Of Mice and Men – Misc Questions

OMAM Essays a) How does Steinbeck use details in this passage to present the bunkhouse and its inhabitants? Steinbeck uses many different ideas to present to present the bunkhouse and its inhabitants. Steinbeck emphasises that the inhabitants have little possessions by commenting about the â€Å"apple box† forming â€Å"two shelves for the personal belongings of the occupant of the bunk†. As all the occupants would be itinerant workers, which meant that they had a nomadic lifestyle, this also highlights that the occupants couldn’t afford possessions and probably didn’t have a lot of room for them anyway.This indicates that they had little home comfort and it was probably quite an uncomfortable, stark and hostile environment they lived in. This lack of familiarity or care is also further portrayed by the description of the bunkhouse itself. The walls are described as â€Å"whitewashed† and the floor is â€Å"unpainted†. This could indicate tha t the owners of the bunkhouse really don’t care about the inhabitants. However, this may not be because the owners dislike the inhabitants, more probably because the itinerant workers don’t stay around for long enough for the workers and the boss to have a proper relationship.This reiterates the point that â€Å"maybe everyone in the whole damn world is scared of each other† and the society they live in is truly a backstabbing and hostile environment. We even know that Crooks, who is a long time inhabitant of the bunkhouse, isn’t treated fairly and much more like an animal because he lives in the barn and he has little possessions. This also shows how cruel their environment is. Despite all of this – at least the inhabitants still have pride.This is demonstrated by George’s disgust when he finds a yellow can of pest killer next to his bed, indicating that the bed may be infested. Clearly, George was not expecting there to be pests in his bed which could indicate that he is a cynical man and has been hardened by his surroundings. This could also emphasise how out of place Lennie is. His docile approach just doesn’t fit in with his life. b) In the rest of the novel, how does Steinbeck present the lives of ranch workers at that time? Steinbeck has intentionally designed each character to represent a segregated group of society.Together, all the characters are presented in a microcosm and they all represent something much larger. For example, Crooks represents the prejudice that black people had to put up with and Crooks’ opinion of this treatment is evident throughout the book in an unbiased way, allowing the reader to digest the ideas of Steinbeck. George is one of the most pivotal characters in the book, as he represents the typical itinerant worker, trying to get money wherever they can after the backlash of the wall street crash.Unfortunately, like most workers at the time, they were all very lonely beca use of their nomadic lifestyle. Although George doesn’t appear to be lonely because of his friendship with Lennie, there are subtle indicators that being lonely is George’s fate. For example, George often plays Solitaire which is a game for one person. Steinbeck is highlighting how lonely it would be for the workers to always be working with no stable home. George also says that he â€Å"ain’t got no people† and that people like him who are alone â€Å"get wantin’ to fight all the time. This indicates that life for the workers was hard because all the workers were exactly like George – they were alone and they were a product of an inimical environment. Through George, Steinbeck is also describing how angry and nasty everyone becomes when they are alone. This is demonstrated by Crooks – who was cynical and nasty to Lennie when he showed weakness. Crooks has often proven to be an angry and bitter man, however this is only because of th e way he is treated. As he is black, people don’t talk to him or accept him for what he is.They even go as far as to not let him in the bunkhouse. Early on in the book, when Candy is describing Christmas on the ranch he says â€Å"they even let the nigger in† as if that was an unusual event – which of course for them it was. Through this, Steinbeck is addressing the segregation that blacks lived with in 1930s America. a) How do the details in this passage add to your understanding of George and his relationship with Lennie? In this passage it is clear that Lennie looks up to George

