0.5 M EDTA Solution Recipe

0.5 M EDTA Solution Recipe Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is used as a ligand and chelating agent. Its especially useful for sequestering calcium (Ca2) and iron (Fe3) metal ions. This is the lab recipe for 0.5 M EDTA solution at pH 8.0: Solution Materials 186.1 grams EDTA (disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate2H2O)Â  800 milliliters distilled watersodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution or solid (to adjust pH) Procedure Stir 186.1 g disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate2H2O into 800 ml of distilled water.Stir the solution vigorously using a magnetic stirrer.Add NaOH solution to adjust the pH to 8.0. If you use solid NaOH pellets, youll need 18 to 20 grams of NaOH. Add the last of the NaOH slowly so that you dont overshoot the pH. You may wish to switch from solid NaOH to a solution toward the end for more precise control. The EDTA will slowly go into solution as the pH nears 8.0.Dilute the solution to 1 L with distilled water.Filter the solution through a 0.5 micron filter.Dispense into containers as needed and sterilize in an autoclave. Related Lab Solution Recipes 10x TBE Electrophoresis Buffer10X TAE Electrophoresis Buffer

What Is a Good GPA Whats a Bad GPA for College

What Is a Good GPA What's a Bad GPA for College SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re starting to think about your plans for college, you might be wondering what is considered a good high school GPA or a bad high school GPA in the eyes of admissions officers. This is a complicated question, and it depends on several factors that colleges will take into consideration. In this article, I’ll give you some perspective on what a good GPA and a bad GPA are based on national statistics and your individual circumstances. I’ll also provide advice on the best ways to improve your GPA. Your coursework and GPA are one of the most important pieces to your college application - some colleges consider it your MOST important factor - so make sure you do your research and know where you fit in. What’s a Good GPA Compared to the National Average? Nationally, the average unweighted high school GPA isabout a 3.0, which is a B average. If your GPA is above a 3.0, you’re most likely doing pretty well, but it all depends on how your school calculates GPA and what your ultimate goals are. Keep in mind that this is the average for all students in the country, which includes the 34% of high school students who don't go on to college. The average high school GPA for college-bound students is likely higher than a 3.0. Typically a 3.5-4.0 GPA, which means an A- or A average, is expected for admission to top colleges.However, you may be able to gain acceptance to a less selective school with a GPA that’s as low as a 2.0 or C- average.The concrete numbers are less important than your individual experience and the details of how you earned your GPA, which I’ll discuss in the next section. What’s a Good GPA for YOU? This is a much more important question to ask yourself becauseevery high school is different, and so is every student.Remember that colleges will take into account all the information they have about your high school when assessing your GPA. They don’t look at it out of context in comparison to the national average.Admissions officers realize that two students from different high schools may have different GPAs but relatively equal academic potential. Determining what a good GPA and a bad GPA mean for you mainly means considering three different factors. #1: Your School Does your school give you a weighted or unweighted GPA?At some high schools, two students might both have 4.0s that each mean something different because one student is in advanced classes, and the other is in lower-level classes.If they are unweighted GPAs, colleges will consider the student who takes higher-level classes to be more qualified. Even though both students are earning As, one is earning them with more challenging material. If these are weighted GPAs, it might mean the student in high-level classes is earning Bs, and the student in lower-level classes is earning As. In this situation, colleges will still look more favorably on the student in high-level classes who was willing to take on more intellectual challenges.The point is that a better GPA doesn’t necessarily mean a higher one; you should challenge yourself with your coursework first and foremost. Don't drop down a level in a course so you can get an A - this won't fool colleges into thinking you're a more qualified applicant. If your GPA isn’t perfect but you’re at the top of your class, this might just mean that your school is tough, and it would be nearly impossible to get a flawless GPA (even if students at other less rigorous schools manage it).Once again, colleges will understand these circumstances and take them into account.A 3.7 GPA at your school could potentially look better to admissions officers than a 4.0 GPA at another school. #2: Your Classes So you have all As in your classes and a 4.0 GPA - you’re doing awesome, right?Maybe, maybe not.If you’re getting all As in the highest-level classes your school offers, yes, your GPA is amazing, and colleges will be extremely impressed.However, if you’re taking easy classes just because you know you can get As, the 4.0 on your transcript will not blind admissions officers to the fact that you’re not really challenging yourself. This isn’t to say that everyone should try to take the highest-level classes in every subject.You don’t want to kill yourself with stress, and it’s good for most people to have one or two less rigorous classes. Butif there's a subject you’re really interested in or think you might want to pursue as a course of study in college, try and push yourself to take high-level classes.Even if it brings down your GPA a bit, it will demonstrate that you're a driven student who is willing to take risks to gain a better understanding of the subject.Taking progressively more challenging classes throughout high school, even if it doesn’t raise your GPA, makes your GPA â€Å"better† in the eyes of admissions officers because it’s hard-earned. Climb to the peak of your academic potential! Man, I should write copy for motivational posters. #3: Your Goals for College Do you have your heart set on an Ivy League? Are you planning on attending your state school for a lower tuition price tag? What’s important to you in a college?At Harvard, for example, almost 90% of incoming freshmen have a GPA that’s above a 3.75 (the average GPA is a 3.93), meaning a solid A average. Considering the standards of top schools, it’s likely that most of those GPAs were earned in the highest-level classes in high school. When you have this level of selectivity, students' coursework will be scrutinized just as closely as the numerical values of their GPAs; schools like Harvard are only looking for the top performing students in the highest-level classes. To give a slightly less selective example, at the University of Oregon the average GPA was a 3.6, meaning most students earned around a B+/A- average in high school. It's likely that the courseload of these students was also less challenging, so they may have taken a fair amount of mid-level or lower-level classes in the process of earning their GPAs. These are students that have solid grades but are not at the very top of their classes. You'll need to take a look at the average GPA for incoming freshmen at your colleges of choice to get a sense of where you need to be.Of course, this statistic isn’t the be-all and end-all. Some students with lower than average GPAs will be accepted, and some students with higher than average GPAs will be rejected.It’s important to make sure you’re also looking at the other factors in conjunction with these statistics to figure out what the best GPA range is for you. In the next section, I'll go over how to find and make sense of this information. