Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - Essay Example In earlier times it was considered that the business is only responsible for the shareholders’ interest and other investors who have invested in the business but later on it was realized that business is not only responsible for its shareholders but each and every stake holder who is affected by the activities of the company (Sacconi, 2004, p.6). Corporate social responsibility is a broader concept as per which the corporate organizations has some responsibilities towards the society as a whole and therefore should practice ethical behavior and should also work towards the development of the society. This is a way of paying back to the society for the resources it has used and the environment in which it operates (Murthy, 2007, p.13). Thus Corporate Social responsibility can be described managing business responsibly (The world business organization, n.d, p.4). As per the OECD guidelines CSR activities should be such which through which the MNCs can contribute in economies and promote social welfare and sustainable environmental development in the countries in which they are operating such type of activities in turn will reduce the obstacles faced by the companies like agency problems in those areas (Heal, 2004, p.12). The corporate social responsibility helps the company in a number of ways. For example by following the CSR activities the company can reduce the risk at the same time it can reduce the wastage of scarce resources as the CSR guidelines will lay down the principles which will be followed to while working. CSR activities also helps the company to gain the brand equity as the companies who contributes towards the society are favored more and are respected everywhere. CSR also helps in increasing employees’ productivity and performance by promoting staff welfare (Heal, 2004, p.13-19). Thus by ensuring corporate social responsibility the companies can also improve their own performance. As per Mr. Gerald

Collective Bargaining Dispute Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Collective Bargaining Dispute - Research Paper Example The main focus of the dispute is the request for wage increase and the problem of teachers not doing administrative work.The negotiations have been going on for a year and five months already but no resolution has been reached (Strandberg, 2012). A third party has been brought in to assist in the dispute’s settlement.A need for an acceptable collective bargaining agreement between the two parties must be structured in such a way that both associations will be satisfied with the resolution of the various issues on hand. The dispute stems from the situation wherein the teachers are not doing administrative work such as writing report cards, supervising recess and other administrative tasks(Strandberg, 2012). Furthermore, the teachers are requesting for a 15% wage increase over three years but the employers are not willing to give such an increase because the government has a â€Å"net-zero mandate†(Strandberg, 2012). British Columbia Teachers Federation President Susan Lambert claims that the other teachers in Canada are receiving higher salaries compared to what they are receiving(Knickerbocker, Teachers table new reduced package to kick-start negotiations, 2012). They are citing inflation as one reason for their request for a wage increase. On the other hand the British Columbia Public School Employers Association maintains that increasing the teachers’ salary would be a violation of the government’s net-zero mandate for public sector unions(Steffenhagen, 2012).An increase may only be granted if there is any realized savings from the contracts. One believes that the teachers’ refusal to write report cards is unethical because as a teacher that is their duty. It is, however, not illegal for them to ask for a wage increase. It may be considered unethical on the part of the British Columbia Public School Employers Association to

View of Class Essay Example for Free

View of Class Essay Karl Marx’s view of class as exposed in his Communist Manifesto suggests firstly the existence of two distinct classes with irreconcilable differences. These are the proletarian and the bourgeoisie. The proletarian or proletariat was initially a derogatory term used for people who had no other wealth aside from their children. Marx’s sociological take on the term refers it to the working class. True to its derogatory origin, the proletariat is the class in society that does not own the means of production (Martin, 1998). In short, they are those who are employed to do work and get paid by salaries. The bourgeoisie or capitalist is a term to connote the owning class. They are considered the upper class of society who owns the means of production. They are the merchants, landowners, and other capitalists. Marx’s theory in class revolves around the interactions between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie and the inevitable consequences thereof. Marx argued that the bourgeoisie constantly exploits the proletariat. Since the workers do not own any means of production like their own farm or business, they must seek employment from the bourgeoisie in order to survive. They are hired by capitalists to work on making goods or providing services. These fruits of production then become the property of the capitalist, who sells them and gets a certain amount of money in exchange. Some of the money earned from the selling of the products or services is used to pay the workers wages, while the rest called surplus value is used to pay for other expenses of the capitalist and his profits. This gives the capitalist the ability to earn money out of work done by his employees with very minimal effort on his part (Martin, 1998). Since obviously, new wealth or profit was created through work done by the employees; the capitalist gained wealth or an excess of wealth which he did not work for. If that happened, then that means that other people, that is the laborers did not receive the full wealth which they should be receiving as just compensation for the work they did. In other words, the workers were exploited by the capitalists. On the other hand, Scott and Leonhardt (2005) argued that society cannot actually have the distinct perception of classes that is proposed in Marxist doctrine. They base this on the fact that people regardless of race or social stature are experiencing luxuries that were not as equally distributed just a few decades ago. Marxist principle usually claimed that the normal, everyday worker is of an inferior class to the capitalist. This principle was based on external markers that connote poverty in one and wealth in the other. Scott and Leonhardt’s article makes an attack on the markers of such a principle, arguing that at present, it has become very difficult to know a person’s class from the color of his skin or the gods