The decine and recovery of the US Steel industry Essay

The decine and recovery of the US Steel industry - Essay Example with foreign steel. However, this had significant, lingering after-effects that did not produce nearly the results expected or hoped for. Additionally, the power of labor unions added significantly to the decline of this industry during the same period, something that is currently being redeveloped by the U.S. political system. The steel industry has been plagued with lowered demand for steel products in construction and in automotive due to a variety of global economic factors being felt across the globe. This report highlights all of the factors behind the decline and the current slow recovery of the steel industry, including the aforementioned tariff and labor union influence, the existence of increasing pension payouts for Baby Boomer retirees, changing consumer and industrial customer buying behaviors, changing construction patterns globally, as well as the influence of Wall Street on this industry. Decline Factors – Tariffs and Labor Impacts In the early 2000s, the U.S. steel industry was plagued with considerable problems that were causing significant disruptions to profitability. First, there were many bubbles occurring in the stock market during this period that were eroding consumer confidence and reducing construction for materials requiring steel in their construction, such as automotive products and various consumer appliances. In an effort to help companies that were on the verge of bankruptcy during this period, President Bush imposed import tariffs as an effort to slow illegal dumping of foreign-made steel and also to boost profitability for these struggling industries. These tariffs consisted of a 15 to 30 percent commission by early 2002, however the end results of this effort were the production of internal disputes with domestic steel industry ownership who felt that this limited competitive edge and also made foreign buyers seek new market opportunities for the export of their own domestically-made steel (Blecker, 2002). Therefore, e ven though it represented more opportunities for domestic production to increase, it limited the scope of steel-related partnerships with disgruntled foreign steel producers and limited their expansion potential across the globe. Further, the backlash of various trade disputes did, indeed, force steel manufacturers outside of the United States to begin the process of looking for new export opportunities, thus eroding even more opportunities for this industry in the process. Additionally, during this time period, less regulatory presence in the steel industry gave considerable authority to various labor unions, such as the United Steelworkers of America (USWA), which began demanding higher wage increases for workers and therefore eroding profitability in an already struggling industry (Ikenson, 2002). What was occurring was that steel industries were already experiencing lowered demand for products both domestically and abroad and were on the verge of bankruptcy at the time. The powe r of these unions was exerted in an effort to prevent, at any cost, plant closings in an effort to save American jobs with the USWA. These efforts were ultimately successful, in conjunction with the new tariffs imposed, and forced steel industry owners to continue production and operate, essentially, in the red for a period of years until new regulatory powers began to erode the power of these labor unions. Today, there

Those who inspired me Essay Example for Free

Those who inspired me Essay Many people have numerous of people that may have influenced them once in their life. I only have three that really helped understand a lot in life. My mother, my cousin Tina and my cousin Tiffany are a big inspiration n my life. Without them I probably wouldnt be as successful as I am today. The first person that Influenced me the most is my mother. This lady has been there for me since day one. Without her wouldnt be here. She Is a very hardworking woman. Working two Jobs and managing two kids with not much support Is a big hand clap. My mother had me when It was her freshman year In college. Not once did she let that stop he from succeeding In life. I remember there were days when she would take me to school with her. Even though she had me while she was still In school, my mother graduated from college with her bachelors degree. She called me her little motivation and I was the reason why she worked so hard. The second person that Influenced me Is my cousin Tina. Whenever I need anybody to talk to she was always there to listen. She Is another hard working woman. Like most teens I would rather talk about certain things with the closet adult figure to me besides my mother. My cousin was and has lways been a very straight forward person. She will never tell you something just because you want to hear it. She rather be completely honest with you than to have you believing lies. As she always told me l been there done that, so I know what life was like as a teen. She has really helped me open my eyes and see a lot of things. The third person that inspires me is my other cousin Tiffany. She is one of those laid back, fun type of cousins but can also get very serious with you when it comes to your future. She has been in the naw for over 10+ years now and she has really inspired nd encouraged me to Join the naw as well. There have been times when I wanted to give up on everything because I felt like I couldnt do it but thank god for her cause she snapped me right back into reality quick. Well these are my main three ladies that have brought so much faith, love, encouragement, wisdom, inspiration, and so much more into my life. I am thankful for them each and every day that I wake up. As I get older I strive to be Just like them but maybe 10 times better. You can never go wrong with challenging yourself to becoming something so much better than what you are already aiming for.

Equity vs Debt Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Equity vs Debt Financial Statement Information - Debt and Equity Holders Debtholders and equityholders as claimants to a firm’s future cashflows are interested in assessing risk. Debtholders Debtholders are primarily interested in assessing whether the firm’s cashflow will be sufficient to make interest and principal payments on a timely basis The lower the probability of a cash shortfall, the lower the risk to the debtholder Debtholders therefore gather information about the firm’s liquidity, debt capacity and liquidation value of assets Equityholders Equityholders are residual claimants of the firm’s cashflows. Shareholders in effect, hold an option on the value of the firm’s assets, with the exercise price equal to the face value of the debt. It is well known that the option component of equity value increases with the variance of expected future cashflows – Black and Scholes (1973) and with the firm’s debt to equity ratio. Therefore, when equity has a large component of option-like characteristics, financial statement analysis focuses on assessing both the expected level and the variance of future cashflows when valuing equity. At extreme debt levels, the equity is a ‘deep in the money’ option and its valuation does not require the use of the option pricing model. More traditional valuation models suffice. Financial analysts are interested in assessing a firm’s Beta risk so that they can perform valuation of traded stocks, seasoned e... Equity vs Debt Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework Equity vs Debt Financial Statement Information - Debt and Equity Holders Debtholders and equityholders as claimants to a firm’s future cashflows are interested in assessing risk. Debtholders Debtholders are primarily interested in assessing whether the firm’s cashflow will be sufficient to make interest and principal payments on a timely basis The lower the probability of a cash shortfall, the lower the risk to the debtholder Debtholders therefore gather information about the firm’s liquidity, debt capacity and liquidation value of assets Equityholders Equityholders are residual claimants of the firm’s cashflows. Shareholders in effect, hold an option on the value of the firm’s assets, with the exercise price equal to the face value of the debt. It is well known that the option component of equity value increases with the variance of expected future cashflows – Black and Scholes (1973) and with the firm’s debt to equity ratio. Therefore, when equity has a large component of option-like characteristics, financial statement analysis focuses on assessing both the expected level and the variance of future cashflows when valuing equity. At extreme debt levels, the equity is a ‘deep in the money’ option and its valuation does not require the use of the option pricing model. More traditional valuation models suffice. Financial analysts are interested in assessing a firm’s Beta risk so that they can perform valuation of traded stocks, seasoned e...

