Vanadium Facts (V or Atomic Number 23)

Vanadium (atomic number 23 with symbol V) is one of the transition metals. Youve probably never encountered it in pure form, but it is found in some types of steel. Here are essential element facts about vanadium and its atomic data. Fast Facts: Vanadium Element Name: VanadiumElement Symbol: VAtomic Number: 23Group: Group 5 (Transition Metal)Period: Period 4Appearance: Blue-gray metalDiscovery: Andrà ©s Manuel del Rà ­o (1801) Vanadium  Basic Facts Atomic Number: 23 Symbol: V Atomic Weight: 50.9415 Discovery: Depending who you ask: del Rà ­o 1801 or Nils Gabriel Sefstrom 1830 (Sweden) Electron Configuration: [Ar] 4s2 3d3 Word Origin: Vanadis, a Scandinavian goddess. Named after the goddess because of vanadiums beautiful multicolored compounds. Isotopes: There are 20 known isotopes of vanadium ranging from V-23 to V-43. Vanadium has only one stable isotope: V-51. V-50 is nearly stable with a half-life of 1.4 x 1017 years. Natural vanadium is a mostly a mixture of the two isotopes, vanadium-50 (0.24%) and vanadium-51 (99.76%). Properties: Vanadium has a melting point of 1890/-10 °C, boiling point of 3380 °C, specific gravity of 6.11 (18.7 °C), with a valence of 2, 3, 4, or 5. Pure vanadium is a soft, ductile bright white metal. Vanadium has good corrosion resistance to alkalis, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and saltwater, but it oxidizes readily at temperatures exceeding 660 °C. The metal has good structural strength and a low fission neutron cross section. Vanadium and all of its compounds are toxic and should be handled with care. Uses: Vanadium is used in nuclear applications, for producing rust-resistant spring and high-speed tool steels, and as a carbide stabilizer in making steels. Approximately 80% of the vanadium that is produced is used as a steel additive or ferrovanadium. Vanadium foil is used as a bonding agent for cladding steel with titanium. Vanadium pentoxide is used as a catalyst, as a mordant for dyeing and printing fabrics, in the manufacture of aniline black, and in the ceramics industry. Vanadium-gallium tape is used to produce superconducting magnets. Sources: Vanadium occurs in approximately 65 minerals, including vanadinite, carnotite, patronite, and roscoelite. It is also found in certain iron ores and phosphate rock and in some crude oils as organic complexes. Vanadium is found in small percentages in meteorites. High purity ductile vanadium may be obtained by reducing vanadium trichloride with magnesium or a magnesium-sodium mixture. Vanadium metal also may be produced by calcium reduction of V2O5 in a pressure vessel. Vanadium  Physical Data Element Classification: Transition MetalDensity (g/cc): 6.11Electronegativity: 1.63Electron Affinity: 50.6 kJ/molMelting Point (K): 2160Boiling Point (K): 3650Appearance: soft, ductile, silvery-white metalAtomic Radius (pm): 134Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 8.35Covalent Radius (pm): 122Ionic Radius: 59 (5e) 74 (3e)Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.485Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 17.5Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 460Debye Temperature (K): 390.00Pauling Negativity Number: 1.63First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 650.1Oxidation States: 5, 4, 3, 2, 0Lattice Structure: Body-Centered CubicLattice Constant (Ã…): 3.020CAS Registry: 7440-62-2 Vanadium Trivia Vanadium was initially discovered in 1801 by the Spanish-Mexican mineralogist Andres Manuel del Rà ­o. He extracted the new element from a sample of lead ore and found salts formed a multitude of colors. His original name for this colorful element was panchromium, meaning all colors.del Rio renamed his element erythronium (Greek for red) because the crystals of vanadium would turn red upon heating.The French chemist Hippolyte Victor Collet-Descotils claimed del Rà ­os element was actually chromium. del Rà ­o retracted his discovery claim.Swedish chemist Nils Sefstrà ¶m rediscovered the element in 1831 and named the element vanadium after the Scandinavian goddess of beauty Vanadis.Vanadium compounds are all toxic. Toxicity tends to increase with oxidation state.The first commercial use of vanadium steel was the chassis of the Ford Model T.Vanadium is paramagnetic.The abundance of vanadium in the Earths crust is 50 parts per million.The abundance of vanadium in seawater is 0.18 par ts per billion.Vanadium(V) oxide (V2O5) is used as a catalyst in the Contact Process to manufacture sulfuric acid.Vanadium is found in the proteins known as vanabins. Some sea species of sea cucumbers and sea squirts have yellow blood because of the vanabins in their blood. Sources Featherstonhaugh, George William (1831). New Metal, provisionally called Vanadium. The Monthly American Journal of Geology and Natural Science: 69.Marden, J. W.; Rich, M. N. (1927). Vanadium. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. 19 (7): 786–788. doi:10.1021/ie50211a012Sigel, Astrid; Sigel, Helmut, eds. (1995). Vanadium and Its Role in Life. Metal Ions in Biological Systems. 31. CRC. ISBN 978-0-8247-9383-8.Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.

The Epidemic Of The Bubonic Plague - 1226 Words

Epidemiology The prevalence of disease in the thirteenth century was very common in Europe,and Africa, later on spread to parts of Asia. Currently the bubonic is not that common but is still infecting a small portion of the earth. The Bubonic Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia Pestis, a zoonotic bacteria, usually found in small animals and their fleas. It is transmitted between animals and humans by the bite of infected fleas, direct contact, inhalation and rarely, ingestion of infective materials. Locations The second pandemic, widely known as the Black Death or the Great Plague, originated in China in 1334 and spread along the great trade routes to Constantinople and then to Europe, where it claimed an estimated 60% of the European population (Benedictow, 2008). Entire towns were wiped out. Some contemporary historians report that on occasion, there were not enough survivors remaining to bury the dead (Gross, 1995). Despite the vast devastation caused by this pandemic, however, massive labor shortages due to high mortality rates sped up the development of many economic, social, and technical modernizations (Benedictow, 2008). It has even been considered a factor in the emergence of the Renaissance in the late 14th century. Specific Region Historians believe the outbreak started in China in 1334 and then spread westward along trade routes through Russia, Turkey and Europe. Globally Though the Black Death of the Middle Ages isShow MoreRelatedCan Epidemics Be Avoided?1024 Words   |  5 PagesCan Epidemics be Avoided? Epidemics can happen anywhere and can strike at any time. An epidemic is a spreading of a disease in a community that attacks numerous people. An example of an epidemic today is the recent outbreak of Ebola. Ebola has ravished throughout Africa for about a year and the United States has only had a few cases of it just recently. The United States and other countries have communicated with one another so outbreaks don’t occur and Ebola remains isolated to one country. TwoRead MoreThe Plague Of Bubonic Plague1714 Words   |  7 Pagesand died in their sleep† (Gale). This terrible epidemic is known all over the world for it’s deadly and unique characteristics. The diffusion, history, and cure are just a couple universal aspects that contribute to the well known, yet unforgiving disease known as the Bubonic Plague. The Bubonic Plague diffused to many people during its time of dominance. To start, the Bubonic Plague is transmitted to other living organisms in a distinct way. The plague bacteria circulates among different populationsRead MoreBubonic Plague1154 Words   |  5 PagesBubonic plague is believed to have brought the Byzantine empire to its knees in the 6th century. This is the first ever documented record of bubonic plague in human history. But the fact that bubonic plague continues to afflict human population even today is a matter of concern. Your bubonic plague research paper would revolve around the premise of it being a deadly disease, but we assure you that we won’t scare you by the facts. Bubonic plague is typically differentiated from other infections becauseRead MoreThe Plague Of Bubonic Plague1675 Words   |  7 PagesBubonic Plague Ellery Perez Health Science Technology  Made of a canvas outer garment coated in wax, as well as waxed leather pants, gloves, boots and hat. A dark leather hood and mask with a very grotesque curved beak (Jackie Rosenhek, 2011). A serial killer, Halloween costume perhaps or a cosplay outfit for a horror movie? No, a doctor actually is what this outfit was meant for. Doctors wore this attire in the medieval times in order to protect themselves from the bubonic plague. We ve all heardRead MoreAnalysis Of The Plague By Albert Camus1101 Words   |  5 PagesThe novel, The Plague, written by Albert Camus, will be the focal point of the Multicultural essay. Further delving into Albert Camus and his life, he was a French philosopher, author, and journalist. At a young age, he lost his father due to an injury suffered during World War I, and was raised under the domineering hand of his grandmother alongside his mother (Lottman 52). Camus did exemplary in school and through his political engagement led him to join the Communist P arty. Deeply advocating forRead MoreQuestions On The Black Death1336 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction: in a few sentences, summarise What Is the Black Death? (WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHO, HOW, WHY) The Black Death, also known as ‘The Bubonic Plague’ was a devastating pandemic in the 14th century, affecting mainly Europe. It was caused by a deadly bacteria, ‘Yersinia Pestis’ that caused large, pus-filled swellings on the victim’s body. In the space of 5 years, the plague spread rapidly and claimed the lives of 25 million people. 2. ORIGIN AND SPREAD When Did the Black Death Occur? Where did theRead MoreEssay on The Black Death1474 Words   |  6 PagesThe Black Death was an extensive epidemic that spread across Europe from 1346 to 1353, killing over an estimated one-third of Europe’s entire population (Medieval World 56). Although historians are not entirely sure of its origin, the Black Death spread quickly across both Europe and Asia with a death toll that augmented rapidly. The plague also had unusual and deadly symptoms, causing â€Å"panic everywhere, with men and women knowing no way to stop death except to flee from it† (Kohn 28). The chaosRead MoreThe Effect on Clergy and the Catholic Church during the Black Death857 Words   |  4 Pagesvillages, knowing the likelihood they would survive would be slim throughout this epidemic. It is my goal in this paper to describe what was occurring during the Black Death and how the Catholic Church and its clergy reacted to the epidemic. The Black Death could most likely be considered the most severe epidemic in human history. The Black Death arrived in Europe in 1347 and was ravaging from 1347-1351. This plague killed entire families at a time and destroyed at least 1,000 villages. GreatlyRead MoreEssay about The Black Death669 Words   |  3 PagesBlack Death was undoubtedly one of the most devastating diseases that occurred during the middle ages. The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was a world-wide epidemic that caused the death of more than 20 million people throughout Europe (Velenzdas). The people of this time period were clueless as to the cause of the plague, but were well aware of the tell-tale symptoms that accompanied infection. There were many cures for the outbreaks, however it is knownRead MoreIs Yersinia Pestis A Bacterial Infection Responsible For The Deaths Of Millions Of People?976 Words   |  4 Pagesdiseases: the Bubonic plague, the Pneumonic Plague, and the septicemic Plague. The difference between the plagues is primarily the location of the infection but the symptoms also vary as well. The bubonic plague attacks the Lymphatic system whereas the Pneumonic plague focuses the respiratory system and the Septicemic plague targets the blood stream. Although the plagues alter in symptoms and means of infection, they all relate and depend on each other in some way. The bubonic plague was the largest

