Americans and the Industrial Revolution essays

Americans and the Industrial Revolution essays Americans faced many hardships during the turn of the century. As our Nation was adjusting to the new technological advances they were making during the Industrial Revolution, it seems that some people were simply looked over in this new rat race. There were many problems that accompanied the new century, perhaps one of the largest though, was the expansion and dominance of big businesses. As though it may seem that large businesses may be a good thing, because of our dependence on them today, we simply werent ready for them a hundred years ago. Many big businesses had created monopolies, used Taylorism, and caused what was called a boom bust economy. These three events also forced many people to try and resolve these problems associated with the tremendous rise of big business. In search for great power, and the will to expand, many businesses created large monopolies, meaning that all markets are dominated by one or two firms. For example, by 1900, approximately 98% of the oil industry was owned solely by Standard Oil Company. Because Standard Oil owned so much and people depended on this resource, this company could charge a little or as much as they wanted, with no worries of losing business, merely because people had no where else to go. Another problem with monopolies is that it leaves very little room for smaller business to run, so the small business that were once relied upon, are now out of production. Big companies also used a method called Taylorism to stay in control. Taylorism, named after a man called Fredrick Winslow Taylor, facilitated unskilled labor by copying what skilled labors knew and breaking it down into small simple jobs that anyone can do, much like an assembly line. By using unskilled laborers companies assured their power over the people because they had no skill and could go nowhere else for a job. Even if they tried, it was no problem because they were easy to replace....

Prometheus - Profile of the Greek Titan

Prometheus - Profile of the Greek Titan Prometheus DetailsPrometheus Profile Who Is Prometheus?: Prometheus is one of the Titans from Greek mythology. He helped create (and then befriend) mankind. He gave humans the gift of fire even though he knew Zeus would not approve. As a result of this gift, Prometheus was punished as only an immortal could be. Family of Origin: Iapetus the Titan was the father of Prometheus and Clymene the Oceanid was his mother. The Titans Roman Equivalent: Prometheus was also called Prometheus by the Romans. Attributes: Prometheus is often shown chained, with an eagle plucking out his liver or his heart. This was the punishment he suffered as a result of defying Zeus. Since Prometheus was immortal, his liver grew back every day, so the eagle could have feasted on it daily for eternity. Powers: Prometheus had the power of forethought. His brother, Epimetheus, had the gift of afterthought. Prometheus created man from water and earth. He stole skills and fire from the gods to give to man. Sources: Ancient sources for Prometheus include: Aeschylus, Apollodorus, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Hesiod, Hyginus, Nonnius, Plato, and Strabo.

The evolution of the Humanitarian Intervention doctrine with a focus Dissertation

The evolution of the Humanitarian Intervention doctrine with a focus on the most important developments of post 90's - Dissertation Example No, doubt the notion for HI has received some flash light in recent years but the inclination trend has been notifies only among western countries while G-77 which consists of 133 states and among them 122 states have rejected the doctrine of humanitarian intervention. Endorsing humanitarian intervention has been controversial only due to the lack of consensus and willingness about the legitimacy and legality of this doctrine which has contained HI doctrine. Regarding the practice of Humanitarian Intervention during 1990s in Iraq, Haiti, Rwanda Bosnia, Chechnya and Somalia showered the interests and willingness of Security Council to sanction Chapter VII of the UN Charter for enforcing operations in reaction to interior conflicts and human rights abuses but in purview of disorder to international peace and security and yet the authorization and legitimacy remained in function of the authorization from SC and use of force was called justified and legal. However, this harmony among per manent member states of the Security Council does not represent the voice of the global community. Although this harmonization among permanent member states was apparently dissipated during the crisis when China and Russia showed intentions for rejection of the resolution for humanitarian intervention which later was conducted by NATO without any authorization from the Council. This illustration of use of force against the norms of the International Law provoked another frenzied debate about whether this unilateral military action was symptomatic of the legality of humanitarian interventions which has not been authorized by the Security Council. Undeniably, the Kosovo intrusion was questionable which aggravated the present niggle with this regime because it was inimitable and it raised the problems of the legitimacy while some analysts asserted that this use of force against humanitarian violence was a new emerging norm and custom of International Law by which states practice use of force to eliminate human rights violations , on the other hand some scholars simply admitted the fact that this humanitarian intervention can gradually be accepted as legal and justified practice because considering the sufferings of Albanians it can be sanctioned as legitimate. 25 Humanitarian intervention in Kosovo soon became the renowned action of NATO against human rights violations, which then ended up with Independent International Commission on Kosovo (IICK) . No doubt that under the Article 51 and Article 52 of United Nations states that the ultimate legitimacy of any humanitarian intervention rests within the powers of Security Council. The purpose of this commission was to inquire the legitimacy of NATO’s intervention and analyse the implications of this intervention whether it can be declared legitimate or NATO’s actions require further punishment for its violation of UN Charter. Although the intervention was declared illegal but appropriate in accordance with International Law. However the Commission’s definition of legality turned seemingly narrow and irrespective of its illegalities, the commission focused exclusively on the moral and ethical aspects besides respecting the preferences of super power USA under whose

