Nba Lockout

EPPENGER, JALIL MS. HARRIS ENGLISH 10/3/11 #1. ( why the NBA Lockout hasn’t been a success? ) NBA LOCKOUT I feel the NBA Lockout has been one of the worst, incidents to ever happen, in the history of the NBA. It hasn’t made fans happy and the players in the league have been upset too. I’ve noticed that NBA players have tried to overcome this situation by having different leagues, not associated with the NBA to play in. This has shown there passion and love of the game.The NBA lockout has motivated some players and humbled a lot of them. I noticed that a lot of players have kept working hard and are staying on top of their game throughout this puzzling time. I feel the NBA lockout polarized the summer for NBA basketball. There was nothing to look forward to besides European basketball in the summer. The NFL was able to overcome its problems with contracts and business deals and end their lockout before the season started.I don’t understand why the NBA canâ €™t figure their problem out. The NBA doesn’t have nearly the fan base of the NFL. The severe shortage of the season will really hurt the NBA, much more than the NFL. The last NBA lockout was in 1998-99 season. The year Michael Jordan retired for the second time in his career. It was a horrible time also for the NBA much like this one. This also tarnished the sport of basketball. I wouldn’t be surprised if some NBA players left the NBA to play overseas.The game overseas is more orchestrated, hard-nosed, and skill orientated from what I’ve seen. The NBA is more about star-power and athleticism. I feel a lot of role players in the NBA would flourish more overseas, because they can be given the opportunity to showcase their skills, and gain some recognition for themselves. Overall, I feel the NBA and their players’ association will bargain together to make a productive agreement to resolve this problem just like the NFL did. it will just take longer and be more time consuming.

Justifications on the Need to Bring Back the Military Draft Essay

In today’s evolving and trying world, there is nothing absolute about the exercise of individual’s freedom or free choice. Consideration of several significant factors results to flexibility, if not violation of even this basic requirement of independence or free will. The said condition is concretely manifested by a discussion on the necessity to bring back the military draft in the United States. This is because despite the fundamental argument against the reimplementation of the Selective Service System in the American military, it is ultimately essential to reflect on some principles aimed at benefiting the majority of the population hence paving the way for a requirement to set aside one’s liberty or rights. By its nature, a military draft or the American Selective Service System implies an infringement of citizen’s free choice of whether to join the United States military voluntarily or not. The system is not new as it has been implemented by previous administrations. However, criticisms against its execution made the past Presidents halt the controversial military draft on the premise that it violates human rights particularly one’s privilege to a freedom of choice as far as joining the military. As the system was not totally discarded, there is now the possibility of imposing again the military draft after careful deliberation of at least three main necessary justifications. Proponents of the re-imposition of the system argue the underlying principle that military draft challenges freedom. This is primarily due to the vital reason that the military draft serves as a payback opportunity for the government and country in general to raise the estimated usefulness and value of all citizens. This is made possible because the people’s selective services into the military will increase benefits or returns which the government needs in having an expensive cost of military training and education. Additionally, the military draft paves the way and has even proven to be a concrete way of unifying the country as it destroys class and racial distinctions among Americans. Most importantly, military draft is critically important in ensuring national defense and security in the face of an inevitable military conflict. While the system is an obligatory manner of breaching one’s liberty, these economic, unifying and safety considerations are, therefore, rational principles which justify the need to undertake another round of military draft. Military Draft, an Overview For a clearer and objective discussion on the need to bring back the military draft, it is empirical to present the general concepts behind the system which calls for the selective services of American people into the U. S. military. Military draft, as the main function and basis of the Selective Service System, is activated upon the direction of the U. S. President and the Congress. As mandated by law, the Selective Service System maintains its promptness and effectiveness in managing a military draft despite its current inactive status. Upon the restoration of the military draft, the system requires for the carrying out of a National Draft Lottery to identify the people to be drafted. In the conduct of the military draft, the Selective Service System requires the registration of all male American citizens with at least 18 years of age but had not reached 26 years of age, not taking into consideration their place of their residences including foreign male migrant-residents in the country (â€Å"Military Draft†). The U. S.  President and the both houses of the Congress authorize the military draft during an emergency such as armed crisis which entails additional military crowd because of the insufficiency in the supply of the volunteer military. Thereafter, a lottery is conducted wherein the dates of birth of the citizens are used as the basis for finding out the system of drafting the citizens. Duties of all members of the Selective Service are activated where the State Directors and Officers of the Reserve Forces are called into for military service. There will be physical, psychological and ethical assessments of all registrants and upon release of evaluation result, a registrant will have to report for if he needs to be exempted or that his service needs to be deferred. Registrant claims will be evaluated and passers will be given induction orders and are given ten days to be inducted until finally turned over to the military (â€Å"Military Draft†). Benefit Justification While not commonly attributed as justification for the need to restore the military draft, the beneficial aspect of carrying out the system is significantly essential. A study about the draft or conscription of American citizens into the military and its increasing returns revealed this condition. This is because the noteworthy mounting returns, such as the requirement for the least fundamental training and education in the military preparation and service, are attractive grounds behind the selective service or military draft (Ng 382). While the draft inevitably results into incompetence, freedom violation and injustice, the study showed that the effectiveness of military draft in recording the increasing returns in the U. S.  Armed Forces compensates the cost allotted in carrying out the military draft. The study further justified that in the condition where the level of mounting returns was elevated and that the needed degree of military service became big particularly when the nation is at war, the popularity and requirement of military draft could not be totally eliminated. The same study also noted the economists’ apparent disregard of the principle behind the probable appeal of military draft and reiterated the result which hinted that the efficiency percentage of military draft soars as the level of increasing returns in the U.  S. military also becomes high. To concretely justify this point, it just merely presented an idea that an increase in the degree or number of military drafts is synonymous to having an increased in the number of military personnel thereby working more to the advantage of the U. S. Armed Force in its military undertakings (383). Unifying Justification Despite circumstances which made previous Presidents decide to discontinue the military draft, the system definitely helps in crushing class distinctions in the country. Hence, this unifying justification makes it one of the positive points for considering the return of the selective or random military recruitment. In particular, the military draft resulted into an amicable educational condition where the educated and not became united and even helped each other as they became one in achieving a common goal. In fact, this homogenizing system did not only exist in the learning structure because military draft also widened the cultural perspectives of the military draftees. As the class distinctions were removed so are the racial separations among the future military personnel. In short, the selective service system enhanced the equality grounds in the country as compared to what has achieved by other measures and institutions (Koch A23). Koch emphasized the need for the nation to return to the military draft after it proved to be an established means which returned unity among people and within the country. The selective service system provided a universal language for the public which covered the military draftees as well as their respective families and the people around them. It also credited the honor among the draftees and leveled their respective sacrifices which they have done for the nation. It eventually unified more the American people who are one in their search for power and thereafter carry with them an appreciation of the real value of conflict, unity and winning (Koch A23). National Security Justification Foremost the positions of bringing back the military draft is the rationale that it prepares and secures the country for an eventuality of another armed conflict, both internally and externally. This was illustrated by Hod and Hod when he ignited the call for the return of the military draft in the name of defending and ensuring the safety of the country. In a work directed to the public, Hod and Hod wrote that the military draft also prepares the nation and its people to see the world in a precautionary aspect. Ultimately, it was meant to pave the way for the upholding of the nation’s protection and safety against possible armed conflict within and outside the country (Hod & Hod 73). This national security position was corroborated by Rangel and Vennochi who both supported the need for the restoration of the military draft. As a Korean War veteran and now a U. S, Representative, Rangel believed that the requirement to defend and secure the country should be a shared sacrifice among all Americans. He added that a renewed call for the system enables for an increased vigilance and acceptance of the random military system as the people appreciate more the draft based from the safety benefits it will bring to the country (Rangel 1). Vennochi, supported the idea by stressing a point wherein the military draft will speed up the country’s armed fight against Iraq and other terrorists-laden nations. He added that restoring the military draft will awaken the country and force involvement among Americans to have their share in protecting and ensuring the nation’s security (Venocchi 1). Conclusion Every undertaking has its advantages and disadvantages. Despite criticisms against the military draft, its restoration is definitely important and needed in order to increase the benefits it offer to the nation, to break barriers and enhance unity among people and ultimately to guarantee that the country in always ready and capable to defend itself from conflict. While the issue of military draft has resulted into several criticisms, it was able to stand its way and justified that it may be inevitable for the country not to bring back military draft primarily due to the position that it was aimed at working to the advantage and not to detriment the people and the country as a whole.

Personal Trainer Essay

1. What options does Personal Trainer have for developing a new system? What are some specific issues and options that Susan should consider in making a decision Creating a web site that allows members to login and access information about their personalized fitness program. Susan needs to do some research and find out what internet development environments she wants to use such as web sphere or .net by Microsoft. Susan needs to look at the similarities and differences between the old and new center. 2. Susan has been asked to prepare a system requirements document and deliver a presentation to the management team. What should be the main elements of the system requirements document? Susan needs to create a document that includes an introduction, summary, findings, recommendations, time and cost estimates, expected benefits and an appendix, and maybe to also include charts, graphs, and/or other helpful visuals in the document to support her presentation. 3. Based on the suggestions in Part A of the Systems Analyst’s Toolkit, what visual aids should Susan use during her presentation? Susan should use power point as a visual aid, some flip charts, overhead transparencies, videos, slides, to improve her presentation. She should also prepare a contingency plan in case anything was to happen to her presentation. 4. Susan wants to prepare a presentation that will calculate the total cost of ownership for the system. What financial analysis tools are available to her, and what are the advantages (and possible disadvantages) of each tool? Payback Analysis – is the process of determining how long it takes an information system to pay for itself. The time it takes to recover the systems cost is called the payback period. Susan Can use this tool to see how long it will take to recoup her costs. Return on Investment (ROI) – percentage rate that measures profitability by comparing the total net benefits (return) received from a project to the total costs. Susan can use this tool to calculate how long it will take to see a return on her investments Net Present Value (NPV) – This tool will

Proposal of Dissertation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Proposal of Dissertation - Essay Example Though, this particular research is carried out primarily with an academic interest, yet if carried out in an objective manner, research not only helps the researcher in knowing about many unknown aspects, but it often provides a benchmark for future researches as well. Quite often industry too takes a cue from such studies in their policy papers etc. depending upon the objectives and inferences of the study. Research philosophy is a belief about the way in which data about a phenomenon should be gathered, analyzed and used. This dissertation is a more of a qualitative case study focusing on an analysis of the e-business phenomenon in general and analysis of some specific examples. While the concept has proved to be a revolutionary one, there are some concerns as well. During the course of the research an effort would also be made to analyse such concerns. To carry out such a study in general we resort to the following main approaches; In addition to reviewing the existing literature available in the public domain, efforts would also be made to seek opinion of some people involved in e-business operations. This sample group of people would comprise of users, technology service providers, company owners/ managers and some government functionaries or regulators. This will not only help in finding out some primary data, but it will also provide me an opportunity to gain some first-hand information. Whilst this study required participation of human subjects, consent and confidentiality will be a significant issue. If we need to conduct interview or solicit responses to the questionnaire during the course of the research, all possible efforts would be made to communicate the aim and purpose of the study to the participants beforehand. Acquiring informed consent is vital to a researcher. Such a consent document serves as protection both for

