David Foster Wallace Revision Essay

On May 21, 2005, David Foster Wallace starts his address to the graduating class of Kenyon College by making an analogy about three fish passing by one another. The older fish throws a comment out to the two younger â€Å"How’s the water?† (Wallace 1) to which the younger two fish pose the question, â€Å"What the hell is water?† (Wallace 1) In explanation of said story, Wallace interprets it by saying â€Å"The point of the fish story is [†¦] the most obvious [†¦] realities are often the ones that are the hardest to see and talk about.† (Wallace 1) An abundance of Wallace’s speech is him presenting different stories and analogies about knowledge being not â€Å"the capacity to think, but rather about the choice of what to think about.† (Wallace 1) Wallace goes on with another moral story about the â€Å"banal platitudes† of the adult life explaining if you don’t consciously choose what and how you’re going to think about a thing you’re going to be â€Å"pissed and miserable† (Wallace 1) On further expanding that thought, David states â€Å"there are totally different ways to think[†¦]† (Wallace 1) Wallace’s speech centers around â€Å"[†¦]the freedom of real education is[†¦] you get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn’t.† (Wallace 1) Read more: Good people by david foster wallace essay Wallace shifts, telling a story about two men in a bar debating over the existence of God. One of the men is an Atheist, while the other man is religious. Both of the men have a â€Å"blind certainty† in their beliefs, which  is what Wallace says the men’s problem is. Magnifying that thought, Wallace goes on stating â€Å"closed-mindedness [†¦] amounts to an imprisonment so total that the prisoner doesn’t even know he’s locked up.† (Wallace 1) He says â€Å"you decide what to believe† also reinforcing that you also decide how to think. Wallace continues, urging the critical analysis of what and how you think, giving the example it is â€Å"basic self-centeredness† (Wallace 1) to think of yourself as the â€Å"absolute center of the universe. (Wallace 1) Wallace explains that, to critically analyze your thoughts you must break â€Å"free of [your] natural, hard wired default setting.† (Wallace 1) which is to see everything through â€Å"the lens of self† Wallace ends his speech with a statement on the critical analysis of what and how you think and keeping an open mind saying it is hard to â€Å"stay conscious and alive in the adult world day in and day out.† (Wallace 1) Work Cited Wallace, David Foster. â€Å"Transcription of the 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address- May 21, 2005.† Kenyon College Graduation Ceremony. Kenyon College Gambien, OH. 21 May 2005. Commencement Address.

Manganese Ore Beneficiation Production Line

Manganese ore crushing processChunks of manganese ore by silo are evenly sent to first crushing (jaw crusher) for primary crushing by the vibrating feeder, manganese ore coarse crushing by belt conveyor to the secondary crushing (Impact crusher or conecrusher) for further crushing;Manganese ore after crushing is sent into vibrating screen for sieving by belt conveyor, screening out of several different sizes, different specifications of manganese ore, manganese ore to meet the size requirements is sent to the heap of finished material by the finished product belt conveyor;manganese ore without meeting the size requirements is sent back material impact crusher or cone crusher broken again by the belt conveyor forming a closed-circuit and cycling repeatedly. http://www. shzbm. com rotary kiln http://www. pe750. com aw crusherThe product granularity can be combined and graded according to the needs of users, manganese ore processing can be equipped with auxiliary dust removal equipment for the protection of the environment. Manganese is relatively rich resources of lean ore,Disseminated to a large number of high phosphate, high iron ore and beneficial symbiotic metal in manganese ore, causing great difficulties to the beneficiation process. Manganese iron ore beneficiation methods to take ore washing and screening, magnetic separation, gravity separation and flotation, and fire for enrichment, chemical processing method and other methods to complete the beneficiation process. Manganese iron ore beneficiation methods and equipments 1.Washing and screening process: Ore washing process Commonly use these equipments :ore washing sieve ,cylinder ore washing machine and trough washing machine, spiral sand washing machine;Washing mine operation and screening is generally carried out at the same time. 2. Gravity separation process: This process is used for manganese ore sorting with simple structure, disseminated coarser, such as density of oxide ore;The processes used co mmonly have heavy media beneficiation,jigging beneficiation and shaking table beneficiation; 3. Magnetic separation process: High intensity magnetic separation process use magnetic separator to have magnetic separation operation to manganese ore powder,It has several features simple operation, easy to control, strong adaptation. 4.The heavy magnetic separation process: The heavy magnetic separation process has magnetic separation operation to magnetic separator manganese ore powder again,by using a strong magnetic separator. 5. Flotation :Flotation equipment mainly uses the chf inflatable flotation device;good performance, efficiency has been greatly enhanced,it is very suitable for manganese beneficiation process. 6. Pyrometallurgical enrichment process(also known as manganese-rich slag) Pyrometallurgical enrichment method is simple, stable production, effective separation of the ore, iron, phosphorus, and get rich manganese, low iron, low phosphorus manganese-rich slag, this manga nese-rich slag is a high quality manganese alloy materials.For more details on the production equipment of manganese ore, manganese ore stone crushing equipment, manganese ore grinding equipment information, please contact us and leave your contact information, our sales staff or engineers will get in touch with you as soon as possible. If the manganese ore crusher or manganese ore mill produced by us can not meet your needs, We will customize the manganese ore production line that fit you according to your feeding, discharging, yield, hardness and specific material properties Please believe, Shanghai Zhongbo will bring you satisfactory products and good service. http://www. pe600. com ball mill http://www. mining-ss. com rotary kiln http://www. machine-ss. com ball mill manufacture

Organization of a Healthcare Facility Assignment

Organization of a Healthcare Facility - Assignment Example In addition, the health facility aims at providing affordable health care to its client. Delver Health Care will be a clinic working under the supervision of qualified physicians who have academically specialised in seven health related issues; dermatology, gynaecology, heart diseases, respiratory disease, surgery and gastroenterology. Mission Delver Health Care exists to ensure that patients suffering from various health conditions are treated by qualified medical practitioners. As such, patients in and around New York are guaranteed of quality medical attention at an affordable rate from the facility. Equally, as a health facility, we are aware that health is the first priority in the life of individuals, thus specialisation is key to our services. Vision â€Å"Delver Health Care will distinguish itself as a leader in specialized health care delivery and will be and together with other willing partners, there will be provision of quality services to patients in the community.† The Impact of Merger and Acquisition According to Sherman 2011, mergers and acquisition is a program that offers the acquirers benefits of great potential and value especially when the objective has been selected carefully,. Never the less, the program is also capable of bringing about risks that are inevitable. To begin with, the program should focus on the integrated efforts that are supposed to influence the expected benefits. As such, the business should focus on working to accomplish its objective. Delver Health Care as For-Profit Business Apparently, for profit organization, it entails professionals who volunteer as consultants, facilitators to various institutions in exchange for payment of services. In light of this, the Doctors Board of America should come up with Delver Health Care as a for -Profit business as a result of a problem they believe they could address. As such, they should come together and decided to offer their services in order to benefit their people or community. Of importance to note is that there must be a good service, a market for the service, which in this case is patients who are in dire need of the services (Heller, 2009). Consequently, the possibility of having Delver Health Care as for profit business denotes that the Doctors Board of America is at liberty to decide what they want to do with the net earning or profit that will be generated by the health care facility. According to a feasibility study conducted through the mandate of the Doctors Board of America, it was found out that over 43 % of the population in New York were individuals who suffered from chronic illnesses particularly heart diseases, but did not find facilities that offered specialised treatment around the city (Stevens, 1998). In relation to this, the Doctors Board of America through a consultant concluded that health care business would only operate as for profit business. Moreover, the feasibility study explains the three main issues revolving the i nception of the health care business; market issues, technical and organizational requirements, and the financial overview. Wolper, 2004 argues that in terms of market issues, it was evident that most people in the region required specialised treatment meaning that, the opening of the health centre would automatically ease

Interview Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Interview - Assignment Example However, just last month, she experienced the most upsetting ethical problem of her life. She got involved into a romantic relationship with one of her students. In the beginning of the interview I courteously asked her to narrate the events that happened prior to the final confrontation with the college administration. At first she was timid and embarrassed, and I had to assure her many times that all the information she will disclose will remain confidential. She then gave in. Her first statement was: â€Å"You know being a single mom is not easy. It is very difficult and at times you really want to quit. So when I met a student, who was older than me and already a successful businessman, I was tempted.† She told me that they dated secretly until their relationship became deeper and deeper. â€Å"I couldn’t get out, you know, of the mess. I know what I’m doing is wrong professionally, but what could I do, my toddler needs to eat, and this was the only way I know at the moment that can help both of us†, she says. However, they were not able to keep the relationship for so long because her co-teachers as well as the students and school staff noticed the passionate, affectionate interaction between them. She was summoned to the college dean’s office to talk about the matter and she was given only two options, either she resigns or persuades the student involved to enroll in another school. She was given enough time to choose and in the end she decided to resign. She is now working as a lecturer in another community college, and never did she again cross the boundary of professional teacher-student relationship. She also believes that her former school treated her ethical dilemma justly. She admits that it was her fault because she did not acquaint herself fully with the ethical codes of the school. As explained by Infantino and Wilke (2009), teachers usually do not obtain sufficient guidance from the