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Step by Step: Figuring Out a Good GPA for Your Situation So how do you actually decide whether your GPA is good in the context of your plans for college? Follow these steps to get a more solid idea of where you are and where you need to be. 1. Make a list of colleges you think you're interested in. I would recommend Cappex for conducting a low stress college search and making a quick list of possibilities. 2. Research the average GPAs and admission rates for the colleges on your list. Make notes on these statistics so you can refer to them later. To find the admission rate and average GPA at any school, Google "college name" + "admission requirements" + "PrepScholar". We've compiled all the information in a database to make it simpler for you! 3. Compare your GPA to the average GPAs that you find at your schools.A good way to do this is with a chart, such as the blank one we've included below that you can fill in. Once you've found average GPAs, compare them to your own.Are you above or below average?Most schools will give you unweighted GPA statistics, so if your GPA is weighted make sure to take this into consideration. School Name Average GPA (Unweighted) Average GPA (Unweighted) 4. If you're above the average, that's great news! It most likely means that you have a good chance of admission. If you're below the average, you may still have a chance depending on how far off you are. This just means the school will probably be a reach for you. 5. As a last step, you should look at the admissions rates for your chosen colleges. Two schools may have very different admission rates but the same average GPAs. This means that the more selective school expects the same GPA but with more challenging coursework. If a school has an admissions rate of less than 20%, you can assume that you're expected to have a record of very challenging coursework in addition to meeting the average GPA standards. If the admissions rate is between 20 and 40% the school will expect somewhat challenging coursework. If the admissions rate is between 40 and 60%, the school will expect mid-level coursework, and if it's higher than 60% you will probably be able to get away with taking a fair amount of lower level classes as long as your GPA is still relatively high. But I got an A+ in gym! I aced the rainbow parachute unit! HOW COULD THEY NOT WANT ME What Can You Do to Improve Your GPA? I won’t sugarcoat this: It’s not easy to improve your GPA, and it only gets more difficult as high school goes on.If you’re a freshman or sophomore, you still have time to make significant changes.If you’re a junior, you should probably focus more on improving your test scores.Relative to time spent studying, test scores are the easiest way to improve your chances at college admission.They will be given about as much weight in the admissions decision as your GPA for most schools. If you can manage really good scores, you will have a much better chance of getting in even if your GPA is below average for admitted students. I would say there are three main things that you can do if you want to make your GPA better in the eyes of colleges: #1: Take Increasingly Harder Classes This may seem paradoxical. Won’t your GPA go down if you take harder classes?Well, yes, the numbers might go down, but your GPA will be more impressive to colleges if it was earned in challenging classes.Try to level up as you progress through high school to show that you're willing to work hard for your grades.You should only follow this advice if your GPA is already good by the numbers but you aren’t taking difficult classes.If you’re struggling with your current course load, don’t risk moving up and failing a class!It’s your job to understand and respect your limits in terms of stress and time spent on schoolwork. #2: Ask for Extra Help A mistake that many struggling students make is that they don’t ask for help from their teachers.I understand that asking for help isn’t always easy - I know that I myself avoided it for years, and it only hurt me.Asking for help is the SMART thing to do, and it’s going to allow you to get the individual attention you might need in order to understand concepts better.Your teachers will appreciate that you’re making an effort, and you will most likely come away feeling more optimistic about your ability to grasp the material.This is going to be one of the best ways to see a significant positive effect on your grades. #3: Stick to a Schedule and Stay Focused Easier said than done, right?But if you’re serious about improving your grades, this is the bottom line.Procrastination and lack of studying may be hurting your grades more than your academic ability.If you always do everything the night before for "long-term" projects or just glance over your notes briefly before tests, you may need to reassess your habits. Casually reading over the stuff you need to know doesn’t count as legitimate studying unless you go back and verify that you've absorbed it.Think critically about your study habits, and see if there are any areas where you can improve. If you need to create a schedule for yourself in order to keep up with your goals, go for it. All you need is a calendar and some glue. That's how this works, right? Final Assessment What’s a good GPA? What’s a bad GPA? The real answer, as frustrating as this may be, is that it depends!Though the national average high school GPA is around a 3.0, that might actually be a very good GPA or a not so good GPA for you depending on your circumstances and goals.It’s important to consider how your school calculates GPA, the level of your coursework, and the selectivity of the schools you hope to attend in deciding whether your GPA is good. Though GPA is very difficult to improve, you may be able to make significant changes if you’re a dedicated freshman or sophomore by challenging yourself with your coursework, asking for extra help, and revising your study habits.If it’s too late to significantly improve your GPA and you don’t feel that it’s quite as good as it should be, focus instead on improving your standardized test scores.This will give you a better return on investment for the hours you spend studying. Remember that the actual number value of your GPA doesn’t matter nearly as much as the effort you put in to get there. Just keep working hard, and don’t get discouraged! // // What's Next? Another important aspect of your college application will be letters of recommendation from teachers. Read this guide on the best way to ask for recommendations. If you're planning on applying to the top schools in the country, a great GPA isn't the only thing you should focus on. Learn more about how to get into the most selective colleges. Looking into attending state schools and need some advice on how to pay your way? Here's how to get accepted to honors programs and earn merit scholarships at state schools. Want to improve your GPA?Check out our in-depth guide to raising your grades, from a writer who got a perfect 4.0 GPA. Read it for free now:

