Describe how Arthur Miller creates an exciting climax Essay

â€Å"Describe how Arthur Miller creates an exciting climax for both acts of ‘A View from the Bridge'†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬ËœA View from the Bridge’ by Arthur Miller, is a play about obsession and betrayal. The main character, Eddie Carbone, becomes overprotective over his niece, Catherine, to the degree of infatuation. This obsession helps to cause the break down of Eddie’s marriage, as his wife, Beatrice realises the alarming nature of Eddie’s fixation. Eddie’s feelings for Catherine existed before Beatrice’s cousins, Marco and Rodolfo came, but their arrival intensifies the situation, as Eddie becomes more and more jealous of Rodolfo, and of Catherine’s love for him. This play is a tragedy and, like most tragedies, it is serious and ends with the death of the main character, Eddie. Eddie dies after betraying his wife’s cousins to the immigration bureau. As a result, Marco, who is filled with hatred and in need of justice, stabs him. Arthur Miller was a New Yorker who worked on the Brooklyn docks, for a time. His experience of the docks and of the people around them, led him to write this play, which is set there. During this coursework, my aim is to study the ends of the two acts in depth to see what techniques Miller uses to make them dramatically effective. 1. During the last scene of act one (from page 39 when Catherine puts ‘paper doll’ on the phonograph) we find out about the relationships of characters in more depth. The scene  2. Our understanding of this plays characters changes considerably in this final part of act 1. Marco who seemed, prior to this scene, to be quiet and shy shows what he actually feels by demonstrating his feelings about Eddie  3. There are many surprises in this scene, we as an audience do not expect Marco who has previously been shy and quiet to make such a blatant challenge as he does in this scene 4. This last scene in act one is used very effectively by Arthur miller to sow the seeds of events which are going to happen in the 2nd act of the play  5. The action in this scene Marcos action of holding up a chair triumphantly in front of Eddie is an interesting and significant action because the chair seems to be a symbolic weapon. Marco is threatening Eddie with it but, in contrast, he actually uses a weapon to kill Eddie in the final scene of the play.  6. although there seems to only be one conflict between characters in this (the one between Marco and Eddie; with the chair) there are actually many 7. This final scene leaves many questions unanswered. The conflicts between the characters in this scene could lead the audience to speculate as to how things will develop in the next act but although this scene gives the audience, some idea of how things turn out it does not tell them everything. They may ask themselves what is going to happen to Catherine and Rodolfo’s relationship since it seems plain that Eddie dislikes Rodolfo and disapproves of his relationship with his niece.  8. Particularly interesting characters within this scene are Marco, who has changed so much and is so different in this final scene of act one to the previous part of the play. 9. The Characters in this scene are very interesting to observe on their own but it is also interesting to see how Arthur Miller has contrasted the actions of his characters in this scene. One such contrast is that between Marco and Eddie. Eddie uses Aggressive action, such as boxing to make his point whereas Marco’s subtle challenge with the chair is non aggressive but yet still makes the intended point. These contrasts between the two men’s actions are very interesting and are very effective in demonstrating the diffe 10. Emotions of the audience towards characters are mixed. They may feel happy for Catherine and Rodolfo in that they’ve found each other and seem so happy. Some may speculate, however about that this relationship’s days are numbered due to Eddie’s obviously hostile feelings towards rodolfo. 1. The situations that develop in this play would be difficult for anyone to deal with. Eddie finds the situation that he is in especially difficult and consequently he is seriously affected by it. In this play Eddie goes from being a popular man, respected in the community to being a man willing to betray his own family and, in the final scene one prepared to kill. Eddie started by just being over protective of Catherine, which developed into jealousy of Rodolfo because Catherine loved him and this, in turn developed into passionate hatred of both Marco and Rodolfo. Eddie hardly understands what he himself is feeling at the end of the play. These emotional changes are central to Arthur miller’s play since they help to cause the chain of events leading up to the final tragic end and are very important in creating interest and drama in the play.

Self-Hatred

Self-Hatred â€Å"If you had a person in your life treating you the way you treat yourself, you would have gotten rid of them a long time ago†¦Ã¢â‚¬  states Cheri Huber. Self-hatred is one of the most detrimental emotions one can harbor. It is defined as a great and overwhelming dislike and aversion to oneself. Once one starts to accept those feelings, they are headed down a dark path. One way that they are pushed even further down that path is when it is verbally secured by another person, causing the hating person to feel even worse.This is similarly mixed with the emotion of self-anger, but it is very different. Anger is an emotion defined as a feeling of displeasure. Self-hatred is so much more than that. It affects our brain permanently; while anger is just temporary as well as the fact that it is much more likely to affect the way we treat and look at ourselves as a whole. Not only is it dangerous to one’s health, it is dangerous to the well-being of others. This has everything to do with being self-destructive. Self-image moderates behavior.But why do people do it and how do they cope with this awful emotion of self-hatred? Studies have shown that one major method of coping with self-hatred is eating disorders. Anorexia Nervosa is one that affects many more people than we are even aware of. A study conducted through the Coordinated Evaluation and Research at Specialized Units for Eating Disorders project that proved â€Å"interpersonal factors are increasingly in focus on eating disorders†, showing that 79 out of the 114 patients suffering from anorexia nervosa had a self-hatred issue, or a problem with self-esteem.Since self-image affects body image and moderates behavior, one little alteration of reality in the mind can cause one to start to despise themself. If one was being teased at school for example, called fat or ugly, it is proven that even if those people don’t mean anything to us and are just a passer-by, it alters something in our brains. Some of us are able to just â€Å"shake it off†, but it still makes us stop and think â€Å"what if they were right†? It causes us to stop and think for a moment and re-check ourselves.This is why those who do not have the self-esteem or confidence may be truly hurt and damaged by this comment. This could result in anorexia. Anorexia Nervosa is defined as an eating disorder mainly affecting teenage girls and women in which there is a fear of becoming overweight, a distorted body image, and excessive dieting. This happens because of self-hatred. They are not pleased with the way they look, so they go to extremes to try and find happiness with their bodies and maintain that happiness. This is very negative and harmful to their bodies as well as their self-esteem.This can cause many heart and liver problems as well as deteriorating their family life. Self-hatred is the causation of many family issues. The bible states that we should â€Å"love yo ur neighbor as yourself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Well how is that supposed to happen when one doesn’t love themselves? The article by Michael Sobocinski states that â€Å"when self-hatred occurs, it is difficult to focus on anyone other than oneself because there is so much emotion wasted on hatred†¦ † When hatred for yourself or others takes over heart, it is very difficult to maintain healthy relationships and love in any capacity.Family members or friends may extend a hand of help or comfort but those under the heavy heart of hatred will feel unworthy of the love, making the hatred of themselves just grow deeper than before. It is a never-ending cycle of awful feelings. This could also lead to self-mutilation or suicidal thoughts. Self-mutilation is again a result of the self-hatred one feels and it relieves the stress and pressure of trying to act â€Å"perfect†. When a person feels like they may never measure up to any standards set by those they used to care abo ut, a hopeless feeling sets around them. â€Å"Why am I even trying? and â€Å"They don’t really care about me† are two thoughts that may enter this persons mind. As a result, this person completely shuts off the outside world and may start cutting or experimenting with drugs. The result of this experimenting can be permanent brain damage or even extreme blood loss, affecting not only the heart, but other major organs as well. Healthy body is key in the recovery of a sick person. Once they have decided that their personal health is not worth maintaining, they have decided that they are beyond saving, or that they don’t care enough about their body because they are not worth it.This is when one enters the mindset of a suicidal being. Suicide can be defined as the intentional taking of one’s life. This is when the person has gone beyond help and is not able to even listen to reason. When the person in question has started having suicidal thoughts, they wil l not cease experimental methods until something they wish be done is accomplished. â€Å"I wanted to kill the â€Å"me† underneath. That fact haunted my days and nights. When you realize you hate yourself so much, when you realize that you cannot stand who you are, and this deep spite has been the otivation behind your behavior for many years, your brain can’t quite deal with it. It will try very hard to avoid that realization; it will try, in a last-ditch effort to keep your remaining parts alive, to remake the rest of you. This is, I believe, different from the suicidal wish of those who are in so much pain that death feels like relief, different from the suicide I would later attempt, trying to escape that pain. This is a wish to murder yourself; the connotation of kill is too mild.This is a belief that you deserve slow torture, violent death. † -Marya Hornbacher These people have such a feeling of hatred that they don’t believe they deserve even the right to live. They believe that not only are they doing themselves a favor, they’re doing the rest of society a favor. This is when help is needed desperately. Whether it be serious help, or the actual process of partaking in the most awful act of self-hatred, something will succeed. If they are not caught before they have a chance to take their life, then they will be lost.The number of suicides due to self-hatred has increased tremendously in the United States over the past ten years. There is now more pressure to look like the models on TV, or else one faces criticism. This is unfair to society because most pictures on the internet or in magazines are photo shopped. How is someone supposed to look like a person that doesn’t even exist? They’re not. And that is what most people do not understand in our society. One of the main reasons why self-hatred occurs is because it is placed in our minds by those around us.Nobody grows up and thinks to them, â€Å"I am going to hate what I look like and who I am†. It is placed in the minds of unconfident people by their surroundings and this is why they sometimes go down the path of destruction and ignorance. Not only is it the media’s fault that this is an issue, but it can also be the doing of people we hold close to our hearts such as family members, friends, or significant others. Family may impact this when a child is born into an abusive home, or into one where the mother and father loath each other.The child expects that the reason for this is themself, so they grow up believing they are the cause of misery, especially if they are whom the parents are arguing about. This small and fairly insignificant argument can turn into the child feeling neglected or feeling that they are a burden to their parents. This involves self-hatred and causes the child to feel unworthy of love in any capacity, leading to problems in school, parent relationships, and future relationships for the ch ild. In an abusive or cheating relationship, the loyal person may believe that they pushed their â€Å"significant other† into the arms of another human being.This causes the feelings of â€Å"I’m not good enough† or â€Å"I don’t do enough for that person if they have to run to someone else†. This can cause anxiety in the relationship in general. If the cheater or abuser is looking to pass the blame, they may claim that the loyal person was not good enough and use those already-implanted-feelings to make the loyal feel responsible. Since those feelings were already there to begin with, it is just securing what that person already thinks. Since they are hearing it spoken to them and not just thinking it to themselves, it may affect them harder than before.This causes the person involved to feel incompetent and unworthy of any other good relationship or good human being because they feel as if they may â€Å"push† the new partner away as well , if that is still their line of thinking. Although there are different studies out about self-hatred and the effects and causations of it, no one person can actually say what it is like to be in that particular situation. Researchers can study and observe as much they please, but unless one has actually taken part in the deteriorating mindset of the self-hater, it is just research.Even having been placed in that particular situation a couple of years ago after a sexual assault, I cannot stand and say I know what every self-hater is feeling. Because there is so much diversity, I can only understand particular circumstances. One emotion that used to be very easy to relate to, however, was the feelings of hopelessness. In a situation where one does not have control, they feel weak. They feel beat into the ground and feel like they should just curl up in a hole; feelings of uselessness and unworthiness. They do not feel worthy of love, though the predicament was not their doing.They fe el as if they failed those around them; as if those family and friends would look down upon them or see them as dirty if they came out with their secret of abuse or self-hatred. That is why self-hatred is such a giant deal in our society; because no person wants to admit they have feelings like such. When those people do not admit it and seek help, it builds inside. It builds to be so much pressure that one feels helpless to the hate or depression. This is why so many suicides occur in our country; it’s because those helpless people are not being sought out and brought to the light. Self-hatred is both one of the biggest and well-kept ecrets in our society. It is such a major issue with thousands of people, but it is not a topic many feel comfortable discussing. It needs to be talked about and those people need to know that help is out there. Bullying in our country needs to be decreased so that these self-conscious people have a chance to live a happy life. The bible states â€Å"love your neighbor as yourself for the love of Me†. This means that no matter what the diversity between people, everyone deserves to be happy and healthy. No person is deserving of a heavy, self-hating emotion. These emotions need be ceased and brought into the light.

