Friday, September 6, 2019

Bending Stresses in a T-Beam Experiment Essay Example for Free

Bending Stresses in a T-Beam Experiment Essay Realistic and verifiable experiment results †¢ Optional TecQuipment’s Structures Software package for extra ‘virtual’ experiments that simulate and confirm the results from your hardware and allow extended experiments †¢ Optional STR2000 unit including TecQuipment’s Structures Software package for automatic data acquisition and virtual experiments †¢ One of many interchangeable experiment modules from TecQuipment’s modern, flexible and costeffective Structures teaching system †¢ Ideal for classroom demonstrations, or students working in pairs or small groups. The experiment hardware is a T-beam that fits onto a Structures Test Frame (STR1, available separately). Students adjust a load cell that bends the beam and, when connected to the optional Digital Force Display (STR1a, available separately), it measures the bending force (load). Strain gauges and a digital strain bridge measure the strains in the beam. Dummy strain gauges compensate for temperature variation and balance the strain bridges. The equipment includes a lead for connection to the Digital Force Display (STR1a, available separately). The lecturer guide provides details of the equipment including sample experiment results. The student guide describes how to use the equipment and gives experiment procedures. For extra ‘virtual’ experiments, TecQuipment can supply the optional TecQuipment Structures Software (STRS), for use on a suitable computer. The virtual experiments simulate the tests that you do with the hardware. They also extend the choice of tests than that available using only the hardware, for example: higher loads, uniform loads or different test specimens. This extends the student’s learning experience. For automatic data acquisition of your experiment results, TecQuipment can supply the optional Automatic Data Acquisition Unit (STR2000). Supplied as standard with the STR2000 is TecQuipment’s Structures Software that displays and logs your experiment results and gives the extra virtual experiments. Bending Stress in a Beam Essential Ancillaries †¢ Structures Test Frame (STR1) †¢ Digital Force Display (STR1a) Recommended Ancillaries †¢ Structures Software (STRS) for virtual experiments or †¢ Automatic Data Acquisition Unit (STR2000) for automatic data acquisition and virtual experiments Operating Conditions Operating environment: Laboratory environment Storage temperature range: –25? C to +55? C (when packed for transport) Operating temperature range: +5? C to +40? C Operating relative humidity range: 80% at temperatures 31? C decreasing linearly to 50% at 40? C Specification Nett dimensions and weight: 880 x 210 x 100 mm, 6. 5 kg Packed dimensions and weight: Approximately 0. 75 m3, 8 kg Load.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Organizational Behavior Leadership Analysis Social Work Essay

Organizational Behavior Leadership Analysis Social Work Essay Academic theories about employee motivation, empowerment and performance are just that theories, they are of little practical use to business leader or their companies, with reference covered to the material cover on the OBL course, and the people management of one Employee of Choice, please evaluate the validity of this statement. Organizational Behavior is the study of behavior of individual, group and people in the organization. It focuses in the relationship between individual and organization in the holistic manner. It focuses on meeting the social objectives, organizational level objectives and individual level objectives. (Leadership and Organizational Behavior, 2010) In managing the organizational behavior with in the organization, there are various managerial theories being proposed by various people to meet the organizational and individual requirement. The role of business leader is to effectively manage the workforce with in the organization to achieve the maximum output from the employees. It is also required from the business leaders to increase the productivity of the organization, to reduce employee turnover, to increase job satisfaction, to reduce absenteeism among the employees, to establish organizational citizenship. The productivity of the employees could be increased by increasing the motivational level of the employees and by imparting training and development programs. An organization is said productive if it converts its inputs into outputs at lowest operating costs. Organizational behavior studies help managers to understand the general behavior of the individuals, but not the exact behavior of the individual. For example Douglas McGregors Theory X and Theory Y give an idea about type of people in the organization. According to Theory X, people would tend to avoid the work and are not responsible, on the other hand according to Theory Y, people are self directed and self motivated. Now this theory does not highlight the exact reasons for being lazy and self-motivated. In this way organizational studies only direct the managers about the general concepts, but could not point the exact behavior of the individual. It is so because the behavior of individual may vary from situation to situation and may also differ from person to person. (Douglas McGregor-Human Relations Contributors, Theory X and Theory Y) The turnover of the employee is another important managerial duty to be considered by leaders. The increase in turnover costs high for the organization by increasing the recruitment, interview, selection and training costs. It is one of the essential parameter to be considered by the managers for increasing the efficiency of the organization. There could be various reasons for increased in turnover. It could be