Thursday, November 28, 2019

The Strain. Home Review Essay Example

The Strain. Home Review Paper Essay on The Strain. Home The theme of vampires, which has become so popular thanks to a well-known series of books for girls puberty, gets back on the tinsel. Vampires by Guillermo del Toro (wrote 12-page synopsis) were fattened writer, borrowing the name from the popular counter-kulturschika and last name in wrestling, and 400-page volume. And the strain is only the first book of a trilogy (the other is not yet come, but the train is planned). Del Toro has threatened that movie about bloodsuckers remove Vampires Hogan Toro, in the words of one of the protagonists of the old Professor Setrakian -. Banal. In the book, they show a rather vile creatures of the underground darkness and dirt, rather than overly romanticized metroseksulami ready to break another Van Helsing because the stake pierced their scarf from Hermes. Here, vampires are stupid brutes greedily those who hunger blood, but also equipped with a rich Norman theory of biological origin. They the virus. Of course, the process is not new, but not so often remembered. (Well, if you do not like it by the end of the book they are wiser novel is -. Trying to please everyone.) In general, so long rassusolivat, strain is makdachnoe ice cream MakFluri something that is on some turntable kneaded. One sticky syrup mixture namesili: virology Blade allegedly comely alaverdy Stoker, lotions of Van Helsing and the collectors of the movie Rat, as well as the Holocaust, 11 September, the Judeo-Masonic conspiracy and ogromennye fellow Basil Feta better New York Pied Piper. For this book, you will need a huge bucket of popcorn. By pure chance the next Hollywood blockbuster crammed in the book cover. a film fixer, you see, confused. We will write a custom essay sample on The Strain. Home Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Strain. Home Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Strain. Home Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Guillermo del Toro was marked by his trademark gluing mystical story with the theme of childhood and the Nazis (who have no clue, look wonderful, Pans Labyrinth and Devils Backbone), Hogan .. . I do not know who Hogan. I only know Hulk Hogan in the ring truselyah red and blond hair strain. is a wild thrash in which a stamp on the clichà © and corny tricks chases. Each chapter can be disassembled into components from that natyreno. Well, Marilyn Manson has become one of the characters of the book, amuse me personally. By the way, want good sales, the publishers? I would call the book Marilyn Manson and the vampires. Characters, as if removed from the shelves with typical characters for Hollywood blockbusters (divorce proceedings and carve-up of the child in the kit included), and Hogan beats down all guns in all the goals: afraid of the dark here you rat fire, losing relatives get, fascist, a grenade fly ha, but with all the aircraft begins. In general, the pressure on all the sore spots, perhaps, the effect is Ive been scolded the book yet, but there is that as an excuse to say -. Fascinatingly written. Three times I passed my stop, read out in a minibus. And moreover, I can not say that the strain is the same stuff as the Watch. Far from it. This spectacular book, exactly once, as one going to the movies. Bad-bad, but a popcorn come.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Comment on the dramatic techniques of Alan Bennett in A Cream Cracker Under the Settee Essays

Comment on the dramatic techniques of Alan Bennett in A Cream Cracker Under the Settee Essays Comment on the dramatic techniques of Alan Bennett in A Cream Cracker Under the Settee Essay Comment on the dramatic techniques of Alan Bennett in A Cream Cracker Under the Settee Essay Essay Topic: Literature A Cream Cracker Under the Settee is a monologue, which is a play with a single character. The character is Doris, a seventy five year old widow, who lives on her own. She has home help that visits once a week. In this monologue form, information is gradually revealed by the one character Doris. We find out shes had an unhappy life; eventually we find out why. Doris looks back nostalgically on her childhood and early marriage, the times in her life when she was truly happy. Something changed her life. At first the reader is unaware and even misled by Bennett. Doris describes Wilfred as dad, and thus he misleads the viewer into thinking there was a baby. We later find there was a baby, but it was a stillbirth. Doris didnt like the midwifes attitude when she wrapped the baby in newspaper then put it in a shoebox. Doris felt she was treating it like dirt. She says, He wasnt dirty, little thing. This could have been the start of Doriss hygiene obsession. Also, Wilfred did not help her much. Her husband wanted to get a dog instead. Her marriage wasnt great, Wilfred was a dreamer and frustrated Doris. Wilfred started little projects like an allotment, but never did anything with them, and then he moved onto something else. Doris still misses him though. We know this because she talks to the wedding photo, which also shows she is lonely. We know Doris has had an unhappy past: she is also having an unhappy present. There is an immediate problem. Doris has been dusting and had an accident, she hurt her leg and its getting worse. Part of Doriss unhappiness is her loneliness, she has no family and no friends: we were always on our own. Me and Wilfred. We werent gregarious. This is exacerbated because Doris hasnt moved with the times; she doesnt like change and new social patterns. Doriss main cause of unhappiness is her home-helper Zulema. She patronises Doris and keeps threatening her with Stafford House. Doris feels she is a prisoner, referring to the Zulema regime. All the information I have considered is gradually revealed to the audience using a number of dramatic techniques. Doris uses non-standard English, like thems her leaves. She also has a local dialect and uses words like squatting instead of placing. This establishes her character: she is probably working class but when she uses words like surreptitious and gregarious Bennett suggests she is quite clever. Bennett emphasises things about Doris by using recurrent themes. Doris has a hygiene obsession. She talks about cleanliness a lot and is prejudiced against people in Stafford House because she thinks they are unclean. She talks about her husband Wilfred frequently and speaks to the photo of him. Another technique Bennett uses is reported speech: this brings in other characters so the monologue is more interesting. An example of this is Zulema we form our impression of the character from what Doris tells us she says: youre on trial here. Sometimes Doris has an imagined conversation where she plans what shell say to Zulema: dont Stafford House me. Doris does this because she would like to say it, but really she wouldnt dare. Bennett also uses direct address where she speaks to the audience. She says, Would you credit it? This is to get more involvement from the viewers. A cream cracker under the settee was written for television, so it uses a number of dramatic techniques to do with performance. These include, set, costume, lighting and music. The set gives the audience important information at the start of the monologue about the character and the plot. The set is old fashioned. The carpet is brown and beige and patterned, the room is dull with few ornaments, and this could mean she is poor. Right away you can tell something has happened: there is a buffet on its side and a cracked photo on the hearth, and Doris has a duster in her hand. The costume used is old fashioned which reflects Doris. She has a blue floral frock which she says shes had for years. She wears a pink knitted cardigan, horned rimmed glasses and tights. All these are very practical clothes. Another technique used in the performance is the lighting. In the morning Doris is sitting in front of the window and she is backlit. When she is against the sideboard she is away from the window so it is less bright. Doris later moves to the door where it is darker still. In the evening she is sat by the sofa and the room is orange due to the streetlights. There are two dramatic functions of the lighting. One of them is to indicate the passage of time. Doris does not tell the viewer what time it is. The second is as a metaphor: the last stage direction is light fades, and this could indicate Doriss death. The last two dramatic techniques of the performance are the use of music and the camera. At the start the music sounds sad and lonely this sets the mood straight away as it is depressing. The instruments are piano and brass, solo instruments that are alone, like Doris. There is a single camera which is linked to the music, zooming in to emphasise emotional moments. The camera does not move around Doris so any movement is effective.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