History of Psychological Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of Psychological Assessment - Essay Example However, certain quarters harbored a dissenting view and maintained that intelligence was a fixed property, the implication lending credence to the notion that a nation with superior intelligence could be segmented and developed with specific testing techniques. Robert Yerkes was one of those convinced that with intelligence being a measurable constant, intelligence tests could be executed and quantified like an exact science. It is to be recalled that during this period psychology was considered to be a mere pseudoscience, and Yerkes was determined to find a way in which he could bring credibility to his craft. He wanted to have psychology recognized as 'hard' science and believed that using a 'scientific' approach to mental testing looked like a promising route to achieve this. (Gould, 1982) He was under the impression that rigorous, statistic-based tests would uplift the overall image of psychology within the scientific community. The advent of the First World War gave him the perfect opportunity to showcase the "hard" techniques of mental testing, and thus present to everyone that psychology was indeed a creditable science. In 1917, Yerkes was the president of the American Psychology Association, and under their auspices he spearheaded what was to become one of the biggest intelligence tests in history. Faced with the daunting task of gauging the capabilities of more than 1.75 million new recruits, the United States Army handed over the reins to Yerkes and his team from the APA. He devised three types of tests for the recruits. The first was an alpha test, which was a written exam for those who were literate. According to Sticht & Armstrong (2003), it had eight parts, including analogies, filling in the missing number, and unscrambling a sentence. The beta test was a seven-part pictorial test for those who were illiterate. Test components included a picture completion test, and numbering tasks among others. The third test was an individual examination, and this was administered to those who had failed the beta It is pertinent to note that the Alpha and Beta tests could be applicable to big groups, and in most cases took no more than an hour. In analyzing his findings, Yerkes insisted that the tests administered were an accurate barometer of what he had termed "native intellectual ability", or innate intelligence that was unaffected by culture and educational opportunities (Gould, 1982) The tests would go on to generate a significant amount of interest in the country, and with that Yerkes had achieved his long-standing goal of making psychology a credible, "hard" science. In retrospect, the beta and alpha tests promulgated by Yerkes were inherently flawed in so many aspects. Its findings reflected that the average mental age of a white American adult was 13, which if equated in contemporary terms would make them the equivalent of a semi-retarded person. The average mental age of a black American adult was 10, and the scores of immigrants were comparably low. The hypothesis here being, the darker the skin of the person, the less "intelligent" he would be. These findings and the methodologies implemented are now found to be both ethically and scientifically wanting. While it had been

Public Safety and Privacy Analysis Research Paper

Public Safety and Privacy Analysis - Research Paper Example cumstances, which justify the actions of law enforcement officers to enter a house without a warrant as demonstrated in the case discussed in this paper. Law enforcement officers answered a disturbance call near Allen Road in Brownstown, Michigan. Officer Christopher Goolsby later bore witness that, as he and his colleague drew near the area, a couple directed them to a house, in which they narrated that a man â€Å"was going crazy.†The officers proceeded to the residence and discovered the household in complete chaos; this could be manifested by damaged property and traces of blood on the hood of a pick-up truck with a smashed front. Through the window, the police officers could catch a glimpse of Jeremy Fisher inside the house, shouting and tossing objects around. When the law enforcement officers knocked at the door, Jeremy Fisher declined to answer. The officers noticed that Fisher had a cut on his hand; however, the defendant disregarded inquiries concerning whether he needed medical attention. Instead, Fisher demanded that the police officers go and obtain a search warrant (Acker & Brody, 2012). Through the window of the opened door, Officer Goolsby could see Fisher aiming a gun in his direction, which compelled him to retract. Eventually, the officers managed to overpower fisher and secure the premises. Jeremy Fisher was arraigned in court under Michigan law and charged with assault with a lethal weapon, and being in possession of a firearm amid the commission of an offence. The trial court awarded Fisher’s motion to suppress the evidence, concurring with him that the confiscation of the gun contravened of his Fourth Amendment rights (Acker & Malatesta, 2012). The Michigan Court of Appeals sustained the argument (over a dissent by Judge Talbot) that the warrantless intrusion into defendant’s house breached Fisher’s Fourth Amendment rights as the circumstance â€Å"did not match to the point of an emergency validating the warrantless invasion.† The

Unit 9&10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Unit 9 - Essay Example To examine the issue of morality in environmental situations, one faces the concept of rights and duties made famous by Immanuel Kant. According to Gilbert (2000), this approach is better explained, to wit: â€Å"the basic position here is that individuals have rights, either as humans, as citizens of a given country or state, or as occupants of a particular position. These right rights confer duties on others, and the morality of a given decision or act can be determined by an analysis of these rights and duties.† The rights of the concerned citizens of Florida remain the protection and preservation of Florida’s coastline to be regarded as a legacy to this nation’s children. It is a responsibility to preserve botanical and biological resources to assist in an immediate rehabilitation of Florida’s oceans and address the still impending threats. One relevant solution to this environmentally ethical dilemma is to call the attention of government officials to reduce government subsidy that encourage growth in high-risk coastal areas. There are numerous conservation, recreation and civic organizations that call on local government officials to unit with their efforts and be the representative to establish a unified and coordinated government leadership for ocean and coastal resource. An immediate action is the only recourse to save our oceans. It is time to update ocean and coastal policies to prevent continued deterioration and unconcerned destruction of an irreplaceable natural resource. An article published in the New York Times on March 17, 2010 reported state lawmakers’ closer monitoring of humans who were found to have previous records of abusing animals. The report indicated that there is â€Å"growing evidence that people who abuse animals often go on to attack humans, states are increasing the penalties for animal cruelty and developing better methods for tracking

Connections in Middle Eastern Music and Religion Research Paper

Connections in Middle Eastern Music and Religion - Research Paper Example The use of music in the Jewish theory made profound success as a means of attracting youths into the synagogues. This led to creation of folk, jazz and rock forms of music. Jewish women participated in music either as composers or cantors and brought new dimension on ancient view points of the Jewish religion. The role of sacred music led to greater flowering of the music theory, which had been initially thought to be immoral .Middle eastern Jewish folks majorly used the maqam system, which was Arabic classical music (Randel, 550). (Isaacson, 185) notes that when individuals think about Jewish music, what comes into their minds are hymns, holiday songs, and prayer settings that are associated with synagogues. Modern cantors acquire their nusach in sacred music schools from 19th and 20th century cantor educators such as Katchko and Baer. Word painting was carried out by cantor, who learned different modulates, one after another. Two cantors chanting similar prayers using the same nusa ch created contrasting emotional responses in formation of the song. They also employed the use of Scarbova or Misinai, that meant anonymous; unattributed folk melodies. These melodies were well versed by the members of the congregation and in fact believed to descend from Moses in Mount Sinai. Scarbova Is Latin for Sacred. Songs were the essence of tradition and culture and comfort of hearing them had strong ties to the Jewish religion. Traditionally Yiddish music was played by use of string instruments.

GPS and ERRORS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

GPS and ERRORS - Essay Example High cost receivers produce accuracy of 1 centimetre under dense clouds and forests. Still GPS receiver produce problems of signal generation, satellite communication and certain multiple problems still require solution. There are many features, which may be used to increase accuracy, but some times, it is more time consuming for the users. Now there is a point of concern that, it would be appropriate for the users to work with less stringent settings to save time and money and similarly gaining better accuracy. All the GPS related problems and solution to those problems are discussed in ensuing paragraphs. GPS works out position with the help of 24 satellites orbiting the earth. These satellites are operated by US department of Defence. These 24 satellites orbit earth twice a day and organized at six orbital planes that are inclined at 55 degree. Now there are clocks in receiver and satellite as well, used for calculating the distance and time that a signal takes to reach receiver. Different enhanced settings used by user help in increasing the time of a signal to reach receiver. Limited settings are the remedy to counter this problem for saving time in position calculation (Frank, 2011, 83) GPS faces two types of interference in the open; these are faced in ionosphere and troposphere. In this type of error, signals take long time to reach receiver because they have to pass through the charged particles and in troposphere, signals have to pass through moisture that is time taking. Signals travel at the speed of light in upper space but they get slower the moment they pass through ionosphere and troposphere. Force of sun creates the positive charged particles at the height of 80 to 400 Kilometres. These ions form layers in the ionosphere, which disturbs the flow of electromagnetic waves generated by satellites (Kennedy, 2010). Multiple errors occur when some amount of signals transmitted by satellite bounce back in the atmosphere before reaching a receiver.

Benefits of Open Source software when Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Benefits of Open Source software when - Essay Example Reliability: Open source software are considered to be reliable. This is attributed to the fact that they are peer reviewed software. The use of this software has proven to be robust and reliable under extreme strenuous conditions. Apache server, being one of the open source software, is more reliable as compared to Microsoft IIS. The data showing the comparison between the reliability of Apache, which is usually run on Linux operating system, and Microsoft IIS which is run on windows operating system is shown below Security: Open source software use is safe and secure. Considering the fact that the development of open source software involves a diverse community of programmers around the world who are working towards a common solution, the chances of security flaws being in the code are minimal and in case there are any, they are quickly fixed. The ultimate solution of any institution running online service is security. Open source software is suited in this setting since it’s more safe and secure as compared to the proprietary software. Low Initial Cost: The cost of acquiring and deploying open source software is low as compared to the closed source software (What are the risks and benefits of using open source software, 2010). Thus, it’s more advisable to use open source in institutions to minimize costs while at the same time maximizing output. The figure below shows the percentage savings on users running open source software. Fast Development Speed: Open source software undergoes agile software development process. Agile software development is known to fasten the software development process (Anon., n.d.). Also, considering that the community of open source software is huge, the development time of any given software is short. This increases the development speed as compared to closed source software. This is the case with apache server which is can be deployed quickly to serve various purposes. Interoperability:

Chapter 3 - Neurology Clerkship Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Chapter 3 - Neurology Clerkship - Thesis Example Taking into account the level of students in the course and the clinical nature of the course work, content that focused on practical clinical knowledge was made a priority for the eBook (M Nilsson, Nilsson, Pilhammar, & Wenestam, 2009). It was decided, however, that the content of the book must match the delivery of the content. Clinical students are expected to demonstrate proficiency through their ability to apply content learned in the classroom to patients themselves. Because of the nature of the medical profession, clinical students must demonstrate deep analytical skills in which the student must diagnose and provide treatment for such diagnosis (Malau-Aduli, et al., 2013). Therefore, since the eBook was developed for such student stakeholders, it was agreed upon to develop an eBook that delivered content through an explanatory and problem-based learning model. The development of the eBook occurred after the subject matter experts compiled the content of the eBook. The content was broken down into two main sections: 1) Neuroanatomy section and 2) Pathology section. The Neuroanatomy section of the book centered its content on the review of the anatomy of the brain. Subject matter experts provided multiple Computer Tomography Scans (CT Scans) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scans (MRI Scans) of healthy brains. This information was essential for students to progress adequately through the book, for much of the terminology and the images throughout the eBook would refer back to this section (Cotter & Cohan, 2011). This section also served as a glossary for those who needed to review basic information. The Pathology section introduced students to neurological ailments. The content for this section provided students with the information required to learn specific neurological ailments they might experience in the clinical setting. Subject matter experts, understanding that this section prepared students for their clinical rounds, provided real world

How Duty of Care Contributes to Safe Practise Essay Example for Free

How Duty of Care Contributes to Safe Practise Essay What duty of care means in children and young people settings Duty of care – it’s required we have to give the right amount of attention and caution to avoid negligence which would lead to harm to other people. Duty of care is the legal term for safeguarding yourself and others. Children (especially young children) are vulnerable because they have not yet developed the physical and cognitive skills to care for themselves, so they need care from the adults around them. As a practitioner we have a duty of care towards them, the younger and more vulnerable the child, the greater the duty of care needed. Duty of Care includes the following concepts: †¢ to keep individuals safe †¢ to keep individuals free from harm †¢ to give choice As a practitioner, vigilance and attention keeps young children safe as they develop, these areas help when the child has a good role model to teach them: †¢ The ability to foresee and cope with potential dangers †¢ More robust immune systems †¢ Empathy – understand that their actions may hurt or upset others †¢ Communication skills to be able to talk about the harm others may be doing them How this contributes to the safeguarding or protection of individuals Duty of care contributes to the safeguarding/protection of children/young people by keeping them safe and protecting them from abuse, whether this is in a sexual, physical, neglect or emotional harm. Children have a right to be safe and to be treated with respect and dignity, as a practitioner we have to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety and well-being of all children in our care. If we don’t follow all necessary steps it could be regarded as professional neglect, we must always act and be seen to act in the child’s best interests. Babies and under 3’s are in need of an adults care for protection because they are unable to do this for themselves. Duty of care safeguards children in my setting in various ways: * Risk assessments – having done risk assessments we are taking precautions to avoid accidents or the spreading of infections. * Following the correct procedures if we have any concerns for a child’s well-being. * We set clear expectations and boundaries depending on age, stage and development and we discourage any behaviour which could result in a child being harmed or upset. * Assessments and observations on children can alert us to any problems that may need our attention and will also help in the discussions with parents and other professionals. * Always listen to what the children have to say and take any concerns they may have seriously.

