surrounding environment. Organizational structure In order to effectively serve its large number of customers, Coca-Cola has established various market segments which include Latin America Group, Far East and Middle Groups, North America Groups, Europe Groups, Minute Maid Company and the African Group (Aaker 26). The well experienced human resources under the leadership of Muhtar Kent, the company CEO has led to high sales and increased profitability in the international market. The corporate human resource is responsible for designing of procedures and policies that are followed by the company. On the other hand, the duty of local human resources department is to implement the various human resources systems that are put in place by the company. Shareholders and Shareholders objectives Being a limited company, Coca-Cola does not restrict members of the public from being its shareholder. As mentioned earlier, the company stocks are sold in various exchange ma rkets thus allowing high number of investors to be part of the company ownership. The main objective of the Coca-Cola shareholders is to attain high returns on their investments. Similarly, the shareholders aim at increasing their quarterly dividend. In order to meet the objectives of the shareholders, Coca-Cola uses the services of

Regulation of Muscle Hypertrophy Essay Example for Free

Regulation of Muscle Hypertrophy Essay Our skeletal muscles make up 40-50% of our total mass and are essential for all humans to move, breath, and stand up straight. For the first 20 years of our lives and for those physically active after our muscles are continually growing. Satellite cells are responsible for this growth in our skeletal muscle and are referred to as muscle stem cells. When skeletal muscle cells are traumatized due to physical trauma or disease the regeneration process includes three general processes, destruction, regeneration and remodeling. What regulates these three processes? How are they signaled to initiate the cell cycle and what nutrients and systems do they require to carry out the processes of regeneration and growth†? Muscle regeneration is a daily occurrence for almost animals. The complex systems involved in regenerating the organ system that makes up over 40% of our bodies need to communicate properly, understanding how this is done can open doors for recreational and medical opportunities. Main Point: Understanding the regulation of muscle hypertrophy requires an understanding of satellite cells (SC), the environment they reside in (niche) and the growth factors that stimulate and inhibit their activation. Sub Point: Satellite Cells lie in a specific niche that allows them to remain inactive until needed, residing between the sarcolemma and basal membrane of muscle cells (myofibrils). One side of the cell is attached to the basal membrane by two factors. First, the satellite cell has a layer of integrin alpha7beta1 which lies on the side where growth factors and inhibitors from the vasculature, autocrine and motor neuron systems can be received to signal an active or inactive state. Anchoring the satellite cell and its layer of integrin to the basal membrane are laminin, creating a selectively permeable membrane. On the opposite side where the satellite cell resides in a small recess on the myofibril, the satellite cell is attached to the sarcolemma by M-cadherine. On the myofibril side the satellite cell receives signals from the immune system and the myocyte nucleus. The location of SCs allows signals to be sent from multiple systems, such as Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which is secreted from the Extracellular Matrix (ECM). (Kralaki, Fili, Philippou Koutserilieris. 2009). Satellite cell structure is somewhat unique because for the most part of their existence in a healthy body they are quiescent or inactive. Because of their mostly dormant stages they have few organelles and an abundance of cytoplasm (Kralaki, Fili, Philippou Koutserilieris. 2009). Also noted is the higher concentration of satellite cells near neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) as well as a higher concentration near slow twitch muscle fibers compared to fast twitch fibers. The reason for these concentrations is currently unknown. Lastly, muscle cell concentration dramatically decreases after birth and decreases further through age. In mice it was shown that after birth satellite cells accounted for 30% of sublaminar muscle nuclei and at the age of 2 months that number has shrunk to less than 5%, showing that satellite cells play in important role in early generation of muscles and limbs (Kuang, Gillespie Rudnicki, 2012). Sub Point: Satellite Cells are activated by growth factors (MGFs) when muscles are damaged. There are many systems known and suspected of influencing SC activation and deactivation. Some include the vascular system, the immune system, the neuromuscular system, the autocrine system, and finally the myocyte nucleus. Most of the activation is influenced by the immune system after a muscle cell has been damaged. Once traumatized, Necrophils and Macrophages of the immune system migrate to the site of damage and phagocyte the damaged muscle cell material while releasing growth factors to activate quiescent SCs. At the same time the growth factors stored in the extra cellular matrix, vascular systems, and myocyte nuclei are also released after muscle injury. Examples of the growth factors released by all of these systems are HGF, IGF-1, and IGF-2. These factors bind to satellite cells and initiate SC migration to the damaged cite and start the mitotic cell cycle. Research regarding migration of satellite cells to damaged sites is in its early stages of understanding, what seems to be agreed upon is that factors released from the ECM, immune system, and muscle cells affect the migration of SCs to damaged sites. One factor, TGF-beta, which is released by the immune system is thought to directly attract satellite cells to damaged areas as experiments with a TGF-beta antibody extract reduced SC migration (Griffin, 2009). Activated SCs express MyoD and Myf5 (Broek, Gregte Hoff, 2010). The up regulation of these two factors is evident in every initially activated SC. There are more than 20 different chemo reactants being studied that are known to somehow affect SC migration (Griffin, 2009). Sub Point: SCs proliferate and rebuild at the site of damaged myofibrils. a. SC enter the cell cycle when activated, creating both unspecified stem cells and myofiber specific cells which fuse with existing cells to bridge and fill the damaged area. (Ciciliot Schiaffino, 2010) b. M-cadherin attaches SCs to a myofiber, which is crucial for cell-to-cell fusion and proliferation c. 8 key growth factors are known to stimulate and inhibit the processes of muscle cell regeneration. (Broek, Gregte Hoff, 2010) Conclusion: Current research has yielded information about the regulatory proteins and hormones that trigger satellite cells and immune responses to either inhibit or activate muscle hypertrophy. The knowledge associated with what turns on and off specific systems of muscle cell activity advances medical solutions to muscle atrophy and recreational solutions to body building and general muscle health. Future research could yield treatments that alleviate various diseases associated with muscle failure and degeneration as well as advancements in sports medicine and injury rehabilitation.

