Methods of Observational Research

Free Essays on Water

Water that we drink doesn’t enter directly from the water source to our faucet. Many steps are taken to ensure that the water we drink and use is safe. The EPA has set up a standard by which the water must meet before entering the households throughout the country. Water quality can vary throughout the United States depending on the sources, available technology, and economic resources. In order to ensure that the water quality stays safe the EPA requires standard samples to be checked to ensure that the water is drinkable and safe. Coliform an indicator bacteria is just one of numerous amounts of bacteria that are checked in a standard check of water taken from water sources. One of the many standards that the EPA tries to maintain is less than one coliform per 100 ml of water. In order to obtain this goal the element of chlorine is added in order to kill off many of the harmful bacteria. Other tests are done in order to insure the high quality of our drinking water. Physical contaminants can be tested for by looking at odor, taste, color, turbidity, and total dissolved solids, referring to bicarbonates, sulfates, calcium, and other minerals and matter. The EPA’s standards allow us to determine the difference between healthy water and water that can be harmful towards humans, animals and the environment. Drinking standards that have been issued by the EPA give the â€Å"Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for more than 80 contaminants.† (Online) Available: epa.gov/safewater/wot/howsafe.html. These MCLs help ensure that our water quality is set to a level that allows us to protect public health. Most all of the 80 contaminants that are checked and managed are looked at in lifetime exposure in order to secure the future of American water safety. Currently, â€Å"the nations approximately 55,000 Community Water Systems (CWSs) must test for more than 80 contaminants. In 1996, 4,151 systems, or 7 percent, report... Free Essays on Water Free Essays on Water Water that we drink doesn’t enter directly from the water source to our faucet. Many steps are taken to ensure that the water we drink and use is safe. The EPA has set up a standard by which the water must meet before entering the households throughout the country. Water quality can vary throughout the United States depending on the sources, available technology, and economic resources. In order to ensure that the water quality stays safe the EPA requires standard samples to be checked to ensure that the water is drinkable and safe. Coliform an indicator bacteria is just one of numerous amounts of bacteria that are checked in a standard check of water taken from water sources. One of the many standards that the EPA tries to maintain is less than one coliform per 100 ml of water. In order to obtain this goal the element of chlorine is added in order to kill off many of the harmful bacteria. Other tests are done in order to insure the high quality of our drinking water. Physical contaminants can be tested for by looking at odor, taste, color, turbidity, and total dissolved solids, referring to bicarbonates, sulfates, calcium, and other minerals and matter. The EPA’s standards allow us to determine the difference between healthy water and water that can be harmful towards humans, animals and the environment. Drinking standards that have been issued by the EPA give the â€Å"Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for more than 80 contaminants.† (Online) Available: epa.gov/safewater/wot/howsafe.html. These MCLs help ensure that our water quality is set to a level that allows us to protect public health. Most all of the 80 contaminants that are checked and managed are looked at in lifetime exposure in order to secure the future of American water safety. Currently, â€Å"the nations approximately 55,000 Community Water Systems (CWSs) must test for more than 80 contaminants. In 1996, 4,151 systems, or 7 percent, report... Free Essays on Water Acid rain has become an environmental concern of global importance within the last decade. With the increasing environmental awareness of the "unhealthy" condition of our planet earth the concern about acid rain has not lessened. In brief, acid rain is rain with pH values of less than 5.6. When dealing with acid rain one must study and understand the process of making Sulfuric acid. In this project we will take an in depth look into the production of sulfuric acid, some of its uses and the effects of it as a pollutant in our environment. Sulfuric Acid Industry in Ontario Among the many plants in Ontario where sulfuric acid is produced, there are three major plant locations that should be noted on account of their greater size. These are: Inco. - Sudbury Noranda Mines Ltd. - Welland Sulfide - Ontario There are a number of factors which govern the location of each manufacturing plant. Some of these factors that have to be considered when deciding the location of a Sulfuric Acid plant a re: a. Whether there is ready access to raw materials; b. Whether the location is close to major transportation routes; c. Whether there is a suitable work force in the area for plant construction and operation; d. Whether there is sufficient energy resources readily available; e. Whether or not the chemical plant can carry out its operation without any unacceptable damage to the environment. Listed above are the basic deciding factors that govern the location of a plant. The following will explain in greater detail why these factors should be considered. 1) Raw Materials The plant needs to be close to the raw materials that are involved in the production of sulfuric acid such as sulfur, lead, copper, zinc sulfides, etc.. 2) Transportation A manufacturer must consider proximity to transpor-tation routes and the location of both the source of raw materials and the market for the product. The raw materials have to be transported to the plant, and the final pro... Free Essays on Water My presentation is about a substance vital to everyone and almost everything. If you haven’t guessed by now, yes it is about water. It covers why water is needed for the human body to work, what happens without enough water, and how much water is used and wasted in the U.S. The first topic to be covered will be how your body uses water. Water is used in all of the major systems for a variety of uses. It used for digestion, controlling the temperature of the body, getting rid of the body’s waste, and transporting nutrients. Water makes up most of the body with studies showing the amount ranging form 72% up to as high as 83%. Most major organs are at least three-quarters to four-fifths water as well. It’s no wonder that water is often called the body’s most important nutrient. The body can survive up to a month without food but without water a person would die in a few days. Without water many things begin to happen. If body fluids drop 5% people suffer a 25-30% drop in energy while a 15% drop can result in death. Estimates to how many people suffer dehydration to some degree range at one-half to two-thirds. Most of these people then drink coffee or soda to boost their energy levels but these actually lower the body’s water content and reduce the body’s ability to produce energy. Also water cleans the digestive system and this makes it work better, this results in the body being able to work better as a whole. So drinking water is a good thing to do. Also if you drink beverages that have caffeine in them, drink them in moderation and remember to drink more water to compensate. Some sources recommend a minimum of 10-12 glasses of water a day, 14-16 is recommended for maximum benefits. Most studies don’t recommend this high of an amount though because it is possible to get water poisoning. About 85% of all Americans use roughly 34 billion gallons of water supplied by public water systems. The rem...