Europe and Asia Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Europe and Asia - Annotated Bibliography Example ecause it portrays the events that have characterized the buildup of the labor party and how its governments have fared on in the last one hundred years. Perhaps as a surprise to many people, Keith actually spells out the fact that initially the labor party was not a political party but as a trade union. Throughout the one hundred years, the labor party has managed to from governments for about four times. The first one according to Keith was in 1924 to the 1931 due to the strong membership of the workers at that time. Through various ups and downs, the party was able to create a huge impact not only Britain but also in the globe more especially when Tony Blair took office in 1997 landslide victory. The writer takes the mind of his readers in a step by step journey through which the party has evolved over time to become what it was at the beginning of 2000. Perhaps other writers can take a cue from Keith to document what has happened to the party since then to date. The writer is a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin with a vast experience in political parties and individuals throughout the world. In this work he looks at various aspects that makes Mao Tse Tung (Mao Zedong) one of the most respected historical figures in Chinese History. In this 222-page read, Meisner also portrays some information about Zedong which are rarely told hence a balanced account of the happenings. The book depicts the early life of this great life by showing the picture of a young man of a poor peasant farmer in Hunan province of china who rose to become a successful politician to the extent of being equated to a cult of a person. His political ideologies that were aimed at balancing the aspects of imperialism and feudalism in both the social and political environment gave him a liking amongst his people. However, this did not come on a silver platter because at one point he is said to have fled the place because of his radical views. As matter of fact, he had

Transferable Learning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Transferable Learning - Assignment Example The new strategy did well in expansion of the business within the energy. More overseas branches were opened (HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL DIGEST, 2009). Company’s vision The company is committed to implementing strategies that are intended to improve its general customer service and operations. This move is intended to satisfy the clients wherever they are. The company recognizes the globalization trend that calls for stiff completion ads well as an extensive stable business operation mechanism with the aim of meeting both long-term and short-term goals. The effect of exemplary global competition in energy production and energy related services has gradually led to unpredictable and complex trade milieu in the global energy industry and market. For instance, some of these challenges include dynamic market trends, non-renewable features of considerable extent of energy sources, which limits the life span of the entirety of the company existence (POWER ENGINEERING IN TERNATIONAL, 2009). These conditions are inevitable in the global energy industry and the associated market space and it requires Centrica to position itself in a strategic manner to cope with the economic trends. The primary international and management operations strategies include extensive client commitment and associations, maintenance and continuity of competitive supply cost, operational aptness through intensive research and best practice. Centrica’s Ambition and Governance structure Centrica is committed in ensuring that its customers are treated with outmost fairness, securing affordable energy supplies and ensuring reduced carbon emission. The following...Centrica Company can be said to be a competitive player in the energy industry both in the local and international market. This research has indicated that Centrica has a complex system of management with well-outlined functions and indeed the reason for the company’s prosperity. The diverse management depa rtments work harmoniously with the common goal of putting the Company at the right position. In addition, the Triple bottom line model enables Centrica Energy Company to trace the product development trends both locally and internationally. Moreover, the model helps in ascertaining the effectiveness of the supply chain systems. The company’s’ continued culture of expansion and customer satisfaction will see it grow tremendously and compete aptly with other players in the energy sector. In essence, sustenance of the current strategic management of all the Centrica departments is fundamental to a more prosperous company in 2020.

