Superhero and Comic Book

Superhero By Numbers – Lisa Watson and Phil Stocks January 29, 2009 by angelan Abstract: This paper reports on results of a statistical analysis correlating superhero characteristics such as powers, motivations, weaknesses, and costumes with commercial viability as represented by comic book sales and number of appearances in new media such as cinema and television. Results indicate that features of a character have little impact in the comic book market, and that new media trends support a move away from god-like, untouchable heroes to heroes displaying more human frailties and highly visual super abilities.Introduction The superhero is an ingrained part of popular culture that has seen resurgence in the last decade through the introduction of prominent characters to new audiences through expanded media. There was a time when superheroes were entrenched firmly in the comic book medium. However, advances in technology and changes in distribution channels have changed the superh ero industry considerably. With comic books barely achieving a fraction of early sales volumes, publishers are trying to revive their comic book heroes by taking them from the â€Å"Silver Age† to the silver screen and other fora.However, with greatly advanced media come great financial risks. In order to secure their investments, the sponsors of these types of ventures must have a solid understanding of the modern superhero audience and what it is looking for in an iconic protagonist. Heroes and villains express cultural values regarding what society reveres as admirable and fears as deviant (Klapp 1962). Bradford Wright’s (2001) book â€Å"Comic Book Nation† outlines the evolution of comic book stories and characters mimicking cultural change; however, this discussion was done retrospectively (as were others).These types of observations tell us that what was popular during the golden age of comic book heroes will surely not be desirable in today’s socie ty. It would be useful if publishers were able to determine what readers are drawn to now so that they might better meet the demands of this generation of reader. Empirically studying the popular appeal of superhero traits can give us insight into our society and trends within its development. What makes a character popular or prominent as we enter the Aquarian age? How important is boundless virtue or courage in the face of insurmountable odds?How relevant is the softer, vulnerable side of a character? Do readers have preferred super powers? Is an Achilles’ heel necessary? Moreover, what characteristics are enduring? Answers to these sorts of questions should provide the insights that will tell companies which avenues should prove the most lucrative and least risky to pursue in bringing superheroes back to the masses. The aim of this study is to analyse trends in superhero characteristics empirically in order to establish current popular superhero traits.Following standard p ractice for writing academic articles in the applied social science of marketing, study findings are then used to develop a series of managerial implications for businesses. In this instance, findings may be used to reduce risk in choosing existing heroes to introduce to modern audiences, or to create a new breed of hero that is better able to reach the target readers, viewers and players of the future. Literature Review Superheroes made inroads into popular culture in the 1930s at newsstands around America.The â€Å"Golden Age† of comics set a precedent of seemingly indestructible superheroes who held secret identities and were dedicated to upholding truth and justice (Bongco, 2000). After struggling to maintain reader interest through the early 1950? s, the â€Å"Silver Age† of comics saw revamping and reintroduction of characters thought to be buried deep in the archives at the Hall of Justice, this time bringing some more human qualities to the fore. Now, â€Å"wh en you think of Superman, you most likely think of the Superman that was in vogue when you were a child.There’s been a Superman for every decade since the character was created† (Fingeroth, 2004, p. 20). Even today, one man’s Dark Knight is not necessarily another boy’s Batman. The eighties and nineties saw a bold break from tradition as comic publishers started directly targeting more mature readership by introducing not just human struggles within the characters, but hints of amoral and anti-heroic tendencies as well (Bongco, 2000). Do superhero fans of today prefer the altruistic heroes of yesteryear like Spiderman, the bad-boy good guys like Wolverine, or looking into the darkest depths of the Dark Knight?The comic book companies that own our superheroes have used in-your-face tactics to increase sales figures before. The Justice League of America and The Avengers were, after all, â€Å"the fictional result of the real world commercial desire to gathe r the company’s most popular heroes into one magazine or animated series† (Fingeroth, 2004, p. 104). However, when companies are betting multi-billion dollar budgets on public interest in particular superheroes, they should be sure they are choosing wisely. Only the most popular of the comic book superheroes can make it to the silver screen or video game monitor.Which character is the right one? Which iteration is the right one? Or should we abandon our superheroes of yesteryear and create new ones, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, exclusively through new media to show us the way? It is impossible to have a discussion of superheroes without the issue of gender being raised. Superwomen generally are parts of super teams rather than stand alone characters, and often they are in relationships with male counterparts. However, both partners need not be super, and significant others can be used as plot devices in stories.Therefore, it is worth exploring whether being in these s orts of relationships increases a character’s popularity. What do we look for in our superheroes? Kevin Smith (2003) has a simple view: â€Å"altruism and clothes† (p. unknown). On a more serious note, Fingeroth (2004) asserts that strength of character, positive values, and a determination to protect them start the list. So what separates superheroes from our other heroes? Bongco (2000) offers a costumed, secret identity (p. 102). Fingeroth (2004) argues that they have to possess skills and abilities that normal humans do not.Physical, mental and sensory attributes may be heightened. They may have superhuman powers that can range from magical gifts, to scientifically engineered mutations, to high-tech equipment or weaponry combined with an inexplicable ability to walk away from every battle unscathed. But most importantly, they always have to win in the end. By considering a wide range of these characteristics, we hope to be able to determine which combinations of the se characteristics are related to commercial success in a modern market. Method A database of superheroes was constructed incorporating a wide range of superhero characteristics.The purpose of this article is to determine what characteristics are most popular and commercially viable in today’s market. Marvel and DC Comics make up two thirds of the comic book market; thus it was decided that limiting characters to those in these comics would not be detrimental to sampling frame representativeness. An initial breakdown of character attributes and super abilities, including numerical rankings, was derived from information from fantasy role-playing games written for the Marvel and DC universes, specifically Marvel Super Heroes by TSR, Inc. , and DC Heroes by Mayfair Games.Independent variables included attributes and powers listed in the role playing games, as well as variables for their secret identities, weaknesses, motivations, costumes, significant others, and whether they ar e human, not human or mutant. The Marvel Super Heroes template and numeric scale was used and DC characters were translated from the DC Heroes system into the Marvel one. Both systems relate their numeric rankings to feats accomplishable in real-world terms (e. g. , able to lift 100 tons) and the attributes and powers are similar enough that this translation is formulaic and involves negligible speculation.Costume variables consisted of whether the heroes wear a cape and whether their costumes are primarily spandex. Significant other variables included whether the significant other is aware of their secret identity and whether he or she is used as a plot device; however, because not enough information was readily available about this variable it could not be used in the final analysis. Cape and secret identity were dichotomous (yes/no) variables. Weaknesses, motivation, humanness and spandex were short scales. Weakness scaled from none to debilitating (0-2). An example debilitating weakness is Superman’s vulnerability to Kryptonite.An example intermediate weakness is Iron Man’s alcoholism. Motivation ranged from none-given (0) to vigilante/revenge (1) to sense of duty (2) to desire to serve (3). Humanness extended from not human (0) to mutant (1) to human (2). Spandex ranged from no spandex (0) to sometimes appears in spandex (1) to all spandex all the time (2). Because the majority of superpowers are unique, they were grouped according to common attributes: powers derived from weaponry or equipment, the power to manipulate matter or energy (external to oneself), powers that are inherent to one’s physical body, powers of the mind, and magical powers.The very common powers of being impervious to harm and being able to fly were given separate entries. These variables were regressed on dependent variables representing commercial popularity to see which combinations of characteristics should prove most successful in the current marketplace. Tw o dependent variables were used to determine characters’ commercial success. The first was the collective number of movies, television programs and video games in which they have featured as main characters. The sampling frame for this data was the Internet Movie Database (http://www. mdb. com, 2005). The second variable was an estimated comic book sales figure for 2004. It used the monthly Top 300 comic sales lists published by ICV2. com (2004) to calculate the total number of Top 100 comic issues sold in 2004 that featured each of the heroes as central characters (based on title characters for individual titles and feature characters in the case of group titles). While these data can not be entirely accurate, they should provide reasonable estimates of heroes’ market popularity in popular media.Results There are 75 heroes in our database; some individual data points are missing for some characters. This sample is small for the number of independent variables in our a nalysis. Therefore, the first step was to conduct a factor analysis to group individual measures together to create a smaller, but still representative, variable list. A principal components analysis with a varimax rotation was used. It yielded 9 factor components. Factor loadings above 0. 400 may be seen in Table 1.The first factor was labelled â€Å"Physical Attributes,† incorporating health, strength, fighting ability, endurance and agility. Wearing a cape also loaded onto this factor, suggesting that particular fashion item is reserved for only the most powerful of superheroes. Apparently the new cape-less trend started by top superhero designer Edna â€Å"E† Mode has not yet caught on with the big boys. The second factor, â€Å"Sensory Attributes,† included karma, intuition and psyche, which may represent such characteristics as â€Å"spidey senses. † The third factor included resources, reasoning ability, popularity and motivation.This combination s uggests someone who is smart, rich, resourceful, charming and philanthropic, and was thus labelled â€Å"Appeal. † The fourth factor seemed to consist of the most stereotypical traits of a superhero: being bullet proof or indestructible, the ability to fly, and a desire to help protect mankind. As such, it was decided to call this factor â€Å"Golden Age† attributes. Factor five consisted of powers derived from weapons and/or equipment and the power to manipulate matter and/or energy, and was thus labelled â€Å"External Powers. † The sixth factor was labelled â€Å"Secret Identity. Powers associated with the body loaded negatively with secret identity, suggesting that characters without superhuman defences are more likely to require secret identities to protect themselves. The next factor, labelled â€Å"Mysticism,† included magical powers and powers of the mind. These powers were also associated with capes, which are still used by such modern media mag ical superheroes as Harry Potter. At first glance, factor eight appeared to be a bit of a mosaic of collected variance; however upon further inspection it is quite enlightening.This factor encompasses a weakness combined with powers related to the character’s body and high endurance. This factor captures the Achilles heel of the character, along with the struggle to overcome it; thus it was assigned the label of â€Å"Tenacity. † The ninth factor demonstrates the humanness of the character. Amusingly, wearing spandex is positively related to being human. It must just fit better under a wider variety of everyday street clothes. [pic]These factors were used as independent variables in two regression models relating the factors first to appearances in movies, TV shows and video games (new media), and then to comic book sales volumes (as outlined in the method section). Neither of the dependent variables was normally distributed, so natural log transformations were conduct ed on each of them before analyses were conducted. When the superhero factors were regressed on the new media variable, residual analysis uncovered a non-random error distribution that suggested weighted least squares was required.Thus, a weighted least squares regression analysis was conducted using unstandardized residuals as the weighting factor. The model returned an adjusted R? value of 0. 77, meaning that 77% of the variance in new media appearances for superheroes could be explained by the nine superhero factors (Table 2). Four factors had significant effects on how often a character appeared in new media. Sensory abilities, external powers and humanness had positive relationships with new media appearances. It is easy to see why external powers would be desired in today’s visually focused media.Interestingly, the Golden Age factor had a negative relationship with new media appearances, with Golden Age characteristics making a character 35% less likely to appear on scr een. Some of our favourite superheroes have been recreated and revamped over the years. An example of a Golden Age character shedding these stereotypical powers in new media would be the television program Smallville, in which Superman can’t fly and has not yet devoted his life to saving mankind. This example is also an apt one for demonstrating the appeal of the other two factors, humanness and sensory attributes.Directional results indicate that audiences want characters to be less untouchable and more human and to have an innate ability to understand their fellow man. They want to empathize in some way with the protagonist in the story. These results could describe the hardened street smart Batman or the gentler Tobey Maguire version of Spiderman, both of whom are due to make reappearances at the box office, and both of whom will be sporting spandex. Alternatively, these results could be used as a skeleton around which to build new characters to debut in video format. [pic ]A second regression analysis was conducted using comic book sales figures estimates as the dependent variable. The mass audience for movies is a much broader one than the comic book niche market, and as such is looking for more sophisticated superhero stories. Thus, what these two audiences are looking for in superhero characteristics may also be very different. As in the first analysis, the 9 superhero factors were regressed on the transformed dependent variable, in this case Top 100 comic book sales. Linear regression results did not require weighting. Results can be seen in Table 3.Only one of the measured superhero factors, tenacity, played a significant role in determining comic book sales. The ability to overcome weakness in the face of insurmountable odds is something that comic book fans have come to expect from their superheroes over the decades. When writers gave their characters flaws in the Silver Age it was meant to make them look even better when they beat the bad guy (Lang and Trimble, 1988). Apparently the formula still works. These results indicate that changing superhero characters, or developing new ones, will have little effect on sales. pic] This stagnancy with respect to characters may be caused by a general shift among comic book fans away from emphasizing characters and more towards purchasing issues based on their artists (Brown, 1997). Alternatively, this is a small market that is steeped in tradition. Fans involve themselves heavily in these products and are quick to point out inconsistencies. They may simply not be open to change, meaning that the superheroes themselves are hardly considered at this point, so long as they are consistent.In short, this small market is not where growth will happen and is not representative of a broader audience so pursuing alternative characters in this medium could prove to be a waste of resources. Managerial Implications Apart from shedding light on current cultural values, these findings can be ap plied commercially. While results suggested that the comic book market is not strongly character driven, results indicated that characters have a major impact on on-screen popularity.Television and movie audiences seem to want to see heroes that are intuitive human beings that have powers that are external to themselves, whether they stem from equipment or the ability to manipulate matter or energy outside of themselves. They are no longer interested in god-like characters that can fly and can’t be killed. This combination includes mutant characters. Results can be applied to choosing existing characters to introduce into these media, developing new characters specifically for those media, or altering existing characters to better suit the wants of the audiences viewing those media.For example, Iron Man fits these criteria, making him a perfect choice for an upcoming silver screen venture. Findings also suggest that Professor X would be a more popular character if he were to develop the ability to move things with his mind. Alternatively, an entirely new breed of superhero could be introduced to the world. A league of new and improved, culturally customized superheroes to rise from the wake of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harry Potter, never having been restricted by the walls of a comic book panel.Limitations There are several issues that require the reader to interpret these results with caution. First, for reasons of practicality, we use quite a small sample of the most well established characters created by the two biggest comic book publishers for our analysis. Therefore, innumerable other superheroes developed by them, smaller companies and independents, as well as those that did not originate in comics, but in some other medium such as television or movies, are not accounted for.Next, much of our analysis was based on comic book sales figures, the overwhelming majority of which were published by Marvel and DC; however, these sales figures were us ed as a surrogate measure of character popularity. It must be recognized that collectors now often consider the comic book artists rather than the characters that they create when purchasing issues, as well as purchasing multiple copies of those they believe will be valuable (Brown, 1997).Thus, character popularity may not be as highly correlated with comic book sales figures as we assume in our analysis. Similarly, Marvel, DC and the majority of the new media depicting those superheroes come from North America. As such, our results may not be generalizable across cultures. Finally, audience demographics for Marvel Comics, DC Comics and the various other superhero media discussed here are proprietary, so we are unable to consider how the audiences for these media are similar or how they differ in our analysis.Instead we are making an assumption that there are differences and inferring that comic book producers have been successful in their bids to increase the superhero audience thr ough the use of new media channels. Future Research This study could be expanded to include a more representative sample of heroes from a wider range of publishers and media if a consistent system for quantifying many of the superhero traits could be agreed upon. Findings would be much more robust and reliable if this were achieved. Demographic or cross-cultural comparisons of preferred superhero traits and media could also be introduced.Villains should also be included in any future analyses. These additions would make the findings more inherently interesting because â€Å"comic book evildoers†¦help define the comic book hero† (Fingeroth, 2004, p. 15). Should further sociological analysis be of interest, a longitudinal study of these characters’ traits, their associated artists and their evolutions could be compared empirically to the observations provided to date and used to attempt to predict current popular trends and their changing sociological implications f or now and into the future.Little empirical work exists in the realm of superheroes as they relate to popular culture, leaving endless opportunity to test the many sociological theories being advanced about them. References Bongco, M. 2000. Reading Comics: Language, Culture, and the Concept of the Superhero in Comic Books. New York, NY: Garland Publishing. Brown, J. A. 1997. Comic Book Fandom and Cultural Capital. Journal of Popular Culture 30 (4): 13-34. Fingeroth, D. 2004. Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us about Ourselves and Our Society. New York, NY: Continuum.Grinfeld, M. J. 1997. Superheroes Impart Life’s Lessons. Psychiatric Times 14. Klapp, O. E. 1962. Heroes, Villains, and Fools: The Changing American Character. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Lang, J. S. , and Trimble, P. 1988. Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? An Examination of the American Monomyth and the Comic Book Superhero. Journal of Popular Culture 22 (3): 157-173. Smith, K. 2003. The Superhero. Rolling Stone, May 15. Wright, B. W. 2001. Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