Franchises and The Laws that Govern Them Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Franchises and The Laws that Govern Them - Essay Example Stuller alleges Defendants breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing by attempting to force Stuller to adopt the policy. Both Defendants filed motions to dismiss, denying SNS Operations’ motion to dismiss on the ground that SNS Operations had assigned the Agreements to SNS Enterprises. Stuller did not object to the Report and Recommendation’s characterization of Count II as a breach of contract claim. To state a breach of contract claim under Illinois law, a plaintiff must allege the existence of a contract, substantial performance by the plaintiff, a breach by the defendant, and damages resulting there from. The court found the defendants’ evidence only showed future damages that might be incurred, and, therefore, found the defendants failed to meet their burden of showing actual damages. The court concluded the counterclaim was premature and dismissed it without prejudice. (2) â€Å"Protect each prospective franchisee and the franchisor by providing a better understanding of the business and the legal relationship† between them. 815 ILCS 705/2(2). A private right of action is by section 26 of the IFDA: â€Å"Any person who offers, sells, terminates, or fails to renew a franchise in violation of this Act shall be liable to the franchisee who may sue for damages caused thereby.† 815 ILCS 705/26. Moreover, a franchisee may sue for rescission for a violation of sections 5, 6, 10, 11, or 15 of the IFDA. 815 ILCS 705/26. Not only Stuller alleged untrue statement material was made Stuller also alleged was violated material omission absence language Defendants set prices employment device scheme artifice defraud engagement act practice course business operate fraud deceit Stuller Therefore, Count III states a claim for relief under the IFDA. IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the Report, and Recommendation (d/e 33)

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

Employee Rights - Research Paper Example Failure to adhere to these rights makes it difficult for businesses to accomplish organizational goals. The privacy of employees, Fundamental employee rights are thus a significant factor in a wide range of human resource management issues that small business owners and supervisors face today, including questions concerning employee privacy, policies regarding promotion, inquiries in to the use of drugs by employees, management of employee information, performance appraisals and monitoring as well as freedom of contact with labor unions are some of the issues that human resource managers have to deal with in the contemporary business environment (Joseph 1992). Discrimination in the place of work is one of the issues that are emphasized to a great extent by the federal laws. Employers are supposed to provide equal employment regardless of race, religious affiliation, nationality and sex. Every employee has a right to be treated fairly under these laws. The growing concerns in the manner through which men and women are treated in the work place has made much emphasis to be focused on equal employment opportunities for both sexes, and also equal treatment in terms of remuneration and allocation of tasks. Other recent developments in employee rights are the laws providing for equal employment opportunities for the qualified people who are disabled. In case of discrimination, the federal laws provide for pecuniary damages. All these laws are put into effect by the â€Å"United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission† (Barbara 1997). Labor unions are essential for employees especially through their support for collective bargaining. They are usually not meant to mobilize the employees against the employer, but rather to strengthen their relationship through facilitating employee satisfaction. Employees have a right

