Homework Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Homework - Coursework Example 1964). Understanding of electrical stress and electrical strength help avoid discharges in electrical appliances which cause insulation failure. The discharges result from high working voltage and can be reduced by reducing the working voltages. For optimum design of electrical appliances, knowledge on the tendency to increase voltage stress is necessary. Proper selection of insulation material for reliability and economic purposes is done in relation to corona discharges and dielectric strength. High voltage engineers must know the field intensities in different media that are under electric stress. This helps in economical and efficient choosing of insulators to ensure reliable operation of the equipment and the correct electrode configurations. Thickness of the insulating material. A material’s electric strength increases at a rate less than that of a linear increase in its thickness. This means the electric strength for a thicker sample is lower than for a thin sample. Therefore increasing the thickness will greatly affect the electric strength of the insulating material (Malik et al 1998). Duration of voltage transients and operation frequency. When operating frequency increases, the electric strength is reduced. The electric strength of a solid material increases fast and nearly reaches its intrinsic breakdown strength if voltages are applied for short periods, in the order of 10 nS. Humidity. Humidity can reduce the electrical strength of an insulating material. The failures are accelerated if there is a difference in the humidity of the testing environment and that of the environment of operation. Temperature. dielectric constant property of an insulating material can be greatly affected by temperature changes. This will in turn interfere with the signal integrity and result to unstable performance For insulators, for example, polyimide, their electrical

Externalities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Externalities - Essay Example , implications will be generated regarding whether Profit Ltd should embrace upon changes due to consideration of externalities or it should attempt to resist the change with the help of lobby groups. The objective of this research paper is to incorporate comprehensive understanding of the concept of externalities and various issues in relation to regulations towards externalities. Externalities occur when the producers or consumers of goods and services unintentionally create indirect impacts upon other producers or consumers of goods and services (Zilberman, 1999). Externality is such an aspect of the economy that although it does not depict any monetary effect upon the producers or consumers of goods and services but bears an impact upon the society’s standard of living. Most of the economists consider externalities to be a market failure. This is because upon the occurrence of externalities, the market prices do not represent the actual marginal costs or benefits coupled with the goods and services dealt with in the market. The concept of externalities can be prominently associated with the activities related to production or consumption or both. Both production as well as consumption externalities occur when the respective activities of production and consumption of one individual inflicts costs and benefits towards the other individuals that are n ot spread precisely in the course of various market operations (Zilberman, 1999). Externalities can be either positive or negative. Positive externalities occur when the individuals’ actions generate benefits for the other individuals. The concept of positive externalities can be best understood through citing the example of technological overrun. The positive externalities in this regard occur when an invention of a firm benefits the entire society due to the technological up gradation along with the firm. On the other hand, negative externalities occur when the action of one individual generates harmful

Light Trapping Properties of Solar Cells

Light Trapping Properties of Solar Cells Abstract In this paper, we have investigated the light trapping properties of solar cells based on one-dimensional photonic crystal (1DPC) by using finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. Light trapping is essential for thin film solar cells due to the limited absorption in long wavelength range. Here, we used different types of solar cell structures and to explore their photonic ray theories (electric field propagation) and numerical simulations. The one-dimensional thin film solar cell consists of distributed Bragg’s reflector (DBR), Metal back reflector, grating and anti-reflection coating (ARC). The influence of the grating period and depth, the optimal path length has to be increased. These numerical simulations indicate that this combined photonic structure is capable of improving the external quantum efficiency and their absorption. As well as the relative enhancement increased up-to 60% for thin film silicon solar cells. We further to investigate high efficiency of thin fi lm solar cell using different structure. Index terms: Finite difference time domain (FDTD), distributed Bragg’s reflector (DBR), the grating, metal reflector, anti-reflection coating (ARC) and relative enhancement factor. Introduction The scientific community is intensively working to achieve high efficiency thin film solar cells based on silicon. Among the various energy sources, solar energy is well considered to be very promising and achieved wide applications for space and global power generation. The silicon based thin films are cheaper and easy fabrication due to well developed silicon technology. The Silicon based thin films have been the choice as active materials for solar cells, such as crystalline silicon (c-Si), amorphous silicon (a-Si), micro crystalline silicon (ÃŽ ¼c-Si) and so on [1]. The efficiency of silicon thin film solar cell (TFSC) is low due to their weak absorption in longer wavelength range. Thus the light trapping mechanism for thin film silicon solar cell becomes a vital role to improve the conversion efficiency. The crystalline silicon solar cells integrated with the DBR, metal reflector, ARC and grating. Therefore, the incident light is expected to be partially absorbed in the active l ayer of crystalline silicon (c-Si), after the support through the front anti-reflection coating layer (Si3N4) and the back reflector of aluminum (Al) or dielectric (DBR) layers. We are realized that incident light is scattered into the DBR due to the periodic grating and reflected back at the bottom interface. Therefore the way of light trapping in this design is different from usual reflectors based on metals or photonic crystals [2, 3]. In this paper, we will focus on strongly corrugated photonic crystal absorbers made up of a-Si and SiO2 layers are periodically patterned. Finally, the optical presentation of the structure will be indicated by their integrated absorption, the absorbed spectral range between 300-1200nm. This paper deals with the modeling and designing of solar cells using FDTD method. Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the solar cell structure Designing Approach Finite difference time domain (FDTD) method as a sophisticated computational method used to model advanced devices. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of solar cell composed of anti-reflection coating (ARC), diffraction grating and photonic crystals also known as distributed Bragg’s reflector. The distributed Bragg’s reflector (DBR) consists of alternate layers of amorphous Si (a-Si) and silicon-di-oxide (SiO2) with their refractive index 3.6 and 1.45 and thickness 56nm, 138nm respectively. The thickness of the each layer is determined by the quarter wave principle (t = ÃŽ »C /4n), where, n-is the refractive index and ÃŽ »C is the center wavelength of photonic band gap. On top of the DBR, diffraction grating is embedded which is made of a-Si and SiO2, with duty cycle (Gdc=0.5ÃŽ ¼m), period (Gp=0.6ÃŽ ¼m) and thickness (Tg=0.1ÃŽ ¼m).The anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer is made of silicon nitrate (Si3N4) and their thickness 0.07ÃŽ ¼m. Result and Discussion The wave propagation designed solar cell is shown in figure 2. We have used commercial available Full WAVE tool supplied by RSoft. We can see light interaction into the device, when one light is made incident on the solar cell. The shorter wavelength is absorbed by the active region while longer wavelength moves toward bottom layer. The grating interaction gives scattering and diffraction of light where as DBR reflects remaining light. This mechanism finally force the light waves into active region. We have designed and analyzed four different structures of solar cells to understand the light trapping mechanism. Figure 2 Schematic diagrams of solar cell structure and their electric field distribution Figure 3 (a) show absorption of solar cells in accordance to wavelength from 300 to 1200nm. To compare the performance of designed devices we have designed a planer solar cell which mainly consists of anti-reflection coating of silicon nitride. The solar cell absorption of DBR and ARC based solar cell is found to be improved than reference solar cell. However, DBR, ARC and GRA based solar cells show distinct absorption as comparisons to cell C1 and C3. We can see added absorption peak in the red and infrared part of solar spectrum for the case of cell 2. Figure 3 Absorption (a) and Quantum efficiency (b) of designed four solar cells Figure 3b shows Quantum efficiency of different types of thin film Silicon solar cells. The solar cell (C2) composed of DBR, ARC and GR Solar cell C2 shows enhanced quantum efficiency then solar cells C1 and C3. The solar cell C2 peaks between 600 and 1160nm range, which indicates the efficient trapping of light. However, reference cell has the less quantum efficiency show sharp as compare to cells C1 and C3. The overall quantum efficiency is found to be increased between the 700 to 1160nm wavelength range. The quantum efficiency clearly exposes the light absorption enhancement of the light trapping structure in certain wavelength range only. The different solar cell structure shows the highest performances and their relative efficiency was achieved up to 60%, it is compared to the reference cell. Figure 4 J-V characteristics for solar cells with different back structures The figure 4 shows the short circuit current versus voltage characteristics of four designed solar cells. The highest short circuit current can be absorbed for cell C2, C3 and C1 respectively. The short circuit current enhancement factors are 21mA/cm2, 53.8mA/cm2 and 60.5mA/cm2. The overall short circuit current of DBR with grating structure got more enhancements (~60%). Table-I shows the short circuit current, open circuit Voltage, relative enhancement factor and cell efficiency of different solar cell structures. Table-1 The comparison of optical characteristics of C-Si solar cell with different back structures with reference structure All the back structures are improved the cell efficiencies as shown in table I. The open circuit voltage (VOC= 0.7V) and the fill factor (FF=84.5%) are similar to all the structures. The back reflectors showing significant enhancement as evidenced by figure 3. Figure 5 The efficiency enhancement of c-Si solar cells with different structures The characteristic of different back reflector with active region and their enhanced efficiency as shown in figure 5. The combination of periodic grating and DBR structure indicates 60% enhancement, while aluminum with grating structure indicates 53.4% enhancement, it is compared to bare silicon or without any reflector on the back surface. It is simulated as a compare to the perfect periodic cell structure. Conclusion In conclusion, we proposed new photonic light trapping structure and the numerical simulations indicate that this combined photonic structure is capable of improving the cell efficiency by more than 55% for thin film silicon solar cell structure. We investigated the mechanism for an efficient light trapping structure for thin film solar cells using FDTD method. At wavelength range between 400 to 1200nm, we got stronger absorption peaks for silicon with metal and grating. The efficiency also increased, it is much more considerable. These results are providing a path to achieve low cost and strong efficiency enhancement for thin film silicon solar cell. Integrated of self assembled alumina and DBR for more light trapping in silicon photo voltaic (PV) devices. The high efficiency solar cell will be greatly more evident for smaller cell thickness and improved their absorption. Further, we will get more cell efficiency using metal nano sphere and texture the grating structure. Reference [1] L.Zhao, Y.H.Zuo, C.L.Zhou, H.L.Li, H.W. Diao and W.J.Wang, A highly efficient light trapping structure for thin film silicon solar cells, Solar energy 84 (2010) 110-115. [2] Krc. J, Zeman, M, Luxembourg, SL Topic, M.Modulated photonic-crystal structures as broad band back reflectors in thin-film solar cells.Applied Physics Letters, (2009), 94(15), 153501-153501-3. [3] Lord RayleighSec. R. S. On the maintenance of vibrations by forces of double frequency, and on the propagation of waves through a medium endowed with a periodic structure, Vol. 24, issue 147, (1887), 145-159. [4] A. Taflove, S.C. Hagness, Computational Electrodynamics, 2nd ed., Artech House, Norwood, MA, 2000. [5] A.F. Oskooi, D.Roundy, M. Ibanescu, P.Bermel, J. D. Joannpoulos, S.G. Johnson, Computer Physics Communications 181 (2010) 687. [6] Xing sheng, steven G. Johnson, Lirong Z. Broderick, Jurgen Michel and Lionel C. Kimerling, Integrated photonic structures for light trapping in thin film Si solar cells, Applied Physics Letters 100 (2012), 111110. [7] L.Zeng, Y.Yi, C.Hong, J.Liu, N.Feng, X.Duan and L.C. Kimerling, Efficiency enhancement in Si solar cells by textured photonic crystal back reflector, Applied Physics Letters 89 (2006), 111111.