Determination of the formula unit of a compound Essay

1)The crucible is weighed and the exact mass is recorded. 2)Approximately 0.2g of zinc is placed into the crucible and the crucible with its contain is weighed. The exact mass of zinc is determined. 3)10 ml of 6M HCl solution is poured into a measuring cylinder. 4)The 10 ml of 6M HCl solution is carefully added into the crucible containing zinc powder and the contents is stirred gently using a glass rod. A vigorous chemical reaction occurred and hydrogen gas is released. (This step is carried out in a fume cupboard.) 5)If the zinc powder has not dissolved completely, acid was added, 5 ml at a time, until the zinc is completely dissolved. The amount of acid used did not exceed 20 ml. 6)The crucible is placed on a hot plate in the fume cupboard and the contents are heated slowly so that the compound does not splatter during the heating process. 7)The compound is heated gently until it is completely dry. The compound is made sure not to melt. 8)The crucible is allowed to cool to room temperature. Then, it is weighed. 9)The crucible is reheated. It is let to cool to room temperature and then is weighed again. The procedure is repeated until the difference in mass does not exceed 0.02g. 10)The mass of zinc chloride is determined from the final weight of the sample. The mass of chloride in the zinc chloride is calculated. 11)The formula unit of zinc chloride is calculated. Introduction Chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements which can be separated into simpler  substances by chemical reaction chemical compound has a unique chemical structure and defined. They consist of the fixed ratio of atoms are held together in a room setting is defined by chemical bonds. Chemical compound molecule compounds that can be held together by covalent bonds, salt is held together by ionic bonds, intermetallic compounds are held together by metal ties, or a complex held together by a coordinate covalent bond. Another main property of a compound is its chemical composition, which identified only by determining the elements present in the compound. The molecular weight of the empirical formula weight divided by the number of atoms of each element to produce a percentage of each element. This is done for each element in the empirical formula and tabulated as chemical composition. Please note the order is based on electro-nega tive elements. When zinc metal is reacted with hydrochloric acid, hydrogen gas is released and an aqueous solution of zinc chloride is produced. The zinc chloride solution when evaporated to dryness leaves a pure salt product. In order to calculate the simplest whole number ratio of chlorine to zinc or empirical formula for zinc chloride, we need to use the initial mass of zinc and the solid product formed. It is important that all of the zinc used be reacted and that large excess amounts of hydrochloric acid not be used. Then, from the mass of zinc consumed and the total mass of product formed, the masses of both zinc and chlorine may be determined. Converting these to number of moles and then calculating the simplest whole number ratio, by dividing by both by the smaller of the two numbers, gives the empirical formula. If either of the numbers is non-integral, then multiply by the smallest number required to give two whole numbers as subscripts in the formula unit: ZnxCly.

Components of the criminal justice system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Components of the criminal justice system - Essay Example Ensuing Problem in Law Enforcement A published report in Ten8 (2010) entitled â€Å"U.S. Homeland Security Issues Alert: Mexican Assassin Teams Targeting U.S. Law  Enforcement† proffers pending problems pertinent to summarily assassinating law enforcement officers and other members of the criminal justice system extending to their families by the Barrio Azteca gang, a notorious Mexican gang, allegedly retaliating on a reported crackdown of its members. According to a report published by the Homeland Security Newswire (HSNW, 2010), â€Å"the Barrio Azteca gang, which formed in Texas prisons in the 1980s, is a brother organization to the Aztecas gang in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, the epicenter of Mexico’s violent drug war†¦ members of the gang’s â€Å"assassination teams† are thought to work for very small monthly fees. One official from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has said Aztecas have been known to kill for as little as $100† (par. 7). The factors that contributed to this problem is the imposition of restraint and forceful regulation in activities of the members by law enforcement officers. As indicated in the HSNW (2010) report, â€Å"the paramilitary-style gang has an â€Å"open policy† to kill its rivals and may turn its sights toward local law enforcement officers† (par. 4).

Stratgic Management Accounting (case study) Essay

Stratgic Management Accounting (case study) - Essay Example Management accountants provide important financial information that facilitate strategic planning, help to formulate and review budgets of the organization and identify existing discrepancies in budgets. They also remove wastages, set cost of production and prices of products produced as well as support good corporate governance. The above roles and functions of management accountants are explained below. First, management accountants facilitate strategic planning by providing information on costs and related activities in the organization. This is because they collect and analyze important information on all the activities that organizations engage in. The information may include all production, marketing and administrative costs. They also attempt to allocate costs and revenues to all activities in the organization. The management accountants record all the activities and associated cost. Therefore, they are able to develop indicators of business performance. In addition, they make comparison of various activities and develop benchmarks that form the basis of business monitoring and evaluation system for the business organization. The information they provide, help management teams to make various investment decision. Secondly, management accountants formulate and review budgets of the business organization. Budgets are important in apportioning financial resources to various activities of the company. Financial resources are scarce and require detailed analysis and planning to ensure that all departments receive adequate amount of money to conduct their daily operations. Management accountants enable the organization to allocate money and other resources to productive areas of the company based on their detailed cost analysis. This ensures that the business spends money only on what is important and that all activities are fairly considered. The budgets include capital budgets, cash budgets and production budgets. Management accountants

Business Law 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Law 7 - Essay Example The ferns were liable because they were active in business operations. Explanation: Signal, Co had an appraiser who valued its subsidiary at $230 million to $260 million. Another company, Burma Oil offered to buy the subsidiary at $480 million. Signal’s board of directors accepted the offer. Signal Co.’s shareholder sued Signal to prevent sale. Rule: The board of directors violated the business judgment rule, by accepting the offer without getting the approval from other shareholders. An injunction is necessary until both parties determine the company’s value. The Eisner case is only one of the many cases that show how companies are generous to some employees even when they have underperformed. In the course of 14 months that Michael Ovitz had worked, he did not increase foreign revenues and he also lacked experience when it came to managing a diversified public company. Ovitz was excessively compensated by the compensation Board of directors, who had not consulted the shareholders of Disney. It was not only a waste of corporate finances, but the board violated the business judgment rule. This problem is widespread in companies where employees are favored by some team members in the management. The most viable solution for this issue would be to compensate a little amount of severance pay to an employee after consulting all shareholders in a