Bulgaria: High Internet penetration potential for e-commerce

Bulgaria: High Internet penetration potential for e-commerce Coursework in Management Futures Executive Summary The aim of this report is to evaluate the opportunity for development of e-commerce in Bulgaria. The report will examine if there is demand for e-commerce in Bulgaria, if e-commerce might be restricted in some way and if it will be profitable for businesses. This will be achieved by examining the Internet penetration in Bulgaria, its future growth and other corresponding data and statistics. Advantages and Disadvantages as well as a SWOT analysis of e-commerce in will be discussed to evaluate the potential of it in the Bulgarian market. A brief description of the issue investigated The Internet is a global network connecting millions of computers. More than 100 countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and opinions. It exists since 1957 and was found by the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the US department of defense. In Bulgaria, Internet usage has grown significantly especially for the last seven or eight years, but it exists since 1989. It is mostly put into practice for communication and for searching of information. It has become a very useful tool, which is part of peoples daily lives not only in Bulgaria but also all over the world. Due to the ability of the Internet to reach a large number of people in all corners of the world, it has become a mean for electronic trading, also known as e-commerce. E-commerce is the trade of products and services by means of the Internet or other computer networks. E-commerce is very popular in developed countries. It exists since 1991 and since then has grown considerably. It has become a very convenient way to purchase goods and services online in the free time without wasting time to travel to difference stores and having 24-hour access. E-commerce exists in Bulgaria too, but it is still on a very low level even though the Internet has one of the greatest user growths in the European Union. In the period between 2000 and 2007 the Internet in Bulgaria has grown with 412 %. The fast user growth in Bulgaria and the large percentage of active users online is a great opportunity for Bulgarian businesses to reach a vast amount of customer online where they can start offering their products and services. This way they would not only reach more potential customers locally, but will also have the opportunity to expand abroad if demand spreads. Relevant Statistics for Bulgaria The Internet has become a retractable part of most households in Bulgaria. Surveillances show that the number of people who use Internet actively has increased by 100% for the last three years. Today, around 2Â  600Â  000 people, more that 33% of the population uses Internet at home and work. However, statistics also show that almost 80% of the population can have Internet access when needed. The main purpose it is used for is for communication, e.g. e-mail, chat and Internet calls and for searching of information, e.g. job search, current news. Despite the rapid growth of the quality of the Internet provided and the increase in Internet users, Bulgaria still is one of the countries with lowest positions for e-commerce. According to the National Statistical Institute, from 50% of the Internet users searching for goods and services online, only 7.6% have made a purchase. Thus every second Internet user has searched for goods online but did not find what they were looking for. Thirty thousand people have taken part in a survey done by Nielsen Online about the optimizing of online products. The research shows that 60% of the Internet users are aged between 18 and 35 and 22% of the participants have stated that they have income higher than 1000 levs. This is a relatively high salary for this country. The age range, which is predominant consisting of young people who tend to be high consumers. Young people who are still students, are very good at tormenting their parents for receiving what they want, on the other hand the ones who have graduated and have started working tend to spend their wages for satisfying their wants. Statistics also show that 2/3 of the Internet users are employed and the rest are mostly students. The main problem with online shopping for most Internet users is the threat of information theft, especially financial information. In computing it is known as phishing. Phising is an attempt to criminally and fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Most like targets are online banks and e-commerce businesses that allow online payments like Paypal and E-Pay for Bulgaria. However statistics for E-Pay show that in 2008 transactions per month done through e-pay are on average between 10 and 11 million levs. This is a relatively high transaction rate for the country, but most of these transactions are done for paying bills other than for purchasing of goods. An advantage for online shopping in Bulgaria is that goods can be paid at the time of delivery, which is a way that people who are afraid to pay online would prefer. Products that are most often offered online in Bulgaria are books, office stationary and electronic devices (phones, cameras), which is a very limited offering of products. However, Bulgarian e-commerce should have a very promising future if it develops. For now in Bulgaria, most online shoppers rely on the e-commerce from abroad. Businesses in Bulgaria are missing on a great deal of potential customers due to the lapse of offering their products online. According to statistics of Visa International, during 2005 the volume of e-payments of Bulgarians with Visa in the Internet had increased with almost 100%. The total value of the online transactions made to virtual traders outside the country is 14.3 million US dollars. E-trade has a very good opportunity to grow in Bulgaria since the online users are constantly increasing and have the desire to explore new prospects that the internet might offer to them. Consumerism in Bulgaria is likely to increase rapidly too, due to the economical growth in the country, since its entrance in the EU. However Euro Stat has registered high inflation of 13.4% at the moment, which might slow down the economical growth. According to the European committee even slow the economic growth will continue in Bulgaria. An outline of the analysis undertaken According to the data show above the development of e-commerce in Bulgaria seems promising due to the combination of the following trends: Bulgaria has a high sample of potential of online customers, as 30% of its population use Internet actively and 80% can have Internet access when needed. People can have access at home, work and in public Internet cafes. 50% of the Internet users are interested in buying goods online. For 2005 Bulgarians have spend more than $14 million online, buying product from other countries. Most Internet users in Bulgaria are educated people with relatively high income. The economic state in Bulgaria is going to ameliorate in the future, which is a good base for the growth of consumerism. According to the SWOT analysis-undertaken e-commerce has a lot of strengths for both customers and business, which should be considered. E-trade is convenient for both because: It is fast as there is no need to go outside, travel, visit different shops and compare prices. Easy as the shopping can be done in the comfort of your own home with a few clicks. Cheap as the online offering of product can be less costly for businesses, which gives them the chance to offer more competitive prices for consumers. Consumers can choose from millions of products, which are all displayed on their computer. Businesses can online only sell their products by displaying them online, but also advertise them further, as consumers can easily find them. One disturbing weakness that has arisen in the Bulgarian e-trade was the legislation included in the Law for Protection of Consumer, which stated that the person who delivers the product doesnt have the right to receive payment in advance before the period of 7 days. This caused major difficulties for both buyers and sellers. Therefore a correction in the law followed, it stated that the person who delivers could take this payment with the consumers agreement. Maybe this law should be investigated further but for now existing e-commerce organisations do not have a problem doing their business online. More trends can be useful to examine the potential demand for e-commerce businesses. A research on what products Internet user would prefer to buy online, can help specific businesses balance their advantages and disadvantages for undertaking the step to sell online. Also some of the trends found might not be very realistic due to the small number of sample marketed. However over all if the economy in Bulgaria grows and people have more disposable income, e-commerce will be a success, as it will safe people time and money, and give profit to business. A discussion of the main findings From the findings above I can derive that e-commerce business has the potential to grow fast like it has grown in more developed countries all over the world. E-trade can offer companies the advantage of reaching their customers 24-7 and globally. Businesses can also diminish costs by advertising online for less and eliminating the need for large warehouse buildings for storing and displaying their stock. Another great advantage is the opportunity Internet gives for gaining a large number of contacts, which can lead to positive business developments and ventures. Word count: 1913 Reference: Dave Site (no date) History of Internet. Retrieved on 15 May 2008 from: http://www.davesite.com/webstation/net-history.shtml Dir.bg (2008) One third of the Internet users are in Sofia. Retrieved on 16 May 2008 from: http://sofia.dir.bg/2008/05/13/news2987502.html E-commerce land (no date) History of e-commerce. Retrieved on 15 May 2008 from: http://www.ecommerce-land.com/history_ecommerce.html Econ (2008) Economic growth in our country will remain one of the highest in Europe. Retrieved on 16 May 2008 from: http://www.econ.bg/news/article140523.html E-pay (2008) Statistics for payment in E-pay. Retrieved on 16 May 2008 from: https://www.epay.bg/?page=frontHYPERLINK https://www.epay.bg/?page=frontp=front_wikiwpage=statsHYPERLINK https://www.epay.bg/?page=frontp=front_wikiwpage=statsp=front_wikiHYPERLINK https://www.epay.bg/?page=frontp=front_wikiwpage=statsHYPERLINK https://www.epay.bg/?page=frontp=front_wikiwpage=statswpage=stats E-shop BG (2003) E-trade in Bulgaria. Retrieved on 15 May 2008 from: www.abcbg.com/download/eshop-13nov2003.ppt EuroStat (2008) Newsletter. Retrieved on 16 May 2008 from: hHYPERLINK http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1073,46587259_dad=portal_schema=PORTALp_product_code=LN-042008ttp://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1073,46587259HYPERLINK http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1073,46587259_dad=portal_schema=PORTALp_product_code=LN-042008HYPERLINK http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1073,46587259_dad=portal_schema=PORTALp_product_code=LN-042008_dad=portalHYPERLINK