Ranking of Tunisian Scientists according to their efficient productivity

Ranking of Tunisian Scientists according to their efficient productivity Ranking of Tunisian Scientists according to their efficient productivityHoucemeddine Turkia, Manel Turkiba B.Sc. Student, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisiab Ph.D., D.Pharm and AsP. Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Monastir, TunisiaIntroduction:Ranking Scientists had been a huge purpose in order to guess who is the best in a country.1 However, in several important fields like Economic Sciences and even in general context, the Ranking of Potential Scientist is limited to developed countries like France, Germany, United States and Netherlands2. For example, the Rankings of Van Ours is made in particular for Dutch Economists3 4. So, there are no national rankings for scientists in developing countries and even in some developed countries3 and that affected a lot the ranking of developing countries in international classifications5. In fact, the ranking of Tunisia in IDEAS ranking had been 101st in 2012 and had worsened to be 118th in 20145 6 and t he ranking of Tunisia in SCImago Ranking had been 86th in 20145 according to its number of citations5.Ranking de paà ­ses en el portal SCImago Journal & ...In contrast, the number of publications of Tunisia in Scimago Ranking is quite the same as the one of some developed European countries like Cyprus and Austria5. So, a ranking for Potential Scientists in Tunisia is required in order to better the standings of Tunisia. Therefore, how such rankings would be done? And who is the best scientist in Tunisia? What is the state of Scientific Research in Tunisia? And which procedures should be taken in order to solve the matter of making Rankings for Scientific Researchers and Scholars in Tunisia?Methodology:The lifelong potential of a scientist could be measured only by the precise study of the Efficient Productivity of the same working scientist and according to Harzing 2013 Paper and Hirsch 2005...

