English Consonants

RESEARCH PAPERS | 23 How Many Consonant Sounds Are There in English? How Many Consonant Sounds Are There in English? by David Deterding, National Institute of Education, Singapore †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Most analyses agree that there are 24 consonant sounds in English. However, it is valuable to consider in some detail a few issues that affect the status of these consonants. First, we can think about why the affricates /t? / and /d / are treated as single consonants rather than sequences of two consonants. Second, one might discuss why it is that /w/ and /j/ are classified as consonants rather than vowels. Third, there is the possibility of a voiceless counterpart of /w/ that, for some speakers, differentiates which from witch. And finally, there is the question of whether the velar nasal /? / is actually an allophone of /n/. After considering these issues, most people will still conclude that there are 24 consonants in English. However, the discussion can help us gain a deeper understanding of English phonology. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. s Introduction How many consonant sounds do you think there are in English? Of course, most of us know that there are 20 consonant letters in our alphabet (or 21 if you include ‘y’), but here we are talking about sounds, not letters. And there is a mismatch between sounds and letters: sometimes two letters combine to represent one sound, so that ‘s’ + ‘h’ combine to represent the sound /? / and ‘t’ + ‘h’ combine for /? /, and sometimes one letter is pronounced as a sequence of two sounds, as ‘x’ is usually /ks/. So the number of consonant letters in our alphabet is irrelevant when considering the number of consonant sounds (phonemes) in English. The basic answer to the original question is that there are 24 consonant sounds in English: q 6 plosives : /p b t d k / q 9 fricatives : /f v ? ? s z ? / q 2 affricates : /t? d / q 3 nasals : /m n ? / q 1 lateral-approximant : /l/ q 3 approximants : /w j r/ However, things are never quite as simple as that in the study of languages, and there are a number of issues that we might consider in more depth: q Why are /t? / and /d / regarded as single phonemes and not as sequences of two phonemes? q Why are /w/ an d /j/ regarded as consonants and not vowels? q Do those people who distinguish which from witch have one extra phoneme, / /, a voiceless equivalent of /w/? q Should /? / really be regarded as a separate phoneme? Or can it be analysed as an allophone of /n/? s The status of /t? / and /d / The two affricates are each written as a sequence of two symbols, so why do we regard them as single consonants? Why do we not, for example, analyse cheese /t? i z/ as having two consonants at the start, /t/ followed by /? /? The answer is that /t? / behaves phonologically as a single sound, even if phonetically it is rather similar to a plosive followed by a fricative. In analysing its behaviour, we need to think about the patterns of distribution of /t/ and /? (Laver, 1994:365), so we should consider what sequences of sounds can occur together, particularly at the start of a syllable. English allows quite complex syllable onsets, such as /str/ in string and /spl/ in splash, but it does not generally permit a plosive followed by a fricative, so */pf k/, */ts? / and */k p/ are not possible words of English. (In the few cases where the spelling does suggest a plosive followed by a fricative at the start of th e word, such as psychology, the plosive is actually silent. ) But note that chip /t / and check /t? ek/ are perfectly good words of English. So if we treated /t? / as a sequence of two phonemes, we would have to make a special exception to the rule that an English word cannot begin with a plosive followed by a fricative. Note that /t? / can also occur at the end of a word, as with catch /k t? / and rich /r? t? /, and there are no other instances where /? / can occur after a plosive at the end of a word, as */k k? / and */r? p? / are not possible words in English. The situation with /d / provides even stronger evidence. The consonant / / is rather rare in English, and apart from in some recent loan words such as genre / ? nr? /, beige /be? /, and rouge /ru / (all of which still sound rather foreign), / / can only occur in the middle of a word, mostly between two vowels, as in pleasure Copyright  © 2005 Singapore Tertiary English Teachers Society1, 2005 STETS Language & Communication Review, Vol. 4, No. (STETS) w 24 | David Deterding s The status of /w/ and /j/ If you say /w/ and drag it out, it sounds rather like /u /, and similarly /j/ sounds rather like /i / (Roach, 2000:64). If they sound like vowels, why do we classify /w/ and /j/ as consonants? Sometimes it is valuable to make a distinction between a contoid and a consonant: contoids are articulated with an obstruction in the vocal tract, but consonants are sounds which can occur at the edge of a syllable (Laver, 1994:147-8). In other words, contoid is a phonetic term which describes the articulation of a sound, while consonant is a phonological term which describes its behaviour within a syllable. From the phonetic perspective of articulation, we find that plosives, fricatives, nasals, and the lateral approximant /l/ are all contoids, because they all involve a constriction in the vocal tract, but /j/ and /w/ (and maybe /r/ as well) are not contoids. But now we should consider phonological behaviour and thereby determine which sounds should be classified as consonants. Let us think about what can occur before /et/ to create a monosyllabic English word. We have words such as bet /bet/, pet /pet/, set /set/, net /net/, and debt /det/, but not */? t/ or */ et/, so we regard /b p s n d/ as consonants because they occur at the edge of a syllable, but /? / are vowels. However, note that we can also have wet /wet/ and yet /jet/. This confirms that /w/ and /j/ are consonants. In one other aspect of behaviour, we can consider the distribution of the indefinite articles a and an: a occurs before consonants, while an occurs before vowels, and this depends on the pronunciation and not the spelling, so it is an hour not *a hour because /a / begins with a vowel (the ‘h’ is silent). But note that we have a waste and a year, not *an waste and *an year, and notice that once more this is based on pronunciation and not on spelling, as it is a university (which begins with /j/) and not *an university. So again we see that /w/ and /j/ behave as consonants, not as vowels (Roach, 2000:64). s The status of /? / In standard phonemic analysis, we assume that if the occurrence of a sound can be predicted from the surrounding sounds, it is regarded as an allophone and not as a phoneme. So, for example, we treat [ ], the dark /l/ sound that occurs at the end of a word such as fill, as an allophone of /l/ because we can specify that it only occurs in the coda of a syllable (or as a syllabic consonant in words such as bottle), unlike its clear counterpart which occurs before a vowel. So what about /? /? Note that /? / can also only appear in the coda of a syllable, and furthermore we can predict that /? / rather than /n/ will always occur before another velar sound, such as in bank /b ? k/ and anger / ? ?/. So should /? / be regarded as an allophone of /n/ (and then be written as [? rather than /? /)? The crucial test for a phoneme is the existence of a minimal pair: if there are two words which only differ with respect to one sound distinction, then we know that we have two separate phonemes. For example, we know that /f/ and /v/ are different phonemes of English because of the existence of the minimal pair fan /f n/ and van /v n/ where the only difference is in the initial consonant, and similarly the difference in the final sound of back /b k/ and bag /b / establishes /k/ and / / as separate phonemes of English. On this basis, we can be confident that /n/ and /? / are different phonemes, because we have many minimal pairs such as sin /s? n/ and sing /s /, and also ran /r n/ and rang /r ? /. This would seem to be the end of the story, but of course it is not. s The possibility of / / Do you make a distinction between which and witch? For most speakers, these two words are homophones as they are both pronounced as /w? t? /, though many Americans do make a distinction (Wells, 1982:126), and most Copyright  © 2005 Singapore Tertiary English Teachers Society (STETS) w w w /ple ? / and measure /me ? /. But notice that jet /d et/ and barge /b? d / are perfectly good words in English. So if we were to regard /d / as a sequence of two separate sounds, we would have to say that / / can only occur near the start or at the end of a word if it is preceded by /d/, which would be rather strange. So the claim that /t? / and /d / are single sounds in English is well-founded, because they behave phonologica lly like single sounds in the structure of English words. However, one might note that Ladefoged (2001:27) does treat both these English affricates as sequences of two sounds, partly because his emphasis is rather more on phonetics than on the phonological structure of English. Scottish speakers also do (Wells, 1982:408). Indeed, it was once normal for all speakers of English to make this distinction, but by the end of the eighteenth century even educated southern speakers no longer maintained it (Mugglestone, 2003:132). For speakers who retain this distinction, it might be necessary to include an extra phoneme, with / / representing the voiceless counterpart of /w/, so that which is / ? ? / while witch is /w? t? / However, even here the analysis is not so simple. Historically, this sound was a consonant cluster /hw/, parallel to other clusters beginning with /h/, such as /hr/, /hn/ and /hl/ (Cruttenden, 2001:215). These others have now disappeared, so apart from the possibility of /hw/, the only remaining consonant cluster involving /h/ is /hj/ in words such as huge /hju d / and human /hju m? n/. And even the status of this is doubtful, as one might alternatively regard /ju / as a diphthong (Deterding, 2004). So, from a historical perspective, / / might be treated as /hw/. But from a synchronic perspective, we should note that the contrast between / / and /w/ is parallel to the contrast between many pairs of consonants in English, such as /t/ and /d/, /s/ and /? /, and /f/ and /v/. The fact that the voiceless/voiced contrast is wellestablished in English lends support to the treatment of / / as a phoneme in its own right. We might therefore conclude that some speakers do have this extra phoneme. w v w v How Many Consonant Sounds Are There in English? | 25 so it’s fun being with them [F9-f:40] In fact, extra velar plosives also occasionally get inserted at the end of words such as selling, studying and young in relatively informal Singapore data (Lim & Deterding, 2005), as shown in the following examples also from the NIECSSE corpus: selling um decorative stuff [iF9-c:83] that I was studying †¦ this [iF9-c:238] when we were young †¦ we used to erm [iF10-e:180] If a velar plosive gets inserted occasionally after /? /, maybe we should analyse it as present in the underlying representation of the word, and then instead of saying that it sometimes gets inserted, we should state that it sometimes fails to get deleted. And if this is the case, s Conclusion It is still basically true that there are 24 consonants in English, though it may under some circumstances be possible to regard /t? / and /d / as sequences of two sounds, some speakers may have an extra phoneme / /, and the status of /? / is questionable. Even though we can conclude that there are 24 consonants in English, consideration of some of the issues regarding the phonological analysis of English can give us a deeper understanding of he structure of the sound system of the language. STETS Language & Communication Review, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005 w v v An alternative possibility is to say that words like sing have a silent / / at the end, and this silent / / gets deleted when it occurs at the end of a word (Roach, 2000:68). In fact, for some speakers of English, this deletion rule does not apply and sing is pronounced as [s ] (Roach, 2000:67), so clearly for speakers such as this, we should analyse [? ] as an allophone of /n/. Furthermore, in careful pronunciation, some speakers insert a velar plosive at the end of words such as being, and this can occur in Singapore English (Setter & Deterding, 2003) as is evident from the following utterance from the NIECSSE corpus (Deterding & Low, 2001): then the distribution of [? ] is entirely predictable, so it is an allophone and not a phoneme. Finally we might note that words such as long /l /, strong /str / and young /j ? / have no final / /, but there is a / / when a comparative suffix is added: longer /l ?/, stronger /str ?/, younger /j ? ?/. So this seems to lend further support to the possible existence in the base form of these words of a final / / which gets deleted in some circumstances. (But note that there is no / / with the –ing suffix or the agentive –er suffix: singing /s / and singer /s /; not */s / and */s ?/. ) In conclusion, we can say that, on the basis of minimal pairs, /? / is generally regarded as a phoneme of English, but that there are some counter-arguments which raise a few questions about its status. 26 | David Deterding REFERENCES Deterding, D. (2004). How many vowel sounds are there in English? STETS Language & Communication Review, 19(10): 19-21. Deterding, D. & Low, E. L. (2001). The NIE corpus of spoken Singapore English (NIECSSE). SAAL Quarterly, 56: 2–5. Ladefoged, P. (2001). A course in phonetics (4th edition). Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers. Laver, J. (1994). Principles of phonetics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lim, S. H. & Deterding, D. (2005). Added final plosives in Singapore English. In D. Deterding, A. Brown and E. L. Low (Eds. ), English in Singapore: Phonetic research on a corpus, pp. 37-42. Singapore: McGraw Hill. Mugglestone, L. 2003). ‘Talking proper’: The rise of accent as a social symbol (2nd edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Roach, P. (2000). English phonetics and phonology: A practical course (3rd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Setter, J. & Deterding, D. (2003, August). Extra final consonants in the English of Hong Kong and Singapore. Paper presented at the International Conference of Ph onetic Sciences, Barcelona. Wells, J. (1982). Accents of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Copyright  © 2005 Singapore Tertiary English Teachers Society (STETS)