The senior management of your organization is of the opinion that Essay

The senior management of your organization is of the opinion that there should be social responsibility of managers. What do you understand by this, and how sho - Essay Example These actions threatened the firm, the employees, the community, and global financial concerns. With the proliferation of technology and hypercompetition, the drive to enhance the bottom line has often found firms in legal trouble or in a public relations nightmare. What part does the manager play in social responsibility? It’s managements role to set policies and guidelines for implementing a socially responsible agenda. Directors and managers need to maintain an awareness that the decisions they make affect the community, their health and safety, and the quality of life for people in a wide area. The welfare of the wider community has to be considered in any decision making process. Success is not measured by the immediate profit gained by the shareholders. When we define socially responsible policy, it is a concern for the well being of all the stakeholders and not just the owners. The social responsibilities of the directors and managers are the firms responsibilities towards society as implemented by management. Some of the most direct beneficiaries of a socially responsible policy are the employees of the firm. They are provided with a safe place to work whilst the firms responsible behaviour increases the level of job security. By creating a positive climate to work in, the firm is able to attract better and more dedicated employees. In this scenario, an investment in employee well being is returned through a better workforce. Almost all socially responsible policies and management decisions have a positive return. However, the firm often views these activities as expenses and will not, or can not, calculate their true cost or value. Policies need to be put in place to protect the health and safety of the customers and consumers. Managers that fail to act responsibly must be held accountable for their decisions. According to Davidmann (2002), "Those who wish to maximise profits regardless of