Understanding Atomic Radius Trends The 2 Key Principles

Understanding Atomic Radius Trends The 2 Key Principles SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Need information on atomic radius trends? What's the trend for atomic radius? In this guide, we’ll clearly explain atomic radius trends and how they work. We’ll also discuss exceptions to the trends and how you can use this information as part of a broader understanding of chemistry. Before we dive into atomic radius trends, let’s review some basic terms. An atom is a basic unit of a chemical element, such as hydrogen, helium, potassium, etc. A radius is the distance between the center of an object and its outer edge. An atomic radius is one-half the distance between the nuclei of two atoms. Atomic radii are measured in picometers (one picometer is equal to one trillionth of a meter). Hydrogen (H) has the smallest average atomic radius at about 25 pm, while caesium (Cs) has the largest average radius at about 260 pm. What Are the Atomic Radius Trends? What Causes Them? There are two main atomic radius trends. One atomic radius trend occurs as you move left to right across the periodic table (moving within a period), and the other trend occurs when you move from the top of the periodic table down (moving within a group). Below is a periodic table with arrows showing how atomic radii change to help you understand and visualize each atomic radius trend. At the end of this section is a chart with the estimated empirical atomic radius for each element. Atomic Radius Trend 1: Atomic Radii Decrease From Left to Right Across a Period The first atomic radius periodic trend is that atomic size decreases as you move left to right across a period. Within a period of elements, each new electron is added to the same shell. When an electron is added, a new proton is also added to the nucleus, which gives the nucleus a stronger positive charge and a greater nuclear attraction. This means that, as more protons are added, the nucleus gets a stronger positive charge which then attracts the electrons more strongly and pulls them closer to the atom’s nucleus. The electrons being pulled closer to the nucleus makes the atom’s radius smaller. Comparing carbon (C) with an atomic number of 6 and fluorine (F) with an atomic number of 9, we can tell that, based on atomic radius trends, a carbon atom will have a larger radius than a fluorine atom since the three additional protons the fluorine has will pull its electrons closer to the nucleus and shrink the fluorine's radius. And this is true; carbon has an average atomic radius of about 70 pm while fluorine’s is about 50 pm. Atomic Radius Trend 2: Atomic Radii Increase as You Move Down a Group The second atomic radius periodic trend is that atomic radii increase as you move downwards in a group in the periodic table. For each group you move down, the atom gets an additional electron shell. Each new shell is further away from the nucleus of the atom, which increases the atomic radius. While you may think the valence electrons (those in the outermost shell) would be attracted to the nucleus, electron shielding prevents that from happening. Electron shielding refers to a decreased attraction between outer electrons and the nucleus of an atom whenever the atom has more than one electron shell. So, because of electron shielding, the valence electrons don’t get particularly close to the center of the atom, and because they can’t get that close, the atom has a larger radius. As an example, potassium (K) has a larger average atomic radius (220 pm)than sodium (Na) does (180 pm). The potassium atom has an extra electron shell compared to the sodium atom, which means its valence electrons are further from the nucleus, giving potassium a larger atomic radius. Empirical Atomic Radii Atomic Number Symbol Element Name Empirical Atomic Radius (pm) 1 H Hydrogen 25 2 He Helium No data 3 Li Lithium 145 4 Be Beryllium 105 5 B Boron 85 6 C Carbon 70 7 N Nitrogen 65 8 O Oxygen 60 9 F Fluorine 50 10 Ne Neon No data 11 Na Sodium 180 12 Mg Magnesium 150 13 Al Aluminum 125 14 Si Silicon 110 15 P Phosphorus 100 16 S Sulfur 100 17 Cl Chlorine 100 18 Ar Argon No data 19 K Potassium 220 20 Ca Calcium 180 21 Sc Scandium 160 22 Ti Titanium 140 23 V Vanadium 135 24 Cr Chromium 140 25 Mn Manganese 140 26 Fe Iron 140 27 Co Cobalt 135 28 Ni Nickel 135 29 Cu Copper 135 30 Zn Zinc 135 31 Ga Gallium 130 32 Ge Germanium 125 33 As Arsenic 115 34 Se Selenium 115 35 Br Bromine 115 36 Kr Krypton No data 37 Rb Rubidium 235 38 Sr Strontium 200 39 Y Yttrium 180 40 Zr Zirconium 155 41 Nb Niobium 145 42 Mo Molybdenum 145 43 Tc Technetium 135 44 Ru Ruthenium 130 45 Rh Rhodium 135 46 Pd Palladium 140 47 Ag Silver 160 48 Cd Cadmium 155 49 In Indium 155 50 Sn Tin 145 51 Sb Antimony 145 52 Te Tellurium 140 53 I Iodine 140 54 Xe Xenon No data 55 Cs Caesium 260 56 Ba Barium 215 57 La Lanthanum 195 58 Ce Cerium 185 59 Pr Praseodymium 185 60 Nd Neodymium 185 61 Pm Promethium 185 62 Sm Samarium 185 63 Eu Europium 185 64 Gd Gadolinium 180 65 Tb Terbium 175 66 Dy Dysprosium 175 67 Ho Holmium 175 68 Er Erbium 175 69 Tm Thulium 175 70 Yb Ytterbium 175 71 Lu Lutetium 175 72 Hf Hafnium 155 73 Ta Tantalum 145 74 W Tungsten 135 75 Re Rhenium 135 76 Os Osmium 130 77 Ir Iridium 135 78 Pt Platinum 135 79 Au Gold 135 80 Hg Mercury 150 81 Tl Thallium 190 82 Pb Lead 180 83 Bi Bismuth 160 84 Po Polonium 190 85 At Astatine No data 86 Rn Radon No data 87 Fr Francium No data 88 Ra Radium 215 89 Ac Actinium 195 90 Th Thorium 180 91 Pa Protactinium 180 92 U Uranium 175 93 Np Neptunium 175 94 Pu Plutonium 175 95 Am Americium 175 96 Cm Curium No data 97 Bk Berkelium No data 98 Cf Californium No data 99 Es Einsteinium No data 100 Fm Fermium No data 101 Md Mendelevium No data 102 No Nobelium No data 103 Lr Lawrencium No data 104 Rf Rutherfordium No data 105 Db Dubnium No data 106 Sg Seaborgium No data 107 Bh Bohrium No data 108 Hs Hassium No data 109 Mt Meitnerium No data 110 Ds Darmstadtium No data 111 Rg Roentgenium No data 112 Cn Copernicium No data 113 Nh Nihonium No data 114 Fl Flerovium No data 115 Mc Moscovium No data 116 Lv Livermorium No data 117 Ts Tennessine No data 118 Og Oganesson No data Source: Webelements 3 Exceptions to the Atomic Radius Trends The two atomic radius trends we discussed above are true for the majority of the periodic table of elements. However, there are a few exceptions to these trends. One exception is the noble gases. The six noble gases, in group 18 of the periodic table, are helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and radon (Rn). The noble gases are an exception because they bond differently than other atoms, and noble gas atoms don't get as close to each other when they bond. Because atomic radius is half the distance between the nuclei of two atoms, how close those atoms are to each other affects atomic radius. Each of the noble gases has their outermost electron shell completely filled, which means multiple noble gas atoms are held together by Van der Waals forces rather than through bonds. Van der Waals forces aren't as strong as covalent bonds, so two atoms connected by Van der Waals forces don't get as close to each other as two atoms connected by a covalent bond. This means the radii of the noble gases would be overestimated if we attempted to find their empirical radii, so none of the noble gases have an empirical radius and thus don't follow the atomic radius trends. Below is a very simplified diagram of four atoms, all about the same size. The top two atoms are connected by a covalent bond, which causes some overlap between the atoms. The bottom two atoms are noble gas atoms, and they are connected by Van der Waals forces that don't allow the atoms to get as close together. The red arrows represent the distance between the nuclei. Half of this distance is equal to atomic radius. As you can see, even though all four atoms are about the same size, the noble gas radius is much larger than the radius of the other atoms. Comparing the two radii would make the noble gas atoms look bigger, even though they're not. Including noble gas radii would give people an inaccurate idea of how big noble gas atoms are. Because noble gas atoms bond differently, their radii can't be compared to the radii of other atoms, so they don't follow atomic radius trends. Other exceptions include the lanthanide series and actinide series at the bottom of the periodic table. These groups of elements differ from much of the rest of the periodic table and don’t follow many trends the other elements do. Neither series has a clear atomic radius trend. How Can You Use This Information? While you probably won’t need to know the atomic radius of various elements in your day-to-day life, this information can still be helpful if you’re studying chemistry or another related field. Once you understand each key atomic radius period trend, it makes it easier to understand other information about the elements. For example, you can remember that noble gases are an exception to the atomic radius trends because they have a full outer electron shell. These outer electron shells also make the noble gases inert and stable. That stability can be handy. For example, balloons are typically filled with helium, not hydrogen, because helium is much more stable and therefore less flammable and safer to use. You can also use atomic radii to estimate how reactive different elements will be. Atoms with smaller radii are more reactive than atoms with larger radii. The halogens (in group 17) have the smallest average radii in the periodic table. Fluorine has the smallest atomic radius of the halogens (which makes sense based on the trends), and that makes it highly reactive. Just adding fluorine to water will produce flames as the fluorine turns into a gas. Summary: Periodic Trends Atomic Radius There are two main atomic radius trends. The first atomic radius periodic trend is that atomic radii increase as you move downwards in a group. This is due to electron shielding. When an additional shell is added, those new electrons are farther from the atom’s nucleus, which increases atomic radius. The second atomic radius periodic trend is that atomic size decreases moving left to right across a period because the atom’s stronger positive charge due to having more protons attracts the electrons more strongly and pulls them closer to the nucleus, reducing the size of the atom. There are a few exceptions to these trends, noticeably the noble gases which don’t form bonds the way most other atoms do, and the lanthanide and actinide series. You can use this information to better understand the periodic table, how atoms bond, and why certain elements are more reactive than others.

