Mobile Phone and Skype Users Essay

1. Describe the environment in which Skype competes based on the three characteristics of high-tech markets (Chapter 1). Skype competes in the Internet telephony market, which provides voice-over-internetprotocol (VOIP) services to users. This allows users to install the software on their computers and make call through the Internet for free. Skype makes small charges for per-minute calls to landlines and mobile phones. The three common characteristics of high-tech markets are 1) market uncertainty; 2) technological uncertainty and 3) competitive volatility. 1) Market uncertainty a) The users are uncertain about the security and potential vulnerabilities exposed by the Skype system. Users doubt the reliability of the system. It is often not used for making emergency cases or highly important matters like calling the ambulance or police. b) There exist different VOIP platforms. There is platform dependency, where only Skype users can make calls to users who are using the Skype platform. c) Users move in herd behavior and there is increasing popularity in using social platform like MSN messenger, which also provides VOIP service. Thus there is a shift of users to more popular platform. 2) Technological uncertainty a) Windows update caused potential glitch in the system. This caused blackouts to users, which caused lost of trust in the Skype system. b) Users doubted the privacy security of the system, which could be intruded by unknown strangers calling using Skype. c) Users can easily disguise themselves and falsify their identities when registering to use the platform. Thus unregulated membership increases the rise of misusing the technology for crimes. 3) Competitive Volatility a) There is an increasing direct competition from large competitors such as Yahoo, MSN and Google. These players have diverted Skype users as this free voice-communication over the net is integrated into each of the social platform. As the network becomes larger, some of these services might utilize revenue model of Skype by adding value-added service to call users by landlines and mobile phones and provide it for free. b) The rising popularity in the use of Iphone also means there is a increase of other free calling services provided by Tango and Facetime etc. these platform provide the ability for users to conveniently call using their phone or gadgets like Ipad.

They Are More Complex Than You Think

Case Corporate Bonds – They are More Complex Than You Think 1. How should Jill go about explaining the relationship between coupon rates and bond prices? Why do the coupon rates for the various bonds vary so much? Jill should explain the relationship between coupon rates and bond prices by calculating the price of the bonds, which have similar features except coupon rate. Let’s compare ABC Energy issuer with the coupon rate 5% and 0% (the same with rating and YTM) IssuerMaturityFace ValueCoupon RateRatingYieldPrice% Change ABC Energy2010005%AAA2%$1,490. 54 49. 05% ABC Energy2010005%AAA3%$1,297. 55 29. 5% ABC Energy2010005%AAA5%$1,000. 00 0. 00% ABC Energy2010005%AAA6%$885. 30 -11. 47% ABC Energy2010000%AAA2%$672. 97 -32. 70% ABC Energy2010000%AAA3%$553. 68 -44. 63% ABC Energy2010000%AAA5%$376. 89 -62. 31% ABC Energy2010000%AAA6%$311. 80 -68. 82% The table shows that the 5% coupon bond has a wider fluctuation in price than the zero coupon bond for equivalent changes in y ield. 2. How are the ratings of these bonds determined? What happens when the bond ratings get adjusted downwards? The ratings of these bonds are determined by two professional bond-rating firms: Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s (S&P).Each of these bond-rating firms has a committee that evaluates the risk level of the company’s bond issue. It assigns a rating ranging from AAA or Aaa (best rating) down to D (default). The ratings are periodically re-evaluated whenever there is a significant development in a company’s structure or earning performance. When the ratings get adjusted downward, the bond becomes less attractive. Hence, the rate of return goes up to reduce its price. 3. During the presentation one of the clients is puzzled why some bonds sell for less than their face value while others sell for premium.She asks whether the discount bonds are a bargain. How should Jill respond? Bonds can be issued at a discount, at par, or even at premium from face v alue. The majority of bonds are sold at par ($1,000) with the coupon rate being set equal to the yield that proportional with its rating and maturity. After it is being issued, the yields demanded by investors will change, but the coupon rate still stays the same. If the yield exceeds the coupon rate, investors are demanding a higher rate of return than what the company is currently paying via the coupon payment, which leads the price drops and vice versa.As long as the yields are a true reflection of the risk level of the bond, there would not be any a bargain for the bond price, whether at a discount or premium from face value. 4. What does the term â€Å"yield to maturity† mean and how is it to be calculated? The â€Å"yield to maturity† (YTM) of a bond is the rate of return that an investor expects to earn when he or she buys the bond at its current price, receive the face value when it matures. The YTM is considered a long-term bond yield expressed as an annual ra te. The YTM of a bond is also known as its promised yield.To calculate a bond’s YTM, we must use the following inputs: For example: ABC Energy, 5%, 20 years, face value $1,000, price $703. 1 (semi-annual coupons) PV= -703. 1, N=40, PMT = 25, FV = 1000 => I = 4 (semi-annual) Interest annual = 4%*2 = 8 % 5. What is the difference between the â€Å"nominal† and effective yields to maturity for each bond listed in Table 1? Which one should the investor use when deciding between corporate bonds and other securities of similar risk? Please explain. IssuerFace ValueCoupon Rate Rating Quote PriceYTM Sinking FundCall Period YTM (semi-annual)Nominal YTMEffective YTM ABC Energy 10005%AAA703. 20yes34. 0001%8. 0001%8. 1601% ABC Energy 10000%AAA208. 320yesn/a3. 9999%7. 9997%8. 1597% TransPower100010%AA109220yes54. 5000%9. 0001%9. 2026% Telco Utilities100011%AA1206. 430no54. 4999%8. 9998%9. 2023% The nominal yield to maturity on the bond is calculated by multiplying the semi-annual y ield by two. The effective YTM is calculated by compounding the semi-annual yield for two periods. For example, on the ABC Energy 5%, 20 year bond, the semi-annual YTM is 4%. The effective annual YTM would be calculated [(1+0. 4)^2]-1 = 0. 0816 or 8. 16%.Since the YTM is a promise yield with the actual yield being dependent on the reinvestment rate that each investor is able to earn, it is best to compare similar risk bonds on the basis of their nominal YTMs. 6. Jill knows that the call period and its implications will be of particular concern to the audience. How should she go about explaining the effects of the call provision on bond risk and return potential. Call provisions are attached to bonds so that it allows companies to refinance their debt at lower rates when interest rates drop.The existence of a call provision presents a risk to the bond investor that their investment horizon on that bond may be prematurely ended. Moreover, there is reinvestment risk associated with cal lable bonds, since the bonds are called when rates are low. The company does pay a premium when the bond is called. Furthermore, there is a deferred call period for five years, which the bond can’t be called. In the case of callable bonds, investors should calculate the yield to the first call of the bonds to decide.For this calculate, the future value is set to equal to $1,000 + 1 year coupon, the maturity is assumed to be the number of years until the bond become callable. 7. How should Jill go about explaining the riskiness of each bond? Rank the bonds in terms of their relative riskiness. IssuerFace ValueCoupon Rate Rating Quote PriceYTM Sinking FundCall Period YTM (semi-annual)Nominal YTMEffective YTMRisk Rank (1=low) ABC Energy 10005%AAA703. 120yes34. 0001%8. 0001%8. 1601%1 ABC Energy 10000%AAA208. 320yesn/a3. 9999%7. 9997%8. 1597%2 TransPower100010%AA109220yes54. 5000%9. 001%9. 2026%3 Telco Utilities100011%AA120630no54. 4999%8. 9998%9. 2023%4 The bond ratings provide a general guide as to the credit risk associated with each bond. Within it ratings, investors need to be aware of call risk, reinvestment risk, maturity, and the sinking fund provision’s effect on risk. Callability makes a bond have a higher reinvestment risk. Among the AAA bonds, the zero coupon bond has no call risk, no reinvestment risk, but the higher price risk. Among the AA bonds, Telco Utilities has a longer maturity and no sinking fund making it the riskiest. . One of Jill’s best clients poses the following questions, â€Å"If I buy 10 of each of these bonds, reinvest any coupons received at the rate of these bonds, reinvest any coupons received at the rate of 5% per year and hold them until they mature, what will my realized return be on each bond investment? † How should Jill respond? IssuerFace ValueCoupon Rate Quote PriceYTM Sinking FundCall Period YTM (semi-annual)Nominal YTMEffective YTMFV of couponFV of coupon + FVRealized Return (Semi-Annual)Reali zed Return ABC Energy 10005%703. 120yes34. 0001%8. 001%8. 1601%$1,685. 06 $2,685. 06 3. 41%6. 81% ABC Energy 10000%208. 320yesn/a3. 9999%7. 9997%8. 1597%$0. 00 $1,000. 00 4. 00%8. 00% TransPower100010%109220yes54. 5000%9. 0001%9. 2026%$3,370. 13 $4,370. 13 3. 53%7. 06% Telco Utilities100011%120630no54. 4999%8. 9998%9. 2023%$7,479. 54 $8,479. 54 5. 00%9. 99% In the case of the ABC Energy, 5% coupon bond, the realized return is calculated as follows: Future value of reinvested coupon N=40, I = 2. 5, PV=0, PMT=25 => FV= 1685. 06 Realized return = [(1685. 06+1000)/703. 1]^(1/40) -1 = 3. 41% *2 = 6. 82%