High Fracture Toughness of Al2O3-TiN0.3 Composites

High Fracture Toughness of Al2O3-TiN0.3 Composites High fracture toughness of Al2O3-TiN0.3 composites prepared via spark plasma sintering Lina Qiaoa, b, Yucheng Zhaoa, Mingzhi Wanga, à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ , Yana Yea, Junxing Zhanga, Qin Zoua, Qian Yanga, Hua Dengc, Ying Xingc Abstract Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites with different TiN0.3 contents were spark plasma sintered at 1300–1600  °C for 10 min. Phase identification was characterized through X-ray diffraction. Microstructures were observed using a scanning electron microscope. The fracture toughness of the composite with 30 vol% TiN0.3 sintered at 1500  °C reaches to the highest value of 6.91 MPa m1/2. Based on the first-principles density functional theory, the density of states for TiN and TiNx was calculated. The covalent bonding is weakened and the metallic bonding is strengthened as the nitrogen concentration is reduced in nonstoichiometric TiNx. The active slip systems determined by covalent bonding for the nitrides are possibly increased by adding nonstoichiometric TiN0.3, which improves the fracture toughness of Al2O3-based composites. Keywords: Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites;Fracture toughness; Slip system; Bond calculation 1. Introduction Alumina (Al2O3) ceramics are essential structural materials, but the inherent brittleness has inhibited their applications [1, 2]. The fracture toughness can be improved substantially by adding a secondary reinforcing phase into the matrix. The effects of TiN particles on the mechanical properties of Al2O3-based composites have been widely studied [3–9]. Shen et al. [9] reported that the fracture toughness of Al2O3–TiN composites prepared via spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1500  °C reaches to a maximum value of 5.7 MPa m1/2. Li et al. [1] studied the mechanical properties of TiN–Al2O3 nanocomposites prepared by hot pressing at 1550  °C, and pointed out that the highest fracture toughness is 5.27 MPa m1/2. However, there have been few reports about the effects of nonstoichiometric TiN0.3 on the fracture toughness of Al2O3-based composites. In this study, nonstoichiometricTiN0.3 was added into Al2O3 matrix, and the effects of TiN0.3 on the mechanical properties (especially fracture toughness) of the composites were discussed. Nonstoichiometric TiN0.3 synthesized via mechanical alloying (MA) possesses fine grain size and TiN-type structure with numerous N vacancies [10, 11], which are conducive to improving sinterability [11–14]. Furthermore, weakening covalent bond and strengthening metallic bond in TiN0.3 structure [15, 16] may have an important influence on the fracture toughness. This study aims to verify whether or not adding nonstoichiometric materials can increase the fracture toughness of Al2O3-based composites. 2. Experimental Raw materials used include TiN0.3 synthesized through MA [10, 11] and commercial powders Al2O3 (analytically pure, an average particle size of 1 ÃŽ ¼m). Powder mixtures were milled for 2 h in absolute ethanol using WC milling media on a Pulverisette 4 Vario-Planetary Mill (FRTSCH German) at 300 rpm. SPS (3.20 MK-IV, Sumitomo Coal Mining Co., Ltd.) was performed in vacuum (6Ãâ€"10−3 Pa) at different heat treatment temperatures (1300–1600  °C) for 10min at 30 MPa. The heating rate was 100  °C/min. The temperature was determined using an optical pyrometer focused on the non-through hole located on the surface of the graphite die. Phase identification was performed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) with Cu KÃŽ ± radiation by using a D/MAX-2500PC diffractometer (Rigaku). Microstructures of the specimen’s polished surface and fracture cross-sections were observed using an S-3400N (Hitachis) scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with electron back-scattered diffraction (Edax-Tsl, Ametek). The bending strength was measured with Instron-5848 MicroTester (America) using the three point bending test with a span length of 13 mm and crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Fracture toughness was determined through the Vickers indentation method proposed by Anstis et. al [17]. Measurements of the hardness and fracture toughness were conducted using an FM-700 Vickers hardness tester (Future-Tech, Japan) by indentation using a pyramidal indenter and applying a 10 kg load for 10 s. 3. Results 3.1 XRD identification and morphology observation Fig. 1 shows the XRD patterns of Al2O3–30 vol% TiN0.3 composite sintered via SPS at different temperatures in vacuum (6Ãâ€"103 Pa) for 10 min. Only TiN0.3 and ÃŽ ±-Al2O3 phases are detected in the XRD patterns. It suggests that no chemical reaction occurs between the second phase and the matrix. Fig. 2 shows the back-scattered SEM micrograph of the polished surface of Al2O3–30 vol% TiN0.3 composite sintered via SPS at 1400  °C in vacuum (6Ãâ€"103 Pa) for 10 min. The gray grains are Al2O3, while the white ones are TiN0.3. TiN0.3 grains are uniformly dispersed in Al2O3 matrix. Fig. 3 shows the microstructure of the fracture cross-sections of Al2O3–30 vol% TiN0.3 composite sintered via SPS at different temperatures in vacuum (6Ãâ€"103 Pa) for 10 min. When the sintering temperature is raised to 1400  °C, the grain size of the composite is fine and approximately 2 ÃŽ ¼m for Al2O3; the fracture mode is mainly intergranular (Fig. 3 b). Then the gains grew obviously with further raising the sintering temperature, here ~3-4 ÃŽ ¼m at 1500  °C and ~4-5 ÃŽ ¼m at 1600  °C for Al2O3; the fracture modes are intergranular and transgranular (Fig. 3 c and d). In addition, Al2O3–30 vol% TiN0.3 composite has not reached full density at 1300  °C, as indicated both by the SEM observations (Fig. 3) and measured hardness values (Fig. 5). Fig. 4 shows the microstructure of the fracture cross-sections of Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites with different TiN0.3 contents sintered via SPS at 1400  °C in vacuum (6Ãâ€"103 Pa) for 10 min. The grain size of Al2O3 existed in all samples does not change significantly. It is not agreement with the previous study that the addition of TiN effectively inhibits the grain growth of Al2O3 [9]. This phenomenon may be attributed to the fact that Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites have good sinterability. In addition, the fracture morphology is influenced by TiN0.3 content in these samples. The fracture mode of Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites with TiN0.3 contents from 10 vol% to 30 vol% (Fig. 4 a–c) is mainly intergranular. But, the fracture modes of Al2O3–TiN0.3 composite with 40 vol% TiN0.3 (Fig. 4 d) are intergranular and transgranular. The explanation for the fracture mode change is that the grain boundaries in Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites are strengthened, inhibiting inter granular crack propagation. 3.2 Mechanical properties Fig. 5 a shows the Vickers hardness of Al2O3–30 vol% TiN0.3 composite sintered at different temperatures. The Vickers hardness of Al2O3–30 vol% TiN0.3 composite sintered at 1400  °C reaches to the highest value of 18.75 GPa, then slightly reduces with raising the sintering temperature, which is due to grain growth [9, 18, 19] (Fig. 3 b-d). Fig. 5 b shows the Vickers hardness of Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites sintered at 1400  °C versus TiN0.3 content. The Vickers hardness of Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites with different TiN0.3 contents from 10 vol% to 40 vol% reaches to a range of 17–19 GPa, which is no significant difference from that of pure Al2O3 and close to that of Al2O3–TiN nanocomposites [1]. Fig. 6 shows the bending strength of Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites sintered at 1400  °C versus TiN0.3 content. The bending strength of Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites sintered at 1400  °C increases with increasing TiN0.3 contents from 10 vol% to 40 vol%, and is higher than that of Al2O3 ceramics. As adding TiN0.3 into Al2O3 matrix, the microstructure is improved and the grain boundaries are strengthened, which lead to an increase in the bending strength of Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites. The fracture toughness of the composite with 30 vol% TiN0.3 sintered at 1500  °C reaches to the highest value of 6.91 MPa m1/2, as shown in Fig. 5 a, which is much higher than that of nano- or micron-sized Al2O3–TiN composites [1, 4, 5, 9, 20]. And the fracture toughness of the composites sintered at 1400  °C increases with the addition of TiN0.3, and presents a maximum value of 6.60 MPa m1/2 at 30 vol% TiN0.3, then decreases with further increasing the amount of TiN0.3, as shown in Fig. 5 b. These results are in agreement with previous studies [1, 4, 5, 9, 20]. For particulate reinforced composites, many toughening mechanisms such as crack pinning, microcrack toughening, crack deflection, residual stress toughening and crack bridging have been proposed. For TiN–Al2O3 composites, Li et al. [1] reported that possible toughening mechanisms are crack deflections and/ or crack pinning; Shen et al. [9] pointed out that the predominating toughening mechanism is related to crack tilting and twisting caused by thermal expansion and/ or elastic modulus mismatch stresses. It is difficult to indicate a prevailing toughening mechanism. In this research, maybe some of these toughening mechanisms are active at the same time. Nonetheless, due to structure defect, TiN0.3 may have an important influence on the fracture toughness. It will be discussed subsequently in more detail. 