A Scanner Darkly

Ashlyn Phillips Mr. Flanigan/ Dystopian Literature Period 2 December 4, 2012 Who Are You? As young children we begin to develop a personality, one that is based off of the people we are surrounded with. When identifying who we are as people, physical appearance is less important in comparison to our spirits and mindsets. The body serves only as a shuttle for our spirits and minds, without these two assets our bodies would simply only be empty shells. In Philip K.Dick’s A Scanner Darkly, the protagonist, Bob Arctor, has fallen victim to a highly addictive drug called Substance D, which has the side effect of splitting the personality in one’s mind. In dealing with the abuse of this drug, Arctor begins to lose himself and forgets what really makes him who he is. Our souls, character and appearance determine who we are as people, without these three attributes it would be very difficult to differentiate between one human from the next.The brain begins to develop in the fir st trimester of pregnancy, even as fetuses we are able to think and begin to develop our personalities inside the womb. As we enter the world and begin living, our surrounding environments control the outcomes of our minds, bodies and spirits. If you are born into a wealthy family, it is more than likely that you will live a wealthy lifestyle; if you are born into a poor family, it is more than likely that you will live a poor lifestyle.In society, we are first identified by how much money we have, then by how we look and at last we begin to learn more about each other to identify who our characters are through how we wish to portray ourselves. Our personalities begin to develop when we are first able to open our eyes, smile and really when we begin to communicate with each other. From there we begin to learn what we like to do in life; whether it be dancing, singing, painting, playing sports, etc.These attributes are major when identifying a person. Our spirits begin to develop at an early age and although they can be slightly altered as life goes on, we never really change entirely. One can be judged by their physical appearance and be separated from one person to the next simply based on that, however, if asked who Bob Marley is as a person, the answer would be far more detailed than if only asked what he looks like. Personality and character traits are really the basis of determining who we are as people.If a set of identical twins were put in the same room together and a group of people were asked to differentiate between Sarah and Mary, they would only be able to based on appearance. The more in depth question would be, how can you tell who Sarah is and who Mary is? In answering this question many key attributes are discussed such as, Sarah may be more energetic, loud, creative, talkative, religious and athletic than Mary, allowing for their friends to automatically know who is who when confronted by either twin.Personality always gives the answer. If th e personality changes or begins to morph into two different sides, determining who someone is becomes a very difficult task. In A Scanner Darkly, Fred goes undercover as a drug addict in order to solve a major case but in doing so, he himself becomes addicted to the drug and his personality begins to split into two different people, Fred and Bob; Fred being the undercover cop and Bob being the addict.As Fred’s life morphs into Bob’s, he begins to lose himself entirely and the world as he knew it before completely changes into something different than he thought. â€Å"He will sink into a needle-and-a-spoon existence, or bounce off the walls in a psychiatric hospital or, worst of all, a federal clinic†¦And all this will occur deliberately, someone figured out what he was doing and then got him this way. The worst way of all: with the stuff they sell that he was after them for selling. (86) His personality can no longer be analyzed because he thinks as two entirely different people as if he has two separate brains in one head. Clearly this is an issue due to the fact that we are recognized by our personalities. If two personalities are competing against one another inside of one mind, there is no way to really know who that person is. Fred loses himself in Bob’s world and the drug becomes more important than anything else, as it usually does inside the mind of a drug addict.Without the soul, the body is like a light bulb without electricity. The soul gives the body meaning and purpose, without it there would only be boys and girls, not unique individuals with their own characteristics. The soul carries along every memory, experience, encounter, and detail of each person in the world. A wise soul will think beyond their years, a young soul will stay a teenager at heart forever and an evil soul will end up in the dark side of life and all of these souls grow through life experiences and will only be influenced by these experiences.The so ul in one person does not change entirely through life experiences it can only change slightly by being influenced by those around us. In determining who we are as people, the soul is the key ingredient and it should be the first thing that is analyzed from one human being to the next. More often than not, looks do not matter, it is what lies within ourselves that determines who we are as individuals.

Deontological Vs Utilitarian Ethics Essay

Kant believed that morality is dependent upon reason, that to act rationally was the same as acting morally. He placed a high value upon duty in determining the moral worth of an action. Kant’s deontological ethics is essentially an ethics of duty or obligation. As such, he claims that the moral worth of an action depends solely on whether or not it was done exclusively from a sense of duty. If an act is done simply because one is so inclined, the act has no moral value. This principle holds true even if inclination happens to be in agreement with duty. To illustrate this point, he uses the example of a truly beneficent person. He says that while kindness to all man is a duty, there are some who are naturally inclined to be kind. He asserts â€Å"But I maintain that in such a case an action of this kind, however proper, however amiable it may be, has nevertheless no true moral worth, but is on a level with other inclinations†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Gregory and Giancola, 82). When these spread kindness while motivated by their own inclination to be kind, their kind acts have no moral value, because in his view in order for an act to be moral, it must be done for the sake of duty alone. Essentially, deontological ethics says the less inclined one is to perform an act that duty calls one to, the more moral worth the act has. While deontological ethics is completely independent of inclination, utilitarian ethics is in many was based upon it. Utilitarianism is built on hedonism, which is the claim that pleasure is the supreme good for man. The main idea of utilitarianism is that man is naturally inclined to seek pleasure and avoid pain and this natural inclination is to be embraced as it will lead man to the supreme end, which is happiness. Utilitarian ethics says that moral acts are those that promote pleasure and avoid pain while immoral acts do the opposite. In is definition of utilitarianism, John Mills says that as far as possible, pleasure in its highest quantity and quality should be promoted and this for the greatest number of people possible. He says, â€Å"†¦that standard is not the agent’s own greatest happiness, but the greatest amount of happiness altogether†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Gregory and Giancola, 92). In my view this means that according to utilitarian ethics, the moral act is the o ne that brings pleasure to the greatest amount of people.

How to Learn English

How to learn English effectively Do you want to know how to learn English effectively? If so, you are not alone. In fact, there are many people out there today who are working to learn English as a second language. No matter what the reason is that you are learning English, you want to make sure that you can learn it quickly and effectively as well. Whether you are learning English in a class, on your own, or with language teaching software, there are certain things that you can do to make sure that you learn the language effectively. So, here are a few tips to keep in mind that will help you on your journey towards learning the English language. Tip #1- Make Sure You WANT to Learn One of the first tips that can help you out if you want to know how to learn English effectively is to make sure that you really want to learn this language. If you really don’t want to learn, there is no book, no class, and no tips that are going to make it simpler for you. Make sure that you ask yourself whether you really want to learn English. If not, then it’s not for you. However, a real desire to learn the language can go a long way. Tip #2 – Figure Out What Motivates You If you want to learn English effectively, you need to figure out what your motivation is. Why do you want to learn English so badly? Do you want to improve your current learning, get a better job, attend university, or enjoy your life in an English speaking country? No matter the reason you are motivated to learn this language, you need to understand what motivates you so you can use it as encouragement as you learn the language. Tip #3 – Decide on Some Goals It is very important that you have goals in mind if you want to know how to learn English effectively. Setting goals will help you to know where you want to be and it will you to actually see your progress as you learn the language as well. Decide what your goals are, whether you want to improve your vocabulary, pronunciation, or even if you want to comprehend when you’re listening better. Once you know your goals, make sure that you are working to achieve them. Tip #4 –Be Sure to Practice Practicing is probably one of the most important tips if you want to know how to learn English effectively. The more you practice your English skills, the better you will become at it. You can practicing by reading English, by writing emails and letters, by listening to television or the radio in English, or even by taking time to speak to other people who speak the English language. The more you practice, the fewer mistakes you’ll end up making over time, and you’ll become more effective with your English skills. Tip #5 – Work on Vocabulary Development No matter what language you’re learning, a large vocabulary is going to be very important. This is especially important when you are learning the English language. One of the best ways to learn new vocabulary words is to start reading and you can also learn more by listening to the radio or watching television. Playing word games and doing word puzzles can also help you out when you are trying to enhance your English vocabulary. Tip #6 – Study on a Regular Basis If you plan on learning a language, you are going to have to make studying a priority. It’s not just something you do every now and then, but it should be done every single day. When you study each day it is easier to retain the new things that you learn. You’ll also find that you can review easier every day and you’ll definitely remember what you learn a lot better as well. So, if you want to know how to learn English effectively, then you need to make studying a priority. Tip #7 – Make it Enjoyable When you’re having fun, it actually makes it easier for you to remember things that you learn, so make sure that you make learning English fun. Take time to do puzzles and to play games, even if it does seem a bit childlike. They really can help you as you learn English and provide you with excellent practice. Ref : http://www. learnenglish-a-z. om/how-to-learn-english-effectively. html Rules for Writing Formal Letters in English In English there are a number of conventions that should be used when writing a formal or business letter. Furthermore, you try to write as simply and as clearly as possible, and not to make the letter longer than necessary. Remember not to use informal language like contractions. Addr esses: 1) Your Address The return address should be written in the top right-hand corner of the letter. 2) The Address of the person you are writing to The inside address should be written on the left, starting below your address. Date: Different people put the date on different sides of the page. You can write this on the right or the left on the line after the address you are writing to. Write the month as a word. Salutation or greeting: 1) Dear Sir or Madam, If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use this. It is always advisable to try to find out a name. 2) Dear Mr Jenkins, If you know the name, use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, etc. ) and the surname only. If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss, you can use Ms, which is for married and single women. Ending a letter: 1) Yours Faithfully If you do not know the name of the person, end the letter this way. 2) Yours Sincerely If you know the name of the person, end the letter this way. 3) Your signature Sign your name, then print it underneath the signature. If you think the person you are writing to might not know whether you are male of female, put you title in brackets after your name. Content of a Formal Letter First paragraph The first paragraph should be short and state the purpose of the letter- to make an enquiry, complain, request something, etc. The paragraph or paragraphs in the middle of the letter should contain the relevant information behind the writing of the letter. Most letters in English are not very long, so keep the information to the essentials and concentrate on organising it in a clear and logical manner rather than expanding too much. Last Paragraph The last paragraph of a formal letter should state what action you expect the recipient to take- to refund, send you information, etc. Abbreviations Used in Letter Writing The following abbreviations are widely used in letters: †¢asap = as soon as possible cc = carbon copy (when you send a copy of a letter to more than one person, you use this abbreviation to let them know) †¢enc. = enclosure (when you include other papers with your letter) †¢pp = per procurationem (A Latin phrase meaning that you are signing the letter on somebody else's behalf; if they are not there to sign it themselves, etc) †¢ps = postscript (when you want to add something after you've finished and signed it) †¢pto (informal) = please turn over (to make sure that the other person knows the letter continues on the other side of the page) †¢RSVP = please reply Outline: A Covering Letter A covering letter is the one that accompanies your CV when you are applying for a job. Here is a fairly conventional plan for the layout of the paragraphs. Opening Paragraph Briefly identify yourself and the position you are applying for. Add how you found out about the vacancy. Paragraph 2 Give the reasons why you are interested in working for the company and why you wish to be considered for that particular post. State your relevant qualifications and experience, as well as your personal qualities that make you a suitable candidate. Paragraph 3 Inform them that you have enclosed your current CV and add any further information that you think could help your case. Closing Paragraph Give your availability for interview, thank them for their consideration, restate your interest and close the letter. Outline: A Letter of Enquiry A letter of enquiry is when you are approaching a company speculatively, that is you are making an approach without their having advertised or announced a vacancy. Opening Paragraph Introduce yourself briefly and give your reason for writing. Let them know of the kind of position you are seeking, why you are interested and how you heard about them. Paragraph 2 Show why their company in particular interests you, mention your qualifications and experience along with any further details that might make them interested in seeing you. Paragraph 3 Refer to your enclosed CV and draw their attention to any particularly important points you would like them to focus on in it. Closing Paragraph Thank them, explain your availability for interview and restate your enthusiasm for their company and desire to be considered for posts that might as yet be unavailable. Ref : http://www. usingenglish. com/resources/letter-writing. html

