Friday, November 29, 2019

To Study the Filterability and Quality of Raw Sugar for Refining Essay Example

To Study the Filterability and Quality of Raw Sugar for Refining Essay To Study the Filterability and Quality of Raw sugar for Refining ABSTRACT This study was particularly designed to evaluate the quality parameters of raw sugar which ultimately affect the filterability of raw sugar. It is a cane sugar which has been minimally processed and product of the first stage of cane sugar refining process which has some very distinctive characteristics. Filterability of raw sugars is one of the primary sugar quality parameters. To the refiner, the filterability of raw melt is important as it directly influences factory throughout. The physico-chemical characteristics of sugar including moisture, polarization, reducing sugar, ash contents, color constituents, microbial examination (Total colony count and yeast) and sensory evaluation such as appearance, odour and texture were determined. The results obtained from physico-chemical analysis showed that these parameters were affected significantly among the samples of raw sugars. The microbial analysis showed that the total colony count and the yeast were also affected significantly among the samples while in sensory evaluation appearance was affected significantly whereas texture and odour were affected non-significantly among the samples of the raw sugars. It can be concluded from the results that sample four was observed to have a good quality while sample six had the opposite result to that of sample four and was considered to have a very low quality. Keywords: Raw Sugar Refinery, Operational Concept and Quality Perspectives Name: Zia-ud-Din Regd. We will write a custom essay sample on To Study the Filterability and Quality of Raw Sugar for Refining specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on To Study the Filterability and Quality of Raw Sugar for Refining specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on To Study the Filterability and Quality of Raw Sugar for Refining specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer No: 2006-ag-1861 National Institute of Food Science and Technology University of Agriculture Faisalabad SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE ChairmanDr. Ghulam Rasool MemberDr. M. Atif Randhawa MemberDr. Muhammad Sharif INTRODUCTION Raw sugar is an intermediate product of refining and affination process of sugar manufacturing that consists of pale yellow to brown sugar crystals covered with a film of syrup. This is infact, an intermediate stage in the production of sugar, having sucrose and water contents 95-97 and 0. 25-1. 1%, respectively. It is of yellowish brown colour due to the presence of molasses (3. %) and have burnt flavour with coarsely crystalline (Javaid et al. ,2011). The sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L. ) is a commonly distributed plant and is one of the most significant source of sugar in Pakistan. Current reports have shed light into numerous biological properties of sugarcane and its resulting products. Fresh sugarcane juice is widespread in Pakistan as an inexpensive and sweet beverage. It is becoming a fashion juice and thirst satisfying drink served at roadside stalls, canteens and cafeterias throughout the country during the harvest season (Ali et al. 2001). The sugarcane is a thick, tall perennial grass that is grown in tropical or subtropical region. In the leaves sugar is synthesized that is either used as a energy source for growth of plant or is sent to the stalks for storage. In the stalks the sweet sap is the source of sugar. The reed accumulates sugar to about 15 percent of its weight. About 2600000 tons of sugar per year is yielded by the sugar cane. Other sugar crops for sugar production involve sweet sorghum, honey, sugar maple and corn sugar (Dalziel et al. ,1999). Sugarcane is grown in Kharif season and is one of the main cash crops of Pakistan. It delivers raw material to sugar industries and sugar associated products. For the rural community of the country, it produces income and services. Vital items for industries like sugar, chipboard and paper, sugarcane helps in their value addition. Its share is 3. 6 percent in agriculture and 0. 8 percent in GDP. For the year 2009-10, an area of 943 thousand hectares is under sugarcane cultivation which is 8. 4 percent less as compared to the previous year (1029 thousand hectares). Production of the sugarcane for the year 2009-10 is assessed to be 49. 4 million tons, in contrast to 50 million tons previous year ultimately the production is reduced to 1. 3 percent. Key factors involved for low productions are canal water scarcity, electricity shortage, area under wheat crop during 2008-09 is maximum ultimately confining the sugarcane acreage, lower prices for the sugarcane crop in the previous year and higher inputs rates also restrict the farming community from growing sugarcane crop (GOP, 2009-2010). The keeping quality of sugar was studied keeping in the view the process of drying played a pivotal role. By keeping the sugar under humid conditions, microbial decomposition along with loss of sugar occurred rendering the quality of sugar impure. After the process of drying, the process of polarization becomes augmented and the notorious effects of microorganisms become less. If the sugar is wet when fed into the dryer, large amount of heat is required for the process of drying the sugar. Sample purity plays a vital role in determination of overall moisture contents of the sugar sample. If the size of the crystals of sugar becomes enlarge, ultimately increasing the moisture percentage of the sugar sample (Javaid et al. , 2011). An experiment was conducted which showed the presence of iron particle and bagacillo causes the physical hazards and biological contamination in the finished products respectively. Following essential steps should be taken in order to keep the juice clear and free from the particles of bagacillo i. e. pre- juice heating (106 oC or above), required chemical dozing at clarifier, pass the clarified juice from 0. 25 mm rotary screen. They both are ISO (i. . International Standardization Organization) 22000:2005, Critical Control Points (CCP’s) of Food Safety Management System, covers HACCP (i. e. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) (Javaid et al. , 2011). The parameters were studied and an experiment was conducted in which pre-treatments of sugarcane bagasse for the production of fermentable sugar was carried out. They studied the eff ects of particle size, NaOH concentration, temperature and liquid to solid ratio (LSR) on the production of reducing sugars and sonication time on delignification using Placket-Burman design. They concluded that sugarcane bagasse that was pre-treated with ultra-sound assisted alkaline pre-treatments showed superior yield and production of reducing sugars as compared to the commercial pre-treatments. They also concluded that the most striking feature of the ultra-sound assisted alkaline pre-treatments was the improved efficacy during the pre-treatment time and temperature that were kept reduced during the process. They also found that the feasibility and instalment of this process on a larger scale need energy optimization and appropriate reactors design (Velmurugan and Muthukumar 2012). Sugar beet pulp was utilized as a support for immobilization of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae L. ) cells to produce bioethanol. They found the method of immobilization of cells as simple, cheap and easy to carry out. They concluded that even without the supplementation of the nutrient, the production of bioethanol in an efficient manner from thick juice of sugar beet utilizing immobilized yeast cells on sugar beet pulp is possible in repeated batch mode. A maximum ethanol concentration of 52. 26 g/l, yield of 0. 446g/g was achieved in the thick juice substrate of seventh fermentation batch. However, the molasses was found to be less suitable medium for the production of the ethanol fermentation for more than three batches because of the accumulation of the coloured compounds that cause cell leakage from the support ultimately affected the metabolism of the immobilized yeast cells. They also determined that the dry sugar beet pulp plays a significant role during the support of immobilized yeast cell for the production of bioethanol and the dry sugar beet pulp can be used as a protein source in the animal feeds (Vucurovic and Razmovski 2012). MATERIALS AND METHODS Samples of raw sugar were procured from sugarcane industry/local market. The research was conducted at the National Institute of Food Science and Technology in university of agriculture Faisalabad. Ash contents Total ash contents were determined by taking 5 gram sample in the china dish and placed on low flame while the mass is thoroughly charred, then the sample was heated in muffle furnace at 500+500C until white ash was obtained. This ash was cooled in the desiccator and weighed in percentage using the following formula: Total ash = Weight of ash ? 100 Weight of sample Colour Colour value was determined with colour meter ( Nauhaus color test- II, Neotec). It was first calibrated with the standards having lower and upper limits (51-70 respectively). Then the sample were filled in the Petri plate and the surface was made smooth by removing the sample material from the petri plate, to get the optimum reflection of light, emerged by the photo cells of the colour meter, reading was noted from the display. Sample readings were compared with the standards. Grain size of crystals According to SI specifications, crystals were graded into five sizes. In the grain size analysis, 100 g of sugar was taken on sieves, placed on a nest of sieves with a lid on the top of sieve and received at the bottom and was shaken for five minutes on a mechanical sieve shaker. The weight of each sample in gram was taken in the percentage of the sugar retained in the particular sieve. From the values, the accumulative percentage is calculated and compared. Filterability of the samples Filterability was determined by following the standard method enlisted in AOAC (2000). 5 g raw sugar sample was taken and dissolved in 50 ml water until the brix of the solution was 300. The time was noted during the filtration of each sample. Then the percent filterability was determined using the following formula: % Filterability = amount of the filtered solution ? 100 Total volume of solution Moisture Moisture was determined by taking 10 g of sample and drying it in a hot air oven at 100+50C for a bout 3 hours as recommended by ICUMSA. The loss in weight was the moisture contents calculated by using the following formula: moisture = loss of weight during drying ? 100 Weight of sample The data thus collected were subjected to statistical analysis using completely randomized design (CRD) and ANOVA techniques as described by Steel et al. , (1997) to check the effect of different parameters on the quality of raw sugar RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Ash contents The results for statistical analysis regarding analysis of variance for the ash contents are presented in table 4. 