Dbq Although New England and the Chesapeake

Wa’Nyah Tucker 11A September 24, 2012 DBQ ESSAY Question: Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by of English origin, by 1700 the region had evolved into two different societies. Why did this difference in development occur? Thesis Statement: When talking about New England and the Chesapeake region, you have to consider the differences in motives and geography. Consider economic situations (reasons for settling where they did, reasons why they came to New England in the first place). One has to think about the family development and demographics, as well as the government structure.Thought New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled with a majority of English origin. By 1700 the region had evolved into two completely different societies. When talking about New England and the Chesapeake region, you have to consider the differences in motives and geography. Consider economic situations (reasons for settling where they did, reasons why they came to New England in the first place). One has to think about the family development and demographics, as well as the government structure. All these differences helped sculpt the colonies into their own significant and distinct ways of living.The geography of the New England Colonies was not the best. The soil was very rocky. This made agriculture for the New England colonist nearly impossible to achieve. Eventually the English brought pigs, horses, sheep, and cattle to the settlements. This required pastureland so the colonists were constantly clearing forests. The New England colonists were fed up with all of the rocky land, not being able to farm and plant, they moved towards the coast. The dense forests allowed a bounty of timber which was used for building ships that could be used for various.Also, there was an abundance of fish off the coast of Newfoundland, which made the New Englanders very wealthy. The Chesapeake region however, had very fertile soil. The Atlant ic Ocean created was able to create many rivers and wetlands. This provided the Chesapeake with land that was moist where they were able to establish agriculture. The main crop being produced in this area was tobacco. There was such high demand for tobacco, it eventually cause the soil to become try old and tired. By the soil drying out it increased the need for new land.In Document B on the list of emigrant bound for New England, it is mostly family oriented. Families were coming and units. These people were mostly the Puritans who were coming to New England for religious purposes. The New England colonies were founded as examples of pure religion. The New Englanders would come to prosper through their hard work, thrift, and the quality of their commitment to God and each other. The Christian values of charity towards another man resulted in tight knit communities that embraced the idea to care for every member.John Winthrop wrote, A Model of Christian Charity, while he was aboard the Arbella on the Atlantic Ocean in 1630. In this writing he states that no matter what social class you fall under everyone must say close together and work in unison as one man. Not as many men working but coming together. Showing the affection one would give to their brother. One must make their fellow colonist conditions their own, whether it is good or bad. Laugh together, cry together, rejoice together, mourn together, work together and even suffer together. They are as â€Å"a city upon a hill†.Meaning that other colonies will see what they do. They will notice everything they do so they have to set an example of how to be. The colonial theocratic governments also sought to further the welfare of the populace by enforcing God's Biblical laws, thus strengthening the people's support for the government (respect of authority is required by the Bible, and respect for a government that can hang you is required by common sense). Finally, the rugged land of New England did n ot stop the growth of crops. This allowed the Chesapeake colonies to prosper on agriculture alone.Unlike the New England colonies, the Chesapeake colony of Virginia never made any gesture of being a religious settlement, except for the apparent support for the Church of England. Most of the original settlers were men Document C who had left their families behind in order to attend to the territory that was to successfully produce gold for the King and the country. Most importantly produce for the shareholders. Some of the investors in the Virginia Company quickly seized upon the idea of farming as a substitute for gold-mining. This paid for the passage of many indentured ervants and later, slaves to the New World. There were many diseases that swept through Chesapeake colonies. Life in the Chesapeake colonies was very harsh. There were diseases such as malaria, dysentery, and typhoid fever. Half of the people born in Virginia and Maryland died before the age of twenty. While the oth er died by the age of forty (women) or fifty (men). There were a lot of men that couldn’t find single women to mate with in order to repopulate. There were many families being destroyed my death. The children were dying very young. The Chesapeake colonies struggled.Then native born inhabitants gained immunity to all of the diseases that were infecting the original immigrants. The New England colonies had colonial assemblies and town meetings where the colonists discussed important matters of local government. These assemblies and town meetings also had the power to tax their citizens to fund the church. Above the local government were governors. These governors were supposed to enforce all of the King's policies and answered directly to the king. Above the governors were the houses of Parliament in England.There wasn’t really a government structure when it came down to the Chesapeake colonies. They were all about the gold and making a profit. They had slaves working in the fields when they discovered tobacco and other things. They were more about quantity and money and goods and trade. In conclusion, many things that contributed into establishing these colonies led to many more events. Since there were many slaves being worked now, there were many that didn’t agree with the way they were being treated. Therefore leading to many rebellions.One of which known as Bacon’s Rebellion which was an uprising in 1676 in the Virginia Colony in North America, led by a 29-year-old planter, Nathaniel Bacon. There were about a thousand Virginians rose (including former indentured servants, poor whites and poor blacks) because they resented Virginia Governor William Berkeley's friendly policies towards the Native Americans when Berkeley refused to retaliate for a series of Indian attacks on frontier settlements, others took matters into their own hands, attacking Native Americans, chasing Berkeley from Jamestown, Virginia, and torching the capital. There was many more. Like the New York Revolt in 1712 which killed nine whites and as a result of the actions taken by the slaves, twenty-one blacks were executed and some burned at the stake over a slow fire. Or even the South Carolina Revolt. People say it was like a failed attempt of Bacon’s Rebellion. This revolt happened in 1736. Fifty blacks tried to march along the Stono River to Spanish florida but failed and was stopped by local militia.

The Hobbit Book Report

This is a story about the adventure of a delightful little hobbit and how he found out who he was and what he really valued. At first, the little hobbit Bilbo was just a normal Baggins (a family name which stands for routineers and homebodies) who lived a peaceful life in a comfortable and quiet hobbit hole full of fine furniture, delicate ornaments and a lot of food. However, everything changed when Gandalf, an old wizard, gave him a visit and held and unexpected party in Bilbo’s hobbit hole with 13 dwarves who Bilbo had never met before. Gandalf invited Bilbo to a journey to the Lonely Mountain and to help the dwarves get back their treasure from the wicked dragon. The more Took part (Bilbo’s mom was a Took) of Bilbo’s characteristic was awaken and he, after a lot of hesitation because of being a Baggins for more than 50 years, decided to go with the dwarves. During the journey, Bilbo gave up all the things that he was used to and took granted for. Everyday, he slept on rocks and ate things like dog food; he rode on horses that was too high for him and tried his best to follow the dwarves’ pastes. At the beginning, the dwarves had many complains about bringing a hobbit with them as Bilbo always slowed down the whole group. However, clear transformations can be seen on Bilbo as time flouted. Even though he, sometimes, still missed his cute little hobbit hole and his afternoon tea, he learned to be an adventurer and to perform his duties as a member of the group. He saved the whole team by shouting to Gandalf and he even escaped from the Goblins by himself. He won the respect from the dwarves and finally fixed in. No one is unchangeable and that’s why we keep on trying new things. During this process of trying, we discover new interests, new goals and new capabilities. In this case, Bilbo transformed from a domestic little hobbit into a clever burglar and a resourceful companion. He found out that what he really valued was friendship, adventures and braveness but not an unchangeable life. Sometimes, we think we are satisfied with what we have right now because all the people around us all live identical lives. Whenever changes occur, we’ll start I believe that in somewhere deep inside us, we all crave for adventures, different lives and a brand new world.

