Monday, September 30, 2019

Geological Forces That Shape the Earth Essay

Diastrophism Defined: †¢Comes from the Greek word meaning a â€Å"twisting† deformation of the Earth’s crust. All processes that move, or elevate or build up portions of the Earth’s crust comes under this. †¢Diastrophism covers movement of solid (plastic) material, as opposed to movement of molten material which is covered by volcanism. †¢The most obvious evidence of diastrophic movement can be seen where sedimentary rocks have been bent, broken or tilted. Types of Earth Movement: a.Uplift †¢Is the movement of the Earth wherein the crust rises. †¢Process in which structural highs in Earth’s crust are created (e.g. mountains). †¢The movement of tectonic plates and igneous plumes are two processes which may result in uplift. b.Subsidence †¢A sinking or setting of part of the Earth’s crust with respect to the surrounding parts is the motion of a surface (usually, the Earth’s surface) as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea level. c.Thrust †¢Horizontal movement of the Earth’s crust. Theories of Diastrophism: a.Theory of Isostasy †¢States that as rock from higher region is removed by erosion and deposited on a lower region, the higher region slowly rises while the lower region becomes heavier and sinks. b.Contraction Theory †¢States that the Earth is gradually sinking. As the shrinkage occurs, the stronger and heavier blocks of the crust sink while the weaker strata are crowded and squeezed upward. c.Convection Theory †¢Is a theory which would account for publishing and folding of rocks through convection currents. This process is true when it occurs under a continental mass. d.Continental Drift Theory †¢Is a theory which accounts for diastrophic movement and for the folding and faulting along the edges of the continents. e.Expansion Theory †¢Is a theory which states that the Earth is gradually expanding. Expansion of the Earth would change the continents’ position. Structural Features of the Earth’s Movement: a.Deformation of Rocks †¢The effects of diastrophism are clearly seen in sedimentary rocks. Any deformation of sedimentary rocks is shown in tilts, bends, or break in the layer. b.Folds †¢A bend or flexure in a rock can be likened to waves on the ocean. Each has a crust and a trough or a down fold. †¢The crust of a rock is called an anticline. The trough of a rock is called syncline. c.Dip and Strike †¢Dip – angle between the horizontal plane or structural surface. †¢Strike – direction of a line along the edge of an inclined bed where it meets the horizontal plane. It is always at right of the dip. d.Pitching Fold †¢Folds whose access slants downward at the each end of an imaginary line running along the top of an anticline or along the bottom of a syncline are called the axes of the fold. †¢The angle between the axis and the horizontal is called Pitch. e.Joints and Fissures †¢Joint – a fracture or a little separation between the rock walls. †¢While Fissures are cracks or actual gap between rock walls. f.Faulting †¢Refers to the surface along which a rock body has been broken and has been displaced. †¢Two types of Faulting: a.Vertical Faulting b.Horizontal Faulting Types of Fault a.Thrust Fault †¢It is a low angle fault in which the hanging wall is moved upward in relation to the footwall. It is characterized by the horizontal compression rather than vertical displacement. †¢A reverse fault in which the fault plane is inclined at an angle equal to or less than 45 degrees. †¢A geological fault in which the upper side appears to have been pushed upward by compression. b.Normal Fault †¢Also called Gravity Fault, a dip slip fault in which the hanging wall has moved downward relative to the footwall. †¢A geologic fault in which the hanging wall has moved downward relative to the footwall. Normal faults occur where two blocks of rocks are pulled apart as by tension. c.Reverse Fault †¢Is the material above the fault plane that moves up in relation to the material below. †¢A geologic fault in which the hanging wall has moved upward relative to the footwall. Reverse faults occur where two blocks of rock are forced together by compression.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Managing Diabetes in a Patient with Enduring Mental Health