http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1073,46587259_dad=portal_schema=PORTALp_product_code=LN-042008HYPERLINK http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1073,46587259_dad=portal_schema=PORTALp_product_code=LN-042008_schema=PORTALHYPERLINK http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1073,46587259_dad=portal_schema=PORTALp_product_code=LN-042008HYPERLINK http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1073,46587259_dad=portal_schema=POR TALp_product_code=LN-042008p_product_code=LN-042008 Internet Reklama (2006) E-trade increases twice. Retrieved on 16 May 2008 from: http://internetreklama.com/bulgaria/ecommerce-bg-x2/ Internet reklama (2007) 2.6 million internet users in Bulgaria. Retrieved on 15 May 2008 from: http://internetreklama.com/internet/2600000/ Internet reklama (2008) National Statistics Institute for Internet in Bulgaria. Retrieved on 15 May 2008 from: http://internetreklama.com/bulgaria/nsi-2008/ Internet reklama (2008) National Statistics Institute for Internet in Bulgaria. Retrieved on 15 May 2008 from: http://internetreklama.com/bulgaria/nsi-2008/ Internet reklama2 (2007) They resolved the advanced payments. Retrieved on 16 May 2008 from: http://internetreklama.com/internet/e-trade/e-computerworld/ Internet world stats (2008) European Union internet users. Retrieved on 15 May 2008 from: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats9.htm Sega (2008) One third of the Internet users are in Sofia. Retrieved on 16 May 2008 from: http://www.segabg.com/online/article.asp?issueid=2971HYPERLINK http://www.segabg.com/online/article.asp?issueid=2971sectionid=24id=0001403HYPERLINK http://www.segabg.com/online/article.asp?issueid=2971sectionid=24id=0001403sectionid=24HYPERLINK http://www.segabg.com/online/article.asp?issueid=2971sectionid=24id=0001403HYPERLINK http://www.segabg.com/online/article.asp?issueid=2971sectionid=24id=0001403id=0001403 Timeline (no date) Internet history. Retrieved on 15 May 2008 from: http://timeline.hit.bg/ Webopedia (no date) Internet. Retrieved on 15 May 2008 from: http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/I/Internet.html Wikipedia (no date) Phising. Retrieved on 16 May 2008 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing Zoom-Online (no date) What is e-commerce: advantages and draw backs. Retrieved on 15 May 2008 from: http://www.zoom-online.co.uk/e-commerce/what_is_ecommerce_advantages_and_drawbacks.html Appendices Appendix 1 InternetUsageintheEuropeanUnion EUROPEANHYPERLINK http://www.internetworldstats.com/europa.htmUNION Population (2007Est.) InternetUsers, LatestData Penetration (%Population) Usage %inEU UserGrowth (2000-2007) Austria 8,199,783 4,650,000 56.7% 1.7% 121.4% Belgium 10,392,226 5,100,000 49.1% 1.9% 155.0% Bulgaria 7,322,858 2,200,000 30.0% 0.8% 411.6% Cyprus 788,457 356,000 45.2% 0.1% 197.2% CzechHYPERLINK http://www.internetworldstats.com/europa.htm#czRepublic 10,228,744 5,100,000 49.9% 1.9% 410.0% Denmark 5,468,120 3,762,500 68.8% 1.4% 92.9% Estonia 1,315,912 760,000 57.8% 0.3% 107.3% Finland 5,238,460 3,286,000 62.7% 1.2% 70.5% France 63,718,187 34,851,835 54.7% 12.8% 310.0% Germany 82,400,996 53,240,115 64.6% 19.5% 121.8% Greece 10,706,290 3,800,000 35.5% 1.4% 280.0% Hungary 9,956,108 3,500,000 35.2% 1.3% 389.5% Ireland 4,109,086 2,060,000 50.1% 0.8% 162.8% Italy 58,147,733 33,143,152 57.0% 12.1% 151.1% Latvia 2,259,810 1,070,800 47.4% 0.4% 613.9% Lithuania 3,575,439 1,221,700 34.2% 0.4% 443.0% Luxembourg 480,222 339,000 70.6% 0.1% 239.0% Malta 401,880 127,200 31.7% 0.0% 218.0% Netherlands 16,570,613 14,544,400 87.8% 5.3% 272.9% Poland 38,518,241 11,400,000 29.6% 4.2% 307.1% Portugal 10,642,836 7,782,760 73.1% 2.8% 211.3% Romania 22,276,056 7,000,000 31.4% 2.6% 775.0% Slovakia 5,447,502 2,500,000 45.9% 0.9% 284.6% Slovenia 2,009,245 1,250,000 62.2% 0.5% 316.9% Spain 40,448,191 22,843,915 56.5% 8.4% 324.0% Sweden 9,031,088 6,981,200 77.3% 2.6% 72.5% UnitedHYPERLINK http://www.internetworldstats.com/europa.htm#ukKingdom 60,776,238 40,362,842 66.4% 14.8% 162.1% EuropeanUnion 490,430,321 273,234,619 55.7% 100.0% 189.5% Source: Internet world stats (2008) Malaysia S Transportation Sector: SWOT Analysis Malaysia S Transportation Sector: SWOT Analysis A scan of the internal and external environment is a main part of the strategic planning. Environmental factors internal to the firm generally can be classified as strength (S) or weakness (W) and those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T). Such an analysis of the strategic environment is referred to as SWOT analysis. STRENGTHS Malaysia is Multi-Racial Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic society and opens to each one. The 3 main cultures, Malay, Chinese and Indian create an interesting Malaysian society yet still leave it open for other cultures to join and thrive. In Malaysia, you will experience the Malay, Chinese and Indian festivals, food, literature, clothing, religion and culture. Affordable Healthcare Healthcare in Malaysia is world-class and more affordable compared to the United States. Doctors and hospitals have the same standard or superior to American doctors and hospitals and care is world-renowned. Healthcare is good in Malaysia. It is one of the top destinations for medical tourism. In Malaysia, you can only visualize how good your healthcare options will be. Education Malaysias education system is mainly based on the British system and it is better than some other countries in the region such as Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Compulsory subjects include English and Malay, so any children has to grow up fluent in both languages. Ease of Language English is the language spoken by most people in Malaysia. When a person moves to Malaysia, he does not have to suffer by the local language to get things done and the life becomes easier for them. Buying a house, a car, set up utilities, furniture and household items, everything is easier due to being able to deal with things in English. Good Infrastructure Malaysia has a world-class infrastructure and the Roads are excellent. The water supply, drain systems and power grids are stable and telecommunication including phones and internet are phenomenal. Living and Working in Malaysia for western expatriate is made even easier due to its western-standard infrastructure. OPPORTUNITIES Malaysias strong emerging economy is a preferred destination for foreign companies and a fertile ground for local businesses to flourish. In this thriving, business environment job opportunities are created to attract both local as well as foreign talents. There are huge opportunities here and it is often only a matter of getting the right working permit. For Non-Malaysians it is required to convince your potential employer that they help you to get the essential paper work completed in the case of applicable working permit, expatriates a full, a commitment that an employer may be reluctant to make until they are confident that the appointment is going to work out. In Malaysia there is a strong demand here for quality candidates with good qualifications and experience. Managerial positions in development, energy, business and engineering corporations are often the typical option for the relocated worker in Malaysia. The private education sector is excellent in Malaysia, with a number of reputed international institutions, diversified and extensive courses offering and high quality, internationally recognized standards, and featuring the British, German and French curricula as common options. When coming to the food industry of Malaysia, internationally aware individuals have been able to run fashionable, niche and successful activities combining gourmet cuisine, design, care for the details, and providing customers with an overall experiential moment. Malaysians inexhaustible passion for food and adventure have made food industry a vibrant sector. Hospitality, Tourism and management is also enjoying a renaissance in Malaysia by offering five-star stays while providing boutique and heritage experiences like nowhere else on Earth. National Chambers of Commerce in Malaysia give opportunity to connect with companies interested in hiring people with international expertise and experience. WEAKNESSES Lack of Medical Tourism: Strict guidelines implemented for medical advertisement. In Malaysia doctors are only allowed to put up ads with the following information- name, address, qualifications, and telephone numbers. The Medicines Advertisement Board in Malaysia must approve even websites of medical institutions. Thus the medical tourism industry of Malaysia lacks in impressive promotional activities and impressive websites. Inconvenient social visit pass process: The procedures for extension of the social visit pass in Malaysia are very inconvenience and can be very difficult. It is required to complete an application form and the applicant must submit it along with his/her passport and confirmed flight ticket to the home country personally. Obviously such requirements make it impossible to be fulfilled by a person admitted in a hospital, such as in the case of a medical tourist. Lack of coordination: Lack of a coordinated effort between airline operators, hotels and hospitals to promote the industry and lack of uniform pricing policies and standards across hospitals in Malaysia. Weak policy: Malaysian policy states that an individual entity is not permitted to transport an excess of 1,000 Ringgits outside of the country without government approval. While this act has not hindered trade, it has certainly weakened the credibility of the Negara Malaysia Bank (the countries national bank) as an international financier. Limited Profits to retailers: The low estimated cost of living is sustained by the Malaysian government through subsides on essential items, such as gasoline, bread, rice, etc. Prices on these items are kept well under market value which although good for the consumer hinders any further competitive pricing by retailers, thus limiting profit. Lacking in multimedia research development hub: Despite the creation of a world-class infrastructure, the government of Malaysia has not been successful in realizing its original aim of creating a cutting-edge multimedia research and development hub. Rising costs: For creating such a successful service industry around the world, Malaysia had to sacrifice other industries along the way. Malaysia is number three in the service industry. The increase in criminal activities related to this industry is causing a rise in the cost to prevent such crime. Favoritism for Malays: Roughly 65% of the population of Malaysia consists of Malays. Government perks favor Malays and other indigenous races to the determent of minorities, who provide a better level of economic activity. These factors have a long-term impact on the economy, by alienating minorities who contribute to economic growth. Those minorities are more likely to move to more favorable countries that value their expertise and economic contributions. Discriminatory Policies in Economy: The discrimination issues the government maintains in Malaysia over non-Malays, is an economic concern. Despite some improvement in the economic power of Malay people, the Malaysian government