Human Resource Development and Management D5-8 Essay

Human Resource Development and Management D5-8 - Essay Example There are a number of training models which an organization can make use of. One of these is The Systems Approach to Training (SAT) which includes different stages including need analysis, course design, delivery and evaluation or quality assurance. The environment during the implementation of this training should be supportive on part of the human resource department. The human resource departments should manage and assist the employees during all the stages of this model. Most of the employees find it difficult to adjust to changes in the workplace and therefore, in order to help them get accustomed to these changes, the management needs to provide full support to them during this process (Jay Forte, 2011). As far as the transfer environment is concerned, effective and efficient transfer of knowledge and skills should be done just before the employee has to practically implement them. This will help the employee retain and effectively use these skills taught during the training ses sions (Suzanna Simpson, n.d). a) Human Resource Planning and Training Model for Organizations Experiencing Change. (n.d.). Evan Carmichael. Retrieved February 4, 2013, from http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/6158/Human-Resource-Planning-and-Training-Model-for-Organizations-Experiencing-Change.html b) Create a workplace learning and training environment | Mindflash. (n.d.). Create Online Training | Online Training Software | Mindflash. Retrieved February 4, 2013, from http://www.mindflash.com/blog/2011/06/why-every-great-workplace-needs-a-classroom-environment/ 2. Performance appraisal is a management tool. As such, managers may use the power of the tool in various ways. For example, a manager may use overly positive performance ratings as a reward for someone who spearheaded a project for the manager. Likewise, a manager may use overly harsh ratings as punishment for someone who objected to a project the manager promoted. As a leader in an organization, what steps would y ou take to ensure that the performance appraisal system is fair to all employees? Substantiate your opinions by using outside sources. Performance appraisal is a system through which management evaluates the performance of the employees to find areas of further growth and improvement (Performance Appraisals, n.d). This system has a number of advantages and fulfills a number of objectives for the organization including increased motivation and job satisfaction of the workers. It is a program through which manager`s expectations are communicated to the employees and their ratings are then measured. However, managers are sometimes biased towards some employees due to the recent job performances. Therefore, it should be made sure that the performance appraisals are carried out in an equitable and fair way. In order to ensure a fair and equitable system, an organization should use a multi source assessment method to prevent any biases on part of the raters evaluating the employees. The r aters should be given proper training so that they do not take out personal grudges or favor some employees. For equitable assessment, managers should relate performance appraisals to employee goals and evaluate the performance of employees based on specific criteria. This will help the managers prevent judgments based on personal biases (Can appraisal process be fair, n.d). a) Can performance

Victorian fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Victorian fashion - Essay Example (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corset) The most common use of corsets is to slim the body and make it conform to a fashionable silhouette. For women this most frequently emphasises a curvy figure, by reducing the waist, and thereby exaggerating the bust and hips. However, in some periods, corsets have been worn to achieve a tubular straight-up-and-down shape, which involves minimising the bust and hips. The corset fell from fashion in the 1920s in Europe and America, replaced by girdles and elastic brassieres, but survived as an article of costume. Originally an item of lingerie, the corset has become a popular item of outerwear in the fetish, BDSM and Goth subcultures. In the fetish and BDSM literature, there is often much emphasis on tightlacing. In this case, the corset may still be underwear rather than outerwear. Another angle is the wearing of a corset while having an enema; the theory is that the corset prevents the belly distending, enhancing the effects of the enema. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corset) There was a brief revival of the corset in the late 1940s and early 1950s, in the form of the waist cincher. This was used to give the hourglass figure dictated by Christian Dior's 'New Look'. However, use of the waist cincher was restricted to haute couture, and most women continued to use girdles. This revival was brief, as the New Look gave way to a less dramatically-shaped silhouette. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corset) Since the late 1980s, the corset has experienced periodic revivals, which have usually originated in haute couture and which have occasionally trickled through to mainstream fashion. These revivals focus on the corset as an item of outerwear rather than underwear. The strongest of these revivals was seen in the Autumn 2001 fashion collections and coincided with the release of the film Moulin Rouge, the costumes for which featured many corsets. The majority of garments sold as corsets during these recent revivals cannot really be counted as corsets at all. While they often feature lacing and boning, and generally mimic a historical style of corset, they have very little effect on the shape of the wearer's body. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corset) Chapter 1 The analysis of the physical appearance, function and relevance of the Victorian Corset As the nineteenth century unfolded, the corset and female sexuality became inextricably entwined, a process which reached its apogee in the 1890s with the emergence of a specific pornographic genre concerned with sadomasochistic tight lacing. The increased sexualisation of the occupant, the garment, and the erotic conflation of both object and woman, was a slow and irregular process that took decades to complete, but was successful none the less. By the 1880s the pubescent child, the maid, the young woman, the matron, the grandmother, the prostitute, and the subject of the pornographer alike were marked