Heritage Listed Sites- Should It Be Open to Public or Kept Private Essay

Did you know that there are 962 properties listed as heritage sites in the world? As we aware the Kakadu National Park, Uluru, Shark Bay and Great Barrier Reef in Australia are also listed as world heritage sites. However, there are currently 38 properties listed in danger because of various reasons; unable to support with technical, scientific expertise in some areas or â€Å"pollution, uncontrolled urbanization, unchecked tourism† (Amanpour, 2012) in many cases. UNESCO (2013) states that the Tourism impacted on the sites greatly since â€Å"the world heritage properties are among the most popular and heavily promoted tourist destinations in many countries. The dramatic current and projected growth of international and domestic travel represents both challenges and opportunities for World Heritage Sites and surrounding populations. Poorly managed tourism at a site can pose major threats to heritage in all of its forms and degrade the quality of the visitor experience†. For instance, The Great Barrier Reef was declared as a world heritage area in 1981, there have been more than two million people visited the reef each year and generated more than â€Å"$AU2 billion in tourism dollar, making tourism a major earner for the north-eastern Australian economy† and also gave negative impact that damaged fragile corals by reef walking, polluted in the water with human activities not only fuels from boats but associated with †run -off sweat and suntan lotion† affected on the reef environment (Australia Government, 2007). There is a question arose for the heritage listed sites whether it should be open to public or kept private in order to protect and conserve them. It is a controversial topic on the public access to the heritage listed sites; some people may say that the sites should be kept in private in order to protect the area, or some say it should be open to public so it will bring the great benefit to economy. W hile tourism can provide a way to educate the public on the importance of the reef, the constant flow of people over a few select areas of the Great Barrier Reef region can also pose some problems†. A director of Centre of Future Studies believes that â€Å"There is a conflict between environmental concerns and commercial interests† in terms of heritage listed sites (SMH, 2006).It will be discussed the potential benefits and damages for both cases and solutions that can compromise the benefit and the issues. World Heritage Listed Site refers to â€Å"a place (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) as of special cultural or physical significance.† as per Wikipedia (2013). There are 190 states parties ratified The World Heritage Convention, as of September 2012, to help these countries with heritage listed sites in terms of maintaining and conserving the sites ( UNESCO, 2013). By all means that a place listed as world heritage site, the place will be supported by UNESCO in relation with protecting and maintaining the sites with well structured plan. W hat is it that makes the sites so important; many countries have formed as ‘rescue team’ to protect the heritage sites? There are a number of reasons as the following: It is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage is both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world’s heritage (UNESCO, 2013). In addition, the heritage listed sites reflects the way the past lived, thoughts or even the changes geographically over the time in the area which is a great source for researches and studies, the sites also involve the culture of the society. The World Bank defines â€Å"culture as the whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that characterize a society or social group. It includes not only arts and letters, but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value systems, traditions, and beliefs† (cited on Endresen, p 5). Janet Stephenson, of Dunedin, who is New Zealand historic places trust representative states the importance of the heritage listed sites as â€Å"this is something you don’t get in a museum and †¦ each of these places has heritage role† (cited on Allan, D. The South Times, p19). Also, Australian Government states the importance of heritage listed sites for education, it is important to â€Å"inspire students to explore our unique world heritage listed places and develop an appreciation of heritage values. An understanding of heritage place in Australia and their significance in the world will encourage young people to appreciate and help preserve them for future generation† (Environment Government, 2011). As mentioned earlier, it leaves a big question on how to protect the heritage listed sites, should it be open to public or kept private? There are number of reasons it should open to public. First of all, it can bring great benefits monetarily to local and country as whole, according to Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia, it increases wealth of local community, in which the heritage listed site is located, and enable to promote the areas to domestic and international visitors. Harriott states the marine tourism industry is a major contributor to the Australian economy, with an estimated direct value in excess of $1 billion (Wachenfeld et al, 1998 cited 2002, p12). For example, Australian icons such as Uluru , The Great Barrier Reef, and The Tasmanian Wilderness attracted a great number of visitations for both nationally and internationally which was result of heavily featuring in Tourism promotion since the sites listed as world heritage (Shark Bay, 2009). By the booming in Tourism, the area needed more facilities to accommodate the visitors with hotels, restaurants, retail shops and entertainments which created employment opportunity. Producer groups such as construction firms, skilled tradespeople and unskilled workers benefited from extra work created in the heritage sector; also increased local and government income from worker’s tax (Abelson, 2000). Another example –Zhan-gjia-jie National Park, is China’s first national park and also well-known for the ‘Avatar’ Hollywood movie. For this reason, tourism has boomed in the region resulted in generating economic wealth, creation of jobs and development opportunities for local residents. â€Å"Zhan -gjia-jie receives up to 40,000 tourists a day during its high season† (UNWTO, 2011). Secondly, the positive economic impact gained through the profit in Tourism can lead to positive impact on Heritage sites- providing fund for site preservation and management: â€Å"In 1995 the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) provided a $1.7 million grant to help preserve prehistoric cave paintings at 260 sites within the Capivara Park, a W orld Heritage Site in north-eastern Brazil. The grant included funding to improve roads in order to stimulate tourism as a source of income for local residents, thereby improving economic conditions and helping to reduce activities that were destroying the sites† (cited on Andresen, 1999, p8). Thirdly, â€Å"Visitors to World Heritage sites can learn about natural, cultural and historical characteristics† (Alberta, 2012) . Having a real experience of the heritage listed sites by touching, looking and feeling the existence of the property will be definitely different from learning by photos and story -telling. In spite of the benefits aforementioned, promoting Tourism can negatively impact on the sites itself and the environment due to constructions, pollution and over urbanization. The site will need to accommodate the tourists in hospitality needs; hotels, restaurants and bars, and with other activities to explore that sites, it cannot avoid having a development in the area. There are examples of heritage sites damaged from Tourism such as Angkor Wat which is a temple complex in Cambodia, and the Inca fortress of Machu Picchu in Peru are often cited as places of world-historical importance where a vast influx of tourists may be causing serious damage (The economist, 2012). Also, some researchers clearly demonstrate that The Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral system in Queensland (Wikipedia, 2012), is being damaged (GBRMPA, 2009 cited on Great barrier reef foundation, 2009) and â€Å"lost half of its coral in the past 27years† ( Holland, 2012) by human activities such as fishing, mining, farming and unsorting rubbishes, University of Michigan also states that â€Å"the human based pollution caused such harm to our reefs needs to be stopped or reduced significantly if we wish to save this fragile ecosystem† . In addition there might be unwanted cultural changes, and â€Å"Demonstration Effect† (Endresen, 1999, p8) that comes from exposure to western culture and lifestyle due to tourism, sometimes is blamed for spoiling local culture. According to Endresen (1997, p7) unmanaged tourism can result â€Å"cheapening of culture and traditions; alienation and loss of cultural identity† in the heritage sites. Victoria Falls is the most relevant example in terms of the damages on the heritage listed sites from open to public, led to a various conservation challenges related to urban development, tourism pressure; invasive species; poaching; Water pollution and abstraction; and, institutional challenges (African World Heritage Fund , 2012) which may take up to years to get it recovered. It is critical to get those sites (not only Victoria Falls, but the other 37 sites as mentioned earlier) restored and preserved with our attention and care. On the other hand, if it is being kept private it will enable to reserve the area more efficiently as there isn’t access allowed for public so it can prevent from getting polluted and over-urbanized in the area. Also that helps to preserve damaged areas and get it re-stored as there will not be any restrictions to undergo the repair work. â€Å"The royal tombs, which are registered as UNESCO World Heritage sites, have not allowed public access for the reason of preservation. After going through maintenance and installing several convenience facilities, the tombs ar e now ready to welcome visitors† (visit Korea, 2012). W hat about the potential economic growth in their community or the country by developing the heritage site? The development will attract more tourists who like to visit the heritage sites and trigger increase of GDP through the economic activities made between tourists and locals which will lead to the development of the country as a whole. Various economists state â€Å"the development of tourism has usually been considered a positive contribution to economic growth† (Lim, 1997; Oh, 2005 cited on Chanchrat, 2011, p2). Since it is kept private, there will be forgone cost from not allowing the public access to the site and various parties will lose their potential benefit; the property owner loses in admission fees, local community loses in the benefit from involving active economy in the site area, and the government loses tax income from the sellers and buyers of the economic activity. According to UNICCO it is challengeable to â€Å"manage the future growth of the industry so as to minimise its negative impacts on the environment and host communities whilst maximising the benefits it brings in terms of jobs, wealth and support for local culture and industry, and protection of the built and natural environment† (1999, p21 cited on Endresen, 1999, p2), just like it challenges to keep the heritage sites protected so as to get economic benefit from being open to public. It is obvious that we need to conserve the listed sites at its best by keeping it private but it is, also, impeccable for people at present to get explored of what the ancestors inherited for us, and learn from it to make better future which will be inherited to future generation for our children. It can be protected while the heritage sites being open to public via a number of ways as below: First of all, the industry and the organisation should encourage the public awareness in regards to the importance of the heritage listed sites and the ways that we ca n contribute to protect them. By promoting education for the heritage sites with placing conservation materials at visitor centre will enable to increase public awareness in terms of the importance of those sites. â€Å"Build capacity for cultural management and protection of world heritage cultural asset† â€Å"Promote public awareness of the social value of world heritage sites and the importance of natural resources† (MDGIF, 2012) . For instance there can be TV commercial and donation program promoted by UNESCO just like UNICEF charity program we often see on TV and on airlines that will enable people to aware its importance and for them to practice the good manner when they visit those sites. Also by giving wrist band or badge to people who contributed donation, in recognition of their contribution which will increase the public awareness and helps for the fund needed to support the heritage listed sites. And also managing Heritage listed sites should be well -planned. â€Å"By promoting publicity- developed plan that identifies appropriate levels and types of use and necessary with building environmental awareness, conserving local ecosystem that will result in generating the income and employment for the local communities† (Alberta, 2012) Secondly, Responsible Tourism and Sustainable Tourism should be encouraged.â€Å"You can expect tourist numbers, visitor numbers to grow. And the high level of visitation should not damage the value of the site. So you should have a plan for sustainable tourism in the sites, for all the components† (Bali Daily, 2012). Responsible Tourism refers to tourism that â€Å"makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultur al heritage embracing diversity† and it believes â€Å"individuals, organizations and businesses are asked to take responsibility for their actions and the impacts of their actions† (Wikipedia, 2012). UNESCO states if tourism is undertaken responsibly, â€Å"it can be a driver for the preservation and conservation of cultural and natural heritage and a vehicle for sustainable development† Sustainable Tourism is â€Å"tourism attempting to make as low impact on the environment and local culture as possible, while helping to generate future employment for local people†¦ ensure that development brings a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the tourists themselves † (Wikipedia, 2013). It also helps â€Å"to meet the needs of the present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunity for the future† (World Tourism Organization cited on Pedersen, 2002, p20). Sustainable tourism relies on the development and emphasizes the delivery of quality visitor experiences within not damaging any of the property values or cultural values. According to UNESCO (2013) it requires effective, cooperative commitment and coordination between site management and all relevant public agencies and private enterprises in order to achieve the sustainable and responsible tourism development and visitor management. For example, International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH &RA) and International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI) have helped in raising the public awareness in terms of environmental issues and provided practical advice with Action Pack to assist hotels, and other various industry association have also supported with codes and guidelines that can promote ‘Responsible Tourism’ (Endresen, 1999, p10). Thirdly, establish regulations. Government should establish appropriate regulations and tools to monitor and assess the heritage listed sites consistently in order to maintain them. Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPBC Act), Governments may require their departments and agencies to have regard for heritage considerations in asset management decisions: Organizations that have control of her itage assets also have a second service obligation. While they use assets in delivering their primary service, they are also responsible for the stewardship of the assets and protection of their significance for future generations †¦ The management of heritage assets should be viewed as an essential part of the management of the assets, rather than another problem and cost impost. Sustainable management of heritage values should be treated by an agency as part of its core business -GAMC, 2003, p13 cited on management of public historic heritage places, 2006, p193). In conclusion, tourism can impact on the heritage listed sites heavily either it damages heritage sites with unmanaged plans, conversely it makes a great contribution on conserving the sites as well as enabling the tradition to be alive from the profits made. It is impeccable that organization; manage any activities in relation to tour operation (travel agencies, airline s and government), should take into accounts in order to conserve the areas in relation to promoting public awareness of environmental issues. The business should be encouraged to design trip-packages that embrace nature resources and culture s. For example, star watch tour; photography tour; camping on the sites; refurbish local old buildings for accommodation; using solar powers and recycling water, composing and sorting the rubbish, to minimize the potential damage to the sites. It can be a good idea to promote rewarding system that allows entry for only certain organizations that practice the sustainability touri sm, to the heritage sites and offer them a cheaper rate of loan for future business. Reference Abelson, P. 2000. Valuing the Public Benefits of Heritage Listing of Commercial Buildings, Available: http://www.appliedeconomics.com.au/pubs/reports/heritage.htm (accessed 13 Jan 2013). African World Heritage Fund. World Heritage Sites and Sustainable Tourism: Situational Analysis: Victoria falls world heritage site, Report 2, Available: http://awhf.net/documents/Tourism%20 -%20Report%202%20%20Victoria%20Falls%20World%20Heritage%20Site.pdf (accessed 13 Jan 2013). Alberta. 2012. World heritage sites in Alberta, Available: http://www.albertaparks.ca/albertaparksca/management -land-use/nationalinternational-programs/world-heritage-sites-in-alberta.aspx (accessed 14 Jan 2013). Allan, D. 2000. Importance of heritage emphasised by experts. The Southland Times, 8 December, p.19. Fairfax, New Zealand. Amanpour, C. 2012. Conflict, natural disasters, tourism threaten UNESCO world heritage sites, Yahoo!News, 18 October, Available: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/around-the-world-abc-news/conflict-natural-disasterstourism-threaten-unesco-world-heritage-051557031.html (accessed 11 Jan 2013). Australian Government- Productivity commission. 2006. Conservation of Australia’s Historic Heritage Places, 21 July, Available: http://pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/heritage/docs/finalreport (accessed 17 Jan 2013). Australian Government. 2007. Great Barrier Reef, 30 December, Available: http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/great-barrier-reef (accessed 15 Jan 2013). 10 Australian Government: Department of sustainability, environment, water, population and communities. 2011. Australia’s world heritage, Available: http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/about/world/index.html (accessed 11 Jan 2013). Chanchrat, S. 2011. Thai Tourism and Economic Development: The Current State of Research, Available: http://kasetsartjournal.ku.ac.th/kuj_files/2011/A1110061100224677.pdf (accessed 17 Jan 2013). Endresen, K. 1999. Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Heritage: A review of development assistance and its potential to promote sustainability, Available: http://www.nwhf.no/files/File/culture_fulltext.pdf (accessed 15 Jan 2013). Erviani, N.K. 2012. UNESCO urges responsible tourism be imposed. Bali Daily, 26 September, Available: http://www.thejakartapost.com/bali-daily/2012-09-26/unescourges-responsible-tourism-be-imposed.html (accessed 11 Jan 2013). Graham, A.H. 2011. World’s most endangered sites, Travel+Leisure, October, p6, Available: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-most-endangered-sites/7 (accessed 11 Jan 2013). Great Barrier Reef Foundation. 2009. The reef and climate change, Available: http://www.barrierreef.org/Research/WhyResearch/TheReefandclimatechange.aspx (accessed 19 Jan 2013). Harriott, V.J. 2002. Marine tourism impacts and their management o n the Great Barrier Reef, Available: http://crcreef.jcu.edu.au/publications/techreport/pdf/Harriott46.pdf (accessed 19 Jan 2013). Holland, M. 2012. Half the Great Barrier reef gone in under 30 years, says AIMS study, Herald Sun, 2 October, Available: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/half-the-great-barrier-reef-gone-inunder-30-years-says-aims-study/story-fncynkc6-1226486114293 (accessed 20 Jan 2013). 11 MDGIF online. 2012. Egypt: The Dahshur world heritage site mobilization for cultural heritage for community development, Available: http://www.mdgfund.org/content/dahshurworldheritagesitemobilizationculturalheritag ecommunitydevelopment (accessed 11 Jan 2013). Pedersen, A. 2002. World Heritage Manuals: Managing tourism at world heritage sties: a practical manual for world heritage site managers , UNESCO World Heritage Centre, France. Red Apple Education. 2013. Tourism, Available: http://www.skwirk.com.au/p-c_s4_u-464_t-1263_c-4814/tourism/qld/// (accessed 19 Jan 2013). Sydney Morning Herald. 2006. Great Barrier Reef on the danger list, 23 September, Available: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/great-barrier-reef-on-the-dangerlist/2006/09/22/1158431904450.html (accessed 15 Jan 2013). The benefits of World Heritage listing. 2009. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia, Available: http://www.sharkbay.org/what_is_world_heritage.aspx (accessed 11 Jan 2013). The Economist. 2012. ‘Living Treasure’, 12 July, Available: http://www.economist.com/node/21558560 (accessed 15 Jan 2013). UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2013. World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme, Available: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tourism (accessed 11 Jan 2013). UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2013. World Heritage, Available: http://whc.unesco.org/en/about (accessed 11Jan 2013). University of Michigan. Human impact on Great Barrier Reef, Available: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/gc2sec7labgroup3/pollution (accessed 19 Jan 2013) Visit Korea. 2012. Closed Royal Tombs to Open to the Public, Available: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?cid=1773440 (accessed 18 Jan 2013). 12 Wikipedia- the free encyclopedia. 2012. Responsible Tourism, Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsible_Tourism (accessed 17 Jan 2013). Wikipedia- the free encyclopedia. 2013. World Heritage Site, Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Sites (accessed 11 Jan 2013). Wisegeek. 2013. What is world heritage site? Available: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-world-heritage-site.htm (accessed 15 Jan 2013). W orld Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). 2011. UNWTO and China open third observatory for sustainable tourism development , 19 July, Available: http://www2.unwto.org/en/press-release/2011-07-19/unwto-and-china-open-thirdo