International Terrorism A Closer Look Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Terrorism A Closer Look - Essay Example The European Union has a plan in place to combat terrorism. The bombings in London and Madrid highlighted the European Union’s vulnerability. Their law enforcement agencies now work in a coordinated effort to identify probable terrorist activity. Cross-border prosecutions are now coordinated between member states. The European Union has brought together representatives of member state intelligence services to work on coordinating internal and external intelligence gathering and dissemination. This sharing of intelligence can be used as an effective tool in counter-terrorism.Since 9-11 of 2001 terrorism has moved into the international spotlight. The majority of terrorist groups consist of Islamic extremists who, because of social and economic deprivation have grown to hate anything other than what they believe in. These terrorists are well funded (by Osama Bin Ladin for example) and well trained to provide a terroristic threat on a global scale. With attacks in the United Stat es, Great Britain, and Spain the global reach of terrorism has been felt. Countering and containing terrorism is now a global concern that has been addressed by the United Nations Security Council. The Security Council has provided guidance that consists of a strategic plan to combat terrorism. Member States have been provided with a plan that was drafted to specifically address terrorism and provide a uniform approach to counter-terrorism. The United Nations does not view terrorism as a religious issue but as a public safety and security issue. ... Left-wing terrorists focus on restoring socialism by attacking democratic reforms. Examples of this type of terrorism include the Red Army and the German Red Brigades. Lastly, right-wing terrorists are focused on destroying liberal democracies and attack vulnerable targets to kill as many people as possible to make their point. Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City bomber) and the FBI standoff at Ruby Ridge are examples of this type of terrorist. This type of terrorist harbors a deep seated hatred for the U.S. Government and the actions of law enforcement and Federal agents. In fact, Timothy McVeigh reportedly planned the Oklahoma City Bombing as a response to the actions of Federal agents at David Koresh's Waco compound. The terrorists that seem to be in the news the most are the religious terrorists that are fighting a jihad (holy war) against anyone who does not believe in what they believe in. Typically these terrorists are Islamic and follow Islamic law. These terrorists are considered Islamic extremists. One example of their extremism is their subjugation of women. They believe that women are property, don't require schooling, and should dress extremely conservative (Bhurkas). Many of the women in families following strict Islamic law are the victims of 'honor killings'. The report of any impropriety by a woman (even if its only a rumor) requires the family to kill the woman by stoning. Usually the killing is done by brothers, uncles or even the father of the victim. The use of suicide bombers to terrorize a population is used widely in the Middle East and South West Asia. Bombers are drafted by the promises of martyrdom. They believe that if the attack the enemy and die in the process they will go to

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Textual Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Textual Analysis - Essay Example However, Stone would be the first to insist the film is not a documentary. There are several places in the historical record that are unclear or that Stone obviously had a difficult time believing, which he has filled with conjecture, hearsay and sometimes flimsy evidence. Several key characters portrayed in the story never actually existed either, but Stone created them out of composite elements of a number of people who were a part of the historic record. By doing this, he also opens the film up for an exploration of a number of the major conspiracy theories regarding the assassination including examining time lines, actions, events and connections between characters. The consistent build up of evidentiary material creates a sense of sustained suspense that has qualified the film for placement in the political horror genre in some circles, especially when one considers the opening sequence in more detail. Despite his insistence that the film is not an attempt to portray a historica lly factual documentary regarding Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, Stone employs several real-life players in the film to help depict his version of events. The most prominent character is the assassinated President himself as he appears in this opening montage sequence. By refusing to recast the president, Stone proves his talent working with limited available footage. He also immediately injects a sense of reality into the story because everyone knows the former President was killed on that day and therefore could not have been available to shoot the new scenes Stone might have wanted in the film. The most impactful video clip used in this montage is the significant portion of the Zapruder film in which President Kennedy goes from being a happy smiling President waving to the crowds through the horrifying few seconds it takes for him to be fatally wounded. With this film, Stone immediately creates a somber mood of reflection as audiences realize this is the actual event and not a staged recreation. The events seen in that small, grainy film, which Stone did nothing significant to improve, actually happened in real life and changed the course of a nation. As the open-topped limousine speeds off toward the hospital, the audience is aware that the President is already dead. The video montage of the first section of the film establishes its link with reality through its almost exclusive use of actual news footage taken of the President and his family throughout his term in office and family footage that has become a part of the national archives. Other footage provides other important information about events of the time such as Eisenhower’s farewell address to the nation, Kennedy’s narrow margin of victory in winning the election, details of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam situation. Mixed with this authentic footage are several created scenes such as the footage of Jerry Belknap. Within the later body of the film, Belknap is said to h ave been an unidentified man who suffered an epileptic seizure moments before the shooting and drew away some of the attention of the security officers on duty that day. These scenes are integrated so smoothly that they seem to be as authentic as the news footage scenes that have been shown to this point. When it

Monday, November 18, 2019

Sociology class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Sociology class - Essay Example A system is defined as a collection of elements and their interrelationships. These relationships make the system distinct from other systems. The chemical bond between the molecules of a chemical compound is quite different from the relationships between organisms of a species. Hence, a Social system is a congregation of individual parts which are interrelated. These relationships are unique to each social system and help us distinguish between different social systems. The fact that social systems can also be a part of a larger social system can help us understand the world as a group of social systems which are closely related. Let us consider the example of political and economic systems. While the fundamental objectives, modus operandi and the structure of hierarchy are somewhat similar, the relationships between the components are different. The politicians of a country are closely connected when compared to the presidents of banks or financial organizations (Nelson). The basic components of a social system are shown below: 1. Status: It is defined as a position in the social system accompanied by a set of rights, duties and expectations. Statuses are unique and hence, identifiable in terms of other statuses. For instance, let us consider what it means to be a 25 year old in a society. In a society where the average life span is 70 or 80 years, 25 is when an individual begins to think in terms of career and personal growth. However, in a society where the average life expectancy is 30 to 35 years, 25 is the beginning of late adulthood. Status comes in two different forms. The term Achieved status refers to the status which can change over time whereas Ascribed status is permanent. For instance, an individual’s position within the family is permanent and hence achieved. However, an individual’s position in an organization may change over time and hence is ascribed. 2. Roles: A role is a unique set of behaviors associated with the normal being of individuals belonging to a particular status. In a family, the role of mother is quite different from that of the grandmother. Similarly, the role of an entry level executive in an organization is different from that of the manager. These roles represent different dimensions of an individual’s existence. However, some roles are not as clearly marked as others. While the role of a mother in the family is clear, the role of an individual within an organization may vary based on several factors. In a society, every individual is linked to several social systems and hence, performs multiple roles such as being a father in the family while working at an automobile company. 3. Social structure: It is a set of patterns which collectively constitute the social system much like the layout of a building. A simple social structure merely describes the statuses and roles in a social system whereas a complex social structure describes them in an elaborate manner along with the interre lationships. The age structure of a country is a simple social structure. For instance, let us compare the percentage of children in Kenya and the U.S. Kenya clearly has a higher percentage of children thanks to the reduced infant mortality rates along with the tradition of living in large families. Such simple structures help us understand social systems using the