DIABETES; A CONTEMPORARY APPROACH 2486 WORDS CONTENTS CONTENTSPAGE1 INTRODUCTIONPAGE2 DISCUSSIONPAGE2 CONCLUSIONPAGE8 REFERENCESPAGE9 ARTICLES ACCESSED ONLINEPAGE12 APPENDIX 1SCENARIOPAGE13 APPENDIX 2 ‘EATWELL PLATE’PAGE14 Introduction Lavinia had suffered a relapse in her mental health and had been using illicit drugs and alcohol to combat the disturbing positive symptoms of her illness and had stopped taking any of her prescribed medications.The nursing assessment indicated that the first issue to deal with was her chaotic behaviour and once that was under control a series of therapeutic interventions could be put in place to aid her recovery. Initially her chaotic presentation and challenging behaviours (Beer et al, 2005; Xeniditis et al, 2001) made it difficult to engage with her with in a therapeutic way and she resisted staff’s attempts to help her. The decision was made to manage her using intramuscular injections (IM) of an anxiolytic that necessitated usi ng physical restraint in order to administer the IM.The first few days were not pleasant for Lavinia due to staff needing to restrain and inject her in order to manage her challenging behaviours but her chaotic behaviour did resolve over time and she became more accepting of staff interventions. Lavinia’s named nurse engaged with her and spent time ‘counselling’ her and a series of therapeutic interventions were agreed. Mental health nurses are specialists in caring for people with mental health problems and it has been identified that they have deficits in their knowledge of diabetes (Nash, 2009).This was the case in caring for Lavinia at the time. Little emphasis was placed on the importance of managing her diabetes because staff were not aware of the implications of poor diabetes management. Discussion In the United Kingdom mental illness is by far the largest single source of burden of disease. There is no other illness or disease in the combined extent of pe rsistence, prevalence and breadth that impacts on the person more (Friedli and Parsonage, 2007).There is an inextricable link between poor mental health and an increased risk of physical illness, increased health risk behaviour, deprivation, poor educational achievement, substance misuse (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, (NICE) 2009). Managing mental illness carries the single largest cost to the National Health Service (NHS) coming in at ? 10. 4 billion (Department of Health, 2012). Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that can have a debilitating effect on many aspects of a person’s life including perceptions, thinking, language, emotions, social, behaviour.The positive symptoms of schizophrenia can include hallucinations of any senses, delusions, disorganized thought processes, causing the person to lose contact with reality. Diabetes is a serious condition that can have a debilitating effect on the person. It can cause kidney failure, blindness, hea rt disease, stroke, psychosocial problems, if left untreated (NICE, 2008). The United Kingdom is facing a significant increase in the number of people diagnosed with diabetes. In the past 16 years the number of people diagnosed with diabetes has increased from 1. million to 2. 9 million cases and it is estimated that this figure will continue to increase as the number of older people and overweight/obese people increase (Diabetes in the UK, April 2012). Diabetes mellitus is a condition whereby the body is unable to properly use the glucose it produces because of either lack of or resistance to the hormone insulin. There are two main types of diabetes; type 1 & type 2. Insulin is needed to enable the glucose to pass from the blood and enter the cells of the body where it is stored.Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body (pancreas) is unable to produce its own insulin (an autoimmune disease) and the person needs to have regular daily injections of insulin to counter this. Type 1 diabetes accounts for approximately 10% of all people with diabetes (Diabetes in the UK, April 2012). Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a condition whereby the body either does not produce sufficient insulin or that the person is insulin resistant. It can be treated with medication alone or medication and insulin.Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90% of all people with diabetes (Diabetes in the UK, April 2012). It is known that type 2 diabetes mellitus has an increased prevalence in people with schizophrenia compared to the the general population (Schoepf et al, 2011). Further, the treatment for schizophrenia is typically with antipsychotic medication and it is now clear that some antipsychotics elevate the risk of developing diabetes and weight gain (iatrogenic effect) though just why this happens is not fully understood (Dixon et al. 000). Lavinia suffers from schizophrenia, is obese, takes antipsychotics, and suffers from type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is potentially a life threatening con dition. Blood glucose levels below 3. 5mmol/l are too low for the brain to function; this is hypoglycaemia. The signs of hypoglycaemia are similar to a person experiencing psychoses, e. g. aggression, disorientation, changed behaviour. It would have been imperative that nursing staff should have made it a priority that Lavinia’s blood glucose levels were monitored.Lavinia could have been experiencing a hypoglycaemic state when in fact nurses might have mistaken this for challenging behaviour. Lavinia’s blood glucose levels might have been above the recommended guidelines (>8mmol/l) which is hyperglycaemia and the nurses would need to have an understanding of the potential elevated blood glucose levels can have, e. g. damage to the micro and macro vascular system leading to blindness, increased risk of heart attack, increased risk of stroke, diabetic ketoacidosis.Not having sufficient knowledge of diabetes while at the same time caring for someone with diabetes and not acting compromises the nurse’s professional obligations (Nursing and Midwifery Council, NMC, 2002) and the NMC or the courts would have no reluctance in pursuing this should it become an issue (Kane Gorny, 2009). Any nurse who cares for a person needs to be competent. Roach (1992) defines competence as, â€Å"the state of having the knowledge, judgment, skills, energy, experience and motivation required to respond dequately to the demands of one’s professional responsibilities†. The nurses caring for Lavinia would therefore be duty bound to refer her to a diabetes nurse/Dr. According to the NICE (2008) recommendations it is vital that people with diabetes receive an annual check up including; blood pressure; feet check; smoking status; urinary albumin test (or protein test to measure kidney function); serum creatinine test; retinopathy screen; cholesterol levels; weight and BMI measurements; HbA1c– blood glucose levels.Lavinia may have had these checks ca rried out within the last 12 months but due to her chaotic lifestyle over the past few months her results might differ significantly thus during this admission it would be an opportune time to have these checks carried out. Hypertension can have devastating effects on the person whether they have diabetes or not, e. g. increased risk of stroke, cardiac disease, renal failure. Research by Diabetes UK (2012) found that little more than 50% of people with diabetes were meeting their blood pressure targets which they recommend should be 130/80.The importance of good foot care in diabetes cannot be overstated. Poor foot care can lead to ulceration and ill health, gangrene and even amputation. Diabetes UK state that up to 80% of amputations annually in England are avoidable. The risks that smoking presents are well documented, e. g. heart disease, stroke, vascular complications, amputation. A person with diabetes is pre disposed to certain illnesses and should he/she decide to smoke then their health risk profile increases considerably by multiplying the potential deleterious effects.Blood tests can identify potential or actual renal failure. Diabetes causes harm to the micro vascular system which includes the very tiny vessels in the retina of the eye. If this is not addressed it can lead to blindness and Diabetes UK recommend an annual eye screen. High cholesterol levels are serious whether the person has diabetes or not and can lead to heart disease, circulatory complications, stroke, fatty liver. Abnormal levels of cholesterol can cause insulin resistance.Type 2 diabetes is one of the most serious consequences associated with being obese or overweight. Over the past 25 years the number of people in England who are classed as obese has doubled and it is anticipated by the year 2050 obesity will affect 60% of adult men, 50% of adult women, and 25% of children (Foresight, 2007). The blood glucose levels – HbA1c – is an indicator for risk of damage to blood vessels. NICE (2008) recommend an HBA1c level of between 6. 5% and 7. 5% would be the goal for people with diabetes.For people with type 2 diabetes, effective blood glucose control can reduce the risk of diabetic eye disease by 25% and kidney damage by 33% (UK prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS). It is clear that management of diabetes can be a challenging role and a multidisciplinary approach is needed to manage it as effectively as it can be managed. Multidisciplinary teamwork is important in any care giving role (Liberman et al, 2001). The most important person in the multidisciplinary team is Lavinia. She is the person who has the most control and needs to manage her diabetes on a daily basis.For Lavinia there are two issues; managing schizophrenia and managing diabetes. Using a depot antipsychotic in preference to oral medication would help Lavinia because a nurse would administer it weekly thus reducing the risk of relapse. NICE guidelines (2009) advise that people with s chizophrenia should be offered access to psychological therapies including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and/or family therapy. If Lavinia did benefit from psychological interventions it might reduce her reliance on medication thus reducing side effects.In order to manage her diabetes Lavinia should have access to a team of professionals including diabetic nurses; podiatry; Dr’s; ophthalmology; dietician; pharmacist; physiotherapist; counsellor. An assessment for management of diabetes should be holistic (Dunning, 2009 pgs. 36 – 49) and appropriate to a person’s lifestyle. For Lavinia this means sitting down with a specialist diabetic nurse and having a complete assessment of her lifestyle and her understanding of how it interacts with her diabetes. She needs to fully understand the importance of good glucose control and the consequences of poor control.She might already have experienced hypoglycaemic attacks but been unaware of what they were/are, i. e. c ould be confused with positive effects of schizophrenia. As a starting point it would be appropriate to ensure she knows how to test her blood glucose levels, which is one of the NICE (2008) guidelines, and how to interpret the result. She needs to be aware of the relationship between food intake, physical activity and medication understanding how managing these can help her maintain appropriate blood glucose levels. Diet is known as the cornerstone of management in type 2 diabetes.An appropriate diet will help control blood glucose levels, maintain an appropriate weight/body mass index, and prevention of complications. Lavinia is obese which is possibly due to the combination of antipsychotic medications she takes for schizophrenia and her lifestyle. An assessment by a dietician or specialist diabetic nurse into her eating habits would help to identify any areas she would benefit from by making changes to her diet. The ‘Eatwell Plate’ (Department of Health, 2011) offer s a model for healthy eating in the United Kingdom (see appendix 2).It gives good visual, easy to understand, guidance on the balance/proportion and types of food that contribute to a healthy diet. Lavinia would benefit from an assessment with the physiotherapists to determine her level of fitness and areas that could be worked on in order to improve her fitness with a view to losing weight. Exercise can reduce the risk of major illnesses e. g. heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer by up to 50% (National Health Service, 2012). However, the benefits of exercise on glycaemic control and body mass in type 2 diabetes is not clear (Boule’ et al, 2001).The potentially damaging effects that diabetes can have on a person are well known and documented (e. g. UK prospective Diabetes Study, 1977 thru 1997 (UKPDS). The damaging effects of poor blood glucose control are not always immediately observable and consequently people with diabetes do not always fully appreciate the importan ce of controlling their blood glucose levels (see Mail Online, 2010). The reality of diabetes care is self management and effective self management delays the onset of complications. Lavinia needs to understand how the lifestyle choices she makes, e. . level and frequency of physical activity, what and when she eats, managing her mental health, are all major factors in controlling her diabetes. Because the damaging consequences of not managing diabetes are not immediately obvious the impetus to manage it is not always paramount (Diabetes UK, 2012). It might be enough that Lavinia understands these factors and therefore takes action to manage her condition. If not, she would need support to help her change her behaviour/lifestyle in order to manage her diabetes. There are several models of behavioural change, e. g. ealth belief model (Becker, 1974); theory of reasoned action (Fishbein and Atzen, 1975); social learning theory (Bandura, 1977). Motivational interviewing (MI) (Rollnick a nd Miller, 1995) is a model that is used to bring about behavioural change and has been shown to be effective in bringing about change in a range of healthcare settings including diabetes care, e. g. VanWormer et al (2004); Clark and Hampson (2001); Kim et al (2004). The aim of MI is to bring about discrepancy in the persons beliefs and thoughts by bringing about a state of cognitive dissonance, i. e. he difference between where the person is currently and where they want to be in future and setting small goals to achieve. Thus, Lavinia has full knowledge of the damaging effects diabetes can have and in future she would like to get married and have children. To have children she needs to be as ‘healthy’ as she can be and therefore she will be self motivated to resolve the dissonance she experiences. Used in combination with Prochaska and DiClemente’s model, stages of change (1983) and Egan’s (1998) skilled helper model of problem management could work to g ood effect for Lavinia in bringing about a change.Conclusion The link between poor mental health and poorer outcomes for physical illness, increased health risk behaviour, deprivation, educational achievement, substance misuse is well known (NICE, 2009). Diabetes is potentially a life threatening condition; Lavinia has schizophrenia and diabetes. Her poor mental health could be supporting the deleterious effects of her diabetes. Not having sufficient knowledge of diabetes while at the same time caring for someone with diabetes and not addressing it compromises the nurse’s professional obligations (NMC, 2002).Lavinia needs support from both the mental health and diabetes services. She needs to have a good understanding of the interplay between the diabetes and mental health. She needs to have insight into potential relapse signatures to her mental health so that she can get help as early as possible. A diabetes counsellor could help Lavinia make lifestyle changes by engaging h er in a course of motivational interviews (Rollnick and Miller, 1995) in combination with Prochaska and DiClemente’s model, stages of change (1984) and Egan’s (1998) skilled helper model of problem management. ReferencesBandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Becker, M. H. , ed. (1974). The Health Belief Model and Personal Health Behavior. Health Education Monographs, Vol. 2 32473. Beer, D. Turk, V. McGovern, P. et al, (2005), Characteristics of patients exhibiting severe challenging behaviour in low secure mental health and mild learning disabilities units. Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care, Vol. 1, pp 29-35. Boule’, N. G. Haddad, E. Kenny, G. P. Wells, G. A. Sigal, R. J. , (2001). Effects of Exercise on Glycemic Control and Body Mass in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.A Meta-analysis of Controlled Clinical Trials. JAMA, Volume 286, No. 10, pgs 1218 – 1237. Clark, M. Hampson, S. E. Avery, L. Simpson, R. (2004), Effec ts of a Tailored Lifestyle Self-management Intervention in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. British Journal of Health Psychology , Vol. 9, 365–379. Dixon, L. Weiden, P. Delahanty, J. , (2000) Prevalence and correlates of diabetes in national schizophrenia samples. Schizophrenia Bulletin Vol. 26, pp 903–12. Dunning, T. (2009) Care of People with Diabetes, A Manual of Nursing practice, 3rd edition, Wiley Blackwell, pp. 36 – 49.Eatwell Plate, (2011), Department of Health in association with the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland. Egan, G. (1998), The skilled helper, a problem-management approach to helping. Brookes/Cole, CA. Fishbein, M. Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Foresight (2007), Tackling obesities: Future choices – Modelling Future Trends in Obesity & their Impact on Health. 2nd edition, Government Of fice for Science. Kim, C. J. Hwang, A. R. Yoo, J. S. , (2004).The impact of a stage matched intervention to promote exercise behaviour in participants with type 2 diabetes. International Journal of Health Promotion, 41, 833-841. Kirk, A. F. Higgins, L. A. , Hughes, A. R. , Fisher, B. M. Mutrie, N. , Hillis, S. , et al. (2001). A randomized, controlled trial to study the effect of exercise consultation on the promotion of physical activity in people with type 2 diabetes: a pilot study. Diabetic Medicine, Vol. 18, pp 877-882. Lean, M. E. Pajonk, F. G. (2003), Patients on atypical antipsychotic drugs: another high-risk group for type 2 diabetes: response to Hardy and Breier [letter].Diabetes Care, Vol. 26, pp 3202-3203. Liberman, R. P. Hilty, D. M. Drake, R. E. et al, (2001), Multidisciplinary Roles in the 21st Century; Requirements for Multidisciplinary Teamwork in Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Psychiatric Services, doi: 10, 1176/appi. ps. 52. 10. 1331. Nash, M. (2009), Mental Health Nu rses’ Diabetes Care Skills. British Journal of Nursing, Vol. 18, No 10, pp 626-630. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2008), Type 2 Diabetes: The Management of Type 2 Diabetes. NICE Clinical Guideline 66. Developed by the national Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions.Mental Health Act (1983) Code of Practice, (2001), 7th edition, Department of Health and Welsh Office under licence from the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2009), Depression in Adults with a Chronic Physical Health Problem: Treatment and Management. NICE clinical guideline 91. Developed by The National Collaborating centre for Mental Health. Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct (2002): Standards for Conduct, Performance and Ethics. Nursing and Midwifery Council. Prochaska, J.O. DiClemente, C. C. (1983) Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: toward an integrative model of change. Journal Consult Clinical Psychology, June; 51(3):390–5. Roach, M. S. , (1992), The Human Act of Caring; A Blueprint for the Health Professions, 2nd Edn. Canadian Hospital Association Press, Ottawa. Cited in, An Integrated Career and Competency Framework for Diabetes Nursing, (2001) 3rd Edn. TREND, pg. 4. Published by SB Communications Group. Rollnick S, & Miller, W. R. (1995). What is motivational interviewing? Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, Vol. 3, 325-334. Schoepf, D. Potluri, R. Uppal H. et al (2012), Type-2 diabetes mellitus in schizophrenia: increased prevalence and major risk factor of excess mortality in a naturalistic 7-year follow-up. EUR. Psychiatry, Vol. 1, pp 33-42. VanWormer, J. J. Boucher, J. L. (2004), Motivational interviewing and diet modification: a review of the evidence. The Diabetes Educator, 30 (3): 404-416. Xeniditis, K. Russell, A. Murphy, D. (2001), Management of people with challenging behaviours. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, Vol. 7, pp109-116. Articles accessed onlineDepartment of Health (2010) Programme Budgeting Tools and Data. Available online and accessed July 2012 at: http://www. dh. gov. uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Financeandplanning/Programmebudgeting/DH_075743). Diabetes UK. Available and accessed online in July 2012 at: http://www. diabetes. org. uk/About_us/News_Landing_Page/Half-of-people-with-diabetes-have-high-blood-pressure/ http://www. diabetes. org. uk/Get_involved/Campaigning/Putting-feet-first/? gclid=CPyGnpCyo7ECFcVkfAodWzK1zg http://www. diabetes. org. uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Complications/Retinopathy/? clid=CJjF7q63o7ECFYzbfAodghophw Friedli, L. Parsonage M. (2007), Mental Health Promotion: Building the Economic Case. Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health. Available online and accessed July 2012: http://www. chex. org. uk/media/resources/mental_health/Mental%20Health%20Promotion%20-%20Building%20an%20Economic%20Case. pdf Mail online. Available and accessed in July 2012 at: http:// www. dailymail. co. uk/health/article-1309609/The-cruel-cost-ignoring-diabetes-Jane-lost-arm-legs-disease-like-didnt-seriously. html NHS Choices.Accessed online in July 2012 and available at: http://www. nhs. uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Whybeactive. aspx UK prospective Diabetes Study (1977-1997). Available and accessed online in July 2012 at: http://www. dtu. ox. ac. uk/ukpds_trial/index. php Appendix 1 Scenario Lavinia (pseudonym) is a 25 year old female with a history of schizophrenia stretching back to her late teens. She has been placed on a section of the Mental Health Act (MHA, 1983) and detained on a psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) due to her presenting with chaotic behaviour posing a threat to