Fire Safety Principles Analysis

Fire Safety Principles Analysis The aim of this report is to survey existing means of fire escape in a number of local houses of multiple occupations with a view to give recommendations for the preparations of a guide for fire escape in houses of multiple occupations. For that purpose, a comprehensive literature review of fire safety principles as well as fire escape issues is required. A set of survey criteria has to be drawn from the literature review to be able to evaluate the existing houses. If necessary, officers from the East Sussex Fire Services will be interviewed to prepare the criteria for evaluation. The survey will be made once the criteria are developed. Each house will be visited and observed in regard to the criteria developed. An analysis of the observations will be made and conclusions drawn. Finally, recommendations will be made for the preparation of the guide. The recommendations will be based on the survey and the conclusions of the analysis. The actual preparation of the guide is beyond the scope of this project. 3.1 Fire and Combustion 3.1.1 Theory of Fire Fire can be described as â€Å"a process of combustion characterised by the emission of heat accompanied by smoke and flame† (Malhotra, 2001). Combustion is a series of very rapid chemical reactions between a fuel and oxygen (usually from the air), releasing heat and light. (Stollard, 1991). For combustion to occur heat and a fuel source must all be present and the removal of one of these will terminate the reaction. Flames are the visible manifestation of this reaction between a gaseous fuel and oxygen. If the fuel is a solid or liquid, there is first a gasification process as it is heated. So, heating a solid does not necessarily lead to combustion. Combustion will only occur when the gas is ignited. The temperature to which a fuel has to be heated for the gases given off to flash when an ignition source is applied is known as the fuel’s flash point. Once the ignition has begun and the vapours are ignited, these flames will in turn further heat and increase the rate o f production of flammable vapours. For the flames to exist at the surface of the fuel, the combustion process must be self-sustaining and capable of supplying the necessary energy to maintain the flow of flammable vapours from the fuel. 3.1.2 Fire Development Once a fire is started, there are 3 ways the heat is transferred: Conduction – Conduction is the mode of heat transfer where the heat flows from one point (at higher temperature) to another (at lower temperature) by direct material contact. There is no flow of the material itself. This is the predominant more of heat transfer in solids. Convection – In the convection mode of heat transfer, the particles of the material flow, carrying the heat with them. This is the predominant mode of heat transfer in liquids and gases. Radiation – Radiation is a mode where there is no need of a material at all. The heat gets transferred from a hot surface by radiating in all directions. The way a fire develops in the open is much different from the way it evolves in a closed space such as a room in a building. The existence of walls and a ceiling changes the way the heat transfer modes affect the growth of the fire. The development of a fire in a room has several stages. Figure 1: Standard fire growth curve The growth period starts at ignition and lasts until all the contents of the room are alight. Initially, the flame remains near the surface of the fuel, with excess oxygen supply from the air of the room. The flame provides more heat and the rate of growth, controlled by the amount of surface of fuel available, increases. At one point, the flames reach the ceiling and spreads. The surface area being heated is suddenly increased considerably. Also, the ceiling then radiates the heat back towards the other contents of the room. The remaining of the room catches fire very quickly because of this sudden rise in temperature and the stage is called flash over. Flash over is short-lived and marks the start of the stable stage, where all the contents are burning. In this stage, the rate of burning depends on the amount of fuel left and the flow of air to the room. Eventually, all contents will burn out and there will be no more fuel to feed the fire. The fire will slow down and that is called the decay stage. 3.2 Principles of Fire Safety 3.2.1 Fire Hazard and Risk to Life Statistics and surveys (Marchant, 1973) on fire have shown that most fires occur between 10 am and 11pm. This is the time when people are awake and active. Also, the greatest number of fires occurs in dwellings. There is a lot more fire in winter months than in summer months, clearly showing a link between fire and energy use. More than one third of all fires can be attributed to human error. Rubbish burning, children with matches and electrical appliances are the biggest culprit among the causes of fire. Due to the hazardous nature of fire: involving flames, heat, smoke and toxic gases, 1000 people lose their lives in fire each year. Unsurprisingly, (Malhotra, 2001) 85% of those deaths are in occupied buildings. The heat generated in a fire is hazardous to the building structure and can lead to the collapse of the building. This presents a serious threat to the safety of fire fighters. But the main cause of death is neither the heat nor the flames. The burnt bodies found give the impression that the occupants were burnt to death. However, studies have shown that heat and flames account for only a small minority of deaths. Most of the deaths are related to smoke and toxic gases. More than half the deaths in fires are attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning. Smoke also significantly decrease visibility and people often cannot reach safety only because of lack of visibility. 3.2.2 Approach to Fire Safety The prime objective of fire safety is â€Å"to reduce to within acceptable limits the potential for injury or death to the occupants of the building and for others who may become involved† (Stollard, 1991). In order to achieve these objectives, there are 5 fire safety tactics that can be employed. Prevention Communications Escape Containment Extinguishment They can be used together for best efficiency. The traditional approach to fire safety in buildings has been to prescribe certain acceptable levels related to some components of fire safety. These components are (Stollard, 1991): Travel distances and routes Load bearing elements of the structure Roof construction Separating walls Compartment walls and compartment floors Protected shafts Concealed spaces and fire stopping Internal surfaces Stairways. There is a newer approach that consists of looking at the building as a complex system. Fire engineering goes beyond merely satisfying prescriptive criteria of the building regulations. The building is a complex system where fire safety interacts with all other systems and services. 3.3 Prevention As explained in section 3.1, fire can only occur if all of the three requirements are present. These requirements are fuel source, oxygen and ignition. The absence of any one is sufficient to avoid a fire. However, it is impossible to exclude oxygen from a building as it is present in the air in more than sufficient proportions. Fire prevention is therefore all about avoiding the occurrence of the fire in the first instance by controlling fuel sources and ignition. 3.3.1 Fuel Limitation Fire can be prevented or the risk of fire can be reduced by limiting the amount of fuel available. Reducing the quantity of potential fuel has two main advantages. Firstly, there is less fuel to burn (fire load) and therefore fires will grow at a slower rate and temperatures will be lower. Secondly, less fuel also means less smoke (smoke load) Fuel limitation can be achieved by controlling the building fabric. B building fabric is meant the structural components and finishes of the building. It is very important that the structural components of a building are not potential fuel sources in case of fire. The structural integrity and stability of the building depends on it. Also, structural elements are essential for containing a fire. Interior finishes on walls and ceiling are also crucial to fire prevention. The outer surface of the finishes is as important as the substrate behind it. The King’s Cross fire in 1987 demonstrated that adding successive coats of paint on older ones can present a danger. Fuel limitation can also be achieved by controlling the contents of the building. The type and amount of textile and furniture play a determinant role in fire behaviour. However, the contents of a building are likely to change over time. 3.3.2 Ignition Prevention To prevent ignition, the four main classes of ignition have to be understood. Natural Phenomena – The most common source of natural ignition is lightning. Lightning can be very destructive. In 1984, lightning struck the York Minster and the resulting fire was very destructive. Another source of fire is earthquake. Because of the very low probability, such occurrences can be neglected for the common dwellings. Human Error – Human carelessness is the main cause of fire in dwellings. Cooking appliances and smoking material account for almost all fire-related accidents and deaths in dwellings. Some of the accidents can be avoided by simple house keeping and general vigilance. Kids playing with matches have also contributed significantly to the number of fires in houses. Technological Failure – Electrical and cooking appliances are a major source of ignition, especially in non-residential buildings. Buildings services are not perfect and are likely to fail at point or another. In small domestic dwellings, the improper installation of services can lead failure leading to fire. Instead of counting this as a technological failure, this should be classed as human error. Deliberate Fire – Arson can be for many reasons: insurance claim, concealing a crime, vandalism, terrorism, or to deliberately hurt somebody. 3.4 Communications Once a fire is started, the response time has a great impact of the effectiveness of that response. As seen in Figure 1, fire growth is exponential. So, the sooner action is taken, the better. The response to a fire depends to a large extent to communications at that time. The location of the fire and the deployment of evacuation and fire fighting all depend on effective communication. There are four facets of communications that are important to fire safety. 3.4.1 Detection How fast a fire is detected has a crucial impact on the response and the effectiveness of that response. As fire grows exponentially, an early detection gives a better chance to fight the fire and limit damage. The best method of detection remains the occupants of the building. Humans can detect and locate a fire by sight, sound and smell. There is no better detection system than human presence. Places where there is more movement are less liable to have an undetected fire because of constant human presence. It is very important therefore that fire escape routes are not kept exclusively for that purpose. That would lead to a fire in that zone being undetected. Also, an unused portion of a building can very quickly become ‘temporary’ storage spaces which always contain boxes and crates full of rubbish. Other detection mechanisms include smoke detector that is fitted to most houses in UK. There are also heat detectors, flame (light) detectors and thermal turbulence detectors. 3.4.2 Analysis Once a fire is detected, it has to be interpreted and analysed before coming to a conclusion. Here again, nothing beats the human brain. Detection and analysis sort of overlap each other when it is by the occupants. Otherwise, conventional systems consist of relaying the detection information to a panel where the data will be analysed and an alarm raised if need be. With use of micro processors, analysis has become better and addressable systems have become common. 3.4.3 Alarm If the conclusion of the analysis is that there is a fire, an alarm has to be set off. This alarm can be in the form of a simple bell that marks the need to evacuate the building. This is the most common system used. Other systems are connected to the fire services and the latter are then notified of a fire automatically. 3.4.4 Signs Signs are very important to occupants as well as fire fighters when they give clear and concise information. However, in a dwelling type building where the occupants are familiar with the exit routes and the surroundings, they are unnecessary. 3.5 Escape Perhaps the most important part of fire safety, escape from a building once a fire breaks is the only measure that ensures the safety of the occupants. The occupants must be able to safety reach a place of safety without being hindered by smoke, fire or heat. It is therefore essential that they manage to escape before the fire spreads. There are three main means of escape: Egress – Egress simply means getting out of the building as soon as the alarm is heard. Refuge – Sometimes in large buildings, the time to get out is too much or the way out is too complicated. Then, a fire-safe compartment is used to provide a safe place within the building. Evacuation can take place at a slower rate from that compartment. Rescue – Rescue should be kept as a last resort but is still important, especially for old and disabled person. In an apartment with only one entrance, a fire at or near the entrance can prevent escape even if the rest of the apartment is not on fire. Rescue via ladders from outside is then crucial. The effectiveness of escape depends on several factors. Occupancy – the occupants and their behaviour is very important to how successful an escape can be. Buildings such as houses where people sleep are naturally more risky than industrial buildings and offices where people are only present during the day. The amount and density of occupation as well as the mobility of the occupants are also important factors to consider. One of the most important factors is familiarity to the place. A house owner is more likely to escape than a guest because he is more familiar with the place. Travel Distances – The total distance to be travelled to finally reach a safe place depends on a lot of factors. The layout of the room itself may change the distance to be travelled. The number of storeys and the building layout generally controls the travel distance. Escape Lighting – Escape during the night or when there is an electric fault are made possible by emergency escape lighting. This can make the difference between success and failure of an escape. The precious minutes during which the occupants find their way are crucial because fire can spread very fast. Rescue – As said previously, rescue should be relied on as a last resort. However, is rescue is to be used; it must be possible for the rescuers to get access to the building from outside. 3.6 Containment Containment is the ability of a building to contain a fire even in the event of every other tactic failing. It should be a built-in capability of the building. A fire should be contained to its compartment of origin to prevent it from spreading to other parts of the building. Containment is also responsible to preventing spread of smoke. Containment must ultimately limit the fire spread to the building only to prevent fire spread to neighbouring buildings. The first step on containment is to design the structural elements to resist the fire. The amount of protection to be given to structural elements depends on the escape time required. Also, if fire fighters are to work inside the building, the structure must maintain its stability and integrity throughout the operations. The collapse of the World Trade Centre has shown how fire fighters can be at risk when entering a building on fire. If the structural elements are not capable of ensuring structural integrity on their own, it will be important to apply fire protection. Steel structures are usually protected with plaster boards, cement sprays of intumescent paints. Wooden structures need protection as well. Compartmentation in a building can be compared to that on a ship. It involves physically incorporating fire and smoke tight barriers between different zones of the building. This gains time and limits the fire to one particular zone. Compartments can be rooms or storeys. The number of compartments into which to divide a given space is a function of the occupation and contents of that space. The higher the fire load, the smaller the compartments should be. Also, there must be a separate escape route from each individual compartment. The exterior envelope of a building is used as the final barrier for the fire. It protects the building from external fires and fires to adjoining buildings. It also prevents the spreading of internal fires to spread to adjoining properties. Fire can spread by debris falling on the roof, flames spreading through openings and radiation through glazed areas. The fire containment methods described up to now are passive methods. They are built-in characteristics of the building design. Active measures are those that operate only in the event of a fire. Pressurisation allow escape route to be clear of smoke even when the fire doors are opened to get access to the escape route. Venting is used to provide the smoke an easier way out of the building than by spreading to the rest of the building. 3.7 Extinguishment Even after escape and containment are successful, a fire still needs to be extinguishment to limit the amount of property loss and to prevent spread to adjoining properties. It can be achieved by removing one of the three essential ingredients of fire: fuel, oxygen and ignition. When a fire is already started, it is self igniting and does not need additional ignition. Therefore, extinguishment can be achieved by cutting off the oxygen supply. Alternatively, the temperature can be brought down below that of self-ignition and thus killing the fire. There are several material used in fire extinguishment: Water – Water is the most commonly used material for fire fighting. It has the capacity of achieving both tactics of fire extinguishment discussed. It will drop the temperature down and will also cut off oxygen supply. However, the main problem with water is that it is a relatively good conductor of electricity. It cannot therefore be used on electrical appliances. Foam – Foam is particularly good at extinguishing fires from liquids. They act mainly by smothering the fuel from the oxygen. They can also be high-expansion types which will fill the area and are generally used by fire fighters. Carbon Dioxide – Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers provide both a cooling and smothering agent. Carbon dioxide is heavier than oxygen and will displace oxygen on and around the fuel. It is light and a large amount can be contained under high pressure in relatively light extinguishers. They can be used on electric fires but they are restricted to localised fire spots as concentrated carbon dioxide can be lethal. Dry Powder – Dry powder act by quenching the chemical reaction of the fire. There are a number of possible substances available, some more appropriate than others on a given type of fire. In section 3.5, fire escape has been introduced as one of the tactics of fire safety in buildings. In the context of the current research topic, the factors influencing escape in a fire are brought under the magnifying glass. Other key topics related to escape during a fire are discussed. 4.1 Occupancy The nature and number of occupants as well as their likely behaviour pattern is a crucial factor in determining the speed and success of an escape from a fire. Five key characteristics of occupants that are most influential are: Sleeping risk Numbers Mobility Familiarity Response to fire alarm 4.1.1 Sleeping Risk Buildings where people sleep are more at risk of a fire than buildings with only day-time occupation. A building where people sleep is likely to be occupied for longer hours, combining day and night occupancy. Also, a fire start while people are sleeping is likely to be detected at a much advanced stage. Once detected, the response of people who are asleep is bound to be much slower than in day time. To understand the extent of the risk, consider the same people in the same building but in day time. A cigarette butt or red ashes fall on the bed sheet and the latter immediately gets a hole in it, which slowly grows wider and wider as the red edge of the hole eats at the bed sheet. In day time with people fully awake, such a minor incident will be dealt with promptly. The ashes will be rapidly removed and the growth stopped by water and even by hand. At night, the same incident may have a completely different turn out of events. The unchecked growth would soon lead to the bed sheet catching fire and setting fire to the mattress. The surrounding furniture, curtains and carpet will soon be alight and that room will have a fully developed fire that can potentially spread over the whole buildings very fast if undetected. Consider another scenario. A house wife has been cooking for breakfast before going to bed. She switches off the electric hob, turns off the lights of the kitchen, and goes upstairs to sleep. A kitchen towel has been left in contact with the hob by mistake. It does not catch fire immediately because there is no naked flame. It heats up, and eventually catches fire after a few minutes even though the hob is off. This fire can grow, away from the eyes of the sleeping occupants, in the kitchen and spread to the rest of the house. Had it been during the day, somebody will eventually walk into the kitchen and detect the towel starting the smoke and will simply put it in the sink and open the tap. Such is the difference between normal day time and at night, where people are asleep. 4.1.2 Numbers The number of people in a building and their likely position within the building are important factors in designing an escape route. To a large extent, these factors depend on the purpose of the building. For houses of multiple occupations, the main purpose is obviously residential, but there can be more people at a given time than the actual number of residents. The maximum number of people that can be present can be estimated by the use of an ‘occupancy loaf factor’. The area of the building divided by the occupancy load factor gives and idea of the maximum number of people that can be present. A general guide is given in the form of Table 1. Table 1: Building type and occupancy levels (Stollard, 1991) Building Type Occupancy 1 Houses Five times bed spaces 2 Flats an maisonnettes Five times bed spaces 3 Residential institutions (hospitals, prisons etc.) Three times bed spaces 4 Hotels and boarding houses Two times bed spaces 5 Offices, commercial and schools Occupancy load factor = 6 6 Shops Occupancy load factor = 2 7 Assembly and recreation (a) bars Occupancy load factor = 0.5 (b) dance halls, queuing areas Occupancy load factor = 0.7 (c) meeting rooms, restaurants Occupancy load factor = 1 8 Industrial Occupancy load factor = 5 9 Storage Occupancy load factor = 15 10 Car-parks Two times parking places For example, consider a small family house with two bed rooms. One bed is double and another is single. Building type=House Occupancy rate=Five times bed spaces Number of bed spaces=2 + 1=3 Maximum number of people=5 x 3=15 This is only a guide but is quite useful. It may seem at first sight that with only 3 bed spaces, the occupancy should have been 3 instead of 15. However, the maximum number of people can occur during a party or while receiving guests. Another factor to consider is the likely hood of concentration of people in a particular area. A concentrated number of people behave differently from individuals. They move at a much slower rate and therefore travel distances to escape routes should be kept shorter. The escape routes should also be wider than would normally be required to allow evacuation of a larger number of people at the same time. 4.1.3 Mobility Different people move at different rates, depending on their age, fitness, state of mind, disability, any special requirements and several more factors. It has been found from experiments that a normal healthy person can move between 60 and 80 metres a minute. At the other extreme of the spectrum, very old and disabled persons may need assistance to move at all. A patient in intensive care in a hospital may have to be moved along with an array of bulky equipment to sustain his life. There are no hard rules about figures to use and a reasonable estimate has to be made from the information about the occupancy of the building. The design of the escape route also has a big incidence on mobility. The layout of the escape route may include obstructions such as furniture. Changes in direction and use of stairs etc would normally reduce mobility. A qualitative assessment is the best that can be done. 4.1.4 Familiarity If people are not familiar with a building, they will find more difficulty finding and reaching the escape route. In buildings such as normal houses, the occupants are likely to be residents and will normally be well familiar with the place. In an office with a regular staff, there is not likely to be problems related with familiarity. However, in buildings such as hotels, bed and breakfast etc, familiarity can be a problem. People will instinctively try to get out the same way they came in, and that may not b a protected fire escape route. 4.1.5 Response The response to a fire or the sounding of a fire alarm is a very important factor to consider. In an office with a regular staff, there will be more discipline and the staff will be trained by means of evacuation drills. In a flat or other residential house, the response is most likely to be decided on the spot in the real fire. The response will also depend on the state of mind and attitude of the occupants. People who are asleep or drunk will be slow to react and may not react in a strictly rational way. Very often, people do not immediately head for the evacuation route. Instead, they try to contact others in the building to confirm that there is fire and how serious it is. 4.2 Travel Distances The maximum travel distance in the escape process is crucial for a successful escape. To quantify a travel distance, the steps involved in the escape process have to be considered one at a time. 4.2.1 Stage 1 – Escape from room of origin Stage one of the escape process is getting out of the room of origin. The speed (and hence time) at which the room has to be evacuated depends of the rate of fire spread. However, the rate of fire spread is hard to quantify. It is therefore best to ensure early detection of the fire in the room. The room has to be evacuated as soon as possible. For small rooms with low occupancy, one exit is sufficient. For larger rooms or rooms with high number of people, two or more exits may have to be provided. In some instances, there may be a smaller room inside a larger one. The escape from both the smaller room and the larger one has to be considered as stage 1. It is also crucial to make sure that the occupants of the inner room are aware of any fire incident in the larger room. 4.2.2 Stage 2 – Escape from compartment Stage 2 involves the escape from the compartment where the fire started. This is usually via escape routes to the final exit, to a protected stairway or protected escape route, or an adjoining compartment that can be used as refuge. Compartments are usually designed for one hour protection and sub-compartments are designed for 30 minutes protection. This should give the occupants time to escape before being overwhelmed by the fire spread across compartments. The combined travel distances of stages 1 and 2 have to be maintained within a certain limit to allow the occupants to evacuate within that time. Table 2 below gives a list of types of buildings and suggested travel distances. This is based on the