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Peter roberts watches expanding in HONG KONG - Essay Example PESTEL analysis (Porter, 1980) focuses on the external forces that play a key in role in a firm’s ability to produce and sell. The political analysis relates to the political context of a country and governments often use them to influence the business operations. According to (Porter, 1980), these factors include trading policy; international relations and taxation policy just to mention a few. Hong Kong is relative a stable and thus offers an excellent environment for international investors to conduct business. However, the imposition of 30% tax on international companies while letting local companies free could pose challenges to Peter Roberts watches in terms of competition (HKTDC Research, 2015). Porter (1985) posits that economic factors have a significant effect on business and, in particular, the national economy where the business is located. The economic factors influence business largely in terms of income, interest rates, and general demand. Kotler et al. (2013) argues that high-interest rates discourage investment whereas high inflation affects employee wages. Hong Kong is a rising, stable economy with low inflation rates; consequently, this will be more appealing to Peter Roberts Watches to conduct business. Porter (1985) describes social factors as encompassing factors such as population growth rates, social attitudes, and social demographics among others. The significance of these factors is in their ability to affect the demand for a firm’s goods. Hong Kong’s population has a significantly large proportion of its population composed of the Y-generation (Lenway & Murtha, 1994). This generation is fashion conscious and has a high affinity for trendy products. Peter Roberts Watches firm’s ability to produce a variety of watches including fashion will ultimately appeal to this population hence market (Peter Roberts, 2015). Technological factors