Impartiality is the only satisfactory response by a state in the Essay

Impartiality is the only satisfactory response by a state in the modern world to asylum seekers who approach its borders - Essay Example The right to be treated with respect is equal to all people irrespective of their skin color, race, religion, or culture. Such human rights are being incorporated into the legal systems of many democratic countries. This, however, has not come spontaneously, but through protests, campaigns and pressure from support groups and organizations. The problems associated with asylum seekers and their handling in liberal democratic countries has become an international problem1. Whereas such campaigns and major steps are being made towards the recognition, respect and support of these human rights, some countries regularly abuse these rights. Such cases are reported in countries without legislation that can protect these rights. In a few instances where the legislation exists, it has proven difficult for these nations to implement. People are progressively becoming more aware of their rights. The importance of these rights is being recognized, and there have been major changes in the legal s tructure of many democratic countries to accommodate the human rights acts. It is, however, worth to note that, more needs to be done to ensure human beings enjoys their life to the fullest. There has been an increasing concern over how refugees and asylum seekers from underdeveloped countries are treated in the developed countries where they seek asylum. This concern has been greatly on Australia, which admits refugees as well as asylum seekers from all lifestyles. The country welcomes and accepts refugees and asylum seekers running away from their countries to avoid persecution. According to Matthew Gibney’s â€Å"The Ethics and Politics of Asylum,† there are an estimated twenty million refugees in the world. If the nations where these people seek asylum cannot accommodate them, they have a tough luck. Many people are seeking to enter the developed countries as asylum seekers. Some of the people who seek asylum in developed countries are illegal immigrants taking adv antage of the policies and legislations that allow asylum seekers to immigrate freely to other countries. It has become evident that various countries are putting restrictive policies on immigration to prevent illegal immigrants from developing and underdeveloped countries from entering their countries. Democratic governments have had difficulties in differentiating asylum seekers from economic immigrants into their countries2. The number of human refugees is increasing by the day and the lack of will from the community to accommodate them has brought enormous suffering to them. Asylum has become one fundamental issue in the politics of democratic countries. In 1993, the German parliament amended the basic law in an effort to curb the entry of asylum seekers into the country’s territory. The move by the parliament was aimed at slowing down the entrance of asylum seekers into the nation. In 1994, the Clinton administration in the United States, conducted a military interventio n in Haiti Island, in a bid to re-establish a regime that did not produce refugees and asylum seekers. This was after much criticism on the U.S policy that allowed veto of refugees and asylum seekers on boats going to Florida. When the Norwegian Freighter, the Tampa, attempted to land in Australia, the Australian government restricted it on the ground that it

Communication Game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Communication Game - Essay Example ses into words when acting so, before the game starts, you can give them time to plan on their secret codes like showing the ring, middle and point fingers up to denote ‘W’ for word and making a fist to tell the group members that they are to guess for a phrase. Sticking out the point finger can mean the first word or syllable and raising two fingers mean the second word or syllable, and so on. No actor is allowed to make sounds or let his/her group mates read his/her lips, that is the lips of the actor should never move. Pointing to a thing to give away an answer is to the teacher or host’s discretion if it is allowed or not. The time limit for each actor should be given. Three minutes is ideal or can be adjusted to cater to all participants at a given period of time. If there many participants, you can lessen the time for each participant to act. To reach the aim of improving verbal communications of the participants, guesses can be required to be in sentences and not just words. For example, instead of just saying ‘word’, the guessers should say, ‘Is this a word?’. Appropriate punishments must be explained before the game starts to avoid misunderstandings during the game like, if an actor is caught moving his mouth, the group will have deductions from their score. Scoring should also be well-defined. For instance, a group guesses correctly in two minutes and one second to three minutes, they will have a score of 1, if they correctly guess the answer in one minute and one second to two minutes, they will be credited 3 points but get 5 points if they answer correctly in one minute or less. More punishments can be imposed depending on the discipline the teacher or host would like to draw from the participants. After giving all the instructions and rules, the game can start with one actor from each team playing alternately until all have acted. The actor picks a strip of paper where a word or phrase is written. The actor is the only one allowed

Reflection on the movie We Are Marshall Research Paper

Reflection on the movie We Are Marshall - Research Paper Example Reflection on the movie "We Are Marshall" I consider this movie as an apt tribute to the victims of the plane crash because the remaining members of the Thundering Herd football team are not ready to give up. Besides, the movie is symbolic of the relationship between sports and willpower to withstand critical circumstances in human life. The film and the history of sports and games in America The director makes use of a historical incident in his film to portray the after effect of the same. But the director does not try to unearth the background of the tragic incident. Instead, he utilizes the incident as the background of his film. One can see that injury is usual in sports and games. But destruction of a whole team due to a plane crash is unimaginable. Within this context, the McG is aware of his role as film director. He never tries to unveil the background of the tragic incident. But he totally ignores the background and concentrates his attention on the after effect of the plane crash. If the director tries to concentr ate on the background of the incident, the output will be a historical anecdote. Here, a film direct cannot use his or her individual freedom. If the director decides to make use of an incident as a theme, he or she can utilize individual freedom. In my opinion, the director did not get distracted by the historical importance of the incident. This helps the film to go beyond a historical anecdote with limited scope. So, one can see that a historical event is the film’s theme but the same is used as a foundation to portray the after effects or the following events. ... Tribute to the victims of plane crash The film is based upon a real incident which happened in the year 1970 in America. Baker Publishing Group (2009) stated that, â€Å"In the sports movie We Are Marshall, nearly the entire Marshall University football team dies in a plane crash† (p. 411). The team members and the officials of the Thundering Herd football team became victims to the Southern Airways Flight 932 crash. The travel by flight was a rare event for the Thundering Herd football team because they usually made use of other transportation facilities. The Marshall University never suspected a tragic end to their players. One can see that the future dreams of number of families became futile due to the plane crash. But the University authorities were not ready to forget the victims and their family members. The memorials erected at the University campus and Spring Hill Cemetery is symbolic of the homage to the victims of the plane crash. On the other side, the directorâ₠¬â„¢s attempt to inculcate the plane crash and its after effects in his film can be considered as an apt visual tribute for the victims. But the director never tries to consider his film as investigation on the back ground of the plane crash. Instead, he tries to attract the attention of the viewers towards the after effects of the tragedy. I consider the director’s effort is important because it helps the viewers to realize that how to show tribute to the victims of manmade or natural disasters. Sports and games and willpower I consider that one’s achievement in the field of sports is interconnected with one’s willpower to withstand challenges in life. At the same time, failure to achieve success in a sports event helps human beings to realize that the

Starbucks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Starbucks - Research Paper Example Essentially, it offers a limited variety of products, with its main product coffee. There is need for diversification in the kind of products offered to the customers as a company attracts all types of people to its stores. Some people may want to meet in the Starbucks stores, but one does not take coffee but prefers soft drinks such as Pepsi, however, since the company does not store Pepsi as part of its products, these potential customers are likely to opt for another place to hold their meeting. Starbucks enjoys high popularity from its customers due to the high quality drinks and snacks that it provides to the people. Its coffee, being the best in the market has a great taste and smell. However, a section of people accuses the company of adding a number of additives in their drinks to give them a good taste. This makes their drinks unhealthy. Any foodstuff regarded as containing any type of chemicals does not qualify as safe. Instead, it loses its healthy qualities and becomes un healthy. The kind of snacks that the company provides to its customers is low in their nutrient value and high in fat, sugar and salt content. Therefore, these foods fall in the category of junk food. Junk as a type of food poses a number of risks to the users. One of these problems is that they lead to poor health of the people. Major characteristics of the people used to junk food are obesity and high weight conditions. The company, to remain competitive in the ever growing food market, it has to adapt a new product design. In the proposed design, the organization should consider the nutrient level of the product. Old folks do not consider taste as being the biggest factor when deciding the kind of products to purchase. This should be the biggest factor that Starbucks has to consider when deciding on their product development cycle. Snacks and drinks that the company has to offer should address the nutrient content. There must be special drinks for the diabetic and pregnant women. Three strategies that Starbucks need to implement while developing its products include increasing the variety of products offered to the people. Another strategy involves deciding providing drinks that are free of additives and some should have their original natural taste. Finally, the kind of snacks provided should be low in fat, sugar and salt content. 2. Five key components of supply chain management that affects Starbucks as an organization. According to Dam & Skjott-Larsen (2005), the five components of supply chain include planning, sourcing, making, delivering and returning. Starbucks needs to make a strategy on how to manage the resources in order to increase the customer demand for their products and services. The supply chain ensures that the company provides high quality products to its customers and thus win their loyalty (Dam & Skjott-Larsen, 2005). Sourcing to Starbucks involves a careful selection of suppliers to deliver goods and services required for the producti on of goods and services for the company. Managers of Starbucks need to develop a pricing and delivery system in the supply chain. Additionally, managers can also put down processes for managing their goods and inventory. In manufacturing, the supply chain manager should schedule the activities needed for the product

B2C (Business to Consumer) case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

B2C (Business to Consumer) case study - Essay Example E-business provides communication between customers and organisations and they can exchange standard business transactions through online media (Yang & et. al., 2003). E-business in broad context can be stated as any business procedure that organisations carry out by computer networks, comprising internal and external communication flows. Through e-business, customers can make any transactions on the computer network, comprising transfer of proprietorship, or the right to use products and services. The transaction is performed within chosen e-business procedures and is considered to be completed upon agreement between purchasers and sellers regarding the use of products and services. Concerning the relationship between different participants, e-business can be classified into three categories namely B2C, B2B and C2C (Zakic & Mladenovic, 2011). Focusing on this aspect, the report describes a popular B2C application namely ‘Online Bookstore’ and its role in the respective industry. ... E-business opens the door to the notion of commercial activities without any border. Globally, it has also been observed that most popular products for online shopping are books, apparel and accessories (yStats, 2013). According to the report of Pitney Bowes (2013), online shopping is continuing to grow with e-business and is predicted to reach US$963 billion by 2013 in an international extent. The quickly expanding international digital community signifies a massive potential marketplace for any retail business with internet presence. Besides, the report of Pitney Bowes states that most common products which are purchased through internet are books, clothes and magazines. Wherein the overall market of physical books has declined, e-books sales have increased considerably. Indeed, popular e-book retailer Amazon has reported double-digit growth in the year 2011. The following figure demonstrates products purchased through internet in 2012. Fig 1: Products Purchased Through Internet So urce: (Pitney Bowes, 2013) From the above figure, it can be observed that online book shipping is regarded as the most popular item for a majority of online shoppers. According to the research of The Publishers Association, in the year 2012, the books sales in the United States were about ?3.3 billion, with 66% increase in online book sales. Online book sales represented about 12% of the total book sales in the United Kingdom (The Publishers Association, 2013). In the US, the revenue generated through book publishing had increased to about 3.1% in the year 2010 to a figure of US$27.9 billion. The percentage of sales of online book had increased to about 29.4 in 2009 and 38.9 in 2010 (German Book Office New York, 2010). According to the study of Nielsen (2010), books and