Cultural Controversy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Controversy - Essay Example The long and short-term effects it has on girls mental, physical and reproductive health renders the term circumcision inapplicable. Furthermore, the process is considered an abuse of human and more so children rights since it is often performed on young girls (World Health Organization). While the proponents insist, the term Female Genital is meant to dehumanize it, the truth is; the term describes it and any objective description of the torturers process is enough to dehumanize it. It is most prevalent in sub Saharan Africa especially among the Somali culture and several others, North, East and horn of Africa communities especially Somalia and Ethiopia (Reymond, et al n.d). In the United Kingdom, girls fall also victim to this senseless ritual, during the summer holiday, which is the longest for schoolchildren. Many girls of African descent, as young as five are sent off to Somalia and elsewhere they are put through this scaring process (Foreign and Commonwealth Office). The tools used are often not sterile, and the resulting wounds can result in fatalities especially when it is done in Africa by illiterate old women trying to uphold â€Å"culture.† It also poses a significant risk of complication during childbirth; this is evidenced by the fact that infant mortality rates are often notably higher in countries that are known to practice FGM. Besides, the removal of the clitoris ensures they can never hope to enjoy sex in posterity. Ultimately, FGM is an extremely painful and inhuman procedure that no girl should have ever to undergo and in most countries, even in Africa it has been outlawed and is only done in