Renaissance Philosophy and Styles of Art Research Paper

Renaissance Philosophy and Styles of Art - Research Paper Example This word was borrowed from social literature and was the dominant attribute of the art of that time. Sometimes this maniera represented a unique style of artists and on other times it was used as the representation of the national style. However this word represented ‘style’ in modern conception.. in the preceding period of the High Renaissance, there was perfection and harmony in the style of art. However, with the advent of Maniera, the formal invention was more notable as compared to the content of the work. The paintings lacked clear images and there was no focal point of concentration. Raphael's tapestry cartoon was one of the most famous works of that era. This cartoon also lacked the clarity which represented moving away from static balance to more of a pictorial animation. Other famous works by Raphael were ‘The vision of Ezekiel’ and ‘the Woman with the Unicorn’. Mannerism represents itself with highly stylized poses but with a certain ambiguity and lack of clarity of perspective. The topic and subject of mannerism are still under debate. Some researchers see mannerism as an extension of the Renaissance classism. School of mannerism was criticized for breaking the rules of the Renaissance period that preceded it. The perfection of the content and the harmony was broken into random pieces of art with less clarity of perspectives. ... There was no defined boundary of the picture; the frame of the picture was given a blurred look with no limitation of space. Earlier movements were very logical and defined. The mannerist artists used to manipulate the available space and gave a concept of the long gallery. Similarly, there was manipulation of light, coming from diverse sources in the picture in a multidimensional way. The period of mannerism prevailed from 1520 to 1580 (Arts, 1998). Mannerism represented the situation of turmoil that was present in Rome. But it was followed by the Baroque period which had a great influence on drama and extravagance. Having presented much art with a lack of perspective and lack of order, there was a need to move on to the next period of art incorporating changes in the essence of art. That period was full of religious and political conflicts. There was a spread of protests so art period needed change to calm lure people back to their religion and art. Realism emerged in the 19th cent ury in the response of the school of thought ‘Romanticism’.

American Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American Government - Essay Example This is because the minority party can have powers to control the interests of the majority party in doing as they wish and desire. In addition, another reason for filibuster in the senate is to keep the senate from becoming a House, which may be succumbed to the passions of the day. In my view, I think filibuster should not be eliminated since it is a remarkably crucial and unique issue in the U.S. government. The filibuster should not be eliminated since it is a strong tool to the minority party. The minority can use the filibuster in making a point or trying to get their way. In the senate, a senator or his minority party can block a full nomination or senate consideration of a certain bill through unlimited debate of a proposal. The use of the filibuster by the minority ensures representation of the minority party in the senate, which creates a balance in the senate. Hence, the filibuster in the senate should not be eliminated since its withdrawal in the senate would threaten fre e speech and debate in the senate. List and explain some of the various roles (constitutional and extraconstitutional) that a president must play. Of these roles, which role do you believe is most important for a president, and why? The American president has both constitutional and extra constitutional roles with which he is associated. One of the constitutional roles of the American president is assuming the role of chief of state. Through this role, the president acts as a symbolic leader of America and abroad. When assuming this role, the president should be above politics. Another constitutional role assumed by the president is that of the chief administrator. In playing this role, the president is responsible for executing all rules and overseeing the bureaucracy. Another constitutional role is being the chief commander. In assuming this role, the president does not play a symbolic role; he decides what to do in times of conflict. The president is given a superior ability in a ssessing and reacting to situations. In addition, the president plays a constitutional role in assuming the role of a chief diplomat. In this role, the president determines countries to negotiate foreign policies and the ones to recognize officially. On the other hand, the president plays the role of a party leader as one of the extra constitutional roles. Another extra constitutional role played by the president is that of an economy manager. In taking this responsibility, the president directs the economy. In addition, another extra constitutional role of the president is being the voice of the people. The president represents all the people for the entire nation since it is the only position, which the whole nation has to decide who will be the leader. Of these roles, I think being the chief commander is the most vital role. This stems from the fact that the president is capable of analyzing situations and coming up with strategies to protect the nation. Describe the process wher eby the Supreme Court sets its agenda, makes its decisions, and delivers them to the public. The process of Supreme Court’s agenda-setting commences when a party loses a case in a lower court, desires the Supreme Court to evaluate the verdict of the lower court, and files a petition for an appeal with the court or a writ of certiorari. After the petition for certiorari and entire accompanying briefs are recorded, the office of the Supreme

Special offenders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Special offenders - Essay Example In the case of adults, the main aim is never to rehabilitate the offender as adults are sanctioned by the court of law in compliance with the severity of their crime. The main goal of adult criminal justice system is to ensure that future crime is deterred either by sentencing the offender or by assigning a punishment which is harsh enough so that others do not indulge in deviant acts. In case of juveniles, their criminal records are not made public as it is believed that they will be rehabilitated and they will be fit to be a part of the society and in order to ensure that they do not experience stigmatization. This is why, their trials are not held publically. In the case of adults, their trials are made public and their records are even publically accessible. In case of juveniles, cases are handled in a psychological manner and the entire history of the offender is considered while treating a juvenile. The trials that take place for juveniles are not regarded as trials and are reg arded as hearings. In case of adults, trials take place and these trials are conducted on legal details. Juveniles may even be detained if it is necessary for the security of the individual as well as the society. In case of adult justice process, they are allowed to be a part of the society on bail. ... Juvenile Crime Gangs is a term used to refer to a group of individuals who join hands together and even comprise of figurehead and this group tends to identify themselves with certain amount of area in a particular community and they participate in deviant behavior as individuals as well as a group. Researchers such as Cohen asserts that such gangs are mostly joined by boys who belong to weak socio economic backgrounds so they can join together in order to fight the issue of status experienced by them in various socialization settings such as schools (Burfeind, 2011, p.236). Juveniles fall into one of the four categories of juvenile offenders. These categories include: informal probationers who are those who have committed crimes that are of lower level of severity and the probation officers decides whether these delinquents are to be placed under juvenile courts right away or they might be placed under these courts in future. Next are statuses offenders who commit unique crimes that are not usually committed by juvenile offenders and these offenders are not detained but can be made part of formal probation. The next category of offenders are criminal offenders who age below the level of 18 years and have committed a serious crime and these offenders fall directly under the jurisdiction of juvenile courts and can experience detainment before being adjudicated or incarcerated after being adjudicated. Last category of offenders are Juveniles remanded to superior court, their crimes are highly sever in nature and may be regarded as unfit to be adjudicated and they may be tried in the court of law as an adult offender is. The states have the power to decide whether to accept a criminal offender as juvenile offender or not and for this