Christian Thought, Greek Philosophical Thought, Hindu Tradition Research Paper

Christian Thought, Greek Philosophical Thought, Hindu Tradition - Research Paper Example Hence discovering new avenues of mythology and knowing peculiar but amazing facts about the believes of Hindus. On the morning of November 1st 2011, I packed my bags and was out for a trip to New York, probably the most busy and populated cities of USA. My trip mainly aimed at visiting the various Hindu temples in the city and jotting my experiences as this was my field work. I got a list of the Hindu temples as a part of my assignment that I had to cover. My first visit on 2nd November, 2011 was to the Ganesha Temple, located in 45-57 Bowne street, New York. It was small frame temple, was completed in the initial days of 1977. I then came to learn the deity worshipped was that of the elephant god, who is known as Ganesha. The idol of the deity is gorgeously dressed. As per the traditional Hindu belief, Lord Ganesha's blessings are indispensible for success in all mundane affairs. So Ganesha puja is supposed to be an essential part, before any Hindu religious activity. Customarily ca rried out be it a marriage or any other ritual. As per Hindu Mythology, Lord Ganesha is the first son of Lord Shiva and Universal Mother Goddess Parvati and is an embodiment of knowledge. As per traditional belief, Lord Ganesha was beheaded during the time of his birth, however instead of a human head his head was replaced by that of an elephant. Despite the fact that this is a mythological anecdote, what really amazes me is how the story is mingling with so many Hindus sentiments and how it has got a profound influence on the way of life of a devout Hindu.  The daily rituals of Pujas are performed with utmost sincerity and full devotion, both in the temple, and as also I came to learn, as a daily way of life of many Hindus here in New York, although they are miles away from their home country. In addition to the daily rituals, the weekend services are conducted by volunteer priests. Structurally, the temple follows the guidance laid down in the Hindu scriptures for temple buildin g, also known as the Agama Shastra in Sanskrit. Agama Shastra also provides a departure from the traditionally accepted ways of religious conduct and worship that has been laid down in the main body of Hindu scriptures of Vedas, Upanishads, Epics and Puranas. My next visit was to the Om Sai Mandir, located in the heart of the city at 45-11 Smart Street. c. The temple is open from early morning till late evening, and contains the idol Sri Sai Baba. All visitors were welcome to visit the temple and seek the Baba's blessings, whether they were devout followers of the Guru or not. Sai Baba is a real life figure, who preached his faith to his followers during historical times. This is in contrast to Lord Ganesha, whose originates from Hindu mythology. He was a spiritual saint, a fakir (beggar). His followers believe that he helped his contemporaries and disciples with his miracles. The Baba is a Hindu Guru, a mystic philanthropist as well as educator of religious virtues. In the religiou s teachings of the Baba, one witnesses a blend of Hindu and Muslim beliefs and ways of life. So, like the Sufi Movement, the preaching of the Baba heralds the confluence of both Hindus and Muslims religious thoughts. To my surprise this is the place one can say, this temple occupies a position of importance for people of both the faiths who live here in New York, be their origin in India or in other countries of the sub-continent like Bangladesh and Pakistan. Seeing the personalities and faiths of religious leaders

Crime and Delinquency in America Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Crime and Delinquency in America - Term Paper Example Background Information on Crime and Delinquency Defining Crime and Delinquency Crime and delinquency are actions undertaken that are against moral, social and legal laws due to the fact that it can bring harm to a person or a group in the society. This is a general definition since, it is a challenge to limit, measure, explain, and define the true nature of crime and delinquency. The complexity of these terms is due to the involvement of the different social institutions such as the family, the school, the media, the work institutions, the law enforcement agencies, and the political institutions (Regoli, Hewitt and DeLisi, 2009). It is important to consider that crime and delinquency are almost similar terms but there is a minor difference between the two terms. Based on the work of Regoli, Hewitt and DeLisi, the main factor that separates the definition of crime with that of delinquency is the age of the offender. Delinquency is a term used for illegal activities of the youth or juv eniles (2009, p. 27). Crime and delinquent actions are considered to be major concerns in the society on the basis of the negative and harmful effects. There are different types of crimes and delinquencies on the basis of the action and the victimization. These include violent crimes, personal theft, and property crimes. Violent crimes include murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated or simple assault. Property crimes include household burglary, larceny-theft, or motor vehicle theft (Truman and Rand, 2010, p.1; US Census Bureau, 2011). Statistical Information on Crime and Delinquency The prevalence of cases of crime and delinquency in the United States is the main reason for the concern regarding the issue. For that matter, numerous studies related to the causes and patterns of crime are being undertaken to be able to understand the issue well and decrease and eventually stop crimes. Based on the study conducted by the Bureau of Jus tice Statistics of the US Department of Justice, the trend in crime and delinquency in 2009 includes 4.3 million violent crimes, 15.6 million property crimes, and 133,000 personal thefts (Truman and Rand, 2010, p.1). It was observed that there are more black people that fall victims to crimes and delinquent behavior as compared to white people. In terms of gender, there are more male victims of crimes as compared to female but more female cases are reported. There are 53% female cases as compared to 45% males cases reported in 2009. Based on age, younger members of the population are the common victims of crimes specifically age 24 and younger. In 2009, citizens on US age 12 above had been victims of approximately 20 million violent and property crimes (Truman and Rand, 2010, p.1). Trends of crimes in the past few years had been observed to decrease. Thus, continuous efforts are being undertaken to increase the knowledge in the different crimes as well as seek solutions to be able t o resolve issues related to crime and delinquency. Based on the National Crime Victimization Survey, from the year 2000 to 2009, the overall crime rates decreased significantly by 39% (Truman and Rand, 2010, p.1). Notable decline in the crime rate had also been observed in the trends from 1980 to 2008 by the US Census Bureau (2011). Issues Related to Crime and Delinqu

Communication in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Communication in Business - Essay Example BMW conducts its business as a genuine professional and care for its customer with respect by assuming it as their responsibility. The professional behaviour of BMW reflects from their principles which are shown at their websites. BMW strictly respects the law of the country where it operates and maintains honesty and integrity towards the employees and stakeholders. BMW Group acknowledges the requirement for understanding the needs of different people of different culture while engaging with the local network. To effectively take up environmental responsibility and provide recommendations to local network, BMW Group executes efficient business practices to deal with the environment protection, decreases energy consumption, adopts energy saving measures and regenerates energy from waste. BMW Group implements resource conservation and environmental protection. The group evaluates all procedures and creates strategy and measures to reduce the utilisation of natural resources and environmental impact. BMW is well aware of the responsibility towards environment and thus their products of vehicle are designed in such a way that it causes less impact on the environment. BMW Group follows the philosophy of clean production and applies it in their international production units. BMW’s business actions are based on the principles of resource conservation and environmental protection. BMW had established environmental management system in their production units as well as planning sectors (BMW Group 2011). BMW Group continuously examines, evaluates and monitors the risk factors and also considers the global climate change. It had successfully established systems for reducing the emissions of CO2 and waste. BMW’s resource management develops solution to decrease the energy consumption and CO2 emission. In the year 2008, BMW had developed energy data management system which helped to record the consumption of energy in details (BMW Group 2011). BMW always strives to