4. Discussion The above experimental results suggest that adding a nonstoichiometric TiN0.3 phase is more effective for improving the fracture toughness of Al2O3-based composites. To explain the phenomenon, based on the first-principles density functional theory [15, 16, 21], the density of states (DOS) for TiN and TiNx was calculated, as shown in Fig 7. Close to the Fermi level, the DOS for TiN consists of hybridized Ti-3d and N-2p states, as shown in Fig. 7. It can be seen that the DOS for TiN at the Fermi level is not at the minimum and mainly dominated by Ti-3d states. This is an evidence that the cohesion in TiN is a complex mixture of covalent, ionic (a little) and metallic types. The new structures in the DOS for TiNx near the Fermi level can clearly be seen in Fig. 7, which are called ‘vacancy state associated structures’ [15, 16]. It can be explained by symmetry changes resulting from the vacancy sites in the lattice. Titanium atoms are completely equivalent in a perfect stoichiometric rocksalt structure. But, in a nonstoichiometric structure, both Ti neighboring levels of symmetry interact together through a vacancy (symbolized by à ¢- ¡) to establish a Ti–à ¢- ¡Ã¢â‚¬â€œTi bond which is absent in the stoichiometric titanium compound. In other words, the covalent bonding is weakened and the metallic bonding is strengthened as the nitrogen concentration is reduced in nonstoichiometric TiNx, which are indicated by the peaks observed near the Fermi level on the DOS curves in Fig. 7 and in accordance with Refs. [15, 16]. Al2O3 is a kind of brittle material due to the lack of active slip system essentially. The active slip systems determined by covalent bonding for the nitrides can be increased by adding a nonstoichiometric material. Rowcliffe et al. [22] had reported that TiC has the {111} 0> slip system at high temperature and the {110} 0> slip system at room temperature. The root cause of the change of the slip systems is that the cohesion in TiC is a complex mixture of covalent, ionic (a little) and metallic types. At low temperature, the bonding is covalent with strong, directional bonding between neighboring carbon and metal atoms; as the temperature is raised, electrons are transferred from these bonds into less localized metallic states. Such a transfer has the effect of reducing both the directionality and strength of the bonds. They also pointed out that the covalent contribution to bonding becomes less as the carbon concentration in nonstoichiometric TiCx decreases [20]. TiC and TiN crystals belong to the same space group (FM-3M, cubic system) and the atomic radii of C and N are closed. It is inferred that TiN (or TiNx) has the similar slip system. Same as previous analysis, the nitrogen concentration in TiN0.3 is very low, which leads to weakening covalent bond and strengthening metallic bond. Maybe the {111} 0> slip system, or some of it, is active at room temperature. In other words, there may be more active slip systems at room temperature in Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites. This is a major reason for the improvement of the fracture toughness of Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites. 4. Conclusions This paper introduces a new and effective method to improve the fracture toughness of Al2O3-based composites by adding a nonstoichiometric material. Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites were prepared via SPS at a relatively low temperature. The fracture toughness and bending strength of the composites have been greatly improved and the hardness is almost identical to that of Al2O3 matrix. Based on the first-principles density functional theory, the DOS for TiN and TiNx was calculated. The covalent bonding is weakened and the metallic bonding is strengthened as the nitrogen concentration is reduced in nonstoichiometric TiNx. The active slip systems determined by covalent bonding for the nitrides are possibly increased by adding nonstoichiometric TiN0.3, which improves the fracture toughness of Al2O3-based composites. Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, the Science and Technology Foundation of Hebei (E2012203116), the Key Item of Education Department of Hebei (ZH2012003), Synergy Innovation Plan Project of College of Mechanical Engineering (JX2014-3), and Heavy Machinery Synergy Innovation Plan Project (ZX01-20140100-01). References [1] Jingguo Li, Lian Gao, Jingkun Guo. Mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of TiN–Al2O3 nanocomposites. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 2003; 23: 74-6. [2] Songlin Ran, Lian Gao. Electrical properties and microstructural evolution of ZrO2–Al2O3–TiN nanocomposites prepared by spark plasma sintering. Ceram. Int. 2012; 38: 4928-6. [3] Bellosi A., Guicciardi S., Tampieri A.. 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Tantalum carbide or niobium carbide catalyzed oxidation of sulfides with hydrogen peroxide: Highly efficient and chemoselective syntheses of sulfoxides and sulfones. Synlett 2010; 21: 1561-5. [15] M. Guemmaz, A. Mosser, J.-C. Parlebas. Electronic changes induced by vacancies on spectral and elastic properties of titanium carbides and nitrides. J. Electron. Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. 2000; 107: 101-11. [16] I.Pollini , A.Mosser , J.C. Parlebasb. Electronic, spectroscopic and elastic properties of early transition metal compounds. Physics Reports 2001; 355: 1-72. [17] G.R. Anstis, P. Chantikul, B. R. Lawn, D. B. Marshall, Acritical evaluation of indentation techniques for measuring fracture toughness: I, direct crack measurements, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 64 (9) (1981) 533–538. [18] Shen Z. J., Johnsson M., Zhao Z., Nygren M.. Spark plasma sintering of Al2O3. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 2002; 85 (8): 1927-7. [19] Evans A. G., Charles E. A.. Fracture toughness determination by intentation. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 1976; 59 (7-8): 372-2. [20] Egawa T., Ichikizaki T., Tsukamoto H., Tsunoda H., Shimoyama T.. Material characteristics and cutting performance of TiN–Al2O3 ceramic tool. Int. J. Jpn. Soc. Precis. Eng. 1995; 29 (3): 228-7. [21] Y. Yang, H. Lu, C. Yu, J.M. Chen. First-principles calculations of mechanical properties of TiC and TiN. J. Alloys Compd. 2009; 485: 547-6. [22] R. H. J. Hannink, D. L. Kohlstedt, M. J. Murray. Slip system determination in cubic carbides by hardness anisotropy. ProcRoy Soc. 1972; 326 A (1566): 420-12. Figure captions Fig. 1 X-ray diffraction patterns of Al2O3–30 vol% TiN0.3 composite sintered via SPS at different temperatures in vacuum (6Ãâ€"103 Pa) for 10 min. Fig. 2 Back-scattered SEM micrograph of polished surface of Al2O3–30 vol% TiN0.3 composite sintered via SPS at 1400  °C in vacuum (6Ãâ€"103 Pa) for 10 min. Fig. 3 SEM micrographs of fracture cross-sections of Al2O3–30 vol.% TiN0.3 composite sintered via SPS at different temperatures in vacuum (6Ãâ€"103 Pa) for 10 min: (a) 1300  °C; (b) 1400  °C; (c) 1500  °C; (d) 1600  °C. Fig. 4 SEM micrographs of fracture cross-sections of the composites sintered via SPS at 1400  °C in vacuum (6Ãâ€"103 Pa) for 10 min: (a) Al2O3–10 vol% TiN0.3; (b) Al2O3–20 vol% TiN0.3; (c) Al2O3–30 vol% TiN0.3; (d) Al2O3–40 vol% TiN0.3. Fig. 5 Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of (a) Al2O3–30 vol% TiN0.3 composite versus sintering temperature; (b) Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites sintered at 1400  °C versus TiN0.3 content. Fig. 6 Bending strength of Al2O3–TiN0.3 composites sintered at 1400  °C versus TiN0.3 content. Fig. 7 Density of states for TiN and TiNx. à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚  Corresponding author. Tel (fax): 086-0335-8061671; E-mail: [emailprotected] Supported by the Hebei Province Scientific Committee of China (Nos. E2012203116, ZH2012003, JX2014-3 and ZX01-20140100-01).

