Tom Wolfe’s: O Rotten Gotham Essay -- New York City Literature Transpo

Tom Wolfe’s: O Rotten Gotham â€Å"It got to be easy to look at New Yorkers as animals, especially looking down from some place like a balcony at Grand Central at the rush hour Friday afternoon.† (Tom Wolfe). â€Å"O Rotten Gotham† argues that New Yorkers are in a state of behavioral sink. It would not be long before a â€Å"population collapse† or a â€Å"massive die off†. Throughout the article, Wolfe made his opinion clear. He believes everything New Yorkers go through is unhealthy and inhumane. Humans were compared to rats using the overcrowding, the ways of life, and the filth as examples. From the adrenaline rushes and car horns to helicopter noises and constant overcrowding, New York City is a constant stress causing environment. Dr. Hall, another author presented in the article, saw this overcrowding in the city causing a lot of problems. He states that work takes place in massively congested areas such as small cubicles in offices. This, however, is not just a problem in New York City. All across the US people are confined to a cubicle for their work space. It is not the end of the world either. You are there a certain amount of hours a day, and when workers come home they can relax and spread out. New York City homes are not the most spacious, but they are not as bad as being in a cubicle. Wolfe really makes you look at the differences your environment can make and how it affects its citizens. One with no knowledge of city life would probably be disgusted of it after reading this article. If they were looking to move to New York City, they would most probably think it through again. Who would want to live in filth with animals? What Wolfe doesn’t mention in his article are all of the good things about New York City.... ...ace to place to fit the needs of the area. When you listen to Wolfe, you get one side of the story. Without knowing the other side anyone would agree with him and his opinions. Thirty years ago the city was on its way to a massive behavioral sink, but has been cleaning up its act. The streets, subway systems, workplaces, and attractions have all cleaned up and done there part. More and more people are living in the city. Wolfe believes that this city is on its way to the sink, but the city is proving him wrong. SOURCES: Anderson, Chris and Runciman, Lex. A Forest of Voices: O Rotten Gotham. Peter. www.citynoise.org/index.php?article=610 O’Sullivan, David. Morehead State University student from Yonkers New York. Crime Rates and New York City. http://www.policetalk.com/nyc_crime_rate.html NYC Subway Systems. http://www.ny.com/transportation/subways/

The Applications and Properties of Ferrofluids Essay -- Magnets Magnet

Missing Figures The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain the properties of ferrofluids. Imagine the applications of a liquid substance that can be controlled at a distance by a magnetic force. To create such a liquid is not as simple as liquefying a magnetic solid. Magnetic solids lose their magnetic properties at the temperature above the Curie temperature of the substance. At that temperature thermal energy overwhelms the tendency of the electrons to align in regions of similar spins. The Curie temperature is well below the melting point of all normal magnetic solids. (Verschuur, 1993) Ferrofluids overcome this obstacle. They are colloidal suspension of magnetic nanoscale magnetic material in a liquid carrier. This gives the Ferrofluid the properties of normal liquids, but allows the entire liquid to be manipulated to an applied magnetic field. (Berger, 1999) In the 1960?s Stephen Pappell with NASA developed ferrofluids to address the problem of controlling fluids in the zero gravity environment of space. (Verschuur, 1993) Ferrofluids were originally used by the space program to create leak proof seals in satellites. The commercial applications were later recognized. A ferrofluid can behave as a liquid O-ring where a rotating shaft enters either a low- or high-pressure chamber. The ferrofluid is held in place by permanent magnets and form tight seals, eliminating most of the friction produced in a conventional mechanical seal. Rotating shaft seals are found in rotating anode X-ray generators and in vacuum chambers used in the semiconductor industry. Ferrofluid seals are also used in high-speed computer disk drives to eliminate harmful dust particles or other impurities that can cause the sensitive data-reading ... ...e:3YVBr1dVcRkJ:voh.chem.ucla.edu/classes/ Magnetic_fluids/pdf/ChemicalEducationArticle.pdf+surfactant+aqueous+ferrofluid&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us&client=firefox-a Enzel, P., Adelman, N., Beckman, K. J., Campbell, D. J., Ellis, A.B., Lisensky, G. C., (1999) "Preparation of an Aqueous-Based Ferrofluid." J. Chem. Educ. Vol. 76, 943. Retrieved May 7, 2008, from http://mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/background/ferrofluid/index.html Ferrotec (2008), Ferrofluid, Retrieved May 9, 2008, from http://www.ferrotec.com/products/ferrofluid/ Nave, R. (2000). Surface Tension. HyperPhysics. Retrieved May 7, 2008, from HyperPhysics database. Verschuur, G (1993). Hidden Attraction: The Mystery and History of Magnetism. New York: Oxford University Press. Willis B, (2001), Brownian Motion, Retrieved May 7, 2008, from http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/brownian/motion.html

Angels Demons Chapter 49-50