Friendship in Dandelion Wine :: essays research papers

Friendship in Dandelion Wine How important is friendship in the lives of teenagers today? In the book Dandelion Wine friendship is one of the main and supporting themes that intertwines throughout the book. Friendship can come in all shapes and sizes, but when you lose a friend there are many affects. People can't imagine surviving high school and adolescence without their friends. John the best friend of Doug moves away, the aspects of losing his best friend were devastating bringing a turning point in to Doug's life with many affects. It was a sunny day until a sudden cloud came over Doug’s head, when the reality of John moving hit him (Bradbury 103) “John took the yellow and green train ticket solemnly from his pocket and they both looked at it'; (Bradbury 103). With this type of situation kids are forced to make decisions to cope with the environment around them. “Whether they’re gossiping on the telephone or huddled in school hallways, teen-agers are constantly reaching out to their friends. They can’t imagine surviving high school and adolescence without them.'; The very word of friendship is complicated in the world today. When someone leaves you for any reason you are going to miss him or her with many affects. As memories flow through your head remembering the person that left seems to get harder and harder. In the book Dandelion Wine John started to notice little things that he never noticed before, and this scared him for he was afraid that Doug wouldn’t remember him. & #8220;Shut your eyes, Doug. Now, tell me, what color eyes I got? Don’t peek. What color eyes I got?'; Douglas began to sweat. His eyelids twitched nervously. Aw heck, John that’s not fair. Tell me. Brown! John turned away. No sir. What you mean, no? You’re not even close!'; John closed his eyes. Turn around here, said Douglas. “Open up, let me see. It’s no use, said John. You’re forgot already. Just the way I said. Turn around here! Douglas grabbed him by the hair and turned him slowly. Okay Doug. John opened his eyes. Green.'; (Bradbury 105-106). The very sentimental aspect of these affects can help to shape yourself by the environment around you. “Maintaining friendship can cause a lot of anxiety among teens. One of the biggest issues is trust. Confiding in people can be tricky, a betrayal of a confidence can break a friendship'; (Ellis H1+).

About Schmidt

a . One of the major losses seen in the film is Warren ‘s loss of his wife Helen . There also came a point where Warren learned that his wife had an affair with his best friend . This added up to the grief that he was already bearing . This caused him to think that he was a very inadequate husband and had thought over his shortcomings as a husband . During the time that he was pondering over the matter , it is very evident that lingered on memories and at the same time experiences distress over his daughter ‘s impending marriage.He exhibited Rando ‘s Six R Processes -there is the recognition of the loss , experiencing different emotions ,reviewing his life when his wife was still alive , seeking for forgiveness , and adjusting to the situation . In the long run , he forgives his wife for engaging in the affair and at the same time asks for forgiveness for letting her down . b . As a means of coping , he preoccupied himself with urging his daughter not to marry.He al so released tension and distress through his letters for the Tanzanian boy . This together with continuous realization of his life became his coping mechanism . It should be noted that there was a point wherein he think that when he dies and everyone he knows dies it will appear as if he didn ‘t exist . But in the end , he is overwhelmed by what he learned that the Tanzanian boy actually benefited from him and that†¦

Oscar Wilde the Happy Prince and Other Stories Essay

Oscar Wilde was an Irish poet, novelist, author of short stories as well as playwright, and it was his comedies which made him famous. In spite of that, it looks like his works remain only a reflection of his great mind. He was always fascinated by the public – for his work he needed immediate reaction. Probably he was a better storyteller than writer. Nevertheless, Oscar Wilde was a very talented student, with great memory. He studied at Trinity College in Dublin and later on in Oxford. He decided to go to London to make some money and, especially, become famous. In order to get respect of the upper classes, he had a perfect plan. Being aware of the fact that it was necessary to entertain or shock people to be noticed, he started to wear extravagant clothes. And this became his image.. Despite the fact that he got married and had two sons, he fell in love with a young, not very talented poet. As it was illegal to have a homesexual relationship at his time, he was found guilty and sent to prison. As he mentioned later on, there were two important events in his life: going to study to Oxford and being sent to prison. After being released from prison, he never returned to London. He lost joy to write (he wrote only one ballad and letters) and his health was very poor, too. Eventually he died in Paris, abondened with a smile on his face saying: „I have lived above my circumstaneces and it seems I will die above my circumstances as well. â€Å" Oscar Wilde is well-known for his plays, for example A Woman of No Importance, Salome (French and English version), An Ideal Husband, or The Importance of Being Earnest. Oscar Wilde was also a great poet, known for his Poems, Ravenna, The Sphinx, or The Ballad of Reading Gaol (his last work written in prison). Nevertheless, the most of his works is prose – for example The Canterville Ghost, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime and Other Stories (novel, which was like a prediction of his future), The Picture of Dorian Gray (very famous novel), De Profundis (a letter to his friend from prison), The Letters of Oscar Wilde (letters written at the end of his life), or the Happy Prince and Other Tales (fairy tales), which are so beautiful that I would like to desribe them more. The Happy Prince and Other stories is a book of fairy tales which consists of the following stories: The Happy Prince, The Nightingale and the Rose, The Selfish Giant, The Devoted Friend, The Remarkable Rocket, The Young King, and The Star-Childe. Despite the fact that the first two fairy tales are Oscar Wilde’s best-known fairy tales, my favourite ones are The Devoted Friend, The Young King, The Star-Childe, and especially The Selfish Giant. In my opinion, these stories are not only naive and sad, but give us also a moral lesson, which makes them a little bit more positive. The Happy Prince is a fairy tales about a statue of prince that sees all things happening in the city. One day a swallow passes by, he asks her to take some brilliants from his coat and bring them to the poor people who need it. Every day they work together. But as winter approaches, the swallow has no more time to leave and dies as it is already so cold. In consequence, the prince’s heart breakes. The statue already looking ugly is being torn down in the end. As we can see, the world is sad and not even a statue can bear all this sadness. Whoever decides to improve this horrible situation, ends up very badly. The world around us is superficial and very cruel. Whoever has nothing else to offer is forgotton and taken off. People care only for things that shine. People care for surface, not inner heart. In such world, people with sensitive hearts die, without understanding. The Nightingale and the Rose is a story about a student who longs for dancing with a beautiful girl. She demands a flower for that. The Nightingale sees the student sad and wonders why. After the students explains his situation, the nightingale decides to help the student, but in order to make a flower red it needs to color it with its own blood. And so he bird sings the most beautiful song till the dawn, when the flower gets finally red. For the rose, the nightingale gave up its life. But when the student appears with the rose, the girl throws the flower away saying she has already a different boyfriend to dance with as he brought her a nice gift. The student walks away – he does not believe in love anymore and returns back to his studies. The Nightigale knew the beauty of life. It was living it every day. Just people are so spoilt, they are so blind that they do not recognize what is important in life – gifts, books, etc. – this is what give a meaning to their empty lives. The Nightingale knew Love and for Love it gave up its life. People not knowing Love cannot appreciate it though. That sad world is.. (again). The Selfish Giant is a little bit different fairy tale as it also brings a moral lesson. The Selfish Giant lives alone in a beautiful garden. Once he leaves for a visit out of town. After his return he notices children got used to play in his beautiful garden, which is only his. He throws children out of his garden. And winter comes, but it seems it will never go away. It is already sunny everywhere, only his garden is still covered with snow. He wonders what happened, but one day he hears beautiful music outside. When he looks out, he sees spring has eventually come to his garden, too. He notices the children got into his garden as well. And suddenly he realizes how foolish he has been. He wants to welcome children in his garden and let them come to his garden anytime from now on, but frightened kids run away. Only the smallest boy stays alone in the corner of the garden, where the ground is still covered with snow. The Giant puts the litte boy up into the tree and falls in love with him. But this little boy comes back to his garden nevermore. Nobody knows where he is from. The Giant is very sad and wonders every day why the boy never appears again. One winter day he sees him eventually in his garden. It is very strange because he stands in the same corner, but this time under the tree full of blossoms. The Giant runs to the little boy and aks why his hands are wounded and the little boy answers these are the wounds of love. His last words are: „You let me play once in your garden, today you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise. â€Å" In my opinion, this is a very impresssive story as it works with a picture of Christ. It also contains Christ’s words and legacy. It shows us how to live, it shows us how to love – it tells us what love it, it even gives us hope that Paradise exists and, moreover, it shows us how to get there. All good deads are not lost. Good deads and love just open the door to the universal (never-ending) love. The purest love is to give and not to expect – just enjoy the love from giving. The message is so pure and clear that it needs no other explanation. I think there can’t be a better, nicer ending, as this is the nicest end of all ends. The Devoted Friend is a fairy tale with a moral message, again. It desribes a relationship between little Hans, who lives in a garden with beautiful flowers, and a Miller, who declares to be a friend of Hans, but he just stops by when he needs some flowers. All winter long Hans does not have his flowers and for that reason even a source of income, but the Miller never stops by – he explains his wife, who admires him, that people when feeling bad should be left alone. Once the Miller decides to help Hans and give him his old wheelbarrow as a present. Afterwards, the Miller starts to ask Hans to do different kinds of work saying that friends should help each other. Hans feel obliged to help the Miller, which brings Hans his death eventually. I think this story is very important for several reasons. First, it is a psychological analysis – it desribes different kinds of characters and shows consequences of certain actions. While Hans is a nice boy who believes in good nature of people, the Miller is a selfish man who uses everybody around him for his own benefit. A good man ends up badly while a bad man lives on without any harm. Second, the story has a philosophical aspect. While Hans follows his feeling, the Miller follows his reason. Philosophers may contemplate about the proportion of feeling and reason needed for healty life. Third, it brings us a moral message, again. It is actually Hans’s fault that he ends up so badly. If he could say no to the Miller, he could live on. If we let ourselves be used and manipulated, other people will do so. Fourth, the story shows us a relationship between the exploiter and the exploitee, so we may actually capture functioning in the capitalistic world. The Remarkable Rocket is a story about a rocket that thinks it is very special, despite the opinion of the surroungings. It should be used for the king’s wedding, but it not even fired in the end. The Rocket ends up in mudd, still persuaded about its importance. After meeting with a Frog, the rocket still believes it is very important and nobody understands it. In the end, some people find it and throw it in the rubbish. In this fairy tale, we can see different kinds of characters, again: the Rocket, the Cathrine Wheel, the Roman Candle, the Crackers, the Bengal Lights. Let us look how they quarrel over Romance, for example: „But love is not fashionable any more, the poets killed it. They wrote so much about it that nobody believed them, and I am not surprised. True love suffers, and is silent. Romance is a thing of the past. â€Å" „Romance never dies. It is like the moon, and lives for ever. â€Å" As we can see, Oscar Wilde is a master in comparisons and metaphores. Oscar Wilde is a very good psychologist, too (thanks to his fine eye), but now I would like to mention a different aspect that is very typical for his work. The Rocket is a representative of hypocrytical society. There are many examples of hypocrytical behaviour in this story. Of course, Oscar Wilde makes fun of it. The problem occurs when the Rocket meets the Frog – the same people meet. The Rocket sees itself like in a mirror, but it does not change anything about its behaviour. Let us look at some excellent perceptions and remarks (on this topic as well as others): „Arguments are extremely vulgar, for in good society everybody holds the same opinions. â€Å" „If you say the same thing over and over a great many times, it becomes true in the end. â€Å" „Travel improves the mind wonderfully, and does away with all one’s prejudices. â€Å" Oscar Wilde is well-known for his citations, which are included in his works. Sometimes he offeres us even definitions – for example the definition of imagination, which we can find in this story as well: Why, anybody can have common sense, provided that they have no imagination. But I have imagination, for I never think of things as they really are – I always think of them as being quite different. â€Å" Another fairy tale is called The Young King. The Young King appears to be back in the palace after his mother’s death. He grows up in the country where he was sent as a little boy as his mother had him with a foreigner of not acceptable position. Being the only child, he is brought back to become a king. He loves beauty so much. But later on has three dreams which reveal him the truth about being a true king. He refuses all jewellery for his coronation, but people do not want to accept him being a king without showing wealth. In the end, lights from the windows „sewâ€Å" him the nicest dress of all. And he is forgiven and accepted as a true king. In this fairy tale, I appreciate the importance of our dreams. Dreams give us answers to our questions many times. The future king has seen the lives of poor people working for him and so he feels responsible for them. He wants to be a good king in his heart, on the other hand he loves beauty so much, too. He fights this contradiction in his dreams. But in the end he follows his inner voice and gives up all unnecessary things to become a true king. The last fairy tale is called The Star-Child. It is a fairy tale about a little boy that is found left alone in the woods. He is covered in an expensive cloth, but nobody is found around him. So one good man decides to take him home despite the fact that he already has a big family. As the little boy grows up, he becomes very beautiful, but also very proud. Not knowing his parents, he believes they must be very special. Once a very ugly lady comes along and stares at him. Suddenly she says he is her son – she has travelled all the world to find him. But the little boy is so disappointed and sad that he refuses her saying he cannot be her son. At once, his appearance changes. Everybody laughs at him and so he decides to travel round the world to find his mother and apologize to her. He can’t find her anywhere, but while travelling he becomes a better man. After a lot of suffering, he gets into the city where his parents live and finds out his parents are the king and the queen and he is the future king. I find this story very impressive. It shows us that only through suffering we become good people, moreover, at the end of our road we are crowned kings, which is a parallel to Jesus, again. A difficult road through life brings us eventually the biggest reward, which we have not even dreamt about. Outer beauty is here to confuse us while inner beauty is the one that matters. Oscar Wilde became a symbol of sensitivity, knowledge and humour. And I am happy his extravagant clothes enabled him to become famous and capture his excellent ideas.