Distillation Column Essay Example for Free

Distillation Column Essay The components that need to be separated are 1-propanol and 2-propanol. These two compounds are isomers with fairly close boiling points. They are separated based on their physical propertis. With the battch distillation might be almost impossible to do the sepapration. Capacity of the reboiler is 20 L. The Supply of pressure and steam is regulated by a newly-established controll system consisting of a steam pressure sensor, a Fieldpoint data communication and aquisition module from National Instrument, an electromagnetic control valve, and a LabView control algorithm designed by dr. Jang. The data was taken frm one of the six computers near the column which had the control algorithm. The Fieldpoint module needed to be connected with the column via Internet. In this column at different stages there are 10 thermocouples (K type) inserted in each tray. Manual steam valve open 40%. Proportional gain or band (Kc) 2 Integral (reset) time ( Ti min) 0. 2 Derivative (rate) time (Td min) 0 Steam pressure set at 9 psig. Used Peng Robinson model Inside the column, the downflowing reflux liquid provides cooling and condensation of the upflowing vapors thereby increasing the efficacy of the distillation column. The more reflux is provided for a given number of distilaliton plates, the better is the columns separation of lower boiling materials from higher boiling materials. Conversely, for a given desired separation, the more reflux is provided, the fewer distillation plates are required as in our cases 8 plates. A reboiler at the bottom of the distillation column provides the heat needed to generate the upflowing vapors inside the column. The reboiler can be a heat exchanger. Fig. 1 The liquid feed mixture to be distilled 1 propol and 2 propanol is placed into the round-bottomed flask along. As the mixture is heated and boils, vapor rises up the column. Some of the vapor cools and condenses on the glass platforms (known as plates or trays) inside the column and runs back down into the liquid below, thereby refluxing the upflowing distillate vapor. The hottest tray is at the bottom of the column and the coolest tray is at the top. At steady state conditions, the vapor and liquid on each tray is at equilibrium. Only the most volatile with hte lowest boiling temperature of the vapors stays in gaseous form all the way to the top. The vapor at the top of the column then passes into the water-cooled condenser, where it condenses into a liquid. The process continues until all of the most volatile components in the liquid feed boil out of the mixture. When a liquid mixture 1 propanol and 2 propanol is heated so that it boils, the evolved vapor will have a higher concentration of the more volatile 2 propanol (i. e. , lower boiling point) components than the liquid mixture from which it evolved. Conversely, when a vapor mixture is cooled, the less volatile components tend to condense in a greater proportion than the more volatile components. The heated feed is partially vaporized and rises up the column. However, as it rises, it cools by contacting the descending cooler liquid and partially condenses so that, while part of vapor continues to flow upward, the condensed portion is enriched in the less volatile component(s) and flows downward. As the vapor continues to flow upward, it undergoes partial condensation a number of times and each time becomes richer in the more volatile component). The column is kept at steady state temperatures, pressures, and compositions at every point within the column are essentially kept constant during operation.