I Will be an Asian Newscaster :: Autobiography Essay, Personal Narrative

â€Å"This is Sandy Le, reporting from Channel 7 News.† In five years, I see myself as a newscaster broadcasting to my local Bay Area. I will be following in the footsteps of a well-known Vietnamese news anchor named Thuy Vu. She has helped open a door for other Vietnamese people to expand their career options in American society. As a newscaster, I will expand my knowledge of different cultures and take advantage of the many opportunities to learn about what lies outside my own community. Her inspiration will help me excel in this, my chosen career. Thuy Vu came from Vietnam. Traveling thousands of miles by boat, she escaped Vietnam with her family when Saigon fell to the communists toward the end of the Vietnam War. In America, she gained a general education and then went to UC Berkeley where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Rhetoric. She started her journalism career in public radio at KQED-FM in San Francisco, and then moved to National Public Radio. Eventually, she worked at several Bay Area news stations as a reporter. In August 2000, she joined ABC7 and became a co-anchor on Sunday Morning News at 7am and 9am. She also generously donates her time to community groups, often emceeing fundraisers, giving keynote speeches, or judging competitions. Over the years, she has received numerous awards from her hard work in radio and journalism, and was honored Best Reporter in the Bay Area by American Women in Radio and Television. She also won two national awards from the Asian American Journalists Association, one for a multi-part series on post-war life in her homeland of Vietnam. These were just a few awards among many that she has accumulated or have been nominated for. When I wanted to be a reporter, I noticed only a few Vietnamese working in the media. Eventually, I will want to contribute to the number of Vietnamese faces in the media with my own presence. I’ve always wanted to be a reporter who travels around discovering interesting stories about the community and bringing them to others’ attention. I find media communication is one of the best resources for expressing news and current events. I Will be an Asian Newscaster :: Autobiography Essay, Personal Narrative â€Å"This is Sandy Le, reporting from Channel 7 News.† In five years, I see myself as a newscaster broadcasting to my local Bay Area. I will be following in the footsteps of a well-known Vietnamese news anchor named Thuy Vu. She has helped open a door for other Vietnamese people to expand their career options in American society. As a newscaster, I will expand my knowledge of different cultures and take advantage of the many opportunities to learn about what lies outside my own community. Her inspiration will help me excel in this, my chosen career. Thuy Vu came from Vietnam. Traveling thousands of miles by boat, she escaped Vietnam with her family when Saigon fell to the communists toward the end of the Vietnam War. In America, she gained a general education and then went to UC Berkeley where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Rhetoric. She started her journalism career in public radio at KQED-FM in San Francisco, and then moved to National Public Radio. Eventually, she worked at several Bay Area news stations as a reporter. In August 2000, she joined ABC7 and became a co-anchor on Sunday Morning News at 7am and 9am. She also generously donates her time to community groups, often emceeing fundraisers, giving keynote speeches, or judging competitions. Over the years, she has received numerous awards from her hard work in radio and journalism, and was honored Best Reporter in the Bay Area by American Women in Radio and Television. She also won two national awards from the Asian American Journalists Association, one for a multi-part series on post-war life in her homeland of Vietnam. These were just a few awards among many that she has accumulated or have been nominated for. When I wanted to be a reporter, I noticed only a few Vietnamese working in the media. Eventually, I will want to contribute to the number of Vietnamese faces in the media with my own presence. I’ve always wanted to be a reporter who travels around discovering interesting stories about the community and bringing them to others’ attention. I find media communication is one of the best resources for expressing news and current events.

Conflicting Medical Reports Essay

In this paper I will give you a description of the case that was discussed, I will also discuss what you should do if conflicting medical opinions are presented by your general physician and the companies physician, and which medical expert’s advice counts more and why? I am also going to discuss if the case presented is a charge of discrimination and if it is relevant to this case and why? Lastly, if I was presented with a case similar to this what would I do? This case is about an employee named Donald Knolls who was an air traffic control supervisor for International Gateway Airport (IGA). In, 2007 Donald begun to experience depression and depression related problems due to severe stress caused by the job. In 2008, Donald was granted disability leave to undergo treatment for his illness. Eight months later and after extensive treatment and evaluations. Donald’s personal physician, and consulting licensed psychologist agreed that he could return to his former position. IGA sent Donald to their physician that they assigned to him to approve the disability, before they would sign off and approve him to go back to his supervisory job. After the evaluation of IGA’s physician concluded that Donald has made great strides to improving he should not return to his supervisory position because, the job conditions have not changed and Donald was apt to the stress too much. If Donald wants to return to work he must take a non-supervisory position for six months and be re-evaluated at that time to determine if he can return back to his supervisory potion. Donald was very angry and not happy with this arrangement and filed a grievance through IGA’s alternative dispute resolution procedure. After several meetings the employer maintained that they had the right to rely on the medical opinion of a fair and impartial physician who determined that Donald should not be returning to the position since that was the cause of the stress after all. Management pointed out the provisions of Donald’s disability leave which stated that it may require appropriate documentation if it believes an employee is not fit to return to their former position. Donald hired an attorney to represent him and stated that the disability leave provisions were clear but, biased against the employee because they disregarded what their personal physician and psychologist stated. Donald’s lawyer also stated that he was a victim of discrimination based on his formal state of depression. The medical expert that IGA assigned to the company has assigned to the case should take some precedence, but that the expert physician should take in consideration or even consult the personal physician and psychologist that was treating Donald. The company hires their own physician’s due to the high risk job that is in questioning. The company makes sure that their employee’s are fit to work and make sure that all of the planes take off and land safely. Also, some companies have their own physician’s due to insurance purposes, if they get a physician assigned to them especially in airline field, the liability insurance is probably cut. Discrimination can be part of the situation but, if you think about it it could go both ways. I Donald’s eyes yes he is being discriminated against because, he did a good job, got help for is problem, and is ready and willing to go back to his position, thinking that the company would hold his position since they are the ones that approved his disability. But, if you see it on the companies side, then no they are not being discriminating against Donald, they are making sure that the safety of everyone at the airport and all the airlines, employees, and passengers are safe, they are making sure that he is not going to be a liability to them and everyone else. If I was in this situation and presented a case like this I would study Donald’s case, speak with all three physicians and then bring this up with the Board or even the other managers and see what the best solution would be. It could be that he would be in a lower rank position for thirty days. But, I really feel that I would recommend for Donald to be put back into his position but to be watched and monitored very closely and make sure that everything is ok before he is let go on his own. If he proves to be ok, then everything is great but, if they see that the stress has gotten to him again then they can speak to him and see if there is another position or something that they can do for him. In conclusion, I have given you a description of the situation, gone over if the advice of the medical expert that the company brought forth or if you should go with the personal physician’s opinion, if the charge of discrimination presented by Donald’s lawyer relevant and if this case was presented to me what decision I would do. In job’s like an air traffic controller you must be able to put up with a lot of stress. Many people are not able to do the job, and the ones that can do it are special and that is why they make the money.