Concentration an Reaction Rate essays

Concentration an Reaction Rate essays The aim of this investigation is to see how the concentration of a reactant in ratio to the reactor affects the rate of a reaction. When hydrochloric acid and Thiosulphate react together sulphur is liberated this means that as the reaction goes on the solution will become yellow and will change from being transparent to translucent to opaque. The sulphur is formed as a solid but not in the usual precipitation way. Na2 + S2 + 2HCL 2NaCl+SO2 + S2 +H2O To time the reaction I will draw a black cross on a piece of plain paper on which the beaker of reactants will be placed (HCL and Thiosulphate). When the chemicals come into contact with each other I will start timing with a stopwatch and will stop timing when the cross is longer visible through the beaker from above. A chemical reaction between to chemicals can only happen if their molecules can collide into each other. Out of many collisions there will be a few successful collisions, which means that the two molecules will exchange electrons and that means that they have reacted. These molecules have to hit each other in the right direction and at the right speed; in short the rules for a successful collision are specific and complex. But if the number of collisions per second increase so will the number of successful collisions increase. This means that the rate of the reaction has increased. For a reaction to occur you also need the required activation energy which means that if there isnt enough the reaction wont take place although catalysts can lower this. Concentration of acid or thiosulphate If you increase the amount of energy in a group of molecules the reaction rate will increase. When you give energy to molecules they tend to move about a bit more. And this means that if they are moving rapidly from place to place they are going to have a lot more collisions and because they are having lots of collisions the chances are that they will have...

buy custom Deerfield Hospital Supply essay

buy custom Deerfield Hospital Supply essay Deerfield Hospital Inc is a non-union company that deals with healthcare services and is located in the Midwestern parts of the United States (Scott, Dorval Treffinger 2000). The company has fifty employees comprising of different races. They include African-Americans, Americans, Hispanics, and Asians. The company employs both men and women to serve in different capacities in the company. Diane Jackson is the newly appointed operations manager in this company when it is facing several managerial problems. This paper highlights problems that the new manager is facing during her daily operations in the company (Scott, Dorval Treffinger 2000). Discussion During Jacksons first weeks of employment in the Deerfield Hospital Inc, she identified several problems that affected managerial programs of the company in a number of ways. The first problem in the company is that the supervisors, which her former manager left in the office, had not enough knowledge in dealing with employees. The former manager appointed them because of friendship or being senior in a particular area. There is a problem regarding employee motivation in the company. This makes most of employees havenegative attitude towards their management office and other employees. Workers who have negative motives towards their managers and their fellow employees may not perform their duties to the expected level. This may be a result from hiring employees without checking their backgrounds. This problem rests in the hands of the former manager who made individual decisions during employment period. It is true that five of the workers that were employed formerly were charged with felony whereby two were imprisoned after determination of their cases by the courts (Scott, Dorval Treffinger 2000). Conflict resolution in the company is purely handled in a very unprofessional manner. Some employees resolve their problem through unleashing harsh words towards their offenders. Some of them tend to solve their conflicts by fighting. The employees had a feeling that they had an opportunity to handle their issues in the manner in which they wanted. They felt that there was no need to involve the management in solving problems which they experienced in their working environment. Fighting was one of the ways to solve problems in the company. The former manager seemed to encourage this type of behavior by simply staying in his office and wait for unqualified supervisors to solve the company problems (Scott, Dorval Treffinger 2000). The greatest issue that the manager is facing is to reverse the management structure and ensurethat the correct protocol is followed in conflict resolution. Additionally, the entire workforce had already resisted any form of improvement performance wise. The timeline that she is given is quite limited but the changes need to be seen by the top managers. The scene at the loading dock was not encouraging to any manager who expects to be rated through his or her performance. The cause of this incident is likely to be a poor policy, which existed in the company. The policy allowed workers to listen to music but ignored to put a control mechanism in place. This provided the loophole for any person to come in and demanded to control the type of music other could listen to while working. The person to carry the entire problem is the former manager. On the one hand, he employed people who had behavior problems. On the other hand, the same manager failed to make control mechanisms that could control the workers while they listened to music as they worked. It is also important to note in this context that the former manager avoided conduct with the rest of employees and remained in his office. The employers had taken that advantage to solve their own problems unprofessionally (Scott, Dorval Treffinger 2000). Buy custom Deerfield Hospital Supply essay

How to Make Playdough 6 Easy DIY Recipes

How to Make Playdough 6 Easy DIY Recipes SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Most of us have played with playdough at some point. Brand name Play-Doh, it's a staple of most childhoods. But what actually is playdough and how is it made? We'll discuss what exactly playdough is and offer some of our favorite recipes and tips on how to make natural DIY playdough right at home. What Is Playdough? Playdough is one of those familiar substances that immediately sparks feelings of nostalgia. From it's soft, pliable texture to its distinctive smell, we all think we know playdough. But what exactly is it? In short, Play-Doh is a modeling compound made primarily from flour, water, salt, borax and mineral oil. Natural recipes have cream of tartar, a white crystalline compound found in baking powder, and can be made with a variety of oils. Play-Doh is soft and malleable, and can be reused as long as it's stored properly. I'm sure a lot of us remember the disappointment we faced when we came back to our awesome Play-Doh creations to find them dried out and crusty. Proper storage is key with both store bought and homemade playdough. Where Did Play-Doh Come From? Play-Doh has come a long way from its origins as a cleaning product, and was even inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998. Play-Doh was originally created as a non-toxic, non-staining putty to remove coal stains from wallpaper by Noah and Cleo McVicker of the soap manufacturing company, Kutol Products. After World War II, the demand for coal-removing putties essentially disappeared. The country turned to natural gas for energy instead of coal, and vinyl wallpaper meant that even when coal was used, it rarely stained. With its original use obsolete, the makers looked for a new way to market the product in the mid 1950's. Schoolteacher Kay Zufall took the putty to her classroom, and Play-Doh as we know it was born. The creators tweaked the formula, and Zufall named the iconic toy "Play-Doh." The product re-launched in 1956, with a marketing campaign that consisted of TV spots and in-store demonstrations in retail giants like Macy's. By 1958, the company sold $3 million worth of Play-Doh. Play-Doh is currently owned and manufactured by Hasbro. Homemade Playdough Recipes While we love traditional Play-Doh, DIY playdough can be just as fun as playing with it! Keep in mind that homemade playdoughs won't last as long as store-bought Play-Doh, and all playdough should always be put back in a sealed container when not in use. Most natural recipes contain flour and cream of tartar. We put together a list of recipes with those ingredients, as well as ones without. Remember, store-bought Play-Doh has flour and is not allergy-safe for those allergic to wheat products. Flour-free homemade playdough is a great alternative. Check out some of our favorite recipes! Playdough Recipes with Flour and Cream of Tartar If you're looking to make an edible playdough with easy to find ingredients, check out these two recipes. What You'll Need: Flour Water Cream of Tartar Vegetable Oil Food Coloring The Best Homemade Playdough Recipe from Tinkerlab Why We Love It: The link above shows the full recipe, and also has a link to a great no-cook playdough recipe in the post. This recipe makes a soft, long lasting playdough and is super easy to follow. A Simple All-Natural Homemade Playdough Recipe from DIY Natural Why We Love It: This recipe is all-natural, and can be made with or without cream of tartar. It's one of the more inexpensive recipes, and should last for several months with proper storage. Flour-FreePlaydough Recipes For playdough with no flour, try one of these easy recipes. What You'll Need Cornstarch Baking Soda Water Oil Food Coloring Allergy-Free Play Dough Recipes from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology Why We Love It: Since wheat allergies are a growing issue amongst kids and adults, the American Academy of Asthma and Immunology put together these fun and helpful recipes for playdough that is both flour-free and edible! How to Make Playdough Without Flour so You Can Avoid Any All Playtime Risks from Romper Why We Love It: This Romper post offers a few recipes for flour-free kids, including a super creative one on how to turn Peeps into playdough. They're fun and creative and allergy-safe. Cream of Tartar-Free Recipes These recipes for how to make playdough are the easiest around, requiring no specialty ingredients and little to no cooking. What You'll Need Flour Salt Water Oil Food coloring How to Make Natural Play Dough Without Cream of Tartar from livesimply Why We Love It: Not only is this recipe cream of tartar-free, but it is definitely one of the quickest recipes on our list, and can be made with items you probably already have at home. It's also (technically) edible, so safe for curious kids. How To Make Playdough Recipe Without Cream of Tartar from Stay at Home Educator Why We Love It: This recipe is no cook, which means that you get to dive right in and mix it up with your hands. It's soothing to make and fun to play with when finished! 6 Tips for Making Great Playdough Whichever recipe you choose- or maybe you'll try them all- making playdough is a blast. Here are some tips to make sure you get the most out of your homemade playdough. Use gel food coloring. It'll help the playdough stay stain-free throughout continued use. Make sure to always store your playdough in an airtight container. You can usually substitute other flours, like almond and coconut, to make wheat-free playdough, if you find that a recipe with flour works best for you but still need it to be wheat-free. Playdough should be cheap and easy to make (which is part of the fun!) so don't get caught up in complicated recipes or expensive ingredients. When picking a recipe, make sure to check how much playdough it makes. You may have to double or triple the recipe to have enough playdough for multiple kids or more than one color. Most recipes allow you to mix in scents too! Playdough is all about having fun, and making it can be just as exciting as playing with it. It's a great rainy day activity for kids, or fun way for adults to make their own scented stress ball. Unlike playdough itself, making it and playing with it never gets old. What's Next? Love making playdough? It's time for slime! Check out our favorite slime recipes. Educational activities should be fun, too. Luckily, we have 37 kid-friendly science experiments to choose from, and ideas for pipe-cleaner crafts. And if you're headed outside, learn about the types of clouds!