they worship, much less on the clothes they wear or whether they’re employed or are running heir own business. However, the article itself does not belittle the concept of distinct classes and in fact moves on to argue that class is actually still a very powerful factor in society. What the article simply argues is that this difference in classes can no longer be seen in Marx’s idea of proletariat – bourgeoisie dynamics but has transferred to other aspects such as meritocracy, where a man who starts out poor can actually strike it rich if he had what it takes. It is my stand to agree with Scott and Leonhardt that the concept of class has shifted into from hereditary wealth to the idea of meritocracy. On the first level of argumentation, I say that the assumption of untouchability of the upper class no longer applies today, where big companies such as Enron can be brought to its knees by the public and where several big business tycoons such as Bernard Ebbers of Worldcom can actually be put behind bars for a good long time. This means that both worker and capitalist stand on equal footing where the law is concerned which implies that the supposed unfair, overwhelming power that big companies hold over its employees has been reduced to a memory. On the second level of argumentation, I believe that meritocracy has transcended barriers between countries and provided an avenue by which worth is determined by what a person can do rather than what his heritage is. The first support to this is the advent of public corporations. These entities build an administrative base that is dependent on meritocracy. A public corporation is owned by all the people who invest in it which can be considered as capitalists, but the top notch directors that they hire don’t need to be stockholders, nor do these executives get hired because they are relatives of the shareholders. More so they get hired because their credentials, from educational background to previous work experiences, says that they can get the job done better than anyone who has money in the company, and that if they should be handsomely compensated if they are expected to work for that particular company. The top CEOs’ incomes usually surpass the lot of a public corporation’s investors. I disagree with Marx’s portrayal of class and class struggle on two levels. The first level is that workers have at present various protections against exploitation by their employers. Labor unions lobby for progressive compensation based on the company’s own profits. This means that laborers today are actually getting their wages based on their company’s progress. The more profits they bring in, the better leverage their union has in negotiating wage increases. On the second level, even today’s capitalists recognize the importance of obtaining and maintaining an efficient labor force. Corporations consistently compete for worker bases in the country and abroad, trying to outdo each other with better benefits, more convenient working conditions, and higher salaries. This indicates that the capitalist can no longer be viewed as the laborers’ enemy. Rather, quality labor itself has become the product of laborers that makes them capitalists in their own right, since the demand for quality labor has become so that capitalists are willing to purchase their labor at their price. In conclusion, class is a concept that has evolved through the years. Situations that may have been applicable during Marx’s time may no longer be effectively used to describe what is apparent in today’s economic world. We must reflect on the value of labor today and see our own worth that for us to market, making us all equitably equipped for life’s challenges ahead. Sources: Martin, Malia. (1998). The Communist Manifest of Marx and Engels. New York: Penguin group. Scott, Janny Leonhardt, David (2005). Shadowy Lines That Still Divide. Retrieved May 6, 2007 from New York Times Website: http://www. nytimes. com/2005/05/15/national/class/OVERVIEW-FINAL. html? ex=1273809600en=2fb756e388191419ei=5088partner=rssnytemc=rss

Water And Wastewater Analysis Focusing On Formaldehyde Environmental Sciences Essay

Water And Wastewater Analysis Focusing On Formaldehyde Environmental Sciences Essay Formaldehyde (FA) has been widely used in wood, paper and textile industries as well as in the production of a number of chemicals and for the preservation of biological material. It also present in almost all common foods and its estimated that adult dietary intake is 11 mg/day. Occasionally, it is used as a disinfectant to disinfect water filters. (ADWG, 2004) FA can be toxic allergenic and carcinogenic to human beings (Lyon, 2006). Several epidemiological studies of occupational exposure to formaldehyde have indicated an increased risk of nasopharyngeal cancers, leukemia and eye irritations (OSHA, 2008). The International Agency for Research on Cancer has concluded that FA is probably carcinogenic to humans (IARC 1987). FA may be present in water through industrial effluents, ozonation of naturally occurring humic materials, contamination by accidental spills and overflows as well as deposition from the atmosphere (ADWG, 2004). A study showed that the FA concentrations in rainwater are expected to be up to three orders of magnitude higher than in surface water, which indicated that atmospheric deposition is a significant source of FA in aquatic systems (Kieber et al., 1999). Generally, the concentration of formaldehyde in water is very low which has a low environmental risk to human and organisms. However, when accidental spills or overflows happened, chemical analyses and monitoring programs are needed. 1.1 Formaldehyde in drinking water FA enters in drinking-water mainly from the oxidation of natural organic matters such as humic materials during ozonation (Glaze et al., 1989) and chlorination (Becher et al., 1992). Leaching from polyacetal plastic fittings in which the protective coating has been broken can sometimes be one of the resources of FA in drinking-water (IPCS, 2002). According to Australian guideline value, the concentration of formaldehyde in drinking water should not exceed 0.5 mg/L (ADWG, 2004). 1.2 Formaldehyde in wastewater FA has been used in many industrial activities as a key chemical. In organic synthesis industry, the synthesis of special chemicals such as pentaerythritol and ethylene glycol used FA as one of the agents. In addition, FA is essential in production of resins, textiles, paper products, medicinal products and drugs (Khiaria et al., 2002). Therefore, effluents arising from these industrial applications may contain significant amounts of FA which is needed to be determined and treated. 