Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 27

My heavy-lidded eyes fought to drift open. I didnt know how much time had passed. Was it one night? Two? A week? It was dark, wherever I was. I was vaguely conscious, hearing footfalls and yelling, and once a voice that sounded like Callies, calling out my name. But one day I woke up without suddenly falling back into unconsciousness. I lifted my arms, realizing I was shackled to the wall. I had vervain burns on my arms and legs. Dried blood crusted my entire body, making it impossible for me to tell where I was wounded. Next to me, Damon was sitting with his knees to his chest. Blood covered his body, and his cheeks were gaunt. Dark shadows rimmed his sunken eyes, but a slow smile was spreading across his face. â€Å"Not so powerful now, are you, brother?† I struggled to sit up. My bones ached. The attic was soaked in a dim gray light that came from a filthy window. The padding and sniffing of a mouse sounded somewhere far across the room. It stirred a hunger inside me, and I realized that I hadnt fed since being here. In the corner, two unfamiliar guards were sitting, oblivious to our near-silent conversation. I shook my head in disgust. How could I have been so stupid? Lexi had been right. Of course she had. Callie had betrayed me. It must have been her plan all along, from the second shed noticed the ring on my finger that matched Damons. I should have realized it the moment Id seen her father in the room. How had I stepped into such a stupid, obvious trap? I deserved to be chained up like an animal. â€Å"Did you love her?† Damon asked, as if he could read my thoughts. I stared straight ahead. â€Å"She hasnt come to visit, in case you were curious,† Damon continued conversationally. â€Å"She is pretty, though in my humble opinion, you could do better.† Anger pushed my fangs into place. â€Å"Where are you going with this?† I growled. Damon gestured to the bars. â€Å"Nowhere, apparently. Excellent job on the rescue attempt.† â€Å"At least I tried,† I said, my fury ebbing and resignation flowing in its place. â€Å"Why even bother?† Damons eyes flashed. â€Å"Have I not made my feelings about you perfectly clear?† â€Å"I † I began, before I realized I had no idea where to even start. How could I tell him that rescuing him wasnt a choice? That our blood ran in each others veins, that we were bound to each other. â€Å"It doesnt matter,† I said. â€Å"No, it doesnt,† Damon said, adopting a philosophical tone. â€Å"After all, well both be dead soon enough. The question is, will you be killed by a crocodile or by a tiger? I heard Gallagher saying crocodiles are the best fight opponents, because they dont go for the kill. They drag it out.† Just then the attic door opened with a flourish, and Gallagher strode into the room, his boots echoing on the floor. â€Å"The vampires are awake!† he bellowed. The two guards hastily jumped to attention, pretending theyd been watching us the whole time. Gallagher strode toward the cage, kneeling at our eye level. His three-piece suit was impeccable, as if hed made his fortune as a financier rather than by torturing vampires. â€Å"Well, well, well the family resemblance is obvious. Im embarrassed to not have noticed it sooner.† He reached through the bars and grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me against the side of the cage. My face clanged against the bars, and I winced as something wooden jutted into my chest. A stake. â€Å"And you almost got away with acting like a human!† Gallagher threw his head back and laughed, as if it were the most amusing thing in the world. â€Å"You wont get away withthis,† I hissed, pain ripping through my body as he dug the stake farther into my skin. â€Å"Pay attention, vampire!† Gallagher said, his lips curled back in a snarl. â€Å"You know, I think Im going to bet youre the one wholl get killed. Yes, I think that will do very nicely.† He turned toward the two guards. â€Å"Hear that? A tip from the boss. Bet on the dark-haired one,† Gallagher said, twisting the stake against my body. â€Å"I think his brother has more hatred in his belly.† I couldnt see Damons face, but I could picture the smirk that no doubt played on his lips. Gallagher snorted in laughter and threw the vervain-soaked stake to the floor. â€Å"Oh, and I dont want you using the stakes on the vampires for sport anymore,† he said in the direction of the guards. The heavyset one glanced guiltily down at the floor. â€Å"Why not?† the other asked indignantly. â€Å"Its good for em. Shows em their place.† â€Å"Because we want them in tip-top shape for their fight,† Gallagher said, his voice an exaggerated parody of patience. Then Gallagher smiled at us. â€Å"Thats right, boys. You two are going to be fighting, to the death. Its the perfect solution. Ill have one dead vampire to sell for parts, a live one for performances, and profit beyond my wildest imagination. You know, it might be sacrilege, but I say, thank God for vampires!† With that, Gallagher turned to leave the attic, slamming the door behind him. I sank back against the bars. Damon did the same, shutting his eyes. The two guards gaped at us through the bars. â€Å"I know the boss said the dark-haired one, there, but aint he lookin a little weak? My pennies are goin for that boy,† one commented. â€Å"Eh, I always go with what the boss says. Besides, aint all about size, right?† the scrawny one said, sounding affronted by the first guards implication. I slumped against the wall, closing my eyes. The hatred that my brother had for me was surely enough to want me dead. But would Damon really kill me? â€Å"Im more vicious than a crocodile, brother,† Damon said with a smile, his eyes still closed. â€Å"And this is the best piece of news Ive heard since we turned into vampires!† He laughed, long and loud, until one of the guards clambered over and, despite Gallaghers decree, jabbed him with a vervain-laced stake. But even then, he continued to laugh.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

How does discrimination affect people with mental illness?

People with mental health problems experience many different types of stigma. This article explores the attitudes and beliefs of the general public towards people with mental illness, and the lived experiences and feelings of service users and their relatives. Keywords: Mental health/Mental illness/Stigma/DiscriminationThis article has been double-blind peer reviewed5 key points 1. Stigma can affect many aspects of people’s lives 2. Self-stigma is the process in which people turn stereotypes towards themselves 3. How the general public perceive people with mental health problems depends on their diagnosis 4. Stigma can be a barrier to seeking early treatment, cause relapse and hinder recovery 5. Future research should investigate the experiences of service users and their families to understand and measure the impact of stigmaStigma can pervade the lives of people with mental health problems in many different ways. According to Corrigan (2004), it â€Å"diminishes self-esteem and robs people of social opportunities†. This can include being denied opportunities such as employment or accommodation because of their illness. Stigma in the form of social distancing has been observed when people are unwilling to associate with a person with mental illness. This might include not allowing the person to provide childcare, or declining the offer of a date (Corrigan et al, 2001).Self-discrimination or internalised discrimination is the process in which people with mental health problems turn the stereotypes about mental illness adopted by the public, towards themselves. They assume they will be rejected socially and so believe they are not valued (Livingston and Boyd, 2010).Being discriminated against has a huge impact on self-esteem and confidence. This can increase isolation from society and reinforce feelings of exclusion  and social withdrawal. The Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (2010) observed that people with mental health problems are  "frequently the object of ridicule or derision and are depicted within the media as being violent, impulsive and incompetent†. It also found that the myth surrounding violence has not been dispelled, despite evidence to the contrary.In light of this, the Department of Health (2004) funded a programme called Shift, which aimed to reduce the discrimination that those with mental ill health face. The DH (undated) found that â€Å"many people with mental health problems say that the biggest barrier to getting back on their feet is not the symptoms of illness, but the attitudes of other people†.Reviewing the literatureEBSCO was used to access the CINAHL, BNI and MEDLINE databases to search for available literature with the keywords â€Å"discrimination† and â€Å"mental† in article titles. This produced a total of 428 articles. The search was then limited to narrow down the number of results. Limits were applied as follows: Publication date was set between Janu ary 2000 and December 2010; Original research studies and journal articles were specified; The age range was limited to over 17 years old.The refined search resulted in 155 articles.In order to assess which articles were relevant, further inclusion and exclusion criteria were set. For example, articles that included the general public’s perception and attitudes towards mental health were included, and only primary research articles were used. Twelve articles matched the criteria.FindingsThe literature reviewed suggested that the way in which the general public perceive people with mental health problems depends on their diagnosis. Those with schizophrenia are seen as dangerous and unpredictable (Crisp et al, 2000).People with alcohol and drug addictions are not only seen as dangerous, but the public also blame them for their addiction (Crisp et al, 2005). There still seems to be a general consensus that anyone with mental  illness is unreliable, especially in terms of looki ng after children. Many believe having a mental illness reduces intelligence and the ability to make decisions (Angermeyer and Matschinger, 2005).Discrimination and stimga have been linked to ignorance and studies show the majority of the public have limited knowledge of mental illness, and the knowledge they do have is often factually incorrect. Many still believe schizophrenia means having a split personality. In addition, many do not understand the difference between mental illness and learning disabilities and there is still a common misconception that those with depression can â€Å"snap out of it† (Thornicroft, 2006).Depression and anxiety disorders do not have the same weight attached to them as psychotic illnesses but they are nonetheless stigmatised. People with depression are often seen as lazy and hard to talk to (Thornicroft, 2006). Public opinions seem to be held across the board, with no significant differences in relation to gender, education level and income. However, there were differences between age groups, with those in their teens or early 20s and those over 50 expressing the most negative attitudes (Alonso et al, 2009; Crisp et al, 2005).Crisp et al (2005) noted those in the 16-19-year age range had the most negative attitudes towards people with mental illness, particularly towards those with alcohol and drug addiction. These results are surprising considering widespread reports of young people’s alcohol and drug use. These findings reflect a â€Å"them† and â€Å"us† type of thinking and suggest that many of those who use alcohol and drugs do not consider the possibility that they could become addicted themselves.There were some indications that public opinion had become more positive, suggesting greater tolerance and understanding towards mental illness than in previous years (Angermeyer and Matschinger, 2005). However, these findings should be interpreted with caution; the DH (2001) found huge discrepancies between the views the public expressed in surveys and the actual behaviour as experienced or witnessed by service users and service providers.The mediaThe media have often been accused of sensationalism by portraying mental illness inaccurately in their quest to gain higher ratings. However, the media can also play an important role in reaching out to many different audiences to promote mental health literacy. Celebrities such as Stephen Fry (diagnosed with bipolar disorder) have spoken publicly about their illness and this seems to be effective in reducing stigma (Blenkiron, 2009). Chan and Sireling (2010) described a new phenomenon in which patients are presenting to psychiatrists claiming to have and seeking a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.However, the lived experiences of mental health service users tell a different story to the findings on public attitudes. In the articles reviewed service users said they experienced stigmatising attitudes and behaviours in many aspects of the ir lives. Common themes emerged across the articles. Many people felt stigmatised as soon as they were diagnosed with a mental illness, and attributed this to the way in which their illness had been portrayed in the media (Dinos et al, 2004). Receiving a stigmatising label has such a negative effect on people that the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology – at the demand of the patients’ families group – changed the name of schizophrenia from â€Å"mind-split-disease† to â€Å"integration disorder† (Sato, 2006).EmploymentMany people with mental health problems experienced discrimination when applying for jobs. This included trying to explain gaps in their CV due to episodes of mental ill health. They not only experienced stigma when applying for jobs, but also found that when returning to work colleagues treated them differently, with some experiencing bullying, ridicule and demotion. Service users also faced the dilemma of whether to disclo se their illness to friends, family, colleagues or future employers. Many felt they could tell their partner or parents about having a mental illness and still feel supported, but only 12% felt able to tell colleagues (Bos et al, 2009).Social stigmaService users reported social discrimination in the community, giving accounts of being physically and verbally attacked by strangers and neighbours, their property being vandalised, or being barred from shops and pubs; those with addictions or psychotic illness tended to experience this more than those with non-psychotic illness. Reports also included examples of being spoken to as if they were stupid or like children, being patronising and, in some instances, having questions addressed to those accompanying them rather than service users themselves (Lyons et al, 2009). Dinos et al (2004) found service users felt a range of emotions surrounding their experiences of discrimination, including anger, depression, fear, anxiety, isolation, gu ilt, embarrassment and, above all, hurt.Health and relationshipsService users also encountered discrimination when accessing services such as GPs. They reported professionals as being dismissive or assuming that physical presentations were â€Å"all in the mind† (Lyons et al, 2009). This can result in reluctance to return for further visits, which can have a detrimental effect on physical health. This is especially significant, as evidence suggests people with mental illness are at greater risk from physical health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and respiratory disease; they also have a higher risk of premature death (Social Exclusion Unit, 2004).Developing mental illness can also lead to breakdowns in relationships with partners, family and friends. The SEU (2004) reported that a quarter of children had been teased or bullied because of their parents’ mental health problems. Evidence shows rates of comorbidity of drug and alcohol use and psychiatric problems are believed to be rising (SEU, 2004).Implications for nursingStigma can affect many aspects of people’s lives. Even a brief episode of mental illness can have far-reaching effects on wellbeing, disrupting work, families, relationships and social interactions, impacting on the health and wellbeing not just of patients, but also of their families and friends. This can lead to further psychiatric problems such as anxiety and depression.Stigma can be a barrier to seeking early treatment; often people will not seek professional help until their symptoms have become serious. Others disengage from services or therapeutic interventions or stop taking medication, all of which can cause relapse and hinder recovery.If mental illness is treated early enough, it can reduce further ill health, and ultimately the risk of suicide. By intervening at the earliest possible opportunity, people may be able to avoid a full episode of mental ill heath, and retain their jobs, relationships or social standing.The International Council of Nurses (2008) said nurses are fundamental in helping with the â€Å"promotion, prevention, care, treatment and rehabilitation of people living with mental health problems and support of their families and communities†. It is therefore imperative to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and stop these factors impinging on people’s mental wellbeing.The National Service Framework for Mental Health incorporated standards services must follow to provide consistent quality of care (DH, 1999). These included guidance on â€Å"social inclusion, health promotion, tackling stigma and the promotion of opportunities for a normal pattern of daily life†. The DH (2001) concluded that â€Å"everyone has mental health needs, whether or not they have a diagnosis of mental illness†. Box 1 features recommendations of ways to help reduce the stigma experienced by mental health service users.RecommendationsAs the media can play an important role in reaching out to many people, it is important to work with and educate them to ensure the portrayal of mental illness is factual, impartial and reliable As those aged under 19 years had particularly negative opinions towards all mental illness, attempts should be made to educate this age group about the issue, particularly on the dangers and effects of substance misuse and addiction In order to plan future services and shape policies further research must be undertaken with people who have direct experience of mental illness to gain more understanding of the impact stigma has on their livesConclusionThe literature confirms the public hold negative beliefs about those with mental health problems. Despite national campaigns, there has not been a significant change in the way the public perceive mental illness. While much research has been carried out to explore the public’s perception of mental illness, future research should explore the e xperiences of service users and their families, carers or people close to them to understand and measure the impact that stigma has on their lives. This, in turn, could help to shape interventions and policies for improved legislation to help stop the discrimination faced by those with mental illness.References:Alonso J et al (2009) Perceived stigma among individuals with common mental disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders; 118: 180-186. Angermeyer MC, Matschinger H (2005) The stigma of mental illness in Germany: A trend analysis. International Journal of Social Psychiatry; 51: 276-284. Blenkiron P (2009) Psychiatry in the Media. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists. Bos AE et al (2009) Mental illness stigma and disclosure: consequences of coming out of the closet. Issues in Mental Health Nursing; 30: 509-513. Chan D, Sireling L (2010) ‘I want to be bipolar’ †¦a new phenomenon. The Psychiatrist; 34: 103-105. Corrigan P (2004) How stigma interferes with mental health care. The American Psychologist; 59: 7, 614-625. Corrigan P et al (2001) Prejudice, social distance, and familiarity with mental illness. Schizophrenia Bulletin; 27: 219-226. Crisp AH et al (2005) Stigmatization of people with mental illnesses: a follow-up study within the Changing Minds campaign of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. World Psychiatry; 4: 106-113. Crisp AH et al (2000) Stigmatisation of people with mental illnesses. The British Journal of Psychiatry; 177: 4-7. Department of Health (undated) Stigma.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Understanding Research techniques in nursing Essay