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Social and Ethical Dimensions of Information and communication Research Paper

Social and Ethical Dimensions of Information and communication Technology - Research Paper Example This in turn has lead to job displacements in huge numbers. The use of information communication technology requires less deployment of man power which in turn has forced some companies to reduce their workforce, while others giving their employees more roles than required with fewer benefits which lead to increased work pressure. In a business environment, security is a serious issue of consideration as a result of increased cases of theft and related vices. In effort to curbing the challenge of insecurity, surveillance cameras developed with proper databases are installed to monitor and survey the environment and activities through this technology. In many nations, Closed Camera Televisions are commonly used in crimes department to deal with crime cases. Besides having high security benefits, introduction of CCTV has nevertheless resulted to infringement of privacy and freedoms of various individuals within the area under surveillance. This is because privacy is an important aspect and a fundamental human right. The dilemma in this case here is that, the introduction of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) has enhanced security and the expense of individuals’ freedom and privacy. Consequently, the installation of CCTV in public places has deteriorated human privacy and freedom. Reviewing J.S. Mill’s perspective of utilitarianism, the importance of the introduction and use of CCTV is judged by its effects2. The numerous positive consequences that have come along with the introduction of CCTV in the society, it is well seen that CCTV has highly assisted in curbing crimes hence many private companies view the use of CCTV surveillance as a good idea judged by the fact of its practical benefits. As a result, it is arguable that CCTV is helping should remain in place for its benefits. Secondly, comparing the issue of high security to deteriorated privacy, CCTV’s advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The challenge is whether CCTV should remain in position

Friday, September 27, 2019

HIST 1400 assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HIST 1400 - Assignment Example Enlightenment philosophies diluted the pretenses of previous strict principles (Cole, 2013). Enlightenment philosophies did not embrace the idea of liberation of mind and morality. As a result, it became hard for such ways of thinking to differentiate liberation of the mind from the idea of inevitability. I think the French revolution was more revolutionary than the American one. This because the French were against a society of social classes and the idea that aristocracy is innate. This movement practically spread the idea that all people are born as equals and that there is no elite class in a community of human beings (Cole, 2013). On the other hand, American revolutionists simply wanted to establish their own rule away from the influence of the British, the colonizers. American revolutionists were against the idea of paying taxes to the British without any representation in the government. I agree with historian Simon Schama that violence was a â€Å"source of collective energy† for the French revolution. The violence of the French Revolution was avoidable. It is possible to imagine a course of events in which violence was not so prevalent during the French Revolution. If the king adhered to the revolutionists’ demands and made an effort to establish a constitutional government, violence would not have been necessary (Cole,

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Riordan Corporate Compliance Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Riordan Corporate Compliance Plan - Essay Example The officials and the directors of Riordan are obligated to comply with all state corporation requirements, the Articles of incorporation, and its By-Laws. This is crucial as it entails for maintaining harmonious working relationship in the company, minimise conflicts arousal and in case they arise should be tackled in the best way possible. (ii) Legal Liability of Riordan Administration Looking at the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Riordan Industries, their dedication and commitment towards ensuring high ethical standards, as well as compliance to the applicable laws in all its practices, is outstanding in the company. In order to make sure that the operations in all programs and service delivery are conducted with compliance to appropriate laws and uphold high ethical standards; a Corporate Compliance Plan is inevitable. ... The steps outlined in the Plan are crucial to the company in the prevention of negative and uncalled for actions; further, facilitate the company to benefit from risks and eventually roll predictions to the benefit of the company (Biegelman, 2008). There is crucial necessity to look into given matters that could extend into many larger inconveniences and challenges if the company fails to manage assertively, the activities involved. (iii) Legal options In the eventual arising of legal problems concerning Riordan Manufacturing, the most probable and cost effective method will be employed. Whenever applicable, Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) will be imperative for use instead of the traditional forms of litigation to save the company time, money and possible public analysis. The reason behind the use of ADR at Riordan is because it will lead to an effective way of resolving the current dispute and enhancing business competition with each other. The following section looks into th e ADR of Riordan in details. Alternative Dispute Resolution Riordan Manufacturing will incorporate the use of ADR where possible in its quest to handle disputes, differences, discrepancies, controversies and dissension among the employees. There are instances where the employee engages in illegal activities or hinders proper investigations; in such circumstances, the employee is subject to litigation or cessation of duties. Further, the employee is right to obtaining of legal counsel whenever situations warrants for, and at the employee’s expense. Whenever a case has a direct bearing on the welfare of the organization, legal counsel can be provided at the employer’s

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Interface design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interface design - Essay Example Moreover, the intellectual level of target group should be a guiding principle for the interface design document. The user should feel relaxed and comfortable while using the interface and it must be a pleasurable experience. â€Å"Each moment has the potential to increase user’s confidence or destroy his trust in a product or company, and each one is an important piece of the whole experience† (Hoekman 2008). Requirement Analysis of Potential Audience This requires narrowing down what type of information, features and products your targeted audience would be looking for. The basic theme of interface is designed keeping in mind the research conducted in Assignment # 1, which underlines the identification of the user group before starting the development of the product. In our case the site offers massaging services and allied facilities to its customers. The identified customer group is mainly comprised of the middle-aged women of the upper middle class and the elite cl ass of the society. However, there are other groups of customer which are attracted by the product and they include more or less every age group bearing children. The site should also support the customer class where a massage therapy is advised by the doctors. The identified user group is supposed to be well-off and educated. More often than not this group will use the services for stress management and in some cases for medical reasons. The basic theme of the interface is required to be light and refreshing. A shade of light green is used as the theme color of the site. This gives a soothing and refreshing effect to the site. The interface is designed to impart a comforting and gentle effect at first sight to address the issue of the major group of customers while incorporating the needs of the rest of the identified groups. Special care is taken in use of images at the site and especially at the home page of the site to further support and endorse the theme of the site. This is s hown below in figures 1 and 2. [Figure 1: The home page for zypresse.com] [Figure 2: The about us section for zypresse.com] Numbers of interviews were conducted for inclusion of user opinions in the development of the interface. During this process some of the expected clients of the massage services insisted on the availability of video clips of various massaging techniques at the web interface. Feedback of the clients was also integrated in the shape of the price list for various services offered by the massage center. Moreover the names, specialties, and experience of various therapists have also been provided on the basis of requirement analysis. This is shown below in figures 3 and 4. [Figure 3: The video support section for zypresse.com] [Figure 4: The price list section for zypresse.com] A number of doctors, surgeon and physician are consulted to bridge the gap between the customer needs and the product design. This process helped a lot in rationalization and understanding of the customer’s requirement. The user group of massage services is particularly comprised of middle-aged ladies, however adult men and elderly people may also form a part of this user group. Therefore the interface design especially caters for the requirements of this user grou