Barriers to Sustainable Construction Contractors

Barriers to Sustainable Construction Contractors Abstract: This research aims to investigate Sustainable Construction barriers implementation to SMEs (Small and Medium sized Enterprises) in the UK. The undertaken investigation mostly emphasises the Production/Construction phase, referred to as the RIBA Plan of Work Stage K. Research shows that barriers to the implementation of Sustainable Construction were most prominent during this stage. Through an extensive literature review the main barriers presenting themselves to SMEs have been identified at the beginning of this stage of investigation. Later, these barriers will be questioned through the investigation of the literature acquired and the most noteworthy will be scrutinized in greater detail. There were found to be six key barriers to be considered while implementing Sustainable Construction Techniques in the Production/Construction phase of a project, these are as follows: Cost Time People Technology Market Legal Even though progress in the UK construction industry as a whole is showing great potential and is showing a steady line of progression (however still lagging behind other European countries such as France, Germany and Spain), implementation by SME construction firms is limited and poor. This is mainly due to the fact that sustainable construction is considered to be expensive, complicated and time-consuming. It needs greater support from every party involved including clients, suppliers, sub-contractors, government and local authorities to achieve the goal of satisfactory implantation. Introduction As the construction industry is such a main contributor to the economy of the UK, contributing 10% of UK GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and employs 1.5 million people, the environmental impact of the industry is extraordinary; contributing 70 million tonnes of waste to landfills and a huge 50% of energy produced is used by this sector. (Addis, B. Talbot, R., 2001: 21) It is estimated that UK SMEs are responsible for as much as 60% of carbon dioxide emissions. (Marshall Report, 1998) It is also estimated that 60% of commercial waste and 8 out of 10 pollution accidents are caused by this sector. (Environment Agency, 2003 Environment Agency, Business survey reveals lack of environmental awareness, Environment Action (2003) (37).Environment Agency, 2003) Studies have found that SMEs tend to have low levels of engagement with environmental agendas. (Hillary, 2000a) Most of the literature available focuses on the larger construction companies (LEs or Large Enterprises), which is why the author hopes to undertake a study of SMEs, particularly general contractors with less than 50 employees. In 2004 the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) conducted a survey showing that there were 170,000 construction contractors working in the UK and that 93% of this figure employed less than 8 people. Initiatives by the construction SMEs indicate that this group is often ignored and hence, they are under-performed compared to larger construction companies. (Sexton, M.G. Barrett, P.S., 2003a) It is anticipated that the result of this enquiry will help the construction industry to support more medium and small construction firms in the implementation of sustainable techniques and principles suggested by the UK government. This exploration is limited to SMEs which employ 50 people or less, and also to the construction site (known as Stage K, the production/construction phase of a project). Aims and Objectives Aim: How to get SMEs to implement sustainable techniques through managing time, teams and possibly new methods of construction to maximise profit without having to police each individual contractor? Objectives: To discover the most relevant procedures to sustainable construction practices at production and construction phase. To recognize exactly the current level of understanding and implementation, of sustainable construction at the production and construction phase of a project. To identify the main barriers in incorporating sustainable construction and embracing new techniques involved in the construction process to SMEs. Facility executives building green for the first time may find that the process requires as much unlearning of old ways as it does learning of new ones. The process of building green forces facility executives to think about the design and construction process in non-traditional ways. From integrated design to commissioning, almost every step of the green building process is heavily focused on how building elements fit together to optimize efficiency and sustainability. The catch is that the process, at least the first time, is more time and cost. While the strategies used may be similar to justifying expenditures in equipment upgrades, justifying processes may be a bit more difficult. Its more difficult to pinpoint specific costs for more hours of design time. There are a few simple sustainable ways of management for a contractor to utilise, and these cost saving measures help to maximise profit, here are some suggestions: Make use of grants or funding available for sustainable construction. Contact your Local Authority or Regional Development Agency about local projects and grants. Employers registered with CITB-Construction Skills can claim Training Plan or Short Duration grant to support sustainability training. Use recycled or sustainable materials whenever possible. Give preference to locally produced products. Crushed concrete and brick can be used to replace primary aggregates and avoid Aggregates Tax. Use timber only from sustainably managed woodland ask for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) timber. Only order the materials you need and store them safely. Plan ahead when ordering materials. Work with suppliers/manufacturers to minimise and return packaging and pallets. Store materials in a secure and protected area and keep liquids/sands away from drains. Minimise road journeys to and from the site. Use local suppliers wherever possible. Plan deliveries to site: during the day time in residential areas and at night and in city centres. If you have a van, ensure it can carry a variety of small materials to prevent unnecessary trips to suppliers. Separate and recycle waste then dispose of the remainder legally. Separate different types of waste and mark containers clearly. Recycle as much as possible. Use registered waste carriers and keep the paperwork. Avoid causing pollution to land, water or air. Stop uncontrolled water entering or leaving excavations, especially run-off from earth works. Avoid spillages on site and clean up if accidents happen. Dont burn waste materials recycle or dispose of them responsibly. The UK government has urged industries to take on environmental measures on their own accord on the basis that it will be good for business, a qualitative study investigating the environmental procedures of small and medium-sized construction firms found that the views of owner-managers had little resonance with this win-win approach. Respondents might not be aware of the financial returns to be obtained from eco-efficiency processes to be substantial enough to warrant the short-term investment in time and resources required to engage in them. In addition, the market was not indicating that product value could be raised or that clientele could be won by implementing environmental best practice. Respondents consistently highlighted that the enormous competitive pressures on small firms made cost and speed of build the number one priorities whilst environmental management remained a peripheral concern. At the top of the supply chain, architects claimed that whilst lip service was paid to sustainability issues within the industry, there was currently little in the way of environmental design occurring in the UK, and sustainability tended to be a peripheral issue in their own work. Although it was acknowledged that architects should be at the forefront of sustainability, most respondents felt that it was difficult to push an environmental agenda forward because clients tended to be driven by commercial rather than environmental or social concerns. Most architects thus did not promote environmental issues for fear of alienating clients, and environmental designs were only explored if it was expressly asked of them. Overall the builder cannot become environmentally friendly because the client does not want to specify certain techniques to the architect because they think itll cost too much, theyre more interested in the economic side and the architect doesnt want to specify sustainable techniques in case of maybe excluding some clients. These market dynamics were clearly having a knock-on effect down the supply chain as builders perceived a low demand for sustainable buildings and construction methods, and therefore were not incentivised to improve their environmental performance or to differentiate themselves on environmental credentials. Suppliers wont stock things that arent being sought after and that arent being specified. How can the SMEs get these sustainable products then, without maybe having to travel to a specific supplier and look themselves, making it time consuming and not cost effective. Respondents claimed that the usual criteria for choosing products was price, as buying the cheapest equivalent product was one way for builders to squeeze a profit out of tight budgets. Some builders confess that they rarely considered the environmental impacts of materials, and beyond the use of timber from sustainable sources, most were not even aware of which materials might be greener than others. Information about environmental impacts was thought to be difficult and time-consuming to obtain, and many respondents highlighted that building suppliers could do much more to encourage the use of green materials in construction, such as eco-labelling schemes to differentiate products with lower environmental impacts. The key issue for firms in this study was that customers invariably focused on value for money at the expense of environmental concerns. Many architects were of the opinion that there was not much of a business case for sustainable design to present to clients, who were unwilling to pay the premium for a more sustainable building. Respondents highlighted that there was little financial incentive to save energy on site as the mains electricity used was paid for by the client. Some felt that energy efficiency was more of an issue for designers than builders as it was in the end-use of a building that most energy savings could be made. However, most claimed that little was reused (apart from the odd expensive item such as certain slates and metals), because the cost of keeping material was often more than buying it new, once storage and labour costs had been factored in. Also, the used material was usually not quite to the specification required for the next job, so many builders felt that it was just easier and cheaper to throw it away. Recycling was similarly dismissed because of the management and labour time involved in ensuring proper waste separation procedures: It takes too long. It affects the labour. I mean if Ive got 10 labourers on site, Im not going to bring another labourer in just to make sure that copper is over there and plasterboards there and metals over there (Builder 4, 85 staff) Because small firms are typically more concerned with short-term survival than the long-term environmental impacts of their business, eco-efficiency measures may thus be rejected if the pay-back is not perceived to be immediate. Objective 1: To Discover the Most Relevant Procedures to Sustainable Construction Practices at Production and Construction Phase. Following the Egan Report the Government of the UK published Building a Better Quality of Life in 2000. Inside this publication it has been suggested a few key topics for which can be used in the construction industry: The re-use of existing building assets Designing for minimum waste Aiming for lean construction The minimisation of energy in construction Not to pollute Enhance and preserve biodiversity The conservation of water Respect people and the local environment Monitor and report in order to set benchmarks In 2005 the Government published Sustainable Development Strategy, Securing the Future which was a substitute to Building a Better Quality of Life. This proposed the following four key terms: Sustainable communities Natural resources protection and environmental enhancement Climate change and energy Sustainable consumption and production Environmental Impacts: The Environmental Agency tells us that the construction industry is responsible for: Using over 420 million tonnes of material resources Converting 6,500 hectares of land from rural to urban use per annum 13% of all materials delivered to site go into the skip without ever being used. 90 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste (three more waste than all households in the UK combined) Responsible for 21% of UKs hazardous waste 10% of the UKs energy consumption is used in the transport and production of construction products and materials Due to building on flood plains 185,000 commercial properties and 1.85 million residential homes are at risk of flooding and this figure looks set to rise Waste Management: Waste Segregation: Separating recyclable materials such as timber, plastic, plasterboard, hard-core, cardboard and general waste.Also materials such as concrete, bricks and blocks, stones and slates can be used as filling for roads, footpaths etc. Recycling: Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) claims that 30% of materials used on site can be recycled elsewhere at no extra cost.Recycled timber (off cuts) can be used in stud partition walling and can also be used in flower plant bedding. Purchasing Policy with Suppliers: Packaging waste and unused materials can be returned to the builders merchant and used several times over. Energy Consumption Reduction: Simple steps like using energy efficient heating equipment and lighting, supervising the usage of mains electricity according to equipment requirements. Water Conservation: Where practical the use of low-flow water fixtures, rain water harvesting and recycling of grey water where hygiene is not a priority. Material Selection: The focus for this section is to identify products with a relatively high sustainability score at no significant increase in capital cost over a traditional material option. Many modern building materials are now being linked with environmental and health concerns. Alternatives do exist which eliminate many of these potential impacts and risks to end users, constructors, developers and investors. Timber or Aluminium instead of PVC where possible. Formaldehyde free MDF Insulation: Recycled cellulose insulation, Rockwool, Foamed glass.Solid Concrete with primary