Understanding Research techniques in nursing - Essay Example In addition to that, the nominal level of measurement entails the grouping of cases into categories. On the same note, in this level of measurement, the measure of dispersion draws its basis on the frequency of the distribution which is the particular frequency of cases in each category (Fisher& Marshall, 2009). On the contrary, the other level of measurement in descriptive statistics is the ordinal level. Apparently, this level of measurement entails grouping of cases into several groups like the previous case. However, here unlike the first case, the categories have numerical hierarchies where data in this level of measurement are classified in a hierarchical manner; in other words, starting from the lowest to the highest point for instance marks (Fethney, 2010). Notably, the measures of the dispersion are similar to the nominal level of measurement but they only vary on the arrangement of the data in the groups. Evidently, the role of descriptive statistics is inevitable in the field of nursing; self-efficacy, which is the ability of a nurse to translate research into meaningful evidence in the field of healthcare (Britt, 2009). On that note, through the study of descriptive statistics, a nurse can be able to think critically and reasonably and thus better job performance (Fisher& Marshall, 2009). It is worth noting that, this particular area of study aids in the building of the thinking capacity of an individual and thus the self-efficacy. Apparently, descriptive statistics can be said to at times very persuasive since it is not a very difficult discipline to venture in as compared to other fields for instance science which may require very complex scientific experiments in order to yield a particular result (Fethney, 2010). Although descriptive statistics plays a huge clinical significance, so does the confidence intervals. On the same

Sunday, July 28, 2019

UnitedHealthcare Group Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

UnitedHealthcare Group - Assignment Example The purpose of the essay is to measure the readiness of the organization and to observe the strategic plans that would be required to be incorporated by the organization for satisfying the healthcare requirements of the citizens in the next decade. The citizens of next decade will have several additional healthcare requirements in comparison to people of present generation. As a consequence, the staffing requirement for specialized workers in several medical occupations (such as nurse) will also rise in the next decade. In present days, people largely neglect the personal healthcare aspects such as diet, exercise and sleeping requirements and significantly engage in several unhealthy activities such as smoking and drinking among others. Besides, increasing level of stress and obesity issues has also become prevalent for people. Several studies depicted that in the United States (US), 50% of deaths are attributed to preventable actions and negligence of people to several manageable as pects. Thus, in the next decade there will be requirement for better health programs along with providing awareness education which can lead to change in behavior of people. Furthermore, in the next decade, citizens are expected to gradually undertake higher responsibilities for healthcare. This, in turn it will increase the requirement of tailored healthcare delivery in terms of better healthcare products and services. As citizens would require bearing the financial stress of handling healthcare issues, they will require effective direction through better healthcare plans. For instance, according to the statistics of ‘America’s Health Insurance Plans’ in 2007, almost 4.5 million Americans were covered with effective healthcare plans.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Economy of Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Economy of Japan - Essay Example The country is also the largest in terms of foreign investment and has successfully sustained a trade surplus for more than five decades. As of 200, the Japanese state holds a sixth of the United States Treasury Securities, which represents about 3.5 percent of the United States' gross domestic product. It is notable that Japan's economic problems can greatly impact the global market (CIA World Factbook, 2006 and Economist Intelligence Unit (b), 2006). After the Second World War, much of Japan's industries were destroyed. Economic growth was achieved after the War with the strong work ethic of its labor force, sound economic policies and close ties between the government and business sector, efficient and technology-driven industrial methods resulted in one of the most spectacular growth rate averages of 10% in the 1960s. This trend continued in the 1970s and early to mid-1980s, posting average growth rates of 5% and 4% respectively. During the late 1980s, there was a noticeable increase in terms of real state and stock prices which was due to slackening of monetary policies in the middle of the decade and would later result to over-investment. When the Bank of Japan (Central Bank) tightened measures and increased interest rates to rein speculation of asset share prices in early 1990S, this resulted to an economic slump that would last until 2003, despite government revitalization policies and efforts. Another factor was a marked slowdown of the global economy (Economist Intelligence Unit (b), 2006). PAST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Japan's economic development dramatically slowed down as an outcome of the 1990's asset price bubble. Because of the sharp decrease in the asset prices, the supply and demand mechanisms of the country were greatly impacted. From this period, the government's response to install economic reform was passive, overlooking the need to counter the effects of the surplus in capacity build-up after the bubble economic debacle which eventually led to the sharp cut in its total factor productivity. Monetary and fiscal policies were again alleviated to revive the economy. As a consequence, the fiscal balance shifted to close at three percent of 1991's GDP and proceeded to a deficit of eight percent in the year 2000. To make matters worse, its domestic debt have increased to 130% of its GDP in 2000. There was also a steady appreciation of the yen against the US dollar in the mid 1990s but this was lessened due to fiscal measures (Grimond, 2002). The languished state of the Japanese economy that continued for more than a decade since 1990 became the focused of other world economies, for it had stimulated the continued problems related to non-performing loans (NPLs) and add to the decline of world asset and consumer prices. From 1991, the real gross domestic product has only increased by a measly fourteen percent. In contrast, the GDP of the United States during the same period was pegged at forty-four percent (Grimond, 2002). While there was an increase of 3.7 percent in terms of its consumer price index (CPI) in the particular phase, its CPI continued to drop beginning 1998, a trend that was arrested only in 2003. Accordingly, there was a marked pronouncement of the deflation of asset prices. The country's Nikkei index