Sludge retention time in aerobic granulation

AbstractionThis paper shows the function of sludge keeping clip in aerophilic granulation under negligible hydraulic choice force per unit area. Consequences showed that no successful aerophilic granulation was observed at the studied SRTs in the scope of six-eight months. A comparing analysis revealed that hydraulic choice force per unit area in footings of the minimal subsiding speed would be much more eective than SRT for heightening heterotrophic aerophilic granulation in sequencing batch reactor ( SBR ) . It was shown that SRT would non be a decisive factor for aerophilic granulation in SBR.IntroductionSludge keeping clip ( SRT ) is one of the most of import design and operation parametric quantities in the activated sludge procedure. It has been known that SRT may hold singular eect on bio & A ; # 64258 ; occulation of activated sludge.Basically a SRT of 2 yearss is frequently required for the formation of & A ; # 64258 ; occulated activated sludge with good subsiding ability ( Ng, 2002 ) , while the optimal SRT for good bio & A ; # 64258 ; occulation and low vitamin E & A ; # 64260 ; uent COD was found to be in the scope of 2 and 8 yearss ( Rittmann, 1987 ) . It has seen believed that a SRT shorter than 2 yearss favors the growing of spread bacteriums that in bend would ensue in increased SVI and e & A ; # 64260 ; uent COD concentration. In aerophilic farinaceous sludge sequencing batch reactor ( SBR ) without knowing control of SRT, it was found that SRT would change in a really big scope of one to forty yearss along with granulation ( Pan, 2003 ) , while Beun et Al. ( 2000 ) reported that the SRT increased from 2 yearss to 30 yearss, and so dropped to 17 yearss, & A ; # 64257 ; nally the SRT was stabilized at 9 yearss along with the formation and ripening of aerophilic granules in SBR. So far, there is no research available in the literature with respect to the indispensable function of SRT in the formation of aerophilic granules in SBR, i.e. , the eec t of SRT on aerophilic granulation remains unknown.It has been shown that aerophilic granulation in a SBR is driven by hydraulic choice force per unit area in footings of lower limit settling speed of bioparticles ( Liu et al. , 2005a ) . Therefore, to look into the eect of SRT on aerophilic granulation in SBR, the intervention of hydraulic choice force per unit area needs to be avoided. For such a intent, this survey aimed to demo if SRT is indispensable for aerophilic granulation in instance where hydraulic choice force per unit area is absent and it is expected to oer in-depth penetrations into the mechanism of aerophilic granulation every bit good as operation scheme for successful aerophilic granulation in SBR.2. Methods2.1. Experimental set-up and operationTwo columns ( 157 centimeter in tallness and 5 centimeter in diameter ) , each with a on the job volume of 1.26 L, were operated as sequencing batch reactors, viz. R1, R2, which were seeded with the activated sludge taken from a SBR working on Phenols remotion effluent intervention. R1-R2 were run at a several SRT of 24,48hours, while the other operation conditions were kept the same, i.e. 24 H of entire rhythm clip, 5 min of & A ; # 64257 ; lling, 30 min of subsiding and 5 min of vitamin E & A ; # 64260 ; uent backdown. The staying clip in each rhythm was the aeration period. In the last 2 min of aeration, a certain volume of the assorted spirits was discharged out of the reactor in order to keep the coveted SRT. Fine air bubbles were introduced at a & A ; # 64258 ; ow rate of 3.0 L/min through a dispenser located at the underside of each reactor. At the terminal of the subsiding stage, supernatant was discharged from an mercantile establishment located at half the tallness from the reactor underside. A hydraulic keeping clip of 24-48 H was maintained in reactors. The consecutive operation of the reactors was automatically controlled by timers, while two peristaltic pumps were employed for in & A ; # 64258 ; uent eating and supernatant backdown. Paper mush industry effluent used for granule cultivation.2.2. Analytic methodsBiomass concentrations in footings of entire solids ( TS ) and volatile solids ( VS ) every bit good as sludge volume index ( SVI ) were determined utilizing standard methods ( APHA, 1998 ) .The size of sludge was measured by a optical maser atom size analyzer ( Malvern Mastersizer Series 2600, Malvern ) , or an image analyzer ( IA ) ( Image-Pro Plus, V 4.0, Media Cybernet ics ) . Cell surface hydrophobicity was determined utilizing the method developed by Rosenberg et Al. ( 1980 ) . In this method, 2.5 milliliter hexadecane was used as the hydrophobic stage, and cell surface hydrophobicity was expressed as the per centum of cells adhering to the hexadecane after 15 min of breakdown.3. Consequences3.1.General observation by image analysisOn twenty-four hours 3 after the start-up of SBRs, some microbic sums with a regular form appeared in R1 tally at the SRT of 3 yearss, while really few regular-shape sums were observed on twenty-four hours 4 and twenty-four hours 5 in the SBRs operated at the SRTs of 6-40 yearss. After the & A ; # 64257 ; rst a few yearss, the development of sludge morphology became insigni & A ; # 64257 ; buzzword in R1- R2 until the reactors were stabilized in footings of changeless biomass and vitamin E & A ; # 64260 ; uent concentrations after the 30-day operation. At the steady province, it was found that aerophilic granules with a size bigger than 0.35 millimeters merely accounted for a really little fraction of entire biomass in SBRs, i.e. , bio & A ; # 64258 ; ocs were perfectly the dominant signifier of biomass in all & amp ; # 64257 ; ve SBRs operated at the SRT of 6-8 months3.2. Development of sludge sizeFig. 1 shows the remotion of COD in reactors when operated. The seed sludge had a average size of about 75.lmm. A signi & A ; # 64257 ; cant addition in the aggregative size was observed in the & A ; # 64257 ; rst month of operation in all the SBRs. From 1st month onwards, the mean size of sums bit by bit stabilized in the SBRs tally at dierent SRTs of 6-8 month. It appears that no aerophilic farinaceous sludge cover was developed in the SBRs operated at the big SRT scope of 6-8 months. Merely a few aerophilic granules with unit of ammunition form were found after 8 month of operation, while comparatively a big measure of bantam sums seemed dominant in the sludge community cultivated at the dierent SRTs. The size distribution of sums was determined on twenty-four hours 30. The peak values of the size distributions fell into a narrow scope of 150-350 lumen in R1-R2. These seem to bespeak that the SRT in the scope studied would non hold singular eect on the formation of aerophilic granules. Based on the size distribution, the fraction of aerophilic granules de & A ; # 64257 ; ned as microbic sums with a average size bigger than 350 lumen and a unit of ammunition form ( Qin et al. , 2004 ) was found to be less than 20 % in all the reactors, bespeaking that bio & A ; # 64258 ; ocs would be dominant signifier of biomass.3.3. Settleability of sludgeChanges in the sludge volume index ( SVI ) at dierent SRTs were determined in the class of SBR operation ( Fig. 2 ) . The SVI observed in all the reactors tended to diminish quickly in the & A ; # 64257 ; rst 4 month of operation, and bit by bit approached a stable degree of around 50 milliliter /g in all the instances. In add-on, a horizontal comparing across the SRTs besides shows that the SVI of sludge cultivated at the SRT of 6 month decreased more easy than those developed at the comparatively short SRTs.3.4. Biomass concentrationThe biomass concentration in footings of MLSS was measured along with the reactor operation ( Fig. 2 ) . The biomass concentrations in R1-R2 bit by bit increased up to a stable degree. It was found that the biomass concentration at steady province was proportionately related to the SRT applied, i.e. , a longer SRT would take to a higher biomass accretion.3.5. Substrate remotion dynamicssThe TOC pro & A ; # 64257 ; lupus erythematosuss within one rhythm were determined after 3 month of operation in R1-R2. A fast TOC debasement was observed in all & amp ; # 64257 ; ve SBRs, i.e. , about all input TOC was removed during the & A ; # 64257 ; rst 20 min. These finally lead to a long dearth period which has been believed to favor aerophilic granulation in SBR ( Tay et al. , 2001 ; Li et al. , 2006 ) . further revealed that the deliberate, i.e. , a higher TOC remotion rate is observed at a longer SRT. However, the lower