The Technology Of Plasma Display Panels, Or PDPs, Is A Very New One. T

The technology of Plasma display Panels, or PDPs, is a very new one. The release of these flat paneled televisions began around 1996. There isn't yet a company who has come out with a display panel with the contrast and/or color quality of the regular CRT displays. PDPs are hoped to obtain this quality through more advanced research, to allow them to lower prices and have them hang on the walls of all homes. This would eliminate the need for TV stands and the extremely heavy, large screen CRT TV's, thus also cutting down on shipping charges for mail order. PDPs have a somewhat similar function to that of the CRT with the process of exciting Phosphors, to glow and produce an image. Plasma Displays are very unique machines. They combine the large screen of a retro projection monitor, the pixel structure of an LCD panel, and the color-generation system of a conventional, CRT-equipped television. Each individual pixel in a plasma display contains red, green, and blue phosphors, along with a series of electrodes. The structure somewhat resembles that of a light-emitting diode (LED). (Putman ) When voltage is applied to one of the three terminals in an individual pixel, it discharges through the pixel to a second electrode, ionizing a rare gas (plasma) in the process. This ionization creates ultraviolet light, which in turn strikes a red, green, or blue phosphor and causes it to glow. Depending on the level of voltage applied and the duration of the charge/discharge cycle, the phosphor will either glow dimly or brightly. (Putman ) In theory, each color has 256 levels that can be expressed this way, resulting in a 24-bit (16.7 million) color palette. The use of a third electrode provides faster and more accurate control of the charge/discharge cycle, which in turn allows for faster picture refresh rates. (Putman ) As a result, moving images from video can be displayed with picture refresh rates up to 75Hz. For the future of computer monitors, this will be helpful for producing ones that are less painful to the eyes when stared at for long periods of time. The plasma displays do show off bright colors due to this excited-phosphor system which is basically the same way a CRT monitor produces color. But PDPs do not produce the radiation or high voltage produced by the electron beam. They just have a small pixel structure which is why they can be manufactured so thin. Because of the thin profile, Plasma Display Panels are manufactured with a considerably lighter weight than regular CRT monitors. Although, they are often heavier than they look. A 40 inch plasma display typically weighs about 60-70 pounds. Still, this is a good improvement from the CRT's where a 40inch monitor could weigh up to three hundred. At this point, there is a big misconception about PDP's resolution. All PDPs currently being marketed in the 33 inch to 42 inch range have a vertical resolution of 480 pixels and no more. For 4:3 panels that translates to a resolution of 640x480; for 16:9 panels the pixel count is 852x480. Some models have been demonstrated with a higher resolution (768 vertical pixels), but they are considerably larger - typically weighing well over 100 pounds with screens as large as 50 inches diagonal. (Putman ) The current 480-pixel limit means that any signal you connect to a PDP with a resolution exceeding 640x480 will be scaled or remapped down in size, resulting in pixel decimation and plenty of dithering. (Zenger) These remapped images will make the quality of small text and fine image details, reduce somewhat dramatically. NTSC and VGA computer graphics are the only types of signal that all PDPs are compatible and work well with. They will be read line for line and pixel for pixel. This opens plenty of doors in the commercial, industrial, corporate, and consumer retail markets. The PDPs do have many advantages though. Often many big screen TV's have a problem with the viewing angle. When one walks to a side of the screen, it usually blacks out and they can no longer see a clear picture. Plasma display panels can produce a very large image and still maintain a 160 degree viewing angle. PDPs also are capable of displaying more than 16 million different colors, where as CRTs can only display about 1 million. Being that PDPs are still a very new technology, the price of them has yet to come down. PDPs once packaged into a monitor start at