Motivation theories for drug use and addiction Research Paper

Motivation theories for drug use and addiction - Research Paper Example These early views on the reasons for continued drug use have been replaced by recent research which have contrasting perspectives that suggest that negative reinforcement is not a strong influence on drug motivation. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the motivation theories for drug/ alcohol use and addiction. Motivations for Drug Use Contemporary theory of the motivation for drug addiction makes paradoxical claims about the psychological basis for seeking drugs. Drug-seeking is considered to result from subjective craving for the positive effects of the drug, which suggests that this behavior is intentional. On the other hand, a key factor in the clinical diagnosis of drug dependence is that drug-seeking is resistant to the intention to quit, which means that drug-seeking is habitual or automatic. This is paradoxical, because drug seeking cannot be concurrently intentional and automatic (Hogarth & Chase, 2011). There are several reasons for people to take drugs. These include â€Å"peer pressure, relief of stress, to have increased energy, to relax, to relieve pain, to escape reality, to feel more self-esteem, and for recreation† (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2009, p.14591). Individuals resort to taking stimulants to keep alert, or cocaine for the feeling of excitement it produces. Similarly, athletes and bodybuilders may take anabolic steroids to increase muscle mass. There are numerous stressors which increase the risk of alcohol use disorders in humans. In alcohol and other drug dependent (AOD) people, drug craving is increased by internal and external forms of stress, which can also trigger relapse (Wand, 2008). Stress is generally defined as â€Å"any stimulus that challenges physiological homeostasis – that is, which alters the balance or equilibrium of the normal physiological state of the organism† (Wand, 2008, p.119). However, various forms of stress have different physiological consequences, stimulating different combinations of signaling molecules. These molecules aid in cell-to-cell communication, such as neurohormones, and produce distinctive outcomes on physiological processes. Therefore, the type and duration of stress have to be specified, for planning the treatment. Further, individuals respond differently to a particular type of stress, â€Å"and physiological and behavioral responses tend to be associated with dis tinct coping styles† (Wand, 2008, p.120). An interaction of environmental and genetic factors play a part in both susceptibility to alcohol and other drugs (AOD) use disorders, and in people’s responses to stress. Prenatal and early life stress can have impacts on the body systems involved in the stress response, for the entire life span, thereby predisposing an individual to certain diseases. This early programming effect is partly affected by â€Å"epigenetic mechanisms that alter heritable traits without manifesting as changes in the DNA sequence, and which also can aid in the development of AOD disorders† (Wand, 2008, p.120). Motivation Theories for the Use and Addiction to Drugs and Alcohol An Affective Processing Model of Negative Reinforcement Baker, Piper and McCarthy (2004) reformulate the negative reinforcement model of drug addiction. They propose that the escape and avoidance of negative affect is the prepotent motive for

Friday, July 26, 2019

Airport security - Government's use of invasive pat-downs and body Research Paper

Airport security - Government's use of invasive pat-downs and body scans are essential to ensure passenger safety - Research Paper Example Ten years may have come and gone, yet the consequences of that singular event have forever changed the outcome of human civilization (Mitcherner-Nissen, Bowers and Chetty, 2011). The 9/11 terrorist attacks have invariably led to the tightening of security measures being undertaken all over the world. In the United States, legislative enactments have been undertaken placing security administration and defense management among the considerations to be deemed as state priorities (Mitcherner-Nissen, Bowers and Chetty, 2011). The operation of the airport has been taken over by the federal government following clear indications that there has been significant lapses in judgment and laxity of control in airport management which have exacerbated the 9/11 attacks (Parks, 2007). As a result, the United States government took over the helm of the battle against terrorism and called for the support of all nations in the international arena (Parks, 2007). With the enhancement in security measures being undertaken in US airport terminals, there has been a move towards the utilization of advanced equipments such as whole-body scanners and backscatter scanners in addition to the physical pat-downs being performed (Mitcherner-Nissen, Bowers and Chetty, 2011). However, ethical issues have caught the attention of many people as the mentioned scanners appeared to have been too detailed in its examination stepping well into the basic human right to privacy (Schauer, 2011). But the fact remains that there are those who would argue that such is a small price to pay for the relative enjoyment of peace and security of the greater many (Mitcherner-Nissen, Bowers and Chetty, 2011). In this debacle, one thing is certain, that no matter which side wins, both sides stands to benefit and both likewise stands to be injured concomitantly. Airport Management and Operation Patankar and Holscher (2000) described the airport as a highly complex set of schematic organization that allows the entry a nd egress of persons. As such, both movements to and fro are to be considered as security concerns that require efficient administration. To this end, it is vital to determine the momentous changes that US airports may have undergone in hopes of revolutionizing its operation and precluding the occurrence of an attack comparable to the 9/11 terrorist activities. Prior to the 9/11, the airport situation in the United States has been a highly efficient private affair that revolves around the rendering of services related to and relevant to the air transport of individuals from a point of origin into a point of destination. Prior to the 9/11 there was a general sub-optimal level of security in airports in US airports (Seidenstat, 2004). However, after the attacks, the United States government saw the need to change the management of the airport facilities to the federal system marking the transition of the said facility from a implement of transportation into a tool that has the capacit y to paralyze the country (Seidenstat, 2004). The transition of the airport facility into the hands of the federal government was triggered by two major issues (Seidenstat, 2004). These are: (1) the laxity of the control measures implemented by the utilization of private security firms; (2) the failure of the government to

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Criminal Justice Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal Justice Ethics - Essay Example However, from the My Lai outrage at the height of the Vietnam war in the 1970s to the Guantanamo Bay horrors more recently, American law-enforcement authorities have behaved as though they are a law unto themselves and, therefore, not subject to the laws of the land; worse, the government has often tried to get round the judiciary to help the offenders get away with their crimes. Little wonder, therefore, that our true national heroes are the likes of Hugh Thompson who, at the height of the My Lai massacre, had saved the lives of children by holding guns to the heads of his compatriot soldiers committing cold-blooded murder, and later admitted as much. But this individual act of heroism was more than neutralized by the brutality with which an uprising by inmates of Attica Correctional Facility in western New York was put down, the racial bias exhibited at the Pelican Bay prison, and the killing of Dilawar, a taxi driver, in Afghanistan as shown in the documentary "Taxi to the Dark Side", and the FBI's complicity in the plot to have Joseph Salvati sentenced to imprisonment for 32 years on a false charge of murder to protect Mafia murderers in Boston who really were its own informants. Saving Grace The saving grace came as recently as on June 15, 2008, when the Supreme Court dismissed as specious the argument of the Bush administration that in wartime it should be deemed to have the right to exercise of what really were extra-judicial powers, circumventing the constitutionally established judiciary.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Assignment week 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Week 3 - Assignment Example A defendant is overwhelmed by his attorney s references to legal code numbers and statute paragraphs. He does not understand what these terms mean. The communication between these two parties suffers from __________. After reading the articles entitled, â€Å"Read, At Rilers, a Roadblock to Reform† and â€Å"Experience NIC’s Blended Leadership for Captains† as well as watching the video â€Å"Roselinde Torres: What it takes to be a great leader†, what leadership issues do you envision addressing as senior management of a correctional facility? What steps would you endorse and implement to address those chosen issues? Do not forget to provide applicable examples from the articles and video in your response.----- The leadership issue that should be envisioned is that the senior manahgement should be bold in order to avoid compromising their authenticity. They should exercise their full authority in order to obtain the desired goals. During the course of a raid, communication between SWAT team members suffered as excessive static overwhelmed radios. Within the communication process, this static can be viewed as ________ since it interfered with the communication. A correctional officer is upset with the way shifts are scheduled. He decides to air a grievance with the correctional sergeant and provide feedback about the way the sergeant is scheduling work. The officers communication is best considered ________. A training academy instructors trains new recruits on the legal code by communicating to them the relevant laws/statutes that they should be aware of. The training academy instructor, in this example, is the ________ in the communication process. A prison warden regularly consults with her staff regarding key policy decisions, soliciting their input and asking them to vote on major changes. This

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Research paper about lululemon Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

About lululemon - Research Paper Example The industry also has many established players such as Nike, Adidas, and GAP inc. among others. Economic factors such as increasing production costs and regulated prices across political jurisdictions are significant. Legal provisions such as intellectual property laws and political environments such as trade policies are also significant (Forgeon, et al. 38, 40). Delta Galil is one of the major suppliers. The supplier is established, with about 10000 workers and annual revenue of about one billion dollars. This suggests stability of the suppliers whose clients include Lululemon’s major competitors such as Nike. Eclat Textile company is another of the suppliers, has high revenue level and deals in Lululemon’s competitors. Workday INC is another major supplier. The suppliers are stable and deal with Lululemon’s competitors, a factor that suggests fair supplier powers, but Lululemon only commands a limited percentage of the suppliers’ revenues, and this limits its bargaining powers (Forgeon, et al. 25, 26). Lululemon’s distinct product design is one of its strengths ans allows it to develop brand image. The design also aims at establishing product quality and therefore develops a competitive advantage. The attained high quality also allows for price increase towards greater profit margins. Short lifecycle that ensures faster product inception is also strength and allows the company to respond to possible dynamic changes in the market. Research and development that focus on data from customers’ opinions is strength and allows for immediate response to customers’ changing needs (Forgeon, et al. 18, 19). The company has limited partnerships in distribution of products and this is its major weakness. Apart from its retail stores, Lululemon only deals with clubs and studios, while partnerships with other stores and franchises could facilitate more revenues. The company has significant growth opportunities in North America and