aggregate Permeable pavements Concrete with recycled aggregate (RCA) or glass Window Frames:uPVC Durable timber framed windows, renewable source without health impacts from disposal of PVC. Double glazed units with low emissive coatings (Argon filled). Flooring:Ground Flooring: Solid concrete, hollow concrete elements with reclaimed aggregate/limestone. Hollow concrete uses less material. Solid Walls:Clay brick: recycled Bricks (recycled content 15-100%)/Reclaimed Bricks. Reclaimed bricks can also aid in character requirements of refurbishments. Partitions: Can be built from recycled wood used in construction.Timber quicker to erect and saves material costs. Pitched Roof Plywood from non FSC MDF chipboard (low Construction: formaldehyde), reduces carcinogens from standard chipboard Construction: Pitched Roof Reclaimed slates, tiles/Sedum (turf)/Fibre cement tiles. Covering: Turf can reduce urban water run off.Green roofs typically last 3x long as standard roof. Plasterwork:Lime mortar re-absorbs some of the CO2 given off during the firing process when it sets. Sewers:Clay pipe can be recycled to make new pipe, brick and roof tiles. Paving:Concrete slabs with recycled content e.g. recycled glass. Reclaimed slabs and stone can be sourced free often paying only haulage costs. Semi Hard Paving:Paving Gravel, Wood chippings/Recycled glass, sand. Wood chippings can be derived from off cuts in construction. Local Sourcing of Materials and Labour: Obtaining construction material from local outlets or from the existing site; The use of locally sourced materials should be promoted when issues involve cost, embodied energy and meeting local character requirements are considered. A local sourcing policy costs nothing to implement and requires no specialist expertise. Locally sourced materials minimise the impact of fuel transport costs/emissions and support the local economy. Stone, earth and timber (assuming it comes from a sustainable source). Salvaged materials from existing construction or demolition such as steel can also be used. This previous abstract demonstrates that significant improvements in building sustainability performance can be achieved at very little additional cost. These minimal cost increases also provide added value elsewhere. For example, in the case of sustainable buildings, in-use cost savings of fuel for heating can be generated over the life of the building. With increased uncertainty over future energy costs, a very short pay back period of a sustainable approach can be realised. Necessities, Not Luxuries Key to justifying some of these ostensible add-ons is not to view them as add-ons in the first place. Commissioning, for instance, is a critical step in the green building process and a requirement for facility executives planning to certify their buildings with LEED, an internationally recognized green building certification system. On traditional construction projects, commissioning may be considered a luxury. But, according to a study by the National Institute of Building Sciences, commissioning a building can mean it will cost 8 to 20 percent less to operate than a non-commissioned building. Objective 2:To Recognize Exactly the Current Level of Understanding and Implementation, of Sustainable Construction at the Production and Construction Phase of a Project. The incentive to innovate among construction SMEs often starts with having an awareness to seize an opportunity or a need to response to market, development or client conditions. Her are a three motivational needs as described below: Survival: Project based innovation focuses more on survival of a company due to the type of market operated in by contractors. Stability: When survival has been established firms will look then towards stabilizing and consolidating their position to ensure prosperous conditions over the medium term. Development: Once this stability has been attained the motivation necessary to exploit this becomes apparent and the firm will begin to develop and grow. When SMEs find themselves in survival posture firms do not tend to take as much risks and are more aware of outgoing costs. Not all firms are want to grow in size indefinitely, companies want to stabilize at a certain that is compatible with the aspirations of the owner. Innovation activities can be grouped into two areas, improving the effectiveness and the efficiency of the company, meaning making sure the company is doing the right activities and doing them well. Adoption of new Innovations: This is dependant on several key capabilities and motivations which are time, financial, companys structure and people. Time and Financial: The dominant role of the contractor allows for quick decision making if need be which means that in an ever changing market modernizations in sustainability can always be updated. Due to a contractors own resources a contractor will only bid on work according to their own capabilities in terms of types of work and size. Most would also prefer to work directly with clients as main contractors rather than just sub-contractors, this tends to limit risks and costs and is typical of a survival posture. Companys Structure: SMEs cannot afford to do as LEs do and have numerous departments assigned to carry out various roles and tasks. It is the job of many directors and owners to obtain information and knowledge for innovation and also to gain business contacts. Many directors find it hard to manage time for all of this, which could include attending trainings and workshops. External Supports and Motivations: These largely come from government policies but are mainly appropriate for large companies and have to be altered to suit the small and medium sized enterprise. Market Network: Rapidly shifting client demands and market conditions requires construction SMEs to involve themselves in a number of businesss of varying complexity in order to provide knowledge and expertise to their own enterprise. Access to these companies is achieved through supply and client interactions, research institutions, professional associations and government bodies. Access to Technology: Technology can be exploited to increase competitiveness among SMEs but this can only be effective when the knowledge characteristics of the technology can be transferred easily. SMEs tend to use technologies which can contribute to the growth of a company, financially, quickly and easily, dovetailing into capabilities already possessed by the firm. Technology that is out of that league and that requires more effort to invest risk, time, effort and money are generally shifted out swiftly and intuitively. Objective 1:To Identify the Main Barriers in Incorporating Sustainable Construction and Embracing New Techniques involved in the Construction Process to SMEs. Key Barriers to Sustainable Construction: Facility executives building green for the first time may find that the process requires as much unlearning of old ways as it does learning of new ones. The processes of building green forces facility executives to think about the design and construction process in non-traditional ways. From integrated design to commissioning, almost every step of the green building process is heavily focused on how building elements fit together to optimize efficiency and sustainability. The catch is that the process, at least for the first time, is more time and cost. While the strategies used may be similar to justifying expenditures in equipment upgrades, justifying processes may be a bit more difficult. Its more difficult to pinpoint specific costs for more hours of design time. The Barriers to Sustainable Construction have been classified under six key headings: Cost Time People Technology Market Legal These subsequent barriers will be challenged and validated in the following chapter. Cost: Increased Construction Costs: There has been a perception by many construction companies that sustainable construction practices may incur additional or perhaps higher capital cost (Cameron, R., 2003; KDG, 2006) The added cost is normally related with additional labour hours necessary to perform activities such as recycling and separation of waste on site. There is also the argument that sustainable materials bring upon higher search costs; this is the time spent searching for these illusive materials, and other connected costs like driving, phone calls etc. All of these increase the total cost of a development and eat into a seemingly already tight budget for the contractor and therefore are looked upon as an unnecessary and irrelevant expense. Many construction companies are forced to submit a low bid for a particular project, and this comes about by reducing construction costs rather than increasing the value gained by building sustainably. This is also on the increase in the areas of project partnership, where a fixed price tender means priority will be given to the lowest price rather than value for money. Time: Time is crucial in any phase of any type of project, most particular in construction projects. As the phrase goes, time is money, and construction developments are often under tight time constraints. Slow advancement towards a change in attitude: Because this industry is such a large and dynamic market it involves so many individual players, which means that it becomes so much harder to get everyone concerned to get into the same frame of mind and not to be just concerned with just profit. There is a feeling that there is too much effort involved and learning new initiatives become too difficult in comparison to just continuing with the tried and trusted methods of known construction techniques already in practice throughout all construction sites in the UK at this present moment. There is also the point that there is inadequate information on sustainable materials easily available, which means that getting access to manufacturers who supply such materials becomes more intricate and making them prepared within the time constraint of a project becomes too arduous to make the endeavour for. Training: Larger construction companies (LEs) usually have their own Research and Development departments but as for SMEs, they are more inclined to rely on directors to research new innovations. Directors also are relied upon to transfer this knowledge and information to staff. Due to their already hectic workload, directors may find it difficult to set time aside for training programmes, seminars, and workshops involved in development initiatives. Likewise because of limited staff in small and medium enterprises, it is frequently difficult to attend such time-consuming activities, or to attend such trainings. Without these regular meetings contractors may find it extremely difficult to establish business contacts. Emphasis is more on short term performance and speed of construction: As construction companies are pushed on deadlines and short term maximisation of profit they are mostly interested in traditional construction as they know from experience how long a particular project will take and do not want to be taking risks on new innovations and techniques which could run on longer than previously thought. The temporary nature of a development, along with short term dealings with people means that the sharing and transfer of information between teams can lead to be strenuous and extremely difficult. (Sexton. M.G. and Barrett, P.S., 2003a; CPN, 1997) People: Lack of Knowledge and Skills: Most small companies do not have the resources to gain access to information and acquire the knowledge and the skills necessary to partake in such developments, or in some circumstances to investigate and research new alternatives and the benefits involved in such construction. Lack of motivation: New legislations and technologies can be seen as off-putting or even as a threat to SMEs who may not be willing to change with known traditions without substantial financial gain. Poor Integration with New Procedure: Failure of communication between contractors, sub-contractors, architects and clients may result in difficulty of implementation throughout a project. Down to the littlest details like the separation of recyclable material and where to dispense certain products may cause disruption further down the line. Short Term Interest: Given the nature of the construction business speed is of the essence, trying to get a building taken off of a contractors hands as quickly as possible is key and therefore, as many developments have to be taken place within certain time limits and contracts are written up to enforce this, the contractor may have more pressing interests nearing the end of a job. Technology: Complicated: Sustainable design may involve MMC (Modern Methods of Construction), which means that the making up of major house elements in factories including panels (including ready-made walls, floors and roofs. Panels may also have wiring and plumbing already inside, making construction even faster) and modules (ready-made rooms, which can then be pieced together to make a whole house or flat but are used most frequently for bathrooms or kitchens, where all the fittings are added in the factory; known as pods). Both of these products require skilled workers to install them, cranes and may require supplementary tools and machines to operate and fix these prefabricated structures into position. There is also a lack of familiarity with these new technologies. Where the clients and the architects specify such methods but contractors do not get the opportunity to try out these new systems. Market: It is widely felt that there is a lack of demand within the supply chain, this is generally due to the unfamiliarity associated with the costs and benefits. Lack of Marketing for Sustainable Materials: Sustainable materials are secondary materials; recycle, reclaim and re-use materials, and there are currently no marketing advertisements or such information on these resources. Waste materials are usually perceived to be risky and a cheap solution to a problem and are thought to not perform to as high a standard as primary materials. These may also incur greater search costs as they have a more dispersed location. Dominance by Larger Suppliers: If a supplier is larger than the contractor then the supplier has more power and is able to dictate to the supplier how the processes involved should be carried out. And as is with the case of most SMEs this is almost always the case. If the supplier does not have a particular product which a small contractor requests then, more often than not, the supplier doesnt feel the need to oblige the contractor as the supplier is more interested with the Les, meaning that the SMEs are often overlooked. Legal: These aspects include government legislation, policies, and planning procedures. Limited Enforcement: Standard of inspections has repelled many companies who may have been interested in building sustainably. The companies themselves would have to push for higher