Consultancy project (Newspaper),Report style Essay

Consultancy project (Newspaper),Report style - Essay Example Many papers are sponsored by local governments who easily influence content. It may also be argued that there is considerable diversion to online sources for news. Nearly all of the print versions of papers, now have web versions. Most of the graphic elements from the print versions have been adapted to the computer screen, making print and online versions consistent and recognizable. Complicating the mix is the presence of foreign language newspapers, particularly those written in English. Some are English language versions of Russian papers, while others such as The St. Petersburg Times, Moscow Times and Neva News, are exclusively written and published for an English speaking readership. In St. Petersburg, there are no English language TV channels or radio stations, so it is assumed that these newspapers play an important role in the expatriate community as a news source. Quality of newspaper design varies widely. Some designs are surprisingly attractive, perhaps due to competition for readers limited attention span. Much of the style differences can be correlated to the segmentation of the newspaper market and the enormous differences in taste among newspapers target audiences. Newspapers were all originally communist party, or state owned mass media tools and typically ran stories about meetings of Party officials and anti-western propaganda during the Soviet period. Now, many of these papers have evolved into publicly consumable tabloids addressing everyday mundane Russian life. Stories are heavily weighted with scandal, public corruption exposes, and entertainment. Pravdas readership was originally over 13 million during the height of the Soviet Union, but then suffered in the post Soviet collapse and eventually closed down. It has been reborn threefold, and there is an ensuing struggle to legally maintain ownership of the once famous name, now c laimed by three different