History 53 Judaism

HISTORY 53 FINAL 1 Id-According to the Old Testament, what massacre took place shortly after Moses received the 10 Commandments and why did it take place? Briefly list the main events in Moses’ life according to the Old Testament. Do any Egyptian sources confirm the events narrated in the Old Testament? 2 Id- When was the kingdom of Judah conquered by the Babylonians? Who destroyed the northern kingdom (Israel) and when? Who were the Prophets within Judaism and what was the focus of their message? How what they did and said can be compared to what Jesus did and said?When did Jewish people transition from pastoralism to agriculture and from being nomadic to sedentary? 3 Id-Where and when did Zoroastrianism originate? How did it influence Judaism in terms of the figure of the devil and the idea of afterlife? List 4 ways in which it influenced all Western religions and explain why some people argue that Zoroastrianism provides the foundation for much of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. 4 Id- When and why was the Temple in Jerusalem destroyed for the last time? Explain the differences between Sadducees, Zealots and Essenes. What was the Maccabean Revolt?What festivity celebrates this event? In terms of the 6 Ways, how did Judaism change after the destruction of the temple? 5 Id-What are the similarities and differences between Orthodox, Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist Judaism? In term of the 6 ways, what is the difference between the Kabbalah and Hasidic mysticism? 6 E-When was the modern State of Israel established? How long had it been since the last time that an independent Jewish state existed? Why is the state of Israel opposed by many Muslim states in the region? Which religions consider Jerusalem a sacred city? What does the term Zionism mean?How did the Enlightenment improve the condition of Jewish peoples in Europe? List 3 examples of European antisemitism. What kind of rationale did Christianity provide for antisemitism? Were Jewish peop le in Spain treated better under Islamic or Christian rule? When did the Holocaust take place? Approximately how many Jews died because of it? 7 E-Who was Mithra? List 3 similarities between Mithra’s and Jesus’ story? Why did Mithraism disappear? Approximately, how many people follow one of the forms of Christianity? Do we have any independent sources about Jesus written during his lifetime? What are the Gospels?Approximately when were they written? Roughly how many Gospels were written? When were the 4 Gospels canonized? Why is the information you provided so far problematic? What is the Gospel of Thomas? Is it part of the Bible? List at least 2 instances in which the Gospels contradict each other. 8 Id-What is the Resurrection? Which other gods in the Greco-Roman world were said to have been resurrected? What do the Gospels tell us about Jesus childhood, adolescence and early adulthood? Why was Jesus crucified? What was the relationship between Jesus and the Judaism of his times (similarities and differences)? Id- What religion did Jesus practice? What was Jesus’ position on judging others, on accumulation of wealth, on patriotism, and on separation of state and religion? How is this similar and/or different from the positions later taken by mainstream Christianity? 10 Id-Who was John the Baptist? What did Jesus do for 40 days in the desert? What was the political situation during Jesus’ life in his own homeland? Who were the Magi? 11 Id-Who were St. Paul and St. Augustine? When did they live? Why do some people suggest that they may be more important in the history of Christianity than Jesus himself?How did the idea of the end of the world shape Paul’s message? How did the position of Christianity within the empire change by Augustine’s time and how was his message influenced by this new context? 12 Id-What did the Edict of Theodosius in 395 say? Who was Constantine and why is he important in Christian history? The Roman empire was usually tolerant of many religions, so why did they persecute Christians? 13 E-How long did the Inquisition exist for? What was it? What was the Witch Hunt? How was confession obtained? Why were midwives often victims of the Witch Hunt? What is the idea of Manifest Destiny?How can it be justified religiously? How was Christianity used to justify the colonization of the Americas? When did the Crusades take place and what were they? How did St. Augustine lay the theoretical groundwork for the forced conversions of millions of people throughout the world? 14 Id-Who was John Calvin? How did Protestantism contribute to the development of capitalism? Does capitalism seem to fit with Jesus’ message about wealth? What major changes did Martin Luther advocate? What was Martin Luther’s approach on priestly celibacy? Who was St. Francs of Assisi and why was he criticized by Martin Luther?What was Martin Luther’s attitude toward Jewish people? 15 E-Did the creation of Protestantism occur peacefully? Why were many rulers attracted by Martin Luther’s message? In terms of the 6 Ways, how did Protestantism switch the emphasis within Christianity? When did the Council of Trent take place and how did it change Catholicism? Why was the â€Å"discovery† of the Americas troublesome for the Church? Why were the astronomical discoveries of Copernicus and Galileo opposed by the Church? What kind of changes took place during the 1962 Second Vatican Council? 16 Id-What are the 7 sacraments of Catholicism?Would it be fair to say that women had a subordinate role in Christianity until Martin Luther pushed for their rights? Why or why not? What factors contributed to the current decline of Christianity in Europe? What are the 3 major subdivisions of Christianity? 17 Id-When and where did Muhammad live? Why is it incorrect to refer to Islam as â€Å"Muhammadism†? How did Muhammad see his message in relation to Judaism and Christian ity? Why was Muhammad opposed by the Meccan elite? What does Islam mean? Approximately how many followers does Islam have worldwide? 18 E-What are the 5 Pillars of Islam?What are the two main subdivisions within Islam? What do they differ on? Which one is more popular (numerically speaking)? What is Sufism? Which one of the 6 Ways of Being Religious fits Sufism? Why has it sometimes being persecuted by some orthodox Muslims? What is the Hadith? Is there one or multiple versions of the Hadith? What is the Shari’a? Why is the Shari’a followed by some Islamic governments but not by others? When was the role of Caliph abolished? What terminated the Abbasid dynasty? 19 Id-At various times, Muslim governments have persecuted Jewish and Christian peoples or have allowed them to retain their religion.What was the most typical policy? How did most Muslims governments in the past approach the issue of freedom of religion for people who did not follow Judaism, Christianity, or Is lam? 20 Id-How did the Nation of Islam under Elijah Muhammad differ from orthodox Islam? How did the war in Afghanistan contribute to the growth of Islamic fundamentalism? Which 1979 revolution has been heralded as a model for Islamic fundamentalism? What does the Koran say about righteous warfare? How was 9/11 justified by Islamic extremists? 21 Id-List 4 similarities between Christianity, Judaism and Islam.List 2 differences between Judaism and Islam, 2 between Judaism and Christianity, 2 between Islam and Christianity. 22 Id-What difference do you see between the view of sexuality held by Islam and Judaism and the one held by early Christianity? What is Tantrism? Is it part of which religions? What is the Taoist approach to sex? Is asceticism important in most Animistic cultures? What is the Song of Songs (aka Song of Solomon)? 23 E-What is Stannard’s argument about the connection between the genocide of American Indian peoples and Christian teachings about sexuality and à ¢â‚¬Å"Holy† War?List 2 examples of how Christian teachings about sexuality affect modern American culture. Which one of the subdivisions of Christianity is still officially against contraception? List 3 religions that have strong sanctions against homosexuality. According to St. Augustine when is sex not sinful? According to St. Paul what is the ideal behavior in terms of sexuality? According to the Gospels, what was Jesus’ position on divorce and on sexual fantasies? 24 Id-List 3 examples of religious traditions using mind-altering substances. What is Amanita Muscaria? According to Gordon Wasson, which religious tradition was influenced by it?The use of mind-altering substances may fit best with which 2 of the 6 Ways of Being Religious described in class? 25 E-When did the Native American Church gain popularity among the tribes of North America? What 3 sources do various chapters of the Native American Church borrow from? Why have members of the Native American Church been arrested for much of the 20th century? Why were they denied freedom of religion by the U. S. Supreme Court in the early 1990s? What did Justice Anthony Scalia mean when he said that religious diversity is a luxury that the United States cannot afford?What is their legal status today? 26 Id-Where and when was the Baha’i religion created? What is its position toward other religions? Why was it (and still is) persecuted? What is its view of women, nationalism, relationship between religion and science, and concepts such as heaven and hell and the figure of the devil? 27 Id-In class we said that the modern world is seen the growth of both universalism and fundamentalism. What are they and what do they argue? What are their attitudes toward globalization? Why is the division of church and state problematic? Why is it necessary? 8 E-In what year was â€Å"The Age of Reason† published? What is the religious view embraced by Thomas Paine? How does Thomas Paine view Jesus? What is the essence of Paine’s argument? List at least 3 reasons why Paine holds a negative view of the Bible. Why does he believe Christianity to be hostile to science? What relationship—in Paine’s mind—should exist between religion and science? 29 Id-What role does nature play in Paine’s worldview? What does he say about the doctrine of Redemption? What does he say about miracles? What is his opinion of the Book of Ruth? What is Paine’s opinion of St. Paul?

Coca Cola Case Study Essay

Coca Cola is the most popular drink I have decided to change both the packaging of the drink and the flavouring. This will be quite a challenging task to do, as I will have to do a lot of research on the existing product first. Research work will involve for example looking in the Internet and e-mailing to existing companies for information packs etc. I will offer all the opportunity to customers (people) and listen to there comments on my design of product comparing it to the original product, of course this will be first done by questionnaires and surveys etc. so different peoples views will be analysed at the end and the results will show me if my product will be successful in the market. My objective is basically to research into the different kinds of flavours that I could use to make the product Coca Cola this will also mean asking customers if they would prefer the logo itself to be changed aswell as the packaging. I will only make this product if there is a need in the market as if there is no need in the market my product will not sell which will mean I will not be making a profit. I will also need to consider the following: Taste Flavour Amount of flavouring Wrapping Texture Other please specify Other than the above I will also need to find out exactly how well the drink is selling at present to see just what other changes may be needed. Marketing is concerned with identifying customer’s needs and satisfying those needs at a profit in such a way that the customers come back again and recommend the firm to their friends. Marketing involves everything that an organisation has to make happen if customers are to be satisfied with its products. This is the reason why I have chose to market a mobile phone to my customers as there is a wider market out there for this product. In order for organisations to satisfy customers effectively and successfully, they would need to assess customer needs. By marketing my product I have met consumer needs and this involves developing strategies, which are then translated into a series of marketing plans. Marketing is, therefore, a planned purpose, which by ensuring a business satisfies customers needs and meets its business objectives helps it to outperform its rivals which I think I would be successful in doing as there is the younger generation who are constantly purchasing mobile phones and there is a great market out there. I would need to think about my objectives and in order to do that I would need to research about my product, plan everything out, take steady and smooth actions and try to be in control so that my product sells and then I may be able to meet my objectives. In order to implement a marketing strategy this requires making many decisions: What is the market? Non-competitive market Competitive market Monopoly Oligopoly How do we segment the market? Working out all the possible markets for a good is called segmentation and each part of the market a segment. What are the wants & needs of each segment? Businesses produce goods and services to meet the wants and needs of consumers everybody has wants and needs. What is the best price? If the demand for a good or service starts to increase, prices will follow and suppliers will devote more resources to producing that good or service. Which promotional method should be used? An efficient network of communications is essential for successful promotional activity. The promotional mix comprises all the marketing and promotional objectives of the marketing mix. How should we distribute the product/service? And changing environments mean that marketers’ needs for information are never ending. Social & cultural environment Economic Environment Political & legal environment Technological environment (E1) Produce a marketing strategy for a product or service with a clear understanding of the principles of marketing The marketing principle Many organizations think of marketing as sales. Others think of it as advertising. Twenty years ago students learned the four â€Å"p’s† of marketing: product, place, price and promotion, and today it’s the four â€Å"c’s:† customer, competition, cost and communication. Basically the definition of the market place is continually changing. Because of the fact I will be carrying a similar task, which will involve me to change or make my own product I will have to consider the following: Satisfying – Every and each customer wants their necessities to be met. Matching customers’ needs and expectations demands detailed answers to questions. They want the right goods, at the right time, at the right price. Because my product will be based on a soft drink many consumers would want to try new drinks so I will have to set a reasonable price for it to be sold at to satisfy customers. For example the drink coca cola is aimed at every one and also is reasonably priced. Identify: I would need to consider answering questions like how I will have to keep in touch with customer’s thoughts and feelings and perception about my goods and service? This would also involve identifying what features customers would prefer to have in my good/service. Anticipating: This involves looking at the future aswell as the present. I would need to consider what the public would like to have today and tomorrow. Baring in mind that consumer requirements change all the time such as people become richer and they might buy expensive drinks and even alcohol because they have more money so they would spend on a expensive drink so they stand out from the crowd. Communicating effectively with customers to satisfy their expectations: In order for me to produce any promotional activity I will need to communicate with my customers this would help me to find out there expectations and build an image with the world at large. Images would help others to form a judgment about what the organization stands for, and will influence their dealings with it. The way we communicate our product or service is part of the persuasion process, which would persuade customers to buy the product at whatever price. The ways that customers are persuaded comes under the promotional mix. In order to achieve the promotional objectives the marketing and promotional communication methods are used which come under the promotional mix. These can be broken down into two areas: 1. Controllable and 2. Non-controllable. Non-controllable communication – This includes marketing messages such as a result of word of mouth, personal recommendation or what customers think of a product or service, depending on how long a family has been using the product/service. Designer labels and brands influence consumers spending power. Controllable communication – These include messages that are carefully directed to achieve an organization’s promotional objectives. Such as: Advertisements- messages sent to the media to inform or influence the people who receive them. Direct mail-personally addressed advertising sent through the post. Sales promotions-techniques designed to increase sales, such as money-off coupons, free samples and competitions. Coca Cola should therefore study the communication process carefully. It should have a clear idea of what the message is whom it is sent to and what the outcome of sending it is. They should communicate effectively to always persuade consumers to go out to buy it and also have new advertising to persuade them after a while. Profitability: Profit is the key for marketing. If I don’t make a profit there is no point of me trading I will not be able to satisfy customers requirements or identify there anticipation without the resources to put into out going marketing activities. I need to develop Coca cola in order to achieve profits, which is what my objective for the marketing strategy is. I will need to consider a low price and a quality design. I would be able to see if the demand for Coca Cola has Increased or decreased after developing the product. I could improve it by changing the packaging, adding a different taste or flavour, design, price. I will need to consider the results of my questionnaires, which will be obtained from my primary and secondary research before I start making any changes to my product, as consumers will be asked if they would buy my developed product. Understanding Customer Needs: In order for me to make my final product a success I will need to anticipate change. This includes the age structure of the population and consumers income. Market research is the antenna of an organisation from which you could obtain accurate results of what drinks consumers prefer or what they suggest they would like to have changing to the product. This is where marketing research starts. I would need to consider what consumers would like in order to satisfy customers needs and wants which will show if my product is going to become successful. Most marketing activities are therefore designed to meet the needs of groups of customers within a market. I would need to find a sample of my consumers in order to find out their wants and needs so that I could produce or develop a product that satisfies them. The product is the first element in the marketing mix and the rest of the elements would need to be considered later. These may include developing the pricing for the product or service provided, working out how to distribute (place) goods to the customers, as well as how to promote them. Coca cola would need to understand customer, needs to be able to sell their product. In order to produce a product that will make them profit at the end of the day and customer’s wants could be met according to their needs. (E2) Appropriately identify, collect and use primary and secondary data relevant to the marketing strategy If you were to survey 100 people asking them do they drink Coca Cola this would be a difficult question to answer as Coca Cola can be found in several different brands. Some would prefer to choose a Coca Cola – Diet or light or classic, with cherry or with lemon, or with or without caffeine. About five years ago this would be a question that would be feasible to answer, as then Coca Cola existed in it’s original form. A survey that I conducted shows that many people preferred the original Coca Cola. However the results reveal that majority of them (i.e. 17 out of 20) are not satisfied with the packaging of the drink and would like it to be more colorful aswell as in various designs rather than just in one ‘rather boring’ design which has the been the same for quite so many years now. Another feature that customers (from the 20 people I interviewed) would like to see changes and improvements to is the size of the product. Further questioning revealed that th e reason for improving the size i.e. up to 5 litres would be convenient when holding family parties. These findings were very useful to me as they made me realize what the publics demand is and what I need to do to make the product acceptable in the market, which in return would help me make a profit. The twenty people I asked replied on the basis of looking at media, which is one of the things that influences the market. They thought that advertising was a good way to promote Coca Cola, as it is very common and popular. The secondary data shows advertisements are sold in spots and the daytime spots cost less because there are little audiences. Many people watch television in the evening the most as they relax so most of the advertisements are on then, and also mainly in the mornings as a lot of people turn the television on in the mornings. Out door advertising- poster sites in Britain are mainly in big cities alongside main roads close top the cities. They includes the sides and backs of buses, banners and boards at football and other sports events, both the inside and outside of London and other city taxis, bus shelters, and boards at bus and railway stations. Advertising time on TV is sold in ‘spots’ ranging from one minute down to seven seconds. Daytime spots, when audiences are low cost less than those do in ‘Peak time’- the evening when millions of people may be watching Independent Television. Most evenings from 5.30 p.m. to about 10.30 p.m. is peak viewing time when TV audiences are largest. The ITV companies usually show the same programmes, though they may show different advertisements. In the UK, ITV (including GMTV), channel 4 and channel 5 (1997), show advertisements between programmes and in intervals within the programmes themselves. A half- minute spot in mid-evening on a weekday could cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,250 on Grampian Television whereas a similar spot time cost on Carlton Television might be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½23,000. One company, Grampian Television, serves only about 2,023,000 homes, but the London Region, whose programmes are provided by Charlton Television during the week and by London Weekend Televisions at weekends, has about 5,491,000 homes- 2 and a half times as many. TV advertising time in Britain is sold on the ‘spot’ system. A ‘spot’ can last for a few seconds as with many of the ‘still’ advertisements for local stops or for a minute or even occasionally more. ‘Spots’ are bunched into breaks which may contain just one advertisement, though this is rare, or several. Each of the programme companies charge different rates, or prices, for its spot time. It is not hard to see why. In 1998, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½14,307 million was spent on advertising in Britain. Over 80 per cent of this was spent on display advertising of goods and services in the press, on television, radio, posters, direct mail and in the cinema. The remaining 20 per cent or so bought classified advertising (small ads), Financial and legal notices, company announcements, and recruitment advertising (job ads) and advertising in the business and professional press. Companies also spend substantial sums on other forms of communication but statistics are not always available. However, it is estimated that in 1995 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½750 million was spent on exhibitions in Britain and substantial sums are also spent on sponsorship, sales promotion, mail order and other forms of activity.