Puritan Depravity and Distrust in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay

Puritan Depravity and Distrust in Young Goodman Brown   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Puritan doctrine taught that all men are totally depraved and require constant self-examination to see that they are sinners and unworthy of God's Grace. Because man had broken the Covenant of Works when Adam had eaten from the Tree of Knowledge, God offered a new covenant to Abraham's people which held that election to Heaven was merely a possibility.   In the Puritan religion, believers dutifully recognized the negative aspects of their humanity rather than the gifts they possessed. This shadow of distrust would have a direct influence on early American New England and on many of its historians and writers, one of which was Nathaniel Hawthorne. The influence of Puritan religion, culture and education along with the setting of his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts, is a common topic in Nathaniel Hawthorne's works.   In particular, Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" allows the writer to examine and perhaps provide commentary on not only the Salem of his own time but also the Salem of his ancestors.   Growing up, Hawthorne could not escape the influence of Puritan society, not only from residing with his father's devout Puritan family as a child but also due to Hawthorne's study of his own family history.   The first of his ancestors, William Hathorne, is described in Hawthorne's "The Custom House" as arriving with the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 "with his Bible and his sword" (26). A further connection can also be seen in his more notable ancestor John Hathorne, who exemplified the level of zealousness in Puritanism with his role as persecutor in the Salem Witch Trials.  Ã‚   The study of his own family from the es tablishment of the Bay Colony to the Second Gre... ... 40 (First Quarter 1994):   67-88. Grayson, Robert C.   "Curdled Milk for Babes: The Role of the Catechism in 'Young Goodman Brown.'"   The Nathaniel Hawthorne Review 16 (Spring 1990): 1-5. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown." 1835. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter et al. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Lexington: Heath, 1944. 2129-38. Levin, David.   What happened in Salem?   2nd ed.   New York: Harcourt, Brace and World Inc, 1967. Mather, Cotton.   "A Discourse on Witchcraft."   Levin 96-105. Murfin, Ross C.   "Introduction: The Biographical and Historical Background."   Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism: Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Scarlet Letter."   Boston: St. Martin's Press, 1991.   3-18. Shuffelton, Frank.   "Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Revival Movement."   The American Transcendental Quarterly 44 (Fall 1979):   311-321.