Hitlers rule Essay Example for Free

Hitlers rule Essay However, historian Geoff Layton appears to disagree. He states that Although the idea of Nazism as a form of totalitarianism held great sway in the 1950s, such a view is not now so readily accepted. However, he also said that there emerged in the SS an organisation which was the mainstay of the Third Reich which would supports the view that force was the main factor in keeping the Nazi Party in power. This essay intends to analyse the significance of force as a tool to stay n power, through their creation of a Police State, the reformation of the German Courts as well as their elimination of both external and internal political opposition and their indoctrination of the German youth. It will also be necessary to analyse the various other factors which were employed by the Nazi Party between 1931 and 1939 such as control of the economy. Central to the forceful methods the Nazi Party used was undoubtedly their creation of a Police State. The SS, or Schutzstaffeln, was formed in 1925 as an elite bodyguard, due to Hitlers uncertainty regarding the loyalty f the SA, or Sturmabteilung. The SS had several functions, the first of these being as an internal security service. The SS police, the SD, worked in conjunction with the Gestapo to perform arrests and often interrogations by way of torture, and murder on citizens who were viewed as opponents of the regime. A separate sector, the Totenkopfverbande, or Deaths-head Unit, had the duty of guarding the concentration camps. The concentration camps were initially created in 1933 to hold political prisoners and opponents. The SS also provided elite troops who were fanatically loyal o the F?hrer to fght alongside the Wehrmacht. This meant that Germany, and more significantly, the Nazi Party, always had supporters in the army, meaning they were highly unlikely to face mutiny. Crucially, the SS were also in charge of the genocide against Jews, and this was furthered by their status as an example of racial purity. The Police system of Nazi Germany was extremely well organised, though it had many branches and subsections. Initially split into the SS and the Police, there were several further splits. The Police consisted of, of course, the regular Police, however, this also onsisted of the Security Police, under which fell the Criminal Police and, more significantly, the Political Police, or Gestapo. It is no secret that the regime used extreme cruelty as a means of policing, and in fact, Hermann Goring stated that men who used firearms in their duty would benefit from his protection, as well as saying that those who failed in this duty would be punished. In 1936, all of the police powers were united under Heinrich Himmler as Chief of Police. This police force was answerable only to Hitler himself and as such, had considerable powers. It was, ssentially, above the law, as its actions were not open to review by the These extensive powers placed the Gestapo in a strong position of almost boundless authority. If there was any doubt regarding a persons loyalty or ability to fit into the Nazi regime, the Gestapo could punish them as they saw fit. To go against the Party was almost always fatal, and this certainly contributed to the low profile kept by many anti-Nazis. Alongside this went the atmosphere of fear which was prevalent in Nazi Germany. The country under Nazi rule was permeated with Nazi spies and nformers, making it almost impossible to talk openly for fear of being overheard and harshly punished for any oppositional views. In this way, much of the potential opposition to the Nazi regime was suppressed, as it was extremely difficult to share any oppositional views. As such, little opposition was expressed, and this effect was further abetted by the terrible punishments of torture, interrogation and murder which were performed on those citizens who became outspoken. It is also possible to see how far the influence of the SS extended, as historian Andrew Boxer explains that he network of concentration camps became the basis of a vast SS economic empire controlling enterprises involved in quarrying, brick-making, forestry, clothing, furniture and even soft drinks. The SS in itself was far more than a barbaric police division; it was an institution. This is supported by historian Geoff Layton, who says that the SD system not only preserved the Nazi regime by its brutal and repressive policies of law enforcement, but gradually extended its influence into the vital areas of military and economic affairs. In this way it became the key interest group in the Third Reich. However, the power of the SS would have been greatly reduced were it not for the reformation of the German courts. The system known as Independence of the Judiciary requires that the Judicial system is not influenced by politics or the Government, so as to prevent the Government from persecuting opponents through the Justice system. However, in 1933-4, all anti-Nazi and Jewish Judges were sacked to ensure verdicts were in keeping with Nazi ideology. Judges who were thought to have een too lenient or to have misconducted trials were severely admonished, and in some cases, Hitler was known to correct sentences. From 1934, cases of treason were transferred to Peoples Courts which were run by Nazi Judges. This meant, of course, that opponents could be dealt with without any semblance to genuine law. By 1935, people could be tried for Acts hostile to the National Community without having violated any written law. This essentially meant that the Nazis could punish anyone beneath the guise of a legal procedure. People could also be convicted as enemies of the state as a result of their racial origins or their mentality hostile to the state. Two particular concepts were also created, known as protective custody and preventive arrest, which were used to Justify the detention of people who had completed their sentences or who had been acquitted by the regular court. These violations of the Judicial system allowed for the removal of any known or suspected opponents, which helped to secure the Nazi rule. The political measures taken by the Party must also be taken into consideration. Firstly, it is necessary to examine the olitical events outside the party which helped the Nazis to keep power. A political coup for the Nazis was the Reichstag fire of 1933. This destroyed the Parliamentary building and was blamed on a young, Dutch Communist named Marinus van der Lubbe. The man was of questionable sanity and was possibly framed; however the German Communists, including leaders of the German Communist Party on grounds of conspiracy to stage a putsch. This meant that the Nazis managed to increase their share of the vote significantly. In the 1933 election, the rules were significantly bent o favour the Nazis, and the Power of the State was turned against anti-Nazi parties, as the left-wing parties were disadvantaged. Once the Nazi Party was in power, the next step in their political domination was the elimination of any remaining political opposition. The KPD and SPD, both left-wing parties, were banned, and many other parties dissolved themselves. In March 1933, the Nazi Party successfully campaigned for the Enabling Act, which would allow Hitler to govern for four years without consulting the Reichstag. However, at the time of the proposal, the SS were present, hus presenting a distinct threat to those who may vote against it. This was another step along the road to a dictatorship. As of July 1933, a law was passed which stated that the Nazi Party was the only party in the Reich. This meant that there was no other option for the people of Germany. There were no longer any other political parties to replace the Nazis, so the Nazis remained in power. To quote historian Andrew Boxer, German democracy had been destroyed in less than six months. Another central aspect of this internal political change was undoubtedly the Night of he Long Knives, on the 30thof June 1934. This was an internal purge of members of the SA, as Hitler saw them as, in short, too independent. SS men shot around 400 people, including Ernst Rohm, the leader of the SA, and several other senior members. This asserted Hitlers power within the Party, making the Nazi Party inevitably stronger from the inside, as Hitler had removed those whom he suspected may be potentially disloyal, or even simply too free-thinking. The Nazi regime was irrefutably strengthened by the indoctrination of the German youth. Hitler clearly aw the significance of loyal, Nazi youth, saying in a speech in November of 1933: When an opponent declares, l will not come over to your side, l calmly say Your child belongs to us already What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community. This was, though chilling, certainly true, and great focus was placed on youth policy.