Rip Van Winkle and the American Dream Essay -- Rip Van Winkle Essays

In Rip Van Winkle, Irving shows his doubts in the American Identity and the American dream. After the Revolutionary war, America was trying to develop its own course. They were free to govern their own course of development; however, some of them had an air of uncertainties on their own identity in this new country. Irving was born among this generation in the newly created United States of America, and also felt uncertainty about the American identity. Irving might be the writer that is the least positive about being an American. The main reason for this uncertainty is the new born American has no history and tradition while the Europe has a great one accumulated for thousands of years. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, Irving borrows an old European tale to make it take place in America. This tale related to the Dutch colonists haunts the kaatskill mountains. In order to highlight the American identity, Irving praises the â€Å"majestic† mountains which Europe lacks . He describes the mountains that â€Å"their summits†¦will glow and light up like a crown of glory† Nevertheless, the use of these ancient explorers into Rip Van Winkle only to show that although American has formed its own identity, no one can cut its connection with Europe. No wonder when America was still under tyranny of the British rule, some people still cannot cut the blood relationship with Europe. Therefore, the American identity is blurred by their relationship with Europe since then. Rip doesn’t cha...

The Ball Poem

Ferryman writes in his poem about depression and sadness. He uses the little boy and the ball to compare to a situation that most of us readers have experienced. The poem isn't given any specific setting; rather it has very little subjects and objects that leave us, the readers, with a wide imagination. Ferryman uses Symbolism in his poem by writing, â€Å"People will take balls, Balls will be lost always, little boy. † He is comparing the ball to some sort of irretrievable loss that he has experienced. The anguish and agony of losing something so dear to a boy is tough.Being a child, our toys are what we are most important to us. Ferryman knows the relationship between children and their toys and uses it in such ways to explicate the sorrow that this young boy is feeling. Ferryman expresses so much emotion In this poem that it's almost difficult not to feel what this young boy is feeling. â€Å"What Is the boy now, who has lost his ball,† is how the poem begins, theref ore, giving Off sense of mourning and gloom. We get this visual Image that the ball is gone, and that he boy is indefinitely saddened.Because who wouldn't be, by losing anything closest to us. Ferryman uses Imagery by saying, â€Å"l saw It go merrily bouncing, down the street, and then merrily over-?there It Is In the water! † At this point, we see that he set us up for disappointment. We knew that the ball was gone, but now It's clear to where It Is. Lost forever. Throughout, â€Å"The Ball Poem,† Ferryman Is talking about a boy, but at first it isn't known exactly who this boy might be. But at the end of the poem he uses Persona by saying, â€Å"l suffer and move, my mind and my heart move†¦With all that move me, under the water†¦ Or whistling, I am not a little boy. † All of this pain, grief, and sorrow happen to be all about him. He's stating that this boy Is Indeed a reflection of him and his life. John Ferryman experiences, â€Å"the epistemolo gy of loss. † Lonely and Isolated, he has been through a deep and dark time. Through literally elements, Ferryman expresses himself In very Intense and dramatic ways. â€Å"The Ball Poem† gave great examples of mysterious losses but losses that all of us can compare to, whether It's a ball or something more.We all have things we cherish, and we all either have or will suffer a loss. The Ball Poem By Tameness the sorrow that this young boy is feeling. Ferryman expresses so much emotion in this poem that it's almost difficult not to feel what this young boy is feeling. â€Å"What is sense of mourning and gloom. We get this visual image that the ball is gone, and that to us. Ferryman uses imagery by saying, â€Å"l saw it go merrily bouncing, down the street, and then merrily over-?there it is in the water! † At this point, we see that he set us up for disappointment.We knew that the ball was gone, but now it's clear to where it is. Lost forever. Throughout,  "The Ball Poem,† Ferryman is talking about a pain, grief, and sorrow happen to be all about him. He's stating that this boy is indeed a reflection of him and his life. John Ferryman experiences, â€Å"the epistemology of loss. † Lonely and isolated, he has been through a deep and dark time. Through literally elements, Ferryman expresses himself in very intense and dramatic ways. Compare to, whether it's a ball or something more. We all have things we cherish, and

Drinking a Love Story by Caroline Knapp Essay

Drinking a love story by Caroline describes a life of an alcoholic daughter of rich parents. Excessive wealth, love and carelessness from her parents caused her to adopt life threatening habits. She later on started consuming alcohol. She indulged in alcoholism so much that her life was completely devastated. Caroline describes in details the bad outcomes of excessive consumption of alcohol. One third of alcoholics are women. Every day she consumed more and more alcohol and that was causing more damage to her life. Caroline Knapp, a psychotherapist, narrates a trajectory life of an alcoholic daughter. During Dream world stage, since her adolescence she had problems with drinking. She starts consuming alchol in her early teens and became a regular drinker by the age of sixteen. Her father was a psychoanalyst and a drinker himself who had affairs with several women. Her mother wasn’t able to give attention to her daughter as she was already sufferring from breast cancer. She was born in a prosperous family and her twin sister became a physician. However, Knapp became extremely addictive to alcohol. In disillusionment stage, all the symtptoms of alcoholism started appearing her as she approached her 20s. She also started on unrealistic sex relationship with several men. This added to her unhealthy conditon. During misery stage her thoughts and imaginations were immersed in a bottle of alcohol. A daughter of well-to-do family had a love affair with alcohol that ruined her entire life. The story narrates a true life image of an alcoholic and a warning for those who had started out habit of drinking. During her enlightment stage she sometimes realized that this habit has completely ruined her life. She struggles to find out contact with those who are even more alcoholic than her, in order to comfort her that she’s not the alone. Her parents were also alcoholics. However, she tries to come-up with this problem by improving her self-image and recovery from this state. â€Å"At the same time Meg’s story – her shyness and shame and confusion -is achingly familiar. Bad, semi-consensual drunken sex: so many women I know did this. So many still do. At least one quarter of the 17,592 students surveyed in a 1995 Harvard School of Public Health study on campus drinking said they had suffered an unwanted sexual advance as a result of drinking; that same year, a Columbia University study reported that alcohol plays a role in ninety percent of rapes on college campuses. † (Knapp) In her mid 20s she seeked help with psychotherapist to solve her problems with eating. Because of her excessive consumption of alcohol she lost her apetite, a condition called anorexia. However, duirng her treatment she kept on drinking. Regular consumption of alcohol made her very distressed and she gradually started realizing the cause of her unhappiness. During mutual respect stage, her both parents died of cancer. Loss of her parents, her father’s several comments and her carelessness while holding a child of her friend moved her to undergo an alcoholic anonymous rehabilitation program. Though she was successful as a journalist, she was unable to control her behavior, her unhealthy condition and developed distorting unwanted sex relationship with several men. She found her love affair with an alcohol as a synonymous to an unfaithful and unresponsive man, who had destroyed her life completely. Her recovery would be to end this relationship from its roots and to take a divorce from this love. Those who consume alcohol usually indulge in this habit in order to avoid facing difficulties in life. Caroline brings to their awareness that drinking is not the solution as it makes the problem worse. By drinking one cannot avoid those difficulties and problems but in fact have other severe health problems incurred. This can make their lives miserable. The story is a very good advice for drinkers about this life threatening habit. She sketches a true picture of an alcoholic daughter and its miserable outcomes on women of all age who have this habit. References Knapp, Caroline. Drinking A Love Story.

Free Essays on Good Management

Outline Topic: What makes a good manager? I. Introduction A. Think back to a time when you were impressed by a manager or boss in a team or at work and the way they worked with their employees. What characteristics made this person stand out above the rest of your former employers or teammates? B. We are all different and have different needs and desires out of a manager. C. Basic essentials for good management D. THESIS: A good manager possesses outstanding leadership abilities, terrific people skills, and promotes an open and honest work environment. II. Body A. Leadership abilities are a necessity for anyone in a management position. 1. Know when to take charge and stand firm 2. Know when to follow 3. Show humility, be humble. 4. Sets a good example B. In a work environment, a manager must possess an innate sense of people skills. 1. Likes to spend time with employees 2. Communicates philosophy and values 3. Believes in workers 4. Motivational and optimistic 5. Celebrates success C. A manager should promote an open and honest work environment to improve employee satisfaction. 1. Today’s work environment – innovation and creativity 2. Open-door policy 3. Doesn’t hide bad news/straight-forward 4. Corrects performance in private 5. Easy to talk with 6. Good listener III. Conclusion A. Although we all have differing views and opinions on what makes an exceptional manager, several characteristics create the norm. A good manager must be a great leader, work well with people, and promote an open and honest work environment. A manager who is successful at these things will create a friendlier and warmer work environment. Employee satisfaction will rise; therefore, customer satisfaction will increase.... Free Essays on Good Management Free Essays on Good Management Outline Topic: What makes a good manager? I. Introduction A. Think back to a time when you were impressed by a manager or boss in a team or at work and the way they worked with their employees. What characteristics made this person stand out above the rest of your former employers or teammates? B. We are all different and have different needs and desires out of a manager. C. Basic essentials for good management D. THESIS: A good manager possesses outstanding leadership abilities, terrific people skills, and promotes an open and honest work environment. II. Body A. Leadership abilities are a necessity for anyone in a management position. 1. Know when to take charge and stand firm 2. Know when to follow 3. Show humility, be humble. 4. Sets a good example B. In a work environment, a manager must possess an innate sense of people skills. 1. Likes to spend time with employees 2. Communicates philosophy and values 3. Believes in workers 4. Motivational and optimistic 5. Celebrates success C. A manager should promote an open and honest work environment to improve employee satisfaction. 1. Today’s work environment – innovation and creativity 2. Open-door policy 3. Doesn’t hide bad news/straight-forward 4. Corrects performance in private 5. Easy to talk with 6. Good listener III. Conclusion A. Although we all have differing views and opinions on what makes an exceptional manager, several characteristics create the norm. A good manager must be a great leader, work well with people, and promote an open and honest work environment. A manager who is successful at these things will create a friendlier and warmer work environment. Employee satisfaction will rise; therefore, customer satisfaction will increase....