maintains a policy of discrimination favoring ethnic Malays over other races-including preferential treatment in education, employment, business, scholarships, access to cheaper housing and assisted savings. This special kind of treatment has sparked envy and resentment between Malays and Non- Malays. Discrimination issues tend to provoke conflict between the groups involved in the discriminatory practices. Commerce between the two groups may decrease, which may cause a decrease in overall economic activity. Discrimination also limits human capital when available to do certain jobs. Limitations in general lead to less efficient uses of natural or human resources in an economy. Critical level of Corruption: Corruption in Malaysia has reached a critical level as the country falls in international rankings, a graft watchdog announced warning the government to act or lose its competitiveness. The UNs Asia-Pacific Human Development Report highlighted an International Country Risk Guide finding which saw Malaysia decline from a score of 4.00 in year 1996 to 2.38 in year 2006, with a lower score showing greater corruption. Corrupt political systems tend to weaken economic growth, because they indirectly charge additional taxes on the economy. Every payment to a corrupt officer to obtain a service is considered a tax. The more taxes on a economic system, the lower economic growth, because resources are shifted away from highly efficient parts of the economy to less efficient and corrupt parts of the economy. Threats Malaysia, being a trading nation that highly dependent on international trade, the economic performance is very vulnerable to the performance of the major international trading partners. For decades, the economic growth has been overly reliant on international trade, external sector developments and foreign direct investment (FDI). In view of the challenges that arise from the globalization effects, it is important for the Malaysian Government to sustain growth and strengthen the macro-economic fundamentals within the country. This can be done by focusing on domestic business and industrial activities and increasing the purchasing power of our population. The governments corporate reforms and fiscal policies have to be continued to create a condition suitable for a speedy recovery and sustainable growth. It is also important to ensure that the restructured loans remain performing. Importance must be placed on continuing improvements on transparency, corporate governance and strict enforcement of powers by the market regulators. The country also needs to maintain its peaceful environment and security to secure the investors confidence. Currently, most of exports of Malaysia are for the United States. Thus, the successful recovery of the US economy is pivotal to Malaysias continuing recovery. Due to current stagnation in the US economy, the electronic chip industry is a damper on economic recovery in Malaysia where electronics related exports make up more than 30% of the gross domestic product. River pollution: Pollution is one the largest threats to the rivers. The reduction in river water quality is a clear indicator of the decline in the environmental health of a river basin. Palm Oil Production Destroys Forest: Environmental group protests are making it difficult to expand production of palm oil plantations, so firms have to slow their growth and discover a new, more sustainable, method to increase Palm Oil. Threats and boycotts will lead to less demand for products containing palm oil, which will hurt the price of palm oil as a commodity. Swine Flu Virus: Swine flu (the H1N1 virus) is added to the list of potential threats. Malaysia have downgraded their forecast for tourist arrivals accordingly. Malaysia reported its first fatal case of swine flu with the death of an Indonesian student, officials. The 30-year-old man, who was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, died from cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation. TRANSPORTATION SECTOR In Malaysia transport was started developing during British colonial rule, and its transport network is now developed and diverse. Malaysias road system begun during British colonization and it covers about 63,445 km. The main highway that reaches the Thai border from Singapore covers a distance of over 800 km. Within the city, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) is available to help meet Malaysias need for mobility that is reliable, safe, comfortable and predictable. Peninsular Malaysia have high quality network of roads, while the East Malaysian road system is not as well developed. In Peninsular Malaysia the main modes of transport are trains, buses, cars and to an extent airplanes. Malaysias small railway system is less significant than its roads and is confined primarily to the peninsula, where it runs from the southern tip (where it is connected to Singapore) northward to the border with Thailand. Malaysias first light-rail transport was started in Kuala Lumpur in 1996. After that, several monorail and express lines have opened in the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area. In East Malaysia and especially in Sarawak river transport is of great importance. In addition, Malaysias accessible and long coastlines have fostered maritime trade for more than a millennium. Several ports, notably Penang on the Strait of Malacca and Port Kelang (the principal port) have become major container-handling facilities. Air transport has grown very rapidly as the passenger traffic has increased especially on the peninsula. Almost all Malaysian states are connected with an internal air network. Airports in Kota Kinabalu, Penang and Kuching have limited international service. LAND TRANSPORT Roads Malaysias road network covers 98,721 kilometers , of which 80,280 kilometers is paved, and 1,821 kilometers is expressways. The longest highway the North-South Expressway of the country extends over 800 kilometers between the Singapore and Thai border. Trains The inter city, countrywide, traditional KTMB rail network and the inner city, light rail transit network are the two types of train network in Malaysia. The KTMB service serves the entire country of Malaysia by travelling between major cities and also up into Thailand. Railways The railway system covers a total of 1,849 kilometers (1,149 mi). 1,792 kilometers (1,113 mi) of it is narrow gauge, while 57 kilometers (35 mi) is standard gauge. 150 kilometers (93 mi) of narrow gauge tracks and all the standard gauge tracks are electrified. Elevated Light Rail Transit systems are used in some cities such as Kuala Lumpur which are relatively inexpensive. MY Rapid is a company that runs the main public transportation system in KL. They provide Monorail, Putra and Star LRT and RapidKL buses. Buses: For travel between Singapore, Penang and KL, the services of coach in Malaysia are difficult to beat. Fares are well priced at roughly RM 50 RM 60 for KL-Penang and just under RM 100 for luxury coaches from KL-Singapore. The best services also provide drink, food and entertainment for the journey. Buying tickets in Malaysia works out much cheaper than buying them in Singapore. Therefore, if it needs travelling from KL to Singapore and back again, surely purchase a return ticket from the Malaysian side. The buses offer pre-recorded commentary in eight different languages and stop at 22 designated stops around the city. Taxis Drivers very well know very well the city geography and are able to find shortcuts when the inevitable traffic builds up. It is compulsory for taxi drivers to use their built-in meter to calculate the fare. Flag-off fare is RM3 with an additional 10 cents for every 115 meters thereafter. The taxis caught in a traffic jam charge the fare RM3 for the first three minutes and 10 cents for every subsequent 21 seconds. Penang Rickshaw, Penang: In Penang, locals called their rickshaw as Beca in Malay language. Most locals are taking buses and taxi in the island. Due to modern infrastructure the number of rickshaws in the city is reducing. All of these rickshaws have special permit from the government. Currently, Penang has less than 200 rickshaws on its streets mainly to ride tourists to nearby attractions within the city. WATER TRANSPORT Waterways Malaysia has 7,200 kilometers (4,474 mi) of waterways, most of them rivers. Of this, 3,200 kilometers (1,988 mi) are in Peninsular Malaysia, 2500 kilometers (1553 mi) are in Sarawak and 1,500 kilometers (932 mi) are in Sabah. Information on Sea Transportation Many popular island destinations like Pangkor, Langkawi, Tioman and Redang are linked to the mainland by ferry services and other smaller islands are accessible by fishing boats, which may be chartered. Ferry services are also available from Belungkor, Tanjung, Desaru, Kukup, Johor Bahru Duty Free Zone and Sebana Cove (all in Johor) to the neighboring islands in the south and from Butterworth to Penang. There are a number of cruise liners which call on Malaysian ports. One of which, Star Cruises is Malaysian-owned and operated. Ports and harbors This is a list of Malaysian ports and harbors: Bintulu Kota Kinabalu Kuantan Kemaman Kuching Kudat Labuan Lahad Datu Lumut Miri Pasir Gudang George Town, Penang Port Dickson Port Klang Sandakan Sibu Tanjung Berhala Tanjung Kidurong Tawau Tanjung Pelepas Ferry: The ferries carry light vehicles on bottom deck and pedestrian on top level. The bottom is shared by 4 wheelers and two wheelers. The cars onboard the ferry occupy the front part followed by the motorcycles. The ferry has 2 toilets for male and female and one mini counter selling snacks and drinks on the upper level. Pipelines: Malaysia has 3 kilometers (2 mi) of condensate pipeline, 1,965 kilometers (1,221 mi) of gas pipeline, 31 kilometers (19 mi) of oil pipeline, and 114 kilometers (71 mi) of refined products pipelines. AIR TRANSPORT In Malaysia, airlines are separated into two 1) Passenger airlines 2) Cargo airlines. The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is well known in the region and is known as one of the more modern airports in the world. With other international airports in Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Penang, domestic airports are also available in Malaysia. Also a Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) is designed specifically for low cost carriers by KLIA and it is located 20km from the main terminal. Air Asia is the most popular budget airline in Asia and is based in Malaysia. Air Asia flies to many locations regionally and also domestically. Air transport is crucial for the distribution of high value to weight products. Air freight may only account for 0.5% of the tons of global trade with the rest of the world, but it makes up around 34.6% of the total in terms of value. Shippers pay airlines MYR 8.0 billion annually to carry 805,000 tons of freight to, from and within Malaysia. The benefit to the shippers is estimated as MYR 3.3 billion in excess of this expenditure. Based on these share of exports Malaysian shippers receive over half of this benefit (MYR 1.9 billion). Malaysia Airlines currently flies to many places worldwide and provides access to other states within both East Malaysia and Peninsular Malaysia.