How useful is the psychological contract in managing staff in the Essay

How useful is the psychological contract in managing staff in the police service - Essay Example Even though the psychological contract was initially identified by Schein, Levinson, and Argyris to delineate the subjective character of employment relationships, the current formulation puts emphasis on the individuals’ ideas in and understanding of a promissory contract. Dissimilar to implicit or formal contracts, the psychological contract is innately affective or perceptual, and hence the interpretation of one individual of the agreement may not be shared by the other (Herriot 2001). Recent progresses in the concept of psychological contract are mostly led by Rousseau. Rousseau claims that the psychological contract is based on promises and, in due course, assumes the form of a psychological paradigm which is reasonably stable and resilient. Rousseau clearly differentiated between perceptions at the individual level and at the relationship level, putting emphasis on her assumption of the personal ideas of individual employees about employment relationship. Significantly, the employee and employer may not have the same perception regarding the premises of the contract, which can encourage thoughts that assurances have been breached, or, as it is more commonly known, the violation of the psychological contract (Rousseau 1996). Psychological contracts, involving assumed responsibilities, should be differentiated from expectations, which are common ideas believed by employees regarding what they will encounter in their employment relationship and the organisation (Calo 2006). For instance, a newly promoted manager could expect to be highly compensated, to be respected, to be fond of his new position, or to see his new office painted with an impartial shade. These expectations originate from a broad array of sources, encompassing personal experience, social standards, observations by significant others, and so on. On the contrary, psychological contracts involve

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 24

Business Law - Essay Example dismissing the contract because they no longer have confidence in Lewis to continue with the business because he does not have sufficient equipment, but they will still win so long as they demonstrate that there is an existing law, which is related to the issue of market price. In addition, the court may not be able to grant a summary of judgment if both parties dispute against a material fact. In this case, Lewis can defend himself by providing evidence that such law does not exist, or that it affect their contract, if it exists (Jorgensen 250). Both Nine Mile Mine and Lewis can defend their position; in support of the motion or opposition of the motion respectively, by use of information obtained during the initial stages of the proceedings, such as answers to interrogatories, deposition testimony, and answers to wishes for production. In addition, the disputing parties can use affidavits from experts to oppose or support the motion. If any parties lose on the judgment, then they are free to seek appeal, though the chances of overturning summary judgments on appeal are extremely rare (Jorgensen

Geico Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Geico - Case Study Example Such, each company must strive not only to attract talent, but also to retain them as well through a total rewards program. Traditionally, rewarding employees has been equated with pay. Today, it is no longer applicable and â€Å"the definition of rewards encompasses the overall value proposition that the employer offers to the employee. It’s a total package that includes compensation (comprising of base pay, short-term incentives and long-term incentives), benefits (including health, retirement and work/life benefits, which account for an increasing portion of the rewards package) and careers (including training and development, lateral moves,stretch assignments and career incentives)† (Morris, nd, pg 6). In the case of Geico (2012), it employed a six facet item as part of its Total Rewards program which include Health and Well-being, Building and Securing Your Financial Future, Time Off and Leave Programs, Family and Life Programs, Education and Development and Amenit ies and Perks. Many aspect of Geico’s total rewards are consistent or aligned with the lectures in the Chapter 2 of our textbook which are as follows; 1. Increased Flexibility Geico’s reward program is not only tied up with pay. ... This provides Geico greater latitude to address the needs of its employees that would not keep them but also to make them highly motivated to perform. 2. Improved?recruitment and?retention The range of Geiko’s total reward program is indicative that the company really intends to retain its employees. More especially is the emphasis on family and life programs which very few companies offer as part of its compensation package. This component of Geiko’s total reward program would also be very attractive if not hard to resist among prospective employees who values work-life balance (Guld, 2007). It would also serve as a retention tool among its employees who have families to attend. For Geiko’s part, it would retain its best talent and attract the best talent in the market because of its attractive total rewards program. 3. Reduced Labor Costs/Cost of Turnover Having a flexible reward system designed to retain its employees will have an effect on Geiko’s bott om line in terms of minimal attrition rate, reduced labor cost and low or no cost for turnovers. Opportunity costs associated with labor turnover such as the low learning curve of a new recruit, higher inefficiency and disrupted work will also be avoided. 4. Heightened Visibility in a Tight Labor market One of the big advantages of having a responsive reward program is that employees would not only stay longer in the company but are also motivated to perform. Highly motivated employees performance would resonate to the labor market that a particular company, such as Geiko is a good place to work thus becoming Geiko as a preferred place of work among the best talents in the labor market. 5. Enhanced Profitability All of the

A comparison between the Japanese kimono and Chinese robe Research Paper

A comparison between the Japanese kimono and Chinese robe - Research Paper Example Dress materials and designs are the best indicators of the history of a particular region. It holds absolutely true when we say that by looking at the texture, designs, pattern and also the color of the dress material that was worn, one could easily decipher the culture of the people who wore it and also get to the know their way of life in general. Japanese kimono and Chinese robes have been brought into comparison as they resemble each other to a very great extent. There seems to be a cultural link between that of Japan and China which could be deciphered from their clothing. Japanese kimono and Chinese robes looks similar yet comes with their own uniqueness.The kimono came into being in the fifth century. A kimono robe is the typical sign of the Asian cultures. The garment has its long history entrenched in the hearts of the Japanese and Chinese culture. Later, the garment was made more contemporary to include kimono robes that are fundamentally all one size for both men and women . While silk kimonos are traditional garments in Japan, Chinese have Cheongsam as their traditional Chinese garment (Garrett, 1998). Both of these garments are very old and carry with it a long lost historical angle to it. Kimono, a piece of clothing, is not just a form of dressing among the Japanese but is also a clear-cut manifestation of how the Japanese history has evolved over time. The style of Kimono has been altered from one age to that of another and it has undergone changes throughout its history and has finally attained a form today. Goldstein-Gidoni (1997, p. 35) comments â€Å"The word kimono used in contemporary Japanese refers to the modern kimono, which â€Å"stems from the decorative festive clothing worn on special occasions† The inception time of the Kimono dates back to the time in Japan history pointed out as a specific period. That specific period is the Jomon period (Said, 1995). Kimono was in the form of a piece of clothing that was loosely draped ove r the body of the wearer. Those times, people did not pay much of attention to clothing as their major activity was to go for hunt and assembling. It was between the year 300 and 550 AD, Kimono dress patterns went for a change. Now the influence of the Chinese culture over the Japanese can be seen and the Kimono dress became a two-piece cloth. The arrival and the settlement of the Chinese in Japan brought about a huge change in their dressing patterns. Kimono was made in white color that was taken from the silk worm. Figure 2: Chinese White Women’

Impact of Technology on Business Communication Essay - 1

Impact of Technology on Business Communication - Essay Example This section presents some of the vital business communication technologies for better business handling and management. Below are some important examples of business communication:This technology is currently extensively used in business communication. There are lots of popular social networks those heavily support such business communication like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Such social networks allow companies to reach and communicate with thousands of concerned customers and diverse experts straight away by means of short messages planned to influence, notify and sell. However, such business communication method involves a lot of irrelevant communication areas that make huge information store having no considerable significance.One more new and state-of-the-art business communication technology is the Shared Digital Workspace. These digital workspaces are similar to traditional specialized networks designed for file sharing, where numerous partners are able to get access and perform their functions on a particular project immediately. This permits networks better group teamwork as cooperative aimed at conflicting requirements in some relaxation intended for time and place. This is mainly valuable for companies that deal in different states all over the world. However, this business communication technology requires some proprietary communication application involving higher costs and also demands extensive application personalization for better and effective management of business needs.

To examine what entrepreneurial activities Abbey properties UK used to Thesis

To examine what entrepreneurial activities Abbey properties UK used to survive the recession from 2007 - 2010 - Thesis Example In this paper, we are going to examine what entrepreneurial activities Abbey properties UK used to survive the recession from 2007 – 2010. The main objective is to find out what challenges business, then real estate companies face during and as a result of the recession. The paper will as well look at entrepreneurial strategies put in place by small real estate companies in the UK to counter effect of recession and provide a model that can aid the understanding of entrepreneurial activities practices by real estate firms. Abbey Properties is a big, well founded, independent real estate agency. The agency has been in operation for over 27 years covering areas in North West and Central London. Abbey Properties specializes in residential sale, residential lettings of properties, residential/commercial development of houses, full property management and management of overseas client accounts. The agency has a team of 17 employees, always focusing on customer service inline with the agency’s aim â€Å"to take the stress and anxiety out of your property transaction† (Abbey Properties, 2011). More so, the employees are friendly and well experienced ready to help the clients before and after business transactions to ensure that the clients receive high quality service. Abbey Properties deals in all types of property and promises to offer unrivalled services (Abbey Properties, 2011). Market experts in the real estate industry projected that in 2008; nearly 15,000 estate agents lost their work in UK due to recession (Turner 2008; 65). The expert went further to predict that the industry would loss about 40,000 jobs in a period of five years from 2008 (2009-2013) (Newman, 2011; 186). According to the Centre for Economists and Business Research (CEBR), the years during recession and even after recession were difficult ones to the industry. The only relief for the industry is the understanding that, whereas property

Impact of Technology on Business Communication Essay - 1

Impact of Technology on Business Communication - Essay Example This section presents some of the vital business communication technologies for better business handling and management. Below are some important examples of business communication:This technology is currently extensively used in business communication. There are lots of popular social networks those heavily support such business communication like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Such social networks allow companies to reach and communicate with thousands of concerned customers and diverse experts straight away by means of short messages planned to influence, notify and sell. However, such business communication method involves a lot of irrelevant communication areas that make huge information store having no considerable significance.One more new and state-of-the-art business communication technology is the Shared Digital Workspace. These digital workspaces are similar to traditional specialized networks designed for file sharing, where numerous partners are able to get access and perform their functions on a particular project immediately. This permits networks better group teamwork as cooperative aimed at conflicting requirements in some relaxation intended for time and place. This is mainly valuable for companies that deal in different states all over the world. However, this business communication technology requires some proprietary communication application involving higher costs and also demands extensive application personalization for better and effective management of business needs.