Pompeii - Archaeology of the Famous Roman Tragedy

Pompeii - Archaeology of the Famous Roman Tragedy Pompeii is arguably the most famous archaeological site in the world. There has never been a site as well preserved, as evocative, or as memorable as that of Pompeii, the luxurious resort for the Roman Empire, which was buried along with its sister cities of Stabiae and Herculaneum under the ash and lava erupted from Mount Vesuvius during the fall of 79 AD. Pompeii is located in the area of Italy known, then as now, as Campania. The vicinity of Pompeii was first occupied during the Middle Neolithic, and by the 6th century BC, it came under the rule of the Etruscans. The citys origins and the original name are unknown, nor are we clear on the sequence of settlers there, but it seems clear that Etruscans, Greeks, Oscans, and Samnites competed to occupy the land prior to the Roman conquest. The Roman occupation began in the 4th century BC, and the town reached its heyday when the Romans turned it into a seaside resort, beginning 81 BC. Pompeii as a Thriving Community At the time of its destruction, Pompeii was a thriving commercial port at the mouth of the Sarno River in southwestern Italy, on the southern flank of Mount Vesuvius. Pompeiis known buildingsand there are many that were preserved under the mud and ashfallinclude a Roman basilica, built ca 130-120 BC, and an amphitheater built circa 80 BC. The forum contained several temples; the streets included hotels, food vendors and other eating places, a purpose-built lupanar, and other brothels, and gardens within the city walls. But probably of most fascination  to us today are the look into private homes, and the eerie negative images of human bodies caught in the eruption: the utter humanness of the tragedy seen at Pompeii. Dating the Eruption and an Eyewitness Romans watched the spectacular eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, many from a safe distance, but one early naturalist named Pliny (the Elder) watched while he helped evacuate refugees on the Roman warships under his charge. Pliny was killed during the eruption, but his nephew (called  Pliny the Younger), watching the eruption from Misenum about 30 kilometers (18 miles) away, survived and wrote about the events in letters that form the basis of our eye-witness knowledge about it. The traditional date of the eruption is August 24th, supposed to have been the date reported in Pliny the Youngers letters, but as early as 1797, the archaeologist Carlo Maria Rosini questioned the date on the basis of the remains of fall fruits he found preserved at the site, such as chestnuts, pomegranates, figs, raisins, and pine cones. A recent study of the distribution of the wind-blown ash at Pompeii (Rolandi and colleagues) also supports a fall date: the patterns shows that prevailing winds blew from a direction most prevalent in the fall. Further, a silver coin found with a victim in Pompeii was struck after September 8th, AD 79. If only Plinys manuscript had survived! Unfortunately, we only have copies. Its possible that a scribal error crept in regarding the date: compiling all the data together, Rolandi and colleagues (2008) propose a date of October 24th for the eruption of the volcano. Archaeology The excavations at Pompeii are an important watershed in the history of archaeology, as it was among the earliest of archaeological excavations, tunneled into by the  Bourbon rulers of Naples and Palermo beginning in the fall of 1738. The Bourbons undertook full-scale excavations in 1748much to the belated distress of modern archaeologists who would have preferred they wait until better techniques were available. Of the many archaeologists associated with Pompeii and Herculaneum are pioneers of the field Karl Weber, Johann-Joachim Winckelmann, and Guiseppe Fiorelli; a team was sent to Pompeii by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who had a  fascination with archaeology and was responsible for the  Rosetta stone  ending up in the British Museum.   Modern research at the site and others affected by the 79 Vesuvian eruption was conducted by the Anglo-American Project in Pompeii, led by Rick Jones at the University of Bradford, with colleagues at Stanford and the University of Oxford. Several field schools were conducted at Pompeii between 1995 and 2006, mostly targeting the section known as Regio VI. Many more sections of the city remain unexcavated, left for future scholars with improved techniques. Pottery at Pompeii Pottery was always an important element of Roman society and it has figured in many of the modern studies of Pompeii. According to recent research (Peà ±a and McCallum 2009), thin-walled pottery tableware and lamps were manufactured elsewhere and brought into the city to sell. Amphorae were used to pack goods such as garum and wine and they too were brought in to Pompeii. That makes Pompeii somewhat anomalous among Roman cities, in that the largest portion of their pottery was produced outside its city walls. A ceramics works called the Via Lepanto was located just outside the walls on the Nuceria-Pompeii road. Grifa and colleagues (2013) report that the workshop was rebuilt after the AD 79 eruption, and continued to produce red-painted and burnished tablewares up until the Vesuvius eruption of 472. The red-slipped tableware called terra sigillata was found in numerous locations in and around Pompeii and using petrographic and elemental trace analysis of 1,089 sherds, McKenzie-Clark (2011) concluded that all but 23 were manufactured in Italy, accounting for 97% of the total investigated. Scarpelli et al. (2014) found that black slips on Vesuvian pottery were made of ferrous materials, consisting of one or more of magnetite, hercynite and/or hematite. Since the closure of the excavations at Pompeii in 2006, researchers have been busy publishing their results. Here are a few of the most recent ones, but there are many others: In Benefiels (2010) study of graffiti on the walls of the House of Maius Castricius is documented several pieces of incised romantic graffiti in different areas of the house. A conversation of 11 graffiti inscribed in a stairwell appears to be a literary and romantic conversation between two individuals. Most of the lines are original romantic poetry or plays on known texts, arranged vertically in two columns. Benefiel says the Latin lines hint at a kind of one-up-man-ship between two or more people.Piovesan and colleagues studied paints and pigments at Pompeiis Temple of Venus, identifying a range of mural colors made from the natural earth, minerals, and a few rare artificial pigmentsblack, yellow, red and brown ochre, cinnabar, Egyptian blue, green earth (mostly celadonite or glauconite) and white calcite.Cova (2015) reports on the alaearchitectural wingsin many houses in the section of Pompeii known as Regio VI, and how the size and shape of the alae may reflect socioeconomic cha nges in the Late Republic/Early Empire period. Miiello et al (2010) investigated construction phases in Regio VI by the variations of mortar. Astrid Lundgren at the University of Oslo published her dissertation on Pompeii in 2014, focusing on male sexuality and prostitution; Severy-Hoven is another scholar investigating the incredible wealth of erotica discovered at Pompeii.Murphy et al. (2013) looked at middens (garbage dumps) and was able to identify evidence that the waste is primarily kitchen food preparation of olives, grapes, figs, cereals, and pulses. However, they found little evidence for crop-processing, suggesting that the food was processed outside of the city before being brought to market. Sources This article is part of the About.com Dictionary of Archaeology: Ball LF, and Dobbins JJ. 2013. Pompeii Forum Project: Current Thinking on the Pompeii Forum. American Journal of Archaeology 117(3):461-492.Benefiel RR. 2010. Dialogues of Ancient Graffiti in the House of Maius Castricius in Pompeii. American Journal of Archaeology 114(1):59-101.Cova E. 2015. Stasis and Change in Roman Domestic Space: The Alae of Pompeiis Regio VI. American Journal of Archaeology 119(1):69-102.Grifa C, De Bonis A, Langella A, Mercurio M, Soricelli G, and Morra V. 2013. A Late Roman ceramic production from Pompeii. Journal of Archaeological Science 40(2):810-826.Lundgren AK. 2014. The Pastime of Venus: An archaeological investigation of male sexuality and protitution in Pompeii. Oslo, Norway: University of Oslo.McKenzie-Clark J. 2012. The supply of Campanian-made sigillata to the city of Pompeii. Archaeometry 54(5):796-820.Miriello D, Barca D, Bloise A, Ciarallo A, Crisci GM, De Rose T, Gattuso C, Gazineo F, and La Russa MF. 2010. Characterisation of archaeological mo rtars from Pompeii (Campania, Italy) and identification of construction phases by compositional data analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science 37(9):2207-2223. Murphy C, Thompson G, and Fuller D. 2013. Roman food refuse: urban archaeobotany in Pompeii, Regio VI, Insula 1. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 22(5):409-419.Peà ±a JT, and McCallum M. 2009. The Production and Distribution of Pottery at Pompeii: A Review of the Evidence; Part 2, The Material Basis for Production and Distribution. American Journal of Archaeology 113(2):165-201.Piovesan R, Siddall R, Mazzoli C, and Nodari L. 2011. The Temple of Venus (Pompeii): a study of the pigments and painting techniques. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(10):2633-2643.Rolandi G, Paone A, Di Lascio M, and Stefani G. 2008. The 79 AD eruption of Somma: The relationship between the date of the eruption and the southeast tephra dispersion. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 169(1–2):87-98.Scarpelli R, Clark RJH, and De Francesco AM. 2014. Archaeometric study of black-coated pottery from Pompeii by different analytical techniques. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Bi omolecular Spectroscopy 120(0):60-66. Senatore MR, Ciarallo A, and Stanley J-D. 2014. Pompeii Damaged by Volcaniclastic Debris Flows Triggered Centuries Prior to the 79 A.D. Vesuvius Eruption. Geoarchaeology 29(1):1-15.Severy-Hoven B. 2012. Master Narratives and the Wall Painting of the House of the Vettii, Pompeii. Gender History 24(3):540-580.Sheldon N. 2014. Dating the 79AD Eruption of Vesuvius: Is 24th August Really the Date? Decoded Past: Accessed 30 July 2016.