Eliminating Cancer with the Mind :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Eliminating Cancer with the Mind Over 1 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year and over 1,500 lives will be lost to cancer today (1). Many people undergo grueling hours of chemotherapy and radiation to discover that their cancer has spread to other parts of their body and that the treatments need to begin all over again. Unfortunately, there is no cure for cancer at the present time. Modern medical treatments attack the cancer and treat the organs affected by the disease, but pay little attention to the other areas of significance in the person's life. This calls for a new treatment that extends beyond the organs overcome by the disease and focuses on the person as a whole. Guided therapy, relying on the idea that the mind can affect the functions of the body and thus make people feel better, claims to do just that. But does it really work? Throughout history, the power of the imagination has helped people heal. In Eastern Medicine, envisioning one's well being has always been a large part of the healing process. In Tibetan medicine for example, physicians believe that creating a mental image of the healing god improves one's chances for recovery (2). The ancient Greeks, including Aristotle and Hippocrates, also had their patients use forms of imagery to help them heal. People continue to rely on imagery to hasten the healing process. Psychologists and neuroscientists use evidence from Positive Emission Tomography (PET) scans of the brain to demonstrate that guided imagery is effective. In a PET scan, the subject is injected with a small amount of radioactively labeled water. When an area of the brain is working hard and processing information, more blood flows through it and higher levels of the radioactive water are detected (3). In terms of brain activity, there is ample scientific evidence that imagining an experience stimulates the visual cortex, the same region of the brain activated by the actual experience (4). Stimulating the brain with imagery can have a direct effect on the nervous and endocrine systems, which ultimately affect the immune system. Thus, in terms of brain activity, picturing something and actually experiencing it are equivalent. Psychologists believe that relaxation, an essential part of guided imagery, is responsible for producing images and triggering the unconscious, which generates emotions (5). Research has shown that the physiological impact of relaxation is due to its inhibition of cortisol, a hormone released by the body in response to stress.

General Cargo Ship

Defining a general cargo ship The term â€Å"general (multipurpose) cargo ships† covers many different ship designs that do not fi t into other more specialised cargo ship types. Thus, general cargo ships are not specialised for transport of only dry bulks, only containers or only heavy-lift cargoes, but they have flexibility to carry any of these cargo types. General cargo ships are the world’s most numerous ship types, excepting fishing vessels. Thus, in the year 2002 their share in the overall world merchant fleet amounted to about 37% in numbers and to about 11% in dwt.The average deadweight of the world fleet of general cargo ships is about 5600 dwt. Larger vessels, up to about 30000 dwt are intended to carry break-bulk cargo (bagged, boxed and palletised cargo) or containers, while small general cargo ships, usually below 5000 dwt are mostly found as flexible solutions for many dry-cargo types in shortsea shipping. The concern for structural safety of general carg o ships follows from the fact that during the period from 1995 to 2000 approximately 90 losses of these ships per year occurred, which in other words means one ship every 4 days, with 170 fatalities per year.Even 42% of losses of all merchant ships belong to general cargo ships and similar percentage is valid also for fatality experience. Despite these figures, general cargo ships are not considered in publicity as risky ships, probably because general cargo ship accidents are not as spectacular as for example accidents of oil tankers Erika or Prestige . There are several reasons for poor statistical records of general cargo ships. Ship ages, inappropriate maintenance, poor quality in operation of these ships and defi ciencies in design are some of the main causes of a large number of accidents.Smaller general cargo ships are particularly vulnerable to collision and grounding accidents because of their frequent operation in inland waterways and coastal waters. The general cargo ship consists of as large a clear open cargo-carrying space as possible, together with the facilities required for loading and unloading the cargo. Access to the cargo storage areas or holds is provided by openings in the deck called hatches. Hatches are made as large as strength considerations will allow to reduce horizontal movement of cargo within the ship.Hatch covers of wood or steel, as in most modern ships, are used to close the hatch openings when the ship is at sea. The hatch covers are made watertight and lie upon coamings around the hatch which are set some distance from the upper or weather deck to reduce the risk of flooding in heavy seas. One or more separate decks are fitted in the cargo holds and are known as tween decks. Greater flexibility in loading and unloading, together with cargo segregation and improved stability, are possible using the tween deck spaces. Various combinations of derricks, winches and deck cranes are used for the Handling of cargo.