The Use of Technology in Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Use of Technology in Finance - Essay Example Stricter more stringent rules required firms to change their reporting processes, enabling more transparency. The resultant strict rules enacted necessitated firms to adopt modern accounting practices that could only be employed through innovative technology interfaces. The integration of automated or technological applications although costly in terms of resources and time has proven to be an effective control measure for the authorities while simultaneously assisting corporate leaders manage their internal systems. Other benefits of using technology in finance have been the development of enhanced marketing, communication, research and transaction technologies by organizations. Technology has been described as the application of individual, logical or material approach to resolve an impasse that leads to enhanced efficiency. It has been credited with improvement of business operations in firms including: administration, communications (from postal letters to email, mobile phones, telecast etc.), trading (online trading or ecommerce), automated production line technology, and research facilities among others.The need for embracing advanced technology by corporations was highlighted by the tighter regulations enacted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in conformity with compliance rules relating to requirements regarding evaluation of internal control over financial reporting and management certification requirements mandatory to amendments under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that were adopted on June 5, 2003, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Companies needed advanced technology to detect undesired movement in inconsisten cies, automated reporting, upholding customer assets, violations etc., hence avert bad practices while enhancing the companies efficiency (WS&TStaff, 2005). Corporate governance encompasses the compliance to rules or procedures, traditions, edicts,

Professional Letter of Recommendation for MBA Admission Essay

Professional Letter of Recommendation for MBA Admission - Essay Example He worked as a planning intern with HoK Advance Strategies in 2008 where he participated in planning and managing major projects. The applicant manifested unique management, creativity, learning, training, and leadership skills compared to other RIYAD CAPITAL analysts of the same age and education. Indeed, he was the first to get a promotion among his peers where he became their manager, leader, and trainer soon after joining RIYAD CAPITAL. He was their mentor. His contribution was fundamental in our institution where we advised and closed on two IPOs. The applicant was phenomenon in coordinating schedule for IPO road show on behalf of clients and leveraging social capital with investors. This experience prepares the applicant for the MBA program. His long-term plan of developing his business and diversifying his business activities depicts his entrepreneurial mind. The applicant manifests immense strength in team building, conflict management, and leadership where he represented Saudi in the Mosaic International Leadership Development Summit. He also volunteered in community leadership where he assisted disabled students. The applicant is motivated to address his weaknesses in public presentation and conducting research that will prepare him for MBA projects. The applicant is learning how to conduct and analyze researched information. With these skills, the applicant is likely to achieve a successful professional career in MBA. Having come from a poor family background, the applicant struggled to access high quality education where he relied on sponsors and part-time jobs to fund his education. Nevertheless, the applicant has achieved much and gained fundamental skills through utmost dedication to his endeavors. I believe this spirit will propel him to great heights in his professional career. I have immense personal and professional regard for the applicant and I believe his academic qualifications, professional experience, and skills are sufficient and

MANAGING INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MANAGING INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS - Essay Example Most of the EU trading occurs in between the European countries itself, owing to its flourishing nature it stands first among exporting and second among importing countries. The key concepts of European Union are, Integration- combining a range of different pieces into a single body, or the removal of barriers to enable the pieces to move closer together (Jones 2008,pp.88-87), Supranationalism – which express the power of EU decisions that override those made by national governments whenever the two conflict (Ibid ,pp.137-138) and the Intergovernmentalism – the idea of different governments of EU working together to protect its national interests (Ibid 2008,p.87). The most important key institutions of European Union are The council of the European Union representing the governments of the member states; European commission which consists of the commissioners appointed by the member states ,the executive body and driving force ; The European Council that comprises the h eads of state/government of the member states which gives political direction to the EU and sets policy agenda and strategies for the EU and European Parliament elected by the people of the member state, law-making body. ... n spreads some precious lessons to the whole world through their integrated efforts and activities which if put into effect may enable all human beings to live in peace and harmony around the Globe. References Jones, A. (2008) A Glossary of the European Union. Edinburgh University Press. The EU & Supply Chain Management The Supply Chain Management (SCM) can be defined as the† management of upstream and downstream relationship with suppliers and customers in order to deliver superior customer value at less cost to the supply chain† which refers to a system of organizations in moving a product from supplier to the customer (Christopher, 2011, p. 3). SCM heavily depends on the areas of operation management, logistics, procurement, and information technology (Ibid). Some suggest it is more accurate to use the term â€Å"Supply network†, viewing the supply chain as â€Å"a network of connected and interdependent organizations mutually and cooperatively working together to control, manage and improve the flow of materials and information from suppliers to end users† (Chopra & Meindl 2010). Different SCM models were proposed for the better understanding and systematic coordination of the business functions. For instance, Supply Chain Council promotes Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) whereas the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF) promotes SCM Model. By going truly global with the SCM, business firms can understand the competitiveness and can identify significant links in the network. It also helps to focus on long term issues. According to Chopra and Meindl (2010), the decision phases of a supply chain includes 3 steps the Supply Chain Strategy or design, Supply Chain Planning and the Supply Chain Operations. Essentially the fundamental role of SCM is to facilitate the

Blood composition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Blood composition - Essay Example The latter are responsible for giving rise to the blood cells. The mixed myeloid progenitor cells differentiate into the colony forming units (CFU), which ultimately give rise to a particular type of the blood cell. Erythroid cells form the red blood cells which are responsible for carrying hemoglobin and transport oxygen. The white blood cells include monocytes and granulocytes. Monocytes circulate in the blood for some time and then migrate to the tissues to take part in the inflammatory reactions. Three types of granulocytes circulate in the blood, neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils. Neutrophils are the most common among the three. They serve to protect against the infections as they recognize and destroy the foreign antigens. Eosinophils account for 1-6% of the circulating WBCs and are responsible for eliciting allergic reactions and also fight against Platyhelminthes and protozoa. Basophils are involved in hypersensitivity reactions by interacting with IgE antibody. Platelet s arise from megakaryocytes and after activation form fibrin plugs to control abnormal

Child Labour Essay Example for Free

Child Labour Essay Child labor is work that harms children or keeps them from attending school. Around the world growing gaps between rich and poor in recent decades have forced millions of young children out of school and into work. The International Labor Organization estimates that 215 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 currently work under conditions that are considered illegal, hazardous, or extremely exploitative. Underage children work at all sorts of jobs around the world, usually because they and their families are extremely poor. Large numbers of children work in commercial agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, mining, and domestic service. Some children work in illicit activities like the drug trade and prostitution or other traumatic activities such as serving as soldiers. Some social scientists point out that some kinds of work may be completely unobjectionable — except for one thing about the work that makes it exploitative. For instance, a child who delivers newspapers before school might actually benefit from learning how to work, gaining responsibility, and a bit of money. But what if the child is not paid? Then he or she is being exploited. As UNICEF’s 1997 State of the World’s Children Report puts it, Children’s work needs to be seen as happening along a continuum, with destructive or exploitative work at one end and beneficial work promoting or enhancing children’s development without interfering with their schooling, recreation and rest at the other. And between these two poles are vast areas of work that need not negatively affect a child’s development. Other social scientists have slightly different ways of drawing the line between acceptable and unacceptable work. As UNICEF’s 1997 State of the World’s Children Report puts it, Children’s work needs to be seen as happening along a continuum, with destructive or exploitative work at one end and beneficial work promoting or enhancing children’s development without interfering with their schooling, recreation and rest at the other. And between these two poles are vast areas of work that need not negatively affect a child’s development. Other social scientists have slightly different ways of drawing the line between cceptable and unacceptable work. In 2000, the ILO estimates, 246 million child workers aged 5 and 17 were involved in child labour, of which 171 million were involved in work that by its nature is hazardous to their safety, physical or mental health, and moral development. Moreover, some 8. 4 million children were engaged in so-called unconditional worst forms of child labour, which include forced and bonded labour, the use of children in armed confl ict, trafficking in children and commercial sexual exploitation.

The limits to confidentiality Essay Example for Free

The limits to confidentiality Essay What are the limits to confidentiality? Describe a situation in which you might breach confidentiality. What are the legal and ethical implications of such a decision? Business General Business Human services professionals often need to make ethical decisions when providing support to clients. Decision making models help supply guidance to case managers and other human services professionals. Complete the University of Phoenix Material: Decision Making Models found in this week’s materials section of your classroom Take advantage of public transportation. College is expensive enough without adding gas and car maintenance to the equation. Many college campuses have arrangements with their city bus system that allow students to ride for free. Most college campuses have everything you need withing a short distance so avoid driving whenever you can. This file of BSHS 335 Week 2 Discussion Question 1 contains: What are the limits to confidentiality? Describe a situation in which you might breach confidentiality. What are the legal and ethical implications of such a decision? Read more:  Confidentiality and Disclosing Concerns Business General Business Human services professionals often need to make ethical decisions when providing support to clients. Decision making models help supply guidance to case managers and other human services professionals. Complete the University of Phoenix Material: Decision Making Models found in this week’s materials section of your classroom Take advantage of public transportation. College is expensive enough without adding gas and car maintenance to the equation. Many college campuses have arrangements with their city bus system that allow students to ride for free. Most college campuses have everything you need withing a short  distance so avoid driving whenever you can. Take advantage of public transportation. College is expensive enough without adding gas and car maintenance to the equation. Many college campuses have arrangements with their city bus system that allow students to ride for free. Most college campuses have everything you need withing a short distance so avoid driving whenever you can. Business General Business Human services professionals often need to make ethical decisions when providing support to clients. Decision making models help supply guidance to case managers and other human services professionals.