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

NATIONAL LIBERATION, INTERNAL STRIFE AND INTERNATIONAL MACHINERY Essay

NATIONAL LIBERATION, INTERNAL STRIFE AND INTERNATIONAL MACHINERY - Essay Example The oil industry went ahead to create an industrial proletariat, but the numbers remained quite low in the capital-intensive industry. When oil workers made demands on their flushed proprietor, they did not earn any redress. The foreign management recycled prejudices that did not respond to the workers aspirations. W. T. Wallace, who was the vice president of Venezuela Gulf at that time, felt that taking care of these workers did not matter much, and there was no need for listening to their demands. In the 1950s, the country’s oil production doubled. Between 1948 and 1957, the oil industry managed to earn the government $7 billion in terms of revenues (Prashad 177). This amount was the highest compared to the previous public revenues ever since the country became colonized by Spain. This money gained from revenues and the enormous capital from foreign investment flooded the country. It was used in the construction boom at the Caracas city. Freeways circled the valley, enclosing European-style apartment buildings and enormous shopping arcades which included the world’s most profitable branch of Roebuck and Sears (Prashad 178). Between 1952 to1958, Venezuela’s dictator Marcos Perez used the revenues gained from the oil industry for reconstructing urban Venezuela. The rich created a paradise Caracas valley while an enormous migration began to settle on the hillsides. These were not oil workers, which in most cases lived in company housing near the oil field to the west of the country. The migrants came in response to the great social upheaval in Venezuela, caused in large part by the rapid economic growth which resulted from the steady growth in oil profits. The country experienced an enormous increase in its gross national product that hit 95 percent, and this was a great boost for the construction trade and the service industry for the wealthy (Prashad 178). From 1950 to 1965, the country experienced an

Monday, September 23, 2019

Medical case study report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Medical case study report - Essay Example Frequent monitoring of the blood sugar at least after every 4 hours is also important to ensure the episodes of hypoglycaemia do not occur (1). The second scenario could be if Dooley’s creatinine clearance >50-60 ml/min or higher, it is recommended that metformin be administered at a reduced dose while increasing as tolerated to a highest of 1G daily. The third scenario is if Mr. Dooley had comfortably used Gliclazide 60mg for a long time, it may be continued. However, this should be taken with food followed by close monitoring of blood glucose to avert any episode of hypoglycaemia (2). Therapeutics issues: Clarithromycin has the capability of interacting with simvastatin thus may lead to the increase in the simvastatin’s blood levels because clarithromycin is CYP 3A4 inhibitor and Simvastatin mainly metabolised by CYP3A4 administration with drugs that inhibit these enzymes may increase its concentration which increase risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis (Paravastatin a re not metabolised by CYP enzyme therefore it had reduce risk) (3). Also verapamil interact with simvastatin which could increase in simvastatin level which increase risk of liver damage. Heart rate may also be lowered by combining verapamil and clarithromycin since this combination reduces blood pressure and may cause dizziness and headaches. The patient is also advised to cease use verapamil because it has potential for side effects such as constipation. Suggested use of CCB (lercanidipin) 10mg daily which can be increased in a two weeks time depending on the therapeutic response exhibited by the patient. Long term use of coloxy and Senna is not recommended since they stimulate laxatives in long term treatment of constipation. It should therefore be withdrawn gradually within two to four weeks and the bowel condition checked regularly. The use of high doses of Fosinopril dose is not healthy for the elderly patient since it could also contribute to dizziness and lightheadness. The

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Angry Men Essay Example for Free

Angry Men Essay The character in this movie that was the most effective critical thinker was juror 8(Henry Fonda). The types of characteristics that Fonda, exemplify is provisionalism, creativity, and critical thinking. By doing this he is uncover new ways of interpreting evidence, turns to certainty and shortsightedness when arriving at conclusions. For example, Fonda commented on how the boy had been slapped around all his life and was treated poorly. This kind of thinking leads to more external attributions—it was the way the boy was treated in life, not something inherent about the boy or his character. Next Fonda asks the jurors to consider the larger picture: the defendants background, the witnesses credibility, and the defending attorneys motives. He then shakes up the room by presenting a knife identical to the murder weapona weapon that the jurors were certain was unique. At this point, he has them wavering about reasonable doubt. Fonda was clearly self-confident. He had complete conviction in what he was doing and saying which instilled confidence in other members of the jury who were leaning in that direction a guilty verdict. The character that is the least effective critical thinker is juror 3 (Lee J. Cobb). Cobb made more internal attributions for the boy’s behavior. He agreed with the slum kid idea, but also focused on the notion that kids today don’t have any respect or sense of morality. He is basing this decision on his own life situation because of his poor relationship with his son. Cobb categorizes the defendant as a rebellious kid and wants to persecute him. Another example is when Henry Fonda insulted Lee Cobb by calling him a sadist and that due to his own beliefs. Cobb got mad and said: â€Å"I’m gonna kill ya. † Thus, when Cobb said it, it was just the situation that provoked this expression, but when the boy said it, it was an indication of his murderous rage. So this is an example of Cobb is view as bias. The other jurors are shocked that he seems to have forgotten the sure and certain facts of the case that prove the defendants guilt. Now these are facts, you cant refute facts as stated by Cobb. The barriers that prevented three other jurors were racist, baseball fan, advertisement. Ed Begley was racist this become a barrier when thinking ritically because he is so ingrained in the way of his life. He is not simply accepting information at face value in a non-critical or non-evaluating way. He feel that because the boy as a slum kid this is stereotypes which lead to a biased way of interpreting the evidence. He relayed the idea that there’s something about slum kids who belong to certain ethnic groups that makes them i nherently rotten. These are internal attributions which lead to more of a guilty verdict. Jack Ward barrier was that he wants to conform with the majority in order to quickly end the deliberations so he can attend a ballgame. He was selfish and inconsiderate that another person life was at stack. He also stated the he had enough of all the talking and wasn’t going to say nothing. But when was asked why he could not response why. Webber was continually strays off course with advertising stories and slogans. His job was getting in the way of his decision. Not staying focus on what is going on can lead to the wrong decision. Towards the middle of the movie Sweeny, Marshall, and Voskovec all become critical thinkers. Sweeny initially conformed in the public vote, but switched when it was private—suggesting that he went along with the crowd. But then later he remembers information that the eye witness stated. Sweeny did not accuse either of the eye witnesses of lying but question the information. He said that these people believed they saw the boy commit the crime. In other words, they somehow misremembered what they saw and heard. Thus, they probably witnessed an ambiguous event and filled in the missing information with details that were prescribed by their own stereotypes of slum kids. In addition, the police officers and lawyers who interviewed the witnesses may have planted false memories in them by asking leading questions. In either case, these people probably believed that they saw the boy at the scene of the crime—but this was probably due to the misinformation effect. With Marshall at first he refuses to budge until he is presented with sound reasons for changing his mind. He went by the boys alibi was that he was at the movies when the murder took place. Marshall said that because the boy couldn’t remember the names of the films and who played in them when he was interviewed by the police then he obviously was lying but he remembers that the boy was under conditions of high emotional stress. Thus Marshall failed to consider how the stress of the situation could have affected the boy—and just made an internal attribution that he is a liar. However, when Marshall was asked to remember the films he saw last weekend, he couldn’t fully remember them—even without emotional stress. Marshall also eventually changed his vote based on informational influence. He was convinced that the female eye witness had poor eyesight and therefore couldn’t make a positive identification. This was less of a superficial change. Voskovec became a critical thinker because throughout the trail he took down information that he felt was important. Then when it was time to deliberate him then took down more information that each juror had to say. By this his was gathering important information to base his decision on whether the boy is guilty or not. The four types of logical fallacies that are present in the jurors thinking process are flaws in thinking, illogical sequences of thought, stereotyping, obfuscation, and other typical critical thinking errors displayed in the movie as the characters move through the stages of critical thinking development. Fonda and Cobb revealed an emotional argument: The whole debate in which one character called the other a sadist. A scuffle occurred afterward. Ed Begley revealed unqualified generalization: he was a racist who hated slum-kid such as the defendant. He went on a rant in which he claimed not a one of them are any good. Sweeny showed false analogy: When he mentions how the one of the witnesses in the trial just made a up a story to get attention. The character said that he knew because he would have done the same thing, were he as lonely as the witness.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Hamlet Foils Fortinbras Essay Example for Free

Hamlet Foils Fortinbras Essay In Hamlet, one of Shakespeare’s most recognizable plays, Shakespeare portrays a great example of a literary foil between Fortinbras and Hamlet. Fortinbras, a minor character, possesses traits that emphasize Hamlet’s distinctive qualities. Fortinbras’ characteristics bring out both the worst and the best out Hamlet throughout the play. In Act IV Scene IV, Hamlet’s soliloquy points out every one of Fortinbras’ qualities that Hamlet admires. Fortinbras inspires Hamlet to be a man of action. Hamlet knows that he has been thinking too precisely on the event of killing Claudius. On the other hand, Fortinbras is ambitious and takes actions for what the believes in. For example, in the letter to the King, Young Fortinbras made it clear that he was going to get back the land his father lost. King Fortinbras’ death gave his son determination and motivation to make his father proud. Unlike Fortinbras, Hamlet just weeps over his father’s death. Hamlet continues to talk about his hatred for Claudius and vows revenge for King Hamlet’s murder, but takes no action in it. In Act III Scene III, Hamlet shows his tragic flaw, procrastination. Instead of taking advantage of the only moment Hamlet has alone with Claudius, Hamlet over thinks the situation and makes up an excuse for himself to not kill Claudius. In contrast to Hamlet’s indecisiveness, Fortinbras knows what he wants and makes it happen. For instance, for Fortinbras’ plan to invade Poland to work, he independently gathered 20,000 men for his army. Even though most of Fortinbras’ qualities contrast from Hamlet, his qualities encourage Hamlet to be at his full potential. Hamlet looked up to Fortinbras and highly respected him. Shakespeare did an excellent job of showing the foil between Fortinbras and Hamlet in his writing.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Congo Rainforest Ecosystem