Best Wishes for Your Birthday

Best Wishes for Your Birthday Some people like to celebrate their birthdays  alone. Others enjoy making a big splash and inviting friends for a grand celebration. Most people have a small party with their near and dear ones.  If you enjoy being with friends and family  but cant celebrate your birthday with them this year, dont feel depressed.  You can still make your birthday special with just a little effort. A birthday is a good time to take up an activity that youve never tried.  Choose   one  that involves other people so you wont feel so lonely on your birthday. Perhaps you can learn ballroom dancing or yoga.  Visit a luxury spa or salon and pamper yourself. Treat yourself to exotic massages and dont feel guilty about spending money on yourself. You deserve special treatment.  If youre in a benevolent mood, visit a local orphanage and donate generously. Spend time helping the needy. Youll feel an immense sense of satisfaction and spiritual fulfillment. Heres a list of birthday wishes that might inspire you to reflect on your life and how you would like to improve it: Maurice ChevalierOld age isnt so bad when you consider the alternatives.Alexander PopePleasd to look forward, pleasd to look behind,And count each birthday with a grateful mind.C.E.M. JoadMen are like wine. Some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age.Oscar WildeThe old believe everything; the middle-aged suspect everything; the young know everything.Fred AstaireOld age is like everything else. To make a success of it, youve got to start young.Daniel Francois Esprit AuberAging seems to be the only available way to live a long life.Mark TwainAge is an issue of mind over matter. If you dont mind, it doesnt matter.Pennsylvania Dutch ProverbWe grow too soon old and too late smart.Ubie BlakeIf Id known I was going to live this long, Id have taken better care of myself.J. P. SearsLet us respect gray hairs, especially our own.Lucille BallThe secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.Lucy LarcomWhatever with the past has gone, the best is always y et to come. Bernard BaruchWe grow neither better or worse as we get old, but more like ourselves.Stephen WrightI intend to live forever so far, so good!Martin BuxbaumSome people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty- they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.Jerry M. WrightThe first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left.PlautusLet us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words.Pablo PicassoIt takes a long time to grow young.Les BrownYou are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.George BurnsNice to be here? At my age its nice to be anywhere.Robert FrostA diplomat is a man who always remembers a womans birthday, but never remembers her age.

Basking Sharks Essay Research Paper The Basking

Enjoying Sharks: Essay, Research Paper The Basking Shark: Hope for the Future? Introduction # 8211 ; What are the biological features, home ground, and value of enjoying sharks? I. Interrelated life signifiers populate the oceans. A. Photoplankton synthesize nutrient. 1. Using C dioxide 2. Dissolving minerals 3. Roll uping sunlight energy B. Small fish consume photoplankton. C. Zooplankton eats infinitesimal workss. 1. Sea worms 2. Jellyfish 3. Crustaceans D. Food concatenation ends with big animals. 1. Giants 2. Sharks E. Some of the largest animals feed on the smallest. II. Ocean creatures feed at assorted deepnesss of the sea. A. Most big animals gather at the top bed of the ocean. 1. Food is plentiful. 2. Water is warm. B. Small animals feed on organic dust deep in the ocean. 1. Fish 2. Crustaceans III. Fish species include 340 members. A. Skates B. Rays C. Chimeras D. Sharks 1. Not a bony fish 2. Skeleton made of gristle IV. Location of sharks A. Devil dog Waterss B. Tropical seas C. Subtropical Waterss V. Length of the shark varies. A. Whale shark every bit great as 49 pess B. Cookie-cutter shark every bit little as 19 inches VI. Agressiveness varies. A. Most appear to be aggressive carnivores. B. Some of the largest are plankton-eaters. VII. Sharks have non changed from the Cretaceous Period. A. Caused by great diverseness in behaviour B. Assortment of sizes C. Excellent version accomplishments VIII. Sharks belong to category Chondrichthyes. A. Scientific names of sharks 1. Whale sharks # 8211 ; rhincodon typus 2. Cookie-cutter sharks # 8211 ; Squaliolus laticaudus 3. Bull tiger shark # 8211 ; Galeocerdo Cuvier 4. Spiny dogfish # 8211 ; Squalus ancanthias 5. Great White Shark # 8211 ; Carcharodon Carcharias 6. Hammerhead shark # 8211 ; Sphymidae 7. Blue Shark # 8211 ; Prionace glauca 8. Basking Shark # 8211 ; Cetorhinus maximus B. Skeletons of Chondrichthyans are made of gristle. 1. Can be strenghened by sedimentations of minerals in countries of emphasis a. jaws b. vertebrae 2. Lighter than bone since sharks have no swim vesica 3. Material that is flexible for swimming and turning 4. Grows throughout life of shark IX. Specific features of the basking shark. A. Found in temperate oceans B. Length up to 43 pess C. Swims near surface 1. Seen sunning near top of H2O 2. May be in assortment of places a. back b. side c. high in H2O D. Feeds on plankton E. Enormous fish F. Mouth is big 1. Wide 2. Small-toothed G. Gill slits 1. Lined with long, bristle-like rakers 2. Five sets 3. Trap nutrient of plankton H. Originally hunted for its liver oil I. Not known to be unsafe J. Color blends with environment 1. Upper, dorsal surface is gray brown 2. Lower, ventricle surface is white 3. Seen less by enemies K. Fusiform organic structure 1. Rounded and tapered at both terminals 2. Reduces H2O clash 3. Requires minimal energy to swim L. Placoid Scales 1. Regular form 2. Reduce clash 3. Different from centoid graduated tables of bony fish M. Characteristics of the caput 1. Fives formed in lunula form 2. Mouth on bottom of caput 3. Wide separation of anterior nariss N. Characteristics of the dentitions 1. Small 2. Great in figure 3. Formed in parallel rows 4. Not meant for carniverous intents 5. Rows of dentitions develop continuously as replacings for functional dentitions 6. Not used for onslaught intents Ten. Scientists have recorded measurings of the basking shark. A. Babies are five to six pess at birth. B. Pacific Ocean basking sharks 1. 23 pess long 2. 6,600 pound. C. Atlantic Ocean basking sharks 1. 30 pess long 2. 8,600 pound. D. Others have observed lengths from 35 # 8211 ; 50 pess. Eleven. Sharks have been observed in many topographic points. A. Gulf of Maine swimming entirely B. Northeastern United States in big Numberss C. In winter, they move to warm clime D. Known boundaries 1. North # 8211 ; Nova Scotia and Newfoundland 2. South # 8211 ; Mediterranean Sea 3. West # 8211 ; North Carolina Twelve. Breeding forms are mostly unknown. A. Produce unrecorded immature B. Ovaries contain six million immature eggs. Thirteen. Sharks have been studied as a remedy for malignant neoplastic disease. A. Ability to defy disease B. Few tumours have been discovered by Smithsonian Institution C. Do non organize tumours when exposed to cancer-causing stuff D. Studies may take to assist for malignant neoplastic disease patients. 1. Immunoglobin ( IgM ) in shark? s blood onslaughts occupying substances. 2. Shark gristle may defy incursion by capillaries, shriveling tumours. 3. Drugs of gristle may command spread of blood vass that feed tumours. E. Several scientific discipline labs have studied the usage of shark gristle for malignant neoplastic disease remedies. 1. Dr. I. William Lane # 8211 ; Sharks Still Don? T Get Cancer a. Studied in clinical tests at U.S. Food and Drug Administration B. Stops formation of new blood vass c. Prevents cancerous tumours through procedure of antiangiogenesis 2. Jing Chen in 1989 a. Oil emulsion from the Cetorhinus maximus is trade name new medical specialty. B. Improvement of patient? s status ( 1 ) Weight addition ( 2 ) Tumor shrinking ( 3 ) Life extension 3. Cancer Treatment Research Foundation survey is let downing. a. Cartilade trade name shark gristle was uneffective against advanced malignant neoplastic disease instances. ( 1 ) Breast ( 2 ) Colon ( 3 ) Lung ( 4 ) Prostate gland B. None of the 47 patients showed even partial tumour decrease. 4. Current surveies indicate inconclusive consequences. Decision: Current probes and modern cognition of the basking shark have opened new countries of survey with deductions for the wellness of adult male. The Basking Shark: Hope for Cancer Cure? The Basking Shark: Hope for a Cancer Cure? The oceans of the universe are populated with distinguishable but interconnected signifiers of life. The nutriment for all ocean life originates in the sunstruck surface beds, where microscopic workss called phytoplankton usage C dioxide, dissolved minerals, and the energy of sunshine to synthesise nutrient. Small fish and zooplankton floating animals such as sea worms, Portuguese man-of-war and crustaceans # 8211 ; browse on these minute workss, and the nutrient value therefore provided moves through consecutive stairss of predation, up the Marine nutrient web to the largest sea inhabitants ( Whipple 132 ) . Most of the giants, fish, and calamaris gather at the top beds of the ocean where the nutrient is plentiful and Waterss are warm. The fish and crustaceans of the deepnesss are fed by organic dust body waste and corpses # 8211 ; that drifts down from the surface Waterss. The ocean nutrient concatenation Begins with the little plankton and ends with the largest of the giants and sharks. Interestingly plenty, some of these largest species feed on the smallest of ocean animals ( Whipple 132 ) . The shark is a member of the three hundred 40 species of fish that along with skates, beams, and Chimeras are aggressively distinguished from the huge figure of cadaverous fish species by their skeletons made of gristle. Sharks are chiefly marine fish found in all seas and are particularly abundant in tropical and semitropical Waterss. They vary in size from the largest, the giant shark, which is 49 pess in length to the cookie-cutter shark which is less than 19 inches long. Sharks are best known as agressive carnivores that even attack their ain species. They eat about all big Marine animate beings in both shallow and deep seas. Two of the largest of the species, nevertheless, eat merely plankton ( 98 Encyclopedia ) . The sharks that exist today have non changed much from those in the Cretaceous Time period which occured more than one hundred million old ages ago. This ability to populate without much alteration over many centuries is caused by their great diverseness in behaviour and in size, demoing first-class version accomplishments ( 98 Encyclopedia ) . Sharks belong to the category Chondrichthyes along with the beams, skates, and other cartilaginous fish. The whale shark is classified as Rhincodon typus, the cookie-cutter shark as Squaliolus laticaudus, and the bull tiger shark as Galeocerdo Cuvier, the spinous bowfin as Squalus ancanthias, and the great white shark as Carcharodon Carcharias. Hammerhead sharks make up the household Sphymidae. The bluish shark is named Prionace glauca. The basking shark is classified as Cetorhinus maximus. It is this last shark species on which this paper concentrates ( 98 Encyclopedia ) . Chondrichthyans differ from osteichthyans, or bony fishes, whose skeletons are to a great extent calcified. A shark? s skeleton is made largely of gristle that can be strengthened by sedimentations of minerals in countries subjected to particular emphasis such as the jaws and vertebrae. Cartilage is an ideal tissue for sharks for several grounds. First, gristle is lighter than bone, of import for sharks which have no swim vesica # 8230 ; Second, gristle is a comparatively flexible stuff, giving tensile force to swimming and turning motions # 8230 ; Lastly, gristle can turn throughout the life of a shark ( Sharks and Stats 1 ) . The basking shark is the common name for the tremendous fish belonging to the shark household. It is found in all temperate oceans and can make a length of 43 pess. The basking shark normally swims near the surface of the H2O and provenders on plankton that is strained through its broad, small-toothed oral cavity and five braces of tremendous gill slits. Each gill is lined with long, bristlelike rakers that trap the plankton. The basking shark was one time hunted for the big measures of oil contained in its liver, but this pattern has been stopped. This shark is non known to be unsafe, but its size demands respect ( 98 Encyclopedia ) . The basking shark is a immense, gray fish that is merely 2nd in size to the giant shark. Like most sharks, it is characterized by a fusiform organic structure which is rounded and tapered at both ends. This streamlined, cylindrical form reduces the clash of the H2O and requires a lower limit of energy to swim. In add-on, the placoid graduated tables which are arranged in a regular form cut down the clash of the H2O by imparting the H2O flow over the organic structure. These are really different from the comb-like graduated tables of bony fish which overlap to supply both protection and lissomeness ( Sharks and Stats 2 ) . The colour of the upper surface of the basking shark is a gray brown, slate Grey, or even black. The lower surface is normally white ( Bigelow and Shroeder ) . This countershading, a type of colour in which the dorsal side is darker than the ventral side, enables the shark to intermix with the environment and be seen less easy by marauders and quarry ( Sharks and Stats 1 ) . Observations from scientists have recorded a assortment of measurings from 35 to 50 pess in length. The babes are normally five to six pess when they are born. Estimated weights for smaller 23 pes enjoying sharks from the Pacific Ocean are 6,600 lbs where the larger 30 pes enjoying sharks from the Atlantic weigh every bit much as 8,600 lbs ( Bigelow and Schroeder 147 ) . The fives of the basking shark are shaped in a half Moon form, the oral cavity is positioned on the bottom of the caput, and there is a broad separation of anterior nariss from the oral cavity. The gills are so big that they surround the cervix of the basking shark with the first brace about meeting below the pharynx. On the interior border of each gill are found a great figure of thorny, bristle-like rakers directed inward and forward. The oral cavity is really big and can open at the corners with easiness. On big specimens, the olfactory organ is short and conic with a rounded tip ( Bigalow and Schroeder 147 ) . The dentition of the basking shark are formed in parallel rows like those of other shark species. These dentitions are really little and great in figure to fit their map. These sharks have no demand to turn big, serrated dentition of the more carnivorous assortments. ? Several rows of replacing dentitions develop continuously throughout life behind the outer row of functional dentitions? ( Sharks and Stats 2 ) . The basking shark is a big non-threatening fish that is frequently seen sunning itself on the surface of the H2O and that is why it is named? basking. ? Because of its minute dentition, it is helpless to assail. Often the shark suns itself with its dorsum and dorsal fin high out of the H2O, on its side, or even on its dorsum ( Bigelow and Schroeder ) . Sometimes it loafs along with the neb out of the H2O, its oral cavity unfastened, while garnering its repast of plankton. The shark spends so small clip paying attending to boats that it can easy come within harpoon scope of shark huntsmans. These sharks besides have been seen leaping out of the H2O ( Bigelow and Schroeder 62 ) . Enjoying sharks are normally seen in the Gulf of Maine going entirely. Sometimes, nevertheless, they are seen in the northeasterly United States and in the northern portion of their scope in the Atlantic in loose schools that include every bit many as 60 to a 100 members. During the warm portion of the twelvemonth, enjoying sharks are often seen in the northeasterly United States. In the winter, they frequently move to deeper H2O where the temperature of the H2O does non fall so low ( Bigelow and Shroeder ) . The most interesting distinctive feature of the basking shark is its funny diet. This big animal chows entirely on bantam oceanic animate beings. It sifts these out of the H2O with its greatly developed gill rakers, precisely like other plankton-feeders. Their tummies have been found packed with minute Crustacea ; digestion is so rapid that the nutrient swallowed is shortly reduced to a soupy mass ( Bigelow and Schroeder ) . Enjoying sharks produce unrecorded immature like other sharks in their species although really small is known about the construction of the genteelness forms. The female is known to hold ovaries incorporating six million immature eggs alternatively of the few that are prevailing in other sharks ( Bigelow and Schroeder ) . The basking shark was originally thought to be an Artic species. Now, nevertheless, it is known that it is an dweller of the North Atlantic and the thermic belts of the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. The Northern boundary of the normal scope of the enjoying shark of the North Atlantic appears to be Nova Scotia and Newfoundland ; the Southern boundary is every bit far as the Mediterranean Sea. North Carolina appears to organize the western boundary ( Bigelow and Schroeder ) . At one clip, enjoying sharks every bit good as sperm giants were normally caught off the seashore of Massachusetts. Their cherished oil was treasured as a beginning for lamp oil by the settlers. However, their Numberss were shortly depleted by overfishing ( Bigelow and Schroeder ) . During the last 20 old ages, sharks and their relations have been the object of serious survey peculiarly in the hunt for a remedy for malignant neoplastic disease: Sharks and their relations, the skates and beams, have enjoyed enormous success during their about 400 million old ages of being on Earth. One ground for this surely is their eldritch ability to defy disease # 8230 ; tumour incidence in these animate beings is carefully monitored by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. ( Luer 1 ) . In surveies at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, scientists are experimenting to find whether tumours can be produced in sharks and skates by exposing them to potent cancer-causing chemicals. No alterations in the tissues of the sharks or their familial stuff of all time resulted in cancerous tumours to be formed. After 10 old ages of research, the scientists have concluded that the resistence to disease can be explained by the immunoglobin ( IgM ) which ? circulates in the shark blood at really high degrees and appears to be ready to assail invading substances at all times # 8230 ; This information may someday take to improved methods of immune cell ordinance in worlds, particularly malignant neoplastic disease patients? ( Luer 1-2 ) . In the 1980? s, surveies conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) and at Mote Marine Laboratory tried to verify the value of utilizing shark gristle for both malignant neoplastic disease and arthritis: These surveies of cow and shark gristle were designed to understand how gristle is of course able to defy incursion by blood capillaries. If the footing for this suppression could be identified, it was reasoned, so it might take to the development of a new drug therapy. Such a drug could command the spread of blood vass feeding a cancerous tumour, or the redness associated with arthritis ( Luer 2 ) . The primary advocate of the benefits of shark gristle has been Dr. I. William Lane. In his book, Sharks Still Don? T Get Cancer, Lane claims that? usage of whole shark gristle has proven so effectual as an alternate malignant neoplastic disease therapy that it is now being studied in human clinical tests conducted under the protections of the United States Food and Drug Administration? ( 6 ) . The benefit of shark gristle is touted as a therapy which stops the formation of new blood vass and, hence, prevents the growing of cancerous tumours. This procedure was named antiangiogenesis ( anti = against, angio = blood, generation = formation of ) ( 8 ) . Research continues with the enjoying shark as a topic. In 1989, it was reported by Jing Chen that an oil emulsion from the? Cetorhinus maximus is a bran-new anti-carcinoma medical specialty made from marine beings. Marked betterment of the patient? s status such as weight addition, partial shrinking of the conceited ball and life extension constitute the distinctive characteristics of oil emulsion of Cetorhinus maximus? ( 41-45 ) . Consequences of the largest current survey announced in May, 1997, by the non-profit Cancer Treatment Research Foundation in Arlington Heights, Illinois, were dissatisfactory. The research found that Cartilade trade name shark gristle was uneffective against advanced instances of chest, colon, lung, and prostate malignant neoplastic disease. None of the 47 patients showed even partial tumour decrease after 12 hebdomads ( Environmental Nutrition 7 ) . Although Lane? s work continues to be followed, research efforts to verify his work has non been satisfactory. It was during a feature narrative on 60 Minutess when Mike Wallace interviewed Lane in Cuba that the narrative became well-known in America. The consequences of the study were inconclusive but the involvement of the American people had been whetted ( Braun 5 ) . The value of the shark has yet to be to the full determined as a medical intervention for homo disease. However, the current probes surely have opened new countries of survey for these monolithic animals of the warm oceans who have existed for 1000000s of old ages. The shark may be the key to adult male? s hereafter. The Basking Shark: Hope for the Future? Introduction # 8211 ; What are the biological features, home ground, and value of enjoying sharks? I. Interrelated life signifiers populate the oceans. A. Photoplankton synthesize nutrient. B. Small fish consume photoplankton. C. Zooplankton eats infinitesimal workss. D. Food concatenation ends with big animals. E. Some of the largest animals feed on the smallest. II. Ocean creatures feed at assorted deepnesss of the sea. A. Most big animals gather at the top bed of the ocean. B. Small animals feed on organic dust deep in the ocean. III. Fish species include 340 members. A. Skates B. Rays C. Chimeras D. Sharks IV. Location of sharks A. Devil dog Waterss B. Tropical seas C. Subtropical Waterss V. Length of the shark varies. A. Whale shark every bit great as 49 pess B. Cookie-cutter shark every bit little as 19 inches VI. Agressiveness varies. A. Most appear to be aggressive carnivores. B. Some of the largest are plankton-eaters. VII. Sharks have non changed from the Cretaceous Period. A. Caused by great diverseness in behaviour B. Assortment of sizes C. Excellent version accomplishments VIII. Sharks belong to category Chondrichthyes. A. Scientific names of sharks B. Skeletons of Chondrichthyans are made of gristle. IX. Specific features of the basking shark. A. Found in temperate oceans B. Length up to 43 pess C. Swims near surface D. Feeds on plankton E. Enormous fish F. Mouth is big G. Gill slits H. Originally hunted for its liver oil I. Not known to be unsafe J. Color blends with environment K. Fusiform organic structure L. Placoid Scales M. Characteristics of the caput N. Characteristics of the dentitions Ten. Scientists have recorded measurings of the basking shark. A. Babies are five to six pess at birth. B. Pacific Ocean basking sharks C. Atlantic Ocean basking sharks D. Others have observed lengths from 35 # 8211 ; 50 pess. Eleven. Sharks have been observed in many topographic points. A. Gulf of Maine swimming entirely B. Northeastern United States in big Numberss C. In winter, they move to warm clime D. Known boundaries Twelve. Breeding forms are mostly unknown. A. Produce unrecorded immature B. Ovaries contain six million immature eggs. Thirteen. Sharks have been studied as a remedy for malignant neoplastic disease. A. Ability to defy disease B. Few tumours have been discovered by Smithsonian Institution C. Do non organize tumours when exposed to cancer-causing stuff D. Studies may take to assist for malignant neoplastic disease patients. E. Several scientific discipline labs have studied the usage of shark gristle for malignant neoplastic disease remedies. 1. Dr. I. William Lane # 8211 ; Sharks Still Don? T Get Cancer 2. Jing Chen in 1989 3. Cancer Treatment Research Foundation survey is let downing. 4. Current surveies indicate inconclusive consequences. Decision: Current probes and modern cognition of the basking shark have opened new countries of survey with deductions for the wellness of adult male. Plants Cited ? Basking Shark, ? 98 Encyclopedia. Computer Software. California: Microsoft Encarta, 1998. CD-ROM. Bigelow and Schroeder. ? Fishs of the Gulf of Maine. ? United States Government Printing Office, 1953. Online. Internet. 25 Apr. 1998. Available: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.bigelowand shroeder.com. Braun, Wendy R. ? A Different Kind of Shark Attack ( Shark Cartilage for Cancer Prevention ) . ? Medical Update. Abstract. Health Reference Center. Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. 26 Apr. 1998. Sept. 1996: 5. Chen, Jing, Weiguo Wang, Huozhong Zhang, et. Al. ? Oil Emulsion of Cetorhinus Maximus in Treating Malignant Tumors: A Clinical Observation of 45 Cases. ? Online. Internet. 25 Apr. 1998. 41-45. Available: J.-MAR.-DRUGS-HAIYANG-YAOWU. Lane, Dr. I William and Linda Comac. Sharks Still Don? T Get Cancer. Garden City Park, New York: Avery Publishing Group, 1996. Luer, Dr. Carl A. ? Sharks and Cancer. ? Online. Internet. 25 Apr. 1998. Available: hypertext transfer protocol: //marinelab. sarasota.fl.us/~rhueter/sharks/cancer.phtml. ? Shark, ? 98 Encyclopedia. Computer Software. California: Microsoft Encarta, 1998. CD-ROM. ? Shark Facts and Stats: General Characteristics. ? Online. Internet. 25 Apr. 1998. Available: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.marinelab.sarasota.fl.us/~rhueter/sharks/char.phtml. ? So Far, Shark Cartilage Is a Fishy Treatment For Cancer. ? Environmental Nutrition. Abstract. Health Reference Center. Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. 26 Apr. 1998. Sept. 1997: 7. Whipple, A.B.C. Restless Oceans. Planet Earth Ser. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1983.