An Examination Of Bioplastics Technology Environmental Sciences Essay

An Examination Of Bioplastics Technology Environmental Sciences Essay Bioplastics also called organic plastics are a form of plastics produced from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable oil, corn starch, pea starch or microbiota rather than fossil-fuel plastics which are derived from petroleum. They are polymers which are also obtained from plants genetically engineered to produce them. [1] Some, but not all, bioplastics are designed to biodegrade. Bioplastics are made in order to solve the problems caused by plastics which are non-biodegardable. Bioplastics are not new, it is been there from around 1850.There are different types of bioplastics like the starch based bioplastic, the polylactic acid, PHB, bio-derived polyethylene and the genetically modified bioplastics. Bioplastics are biodegradable that is they can be broken down into simpler compounds by the microbes and thus do not remain for years in the environment. Bioplastics are used in making many items like the disposable cutlery, and for biomedical uses,etc. Its market value is a littl e less as of now but will increase in the near future. Global plastics problem Plastics are carbon-based polymers which are made mostly from petroleum.The word plastic means flexible.Plastics are used to make mostly disposable, low-value items such as food-wrap and product packaging, but theres nothing particularly disposable about most plastics. On an average, we use plastic bags for 12 minutes before getting rid of them-yet they can take fully 500 years to break down in the environment. [2] Compounds like polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene are largely used in the manufacture of plastics. [1] Excessive molecular size is the reason for the resistance of these compounds to biodegradation. Plastics are xenobiotic compounds which are recalcitrant (completely resistant) to biodegradation. [3] Getting rid of plastics is extremely difficult. Burning them can give off toxic chemicals such as dioxins, while collecting and recycling them responsibly is also difficult.With societys ever-increasing focus on protecting the environment, theres a new emphasis on des igning plastics that will disappear much more quickly. Broadly speaking, so-called environmentally friendly plastics fall into three types: bioplastics made from natural materials such as corn starch or generally plants; biodegradable plastics made from traditional petrochemicals, which are engineered to break down more quickly; and eco/recycled plastics, which are simply plastics made from recycled plastic materials rather than raw petrochemicals. History Bioplastics are not new. In the 1850s, a British chemist made plastics from cellulose, a derivative of wood pulp. Later, in the early 20th century, Henry Ford experimented soy based plastics in his automobiles, even going to the extent of unveiling a complete prototype plastic car in 1941.But by then petroleum had emerged as a source of synthetic polymers, which possesed more favourable properties than that of plant based plastics. World War II cemented the dominance of synthetic plastics. Only in the last ten years, in response to the rising cost and less supply of oil, have bioplastics re-emerged in consumer applications. In 2003, Nature Works- a joint venture of Cargill, the largest agricultural business in the United States, and Dow Chemical, the countrys biggest chemical company began producing Ingeo bioplastics, which can be extruded into containers for food packaging and into fibers for apparel, furnishings, and disposable products such as baby wipes. Ingeo is a PLA, or polyla ctic acid, derived from corn. Alternatives are also being made from castor beans, sugarcane, algae and even chicken feathers. Bioplastics are yet to meet the performance requirements of more durable goods. At the moment they are in their infancy. They are actually being used as molded products. Cell phone casings are one such example. The Japanese company NEC unveiled a phone with a corn- based plastic body. applications. Types of bioplastics: Starch linked plastics: Starch is a linear polymer (polysaccaride) made up of repeating glucose units linked by glucosidic linkages in the 1-4 carbon positions. Starch-based biodegradable plastics contain starch contents ranging from 10% to greater than 90%. Starch based polymers can be based on crops such as corn (maize), wheat or potatoes.As the starch content is increased, the polymer become more biodegradable and leave less recalcitrant residues. Often, starch-based polymers are blended with high-performance polymers (e.g. aliphatic polyesters and polyvinyl alcohols) to achieve the necessary performance properties for different applications. Biodegradation of starch based polymers is a result of enzymatic attack at the glucosidic linkages between the sugar groups leading to a reduction in chain length and the splitting off of sugar units (monosaccharides, disaccharides and oligosaccharides) that are readily utilised in biochemical pathways. At lower starch contents (less than 60%) the starch particles act as weak links in the plastic matrix and are sites for biological attack. This allows the polymer matrix to disintegrate into small fragments, but not for the entire polymer structure to actually bio-degrade. The bulk of soil bacteria are heterotrophic and utilize readily available source of organic energy from sugars, starch, cellulose and protein.[4] Microbes such as Bacillus, Clostridium, Micrococcus, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Rhizopus; etc are involved in starch hydrolysis. There are several categories of biodegradable starch-based polymers including: Thermoplastic starch products; Starch synthetic aliphatic polyester blends; Starch PBS/PBSA polyester blends; and Starch PVOH Blends. Starch based plastic constitutes about 50 percent of the bioplastics market, thermoplastic starch such as Plastarch material, currently is the most important and widely used bioplastic. Pure starch absorbs humidity and is therefore used for the production of drug capsules in the pharmaceutical industries. Biolac: Biolac is polylactic acid. Polylactic acid is an aliphatic polyester. The monomers which make up this polyester are lactic acid units. PLA is a transparent plastic produced from cane sugar, glucose or starch waste. It resembles conventional petrochemical mass plastics in its characteristics, and it can also be processed easily. Polylactic acid can be produced by chemical methods and by fermentation method using microbes.The Lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus amylophilus, L. Bavaricus,L. Casei) produce lactic acid using starch, which is then polymerised by bacteria such as A.eutrophus into polylactic acid.[5]Polylactic acid is biodegradable because it is the product formed by bacterial digestion of starch waste. The biodegradation of polylactic acid is brought about by the hydrolysis of the ester bonds by esterolytic enzymes produced by bacteria like Amycolatopsis species. PLA has become a significant commercial bioplastic. Its used in making bottles, yogurt cups, and candy wrappers. It is also used for making food service ware, lawn and food waste bags, coatings for paper and cardboard and fibers for clothing, carpets, sheets and towels and wall coverings. In biomedical applications it is used for sutures, prosthetic materials and materials for drug delivery. It also has many potential uses, for example as upholstery, disposable garments, awnings, feminine hygeine products and nappies. Microbially synthesized plastics ( Biopol) Poly -3 hydroxy butyrate ( PHB) is a polyester produced by certain bacteria like Rhodovibrio sodomensis in the presence of excess carbon like glucose or starch. It is also called as Biopol.Poly-ÃŽÂ ² hydroxy butyrate accumulates as energy reserve in many micro-organisms like Alcaligenes, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Nocardia, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium etc.It is a poly hydroxy-alkanoate ( PHA). It is a common storage material of prokaryotic cells consisting of a polymer of ÃŽÂ ²- hydroxybutyrate or another ÃŽÂ ²- alkanoic acid. Reserve polymers store excess nutrients present under favourable growth conditions for use during periods of nutrient deprivation.[6] A wide variety of Bacteria and Archaea produce PHAs. Biopol is made in industrial fermentor by bacteria that converts sugars ( refined from corn or beet) into a polymer. Genetically engineered Arabidopsis thaliana a type of cress is also used to make Biopol.[1] Its characteristics are similar to those of petroplastic polypropyle ne.It produces transparent film at a melting point higher than 130 degrees Celsius, and is biodegradable without residue. PHB is suitable for specialized areas like biomedical use and speciality coatings. A copolymer of PHB ( Poly ÃŽÂ ²- hydroxy butyrate) and PHV ( Poly ÃŽÂ ²- hydroxy valerate) are used in making shampoo bottles in Europe. PHB is easily degraded as it is an energy source of microbes. A copolymer containing approximately equal amounts of PHB and PHV has had the greatest market success thus far.[7] Bio-derived polyethylene The basic building block of polyethylene is ethylene. This is just one small chemical step from ethanol, which can be produced by fermentation of agricultural feedstocks such as sugar cane or corn. Bio-derived polyethylene is chemically and physically identical to traditional polyethylene, it does not biodegrade but can be recycled. It can also considerably reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Brazilian chemicals group Braskem claims that using its route from sugar cane ethanol to produce one tonne of polyethylene captures (removes from the environment) 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide while the traditional petrochemical route results in emissions of close to 3.5 tonnes. It can be used in packaging such as bottles and tubs Genetically modified bioplastics Genetically modified bioplastics are bioplastics which are produced from genetically modified plants and microbes. Normally the plants and microbes produce very small quantities of bioplastics, therefore their production on a large scale is expensive. Genetically modified plants and microbes can be used for the industrial production of bioplastics. Employing genetic-modification methods Monsanto has also developed plants (oilseed rape) that produce relatively small amounts of Biopol (5% of the total weight) in their cells. The ultimate aim is to develop plants that consist of up to 20% by weight of Biopol, thereby enabling various bioplastics to be produced for a wide variety of applications. Biodegradation of bioplastics All bio- and petroleum-based plastics are technically biodegradable, meaning they can be degraded by microbes under suitable conditions. However many degrade at such slow rates as to be considered non-biodegradable. The degree of biodegradation varies with temperature, polymer stability, and available oxygen content. Consequently, most bioplastics will only degrade in the tightly controlled conditions of commercial composting units. An internationally agreed standard, EN13432, defines how quickly and to what extent a plastic must be degraded under commercial composting conditions for it to be called biodegradable. This is published by the International Organisation for Standardization ISO and is recognised in many countries, including all of Europe, Japan and the US. However, it is designed only for the aggressive conditions of commercial composting units. There is no standard applicable to home composting conditions. Biodegradable plastics are made from traditional petrochemicals, w hich are engineered to break down more quickly. Traditional plastics such as polyethylene are degraded by ultra-violet (UV) light and oxygen. To prevent this process manufacturers add stabilising chemicals. However with the addition of a degradation initiator to the plastic, it is possible to achieve a controlled UV/oxidation disintegration process. This type of plastic may be referred to as degradable plastic or oxy-degradable plastic or photodegradable plastic because the process is not initiated by microbial action. The degraded plastic residue will be attacked by microbes. Applications Bioplastics are mainly used in making disposable items such as packaging and catering items such as crockery, cutlery, pots, bowls, straws, etc. The use of bioplastics in making shopping bags is already very common, after this initial use these bags are used for organic wastes and then they can be composted. Bioplastics are also used for making trays and containers for fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat, bottles for soft drinks and dairy products and blister foils for for fruit and vegetables. Bioplastics are used in making non-disposable items also for example mobile phone casings made by the NEC, carpet fibres by Dupont Sorona and car interiors done by the Mazda company. The French company Arkema, produces a grade of bioplastic called Rilsan, which is used in fuel line and plastic pipe. In these uses the goal is not biodegradability but to create items from sustainable resources. Drawbacks Though bioplastics are eco-friendly and are of great use, they have their own drawbacks. When some biodegradable plastics decompose in landfills, methane gas is produced, which is a very powerful greenhouse gas that adds to the problem of global warming. Biodegradable plastics and bioplastics dont always readily decompose. Some need high temperatures and in some conditions can still take many years to break down. Even then leave behind toxic residues. Bioplastics are made from plants such as corn and maize, so plants which are a food to be eaten are used to make bioplastics which is also an ethical issue. Some bioplastics are made from genetically modified plants which are harmful to the environment. Bioplastics and biodegradable plastics cannot be recycled easily. There are accelerated rates of deforestation due to the use of plants in making bioplastics. Manufacture of bioplastic materials is reliant on petroleum as a source of energy which is required to power farm machinery, irrigate growing crops, to produce fertilizers and pesticides, to transport crops and crop products to processing plants, to process raw materials and ultimately to produce bioplastics. Many bioplastics lack the performance and ease of processing of traditional materials. Polylactic acid plastic is being used by a handful of small companies for making water bottles. But the shelf life of these bottles is limited because the plastic is permeable to water the bottles lose their contents and slowly deform. Market value of bioplastics Bioplastics are rapidly catching up. Bioplastics are already unbeatable as medical implants, which dissolve in the body, as compostable mulch films for agriculture. Packaging materials constitute the most important application area for bioplastics, for example filler materials that are utilized in very large amounts. Supermarkets are increasingly using compostable shoppng bags. However the largest growth rates of the use of bioplastics are seen in electronic industries in consoles or cell phone cases. During the past eight years consumption of biodegradable plastics based on starch, sugar and cellulose has increased by around 600 percent. Starch based bioplastics are dominant in Europe. Bioplastics have the potential to reduce the petroleum consumption for plastics by 15 to 20 percent in 2025.Bioplastics have 10 to 20 percent share of the total plastics market and it will increase to 25 to 30 percent by 2020.There are over 500 bioplastics processing companies already available, more than 5000 is expected by 2020.Europe is one of the leading country in the market of bioplastics. Already bioplastics are used for variety of items, there would be more and more applications for bioplastics in the near future, especially in the automobile and electronics industries where plastics are indispensable. Toyota is one of the leading companies in research and usage of bioplastics. Bioplastic companies are relatively small plants and are in there initial stages of development. The scenario in India is a little different. The market of bioplastics is a little challenging here due to unawareness about the eco friendly nature of bioplastics and its uses. This therefore can be overcome by creating an wareness on the uses and benefits of bioplastics. The market for bioplastics in India grew at 30 percent in 2008 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 44.8 percent between 2009 and 2015.Apart from all this there is an availability of abundant feedstock in due to which it can become a hot destination for bioplastics companies.

Veterinary Medicine Essays -- essays research papers

Veterinary Medicine For my agriculture report, I chose to do a report on veterinarians. I chose this career field because I like working with animals and learning about them. While doing my report I learned more then I thought there was to learn about animals and becoming a veterinarian. I learned how long it takes to become a veterinarian, what my chances are on being accepted by a veterinary college, what veterinarians do, and much more. Veterinary Medicine is a branch of medical science that deals with the prevention, cure, or alleviation of diseases and injuries of animals. There are about 55,000 veterinarians and of that only 15,000 or so are women. Many veterinarians work for federal, state, or local governments, inspecting food, supervising laws that protect human and animal health, or dealing with environmental problems. Many veterinarians treat all animals, but in recent years and in the densely populated areas of the country, many have limited their practice to pets. Some specialize in the treatment of certian populations such as horses, cattle, poultry, or zoo animals. A small number of veterinarians are employed as managers of large feedlots for beef - cattle, large dairy cattle operations, and many of the increasingly large poultry farms. A few veterinarians are now becoming involved in embryo transfer work, in which fertilized eggs are removed from superior donors and transferred into the uterus of a cow of lesser genetic qualities. A minimum of six years ...

William Butler Yeats :: Biography

William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 13, 1865. He was the eldest son of a painter. In 1867 his family moved to London, but he frequently visited his grandparents in Northern Ireland. There he was greatly influenced by the folklore of the region. In 1881 his family returned to Dublin. Their Yeats studied at the Metropolitan School of Art. During school he became more focused on literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yeats made his debut in 1885, with the publication of his first poems in The Dublin University Review. In 1887, his family returned to Bedford Park in London, and Yeats devoted himself to writing. In 1889 he met Maud Gonne, an actress and Irish revolutionary. He soon fell in love with her and she became a major landmark in his writing. She later married Major John MacBride and inspired Yeats's poem 'No Second Troy'   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yeats's early work did not reflect his Irish heritage but soon he turned towards his Irish culture for inspiration. Yeats studied many Irish folktales and in 1888 published a book of tales titled Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry. He also published a less detailed version for children titled Irish Fairy Tales in 1892.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1897, Yeats's met Lady Gregory, an aristocrat and playwright, who shared the same interest in Ireland's past. In 1899 they formed the Irish Literary Theater. Yeats worked as a director and writer for the theater. Some of his most famous dramas were CATHLEEN NI HOULIHAN and THE LAND OF HEART'S DESIRE.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yeats later proposed to Lady Gregory, but she refused his offer. Again in the same year he proposed to her daughter but she also declined. Lady Gregory's passion for a free Ireland kindled Yeats's interest in the political struggles of Ireland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1917, Yeats bought an old stone tower near Coole Park. After he restored the tower it became his summer home and a symbol in his writing. Also in 1917,Yeats married Georgie Hyde-Lee. Later they had a son and a daughter together, Anne and Michael. During their honeymoon they compiled their notebooks and formed the basis of A VISION.