Time and Form Essay Example for Free

Time and Form Essay Introduction While the English language has past and present tenses, it does not have a future tense because there is no particle for it. To say what will happen in the future, you can use the modal auxiliary will (plus the base form of the main verb), the verb phrase be going to (plus the base form of the main verb, the present simple or the present progressive, etc†¦ But, be careful! There are times when one is preferred over the others. We can accept that there are 7 main ways of this. Take a look at the following examples: The first five of these are commonly used in both speech and writing: 1. Emma is seeing Luke tomorrow – the present progressive, also known as the present continuous. 2. Emma is going to see Luke tomorrow – BE + going to, sometimes referred to as the â€Å"(BE) going to future†. 3. Emma sees Luke tomorrow – the present simple. 4. Emma will see Luke tomorrow this modal form is sometimes, unhelpfully, called the â€Å"future simple†. 5. Emma will be seeing Luke tomorrow – this modal progressive (or continuous) form is sometimes, unhelpfully, called the â€Å"future progressive/continuous†. The last two are used in more restricted contexts: 6. Emma is to see Luke tomorrow – BE + to + infinitive. 7. Emma to see Luke tomorrow – to- infinitive. There are also some so-called ‘future perfect’ constructions, which we will consider at the end of these notes: 8. Emma will have seen Luke †¦ 9. Emma will have been seeing Luke †¦ 10. Emma is going to have seen Luke †¦ Details: 1. The present progressive (also known as the present continuous – planned action) In English, we often use the present progressive (be + verb + ing) to talk about future events which have already been planned. Time words in the sentence, such as next week, next year, tomorrow, etc. , make it clear that the action is not happening at this moment. This form usually refers to a situation that began before the moment of speaking, continues at or around, and after, the present moment, and into the future, and is of limited duration: I am writing these notes on the future. (At this moment). Lindsay is driving to work this week. (She normally goes by bus). The present progressive can refer to a future situation that has been arranged before the present time. The arrangement continues through the present until the situation occurs: Emma is seeing Luke tomorrow, (They arranged this meeting yesterday) Note that only the context or co-text (in the last example the word tomorrow) can tell us which time-period a present progressive verb form refers to. Also note that it is simply not possible to make arrangements for some future situations. It is therefore not normally possible to say It is raining tomorrow. Watch out: Verbs that describe states rather than actions are not used in the progressive form. These include words like know, believe, hear, love, seem, own and need. Study the examples below. Im playing golf with some friends on Saturday. (correct) Im needing a ride to work tomorrow. (incorrect) In the first example, the speaker is talking about an action that has been planned. The use of the words on Saturday tell us that the action is not happening right now. The use of the verb need in the second example is incorrect. Need is used to show a state or condition rather than an action. Therefore, it is wrong to use it in the progressive form. The chart below shows more words that are not used in the progressive form. Verbs Not Used in the Progressive (a) Verbs describing feelings or attitude like, prefer, appear, seem, want, look, love, hate, appreciate, dislike, need (b) Verbs showing ownership possess, belong, own, have (c) Verbs associated with the senses smell, see, hear, taste (d) Verbs concerning mental activity forget, remember, understand, know, believe, mean, recognize, think Note: Some of these words can be used in the progressive form with changes in meaning. I have been meaning to write her. (The speaker was intending to write to her. ) Im sorry. Miss Jones is seeing a client at the moment. Would you mind waiting? (Miss Jones is with a client. ) You will be hearing from my attorney! (My attorney will be contacting you. ) 2. The modal structure: BE + going to Although you may hear or read that this form indicates ‘present intention’, this is not always true. It is hard to imagine any intention in this sentence: â€Å"Look at those black clouds; it is going to rain soon. † BE + going to refers to a future situation for which there is present evidence. In the previous example, the present evidence is the black clouds. In the following example, the present evidence may simply be the speaker’s knowledge that Emma and Luke have arranged the meeting: Emma is going to see Luke tomorrow. When the present evidence is an arrangement, then there is, practically speaking, no real difference in meaning between the present progressive and BE + going to. 3. The modal will + bare infinitive The modal auxiliary verb will has a number of possible meanings. Four of the more common are: a. certainty – John left an hour ago, so he will be home by now. (The speaker is certain that John is home) b.habitual characteristic: Andrea will sit at her desk for hours without saying a word. (This is what she often does. ) c. volition (willingness): I’ll carry your bag for you. (The speaker is offering to carry the bag. ) Fred will carry your bag for you. (The speaker is offering Fred’s services. ) d. instant decision: What will I do tomorrow? I know! I’ll go to the zoo. (The speaker decides to go to the zoo at the very moment of speaking – no plans had been made for this visit. ) Context tells us whether the certainty (a) is about the present, as in the example above, or the future: Prince Charles will become King when the present Queen dies. Habitual characteristic (b) is something that is shown regularly. It was observed in the past, can be observed in the present, and will presumably be observed in the future. It is not possible to know of a future habitual characteristic, so we do not use this form for purely future reference. Volition (c), denoting an offer, can refer only to a future situation. Will is normally contracted to ‘ll. Instant decisions (d) can be made only about a future situation and, usually, only reported by the person making the decision. We therefore usually encounter this meaning only with I or we as the subject. Will is normally contracted to ‘ll. The word tomorrow in the following sentence tells us that the seeing (meeting) is in the future: Emma will see Luke tomorrow. Only context can tell us whether the speaker is certain of the occurrence of the future meeting, or reporting that Emma is willing to see Luke. Note that other modals, which have different meanings, can also can also refer to future situations, for example: Peter might come over next week. (It is possible that this will happen) You must finish the report before you go home tonight. (You are obliged to finish the report.) ) You may read in some books that shall is used instead of will when the subject is I or we. Only a small minority of native speakers use shall other than in questions, and then only for certainty and instant decision, never for volition or habitual characteristic. Shall is used commonly in questions: e) making a suggestion: Shall we go to the pub this evening? f) asking if the person addressed wants the speaker to do something: Shall I arrange the publicity? BIG NOTES: Will or Be Going To? When English speakers predict what they think will happen or become true in the future, they can use either will or be going to. Look at the example sentences below. Wed better cancel the picnic. The weather person says we will have heavy rain on the weekend. Wed better cancel the picnic. The weather person says we are going to have heavy rain on the weekend. In both cases, the speakers are making predictions about the weather on the weekend. There is no difference in meaning between the first example and the second. However, there are a number of situations when it is better to use will than be going to, and vice versa. Expressing Future Events with Will We use will + the base form of the main verb in these situations. Use â€Å"Will† Example Explanation To talk about things that we think will happen (In such cases we often use words such as â€Å"I think† or â€Å"probably†. ) James will probably study history at university. I know James is interested in history. Therefore I guess or predict that he will study history in the future. For official or formal announcements concerning future events The graduation dinner will take place on June 3rd of this year. Any type of ceremony, including a graduation ceremony, is a formal or important event. Therefore, the use of will is appropriate here. For promises or offers related to the future (In such cases, we are expressing willingness. ) You forgot your wallet. Dont worry. Ill lend you some money. The phone is ringing. Dont get up. Ill answer it. In each case, the speaker is expressing a willingness to help the listener. For decisions concerning future events that are made while talking Person A: The car is very dirty. Person B: Youre right. Ill wash it after lunch. Before this conversation, Person B was not planning to wash the car after lunch. He decided to do so because of something Person A said. In other words, he made his decision to wash the car during the conversation. When making serious promises Dont worry. I wont forget to pay you back the money. Ill take care of your house while youre out of the country. Dont worry about a thing. Ill never forgive him! In each case, the speaker is expressing a promise to do something in the future. Shall Shall was used in the past for the affirmative will. Today however, the forms I will or we will are preferred. Nevertheless, shall is still used in questions about the future that make offers and suggestions or ask for advice. What shall we do if they dont come soon? (asking for advice. ) Its hot in here. Shall I open a window? (making an offer) Shall we try to finish the project today? (making a suggestion) Using Be Going To We use be going to + the base form of the main verb in these situations. Use â€Å"Be Going To† Example Explanation For prediction — We use be going to + the base form of the main verb to make a prediction about the future based on our sense of sight, smell, taste, hearing or touch. In other words, something about the present causes us to think an action will happen very soon or immediately. Something smells good. Dinner is going to be delicious. The speaker is making a prediction about a future meal based on what his sense of smell tells him in the present. The sun is shining and theres not a single cloud in the sky. Its going to be a nice day. The speaker is making a prediction based on what (s)he sees. For a plan — We use be going to + the base form of the main verb to talk about future events which have already been planned. Last year we went to Hawaii for our vacation. This year we are going to take a cruise to Alaska. After work Im going to play squash with a friend. The speaker is talking about a planned event. For informal situations — We use be going to + the base form of the main verb when we talk about informal situations involving future actions. Mom and Dad are going to be angry when they see the mess youve made. Youd better clean it up before they get home. This is an informal situation between two siblings. 4. The present simple The present simple tense is used to talk about future events that have been scheduled. Examples would be meetings, timetables, airline schedules, etc†¦ The present simple is also used for situations that often or regularly happen. It can therefore be used for a future situation that is part of a regular series of happenings: The train for Berlin leaves at midnight tonight. It is also used for something that is seen as part of a fixed timetable: The sun rises at 07. 34 tomorrow. (We can imagine the speaker thinking of a table of sunrise and sunset times. ) Emma sees Luke tomorrow. (We can imagine the speaker mentally looking at Emma’s diary). Hurry up! I dont want to miss any of the game. It starts at 1:00. The meeting is in the boardroom. It begins at 10:00. Hell be here soon. His plane arrives at 6:45. 5. The modal will + be + -ing form Progressive forms usually refer to a situation that began before a time point continues through and after that time point, and into the future, and is of limited duration. The combination of this idea with the modal will, expressing certainty, leads to the modal will + be + -ing form referring to a situation beginning before a future time point and continuing through that time point: Sally’s plane takes off from Heathrow at 9 o’clock tomorrow, so by about midday she will be flying over Istanbul. It is also possible that the speaker is more concerned with the pure certainty of the action happening than with volitional aspect that might be implied by the use of WILL by itself: Emma will be seeing Luke tomorrow. Some writers claim, with some justification, that this use of modal will + a progressive implies, by its lack of reference to intention, volition or arrangement, a casual future. Depending on the context and co-text, the speaker may be intending a ‘casual’ futurity, or may be indicating a situation in progress at a particular time. 6. BE + to + infinitive. This form is not common in informal conversation. It refers to something that is to happen in the future as a plan or decree, normally by some authority other than the subject of the sentence, and is common in television and radio news reports Thus we are unlikely to hear the first of the following examples (unless Emma and Luke are the names of well-known singers, actors, etc) . We might well hear the second: Emma is to see Luke tomorrow. Downing Street announced this morning that the Prime Minister is to fly to Washington this evening for urgent talks about the current crisis. 7. to- infinitive This form is common only in newspaper headlines, where editors want to announce the news as briefly as possible. Once again, we are unlikely to see the first of the following examples (unless Emma and Luke are the names of well-known singers, actors, etc). We might well see the second: Emma to see Luke tomorrow. PM to fly to US. 8. will + have + past participle (third form) When we refer to a future action completed before a later future time, or a future state continuing up to that later future time, we use will + have + a past participle (third form). This is sometimes known as the ‘future perfect’: I will have lived here for just over thirteen years when I celebrate my 66th birthday next March. (At the moment of speaking, six months before ‘next March’, the speaker has lived ‘here’ for twelve and a half years. ) By the time she leaves Paris tomorrow, Emma will have seen Luke and told him the news. (When Emma leaves Paris tomorrow, the seeing and telling will be, for her, in the past. ) This form is sometimes known as the ‘future perfect’. 9. BE + going to + have + past participle (third form). It is possible, though not very common, for a speaker to suggest that there is present evidence of a future action completed before a later future time, or a future state continuing up to that later future time, using BE + going to + have + a past participle form (third form): By the time Emma leaves Paris tomorrow, She is going to have seen Luke and told him the news. Learners may see/hear this usage, but are recommended to use only 8. will + have + a past participle (third form), which has practically the same meaning, and is far more commonly used. 10. will + have + been + -ing form. When we refer to a future action begun before a later future time and continuing through that later future time, we use will + have + been + -ing form. By the end of next week, Emma will have been seeing Luke for three months. (She has now, one week before ‘the end of next week’ been seeing him for a week less than three months. ) This form is sometimes known as the ‘future perfect continuous’. Look at this example to be clearer between â€Å"will + inf†, â€Å"be going to†, and â€Å"be + V-ing† When you feel you’ve got a terrible headache, you say (right away at this moment) that: I’ll visit doctor tomorrow. When your mother asks about your problem, you say that: I am going to visit doctor tomorrow. When you make a phone call to your family doctor to fix an appointment, you say: I am visiting doctor tomorrow. Important Note. In many sentences, several of the forms can be used perfectly naturally. The final subconscious choice of form is made by speakers at the moment of speaking, and depends on the context of situation as they see it at that moment. Do not think that there is one, and only one, ‘correct’ form in any given situation.