Advertising Analysis essayEssay Writing Service

Advertising Analysis essayEssay Writing Service Advertising Analysis essay Advertising Analysis essayToday Public Service Announcement (PSA) is one of the most effective and appropriate advertising tools used to accomplish the established goals. The PSAs promote various activities aimed at improving social life. According to Paul L. Jones, â€Å"government sponsored public service announcement (PSA) campaigns are prepackaged messages generally placed for free through various media to promote designated government activities, programs or services† (3). As a rule, the PSAs are placed for free, but in some cases the PSA campaigns may require some financial obligations. The most common topics chosen for PSA campaigns are health and safety issues, including emergency preparedness tips, disease prevention methods, etc. There are three types of PSA: long PSAs, which usually run 60 seconds, average PSAs 30 seconds and very short PSAs 10 seconds. The major goal of a typical PSA campaign is to promote public awareness regarding the proper information sources or educational sessions on a specific issue of public concern, e.g. obesity, smoking, gambling, etc. (Jones 23).The PSA that will be analyzed in this paper is a TV PSA â€Å"Prevent Asthma Symptoms† that was produced by Salo Productions for The Asthma Allergy Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline. This PSA is effective as it provides massive opportunities to the target audience aimed at enhancing public health.Advertising Analysis  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The PSA â€Å"Prevent Asthma Symptoms† tells about the major causes of asthma. Actually, there are two causes of asthma symptoms that should be taken into consideration by everyone who has breathing problems airway constriction and inflammation. There are several types of media used for this PSA campaign, including the Internet, radio and television. This PSA was aired on CNBC, MSNBC and the USA Network during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Over 40 million viewers have watched this PSA.  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The PSA â€Å"Prevent Asthma Symptoms† is a long one as it runs 60 seconds. The public service announcement is composed of 16 lines of text, which are read at average speed. The words for this PSA text have been chosen carefully. Thus, the text of the PSA maintains the required message’s integrity. Because of the existing time limit (60 seconds), the PSA is focused on the key idea – to introduce the major causes of asthma in the brief, developing the so-called guide to direction aimed at improving public health.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Asthma symptoms can have a negative impact on the overall health of an individual. The PSA says: â€Å"asthma symptoms can really slow you down†. There are two major causes of asthma symptoms: airway constriction and inflammation. Airway constriction is felt by individuals, while inflammation may not be felt. The PSA is aimed at explaining people that asthma can be tre ated effectively if a person is ready to treat both airway constriction and inflammation. The PSA helps the public to pay due attention to the medicine they use to prevent asthma. As a rule, a medicine helps to prevent only one symptom, â€Å"it can make asthma feel like an uphill battle.† The PSA recommends managing asthma by treating both major causes of asthma symptoms. Thus, the PSA explains the public how to prevent both symptoms in order to make a â€Å"smoother ride†.Evaluation of the PSA’s work on the audienceThe PSA â€Å"Prevent Asthma Symptoms† effectively works on the audience, providing much important information on asthma symptoms. The PSA addresses the target audience and uses the proper methods to communicate the desired message to the audience.The target audience the text is trying to addressThe target audience ranges from the general public to the participants of specific activities or programs, such and bike riders, swimmers, runners, b asket-ball players, etc. The statistics on asthma is disappointing. According to American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (2014),â€Å"the number of people with asthma continues to grow† (Asthma Statistics).   This fact means that many Americans face serious health problems that involve asthma symptoms. The more accurate statistical data includes â€Å"one in 12 people (about 25 million, or 8% of the U.S. population) had asthma in 2009, compared with 1 in 14 (about 20 million, or 7%) in 2001 (Asthma Statistics). People with asthma experience asthma attacks on a regular basis. Many children with asthma are physically unable to play games and go in for sport. The statistical data show that in 2007, â€Å"185 children and 3,262 adults died from asthma† (Asthma Statistics).The key methods used to communicate the desired message to the audience The key methods used to communicate the desired message to the audience include getting attention by story, background music and the speaker’s voice. Thus, the PSA makers use technical methods and common attention getting hooks to communicate the desired information to the target audience.   A young girl and her boy-friend riding a bike, wide road and high speed riding create positive emotions. The audience has a positive visual experience. Sport is a symbol of good health. The PSA makers decided to use sport activity in order to instil confidence in people with asthma. The PSA â€Å"Prevent Asthma Symptoms† effectively reaches the audience, holds the attention of the audience and delivers the key message. The use of story in the PSA, the appropriate music and the speaker’s voice guarantee successful perception.Evaluation of the effectiveness of the approachThe PSA â€Å"Prevent Asthma Symptoms† addresses the audience’s interests. The text of the PSA is written concisely to explain the key message appropriately. The PSA accomplishes its goals because it provides a clear picture of the major asthma symptoms and helps people with asthma to prevent the major cause of asthma symptoms. In general, the approach used by the PSA makers is effective because the PSA â€Å"Prevent Asthma Symptoms† is constructed in the form of a believable story. A young girl riding a bike experiences some symptoms of asthma. Eventually, she feels recovered when both symptoms are prevented by means of external support. The speaker’s voice and background music trigger the audience’s attention.ConclusionThus, the PSA â€Å"Prevent Asthma Symptoms† provide important information for millions of people with asthma. The PSA creates positive mood, encouraging people with asthma to find the proper solutions to the existing health problems. The design of the PSA is successful. The story is easy to interpret; the background music and the speaker’s voice are pleasant to hear. There is a close relationship between visual elements, written materi al and the speaker’s message. Actually, the theme of the PSA is clearly discussed through effective story and positive atmosphere generated by the key characters: a young girl and her boy-friend riding a bike.