Comparisons and contrasts between the educational systems of Japan and Essay

Comparisons and contrasts between the educational systems of Japan and Britain - Essay Example Dearden (1998) points out that there is significant annual return for an individual who has earned extra years in education: 9.3% for women and 5.5% for men. Japan and the United Kingdom (UK) are two strong economies that would benefit from educating their respective people. Japan, a strong industrial economy in Asia, capitalizes much on the Japanese workforce to propel its economy further and stay competitive amongst nations. The UK, on the other hand, capitalizes as well on its workforce to maintain its strong competitive stance in the world market. This paper attempts to compare and contrast the educational systems of these two nations basing only on the basic general education of both countries. It is limited to the basic comparison and contrast and does not go further into the technical and other aspects of education. In the UK education system, education is compulsory for eleven years. Starting from age five, children attend Primary School in state-run schools until the age eleven. After which, from age eleven to sixteen, they go to Comprehensive School, still in state-run schools. There are also the so-called Grammar Schools, which are secondary schools for students aged eleven to eighteen. Entry to these Grammar Schools is rather stringent, controlled as they are by academically selective process consisting largely by written examinations. This is mainly to prepare the students for further education at any college or university after finishing the Grammar School. privately-run schools, which ironically, are called officially in the UK as Public Schools. These Public Schools are regarded as elite-oriented because they charge fees, they are usually prestigious and historic, do not arbitrarily restrict admissions, and are mostly funded by groups and institutions other than the state, commonly as private charitable trusts. Also, most of these schools are boarding schools. They admit students aged thirteen to eighteen. On the contrary, Japan

Franchisees are an important source of innovation Article

Franchisees are an important source of innovation - Article Example Next, it contemplates on how innovation has become a complex question and tries to explain it through the various models of innovation. Lastly, the various sources through which a franchising organization can practice innovation have been discussed. The franchising organization is one in which the franchisee has purchased the rights to use the business methods, ideas and values that the franchisor has built for his company, organization, product or shop. It is like a person sells his business philosophy to another. The franchisee usually opens up the franchise in some other geographical location than the one where the original brand exists. This actually lays the foundation for the franchisee to use innovation within the franchise. When the franchise will be in a different geographical location, the customers who will be coming to that franchise will be totally different, culture-wise, social-wise, and behavioural-wise. Thus, to bring changes within the franchise system would become easy. Examples of franchises are McDonalds (the food industry), Benetton (the clothing industry), the Starbucks (the food industry), television shows like Pop Idol, Who Wants to be a Millionaire (the media industry), Body Shop (the cosmetics industry), Onebiz Group (consultancy franchisee) and others. Therefore, be it be any industry, the franchising option is available to all and sundry. This is because franchising is a form of business beneficial to both the franchisee and the franchisor. The franchisee-franchisor relationship is complex, yet it is made up of basic components. Some of the basics of the brands of the franchisor need to be the same, so as to not eliminate the essence of the original brand. The various rights that the franchisee gets are that he can distribute the products of the franchisor, use the same techniques which they use to produce the products or market them. Moreover, even trademarks and patents are shared, since the franchisee becomes a representative of the franchisors product in some other geographical region. But when it comes to the invaluable intangible goods like trademarks and patents, the franchisee has to pay a certain amount of monthly fees for using them. This fee is separate from the fees that has to be paid for such rights in the first place. (Cox, 2007) Training is also one of the major things which the franchisor makes available to the franchisee as part of the rights that he gets. The franchisee-franchisor agreements will co ntinue for minimum five years and maximum thirty years, after which the agreement will have to be renewed, if felt suitable by both the parties. In cases where the franchisee does misuse of the rights granted to him by the franchisor, the agreement has such clauses through which it can be easily terminated, for the benefit of the franchisor. INNOVATION In a world of intense competition, where companies are going global and where numerous companies are making strenuous efforts to get the attention of the consumer, it is immensely important to differentiate oneself from the rest so as to become noticeable. Consumers are the one who decide the brand or the company which is the market leader. It is the sales of the product which will ultimately make a product gain market share and then declare itself as the market leader, chosen by the customers themselves. For this purpose, it is extremely essential to get inside the minds of the consumer so as to