Professional Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Professional Portfolio - Essay Example Teaching nursing students involves teaching adults with grown minds hence confidence as a teacher gives student confidence. Good students enter into a learning process with the willingness and commitment to scoop what the teacher is offering them. Equally, good teachers provide an environment that is full of understanding, positive attitude as well as a demonstration of strong emotional feelings. They set goals and deadlines. They have social skills as role models, strong emotional feelings that enable them to deal with difficult students. I am a dedicated nursing educator; I know that nursing is a sturdy job. This means that there must be infinite dedication on the side of the practitioners into changing the world. This great trait helps me to inspire students by demonstrating to them that, even with the many years in the profession the educator has not lost his spark hence dedication is more important than basic skills. As a teacher, I incorporate my ‘student life’ in my profession. When I was a student, I learnt how to be patient and cooperative through the emphasis of my tutor. He would say that these traits were applicable during the nursing practice. The first incident that portrayed this involved an encounter with fire accident victims who required attention. With patience and cooperation with colleagues, I was able to defeat the fear and this has helped me through out my career. This gives student hope and a clear understanding of what to expect ahead. As a mentor, I ensure that I focus on helping students to overcome the challenges that are found in the nursing profession to becoming successful nurses. These challenges include anxiety, discouragement, fear and failure by exhibiting patience to my self and the students especially during classes, to enable them apply that in their later life as nurses. A good example is relaxing by taking a deep breath when answering questions from students as well as discussions among other

Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch - Case Study Example This distillery is famed for its single malt scotch whiskey. Rather than marketing a blended scotch whiskey, Bowmore prides itself in marketing the best aged and single brandy whiskies. Their brand Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch is wildly famous not only in the united kingdom but also in other parts of the world like Japan and china. The success of this brand can be attributed to the marketing strategies that had been adopted by the marketers of this distillery. One of them is creating a brand that is unique in quality. This means that the scotch is priced highly and this sets it apart from other run-of-the-mill scotches. The marketers have long realised that sophisticated consumers are looking for the expensive scotch and not necessarily the best scotch. As such, when a brand is able to combine expensive and good, it is bound to succeed. This is what Bowmore Distillery has done; they have produced a very expensive and a very good scotch whiskey. This report is a culmination of a market research that was carried on Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch. It was commissioned by Bowmore Distilleries and conducted by this research outsourcing company. The major aim was to analyse the domestic and international markets of this brand. The aim of this research was to determine how these trends in the domestic and international markets may affect sales of the product. ... 1) definition of the problem of the study 2) methodology for the research 3) presentation of the findings of the research a). an analysis of the domestic market b). an analysis of the international market c). competitor analysis at both international and domestic markets d). impacts of the domestic and international market dynamics on sales of the product e). Bowmore use of different market research methods to enter the African market Problem of the Study It has come to the realisation of the marketing department in Bowmore that the domestic sales have dropped below those of the international market. In fact, when the sales accrued from the international market increase at a high rate, those of the domestic market seem to decrease at a very low rate or stagnate at times. The executives of the distillery needed to know where this discrepancy was stemming from. Another impetus for this research was the fact that the marketing department wanted to launch the product into the African market. Kenya, a country in the eastern part of the continent, has been chosen as the entry point into the region. The executives needed to know the different types of marketing research that they can use to make inroads into this market. Methodology of the Research There are various methods that the researcher used to collect information for this study. Liang (2003) opines that the success of any market research lies on the methods that were used to execute it. If the research design was poor, this will be reflected in the findings of the research and vise versa. The accuracy of the research is of paramount importance given that the policy makers rely on the findings and recommendations to make their decisions. As such, if they are presented with a

Crown Cork Summary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Crown Cork Summary - Research Paper Example The Crown Cork was established in 1892. The founder of the Crown Cork is William Painter. The company took the right turn towards success back in 1892, when the founder of the company came up with a new and much better way of packing beer and other soft drinks than the ways that were in practice in those years. The company first invented a cap for the bottle of SuperEnd beverage. The vision introduced by Painter brought an altogether change and revolution in the industry of bottling. Six years after its establishment, in 1898, Painter introduced the syruper-crowner into the industry, that was the first ever foot powered machine. The machine increased the efficiency of the bottle filling and capping system manifolds. Using it, an operator was able to fill and cap as many as 24 bottles in just one minute. Business flourished a lot as Painter sold more and more crowning equipment. The retailers appreciated the innovative bottle filling and capping device. Since then, many other products have been developed by this company. Although the company took a wonderful start with the popularity of its bottle packaging method, yet Crown Cork was genuinely fortunate to have excellent leaders one after another throughout its tenure since 1892.

IT-6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT-6 - Essay Example Differences in culture and language barriers are significant issues requiring scrutiny, as virtually every foreign nation has a different value and belief system, while making the process of relating to these customers more difficult due to the use of a different language. IS systems must be built with these factors in mind, including the appropriate usage of the foreign language on the international auction website. Political barriers are the most complicated, as many foreign countries block the free access of information to its society, therefore these factors must be considered prior to building the appropriate international auction website. Will the people in this type of nation be able to help build profitability? These are questions that must be considered prior to going international. I have located three commercial sites in different markets which offer affiliate programs: PowerWebsites.com, Office Depot.com, and Barnes&Noble booksellers. Powerwebsites is a marketing entity which utilizes its technological expertise to help companies build higher customer volumes through affiliate marketing. The online version of Office Depot provides office-related products, including papers, printers, desks and more. Barnes & Noble is a leading bookstore with bricks and mortar locations across the country. Powerwebsites provides FREE sign-up for the affiliate program, with a 20% commission on all sales generated by the program. Payouts are promised at a minimum of $25 in return for placing a companys web link on their site. Powerwebsites pays their commission on a pay per sale basis, meaning that the customer must not only click on the link, but also must make a purchase at the partner website. OfficeDepot.com provides an affiliate program which is also a pay per sale, meaning that customers must actually click this link AND make a purchase at the site. Their affiliate program promises a 20% commission on these

Paraphrase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Paraphrase - Essay Example The photoelectric smoke detectors have special features that allow them to be efficient. This encompasses use of an LED lens and a photodiode that is specifically placed to act as a light detector. In the occurrence of a fire, when the particles of smoke rise and enter the photoelectric chamber, the smoke particles distort the light beam and this triggers the alarm. This technique seems technologically enhanced and effective. The mechanism of ionization smoke detectors is however different from that of photoelectric detectors. It utilizes radioactive elements, for instance, americium-241 which can emit radiations through the ionization chambers. The ionization chamber has two electrodes through which the radiations pass causing constant generation of current. The photoelectric smoke detectors are more preferable since they are dependable and less likely to trigger false alarms. In fact, the utilization of radioactive components by the ionization smoke detectors can be injurious to individuals who come close to it since it constantly emits radiations. In contrast, the photoelectric detector alarms are not radioactive and quick ion indicating any signs of smoke, especially in open flame fires. There are two chief requirements for detector placement in residential occupancies. One includes informing the residents on fire prevention, maintenance and escape plans. Secondly, is to ensure full documentation of the installed smoke detector. Finally, few considerations are necessary during the placement of smoke detectors. First, the smoke detector should not be installed in areas such as fireplaces. It should be installed near the cooking areas in the kitchen since it will be prone to indicate false alarms. The non-insulated attic and outside walls are also not good ideas. It can be tricky since the smoke could emanate externally and initiate false alarms when put near windows and

Science Fair Necessities for Project Essay Example for Free

Science Fair Necessities for Project Essay 1. Fill each of the plastic cups  ¾ full with potting soil and plant each seed  ½ inch deep in the soil. 2. Cut a pie-sized hole in each side of each box and leave the top open – cut the flaps off the top so it cannot be closed. 3. Label each box and tape two layers of the desired color of cellophane on four of the boxes over the holes and over the top. Make sure you are able to get at least one of the corners of cellophane up for watering later. 4. You should now have five boxes, four of them covered with red, blue, yellow and green cellophane and one without cellophane, each with a plastic cup holding a bean plant seed. The box with no cellophane will get no colored light and will be used as the control. 5. Place the boxes in a designated area that gets plenty of sunlight during the day. Water each plant with a  ¼ cup distilled water each day, watering at night so the plants are not exposed to light other than the light filtered through the cellophane. 6. Continue watering plants for four to six weeks. Note You can take pictures if you wish, as photos will better illustrate the growth quality of the plants. Observation Keep a record of the plants’ growth every day, taking measurements and noting color when the plants begin to germinate. Descriptions of the plants fullness, leaf size, etc. are key when jotting down information in the journal or log book. Result The plants will grow best under the red and blue light, as the hypothesis predicted. The green light will hinder plant growth as plants naturally reflect green wavelengths of light and therefore, the plants absorb absolutely no light.