Domestic violence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Domestic violence - Research Paper Example ic violence shelter has established several programs that can ensure the safety of domestic violence victims and provide the relevant support in an effort to eliminate domestic violence in the community. This paper will provide the details of all the processes and activities carried out by the program. The main objective of establishing a local, domestic violence shelter was to provide both short-term and long-term accommodation to domestic violence victims. Volunteers working in the shelter receive children, women, as well as men who have suffered domestic violence and can no longer live in their homes. Notably, women and children form the majority of domestic violence victims. Therefore, the local, domestic violence shelter receives children and women exposed to extreme domestic violence and present them with a safe place to live before situations return to normal. In some cases, the program organizes for long-term accommodation, especially for victims whose lives are at a risk. At the shelter, all the victims receive the relevant counseling from psychological experts. Domestic violence causes high levels of trauma in the victims. It can affect the normal development of children (Cook-Craig, Lane, & Siebold, 2010). Therefore, children who are exposed to domestic violence in the community can receive the relevant counseling and support in an effort to minimize long-term effects of domestic violence. In order to address issues related to domestic violence effectively, the volunteers indulge in a risk assessment process.The process sought to establish members of the community who are prone to domestic violence as well as establishing the potential causes of domestic violence in the community. All the volunteers recognize that it is impossible to address domestic violence effectively if the root causes of the problem are not identified (Cook-Craig, Lane, & Siebold, 2010). After identifying the social and community conditions that contribute to the increasing

High School and Public School Enrollment Essay Example for Free

High School and Public School Enrollment Essay In the essay â€Å"Still Separate, Still Unequal,† the author Jonathan Kozol criticizes the educational system practiced in the urban areas of the United States and where he writes about his beliefs that minorities are being placed in poor conditions while the Caucasian majority is obtaining funding for the schools that the majority of them attend. He supports his personal viewpoints, with statistics which he himself gathered from different schools around the U.S. Kozol starts out his essay with logic to prove that the school systems of today are separate and unequal by using demographics from public schools from the larger cities in the country; for example, â€Å"In Chicago, by the academic year 2002-2003, 87% of public school enrollment was black or Hispanic; less than 10% of children in the schools were white. In Washington D.C., 94 % of children were black or Hispanic; less than 5% were white (220).† He emphasizes on these statistics to prove his point that schools are still segregated. Later in the essay the author then mentions in his essay that the word â€Å"diversity†, â€Å"cease to have real meaning; or, rather, they mean the opposite of what they say(223).† Kozol mentions that when he â€Å"visited in the fall of 2004 in Kansas City, Missouri, for example, a document distributed to visitors reports that the school’s curriculum ‘addresses the needs of children from diverse backgrounds.’† He goes on explaining that when he went â€Å"from class to class, [he] did not encounter any children who were white or Asian—or Hispanic (223).† He then makes the reader connect emotionally by writing comments that high school students and third graders from segregated neighborhoods and public schools made about their different situations in their school. For example, he quotes a letter that an eight-year-old girl wrote to him saying, â€Å"We do not have the things you have. You have Clean things. We do not have. You have a clean bathroom. We do not have that. You have Parks and we do not have Parks. You have all the thing and we do not have all the thing. Can you help us (224)?† Kozol then presents facts about how physicians were removed from elementary schools. The author continues presenting conversations with people that he met. Jonathan Kozol’s essay shows how the school system today is in fact still divided and unequal according to somebody’s skin color or race even though the course of ‘Brown vs. Board of Education’ allegedly resolved this. Prev Page

Hanta Pulmonary Syndrome :: essays research papers

Hanta Pulmonary Syndrome   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Hanta Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a disease that has emerged in North America only recently. Its source is a virus carried by rodents, particularly the deer mouse, and transmitted by direct contact with their droppings. Symptoms appear within the one to six weeks of initial exposure, and initially include muscle aches, fever, and other flu-like symptoms. After a while, the victim may experience shortness of breath and coughing resulting from decreased circulation in the lungs and a lowered white blood cell count coupled with opportunistic infections. At this stage if they are not brought to a hospital soon they stand the risk of dying within the next twenty-four hours.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This disease, although not new, has experienced a large re-emergence in the southwestern United States and Mexico due to the arid climates in those areas. Cases have been spread all over the western U.S. with even a few in the east, but nearly half of the cases to date have been in the Four Corners area. In a dry area, the disease’s incubation is somewhat longer, making the chances of contracting it somewhat higher. In places such as woodpiles and sheds where there is little air circulation to move off the virus, it can linger for a sizeable duration of time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The best method of fighting the hanta virus is prevention. By controlling the rodent population and preventing them from entering houses and sheds, the risk of infection can be lowered. Furthermore, educating those in high-risk areas of the signs of the disease and what to do about them significantly lowers the likelihood of death. The virus cannot spread from human to human even during its peak state, but since exposed persons may not show symptoms for some weeks the likelihood of other people becoming infected by the same source is considerable. For this reason it is important that those living in areas where it is or may be present know how to avoid contracting it. This includes allowing sheds and other closed areas to ventilate well before entering them, checking for signs of rodent infestations, and minimizing factors that attract rodents.