Managament of Specific Risk Exposures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managament of Specific Risk Exposures - Essay Example al 1996). Environmental auditing helps identify the problem areas. This would aid in developing schemes and precedencies by which the different issues may be dealt. Environmental auditors' objective with regard to this particular construction work is to clean the contamination of the water table and the running stream as these areas are assigned for tiny parks within the new Village. The main objective of the new administrator of the council is to see through the completion of the project. He has to see to it that all the employees whether temporary or otherwise is satisfied once the project gets over. It is his duty to see that all the legal rules and regulations are followed by the company. The main objective of the contracted construction workers is to earn as much as possible till such time the project lasts. As these workers are not permanent but are contracted for a particular job their aim is to make money which might see them through in the lean season also. The union of the workers' feels that since the administrator is new there may be some hitch in their relationship with regard to the workers welfare. The union also feels that the new administrator may handle workers roughly which might lead to disaster. The environmental auditor... The union also feels that the new administrator may handle workers roughly which might lead to disaster. Risk to the environmental auditors The environmental auditors perceive risk with regard to cleaning the contaminated water table. Since no companies are available at the local to clean the polluted water the company is at a high risk of not getting the project approved. Risk perceived by Wishford Bird Lover's Society There are three nests of the orange crested cuckoo (listed as an endangered species) in areas designated for new houses. The Wishford Bird lover's Society feel that these birds may migrate to other places when they (birds) perceive danger to their breeding and nesting. Risk to Wishford Council's new administrator Since the administrator is new it might take some time for him to adjust with the other employees and to gain their confidence. Gaining the confidence of employees has to be achieved within no time or else the project may take more time for completion. Apart from this since he is a new employee it might take some time for him to study the present workers and the rules and regulations of the council. Risks to Hartford Brown contracted construction workers Contracted workers at construction sites are always in danger of contacting occupational diseases. They also are exposed to some highly dangerous materials like asbestos which might be used in construction works. Q.1. (c) The overall project manager can draft all the risks attributed to the different stakeholders and form a report. This report has to be prepared in consultation of each of the stakeholders by identifying risks involved in their respective areas. The risk arising directly from the project has to be segregated from other risks which might rise

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

Texas History - Essay Example 7. Convicts of the colonies would be sent to Texas for construction projects. 8. The ban did not diminish migration of US citizens to migrating to Texas. 9. Forced Texas to comply with emancipation proclamation or be threatened by military intervention. 10. Authorized loan to fund cost of migrating immigrants. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna   1. Famous battle warrior that fought more wars than Washington and Napoleon. 2. Served as a dictator for a long time 3. Needed military ambitions to support his leadership 4. In his quest as a leader, invaded Cuba and attempted to retake Mexico. 5. Greatly influenced the politics of Spanish and Mexican politics. 6. Lead Mexican troops to Alamo in which he was defeated 7. Was exiled to US after his defeat in Alamo 8. Fought in the Mexican American war with the Mexicans. 9. Got no attention in his later years of life 10. Died in Mexico City on June 21, 1876 Lorenzo de Zavala   1. Prominent leaders of leading Texas’s struggle to be liberate d 2. Best known as an author for his writing about the liberation of Mexico. 3. Big advocator of democratic reform. 4. Serves as the Mexican Constituent Congress and was elected as a senate member from 1822 to 1826. 5. Held several positions in the government and propagated for Mexican federalism. 6. Signed the Texas declaration of Independence in the Convention of 1836. 7. Edited and was part of the newspaper that propagated for democratic reform. 8. Was imprisoned by the England and taught himself how to be literate during those years. 9. Was exiled in June 1830 when President Bustamente got ousted. 10. Traveled to New York and Texas in his life. Sam Houston 1. 19th century American statesman and soldier 2. Part of Scottish-Irish family 3. Became a primary figure for Texas and was elected as the first and third President for Texas. 4. Was involved in the War of 1812 to fight the British 5. A devoted Christian and was later baptized in his life. 6. The city of Houston along with ma ny other places are named after him. 7. Was involved with a clash with a US congressman that was public. 8. One of the key figures to serve as the governor of Houston. 9. Spent time with Cherokee Nation and later became a citizen. 10. Was elected as a governor of Tennessee in 1827. Battle of the Alamo   1. Was a critical point in the Texas revolution. 2. Initiated by the Mexican troops under General lopes to invade the Alamo. 3. Texas army was joined by US army in which they defeated the Mexican Army. 4. Lead to a point in which all Mexican troops were driven out. 5. The Mexican army relentlessly kept attacking the Alamo and eventually succeed in slaying the Texan-American army. 6. Sparked the Mexican-American war from 1846 to 1848. 7. The battle of Alamo remains as a massacre site for sides 8. Travis, one of the leaders of the Texan Army, wrote his famous letter to "the people of Texas and all Americans of the world" requesting more men. 9. The Alamo served as home to missionarie s and American Indian converts. 10. In the 20th century, the Texas labeled Alamo as a prominent place. Stephen F. Austin’s was one of the most amazing personalities that literally changed from an empresario to a revolutionary. Austin was born in Virginia and was a founder of the Angl-American state of Texas. Austin is best known for his cooperation with the Mexican government as he introduced a mass number of colonists from the states to the neighboring country. Austin had a

U.S. Health Care System Essay Example for Free

U.S. Health Care System Essay Health care system in the United States is on an unsustainable way and in need of transformation. Even if, it has both private and public insurers like in other countries but the uniqueness of this system is dominant of the private component. The United States spends more on health care than any other nation but the nation is less healthy than the average population in other developed countries. Additionally, many people stay uninsured and do not have access to health care. There is a need for a deep change in the system of health care (Chua, 2006). This paper will identify and evaluate three forces that have affected the development of the health care system in the United States of America. Than, it will speculate whether or not these forces will continue to affect the health care system in the U.S. over the next decade including additional force impacting the health care system of the nation. Finally, it will evaluate the importance of technology in health care. Three Forces That Have Affected the Development of the Health Care System in the United States of America. The development of health care system in the U.S. has been affected by many different forces such social, economy, behavioral, political and technological issues. A very important factor affecting health care system is economy. The economy aspect in health care includes employment, health care cover and costs that allow people to have financial access to healthcare. In such an unstable economy as we have faced recently some employers drop or restrict coverage or prevent eligibility of its employees to continue coverage. Even more, they have a tendency to reduce costs of health care insurance by readjusting the benefits offered or sharing in the cost. Those with low income or those who lost their jobs are left uninsured. Moreover, employer-sponsored healthcare coverage has changed and some employees are no longer offering health care insurance coverage as a benefit. This will continue to be an issue in the health care system if the economy remains in recession (American Medical Association, 2005). In March 2010 the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed and supposed to increase quality and affordability of health insurance while reducing costs of health care for individuals and government but still is difficult to estimate if this act is going to bring real changes in health care field (Cembranelli, 2012). Another force affecting health care system in America is a social factor that interacts with the economy. The size and composition of population has a great influence on health services. Since the rate of births is higher than the number of deaths; the population has grown remarkably. Also, the constantly increasing number of immigrants affects the current population of the country. According to the data from by the census bureau, the aging population is healthier and lives longer then previous generations. Their way of live is more beneficial to health; they have more active lifestyles, social activities and cosmetic medicines. Such tendency impacts the health care system. The biomedical advances enhance longevity that leads to longer periods of economic and social dependency, while improving the quality of life. The aging population intensifies a burden on the younger workers and  will result to impact social policies, taxes, politics and life in general. In the same way, fertility, abortion trends, mortality trends affecting life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality impact the development of health care (Wiliams Torrens, 2010). Additional aspects influencing the development of health care systems in the U.S are behavioral factors. Many advances have been made in the field of disease preventions, treatments and lifestyle patterns. The rise of the AIDS woke up individuals to the fact that infectious diseases are still challenging. Controlling infectious disease has become a significant public health issue and is associated with an improvement in living conditions. Challenges in mortality are currently focused on chronic diseases and awareness to fight new outbreaks of infectious diseases play a major part. Threats of biological weapons in war terror, exposure to violence, vehicular accidents, and use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco products as well as infectious agents have an impact on behavior. Sexual behaviors have an impact on the widespread of sexually transmitted diseases resulting an increase in infertility, cancer and other complications. Moreover, intensified stress in daily life, workplace violence, issues in marriage, domestic abuse and many other problems brings breakdowns and deterioration of human immune system and affects morbidity and mortality that are linked to behavior and social interaction. The failure of the society to address social, behavioral and economics causes of disease will continue to affect the development of the healthcare system (Williams Torrens, 2010). How the Forces Will Affect the Health Care System in the United States of America Over the Next Decade, Including Additional Force-Medical Technology. All of the forces that affect the health care in the U.S. will continue over the next decade especially that there is a failure in addressing them. There is a chance that situation may even worsen and new challenges can arise. Even if, improvements of technology constantly increase efficiency, the cost of new tests and treatments will be greater than the savings based on mentioned previously economic, social and behavior factors. Health care will keep getting better in diagnosis and treating diseases lengthening patients  lives and at the same time increasing the number of people requiring care (Adams, Archbold, Munib, New, 2007). The U.S. health care system is dysfunctional and can no longer continue as it currently operates. With or without Affordable Care Act (ACA), there is a need for a deep change. The United States spends more money on health care because a nation is less healthy on the average than the rest of the developed world. The system is dysfunctional and ACA is fast-tracking the process of changes that will be faced by the economic and business challenges by health care organizations. The required adjustments to healthcare organizations operating budgets and methodologies for delivering medicine may become a big issue. Health care organizations will have to go from volume-based reimbursement in medicine based on the number of procedures done or patients seen to a value-based system that will give the same money for every patient regardless of the procedure performed. Health care organizations may have lower income since they will treat more patients. They may face cost-pressure factors such as the overall cost of medical care and the increased incidence of chronic disease, cost transparency and reference pricing, increased government role in paying for care, increased coverage and limited highly skilled medical workforce There is a prediction that forty million more people will be covered nationally, at reimbursement rates below the cost of providing that care (Adams et al., 2007). Among the economic, social and behavioral forces impacting development of the health care system is medical technology that brings a great change in the health care but it raises costs of health care. It impacts economy, organizations, industry as well as patients, insurance beneficiaries and social and governmental policy. Medical technology increases cost in health care on one hand but on the other hand improves diagnosing and treatment. Use of current medical technology allows health care organizations to develop new products and services and this way increase standards of offered services. As new technologies are developed, they bring new ethical and regulatory issues. Issues in technological advances will bring more challenges and affect the development of the health care services bringing  it into the new century (Etheredge, Jones, Lewin, 1996). The Importance of Technology in Health Care. Technology today plays an important role in health care because it improves quality of care. According to Williams and Torrens (2010), technology is the driving force of health care. It helps in the storing and organization of patient records or information and gives access to doctors to medical records. Use of technology in health care allows better and faster diagnosis and treatments. The technology is very beneficial in overcoming communication barriers in health care. It has an impact in so many areas in the healthcare world such as economic, clinical, organization, and industrial impact as well as on patients and insurance beneficiaries, social, government and policy impact. It is a hope for a long, productive life for millions of people but it has to be properly implemented by trained individuals. Health care organizations must ensure that they hire the proper staff capable to implement it while providing security and protection of patients data. Proper implementation of technology allows capturing, track, record and recognizing illnesses quickly and treating them effectively. Technology lets people and communities to stay healthy by providing them access whenever it is needed. Moreover, it brings opportunities to wellness and will also be used to stabilize physiology, modify risky behaviors, design and field snap clinical trials advancing biomedical knowledge and care for individuals with health care challenges. Despite of all benefits that technology brings to health care, today some express a concern that innovation is being stifled, capital is unavailable for technology acquisition, and reimbursement is inadequate (Graham, Estrin, Horvitz, Kohane, Mynatt, 2011). Conclusion Health care system in the United States is struggling with high cost while trying to improve quality and increasing access for the health services. There are social, economy, behavioral, political and technological factors that affect development in health care system in the country. An important  role in this development plays technology that improves quality and efficiency of diagnosis and treatment on one hand but on the other hand increases significantly costs of health care. There is a deep need to transform the health care system by improving the experience of care and the health of populations at the same time reducing costs of health care. REFERENCES Adams, J., Archbold, B. L., Munib, E. L., New, D. (2007). _Healthcare 2015 and U.S. health plan. New roles, new competencies_. Retrieved January 21, 2014, from http://www.healthleadersmedia.com American Medical Association (2005). Socioeconomic Status in Health Reaserch. _The Journal of the American Medical Association, 294_(22), . doi:10.1001/jama.294..22.2879. Cembranelli, F. (). _What are the six forces that affect innovation in healthcare?_ Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://empreendersaude.com Chua, K. P. (2006, February). _Overview of the U.S. Health Care System_. Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://amsa.org/AMSA/Libraries/Committee_Docs/HealthCareasystemOvervi ew.sflb.ashx Etheredge, L., Jones, S. B., Lewin, L. (1996). What is driwving health system change? _Health Affairs, 4_, 93-104. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.15.4.93 Graham, S., Estrin, D., Horvitz, E., Kohane, I., Mynatt, E. (2011). _Information Technology Research Chalanges for Healthcare: From Discovery to Delivery_. Retrieved n.d., from http://www.cra.org/ccc/national-priorities/healthcare Wiliams, S. J., Torrens, P. R. (2010). _Introduction to Health Services_ (7  ed.). Mason: Cengage Learning.

