Disease and Conditions of the Circulatory System Essay

Disease and Conditions of the Circulatory System - Essay Example Tablets should be counted daily and every attack should be noted and reported to the doctor/physician. If you are using the transdermal Ointment, squeeze the prescribed dose to the applicator then spread it in a thin layer on the patch. Then put the patch on the skin surfaces without hair. Finally cover and wrap with secure tape. The ointment should not touch your fingers. Keep changing the areas of application to avoid inflammation. Store the container in a cool dry place. The Hypertensive heart disease is a number of combined complications of the systematic arterial hypertension or high blood pressure affecting the heart. There is hypertensive heart disease with heart failure and that without. It is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and and ischemic heart disease. It is caused by chronically elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the pressure of the blood vessels, making the heart to work harder while pumping blood. The heart muscles thicken and the left ventricle of the heart is enlarged. The heart can no longer pump the amounts of blood it could before. This leads to the thickening of the blood vessel walls .It accounts for 90% of the cases of hypertension in adults. Framingham conducted a study that showed that the disease accounts for a quarter of the heart failure cases. It has been common in the elderly. Its preference is high due to the many reported cases of blood pressure today. Due to societal anxieties, more and more people are being diagnosed with blood pressure a risk factor of the heart disease. This inturn makes more people prone due to the heredity factor. Leisure activities like smoking and not eating healthy also have led to the increase in the rate of prevalence. Other contributing risk factors include obesity and diabetes which are on the rise daily. The prevalence can be reduced by people living healthier lifestyles and avoiding smoking, eating healthy and exercising. One should

Real Estate in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Real Estate in America - Essay Example According to the expert analysis the wide involvement of real estate in equally the 1984-88 booms plus the 1988-92 bust in innovative England has been well acknowledged. A theatrical rise in housing prices fueled customer expenditure, building employment prolonged additional than 50 percent, and in general employment enlargement was concerted in "inhabitants serving organization." (Browne, Lynn F., 2002) According to the expert reports and analysis, 72 percent of all bank lend throughout the explosion was collateralized through real estate, and real estate loans accounted for other than 90 percent of Bank of New England's losses. Advanced situation rates, lower rents, and senior capitalization rates (distinct below) led to pointed declines in profitable real estate values. Analogous real estate association in the financial cycle had been recognized earlier in Texas and was experiential afterward in California, Alaska, and Hawaii of America. If we analyzed then we come to know that the latter was dangerous to Primo's policy to swim through the big fish, since considerable deals now need the backing of real estate titans. "There are trillions of dollars of assets stand for by New York association that spend crosswise all asset classes," says Primo (Case, Karl E., 2005, 83-92). If we analyzed the marketing effor... But flouting into the real estate asset advisory trade was chiefly challenging. Moreover, the country was mired in a depression, the real estate market was firm hit, and no recognized white-owned organization in the U.S. was willing to take a possibility on two fairly unknown black men in such unfortunate marketplace conditions (Clayton, Jim. 2005, 341-63). Subsequent to lots of failed attempts to get hold of startup capital from U.S. firms, Primo and Carter determined to look overseas. They logical that they knew the U.S. market improved than some European companies so race would be less of a issue and that it was a good time for a overseas firm to buy into the American marketplace since real estate prices was miserable. Consequently they approached Chesterton worldwide, a 200-year-old, London-based real estate corporation. Moreover, Primo and Carter used Chesterton's early investment to wrap operating expenses awaiting they got their primary big break in 1993, when the state of Connecticut gave them $100 million of the state's retirement fund finance to straight, which they located more often than not in real estate investment properties (Miles, Mike, and Nancy Tolleson. 2003). According to the expert analysis, Trilogy gives Capri retail real estate securities asset funds that are deal in the public markets at a time when shareholder attention in real estate securities is growing. Primo approximation the market for real estate securities at almost $300 billion and rising, and he vows to take advantage of on that enlargement. Conclusion In synopsis, profitable real estate is a important part of the nation's collection of assets. The market nowadays is as strong as it is ever been, through no clear signs of overbuilding. While commercial real estate markets stay

Ikeas Entry Strategy In Russia Marketing Essay

Ikeas Entry Strategy In Russia Marketing Essay Globalisation is the growing trend towards worldwide markets in products,capital and labour,unrestricted by barriers.Globalisation is not a new process but it has accerelated in recent years with the rapid growth of multnational companies and expansion of free international trade with the key feature of Globalisation that have an impact on business strategy are; Increased international trade as barriers to trade are reduced. Growth of multanational businesses in all countries as there is greater freedom for capital to be invested from one country to another. Freer movement of workers between countries. Direct investment is when a business entering a foreign based assembly or manufacturing facilities.Globalisation is having a great impact on the marketing strategies adopted by businesses that trade internationally. One features of globolisation is that national and regional difference in tastes,culture,fashion and wants are becoming less obvious. According to some analysists (e.g Levitt) The world is becoming more standardised in the goods and services that it is demanding. If this is true, then the opportunies for companies to use technology to gain massive economies of scale by selling the same product across the globe are huge. Other writers ( e.g Donglas and Wind ) suggest that substantial differences still exist in consumer needs in different countries` markets.Standardisation is only one option for entering these markets and this will sometimes fail.The alternative is for businesses to adapt a global marketing mix to local needs and conditions this is called localisation. Product adaption involves changing the product to meet local conditions or wants. For example, finish cell phone maker Nokia customises its cell phones for every major market. Developers build in rudimentary voice recognization for Asia where key boards are a problem and raise the ring volume, so phones can be heard on crowded Asian streets. Nokia is also making a major push to create full featured but rugged and low cost phones that meet the needs of affluent consumers in large developing countries such as India,China etc. Product standardisation: The term `standardisation` indicates the presence ot certain desirable qualities like utility durability, safety and desirable features like design, weight, colour in a product. Standardisation refers to the process of setting standards for a commodity on the basis of its desire qualities. Standardized global marketing refers to an international marketing strategy for using basically tha same marketing strategy and mix in all the company`s international markets. IKEA is the Swedish home furnishing company having more than 200 stores in 32 countries selling a range of some 10,000 articles and having more than 84,000 employees within IKEA group. IKEA as a multinational company entering Russia with strategy based on adaptation and on standardisation. A strategy based on adaptation to meet local condition or wants in foreign market(Russia). This strategy is adopted to the larger extent as it is supported by the following evidences from case study. IKEA has an impression that few companies in Russia focused on solving the needs of the many people by offering attractive products at reasonable prices. It enters the market knowing exactly that there is a gap market demand left therefore decided to think global but act local. Entry strategy was based on the view that there is a need to live and learn about the new market before setting the strategies. Within IKEA, setting up a new bussiness was described as very little theory and very much practice. IKEA`s entry strategy based on taking stock of the existing situation. The mostly used technique is called SWOT analysis ,i.e strengths,weaknesses,opportunities and threats. IKEA identifies the key needs and wants of Russian, for example low level of education and lack of experienced management staff and takes the task to train and prepare the local people who will be ready to lead further expansion process. As a manager has commented about his management group My main task is really to make this group more Russian and export people for the upcoming expansion IKEA practesed home visits to customers inorder to talk to people see how they live and used their homes and to identify potential needs and wants not fully realised by customers themselves. Understanding local family conditions and furnishing traditions them provided as a basis for an effective introduction and marketing of the IKEA concept. A store manager pointed out that the main priority in Russia is the normal living costs and then comes the car and TV and afterwards may be a trip abroad. One example of how IKEA has considered the local preferences is in developing the room settings to refect local conditions in terms of apartment sizes and local traditionals of furnishing. It should also be possible to mix Mix and match the range with the Russian home. IKEA`s entry strategy for Russian based on standardization, the market concept holds that marketing program will be more effective if tailered to the unique needs of each targeted customer group. Consumers in different countries still have widely varied culture backgrounds.They differ significantly in their needs wants spending powers, product preferences and shopping patterns, because these differences are hard to change, IKEA adapt their products prices, channels and promotions to fit consumers desires in Russia. IKEA decided to apply adapted Global marketing strategy for adjusting the marketing strategy and mix elements to each international target market bearing more costs but hoping for a larger market share and return. Standardised marketing strategy for using basically the same marketing strategy and mix all the company internationally markets. IKEA`s basic strategy neither to adjust the style of the products of the local,needs nor follow the competitors`s product development was central preserving the IKEA concept and image the range is supposed to be ,IKEA unique and typical IKEA All range of product are divided into four major categories or styles, scandinavian country, modern and young Swede,which are clearly distingushed in all businesses areas across the store. One of the reasons why IKEA was successful with its standard product ranges in Russia was the fact that several of these IKEA ranges emphasise the morden style,which is very different from the traditional Russian style but is attractive and new for the Russian customers since it symbolises change. However, IKEA`s entry strategy on adaptation and standardisation was limited ,that the store played an additional role by becoming the training site for new employees. Since IKEA was totally new to many Russian customers to bring people as much as possible in the store in order to learn about IKEA becomes an additional task. IKEA is trying to strike the balance between adaptation and standardisation in the Russian market. IKEA introduces more or less the same product range in all new countries irrispective of what is considered popular by local customers. In Russia IKEA`s Scandinavian furniture design in some contract to the historically preferred dark wood, massive, lacquered, expensive furniture. In order to support this strategy IKEA most often identifies the potential needs that are similar across markets. 3. IKEA`S MARKET BEHAVIOR IN RUSSIA Selling in foregn market was once too risky and expensive for most firms, so only large businesses growing too large for their national markets are used to commit to this form of marketing. Improved communication, better transport links and free International trade. For many firms International marketing is now an opportunity to profitably exapand their sale indeed, for some firms it is no longer an option to remain based in just one country. Consumer make many buying decision everyday and the buying decision is the focal point of their market`s effort. Most large companies reseach consumers buying desicions in great details to answer questions about what consumers buy, where they buy, how and how much they buy, when they buy and why they buy. Market behavior depends on the factors that affect consumers behaviour. Culture is the set of basic values, perceptions, wants and behaviors learned by member of society from family and other important institutions. Failure to adjust to these differences can result in effective marketing or embarrasing mistakes. Company are always trying to sport culture shifts in order to discover new products that might be wanted. Cultural factors exert a broad and deep influence on consumer bahaviour. The marketer needs to understand the role played by the buyyer`s culture, sub culture and social class. IKEA company in Russia enters by recreating its company culture from scratch. In Moscow that included the replication of the store design and layout in accordance with the latest version in the existing store and extensive cultural education that was carried out by the team of experienced IKEA people. Another IKEA approach was to create needs that could be satsfied within the range and to inspire customers with numerous new solutions based on existing range. The theme Living with small spaces was one such solution used in Russia. Consumers` behavior also is influenced by social factors, such as consumer`s small groups, family and social roles and status. Marketers try to identify the reference groups of their target markets. Reference group expose a person to new behaviors and life styles, influence a persons attitudes and self concept and create pressures to confirm that may affect the person`s product and brand choices. The importance of group influence varies across products and brands. It tends to be strongest when the product is visible to other whom the buyer respects. Personal factor also influnce market behavior of the market. A buyer`s decision also are influenced by personal characteristics such as buyer`s age and life cycle stage, occupation ,economic situation, life style, personality and self concept. People change goods and services they buy over their lifetimes, taste in food, clothes, furniture and recreation are often age related. Buying is also shaped by the stage of the family life cycle the stages through which family might pass as they mature over time. Marketer also define their target and develope oppropiate products and marketing plans for each stage. IKEA`s market behavior in Russia has been different due to the fact that Russia ia an emerging market that has advanced. Since IKEA was totally new many Russian customers to bring people as much as possible in the store in order to learn about IKEA and get a positive attitude was a main goal from the very begining. IKEA put a strong emphasis on making the Russian customers feel welcome and important in the store which was very unusual for Russian stores at the time. The way the range was presented and the opportunity to touch and test everything in the store also made the products much more desirable to the Moscow customers. This was new and unusual retail approach. Another respect that IKEA company used, it considered the local preferences in developing the room setting to reflect local conditions in terms of apartment sizes and local traditions of furnishing. Also building an image of low price brand that guaranteed attractive and morden products of good quality. IKEA was completely to the journalists and introduced them to the IKEA way and values by organising press trips to Almhult in Sweden to learn how the range is created. The result was that the press coverage of IKEA in Russia become much more positive. IKEA operations in Russia was the fact that IKEA was the only company that stayed in Russia after the currency devaluation and subsoquent collapse in August 1998 when almost all the foreign companies left the country,that created an immediate effect of trust an willingness to cooperate with IKEA on the part of the major Russian politicians By concluding the IKEA marketing behaviour in Russia has been different in reapects of Russian culture, social factors, personal factors, economic situation and psychological factors. 4. IKEA`S VISION ,ITS MARKETING STRATEGY AND INFLUENCE IN RUSSIA Business vision is the statement of what the organisation would like to achieve or accomplish in the long term. Basically a vision statement is what the organisation wants to become (future) e.g Nokia-our vision is a world where every one is connected ,Minnesota Health Department(USA) the vision is to keep all residents healthy, McDonald`s Reustarants-Mc Donalds has a vision where the world buys more McDolnalds than any other fast food. A brand is the name sign ,symbol design or combination of all used to distinguish the product of one firm from others. A brand is the means by which the firm identifies itself with customers e.g ITC for Indian Tobacco Company, family names such as Tata steel, IBM Computers etc. Positive brand equity derives from customer feelings about and connections with a brand. Consumers sometimes bond very closely with specific brands.For example one Michigan couple had such a passion for Black Decker`s Dewalt power tool brand that they designed their entire wedding around it. Building a strong brands posses challenging decisions to the marketer. Major brand strategy desicions involve brand positioning, brand name selection, brand sponsorship and brand development. Managing brands companies manage their brand careful. First the brand positioning must be continously communicated to tha consumers. Major brand marketers spend huge amounts on advertising to create brand awareness and to build preference and loyalty. Such advertising compagns can help to create name recognition, brand knowledge and may be even some brand preference. However the fact is that brands are not maintaned by advertising but by the brand experience. To day consumers come to know a brand through a wide range of contacts and touch points.These include advertising but also personal experience with the brand, word of mouth, company web, pages and many others. IKEA can be regarded as a global brand because IKEA is a leading home furnishing company with more than 200 stores in 32 countries, sellimg a range of some 10,000 articles and having more than 84,000 employees within the IKEA group. IKEA marketing strategy in Russia influenced/contribute to the company`s brand vision by focusing on solving the needs of the many people by offering attractive products at reasonable price. IKEA enters Russia by recreating its company culture from scratch. In Moscow that included the replication of the store design and layout in accordance with the latest version of the existing store and an extensive culture education that was carried out by the team of experinced IKEA people. Marketing communications become an important means to create tha right image of IKEA .The ways to communicate the image through the out door products, image ads in the glossy magazines, TV, buzz network or word of mouth. Internal organisation processes also supported the positioning strategy. Common activities carried on a regular basis were informal and formal discussions at the store level where co-workers from once or several store depertments take part.The discussions covered different costomer issues the best ways to present the range to the customers. Market data and experience were also transfered and shared within and between different depertments and units at the company. By conluding the marketing strategy in Russia contribute to the company`s brand vision by focusing on solving the needs of the many people by offering eye-catching-product,communications,Internal organisations and positioning strategy 6. IKEASS OPPORTUNITIES TO ACHIEVE LONG TERM SUCCESS, MAIN CHALLENGES AND MEASURES IN RUSSIAN MARKET Identifying successfull business opportunities is one of the most important stages in being an effective company. Many compnaies say they want to work for themselves butthey do not make the leap to success because they have not been able to identify a market need that will offer sufficient demand for their product to allow thebusiness to become profitable. International business operate more than one country, these are often called multinational companies. Multi national companies are business organistaions that have their headquaters in one country, but with operating branches in other countries. IKEASS opportunities to achieve long term success in the Russian market was that the IKEAS owner saw Russia as a long term investment also enables the management to supply a long term view that may become a competitive advantages in the yearto come. IKEA was successfull with its standard product range which was the fact that several of these IKEA ranges emphasizes the modern style which is very different from traditional Russian style but is attractive and new for the Russian customers since its symbolise changes. Marketing communication became an importnat means to create the right image of IKEA in Russia. Government authorities and officials of different ranks were also critical stakeholders group. Their goodwill and support was crucial for IKEA expansion in Russia. However IKEA has faced some challeneges in Russia such as: Lack of experienced local workers, Totally new to many Russian customers, High customs fees , neccessity to purchase more from the local producers, difficult in finding and developing suppliers in Russia, Low buying power of Russin customers. Russian customers low price wasvery strongly related to unattractive products of poor quality and one of the challenges has been to overcome this and explain how it is possible to offergood products at low prices. Measures taken by IKEA to overcome the challenge were: providing training programs to local workers, improving market communications, adapting the local Russian culture, common activities carried out on a regular basis were formal and informal disccussion at there levels were co-workers from one or several departments take part.