speci & A ; # 64257 ; degree Celsiuss TOC remotion rate was observed at higher SRT. This can be moderately explained by the dierences in biomass concentrations as shown in Fig. 3a.3.6. Cell surface hydrophobicityThe cell surface hydrophobicities of sludges cultivated at dierent SRTs were found to fall into a narrow scope of 25-40 % , while the seed sludge had a cell surface hydrophobicity of 22 % . Merely the cell surface hydrophobicity of sludge developed at the SRT of 3 yearss seems somewhat higher than that of the seed sludge, whereas the cell surface hydrophobicities of sludges cultivated at the SRTs longer than 1st month are reasonably comparable with that of the seed sludge. These mean that the SRT in the scope studied would non hold singular eect on the cell surface hydrophobi city.3.7. Shift in microbic populationThe sludges cultivated in R2 were sampled on twenty-four hours 3, 10, 17, 24 for microbic analysis. It was found that the isolates some were really near to the strain Brevundimonas vesicularis, while the isolates could belong to the strain Comamonas testosterone. farther survey is needed in this respect. The population displacement s in the class of operation of R2 and R1. It can be seen that the dominant species varied along with the reactor operation, e.g. some of them was the most dominant species on 3 month onwards in R2 and R1, but this species wholly disappeared from R2 and R1 on twenty-four hours 24. Some were found to be undetectable on twenty-four hours 3 and 4 month, while they became dominant get downing from twenty-four hours 17 in both R2 and R1. It should be realized that the switching forms of microbic species in R2 and R1 are similar, however the denseness of the isolates in footings colony organizing units ( CFU ) dry biomass is much higher in R2 than in R1.4. DiscussionExisting grounds shows that the formation and construction of aerophilic granules are associated really closely with cell surface hydrophobicity which can originate cell-to-cell collection that is a important measure towards aerophilic granulation ( Liu et al. , 2004 ) . It is observed that the cell surface hydrophibicities of the sludges cultivated at the SRT of 6-8 month are reasonably comparable with that of the seed sludge. These seem to connote that that the SRT in the scope studied would non bring on signi & A ; # 64257 ; cant alterations in cell surface hydrophobicity, and the low cell surface hydrophobicity observed in bend may partly explicate unsuccessful aerophilic granulation in SBR. In add-on, Liao et Al. ( 2001 ) reported that hydrophobicities of sludges in footings of contact angle merely increased from 25 to 35 grades as the SRT was prolonged from 4 to -8 month.In the & A ; # 64257 ; old age of environmental technology, the SRT is correlated to the speci & A ; # 64257 ; hundred substrate use rate by the undermentioned look: in which Q s is the speci & A ; # 64257 ; hundred substrate use rate in a rhythm, and K d is the speci & A ; # 64257 ; hundred decay rate. Harmonizing to Eq. ( 3 ) , Y T and K vitamin D can be estimated from the secret plan of 1/SRT versus Q s, i.e. , 0.29 g MLSS/g 1 COD for Y T and 0.12 d1 K d.In fact, the ascertained growing output ( Y obs ) determined at different SRTs decreased from 0.23 g MLSS /g 1COD at the SRT of 3 month to 0.05 g MLSS g 1COD at the SRTf 40 days.Liu et Al. ( 2005b ) besides reported a growing output of0.29 MLSS g1COD and a decay rate of 0.023-0.075 vitamin D 1for glucose-fed aerophilic granules. In activated sludge modelNo. 3 ( Gujer et al. , 1999 ) , the decay rate for heterotrophic bacteriums has been reported in the scope of 0.1 and 0.2 1/d at the 10 and 20 0C, severally. Basically, a rhythm ofSBR consists of banquet and dearth stages ( Liu and Tay,2004 ; McSwain et al. , 2004 ) . In this survey, about all exter-nal organics could be removed within the & A ; # 64257 ; rst half an hr of each rhythm, i.e. , more than 75 % of each SBR rhythm would be capable to famine status, which would trip a signi & A ; # 64257 ; cant microbic decay finally taking to the low ascertained growing outputs. It appears1 that in R2 and R1 operated at the several SRT of 6 and 12 yearss, the displacement form and distribution of microbic species isolated did non demo signi & A ; # 64257 ; cant dierence. For case, on twenty-four hours 24, 10isolates were found in the sludges cultivated in R2 andR3, out of which 6 were the same. These seem to connote that in the present operation manner of SBRs, the choice of microbic species by the applied SRT would be weak, and such a weak choice on species may in bend, at least partly explain the fact that the belongingss of sludges developed in all & amp ; # 64257 ; ve SBRs merely showed some fringy dierences as discussed before. As no successful aerophilic granulation was observed in R2 and R1, it is difficult to pull a so lid decision with respect to the possible correlativity between aerophilic granulation and the ascertained alterations in microbic species. In fact, it has been thought that aerophilic granulation would non be closely related to a peculiar microbial species because aerophilic granules grown on a really broad spectrum of organic Cs have been developed, including ethanoate, glucose, phenol, p-nitrophenol, nitrilotriacetic acid ( NTA ) andferric-NTA complex synthetic and existent effluents ( Beun et al. , 2000 ; Tay et al. , 2001 ; McSwain et al.,2004 ; Schwarzenbeck et al. , 2004 ; Nancharaiah et al.,2006 ; Yi et al. , 2006 ) . As discussed earlier, SRT in the scope studied would non hold a signi & A ; # 64257 ; cant eect on the formation of aerophilic granules in SBR. For a column SBR, the travel distance of bioparticles above the discharge port is L ( distance between H2O surface and dispatching port ) . For a designed subsiding clip ( t s ) , bioparticles with a settling speed less than L/t s would be washed out of the reactor, while merely those with a subsiding speed greater than L/t s will be retained. Harmonizing to Liu et Al. ( 2005a ) , a minimal subsiding speed ( V s ) min exists in SBR, and it can be de & amp ; # 64257 ; ned as follows: shows that a long L or a short subsiding clip would ensue in a larger ( V s ) min, and frailty versa. It has been believed that aerophilic granulation in a SBR is driven by hydraulic choice force per unit area in footings of lower limit settling speed of bioparticles ( Liu et al. , 2005a ) . This means that to analyze the eect of SRT on aerophilic granulation in SBR, the intervention of hydraulic choice force per unit area needs to be avoided. In this survey, in order to look into the eect of SRT on aerophilic granulation without intervention of hydraulic choice force per unit area, the choice force per unit area in footings of ( V s ) min was minimized to an highly low degree of 0.76-0.78 m /h. Qin et Al. ( 2004 ) studied aerophilic granulation at dierent settling times with a & A ; # 64257 ; xed L, while Wang et Al. ( 2006 ) investigated aerophilic granulation at dif- ferent L at the changeless subsiding clip. Using those every bit good as the information obtained in this survey, a correlativity of the fraction of aerophilic granules and ( V s ) min is. It can be seen that the frac tion of aerophilic granules is proportionately correlated to ( V s ) min. Furthermore, at a ( V s ) min less than 4 thousand /h, aerophilic granulation is non favored in SBR, alternatively the growing of suspended sludge would be greatly encour- aged. It should be realized that the typical subsiding speed of conventional activated sludge is by and large less than 5 1/m ( Giokas et al. , 2003 ) . These imply that for a SBR operated at a ( V s ) min lower than the settling speed of con- ventional sludge, suspended sludge could non be eectively recluse. As the consequence, suspended sludge will take over the full reactor at low ( V s ) min merely every bit observed in this survey no affair how SRT was controlled. These consequences indicate that SRT would non be a primary factor regulating aerophilic granulation in SBR.5. DecisionThis survey for the & A ; # 64257 ; rst clip consistently investigatedthe function of SRT in aerophilic granulation in SBR. No success- ful aerophilic granula tion was observed at all studied SRTs, i.e. , bio & A ; # 64258 ; ocs were the dominant signifier of biomass at the SRTs studied. Dierent from the conventional activated sludge procedure, aerophilic granulation in SBR is improbable dependant on SRT, and this may hold great technology deduction in the design, optimisation and operation of a full graduated table aerophilic farinaceous sludge SBR.