Nuclear Battery

The short and unpredictable nature of the conventional chemical batteries, along with the frequent replacements that they require, has created an acute need for a reliable, longer-lasting and rugged source of energy. Moreover Radars, spacecrafts, interstellar probes and other advanced communication devices require much larger power than that can be met by conventional energy sources. The solution to long term energy source is the nuclear powered batteries which have a life span of few decades and can pack in energy densities thousands of time greater than conventional battery sources.Hence, there is an urgent need to harvest enormous amount of energy released naturally by the tiny bits of radioactive material. Unlike conventional nuclear power generating devices, these batteries do not rely on the fission or fusion reactions and do not generate any radioactive material as by-product. They promise clean, safe, reliable and almost endless energy without any drop in its yield or efficie ncy during its entire life span-which runs up to minimum of 10 years. They are generally used as power sources in unmanned and unmaintained locations requiring energy for longer durations.Nuclear batteries are not only going to replace conventional batteries, chargers and adapters but also present innovative means of powering portable devices. The nuclear battery technology is geared up to make way into commonly used day to day product like cell phones, laptops, automobiles etc. Surely it is battery of future. INTRODUCTION In this day and age of miniaturization the size of electronic circuitry has been diminishing at a astonishingly dizzying pace but the batteries that power these devices are not keeping up with them.The world of tomorrow that the technology manifests will be a very small one and we will need smaller batteries to power it !! Be it our personal laptops or cell phones, batteries still occupy a significant portion of the volume. The reason being the batteries are still nothing more than cans of chemicals like they were two centuries ago. They have not undergone any significant change in their functionality since Italian physicist Alexandaro Volta demonstrated flow of lectric current between two conductors by alternating discs of zinc and copper with pieces of cardboard soaked in brine. Many systems ideally (especially those in remote locations) have to operate for long periods, and it is not always feasible to recharge or replace their batteries. Now, with technology ushering in new era of miniaturization where MEMS (Micro Electrical Mechanical System) are gaining widespread popularity and are increasingly being used for a multitude of applications, they lack a durable onboard power supply. Batteries are at a critical juncture here!!MEMS are finding increasing applications in everything from sensors in car that trigger an alarm to injectible drug delivery system to environment monitoring ‘Smart Dust’ but they lack a long lasting on-d evice power source. To work around this power block, researchers have found an intriguing way: by harvesting the huge amount of energy released by radioactive material. Although several sources of energy could be used to supply this needed power (solid, fossil fuel) by these MEMS based systems but nuclear batteries are fast becoming a popular option in terms of power density and lifetime.For example A tiny speck of radioisotope like nickel-63 can generate enough energy to power these MEMS for decades. These nuclear micro batteries have energy at densities at thousand times greater than the Lithium ion batteries. So with these miniature machines really hitting their stride, we’ll need smaller, reliable and longer lasting battery sources! To clear the common misconception, nuclear power sources are not miniature nuclear reactors and they do not involve any fission or fusion reactions.In these power sources we use specific isotopes which emit particles that are blocked by the la yer of dead skin that covers our bodies. They penetrate no more than 25 micrometers in most solids or liquids, so in a battery they could safely be contained by a simple plastic package! TechnologyEnergy Density (milliwatt-hour /milligram) Lithium ion in a chemical battery0. 3 Methanol in a fuel cell3 Tritium in a nuclear battery850 Polonium-210 in a nuclear battery57 000 Energy Content in Different Type of Batteries IT IS A STAGGERINGLY SMALL WORLD THAT IS BELOW,† Said physicist Richard P. Feynman in his visionary talk to the American Physical Society, when he envisioned the fabrication of micro- and nano devices and declared that one day the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica could be written on the head of a pin. Feynman’s vision has finally begun to manifest, thanks to ever more sophisticated microelectronics. Micro and nano scale machines are ushering a multibillion-dollar market as they are being incorporated in virtually every electronic devices.Among the trendsetti ng applications in this development are ultra dense memories capable of storing hundreds of gigabytes in a fingernail-size device, micromirrors for enhanced display and optical communications equipment, and highly selective RF filters to reduce cell phones size and improve the quality of calls. But, again, at very small scales, chemical batteries can’t provide enough power for these micro machines. As the size of such a battery is reduced, the amount of stored energy goes down exponentially.Reduction in each side of a cubic battery by a factor of 10 as the volume is reduced —and therefore the energy that can be stored— reduces by a factor of 1000. In fact, the sensors today which are no larger than a speck of dust require batteries which are as large as a shirt button!!!!! COMPARISION WITH OTHER WELL KNOWN ENERGY SOURCES FOR NANO DEVICES In a bid to power these nano devices, researchers are turning away from conventional fuels like hydrogen and hydrocarbons (pro pane, methane, gasoline and diesel) and are meddling with micro fuels that consume hydrogen to generate power like other conventional fuels.Many are also developing on- board combustion engines that consume hydrogen to generate energy much like an average automobile. But these approaches are facing many hurdles. The primary road block is relatively low energy densities of these mechanisms and other being the continuous need to supply the fuel and eliminate the by-products formed . In case of other liquid fuels the major challenge is to develop a packaging that will contain sufficient liquid fuel to power these devices and which can be scaled down to micro and nano sizes at the same time.The nuclear batteries that are being developed won’t require any refilling or recharging. and will last as long as the half-life of the radioactive source. And even though their efficiency in converting nuclear to electrical energy isn’t high—about 4 percent—the extremely high energy density of the radioactive materials makes it possible for these micro batteries to produce relatively significant amounts of power. For example, with 10 milligrams of polonium-210 (contained in about 1 cubic millimeter), a nuclear powered battery could produce 50 milliwatts of electric power for more than four months.With that level of power, it would be possible to run a simple microprocessor and a handful of sensors for four continuous months. Specific Power Density Of Leading Power Isotopes KEY ELEMENTS OF THE TECHNOLOGY Why not conventional Gamma Emitters The first lesson to be learned here is: What are Radioisotopes Radioisotopes are basically unstable atoms that spontaneously emit high-energy particles as they decay to a more stable state. Most radioisotopes emit Gamma rays (which are essentially high-energy X-rays that can penetrate most materials including human flesh).But radioisotopes used in nuclear battery emit Alpha particles (an aggregate of two protons an d two neutrons) and Beta particles (high-energy electrons) that can’t penetrate as deeply and therefore pose less risk. Another reason why Gamma Emitters are not considered for development of the nuclear battery is that they would require sufficient amount of shielding. The Alpha Emitters, on the other hand, have an advantage due to the short range of the Alpha particles. This short range allows increased efficiency and thus provides more design flexibility, assuming that a sufficient activity can be achieved.The half life of the isotopes must be high enough so that the useful life of the battery is sufficient for typical applications, and low enough to provide sufficient activity. In addition, the new isotope resulting after decay should be stable, or it should decay without emitting Gamma radiation. The nuclear powered batteries that are being developed contain1 to 10 millicuries of nickel-63 or tritium, whose beta particles have relatively low energy and can be blocked by a layer of 25 to 100 micrometers of plastic, metal, or semiconductor (they are even blocked by the thin dead-skin layer covering our bodies. ) ISOTOPERADIATION TYPEHALF LIFE Yr)MAX. ENERGY (keV)AVERAGE ENERGY H-3Beta12. 3 y18. 65. 7 Ni-63Beta100. 2 y66. 917. 4 Po-210Alpha138. 8 y530. 43- Commonly Used Isotopes NUCLEAR BATTERIES WHICH ARE CURRENTLY USED JUNCTION TYPE BATTERY This type of battery is very useful for long term applications in devices like space crafts,battle field sensors and nanoelectric sensors.. The device basically consists of a small quantity of Nickel-63 placed near an ordinary silicon p-n junction( hence the name)—a diode, basically. As the Nickel-63 decays it emits beta particles, which are high-energy electrons that spontaneously fly out of the radioisotope’s unstable nucleus.The emitted beta particles ionizes the diode’s atoms, creating paired electrons and holes that diffuse away from each other at the p-n junction. These separated electr ons and holes travel away from the junction, thereby producing the current. Why Ni-63 is used in Junction Battery? Nickel-63 is ideal for this application because its emitted beta particles travel a maximum of 21 ? m in silicon before disintegrating; if the particles had more energy, they would travel longer distances, thus escaping the battery. This battery has a capacity of producing about 3 nanowatts, using 0. millicurie of Nickel-63 , power which is more than sufficient for nano devices. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS CANTILEVER BATTERIES These new types of batteries generate more power than a typical junction battery. These devices operate like generators where the radioactive energy is first converted into mechanical energy and then into pulses of electrical energy. Even though these devices involve an intermediate phase,their efficiency remain unaffected- if anything they actually tap the kinetic energy of the emitted particles for conversion into mechanical energy and hence provide a m ore continous flow of energy than conventional junction battery.Figure 5 Beta particles move from radioactive source and accumulate at Copper plate leading to electrostatic force of attraction Why Thin Film RadioIsotope is used in Cantilever Batteries? This device primarily uses a thin film of radioisotope. On top of this film, a small rectangular piece of silicon is cantilevered, its free end able to move up and down. As the electrons move away from the radioactive source, they travel through the air gap and hit the cantilever, charging it negatively. The source, which is positively charged, then attracts the cantilever, bending it down .This mechanical energy is converted instantaneously into electrical energy. SELF RECIPROCATING SiN BATTERIES These batteries use low stress thin film of SiN. In this device a Wheatstone bridge is formed using four resistors. The purpose of using Wheatstone bridge is to measure the deflections. The output from a Wheatstone bridge is sent to an opera tional amplifier and the amplified signal is measured. A self-timed reciprocating movement is obtained between the film of radioisotope and the cantilever arm.As compared to a conventional thin film cantilevers they offer better efficiency as the RF signal conversion from mechanical signal is more streamlined and compact. OPTOEELCTRONIC BATTERIES An optoelectronic nuclear battery has been developed by the researchers of Kurchatov Institute of Moscow. The Beta emitter would power an excimer mixture ( argon and xenon) which would produce light to excite a photocell. The primary advantage of this battery is that precision electrodes are not required and most electrons contribute to battery’s power output. NANONUCLEAR BATTERIESAny with technology â€Å"nano† suffixed ushers in a debate. A generally accepted criterion for labelling nanotechnology given by Mihail C. Roco( Ph. D. , a National Science Foundation Chair on the Nanoscale Science Engineering and Technology Subcomm ittee (NSEC) of the National Science and Technology Committee (NSTC)) states â€Å"one dimension of about one to 100 nanometers, designed through a process that exhibits fundamental control over the physical and chemical attributes of molecular-scale structures, and the ability to combine to form larger structures. †These technologies for the nano- nuclear battery have same operational and structural micro nuclear battery except it’s done on a nano level. These batteries have better efficiencies as compared to micro-nuclear batteries and the path for the research of nuclear battery ends at such nano powered devices. CURRENT PLAYERS NASA GLENN RESEARCH CENTRE, CLEAVELAND The scientists at the Glenn Research Centre are working in collaboration with the researchers at RIT on a project to develop alpha voltaic batteries for miniature military devices for US Army with sensing and communication capabilities.This project will be of three years duration and will focus on use o f a radioisotope Americium, which is used in smoke detector, along with handful of semiconductor devices to convert alpha energy into usable electricity. The project will conclude with full manufacture of device and plans for commercial manufacture. ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH LABORATORY, NEWYORK A team of researchers at RIT led by Ryne Rafelle, Head of physics and Microsystems have obtained funds ranging around $1. 2 million dollars from DARPA (Defence Advanced Project Research Agency) to develop nuclear power supplies for military use.The researchers are planning on using an innovative nanomaterial (quantum dots) to protect the semiconductor used inside the battery from radiation damage. This will make the battery not only safer but also increase its life to unprecedented levels. KUSHATOV INSTITUTE, MOSCOW The technology for Optoelectric nuclear batteries was developed by a team of researchers at Kuchatov Institute. In a revolutionary development, they used Radioiso tope Strontium-90 and Technetium-99 as beta emitters suspended in gas or liquid which permits nearly lossless transmission of beta energy. PRIVATE PLAYERS (QYNERGY CORPORATION, ALPLA V INC. WIDETRONIX ETC. ) These are leading private players company harvesting nuclear energy for the purpose of providing cutting edge energy and power solution that are not provided by current battery and storage system. Using their proprietary technologies they have developed high density power cell using the energy generated by radioisotopes. ECONOMIC POTENTIAL SPACE APPLICATIONS- SATELLITE AND INTERSTELLAR PROBE Radio isotropic Thermoelectric Generator(RTGs) are nuclear batteries which consists of stacks of thermocouples which convert the thermal energy obtained from the decay of radioisotope into usable electrical energy.They have emerged as the most popular power sources for the unmanned and unmaintained locations requiring power less than few hundred watts for durations which are too long for con ventional fuel cells and where solar panels are not feasible. RTGs are used as power sources in the satellites, space probe vehicles by NASA and in various unmanned remote locations, like a series of lighthouses built by the USSR in the Arctic Circle. Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP) units which comprise of handful of RTGs are used especially for probes that travel far enough from the Sun that solar panels are no longer viable.Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, Galileo, Ulysses, Cassini and New Horizons used RTGs to meet their power requirements. Also, RTGs were used to power the two Viking landers and for the scientific experiments left on the Moon by the crews of Apollo 12. RTG also used on interstellar precursor missions and interstellar probes. One such example is the Innovative Interstellar Explorer (2003-current) proposal from NASA which will be using RTG Am-241 This could support mission extensions up to 1000 years. UNDERSEA APPLICATIONS- DEEP SEA SENSORSThe recent tsunami, earthquake and other under water phenomena have increased the demand for underwater sensors which can withstand such extreme conditions. These sensors are integrated with nuclear batteries which can work for longer durations in inaccessible places under crude situations. MEDICAL APPLICATIONS- NUCLEAR PACEMAKERS In early days, pacemakers used were powered with mercury and zinc batteries which could run for three years. Most often however, such mercury battery would fail in 20 months requiring the patient to undergo another implant for the replacement of the device.Nuclear Batteries are used extensively in the pacing industry to prolong the longevity of the implanted device. Pacemakers, implanted with nuclear batteries, offer young patients the chance to go through their entire lifetime with just a single implant. MOBILE DEVICES- CELLPHONES & LAPTOPS Xcell-N is a nuclear powered laptop battery that provides between seven and eight thousand times battery life as compared to a normal laptop battery- thus any laptop can be kept on for five continous years without having to charge it.Xcell- N is in continuous working state since the past eight months and neither has been turned off nor has been plugged into electrical power. Most cell phones use RF filters for frequency selection which occupy a large part of the volume. Researchers are currently developing MEMS based RF filters which provides not only better frequency selectivity (thus better quality of calls) but also reduced sizes. These MEMS filters, however, may require relatively high dc voltages, and drawing it from the main battery would require complicate electronics.Instead, a nuclear powered battery designed to generate the required voltage—in the range of 10 to 100 volts—could be used to juice up the filter directly and more efficiently. AUTOMOBILES Although it is in initial stages of development but it is expected that nuclear powered batteries will soon replace the weary chemical batteries. This implies that running short of fuel or time will be things of past. Fox Valley Auto Electric Association has already started working on the ways to implement this. CHALLENGESThough there are many merits the nuclear battery there are few challenges too, which needs to be overcome to make it realty, in the immediate future. SAFETY Since nuclear powered batteries involve the use of small amounts of radiation and radioactive materials, it is necessary that they must comply with current Radiation Protection Standards which are based on the Linear Non-Threshold model (LNT) . This model assumes that any amount of radiation exposure, no matter how small, will have a detrimental effect on health.The external dose associated with the radioisotopes used in these batteries is zero, because an alpha particle needs to have an energy of more than 7. 5 MeV to penetrate the protective layer of the skin (0. 07 mm think), and a ? particle needs to have an energy of more than 70 keV. Sin ce radio isotopes in nuclear batteries have energies lower than these they are unable to penetrate the skin. INHALATION INGESTION DOSE LIMIT [mrem/d]44. 575. 479 Dose Equivalent [mrem/d]No. of batteries to be inhaled to reach the limitDose Equivalent [mrem/d]No. of batteries to be swallowed to reach the limit H32. 418. 0346158 Ni645. 697. 081367Radiation Levels After Ingestion or Inhalation Of 5 µCi of Ni or H Nuclear Battery In fact, radioisotopes have been used for decades in commercial applications. Many smoke detectors contain 1 to 5 microcuries of Americium-241, used to ionize the air between a pair of parallel plates. And some emergency exit signs in public buildings, schools, and auditoriums that have to remain visible during power outages contain 8 to 10 curies of tritium, whose emitted electrons excite phosphor atoms, illuminating the sign. The amount of radioactive material in the nuclear batteries falls between that in a smoke detector and in an exit sign.And for whatev er amount, any commercial application of such nuclear powered batteries will have to comply with all the established safety measures (including design of safe packaging) and follow regulations about handling and disposing of the device. COST As it is the case with the most ground breaking technology , the initial cost of production is quite high. But as the product goes for mass production the cost goes down. The major challenge lies in finding sources of inexpensive radioisotopes that can be efficiently integrated into the electronic devices.For example 1 millicurie of Ni-63 costs around $25. But the researchers have come up with a potentially cheaper alternative tritium which is produced by some nuclear reactors as a by product and costs few cents( for 1 millicurie). WASTE DISPOSAL The environmental impact of disposing of the nuclear devices once their useful life has ended, as well as the associated costs are minimal. Since after three half-lives the activity of the isotope decay s to about 10% of the original activity, the nuclear powered batteries would be below background radiation level by that time. SOCIAL ACCEPTANCEThe nuclear technology has lost its credibility as the world has seen enough nuclear disasters. Thus acceptance for the nuclear technology will be very hard to come by. However the immense potential of this technology will soon overpower this initial resistance. CONCLUSION & WAY FORWARD Clearly the current state of research is making it harder to deny that chemical batteries will be replaced by nuclear powered batteries- and soon. Nuclear Batteries present a logical solution to the burgeoning need for a safe, reliable, compact, lightweight, longer lasting and self contained power supply.They not only protect our declining natural resources but also serve to make our traditional energy sources redundant. As the energy associated with the radioactive materials is much more than the conventional sources and by far the highest without any waste generation, the world can be transformed into a new one without green houses gases and its associated risks. Scientists have overcome a major stumbling block to make mass production of these batteries a viable and hugely profitable option. The system we have developed is mechanically simple, potentially leading to more compact, more reliable and less expensive systems. This was an attempt at something that seemed viable. â€Å", said Mark Prelas , Director of Research at University of Wisconsin’s Nuclear Science and Engineering Institute. Recent breakthroughs, at University of Missouri where the researchers have developed a economically feasible energy conversion system that uses safe isotopes to generate high-grade energy, only prove that these MEMS Marvels are going to be very successful in near future.Success of few similar small projects will give sufficient learning to make this technology big very soon. REFERENCES 1. â€Å"Nuclear and Radiochemistry† , Gerhardt Friedlander and Joseph W. Kennedy 2. Technolyreview. com 3. Powerpaper. com 4. http://ieeexplore. ieee. org/stamp/stamp. jsp? arnumber=01330808 5. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Atomic_battery 6. http://www. physorg. com/news174139641. html 7. http://www. scribd. com/doc/8929973/Nuclear-Battery