Macro environmental factors that affect firms

Macro environmental factors that affect firms These factors are not within the control of management of business but still affects the business up to large extends. These factors are almost uncontrollable. The organization has to fit into this environment to survive in this competitive scenario. These factors of macro environment also affects the factors within the organization i.e. factors of micro environment. There are many factors in the macro-environment that will affect the decisions of the managers of any organization in this whole world. Tax changes, new laws, trade barriers, demographic change and government policy, political changes are all examples of macro change. To analyze these factors managers can categories them using the PESTEL model. Political factors: This refers to government policy, For example: the degree of intervention in the economy. What goods and services a government wants to provide? Up To what extent does it believe in subsidizing firms? What are its major priorities in terms of business support? Political decisions can impact on many vital areas of business such as the education of the workforce, the health of the nation and the quality of the infrastructure of the economy such as the road and rail system. Economic factors: This includes interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates. For example: Higher interest rate may deter the investment because it costs more to borrow. Inflation may provoke the higher wage demands from employees and raise costs. Higher national income growth may boost the demand for a firms products. Social factors: Changes in social trends can impact on the demand for a firms products and the availability and willingness of employees to work. For example: In the UK, the population has been ageing. This has increased the costs for firms who are committed to pension payments for their employees because their staffs are living longer. It also means some firms like ASDA have started to recruit older employees to tap into this growing labor pool. The ageing population also has impact on demand. For example: Demand for sheltered accommodation and medicines have increased whereas demand for toys is falling. Technological factors: New technology creates new products and new processes. MP3 players, computer games, online gambling, i-pods and high definition TVs are all new markets created by technological advances. Online shopping, bar coding and computer aided design are all improvements to the way the businessmen do business as a result of better technology. Technology can reduce costs; improve quality and leads to innovation. These developments can benefit consumers as well as the organizations which providing the products. Environmental factors: Environmental factor includes the weather and climate change. Changes in temperature can impact on many industries which include farming, tourism and insurance. With major climate changes occurring due to global warming and with greater environmental awareness these external factors are becoming a significant issue for firms to consider. The growing desire to protect the environment is having an impact on many industries like the travel and transportation industries (For example: more taxes being placed on air travel and the success of hybrid cars.) and the general move towards more environmental friendly products and processes is affecting demand patterns and creating business opportunities. Legal factors: These are related to the legal environment in which firm operates. In recent years in the UK there have been many beneficial legal changes that have affected firms behavior. The introduction of age discrimination and disability discrimination legislation, an increase in the minimum wage and greater requirements for firms to recycle are examples of the recent laws that affect an organisations actions. Legal changes can affect a firms costs and demand. IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Firm to identify opportunities and getting the first mover advantage: Early identification of opportunities helps an enterprise to be the first to catch them instead of losing them to competitors. For example: Maruti Udyog became the leader in the small car market since it was the first to recognize the need for small cars in India. Firm to identify threats and early warning signals: If an Indian firm finds that a foreign multinational company is entering the Indian market it should gives a warning signal and Indian firms can meet the threat by adopting, by improving the quality of the product, reducing cost of the production, engaging in aggressive advertising, and so on. Coping with rapid changes: All sizes and all types of industries are facing increasingly dynamic environment. In order to effectively cope with these significant changes, managers must understand and examine the environment and develop suitable courses of action. Improving performance: The enterprises that continuously monitor their environment and adopt suitable business practices are the ones which not only improve their present performance but also continue to succeed in the market for a longer period of time. THE ORGANISATIONAL EXTERNAL BUSINESS STRATEGY By using the PESTEL framework a manager can analyze the many different factors in a firms macro environment. However, it is important not to just list PESTEL factors since this does not in it tell managers very much. What managers need to do is to think about which factors are most likely to change and which will have the greatest impact on them i.e. each firm must identify the key factors in their own environment. Managers must decide on the relative importance of various factors and one way of doing this is to rank and score the likelihood of a change occurring and also rate the impact if it did The higher the likelihood of a change occurring and the greater the impact of any change the more beneficial this factor will be to the firms planning. External Strategies of different organization Economic factors :- Vodafone: The growth of Asian countries like India and china, have had massive effects on Vodafone. Vodafone can relocate production there to benefit from lower costs; these emerging markets are also providing enormous markets for them to aim their product at. With a population of over 1 billion, for example, the Chinese market is not one that anyone would want to ignore, at the same time Chinese producers should not be ignored either. Social factors :- McDonaldà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s: Important strategic decisions are a key factor to Mac Donaldà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s success with consideration for both internal and external factors. When considering the foreign market, companies need to consider there are risks. There must be local marketing to appeal to the local consumers and also to build relationships and trust (Bateman Scott, 2004). Therefore, the strategic planning for marketing has to be effective enough. McDonaldà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s caters its menu in other countries to the cultures of the regions. For example, in India, the non-vegetarian menu includes chicken and fish items only. Beef is not on the menu in India because are considered sacred. Political-legal factors:- American auto makers, the electric car and California: Electric cars For whatever reasons, several of the auto manufacturers in the USA began developing which they leased to satisfied customers. Then, California decided that it would be a good idea to mandate to American auto makers that if they expected to sell their cars in California they would have to invent some new technology reducing carbon dioxide. Presumably, California expected to see an increase of the electric cars being sold by auto makers. What happened is quite the opposite and the auto makers took a hard look at their electric car program, uncertain how to market a clean vehicle without admitting the piston engine vehicles are dirty, realizing that much of the profit from a piston engine vehicle comes with the replacement of the parts and not so with electric cars and finally, realizing that a State, not even the State of California can make them build technology they dont have, nor can any state even make them keep b uilding the technology they do have, and so, the auto makers killed their own electric car program and this was the impact of a political-legal environment. Technological factors:- NOKIA: The starting models of Nokia had some technical problem with battery backup. People who were using those handsets often complain which had spoil the reputation of the Nokia completely. The sales and market price of Nokia fell down drastically. Then management took serious consideration to these problems, and modifies all the handset with latest technology. Nokia had been successful to regain the trust of its consumers and as a result it enjoys monopoly in market. Environmental factors:- Tesco: In 2003, there has been increased pressure on various companies and managers to acknowledge their responsibility to society, and act in a way which benefits society overall. The main societal issue threatening food retailers has been environmental issues, a key area for companies to act in a socially responsible way. Hence by recognizing this trend within the broad ethical stance. Tescos corporate social responsibility is concerned with the ways in which the organization exceeds the minimum obligations to stakeholders specified through regulation and corporate governance. Graiser and Scott (2004) states that in 2003 the government has intended to launch a new strategy for sustainable consumption and production to cut waste reduce consumption of resources and minimize environmental damage. The latest legislation has created a new tax on advertising highly processed and fatty foods. The so-called à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“fat tax directly affected the Tesco product ranges that have subsequently been adapted and affecting relationships with both suppliers and customers.