Monday, July 22, 2019

How to Invest Like Warren Buffett Essay Example for Free

How to Invest Like Warren Buffett Essay Introduction Simplicity is the best word to describe the life of philanthropist and mega-billionaire Warren Buffett. The same single word also depicts his multi-billion worth of investment principles and strategies (Cunningham, 2008, p. 18). For more than fifty years Buffett was able to build a multi-billion investment empire with his simple investment philosophy. Like his more than 60 billion dollar fortune under his name, Buffett, who is by far the greatest philanthropist of all time for donating almost all of his wealth to the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, is also one of the most observed and most admired personalities in business with countless of articles, books and blogs written about him. If most common people look at him as the most generous man in the world today, people in the corporate world regard him as the greatest guru— or even ‘God’— in the realm of investment. With his great fortune, he is considered ‘God’ in investment because of his ability to spot real value when everybody focuses their attention on market movements and because of his unparalleled skills and knowledge to transform simplicity into greatness. If most billionaires like Bill Gates and Lakshmi Mittal built their business empires through managing profitable technology corporations and industrial firms, Buffett made billions by simply knowing how and when to invest his money. How He Started To know more about the investing secrets of Warren Buffett, it is necessary to look at how he managed his most precious property— his life, and how he lives it (Schroeder, 2008, p.1). He learned how and when to earn money at an early age, and he filed his first income tax return when he was only 13 (Sosik, 2006, p.149). Buffett’s value investment career started when he put his money in Berkshire Hathaway, a little known and ignored holding company based in Omaha, Nebraska in the 60’s. Now everybody is startled to know that if you invested $10,000 in the company in 1965, the value of that money today would be more than $30 million (Investopedia Staff, 2007). If his close billionaire friend Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University to focus on Microsoft Corporation, Buffett, who is known in the business world as ‘Oracle of Omaha,’ was rejected by Harvard Business School. This experience somehow taught him a great deal not only about business but also about life. To most people Harvard is one of the best, if not the best, schools in the world, but Buffett thought otherwise— his basis of choosing school was not the institution, but the people who would impart the requisite knowledge and values. So when asked about his mentors, Buffett only had three people on top of his mind— his father, Benjamin Graham, and Phil Fisher. His father— Howard Buffett— taught him the positive values he needed to live, while Graham and Fisher taught him the basic principles in investment and how to make money in this profession. His investment style is consisted in the following rubric— think outside the box. When he graduated from college, he wanted to make money in Wall Street, but his father and Graham discouraged him (Miles, 2004, p. 30). The two believed that there were great opportunities waiting for him outside Wall Street. That was the time when everybody wanted to work on Wall Street and when everybody focused their attention on the stock market. Buffett believes that stocks are more than just an asset or capital; it is business. His Philosophy It would be futile to know the secrets of his billion dollar secrets without knowing how he thinks and what he believes in. Unfortunately, most of his biographers failed miserably to look into what is in the mind of the world’s greatest investor. In fact, a review of some literatures and articles would reveal that they just focus on the extrinsic side of Warren Buffett; they failed to look at the intrinsic aspect of his life. Many believe that his philosophy is consisted in these two major Buffet rules— first, never lose capital; and second, don’t ever forget the first rule (Miles, 2004, p. 70). It would be best to say that this does not embody Buffett’s philosophy but rather his tactical investment approach. A business philosophy is something that one holds as his primary direction in life— the fountainhead of his concepts and beliefs, the beacon of his goal, and the reason for living. Buffertt’s business philosophy can be expressed by his following simple quote— â€Å"Be feaful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful† (Hagstrom, 1997, p. 52). Essentially this buffett-line expresses the inherent nature of free-market system, which he and his friend Bill Gates have in common. Under a free-market system, it is rational and ethical to be greedy, since the primary goal of a capitalist is not just to earn profit but to expand it and ensure that it creates limitless profits and opportunities. For some this statement may sound ironic or paradoxical since it contradicts the popular or media-fed persona of Warren Buffett. With this belief— that greed is good, Buffett was able to transform his meager investment into a multi-billion dollar empire that even exceeded that of Gates and Mittal. His investment experience proves that by creatively and greedily investing one’s money— one can make a good or even great fortune out of creative value investment. So what does it take to be like Warren Buffett? Definitely it takes a rational and moral philosophy, proper knowledge, and non-conventional investment point of view to follow the billion dollar investment footsteps of Buffett. But what is the role of philosophy in Warren Buffett’s billion dollar investment strategy? The problem with most people is that they tend to mainly focus on tips, secrets, or strategies. Most successful people did not achieve their status by keeping ‘success secrets’ or ‘strategies’ but by putting into action a rational philosophy that motivates and creates values. A simple look at the life and investment career of Buffett would reveal that it is his rational philosophy that continues to motivate him— that keeps on pushing him to do what he does best. As what Fridson said, budding investors must focus on â€Å"uncompromisingly rational investment philosophy† of Warren Buffett. This is because investment secrets or strategies can be absorbed or learned in a very short span of time or even overnight, but it takes an indefinite period of time to absorb and embody a rational philosophy to translate these secrets or strategies to reality. Of course, this billionaire will not exactly say what people would like to know. Contrary to the many written articles about his investment secrets or strategies, Buffett’s secret is in fact consisted only of three simple words that should be practiced everyday— â€Å"read, research, and think† (Miles, 2004, p. 70). Vague and ambiguous as it may seem but this three-pronged strategy is what Buffet practiced and embodied throughout his more than fifty years in the world of investment. That is why it is stressed in this paper that simplicity best describes the life and investment principles of Buffett. For example, this read-research-think approach of Buffett is the essential element of his cigar-butt investment method. Buffett in fact creatively applied this three-pronged approach in his early years as a value investor. Unlike most investors, Buffett put much premium on his rational judgment than on what most people see in the market. His investment style can be likened to that of a diamond prospector. He knows how to assess which diamond is real or not in just a single glance. He reads, he researches, and he thinks. His Investment Strategy Buffett’s investment strategy is governed by two rules and a number of principles. These dual rules have been mentioned above. This sets the difference between his investment philosophy and his investment strategy. Thus in this paper, Buffett’s investment strategy is composed of rules and principles. Under his primary rule, it is not sensible or moral for an investor to invest and then later on lose his money. Thus this can be avoided by paying attention to his three-pronged investment approach— read, research, and think. By following the aforementioned approach, a young investor may be able to discover several things that are essential in investment’s decision-making process. Buffett considered Graham as his investing mentor. According to Miles (2004, p. 72), it was the Graham school from which Buffett learned not just the basics but also the quantitative principles in investment. On the other hand, he learned a great deal about Fisher’s qualitative side of investment, such as brand, management skills, soft skills, and competition. Thus he said: â€Å"I am an active reader of everything Phil Fisher has to say† (Miles, 2004, p. 72). Now every promising and even established investor is eager to hear what he has to say. Despite his unparalleled success as an investor, he still gives credit to his two mentors, as he likes to say that he is 85 percent Graham and 15 percent Fisher (Hagstrom, 1997, p. 27). The reason why it is important to read, research and think is because in investment, it is highly indispensable to consider the following aspects: a) study the business; b) know well who runs it; c) put money in profits; and the most important of all d) have self-esteem. On the other hand, Buffett’s basic steps when investing are the following (Miles, 2004, p. 70): Determine how much you own Conduct research before buying Focus on business ownership not on stock ownership Simplify investments to manageable proportions Keep a single decision to hold a stock and be a continuing holder For example, before investing his money, Buffett researched first the nature and potentials of Gillette, which is still the world’s top producer of razor blade. Warren’s holding company Berkshire Hathaway invested $600 million in Gillette in 1989; four years ago it already owned 11 percent of said company. This means that from the original $600 million investment, Warren’s holding company’s investment grew up to over $3 billion. When he decided to purchase Gillette, he did not mind its value in the market but the potential profits it could muster in the long run. As a value investor, Buffett put money in securities with low prices according to their intrinsic value. In determining the value of a stock, there is no commonly acknowledged method to get the right figure. Basically, the focus of value investors is not on what the market says but on what the company’s potentials and fundamentals offer. This is because there are some companies that are undervalued by the market yet with good potentials to grow and rake in long-term profits. This is the attitude that Buffett showed to modern investors. Markets only reflect the short-term value of a company, and it takes proper knowledge, better understanding, and courage to discover which company is undervalued and has the capacity to establish a long-term profit-making success. His investment methodology Buffett’s methodology is composed of quantitative aspects in value investment. Under this process, he considers the relation between a stock’s quality and its value. Based on his method, the return on equity is equivalent to net income over shareholder’s equity (Investopedia Staff, 2007). One thing that Buffett considers is debt/equity. Before investing, he conducts research whether a company kept away from excess obligation. This is actually a basic principle in investment— do not invest in a company with huge debt. To Buffett, a debt-ridden company has a low capacity to guarantee return on equity. Debt/equity can be measured by dividing the total amount of obligations by shareholders’ equity (Investopedia Staff, 2007). If a company has more debt than equity, it is not advisable to put money in such company since it uses debt to finance its assets and operations. For instance, a company that has a higher ratio of debt vis-à  -vis equity has an unpredictable earning capacity and is prone to high interest expenses (Vick, 2000, p. 169). When one is investing in a particular company, it is advisable to look at the long-term obligation rather than the total amount of debt. Another aspect that is considered by Buffett is the profit margin. However it is not only important to know if a company’s profit margin is high, what is more important is to know whether it is growing. The capacity of a company to earn long-term profits relies not merely on having a positive profit margin but on constantly expanding this profit scope as well. The attitude of Buffett towards investment can be explained by how he managed Berkshire Hathaway. He purchases stocks to keep the same and he does not look at stocks as a commodity that can be bought and sold but as a business entity. His investment style is simple— he buys stocks and treats them as his own business, and this business makes profits not just for a short span of time but for as long as it stays profitable. He also considers the age of the company— the longer the better. Those that stay in the business for at least ten years are good investment opportunities. Since Buffett admits that he only has a limited knowledge in technology corporations he only puts money in a business which he absolutely understands. He puts much premium on longevity, and this principle brought him where he is right now. When he invested in Berkshire Hathaway, he envisioned of a long-term business that could earn a limitless amount of profit. This is what he learned from Graham, which most researchers consider as the proponent of old school in investment. Perhaps the new school in investment is the buy-and-sell style of most investors wherein profits are short-term and limited. Interestingly, Buffett also looks at the nature of business of a particular company. If most investors usually look at numerical figures, Buffett focuses on the qualitative sides of a company. For example, if a company depends on a commodity like gas and oil, he thinks that such company only offers limited returns on equity (Investopedia Staff, 2007). If the product of a company is identical from those of its market rivals, he thinks that competition would hamper the profit-making ability of such company. To understand the importance of this approach in investment, it is necessary to look at the biggest stock holdings of Berkshire Hathaway. The holding company owns 9.5 percent of Gillette, which is the leader in razor blade industry (Jubak, 2004). It also owns 9.2 percent or $10.1 billion of Coca-Cola, which is one of the biggest companies in the beverage industry. The other companies which Berkshire has shareholdings are the following: American Express, American Standard, Ameriprise Financial, Anheuser Busch, Burlington Northern, Comcast, Comdisco, Conoco Phillips, Diageo, First Data Corp., Gannett Inc., GAP, HR Block, Home Depot Inc., Ingersoll-Rd Co., Iron Mountain, Johnson Johnson, among many others (Losch Management Co., 2006). Conclusion Billionaire Warren Buffett is indeed an unconventional value investor who thinks outside the box. At a time when most people paid attention to what the stock market says, Buffett relied only on his competent judgment, on his rational philosophy, and on his self-styled investment principles and strategies. That investment philosophy— be greedy when others are fearful put him to where he is right now, with billions of dollars in his. Despite his unmatched success, he remains humble and still retains the ethical values he learned from his father (Boroson, 2002, p. 18). In business, greed is moral and good. In contrast, fear is something that must be overcome to earn limitless profits from investment. Indeed, Buffett attained his unparalleled success by being ‘greedy’ while others cowered in fear of losing their money.   Taken as a whole, his investment tactic can be summarized into three essential principles— a) make your strategy simple and understandable; b) be consistent with your operations and approaches; c) focus on positive long-standing prospects. One interesting point to take into account is that Buffett’s philosophy and investment strategies never contradict each other. When he advises new investors to be ‘greedy,’ he means profits and business. And when he tells people who would like to follow his footsteps to read, research, and think, he would like them to rely on their own judgment and not be affected by other people’s opinion and market trends. With his more than fifty years in business, Buffett introduced the importance of self-esteem in investment. That it is important to rely on one’s moral judgment. By relying on his own judgment, Buffett maximized his profit-making capacity through Berkshire Hathaway. This means that there is no difference between the work ethics and potentials of a value investor and an industrialist. If Bill Gates and Lakshmi Mittal both create technology through their colossal industrial empires, Buffett creates limitless potentials through his creative and self-inspired investment principles. REFERENCES Boroson, W. (2002). J.K. Lasser’s Pick Stock Like Warren Buffett. New York: Wiley Cunningham, L.A. (2002). How to Think Lke Benjamin Graham and Invest Like Warren Buffett. New York: McGrawhill Professional. Losch Management Co. (2006). Berkshire Hathaway Stock Holdings 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2008, from http://www.loschmanagement.com/Berkshire%20Hathaway/Berkshire%20Holdings/2006.pdf Hagstrom, R.G. (1997). The Warren Buffett Way: The Investment Strategies of the World’s Greatest Investor. New York: Wiley. Investopedia Staff (2007, September 21). Warren Buffett: How He Does It. International Business Times. Retrieved December 11, 2008, from http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20070921/how-he-does-it.htm Miles, R.P. (2004). Warren Buffett Wealth. Principles and Tactical Methods Used by the World’s Greatest Investor. London: Wiley Sosik, J.J. (2006). Leading With Character.   North Carolina: Information Age Publishing. Vick, T.P. (2000). How to Pick Stock Like Warren Buffett. New York: McGrawhill Professional.