49 Langdon and Vittoria stood alone now outside the double doors that led to the inner sanctum of the Secret Archives. The decor in the colonnade was an incongruous mix of wall-to-wall carpets over marble floors and wireless security cameras gazing down from beside carved cherubs in the ceiling. Langdon dubbed it Sterile Renaissance. Beside the arched ingress hung a small bronze plaque. ARCHIVIO VATICANO Curatore: Padre Jaqui Tomaso Father Jaqui Tomaso. Langdon recognized the curator's name from the rejection letters at home in his desk. Dear Mr. Langdon, It is with regret that I am writing to deny†¦ Regret. Bullshit. Since Jaqui Tomaso's reign had begun, Langdon had never met a single non-Catholic American scholar who had been given access to the Secret Vatican Archives. Il gaurdiano, historians called him. Jaqui Tomaso was the toughest librarian on earth. As Langdon pushed the doors open and stepped through the vaulted portal into the inner sanctum, he half expected to see Father Jaqui in full military fatigues and helmet standing guard with a bazooka. The space, however, was deserted. Silence. Soft lighting. Archivio Vaticano. One of his life dreams. As Langdon's eyes took in the sacred chamber, his first reaction was one of embarrassment. He realized what a callow romantic he was. The images he had held for so many years of this room could not have been more inaccurate. He had imagined dusty bookshelves piled high with tattered volumes, priests cataloging by the light of candles and stained-glass windows, monks poring over scrolls†¦ Not even close. At first glance the room appeared to be a darkened airline hangar in which someone had built a dozen free-standing racquetball courts. Langdon knew of course what the glass-walled enclosures were. He was not surprised to see them; humidity and heat eroded ancient vellums and parchments, and proper preservation required hermitic vaults like these – airtight cubicles that kept out humidity and natural acids in the air. Langdon had been inside hermetic vaults many times, but it was always an unsettling experience†¦ something about entering an airtight container where the oxygen was regulated by a reference librarian. The vaults were dark, ghostly even, faintly outlined by tiny dome lights at the end of each stack. In the blackness of each cell, Langdon sensed the phantom giants, row upon row of towering stacks, laden with history. This was one hell of a collection. Vittoria also seemed dazzled. She stood beside him staring mutely at the giant transparent cubes. Time was short, and Langdon wasted none of it scanning the dimly lit room for a book catalog – a bound encyclopedia that cataloged the library's collection. All he saw was the glow of a handful of computer terminals dotting the room. â€Å"Looks like they've got a Biblion. Their index is computerized.† Vittoria looked hopeful. â€Å"That should speed things up.† Langdon wished he shared her enthusiasm, but he sensed this was bad news. He walked to a terminal and began typing. His fears were instantly confirmed. â€Å"The old-fashioned method would have been better.† â€Å"Why?† He stepped back from the monitor. â€Å"Because real books don't have password protection. I don't suppose physicists are natural born hackers?† Vittoria shook her head. â€Å"I can open oysters, that's about it.† Langdon took a deep breath and turned to face the eerie collection of diaphanous vaults. He walked to the nearest one and squinted into the dim interior. Inside the glass were amorphous shapes Langdon recognized as the usual bookshelves, parchment bins, and examination tables. He looked up at the indicator tabs glowing at the end of each stack. As in all libraries, the tabs indicated the contents of that row. He read the headings as he moved down the transparent barrier. Pietro Il Erimito†¦ Le Crociate†¦ Urbano II†¦ Levant†¦ â€Å"They're labeled,† he said, still walking. â€Å"But it's not alpha-author.† He wasn't surprised. Ancient archives were almost never cataloged alphabetically because so many of the authors were unknown. Titles didn't work either because many historical documents were untitled letters or parchment fragments. Most cataloging was done chronologically. Disconcertingly, however, this arrangement did not appear to be chronological. Langdon felt precious time already slipping away. â€Å"Looks like the Vatican has its own system.† â€Å"What a surprise.† He examined the labels again. The documents spanned centuries, but all the keywords, he realized, were interrelated. â€Å"I think it's a thematic classification.† â€Å"Thematic?† Vittoria said, sounding like a disapproving scientist. â€Å"Sounds inefficient.† Actually†¦ Langdon thought, considering it more closely. This may be the shrewdest cataloging I've ever seen. He had always urged his students to understand the overall tones and motifs of an artistic period rather than getting lost in the minutia of dates and specific works. The Vatican Archives, it seemed, were cataloged on a similar philosophy. Broad strokes†¦ â€Å"Everything in this vault,† Langdon said, feeling more confident now, â€Å"centuries of material, has to do with the Crusades. That's this vault's theme.† It was all here, he realized. Historical accounts, letters, artwork, socio-political data, modern analyses. All in one place†¦ encouraging a deeper understanding of a topic. Brilliant. Vittoria frowned. â€Å"But data can relate to multiple themes simultaneously.† â€Å"Which is why they cross-reference with proxy markers.