Cars and Carriages

Cars and Carriages Cars and Carriages Cars and Carriages By Mark Nichol Car and carriage, and many other words containing the element car, derive from the Latin word carrus, meaning â€Å"two-wheeled wagon.† This post lists and defines many of the words descended from carrus. A car is a passenger vehicle designed to be driven on roads; autocar and motorcar are outdated terms used in the early days of automotive travel to describe cars so as not to have them be confused with train cars and streetcars, which were dominant modes of travel at the time. A streetcar is a public passenger vehicle, running on a network of rails within a city, that can be drawn by horses (this type was sometimes called a horsecar) or propelled by electricity; one drawn by cables is sometimes called a cable car. Car also describes a segment of a railroad train, and terms for specialized cars include boxcar, denoting an enclosed car for carrying freight, flatcar, which refers to a platform freight car, and â€Å"stock car,† meaning â€Å"a ventilated boxcar for hauling livestock.† (â€Å"Stock car† also describes a racing car with a stock, or mass-produced, chassis and a customized car body.) A car wash is a public facility for cleaning cars, either staffed or self-service with coin-operated equipment. A carpool is an arrangement in which two or more people share a car driven by one of them to reach a common destination. A carport is an area, like a garage but generally with only a roof on posts and no walls, for storing vehicles. (â€Å"Car park† is a British English term for a parking garage or parking lot.) To be carsick is to become nauseated by the motion of a car; the ailment is called carsickness. Carriage originally denoted the act of carrying but came to apply to a vehicle that carries people, including a train car; the meaning was extended to refer to one’s posture as well as specialized senses pertaining to a moveable part of a machine, such as a typewriter’s carriage, or to having a pathogen in one’s body. Carry also derives from carrus; among the most versatile of verbs, it has numerous senses pertaining to bearing, moving, or directing something from one place to another or to associated actions. But it is also employed as a noun, as in the case of a method of bearing something, as in describing the advance of a football player with the ball. A carrier is an entity that carries something, and a carryall is a vehicle or a large bag; the latter word stems by folk etymology from the French term carriole. Chariot, denoting an ancient two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle, is, with charioteer, derived from the Old French verb charrier, meaning â€Å"transport,† by way of Middle French and Middle English. The word, as well as chariotee, a diminutive of chariot, and â€Å"post chariot,† pertain to types of carriage used before the automotive age. Charabanc is a British English word for a sightseeing bus; the term is derived from the French phrase char bancs, meaning â€Å"wagon with benches.† Carousel, originally describing a jousting match and later pertaining to an amusement ride in which people mount statues of horses or other animals set on a revolving platform, is from the Italian word carusiello, possibly descended from carrus. Cart and its compound variations (from cartwheel to â€Å"shopping cart†) are unrelated, stemming from an Old English word, related to the Dutch word for basket, that likely alluded to the fact that early carts often included a body made of wickerwork. However, charette (also spelled charrette), a word originally pertaining to a cart used to carry drawings- by extension, it now describes a meeting involving architectural plans- is French for â€Å"little cart† and is from carrus. (The modern sense might derive from the notion of viewing and discussing architectural drawings spread out on a cart at a building site.) However, a few words that may not be easily recognized as belonging to the same family do stem from carrus, including career, which means â€Å"course† or â€Å"passage† and by extension came to denote a field or profession one pursues. As a verb, it describes speeding along a road or other course. (However, careen, denoting turning something over or a side-to-side movement, is unrelated.) Carrack, the word for a sailing vessel common during the 1400s and 1500s, derives from an Arabic word for â€Å"merchant ship† that may have been borrowed from the Latin term carricare, meaning â€Å"load a car.† Cargo, meaning â€Å"goods conveyed by a vehicle or vessel,† stems from the same word by way of Spanish, and that language is also the source of supercargo, denoting a ship’s officer responsible for freight and related matters. Carricare is also the source of cark, an obscure word used as a noun or a verb to refer to trouble or worry, from the notion of a burden. It is also the origin of charge, which originally referred to a load or a weight carried but now has a variety of meanings, including â€Å"command† or â€Å"supervision,† â€Å"obligation,† â€Å"expense,† or â€Å"complaint,† â€Å"criticism,† or â€Å"assertion of guilt.† It also describes a rush, especially of attacking mounted soldiers, and still refers to a load of in the sense of a quantity of electricity or explosives. In addition, it serves as a verb pertaining to these senses. A charger is something used in charging, such as a warhorse or a device for holding or reinforcing a weapon or an energy source. and something that can be charged is chargeable. Recharge means â€Å"charge again,† and something that can be charged again is rechargeable. A countercharge is a response to a charge, and overcharge and undercharge denote excessive or insufficient charging, while supercharge refers to applying energy, pressure, or tension and a surcharge is an extra charge, usually in the financial sense of an additional fee. The noun chargà © d’affaires, borrowed directly from the French phrase meaning â€Å"charged with affairs† (and pronounced the same), denotes a deputy of an ambassador or other senior diplomat. Carpenter, meaning â€Å"worker who builds and repairs wood structures† (from a Latin word denoting a wagon maker), and carpentry, referring to the practice, are related to carrus. Although caricature is in a sense a synonym of character, in that both pertain to a representation of a person, and the terms are pronounced similarly and appear as if they might share a root, they are unrelated: Character, by way of Latin, is from the Greek word kharacter, meaning â€Å"engraved mark†; it retains its original sense of â€Å"symbol† but also developed the meaning of â€Å"person in a work of fiction,† then simply â€Å"person† (and later â€Å"eccentric person†) as well as â€Å"the sum of one’s defining qualities,† or â€Å"integrity.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Cost-Effective vs. Cost-Efficient36 Poetry TermsEach vs. Both

Pacing in Writing 10 Powerful Ways to Keep Readers Hooked

Pacing in Writing 10 Powerful Ways to Keep Readers Hooked Pacing in Writing: 10 Powerful Ways to Keep Readers Hooked If you’ve ever bitten your nails in expectation while reading a novel - or struggled to focus on a particularly long passage of a book - then you already have firsthand experience when it comes to learning how readers can be affected by the pacing in writing. Pacing refers to the speed at which the action takes place. It’s a vital part of your story, and it takes time and careful consideration to get just right. What is pacing and why is it important? Learn the answer here Why exactly is pacing important?Think all you need is a compelling character to hook readers? Well†¦ you need a bit more than just that. Wonderfully drawn characters can’t keep your readers interested forever - even a book featuring beloved characters like Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, or Elizabeth Bennet would be a slog if the first fifty pages described them slowly going about their daily activities.That's where pacing steps in. Pacing affects the mood of your story, helps develop ideas and themes, and allows your readers to connect to the characters and the events that surround them.While it might be easy to think that a fast pace will be most effective, the truth is that it depends on the story you’re telling. While thrillers tend to be quick and action-packed, romances and other character-driven stories sometimes work best when they take their time.To see what "fast-paced" means, check out these 23 psychological thrillers that will make your head spin.That sai d, the most important thing to keep in mind when you're outlining your novel and thinking about pacing is balance. A single story can’t (and shouldn’t) be all fast or all slow. Instead, there should be a trade-off between the two. This provides variety, makes the story interesting, and keeps the readers hooked.Think about it as music: it’s the highs and lows combined that makes a song appealing to the ear. If it was made up of a single, flat note, it would be pretty boring, wouldn’t it?What techniques have you used to change the pacing of your story? Let us know in the comments below!

History -wk3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History -wk3 - Essay Example Functionalism was more interested in how the mind worked, and how it is used by an organism in order to adopt to it’s environment (Schultz and Schultz, 2004). These researchers were concerned with how the mind functioned in the real world. Psychology was interested in the functioning of the entire human being which is the reason why they tended to function under functionalism instead of structuralism. Darwin believed that natural selection meant that some organisms would survive in their environments while others would not and that this may be inherited (Schultz and Schultz, 2004). According to Weiner, this natural selection has changed in that it now means that individuals are attempting to maintain the genetic pool so that individuals do not develop those characteristics that will not promote the maintenance of the species. Although these two theories are similar, it seems that contemporary evolutionary theory gives more understanding of why some children survive and some do not whether this is in childbirth or afterwards. In other words, perhaps some defects are detected early on in a species and therefore the organism is eliminated before it has a chance to grow because it does not promote the species. I am interested in the concept of Gestalt psychology and how it has been used in counseling and therapy. I would like to begin with an understanding of what Gestalt psychology is and how it has developed over time. I would like to include an understanding of its influence for Wundts work and how it was influenced by the Zeitgeist in physics. I am fascinated by the idea that some of these theories have grown into the opportunity to use it in therapy. I will discuss some of the major contributors to Gestalt psychology including Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, Wolfgang Kohler, Kurt Lewin. I will then discuss how Frederick Perls eventually coined "Gestalt Therapy" in order to show that therapy could be

Working Agreement Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Working Agreement - Case Study Example This also gives rise to psychological stress. The issues need to be addressed to ensure that the person comes out of her social and psychological stress which could also eventually break her down. Significant developmental History: The client has been addicted to crack cocaine for the past four years. It is possible for her to get out of it but it is yet to be done and the Child Protective Services have taken custody of the children and given them to their grandmother. The client needs to go through a parental program in order to get back in to the routine even if she were to come out of this issue. In the current situation, the person is subjected to psychological stresses that could make her behave emotionally. That possibly explains the reason for her to walk into the counseling room for getting the children back. Goals: The goal for the assessment will be to get the children back to the client. In order to achieve this goal, she would be interested in executing the rest of the work that might be required to cure her as well as bring in normalcy in her life. A secondary goal therefore, will be to get back into normal life with a job and with the family. If the therapy is successful, the client would have got back the children under her custody. There could be more complete life with the family than living by her in the care centers. All this would have changed if the counseling were to be successful. In order to achieve this goal, a series of session wise goals need to be fixed and executed. These are the desired outcomes of the sessions that are held and would ideally like to achieve the same. Prioritized Goals: The goals need to be properly prioritized in order to ensure that all the needed gains are obtained from the sessions. In order to realize her goal of getting the children back to her, it is needed first to get her sober before even asking for the custody of the kids. If the first priority is to get sober, then the second one will be to get her some work training so that she can earn for herself and for the family. Apart from this, she also has to have a parenting course done. All this could be the influence of the society on her behavior. Therefore, the third priority in her list will be to attend a six week parenting training course before she embarks on any other mission. Roles of other stake holders: The other stake holders in the process would be the clinician apart from the mother and the children of the client. While clinician has a guiding role, the role of the mother of the client and the children of the client is varied. The mother would support the children of