The population of Australia is constantly changing

All communities in developed countries, such as Australia, are divisions that constantly change to suit their environment, the environment meaning the demographics of its citizens. A community is a group of people that share a common belief or interest. Over the last sixty years, Australian communities have changed due the varied population and migration policies now enforced. As time goes on, communities will change at an increasing rate. The demographics of a community often control the type of community that will exist: how it will operate. Generally, demographics show the age, status and education that exists within a community. For example, a less isolated, inner-city, urban area will have a generally high education, good job and high standard of living. Ofcourse, a community will attract people of the same background. Another important factor in a community is the technology that is available. The access to technology illustrates the type of background and plays a vital role in a community's development. The lack of technology in rural communities is what often makes them feel very isolated from the outside world. On the other hand, an urban community will have technology that will help them in everyday life and connect them with the rest of the globe. The population of Australia is constantly changing. Like many other countries, it is divided into rural and urban population. The nation has seen a devastating change in population density in rural areas. Residents of rural areas are involved in primary activities such as farming, fishing and mining. The existence of a drought has repelled people from rural areas, making them move to urban areas. This type of migration is called rural-urban migration. As a result, urban areas are experiencing a change in the make-up of communities. The indigenous people of Australia are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent. After European settlement, the size of the indigenous population declined dramatically. However, this has all changed in the past 60 years. At the end of the 1960's, the indigenous population was at a steady 90, 000 – 100, 000. However, since 1971, the indigenous population has increased to over 400, 000. Migration is the movement of people from one location to another. Overtime, the number, countries of origin and reasons for migrating to Australia has changed. For example, a woman in the 1950's would have migrated to Australia perhaps to escape war, and could have been from a variety of countries. Nowadays, people migrate to Australia for family or job opportunities, and many come from Europe. In the past 60 years, the proportion of overseas born residents in Australia has increased by 12%. These changes started after World War II, when many Australians feared an invasion from countries to the North. One of these countries was Japan, whose navy proposed an invasion in 1942. In Australia, people are employed in 4 main work sectors: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Quaternary. In the middle of the twentieth century, service jobs in the tertiary and quaternary industries began to expand. By 1954, there were more workers providing services than there were providing goods. Employment patterns of men and women have changed over the last 25 years. Significantly, the proportion of women who were employed has increased over the period. Changing social attitudes and smaller families have contributed to these changes in women's employment. Greater proportions of women now have higher education qualifications. Education appears to draw women into the workforce by instilling in them more career related attitudes and by enhancing their potential wages in the labour market. Paid work may also provide women with opportunities for social interaction and job satisfaction. However, it is women who continue to carry the greater responsibility for caring and other unpaid work, effectively placing them under increased time pressures. Women's working patterns may impact on their ability to balance work with other responsibilities. Marriage trends in Australia have changed increasingly in the past few decades. Proportion of couples marrying in 2004 who lived together before the wedding: 75 per cent; in the 1970s: 16 per cent. The average age at marriage for men in Australia in 2001 was 31, compared to 26 years old in 1981. For women in Australia the average age at marriage in 2001 was 29, compared to the average age of 23 in 1981. Proportion of couples in Australia living together in 2004 who are married: 87.6 per cent. All in, all out, Australia can only go uphill from here. The Great Southern Land, The Land Down Under†¦Terra Australis is and continues to be the best place to live in, just after Paradise.

Vertebrates - Vertebrata - the Animal Encyclopedia

Vertebrates - Vertebrata - the Animal Encyclopedia Vertebrates (Vertebrata) are a group of chordates that includes birds, mammals, fishes,  lampreys, amphibians, and reptiles. Vertebrates have a vertebral column in which the notochord is replaced by multiple vertebrae that form a backbone. The vertebrae surround and protect a nerve cord and provide the animal with structural support.  Vertebrates have a well-developed head, a distinct brain that is protected by a skull, and paired sense organs. They also have a highly efficient respiratory system, a muscular pharynx with slits and gills (in terrestrial vertebrates the slits and gills are greatly modified), a muscularized gut, and a chambered heart. Another notable character of vertebrates is their endoskeleton. An endoskeleton is an internal assemblage of notochord, bone or cartilage that provides the animal with structural support. The endoskeleton grows as the animal grows and provides a sturdy framework to which the animals muscles are attached. The vertebral column in vertebrates is one of the groups defining characteristics. In most vertebrates, a notochord is present early in their development. The notochord is a flexible yet supportive rod that runs along the length of the body. As the animal develops, the notochord is replaced by a series of vertebrae that form the vertebral column. Basal vertebrates such as cartilaginous fishes and ray-finned fishes breath using gills. Amphibians have external gills in the larval stage of their development and (in most species) lungs as adults. Higher vertebrates- such as reptiles, birds, and mammals- have lungs instead of gills. For many years, the earliest vertebrates were thought to be the ostracoderms, a group of jawless, bottom-dwelling, filter-feeding marine animals. But during the past decade, researchers have discovered several fossil vertebrates that are older than the ostracoderms. These newly discovered specimens, which are about 530 million years old, include Myllokunmingia and Haikouichthys. These fossils exhibit numerous vertebrate traits such as a heart, paired eyes, and primitive vertebrae. The origin of jaws marked an important point in vertebrate evolution. Jaws enabled vertebrates to capture and consume larger prey than their jawless ancestors. Scientists believe that jaws arose via the modification of the first or second-gill arches. This adaptation is thought to have at first been a way of increasing gill ventilation. Later, as musculature developed and the gill arches bent forward, the structure functioned as jaws. Of all living vertebrates, only the lampreys lack jaws. Key Characteristics The key characteristics of vertebrates include: vertebral columnwell-developed headdistinct brainpaired sense organsefficient respiratory systemmuscular pharynx with slits and gillsmuscularized gutchambered heartendoskeleton Species Diversity Approximately 57,000 species.  Vertebrates account for about 3% of all known species on our planet. The other 97% of species alive today are invertebrates. Classification Vertebrates are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Chordates Vertebrates Vertebrates are divided into the following taxonomic groups: Bony fishes (Osteichthyes) - There are about 29,000 species of bony fishes alive today. Members of this group include ray-finned fishes and lobe-finned fishes. Bony fishes are so named because they have a skeleton made of true bone.Cartilaginous fishes (Chondricthyes) - There are about 970 species of cartilaginous fishes alive today. Members of this group include sharks, rays, skates, and chimaeras. Cartilaginous fishes have a skeleton that is made of cartilage instead of bone.Lampreys and Hagfishes (Agnatha) - There are about 40 species of lamprey alive today. Members of this group include pouched lampreys, Chilean lampreys, Australian lampreys, northern lampreys, and others. Lampreys are jawless vertebrates that have a long narrow body. They lack scales and have a sucker-like mouth.Tetrapods (Tetrapoda) - There are about 23,000 species of tetrapods alive today. Members of this group include birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Tetrapods are vertebrates with four limbs (or whos e ancestors had four limbs). References Hickman C, Roberts L, Keen S. Animal Diversity. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill; 2012. 479 p. Hickman C, Roberts L, Keen S, Larson A, lAnson H, Eisenhour D. Integrated Principles of Zoology 14th ed. Boston MA: McGraw-Hill; 2006. 910 p.