Overview Of Cooling System Engineering Essay

Overview Of Cooling System Engineering Essay In order to reducing fuel consumption and meet the emission standards, many improvements has been made. The examples of the improvements are combustion strategies, fuel injection system, exhaust emission and fuel quality[1]. There are four possible sources of atmospheric pollution from the automobile. Without emission controls, a carburetor and fuel tank emits vapors, the crankcase emits blowby gases and the tailpipe emits exhaust gases that contain pollutants. The main regulated pollutant in engine exhaust are nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbon (HC) and smoke[2]. These air pollutants are harmful to human beings as well as plants and animals. The law now requires automotive manufacturers to install emission controls. Car that gives off excessive amount of air pollutants may not be allowed on the streets someday. Stronger laws limiting automotive air pollution and mandatory inspection and maintenance has been proposed. These laws are part of the government policy that cars must contribute as little as possible to the problem of air pollution. Each car already have three major systems for controlling pollutants from these sources that is positive crankcase ventilation (PVC), evaporative emission control and exhaust emission control. But in this study we want to focus more on engine cooling system and its effects to the emission reduction, fuel consumption and engine performance. Now, we will through about the components of engine cooling system and its functions. Engine cooling system is a system that responsible for cooling the engine by releasing heat through the cooling fins so that the carà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s engine is not too hot or not too cold. This system helps to bring the engine up at to normal operating temperatures as quickly as possible and maintain the operating temperature for efficient function of the car engine. It is very important to keep the engine at its most operating temperature at all speeds and operating conditions. Burning fuel in the engine produces heat. Some of the heat must be taken away before it damages the engine parts. This is one of the jobs that performed by the cooling system. If the engine temperature is too low, fuel consumption will rise and if the temperature is too hot for too long, the engine will overheat. 1.2 TYPES OF COOLING SYSTEM There are two types of car cooling system which is the air cooling system and liquid cooling system. Air cooling system is a system that uses air as a cooling agent. It is commonly used in single cylinder engines such as motorcycles while liquid cooling system is known as the radiator system. It a system that uses liquid as a cooling agent and is used in a multi-cylinder engine such as cars and trucks. Radiator is the crucial components in the car cooling system. It ensures the engine is not overheating. Figure 1.1 : Cooling System Components [12] 1.3 COMPONENTS OF COOLING SYSTEM 1.3.1 WATER JACKET For operation of the cooling systems, it uses five basic parts or components to do the job in controlling the engine temperature that is water jackets, water pump, thermostat, radiator and fan. Water jackets are open spaces between the cylinder walls and the outside shell of the block and head. Coolant from the water pump flows first through the block water jackets. Then, the coolant flows up through the cylinder head water jackets and back to the radiator. 1.3.2 WATER PUMP Water pump usually known as impeller pumps. It is attached to the front of the engine and are driven by a belt from crankshaft pulley. The pump circulates as much as 28 390 L of coolant an hour. As the impeller rotates, the curved blades draw coolant from the bottom of the radiator. It forces the coolant from the pump outlet to the water jackets. The impeller shaft is supported on sealed bearings which never need lubrication. The seals prevent the coolant from leaking past the bearings. 1.3.3 RADIATOR Radiator is a heat exchanger that removes heat from engine coolant that passing through it. The heat transfer from the hot coolant to the cooler outside air. It has three main parts that is radiator core, inlet and outlet tanks. The core consists of set of tubes and set of fins that attached to the tubes. Figure 1.2 : Coolant Flow Inside Engine Cooling System [12]C:UsersFaisal Mamat.FaisalMamat-PCDesktopCapture.PNG 1.3.4 THERMOSTAT For thermostat, it is a heat operated valve that regulates the coolant temperatures. It does this by controlling the coolant flow from the engine to the radiator. The thermostat is in the coolant passage between the cylinder head and the radiator. The valve in thermostat stay open and close as coolant temperature changes. As long as the coolant temperature is below the thermostat set point, the thermostat remains closed. Once the temperature arrives at the set point, the thermostat starts to open, sending heated coolant through the radiator. The radiator then cools the heated engine coolant and the water pump forces the coolant back through the engine. The passage to the radiator is closed when the engine is cold so the engine can warms up more quickly. Engine heat stays in the engine instead of being carried to the radiator. Figure 1.3 : Closed Position of Thermostat [12] Figure 1.4 : Open Position of Thermostat [12] 1.3.5 ELECTRIC FAN An electric fan is turned on by thermostatic switch only when needed. For example, it turns on when the coolant temperature reach 93 °C and turn off back the fan if the coolant drops below this temperature. But on vehicles with air conditioning, turning on the air conditioner bypass the thermostatic switch. The fans run all the time when air conditioner is on. The fan is controlled by electronic control module (ECM) in many vehicles with an electronic engine control system. 1.4 PROPERTIES OF COOLANT 1.4.1 TAP WATER Tap water is potable water supplied to a tap inside the household or workplace. The application of technologies involved in providing clean water to homes, businesses and public buildings is a major subfield of sanitary engineering. Specific chemical compounds are often added to tap water during the treatment process to adjust the pH or remove contaminants, as well as chlorine to kill biological toxins. The use of tap water adversely affect the car cooling system. Tap water contains magnesium and calcium ions that will form the yellow precipitate (rust) when the water becomes hot. The yellow precipitate will be attached to the car engine after long time period and this will reduce the absorption of heat from the engine. If this rust become denser, it can interfere the passage of cooling liquid in the car cooling system. 1.4.2 ETHYLENE GLYCOL (EG) Ethylene glycol is an organic compound widely used as an automotive antifreeze and a precursor to polymers. In its pure form, it is an odorless, colorless, syrupy, sweet-tasting liquid. Ethylene glycol is toxic, and ingestion can result in death. Ethylene glycol is produced from ethylene via the intermediate ethylene oxide. The major use of ethylene glycol is as a medium for convective heat transfer. For example, automobiles and liquid cooled computers. Pure ethylene glycol has a specific heat capacity about one half that of water. So, while providing freeze protection and an increased boiling point, ethylene glycol lowers the specific heat capacity of water mixtures relative to pure water. A 50/50 mix by mass has a specific heat capacity of about 0.75 BTU/lb F, thus requiring increased flow rates in same system comparisons with water. 1.5 FUEL Gasoline is a transparent, petroleum derived liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasoline also contain ethanol as an alternative fuel. A good gasoline quality should have : Proper volatility, which determines how easily the gasoline vaporizes. Resistance to spark knock or detonation. Oxidation inhibitors, which prevent formation of gum in the fuel system. Antirust agents, which prevent rusting of metal parts in the fuel system. Detergents, which keep help keep the carburetor or fuel injectors clean. Dye for identification, such as red eye which gives leaded gasoline a rust or orange colour. 1.5.1 VOLATILITY Volatility is the ease with which a gasoline vaporizes. Gasoline must vaporize quickly after it is mixed with air in the throttle body or intake manifold. Otherwise, drops of liquid gasoline enter the cylinder walls. This increases wear of the cylinder walls, pistons and rings. Gasoline that does not vaporize will not burn. It leaves the cylinder in the exhaust gas and pollutes the air. This wastes gasoline and reduces fuel economy. Volatility determines how quickly a gasoline can vaporizes. A high volatility gasoline can vaporizes quickly while a low volatility gasoline vaporizes slowly. Gasoline must have the right volatility for the climate in which it is used. 1.5.2 ANTIKNOCK QUALITY Antiknock is known as octane rating. It measure the gasoline ability to resist knock during combustion. The higher the octane rating, the greater the engines resistance to knock. The knocking in your engine occurs when the air fuel mixture detonates prematurely. Since it is the gasoline vapor that ignites, the air fuel mixture must be correct to burn smoothly. Some of the problems associated with knock are overheating of engine parts such as valves, pistons and spark plugs. 1.6 EMISSION Then we will go for the explanation about the combustion in the engine and how it resulting emission. Automotive fuels such as gasoline are made mostly of two elements that hydrogen and carbon. They have chemical symbols H and C. This type of fuel is hydrocarbon (HC). During complete combustion in the engine, these two elements unite with other element, the gas oxygen. Oxygen, usually in the form of free oxygen (O2), makes up about 20 percent of the earth atmosphere. This is the air that we breathe. During combustion process, each atom of oxygen will unites with two hydrogen atoms. Each carbon atom unites with two oxygen atoms. Oxygen uniting with hydrogen produces water (H2O). Carbon uniting with oxygen produces gas carbon dioxide (CO2). During combustion, the burning of air fuel mixture in the engine cylinder may reach 2200oC or higher. This high temperature produces pressure in the engine that makes it run and produces power. With perfect combustion, all the hydrogen and carbon in gasoline would unite with the oxygen. The exhaust would contain only harmless H2O and CO2. But combustion is not perfect in the engine. Some of the gasoline (HC) does not burn. Also, some of it only partly burns. This produces carbon monoxide (CO). This lack of oxygen prevents the formation of carbon dioxide. The unburned gasoline and partly burned gasoline (CO) exit from the engine through the tailpipe. Once in the air, it will cause atmospheric pollution. Another group of atmospheric pollutants th e engine is nitrogen oxide (NOx). About 80 percent of the atmosphere is gas nitrogen (N). High temperatures in the combustion chamber cause some of the nitrogen and oxygen to unite and form nitrogen oxide (NOx). 1.7 PROBLEM STATEMENT Nowadays the rate of fuel consumption currently going on throughout the world is quite alarming. Fuel consumption and emission rates are off the chart. This will give negative impact to the environment and increase the pollution rate. Basically the power to move a motor vehicle comes from the burning of air fuel mixture in an engine. Air pollutants from vehicles comes from the products of this combustion process. With perfect combustion process, the emission would be water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Both of these are harmless gases. But combustion is not perfect in an engine. Some of the gasoline (HC) does not burn and some of it only partly burns. This produces carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). Both of these gases are air pollutants and breathing polluted air is very bad for human and animals. Then the demand for low cost car from customer that has good performance with low fuel consumption and emission also increase. Usually car that has good performance will have high fuel consumption and emission rate. In order to solve these problems, the study about engine cooling system and its effects towards engine performance, fuel consumption and emission reduction will be conducted. Two types of liquid cooling such as tap water and ethylene glycol will be used and its temperature will be checked in order to investigate the influenced to these 3 outputs. 1.8 OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH To study the effect of engine cooling system and its components to the engine performance, fuel consumption and emission. To investigate the influence of percentage of ethylene glycol in the coolant and coolant temperature set point to the engine performance, fuel usage and emission rate. 1.9 SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH The scope of this researched is mainly about the variations percentage of coolant (ethylene glycol) mixed with water and its temperature effects towards engine performance, fuel consumption and emission. The percentage that will be used for ethylene glycol are 30%, 50% and 70%. For every percentage, the coolant temperature set point will be controlled using two kind of thermostat with temperature set point 80oC and 100oC. The increasing temperature in cylinder block by increasing the coolant temperature results in fuel savings and emission reduction. Boiling Point Ethylene Glycol solution (% by volume) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Temperature F 212 214 216 220 220 225 232 245 260 288 386 C 100 101.1 102.2 104.4 104.4 107.2 111.1 118 127 142 197 Table 1.1 : Boiling Point of Ethylene Glycol Solutions [13] Car model that will be used is Perodua Kancil 660cc (4 stroke and 3 cylinder). Then for the fuel, petrol RON 95 will be used. Three test will be conducted in investigate the engine performance, fuel consumption and emission rate. The test for engine performance is dynamometer test. A dynamometer is a device that is used for measuring force, moment of force (torque), and power. For example, the power produced by an engine, motor or other rotating prime mover can be calculated by simultaneously measuring torque and rotational speed (RPM). For the fuel consumption, we will conducted a fuel test by using a new tank provided by automotive lab. Unit to measure the fuel test is in liter/km. To measuring the emission rate, gas analyzer is used and the measurement unit is in concentration of gas which is parts per million (ppm). 1.10 SIGNIFICANT OF THE RESEARCH This study will give better understanding and exposure about the operation in the engine cooling system and how it will effects the engine performance, fuel consumption and emission. Reducing the fuel expenses by car users as the rate of fuel consumption reduced. The expected output to reducing the emission will result in increased the air quality that is harmful to humans. It also will lead in reducing the air pollution rate and provide more safer environment for people. The low cost car with good performance and low on fuel and emission rate also will be develop. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 COOLING SYSTEM OPERATION A huge amount of heat is generated in the internal combustion engines. It is created when the air fuel mixture is ignited inside the combustion chamber. The explosion that occur will causes the piston to be forced down inside the cylinder, levering the connecting rods and turning the crankshaft. The temperatures of the metal parts around the cylinder can exceed 2500oC. To prevent the components such as engine oil, cylinder walls, pistons, and valves from overheating, it is necessary to effectively dispose the heat. Approximately 30% of heat in the combustion process is lost into the atmosphere through the exhaust system, 35% is converted into power to drive the vehicle and the remaining 35% lost as heat through the cylinder walls [9]. Water pump is attached at the front of the engine and driven by a belt from crankshaft pulley. The impeller rotates and the curved blades draw liquid cooling from the bottom of the radiator and force it to flow through pump outlets and water jackets. The liquid cooling will flow through passageways in the engine block and cylinder head. Temperature in the combustion chamber can around 2500oC, so cooling around this area is critical to prevent overheat. The areas around exhaust valve are especially crucial and almost all space inside the cylinder head around the valve that is not needed for structure filled with coolant. But when the engine is still cold, thermostat still close and the liquid cooling is circulated back to the engine. By closing the passage through radiator when engine is cold, the engine warms up more quickly. Engine heat stays in the engine instead of being carried to the radiator. This shortens warms up time, wastes less fuel and reduces exhaust emissions [3]. After engine already heat up, the thermostat keeps the engine running at a higher temperature than it would without a thermostat. The higher operating temperature improves engines efficiency and reduces exhaust emissions [3]. 2.1.1 EFFECT OF RADIATOR A radiator usually known as heat exchanger. The hot coolant that flows through it will transfer the heat by the air blown through the aluminium fins by fan. Nowadays modern cars use aluminium radiators. It usually made by brazing thin aluminium fins to flattened aluminium tubes. Flow of the coolant is from inlet to the outlet through many tubes that mounted in parallel arrangement. These fins will conduct the heat from the coolant inside the tubes and transfer it through the air that flowing through the radiator.[1] A type of fin is inserted into the tube called turbulator. Its function is to increases the turbulence of the fluid flowing through the tubes. If the flowing of the fluid through the tubes is smooth, only the fluid that touching the tubes would be cool directly. The amount of heat transferred from the fluid to the tubes depends on the difference in the temperature between the tube and the fluid touching it. Therefore, less heat will be transferred if the fluid that is in contact with the tube cools down quickly. To prevent that, turbulence is created inside the tube and all of fluid mixes together. Keeping the temperature of the fluid touching the tubes up so that more heat can be extracted and all of the fluid inside the tube is used effectively. 2.1.2 EFFECT OF RADIATOR FAN The function of radiator fan is to draw the air towards the radiator and helps to cool the hot coolant that flowing through the tubes. It usually has four or more blades that spin rapidly to provide sufficient air to that would cool the engine. The fan will be mounted between the radiator and the engine so that the air can easily flowing through the radiator. There are also additional fan in front of the radiator in some cars in order to draw more cool air to the engine especially when vehicle is not moving fast enough, very little cool air reaches the radiator and the engine is not cooled properly. 2.1.3 EFFECT OF PRESSURE CAP The radiator cap or also known as pressure cap actually increases the boiling point of your coolant by about 25oC. The cap is a pressure release valve and usually is set to 15 psi. When the coolant is placed under pressure, its boiling point will increase. As the engine running, the cooling system will be heated up and increase the pressure. The only place where the pressure can escape is at the pressure cap. Therefore, the setting of the spring on the cap determines the maximum pressure in the cooling system. If the pressure reaches 15 psi, it will push the valve open and allowing the coolant to escape from the cooling system. The flowing of the coolant is from overflow tube to into the bottom of the overflow tank. This kind of arrangement will keep air out of the system. After the radiator is already cools back down, a vacuum is created in the cooling system that pulls open another spring loaded valve while sucking the water back in from the bottom of the overflow tank to replace the water that was expelled. 2.1.4 EFFECT OF WATER PUMP Water pumps are impeller pumps. They attached to the front of the engine and driven by a belt from the crankshaft pulley. As the impeller rotates, the curved blades draw coolant from the bottom of the radiator[3]. The water pump only thrust to drive the circular flow of the coolant within the engine cooling system, so the inlet is the point of lowest pressure in the system and the exit point is the highest pressure. The pressure drops sharply at the inlet/outlet of the water pump during the operational of the water engines and this pressure drop will vary in proportion to the rotational speed. Water pumps in engines are prone to cavitation and air bubbles are likely to permeate in to antifreeze and will severely reducing the performance, reliability and service life of the engines[6]. Cavitation means the cavities or bubbles are forming in the liquid that have been are pumping. These cavities form at the low pressure or suction side of the pump. For the well design engine cooling sys tem, cavitation is less likely to take occur as the temperature of the coolant declines. But when the cavitation temperature is reached, the pressure of the water pumps drops abruptly and all the cooling system loses its functionality. 2.1.5 EFFECT OF THERMOSTAT The main function of the thermostat is to allow the engine to heat up quickly and keep it at its efficient temperature. It control this by regulating the amount of water that goes through the radiator. The coolant in the cooling system starts to initiate by picking up heat at the water jackets. In the coolant circuit, the pressure gradient exist and causing the hot coolant flows out from the engine to the radiator or to coolant bypass passage [2]. Once the temperatures of the coolant rises to 80oC, the thermostat starts to open. Different thermostat open at different temperatures and allowing fluid to flow through the radiator. The secret of the thermostat lies in the small cylinder located on the engine side of the device. Actually this cylinder is filled with wax that starts to melt at temperatures 80oC (depends on the thermostat). Then, a rod that is connected to the valve press into this wax. As the wax melts. It will expands and pushing the rod out of the cylinder and opening th e valve. 2.2 EFFECT OF COOLANT Coolant is the mixture of antifreeze and water in the cooling system. The commonly used antifreeze is Ethylene Glycol. This coolant will circulate through the cooling system. It will remove the waste heat from the engine and delivers the heat through the radiator hose to the radiator. It is not recommended to use only water as a liquid cooling because it would freeze if the temperature drop below 0oC. This would stop the circulation and the engine would overheat. As the water would expand 9% as it freezes, it would crack the cylinder block and head, split the radiator [3]. By controlling the engine cooling system in a flexible way as compare to the conventional cooling system, it will improve the fuel consumption rate of spark ignition (SI) engines [11]. It is known from the cold start research that the coolant and inlet charge temperature are key parameters to reduce pollutant emissions and guarantee smooth engine operation. Cold start experiment were performed with coolant temperatures of 15oC and 80oC. In the steady state operation reached after the start, the piston surface temperature was respectively 110oC and 150oC. The HC emissions were 25% lower and the NOx emissions 7% higher with the higher coolant temperature. It seems to indicate that there is an influence of the coolant temperature on the emissions through the cylinder wall temperatures [5]. In the search for greater fuel economy and reduced emission output, the engine cooling system is being targeted for further improvements to engine performance through its effects on engine frictional losses. Fuel economy improvements from the changes to the engine cooling system are derived mainly from reduced engine frictional losses with increased oil temperature by raising the engine operating temperature indirectly through the step increase in the coolant temperature. Hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) output are also shown to decrease with the increase in operating temperature [7]. There are also suggestion that higher cylinder block temperatures will reduce the frictional losses with the piston and ring pack and will lead to reducing fuel consumption [10]. But the increasing of operating temperature has a negative effect on nitrogen oxide (NOx) output as the formation of NOx in the combustion chamber can be highly sensitive to temperature changes [7]. There are some previous works in the engine cooling area focuses on to the fuel economy benefit to IC engines through the reduction engine frictional losses by raising the coolant temperature. As the coolant temperature increases, the cylinder block wall temperaturs also increases and will result in reducing the HC emissions [11]. It concentrates mainly on gasoline engines where oil temperature is relatively lower and the tailpipe emissions are HC and CO. Fuel efficiency improvements about 10% are achieved in part load conditions by raising coolant temperature [7]. METHODOLOGY 3.1 INTRODUCTION In this chapter, we will discuss about the procedures and entire activities to carry out in this whole project. The flow chart below will describe the steps that should be followed during this project. Basically there are 3 test that will be conducted that is dynamometer test, fuel test and emission test. 3.2 FLOW CHART Part Selection Select the type of liquid cooling and thermostat that will be used. Preparation and Setup Select the type of liquid cooling and thermostat that will be used. Run the experiment The experiment will be conducted to the conventional and modified cooling system. Emission Test Fuel Test Dynamometer Test Data Analysis TYPES OF METHODS 3.3.1 DYNAMOMETER TEST Dynamometer is actually a device use to measuring force, moment of force (torque) and power produced by an engine or motor. We can see the example from the power produced by an engine, motor or other rotating prime mover can be calculated by simultaneously measuring torque and rotational speed (RPM). Nowadays dyno test become more easier to operate with the advance of the modern computer and produce more accurate results. A dyno that paired with the computer will display the power rating of a given machine as a figure below. C:UsersFaisal Mamat.FaisalMamat-PCDesktopdynamometer-test-2.1-800800.jpg Figure 3.1 : Example Graph of Dynamometer Test Actually dyno test is used for various applications but the most common one is automobile testing. Automobile manufacturers will measure the performance of a car or truck in order to market its power. Sports car will modified their vehicles with aftermarket parts in order to achieve higher power output and then run the dyno test to evaluate their modifications. Dyno tests can be run in a couple of different ways which is chassis and engine dyno. When running a chassis dyno test, the vehicle to be tested is driven onto the dyno platform that simulates resistance through the use of automated wheels. For an engine dyno test, the engine to be tested is mounted to the dyno device. These different methods produce different measurements such as brake horse power and torque from a chassis dyno and flywheel horse power and torque from an engine dyno. Power is often lost through the drive train of a vehicle so the brake measurement will typically less than the flywheel measurement. The model that will be used for dynamometer testing is Dynapack 3000. The components of Dynapack 3000 consists of computer, sensors hub adaptors controller and power absorption units. This test is a bit from other dyno test because of the elimination of the tire to roller interface on a conventional roller dyno. It eliminates this variable by using a hub adaptor that provides a direct coupling to our power absorption units. There will be no tire slip, no rolling resistance and no chance of the vehicle coming off from the dyno at high speeds. For the theory of operation. Firstly the hubs of the vehicle are directly attached to hydraulic pumps. A variable load can be applied with all of the potential holding power that hydraulic possess. Figure below show that the wheels are removed from the vehicle and the variable fit hub adaptors are bolted to the vehicle axle. The hub adaptor is then directly attached to a hydraulic absorption unit. C:UsersFaisal Mamat.FaisalMamat-PCDesktopdyno and gas analyser2t1nkVS-bVa9gQb37zp6LeNyhqyOJc4TfM-fDuqeDVw.jpgC:UsersFaisal Mamat.FaisalMamat-PCDesktopdyno and gas analyservIQiOZd6MQEKChUSE_EjDet0c_3AZX3Ykc63jQJyo1g.jpg Figure 3.2 : Hub adaptor bolted to vehicle Figure 3.3 : Monitor of Dynapack 3000 3.3.2 FUEL TEST For the fuel test, a new fuel tank is used to replace with the existing tank. The problem with the existing tank is the fuel consumption cannot be measured correctly. The new fuel tank will be connected using the hose from the fuel pump to the series of injectors at cylinder head. Gasoline or RON 95 will used in this fuel test. The example for the new fuel tank is shown in figure below and the fuel pump is already attached on top of it. C:UsersFaisal Mamat.FaisalMamat-PCDesktopdyno and gas analyser8EYHfSB7JGJ_i1gO_0dpJCrDuHDVK9bGh1xnPJzzuSQ.jpg Figure 3.4 : The new fuel tank The test will be conducted according to the gears and revolution per minutes (RPM) that already been set. It is done to control the speed of the engine to get the accurate result of the fuel consumption without affected by the changing of gear on each test. The RPM and gears can be referred in the table below. Gear RPM Distance (km) 1 3000 2 3000 3 3000 4 4000 Table 3.1 : RPM for each of the gear 3.3.3 EMISSION TEST Hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) are measured in parts per million (ppm). For this emission test, the device that will be used is the gas analyzer 95/3. The gun of this device will be placed into the tailpipe to measure the exhaust rate. The data will be taken during the various RPM that already been set up which is 2000 rpm, 3000 rpm and 4000 rpm. The result of this test will be recorded in this device. C:UsersFaisal Mamat.FaisalMamat-PCDesktopdyno and gas analyservKBx3J-b1dLfHTA3MeaWYgo8LcKrPxDuaprQ5PBq-VY.jpg Figure 3.5 : Gas Analyzer 95/3 PROJECT SCHEDULE