Effect Of Different Concentrations Of Vitamin C

Effect Of Different Concentrations Of Vitamin C This project was designed to investigate the effect of different concentrations of vitamin C solution on seed germination of Brassica parachinensis or Choy Sum. Seeds treated with vitamin C solutions of various concentrations were used and germination percentage was calculated. Seeds were soaked in vitamin C solutions of increasing concentrations for 12 hours, dried and then sown in germinating trays. The seeds were watered with the same amount of vitamin C solution of respective concentrations. After 36 hours, the number of germinated seeds was counted and the germination percentage was calculated and recorded. Results showed that the germination percentage increases as low concentration of vitamin C solution was used. It was shown that 1% of vitamin C solution gave the highest germination percentage. A statistical analysis using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient showed a statistically significant negative linear relationship between concentration of vitamin C and germi nation percentage since the calculated r value was greater than critical value at 5% significant level. Introduction In order to increase productivity, it is important to improve overall growth and performance of agricultural crops. Germination rate in particular is crucial because an increase in germination rate is usually followed by an improvement of overall seedling performance   thus enhancing overall plant growth and productivity.(Parera and Cantliffe, 1991).   There are many factors affecting seed germination such as temperature, humidity, presence of light and seed dormancy. Recently, there is also evidence to support a link between certain biochemical characteristics and seed vigour.(Randhir and Shetty, 2003) Fast oxidation of fatty acids and proteins can reduce viability, vigour and germination percentage in seeds.11 Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is one of the most widely taken dietary supplement.5 It is an antioxidant which is an essential nutrient for living organisms as it protects the body against oxidative stress. Vitamin C is made naturally in plants but the amount depends on the variety of plant and external factors on which the plants grow.1 Ascorbic acid is an important metabolite involved in many cellular processes, including cell division (De Gara et al., 2003). Ascorbate has been shown to play multiple roles in plant growth, such as in cell division, cell wall expansion, and other developmental processes. It can act as a coenzyme for numerous metabolic enzymes and has recently been shown to be a potent antioxidant.12 Figure 1: The oxidation of ascorbic acid to dehydroascorbic acid 6 (410 words) Vitamin C interacts with oxidants in an oxidation reaction where ascorbic acid is oxidised to dehydroascorbic acid through an ascorbyl radical intermediate.8 The oxidized forms of ascorbate are relatively unreactive, and do not cause cellular damage. They can be converted back to ascorbate by cellular enzymes.4 Application of ascorbic acid exogenously may influence various processes in plants including seed germination, ion uptake and transport, and membrane permeability.12 Structure of vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid  or Dehydroascorbic acid   L-ascorbate 4 (nominal oxidized form  of Vitamin C) 4 Previous reports show some conflicting evidence about the effect of vitamin C towards seed germination. While some researchers say that vitamin C can promote seed vigour as in pea (Pisum Sativum) seeds, 12 some state that its presence will inhibit seed germination as in soybean seed.13 Defined in the qualitative term, seed vigour is the sum of those properties of the  seed  which determine the potential level of  activity and performance of the  seed or seed  lot during germination and seedling emergence.12 Seeds of genus Brassica are used in this experiment because the seeds are small and have a short life cycle. Therefore, experiment can be done within few days and the seeds can be used in large number with less space needed. Hence, this experiment was aimed to explore the benefits of vitamin C which is an antioxidant which may help to increase plant resistance that leads to enhanced crops. (647 words) Experimental Hypothesis The lower the concentration of vitamin C solution, the higher the germination percentage of Brassica parachinensis Null Hypothesis There is no correlation between different concentrations of vitamin C solutions and the germination percentage of Brassica parachinensis (685 words) Planning Trials Trial experiment was conducted to determine the best range of concentrations of vitamin C solution to be used and the reasonable methods and procedures so that good results are obtained. Methods Involved Preparing vitamin C solution of different concentrations Since the source of vitamin C used is the vitamin C tablet, the best method chosen is the serial dilation method. During trial, concentrations tested are 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, 10% and 0%. The basic stock solution of 100% was prepared by dissolving 100mg of vitamin C tablet in 100ml distilled water in a 300ml beaker. Other concentrations were made by serial dilution method. To prepare 50% concentration of vitamin C solution, same amount of 100% solution and distilled water were added together. Equal amount of 100% and 50% concentrations were mixed up to make 75% concentration and so on. Sowing the seeds The seeds were primed in 6 different Petri dishes for 12 hours according to its respective concentration. Another 6 Petri dishes were labelled. Layers of cotton of the same thickness were put into Petri dishes and moisten with the same volume of vitamin C solution of different concentrations. Soaked seeds with similar size were chosen and took out of Petri dish using a pair of forceps. They are then dried using paper towels and were sown in labelled Petri dishes. (909 words) In the first trial, 25 seeds were soaked in different concentrations of vitamin C solution while another 25 seeds were not soaked before being sown. This is to determine whether it is necessary to soak seeds or not before sowing. 36 hours after sowing seeds Concentration/% Number of seeds germinated Soaked seeds 0 15 10 16 50 1 Table 1 shows the number of soaked and unsoaked seeds after 36 hours In the second trial, each group of 25 seeds were soaked in different concentrations before being sown. This is to determine the best range of concentrations of vitamin C for main experiment. 36 hours after sowing seeds Concentration/% Number of seed germinated Trial 1 Trial 2 Mean 0 15 16 16 10 18 16 17 25 5 5 5 50 1 3 2 75 2 1 2 100 1 0 1 Table 2 shows germination percentage of seeds soaked in different concentrations (1075 words) Results After 36 hours of sowing, the number of seeds germinated was counted and germination percentage was calculated. Germination is claimed to have occurred when the radicle was visibly extended from the seed, protruding through a fracture in the seed coat. The result was tabulated. Based on the results obtained after trials were carried out, there were a few things that could be done to improve result. Firstly, more seeds should be used so that the result will be more significant. For the real experiment, 50 seeds were used instead of 25 seeds. Seeds were primed for 12 hours because priming is important as seed coat contains some chemicals that inhibit germination. Seed priming is a common agronomic technique shown to cause an increase  seed vigour,  as well as synchronize and accelerate  germination, improve stress resistance, and enhance overall  plant  growth and productivity.12 However, some of the seeds start to germinate and fractures on seed coat could be observed if the seeds were primed for too long. Besides, the range of concentration to be used in real experiment was determined to be between 0% to 10% concentrations because both showed high percentage of seed germination with only slight difference in value. Seeds soaked in 100% concentration showed the lowest germination percentage. The germination of seeds was almost totally inhibited in this solution. Fractures on the seed coats were observed but radicles were not extended significantly. Besides, after carrying out trial experiment, I realized that it was better to sow seeds in germinating tray rather than in Petri dishes as Petri dish is round-shaped which made it difficult for me to count the number of seeds germinated. (1351 words) Main experiment Variables Manipulated: Concentration of vitamin C solution Different concentrations of vitamin C are prepared using the same serial dilution technique as in trials. But this time using smaller range of concentrations of 10%, 7.5%, 5%, 2.5%, 1% and 0% (distilled water). But for smaller concentration, micropipette is used instead of measuring cylinder to make up the total volume of 100ml. Responding: Germination percentage (%) Germination percentage is calculated using the following equation; Germination is said to occur when radicle emerges (>2mm) after 36 hours. Constant: mass of vitamin C (100mg/tablet), volume of solution used for soaking seeds (20ml/Petri dish) and volume of solution used to moisten cotton (60ml/tray) and environmental factors (light intensity, temperature, and humidity), period of soaking, type and number of seeds. All trays were placed under normal white fluorescent lamp and on a laboratory table at 28ËÅ ¡C. Apparatus and materials Apparatus: 300ml beakers, Petri dishes, measuring cylinders, germinating trays, stirring rod, micropipette, and pestle and mortar. Materials: Distilled water, 100mg vitamin C tablet, cotton, choy sum seeds, and paper towels. (1535 words) Safety precautions Gloves were worn when handling vitamin C tablet to prevent tablet from contamination. Micropipette was used with care. The tip of micropipette was always checked to ensure that there is no air bubbles inside it as this may reduce the actual volume required for each concentration. Glass wares like beakers and measuring cylinders were handled gently since the apparatus may break easily. This may lead to injuries. Soaked seeds were transferred gently using forceps as they are very fragile. Data collections of main study Number of seeds used in every concentration: 50 Soaking for 12 hours Observations after soaking seeds for 36 hours Concentration (%) Number of seeds germinated Mean number of seeds germinated Replicate 1 Replicate 2 Replicate 3 0.0 45 44 43 44 1.0 48 48 47 48 2.5 42 39 38 40 5.0 41 42 43 42 7.5 35 35 34 35 10.0 34 33 33 33 Table 2 shows the germination percentage for seeds treated with different concentrations (1712 words) Sample calculation (taken values from 0% concentration) Germination percentage: =44/50 x 100 =88% (1749 words) Statistical analysis For this experiment, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (PMCC) was used to measure the strength of linear dependence between the two variables; the different concentrations and the germination percentage. The values obtained are normally distributed. The correlation coefficient, r ranges from -1 to 1. A value of 1 implies that a linear equation describes the relationship between X and Y perfectly for which Y increases as X increases. A value -1 implies correlation in which Y decreases as X increases. A value of 0 implies that there is no linear correlation between the variables. x 0.0 1.0 2.5 5.0 7.5 10.0 ÃŽ £x=26 y 88 96 80 84 70 66 ÃŽ £y=484 x2 0.0 1.00 6.25 25.0 56.25 100.0 ÃŽ £x2=188.5 y2 7744 9216 6400 7056 4900 4356 ÃŽ £y2=39672 xy 0.0 96 200 420 525 660 ÃŽ £xy=1901 Table 3 shows the calculations done in calculating the values of r Sx = x2 = 188.5 (26)2/6 = 75.833 Sy = y2 = 39672 (484)2/6 = 629.33 Sxy = xy = 1901 [(26) (484)]/6 = -196.33 (1933 words) To find correlation coefficient, r r = r = -196.33/ (75.8331/2 x 629.331/2) r = -0.899 (negative sign indicates negative correlation between variables) Degree of freedom = n -2 n = # of pairs of data = 6 2 = 4 Level of significance for two-tailed test .10 .05 .02 1 .988 .997 .9995 2 .900 .950 .980 3 .805 .878 .934 4 .729 .811 .882 5 .669 .754 .833 6 .621 .707 .789 Table 4 shows the critical values for PMCC The value of r obtained was compared with the critical value from Table 4 at 5% significance level. r = 0.899 > 0.811 (critical value) at 5% significance level An analysis using PMCC demonstrated a statistically significant negative linear relationship between concentration of vitamin C and germination percentage since calculated r value was greater than the critical value at 5% significance level. Therefore, null hypothesis can be rejected. (2093 words) Data analysis Based on the data collected in Table 2, it was shown that low concentration of vitamin C did promote germination of choy sum to a certain extent. The statistical analysis using PMCC further verified the correlation. The table also revealed that only low concentration of vitamin C was needed to hasten germination since under 10% concentration, seeds germinated at a lower rate (66%). Graph 1 illustrates clearly the general trend and relationship between the variables, the lower the concentration of vitamin C, the lower the germination rate of choy sum. The highest germination rate (96%) was recorded by seeds sown in 1% vitamin C concentration which was the lowest concentration used. However, it can be seen that the line is fluctuating downwards and there is a linear graph showing that the values obtained were due to certain errors that lead to some anomalous results. At 5% concentration of vitamin C, we can see that the germination rate is slightly higher than that of 2.5% but it is not supposed to be so. Some of errors that may occur during experiment are Mixing error when preparing solutions of different concentrations by serial dilution. The thickness of cotton layer in germinating tray may not be constant throughout the tray so vitamin C solution with thinner cotton layer may get evaporated faster thus absorption of solution is less for the seed in that tray Some of seeds may have been initially damaged so germination may not happen (2342 words) The germination percentage was compared with the result from other published academic journals. The germination percentage against day graph below shows the results from journal titled Effect of vitamin C and folic acid on seed vigour response and phenolic-linked antioxidant activity from source 12. It shows that the optimum concentration of vitamin C for pea seed to germinate is 500micromol/dm3. Using appropriate calculations, it can be calculated that 10% concentration is approximately equal to 500micromol/dm3.9 Thus, the germination percentage of pea seed in 10% concentration is highest compared to other concentrations. However, the result I obtained for highest germination percentage for Brassica parachinensis was different. This can be due to some errors and limitations occurred during experiment or the fact that they are of different types of seed which is further discussed in limitation and modification part. In this experiment, the constant or controlled variable is the use of distilled water (0% concentration). Since the results showed that the difference between germination rate between 0% and 1% concentration was very small (only about 8%), this indicated that the effect of vitamin C on seed vigour may be too little. Even though the effect is little, it cannot be denied that this little help from vitamin C can give a huge impact on agricultural sector as it is able to promote seed germination therefore improving mass production of plants rather than watering seeds with water only. (2577 words) Evaluation Seeds are exposed to various biotic and abiotic stresses during germination. Oxidative stress for example, caused by the production of high level of reactive oxygen intermediates such as O2, O2-, H2O2, and HO- can lead to the destruction of cells.4 Presence of low concentration of exogenous vitamin C stimulates seed vigour as it minimises oxidative stress by scavenging these reactive oxygen species. Many oxidants contain an unpaired electron so they are highly reactive. These free radicals are damaging because they can interact with other molecules resulting in a whole chain of free radical reactions. Ascorbate can terminate these chained radical reactions by serving as a stable (electron + proton) donor in interactions with free radicals.4 However, high concentration of vitamin C solution inhibits seed germination because as solution becomes more concentrated, more water from cells diffuse out causing cellular membrane leakage.3 Besides that, being a good electron donor, excess ascorbate in the presence of free metal ions can not only promote, but also initiate free radical reactions, thus making it a potentially dangerous pro-oxidative compound in certain metabolic contexts.8 We hypothesize that whether vitamin C has a net pro oxidant or antioxidant effect depends on the concentration of vitamin C solution.8 With relation to improving  seed vigour  through stimulation of  phenolic  synthesis, it has been suggested that exogenously applied  phenolic antioxidants may be able to stimulate endogenous  phenolic  content in plants  (Randhir and Shetty, 2003  and  Randhir et al., 2002). Due to its inherent  antioxidant  potential, vitamin C seems to be a suitable growth regulator in increasing  seed vigour and phenolic  elicitation. In this study, we have hypothesized that the treatment of plants with  vitamin C  as exogenous  seed treatments may result in an increase in both biochemical and traditional agronomic indicators of  seed vigour.11 (2873 words) Limitations and modifications One of the limitations in this experiment is the changing surrounding temperature. The seeds were left in laboratory room where the temperature may fluctuate over time. This may affect the germinating time of the seeds and the number of germinated seed after 36 hours. Besides temperature, humidity and light intensity were also uncontrolled. Since all seeds were exposed to the same environmental factors, the result is considered to be reliable. Besides that, some seeds may have been initially damaged before soaking or sowing. Therefore, vitamin C solution may not be the actual cause of inhibition of seed germination. The seeds are chosen only by physical measures such as similarity in size, shape and colour and seed coat is not broken. However, limitations can be overcome by using a large number of seeds and the experiment is repeated for a few times to ensure that result obtained is reliable and enough to support conclusion. This investigation tests only on the effectiveness of vitamin C solution on seed germination without exposing seeds to other biotic stress such as salinity or abiotic stress such as exposure to sunlight. Modifications could be made by introducing a biotic or abiotic stress to the seed and observe if vitamin C still stimulates seed germination or otherwise. Different types of seed may have different result with vitamin C solution. So, using seeds from one type of plant may not be able to indicate how vitamin C actually acts on seed. As vitamin C may enhance seed vigour in certain species, it could do otherwise to other species. Hence, the same experiment should be done to seeds from other species to see how they are affected by vitamin C solution. Conclusion The lower the concentration of vitamin C, the higher the germination rate of Brassica parachinensis seeds. This is due to the antioxidant properties of vitamin C which acts against the oxidative stress. The optimum vitamin C concentration for seed germination is 1%. (3200 words) Source Evaluation I have referred to various sources in conducting my research. Sources 1, 2, 3 and 4 are from Wikipedia which has been the largest and most popular general  reference work  on the  internet. Although many have doubts over its reliability as it can be edited by anyone with access to the site but it is cited and linked to many other literatures and academic researches around the globe. Source 5 is a website written by health experts on health and medicine. Source 6 is a website that provides information written by university scholars with reference to other academic researches. Source 7 is reliable as it is written by  Dr. Bryan D. McKersie of  University  of  Guelph and is posted on the internet in 1996. Source 8 is a reliable source as it is an article by The American Society for Nutritional Sciences and was published in The Journal of Nutrition website in 2004. Source 9 has been a referral site to many people around the world. The information seems reliable as it is written by experts. Source 10 is a published book thus the information is reliable. Source 11 is a journal from ScienceDirect which I have accessed from my campus library. ScienceDirect is a leading full-text scientific database offering journal articles and book chapters from more than 2,500 peer-reviewed journals and more than 11,000 books. There are currently more than 9.5 million articles/chapters, a content base that is growing at a rate of almost 0.5 million additions per year. It is operated by the publisher Elsevier. Source 12 is a journal advised by an international Editorial Board and is abstracted or indexed by various research databases like the EBSCO and Elsevier. Source 13 is an article from the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Supernatural in Shakespeare’s The Tempest And Marlowe’s The Tragical Hi