Toyota Origins Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toyota Origins - Term Paper Example (Piotrowski & Guyette, 2010, p.89) It was Mr. Toyoda Sakichi, who provided the original impetus to the young company. This entrepreneur and inventor par excellence translated some of the creative ideas he employed in the textile industry to the fledgling automobile industry. Under the mentorship of Toyoda Sakichi, his son Toyoda Kiichiro applied the proven methods of efficiency from the textile looms to automobile manufacturing. In mid-twentieth century, Ford and General Motors had a significant market share of the Japanese car industry, and competing with them was near impossible. Yet, based on the visionary aspiration of the deceased Toyoda Sakichi, his son took upon the challenge of competing with the bigger firms. Apart from the founder’s vision, some practical necessities in the form of Japanese military missions also facilitated the growth of Toyota Motor Corporation in its early days. And then when the legendary Ohno Taiichi joined the company after the Second World War , his incisive engineering inputs helped transform the company into a reputable global player. (Price, 1997, p.14) In 2001, Toyota issued a document titled Toyota Way 2001, which highlights some of the core principles and values espoused by the management and the workforce. Some of these principles also serve as strategically important in distinguishing Toyota from other companies. For example, principles such as Respect for People, Continuous Improvement, etc are inculcated into the workforce right during times of prosperity and distress. The automotive market in the world is said to be highly competitive and volatile. Moreover, demand in this market is affected by a number of factors such as social, political and general economic conditions; launch of new vehicles and technologies; and expenses incurred by customers to buy and operate vehicles. These factors can make consumer demand to vary substantially from one year to another across market geographies and for different types of automobiles. Yet, in spite of such uncertainties and still competition, a recent annual report of Toyota shows â€Å"increasing unit sales from 2006 to 2008, based on the total unit sales of its products all over the world. But, based on the unit sales per geographic segment, there was a decline in the  Toyota unit sales in Japan, from 2,364,000 units in 2006 down to 2,188,000 units in 2008. Despite the decline in the unit sales of  Toyota’s products in Japan,  Toyota’s market share (including Daihatsu and Hino) including min-vehicles, and  Toyota and Lexus' market share excluding mini vehicles, remained at a high level close to prior fiscal year reflecting the sales efforts of domestic dealers (Cortez   & Penacerrada, 2010, p.113). One of the key driving forces behind the continued success of Toyota is its embrace of Lean Manufacturing and Just-In-Time Production techniques. Then there is the overarching set of philosophies and values brought under the ter m the Toyota Way. The Toyota Way can be further broken down into 4 components. First is a long-term approach to management decision making; second is a systematic approach to problem-solving; third is value addition to the company; and fourth is to focus on solving persistent problems facing the company. These principles and procedures add up to form the formidable

When I learned English in Canada. Personal experience Essay

When I learned English in Canada. Personal experience - Essay Example The language skills I had to acquire in Canada were completely strange to me. I had to learn English which was a new language to me. Everyone around me was speaking in English which sounded and looked weird to me. Growing up in Saudi Arabia never gave the interest of learning English. In my home country, the knowledge of English was not significant in the daily life. With or without knowledge of English language one was able to get along pretty well without noticing one had a deficiency in one of the world’s significant languages. Coming to Canada, however, brought up a new scenario. English is the main language and in order to have a comfortable life I had to learn English. I had knowledge of some English words. I could mildly understand when someone addressed me in English. But I could not give them a reply in English. I used to have a bit of understanding of English but I did not have any interest in having any communicating skills in the language. While in Canada, I had to develop both listening and speaking skills that could help me survive in my new environment. I have spent three years in Canada, and my progress in terms of learning English has been significant. At the moment, I can construct sensible sentences in English. This is contrary to what I could do within the first few months I was in the foreign country. When I first came to Canada, I went to Toronto so that I could access materials to help me learn English. Being one of the major cities in the country, the access to learning materials was easier. However, I had to move out of the city to start my education. I moved to a province known by the name Sult ste Mrie. It was a few kilometers away from Toronto, but the development in this town was almost comparable to the one in Toronto. The town was energetic but small and filled with more leisure activities than Toronto. In this town, I could see more foreigners which made a little more comfortable. At one point as I walked around the town I came across a Saudi Arabian national talking fluently to some of the locals. This intrigued me and gave me hope of learning English and becoming an integral part of this new society. Apart from learning English I had need for education that was offered in Canada. This hope was made bleak with my little knowledge of English which was used in most schools. I had to first learn proper English then pursue my career I wanted. I enrolled in Algoma University. At this institution, I only had the aim of learning English. It was my time in this institution I met with many other foreigners who could not speak and write fluent English. This made me even more comfortable since I found people with the same weakness as mine. This common feature brought us closer to each other as we found some unique ways of communication. Just as I was, all students in my class had the urge of learning English. This urge made us more of a team than classmates. The communication between us could be easily confuse d a sign language or a secretive language. Individuals with the vast knowledge of English would listen to us but never understand what we were talking about. In some occasion, our English tutor was the referred to as the only sane person in our midst. However, with what we had in mind, heart and soul, we could not let this deter us from achieving what we had come for in Canada. The whole new experience in learning English was incredible as for the first time I felt I was becoming part of my environment. Regardless of where I came from, I could look at people as I walked across streets and see we belong to this world under the same denominator. Suddenly, I gained the confidence the locals had. I could walk into a restaurant

PERSONAL ETHICS ACTION PLAN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

PERSONAL ETHICS ACTION PLAN - Assignment Example My personal conviction is to do good to all even to those that have done evil to me. I want to serve God with all my mind and spirit and achieve harmony with Him. I want to do my best in contributing to the society in the way of social work, community programs, and propagating hope in these last days. To be more precise, I want to follow the golden rule that recommends doing to others what you want others to do to yourself. I have absorbed a lot from my parents and grandparents from my infancy. As I grew, I researched holy books, philosophy and read world’s great thinkers. I used my values to understand the world and myself. I learnt how to behave and developed my own personal set of morals. The in discrepancies in human behavior made me think of my value system. It strengthened it further than weakening my system. I got involved in education and this helped me understand how the mind of a child functions and how maturity is attained. I witnessed the process objectively. I could even see people getting into the use of drugs for escape from reality. I was too deep rooted in my values that I said a strong ‘no’ to everything to be considered old fashioned odd person. My moral convictions helped me withstand peer pressure. My personal experience only made me realize how difficult it is for people to accept reality. I learnt to be awake always and stay away from illusions and get deceived by them. Probing questions about life and its meaning posed deep interest to me. Service held a special meaning. Love lies in serving and not being served. To love a person is to exercise it. Help the needful, support the poor, listen to the frustrated ones. I feel that life is to be guided by the values and morals one upholds. Being stronger in the convictions help building a better personality that is both flexible to accept people as they are and strong in not giving up the

When I learned English in Canada. Personal experience Essay

When I learned English in Canada. Personal experience - Essay Example The language skills I had to acquire in Canada were completely strange to me. I had to learn English which was a new language to me. Everyone around me was speaking in English which sounded and looked weird to me. Growing up in Saudi Arabia never gave the interest of learning English. In my home country, the knowledge of English was not significant in the daily life. With or without knowledge of English language one was able to get along pretty well without noticing one had a deficiency in one of the world’s significant languages. Coming to Canada, however, brought up a new scenario. English is the main language and in order to have a comfortable life I had to learn English. I had knowledge of some English words. I could mildly understand when someone addressed me in English. But I could not give them a reply in English. I used to have a bit of understanding of English but I did not have any interest in having any communicating skills in the language. While in Canada, I had to develop both listening and speaking skills that could help me survive in my new environment. I have spent three years in Canada, and my progress in terms of learning English has been significant. At the moment, I can construct sensible sentences in English. This is contrary to what I could do within the first few months I was in the foreign country. When I first came to Canada, I went to Toronto so that I could access materials to help me learn English. Being one of the major cities in the country, the access to learning materials was easier. However, I had to move out of the city to start my education. I moved to a province known by the name Sult ste Mrie. It was a few kilometers away from Toronto, but the development in this town was almost comparable to the one in Toronto. The town was energetic but small and filled with more leisure activities than Toronto. In this town, I could see more foreigners which made a little more comfortable. At one point as I walked around the town I came across a Saudi Arabian national talking fluently to some of the locals. This intrigued me and gave me hope of learning English and becoming an integral part of this new society. Apart from learning English I had need for education that was offered in Canada. This hope was made bleak with my little knowledge of English which was used in most schools. I had to first learn proper English then pursue my career I wanted. I enrolled in Algoma University. At this institution, I only had the aim of learning English. It was my time in this institution I met with many other foreigners who could not speak and write fluent English. This made me even more comfortable since I found people with the same weakness as mine. This common feature brought us closer to each other as we found some unique ways of communication. Just as I was, all students in my class had the urge of learning English. This urge made us more of a team than classmates. The communication between us could be easily confuse d a sign language or a secretive language. Individuals with the vast knowledge of English would listen to us but never understand what we were talking about. In some occasion, our English tutor was the referred to as the only sane person in our midst. However, with what we had in mind, heart and soul, we could not let this deter us from achieving what we had come for in Canada. The whole new experience in learning English was incredible as for the first time I felt I was becoming part of my environment. Regardless of where I came from, I could look at people as I walked across streets and see we belong to this world under the same denominator. Suddenly, I gained the confidence the locals had. I could walk into a restaurant