Model of Communication Essay

Recently I attended a lecture given by a geriatrician. He was speaking on healthy ageing. Most of the audience consisted of people above the age of fifty years. However there were some youngsters too like me. The appealing fact regarding the entire lecture was that the geriatrician possessed the qualities of a good orator. What is said is not as important as how it is said. All the health related information was given in an easy to understand and interactive manner making the speech structured, intentional yet formal. The audience got bound to be attentive for full one hour due to excellent communication techniques of the speaker. The eye contact of the geriatrician was excellent. His eyes moved in all the directions which kept the audience engaged. He used interesting slides to present his point. The slides did not just contained written words but also lots of pictures and easy to understand graphs. All this made the lecture more interesting. There was a high degree of audience participation as the geriatrician did not just kept on speaking on the topic, rather frequently asked questions. He also scheduled the last fifteen minutes of the lecture for the audience to ask questions or clear their doubts if any. He stood in the middle of the room and his facial expressions, and body language beautifully matched the contents of the message he wanted to convey. He was a lot younger than the majority of the audience attending the lecture but his excellent command on the subject that he was speaking and the matured way in which he was conducting the whole session resulted in a wonderful interactive session. He reworded certain information in order to hold the interest of the few young audience who were present. Thus every element of communication such as the sender, message, medium of communication and the receiver were in perfect synchrony making the lecture a huge success.

Huckleberry Finn, Hucks Strug essays

Huckleberry Finn, Huck's Strug essays In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck must fight against many influences to make his own decisions and be an individual. He struggle against society and his conscience to love and help free Jim without guilt, and stay free and uncivilized. The world that is constantly trying to make him everybody else is both society as a whole as well as Miss Watson, Pap, Tom Sawyer, and his own conscience. Miss Watson tries to get Huck to abandon himself, his uncivilized ways, to live the live of a civilized boy and learn religion. Pap also creates a great deal of negative influence on Huck, including his racist views, drunkenness, and physical abuse. Tom Sawyer lives in a fantasy world of adventure and is always trying to get Huck to play along. Tom gets him to join Tom Sawyers Band of Robbers and live out immaculate fantasies. Another force Huck must deal with is his own conscience that is constantly making him feel guilty and bad. His conscience has been molded by society and holds many beliefs of his time period including racism and the belief that blacks are property. I believe that Huckleberry is successful in being nobody-but-himself. When Huck is living with Miss Watson and being taught religion he learns about such things as heaven and hell, yet always decides to be himself even if that means he cant go to the good place like miss Watson. She was going to live so as to go to the good place. Well I couldnt see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldnt try for it. (p. 15) Hucks daring escape from Pap in the cabin shows to what extent Huck will go to remain himself. He knows he must get out of that situation, mostly for physical well being but also to escape captivity and Paps emotional burden on Huck. As for Tom Sawyer Huck refuses to let himself live in his fantasy world as Huck is a realist and see...

A Farewell To Arms Critique Essays - A Farewell To Arms, Free Essays

A Farewell To Arms Critique Essays - A Farewell To Arms, Free Essays A Farewell to Arms Critique The overall tone of the book is much different than that of The Sun Also Rises. The characters in the book are propelled by outside forces, in this case WWI, where the characters in SAR seemed to have no direction. Frederick's actions are determined by his position until he deserts the army. Floating down the river with barely a hold on a piece of wood his life, he abandons everything except Catherine and lets the river take him to a new life that becomes increasing difficult to underezd. The escape to Switzerland seemed too perfect for a book that set a tone of ugliness in the world that was only dotted with pure love like Henry's and Cat's and I knew the story couldn't end with bliss in the slopes of Montreux. In a world where the abstracts of glory, honor, and sacrifice meant little to Frederick, his physical association with Catherine was the only thing he had and it was taken away from him long before she died. The love that Frederick and Catherine had for each other was more than could be explained in words and Frederick makes it known that words are not really effective at describing the flesh and blood details. Their love during an ugly war was not to be recreated or modeled even as much as through a baby conceived by their love. The baby could not be born alive because their love was beautiful yet doomed so that nothing could come out of it. Hemingway's language is effective in leaving much to the readers interpretation and allowing a different image to form in each readers mind. The simple sentences and incomplete descriptions frees your imagination and inspires each person to develop their own bitter love story.