My family’s relationship to nature and the environment

The history of my family demonstrates the drastic change in the relationship with environment that has occurred over the past few generations. Seeing the change in attitudes and lifestyles between my grandparents, parents, and my own generation is very educational, Examining the changing relationship with environment across this timeframe, one can make conclusions about the relative importance of natural surroundings in the life of people as changing over time. My family history naturally reflects the situation in Thailand, as I come from this nation, but I believe that it to a great degree parallels the events in other parts of the globe. My grandparents lived in a rural area in Thailand and made their living by farming. This is still a common situation in Thailand where 65% of the land is engaged in agriculture (Assumption University, n.d.). Their occupation made them strongly aware of their natural environment as they depended upon it for their livelihood. However, this relationship was not one of adoration or concern – land, water, plants were to them something matter-of-fact, something they perceived as their daily routine. Besides, their attitude was one of consumption. They saw the resources of the land as something they were entitled to merely because of being born in this land, since soil, skies and water were simply vehicles for growing food, not much else. There was little concern as to what will happen in the next generations, and little awareness of the need to implement new agricultural techniques in order to extend the land’s capability to generate harvests over generation. At that time, Thailand’s population was not so large, and it was at many times simpler to move to a new plot of land than to tend to the old one, trying to improve its productivity. With all this said, I would like to note that my grandparents were successful as farmers and developed some new crops that allowed them to outstrip the rest of the farmers in terms of financial gain. In the next generation, the income received by my grandparents enabled my father to receive a college education and obtain a white-collar job. Thus, nature offered them this opportunity to improve their lifestyle and life standards. As a result, my father who grew up on a farm, found himself working in an office in Bangkok, only occasionally visiting his elderly parents in their place. The same is true for my mother who also changed her rural motherland for an urban life. This made nature seem something of a holiday setting to them, rather than an everyday reality. In their office jobs, they did not need to care whether land preserved its fertility and whether the climate remained mild enough for the crops to grow. Although Bangkok and other cities in Thailand are made up of landscapes skillfully integrating trees, lawns and buildings to create a coherent image, this nature is very ‘cultured’ and very far removed from the roughness of the village landscapes. Thus, in my parents’ urban life, nature was very much a distant reality, something they saw on TV and enjoyed in our little Sunday outings. However, they identified with Thai nature as associated with their place of birth and motherland. Given their rural background, they remembered toiling in the fields and gardens, trying to turn the gifts of nature into material benefits. Somewhere deep inside their souls, they looked upon this connection, although on a subconscious level. One change that occurred in the relationship to nature in my parents’ generation was the rising awareness of nature as a global phenomenon. Thanks to books, periodicals, TV, and now Internet, their generation was able to realize that the boundaries of nature transgressed those of nations, and that nature was facing a threat from too much human interference. Seeing pictures of nature all around the world, they began to see in color how different various places on earth were, and realize how unique their own natural surroundings were. This ‘global’ realization, I believe, happened more or less in the time my parents’ generation was active, as millions of people throughout the world realized that the rest of the world has become closer, and reality is such that we live in a small, interdependable world. With the move to the US that happened when I was only 17, the connection with nature as some place in Thailand where my parents were born and grew up, has become even weaker. Here, we were surrounded by a rich and diverse natural setting, even if it seemed alien to us at first. However, the beauty of American nature took our hearts, and as a family we made quite a few ‘nature-focused’ outings, such as, for instance, a trip to the Grand Canyon or the Yellowstone park. More important is, however, the revolution in thinking that occurred in my generation. With globalization trotting over the planet at a dramatically increased speed, environmental plight is no longer something distant and incomprehensible, but instead has become something that threatens us already in out lifetime. With evidence of the global climate change and warming happening on a large scale, no one can ignore the significance of what is happening. Basing my judgment not only on my personal experience, but also on that of my colleagues and fellow students, I can claim that we are much more likely to make environmentally conscious choices. Personally, I agree with the words of James Gustave Speth, dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, that environmental issues today have turned into â€Å"chronic problems,† that emerge and have a long-term nature† (Laverdiere, 2000). The fact that today’s ecological issues such as greenhouse effect, ozone depletion and loss of biodiversity cannot be solved by the efforts of one nation or dealt with effectively on a local level. Their solution requires the coordination of effort on an international level, translating into significant changes in our mentality. My generation is much more aware of the existence of other nations, better informed of their struggle for a cleaner environment and has better opportunities to join with representatives of other countries in the struggle for a safer and cleaner environment. Personally, I have participated in a few demonstrations focused on environmental issues and at one point attended the Ecological Club in my high school. I also know a lot of peers who take this action seriously. This is something my parents and grandparents would not think of doing since they had a totally different perception of their relationship to nature and environment. Thus, over three generations, my family went through a revolution in our relationship to environmental cause. To my grandparents, land and nature was commodity, something they consumed in order to receive material benefits for themselves and their kids. My parents were to a great degree alienated from nature that remained to them very much a childhood memory that bound them to their birthplace; at the same time, their understanding of nature and environment was considerably broadened to include places far away from their motherland. Finally, in my present generation, nature became a source of concern, something that requires distinct political action to protect and save it for future generations. References Assumption University, Bangkok. (n.d.). Agriculture. Retrieved January 27, 2006, from http://sunsite.au.ac.th/thailand/agriculture/AgriRes.html Laverdiere, M. (2000, January 27). â€Å"Forestry dean discusses hidden environmental problems†. Yale Daily News. Retrieved January 27, 2006   