1.3 Chemical analysis of formaldehyde in water and wastewater Since the concentration of formaldehyde in water can be occasionally high which may be potential risk to human health, we should conduct some methods to measure the accurate concentration of it. The chemical analysis of formaldehyde can provide meaningful information on the quality of water therefore actions can be taken immediately to ensure that water suppliers provide consumers with water that is safe to use and meet the public recreational and aesthetic requirements if changes occurred. Advice on sample collection In sample collection, the sampling site, time and weather conditions are needed to be considered to obtain a volume of water which can be the representative of the water body. Before it is analyzed in laboratory, we should try to keep it in such a manner during store and transport processes, sometimes preservatives can be added in order to minimize any changes that may occur (Private Water Supplies website). The essential steps in sampling program are shown below (From unit 5, lecture notes). Problem Definition Formaldehyde Sampling Program Design Sample Preparation Chemical Analyses Field Sampling Reporting Data Analysis 2.1 Sample containers Formaldehyde belongs to volatile organic compound, therefore, its recommended to use 40mL brown glass vial or transparent glass vial with aluminum foil covered outside as the sample container to prevent it from releasing to air or deteriorating after exposing to light. The cap must have teflon-lined septum. The polypropylene screw caps should be used instead of typical phenolic resin caps due to the possibility of sample contamination from FA (US EPA 1998). In addition, when taking samples, we should use pre-cleaned bottles that are free from volatile organics (Standard operating procedures for water sampling methods and analysis, WA, 2009). 2.2 Sample collection Sample collection is very important in determining the safety of water, so its essential to ensure that the samples are representative, reliable and full validated. For complicated and unstable water quality such us wastewater effluent, sample collection should also cover the random and regular variations in water quality as well as the fixed conditions. 2.2.1 Types of Sampling The types of sampling include grab sampling, composite sampling, flow-related sampling, automatic sampling and continuous monitoring. Each method has its own characteristics and suitable for different water body and sampling purpose. For drinking water, we use grab sampling method. For grab sampling, all of the test material is collected at one time. So the grab sample can only reflect the water quality state at a particular site and time, and then only the sample was properly collected can it represent the water body we concerned (Norwalk Wastewater Equipment Company website). Grab sampling has some advantages. For example, some specific type of unstable parameters such as VOCs, chlorine residual and nitrites in water treatment plant can be effectively analyzed. Sometimes, grab sampling can also be conducted for pH, temperature and DO monitoring (NWEC website). For drinking water, the water was well mixed, stable and generally free of contamination. Therefore, grab samples can already be good representations of the water quality. In addition, this method is very common, easy and low capital cost. For wastewater, we use composite sampling method. Composite sampling is another sample collection technique which consists of many individual discrete samples that have been taken at regular intervals over a period of time. Therefore, the collected samples can reflect the average performance of water quality during the collection period (NWEC website). Wastewater treatment plants receive unfixed and variable amounts of sudden increased waste flows from industries and households during a day followed by intermittent periods of no flow (NWEC website). Analyzing a single grab sample of effluent at a fixed time and site can introduce some bias and cannot reflect the real varying flow patterns in effluent outlets. Therefore, composite sampling method is more plausible for evaluating the holistic performance and state of wastewater quality. 2.2.2 Sampling sites Drinking water sampling For drinking water sampling, we can either take a sample from a customers tap, or storage tank or some representative places. From a tap Choose a tap which is most frequently used. Any external fittings such as filters and contaminants such as grease and sediment build-up around the spout should be removed prior to testing. Since tap outlets are suspected to be contaminated, disinfection should be conducted by swabbing both outside and inside of the tap several minutes before sample collection. The disinfection reagent can be 0.1% sodium hypochlorite solution (Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Government 2008). To get a representative fresh water sample, the tap should be run for a while (about 2-3 minutes) to remove the stagnant water in the tube. From a storage tank For shallow depth (Small water supply tank), To get a representative sample of the source of supply, the sampling depth is recommended to be 0.5m. The bottle inside and the cap inside should not be touched. The neck should be plunged downwards into the water and then turned upwards until the water is overfilled and mouth is towards upside (FSS, QLD Government 2008) For deep depth (Large water supply dam), To get a representative sample, the water sample should be collected by using a suitable depth sampling device such as hosepipe, sampling rod or pump etc. Be careful not to disturb bottom sediment. Wastewater sampling For wastewater sampling, we should take the samples from outlets of wastewater treatment plant. Since we use composite sampling method for wastewater analysis, we should pour equal portions of freshly collected samples into the appropriate container. 2.2.3 Collection instructions According to surface water sampling methods and analysis technical appendices in Western Australia in 2009, the recommended collection techniques are listed as follows: The containers for holding samples should not be pre-rinsed. It is recommend that the bottles should be used to collect sample directly rather than decanting. However, in some cases, decanting samples from big collection vessels into sample vials are acceptable provided that all the containers are free of contamination. For example, sometimes a clean bucket with about 10L capacity or a large 1L breaker can be used to collect the surface sample and then transfer to the laboratory sample container. To minimize the exposure to air and light, samples should be overfilled containers and then the cap should be tightly sealed free of air bubbles and faced down to help prevent leakage. 