Cpk Case Essay Example for Free

Cpk Case Essay California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. (CPK) is a United States based dining restaurants chain. The company primarily offers a mixture of assortments of hearth-baked pizzas, a wide variety of unique appetizers, desserts, pastas, salads, soups and sandwiches. CPK operates across more than 253 locations in 32 states, the District of Columbia and 10 foreign countries. It owns 205 and 48 franchised restaurants across the world and is headquartered at Dover, Delaware. An external analysis of the California Pizza Kitchen reveals several challenges facing the business: Political, economical, social and technological changes to be specific. CPK’s communication strategy focuses on marketing the California Pizza Kitchen brand through many creative and non-traditional avenues. As one of the pioneers of premium pizza, they continue to benefit from national media attention featuring their co-founders and co-CEOs, Richard Rosenfield and Larry Flax, this is believed to provide CPK with a noteworthy competitive advantage. New restaurant openings, high-profile fundraisers and media events currently serve as the focal point of their public relations and media outreach efforts. As early as 2009 CPK landed a sponsorship agreement with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Los Angeles Kings to promote California Pizza Kitchen at Angel Stadium and STAPLES Center, respectively. In the same year their public relations efforts led to coverage on a national level in various outlets including the Business Week Magazine, ESPN the Magazine, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, The View, FOX National News and CNBC Power Lunch. CPK’s objective is to expand its leadership position in the restaurant and premium pizza market by selling original, high quality pizzas in addition to creative salads, distinctive pastas and related products and by providing extraordinary customer service, thus building a high degree of customer loyalty, brand awareness and superior returns for stockholders. To reach these objectives, CPK plan to increase the market share by expanding their restaurant base in new and existing markets, leveraging their partnerships in non-traditional and retail channels and offering inventive menu items. CPK is pursuing a disciplined growth strategy that, to be successful, depends on the ability and the ability of franchisees and licensees to open new restaurants and to operate these new restaurants on a profitable basis. Successful growth depends on numerous factors including: the hiring, training and retention of qualified working ersonnel, especially managers; competition for restaurant sites; negotiation of favorable lease terms; timely development of new restaurants, including the availability of construction materials and labor; management of construction and development costs of new restaurants; securing required governmental approvals and permits; competition in our markets; and general economic conditions

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Japanese Imperialism and WW2

Japanese Imperialism and WW2 What role did Japanese imperialism play in origins of the Second World War and broader rivalries between the great powers? Over its short duration, the Empire of Japan was known to be a modern industrialised nation and a global power in the eyes of the west. Since the First World War, Japan’s military-dominated empire had long been preparing for its pursuit of imperialism. Between the period of 1931-1945, Japan aggressively moved towards expanding its territory through a series of conflicts against China and eventually the United States. Although Japan was faced against strong western competition, the vast imperial advances made by the Japanese had high impact upon the origins of the Second World War. This essay will discuss the origins and actions of imperialism in Japan and its importance in regards to the Second World War. To Japan, to be a modern power, much like that of the west, mean to be a colonial power. After the Meiji Restoration of the nineteen century that reformed Japan’s economic, political and social status, Japan finally had the industrial power to achieve some of its aims. Japan pursued a forceful foreign policy of expansion for the same reasons the Europeans did, including economic as well as nationalist reasons. In 1894, Japan was primarily trade oriented, despite the presence of important elements of industry. By 1930 it was industrial[1]. In the twentieth century, Japanese imperialism became more aggressive and confident after successes against foreign powers. Much like the Sino-Japanese war in 1894, which Japan won in 1895, Japan was strengthened by loses on China’s behalf such as Taiwan and the influence over Korea[2]. The victory was proof to the Japanese that modern weaponry worked and raised Japan’s reputation in the eyes of the west. This reputation was gre atly magnified to not only the west, but to the whole world, when Japan defeated the Russian Empire during the Russo-Japanese war from 1904-1905. The attack on the Russian Navy moored at Port Arthur before the formal announcement of war was so successful, the tactic was later used on Pearl Harbour[3]. In the eyes of many Asians living under Imperialism, it shattered the myth of European invincibility and proved that an Asian power could defeat a European one. After the First World War, Japan had been accepted by the Western Powers as a notable imperial power. By incorporating some of the European ideologies, Japan had been successful in its advances. Though, in the interwar period, most countries in Europe did not want another war. However, since Japan had not suffered as much as some European countries had, the reluctance to engage in warfare was not instilled in their imperialist actions. The empire, by the First World War, had expanded to Taiwan, Korea, the Pacific Island chains and Manchuria. Initially, Manchuria was a forethought to the expansion of the empire: it was not a strategic focus or had high importance of foreign policy[4]. However after 1931 Japan revaluated their strategic plan and focused their power on expanding their empire in the Northeast. Late in 1931, Japan experimented their power, invading the Chinese province of Manchuria and setting up a violently repressive puppet state. In its invasion of Manchuria, Japan had set into motion the first acts of the steps towards World War II that would start about a decade later. However, China was incapable to fight against the invasion due to national political and economic conflict, the allied countries were also practically helpless. Historian Robert Thompson states that America was not prepared to offer military backing to intervene, it however issued ‘The Stimson Doctrine’ which reinforced the allied interest in China. Thompson states that â€Å"by asserting the right to guarantee Chinas survival in the face of Japanese aggression, America acknowledged itself as a major player in the East Asian power game†[5]. It is obvious that many foundations were in place for the Second World War almost decade before the conflict had begun. With this modification the objectives of Japanese imperialism came more obviously into line with the stage of national economic growth, which is highly unusual among empires. The nations of north-east Asia, containing Japan, Korea, Manchukuo, north China, and Taiwan, were to constitute a region in which heavy industry was to be developed. The rest of the occupied area, brought under Japanese control, would serve as the industrial core to spread earnings and trade raw resources[6]. The gain of various resources by Japan, notably in Manchuria, made a trend to the Japanese that imperialism is highly beneficial to their economy. Their economic approach proved beneficial to Japan. War Historian William Beasley states that the foreign investment rate in the â€Å"United States increased, but was always very small. Japan’s grew enormously: from negligible amounts in 1902 to 1,136 million dollars in 1931, that is, to 35 per cent†[7]. Japan’s aggressive imperialism combin ed with its dramatic economic growth, gave allied Western countries reason for alarm before the start of the Second World War. The expansion of the Japanese empire came with their aggressive authority, which proved to be a large concern to the western powers. With the success in their imperial advances and in the period where Japan was seemingly isolated from the international conquest, nationalistic, along with militaristic, sentiments soared within Japan. The attitude was expressed in a speech by General Araki in 1933: â€Å"Needless to say, the Imperial Armys spirit lies in exalting the Imperial Way and spreading the National Virtue. Every single bullet must be charged with the Imperial Way and the end of every bayonet must have the National Virtue burnt into it.[8]† The nature of Japanese imperialism was very similar to western imperialism, notably British. Much like that of the British conquests a decade earlier, Japanese ideologies in imperialism were believed that not all Asians were equally qualified to take part in it[9]. Like that of the comparison between the treatment of aboriginal Austral ians to the treatment native New Zealanders, the Japanese behaved differently in north-east Asia to south-east Asia[10]. Inhabitants of north-east Asia were seen to the Japanese as civilized and were able to be reformed – like that of New Zealanders. The treatment of Japanese rule in China was part of an awareness of shared racial and cultural similarities. In south-east Asia, much like the treatment of aboriginal Australians, the Japanese saw themselves as saviours to the people. There were many issues, however. When co-operation was not imminent, obedience was the only accepted substitute. Differences in the actions of authority between the British and Japanese were no surprise: the Japanese authority reflected the difference in historical experience of the region and were no greater, after all, than those to be found within the British Commonwealth.[11] Japanese imperialism caused many rivalries with the ‘great powers’, notably the United States. Escalating conflicts between China and Japan influenced American relations, and contributed to pushing America towards a war with Japan with the attack on Pearl Harbour. As America was a long-time ally of China, the response to the invasion and the genocide was to deny Japan necessary resources, such as oil and metal. Without oil and metal, Japan’s production would be dramatically slowed. The attack on China was seen to be an insult to the American nation. The statement by academic George Blakeslee in American Foreign Affairs describes the difference between the American and Japanese imperialism and the Japanese insult. †The United States is a vast territory with a great population vis-à  -vis a dozen Caribbean republics, each with a relatively small area and population. Japan, on the other hand, is a country with a relatively small area and population vis-à  -vi s the vast territory and great population of China.[12]† However, the Japanese influence in south-east Asia was a political and economic necessity to prevent western influence from crippling Japan by limited their materials and sea-lanes[13]. Faced with severe deprivations as a result of the American constraint and unable to retreat from China, Japan’s leaders swiftly responded to the American’s restriction, which resulted in the attack upon Pearl Harbour. The imperialist actions on behalf of the Japanese created deep rivalry with America, a former ally, which led to the start of the Pacific War. The Second World War, however, was not sparked only by Japanese expansion into China, there were many other factors that led Japan, and the world, to war. A highly militaristic national ideology prevailed in Japan. The shaping of young men to be soldiers began early: in the 1930s, children toys became a form to familiarize children with weaponry, such as toy soldiers, tanks, rifles and guns as common day toys[14]. Japanese schools also operated like imitation military units, with strict discipline being common practice. Even the emperor was dressed in military attire. The leaders of Japan also often felt a need to prove that their military strength was significant and tough, and this was often a common contributing factor in the origins of wars. The formation of the axis alliance was also a prominent push for war. After being isolated from the ‘international community’ and with concern for the power of America and Britain, the alliance between Japan, Italy and Germany li nked the powers together for war. As both powers despised the European powers and had strong senses of fascism within their empires, although with different nationalities, the alliance with Germany and Italy was an effect measure to expanding Japan’s control. Japanese imperialism played a prominent role in the origin of the Second World War. With the aggressive expansion into China, Japan started the quest for war a decade before it expanded into a worldwide conflict. The imperialist actions led to rise of Japanese expansion and power. Japan’s pursuit for empire that eventually led to Pearl Harbor, would create rivalries with the ‘great powers’ and the origins of the Second World War. Word Count: 1856 (with footnotes) References Beasley, W.G.,Japanese Imperialism, 1894-1945. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987. Blakeslee, George H. THE JAPANESE MONROE DOCTRINE. Foreign Affairs 11, no. 4 (July 1933): 671-681. Chang, Iris. The Rape Of Nanking. New York: BasicBooks, 1997 Crozier, Andrew J. The Causes Of The Second World War. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1997 Laurie Barber and Ken Henshall, The Last War of Empires: Japan and the Pacific War, Auckland: David Batement Ltd, 1999 Jung-Bong, Choi. Mapping Japanese Imperialism onto Postcolonial Criticism. Social Identities 9, no. 3 (September 2003): 325-336 S Araki, â€Å"Imperial way†, (speech, January 23 1933); quoted in Ion, A Hunt, B, War And Diplomacy Across The Pacific 1919-1952, (Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press 1988), 140 Thomas, Charles S. S. World War II. InEncyclopedia of Violence, Peace, and Conflict, 2512-2524. Elsevier, 2010. Thompson, Robert Smith. Empires on the Pacific: World War II and the Struggle for the Mastery of Asia. New York: Basic Books, 2001 Young, Louise. Twentieth Century Japan : The Emergence of a World Power, Volume 8 : Japans Total Empire : Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998. [1] Beasley, W.G., Japanese Imperialism, 1894-1945. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987), 251 [2] Young, Louise. Twentieth Century Japan : The Emergence of a World Power, Volume 8 : Japans Total Empire : Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.), 89 [3] Beasley, Japanese Imperialism, 1894-1945, 69 [4] Laurie Barber and Ken Henshall, The Last War of Empires: Japan and the Pacific War, (Auckland: David Batement Ltd, 1999), 56 [5] Thompson, Robert Smith. Empires on the Pacific: World War II and the Struggle for the Mastery of Asia. (New York: Basic Books, 2001), 39 [6] Beasley, Japanese Imperialism, 1894-1945, 255 [7] Beasley, Japanese Imperialism, 1894-1945, 134 [8] S Araki, â€Å"Imperial way†, ( speech, January 23 1933); quoted in Ion, A Hunt, B, War And Diplomacy Across The Pacific 1919-1952, (Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press 1988), 140 [9] Beasley, Japanese Imperialism, 1894-1945, 256 [10] Beasley, Japanese Imperialism, 1894-1945, 256 [11] Beasley, Japanese Imperialism, 1894-1945, 257 [12] Blakeslee, George H, THE JAPANESE MONROE DOCTRINE. Foreign Affairs 11, no. 4 (July 1933): 671-681. [13] Crozier, Andrew J. The Causes Of The Second World War. (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1997), 198 [14] Chang, Iris. The Rape Of Nanking. (New York: BasicBooks, 1997), 29