Criminology Discovery of the Victim

Question: Discuss about theCriminologyfor Discovery of the Victim. Answer: Introduction: In this essay we discuss the change in the definition of crime and also state the basic aspects behind this change such as positivist and classical theory, change occurred in our understanding related to causes of victimization, and data which is collected from both the sources that is official and unofficial. Subsequently this essay is concluded with brief conclusion. Criminology: In criminal justice and public policy system, institutions recognized the needs and experiences of victims important because of change in the definition of crime. Today, criminal acts extend beyond the limits and it become impossible to reduce the effect of criminal actions on society (Hunt, n.d.). There are two schools which have great impact on the criminology department, and the main purpose of these schools is prevention of crime and to clearly differentiate between criminal as well as non criminal acts. The two schools are classic theory and positivist theory. In 18th century, classic theory was introduced by Cesare Becarria and Jeremy Bentham during the period of enlightenment. Before the introduction of classical theory, law system was brutal and unfair. Therefore, the main focus of author was to create justice system which is fair and equal for general public also. This concept does not focus on commitment of crime but it mainly emphasize on perfect system of justice. This theory also state the concept of free will which means peoples have right to do whatever they want to do. The positivist theory was introduced in 19th century by Cesare Lombroso, Raffael Garofalo and Enrico Ferri. The main aim behind the introduction of this theory was to understand the crime and criminals by using scientific methods, and according to this theory every criminal behavior was affected by factors related to psychological, biological and social which are not in the control of individual. The main difference between these two theories is based on free will which means classical theory states crimes as choice and whereas positivism criminology argues that crime is not a choice (Gottfredson, 1981). In recent years, there are number of factors which contribute in the increasing visibility of crime victims because of attention of the media and public policy. In this paper we examined the concept of victim in both terms that is idealized imagery and empirical data. In terms of idealized imagery facts are deployed when we consider the position of victims, and in case of empirical data it includes those victims which are who are featured in victim surveys (Christie, 1986). In general data related to criminals and crimes are collected from both sources that is official and unofficial because all crimes are not reported and recorded on official records, and for accurate number it is necessary to collect data from both sources. Conclusion: At last we conclude that it is necessary to identify the victim by use various methods and for this purpose it necessary that we identify the victim and reach every source of information. References: Christie, N. (1986). The ideal victim. E. Fattah (ed.) From Crime Policy to Victim Policy. Basingstoke: Macmillan. Gottfredson, R. M. (1981). On the Etiology of Criminal Victimization. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol 72(2). Hunt, D. Preventing Criminal Victimisation: The case for an Intersectoral Response to Victimisation a South Australian Perspective. Available at: https://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/proceedings/27/hunt.pdf. Accessed on 23rd February 2017.