Explain Anselm’s Ontological Argument Essay Example for Free

Explain Anselm’s Ontological Argument Essay Explain Anselm’s ontological argument. The ontological argument was put forth at first as a prayer by the eleventh century monk and philosopher Anselm of Canterbury. In his Proslogion, which means discourse, he presented this argument as a prayer for believers to substantiate their belief in god. Anselm uses ‘a priori’ (which means before experience) reasoning, which conveys that it does not rely or depend on experience and so an argument of this sort is more plausible and likely to intrigue and attract philosophers, by not depending on experience or acquaintances it can be understood and derived purely from logic. Furthermore its truth doesn’t depend on anything apart from logic and can be deduced purely from the meaning of the words used in the argument. The ontological argument uses deductive reasoning, which means its conclusion is contained within the premises presented, and if one accepts these premises to be true then one must accept that the conclusion is also correct; an argument of this sort would be: 1. Men are all mortal. 2. Renà © Descartes was a man. 3. Consequently Renà © Descartes is mortal. From this example if we accept the premises (12) then logically we must accept the conclusion (3) so in some form this argument presents a guarantee of the truth of the conclusion. Anselm’s argument said ‘God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived’, by greater he means perfect and by conceived he means to think of, so we can put in other words: God is that than which nothing more perfect can be thought of. When Anselm first wrote this in the Proslogion, his intentions for this were not for it to be used as an argument to prove God’s existence but just a mere prayer for believers, but due to his reliance solely on reason and logic it has become popular and has overcome the test of time as it is still relevant today and is being studied. The argument can take this form: 1. God is that than which nothing more perfect can be thought of. 2. Even a fool can understand this definition. (By fool Anselm most likely meant someone who does not believe in god, and so he said this to show that  this argument is nothing of a complex sort but of a simple nature which can be comprehended by anyone, even a fool as Anselm said.) 3. This fool says that god ceases to exist in reality, merely as an idea. 4. It is greater to exist both in the understanding and in reality, than essentially just in the understanding. 5. The greatest possible being, for it to be the greatest must truly exist in both modes: reality and understanding. 6. Hence god does exist both in reality and in the understanding; therefore we can also conclude that the fool in reality is actually a fool. (The fool is denying the existence of the greatest possible being, this being must exist for it to be the greatest possible being, and if he wasn’t the greatest possible being then surely we could conceive of something greater.) Anselm starts the argument with a definition, and uses this definition to prove god into existence, however this argument relies on a particular definition and analysis of a particular one. There are two fundamental and paramount facets to this argument: one is the understanding of the definition, this is an integral part of the argument, because the argument arises from this start point, and also that it is greater to exist both in reality and in understanding. Anselm understood god in an analytical sense, analytic sense is where the whole meaning of a word or statement is transferred through the words only, like for example, Tom has a brother, you wouldn’t say he has a brother who is a male because the fact that he is a male is already conveyed through the meaning of the word brother. And so likewise, Anselm understood god in the same way, so it isn’t necessary to say ‘god, you know exists’ the aspect of existence is already given away from the word god, and so in a way could be perceived as inseparable from god. This argument mentioned hitherto was found in Proslogion 2, which tried to prove gods existence. A contemporary of his, Gaunilo of Marmoutier who was a monk and also a theist, replied to Anselm’s Proslogion, with a work titled ‘On Behalf of the Fool’, he was truly also a Christian and had a firm belief in god, but he rejected the jump from the definition that god is the greatest being to the conclusion that he must exist. Gaunilo claimed that through Anselm’s reasoning we can potentially prove anything one wishes into  existence by proposing it’s the greatest thing or maximally perfect in its calibre. He used the example of an Island, that if we were to say that there existed an island which was the most excellent and possessed an inestimable wealth, we can easily understand this; even a fool can comprehend this. And therefore it is the most excellent, and it is more excellent to exist both in reality and in understanding moreover this island must exist. He argued even a fool is right to be sceptical about Anselm’s argument, as evidence is required for a matter as great as god. Furthermore he went on to claim that Anselm’s argument is a ‘reducto ad absurdum’, this is Latin for reduced to absurdity. As Anselm was aware of this criticism during his lifetime, he wrote a Reply to Gaunilo, in this he defends his argument and draws up another aspect. He says ‘God cannot be conceived not to exist†¦ That which can be conceived not to exist is not god’. This introduces another matter; Anselm asks whether a god is greater who can be thought of as not existing or a god which cannot be thought of not existing. Furthermore he claims that it is a contradiction for a god who can be thought of not existing if he truly is the greatest possible. Anselm created a dichotomy between the concepts of things: necessary and contingent existences. Anselm himself didn’t use these aforementioned terms himself but were later applied by philosophers but Anselm did split the two as he described the island as physical and therefore he could easily propose that it could cease to exist due to other physical causes like for example the sea levels rising could eradicate the island completely. However he said that it is impossible to imagine the greatest being not existing or ceasing to exist, and then surely it would not be the greatest being. Necessary existences do not depend on any other thing for it to exist, as it is the greatest thing so it is not predisposed to anything else. On the other hand, contingent existences do depend on other things and also there was a time when they didn’t exist, like for example humans, who are a perfect example of a contingent being. However Anselm argued that god was a necessary being, and it cannot be thought of as not existing, it has always exists and always will. It is rather hard to conceive of another necessary being or existence apart from this. Anselm put forward this proposition in Proslogion 3, that god has a necessary existence, and this is the type of god that he is, in this way Anselm shows that Gaunilo was a fool as he didn’t understand the type of god that Anselm discussed.