Journalism, Mass Media and Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Journalism, Mass Media and Communication - Essay Example Journalism is an activity that can be described as one that defines journalists. It is the system in which journalists get to engage the public, and this can be in terms of written, visual or audio material. Journalism is done with the intention of bringing the news to the public. It is about making the community aware of their surroundings. Through journalism, mass media and communication, the public is able to know how the world they live in operates. They have a sense of guidance and cause change in places is needed. The ongoing events in the day to day lives partly depend on the influence of journalists. This is the reason why mass media is a very important tool in any country. They are able to influence what people think, see and hear. They are able to make stories and events known within a short time. The media is an important tool, one which is used to inform on upcoming events that might directly affect the people. Over the years, the mass media has faced criticism, praise an d also ridicule because of the way they have handled themselves. In modern times, the press has been used to make false statements, show false news, hide some information and also reveal some of the worst known secrets. Journalists have been put in the spotlight over the various news that they have written. They have been charged with intimidation, violence and harassment, but all this is because of the temperament of their occupation. There are different forms of providing news to the public. They include broadcasting over the television and radio stations, newspapers, journals, magazines, and the other important one is the internet. In this essay, attention will be focused towards the newspaper section and its popularity and influence in the United States and China. The newspaper section takes up a lot of heat when it comes to the transmission of news to the public (Hallin & Mancini, 2004). A newspaper is a publication that is periodical and contains news that regard the current a tmosphere and events. It covers the diverse features, editorials, and the advertising bit of marketing. The newspaper can be termed as one of the greatest prominent mass media device that exists. This is because they are printed daily, and are relatively cheap and contain a lot of information regarding the current events and happenings of a place. There are millions of newspaper copies that are sold on a daily basis because they do cover a lot of published material. Some of the things published in a newspaper include editorial opinions about the writing, criticism of or for the writing, persuasion publishing and op-ed, obituaries, entertainment facilities and features that include things such as  crosswords,  Sudoku  and horoscopes (Hallin & Mancini, 2004). There are also news about the weather and  forecasts on certain areas and places. There are also the facilities of advice,  food  and other columns such as reviews of ‘radio’, ‘movies’, †˜television’, ‘plays’ and ‘restaurants’. The newspaper also has  classified advertisements that include the ‘radio’ and ‘television’ listings, inserts from ‘local merchants’,  cartoons and comics. These are just some of the facilities that a newspaper carries. It is because of the various facilities that it offers that it gets the popularity. Newspaper popularity in the United States is less pronounced and common than in the republic of China. When looking at the popularity of the newspaper in the United States, it is safe to say that the newspaper industry in the United States supplies fewer newspapers in a day than their Chinese counterparts. Looking at the average of the newspaper circulation between the United States and China, it is safe to say that newspapers are less popular in the United States than in China and Japan (Hallin & Mancini, 2004). There are many factors that can attribute to this. One i mportant factor is the factor that concerns