Bad Effects Of Global Warming Education Essay

Bad Effects Of Global Warming Education Essay Barack Obama once said, All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, its here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster. How much more evidence does the national public need to realize that global warming is here? This global phenomenon will affect every human being, and possibly destroy the earth. The New York Times editorial board recently published One Way or Another, in which the members agree that a bill is needed to enforce the rules on how factories and other fuel emitters must respond to decrease the number of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Scientists prove it that the planet is getting warmer every yearthe planets temperature has increased by one degree Celsius. The government needs to pass a bill t o prevent factories from producing a large amount of CO2, and the public also needs to take steps to stop global warming, such as using green power, and recycling. The main problem of global warming is the release of carbon dioxide, and other dangerous chemicals in to the atmosphere. These dangerous gases are released when we drive our cars and when factories burn fossil fuels for energy purposes, which will later release carbon dioxide in the air. The carbon dioxide and other gases will get absorbed by the Earths blanket, and then re-radiated back to the planet. This process is called the greenhouse effect, and it helps regulate the earths temperature. It is essential for the Earth, and it is one the Earths natural processes. The only problem is when too much carbon dioxide and other toxic gases are released in to the atmosphere; the Earths temperature could overheat, and cause many problems. (NCDC, 2009) The global surface temperatures have been dramatically increasing since the late 19th century. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Earths temperature has increased by one degree Celsius in the last 50 years that is an increase of .03 Celsius per year. This evidence proves that the Earths is overheating at a fast pace, and that it will cause problems in the future. If our planet continues to increase in temperature, we will encounter many problems. The United Nations panel on climate change projects that the global temperatures will rise 2-6 degrees Celsius by the centurys end enough to have all the polar caps melted. If the ice caps melt, a majority of countries will be under water. Recent research by the United Nations Panel on Global Warming shows that the ice has been melting already, and their evidence was that the Arctic sea ice has decreased about 23% in the last century. The evidence linking global warming and hurricanes is mounting. The warmer climate is heating up ocean waters, and warm ocean water fuels hurricanes. A 2005 MIT study found that the destructive potential of tropical storms has doubled over the past 30 years. It correlates this increasing ferocity with warmer sea surface temperatures, suggesting a strong link to global warming. Research at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has doubled since the 1970s. (Fight Global Warming, 2008) According to Dr. John Balmes of the American Lung Association of California, higher smog levels may cause serious health problems, including damage to lung tissue, reduced lung function, asthma, emphysema, bronchitis and increased hospitalizations for people with cardiac and respiratory illnesses. Exposure to smog can do serious damage to our lungs and respiratory systems. Inflammation and irritation can cause shortness of breath, throat irritation, chest pains and coughing and lead to asthma attacks. (Fight Global Warming, 2008) Congress has to pass a bill to reduce carbon dioxides levels in the atmosphere, or otherwise the human population is in trouble. According to One way or Another, Senator Barbra Boxer, and John Kerry are going to introduce their long-awaited in bill in December 2009, to impose nationwide limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Lisa Jackson, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, issued proposed rules that would regulate emissions from power plants and other large industrial sources. These government agencies can propose rules, and raise public awareness to stop global warming. One way to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere is to be environmental friendly. If people start to purchase hybrid cars it would reduce the CO2 emission by 50 percent. Hybrid cars use half electricity and half gasif we use less gas it will help us protect our environment. Green technology can definitely move us away from being dependent on foreign oil, and save us money in the process. Reducing the amounts of chemicals, plastics, and other items that are harmful to our environment will prevent global warming. We should use green power, which is produced by wind or solar energy. It will make the environment cleaner, and we dont have to burn fossil fuels, coal, and oil; which will increase the carbon dioxide levels. If we switch to green power, we could decrease our energy bills, and as Obama said in One Way or Another, It would also create more jobs in the U.S. The government needs to step up for the public and create a bill that will prevent large factories from producing huge amounts of carbon dioxide. Global warming has to been taken seriously by the general public and that each person should try their best to protect the environment by using green power, and recycling. Precautions must be taken by everyone because global warming will have an effect on all of us. The human race worked so hard to keep this plant safe, why destroy it now? It will be the next generation that will feel the heat!

Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn was the main character. The story was told through his eyes, and most of the events that took place happened around him.   But some of these events would not have happened without other main characters as well, like Jim, Tom Sawyer, the King, or the Duke.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Huck’s personality at the start of the novel had changed gradually throughout the novel and until the end.   At first, Miss Watson tried to make him pray for things but Huck did not believe in praying because it brought him bad luck.   Later in the novel, Huck tries to pray for forgiveness and wants to erase his sin for stealing a nigger.   After he prays, he feels he can pray openly now and will not sin anymore (CH. 31).   Huck was also superstitious and believed that everything that went wrong was because of certain things he did, like the snake in Jim’s blanket.   And everything was blamed on the bad luck Huck and Jim had.   Huck also became kind, especially after the quarrel with his father, pap.   He learned that in order to get along with people (like the king and duke), you have to let them have their way, and Huck did.    Jim, at first, was looked upon as just an ordinary nigger.   But Huck and Tom soon realized that he was very smart and had helped Huck through most of his adventures.   But as a nigger, Jim was looked up to as a hero to other niggers.   For instance, Huck tells the reader when niggers from all over the country came to see Jim and hear of his heroic stories and every nigger wanted to be like Jim.   Jim was also very superstitious, especially in chapter eight when Jim talks about all of his superstitions, like counting the things for dinner and telling the bees that their owner had just died.   All of this supposedly brought bad luck.   Ã‚   Tom Sawyer was also a very influential character to the story.   He was the one who came up with all the solutions for things, which eventually made more of a disaster.   But that is because he followed stories too much.   For instance, in chapter 35, Jim is captured and Tom tries the most original and hardest way to get him out, thus creating more of a catastrophe.

Neural Masculization and Feminization :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Neural Masculization and Feminization American society separates two sexes and distinguishes two genders. Through innumerable cues, we are taught that men and women are different. Most public places provide separate restrooms for men and women. Most department stores sell men's and women's clothes in separate departments. Even separate clothing size scales exist for men and women. Many health forms and applications for schools or jobs inquire about sex. Clubs and organizations, such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, exist solely for one gender or the other. When considering questions of sex and gender, each term must be defined. Sex refers to the biological distinction between male and female. Gender is the socially constructed understanding of man and woman. Why are so many distinctions drawn between male and female, man and woman? Are the differences between male and female limited to genitalia, or do the differences extend to behavior? If males and females do indeed act differently, what is the source of this difference? Several studies have indicated that males and females do act differently. One study even reported that men and women college students hold their books in different manners (1). Robert Trivers, an influential evolutionary biologist during the 1970's, suggested that males and females have evolved different patterns of behavior due to various levels of investment in reproduction and child-rearing (2) . According to Trivers' theory, female mammals are more invested in the reproductive process than male mammals because females must contribute a relatively large egg, milk, and blood to create offspring. Males, however, donate a relatively small amount of seamen. Since females must sacrifice more to reproduce, they are more likely to favor producing a smaller quantity of high quality offspring. In contrast, males have relatively little invested in each offspring, so producing a large quantity of offspring is favorable to males. Thus, theoretically, females are more selective of mates than m ales, and males must compete to win mates (2) . Because of this competition, males are thought to be more aggressive than females. Observation of human children has confirmed that young males tend to be more aggressive than young females (3) . In accordance with this pattern, preschool-aged boys are generally more willing to explore than preschool-aged girls, while girls tend to return to their mothers from exploration more frequently than boys (4) . For example, if a room was divided by some sort of barrier, with the mothers on one side and the children on the other, the boy children are more likely to try to find a way around the barrier, and the girl children are more likely to stand in the middle of the barrier and cry (4) .

Sample questions and Exam

Sample questions Note: The purpose for providing sample questions is to show the format of questions that will be given in the midterm exam. The midterm exam will have more of both true false questions and short answer problems than those presented here. For more short answer problem types please look at the exercises sets. True-false questions: T Consider the two statements: I. X is an inferior good. II. X exhibits Giffen’s Paradox. The following is true: II implies I, but I does not necessarily imply II. F T F Suppose that at current consumption levels an individual’s marginal utility of consuming an extra hot dog is 10 whereas the marginal utility of consuming an extra soft drink is 2. Then the MRS (of soft drinks for hot dogs)—that is, the number of hot dogs the individual is willing to give up to get one more soft drink is 1/5. If the price of X falls, the budget constraint shifts inward in a parallel fashion. T F T F Suppose a cup of coffee at the campus coffee shop is $2. 50 and a cup of hot tea is $1. 25. Suppose a student’s beverage budget is $20 per week. The algebraic expression represents the budget constraint. Suppose a cup of coffee at the campus coffee shop is $2. 50 and a cup of hot tea is $1. 25. Suppose a student’s beverage budget is $20 per week. Suppose the student simply prefers more caffeine to less and that the tea sold has exactly one-third the caffeine as the coffee. The student will buy a mix of coffee and tea. T F (The student will buy only coffee) T F In economic theory, the demand for a good must depend only on income and its own price and not on the prices of other goods. T F If two goods are substitutes, then an increase in the price of one of them will increase the demand for the other. 1 T F If consumers spend all of their income, it is impossible for all goods to be inferior goods. A good is a luxury good if the income elasticity of demand for it is greater than 1. A rational consumer spends her entire income. If her income doubles and prices do not change, then she will necessarily choose to consume twice as much of every good as she did before. A consumer has the utility function U(x; y) = min(x,2y) If the price of good x is zero and the price of good y is p; then the consumer's demand function for good y is m/2p. Suppose a teenager likes both rap music (R) and country music (C) with a set of preferences so that U = C1/2R1/2. Point (C, R)=(100, 1) makes the teen the happier than point (C, R)=(25, 25). If a person’s indifference curves can be represented as a straight line, the person views the goods as complements (but not perfect). T T F F T F T F T F Short answer problems 1. Walt consumes strawberries and cream but only in the fixed ratio of three boxes of strawberries to two cartons of cream. At any other ratio, the excess goods are totally useless to him. The cost of a box of strawberries is 10 and the cost of a carton of cream is 10. Walt's income is 200. How many boxes of strawberries does Walt demand? Ans: Walt demands 12 boxes of strawberries. (NOTE that the utility function is U=min{2x,3y}) 2. Fanny consumes only grapefruits and grapes. Her utility function is U(x; y) = x3y6; where x is the number of grapefruits consumed and y is the number of grapes consumed. Fanny's income is 48, and the prices of grapefruits and grapes are 1 and 3, respectively. How many grapefruits will she consume? Ans: 16 3. Katie Kwasi's utility function is U(x1; x2) = 2(ln x1)+ x2. Given her current income and the current relative prices, she consumes 5 units of x1 and 20 units of x2. If her income 2 doubles, while prices stay constant, how many units of x1 will she consume after the change in income? Ans: 5 3. Suppose a new healthcare initiative for the working poor will be paid for with a reduction to the earned income tax credit. Suppose the average working poor family has income of $12,000 from work and an additional $4000 from the EITC. If there are two goods, H (healthcare) and C (all other consumption), what will be the equation for a budget line with the EITC? (Let prices of all goods and healthcare be normalized to 1). Ans: C = $16,000 – H 4. Suppose a teenager has $20 and likes both rap music (R) and country music (C) with a set of preferences so that U = C1/2R1/2. Suppose that the iTunes price of a rap music song is and the price of a country music song is . What is the greatest level of affordable utility? Ans: v50 3