Pg 225 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pg 225 - Assignment Example This aims at persuading and convincing potential buyers to try the products thus derive the anticipated utility from that. To this respect the Company uses diverse paths to reach these people in the most appropriate ways. For example, It has currently been investing heavily in digital advertising through billboards that ensures that as many people as possible are reached via this medium. Great loyalty and confidence towards the company’s products are derived from this type of advertising since the message portrayed is elaborate enough to warrant persuasion. This paper purposes to develop an advertising campaign for the digital network and explain how it will be used to bring change that is envisaged. Through this digital advertising campaign the Company is intending to reach more people and convince them to purchase. It’s aiming at informing them more about the product and its characteristics as the only solution to anyone’s thirst problems as well as making the product available to the market thus increasing sales and revenue. This campaign targets mostly those in towns and big cities who are also able to synthesize digital information at a considerable speed. The most appropriate medium to use is LED screens that can be strategically positioned where visibility to all is guaranteed. Bright colors that spell out the tag line and images clearly for all to see are the most viable ones to use. The sales cycle also ought to be considered at this stage. The frequency at which the message flashes past the screen must be increased so that the continued repetition can assure attention and even interest amongst potential buyers. We have to determine the customers’ p erspective towards the products. How does the customer feel in relation to product satisfaction? Can the information displayed in the screen trigger a purchase decision? These are quite important in the development