The Strategy of International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

The Strategy of International Business - Essay Example This situation has not only reduced the profitability and market share of the local firms, but also has enforced a number of local firms to sell their businesses to the international giants. Hence, the report has elaborated a number of market strategies that can assist the local firms to strengthen their competitive position to ensure their long-term profitability and sustainability. The term ‘liberalization’ describes the process of relaxation of governmental regulations and restrictions in different areas such as trade, economy, social, political etc (Alessandria and Choi, 2014). Globalization has highly influenced the practices of trade and economy related liberalization within different industry sectors of developed as well as developing countries (Dix†Carneiro, 2014). The United Kingdom can be utilized as a successful example which has initiated and efficiently conceptualized liberalization in their different industry segments, mainly the energy segment. The rapid changes in the business processes and trade policies in the globalized economy influences government authorities to modify the trading policies of the nation to accommodate it with the global economy, political regulations and social practices. This intervention of government authorities has allowed a number of industry sectors to avail the facility of free trade in terms of the ir international business venture (Corbet and Robertson, 2014). The further topic will emphasize on liberalization and its impact on the internationalization of businesses. The study will also evaluate the impact of liberalization on the domestically focused business industry in terms of increase in competition within the local and global market. Finally, the discussion will elaborate various strategic reactions which can assist various domestically focused industries of the UK to face the increased competition of foreign competitors. The increasing

Discuss the impact of British colonial rule, and in particular the Essay

Discuss the impact of British colonial rule, and in particular the regulations regarding witchcraft accusations and oracles, on the framing and methods of Evans - Essay Example Most of the world’s knowledge of witchcraft during that period and beyond in fact came down from Western Europe, where it was believed that many people practiced witchcraft, something considered evil and frightening. Scholars believe that witchcraft in Europe was part of a very ancient religion that existed long before Christianity. Thousands of witch trials were held there at which people were accused of witchcraft. These witch trials were later replicated in massive proportions in Salem, Massachussets in the US, another former British colony, where suspected witches were hanged and burned at the stake. So it must have been nothing new for the British to come upon the practice of witchcraft in many African territories that they colonized. Much like their forbears in the Middle Ages, their reaction to witchcraft in Africa was one of fear followed by a desire to persecute and eliminate the source of that fear. This is exactly what the British tried to do in Azande, a territory that straddles the boundaries of Sudan, Zaire and the Central African Republic. Under the 1899 Anglo-French Convention, the French who competed and fought with the British in Africa ceded the Azande to the British. Forthwith, the British established a military outpost there which military occupation gave way to civil administration in 1920. The Azandes lived in the watershed area between the Nile and Congo rivers to which they were resettled from the wilderness by the British after the first World War. They never returned to the jungles. When the British gave Azande some independence, it set up a civil service system manned by career people generally from the upper classes in England. A British colonial governor and a legislative council ruled the territory alongside the native chieftains. One of the first steps taken

Marks and Spencer Clothing Business Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marks and Spencer Clothing Business - Case Study Example Perhaps more than any other business the retail companies must devote the utmost attention to planning and analysis. The classic example for the decline in the profitability due to wrong approach to customer tastes and lack of management ability to judge the requirements of the business is Marks and Spencer, who for years has been a stalwart of UK high streets, providing generation after generation with their smalls and snacks. This report envisages bringing out a comprehensive study of the problems that lead to the decline of the profits of the company, the possible solutions that may see the company back into action towards recovering its past glory. "For better or worse, globalization has fundamentally changed retail. The wide availability of low-cost products presents challenges for maintaining both top line and bottom-line performance. Retail customers have come to expect that they can have their cake and eat it too, meaning that they can choose from a wider array of product offerings and pay a very low price for these goods." (William Brandel 2006) In fact this was the potential problem faced by Marks & Spenser during the period from 1999 to 2003 by declining sales in the clothing division. While the other high street competitors made all efforts to supply highly fashionable cat walk trendy clothing for young women at unimaginable competitive prices, Mark & Spencer didn't have anything to offer its customers like those of its competitors. With the result that the customers found alternative sources to meet their expectations and this had virtually affected the sales of Mark & Spencer. This report makes a complete review of the course of events that led to the decline in the sales and the resultant lower profitability of Mark & Spencer. The report consists of sections detailing objectives, scope and methodology of the study followed by a review of available literature leading to findings, conclusions and recommendations for the improvement of the sales of clothing line of Marks & Spencer 2.0 Marks & Spencer- A Background: Marks & Spencer is one of the UK's leading retailers of clothing, food, home wear and financial services. The Company trades in 30 countries worldwide and had a group turnover in excess of 8 billion for the year 2002 with pre-tax profit of 335.9 million for the same year. In the year 1998 it became the first retailer to make a profit of over 1 billion. The Company has 347 stores around the world with 333 stores operating in the UK. As of 2002 the company had 60,000 employees on its

Prior Knowledge That Is Required before Using the Toaster Essay

Prior Knowledge That Is Required before Using the Toaster - Essay Example The memo is summed up in one page and also contains the name of the group members. A toaster is an electronic gadget that allows you to cook, bake, and boil your food. It is important to have a toaster in your house but before buying a toaster one should decide on whether to buy a basic toaster or a toaster oven. A toaster oven can do more cooking than the ordinary toaster so if you do a lot of cooking then the toaster oven is ideal for you. If you want to cook for a crowd of people then a toaster oven will most likely suit you more than the normal oven. A toaster oven is not very different from the normal oven that is found in most of the kitchens. However, it should be known that not all cooking can be done using the toaster oven and so some cooking should be done using the normal oven or cooker (David 8). When you buy a toaster you are given a short wire cord to prevent the chances of tripping in the event where someone becomes tangled with the wire. However, longer cords are available but should be used with a lot of care. When one uses a longer cord, it is advisable that one checks the marked electrical rating and make sure that it is twice that of the toaster oven. The appliance always has a polarized plug and so this makes it safe especially for fitting it to a polarized end. If you try to fix it and it does not fit then contact a qualified electrician and never try to force it (David 34). A toaster makes toasting much easier and faster than before. The toaster also has an easy to clean interior that wipes the interior of the toaster clean at once. The toaster is also big enough to let you bake an entire meal once without having to split the number of cooking. Baking: this is the function that can be used the same way that you would use your normal kitchen. When baking using the toaster, remember to prepare what you want to bake then preheat the toaster for five to ten minutes.  Ã‚  

Discuss the impact of British colonial rule, and in particular the Essay

Discuss the impact of British colonial rule, and in particular the regulations regarding witchcraft accusations and oracles, on the framing and methods of Evans - Essay Example Most of the world’s knowledge of witchcraft during that period and beyond in fact came down from Western Europe, where it was believed that many people practiced witchcraft, something considered evil and frightening. Scholars believe that witchcraft in Europe was part of a very ancient religion that existed long before Christianity. Thousands of witch trials were held there at which people were accused of witchcraft. These witch trials were later replicated in massive proportions in Salem, Massachussets in the US, another former British colony, where suspected witches were hanged and burned at the stake. So it must have been nothing new for the British to come upon the practice of witchcraft in many African territories that they colonized. Much like their forbears in the Middle Ages, their reaction to witchcraft in Africa was one of fear followed by a desire to persecute and eliminate the source of that fear. This is exactly what the British tried to do in Azande, a territory that straddles the boundaries of Sudan, Zaire and the Central African Republic. Under the 1899 Anglo-French Convention, the French who competed and fought with the British in Africa ceded the Azande to the British. Forthwith, the British established a military outpost there which military occupation gave way to civil administration in 1920. The Azandes lived in the watershed area between the Nile and Congo rivers to which they were resettled from the wilderness by the British after the first World War. They never returned to the jungles. When the British gave Azande some independence, it set up a civil service system manned by career people generally from the upper classes in England. A British colonial governor and a legislative council ruled the territory alongside the native chieftains. One of the first steps taken

Prior Knowledge That Is Required before Using the Toaster Essay

Prior Knowledge That Is Required before Using the Toaster - Essay Example The memo is summed up in one page and also contains the name of the group members. A toaster is an electronic gadget that allows you to cook, bake, and boil your food. It is important to have a toaster in your house but before buying a toaster one should decide on whether to buy a basic toaster or a toaster oven. A toaster oven can do more cooking than the ordinary toaster so if you do a lot of cooking then the toaster oven is ideal for you. If you want to cook for a crowd of people then a toaster oven will most likely suit you more than the normal oven. A toaster oven is not very different from the normal oven that is found in most of the kitchens. However, it should be known that not all cooking can be done using the toaster oven and so some cooking should be done using the normal oven or cooker (David 8). When you buy a toaster you are given a short wire cord to prevent the chances of tripping in the event where someone becomes tangled with the wire. However, longer cords are available but should be used with a lot of care. When one uses a longer cord, it is advisable that one checks the marked electrical rating and make sure that it is twice that of the toaster oven. The appliance always has a polarized plug and so this makes it safe especially for fitting it to a polarized end. If you try to fix it and it does not fit then contact a qualified electrician and never try to force it (David 34). A toaster makes toasting much easier and faster than before. The toaster also has an easy to clean interior that wipes the interior of the toaster clean at once. The toaster is also big enough to let you bake an entire meal once without having to split the number of cooking. Baking: this is the function that can be used the same way that you would use your normal kitchen. When baking using the toaster, remember to prepare what you want to bake then preheat the toaster for five to ten minutes.  Ã‚  