Racism In America :: essays research papers

If someone asked you what it would be like to live in a perfect world, how would you reply? Many people might say something like, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A place without and arguments or fighting.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Others might say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A place where there is not pollution.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  But, has anyone one ever thought to say, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A place without racism.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ? For some Americans, racism has never even crossed their minds. For others, it is something they have to live with everyday. In some societies in America, racism isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even a factor, all citizens of the community get along. But, in other societies, racism is a case that could be life threatening. Racism, in definition, is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the belief that humanity is divided into stratified genetically different socks called races; according to ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s adherentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s racial differences make one group superior to another.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Ethics; Walker, Randolph Meade, 722) If you are a racist, you believe in racism. Racists will often claim that members of their own race or minority are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“mentally, physically, morally and/or culturally superior to those of other races.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (The World Book Encyclopedia; Pettigrew, Thomas F., 62) For these reasons, many racists think they deserve special rights or privileges. The Bill of Rights was written a little under 200 years ago, yet controlling racism in America is still a task no one can seem to over take. In South Carolina, a Confederate flag still waves high over the capitol for everyone to see. Is the kind of example we want to set for the youth of America? To people in Europe, Asia, and on other continents, America is a wonderful place to live. It has been said to be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“one of the greatest nations on earth.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Nova; Marshall, Christopher) Yet, our struggle to regulate all of our citizens is a revolutionary war that has yet to and probably will never be won. Slavery is said to be one of the greatest racial tragedies to ever happen in America. Upon the entrance of this new millenium, slavery and racism is still practiced in America. White Americans have their forefathers to blame for the hatred and anger they have in their hearts concerning races different from theirs. What is said to be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the God-given right to equality and ultimate freedomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Nova; Marshall, Christopher) has been crushed for many, by the uncited ignorance of my à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"finelyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ educated people. Racists often need someone to blame for the wrong-doings, hatred and stupidity in America. Who better to blame than someone with skin of a different color? Racism is just another form of prejudice. If a person or group of people acts or dresses differently, these people may get distrusted or disowned. Many people do not recognize the

Aquarius: A New Isotonic Sports Drink In Asia Essay

Background Aquarius is a new isotonic sports drink launched in Asia at the year 2012 by The Coca-Cola Company. Aquarius was introduced in Japan in year 1983 as a grapefruit flavored sports drink as a response to compete for market share with other isotonic sports drinks such as Pocari Sweat,H2O and 100plus.Aquarius was also the official sports drink for Olympics game in Barcelona in 1992 and 2012.As it’s a new launch product in Asia, there’s a need to create awareness to enable consumer to know and have a better understanding about this product. Aquarius is not only an isotonic drink that is able to replenish health but also contains various minerals such as Potassium, vitamins B3, B12, B6 and Guarana. Target Audience With the knowledge of psychographic characteristics is used to describe and identify customers and prospective customers and to aid in developing strategies designed to appeal to specific segments of the market for Aquarius. Aquarius is created to target sports and health cautious consumers as there is a raise in health awareness as people are leading in a more health cautious behavior. Exercise had become a more regular routine and Aquarius is the right isotonic drink to replenish and crunch thirst after a good workout. Thoughts and Feelings Consumers are able to trust Aquarius as it is a product from a reputational beverage company The Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola had been a leading beverage brand in the market; with a good history background it created trust in its products. Aquarius is an official isotonic drink for Olympics 1992 and 2012. With such a massive event and being the official drink had proven its value and gain trust in the market. Well known athletic had consume Aquarius during the game had given it trust on the brand. Objectives and Measures The objective of Aquarius is to become the leading isotonic drink in the market. Measures can be achieved by conducting personal interviews, focus group interviews or conduct public survey to measure how recognized is the brand to consumers. Behavioral Outcome Aquarius would become a brand recall, a brand that will imprint in a person mind. As Aquarius is targeting sporty and health cautious consumers, therefore after a workout or they feel like getting a soft drink to ease the thirst, Aquarius will be the number one brand they will think of and reach out for. Positioning Television advertisement, sports events and sports and health magazines will be heavily advertising Aquarius to promote this product as it is new in Asia. Asia marketing would be on a heavier focus. Aquarius must be easily available, places such as school; stadiums, drinks stores, vending machines and supermarkets will be carrying Aquarius. Pricing plays an important role; it will be sold at an affordable rate. A slogan can be proposed such as Always Energized, this create a catchy term for people to have deeper impression of Aquarius isotonic drink. A striking logo to imprint in person mind, whenever consumer sees similarity will easily associate to Aquarius. Strategy A marathon run that held island wide can be a campaign to promote Aquarius. Proposal like Aquarius run which is held and official drink will Aquarius. Aquarius logo can be printed on the goodies bag and other merchandised included. By holding this event, it can create awareness and publicity, participants also get the chance to taste Aquarius and feel its benefits. Celebrity endorsement is also recommended, by getting a sporty and well known celebrity such as Jackie Chan. Jackie Chan is a well know international artiste and also an athletic, with his martial arts history and stunt act. He would be a good choice to endorse Aquarius. It will gain attraction and create notice of the brand in Asia or globally. Nitty Gritty Details The deadline for client is 13 December 2012 as client had a month to consider and get back. The budget for the production would be estimated at Eight hundred thousand dollars, this include marathon events and celebrity endorsement fee. Bibliography The Coca Cola Company, 2012,[Online],available: http://www.coca-cola.com.sg/beverage_benefits/aquarius.asp view on [13 November 2012] Rtbot,2012,[Online],available: http://www.rtbot.net/Aquarius_(sports_drink) view on [13 November 2012] Conteneo,2012,[Online],available: http://www.infodrinks.com/soft-drinks/sport-drinks/isotonic/aquarius/ view on [13 November 2012]