Law and Contract Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law and Contract Strategy - Essay Example However, for a valid contract to be valid, the elements must be: a) capacity, b) mutual assent (which includes offer, acceptance, and meeting of minds), c) consideration, d) lawful purpose, e) certainty of terms, and f) form provided by law (Essential 2006). On the other hand, Wikipedia (2007) cited the three key elements of a contract under common law jurisdictions as: a) offer and acceptance, b) consideration, and c) intent to create a legal relation. In sum, while the law considers three essential elements (consent, consideration and object), a valid contract requires other elements (e.g. capacity of parties, lawfulness of object, etc.). A contract is an agreement of parties (two or more) arrived at after adequately considering to do or refrain from doing an action (Contract Law. n.d.). It is also defined as a promise(s) which provide(s) a remedy for its breach or which the law recognises its performance as a duty (Contract Formation n.d.) (Essential 2006). It covers a wide array of subjects and transactions from sale of real or personal property, or terms of employment (Larson 2003). It defines the rights and obligations of a party, provides the means to enforce the rights, and allocates risks between the parties (Lewis-Elements n.d.). Contracts vary according to its usage. A construction contract is complex because it involves numerous parties (e.g. engineer, quantity surveyor, etc.), long period of execution, and a series of subcontracts (Lewis-Elements n.d.). In the construction sector, all details necessary to reflect the intents, timetable, insurance, or dispute settlements are considered essential elements. T o ease this complexity, industry professional and organisations created forms that will cover every detail of their particular needs, such as: building contracts (JCT series), engineering contracts (ICE series), government contracts (GC Works series), etc.

Film Glory Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film Glory - Movie Review Example Rawlins revised his style to transformational leadership, which was effective in producing the necessary attainment of the group's mission and goals. There had been a slew of films about the American Civil War but the movie "Glory" stood out because it was unique and because it not only focused its energies on bombings, hand to hand combats and killings but it featured the African American people's aspirations to prove its self-worth, courage and dignity under fire and under pressures of racial prejudice and honor amidst the backdrop of a bitter divisive war between the northern Union states and the southern Confederate states. Moreover, the film illustrates the anatomy of leadership as a young colonel was given the daunting task of recruiting, training and leading an all-black regiment, which was the first such black regiment to fight under the American flag, many of whom were older than he was and most of whom were embittered by the demeaning experiences they had under the white men. This film showed that heroism knows no color and its significance was that after the 54th Massachusetts regiment showed to all and sundry their he art-wrenching guts and heroism, President Lincoln conscripted more of such black regiments, assigning them challenging roles in a number of major battles. The 54th regiment was the start of black power in military warfare. It explained why blacks were worthy of being endowed with citizenships to the United States. The Relationships Among the Dramatis Personae Bonding within an infantry led by young white officers and composed of colored men,Glory 3 majority of whom had experienced indignities, brutalities and acts of inhumanity as former slaves from white men, was almost an unattainable situation. Leadership was even an impossible dream. But the regiment had to be formed as ordered by abolitionist Massachusetts governor John Andrew (Blatt et al,2000,p.19) and in its formation, everything had to start with an effective leadership or else the infantry will only be in a state of disarray and disintegration. It was incumbent upon Col.Robert Gould Shaw portrayed by Matthew Broderick to alter the relationship which started from distrust, aversion, contempt, bigotry and even hatred. He had to turn things around to make the regiment functional. This had to be accomplished without the needed boost and support from the command force and worse, from a flip-flopping stance of the command higher-ups who even issued absurd orders designed to make the regiment a nonentity. This was due to the belief that blacks had no capacity to fight and th at they would merely incite the border States to defect from the Union. There