Case Study - Just US Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

- Just US - Case Study Example Kicking Horse has planned to open 100% fair trade cafes in Nova Scotia to create further challenge for Just US. The company is dependent on grocery stores to sell their product despite being a strategic business unit. Retailers decide how they want to present product line offered by the company to customers hence the company has limited control over retail channel sales volume. Juliet suggested that the company should invest 7% of annual sales revenue in marketing activities rather than pre decided $20,000 for 2009. The company is following age old advertising channel complemented with news paper, magazine, boards, seasonal point of purchase advertising, CEDIF meeting and website in comparison to integrated marketing communication (for example digital marketing synchronized with other four elements of IMC) followed by competitors (Kitchen 114). The company needs to revamp existing marketing communication program in order to sustain in the competition. The company is operating with fo ur outlets whereas annual sales volume is growing at a rate of at not so attractive rate. The company needs to increase existing product line (all total eight types of offering) in order to attract more customers. Analysis of the Current Situation Competitors Main competitor for the company is Kicking Horse. Starbucks is also planning to enter fair trade coffee market while Loblaws (super market chain) is also challenging Just Us in fair trade coffee market. In accordance to the case study Kicking Horse is one of the major forces in Canadian coffee market. Kicking Horse is promoting coffee products with local name and they are also taking help of e-commerce to increase brand equity among customers. E-Commerce gave the opportunity to the company to expand business outside Canada while Just US is still operating in local market. PEST Political Government of the country influences the business in large extent in terms of providing certificate recognition for fair trade and other interv ening in import process. Economic It is evident from the case that country is under threat of recession hence premium pricing policy might not work for Just US to sell products to low income group people. Social Majority of the coffee lovers in the country gives importance on overall experience rather than enjoying only taste of coffee. Technology Competitors for the company are already using digital marketing to promote their product and introduction of web 2.0 is the next big thing to promote coffee brand. Porter’s Five Forces Threat of New Entrant Market entry barrier to enter fair trade coffee business is low and the business is also very attractive to earn revenue for new

Economics (the law of demand and supply) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics (the law of demand and supply) - Essay Example The price that people are willing to pay for a certain product correlates with the quantity of goods supplied are supplied by the suppliers in the market. In economic terms, the law of supply states that the price of the product plays a pivotal role in determining the amount of goods that can be produced at a certain period since this is what people will be willing to buy at that moment. Thus, the law of supply is directly related to the price of the product given that it shapes the behaviour of suppliers. The relationship between the price of the product and the quantity supplied can be graphically illustrated using graphs called supply curves. As going to be explained, it can be seen that there is a movement along the supply curve as well as a shift in position of the same supply curve to the left or to the right as a result of various reasons. As such, this essay seeks to evaluate the main difference between movement along the supply curve as well as a shift in position of the sup ply curve. Various factors that can contribute to the shift in the supply curve are also going to be outlined and discussed in detail. According to Kotler and Armstrong (2004), a supply curve is used to show the quantity of products that can be supplied into the market at a particular price. This curve is diagrammatically presented in an upward slope where each point along the slope depicts the price of the goods and the quantity supplied at that particular moment.... If the price is high, this also entails that the level of supply is also high since the producers will be willing to supply more which is likely to result in the generation of more revenue which constitutes the basics of every business. As such, there is an upward or downward movement along the supply curve as shown in Figure 1 below. Figure 1 Source: http://www.investopedia.com/university/economics/economics3.asp As illustrated in the graph above, points A, B and C are showing the relationship between the price of the product and its supply. An upward movement along the supply curve from point B to C shows that an increase in the price of the product also means an increase in supply. It can be seen that P2 is lower that P3 while at the same time Q2 is lower than Q3. Price is the major determinant of the movements along the supply curve. The movement can also be downward where lower prices will mean the quantity supplied is low as well. The higher the price, the higher the products l ikely to be supplied given that more revenue will be generated as a result of high prices. On the other hand, a shift in the supply curve occurs when there is a change which is parallel to the original position of the supply curve. This shift can be on the left side or right side of the original supply curve. When this shift occurs, the price of the product remains the same (Netmba, 2010). There are other variables which are different from price change that can cause the supply curve to shift either to the left or right side of the original supply curve. For instance, an improvement in manufacturing technology can lead to a shift in the supply curve. There are also various factors that can cause the supply curve to shift as