Friday, November 15, 2019

Celtic Tiger Irelands Growth Economics Essay

Celtic Tiger Irelands Growth Economics Essay The Harrod-Domar (CITE!!!) model developed in the 1940s was originally intended to analyse business cycles, but has since been adapted to economic growth. In the model, growth is dependent on the levels of labour and capital. As developing countries typically have a plentiful supply of labour, their growth is more dependent on physical capital and savings to create growth. Growth is achieved through net investment which will lead to capital appreciation thus producing higher levels of output and income; with higher levels of income there will be higher levels of saving. Thus, economic growth is dependent on policies and practices that will promote savings and/or create technological advancements that will decrease the capital-output ratio. However, this does not provide a complete picture and as a result, further models have since been developed. The traditional neoclassical growth model as developed by Solow (1956) and others builds on the Harrod-Domar model by including labour as a factor of production. However, the model allows little room to explain any impact other outside factors, such as foreign direct investment, may have on economic growth. In the model there are diminishing returns to capital and long run growth will be determined through exogenous factors such as technological advancement or population growth. Growth only lasts for a transitional phase until the economy reaches its new steady state level of output and employment. The model also states that growth rates are inversely related to a countrys income per capita; a poor country with similar endowments to a richer country will grow faster and eventually converge to the income per capita level of the richer one. Exogenous factors will only affect growth in the short term and the only way they can have lasting effects is via permanent technological shocks. H owever, Romer (1986), Lucas (1988) and Barro and Sala-i-Martin (1995) among others are credited with the development of the endogenous growth model which considers technological advancements as endogenous to the model. In his seminal paper on growth, Romer (1986) provides an alternative model for long term economic growth. He states that income per capita among developed countries does not necessarily converge with that of developed countries and that in fact there may be differing levels of growth. In particular, less developed countries can exhibit low levels of growth or may not grow at all. The factors that do lead to growth are not dependent on exogenous technological changes or differences between countries, but rather technology is endogenous to the model. Even holding technology, population and other factors constant, the most important idea is to ignore the traditional assumption of diminishing returns. Thus, long run growth will come from the accumulation of knowledge. Knowledge can demonstrate increasing returns and marginal product and can have limitless, constant growth. New knowledge will be transferred between firms and have positive externalities thus leading to increased growth. Ro mer (1986) argues that these positive externalities are able to explain growth and are necessary for an equilibrium state to exist. Similar to Romer, Lucas (1988) adds technology or human capital to the neoclassical growth model. The model in his paper also considers learning by doing as a way of capital accumulation. Population growth is held constant and both physical and human capital are included. Physical capital is taken from the traditional neoclassical growth model and human capital boosts productivity, where a stable effort level will lead to stable growth rates in productivity. For a closed economy, poorer countries will continue to stay poor, but will actually have the same growth rates as richer countries. Therefore, there will be constant growth rates and a steady distribution of income. For the open economy with free labour mobility and free trade of capital inputs, externalities and spillovers will lead to higher wages and higher skill levels, thus increasing the wealth of a country. Lucas also states that different growth rates amongst countries can be due to different levels of human capital grow th associated with different goods. Accordingly, it is evident that the same levels of technology and human capital are not available in every country as the neoclassical model assumes. Barro (1991) examined 98 countries to test the neoclassical idea that poorer countries will grow faster than richer countries. Rates of school enrolment were used to measure levels of human capital. The results find that GDP per capita growth rates are significantly positively related to initial endowments of human capital and based on these initial levels, growth is negatively related to the initial level of GDP per capita. These findings seem to support the neoclassical model that poorer countries will eventually converge with richer countries. However, this only holds for the poorer countries that have relatively high levels of human capital, meaning that the human capital level is above what would be expected given the relatively low level of GDP per capita. The paper also takes into account other factors, such as fertility rates, government expenditure, political instability and corruption, and price distortions. Despite these considerations, Barro concedes that the results are unable to explain the poor growth rates for countries in Latin American and Sub-Saharan Africa and suggests that other factors must be involved. Convergence or Regional Boom? From the theory, it is evident that convergence of less developed countries is not automatic and that many factors are responsible for economic growth. For the case of Ireland, there is debate as to whether or not it was simply a matter of delayed convergence or as a result of a regional boom. There are several papers arguing both sides, which will now be examined. Ó Grà ¡da (2002) argues that the economic performance of Ireland in the 1990s is mainly a matter of delayed convergence and making up for many decades of underperformance. He finds that Ireland underachieved compared to other Western European countries from the end of World War II until the late 1980s. Throughout that period, the 1960s provided a glimpse at possible future economic growth. If the period is extended to 1998, Ó Grà ¡da states that Ireland performed as expected given the low initial level of income per capita in the 1950s in order to achieve convergence. Thus, the economic slowdown evidenced at the time of writing, 2002, seems to be in line with convergence theory and to be expected as Ireland had reached its new steady state level. However, if the Celtic Tiger is simply a matter of delayed convergence, then why it took so long also needs to be examined. Ó Grà ¡da attributes this to poor fiscal policy practices and protectionism during the 1970s and early 1980s. Ó Grà ¡da and ORourke (1996) examine in detail why Ireland underperformed in previous decades relative to other Western European countries. Ireland experienced much lower rates of GDP growth as evidenced in Figure 1. The richest countries in 1950, Switzerland (CH), UK and Denmark are compared with the poorest countries, Greece and Spain. Ireland is the clear outlier and exhibits much slower growth than would be expected. They attribute the weak performance to a variety of factors particularly trade protectionist policies, heavy reliance on agricultural exports, and rent-seeking behaviour. In particular, Ireland failed to participate in the economic recovery of the rest of post WWII Europe by maintaining barriers to trade and waiting to open up the economy until the 1960s. However, they do not find that low levels of investment in human and physical capital to have been significant factors. Ó Grà ¡da and ORourke also suggest that Irelands proximity and reliance on the UK cou ld have led to slower growth rates since the UK, while not underperforming, was not experiencing particularly high levels of growth. Figure 1: Average annual growth rates, 1950-1988, for Western Europe Source: Ó Grà ¡da and ORourke (1996) Honohan and Walsh (2002) also take the view that Irelands economic performance can be attributed to delayed convergence. They argue that there was no productivity miracle but instead the boom was mainly due to a change in fiscal and monetary policies and an improvement in the labour market, which allowed productivity to finally catch up to the levels of the rest of Europe. While an increase in the population employed and demographic trends are unlikely to be repeated, Honohan and Walsh argue that if the policy changes had been made earlier, Ireland would have achieved convergence earlier. The argument that the increased growth was due to a regional boom is also considered. However, it is immediately discounted when Irelands population and economic growth is compared to that of individual states of the U.S., ranking 23rd out of fifty (Honohan and Walsh, 2002). Barry (2000) examines if Irish growth can be attributed to changes in policy and to what extent, which would support the convergence hypothesis. The most important factor is correct microeconomic and industrial policy, which Barry argues is the main reason for the delay in development. However, he finds that there are other certain characteristics necessary for convergence to be achieved, including a stable economy, an effective labour market, a developed market for exports, and sufficient levels of education. Thus, Barry seems to provide mixed support for the convergence theory. The delayed convergence hypothesis suggests that Irelands economic growth was simply a matter of catching up with the rest of the developed world. However, it has some shortcomings including not satisfactorily explaining why Ireland failed to converge sooner like the other peripheral EU countries of Spain, Portugal and Greece. Delayed convergence also does not give a role to the large increase in foreign direct investment as the theory does not suggest that anything other than sound economic and industrial policies are necessary. The theory also suggests that since convergence has been achieved, all that is required to maintain it is to ensure the same sound policies are followed. The regional boom theory, on the other hand, does take into consideration other non-traditional factors such as FDI and the boom of the US economy. It particularly focuses on an economys export base as key for economic growth. This theory also leaves room for unexpected shocks, such as a decrease in FDI or downturn in the US economy to have an impact on the economy, which in light of recent events, would seem to be more accurate. The regional boom theory will now be examined in more detail. A regional economy differs from a national economy in that there is free movement of labour in and out of the region (Barry 2002a). Krugman (1997) has suggested that Ireland be treated as such a regional economy due to the fact that it exhibits many of the features of a small region of a larger economy rather than a larger independent nation. Ireland is a small, extremely open economy and before the adoption of the Euro, had a currency that was mostly pegged to another. With the free movement of labour, wages are determined by those of the larger region, rather than within the country itself and job numbers are based on labour demand rather than labour supply determining job creation based on wages (Krugman, 1997). Also, adjustment to exogenous shocks will be dealt with differently by a country in a regional economy versus a sovereign country. If a shock occurs to the labour market in an open economy, labour will simply leave, rather than a wage adjustment occurring and new industrie s arising, as in a closed economy. Krugman argues in favour of the regional boom hypothesis because of the large increase in the export economy and the increase in jobs in the services sector as a result. The majority of the increase in exports during the Celtic Tiger was in foreign-owned companies. Barry (2002b) examines Irelands economic performance and the factors that lead to convergence compared to the other peripheral EU countries of Spain, Portugal and Greece. Ireland, unlike the other countries, failed to reach EU average levels of growth until much later. Unlike previously argued by Ó Grà ¡da and ORourke, Barry finds that this was not in fact due to macroeconomic policies, as all four countries had similar practices and in fact, Ireland was the most export oriented country of the group, as shown in Table 1. Barry finds the main difference between Ireland and the rest is actually in labour market operations. Ireland experienced high unemployment, high emigration and increased wages from the 1960s to the late 1980s. The relatively high wages meant domestically owned labour-intensive firms were unable to compete with foreign-owned firms as high levels of FDI, particularly in the manufacturing sector, started to enter the economy. Thus, Barrys findings seem to support the regional boom hypothesis with exports and FDI playing a key role in explaining Irish growth. Table 1: Exports of goods and services as a percentage of GDP Barry (1999) argues that in order to achieve high levels of growth in a regional economy, a nation needs to be internationally competitive in the non-agricultural sector, as increased capital in an agriculturally based economy will lead to more emigration. He argues that industrialisation policy is crucial, whereas proponents of the convergence theory, including Ó Grà ¡da consider this a distortion with Ireland merely switching from import-substitution industrialisation to export-substitution industrialisation (Ó Grà ¡da, 2002, p. 8). However, others, such as Barros and Cabral (2000) and Fumagalli (1999) suggest that in order to industrialise, such a distortion is necessary. Hill et al (2005) consider both theories and come to the conclusion that perhaps it cannot be explained solely by one theory, but rather a combination of the two. They argue that the necessary conditions for convergence were in place by the 1970s, but that Ireland suffered as a result of poor policy practices from 1973-1986 and global economic downturn. However, this is not sufficient to explain the economic growth fully and thus, Hill et al also incorporate the regional perspective. Labour and capital inflows were as equally important as sound policies in Irelands growth. Ireland was able to attract foreign investment, create more and higher quality jobs and as a result, the levels of labour force participation increased. They cite increases in employment and job creation as extremely important in the Irish case, which implies a larger role for government than in convergence theory. Government needs to do more than just maintain proper fiscal policy and must ensure there is a compet itive environment for business. Ó Grà ¡da (2002) also considers the regional boom hypothesis, but finds it overly optimistic for proposing that high growth rates could be sustained without sustained increases in labour. However, both Barry (2002c) and Dascher (2000) develop a model of a regional boom economy with Irelands specifications and find that labour inflows will decline as infrastructure and housing become more congested. Yet, growth can still continue without more labour if sufficient stocks are maintained and there are no