Poverty in Liberia

What is poverty? To be poor is to be underprivileged, to live a lifestyle not deemed a proper and healthy one to most, and, as is the main connotation, to have an insufficient amount of money. Fourteen years of civil war has left the infrastructure of Liberia in ruin, affecting water, sanitation, food security and livelihood in general. This has left Liberia the third poorest country in the world, in terms of GDP per capita. In actuality, there are only two classes in Liberia: the very rich and the very poor, with the majority classified as the latter.A reporter from the African Development Bank Group estimated that only 4. 8% of Liberia’s population could be considered middle class (the lowest percent on the continent). There is no middle class, but rather, a working poor. Infrastructure The civil war decimated the infrastructure of Liberia, leaving most Liberians void of safe drinking water, access to proper sanitation facilities, electricity, and roads. More than half of al l Liberians are without access to clean water and functioning sanitation facilities. 8% of all deaths in Liberia are caused by deficiencies in water and sanitation. Hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and bacterial and protozoic diarrhea are very infectious diseases that are found in Liberia’s unsanitary water. As for electricity, most of Liberians live in the dark, with a choice few relying on loud and unreliable diesel generators. Paved roads are scarce as well, stunting transportation and, in turn, affecting the economy in Liberia. Not Enough Money 76% of Liberians are now living below the poverty line ($1/day) and 52% live in extreme poverty ($0. 50/day).Most workers in the middle class, or the working poor in other words, of Liberia earn $100 a month plus $30 of transportation stipend and a bag of rice. $300 a month is an upper-middle salary, about four times more than what policemen earns, and 10 times more than what half of all Liberians live on. These half of the Liberians li ve on the â€Å"dollar-a-day† policy. The GDP per capita in Liberia is $392, which is lower than all nations in the world except for Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This means that the average person in Liberia only makes around $400 dollars a year.Not Enough Food Not enough money means not enough food, especially since the previous civil war destroyed the agricultural sector of Liberia. Before the civil war, most Liberians lived off the land, making a living off of agriculture. Since the war effort took up so much of the time and hard work of Liberians, this changed, leaving them reliant upon expensive exported goods. Over 60% of households currently report not being able to afford three meals a day, and 40% of Liberian children experience stunted growth. 20% percent of them are underweight. 35%of Liberians are malnourished.Human Rights In Liberia most poor children work for family businesses. The families sometimes have no money to hire employees and so t hey use their own family members instead. They may work in farms, or take part in street trading, or domestic work. Some are even trafficked out of the country from rural areas to urban areas or to diamond mining areas for purposes of sexual exploitation or forced labor. These acts are with the sole purpose of making money. Liberia is the oldest free nation in Africa, is rich in resources, and was a refuge for African American slaves in the 1800s.Friction between the newcomers and natives led to turmoil, eventually landing Liberia in the place as one of the poorest counties in the world. Poverty paints all aspects of Liberian life, from water and food to human dignity. Is there a brighter future for Liberia? â€Å"I'm sure by the time this man gets your age, he will live a better life than what I have lived† said a 55 year old man living int West Point, the poorest slum in Monrovia, to a reporter, as he hugged his grandson. As long as the Liberian people have hope, there is h ope for Liberia.

Comparison between The Given Day and The Short Happy Life of Francis Essay

Comparison between The Given Day and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber - Essay Example The Theme of Masculinity Masculinity is the dominant theme in Hemingway’s short story. His works are always repleted with masculine pursuits like war, sports and hunting. In The short happy life of Francis Macomber, he also depicts a masculine setting in which all the characters are engaged in an African Safari. They are involved in lion hunting, controlling the buffalos and things like that. The protagonist has decided to be a part of Safari in mid-thirties and seems to have achieved his sense of manhood in this specific part of his life. â€Å"Wilson considers that Macomber has been reborn into manhood, for the latter’s transformation is more of a change than any loss of virginity. Fear gone like an operation† (Strychacz 14). Though the show of cowardice in lion-hunting episode temporarily snatches from him this sense of fulfillment but he regains this sense when he engages with the buffalo. â€Å"We seem on firmer interpretive ground with the assertion that i n the final scenes Macomber becomes a fully self-controlled and self-determined man† (Strychacz 16). The whole prologue of The Given Day also encompasses a masculine pursuit of baseball games in which the writer has imagined a baseball game between legends of America. Lack of Female Characters The prologue to the Given Day is devoid of any female characters and there is no specific mention of any feminine pursuit or activity. All that has been described belongs to the domain of man. On the other hand, Hemingway’s story presents Margot, â€Å"an extremely handsome and well-kept woman of the beauty† giving the story at least a feminine touch but the overall setting and the situation diminishes her womanhood and we find her engaged in masculine pursuits along with her husband ( Hemingway 2). Minute Detail Both the works beautifully describe the characters and setting and the writers give minute details of the incident that happen during the course of the story. Hemi ngway’s description of the hunting episodes show that the writer is giving a realistic account of the event and is well acquainted with the rules of the â€Å"game†. The minuteness is visible even in the description of characters. Wilson’s character has been described as a man who â€Å" was about middle height with sandy hair, a stubby mustache, a very red face and extremely cold blue eyes with faint white wrinkles at the corners that grooved merrily when he smiled† ( Hemingway 2). Similarly, Lehane’s immaculate detail of the baseball hint towards writer’s minute observation of the sport. Following is the fine example of his descriptive style† The ball hadn’t finished arcing toward the right fielder’s feet (Ruth knew he’d miss it before he did) and the whippet was already rounding first. When the ball hit the grass, the right fielder bare-handed it and didn’t so much as stutter step before planned and let h er loose† ( Lehane 11). Game in Both of the Works Game is the key word in both of the pieces, though the connotations are different in both of the stories. In Hemingway’s story game takes the form of hunting and acts as a unifying force between the otherwise conflicting interests. Similar the unifying force in the Lehane’s prologue is the game of baseball which brings together the people who are involved in emotional

HUMAN SMPILEX VIRUS TYPE 1 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HUMAN SMPILEX VIRUS TYPE 1 - Article Example Moreover, insofar as the Cleveland case was concerned, its presentation in a respected medical journal did lend the required air of credibility. Another link between changes in the immune system, a cofactor (psychological stress), and the recurrence of disease (in this case, genital herpes) was established in 1985 at the University of California at San Francisco, where health psychologist Margaret Kemeny evaluated 40 persons with genital herpes over a six-month period. She analyzed several variables, including measures of stressful life events (daily hassles, anticipated stress), life goals, coping measures, social support, and changing health habits. Blood samples were drawn from the subjects each month so that the investigators could look at possible stress-induced immunological changes. The laboratory diagnosis can help to determine culture of the virus, type of the virus, direct fluorescent antibody, chain reaction, skin biopsy, and other immunological methods which helps to determine anti-HSV antibody. Serological tests are also used for HVS-1 detection, but because of their high costs, they are not popular in medical practice. According to the preliminary findings, subjects with the highest levels of stress suffered the highest rates of herpes recurrence and had changes in their immune systems, notably in the number of helper T-cells in their blood. Moreover, the recurrences were most likely to occur in the month following a major stressful event -- such as the death of a family member, losing a job, failing an exam, or moving -- or in the month following the anticipation of a stressful event. If true, this would be a far greater threat than transfusion-related AIDS. Transfusion can also pass along one of the five members of the human herpes group, the cytomegalovirus (CMV), a slowspreading agent that can cause a mononucleosislike illness, birth defects, and infections in patients whose immune systems have been suppressed (Flint et al 2009). Human Simplex Virus - 1 Even without symptoms, the very possibility that the virus may have entered one's system is enough to paralyze a person with fear. If there is, indeed, as the researchers have shown, a direct association between stress and immune function, the intensity of that stress might very well determine whether someone who has had a questionable contact will develop AIDS or one of the diseases associated with it. On the other hand, as noted earlier, the consensus is that infection with the virus alone is enough to cause AIDS -- that it is the virus that severely damages the immune system, whether the system was previously impaired or not. There is, of course, strong evidence in support of this view. For instance, although there was clinical and laboratory proof of cellular immune dysfunction in each of the cases of AIDS that were turning up in homosexual men, investigators were learning that not all of the victims had a history of underlying immunosuppressive disease or therapy (Flint et al 20 09). According to epidemiological studies, "worldwide 90% of people have one or

Week 4 question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week 4 question - Essay Example As a service provider to the community as a whole, healthcare organizations must consider their role as socially responsible organizations. In other words, the primary objectives of strategic planning in healthcare organizations should include the goal of maintaining healthy communities and a healthy nation. Community health is a serious concern for healthcare leaders in terms of developing and implementing healthcare strategies. For instance, access to care is a basic right for all individuals of a community or a society. In case of wide and diverse communities, community collaboration or integration is required to implement successful strategic planning. Community organizing involves three approaches - locality development, social planning and social action (McKenzie et al, 2008). Healthcare organizations should be focused on the issue of health maintenance of the whole community including the various economic classes and sub-classes of the community. In order to make healthcare accessible to all people in the community including the indigent and uninsured, healthcare professionals adopt a number of strategies such as (McKenzie et al, 2008, p. 129), In this context, community health education programs are significant to create health awareness among people. Community health education is strongly associated with the concepts of cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity, cultural competence and multiculturalism. Especially in the United States, increasing diversity in its population has caused the need for multicultural awareness in health education. In order to promote multicultural health education, certain steps are required to take by healthcare organizations: 2. Discussion Question #2: In health care today, there are public and regulatory concerns about fraudulent billing, kickbacks for referrals, differential marketing for health plan enrollees, and even broader issues regarding unavailability of care or unaffordable care for many persons

Library Assignment - Case Scenario Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Library Assignment - Scenario - Case Study Example Usually the management of a majority of health care institutions does not allow the nursing staff to take part in the important decision or in almost all the decisions. These decisions usually have significant impact on the future of nursing staff as well as the health care institutions. Under such circumstances when the nursing staff does not have power for contributing to the decisions that are related to them and their future, they usually end up feeling powerless. There are various sources from which nurses may obtain their power. First one is the requisite structure of the workplace that helps in supporting empowerment. The second source through which power can be found is by believing in ourselves and in our ability to get empowered. The third one is when the management makes nurses realize about the power that this occupation holds and relationship through which they provide care and affection to their patients. The research present on nursing demonstrates the relationship between two of the discussed sources of power. Yet there is still the need for conducting more research which discusses the ways of empowering the nurses. Granting the nursing staff the responsibilities of a decision maker may also make them empowered and as a result they may effectively identify the course of action and then take measures accordingly (Heathfield, 2013). There are several ways through which Nancy can make the staff to become empowered. Nancy must make the nursing staff feel that they are valued. Her intentions for the staff must be demonstrated through her word as well as her actions. Nancy should appreciate the hard work of the staff and share her leadership vision with them. Another action that Nancy must take to empower the employees is that they she should encourage them to contribute new ideas for the development of the hospital. For example, she may discuss with the staff the area of weakness that she has been noticing lately and then ask them to contribute