How Christmas Trees Became Popular in the 1800s

How Christmas Trees Became Popular in the 1800s The husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, gets the credit for making Christmas trees fashionable, as he famously set one up in Windsor Castle in the late 1840s. Yet there are reports of Christmas trees appearing in the United States years before the royal Christmas tree made a splash in American magazines. One classic yarn is that Hessian soldiers had been celebrating around a Christmas tree when George Washington caught them by surprise at the battle of Trenton. The Continental Army did cross the Delaware River to surprise the Hessians on Christmas night 1776, but there is no documentation of a Christmas tree having been present. Another story is that a Hessian soldier who happened to be in Connecticut set up Americas first Christmas tree in 1777. While thats accepted local lore in Connecticut, there also doesnt seem to be any documentation of the story. A German Immigrant and His Ohio Christmas Tree In the late 1800s a story circulated that a German immigrant, August Imgard, had set up the first American Christmas tree in Wooster, Ohio, in 1847. The story of Imgard appeared often in newspapers as a holiday feature. The basic version of the tale was that Imgard, after arriving in America, was homesick at Christmas. So he cut down the top of a spruce tree, brought it indoors, and decorated it with handmade paper ornaments and small candles. In some versions of the Imgard story he had a local tinsmith fashion a star for the top of the tree, and sometimes he was said to have decorated his tree with candy canes. There actually was a man named August Imgard who lived in Wooster, Ohio, and his descendants kept the story of his Christmas tree alive well into the 20th century. And there is no reason to doubt that he decorated a Christmas tree in the late 1840s. But there is a documented account of an earlier Christmas tree in America. First Documented Christmas Tree in America A professor at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Charles Follen is known to have set up a Christmas tree in his home in the mid-1830s, more than a decade before August Imgard would have arrived in Ohio. Follen, a political exile from Germany, became known as a member of the abolitionist movement. The British writer Harriet Martineau visited Follen and his family at Christmas 1835 and later described the scene. Follen had decorated the top of a spruce tree with small candles and presents for his son Charlie, who was three years old. The first printed image of a Christmas tree in America seems to have occurred a year later, in 1836. A Christmas gift book titled A Strangers Gift, written by Herman Bokum, a German immigrant who, like Charles Follen, was teaching at Harvard, contained an illustration of a mother and several small children standing around a tree illuminated with candles. Earliest Newspaper Reports of Christmas Trees The Christmas tree of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert became known in America in the late 1840s, and in the 1850s reports of Christmas trees began appearing in American newspapers. A newspaper report described an interesting festival, a Christmas tree, which was viewed in Concord, Massachusetts on Christmas Eve 1853. According to the account in the Springfield Republican, all the children of the town participated and someone dressed as St. Nicholas distributed presents. Two years later, in 1855, the Times-Picayune in New Orleans published an article noting that St. Pauls Episcopal Church would be setting up a Christmas tree. This is a German custom, the newspaper explained, and one that has been of late years imported into this country, to the great delight of the young folks, who are its especial beneficiaries. The article in the New Orleans newspaper offers details indicating that many readers would be unfamiliar with the concept: A tree of evergreen, in size adapted to the dimensions of the room in which it is displayed, is selected, the trunk and branches of which are to be hung with brilliant lights, and laden from the lowest bought to the topmost branch, with Christmas gifts, delicacies, ornaments, etc., of every imaginable variety, forming a perfect storehouse of rare presents from old Santa Claus.What indeed can be more gratifying to children than to take them where their eyes will grow big and bright, feasting on such a sight on the eve of Christmas. A Philadelphia newspaper, The Press, published an article on Christmas Day 1857 which detailed how various ethnic groups had brought their own Christmas customs to America. It said: From Germany, in particular, comes the Christmas tree, hung all round with gifts of all sorts, interspersed with crowds of small tapers, which illuminate the tree and excite general admiration. The 1857 article from Philadelphia whimsically described Christmas trees as immigrants who had become citizens, stating, We are naturalizing the Christmas tree. And by the time, an employee of Thomas Edison created the first electric Christmas tree in the 1880s, the Christmas tree custom, whatever its origins, was permanently established. There are a number of unverified stories about Christmas trees in the White House in the mid-1800s. But it seems the first documented appearance of a Christmas tree wasnt until 1889. President Benjamin Harrison, who always had the reputation of being one of the less interesting presidents, was nonetheless very interested in Christmas celebrations. Harrison had a decorated tree placed in an upstairs bedroom of the White House, perhaps mostly for the entertainment of his grandchildren. Newspaper reporters were invited to see the tree and wrote fairly detailed reports about it. By the end of the 19th century, Christmas trees had become a widespread tradition throughout America.