because of work environment, job position mismatch, compensation and rewards, job stress etc. It is required from the leaders to find out the reason for the increase in turnover. As there could be various different reasons for the increase in turnover, the organizational theories could not find the exact reason for the increase in turnover. The method that could be used by manager to find exact reason for the increased turnover could be interviews or survey. With the help of organizational behavior theories leaders could find out the general behavior of the group of employees in the organization, but it is required to carry out individual analysis to find the exact reason for the absenteeism with in the organization. Increasing the Job satisfaction is another important managerial duty. It is essential for leaders to maintain the job satisfaction level of the employees with in the organization. This would not only decrease the turnover of the employees but also generate the healthy environment with in the organization. Organizational Behavior theories help the managers to understand the general behavior of the employee about job satisfaction, but it does not showcase how to increase job satisfaction for a particular employee. According to dispositional theory individual who is happy in his life is happy at his job as well. According to this theory there are the factors affecting job satisfaction i.e. positive and negative affectivity, personality attributes and self evaluation. This theory as well does not find the actual reason specific to a particular individual and hence managers would need to carry out the analysis specific to the individual. Another important function of the business leaders is to reduce absenteeism among the employees. The reduction in absenteeism is directly related to the job dissatisfaction and improper work environment. It is required for the leaders to understand the individual needs and expectations of the individuals from the organization and meet those expectations. It is also observed that unhealthy work environment creates problem for the employee and in turn reduced their efficiency and hence productivity of the organization. Here as well leaders have to sit individually with the employees and seek out the possible hindrances for the employees with respect to work environment. The reasons for the unhealthy work environment could be racial discrimination, manager-subordinates relationship, gender discrimination, work pressures etc. Organization Behavior theories works as the general framework for the leaders but could not act as the specific solution for a particular organizational problem. It require extensive analysis and thorough understanding of the organization and individual behavior to meet the objectives of the organization. Question 2: With reference to Organizational Behavior leadership on gender inequity in organization, and you own work experience if relevant, evaluate the extent to which this issue will require further attention from public and private sector organization in the UAE now and in the future. How can local organization ensure that there is true equity of opportunity for their women Emirati employees and what will be the likely commercial benefits of doing this? Answer: Gender Inequality means differentiation between individuals on the basis of their gender. As per gender inequality the responsibility, human and social possibilities differ from men to that of women. (Long, 2001) It is found that most of the theories showcase the organizational structure as the reason for gender inequality. It is as per organizational structure which causes differences in roles, difference in position, and difference in behaviors between men and women. Materialist theory: As per this theory the connection of men and women with the societys economic structure causes the gender inequality. As per this theory, womens role of mother and wife in the society devalued its right to access high valued resources. Women are less paid as compared to the men in the labor class market. The reason for this is the social responsibility attached to women to take care of family and children. Division between Domestic and Public Work: Their role of mother and wife devalued their role social roles and hence high profile. Women are bound with the domestic responsibilities and hence have to take care of the family and have to invest time there as well. On the other hand men are free from domestic responsibilities and have greater access to high valued resources. It is noticed that there is inequality in pay of men and women, and women are paid less than men. It is also found that two-third of the women works in areas low profile areas like catering, cleaning, clerical jobs, caring jobs. The reason for women being paid less than men is that their job includes discontinuity because of maternity leaves, and to take care of family and children. Moreover still the ratio of highly qualifies women is less than that of men. This gives men an edge to work in high profile jobs and so being paid more than women. Gender Inequality in UAE: The UAE government is trying their best to reduce the gender inequality in UAE. In the year 2008, UAE is participating actively in reducing the gap of gender disparity by organizing various conferences for the same. Dubai School of Government along with Centre of Arab Women for Training and Research and World Bank, organizes a conference to narrow down the gender gap in North Africa and Middle East. The conference named Gender and Economics in MENA: from Theory to Policymaking (ZPRESS, 2008). The main purpose of the conference was to highlight the importance of high education over women. In the conference, Nabeel Al Yousuf, vice chairman of trustee board in Dubai School