Fanshawe Gate Farm Vegetation Monitoring Strategy Essay

Fanshawe Gate Farm Vegetation Monitoring Strategy - Essay Example A phase one survey has been undertaken and information obtained from this will be useful to understand the current conditions of fields 2 and 6 and provide a context to carry out a phase 2 survey and a National Vegetation Classification (NVC). To successfully survey the two fields, technical and scientific approaches should be used to achieve all the needed objectives (JNCC 2010). The process starts by defining the objectives, devising a strategy o help achieve the set objectives. Once the strategy is put together, it should be tested by implementing it. The final step is to review and finalize the strategy. Legal requirements should also be maintained throughout the process to ensure the analysis and strategy is standard and as should be. Monitoring Strategy Objectives of the survey To know what type of vegetation is found in the fields. To establish the type of soil in the fields and what vegetation would do best in the given fields. To have a clear picture of the situation in the fields: climate and all To come up with ways to help improve the fields. Increase the diversity of grassland Have more unimproved grassland Analysis or Survey of fields 2 and 6 The fields have areas with tall ruderal vegetation with certain areas characterized by thistles (cirsium ssp). The vegetation in the fields also includes nettles (Urtica dioica). Generally, the fields have semi-improved grassland. This vegetations tends to change across the two fields (some patches have tall grass while others have short grass, others are bare while others have grass, especially under trees). Besides the grass, the waxcap fungi, (Hygrocybe spp) was formed part of the vegetation in the fields. The fungi is an indicator of unimproved grassland in both fields. However, some slight differences were found in field 6. In field 6, marshy grassland was evidenced around the area where a small stream ran. This changed and the vegetation became a bit scarce where the ground rose above the water table. I n areas where the land was sloping, the vegetation cover was constituted by acid grassland, some scrub and Hygrobe calyptiformis. Monitoring Strategy A) Field 2 According to the survey, field 2 was established to have a sloping topography 2 with semi improved grassland and some species of unimproved grassland (Hydrocybe caliptiformis). The unimproved grassland was found in the lower down part of the slope in the field. To attest this, samples would be taken from across the whole field. The samples would help determine if the grassland was becoming more unimproved as one moves further down the slope. To measure the variation in plant species along the sloppy part of the field, quadrants could be studied in two parallel belt transects. The field would be split into quadrants on both belts, from where samples would be taken. To have reliable results, the belts will be divided into 25 quadrants where each will be 0.5 by o.5 m. This is highly recommended so as to get a reliable frequency of the unimproved indicator species of vegetation. All quadrants will be studied. The study would help prove right or wrong the hypothesis for the analysis that towards the bottom of the slope, the species of unimproved grassland increased. Some changes will be carried in the way the field was managed. The expected result of this is a gradual increase

Global business (Cultural Context) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global business (Cultural Context) - Essay Example Chicken is one of the favorite items that anybody would like to have and can be made in several different forms. Perdue chicken is a poultry chicken, and is a one of the finest, exceptional, fresh, and leading brand chicken that comes under farming in the some regions of United States. Perdue chicken is available in various forms that include uncooked form such as frozen pieces of chicken or in form of wings etc and cooked forms as well (Daft, 2009). On the other hand when talk about UK culture; it is very diverse in the aspect of food. The history of UK reveals the fact that the inhabitants of UK in general had the eating habits constrained and classified to herbs, vegetables and seafood that embrace leafy and beans species of vegetable, fish and many more, and they had a strong point in agriculture and cultivation. Although classic, homely, healthy and nutritious were the highlighting features of the conventional food and meals of UK; yet, they had been under influence from a few d iverse and distinct traditions and adopted their flavors (Ashley, 2004).

Competiton Between Wawa and Royal Farms Research Paper

Competiton Between Wawa and Royal Farms - Research Paper Example This forms a significant part of country’s economic growth. Other industries such as online retailing emerge from the competition. Cleaner production technologies employed by the farms as competitive advantages reduce the country’s expenditure on environmental conservation, inspections, and monitoring. Wawa Inc. and Royal farms are of significance focus in exploring the competition among food stores in the US. Among the things of particular emphasis is the effect of the competition on consumers who get better customer services. Consumer choice is one of the drivers of the competition. The two farms are keen to meet the unique requirements of their markets. Each farm strives to enrich its brand, maintain, and amplify the market share against the strong wave of competition. Wawa Inc. stores started operating in April 16, 1964 in Folsom, Pennsylvania after their opening by Millville Manufacturing Company. The chain operates several stores in various regions around the glob e. The history of Wawa Inc. dates back before 1805 when it was an iron foundry. It transformed to textile mills, dairy processing, and now a convenience store. Wawa Inc. offers an assortment of products. Among its products are drinks, milk, and tea. Wawa also provides gasoline. Wawa Inc. currently has over 1.4 million daily costumer transactions in the five states. Royal farms store started operating in 1959 and has its headquarters in Baltimore. Royal farms operate in Delaware and Maryland among others. Royal Farms kitchen serves chicken, western fries, hot and cold subs, sandwiches and wraps, natural juices and clover land milk. Royal Farms runs several stores at Glasgow, Baltimore, Chesapeake, Harrington, and College Park. The farm is soon to open other stores in White Marsh, Milford, Wrightsville, Edgewood, and another in Baltimore. Royal Farms run fleet fuel services where they sell diesel fuel for automobiles. Despite Royal Farms earlier establishment than Wawa Inc. as a conve nience store, Wawa Inc. remains the principal contender of Royal farms in the US. The competition amid the two stores brings immense benefits on the agricultural sector of the US financial system. Benefits of the competition to the consumers of their products are outstanding too. Wawa Inc.’s growth Wawa Inc.’s exceptional growth certainly stems from the several moves undertaken by the company. High wage from the population is a significant trend that contributed to the growth of the farm. The two wage earners in a household had amplified the funds available for shopping. Wawa Inc. faced out the mom-and-pop grocery store and the corner gas station as part of its growth. The move contributed immensely to the farm’s magnificent achievement. Consumer demand for immediate consumption coupled with the farm’s technological advancements is notably a boost for the farm. The employees of the farm show a lot of commitment while offering their services to customers, and are determined at providing faster service delivery. The store’s move to include disabled people as part of their personnel saw a win for the farm. Wawa Inc.’s competitive advantage Wawa dairy supply its own milk to Wawa processor. This guarantees steady supply of milk to the farm. Wawa Inc. contributes money for charitable causes thereby showing solidarity with their customers. This offers the farm a platform to endorse itself and its products too. Wawa Inc. extended

How terrorism affect our economy Essay Example for Free

How terrorism affect our economy Essay Terrorism and terrorist activates are never intended to target an economy directly, instead it is designed to scare people who, overwhelmed by there trepidation destroy there own economy. The pliant economy of United States was misjudged in contrast with the September 11 terrorist attacks. Despite an estimated $120 billion of damage and a great deal of anxiety, one year following the 9/11 attacks considerable recovery was recorded in U. S economy. A disagreement between the Economists world wide has been shaping up over the affects of terrorism on the economy of USA, many feel that because acts of terrorism are usually aimed towards small portions of the stock of capital of a country so effect on economic activity are not very large(Enders and Sandler 2006). On the other hand, consciences of terrorism on the economy under pragmatic estimation suggest large and long term affects (Terrorism and the World Economy 40). If we review the federal budgets between FY 1998 and FY 2001 $ 48. 3 billion where available in surplus. Attacks of September 11 originated a blow to the economy of Manhattan, but not to that of Boston or Chicago. Terrorism creates a pessimistic affect on industries like air travel, hotels and insurance at large, but if we review economys overall performance, investment and demand shifted to other industries-especially when Federal Reserve eased credit in order to calm post-Sept. 11 markets. The immediate and the fore most impact that originate due to terrorism is the development of Paranoia attitude towards the economy through restrictive air travel and raising uncertainty, economy is drifting into a phase of recession. U. S economy has been diminishing even further after U. S invasion in Afghanistan and Iraq. Another way terrorism affected our economy is the lift in oil price which proved to be an economic jolt over the American nation who is now linking this oil situation with the upcoming elections and political agenda of American presidential candidates. The most direct damage that terrorism brought to our financial system is the deficit of U. S. government budget, which was a record of 413 billion dollars in 2004. A slight drop of $198 billion in deficit is being predicted by CBO for FY 2009 which is expected to increase moderately by 2010. If we analyze the reports released by CBO we will realize the shocking increase in the expenditure of war on terrorism over the last few years, federal finances for the department of home land security, and ever mounting cost of government beneficial social sachems such as medical health care and social security has halted economical development. Economists are predicting an inevitable increase in red ink taxation; this is resulting in an increasing cost of housing and other basic amenities which is ultimately decreasing the consumption power of an American. (CBO) Terrorism creates a general sense of insecurity, this brings a huge expanse on U. S federal budget in shape of home land security dept, Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that federal resources devoted to homeland security activities were a total of about $41 billion in 2004, roughly double the amount allocated to those activities before September 11, By 2007 Spending for the Department of Homeland Security increased by about 6 percent, to $42. 7 billion this money was required to further strengthen the borders and aviation security. General Seance of insecurity also slowed the pace of economic growth in 2007; economists strongly feel that it will slacken further in 2008. According to CBO, the consistent problems in the housing and financial markets and the high price of oil has curbed spending on household and businesses this is also ensuing decrease in the growth of GDP. Laws and policies developed to control terrorism has overwrought federal resources to a total of $2. 9 trillion for 2008, while the revenue will total $2.7 trillion, which will result in budget deficit of $219 billion, this situation will be worsening with the additional $30 billion required to sustain military activates in Iraq and Afghanistan. (CBO 10) As a consequence American nation is facing a decline in funds allocation for national health dept, education, and Environment protection, the 2007 financial budget favored spending on defense which brought an overall decline in resources allocated for developing U. S social welfare programs Another worrying line of attack in which terrorism is affecting U. S economy is the current decline of the U. S dollar. By 2007, an 8% decline was recorded in U. S dollars performance in index compared to its six largest trading partners. According to the predictions made by Stephen Malyon, (a currency strategist at Scotia Capital in Toronto) the current weakness in dollar should persist for the first two quarters of the current financial year, while a rise of $1. 55 in Euro against dollar was also anticipated by him. (Ellis 2008) Terrorism creates an anxiety in the midst of American people who quite frequently hear about terrorist threats and the on going war on terrorism, while a general sense of insecurity has detained the business community, and this has created a lack of confidence among the main stream investors. Terrorism has also put the burden of humongous expense that the nation had to face in shape of Dept of home land security, ever since Sept 11, while this dept controls almost all issues related to national security and U. S intelligence, an increase in the federal resources and funds devoted towards this department, and as a consequence every year a considerable decline is recorded in social benefits such as education and national health care. Other affects of terrorism on American economy at large are the red ink taxes, increase in oil cost and the decline in dollar value; all of this is contributing towards decreasing the purchase power of an average American. Economists worldwide agree that the negative aspects and the decline in U. S economy is the cost that USA is paying for the war on terrorism. More over a large number of political economical analyst feel that the issue of terrorism is being propagated by the American presidential candidates in there political agendas which is a major cause of nervousness among the nation. Many argue today about United States aggressive strategy to counter terrorism has been a mistake and think that a defensive strategy would have been a more appropriate choice in terms of the affects of terrorism on U. S economy. Work Cited; †¢ Enders Walter and Todd Sandler. The Political Economy of Terrorism. 1st ed. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University, 2006. †¢ Abadie, Gardeazabal. Terrorism and the World Economy. (2007): 40. †¢ Orszag, Peter R. United States, CBO. The Budget and Economic Outlook:Fiscal Years 2008-2017. Washington, DC: CBO, 2007. †¢ Ellis, David. Dollars slide. Its the economy, stupid (2008 )