2.2.4 Complete lab form and sample label After sample collection, we should complete the lab form which contains the sampling information such as water volume, sampling sites, etc and stick label on each sample container which recorded sampling location and time. 2.3 Preservation Filtration For wastewater samples, the filtration treatment should be conducted since some suspended particulates may block the testing instruments. Preservation Some experiments indicated that aldehydes are susceptible to microbiological decay. To inhibit microbial decomposition of organic compounds, it is recommended to add 0.1 ml of CHCl3 (Economou et al., 2002) or alternatively, 15 mg of copper sulfate pentahydrate in water samples (US EPA 1998). 2.4 Sample transportation and storage Transportation During transportation process, we should minimize the contamination and disturbance to water samples, conserve them in the dark and maintain in cool condition with a chilled insulated container and then return to the lab as quick as possible (Environmental health guide, WA, 2006). Storage Before the lab analysis, the samples are recommended to be refrigerated but not freezed at 1-4 °C in the dark. Available techniques for sample extraction 3.1 Available techniques Sample extraction is used to concentrate the analyte for its successful analysis by instruments. There are various methods for FA extraction. Each method has its own characteristics. The object is to choose an optimal technique to avoid excessive loss of the analyte and achieve desired performance. Soxhlet extraction and solvent extraction are traditionally common extraction techniques, particularly for organic compounds. However, since their limitations such as the need of a large volume of solvent, lack of thermal stability and volatility of some analytes and interference from contaminants in the extraction thimbles (Grob et al., 2004), they may not desirable for FA extraction. According to recent studies and researches, some extraction techniques have already achieved good results. They are listed as follows. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) SPE is a technique including two extraction steps. The first step is the non-equilibrium removal of the analytes from the liquid sample by retention on a sorbent. The second step is the solvent elution or thermally desorption of the selected analytes (Grob et al., 2004). One successful approach for determining formaldehyde in drinking water has been to use colorimetric-solid phase extraction with EmporeTM Anion Exchange-SR 47-mm extraction membranes as extraction cartridges and elution from the SPE cartridge by sodium hydroxide solvent (Hill et al., 2009). Another successful approach for formaldehyde analysis in water was by using poly (allylamine) beads for solid-phase extraction and eluting from the C18 cartridge by hydrochloric acid (HCl) solvent (Kiba et al., 1999). SPE is one of the most widely used techniques in FA analysis. Due to its high sensitivity and efficiency, it can determine the low FA concentrations down to 80 ppb by several minutes (Hill et al., 2009). However, one of the drawbacks of it was its e high packing and sorbent selection requirements which might be costly and time-consuming in stuff preparation. Another problem is SPE may have analyte loss during elution when analyte passing though tube. Ultrasonic extraction (USE) USE is a fast technique using ultrasound assisted method to assure good contact between sample and solvent (Grob et al., 2004). One of the researches has stated the successful use of USE in FA extraction. Formaldehyde was first extracted with water by ultrasound assisted, and directly introduced into a derivatization column which was packed with a moderately sulfonated cation-exchange resin. The resin was charged with 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) previously and used as solid support. The formaldehyde DNPH derivative was eluted by sodium dihydrogen phosphate in 50% ACN solvent (Chen et al., 2008). Compared with traditional techniques, this method was proved to be fast, accurate, sensitive and labour-saving. In addition, only small quantities of solvent and sample were required. Therefore, its a promising extraction method (Chen et al., 2008). However, the drawback of this method was its low recovery efficiency. For low concentrations of analytes in samples, multiple extractions are often required (Grob et al., 2004). Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) SFE is a fast and efficient technique. Analytes are more soluble in supercritical fluids (SFs), which are dense gases above their critical temperature and pressure, when they are in their liquid state. Therefore, the important properties such as the melting point and solubility of analytes in the SF are needed to be considered (Grob et al., 2004). A study has stated the SFE in FA analysis using CO2 as the extraction fluid, and the experiment was carried out at 13.8 MPa, 120 °C with 15 min of static extraction time, 15 min of dynamic extraction time and 80 ÃŽ ¼l of modifier (methanol). The DADHL derivative which was the product of the condensed FA with ammonia and acetylacetone can be detected by UV spectrometer (Reche et al., 2000). However, one of the drawbacks of SFE in FA analysis was the use of supercritical CO2 fluid. Since the low polarity of CO2 but the polarity of FA, the extraction was difficult and recoveries are poor. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) SPME is a good extraction method which can incorporate with GC or HPLC to get the high performance in sample analysis. It used a fiber coated with an extracting phase which can concentrate the analytes and then the fiber is transferred to the injection port of separating instruments and analytes are desorbed from the fiber and rapidly delivered to the column (Pawliszyn, 2009). One of the researches has stated the SPME experiment for FA analysis. Prior to use, the 75 ÃŽ ¼m Carboxen-Polydimethylsiloxane fiber was conditioned in the injection port of GC at 300 °C under helium flow for 1.5 h. Then the extraction was carried out at 80 °C for 30 min using the fiber with a medium stirring of sample. Next, the thermal desorption was reacted in a splitless mode at a temperature of 310 °C for 3 min (Bianchi et al., 2007). SPME technique has some advantages in FA. SPME is a simple, easily-conducted and solvent-free technique. The detection limits can reach parts per trillion which is really useful in FA analysis since the concentration of FA is water is very low. In addition, SPME is fast and low cost which can minimize sample holding times, reduce analyte loss and sample contamination (Trenholm et al., 2008). However, one of the problems is SPME may have analytes loss during extraction that nearly 1% of analytes goes on fiber (Leap technologies website). Stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) The theory of SBSE is similar to SPME which used a spinning glass-covered magnetic bar coated with a thick layer of polydimethylsiloxane to extract analytes, then thermal desorption can be carried out in the GC injection port (Grob et al., 2004). SBSE has been applied successfully to trace analysis especially VOCs and semi-volatile compounds in environmental, biomedical and food applications. The detection limits can be extremely low which are suitable for FA analysis in water (David et al., 2003). Theres limited information of FA analysis relating to SBSE technique, however, its still a promising method in the future. Newer techniques Newer techniques such as pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), subcritical water extraction (SWE) and microwave-assisted solvent extraction (MWE) are enhanced liquid extraction techniques. Compared with traditional soxhlet extraction and solvent extraction, these methods are less time-consuming, less solvent consumption and more efficient and can be exerted to low concentrations of analytes in samples. 