Electronic commerce free essay sample

TroniXkart is component amp; development tools sourcing division of Hogst Innovative Solutions Pvt. Ltd. With its international tie up with global companies like Sparkfun, Seeedstudio etc, items with international standards is being sold in TroniXkart. Also local items, with Indian standards suitable for Indian work environment is sold after careful testing and benchmarking the reliability. We focus and help the creative minds to come up with an innovative idea, for the completion of their dream projects. Beat it robotics, wireless sensors, digital storage devices, anything can be bought through the site. It has got so many features which gives an edge over upon the competitors. The reviews of products by past customer play an important role in selecting the right equipment. TroniXkart updates the reviews, new arrivals, competitive products reviews, which help the customers to grab the product without making much ambiguity. Another feature of TroniXkart is the shipping amp; returns policy, which makes it available the right products ordered at the right time and at the right place. From a service perspective, e-commerce is a tool which addresses the desire of firms, consumers and management while improving the quality of goods and increasing the speed of delivery. From an online perspective, e-commerce is about the capability of buying and selling products or services. (Kalakota and Whinston 3) In general, e-commerce is the use of electronic communications and digital information processing technology in business transactions to create, transform, and redefine relationships for value creation between or among organizations, and between organizations and individuals. In this age of Internet, the development of e-commerce cause information asymmetry from an online perspective, on the other hand, information asymmetry is also reduced from a communication perspective. The rapid development of e-commerce affect the job market by destroying certain jobs such as salesman, and create new jobs such as web master. Lastly, e-commerce also leads to globalization in business. Information asymmetry is defined as a situation where one party has more or better access of information compared to another rival party in making business decisions. From an online perspective, information asymmetry occurs in between the seller and the buyer when the buyer is uncertain of the physical product. When a large infrastructure of a physical shop front is replaced by a â€Å"blog shop†, where consumers can only see the products online, this causes the lack of sensory information of the product. The buyer is unsure of what material of the product is made of. For example, the products shown on the Internet may look perfectly fine. However, the physical products may not be as good as it was shown. The seller may use some computer software such as ‘photoshop’ to ‘beautify’ the pictures of the products before posting it on the Internet in order to make it more appealing to attract people’s interest. As such, the buyer will suffer from insufficiency of information in making a business decision. The lack of sensory information and the uncertainty of physical product are the causes of the occurrence of information asymmetry in between the buyer and the seller. Some unethical business man is most likely to take advantage of e-commerce to deceive the people who purchase products online. Without a doubt, this will reduce the levels of trust and confidence of one for e-commerce. On the other hand, from communication perspective, a reduction in information asymmetry occurs. This is because the Internet is a global system which is consists of a vast of interconnected computer networks. It works just like how the data flows across the Internet, knowledge and information about almost anything are now easily accessible by the people in every corner of the earth. A very good example is online banking. It enables one to access to its account summary information regardless of the location, as long as Internet connection is available. In fact, online banking is one of the fastest growing sectors in e-commerce. Online banking also shows the importance of being innovative. Failure to be as innovative to keep up with the pace of the others, in terms of information technology, will be eliminated. As such, there is only little chance of protecting a certain innovation to be a monopoly. Internet also provides a wide range of information and communication facilities for people to compare and contrast the information from various websites. For example, there are various websites for one to surf on the Internet to look for jobs. Certain jobs which are similar in terms of position or work load, may not provide the same monthly salary. Therefore, the asymmetry of information is narrowed down as the job seekers are free to obtain a second opinion on different websites. Although it seems very fantastic how e-commerce narrow down the asymmetries of information, it also has its own flaws. There are several risks to be taken when one establishes business transaction electronically. The possible risks of e-commerce are security of transaction issues, virus attacks, unauthorized access and identity theft. Financial information of the consumers may be stolen or misused. After all, it is merely the establishment of business transaction between the consumer and the electronic media. As such, businesses have to enhance their security system to be cautious of hackers who may steal valuable information of their customers. E-commerce, through the Internet, will gradually take over the traditional ways of businesses, there can be no doubt that there is human factor to be acknowledged. The transformations of the operation of the firms bring about uncertain changes in the job market due to the changes made in the organization structure of the firm. Jobs are destroyed and created as traditional businesses gradually transform into electronic commerce. The transformation of the way firms operate destroys certain jobs such as the workers of retailers, travel agencies and salesman. When a major shop front has become unnecessary, businesses need not to hire workers to look after the shop and provide services to the customers. Customers could access the website to purchase goods and settle their payment electronically. This causes workers of retailers such as cashier to lose their jobs. In times of past, salesman is a necessity for every business to promote their products. However, salesman have been replaced by Internet. The Internet is the best medium for advertisements. A very good example would be InterWorld, which is an e-commerce consulting firm, posts advertisements on its webpage rather than publishing it elsewhere. It is also a form of lower cost of advertisement compared to other forms of advertisements. Most search engines such as Google and Yahoo earns revenue by matching relevant advertisements to one’s search topic. Depending on the rate of success of e-commerce, there are some indirect jobs will be affected. If the business attracts more customers using e-commerce, the demand of the products increases, indirectly increasing the productivity of the firms. This will increase the number of factory workers to manufacture more products to meet the demand. As e-commerce develops, he demands for certain skills increases, which are experts who excel in the field of Information Technology to set up businesses on the Internet. The employment of finance and commerce related sectors are expected to increase. Although some jobs are destroyed due to the growth of e-commerce, as e-commerce develops, new jobs are also created. For instance, new job creations are namely website creation and maintenance, credit card processing, Internet security, inventory management, and web master. However, all these jobs are involved in teleworking, which means an employment at home and communicates with workplace through computer networks. There are a few advantages as well as disadvantages of teleworking. The advantages are reduction in workplace conflicts and enhanced employees’ control over their schedules. Whereas the disadvantages are decreased opportunities for development, social isolation and reduced job security. Despite the disadvantages of teleworking brings, it seems to be a good planning for the transition of traditional business to electronic commerce. However, the technology that drive the Internet will continue to change. With the astonishing growth of e-commerce, firms now have the opportunity to find new methods to expand their business. According to business dictionary, globalization implies the opening of local and nationalistic perspectives to a broader outlook of an interconnected and interdependent world with free transfer of capital, goods, and services across national frontiers. By transforming the old business model to electronic commerce, businesses now have access to new markets. Due to the high cost of business, strict regulation, existence of barriers and resources such as labor and capital, traditional businesses do not have access to expand markets globally. However, e-commerce helps to reduce cost by saving the money for rent and employee because a physical shop front is not a necessity. E-commerce provides direct sale to customers, which lowers its cost of sale, hence earning higher profits. In fact, e-commerce offers low cost technological infrastructures, which is an attraction for businesses. E-commerce allows companies to increase their sales in local and international markets. The flexibility of time and location afforded by the Internet provide less costs for communications. E-commerce not only reduces communication costs, but also increases flexibility in locating activities. On the other hand, globalization of business may bring in various competitors from different countries into the growing markets. Consequently, this may opens the local enterprises to unsustainable competition. Throughout the history, international trades have only consisted of mainly manufactured products. However, with the aid of the Internet, services such as banking, consulting and retailing can be provided to all parts of the world through a website that is globally accessible. The Internet is said to be the backbone of greater service trade ( Mandel 8 ) However, advertisements need to be done to open the type of service provided to exposure. According to BBC news, large firms with big businesses cannot afford to not have a Web Page to advertise the offered products to promote high sales. This shows that the Internet is an effective marketing tool. eBay and Amazon are the successful companies which are globalized. On the eBay auction site, someone who puts a product on sale can find a buyer easily. eBay also provides directions for people about the way to ship products internationally to promote globalization of its website. With the establishment of e-commerce, information asymmetry is now on the decline this is because one could look up for personal account’s information and seek for information regardless of location. However, unethical business man may take advantage of e-commerce by deceiving customers. The job market is affected both positively and negatively. This is because there is a change in the organization structure of the firms. Experts in IT are expected to be in high demand. The increase in internet-based technologies is a sign of a stimulus for globalization. Companies that have business relationship setup an automated and fast info excha nge such as stock deliver. This enables globalization because a business man in home country can now look for suppliers out of the country.

The Role Of The Geisha In Japanese Culture Essays - Japanese Culture

The Role of the Geisha in Japanese Culture Japan, located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Asian Continent, is a nation composed of almost 7,000 islands, many are small. The four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Japan has the seventh largest population in the world. With approximately 125 million inhabitants, the only countries with a higher population are China, India, the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil. The population which is about half of the United States, lives on only 1/25 as much total land mass, this computes to being one of the highest population densities in the world. These conditions reflect in the Japanese cultural values and their desire for being a collective society.1 The Japanese style of conducting business differs greatly from the western model. It has grown out of the nation's unique history cultured philosophy. The Japanese people are isolated in an island nation's unique history, culture, and philosophy. The island nation is under constant bombardment by the harsh forces of nature, have traditionally placed a strong emphasis on working together as a group in order to survive. Their culture is deeply influenced by Confucianism, with its rigid rules governing conduct and its emphasis on trust, consensus, and hierarchy. These ancient roots have influenced every aspect of Japanese business; from the way formal meetings are conducted to the importance placed on after-hours socializing. It has shaped a business culture in which long-term, mutually beneficial relationships are of paramount importance. By understanding and adapting to this business culture, Western executives eager to do business in Japan will be able to be enlightened to be more productive associations with their Japanese colleagues and will increase the probability of achieving the goals of their meetings there. It is important to understand the role of the female entertainer in Japanese culture. That is why the Geisha has a specific role.2 The geisha is described as a ?century old professional entertainer? the geisha is an important part of traditional Japanese social life. Geisha are masters in the arts, trained in music, calligraphy, Sado (tea ceremony) poetry, conversation and social graces as well as three stringed instruments called Shamisen. They dress in traditional kimonos, stunning in their elegance. Basic wooden geta clogs are worn for footwear, and hair is up in bun type coiffures trimmed with metallic accessories. Geisha literally translated means ?beauty person? or ?person who lives by the arts.?3 The geisha emerged around the mid-Edo period (1600- 1868). The first geisha appeared at parties in the 1600's. Surprisingly, they were men. Beating drums and making jokes, they entertained the guests and warriors. As time passed this type of entertaining became a female occupation. By the 1780's female geisha out numbered men and inspired artists, writers, and musicians with their majestic lives in the flower and willow setting. From the end of the Edo period to the present geisha have had connections with businessmen and even with government officials. They were not only revered in Japan, but also fascinated most of western culture. Their fees are rather exorbitantly expensive so they are primarily reserved for the elite. Instead of being calculated by the hour it is referred to in units of sticks, since the fee was formally figured by the lengths of time it took a stick of incense to burn down. One hour generally consists of ?four sticks,? which is the minimum amount of payment.4 Most people hear about Geisha and believe that they are all prostitutes. Geisha is an art.5 The geisha is not a prostitute, but an entertainer trying to make a living.6 The mystic geisha, at one time admired for purity in keeping with men, is inevitably still a source of desire.7A Geisha is a high-class professional who exists on the same continuum as a prostitute. These women who become geisha's not out of love but because opportunity affords them this life. Men hire women to entertain them, and the principal role of a geisha is to provide female companionship. At times that entails just being arm candy, and unfortunately at other times it also involves sex.8 These women are professional hostesses in a variation. The geisha primarily entertain the higher class. These women are extensively trained in many of the traditional Japanese arts.9 Men have sought women of another type (instead of their wives) to entertain them in public, to break the ice of social convention-thicker in Japan than elsewhere, to pour sake, to sing, dance, play the

the use of violet by monet essays

the use of violet by monet essays They (the impressionists) have tried to render the walk, the movement, the tremor, the intermingling of passersby......and the vibration of air inundated with light, and just as in the case of the rainbow colourings of the solar rays, they have been able to capture the soft ambiance of a grey day. Indeed the impressionists did focus on the ability to capture an event and much attention was given to the way in which the light constituted the scene. So much so that this investigation into painting light drew to it much controversy in all aspects of the work, one particular aspect of the works that was given a lot of criticism was the fond use of violet and blue hues. The understanding of the impressionist taste for these hues, and the critics dislike in impressionists use is found in understanding the artistic and social climate of the time, by which we shall find that much has to do with the science of colour and perception. The first impressionist exhibition of 1874 is a signpost for the changing ways in which paintings were being bought and sold. The tradition of the salon shows dominance was now being challenged, as the artists found dismay both in the selection process and the overcrowded nature of the display. The artists struggle to gain selection into the salon was made more difficult by the lack of evolution in the style of the selected works, the tradition of the highly polished workman that left no trace of where they had been was the usual choice. These strict definitions of what was acceptable led to the first impressionists being met with much disgust by the critics and general public of the time. Why, was the word on every bodys lips, why did they paint like this? Why did they exhibit what looked much like sketches or studies? Why did they use these colours? It is when we try to answer these questions that we find that much of what the impressionists were trying to achieve was to be fou nd in the sci...