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Reform in the Military Research Paper

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Reform in the Military - Research Paper Example In the United States of America, the way gays are dealt with greatly impacts the way people perceive leaders. This paper will focus on the controversial issue that regards the military’s Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) Policy. Currently, there is a ban for the admission and maintenance of openly gay people in the military in the US, also known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT). President Obama promised to scrap off this ban and as a result, there have been efforts made by his administration to change the law regarding to gay people in the military. These efforts were futile because the democrats did not manage to get enough votes in the senate to allow for this reform to be done. This means that there still exist a debate as to whether openly gay people should be allowed in the military or that the ban be maintained. This subject is controversial because a reform in this law has un-ignorable pros and cons. Pros associated with a reform on Don't Ask, Don't Tell Act in the Military U nder the â€Å"Don't Tell† part of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Act, any military person who discloses that they are in a homosexual relationship is terminated from the military (Jones 3). This is very unfair to them considering the large numbers of well known homosexuals in the country. What should be taken into consideration is how their declaration of their status has affected their service and discipline in the military and that of others as well. If no negative effect or disallowed behavior can be pointed out, then there is no good basis of removing such people from the military. This is because a declaration of their status may not necessarily mean that there will be a change in discipline or service among the gays (Belkin 278). Some of the research or studies conducted indicate that there is no incompatibility between open gay lifestyle with military service. Examples of such studies are that which was conducted by RAND Corporation under the commission of the department o f defense (DOD) and that conducted by the General Accounting Office. This means that a reform on the Don't Tell part of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Act will be most advantageous to the military personnel. This is because it will end the victimization of these who have openly declared their sexual orientation without portraying any unwanted behaviors from then onwards. Don't Ask, Don't Tell Act protects gays from being denied a chance to join the military as along as they do not openly declare their engagement in gay activities (Levy 190). As a result of this, all people have had an equal chance to join the US military provided they meet all the specified requirements. This means that the right to employment among the gays has not been interfere in any way. This important because there is no substantial evidence that being a gay is affects the ability of an individual to execute their duties as expected. This means that a scrap of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Act will serve to protect tho se who may declare their engagement in gay activities during the recruitment process. Cons associated with a reform on Don't Ask, Don't Tell Act in the Military Ban on Don't Ask, Don't Tell Act could have great impacts on culture and discipline within the military (Belkin 280). This is because the Don’t Tell policy moderates public engagement among gay. An open declaration of gay orientation could make the behavior spread in

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Business Strategy - Essay Example Since these technologies are patented, they become a vital resource to Nintendo. Since for the current they are inimitable, they provide a competitive advantage to the company. A major weakness in Wii as described in the case is its poorer graphics as compared to those of its rivals—Xbox and Sony Playstation. This is due to the absence of high-definition video players that come with Wii’s two major competitors. Porter’s three generic strategies include overall cost leadership, differentiation and focus (Bartol 2001, 239). These three strategies require certain skills and resources as well as organizational requirements in order to be executed well. When a firm pursues overall cost leadership, the company should be ready to embrace efficiency as its objective, as reflected in its systems in order to maintain its position in the market as the player that maintains the most efficient cost systems. With lower costs, companies can offer lower prices to consumers without sacrificing too much of its profits, thus getting ahead of the competition especially in the market where price is the product’s attribute that is given the most weight when considering purchase. Differentiation on the other hand makes a company take a position in the market by offering unique products, thus gaining monopolistic powers over pricing and other considerations that are related to the product. By offering unique products, a company then can then charge higher margins because of the value of uniqueness. Focus, is a combination of the two strategies which caters to a smaller bit of the market rather than the whole. By segmenting the market and focusing on a small or niche segment, unique products can be offered while keeping tight controls on costs. I see Nintendo pursuing differentiation strategy with the Wii. Although it offers the lowest of prices among competitors, it does not compete on the basis of efficiency thus the integration of all

Global Trade Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Global Trade Operations - Essay Example The International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) are rules and regulations that govern international trade because when two parties are involved in international trade disputes or misunderstanding may arise hence making Incoterm a central component in the development of international trade across the globe (Branch 2009, p.4). The International Chambers of Commerce (ICC) established these guidelines in the year 1936. However, they have greatly evolved since that time. The main aim of these international trade guidelines is to spell out the legal obligation of the two parties involved in the trade. Additionally, this minimizes misunderstandings and conflict between the two parties. International trade can prove difficult when the two parties face obstacles such as language barrier and other limitations. This makes the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) a very important aspect of the trade. The International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) apply globally hence making them generally acce ptable by all countries. The contract of the sale of goods is the area of focus in the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm). Additionally, the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) covers all the aspects of transportation of goods, obligation of both parties and other requirements such as insurance. The International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) entails eleven terms that are fundamental in international trade. Furthermore, these terms fall under four major divisions these include â€Å"C† terms â€Å"D† terms â€Å"E† terms and â€Å"F† terms. The seller or exporter has to follow the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) in order to complete a successful business transaction. Additionally, the procedures under International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) follow each other sequentially and in order of the degree of responsibility. However, one can better understand the terms used in the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) when using a typica l example of a business transaction between an importer and an exporter hence making the application of these terms relevant. An international business transaction has to involve two different countries and in order to use all the applicable procedures in the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) it is important to use two different countries that are not on the same bloc due some waivers, trade agreements and other issues like memorandum of understanding Description of the business Transaction The main business transaction that is most appropriate and fits the criteria of the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) is importation and exportation of Japanese cars. This has been a very successful trade between Japan and other countries of the world. Additionally, most of the cars manufactured in the world come form Japan hence making a study on how the business transactions take place very informative. However, one main reason as to why this particular trade meets the criteria is that very many legal formalities are involved in the importation and exportation of vehicles from one country to another. Additionally, this kind of trade deals with incredibly many different nationalities hence providing readily available information that is useful. However, several countries have different rules and regulations that govern the importation of cars. For instance, in other countries one cannot import a car that is more than eight years old or the vehicle must be in a certain condition. All these rules and regulations involved when importing or exporting a vehicle make the trade more sophisticated. Countries involved in the business transaction The two main countries that we are going to focus on are the United

Women in a patriarchal society and trifles Essay

Women in a patriarchal society and trifles - Essay Example The play Trifles revolves around the investigation conducted by a sheriff and a county attorney in the house of a woman who was accused of murdering her husband who was found in his bed with a rope around in his neck. Accompanying them is the couple’s neighbor who was the first man to discover the body. In the background, are wives of the sheriff and the neighbor who tagged along with their husbands while the men went around the house searching for evidence that would clearly show the motive of the wife in the killing of her husband. Glaspell’s play highlights the structural distinction between men and women in a patriarchal society in which women are regarded as inferior to men. Men, for example, hold significant jobs while women were kept in homes, cleaning, cooking, quilting and having babies. This inequality between the sexes places wives at a disadvantage because while men hold jobs keeping them out of the house most of the time and exposing them to a social life, women were tied down to their chores in homes with no one to share their thoughts with and no one to keep them company except husbands who come home at night and who did not treat them on equal footing. Minnie Wright exemplifies this type of a woman whose world had been confined to the four corners of her home, lonely and desperate and living with a husband who obviously kept to himself and who wanted to shut the noise out of their home. When he wrung the neck of her bird, her last source of joy, perhaps to keep it quiet forever, Mrs. Wrigh t finally snapped and tied a rope around his neck while he was asleep. All throughout the play, the same pattern of inequality between men and women are reflected by the other characters of the play with women playing secondary role to male characters. II In Trifles, Glaspell shows that men regarded women as beneath them and

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

Leadership Argument - Essay Example There have been various types of leadership whose distinction is based on the resultant effects. While the major effects are those affecting the business and the affairs of the state, the overall impacts to the people makes the study of leadership imperative. Leadership has been described as a way through which things are done. However, a particular type of leadership can result into benefits to people or sometimes disadvantage them. In this case, people normally depend on the decisions made by the society and the other ruling authorities, such as governments. Some others like Tracy (2014) believes that leadership is more necessary and critical than before. The leadership that benefits the people must be under people who are visionary and courageous. Such leaders can chart new seas as well as break new grounds (Arvey, Rotundo, & Johnson, 2006). An effective leadership will definitely make the difference even in ordinary situations and in little things. This encompasses simple things like helping people work excellently and nicely. Normally, effective leadership is independent of the setting. Delivery will be based on the passion of the leader and the desire to impact the people around positively, irrespective of the level of dependency of the subordinates. Taking the example of a school setting, a good leader will instill the value to both the students and the teachers. Basically, leadership is not about being the boss but is about making positive impacts on the lives of others. It is, therefore, imperative that effective leadership characterize all aspects of the lives of people, both at individual and society levels. There are various aspects that make goods leadership (Bonnici, 2011). Leadership depends on the type and personality of the leader. While it is true that leaders are not born but made, it is also true that leadership a group does not depend fully on the influence of degree of power of the leader. First of all,