Statistics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Statistics - Assignment Example Another significance of random sampling is that it plays as a representative of population of the study. The unbiased rule in simple random sampling makes it a vital method of drawing a conclusion from the study results, which is usually the main goal of a research. Moreover, this sampling technique helps to make generalization of a particular population from the results obtained. While using random sampling technique, it is always imperative to have a complete list of the study participants so that the researcher can make a sample from. However, this is often difficult to perform while dealing with a large population since the list must be complete and up to date, a condition that is difficult to meet. Random sample is not an appropriate technique to use while dealing with a very small sample size because the margin of error is usually wide, leading to a wrong conclusion (Medhi 2012).The above problems can be overcome through using an average sample size of the population since it will limit the margin error incurred during random

Impacts of Volcanic Eruptions on Urban Communities

Impacts of Volcanic Eruptions on Urban Communities Volcanoes, Environment and People Degree Assessment Compare and contrast the impacts of volcanic eruptions on urban communities in pre industrial and post – industrial evolution societies. Introduction The industrial revolution refers to a period in history that roughly occurred between 1760 and 1840, which saw the transition from old to newer manufacturing processes. It is regarded as a major turning point in history, influencing most aspects of daily life, even today. The revolution saw a change from traditional hand production to the use of more modern tools, machines and new technologies. Technology became more advanced and its use became more significant. Gaillard (2007) suggests that pre industrial revolution societies, like those discussed in this essay had a more intimate relationship with the natural environment, which plays a key role when assessing the impacts of a volcanic eruption. In this essay I will firstly compare the impacts of a pre and post industrial revolution eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Their impacts on urban communities will then be discussed in comparison with the more recent eruptions of Eldfell in Iceland and the Soufriere Hills volcano in Montserrat. For the purposes of this essay urban communities will be defined as a substantial group of buildings or people in one area. To assess the impacts of a volcanic eruption on an urban community, the nature of the community will need to be considered. Impacts of the eruption will vary between communities depending on a number of factors including closeness to the eruption, infrastructure, transport links, predication and preparation and the overall development of the community (Marzocchi et al., 2004). Different types of volcanic events will also produce different types of hazard (pyroclastic flows, tephra fallout, and gas emissions) which also need be considered in the assessment of a volcanic eruption. Pre Industrial Revolution Vesuvius, AD79 Mount Vesuvius is located in a densely populated area, with thousands of people living on its flanks and in the immediate vicinity of the volcano (Marzocchi et al., 2004). In the past Vesuvius has produced several large eruptions, including the most well known eruption which destroyed the town of Pompeii in AD79. This was a VEI5, Plinian eruption that consisted of two stages. Usually Plinian eruptions are classified by three stages; an initial eruption phase with a sustained eruptive column of gas and pyroclastic material; a second phase in which the eruption column collapses and generates pyroclastic flows which could reach speeds of up to 100km/h and finally the generation of dense, rapid mudflows generated by water on steep slopes (Barberi Zuccaro, 2006). In the case of the Vesuvius eruption in AD79 only stage one and two occurred. There were no mudflows, only pyroclastic flows. (Lirer et al., 1973). The eruption produced a 32km high eruption column and extensive tephra all out south of the eruption resulting in accumulation of tephra 2.8m thick over Pompeii and other regions (Sigurdsson et al., 1982). Sigurdsson et al (1982) presents evidence to support the collapse of roofs under the weight of pumice that fell and consequently the destruction of infrastructure throughout the town. The tephra fall would also have made it very difficult for people to be outdoors around that time. The town would have been in total darkness and they would have had to wade through several metres of tephra on the ground. Despite this, this first stage of eruption was non lethal. It alarmed people but gave the majority of the population time to flee. 2000 deaths were accounted for out of the 20,000 people living in Pompeii and neighbouring towns (Luke, 2013). The second stage of the eruption consisted of six pyroclastic flows, during which most death and destruction to property occurred. Figure 1 details that between them, six pyroclastic flows travelled from the volcano, covering the towns of Herculaneum, Oplontis and Pompeii. The flows travelled 32km west across the Bay of Naples to Misenum and south east of Stabiae (Siggurdsson et al., 1982). Figure 1. Map of Vesuvius and surrounding towns showing pyroclastic flow deposits and the extent of the pyroclastic flows during the AD79 eruption (Source: Siggurdsson et al., 1982). The AD79 eruption of Vesuvius is an example of how communities with the most insecurity are the most vulnerable to hazards and have the capability of turning them from hazard to disaster (Gaillard, 2007). Through studies carried out on the settlement of Palma Campania a commune in Naples, Grattan (2006) showed that although most of the population was killed by tephra fall and pyroclastic flows there was reluctance to permanently build a settlement on the volcano plains, suggesting that instead of mitigating the effects of a volcanic eruption the communities instead chose to deal with them. They derived a method of coping and learning to live with the sudden environmental change. Compare this with the smaller VEI3 eruption of Vesuvius in 1944 and the impacts are very different. Although the eruption was smaller, there was more of an impact on nearby towns because of the nature of the community (Barnes, 2011). Important buildings such as schools and hospitals were built very close to fracture zones on the volcano flanks where open vents had previously been recorded. Under these conditions, living and having important amenities in such close proximity, events smaller than the 1944 eruption could be catastrophic from an economical and social point of view (Marzocchi et al., 2004). From a comparison of the two Vesuvius eruptions it is evident that the hazards each volcanic eruption produced were similar, however the way the communities chose to deal with them and therefore the impacts of each eruption are different for pre and post industrial communities. With a simpler way of life, post industrial revolution communities towns were able to easily change aspects of their daily life and adapt to living with a volcano. In a way, modern technology could be considered a downfall. If a super eruption were to happen it would apply stress to all aspects of modern day life. Air travel would be practically impossible because of airborne tephra, climate change would be severe and affect crop production across the globe, telecommunications would be restricted and huge areas would be affected by tephra fall and toxic gases (Grattan, 2006). Although that is a worst case scenario it highlights how post industrial revolution or modern communities may not always be better off. Post Industrial Revolution According to Marzocchi et al (2004) the hazards a volcanic eruption presents are hard to quantify because of the complexity of the eruptive processes and the unreliability of past data. However, it is thought that the advancement of communities means that a volcanic eruption poses a greater threat as there is more at risk. The eruption of Eldfell, a volcanic cone on the Icelandic island of Heimaey does however show how technologies of the industrial revolution could work towards reducing the hazards a volcanic eruption presents. Eldfell, 1973 The eruption of Eldfell began, without