Anthropogenic Polycyclic Aromatic

Anthropogenic Polycyclic Aromatic Source Apportionment of Anthropogenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) by Molecular and Isotopic Characterization A dissertation submitted as part of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are important, ubiquitous environmental pollutants known for their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. They are released into the atmosphere, soil (which bears about 90% of the environmental PAH burden in the UK) and water by natural and anthropogenic processes. Today, anthropogenic combustion of fossil fuel is, by far, the most important source of PAH input into the environment. The importance of PAHs as environmental pollutants with a multiplicity of sources has resulted in considerable interest in source apportionment techniques. This study therefore investigated the PAH profiles in road dust samples around a high temperature carbonization plant (Barnsley, South Yorkshire) and used the combination of molecular methods and gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (d13C GC-IRMS) to identify their origin. Quantification of the sixteen U.S EPA priority PAHs extracted from the dust samples ranged from 2.65 to 90.82g/g. The PAH profiles were dominated by phenanthrene for 2-3 ring PAHs and by fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene and benzo(b+k)flouranthene for PAHs with ring size ≠¥ 4. The fluoranthene to pyrene (Fl/(FL+P)) )) concentration ratio ranged from 0.51 to 0.55, while the indenol(1,2,3-cd)pyrene to benzo(ghi)perylene (IcdP/(IcdP+ BghiPer)) ratio ranged from 0.37 to 0.55; suggesting contributions from diesel combustion, most likely from heavy duty trucks. The ability of compound-specific stable isotope measurement, using d13C GC-IRMS, to source apportion environmental PAHs where significant input from coal is expected has been demonstrated. The PAH d13C isotope ratio values ranged from -25.5 to -29.7%o. Overall, the d13C isotope ratio, in conjunction with PAH molecular distribution/ratio, strongly suggest that PAHs in the study area have inputs from both high temperature coal carbonisation and transport fuels (mainly diesel combustion). Chapter One 1.0 Introduction Industrialization, centered on energy use, has been the driving force for many of the greatest advances in the 20th century and is central to our way of life in the modern world today. Energy improvements and the discovery of fossil fuel (coal and petroleum) have hastened industrialization and breakthroughs in areas such as travel, communication, agriculture and healthcare, in many parts of the world. Despite these achievements, industrialization has brought along with it global problems of environmental pollution and challenges. These include exploitation of natural resources, oil spillages, global warming due to rising emissions of carbon dioxide and other green house gases, disposal of wastes (industrial and domestic) and inorganic and organic emissions which ultimately affect air, water and land quality. The release of organics/organic effluents such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), mainly from the use of fossil fuels; into the environment have particularly gained attention in recent times due to their toxicity and persistence. 1.1 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants that are of great public concern due to their toxicity, carcinogenicity and/or mutagenicity (Fabbri et al., 2003; Sharma et al., 2007). They are continuously introduced into the environment by both natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions and forest fires; and anthropogenic sources which include various industrial processes such as coke production in the iron and steel industry, catalytic cracking in the petroleum industry, coal gasification, heating and power generation, open burning of vegetation and internal combustion engines used for various means of transportation (Suess, 1976; Morasch et al., 2007). Immense PAHs contaminations of the environment typically originate from anthropogenic sources. A natural balance existing between the production and natural degradation of PAH historically kept the background concentration of PAH in the environment low and fixed (Smith and Harrison, 1996). The ever-increasing industrial development and use of fossil fuels in many parts of the world released PAHs into the environment resulting in their universal occurrence in air, water, soil and sediments. This increase in the production rate of anthropogenic PAHs has disrupted the natural balance of PAHs in the environment, while their rate of decomposition remains more or less constant (Suess, 1976; Fetzer, 1988). PAHs are found in great abundance in fossil fuel materials such as shale oil, coal liquids, petroleum, asphalt and many other hydrocarbon based materials (Fetzer, 1988). Incomplete combustion of these fossil fuel materials produces fly ash, chimney soot and engine-derived air particulates which have higher levels of PAHs than the original materials (Chadwick et al., 1987; Fetzer, 1988). Generally, PAHs give rise to significant impact to the areas close to the nearest point sources (Ohkuchi et al., 1999). There are very high concentrations of atmospheric PAH in the urban environment which is accounted for by the various industrial processes earlier identified, increasing vehicular traffic and the scarce dispersion of the atmospheric pollutants. These PAHs are emitted to the atmosphere either in the gaseous phase or on very small particles, 70-90% of which are in the respirable range (et al., 1987). The risk associated with the human exposure to atmospheric PAH is therefore highest in the cities because of these factors and the density of population (Sharma et al., 2007). In view of the carcinogenic potential of many PAH compounds, their contribution to the mutagenic activity of ambient aerosols and range of sources of emission, their concentration in the environment is considered alarming and efforts should be made to reduce or even eliminate them wherever possible. To achieve this, a better understanding of their fate and associative transformation pathways in the environment is necessary and this has resulted in considerable interest in PAHs source apportionment. 1.2 Source Apportionment Most organic pollutants can be released into the environment from various sources. Hydrocarbon pollutants are particularly widespread in the environment due to the multiplicity of their sources such as synthesis by living organisms (biogenic origin), degradation of organic matter (diagenic origin), incomplete combustion of organic matter and natural and anthropogenic fossil fuel combustibles (petrogenic origin) (Mazeas et al., 2002). Due to the multiplicity of the sources of organic pollutants, source apportionment techniques are invaluable in the determination of the contributions of various pollution sources of a pollutant in the environment. Source apportionment generally refers to the quantitative assignment of a combination of distinct sources of a particular group of compounds put into a system (OMalley et al., 1994). Differences in emission profile, among emission sources, have been sufficiently used to develop fingerprints that can be identified and quantified at a particular site (Dallarosa et al., 2005). As mentioned earlier, most of the environmental PAHs have anthropogenic origins. Contributions from coal combustion and use of petroleum in internal combustion engines for transportation have increased over the years and have generated a lot of concern. It is therefore important to be able to distinguish different sources that contribute to PAH pollution of a particular environment using reliable source apportionment techniques. This project work is therefore aimed at contributing to the knowledge of reliable, unambiguous novel PAH source apportionment techniques by: (i) Identifying and quantifying contemporary PAHs fluxes in the environment around a coking works using molecular methods (ii) Demonstrating the ability of compound specific stable isotope measurement to source apportion environmental PAHs where significant input from coal is expected Chapter Two 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 General overview of the properties of PAHs Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds are a class of complex organic chemicals made up of carbon and hydrogen with a fused ring structure containing at least 2 benzene rings (Ravindra et al., 2008). They may also contain additional fused rings that are not six-sided (Figure 1). Pyrosynthesis and pyrolysis are two main mechanisms that can explain the formation of PAH from saturated hydrocarbons under oxygen-deficient conditions. Low molecular weight hydrocarbons like ethane form PAHs by pyrosynthesis (Figure 2). At a temperature greater than 5000C, carbon-hydrogen and carbon-carbon bond are broken to form free radicals which combine to form acetylene. Acetylene condenses further to form aromatic ring structures which are resistant to degradation (Figure 2). The ease with which hydrocarbons may form PAH structure varies in the order aromatics > cycloolefins > olefins > Paraffins (Ravindra et al., 2008). The higher molecular weight alkanes in fuel form PAH by pyrolysis: the cracking of organic compounds. The discovery of the fluorescence of a number of known carcinogenic tars and mineral oils in 1930 led to the investigation of the carcinogenic properties of PAHs. This spanned from the discovery that benz(a)anthracene and other compounds in its group possessed a similar fluorescence (Chadwick et al., 1987). Initial investigation for PAH carcinogenicity using dibenz(a,h)anthracene later resulted in the isolation of a powerful carcinogenic substance from coal tar: benzo(a)pyrene (Chadwick et al., 1987). Since the discovery of benzo(a)pyrene, various works have been done to identify other carcinogenic PAHs. Sixteen (16) parental PAHs have been designated by the US environmental protection agency (US EPA) as priority pollutants and most of the studies have focused on these (Figure 1 and Table 1). Seven (7) of these (Table 2) have been identified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as animal carcinogens and have been studied by the EPA as potential human carcinogens (EPA report, 1998). PAH can undergo metabolic transformation into mutagenic, carcinogenic and teratogenic agents in aquatic and terrestrial organisms. These metabolites, such as dihydrodiol epoxides, bind to, and disrupt, DNA and RNA, which is the basis for tumor formation (Wild and Jones, 1995). Although PAHs are renowned for their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, not all of them are environmentally or biologically significant. Studies have been carried out on monitoring the levels of some of the important PAH in various parts of the world and the results of a number of these are summarized in Table 2. The carcinogenicity and/or mutagenicity of PAH, which require metabolic conversion and activation, is structurally dependent: while certain isomers can be very active, other similar ones are not (Fetzer, 1988). An example, as shown by Fetzer (1988), is found in the five PAHs with molecular weight of 288 and containing 4 rings. Chrysene, benz[a]anthracene and benzo[c]phenanthrene are mutagenic but the remaining two, napthacene and triphenylene are not. As molecular weight increases, the carcinogenic level of PAHs also increases and acute toxicity decreases (Ravindra et al., 2008). The p electron fused benzene rings in PAHs account for most of their physical properties and chemical stability (Lee et al., 1981). The 2-ring and 3-ring PAHs compounds, which are more volatile and water soluble, but less lipophilic than their higher molecular weight relatives, generally exist primarily in the gas phase in the atmosphere and will tend to be deposited to the surfaces via dry gaseous and/or wet deposition (Ravindra et al., 2008). On the other hand, the less volatile 5-6 ring PAHs tend to be deposited on surfaces bound to particles in wet and dry deposition; while compounds of intermediate vapor pressure will have a temperature-dependent gas/particle partitioning of PAHs leading to both wet and dry deposition in gaseous and particle-bound form (Mannino and Orecchio, 2008). PAHs have a tendency to sorb on hydrophobic surfaces and this tendency increases with the number of aromatic rings (Morasch et al., 2007). Thus, PAHs are primarily found/present in the environment in soils and sediments, rather than water and air. Their high hydrophobic tendency and high lipophilic properties make them easily bio-accumulated to such an extent that can threaten the safety of food chains for both man and animals (Sun et al., 2003). Compounds Chemical formula Molecular weight Melting point, oC Boiling point,oC Particle/gas phase distribution Napthalene C10H8 128.19 80.5 218 Acenaphthylene C12H8 152.21 Gas phase Acenaphthene C12H10 154.21 96.2 279 Gas phase Fluorene C13H10 166.22 116 -117 295 Gas phase Phenanthrene C14H10 178.24 100 101 340 Particle phase Anthracene C14H10 178.24 216.5 217.2 339.9 Particle phase Fluoranthene C16H10 202.26 110.6 111.0 393 Particle phase Pyrene C16H10 202.66 152.2 152.9 360 Particle phase Benz(a)anthracene* C18H12 228.30 159.5 160.5 435 Particle phase Chrysene* C18H12 228.30 250 254 448 Particle phase Benzo(b)fluoranthene* C20H12 252.32 Particle phase Benzo(K)fluoranthene* C20H12 252.32 215.5 216 Particle phase Benzo(a)pyrene* C20H12 252.32 176.5 -177.5 311 Particle phase Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene* C20H12 276.34 Particle phase Dibenz(a,h)anthracene* C22H14 278.34 205 Particle phase Benzo(ghi)perylene C20H12 276.34 273 Particle phase *PAHs identified animal carcinogens and as potential human carcinogens Table 1: Physical properties of 16 priority PAHs on US EPA listing (Adapted from EPA REPORT, 1998, Ravindra et al., 2008) S/N Total PAHs Mean (ngm-3) Cities 1 à ¥ 15 PAHs 56 Columbia (USA) 2 à ¥ 15 PAHs 412 Austria 3 B (a) P 4.99-9.56a Delhi 4 à ¥ 12 PAHs 93 Denver (USA) 5 à ¥ 8 PAHs 150-1800a Delhi 6 à ¥ 15 PAHs 166 London 7 à ¥ 15 PAHs 59 Cardiff 8 à ¥ 11 PAHs 90-195 (I)a, 20-70 (R)a Ahmedabad 9 à ¥ 12 PAHs 22.9-190.96a Kolkata 10 à ¥ 12 PAHs 20-95a, 125-190a Mumbai, Nagpur 11 à ¥ 13 PAHs 90.37 57.04 Coimbatore 12 à ¥ 11 PAHs 310 (60-910)a Mexico city 13 à ¥ 15 PAHs 8.94-62.5a Camo Grande city 14 à ¥ 16 PAHs 13-1865a Chicago I= industrial site, R = residential site, a Range Table 2: A summary of mean concentrations (ng/m3) of total PAHs in various cities of the world (Sharma et al., 2007) 2.2 Anthropogenic sources of PAHS The high concentration of PAHs in the environment, as shown in Table 2, suggests the extent of anthropogenic contribution (Sharma et al., 2007). It is, however, difficult to estimate the amount of anthropogenic PAHS on the yearly input of the various sources on a global basis. An approximate quantification has been made, based on the annual consumption of fossil fuel, that while the global annual release of PAHs to the atmosphere is of an order of 105 tonnes, including 103 tonnes of benzo(a)pyrene; the annual input of crude and processed oil containing 1-3% PAHs to the oceans of the world is 1.1106 tonnes (Ivwurie, 2004). The main anthropogenic sources of carcinogenic PAHs are emissions from fossil fuel combustion in industrial and power plants, automobile emissions, biomass burning, agricultural burning and natural gas utilization. Fossil fuel utilization is the major cause of anthropogenic PAH occurrence in the environment. Hence, emphasis is placed on these sources below. 2.2.1 PAHs from Coal Combustion and Conversion Processes Coal, an organic rock formed from the accumulation and burial of partially decomposed vegetation in previous geologic ages through a series of physical, biological and biochemical changes; is a major fossil fuel for heating and power generation. The predominant organic components in coal have resulted from the formation and condensation of polynuclear carboxylic and heterocyclic ring compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur (United Nations, 1973). Due to its chemical composition (heterogeneous macro-molecular matrix, including hydrocarbons and hetero-atomic moieties) various coal conversion and utilizations are significant contributors of PAHs to the environment. Coal combustion emissions 47 PAH compounds resulting from coal combustion residing in fly ash, grate ash or the stack emissions were identified in the work of Junk and Ford (1980, cited in Chadwick et al., 1987). However, these PAH emissions are a function of the efficiency of the coal combustion plant. On the whole, large, efficient coal-burning, electricity-generating plants, with high combustion temperatures, emit relatively low total amounts of PAH and contribute very little to PAH emissions when operated properly (Chadwick et al., 1987). PAH emission factors for coal-fired plants were put at 32ugkg-1 and 41ugkg-1 coal by Ramdahl et al. (1983) and Masclet et al. (1987) respectively. 70% of the total PAH emission flux from power plants is made up of 3-4 ring PAHs and their alkylated counterparts (Wild and Jones, 1995). 5-6 ring PAHs and their heteroatom-containing derivatives are emitted from coke ovens during coal carbonisation (Kirton et al., 1991) Coal carbonization emissions Coal carbonization, the pyrolytic decomposition of coal in the absence of oxygen, can be classified according to the temperature to which the coal is heated, as shown in Table 3. This process yields char or coke, tar and oven or coal gas as the major products. Coke is by far the most important product in terms of yield and revenue. However, leakages from coke ovens are sources of release of high levels of PAHs and other organics to the environment. Emissions from coke ovens range from volatile monoaromatics (alkyl benzenes) to 5-6 ring PAHs together with their substituted heteroatom derivatives such as O-PAHs, NPAHs and S-PAHs (Lao et al., 1975; Kirton et al., 1991). Anderson et al. (1983) determine