negative exogenous shocks to the larger regional economy. The regional boom theory also suggests that just because Ireland has caught up to average EU levels, it does not mean that further growth cannot be achieved as convergence theory would suggest. Indeed, if Ireland could continue attracting FDI and supplying labour, growth should still be able to continue, despite convergence already being attained. Blanchard (2002) comments on Honohan and Walshs 2002 paper and argues that convergence theory is not the appropriate model to describe Irelands growth, but rather endogenous growth theory is. Instead of the Solow model which has diminishing returns to capital, he suggests the AK model of economic growth is more appropriate, where output and capital accumulation move together because of consistently increasing employment levels. Thus, the economy will move towards producing more capital intensive goods. This is similar to the regional boom perspective where increases in labour and capital will stimulate each other to create more growth than would be possible in a national economy. The regional boom theory, unlike convergence theory, allows for negative exogenous shocks to affect growth. For example, a downturn in the global economy or a withdrawal of FDI in favour of Central and Eastern European countries, would significantly impact the Irish economy. However, convergence theory would consider these to be temporary shocks and since no policy changes have been made, they should not affect growth. Conversely, the regional boom theory allows for the possibility that these could be permanent shocks with tremendous negative effects, including even a return to pre-Celtic Tiger levels of unemployment and emigration and the undoing of the catch-up. Overall, both perspectives offer valid reasons to explain Irelands economic growth however, in view of the recent financial crisis and Irelands sharp economic decline, it may be more appropriate to view the progress of the 1990s in terms of a regional boom. While Ireland had relatively similar policies to Greece, Spain and Portugal, it did not catch up with European averages in the 1960s like the others did. Thus it seems perhaps more suitable to view Ireland in terms of part of a regional economy tied to the UK for that time period and again connected to the US during its boom years starting in the late 1980s. This theory also suggests that industrialisation strategy, creating an export-based economy and attracting FDI are the key factors for growth, rather than just appropriate macroeconomic policies. Both of these theories can provide useful lessons for other developing countries seeking to follow in Irelands footsteps of rapid economic growth. Lessons from Ireland for other countries There are many papers discussing the Irish economic boom, its causes and what lessons can be learned for other countries seeking to achieve such rapid economic growth. Acs, et al (2007) examine whether the Irish miracle could be duplicated in Hungary. The paper focuses specifically on the impact of FDI and how it affects entrepreneurial activity. While they find significant differences between the two, the results do suggest several policy outcomes based on the Irish experience that Hungary could implement, including boosting human capital, improving the quality of FDI and encouraging more enterprise development. Andreosso-OCallaghan and Lenihan (2005) focus on economic policy and whether Ireland can provide a good example of economic development for NMS, with particular regard to developing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). They find that Ireland does indeed supply a useful model for others to follow. Developing the growth of SMEs is important for overall economic growth and it was a key focus of Irish industrial policy, particularly after 1993. Andreosso-OCallaghan and Lenihan suggest that adopting Irish policies, such as dedicated development agencies, and proactively evaluating industrial policies, would help SMEs grow in NMS. However, they also warn of the dangers of relying too heavily on FDI as some would suggest Ireland has done. Hill et al (2005) examine the Irish experience in great detail, beginning with considering whether convergence theory or regional boom is more appropriate. They then recognize that for a small, open economy to develop and create quality jobs, the country needs to be competitive in the following four areas: context for firm strategy and rivalry, demand conditions, factor (input) conditions and related and supporting industries (Hill et al, 2005, 5). There are also corresponding policy initiatives for each of the four areas: tax policy, educational system, regional economy and institutions and consumer protection laws. They then analyse these four areas for Ireland and how policymakers have performed. The economic conditions and performance of Arizona in the United States is then compared to Ireland, to see what lessons Arizona could learn and if they could replicate Irelands growth. The results show that Arizona shares some similar characteristics with Ireland and thus has some opport unities for similar growth. Bailey et al (2009) examine industrial policy in both the Celtic Tiger and East Asian Tiger countries to see what potential lessons African nations could learn. They focus primarily on the Irish experience and provide several reasons why Ireland is a better example for Africa, including that most African countries, like Ireland are small and open, Ireland had a more corporatist experience than in East Asia, and that in some East Asian countries the rights of trade unions were suppressed. Bailey et al take a holistic approach to analysing Irish industrial policy, instead of focusing solely on policies that promote just FDI, or developing SMEs or Research and Development (RD), and then apply it to Africa. They find that Africa can learn from the policy examples and mistakes of Ireland and East Asia. In another paper, Bailey et al (2008) examine and compare the Irish and Hungarian experience, with particular focus on industrial policy and then determine what lessons other Central and Eastern European nations could learn. Hungary is selected as a comparison because it has closely followed the Irish model and has been cited by others, including the World Bank and the OECD, as a potential example for other developing countries (Fink, 2006). Like previously mentioned, Bailey et al implement a holistic approach to industrial policy. They assess both countries policies and find that attracting FDI has had the most significant impact on growth. However, they find that there are limitations to FDI based growth and thus emphasize the need to also develop domestic industry. Fortin (2000) discusses and analyses the characteristics and causes of the Irish economic boom. It is divided into two main sections, a long-term productivity boom and a short-term employment boom. Key lessons as well as appropriate policies for other countries, particularly Canada, are identified based on the Irish experience. These include encouraging free trade and investment, industrial and tax policy conducive to business and ensuring high levels of education. Fortin examines Canadas recent economic performance and discusses what changes Canada can implement based on these lessons from Ireland. Although not all Irish policy is applicable, Canada can emulate the policies of fiscal discipline, openness and free trade. Hansen (2006) examines the Irish determinants of growth individually and assesses whether Latvia could repeat Irish success. The approach is more holistic and based on the methodology of Mancur Olson (1996) and Hansen states that this approach could be applied to any of the other New Member States of the EU. The results show that Latvia has already implemented many of the same policies that contributed to the Irish boom. Other factors are considered to be specific to Ireland, and consequently unable to be replicated. Overall, Hansen suggests that Latvia cannot adopt much more from Ireland and goes so far as to suggest the Irish case is no miracle as others have proposed, but rather a combination of sound policy, timing and a bit of luck (2006, 13). With the exception of Hansen (2006) and Fortin (2000), most of the literature on Irish growth and lessons for other countries focuses on specific determinants or policies rather than taking a holistic approach. Therefore, this paper seeks to follow this example and examine the Irish boom in detail and then apply it to country. The individual determinants of Irish growth will now be examined in more detail. The Irish Experience Macroeconomic Stability Convergence theory cites effective policy as an instrumental part of economic growth and indeed Irelands failure to catch up until recently has been attributed to this. In the immediate post-War period, much of Western Europe began to recover and experienced economic growth. However, in the 1950s, Ireland still relied heavily on agriculture, had high levels of emigration and protectionist policies. In the 1960s, the economic conditions began to turn around, with better macroeconomic policies being adopted. As Honohan and Walsh (2002) state, these include pegging the exchange rates to the British pound, managing a reasonable balance of payments deficit, conservative fiscal policy of borrowing only to finance public capital investment and relatively low tax rates. Previous protectionism was dropped and foreign direct investment was encouraged through grants and tax exemptions. Ireland entered into the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Area Agreement in 1965 and also decided to apply for membershi p in the European Economic Community (EEC), hence opening itself up for more trade. It would seem that during the 1960s Ireland was poised to catch up with the rest. However, in the 1970s, with the global oil crisis and inappropriate policy response, Ireland was unable to capitalise on the progress made in the previous decade. In an attempt to recover from the crisis quickly, expansionary practices were pursued, which caused real wages to escalate and crowded out productive growth. Consequently, in 1987 there was public debt in excess of 130%, an unemployment rate of about 16%, inflation level around 9.5%, high interest rates and there was an average growth rate of 3.2% during the 1980s (Hansen, 2006). All of these elements were not conducive to economic growth and as a result, Ireland faced a severe recession. Accordingly, it became evident that economic policy changes needed to be made and the general election of 1987 heralded the beginning of a more stable macroeconomic policy. The new government, employers and trade unions developed a social partnership known as the Programme for National Recovery to reach an agreement on wages, taxes, and other social welfare improvements. The government offered lower income tax rates in exchange for wage moderation by the trade unions. As a result, the labour market became more competitive and effective and more employment opportunities were created in both the services and manufacturing sectors. Fiscal Policy Fiscal policy from the 1970s to late 1980s was quite varied and went from being expansionary in 1977, to taxing and spending in 1981 and then to cost-cutting in 1987. These changes coincided with different governments in power and corresponding different policy goals. It was not until 1987 that appropriate fiscal policy was adopted for the economic situation and as a result, stabilisation began to occur. The government focused on reducing the budget deficit, which had reached levels between 6.1% and 8.2% of GNP between 1978-1987 and the debt to GNP ratio was a massive 131.4% in 1987 (Leddin and OLeary, 1991). By the end of 2001, the debt to GNP ratio was only 38% (Honohan and Walsh, 2002). Government spending also decreased from about 46% of GNP in 1987 to 37.2% already in 1991 (Leddin and OLeary, 1991). (For graphs see H and W). In addition to cutting spending and reducing the debt, the government cut tax rates. Comparing 2001 and 1985, the top income tax rates decreased from 65% to 42%, corporate tax rates fell from 50% to 16%, capital gains tax was reduced from 60% to 20% and capital acquisitions tax fell from 55% to 20% (Honohan and Walsh, 2002). From the 1960s until 1981, Ireland has a 0% tax rate on export profits. However, such low tax rates drew complaints from other EU members and, as a result, Ireland was forced to raise it to 10% in 1981. This preferential corporate tax rate was put in place for profits in the manufacturing sector, internationally traded services, and activities in the Dublin based International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). Again, due to complaints, Ireland agreed to raise rates to 12.5% in 2003 for manufacturing and internationally traded services and in 2005 for IFSC activities. It is generally recognized that such low corporate tax rates were instrumental in attracting inte rnational companies to conduct business in Ireland. Gropp and Kostial (2000) estimated that if Ireland had increased corporate tax rates to the EU average from 1990-1997, there would have been a loss of more than 1.3% of GDP per year in net FDI and a 0.8% loss of GDP in revenue. As a result of Irelands success, lowering of corporate tax rates has also been adopted by other countries, perhaps most significantly, Germany, who reduced their tax rate from 40% in 2000 to 25% in 2001 (Walsh, 2000). Despite this, it is also important to note that the effect of low corporate tax rates on attracting FDI may be distorted as a result of transfer pricing. This means that foreign-owned companies may use pricing adjustments to allocate a larger share of their profits to their Irish operations and thus pay less taxes. This may be responsible for the large gap between GDP and GNP in Ireland during the 1990s. In 1998, GDP surpassed GNP by 14.3%, well higher than any other country in the OECD (Walsh, 2000). However, Walsh also states that the effects of transfer pricing on the measurement of economic growth should not be exaggerated (2000: 225). Generally, GNP is used to measure the performance of the Irish economic boom because of the high levels of FDI. Overall, corporate tax rates have played an important role in attracting FDI, which in turn has been a significant factor in Irelands growth and will be examined more fully below. Monetary Policy Ireland decided to join the European Monetary System (EMS) and an adjustable peg system in 1978 and end its parity with the pound sterling in 1979. Although the decision was made more for political rather than economic reasons, there were definite economic implications. Throughout the period of EMS, many exchange rate readjustments occurred and for most of them the Irish pound was devalued against the German Deutschmark, which allowed Ireland to gain wage competitiveness. Overall, though, Irish membership in the EMS was not as successful as hoped and served to increase uncertainty and discourage anti-inflationary practices. However, joining EMS laid the groundwork for signing the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 and thus the agreement to join the European Monetary Union (EMU). As a result of joining EMU and giving up their independent currency, Ireland experienced a onetime decrease in interest rates.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Bloody Sunday: What Really Happened? Essay -- British History, Europe