† Langdon pointed through the glass to the colorful plastic tabs inserted among the documents. â€Å"Those indicate secondary documents located elsewhere with their primary themes.† â€Å"Sure,† she said, apparently letting it go. She put her hands on her hips and surveyed the enormous space. Then she looked at Langdon. â€Å"So, Professor, what's the name of this Galileo thing we're looking for?† Langdon couldn't help but smile. He still couldn't fathom that he was standing in this room. It's in here, he thought. Somewhere in the dark, it's waiting. â€Å"Follow me,† Langdon said. He started briskly down the first aisle, examining the indicator tabs of each vault. â€Å"Remember how I told you about the Path of Illumination? How the Illuminati recruited new members using an elaborate test?† â€Å"The treasure hunt,† Vittoria said, following closely. â€Å"The challenge the Illuminati had was that after they placed the markers, they needed some way to tell the scientific community the path existed.† â€Å"Logical,† Vittoria said. â€Å"Otherwise nobody would know to look for it.† â€Å"Yes, and even if they knew the path existed, scientists would have no way of knowing where the path began. Rome is huge.† â€Å"Okay.† Langdon proceeded down the next aisle, scanning the tabs as he talked. â€Å"About fifteen years ago, some historians at the Sorbonne and I uncovered a series of Illuminati letters filled with references to the segno.† â€Å"The sign. The announcement about the path and where it began.† â€Å"Yes. And since then, plenty of Illuminati academics, myself included, have uncovered other references to the segno. It is accepted theory now that the clue exists and that Galileo mass distributed it to the scientific community without the Vatican ever knowing.† â€Å"How?† â€Å"We're not sure, but most likely printed publications. He published many books and newsletters over the years.† â€Å"That the Vatican no doubt saw. Sounds dangerous.† â€Å"True. Nonetheless the segno was distributed.† â€Å"But nobody has ever actually found it?† â€Å"No. Oddly though, wherever allusions to the segno appear – Masonic diaries, ancient scientific journals, Illuminati letters – it is often referred to by a number.† â€Å"666?† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Actually it's 503.† â€Å"Meaning?† â€Å"None of us could ever figure it out. I became fascinated with 503, trying everything to find meaning in the number – numerology, map references, latitudes.† Langdon reached the end of the aisle, turned the corner, and hurried to scan the next row of tabs as he spoke. â€Å"For many years the only clue seemed to be that 503 began with the number five†¦ one of the sacred Illuminati digits.† He paused. â€Å"Something tells me you recently figured it out, and that's why we're here.† â€Å"Correct,† Langdon said, allowing himself a rare moment of pride in his work. â€Å"Are you familiar with a book by Galileo called Dialogo?† â€Å"Of course. Famous among scientists as the ultimate scientific sellout.† Sellout wasn't quite the word Langdon would have used, but he knew what Vittoria meant. In the early 1630s, Galileo had wanted to publish a book endorsing the Copernican heliocentric model of the solar system, but the Vatican would not permit the book's release unless Galileo included equally persuasive evidence for the church's geo centric model – a model Galileo knew to be dead wrong. Galileo had no choice but to acquiesce to the church's demands and publish a book giving equal time to both the accurate and inaccurate models. â€Å"As you probably know,† Langdon said, â€Å"despite Galileo's compromise, Dialogo was still seen as heretical, and the Vatican placed him under house arrest.† â€Å"No good deed goes unpunished.† Langdon smiled. â€Å"So true. And yet Galileo was persistent. While under house arrest, he secretly wrote a lesser-known manuscript that scholars often confuse with Dialogo. That book is called Discorsi.† Vittoria nodded. â€Å"I've heard of it. Discourses on the Tides.† Langdon stopped short, amazed she had heard of the obscure publication about planetary motion and its effect on the tides. â€Å"Hey,† she said, â€Å"you're talking to an Italian marine physicist whose father worshiped Galileo.† Langdon laughed. Discorsi however was not what they were looking for. Langdon explained that Discorsi had not been Galileo's only work while under house arrest. Historians believed he had also written an obscure booklet called Diagramma. â€Å"Diagramma della Verita,† Langdon said. â€Å"Diagram of Truth.† â€Å"Never heard of it.† â€Å"I'm not surprised. Diagramma was Galileo's most secretive work – supposedly some sort of treatise on scientific facts he held to be true but was not allowed to share. Like some of Galileo's previous manuscripts, Diagramma was smuggled out of Rome by a friend and quietly published in Holland. The booklet became wildly popular in the European scientific underground. Then the Vatican caught wind of it and went on a book-burning campaign.† Vittoria now looked intrigued. â€Å"And you think Diagramma contained the clue? The segno. The information about the Path of Illumination.† â€Å"Diagramma is how Galileo got the word out. That I'm sure of.† Langdon entered the third row of vaults and continued surveying the indicator tabs. â€Å"Archivists have been looking for a copy of Diagramma for years. But between the Vatican burnings and the booklet's low permanence rating, the booklet has disappeared off the face of the earth.† â€Å"Permanence rating?