of Government, focused on gender inequality for the social, national and economic development. Community Development Authority is coordinating with various government and non-government organizations to maintain gender equality. (ZPRESS, 2008) In the recent years UAE has worked well in reducing the gender gap in the emirates. As per a report, UAE has topped in human development chart among gulf countries. Though the ratio of educated women is increasing, but still UAE needs to improve on gender equality. This gender inequality further drags the human development index of the country. The gender equality could be improved with the help of combined effort from public and private companies. Protect Women Rights: It is essential to get women aware of their rights and also make them aware how to fight against the violation of any basic right. This education would help them to fight for their basic rights. It is required for both public and private organizations to coordinate with Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to protect the rights of women. Women Education: To increase the status of women in the society it is required to further increase the level and quality of education for women. To achieve the same it is required for public and private educational institutions to work together to achieve the common objective. Healthy Work Environment: It is required for the private and public organizations to maintain healthy work environment for the women at workplace. It could be done by providing facilities for women like pick and drop from home, work from home etc. The local organization could ensure the equal opportunity for women by ensuring that jobs are offered as per the qualification and not on the basis of gender. The pay should be equal as per the caliber and qualification of the individual. It is required for the local organization to create equal opportunities for both men and women and should not create any disparity between the two. Gender equality would ensure equal status for the women in the society and would increase their standard of living. It would ensure right investment of the income and less wastage of money. It has been found that women invest 90% of her income on family whereas men only invest 35% of his income on family. This would change political and public welfare policies would increase focus on women as well. Increase in education level of women would reduce the health problems and diseases in the society.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Censorship of the Internet and Mass Media

Censorship of the Internet and Mass Media The conversation regarding censorship amongst states, meaning nations or countries in this context, has been a highly contested and conflicted debate for over a century.   According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, â€Å"censorship is suppression of speech, public communication, or other information, on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive,  politically incorrect  or inconvenient as determined by government authorities or by community consensus† (Merriam-Webster). Nearly all states, even those that are considered to be extremely free states, practice numerous forms of both direct and indirect censorship. Censorship is usually rationalized to protect from dangerous, obscene, and/or negative information from being released and exposed to certain audiences or the general public. It is important to be noted that self-censorship, where one or more individuals censor their own personal discourses and environments, is not the type of ce nsorship that pertains to this essay as it will focus on official acts of censorship. In her book, Censorship In America, historian Mary E. Hull defines official acts of censorship as official actions by a government or governing body that restrict access to certain information to their audience (Hull, 1).   For the purposes of this essay, the United States of America will be the main focus when discussing censorship and its effects and implications. If given the absolute power and ability, the censorship of the internet and mass media in America could produce detrimental effects amongst nearly all aspects of society. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that free, open, public, and uncensored access to the internet and medias across the United States of America must remain and be protected. Technology and increased globalization have interconnected states and their citizens more than ever which has led to the creation of the â€Å"global citizen†. Because of this, some governments have highly censored media within their states as freedom of speech and access to different thoughts and ideologies poses high risks. Across the globe, numerous non-governmental organizations research and work to determine the amount and ways-in-which information is censored in different states. Reporters Without Borders (RWB), a United Nations consultant, studies the freedom of expression and information in states and publishes their findings in the annual World Press Freedom Index. The World Press Freedom Index consults and surveys expert lawyers, sociologists, media professionals, and journalists on pluralism, media independence, environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, infrastructure, and abuses within their country. The 2018 report that surveyed one hundred and eighty states concluded that Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands are the most free and/or least censored states while Syria, Eritrea, and North Korea are currently the most censored and least free states (RWB, 2018). For reference, Canada is the eighteenth most free state, the United Kingdom is the fortieth most free, and the United States falls as the forty-fifth most free state. The United States fell two places from 2017 to 2018 which can be attributed to the actions of President Donald J. Trump and his administration. Trump notoriously declared the press an â€Å"enemy of the American people†, which has triggered attacks against journalists and their credibility using the fallacious and often erroneous term â€Å"fake news† (RWB, 2018). Reports and research like this help truthfully determine the freedom of speech, press, and information across the globe from a nonbiased perspective.  ­ Censorship in The United States of America Censorship in the United State of America is a highly controversial topic given how prominent and institutional the liberty of freedom of speech and the press is engrained into legislature and society. The First Amendment to The Constitution states, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† (U.S. Const. amend. I). The freedom of speech in America is not absolute as it does not protect hate speech or obscenity, meaning that strongly offensive speech or speech that promotes hateful acts based on bias can legally be censored as they are not protected forms of speech (Hull, 3). The First Amendment can be attributed as the foundation for the popular American motto and saying, â€Å"land of the free†. This nationalistic saying has permeated American society as many Americans pride themselves on the thought of America being thee land of freedom and justice despite numerous ranking and studies pointing otherwise (RWB, 2018). Since the creation and implementation of the First Amendment, numerous laws and rulings have been instituted and repealed in order to restrict the freedom of speech and press. Notably, the Sedition and Espionage Acts, imposed under President Wilson in 1917, declared it illegal and treasonous for citizens to speak against the United States government, military, and flag. This act attempted to bend the First Amendment, however, it was repealed in 1919 as it clearly violated the freedom of speech and press clause. In 1971, The Pentagon Papers, officially titled  Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force, were classified United States of America military and government documents that were leaked. The Pentagon Papers detailed the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War from 1945-1967 (Hull, 27). These documents revealed that the United States had gone against legislation and made official decisions without the aid or input from Congress, which is legally required. They were leaked, according to Hull, because â€Å"critics charged that the government resorted to excessive classification of documents in order to conceal activity from the public, whereas the government maintained that it was acting in the interests of national security† (Hull, 29). This leak was taken to the Supreme Court of the United States and was ruled legal as the Supreme Court determined that the general public has the right to these documents despite the government’s attempt to censor the press. Although the First Amendment has been tested numerous times, it stands generally true that individuals in the United States of America are entitled to freedom of speech and press so long as it does not fuel the occurrence of legitimate crimes. Internet Censorship in the United States Within the past few decades, the rules and guidelines set by the First Amendment have made the waters murkier than ever when discussing censorship and the media.   The internet has made news and media more accessible than ever which enhances the effects, debatably both positive and negative, censorship can have. Given the capitalistic nature of the internet, major new sources occupy a massive section of the internet and tend to circulate only chosen specific media and news stories that fit their agenda, this is known as corporate censorship.  ­Project Censored, a news source that publishes important news and media that was not reported by the mainstream mass media, works to eliminate corporate censorship as they see it as a blockade towards democracy and free press. (Jensen, 2018). Although corporate censorship is highly problematic, it is protected by the First Amendment as companies and individuals have the right to broadcast what they see as fit. The Internet Must Remain Free from Censorship Internet Censors and Blockers In the United States, the First Amendment protects against and prohibits majority of internet censorship involvement from the federal, state, and local governments. However, private companies have more leeway in their actions to censor content, particularly in regards to public spaces. There tends to be a steep crossover between these private companies and the state as the government or government officials often support and fund companies whose interest align with theirs. This is a classic incident of corruption with the government finding a loophole to overstep their rightful bounds. Internet censorship is typically performed by content blockers and removers that are created, installed, and programmed to block all content deemed obscene or unfitting. The major problem of these programs is determining what content is and is not okay†¦a process that can be easily corrupted. In the words of Mary E. Hull, â€Å"What is indecent in one persons mind may be decent in anothers; thus, regardless of the censors motive, the result of censoring is the denial of anothers freedom to choose.