Applications of Radioactivity in Medicine

Applications of Radioactivity in Medicine Introduction A radioactive element is an element with an unstable nucleus, which radiates alpha, beta or gamma radiation and gets converted to a stable element. Both radioisotopes and enriched stable isotopes are essential to a wide variety of applications in medicine, where they are used in the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. In addition, extensive applications of isotopes in biomedical research finds wide parallel uses in research chemistry, physics, biology and geosciences, with additional needs existing in the commercial sector. HISTORY Radioactivity arrived on the scene of the world in the 19th century, just when people thought they knew everything in science. With its discovery in 1896, radioactivity opened a box of many questions and revealed a new world, waiting to be explored in the microcosm of the atomic nucleus. Radioactivity also helped in answering the questions which were not yet known. This helped science in many fields. WHAT MAKES AN ELEMENT RADIOACTIVE? There are three kinds of particles inside an atom: that is protons, neutrons and electrons. The nucleus contains the above mentioned two particles i.e. protons and neutrons. The region beyond the nucleus contains electrons that balance out the charge of the protons. The number of protons is equal to the number of neutrons that is why the atomic weight is twice the atomic number. Since like charges repel each other which results a force that tries to push the electrons and protons apart. If the ratio of protons to the neutrons is not within certain limits then the proton can not be held firmly together which leads to the formation of an unstable nucleus. Making the isotopes of some elements radioactive. For example, carbon, the element found in all living things has a chemical symbol C. the normal form has an atomic weight of 12 and is written as carbon-12, but the radioactive version has two extra neutrons, so the symbol iscarbon-14. As we shall see, the radioactive form behaves chemically just like the non-radioactive form, although one shall never change into the other. There are three kinds of radioactivity each with different radiation type. RADIOACTIVITY Radioactivity is a very interesting phenomenon in nature. Classical Electromagnetism cannot explain radioactivity. Its a spontaneous and random phenomenon whereby nuclei of certain chemical elements like Uranium, radiate gamma rays, beta particles and alpha particles. By the emission of these particles and radiation, the unstable nucleus gets converted into a stable nucleus. This is called RADIOACTIVE DECAY. Radioactivity was accidentally discovered by HENRI BECQUEREL. Scientists like Madam Curie and her husband Pierre also worked hard to isolate other radioactive elements such as Polonium and Radium. Knowledge of radioactivity helped scientists to work out the structures of atoms. USES OF RADIOACTIVITY We could not do without radioactive materials in todays world, even if we wanted to. We rely on these radioactive elements every day to make us healthier, to help supply necessities like food and electricity, keep us safer, help us to protect our environment, add fun and convenience to our lives and help us learn more about our world. Radioisotopes have found a large number of applications. Some of them are as follows: Medical Diagnosis Generate Electricity Synthesis of new elements Preservation of food Smoke detectors and many more RADIOACTIVITY IN MEDICINE Ionizing radiations has many beneficial uses as they can be used for the diagnosis and for the curing of many diseases. Since infected cells can be killed by these radiations. Hence they are widely used in caner treatments. Radioactive isotopes are commonly used in medicine, which help the physicians to know more about the body structures. For the treatment of cancers radioisotopes are commonly used which require destruction of harmful cells causing these type of diseases. Although nuclear medicine started its clinical origin in the 1930 decade, the invention of gamma scintillation camera by an American engineer Hal Anger in the mid of 1950s, though, this invention brought an important turn back in medicine imaging Radioactive isotopes also allow excellent quality imaging of bones, heart, liver and many parts of our body. Gamma ray emitted tracers are used in large number of diagnostic procedures in nuclear medicine. These traces are formed due to the bonding of radioisotopes having short life period with chemical compounds that allow the targeting of a particular body regions or physiologic processes. Emitted gamma rays can be detected by gamma cameras and computer enhancement of the resulting images allows quick and relatively non-invasive assessments of trauma or physiological impairments. CANCER which is a process of rapid growth of cells gets damaged by radio isotopic radiations. Somehow, some cancerous growth of cells can be eliminated or restricted by the use of radioisotope radiations. The most common forms of external radiations therapy is use of the gamma radiations and X-rays. During the last half of the twentieth century the radioisotope Cobalt-60 was most commonly used source of radiation used in such treatments. Today thousands of hospitals all over the world use radioisotopes in medicine, and about 90% of the procedures are used for diagnosis. Technetium-99 is the most common isotope used in diagnosis, with some 30 million procedures in a year, accounting for 80% of all nuclear medicine procedures all over the world. ISOTOPS COMMONLY USED IN MEDICINE: There are about 20 radioactive isotopes used in medicine. Each isotope has its own use in this field. Some of them are: Chromium-51, cobalt 60, Erbium 169, Iodine-125, Iridium-192, Sodium-24, Xenon-133, Selenium-75, Strontium-89, Phosphorus-32 etc. Here is a list of isotopes with there half life period and uses: Chromium-51: Half life period 28 days Purpose: Used to label red blood cells and quantify gastro- intestinal protein loss. Cobalt-60: Half life period is 10.5 months Purpose: Formerly used for external beam radiotherapy. Erbium-169 Half life period is 9.4 days Purpose: Use for relieving arthritis pain in synovial joints. Iodine-125 Half life period is 60 days Purpose: Used in cancer Brach therapy (prostate and brain), also