3a. It is shown by the data that the values are affected highly significant for the ash contents in the samples of raw sugar. The mean values for the ash contents are shown in the table 4. 3b. It can be established from the data presented in the table 4. 3b that the highest value for the ash contents was found for sample six which was 0. 73 percent while the lowest value was recorded for the samples one, two and five. So the value for the ash contents were found to be decreasing for the samples in the order of T6T1T2T5T3T4. While it had been established by many sugar technologists that the contents of ash in the samples of sugar should not exceed 0. 5 percent. These results were reviewed by Chauhan et al. , (2011) and after doing further analysis he determined that the ash contents in some of the raw sugar is in high concentration because the raw sugar was affined for purification at different temperatures for the quality improvement. Colour Agudo et al. , (2002) determined that the crystals colour of the sugar is greatly affected by the colour and purity level of the pan feed liquor. Generally the process of crystallization removes 90-96 percent of colour. The feed liquor having low level of colour gave the sugar with better colour. The process of refining in the processing of sugar utilize the phosphatation, carbonation, bone char, affination (mechanical separation of colour), granular carbon and ion exchange resin for the removal of colour before the process of sugar boiling (crystallization) for the production of sugar. According to ICUMSA (2007) standards, the maximum colour range of the raw sugar should be in the range of 400-600. The statistical analysis results regarding analysis of variance for colour contents in different samples of raw sugar is presented in the table 4. a. The results showed that the colour values were affected highly significant among the samples of raw sugar. The mean values for the colour contents in different raw sugar samples are shown in the table 4. 6b. The data showed that the maximum colour was observed for sample six and lowest was recorded for sample one. These results are in line with the above mentioned ICUMSA standards. Gyura et al. , (2007) proposed that some factors pla yed an important role in the determination of colour and these factors affect the colour of the sugar. Some of these factors include sugar crystal size, colour types, ash constituents, boiling time, crystal distribution, polysaccharides and colour and purity of pan feed liquor. These factors determine the overall quality of sugar. So it was concluded that the increase value for the colour contents in the sample six was due to the occurrence of these impurities due to improper affination process or other refining process ultimately making it a low quality raw sugar. Size of crystals The results regarding analysis of variance for the size of crystals of different raw sugar samples have been shown in the table 4. a. The statistical analysis showed that the relationship between different raw sugar samples regarding the size of crystals were affected highly significant. The mean values for size of crystals among raw sugar samples had been presented in table 4. 5b. According to Jennings (1967), the size of crystals for the raw sugar should be between 0. 35-0. 60 mm. These research findings are in agreement with the research outcomes of the present study. The size of crystals for different raw sugar samples were in the range of 0. 39-0. 58 mm. The sample three and four had the maximum size of crystal of 0. 56 and 0. 58 mm respectively. While the minimum size of crystal was recorded for sample two which had a size of 0. 39 mm. As the standard size ranges from 0. 35-0. 60 mm, so all the samples fell in the range of standard values. It can be concluded from the review that during the sugar production optimal control is required for the growth of crystals in the crystallization stage is a vital factor for the production of sugar crystals that have the size according to specification. Argaw et al. (2006) stated that the process of growth and size of crystals can be observed by implementing varieties of different methods which involve visual inspections as well as indirect measurements. It was proposed by Beucher (1992) that the sieve method used for the assessment of the size of crystals of the raw sugar samples was well recognized for the quality determination on international scale. He stated that the sieve method is simple, easy to perform and a straight forward method which can be utilized in the production environment and this method require a modest technology. The demerits of this method that was established by the scientist were the large amount of samples and preparations required for the analysis and a more time consuming process making this a laborious method ultimately making this a difficult process to perform. It was also concluded that the size of crystals played a significant role in determining the quality of sugarcane and raw sugar produce. Filterability The results regarding the analysis of variance for the filterability of various raw sugar samples obtained from different sugar industries. The statistical analysis showed that the filterability was affected highly significant for different raw sugar samples. The mean values for the filterability of different raw sugar samples are presented in table 4. 10b. Javaid et al. , (2011) stated that the impurity factor, starch and insoluble suspended matter in raw sugar have impact great influence on filtering quality of processed and unprocessed liquor. The starch has two main components i. e. traight chain amylase and branched chain amylopectin, the amylase: amylopectin ratio, the difference in charge characteristic with pH in solution, an important physico-chemical characteristic with reference to its role in filtration. High starch and low filterability process, therefore, have negative effects on clarification process that leads to the development of ash and colour in sugar. They also stated that the existence of starch in raw sugar influences and has effects on filtration, doubled the viscosity of low grade massecuite and impede the process of crystallization. The filterability of melted raw sugar has great effect on the refinery output however; when it does then it decrease the filtrate brix that leads to decrease the melting rate and viscosity as well. Consumption of excess steam in the evaporator or pan had an influence on the production during which the production suffered. Moisture The analysis for variance for the moisture contents of several raw sugar samples regarding the results have been presented in table 4. 1a. The statistical data narrated that the moisture contents of several raw sugar samples were affected highly significant. The values for the mean of the moisture contents for various raw sugar samples are shown in the table 4. 1b. It had been determined by Javaid et al. , (2011) that the moisture contents of the raw sugar were 40 percent during the examination. These findings of the research are parallel with the results of the present study. The moisture contents of the different raw sugar samples were in the range of 0. 20 to 0. 76 percent. The data also showed that the highest moisture contents were found in sample six followed by sample one while lowest values were recorded for sample four. Chen et al. , (1993) established that the moisture contents of the sugar is adaptable because of the non-reducing sugars during the process of manufacturing and also because of the contribution of the different types of agronomic factors such as storage, moisture, type of irrigation, soil conditions, season of harvesting and variety of cane crop. Such factors are involved during the analysis and study of present research. So the present difference can be attributed to these factors. Table 1: Mean values for Ash Contents, Colour, Size of Crystals, Filterability and Moisture Treatments |Ash Contents |Colour |Size of Crystals |Filterability |Moisture | |T1 |0. 5333ab |418. 33c |0. 4067c |58. 333b |0. 5333ab | |T2 |0. 3000ab |422. 33bc |0. 3933c |56. 133b |0. 4000bc | |T3 |0. 1667b |420. 00c |0. 600a |67. 000a |0. 2333c | |T4 |0. 1333b |447. 00abc |0. 5867a |70. 467a |0. 2000c | |T5 |0. 3000ab |490. 67ab |0. 4667b |38. 000c |0. 3000bc | |T6 |0. 7333a |503. 33a |0. 4733b |33. 000c |0. 766 7a | CONCLUSION Thus it can be concluded from the present research that the sample four was the best regarding the sugar quality while sample from one to three were also of desire quality and quite near to the standards and were collected from the sugarcane industries. While sample six was collected from the cottage industry was proved to be of very poor quality. REFERENCES Agudo, J. A. G. , M. T. G. Cubero, G. G. Benito and M. P. Miranda. 2002. Removal of coloured compounds from sugar solution by adsorption on to anionic resins equilibrium and kinetic study. Sep. Purfi. Technol. , 29(3): 199-205. Ali. , F. G. , A. A. Chattha and M. A. Iqbal. 2001. Some fundamental causes of low sugar recovery and vital approach for its improvement. Pak Sugarcane J. 16(6):56-61. Argaw, G. A. , M. J. Alport and S. B. Malivga. 2006. Automatic measurement of crystal size distribution using image processing. Proc. South African Sug. Technol. Assoc. , 80: 399-411. Beucher, S. 1992. The watershed transformation applied to image segmentation. Scanning Microscopy Supplement, 6:229-314. Chauhan, M. K. , Varun, S. Chaudhary, S. Kumar and samar. 2011. Life cycle assessment of sugar industry review. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. , 15 (7): 3445-3453. Chen, J. C. P. , Chou and C. Chi. 1993. Cane sugar handbook a manual for cane sugar manufacturer and chemists. John willey and Sons, Inc. New york, Chichester, Brisbane, torantto, Singapore, 401-403. Dalziel, S. M. , Tan S. Y. , white E. T. and F. T. Broad. 1999. An image analysis system for sugar crystal sizing. Proc. Aust. Sug. Technol. , 21: 366-372. GOP. 2009-2010. Agricultural Statistics of Pakistan. Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Govt. of Pakistan, Islamabad. Gyura, J. , Z. Sere, G. Vatai and E. B. Molnar. 2007. Separation of non-sucrose compounds from the syrup of sugar beet processing by ultra and nano-filtration using polymer membranes. Desalination, 148(1-3): 49-56. ICUMSA methods (2007). International commission for uniform methods of sugar analysis. 234-241. Javaid, G. S. , M. B. Bhatti, K. Rashid and M. Khalid. 2011. To introduce the Raw Sugar Refinery, its operational concept and quality prespective in Pakistan. Life Sci. Int. J. , 5(1): 2053-2062. Jennings, R. P. 1967. Further improvements in Raw Sugar Quality. Proc. Qld Soc. Sug. Cane Technol. 1: 62-64. Steel, R. , J. Torrie and D. Dickey. 1997. Principles and procedures of statistics. A biometrical approach. 3rd ed. McGraw Hill Book Co. New York, USA. Velmurugan, R. and K. Muthukumar. 2012. Ultrasonic assisted alakaline pretreatments of sugarcane bagasse for fermentable sugar production: optimization through response surface methodology. Bio-resource Technol. , 112(12): 293-299. Vucurovic, V. M. and R. N. Razmovsk i. 2012. Sugar beet pulp as a support for Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilization in bioethanol production. Ind. Crops Prod. , 39(12): 128-134.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Fredrick Douglass essay essays