Accounts Receivable and Blades

1. Assuming that banks in Thailand issue a time draft on behalf of Sports Equipment Inc. and Major Leagues Inc. , would Blades receive payment for its roller blades before it delivers them? Do the banks issuing the time drafts guarantee payment on behalf of the Thai retailers if they default on the payment? ANSWER: No, Blades would not receive payment before it delivers roller blades to Sports Equipment Inc. and Major Leagues Inc. if banks in Thailand issue a time draft on the retailers’ behalf. The usual time of payment under a time draft is the maturity of the draft, and Blades relies on the retailers to pay the drafts at maturity.No, the banks issuing the time drafts do not guarantee payment on behalf of the Thai retailers if they default on the payment. The draft merely represents Blades’ formal demand for payment from the buyer and affords Blades’ less protection than a letter of credit, since the banks are not obligated to honor payments on the buyerâ€℠¢s behalf. 2. What payment method should Blades suggest to Sports Gear Inc.? Substantiate your answer. ANSWER: Blades should suggest to Sports Gear Inc. that its bank issue a letter of credit on its behalf.In a letter of credit, the bank is substituting its credit for that of the buyers, and Blades would be assured of receiving payment from the issuing bank as long as it presents the necessary documents in accordance with the L/C. The issuing bank is then obligated to honor drawings under the L/C. On the other hand, Sports Gear Inc. does not have to pay for the goods until shipment has been made and documents are presented in good order. 3. What organization could Blades contact in order to insure its sales to the Thai retailers? What type of insurance do these organizations provide?ANSWER: Blades could contact the Export-Import Bank of the U. S. (Ex im bank), which provides insurance protection against the risk of nonpayment by foreign buyers. Under such insurance coverage, Ex im b ank will reimburse Blades between 90 and 100 percent of the insured amount, depending on the type of policy and buyers. 4. How could Blades use accounts receivable financing or factoring, considering that it does not currently have accounts receivable in Thailand? If Blades uses a Thai bank to obtain this financing, how do you think the fact that Blades does not have receivables in Thailand would affect the terms of the financing?ANSWER: Blades could use accounts receivable financing and factoring using its accounts receivable in the U. S. Using accounts receivable financing, Blades could obtain a loan from a bank that would be secured by an assignment of the accounts receivables. Using factoring, Blades could sell the U. S. accounts receivable to a factor. Either approach is probably available to Blades if it decides to use a U. S. bank. However, it could also attempt to conduct accounts receivable financing of factoring of its U. S. receivables using a bank in Thailand.Thai banks may consider the assignment of foreign receivables less attractive than the assignment of domestic receivables and may require high interest rates (accounts receivable financing) or discount the receivables heavily (factoring). 5. Assuming that Blades is unable to locate a Thai bank that is willing to issue an L/C on Blades behalf, can you think of a way Blades could utilize its bank in the U. S. to effectively obtain an L/C from a Thai bank? ANSWER: Blades could inquire whether its U. S. bank has a correspondent bank in Thailand. In that case, the Thai bank may be willing to accept a letter of credit issued by Blades’ U.S. bank on Blades’ behalf. 6. What organizations could Blades contact to obtain working capital financing? If Blades is unable to obtain working capital financing from these organizations, what are its other options to finance its working capital needs in Thailand? ANSWER: There are several organizations Blades could contact to obtain working capital f inancing. For example, the Ex im bank’s Working Capital Guarantee Program encourages commercial banks to extend short-term financing by providing a comprehensive guarantee that covers 100 percent of the loan’s rincipal and interest. Furthermore, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) will provide medium- to long-term financing to U. S. investors undertaking an overseas venture. If Blades is unable to obtain working capital financing from these organizations, it could ask its bank for a short-term loan that finances the working capital cycle that begins with the purchase of inventory and continues with the sale of the goods, creation of an account receivable, and conversion to cash.