American History X essays

American History X essays In every generation violent acts occur that shock the word. One often wonders how people can commit these unjust acts and why they would even want to. In 1619, the first African Americans were brought to Jamestown to be indentured servants. In 1804, the Ohio legislature enacts the first of the "Black Laws" restricting the rights and movements of Blacks. In 1915, the Klu Klux Klan came about. In 1935 the Nuremberg Race Laws are issued making all Jews non-citizens. Today people are still printing books and writing editorials of slander against other races and cultures. It is extremely difficult to pinpoint where someones hatred originates. It could be from a parents influence, a traumatizing experience, or wanting to be part of something. In American History X, Dereks intense feelings of hatred stem from his fathers influence. In the movie they showed Derek with his family having dinner. It is a typical family scene, the father is asking his son about school. Everything appears to be normal. Derek speaks of his teacher Sweeny. He tells his father, with enthusiasm about the books he is going to read and how excited he is about this. Eventually, the father realizes that Sweeny is African American. He begins to warn Derek not to get sucked into his teachings. The father tell Derek of a colleague of his that scored a higher score on an entrance exam then 2 black men, and the black men got the job. I am not sure if the father realized his influence on his son, but it made a big impact. The ways, in which parents raise their children, have a huge effec t on them in the long run. When a child is subjected to traumatizing experiences they tend to leave scars on them that are hard to reverse. Another reason that Derek turned towards hatred could have been his fathers death and the fact that he was killed by a black man. During the teenage years, many people feel alone and are going threw awkward stages of ...

Interview with Book Designer Stewart Williams Reedsy

Interview with Book Designer Stewart Williams Reedsy â€Å"I like things a little more visceral†¦Ã¢â‚¬  - An interview with designer Stewart Williams. We are proud to feature designer Stewart Williams on Reedsy. Stewart’s arresting, beautiful and original designs have spanned a large range of titles from novels to cooking to poetry and a range of non-fiction. We got some great insights into Stewart’s creative process, his approach to different genres and authors, plus the opportunities of a rich online presence.For the unconditional lovers of the written word, I’ve transcribed most of the interview below. But for those who want to take part in the discussion, you can directly join us on the hangout! Hi Stewart, thanks for joining me on this hangout. First, can you give me a bit of background on how you became a freelance book designer?I started out in the publishing world working in magazines and newspapers, and was primarily art directing for various publications in Seattle for quite a long time. I worked for a number of newspapers, however I really wanted to work with books, because I’ve always loved reading and I’ve loved books since I was a little kid. I always thought that the publishing industry was fascinating and that what cover designers did was really the kind of thing I wanted to do as a graphic designer.Whilst I was working for newspapers I started to get jobs here and there with publishers and I didn’t turn down anything. I knew that every job that I could do was something I could add on to my portfolio, to help me get bigger and bigger clients as I moved along. After a brief period of travel, Sasquatch books hired me as a senior designer and I stayed there for a few years. I finally ended up in New York City where I couldn’t find any work at all, so I just decided to go do business for myself.I started to build a presence using all the contacts I had acquired, and I knew at that time that it was really important for me to work on my online presence, so I was always doing online portfolios. I can’t remember the last time I showed anybody a physical portfolio, nobody really uses those anymore. I was already making websites back in the early 1990s, and those have really helped because I really don’t know where people find my work, so I try to put it everywhere.I really like the fact that you put all your work out there, on different platforms. I’ve checked your blog and you’re one of the few cover designers I’ve seen at Reedsy who posts all the projects they’re doing, including information about the creative process and previous cover versions. I think too few designers do tha t.I’ve noticed that as well and I don’t know why that is. I think sometimes it has to do with this idea that when people sign up for a portfolio and are asking for a description, if you have 25 covers it can seem a little daunting to write 25 descriptions at once. For me it was always important to do it as I went along so this wouldn’t happen.Also, I think people run out of things to say, or they are trying to really let the work speak for themselves. But for my clients, people ask me specific questions, like â€Å"do you do YA?† or â€Å"how many covers do you do?†, and I think that the explanations that I give really demystify what is going on on my end so the people get a better idea of how the process works. The blog really helps me illustrate that for them rather than just do some magic trick and say: â€Å"here’s your cover!†In particular, also, I do it to show to people how many cover designs go into a cover project for somebod y like Amazon. Sometimes I do 13 different covers before they decide on the one they like.You mentioned you’ve worked in the past for big publishers, but it seems that now you’re shifting a bit towards indie authors and getting more work from them, am I right?Yes, that’s true, it’s something that I’ve seen more and more over the last 3-4 years: with the rise of the Kindle people have started to write independently and publish via KDP or similar services. It’s been really different for me in the beginning because I usually never dealt with authors, and I realised I enjoyed it quite a bit. Sometimes they have really good ideas, or they just want you to do whatever you feel like, and I like that direct line of communication with people.And by working directly with authors you get more creative freedom, right?You know, I’ve often found along the years that the less I get paid, the more creative freedom I have! When people have larger budg ets they tend to have an idea of exactly what they want you to do. With smaller budgets, they’re more inclined to relinquish control of things and let you do what you want if the price is kept down. Of course I never use that as a way to do whatever I feel like, because I think it’s really important to hear what the author is telling me the want. I want to make sure that my work is something they’ll be happy with and will help them sell their book.Do you prefer working purely with stock imagery, or illustrations, or a mixture?That’s another thing that has to do with budgets in a way. I think there is a lot of inexpensive stock photography out there, so it is hard to convince somebody to spend more money on an illustration.I’m not really an illustrator, I haven’t done it for a living. I like to illustrate, but it’s one of those things where I have to prove myself to people before I get them to hire me, so I’m doing more smaller jobs that don’t pay as much just to get the experience and have something to show.I feel like with the surge of independent publishing and the number of books available having an illustration - something that is 100% unique - really adds value.I agree, and I’d say that the stock photography is not keeping up with the demand, so you start seeing the same photographs on different people’s books and that’s embarrassing for the author.I think people are starting to realise that you cannot just take an image and put your title and name on it because there is a very good chance that someone else is going to use the same†¦You work across all genres, I think, but is there any that you prefer working on? Or any project lately that you have particularly enjoyed?I like things a little more visceral, where there is more of a graphic edge. I think crime and horror are like that. I try not to emulate what people see out there and stay away from the typical horror book cover.But I do like to work on all things, even non-fiction. I have a few client publishers who publish more historical books, and those tend to follow certain contemporary trends in the United States politics. I do like working with archival and historical images.I also love working on poetry books. There tends to be a non-linear way to think about the covers that can work with poetry books, they’re not conceptual the same way a fiction book might be. I find it more interesting and challenging to work with an abstract idea. If you’re building a cover and you know there are certain elements that have to be on it, it becomes more of a production process than a creative one. My method of working is a little weirder and less straightforward than that.That’s good to hear, because a common piece of advice if you write in a particular genre is that your cover absolutely has to respect certain guidelines that are part of the genre. I always feel like as an author you might stand a better chance if you come with a different style for the cover, even one that doesn’t fully â€Å"respect† the genre.I would agree. Other people who write in your genre all have similar looking covers. So if I’m going to look for a book in that genre online, I’m probably immediately going to pick up the one that has a cover that doesn’t look like all the others.That said, it’s hard to convince people to do something different. Even publishers will say to me: â€Å"this book has sold quite a bit and it looks like this, can you do something similar?†. But the problem is that the public is smarter than that and after a while it is going to get bored.I think there’s only a small window of time in which you can emulate an idea and still be successful. The rest of the time you’ve got to try something different. It is a risk, and although people have to take risks, they usually don’t want to be the firs t one.