Organisation Learning Essay

Where Argyris and Schon were the first to propose models that facilitate organizational learning, the following literatures have followed in the tradition of their work: Argyris and Schon (1978) distinguish between single-loop and double-loop learning, related to Gregory Bateson’s concepts of first and second order learning. In single-loop learning, individuals, groups, or organizations modify their actions according to the difference between expected and obtained outcomes. In double-loop learning, the entities (individuals, groups or organization) question the values, assumptions and policies that led to the actions in the first place; if they are able to view and modify those, then second-order or double-loop learning has taken place. Double loop learning is the learning about single-loop learning. ?March and Olsen (1975) attempt to link up individual and organizational learning. In their model, individual beliefs lead to individual action, which in turn may lead to an organizational action and a response from the environment which may induce improved individual beliefs and the cycle then repeats over and over. Learning occurs as better beliefs produce better actions. ?Kim (1993), as well, in an article titled â€Å"The link between individual and organizational learning†, integrates Argyris, March and Olsen and another model by Kofman into a single comprehensive model; further, he analyzes all the possible breakdowns in the information flows in the model, leading to failures in organizational learning; for instance, what happens if an individual action is rejected by the organization for political or other reasons and therefore no organizational action takes place? ?Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) developed a four stage spiral model of organizational learning. They started by differentiating Polanyi’s concept of â€Å"tacit knowledge† from â€Å"explicit knowledge† and describe a process of alternating between the two. Tacit knowledge is personal, context specific, subjective knowledge, whereas explicit knowledge is codified, systematic, formal, and easy to communicate. The tacit knowledge of key personnel within the organization can be made explicit, codified in manuals, and incorporated into new products and processes. This process they called â€Å"externalization†. The reverse process (from explicit to implicit) they call â€Å"internalization† because it involves employees internalizing an organization’s formal rules, procedures, and other forms of explicit knowledge. They also use the term â€Å"socialization† to denote the sharing of tacit knowledge, and the term â€Å"combination† to denote the dissemination of codified knowledge. According to this model, knowledge creation and organizational learning take a path of socialization, externalization, combination, internalization, socialization, externalization, combination . . . etc. in an infinite spiral. ?Nick Bontis et al. (2002) empirically tested a model of organizational learning that encompassed both stocks and flows of knowledge across three levels of analysis: individual, team and organization. Results showed a negative and statistically significant relationship between the misalignment of stocks and flows and organizational performance. ?Flood (1999) discusses the concept of organizational learning from Peter Senge and the origins of the theory from Argyris and Schon. The author aims to â€Å"re-think† Senge’s The Fifth Discipline through systems theory. The author develops the concepts by integrating them with key theorists such as Bertalanffy, Churchman, Beer, Checkland and Ackoff. Conceptualizing organizational learning in terms of structure, process, meaning, ideology and knowledge, the author provides insights into Senge within the context of the philosophy of science and the way in which systems theorists were influenced by twentieth-century advances from the classical assumptions of science. ?Imants (2003) provides theory development for organizational learning in schools within the context of teachers’ professional communities as learning communities, which is compared and contrasted to teaching communities of practice. Detailed with an analysis of the paradoxes for organizational learning in schools, two mechanisms for professional development and organizational learning, (1) steering information about teaching and learning and (2) encouraging interaction among teachers and workers, are defined as critical for effective organizational learning. ?Common (2004) discusses the concept of organisational learning in a political environment to improve public policy-making. The author details the initial uncontroversial reception of organisational learning in the public sector and the development of the concept with the learning organization. Definitional problems in applying the concept to public policy are addressed, noting research in UK local government that concludes on the obstacles for organizational learning in the public sector: (1) overemphasis of the individual, (2) resistance to change and politics, (3) social learning is self-limiting, i.e. individualism, and (4) political â€Å"blame culture. † The concepts of policy learning and policy transfer are then defined with detail on the conditions for realizing organizational learning in the public sector. Organizational knowledge What is the nature of knowledge created, traded and used in organizations? Some of this knowledge can be termed technical ? knowing the meaning of technical words and phrases, being able to read and make sense of economic data and being able to act on the basis of law-like generalizations. Scientific knowledge is ?propositional’; it takes the form of causal generalizations ? whenever A, then B. For example, whenever water reaches the temperature of 100 degrees, it boils; whenever it boils, it turns into steam; steam generates pressure when in an enclosed space; pressure drives engines. And so forth. A large part of the knowledge used by managers, however, does not assume this form. The complexities of a manager’s task are such that applying A may result in B, C, or Z. A recipe or an idea that solved very well a particular problem, may, in slightly different circumstances backfire and lead to ever more problems. More important than knowing a whole lot of theories, recipes and solutions for a manager is to know which theory, recipe or solution to apply in a specific situation. Sometimes a manager may combine two different recipes or adapt an existing recipe with some important modification to meet a situation at hand. Managers often use knowledge in the way that a handyman will use his or her skills, the materials and tools that are at hand to meet the demands of a particular situation. Unlike an engineer who will plan carefully and scientifically his or her every action to deliver the desired outcome, such as a steam engine, a handyman is flexible and opportunistic, often using materials in unorthodox or unusual ways, and relies a lot on trial and error. This is what the French call ? bricolage’, the resourceful and creative deployment skills and materials to meet each challenge in an original way. Rule of thumb, far from being the enemy of management, is what managers throughout the world have relied upon to inform their action. In contrast to the scientific knowledge that guides the engineer, the physician or the chemist, managers are often informed by a different type of know-how. This is sometimes referred to a ? narrative knowledge’ or ? experiential knowledge’, the kind of knowledge that comes from experience and resides in stories and narratives of how real people in the real world dealt with real life problems, successfully or unsuccessfully. Narrative knowledge is what we use in everyday life to deal with awkward situations, as parents, as consumers, as patients and so forth. We seek the stories of people in the same situation as ourselves and try to learn from them. As the Chinese proverb says â€Å"A wise man learns from experience; a wiser man learns from the experience of others. † Narrative knowledge usually takes the form of organization stories (see organization story and organizational storytelling). These stories enable participants to make sense of the difficulties and challenges they face; by listening to stories, members of organizations learn from each other’s experiences, adapt the recipes used by others to address their own difficulties and problems. Narrative knowledge is not only the preserve of managers. Most professionals (including doctors, accountants, lawyers, business consultants and academics) rely on narrative knowledge, in addition to their specialist technical knowledge, when dealing with concrete situations as part of their work. More generally, narrative knowledge represents an endlessly mutating reservoir of ideas, recipes and stories that are traded mostly by word or mouth on the internet. They are often apocryphal and may be inaccurate or untrue – yet, they have the power to influence people’s sense making and actions. Individual versus organizational learning Learning by individuals in an organizational context is a well understood process. This is the traditional domain of human resources, including activities such as: training, increasing skills, work experience, and formal education. Given that the success of any organization is founded on the knowledge of the people who work for it, these activities will and, indeed, must continue. However, individual learning is only a prerequisite to organizational learning. Others take it farther with continuous learning. The world is orders of magnitude more dynamic than that of our parents, or even when we were young. Waves of change are crashing on us virtually one on top of another. Change has become the norm rather than the exception. Continuous learning throughout one’s career has become essential to remain relevant in the workplace. Again, necessary but not sufficient to describe organizational learning. What does it mean to say that an organization learns? Simply summing individual learning is inadequate to model organizational learning. The following definition outlines the essential difference between the two: A learning organization actively creates, captures, transfers, and mobilizes knowledge to enable it to adapt to a changing environment. Thus, the key aspect of organizational learning is the interaction that takes place among individuals. A learning organization does not rely on passive or ad hoc process in the hope that organizational learning will take place through serendipity or as a by-product of normal work. A learning organization actively promotes, facilitates, and rewards collective learning. Creating (or acquiring) knowledge can be an individual or group activity. However, this is normally a small-scale, isolated activity steeped in the jargon and methods of knowledge workers. As first stated by Lucilius in the 1st century BC, â€Å"Knowledge is not knowledge until someone else knows that one knows. † Capturing individual learning is the first step to making it useful to an organization. There are many methods for capturing knowledge and experience, such as publications, activity reports, lessons learned, interviews, and presentations. Capturing includes organizing knowledge in ways that people can find it; multiple structures facilitate searches regardless of the user’s perspective (e. g. , who, what, when, where, why,and how). Capturing also includes storage in repositories, databases, or libraries to insure that the knowledge will be available when and as needed. Transferring knowledge requires that it be accessible to everyone when and where they need it. In a digital world, this involves browser-activated search engines to find what one is looking for. A way to retrieve content is also needed, which requires a communication and network infrastructure. Tacit knowledge may be shared through communities of practice or consulting experts. It is also important that knowledge is presented in a way that users can understand it. It must suit the needs of the user to be accepted and internalized. Mobilizing knowledge involves integrating and using relevant knowledge from many, often diverse, sources to solve a problem or address an issue. Integration requires interoperability standards among various repositories. Using knowledge may be through simple reuse of existing solutions that have worked previously. It may also come through adapting old solutions to new problems. Conversely, a learning organization learns from mistakes or recognizes when old solutions no longer apply. Use may also be through synthesis; that is creating a broader meaning or a deeper level of understanding. Clearly, the more rapidly knowledge can be mobilized and used, the more competitive an organization. An organization must learn so that it can adapt to a changing environment. Historically, the life-cycle of organizations typically spanned stable environments between major socioeconomic changes. Blacksmiths who didn’t become mechanics simply fell by the wayside. More recently, many fortune 500 companies of two decades ago no longer exist. Given the ever-accelerating rate of global-scale change, the more critical learning and adaptation become to organization relevance, success, and ultimate survival. Organizational learning is a social process, involving interactions among many individuals leading to well-informed decision making. Thus, a culture that learns and adapts as part of everyday working practices is essential. Reuse must equal or exceed reinvent as a desirable behavior. Adapting an idea must be rewarded along with its initial creation. Sharing to empower the organization must supersede controlling to empower an individual. Clearly, shifting from individual to organizational learning involves a non-linear transformation. Once someone learns something, it is available for their immediate use. In contrast, organizations need to create, capture, transfer, and mobilize knowledge before it can be used. Although technology supports the latter, these are primarily social processes within a cultural environment, and cultural change, however necessary, is a particularly challenging undertaking. Learning organization The work in Organizational Learning can be distinguished from the work on a related concept, the learning organization. This later body of work, in general, uses the theoretical findings of organizational learning (and other research in organizational development, system theory, and cognitive science) in order to prescribe specific recommendations about how to create organizations that continuously and effectively learn. This practical approach was championed by Peter Senge in his book The Fifth Discipline. Diffusion of innovations Diffusion of innovations theory explores how and why people adopt new ideas, practices and products. It may be seen as a subset of the anthropological concept of diffusion and can help to explain how ideas are spread by individuals, social networks and organizations.

Listening Is a Desirable Skill in Organizational Settings Essay

Listening is a desirable skill in an organizational settings; good listening can improve worker productivity and satisfaction. The challenge facing the workplace of today is how we will do business going forward. Far removed are the face to face staff meeting and on site work functions of the 70’s, 80’s, and early 90’s. In today’s workplace staff meetings are held virtually with offsite employees, conference calls, and video conferencing. Although much research in listening has taken place over the last few years, little of that research addresses workplace listening directly and much is based on false assumptions: that listening is a unitary concept. Listening is a cognitive function rather than a behavioral skill, and that listening is a linear act. In the past years many businesses /organizational have taken a closer look at listening and its competency that apply directly to the workplace. And have come up with a strong argument for listening to be the most important skill of effective communicators. This paper explains the process of listening, the significance of this form of communication, and it domination of effective workplace communication. Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others. The purpose of communication is achieved only when the receiver receives the message sent by the sender fully and clearly. Developing good listening skills is a key step toward collaborating with colleagues. Good communication, therefore, calls for active listening skills. These skills will help you clarify and understand the messages that are being sent to you. To be a successful collaborating professional, you must understand the intent of those with whom you interact. It has been proved by many researchers that the success of a business essentially depends on the promotion of good listening skills at all the levels in the organization. {{3 Rane,D.B. 2011;}} The ability to understand and give response effectively to verbal communication is known as listening. The effectiveness in listening doesn’t necessarily depends on the interrelationships between the sender and the receiver of the message, but more is found to be a vital skill more particularly for the managers in business organizations while obtaining need-based information to perform their jobs successfully. The quality of relationships with others and job effectiveness largely depend on the listening ability of the individual concerned. Lack of listening ability at all the levels in any organizations lead to work-related problems. Thus listening, among others, is one of the most essential skills one should have. This reveals that improvement in workplace productivity is quite possibly developing active listening and better communication at all the levels. {{6 Johnson, Lawrence J. 2004; 3 Rane, D.B. 2011 ;}} Listening emphasizes two effective behaviors: accuracy, that is, confirming the message sent; and support, that is, affirming the relationship between the speaker and the listener: This model serves as an effective basis for improving workplace listening, both through formal training programs and through individual workers’ own efforts. References Abbasi, M. H., Siddiqi, A., & Azim, R. u. A. (2011). Role of effective communications for enhancing leadership and entrepreneurial skills in university students. International Journal of Business & Social Science, 2(10), 242-250. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=64758501&site=eds-live&scope=site Goby, V. P., & Lewis, J. H. (2000). The key role of listening in business: A study of the singapore insurance industry. Business Communication Quarterly, 63(2), 41-51. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=3184193&site=eds-live&scope=site Johnson, L. J., & Pugach, M. C. (2004). Listening skills to facilitate effective communication. Counseling & Human Development, 36(6), 1-8. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=20481483&site=eds-live&scope=site Mercer County, C. C. (1992). The art of active listening http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED351594&site=eds-live&scope=site Rane, D. B. (2011). Good listening skills make efficient business sense. IUP Journal of Soft Skills, , 43-51. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire

Abraham Lincoln and American History

Abraham Lincoln was an important part of American history. He ended slavery and helped America through the civil war. Abraham Lincoln was one of the truly great men of all time. Even as a boy, Lincoln showed ability as a speaker. He often amused himself and others by imitating some preacher or politician who had spoken in the area. People liked to gather at the general store in the crossroads village of Gentryville. Lincoln's gift for telling stories made him a favorite with the people there. In spite of his youth, he was well known in his neighborhood. In 1834, Lincoln again ran for the legislature. He had become better known by this time, and won election as a Whig. He served four successive two-year terms in the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. During his first term, he met a young Democratic legislator, Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln quickly came to the front in the legislature. He was witty and ready in debate. His skill in party management enabled him to become the Whig floor leader at the beginning of his second term. He took leading parts in the establishment of the Bank of Illinois and in the adoption of a plan for a system of railroads and canals. This plan broke down after the Panic of 1837. Lincoln also led a successful campaign for moving the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. While in the legislature, Lincoln made his first public statement on slavery. In 1837, the legislature passed by an overwhelming majority resolutions condemning abolition societies. These societies urged freedom for slaves. Lincoln and another legislator, Dan Stone, filed a protest. They admitted that Congress had no power to interfere with slavery in the states where it existed. They believed â€Å"the promulgation of abolition doctrines tend rather to increase than abate its evils. *1 Their protest arose from the legislature's failure to call slavery an evil practice. Lincoln and Stone declared that â€Å"the institution of slavery is founded on both injustice and bad policy. â€Å"*2 Later, Lincoln continued with his dream to become part of the law. He wanted to become president. On March 4, 1861, Lincoln took the oath of office and became the 16th President of the United States. In his inaugural address, Lincoln denied that he had any intention of interfering with slavery in states where the Constitution protected it. He urged the preservation of the Union. Lincoln warned that he would use the full power of the nation to â€Å"hold, occupy, and possess† the â€Å"property and places†*3 belonging to the federal government. By â€Å"property and places,† he meant forts, arsenals, and custom houses. Lincoln's closing passage had great beauty and literary power. He appealed to â€Å"the mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land. † The attack on Fort Sumter marked the start of the Civil War. Lincoln met the crisis with energetic action. He called out the militia to suppress the â€Å"insurrection. He proclaimed a blockade of Southern ports, and expanded the army beyond the limit set by law. He then led the United States during the Civil War (1861-1865), which was the greatest crisis in U. S. history. During the Civil War, Lincoln's first task was to win the war. He had to view nearly all other matters in relation to the war. It was â€Å"the progress of our arms,† he once said, â€Å"upon which all else depends. † But Lincoln was a peace-loving man who had earlier described military glory as â€Å"that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood–that serpent's eye that charms to destroy. *4 The Civil War was by far the bloodiest war in U. S. history. Lincoln became a remarkable war leader. Some historians believe he was the chief architect of the Union's victorious military strategy. This strategy called for Union armies to advance against the enemy on all fronts at the same time. Lincoln also insisted that the objective of the Union armies should be the destruction of opposing forces, not the conquest of territory. Lincoln changed generals several times because he could not find one who would fight the war the way he wanted it fought. When he finally found such a general, Ulysses S. Grant, Lincoln stood firmly behind him. Lincoln's second great task was to keep up Northern morale through the horrible war in which many relatives in the North and South fought against one another. He understood that the Union's resources vastly exceeded those of the Confederacy, and that the Union would eventually triumph if it remained dedicated to victory. For this reason, Lincoln used his great writing and speechmaking abilities to spur on his people. If the Union had been destroyed, the United States could have become two, or possibly more, nations. These nations separately could not have become as prosperous and important as the United States is today. By preserving the Union, Lincoln influenced the course of world history. By ending slavery, he helped assure the moral strength of the United States. His own life story, too, has been important. He rose from humble origin to the nation's highest office. What did Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation do to help the Civil War? It declared freedom for slaves in all areas of the Confederacy that were still in rebellion against the Union. The proclamation also provided for the use of blacks in the Union Army and Navy. As a result, it greatly influenced the North's victory in the war. The 11 states of the Confederacy seceded from the Union in 1860 and 1861. They seceded primarily because they feared Lincoln would restrict their right to do as they chose about the question of black slavery. The North entered the Civil War only to reunite the nation, not to end slavery. During the first half of the war, abolitionists and some Union military leaders urged Lincoln to issue a proclamation freeing the slaves. They argued that such a policy would help the North because slaves were contributing greatly to the Confederate war effort. By doing most of the South's farming and factory work, slaves made whites available for the Confederate Army. Lincoln agreed with the abolitionists' view of slavery. He once declared that â€Å"if slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. â€Å"*5 But early in the war, Lincoln believed that if he freed the slaves, he would divide the North. Lincoln feared that four slave-owning border states; Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri, would secede if he adopted such a policy. In July 1862, with the war going badly for the North, Congress passed a law freeing all Confederate slaves who came into Union lines. At about that same time, Lincoln decided to change his stand on slavery. But he waited for a Union military victory, so that his decision would not appear to be a desperate act. On Sept. 22, 1862, five days after Union forces won the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation. It stated that if the rebelling states did not return to the Union by Jan. 1, 1863, he would declare their slaves to be â€Å"forever free. The South rejected Lincoln's policy, and so he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. Lincoln took this action as commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. He called it â€Å"a fit and necessary war measure. † The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free a single slave, because it affected only areas under Confederate control. It excluded slaves in the border states and in such Southern areas under Union control as Tennessee and parts of Louisiana and Virginia. But it did lead to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment, which became law on Dec. 18, 1865, ended slavery in all parts of the United States. As the abolitionists had predicted, the Emancipation Proclamation strengthened the North's war effort and weakened the South's. By the end of the war, more than 500,000 slaves had fled to freedom behind Northern lines. Many of them joined the Union Army or Navy or worked for the armed forces as laborers. By allowing blacks to serve in the Army and Navy, the Emancipation Proclamation helped solve the North's problem of declining enlistments. About 200,000 black soldiers and sailors, many of them former slaves, served in the armed forces. They helped the North win the war. The Emancipation Proclamation also hurt the South by discouraging Britain and France from entering the war. Both of those nations depended on the South to supply them with cotton, and the Confederacy hoped that they would fight on its side. But the proclamation made the war a fight against slavery. Lincoln†s decisions and Emancipation Proclamation led to the 15th amendment which freed slaves. Without it, life today would be much different. He changed life for all Americans, black and white. How did the Pacific Railroad Act have an impact on American History? It provided for the building of the nation's first transcontinental rail line. Abraham Lincoln was in office when the Pacific Railroad Act was signed. He made a huge impact by signing the act. It was the first step to trading with other states that were far apart and new ways of transportation. States could now trade meat and states could focus on the products that are most practical for their part of the country. The act gave two companies responsibility for building the railroad. The Union Pacific was to start laying track westward from a point near Omaha. The Central Pacific Railroad was to lay track eastward from Sacramento. Congress granted both railroads large tracts of land and millions of dollars in government loans. Work began on the Central Pacific track in 1863 and on the Union Pacific in 1865. The railroads faced the gigantic task of crossing the rugged Rockies and the towering Sierra Nevada. To obtain the necessary labor, the Central Pacific hired thousands of Chinese immigrants to work on the railroad. Thousands of European immigrants worked on the Union Pacific. On May 10, 1869, the tracks of the two railroads finally met at Promontory, Utah. North America became the first continent to have a rail line from coast to coast. By the end of the 1800's, the United States had five transcontinental rail lines. The Canadian Pacific Railway (now CP Rail) completed Canada's first transcontinental line in 1885. It extended from Montreal, Quebec, to Vancouver, British Columbia. The completion of these rail lines opened vast regions of the continent to settlement and trade. How did the sayings of Abraham Lincoln help people? Abraham gave many speeches in his life that inspired people to be all that they can be and do what is right. Gettysburg Address is a short speech that United States President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. He delivered the address on Nov. 19, 1863, at ceremonies to dedicate a part of the battlefield as a cemetery for those who had lost their lives in the battle. The principal speaker was Edward Everett, one of the greatest orators of his day. He spoke for two hours. Lincoln was asked to say a few words, and spoke for about two minutes. Lincoln wrote the address to help ensure that the battle would be seen as a great Union triumph and to define for the people of the Northern States the purpose in fighting the war. Some historians think his simple and inspired words, which are among the best remembered in American history, reshaped the nation by defining it as one people dedicated to one principle–that of equality. Lincoln wrote five different versions of the speech. He wrote most of the first version in Washington, D. C. , and probably completed it at Gettysburg. He probably wrote the second version at Gettysburg on the evening before he delivered his address. He held this second version in his hand during the address. But he made several changes as he spoke. The most important change was to add the phrase â€Å"under God† after the word â€Å"nation† in the last sentence. Lincoln also added that phrase to the three versions of the address that he wrote after the ceremonies at Gettysburg. Lincoln wrote the final version of the address–the fifth written version–in 1864. This version also differed somewhat from the speech he actually gave, but it was the only copy he signed. It is carved on a stone plaque in the Lincoln Memorial. Many false stories have grown up about this famous speech. One story says that the people of Lincoln's time did not appreciate the speech. But the reaction of the nation's newspapers largely followed party lines. Most of the newspapers that backed the Republican Party, the party to which Lincoln belonged, liked the speech. A majority of the newspapers that supported the Democratic Party did not. Edward Everett, the principal speaker at the dedication, wrote to Lincoln: â€Å"I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes. *6 Abrahams two minute speech had more of an impact that a two hour speech. Lincoln touched many hearts and others despised him. It does not matter if they liked him or not, they were still affected by his words and actions. Abraham Lincoln affected the U. S. in many different ways. He led the United States during the Civil War, one of the most brutal battles in history. Lincoln helped end slavery in the nation and helped keep the American Union from splitting apart during the war. Lincoln thus believed that he proved to the world that democracy can be a lasting form of government. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, second inaugural address, and many of his other speeches and writings are classic statements of democratic beliefs and goals. Lincoln, a Republican, was the first member of his party to become President. He was assassinated near the end of the Civil War and was succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson. Lincoln was the first U. S. President to be assassinated. Without President Lincoln life today would be much different. We have him to thank for a lot of the great accomplishments in history.