Fredrick Douglass essay essays Escaping from slavery in 1838 had to be a treacherous experience; escaping slavery at any time would be! Most slaves couldnt read or write, but one slave, Fredrick Douglass, broke that barrier and many more. In this particular writing he uses a wide-open state of mind to clearly get his thoughts across. He does this by using a wide variety of diction along with sentence fluency. An example can be seen in every sentence of every paragraph. I saw in every white man an enemy, and in almost every colored man cause for distrust. It was a most painful situation; and, to understand it, one must needs experience it, or imagine himself in similar circumstances. His narrative point of view about slavery, or rather first person experience on slavery, is expressed throughout as he explains slavery as being both life and death. How someone can write with such strong emotion, is beyond me, but Douglass does more than that. He captures and captivates the reader into thinking about and ima gining his experiences. Through the use of concrete language, Fredrick Douglass, relates his readers to the life of a slave while at the same time explaining how one could never understand unless he experiences the hardships of slavery on his own. Fredrick Douglass has such a talent at pulling his readers into the writing and making them envision what is happening, that anyone could fall in love with his writing. An example can be found in, There I was in the midst of thousands, and yet a perfect stranger... Another common figure of speech found many times within the passage is the use of metaphors. Some are seen in,I felt like one who had escaped a den of hungry lions, ...being seized upon by his fellow-man, as the hideous crocodile seizes upon his prey!, and ...among fellow-men, yet feeling as if in the midst of wild beasts. By using such metaphors, Do ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison - Essay Example This approach advocates for the natural process in order to remove harmful chemicals from the affected regions. During this process, microbes that are artificially prepared or naturally available consume the hydrocarbon that is found in the affected mixture of petroleum and water. This article depicts Traditional gas chromatographs and Modern GCxGC as two approaches to understanding the chemical composition of the spilled fuel. Even though the technology was effective in demarcating some harmful chemical components in an oil sample, it is incapable of resolving minute chemical components of the oil sample. Modern GCxGC is effective as compared to the Traditional gas chromatographs in that it is able to delineate various compounds found in the oil sample regardless of their sizes. Even though Florida spill occurred more than three decades ago, the area is still affected. According to the studies done by scientists, microbes are not consuming the compounds found in the remaining oil sp ill. Some of the reasons that might have caused lack of consumption by the microbes including lack of oxygen in the sediments, or lack of sulfate in the environment. Sulfate is a chemical compound. In 2003, another spill occurred in Buzzards Bay where more than 98,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel was spilled.Various researchers including Bob Nelson collected the samples for analyses. The results from the analysts indicated that major compounds of the oil spill evaporated, degraded by microbes or were water washed.... Robot submarines The robot submarines that were controlled by a remote were an additional technology that ensured petroleum that was far deep in the sea was reached. Through this technology, the flow of oil deep the sea can be regulated. In the same way, through complex machines that are installed by the robot submarines are able to prevent the freezing of natural gas. It is important to note that through the use of this technology, 10 biggest oil producing companies have increased their oil reserves by 5% (Roger 6). Conclusion Based on the above analyses, it is vital to note that the role of technology in the oil extraction cannot be overlooked. The emulation of the four technologies that include 4-D approach, injection of steam and carbon dioxide, use of remote controlled robot submarines and directional drilling has resulted to an increase of oil production by more than 20% in the year 2010.This article is interesting in that it indicates how the technology in the oil extraction p rocess is significance in increasing the global oil reserves. Due to the recent global fuel crises, companies should emulate modern technology to diversify their oil reserves as a major step to curd the current shortage that has resulted to global high fuel prices and inflation. Article on oil in our costal back yard This article covers on the awful effects of oil spills that have been experienced in various parts of the world. One of the major oil spills that triggered the interest of scientists such as George Hampson and Howard Sanders occurred at Cape Cod in 1969 (Christopher 1). During that time No. 2 oil whose capacity was 189, gallons were spilt. The rocky and narrow water ways are the major cause of oil spills in New