History Of Police Interviewing In England And Wales Criminology Essay

History Of Police Interviewing In England And Wales Criminology Essay CHAPTER 1- Interviewing suspects and witnesses is a basic operation of policing all over the world. In England and Wales, pre PACE, historically there was no formal interview training for police officers and officers learnt how to interview through observation of other police officers. Thus, the best evidence of guilt was confessions and theoretically good interviewers were those who could convince suspects to confess to crimes. Police interviews prior 1984 were governed by Judges Rules, these were just guidelines for the officers who they were allowed to execute interviews unrecorded and then to write a report of the interview from memory. Afterwards, officers memory of the interview was presented in court from the handwriting report. The dangers of this are self-evident officers can pick up bad practises or miss valuable information. Eventually investigations can be damaged, disrupted or even destroyed. The secrecy of the police interview room led to widespread concern about the tactics used to extract confessions things like intimidation, oppression, deception, and even physical violence (Leo, 1992). It has been shown that these tactics can lead to false confessions, in which case a double miscarriage of justice occurs not only is an innocent person convicted but the true offender remains free (Gudjonsson, 1992). The aim of this chapter is to discuss the old investigative interviewing which led to miscarriages of justice. Also, what was happening to police interviewing, why false confessions were frequent phenomenon and what types of false confessions exist. An important theme is public perception about police interviewing at this historical time. Finally the primary improvements that have been done, such as PACE and Circulars 7 and 22. Miscarriages of Justice When the term miscarriages of justice is used, it usually refers to what are called questionable convictions or wrongful convictions. Walker (1999: 52-5) summarises the causes of questionable convictions which are: fabrication of evidence, unreliable identification of an offender by the police or witnesses, unreliable expert evidence, unreliable confessions resulting from police pressure or the vulnerability of suspects, non disclosure of evidence by the police or prosecution, the conduct of the trial and problems associated with appeals procedures. However, the term miscarriages of justice as relating to questionable convictions is itself partly adequate (Adler and Gray, 2010). Consequently, the term can also occur when there is no action, inaction or questionable actions, whereby an offence has taken place but no action or insufficient action or interference has followed. Questionable actions include police unprofessional conduct and lack of ability (e.g, failures to investigate ef fectively, poor treatment of victims and their family), insufficient prosecution processes (poor communication with police, risk avoidance ), and problematic trial practices (hostile cross examination of witness, weak presentation of the prosecution case). Therefore, questionable actions represent police failure to identify suspects and to press charges, the lack of success of the prosecution to mount a case, the collapse of the prosecution case during the trial and as a result, agencies ineffectiveness to inform or support victims and their families (Newburn, Williamson and Wright, 2007). Traditionally, the primary aim of police investigators has been to obtain a confession from the primary suspect, the confession being seen by officers to be the key of a successful investigation and the predominant means by which a conviction can be secured. To understand why a confession was so pivotal concern it is essential to consider the operation of various systems of justice. In an adversarial system, the judge is considered to be neutral during the trial process and should leave the presentation of the case to the prosecution and defence who prepare their case, call and examine witnesses. According to Zander (1994), the adversarial system is not a search for the truth. The inquisitorial system aim to be a search for the truth, in this system the judge is not neutral but will play critical role in the presentation of the evidence at the trial. The Judge calls and examines the defendant and the witness. While the trial is in progress lawyers for the prosecution and defence can merely ask complementary questions. The Royal Commission stated that It is important not to overstate the differences between the two systems because all adversarial systems contain inquisitorial elements and vice versa (Runciman, 1993). The court was not interested in the truth; it just had to decide whether punishment has been applied beyond all rational doubt. Therefore, it is not surprising that confession evidence had priority and investigators relied on a confession within the investigation process. Certainly, investigators focused on a confession and to attain a confession used coercive methods, allowing the investigation team to move on to the next case. False confessions lead to false convictions, thus police officers reproduced miscarriages of justice within their behaviour and interviewing tactics (Newburn, Williamson and Wright, 2007). False confessions lead to false convictions In the UK and other countries, a number of miscarriages of justice have established that false confessions occur and a large number of these are due to factors which exist within the interview context. Kassin and McNall (1991) analysed the tactics described by Inbau, Reid and Buckley (1986) which lead to false confessions; and found two categories: maximisation, where interviewers use scare tactics to intimidate a suspect believe to be guilty and minimisation, where interviewers underrate the offence seriousness and charges. Three categories of false confessions were identified by Gudjonsson and MacKeith (1988) and expanded by Shepherd (1996). These categories are as follows: Voluntary false confession Voluntary false confessions occur when the interviewee falsely confesses for personal reason without pressure. Possible reasons that suspect give false confession are: to exempt feelings of guilt about a real or imagined crime or situation in the past (this is most possible to happen for people with depression, Gudjonsson, 1992). To pre-empt further investigation of a more serious offence; to cover up the real culprit; to gain notoriety- a wish to become infamous and to enhance ones self esteem; an inability to distinguish reality from imagination(people with schizophrenia); to take a revenge on another and to hide other non criminal actions. Coerced-compliant false confession Coerced-compliant false confessions arise when the interviewee agrees to make a confession in order to make some kind of gain. This category of false confession occur from social influence factor; compliance. Compliance is a change in ones behaviour for contributory purposes, it is first found in Aschs (1956) primary studies of conformity and Milgrams (1974) research on obedience to authority. Interviewee sees the short term advantages of confessing (being released) outweighing the long term costs (such as prosecution and imprisonment). People, who are passable to compliance such as people with learning disabilities, may be especially vulnerable to this type of false confession. Coerced-internalised false confession The last category is a coerced-internalised false confession in such cases suspects come to believe that they are guilty because they no longer trust their own memory of certain details. This type of false confession derives from a cognitive effect and refers to the internal acceptance of beliefs held by others. An interviewee who is anxious, tired and confused actually comes to believe he or she committed the crime. The suspects memory may be altered in interviewing process. This can be linked to the false memory syndrome. The memory distrust syndrome concerns interviewees who distrust their own memory and consequently depend on external guide for information (in this particular situation -interviewer, Wolchover Heaton-Amstrong, 1996). This syndrome can be explained in two ways. The first relates to amnesia or memory damage. The interviewee has no clear memory and does not remember if he committed the crime or not. Also he or she does not remember what exactly happened the time of the crime. This may be due to amnesia or alcohol induced memory problems. The second way occurs when the interviewee is aware that he or she did not commit the crime and when the interviewer makes cases, manipulates the interviewee with suggestions. The suspect mistrusts his or her self and start thinking if he or she committed the crime. Ofshe (1989), stated that three common personality characteristics are situated on people who give this type of false confessions. They trust in people of authority, lack of self confidence and heightened suggestibility. Gudjonsson (1997) also argued, the false belief and false memories in cases of coerced- internalised false confession are most commonly developed as a result of manipulative interviewing techniques. Gudjonsson and Clark (1986) also introduced the theory of suggestibility which is a theoretical model of interrogative suggestibility and arises from a social cognitive viewpoint. It is argued, that most people would be susceptible to suggestions if the necessary conditions of uncertainty, interpersonal trust and heightened expectations are present. Implicit in such a model is the assumption that interrogative suggestibility is a distinct type of suggestibility. Gudjonsson also points out that; suggestibility is, to a certain extent, influenced by situational factors and experience. IS is defined as the extent to which, within a closed social interaction, people come to accept messages communicated during formal questioning, as a result of which their su bsequent behavioural response is affected (Gudjonsson and Clark, 1986). The IS is comprise two separate susceptibilities: to yield to leading questions, where yielding regards to the reliability of testimony and closely reflects memory processes; and to shift the primary answer in response to negative feedback, where shifting is related to coping process which are mainly affected by personality traits and experience (convicted in past, Gudjonsson, 1992). The literature on miscarriages of justice highlights the role of coercion in obtaining confessions and the problem with convictions based only or mainly on confessions. Using unfair means and tactics to secure a conviction is sometimes known as noble cause corruption. That is to say, so strong is the desire to achieve a correct conviction that any means to that end are justified. The adversarial process combined with the pressure for a quick result creates noble cause corruption. Resounding examples are Guildford Four and Birmingham Six, which have been described in newspapers as the worst miscarriages of justice in England in the last century. The Guildford four took palce on 5 October 1974, in which members of the Irish Republican Army planted bombs in two public houses in Guildford, Surrey: the Horse Groom and the Seven Stars. The attacks left five people killed and over 100 injured. Kennedy (1989) describes how Conlon, came to sign his confession and what previously happened. Pol ice officers were violent and immoral. As Conlon stated I was crying and frightened. Simmons said if I didnt make a statement, he would ring Belfast first thing in the morning and I would never see my mother or sister again. The last of my resistance shattered when he said this. I was crying and shaking uncontrollably. I said my family hadnt done anything. I fell apart. Simmons said what happened to my family was up to me. I said I would make a statement like they wanted, but it wouldnt be true as I really didnt do it (Kennedy, 1989). The four men spent 15 years in prison before the case was overturned in 1989 after a new police investigation had found serious flaws in the way Surrey police noted the confessions of the four: that the notes taken were not written up immediately and officers may have colluded in the wording of the statements (Gudjonsson, 2003). Another event happened as it was called The Birmingham Six, after one month when Guildford four took place, namely on 21 Nove mber 1974. Two public houses In Birmingham were bombed by the IRA in which 21 people were killed and more than 160 were injured. Six men were convicted for this crime and they were released after 16 years (in 1991) Scientists admitted in court that forensic tests which were originally said to confirm two of the six had been handling explosives could have produced the same results from handling cigarettes (Gudjonsson,2003). In Guildford four, the confessions that had been central of their conviction in 1975 were shown to be unreliable and in, sometimes fabricated. In the second case, Birmingham Six, the confession was discredited. Thomas Heron, who was on trial for the murder of a young girl, was acquitted when the interviews, which led to his confession, were dismissed by the trial judge as oppressive. In this case interviews were recorded in compare of Guildford Four and Birmingham Six in which the interviews were not recorded. The Police Studies Institute Report found (1983) that the most widespread opinion about police interviewing and the most popular police misconduct is that police officers threatening and the use of unfair pressure. Around fifty percent of the respondents believed that police use threats and pressure at least sometimes but the more important is twenty five percent thought that it often happens and this was a usual behaviour of police officers. A de facto percentage of Londoners believed that other kinds of misconduct happened at least once in a while. Around ten percent of Londoners thought police officers fabricate evidence and use inexcusable violence on people were detained at police stations. The findings of this research showed the public perception which was negative and critical against police. . The majority of Londoners had serious doubt about police conduct. People did not trust police interviewing, it showed that there was a complete lack of confidence and reliability (Smit h 1983: 325). One third of young white people thought the police often used threats or unreasonable pressure during custodial questioning while 62 per cent of young people of West Indian descent believed that they did so. Therefore, people were critical of police where they had a high degree of conduct with the police or they were subject to a high level of victimisation (Jones et al, 1986). The successful appeals of Guildford Four and Birmingham Six and the acquittal of Heron received widespread publicity and brought heavy criticism of the police and affected public opinion. A general public survey found that 73 per cent of the participants believed that the police broke the rules to obtain convictions (Williamson, 1991). By 1993 police interviews were described as a grave concern (Shepherd 1993). These surveys provide a rich picture of the nature and quality of the relationship between the citizen and the police in the past (Williamson, 2005). By the 1970s and 1980s in England and Wales it was clear that the legitimacy of the criminal justice system was at stake. Something had to be done. This became the focus of policy making. Such were the concerns that the Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure (1981) was set up, in turn leading to the passing in 1984 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) a key piece of legislation to monitor, amongst other things, the integrity of evidence production (Maguire, 2003) Through PACE (enacted 1986), police interviews with suspects were to be tape-recorded. This, it was hoped, meant the old regime of police investigations would be brought to an end and police interviews should be open to scrutiny (Lea, 2004). PACE suggested that investigation should separate from prosecution and should have an independent investigation service. Scientists with educational background should work in these laboratories and help the police to investigations and police officers had to be trained. All pol ice manuals are based on experience rather than objective and scientific data. Experience is invaluable to police work and its usefulness is illustrated by the effectiveness of the techniques recommended. However, relying solely upon experience in determining procedure may create serious pitfalls and fail to bring to light important facts about human behaviour, such as the susceptibility of some suspects to give erroneous information when placed under interviewing pressure. What is needed is more research into the effectiveness and pitfalls of different interviewing techniques. Also they argued that forensic laboratories should be independent from police. Home Office Circular 22/1992 provides the following seven principles of investigative interviewing: 1. The role of investigative interviewing is to obtain accurate and reliable information from suspects, witnesses or victims in order to discover the truth about matters under police investigation. 2. Investigative interviewing should be approached with an open mind. Information obtained from the person who is being interviewed should always be tested against what the interviewing officer already knows or what can reasonably be established. 3. When questioning anyone a police officer must act fairly in the circumstances of each individual case. 4. The police interviewer is not bound to accept the first answer given. Questioning is not unfair merely because it is persistent. 5. Even when the right to silence is exercised by a suspect the police still have a right to put questions. 6. When conducting an interview, police officers are free to ask questions in order to establish the truth; except for interviews with child victims of sexual or violent abuse which are to be used in criminal proceedings, they are not constrained by the rules applied to lawyers in court. 7. Vulnerable people, whether victims, witnesses or suspects, must be treated with particular consideration at all times. Questioning also may be considered oppressive if the officer asks: multiple questions (i.e. several questions rolled into one); ambiguous questions (i.e. where the potential answers have more than one meaning); irrelevant questions (i.e. questions which have no logical connection with the police enquiry); questions concerning other offences; hypothetical questions; questions based on dubious or non-existent evidence; questions concerning a co-suspect. (Home Office Circular 22/1992) The effectiveness of Pace is debatable, on the one hand McConville and colleagues suggested in 1991 that little of police interviews had changed especially in relation to interrogative suggestibility. Namely, the tape recording of interviews had not changed the power relations in the whole interview process, principally the fact that Interrogation takes place in an environment which increases the vulnerability of the suspect and maximises the authority and control of the police (1991, p78). On the other hand, Ede and Shepherd (2000, p109) stated that tape recording of PACE interviews led to a sharp decline in forceful interviewing and revealed the widespread ineptitude of police officers in the interviewing role In the same concept Milne and Bull (2003) report experience officers views. Since the 1986 introduction of PACE regarding audio-taping interviews with suspects, police interviews have become better planned, more structured, and the use of trickery and deceit has all but vanis hed (p121) . PACE appears to have markedly reduced the number of manipulative and persuasive techniques that police officers use when interrogating suspects, except perhaps in the most serious cases (Milne and Bull, 1999). Interestingly, there appears to have been no overall effects on the confession rate of suspects. The reason that police interviewing was still poor (Baldwin, 1992) was because of police role in the investigation of offences was still one of persuading suspects to confess rather than engaging in a process of inquiry, which was a search for the truth. The persistence on confession evidence also meant that witness and victims were often ignored, not seen as an important part of the investigation process, consequently were not interviewed methodically and so were not capable to present all the information they were competent of giving as evidence (Adler and Grey, 2010). Obviously, there was a need for a change of investigative interviewing to meet the ideals of the new legislation and to prevent challenges to the evidence achieved through questioning. This constituted in the establishment of a national committee on investigative interviewing that involved police officers, lawyers and psychologists. That result was the beginning of the PEACE interviewing model (Milne et al, 2007).