I am alone :: essays research papers

I am alone In the speech â€Å"I am alone† by Cochise, a Native American leader address to the white people for peace. The story goes back when the Native Americans (Chiricahua tribe) owned the land in the western part of the United States known as Apache land. First the Mexicans came across their land and try to over-rule them in which resulted the Mexican War. The war lasted years and the Natives eventually overcame the Mexicans. After the Mexican War then came the Europeans who sailed across the Pacific Ocean and landed on the Apache land. At first the Europeans make friends with the Natives then the Europeans turned against them and falsely accused Cochise of kidnapping a white child. The captured of Cochise made the Natives furious and brought tension on the Europeans. In 1861 the conflict between the Natives and the Europeans begins in which caused war. The Europeans were too much to handle for the Natives; they brought many troops across the sea to fight the Indians and eventually overcame them. Many Natives and Europeans were killed in the war, the Natives were forced to give up their land and be transferred to a reservation far from Apache. It was 1871 when the Natives seek peace with the Europeans; they send Cochise to address peace with the Europeans and negotiated a new treaty which allowed the remaining Natives to stay in Apache.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the reading it sounds like the Chiricahua tribes were gullible and compassionate. The Natives were gullible because they assume the Europeans come to Apache for visit or to make friends with them. After the horrible tragedy with the Spanish the Natives should have attacked all the intruders that came across on their land instead of befriending the Europeans and ending up loosing their territories to the Europeans. I am alone :: essays research papers I am alone In the speech â€Å"I am alone† by Cochise, a Native American leader address to the white people for peace. The story goes back when the Native Americans (Chiricahua tribe) owned the land in the western part of the United States known as Apache land. First the Mexicans came across their land and try to over-rule them in which resulted the Mexican War. The war lasted years and the Natives eventually overcame the Mexicans. After the Mexican War then came the Europeans who sailed across the Pacific Ocean and landed on the Apache land. At first the Europeans make friends with the Natives then the Europeans turned against them and falsely accused Cochise of kidnapping a white child. The captured of Cochise made the Natives furious and brought tension on the Europeans. In 1861 the conflict between the Natives and the Europeans begins in which caused war. The Europeans were too much to handle for the Natives; they brought many troops across the sea to fight the Indians and eventually overcame them. Many Natives and Europeans were killed in the war, the Natives were forced to give up their land and be transferred to a reservation far from Apache. It was 1871 when the Natives seek peace with the Europeans; they send Cochise to address peace with the Europeans and negotiated a new treaty which allowed the remaining Natives to stay in Apache.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the reading it sounds like the Chiricahua tribes were gullible and compassionate. The Natives were gullible because they assume the Europeans come to Apache for visit or to make friends with them. After the horrible tragedy with the Spanish the Natives should have attacked all the intruders that came across on their land instead of befriending the Europeans and ending up loosing their territories to the Europeans.