Latinos and other races Essay

Researchers did a study on bicycle helmet use in a rural Georgia town. They observed children riding bicycles during specified days and times over a five month period, both before and after incentive programs like free helmet distribution and bike safety education. Another â€Å"incentive† was that kids’ bicycles would be impounded if they were found riding without a helmet. Researchers canvassed the towns on Friday afternoons and most of the day Saturday, as these were determined to be the most popular riding times. They observed the riders indirectly and noted the child’s age, gender, race, and helmet use. Data was collected for children who were between the ages of 5 and 13, which are the ages that the helmet law covered. The researchers found that these measures increased helmet use from 0% to about 45%. Sampling for this study was somewhat difficult. Because the researchers were using only observation, and they did not track any individual riders or interact with them in any way, they were unable to guarantee that the riders were actually of the targeted age. This is especially true of older kids, between the ages of 10 and 13, as these kids have extremely varying sizes and presence or absence of secondary sexual characteristics, which were two of the determining factors in determining the child’s age. Sampling the older group was also difficult because not everyone in this age group actually received a helmet, since they went to a larger school that included children from another town. The results for this age group, then, are probably skewed and possibly not very valid. The town’s racial make up, too, was heavily slanted towards black children, with 75% black and 25% white children. Due to cultural differences between black and white children, researchers may need to repeat these studies in communities where racial make up is more heavily white, and communities which include Asians, Latinos, and other races. Each culture is individual and each would likely have a different reaction to the helmet laws and police enforcement. Within this community, the researchers probably should have used only the 5 – 10 years age group, as this group could be more carefully controlled. Researchers were aware that this age group, which attended elementary school, did all receive free helmets and bicycle education. They also would possibly have an easier time observing age, as size is more indicative in younger children rather than in older children. This study was somewhat valid. The researchers admit that they were unable to track individual riders, so when they had four observers canvassing the town at once, it was possible that certain riders may have been recorded several times (a possibility that the researchers themselves are aware of, but are not concerned with). Noting, as they said, â€Å"rides† instead of â€Å"riders† also is a limitation, although the researchers felt that their method of observation led to more accurate data than self-reported data via telephone or mail surveys. It is possible that the same group of children was observed multiple times during each session, and in fact overall helmet use was lower. This, too, depends on how the researchers define â€Å"rate of helmet use,† because number of rides where a helmet is used, and the number of riders who use a helmet is a different measure. Another issue with validity is that it was impossible for researchers to track how frequently individual riders wore their helmets. It is possible that some children always wore one, and other children rarely or occasionally wore one. A better measure of helmet use would have been to track individual children and to note how frequently they wore their helmets while riding their bikes. Police enforcement is another issue in this study. Every community who adopts a program of this type may choose a different kind of enforcement, or none at all. This community allowed parent citations (which were rarely used) and bike impoundment (parents had to go and pick the bike up at the police station, where they proved helmet ownership or were offered a free helmet, and they were also re-educated on bike safety). Other communities may rely more heavily on citations, or they may choose fines. Fines were not a good option for this community, as it was a rural community where a large minority lived below the poverty line. Another issue is that the police may be perceived differently in different areas. As the researchers noted, even the knowledge of police presence and enforcement was enough for many children to wear their helmets. This suggests a respect for the police force, which is common in rural areas. In other areas, especially urban, police may not be regarded so highly, and enforcement may become a larger problem. In an urban area, the sheer number of children would also possibly be prohibitive. This study was fairly reliable. Researchers followed up on the helmet use unofficially after 2 years and came up with similar results, which indicates both that helmet use was continuing and that the study was able to achieve the same results. Other studies, if they used the same observation methods, would probably also achieve similar results. This study is repeatable as written, despite its flaws. A better way to do this study would be to gather two groups of children: experimental and control. Both groups would be surveyed and observed for their helmet use at the beginning of the study, and these numbers would be compared. Then, the experimental group would be given the bicycle safety education and be offered free helmets. The second group would be told they should wear helmets but not offered extensive bicycle education or given free helmets. The researchers would then track individual riders through observation on at least a weekly basis to see how many in each group wore their helmets on a frequent basis. This would allow researchers to track â€Å"riders† instead of simply rides, and to make sure that each child was only counted once in their statistics. It would also show the effect of bicycle education and offering free helmets on helmet use. It is likely in this particular study that children only began to wear their helmets because they were offered free helmets. If they had been asked to go and buy helmets, cost would likely have been prohibitive in a rural, low socio-economic area. Therefore, providing the helmets was a key point in the plan. It may be interesting to do a study where children are provided with bicycle education and a list of resources on where to purchase helmets, but not actually provided with them. This study would best be done in a suburban area where the socio-economic status was higher, and would show the effect of bicycle education and possibly police enforcement on helmet use. Since further studies are possible and needed, and since the researchers themselves are aware of the study’s limitations, it would be prudent not to extend these results to all communities and situations. The study is ideal for the researchers’ purposes but has a highly limited scope. Overall, this research is very interesting. Regardless of the study’s limitations, introducing bike safety and helmets into the community resulted in statistically significant increases in helmet use, which purportedly resulted in fewer bike-related injuries and deaths. This is a step in the right direction, and although more research and more community programs are needed to both increase helmet use and decrease injuries, this study shows that programs are effective and change is possible.

Important Output Computer Devices in Accounting

Considering the input devices required in setting up the office, The major computer gadgets that will be focused on are the Keyboard and Mouse. These input devices are going to play a major in the insertion of data into the office system. The keyboard is the computer input device that enables the user enter data into the computer . The keys in a keyboard are classified into †¢Alphanumeric keys-consist of letters and number ,which helps in keying in and calculating data that are inserted into the system. Punctuation keys-consists of the period,comma,semicolon,etc †¢Special keys-this keys consist of the function keys, control keys, arrow keys, caps lock key etc. Looking at the account office, the accountants needs the type of keyboard that enables them work effectively with ease. As an accountant, normally when entering a data, you type all the data with your right hand and have always have to stop and use your left to hit the tab key which is completely inefficient and discomforting. In order words in providing a solution for the discomfort, the R-tab Keyboard will be used in the office setup. the R-tab keyboard has the tab key on the right of the number pad, which makes it easier and more efficient for an accountant to use. So instead of having to interrupt the left hand to hit the tab key, the right hand stride wont be breached while typing . This r-tab keyboard will improve the efficiency of the office by 25% higher than the usage of an ordinary keyboard. The longer the accountants use it. The longer their productivity will increase. Accountants that have used the r-tab keyboard found out that they were able to finish data and numeric entries much faster in a much quicker manner. The mouse is the computer input device to which controls the location of a cursor on a video display that is connected to a computer. Generally in categorizing the computer mouse it is of two types which is the mechanical and optical mouse. Being an input device that pinpoints and sends command into the system it is a major input device that will and always a major vital role in any computer system setup. In my analysis of the computer mouse, the best mouse that will be in tune to the satisfaction of the accountants is the Logitech Performance Mouse MX. The Logitech Performance Mouse has a general use functionality which is sculpted for the right hand only. It has a number of interesting features, which includes the darkfield tracking, which enables the mouse to work on any surface. It has a unifying technology which connects six devices to computer(this particular feature helps the members of the office access and gain control of a system from wherever they are within the office range). With the sophisticated features and performance of the mouse MX the user can easily spin into a document and scroll incrementally when navigating images and slides. These are the two major input devices that yield great productivity in an office, without these the employees productivity will become a major waste and any computer gadget that’s supposed to ignite greater yield should be considered carefully before choosen. So in order words the R-tab keyboard and the mouse MX are the best and suitable input devices required for the office setup.