† (Hull, 2). This exact problem was exacerbated in 1997 in a Virginia library that had installed a blocking program on its public computers. The intention of the program was to block and censor sexually explicit content from minors, which is perfectly legal and the decision was supported by the National Law Center for Children and Families (Hull, 35). However, this program, advertently or not, also blocked the American Association of University Women website and an AIDS website which is extremely problematic because this blocker is now restricting access and information from the public. The center of this controversy is not the use of a blocker, as individuals should have the right to knowingly censor content in private, but the fact that a publically funded device was censoring appropriate content. Given this incident occurred in 1997, it is unlikely that the censoring of those two specific websites was directly intentional, however, it remains unclear as numerous biases could lead a company to explicitly censor more than originally intended.   This incident, albeit small, shows how detrimental censorship of the internet can be and why the internet needs to remain publically uncensored.  Ã‚   It is extremely important that the First Amendment be rigorously upheld in the United States of America as it is the major piece of legislation that prohibits extreme censorship. For this reason, totalitarian control of the internet has not been observed in the United States but other countries can be used as examples of this. The People’s Republic of China is notorious for their strict censorship of the internet, especially social media, and suppression of news and information. According to the 2018 World Press Freedom Index, China is the one hundred and seventy-sixth (fourth worst) least free states as President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party implement extreme censorship and surveillance on the citizens (RWB, 2018). China has been very innovative to censor the internet by creating different apps and networking sites that resemble sites like Facebook and Twitter (Walker & Orttung, 77). China’s censored version of Twitter, called Sina Weibo, has a massive member base with over six hundred million users.   Key to their censorship is strict criminal punishments for publicizing thoughts, ideologies, and ideas that go against China and the Communist Party (Walker & Orttung, 78). China also restricts nearly all forms of media by requiring newspapers to register with the government and all television is broadcasted by government-run China Central Television. The extreme censorship in China has taken the voices away from the people and subjected them to only the thoughts and rhetoric provided by the government. This is extremely dangerous as nearly all forms of dissidence, personal expression, thought exploration, education, and legitimate news are deprived from the people so that they unintentionally surrender themselves to the country. In order for democracy and freedom to remain in the United States, it is absolutely essential that the internet and social media remain free from government interaction. The Importance of Social Media The growing accessibility and prevalence of the internet in daily lives has allowed for social medias to play pivotal roles in individuals’ personal lives, politics, and society as a whole. Both Facebook and Twitter have become major sources of news, information, and misinformation in America. Both of these sites have become hubs for people to share their personal opinions in reaction to the news, especially politics. Politics in America has become more polarized than ever which has increased greatly increased tensions and amplified party affiliations from the election of Barack H. Obama in 2008 to the election of Donald J. Trump in 2016. Misinformation, especially political misinformation, has become increasingly more prevalent and believed through platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Misinformation can be partially attributed to motivated reasoning, the illusion of objectivity, and partisan-driven motivated reasoning as they explain why voters cling to certain ideologies, misperceptions, and corrections (Thorson, 463; Berinsky, 7; Nyhan & Reifler). In short, motivated reasoning is a phenomenon where one will support a desired conclusion if they can rationalize it (Kunda, 482-483). A study researching the presence and diffusions on Twitter during the 2012 election showed that rumors were shared by polarized accounts that created â€Å"‘echo chambers’ defined by political homophily that were based on ideological attitudes not truth and merit† (Shin, Jian, Driscoll, & Bar, 1227). Social media sites harbor misinformation because they are highly polarized, therefore misinformation is more likely to become believed via motivated reasoning if it aligns with one’s belief system or party alliance. An extremely detrimental piece of misinformation began in 1988 when Andrew Wakefield published a report that incorrectly liked the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine to autism. This link has been extensively discredited yet still persists and has caused numerous recent outbreaks of measles. In a study conducted by Mark R. Joslyn and Steven M. Sylvester, they found the individuals’ belief in this myth became politicized and lead to faulty governance and policies that allowed outbreaks to occur (Joslyn & Sylvester, 17). Although this report was false, it is important for it to be noted that social media has enough power to influence politics and government. Social media also becomes an accessible intermediate that exposes its users to current news, political beliefs, and ideologies. Numerous studies show that social media becomes an environment where individuals can find like-minded individuals and share their thoughts, however, those same factors also nourish misinformation.   