† â€Å"Durability. Archivists rate documents one through ten for their structural integrity. Diagramma was printed on sedge papyrus. It's like tissue paper. Life span of no more than a century.† â€Å"Why not something stronger?† â€Å"Galileo's behest. To protect his followers. This way any scientists caught with a copy could simply drop it in water and the booklet would dissolve. It was great for destruction of evidence, but terrible for archivists. It is believed that only one copy of Diagramma survived beyond the eighteenth century.† â€Å"One?† Vittoria looked momentarily starstruck as she glanced around the room. â€Å"And it's here?† â€Å"Confiscated from the Netherlands by the Vatican shortly after Galileo's death. I've been petitioning to see it for years now. Ever since I realized what was in it.† As if reading Langdon's mind, Vittoria moved across the aisle and began scanning the adjacent bay of vaults, doubling their pace. â€Å"Thanks,† he said. â€Å"Look for reference tabs that have anything to do with Galileo, science, scientists. You'll know it when you see it.† â€Å"Okay, but you still haven't told me how you figured out Diagramma contained the clue. It had something to do with the number you kept seeing in Illuminati letters? 503?† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Yes. It took some time, but I finally figured out that 503 is a simple code. It clearly points to Diagramma.† For an instant Langdon relived his moment of unexpected revelation: August 16. Two years ago. He was standing lakeside at the wedding of the son of a colleague. Bagpipes droned on the water as the wedding party made their unique entrance†¦ across the lake on a barge. The craft was festooned with flowers and wreaths. It carried a Roman numeral painted proudly on the hull – DCII. Puzzled by the marking Langdon asked the father of the bride, â€Å"What's with 602?† â€Å"602?† Langdon pointed to the barge. â€Å"DCII is the Roman numeral for 602.† The man laughed. â€Å"That's not a Roman numeral. That's the name of the barge.† â€Å"The DCII?† The man nodded. â€Å"The Dick and Connie II.† Langdon felt sheepish. Dick and Connie were the wedding couple. The barge obviously had been named in their honor. â€Å"What happened to the DCI?† The man groaned. â€Å"It sank yesterday during the rehearsal luncheon.† Langdon laughed. â€Å"Sorry to hear that.† He looked back out at the barge. The DCII, he thought. Like a miniature QEII. A second later, it had hit him. Now Langdon turned to Vittoria. â€Å"503,† he said, â€Å"as I mentioned, is a code. It's an Illuminati trick for concealing what was actually intended as a Roman numeral. The number 503 in Roman numerals is – â€Å" â€Å"DIII.† Langdon glanced up. â€Å"That was fast. Please don't tell me you're an Illuminata.† She laughed. â€Å"I use Roman numerals to codify pelagic strata.† Of course, Langdon thought. Don't we all. Vittoria looked over. â€Å"So what is the meaning of DIII?† â€Å"DI and DII and DIII are very old abbreviations. They were used by ancient scientists to distinguish between the three Galilean documents most commonly confused. Vittoria drew a quick breath. â€Å"Dialogo†¦ Discorsi†¦ Diagramma.† â€Å"D-one. D-two. D-three. All scientific. All controversial. 503 is DIII. Diagramma. The third of his books.† Vittoria looked troubled. â€Å"But one thing still doesn't make sense. If this segno, this clue, this advertisement about the Path of Illumination was really in Galileo's Diagramma, why didn't the Vatican see it when they repossessed all the copies?† â€Å"They may have seen it and not noticed. Remember the Illuminati markers? Hiding things in plain view? Dissimulation? The segno apparently was hidden the same way – in plain view. Invisible to those who were not looking for it. And also invisible to those who didn't understand it.† â€Å"Meaning?† â€Å"Meaning Galileo hid it well. According to historic record, the segno was revealed in a mode the Illuminati called lingua pura.† â€Å"The pure language?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Mathematics?† â€Å"That's my guess. Seems pretty obvious. Galileo was a scientist after all, and he was writing for scientists. Math would be a logical language in which to lay out the clue. The booklet is called Diagramma, so mathematical diagrams may also be part of the code.† Vittoria sounded only slightly more hopeful. â€Å"I suppose Galileo could have created some sort of mathematical code that went unnoticed by the clergy.† â€Å"You don't sound sold,† Langdon said, moving down the row. â€Å"I'm not. Mainly because you aren't. If you were so sure about DIII, why didn't you publish? Then someone who did have access to the Vatican Archives could have come in here and checked out Diagramma a long time ago.† â€Å"I didn't want to publish,† Langdon said. â€Å"I had worked hard to find the information and – † He stopped himself, embarrassed. â€Å"You wanted the glory.† Langdon felt himself flush. â€Å"In a manner of speaking. It's just that – â€Å" â€Å"Don't look so embarrassed. You're talking to a scientist. Publish or perish. At CERN we call it ‘Substantiate or suffocate.' â€Å" â€Å"It wasn't only wanting to be the first. I was also concerned that if the wrong people found out about the information in Diagramma, it might disappear.† â€Å"The wrong people being the Vatican?† â€Å"Not that they are wrong, per se, but the church has always downplayed the Illuminati threat. In the early 1900s the Vatican went so far as to say the Illuminati were a figment of overactive imaginations. The clergy felt, and perhaps rightly so, that the last thing Christians needed to know was that there was a very powerful anti-Christian movement infiltrating their banks, politics, and universities.