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Counter Insergency in Afghanistan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Counter Insergency in Afghanistan - Essay Example (Jeffery 1995) Till 1989, the Soviet Union had been fighting against these Mujahideen but could not win. They had to pull out from rugged terrain of Afghanistan. This resulted in the disintegration of Soviet Union in to several independent Republics. The left over triumphant Mujahideen divided between themselves under Persian speaking northern alliance and Pushto speaking Taliban (Rizwan 2005). Since the later group was dominant in numbers and support from the other surrounding Islamic countries captured almost allover Afghanistan in 1994. They continued in gaining grounds and strengthening their power on the basis of fundamentalist version of Islam (William Maley; 1998) and disregarded the allowance of Human Rights to all the other nations of the World. After 09/11, 2001 when the trade center in New York came under attack and caused destruction of thousands of lives in USA. The allegation went directly to Taliban and Usama Bin Laden allegedly hiding in Afghanistan. Now the Taliban had to go. USA along with NATO forces attacked Afghanistan and dislodged Taliban Government. Contrary to Soviet occupation Taliban could not resist the US pressure arms and ammunition for a longer time. Since 2002 the conventional US coalition forces installed Hamid Karazai's Government with a view to build national consensus of political process and start the reconstruction work on war footings. The American strategy changed from destruction of enemy by force and aimed at large scale reconstruction efforts to ally the local population for elimination of Taliban as a potential danger for peace and security in the region. Taliban had in fact proved to be the political arm of Al-Qaida covertly operative in USA. The reconstruction efforts under Hamid Karazai Government have proved to be a success at a larger scale. On the political front, American and NATO forces have been able to secure larger portion of local populace at least in Urban and Sub-Urban Areas. The local commanders have been lured into the political and reconstruction process. They have been instrumental in containing Talibization of the areas under the control. They have been actively participating in Jirgaaz (Political Congregation of Elders). The International community has been able to pledge significant funding for Afghan Economy. At London Conference of International Donors in 2006 US$ 10.5 Billion have bee n pledged for the five-year plan of security governance rule of law and human rights. At this point of time Afghan Government has been portraying a much bigger and better picture of economy and good chances of foreign direct investment. Since 2001 around 15 billion US$ have been spent on the reconstruction efforts of Afghanistan. There are numerous UN agencies and International NGOs like Action Aid UK, Oxfam UK, ICRC UK who have been pro-actively working for the betterment of Afghan Nationals. All these efforts have effectively demoralized and contained the spread of Taliban in Afghanistan. This was not the case while Soviet's had

Monday, November 18, 2019

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Abortion - Essay Example For most women, giving birth changes their lives. Women who are working or schooling can find abortion appropriate. Relationships problem and a desire to avoid single motherhood can also make abortion necessary (Finer et. al. Web). Sometimes conditions exist, both physical and mental that endanger the life of a pregnant woman, an abortion can be performed to save the life (WebMD Web). Additionally, abortion can help a raped woman to cope with the trauma that ensues. In a case of teenage pregnancy abortion affords the girl a chance to continue living her life normally. On the other hand, there are various reasons to support an argument against abortion. Life is precious even for the unborn children, but abortion steals the joy to live. If an abortion the procedure is not safely conducted, the woman risks developing health complications that could lead to death. The guilt associated with terminating pregnancy in some cases, causes women to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (Operation Rescue Web). Practise of abortion help sidestep the real issues that women experience. Raped women should be concerned with rape rather than opting for an abortion. To conclude, abortion is an issue that requires a cautious

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Tourism management in a coastal tourism destination