Walking Contradiction

Now I know how parents may feel when their teenage kids are playing there depressing and gothic music at full blast at the middle of the night. It's clear that most people's opinions are that the lyrics featured in these gothic or metal bands are usually to do with some sort of bad language, death and violence. A feature most predominantly in many of Marilyn Manson's songs. A quote reveals how people judge him for every circumstance â€Å"when a dude's getting bullied and shoots up the school and they blame it on Marilyn, and the heroin† This reveals people's attitude towards this individual. In any case people have their preferences and mine include Beegees. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a golden oldie, but the best music had to have been made in the 70's or 80's. Perfectly good examples of these would have been Abba and Gloria Gaynor. Now neither of these people needed to promote sex, drugs and rock and roll to sell records, which is what seems to be happening today. Artists seem to swear more and more to sell more and more, now tell me is this right? Any ways don't get me wrong not every artist is like that†¦ There are a handful of bands, which don't need negative aspects to sell their music. One band in particular is Kool and the gang, now if I may claim to liking the classic band does that necessarily mean that I must write off every modern day music as some of you people do. All of you people seem to be determined to write off any artists that bear the name Eminem or Marilyn Manson, or any artists that swear or have some sort of opinion not matching yours. The truth about the matter is that you use these individuals as scapegoats, so that you have something to blame when your child has done something wrong or you have something to blame for the way your child behaves. The fact of the matter is that music is a way of expression, and that no matter how or why people complain about aspects of it the reality is that you are powerless to stop any kind of music from coming out. But most importantly you are powerless to stop your children from listening to it. At the end people can listen to whatever type of music, from anything from Bob Marley's â€Å"No woman No cry† to a more modern day song such as Rage Against The Machine's â€Å"Bullet in the head†. I personally have gotten into Metallica recently, just like how a vampire needs his blood, I admittedly need to listen to the enlightening and somewhat depressing lyrics, as well as the bone crunching and indoctrinating guitar riffs daily. Without these I am happy to say that I would be a lifeless, dull and uncaring individual (One which requires someone to master him as a puppet). But with all this said hate and love have been with us from the beginning of time, and they will continue to be with us until the end. I only ask that people take in the fact that drugs and violence have always been in lyrics and will forever remain so, the key thing is to learn to deal with it! Show preview only