3.2 Water and wastewater sample extraction For drinking water formaldehyde analysis, we can use solid-phase extraction (SPE) which is commonly used, easy-operated and available in laboratory. For wastewater formaldehyde analysis, we should remove particulates by filtration prior to extraction because particulate matter in the sample can interfere with the analysis such as absorbing some analytes of interest and causing low analytical recoveries. And then we can use SPE, USE, SPME or other advanced techniques for sample extraction. Current techniques for sample analysis Spectrophotometric methods The theory of spectrophotometer is to measure the intensity and amount of light which have been absorbed or reflected by the analytes as function of colour or wavelength (Skoog et al., 2007). 4.1.1 Reflectance spectrophotometer One of the studies has developed a method that successfully monitored the FA concentrations in water samples using purpald as the colorimetric reagent (Hill et al., 2009). Firstly, a colourless intermediate was formed by purpald reacting with FA in alkaline solution. And then an intensely purple tetrazine was formed due to the oxidization of intermediate. The purple tetrazine was served as the colorimetric product (Dickinson et al., 1974). After completing the colour reaction in the syringe, the 1mL sample is passed through an extraction disk. The amount of extracted analyte is then measured on-disk using a BYK-Gardner diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The reflectance data can be collected at 20nm intervals over the visible spectral range. After that, the BYK-Gardner QC-Link software in PC is used to calculate the Kubelka-Munk function F(R). Then the analyte was compared to a calibration plot of F(R) at 700nm which was the most effective analytical wavelength to determine the FA concentration (Hill et al., 2009). This method successfully analyzed the FA concentrations at the range of 0.08 to 20ppm using only 1mL samples and just costing several minutes. 4.1.2 UV/Visible spectrophotometer UV/Visible spectrophotometer can be used to measure the absorbance which is the difference of intensity of light before and after passing through a sample by an object as function of wavelength or color (Skoog et al., 2007). One of the studies for FA determination used Hantzsch Reaction for derivatives. The colourless solution became yellow colour gradually owing to the synthesis of DADHL which formed from the condensed formaldehyde and acetylacetone in the condition of excess of ammonium salt. Then UV/Vis detection was carried out with a UV-1603 Spectrophotometer (Reche et al., 2000). The maximum absorbance was approximately at 415nm which was used in analyzing FA concentration in sample and the standard solution (Shimadzu Application News). 4.1.3 Advantages and disadvantages The spectrophotometers are widely used in many laboratories and institutes. This method has advantages such as the lower instrument capital and operational cost and easy operation. However, the sensitivity and selectivity are lower than GC and HPLC method. For extremely low FA concentrations in water sample, this method is limited in application. 4.2 Chromatography methods For chromatography, since FA concentrations in water and wastewater are very low, it must be derivatized prior to analysis to ensure quantitative and qualitative detection. Nash reagent, dinitrophenylhydrazine and PFBHA reagent are typical agents which can have color reactions with FA. Then their derivatives can provide better sensitivity for UV, fluorescence or MS detection (Michels et al., 2001). 4.2.1 GC GC is widely used in FA analysis. According to many researches using GC for FA determination, the mobile phase is usually helium and the different stationary phases were covered on column. By measuring the different retention time of the analytes, FA concentrations can be calculated out. 1. GC/MS In FA analysis, different molecules in solution can be separated during the sample travel by GC and then the mass to charge ratio of ionized fragments of FA can be detected by MS (Robert et al., 2007). One of the researches used the pentafluorobenzyl hydroxylamine (PFBHA) reagent to form derivatives and then used a Varian CP-3800 GC system connected with a Varian 4000 ion trap MS system for detection. The injector was operated at 250 °C in split mode and separation was conducted on a 0.25ÃŽ ¼m DB5-MS capillary column. Electron impact ionization (EI) in full scan from 150 to 275m/z was used in MS analysis (Trenholm et al., 2008). Then the FA concentrations can be measured by recording mass to charge ratio. Another similar study also used PFBHA derivatization reagent and GC/ MS method (Bianchi et al., 2007). Advantages and disadvantages of GC/MS: Combining GC with MS can have better identification and separation of molecules than single GC since molecules behave different in GC and MS. For FA analysis, GC/MS is widely used due to its rapid operation, high precision and selectivity. Having considered its good performance and cost effectiveness, it is proposed to be an alternative of traditional methods (US EPA 1998). One of the drawbacks is GC/MS is less sensitive than HPLC in identification of the FA derivatives. Another problem is GC/MS is susceptible to interference. For wastewater sample, the compounds are often complex, therefore the interferences may lead to imprecise analysis. 2. GC/ECD US EPA offers another alternative method to measure FA.  The oxime derivatives were formed by adding pentafluorobenzyl hydroxylamine (PFBHA) reagent to FA solution at pH of 4. Then they are extracted from the water with 4mL hexane. After processing through an acidic wash step, the extracts are analyzed by GC with electron capture detection (GC/ECD). After comparing with the calibration standard, the analytes can be identified. Two chromatographic peaks have been observed for FA that both (E) and (Z) isomers are formed for FA carbonyl compounds (US EPA 1998). Comparison of GC/MS and GC/ECD: ECD offers better detection limits (

Magic in The Descent of Innana and Sappho Essay -- Descent Innana Sapp