Tourism management in a coastal tourism destination This essay considers tourism management in a coastal tourism destination Indians smallest state Goa. Study critically assesses coastal tourism definitions, tourism background, review of current trends, policies, management issues with recommendations and future concerns. According to many coastal tourism definitions, it might be concluded that sun, sand and sea are one of the most significant types of holiday in the world, provides an important commercial sector of the tourism industry, but with some possibility of negative environmental and socio-cultural impacts. As Page and Connel (2006) stated, the meeting of land and sea creates biologically and geologically diverse environments and unique landscapes which may form the basic for tourism. Works of Nowak (2007) and Gormsen (1997), similarly defined coastal tourism and agreed that the coastal zones and its natural environment play a major role in attracting tourists, offering the best opportunities for leisure, physical activities and pleasure for all age and social groups which applies to the beaches of all continents. Coastal tourism definitions also analysed impacts of tourism at the coast from different perspectives including change of socio-economic and settlement patterns, cultural impacts on the local population and its environmental impacts. J. Page (2005), who defined coastal tourism as site for pleasure, and place for spiritual fulfilment also pointed out that inappropriate tourism development in coastal areas can cause erosion, salination of fresh ground water sources, sewage outfall into shallow waters, environmental degradation, pollution, destruction of habitats and ecosystems, loss of coastal and marine resources and impacts on ground water. On other hand, Marsden (1999) considered seaside tourism as tourism of significant economic and social value and the potential for resorts to contribute to rejuvenating neighbouring areas through employment, leisure and business opportunities which should be exploited. All definitions mentioned positive and negative effects on the regional and national economies, local culture, physical infrastructure and environment. It is therefore essential that local governments issue the relevant laws and set up the methods for efficient control of all the activities made by investors, tour operators and other private and official actors at all stages of tourism. If all the participants collaborate efficiently in general understanding of sustainable development, then tourism at coastal resorts may provide most of positive contributions to the future of coastal areas with less negative effects. Goa has been formed in 3rd century BC and after its rich history it was released to India in 1961. Since 1987 it became a proper state with its own official state language, Konkani. Catholicism and certain Mediterranean customs have been brought by Portuguese colonialism in sixteenth century. Because of its background and history it is multi-lingual and multi religion country with most Goans identify much more with Goa than with Indian subcontinent (Saldanha, 2002). Contemporary change in Goa is very much connected to tourism. Goa first came to the attention of the international tourist ‘community during the 1960s and 1970s when the states palm-fringed beaches became a haven for Western hippie travellers. Odzer (1995) observed that few other types of foreign tourists visited the state in large numbers during this period. Indian government began to consider more seriously the possible economic benefits of promoting international tourism and by 1986 had decided to exploit Goa for the purposes of charter tourism. National Tourism Action Plan of 1992 as part of the Indian economys liberalization placed increasing emphasis on the demand-centred model of international tourism, particularly luxury tourism. The Indian Government designated the 1990s as the ‘Decade of Tourism, and tourism currently dominates the discourse of development within the state of Goa (Routledge, 2001). From 24 charter flights during the 1985-86 season, number increa sed to 758 flights in 2007-2008 season to Daboli, Goas international airport (Department of Tourism, 2009). Tourism in Goa today is one of the major economic activities with multiplier effect which percolates to the local community. Because of its natural scenic beauty, 105km long coast, straight beaches, very hot weather, picturesque villages, its culture, temples, monuments, Goa has a positive tourism profile. The most comprehensive beach resort in India, Goas coastline provides endless sun drenched crescents of sand. Vagator, Anjuna, Baga, Calangute and Candolim beaches stretch out in an unbroken palm fringed line offering facilities for parasailing, yachting, windsurfing, and deep sea diving. There are 29 beaches in Goa, many churches from 16th centuries, temples more than 500 year old, religious centres, science spots, wild lives and other attractions for tourists (Know India, 2009). Goa mostly attracts domestic tourists but also some foreign markets, mainly Britain. In 2008 according to Department of Tourism (2009), Goa was visited by 80% of domestic tourists, by a total number of 2,371,539 tourists; over 388.000 were foreigners from which 41% were British, 8% Russians, 6% Germany followed by tourists from Finland, France, Switzerland, Sweden, USA, Australia and others. International charter tourists accounted for almost 50% of whole international arrivals. And where does Goas tourism rank within whole India? Tourism Statistics (Ministry of Tourism, 2008) shows that Goa is one of the most popular coastal destinations in the country. From total international tourist arrivals in India 5.37 million in 2008, was more than 7% to Goas beaches, even when Goas state population accounts for only less then 0.14% of population of whole country. Average duration of stay for foreigners is 9 days and for domestic tourists 5 days. The growth of charter and luxury tourism in Goa has progressively more concerned investments from transnational corporations. As Menezes and Lobo (1991) noted, most of Goas major hotels have some financial or marketing connections with foreign capital. For example Lufthansa (Germany), Club Mediteranee ´ (France), Intasun (UK), and Hyatt Regency and Ramada (both USA) are all involved in international charter flights holiday tie-ups with Goan hotels. Goa shows significant tourism accommodation availability, however, from the tourist statistics (Department of Tourism, 2009) almost 70% of all rooms do not qualify for even a 1 star rating and are in very poor quality. There are more than 2500 guest houses with number of beds over 4200 to serve tourists, while there are only 83 starred hotels but with almost 12000 beds from which 47% bed capacity are 4 or 5 starred hotels. With new investments in 4 and 5 star hotels the tourism industry in Goa has evolved into a curious mix of low-budget tourism and up-market development, a mix that is according to Wilson (1997) marked with tensions and potential conflicts over the appropriation of resources. More than 90% of domestic tourists and 99% of the international Goas tourists stay at the coastal resorts. Thus, beach tourism is the only type that is keenly encouraged by policymakers. There are different markets which have different motivations to visit the state. The first is the domestic tourists market, who comes in search of the culture that is different from the rest of India. The second is the international tourists market, who visits Goa purely for the natural environment, sun and beaches. Within the category of international tourists, there are two sub-categories, which both visit Goa for its beaches but stay away from each other. Backpackers prefer to mix and live with the local communities, whereas the charter tourists tend to stay in the luxury starred hotels. Domestic and international tourists also differ in terms of the areas they frequent. For the domestic tourist, the beaches hold limited appeal, so they remain away from the places frequented by the international t ourists (Sawkar et al, 1998). As a growing activity at global, national and local levels, tourism needs to be managed in a sustainable and balanced manner. J. Page (2005) examined some basic principles for managing such a destination. He believes that planning, organising, leading and controlling are the most important elements. The management of coastal tourism is complex because the tourism industry is not a homogenous sector or segment of the economy. It is made up of various organisations that are directly or indirectly involved in tourism. The public sector should intervene to ensure that business objectives are balanced with local needs and stakeholder interests are in relation with the tourism utilities, such as beaches, attractions, infrastructure and overall environment. The public sector is though responsible for trying to liaise, plan and manage the diverse group of interests that are associated with tourism. According to WTTC (2003) it is within governments power to unlock the industrys potential to c reate jobs and generate prosperity. Within a structure of co-operation federalism, India has three tiers of government. Central government is the first tier, the second is State government and the third is the village level within the state, known as the ‘panchayat system. Administratively the Goa is organised into two districts,North Goa and South Goa, all together Goa has 189 panchayats. The nodal agency for the formulation of national and state government agencies and the private sector development of tourism is the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. It is responsible for coordination and supplementation of activities of various Central government Agencies and State governments, catalysing private investments and for the development and promotion of tourism in India.It is also in charge of public sector undertaking, the India Tourism Development Corporation, Ltd, and autonomous institutions like Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technol ogy, National Institute of Water Sports etc. Functions of the Ministry consist of the development policies, incentives, external assistance, manpower development, investment facilitation, planning, regulation, infrastructure development, human resource development, marketing strategies and many others (Government of India, 2009). Development activities are co-ordinated by the respective Ministries. Two main nodal bodies for decision making in terms of potential or actual impacts of activities in coastal areas and the seas or oceans are the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Department of Ocean Development. At the local level, responsible for coastal tourism are State governments, District Administration, Local Bodies and Councils. At the Goa itself, it is Department of Tourism which is responsible for tourism policy and its role is to ensure planned and controlled development of tourism in Goa. The government endeavours to provide appropriate package through progressive fiscal and taxation policies, develop tourism as a non-invasive instrument of revitalization, conservation and growth, entrust regulatory measures to ensure social, cultural and environmental sustainability and involvement of local community. The Coastal Zone Regulation notification in 1991 invited the governments of Indias coastal states and union territories to prepare Coastal Zone Management Plans for their respective areas (Noronha, 2004). These zones regulate development and construction in the coastal regions. The main objectives of Coastal Zone Management are to encourage sustainable use of environment, identify and resolve conflicts, balance economic and environmental objectives and adopt strategic planning. An important provision under these laws limits the nature and development of land that is located close to the sea. Goa as a coastal state has the responsibility to identify the zones and prepare management plans within which all future coastal development is to take place. Government of India, Ministry of Tourism (2005) published Best Practises adopted by the State governments with good examples of how can supervision manage tourism industry. An example from Goa can be the reduction or abolition of luxury tax helps lowering rates. That means more tourists would be attracted to the destination and this could give competitive advantage to the state, as benefits will go to the customers. In order to help cinema theatres to make them financially viable, the Goa government has reduced the entertainment tax from 60 to 40 percent. A complementary reduction on taxes by the Goa Government on water tariff by 22% is noble scheme to attract tourists as well. Goa set up Tourist Police exclusively for providing safety and security to the tourists in frequent areas. Despite these few examples of good practise there is still large scale to provide more benefits for local people in Goa by tourism industry and government should prepare adequate policies for coastal tour ism to help locals to get involved with tourism. Locals should be at the first place in considering about development of tourism and they should intervene in decision process making of tourism policies. The impacts of coastal tourism in Goa have been the subject of discussion amongst academics, researchers and activist groups. Goas tourism has so far concentrated mainly on the coast. Work of Wilson (1997) considered some impacts of tourism in Goa. The growth of coastal tourism has been fast and uncontrolled. The principles of sustainability and the norms related to the conservation of the environment and ecology were generally ignored. There has been unclear firm policy relating to tourism and the policy initiatives have not been introduced attentive to local concerns. This could lead to major changes in land use, shortages of resources, such as land and water, and damage to coastal aquifers, the sand dune system, and mangrove vegetation. It is clear that there is much to be learned about the impacts of tourism in Goa, and that further planning and development requires information gaps to be filled. According to Noronha (2004) almost all difficulties fall into three major domains of coastal policy problems. Those that relate to resource use conflicts, those that relate to resource depletion and those that relate to pollution or resource degradation. It is evident that Goa is facing all these types of policy complications. William (1998) demonstrated that coastal tourism in Goa has resulted in a spatial concentration of buildings in some coastal areas leading to a heavy demand for resources in these places. Another issue observed by Wilson (1997) is the amount of solid waste which is generated and the need for land to cope with the disposal of this waste. With these matters, policy-making should take sufficient note, to make it a case for systematic addressing. There is no clear and specific coastal focus for its development policies in India. Sawkar et al (1998) observed that the current policies and relaxed enforcement have led to the haphazard and uncontrolled growth of townships. Places like Calangute and Candolim in Bardez and Colva in Salcete have become over commercialized and disorganized in their development pattern. Developments along the coasts of Goa and the future plans for it reveals that these follow the ideas submitted in the Coastal Zone Management plan of Goa rather than its Regional Development plan. These areas have a number of unauthorized constructions, which have paid little heed to local planning rules, infrastructural supports or aesthetics. There are also signs of over investment which is spreading a price war. ‘Lots of international people come and because it is small and beautiful they try to invest money and buy huge tracts of land. Locals feel that our land is being sold, said the chief minister of the Go an (Pirie, 2008). Nowadays there are steps from government to reinterpret existing property legislation to deter foreigners from buying property. There has been little effort made in Goa to adhere to the regional plans of creating other types of tourism than beach tourism. That means tourists are almost exclusively accommodated along 105km stretch of the coastline which can impact coastal environment far more quickly than if tourists are spread upcountry. Governments in India prepare Five Year Plans which play an important role in states model of economic development. These plans provide the overall direction and framework for policies, programmes and schemes for the Ministries and Departments. Eleventh Five Year Plan for years 2007-2012, prepared by Directorate of Planning, Statistics and Evaluation (2007), contains some interesting ideas. Goa is being treasure of heritage and has immense potential for growth of heritage tourism activities. The government has introduced ‘Heritage house scheme towards promoting heritage tourism. For this purpose, financial assistance in the form of loans and grants is proposed to be given to the owners of the heritage houses for their maintenance and restoration. Another example is that the Goa has beautiful forests and eco-tourism plans which are being implemented through the budget of Forest Department. This project envisages development of an eco-tourism circuit consisting of Bondla, Cotigao wild life sanctuaries and Mollem national park. This is illustration of cooperation between different governmental departments on the state level which can bring more effective results in terms of sustainable and planned development. Another example could be promoting of discovery and adventure tourism which can attract different market of tourists whether domestic or international. Currently 80% of all tourists visiting Goa are domestic tourists yet most of promotional budget is spent on trying to attract foreign tourists. Since Goa is well established tourism destination, it should try to redirect budget allocation. If one years advertising budget is used to clean up Goas beaches and provide needed infrastructure in those areas it would earn more goodwill for Goa and attract more tourists than any advertising budget would be able to deliver. There is also need to shift away from charter tourism. It is important to increase tourism revenues by moving Goa up-market. Nowadays, charter tourists pay a very low price for the whole tour in their home countries. So they spend very little in Goa itself. The current focus on beach tourism should be diversified to include other areas, like adventure and eco-tourism, medical tourism, hosting conventions, conferences and so forth. The analysis of the development of tourism destination is one of the main topics of tourism research. Over a long period of time, tourism products go through an evolutionary process. Butler (1980) put forward the concept of the tourism area life cycle TALC. The model depicted resorts moving from the initial stage of being found, through the involvement and development stages to a stagnation stage, beyond which there are number of options possible from decline to rejuvenation. This can be seen in appendix A. Goas visitor numbers were continuously increasing, however last season in 2008 there was a decrease of tourists because of global economic recession, there is estimated increase in tourist number in 2009 season (Navhind Times, 2009). In appendix B is illustrated how Goa can be linked to TALC model with further explanation. It is still developing tourism destination with some future developments announced by government in last Five Years Plan (Directorate of Planning, Statistics a nd Evaluation 2007). Goa could still attract a bigger number and different segments of tourists. For example two marinas have been located one in North and another one in South Goa to be build in near future with facilities for pleasure yachts. There is a plan to build two international-size golf courses, also one in each district of Goa. The government has decided to locate new international airport for transporting cargo and passengers at Mopa, which would be particularly attractive for tourists who will be easily linked to coastal resorts. These developments should give Goa competitive advantage as a coastal tourist destination, but there is need for monitoring and management system which would ensure the effectiveness of coastal and environmental regulations. Goa also needs a systematic study of the environmental impacts of tourism, which could be done through a life cycle analysis, and the valuation of the environment to enable its integration into decision-making. Goa still r equires policies for coastal tourism which recognise the type of interconnections among tourism, local communities and the environment, to ensure that tourism contributes to a sustainable development agenda.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Theoretical Approaches to Speech Production :: Spreading Activation Theory SAT