Lean Manufacturing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Lean Manufacturing - Essay Example Corrective action must be taken after survey. The idle time is too high and not permissible in any way. With the supply coming in weekly, the issue to each process should be regulated. Movements both within the section and between sections must be speeded up by use of trolleys, installation of conveyors and use of fork-lifts, wherever suitable. This must be identified and put in place as top priority. At the moment we are paying a lot of wages plus overtime to workers for doing nothing. With such heavy idle time as against so little productive time, we need to cut down one shift altogether and move to a regime of controlled efforts and by using Pull methods of Just in Time system of inventory. ERP software plays a vital role in the success of Lean manufacturing setup. Nothing will be gained by just designing a superb system and by laying down rules and parameters. A well-understood, well-defined and easy to follow implementation plan must be prepared. This is to be done with active assistance from the solution providers. The Implementation Team along with the Company designated resources must first carry out a joint Systems Requirement Study (SRS). This SRS must consider all points raised in the strategy above and identify the areas of data entry points. It is these areas that have to be carefully monitored to see that accurate data is available. With accurate data available, the company can take corrective action based on actual information. This will go a long way in bring down wastages and eliminating downtime and idle time. A productive maintenance plan is to be drawn us to ensure that downtime is brought down to zero level with accurately planned maintenance schedules prepared in advance. Spares are to be procured for such programmes well before time. Having said this, these weak links are to be paid extra attention and care is to be taken to make the workers understand that

Applying your knowledge of immunology, analyse the causes of Essay

Applying your knowledge of immunology, analyse the causes of Cl.difficile. Discuss interventions for the prevention of Cl.difficile and the appropriate treatment for this infection - Essay Example C. difficile is a spore forming, anaerobic bacilli, shows positive Gram reaction and is known to be associated with nosocomial diarrhea. It is an etiological representative of pseudo membranous colitis (PMC) and 15-25% of diarrhea associated with the intake of antibiotics (Bartlett, 2002). It is known that bacteria adapt to the shifting environment and so do their response to antibiotics, making them resistant and more virulent. Severity of CDAD is also associated with similar paradigm. In severe and acute cases CDAD may cause ulceration and hemorrhage. The disease encompasses diarrhea, fever, amplified fecal leukocytes, abdominal cramping and dehydration; leading to hypoalbuminaemia, toxic megacolon, colonic perforation and PMC causing amplification in morbidity and mortality (Poutanen, 2004). Pathogenic Clostridium difficile produces exotoxins- A and B. They have potential role in causing CDAD (Pothoulakis, 1996). Strains producing toxin either A+ B+ or A‑B+ are responsible for virulence while non-toxin producing strains are non virulent and do not cause diarrhea. In normal individuals, enteric pathogens are prohibited from establishment due to native intestinal microflora, contributing to host’s defense mechanism. Clostridium difficile is a potent pathogen that successfully establishes infection because of its immense ability to produce toxins thereby paving the way for C. difficile colonization. Toxins generated by C. difficile are highly enterotoxic and cytotoxic. Healthy individuals possess antibodies serum IgG and intestinal secretory IgA against toxin A, and efficiently bind to the intestinal receptors of toxin A. This is a condition where humoural response to toxin A is hampered and thus C. difficile finds way for proliferation. The action of toxin A causes disruption of epithelial cells, enhanced fluid emission, damage of mucosa, irritation and tenderness due to enhanced permeability of tight junctions causing diarrhea or PMC

Letter of Proposals on Improving Employees Productivity Case Study

Letter of Proposals on Improving Employees Productivity - Case Study Example Employee morale is at an all-time low manifested by resignations, tardiness, low productivity and other employee behaviors that indicate disinterest in their work and company. This is dangerous for the company because it undermines its competitiveness and viability as a business organization. The Research Plan There is an obvious need for management problem to address and arrest this issue among the company’s human resource. For the management implement to be effective however, we need to know what is/are the root cause/s of the employees’ discontent or disinterest with the company and their job. There are two strategies that I intend to use to get feedback and information from the employees. First is the anonymous survey so that employees can honestly provide information about their disenchantment about the management and second, through focus groups that will be conducted by a third party consultants so that employees will not be encumbered by management presence that would prevent from disclosing what they really think and feel. These combined tools will allow the management to double check consistency of findings that will help in determining the real cause of employee’s disenchantment with the company. ... sult of survey Consultant begun their focus group discussions August 2-14 Interpretation of survey results Interpretation of focus group discussions August 16-22 Drafting of report of both the survey result and focus group discussion August 23 Submission of report of the cause of employee morale and recommendation of course of action to address this issue. Qualifications I have taken classes in human resource that focuses on employee motivation and how it relates to performance and productivity. I have also attended leadership workshops on how to make people tick and on how to bring the best of them. I have taken finance classes and I am well aware how low productivity can affect the company’s position in the market. I had some marketing class and know how a poor product can affect the company’s competitiveness. I also taken some summer jobs and is well aware on how employees respond to management implements that they tend to work better if they are motivated. Conclusio n Being in the management, I am certain that you are well aware of the employee’s poor performance and high attrition rate. This proposal does not only intend to determine the root cause of such problem but will also find solution on how the management can address this kind of a problem. The methods applied in determining the root cause of our employee’s problem can also be verified by comparing the consistency of results of the two methods that will be used – survey and third party consultant focus group. The proposal is also time efficient that could produce the necessary information about the issue and its recommendations in less than two months. In effect, the proposal will allow the management to formulate plan of action/s in less than two months. This will put the management in a better