Euthanasia in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Euthanasia in Australia - Essay Example Presently, in Queensland, the only two laws that deal with end of life are Advance Health Directive and the Power of Attorney Act 1998. In fact, both the laws are insufficient to seek the help of others for assistance. Compared to other states in Australia, Queensland has more restrictions on the use of Advance Health Directive, which result in hindering individual freedom to healthcare. While other states use Advance Health Directive to overcome the restrictive statutory regime, Queensland uses the statutory regime to restrict the freedom under Advance Health Directive. Thus, Queensland authorities are more orthodox about the sanctity of human life than other states are. However, the mere fact is that through the amendment to the Queensland Criminal Code 1899, the territory has unofficially allowed room for euthanasia. It becomes evident that the existing laws in Queensland show double standard. On the one hand, it stands totally against the right to end ones own life unlike other s tates in Australia. This is evident from the fact that it has imposed greater restrictions on Advance Health Directive. On the other hand, it introduced amendments to Criminal Code to help health practitioners escape prosecution by allowing palliative care to the extent of foreseeable death but not intended death. However, the mere fact is that these rules and regulations are not water-tight. In other words, there arise a lot of legal issues associated with the present day stance of the authorities in this regard. It becomes evident that the Criminal Code of 1899 as amended in 2003 gives room for euthanasia on one hand, and punishes the ones who help in the same on the other. The Advance Health Directive and statutory regime- a failed purpose Admittedly, the only purpose of Advance Health Directive (AHD) is to allow individuals to decide their future course of treatment if they are incapable of taking independent decisions in future. As Willmott (2007) points out, unlike other state s, Queensland has more rules and regulations regarding the applicability of AHD. The Power of Attorney Act (1998) (QLD) declares that in order to proceed with the AHD to remove life-sustaining measures; one of the four conditions should be met: the patient has a terminal illness from which death is certain; the patient is in a vegetative state; the patient is permanently unconscious; or the patient has such an illness or injury from which patient is highly unlikely to recover. Thus, the Queensland regulation evidently kills an adult’s right to self-determination as the legislation shows more attachment towards the medical principle of sanctity of life. Davis (2009) argues that a look into the English law proves that the right to self-determination is given more importance than the principle of sanctity of life. In the case, Bland was in a vegetative state and the court allowed removal of life-supporting treatments to facilitate his death (ibid). However, in Queensland, an adu lt can fill advance health directive but it will operate only if it is in harmony with the common law. That means, in Queensland, for an advance health directive to operate, it should meet criteria like a sufficiently poor state of health, lack of prospects of recovery, and consistency with good medical practice. However, in other states, it is irrelevant to consider the fact that the adult would have lived for an extended period of time and made a full recovery if life-sustaining measures were given. In other words, if there is a valid AHD, the medical practitioner would not legally be allowed to provide such good medical practices which could prolong or save the life of the patient. Another important limitation, according to Willmott et al (2006) is that in Queensland, self-determination

Soil Erosion and Public Health in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Soil Erosion and Public Health in Nigeria Essay Soil Erosion and Public Health in Nigeria Introduction            Soil erosion and environmental degradation are some of the mainly severe public health and environmental problems affecting or facing human kind /society. Statics show that, human beings obtain 99.7 percent of their food from the land and the rest is obtained aquatic bodies such as oceans and other water ecosystems. However, each year more than 10 million hectares of crop land are lost through soil erosion and in turn this reduces the cropland that is available for human kind to produce his food. This loss of cropland has turned to be a serious problem as according to the world health organization, more than 3.6 billion human beings are affected by malnourishment globally (Showers, 2005). Generally, soil is being lost from land areas 10 to 40 times faster than the rate of soil renewal imperiling future human food security and environmental quality. This paper critically examines the impact of soil erosion towards public health in developing countries specifically Nigeria (Showers, 2005). Soil erosion is one of the key environmental degradation problems in the developing world. Despite the enormous existence of literature on causes, and impacts of soil erosion a concrete understanding of this complex problem is lacking in the developing countries. The analysis discusses the negative impacts of soil erosion towards the public health care (Cornell University, 2006).            Loss of soil from the land surfaces through the process of soil erosion is spreading globally and negatively affects the production of almost all natural ecosystems as well as agricultural. Together with the escalating human population worldwide, soil erosion, energy and water availability, and loss of biodiversity are ranked as the prime environmental problems all over the world (Beinart, 2008). The change that is inflicted on the soil through human induced erosion over the years is significant and has in turn resulted in valuable land becoming unproductive and eventually it is abandoned. Soil erosion reduces soil quality and hence reducing soil productivity as well that of natural, agricultural and other elated ecosystems. Public health can be summarized as the art and science of avoiding disease as well prolonging and promoting life and health respectively. Soil erosion has been one of the major threats to public globally as its effects have threatened the healt h system in communities (African Development Foundation, 1994).            Public Healthcare in NigeriaThe country’s national government is and has been responsible for the provision of effective health care upon its people. The Nigerian government is the one responsible for providing adequate health care to its people. Health care provision in Nigeria is a simultaneous duty done by the three tiers of administration in the country (Vanlauwe et al, 2005). Its structure is such in a way that, the Federal governments role is limited to coordinating the dealings of the University Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centers. On the other hand, the state management focuses its responsibility for managing various general hospitals, while the local government focuses on dispensaries. In addition, private providers of health care significantly contribute to health care delivery. Even though the spending on health in Nigeria has risen from Naira’s 12.48 million in 1970 to 120.98 million in 2010, health care structure remains ineffecti ve and plays a key role in the poverty status of the country. Over the last two decades, Nigerias public health care system has deteriorated in large partly because of a lack of resources and a brain drain† syndrome of Nigerian doctors as well as skilled health workers to other countries. This as well has been accelerated by the industrial processes which have seen the vast usage of the land, in addition to increased farming practices to cater for the food demand. This, however, has along with natural disasters such as soil erosion brought along a hitch in provision of effective public health care (Orisakwe et al, 2004). Soil erosion            This is a natural process that involves dislodgement and removal of soil particles from one place to the other. There are different factors that contribute to susceptibility of soil to erosion as well as the rate at which it occurs. There are different types of soil erosion such as water and wind erosion. In other terms, Soil erosion entails breaking down, detaching, transporting, and redistributing of soil constituents. This can be through numerous forces such as water, wind, or gravity. Globally soil erosion has been a thing of concern and interest, especially its impact on cropland. This is because of its impacts on crop productivity and soil quality as well as its off-site effects on water quality and quantity, air quality, and biological activity. Cropland includes cultivated and non-cultivated cropland.            Soil Erosion in NigeriaNigeria is one of the African countries with high population, which is around over 170 million people with more than 400 ethnic groups. More than 80 % of Nigeria’s population rely entirely on farming for their upkeep and economic gains. Since the early 20th century, soil erosion in Nigeria has been earmarked as a key problem in the country, not only a threat to the agricultural sector, but as well as a threat to the public health through the process of environmental degradation. One of the major negative points to note is that, the current rate of soil erosion is higher than the rate of production. This has in turn threatened the current practices in agriculture. The high rate of soil erosion suggests that, agricultural practices are unsustainable under prevailing geological conditions. The process of accepting and managing these processes has significant long term repercussion for cropland sustainability, natural resource state and he alth, not forgetting the environmental quality (Berkhout et al, 2011).            Soil erosion is a major problem which is confronting health and land resources in Nigeria. Previous researches in the country have indicated that, more than 70% of the country’s surface has been affected by different types of soil erosion and of different intensities. Despite the process being a natural process, human activities such as overgrazing and clearing of vegetation accelerates it. Degradation of land is the loss of topsoil and in turn reducing its productivity. Moreover, it leads to sedimentation of water bodies which increases suspended sediment concentration in streams, with consequent effects on ecosystem health (Iwegbue et al, 2012).            Fig. 1.0 Gully Erosion Site at Urualla Imo State, Nigeria (Agbenin, 2002)            Impact of soil erosion on public health in NigeriaOne of the major concerns about soil erosion in SA is the pollution effects caused by the soil erosion. Soil erosion has greatly led to the loss of vegetation, leaving the land bare. This leads to accumulation of dust in the air. This in turn impacts air quality in the country and mostly the greatly affected regions such as Camperdown and Greytown districts. Soil erosion has been one of the catalysts of the deforestation process in Nigeria. Deforestation is the loss of trees which are essential in the support of human activity as well as protecting the environment. Deforestation makes people’s life harder as it destroys the habitats of numerous creatures and contributes to desertification. Poor air quality poses a public health to the Nigerian community as it leads to asthmatic problems as well as other airborne diseases. In summary, soil erosion leads to an increase the amount of dust carried by wind. Does t his not only at as an air pollutant and an abrasive, but also carries along about more than 20 human infectious disease organisms such as tuberculosis and anthrax (Agbenin, 2002).            