Theoretical Approaches to Speech Production There are two main theories of Speech production, Spreading Activation Theory - SAT (Dell, 1986: Dell & O’Seaghdha, 1991) and Word- Form Encoding by Activation and Verification – WEAVER++ (Levelt et al., 1989: 1999). The SAT theory was devised by Dell (1986) then revised by Dell & O’Seaghda (1991). The theory works on a 4 level connectionist model: parallel and dynamic. The Semantic level is the meaning of what is going to be said. The Syntactic level is the grammatical structure of the words in the planned utterance The Morphological level is the morphemes (basic units of meaning of word forms) in the planned sentence. The Phonological level is the basic unit of sound within a sentence. In addition to the main structure of the SAT model a representation is formed at each level. Pre-Planning is more particular at the semantic level. There are categorical rules at each level, which impose constraints on item categories and category combination. The internal lexicon (dictionary) is considered to be a constructionist network it includes nodes for concepts, words, morphemes and phonemes. So when one node is activated it sends a message to activate all other nodes connected to it. The later computational model WEAVER++ was put forward by Levelt, Roelofs, and Meeyer (1999) derived from Lefvelt (1989). The model is based on the assumptions that there is a feed forward activation network spreading through the network and does not go back. There are 3 levels in the network the highest level of nodes represented are lexical the second level are lemmas which are abstract words from the mental lexicon and the lowest level are the nodes in support of morphemes the basic unit of meaning and phonemes. The network does not have any inhibitory links. The production of speech follows through the stages exactly serial. A word error will occur if the level of activity in the node does no match to the appropriate node higher up. There are 6 stages of processing in the WEAVER++ Theory 2 more than the SAT theory. First the Conceptual preparation stage where the lexical concepts are activated. Stage 2 comes the Lexical selection where an abstract word or lemma is Selected along with its syntactic features. The Morphological encoding is The basic word form derived from the lemma activated. Stage 5 is the Phonetic encoding is where the speech sounds are set. Articulation is the Final stage defines the way the word is pronounced.