Platypus Envenomation :: Australian Animals Wildlife Essays

Platypus Envenomation Abstract The duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), order Monotrema, can be found throughout river systems in eastern Australia. The males have a retractable spur located on each of their hind legs. The spurs are attached to venom glands that produce a toxic cocktail of at least four different classes of peptides. These four compounds (Hyaluronidase, OvCNP-39, OvNGF, and defensin-like peptides) are highly selective enzymes and polypeptides that work together to inflict excruciating pain and edema that can last for months. The first compound identified, Hyaluronidase, lowers viscosity to allow for a deeper penetration of the venom into tissue. A C-type natriuretic peptide called OvCNP-39 contributes to edema. OvNGF is a nerve growth factor that is responsible for extreme sensitivity to heat and pressure. The role of Defensin-like proteins is not well known, but it is believed that they contribute the pain and edema associated with the venom. An unknown compound has been found to induce Ca++ dependent current in root ganglion cells, which may also contribute to the feeling of pain. Research is being done to identify the roles of these compounds and the possibility of them being used in medicine. Introduction The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a unique animal that is found only in Australia. It is in the class Mammalia and the order Monotrema. Monotremes are phylogenetically the oldest of the mammals and can only be found naturally in Australia and in nearby New Guinea. They are quite different from placentals and marsupials and are believed to be the link between the reptiles and the other mammals. This is most noticeable though their means of reproduction and waste elimination. Montremes have a cloaca, which is a single opening for passage of solid and liquid waste, where the transfer of sperm takes place, and in females, the laying of eggs. This feature is shared only with birds and reptiles. Platypuses live solo, except during the breeding season. They feed on worms and freshwater crayfish (Cheerax destructor) in eastern Australian rivers (Sutherland, 1983). They have low average body temperature compared to other mammals, which further supports their reptilian evolution (Torres et al., 1999). They can live about 16 years and grow to be 40-50 cm long, with males being larger than females (Jackson, 2003). Venom: Production & Delivery A characteristic that helps add even more to the platypus ¡Ã‚ ¯ uniqueness is the males ¡Ã‚ ¯ ability to produce and deliver venom.

Challenger Essay -- essays research papers

On January 26, 1986, one of the greatest disasters of our time occurred. When Challenger was destroyed many questions were asked about the safety of space missions. Many questions were asked about the credibility of the engineers who designed the air craft. It is now know that crucial information about the faulty O-rings was know to many if not all of the engineers. These engineers had many moral decisions they had to face when the problem was first noticed, which was as early as November 1981. When a shuttle is launched their are two booster rockets attached to the side of it that disconnect when the shuttle gets into orbit. The rockets that were on the Challenger were manufactured by Morton-Thiokol, an engineering company. This company then sends the rockets to the launch site where they are assembled. Where the different pieces of the rocket fit together, there is a set of O-rings that make a seal around the booster. Around the O-rings their is a putty substance that holds the O-rings in place. In November of 1981, after the flight of the second shuttle mission, the joints where examined, and the O-rings were eroded. The joints were still sealing effectively but the O-ring material was decaying because of hot gasses that went through the putty. At this point Roger Boisjoly an engineer for Morton-Thiokol started researching different types of putty to reduce the corrosion on the O-rings. After testing the O-rings in the laboratory it was found that they did not return to their original size after being compressed at low temperatures. Thiokol designed a set of billets that would hold the joint more firmly in place. These billets were not ready on the day of the Challenger disaster because they took too long to manufacture, and NASA did not want to delay the project. The next tests took place in June of 1985 at Morton-Thiokol in Utah. The primary seal on flight 51B which flew on April 29, 1985, was eroded; "eroded in 3 places over a 1.3 inch length up to a maximum depth of.171 inches. It was postulated that this primary seal had never sealed during the full two minute flight."i It's at this point that Boisjoly knew he had to go to his superiors about the problem. In August of 1985 Morton-Thiokol formed a task force of engineers to solve the problem of the O-rings. This task force only consisted of 5 engineers wh... ...tressed more in the education of an engineer. Engineers must realize that their are many situations that people put their live in the hands of the engineer. Every time we step into a car we are relying on the design of an engineer, and if any part of it fails the passenger could get hurt if not killed. In today's society their are many institutions that protect the public from technology; buildings must meet certain regulations, and cars have to meet certain safety standards. But their are not as many organizations that protect the rights of the engineers. When can we say that it is no longer the engineer's fault, and say that it is the fault of the operator? Engineers must be careful when it comes to ethical standards, they should not have to be in the same position that Boisjoly was in. By evaluating the situation and acting according to what is best for society and themselves they should find a perfect median between morals and management. i Http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/ethics ii Http://www.mit.edu:8011/ethics iii http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/ethics/boisjoly/RB-intro.html ivhttp://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/ethics/boisjoly/RB-intro.html

The Role of Activist Agences in Shaping the course of Women’s History

There is no doubt that activists and activist agencies have played a role in shaping the history of women, and a large amount of the historiography of women's history has given excessive attention to the role of activists. Popular history tends to take a Rankeian view of events, focussing instead on the role of the individual, rather than the deeper underlying social, political and economic causes of history. The traditional Liberal view of the struggle to obtain the franchise is that the suffragettes, via their militant tactics and under the leadership of the Pankhursts ensured that women were granted the vote, and that this solved all the injustices between the sexes. This simplistic view of events however ignores the wider changes that were taking place in the economy and society, as well as placing a larger emphasis on certain activists, rather than looking at the broader picture. The militant activities of the suffragettes were never sufficient enough to frighten the government or the wider public into extending the franchise to women, their acts of violence towards property were often small scale and petty. It also ignores the role of the suffragists led by Millicent Fawcett, who were far more significant in obtaining the vote for women, for they were the ones who reasoned rather than fought with men and showed that women could deal with political matters. Activists continued to use similar tactics in the 1970s to demand changes in the law, such as free nursery places (as removed from local councils responsibilities under the 1980 Education Act) and better maternity benefits. The real changes came about however, not due to the prominent high profile activists, but to the grass roots campaign where women won seats on town and city councils. Historians can often look for the big story to write about, sometimes however the big story is made up of lots of little ones. Women's position in the economy changed prior to the war as well. Industrialisation brought about the end of small scale family run workshops and there has been a transition to large workshops. The sexual division of labour in mills and factories was seen as a natural occurrence and women did not object to being paid less and exploited more than male workers. Trade unions did not favour equal roles in industry for women out of the fear that it would take men's jobs from them. The benefits in industry that women gained during WWI were temporary, and as soon as men returned from the war women were forced back out of their jobs. One view of the effects of WWI is that giving the vote to women was a reward for their hard work during the war, in the munitions and armaments factories. At the same period as activists had allegedly gained a better position for women via the vote, laws such as the Restoration of Pre-war Practices Act (1919) which enacted the agreements between the government and trade unions that women's war work was only temporary. Various activist agencies organised resistance to this, however they proved futile. The changing role of women economically in the latter part of the c20 was not due to activists but due to the wider structural changes the war effected on the country by World War 2. Following the Second World War the changing nature of commerce in the UK made it uneconomical to prevent women from working and by 1947 there were more women workers than in 1939 (Bruley). The deindustrialisation of the UK between 1979-1990 saw a large increase in the numbers of women in employment. Margaret Thatcher's economic reforms created huge unemployment, although when employment levels started to recede, women were back into employment quicker than men. This was due to skilled secondary industry jobs being replaced with low skilled tertiary jobs which could get away with paying women less and reducing employees rights due to the reforms Thatcher introduced. In 1990 60% of low paid full time workers were women and Carole Buswell found that in the same year large proportions of women were earning less than the EU recommended minimum wage in tertiary industries, even in jobs such as banking and insurance 40% of the workers fitted this category. This is because even in well paid jobs, such as banking and insuarance, women were restricted from progressing high up the career ladder by having to take maternity leave to bring up children, if they were even considered for promotion in the first place as many of these companies were strongly male dominated. The Women's self image has changed a great deal since the beginning of the c20, when women saw themselves primarily as mothers and wives, though in working class environments this attitude persisted for a lot longer than in wealthier and better educated social groups. Sue Sharpe found in her 1976 book â€Å"Just like a girl† that working class girls in Ealing in the 70's still expected to marry a husband who would take care of them financially and that they would be responsible for childrearing. Women's level of deference has decreased greatly from the beginning of the century when they were almost voiceless, to the present day where girls have become at least as vocal as men, if not more. Deep running social trends such as this cannot be changed over night by activists and this lack of change in the working classes could be interpreted as evidence that women's liberation movements have largely been for and by the white middle classes Many women in the 1970s though who had started to redefine their own roles started to live in new ways, such as communally with other women. A large amount of feminist activists adopted Marxist ideology and blamed the oppression of women on the capitalist exploitation of women as a labour force as well as for the unpaid labour they do domestically. In the 1980s, with its ethos of the individual, women started to appear slowly in positions of power, however their high profile was due to their unusualness. However many women were shocked and against this attitude and the 80s saw many women reject the materialist society and take up campaigns against issues like nuclear disarmament such as the women at Greenham Common. Activists continued to play a role through the 70's and 80s although as in previous times they were often the central figureheads of larger movements based on mass upheavals. As the UK became an increasingly egalitarian society into the 1960s due to the increasing levels of education and the secularisation of society, women started to realise that the restrictions on career options were chiefly the traditional roles of women and a lack of education. Large amounts of feminists were students and so they had the opportunities to study the past and see the oppression that women had faced and also how little women appeared in history. The Crowther Report (1959) released middle class grammar school girls from the â€Å"domestic† curriculum, opening the door to many more job opportunities. However women were still restricted in the workplace by having to be responsible for rearing children as well as attempting to have a career. Viola Klien argued in â€Å"Women's two roles† (1956) that modern societies were unable to afford to not have women working, this capitalised on fears that the UK would fall economically behind the USSR where nearly all women worked. Although activists led the women's liberation movement and campaigned against articles such as Miss World and unequal pay, mainly the reforms came from elsewhere. Equal pay was finally made a reality when the Fawcett Society (a group of feminists) took the government to the EU court to enforce the Equal Value Amendment. How much has changed for women in the last 100 years is debateable. Certainly there have been many legal improvements and women are no longer the second class citizens they were at the beginning of the century. However according to some feminists, women are still oppressed by society as whole, being expected to take care of children and do housework as well as to have a job. Opponents to this argue that women are the natural carers of children and that there are no real obstacles in the way for women to have both a job and family if the women works hard enough and balances her time. This group of opponents is not exclusively male. Both Thatcher and Queen Victoria were against women's rights, Thatcher's attitude being that â€Å"well I made it so why can't they? † and latter believing in the traditional division of the sexes based upon religion and tradition. Men still continue to run the top jobs, with Angela Coyle finding in 1988 that at the very top of companies women made up only 5%. Until 1997 the maximum proportion of women MPs had been approximately 10%. This number was only increased in the 1997 election when Tony Blair supported positive discrimination by adopting an â€Å"Emily's List† policy. This meant that in safe seats women be put forward as candidates, the result was >100 women MPs, however this policy was later declared illegal. As women are still expected to take care of children, maternity leave and career breaks for the bringing up of children harm their promotion prospects, resulting in a â€Å"glass ceiling† that often needs the sacrifice of family life in order to break through. Although women appeared to become visible in the media, this is often because the ones who did make it to the top were so unusual that they were worthy of media interest. Solutions to the problem are hard, some feminists argue that the only way the position of women will change is if men think differently too, however this is idealistic to say the least. Bruley reaches the conclusion that women are still disadvantaged because although women now have the franchise and careers, they still have to bear the brunt of childbearing, caring and networking.