Professional statement Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Professional - Personal Statement Example During my third year in nursing school, in 2007, I became a patient care associate at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center on ACE Unit. After graduating from nursing school, I was employed as a Registered Nurse in 2008 on the same unit. I worked hard to become a charge nurse, a preceptor and later attained an ACLS certification on my Unit. I am an active member of the cultural diversity committee and an active member of the ambulation program initiation on my Unit. According to Barker (45), a nurse has to acquire knowledge through continuous learning. I took the Basic Arrhythmia Course, the Medical, Surgical nurse certification review course, and I am a board certified gerontological registered nurse. I have completed 34 credits at graduate level in my Adult Nurse Practitioner program at La sale University. In addition, I completed 250 hours clinical orientation as a NP student at three different sites: Einstein Medical Center, Park pleasant with the ACE Unit attending medical doctor and Philadelphia Prison system. I have worked with UPHS, which values patient safety. Patient safety goals are studies by safety officers within an organization and throughout the world. I plan to suggest to the patient safety committee to make it compulsory that pharmacists evaluate a patient’s

Frist quality management assays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Frist quality management assays - Essay Example Many a times people fail to realise that what they are doing is ultimately for the client and it is because the client pays that the company is running. Some companies were so surprised initially by the sudden ‘quality movement’ of the 1990’s that Cant (1992, p. 1) commented that Businesses generally have a lethargic approach towards any kind of change. When TQM was still a newbie, some people thought that it could rescue businesses from ‘flabby management techniques’ and ‘shoddy products’, while others thought it to be ‘too perfect’ and that such management techniques cost more than they are worth. American firms could not truly embrace ‘Quality Management’ until they thought it made their shareholders more money than it did the seminar organizers, consultants and book publishers, who again, they thought, reaped the biggest quality rewards of the 1980s. Only those who had the patience and stuck to it reaped the rewards. Many, who did not, were wiped out in the competition. Virtually every business depends on repeat business for survival. It’s a common sense answer that for customers to come back they should be happy with what they got before. Earlier, professionals could count on their reputations and work contacts to provide a steady stream of work; however, as a result of de-regulation, an over-supply of professionals in many disciplines and a declining public image, this is no longer guaranteed. A research study done on legal advisors, where the sample consisted of 600 commercial business organizations drawn from ‘Key British Enterprises’ 1989 proved that â€Å"Clients with higher perceptions of service quality are likely to consider changing their legal advisers less often and expect to enjoy longer working relationships with their corporate legal advisers.† (Morgan 2007, p. 38) Though we know that the relation between ‘customer satisfaction’ and ‘profits’ is quite obvious, there are 3 problems,

Why do you find the Sumerian culture interesting Give at least three Essay

Why do you find the Sumerian culture interesting Give at least three reasons with specific examples - Essay Example The most interesting aspect about Sumerian culture is the profound levels of writing technique. Sumerians are credited with being the first people to demonstrate writing skills. Whereas all the others cultures adopted writing from other precedent cultures, Sumerians developed writing skills by themselves. The Sumerian writing system is argued to have come from the financial transactions between the Sumerians as a way of keeping track of financial transactions. Since there were no books to write on, Sumerians made clay tablets where they would engrave using sharp objects. Although they began engraving images of the actual objects they wanted to preserve, they soon developed a means of writing syllables. More interestingly, the writing culture later developed into a school system that has the same characteristics with the modern system of learning in that only the rich were allowed to take their children to school. Additionally, the schools were initially tailored for men (Glassner 118 -120). Sumerian culture was characterized by characteristic cities. Indeed, most of the modern cities are a reflection of Sumerian cities. Interestingly, the Sumerians made cities on raised grounds to protect the cities from floods. The cities were characterized by small sturdy houses that were clustered together. These cities share similar characteristics with modern cities, which have clustered buildings and an elaborated drainage system. What I find most interesting is the fact that the cities had slums too. Poor people lived in grass houses outside the cities (Moffett et al 42-47). Sumerians are some of the earliest farmers known to man. The most interesting thing about Sumerian farming was the tools they used for farming. Some of the hoes they used for farming were made of copper metal. They did extensive farming outside the cities but more advanced farming was done inside the cities. I find this interesting

Human Growth Behaviour And Development Social Work Essay

Human Growth Behaviour And Development Social Work Essay Attachment theory derives from psychoanalyic psychology, however it is used in social work to attempt to understand behaviour in infancy and childhood to show the way in which children develop emotionally WALKER 2009 This theory centres on the idea that children need to form secure relationships with other people, such as parents or guardians, as it is a significant contributer to their emotional development. Social bonds and relationships that are made in early childhood are believed to influence an individuals life and can impact upon their well-being to determine their emotional and social stability later in life. Consequently, attachment is seen as an integral component within infants and young childrens lives, as these experiences can shape a persons personality and identity in future years. (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). If these experiences of attachment are negative, and the child does not develop adequate relationships with their caregivers, then this can have detremental consequences on their psychological and emotional development. (WALKER, J 2009). The Attachment theory originates from the ideas of John Bowlby who believes that humans are biological predispositioned to seek attachment from others. He proposes that survival is closely related to the ability to possess emotional bonds with other individuals (GREEN 2003). This is because by forming an attachment with an authority figure who is seen as the stronger of the species, this reduces the vulnerability of the individual as it provides increased security and protection from harm posed by potential predators (BOWLBY 1958, cited in LISHMAN 2007). The theory looks at the way that attachment relationships are formed, and the reasons behind their manifestation. Children are seen to form these relationships for reasons such as safety, comfort and to provide guidence. These attachment behaviours, according to learning theorists, are displayed in infancy through talking, laughing and crying. This enables them to persue their basic needs for survival, such as food for nurishment, by their attachment to their mother who is able to support them in fulfilling their needs (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). This initial attachment to caregivers also guides the individuals thoughts, feelings and expectations as they become aware of peoples responses towards them which help them recognise how to behave (WALKER 2009). There are four assumptions of Bowlbys attachment theory which attempt to explain his beliefs. The first, is that infants and young children develop emotional ties with individuals early in life, which acts as a biological function and plays an integral part to their survival. The second assumption is that the way a child is treated early in life has a major contributing factor to their future relationships and the way their personality is formed. The third assumption is that attachment behaviour can form an internal working model which guide the childs thoughts, feelings and expectations as a result of the reactions of others towards their behaviour. The final assumption of Bowlbys attachment theory is that although it is difficult to alter attachment behaviour, it is not impossible, thereofre there is the possibility of alteration at any point in life, both in a positive and negative way (GREEN 2003). Although infants and young children are able to have more than one attachment figure, they are still affected when they are exposed to seperation from their primary attachment figure. This can happen for many reasons, such as a child being removed from a family home and placed into care, or perhaps death. This can be a very distressing and confusing time for a child as they are unsure of who to turn to for security and protection. This is evident in social work practice in instances where an abused child wants to remain with its parents, even though it is not a stable or supportive attachment (LISHMAN 2006). Bowlby proposed that children who have experienced seperation from their main attachment figure will suffer in a process involving protest, dispair and detachment, in an attempt to overcome their loss (BOWLBY 1958, cited in LISHMAN 2006). However, although Bowlby provided an important contribution to the idea of attachment, his research can be criticised in many ways. This is because Bowlby tends to focus his ideas on one primary figure of attachment, often the mother, when it is possible for children to form attachments with other people within their lives such as their father. Also, developing relationships with other people alongside the attachment figure is also important, this is because having to rely on the caregiving relationship of one person can be detrimental due to the fact it often results in dependency and does not allow other relationships to be formed with others, which can the hinder the social and emotional development of the child (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). According to Lishman (2007), the attachment theory believes that when a child is stressed or afraid, they exhibit particular behaviour and emotions which can be perceived as attachment. This is because they seek protection from harm through the help and security of an adult who they see as stronger than themselves. This is closly linked to two types of behavioural systems: the exploratory behavioural system and the fear behavioural system. The exploratory behavioural system is based of the belief that when an infant or young child feels comfortable and safe, the attachment behaviour remains dormant and therefore the child will be willing to explore the people around them and their surroundings. However, if a child feels threatened or vulnerable, the fear behavioural system will become active, where the child will no longer seek exploration and instead they will seek protection from their attachment figure and exhibit behaviour related to that attachment. However, the behaviour that they display is not intended to provoke affection from the attachment figure, instead it is to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“regain a state of equilibriumà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (p59). This means that infants and young children are not dependent upon the caregiving nature of the attachment figure, instead their aim is to diminish their fears. There is a classification of attachment patterns which identifies four different types of attachment, which attempts to enanble professionals to assess young childrens behaviour and emotions (secure, ambivalent, avoident and disorganised). Secure attachment is based of the belief that children depend upon their caregiver as a base for exploration. The caregiver is available to the child and responds to the childs needs, therefore the child behaves in a positive manner. Ambivalent attachment looks at how children are unwilling to explore their surroundings as the caregiver is not consistent in their support. This can leave the child distressed, clingy and dependent. The third category is avoident patterns of attachment, and features an unresponsive caregiver, therefore the child feels rejected and they view themelves as dependent whilst actively avoiding or ignoring the caregivers presence. And finally, disorganised attachment is where children are fearful of their caregivers, and the y themselves may feel confused or depressed. This type of attachment is most often seen in children who have suffered abuse (HOWE 2001, cited in LISHMAN 2007). How a critical understanding of Attachment Theory can contribute to Social Work Practice. Social workers are seen to have three roles to play when working within an attachment perspective: assessment, planning and direct work with children, parents and carers. Assessment looks at areas within attachment such as the needs of a child, the parenting that they receive, their emotional and behavioural development and the relationships which they have formed. There are also tests created specifically for measuring attachment, such as Ainsworths stranger test which provide an indication of the pattern and quality of their attachments. The second role, planning, looks at how planning for new attachments when placing children with new families needs to be approached carefully. This is because they need finding the most suitable parenting figures where new attachments can be made. The third role is direct work with children, parents and carers. This is because direct contact and communication is necessary to achieve the best possible outcome when working with children and families. For example, when a child has been removed from their home and is being placed with new carers, direct work can provide support to the child to prepare them for change. It can also be useful with the adoptive or foster family to provide guidence and support towards what to expect and to help with any problems they face (LISHMAN 2007) Attachment theory has been used within social work practice as the basis for many child care policies. This is because the idea of a infant or child being attached to their family, which can influence their development in many ways, has been used as the basis for many legislation (LISHMAN 2007). For example, Sure Start Childrens Centres have been introduced in response to the importancy of family support to enable them to build and maintain positive family relationships (LAMING REPORT 2009, cited in BRAMMER 2010). Attachment theory had also contributed to policies such as shared parental responsibility, as it has emhasised the need for emotional and social relationships with caregivers, whilst also suggesting possible consequences to a childs development and the negative impact later in life if these needs were not met effectively. (LISHMAN 2007). Attachment theory also provides guidence to enable social workers to judge the quality of a relationship between a child and its parents. This can enable them to gain an understanding of at what point, if at any, intervention is necessary as it gives them the ability to evaluate the attachment that is present within the relationship. The attachment theory also gives a more comprehensive understanding of the loss experienced by an infant or child when they lose their main attachment figure. This means that people working within social work practice are aware of the common and typical behaviours of a child who is going through this process and can therefore support them to overcome it. A further way the attachment theory is used to benefit social work practice is that as it is known that attachment figures are necessary for children to develop adequately, individuals such as adoptive parents can be taught to exhibit behaviour which will encourage new attachmentment from the child which is needed for personal growth (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). However , care needs to be taken when placing a child with a new family as to prevent a repeating loss of attachment figures which can cause them to blame themeselves and produce feelings of worthlessness. This can mean ensuring that the child is appropriatly prepared and ready to form new bonds of attachment and that the new carers of the child receive sufficient support within their role. (LISHMAN 2007). Attachment theory can also be linked to the way in which a mother bonds with her new born baby. However, these early bonds are not solely restricted to mothers, it is also possible for fathers. Although, this bond is typically formed within the first few hours after birth as the mother and baby connect both physically and emotionally. The initial bond that is made is thought to have a significant effect on their future relationship as it is the beginning of their attachment. This knowledge enables social workers to support mothers who are particularly vulnerable to poor parenting, although this is only effective if the support continues throughout the first few months after the baby is born.. However, it is important to note that just because a mother fails to achieve an initial bond with her baby, this does not mean that abuse is inevitable. How are issues of diversity relevant to human growth, behaviour and development? GREEN, V. 2003. Emotional development in Psychoanalysis, Attachment Theory and Neuroscience: Creating Connections. East Sussex: Brunner-Routledge LISHMAN, J. 2007. Handbook for Practice and Learning in Social Work and Social Care: Knowledge and Theory. London: Jessica Kingsley WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD. 2010. Social Work and Human Development. Exeter: Learning Matters WALKER, J. 2008. Studying for Your Social Work Degree. Exeter: Learning Matters BRAMMER, 2010. Social Work Law. London: Longman