The concept of power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The concept of power - Essay Example Mistrust among nations, fear of attack by other nations, breaking of international agreements by some nations and urge to establish supremacy over other countries had continued unabated even after the Second World War leading to cold war among nations. The most unwanted result of this mad military race among nations was the diversion of public welfare funds to create nuclear weapons. Now, the concept of power had crossed all boundaries and reached the ultimate to convey the special meaning of an irrepressible nuclear power. More power means nature that is more destructive. All most all countries are afraid of USA. Why The answer lies in the naked truth that this country possesses most of the world's nuclear bombs and weapons indicating that it is more destructive than any other country. Unfortunately, the concept of power had also taken away the discretionary powers of these nuclear powers due to their "Power is something of which I am convinced there is no innocence this side of the womb," says Nadine Gordimer, South Africa's well-acclaimed novelist (Internet, quotations). Russian socialist theoretician Mikhail Bakunin comes out very strong on the concept of power: "The instinct to command others, in its primitive essence, is a carnivorous, altogether bestial and savage instinct. Under the influence of the mental development of man, it takes on a somewhat more ideal form and becomes somewhat ennobled, presenting itself as the instrument of reason and the devoted servant of that abstraction, or political fiction, which is called the public good. But in its essence it remains just as baneful, and it becomes even more so when, with the application of science, it extends its scope and intensifies the power of its action. If there is a devil in history, it is this power principle" (Internet, Mikhail ). People normally talk about the concept of power in terms of theoretical sense. Practically speaking, power is nothing but a state of commanding others to do certain things, though the methods of commanding vary from person to person and from country to country. When it comes to international relations, the meaning of power assumes serious dimensions. In the international arena, power is interpreted as the capacity of a country to dictate terms to other 3 countries. The Great Britain used its power once and ruled most of the world for more than two centuries. Now USA has been using its power to dominate and control most of the world. The great Mahabharata war occurred centuries ago because of the power struggle among Pandava and Kaurava brothers. Nowadays, in most of the third world countries, joint families are breaking up due to power struggle between brothers for controlling the family properties. The break up of the Ambani family controlling India's number one industrial empire, known as the Reliance Group, is the most recent example of a power struggle. The source for any power struggle normally generates in the people's urge to dominate others and control things at their will and pleasure. When you extend this analogy to countries in international relations, the comparison throws up innumerable similarities. A country

Samedaymay30 Part 2, DQ1AB and DQ2 KD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Samedaymay30 Part 2, DQ1AB and DQ2 KD - Essay Example In 2008 the U.S derivative market was estimated to be worth over $600 trillion (Sheridan, 2008). Information asymmetry is imperative for the derivative market to function properly. I have a friend that invested $5000 in the derivative market last year. He lost the majority of his money because he did not perform good research and because he took big chances that did not pay off. An option is a privilege sold by one party to another which offers the buyer the right to buy (call) or sell (put) a security at an agreed-upon price during the specified period or on a specified date (Teweles & Bradley & Teweles, 1992). I did not realize prior to doing research on this subject that the U.S derivative market is worth over $600 trillion. To become an investor in the derivative market with instruments such as options one must be an advance or institutionalized investor. I would not recommend a novice investor to invest money in options. People entering the stock market are better suited to invest in financial instruments such as mutual funds. I agree with you that volatile markets lead to volatile pricing. A real life example of that effect is what occurs with food prices when scarcity influences the market. â€Å"Volatility in and of itself is a measure of price movement over a given period of time† (Learn-stock-options-trading, 2009). Risk must be considered when investing in options. â€Å"The vast majority of works on option pricing operate on the assumption of risk neutral valuation† (Ben-Meir, Schiff,