Twelve Who Ruled and Robert Roswell Palmer Essay Example for Free

Twelve Who Ruled and Robert Roswell Palmer Essay The book, Twelve Who Ruled, covers a very complex period, the French Revolution. Robert Roswell Palmer; author of the book, brings our attention of twelve men who have a chance to change society, institutions, and political beliefs. Palmer takes our thoughts drawn to the brutality and dictatorship of this time period and shares with us how idealism can conrupt and damage a nation as a whole. Oppression is the sense and theme of emotion I feel when reading this book. How can a man like Robert Roswell Palmer be an author of a well-written masterpiece? Robert Roswell Palmer or professionally known as R. R. Palmer, was born on January 11, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois. In high school, he accelerated in his academics. Motivated by his teachers, Palmer competed for a citywide â€Å"Latin prize† and earned a full ride scholarship to the University of Chicago. He received his PHD from Cornell University in 1934, specializing in 18th-century France. Palmers talents brought him an instructorship at Princeton University in 1936. Palmer spent World War II in Washington, D.C., where he put his intellectual skills to work for the War Department. Palmer married Esther Howard in 1942 and had three children. After the war and progressing in his marriage, he was a proud supervisor and contributor of a project that resulted in the postwar publication of two volumes, Organization of Ground Combat Troops (1947) and Procurement and Training of Ground Combat Troops (1948). After the war he returned to Princeton where he taught for three decades and authored seven of his books, Catholics and Unbelievers in 18th-Century France; published in 1939, Twelve Who Ruled; published in 1941, and The Improvement of Humanity: Education and the French Revolution; published in 1985, Rand McNally Atlas of World History, first published in 1957 and still used today by many college professors. At age 43 he was named Princetons Dodge Professor of History from 1952 to 1963 and he began the latter part of his academic career by assuming administrative duties as Dean of Arts and Sciences at Washington University, St. Louis from 1963 to 1966. Later on he returned to his first passion, writing and teaching. At the age of 60, he accepted a professorship at Yale University, from which he retired in 1977. Palmer returned to Princeton where he was a guest scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study. For the last several years, Palmer and his family lived at Newtown, Pennsylvania and where he would pass away on June 11, 2002. Palmers career earned him many honors. This includes service as president of the Society for French Historical Studies in 1961 and the American Historical Association in 1970. He was an active member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts Sciences. He held visiting professorships at the Universities of Chicago, Colorado, and Michigan, and at the University of Califomia at Berkeley. He was the recipient of several honorary degrees in the United States as well as in Europe. Italys Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei awarded him the Feltrenelli Prize in 1990 in recognition of his lifetime scholarly achievements. R. R. Palmer is a valid source of wanting to know the French Revolution. From knowing his academic background and his well high positive representation, he is a healthy source. Reading his book, Twelve who ruled, seems as if he personally knows the twelve individuals. He brings this time period of great oppression during the French Revolution to life as you progress reading into his book. This book is a great book and a well written masterpiece that will open your eyes.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine Formulation