As previously mentioned, Donald J. Trump coined the term â€Å"fake news† when referring to news that is not favorable toward him or his administration, regardless if the news is actually true or false. This term is extremely problematic because it discounts journalists providing truthful information while diminishing that problem that legitimately false news poses. False news tends to spread faster and quicker, however, eventually, it tends to reach a much smaller audience. In 2016, a tenth of conservative Republicans accounted for consuming sixty-five percent of fake news (Carey, 2018). In order to tackle this problem, Facebook has embedded a fact-checking service into flagged articles so the consumer knows it is misinformation before they choose to share it (Hunt). Fake news and â€Å"fake news† are both very real problems as legitimate journalism is of value and should be protected. Censorship is a dangerous tool that should be used in a very selective manner as it can deprive individuals of necessary information. In the United States of America, it is incredibly important that the First Amendment is upheld as it provides all citizens with a voice and platform to both share and receive thoughts, information, news, and ideologies. Free speech and free press absolutely has its downsides as dangerous misinformation can easily be shared and believed but the benefits of freedom of speech and press are so much greater. Protection of freedom of the internet is essential in order for the United States to remain a democratic, liberated, and just nation. References Berinsky, A. J. (2015). Rumors and Health Care Reform: Experiments in Political Misinformation. British Journal of Political Science,47(02), 241-262. doi:10.1017/s0007123415000186 Censorship [Def. 1]. (2018, April 25). In The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved April 29, 2018, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censorship 2018 World Press Freedom Index(Rep.). (2018, April 25). Retrieved May 3, 2018, from Reporters Without Borders: For Freedom Information website: https://rsf.org/en/ranking/2018 Hull, M. (1999). Censorship in America : A Reference Handbook. Retrieved May 1, 2018, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/[emailprotected]essionmgr120&vid=0&format=EB&lpid=lp_I&rid=0 Jensen, C. (n.d.). Censored News Stories. Retrieved May 3, 2018, from http://projectcensored.org/about-us/ Joslyn, M. R., & Sylvester, S. M. (2017). The Determinants and Consequences of Accurate Beliefs About Childhood Vaccinations. American Politics Research. doi:10.1177/153267317745342 Kunda, Z. (1990). The case for motivated reasoning. Psychological Bulletin,108(3), 480-498. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.108.3.480 Nyhan, B., & Reifler, J. (November 30, 2016). Do People Actually Learn From Fact-Checking?Evidence from a longitudinal study during the 2014 campaign. University of Exeter. Retrieved April 17, 2018. Shin, J., Jian, L., Driscoll, K., & Bar, F. (2016). Political rumoring on Twitter during the 2012 US presidential election: Rumor diffusion and correction. New Media & Society,19(8), 1214-1235. doi:10.1177/1461444816634054 Thorson, E. (2015). Belief Echoes: The Persistent Effects of Corrected Misinformation. Political Communication,33(3), 460-480. doi:10.1080/10584609.2015.1102187 United States Constitution,  § Amendment I (1787). Walker, C., & Orttung, R. W. (2014). Breaking the News: The Role of State-Run Media. Journal of Democracy,25(1), 71-85. doi:10.1353/jod.2014.0015

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Acupuncture As An Alternative Medicine In The Western Culture :: essays research papers

Debora Cytrynowicz Acupuncture as an Alternative Medicine ( in the Western Culture)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alternative medicine is a very general term whose definition can be very controversial. Basically, it is many holistic techniques for preventing and treating illnesses. Acupuncture, and many other therapies, have long been a part of Asian cultures and have recently been integrated into the Western culture. Since Acupuncture is such an important tradition in China, it has gained much respect from other cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acupuncture is a strong component in China, and can be traced to their health care system for at least 2,500 years. The procedure involves inserting hair-thin steel surgical needles into specific points in the body which are supposed to make you feel better, and be healthier. This is only the technical aspect though. To understand the â€Å"art† of this procedure, you must have a background on Chinese medicine. How it works is this: health is achieved though the balance of the opposing forces between â€Å"yin† (spirit), and â€Å"yang† (blood). The attraction between them creates an energy called â€Å"Qi† ( pronounced chee). This energy flows to all parts of the body through channels which are known as â€Å"meridians† (pathways that run along the surface of the body and branch into the body’s interior). An imbalance in these forces is what is believed to cause illness and disease. When needles are placed on the acupuncture points along the meridians, balance, and hence, health is restored. There are several styles of acupuncture, the differences being h ow the acupuncture points are stimulated (be it by hand pressure, electrical impulse, ultrasound, or wavelengths of light). Acupuncture was introduced to American doctors by Sir William Osler, who is often called the father of modern medicine. In a classic medical textbook written more than a century ago, he said, â€Å"For lumbago, acupuncture is, in acute cases, the most efficient treatment.† The first time acupuncture really got notice wasn’t until 1972. James Reston, a New York Times correspondent, was assigned to cover President Nixon’s now historic trip to China. During his stay, Reston had to have an emergency appendectomy, and was treated with acupuncture for the postoperative pain he had to endure. The report of his experience with acupuncture caught the interest of many American doctors who wanted to see how the Chinese used acupuncture as an anesthetic. Many non-physicians went to train overseas or with acupuncturists who had been silently practicing in the States, in many Asian communities.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Physics of Fireworks Essay -- physics firework fireworks