Monday, November 11, 2019

What Russia completely backwards as a Country

Was Russia a backwards country? Many things held Russia behind as a country compared to the other great powers Like Britain, France and Germany. One thing that held the country back was Serfdom. Russian's population as made up from 80% Serfs and the majority of Serfs owned no land. Serfs produced little export because the food that they harvested was Just enough to feed them and their families. This held the country back because little Income was coming into the country to fund an Industrial revolution.By 1855 only Russia out of the great powers still had serfs. Serfs were also made to live In Emir's which again hindered the country and the Industrial revolution because less people traveled to the big cities to become workers In the factories because serfs had to ask permission from the elders to leave the Emir's. Russia was behind in the Industrial revolution compared to the other great powers of Europe like Britain who started there industrial revolution by the end of the 18th cent ury.Another thing that held Russia back was Autocratic state. The Tsar was in complete control of Russia and had no one to answer to when making his decisions on what happened with his country. The country had no real parliament as only one was ever formed by Alex II but was then removed by his son Alex Ill after his assassination. This was unlike Britain and France who were ruled by the government at this time. However Russia was much like Germany at this time which was ruled by a Kaiser Wilhelm II.Since Russia had no real parliament Russia was stuck with the conservative ideas of Tsar and his ministers. There are however reasons to suggest the Russia wasn't completely backwards as a country. Alexander II did make reforms for example the emancipation f the serfs and the setting up of Russian's very first government, even though this government was very limited to only the rich and educated men it was a step in the right direction for Russia.Russia also had the Trans-Siberian railwa y which the country was very proud of, which suggests that the country was advancing. However It was still behind countries like Britain which had Railway systems since Manama years before the railway was extended In the sass In Russia. The size of the Russia empire also suggests the advancement of Russia as Russia was able to keep the arrest continuous land empire In the world covering a sixth of the world's surface.Russia during the end of the 19th century and to the beginning of the 20th century as a country was clearly advancing with the extension of the railway and the attempt at reform however the country could not advance quick enough to match that of Brutal and France due to the conservative attitude of the autocratic leaders of Russia Itself. What Russia completely backwards as a Country 1881? By Astrologically like Britain, France and Germany. One thing that held the country back was Serfdom. Income was coming into the country to fund an industrial revolution.By 1855 only Russia out of the great powers still had serfs. Serfs were also made to live in Emir's which again hindered the country and the industrial revolution because less people traveled to the big cities to become workers in the factories because serfs had to ask it was still behind countries like Britain which had Railway systems since Manama years before the railway was extended in the sass in Russia. The size of the Russia largest continuous land empire in the world covering a sixth of the world's surface. Britain and France due to the conservative attitude of the autocratic leaders of Russia itself.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Winter War

The Winter War The Winter War was fought between Finland and the Soviet Union. Soviet forces began the war on November 30, 1939, and it was concluded on March 12, 1940, with the Peace of Moscow. Causes of the War Following the Soviet invasion of Poland in the fall of 1939, they turned their attention north to Finland. In November the Soviet Union demanded that the Finns move the border back 25km from Leningrad and grant them a 30-year lease on the Hanko Peninsula for construction of a naval base. In exchange, the Soviets offered a large tract of the Karelian wilderness. Termed as exchanging two pounds of dirt for one pound of gold by the Finns, the offer was flatly refused. Not to be denied, the Soviets began massing approximately 1 million men along the Finnish border. On November 26, 1939, the Soviets faked the Finnish shelling of the Russian town of Mainila. In the aftermath of the shelling, they demanded that the Finns apologize and withdraw their forces 25km from the border. Denying responsibility, the Finns refused. Four days later, 450,000 Soviet troops crossed the border. They were met by the small Finnish army which initially numbered only 180,000. The Finns were badly outnumbered in all areas during the conflict with the Soviets also possessing superiority in armor (6,541 to 30) and aircraft (3,800 to 130). Course of the War Led by Marshal Carl Gustav Mannerheim, Finnish forces manned the Mannerheim Line across the Karelian Isthmus. Anchored on the Gulf of Finland and Lake Lagoda, this fortified line saw some of the heaviest fighting of the conflict. To the north Finnish troops moved to intercept the invaders. Soviet forces were overseen by the skilled Marshal Kirill Meretskov but suffered heavily at lower command levels from Josef Stalins purges of the Red Army in 1937. Advancing, the Soviets had not anticipated meeting heavy resistance and lacked winter supplies and equipment. Generally attacking in regimental strength, the Soviets in their dark uniforms presented easy targets for Finnish machine gunners and snipers. One Finn, Corporal Simo Hyh, recorded over 500 kills as a sniper. Utilizing local knowledge, white camouflage, and skis, Finnish troops were able to inflict staggering casualties on the Soviets. Their preferred method was the use of motti tactics which called for fast-moving light infantry to swiftly encircle and destroy isolated enemy units. As the Finns lacked armor, they developed specialized infantry tactics for dealing with Soviet tanks. Utilizing four-man teams, the Finns would jam the tracks of enemy tanks with a log to stop it and then use Molotov Cocktails to detonate its fuel tank. Over 2,000 Soviet tanks were destroyed using this method. After effectively halting the Soviets during December, the Finns won a stunning victory on the Raate Road near Suomussalmi in early January 1940. Isolating the Soviet 44th Infantry Division (25,000 men), the Finnish 9th Division, under Colonel Hjalmar Siilasvuo, was able to break the enemy column into small pockets that were then destroyed. Over 17,500 were killed in exchange for around 250 Finns. The Tide Turns Angered by Meretskovs failure to break the Mannerheim Line or achieve success elsewhere, Stalin replaced him with Marshall Semyon Timoshenko on January 7. Building up Soviet forces, Timonshenko launched a massive offensive on February 1, attacking the Mannerheim Line and around Hatjalahti and Muolaa Lake. For five days the Finns beat back the Soviets inflicting horrifying casualties. On the sixth, Timonshenko began assaults in West Karelia which met a similar fate. On February 11, the Soviets finally achieved success when they penetrated the Mannerheim Line in several places. With his armys ammunition supply nearly exhausted, Mannerheim withdrew his men to new defensive positions on the 14th. Some hope did arrive when the Allies, then fighting World War II, offered to send 135,000 men to aid the Finns. The catch in the Allies offer was that they requested that their men be allowed to cross Norway and Sweden to reach Finland. This would have allowed them to occupy the Swedish iron ore fields that were supplying Nazi Germany. Upon hearing of the plan Adolf Hitler stated that should Allied troops enter Sweden, Germany would invade. The Peace Treaty The situation continued to worsen through February with the Finns falling back towards Viipuri on the 26th. On March 2, the Allies officially requested transit rights from Norway and Sweden. Under threat from Germany, both countries denied the request. Also, Sweden continued to refuse to intervene directly in the conflict. With all hope of substantial outside assistance lost and the Soviets on the outskirts of Viipuri, Finland dispatched a party to Moscow on March 6 to begin peace negotiations. Finland had been under pressure from both Sweden and Germany for nearly a month to seek an end to the conflict, as neither nation wished to see a Soviet takeover. After several days of talks, a treaty was completed on March 12 which ended the fighting. By the terms of the Peace of Moscow, Finland ceded all of Finnish Karelia, part of Salla, the Kalastajansaarento Peninsula, four small islands in the Baltic, and was forced to grant a lease of the Hanko Peninsula. Included in the ceded areas was Finlands second-largest city (Viipuri), most of its industrialized territory, and 12 percent of its population. Those living in the affected areas were permitted to move to Finland or remain and become Soviet citizens. The Winter War proved a costly victory for the Soviets. In the fighting, they lost approximately 126,875 dead or missing, 264,908 wounded, and 5,600 captured. In addition, they lost around 2,268 tanks and armored cars. Casualties for the Finns numbered around 26,662 dead and 39,886 wounded. The Soviets poor performance in the Winter War led Hitler to believe that Stalins military could be quickly defeated if attacked. He attempted to put this to the test when German forces launched Operation Barbarossa in 1941. The Finns renewed their conflict with the Soviets in June 1941, with their forces operating in conjunction with, but not allied to, the Germans. Selected Sources: Battles of the Winter WarTelegrams from the Winter War