coaching tips :: essays research papers

The Coaching Tip WHO doesn't want to accomplish more in life? Don't most of us want more time? More money? More love? More satisfaction? Yet, isn't our tendency to go for it rather than simply having it all come to us? A strong personal foundation includes 10 distinct stepping stones which, when linked together, provide a solid yet personalized base on which to build one's life. And, in a world which sometimes appears to be built on quicksand, we all need a personal foundation on which to depend. These 10 stepping stones of a Personal Foundation are: A past which you have fully completed. A life which is based fully on integrity. Needs which have been identified and fully met. Boundaries which are ample and automatic. Standards which bring out your best. An absence of tolerations. Choosing to come from a positive place. A family which nurtures you. A community which develops you. A life fully oriented around your true values. Anyone who is living a meaningful life must have a strong personal foundation so they can afford to look up at the stars instead of down at their feet. Having a strong personal foundation allows a person to fully use their skills and resources, because instead of constantly worrying about the fundamentals of their life, they are free to focus on the task at hand. The process of building a personal foundation also teaches a person how to eliminate and prevent many common problems that are usually thought of as an expected part of life." Where can you go for help in this area? A Master Coach is uniquely trained to help clients strengthen their own foundation, and is a model of how well the process works.

Health Care System Evolution

This paper is an overview about the evolution of the US health care system from the Great Depression to the current Health Reform Bill. I will give an understanding to Medicare and Medicaid program, which also will include a history of these two programs. Even though these two programs are a very complex in helping many poor, elderly, people with certain disabilities, and as well as low income pregnant women they are getting the care that they need as well as what they deserve. Health Care System Evolution, Medicare/Medicaid. Without the introduction of Medicare/Medicaid in July 1965 there would be many problems in the United States today. We would probably have disease outbreaks, and a large population without any health cost coverage. I believe that many people would not go to see a doctor because the cost of private medical care would be too expensive. I also believe that if Medicare and Medicaid did not come into existence that there would be mast amount of death in this country. Between the Great Depression through July 1965 health care had numerous debates in this country. In the 1930s a third-party payer health insurance was introduced including Blue Cross and Blue Shield and others to cover the cost of care in the event of illness or accidents. This only helped the people who could afford private insurance. The United States still was in need of helping the poor and uninsured. In the 1930s the Social Security Act supported public health care for just mothers and children. There was still a great demand to help all other uninsured people. After World War II the government supported and idea for public financed health insurance. In 1959 the Department of Health and Human Services helped in providing hospital insurance to Social Security beneficiaries. In the early 1960s Congress passed the Kerr-Mills bill, which helped the elderly that weren’t the poorest but who still needed assistance with medical expenses. President John F. Kennedy helped in the start of the 1965 bill for Medicare and Medicaid. This bill was known as the King-Anderson bill. This amended the Social Security Act and this covered hospital and nursing home costs for people over the age of 65. In July 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Amendment into law. With that signing of this law came the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid. Today Medicare/Medicaid has helped millions of elderly, low-income people, people with certain disabilities, and low-income pregnant women have health care because of this law. This program helps pay for services such as hospitals, physician visits, and preventive benefits. Medicaid and Medicare are two of the most enduring social programs in the US, providing different services to different groups of people. †1 Medicaid is a state administrated program, so each state varies in there program. Medicaid is also based on their income. Unfortunately, if their income is too high they will not be eligible for Medicaid. In 1990 the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act that requires state Medicaid care program s to cover the premiums for children ages six to eighteen whose family’s income is between 100-120% the federal poverty level. In 1997 the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was introduced. This program helps states to receive federal money for uninsured children whose families are not eligible for Medicaid due to their income exceeds the limit for Medicaid. In 1976 formed the Health Care Financing Administration which is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, then in 2001 the name was changed to Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Medicare is a social insurance program that provides health coverage to individuals, without regard to their income or health status. †3 Medicare provides health insurance to people over the age of 65, people with certain types of disabilities and people of all ages with kidney failure. The Medicare program is funded two ways, one by people that paid into most of their working lives by payroll tax revenues, and secondly premiums paid by beneficiaries of the Medicare program. â€Å"Medicare has been one of the fastest growing federal programs. 2 Medicare is broken down to four parts, Part A is the hospital insurance and with this part of insurance all persons aged 65 and older are automatically entitled to this benefit. Part A is broken down to inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, home health agency and hospice care. Part B is a supplementary medical insurance, which is available to people over the age of 65, which people must paid for through monthly premiums. Part C is the Medicare Advantage that is a set of options for health care under a managed care plan. Then in 2006 Medicare put into law a plan for prescription drugs which is Part D. With these two programs in the United States today helps the poor, elderly, people with certain disabilities get the care that they need and deserve. Today with unemployment at all time high and many baby boomers that will be in need of some type of health insurance; the inception of a new health plan became law. In the year 2010, President Obama signed into law the Health Reform Bill. This will give health insurance to all people. This reform will strengthen Medicare benefits by providing lower prescription drug costs and this will also give a chance to the people who didn’t qualify for Medicaid received the care they need. The reform law will help with Medicare/Medicaid fraud as well as stopping the abuse of Medicare/Medicaid to save taxpayers money. Medicare and Medicaid have come a long way from the Great Depression. I know that there are many abuses within the system and with this new reform bill I do hope that this system will change, because everyone deserves that right health care and to be a healthy person.