Magic in The Descent of Innana and Sappho In the ancient text The Descent of Innana and the lyric poetry of Sappho, language is viewed as magic. Not only are the words themselves acting as magic, as in an invocation, but other things manifest themselves as magic throughout the works. The most common throughout the works of Sappho is that of love. Sappho also shows us the magic of everyday life in many of her poems. Finally, the writing down of the works performs a magic all of its own; the magic of continuation. Through the writing of their works the story of Innana and the poetry of Sappho will live on forever. The most obvious use of language as magic is in The Descent of Innana. This text is actually all about language as magic. It originated as a ritual that was reenacted along with group participation as part of a religion. Innana is the earth goddess and in this ritual the story of the past is invoked to reproduce the happenings in it and guarantee the passing of one season to the next. The words also held the power to unite people in the cause. At certain times, the priestess would say a line such as â€Å"my lady abandoned heaven, abandoned earth, to the nether world she descended. Innana abandoned heaven, abandoned earth, to the nether world she descended. Abandoned lordship, abandoned ladyship, to the nether world she descended (Descent 790)†, the audience would have chimed in on the repetitive parts of the lines. It is also possible that, due to the repetitive nature of the ritual, people memorized the ritual and would recite along with the priestess. This s hows how the ancient people bound themselves together through language, they had a common ritual, which they took part in and knew the... ...s could also have eternal life. This is another way that these works are sacred magic. The Descent of Innana is one of the first written pieces of literature we have. Sappho is one of the earliest lyric poets that we have a record of. These works are an example of the idea of the magic of writing itself coming to life. The idea that something can be written down and outlast the writer is truly something the Greeks would have held as magical. As you can see, the writing of ancient Greeks shows sacred magic in many ways. There is magic in it’s most literal form in the ritual of The Descent of Innana. Magic also manifests itself within these texts. There is magic in love, everyday life, and in the writing of these texts, which brings about eternal life. Seen in this way, it is easy to see why people would agree that these texts hold sacred magic.

Casey at the bat ESSAY

He allowed the first pitch to pass him by, as though it was unworthy of his attention and skill, with the second pitch the same, and as the third approached to crop wad was ready to jump to fence at take the field. Casey now with determination and a fierce anger in his eyes, ready to hit the third pitch and prove his overly hyped skills. As the ball approached the crowd fell silent, Casey swung with all his might, creating a thick dust clog d. The dust settles as an overwhelming disappointment fell across the crowd, Casey had s truck out.The short narration of the game show flaws in Case's character, best reveal by the crowd's perception of him, and his pride, ultimately leading to his death as the e character of ‘the mighty Casey†(20). Casey is just a man, nothing more, the crowd made him to be more, because t he outcome of the game is looking poor and they needed a hero. All the men before Casey struck out or made base by a stroke Of luck. Casey happens to be at the end 0 f the roster, the last chance, the hero of the game.The crowd speaks of him as though he is the e only chance the team ever has of a victory, the only reason the sun came out this morning g, â€Å"if only Casey could 2 get but a whack at that / We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat†(78). The only reason for showing to the game was to watch Casey at the bat, â€Å"for Casey, mi eighty Casey, was advancing to the bat' (20). Casey is known by all the fans as mighty, confine dent, prideful, and the only decent player they have seen all game. Making themselves and C ease blind to any mistakes Casey has and will make.Casey is a baseball player for the mudslide nine whose demise as a character s shown because he is too prideful. During the failures of the other batters, the only thing the onlookers can think of is watching the beloved Casey hit the ball. And Casey, h myself knows it, â€Å"For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat. / There was ease in Case' s manner as he stepped into his place; / There was pride in Casey bearing and a smile on Case's face† (2022). Though Careers true colors are shown when he allowed the first pitch to pass him right by, as he says â€Å"That anti my style†(32).Come the second pitch the as me, as though the ball is unworthy of even one more glance, â€Å"But still Casey ignored T here is a very fine line between having self confidence and being conceited, Casey flirts co insatiable with that latter of the two. Often an over the top display self confidence can be an tempt to try and hide their shortcomings and failures. Case's pride is nothing more than s elf hype. By the end of the poem his character flaws and downsides are revealed entirely.He s so sulfanilamide and overzealous his pride becomes the only thing on his mind, an d in doing so he loses his mighty reputation, â€Å"But there is no joy in Mudslide mighty Casey has struck out†(53). Pride can kill any man, no matter their intelligence or ability to reason, because e it is rarely a good quality to possesses. Pride, it can have a tremendous impact on how you perceive yourself and how others think of you. It impacts your behavior tow rd others and he manner in which you speak to them, how you chose to live your life, how you dress and present yourself, 3 and your attitude towards the day.It comes down to measuring yourself gaga nest everyone else, â€Å"The rest / Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast; / They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that / We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat. But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake†(59), instead of looking tat ourselves and discovering what makes you, you, uniquely and without compare. It comes aft ere someone has harmed us, after we've achieved something monumental, or done something against perceived odds.Pride can be the boost we need to protect ourselves from an y further harm or disappo intment from others. But pride can have a strong negative impact, â€Å"B UT there is no joy in Mudslide mighty Casey has struck out†(53). Pride can ruin you by giving you the false illusion of knowing more than you do, or even make you believe you know eve retrying. Instead of you hearing a suggestion or a cautionary warning, you hear a dare, some en assuming you will fail. Pride was Case's superpower but also his krypton, leading to his own personal destruction. English 100002 Rewrite one of your topic sentences.