Soil erosion leads to numerous soil contamination which also impacts on human health. Over the time, there has been a significant pollutant in the air as well as water, which contributes to poor health among the citizens. Through the process of soil erosion, the pollutants in the air and on the earth’s surface are washed into the water bodies through soil erosion. Industrialization on the other hand, has resulted in soil pollution with heavy metals which have posed a health problem to the Nigerian communities. Some of the harmful elements washed into water bodies include mercury, lead, arsenic, fluoride, Asbestos, cadmium, benzene and hazardous pesticides which all of them are chemicals of public concern. These ‘heavy metals’ are frequently washed into water bodies and in turn contaminating the fresh water consumed by people in Nigeria. Metals such as arsenic are termed as carcinogenic as well as causing bone marrow and blood diseases when taken for a long period of time. Asbestos on the other hand causes lung carcinoma, liver and kidney damage. Many of these elements have negatively impacted the provision of effective public health services (Salami et al, 2003).            Mining has been one of the economic activities in Nigeria, however, this has not been for the benefit of the farming and environment protections as it had been a health risk to the community. When water erosion (which is the prominent agent of erosion in Nigeria) sweeps across the mining fields much of the minerals are swept into the water bodies. Some of the elements are toxic and a risk to human health. In addition, the gases released from the mining areas are carried as dust through wind erosion and in turn posing a health problem to the Nigerians especially the community living near the mining areas. For example, sulphur dioxide causes damage of the respiratory system. In addition, the sulphur compounds also affect visibility, reduction of sunlight, unpleasant smells, irritation and smarting in the eyes, nose and throat which is a health concern to the community around the mining areas (Salami et al, 2003).            Acidity in the soil and water bodies has been a public health to the Nigerian community. Soil erosion leads to the accumulation of solid waste in water bodies. This has become a serious environmental problem facing Nigeria. The consequence of these solid wastes is pollution of water, land and air not forgetting to mention is hazardous to women’s health as well as their social well being. With the increased urbanization in the country as well as high population, the amount of solid waste being generated has greatly increased. At the moment, virtually all the major cities in Nigeria are faced with the menace of solid waste management. The wastes are in one way or another swept into rivers and other water bodies. Due to their daily involvement with farming and house chores, women are exposed to numerous communicable diseases such as typhoid, dysentery, cholera, yaw; malaria, yellow fever, and relapsing fever that affect women are associated with improper dispos al of wastes (Oladapo et al, 2009).            Soil erosion has drastically reduced land productivity, especially the southern parts of Nigeria. In addition, soil erosion has also led to essential nutrient depletion as a form of land degradation. This has brought along severe economic impact in Nigeria. Reduced land production has severely affected food production in the country. The result of this is a shortage of food in the communities. Reduced food production in the community has increased the impact of drought to the residents. With reduced food production, the community cannot be able to sustain their people and in turn when the dry season comes along, the communities are largely hit by drought. Over the last 30 years, soil erosion in Nigeria has rendered more that 32% of arable land unproductive, this has in turn led to severe food shortage as well as food related diseases such as kwashiorkor among the children in Nigerian farming communities (Sotona Adesodun, 2014).            Soil erosion on the other hand has contributed to flooding occurs throughout Nigeria in three main forms which are urban, river and coastal flooding. For example, urban flooding such as the Ogunpa disaster which claimed over 200 lives and damaged property worth millions of Naira in Ibadan, are common occurrences. Flooding and accumulation of waste product has as well posed a public health concern to the Nigerians, especially the communities living along rivers and coastal lines. About 60 % of the soil that is swept away by the erosion process ends up in rivers, lakes and streams. This makes waterways more prone to flooding as well as contamination from soil, pesticides and fertilizers which are harmful to human health not only in Nigeria but also globally. Soil erosion is believed to have severe and adverse effect on the developing countries economic stability. Nigeria is termed as a developing country and it has suffered economically as a result of soil erosion. L arge sums of funds have been deployed in the fight against the menace and it’s especially the impact to the country’s health care system (Ehigiator Anyata, 2011).            The stubborn persistence of soil erosion in Nigeria as well as its threat to public health has raised numerous ethical questions recent times. Freeing humanity from health menace caused by soil erosion is a moral obligation that weighs on the Nigerian government more heavily as the capabilities and technology advance continues to be experienced. The world and Nigeria in particular, undoubtedly has the productive capacity to produce adequate quality health care and facilities not to mention their ability to control or prevent soil erosion and in turn eradicate health risks to the people. In recent years, rapid technology advances have led to better environmental management, however soil erosion management or prevention in Nigeria has not been fully achieved and in turn hindering good public health (Edosomwan, 2013).            The value of enhancing the well being of the Nigerians, today almost all the nations recognizes the need to enhance the well being of its people. While charity necessary might be necessary to respond to pressing issues in the community, it can not, however, provide for long-term solutions such as the case of soil erosion menace. Long term reversal of such cases can only be achieved through providing the Nigerians with skills, capital, employment, education and opportunities. In addition, for sustainable agriculture and rural development to flourish, as well as a valuable rural infrastructure must be in place as well as policy that will promote effective farming methods as well as soil erosion prevention measures (Adedipe, 1992). Measures to reduce negative effects of soil erosion in Nigeria            The Nigerian government together with World Health Organization has embarked on education, strategy for the farmers on how to improve their farming practices as well as how to prevent soil erosion in their farms. Effective farming practices within the communities are estimated to reduce the extent of soil erosion by 40 %. This would in turn reduce the amount of harmful elements being swept through soil erosion into water bodies. Moreover, farmers are encouraged to plant trees to reduce the desertification process as well as arrest the deforestation process. For example, the World Bank has financed the rehabilitation of land in Enugu, a region with massive gullies caused by erosion in order to prevent loss of life and property (Adeniyi, 1986).            The government has also embarked on landscaping and building of dykes in order to reduce the problem of flooding. The issue of uncontrolled floods from regions such as Osina and Akokwa has raised the concern of flood control. Residents of the Urualla community, for example, had themselves committed towards finding a lasting solution to the problem especially their financial contribution to the cost of the engineering design for the site and urged them to sustain the momentum. Through the arrest of soil erosion, the government has managed to somewhat control the menace of soil erosion and especially its negative effect to the health sector. The fight against the malaria epidemic in African countries has been a success which is one of diseases caused by flooding as a result of soil erosion. Lastly, the government and NGOs have embarked on educating the community members on healthy living such as ways to avoid water borne diseases. As well as providing adequate medica l attention when needed (Ananda Herath, 2003). Conclusions            Nigeria is subject to soil erosion, due to deprived farming practices, together with erodible soils. When considered across all land-use types, it is clear that soil degradation is perceived as more of a problem in Agulu-Nanka (Plate 1), Obioma, Nsuka, and less of a problem in Borno, Kaduna, Kano and Sokoto. This has in turn turned to be a massive public health menace to the community not only in Nigeria but globally as well. It is clear that the process of soil erosion has brought along complicated health problems. The measure has been implemented to reduce the menace of soil erosion and in turn minimize the negative impact on public health.            Despite the dedicated collaborative efforts of both the concerned parties such as the Nigerian government, NGOs, donor agencies provide an effective and efficient health care delivery in the county, confronting problems renders these efforts much less than desired. Some of the problems include poor farming practices, poor waste disposal, deforestation, which is believed to be a catalyst to soil erosion, re-emergence of HIV/AIDS pandemic, poor quality care as well as irrational appointments of health workers has not done the sector any good. Lack of information on prevention of soil erosion as well as the weight of these problems, is further compounded by insufficient budget allocation, lack of strategic plan and prepare for epidemics/pandemics. References Adedipe, N.O. (1992) â€Å"The African Environment: A changing and Scary Scenario† Adeniyi E.O. (1986) â€Å"Environmental Management and Development in Nigeria† A paper presented at the proceedings of a National Conference on Development and the Environment, Rosprint Industrial Press Ltd. African Development Foundation (U.S.). (1994).  Participatory development: ADF, funded projects, 1993. Washington, DC (1400 Eye St., NW, Washington 20005: The Foundation. Agbenin, J. (2002). The impact of long-term cultivation and management history on the status and dynamics of cobalt in a savanna Alfisol in Nigeria.  European Journal Of Soil Science,  53(2), 169-174. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2389.2002.00433.x Ananda, J., Herath, G. (2003). Soil erosion in developing countries: a socio-economic appraisal.  Journal Of Environmental Management,  68(4), 343. doi:10.1016/S0301- Berkhout, E. D., Schipper, R. A., Van Keulen, H. H., Coulibaly, O. O. (2011). Heterogeneity in farmers’ production decisions and its impact on soil nutrient use: Results and implications from northern Nigeria.  Agricultural Systems,  104(1), 63-74. doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2010.09.006 Beinart, W. (2008).  The rise of conservation in Nigeria: Settlers, livestock, and the environment, 1770-1950. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cornell University. (2006, March 23). Soil Erosion Threatens Environment and Human Health, Study Reports. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 26, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060322141021.htmEdosomwan, N. L., Obazuaye, E. E., Edosomwan, E. U. (2013). Impacts Of Dam On Characteristics Of Tropical Rainforest Soils And Sediments In South Central Nigeria.  Indian Journal Of Agricultural Research,  47(1), 73-77.4797(03)00082-3 Ehigiator, O. A., Anyata, B. U. (2011). Effects of land clearing techniques and tillage systems on runoff and soil erosion in a tropical rain forest in Nigeria.  Journal Of Environmental Management,  92(11), 2875-2880. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.06.015 Iwegbue, C. A., Nwajei, G. E., Eguavoen, O. I. (2012). Impact of Land-Use Patterns on Chemical Properties of Trace Elements in Soils of Rural, Semi-Urban, and Urban Zones of the Niger Delta, Nigeria.  Soil Sediment Contamination,  21(1), 19-30. doi:10.1080/15320383.2012.636772 Oladapo, O. T., Adetoro, O. O., Fakeye, O., Ekele, B. A., Fawole, A. O., Abasiattai, A., Dada, O. A. (2009). National data system on near miss and maternal death: shifting from maternal risk to public health impact in Nigeria.  Reproductive Health,  68-18. Orisakwe, O., Asomugha, R., Afonne, O., Anisi, C. N., Obi, E., Dioka, C. (2004). Impact of Effluents from a Car Battery Manufacturing Plant in Nigeria on Water, Soil, and Food Qualities.  Archives Of Environmental Health,  59(1), 31-36. Pretty, J. N. 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Crystal Growth and Nonlinear Optics