Synthesis of Aspirin Essays

Synthesis of Aspirin Essays Synthesis of Aspirin Essay Synthesis of Aspirin Essay Essay Topic: Synthesis Sypnopsis In this experiment, acetylsalicylic acid was synthesized from the acidification of salicylic acid and acetic anhydride. The objective was to convert a specific amount of salicylic acid into the same amount of aspirin that was high in purity. Furthermore, the other objectives were to enable students to conduct the synthesis of aspirin, reinforce skills or recrystallisation and the technique of melting point determination. The amount of each compound should be the same because there is a 1:1 ratio between them. The purity of the synthesized aspirin was measured by determining its melting point and percent yield. Soluble impurities increase the range over which a compound melts and often decreases its overall melting point temperature1. If the experiment went as expected, a pure sample of aspirin with a high percent yield would have been obtained. The percent yield obtained was 56. 1% and the melting point was 134. 7- 136. 8. Introduction Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a versatile drug that is consumed in huge quantities worldwide. It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with a wide range of physiological effects. The first discovery of aspirin occurred in England, in 1963, believing that the bark of willow trees with a beneficial effect in alleviating distress due to fevers, aches, and pains2. Salicylic acid was later extracted from the willow bark and it proved to be an active ingredient. Salicylic acid was synthesized from basic starting materials by 1860 which was helpful to the medicinal field but there were some problems2. Salicylic acid turned out to be irritating to the membranes of the throat, mouth, and stomach. The product had a high acidity of the compound but fortunately, successful amendments were done, namely, the replacement of the acidic phenolic hydrogen atom with an acetyl group. In 1893, a effective synthesis of acetylsalicylic acid was created, patented in 1899, commercialized under the trade name of ‘aspirin’ by the Bayer Company in Germany3. The name ‘aspirin’ was invented by the chemist, Felix Hoffman, who originally synthesized acetylsalicylic acid for Bayer3. At very low doses, aspirin is used to treat and prevent heart attacks and blood clots. At higher doses, it is used as an analgesic to reduce pain and as an antipyretic to reduce fever. At very high doses, it is an effective anti-inflammatory agent used to treat rheumatic fever, gout and rheumatoid arthritis. It is also an anticoagulant, it dissolves corns and calluses, and it provokes loss of uric acid (a toxin) but promotes retention of fluids in the kidneys. It kills bacteria and induces peptic ulcers. When ingested, acetylsalicylic acid remains intact in the acidic stomach, but in the basic medium of the upper intestinal tract, it hydrolyzes forming the salicylate and acetate ions. When ingested, acetylsalicylic acid remains intact in the acidic stomach, but in the basic medium of the upper intestinal tract, it hydrolyzes forming the salicylate and acetate ions. The exact mechanisms of its pharmacological actions are still under study. In many plants, salicylate can induce flowering. However, aspirin may cause side effects for example, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and heartburn. Theory Aspirin is prepared from salicylic acid and acetic anhydride with the help of an acid catalyst. Concentrated sulphuric acid acts as a catalyst. After preparation, the product is purified. This is especially important for chemicals that are used as food additives and pharmaceuticals. The most common method of purifying solid organic compounds is by recrystallization. When an impure solid compound is dissolved in a solvent, it is then allowed to slowly crystallize out as the solution cools. As the compound crystallizes from the solution, the molecules of the other compounds dissolved in solution are excluded from the growing crystal lattice, giving a pure solid. Crystallization of a solid is different from a precipitation of a solid. In crystallization, there is a slow, selective formation of the crystal framework resulting in a pure compound. In precipitation, there is a rapid formation of a solid from a solution that usually produces an formless solid containing many trapped impurities within the solids crystal framework. For this reason, experimental procedures that produce a solid product by precipitation always include a final recrystallization step to give the pure compound. Figure: The esterification of salicylic acid by acetic anhydride5. The -OH group of salicylic acid that reacts with acetic anhydride to form an ester-like product. The carboxylic acid group of salicylic acid remains unchanged. Acetic anhydride is used because it is cheap and forms a by-product, acetic acid. Acetic acid is non corrosive and can be recovered to produce more acetic anhydride. Procedure 2. 4g of salicylic acid was weighed and poured into a 100ml conical flask. The actual weight was then recorded. In the fume hood, 6ml of acetic anhydride was added to the salicylic acid in the flask. To this mixture, 3 to 4 drops of sulphuric acid was added, swirled to mix and then heated in a water bath for 10-15 minutes to complete the reaction. The mixture was removed from the water bath while it was still hot and then 1ml of distilled water was added from a dropper carefully to decompose the excess acetic anhydride. An additional 40ml of cold water was added and stirred with a stirring rod to induce crystallisation. The crude product was collected by suction filtration and washed with a little cold water. The crude product is relatively impure; hence it was needed to be purified by recrystallisation. A solvent suitable for this recrystallization process would be a mixture of ethanol and water. The crude product was dissolved in approximately 5ml of ethanol in a 100ml conical flask and heated on a hot plate. To the solution, 30ml of hot distilled water was added in. The solution was then warmed till all solid has dissolved. The solution was allowed to cool. A clean, dry watch glass together with a filter paper was weighed and the weight was recorded. The recrystallised product was obtained by suction filtration using the weighed filter paper. The crystals and filter paper was transferred onto the weighed watch glass and dried in to the oven (100Â °C) for 15 to 20 minutes. The crystals, filter paper and watch glass are then placed in desiccators for 5 to 10 minutes. The dried crystals, together with the filter paper and watch glass were weighed. The weight was recorded and the weight of dried, recrystallised aspirin was calculated. The expected yield of aspirin was calculated from the amount of salicylic acid used. The percentage yield of dried, recrystallised aspirin was also calculated. The melting point of aspirin was determined. Results Mass of salicylic acid Mass of filter paper and watch glass Mass of dried, recrystallised aspirin, filter paper and watch glass Mass of dried, recrystallised aspirinMass of dried, recrystallized aspirin, filter paper and watch glass Mass of filter paper and watch glass Percent yield Number of moles of salicylic acid used (mol wt of salicylic acid = 138) Expected number of moles of aspirin Expected mass of aspirin Percent yield Melting point Temperature Range134. 7 – 136. 8 Appearance The crystals are white and shiny, shaped needle-like. The crystals resemble glass wool. Discussion The results and calculations shows how much acetylsalicylic acid was synthesized compared to how much salicylic acid was used. Since there is a 1:1 ratio between the two, then the amount of salicylic acid used should be equal to the amount of acetylsalicylic acid recovered at the end of the experiment. As the result shows, this is not the case, for 1. 83g of acetylsalicylic acid was harvested when 2. 40g of salicylic acid was used. This could have some effect on the purity; for the melting point of the harvested acetylsalicylic acid which is 134. 7 – 136. 8 was not very close to the theoretical melting point. The percentage yield is only 56. 1%. Since the final product was determined not to be very pure, it is highly likely that less than 1. 83g of the product was acetylsalicylic acid. Further analysis of the product will have to be done to determine exactly how pure the product actually was. There were several problems that could have contributed to the low purity or mediocre percent yield. When dissolving the initial amount of salicylic acid in the solution of acetic anhydride and concentrated sulphuric acid, it did not completely dissolve into the solution, even when it was heated. There could also be loss of product on the filter paper. Some crystals would be stuck onto the filter paper and this might have affected the mass of the crystals. The sample may not have been completely dried out before weighing. This could have a slight impact on the results of the overall yield of aspirin because it was possible that not all of the salicylic acid was synthesized. To determine if this affected the synthesis of aspirin at all, the experiment should have been ran a second time to see if the same thing occurred. Conclusion The experiment did not go completely as expected. The reaction yielded only 56. 1% of its expected product. The purity of the aspirin was not very high, because there might be impurities in the acid used. Reference 1. Henry, Dr. Geneive. 2004. Susquehanna University. Synthesis of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). 2. The history of Aspirin, accessed 25th May 2009, 3. History of Aspirin, viewed on 13th Dec 2010, ; http://inventors. about. com/library/inventors/blaspirin. htm; 4. Theory, accessed 15th Dec 2010, 5. Dr. Carman. 2002. University of Nevada, accessed, 15 Dec 2010, ; http://tooldoc. wncc. nevada. edu/aspirin. htm; 6. Synthesis of Aspirin, accessed 13th Dec 2010, 7. Aspirin, accessed 14th Dec 2010,