Higher education Essay Example for Free

Higher education Essay Ancient philosopher Confucius, who was considered the first professional teacher in China, opened an old-style private school in his hometown. The school enrolled more 3,000 students, and those students just paid a symbolic tuition fee as some crops and meat. The old-style private school has been followed for more than 2000 years. Therefore, the simplest and best way to disseminate knowledge is free education. China had a nine years’ compulsory education but it is not advance with the times now. China should extend years for the compulsory education that free education to senior high school students. With high school free education, students will have equal opportunities to be educated, focus on learning and improving, and improve the standard of living. Let’s look at those benefits of high school free education. Provide equal opportunities Free education of senior high school can also provide equal opportunities as the normal kid to the poor. In the past time, only wealthy people had chance to receive education, but some poor people could not. Now, everyone has right to get knowledge. Free education is a key to open the doors of hope for some smart and poor teenagers. They can have the equal opportunity as the riches to be educated. In the article, â€Å"Free education provides equal opportunities† reported that the government of China had released a newly plan of education that providing equal opportunities in education. The government will expend more power to resolve ingrained problems as extend free education. In many Chinese parents’ mind, if their children have a good and equal beginning in education, it will have a lot of means and benefits for a child’s future (Zhang Jingya, 2010). We can assure that some intelligent and poor students can gain the equal chances through free education. Free education provides some advantages to those people who deserve it and cherish it. In today’ society, everybody wants to have a brighter future, so it is not humanized to lose the better future because of the economic problem. Everyone has the chance to have a comfortable life and the only way to make it come true is to have enough knowledge. If the society can provide an equal chance for the teen that do not have the condition to be educated, they will offer society a better tomorrow. Focus on learning and Improving Free education of senior high school will help the teenagers focus on learning and improving. China promulgated the law on compulsory education in 1986. The government should provide a nine years compulsory education that school should be free of tuition fees and other expenses for all young people. If China extends years for the compulsory education to high school students, it will help some students without worry about the payment of tuition fees and other expenses. They should focus on learning and receiving more knowledge. For example, in the article â€Å"China pledges elimination of rural compulsory education charges in two years†, author says that in some places that particularly in the impoverished rural regions, the law of compulsory education didn’t executed because local government couldn’t cost. Many schools are forcing for continue to collect expenses and charge various miscellaneous fees on their students as voluntary donations, fund-raising for school construction, and after-school tutoring fees (March 5, 2006). Free high school education will help students to pay more attention to learning not the economic hardship of their family. Furthermore, teenagers in senior high school age are about the puberty. That means they are not mature enough in their body and mind. They can’t distinguish the right or wrong in a very advisable way like the adult. As the reason of that, if they give up attending high school because of the economic problem and entering society too early they may lose their way. It is so easy that they make a mistake which will influence their entire life, like involved in a crime. The free education of high school can change this situation. It is better to keep the teenagers in school so they can learn more knowledge and mature their outlook on life. Improve the standard of living Free education of senior high school can improve the standard of living. Francis Bacon said â€Å"Knowledge is Power†. This kind of power should make people’s life more wonderful and colorful because knowledge can produce many things. Free high school education would help more people have higher education. In the article, â€Å"Knowledge Changes Fate†, the author said that knowledge becomes the most significant content of human’s life. It contributes a lot in the economic, welfare and culture of the society. The foundation that supports the movie â€Å"Knowledge Changes Fate† wants to express the theme that the only way to change your fate is to be educated and get more knowledge (Li kasheng, 1999). When people are high educated, they would have more chances to achieve their dreams and plans. Obviously, higher education can help people to win the fierce competition and earns more money. They can live the life better by being successful. When people have higher education, people will think about to improve their personal cultivation after eliminate the struggle for basic needs. As they feel satisfied about their own life, they will do some society works and volunteering and concern more issues which like the society problems and environment problems. Therefore, more free education would have positive and upward influences for the overall quality and minding in the society. Conclusion As all of the content of the essay states, free education of senior high school can advantage our society by many different ways. It can provide an equal opportunity to the teen that cannot bear the cost of education, help the teen to focus on learning and improving, and improve the whole living standard of the society. Although China is a powerful and prosperous country today, our education system still has many leaks need to improve and the most urgent is the free education. If the expectation of free education comes true, China will step in a brand new future. The ancient philosopher Confucius enrolled almost 3000 students and he only charged the tuition fee of some crops and meat as the free education. How the ancient can do this kind of free education, but we cannot? The knowledge is invaluable because it help people to change their whole life. On another hand, senior high school education should be free in China. References China pledges elimination of rural compulsory education charges in two years. (2006). Retrieved March 5, 2006, from http://english. peopledaily. com. cn/200603/05/print20060305_248042. html Jingya, Z. (2010). Free education provides equal opportunities. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from http://english. cntv. cn/program/china24/20100806/100804. shtml Kashing, L. (1999). Knowledge changes fate. Retrieved from http://www. lksf. org/en/project/education/knowledge/main01.