Crystal Growth and Nonlinear Optics CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO CRYSTAL GROWTH AND NONLINEAR OPTICS 1.1  INTRODUCTION Crystal growth is regarded as an ancient subject, owing to the fact that the crystallization of salt and sugar were known to the ancient Indian and Chinese civilizations. The subject of crystal growth was treated as part of crystallography and never had an independent identity until the last century. It has a long history of evolution from â€Å"a substance potting art† to a science in its own right which has accelerated by the invention of transistor in 1948, and the subsequent need for high purity semiconductor single crystals. Crystals are the unacknowledged pillars of modern technology. The fundamentals of crystal growth was entirely bestowed upon the morphological studies of the naturally occurring crystals. Thus began the scientific approach for this subject during the seventeenth century by Kepler, followed by quite a few others like Nicolous Steno, Descartes, Bartholinus, etc. This type of morphological study slowly led to the understanding of the atomistic process of crystal growth. Recent bursting research on nanostructured materials depend on the crystal growth theory and technology. In the early twentieth century, the crystal growth evolved as a separate branch of science and several theories from Kossel, Donnay-Harker, Volmer and Burton, Cabrera and Frank (BCF) were proposed. Although science of crystal growth originated through the explanations of Nicolous Steno in 1669, the actual impetus to this field began after the BCF theory was formulated and also when there was a great demand for crystals during World War II. Crystal growth plays an important role in material science and engineering. It is an interdisciplinary subject of physics and chemistry. Initially the natural crystals were adored as gems and museum pieces. Later, a transition of crystals has occurred from museum to technology which stimulated crystal grower community to produce large crystals artificially. In the recent scientific era, the utility of crystals has been extended to novel devices such as nonlinear optical and piezoelectric devices. Atomic arrangement with periodicity in three dimensional pattern at equally repeated distances are called single crystals. The preparation of single crystal is more difficult than polycrystalline material and extra effort is justified because of outstanding properties of single crystals (Laudise 1970). The single crystal growth has prominent role in the present era because of rapid technical and scientific advancement. The application of crystals has unbounded limits because of its special optical and electrical properties over noncrystalline material. This means that the new crystals have to be grown and fabricated in order to assess their device properties. The main parameters which involve in crystal growth are nucleation, growth rate, stability, crystalline defects, compositional inhomogeneity and thermodynamics of the source of liquid. The evolution in the crystal growth requires not only scientific understanding, but also the driving force of applied technology which so often provides a significant influence in highlighting the lack of scientific knowledge and need for a more refined evolution of science and indeed the development of new concepts. The studies on the growth and physical properties of single crystals of amino acids and their compounds are of great interest because they possess properties such as piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity and possibly ferroelectricity. In the recent century, the development of science in many areas has been achieved through the growth of single crystals. The single crystals designed for producing second harmonic generation (SHG) received consistent attention for applications in the field of telecommunication, optical information processing, laser remote sensing and colour displays. 1.2  KINETICS OF CRYSTAL GROWTH Crystals are solid substances in general which may be obtained from solid, liquid or vapour phase. Except for solid phase, all other phases yield crystals with developed faces, which represent the crystal medium interface during the development of a crystal from the growth medium. Subsequently, the crystal faces contain information about the nature of the interfaces as well as about the phenomena taking place at the interface. In solid phase growth, some grains grow larger at the expense of others and the interface mainly concave with respect to the growing grain and lies in the interior of the bulk mass. In melt growth, the interface is forced to take the shape of the isotherm inside the crucible containing the melt. However, in both cases, a free development of the faces is rarely encountered. It is also possible to obtain valuable information about the growth processes by using suitable methods. Elementary processes involved in the development of the micromorphology of as grown surfaces of bulk single crystal and epitaxial layers, and of evaporated and etched surfaces under different experimental conditions are essentially similar irrespective of the type of a material. When a crystal nucleus attains a critical size, then it grows into crystal of macroscopic dimension with well developed faces. Several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanism of crystal growth. They are: Surface energy theory, Adsorption layer theory and Diffusion theory. The surface energy theory states that the growing crystal assumes a shape, which has a minimum surface energy. According to adsorption layer theory, a molecule arriving at a crystal surface from the bulk of the supersaturated solution or super cooled melt loses a part of its latent heat. All molecules similar to this move along the surface and join together to form a small two dimensional nucleus due to inelastic collision. Bravious proposed that the growth rate of a crystal face depends on reticular densities of a lattice point of that face. The surface energy is the least when the face possesses the greatest reticular density. The attachment energy is due to Vander Waals force in the case of homopolar crystals and it is due to electrostatic forces in the case of ionic crystals. According to the diffusion theory matter is deposited continuously on a crystal phase at the rate proportional to the difference in concentration between the point of deposition and the bulk of the solution. In diffusion theory, the molecules in contact with the crystal surface are adsorbed quickly. A concentration gradient is thus produced between the bulk of the solution and the growing crystal surface. The mass transfer from the bulk of the solution to the surface involves molecular diffusion. In general, in any crystal growth process, the following steps are involved: (i) Generation of reactants (ii) Transport of reactants to the growth surface (iii) Adsorption at the growth surface (iv) Nucleation (v) Growth and (vi) Removal of unwanted reaction products from the growth surface 1.2.1  Solution, Solubility and Super Solubility A solution is a homogeneous mixture of a solute in a solvent. Solute is a component, which is present in a smaller quantity. For a given solute, there may be different solvents. The solvent is chosen taking into account of the following factors to grow crystals from solution: (i) Good solubility for the given solute (ii) Good temperature coefficient of solute solubility Less viscosity (iv) Less volatility (v) Less corrosion and non toxicity (vi) Low vapour pressure and (vii) Cost advantage Solubility of the material in a solvent decides the amount of the material, which is available for the growth and hence defines the total size limit. Solubility gradient is another important parameter, which dictates the growth procedure. If the solubility gradient is very small, slow evaporation of the solvent is the best option for crystal growth in order to maintain a constant supersaturation in the solution. Growth of crystals from solution is mainly a diffusion-controlled process. The medium must be viscous enough to enable faster transference of the growth units from the bulk solution by diffusion. Hence, a solvent with less viscosity is preferable. Supersaturation is an important parameter for the solution growth process. The crystal grows by the access of the solute in the solution where the degree of supersaturation is maintained. The solubility data at various temperatures are essential to determine the level of supersaturation. Hence, the solubility of the solute in the ch osen solvent must be determined before starting the growth process. The relationship between the equilibrium concentrations as a function of temperature is represented by the solubility diagram in Figure 1.1 which is known as temperature-concentration diagram. Miers carried out extensive research in the relationship between supersaturation and spontaneous crystallization. The lower continuous line is the normal solubility curve for the salt concerned. Temperature and concentration at which spontaneous crystallization occurs are represented by the upper broken curve, generally referred to as the supersolubility curve. The whole concentration-temperature field is separated by the saturated solution line (solubility curve) into two regions, unsaturated and supersaturated solutions. Saturated solutions are those mixtures, which can retain their equilibrium indefinitely in contact with the solid phase with respect to which they are saturated. The solubility of most substances increase with temperature (the temperature coefficient of the solubility is posi tive) and crystals can be grown only from supersaturated solutions, which contain an excess of the solute above the equilibrium value. The temperature-concentration diagram is divided into three regions, which are termed as region I, II and III respectively. Figure 1.1 Miers solubility curve (i)The stable (undersaturated) zone where crystallization is not possible (Region I). (ii)The region II is a metastable zone, between the solubility and supersolubility curves, where spontaneous crystallization is improbable. However, if a seed crystal is placed in metastable solution, growth would occur on it. (iii)The region III is an unstable or labile (supersaturation) zone, where spontaneous crystallization is more probable. If the solution whose concentration and temperature represented by point A in the Figure. 1.1, is cooled without loss of solvent (Line ABC) spontaneous crystallization cannot occur until conditions represented by point C are reached. At this point, crystallization is spontaneous. Further cooling to some point D will produce spurious nucleation. The evaporation of solvent from the solution results in supersaturation. The line AB’C’ represents an operation carried out at constant temperature. Penetration beyond the supersolubility curve into the labile zone rarely happens, as the surface from which evaporation takes place is usually supersaturated to a greater degree than the bulk of solution. Crystals, which appear on this surface eventually fall into the solution and seed in it. In practice, a combination of cooling and evaporation as represented by the line AB†C† is also adopted. 1.2.2  Expression for Supersaturation In order to grow crystals, the solution must be supersaturated. Supersaturation is the driving force, which governs the rate of crystal growth. The supersaturation of a system may be expressed in number of ways. The basic units of concentration as well as temperature must be specified. The degree of supersaturation of a solution is defined using the concept of absolute supersaturation (1.1) where C is the concentration of the dissolved substance at a given moment and Co is its solubility limit. The degree of supersaturation can also be defined as the relative supersaturation, which is given by (1.2) or as the coefficient of supersaturation. (1.3) The quantities ÃŽ ±, ÃŽ ² and à Ã¢â‚¬Å" are interrelated (Khamshii 1969) 1.3  NUCLEATION In a supersaturated or super cooled system, few atoms or molecules join together and a change in energy takes place during the formation of clusters. The cluster of atoms or molecules is called embryo. An embryo may grow or disintegrate and disappear completely. If the embryo grows to a particular size, critical size known as critical nucleus, then there is a tendency for the nucleus to grow. Thus, nucleation is an important phenomenon in crystal growth and is the precursor of crystal growth and of the overall crystallization process. The formation of stable nucleus occurs only by the addition of a number of molecules (A1) until a critical cluster is formed. In general A n-1 + A 1 → A n (Critical) (1.4) Any further addition to the critical nucleus results in nucleation followed by growth. Once these nucleus grow beyond a certain size, they become stable under the average condition of supersaturation of the solution. Further, the creation of a new phase in the homogeneous solution demands for the expenditure of certain quantity of energy. Once embryos achieve this critical size there is a high probability that they will grow, relatively unhindered, to macroscopic size. 1.3.1  Types of Nucleation Nucleation may occur spontaneously or may be induced artificially. These two cases are frequently referred to as homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation respectively. The term primary will be reserved for both the cases of nucleation in the systems that do not contain crystalline matter. On the other hand, the nucleus is often generated in the vicinity of crystals presented in the supersaturated system. This phenomenon is referred to as secondary nucleation. Figure 1.2 shows the classification of nucleation. The spontaneous formation of crystalline nucleus in the interior of the parent phase is called homogeneous nucleation. If the nucleus forms heterogeneously around ions, impurity molecules or on dust particles, on surfaces or at structural irrgularities such as dislocations or other imperfections is called heterogeneous nucleation. Figure 1.2 Schematic diagram indicating the classification of nucleation Nucleation can often be induced by external processes like agitation, friction, mechanical shock, electromagnetic fields, extreme pressure, ultraviolet, X-rays, ÃŽ ³Ã¢â‚¬â€œ rays, sonic and ultrasonic radiation and so on (Mullin 2001; Laudise 1975; Gilman 1963; Stringfellow 1979; Sangwal 1987; Jancic Grootscholten 1984). 1.3.2  Energy of formation of a nucleus Any isolated droplet of a fluid is most stable when its free energy is maximum and thus its area is minimum. The growth of an embryo or a crystal could be considered as an example of this principle. The total energy of the crystal in equilibrium with its surrounding at constant temperature and pressure would be minimum for a given volume. When a volume free energy per unit volume is considered to be constant ÃŽ £ai ÏÆ'i = minimum (1.5) whereai is area of ith face and ÏÆ'i is surface energy per unit area Thus considering the nucleus to be spherical, the energy of formation of the nucleus is determined. 1.3.3  Energy of Formation of Spherical Nucleus The formation of a droplet nucleus due to supersaturation of vapour demands the expenditure of a certain quantity of energy in the creation of new phase. Therefore the total free energy change associated with the formation of homogeneous nucleation may be considered as follows. Let ΔG be the overall excess free energy of the embryo between the two phases. Since the volume and surface free energies, the total free energy associated with the process can be written as ΔG = ΔG S + ΔG V (1.6) where ΔGS is the surface free energy change and ΔGV is the volume free energy change. For a spherical nucleus of radius r, ΔG = Ï€r3 ΔG V + 4 Ï€r2ÃŽ ³ (1.7) The first term expresses the formation of the new surface and the second term expresses the difference in the chemical potential between the crystalline phase and the surrounding mother liquid. Where ÃŽ ³ is the interfacial tension and ΔGv is the free energy change per unit volume, which is a negative quantity, r the radius of the nucleus. Since the surface free energy increases with r2 and volume free energy decreases with r3, the total net free energy change increases with increase in size and attains a critical value after which it decreases. The size corresponding to the maximum free energy change is called critical nucleus.