Free Trade Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Free Trade - Research Paper Example After all, states aim at managing the economy such that people get goods at the lowest possible or affordable costs so that they can consume more and improve their living standard. Unfortunately, states do not have matching ownership on various resources that are necessary in the economy. For example, natural resource reserves such as iron, petroleum, coal, aluminum, copper and other differ widely among the nations. Other resources such as skilled and unskilled laborers, technology, or capital all vary substantially across the nations. Therefore, it becomes necessary for the countries to produce goods based on their core competencies and availability of resources so that goods are produced at the most economical cost. The surplus produce can be exchanged with the goods produced by other countries economically. The benefit of economic production can be availed only when there are no tariff barriers between the states. The free trade provides significant economic boost to the member co untries in terms of GDP, employment. It is in fact a win-win situation for people of both the countries. Based on the above perspective, the US entered into a free trade agreement between Canada and Mexico on January 1, 1994 that came to be known as NAFTA. It is a world’s largest free trade agreement covering 45 million people with the combined GDP of the US, Canada and Mexico have surpassed US $17 trillion based on 2008 figures significantly up from the 1993 figure at US$7.6 trillion. It has been argued that North American employment levels have increased by 23% since its beginning. This amounts to a net gain of 39.7 million jobs (Naftanow.org , 2012). Trade bloc countries eliminate tariffs thus making the cost of imports cheaper. As a result, demand of the goods spurts due to lower price availability. For exporters, it provides an increased business opportunity and for importers, consumers benefit

Children & Divorce Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Children & Divorce - Assignment Example Divorce between parents never puts any good effect on children. It is a very hard tragedy for children, which affects their psychological and emotional development. The pain that the children experience after divorce is composed of grief, a sense of vulnerability, loss of the intact family, and strong feelings of powerlessness and rejection (Eleoff, 2003). Some parents are very emotional and overlook the positive effects of parental relationship on children while thinking about divorce. â€Å"Many couples considering divorce refuse to believe that divorce can have a negative effect on their children† (Bilotta, 2007). Such parents cannot predict the future very well and give preference to temporary negative emotions over the future consequences of divorce on their children. Although separation brings short-term relief to such couples but the consequences are not short-term for the children, rather children have to bear the consequences for their whole lives. One of major setbacks for the children is that they start feeling insecure of their future. Children of divorced parents find it difficult to choose a proper direction for their future. Another emotional harm, which occurs for the children of divorced parents, is fear of being alone in the society. â€Å"School-age children are unsettled by the big changes that come with divorce† (Wolf, n.d.). Such children cannot even explain to themselves what has happened to their lives. They are usually average and low in confidence as compared to the children of intact families (Hughes, 2009). They also start feeling dejected and unhappy. Anger and depression are also deeply associated with the emotional development of the children of divorced parents. â€Å"Children who are having a hard time coping with their parents divorce can sometimes very quietly sink to depression† (West,

Communicating collective identities (business and marketing) Essay

Communicating collective identities (business and marketing) - Essay Example This paper basically examines that what makes brands great, but first it is beneficial for every organization or company to briefly review the evaluation and the valuation approaches. Most of the brand owners today rely on the marketing-oriented measure like esteem and awareness (Chernatony, 2006, pp. 300-318). As a result of the brand evaluation by using the KPI or also by using the scoring system the company can also determine the value of the brand equity whether the current or the future which is compared to their short-term or to their long-term objectives. The evaluation is the important term for every brand owner and also for every company because it is only with the help of evaluation it takes the brand owner through many aspects with the help of which the brands now gives and constitutes the sound advice on strategically developing their brand. On the other hand it also gives the practical guidance on how the brand owner can implement their brand strategy. There are some unintended consequences of the branded communication at the social as well as at the cultural level. ... Various conventional forms of the brand communication through advertising, and also through public relations have achieved great and a huge success in the past, but on the same side their effectiveness is now declining dramatically in today's customer-dominated climate. Therefore, the traditional forms of the advertising reach fewer targeted customers. At social as well as at the cultural level there are various kinds of problems which the customers are facing and on the same side the brand owners or the marketers are trying to solve this problem. (Chernatony, 2006, pp. 300-318) Unintended consequences are the outcomes that are not termed as the results which are originally intended from a particular situation. Unintended consequences can be basically grouped into three main types: A positive and also an unexpected benefit. A preserve and a negative effect. A potential and helpful source of various problems. The main purpose of the social marketing program is also to affect some of the changes in the target audience's behaviors and attitudes. Some unintended consequences of branded communication at the social level are defined as follows: Process evaluation. Outcomes evaluation. Impact evaluation. Process evaluation basically determines that whether the intended target audience was reached or not. If yes, then the outcome evaluation measures that whether they are engaged in the desired or respected behavior or not. Along with this, the impact evaluation also judges whether the performance of the behavior did induce the desired change or not. While the marketing which is related to the social program is in effect, the process evaluation should also take

Discuss how disparities in global resources and opportunities play out Movie Review

Discuss how disparities in global resources and opportunities play out through film evidence of various and conflicting cultural practices - Movie Review Example The profound disparities of ethnic and racial origins have established a divide among people forming two groups; those who have poor socioeconomic status and those have a well-to-do socioeconomic status. With reference to the education pattern that has been established globally following these ethnic and racial disparities in global resources and opportunities, it has been observed that American Indian, African American, Southeast Asians and the Latino groups perform rather poorly compared to other groups such as the Asian Americans and the Whites (American Psychological Association, Presidential Task Force on Educational Disparities p. 7, 9). There are serious deleterious influences of stereotype threats to an individual’s social behavior. Varying cultural beliefs and practices may elicit hard criticism from viewers from different communities. For instance, American audiences perceive the naked breasts of mature women as well as mature men’s scrotum as nakedness while to some other communities it is not. A film which shows naked actors may, therefore, face criticism or even rejection by some communities. The film Dani Sweet Potatoes elicits much of this similar criticism. The Dani community members are modest within their context but elsewhere other communities have a different opinion on their bare breasts. In its nature, however, culture is dynamic. Consequently, some of the films that will be highlighted in this paper may contain cultural representations that have been readjusted in order to give them a more realistic illusion; an example is the film, Cannibal Tours. Therefore, one expects to encounter intentional manipulations by a filmmaker which may range from broad to narrow altering of the material cult ure, behavioral shaping, among others depending on the intention of the filmmaker. On the other hand, some films are presented with no manipulation of the original behavior. Dani Sweet Potatoes is an example of such a film

STRATEGIC SUPPLY MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

STRATEGIC SUPPLY MANAGEMENT - Essay Example The corporation has even created Emirates Engineering department for its strategic SCM structure so that this division can ensure that the operations of the company are effectively managed and the latest IT systems are integrated with precision as well. Hence, Emirates Airline has even capitalised on its value chain framework so that it can always remain ahead of its competitors by providing the customers with excellent quality travelling experience. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction of Supply Chain Management (SCM) 4 Findings and Analysis 5 Brief overview of SCM in Aviation Industry 6 Background of Emirates Airline 8 Detailed analysis of SCM framework at Emirates Airline 9 Â  SCM Network of Emirates Airline 12 Value Chain of Emirates Airline 12 Information Technology (IT) and SCM 13 Challenges encountered by Emirates Airline in SCM 14 Conclusion and Recommendations 15 Appendix I – SCM network of Emirates Airline 17 Appendix II – Va lue Chain framework of Emirates Airline 18 References 19 Introduction of Supply Chain Management (SCM) Globally, it has been observed that the trade barriers have been reduced, free markets have been created due to market liberalisation, financial markets have been integrated on international level and huge level advancements have taken place in the field of technology. As a result, globalisation has created intense competition in various countries and the customers are provided access to a wide range of product and service offerings. One of the most effective developments has been in the field of technology that has minimised the communication and business transaction gaps for the companies that have widespread operations across the world (Bhardwaj & Mitra, 2010). It has been stated by Seghal (2011) that majority of the large corporations such as Unilever, P&G, Colgate-Palmolive, Emirates Airlines, Sony, Apple, Microsoft, LG, Nokia, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and others have expa nded their business operations in international markets. The crucial drivers of their robust expansion strategy are the declining trade barriers, easy movement of capital, people and goods across the countries and the latest IT systems that ensure proper integration of their operations. However, production, logistics and supply chain systems have become highly integrated and the companies are able to properly align their efficient supply chain strategy with the business strategy (Christopher, 2011). At times organisations are faced with unfair payment terms which leads to other problems. One such case is of the construction firm in which the latest payment terms announced by the firm is 65 to 120 days (Gilbert, 2013). These types of payment terms are unfair and can prove to be a major challenge. Supplier payment terms should be feasible and convenient for both the firm and the supplier, working on unfair terms and that too highly difficult terms may cause future work to be halted. E conomic crisis may be present in one region or the other and the economic crisis situation impacts the supply chain activities to a very large extent. The crisis may cause disruptions which may affect the business operations on a long term basis. According to a recent survey, it has been depicted that around 63 percentage of organisations that are considered to be large organisations have undergone supply chain disruptions,. This survey was