Buddhist Ethnography

The Buddhist Experience Buddhism is a religion that focuses more on the individual and the actions of that individual, which was prevalent to me when I made my way into Portland and set foot in a Buddhist temple. The man I met within the walls of this temple was far from my stereotypical thoughts of Buddhist monks. The man I met looked like your plain old, average Joe, American man. Before I delve into the depths of my visit to this inspiring place, I need to sum up the Buddhist religion and why I chose to study this particular group of people.First, Buddhism. Buddhism is a religion based off of the idea that there is a path that one can take to achieve enlightenment, instead of believing in a god or multiple gods. Buddhism began with a man named Siddhartha. Siddhartha, the son of a king and heir to the throne, was forbidden to leave the castle walls within which he was confined. His Father, the king, made him stay within the walls at all time so as not to see the suffering that was happening in the outside world. His father even hid all aging and sickness from his son.One day, Siddhartha told his personal bodyguard that he wanted to venture beyond the walls of the castle. The servant had no choice but to obey what Siddhartha had told him. The two set out and on their journey, they came across an old man in the street who was very close to dying. Siddhartha asked the bodyguard what was wrong with the man and the bodyguard had no choice but to tell Siddhartha the truth. They repeated this feat of leaving the castle walls on 3 more occasions, seeing a sickly woman on the side of the road one day, a dead body on the side of the road the next, and a renunciator on the fourth and final day.Each time the bodyguard was asked what was wrong with the person they saw, and each time, he was forced to tell Siddhartha the truth. These four people became known as the four sights, and eventually lead to Buddhism’s main teachings: life is suffering but there is a way ou t of the suffering. The way out of the suffering of life is through the Noble Eight Fold Path. The Noble Eight Fold Path teaches the way to act within the living world and what you can do to further your way along the path of Enlightenment.The Eight folds are: Right understanding, Right thought, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right concentration. This is the way that everyone should live if they want to achieve enlightenment along the Buddhist path. This is not the only thing that Siddhartha taught though. Like every single religion since the beginning of time, there is a list of rules. Christianity has the 10 Commandments, Islam has the Five Pillars of Islam, and Buddhism has the Religious Reformations of Buddha. Unlike most religions, Buddhism strays from the focus on an all mighty deity or deities.Buddhism preaches five different logics that deviate from the norm when it comes to religious ideals: first, Strive after enlightenme nt with due diligence. This means you must put a lot of effort into the job of enlightenment if you wish to achieve it. Second, there will be no metaphysical theorizing. This is the one that seems to throw a wrench into the ideals of every religion before it, there is no God and if you even think that there is a God, you are disgracing the Buddhist way of life. Buddhism is a way of life, it is not a religion with a holy God. Third, there is no tradition, no ritual.The teachings themselves are supposed to lead you, but if you do not know yourself, there is no way that you can know Buddhism and have the ability to follow the Noble Eightfold Path to enlightenment, once you find yourself and know yourself, then you can accept or reject the teachings of the Buddha. Fourth, is that you will find salvation through your efforts. If you are a diligent Buddhist and you work at the Eightfold Path to achieve enlightenment, you will be rewarded; you just need to have patience. Finally, there are no supernatural miracles, no water into wine, no parting of the Red Sea, just what goes on down here on plain old earth.In fact, at one point, the Buddha says â€Å"Those who attempt to work miracles are not my disciples†. This tells you just how serious the Buddha is about his focus on the natural and this-worldly things. Now that the basics have been laid out, time for why I chose to study Buddhism. Buddhism has been in my life for as long as I can remember, if only minimally. My father subscribed to a Buddhism magazine called Tricycle, more of an Americanized look at Buddhism. Moreover, the teachings of Buddhism and its focus on the here and now, how you treat people around you, and how you act towards people, have always been appealing to me.This opportunity fell into my lap and I was more than happy to take the chance to learn about something I had always known too little about. When I approached the temple, I immediately got a feel for an organized group of people simp ly by the way they approached the trimming of the trees and plants. Everything seemed to have a purpose and seemed to play off each other. The trees, with circles of branches only, seemed to perfectly accent the red, almost poinsettia looking flowers behind them leading up the staircase into a very plain, unexpressive building.Once I gained entrance into the temple itself, it was a different site than I expected. Beyond a Plexiglas barrier, was a very church-like worship area with decorations on a slightly elevated plateau. Gold smattered in with vivid colors greeted my eyes as I stepped through the door into the temple’s worship area. There was a statue of the Buddha in the middle, made out of gold, with a halo surrounding his head. On the left, slightly behind the level of the Buddha, was a cloth with the picture of 7 men that our Reverend Gregory G Gibbs would refer to as the authors of the Chinese Buddhist Cannon which is about 100,000 pages long.There was two thirds of a copy of the Cannon itself on the far sides of the raised area. In front was a large circular bowl with a top on it that we were informed was used for incense which is one of the three offerings that people were allowed to leave for Buddha. Incense is one of the ancient ways, and would be burned while the reverend would teach to the disciples. The other two gifts were flowers, which were meant to signify impermanence, and candles, meant to signify wisdom.The man we were lead by was a middle aged looking white male, far from the short, bald, Asian monk dressed in flowing orange robes I had expected to meet. He taught us all about the temple and how it had been around for more than 105 years. He was a very cordial man who loved to hear the sound of his own voice, unfortunately. The man lead us through the basement, seeing holy murals that had been created for the centennial celebration a few years prior. He was very obviously a pious man who had sought to follow the path of the Buddha into enlightenment.