Cultural Border Crossing And Collateral Learning Education Essay

Cultural boundary line crossing is said to happen when a individual is traveling from one societal community to another. A pupil late excelled in her GCE ‘O ‘ Level June Examination and was transferred to an International School of the state from a scientific discipline premier school of the state by her parents. This miss for case will be sing cultural boundary line crossing as she is traveling from a local authorities school to an international school where the civilizations of this international school is mostly typical from her old school ( as this school ‘s system is an version of the United Kingdom ‘s educational system ) . Collateral larning on the other manus is covering with how the scholars build their scientific cognition with little intervention and interaction of their autochthonal constructs. In a simple educational impression, indirect acquisition can be said as a solution to how the pupils cope with the cultural boundary line crossing. There are different types of collateral acquisition ( as this peculiar subject of acquisition is non of the involvement of the authorship, it will non be elaborated further ) for case, for the miss who merely entered the international school, she has learned that in this new school the schoolroom acquisition environment is different from what she has been sing even when she was in the premier scientific discipline school for about four and a half yeasr. She was said to be truly quiet in the category by her Biology instructor and the instructor thought she was sort of non interested in her survey but her consequences showed the otherwise. She did n't anticipate t hat her instructor would see her that manner as she was largely expected to be quiet during the lesson in her old school. Now she learned that she needs to be more actively involved and she is easy going actively take parting in the lesson. This might be termed as dependent collateral type of acquisition. Integrating the learning what scientific civilization entails in the mundane life of the scholar into the scientific discipline course of study in Brunei Darussalam as a scheme for assisting pupils transverse cultural boundary line A cultural attack to learning and larning harmonizing to Aikenhead ( 2001 ) involves pupils in cultural dialogues. This dialogue happens in a state of affairs where larning scientific discipline is experienced as â€Å" coming to cognize, † a phrase borrowed from Autochthonal pedagogues ( Ermine, 1998 ; Peat 1994 ) . The dialogue in school scientific discipline is termed as â€Å" multi-science instruction † ( Ogawa, 1995 ) . Through the cross-cultural scientific discipline learning these dialogues can be facilitated ( Aikenhead, 2001 ) . Coming to cognize is about developing cultural individuality and self-pride ( Cajete, 1999 ; McKinley, 1998 ; McKinley et al. , 1992 ; Richie & A ; Butler, 1990 For most autochthonal pupils, the cultural attack to science instruction in the acquisition of Western is a cross-cultural event ( Aikenhead, 2001 ) . Students frequently made passage from their mundane civilizations associated with place to the civilization of Western scientific discipline ( Aikenhead, 2001 ) . The smoothness of one ‘s ability to traverse cultural boundary line can partially find their success at larning the nature of another civilization ( Aikenhead, 2001 ) . Teachers ‘ aid is frequently needed by these, in the same manner a tourer in a foreign land necessitating the aid of a circuit usher ( Aikenhead, 2001 ) . In short, a scientific discipline instructor needs to play the function of a tour-guide civilization agent ( Aikenhead, 1997 ) . This is where the instruction approaches come into context in which the instructor acts as a civilization agent. As a civilization agent, the instructor clearly recognizes the boundary line to be crossed, escorts pupils across that boundary line, and assists pupils negotiate cultural battles that might originate ( Aikenhead, 1997 ) . A culture-brokering scientific discipline teacher demand to do the being of boundary line crossings obvious to the pupils during the instruction and acquisition by acknowledging pupils ‘ personal prepossessions and Indigenous worldviews that have a intent in, or association to, pupils ‘ mundane civilization. The instructor as a civilization agent identifies the civilization in which pupils ‘ personal thoughts are placed, and so introduces alternate cultural point of position, that is, the civilization of Western scientific discipline, in the context of Indigenous cognition ( Aikenhead, 2001 ) . At the same clip, a civilization agent demand to do pupils cognizant of what civilization he/she is speaking in at any given minute ( e.g. Autochthonal scientific discipline or Western scientific discipline ) , as instructors might unconsciously exchange between civilizations, much to the confusion of many pupils ( Aikenhead, 2001 ) . An illustration of schoolroom ( or labs ) scene in which pupils are made cognizant of what civilization he/she is speaking in at any given minute as illustrated by Aikenhead ( 2001 ) is by holding two different black boards or in about all schools in Brunei would be white boards- 1 for Autochthonal scientific discipline, another for Western scientific discipline. Aikenhead ( 2001 ) explained that one of the boards is used to enter thoughts expressed in the discourse of the community ‘s Indigenous cognition, while the other board is used to show the civilization of Western scientific discipline. By