Agroecology and Miguel Altieri Essay -- Agriculture Agricultural Essay

Agroecology and Miguel Altieri Agroecology and agriculture in general took a giant leap forward in 1492 when Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. Previously, the New and the Old World only shared three species: sweet potato, bottle gourd, and coconut. Now that this New World had been discovered, there was much that could be gained, and it was more than just gold (Bermejo 1994). Many attempts at growing crops in the new and very different environment proved frivolous, but others found success. In fact, it is known today that many crops reach their optimum yield in an environment that is different from their own. The first crops introduced into the Americas were the European grains, vegetables, and fruits; these were unsuccessful at first. However, some crops did adapt well to the tropical environment right from the beginning, including: bananas, sugar cane, and citrus fruits. Potatoes, tomatoes, gourds, beans, and chilies have all found their way into European cuisine; these crops all originated in the Americas. Rice, a now major player in Mexican food, was also introduced by the Spaniards. African grasses also replaced low yield grass species in Latin America. This giant exchange of species would completely change the world’s diet (Bermejo 1994). Although explorers set out in a conquest for â€Å"God, gold, and Glory,† and did, in fact, satisfy all of those desires, they discovered something that was way more valuable than anything they could have ever imagined. They discovered a whole new world that had unlimited resources, land, plant species, and anything else they could ever use in their lifetime. In their conquest, however, they managed to almost wipe out a whole population, thousands of years of history, an... ... from http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/wm/60.4/jones.html Lopez, B. (1990) The Rediscovery of North America. The University Press of Kentucky. Lexington. Sandberg, B. (2006). Beyond Encounters: Religion, Ethnicity, and Violence in the Early Modern Atlantic World, 1492-1700. Journal of World History, 17, Retrieved November 10, 2006, from http://historycooperative.press.uiuc.edu/journals/jwh/17.1/sandberg.html Schwartz, B., D'Arcy, H., Schuman, H. (2005, April 1). Elite Revisionists and Popular Beliefs: Christopher Columbus, Hero or Villain?. Public Opinion Quarterly, 69, Retrieved November 10, 2006, from http://80elibrary.bigchalk.com.proxy.uwlib.uwyo.edu/libweb/elib/do/document?set=pbsissue&groupid=1&requestid=issue_docs&resultid=9&edition=&ts=22A09C01D33E00EEC1C57E5266921447_1163398443033&urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocument%3B106981986

Weapons of World War 2 Essay -- essays research papers fc

Weapons and Artillery of World War II The result of World War II was affected by many different factors. One major factor which affected the war was the weapons and artillery used during the war. Since the beginnings of time, weapons have always been around. From swords and knives to nuclear weapons and missiles, weapons have evolved greatly throughout the years. The weapons and artillery used in World War II basically were evolved types of weaponry that were used during World War I (Military History 1). World War II began in 1939 when the German armies decided to invade parts of Europe, therefore causing Europeans to retaliate against the Germans (World War 1). World War II began because those countries which were defeated in World War I (Germany, Italy, and Japan) were greatly devastated by the loss. Their countries were suffering from economical problems and were also left in bad conditions after World War I. They had lost much territory and now were practically in debt for the damages which they had done during the war (1). These countries figured that the only way for them to get out of economic depression and revive their country was to take land from other countries, which was one of the reasons why the war began. The main countries which were involved in World War II were Germany, Japan, and Italy, which were known as the Axis Coalition, against the United States, the Soviet Union, and many other countries. Overall World War II was seen as the most devastating war in human history. Each country had different types of weaponry and artillery which proved to be vital in the result of the war (World War 1). Many new and improved weapons and artillery were brought out during the war. One example of this introduction of new weapons was the long-range rocket. Also during this time the atomic bomb proved to have a big impact on the war. Along with these new and improved weapons, falls the infamous tanks of World War II (Military History 1). Although some weapons proved to be more important than others, every weapon played an important role in fighting this war. Some of these smaller weapons include pistols and rifles. A majority of weapons used in World War II were improved weapons from World War II. Most guns increased in power and abilities. In World War II people thought that pistols were useless but this was proved wrong due to the fact that the U.S. Mi... ...ilities of the tanks being penetrated were slim. Also there was an addition of an anti-craft gun which made it even more powerful and unstoppable (Slayton 103). The result of World War II had tragic results for Japan, Germany, and also Italy. The United States and the Allies came out victorious once again but the cost of war greatly affected all the countries. Germany, Japan, and Italy now have more debts to pay and also lost much of their territory once again. The war took many lives and also ended up destroying many beautiful cities. World War II showed how not just the soldiers were affected in the war, but everyone in all the different countries were affected by the war. The fact that the result of World War II was affected by the weapons and artillery used throughout shows the importance of weapons and artillery. Without weapons or artillery there is no war. Without money there are no weapons or artillery. Without money there is no need for war because countries have no reason to go to war. Works Cited Anderson, Rich. â€Å"The United States Army in World War II.† Google.com. 20 January 2005 Slayton, Robert A. Arms of Destruction. New York: Citadel Press, 2004.

Achieving the Goal Essay

How will I achieve the goal? There are many things going through my head when I think about the question, but there are only a few important ones that stick out the most. Achieving the goal would be for me to do everything in my power to do the very best I can in college so when I do finish I can become a physical therapist. For me to achieve my goal, I’m going to have to work hard and study even harder so I can get the very best grades while going to Victoria College. I know that college isn’t easy and sometimes it is going to be difficult, but I will not let that stop me from getting my goal. I also know that college is very different from high school. So that means that I’m going to need to work ten times harder than I did back then. I believe that by studying and giving my very best at everything I do in college, I will achieve my goal. I just have to remember that I can’t give up even when it gets hard because that will get me nowhere. Besides doing my best in college, I’m going to need to balance my job as a mother of three and the duties of a house wife. Balancing kids and keeping up with everything that comes with the responsibilities of a wife, home, and family is just another step on the path to achieving my goals. Having a family while also going to school full time can be tough. Sometimes when I get home I’m tired and really don’t feel like doing any homework, but I know that I have to. This sometimes can lead to procrastinating. I’ve gone to school before while having one child and managed just fine with school and work, so I know that I can do it again this go around of college too. Time management is the key though. Having a social life is something else I have to balance with college I believe that I can do all the things I want to with my friends and family and still be able to succeed in college. All I have to do is manage my time and keep my priorities straight. I have to think which is more important, hanging out and watching the football game with friends and family or studying for an upcoming test. Studying of course. I can do all the things I want to do with my family and friends as long as I don’t let it affect my school work. So when I finish my time at Victoria College, I want to transfer to University Houston-Victoria. It has always been my dream to go to a University and make my kids proud. It’s just another step in  achieving my goal. While I am at UHV, I want to succeed at everything I do so I can graduate with a Bachelor’s degree and then even go on to getting a Master’s degree as well. So hopefully when my time is done at UHV, I will have become a physical therapist. Something I have wanted to be for a while now. When it is all said and done with college and I do become a physical therapist, then I know that I have finally reached my goal for myself, my kids, and my husband. All I have to remember is that I can’t lose focus of my goals and dreams, because if I do then I will never achieve true happiness†¦my goal!