diagnostically to evaluate the filtration rate of kidneys and to diagnose deep vein thrombosis in the leg. It is also widely used in radioimmunology- assays to show the presence of hormones in tiny quantities. Iodine-131 Half life period is 8 days Purpose: Widely used in treating thyroid cancer and in imaging the thyroid; also in diagnosis of abnormal liver function, renal (kidney) blood flow and urinary tract obstruction. A strong gamma emitter, but used for beta therapy. Iodine used for curing thyroid cancer Iridium-192 half life period is 74 days Purpose: Supplied in wire form for use as an internal radiotherapy source for cancer treatment (used then removed). Sodium-24 Half life period is 15 hours Purpose: For studies of electrolytes within the body. Xenon-133 Half life period is 5 days Purpose: Used for pulmonary (lung) ventilation studies. Phosphorus-32 Half life period is14 days Purpose: Used in the treatment of polycythemia Vera (excess red blood cells). Beta emitter. X-Rays are used to examine the internal parts of the body that is bones to see the fractures. Applications of X-Rays: Radiography: Radiography is used to diagnose the ailment and diseases of the internal and hidden parts of the body using x-rays. Fluoroscopy: Fluoroscopy is a type of medical imaging that shows a continuous x-ray image on a monitor. Digital Subtraction Angiography: Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) is used to image blood vessels. Computerized Axial Tomography: A computerized axial tomography scan is an x-ray procedure that combines many x-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional views and, if needed, three-dimensional images of the internal organs and structures of the body. Mammography: Mammography is a special type of x-ray that is used for the detailed images of breast. Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy), high-energy rays are used to damage cancer cells and stop them from growing and dividing. A specialist in radiation therapy is called a radiation oncologist. Uses of Radioactive Materials in Medical Research Used in Biomedical researches: The Radioactive isotopic materials are very essential in curing many dreadful diseases like AIDS, cancer and Alzheimers disease. In Pharmaceutical drug testing: The U.N. Food and Drug Administration require all new pharmaceutical drugs to be tested for safety and effectiveness. More than about 80 percent of those drugs are tested with radioactive materials. One of the most important tests is to determine if the pharmaceutical is going to the other parts of the body than the desired or intended target and what effect it can cause to the parts where it is not needed. By adding a radioactive tag to the pharmaceutical, researchers can pinpoint all the parts of the body and the concentration that accumulates non-targeted areas. From this they can determine if there is likelihood of adverse reactions in other parts of the body. Metabolic Research: Radionuclide is used extensively in metabolic studies and genetic engineering. Chemical Reaction Imaging: the latest single photon emission typography (SPET) on positron emission tomography (PET) enable scientists to watch colour images of chemical reactions in living tissue and, in particular, to trace opioid molecules- naturally occurring morphine-type drugs which eliminate pain within the brain. Side Effects of Radiation The form of the energies that are released from these elements in radiation therapy is often administered by machine. The machine aims those radiations at the cancer. Radioactive substances can also be kept inside the body of a person. These types of treatments can cause many side effects. These side effects may include: hair loss nausea vomiting swelling difficulty swallowing urinary and bladder changes The side effects caused due to the treatment of the patient can last long for a certain period of time. It may be a period of two months, six months or even a year. So the patient has to bear some pains after or during the curing of fatal diseases like cancer using radiation therapy. Radioactive Waste Disposal: An Environmental Perspective Any activities that produce or use radioactive materials generate radioactive wastes. Various processes in medicine, scientific result and in all other fields produce bi products that include radioactive wastes. Radioactive waste can be in gas, liquid or solid form, and its level of radioactivity can vary. The waste can remain radioactive for a few hours or several months or even hundred or thousands of years. Because it can be hazardous and can remain radioactive for so long, finding suitable disposal facilities for radioactive wastes is very difficult. Depending on the type of waste disposed, the disposal facility may need to contain radiations for a very long time. Proper disposal is essential to ensure protection of the health and safety of the public and quality of the air, soil and water supplies. Radioactivity waste disposal practices have changed substantially over the last twenty years. Evolving environmental protection considerations have provided the impetus to improve disposal technologies, and, in some cases, clean up facilities that are no longer in use. Designs for new disposal facilities and disposal methods must meet environmental protection and pollution prevention standards that are stricter than were foreseen at the beginning of the atomic age. CONCLUSION One hundred years ago, a group of scientists unknowingly ushered in the atomic age. Driven by curiosity, these men and women explored the nature and also the functioning of atom. Their work initiated the paths of research which changed our understanding of the building blocks of matter. There discoveries prepared the way for development of new methods and tools used to explore our origins, the functioning of our bodies both in sickness and health, and much more. How did our conceptions of atomic properties change? How has that change affected our lives and our knowledge of world? Radiation is a two edged sword: its usefulness in both medicine and anthropological and archaeological studies is undisputed, yet the same materials can be used for destruction. Human curiosity drove inquiring scientists to harness the power of an atom. Now humankind must accept the responsibility for the appropriate and beneficial uses of this very powerful tool.