Equity and Trust Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Equity and Trust - Case Study Example If the total amount owed is below 15000, then there is debt relief order (DRO) suitable for Steve and Anna, in case they do not own their own home. They can own car valued up to 1000, but not have other assets above 300. Their disposable income must also not exceed 50 a month (Bankruptcy). Steve owns a flat but he has transferred the freehold title of this flat to his son, Thomas' name. Nonetheless, in case the court sets aside this transfer, Steve will have to sell this flat to pay up his creditors (Civil Litigation). If the total amount owed is above 15000, there is the individual voluntary agreement that can be made to a court by which Steve and Anna can propose the method of making payments to the creditors. Based on this individual voluntary agreement, the court can call a meeting of the creditors where at least 75% of the creditors or their proxies must be present. If the offer of payment is agreeable to the creditors, then the proposals are accepted, and Steve and Anna have to honor their commitment (Bankruptcy). The individual voluntary agreement is made before bankruptcy. There is no mention of Steve and Anna's source of income other than Direct Wine Ltd. The individual voluntary agreement is ideal if Steve and Anna have some sources of income other than Direct Wine Ltd. Advice to Ellen Ellen has asked Anna and Steve to let her have a small advance from the trust fund to pay for a school trip. Ellen can avail of the fund if it is available depending on the actual amount required, under certain conditions. It does appear that Ellen has approached Steve surreptitiously for her requirement. Since Maud is alive, it is best to consult her for Ellen's requirement. It is not ethically sound for Steve to go ahead and be a privy to Ellen's requirement when the main trustee is alive. The money is there. It is only a question of proprietary (Establishing a Trust Fund). Advice to Quick Loans Ltd There is no information on the status of the loan repayments by Steve and Anna after having taken the loan of 100,000. Also, there is a balance amount of 50,000 lying in the loan account of Direct Wine Ltd. This could mean two things. One, it could mean that the equipment purchased did not amount to more than 50,000. Or it could mean that Steve and Anna have not honored the bank's advice to use the full amount on purchase of the equipment required by them. At any rate, even if Steve and Anna are regular in paying the loan installments, the bank must take cognizance of the fact that Steve and Anna have declared for insolvent liquidation. Quick Loans Ltd can start the process of recovering their loan amount by directly addressing Steve and Anna. They can join up with the rest of the creditors in due course. At this stage much depends on how Steve and Anna proceed to make repayment commitments. Having declared themselves as insolvent, Steve and Anna have the option to approach the courts for relief in case required. For the moment, Quick Loans Ltd are out on a limb. They must proceed carefully. It does appear that Steve and Anna mean to make payment. However, the payment amount may be initially

WHY TO CHOOSE CAL STATE UNIVERSITY SANTA BARBARA Essay

WHY TO CHOOSE CAL STATE UNIVERSITY SANTA BARBARA - Essay Example However, this clause was deleted to allow the upgrading process hence the creation of Cal State University Santa Barbara which became part of the university of California research system. The campus is located in the California, United States, and it covers an approximate area of one thousand and twenty-two acres of land in Goleta. It has conferred various students with various degrees in the past hence it is among the top performing universities in the California university system. California University has had the culture of research for long hence all upcoming universities have to follow suit. Miller (41) asserts that its location is adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, which gives the students an amazing breeze all the time. Moreover, the university is built on Cliffs hence this provides beautiful scenery of the ocean and other places. It has also its own beach, yet none of the other universities owns a beach. This makes the life of the students comfortable especially during the recess period. In addition, the campus has many paths, which make the movement of students, their bicycles, and vehicles, easy. The campus layout is also artistic. This is evident on the strategic location of lecture halls, the sports and athletics fields, the dining halls, laboratories, libraries, washrooms, amphitheaters and conference halls. According to Starr (14) the hostels of the students and the sport fields connect the West and East campuses. This enhances the learning process because it saves the students’ time of moving long distances to rest and attend to their chores. Furthermore, the university affords the disabled lot facilities to use. In fact, it has a school for the disabled students. This makes it a choice of many people who value the less privileged in the society. It also upholds environmental preservation because it has created its own natural preservation center. Its library is located near