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Heroics of Women in Ibsens A Dolls House Essay -- A Dolls House Essays

Heroics of Women in Ibsens A Dolls House The Heroics of Women Henrik Ibsen’s â€Å"A Doll’s House† is a play about a young wife and her husband. Nora and Helmer seem to be madly in love with one another and very happy with their lives together. Yet the conflict comes into this show when Nora brags to her friend Ms. Linde about how she had forged her father’s name to borrow money to save her husband’s life and how she had been secretly paying off this debt. Helmer finds out about this crime and is furious, until he finds that no one will ever know about it. This entire conflict is written to bring to light the ridiculous social expectations demanded of both women and men. Ibsen expertly leads the audience into accepting that these social expectations are foolish and wrong. The audience buys into this so much that in the end when Nora stands firm and refuses to bow down to what society demands of her, we see her as the hero. The social expectations of men in the late nineteenth century was of a more patriarchal thought-line then it is today. The man of the house was expected to be the sole provider. This works best for the families of that time, because they believed that by natural design men alone were capable of managing money wisely and carefully. The first scene of the show we see Helmer and Nora acting out this belief. Helmer comes in and he and Nora argue over how much can be spent for Christmas. â€Å"Has the little spendthrift been out throwing money around again? (Ibsen 1569)† He naturally assumes that Nora, being a woman, is out frivolously wasting money. This belief comes very naturally to Helmer. He is the model man of his time, as well as this one. He has a bright future ahead, cares for his family, is kind to his w... ...e door of the apartment she begins her journey to find the truth and to leave the lies and illusions behind (Hemmer 82). She sets out to cure her childishness by going out to learn of life without someone coloring it to their pleasing for her. Nora’s faults that are present throughout the play are evidence of her childlike nature. Nora constantly is munching on and subsequently hiding candy, she off-handedly lies, and also can’t resist bragging to Ms. Linde about what she has done (Boyesen 214). Nora walks out the door to find herself and to learn of life. She leaves the audience much as Ms. Linde met them. She has no hope or future and is alone. She is paralleled to Rank by his exiting his life into the unknown of death completely alone, and she exits her life to enter the unknown of the real world, the world that had been hidden and kept from her (Northam 108)

Friday, July 19, 2019

Logical and Physical Network Design :: essays research papers

Hi everyone, my name is Randi Griffin. I live on St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. Now I know what you are thinking: I live in paradise, so my life must be cake. Well, it is not. I am a wife, mother, and business owner. I am also very involved with my church. It does not matter that I live here, life is still life, it’s just a lot warmer than it is in the states. My primary email address is bear@vipowernet.net; my secondary email address is rgrif@email.uophx.edu. My work and home phone are the same: (340) 772-6049. That is my fax number, also. My cell# is (340) 513-9534. I went to college for three years at Salem State College in Massachusetts. My major was Computer Science. It was a blast. My professors and fellow classmates were awesome. We had a lot of fun. It was a small school, and a small CS department consisting of 3 professors and about 20 students. Luckily, most of my classmates were in my math courses, too. They were tough. I learned how to program with ADA. It is a military computer program and very robust. Most people consider it outdated because it’s not as risky and powerful as C++, but when it comes to military programming, I think the language had better be idiot-proof. It was a great learning tool, although I here that SSC has now switched to Java for the primary learning language. What I learned in SSC was a lot of mathematics and logic and how mathematics and logic applies to computer software. I learned how to build applications, and how systems and the SDLC work. A lot of what I am learning at UOP is repetitive of what I learned at SSC. My family and I moved to the VI in the beginning of my senior year at SSC, and I didn’t return to higher learning for two years after we moved. I felt I was out of the loop, so I decided that it was best to repeat the classes I took at SSC to bring myself up to speed. I am glad I did, because this is when I learned Java, Microsoft Project, Access and SQL Server. I've touched a little bit on networking at SSC, but never in the detail that was involved in the last course I took. My work experience in the IT field is limited.

James Baldwins Stranger in the Village Essay -- James Baldwin Strange

James Baldwin's Stranger in the Village In paragraph three of James Baldwin's 'Stranger in the Village' (1955), he alludes to emotions that are significant, dealing with conflicts that arise in the Swiss village. Of these emotions are two, astonishment and outrage, which represent the relevant feelings of Baldwin, an American black man. These two emotions, for Baldwin's ancestors, create arguments about the 'Negro' and their rights to be considered 'human beings' (Baldwin 131). Baldwin, an American Negro, feels undeniable rage toward the village because of the misconception of his complexion, a misconception that denies Baldwin human credibility and allows him to be perceived as a 'living wonder' (129). Baldwin and his ancestors share this common rage because of the reflections their culture has had on the rest of society, a society consisting of white men who have thrived on using false impressions as a weapon throughout American history. Baldwin gives credit to the fact that no one can be held responsible for what history has unfolded, but he remains restless for an explanation about the perception of his ancestors as people. In Baldwin?s essay, his rage becomes more directed as the ?power of the white man? becomes relevant to the misfortune of the American Negro (Baldwin 131). This misfortune creates a fire of rage within Baldwin and the American Negro. As Baldwin?s American Negro continues to build the fire, the white man builds an invisible wall around himself to avoid confrontation about the actions of his ?forefathers? (Baldwin 131). Baldwin?s anger burns through his other emotions as he writes about the enslavement of his ancestors and gives the reader a shameful illusi on of a Negro slave having to explai... ...as a reader I must understand that his opinions are supported by his true, raw emotions. These negative feelings shared by all of his ancestors were too strong to just pass by as meaningless emotions. Baldwin created an outlook simply from his honest views on racial issues of his time, and ours. Baldwin?s essay puts the white American to shame simply by stating what he perceived as truth. Baldwin isn?t searching for sympathy by discussing his emotions, nor is he looking for an apology. I feel that he is pointing out the errors in Americans? thinking and probably saying, ?Look at what you people have to live with, if and when you come back to the reality of ?our? world.? Work Cited Baldwin, James. ?Strange in the Village.? Inventing America: Readings in Identity and Culture. Ed. Gabriella Ibieta and Miles Orvell. New York: St. Martins, 196. 126-35.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

12th Night Essay

Did Shakespeare’s characters get what they deserve? To what extent? The majority of Shakespeare’s characters did not get what they deserved in the end, there definitely is a strong scent of injustice that hangs in the air around Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. This, however, does not mean that it made life harder for his characters. In quite a few cases, it actually leaves them better off. Nevertheless, this is not to say that they are not punished for their wrong deeds, sometimes in ways that are completely unfair.Shakespeare shows us painful truth of the injustice that exits within humanity. In the case of Malvolio, we are quick to act, but not to investigate. We also learn that love can fix many things, but it can also tear them apart, as we see with Olivia, Orsino, Sebastian and Viola. Also, as seen through the character of Antonio, bad things can be forgotten if a good enough deed replaces it. As many of us know, humanity is infamous for their willingness to ju dge and act against a person before they fully investigate the situation; Malvolio is just one example of this.We are aware that Malvolio did treat others in a derogatory manner, â€Å"Go hang yourselves all! You are idle, shallow things; I am not of your element,† – Malvolio, Act 3 Scene 4. He never actually incapacitated anyone; he never broke the law or strayed from his duties. He was simply just a spiteful individual and did not deserve to be imprisoned in a cage for however many hours of his life. I feel that this was an extreme measure and in the end, it may have inflicted more anger and discourtesy towards Sir Andrew, Sir Toby and Maria, reversing the entire effect their ‘plan’ was intended to make.When the truth was eventually exposed, and Malvolio freed after facing an invalid punishment, he was understandably furious, proclaiming, â€Å"I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you! † – Malvolio, Act 5 Scene 1. Perhaps this was a harsh act of karma, all we know is that Olivia was quick to accuse him without further evidence, proving that for once and for all that humanity is unjust. Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy, and romantic love is the play’s main focus. Despite the fact that the play offers a happy ending, in which the various lovers find one another and are married, Shakespeare shows that love can cause pain.Many of the characters seem to view love as a kind of curse, a feeling that attacks its victims suddenly and disruptively. Various characters claim to suffer painfully from being in love. At one point, Orsino describes love miserably as an â€Å"appetite† that he wants to satisfy and cannot, Act 1 Scene 1; at another point, he calls his desires â€Å"fell and cruel hounds,† Act 1 Scene 1. Olivia more bluntly describes love as a â€Å"plague† from which she suffers terribly, Act 1 Scene 5. These metaphors contain an element of violence, further painting the love-struc k as victims of some random force in the universe.Even the less melodramatic Viola sighs unhappily that â€Å"My state is desperate for my master’s love,† Act 2 Scene 2. This desperation has the potential to result in violence, as in Act 5 scene 1, when Orsino threatens to kill Cesario because he thinks that Cesario has abandoned him to become Olivia’s lover. Love is also exclusionary: some people achieve romantic happiness, while others do not. At the end of the play, as the happy lovers celebrate, Malvolio is prevented from having the objects of his desire.Malvolio, who has pursued Olivia, must eventually face the realization that he is a fool, socially undeserving of his noble mistress. Love, therefore, cannot overcome all obstacles, and those whose desires go unfulfilled remain no less in love but feel the sting of its absence even more severely. Sometimes in life, we can make up for our crimes, merely by doing respectable deeds instead. This is what Shakesp eare demonstrates for us through the character of Antonio. We become conscious that Antonio’s past is shadowed with unlawful activity when he voices to Sebastian of â€Å"many his enemies in Orsino’s court,† Act 2 Scene 3.Nevertheless, he still follows Sebastian, showing courage and loyalty. He then defends Viola (Dressed as Cesario but identical to Sebastian) from Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, bringing himself to the attention of the officers, who recognise him from his shady past and drag him away. Yet it is when Orsino sees him and Viola takes Antonio’s side, reimbursing the favour he did for her, that Orsino concludes that Antonio is free to go, insisting that he is a, â€Å"Notable pirate† and wonders how he, â€Å"Hast made thine enemies? Act 5 Scene 1. So he is pardoned of all of his corrupt deeds, purely because he was kind and displayed courage and determination. As a result, it is quite clear that no one in Twelfth Night truly gets what he or she deserves. Shakespeare’s plays are just as unjust as the world itself, perhaps this is why we love to read and watch his works, we can relate to them. Twelfth Night has helped to show me just how one-sided life can be, but also that that unfairness can also work in my favour.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Geometric Design Of Rural Roads Engineering Essay