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine Formulation Abstract Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in both children and elderly people. In this study we evaluated the short- and long-term protective efficacy of the single intranasal immunization of RSV vaccine formulation consisting of the fusion (F) protein formulated with a polyIC, an innate defense regulator peptide and a polyphosphazene (ΆF/TriAdj). This vaccine induced significant systemic and local immunity, including RSV F-specific IgG1 and IgG2a, IgA and virus neutralizing antibodies, and IFN-ÃŽÂ ³-secreting T cells in mice. Furthermore, this vaccination promoted the induction of RSV F85-93-specific CD8+ effector T cells with no virus replication in the lungs. To evaluate the duration of immunity induced by single intranasal vaccination, mice were challenged with RSV after five months of immunization. Significantly higher levels of IgG1, IgG2a and virus neutralizing antibodies were detected in ΆF/Tr iAdj vaccinated animals. Moreover, this vaccine formulation induced high local IgA secreting memory B cell development and B cell IgA production and conferred complete protection against subsequent RSV challenge without priming for enhanced disease. In conclusion, a single nasal vaccination of RSV ΆF protein formulated with TriAdj enhanced robust, long- term protective immune responses against RSV infection. Introduction Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease in infants, older and immunocompromised individuals worldwide {Falsey, 2005 #586}. Many RSV vaccine candidates, including live attenuated strains, vectored and viral protein subunit vaccines are underway. Currently, there is no licensed RSV vaccine or specific treatments other than prophylaxis with passive antibody therapy (Palivizumab) {Group, 1998 #599}. The first RSV vaccine clinical trial with formalin-inactivated RSV (FI-RSV) failed to induce neutralizing antibodies and caused enhanced respiratory disease after natural RSV infection {Kim, 1969 #589}. RSV is an enveloped virus, containing three transmembrane surface glycoproteins: the major attachment protein G, fusion protein F and small hydrophobic SH protein. The F protein is highly conserved and mediates fusion of the virus into host cells and subsequent formation of syncytia, making it a major target for subunit vaccine and antiviral drug development {Collins, 2008 #597}. However, mucosal vaccination with RSV F protein alone does not induce protective immunity {Vaux-Peretz, 1992 #648;Garlapati, 2012 #650} therefore, this protein needs to be combined with an adjuvant to induce strong, long-lasting protective immune responses. Previously, we developed a novel combination adjuvant platform (TriAdj) comprising of three components, namely a polyI:C, innate defense regulator peptide (IDRs) and polyphosphazene (PCEP). Synthetic double-stranded RNA, polyIC, known to recognize TLR3 and retinoic acid-inducible gene 1(RIG-I) leading to induction of proinflammatory cytokines, which in turn activates various immune cells {Sivori, 2004 #581`, Longhi`, 2009 `#573;Longhi, 2009 #573}. To stabilize and protect the polyIC from degradation, two other immunmodulators an innate defense regulator (IDR) peptide and a polyphosphazene were added. Innate defense regulator (IDR) peptides are derivatives of natural host defense peptides with microbicidal, chemotactic properties {Yeung, 2011 #608}. Poly[di(sodium carboxylatoethylphenoxy)]-phosphazene (PCEP) is a synthetic biodegradable water-soluble polymer with immunostimulatory properties. It forms non-covalent complexes with antigens and/or other adjuvants to increase their stabil ity and allow multimeric presentation {Andrianov, 2009 #618;Kovacs-Nolan, 2009 #621}. Previously, we developed a novel vaccine candidate against RSV (ΆF/TriAdj) consisting of a truncated version of the RSV fusion protein (ΆF) formulated with TriAdj. We have shown that double vaccination regime such as prime and boost intranasal immunization with this vaccine candidate establishes long-lasting humoral and cell-mediated protective immune responses without any evidence of immunopathology {Garg, 2014 #60;Garg, 2015 #63}{Garg, 2014 #60}{Garg, 2014 #60}{Garg, 2014 #60}{Garg, 2014 #60}{Garg, 2014 #60}. In the present study we demonstrated that after single IN delivery with ΆF/TriAdj, vaccine elicits mucosal and systemic immune responses and offers complete protection from RSV challenge in mice. Furthermore, ΆF/TriAdj induced effective local CD8+ T cells, which is one of the hallmarks for successful vaccination against many viral infections. To evaluate the duration of immunity induced by this vaccine candidate after single intranasal vaccination, we carried out long-term trials. Five month after the vaccination, RSV ΆF formulated with TriAdj induced robust mucosal and systemic immune responses and complete protection from RSV challenge in mice. Furthermore, ΆF/TriAdj elicited long-lived local IgA secreting memory B cell development and B cell IgA production, as well as memory T cells. It is well known that an RSV vaccine needs to induce a balanced Th1/Th2 adaptive immune response, which stimulates the generation of high-affinity neutralizing antibodies with effector cytotoxic CD8+ T cells {Graham, 2011 #642}. Results Single mucosal vaccination with ΆF/TriAdj induces strong systemic immune responses: Antibodies play a major role in protection against many viruses. To characterize the quality of the humoral immune responses induced by single vaccination of ΆF/TriAdj, IgG1 and IgG2a titers were measured in the serum. As shown in Fig. 1A B, the mice immunized with ΆF/TriAdj developed significantly higher IgG1 and IgG2a levels, than placebo groups both before and after challenge with RSV. These results indicate that formulation of ΆF protein with TriAdj promotes a balanced humoral immune response. Neutralizing antibody plays a protective role against viral infections. In order to evaluate the biological function of the ΆF-specific serum antibodies, Virus neutralization (VN) titers were determined. Mice immunized with ΆF/TriAdj developed significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers than the ones immunized with PBS both before and after challenge with RSV (Fig 1C). To investigate the phenotype of the cellular immune response, the ΆF-induced secretion of IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ and IL-5 by splenocytes was measured four days after challenge. Significantly higher numbers of IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ secreting cells were generated from mice vaccinated with ΆF/TriAdj formulation, while the number of IL-5 secreting cells was low in vaccinated mice (Fig 1D). This suggests the addition of RSVΆF protein to the TriAdj resulted in a stronger, Th1-biased immune response, which is in also agreement with the enhanced IgG2a production. Intranasal vaccination with single dose of ΆF protein formulated with TriAdj induces robust protective mucosal immune: Mucosal immune response play a crucial role in first line defense of host by blocking the spreading of RSV infection in the lungs. Thus, an effective RSV vaccine should induce local IgA antibodies in the respiratory tract. To evaluate the mucosal immune responses induced by ΆF/TriAdj, we measured ΆF-specific IgA antibody levels in the lungs. Significantly higher IgA production was observed in mice immunized with ΆF/TriAdj in comparison with mice immunized with PBS (Fig 2A). To determine whether single IN vaccination with the ΆF/Triadj formulations would affect viral clearance, all mice except those in one of the two Placebo groups were challenged IN with RSV. No infectious virus was recovered in lungs of mice immunized with ΆF/TriAdj, showing full protection from infection (Fig 2B). In order to investigate whether protection is correlated with higher cross-presentation and cell-mediated immune responses, we evaluated RSV F-specific CD8+ T cells infiltration with RSV F85-93 pentamers in the lungs after RSV challenge. The ΆF/TriAdj induced a significantly higher number of F85-93 specific CD8+ T cells influx in the lungs (Fig 6A), which suggests that vaccination with ΆF/TriAdj promotes a cytolytic CD8+ T cell response to RSV infection. Virus-specific effector CD8+ T-cell response has been shown to play a critical role in RSV clearance {Graham, 2011 #642}. Therefore, we analyzed the effecter function of the CD8+ T cells according to their expression of the IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ by à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ow cytometry. After RSV challenge, the ΆF/TriAdj-immunized group showed higher frequencies of IFN-ÃŽÂ ³-expressing CD8+ T cells than PBS-immunized, RSV-challenged mice in the lungs (Fig 6). This suggests that ΆF/TriAdj promotes a stronger ef fector CD8+ T cell response to RSV. Single nasal vaccination with ΆF/TriAdj induces Long-term systemic immune responses: To assess the long term memory effect induced by single intranasal vaccination with ΆF/TriAdj, serum IgG and VN antibody levels were measured periodically over five months. The mice immunized with ΆF/TriAdj developed strong IgG and VN titers compare to placebo control group for approximately 25 weeks (Fig 3A B). We next examined whether IN vaccination promoted the induction of long term ΆF-specific serum IgG1 and IgG2a. The ΆF/TriAdj- vaccinated mice developed significantly higher ΆF-specific serum IgG1 and IgG2a titers than placebo groups both before and after challenge with RSV (Fig 4A B). VN titers were also determined to evaluate the functional quality of the ΆF-specific serum antibodies after RSV challenge. Mice immunized with ΆF/TriAdj developed significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers compared to PBS gro up (Fig 4C). To further define the phonotype of the immune response, the ΆF-induced secretion of IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ and IL-5 by splenocytes was measured four days after challenge with RSV. The ΆF/TriAdj formulation generated a significantly higher frequency of IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ secreting cells compared to the placebo. The numbers of IL-5 secreting cells were low in all vaccinated mice (Fig 4D), which suggests Th1 bias immune responses. Mucosal vaccination with Single dose of ΆF/TriAdj induces Long-term protective mucosal immune response: Local antibody play a major role in protection from respiratory viruses such as RSV in the lung. To access the long term local immune responses with ΆF/TriAdj vaccination, induction of ΆF-specific IgA in the lungs was examined by ELISA. Mice immunized with ΆF/TriAdj developed significantly higher IgA levels when compared to placebo and placebo virus challenged groups (Fig 5A). Furthermore, we checked the development of IgA-secreting memory B cells in lungs after RSV challenge. ΆF/TriAdj formulations generated a significantly higher frequency of RSV ΆF-specific IgA-secreting memory B cells in lungs in comparison to PBS (Fig 5B). In summary, single dose of ΆF/TriAdj via IN vaccination stimulated strong IgA-secreting memory B cell development and B cell IgA production. To determine viral clearance after single vaccination with ΆF/TriAdj, all mice except those in one of the two placebo groups were challenged IN with RSV on day 150. The mice were sacrificed after four days, and virus titers in the lungs were determined. No infectious virus particle was recovered from mice vaccinated with ΆF/TriAdj, showing that these mice still had sufficient immunity to be completely protected from challenge virus replication in the lungs (Fig 5C). Discussion RSV is one of the major global burdens of causing a broad spectrum of respiratory illnesses in children and older population worldwide. There is still no licensed RSV vaccine, in part due to the disastrous outcomes observed following vaccination of naÃÆ' ¯ve children with FI-RSV {Kim, 1969 #589}. Natural infection with RSV fails to protect against subsequent infection because it stimulate modest immunogenicity and short-lived immunological memory against virus. Similar to natural RSV infection, many promising RSV vaccine have failed to generate long-lasting, protective immune responses {Power, 2008 #769;Hall, 2001 #789}. For wide clinical application, RSV vaccine will need to be safe, easy to administer and must stimulate strong long-term protective immunity than natural RSV infection {Pulendran, 2011 #796}. Protein subunit vaccines have a high safety profile, but are generally poorly immunogenic and induce short-lived humoral and cellular immunity {Graham, 2011 #642}. So adjuvant s are added to subunit vaccines to stimulate faster, stronger, and long-lasting immune responses to vaccines. At the clinical level, multi dose vaccination is expensive and has potential safety problems. Whereas, single vaccination formats are cost effective, safe (no risk for vaccine contamination) and more convenient to health worker. In the present study, we demonstrated the short as well as long term protective efficacy including stable systemic IgG, local IgA production and neutralizing antibody titers of a RSV ΆF protein formulated with TriAdj in mice after single IN immunization. Furthermore, ΆF/TriAdj promoted an effector CD8+ T cells with compete protection against RSV infection without inducing vaccine-enhanced pathology in the lungs. A vaccine requiring only a single administration to be effective would be highly practical, as it would improve patient compliance Therefore, single intranasal immunization with RSV ΆF protein formulated with Tri Adj is a promising approach to induce a long-lasting protective RSV-specific immune response. Mucosal immunization via IN route is invasive and suitable for generation of both local and systemic immunity. RSV infect through respiratory tract, therefore mucosal antibodies specifically IgA play an important role in prevention and clearance of virus. Previously it has been shown that protection against RSV infection is more correlated to the levels of mucosal IgA rather than to systemic antibody in human {Watt, 1990 #687}. In mice, single RSV infection induces short-lived neutralizing antibodies with absence of antibody-secreting memory B cells {Schmidt, 2012 #869}. Interestingly, we have recently demonstrated that the RSV infected mice were showed significantly lower level of local B cell IgA production and IgA secreting memory B cell development that indicates an impaired local antibody response that allows RSV re-infection and explain the short-term protective immunity with natural infection with RSV{Garg, 2016 #1340}. In contrast, intranasal vaccination with single dose of R SV ΆF protein formulated with TriAdj promotes the induction of long-lasting local IgA secreting memory B cell development and B cell IgA production which is a major criterion for an effective RSV vaccine. Previously, we and others have reported that strong, effective and protective immune responses were induced only after a booster immunization with RSV F protein with adjuvant {Garg, 2014 #891}{Blanco, 2014 #1423}{Lambert, 2015 #1442}. A single mucosal vaccination of adenovirus-based RSV vaccine had also been proved effective in short term {Kim, 2010 #1443}. But this is the first report showing the long term protective efficacy of single mucosal vaccination of an adjuvanted RSV F protein subunit vaccine in mice. Clinical trial with FI-RSV failed to induce protection against RSV due to generation of poor neutralizing antibodies and TLR activation that led to vaccine-associated enhanced disease {Delgado, 2009 #513}. The inclusion of polyI:C as TLR ligand in vaccine formulation, is expected to overcome the limitations of inactivated RSV vaccines. The adjuvant effect such as long-lasting T cell immunity of polyI:C is likely caused by the direct interaction with PRRs such as TLR3, MDA5 and RIG-I, leading to production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines. Interestingly, it has been shown that alveolar macrophages and lung DCs induced strong IgA and IgG antibodies by addition of TLR3 ligands, which were probably linked to secretion of BAFF/APRIL cytokines and activated B cells {Xu, 2008 #686}. However, we and others have been shown that IN administration of higher doses of polyIC caused marked production of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines accompanied by impaired lung function {Stowell, 2009 #682;Boukhvalova, 2010 #685;Aeffner, 2011 #750} suggesting excessive stimulation of local immune responses can result in detrimental effects. In contrast, ΆF/TriAdj has an advantage over polyIC alone as it has shown full protection form RSV infection without any exacerbation of chronic pulmonary disease. This demonstrates that a combination of polyIC, IDR and PCEP mediates optimal enhancement of the RSV-specific immune response without vaccine enhanced disease. We believe that IDRs is one of the major anti-inflammatory components in our vaccine formulation as it has been previously shown to enhance cell-mediated immune responses and to modulate excessive consequences of TLR signaling {Bowdish, 2005 #766;Hancock, 2006 #767}, whereas polyphosphazenes enhance antigen-specific humoral immunity through the formation of non-covalent complexes with protein {Andrianov, 2005 #667}, suggesting major roles from both of these compounds in this vaccine formulation. An important factor for successful vaccine against RSV requires the generation of effective CD8+ T cell in the lungs. Previously, it has been shown that mild to severe infection with RSV failed to induce virus-specific IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ recall responses in the infants {Lee, 2007 #806}. To define the stimulation of local effective CD8+ T cell responses induced by ΆF/TriAdj, RSV F specific pentamer staining demonstrated marked induction of IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ secreting RSV-specific CD8+ T cells in lungs. Similarly, exogenous IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ expression protects against RSV infection in the lungs of BALB/c mice {Kumar, 1999 #805}. This evidence suggests that complete protection against RSV was associated with the presence of IFN-ÃŽÂ ³+ RSV-specific CD8+ T cells. In summary, our data show that RSV ΆF protein formulated with TriAdj vaccine represents a safe, effective and promising RSV vaccine candidate. The major advantages associated with this mucosal RSV vaccine is to induction of long-term protective immunity with a single mucosal vaccination by stimulating long-lived RSV-specific neutralizing antibodies, memory B and CD8+ T cells, therefore warranting additional evaluation as a vaccine against RSV in clinical trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS Virus and vaccine formulation: The RSV (A2 strain) was propagated in Hep-2 cells (American Type Culture Collection, VR-1540). The RSV ΆF protein with his-tag was produced and purified as described previously {Garlapati, 2012 #650}. Briefly, HEK-293T cells were transfected with an episomal vector expressing the ΆF protein using Turbofect (Fermentas, R0534). The ΆF protein with his-tag was purified using TALON Superflow resin (Clontech,) according to the manufacturers instructions. The ΆF protein was formulated with 10  µg poly (I:C) (Invivogen, tlrl-picw), 20  µg IDR1002 (Genscript, 818360) and 10  µg PCEP (Idaho National Laboratory) in PBS (ΆF/TriAdj) as described previously. Animals, immunizations and challenge: Six to eight week old female BALB/c mice (Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, MA, USA) were immunized once IN with ΆF/TriAdj. Two additional groups of mice received PBS IN (Placebo control). Three week (short-term trial) and twenty weeks (long term trial) post-vaccination, all except one of the Placebo groups were challenged IN with RSV strain A2 (5 x 105 PFU/50 µl). Mice were euthanized four days after RSV challenge for detection of immune response and virus in the lungs. Blood samples were drawn by cardiac puncture under anesthesia prior to challenge and at regular intervals afterwards. All procedures were approved by the University Animal Ethics Committee in accordance with the standards stipulated by the Canadian Council on Animal Care. Lung fragment cultures and ELISA: Lavaged lungs of euthanized mice were cut into small pieces and lung fragment cultures were prepared as described previously {Mapletoft, 2008 #591}. ELISA was performed as described previously {Garg, 2014 #942}. RSV ΆF-specific IgG1, IgG2a and IgA were detected using biotin-labeled goat anti-mouse IgG1, IgG2a (Southern Biotech, 1070-08, 1080-08) or IgA (Gibco, M3115) followed by streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase (AP) (Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories Inc.,016-050-084), and developed with p-nitrophenyl phosphate (Sigma-Aldrich, N3254) substrate. Enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays: ELISPOT assays were performed on splenocytes and LNs cells as previously described {Garlapati, 2012 #650}. Briefly, cells were stimulated with ΆF protein (2  µg/ml) and spots were developed using biotinylated IFN-ÃŽÂ ³- or IL-5- (BD Biosciences, 554410, 554397) or goat anti-mouse IgA specific antibody, AP-conjugated streptavidin and BCIP/NBT (Sigma-Aldrich, B5655) as the substrate. Analysis of CD8+ T cells from lungs by flow cytometry: Lung single-cell suspensions were generated as previously described {Garg, 2014 #942}. To analysis of RSV F85-93-specific CD8+ T cells, lung mononuclear cells were surface stained with H-2Kd-F85-93 MHC Class I pentamer (ProImmune, F149) together with labeled antibodies specific for CD8+ T cells (BD Pharmingen, 553031). For intracellular detection of IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ in CD8+ T cells, lung mononuclear cells were stimulated with 1 ÃŽÂ ¼M of F85-93 peptide (KYKNAVTEL) and cell surface staining was performed, followed by intracellular cytokine staining using Cytofix/Cytoperm (BD Pharmingen, 554715) and APC- conjugated anti-IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ antibody (BD Biosciences, 554413). After staining, cells were acquired by flow cytometry (BD Biosciences), and data were analyzed using Kaluza Software (Version 1.2). Cells were gated for live cells, singlets and lymphocytes and then analyzed for indicated markers. Virus titration and virus neutralization assay: Virus titrations were performed with individual lungs at day 4 post- challenge as described previously {Garg, 2014 #942}. Results are expressed as PFU/g of lung tissue. RSV-specific neutralization titers were determined by plaque reduction assays. Serum samples were mixed with 500 PFU/well of RSV strain A2 for 1 h at 37 °C. The sample-virus mixtures were transferred to HEp-2 cell monolayers and incubated for 4 days at 37  °C, and the cells were fixed and stained with 0.5% crystal violet. Statistical analysis: All data were analyzed using GraphPad PRISM version 6 for Windows (GraphPad Software, Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA). Differences among all groups were examined using Student t-tests, one-way ANOVA, followed by a Newman-Keuls post test. Differences were considered significant if P Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Elisa C. Martinez, Wayne Connor, and Michael Theaker for technical assistance, as well as Sherry Tetland and Jan Erickson for the handling and care of the animals. This work was supported by the Krembil Foundation, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Published as VIDO manuscript number . Figure legends Fig. 1. RSV ΆF-specific systemic humoral immune responses in mice. (A) Serum IgG1 and IgG2a titers before challenge (B/C), (B) Serum IgG1 and IgG2a titers after challenge (A/C) with RSV, (C) Serum VN antibody titers determined before (B/C) and after (A/C) RSV challenge, and (D) Numbers of IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ and IL-5 secreting splenocytes determined in response to in vitro restimulation with ΆF protein. BALB/c mice were immunized once IN with ΆF formulated with TriAdj and challenged three weeks later with RSV. Control groups were immunized with PBS and challenged with RSV (Placebo) or mock-challenged (Placebo/mock). ELISA titers are expressed as the reciprocal of the highest dilution resulting in a value of two standard deviations above the negative control serum. Virus neutralization titers are expressed as the highest dilution of serum that resulted in Fig. 2. Mucosal immune responses to RSV ΆF protein in mice after challenge with RSV. The IgA titer (A), Virus titer (B), Percentages of ΆF-specific CD8+ T cells (C), and ΆF-specific IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ secreting CD8+ T cells (D) were measured in the lung after RSV challenge. Mice were immunized and challenged as described in the legend for Fig. 1. ELISA titers are expressed as the reciprocal of the highest dilution resulting in a value of two standard deviations above the negative control serum. Virus replication in the lungs is expressed as pfu per gram of lung tissue. Bars represent median values with interquartile ranges. *P Fig 3. Long-term systemic immune responses to RSV ΆF protein. IgG (A) and VN (B) titers were measured at different times after vaccination. BALB/c mice were immunized once IN with ΆF formulated with TriAdj and challenged with RSV on day 150. Control groups were immunized with PBS and challenged with RSV (Placebo) or mock-challenged (Placebo/mock). ELISA titers are expressed as the reciprocal of the highest dilution resulting in a value of two standard deviations above the negative control serum. Virus neutralization titers are expressed as the highest dilution of serum that resulted in Fig 4. Systemic immune responses to RSV ΆF protein. (A) Serum IgG1 and IgG2a titers before challenge (B/C), (B) Serum IgG1 and IgG2a titers after challenge (A/C) with RSV, (C) Serum VN antibody titers determined after (A/C) RSV challenge, and (D) Numbers of IFN-ÃŽÂ ³ and IL-5 secreting splenocytes determined in response to in vitro restimulation with ΆF protein. Mice were immunized and challenged with RSV as described in the legend for Fig. 3. ELISA titers are expressed as the reciprocal of the highest dilution resulting in a value of two standard deviations above the negative control serum. Virus neutralization titers are expressed as the highest dilution of serum that resulted in Fig 5. Long term mucosal immune responses to RSV ΆF protein. IgA titers (A), numbers of IgA secreting LNs cells (B), Virus titers (C) were determined after (A/C) RSV challenge. Mice were immunized and challenged with RSV as described in the legend for Fig. 3. ELISA titers are expressed as the reciprocal of the highest dilution resulting in a value of two standard deviations above the negative control serum. IgA secreting cell numbers are expressed as the difference in the number of spots between ΆF-stimulated wells and medium-control wells. Virus replication in the lungs is expressed as pfu per gram of lung tissue. Bars represent median values with interquartile ranges. **P