Free Essays on Research

1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background 1.1.1 General Discussion â€Å"The development of the motor vehicle industry in Australia had been the result of government intervention and directives rather than entrepreneurial skills applied in a free market† (www.ibisworld.com.au). The industry was characterised by a large amount of assistance such as the protectionist policies which began in 1902, five years after the first car was built. There were high tariff levels of 57.5 percent as well as import quotas of 20 percent (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦). The federal government decided that it wanted a complete car manufactured in Australia so in 1944, this challenge was taken up by General Motors, Holden Limited. Twenty years after, the government made an announcement about the Australian made vehicle (www.ibisworld.com.au). In 1985, there was another policy adopted by the Australian car industry. It was known as the Button Plan and the main objective of the plan was to reduce the number of manufacturers from five to three and to expose the industry to more competition by phasing down import tariffs (www.ibisworld.com.au). In 1996, there was a reduction of tariffs to 25.0 percent (www.ibisworld.com.au). In 1976, there were two new manufacturers in the motor vehicle industry of Australia. They were AMI Toyota and Nissan. Due to their entry into the market, production costs increased. In 1984 and 1985, the production sector recorded profits on the domestic Profitability on Passenger motor vehicle (PMV). However, in 1986, there were significant losses and downfall in the domestic market for PMVs (www.ibisworld.com.au). Ford and Mitsubishi recorded profits, while Holden and AMI Toyota had a big loss. The motor vehicle sector itself made a loss of $224 million in 1990 (www.ibisworld.com.au). Although sales declined in 1986 and 1987, investment expenditure continued to increase till 1988 when the level of investment fell due to the completion of the... Free Essays on Research Free Essays on Research 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background 1.1.1 General Discussion â€Å"The development of the motor vehicle industry in Australia had been the result of government intervention and directives rather than entrepreneurial skills applied in a free market† (www.ibisworld.com.au). The industry was characterised by a large amount of assistance such as the protectionist policies which began in 1902, five years after the first car was built. There were high tariff levels of 57.5 percent as well as import quotas of 20 percent (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦). The federal government decided that it wanted a complete car manufactured in Australia so in 1944, this challenge was taken up by General Motors, Holden Limited. Twenty years after, the government made an announcement about the Australian made vehicle (www.ibisworld.com.au). In 1985, there was another policy adopted by the Australian car industry. It was known as the Button Plan and the main objective of the plan was to reduce the number of manufacturers from five to three and to expose the industry to more competition by phasing down import tariffs (www.ibisworld.com.au). In 1996, there was a reduction of tariffs to 25.0 percent (www.ibisworld.com.au). In 1976, there were two new manufacturers in the motor vehicle industry of Australia. They were AMI Toyota and Nissan. Due to their entry into the market, production costs increased. In 1984 and 1985, the production sector recorded profits on the domestic Profitability on Passenger motor vehicle (PMV). However, in 1986, there were significant losses and downfall in the domestic market for PMVs (www.ibisworld.com.au). Ford and Mitsubishi recorded profits, while Holden and AMI Toyota had a big loss. The motor vehicle sector itself made a loss of $224 million in 1990 (www.ibisworld.com.au). Although sales declined in 1986 and 1987, investment expenditure continued to increase till 1988 when the level of investment fell due to the completion of the...