Alcoholism Feature Article Essay

Introduction (Opening facts): Alcohol is the most dangerous drug in Australia, beating crack and heroin into second and third place in the ranking, according to recent studies. The current research used data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that almost 60% of 18-24 year old current drinkers, who failed to complete high school, began drinking before the age of 16. The survey also revealed that teens are more likely to try alcohol for the first time during the summer months, along with other harmful drugs or cigarettes. Teens are susceptible to alcohol mostly during this time due to more idle time, fewer responsibilities and less adult supervision. Effects and results: With more than 1 in five teens between the ages of 14 and 19 of age, consuming alcohol on a weekly basis, the risk of cancer, digestive diseases and addicted related medical issues are predicted to rise. Those who drink regularly have been proven to have a lower productivity rate than those of unaffected areas. Underage drinking plays a significant role in risky, sexual and often violent behaviour, which can lead to other health issues or injuries. As a result of this, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in people ages 15 to 20. Deadly crashes involving alcohol are twice as common in teens compared with people 21 and older. Further more, mixing drinking with swimming or boating can be fatal. Four out of 10 teens that drown have consumed alcohol. Underage drinking has also been linked with deaths and injuries from burns, falls, alcohol poisoning and suicide. Consequently, the total cost attribute to underage drinking includes costs of traffic cras hes, violent crime and injuries and treatment, equates to over $15.2 billion per year. Signs and prevention: From the results of underage drinking proving deadly and most harmful, people in today’s modern society need to wake up to the signs towards alcoholism, especially towards younger victims. Mood changes, irritability and defensiveness are physical signs, which can be easily recognised. Another example is further school problems such as poor attendance, low grades and rebellion against family rules. Although many of the symptoms may seem typical towards an ordinary teenager, parents and carers should still be aware of these as they may reflect on how their child may be suffering from alcoholism. ‘It is critically important to take every opportunity we can, throughout the year to talk to our young people about the real risk of substance abuse and effective measures for avoiding it, so they will be informed and capable of making the right responsible decision.’ Common Experiences: A recent victim who has suffered from alcohol as a result to his death, is Liam Davies (16). As reported after New Years, Davies drank the tainted alcohol while celebrating New Year’s in Sydney with friends. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was in an unstable critical condition from alcohol poisoning. The Davies family released a statement asking for Australians to be careful when holidaying abroad or drinking in general. â€Å"We would like to make people aware of the risks associated with consuming alcohol, especially without appropriate supervision†.

Dramatic scene Essay Example

Dramatic scene Essay Example Dramatic scene Paper Dramatic scene Paper Note how Marco realises what Eddie is trying to do, so he challenges Eddie to a chair lifting contest, showing Eddie he isnt the strongest man around. Act I ends on a dramatic note with Marco triumphantly lifting the chair above Eddies head like a weapon, giving us a parallel with the end of Act II, when Marco again defeats Eddie in a physical struggle. 16. The Catherine Rodolpho Eddie Triangle A highly dramatic scene In another highly dramatic scene, when a drunk Eddie returns home to find Rodolpho and Catherine emerging from the bedroom, he attempts to humiliate Rodolpho in two ways: First he kisses him full on the mouth, implying to Catherine that Rodolpho is gay. Then he kisses Catherine passionately himself (this first expression of his true feelings for her probably happens because the drink has reduced his inhibitions) to try to show Rodolpho that Catherine is already his (Eddies) and not available. Kissing Catherine marks the point of no return for Eddie. He could no longer disguise his passion for her and he realises, after this scene, that, if he forces Rodolpho out of the flat, Catherine will leave with her fianci so he will need to do something drastic if he is to prevent their marriage. In desperation Eddie goes to Alfieri, the lawyer, to ask if there is anything which can be done legally to prevent the marriage. Eddie says of Rodolpho; the guy aint right. Alfieri informs Eddie that there is nothing the law can do. However, the obsessed, tortured Eddie remembers there is one thing he can do if he is prepared to pay the price. The Conclusion. Realising that there is nothing the law can do to prevent the marriage of Rodolpho and Catherine, Eddie remembers Alfieris words. The lawyer had told him that the only thing he could do to prevent the marriage would be to report to the Immigration Service that he had two illegal immigrants in his house. To do this would amount to a betrayal of his wife, his family and his community and he would be an outcast, shunned by everyone. In schools, pupils who grass on others are despised, so you can imagine what Eddie would have to endure Alfieri had warned Eddie what would happen if he phoned: You wont have a friend in the world, Eddie. Even those who understand will turn against you. Put it out if your mind. But he cant. The rest of the play shows what desperate measures a human being is prepared to take when  he (or she) is in the grip of a great passion or obsession. Eddie has lost control of himself. His brain and common sense have been overwhelmed by his physical and emotional desires even to the point of self- destruction. It is frightening to watch and shows us that a passion, if strong enough, can lead us to betray our community and friends. It is Eddies bad luck that two other illegal immigrants, relations of Lipari, the butcher, have moved into the flat above without his knowing. When he gives the address to the Immigration Service it means he has betrayed these men too and it makes his rejection by his community certain. Marco spitting in Eddies face and naming him as the betrayer are important acts in marking Eddie as a social outcast. The final section of the play opens poignantly with Eddie alone in the rocker, rocking back and forth, emphasising his isolation from his family and community. He reminds me of a wounded lion still trying to prove he is powerful. On the day of Catherine and Rodolphos wedding (emphasising that his act of betrayal had not managed to achieve his aim of destroying their relationship), he is still trying to exert his authority over Beatrice. Eddie: You walk out that door to that wedding you aint coming back here Beatrice. Beatrice: Why? What do you want? Eddie: I want my respect. Didnt you ever hear of that? From my wife. Probably because he knows in his heart that he has lost it, Eddie is preoccupied in these final moments of the play with having respect from his wife and from the community. Catherine tells him openly that he has lost the right to any respect but Beatrice still seems to want to obey and love him. Beatrice says one very important thing, which makes us think hard about the events in the play: Whatever happened we all done it, and dont you ever forget it, Catherine. Beatrice certainly doesnt believe that Eddie is the only one to blame. Do you? There is an important conversation between Marco (awaiting his deportation trial) and Alfieri in prison. You will remember that Eddie was amazed that the law was powerless to stop Rodolpho marrying Catherine; Marco is equally astounded that there is no law to punish Eddie for his betrayal which, as Marco puts it, degraded my brother. My blood. He robbed my children, he mocks my work. Marco realises that, as his family have been insulted, he has a duty, under the code of vendetta, to satisfy the familys honour by gaining revenge on Eddie. So Marco, despite promises to the contrary, seeks out Eddie as soon as he is let out of prison to await his trial. It is easy to miss one significant point. Rodolpho mentions to Eddie that Marco is coming. Hes praying in the church. Part of the ritual of the vendetta was that the person prayed for Gods help and for success in the act of vengeance. It is interesting that murder for revenge was seen not as an act of unjustified violence but divine justice, doing what the law was unable to do. You will note that Marco says, of Eddie, to Alfieri: In my country he would be dead now. He would not live this long. Those who violate the communitys code face the prospect of revenge from the family of the victim. We have learned enough about Eddie to know that he will not try to escape when he knows Marco is coming, although Rodolpho, Beatrice and Catherine urge him to do so. Eddie would have considered this cowardice and he is also determined to make Marco apologise for spitting in his face and making his public accusation of betrayal. Eddie probably knows that he faces a life of loneliness and of being shunned by his community. To him such a life would not be worth living and he would rather risk death in a confrontation with Marco in the hope of perhaps regaining his good name by making Marco apologise. It is a faint hope, but Eddie has to cling to it. In the event, Marco merely repeats his accusations and, in the ensuing fight, kills Eddie. It is a powerful, dramatic ending to the play. The audience is left with many thoughts. Alfieri proclaims Eddies epitaph: He would not settle for half, whereas most of the time, in these civilised days, most of us do. Throughout the play, Eddie has refused to compromise, whereas most of us do, most of the time. He is driven to his death by this aspect of his personality,because of his own, however has refused to accept the fact that he is powerless to prevent his niece from loving someone else and cannot accept that the law is sometimes unable to provide what he, Eddie, considers to be justice. Speaking of Eddies death, Arthur Miller wrote in the preface to the play: We are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing his sense of personal dignity and to gain his rightful position in society. He refuses to remain passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity. Only the passive, only those who accept their lot without active retaliation, are flawless. Most of us are in that category. Eddie, then, is an exceptional man, more prepared to press things to the limit than most of us are. All works of literature have a number of themes. These are ideas which the author has which she or he wants to share with the audience or with readers, for us to think about. So what are the main themes of A View from the Bridge? Betrayal Arthur Miller was particularly interested in what makes a person (in this case, Eddie) betray the trust even of people he loves and of the community in which she or he lives. In most cases it is passion (often sexual desire)which leads a person into betrayal. Eddie betrays Marco, Rodolpho, Liparis relations and their families when he telephones the Immigration Service. He betrays Beatrices love for him by his passion for her niece. He also betrays Catherines love for him as a father-figure and he betrays his own principles, all because he is in the grip of his strong sexual passion. Illusions Many of Millers characters suffer from illusions about what the world is like. This eventually leads to some lack of reality about the nature of the world. Eddies great illusion is that he can keep Catherine as a baby all her life and prevent her having contact with the more unpleasant aspects of life. He also seems to have illusions about what a dangerous world it is and how untrustworthy people are. You may remember the rather cynical advice he gave Catherine: Dont trust nobody. Believe me, Katie, the less you trust, the less you be sorry. The great irony is that Eddie is the one who is less worthy of trust than anyone in the play. Reputation and Community Many of us are content if we believe we have acted properly. If our own conscience is satisfied, we do not worry unnecessarily what others think of us. For many of Arthur Millers heroes, including Eddie, this is not enough. They need to have the communitys approval and respect. You will remember Eddies comment when he is being urged to run from Marco. Eddie says: I want my name. In order to live happily, Eddie needs his good name restored. Many of Millers heroes, including Eddie, would rather die than lose their good name with the rest of the community. Law and Justice A View from the Bridge makes us think about the issues of law and justice. The character, Alfieri, despite knowing in his heart about the probable tragic ending, is unable to do anything because the law is not adequate to deal with the strongest of human emotions. Neither is the law the same as justice. Marco believes that justice would be for Eddie to die because he has, in effect, caused Marcos family to starve. Yet the American law approves of Eddies action in reporting illegal immigrants. Miller, therefore, makes us question whether the law of a country is concerned with justice. The law of the government may be different from the law of the community in keeping the law of the country. Try to think of it in terms of schools. There are the rules (laws) made by the teachers; dont misbehave in class etc. , and the rules of the pupils; dont grass on your friends. Keeping the laws of the teachers may cause you to break the laws of the pupils, and vice versa. The Importance of Fate There seems to be little to be done to avoid the tragedy of Eddies death. It all seems predestined because of the situation Eddie is in and the powerful emotions he has. Miller makes us think about the extent to which human beings are able to control events. Certainly the intelligent Alfieri is incapable of preventing the tragedy. The Style of the Play. There are a few important points: The importance of conflict Note how many conversations in the play have two or more characters in conflict over an issue. This gives the play more energy. Dramatic moments Note how the conversations are broken up by scenes of dramatic action: e. g. the lifting of the chair the kissing scene the boxing scene the fight at the end of the play This means the audiences emotions fluctuate; quiet moments of conversation are broken up by sections of action which raise the emotions of the audience. Links with Greek tragedies.