The Sunflower

Melissa Torres Period: 2 2/9/13 The Sunflower Dear Simon Wiesenthal, After reading The Sunflower and having mixed emotions during this book I made my decision. â€Å"What would I have done? † I would have done the same thing you did. Just walk away from all of it. I believe it would be a tough situation to think about and have a response to right then and there. Like Deborah says in her essay, â€Å"The question to be asked is not should the prisoner have forgiven the SS man but could the prisoner have forgiven him? This is obviously saying that no one has the right to forgive anyone on behalf of another. This request brings up several moral questions like, Is it alright to forgive someone who has done no harm to you? Can a person forgive someone on behalf of others? Can anyone really forgive anyone else, or is forgiveness in the hands of a higher power? The soldier asked you for his forgiveness just because you are a Jew, and in the soldiers mind, all Jews are equal. Even th ough you weren’t burned alive, shot dead, or in any other heinous acts in the concentration camps.How could his forgiveness, had he granted it, put the soldier at rest about the hundreds of Jews he has been a party to the murder of? I think you had no right to forgive the soldier. The soldier didn’t commit a crime against you personally, and for you to forgive him would have been an empty phrase with no meaning. The soldier should have asked for forgiveness between himself and all the Jews he murdered. Sven Alkalaj I like that Sven included in his essay what he went through in Bosnia. I agree with Sven that Simon made a good decision not forgiving the soldier.Just as Sven asks in his essay, â€Å"Who is entitled to speak on behalf of the victims? † Simon didn’t have much of a say just because they didn’t torture him. Just like Sven says, Simon was unsure if his response to the dying soldier was okay. It was hard for Simon to get over his response a nd wanted other peoples opinions on his decision. When the nurse attempts to give Simon some of the soldiers possessions. Simon refuses the package. It obviously shows that he didn’t want to do much with the soldiers. The holocaust was a horrible thing, and the killing of thousands of Jews was not okay. Forgetting the crimes would be worse than forgiving the criminal who seeks forgiveness† It is such a atrocious thing, its hard to forget and Sven said it would be bad to forget everything that happened. The Dalai Lama I don’t agree with Lama. He says â€Å"one should forgive the person or persons who have committed atrocities against oneself and mankind. † I am totally against what he says because forgiving the soldier would mean that Simon is okay with what he did. The soldier didn’t really care if the Jew was tortured or not because he just asked the nurse to find a random Jew.I felt like the soldiers apology was a lie and he just wanted to die in peace. But he doesn’t really deserve it after everything he did. Lama also says â€Å"but that is not the Buddhist way,† Lama’s culture is different and believes that forgiveness is okay. But if Simon was to forgive the soldier, it wouldn’t bring back any of the people he killed. The Jews he killed are piled up dead and accepting his apology isn’t going to change a thing. All the awful things that happened will always be in Simon’s mind. Melissa Torres Period: 6 The SunflowerIn The Sunflower, by Simon Wiesenthal the main character, Simon is put in an awkward situation and doesn’t really know how to deal with it. His development from the beginning of the book to the end of the book is kind of crazy. Towards the end of this book he realizes he made the right decision. Simon just needed a little bit of extra help to decipher if what he did was right. With condoning factors supporting the Nazi in The Sunflower is asking for forgiveness bo th out of guilt and amends, there is no possible way to decipher if he should or should not be forgiven.Simon was asked to go clean at a hospital. When he arrived at the hospital the nurse asked him if he was a Jew. Simon said yes and the nurse took him to the bedside of Karl, a 21-year old dying Nazi soldier. Karl was covered in bandages with openings only for his mouth, nose and ears. Karl wanted to tell Simon his story. Karl talked about his childhood and then the conversation came up to him being a Nazi. Karl admitted to shooting a mother, father and their two kids. Karl felt guilty about the hundred of Jews he killed and he didn’t want to die without coming clean to a Jew.Karl asked for forgiveness, he knew he was asking for too much from Simon but without his answer Karl couldn’t die in peace. Simon left the room without a word. When he returned to the hospital the next day, the same nurse came to Simon and told him that Karl had died. Over the next years of the war, time and time again, through all his suffering, Simon thought of Karl and wondered if he should have forgiven him. Over the years, every time Simon would enter a hospital, see a nurse, or a man covered with his head bandaged, he recalls Karl. Many years later Simon questioned whether he had done the right thing.He asked many people about his actions. A few of these people included Jews, Rabbis, a Catholic Cardinal, Christians and even an ex-Nazi. They all had different opinions and different reason of forgiveness. Faced with the choice between compassion and justice, silence and truth, Simon said nothing. Simon always wondered if he had done the right thing. As the book was coming to an end, Simon started noticing that he did the right think not forgiving Karl. Forgiving him wouldn’t bring back any of the people he killed. The Jews he killed are piled up dead and accepting his apology isn’t going to change a thing.Karl didn’t commit a crime against Simon pe rsonally, and for Simon to forgive Karl would have been an empty phrase with no meaning. Karl should have asked for forgiveness between himself and all the Jews he murdered. The main character’s development throughout the book showed that at first Simon wasn’t confident with his decision and always had the situation on the back of his mind. But towards the end of the book, Simon notices he did make the right decision to just get up, walk away without saying a word. Simon basically needed other peoples opinions to see that he had done the right thing.

Teacher and National Junior Honor

Im excited to be invited to be a member of National junior Honor Society (NUNS). And it is a swell opportunity for me. As a pre-member of NUNS, I have demonstrated three qualities, which be resultingness to serve others, attractorship, and character. These three qualities describe the genuinely essence of my being. Im from Burma which now they call Manner. And went to Malaysia to write out to United States because Burma is in war. Live at Malaysia for about 4 years. Learned oodles of English at Malaysia. After staying at Malaysia for about 4 years, I came to U.S. Ive been at United States for 7 months. First affaire that would like to lambaste is willingness to serve others. kindred to help others help my mom near the house all the times and because she dont accredit much English I register for her. And at groom help my friends those who wish help I help them with what I know. Next, I demonstrated leadership. At school when the teachers group she/he always convey me as a roof leader because he/she think I will be a good leader, and to come leadership.I help my group member when they dont know, read them what to do, make sure the work is done, to participate, and regulate them to respect teacher like to assert quiet and follow teachers instruction. Last, want to talk about is character. Respect my teacher because they ar the one that teach me, and my parents because they raise me until now. When they use up me to do something, do it. They have taught me to be inerrable.