It is a ample(a) known fact that pass accidents in S step to the foreh Africa atomic number 18 serious causes of concern. Harmonizing to the incumbent accident statistics at that moorage has been an improer in the cow chip of human demolitions.Harmonizing to the expression on the Arrive Alive nett site ( channel decease cost unaccept equal to(p) ) 1 dated 3 January 2010, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele is disap smudgeed with the avenue decease toll, stating that 1 human death on the state s roadstead is one excessively many. Preliminary statistics released by the section on 2 January 2010 revealed that 1050 plenty had died in spicy-pitched mood related incidents during celestial latitude 2009.N3 bridle- avenue refuge is non merely a depicted object concern for sulfur Africa entirely so a concern that requires the immediate attention of different states worldwide. The Commission for Global Road Safety has during June 2006 presented a study name M ake roads Safe 2 that could h aging an solvent on the behavior we approach passage true(p)guard. The study aims to concentre on political and public attention and relates to the be afteretary lastroad avocation endure epidemic that claims the lives of 1.2 million people and hurts about 50 million yearly.Table gay period figures December 2008StateClangFatalitiesDrivers nousengersPedestriansSumGeneral practitioner2066958105232KZN1944495109248WCP104353851124ECP117365653145FST83304235107MPU131655244161NWP81283840106LIM132598035174NCP2491953310733714784711331Beginning melody Focus March 2008, p38, Fatal Road chance event Statistics by Cielie Karow ( RTMC )The study excessively indicates that unprotected roads perplex a measurable impact on ontogenyal aims, snap officularly because of the huge economic and social cost of travel plan clangs to kickoff and intermediate income states. to the south Africa is in this class. It is of event that the acquaintanc e gained by exalted income states be transferred and employ in southmost Africa.The N3 path is a popular path during vacations and with high volumes of passenger and cargo calling on the roads, at that place is prone to be serious and ignominious accidents. Road fury, pep pill and device device driver behaviors be non the lone cause of these accidents. Holiday periods ar by and large during the rainy inure and course elements, especially drainpipe, contri simplye to accidents.Superelevationthither be changing rank of views and sentiments among complaisant engine room professionals on the use of superelevation set give in the protirelin 17 3 and SANRAL s nonrepresentationalalal jut out Guidelines 4 .The nonrepresentationalal name con human facerations choose to be reviewed particularly when it relates to highway go on drainpipe at points where the send off has no crossf wholly during evolution of superelevation. Presently the SANRAL drain Manual, 5th variation Final Revision, p5-2 5 recommends that the persist astuteness during a 15 yr storm should non transcend 6mm. This is in contrast to the Highway drainpipe Manual ( FHWA-TS-79-225 ) 6 recommendation of 4mm. Harmonizing to Highway tireface Design ( Transit New Zealand ) Manual 7 , the critical perspicaciousness for aquaplaning scopes from 4mm to 10mm depending on tire and paving material go up. The surface water perspicaciousness hence, should be restricted to 4mm for all but particular state of aff tonal patternss where superelevation produces pertinacious, curved fertilize waies. There be three cat valium particular state of affairss where surface water depict deepness whitethorn go critical, namely , plane alliance curvature, intersections and plys and superelevation increase.2.2 Why is the interrogation universe under summariseressn?Standards for superelevation where uplifted perpendicular classs wear a direct progeny on drainage on swim ming curves consent non been articulateed harmonizing to the TRB 8 . Drain jobs associated with superelevation has resulted in an addition ( particularly at track broadenings ) in vehicular accidents and a extreme survey of the surface pee ascend waies on pathway surfaces cod to superelevation subscribe tos need to be far investigated, searched and readd. The proposed abridgment and mount of the search proposal leave alone place the figures such as hurrying impacting the fomite kineticss at crisp or lessen plain curves where period of time waies of surface water allow for argon debatable and potful take to aquaplaning.Driver behavior during aquaplaning in continuative with the geometrical stick out of the street atomic number 18 factors considered in the look. This survey provide be through under profound vehicular traffic conditions during inauspicious conditions conditions. Context s out of work Design ( CSD* ) 9 for the geometric end of saf er roads testament be turn to in the explore survey.2.3 How go out the consequences add to the organic structure of recognition?The thyrotropin-releasing factor 17 papers was compiled to be a fancy guideline for the geometric stick out of farming(prenominal) roads in druthers to criterions. An aim of the TRH 17 was to endlessly amend the bill of exchange papers, with audience among the governments, treatment with practicians and on handout interrogation. This has non happened. It is common pattern by geometric subject decorators to utilize the TRH 17 papers for the forge of rural roads without oppugning the values obtained in the tabular arraies and graphs. The susceptibility of the guidelines should be judged by the geometric interior decorator in each specialized state of affairs every catch keen as the set up of going from the values suggested.Similarly SANRAL s Geometric Design Guidelines deal been sticked to military stand bying human body advisers. The inceptions of the guidelines stem from AASHTO 10 . presently there is no criterions veritable for SA and these guidelines be authority specific.Literature reassessmentThe literary works reappraisal leave alone depict the current province of cognition on the component and leave alone be researched. Applicable literary productions listed hereunder substantiate been identified.* Context sensitive design ( CSD ) asks inquiries inaugural about the demand and intent of the overfly under victorious, and so every bit addresses safety, mobility, and the delivery of scenic, aesthetic, historic, environmental, and different commwholey values. CSD involves a collaborative, interdisciplinary attack in which citizens ar per centum of the design squad. 3.1 Reference certificationRefer to list of mentions ( 11.3 itemisation of Mentions ) .How result the literature reappraisal data link with the job statement and research aims?The literature reappraisal gives a background and tooshie cognition to develop in this research survey.Case surveyAs factor of the on-going committedness towards route safety, appliance and mobility, N3TC conducted a comprehensive route safety audit in 2006 11 which highlighted upper as the chief cause of accidents at versatile locations a desire the N3 between Cedara and Heidelberg. Sections where velocity bounds are posted necessitates forbearance, throw in for decreases in velocity and full submerging on the put of drivers. Accidents in these countries much occur because drivers lose control payable to rushing, every bit good as the high velocity derived functions between heavy and light fomites. Mist and inauspicious conditions conditions have a important impact of driver conditions.forefront Reenen s retrogress is one of the intimately beautiful divisions of the N3 leading the scarp between the Free State and Kwazulu-Natal famed for its slippery and unstable roads ( especially as a consequence of the h abitual brumous conditions ) .The route is dunk, really steep in topographic points, and turns and turns as it follows the hilly terrain. The conditions is risky at times with high air currents capable of blowing trains, light fomites and light trucks onto their sides. Snow has on a figure of occasions wholly closed the Van Reenen s Pass, whilst mist and rain on a regular basis jump down visibility and render the route faithlessly dangerous. It is of peculiar involvement the visibleness of a figure of skid Markss on the route surfacing and guardrail replacing. business, in peculiar heavy traffic, adjoins yearly as the economic system grows. Trucks unrelentingly fag out up and down Van Reenen s Pass twenty-four hours and dark, while during crest traffic periods every bit many as 3000 fomites per hr use the ignorant on balls. Using September 2004 to portentous 2006 statistics 12 , the everyday norm traffic was 9100 vehicles, of which 2600 were big trucks ( 5 axles or t o a greater extent than ) , about a 3rd of all vehicles. During the month of December 2007 record at the Van Reenen s Pass, the mean day-to-day traffic reached 11000. The velocity derived functions between trucks in low cogwheel and the powerful upstart coevals of light vehicles is highly awful, both(prenominal) up and down the tight on balls. High velocity derived functions ( 76 % of drivers exceed the velocity bound on the floor on balls ) and failure to accommodate velocity in congener to fortunes, have contributed to 70 % of all accidents on the radical on balls over this period. The consequences do non portray a pretty image and from a route safety point of position, Van Reenen s Pass is the respective(prenominal) some unsafe subdivision of the N3.N3TC has identified and addressed route safety on Van Reenen s Base on balls from three points of position, videlicet technology, instruction and en military unitment 13 . N3TC has implemented intercessions to bite down th e figure of accidents on the base on balls but presently the superlative causes of accidents is by vehicle softness ( dead brakes in peculiar ) , shadower hits due to high velocity derived functions, unsafe inter-lane tactics and driver freak out in utmost conditions conditions.Elementss impacting safety at superelevationThe drainage conditions of the path in similitude to the vehicle kineticss need to be farther investigated as superelevation along crisp swimming curves with decreased sight distances presents a important degree of driver concentration. The driver angles to cleanse the vehicular way. The surface stormwater run-off flow way along the horizontal curve effects natural braking hauls which in bend can take to seaplaning ( or aquaplaning ) .Aquaplaning occurs when weewee compel per unit areas build up in forepart of a traveling tire ensuing in an uplift force sufficient to divide the Sur from the paving. During high durability rainfall events, a water system m ovie builds up on the surface on the route. The hazard of vehicle aquaplaning additions as the deepness of this movie increases. The loss of maneuvering and ravel force produced during aquaplaning may so do the vehicle to lose control, particularly when a guidance Sur is involved. Rainfall strength is the most of import environmental factor in hydroplaning.The hazard of dynamic aquaplaning is unbent relative to the deepness of H2O in the route surface. This deepness is affected by a broad scope of factors that are contributed to by the environment such as the geometric design, paving design, drainage design and care and by the status of the vehicle.The geometry of the route has a big consequence on the H2O deepness and is the factor over which the geometric interior decorator has the most control. The s thou of plume H2O is able to remain on the route pull up stakes act upon the deepness it achieves. Longer flow waies intend more clip to honk up rainfall and consequence in hig her movie deepnesss. Changes in superelevation, cut back horizontal alliance and droop curves are some of the job countries where the incline is low or where H2O has to flux a long manner over the paving before being intercepted by a drainage system or dispersing into the attached terrain. Superelevation alterations can ensue in long curving flow waies which may be debatable. horrider longitudinal inclines can similarly increase the flow way length and ensuing deepness.The paving texture deepness effects the H2O deepness by leting some of this H2O to flux between the sum or in take issueing flow waies to let H2O in forepart of the Sur to be forced out under force per unit area. Porosity can too be considered as some pavings such as open-graded porous asphalt allow H2O to run out by them, taking it off from the surface. Wheel path depressions have a important consequence on the drainage patterns increasing H2O deepness and concent place flow. The N3 has changing pavement surf acing of which an analysis leave alone be done sing the flow way on these surfaces.Pavement drainage solutions is indispensable to check that no H2O is able to pocket billiards on the trafficable route surface, peculiarly in sag countries. This is critical in enunciate to cut down the aquaplaning hazard. vehicle features and behaviors are excessively of import factors in aquaplaning. The velocity at which a vehicle needfully to go to get down aquaplaning is find by H2O deepness but besides by the vehicle s heaviness and Sur features. The vehicle weighting determines how much uplift force is postulate to bring on separation and it follows that a lighter vehicle will skim at a lower velocity. higher(prenominal) Sur force per unit areas increase the aquaplaning velocity by cut belt down the contact country between Sur and route, increasing the vehicle s weight to country ratio. Tyre pace deepness besides affects aquaplaning the same manner as pavement texture, with deeper pa ce traveling the H2O off from the country of contact more efficaciously. While stripped-down tyre pace deepness and maximal velocity are both specified by jurisprudence, tokenish weight and Sur force per unit areas are non. These