Book Review: Human Communication as Narration

In perhaps his most important contribution to rhetorical theory and the understanding of human communication, Walter Fisher presents an explanation of his narrative paradigm in Human Communication as Narration: Toward a Philosophy of Reason, Value and Action. This book essentially elaborates on and refines Fisher’s previous articles on the narrative paradigm and aims to present a more complete explanation of the theory’s roots, as well as its main tenets and relevant applications.Human Communication as Narration begins with an exhaustive examination of the history of narratives and logic, which includes his assertion that the logic by which human communication should be assessed return to the roots of the original meaning of logos: â€Å"story, reason, rationale, conception, discourse, thought† (p. 10). He asserts that Plato and Aristotle transformed the word logos into a specific term that applied only to philosophical/technical discourse, which launched a †Å"historical hegemonic struggle† that has lasted for more than 2,000 years (p. 10).Fisher explains that the positivist, â€Å"rational-world paradigm† that emphasized formal logic and reasoning (p. 58) is improved upon with his view of a more post-modern, ontological foundation where meaning is co-created through less formal structures like stories. In resurrecting the original meaning of logos, grounding his theory in ontology, and classifying human beings as â€Å"Homo narrans† (p. xi) , or storytelling animals, Fisher rejects the notion that technical logic is the only path to truth and knowledge, and argues that, as the ancients believed, all human communication is rational and contains truth and knowledge (p. 0). This more inclusive account of human communication together with the view that all human communication needs to be seen as stories sets the foundation for Fishers’ theory of narratives. In presenting the main points of his narrative theory ov er several chapters, Fisher explains that humans experience and understand life as a series of ongoing narratives, and that these stories are symbolic interpretations of â€Å"aspects of the world that [are] historically and culturally grounded and shaped by human personality† (p. 9). Given that stories are more than just a figure of speech and have the power to both inform and influence, Fisher establishes â€Å"narrative rationality† as a universal logic and means for the assessment for stories that is accessible by nature to all human beings (p. 47). This assessment is tested against narrative â€Å"probability (coherence) and fidelity (truthfulness and reliability)† (p. 47) – in other words, humans come to believe in and act on stories in so much as they relate to and identify with them.Going back to his assertion that human communication doesn’t have to exist in perfect structures of rhetorical arguments, he further explains that all humans po ssess the ability to reason and can therefore both communicate and accept truth as â€Å"good reasons† (p. 105). Perhaps an even better, more succinct explanation of this comes earlier in the book where Fisher states that â€Å"the materials of the narrative paradigm are symbols, signs of consubstantiation, and good reasons [are] the communicative expression of social reality† (p. 5). By including both formal logic and a logic of â€Å"good reasons† in the basis for argument, Fisher’s narrative paradigm contributes to rhetorical theory by expanding the meaning of persuasion just as Burke’s theory of identification did. Since the average person isn’t trained in formal logic, Fisher believed that the logic of good reasons (i. e. common sense), sits above all other persuasive means since it is universal and inherent in all human communication.Fisher goes on to assert that narrative rationality should also be â€Å"the foundation on which a com plete theory of rhetoric needs to be built† (p. 194). In this sense, the selection of stories we tell and come to accept is demonstrative of who we are and what we want others to believe about us. In the final section of his book, Fisher applies his narrative rationality in several real-world case studies including the rhetoric of Ronald Reagan, Death of a Salesman, The Great Gatsby and the philosophical discussion between Socrates and Callicles in Plato’s Gorgias.These examples provide a helpful demonstration of how narrative rationality can be used to assess the coherence, truthfulness and reliability of stories across a wide range of contexts. In conceptualizing and applying narrative rationality, Fisher contributes an important method for the study of narratives in a variety of communication contexts, which is one of the most important contributions he makes to the study of communication. Through Human Communication as Narration, Fisher provided a more accessible, u niversal means for communicating and understanding human truth.Drawing inspiration from the works of Kenneth Burke, Alasdair MacIntyre, Stephen Toulmin and Chaim Perelman, Fisher’s narrative paradigm argues that formal logic and the positivist view are inadequately prepared to account for the motives and values in human communication. He offers a broader explanation that all forms of human communication are driven by and evolve from our inherent need to determine whether an accounting of new knowledge matches up with what we already know.In the 30 years since Human Communication as Narration was first published, scholars and professionals from a wide range of disciplines have applied Fisher’s narrative paradigm in a variety of contexts. Narrative methods for rhetorical analysis and criticism have been used by Barbara Sharf (1990), Hollihan and Riley (1987), and Michael Cornfield (1992), among many others. In 1993, David Mains argued that the time was ripe for a move to ward narrative sociology, which asserted that â€Å"sociology’s phenomena is made up precisely of stories† (p. 2) as well as that sociologists are mainly narrators. The use of narratives as a means for persuasion in advertising and public relations has been widely documented in recent years by Cinzia Bianchi (2011); Barbara Stern, Craig Thompson and Eric Arnould (1998); and Melanie Green (2006). The narrative paradigm has also been deployed in interpersonal communication and organizational communication (Ashcraft & Pacanowsky, 1996). And a large body of research has been dedicated to the study of narratives as a strategy in conflict resolution as well (Gergen & Gergen, 2006; Sandole et al. 2009). These are just a few of the ways in which Fisher’s narrative paradigm still contributes to the understanding of human communication today. But while the narrative paradigm has enjoyed a renaissance of late with new research that refines and extends the theory (Currie, 2 005; Kirkwood, 1992; McClure, 2009; Stroud, 2002), largely due to its growing multi-disciplinary interest as noted above, it has also attracted much criticism. But while these scholars recognized its value, they have also demonstrated that it is not as useful for critical analysis as it aimed to be.Stroud (2002) found issue with the lack of account for contradiction in stories when assessing narrative rationality. Kirkwood (1992) felt that Fisher’s narrative rationality is limiting in that it doesn’t allow for the possibilities of new stories to be accepted and acted upon. He goes on to argue that a â€Å"rhetoric of possibility† presented through narratives can better account for how rhetors challenge people with â€Å"new and unsuspected possibilities of being and action in the world† (Kirkwood, 1992, p. 31).McClure (2009) also specifically argued that the narrative paradigm must also account for the â€Å"inventional possibilities of new narratives, t he rhetorical revision of old narratives, and the appeal and acceptance of improbable narrative accounts† (p. 191). He also asserts that by expanding the role of Burke’s identification, the narrative paradigm can become a more viable theory and method of criticism. While several scholars have both praised and criticized Fisher’s narrative paradigm, the part of his story that related to narrative’s origins, philosophical foundation and relevance to human communication rang true for me.In my study of rhetorical theory I, too, have often felt that the structures of formal argument are too constricting and limiting in their ability to interpret all forms of persuasive communication. When using Fisher’s own narrative rationality to measure the coherence and fidelity of Human Communication as Narration, I find it to be both coherent and true – especially from my viewpoint as a woman living in a post-modern, post-structuralist society who works in t he field of public relations where stories are the very fabric of our communication strategies.And while I recognize the validity of the proposed extensions of his theory by Kirkwood (1992), McClure (2009) and Stroud (2002), I feel they also serve as proof points for the generative power of Fisher’s paradigm in new ways of thinking about stories. References Ashcraft, K. & Pacanowsky, M. (1996). â€Å"A woman’s worst enemy†: Reflections on a narrative of organizational life and female identity. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 24, 217-239. Bianchi, C. (2011). Semiotic approaches to advertising texts and strategies: Narrative, passion, marketing.Semiotica, 183, 243-271. Cornfield, M. (1992). The press and political controversy: The case for narrative analysis. Political Communication, 9, 47-59. Currie, M. (2005). Postmodern narrative theory. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Fisher, W. R. (1987). Human communication as narration: Toward a philosophy o f reason, value and action. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press. Gergen, M. & Gergen, K. (2006). Narratives in action. Narrative Inquiry, 16, 112-121. Green, M. (2006). Narratives and cancer communication. Journal of Communication, 56, 163-183.Hollihan, T. & Riley, P. (1987). The rhetorical power of a compelling story. Communication Quarterly, 35, 13-25. Kirkwood, W. G. (1992). Narrative and the rhetoric of possibility. Communication Monographs, 59, 30-47. Maines, D. (1993). Narrative’s moment and sociology’s phenomena: Toward a narrative sociology. The Sociological Quarterly, 34, 17-38. McClure, K. (2009). Resurrecting the narrative paradigm: Identification and the case of Young Earth Creationism. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 39, 189-211. Sandole, D. , Byrne, S. , Sandole-Saroste, I. & Senehi, J. Eds. ). (2009). The handbook of conflict analysis and resolution. Routledge: New York. Sharf, B. (1990). Physician-patient communication as interpersonal rhetoric : A narrative approach. Health Communication, 2, 217-231. Stern, B. , Thompson, C. & Arnould, E. (1998). Narrative analysis of a marketing relationship: The consumer's perspective. Psychology & Marketing, 15, 195-214. Stroud, S. (2002). Multivalent narratives: Extending the narrative paradigm with insights from ancient philosophical thought. Western Journal of Communication, 66, 369-393.