Free Essays on Asian Rain Forest Deforestation

Deforestation in Asia and the Effects on the Environment and its Peoples† Today, the logging and rate of deforestation of Asian forests is at an all time high. National governments are making a profit from the logging rights to the forests but it is at the expense of the indigenous peoples of the areas. Unless there is an immediate change in this, there will be no way of saving the forests for future generations and the indigenous peoples will lose the way of life they have grown accustomed to. â€Å"The term â€Å"indigenous† has come to be applied to a politically marginalized, territorially based ethnic groups, who are culturally distinct from the majority populations of the nation states in which they have now found themselves, and who recognize themselves as indigenous† (Minority Rights Group International). Today, the Asia-Pacific region has lost over half of its original forest cover and there are no signs of that rate declining. Most of the Asian national governments have sided with the logging companies and sold parts of the forests to them. Not only are the forests being ruined, but the indigenous peoples are being run out of their homes. The indigenous peoples are dependent on the forests and they need them to sustain their lifestyles. The land on which they live is the same land where their ancestors lived. These ancestral territories are not only their economic base, they are also intimately bound up with their cosmologies and identities and comm unities as peoples. The indigenous peoples see themselves as stewards holding the land of their ancestors in trust for future generations. By cutting down the trees in their areas, it would force the indigenous peoples out of their areas and eventually force them to change their way of life. None of this seems to matter to the national governments of Asia or the loggers. They are more interested in their own well being rather than preserving the historical cultures and socie... Free Essays on Asian Rain Forest Deforestation Free Essays on Asian Rain Forest Deforestation Deforestation in Asia and the Effects on the Environment and its Peoples† Today, the logging and rate of deforestation of Asian forests is at an all time high. National governments are making a profit from the logging rights to the forests but it is at the expense of the indigenous peoples of the areas. Unless there is an immediate change in this, there will be no way of saving the forests for future generations and the indigenous peoples will lose the way of life they have grown accustomed to. â€Å"The term â€Å"indigenous† has come to be applied to a politically marginalized, territorially based ethnic groups, who are culturally distinct from the majority populations of the nation states in which they have now found themselves, and who recognize themselves as indigenous† (Minority Rights Group International). Today, the Asia-Pacific region has lost over half of its original forest cover and there are no signs of that rate declining. Most of the Asian national governments have sided with the logging companies and sold parts of the forests to them. Not only are the forests being ruined, but the indigenous peoples are being run out of their homes. The indigenous peoples are dependent on the forests and they need them to sustain their lifestyles. The land on which they live is the same land where their ancestors lived. These ancestral territories are not only their economic base, they are also intimately bound up with their cosmologies and identities and comm unities as peoples. The indigenous peoples see themselves as stewards holding the land of their ancestors in trust for future generations. By cutting down the trees in their areas, it would force the indigenous peoples out of their areas and eventually force them to change their way of life. None of this seems to matter to the national governments of Asia or the loggers. They are more interested in their own well being rather than preserving the historical cultures and socie...

Romanticism in Art History From 1800-1880

Romanticism in Art History From 1800-1880 Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling. Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) Right there, courtesy of Baudelaire, you have the first and largest problem with Romanticism: it is nearly impossible to concisely define what it was. When we talk about Romanticism the Movement, we arent using the root word romance in the sense of hearts and flowers or infatuation. Instead, we use romance in the sense of glorification. Romantic visual and literary artists glorified things ... which takes us to thorny problem number two: the things they glorified were hardly ever physical. They glorified huge, complex concepts such as liberty, survival, ideals, hope, awe, heroism, despair, and the various sensations that nature evokes in humans. All of these are felt- and felt on an individual, highly subjective level. Aside from promoting intangible ideas, Romanticism may also be loosely defined by what it stood against. The movement championed spiritualism over science, instinct over deliberation, nature over industry, democracy over subjugation, and the rusticity over the aristocracy. Again, these are all concepts open to extremely personalized interpretation. How Long Was the Movement? Keep in mind that Romanticism affected literature and music, as well as visual art. The German Sturm und Drang movement (the late 1760s to early 1780s) was predominantly revenge-driven literary and minor-key musically but led to a handful of visual artists painting terrifying scenes. Romantic art truly got underway at the turn of the century and had its greatest number of practitioners for the next 40 years. If you are taking notes, that is an 1800 to 1840 heyday. As with any other movement, though, there were artists who were young when Romanticism was old. Some of them stuck with the movement until their respective ends, while others retained aspects of Romanticism as they moved in new directions. It is not really too much of a stretch to say 1800-1880 and cover all of the hold-outs like Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873). After that point Romantic painting was definitely stone cold dead, even though the movement brought about lasting changes going forward. Emotional Emphasis The paintings of the Romantic period were emotional powder kegs. Artists expressed as much feeling and passion as could be loaded on to a canvas. A landscape had to evoke a mood, a crowd scene had to show expressions on every face, an animal painting had to depict some, preferably majestic, trait of that animal. Even portraits were not totally straightforward representations the sitter would be given eyes meant to be mirrors of the soul, a smile, a grimace, or a certain tilt of the head. With little touches, the artist could portray his subject surrounded by an atmosphere of innocence, madness, virtue, loneliness, altruism or greed. Current Events In addition to the emotionally-charged feelings one got from looking at Romantic paintings, contemporary viewers were usually quite knowledgeable of the story behind the subject matter. Why? Because the artists frequently took their inspiration from current events. For example, when Thà ©odore Gà ©ricault unveiled his gigantic masterpiece The Raft of the Medusa (1818-19), the French public was already well acquainted with the gory details following the 1816 shipwreck of the naval frigate Mà ©duse. Similarly, Eugà ¨ne Delacroix painted Liberty Leading the People (1830) fully aware that every adult in France was already familiar with the July Revolution of 1830. Of course, not every Romantic work related to current events. For those that did, however, the benefits were a receptive, informed viewership, and increased name recognition for their creators. Lack of Unifying Style, Technique, or Subject Matter Romanticism wasnt like Rococo art, in which fashionable, attractive people engaged in fashionable, attractive pastimes while courtly love lurked around every corner and all of these goings-on were captured in a light-hearted, whimsical style. Instead, Romanticism included William Blakes disquieting apparition The Ghost of a Flea (1819-20), sitting in close chronological proximity to John Constables comfortably rural landscape The Hay Wain (1821). Pick a mood, any mood, and there was some Romantic artist that conveyed it on canvas. Romanticism wasnt like Impressionism, where everyone concentrated on painting the effects of light using loose brushwork. Romantic art ranged from the smooth-as-glass, highly-detailed, monumental canvas Death of Sardanapalus (1827) by Eugà ¨ne Delacroix, to J. M. W. Turners indistinct watercolor washes in The Lake of Zug (1843), and everything in between. The technique was all over the map; execution was completely up to the artist. Romanticism wasnt like Dada, whose artists were making specific statements about WWI and/or the pretentious absurdities of the Art World. Romantic artists were apt to make statements about anything (or nothing), dependent on how an individual artist felt about any given topic on any given day. Francisco de Goyas work explored madness and oppression, while Caspar David Friedrich found endless inspiration in moonlight and fog. The will of the Romantic artist had the final say on the subject matter. Influences of Romanticism The most direct influence of Romanticism was Neoclassicism, but there is a twist to this. Romanticism was a type of reaction to Neoclassicism, in that Romantic artists found the rational, mathematical, reasoned elements of classical art (i.e.: the art of Ancient Greece and Rome, by way of the Renaissance) too confining. Not that they didnt borrow heavily from it when it came to things like perspective, proportions, and symmetry. No, the Romantics kept those parts. It was just that they ventured beyond the prevailing Neoclassic sense of calm rationalism to inject a heaping helping of drama. Movements Romanticism Influenced The best example is the American Hudson River School, which got underway in the 1850s. Founder Thomas Cole, Asher Durand, Frederic Edwin Church, et. al., were directly influenced by European Romantic landscapes. Luminism, an offshoot of the Hudson River School, also focused on Romantic landscapes. The Dà ¼sseldorf School, which concentrated on imaginative and allegorical landscapes, was a direct descendant of German Romanticism. Certain Romantic artists made innovations that later movements incorporated as crucial elements. John Constable (1776-1837) had a tendency to use tiny brushstrokes of pure pigments to emphasize dappled light in his landscapes. He discovered that, when viewed from a distance, his dots of color merged. This development was taken up with great enthusiasm by the Barbizon School, the Impressionists, and the Pointillists. Constable and, to a much greater degree, J. M. W. Turner often produced studies and finished works that were abstract art in everything but name. They heavily influenced the first practitioners of modern art beginning with Impressionism which in turn influenced nearly every modernist movement that followed it. Visual Artists Associated With Romanticism Antoine-Louis BaryeWilliam BlakeThà ©odore Chassà ©riauJohn ConstableJohn Sell CotmanJohn Robert CozensEugà ¨ne DelacroixPaul DelarocheAsher Brown DurandCaspar David FriedrichThà ©odore Gà ©ricaultAnne-Louis GirodetThomas GirtinFrancisco de GoyaWilliam Morris HuntEdwin LandseerThomas LawrenceSamuel PalmerPierre-Paul PrudhonFranà §ois RudeJohn RuskinJ. M. W. TurnerHorace VernetFranz Xaver Winterhalter Sources Brown, David Blaney. Romanticism.New York: Phaidon, 2001.Engell, James. The Creative Imagination: Enlightenment to Romanticism.Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1981.Honour, Hugh. Romanticism.New York: Fleming Honour Ltd, 1979.Ives, Colta, with Elizabeth E. Barker. Romanticism the School of Nature (exh. cat.).New Haven and New York: Yale University Press and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.