The Hun-Driven Barbarian Invaders of the Roman Empire

The Hun-Driven Barbarian Invaders of the Roman Empire The Mongol Great Khan Genghis ancient precursor, Attila,  was the devastating fifth-century Hun warrior  who terrified all in his path, before dying suddenly, under mysterious circumstances, on his wedding night, in 453. We know only limited, specific details about his people, the Huns- armed, mounted archers, illiterate, nomadic Steppe people from Central Asia, perhaps of Turkic rather than Mongolian origin and responsible for the collapse of Asian empires. We do know, however, that their actions induced waves of migrations into Roman territory. Later, the recent immigrants, including Huns, fought on the Roman side against other movements of people considered- by the proud Romans- barbarian invaders. [T]he status quo of the period was disturbed not only by their direct action but even more by their being instrumental in setting into motion the great upheaval of peoples commonly known as the Và ¶lkerwanderung.~ The Hun Period, by Denis Sinor; The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia 1990 The Huns, who appeared on the borders of eastern Europe, after A.D. 350, continued to migrate in a generally westward direction, pushing the peoples they encountered further west into the path of Roman citizens. Some of these, mainly Germanic, tribes eventually set out from Europe into northern Roman-controlled Africa. The Goths and Huns Agriculturist Goths from the lower Vistula (the longest river in modern Poland) began attacking areas of the Roman Empire in the third century, attacking along the Black Sea and Aegean regions, including northern Greece. The Romans settled them in Dacia where they stayed until the Huns pushed them. Tribes of Goths, the Tervingi (at the time, under Athanaric) and Greuthungi, asked for help in 376 and settled. Then they moved further into Roman territory, attacked Greece, defeated Valens at the Battle of Adrianople, in 378. In 382 a treaty with them put them inland in Thrace and Dacia, but the treaty ended with the death of Theodosius (395). Emperor Arcadius offered them territory in 397 and may have extended a military post to Alaric. Soon they were on the move again, into the western empire. After they sacked Rome in 410, they moved over the Alps into Southwest Gaul and became foederati in Aquitaine. The sixth-century historian Jordanes relates an early connection between the Huns and Goths, a story that Gothic witches producing the Huns: XXIV (121) But after a short space of time, as Orosius relates, the race of the Huns, fiercer than ferocity itself, flamed forth against the Goths. We learn from old traditions that their origin was as follows: Filimer, king of the Goths, son of Gadaric the Great, who was the fifth in succession to hold the rule of the Getae after their departure from the island of Scandza,and who, as we have said, entered the land of Scythia with his tribe,found among his people certain witches, whom he called in his native tongue Haliurunnae. Suspecting these women, he expelled them from the midst of his race and compelled them to wander in solitary exile afar from his army. (122) There the unclean spirits, who beheld them as they wandered through the wilderness, bestowed their embraces upon them and begat this savage race, which dwelt at first in the swamps,a stunted, foul and puny tribe, scarcely human, and having no language save one which bore but slight resemblance to human speech. Such was th e descent of the Huns who came to the country of the Goths.Jordanes The Origin and Deeds of the Goths, translated by Charles C. Mierow Vandals, Alans, and Sueves Alans were Sarmatian pastoral nomads; the Vandals and Sueves (Suevi or Suebes), Germanic. They were allies from around 400. Huns attacked the Vandals in the 370s. The Vandals and company crossed the icy Rhine at Mainz into Gaul, on the last night of 406, reaching an area that the Roman government had largely abandoned. Later, they pushed on across the Pyrenees into Spain where they drove out Roman landowners in the south and west. The allies divided the territory, supposedly by lot, initially so that Baetica (including Cadiz and Cordoba) went to a branch of the Vandals known as Siling; Lusitania and Cathaginiensis, to the Alans; Gallaecia, to the Suevi and Adsing Vandals. In 429 they crossed the Straits of Gibraltar into northern Africa where they took St. Augustines city of Hippo and Carthage, which they established as their capital. By 477 they also had the Balearic Islands, and the islands of Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia. The Burgundians and Franks The Burgundians were another Germanic group probably living along the Vistula and part of the group whom the Huns drove across the Rhine at the end of 406. In 436, at Worms, they almost came to an end, at Roman and Hunnish hands, but some survived. Under the Roman general Aetius, they became Roman hospites, in Savoy, in 443. Their descendants still live in the Rhà ´ne Valley. These Germanic people lived along the lower and middle Rhine by the third century. They made forays into Roman territory in Gaul and Spain, without the incentive of the Huns, but later, when the Huns invaded Gaul in 451, they joined forces with the Romans to repel the invaders. The famous Merovingian king Clovis was a Frank. Sources Ancient Rome - William E. Dunstan 2010.The Early Germans, by Malcolm Todd; John Wiley Sons, Feb 4, 2009Wood, I. N. The barbarian invasions and first settlements. Cambridge Ancient History: The Late Empire, A.D. 337-425. Eds. Averil Cameron and Peter Garnsey. Cambridge University Press, 1998.Huns, Vandals, by Matthew Bennett. The Oxford Companion to Military History, Edited by Richard Holmes; Oxford University Press: 2001The Huns and the End of the Roman Empire in Western Europe, by Peter Heather; The English Historical Review, Vol. 110, No. 435 (Feb. 1995), pp. 4-41.On Foederati, Hospitalitas, and the Settlement of the Goths in A.D. 418, by Hagith Sivan: The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 108, No. 4 (Winter, 1987), pp. 759-772The Settlement of the Barbarians in Southern Gaul, by E. A. Thompson; The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 46, Parts 1 and 2 (1956), pp. 65-75 * See: Archaeology And The Arian Controversy in the Fourth Century, by David M. Gwynn, in Religious Diversity in Late Antiquity, edited by David M. Gwynn, Susanne Bangert, and Luke Lavan; Brill Academic Publishers. Leiden; Boston: Brill 2010