Comparing Nuclear Energy To Other Energies Sources Environmental Sciences Essay

Comparing Nuclear Energy To Other Energies Sources Environmental Sciences Essay This report contains information on five different types of energy sources. It is a literature study that compares two renewable (solar and wind) sources and two non-renewable (coal and natural gas) sources to nuclear energy. The comparison is based on factors such as usage, cost (both capital costs and running costs), safety and stability, storage of waste and the impact on the environment. The sources are individually compared to nuclear energy. In the comparisons only the factors relevant to the two energy sources being compared at any given time are considered factors are not repeated in the comparison. It also looks at whether the medias portrayal of the dangers of nuclear energy is accurate or whether it overestimates the dangers involved in producing nuclear power. The aim of the report was to determine the viability of nuclear energy as a source of power to support electricity needs of the population in the future. This is a literature study addressing the portrayal of nuclear energy by the media and its viability as an energy source in comparison to other methods of generating electricity. The report compares Nuclear energy to energy generated by coal, natural gases, wind and the sun (i.e. solar energy). The energy types are individually compared to Nuclear energy. Each section highlights specific problems and advantages associated with Nuclear energy as it relates to the energy to which it is being compared. Factors taken into consideration include the costs involved with the various types of energy, how much it is being used globally, impact on the environment, storage of waste, safety and stability. The report was written to meet the requirements laid down by JSQ216, a second year engineering subject at the University of Pretoria. The report was completed by allocating each of the four group members a specific energy to research and compare to nuclear energy. The research was then completed by using journal articles, books, internet sites and approaching two engineers about the problem. The information was processed, the reliability of the sources assessed and a short portion of the report was generated by each group member. All four parts were then put together for the final report. Figure 1: Break down of solar energy[2]The sun has been around since the beginning of time but only recently has it been used as a source of renewable energy. Approximately 120000 TW of solar energy is absorbed by the Earths surface which is equal to 10000 times the total global demand for energy. Only 0.1% of this energy would be required to satisfy the worlds present consumption of fuels.[1] There are three main ways to harness the suns energy. These include solar cells which convert sunlight directly into electricity. Solar water heating where heat from the sun is used to heat water inside panels on roof tops. And lastly solar furnaces that make use of mirrors to concentrate the suns energy into a small space to produce high temperatures. As illustrated by figure 1. There are close to 440 nuclear power plants in the world today which supply 16% of the worlds energy demand, however only 1% is useable energy with the rest being nuclear waste. If 1% of the area where there is recoverable energy utilised solar energy devices all the worlds energy needs could be met with solar energy alone. If 10% of the area were to be utilised then in two years the electricity produced would be equal to all known reserves of fossil fuels.[1] Cost problems with solar energy are the high capital costs involved in the installation of solar panels which can be very expensive. The need to store energy because of solar availability due to factors such as time of day and weather conditions is also costly. Countries at higher altitudes with daily cloud cover will have an economic disadvantage due to long distance transfer of energy. Maintenance of panels also has to be considered. Nuclear energy is presently cheaper than solar power however the construction of the facilities and the disposal of radioactive waste is costly and can affect the environment.[3] Solar power is relatively safe to use as long as you do not look directly into the suns rays or come into contact with hot solar panels. In the case of nuclear power it is also safe to use as the nuclear reactors are equipped with redundant systems to make sure there is no nuclear meltdown. This makes it a very stable energy source. Nuclear energy starts to get more dangerous in the form of spent fuel rods and radioactive waste. Even though nuclear energy is reliable and stable as a whole, when something does go wrong it can become very serious and very dangerous. Solar energy does not have any form of waste as replaced panels and components can be reused or recycled. Nuclear energy has two types of waste products, the spent fuel rods which if not stored properly in pools of water to cool down could become very unstable. The other form is radioactive gasses and other waste products that if released into the atmosphere can pose various risks. Solar energy produces no waste or pollution. Waste from nuclear power must be sealed and stored underground for long periods of time. This waste must be kept safe from external factors and from human contact in order to prevent a threat. Such a threat is currently under way at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan where a pool of spent fuel rods caught fire this year. Solar power is a renewable power source therefore it is environmentally friendly. It is silent and requires no fuel therefore there is no pollution. It even decreases the amount of harmful green house gasses. Although there are many advantages to solar energy there is still the fact that a large amount of panels is required to produce the needed electricity. This becomes very costly. It is reliable and has no risks that are associated with nuclear energy. Nuclear energy on the other hand is not a renewable source and if not handled in the correct way could impact the environment in a negative way. Even though it does not contribute to global warming like other fossil fuels, the waste gasses it does produce could potentially cause radioactive sicknesses and cancer in humans and other life forms. A summary of the advantages and disadvantages of solar and nuclear energy can be found in the tables below Table 1: Advantages of Solar and Nuclear Energy Solar Energy Nuclear Energy Renewable energy source Does not emit green house gasses Has no volatile waste Plenty of resources available Once panels are in place the energy is free Cheaper than solar power Table 2: Disadvantages of Solar and Nuclear Energy Solar Energy Nuclear Energy Does not work at night Radioactive waste Currently very expensive Long-term storage required for waste products Requires big fields in order to harvest a suitable amount of energy Some reactors produce plutonium which can be used to make nuclear weapons All around the world we require every energy source that we can get including nuclear. All energy sources have both pros and cons. Even though nuclear energy is portrayed as an unstable source of energy it is in fact one of the most reliable and stable types in the world today. The downside is in its waste that if treated incorrectly could land in the hands of terrorists. In the next 20 years there will be emerging economies throughout the globe that will require low cost, environmentally friendly alternative energy sources and Nuclear power is expected to satisfy this demand. Wind Energy Wind power is the generation of electricity through the use of wind to spin turbines, which in turn, convert the winds kinetic energy into electricity. [1] The process of using wind as a power source has been in use throughout history from around the 12th century where windmills were used to mill grain. [2] Wind power generation uses wind turbines to make electricity, wind mills for mechanical power and wind pumps for pumping water. [2] It is a renewable energy source that not many countries have attempted to develop. Wind Power Worldwide June 2010 [3] Country Capacity (MW) USA 36.3 China 33.8 Germany 26.4 Spain 19.5 India 12.1 Rest of the World 46.9 Total 175.00Table 3: Wind Power Worldwide June 2010 In June 2010, The World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) published that 5 countries alone accounted for approximately 73% of the worlds total wind energy production namely USA, China, Germany, Spain and India. [3] Figure 2: World Electricity Production 2008 On the other hand, nuclear energy production seems to be far more popular in a lot of countries with some countries such as the USA and France having no less than 104 and 59 nuclear reactors in operation respectively [4] in early 2010. A study done in 2008 to find the percentage of each type of energy that is globally produced showed that wind forms part of only 2.8% whereas nuclear energy accounts for 13.4% of the worlds total power. The main disadvantage of wind power is the unreliability of the wind itself. In most areas the winds strength