A Study of the Conversion Options for the Bataan

T. S. undertook a study of the options for converting the Bataan Nuclear Power Station to fossil fuel (coal or natural gas) combustion. One aim of the study was to find another market for Philippine and Australian coal or natural gas (LNG). The essential question regarding the Bataan Reactor is: how to obtain a financial return from a very expensive power station that * has never produced electricity; * is costing the Philippinec State a sizeable sum in interest; and * has environmental, safety and social concerns over its use as a nuclear power station. The retrofitting of the turbine generator with a fossil fuel fired steam raising system was suggested as a means of utilising part of the plant, and obtaining some return for past and future expenditure. The report/proposal examined some options for fossil fuel firing, and compared those options with nuclear operation. Background The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was completed in 1984, whilst construction commenced in 1976. It is a Westinghouse light water reactor, that uses pressurised water as it heat exchange medium between the reactor and the steam generators. Its design thermal capacity is 1876MW(t), whilst its rated power output is 621MW(e)1. The technology that is incorporated into the plant is essentially early seventies, but has been modified to incorporate more recent safety devices, such as those recommended by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, after evaluation of the Three Mile Island incident. The plant, which was in the process of commissioning at the time of the EDSA revolution, has not been fired, although nuclear fuel was delivered to it storage facilities. Maintenance has continued, with the integrity of the plant and ancillaries being ensured. Conclusion of Study The Philippine Government has previously stated that the Philippines will have nuclear power, but that power will come from new plant and not the Bataan reactor. President Ramos announced on the 8th October 1994 that the Reactor would be converted to a 1000MW combined cycle gas plant. (Although an announcement for a specific conversion scheme has been made, it is still considered that there is time for other options to be considered. ) We found that conversion is technically possible, but economically unwise. New and dedicated coal or natural gas fired power plants would give much higher efficiencies, and thus would give the Philippines much better value per peso spent on fuel consumed. The M. E. T. T. S. ‘s study concluded that the only way of obtaining a reasonable return from the Bataan ‘machine’ is to use it as a nuclear power plant. Our report specifically came to the following conclusions: * That the use of the present ‘nuclear’ turbine/generator in a fossil fired system would be highly wasteful of energy (fuel), A new pulverised coal power station and/or combined cycle natural gas power stations at other site(s), would be a better investment in terms of fuel efficiency and levellised power costs, * The Bataan site is inappropriate for coal fired plant, due to environmental constraints and materials (coal and ash) handling problems, * More assessable sites could be found for co mbined cycle natural gas fired plants around Manila Bay, and Batangas, * The Bataan reactor has been maintained in a good condition since mothballing, and The reactor is of basically sound design and construction, and could with modest expenditure become one of the most modern and safest light water reactors in East Asia. To fire the plant as a nuclear facility, the sea water intakes to the condensers would need to be cleaned (with some equipment being replaced), some of the reactor monitoring systems would need to be further upgraded, whilst the second power transmission system would need to be reconstructed. Staff would need to be retrained and re-licenced. A description of the study is presented in the attached article by Clarke, Ebeling and Cordero. The article was presenred at The First Philippine International Conference on Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management, Manila, January 1995. Options for the Conversion of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant to Fossil Fuel Firing Dr. Michael C. Clarke, Director, M. E. T. T. S. Pty. Ltd. , Sydney, Australia Mr. Douglas R. Ebeling, Associate, M. E. T. T. S. Pty. Ltd. , Sydney, Australia Eng. Donato L. Cordero, Engineering Manager, Bataan Nuclear Power Plant The following Executive Summary of a major report formed the basis of a paper presented at the 1st Philippine Conference on Energy Efficiency and Demand-side Management, Manila, January 1995. ) Capital costs and power generation costs are summarised in Table 1, for one coal conversion option, and the conversion of the plant to natural gas fired, combined cycle operation. For comparison purposes figures are also presented for the refurbishm ent, commissioning and running the plant as a nuclear power station. Electricity costs from nuclear operation are considerably cheaper than for ither the two conversion options. If power costs was the only criteria for operating the plant then nuclear firing would clearly win. Both coal and natural gas conversions will have environmental consequences for the region. By the installation of best available technology and the application of best available practice, the impact will be minimised. The cost of technology and practice however will increase the cost of electricity produced by the plant. Table 1. SUMMARY TABLE, FOSSIL FUEL CONVERSION OPTIONS, BNPP – Revision, March 1995 CONVERSION TO COALCONVERSION TO N. GASNUCLEAR COMPARISON POWER OUTPUT MW(e)8001700 620 ENERGY OUTPUT GWH5,600 (With FGD – 5400)12,2004,613 CAPITAL COST $USm750 (With FGD – 1070)1385380 (UPGRADE) Electricity Cost ? US/kWH4. 82 (With FGD – 5. 94) 5. 24, 4. 34 (FP $230/170)3. 50 Electricity Cost P/kWH1. 21 (With FGD – 1. 49)1. 31, 1. 09 (FP $230/170)0. 88 CAP. COST/POWER OUT0. 94 (With FGD – 1. 34)0. 810. 61 CONSTRUCTION TIME42 MONTHS4218. 24 FGD Flue Gas Desulphurisation (+ Selective Catalytic Reduction) FP Fuel Price, Natural Gas ($US230 /tonne for LNG, $US170 /tonne piped gas) – (Coal $US 55 / tonne) Notes on Table 1 For comparison purposes, the two fossil fuel conversion options and the nuclear comparison have each had the electricity cost based on a pay-back period of twenty years. In each case (for the table) it has been assumed that the full capital cost has been borrowed. When financing packages are being considered, different pay-back periods are likely to be used. The periods are likely to increase with increasing debt. With the natural gas conversion option, an equity contribution would probably be included, since a BOT financing scheme may be used, that ties gas production, reticulation and use into one commercial package. The electricity costs for coal and natural gas conversion are based on a reasonably optimistic scenarios, where no excessive ancillary capital works are charged against the plant. If environmental or other factors require such works, then increase in the electricity cost would occur. It is further considered that the plant required for conversion would be sourced from low cost countries; China, India, Australia, the Philippines etc, as far as possible. The costings for conversion are further premised on the use of the site allocated for construction of PNPP 2, in that it is supplied at no cost, and is geologically stable. If the time required for the construction and commissioning is crucial, then the upgrading of the plant as a nuclear station is clearly the preferred choice. Further, the financial analyses indicate that the nuclear firing of the plant offers the cheapest electricity. Given that the nuclear fuel price is likely to remain stable over the foreseeable future (as against likely rises for coal and natural gas), the nuclear upgrading# and operation offers greater financial certainty to investors. # M. E. T. T. S. ‘s estimate for upgrading the nuclear plant to 1997/8 standards is $US380m. It is backed by further external assessment, and includes new safety features. $US300m is the cost of a basic upgrading based on calculations carried out by the National Power Corporation. SUMMARY – COAL FIRING The conversion of the PNPP I plant to coal firing has some advantages. Coal technology is well proven, and only a small variation in the normal use of that technology is required to convert the plant. The power station will have a capacity similar to the design capacity for the nuclear plant, and will not be the largest plant in the new echelon of Luzon’s power facilities. The plant of 800 MW(e) capacity will be relatively inexpensive at a capital cost of $US505m – without Flue Gas Desulphurisation, Selective Catalytic Reduction, or excessive expenditure on coal or ash handling and ignoring the previous expenditure on the nuclear system. A construction and commissioning period of 42 months is envisaged. The coal option however offers unique co-economic opportunities. The ash waste product would be valuable if used in ancillary industry. By using the Lahar produced by the Pinatubo eruption as an aggregate, with the ash, iron oxide and cement, valuable building materials could be produced. The disadvantages include designing and fitting an environmentally acceptable coal fired power station into the Bataan region. The materials handling alone will create many environmental, management and operational difficulties. The infrastructure requirements for materials handling will also raise engineering and environmental questions that will need to be solved before construction begins. Other environmental questions concerning emission reduction and control must also be answered before work can commence. Another major disadvantage is the requirement for premium fuel, that is expensive in 1994, and in all probability will become relatively more expensive as the demand for ‘clean’ coal increases in the future. SUMMARY – NATURAL GAS FIRING (COMBINED CYCLE, GAS TURBINE) Natural gas provides the cleanest option for the conversion of the Bataan power station to fossil fuel firing. It further offers the most flexible power output to the grid. Options exist for running a part (or whole) of the plant as a single cycle peak load provider, or running the whole plant as a base load facility. The environmental hazard that would be created by such a plant is low compared to coal. Thermal pollution to the sea would be greater than the nuclear option, in that if a 1700MW(e) plant was built with 46% efficiency, the waste heat would be 2000MW(t). This heat would be partially dissipated into the atmosphere (250MW) as against to the sea (1750MW). The additional heat discharge to the sea would be about 500MW(t). NOx emissions can be successfully controlled by modern technology. Steam or water injection, ammonia addition or innovative combustion designs will produce acceptable (but not zero) NOx emissions. At 1700MW(e), the power station would be the largest in the Philippines, and would certainly require a review of the Luzon energy plan. The total consumption of natural gas over a twenty five year period would be 2. 5 TCF; over half the entire Philippine projected resource from Palawan. Over a billion dollars in capital would be needed to build the plant, plus an additional substantial sum to supply the fuel; either as LNG or pipeline gas. The security of a large gas holding area would need to be addressed. Such a holding area and power station would make a relatively easy target when compared to a coal fired plant with coal yards or nuclear facilities. The installation of the gas turbines could be achieved in eighteen months, but the construction of the steam generators and carrying out modifications to the existing plant would take a further twenty four months. From the preliminary financial analysis, the construction of a new combined cycle power station makes better financial sense. A NUCLEAR COMPARISON Under the four headings (Technology, The Environment, Social and Political Concerns, and Economy) that were used to examine the coal-conversion option, a brief summary has been made of the nuclear option for comparison purposes. Technology Light water reactors are a very common type of nuclear reactor. They have good safety records, and most have high capacity factors. There development has been continuous, with technology now being available from Japan, Korea, France, the United Kingdom as well as the United States. They are used in close proximity to the Philippines (Japan, Korea and Taiwan) and have been armarked for use in Indonesia and Malaysia. The Bataan unit is 1970/80’s technology. It is however essentially the same as new units, and could be readily upgraded to 1990’s standards. The Environment The reactor will produce thermal pollution (waste heat) that will be disposed of, off Napot Point to the South China Sea. An environmental impact assessment cleared the plant for its designed heat disposal, and found that localised heating of the sea would not be excessive, given the strong currents that would ensure dispersion of the hot water. No other polluting emissions could be expected from the nuclear power plant. (Accidental emissions of radioactive material, are most unlikely. Once the plant was upgraded to 1997 standards, one accident in a million years could be expected. ) Social and Political Concerns The perceived problems at the Bataan power plant are its greatest liability. These problems include seismic instability, claims of faulty workmanship and the lack of experience of the operators. Many geological and seismic inspections have been carried out on the site, with the result being that no significant risk is apparent. To convince Philippine Society of the seismic safety of the plant, an educational programme would need to be carried out that emphasised the sites stability, and the high seismic safety factor of the plant (0. 4g). Part of the process of refurbishment and upgrading, would be quality assurance on all systems and components of the plant. Modern QA techniques would need to be used to provide the certainty that all significant parts of the plant meet the highest safety and operational standards. Initially foreign experts would be needed to run the plant. The retraining of Philippine staff would take considerable time and money, with the retrained staff spending a number of years assisting in operating similar plants in neighbouring countries. Economics By comparison with the costs of conversion to coal or natural gas, the refurbishment and upgrading of the plant for nuclear operation would be significantly cheaper. A maximum price of $US300m (including staff training) is a fair limit, compared to fossil fuel conversion alternatives. The nuclear option should have the shortest lag time in terms of upgrading and commissioning. If foreign staff were used to initially man the plant then a period of eighteen to twenty months would be needed for full operation. This relatively short period, may be valuable in that the some of the expensive, old or temporary oil fired power plant could be retired early. Fuel costs, plus operation and management costs for LWRs should cost no more than ? US 2/kWH (0. 54 Centavos/kWH). If the interest on the $US 300m was 12%, with a pay-back period of twenty years for the capital, then a further 0. 9? US/kWH would be added to the power cost. The total power cost would be 2. 9? US/kWH (0. 78 Centavos/kWH). If consideration was given to running the Bataan power station as a nuclear plant, then the environmental and economic benefits (as well as safety) should be emphasised, to overcome social and political opposition. THE PHILIPPINES AND THE NUCLEAR CYCLE The Philippines would be an importer of nuclear fuel and an exporter of spent fuel. The fuel that the reactor would use would be lightly enriched. As the uranium 235 is consumed, some plutonium is formed, part of which is also used up as fuel. The spent fuel rods contain a depleted amount of uranium 235, a little plutonium but mostly non-fissile uranium 238. These fuel rods can be reused in heavy water type reactors (CANDU) that are running in Japan, Korea and Taiwan, as primary fuel. All the wastes would be processed by those countries, whilst the Philippines would receive a financial return for its used nuclear fuel. This is a win-win situation. The sale of the used fuel rods could bring the net production cost of electricity (fuel plus operations and management) to under ? US 1. 5/kWH. PLANT SECURITY AND THE NUCLEAR OPTION Unfortunately there is an ongoing insurgency situation in the Philippines. The insurgency problems are no longer major, and in all probability will recede. All major plant however does need a security system. The Bataan plant was constructed with good external, perimeter and internal security systems. There are commonly perceived notions that Nuclear Plants are susceptible to terrorist attack. These notions are based on a lack of understanding of the compact nature of nuclear plants, and the presence of very considerable containment structures for the reactor and fuel stores – especially American designed LWRs. The plant is easy to guard, and would be able to resist attack with light weapons, including rocket propelled grenades etc. The damage from such an attack would be limited to the knocking out of ancillary plant and structures, including the transformer yard, the auxiliary fuel tanks and administration building. Notes 1. The above power cost figures are based on 1997 projected fuel prices, 12% interest, 85% availability, and 20 years amortisation.. The price of coal and natural gas are considered to be more liable for major increases, than nuclear fuel. The Asian demand for both coal and gas is expected to outstrip supply in the coming decade. 2. The estimated construction time includes planning and design, equipment construction, site modification, plant erection and commissioning, and staff training (coal and natural gas conversion). If major ancillary works are required (eg. major wharves, ash and coal pipelines, shipping channels etc), then both an increase in the construction time and costs could be expected. A Study of the Conversion Options for the Bataan T. S. undertook a study of the options for converting the Bataan Nuclear Power Station to fossil fuel (coal or natural gas) combustion. One aim of the study was to find another market for Philippine and Australian coal or natural gas (LNG). The essential question regarding the Bataan Reactor is: how to obtain a financial return from a very expensive power station that * has never produced electricity; * is costing the Philippinec State a sizeable sum in interest; and * has environmental, safety and social concerns over its use as a nuclear power station. The retrofitting of the turbine generator with a fossil fuel fired steam raising system was suggested as a means of utilising part of the plant, and obtaining some return for past and future expenditure. The report/proposal examined some options for fossil fuel firing, and compared those options with nuclear operation. Background The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was completed in 1984, whilst construction commenced in 1976. It is a Westinghouse light water reactor, that uses pressurised water as it heat exchange medium between the reactor and the steam generators. Its design thermal capacity is 1876MW(t), whilst its rated power output is 621MW(e)1. The technology that is incorporated into the plant is essentially early seventies, but has been modified to incorporate more recent safety devices, such as those recommended by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, after evaluation of the Three Mile Island incident. The plant, which was in the process of commissioning at the time of the EDSA revolution, has not been fired, although nuclear fuel was delivered to it storage facilities. Maintenance has continued, with the integrity of the plant and ancillaries being ensured. Conclusion of Study The Philippine Government has previously stated that the Philippines will have nuclear power, but that power will come from new plant and not the Bataan reactor. President Ramos announced on the 8th October 1994 that the Reactor would be converted to a 1000MW combined cycle gas plant. (Although an announcement for a specific conversion scheme has been made, it is still considered that there is time for other options to be considered. ) We found that conversion is technically possible, but economically unwise. New and dedicated coal or natural gas fired power plants would give much higher efficiencies, and thus would give the Philippines much better value per peso spent on fuel consumed. The M. E. T. T. S. ‘s study concluded that the only way of obtaining a reasonable return from the Bataan ‘machine’ is to use it as a nuclear power plant. Our report specifically came to the following conclusions: * That the use of the present ‘nuclear’ turbine/generator in a fossil fired system would be highly wasteful of energy (fuel), A new pulverised coal power station and/or combined cycle natural gas power stations at other site(s), would be a better investment in terms of fuel efficiency and levellised power costs, * The Bataan site is inappropriate for coal fired plant, due to environmental constraints and materials (coal and ash) handling problems, * More assessable sites could be found for co mbined cycle natural gas fired plants around Manila Bay, and Batangas, * The Bataan reactor has been maintained in a good condition since mothballing, and The reactor is of basically sound design and construction, and could with modest expenditure become one of the most modern and safest light water reactors in East Asia. To fire the plant as a nuclear facility, the sea water intakes to the condensers would need to be cleaned (with some equipment being replaced), some of the reactor monitoring systems would need to be further upgraded, whilst the second power transmission system would need to be reconstructed. Staff would need to be retrained and re-licenced. A description of the study is presented in the attached article by Clarke, Ebeling and Cordero. The article was presenred at The First Philippine International Conference on Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management, Manila, January 1995. Options for the Conversion of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant to Fossil Fuel Firing Dr. Michael C. Clarke, Director, M. E. T. T. S. Pty. Ltd. , Sydney, Australia Mr. Douglas R. Ebeling, Associate, M. E. T. T. S. Pty. Ltd. , Sydney, Australia Eng. Donato L. Cordero, Engineering Manager, Bataan Nuclear Power Plant The following Executive Summary of a major report formed the basis of a paper presented at the 1st Philippine Conference on Energy Efficiency and Demand-side Management, Manila, January 1995. ) Capital costs and power generation costs are summarised in Table 1, for one coal conversion option, and the conversion of the plant to natural gas fired, combined cycle operation. For comparison purposes figures are also presented for the refurbishm ent, commissioning and running the plant as a nuclear power station. Electricity costs from nuclear operation are considerably cheaper than for ither the two conversion options. If power costs was the only criteria for operating the plant then nuclear firing would clearly win. Both coal and natural gas conversions will have environmental consequences for the region. By the installation of best available technology and the application of best available practice, the impact will be minimised. The cost of technology and practice however will increase the cost of electricity produced by the plant. Table 1. SUMMARY TABLE, FOSSIL FUEL CONVERSION OPTIONS, BNPP – Revision, March 1995 CONVERSION TO COALCONVERSION TO N. GASNUCLEAR COMPARISON POWER OUTPUT MW(e)8001700 620 ENERGY OUTPUT GWH5,600 (With FGD – 5400)12,2004,613 CAPITAL COST $USm750 (With FGD – 1070)1385380 (UPGRADE) Electricity Cost ? US/kWH4. 82 (With FGD – 5. 94) 5. 24, 4. 34 (FP $230/170)3. 50 Electricity Cost P/kWH1. 21 (With FGD – 1. 49)1. 31, 1. 09 (FP $230/170)0. 88 CAP. COST/POWER OUT0. 94 (With FGD – 1. 34)0. 810. 61 CONSTRUCTION TIME42 MONTHS4218. 24 FGD Flue Gas Desulphurisation (+ Selective Catalytic Reduction) FP Fuel Price, Natural Gas ($US230 /tonne for LNG, $US170 /tonne piped gas) – (Coal $US 55 / tonne) Notes on Table 1 For comparison purposes, the two fossil fuel conversion options and the nuclear comparison have each had the electricity cost based on a pay-back period of twenty years. In each case (for the table) it has been assumed that the full capital cost has been borrowed. When financing packages are being considered, different pay-back periods are likely to be used. The periods are likely to increase with increasing debt. With the natural gas conversion option, an equity contribution would probably be included, since a BOT financing scheme may be used, that ties gas production, reticulation and use into one commercial package. The electricity costs for coal and natural gas conversion are based on a reasonably optimistic scenarios, where no excessive ancillary capital works are charged against the plant. If environmental or other factors require such works, then increase in the electricity cost would occur. It is further considered that the plant required for conversion would be sourced from low cost countries; China, India, Australia, the Philippines etc, as far as possible. The costings for conversion are further premised on the use of the site allocated for construction of PNPP 2, in that it is supplied at no cost, and is geologically stable. If the time required for the construction and commissioning is crucial, then the upgrading of the plant as a nuclear station is clearly the preferred choice. Further, the financial analyses indicate that the nuclear firing of the plant offers the cheapest electricity. Given that the nuclear fuel price is likely to remain stable over the foreseeable future (as against likely rises for coal and natural gas), the nuclear upgrading# and operation offers greater financial certainty to investors. # M. E. T. T. S. ‘s estimate for upgrading the nuclear plant to 1997/8 standards is $US380m. It is backed by further external assessment, and includes new safety features. $US300m is the cost of a basic upgrading based on calculations carried out by the National Power Corporation. SUMMARY – COAL FIRING The conversion of the PNPP I plant to coal firing has some advantages. Coal technology is well proven, and only a small variation in the normal use of that technology is required to convert the plant. The power station will have a capacity similar to the design capacity for the nuclear plant, and will not be the largest plant in the new echelon of Luzon’s power facilities. The plant of 800 MW(e) capacity will be relatively inexpensive at a capital cost of $US505m – without Flue Gas Desulphurisation, Selective Catalytic Reduction, or excessive expenditure on coal or ash handling and ignoring the previous expenditure on the nuclear system. A construction and commissioning period of 42 months is envisaged. The coal option however offers unique co-economic opportunities. The ash waste product would be valuable if used in ancillary industry. By using the Lahar produced by the Pinatubo eruption as an aggregate, with the ash, iron oxide and cement, valuable building materials could be produced. The disadvantages include designing and fitting an environmentally acceptable coal fired power station into the Bataan region. The materials handling alone will create many environmental, management and operational difficulties. The infrastructure requirements for materials handling will also raise engineering and environmental questions that will need to be solved before construction begins. Other environmental questions concerning emission reduction and control must also be answered before work can commence. Another major disadvantage is the requirement for premium fuel, that is expensive in 1994, and in all probability will become relatively more expensive as the demand for ‘clean’ coal increases in the future. SUMMARY – NATURAL GAS FIRING (COMBINED CYCLE, GAS TURBINE) Natural gas provides the cleanest option for the conversion of the Bataan power station to fossil fuel firing. It further offers the most flexible power output to the grid. Options exist for running a part (or whole) of the plant as a single cycle peak load provider, or running the whole plant as a base load facility. The environmental hazard that would be created by such a plant is low compared to coal. Thermal pollution to the sea would be greater than the nuclear option, in that if a 1700MW(e) plant was built with 46% efficiency, the waste heat would be 2000MW(t). This heat would be partially dissipated into the atmosphere (250MW) as against to the sea (1750MW). The additional heat discharge to the sea would be about 500MW(t). NOx emissions can be successfully controlled by modern technology. Steam or water injection, ammonia addition or innovative combustion designs will produce acceptable (but not zero) NOx emissions. At 1700MW(e), the power station would be the largest in the Philippines, and would certainly require a review of the Luzon energy plan. The total consumption of natural gas over a twenty five year period would be 2. 5 TCF; over half the entire Philippine projected resource from Palawan. Over a billion dollars in capital would be needed to build the plant, plus an additional substantial sum to supply the fuel; either as LNG or pipeline gas. The security of a large gas holding area would need to be addressed. Such a holding area and power station would make a relatively easy target when compared to a coal fired plant with coal yards or nuclear facilities. The installation of the gas turbines could be achieved in eighteen months, but the construction of the steam generators and carrying out modifications to the existing plant would take a further twenty four months. From the preliminary financial analysis, the construction of a new combined cycle power station makes better financial sense. A NUCLEAR COMPARISON Under the four headings (Technology, The Environment, Social and Political Concerns, and Economy) that were used to examine the coal-conversion option, a brief summary has been made of the nuclear option for comparison purposes. Technology Light water reactors are a very common type of nuclear reactor. They have good safety records, and most have high capacity factors. There development has been continuous, with technology now being available from Japan, Korea, France, the United Kingdom as well as the United States. They are used in close proximity to the Philippines (Japan, Korea and Taiwan) and have been armarked for use in Indonesia and Malaysia. The Bataan unit is 1970/80’s technology. It is however essentially the same as new units, and could be readily upgraded to 1990’s standards. The Environment The reactor will produce thermal pollution (waste heat) that will be disposed of, off Napot Point to the South China Sea. An environmental impact assessment cleared the plant for its designed heat disposal, and found that localised heating of the sea would not be excessive, given the strong currents that would ensure dispersion of the hot water. No other polluting emissions could be expected from the nuclear power plant. (Accidental emissions of radioactive material, are most unlikely. Once the plant was upgraded to 1997 standards, one accident in a million years could be expected. ) Social and Political Concerns The perceived problems at the Bataan power plant are its greatest liability. These problems include seismic instability, claims of faulty workmanship and the lack of experience of the operators. Many geological and seismic inspections have been carried out on the site, with the result being that no significant risk is apparent. To convince Philippine Society of the seismic safety of the plant, an educational programme would need to be carried out that emphasised the sites stability, and the high seismic safety factor of the plant (0. 4g). Part of the process of refurbishment and upgrading, would be quality assurance on all systems and components of the plant. Modern QA techniques would need to be used to provide the certainty that all significant parts of the plant meet the highest safety and operational standards. Initially foreign experts would be needed to run the plant. The retraining of Philippine staff would take considerable time and money, with the retrained staff spending a number of years assisting in operating similar plants in neighbouring countries. Economics By comparison with the costs of conversion to coal or natural gas, the refurbishment and upgrading of the plant for nuclear operation would be significantly cheaper. A maximum price of $US300m (including staff training) is a fair limit, compared to fossil fuel conversion alternatives. The nuclear option should have the shortest lag time in terms of upgrading and commissioning. If foreign staff were used to initially man the plant then a period of eighteen to twenty months would be needed for full operation. This relatively short period, may be valuable in that the some of the expensive, old or temporary oil fired power plant could be retired early. Fuel costs, plus operation and management costs for LWRs should cost no more than ? US 2/kWH (0. 54 Centavos/kWH). If the interest on the $US 300m was 12%, with a pay-back period of twenty years for the capital, then a further 0. 9? US/kWH would be added to the power cost. The total power cost would be 2. 9? US/kWH (0. 78 Centavos/kWH). If consideration was given to running the Bataan power station as a nuclear plant, then the environmental and economic benefits (as well as safety) should be emphasised, to overcome social and political opposition. THE PHILIPPINES AND THE NUCLEAR CYCLE The Philippines would be an importer of nuclear fuel and an exporter of spent fuel. The fuel that the reactor would use would be lightly enriched. As the uranium 235 is consumed, some plutonium is formed, part of which is also used up as fuel. The spent fuel rods contain a depleted amount of uranium 235, a little plutonium but mostly non-fissile uranium 238. These fuel rods can be reused in heavy water type reactors (CANDU) that are running in Japan, Korea and Taiwan, as primary fuel. All the wastes would be processed by those countries, whilst the Philippines would receive a financial return for its used nuclear fuel. This is a win-win situation. The sale of the used fuel rods could bring the net production cost of electricity (fuel plus operations and management) to under ? US 1. 5/kWH. PLANT SECURITY AND THE NUCLEAR OPTION Unfortunately there is an ongoing insurgency situation in the Philippines. The insurgency problems are no longer major, and in all probability will recede. All major plant however does need a security system. The Bataan plant was constructed with good external, perimeter and internal security systems. There are commonly perceived notions that Nuclear Plants are susceptible to terrorist attack. These notions are based on a lack of understanding of the compact nature of nuclear plants, and the presence of very considerable containment structures for the reactor and fuel stores – especially American designed LWRs. The plant is easy to guard, and would be able to resist attack with light weapons, including rocket propelled grenades etc. The damage from such an attack would be limited to the knocking out of ancillary plant and structures, including the transformer yard, the auxiliary fuel tanks and administration building. Notes 1. The above power cost figures are based on 1997 projected fuel prices, 12% interest, 85% availability, and 20 years amortisation.. The price of coal and natural gas are considered to be more liable for major increases, than nuclear fuel. The Asian demand for both coal and gas is expected to outstrip supply in the coming decade. 2. The estimated construction time includes planning and design, equipment construction, site modification, plant erection and commissioning, and staff training (coal and natural gas conversion). If major ancillary works are required (eg. major wharves, ash and coal pipelines, shipping channels etc), then both an increase in the construction time and costs could be expected.