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Carnival and the Arts essays

Carnival and the Arts essays Through the development of Carnival, art forms such as the mas, calypso and steelband have added to the eminence of the festival. However, it is the creation and depiction of the mas that has through time been the hub of the festival displaying multiple artistic sources. Such sources include the ethnical influences, the growth of craftsmanship in costume design, use of motion, symbols, motifs and the act of pantomime. The making and portrayal of the mas highly indicates the richness of Carnival artistry. Ethnical influences of the mas have added to the aesthetic form of the festival. African artistic sources are present although their original form may have changed. A common theme in Carnival bands is that of Obeah, an African medicinal system. The use of motifs such as sculls, bones, shells, feathers and fiber skirts are reminiscent of African dress and are used in African masking traditions. African tribal themes are also portrayed and this requires the use of body paint, coiffures and shields. In 1984, Peter Minshall designed the costume of the The Callaloo King which was the reinterpretation of the masks of the African nations of Mali and Borkino Faso. At present, there are various African linked figures that are part of the Trinidad Carnival. Among these include the Moco Jumbie which can be traced back to West Africa. The practice of stilt dancing is a distinct African tradition and the term moco jumbie is derived from mumbo jumbo a clear West African phrase. Another ethnical source of Carnival is that of Asian influence. The festivals of Islam and Hinduism have trickled down to Carnival and this can be openly seen in the wheeled costumes of the King and Queen of the bands, as this is traditional of East Indian festivals. Mas-man Richard Bartholomews band Liming included a section entitled, Hosay Liming in which there was a moon costume. Indian music...

Monday, November 4, 2019

To what degree did air power contribute to the Allied victory at the Essay

To what degree did air power contribute to the Allied victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein in 1942 - Essay Example The historical context of the onset of this battle is the pre-emptive attempt by Rommel to strike the Allied forces in Africa before they received massive reinforcements, thereby not letting their might swell to threatening proportions. This effort not only failed but backfired and the Panzers were caught in a catch-22 situation created by their misendeavour. The Allies, who managed to capitalise on this situation, kept the Afrika Korps in check for six weeks and then, when they were fully replenished, they launched an all-out offensive, engaging the enemy in a battle that was to change the course of WW2 west of the Suez. This gigantic war effort was implemented on a vast scale. The sheer numbers and the scale of logistics was mind boggling. When the Allies first retaliated against the Afrika Korps in August 1942, its strength was 200,000 men and 10,000 tanks, while that of the Afrika Korps was exactly its half. But logistics apart, Rommel was fighting a losing battle at El Alamein right from the beginning and had inherited several other strategic disadvantages which circumstances only aggravated. Notable amongst the major shortcomings... just to desert warfare tactics and erroneous planning at crucial junctures which cost a heavy body count and massive loss of armour and artillery machinery. The mention of these factors is aimed at providing credence to historian Niall Barr's main contention in his important book on the subject, Pendulum of War: Three Battles of El Alamein that the Allied victory in this battle was as much due to the enemy's shortcomings as it was due to its own strengths. "Rather than attribute British victory to any unique stratagem resulting from Montgomery's august appointment, Barr finds that it was the combination of circumstances and positional realities, along with the Allied ability to modify its tactics-an ability the Germans apparently did not share-that led to decisive victory on November 4" (Pendulum of War: Three Battles at El Alamein). Notably, Barr is also sparing in his praise for Montgomery and instead, gives more credence to the ground forces for the victory. The Battle, which began on August 30, 1942, and ended on November 4 the same year, was conceived by Montgomery in various phases, "Consisting of the break-in - October 23-24, the crumbling - October 24-25, the counter - October 26-28, Operation Supercharge - November 1-2 and the breakout - November 3-7" ("The Second Battle of El Alamein"). At various stages during the battle, the Allied aerial attack was requisitioned to play its role in the battle, either to provide air cover or to attack the ground forces of Afrika Korps. These air attacks are chronicled below. In an attempt to thwart the advance of the Allied army towards its stronghold, the Afrika Korps had planted one of the largest quantities of landmines in WW2, numbering around 500,000. This plantation had earned a dubious name of Devil's Gardens. These

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Reflection articles Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection articles - Article Example Thus, the issue of disrespect can be resolved in a number of ways. First, one has to review the kind of relationship he or she has with others in the office. Secondly, compare yourself with other professionals and listen to the view of other people about their jobs. Lastly, challenge yourself by setting and achieving several goals that are related to his or her career. In any group of individuals, there must be issues arising regularly. These issues are best handled through appropriate methods of resolution. Thus, in resolution of issues, one has to focus on the following aspects: Convert the complaints to respect, make sure all the statements are made using â€Å"I† or â€Å"we,† focus on the future only, come up with a solution, keep off from making demands and avoid generalizing of ideas. For instance, in an organization where an individual or individuals complain about a colleague not finishing up his or her job and over burden others, is an issue which needs to be addressed. In finding a solution to such issues, a number of factors have to be considered. These factors include: Avoiding a sarcastic tone in making requests or approaches, expect to work out the resolution steps effectively, be respectful to the parties involved and finally try to recognize the needs of every human; to be listened to and understood. Health professionals have a key responsibility of educating patients in regard to their specific health issues. For instance, dental hygienist has a role of educating patients about their oral health; instructions on oral hygiene and significance of maintaining oral hygiene. For one to perform effectively in this, one has to provide the patients with a general overview of the entire procedure placing emphasis on the specific words to be used in the whole process (Smith, 1). The phrases which are used in such practices are extremely vital to both