Does the jury system fits the Qatari legal system Research Paper

Does the jury system fits the Qatari legal system - Research Paper Example Qatari Legal System The Qatar Legal System, which is a unique one, is marked by the two unique features. Firstly, being a conservative Muslim country, Qatar’s legal system is based upon the Islamic Law, which is known as Sharia. Next, subsequent to the country’s independence in 1971, the civil court (Adlia Court) was formed, to address issues resulting from the end of the British control. (1) The legal scene of Qatar is in start contrast to that of the four neighboring Islamic societies: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. In these four zones, special courts or committees regulate the matters of non-Muslim citizens. But it Qatar, it is the aforementioned Adlia Court that is empowered to pass all laws and regulations governing people belonging to religions other than Islam. (1) For the duration of the preceding few centuries, Qatar’s legal system evolved through three phases and reached its present position. The following are the three patterns of law that had governed the three phases: tribal law, sharia law and modern law. During the phase of the tribal law, some of the judgments handed out were barbaric, to say the least. In that stage, the tribal laws and customs were enforced with utmost severity. Subsequently, there was the advent of the stage where, the Sharia, which is the divine revelation of the regulations to be followed, was adhered to. After that, the British ruled Qatar for the period 1916-1971, and during this time, their (British) laws were the ones that governed the country. And after end of the British regime, the Sharia Law regained its position of supremacy, in the country’s realm of Law. (1) It was almost at the time of independence that the revenue that Qatar derived from oil started to display a rapid growth, and thus paving the way for modernization. And along with this modernization came many new problems warranting immediate attention. As mentioned earlier, the Adlia Court came into being primarily with the objective of addressing these problems. (1) Absence of Jury It has been seen that the modern-day legal system of Qatar is the one that is based on Sharia, which is the word of God. Owing to that, the aspect of referring to previous cases, for arriving at the judgment is conspicuous by its absence in the nation’s legal scenario. To put it in other words, as the Sharia is the law given by the Almighty, there is no scope for both ambiguity and also seeking other sources for guidance, in legal matters. In Qatar Courts, the judge arrives at his decision, fully relying upon their knowledge of the Holy Shraia, and hence this judgment cannot be challenged. As it is the divine word that is the source of the country’s (Qatar) law, both the plaintiffs and defendants cannot use the services of lawyers. They (plaintiffs and defendants) are necessitated to directly present their respective arguments, on their own. (2) At this juncture, it needs to be noted that ju ry was not followed by Qatar, in any of the three stages of the legal system. The reason behind that is very simple to understand. When it is divine revelation that is the foundation on which the law rests, there is no scope for too many arguments in the courts. The word of God cannot be questioned. At this point of this write-up, it won’t be out of place in having a brief look at the jury system that is being followed in the United States. This would be of

Poor Kids Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Poor Kids - Movie Review Example She said that her family does not get three meals a day such as breakfast, lunch or dinner. The supposed unorthodox social condition, that is, meals are usually becoming an option or an opportunity instead of a necessity becomes common among poor kids. Who must be held accountable? Also, there is more to poverty that simply hunger, thirst, or deficiencies, things such as discrimination and bullying are another common pair of issues attached to living below the poverty line. Who is to blame? Surely, the responsibility should be taken firstly by the parents. Parents do have the control over the existing poverty among kids. As they choose to become parents, it should be made a significant facet to consider their financial stability, job, etc. Aid should not only come from government spending as they are insufficient and limited. If I quote Margaret Thatcher, â€Å"There are individual men and women and there are families and no government can do anything except through people and people look to themselves first† (Keay, 1987). These poor kids are not supposed to experience poverty and hunger; they should be in school, healthy, and well-provided with everything they need, and that responsibility starts from the parents not from the

Hitler's table talk Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Hitler's table talk - Term Paper Example In fact, he viewed Europe as a racial entity not a political entity. He praised the diligence and ingeniousness of the Germans. He disliked the French, the English and the Russians. He, however, expressed his respect for the English. He equally respects the Italians, attributing the success of the National Socialism in Germany to the Fascist success in Italy. The English were proud yet incapable of creative inventions. His dislike for the Russians was apparent. He considered the Russians as lazy people, who are not motivated to work. Russians are not capable of doing anything good. If at all, some good came out of a Russian, it is due to the â€Å"Aryan blood in his vain† (Cameron and Stevens 4). He dislikes Russians but dreamt of conquering Russia to acquire the wealth of St. Petersburg. He planned to colonize Russia by employing soldier-peasants as the Colonial Masters. He desired the Eastern Europe, with Russia and Ukraine as the main targets, his lands of conquest. He has no objective of going outside Europe to colonize other races. He was determined to crush any resistance from the Russians. He also dreamt of colonizing the Ukraine by using soldier-peasants and the Baltic states by employing the Dutch, Norwegians and the Swedes.. Once colonized, he will turn Ukraine into an agricultural country that will provide raw materials for the expanding German industries. He also has the same plan for Rumania. In fact, his plan was that Rumania, also an eastern European country, should stop any form of industrialization, and focus on directing the wealth of her soil to German industrial growth and in return, Germany will supply Rumania finished products. Furthermore, the Russians will be denied education. They are to remain illiterate. His plan was to make Eastern Europe reliant on Germany industry. In fact, he planned was to prevent military and economic power from rising in any country that is east of Germany. This was mainly a military strategy, which will prevent Germany’s western military rival from allying with military powers east of Germany. This will secure Germany position. The book also shows Adolf Hitler’s perception of the German people. He loves Germany. Germans are superior to any race. The Germans are hardworking people. German scientists dominated the American scientific community. Furthermore, he believed that the German Army was technically the best in the world, better than the English Army. He based his claim on the historical fact that two out of the three wars of annihilation, Cannae, Sedan and Tannenberg, where fought by the German Army. He planned to improve that military record by adding the conquest of Russian, Poland and Western Europe to the historical list of wars of annihilation. He praised the initiative of the German military as against the lack of initiative that exist with the German civil administration. He was not opposed to mistakes in so far as they yield long-term positive results. I n his opinion, mistakes are inevitable and those in charge should take responsibility. The German civil administration, according to Hitler was overloaded, lack initiative and over- organized. He attributed the lack of initiative with fear of making mistakes. Indeed, he compared the English administrative style in India with the one in Germany. While the English governed successful a hundred and fifty million people with a hundred and forty-five thousand men, the

Introductory Computer Usage 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introductory Computer Usage 1 - Essay Example The other fact of the matter is that people are rarely aware of the technological advancements and their security concerns. Although IEEE has launched WPA and then WPA2 as the new security protocols, people seldom use them. WPA2 has proved hardest to be cracked, still old algorithms are preferred over it. The table shows the percentage of the people (taken from survey by Deloitte, India) who use secure and insecure wireless medium. Besides, if the new technology gets implemented, it slows down system performance. Internet is full of ways to teach anyone sniffing techniques and the new tools of Microsoft and Linux which are available on internet without any charge facilitates it. Many of such problems occur due to inappropriate usage of wireless users. Hence, it has become the need of the hour to reduce more than fifty percent of security risks by properly following the instructions associated with it. Must have heard about the many of u have a blue tooth or shall I say Bluetooth. I am sure many of my readers have this facility. Your mobile phones, PCs, in academic institutes and in the offices, Bluetooth comes in very handy. But what it actually is? It is freedom form cables. Now, we can carry our data anywhere without any botheration. Bluetooth wireless technology has fast become one most popular technology. It shows interconnection between computers, mobile phones and PDAs. The Bluetooth standard specifies wireless operation in the 2.45 GHz band and supports data rate up to 720Kbps. The designing is done for low power consumption at a short range with different power classes for multiple ranges (1m, 10m and 100m). Now, the devices which weren’t possible to connect via a wire can be synchronized using Bluetooth, for example attaching a mobile phone to a car stereo. Data exchange this way is fast and convenient. There are three modes of security in Bluetooth; security mode1, security mode2 and security mode3. Bluetooth enabled mobile devices

Group Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Group Management - Essay Example Since, group composition is an independent factor and organizations chose groups randomly, often there are conflicts among these groups. Many management groups have cited that these conflicts occur because people working in these groups have different motives, personalities, perceptions and motivations. This theory has been promulgated from the fact that no two people are alike and every human mind is different from other. In this essay, we are going to examine this claim by looking at how different personalities, perception and motivations can affect group working. Let's first look at the role of perception and how does it affect an individual's behavior in a group. Perception can be defined as a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment. There are many theories that tell us how are perception works and affects our behavior in a group. According to attribution theory, our perception of people differs from our perception of inanimate objects. We judge people by their actions and by determining the root cause of their actions. The theory assumes that people think that actions are caused either internally or externally, depending on consistency, distinctiveness and consensus of these actions. This attribution theory affects a person's behavior in a group. For example, he might perceive that people in his group are lazy because they have cancelled a meeting. This might not be the case because there might be some important emergency that have forced them to cancel a m eeting. Thus, this leads to a fundamental attribution error and affects a person's group behavior. His actions towards them might become as if they are "lazy" and does not like work. However, if a person considers that they have cancelled a meeting due to some external factor, his behavior will be different. This is how perception plays an important role in the behavior of a person while working in a group. Similarly, fundamental attribution error will also occur when person will attach the group's success due to his own efforts, while he will consider that failures have occurred because of other group members. This will make him act unjustly to other group members and he may become rude which will affect the behavior of the entire group. As discussed above, Halo effect might also affect a person's behavior in group working. If someone in the group has done something wrong and he always get the stick for that things and not the praise for so many excellent contributions he had made for the group. In this case, person's behavior in a group will be negative because he will always think that no matter whatever he does he will always be remembered for one mistake(s) he made. Similarly, people also use shortcuts in judging others and selective perception is the prime example of this. If someone has done something wrong then he won't be given an important task again, as people will perceive t hat he will again mess it up. This is how people's behavior might get affected in group work because biased perceptions of others. Similarly, many perceptions about people's behavior in a group are made by contrast affect, projection and stereotyping. If there are two strong members in a group then it will be perceived that the third member will be a weaker member. However, this may not be true as

Corporate Social Responsibility Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Social Responsibility - Assignment Example Therefore there is a need for good corporate social responsibility toward the customer given the fact that the organization products or services are made for the consumption of the customers/public and in the even whereby the customer fails to consume the products, there is the danger of the organization becoming irrelevant or redundant because it would no longer need to carry out any more production. Another interesting contribution that speakers raised in the seminar concerning customers as stakeholders which the organization must address when it comes to social responsibility were whether for public offices especially government and not for profit organizations have customers as stakeholders. 1.2 It also emerged that the process of winning customers is quite an expensive one and therefore losing the customers by failing to adhere to corporate social responsibility requirements is a major undoing for the organizations considering the fact that organizations must need to be genuinely concerned about the well being and the wellness of the customers. Indeed organizations must also be able t,o rise above short-term focus and foresee the situation in a long-term sense. 1.3 Speaker after speaker supported this view of thinking but some of the speakers opposed this contention arguing that the organization risks spending a lot...This, opponents argued, is in contravention of the reason why organizations exist. The opponents of corporates social responsibility argued that organizations and customer relations are modeled on a consumerism principle whereby each side tries to gain the most out of the other and therefore the customer is less concerned about the well being and wellness of the organization. The opponents wondered why therefore the organization should spend thousands or millions of dollars trying to please the customers.  