Corrosion, Repair and Maintenance of Structures Essay Example for Free

Corrosion, Repair and Maintenance of Structures Essay Chapter 1.0 Introduction In many places around the world, there are structures that have existed for a long time and either they are still being used or they are simply left there standing with no use at all to the public. For that reason, these structures that are no longer being used must be rehabilitated in order for them to be re-used in some way. When pertaining to structures, to rehabilitate means ‘to restore, to repair, to rescue from a state of corrosion’. The idea of rehabilitation came after the World War II when old buildings were starting to show damage through time or damage from human intervention. The easiest way to fix them was to restore them. That process today is very widely used and is a very familiar process, which applies to almost every structure on earth—from structures that need to be repaired to structures that need to have a completely different look or structures that need to expand. It can also be applied on structures that need to be strengthened in order to prolong its life for another set of years. Rehabilitation of structures, as a process, can save time, money and work. That is because there is no need for the demolition of an already existing structure and building again from scratch. Simply put, rehabilitation means that some changes or improvements need to be made. This process also saves space since there is no need for a new area in order to build a new structure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this paper, I am going to divide this process into three stages. The first stage is the corrosion, where I am going to explain all the factors that lead to corrosion of structures and how it affects them. The second stage is the part of repairing a structure after it has undergone corrosion. In this stage, I will mention ideas and ways that have been developed through the years which can be applied to existing structures that have been affected by corrosion. The third and final stage that will be discussed in this paper are the ways on how to maintain a structure and how to prevent further deterioration after repair in order to minimise its cost efficiency. Chapter 2.0 Corrosion Factors Introduction Corrosion is caused by a lot of factors and it often results to the failure of a structure. All these factors have to be studied in order to prevent structure failures. Corrosion, most of the time, is caused by extreme weather conditions but it is not the only factor that causes corrosion and it is also not the main cause of structure failures. By analysing corrosion and explaining how it happens, we can separate it in different areas. Factors of Corrosion Corrosion depends on many factors which we will focus on such as material, environment, stress, temperature and time factors. These factors are dependent and interconnected with each other. Material Factor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The material factor has to do with the materials that are used for the structure. Materials also has a connection with the environment where the structure is put up (i.e. weather, temperature, moisture, etc.), which we will discuss later in this report. The material factor is important as it all starts from the selection and planning before being able to build the structure. The selection process is divided into three stages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first one is listing the requirements taking into consideration the strength and other properties of the material. The second stage is choosing the most convenient material focusing on its technical properties and evaluating them. The last stage is based on the economical factor, which means that after going through the first two stages, we came up with a variety of materials and the only thing left to do is to choose the cheapest and most suitable material for the structure. The final process has to do with the fact that the structure is for repair and that redesigning the whole structure is not easy which means that more attention should be given on delivery time and completion. Environmental factor Environment is a crucial factor in corrosion of materials. This is caused by a lot of factors and the main factor that needs to be considered is that the materials have a tendency to expand or shrink depending on the changes in the temperature (Table 2 below shows some data on expansion of different materials) and also in areas where the weather changes from rainy to dry or vice versa in a short span of time. Moreover, water as a factor greatly affects a structure because it can penetrate in the material and cause it to crack. If the material is steel, its exposure to water will cause it to rust and the rust can spread and also affect other materials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another factor to be considered is moisture that can be caused by rain, condensation, leakage from pipes or drains and rising damp. For the underwater structures and especially for those in salty waters (i.e. sea) more problems arise because salt can accelerate the phases of corrosion, and due to that, extra care has to be provided in choosing the materials. Wind also has to be considered. In some areas, winds can prove to be very strong. And strong wind coupled with the effects of some other factors can cause extreme deterioration also because it can bring dust and dirt, which can penetrate materials causing discolouration and corrosion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, pollution is another factor that contributes to the environmental corrosion of a structure. As we know, atmospheric pollution can be transferred to the ground in the form of acid rain. This acid rain can react with the materials that were used for the structure and can cause its rapid deterioration. Regular cleaning of the structure would be helpful in preventing any unwanted deterioration. Stress factor Stress connects and interacts mostly with the environmental and the temperature factors. Changes in temperature followed by expansion and contraction causes cracks on structure which can result in structure failure in a worst case scenario. In some situations, the structure fails   without showing external deformation making it hard to avoid. Even though cracks cannot be seen by the human eye, there are multiple cracks attacking the materials under the surfaces of a structure. These cracks in microstructures can form intergranular or transgranular morphology. These kinds of cracks can cause a big problem because they are difficult to detect. The photo on the right is shows an intergranular SCC (Stress Corrosion Cracking) following the grain boundaries. Problems like this can cause an unpredictable failure of the structure resulting in loss of materials. Temperature factor Changes in local temperature can affect the stability of a structure in a major way because of the expansion and contraction that the structure is being exposed to. Usually materials tend to contract during low temperatures and expand during high temperatures which can cause small but dangerous cracks that can further lead to the failure of the structure. In order to prevent such a disaster from happening, the most common recourse is to select proper materials that can adapt to the environment where the structure will be erected. The temperature factor, of course, depends on the environment factor and the stress factor that we talked about earlier in the report. Time factor Time in corrosion is a very big issue. Time is the factor that produces all the problems and is the one that makes all the others affect the structure. Without time, corrosion would not happen. Of course, time is not the only factor that causes corrosion as we have already discussed. The ones that have a clear connection with the time factor is the environment, temperature and stress factor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From all that were mentioned, one final but very important factor must be taken into consideration. Corrosion does not have the same effects on all materials; different type of material will have a different kind of reaction with the various factors. Types of Corrosion Affecting Structures First of all, let us consider that we have a reinforced concrete structure. The mild steel that is used for this structure to reinforce the concrete creates a layer on its surface in order to keep it in a passive state. This layer is caused by the alkalinity of the concrete. Therefore, the corrosion that will affect the structure will be caused by the steel that is reinforcing the concrete, and there are three types of such based on the steel corrosion. These are Chloride Contamination, the Patch Accelerated Corrosion and Carbonation. Chloride Contamination The presence of chloride ions in the atmosphere, which are formed usually where structures are exposed to de-icing salts (used to maintain safe transportation during winter time) or to a marine environment, can cause the destruction of the protective oxide layer of the reinforcing steel and lead to its corrosion. Patch Accelerated Corrosion This type of corrosion is either known to the public as the â€Å"Ring Anode Corrosion† or the â€Å"Halo Effect†. This phenomenon is often detected on concrete restoration projects where there is presence of concrete spalling on previous patch repairs. It is most commonly found on the exterior of the structure and is caused by its exposure to freeze and thaw cycles. Carbonation This process is very similar to Chloride Contamination. A state called carbonation, it is caused by the reaction of carbon dioxide within calcium hydroxide in the presence of water. It can cause the loss of alkalinity in concrete. This loss of alkalinity that happens to the surrounding concrete of the steel can cause the destruction of the oxide layer that is protecting the reinforcing steel. This kind of corrosion is a big threat to old buildings. Areas where Corrosion Applies Corrosion can be found in different kinds of structures. One of them is the bridges where there can be corrosion on the reinforced concrete caused by the presence of de-icing salts or by their exposure to marine environments. Parking garages are also exposed to corrosion, and this can be caused again by the presence of de-icing salts transferred there by the parked cars. Of course, buildings are exposed to corrosion too, and it most likely applies on spandrel beams, columns and balconies. The types of corrosion usually found on these structures are the types of corrosion that were discussed earlier,   namely, chloride contamination and carbonation, which can also be caused by   exposure to sea spay usually to buildings close to the sea, and also through contact with atmospheric carbon dioxide. Another area where corrosion can be applied are the marine structures, like concrete piers and wharfs since they are exposed to chloride contaminated salt water and airborne chlorides along with high temperatures and high humidity. Deterioration of Concrete in General Concrete, like other materials deteriorate due to internal and external forces causing concrete failure. Other causes are water infiltration, carbonation, corrosion of reinforcing steel, shrinkage, drying, thermal contraction and poor placement practices. From that, water can cause a big problem to concrete since it can penetrate and freeze during low temperatures. This can apply extreme pressure to concrete and make it weak and finally cause it to fail. Also, water carries chemicals like acids, sulphates or chlorides that can attack concrete and corrode the reinforcing steel inside it and expand the corrosion from inside to outside. Another cause is carbonation, where water from rain can be combined with carbon dioxide in air and after some time infiltrate concrete and react with the calcium hydroxide and create calcium carbonate which can decrease the concretes pH level and attack the surrounding layer of the reinforced steel. This can cause corrosion of the steel since it is no longer protected and this as we said before can affect concrete as well because of the presence of moisture. Deterioration of Structures and Service Life The deterioration of structures is a process that comes in stages and from that, we can point out the starting stages of the actual corrosion which is the concrete cracking and the excessive deflection. This can result in a reinforced concrete failure due to loss of structural strength. Service Life of a Structure Each structure has its own service life. This service life is said to be the time period that when ended will need human intervention such as conducting repairs, strengthening, maintenance or rehabilitation. By knowing the service life of a structure, we can determine the time when such actions will be required. The service life of a structure is separated into four stages. The first of the four phases is the time period from completion of building the structure to its corrosion initiation. The second phase starts after the corrosion initiation and until corrosion induced cracking. In the third phase, we have the time period from the concrete cracking up to the excessive deflection of the reinforced concrete members. As a fourth and final phase, it is the time from the loss of serviceability to the final collapse of the structure, which means that the structure arrived to a point where it had lost its flexural and shear strength. By determining the corrosion stage of the structure, its service life can be made known and as result, the phase in which the structure is currently experiencing at the moment can be identified.   Furthermore, the time period of each of the four phases of the service life of a structure can be determined once a performance-based assessment criterion is established. The period of each phase can be calculated with the help of the following formula:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   S (t) = Structural Response (Load Effect)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   L (t) = Acceptable Limit for Structural Response (Structural Resistance) By knowing the time periods of each of the four phases of the service life of a structure, a probable failure can be determined by using the following formula:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   pf (t) = Probability of an event Deterioration Stages of a Structure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Let us go back through to the stages of deterioration of a structure and discuss it. First we have the concrete cracking which comes at the end of the second phase of the service life of a structure and is after the initiation of reinforcement corrosion. So, after the initiation of corrosion, some rust is produced on the reinforcement. That covers more space than the initiation and as a result, some pressure propagates on the surrounding concrete which by itself cannot take the pressure since it exceeds its tensile capacity and starts cracking.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, after the concrete cracking and at the end of phase three of the service life of a structure, the excessive deflection comes which is restrained within an acceptable limit. After the end of the fourth phase, we have the loss of strength of the structure which can lead to a structure failure. In that stage the corrosion on the reinforcement reduces the strength of the RC structure and results to a break at the critical cross section of a structural member. Deterioration of Strength There are two different ways of determining the strength deterioration of an RC structure, namely, the destructive load test and the non-destructive measurement of corrosion current density. Both of those methods can be used in the laboratory in order to measure the strength deterioration of a structure, but in practice and on the field, it can only be measured based on the reduction of the cross sectional area of the reinforcement bars. Deterioration of Stiffness Finding the stiffness deterioration of RC structural members is very important for the deterioration of the structure as a whole system where the load redistribution and the failure mode both depend on the stiffness of its members. Rate of Deterioration The rate of strength and stiffness deterioration is different since the stiffness is deteriorating much more severely than the strength. This is based on the fact that stiffness is measuring mechanical properties related to   geometry and the cross sections of a structure way more than strength does. Factors that are related to corrosion and can affect the geometry of a structure are concrete cracking, delamination and debonding. After all those factors, and once the corrosion actively propagates, it results to a severe increase of deflection. Then again, deterioration of strength is not that affected from those factors which can only damage tensile sections of RC members.