Concepts of Bio-Electricity

Concepts of Bio-Electricity Introduction What is Bio-electricity? Bio-electricity is an interdisciplinary theme which refers to the production of electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields in biological tissue (Cameron, 1996). This essay focus on the production of electric fields for use in organisms rather than in electrical circuits. An electric field is an area around a charged particle created by an electric force; the magnitude and direction of this force is determined by the charge of the particles surrounding it (Dictionary, no date). An example of this in Biology is the electrical system of the heart and the maintaining of membrane potentials in cells in the body. Bio-electricity in Nature American Paddlefish An example of an organism which uses Bio-electricity in an enhanced form is the American Paddlefish (or Spoonbill Catfish). These are large, freshwater fish from North America which have an extensive, paddle-like flat nose. The extended nose of the fish is embedded with pores with cells called electroreceptors (Thomas, 2016). These pores spread over the fishs body, from the nose to gill covers, covering around half of its skin (Wilkens, 2001). This allows the detection of weak electric currents in the water they travel in, thus allowing them to hunt their main source of food; plankton. These sensors are extremely sensitive, and are able to respond to electrical fields of less than 1/100th of one 1-millionth volt per centimetre (Wilkens, 2001). All organisms emit weak electric signals (e.g. electrical impulses due to the beating of the heart), and thus can be detected by these cells. The electrical signal is sent to the brain via the neurons. Paddlefish being able to detect these fields aid their survival, as their environment is generally very dark (Thomas, 2016). Electric Eel Another example of Bio-electricity in nature being used in a different way is with the Electric Eel. It can do this due to the electrogenic cells in its body called electrocytes, each with a negative charge of around 100 millivolts (Scientific American, 2005). These are all modified muscle cells in the eels tail. When a signal from a command nucleus arrives to each of the cells, a neurotransmitter is released. These are chemical signals which allow information to be transmitted between nerve cells (Cherry, 2016). As a result of this, a path of low resistance is created, connecting the interior and exterior of each cell. This allows the cells to behave like batteries, with opposing sides of the cell acting as positive and negative terminals (Scientific American, 2005). This is used to both hunt and kill prey. If in sight, prey can be hunted by the eels the release of high voltage pulses of a frequency of 400/s. If these pulses reach another organism, it will interfere with its neurons, causing them to involuntarily contract. This contraction is extremely strong due to the sequence of the pulses released; each lengthy torrent is succeeded by a pair of rapid pulses, making the process as efficient as possible. As a result of this, the prey can experience complete short term paralysis, allowing the eel to attack. The effect is similar of that of a taser on a human (Yong, 2014). Similar to that of the Paddlefish, potential prey can also be detected through the use of Bio-electricity. The Electric Eel can send out pulses, again causing the prey to contract involuntarily. The resulting ripples in the water would reveal the location of any organism affected, as the eel is extremely sensitive to movement (it can strike within 20 thousandths of a second from when movement is detected). This provides a further opportunity for the eel to kill (Yong, 2014). Moreover, the eel can kill prey (or deter predators) by directly shocking them. Though each individual electrocyte can create only a small electric field, the cells are connected as parallel batteries are in a circuit, creating a larger electric field. The combined electrocytes create 3 large electric organs which can take up 80% of the eels body (Giardina, 2016). This means an average Electric Eel can produce electricity of around 600 volts at 2 milliseconds at a time. Bio-electricity in Medicine The use of Bio-electricity to treat human conditions is being increasingly explored. A link between the immune system, the series of processes which works to primarily fight off disease, and the nervous system, processes which involve electrical signals within the body, is being researched. One of the main method of using our knowledge of Bio-electricity in Medicine is through the stimulation of the Vagus nerve, also known as Cranial Nerve (X). This is one of 12 cranial nerves, which are nerves which begin from the brain stem rather than the spinal cord. These nerves are responsible for the motor and sensory functions of our body (InnovateUs Inc, 2013). Of all the cranial nerves, the Vagus nerve is the longest, extending through the thorax, heart, stomach, abdominal muscles and others. This links the brainstem to the body and major organs (particularly the heart), allowing information to be easily transferred in an electrical circuit-like system (InnovateUs Inc, 2013). One of the uses of the Vagus nerve stimulation is the controlling of seizures in epilepsy patients. This is by connecting a small device to the left Vagus nerve in the neck. The device can then send out small electrical impulses via the nerve to the brain. This reduces activity in the brain which can lead to seizures; seizures themselves are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. (Epilepsy Society, 2016). A second use of Bio-electricity in Medicine is the use of cardiac pacemakers in the treatment of Parkinsons disease, a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a loss of dopamine producing nerve cells in the brain (NHS Choices, 2016). To help reduce the symptoms of Parkinsons, which include rigidity, tremors and bradykinesia, doctors are implanting a small electronic device called a neurostimulator in patients (Lazarus, 2014). The device sends out regular electrical impulses to areas of the brain responsible for movement. This allows impulse to block the irregular signals which cause the shaking in patients, giving them more control. The entire process is called Deep Brain Stimulation and is a widely used technique to help improve quality of life in people with Parkinsons. Conclusion In conclusion, Bio-electricity is a naturally occurring phenomenon occurring in humans and animals alike, and is essential to everyday living. Its natural uses explored include communication between the brain and body via neurotransmittors and nerve cells, the detection of prey and predator in animals and its use in hunting. With modern technological advances, its use is being extended to the treatment of disorders in humans including depression, Parkinsons, arthritis and epilepsy, many of which through the installation of electrical devices which send out impulses. With further research and understanding, it is hoped to that it can be used to treat many more diseases, improving quality of life for many more people. Bibliography Cameron, J. (1996) Bioelectromagnetism-Principles and applications of Bioelectric and Biomagnetic fields, by J. Malmivuo and R. Plonsey, Medical Physics, 23(8), pp. 1471-1471. doi: 10.1118/1.597895. Cherry, K. (2016) Basics of biological psychology the brain and behavior. Available at: https://www.verywell.com/lesson-three-brain-and-behavior-2795291 (Accessed: 22 December 2016). Dictionary (no date) The definition of electric field, in Available at: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/electric-field (Accessed: 27 December 2016). Epilepsy Society (2016) Vagus nerve stimulation. Available at: https://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/vagus-nerve-stimulation#.WGHxfFxHa0w (Accessed: 27 December 2016). Giardina, T. (2016) ELECTRIC FEEL: Scientist explains how eels make electricity. Available at: http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2015/05/30/electric-eels-create-shock/28208993/ (Accessed: 26 December 2016). InnovateUs Inc (2013) What is the function of the Vagus nerve? Available at: http://www.innovateus.net/innopedia/what-function-vagus-nerve (Accessed: 27 December 2016). Lazarus, J. (2014) Surgical Treatment Options. Available at: http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/treatment/surgery-treatment-options/Deep-Brain-Stimulation (Accessed: 27 December 2016). NHS Choices (2016) Parkinsons disease causes. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/parkinsons-disease/pages/causes.aspx (Accessed: 27 December 2016). Scientific American (2005) How do electric eels generate a voltage and why do they not get shocked in the process? Available at: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-electric-eels-gene/ (Accessed: 22 December 2016). Thomas, B. (2016) Paddlefish are tuned to eat only Plankton. Available at: http://www.icr.org/article/paddlefish-are-tuned-eat-only-plankton/ (Accessed: 17 December 2016). Wilkens, L. (2001) Tuning in to Paddlefish. Available at: https://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2001/01/tuning-paddlefish (Accessed: 17 December 2016). Yong, E. (2014) Electric Eels can remotely control their preys muscles. Available at: http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/04/electric-eels-can-remotely-control-their-preys-muscles/ (Accessed: 22 December 2016).