† Present tense, Robert, he reminded himself. There IS a powerful anti-Christian force infiltrating their banks, politics, and universities. â€Å"So you think the Vatican would have buried any evidence corroborating the Illuminati threat?† â€Å"Quite possibly. Any threat, real or imagined, weakens faith in the church's power.† â€Å"One more question.† Vittoria stopped short and looked at him like he was an alien. â€Å"Are you serious?† Langdon stopped. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"I mean is this really your plan to save the day?† Langdon wasn't sure whether he saw amused pity or sheer terror in her eyes. â€Å"You mean finding Diagramma?† â€Å"No, I mean finding Diagramma, locating a four-hundred-year-old segno, deciphering some mathematical code, and following an ancient trail of art that only the most brilliant scientists in history have ever been able to follow†¦ all in the next four hours.† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"I'm open to other suggestions.† 50 Robert Langdon stood outside Archive Vault 9 and read the labels on the stacks. Brahe†¦ Clavius†¦ Copernicus†¦ Kepler†¦ Newton†¦ As he read the names again, he felt a sudden uneasiness. Here are the scientists†¦ but where is Galileo? He turned to Vittoria, who was checking the contents of a nearby vault. â€Å"I found the right theme, but Galileo's missing.† â€Å"No he isn't,† she said, frowning as she motioned to the next vault. â€Å"He's over here. But I hope you brought your reading glasses, because this entire vault is his.† Langdon ran over. Vittoria was right. Every indictor tab in Vault 10 carried the same keyword. Il Proceso Galileano Langdon let out a low whistle, now realizing why Galileo had his own vault. â€Å"The Galileo Affair,† he marveled, peering through the glass at the dark outlines of the stacks. â€Å"The longest and most expensive legal proceeding in Vatican history. Fourteen years and six hundred million lire. It's all here.† â€Å"Have a few legal documents.† â€Å"I guess lawyers haven't evolved much over the centuries.† â€Å"Neither have sharks.† Langdon strode to a large yellow button on the side of the vault. He pressed it, and a bank of overhead lights hummed on inside. The lights were deep red, turning the cube into a glowing crimson cell†¦ a maze of towering shelves. â€Å"My God,† Vittoria said, looking spooked. â€Å"Are we tanning or working?† â€Å"Parchment and vellum fades, so vault lighting is always done with dark lights.† â€Å"You could go mad in here.† Or worse, Langdon thought, moving toward the vault's sole entrance. â€Å"A quick word of warning. Oxygen is an oxidant, so hermetic vaults contain very little of it. It's a partial vacuum inside. Your breathing will feel strained.† â€Å"Hey, if old cardinals can survive it.† True, Langdon thought. May we be as lucky. The vault entrance was a single electronic revolving door. Langdon noted the common arrangement of four access buttons on the door's inner shaft, one accessible from each compartment. When a button was pressed, the motorized door would kick into gear and make the conventional half rotation before grinding to a halt – a standard procedure to preserve the integrity of the inner atmosphere. â€Å"After I'm in,† Langdon said, â€Å"just press the button and follow me through. There's only eight percent humidity inside, so be prepared to feel some dry mouth.† Langdon stepped into the rotating compartment and pressed the button. The door buzzed loudly and began to rotate. As he followed its motion, Langdon prepared his body for the physical shock that always accompanied the first few seconds in a hermetic vault. Entering a sealed archive was like going from sea level to 20,000 feet in an instant. Nausea and light-headedness were not uncommon. Double vision, double over, he reminded himself, quoting the archivist's mantra. Langdon felt his ears pop. There was a hiss of air, and the door spun to a stop. He was in. Langdon's first realization was that the air inside was thinner than he had anticipated. The Vatican, it seemed, took their archives a bit more seriously than most. Langdon fought the gag reflex and relaxed his chest while his pulmonary capillaries dilated. The tightness passed quickly. Enter the Dolphin, he mused, gratified his fifty laps a day were good for something. Breathing more normally now, he looked around the vault. Despite the transparent outer walls, he felt a familiar anxiety. I'm in a box, he thought. A blood red box. The door buzzed behind him, and Langdon turned to watch Vittoria enter. When she arrived inside, her eyes immediately began watering, and she started breathing heavily. â€Å"Give it a minute,† Langdon said. â€Å"If you get light-headed, bend over.† â€Å"I†¦ feel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Vittoria choked, â€Å"like I'm†¦ scuba diving†¦ with the wrong†¦ mixture.† Langdon waited for her to acclimatize. He knew she would be fine. Vittoria Vetra was obviously in terrific shape, nothing like the doddering ancient Radcliffe alumnae Langdon had once squired through Widener Library's hermetic vault. The tour had ended with Langdon giving mouth-to-mouth to an old woman who'd almost aspirated her false teeth. â€Å"Feeling better?† he asked. Vittoria nodded. â€Å"I rode your damn space plane, so I thought I owed you.† This brought a smile. â€Å"Touche.† Langdon reached into the box beside the door and extracted some white cotton gloves. â€Å"Formal affair?† Vittoria asked. â€Å"Finger acid. We can't handle the documents without them. You'll need a pair.† Vittoria donned some gloves. â€Å"How long do we have?† Langdon checked his Mickey Mouse watch. â€Å"It's just past seven.† â€Å"We have to find this thing within the hour.† â€Å"Actually,† Langdon said, â€Å"we don't have that kind of time.† He pointed overhead to a filtered duct. â€Å"Normally the curator would turn on a reoxygenation system when someone is inside the vault. Not today. Twenty minutes, we'll both be sucking wind.† Vittoria blanched noticeably in the reddish glow. Langdon smiled and smoothed his gloves. â€Å"Substantiate or suffocate, Ms. Vetra. Mickey's ticking.†