My Dream Meal :: essays research papers

High on a mountaintop overlooking the shoreline of Cruz Bay in St. John of the U.S.V.I., there sits a small restaurant called â€Å"Chateau Bordeaux.† A mid-sized deck protrudes out the back of the restaurant. Nine tables are randomly placed on this patio, each with its own single white candle in the center. It is night, and bright wicker torches line the veranda, consecutively spaced about six feet apart. Looking down at the bay, colorful lights from the inner Caribbean city reflect onto the glistening water of the shore. The tables are set with solid white China and beautifully shined silverware. Tall crystal wineglasses are placed at each setting, each filled with ice cold pià ±a coladas. In the background, you are able to make out the melodious tune of â€Å"Unchained Melody† being played softly on a piano. Sitting at a table closest to the cliff sits my boyfriend and I, gazing at the radiant view of the sea. Jack is wearing a jet-black tuxedo with a blood red dress shirt underneath the jacket, and I am wearing a long, flowing black, fitted, strappy velvet gown with black satin slippers and a small silver diamond necklace. My hair is gently stirred by the constant trade winds of the Caribbean, adding an almost eerie effect to the mood. As the two of us sit down to eat, we are befuddled with the exquisitely prepared meal set before us. The main course sits near the center of our table, just inches away from the candle. It is a large, wooden bowl filled with salad from The Olive Garden and mixed with their own, homemade dressing. At each of the two place settings that we sit, there is a large plate of angel-hair pasta topped with just the right amount of delicious marinara sauce, and sprinkled with only the best parmesan cheese. Next to the wooden salad bowl in the center of the table on the opposite side of the candle, there is a small wicker basket filled with Olive Garden breadsticks, covered by a thin flowered napkin. This fine meal is just begging to be consumed.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the Presidential Election Essay

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the Presidential Election America has lost sight of the big picture. The war on terror is not going to be won through military endeavors or through appeals for international cooperation. Sure, those are both essential parts of combating terrorism, and Americans strive to achieve in both categories. However, this is not a war to simply meet indiscriminate aggression against aggression. This is neither a World War nor a Cold War. Only about one-third of the battle against terrorism is fought through military means, and that’s the easy part. The remaining 66 percent – the bulk of the big picture – deals with convincing those hostile to American intentions that flying planes into buildings, strapping bombs to chests and planting mines near roadsides is a waste of time, energy, and valuable lives. What can America do to offer people of the Middle East alternatives to terrorism while simultaneously standing unequivocally opposed to terrorism and its tactics? Whatever policy it chooses to pursue, one thing is certain: the starting point is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is from America’s stance in this situation that all hostilities towards the United States stem. Here’s the thing: Arab nations strongly sympathize with the Palestinian cause. For most of them, it is their number one foreign policy issue, even though it really has nothing to do with the interests of the individual states. Many Arabs feel that it is their duty to do everything in their power to oppose the aggressor, Israel, and its main supporter, the United States. If you combine this with a largely uneducated and population without jobs that’s frequently manipulated by radical clerics, you have a r... ...;http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage>. 2. Bennet, James. Israel Rightists Endorse Pullout from Gaza Strip.† New York Times 19 April 2004: N1+. 3. Foreign Policy: Working for Peace in the Middle East and Security for Israel. John Kerry for President. 20 April 2004 . 4. Friedman, Thomas L. â€Å"Kicking Over the Chessboard.† New York Times 18 April 2004: WK13. 5. Middle East. 20 April 2004. BBC News. 20 April 2004 . 6. Myre, Greg. â€Å"Leader of Hamas Killed by Israel in Missile Attack.† New York Times 18 April 2004: N1+. 7. A National Security Strategy that Meets the Challenges of Our Time. Bush Cheney ’04. 20 April 2004 . 8. Paula Zahn Now (Replay). CNN. 20 April 2004, 2:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m.