Ethical Issues in Forensic Psychology

Ethical Issues in Forensic Psychology 1.0 Introduction Forensic psychology refers to the professional application of specialized knowledge in psychology to aid in solving legal problems. Since forensic psychology straddles two great fields- study of human behaviors (psychology) and correctional measures that can deter wayward behaviors (law), its guide on ethics should be two-throng. Robert Wettstein agrees: â€Å"Given the interdisciplinary work of forensic psychiatry, questions arise about what principles of ethics should guide forensic psychiatry and what theory of ethics should underlie those principles,† When it comes to ethics, forensic psychology is one field of professional practice where a very delicate balance must be created. This is so because a forensic psychologist is more interested in the inner feelings of the offender, then the displayed characters. Further, the forensic psychologist must understand the legal requirements and the judicial system under which he operates. So, the expert is required to bridge the wide gap between two very diverse, and even opposing faculties. Since his analysis informs the outcome of the case, forensic psychologists can easily abuse the great influence of the work. This is where ethics come in. It’s not enough to have rules and statutes. Professionals must practice adherence to particular code of conducts without the need for monitoring. That applies to forensic psychologists too. 2.0 Ethical issues in forensic psychology There are a number of dilemmas that a practicing forensic psychologist deals with in his day-to-day professional activity. However, I can easily bet that half of them involve ethical questions. Issues such as juvenile incarcerations, mental capability of the accused to stand trial, discrimination, confidentiality, objectivity, payment for his service and so many others, come into consideration for the expert in a big way. Sometimes the expert’s findings even contradict personal views. Kalmbach, Karen C. and Lyons, Phillip M, say that, these ethical issues must always be given a special attention. Since the forensic psychologist often acts as an expert witness, he must set for himself the highest possible ethical standards. Kalmbach Karen C. and Lyons Philip M. â€Å"Professionals who choose to participate in the legal forum must ensure that their performance meets not only the standards of general practice for their profession, but also those pertaining to the forensic specialty†. Given the dynamism of legal field, the expert should also be well up-to-date with the current standards and the changes in it. This means that he must keep reading, both in the legal and psychological fields. However, extensive studying is just half of the job. The elephant in the room is a matter of life and death-quite literally, sometimes. â€Å"A fundamental responsibility of forensic psychologists is to provide treatment, assessment, research, and training in an ethical manner†, (Walden University). To ensure that you adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice, Robert M. Wettstein writes that the following steps should be followed: identify the problem; consider the significance of the context and setting; identify and use ethics and legal resources; consider personal beliefs and values; develop possible solutions to the problem; consider the potential consequences of various solutions; choose and implement a course of action; and assess the outcome and implement changes as needed. All these steps, if followed properly, would ensure that the highest possible ethical is not only adhered to, but also maintained in the forthcoming and subsequent cases. It is often said that the first step to solving a problem is by acknowledging that the problem exists. By identifying the problem, it means that you are already acknowledging that a problem exists. Then follow this by knowing the magnitude of the problem. The third part now is where you start using your expertise to help you solve the problem. Personal beliefs may lead to biases and prejudices. If this happens to be the case, then it is only wise not to be engaged in the case of the client. If you pass all these self-assessment tests, then it is time for you to formulate answers to the problem at hand. Check all your resolutions to see what outcome they would have. Select the one that is most suitable- the one with the least negative outcome and the best positive outcome. After you are done, identify where you may have fallen short of expectations and make appropriate changes. â€Å"Ethics has been described as beginning where the law ends. The moral conscience is a precursor to the development of legal rules for social order. Ethics and law thus share the goal of creating and maintaining social good and have a symbiotic relationship†, (Lisa V. Brock, J.D., and Anna Mastroianni). As an expert witness who is relied upon to provide information to help in convicting, or setting free a suspect, the forensic psychologist should uphold the highest standards of integrity. He should be honest, sincere, and very straightforward. A renowned psychologist, Margaret Hagen, had long dismissed forensic psychologist as â€Å"witchdoctors† who are only after the â€Å"almighty dollar†. This is a damning report which clearly shows that some of these experts deliberately lie and twist the course of justice for financial gain. Thus, a change of heart and thinking is necessary if this profession still values its popular will amongst the populace. Impartiality and fairness is another area where the expert should place a huge premium. Almost everybody has his own biases, although we often suppress them in the interest of decency. However, a forensic psychologist should shut down all his wells of prejudices so that he can look at the issues with relatively undistorted lenses. Only this way can he proclaim the truth with the authority it requires. Any deviation can lead to a repetition of the wrong until it becomes the norm. â€Å"A profession does not genetically produce the next generation of practitioners; instead, the ethical practices of subsequent generations of practitioners are established through socialization†, (Practicing Forensic Psychology). It is well known that often, impartiality is a result of conflict of interest. This interest may be financial, political, social, or any other. If such a case occurs, it is best for the forensic psychologist to withdraw, and let someone else take over. Personal interests are not necessarily mistakes. However, they could be a mistake if a professional decides to twist facts to protect own interests. An expert of forensic psychologist’s nature should avoid deception at all cost. Accurate information from him is required to make a legal judgment and set trend for future litigations. Any deception, thus, coming from him would be utmost injustice to the larger society. Of equal importance, if not more, is the expert’s ability to differentiate between what he sees and what he has inferred. Personal biases have a peculiar way of clouding judgment. Therefore the expert should be fully convinced that there is a strong relationship between what he has seen, and the conclusion he is making. This psychology expert is also required, and should be obliged, to disclose sources of their information so that everybody can know how he arrived at a particular conclusion. Moreover, he should also present his findings and opinions in a well-researched report. A clear and concise report on the inference of the forensic psychologist would give people a glimpse at how he arrived at the conclusions he is making. It also clears away any whiff of favoritism as a result of financial gain. Forensic experts should avoid issuing statement about a legal proceeding that is in a court of law. Such statements may lead to a breach of confidentiality, and privacy of a person. However, this can happen when consent has been obtained from the person holding any privilege, or when the statement is already in the public domain, (Lyons, Phillip M, and Kalmbach, Karen C). Still, even here, the expert still has to strike a delicate balance of the amount of information that he can release to the public without compromising on the confidentiality of the concerned party. The expert should be aware of the influences that may deal a blow to his impartiality. If there is anything that stands in the way to impartiality, it is in his best interest to step aside, and let someone else take the role. â€Å"Many question whether MHPs can produce an impartial and unbiased clinical forensic evaluation while simultaneously providing input to the legal team on defense strategy†, (American Psychological Association) The issue of payment given to the forensic psychologist is clear cut. Forensic psychologist should not take contingency fee. This may compromise his honesty. The payment he should receive is the retainer fee. Money has been at the centre of many of the botched court cases. Therefore, to ensure that it does not cloud one’s judgment, it is best to keep it at an arm’s length. Forensic psychologist can allow attorneys to change the structure of his report, but he should not allow them to change the content. The content of the report belongs to the forensic psychologist. It serves to give the client best service, thus, if it is objective, let it remain as it is. The role of a forensic psychologist as an expert witness is very critical in a legal proceeding. This is why, as a matter of ethics, the forensic psychologist should be competent enough to handle the concerned issues. If you are not competent enough, do not get into this delicate profession and obstruct the course of justice. Lack of specialized psycho-legal knowledge, and a number of others, should be enough disqualification. As an expert, do not advocate for any other agenda, whether it’s the client’s or otherwise. Always remain objective and very neutral. A forensic psychologist should not enter into multiplicity of alliances-like being the expert witness and an advisor to the client. This would create a huge conflict of interest which will not allow him to be impartial. Like any other human being, a forensic psychologist may assume a lot helpful facts and even fail to write down proper notes. This will easily pass for a professional negligence. But for this expert whose work influences justice, it is also very unethical. Again, personal competence matters a lot. However, in most cases, it is the practitioner who knows the limit of his competence. If there is a case whose legal competence demand is way above yours, it is better you let it go, or pass it to a superior expert. If you have taken a case, meet the client fast and get the details from him. This would help you to clarify the lingering questions early enough in preparation for the legal battle. In the same breath, ensure that the client knows about the protection to his privacy; confidentiality and; other rights that are clearly spelt out in the law. The testimony of a forensic psychology expert has a powerful influence on the court. It directs the sails of justice. Therefore, the expert involved should use this influence to help in unveiling the truth, and not hiding it. Keep a clear documentation of your interview of the client. Do not get carried away by the case. Always maintain a professional detachment from your client. This would ensure that you can observe issues objectively. Make your client aware of your role as a forensic psychologist prior to the start of your evaluation. Also, as an expert, know the legal grounds on which the case is built. This would help you know what is expected of you; and collect enough of what is needed to present in the court when called upon to do so. Deliberations on ethics cannot be wrapped up without discussing one of the most critical issues-sex. It occurs in all professions, and forensic psychology is by no means an exception. But the truth is, as a professional, the moment you gotten into a sexual relationship with a client, or a student, your objectivity flies right out through the window. That is why it is strongly advised that you keep away fro it like HIV/AIDS. The forensic psychologist should provide a conducive environment for the evaluation, and tell the client, in advance, the time and length of the evaluation. This allows the client to prepare psychologically. This will give both of them a free atmosphere to interact freely, without the client feeling that he is being pushed to do things against his will. Many evaluators prefer relative anonymity. As a forensic psychologist, preserve that. Also in line with this, ensure there is no past, current, or future personal relationship with the examinee. This would ensure that your objectivity is not in question. â€Å"Forensic psychologists have an obligation to provide services in a manner consistent with the highest standards of their profession. They are responsible for their own conduct and the conduct of those individuals under their direct supervision,† (Committee on Ethical Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists). In order to meet these high ethical standards, the expert forensic psychologist should do the following: The forensic psychologist should assess the mental state of his client for insanity. If he proves that there are chances that the client is not mentally sound, then he can enter an insanity plea. This way, he will help to the mentally-ill out of a trial meant for sound-minded persons, thus keep the integrity of the profession. There are clients who can fake signs of insanity quite effectively. Check for such an occurrence so that you don’t enter an insanity plea for a person who is perfectly normal. A polygraph is, in plain terms, a â€Å"lie detector†. Depending on the expertise of the person handling it, the machine can give be fairly accurate in detecting whether a person is telling the truth, or lying. Use it and interpret its data accurately to know more about the examinee. Conclusion Ethics is one of the guiding principles in any profession the world over. It ensures that one sets the standards for himself and strives to reach them. The infusion of ethico-legal issues into a single field called forensic psychology makes this profession a particularly challenging one. Just reading the ethical guidelines and standards is not enough. As a professional, your adherence to them should show in the applications. In special cases, use your own unbiased judgment and intuition to get to the root of the problem. The various ethical issues outlined above are: impartiality, honesty, fairness, and non-sexual contact with a client. Others are objectivity, making the client aware of his rights, respecting the privacy and confidentiality of the client, and not receiving payments that may compromise the forensic psychologist’s objectivity. These ethical guidelines, and, any other more, should inform any interaction a clinical psychologist should have with a client. The moment one is breached, then it becomes easier to follow suit with a breach of the rest. This would automatically lead to lack of objectivity, partiality, deception, and even breach of the client’s basic rights. A Code of Ethics for Psychology summarizes it thus: At its heart, an ethics code should reflect the moral principles underlying the values of the profession. For most professions, ethical behaviors are generally those that fulfill the fundamental moral obligations to do good, to do no harm, to respect others, and to treat all individuals honestly and fairly. For some, statements of gen ­eral principles are sufficient to guide the ethical behavior of persons devoted to the ideals of their profession. For others, however, statements describing specific types of behaviors that meet these ideals are necessary to maximize the code’s utility and to provide a means of evaluating its efficacy. References Wettstein, Robert M. (2008). Ethical Practice in Forensic Psychology: A Systematic Model for Decision Making Forensic Ethics and the Expert Witness, Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law Online.Web. 29, April, 2014. American Psychological Association. Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology. Lyons, Phillip M, and Kalmbach, Karen C. Ethical Issues in conducting Forensic Evaluations (2006). Sam Houston State University. Hagen, Margaret. The Fraud of Psychiatric Testimony and the Rape of American Justice. Wettstein, Robert. Ethics and Forensic Psychiatry. Practicing Forensic Psychology: Some Legal, Ethical, and Moral Considerations Walden University. Ethical Issues and Professional Responsibilities in Forensic Psychology. Brock, Lisa V., Mastroianni, Anna (2013). Ethics in Medicine: Clinical Ethics and Law   Committee on Ethical Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists (1991). Law and Human Behavior:Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists, 15 (6). A Code of Ethics for Psychologist: How Did We Get Here?