Reducing HIV Stigma Among Nursing Students

Reducing HIV Stigma Among Nursing Students 1 The journal article being critiqued is a study of HIV stigma and a study’s intervention at reducing that stigma among nursing students. First, stigma is introduced, the type of stigma’s seen with HIV, and then how those are interpreted in nursing practice. The purpose of the study was to reduce HIV stigma in nursing students through a dynamic course given at a nursing school. The article will be reviewed, analyzed, and critiqued in its significance as a research source and implementation value. A study was carried out by the University of California in India, at a nursing school in a city where HIV prevalence was high. This study consisted of a curriculum, and 91 nursing students. The class was focused on educating and reducing different stigma-influencing measures of HIV. The sample received a pre and posttest that served as the main set of data for how the class influenced the student’s HIV stigma. Statistics was used to evaluate student response data in its measures of standard deviation and confidence intervals. These measures helped the study in deciding whether student answers were significant, or how effective their class was on reducing HIV stigma. An HIV stigma is something that can alters one’s view of a person with HIV that is based on some cultural or social belief. The study believes that stigma can devalue or interfere with care for a person with HIV. This commonly effects people who are drug users, sex workers, or of the male homosexual population. It not only affects a nurse’s care, but also the patient’s motivation to seek care. The study states, â€Å"HIV stigma is considered to be among the greatest impediments to effectively combating the global HIV epi- demic.† There is instrumental and symbolic stigma, which includes misconceptions about transmission and attitudes or beliefs towards the previously stated populations commonly believed to have HIV. The method of this study was at a nursing school in India, St John’s College of Nursing. Second year, English speaking students were the sample group. They were given information about what the study was going to test and signed informed consent to participate. The control group was 46 people, and the intervention group was 45 people. The course was focused on the two types of stigmas previously mentioned and offered on session on instrumental stigma, which included knowledge, fears, epidemiology, transmission, prevention and proper use of PPE. The second session was on symbolic stigma and had a speaker come and talk about their experience with HIV and HIV stigmas. The control received no intervention. A questionnaire was given before and after the interventions that assessed student’s symbolic and instrumental stigmas. They were asked questions like their gender and age, prior care for a person with HIV, their attitudes, misconceptions, fears, discrimination, and so fo rth. The topics of the questionnaires tested demographics, experience with persons with HIV, knowledge of HIV, endorsement of coercive measures, worry about HIV infections, blame, and intent to discriminate. This is included true or false, with different right and wrong misconceptions or truths about HIV. They were tested on whether they agreed with certain statements like mandatory testing, right to refuse an HIV patient, to marry, have children, etc. One question asked if the student blamed people with HIV for their disease or thought they deserved it. There were multiple-choice questions about medication administration and blood draws and precautions to take that tested the student’s intent to discriminate. Each section had a few questions that was intended to test the students aptitude in that subject area. All participants were female and between 18 and 29 years old. Results were found to be significant. Post-intervention found many changes from the baseline that showed a reduction in stigma based on previous definitions. There was a lower percentage of misconceptions in the intervention group compared to the control group. Participants who had preexisting discrimination among people with HIV lowered with a question regarding medication administration, but did not lower with regard to drawing blood. There were a slightly lower number of people who worried about transmission of HIV but were not statistically significant when compared to the control group. On average about 95% of students believed the session was helpful and would change their care towards a person with HIV. About 40% of students were embarrassed to reveal their opinions about it. The questionnaire taken before the intervention showed that the students had a fairly high HIV stigma. Compared the post questionnaire, control group, and preceding results, a conclusion that the course â€Å"showed promise† in lowering stigma of people with HIV was perceived. The questionnaire showed that students had high levels of â€Å"intent to discriminate while performing nursing duties.† In the study it says this may be because of lack of experience. Also students said that people with HIV were blamed for their disease if it was through drugs or sex and believed mandatory testing of sex workers and male homosexuals was called for. One of the biggest findings of this questionnaire was that there was seen to be a lack of knowledge among nursing students in transmission of HIV, blame of persons with HIV, discrimination in a professional workplace, and calling of coercive measures. This shows high stigma levels, which were akin to high discrimination levels of peopl e with HIV. After the course however, it was shown to be effective in giving students more knowledge base for HIV stigma across many dynamics. The post questionnaire showed fewer misconceptions, less blame, and decreased discrimination. Not all data deemed to be statistically significant, but the data that was significant still deemed the course in reducing HIV held promise. It might be more effective with a larger sample that also included male nurses, varying ages, and varying schools. It is significant that this study used a â€Å"convenience sample† of people that were readily available and in a high prevalence HIV area. Taking the study to various states, cities, and people of different cultural and moral values would make this study more significant in it’s actual effectiveness in reducing HIV stigma. Future continuation of this study should look at various population content and high numbers of people, mainly. All measures used to define stigmas, assess stigma levels, and test prejudice was based on a previously developed theoretical model of HIV that had been formulated in India. The definitions and guidelines of the curriculum seemed to be well defined and showed a good possibility of being standardized for larger sample size testing. They were also easy to understand and interpret. The questionnaire was a successful evaluation too l for this study (with 29 questions) and was well defined in the article. It might also benefit this study to try different methods of evaluation other than only using a questionnaire survey technique. It may even be interesting to compare the nursing students results with already registered nurses, experienced nurses, doctors, UAP’s, and patients/civilians. This study is very important to nursing care today. HIV stigma is prevalent and something that is seen daily. Marginalized groups such as homosexual populations, female sex workers, and drug users should not be stigmatized from the moment they enter a hospital or become a patient, that is something they do experience as not only a marginalized group, but also the select few with HIV. Nurses are the basis of these patients’ care and need to be able to give care without bias or discrimination. This requires evaluating ones own beliefs of this stigma. A course that helps nurses through this process while also giving them a dynamic educational and experiential background of stigma’s, transmission, and persons with HIV would be extremely helpful to that patients care. Anything that can help nurses become better, give more effective care, and be more sensitive to others cultures, beliefs and illness is helpful to the medical field, and more importantly, helpful to the patient s healing and disease process. Personally, I believe that people with HIV are stigmatized well beyond due cause. Yes they have an incurable disease, and it can be transmitted through blood, which we deal with a lot as a nurse. But we still need to be professional and give proper care. A person with HIV is something that has been very popular to stigmatize, especially in our social and cultural society in the United States. Even I realized I hold some of these beliefs as I read this study. It is important as a professional, and as a nurse, to make sure we hold everyone to the same standard of care and give continuity in our nursing process. If this course was available to me it is definitely something I would be interested in taking. It can only help me to become a more effective and sensitive nurse to a patient with HIV and it is something that could easily be added into hospital orientation. It would be great to make it available to all staff and be more knowledgeable and less discriminatory against those with HI V and the marginalized population we target when we have an HIV stigma. This study is really just the tip of the iceberg on the subject of reducing HIV stigma, but I feel it’s the step in the right direction and could be vital in finding a way to resolve prejudices against HIV. Citation List 1. Shah, S., Srinivasan, K., Perumpil, S., Ekstrand, M. (2014). Reducing HIV Stigma Among Nursing Students: A Brief Intervention. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 36(10), 1323-1337. Retrieved October 19, 2014, from Sagepub.

Romanticism and Realism Comparison

Romanticism and Realism Comparison Romanticism and Realism are both different literary movements, but are closely related in time and history. Romanticism is best characterized as a movement of art, literature, and way of thought in the middle of the 18th century. Romanticism was sparked by the Industrial Revolution. Romanticism was in essence a protest of the Enlightenment period. Many people did not approve of the fact that scientific discoveries were being made about nature, many wanted nature to stay as a pure, and work of God, not scientific discovery. The Romanticism era tried to revolt from the Enlightenment and science by focusing time and effort on literature, music, art, natural history, and education (Romanticism). ÂÂ  As the middle 19th century approached, many were hesitant to trust this romantic train of thought. People wanted to find peace in knowing why things happened and to separate from supernatural explanations (Earle). Having an explanation in science made many feel more confident and liked t hat events could be explained scientifically, rather than an idea they could not prove. Many can tell the difference between Romanticism and Realism easiest by the plot and characterization. Throughout these literary movements, many authors made their claim to fame by writing terrific literature that fit their style of writing and the literary movement in which they were a part of. ÂÂ   An important author that contributed great work in the era of Romanticism was William Wordsworth. Wordsworth was born in 1770, in what many would call the scenic area of England. William Wordsworth was the second of five children of the John and Ann Wordsworth. Although he produced many famous pieces of poetry, he is most famous for his poem I wonder lonely as a cloud. I wonder lonely as a cloud is a poem of a of society that is moving from the claim liking of nature and imagination towards the harms of reality and away from Gods creation. This poem by Wordsworth is very much characterized as a Romanticism piece of writing. The entire poem is based around love, guilt, and sin. Romanticism literature has more of a psychological feel, appeals more to the inside of someone. The setting and facts of the story is not as important as what the characters or in many cases the given metaphor are going through. Although, the Puritan society background really aids in the full understand of why Wordsworth is going through the digression of the natural world, the main point of the poem is to demonstrate the natural side of the everyday world and the movement or change in society. For example, in the poem I wonder lonely as a cloud William depicts A poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company: I gazedand gazedbut little thought what wealth the show to me had brought (Wordsworth). This confirms this poem as a piece of romanticism literature not just because of the time period, but the scheme. The poem is talking about the gifts that God had given us in terms of imagination and more importantly the natural world. The main point of this story is change, making it a part of the romantic scheme of poetry, clearly fitting the era in which it was written. Another famous writer in the Romanticism period was Edgar Allan Poe. Poe is greatly known for his rather dark works. Poe was born in 1809 and died in 1849, amidst this romantic time frame. He was a critic and literary mastermind, practically inventing the mystery type genre (Poes Life). ÂÂ  Most of his poetry and other writing pieces are dark, almost demented, with a rather negative connotation. His most famous poetry that takes on a romantic feel is The Raven. The Raven is dark poem depicting a man who has mourning about his lover. A raven visits a man while he is debating himself, to forgive or forget his dead lover. This is considered a romanticism piece of work since he shows his romantic and sensitive side toward he lost love. He clearly explains his thoughts of his love and how it is effecting him emotionally, And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain/ Thrilled me filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; /So that now, to still the beating of my heart (Poe). This really portrays the romanticism of this poem because he talks about his mourning and how he is still sad and lonely without his love. He goes on to explain he is still living, but feels like he is not without her with him. This is surprising to think that Poe had a part in the romanticism era despite his dark work before, yet this time period was so significant to authors and artists that he was still influenced by it. Although the Romanticism era had a great effect on arts all around the world, with the turn of the 19th century, realism was the craze to write to and about. One of the most famous realism authors in American literature was Mark Twain. Although most of his work was in the 19th century, his lasting realism works have been enjoyed since then. He was born in Florida and as he grew up, became a printmakers apprentice. As he was immersed into the world of words, he became a reporter and soon began writing of his own imagination (Biography). His most famous works include The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Twain is represented through the realism era because he did not write about magic, mystical, and such a focus on love, he focused on depicting life in a realistic manner. For example, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he explains a story in which a young boy is neglected and abused by his father. Realism was all about the historical time frame and re ference, and writing about events and situations that actually happened in real life. Huck explains his life and when his father gets drunk, Then the old man got to cussing and cussed everything and everybody he could think of, and then cussed them all over again to make sure he hadnt skipped any (Twain). ÂÂ  This quote perfectly shows that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn had showed and explained many real life events and things that were happening in society, making it a great impact in the Realism era. Next to Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson was one of the other most significant contributors to Realism literature. Emily was born in 1830 in Massachusetts to her proud parents. She was very bright at a very young age, but was restricted by her strict religion (Pettinger). Although Emily was influenced by the Romanticism era of nature, she was influenced by her harsh realities of life and society, which is best described as realism. For example, her famous poem Because I could not stop for Death explains the harsh reality of dying, but her calm take on it. Dickinsons explanation that death is a part of life and we should not fear it is greatly characterized by realism, since real life comes with death. Her serine thoughts on death are summed up in the first 2 lines of her poem, Because I could not stop for Death-/He kindly stopped for me-/ (Dickinson). This clearly can be considered realism since it deals with such a real issue, something that goes on in life and society every day. Overall, the Romanticism and Realism era has produced some of the greatest works of art, music, literature, and theories. As you inspect both eras, you can easily see how they play off each other. Romanticism was the product of resisting the Enlightenment and taking a stance for the arts. Hawthorne and Poe greatly demonstrate their romanticism attitude by writing about the psychological effects of a person; love, mourning, and guilt. Romanticism is the use of the heart and internal struggles of individuals and how they are relating to each other and nature. As time and science advanced, many took the path of realism, literature they could relate to and explaining society. Twain and Dickinson take Realism to a whole new level, by explaining thoroughly society problems and real life events that everyone deals with. Both eras have extreme importance in literary movements and have showed the transition of history has an influence on the arts.