Group Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Group Management - Essay Example Since, group composition is an independent factor and organizations chose groups randomly, often there are conflicts among these groups. Many management groups have cited that these conflicts occur because people working in these groups have different motives, personalities, perceptions and motivations. This theory has been promulgated from the fact that no two people are alike and every human mind is different from other. In this essay, we are going to examine this claim by looking at how different personalities, perception and motivations can affect group working. Let's first look at the role of perception and how does it affect an individual's behavior in a group. Perception can be defined as a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment. There are many theories that tell us how are perception works and affects our behavior in a group. According to attribution theory, our perception of people differs from our perception of inanimate objects. We judge people by their actions and by determining the root cause of their actions. The theory assumes that people think that actions are caused either internally or externally, depending on consistency, distinctiveness and consensus of these actions. This attribution theory affects a person's behavior in a group. For example, he might perceive that people in his group are lazy because they have cancelled a meeting. This might not be the case because there might be some important emergency that have forced them to cancel a m eeting. Thus, this leads to a fundamental attribution error and affects a person's group behavior. His actions towards them might become as if they are "lazy" and does not like work. However, if a person considers that they have cancelled a meeting due to some external factor, his behavior will be different. This is how perception plays an important role in the behavior of a person while working in a group. Similarly, fundamental attribution error will also occur when person will attach the group's success due to his own efforts, while he will consider that failures have occurred because of other group members. This will make him act unjustly to other group members and he may become rude which will affect the behavior of the entire group. As discussed above, Halo effect might also affect a person's behavior in group working. If someone in the group has done something wrong and he always get the stick for that things and not the praise for so many excellent contributions he had made for the group. In this case, person's behavior in a group will be negative because he will always think that no matter whatever he does he will always be remembered for one mistake(s) he made. Similarly, people also use shortcuts in judging others and selective perception is the prime example of this. If someone has done something wrong then he won't be given an important task again, as people will perceive t hat he will again mess it up. This is how people's behavior might get affected in group work because biased perceptions of others. Similarly, many perceptions about people's behavior in a group are made by contrast affect, projection and stereotyping. If there are two strong members in a group then it will be perceived that the third member will be a weaker member. However, this may not be true as

Animal Rights Opinion Essay Essay Example for Free

Animal Rights Opinion Essay Essay To have a liable viewpoint on the topic of Animal Rights, one must practically have the abilities of a well-practiced philosopher. You must be able to fully evaluate the characteristics of every possible relationship, good or bad, between man and his fellow members of the Animal Kingdom, and their potential outcomes. You must also decide if you believe in human exceptionalism, that is, whether or not we are equal to animals. â€Å"A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. † Says Ingrid Newkirk, head of PETA, in 2003, â€Å"They are all mammals†. Other individuals, however, such as Wesley J. Smith (2010), believe that this attitude will devalue the â€Å"the unique status of humans†. Everyone has their own take on this topic, and, if we resolve this in a civilized and orderly fashion, we can potentially have a perfect balance between humans and the world’s diverse flora and fauna. Across the globe, there are hundreds of organizations that are constantly fighting for the equality of animals, and the elimination of their mistreatment. Some of the bigger names include the World Wildlife Fund, (WWF), and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). These groups rally, lobby, and petition against criminal acts against practically every species of animal, and believe you me they have their hands full! In some laboratories, primates are being rigorously forced through difficult tests, and on some farming facilities belonging to today’s big corporations, such as the large restaurant chain known as Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), animals are being harvested in an inhumane manner. Among the worst cases is the solicitation of â€Å"crush films†, in which puppies and small, cute animals are â€Å"slowly crushed or impaled by women wearing heels,† reports David Michael (2010). These videos were banned in 1999 by the Supreme Court, until the federal law had overreached, and the law was overturned. These acts are clear examples of cruelty towards animals, and can never be truly justified. If we take the rights steps, in a warranted and honest manner, then we can stop animal abuse, and save future species from an unruly and unjustified future as slaves to man-kind. There also exists a whole other group of people who believe that life is just a game of the survival of the fittest, which is similar to the point of view of Wesley J. Smith, author of A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy: The  Human Cost of the Animal Rights Movement. He, and many others, believe that â€Å"valuing humans over animals is a form of discrimination† against humans, which he describes in his new book published in 2010. He also tells us that giving animals the same legal status takes away from who we are, as the dominant species of Earth. I personally, do not believe this is completely true. We moved these creatures out of their homes to build our houses and buildings, and then polluted them with the carbon outputs of our cities and towns. This makes it our responsibility to help them find new homes any way we can. On the other hand, he did mention something I could partially relate to. â€Å"Humans do indeed have a moral obligation to promote animal welfare, but they are also entitled to use animals, particularly if the use of animals alleviates human suffering.† I can get behind this statement to some extent. There are hundreds of scientists using animals to research possible cures for certain diseases that affect thousands of humans daily. However, harming these animals would be completely unacceptable. We could use alternative solutions, like observing animals in their natural habitats, if possible, and study them there, or at least let them go, unharmed, after the experiment is completed. Although many groups and individuals are taking the right steps to put an end to this epidemic, not everyone likes to play by the rules. There have been numerous cases of arson, theft, and animal right activists terrorizing companies that test on animals. In fact, â€Å"fifty-one out of fifty-eight of the incidents of domestic terrorism identified in the FBI’s report Terrorism 2002-2005 were suspected to have been perpetrated by animal rights activists,† claims Smith (2010). â€Å"Which is surprisingly violent for its (animal rights movement) allegedly non-violent goals,† agrees David Michael (2010). Some of the more extreme cases include lighting entire laboratories on fire, death threats, and, in 2007, a researcher’s children being sent HIV-infected needles in the mail. Even PETA is not completely innocent of such acts. In 1995, they donated over $45 000 to the defense funds of Rodney Coronado, who was guilty of burning down a Michigan State laboratory. PETA finds these are â€Å"acceptable crimes†¦when used for the animal cause,† says Alex Pacheco, a co-founder of PETA. They also compared animal cruelty to the Holocaust in one of their many campaigns, to get their message across crystal clear, which offended many members of the public, and therefore raised many eyebrows. I believe that we must find was  to eliminate animal abuse with this ‘militaristic’ component. In conclusion, I believe that, a long time ago, before man first started his evolutionary track, a balance of rights and respect between our kind and the rest of the world’s fauna existed. However, as we evolved, this balance shifted into our favor. We became the dominant exception in the Animal Kingdom, removing inferior species from their homes, either by enslaving or killing them. This behavior is unacceptable, and must be stopped, because of its excessive injustice towards animals. I also believe that organizations like PETA are on the right track. In order to make change, we have to fight for it, but to certain extents. Arson and burglary are deplorable, and will only make the problem even worse. We must deal with these issues in a civilized and organized manner. Burning laboratories simply won’t do. Once these steps are taken, and if we are able to treat animals with the respect and value, we will be able to coexist in harmony with the rest of the Animal Kingdom, and the balance we once had can be restored. Works Cited Michael, D. (2010, July 21st). Animal Spirits. Retrieved July 30th, 2010, from the Book: http://www.tnr.com/book/review/animal-spirits