On the 30th of January 197213 Catholics were killed by British Paratroopers on the streets of Londonderry. It was the result of an illegal but originally peaceful march led by the NICRA the civil rights movement. The march attracted 15000 people all for a similar cause, to ban Internment. The day became known as Bloody Sunday because of the terrible events that took place. Although the details of what actually happened remain undecided, because of the controversial views of the people that took part in the march. Internment was a law enforced by the government of N Ireland to try and keep the Nationalist population under control. It allowed the Government to put people in prison who were suspected of being terrorists without trial. Consequently only Catholic's were arrested. Bloody Sunday happened because of many years of conflict between Nationalist and Unionist communities. In Northern Ireland nationalists are almost all Catholics and want a united Ireland with no connections with Britain. Unionists are almost all Protestant and want to stay part of the United Kingdom, afraid that if they join the Republic of Ireland the Catholic Church would take over and their economy would break down. The street history and segregation between the communities created a further tension between the two sides. When British Troops came into N. Ireland in 1969 to bring peace between Nationalists and Unionists, peace was restored for a few months, but gradually the British troops went from being the peace makers to the peace destroyers. The British army soon clashed with both Nationalists and Loyalists. The British government handed the control of their army to the Irish government. This meant that the army was run j... ...as to what happened on Bloody Sunday, who fired the first shot, and whether the paratroopers were just retaliating. Both sides had reasons to hate the other and it would have been understandable if either of the sides shot first, when in operation in Ireland the army must have been constantly attacked making the army want to get their own back, but it was their job and this was something they should not have done. The Catholics saw the army as a force that oppressed them and they wanted freedom from that, feeling bitter about those years they also had plenty of reason to shoot. After so many years of conflict in Northern Ireland both sides can not listen to the other, they are so adamant that their own beliefs are correct. The Saville inquiries' conclusions will probably never be acceptable to either the army or the original marchers and their relatives. Bloody Sunday: What Really Happened? Essay -- British History, Europe On the 30th of January 197213 Catholics were killed by British Paratroopers on the streets of Londonderry. It was the result of an illegal but originally peaceful march led by the NICRA the civil rights movement. The march attracted 15000 people all for a similar cause, to ban Internment. The day became known as Bloody Sunday because of the terrible events that took place. Although the details of what actually happened remain undecided, because of the controversial views of the people that took part in the march. Internment was a law enforced by the government of N Ireland to try and keep the Nationalist population under control. It allowed the Government to put people in prison who were suspected of being terrorists without trial. Consequently only Catholic's were arrested. Bloody Sunday happened because of many years of conflict between Nationalist and Unionist communities. In Northern Ireland nationalists are almost all Catholics and want a united Ireland with no connections with Britain. Unionists are almost all Protestant and want to stay part of the United Kingdom, afraid that if they join the Republic of Ireland the Catholic Church would take over and their economy would break down. The street history and segregation between the communities created a further tension between the two sides. When British Troops came into N. Ireland in 1969 to bring peace between Nationalists and Unionists, peace was restored for a few months, but gradually the British troops went from being the peace makers to the peace destroyers. The British army soon clashed with both Nationalists and Loyalists. The British government handed the control of their army to the Irish government. This meant that the army was run j... ...as to what happened on Bloody Sunday, who fired the first shot, and whether the paratroopers were just retaliating. Both sides had reasons to hate the other and it would have been understandable if either of the sides shot first, when in operation in Ireland the army must have been constantly attacked making the army want to get their own back, but it was their job and this was something they should not have done. The Catholics saw the army as a force that oppressed them and they wanted freedom from that, feeling bitter about those years they also had plenty of reason to shoot. After so many years of conflict in Northern Ireland both sides can not listen to the other, they are so adamant that their own beliefs are correct. The Saville inquiries' conclusions will probably never be acceptable to either the army or the original marchers and their relatives.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Climate in groups