Experience of the group assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Experience of the group - Assignment Example No other occurrence can be as overwhelming to a given group’s efficiency and operation as conflict. At the same time, conflict can also be of benefit in assisting group members face reality and establish new answers to serious challenges (Hjertà ¸, 2006, p.7). Conflict within groups may be considered as inevitable in high achieving firms. Several studies have brought an invaluable insight into the extent of the relationships between conflict and group operations. Since the 1950s, there have been three decades of major contributions in the study of group conflicts. In the early ‘90s, studies on various perspectives of intragroup conflicts and their links with group performance increased. The causality between the two conflict dimensions, which are cognitive and emotional, and group performance, has attracted a lot of inquiries. This has constantly accelerated to a significant amount of researches from then on (Hjertà ¸, 2006, p.7). For a long time, the general impression has been that the link between E/R dynamics of group conflicts and group performance is positive is negative, while the causality between C/T dimensions of conflict and group performance is positive. Later, researchers, however, showed that most of the scientific researches carried out in the last decade, in fact, showed that also the C/T dimensions of group conflict are not positively, but negatively correlated to group performance and efficiency. One of the major weaknesses of previous group conflict studies is that they always put much emphasis on the supposition that all members of a given group view the same amount of conflict, overlooking the assumption that group members possess differing perceptions concerning the extent of conflict existing within a given group(Hjertà ¸, 2006, p.7). Most of the studies conducted on group conflict focus on shared team properties, or the common experiences and perceptions that the team members share. Thus, they often ignore the presence of