Natural Necessity, Objective Chances and Causal Powers :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Natural Necessity, Objective Chances and Causal Powers ABSTRACT: Are the relations between the property of a thing and its related disposition to react in certain ways, and between the triggering of that disposition and the consequent effect, necessary? Harrà © and Madden, in their analysis of causal powers, said they are, but their arguments are not persuasive. Humeans like Simon Blackburn deny it. I criticize the Humean position, and argue afresh for their necessity. I note that David Lewis' analysis of causation requires their necessity, though as a confessed Humean he has not admitted this. There is an interesting convergence among several recent theories of causation. They describe causes as events of a kind which increase the objective chance of events of other kinds, which are their effects. The theories I have in mind are those of David Lewis (1986, 1994), D.H. Mellor (1995), and Peter Menzies (1996). They attribute various other properties to causes, but all agree that this is an important and necessary fact about them. Thus, dropping a crystal wine glass onto a hard floor can be said to have caused it to shatter because it increased the probability of its shattering at that time, since whenever a piece of crystal glass is struck by a hard object, it will very probably shatter. Such generalizations relating cause and effect can be understood as being true of something because of one of its properties. For instance one can say: if something has the molecular structure of crystal glass, then if it is hit by a hard object it will very probably shatter. The generalization relating cause and effect can then be seen as a disposition of the thing whose property makes it true. In this case it amounts to saying that things which have the molecular structure of crystal glass are fragile. More generally, the generalizations involved in causation are of the following form: if something has a certain property, then if it comes into a certain relation with something else, it will result in another event, with a certain objective probability. Call this generalization [G]. This generalization looks very much like the analysis of causal powers offered by R.Harrà © and E.H. Madden (1975). They defined the causal power of a thing in terms of its disposition to behave in certain ways in certain circumstances because of its nature. They wrote: "'X has the power to A' means 'X will or can do A, in the appropriate conditions, in virtue of its intrinsic nature' (p.

Edgar Allan Poe :: essays research papers

Absence of Beauty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edgar Allan Poe sees evil as a living threat to man because he lives in its presence. Parallel with the tragedies in his own life relating to the deaths of his young mother, wife and others he loved in his life. It is no wonder that he sees the absence of beauty as evil, because he felt the terror and tragedy of the loss of his own life. In his stories he illustrates how the absence of beauty is the essence of evil. In “The Tell Tale Heart'; when the old man’s eyes is closed he would not be killed because his eye is not considered ugly. That is why each night the man goes into his room to see if the eye is open. “… but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.';(139) The eye when open represents the ugliness of the old man. When that ugliness is present, beauty is gone and evil is present. The ugliness of the old man’s open eye is the cause for his killer to kill him because evil is present and beauty is no where to be found.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In “The Fall of the House of Usher'; Madeline is beautiful once she gets sick her brother, Roderick, gets sick and everything seems to fall apart. Madeline’s beauty had kept the evil down and covered up. As Madeline gets sicker and sicker it gets worse and worse. Finally when Madeline dies beauty no longer exists Roderick goes crazy and everything is destroyed because beauty was not there to cover up all the evil that they possessed. The absence of beauty caused all evil to break loose. The house collapses and Roderick is destroyed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In “The Black Cat'; the cat to him was beautiful and precious. “This latter was a remarkably large and beautiful animal, entirely black, and sagacious to an astonishing degree.';(12) Beauty is what one person sees through his own eyes. “The cat followed me down the steep stairs, and nearly throwing me headlong, exasperated me to madness.';(18) Once he saw that the cat was no longer beautiful it causes him to murder his wife because all his evil was hidden and once that beauty that he saw died and became none existing everything he was hiding especially his evil side came out caused him to kill.

IT Business Outsourcing Essay

Outsourcing basically means a process of constricting to another party. It is done at the outsourcing client’s location under their supervision. There are many essential factors which are needed to decide whether to outsource the information process or not. First major factor is the activity or the process itself. Main concern should be the process, whether it’s really needed to be outsourced (Loh et. al, 1992). If it is core job to that organization, then its better not to outsource it. If the task really requires highly efficient skills which is not available in your organization, then it’s better to outsource it. Second most important factor is the financial strategy. While deciding whether to outsource, main goal of company is to save money. It’s essential to verify, what will be the total cost in both the cases, if the task to be performed within the organization or outside. Hence, the main factors for deciding why to outsource are outsourcers cost, their capabilities and the potential end product which ultimately will reduce the risk and increase organization profit. Influence of Risk Assessment on the decision making process when seeking to outsource information processes Risk is always associated with the process of outsourcing. Many organizations who went for outsourcing, failed and few of the reasons are like cultural misalignment, end product not as per the quality and deadlines or delivery times missed. There are mainly two types of risk associated with the process of outsourcing: external risk and internal risk. Read more:Â  Essay on Business Process Outsourcing External risks are those risks which occur outside the organization and upon which organization do not have any control. these risks includes a search of outsourcer who will offer the required skills in a cost effective manner, an exchange rate fluctuation that can impact the cost savings, lack of ability to guard organization intellectual protection property and physical location of outsourcer which includes economic and political risk as well (Aubert, 1998). Internal risks are those risks which occur inside the organization while outsourcing. Language is the most targeted risk if outsourcing happen between two different countries where English is not the primary language and the ability of communicating to outsourcers in a remote location where technology is not so updated. Influence of change management requirements on the decision making process when seeking to outsource information processes One of the key factors for a successful outsourcing is the organizations effective change management policy. Organizations who failed to manage the changes effectively suffer a lot. Within an organization, the most important change management program is to create such a reliable communication strategy, so that the employees don’t feel scared about the job security. There should be proper redeployment and retention plans for all employees to make them feel secure. Proper training should be provided to make them understand how to deal with outsourcers. Few change management factors during this process are good leadership quality, crystal clear procedures, strategy safeguarding stakeholder’s interests, communication strategy and a change-over course of action for every step (Wullenweber et al, 2008). Inclusion of different entities by business when making decisions on the processes to outsource and the third party entity to outsource to Businesses include entities when time comes to decide whether to go for outsourcing or not. When an organization needs a process to be outsourced, decision of top level (CEO or a Director) is essential. Without their confirmation, company can’t think of moving ahead. After the confirmation, now its middle management turns to check whether all the important factors are going in favor of outsourcing or not. Here come different entities like finance, Hr, marketing, quality and third party. Finance department will check outsourcing in terms of cost saving, while HR will check if the company really needs outsourcing staff or it has its own (DiRomualdo et. al. , 1998). Marketing people will do a survey to acquire a list of best outsourcing companies and quality will judge whether the decision is anywhere hampering the quality and how to improve it in future. Third party will also play a vital role as their location, cost of doing outsourcing and few other factors will also effect the decision (W. McFarlan et. al, 1995).

Milo 3 in 1 Substitute and Market Structure

Milo 3 in 1 is a normal product. It is a convenience product to the consumer which comes with low price and easy to consume. The product comes with high quality and safe to consume. Complements for Milo 3in1 are Milo sejuk(ice), Milo Powder and Milo Ready to Drink. Milo sejuk (ice) is an instant ice Milo which just adds cold water to the powder. The powder of Milo sejuk soluble easier with the cold water even without hot water which normally used for melting powder or make them become more soluble.Milo Powder is an ordinary Milo powder with no extraordinary add-ons or plain Milo. Consumer needs to add sugar, condensed milk or creamer themselves with the powder. Normally, Milo powder is packaged in large Milo tin. Milo Ready to Drink is Milo in cans and small package. Consumer buys and consumes straightforward because the Milo inside it is ready to be drink. Substitutes for Milo 3 in 1 are Horlicks, Ovaltine, Vi-Co, Nescafe. Horlicks and Ovaltine is a malted milk hot drink. It is made from malted barley and wheat flour.It comes with different taste and smell compared with Milo which is made from chocolate. It served as a beverage same with Milo and fortified with vitamins and minerals. Vi-Co is commonly known as the straight competitor to Milo. It serves the same hot chocolate milk as Milo. Nescafe serves different kinds of coffee. They start with coffee powder like Nescafe Classic, Gold and 3in1. They also serve a variety of coffee in cans like latte, mocha and cappuccino. Moreover, they have localized product like Nescafe Ipoh White Coffee.Milo 3in1 belongs to monopolistic competition market. It comes as one of the product differentiation by Milo. There are other products such as Milo sejuk, Milo powder and Milo Ready to Drink. It has many sellers in Malaysia and buyers who prefer Milo 3in1 compare to other complements and substitutes. It is the price makers for the same kind of product in the market since the it sells the most compared to others. It also spen t a lot of money on advertisements such as Milo – Fields of Barley TVC and Milo TV: Malaysia Boleh.