Emotional Intelligence Contemporary Assignment: understanding Emotional Climate In Groups I think that being able to recognize the emotional climate when In a group Is very Important and key to how you will respond as an individual. Emotional climate is defined as being the atmosphere in a group or organization that is created by the tone or mood of individuals and the relationships that they have with each other. There are two types of emotional climates that can occur, either positive or negative.It is quite obvious that everyone would so much rather work with a positive group showing teamwork, operation, trust, helpfulness, friendship, making everyone feel secure and comfortable than being in a negative group where there are cliques, gossip, a lack of following through with tasks, fighting. I know from past experiences that when I enter a group setting this is negative I get stressed and automatically do not want to be there. I mean why would anyone want to work with a group that is getting no work done and nobody Is contributing?! Emotions play a huge role In groups and Impact the way that others respond and act.In Clara Dalton blob, How Do Emotions Impact Group and Individual Success? He Includes personal examples of experiences that he went through when he was in both a positive and negative emotional climate in a group, or on a soccer team in his case. He explains how when he was on a soccer team where he experienced a positive environment â€Å"players felt free to voice concerns, yet retain a sense that they were supported. † He also talks about how when on a team where the emotions given off were â€Å"out of control, unpredictable, undermining, ongoing, and ultimately detrimental to the goals of the team. What most people have a hard time understanding Is that your actions and the way that you come across to people can either motivate them or at the same time push them away Instantly. No one wants to surround themselves with negative people b ecause that only makes you have a negative mind sight too. It is so much nicer when you are able to feel supported and know that the people around you have the same goal and want to help you just as much as you want to help them.I truly believe that this is something that many people can relate to because almost everyone, I know especially me, have been in situations where the atmosphere is either negative and positive. Dalton says at the end of his blob â€Å"when used properly, emotions help provide feedback, promote earning, and assist changes in future decisions making,† which I think is so important because I know that I would much rather be involved with a group of people that have a positive outlook on things because that wears off onto me making me positive. Http://w. NM. Staphylococcal. Com/blob/how-do-mementos-almanac-group-and- Individualistically climate in groups By savage Contemporary Assignment: Understanding Emotional Climate in Groups I think that being able to recognize the emotional climate when in a group is very important and following through with tasks, fighting. I know from past experiences that when I enter one and nobody is contributing?! Emotions play a huge role in groups and impact the way that others respond and act.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Ohio Vital Records - Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates

Ohio Vital Records - Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates Learn how and where to obtain birth, marriage, and death certificates and records in Ohio, including the dates for which Ohio vital records are available, where they are located, and links to online Ohio vital records databases. Ohio Vital Records: Ohio Department of HealthCenter for Vital and Health Statistics246 North High StreetColumbus, OH 43215Phone: 614-466-2531Email: vitalstatodh.ohio.gov Walk-in Address:Ohio Department of HealthOffice of Vital Statistics225 Neilston StreetColumbus, Ohio 43215 What You Need to Know:Check or money order should be made payable to  Treasurer, State of Ohio. Personal checks are accepted. Call or visit the Web site to verify current fees. Requests for vital records may take as long as 10-12 weeks. If you do not know the date or place of event, you may request a search of the State Vital Statistics office files and records. The fee for a search is $3.00 per name for each ten years searched. Payment must be made in advance. After searching is completed you will be informed if the record was located. Vital records in Ohio were not recorded by law until 1867. Although some records from a few counties predate 1867, records of births, marriages and deaths in Ohio are generally not available before this date. Web site: Ohio Vital Records Ohio Birth Records: Dates: From 20 December 1908* Cost of copy: $21.50 (certified copy from state) Comments:  The Ohio Department of Health issues only certified copies of birth certificates. Include with your request as much as you can of the following: full name of individual, date of birth, city or county of birth, full name of father, full maiden name of mother, your relationship to the individual, your name and address and a daytime telephone number.Application for Certified Birth Record Uncertified copies for genealogy purposes are not available from the State or Local Registrars in Ohio. Since vital records are open in Ohio you may, however, perform searches in the indexes at the Ohio Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, or arrange for a genealogist to search the indexes for you. An appointment is required to search the records. Records identified in the indexes may be viewed and information may be copied from them, however the supplied copy of the vital record must be returned and is not permitted to leave the building. * For birth records from  1867 - December 29, 1908, contact the  Probate Court  of the county where the birth occurred. Online:Ohio Births and Christenings, 1821-1962  (index only, incomplete)Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003  (index and images, incomplete) Ohio Death Records: Dates: From 1 January 1954 Cost of copy: $21.50 (certified copy from state) Comments:  The Ohio Department of Health issues only certified copies of death certificates. Include with your request as much as you can of the following: full name of decedent, date of death, city or county of death, your relationship to the individual, your name and address and a daytime telephone number. Application for Certified Death Record Uncertified copies for genealogy purposes are not available from the State or Local Registrars in Ohio. As with birth records you may, however, perform searches in the indexes at the Ohio Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, and view and copy information from the death records themselves. * For Death Records from  December 20, 1908-December 1953  contact the Ohio Historical Society, Archives Library Division, 1982 Velma Ave., Columbus, OH 43211-2497.  For death records from  1867- December 20, 1908, contact the Probate Court of the county where the death occurred. Online:Ohio Death Certificate Index, 1913-1944 - Ohio Historical Society  (index only)Ohio, Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997  (index only, incomplete)Ohio Deaths, 1909-1953  (name index and images)Ohio, Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007  (index only) Ohio Marriage Records: Dates:  Varies Cost of Copy:  Varies Comments: Copies of marriage records are not available from the State Health Department. Inquiries will be referred to appropriate office. For certified copies of marriage records, please write to the Probate Court in the county where the event occurred. Online:Ohio, County Marriages 1789–2013 (not all counties available; coverage varies by county)Ohio Marriage Records Index 1803–1900 (requires Ancestry.com subscription) Ohio Divorce Records: Dates: Varies Cost of copy:  Varies Comments:  Certified copies are not available from the State Health Department.  For certified copies of divorces, please write to county Clerk of Courts where the divorce was granted.   Online:Ohio Divorce Index 1962–1963, 1967–1971, 1973–2007 (requires Ancestry.com subscription) More US Vital Records - Choose a State