Barbarians and Roman Civilisation

Barbarians and Roman Civilisation The debate surrounding the extent to which the Barbarians facilitated the disappearance of Roman civilisation in the years 376AD to 496AD is one that has been contested throughout history. The arguments can be divided into two major schools of thought. Firstly, Henri Pirennes, Pirenne Thesis[1], which postulates the Barbarians did not facilitate for the disappearance of Roman civilisation and culture, with Roman society continuing after the breakdown of central authority. Pirenne asserts the Barbarians sought to benefit from the established Roman civilisation, and thus strove to preserve the Roman way of life. Conversely, the eminent Bryan Ward-Perkins -archaeologist and professor at Oxford University- hypothesises in his magnum opus, The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization the argument: Germanic people instigated the end of civilisation for almost one thousand years, characterised by social, economic and technological regression.[2] I believe, its undeniable to determine that n umerous areas of the former Western Empire suffered detrimental changes to their quality of life at the hands of the Barbarian tribes. Nevertheless, evidence shows an abundance of continuity across the former Western Empire following the Germanic incursions, with society progressing in Barbarians cities such as Marseille[3]. Therefore, when assessing the extent to which the Barbarians facilitated for the disappearance of Roman Civilisation; one must determine on a case-by-case basis with no overarching answer conclusively possible. Although, it appears for the majority of the former Western Empire that society progressed, characteristically Roman, but slowly transformed into a Germanic-Romano society, reinforced prominent primary and contemporary sources. One example of the supposed regression that Ward-Perkins uses to develop the idea of the fall of Roman civilisation is the collapse of literary sophistication[4] which characterised the Empire. Ward-Perkins argues the literary record of the Dark Ages was not as comprehensive and sophisticated as the period of Roman authority that preceded it. When assessing whether Romanic literary culture survived, or in fact developed, the most utilitarian surviving material is the primary source of eight court charters from Lombardy and Merovingian France. These documents provide an unrivalled primary source for evaluating if Romanic literary culture survived. The Merovingian documents illuminate that of 138 subscribers 73.2% managed to sign the document themselves.[5] With only 37 not being able to sign and therefore assumed illiterate we can see an exceptionally high literacy rate. The documents also highlight the demographics of the signatories allowing us to see indisputably, 53 out of the lit erate 101 were traditional laymen.[6] Of course, this statistic cannot be conclusive of the entire former Western Empire, but is an indicator that decades after the sacking and formal Germanic occupation a culture of literacy did not irrefutably fall, and in places such as Merovingian France it undeniably developed. Subsequently, this primary source supports Henri Pirenne, who asserted, There was an extensive and mostly literate Merovingian lay culture [under Clovis I.][7] However, as much as these primary documents aid Pirennes argument, in equal regard, they retract, supporting the argument that one cannot provide an overarching answer, assisting Ward-Perkins overall regression claims. The first reason why the source is disputable in its substance is those called to sign attendance were innately from the higher echelons of society, even at upper lay level[8], where literacy was more common than across the general population spectrum. Analysing the equivalent primary documents of Lombard Italy, the number is nowhere near as impressive, considering that of 988 signatories only 326[9] could sign their name. Despite representing 633 of the signatures, only 14% of laymen managed to sign with 554 instead having to use the stamp. The value of this Pro-Pirenne source is retracted further when consider ing that Lombard women were excluded from signing, allowing us to assume immediately that 50% of the population was inherently illiterate. Subsequently, this primary source provides a clear level of understanding into the nature of post-Roman literacy. Nevertheless, it must be ascertained that the documents cant be treated overly conclusive due to their incomplete nature, and as they only show a localised picture.   Moreover, the documents suggest arguably the most conclusive argument, pockets of Romanic civilisation in the field of literacy continued to excel, whereas others regressed following the fall of Rome. It must be acknowledged since only a modicum of documents survived they cannot be wholly representative of the population, coupled with the fact, not everyone would have been called to sign a during their life. These people were the lowest on the social hierarchy; as a feudal society and due to the nature of the time its overwhelmingly likely that the majority of the population would remain illiterate. Overall, this primary source appears to be mostly useful as it mirrors the trends of many other facets of Roman life that can be proved more conclusively with France flourishing, culturally and economically whereas other regions, especially in Italy[10]. There is evidence, in line with the Pirenne Thesis suggesting society did not back track, seen in Merovingian France, with Gregory of Tours Historia Francorum,[11] allowing us to see literary sophistication surviving 108 years after the fall of Rome. Yet, concurrently supporting Ward-Perkins as there is evident disparity across the Empire, from written sophistication, down to technical regression, with the reduction of documents written on Papyrus paper; seen by the fact that 7th century Italy only has eight surviving Papyrus documents, only one originating from Rome.[12] Therefore, allowing us to see that even though the upper classes are still literate theyre producing less material of the prow ess that characterised the empire. Similarly, for the subordinate classes the lack of evidence makes it impossible to formulate a broad conclusion for large areas of the former Western Empire. On the surviving information, available the evidence would suggest the Pirenne Thesis as the most convincing argument when analysing literacy in the former Western Empire, as it appears broadly, a literary culture survived. Many contemporary historians promote the view of the Barbarian as, lacking refinement being primitive, ignorant, brutal, rapacious, destructive and cruel.[13] Emphasising the idea, Roman civilisation was extinguished suddenly and brutally: Roman civilization did not pass peacefully. It was assassinated.[14] Which I do not agree with; rather I align with Pirenne who affirms the Barbarians found it advantageous to embrace the culture.[15] The Primary source, Sidonius Apollinaris promotes in his letters[16] the civilised Barbarian, the Visigoth King, Theodoric II. Apollinaris presents Theodoric with a lengthy description describing him as a man of prestige and celestial reverence, with the masculine grandeur avowing If there is a miss through eithers error, your vision will mostly be at fault, and not the archers skill. Yet still possess a fair complexion often flush, but from modesty, and not from anger. From Apollinaris description, we see Theodoric as the ideal Tertullian[17] noblema n, an embodiment of Western Culture; which Theodoric II unequivocally strove to fit, a blend between the philosophically methodical and the compassionate.[18] We can see that Apollinaris epistle is a valuable source for analysing whether the Barbarians continued Roman ideals, due to contextual factors. Firstly, Theodoric strove to preserve Roman civilization like his father, as they saw Frankish culture as subordinate to Roman due to the admirable ideals Roman culture presented. Their determination to preserve roman culture can be seen at the Battle of Chà ¢lonswhere they fought alongside the Romans to force Attila out of North-Eastern France. Despite being the (illegitimate) grandson of Alaric I, under Theodoric I, Frankish-Barbarian culture became interconnected with the Romans. As they were pivotal to Roman victory upon Theodorics II succession he was engulfed into the higher strata of Romanic civilisation having gained acclamation defending Romanic culture against rival Barbari an empires. Therefore, when evaluating the source, we can see from Theodorics territories, despite the loss of a centralised government in 476AD, the region remained Roman in nearly every sense of the word, only through decades of gradual attrition long after the fall of Rome that the region itself stopped identifying as Roman, evolving into a Gallo-Romano society. Theodoric produced a myriad of geometric and stonework motifs[19] in Carcassonnea promoting continuity between Rome and the reign of Theodoric II, showing Roman civilisation surviving. Despite Apollinaris sheer idealisation of Theodoric, we can see that the description isnt just propaganda comparable with Tacitus Germania[20], but, rather an astute analysis of Theodorics character. We can see this as Apollinaris outlines Theodoric wanting to represent a Roman man but falling short, he embraced Christianity to preserve Roman civilisation; however, it was apparent his prayers were more in habit than in convicted assiduity. Subsequently, its undeniable to determine that despite the sources amplification, its credible in its material; a criticism suggesting Theodoric wasnt a convicted Christian would send him into a bout of rage. However, the suggestion he was almost so civilised as for him to be Roman should be taken lightly as despite his appreciation of culture and art, he obtained th e throne by the murdering elder brother Thorismund[21]. Gibbon stated: he justified this atrocious deed by the design which the heir-apparent formed of violating his alliance with the empire.[22] Therefore, regardless of the good nature to Theodorics crime, defending the Empire, he violated the principles of being Roman. In Theodorics Visigoth kingdom, its clear to see Romano culture surviving, only after gradual attrition, evolving. Therefore, we see both Pirenne and Ward-Perkins coming through; Pirenne could clearly assert that culture here did survive before transforming into a Gothic kingdom. This source validates the argument of Ward-Perkins, its clear despite the attempts made by Theodoric to maintain a level of Roman culture; it was incompatible with the average Barbarian who had little interesting in preserving Romanness dating back to the tribe of Theodorics grandfather sacking Rome in 410AD. Theodorics Roman ideals were not shared by the upper echelons of the Frank society , seen by the fact he was assassinated only a few years after taking the throne by brother Euric. Its possible to see the shift (or, perceived shift) in civilisation from Roman control to Barbarian through the primary source, the Bishop of Chaves, Hydatius. Hydatius The Chronicle of Hydatius and the Consularia Constantinopolitana[23] provides the only extensive account of Spanish history through the fifth century. Hydatius states that post-Roman Gallaecia was, A wretched place to live, the inhabitants: cold, inhospitable and brutishà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Despite the mineral wealth, the place had a vile reputation for brigandage and ruinous tribal warfare.[24] Hydatius allows us to see the transition from peaceful times the emergence of a Germanic kingdom, following 411AD and, Vandal and Suevi invasions theres a drop in the variety of sources used by the Churchman. Hydatius was forced to live within an isolated Roman community constantly threatened by the barbarian presence[25], subsequently Germanising the region facilitating for a cultural revolution. The complexity of the Chronicle is replaced by uncertainty; Hydatius makes no secret of the fact that the Barbarians that facilitated for the loss of sophistication in his work. Following the death of John of Jerusalem in 417AD, all Hydatius could ascertain was that an elderly man took over the bishopric, despite it being well known outside Northern Spain that Praylius had been occupying the role for several years. Due to the Barbarian occupation, we see clear gaps in the information the source presents. Hydatius knows after the expulsion of Nestorius from Constantinople, Flavian became the Patriarch (447-449); but gives no indication that he knew of either man who occupied the role from 431-447AD, Maximian and Proclus[26]. Subsequently, we see an undeniable decline under Germanic occupation regressing from fluid streams of communication with Flavius Aetius to uncertainty; reinforcing the argument that Barbarians facilitated the disappearance of Roman civilisation in the years 376AD to 496AD. However, akin to many characteristics of the period, the answer appears to be somewhere in the middle, which becomes apparent due to Hydatius source limitations. Hydatius is intrinsically anti-German due to their forceful occupation of his land and therefore he demonises them at every opportunity. Its perspicuous that the Chronicle was never intended for anyone outside Spaniards, potentially even Galicia.[27] Despite being a one-of-a-kind account of Barbarians in Spain, Hydatius is prone to exaggerating the occupations impacts. The barbarian entry in 409AD was undoubtable an event which made an impact, but not a resounding one, with chroniclers such as Count Marcellinus passing over it with silence, but to Hydatius it was an event of equal significance to the Sack of Rome. Delusion expected of a man who fully expected the world to end within fifteen years[28]. One of the reasons why Hydatius source is not conclusive of Germanic Spain is due the contrast between Hydatius meagre knowle dge of the world, compared with the other letters and sources coming out of Spain synchronously. We can see that during the period of 468-483AD, when the times were more tumultuous, encompassing the fall of Rome we can see that communication between the Rome and Mà ©rida was frequent and fast. This consequently, suggests the rest of Spain was not so cut off from civilisation and the Romanic world. There are many communiquà ©s addressed to Zeno, the Bishop of Mà ©rida from Pope Simplicius, with one reading We have learned from the report of many[29], about Zenos excellent administration. Therefore, it can be deduced that many travellers reported the ecclesiastical conditions in Southern Spain, Simplicius bears no hint of anticipating any difficulties in sending confidential letters outlining his ambitions to a distant land that Hydatius had marked as Barbaric. Correspondingly, the metropolitan bishop, and the Pope years prior to Hydatius, referred to North-Western Spain as the edge of the world and an extreme part of the earth[30], it is subsequently no surprise that Cape Finisterre was believed to the furthest west point on Earth. Therefore, the hypothesis that the Barbarians alone were responsible for the lack of communication is not a conclusive one, despite it being true that the reach of the sources decreased; there was a reason why for centuries the Greeks referred to the land as mountainous, cold and hard to reach. Subsequently, supporting the argument that despite what Hydatius said appearing mostly true, when considering the entire Western Empire, the account is microcosmic. Reinforcing the idea that in certain areas, life carried on as normal, whereas in other places, such as Galicia, the status-quo Romanic culture was replaced by the new Germanic one. For the majority of people in Spanish lands communication does not seem to be affected, referenced by the dozens of surviving letters between Tarragona and Rome (463-465AD) with, in the many qualms raised, communication never even being implied. When assessing whether Roman Civilisation disappeared or not, one of the most compelling arguments from both Ward-Perkins and Pirenne is centred on the post-Roman economy. Henri Pirennes Thesis has spearheaded the argument suggesting continuity with the Roman economic model. The Thesis establishes that Mediterranean trade in 600AD was no different to that of 400AD taking the stance that the Germanic invasions did not destroy the unity that the ancient Mediterranean world had enjoyed[31]. This perception of continuity has stemmed debate, especially considering Pirennes Thesis is heavily reliant upon written evidence[32],   Looking at the archaeology along with the written sources is pivotal to comprehending the post-Roman economy and the role the barbarian invasions played; thus, Ward-Perkins provides a convincing argument. Extensive settlements such as Marseille are communities that had significant populations supported by excellent archaeological records, enabling the most ro unded view on the extent to which Barbarians facilitated the disappearance of Roman Civilisation. As preluded, one such case study mentioned by both Ward-Perkins and Pirenne is Marseille, a site which has been extensively excavated enabling for detailed accounts of Late Antique Marseille to be presented. Ward-Perkins incorporates the evidence of professor Simon Loseby, accredited for the most vigorous excavation and analysis of Marseille into his work, Ward-Perkins believes, Marseille may have been particularly well-placed to ride, even to turn back, a tide of events whichà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was pushing ahead the process of urban and economic decline.[33] This conclusion is possible due to examination of both written and archaeological evidence; pinpointing the fact that Marseille continued as a trading centre centuries after 476AD through examination of the ceramic material available there.[34]   It appears Marseille was able to continue as a part of the pan-Mediterranean trading network until at least the end of the sixth century.   Its also noted that Marseille had i ts own mint, capable of producing copper and gold coinage, suggesting that Marseille had an economic hegemony on the surrounding area[35].   Thus, Marseilles image is not simply of a city that endured Barbarian rule, but rather one that progressed.   This view is emphasised in written sources too, seen from the Bishop of Tours, presenting a thriving cosmopolitan city, stimulated by the perpetual flow of merchants, diplomats and churchmen[36]. Conclusively, Marseille undoubtedly avoided economic decline under the rule of the barbarians and from the contextual evidence available the Roman way of life appear does not appear to vanish from the city; collateral to, neighbours Arles. However, Marseille is an isolated case study.   In this instance, the barbarians appear to have had a very small role in the end of the Roman world, Marseille is not representative of the situation many found themselves in after the barbarian invasions.   What it shows through archaeology was that the invasions were not universally detrimental as in some areas, Barbarians sought to use Roman institutions for profit, promoting continuity between the Romans and Barbarians. This is where the differentiation between Ward-Perkins and Pirenne comes in. Across the former Empire, evidence suggests a general decline in standards of living. Ward-Perkins actively pursues the idea that the period following 476AD was one of a dramatic move away from sophistication toward much greater simplicity.[37] He reinforces this stance by through an examination of pottery and coinage, seen through the existence of luxury, but a substantial middle and lower goods market.[38]   Ward-Perki ns also establishes a pattern of reduced pottery and coinage production, across the former Empire in from 476 until the fourteenth century[39].   Where the Pirenne Thesis falls short compared to Ward-Perkins is the fact that Ward-Perkins recognises cities such as London and Marseille flourished following the collapse of Imperial power, whilst other economic centres collapsed. Wherever the Barbarians didnt see profit, they laid siege destroying the societies civilisation, seen from the economic damage left to industries such as farmland, and the loss of citizens either through capture or violence.   Evidence of the Barbarian trail of destruction can be seen from the sack of Mainz all the way to Toulouse and into Spain.   It may be unfair to criticise Pirenne exceedingly, as Ward-Perkins had the best part of seventy years extra research available following Pirennes posthumously published Thesis. Considering the information Pirenne had in the 1920s he provides a de tailed, accurate analysis of Mediterranean trade and Roman Civilisation. But, when we add the years of development, with widespread archaeological analysis, predominantly a post-World War II development; in the Mediterranean and Central/Western European we see a new light. Thus, we are able to come to the conclusion that whilst areas of the former Western Empire fell into a state of economic devastation, other areas improved, rising to new heights under Barbarian occupation. In conclusion, whilst the Barbarians catalysed the ending of the most vast and complex institution in the ancient world, the notion they conclusively marked the end of civilisation in the west for a thousand years is a claim that does not stand true conclusively.   There is undoubtable evidence to suggest that after the occupation of the Empire by the barbarian peoples, the systems implemented by the Romans were still in place, and that both the administrative[40] and day to day status quo remained largely unchanged for over two hundred years. Archaeological and literary evidence suggests, after the Barbarian invasions individual provinces and communities continued to carry out daily life in much the same way that they had done in the later days of the Empire the early seventh century. Following the Barbarians penetration of the empire its undeniable that certain tribes sought to ruthlessly destroy, as can see be in Pesaro and Fano in Italy which had their walls destroyed and internal structures burnt to the ground.[41] Milan too, where the Milanese women and children were enslaved and the men all killed[42]. But, there were clear examples of the preservation of Roman culture as we can see through case studies such as Marseille, and Barbarian kingdoms originally characterised by their Roman way of life. Leading to the assertion that the extent to which Roman civilisation survived depended on where you happened to live. Predominantly, Romanic culture appears to continue for decades after the first crossing of the Danube by the Barbarians, the period of Germanic rule ushered a time of narrowing horizons, strengthening local roots, and consolidating old loyalties.[43] Bibliography [1] A series of papers published from 1922 to 1939. Each book or paper shall be referenced as the title of the book in the footnotes but referred to as the Pirenne Thesis in the document for ease of understanding. [2] The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation (Ward-Perkins, 2005) p. 104. [4] The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation (Ward-Perkins, 2005) p. 37. [5] Writers and Readers in Medieval Italy (Petrucci, 1995) p. 66. [6] Of the Literate: 53 Lay, 37 ecclesiastics, 2 women and 9 uncertain. [7] Mohammed and Charlemagne (Pirenne, 1939, reprint 2012 edition) p. 284.   Originally published as: De là ©tat de linstruction des laÃÆ' ¯ques à   là ©poque mà ©rovingienne(translation: Lay Education in the Merovingian Epoch) (Pirenne, 1934) [8] Traditional Yeoman for instance, as they would be classified as lay. [9] Writers and Readers in Medieval Italy (Petrucci, 1995) Book, Handwriting and School. [11] The Historia Francorum: Ten books recounting the worlds history from Creation to the Christianization of Gaul, as well as Frankish conquests and the Christianisation of Gaul. [13] Terry Jones Barbarians, Episode 4 End of the World (BBC Two, 2006) [14] The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation (Ward-Perkins, 2005) p. 220. [15] Key theme of all books in the Pirenne Thesis mentioned throughout Medieval Cities: Their Origins and the Revival of Trade [16] http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/halsall/source/sidonius2.html [17]  The father of Western Theology: Tertullian published the book De Pallio, which in part outlined what it meant to be an ideal Roman man, with special focus on those in higher society. [18] Apollinaris on Theodoric II: Silent at a good throw, he makes merry over a bad, annoyed by neither fortune, and always the philosopher. He is too proud to ask or to refuse a revenge; he disdanisn to avail himself of one if offered and if it is opposed will quietly go on playing.- Footnote 16 for the web address to the quote. [19] http://imgur.com/gallery/J41Jl [20] Tacitus Germania: a historical and ethnographic work on the Germanic tribes outside the Roman Empire. The book outlines different characteristics and details of each tribe, describing them as a purer race compared to the decadent Romans, the antagonists of Tacitus polemic. [21] This is arguably very Roman. However, we are following the idealised Roman perspective as outlined by Tertullian.   [24] The Chronicle of Hydatius and the Consularia Constantinopolitana (Burgess, 1993) pp. 72-83. [25] The Chronicle of Hydatius and the Consularia Constantinopolitana. (Burgess, 1993) p. 4. [26] The Chronicle of Hydatius and the Consularia Constantinopolitana. (Burgess, 1993) p. 96. [27] Hydatius records events such as the eclipse of the sun on the 11th November 402AD which was a total eclipse where it was scarcely visible in Northern Spain, where he was, but almost total in Constantinople. [28] The Chronicle of Hydatius and the Consularia Constantinopolitana. (Burgess, 1993) p. 32. [29] Romans and Barbarians: The Decline of the Western Empire. (Thompson, 1982) p. 149. [30] The name Finisterre even directly translates to Latin as finis terrae, meaning end of the earth. [32] Mohammed, Charlemagne the Origins of Europe: Archaeology and the Pirenn