Composting and the Benefits and Limitations of its Use as Soil Amendmen

Composting and the Benefits and Limitations of its Use as Soil Amendment Composting is widely-known as an environmentally sustainable method of recycling food scraps and garden/yard clippings. According to the United States Environment Protection Agency's (EPA) 1994 report entitled, "Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Composting", food discards constitute approximately 8 percent of municipal solid waste generated nationwide. A case study observed in San Francisco, California, reported that an estimated 31 percent of residential wastes and 19 percent of commercial waste generated is food waste. Composting is a viable answer to the food-waste problem. Composting not only reduces the amount of waste, buy also contains chemical properties and other rich elements that benefit the soil's quality, allowing farmers to use it as soil amendment. The following research will examine the process of composting and its different variables in order to investigate its positive and negative affects on the soil. Composting refers to the controlled decomposing of organic matter by microorganisms, mainly bacteria and fungi, that break organic matter down into readily available nutrients. In truth, it relies on little to no human intervention which makes it fairly easy. There are literally dozens of different technologies that are currently used to create compost (Stickelberger, 1975, p.188). Professor David Bice of Carleton College utilizes a method known as vermicomposting. Dictated by the amount of space (he is limited to in his apartment), Professor Bice places his food scraps in a bucket where red-colored worms digest and convert the bio-waste into a fertilizer product. Therefore, selection of a system depends largely on pragmatic factors.... ...lized form of organic matter that improves the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Works Cited Stickelberger, D, 1975, Survery of city refuse composting. In Organic Materials and Fertilizers: Rome, Italy, FAO Soils, Bulletin 27. Kapage, F.S.C.P, 1974, Tropical Soils: Classification, Fertility, and Management: New York, St. Martin Press, 201p. Broadbent, F.E., 1987, Organic Matter . Minnesota Compost and Co-Compost Research Project, In USDA Yearbook of Agriculture: U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. Government Document, February 1994, Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Composting Options: Lessons From 30 Communities: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington D.C. 47p. Government Document, May 1994, Composting Yard Trimmings and Municipal Solid Waste: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington D.C. 56-57p.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging :: MRI

The Faces Behind the Discovery of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Isidor Isaac Rabi He won the 1944 Nobel Prize in Physics for his "resonance method for recording the magnetic properties of atomic nuclei." He was the one to discover that protons have magnetic moments and that they precess around an external magnetic field. His experiments (on nuclei) revealed the jump between energy states of the proton when resonated with radio frequency waves. Felix Bloch & Edward Purcell Both men independently took Rabi's experiments to the next level - condensed matter. Purcell Bloch These men were awarded the 1952 Nobel Prize in Physics for the "nuclear magnetic resonance in condensed matter." Paul Lauterbur Lauterbur discovered that images could be produced from the magnetic properties of the protons. This will now be called magnetic resonance imaging. Paul is a professor at the University of Illinois He was the first to use a magnetic field gradient to vary the resonant frequencies of spinning atoms. Although his images were very difficult to produce, he had a variety - glass tubes, mouse thoracic cavity, and the first human body part - a finger!! Richard Ernst He discovered that sending pulsed signals through a changing magnetic field would produce images very quickly. This made it possible for health professionals to actually be able to utilize MRI. He was awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his contributions to the development of the methodology of high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy." All of these men contributed tremendously to the design and implementation of MRI scanning machines in hospitals. Now, MRI scans are another common hospital resource. Before MRI scans, X-rays were popular. However, X-rays use ionizing radiation that could be harmful to humans. Now, MRI scans are used for a huge variety of injuries, infections, or illnesses, such as: multiple sclerosis, torn ligaments, tendonitis, cysts, spinal injuries, strokes, and many others. MRI scans can even be used to record brain activity during certain events.