Congo Rainforest Ecosystem Kaili Zhang There is a plethora of research on rainforests ecosystem, but the Congo forest has received little apprehension. By comparing to other tropical forests, this ecosystem remains astoundingly healthy. However, its size has significantly reduced due to the impending degradation. It extends over 13 countries that lie within the equator (CARPE, 2013). This region is a home of developing countries where people rely directly on the forest resources for their survival. For this reason, the habitat receives immense threat with its hardwood and biodiversity slowly degraded. Suffice to say that the healthy state of the forests is due to the conservation measures that focus on managing the resources from the imminent danger of the growing population. It has sophisticated hydrological network with Congo River portraying a huge source of water across West Africa. This ecosystem presents enormous benefits to the balance of ecology and existence of diversity. Location The absolute location of Congo rainforest is 99Â ° North and 79Â ° west. It lies within the equatorial region of central Africa. This ecosystem stretches along the Democratic republic of Congo, Guinea, Equatorial, and Rwanda. This is a stretch along the equator, thus cutting across most of the central African countries. Climate This rainforest does well with ostensibly high precipitation, humidity, and temperature. For that reason, it shows a relatively high rainfall with two seasons of March-June and August-November. It has about 117 raining days annually. In this case, an average of 1800mm of rainfall is received within this ecosystem. The dry season begins in November stretches through to March. Temperatures in this place hits high pitch to support the robust vegetation. Here temperatures show stability throughout the seasons with an average of 15Â °C difference of day and night temperatures. In essence, the region has a range of 20Â °-27Â °C annually. However, regions along the rivers and stream often become cool up to 12Â °C (Abernethy, Coad, Taylor, Lee, Maisels, 2013). On the other hand, the humidity maintains at high levels due to the evergreen vegetation. It is usually ranging at 80-90% degrees. The rivers and the rich vegetation support the hydrological system that maintains the conventional rainfall within the region. With high evapotranspiration, it is obvious that the corresponding precipitation will be high. Apparently, the factual evidence of high temperature is because of its location, which is the equator. Therefore, the sun is always shining in the region for about 12 hours daily. With the healthy vegetation, this energy is retained, thus keeping the ecosystem warm. Weather and its patterns In essence, this region is under the tropical climate classification portrayed by high temperatures and high precipitation. It experiences extreme weather pattern due to the underlying emissions, with significant changes in temperatures. In most cases, Congo Forest has extensive cold day and nights with also more hot days and nights. The emissions seem substantial for these changes. Landforms The areas depict a gorge surrounding a valley. Mount Foungouti running in the far south rises above 930 meters with its northern raise being 650 meters. The areas show a sedimentary rock with sand and gravel evident across the forest. However, the top soils are usually replenished due to frequent runoffs that remove organic matter. In the lowlands, the soils are rich of humus from the decaying plants and animals. In this area the soils presents aluminum oxides and iron. Evidently, the region is a low-lying basin that shows little tectonic activities. Most of the geologic activities have ceased for years showing that the area is stable. The heavy rainfall mainly orchestrates erosion and weathering. This is the major agent of erosion; however, the closely compacted vegetation detains its effect. Therefore, the soils in this region are still young showing less vegetation, but high organic processes. Drainage pattern The Congo basin demonstrates a Mosaic drainage pattern in that its tributaries arise within a circular form within the ecosystem. River Congo is a central component of hydrology for this ecosystem. It is the second largest river globally for its volume. It has a mosaic structure of rivers with its tributaries converging at the far west to form the Congo River. It has a discharge of 40,000 m3/s causing great erosion through abrasion, scouring, and lifting earth along its course. In this case, the river shall have enormous deposits in form of alluvial compounds downstream and into the Atlantic Ocean. During the raining season, flooding occurs in the region since the R. Congo bursts its bank at this time spreading to the neighboring villages. In the quest to avoid excessive drainage, the region has invested in structural techniques. Along the rivers, there are dykes that help in reducing the velocity of water. Consequently, gibbons and erection of rock walls along the riverbanks come out as the popular structural ways of mitigating flooding. Biome The ecosystem is a tropical forest with relatively high temperatures, rainfall, and humidity. With high rainfall and huge pile of litter, decomposition is slow making the soils devoid of nutrients. The ecology inhabits vast biodiversity with over 10000 species of plants with 30% endemic to this region. Consecutively, it houses endangered wildlife like elephants, bonobo, mountain gorillas, and the chimpanzees (Turvey, 2012). In addition, the ecosystem has decomposers like earthworms, bacteria, mushroom, banana slug, and fungus. The dominant autotrophs come out as the Caesalpiniacae trees, papyrus, Cyperaceae, Okoume trees, and Echnochloa (Chamber Roberts, 2014). Ecosystem characteristics and services Congo rainforest is one of the tropical ecosystems that have high primary production. Therefore, it has a profound ability to support diverse organisms from secondary producers to decomposers or scavengers. It has many canopies with tall trees supported by stretching taproots. This prevents underground growth, thus less detritus activities. The different canopies support adverse communities of birds, animals, and butterflies. This ecosystem has diverse services like supporting of the entire ecology. They offer energy due to the vast tree and plant communities that in turn allows for nutrients cycling up the chain among consumers and detritus. It is therefore, a critical place for the storage of food and energy. Moreover, the region offers provision services in form of raw materials like wood, water, minerals, food, medicines, or ornaments. The communities have used certain trees like the bromeliads and Epiphytic orchids as medicines for decades. The other service is their cultural significance as they offer sanctuary for native and traditional religious practices. Finally, this ecosystem demonstrates a crucial place in regulating services. Apparently, it has a huge carbon sink and enhances the purification of air and water. For this reason, the Congo forest is one of the areas of carbon sequestration, thus the regulation of climate. Habitat It is a habitat of diverse populations of endangered and threatened species. The forest is one of the wildest tropical habitats for animals like mountain gorillas and the forest elephants. The canopies houses birds with over 100 species endemic to this habitat. Most of the snake here are only present in this habitat. Certain plants and animal communities tend to be robust over the rest. The okapi, apes, mouse deer, chimpanzee, elephants, and monkeys are the main primary consumers with the leopards, crocodiles, and lions as the secondary consumers. On the other hand, African oak, mahogany, and red cedar, which are broad leaves trees dominate this ecosystem at the higher canopy. Food web This ecosystem portrays an exemplary food web with crocodiles, leopards, and lions on the higher trophic level. The primary production ranges from vegetation to tree fruits. The okapi, apes, and mouse deer supports the secondary consumers. At the lower level of the trophic level are the insects, fungi, and bacteria. The food chain often takes a simple route from the producer right to decomposition. For instance; Tree fruitselephant banana slugs The forest elephant is a relatively smaller than the other African elephant making it fit for the ecological niche. They forage on trees leaves and shrubs. Their skin is difficult for predation and large enough to scare away predators. In essence, they can circumvent under trees due to their small size. This animal is best situated for the tropical rainforest ecosystem, more so its influence in facilitating the germination of African eggplant that has to pass through their duct. In this ecosystem, there is different symbiotic interaction. The bonobo-dialium interaction is one of the positive mutualism within the forest. Dialium tree species are dominant in the region and produce sweet juicy fruits that the Bonobo feeds on. The Bonobo in turn digests the fruits passing the seeds along their guts, thus degrading the hard cuticle and after releasing the seeds in their feces, they are able to germinate. The Bonobo through endozoochory helps Dialium in seed germination and dispersal, thus maintaining their population. On the other hand, a strangler fig is one of the parasites that grow in tree and by reaching up they cover the tree denying them light for photosynthesis later killing them. This is common in the high canopies of Congo forest. Evidently, the human-land interaction comes out as the major threat to the sustainability of this forest. People engage in illegal poaching and encroachment of forest for wood and timber. This has led to the extensive degradation of the forests causing a magnanimous loss of different habitats. Activities such as mining of gold have led to destruction of large tracts of forests within the area. This ecosystem is stable, though it has had numerous anthropogenic threats. However, organizations like WWF and local conservation agencies have ensured that encroachment is minimized and forge to protect endangered species like the bush elephants. The banning of elephant products is a critical step in the preservation of this ecosystem. Works Cited Abernethy, K. A., Coad, L., Taylor, G., Lee, M. E., Maisels, F. (2013). Extent and ecological consequences of hunting in Central African rainforests in the twenty-first century . Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Vol. 368, Iss. 1625, 1. CARPE. (2013). The Forests of the Congo Basin. A Preliminary Assessment, 1=39. Chamber, J. Q., Roberts, D. A. (2014). Ecology: Drought in the Congo Basin . Nature, 509 , 36-37. Turvey, M. (2012, November 7 ). The Congo Basin. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from Prezi: https://prezi.com/utopv9ph0a7k/the-congo-basin/

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Electronic Money and Its Impact on Central Banking and Monetary Policy

Electronic Money and Its Impact on Central Banking and Monetary Policy â€Å"The term [electronic] money refers to various proposed electronic payment mechanisms designed for use by consumers to make retail payments. Digital money products have the potential to replace central bank currency† (Berentsen 1). This quote indicates that the advent of electronic money will have an impact on the banking system and monetary policy. While this topic is controversial it seems obvious that some changes will result and that there is no prefect answer to predict this new instruments affect on monetary aggregates and the role of central banks. Its growth will be based on many things: future technology, increased security, regulation, and ease of conversion. It can impact such variables as monetary supply, exchange rates, the money multiplier, velocity of money and seignorage. Increased reliance on electronic money as a substitute for currency will directly affect the central bank and its control over monetary aggregates and policies. Electronic money is the money balance recorded electronically on a â€Å"stored-value† card (Ely 1). These cards, â€Å"smart cards,† have a microprocessor embedded which can be loaded with a monetary value. Another form of electronic money is network money, â€Å"software that allows the transfer of value on computer networks, particularly the internet. Like a travelers check, a digital money balance is a floating claim on a private bank or other financial institution that is not linked to any particular account† (Berentsen 1-2). This money is issued by both public and private institutions worldwide and is raising concern about the future ability of central banks to set money supply targets. It is widely used in... ... Money and Monetary Policy: Separating Fact from Fiction.† The Future of Money in the Information Age, CATO Institute’s 14th Annual Monetary Conference. 23 May 1996. CATO Institute, 25 Nov. 2002 http://www.cato.org/moneyconf/14mc-2.html Seign, George. â€Å"E-money: Friend or Foe of Monetarism.† The Future of Money in the Information Age, CATO Institute’s 14th Annual Monetary Conference. 23 May 1996. CATO Institute, 25 Nov. 2002 Rahn, Dr. Richard W. â€Å"On the Future of Electronic Payments.† CATO Congressional Testimony. 19 Sep. 2000. CATO Institute, 25 Nov. 2002 Berentsen, Aleksander. â€Å"Digital Money, Liquidity, and Monetary Policy.† 1997. First Money, 25 Nov. 2002 http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue2_7/berentsen/