Deer Hunting

Few deer live to be more than five years old because of hunting, vehicle accidents and predators. Deer are preyed upon by, wolves, bobcats, bears, coyotes, and humans. Deer hunting is the activity or sport of pursuing or chasing deer. It dates back to tens of thousands of years ago. Approximately one hundred people die in hunting accidents in the United States each year. Therefore, hunting deer is unsuccessful, unfair, pointless, unsafe, and should only be done if the deer will be eaten.Hunting can be very unnecessary especially when sport hunting. Studies show that 11 percent of deer who had been killed by hunters died only after being shot two or more times and that some wounded deer suffered for more than 15 minutes before fully passing away (â€Å"Why Sport Hunting Is Cruel and Unnecessary†, par. 3). It causes the deer to go through great pain and suffering for no very urgent reason and for the sake of mere amusement. It may make you feel stronger, but there is still no re ason to kill innocent deer.What if you were that deer that had to go through all this misery just for your unintelligent, and sickening mistake? In addition, sport hunting causes destroyed properties and injured bystanders. In 2006, former Vice President Dick Cheney accidently shot a close friend while hunting quail on a canned hunting preserve. According to the Hunter Education Association, there are more than dozens and hundreds of deaths caused by hunting in the United States each year. Yet alone those number of deaths are deaths of humans (â€Å"Why hunting is Unnecessary 2†par. 16).This is an ongoing problem that we have to stop. Hunters seem to be unfamiliar with their firearms and do not have a sufficient amount of respect for the damage that they can do. Deer hunting can also be ineffective in more than one way. It is unsuccessful for trying to solve human/deer conflicts. Studies show that throughout hunting season hunters frighten the deer out of the woods and onto t he road increasing the number of car/deer collisions (Lin, Doris, par. 10). People should not bother trying to kill deer if the result would be winding up in a huge mess.If the deer goes onto the street then most likely both the deer and human would die or be seriously injured. Think about all that happened or would happen when going to hunt that deer down . The main reason that deer hunting is ineffective is because they believe that it helps with controlling the deer population. It really depends because if trophy hunting the deer then you would most likely kill the strong male deer or bucks. That wouldn’t help at all because the female deer are the ones who breed (Roos, Dave, par. ). Do not do anything violent or brainless if not urgently necessary in the situation. When extraordinary natural occurrences cause overpopulation, natural processes should work there way back to even out the group. Even though starvation and disease may be two of the tragic ways they may stabili ze although it happens naturally (â€Å"Why Sport Hunting Is Cruel and Unnecessary†par. 9). Shooting deer because he or she might become sick or starve is unreasonable and is destructive.Those who support deer hunting believe that killing them stops all the problems that the deer cause. When hunting deer you will remove a few deer and prevent those from reproducing and prevent the deer from causing chaos on the street (Lin, Doris, and par. 5). Therefore the outcome will be less harmed people in car accidents. However, that is unnecessary because that means the other deer will have more food for themselves. Also, they would not have to fight other deer for food. Since they would have more food, they would be able to give more births to twins and triplets.That also means that the deer will normalize and give birth to fewer fawns when food is scarce (Lin, Doris, par. 10). Before going to hunt those poor creatures maybe you should think to yourself â€Å"Why kill these deer? â⠂¬  â€Å"Is there a reasonable reason? † â€Å"If so, is there better ways to solve this? † There is a better way to solve this, you can let the deer regulate themselves it might be painful but it is life. Killing does not resolve anything at all. It just makes the situation worse. People who believe killing deer helps, sad for you studies show it does not.Hunting deer is meaningless and disastrous in overpopulation and unjust to those who suffer. When citizens do this every single deer counts and will affect the future. â€Å"In which way will it affect the future? † It is not known at the moment all that is known is that we may still have the chance to make a difference in this struggling world that we live in today. However, if this continues without help from you, then believe it or not but deer will become endangered species, or worse extinct.