is too low to spin a turbine. However, if wind energy were to be used in unison with solar and/or geothermal energy it could be developed into a stable and reliable source of power. The wind turbines themselves are quite safe with only a few reported cases worldwide of damaged blades caused by bad weather, none of which has resulted in any known injuries. [5] Nuclear reactor plants make use of radioactive materials to generate electricity. The idea that these materials could become unstable and get out of control is one of the main concerns (along with radiation poisoning) for countries producing nuclear energy. The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 lead to better, more efficient protocols being put into practice leaving most countries to believe that they are now better prepared to handle any destabilizing of the nuclear materials. [6] Nonetheless, wind energy remains theoretically a lot safer than nuclear plants even with all the safety precautions they take. The consequences are much higher for a nuclear disaster than for a wind turbine failure. Wind turbines do not emit any waste products as they do not burn any sort of fossil fuels or radioactive materials, so there is no concern over where to store or dispose of emissions safely- unlike nuclear energy. The radioactive materials (like Uranium and Plutonium) that are used up in nuclear power plants continue to produce dangerous radiation for thousands of years after they have been used up as a fuel for nuclear energy. The most effective way to store these depleted materials has not yet been found but for now they are being kept in underground storage pools where they will not be harmful to anybody. [7] The initial setups of both wind turbines and nuclear power plants are quite costly. But once built, wind turbines are cheaper to maintain than the power plants, but they are both relatively cheaper to maintain than their fossil fuel counterparts with the nuclear materials lasting a very long time and with wind being a free resource to be used. Environmental Impact: Both wind and nuclear energy as it is being produced, is friendly to the surrounding environment (except in the tragic case where radiation is leaked from the power plant). However, wind turbines do make more noise than the power plants which is disruptive to any locals staying near the turbines. [8] The amount of space that a wind turbine takes is less than that of an average nuclear power plant and the disruption to the environment during construction is worse for the power plants because they take so much longer to be built. [8] Coal Energy Coal, the most abundant and affordable of the fossil fuels (1), is a non-renewable energy source. It has been used as a source of energy for thousands of years and has numerous important uses such as in electricity generation, steel and cement manufacture, and industrial process heating. Coal often proves to be the only alternative when low-cost, cleaner energy sources are unable to meet the growing energy demand faced with today (1). Fossil fuels are formed from the organic remains of prehistoric plants and animals that have undergone changes due to heat and pressure over millions of years. The process is still taking place today but the rate of energy storage is small. The annual biomass production stored this way represents only around 0.001% of the current world energy use (2). Even though charcoal can be made artificially, it is not possible to produce it at the rate of consumption (3). Therefore, coal is regarded as a non-renewable energy source and is bound to get depleted. According to BPs (British Petroleum) Statistical Review of World Energy 2010, there is a estimated 826001 million tons of proven coal reserves worldwide, or 119 years reserves-to-production ratio(length of time that the remaining coal reserves would last if production were to continue at the previous years rate )(4). However, compared to other fossil fuels, coal reserves are the largest ones and are more evenly distributed worldwide. Nuclear energy is also a non-renewable source as it is reliant upon a finite source of fuel that can be exhausted. Although, the worlds known uranium resources increased by 15% in two years to 2007 owing to increased mineral exploration The uranium (and sometimes plutonium) used in nuclear power is a natural resource and is a common metal found in rocks all over the world. The World Nuclear Association suggested that there is approximately (13) 160 years of supply at todays rate of consumption. Coal is mainly used as a solid fuel to produce electricity and heat. The coal is usually pulverized and then combusted in a furnace with a boiler for the generation of electricity. The steam which results from the combustion is then used to spin turbines, which drives the generators thus creating electricity. When coal is heated at approximately 1000 degrees Celsius in an airless environment, Coke is produced. The Coke is then used is used to smelt iron ore for the production of steel. A by-product of this heating is Coal gas, which is a composition of methane and hydrogen, is produced. Coal gas was used for residential lighting and cooking in the 1940s; but it was very costly and so it was stopped. However, in recent times, these gasification processes are being developed to be more cost effective and so coal gas is often used as fuel for engines. Nuclear power plants create electricity through a process called fission in which subatomic particles called neutrons split uranium atoms, producing tremendous amounts of energy. The result of the fission of these large atoms is the creation of smaller atoms and radiation. The energy produced is then absorbed by water which heats it and so stream is produced. The steam is then used to spin turbines as in the case with coal power plants. According to the Key World Energy Statistics 2010 (5), 27% of the worldwide energy demand was fulfilled by coal in 2009.Coal was the second largest source of energy followed by Oil supplying 33.2%. China is a major producer with coal with coal always playing a dominant role in its primary energy consumption. China consumed a high 46,9% of the coal supplied and produced the most coal (45,6%) according to the BP Statistical World Energy Review 2010. World primary energy demand is expected to continue to grow steadily, as it has over the last two decades According to the International Energy Outlook 2010 (an assessment by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the outlook for international energy markets through 2035), world consumption of coal increases by 56% over the next two decades(6). Nuclear energy supplies the world 5.8% of the worlds consumption which is less than a quarter of what coal supplies. This is expected as there are only 442 operable nuclear power stations world-wide, the first one being created about 50 years ago which is relatively recent. The extraction of coal involves two types of mining: surface (strip) mining and underground mining. Surface mining involves the removal of coal deposits close to earths surface whereas underground mining is removing deposits found hundreds of meters below the earths surface. Underground mining accounts to approximately 60% of the worlds coal production (7) and requires the creation of shafts and tunnels that are dug in to the coal layers. There have been numerous tragic occurrences in the history of coal mining as it is a very risky business and devastating accidents occur in all countries that produce commercial quantities of this mineral. Most mining accidents occur as a result of cave-ins, methane explosions, mine wall failures, vehicle collisions or the flooding of the mine shafts. Also suffocation, gas poisoning, respiratory ailments (mainly Black Lung Disease) were common. Over 100,000 miners have dies over the past century in coal-mining accidents in the U.S (2nd largest producers of coal) only (8). However, most of these risks have been reduced in present-day mines owing to modern technology and health and safety acts setting stricter standards. Nevertheless, in lesser developed countries and some developing countries, continue to experience significant numbers of mining fatalities each year. The abundance of coal makes it easily accessible and the use of cheaper modes of transportation makes this resource an inexpensive form of energy when compared to energies such as solar, wind or hydro. It is also slightly cheaper than the costs involved in producing nuclear energy. When comparing the economics in producing energy from these two sources, it is important to consider several different types costs associated with both coal and nuclear energy. This includes costs associated with the fuel used in the production of energy which tend to be lower in a nuclear plant even though more intricate steps are involved in the production of the fuel assemblies used in the reactors. Transportation costs are, however, high for coal because a significantly large amount of coal is needed to generate the same energy as with the nuclear fuel. The capital costs are the costs associated with the initial construction of the plant and the modifications forms an important