X-ray diffraction

X-ray diffraction INTRODUCTION: X-ray diffraction The diffraction of X-rays as they pass through a substance, usually forming an interference pattern that can be captured on film and used to analyze the internal structure of the substance. The scattering of x-rays by crystal atoms, producing a diffraction pattern that yields information about the structure of the crystal. X-ray diffraction is used in x-ray crystallography . X-ray diffraction the scattering of X rays by the atoms of a crystal; the diffraction pattern shows structure of the crystal . X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with typical photon energies in the range of 100 eV 100 keV. For diffraction applications, only short wavelength x-rays (hard x-rays) in the range of a few angstroms to 0.1 angstrom (1 keV 120 keV) are used. Because the wavelength of x-rays is comparable to the size of atoms, they are ideally suited for probing the structural arrangement of atoms and molecules in a wide range of materials. The energetic x-rays can penetrate deep into the materials and provide information about the bulk structure. X-rays are produced generally by either x-ray tubes or synchrotron radiation. In a x-ray tube, which is the primary x-ray source used in laboratory x-ray instruments, x-rays are generated when a focused electron beam accelerated across a high voltage field bombards a stationary or rotating solid target. As electrons collide with atoms in the target and slow down, a continuous spectrum of x-rays are emitted, which are termed Bremsstrahlung radiation. The high energy electrons also eject inner shell electrons in atoms through the ionization process. When a free electron fills the shell, a x-ray photon with energy characteristic of the target material is emitted. Common targets used in x-ray tubes include Cu and Mo, which emit 8 keV and 14 keV x-rays with corresponding wavelengths of 1.54 Ã… and 0.8 Ã…, respectively. (The energy E of a x-ray photon and its wavelength is related by the equation E = hc/ï  ¬, where h is Plancks constant and c the speed of light) (check out this ne at animated lecture on x-ray production) In recent years synchrotron facilities have become widely used as preferred sources for x-ray diffraction measurements. Synchrotron radiation is emitted by electrons or positrons travelling at near light speed in a circular storage ring. These powerful sources, which are thousands to millions of times more intense than laboratory x-ray tubes, have become indispensable tools for a wide range of structural investigations and brought advances in numerous fields of science and technology. Powder Diffraction Powder XRD (X-ray Diffraction) is perhaps the most widely used x-ray diffraction technique for characterizing materials. As the name suggests, the sample is usually in a powdery form, consisting of fine grains of single crystalline material to be studied. The technique is used also widely for studying particles in liquid suspensions or polycrystalline solids (bulk or thin film materials). The term powder really means that the crystalline domains are randomly oriented in the sample. Therefore when the 2-D diffraction pattern is recorded, it shows concentric rings of scattering peaks corresponding to the various d spacings in the crystal lattice. The positions and the intensities of the peaks are used for identifying the underlying structure (or phase) of the material. For example, the diffraction lines of graphite would be different from diamond even though they both are made of carbon atoms. This phase identification is important because the material properties are highly dependent on structure (just think of graphite and diamond). Powder diffraction data can be collected using either transmission or reflection geometry, as shown below. Because the particles in the powder sample are randomly oriented, these two methods will yield the same data. In the MRL x-ray facility, powder diffraction data are measured using the Philips XPERT MPD diffractometer, which measures data in reflection mode and is used mostly with solid samples, or the custom built 4-circle diffractometer, which operates in transmission mode and is more suitable for liquid phase samples. A powder XRD scan from a K2Ta2O6 sample is shown below as a plot of scattering intensity vs. the scattering angle 2or the corresponding d-spacing. The peak positions, intensities, widths and shapes all provide important information about the structure of the material. Thin Film Diffraction Generally speaking thin film diffraction refers not to a specific technique but rather a collection of XRD techniques used to characterize thin film samples grown on substrates. These materials have important technological applications in microelectronic and optoelectronic devices, where high quality epitaxial films are critical for device performance. Thin film diffraction methods are used as important process development and control tools, as hard x-rays can penetrate through the epitaxial layers and measure the properties of both the film and the substrate. There are several special considerations for using XRD to characterize thin film samples. First, reflection geometry is used for these measurements as the substrates are generally too thick for transmission. Second, high angular resolution is required because the peaks from semiconductor materials are sharp due to very low defect densities in the material. Consequently, multiple bounce crystal monochromators are used to provide a highly collimated x-ray beam for these measurements. For example, in the Philips MRD used in the x-ray facility, a 4-crystal monochromator made from Ge is used to produce an incident beam with less than 5 arc seconds of angular divergence. Basic XRD measurements made on thin film samples include: Precise lattice constants measurements derived from 2 scans, which provide information about lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate and therefore is indicative of strain stress Rocking curve measurements made by doing a scan at a fixed 2 angle, the width of which is inversely proportionally to the dislocation density in the film and is therefore used as a gauge of the quality of the film. Superlattice measurements in multilayered heteroepitaxial structures, which manifest as satellite peaks surrounding the main diffraction peak from the film. Film thickness and quality can be deduced from the data. Glancing incidence x-ray reflectivity measurements, which can determine the thickness, roughness, and density of the film. This technique does not require crystalline film and works even with amorphous materials. Texture measurementswill be discussed separately The following graph shows the high resolution XRD data of the superlattice peaks on the GaN (002) reflections. Red line denotes results of computer simulation of the structure. Texture Measurement (Pole Figure) Texture measurements are used to determine the orientation distribution of crystalline grains in a polycrystalline sample. A material is termed textured if the grains are aligned in a preferred orientation along certain lattice planes. One can view the textured state of a material (typically in the form of thin films) as an intermediate state in between a completely randomly oriented polycrystalline powder and a completely oriented single crystal. The texture is usually introduced in the fabrication process (e.g. rolling of thin sheet metal, deposition, etc.) and affect the material properties by introducing structural anisotropy. A texture measurement is also referred to as a pole figure as it is often plotted in polar coordinates consisting of the tilt and rotation angles with respect to a given crystallographic orientation. A pole figure is measured at a fixed scattering angle (constant d spacing) and consists of a series of -scans (in- plane rotation around the center of the sample) at different tilt or -(azimuth) angles, as illustrated below. The pole figure data are displayed as contour plots or elevation graphs with zero angle in the center. Below we show two pole figure plots using the same data set. An orientation distribution function (ODF) can be calculated using the pole figure data. Residual Stress Measurement Structural and residual stress in materials can be determined from precision lattice constants measurements. For polycrystalline samples high resolution powder diffraction measurements generally will provide adequate accuracy for stress evaluation. For textured (oriented) and single crystalline materials, 4-circle diffractometry is needed in which the sample is rotated so that measurements on multiple diffraction peaks can be carried out. The interpretation of stress measurement data is complicated and model dependent. Consult the reference literature for more details. Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) SAXS measurements typically are concerned with scattering angles SAXS measurements are technically challenging because of the small angular separation of the direct beam (which is very intense) and the scattered beam. Large specimen-to-detector distances (0.5 m 10 m) and high quality collimating optics are used to achieve good signal-to-noise ratio in the SAXS measurement. The MRL x-ray facility has cutting edge capabilities for SAXS measurements with three custom-built SAXS instruments including one 3.5-meter long ultra-small angle SAXS instrument with state-of-the-art optics and area detector for low scattering density samples. X-ray Crystallography X-ray crystallography is a standard technique for solving crystal structures. Its basic theory was developed soon after x-rays were first discovered more than a century ago. However, over the years it has gone through continual development in data collection instrumentation and data reduction methods. In recent years, the advent of synchrotron radiation sources, area detector based data collection instruments, and high speed computers has dramatically enhanced the efficiency of crystallographic structural determination. Today x-ray crystallography is widely used in materials and biological research. Structures of very large biological machinery (e.g. protein and DNA complexes, virus particles) have been solved using this method. In x-ray crystallography, integrated intensities of the diffraction peaks are used to reconstruct the electron density map within the unit cell in the crystal. To achieve high accuracy in the reconstruction, which is done by Fourier transforming the diffraction intensities with appropriate phase assignment, a high degree of completeness as well as redundancy in diffraction data is necessary, meaning that all possible reflections are measured multiple times to reduce systematic and statistical error. The most efficient way to do this is by using an area detector which can collect diffraction data in a large solid angle. The use of high intensity x-ray sources, such as synchrotron radiation, is an effective way to reduce data collection time. One of the central difficulties in structural determination using x-ray crystallography is referred to as the phase problem, which arises from the fact that the diffraction data contains information only on the amplitude but not the phase of the structure factor. Over the years many methods have been developed to deduce the phases for reflections, including computationally based direct methods, isomorphous replacement, and multi-wavelength anormalous diffraction (MAD) methods. METHODOLOGY: X-Ray Diffraction Method At Proto we use the x-ray diffraction method to measure residual stress. X-ray diffraction is presently the only portable nondestructive method that can quantitatively measure residual stress in crystalline and semi-crystalline materials. Our high speed x-ray detector technology enables measurements to be performed easily on metals and ceramics; including traditionally difficult materials such as shot peened titanium. XRD uses the coherent domains of the material (the grain structure) like a strain gage which reacts to the stress state existing in the material. Residual stress and / or applied stress expands or contracts the atomic lattice spacing (d). How do we Measure Stress? Actually, we measure strain and convert to stress. The d-spacings are calculated using Braggs Law: ÃŽ » = 2 d sin . If a monochromatic (ï  ¬) x-ray beam impinges upon a sample with an ordered lattice spacing (d), constructive interference will occur at an angle . Changes in strain and thus the d-spacing translate into changes in the diffraction angle measured by the x-ray detectors. The diffraction pattern is in the shape of a cone for polycrystalline materials. The shape of the diffraction peaks can also be related to the dislocation density and coherent domain size. Why Use Multiple Detectors? Unlike other single detector systems. Proto uses two (2) detectors for stress measurements thus capturing both sides of the diffraction cone. This means twice as much data is collected in the same amount of time simply by virtue of the design. Proto offers a four (4) detector system that can be used for both the four peak % retained austenite method and in multiphase stress measurements. Proto also offers 3 and 5 detector configurations for use in Simultaneous Stress and % Retained Austenite determination. Proto adheres to SAE SP-453 Retained Austenite and Its Measurement by X-ray Diffraction and ASTM E975-84 Standard Practice for X-ray Determination of Retained Austenite in Steel with Near Random Crystallographic Orientation.. Patented Fiber Optic Based Solid State Detectors Longevity and Maintenance Proto uses fiber optic based solid state detectors. The fiber optics allow the detector electronics to be remote from the sensing head making them suitable for measurements in harsh environments. Proto detectors are maintenance free and do not degrade with exposure to x-rays, thus less down time, better productivity and no hidden maintenance costs. Direct expose solid state detectors and position sensitive proportional counters degrade with exposure to x-rays and eventually require replacement which can be extremely costly. Because of x-ray damage, these detectors and counters must constantly be re-calibrated. In addition, some position sensitive proportional counters require periodic (bi-annual) maintenance to refill the sealed gas filled detector housing. Speed Proto detectors are the fastest detectors on the market today. A stress measurement can be performed in less than 0.3 seconds, an order of magnitude faster than any other detector technology commercially available. Position sensitive proportional counters can only detect one x-ray event at a time. In addition, there is dead time associated with their signal processing which slows data collection. Proto detectors have no dead time associated with them. They are multi-channel solid state detectors that collect many x-ray events simultaneously resulting in unmatched data collection speed. This is particularly