any warning, on the 23rd of January 1973, as a fissure crossing the island (Morgan, 2000). It caused a major crisis for the island, almost causing permanent evacuation. Volcanic ash fell on most of the island and more than 400 homes were destroyed as roofs were not constructed to deal with the weight from ashfall. Tractors were used to remove ash from the roofs and save some of the buildings (Morgan, 2000). Figure 2 shows the town of Vestmannaeyjar during and after the eruption and gives an idea of the scale of damaged caused by the eruption. It was most at risk because of its close location to the volcanic fissure. It was threatened by tephra fall and lava flows (Thorarinsson et al., 1973). The lava flows that threatened the towns also threatened the harbour, the islands main source of income. The response to the lava flows was to spray them with sea water, which cooled them down and stopped further advance, saving the harbour (Morgan, 2000). Figure 2. Houses nearest the fissure were destoryed by volcanic bombs thrown from the volcano during thr eruption (Left). The right image shows the town of Vestmannaeyjar after lava had advanced onto it. Cooling hoses used to cool the lava are highlighted in red. (Source: Morgan, 2000) Although the scale of the Eldfell eruption was relatively small, the town of Vestmannaeyjar was put at risk because of its location of the fissure. The fissure opened up at the edge of the town with the lava destroying 200 buildings, and more being damaged by tephra fall (Dugmore Và ©steinsson, 2012). Despite this the death toll for the Eldfell eruption was low as there were resources and space to evacuate those in immediate danger. Boats transported people off the island to Reyjavic where schools and other larger buildings acted as receptions for the evacuees. Compare this with the Pompeii eruption where the resources were unavailable and lack of knowledge made evacuating people not an option. Even if the resources were available, it would have been physically impossible to relocate such a large population. In Iceland, volcanism is considered to be one of the principal causes for lack of development (Dugmore Và ©steinsson, 2012). In most cases, the negative impacts of a volcanic eruption have been kept to a minimum both by environmental and cultural factors. There is little to encourage people to settle in immediate volcanic zones; high elevations are unfavourable in terms of climate and the steep slopes of the volcano flanks are difficult to build on. Social systems within Iceland are well suited to coping with volcanic hazards so when an event does occur it will not have such a great impact as if it were to occur in Britain for example (Dugmore Và ©steinsson, 2012). Soufriere Hills, 1995 Montserrat is a small island in the Caribbean that consists of 4 volcanic centres: Silver hill, Centre hills, Soufriere hills and South Soufriere hills. The map in figure 3 shows the location of the 4 volcanic centres on the island (Wadge Isaacs, 1988). Figure 3. Map of Montserrat showing the 4 volcanic domes. Chances Peak, responsible for the 1995 eruption is highlighted in red. (Source: Wadge Isaascs 1988) Chances peak was responsible for the eruptions from 1995 onwards (Figure 3). The eruption began in 1995 after a period of seismic activity and small warning signs of an eruption (Robertson et al., 2000). The most intense eruptions occurred in 1997 and consisted of pyroclastic flows, lahars and tephra fall. The advancement of tephra and pyroclastic flows and the settlements around the volcano that were destroyed throughout the eruption is shown in Figure 4. Figure 4. Chances Peak and the location of nearby settlements. Shows the progression of the eruption during 1997 to 1998 and depicts the settlements that were destroyed by pyroclastic flows, lahars and tephra fall. (Source: BBC Bitesize) Through recognition of distinctive patterns in seismic activity and monitoring signals, short term forecasts of volcanic activity were able to be made so those most in danger could be evacuated at the most appropriate time (Robertson et al., 2000). The islanders in close proximity to the volcano were evacuated to the north of the island, to neighbouring countries and to the UK as Montserrat is a British dependant territory (Young et al., 1998). In total, only 19 people who chose to stay behind were killed by the eruption. The Soufriere Hills volcano provided an opportunity for modern technology and volcanological thinking to be fully utilised in the thorough documentation and the provision of accurate and timely disaster mitigation advice (Young et al., 1998). Conclusion To conclude, the nature of a volcanic hazard, the social status of the population exposed to the hazard, geographic setting and the rehabilitation policy set up by authorities vary between time and place (Gaillard, 2007). In the cases discussed above, all the eruptions produced similar hazards (tephra, lahars, pyroclastic flows) but the nature of the community and the way the population responded made the impacts different. Post industrial revolution communities use technology to their advantage in aiding after the eruption but also before the eruption, in the prediction and preparation stages. From the case studies, it is evident that forecasting plays a fundamental role in volcanic hazard mitigation (Sparks, 2003). It is vital for predicting when/where eruptions will occur, the kinds of hazards associated with the eruption, how long the eruption is likely to last and if populations in close proximity to the volcano are at risk. Plans can then be put in place to reduce the risks related to an eruption on a community. References Barberi, F. and Zuccaro, G. (2006) Somma Vesuvio Mesimex: the final technical implimentation report Barnes, K. (2011). Volcanology: Europes ticking time bomb. Nature, 473(7346), pp.140-141. Dugmore AJ, and Và ©steinsson O (2012) Black sun, high flame and flood; volcanic hazards in Iceland. In Cooper J, Sheets P (eds) Surviving Sudden Environmental Change: Answers from Archaeology (University Press of Colorado: Boulder) p 67 -90. Gaillard, J.-C. (2006), â€Å"Traditional societies in the face of natural hazards: the 1991 Mt Pinatubo eruption and the Aetas of the Philippines†, International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, 24(1), pp. 5-43 Gaillard, J. (2007). Resilience of traditional societies in facing natural hazards. Disaster Prevention and Management, 16(4), pp.522-544. Grattan, J. (2006). Aspects of Armageddon: An exploration of the role of volcanic eruptions in human history and civilization. Quaternary International, 151(1), pp.10-18. Lirer, L., Pescatore, T., Booth, B. and Walker, G. (1973). Two Plinian Pumice-Fall Deposits from Somma-Vesuvius, Italy. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 84(3), p.759. Luke, BT. (2013). Roman Pompeii, Geography of Death and Escape: The deaths of Vesuvius, PhD Theses, Kent State University Marzocchi, W., Sandri, L., Gasparini, P., Newhall, C. and Boschi, E. (2004). Quantifying probabilities of volcanic events: The example of volcanic hazard at Mount Vesuvius. J. Geophys. Res., 109(B11) Morgan, A. (2000). The Eldfell Eruption, Heimaey, Iceland: A 25-Year Retrospective. Geoscience Canada, 27(1). Robertson, R., Aspinall, W., Herd, R., Norton, G., Sparks, R. and Young, S. (2000). The 1995-1998 eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat, WI. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 358(1770), pp.1619-1637. Sigurdsson, H. et al. (1982) The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79: reconstruction from historical and volcanological evidence. American Journal of Archaeology 86, pp. 39–51 Sparks, R. (2003). Forecasting volcanic eruptions. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 210(1-2), pp.1-15. Thorarinsson, S., Steinthorsson, S., Einarsson, T., Kristmannsdottir, H. and Oskarsson, N. (1973). The Eruption on Heimaey, Iceland. Nature, 241(5389), pp.372-375. Wadge, G. and Isaacs, M. (1988). Mapping the volcanic hazards from Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, West Indies using an image processor. Journal of the Geological Society, 145(4), pp.541-551. Young, S., Sparks, R., Aspinall, W., Lynch, L., Miller, A., Robertson, R. and Shepherd, J. (1998). Overview of the eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, 18 July 1995 to December 1997. Geophysical Research Letters, 25(18), pp.3389-3392. 1