substituting from one board to the other ( cultural boundary line traversing ) , pupils consciously change linguistic communication conventions and conceptualisations. This cross-cultural instruction every bit claimed as Aikenhead ( 2001 ) AIDSs pupils expand their entree to Western scientific discipline without losing sight of their cultural individuality ( Aikenhead, 2001 ) . An option to the above attack is by implementing a technique to recognize any elucidation emerged from the Melanie survey ( Aikenhead, 1996 ) . The thought of the technique is to pull a clear differentiation between the linguistic communication pupils use to research and develop their ain thoughts about natural phenomena, and the linguistic communication scientists normally use. In this technique pupils split a page in their notebook in half, labeling the left-hand column â€Å" my thought † ( personal cognition of an event or account from the point of position of one of the pupil ‘s life-world subcultures, and utilizing its linguistic communication ) and the right-hand column â€Å" subculture of scientific discipline † ( canonical cognition utilizing appropriate scientific linguistic communication ) . The instruction in civilization brokering should advance discourse ( Cobern & A ; Aikenhead, 1998 ; Driver et al. , 1994 ) to supply pupils with chances to to the full prosecute in the acquisition. The instruction should give pupils chances to sound and show their thoughts in their ain cultural manner without being judged for being â€Å" unscientific. Teachers can easy make this by being unfastened yet still being sensible to the pupils. For case, follow more treatment type of lesson instead than teacher spoon feeding the pupils with the cognition at all clip or better known as the ‘chalk & A ; talk ‘ lesson. Students should besides be allowed every bit much as possible to use their autochthonal civilization cognition during any treatment or any category activity. ) . To ease pupils ‘ boundary line crossings, instructors and pupils both need to be flexible and playful, and to experience at easiness in the lupus erythematosus familiar civilization ( Lugones, 1987 ) . Based on different but related research plans in Western educational systems, Costa ( 1995 ) , Cobern ( 1994b ) , and Layton et Al. ( 1993, Ch. 8 ) semen to really similar policy recommendations: we should learn scientific discipline embedded in a societal and technological surroundings that has range and force for pupils ‘ universes, worldviews, or practical experiences ( severally ) that is the instruction in any manner should do connexion or relation with the society every bit good as the technological context. There is a demand for instructors to level barriers between pupils and scientific discipline, by doing the bringing of the scientific discipline content easy understood and supplying a vision of the importance of scientific discipline in their mundane life. For illustration in biological science, the factor impacting the rate of transpiration is besides applicable to factors to hanging apparels outside under the direct Sun. Teacher should show the scientific discipline learning with a different representation to avoid pupils to comprehend scientific discipline as something complex and abstract and in a manner that it is interesting and ever catching their attending and eliciting wonder doing them desire to larn more so they know more. The instruction should be presented in a simple mode in a manner that it should be directing that is utilizing simple 2nd communicating linguistic communication ( most of the clip for Science schoolroom would be English ) so it would be easier for the pupils to hold on the chief construct, for case in biological science, use the term little and big bowel alternatively of ileum or colon severally. The instruction should be inclusive particularly during category activities. It is inclusive in a manner that all pupils are made involved and they have the impression that every individual of them is capable of making what is instructed in the scientific discipline lesson during category activity on any scientific experiment for illustration the ability to utilize microscope to look at micro-organism. Students besides need to be given chance to research and play to show to them the merriment and prosecuting facets of larning scientific discipline. This is like giving them firsthand experiences in scientific discipline acquisition to supply a agency for them to entree scientific discipline, and to get down oppugning their topographic point in scientific discipline ( Howitt, www.aare.edu.au ) . Aikenhead ( 2001 ) one time stated that â€Å" When we perceive our pupils otherwise, our direction can alter consequently † . As a whole, Solomon and Aikenhead ( 1994 ) stated that instructors need to link the class content to pupils ‘ academic involvements by building a span to the civilization of Western scientific discipline out of proficient and societal issues, and out of the history, epistemology, and sociology of scientific discipline. Aikenhead et Al. ( 1998 ) suggested that instruction of scientific discipline should be able to pull upon the cultural universes of pupils and makes sense in those universes. Teaching methods should be developed to take in integrating the content or facets of another civilization into a pupils ‘ mundane civilization and enable pupils to bask and build intending out of Western scientific discipline without the demand to absorb scientific discipline ‘s cultural luggage ( Aikenhead et al. , 1998 ) .