important for laboratories with high throughput demands and for industrial on-line and audit station applications. Drift Position sensitive proportional counters can drift if there is any fluctuation in the DC bias voltage thus causing errors in peak position determination. Ambient temperature fluctuations, gas pressure and oxides on connections, to name a few, can contribute to detector instability and drift. Proto detectors are solid state, thus there is no positional drift associated with them. This means they are much more stable in harsh environments and at elevated or cold temperatures. Detector width Protos wide 2 detector range, 18.7 degrees 2for the 40 mm goniometer geometry offers increased accuracy on materials with broad diffraction peaks found in hardened tool and bearing steels. Flexibility in Residual Stress Measurement Techniques Most systems, particularly one detector systems, offer only double exposure and multiple exposure sin  ²Ã¯  ¹ techniques. Proto systems offer the double exposure and multiple exposure sin  ²Ã¯  ¹ techniques as well as the single exposure technique and the multiple exposure sin  ²Ã¯  £ techniques. This translates into more flexibility for characterizing samples with complicated geometries. Flexibility in Residual Stress Analysis With Proto equipment, unlike other diffraction systems, diffraction peaks can be fit using a number of mathematical functions including, Parabola, Gaussian, Cauchy, Pearson VII, centroid, and mid-chords. Proto also offers both the difference, and cross-correlation methods for peak position determination. This translates into both improved accuracy and flexibility. Focusing Optics Proto systems operate on a true center of rotation and are delivered pre-calibrated to meet exceed ASTM E915-90 Standard Test Method for Verifying the Alignment of X-ray Diffraction Instrumentation for Residual Stress and adhere to SAE J784a Residual Stress Measurement by X-ray Diffraction alignment specifications. All Proto systems operate using parafocusing optics thus eliminating the need for Sollier slits and allowing very fine positional accuracy in stress measurements inside 90 mm and 120 mm i.d. confinements (e.g. the i.d. of pipes and holes, or between parallel surfaces). The competition cannot offer access to such small holes. Simplicity in Use, Sophistication in Results Proto systems are easy to use and setup: Quick change apertures allow for easy adjustment of the irradiated area and sample setup (apertures can be changed in about 2 seconds) with beam dimensions (irradiated area) available from 0.3 mm to 5.0 mm. Sample positioning and focusing can be performed easily using the standoff pointer provided with all systems and through the collimator laser pointer which allows the user to quickly locate measurement locations. This is particularly helpful when using the Automated Stress Mapping option. The 4-Point bending fixture and Proto strain bridge are used for quick and easy determination of the effective x-ray elastic constant for new materials as per ASTM 1426-91, Standard Test Method for Determining the Effective Elastic Parameter for X-ray Diffraction Measurements of Residual Stress. The Proto Portable Electro Polisher is custom manufactured specifically for x-ray diffraction work, making material removal quick and efficient. Truly portable systems are available weighing less than 18 kg (40 lbs). Custom systems are available for customers with special requirements. Comprehensive turnkey systems are offered by Proto to their customers to simplify and expedite their stress measurement needs. Continuous Research and Development and a commitment to give you the best systems in the world. CONCLUSION:  · Other Sectionsââ€" ¼ Abstract 1.Introduction 2.Purification 3.Crystallization 4.X-ray diffraction data collection and analysis 5.Conclusion References Abstract Human phosphate-binding protein (HPBP) was serendipitously discovered by crystallization and X-ray crystallography. HPBP belongs to a eukaryotic protein family named DING that is systematically absent from the genomic database. This apoprotein of 38 kDa copurifies with the HDL-associated apoprotein paraoxonase (PON1) and binds inorganic phosphate. HPBP is the first identified transporter capable of binding phosphate ions in human plasma. Thus, it may be regarded as a predictor of phosphate-related diseases such as atherosclerosis. In addition, HPBP may be a potential therapeutic protein for the treatment of such diseases. Here, the purification, detergent-exchange protocol and crystallization conditions that led to the discovery of HPBP are reported. Keywords: ABC transporters, missing gene, apoproteins, atherosclerosis, paraoxonase  · Other Sectionsââ€" ¼HPBP was serendipitously discovered from supposedly pure PON1. The structure of HPBP (Morales et al., 2006 ) relates it to prokaryote phosphate solute-binding protein (SBP; Tam Saier, 1993; Luecke Quiocho, 1990 ; Vyas et al., 2003), which is associated with the ATP-binding cassette transmembrane transporters (ABC transporters; Higgins, 1992). Despite the existence of the ABC transporter in eukaryotes, SBPs have never been described or predicted by genomic databases in eukaryotes. The complete amino-acid sequence of HPBP (376 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 38.4 kDa) was assigned from the electron-density map at the 10% error level (Morales et al., 2006). Surprisingly, the deduced HPBP sequence cannot be retrieved from the human genome or other genomic databases. HPBP is related to a family of eukaryotic proteins that are named DING owing to their four conserved N-terminal residues (Berna et al., 2002). Similarly to HPBP, DING genes are also absent from DNA or RNA databases, although they are likely to be ubiquitous in eukaryotes. This raises numerous questions about the peculiarity of DING genes. The HPBP sequence deduced by crystallography is the first complete sequence of a DING protein and provides a precious basis for understanding the genetic mystery associated with DING proteins. We have provided evidence that HPBP is a new apoprotein mainly located on HDL (good cholesterol) capable of binding inorganic phosphate ions. Furthermore, HPBP presents 59% amino-acid identity with a protein named crystal-adhesion inhibitor (CAI) that may prevent the development of kidney stones by inhibiting the adhesion of calcium oxalate crystals to renal cells (Kumar et al., 2004). Thus, HPBP could be tentatively regarded as a potential predictor and as a possible therapeutic protein for treatment of phosphate-related disorders, including atherosclerosis. In this article, we report the purification, detergent-exchange protocol and crystallization conditions that led to the discovery of HPBP. HPBP was discovered by copurification from an apparently pure PON1 preparation. The HPBP/PON1-containing fractions were obtained according to a protocol based on the method of Gan et al. (1991) (Renault et al., in preparation) that was assumed to provide PON1 pure at ≠¥95%. Briefly, out of date plasma bags from blood donors (Etablissement Franà §ais du Sang Rhà ´ne-Alpes) were supplemented with CaCl2 to a final concentration of 10 mM before the resulting fibrin clot was separated by filtration. The filtrate was then submitted to a pseudo-affinity chromatography on Cibacron Blue 3GA-agarose (type 3000-CL; Sigma) using 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer pH 8.0 supplemented with 1 mM CaCl2 and 3 M NaCl to avoid the adsorption of albumin. Elution of hydrophobic plasma proteins, mainly lipoproteins, was performed using 0.1% sodium deoxycholate and 0.1% Triton X-100 in Tris-HCl buffer. The PON1-containing fractions were pooled and separated from the other HDL-bound proteins, mainly apolipoprotei n A-I, by anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow (Pharmacia Biotech) using 25 mM Tris buffer containing 0.1% Triton X-100 as starting buffer with a gradient of NaCl (0-0.35 M). Pooled HPBP/PON1-containing fractions were dialyzed and concentrated in the presence of C-12 maltoside (0.64 mM) using a centrifugation device (Centriprep Amicon, 10 kDa cutoff, Millipore, St Quentin-en-Yvelines, France) to a final absorbance of 2.3 at 280 nm. Light-scattering analysis revealed a homogeneous sample with an apparent molecular weight of about 80 kDa (Josse et al., 2002 ). This molecular weight was attributed to dimeric PON1 because the existence of HPBP was unknown at this point. Some dialyzed fractions spontaneously crystallized overnight. Crystal plates were very numerous and very thin (about 1  µm width). Once useless crystals had formed in the absence of precipitant agent, it was impossible to dissolve them again. Thus, crystallization trials were performed quickly after detergent exchange. Inspection of the resulting electron-density map clearly indicated that the crystallized protein was not PON1. The sequence deduced from the structure was totally unknown and not predicted by the genomic database. The complete amino-acid sequence was determined from X-ray data. This protein is the first inorganic phosphate transporter characterized in human plasma (Morales et al., 2006). The discovery of this protein by crystallography opens new insight into the physiopathology and medical treatment of phosphate-related diseases RECENTDEVELOPMENTS IN POLYMER CHARACTERIZATION USING X-RAYDIFFRACTION In the absence of an orientational force, thelamellae organize into spherulites (1-10 mm indiameter). X-ray scattering can be used to ob-tain structural information at three lengthscales—1, 10 and 100nm—using scattering atwide-, small- and ultra small-angles, respec-tively.A continuum of structures between the ex-tremesof what are generally regarded as amor-phous and crystalline phases are present in areal polymer, and these entities have complexorganization. But, a model that describes thesemicrystalline polymers in terms of two phases, an average amorphous and an averagecrystalline phase, has been found to be ade-quate for many practical purposes. The fractionof the material that is crystalline, the crys-tallinity or crystalline index, is an important pa-rameter in the two-phase model. Crystallinitycan be determined from a wide-angle X-ray dif- fraction (WAXD) scan by comparing the areaunder the crystalline peaks to the total scatteredintensity [12]. The accuracy and the precision ofthese measurements can be improved by draw-ing a proper base-line, using an appropriateamorphous template, and by carefully choosingthe crystalline peaks [13, 14]. The disorder inthecrystalline domains can be evaluated by measuring the crystallite sizes which are relatedto the radial widths D(2q) of the reflections at ascattering angle 2q by the Scherrer equation. Inreality, there are two contributions to the width:one is the size and the other is the para crystallinity or microstrain [15, 16]. A more detailed analysis based on the Warren-Averbach methodis widely used in metals and ceramics, but lessso in polymers [17]. The disorder in the crys-talline domains is also reflected in the unit celldimensions. But, calculation of the unit cell pa-rameters requires an accurate measurement ofthe positions of many crystalline peaks, which can be difficult. Therefore, in practice, relativepositions of selected crystalline peaks are used as accurate measures of the changes unit cellparameters [18, 19].Structures at length scales larger than a unit cell (10nm instead of 1nm) can be investi-gated using small-angle X-ray scattering(SAXS). The methodology for these analysis isnow highly developed and can be found in anystandard literature [9, 20-24]. While WAXD isused to study the orientation of the crystals,and the packing of the chains within these crys-tals, SAXS is used to study the electron densityfluctuations that occur over larger distances asa result of structural inhomogeneities. SAXS iswidely used to study the lamellar structure bymeasuring parameters such as lamellar spac-ing, height and thickness of the transition layer betweenthe crystalline and amorphous domains. In theanalysis of fibers, SAXS can provide informa-tion about the details of fibrillar morphologysuch as fibril diameter and orientation, and large scale inhomogeneity such as microporesand cracks. This information is somewhat simi-lar to that obtained from a transmission elec-tron micrograph, with one important difference:SAXS requires no sample preparation , and thedata is averaged over the area (typically 0.1mm2) of illumination. SAXS is also used for studying conformation, size and dynamics ofpolymers in solutions and in gels. 3. New Methods to Study Polymer Structure The two-phase model for the polymer hasbeen quite useful in providing a qualitative un-derstanding of the polymer properties in termof its structure, but is not adequate for quantita-tive prediction of the polymer properties. For this purpose, a detailed knowledge of the char-acteristics and distribution of soft (amorphous) and hard (crystalline) domains, and the interac-tions between these domains is necessary. New techniques that have been introduced duringthe past decade provide precisely this informa- tion. Some of these techniques will be discussed here. 3.1. Microbeam Diffraction Microbeam diffraction, or microdiffraction,has been used in semiconductor industry for over 25 years [25]. It is now being used to ex-amine polymeric materials. In most routine characterization of polymers, it is assumed thatthe structure is homogeneous. But, this is not always the case. Temperature gradients are pre-sent during injection molding, and both temper- ature and stress gradients are present duringextrusion and drawing. These gradients intro- duce structural inhomogeneities that influencepolymer performance. Even filaments that are only 10 mm in diameter show variations in ori-entation and density across the cross section [5, 26]. These structural gradients, and the changesin these gradients during deformation can now be studied at spatial resolutions as small as1 mm using microbeam diffraction [26]. An ex- ample of the typical structural gradients presentin a shown in Figure 2 [6]. This diffractogram was obtained from KevlarTM fiber with a 3 mm 16 Synchrotron Radiation Facility) synchrotronsource. The data show that the Hermans orien- tation function of the crystalline domains in this12 mm diameter fiber increases from 0.955 at the center to 0.980 at the surface of the fiber.The higher orientation of the skin layer is obvi- ously due to large shear stresses at the spin-neret, extensional forces in the air-gap and the solidification in the coagulation bath. Such astructural gradient implies that the modulus de- creases from the skin to core. It is interesting tonote that these inhomogeneities gradually de- crease and disappear under uniaxial stress.Microbeam techniques have reached a level of sophistication that it is now possible to focus .X-rays on a micron size crystal and follow the changes in the structure from one crystal to t