After black powder was discovered by the Chinese in the 9th Century, the relatively short history of fireworks began with this explosive chemical composition. Black powder is made up of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal (KNO3); in the correct amounts, this combination has very explosive results. The use of black powder sprung forth the evolution of muskets, rockets, and fireworks. Although history has shown that the development of black powder muskets into modern day guns, artillery, and weapons of mass destruction have changed the face of the earth, taken many lives, and changed the outcome of many wars, black powder is also used in many rituals and celebrations. While traveling the globe, Marco Polo, fascinated by this black powder, brought it back to the West were it soon caught on. In Rome, King Charles V used fireworks to celebrate a victory. The fireworks were developed and made by his â€Å"fire workers† who made leaps and bounds with the projectiles and rocket shape of the fireworks. These elaborate demonstrations of fire soon spread through Europe and pleased many spectators of the King and Queens Court. In the middle ages, Italy and Germany took their displays to another level, incorporating different colors and effects. In Italy, the firework displays were used to accentuation buildings and structures, while in Germany, the focus was more on the fireworks themselves. The name "green men" was coined on account of the people who would cover themselves in leaves to protect their body from sparks and ashes as they launched fireworks from their hands. As music grew and became a large part of society, the incorporation of music and firework displays became inseparable. The most infamous of all fireworks displays, f... ...ich ended up missing his head, but tearing the front of the coat. Anyone who has ever felt the material on a fire coat can tell you that it would be very difficult to do damage like that to fire coat in a split second. Bibliography Lancaster, Ronald, and Butler, Roy E.A., and Lancaster, J. Mark, and Shimizu, Takeo. Fireworks Principles and Practice. New York: Ticknor, 2002. Pihko, Petri. â€Å"Pyrotechnics – The Art of Fire.† 1998. Online posting. Pihko, Petri. 12 April 2003. http://cc.oulu.fi/~kempmp/pyro.html ProQuest Information and Learning Company. â€Å"Physics of Fireworks.† 2003. Online posting. Bigchalk – The Education Network. 12 April 2003. www.bigchalk.com Russell, Michael S. The Chemistry of Fireworks. York, ME: Stenhouse, 2000. â€Å"The Physics of Colored Fireworks.† 1998. Online posting. 12 April 2003. http://cc.oulu.fi/~kempmp/pyro.html

Dehydration Lab Report

Dehydration of 2-Methylcyclohexanol February 10, 2013 Introduction This experiment was done to demonstrate the practical use of dehydration reactions and produce three different products. Dehydration reactions are reactions that involve the leaving of an â€Å"-OH† or â€Å"-H† group resulting in the formation of a double bond between two carbons. For the experiment we used 2-Methylcyclohexanol as a beginning reagent to dehydrate and possibly form 3-methylcyclohexene, 1-methylcyclohexene, or methylenecyclohexane.Drierite ® (Calcium Sulfate) was used as a drying agent to help break the alcohol and hydrogen groups from the carbons. Concentrated phosphoric acid was used as a catalyst to help move the reaction towards the products motioned above. To determine the successfulness of the experiment and the amount of product(s) recovered, IR spectroscopy, Gas Chromatography and percent yield calculations were used. Equations and Structures 6. References 1. â€Å"18. Dehydrat ion of 2- Methylcyclohexanol. † Organic Chemistry Lab 2040L. XU Chemistry, n. d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. 2. Material Safety Data Sheet 2-Methylcyclohexanol. † Http://www. coleparmer. com/Assets/Msds/97403. htm. Coleparmer, 19 Mar. 1998. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. 3. â€Å"Material Safety Data Sheet Methylcyclohexane. † Sciencelab. com. Science Lab, 09 Oct. 2005. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. 4. Helmenstine, Anne M. , Ph. D. â€Å"How to Write a LabA  Report. † About. com Chemistry. About. com Guide, n. d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013. . 5. â€Å"Theoretical Yield. † Theoretical Yield. Ed. University of Colorado at Boulder. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, n. d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013. . 7. Data Chemicals In Experiment| B.P. | Amount Used| **Observations| 2-Methylcyclohexanol| 164-166 °C | 0. 75mL| Colorless liquid that had similar smell to gasoline. | Calcium Sulfate (Drierite ®)| 1193 °C| Half Hickman Still| White powder that resembled kitty litter. | Phosphoric Acid| 158  °C| Approx. 1mL| Clear liquid & Odorless| 3-Methylcyclohexene| 104 °C| N/A| Colorless liquid that had similar smell to gasoline. | 1-Methylcyclohexene *| 110 °C| N/A| Colorless liquid that had similar smell to gasoline. | Methylenecyclohexane| 102 °C| N/A| Colorless liquid that had similar smell to gasoline. *Major Product **Not All Observations were noted in lab manual, many stated are from memory from the experiment. Observations: It took a lot of time for the Hickman Still to display any signs of condensation. The sand bath was adjusted to â€Å"60† power when â€Å"40† did not yield any visible results. The addition of a lid to the Hickman Still seemed to expedite the entire process. Colorless liquid began to collect rapidly in the first section of the Hickman Still. Weight of Vial without Product| 4. 