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Analysis of two poems; Prayer Before Birth and Easter Monday Essay

Analysis of two poems; Prayer Before Birth and Easter Monday In this essay I will be analysing two poems. Both poems reflect upon the theme of war. I will be analysing them through their meanings, forms and show how the poets use language to express their ideas and feelings. I have decided to look at the poems Prayer Before Birth by Louis MacNeice and Easter Monday by Eleanor Farjeon. Louis MacNeice was born in 1907, he died in 1963. His mother died when he was young and her death got to him deeply. He studied at Oxford and was one of a group of poets here who became famous. He was intensely affected by the political events of the 1930’s and also by the Second World War. This poem is about an unborn child praying that it should be born into a good world. The only verse which provides images of this good world is verse number three and the images of goodness are linked to nature; water, grass, trees, sky and a white light to guide him. All the other verses are filled with images of a world of hostility, repression, distraction and many of them refer to things that ...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Financial aid Essay

REGISTRATION ?THERE IS A COMPULSORY FIRST YEAR SEMINAR THAT ALL FIRST YEAR STUDENTS MUST ATTEND PRIOR to the date of registration. The first year seminar dates will be communicated to you during November 2014. Failing to attend the first year seminar may lead to your space being allocated to another applicant. ?YOUR DATE OF REGISTRATION WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO YOU DURING NOVEMBER 2014. YOU need to register before or on the specified registration date. If you miss this specific registration date, your study space can no longer be guaranteed as we may then  allocate the space to another applicant. Registration dates can also be found on the UJ website at www. uj. ac. za from December 2014 onwards. NATIONAL BENCHMARK TESTS You are required to complete the National Benchmark Test. For more information please go to http://nbt. ac. za or contact the NBT Call Centre at 021 650 3523. FEES Information on tuition and other fees due for 2015 will be available during November 2014. Please visit the UJ website at www. uj. ac. za for more information. BURSARIES Academic merit bursaries are awarded on the grounds of exceptional grade 12 results. Please visit the UJ website at www. uj. ac. za for more information. NSFAS (NATIONAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SCHEME) The closing date for the NSFAS loan applications is 1 October 2014 and all enquiries in this regard can be made to nsfas@uj. ac. za RESIDENCE Admission to the University does not guarantee admission to the residences. If you applied for admission to a residence, you will receive a separate letter in this regard. AGREEMENT AND INDEMNITY  ?YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE, SIGN AND SUBMIT A FORMAL AGREEMENT (INCLUDING AN exemption and indemnity) with the University when you register. ?IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, A PARENT OR GUARDIAN MUST SIGN THE REQUIRED FORM. ?YOU WILL BE REGISTERED ON THE STRICT UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE Student Charter rules and the Academic Regulations of the University of Johannesburg and of the faculty. ? YOU UNDERTAKE TO PAY THE PRESCRIBED FEES AND ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE BOUND BY THE provisions of the formal agreement. Sincerely, Student Enrolment Centre 011 559 4555.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Philosophy Reflection Paper Essay

The Oxford English Dictionary defines philosophy as â€Å"Knowledge, learning, scholarship; a body of knowledge; spec. advanced knowledge or learning.† By this definition we can gather that philosophy is, essentially, the pursuit of knowledge or understanding on a much higher level than usual. In the following paper I will present my views on philosophy as a whole by examining what I believe philosophy is supposed to do, as well as how it can benefit the life of any individual willing to invest time in it and the societies that promote such thoughts. Ever since its very beginnings in 6th century BCE, philosophy has been used as a tool to help better understand complex questions regarding logic, knowledge, truth, and even human existence itself. I have long considered philosophy to be a method of deeper understanding when it comes to the human life. Why is this? Perhaps it is because a large part of philosophy is focused on argument, debate, and overall interaction with fellow humans, as opposed to other methods that do not focus on these aspects. It is my belief that if we were to attempt to answer by ourselves the difficult questions life poses, then our lives would be very dull and difficult to properly question. Allow me to expand on what I briefly mentioned at the end of the previous paragraph. Each and every one of us is, in my opinion, a prisoner of our respective perception. From birth our minds are plagued by outside influences that shape our mind regardless of how much we try to avoid it. These influences can take on many different forms such as: media, parents, teachers, etc. What ideologies these influences plant in our minds also depends on a number of variables such: nationality, class, race, etc. This, in turn, leads to bias and prevents anyone from being 100% subjective in any matter. We cannot know any one thing or pass off one of our perceptions as absolute truth. In fact, what you are currently reading is only my interpretation of what I have perceived. Therefore, the only way to truly gain an improved understanding of our life and the world we live in is to explore our different perceptions by sharing and challenging these views with others in debate and/or argument. As Socrates once said, â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living.† In other words, if you are not going  to break out of your own prison of perception, then your life will be bland and very difficult. Approaching matters in a philosophical fashion is great for people as individuals, but it is also extremely important in societies as a whole. When members of a particular society strive to be thoughtful of their own views instead of just bashing the views of others, then there is an increase of tolerance and open-mindedness. Through this tolerance the society can then obtain a higher sense of fraternity and respect for one another. Societies that promote debate and an open-minded outlook tend to be more democratic and infringe on the rights of the people less. Take Ancient Greece for example, Ancient Greece is where philosophy was born and just also happened to be unlike any other society at the time. Slavery did exist and the women were not considered true citizens, but when compared to other, much more tribal cultures at the time, the Greek people experienced a freedom unheard of in any other part of the world. Modern countries would do well to incorporate philosophy in areas such as: government/politics, education, etc., and thankfully many do. Given the topics discussed in this paper, I find it hard to believe that the introduction of philosophy into one’s life would not be beneficial in many ways. Analysis and consideration of all views, the careful contemplation of oneself and the environment around them, and the intellectual freedom and open-mindedness that such a practice lends to the societies it is promoted within. I can say with confidence that I believe philosophy is an integral part of human life and should be promoted on an international scale in order for countries to work together to logically solve global problems. â€Å"Philosophy is the highest music.† – Plato â€Å"Philosophy.† Def 1. Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. Draft Revision Sep. 2010