Nursing Research Utilization Project: Section C Essay

Several articles have been reviewed as a research base for this project. Identification of appropriate research is critical to the successful implementation of nurse-led evidence-based practice protocols. Each article was carefully selected for what it could contribute to the quality of the project. Using the evidence in this research will help with the development of an implementation plan. Article #1 Adams, D., Bucior, H., & Day, G. (2012, January). HOUDINI: make that urinary catheter disappear-nurse-led protocol. Journal of Infection Prevention, 13, 44-48. This article discusses the use of 7 criteria that must exist in order to keep an indwelling urinary catheter in place. According to Adams (2012), the average daily risk of developing a bacteremia with an indwelling urinary catheter increases by 3%-7% for every additional day the catheter remains indwelling. The study uses the acronym HOUDINI to demonstrate the criteria. The acronym stands for Hematuria, Obstruction, Urologic surgery, Decubitus ulcer, Input and output measurement, Nursing end of life care, and Immobility. In the absence of these aforementioned indications, according to the study, the catheter should be removed to decrease the risk of catheter-associated bacteremia. Article #2 Bernard, M. S., Hunter, K. F., & Moore, K. N. (2012). A Review of Strategies to Decrease the Duration of Indwelling Urethral Catheters and Potentially Reduce the Incidence of Catheter- Associated Urinary Tract Infections. Urologic Nursing, 32(1), 29-37. This article discussed different strategies to decrease the incidence of indwelling urinary  catheter times. It was a retrospective study that analyzed data obtained from hospital databases. The study supports nurse-led or electronic chart reminders every 24 hours to assess the need for indwelling urinary catheters on a daily basis. The conclusion lists timely removal as one of the main factors affecting the incidence of CAUTI. Article #3 Clarke, K., Tong, D., Pan, Y., Easley, K., Norrick, B., Ko, C., & †¦ Stein, J. (2013). Reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infections by bundling interventions. International Journal For Quality In Health Care: Journal Of The International Society For Quality In Health Care / Isqua,25(1), 43-49. doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzs077 This article reviews the affect on incidence of CAUTI by bundling interventions. Also a retrospective study, this research reviewed the effectiveness of bundling four interventions for patients with indwelling urinary catheters. The bundle consisted of 1) Using a silver alloy impregnated catheter 2) Using a securement device to limit the catheter movement 3) Repositioning of the catheter tubing if it was found to be kinked or on the floor 4) Prompt removal of the catheter on post operative day one or two. Implementing this bundle of care for patients resulted in a significant decrease in CAUTI for these study participants. Pre implementation of the bu ndle the CAUTI incidence rate was 5.2/1000. Seven months post implementation the CAUTI incidence rate was 1.5/1000. The authors have proven with statistical significance that the four-intervention bundle will be successful in reducing the incidence rate of CAUTI in indwelling urinary catheter patients. Article #4 Levers, H. (2014). Switching to an antimicrobial solution for skin cleansing before urinary catheterisation. British Journal Of Community Nursing, 19(2), 66-71. This study suggests that switching to an antimicrobial cleaning solution for the area prior to insertion of a urinary catheter will reduce the incidence of CAUTI. The research recommended using Octenilin solution for cleansing the meatus prior to catheterization. The case studies are ongoing and no results were mentioned in the study except for to say the change was cost neutral and the practice change is promising. This study failed to show a statistically significant decrease in CAUTI post  implementation. Article #5 Meddings, J. A., Reichert, H., Rogers, M. M., Saint, S., Stephansky, J., & McMahon Jr., L. F. (2012). Effect of Nonpayment for Hospital-Acquired, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection. Annals Of Internal Medicine, 157(5), 305-312. This study reviewed the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) recent (2008) initiative to hold or eliminate reimbursement for costs associated with hospital acquired CAUTI. This study alluded to the misuse of coding in failing to identify CAUTI when it actually did exist, therefore claiming the financial impact on health care organizations is low for non-payment of hospital acquired CAUTI. Even when the researchers included all urinary tract infections catheter associated and otherwise, the loss of reimbursement to healthcare organizations would have been less than 1% due to improper coding. Conclusion In conclusion, the prevalence and incidence of CAUTI is affected by many factors. First health care workers need to be aware of the significance of CAUTI and be compliant with new practice guidelines to decrease risk. Second, adherence to inclusion criteria for indwelling urinary catheters and their placement using the HOUDINI protocol (Adams, Bucior, & Rimmell, 2012). Lastly, implementation of a bladder bundle to decrease the incidence of hospital acquired CAUTI. Each factor focuses on a unique evidence-based prevention, reduction, or eradication strategy to address the problem of CAUTI. Health care workers, who possess an awareness of the need to decrease this preventable infection, will add to the forward trajectory of solving this problem, and implementing this project. References Adams, D., Bucior, H., & Day, G. (2012, January). HOUDINI: make that urinary catheter disappear-nurse-led protocol. Journal of Infection Prevention, 13, 44-48. Bernard, M. S., Hunter, K. F., & Moore, K. N. (2012). A Review of Strategies to Decrease the Duration of Indwelling Urethral Catheters and Potentially Reduce the Incidence of Catheter- Associated Urinary Tract Infections. Urologic Nursing, 32(1), 29-37. Clarke, K., Tong, D., Pan, Y., Easley, K., Norrick, B., Ko, C., & †¦ Stein, J. (2013). Reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infections by bundling interventions. International Journal For Quality In Health Care: Journal Of The International Society For Quality In Health Care / Isqua,25(1), 43-49. doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzs077 Levers, H. (2014). Switching to an antimicrobial solution for skin cleansing before urinary catheterisation. British Journal Of Community Nursing, 19(2), 66-71. Meddings, J. A., Reichert, H., Rogers, M. M., Saint, S., Stephansky, J., & McMahon Jr., L. F. (2012). Effect of Nonpayment for Hospital-Acquired, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection. Annals Of Internal Medicine, 157(5), 305-312.