part when comparing the costs. For a nuclear plant, these costs are usually higher than for any other energy forms as the buildings used for containment or the safety-related equipment need to meet higher standards than those met by traditional coal plants. On the other hand, coal plants are required to include scrubbers to remove airborne pollutants as a result of the burning of the coal. Another consideration is the operation and maintenance costs involved. These are the costs involved in the day-to-day operation of the coal and nuclear plants. This includes labour costs, material costs, government fees and property taxes. It is found that the costs are very similar in both the plants. The costs associated with the by-product waste should also be taken into account. For a coal plants, this is the coal ash and for a nuclear plant, these costs include a charge levied by the government for ultimate storage of the high level waste. This charge is a flat fee based on energy use. The waste costs for nuclear energy is considerably higher than the costs for coal plants. Thus, the costs involved in producing coal and nuclear energy are roughly the same (9). The burning of coal is known to contribute to global warming, and is linked to environmental and health issues such as acid rain, smog and asthma owing to the particulate emissions that are emitted from power stations. According to the World Health Organisation, it is estimated that air pollution kills more than 2 million people annually (10). Coal is the largest contributor to the human-made increase of CO2, a greenhouse gas which causes global warming and climate change in the air (11). Strip mining causes large areas of land to be temporarily disturbed and this causes soil erosion and impacts on local biodiversity as after the land has been scraped and quarried for coal, it is usually abandoned. The waste after coal has been combusted is often disposed of in landfills or surface impoundments, which are lined with compacted clay soil and a plastic sheet. As rain filters through the toxic ash pits over years, the toxic metals are leached out into the local environment. Coal sludge i s the liquid coal waste generated by washing coal and is known to contain toxins, and so leaks or spills can pollute underground and surface waters. (12) Natural Gas Energy The Natural Gas used in power production is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas made primarily of methane and other hydrocarbons (including ethane, propane, butanes and pentanes). It also contains carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen sulphide and nitrogen, in smaller quantities. Natural gas is a molecular compound with Van Der Waal attraction between its molecules[1]. It has a boiling point of -161oC and is stable at a wide variety of temperatures and pressures[1]. Natural gas is transported in its liquid form as it taken up 600 times less space as a liquid than it does as a gas and weighs 55% less than the same volume of water. It is a result of the decomposition of plants and animals and is found in pockets beneath the earth and ocean. Natural gas is an important source of power in the modern world. According to Makogen (2010:49) if we were to use 17 to 20% of the worlds natural gas resources, we would be able to provide the world with energy for 200 years. Although it currently only accounts for 20% of the worlds energy, the demand is expected to increase substantially over the next 20 years. It is a cleaner fuel source than any other fossil fuel[2] emitting nearly no sulphur dioxide and far less carbon dioxide and NHx than either oil or coal. Natural gases can also be used in conjunction with other power generation methods, such as biomass[3], to produce energy which will change the amount of pollutants emitted. Nuclear stations do not produce the same pollutants as fossil fuels do but waste management remains the primary concern in nuclear technology. The waste products of a nuclear station are isotopes with extremely long half-lives. The storage of these waste products means creating a safe storage space that needs to last longer than all the human civilisations combined. There are three different levels of nuclear waste, high level, medium level and low level. Low level waste is not very dangerous and disposing of it is not a problem. The danger comes in with high level radioactive waste. The waste is encased in concrete drums and buried up to a kilometre and a half into the ground[5]. However, high level radioactive waste cannot be stored near any other high level radioactive waste as it will interact with the other waste. It is also important to find stable ground in which to store the waste, as concrete can crack and break in the event of an earthquake or tremor. South Africa is one of the safer places to store nuclear waste as it has a geologically stable countryside. Some areas, like the northern Karoo, have experienced about 30 000 years of stability. In between the removal of the waste from use and the final storage of the waste it needs to be left to soak in water for a period of time, to get rid of some of the residual radiation. In this time the fuel rods need to be safely guarded as the waste products are used in the creation of dirty bombs and nuclear bombs. A dirty bomb is a normal bomb containing high level radioactive waste and is detonated above a city, allowing the radioactive particles to contaminate the water supply in addition to other damage. [5]Plutonium, one of the waste products of a nuclear power station, is a primary component in atom bombs and the rods often have to be processed to remove all plutonium before they can be disposed. The use to which the waste products can be used also means that measures need to be taken in ensuring that any country with a nuclear power station does not use the waste in a nuclear weapons program. It also leaves a country more vulnerable to nuclear attack as should a dirty or atom bomb land near a nuclear station the products of the two would react with each other, compounding damage. The waste from a nuclear station can be greatly reduced by the correct management of the station but it still remains a serious threat. Cold fusion could theoretically produce energy without radioactive waste but experiments with cold fusion have produced very little energy, not even enough to power a light bulb. Cold fusion is also regarded as a scam by many scientists and has the same notoriety as perpetual motion and free energy in many scientific circles[9]. The level of efficiency of natural gas as a power source is, however, very much dependent on the technology used to produce the power. In a comparison of different technologies[4] it was found that Natural Gas combined cycle technology was the most efficient of the Natural Gas technologies. The technologies were compared based on efficiency, capital costs, maintenance costs, the service life and electricity costs (calculated based on the cost of the fuel, the maintenance costs, capital cost and service life). The capital costs of the combined cycle technology were just over à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬500 with an expected maintenance cost of less than à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬0.005 per kilo Watt hour and a service life of 20 years (i.e. the time the plant operates before equipment needs to be replaced.) A nuclear station has to replace its one third of its fuel rods annually[5] Comparatively, a nuclear stations capital costs are higher than any other fuel source[6] but they produce electricity at a very low cost which offsets the initial high cost. This can be seen in figure 2, below, which shows a comparison of the cost to generate energy for various technologies. The cost of power from a nuclear plant also tends to remain stable[7] even if the cost of uranium varies as up top 75% of the fuel cost in a nuclear plant is to cover the start-up cost. On the other hand, natural gas prices are very dependent on the supply and so prices tend to vary. Natural gas is also subject to carbon taxes in some countries because of its emissions, which reduces its cost efficiency. Figure 3: Cost of Energy Generation for Different Technologies Location also plays a very important role in determining whether or not natural gas or nuclear energy is the most efficient solution of a country. A country that is abundant in fossil fuels and does not pay carbon taxes would find that natural gas was a far more suitable technology. However, when it becomes necessary to import natural gases, the supply security of the plant becomes compromised and it Nuclear may be a more financially viable option. Both Nuclear and Natural Gas sources have the advantages of being able to supply on demand. Most renewable energy resources are offered on an as-available basis[8]. This means that you do not need to run a coal station alongside a nuclear station in case it does not produce enough energy to meet demand. Conclusion Media is incorrect in portrayal, too extreme but still not safe Waste disposal is dangerous, careful consideration as to storage facilities Safety, security Vulnerability to nuclear attack