The Dynamic Use of Symbolism in Shampoo Planet Essay -- Shampoo Planet

The Dynamic Use of Symbolism in Shampoo Planet Douglas Coupland has been called the voice of Generation X by his critics because of his writing techniques, which deal mainly with youthful ideals. Most of his works involve young characters searching for truth and answers for their self-involved questions. Despite many of his novels having a dim outlook, he incorporates humor and optimism into them, which creates a balance between wittiness and mockery. In Shampoo Planet Tyler Johnson, the narrator, struggles to find his identity throughout the novel. This is portrayed through Coupland’s vivid use of imagery, which is abundant throughout the novel. Many of Tyler’s intellectual qualities help him adapt and cope with many of the situations he faces; but many of his emotional and moral qualities strive to change who he is and what he wants out of life. As Tyler’s outlook on life transforms, the vivid use of symbolism corresponds to his changing attitude. Tyler, a resident of Lancaster, Washington, lives with his hippie mother, Jasmine, and two siblings, Daisy and Mark. In search for excitement, he plans to take a summer vacation backpacking through Europe. Before his trip, he had a very comfortable relationship with Anna-Louise, a down to earth and very reserved girl attending the same college. However, in Europe, Tyler meets a French girl named Stephanie, who is very exotic and exciting to him and was the complete opposite of Anna-Louise. When Stephanie comes to visit Tyler in Lancaster, Anna-Louise learns of the brief affair Tyler and Stephanie had in Europe. Tyler then ends his relationship with Anna-Louise and moves to California with Stephanie. In the beginning of the novel, Tyler is seen as a relatively happy, care free, and motivated twenty year old man. As his life progresses, his attitude and outlook on life changes dramatically. In one passage from the beginning of the novel, Tyler states that â€Å"I have a plan†¦I have a good car and a wide assortment of excellent hair-care products. I know what I want from life; I have ambition.†(13). He has such excitement about what will happen in his life down the road. He claims that he wants to own a hotel when he gets older because â€Å"in a hotel room you have no history†¦You feel like you’re all potential waiting to be rewritten, like a crisp, blank sheet of 8  ½-by-11-inch white bond paper. There is ... ...ld they find? Turn on the shower.† (133). Tyler believes that if he keeps himself clean, then he will not become poor. His shampoo is his key to becoming what he wants to. Douglas Coupland’s use of symbolism in Shampoo Planet helps paint a vivid picture of Tyler and his struggles throughout his life. The extensive use of symbolism made the book more interesting and helped me relate to Tyler more as a person than a character. Tyler’s constant changing made the story unpredictable and less common; it held my interest enough to make me want to continue reading the novel. Even though Douglas Coupland is considered to be the voice of Generation X, many different generations can relate to its content and enjoy his works, both past and future generations. Coupland’s sarcastic way of writing gives the novel a comedic element which makes it more enjoyable to read. I liked his use of imagery, with passages such as â€Å"Tyler†¦you are my trailer park. And you, Anna-Louise, are my tornado.† (31). His sarcasm helped to keep me interested because, in my opinion, every book needs a source of comedy; Coupland’s source is h is ability to make fun of any situation and still keep a serious manner.