Labour markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Labour markets - Essay Example The three pillars of the agenda of the organisation include the intension of making the future work satisfactory for the employees, to keep up with the changes in the cultural background and the attitudes of the employees working in the multicultural organisations of the globalised world, as well as to make a free flowing culture in the place of work where the organisation is established. The theme of improving the quality of work life is a widely discussed topic since a long time. This report aims at providing a critical analysis of the various issues that are of concern to the human resource managers. In the initial part of the report a literature review has been done to highlight the issues that have been addressed in the international literature. The main section of the essay deals with multitude of questions including the extent to which the goals are important for the relationships of employer-employee in the different cases, the procedure of achievement of such goals as well a s the problems that may crop up in the scenario of the present day labour market. Scholarly resources like books, journals as well relevant websites have been consulted to conduct a review of the literature that have been written on this topic as well as the critical analysis on this question. Literature Review This section of the literature review is an attempt to link the three main aspects of work life balance which includes the work that the person does the workforce in the organisation and the place of work of the employees involved. It is essential for every organisation to have a proper balance between family and work which otherwise would give rise to issues of conflict according to Greenhaus and Beutell (Greenhaus and Beutell, 1985, pp. 76-88). The environment at work affects the performance health of the employees. There is a high correlation between the work units and the effectiveness of the work systems in which employees perform. Each department in an organisation comp rise of teams and the performance of the teams in a collective manner contributes to the total productivity of the organisations. Thus the performance of the teams is extremely important from the point of view of the organisation. It has been observed through various works of research that the sum of the performances of the individuals would be less than that which would be contributed by an entire team (Parker, 1990, pp. 63-86). Hence the commitment and dedication of the team are important for the growth of the organisation and the progress of the employees. Researchers have made studies regarding the work hours of the individual employees, the level of job satisfaction, the health and the well-being of the employees. It has been found that all these factors have a direct correlation with the level of performance of the employees and the way they are committed to the work they have been assigned. The business processes are directly linked with the work life that the employees have. It has been found that the people who work in organisations which guarantee a good work life balance are more involved in the work at office (Williams and Adam-Smith, 2010, pp. 26-49). The diversity and flexibility in the organisation culture make the workplace conducive for the employees. A flexible workplace has a major role to

The Concept of Volunteering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Concept of Volunteering - Essay Example It is therefore a common affair for both organizations and individuals to volunteer. In another respect, volunteering is normally practiced as a way of developing skills, making fun or simply socializing. In the job market, many people are normally seen to volunteer their services in order to make contacts that might be crucial in getting a job (Falk, 2004, pp23-29). Volunteering normally involves a number of ways and can be conducted by basically everyone using their own skills or competencies. In most cases, volunteers work in the areas where they are trained. In this regard, it is common to find volunteers in medicine, education, and in the provision of emergency services. In the same way, other volunteers usually serve where their services are needed urgently such as in emergencies. Volunteering will normally take different forms in the present world. Skills-based volunteering is very common and involves improving the specialized skills of individuals and organizations in improvi ng the infrastructure of nonprofits (Field, 2003, pp.78-85). It is basically different from the traditional volunteering which does not really require the use of specialized skills. Volunteering is also quite common in the developing countries whereby needy communities are assisted on various ways in improving their welfare. The third world is a good destination for most volunteers who usually work in the schools, orphanages and other resource centers where they provide some of the basic services needed by the communities. In this regard, volunteering is presently viewed as a form of international community service involving various developmental activities geared towards the needy societies across the world (Matheson, 2004, pp.28). In a world where environmental conservation has become one of the core concerns, much voluntary work is presently targeted towards managing and conserving the environment. Many volunteers are therefore involved in a wide range of activities targeted at e cological restoration, environmental monitoring and other activities geared towards the environment (Maslow, 1970). Voluntary work normally plays major role in addressing some of the common emergencies and situations realized across the world. For instance most of the recovery efforts normally require a lot of labour and personnel which is very difficult to realize. In this regard, voluntary work plays a major role. Disasters such as floods and earthquakes are therefore better addressed through voluntary efforts across the world. There are many non-governmental organizations which are involved in voluntary work and conduct their activities across the world. Most of these non-governmental agencies work in collaboration with government agencies and other UN aid agencies (Halpern, 2004. pp123). The concept of corporate volunteering is very popular with most successful companies across the world. In this case, the companies normally allow their employees to conduct voluntary activities during work hours. Most of these activities are part of the corporate social responsibility programs which are part and parcel of the activities of the organization (Bridge, Murtagh, & O’Neill, 2009. pp 85).  Ã‚