Sunday, September 15, 2019

BrownGirl Brownstones

The prose fiction Brown girl, brownstones by Paula Marshall, is a bloodcurdling with autobiographical elements, tracking the life and experiences of the main protagonist, Salina Boyce and the family and friends in her life. Marshall uses various elements and techniques in the prose, to bring about different themes, characteristics and aspects in her novel. The text is set mainly in the sass's Brooklyn, New York, at a community of brownstone houses occupied by the Baja immigrants.Though there are various perspectives of other personae in the prose, Marshall uses a third person reiterative to show the first person perspective of Salina. The story begins with Salina at ten years old and continues until she is no longer a minor. It shows the theme of identity as Salina is trying to find who she is amongst members in her family. â€Å"But they have taken no photographs†¦ † Was one of the first time Saline's loneliness can be seen in the text. She is Jealous of the fact her par ents took photographs of the family before the death of her infant brother, yet took no keepsakes of hers.Then it goes on to where Marshall is a very descriptive narrator, using a cinematic effect in her story ailing. The scenes shift continuously to suggest simultaneous action which produces a dramatic effect that helps to build conflict and suspense. She also uses devices and diction to bring about various themes and symbolic elements in her text. She uses the technique of epigraph to start each chapter, it is a type of foreshadowing, hinting of what will happen throughout the chapter. It also helps to characterize individuals in the story.Contrast is also a reoccurring technique in the text, as characters such as Sills and Tighten, Nina and Salina, have contradictory personalities. There is also introduction in the symbols and diction in the text. Words such as ‘winter' and ‘Sun', ‘darkness' and ‘light', are contradictory symbols referring to the character istics of individuals such as Saline's parents in the text. The writer involves the use of the Baja dialect as well as English, as if trying to incorporate the reader in the culture of Barbados and also add credibility and realism to the story.It suggests pride in the Baja culture. The author uses various figurative devices in the text. There is a heavy focus on the use of personification and architectural imagery. Symbolism is evident n the prose; using colors such as red to represent romance and sexual relationships; and white, and brownstones to represent upward mobility, status and unattainable goals. Land in the text is also symbolic of independence and opportunity. The use of conflict, such as; mother-daughter, husband-wife, black-white, is brought out by the symbols and conflicting elements in the prose.It shows the destruction in relationships, and accentuates climatic moments, such as when Tighten, used the money Sills stole from him, or when Silent told the whole Baja asso ciation, she'd tricked them. Marshall uses devices such as; imagery, epigraph, motif, reasoning, pathetic fallacy and biblical allusion, to show racism, identity, women in society, family, deceit, and various other themes in the prose fiction. The denouement, begins with Silent recognizing who she is and making final decisions for herself.After all her trials and lost relationships, she finally covers her identity, accepting who she has become, the trials she is yet to face and the people in her past who has made her who she is today. Especially her mother, whom she had always fought against. Rational The life of Tighten Boyce, was the subject chosen for the poem between many view Tighten as a problem in the text Brown girl, brownstones, giving him no sympathy. The poem was intended to convey sympathy for Tighten.His life in the poem is specifically intriguing as though he causes many shifts in characteristics of others in the text, his own life is not emphasized. The poem will hope fully give an explanation of the circumstances surrounding the issues of Tighten death, and his life. Mocking Jay I saw a song bird fight a bird of prey, Beautiful-ugly, he was, filled with sorrow, was she. Night and day, He sang a tune of love and wonder, She sang back of vices and plunder, I tried to save that mocking Jay, But the night stole him away.Where are you my mocking Jay? Trapped in the tomb of brown stones? Your young are calling, where are you? Won't you fight the snow away? Don't you hear the light's moans? Has she trapped him too? No longer perched on your window sills They've clipped your wings You've destroyed their prison The flock screams their Baja banter Fly away home my mocking Jay Swim home my song bird But, mocking Jay's never dive†¦ I'll send a new light your way†¦ For you to see through winter's clock†¦ To save your flock†¦ To blind your eyes†¦And save you from the dark†¦ Shattered tunes of my broken song bird Remember your pra yers Eulogy. The sad broken memory. The life you ran away. Dead like marrow staining the asphalt. Staining corals a sea away. Songs long dead, I'll sing them to you. I'll pray your tarnished soul away. Tighten, my mocking Jay. Analysis The poem â€Å"mocking Jay†, is a kind of stanza elegy, in tribute to a character in the prose text â€Å"Brown girl, Brownstones†. The poet uses the mimicking bird, mocking Jay, to represent the character Tighten in the prose text.Not only do mocking Jays have a gift in music, which was one of the professional genres Tighten attempted, but hey repeat everything sung to them in a mocking manner. Tighten, like these birds, reflects a mocking version of the negatives surround him; from using the money his wife stole from him, to purchase frivolous gifts to spite her; to changing his course of study every time he is confronted with racism or barriers. Tighten also has the dream like (surreal), and fun loving attributes common to these birds .The poem comprises of four sestets, a couplet a single line and a septet. The stanza formation, is quite symbolic. The first stanza is the first of the four sestets. At the end of each sentence in this sestets is a comma. This represents the fact that this relatively pleasant chapter in his life is not yet complete, it won't end in a ‘happy ever after'. It is as if to say that the beginning of their relationship was an unfinished dream. The second sestets ends in a question within, as if questioning the relationship, not understanding the change in the relationship and in Sills.The third sestets ends without punctuation is representative to all the times Tighten and the audience were waiting to see Sill's response to sightings behavior. The final sestets concludes with â€Å"structured-chaotic† punctuation, of when Sill's revenge unfolds it was chaotic n the circumstances of deportation, but structured in that it was her plan all along. Combining with the lack of punct uation, the couplet of stanza five signifies his never ending pain. It symbolizes that, as the lack of punctuation prevents the sentence from truly being complete, his pain and suffering will not end even in the afterlife.The single line consists of one word â€Å"Eulogy†, this refers to the speech given at a funeral or a recollection of the past doings of an individual after he is dead. This word being the shortest stanza, represents the lack of quality and memorabilia Tighten has left behind with his children. The final stanza a sestets can be tied to the biblical representation of the day God rested. The number seven represents the change that occurs after an accomplished cycle. Tighten, accomplices all he could so the last stanza represents his death the final rest he accomplished after his life cycle.The poem has a steady rhythms. Though not all stanzas have a structured rhyme scheme, the poem still flows as if it does. It is like the steady yet unusual flow of life, Jus t as the poem is a depiction of Digestion's life as was represented in the rose fiction. The first stanza contains a set of rhyming couplets, repeating the first rhyme in the last stanza (an â€Å"a, a b, b a, a† format). The last rhyme however is a forced rhyme, this is there to show that leaving the omnipresence was not something the Jay wanted, but was what was forced on him.The second stanza consists of alternate rhymes that emphasize the questioning in this stanza, that he is running alternate scenarios in his mind as to why the wife who used to love him hates him so much now. The fourth sestets has the last rhyme, â€Å"clock† and â€Å"flock†. This symbolizes hat the time he has left with his children is limited as his death is nearing. The rest of the poem is rhyming going parallel to the pores fiction as explanations are revealed in the story, the confusion and rhyming stops.The poem commences with the omnipresent narrator giving a visual imagery of the meeting between two contradicting birds. The â€Å"song bird† represents something happy, passive and peaceful, while â€Å"bird of prey† represents something sly, dominating and warlike. The story continues with oxymoron inverted syntaxes of line two, that helps to emphasize that the creatures have contradicting personae and that their union could ever last as it was based on confusion. Just as in the prose fiction, Sills thought she could turn Tighten into someone he wasn't, and failed.The diction used in the first stanza such as; â€Å"vices†, â€Å"Jay† and â€Å"Night†, aid in displaying the theme of conflict in relationships. ‘Vic's' is the Latin word for change, in reference to the context it highlights Sill's need to change her husband's persona and fight to create a life for them that he never wanted. The capitalization dif words such as Jay and Night, personify these nonhuman objects, in the case of the Jay it helps to emphasize th is Ewing a character trait of Tighten, while the Night highlights Sill's character as bright cold and heartless, but at that time seeming beautiful and peaceful.Lines three and four of the first stanza also help to concretion the theme of contradictory persons in relationships, displayed in the first stanza. Stanza two is a rhetorical question sestets, it constantly asks questions the Jay' is obviously unable to answer, and these are symbolic of the time where the relationship between Sills and Tighten was confusing. He didn't know where she stood, whether still in love with IM or hating h for the injustice she believes he did to their son, the first line emphasizes this.It follows with a reference to the brownstone house Sills spent a majority of the text fighting to obtain. The use of diction such as â€Å"prison†, â€Å"brown†, and â€Å"stones† was a slight pun as a Jay would find a house made of stones a prison, and Juxtaposed with the text, it can be said that Tighten saw the house his wife fought so much for was like a prison to him, and a symbol of his failures in his relationships and providing for his family. Line two is the first and only mention of their children in the poem.This is symbolic as it shows that not only did Tighten not spend enough time with them and focused more on himself, but he also failed as a father in that he couldn't protect them from the â€Å"snow† which is a personified symbolism of his wife. The personification of the ‘light', at the end of the stanza references all the happiness and innocence still in the family. When the persona asks about the moaning light that ‘she' has trapped it means that he was unable to prevent the happiness and life from leaving their family, this aids in uncovering the themes of failing one's family and loosing things that are important.The third stanza has the most textual allusions, the stanza opens with a pun, â€Å"window sills†. As a bird a sil l is somewhere you can rest, be at peace like a home, in this means Tighten no longer feels at home in the browns stones. Sills is also the name of his wife so it can mean that he is also no longer feeling happy in his marriage, as shown in the text queen he began going you the house form his mistress in the nights. â€Å"They've clipped your wings† line two of the stanza refers to when he almost got his arm amputated due to his indolence.This is symbolic as it is a physical representative ND slight foreshadowing of how his time was ending. The next line refers to the song they sang to him at the wedding. The ‘f†, ‘s', ‘the' and ‘b' fricative and plosive so funds of the fourth line in the third stanza, emphasizes the running and the drama happening in that scene of the text. The ‘swim home' in the last line of that stanza references the Caribbean since Islands in the Caribbean are surrounded by water. The last sestets refers to the last act ions before Digestion's death.It starts with a pun, on Digestion's childhood, as he dived for the coins white men through at him, and also an allusion to him diving to his death. The ‘new light' is symbolic for Digestion's religious period, where the movement of the new light helped him to finally discover himself, though completely swiping his personality. Winter's clock' is symbolic for Digestion's attempts at going back in time to rectify the problems mainly caused by his relationship with his wife.The couplet, single line and septet, is after his death. People have pained cries due to morning Digestion's death. The mansion of Prayers refer to his newfound beliefs and Eulogy is the speech given at a funeral. The final stanza is technically the omnipresence's eulogy for Tighten, though it shows that he s not someone people will remember with respect. It speaks of how he could have had a life if he'd made different choices. It gives an image of his death at sea, and its conne ction to his past in the Caribbean.It then shows the general sadness surrounding his death, and accentuates the theme of death in the text. The poem changes from a tone of observation, to unease, to sadness. Hopefully bringing out an overall sympathy for the persona. Though it is not a total rhyming poem, it still has a flowing rhythms that showcases the life cycle of Tighten, as shown in the text. Conclusion The text Brown girl, brownstones, is an excellent depiction of women and men in immigrant communities.Most persons generally sympathize with the women of these communities, however this poem has hopefully garnered a positive response to men in these communities, and those shown in the text. This may help persons to recognize that women were not the only ones with problems in the text. The blame for these conflicts also, should not be solely the fault of males like Tighten, in the prose, but equally shared between each individual, and characters in the prose fiction.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

History of Work Force Monitoring and Surveillance Essay

The extent to which organizations monitor their employees reflects a lot about how the organization perceives its employees. Workforce surveillance entails email and internet monitoring, gathering of personal data, biometrics, local tracking as well as covert surveillance. Studies show that surveillance has been a part of organizational routine since time immemorial and that surveillance can take technological and social forms. There are varied reasons as to why companies would want to monitor their employees (Adams, et al. 200). Technological advancement has over time revealed many loopholes through which valued company records such as client data can be accessed illegally. On the other hand, the Federal Trade Commission of the United States established the Safeguard Rules that seek to protect client information against any physical and technical threats so to retain confidentiality, integrity and privacy of such data. Most companies thus install surveillance systems to help them comply with the federal law since it is hard to trust every employee. Workforce surveillance also helps in protecting the organization against legal liabilities. Monitoring facilitates for the individual protection of employees by eliminating or reducing any occurrence of harassment in the work force. Electronic surveillance has for instance enabled organizations to protect their assets, reduce misuse of company resources an in avoiding any legal liabilities. According to a 2001 work place surveillance and monitoring report by the American Management Association, 82% of organization use electronic surveillance and that close to 14 million employees in U. S are under surveillance (American Management Association, 2001). Some legal procedures have been put forward to justify surveillance. The Defense Counsel Journal argues for surveillance by outlining employer rights for monitoring such as: work quality; use of the employer’s equipments; fraud and theft concerns; and the fact that the employee is within the company vicinity (Kirstie, 2010). Surveillance could have consequences on employees and some of the consequences could be detrimental to the organization. Surveillance can affect the work culture, the well being of employees, productivity, motivation and creativity. However, reasonableness is paramount in the whole process of workforce surveillance. The question of respect for employee rights to privacy disqualifies surveillance to some extent such that the whole process seems to be unethical. Legal advisors note that it is extremely important that employees get to know that the surveillance is part of the company routine and that employee consent matter a lot. Reasonable monitoring and surveillance protects important company information, enhances compliance with federal law, protects employee rights, and improves productivity and the work environment. However, it is essential that organizations balance between their monitoring needs and employee privacy.