284 grams| Weight of Vial with Product| 4. 550 grams| Weight of Product| 0. 266 grams|Theoretical Yield| 0. 63 grams| Percent Yield of Product| 42% of Produc t was Recovered| GC Interpretation: The GC reading showed 3 peaks that were the products and one blip that is attributed to the air in the system. The different boiling points of the different molecules in the sample cause the different peaks to be expressed in the GC. Of the 3 peaks, 1-Methylcyclohexene proved to be the most abundant product due its large area percentage. Percent Air| Ignore| Percent Methylenecyclohexane| 1. 64555 = 2%| Percent 3-Methylcyclohexene| 17. 97600 = 18%| Percent 1-Methylcyclohexene| 79. 8650 = 80%| IR Spectroscopy Reading of Sample Gas Chromatography Data 8. Calculations 9. Conclusions In conclusion, we were successfully able to dehydrate 2-Methlycyclohexanol to synthesize all three of the above products most notably 1-Methylcyclohexene. Adding approximately 1mL of 83% concentrated phosphoric acid to serve as the catalyst to the starting reagent and using calcium sulfate as a desiccant in the Hickman Still allowed the reaction to occur. The process of ge tting the products to condense on the first section of the Hickman Still took quite a while of time.After the product was collected, IR spectroscopy was used to determine the chemical make up and purity of the product. The IR reading of the product collected in comparison to the IR of the starting reagent 2-Methylcyclohexanol showed in the 3400 cm? 1 that the –OH had went from a broad peak to a small blip. This gives evidence to the degree of successfulness of the dehydration preformed but also shows that some –OH was still in the product. The hypothetical GC data provided for this experiment demonstrates the purity of the sample along with the percent of each molecule found in the product. -Methlcylcohexene proved to be the major product of the reaction due to the 80% area in the GC data and the regions expressed in the IR reading. Due to human errors such as not allowing enough time for the product to collect, using more desiccants than needed, allowing for the tempe rature of the sand bath to reach the boiling point of 2-Methylcyclohexanol or not retrieving the entire product, the percent yield was only 42%. The experiment is considered a success because all the expected products were produced and very little –OH was found in the sample.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

A Boy Called It

The deficits David Pelzer will have to overcome according to biological and environmental foundations and emotional and social development will deal primarily with the neglect he suffered as a child.This environmental history will play a major role and an obstacle at being accepted into new schools, new families and in any future job he holds.   He will have to come to terms with the ‘normal’ relationships children and parents have as opposed to his neglected childhood upbringing by not only his mother, but the social service system and foster families.The way in which David experience mental health is through the actions of his mother.   His mother, Catherine Roerva, tortured David both physically and emotionally by not even considering him a son, or a human being but an ‘it’.As such her mental health made it impossible for her to raise her child and instead her disease (and her alcoholism) made her torture him, not feed or clothe him and basically not treat him as a son not to mention a person, â€Å"SMACK, mother hits me in the face and I topple to the floor.   I know better than to stand there and take the hit.   I learned the hard way that she takes that as an act of defiance, which means more hits or worst of all no food.I regain my posture and dodge her looks as she screams into my ears†(Pelzer 3).   To a young child, such experiences of mental health make it detrimental to truly experience anything normal for his sense of normalcy is warped due to his exposure of these horrific experiences.Although David did have one of the worst childhood abuse cases in the state of California (he was caged in the basement, not allowed to eat, and was threatened physically almost daily) he did end up in the child welfare system where he tried to adjust to a new life outside of his mother’s abuse.Finally at the age of 12 David was taken from his mother’s care thanks to the help of school teachers and other authori ties and at that time he entered into the social welfare system through foster care.   In this system David experienced other types of both horrible and kind human activity for which he goes into detail with his other book entitled The Lost Boy: A A Foster Child’s Search for the Love of a Family.On the issue of biological deficits, David Pelzer may have to face the fact that his mother neglected him after he was born,Genetic counseling is a communication process designed to help couples assess theirChances of giving birth to a baby with a hereditary disorder and choose the best course of action in view of risks and family goals.As such, David’s mother, given the choice may not have had her son because of her own actions which was detrimental to his health.   In David’s case, it is not a hereditary disorder but more of an environmental disorder that he has in him.Works CitedPelzer, David. (1995).  Ã‚   A Boy Called It.   HCI. 1995.Wall, Charles M. (April, 1975). Child Abuse: A Societal Problem   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   with Educational  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Implications. Peabody Journal of Education. 52 (3). 222-225.Â