Assignment Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment - Movie Review Example Throughout her stay at the institution, Susanna pays attention to her actions, trying to decide if the diagnosis was correct, or if the doctors were simply just trying to put a name to her common misbehaviors. The most common symptoms of borderline personality disorder are an insecure sense of self, harmful and unconventional relationships, impulsive and dangerous behavior, jarring changes in emotions, and suicidal behavior. The first symptom of of borderline personality disorder that Susanna displays is an attempt at suicide by means of overdosing. After the scene in the ice cream shop, in which she is confronted by the wife of a man she had an affair with, it became clear that Susanna engaged in harmful, unconventional relationships with others. As the movie progresses and Susanna spends more time with the black sheep of the ward, Lisa, she begins to display other symptoms, such as reckless behavior and erratic changes in her mood. She begins to defy her nurses and therapists. However, while the movie might be displaying the symptoms correctly based on the disorder, it can be said that Susanna engaged herself in the things that she did based on what she was learning from Lisa. The scene in the film that suggests this is when Lisa is about to take drugs and Susanna recoils from the image. There are other behaviors that Lisa displays that makes Susanna react in a way that would suggest that she does not have borderline personality disorder, as she is able to distinguish from harmful, reckless behavior and the proper way of facing a situation. Susanna was often treated as though she were normal, like she did not belong in the institution. Her parents were the only people to honestly believe that something was wrong with their daughter. Even Valerie, the nurse that attends to Susanna, seems to believe that whatever is

Famine, Affluence, and Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Famine, Affluence, and Morality - Essay Example The same feeling of caring and helping should be applied to people from all over the world. The second reason for agreeing with Singer is the fact that ‘developed countries’ have resources to help the hungry. I agree with Singer’s point that instead of terming the act of helping famine victim as a ‘charitable act’, it should be termed as ‘moral obligation’ (Singer 236). So much of food is wasted and thrown away by common people. One can easily feed hundreds of starving people with the amount of the left-over food by people in a developed nation. Also, people make choices regarding the food items and quality. This shows that there is more than enough amount of food related items available in a country. Hence, when a country has the storage of food even after feeding its citizens sufficiently, then it becomes amoral obligation of that nation, or people of that nation, to help minimize the world hunger. Instead of wasting food or throwing aw ay the edible parts just because they are not needed for a particular dish, it should be given to people who need it. No sane human being will choose to throw food in waste bin rather than giving it to a person who is starving to death. Hence, I agree with Singer that minimizing world hunger is a moral obligation of human beings. ... Singer’s argument is convincing as he has pointed out to the fact that richer nations have the capacity to reduce the suffering of famine victims in other countries without causing any reduction in the supply of resources to its own people (Singer 229). He has also stated that at the individual level also, common people have failed to raise their voice to help famine victims (Singer 229). Singer is convincing as he has exposed the selfish attitude of people and their lack of empathy towards the needy. From his argument, it becomes clear that proving money is not the only way one can help the famine victims. They can help the famine victims by holding demonstrations on the street to force the government to take right decisions. They can encourage people to help the victims by conduct awareness campaigns to let them know about the inhuman conditions in which the victims are living. As Singer says, they can write to responsible government officials, hold symbolic fasts and donate whatever is essential for the survival of the victims (Singer 229). His argument shows that people have aced irresponsibly and immaturely. Moreover, Singer’s argument is strengthened by the fact that what is needed to help the victims is nothing more than just a little awareness and desire to help the needy. By focusing on the people’s and nation’s lack of desire to help the victims, and irresponsibility towards the world citizenship despite of having the resources to help, Singer convinces the reader that individuals and nations have failed on the level of humanity. Answer C Singer’s argument can be objected on the point that being wealthy is not crime. Singer has pointed a finger towards wealthy people by saying that instead of choosing to help the famine victims, they

World Religions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

World Religions - Essay Example No less important difference between the two Christian denominations is relevant to the question of salvation. Protestants often say that faith is the primary and fundamental way for the salvation of man. Faith is the path that opens the way to the grace of God. Unlike Protestants, Catholics are inclined to say that despite the fact that faith is essential for salvation, it cannot be seen as the only way to salvation. In this respect, faith is not enough. Catholics consider â€Å"justification as a process, dependent on the grace you receive by participating in the Church --- which is seen as a repository of saving grace† (Rosario). As noted above, the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism are also manifested in the ritual area. In particular, the ritual of the Eucharist has a different interpretation in the denominations. Catholics insist on the doctrine of transubstantiation. According to this doctrine, the edible ritual elements used during the Eucharist should be seen as the literal embodiment of the body and blood of Christ. In turn, Protestants use the doctrine of consubstantiation, that is, they believe that the body and blood of Christ coexist along with the bread and the wine (Rosario). In comparison with the Protestants, Catholics give special importance to various saints, including the Virgin Mary. â€Å"Roman Catholics see veneration, not as praying to the Saints and the Virgin Mary, but as praying through them† (Rosario). Unlike Catholics, Protestants emphasize the direct communication with God.

Research Topic Literature Exploration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Topic Literature Exploration - Essay Example Other than that working outside in long hour jobs, pursuing other interests, sibling rivalry and lack of interest on the parts of parents to take keen interest in children’s school work results in dropouts (Ash, Katie). What should be: There is need to mark future dropouts. Building an early warning data system and a two-fold agenda of high standards and high graduation rates can help in decreasing high school dropouts. Schools should provide a pleasant experience to students through their operational activities to obstruct the speed of dropouts. Data collection on high school dropouts is very important and should not be skipped. Checklist approach to know the students at risk of dropping out of school should not be the only alterative method to know future dropouts, as it has its own drawbacks. An alternative checklist should be prepared to analyze the data on comparison between two groups -- dropouts and graduates, called â€Å"regression analysis† to develop a â€Å"statistically generated prediction formula.† Longitudinal data helps in assessing risk factors; On track indicators used by preventive programs should be used to bring down dropout rates (Craig D. Jerald). What should be? Research on instructional and structural strategies to inculcate reading and writing skills among students suggests that motivational and self-directed learning can be an easy and effective way by allowing them freedom of reading time and providing range in reading besides giving them freedom to select research and writing topics (Biancarosa, Gina). Strategic tutoring -- It also helps students not only in completing particular tasks but helps them in writing independently. Strategic tutoring provides customized help to students – identifying and focusing their weak areas such as poor writing skills (Biancarosa, Gina). Intensive writing – It requires integration of writing with reading comprehension for which reading instructions should be clear and specific

Argument essay on Should the government provide health care Research Paper - 1

Argument essay on Should the government provide health care - Research Paper Example This is made worse by the fact that the country has continued to record slow economic development leading to a significant rise in the rate of unemployment, meaning that more and more people will continue to consider healthcare as a secondary necessity as compared to other needs such as food, education and shelter. This paper is a critical evaluation on whether the government should provide healthcare to its citizens. As earlier mentioned, a healthy population is a healthy nation. This means that a country which is free of diseases stands to benefit from its human resources especially in various sectors of the economy such as Agriculture, building and construction, mining, management among others. This is due to the fact that these people earn their living by the virtue of their presence and attendance to their duties and responsibilities, which can be compromised by sickness. In this context, the government should come up with a policy of ensuring that healthcare provision especially in medical check ups is paid for by the government. This would encourage people to visit health centers on regular basis to have their checkups (Halvorson 26). Diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart infections, and tuberculosis among others would then become easy to detect and control at their earliest stages of development. This principle has been applied world wide for testing and treating infections such as HIV /AIDS and it has proved to be fruitful. It is wrong to find that medical checkup among majority of citizens is perceived as a luxury since it demands for them to dig deeper into their pockets. Consequently, infections such as those of the eyes and teeth continue to affect citizens despite the fact that they can be corrected if detected early enough. It is estimated that approximately 15 million people failed to acquire eyeglasses while another 25 million could not access dental care with regard to 2005 statistics (Halvorson 45). It is sad to

Analysis of India and Stagflation Literature review

Analysis of India and Stagflation - Literature review Example It is caused by cost-push inflation according to new Keynesian economic models. Such inflation occurs when certain factors increase the cost of production. These include government policies, e.g., fiscal ones, or the paucity of resources. Radhika Rao, a Singapore-based economist with DBS Bank, opines that â€Å"The economy might be trapped in a stagflationary-type environment, as growth is at the cusp of moving another leg lower while inflation bottoms out† (qt. in Kala). There is less local and foreign demand for Indian industrial goods. Even the borrowing costs have gone up. The automobile industry which drives manufacturing growth has forecast that auto sales will fall for the second continuous year. However, as Kala notes, exports grew on stronger global demand as the weak rupee makes Indian exports more competitive; and consequently, the imports into India become costlier, thus bringing down the deficit. Globalization is greatly responsible for stagflation, with the effec ts felt in most other countries. The question that Shrivastava asks is whether the Indian economy should have been opened up in a more selective manner. The global financial markets are volatile, which affects the Sensex, for instance. Moreover, the demand for Indian goods and services has reduced due to the recession in the US. Inflation has been growing due to a rise in commodity prices and a steady rise in the price of oil. Because the Indian economy is dependent on those of the US and other rich countries, a home market for products is no longer a prerogative of the government. The US recession has led to fall in exports, whereas the rise of the rupee against the dollar (till recently) cost many job losses. Indian companies are finding it difficult to raise capital abroad due to the decisions taken by the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the USA. The rise in prices of steel, cement, and oil has increased the costs in all industries. Due to the hike in interest rates to keep inflation under check, the cost of interest has also gone up. Uncertainties at the global level have slowed down the growth of industrial investment. Oil prices have increased due to futures trading in oil because of excess liquidity in the hands of big speculators. Another reason for this was the low value of the dollar (before the Indian rupee went into a free fall). Food prices have increased for various reasons. The demand for food has changed greatly. Since industrial agriculture is based on the use of fossil fuels, price hikes in oil directly affect food prices too. Climate change is another reason for raised food prices. With the increase in globalization, there is constant pressure on India to globalize the food sector and to bring the prices in line with those abroad. The US decision to push biofuels has led to a rise in food prices. The US government started giving subsidies to farms for growing corn to make ethanol for use in cars.  Ã‚  