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

In Search of Room-Temperature Superconductors

In Search of Room-Temperature Superconductors Imagine a world in which magnetic levitation (maglev) trains are commonplace, computers are lightning-fast, power cables have little loss, and new particle detectors exist. This is the world in which room-temperature superconductors are a reality. So far, this is a dream of the future, but scientists are closer than ever to achieving room-temperature superconductivity. What Is Room-Temperature Superconductivity? A room temperature superconductor (RTS) is a type of high-temperature superconductor (high-Tc or HTS) that operates closer to room temperature than to absolute zero. However, the operating temperature above  0  °C (273.15 K)  is still well below what most of us consider normal room temperature (20  to  25  Ã‚ °C). Below the critical temperature, the superconductor has zero electrical resistance and expulsion of magnetic flux fields. While its an oversimplification, superconductivity may be thought of as a state of perfect electrical conductivity. High-temperature superconductors exhibit superconductivity above  30  K (−243.2  Ã‚ °C). While a traditional superconductor must be cooled with liquid helium to become superconductive, a high-temperature superconductor can be cooled using liquid nitrogen. A room-temperature superconductor, in contrast, could be cooled with ordinary water ice.   The Quest for a Room-Temperature Superconductor Bringing up the critical temperature for superconductivity to a practical temperature is a holy grail for physicists and electrical engineers. Some researchers believe room-temperature superconductivity is impossible, while others point to advances that have already surpassed previously-held beliefs. Superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by  Heike Kamerlingh Onnes in solid mercury cooled with liquid helium (1913 Nobel Prize in Physics). It wasnt until the 1930s that scientists proposed an explanation of how superconductivity works. In 1933, Fritz and Heinz London explained the Meissner effect, in which a superconductor expels internal magnetic fields. From Londons theory, explanations grew to include the  Ginzburg-Landau theory (1950) and microscopic BCS theory (1957, named for Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer). According to the BCS theory, it seemed superconductivity was forbidden at temperatures above 30 K. Yet, in 1986,  Bednorz and Mà ¼ller discovered the first high-temperature superconductor, a lanthanum-based cuprate perovskite material with a transition temperature of 35 K. The discovery earned them the 1987 Nobel Prize in Physics and opened the door for new discoveries. The highest temperature superconductor to date, discovered in 2015  by Mikhail Eremets and his team, is sulfur hydride (H3S). Sulfur hydride has a transition temperature around 203 K (-70  °C), but only under extremely high pressure (around 150 gigapascals). Researchers predict the critical temperature might be raised above  0  Ã‚ °C  if the sulfur atoms are replaced by phosphorus, platinum, selenium, potassium, or tellurium  and still-higher pressure is applied. However, while scientists have proposed explanations for the behavior of the sulfur hydride system, they have been unable to replicate the electrical or magnetic behavior. Room-temperature superconducting behavior has been claimed for other materials besides sulfur hydride. The high-temperature superconductor yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) might become superconductive at 300 K using infrared laser pulses. Solid-state physicist Neil Ashcroft predicts solid metallic hydrogen should be superconducting near room temperature. The Harvard team that claimed to make metallic hydrogen reported the Meissner effect may have been observed at 250 K. Based on exciton-mediated electron pairing (not phonon-mediated pairing of BCS theory), its possible high-temperature superconductivity might be observed in organic polymers under the right conditions. The Bottom Line Numerous reports of room-temperature superconductivity appear in scientific literature, so as of 2018, the achievement seems possible. However, the effect rarely lasts long and is devilishly difficult to replicate. Another issue is that extreme pressure may be required to achieve the Meissner effect. Once a stable material is produced, the most obvious applications include the development of efficient electrical wiring and powerful electromagnets. From there, the sky is the limit, as far as electronics is concerned. A room-temperature superconductor offers the possibility of no energy loss at a practical temperature. Most of the applications of RTS have yet to be imagined. Key Points A room-temperature superconductor (RTS) is a material capable of superconductivity above a temperature of 0  °C. Its not necessarily superconductive at normal room temperature.Although many researchers claim to have observed room-temperature superconductivity, scientists have been unable to reliably replicate the results. However, high-temperature superconductors do exist, with transition temperatures between  Ã¢Ë†â€™243.2  Ã‚ °C  and  Ã¢Ë†â€™135  Ã‚ °C.Potential applications of room-temperature superconductors include faster computers, new methods of data storage, and improved energy transfer. References and Suggested Reading Bednorz, J. G.; Mà ¼ller, K. A. (1986). Possible high TC superconductivity in the Ba-La-Cu-O system. Zeitschrift fà ¼r Physik B. 64 (2): 189–193.Drozdov, A. P.; Eremets, M. I.; Troyan, I. A.; Ksenofontov, V.; Shylin, S. I. (2015). Conventional superconductivity at 203 kelvin at high pressures in the sulfur hydride system. Nature. 525: 73–6.Ge, Y. F.; Zhang, F.; Yao, Y. G. (2016). First-principles demonstration of superconductivity at 280 K in hydrogen sulfide with low phosphorus substitution. Phys. Rev. B. 93 (22): 224513.Khare, Neeraj (2003). Handbook of High-Temperature Superconductor Electronics. CRC Press.Mankowsky, R.; Subedi, A.; Fà ¶rst, M.; Mariager, S. O.; Chollet, M.; Lemke, H. T.; Robinson, J. S.; Glownia, J. M.; Minitti, M. P.; Frano, A.; Fechner, M.;  Spaldin, N. A.; Loew, T.; Keimer, B.; Georges, A.; Cavalleri, A. (2014). Nonlinear lattice dynamics as a basis for enhanced superconductivity in YBa2Cu3O6.5.  Nature.  516  (7529): 71–73.   Mourachkine, A. (2004).  Room-Temperature Superconductivity. Cambridge International Science Publishing.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Dupont Analysis Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Dupont Analysis Project - Assignment Example Adidas AG is on the other had a German MNC that designs and manufactures sports accessories and apparels. Adidas also produces shirts, watches, bags, eyewear, and other sports related accessories. The products of Nike can be categorized into seven key types namely, Basketball, Football or Soccer, Women’s Training, Running, Men’s Training, Nike Sportswear, and Action Sports. In addition to the products mentioned above the portfolio of Adidas also include products like Cricket, Tennis, Golf, Rugby, Lacrosse, Gymnastics, Skateboarding, and Hockey. The companies operate in a very competitive domestic and macroeconomic environment. This is apparent from the level of diversification strategies adopted by Adidas and Nike in order to reduce the level of competition. Both companies have also diversified their operations internationally and but still faces competition from other local and international firms like Puma. Rapid transition in technology and consumer preferences in market for athletic apparel and accessories posed considerable risk for business operations. Some of the specific identified risk factors are: The DuPont analysis can be used to analyse the inherent strengths and weakness of any firm as reflected from it’s publish financial statements. Basically, the analysis involves determination of three types of key ratios namely profitability, efficiency, and equity multiplier that estimates operating efficiency, asset utilization and financial leverage respectively. The DuPont analysis calculates the return on equity that is calculated using the following formula: Profitability- This ratio is a comprehensive measure of profitability that gives the rate at which the sales are being transformed into corporate profits at different levels of business operations. The profitability of Nike was higher than that of Adidas from 2010 to 2012. When profitability trends of both

Friday, November 1, 2019

How nutrition relates to bone health Research Paper

How nutrition relates to bone health - Research Paper Example The following analysis will help the reader to understand the key building blocks that are required by the body in order to perform and maintain a healthy skeletal system. Firstly, and most obviously, calcium as well as vitamin K and vitamin D are the most basic and important building blocks of proper bone strength and nutrition. Although calcium is what is primarily focused upon with regards to maintaining proper bone density and health, both vitamin K and vitamin D help to regulate the levels of calcium in the blood stream as well as to encourage and discourage the way that this calcium is synthesized within the bone marrow itself (Marian 440). Although this vitamin and nutrient are often mentioned in the same breath with bone health and nutrition, few individuals understand the processes that each of these play in proper bone health. Firstly, vitamin D is converted to what is known as calcidiol in the liver. Once this conversion has taken place, the calcidiol is then pumped through the blood stream with the sole intent of seeking to regulate the levels of calcium and phosphate that exist in the blood stream. Calcidiol acts in this way as a hormone to regulate levels of compounds that exist throughout the body (Price 143). By acting in this regulatory fashion, the body is able to make appropriate use of the calcium and phosphate levels that are in the blood stream in order to properly build strong bones. In the same way, vitamin K helps to control the level of calcium binding that takes place within the bone structure. Likewise, in addition to calcium and vitamin K, D, the body needs to maintain adequate levels of magnesium; the second most plentiful mineral, after calcium, in the skeleton. Magnesium has a host of applications with respect to bone health; however, for the purposes of this brief analysis it can understood to have a direct and profoundly important effect on the boney matrix that helps to give bones their density and