John Paul Stevens: Biography :: essays research papers

John Paul Stevens: Biography John Paul Stevens, the 101st Justice to serve on the supreme court of the United States, and the first appointed by President Gerald R. Ford. John Paul Stevens became a member of the high court in December of 1975. Stevens, a middle aged man, with a reputation as a sharp-minded, hardworking lawyer, and first rate judge was given the highest evaluation from the American Bar Association committee that examined his record.  ³A superb judicial craftsman ² and a Judge ¹s judge, ² are two of the praises that Stevens has received from the United States Court of Appeals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stevens was voted into the supreme court with a vote of 98-0. In that time, Stevens was considered by the press, to be a moderate or moderate conservative in his legal thinking, and would take sides with other justices Powell, Stewart, and White. John Paul was born on Apr. 20, 1920. Stevens, the youngest out of 4 sons, Stevens was also considered to be the smartest of the 4 . At the age of six, his brother Ernest Stevens noted to a New York Post reporter,  ³I guess we always knew he was going to make something of himself. He was always awfully smart....When John was six, he could play better bridge then most adults today> ²   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stevens attended the University of Chicago High School, and then later went to the University its self. In 1941, he left the University with a Phi Betta Kappa key, and a B.A. degree. He joined the navy, after the U.S entered World War 2. Stevens was stationed in Washington D.C, as a intelligence officer on the staff of admiral Chester W. Nimitz. He worked with a group assigned to break Japanese codes. for doing this, he was awarded the Bronze Star. After he returned to Chicago, (at the end of the war) he enrolled himself into Northwestern University School of Law to earn his J.D. degree, where he graduated first in his class. Not long after that, he was admitted into the Order of the Coif and the Phi Delta Phi law society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From 1947 to 48, Stevens spent the year as a clerk to supreme court justice Wiley Rutledge. After that, he joined his first law firm, Poppenhausen, Johnston, Thompson & Raymond. A Chicago based firm, that he was inducted to as an Associate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This was in 1948. With expert guidance from a Senior in the firm,