Essay --

Throughout The Merchant of Venice, there are a variety of ways in which the characters view wealth. Their views on wealth shape the play. Different characters view wealth in extremely different ways. Shylock’s life is centered around wealth, Bassanio views wealth as extreme power, while Antonio balances wealth and love greatly. Shylock’s view on wealth is rather extreme. He values only money, and not family. After Jessica runs away Shylock states, â€Å"I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear.† (III. i. 79-80). When Jessica runs away, he does not care that she is gone. He only wishes for his money, which she has stolen, to be returned to him. Shylock also prioritizes himself and what he has to gain over the lives of others. While making the deal with Antonio, Shylock states, â€Å"Expressed in the condition, let the forfeit be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken in what part of your body pleaseth me† (I. iii. 150-154). This deal alone shows Shylock’s greed for money. If Antonio is unable to pay Shylock back by the deadli...

Criticism of Goldsmith’s, She Stoops to Conquer Essay -- She Stoops Co

Criticism of Goldsmith’s, She Stoops to Conquer In reading T.G.A. Nelson's critical essay "Stooping to Conquer in Goldsmith, Haywood and Wycherley" I have to say I that I was pretty scared. Drawing Freud to anything can really be scary according to almost anyone though, certainly in early criticism of "She Stoops to Conquer." As Bernard Harris says, "we should not discount unconscious forces in any comedy", but then he immediately drops the subject saying that "Goldsmith's main interest lies elsewhere."(325) The main focus of Nelson's essay seemed to be on the difficulty that certain men seemed to find "in achieving a satisfactory sexual relationship with a woman resembling the mother. "(319) This essay will look at what Nelson has to say about this Freudian ideology and bring to light my comments on the subject. Nelson begins by looking into some of Freud's essays and applying them to the characteristics describing the "Restoration rake. "(320) One example is how there is compulsive repetition in his relationships. Passionate attachments are formed again and again creating a long line of lovers. The preference for married women is also there, where another man claim the right of possession of her and yet the rake prefers her to one who is "disengaged. " Taking Goldsmith's play, Nelson uses it as the clearest example of Freud's theory. In his play, the character Marlow is very forthright in his dealings with those in a lower station, but with women of quality he becomes shy. Evidently, women of low social standing fail to qualify as 'modest women' for him and this fits closely into "Freud's description of the sufferer of selective impotence. "(322) Reading further it's found that the reason Marlow is so shy with those of hi... ... such an approach to a comedy traditionally, if tacitly, regarded as bland, inoffensive, and largely devoid of sexual content."(326) I applaud Nelson for the work and research he put into his essay; and I'm not saying that just because a play is a comedy, it can't have underlying feelings of repression or other factors involved in its creation. It's just on general principal then, having read Goldsmith's play and enjoyed it for itself while noting possibilities for his commenting on social/class order or the differences between city and country life, that I set aside Nelson's criticism of the play and leave it as it stands, untouched by Freudian ideology. Works Cited Goldsrnith, Oliver. She Stoops to Conquer. Dover Publications, NY: 1991 Nelson, T.G.A. "Stooping to Conquer in Goldsmith. Haywood. and Wycherley." Essays in Criticism. Oxford University Press.

Criminal Justice Essay

Dear Sir: As far as I know, the Abstract (also this email’s attachment), is written as the final section of the Paper, after everything is said and done. Because you are the one doing the methods, the analyses, the results, and the discussion, I leave it up to you to key in the two or three remaining sentences for the final Abstract. Hence, the initial Abstract: â€Å"In an attempt to initiate a reliable measure of the levels of perceptions of Criminal Justice Major Undergraduate College Students, this study possibly sharpens the definition of predictive behavior of the students who as respondents were surveyed by use of carefully formulated questionnaires to determine their general perceptions of the U. S. Criminal Justice System, their general perceptions on immigration law, immigration reform, and immigration control, as well as the students’ specific perceptions on the U. S. ’s ongoing Mexican immigration control. To perform comparison, the perception scores were statistically analyzed carrying out correlation test, t-test, and regression analyses tests between the general perception scores versus the specific perception scores. The results showed that   † Thank you very much. Very truly yours, Writer of†32344972† Urgent revision xxx Urgent revision on your â€Å"A STUDY OF UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE CRIMINAL JUSTICE MAJOR STUDENTS PERCEPTIONS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM†. Date Revision Deadline Instructions March 19 8:16 March 20 8:16 I am still waiting for the Abstract to be downloaded in a Word document to complete my order. Once again, this was one of the three items I requested in my order. xxx

Change in My Life

It is not easy to adapt oneself to new circumstances especially moving to a country that you have never come always brings you difficulties such as: people, language, custom and culture†¦ The first time I came to the US, I looked like a fish out of water. Everyone looked so different from people my country. I could not understand when they talked to me†¦ But I was very lucky. I met good friends and teachers at school. They helped me a lot not only studying at school but also getting used to my new life and American culture.I used to think that there is a little group of Vietnamese here. But after coming, it is not like that. I can see Vietnamese everywhere in Portland. At school, there are probably over 20 Vietnamese students. Every Sunday, I go to Church with my family, the number of Vietnamese there may add up to thousands of people. Three months ago, I took the Oregon Instruction Permit Test at DMV. Once more, I was very surprised when they told me that I could take the test in Vietnamese. I realized there is a large Vietnamese community in Portland that I had not known about before.When I first went to school, I saw lots of Vietnamese students there. Because my English was not good, the counselor introduced me to 3 Vietnamese guys who were good to me. They were very nice to introduce everything at school to me such as: show me how to use my locker, how to pick up lunch†¦ They also suggested me how to study and what classes I need to take or not. As a result, I used to want to make friends with all Vietnamese students in my school because I thought they could help me, and it was hard to make friends with other students while I was not good at English.I almost used Vietnamese at school and joined their group. But after that, I realized that most of them are not as good as I thought. They usually use bad language, especially when they do not agree with the teachers. Because they spoke in Vietnamese, the teachers did not understand anything. I di d not see the good in them. They always ask to borrow my homework and copy my answers when we had tests. When I came here, my goal was to study English well and get used to my new life. That was why I decided to leave their group and stay away from them.That seemed to be a good decision. I tried to study more. I was brave to talk to my classmates and my teachers. They cared about me and helped me correct my bad pronunciation a lot. Now, I have 2 buddies, one came from China, the other came from the Philippines. They are really good friends. My English has been improving considerably. I have more friends at school and do very well in every class. Then I got rid of the idea about making friends with Vietnamese. I remember I have 3 nice Vietnamese friends, and they are studying at university now.That does not mean I hate Vietnamese. There is a lesson to be learned from that matter: choose good company to make friend. Personally, I prefer non-Vietnamese to Vietnamese students because th ey can help me improve my English. I used to think that I must pay a lot of money for going to school if I study in USA. But in fact, I don’t have to pay anything. Because my parents have low-income, I even have a free bus pass and free lunch at school. In the future, if I go to university, I will have financial aid to support my tuition. It is very different from my country.In Vietnam, I have to pay a lot if I want to go to school regardless if it is primary school, high school, or university. Lots of children cannot go to school because their parents cannot afford to pay for school. Despite the government had policies to help poor students, those are not enough for everyone. These days, our life in Vietnam is better than in the past but there still have a lot of children who cannot go to school. I truly hope that the Vietnamese government can give the children the best conditions for them to study as the American government does.Last week, when I chatted with my friends on the internet, they told that I have changed so much. I used to wear shirt and pants in Vietnam. But after coming here, I realized that it is not suitable. Now I always wear a T-shirt and jeans. That made me more confident because I looked like other guys. Last weekend, my family went shopping for the winter. For me, it was really great because we have not gone shopping together for a long time. When we were in Vietnam, my parents had to work very hard from morning to night. They always want to give my brother and me the best conditions to study.They do not want us to think about making money. My family is very important to me. I always promise myself that I have to study hard and become successful. It will requite my parents’ services, and certainly that will be the biggest present which I can give them. In conclusion, there were many changes from the day I came here. Living 6 months in America was not a long time, but I studied many things here. Besides, my family is always next to me, and supports me whenever I need help. What I can do now is to continue to try more and do as well as I can. I will try to make my dream come true. n