are vehicle manufacturer recommendations specific.In drumhead, drainage demands versus vehicle kineticss are the cardinal factors to be considered in the development of superelevation standards at decreased horizontal curves to belittle aquaplaning on the N3. Practical circumstances such as Sur deepness, paving features and drainage solutions will be evaluated along the path.The assort literature reviewed amplifies the demand for safer roads and the N3 is considered to be the most traveled path in South Africa.Research backgroundSignificant route debasement such as shining of sums, hemorrhage of bitumen and rutting depletes the impinge on supply available for cornering. This depletion consequences from the usage of a part of the clash supply to suppl y the necessary braking force required to keep velocity on the rank. The velocity of the vehicles on the roadway and the vehicle kineticss will necessitate to be analysed as differing vehicles have different clash forces exerted on the roadway. It can non be presume that the applicable design standards for a railcar is similar to that of a truck or frailty versa. As the Independent Engineer, my aged(prenominal) audit studies 14 on the N3 has indicated the diverse surfacing failures. Skid Markss are importantly prevailing and N3TC/SANRAL/DOT accident studies will necessitate to be investigated as portion of the research survey.It is noted from the TRH 17 that the design vehicle is a individual unit truck. This unwanted combination consequences in a important lessening in the border of safety ensuing from roadway class, particularly for heavy vehicles.On long or reasonably steep classs, drivers tend to go faster in the downgrade than in the upgrade way. Additionally, research has shown that the side clash demand is greater on both downgrades ( due to braking forces ) and steep ascents ( due to the grip forces ) . Downgrades on horizontal curves may be debatable, and that modification for it may be desirable in some instances. There are no guidelines as to how this adaption should be made for deuce-lane or multilane divided or undivided roadways.Some accommodation in superelevation evaluate should be considered for classs steeper than 5 % . This accommodation is peculiarly of import on roadways with high truck volumes and on low-speed roadways with intermediate curves utilizing high degrees of side clash demand. The superelevation alteration propose high spots that this accommodation be made by utilizing higher design velocities standards for the geometric design of the roadway.More dictatorial counsel on this accommodation, every bit good as accommodation for other elements of the horizontal curve, is needed. The design velocity versus minimal curv e radii of horizontal curvature postulate farther probe to guarantee safety on crisp horizontal curves taking the other related factors like superelevation, etc into consideration.The obligate produce in the Pretoria News, pie-eyed conditions causes a spike in route accidents 15 refers to the important addition in roadway accidents during showery conditions. The drainage demands and vehicle kineticss in relation to superelevation design of the roadway will be investigated and researched.I have consulted assorted professional applied scientists, engineers 16 and unaffiliated advisers 17 in the expedition industry. The response received was favourable in footings of the demand for farther probes of superelevation in relation to drainage demands and vehicle kineticss for roadway geometric design.Research jobs and purposesI am presently the IE ( independent applied scientist ) and have audited the everyday route care points of the N3 for the past 3 old ages. As such, I hav e access to some datas to analyze as portion of the survey.Assorted subdivisions of the N3 are presently being upgraded or rehabilitated to better the quality and liveliness of the route due to vehicular traffic additions. There is important freight motion. This has resulted in an addition in vehicular accidents. My point of view on the design considerations follow on the N3 is subjective as driver safety factors and other extenuating hazards of vehicular accidents need to be farther investigated.From a geometric design analysis point of view, road-widening and general roadway replenishment are designed harmonizing to the bing roadway conditions and drainage jobs associated with superelevation is prevailing. Ponding has been recorded and optical grounds is prevailing in certain countries. The general stormwater design standards should be viewed and analysed otherwise from the Kwazulu-Natal conditions as opposed to the Free-State and Gauteng conditions as the run over rainfall strength and clip of concentration varies significantly.This survey will animated cartoon and place the undermentioned conditions with specific superelevation standards development on the N3 pathSuperelevation standards at steep gradients ( turn overing to cragged terrain ) with lessen/ sharp-worded horizontal curves Drain jobs associated with superelevation Flow waies on route surfaces due to superelevation andSpeed and Vehicle kineticss at crisp horizontal curves.Steep classs at crisp horizontal curves presents a unsafe state of affairs for traffic.The two scenarios where this status is prevailing is at broken-back curves on cragged terrain ( Van Reenen s Pass specifically and other identified countries ) with multi-lane, 2-way roads ( whether it is divided or undivided ) and/or high velocity downgrade at/before perpendicular droop curves.At these locations, the perplexing factors of vehicle off-tracking , pavement incline ( crossfall ) , and pavement clash tests the drivers ability to supply remunerate vehicle positioning without pliable control of the vehicle. It has besides been recorded that air current has been a cause of accidents as the vehicles can non grip onto the roadway ( particularly at Windy Corner on the Van Reenen s Pass.From old design considerations, accident-related jobs have arisen where, as a consequence of Reconstruction, bing main roads have been rebuilt utilizing the 8 % -10 % superelevation rates in conformity with current guidelines. The rate of superelevation development is nevertheless non reviewed or adjusted.Research methodological analysisThe research attack has a both qualitative and duodecimal attack.The hypothetic research will consist of numerical analysis with warp and simulation. The current geometric design guidelines for rural roads ( TRH 17 and SANRAL s Geometric Guidelines ) will be used as base certification for values in the research input.Case survey subdivisions of the N3 will be decided upon and N3TC , SANRAL and the DoT ( both case and provincial ) will be apprised of the research survey. Data gathering and statistical information will be sourced from the relevant governments with anterior consent.This research would necessitatethe reappraisal of current design guidelines the development of an follow up program to accomplish the research objectives the aggregation of statistical informations ( from SANRAL, N3TC, etc ) and other relevant information elaborate ocular appraisal and rating of the roadway subdivision Falling weightiness Deflection ( FWD ) measurings will be performed at 50m intervals instead on the left and right exterior wheel paths along the subdivision identified rut and siting quality measurings will be measured in both wheel waies every bit good as texture deepness along the outside wheel way as portion of the FWD measurings Measurements of the stormwater yellow journalism flow overflow deepnesss will be measured utilizing formulaic agencies vehicle kine ticss will be physically and theoretically analysed the rating of the effects of assorted options contextualized in geometric design guidelines and nominee standards taking into consideration the CSD attack andthe training of extenuating hazards, route safety travel and concluding geometric design standards for superelevation, drainage demands taking into consideration the velocity and vehicle kineticss at sharp/reduced horizontal curves.The accident studies sourced by SANRAL/N3TC/DoT s archives will be of import for the research survey. The accomplishable restrictions could be the put on in recovering these accident studies and ocular appraisals will be carried out as an option.Research aimsThe aim of this research is toanalyse the velocity and vehicle kineticss at crisp horizontal curves develop drainage criterias for flow waies or deepnesss on route surfaces due to superelevation develop superelevation standards for steep classs on crisp horizontal curves by placing and ana lysing drainage jobs associated design safe roads from a geometric design point of view by taking factors such as clip, cost, quality, CSD into consideration anddevelop an independent case tool to table service geometric interior decorators and governments in the civil technology industry.It is noted that other standards associated with the design of horizontal curves such as tangent-to-curve passages, the demand for paving broadening, and minimal curve radii would besides be considered in the development of the standards.The standards will be based on quantitative informations obtained from theoretic considerations and simulations and verified by real(a) sphere of influence observation.The identified countries for the existent field observations will be done by going the path and monitoring of the N3. Accident statistics will be indispensable as fact-finding mention for the background of the research survey.Plan of research activitiesActivityThe activities to set about the res earch proposal will be to poke out literature survey collate statistical informations get permission for design informations from confab withing technology houses and SANRAL/N3TC/DoT archives engineer with SANRAL/N3TC with regard to experimental countries identified analyse the design guidelines ( geometric and drainage ) for rural roads fix the roadway mold and simulation for the assorted superelevation standards taking into consideration the drainage demands and vehicle kineticss Analyse the sheet flow way ( hydraulic analysis ) for the drainage demands ( perpendicular class versus route width at sharp/reduced horizontal curves ) the Rational Method will be used Investigate the CSD of route rehabilitation undertakings in relation to geometric design considerations for future route rehabilitation and major building undertakings ( It is noted that the De Beer s Pass will be constructed as an option to the Van Reenen s Pass ) Analyse research findings and observations utilizing re levant package Synthesize the research findings, observations and consequences andWrite the study.TimeframeThis research would take 18 months to finish.Potential end productsThe possible end products for the research survey will be toReduce or increase the superelevation values or rates, dependent on research end products, with regard to vehicle kineticss and roadway breadths Analyse the drainage flow waies as superelevation rates or values in relation to the drainage demands and vehicle kineticss will find the standards to be adopt for safe driver conditions The velocity versus vehicle kineticss analysis at crisp or decreased horizontal curves will supply suited guidelines for future rehabilitation and road-widening undertakings CSD findings and observations to be adopted in future route rehabilitation and major Reconstruction undertakings and mystify an independent package plan which will be exhaustively researched, tested and developed as a tool for geometric interior decorato rs and governments in the civil technology industry. This package can be integrate utilizing current technology package use by confer withing technology service suppliers, authorities establishments and assorted organisations will be investigated.Research resultsThe result of this research will help design advisers in finding a much easier and safer design attack to plan rehabilitation, road-widening and major building undertakings, by placing job countries and supplying appropriate design values.The recommended standards would be documented in the concluding study and besides presented in a mannequin that could be used by assorted governments.Presentations will be made at national and international conferences, seminars or symposiums associating to geometric design of roads. Workshops and talks will be conducted or presented through educational institutes, CESA and other governments in the civil technology industry. The research survey will be create as an article in deportati on diaries and the research sum-up will be published in several magazines. I am of the sentiment that I envisage national acclamation for the research and part of the research outputs to constructing the cognition base in South Africa.Key mentions and certification11.1 Governments, Institutes and other beginning of mentionDepartment of Transport ( interior(a) and Provincial ) ( DoT )Road Traffic Management Corporation ( Pty ) Ltd ( RTMC )South African National Roads Agency express mail ( SANRAL )N3 Toll Concession ( Pty ) Ltd ( N3TC )Council for Scientific and industrial Research ( CSIR )Transport Research hop on ( TRB )American Society for Civil Engineers ( ASCE )Consulting Engineers South Africa ( CESA )Durban University of Technology ( DUT )University of Stellenbosch ( SUN )Aurecon SA ( Pty Ltd ( AURECON )WSP SA Civil and structural Engineers ( WSP )3D Compu-Systems ( 3DCS )11.2 Design Guidelines and StandardsTechnical Recommendations for Highways ( TRH 17 Geometric Design o f Rural Roads Draft 1988 )SANRAL Geometric Design GuidelinesSANRAL Drainage Manual ( 5th rendering to the full revised )Design of Highway Drainage Manual ( FHWA-TS-79-225 )AASHTO A Policy on the Geometric Design of Highways and Streets 5th Edition ( 2004 )