Technology Influence

TECHNOLOGY INFLUENCE At every stage of the production process there is the potential for technology to be applied to improve efficiency and quality, such as using machines to make manufacturing more accurate. Some form of technology is used in operations to make every good, so changes in technology have a big impact on transformation processes, affecting the mix of inputs, as well as creating new opportunities for outputs. Technology also has an important impact on operations management because electronic systems can be used to better plan, monitor, control, and manage the operations process.For example, technology can be used to design products and sequence production tasks more efficiently. Technological impacts on inputs Many forms of technology are used as inputs in the production process, such as microchips, synthetic materials, and machinery. These technologies can often be substituted for other resources. For example, synthetic products can replace raw materials, and machines can do the work of humans. As technology advances and becomes cheaper, more reliable, and easier to use, these kinds of substitutions become more likely.The replacement of humans by machines (called ‘automation') is a particularly big issue as labour accounts for about 60% of all production costs. Machines can often be much cheaper than people. New technology can often be expensive to adopt, so a business might feel pressured by the market to make the change (for instance, because new technology is perceived as fashionable or higher quality), but be reluctant to do so because of cash f low problems or doubt about long-term benefits.Also, there can sometimes be initial problems and bugs with new technology, and workers may have to learn new skills to be able to use technology properly. Technological impacts on the types of outputs New technology presents wonderful opportunities for businesses to make new kinds of products and old products with new features. Improvements in elec tronic and computing technology, for example, allowed the development of smartphones and mp3 players. It also allows innovations that were previously unheard of (such as white bread fortified with calcium).These opportunities affect business strategies, which affects operations management, which may have to adapt to produce new products. If businesses are behind the technological curve, operations management may need to play a game of ‘catch up' to keep up with technological innovations. For example, as technological change allowed mp3 players to flourish, operations managers in companies stuck making old-fashioned CD players had to learn to make the new kind of music player. ? Technological impact on the quantity of outputsTechnological change may allow the business to increase its efficiency, allowing it to make more products than it could previously. For example, a human might be able to make three handbags each hour. A new machine might be able to make 30 or 300 in an hour , and could potentially operate around the clock, whereas humans can only work limited hours. Similarly, electronic records mean doctors can access patients' medical histories more quickly and therefore allow potentially faster diagnoses, so they can see more patients in a day.

augustine medical essays

augustine medical essays Jones-Blair Company sells paint and related products throughout select states in the southern United States. Alexander Barrett, president of JBC, is trying to identify the companys best marketing strategy in an environment of declining paint demand. Not only is demand declining, but the company is also faced with increased competition from national companies, such as Kmart, Wal-Mart and Home Depot, who have the ability to mass merchandize their paint products. The paint industry is divided into three segments: architectural, OEM coatings and special-purpose coatings. Currently, Mr. Barrett is faced with maximizing his marketing efforts to best serve the architectural coating segments. A few of the issues that face Mr. Barrett are: Ø Segmentation The company needs to identify its target markets by deciding if their market is urban or rural, household or professional. Each market needs to be evaluated based on size, growth potential and influences of possible buying behavior. Using this information, JBC will be better informed as to which segments will provide the best opportunities to increase sales and therefore increase profits. Ø Opportunities and Threats The current environment possesses many opportunities and threats which will need to be considered when formulating marketing plan. For instance, the competitive pressures as a result of the increased presence of private and store brands sold by national companies could be viewed as a threat or an opportunity depending on the companys decision as to product positioning and which markets they try to capture. Ø Conflicting recommendations from Company officers Mr. Barrett and his officers have been unable to reach a decision in their discussions over marketing strategy. Conflicting proposals from the companys key officers are to add more sales representatives, increase advertising, r ...