Australian Financial Institutions and Markets Essay

Australian Financial Institutions and Markets - Essay Example While banks are the major asset holding financial institutions in Australia there are other major players in this arena. The increase the economic power of the banks and deregulation of the 1980's has increased the market share over other financial institutions such as NBFI's(non-bank financial institution), super funds, and other managed fund accounts (Lewis and Wallace 1997, 76). According to Wallace (1997,77) there are 3 major reasons for these changes. "Large banks have an advantage in competition, Australian banks have significant advantages in the form of customer loyalty and extensive branch networks, with the record profits in the industry the banks have access to increasing amounts of capital and finally many of the newer banks in the industry had no clear strategy when they entered the market, giving the big 4 an advantage." Now that banks have come into the market they are competing on several different levels with other financial institutions, "insurance companies and sup erannuation funds compete directly in the market for managed funds, and their products compete directly with instruments provided by the funds management arms of banks (Wallace and Lewis, 1197, 233). However as noted by Wallace and Lewis (1197, 233) life insurance and superannuation funds still comprise 80% of the managed funds sector. 2.1 Insurance In 2002 the insurance industry in Australia held $173.9 billion in assets (Vinley 2003, 36). Insurance companies hold this large amount of assets because they have policy holders paying in monthly sums that may never be paid out or are paid out in smaller sums than were paid in. Insurance companies then use these assets to make money in financial markets through managed funds. Australian banks have sought to enter the insurance market and compete with the existing firms. According to the Wall Street Journal(2005,1), Commonwealth Bank, one of the big 4 banks in Australia recently reported a 50% gain in first half profit which was a result of their wealth management business and a steady result from their insurance arm. The ability of banks to expand into other financial services has affected the insurance industry as the Big 4 banks in Australia now compete with them. The insurance industry has now also begun to move into the domain of other financial services in order to maintain the ir asset base. Vinley (2003, 36) points out that insurance companies have seen a "decline in assets, but this has been offset by significant increases in their managed funds operations, particularly superannuation. The percentage share of superannuation assets has increased to 14.5 % from 1990-2002." 2.2 Superannuation In Australia, superannuation is paid into the funds by employer contributions under the Superannuation Guarantee Charge and by individuals as voluntary contributions (Frino 2005, 2). Superannuation funds make their money by charging small fees for asset management as well as making returns by investing the large amount of assets they have. As stated before insurance companies are now creeping into the superannuation market, but so are Australian banks. They have become one stop shopping for customers in the

Criminal Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal Law - Research Paper Example at the time the crime was committed.†1 This is explained by the fact that insane people are not in the position to appreciate and to tell the difference between good and bad, right and wrong, legal and illegal. Insanity defense is considered to be a defense by excuse. Insanity defense dates back from Ancient Greece and Rome, however, the first definition that is closer to the modern definition of insanity defense was given by an English Court, in 1843, the insane person being compared to a wild beast. However, an earlier definition explains insane defense as it follows: â€Å"If a madman or a natural fool, or a lunatic in the time of his lunacy do [kill a man], this is no felonious act for they cannot be said to have any understanding will.†2 In the USA, some of the leading historical moments directly connected to the insane defense are: the case Durham v. United States3, (which established the Durham rule, also known as the â€Å"Product test†), the drafting of the American Law Institute Test (1953), the Hinckley case4, which led to the adoption of Insanity Defense Reform Act in 1984. Nowadays, more and more jurisdictions choose to rename the insanity defense into mental disorder defense, trying to protect the authors of such crimes from being stigmatized with the label insane. This is the result of the development of human rights protection, this applying not only to good citizens, but also to everybody, disregarding their criminal or/and medical records. As attractive as the insane defense may seem to cold blooded criminals, wishing to avoid justice with an insane plea, all the insane defense cases involve psychiatrists, psychological testing of the person claiming to be insane and the burden of proving to the jury that the crime was committed by a mentally ill person. For example, the case of Colorado v. Connelly5 is the story of a man found not guilty by insanity, and after 10 years, found guilty for the committed crime. The Andrea Yates case is one of

Theology of Community Essay Example for Free

Theology of Community Essay In this paper, I am going to share my ideas of theology. I believe that one of the biggest mistakes I made in the past was that I was afraid of being rejected, so I wrote a theology paper and tried to give the previous COM what I thought they wanted to hear instead of what was truly inside of me. Fortunately for me, even though I was not given a green light in order to see the Eccleastical Council, I was licensed to preach and this gave me time to wrestle with my theology and helped me to see where I stood on these very important areas of Christian faith. I want to briefly mention that although I have a lot of respect for liberation theologians, I disagree with them in one key area. Many liberation theologians start off with their experiences, and then look to the bible and interpret it. I believe that theology must start off with the Bible because it is the best source of information about who God is, who Jesus is, and what the early church was like. I do believe that the Church should speak out when there is injustice. However, it comes from a belief that we should treat others as if we see Jesus in them (see Matt 25:31-46). I refer to my personal theology as the â€Å"Theology of Community†. I reject this modern notion that Jesus is my â€Å"personal savior† because it highlights the rampant individualism in America. We are so consumer driven in the United States that if we have to wait more than two minutes in a drive-thru in order to get our food, we get upset. I believe that Jesus saves us from our selfishness, and self-destructive behavior; but that He draws us in to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Overview I see the entire Bible, both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Testament, as a story about how God is constantly reaching out to human beings with the intent of having a relationship with us. Many years ago, in my early twenties, a minister introduced a concept that I still draw upon. He used a diagram of a triangle. At the top of the triangle is God, and at the bottom two points were supposed to be the husband and wife. The idea being that as you draw closer to God, then the married couple would actually be closer to each other. If you are less selfish and willing to serve your spouse in love, then your relationship will (in theory) grow and become stronger. What I have done is to apply this to all relationships within the church. There is a tendency within churches for people to think that their way of doing things is right, and if you don’t agree then you are somehow bad; or at least you are a nuisance that should be shunned or ignored. We as human beings tend to want to be around people that are like us, who think like us, talk like us, and have the same opinion on virtually everything. Yet, if you look at the makeup of the group of disciples that followed Jesus, this is not the case at all. For the sake of brevity I will point out only two: Judas the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector. The zealots hated the Romans so badly that they were willing to take up arms against the Romans, yet the tax collectors were willing to collect money from their fellow Jews and give it to the Romans. Both groups were represented at the table during the Last Supper. It would be a refreshing thing if that kind of diversity was truly experienced today in our modern churches. I am heavily influenced by the theology of Karl Barth and somewhat by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I would also credit people like Hans Frei and George Lindbeck and the â€Å"post-liberal† movement; which some also know as â€Å"narrative theology†. In the writings of Frei and Lindbeck they talk about how liberal theology tends to focus on the experience of a believer more than on the scriptures. They also point out that conservatives responded to modernity by holding fast to the Bible and forming a more literal view of the scriptures. The view that they promote is what Lindbeck calls the â€Å"cultural/linguistic† approach. I felt very comfortable with this way of looking at the scriptures because if you rely too much on your own personal experience, then what kind of standard do you have? If you take the Bible literally, then how can you deal with issues like a person being swallowed by a whale, or saying that the earth is only six to seven thousand years old, when science says it is billions of years old? I have found that by avoiding the extremes of either side that the truth is usually in-between the two. I. God I don’t believe that we know everything about God. There are many things that we don’t know about the Divine. What we do know is what God has chosen to reveal. This self-revelation is done freely by God, without any coercion by anyone. Karl Barth put it this way: â€Å"God’s being, or truth, is the event of his self-disclosure, his radiance as the Lord of all lords, the hallowing of his name, the coming of his kingdom, the fulfillment of his will in all his work.† [1] Professor Barth often in his speeches refers to God as the â€Å"God of the Gospel†, and our best source of knowledge about God is Jesus Christ. We know that God is loving, kind, and compassionate because we have the written testimony of the Apostles that say that is how Jesus was. As Barth’s theology is very Christocentric, mine is as well. I would also point out that throughout the Hebrew Bible God used many prophets, judges, and teachers to reach out to humanity; and ultimately sent Jesus to reach out to people. So it is ultimately God who initiates the relationship between God and people. II. Imago Dei and our gifts In Genesis 1:26-27 the Bible talks about how we are made in the image of God, or have what is known as the Imago Dei. Some people would say that this means that human beings have a conscious, and live at a level that is more complex than just living on mere instinct. I believe that there is more to it than that. Romans 12:6 says that â€Å"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.† In other words, as you read the rest of the chapter you can see how each of the different gifts given to people can be used to edify and strengthen other people. We were created to be a blessing to other people, and those other people were created to live in harmony with you. III. Sin When we focus on our own needs, and we ignore the plight of the people around us; then we are living in a way that is contrary to the will of God. Dietrich Bonhoeffer referred to sin as selfishness, and Karl Barth said that the root of sin is pride. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talked about how the Pharisees and tax collectors did some things that on the surface appeared to be good, but if you looked at their heart you realize the ulterior motive. Matthew 5:46-47 says, â€Å"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?† In other words, if you are helping someone because you are getting something back, in reality it was more of an investment than truly being helpful. It is not as malicious as stealing or killing someone, but it is not what you could call â€Å"unconditional love† either. IV. Christology Where liberals tend to focus on how we should follow the example of Jesus’ life and ministry, and conservatives tend to focus on the blood atonement, and how you can’t have a relationship with God without the shed blood of Christ; my response is Yes! I agree with both sides on this, and do not think that they contradict one another. Jesus is our example of how we should live. He was willing to engage with people that disagreed with him (John chapter 3). He treated women with dignity and respect (John chapter 4). Jesus brought healing and wholeness to a crippled man (John 5:1-15). Jesus cared for the crowds of people and wanted to feed them and meet their needs (John 6:1-15). Jesus also was a servant leader, who was willing to wash the feet of his disciples in order to make a point (John 13:1-17), that we should serve one another. However, Jesus was also known as the â€Å"Lamb of God† (John 1:29). He fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah, notably what was in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 dealing with the suffering servant. There has to be a balance between the two points of view because if you go too far to the left, you can forget what makes Jesus different from other religious teachers; and if you go too far to the right and focus too much on the hereafter, then you ignore the needs of the people around you and are no good to anyone in the here and now. Or as some would say, â€Å"They are so heavenly minded that they are not any earthly good.† I would say that this is not an either/or situation but a â€Å"both/and†, which is a phrase that our Lutheran friends use often. If we are to be the United Church of Christ, then in my mind our theology should be Christ centered. Karl Barth stated it in this way, â€Å"The object of theology is, in fact, Jesus Christ. This means, however, that it is the history of the fulfillment of the covenant between God and man.†