Rape and Behavioral Changes Essay

In this century, the term rape is common in every part of the world. According to a Firstpost. India, (2013), approximately 68,000 rape cases were reported alone in India during 2009-2012. But only 16,000 cases were sentenced. This shows how serious the rape cases are. Nowadays in different parts of the country, where these types of crimes are increasing, woman’s live in fear. They have no idea where, when or whom will attack them. For anyone it can be the most torturing and disgusting that would happen in their life. Rapists should be punished in such a way that no one else would ever think about committing a rape. But, without harsh actions, the situation will not improve and women’s protection will stay as an incomplete hallucination. Firstly, people should learn how to take such cases seriously, most importantly police. It can be one of the easiest ways to reduce such crimes. Some people say that, rape is not equal to murder, so death penalty is not suitable for this. In my opinion those people who commit this crime does not deserve any respect to live. It is because, the victim suffers a lot throughout her life, and they lose trust and self confidence in themselves. Victims try to suicide or they are even murdered, moreover effects on children due to physical attack, and other kinds of social complications. The victim suffers a lot through her life due to rape. Since the childhood, children are told to ignore strangers who offers them sweets, as for teenagers in this century, they need to be very careful who they have relationships with, it will not be too difficult to understand what I am saying. As there is news everywhere about some close friend or someone who you believe as a family member raped someone. According to Barker (2012), 73% of sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows somehow. And two-thirds of rapes are committed by someone well-known to the victim. Everyone’s life is valuable, no one have the right to take the life from them. Pregnancy and other kinds of physical damages are suffered by victims. If the victim is alive, remembrance of such assaults is tormenting. This may even lead to brain damages. So due to this those people who commit the murder have no right to live. Secondly, when someone goes through such kinds of mistreatment, the victim find it difficult to trust anyone. They wish to stay alone; in addition the victim loses him or her self-confidence. In order to continue their life, a lot of self-confidence is important. Or else there will not be any success in life, rather down-fall. They may even feel angry and shame, due to this they may try to seek revenge. This may lead to unexpected downfall in the society. Thus, the whole future of the victim is ruined, because in most of the cases the victim is ignored by the society. Some people believe that hanging the rapist, will not stop them. But in my opinion they will step back, this will reduce the crime rate. At the same time, victims commit suicide or they are even murdered. According to Mulugeta, Kassave & Berhane (1998), In Ethiopia, 6% of raped schoolgirls reported having attempted suicide. Now think how much it might have increased until 2013. Victims feel humiliated to talk about what had happened to them. And rapists murder the victim inorder to hide their mistake. Or else they want to unidentified. Letting the rapists walk freely will result in, repeating of such cases by the same person. This will lead to fear in the society. You may see in everyday news, people protesting against the rapists. But the justice is not given to these people. In contrast, physical attack on children or infants may lead to different problems such as, anxiety, behavioral changes, depression, eating disorders, school learning problems and many more. This might affect the growth of the child. Ancestral rape has been shown to be one of the supreme life threatening forms of juvenile distress, a trauma that repeatedly does serious and long-standing emotional loss, mainly in the incident of maternal incest. A murder is like abolishing the physical frame of the victim such as rape degrades the helpless life of the victim. To this end, there are many social problems faced due to such cases. It could spread dangerous diseases, such as HIV. This is a fact that should not be ignored. Moreover, if these people are set free, chances of increase in crime rates is high. For example, the rapists go into the jail due to committing this crime, but he is let out after few weeks or years, then the first think in his mind will be taking the revenge from that person who let him into the jail. This is a fact that everyone believes. In addition, social problems, like murder will occur. The parent or anyone closer to the victim, may murder the rapists. This will lead to many other problems which do not have an end. To conclude, letting the rapists walk freely is dangerous for both society and the victim. Since we have no idea what type of a crime will he commit next. Similarly, crime that rapists commit cannot be forgiven, they should be hanged. Since, due to such crime, the victim suffers a lot, such as physical damages, behavioral changes and mind damages. Moreover, victim loses her self-confidence which will lead loss of future to the victim if victim tries to seek revenge. Furthermore, victims of such crimes commit suicide, which is unacceptable for the family of the victim. A physical attack on infants and children ruins their childhood, leading problems of education, distress, and loss of self-esteem. Continuing the discussion it also causes many social problems in the society as well as the country. This includes, women’s and children living in fear, spread of dangerous diseases such as HIV, murders and many more. Finally, in my opinion a rapist does not deserve to live, as I believe that raping is equal to the murder and an action to stop such people should be taken seriously.

Park Design Issues

I always knew Minneapolis had a quality park system, but I had no idea it was renowned throughout the country. Also, I had no idea there was such a large number of parks, lakes, trails and just plain â€Å"open space† in Minneapolis. There are over 150 parks, 30 lakes and 50 miles of parkways in Minneapolis. It is obvious much credit is due to Frederick Law Olmsted and his park design principles, which are heavily included in the Minneapolis park system. I believe all of Olmsted's basic principles are apparent in the Minneapolis parks, and have been since the very beginnings of the city. One of the first things city officials did was set aside different areas of land specifically for parks. There were many benefits of doing this. First, it allowed the city to build houses around all the parks, making them all easily accessible. Also, it placed many different parks throughout the city, scattered but connected. This way, no matter where you live, there will be open space and â€Å"green relief† somewhere nearby. Most of the parks in Minneapolis, especially the larger, more frequented ones, are connected by parkways. The Ground Rounds, as it is called in Minneapolis, consists of over 50 miles of parkways and open space. This is broken up into seven districts scattered throughout the city. They are referred to as the Downtown Riverfront, Mississippi River, Minnehaha, Chain of Lakes, Theodore Wirth, Victory Memorial and Northeast districts. Conveniently, these districts completely encompass the city and take advantage of the natural variety throughout. Each of these offers something different and unique for the public, as was one of Olmsted's principles. All of these districts offer many miles of pathways for walking, jogging or bicycling through different parks, all of which show off a variety of scenery. Some of these parks are so serene you don't even feel like you're in the big city while others lay out the beautiful Minneapolis skyline right in front of you. However, foot and bike are not the only ways to get around and enjoy nature in Minneapolis. The Chain of Lakes district contains five lakes, four of which are connected by canals. Because of these canals, you are able to explore over two miles of lakes on your boat or canoe. These lakes include Brownie Lake, Cedar Lake and the more well-known Lake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun. Also in this district, although not connected, is Lake Harriet. I think Olmsted's belief that parks should be open to all and be provided by the government was very popular in early Minneapolis. In 1883, after a passed referendum, the Minneapolis Parks Board was born, and it immediately got to work. The board members believed they should purchase land for parks long before it would ever be needed, and that is exactly what they did. That same year, the board purchased land for what is now known as Loring Park, named after the then president of the board, Charles M. Loring. Later, in 1889, the board purchased land for Minnehaha Park. The early nineteen hundreds was a huge growing period for many of the now popular parks in Minneapolis. Theodore Wirth, who has his own park and district named after him, was the superintendent of the board during these years, and he played a vital role in developing the parks into what they are today. Many of the lakes at that time were nothing more than swampy areas with constant flooding problems, almost comparable to New York's pre-Central Park. Wirth drained the swampy areas and graded the lake's banks to stop the flooding. Also, it is because of Wirth that the lakes in the Chain of Lakes district are so conveniently connected, as I mentioned before. In the summer of 1911, he oversaw the connecting of the two more popular lakes in that district, Lake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun. Another one of Olmsted's principles, which is very noticeable in the Minneapolis parks, is that city parks should offer a variety of activities for the public. This principle is no more apparent than in the Chain of Lakes district. Even though all are close and connected, each lake's environment seems completely different from the next. Lake Harriet and its parks have more of a family feel, with the playgrounds and outdoor band shell. Lake Calhoun is definitely more for the sporty person. You don't have to look hard to see sailboats, waterskiers or snowmobilers running wild on this lake. Lastly, there is Lake of the Isles. This park has more of a serene and casual feel. It is more often frequented by strollers, joggers or bicyclers and canoes on the lake. As time changes, so do our cities and parks. During the latter half of the nineteenth century major changes were taking place in cities like Minneapolis. Many of these changes made it tough to mange and control park systems in larger cities. This is something a man named Alexander Garvin wanted to change. He believed Olmsted's principles were all valid, but some things needed to change simply because time changes things. One of Garvin's more obvious ideas was that cities need to maintain and improve the parks that they already have. In 1994, the city began rehabilitating the very popular Minnehaha Park. Also, Loring Park underwent a huge rehabilitation project, headed up by the surrounding community. The park used to be the kind of place you wouldn't want to walk through at night, now it is a fantastic place to take your family. Also, the price for property next to the park skyrocketed after the rehabilitation. New apartments that recently went up across the street are going for as much as $1,000 a month for a single bedroom. The Loring Park fish kill is a good example of the city maintaining its natural environment. This is necessary, for more than just fish, to ensure a normal and healthy population of a species within an environment. It eliminates overpopulation and helps to control diseases. Another goal cities need to pursue is the acquisition and development of new land or open space. This can be done in many ways. Cities can reuse or renovate old buildings or slums. Also, cities could reclaim vacant territory, combine public space for multiple uses or start using open spaces more effectively. There are many examples of Minneapolis doing all of these. Old factories and warehouses have been turned into modern and classy condominiums. Bike trails have been put alongside major highways, like along I-94, or on top of old, unused railroad tracks. Lastly, Garvin believed cities need to redesign certain facilities to make them more accessible. One example of this, although it could be considered acquiring or developing new land, would be the bridge by the Walker Art Center. This bridge connects the Walker Art Center to Loring Park and makes it much easier to move to and from. Because of the convenience, people can move more freely throughout the city and the two parks get visited much more often. Although Garvin's ideas really are quite simple, they are important for growing cities to take into consideration. I think Minneapolis has done a wonderful job of using his theories and it is no coincidence that they have one of the best park systems in America.