Critical Discourse Analysis for Obama's 2012 cictory speech Essay

Critical Discourse Analysis for Obama's 2012 cictory speech - Essay Example It may also result in oppression of groups based upon gender (Clegg, 1975). Van Dijk (2006) also states that much of what goes into discourse is an attempt to manipulate the audience. Therefore, the central crux of the CDA is how words and discourse is used to control different groups. They must work to change the minds of others, so that these groups’ minds and thoughts are more in line with the groups in power (van Dijk, 2003). van Dijk (2006) looks at the context of speech, as well as examine the discrete parts of the speech for a linguistic analysis, including grammar, style, pragmatism, etc. Included are examinations of sociopolitical contexts, as well as look at how a speech is used to manipulate other groups (Furnham, 1981). Van Dijk (1995) is also interested in how discourses advance ideology. According to van Dijk (1995), ideologies are cognitive, social, sociocognitive, are not true or false, have varying degrees of complexity, have variable maifestations, and are ge neral or abstract. By stating that ideologies are cognitive, van Dijk (1995) states that ideologies are individualistic, which means that the individual has a system of ideas, thoughts, beliefs, judgments and values. An analysis of discourse Van Dijk (1978) further breaks down how discourse should be analysed. He states that there are semantic structures that can be examined to indicate how the speech is being used, and what the goal is, the ideology, and so forth. Speech may be analysed in this way at the microstructure level, or the macrostructure level. The microstructure level is the level that analyses the local level of discourse – the structure of the individual propositions and the relations. The macrostructure is the level that analyses the more global nature of the speech - the discourse itself would fit into a theme, so that the discourse may be seen as a part of a meaningful whole(Clark, 1977). Van Dijk (1978) states that a coherent text base is made up of proposi tions. The proposition is a concept and an argument. The argument may fulfill different functions, such as agent, object and goal of the speech. The text bases must be coherent. One type of coherence is the referential coherence. This is coherence between two propositions that share the same argument, or maybe referentially coherent because one argument is embedded with another argument. There needs to be some kind of argument overlap between all the concepts of the text, for the text to be further processed. If there are gaps, then inference processes may close them – in other words, not everything has to be said. Some things can be inferred. If there are gaps, then one or more propositions must be added to the base of the text, in order for it to achieve coherence. The other concept advanced by van Dijk (1978) is that of the processing cycle. The human memory can only digest speeches and discourse in chunks of information. Therefore, the chunks must all fit together. The ch unks are several propositions. Each of the chunks should link with the other ones that were processed. The chunks are stored in the memory, and only those which are stored in the memory can be used to connect other chunks of information. As long as there is some kind of overlap between the chunks of information, then the text will be interpreted as coherent by the listener. If the proposition shares an argument with another

Sensory Perceptions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Sensory Perceptions - Essay Example Knowledge alone cannot provide the wisdom and thoughtfulness to take the right decision but experience plays a vital role. One must have the ability to delineate what one must know and what not to act accordingly. Self belief provides confidence to trust perception. When an individual touches any hot object, reflex action works and immediately hand is withdrawn before any mishap occurs. This is based on knowledge that a person acquires, things burn if they catch fire and an experience further strengthens knowledge to stay away from hot objects, such an approach safeguards the individual from any jeopardy. This is based on accuracy of information and experience gained. In a similar manner if there is a leakage of cooking gas, a person immediately senses the potential danger of some mishap and by trusting the accuracy of sensory response an immediate action is taken based on the knowledge, to switch off the regulator and to open the doors and windows. Sense of perception empowers one to drive safely on the road. By trusting the accuracy of sensory response of sight, judgement to drive with precision and to manage the traffic turns up and enables an individual to avoid road accidents. This is based on knowledge, road sense and accuracy in driving. Experience plays a vital role in taking certain decisions, for instance if an individual had an argument with his neighbour and he happens to see his neighbour talking with one of his close friends, immediately a thought enters his mind that the neighbour must be talking about the incident of argument. This perception could be inaccurate as they may be talking about something else. Such perception depends on the nature of the individual, the psychological upbringing which frames the thoughts and hence it is based on the nurture of the individual. In some cases sensory data is interpreted inaccurately. For instance, one may judge the depth of the ditch on the road as shallow and presumes that he can cross

Pros and Cons of Breast Cancer and Biomakers Research Paper

Pros and Cons of Breast Cancer and Biomakers - Research Paper Example Most of the tumor markers are produced by cancer cells and also normal cells, but are increased in cancerous conditions. These factors are found in tumor tissue, blood, urine and other tissues and fluids of the body in some patients with cancer. More often than not, tumor markers are proteins. (National Cancer Institute, 2012) More than 20 different tumor markers have been described and characterized and they are in clinical use (National Cancer Institute, 2012). While some are associated with only one type of cancer, others are associated with more than one type of cancer. However, there is no universal tumor marker that can detect any type of cancer. Tumor markers serve various purposes in cancer management like complementing diagnosis, prognostication, detection of recurrence, etc. However, there are certain limitations for the use of these markers. Thus, there are pros and cons to the use of tumor markers. In this essay, pros and cons of application of biomarkers or tumor markers in breast cancer management will be discussed. Application of breast cancer biomarkers The most common cancer affecting women all over the world is breast cancer and it has been estimated that about one million cases are diagnosed every year worldwide (Duffy et al, 2005). The main presenting features of the disease include lump in the breast, skin contour changes and nipple discharge. Asymptomatic cases may be picked up during routine screening tests. Definitive diagnosis is histopathology of the biopsy specimen. Several blood based biomarkers are available, but they do not have a role in the early diagnosis of the disease. For localized breast cancer, primary treatment is mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery and radiation. In invasive breast cancer, primary treatment is followed by hormone therapy or chemotherapy. These treatments have shown to reduce mortality related to breast cancer. Following primary therapy, the patients are followed up at regular intervals for surveillanc e. This includes clinical history, detailed physical examination, chest X-ray, mammography, biochemical testing and use of breast cancer markers. The intention is to detect recurrent disease at an early stage so that outcomes are better. This is one use of tumor marker. There are other uses of tumor markers in breast cancer management. Recurrent disease is common even in lymph node-negative cases and therapeutic options in such cases include exclusive hormone therapy or chemotherapy or a combination of both. Metastatic breast cancer is considered incurable and treatment is mainly palliative. Serial assessment of tumor markers is useful in to decide whether a particular treatment modality can be continues or there is a need to switch to another treatment modality. Thus, it is now clear that tumor markers are necessary for optimal management of breast cancer (Duffy et al, 2005). Pros of breast cancer biomarkers There are 2 types of tumor markers available for breast cancer and they ar e serum markers and tissue markers. Examples of serum markers useful in breast cancer include CEA, CA 15-3, polypeptide antigen or TPA, BR 27.29, tissue polypeptide specific antigen or TPS and the shed form of HER-2 (Duffy, 2006). Examples of tissue markers include urokinase plasminogen activator, HER-2, hormone receptors and plasminogen activator-1. Most of the oncological organizations in Europe, US and other countries recommend routine assay of progesterone and estrogen receptors on all newly diagnosed breast cancers to select the type of hormone therapy (Duffy, 2006). These markers are also useful to determine prognosis. HER-2 is also recommended on all newly diagnosed breast cancer cases. The main purpose of this is to determine whether the cancer is suitable for Trastuzumab (Herceptin). This test is