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The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Essay The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide is the collection of five books in one novel. A combination of clever wits and hilarity, this book is sure to let you laugh out loud. This book brings simple things into extraordinary packages (like making a fuss about a digital watch and a bath towel). The book, although written in a sharp and notable style is also full of humor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story is a parody, which is a form of writing that uses the conventions and rules of one form and uses them for hilarity or comic effect. It can be distinguished from satire form because satire just points out human folly and reforms them, while parody is in the style of writing itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most noticeable themes in The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide is the absurdity of the story. Things in the story happen randomly without meaning or cause. Although absurdity is one of the major themes of the story, most of the random meaningless things that occur in the story actually have meanings – they are the product of the Infinite Improbability Drive on the Starship Heart of Gold. The absurdity of the themes allows the author to introduce oddities in the story. The Author   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Douglas Noel Adams, also known as Bop Ad and DNA, was an author, a radio dramatist and a musician all rolled into one. He is well known for his work, The Hitchhikers’s Guide to the Galaxy, which is a series that began on the radio, and was later on developed into a trilogy of five books, a television series, a towel, a comic book series, a computer game, and a feature film. (Douglas Adams)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adams also wrote Doctor Who, Dirk Gently, Liff, and Last Chance to See. The idea of the computer game Starship Titanic also originated from Douglas Adams. (Douglas Adams)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, he was also known as an environmental activist, actively participating in the campaign for the preservation and the restoration of the environment. He was also a self-described â€Å"radical atheist†, and a certified techie (he loves cars, cameras, Macintosh computers, and other gizmos). He even uses the electronic mail and the Usenet long before it was widely known. (Douglas Adams)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He died at the age of 49 and has been an institution in the field of fantasy fandom circles and science fiction. (Douglas Adams) Characters Arthur Dent – the feeble lead character of the story who never fails to give hilarious stand-ups with his sidekick Ford Prefect Ford Prefect – a daring, researcher of the revised edition of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who considered himself as an out of the work actor; he dragged Arthur Dent and together, they travel the galaxy using the Hitchhiker’s Guide Zaphod Beeblebrox – the totally out to lunch president of the galaxy; a two-headed, three armed ex-hippie Trillian – formerly known as Tricia Mcmillan; girlfriend of Zaphod whom Arthur tried to hook up with in one of the galaxy’s time zone Marvin – a brilliant, obsessed, and sequentially depressed robot Veet Voojagig – a graduate student who is very much obsessed with ball-point pens’ disappearance Slartibartfast – the one who told Arthur the Earth’s story Deep Thought – the extremely intelligent computer Benjy Moouse and Frankie Mouse – the mice that tried to get Arthur’s brain from him Slartibartfast – the Earth’s designer, who is very proud to receive an award for his design of the Norwegian fords   Protetnic Vogon Jeltz – the commander of the Vogon Construction Fleet; the one who assigned to demolish the Earth Eddie – the annoyingly cheerful computer on board the Heart of Gold Flook – one of the computer programmers who programmed Deep Thought Summary The story begins when Arthur Dent wakes up just to discover a bulldozer about to tear down his house because someone is planning to build a galactic freeway. He went out and lies in front of the bulldozer saying that he doesn’t know of the plans until the day before. Moments before a cosmic construction team demolish the Earth to build a galactic freeway; Arthur Dent is dragged off the planet by his daring friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. As they journey through the endless and unknowable space, they literally wreak hilarious havoc. Ford always carries with him the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a book which contains the so-called ‘guide’ to one’s travel in the universe. In it are the words â€Å"don’t panic†, written in a â€Å"large and friendly letters†. Ford, following what is written on the book, also carries with him a large bath towel believing that it is the â€Å"most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.† In this part of the story, we can see that the nature of things on Earth is very much universal. Meanwhile, Marvin, Zaphod Beeblebrox and his girlfriend Trillian are traveling inside a new traveling ship (Heart of Gold), stolen by Zaphod. They bumped with Arthur and Ford Prefect in the universe vacuum. Together, they journey towards a mythical planet known as Magrathea. This planet is known to construct other planets and for some reasons unknown to all of them, Zaphod wanted to visit this planet. (Zaphod forgets some things because he conditioned his two brains to do such). Finally, the Heart of Gold landed to the planet they all want to go – Magrathea. They decided to explore the place first and when they notice that the impact created by their space ship resulted to open the planet’s crust to reveal underground networks of tunnels. They decided to go inside the tunnel while leaving Arthur and Marvin behind. While inside the tunnel, they suddenly realized that the door behind them were shut and the place they are in are beginning to be filled with gas. On the other hand, while Arthur waits for the others to return, he reads the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, particularly a part where it discusses what happens to a lost biro (a ball-point pen). An elderly man named Slartibartfast suddenly appeared into the view introducing himself to Arthur. He then asked Arthur to come with him in his air car. Slartibartfast took Arthur into the place were they make luxury planets. He also told Arthur that they are now rebuilding a planet called Earth and that Earth is a custom-made luxury planet. Slartibartfast works in Norway and so he was very upset to hear that the planet was destroyed. Moreover, he was told that the original Earth was actually commissioned, and was supposedly to be run entirely by mice. But the most unacceptable fact of all is that human beings are just part of a research program. Slartibartfast then started to tell Arthur the Earth’s tale. He told him that the millions of years ago, a particular race of very intelligent creatures were all set to determine the very meaning of life. Because of this, they created an extremely intelligent computer called ‘The Deep Thought’. Two of its programmers, Lunkwill and Fook ask Deep Thought to tell them the answer to the real meaning of everything. Deep Thought then told them that in seven and a half million years, the Question will be answered. Arthur was very much awed by the story but he tells him that he really have no idea what the connection is between the Earth, the computer and the mice. Slartibartfast then invited Arthur to his study and showed him the day of the Great Answer – seven and a half million years later. Arthur was plunged into the Sens-O Tape, a kind of tape that would take you to your requested time. A lot of people were waiting for the answer when Deep Thought then revealed that the answer to their Ultimate Question of Life is the Number Forty Two. Arthur then notices that the people doesn’t like Deep Thought’s answer, and the intelligent computer, justifying himself, told them that the problem is actually not with the answer, but with the question. If the people only find out what the real question is, they would be able to understand the answer. Unfortunately for the people, Deep Thought cannot provide them with the answer, but it offered help by saying that the he will design a very intelligent computer which can give them the answer. And that computer will be called The Earth. Meanwhile, on the other side of the story, Trillian and Ford listen to Zaphod as he tries to remember what happened to his brain. He then remembered that before Yooden Vranx, the former President of the Universe died, he visit Zaphod and asked him to run for the Presidency and steal the Heart of Gold. He also told Zaphod to modify his own brain so that he will pass the Presidential Brain Screening Test (this test will show all the things the candidates are thinking). At that moment, a Magrathean man tells them that the mice are now willing to see them. Arthur and Slartibartfast, on the other hand, are contemplating about the Earth’s destruction, as well as the fact that it happened five minutes juts before the computer program was completed. A man then appeared on the view and asked Arthur to meet the mice. The mice wanted to meet him because he was on Earth the night before the destruction happened and maybe he can tell him something really important. Arthur and Slartibartfast then met up with Trillian, Ford and Zaphod at the design room. Two mice, Benjy mouse and Frankie mouse, were the mice present at the meting. The mice decided that since Arthur was on Earth five minutes before the destruction, the structure of his brain can tell them the Ultimate Question. They offer to surgically remove it for him but Arthur doesn’t want to cooperate so the mice, together with the other Margatheans went down to get Arthur’s brain. The situation was almost hopeless for Arthur and his friends when an ear splitting alarm distracts all of them. Because of this, the four travelers use the distraction to get out. But the cops from the space ship with the ear splitting sound then cornered the four travelers but they soon found themselves again so lucky when they once again escaped. After the hard-won escape, they all then decided to take a bite at a restaurant located at the very end of the universe. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The whole story almost revolves on looking for the Ultimate Question, which is the real meaning of life. It is an inescapable fact that whatever happens, and whatever time or era or place in space it is, the question of the real meaning of life never fails to haunts us all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story may be simple, even comical, but that doesn’t stop it from bringing us closer to the Ultimate Question about life. Why we live, the reason why we are here, the purpose of our existence, these are just some of the questions where we will find time to look for the answer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was also mentioned in the story how important the great question is. Notice that the First Earth was destroyed but they still want to build another Earth for them to know what the real meaning of life is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Notice that the story never mentioned the real answer to this question. This is because it is really close to impossible for us to know what life really is all about. It is up to each and every one of us to find the answer for ourselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The absurd simplicity of the answer (number 42) to the question also makes the story interesting. Just imagine if Deep Thought gave a much serious answer, it wouldn’t be as interesting as it was.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is also safe to note that the author actually uses mice as the creatures which, according to the story can control all human beings. It is an ultimate change because it is very rare, and that more often than not, human beings are always in control. Maybe it is just a representation how important every creation on Earth is. â€Å"Bureaucracy and incompetence continue to show up as a central theme alongside random, improbable coincidence. It is beginning to sound a bit like Chaos theory, which holds that order can be found in seemingly random data. One aspect of chaos theory is a phenomenon called sensitive dependence on existing conditions. The thought is that small changes in initial conditions can have drastic effects on the outcome. Douglas Adams Hitch Hiker series could be considered in some ways a humorous study of Chaos theory.†(Adams, 2005) Zaphod’s character can also remind us of today’s world leaders – leaders who do not tell their real motive of running for the position. Although his character is really kind, it is an indication that outside forces (like the former president) can turn a good leader to someone he is not. It is also interesting to note how Ford appreciates the way human beings speak of the obvious. Saying â€Å"It’s a nice day† when the weather is perfect, just says how we want to state what we often see.   It also states that a need to communicate with others is necessary because taken from what Ford said, human beings should have someone to talk to. Where they can tell what they are thinking, to show appreciation and affirmation. Furthermore, Marvin’s character (the robot) also tells us how human beings are fascinated with creating something that can help us make our lives easier. Take for example the case of the robot. Just imagine something that doesn’t sleep and doesn’t eat but can be able to do physical things an average human beings cannot do. But just like Marvin, it also tells us that robots can also make a lot of mistakes and that human beings are the ones who can really think for themselves. There is something called the Infinite Improbability Drive which is considered as the â€Å"engine† of the starship Heart of Gold. This is a representation that a lot of things in this world are improbable and we need a lot of experiences to discover the probable side of all these improbability. Another interesting part of the book is the part where it was mentioned that the loss of biro or ball-point pen brought problems in the world. Notice the comical effect of this part because instead of the starvation, hunger, or political killings, the author focused on a comical problem to create a hilarious effect on the story. It is also evident in the story how incompetence, bureaucracy and selfishness sometimes became the theme of the story. It should be noted how those who care much about finding the answer to life (the philosophers), are actually the ones who are also preventing it from coming to life. They are the ones who seem to be the happiest regarding the seven and a half million years because they will be very much benefited from this ignorance. The extraterrestrials and the aliens are also a big part of the story. The story tells us that aliens really exist and they are actually much more advance than us. It is now a question of whether we are going to believe it what the story tells us or not. According to studies, extraterrestrials are life that originated fro outside the planet earth – which is the only place in the entire universe known to support life. The existence of such life is currently hypothetical because there is not enough evidence to say that there really is life outside the earth. All in all, the story is a masterpiece, one that can touch both end of the spectrum because of its comical absurdity and hidden metaphorical meanings. Definitely a must read.   Reference: Adams, D. (2005). The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  Ã‚   Retrieved December 04, 2006, 2006, from http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/0345391802.html