The Supernatural in Shakespeare’s The Tempest And Marlowe’s The Tragical History of D. Faustus The supernatural forces are at once alike and distinct in Shakespeare’s The Tempest and in Marlowe’s The Tragical History of D. Faustus. The supernatural is kind to Prospero and his daughter Miranda in The Tempest, while the devils in Dr Faustus eagerly wait for the day that Faustus would join them in Hell. In both plays, the supernatural provides recurrent waves of sounds and feelings, lending special atmospheric qualities to The Tempest and Dr Faustus. The supernatural serves as a reminder of the hierarchies that exist in both plays, and it also illuminates the human heart, revealing the characters’ thoughts and wishes. Often appearing visible to all, the supernatural forces in The Tempest and Dr Faustus sustain the plays by providing a distinct atmospheric backbone, by reminding the characters of the existing hierarchies, and by revealing the characters’ inner hearts. Soaked in the supernatural, Shakespeare’s The Tempest possesses an impenetrable veil of eeriness. It opens with the tempestuous roaring of thunder and lightning, setting the stage for panic and confusion amongst the mariners. The mariners scatter and hide, while Ferdinand’s hair stands on end. This wild and surreal atmosphere prepares the characters and the audience for future encounters with supernatural beings. When the spirit Ariel wakes Gonzalo and the others, Gonzalo says, â€Å"’Tis best we stand upon our guard, or that we quit this place. Let’s draw our weapons† (II.i.317-318). The mortals are on guard against the supernatural, and this suspenseful atmosphere often returns when Ariel and the other spirits approach these unknowing men. When Prospero remembers ... ...ory of D. Faustus are about the relationship of the two worlds. By creating an eerie and sometimes humourous atmosphere, the supernatural gives the plays points of interest. The existing hierarchies between mortal and immortal are not to be destroyed, and the supernatural beings in these two plays reinforce the rules. By revealing the characters’ hearts and minds, the supernatural drive the plot as well as the actions of the individual characters, so that without these beings, these two plays would grind to a standstill. WORKS CITED Marlowe, Christopher. The Tragical History of D. Faustus. In Renaissance Drama: An Anthology of Plays and Entertainments. Edited by A.F. Kinney. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 2002. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Greenblatt, Stephen. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. Inc., 1997. 3055-3107.

evilmac Essay on Evil in Shakespeares Richard III and Macbeth

Vision of Evil in Richard III and Macbeth    Shakesperae’s play Macbeth is in some respects a relatively simple play. Like Richard III its’ structure follows a standard conventional form: the rise and fall of a great man. The first part of the play follows Macbeth's rise to power. By 3.1 he has assumed the kingship. The rest of the play follows the disintegration of all he has achieved, a process that culminates with his death and the installment of new king. In that sense, there is very little difference in the structure between Richard III and Macbeth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But, of course, they are vastly different plays. The key difference is the psychological portrait of the hero. In Richard III there is an amalgam of different theatrical depictions of evil and that the predominant one was the Vice-Machiavel, the Devil incarnate, who is presented in such a way that we are not encouraged to probe very much into his motivation, his psychological response to events as they unfold, and his disintegration. We do have some clear hints at a possible psychological source for Richard's conduct (the opening soliloquy points to his deformity and his inability to love), but I suggested that these are more symbols of his evil than their cause. This approach to Richard's character allows us to develop in more detail an appreciation for how much the effects of this play depend upon Richard's theatricality, on his outward behaviour (which he invites us to admire in a shared understanding of how clever he is in comparison w ith everyone else), rather than on any inward complexity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Macbeth is totally different. There is nothing at all theatrical about the presentation of his character. He does not confide in us or seek to e... ...ll always be such people, often among the best and the brightest – politicians, business and community leaders, entertainers and sports figures. So overcoming one particular person is no final triumph of anything. It is a reminder of just how fragile the basic moral assumptions we make about ourselves can be. In that sense, Macbeth, like all great tragedies, is potentially a very emotionally disturbing play. It does not reassure us that the forces of good will always prevail, rather that the powers of darkness are always present, for all our pious hopes and beliefs. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. Richard III. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1997) Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 7th ed. New York: Longman, 1999.