Economic Policy in Downtown Development :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the Heer’s Tower closed down in the 1960's, the downtown area of Springfield, MO. lost a major economic and entertaining element. Since then, Springfield has been planning and working to get back a lot of the status that it once had. The city government had to bring attractions and business in the form of new business’s to spur development to accommodate the 151,580 citizens that reside in the small city. Mayor Tom Carlson and City Manager Tom Finnie have been heading the projects with the help of large developing firms such as the UDA or Urban District Alliance, and hope that projects such as the redevelopment of Heer’s Tower, SMSU’s Innovation center, and College Station will add not only attractions for the mass of people flooding into Springfield each year, but also bring in hundreds of new jobs to boost the economy and help support a growing society. Over the next couple of pages an analysis of the current and future projects, as well as the non-quantitative benefits and effects on the surrounding community will be looked at to further explain why the project is on the community’s agenda.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tom Carlson calls the development of the downtown area, the â€Å"Center City.† â€Å"It will be a city within a city.† Not to long ago though Springfield was in a slump, after the huge factories of Zenith and GE went out of business, the only other major factory was Kraft. During the 1950's, These companies employed thousands of workers and once they were out of the picture the economy started to level out. The opportunity to have the Center City, started in the 1980's when sub-divisions around Springfield and surrounding towns, such as Nixa and Ozark, started booming. Since then, developer’s such as John Q. Hammons and new faces like Vaughn Post have sparked projects that have created a substantial buzz across the state. The developers took the idea of a new downtown and ran with it, using tax advantages such as state and historic tax credits, property tax abatement, gap financing and loans up to $40,000 to make facade improvements. Also, a low- interest loan program, using Community Development Block Grant Funds, has provided help for many business people. Since 1997, about $125 million has been invested in Center City.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All of these tax breaks and policies have led to some astonishing developments in employment and economic gains.

Project Management Process [in Construction]

ADVANCE PROJECT MANAGEMENT Project Management Process [In Construction Project] Ibtisam, Badar Reg. No— CIIT/SP13-RPM-292/CVC CIIT/SP13-RPMEmail: [email  protected] edu. pk Project Management Process | 2 Project Management Processes A PROJECT MANAGEMENT Process is the management process of planning and controlling the performance or execution of a project. Project management is one of the critical processes of any project. This is due to the fact that project management is the core process that connects all other project activities and processes together.Project management is a responsible process. The project management process connects all other project activities together and creates the harmony in the project. Therefore, the project management team should have a detailed understanding on the all project management processes and the tools that they can make use for each project management process. When it comes to the activities of project management, there are plenty. Ho wever, these plenty of project management activities can be categorized into five main processes. THE FIVE PROJECT PROCESS GROUPS . Initiation 2. Planning 3. Implementation / Execution 4. Monitoring, Evaluation & Control 5. Closure Project Management Process | 3 Project Management Process [In Construction Project] In my all working career, I only deal with two types of projects, i. e. IT and Construction Project. So if someone asks to me where you have to invest, I will prefer these two areas. In this report, I’m discussing about construction project management process. As I believe, construction is a field which boosts jobs and help in unemployment.In this report, I want to talk about project management process according to new project of Housing society or Villas construction project. I will consider this project according to each phase and step of project management process. Project Initiating The Initiating phase of the Construction project management process is where the project gets defined and authorized by management. The inputs to this phase are usually a statement of work or a contract given to you by the project sponsor. Other inputs are the environmental factors of your organization such as policies, procedures, and cultures to name a few.The output of the Initiating process is a Project Charter, focus on project scope and costs issue, set major milestones, and a Preliminary Project Scope Statement. We value leading the Project with a commitment that allows for nothing but success. By embracing new ideas, working well with our partners, meeting challenges with enthusiasm, and serving as positive advocates for the project, we will provide the leadership required for exceptional delivery. We value managing the Project well by clarifying our priorities, defining expectations and directing all efforts toward addressing the most critical issues first.Working hard to determine what must be done to guide potential toward opportunity will provide th e focus we need to succeed. We value the resources entrusted to us. By developing and recognizing our staff, practicing fiscal responsibility, measuring and reporting on performance, delivering what we promise, keeping to a schedule, and communicating with honesty and transparency, we will demonstrate our integrity. Measures of Success †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Safety: No Recordable or lost time injuries and reportable injuries lower than the industry average Schedule: Meet or eat established project milestones Budget: Manage risks to contain costs within budget Quality: Conform to project requirements without adverse effects on milestones or budget Environmental Compliance: Complete project without permit violations. Public Perception: Strong Community Support Through Effective Communication Project Management Process | 4 Project Planning Once a contract has been awarded: It is the responsibility of the project staff to review the item material lists and arran ge for deletion of material codes that will not be required.They shall also request addition of item material codes that they determine are necessary. Site Manager staff reviews the uploaded data in Site Manager for accuracy prior to making a project active. If the contract contains more than one category, the site manager staff will discuss with the project engineer and supervising engineer (SE) the need to keep the multiple categories. The SE will determine if the Site Manager staff should process an administrative construction order to combine Categories with like federal funding. A preconstruction meeting with the Contractor must be held for all Contracts awarded.The purposes of the meeting are: †¢ To review the Contract, especially job-specific special provisions. †¢ To discuss Project features, particularly those that may present problems. †¢ To discuss Environmental Permits and concerns. †¢ To discuss the potential problems of water pollution and soil eros ion. †¢ To review the Contractor's proposed progress schedule. †¢ To review the methods of handling traffic. †¢ To review sampling and testing requirements for materials to be used throughout the construction process. Project Management Process | 5 To address any of the Contractors’ questions concerning the plans and the Contract. Any problems that cannot be resolved at this meeting will be reviewed with the District office, and the final determination will be transmitted to all concerned, and if feasible, incorporated in the written report of the meeting. Start and completion dates for utilities must also be sent to: †¢ the Manager of Fiscal and Special Projects, and †¢ The Transportation Utilities Engineer. Notification should be sent to both of the above within seven days of effective completion date so final audits can be performed.The original of all memorandums regarding project status must be addressed and sent to the Construction Division Chie f. The functional requirements for construction planning such as technology choice, work breakdown, and budgeting. Construction planning is not an activity which is restricted to the period after the award of a contract for construction. It should be an essential activity during the facility design. Also, if problems arise during construction, re-planning is required. Project Implementation/ExecutionIn this stage we deal with contract management, Construction Management , and cost management. The integration of the different design aspects almost always requires that changes in approach be made in each aspect to accommodate the others. Such changes should be made as early in the design of the building as possible, since the time and work required in making changes increases rapidly as the design becomes more detailed. It is helpful therefore to have a systematic approach to the coordination of these approaches, and the Design Brief is a good opportunity for providing this.It is sugg ested that some initial indications are included in the Design Brief at the project inception stage, and that the consultants amend these as the design develops. The building envelope consists of all the different elements that make up the fabric of the building, such as the floor, walls, windows and roof. Most of the design decisions relating to the building envelope are the responsibility of the architect and structural engineer. They have a large impact on the thermal performance of the building, and it is therefore essential that the performance of the envelope is coordinated with the design of the HVAC system.This is the area that offers most opportunities for improved building performance through an integrated design approach. Project Management Process | 6 Monitoring, Evaluation & Control In this portion we deal with risk management, quality management and also do many kind of testing. Quality control starts with matching expectations about quality levels with budget and scop e during planning and design reviews and continues through construction delivery with a program of inspections, tests, and certifications.It requires a coordinated performance among the entire project team in order for a completed building program to fully satisfy a client's and the building users' expectations. Having a process implemented at the beginning of the project will help define the goals as well as provide a continuous measurement system over time to make sure the objectives are being met. The responsibility rests withe project team and the project owner. Also the manager who has †general management† or †project owner† jurisdiction also shares in the residual responsibility.This process is done at many levels such as: – The individual professional's level – The work package level – The functional manager's level – The project team level – The general manager's level – The project owner's level Project audit s provide the opportunity to have an independent appraisal of where the project stands and the efficiency and effectiveness with which the project is being managed. Audits can be planned periodicly, but also requested when there is a sense that the project is in trouble, or when a new manager takes over in order to become accustomed with the project.Project audits should: – Determine what is going right or wrong, and why – Identify forces and factors that have prevented achievements of cost, schedule, and technical performance goals and Evaluate the efficacy of existing project management strategy – Provide for an exchange of ideas, information, problems, solutions, and strategies with the project team members The task is to manage the project as it progresses, using the project control systems to maximum advantage. Project control is best analyzed by applying the factors of a unique operation, following its output and measuring its results.All factors are to be considered; labor, materials and equipment. One might also have to consider the role of the subcontractors, as they affect the sequencing of a task. In measuring the factors, the project manager must key in on the productivity of his labor force, measuring output over a given period of time. From these results, the project manager can then make a comparison against the project estimate, and against the objectives to meet the expected goals. To be affected in managing the project, the project manager must exercise three modes of operation.These three modes are planning, communicating and monitoring of the project. The project must be well-planned, each factor of the plan properly communicated, carefully monitored and controlled. Proper planning involves one of the initiatives of the goal setting process, the preparation of the schedules, a solid logistics plan and time-based general conditions established to monitor all phases of construction. The limits of construction should be cl ear and they must comply with the language of Project Management Process | 7 the contract documents. Collectively, these are the tools needed to compile this information.It must then be the commitment of the project superintendent and labor forces to carry out the tasks within these limits. To properly implement the plan, the plan must be communicated in such a fashion that there is full understanding of its purpose. One successful mode is the construction schedule. This guide to the project must clearly show each activity starting and finishing dates, duration, resources, long lead item purchasing schedule, submittal dates, purchasing dates, materials delivery to site dates all tied together by meaningful relationships, the networking between tasks. Closer & conclusionAs part of the Project Closure Plan, Suring success of a project the Project Manager needs to remain mindful of the close-out activities that bring a job to its responsible end. The process involves several very impor tant accomplishments that are clearly defined in the construction documents usually in the general conditions section of the specification book. To be successful it is always prudent to be informed and prepared. At the startup of the project a review of each trade section would further help identify needed final submittal information, that each of your subcontractors would be obligated to produce to complete their contract.It is now time to make a close out checklist. This checklist is an excellent tool to include in each subcontract, locking each subcontractor into ownership of their respective final submittal material, whether it is warranties, record drawings, or operation and maintenance manuals a clear reminder at the set time of contract signing is a good way to identify that you are in control. Referencing this information at the halfway point of a longer project would allow you to focus on closing out subcontracts of early finish work completed early, reducing your challenge s at the end of the project.The close-out materials are generally comparable to the submission materials required for approval by the architect at the start-up of the work by any trade. At the end of the project a manual including all of these pieces of literature are assembled and you publish this collection to the client via the architect. Additional information may include as-built drawings; replications of the architect plans with markups that identify the changes made and approved throughout the construction period and most certainly, letters of warrantee from each participating subcontractor. process will be developed that will address the things most important to employees as they explore options for their future. During this process, the management team promises to: †¢ Be open and honest about decisions that affect an employee’s position on the team †¢ Work directly with employees to allow opportunities inside and outside the project to develop new skills an d refine existing ones †¢ Promptly communicate to employee’s project changes that might affect them.We want to keep employees engaged in the current project and ensure that they are ready for new challenges. Employees can share immediate and long-term plans by completing the Employee Interest Survey described above. The employee’s manager will schedule an informal meeting to discuss the employee’s responses in the Interest Survey. The outcome of this meeting will be to turn those short and long-term goals into an action plan.