8th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas

8th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas 8th grade science fair projects tend to involve the scientific method and designing an experiment and not making models or explaining processes. Youll be expected to present data in the form of tables and graphs. Typed reports and posters are the norm (sorry, no handwritten text). You should do the project yourself, rather than enlist heavy-duty help from a parent or older student. Its appropriate to cite references for any information that isnt common knowledge or that draws on the work of others. 8th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas What paper airplane design flies the farthest? stays aloft the longest?What effect does soap in water have on plants? Is the effect the same at very low soap concentrations as compared with high concentrations?How much plant food is too much?Are dogs (cats/fish/etc.) colorblind? If so, is the lack of color perception compensated by better light/dark vision?What soils best support structures, such as buildings?What types of words do babies learn to speak first?Does air temperature affect how long soap bubbles last? Does relative humidity?Are goldfish water chemicals really necessary or are they an unneeded expense?Can you graft a tomato plant onto a potato plant?Do plants react to the presence of other plants? music? different colored light?What materials glow under black light? Can you use the UV light to find invisible, possibly smelly, stains in your carpet or elsewhere in your house?Will chilling an onion before cutting it keep you from crying?Does catnip repel cockroaches better than DEET? What ratio of vinegar to baking soda produces the best chemical volcano eruption?What type of plastic wrap prevents evaporation the best?What plastic wrap prevents oxidation the best?What percentage of an orange is water?Are night insects attracted to lamps because of heat or light?Can you make Jello using fresh pineapples instead of canned pineapples?Do white candles burn at a different rate than colored candles?Does the presence of detergent in water affect plant growth?Can a saturated solution of sodium chloride still dissolve Epsom salts?Does magnetism affect the growth of plants?How does the shape of an ice cube affect how quickly it melts?Do different brands of popcorn leave different amounts of unpopped kernels?How accurately do egg producers measure eggs?How do differences in surfaces affect the adhesion of tape?If you shake up different kinds or brands of soft drinks (e.g., carbonated), will they all spew the same amount?Are all potato chips equally greasy?Do the same types of mold grow on all types of bread? Does light affect the rate at which foods spoil?Can you use a household water filter to remove flavor or color from other liquids?Does the power of a microwave affect how well it makes popcorn?Do all brands of diapers absorb the same amount of liquid? Does it matter what the liquid is (water as opposed to juice or... um.. urine)?Do all dishwashing detergents produce the same amount of bubbles? Clean the same number of dishes?Is the nutritional content of different brands of a vegetable (e.g., canned peas) the same?How permanent are permanent markers? What solvents (e.g., water, alcohol, vinegar, detergent solution) will remove the ink? Do different brands/types of markers produce the same results?Is laundry detergent as effective if you use less than the recommended amount? More?Do all hairsprays hold equally well? Equally long? Does type of hair affect the results?What effect do additives have on the crystals? You could add food coloring, flavorings, or other impurities.What steps c an you take to maximize crystal size? You can affect vibration, humidity, temperature, rate of evaporation, purity of your growth medium, and time allowed for crystal growth. How do different factors affect seed germination? Factors that you could test include the intensity, duration, or type of light, the temperature, the amount of water, the presence/absence of certain chemicals, or the presence/absence of soil. You can look at the percentage of seeds that germinate or the rate at which seeds germinate.Is a seed affected by its size? Do different size seeds have different germination rates or percentages? Does seed size affect the growth rate or final size of a plant?How does cold storage affect the germination of seeds? Factors you can control include the type of seeds, length of storage, temperature of storage, and other variables, such as light and humidity.What conditions affect the ripening of fruit? Look at ethylene and enclosing a fruit in a sealed bag, temperature, light, or nearness to other pieces or fruit.How are different soils affected by erosion? You can make your own wind or water and evaluate the effects on soil. If you have access to a very cold freezer, you can look at the effects of freeze and thaw cycles. How does the pH of soil relate to the pH of the water around the soil? You can make your own pH paper, test the pH of the soil, add water, then test the pH of the water. Are the two values the same? If not, is there a relationship between them?How close does a plant have to be to a pesticide for it to work? What factors influence the effectiveness of a pesticide (rain? light? wind?)? How much can you dilute a pesticide while retaining its effectiveness? How effective are natural pest deterrents? More Science Fair Project Ideas

Verview of the Bhopal, India disaster Research Paper - 1

Verview of the Bhopal, India disaster - Research Paper Example In December 1984, water with 42 tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas entered into tank 610. This resulted into an exothermic reaction that raised the temperature to over and above 200 degrees. The rise in pressure caused the tank to release 30 metric tones of MIC into the ambiance in less than 60 minutes. The northwesterly wind blew the gas over Bhopal (Hanna, Morehouse, & Sarangi, 2005). The gravity of the situation had magnifying factors such as poor safety systems; some of which were off to save on money; the flare tire disconnected; the vent gas scrubber was out of caustic soda; the pressure valve was not working; mandatory refrigeration of MIC was incorrect. Union Carbide ignored recommendations given to them by an American team that had performed inspections on the plant in the year 1961. This inspection revealed 61 potential hazards, none of which Union carbide corrected (Born, 1996). The disaster hit catastrophic levels owing to the burgeoning of casual settlements around the plant. Further, there lacked disaster preparedness actions induced by the appropriate authorities (Hanna, Morehouse, & Sarangi, 2005). Inquiry into the incident further revealed that the plant used unapproved technologies in its productions. The morale of the employees of the firm was low, and attempts to cut down expenses led to poor environment. Most of the qualified work force left the company for better jobs leaving under qualified staff at the plant (Born, 1996). This coupled with lacked of skilled operators led to the occurrence of the Bhopal gas tragedy. Following this nasty incident, Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) tried so hard to shift liability to it subsidiary, Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL). The UCC claimed that UCIL was autonomous in its operations and as such were culpable (Fernando, 2009). They also tried to blame the incident on disgruntled employees and Sikh extremists whom they