Swot Analysis Of A Manager Of A Fast Food Shop

Strengths –Years of experience working, managing and owning a fast food restaurant Good communication skills with customers Friendly attitude with customers and staff Being able to mentor staff as I have years of experience in this fieldWeaknesses –Health problems Fatigue I have to look after my family which includes young children personally sometimes causing me to work lessOpportunities –To franchise and own more fast food shops I’m close to staff which I think my competitors might lackThreats –My staff might not be motivated enough if I work less Less time working means that I will get less customer feedback and less time to communicate with them(B) Skills AuditMy key skills are communicating with customers and satisfying them. I also have leadership skills, which enable me to guide and motivate the staff to perform better and be nicer to customers. Years of experience also help me decide how to deal with different members of staff and how to mot ivate them.There are gaps in my skills such as my stress levels. I get stressed pretty  easily and fatigue catches up too in a few hours of work. I can sometimes tend to be short tempered which might affect my mood at times and cause others to misunderstand me. Also, expressing my emotions correctly can also be seen as a vital gap.(C) Evaluation of my Strengths and Weaknesses –Years of managing and owning a fast food restaurant certainly has its benefits. I know what customers like and what they might not like and the kind of service they like to be provided with. I tend to have good communication skills with both the customers and staff, which tend to be imperative too. Being friendly with the customers encourages them to come to my shop more often. I make sure me and my staff act friendly with them and provide them with the best possible service. I understand how to motivate my staff; each and everyone get motivated in different ways. I use my skills and experience to mot ivate staff and push them to work harder and provide better service. My staff may look up to me as a mentor and respect my years of hard work to be successful in this business.My weaknesses might make me work less. Working less at my shop will cease me from having opportunities to bond with customers and creating a good relationship with them. It will also affect how I would like to personally ensure that the food being served is of the best quality and the service provided is admirable. My low fatigue level might get me tired, inefficient and might cause me to be downcast at times. These might stand as problems and if I cant work more, it’ll be tough for me to expand my business. These weakness in the long run stand in my way to achieve my goals in the future.I would try to quickly try and address these problems so that they don’t affect my goals. I would try to work on my health. I would try and workout in the gym, jog and eat healthy so that my health becomes better over time and fatigue doesn’t come easily. Working out or jogging would also help me reduce my stress levels. This could also somehow make me more stressed out and tired in the short run but hopefully it should eventually make my health better overall in the long run.I could also appoint a dedicated and efficient manager for the time being to play my role in the shop till I recovered and returned to my full ability. Although the manager might not live up to fulfilling my specific tasks and might just be a letdown because I have to pay an extra employee, appointing one would certainly be worth a try for the short run.