20 Essay Topics on Crime Prevention Based on Social Science

20 Essay Topics on Crime Prevention Based on Social Science Social science is the scientific study of human society and relationships among the individuals that make up a society. In the context of crime prevention, social science studies attempts to study what pushes criminal activities and how the society we live in can be structured to prevent crimes by eliminating the triggers that leads to criminal intent or reactions. This is indeed possible and has facts backing the importance of social science in preventing crimes. This subject matter can be quite difficult to write about if one does not have good research skills or the patience to learn.   Therefore, an assignment on this could be difficult but we are here to show that this should not be so. In this article- which is a follow up on the 10 facts on social science and crime prevention - 20 social science essay topics will be provided for your choosing pleasure. One of these topics will also be written on to provide you with some direction on how to go about writing on the topic you choose. So below are the 20 topics you can choose from to kick-start your own project. 20 Social Science Topics on Preventing Crime: The Importance of Stable Family Structures in Preventing Crime Reducing Teenage Delinquency Rates and Crime in Today’s Society The Fallacy of Incarceration as an Effective Crime Prevention Technique Integrating Risk Prevention Techniques to Combat Adolescent Criminal Behavior Identifying and Understanding the Key Risk Factors Prevalent in Human Beings Parental Education and its Effects on Reducing Criminal Activities Women Education and Its Role in Crime Prevention Early Child Education and Its Role in Reducing Adolescent Crime How Integrating Civil Laws in Society Prevents Crime Crime Prevention and the Role of Structural Growth The Effects of Local Watches in Preventing Crime Encouraging Social Awareness to Reduce Criminal Activities Mental Health and Its Correlation with Criminal Activity Managing Societys Mental Health Problems Key to Reducing Violent Crimes Tackling Unemployment an Effective Tool to Preventing Crime Creating Economic Opportunities, Preventing Criminal Activities The Implementation of Intervention Techniques in Preventing Criminal Activity Pursuing Equality Reforms as a Crime Prevention Technique Perusing Societys Role in Preventing Criminal Activities The Science of Youth Violence Prevention: Progressing from Developmental Epidemiology to Efficacy Sample Essay: The Importance of Stable Family Structures in Preventing Crime The 17th century saying that the family is the building block of society still rings true to date and consequently, the foundation of every Nation both developed and underdeveloped rests squarely on the strength of its families. Therefore, there is much to learn from the stability of family structures and the effect they have in preventing crimes. My essay is written to provide information on what is known and how stable families prevent criminal activities. The role of the family in the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency has been studied for decades by social scientists and the office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). These studies culminated in findings that showed the effects of both a good family structure and a non-existent structure drives delinquent behavior and criminal activities. The home is the first school for children and it serves as a classroom where manners, etiquettes, society’s rules and behavioral patterns are ingrained in a child. Therefore, children end up becoming by-products of the home they grew up in. Studies from the OJJDP has shown that kids who have been exposed to negative influences in childhood tend to act out these influence in their later years which makes it imperative to create an enabling environment that allows each family fulfill its potential. The study went further to state that kids from at risk homes- unstable families, single parent homes, drug abusers etc.- are three times more likely to be involved in criminal behavior later in life. These negative behaviors which affect governance in the long run can be forestalled by creating conducive familial environment which means the government has a role to play in propagating stable family units. The first step to be taking is creating employment opportunities for adults who intend to create families. This productivity helps both the government and family unit by developing productive citizens and family heads with the finances needed to cater to family needs. Educating parents is also a technique that can be used in building stable family units. It is important to start the educative process from the postnatal period right down to the first two years after childbirth. A study conducted by the Nurse-Family Partnership Program showed that expecting families who took part in such programs were less likely to be involved with any forms of child abuse when compared to others who did not. While on the children’s side, a stable family unit where parental supervision and involvement help kids grow-up to become functioning members of society. This is because parents notice negative factors and influences in their kids’ life and take the necessary steps to check those behavioral patterns before they spiral out of control. Getting parenting and the family unit right is definitely the first step to preventing crimes and grooming responsible citizens in a society. Achieving this requires the education of parents and creating an environment where parents can raise their kids to be responsible and understand that they are accountable for their actions. Here we come to the end of the second article providing you with essay topics on crime prevention. To learn more about writing and reviewing literature on crime prevention, check out this follow-up article on how to write a perfect article review on social science and crime prevention. References: Brandon, W. (2012). The Future of Crime Prevention: Developmental and Situational Strategies. crim.cam.ac.uk/people/academic_research/david_farrington/nijprev.pdf Jeffery, R. (1977).Crime Prevention through Environmental Design 50, 60. Farrington, D. Sherman, W. (2001). Costs and Benefits of Preventing Crime. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Wilson, D., Gottfredson, C., Najaka, S. (2001). School-based Prevention of Problem Behaviours: A Meta-analysis. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 17, 247-272. Canepple, S. (2008). Organized Crime, Corruption and Crime Prevention. Fisher, B. (2010). Encyclopaedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention. Henze, S. (2006). Crime science: New Approaches to Preventing and Detecting Crime.

Intercultural studies Finding Nouf Research Paper

Intercultural studies Finding Nouf - Research Paper Example The basis for major events in the story is when Nouf, a sixteen-year-old girl goes missing thereby triggering her family to organize a search. The family seeks for a lead from Nayir Sharqi, regarded as a desert guide, to help the search party. After 10 days of search, anonymous desert pilgrims discover her body just when Nayir was to give up. The test carried by coroner’s office indicates that the cause of death was drowning. The family’s dissatisfaction by the coroner’s investigation triggers Nayir to sacrifice on a journey of finding out what transpired at the time of death. The journey to determining the cause of death makes Nayir to seek for help from Katya Hijazi, who is one of the workers at the coroner’s office. Katya Hijazi is courageous enough to carry her own investigation even though her partnership with Nayir was at stake because of the cultural beliefs. Nayir has to antagonize the cultural limitation and his desire for a partnership with a fem ale character. The writer presents a society which enshrines discrimination by its cultural patterns. Intuitively, the presented society is deeply rooted in their Muslim culture which serves as the influence of the themes presented in the novel. The writer presents the culture as having different forms of patterns which serves in modeling the relationship between the people. Generally, one of the major cultural patterns presented is the need to shun any partnership between men and women. This is evident when Nayir goes to work in partnership with Katya to realize the cause of death (Ferraris, 23).

My Leadership experiences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My Leadership experiences - Essay Example As a student in a graduate school, I have maintained my position as a group leader. As a result, I have learnt to appreciate and deal with individuals who have different cultural backgrounds and ethnicity. There were also times when conflicts of interests are present within the group that I handle. By establishing an open communication line with the team members, I was able to successfully resolve the misunderstandings and arguments within the group. In the process of calming down the increasing tension, I have taught my group mates the importance of Tai Chi as a relaxation technique wherein the group members have decided to individually write down their frustrations, anger and discouragement in a piece of paper and place them in the ‘garbage basket.’ As a result, I was able to successfully reduce the negative pressure that exists among the team members. In general, the practice of a weak leadership is likely to contribute to the organizational failure and inefficient operations within the Navy. In line with the inefficiency in the Navy’s operational system, there is a higher chance of having a decreased working attitude and morale of the leaders as well as his or her subordinates. In the end, it becomes more difficult to create and maintain a healthy and peaceful working environment for the team members. Based on my previous leadership experiences when implementing an important organizational change, ‘resistance to change’ among the team members is one of the most common loop-hole or bottleneck that could impede the planning of developmental stage in the Navy. Basically, the three major factors that could promote resistance to change include: (1) the fact that people may feel that they have no control over the sudden changes; (2) the workers may see change as a threat to their current positions of