Critique of the medical research Essay

Introduction (2) What is the purpose of the study?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the various factors for the prolonged pre-hospital delay in African-American with Acute myocardial infarction.   Another purpose of the study is to demonstrate the manner in which perceived racism (experience of racial discrimination) affects the pre-hospital delay. Is the purpose of the study clearly presented?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study has demonstrated to a certain extent that several related factors such as ethnic background, medical insurance, presence of a witness (relative or a family member during the attack), marital status, general health status, presence of any systemic disease and perceived racism, do play a very important role in prolonging the time period between the onset of the symptoms and hospitalization.   However, further studies are required to provide more detailed information about these factors. Problem Statement (5) What problem was the study conducted to resolve?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study was conducted to determine the factors associated with prolonged pre-hospital delay in African-Americans with acute myocardial infarction than Whites.   It was found that death due to cardiovascular disease claims were significantly higher in African-Americans than any other group.   Besides, the study was also conducted to demonstrate the extent to which perceived racism affects the pre-hospital delay in African-Americans with acute myocardial infarction. How is the problem important for nursing practice?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Acute myocardial infarction is one of the main causes of death in both, men and women, living in developed countries.   Fatalities due to cardiovascular disease are significantly higher in African-Americans than any other racial group.   The outcome following acute myocardial infarction varies depending on the rapidity at which with reperfusion therapy is provided.   In this treatment intervention, the blood supply to the heart is restored back to normal. Agents that chemically dissolve thrombi (clots formed within the blood vessels) or expand blood vessels (vasodilators) are administered.   Besides, surgical procedures such as angioplasty (reconstruction of the blocked artery), catheterization (insertion of an inflatable balloon-tipped tubular device) or coronary artery bypass (grafting a section of a vein), may also be performed to restore the blood supply to the cardiac tissues. Reperfusion therapy seems to be most valuable when provided within one hour following the development of symptoms and signs of myocardial infarction.   Delay in providing treatment may play an important role in increasing the morbidity and mortality rates of acute myocardial infarction.   As African-Americans take longer time in seeking treatment for the symptoms and signs of acute myocardial infarction than Whites, the outcome will definitely be less favorable in African-Americans.   Hence, measures to lower delay times can be instituted in African-Americans with acute myocardial infarction. Is the problem statement clearly stated? Describe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The delay in seeking treatment for the symptoms and signs of acute myocardial infarction are longer in African-Americans than Whites.   As the period between the onset of the symptoms and signs of acute myocardial infarction and institution of treatment plays a very critical role on the outcome of the disorder, the specific factors associated with prolonged pre-hospital delay in African-Americans should be determined.   The problem statement is clearly mentioned. Research Question(s) What is the research question? If not stated, what would you say the research question is?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A good research question would be â€Å"To study the causes or factors associated with prolonged pre-hospital delay in African-Americans with acute myocardial infarction†. Hypotheses What is the hypothesis? If not stated, what would you say the hypothesis is?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the study, it is clearly evident that African-Americans take longer time to seek emergency medical help for acute myocardial infarction than whites.   However, perceived racism (actual experience of racial discrimination) did not play an important role. Study Variables What are the independent and dependent variables? Or, if it is a descriptive or correlational design, what are the research variables?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this study, a descriptive design is used.  Ã‚   To determine the factors associated with prolonged pre-hospital delays independent t tests and chi square tests were used.   The independent variable includes ethnic group.   The dependent variables include experience of racial discrimination, sex (males and females), presence of a witness, insurance, marital status, etc. Review of Literature In what way(s) does the literature review support the need for this study?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The literature obtained during the study only demonstrates the various factors that may prolong the pre-hospital delay in African-Americans.   These factors are however not specific to the African-American group only.   Further studies are needed to show how similar factors could play a role in prolonging the pre-hospital delay in other racial groups. Does the review of literature guide you to the study?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The review of the literature does guide to the study.   The review demonstrates the current incidence and mortality scenario of acute myocardial infarction in the African-American race.   It also demonstrates the need for immediate reperfusion treatment.   The study also shows how individuals of the African-American race are at a greater risk of developing acute myocardial infarction than Whites.   However, more details need to be provided. Are there existing gaps in the literature identified by the author(s)?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No, the gaps in the literature are not identified by the author.   The author could have also tried to study other factors that could play an important role in prolonging pre-hospital delays such as educational levels, socio-economic status, urban/rural divide, etc. Theoretical/Conceptual Framework Does the study have a conceptual or theoretical framework? If so, briefly describe the model or framework?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study is based on a conceptual framework.   The framework describes several factors associated with prolonged pre-hospital delay such as ethnic group, sex, general health status, insurance status, marital status, etc.   These variables cannot be clearly defined, and only the possible role they play, can be described. Is a rationale stated for the conceptual/theoretical framework? Explain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The various factors associated with prolonged pre-hospital delay include sex, ethnic group, general health status, insurance position, etc.   As these cannot be clearly defined and only their possible roles are defined, a conceptual framework is suggested. Ethodological aspects Research design What study design is used?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A descriptive design is being used. In what way(s) is the design used an appropriate one?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author is justifying a phenomenon.   Certain variables are being studied which can be determined earlier and later in time. Were pilot study findings used to design the major study? No, pilot studies were not being used.   However, references were being made to previous studies. Name and describe at least two threats to the internal validity of the study design.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two threats to the internal validity of the study design include history threat (in which some historic event has occurred which makes the individual aware) and testing threat (in which some form of pretest may make the individual aware of any similar tests in future). Name and describe at least two threats to the external validity of the study design.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Three threats to the external validity of the study design include different people (results of the study may be due to unusual people), different places (were perhaps the educational background was different) or different time (at which the incidence of acute myocardial infarction were higher than normal). What are the extraneous variables in this study? How are they being controlled for in this study?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The extraneous variables in this study are the time period between the onset of symptoms of acute myocardial infarction and provision of reperfusion therapy.   African-Americans take significantly longer than whites in seeking treatment for the symptoms of acute myocardial infarction (3.2 hours to 2 hours). Target Population, Sample, and Setting Who is the target population for the study?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The target population of the study is African-Americans who had acute myocardial infarction. What sampling method was used?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quota sampling is being used in this study.   The stratums of the population that have the criteria are selected.   From this stratum, convenience or judgment is used to select the 64 subjects for the study. What are the sample inclusion and exclusion criteria? If not stated, what would you say they are? Inclusion criteria – African-Americans, who had acute myocardial infarction, 18 years and older, who could understand and speak English, conscious and properly oriented, living as in their communities independently, had a steady circulatory system. Exclusion (not mentioned) – Whites, individual below 18 years of age, non-English speaking, those who were not properly oriented. In what way(s) is the sample large enough?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study was reasonably large enough as it was conducted in 5 hospitals, in 2 areas of a state. In what way(s) is the sample representative of the population?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The sample represents an important portion of the population.   This group is one that acute myocardial infarction can occur.   African-Americans are a major group of USA.   Adults are being used in the study.   Besides, English-speaking portion of the population is being studied. Is the setting appropriate for this study? Explain your answer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, the settings are appropriate for this study.   The study s being conducted within a month after the individual had myocardial infarction.   This ensures full recovery from the attack and also fresh memories of the event. Data Collection Describe data collection instrument/measurement tools.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Data was being collected by personal interview a month after the acute myocardial infarction. In what way is the support for instrument validity and reliability adequate for use in this study?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study was being conducted on individuals who were alert, properly oriented, above 18 years of age and who could speak and understand English.   The chance of the results being not reliable was less.   However, some individuals may not exactly remember the pre-hospital delay. In what way(s) are the instruments used appropriate for this study?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The instruments used were appropriate for the study, as most of the question being asked were based on general facts (such as marital status, insurance, general health status, etc). Describe procedures used for data collection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before conducting the study, approval had been sought from the appropriate institutional review board and all other participating groups.   Then the patients who met the criteria were being selected, from 5 hospitals in 2 areas of the State.   They were being studied from April, 2003 to June, 2004.   The subjects were appropriately diagnosed for acute myocardial infarction based on the history, laboratory tests, ECG and a surgical intervention.   They were interviewed within a month after the attack, to ensure that they had recovered fully, as well as not forgotten details of the event. Data Analysis Are the statistical tests used identified and the values reported?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, statistical tests are being used in this study, namely: – independent t tests and chi square tests.   Values were also being provided from the 2 groups being compared (namely: – males V. females, insured V. non-insured, single V. married, etc). Are the statistics appropriate for the level of measurement of each variable, sample size, sampling method, and research questions/hypotheses?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes the statistics are appropriate for each variable, sample size, sampling method and research hypothesis. What is the level of statistical significance used in interpreting the study results? Was this stated or implied?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The results have been interpreted to the 0.01 level, thus showing that they are reliable.   This was implied. Ethical aspects Ethical issues What way(s) have the rights of human subjects been adequately protected during this study? The human subjects were being adequately protected during the study.   No identity of any subject has been given.   3 out of the 64 chosen from the study were being allowed to opt out.   The subjects were being adequate amount of time to fully recover from the acute myocardial infarction.   Besides, only individuals above the age of 18 and those who were conscious, alert and well-oriented were chosen. 2. was the research approved and monitored by an Institutional Review Board or similar ethics review committee?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, only after seeking prior approval from the appropriate institutional review board and all the participative groups, was the study being conducted. Interpretive Aspects Discussion What are two major strengths of the scientific rigor of the study?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two major strengths of the scientific rigor of this study includes:- The sampling method used was a quota sampling method, in which the stratums of the population that have the criteria are selected. From this stratum convenience or judgment is used to select the 64 subjects for the study. Independent t tests and chi square tests were being employed to study the several factors associated with prolonged pre-hospital delay.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These were most appropriate in this case.               Ã‚   Do the figures and tables illuminate the presentation of results?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The figures give us an exact idea of the role each and every factor was playing on the pre-hospital delay.   The figures suggest that the findings are more reliable.    Are study limitations identified? If so, what are the two major limitations of the scientific rigor of the study?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two major limitations of the scientific rigor of this study:- The chances of errors in this study are high as the data collecting methods are not appropriate (subject may not remember the period of the pre-hospital delay). The factors associated with prolonged pre-hospital delays may not be specific to the African-American group. The study did not concentrate on several other associated factors such as socio-economic status, rural-urban divide, educational levels, etc. In what way(s) are the implications of the study findings appropriate?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study shows that the pre-hospital delay was longer than one hour.   This meant that the individual was not going to benefit much from reperfusion therapy.   The study also showed that perceived racism did not affect the pre-hospital delay much. What recommendations for nursing practice and future research have been made?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some of the recommendations that have been made include: – Educating the patients and their families. Lowering the pre-hospital time. Further research in studying the role of other associated factors. Summary and Conclusions In what way(s) are the conclusions of the study appropriate?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study goes on to show the present state of affairs in African-Americans.   As the pre-hospital delay was significantly longer than one hour, they are not going to benefit much from reperfusion therapy (the benefits of such therapy is best when administered within an hour after the onset of symptoms and signs of acute myocardial infarction). Besides, the study has also suggested that only through adequate education and counseling of the patients and their families, could the outcome be improved (to enable shorter pre-hospital delays).   The study has not only shown, the various factors that play an important role in prolonging the pre-hospital delay, but has also suggested that such delays should be decreased in order to improve the benefits, prognosis and survival rates. Do the benefits of the study outweigh the risks?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, the benefits of the study definitely outweigh the risks.   Many studies conducted in the past have shown that African-Americans take longer time than Whites to seek medical help for the symptoms of acute myocardial infarction.   However, it is the first study that has demonstrated the various factors associated with prolonged pre-hospital delay in African-Americans. Presentation and Stylistic Aspects Title Does the title of the article accurately describe the study? In what way does it or does it not?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The title describes the study.   It demonstrates the various factors responsible for the prolonging the pre-hospital delay in African-American with the symptoms of acute myocardial infarction.   However, such factors may not be specific only to the African-American Community.   They could even exist in other communities.   Further studies are required to assess the role of similar factors on other communities and the role of other factors on the African-American community. Is the language used in the title understandable and informative?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, the language used in the title is simple, understandable and informative. Complicated words are seldom being used. Is the title clear and concise?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, the title is clear and concise.   It gives us an idea briefly of the problems and the factors the study is going to assess. Researcher Qualifications Are researcher(s) qualifications presented?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, the researches full qualifications are presented in the Abstract.   Angela D. Banks is a Registered Nurse and has completed her PhD.   Kathleen Dracup is also a Registered Nurse and has done her DNSc (Doctor of Nursing Science). Are researcher(s) qualified to conduct the research? Justify your answer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, both researchers are qualified to conduct research in this field.   Emergency management of acute myocardial infarction requires appropriate Nursing Services.   Evidence-Based Nursing Management will help solve problems encountered by the nurses through:- Identifying the problem using current and appropriate nursing information and practices. Searching relevant research data for a suitable option Studying the option for evidence using criteria established. Choosing the most appropriate intervention. This study is conducted using scientific methods and current nursing knowledge.   The conclusion suggested is also based on current medical evidence. Abstract Does the abstract contain enough information about the study so the reader understands essence of article?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, the abstract contains enough information so as to give the reader an idea of the article. Does the abstract state the purpose of the study, problems investigated, research question or hypothesis, study design and methods used, sample, instruments used, results or findings?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes the abstract brieflTitle of Articley states the purpose of the study, problems investigated, research question, hypothesis, study design and methods used, sample, instruments used, results.   It eve suggests ways the problem can be solved. Is the abstract 100 to 200 words in length?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The abstract is about 225 words in length and is roughly within its limits. Presentation Does the format of the article follow the research process?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, the format follows the research process.    Is the article organized and sufficiently concise?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No, the article is not well-organized.   The article is concise.    Is the article written using correct grammar and sentence structure?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, the grammar is reasonably correct and the sentence structure is normal.    Do cited references appear in reference list?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yes, the references do appear in the list.    Are cited references current?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some of the references are not current. References Allende, J.E. (2004), â€Å"Rigor – The essence of scientific work†, Electron. J. Biotechnol, vol. 7, no. 1. http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?pid=S0717-34582004000100001&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en Banks, A.D. and Dracup, K. (2006), â€Å"Factors associated with prolonged prehospital delay of African Americans with acute myocardial infarction.†, Am J Crit Care, vol. 15, no. 2, March. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=16501134&dopt=Abstract http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5363827/Factors-associated-with-prolonged-prehospital.html Emden, C. and Hancock, H. (1996), Oral presentation: Scientific rigor and qualitative research, [Online], Available: http://www.cochrane.org/colloquia/abstracts/adelaide/ADELO218.htm, [Accessed: 2006, October 31]. Gurtwiz, J.H. et al (1997), â€Å"Delayed Hospital Presentation in Patients Who Have Had Acute Myocardial Infarction†, Annals of Int Med, vol. 126, no. 8, 15th April, pp. 593-599. http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/8/593?ck=nck Indiana University (2001), Unit 4: Descriptive Designs, [Online], Available: http://www.indiana.edu/~educy520/topic_intro/520topic_4.html#designs, [Accessed: 2006, October 31]. JJEC (1998), Glossary, [Online], Available: http://www.jrsa.org/jjec/resources/definitions.html, [Accessed: 2006, October 31]. Stat Pac (1997), Survey Sampling Methods, [Online], Available: http://www.statpac.com/surveys/sampling.htm, [Accessed: 2006, October 31]. Trochim, WM.K. (2006), External Validity, [Online], Available: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/external.htm, [Accessed: 2006, October 31]. Trochim, WM.K. (2006), Single Group Threats, [Online], Available: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/intsing.htm, [Accessed: 2006, October 31]. University of Minnesota (2001), Evidence Based Nursing, [Online], Available: http://evidence.ahc.umn.edu/ebn.htm , [Accessed: 2006, October 31].