Advantage of Cng over Petrol and Diesel Cars Essay

What are the advantage of CNG over petrol and diesel engine? Answer: CNG engines create less pollution than petrol and diesel engines. As it is using compress natural gas power develops more than the others and also develops more torque in the engine. which leads to give a lower fuel consumption. | | | The Advantages of Compressed Natural Gas The Environmentally Clean Advantage | Compressed natural gas is the cleanest burning fuel operating today. This means less vehicle maintenance and longer engine life.| | CNG vehicles produce the fewest emissions of any motor fuel.| | Dedicated Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV) have little or no emissions during fueling. In gasoline vehicles, fueling emissions account for at least 50% of a vehicle’s total hydrocarbon emissions.| | CNG produces significantly less pollutants than Petrol & Diesel.| | Tailpipe emissions from gasoline operated cars release carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. This is greatly reduced with natural gas.| The Maintenance Advantage | Some fleet operators have reduced maintenance costs by as much as 40% by converting their vehicles to CNG.| | Intervals between tune-ups for natural gas vehicles are extended 30,000 to 50,000 miles.| | Intervals between oil changes for natural gas vehicles are dramatically extended–anywhere from 10,000 to 25, 000 additional miles depending on how the vehicle is used.| | Natural gas does not react to metals the way gasoline does, so pipes and mufflers last much longer.| The Performance Advantage | Natural gas gives the same mileage as Petrol in a converted vehicle.| | Dedicated CNG engines are superior in performance to Petrol engines.| | CNG has an octane rating of 130 and has a slight efficiency advantage over Petrol.| | Because CNG is already in a gaseous state, CNG Vehicles have superior starting and drivability, even under severe hot and cold weather conditions.| | CNG Vehicles experience less knocking and no vapor locking.| The CNG Cost Advantage | Natural gas is cheaper per equivalent gallon than Petrol (an average of 50% less than Petrol).| The Safety Advantage | Surveys indicate that CNGVehicles are as safe or safer than those powered by other fuels. A 1992 Australian Gas Assocition survey of more than 8,000 vehicles found that with more than 278 million miles traveled, CNG Vehic le injury rates per vehicle mile traveled were 34% lower than the rate for Petrol Vehicles. There were no fatalities reported–even though these vehicles were involved in over 1,800 collisions.| The Financial Incentive Advantage | Some States offers a 50% investment tax credit for each vehicle converted to natural gas. This 50% credit on state income tax features a three-year, carry-forward option.| | A federal tax deduction is also available for the cost of conversion.| CNG Conversions Converting a Petrol-Powered car to CNG requires only minor engine modifications. To learn more about converting your car, please contact a certified CNG conversion technician. What are the major benefits of natural gas as a transportation fuel? EconomicsOn a gallon-equivalent basis, natural gas costs an average of 50 to 60 percent less than Petrol and Diesel. Natural gas is a clean-burning fuel that reduces vehicle maintenance. Many CNG Vehicle owners report that oil changes are needed only every 15,000 Km. Standard spark plugs last as long as 60,000 Km. Natural gas, unlike liquid fuels, cannot be siphoned from a vehicle. Fuel theft is an on-going concern of fleet managers. Vehicles can be â€Å"fast filled† in five to six minutes using compressed gas stored in cascades of natural gas cylinders or fueled overnight on a â€Å"timed fill† basis in about five to eight hours. Many private fleet fueling stations use a combination of fast fill and timed fill. | EmissionsNatural gas is the cleanest burning alternative fuel. Exhaust emissions from CNG Vehicles are much lower than those from equivalent Petrol-powered vehicles. For instance, CNG Vehicle emissions of carbon monoxide are approximately 70 percent lower, no n-methane organic gas emissions are 89 percent lower, and oxides of nitrogen emissions are 87 percent lower. In addition to these reductions in pollutants, CNG Vehicles also emit significantly lower amounts of greenhouse gases and toxins than do Petrol vehicles. Dedicated CNG Vehicles produce little or no evaporative emissions during fueling and use. For Petrol vehicles, evaporative and fueling emissions account for at least 50 percent of a vehicle’s total hydrocarbon emissions. Dedicated CNG Vehicles also can reduce carbon dioxide exhaust emissions by almost 20 percent. Exposure to the levels of suspended fine particulate matter found in many U.S. cities has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory illness. Diesel exhaust is under review as a hazardous air pollutant. Natural gas engines produce only tiny amounts of this matter. Greenhouse GasesPer unit of energy, natural gas contains less carbon than any other fossil fuel, and thus produces lower CO2 emissions per vehicle mile traveled. While natural gas vehicles (CNG Vehicles) do emit methane, another principle greenhouse gas, any slight increase in methane emissions would be more than offset by a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions compared to other fuels. CNG Vehicles also emit very low levels of carbon monoxide (approximately 70 percent lower than a comparable Petrol vehicle) and volatile organic compounds. Although these two pollutants are not themselves greenhouse gases, they play an important role in helping to break down methane and some other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and thus increase the global rate of methane decomposition.SafetyVehicles that run on clean burning natural gas are as safe as vehicles operating on traditional fuels such as Petrol. In fact, many school transportation managers choose natural gas to power their school buses because compressed natural gas, unlike Petrol, dissipates into the atmosphere in the event of an accident. Petrol pools on the ground creating a fire hazard. In the US a survey was taken of more than 8,000 vehicles that cumulatively traveled approximately 278 million miles from 1987-1990. The survey found that the injury rate for CNG Vehicles per vehicular mile traveled (VMT) was 37 percent lower than the rate for Petrol-powered fleet vehicles and 34 percent lower than the entire population of registered Petrol vehicles. In addition to the lower injury rate, no deaths were recorded for the CNG Vehicles in the survey. In contrast the deaths associated with the Petrol fleet vehicles surveyed came to 1.28 deaths per 100 million VMT. The US national average was 2.2 deaths per 100 million VMT for all U.S. Petrol vehicles. There are two fundamental reasons for this excellent CNG Vehicle safety record: the structural integrity of the CNG Vehicle fuel system and the physical qualities of natural gas as a fuel. The fuel storage cylinders used in CNG Vehicles are much stronger than gasoline fuel tanks. The design of CNG Vehicle cylinders are subjected to a number of federally required â€Å"severe abuse† tests, such as heat and pressure extremes, gunfire, collisions and fires. While fuel storage cylinders are stronger than Petrol fuel tanks, the composite material used to encase the tanks are fundamentally more susceptible to physical damage than metals under abusive conditions. For this reason, composite materials on CNG Vehicle cylinders must always be properly handled and protected. Incidents involving natural gas cylinder ruptures revealed that some form of chemical attack or physical damage to the composite overwrap on the cylinder was involved. CNG Vehicle fuel systems are â€Å"sealed,† which prevents any spills or evaporative losses. Even if a leak were to occur in an CNG Vehicle fuel system, the natural gas would dissipate into the atmosphere because it is lighter than air. Natural gas has a high ignition temperature, about 650  º C, compared with about 350  º C for Petrol. It also has a narrow range of flammability; that is, in concentrations in air below about 5 % and above about 15 %, natural gas will not burn. The high ignition temperature and limited flammability range make accidental ignition or combustion of natural gas unlikely. Natural gas is not toxic or corrosive and will not contaminate ground water. Natural gas combustion produces no significant aldehydes or other air toxins, which are a concern in gasoline and some other alternative fuels. The natural gas delivery system also has an excellent — and proven — safety record. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the 1.9 million Km natural gas transmission and distribution system is the safest way to transport energy in the United States. CNG Vehicles use the same energy that has safely and comfortably heated homes and cooked meals for more than 100 years.Where are CNG Vehicles used now? Approximately 100,000 CNG Vehicles are on U.S. roads today. CNG Vehicles have a long-established record in Europe, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as well. Italy has been using natural gas as a vehicular fuel since the 1940s, with more than 350,000 CNG Vehicles. In Canada, nearly 20,000 CNG Vehicles operate with a network of 220 public fueling stations. Argentina has 680,000 CNG Vehicles, and Russia has more than 30,000. Worldwide, nearly two million CNG Vehicles are in use, in countries now including Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Mexico, the Philippines and Indonesia. How do CNG Vehicles work? The only major difference between a Petrol vehicle and an CNG Vehicle is the fuel system. Natural gas is compressed to between 3,000 and 3,600 pounds per square inch (200 bar) and is stored on board the vehicle in cylinders installed in the rear, undercarriage, or on the roof. When natural gas is required by the engine, it leaves the cylinders, passes through a master manual shut-off valve and travels through a high-pressure fuel regulator located in the engine compartment. The natural gas is injected at atmospheric pressure through a specially designed natural gas mixer where it is properly mixed with air. Natural gas then flows into the engine’s combustion chamber and is ignited to create the power required to drive the vehicle. Special solenoid-operated valves prevent the gas from entering the engine when it is shut off.What about the vehicle’s power? Petrol vehicles converted to natural gas are subject to a small power loss when running on natural gas; however, vehicles designed specifically to run on natural gas will have no loss of power and may even have greater power and efficiency. Natural gas has a 130 octane rating, compared with 87 to 96 octane rating of Petrol.How much energy does Compressed Natural gas release compared to petrol? A direct answer to your question is that the energy content of natural gas (CNG) is about 47 MJ/kg or 40 MJ/m3. (gross heating value). The values for a typical petrol are 60 MJ/kg and 44 MJ/liter. Another comparison on an energy basis is that 1 kg of CNG is equivalent to about 1.33 liter of petrol or 1.22 liter of diesel. Or on a volume basis 1 m3 of CNG is equivalent to about 1.10 L of petrol or 1.0 L of diesel. When making comparisons you may also need to take into account the relative energy efficiency of the engines that use the various fuels. Generally engines that are designed for natural gas fuel are slightly more efficient than a similar petrol engine (because they can run at a higher compression ratio). The CNG and diesel engines of similar size will have a much the same thermal efficiency.What is the miles per gallon equivalent of natural gas compared to gasoline? If the CNG Vehicle is an original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) model, it will have been designed to make the most of the excellent properties of Natural Gas – eg it will have a higher compression ratio than the petrol model and different ignition timing – and you could expect to see an improvement in performance and fuel consumption on an energy basis. This might be about 5% or more. Of course you might then drive faster, and not have any advantage. If the car has been converted from Petrol to CNG and you can choose to run on either fuel (ie a bi-fuel vehicle) then it is not possible to make the most of the higher octane rating of the CNG. In this case the change in fuel consumption will depend very much on the vehicle and engine design and on the conversion equipment used and how it is tuned. In this case you might expect an increase of possibly 5% in consumption. However the tune may be optimized to a particular power and speed range and if you can hit this you might get a small improvement. There may be more scope to achieve this on a high capacity engine with reserves of power. On a smaller engine there may be a noticeable drop in power and your consumption could increase if you try to match the old on-road performance.Cylinders in Accidents A pressurized gas cylinder is probably the strongest component on the vehicle. Vehicles that totally destroyed in collisions show the only discernible component being the intact gas cylinder. It is unlikely that cylinders will rupture due to collision impact.Regarding the danger of fire from leaking cylinders, all we have is the experience to date that indicates that such an event is unlikely to occur. In North America there was a problem with leaking type 4 designs from a particular manufacturer, but there has never been an ensuing fire. The risk of fire from leaking cylinders must be low since there are well over a million CNG vehicle installations worldwide that have not experienced such problems.It is worth pointing out that natural gas is lighter than air and in the unlikely event of a leak from piping or container the gas will dissipate upwards quite quickly. In the case of petrol and LPG the vapors given off is heavier than air and will tend to pool near the ground. This is where there is a strong risk of some ignition source. In general terms diesel ranks high in terms of safety, but most people rank Natural Gas next.What are the factors which affect the fuel efficiency of CNG? In the first place let us list the energy content of the fuels you mention. Using units of MJ per kilogram, the net heating values of petrol, diesel, LPG and CNG are about 45, 43, 46, and 44; the net heating value does not include the heat in the water vapor of the combustion products. If you look up the gross heating values – which do include this, the values are different (higher). So the differences between the fuels are not large. But the values will also vary quite a lot depending on the composition of the fuel – particularly for CNG and LPG.We now need to consider the way in which different engines use the fuels – in particular the efficiency. The engine thermal efficiency is a function of many different factors but perhaps the most important one is the engine compression ratio. The higher the compression ratio the higher is the theoretical and also the actual efficiency. The maximum compression ratio (CR) different fuels can tolerate in fact defines the ef ficiency. Since diesel used in a compression ignition engine can operate at say 14:1 the diesel will be expected to have the highest efficiency – lets say 40% as an upper limit. The next highest efficiency in the fuels comes from CNG, which can operate at say 12:1. with an efficiency of say 35%. It is possible to run an engine on CNG at 14:1 but that is the very upper limit. We would not expect to be able to run petrol and LPG engines at much more than 9:1 and an efficiency of about 30%. These efficiencies are the upper limits and at full load – in normal operation they will be lower than the values quoted, but in much the same proportion. The main reason for the differences is the variation in limiting CR for the different fuels. So here is a starting point for a discussion of the differences in efficiency.As far as fuel energy comparisons go (and this does not take into account the different engine efficiencies), 1 kg of CNG is equivalent to about 1.33 liters of petrol or 1.22 liters of diesel – but of course occupies a greater volume. Or 1 cubic meter of CNG at atmospheric pressure is equivalent to 1.10 liters of petrol and 1.00 liters of diesel.Note that there are a lot of other factors that we have not considered – for example the diesel engine will be much heavier than the other engines, and the Petrol fuels will need pressure vessels to contain them. Having established how much energy you get from the different fuels and how efficiently th e different engines can use the fuels, you will be able find out how much they cost and then work out a cost per km or mile. In many countries CNG will come out as best value and that diesel will be next, followed by LPG and then petrol. But prices do vary a great deal. Incidentally if you have a petrol engine that has been converted to use CNG you will not achieve the high efficiency quoted above because the compression ratio will be fixed at the level required for petrol – you will only get the benefit of higher efficiency in an OEM.What are the economics of small vehicle conversion? In very general terms the smaller the vehicle the longer is the payback period for the cost of conversion. This is because the fuel consumption – and therefore savings – for the smaller vehicles is lower, and at the same time the cost of conversion does not go down much with vehicle size. The cost of the fuel control system stays much the same and the price of a smaller storage cylinder will not be much lower (and in a small vehicle it is more difficult to find a space for the cylinder).It may be difficult to justify the conversion on an economic basis, but this does depend on annual mileage. Do a rough sum on the basis of saving half (or whatever the price differential is in your area) of your fuel costs in a year. You should expect better than a three year payback on the basis of economics.Environmental benefits and lower maintenance costs will be small.Check where you would be able to find space for the storage cylinder which must be sized to meet commuter needs. And of course allow something for the satisfaction of knowing that you are lowering your output of hydrocarbon emissions.Is driving around with cylinders full of gas under pressure dangerous? Thick-walled reinforced aluminum cylinders, steel cylinders or 100% composite materials are used to store compressed natural gas (CNG) as a vehicle fuel. These cylinders are manufactured and tested in compliance with strict regulations, and have withstood severe abuse testing under conditions far more stringent than tanks designed for storing gasoline. Natural gas vehicles submitted to test crashes up to 52 miles per hour, which have been totally destroyed, but show little or no damage to the compressed gas cylinders (CNG). Bonfire and dynamite tests push cylinders to temperature and pressures exceeding specified limits showing that compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders are durable and safe. Of course, as with all fuel systems, these cylinders are not indestructible and should be inspected periodically to ensure that no surface damage has occurred.In which countries are natural gas vehicles popular? Natural gas as a vehicle fuel has a long and established record in Europe, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and in the U.S.A. Other countries are recognizing the benefits of CNG Vehicle’s, and plan to expand the use of CNG Vehicle.In Europe, Italy has been using natural gas as a vehicle fuel since the 1920’s and has about 370,000 CNG Vehicle’s. The Italians have a network of 280 filling stations to support their use of compressed natural gas (CNG). Russia has about 75,000 CNG Vehicle’s and a fuelling network of some 250 stations. Outside of these countries, there are now several thousand CNG Vehicle’s in Europe and a slowly growing fuelling station infrastructure.Argentina has 700,000 CNG Vehicle’s – the largest fleet in the world – and is converting more than 3,000 vehicles a month and has over 950 fuelling stations in operation and more than 100 under development. Venezuela has a national CNG Vehicle programmers and will be ins talling 60 fuelling stations and converting vehicles.Canada has about 36,000 vehicles converted to natural gas, and the government-supported NGV programmer has created a number of incentives. The Canadian government provides cash incentives for fleets to convert their vehicles, and hopes to use CNG for 10% of the entire country’s future vehicle fuel requirements.In the U.S.A. there are now about 68,000 vehicles fuelled on natural gas. Natural gas vehicles have been in use there since the late 1960s, but comparative prices with gasoline and state-of-the-art technologies are only now making natural gas economically and technologically competitive with gasoline vehicles. There are about 1,200 private and public refueling stations.What are the conversion factors for natural gas? Methane values are fixed and can be found in any chemical handbook, while the composition of natural gas varies with source and time so try to find a local value. Approximately, 1kg CNG is equivalent to about 1.33 liters (L) of petrol or 1.22 L diesel. And 1 cu meter of CNG is equivalent to about 1.10 L of petrol or 1.00 L diesel.