Mass and Energy Balance Essay

Abstract The objective is to produce a proposal for a chemical process plant which will be able to produce 550,000 tonne/year ammonia using LPG as the raw material. Different processes where researched and then finally one was picked, steam reforming. This was decided to be the most viable and cost effective process using the raw materials we had available. The report explains in detail how the process works and all aspects of how the plant will work including the mass and energy balance across the plant. What is Ammonia Ammonia (NH3) is a stable compound and is used as a starting material for the manufacture of many important nitrogen compounds and can also be directly used as fertilisers. It is produced by reacting hydrogen and nitrogen. It is a colourless gas with a sharp odour. The boiling point is -33.35oC and its freezing point is -77.7oC.1 Care must be taken when handling ammonia as can cause deep burns in the skin; irritation in the eyes and nose and when inhaled can cause coughing, sore throat and headache.2 There are different methods for the manufacture of ammonia. The three main methods are steam reforming, partial oxidation and electrolysis. Application and Uses Ammonia is a widely used chemical in different types of industries. One of the main user of ammonia is the agricultural industries for fertilisers. Around 80% of ammonia produced is for fertilisers such as urea, ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate.3 It is also used as a building block for nitrogen containing compounds like nitric acid (HNO3). It is also used in the fibres and plastics industry for the production of acrylonitrile, melamine etc., and manufacture of explosives. Ammonia is also used in water treatment such as pH control and also in combination with chlorine to purify industrial and municipal water supplies. Less commonly uses include as a refrigerant in compression and absorption systems, manufacture of household ammonia, in the food and beverage industry 4. Figure 1: Pie chart showing the uses of Ammonia. Market Trends Globally ammonia prices have been headed up due the large demand of fertilisers that are needed in the crop production to obtain high yield6. The current selling price of ammonia in Europe goes up to $600 per tonne7. Figure 2: Shows the global demand for Ammonia (D.a.NH3- Direct application of Ammonia) As we can see from the chart the trend of ammonia demand globally is upward. It is said that the global ammonia market is to generate revenues of approx. US$102 billion in 2019. As there is continous growth in population in the developing countries the likely to cause demand for foodstuffs are to increase even further. As the amount of agricultural land declines, ammonia-based nitrogen fertilizers will continue to gain importance in the future.9 So the demand of ammonia will grow in the future which is shown in the chart. Processes There are many different processes involved in the ammonia production. The most common processes for ammonia are partial oxidation, steam reforming and electrolysis. From these 3 processes the best process route is then selected and that process would be most economical and that meetes the design brief. Partial Oxidation Partial oxidation involves the reaction of oxygen with fuel to produce hydrogen. The following equations represent the partial oxidation of ethane, propane, butane and pentane. 10 C2H6 + O2 2CO + 3H2, C3H8 + 1.5O2 3CO + 4H2, C4H10 + 2O2 4CO + 5H2, C5H12 + 2.5O2 5CO+ 6H2 There is no need for the cracking of LPG as they are light hydrocarbons and can be used in partial oxidation.11 See Partial Oxidation flow sheet (Reference 1: Partial Oxidation Flow Sheet) Hazards and Environmental Impact The main emission is carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas and Partial Oxidation process emits more carbon dioxide compared to Steam Methane Reforming. Carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by recycling it and selling it to urea and nitro-phosphate plants.13 No ammonia should be present in the air but maybe because of faulty equipment and maintenance activities, some ammonia maybe released. Ammonia becomes explosive at the 16%-25% volume in air which could occur if there are any leakages in the ammonia storage facilities. It is also toxic by inhalation and pulmonary oedema can occur up to 48 hours after exposure and could be fatal.12 Nitrogen dioxide that is released is a toxic gas can be harmful when inhaled but can be avoided as can be detected because of the smell. The large amount of waste water from this process is another problem but there is a river near the Milford Haven site. Also water pollution is a concern which may occur because of the suspended and dissolved impurities. It could also affect the aquatic life. Therefore the water must be treated in a full three stage water treatment plant before disposing it. 13 The disadvantage of partial oxidation is that the capital costs are higher for partial oxidation compared to any other process. It is estimated to be  £100-120 million for an annual production of 7.7 million GJ while for SR it will only be  £70 million. 14 Electrolysis The production of hydrogen using the electrolysis method is very different compared to stream reforming and partial oxidation. Electrolysis produces hydrogen by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using volts of current to separate the hydrogen to one electrode and oxygen at the other in a cell. Oxygen is the by-product in the process of producing ammonia which is valuable because it can be used in other chemical processes or sold to other companies for profit. In electrolysis there is no CO2 produced therefore there is no pollution. Standard electrolytic ammonia production energy consumption historically has been about 12 megawatt-hour. The fuel cost alone of making ammonia is $600 metric ton, and including capital and operating expenses that metric ton of ammonia cost about $800 to make. Compare electrolytic and using uses of natural gas as raw material the economically, for the past 100 years the cost of natural gas has not been higher than $1 and the fuel cost for a metric ton of ammonia from natural gas has been $30-$40. Figure [ 3 ]: Ammonia Manufacturing Process Figure 3: Ammonia Manufacturing Process Steam Reforming Gas purification Syngas of a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and water can be broken down in to individual components and further cleansed through purification. The syngas will enter a shift reformer, which breaks down the carbon monoxide in to hydrogen and carbon dioxide using steam (H2O). Carbon dioxide is much more environmentally friendly than CO and can either be released in to the atmosphere or used in other steam reforming processes in the future. Desulphurisation Sulphur is a problem when carrying out steam reforming as it acts as a poison for the catalysts involved. It is important that this is removed prior to the syngas entering the system. The process is carried out in the presence of a catalyst, which is usually nickel. This nickel acts as an absorber for the sulphur, and so several catalyst-filled tubes within the system with a large internal surface area will allow the sulphur to collect to be disposed of suitably. The Process Hydrocarbons usually contain sulphur which needs to be removed. The purification section is the first bed of the whole steam reforming process. Feed is passed through tubes containing zinc oxide. The sulphur in the feed reacts with the zinc oxide to produce zinc sulphide. This is to ensure that the feed travelling to the steam reformer does not poison the catalysts in this section in any way. The catalysts used in the steam reforming process are nickel-based. These are easily poisoned by sulphur species. The purified feed is mixed with steam and then is passed to the primary reformer, which involves a nickel-based catalyst where the steam reforming process is carried out. Once the hydrocarbon is cleansed of sulphur, the reforming process can begin. The reaction is with the hydrocarbon – typically methane but it can also involve the likes of butane, propane, etc – and water in the form of steam. The reaction for methane (CH4) is shown below. CH4 + H2O 3H2 + COΔH = +251kJmol-1 C3H8 + 6H2O 3CO2 + 10H2 C2H6 + 4H2O 2CO2 + 7H2 C4H10 + 8H2O 4CO2 + 7H2 C5H12 + 10H2O 5CO2 + 16H2 Reactions for other hydrocarbons, such as ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), butane (C4H10) and pentane (C5H12) are also shown, with their respective steam amounts required and the products gained. Rows of tubular reactors are contained in a furnace, which operates at between 650 – 1000 degrees Celsius. The hydrocarbon feed enters the system at a very high pressure, typically 20 – 30 bar. The process is carried out in the presence of a nickel-based catalyst which is packed into cylindrical tubes through which the steam/hydrocarbon gas mixture is passed. The catalysts act as surface for which the hydrocarbon will absorb and the steam. (Reference 2: Steam Reforming Flow Sheet) Justification Steam reforming is the most viable proposition as we have all of the raw materials available within easy access, whereas if we were to use other processes, then we would have to source other materials e.g. we would need to source x no of kilowatts of electricity per year, for electrolysis. Mass Balance Cp Values Energy Balance Material Costs Simple Plant Cost Using a base of around  £410 per ton of ammonia, and output at 550,000 tonnes, it would be assumed that the plant would produce  £225,500,000 a year of ammonia. The Burrup plant in Australia was built at a cost of  £457 million and produces roughly 800,000 tonnes a year of ammonia. Using the 2/3 power rule, as follows, will allow the costs of the new 550k p/a plant to be shown. C = Cref(S/Sref)2/3 C = 457000000 * (550,000/800,000)2/3 C =  £355,984,702 The output of the new plant is  £225,500,000, but the plant costs  £355,984,702 to build, so it would take around a year and seven months for the plant to be profitable, based on an estimation without including the costs of the raw materials. Taylor Method Pay Back Time Sustainability The environment is constantly changing, whether by nature or by human led processes. Sustainability is about trying to manage this change through balancing social, economic and environmental needs, both locally and globally for present and future generations. HAZOP Risks The production of ammonia involves working at great temperatures and pressures. As such, it is vital that the equipment used in the plant is designed to withstand these conditions to function properly. The high temperatures and pressures involved in the production of ammonia can potentially put tremendous amounts of strain on the pipes and vessels used. The risks associated with this are: * Explosions from sudden release of pressurised gases from ruptured vessels * Fragmentation from rupture of the pipes * Fire * Poisoning from exposure to leaked materials * Chemical or thermal burns, again from exposure to leaked materials Not only are these hazards life-threatening, they would also be very expensive to put right for the production company. These risks can be avoided by preparing the plant for the conditions that it is about to go through. It is more economically viable to run the steam reformer at as high a temperature and pressure as possible. Magnesium oxide-lined furnaces, MgO, has a melting point of around 2800 degrees Fahrenheit, making it ideal for lining the furnaces used in the production of hydrogen. Hydrogen itself will cause some materials to become brittle and eventually break. Hydrogen features an active electron and thus will behave like a halogen, causing erosion in the metals that it comes into contact with. This can be avoided by using high-purity stainless steel in the sections of the plant which will come into contact with the hydrogen. This steel must have a maximum hardness of 80 HRB on the Rockwell Scale. Ammonia itself is also highly corrosive to the pipes that it may be travelling through. For this reason, it is recommended that stainless steel is also used here, at a similar hardness of that shown above. Most ammonia plants use centrifugally cast high-alloy tubing to hold the nickel-base catalyst in the primary reformer furnace. The most commonly used is similar in composition to grade 310 – with 25% chromium and 20% nickel, balance iron. This has a carbon content in the range of 0.35 – 0.45% for improved high-temperature creep and rupture stress. Thermal protection of piping involves fire brick owing to the high temperatures involved.