Sludge retention time in aerobic granulation

AbstractionThis paper shows the answer of max keeping trim in aerophilous granulation tissue tissue tissue tissue under moimum hydraulic prime(a) massive suit per building block atomic number 18a. Consequences showed that no thriving aerophilous granulation was ascertained at the studied SRTs in the scene of six-eight months. A backsidevas analysis revealed that hydraulic election force per whole landing field in footings of the moimal subside hurry would be much to a great extent eective than SRT for heightening heterotrophic aerobic granulation in sequencing batch nuclear reactor ( SBR ) . It was shown that SRT would non be a decisive factor for aerobic granulation in SBR.IntroductionSludge keeping coiffure ( SRT ) is one of the most of import design and carrying come out parametric quantities in the trip slant-eye procedure. It has been known that SRT whitethorn fit singular eect on bio & A 64258 occulation of set off sludge.Basic solely(a)y a SRT of 2 yearss is frequently required for the organic law of & A 64258 occulated activated sludge with good subsiding ability ( Ng, 2002 ) , plot the optimal SRT for good bio & A 64258 occulation and sm both(a) vitamin E & A 64260 uent depend upon was pitch to be in the orbital cavity of 2 and 8 yearss ( Rittmann, 1987 ) . It has seen believed that a SRT shorter than 2 yearss favors the increase of spread bacteriums that in crinkle would ensue in change magnitude SVI and e & A 64260 uent COD s beginning-wittedness. In aerobic starchy sludge sequencing batch reactor ( SBR ) without knowing accommodate of SRT, it was ensnare that SRT would change in a in truth hulky mise en scene of one to forty yearss along with granulation ( Pan, 2003 ) , bandage Beun et Al. ( 2000 ) reported that the SRT increased from 2 yearss to 30 yearss, and so dropped to 17 yearss, & A 64257 nally the SRT was change at 9 yearss along with the plaster bandageation and growin g of aerophilic granules in SBR. So far, there is no research available in the literature with value to the indispensable function of SRT in the formation of aerophilic granules in SBR, i.e. , the eect of SRT on aerophilic granulation cadaver unknown.It has been shown that aerophilic granulation in a SBR is compulsive by hydraulic plectron force per whole area in footings of visit limit subsidence speed of bioparticles ( Liu et al. , 2005a ) . Therefore, to look into the eect of SRT on aerophilic granulation in SBR, the hitch of hydraulic pick force per unit area needs to be avoided. For much(prenominal) a intent, this survey aimed to demo if SRT is indispensable for aerophilic granulation in instancewhere hydraulic choice force per unit area is absent and it is judge to oer in-depth penetrations into the mechanism of aerophilic granulation all(prenominal)(prenominal) catch good as mathematical process scheme for successful aerophilic granulation in SBR.2. Methods2.1. Experimental set-up and operationTwo columns ( 157 atomic number 96 in pinnacle and 5 centimeter in diameter ) , each with a on the telephone circuit volume of 1.26 L, were operated as sequencing batch reactors, viz. R1, R2, which were referenceed with the activated sludge meshn from a SBR on the job(p) on Phenols removal effluent interpolation. R1-R2 were run at a some(prenominal) SRT of 24,48hours, while the other operation conditions were kept the same, i.e. 24 H of entire heartbeat curb, 5 min of & A 64257 lling, 30 min of subsiding and 5 min of vitamin E & A 64260 uent backdown. The staying clip in each rhythm was the aeration period. In the last 2 min of aeration, a genuine volume of the assorted spirits was discharged out of the reactor in articulate to keep the envy SRT. Fine air bubbles were introduced at a & A 64258 ow rate of 3.0 L/min through a dispenser located at the underside of each reactor. At the terminal of the subsiding stage, supernatant was discharged from an mercenary establishment located at half the tallness from the reactor underside. A hydraulic keeping clip of 24-48 H was maintained in reactors. The consecutive operation of the reactors was automatically controlled by timers, while two peristaltic pumps were use for in & A 64258 uent eating and supernatant backdown. piece of music mush industry effluent utilise for granule cultivation.2.2. uninflected rulesBiomass concentrations in footings of entire warms ( TS ) and volatile solids ( VS ) every eccentric person good as sludge volume magnate ( SVI ) were firm utilizing standard methods ( APHA, 1998 ) .The turn up of sludge was heedful by a optical maser atom size analyser ( Malvern Mastersizer Series 2600, Malvern ) , or an image take apartr ( IA ) ( Image-Pro Plus, V 4.0, Media Cybernetics ) . Cell scratch hydrophobicity was determined utilizing the method demonstrable by Rosenberg et Al. ( 1980 ) . In this method, 2.5 milliliter hexade en kindlee was used as the hydrophobic stage, and stall surface hydrophobicity was verbalized as the per centum of cells adhering to the hexadecane after(prenominal) 15 min of breakdown.3. Consequences3.1.General utterance by image analysisOn two dozen hours 3 after the start-up of SBRs, around microbial sums with a regular form appeared in R1 tally at the SRT of 3 yearss, while really few regular-shape sums were notice on xxiv hours 4 and twenty-four hours 5 in the SBRs operated at the SRTs of 6-40 yearss. After the & A 64257 rst a few yearss, the maturement of sludge morphology became insigni & A 64257 buzzword in R1- R2 until the reactors were stabilized in footings of changeless biomass and vitamin E & A 64260 uent concentrations after the 30-day operation. At the steady province, it was found that aerophilic granules with a size bigger than 0.35 millimeters merely accounted for a really little division of entire biomass in SBRs, i.e. , bio & A 64258 ocs wer e perfectly the rife signifier of biomass in all & angstrom unit 64257 ve SBRs operated at the SRT of 6-8 months3.2. Development of sludge sizeFig. 1 shows the remotion of COD in reactors when operated. The sow in sludge had a average size of nearly 75.lmm. A signi & A 64257 vernacular addition in the aggregative size was observed in the & A 64257 rst month of operation in all the SBRs. From maiden month onwards, the mean size of sumsbit by bit stabilized in the SBRs tally at dierent SRTs of 6-8 month. It appears that no aerophilic farinaceous sludge bounce back was developed in the SBRs operated at the big SRT scope of 6-8 months. provided a few aerophilic granules with unit of ammunition form were found after 8 month of operation, while comparatively a big monetary standard of bantam sums seemed dominant in the sludge community complaisant at the dierent SRTs.The size statistical distribution of sums was determined on twenty-four hours 30. The peak value of the size distributions fell into a narrow scope of 150-350 lumen in R1-R2. These seem to bespeak that the SRT in the scope studied would non hold singular eect on the formation of aerophilic granules. Based on the size distribution, the fraction of aerophilic granules de & A 64257 ned as microbic sums with a average size bigger than 350 lumen and a unit of ammunition form ( Qin et al. , 2004 ) was found to be less than 20 % in all the reactors, bespeaking that bio & A 64258 ocs would be dominant signifier of biomass.3.3. Settleability of sludgeChanges in the sludge volume index ( SVI ) at dierent SRTs were determined in the crystalise of SBR operation ( Fig. 2 ) . The SVI observed in all the reactors tended to diminish quickly in the & A 64257 rst 4 month of operation, and bit by bit approached a stabledegree of just about 50 milliliter /g in all the instances. In add-on, a horizontal comparing crossways the SRTs besides shows that the SVI of sludge cultivated at the SRT o f 6 month decreased more easy than those developed at the comparatively short SRTs.3.4. Biomass concentrationThe biomass concentration in footings of MLSS was measured along with the reactor operation ( Fig. 2 ) . The biomass concentrations in R1-R2 bit by bit increased up to a stable degree. It was found that the biomass concentration at steady province was proportionately think to the SRT applied, i.e. , a longer SRT would take to a higher(prenominal)(prenominal) biomass accretion.3.5. Substrate remotion dynamicssThe TOC pro & A 64257 lupus erythematosuss in spite of appearance one rhythm were determined after 3 month of operation in R1-R2. A fast TOC debasement was observed in all & ampere 64257 ve SBRs, i.e. , about all input TOC was removed during the & A 64257 rst 20 min. These finally lead to a long dearth period which has been believed to favor aerophilic granulation in SBR ( Tay et al. , 2001 Li et al. , 2006 ) . further revealed that the deliberate, i.e. , a higher TOC remotion rate is observed at a longer SRT. However, the firster speci & A 64257 degree Celsiuss TOC remotion rate was observed at higher SRT. This can be moderately explicateed by the dierences in biomass concentrations as shown in Fig. 3a.3.6. Cell surface hydrophobicityThe cell surface hydrophobicities of sludges cultivated at dierent SRTs were found to fall into a narrow scope of 25-40 % , while the seed sludge had a cell surface hydrophobicity of 22 % . Merely the cell surface hydrophobicity of sludge developed at the SRT of 3 yearss seems somewhat higher than that of the seed sludge, whereas the cell surface hydrophobicities of sludges cultivated at the SRTs longer than first month are fair comparable with that of the seed sludge. These mean that the SRT in the scope studied would non hold singular eect on the cell surface hydrophobicity.3.7. breach in microbic populationThe sludges cultivated in R2 were sampled on twenty-four hours 3, 10, 17, 24 for microbic analysis. It was found that the isolates some were really near to the strain Brevundimonas vesicularis, while the isolates could start to the strain Comamonas testosterone. farther survey is needed in this respect. The population displacement s in the class of operation of R2 and R1. It can be seen that the dominant species change along with the reactor operation, e.g. some of them was the most dominant species on 3 month onwards in R2 and R1, but this species wholly disappeared from R2 and R1 on twenty-four hours 24. more or less were found to be undetectable on twenty-four hours 3 and 4 month, while they became dominant suit downing from twenty-four hours 17 in twain R2 and R1. It should be realise that the switching forms of microbic species in R2 and R1 are similar, however the denseness of the isolates in footings colonization organizing units ( CFU ) dry biomass is much higher in R2 than in R1.4. DiscussionExisting grounds shows that the formation and construction of a erophilic granules are associated really closely with cell surface hydrophobicity which can originate cell-to-cell collection that is a important measure towards aerophilic granulation ( Liu et al. , 2004 ) . It is observed that the cell surface hydrophibicities of the sludges cultivated at the SRT of 6-8 month are reasonably comparable with that of the seed sludge. These seem to evince that that the SRT in the scope studied would non bring on signi & A 64257 savings bank alterations in cell surface hydrophobicity, and the humbled cell surface hydrophobicity observed in bend whitethorn partly explicate unsuccessful aerophilic granulation in SBR. In add-on, Liao et Al. ( 2001 ) reported that hydrophobicities of sludges in footings of contact angle merely increased from 25 to 35 grades as the SRT was prolonged from 4 to -8 month.In the & A 64257 old age of environmental technology, the SRT is correlated to the speci & A 64257 degree Celsius substrate use rate by the under mentioned lookin which Q s is the speci & A 64257 hundred substrate use rate in a rhythm, and K d is the speci & A 64257 hundred dilapidate rate. Harmonizing to Eq. ( 3 ) , Y T and K vitamin D can be estimated from the secret programme of 1/SRT versus Q s, i.e. , 0.29 g MLSS/g 1 COD for Y T and 0.12 d1 K d.In fact, the ascertained growing product ( Y obs ) determined at contrastive SRTs decreased from 0.23 g MLSS /g 1COD at the SRT of 3 month to 0.05 g MLSS g 1COD at the SRTf 40 days.Liu et Al. ( 2005b ) besides reported a growing output of0.29 MLSS g1COD and a decay rate of 0.023-0.075 vitamin D 1for glucose-fed aerophilic granules. In activated sludge modelNo. 3 ( Gujer et al. , 1999 ) , the decay rate for heterotrophic bacteriums has been reported in the scope of 0.1 and 0.2 1/d at the 10 and 20 0C, severally. Basically, a rhythm ofSBR consists of banquet and dearth stages ( Liu and Tay,2004 McSwain et al. , 2004 ) . In this survey, about all exter-nal organics could b e removed at bottom the & A 64257 rst half an hr of each rhythm, i.e. , more than 75 % of each SBR rhythm would be heart-to-heart to famine status, which would trip a signi & A 64257 cant microbic decay finally taking to the low ascertained growing outputs. It appears1 that in R2 and R1 operated at the several SRT of 6 and 12 yearss, the displacement form and distribution of microbic species isolated did non demo signi & A 64257 cant dierence. For case, on twenty-four hours 24, 10isolates were found in the sludges cultivated in R2 andR3, out of which 6 were the same. These seem to connote that in the present operation manner of SBRs, the choice of microbic species by the applied SRT would be weak, and such(prenominal) a weak choice on species whitethorn in bend, at least partly explain the fact that the belongingss of sludges developed in all & amp 64257 ve SBRs merely showed some fringy dierences as discussed before. As no successful aerophilic granulation was observe d in R2 and R1, it is difficult to pull a solid decision with respect to the possible correlativity among aerophilic granulation and the ascertained alterations in microbic species. In fact, it has been thought that aerophilic granulation would non be closely related to a peculiar microbial species because aerophilic granules grown on a really broad spectrum of organic Cs have been developed, including ethanoate, glucose, phenol, p-nitrophenol, nitrilotriacetic sulfurous ( NTA ) andferric-NTA complex synthetic and existent effluents ( Beun et al. , 2000 Tay et al. , 2001 McSwain et al.,2004 Schwarzenbeck et al. , 2004 Nancharaiah et al.,2006 Yi et al. , 2006 ) .As discussed earlier, SRT in the scope studied would non hold a signi & A 64257 cant eect on the formation of aerophilic granules in SBR. For a column SBR, the travel distance of bioparticles higher up the discharge port is L ( distance between H2O surface and dispatching port ) . For a designed subsiding clip ( t s ) , bioparticles with a settling speed less than L/t s would be washed out of the reactor, while merely those with a subsiding speed greater than L/t s will be retained. Harmonizing to Liu et Al. ( 2005a ) , a minimal subsiding speed ( V s ) min exists in SBR, and it can be de & amp 64257 ned as followsshows that a long L or a short subsiding clip would ensue in a larger ( V s ) min, and frailty versa.It has been believed that aerophilic granulation in a SBR is driven by hydraulic choice force per unit area in footings of land limit settling speed of bioparticles ( Liu et al. , 2005a ) . This means that to analyze the eect of SRT on aerophilic granulation in SBR, the intervention of hydraulic choice force per unit area needs to be avoided. In this survey, in order to look into the eect of SRT on aerophilic granulation without intervention of hydraulic choice force per unit area, the choice force per unit area in footings of ( V s ) min was minimized to an highly low degree of 0.76-0.78 m /h. Qin et Al. ( 2004 ) studied aerophilic granulation at dierent settling times with a & A 64257 xed L, while Wang et Al. ( 2006 ) investigated aerophilic granulation at dif- ferent L at the changeless subsiding clip. Using those every bit good as the information obtained in this survey, a correlativity of the fraction of aerophilic granules and ( V s ) min is. It can be seen that the fraction of aerophilic granules is proportionately correlated to ( V s ) min. Furthermore, at a ( V s ) min less than 4 thousand /h, aerophilic granulation is non favored in SBR, alternatively the growing of hang sludge would be greatly encour- aged. It should be realized that the typical subsiding speed of conventional activated sludge is by and large less than 5 1/m ( Giokas et al. , 2003 ) . These imply that for a SBR operated at a ( V s ) min lower than the settling speed of con- ventional sludge, suspended sludge could non be eectively recluse. As the consequence, suspended sludge will take over the full reactor at low ( V s ) min merely every bit observed in this survey no affair how SRT was controlled. These consequences indicate that SRT would non be a immemorial factor regulating aerophilic granulation in SBR.5. DecisionThis survey for the & A 64257 rst clip consistently investigatedthe function of SRT in aerophilic granulation in SBR. No success- ful aerophilic granulation was observed at all studied SRTs, i.e. , bio & A 64258 ocs were the dominant signifier of biomass at the SRTs studied. Dierent from the conventional activated sludge procedure, aerophilic granulation in SBR is improbable dependant on SRT, and this may hold great technology deduction in the design, optimisation and operation of a full gradatory table aerophilic farinaceous sludge SBR.