Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Tobacco Use Will Kill One Billion People This Century

History â€Å"IF LEFT UNCHECKED, TOBACCO USE WILL KILL ONE BILLION PEOPLE THIS CENTURY (www.bloomberg.org).† One billion people is a staggering number to die from a consumer product that is widely available and promoted worldwide by the multinational company Phillip Morris International. The explosion of mainstream tobacco use and acceptance in the twentieth century began with an attitude of glamor and toughness. This approach fueled by magnetic film stars smoking in the movies between the 1920’ and 1950’s. With the introduction of television advertising, the iconic Marlboro man made his appearance, a rugged and tough all-American cowboy, into the homes of viewers. Tobacco and Hollywood went hand in hand; moreover, the general public had†¦show more content†¦Surprisingly, in 1998, ten years after the Surgeon General s report, Phillip Morris, a leading tobacco company changed their stance, saying â€Å"overwhelming medical and scientific consensus that cigarette smoking causes diseases† and, moreover, that smoking â€Å"is addictive as that term is most commonly used today (p. 10).† This change in stance by big tobacco has brought warning labels on tobacco product, informational guidance on resources for quitting and changes in marketing to what Arnold, Buechamp, and Bowie (2013) describe as susceptible consumers, in this case, teens and young adults. Discussion Due to the changes made with regards to marketing and packaging, among other factors, there has been a decline in smoking in the United States and other high-income countries. In lower and middle-income countries. Bloomberg asserts â€Å"every day, more than 14,000 people die from tobacco use. Most tobacco-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, areas that are targets of intensive tobacco industry marketing (2017). Bloomberg Philanthropies are addressing this worldwide to control tobacco use by educating populations about the dangers, education on quitting, banning marketing, and raising taxes on tobacco products. Their approach is designed to protect their stakeholders, the public, and aggressively change tobacco use in other countries. Mostly, efforts have been effective and areShow MoreRelatedThe Film Secrets Of Tobacco Industry925 Words   |  4 PagesTobacco is one of the easiest drugs to purchase and consume around the world. Available in various smoke shops and grocery stores tobacco is widely available to the public. But what are the effects of the drug on people’s health? What are countries doing to stop it? The film Secrets of Tobacco Industry speaks mainly about the marketing and sale of tobacco in Indonesia. To start of the Christof Putzel proceeds to New York where mayor Michael Bloomberg discuses his effective mission to decrease smokingRead MoreEnough is Enough1321 Words   |  6 PagesTobacco, once recreationally customary and signified one as being â€Å"cool† has done a substantial 180 degree turn. With the knowledge that came along with the 20th century also came the harsh truth that tobacco causes illness and disease. Recently the use of tobacco has been brought into our governments legislations and state laws prohibiting tobacco use in varies of ways. With designated smoking areas outside and in parks. No smoking in bars and restaurants many smokers are being victimized by a badRead MoreShould Cigarette Smoking Be Banned?925 Words   |  4 Pagessmoking in the United States Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of diseases and premature death in the United States (U.S.), yet more than 45 million Americans still smoke cigarettes. The health threat posed by tobacco has been accepted by scientists since the 17th century. In 1928, studies linked smoking to cancer. In 1964, the first Surgeon General’s report on cigarette smoking summarized the evidence that tobacco poses serious health risks for those who use it. Cigarette smoking shouldRead MoreThe Fight Against Smoking1162 Words   |  5 PagesThe Fight Against Smoking Tobacco has been a huge part of economic success in many countries for over a century now. Tobacco use has greatly increased since its discovery in the late 1400s by the European settlers in the new world otherwise known as the United States. Tobacco companies are very aware of the health risks of cigarettes, but continue to sell them for the high amount of revenue they make off of them. Cigarettes kill millions of people around the world each year and the death tollRead MoreTobacco And The Long Term Effects Of Smoking950 Words   |  4 PagesTobacco Advertising Tobacco has been around for centuries and consumed by people everywhere around the world. The products tobacco companies produce contain harmful chemicals and drugs to make the user stay hooked for as long as possible. Till death do us part, am I right? These companies use the ignorance of under developed countries to leech off of their wallets and create sickness without an explanation. Tobacco should not be able to advertise its products in a positive light. Tobacco productsRead MoreThe Legalization of Marijuana862 Words   |  3 PagesIt has become illegal to possess, sell or use marijuana in various countries beginning in the 20th century, despite that it’s used quite commonly. According to a United Nations’ report, â€Å"cannabis was the world’s most widely produced, trafficked and consumed drug in the world in 2010† (Dockterman). Meanwhile, other, more-lethal substances such as alcohol and tobacco are legal and help benefit the economy. If two substances that can easily harm or kill people can be legal, then marijuana should receiveRead MoreBan On Tobacco By The Government Of India1078 Words   |  5 PagesBAN ON TOBACCO BY THE GOVERMENT OF INDIA INTRODUCTION According to Brown Williamson Tobacco Corporation â€Å"From an ethical standpoint, it would be wrong to try to cause people to take the risk of smoking. But even beyond the moral issue, for a product such as cigarettes well known to have serious health risks, it would be difficult even to understand how an advertising campaign could be devised to convince people to smoke. India s tobacco problem is very complex; the quote above depicts how ethicallyRead MoreThe Great American Cigarette1398 Words   |  6 PagesThe cigarette is one of the biggest causes of death on the planet ranging from it many diseases that it causes to the effects that it psychotically a person. With smoking being dangerous by it secondhand smoke and peer pressure succumb to people’s minds and thoughts to go and do these awful things. The Cigarette is looks simple but in reality it is engineered piece of death according to Hyde who says† A cigarette looks simple: just a paper wrapped around some tobacco, but todays cigarettes is aRead MoreMarijuana Legalization throughout the World Essay813 Words   |  4 Pagesillegal to possess, sell or use marijuana in various countries beginning in the 20th century, despite that it’s used quite commonly. The United Nations has even stated that cannabis is the world’s most widely produced, trafficked and consumed drug in the world, with an estimated 119 to 224 million adult users worldwide. Meanwhile, other, more-lethal substances such as alcohol and tobacco are legal and help benefit the economy. If two substances that can easily harm or kill people can be legal, then marijuanaRead MorePositive Aspects to Leagalizing Marijuana1428 Words   |  6 Pagesby many countries in the 20th century. Over the past two decades, there has been a growing movement to l egalize marijuana, primarily for medical purposes. Opposing views on the subject of decriminalizing the plant has caused much controversy over the past twenty years and still remains an important issue. The legalization of marijuana in the United States would drastically reduce crime in our cities and help reduce some of the national debt through its positive uses. The war on drugs touches every

Monday, December 16, 2019

Storm Born Chapter Nineteen Free Essays

string(29) " stuff since she was little\." Dorian wasn’t nearly as impressed as he should have been by the storm. â€Å"You couldn’t control it,† he told me. â€Å"It did you no good. We will write a custom essay sample on Storm Born Chapter Nineteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now Until you master the small things, you’ll never control the large ones. They’ll control you.† He didn’t seem upset; he simply showed that infinite patience and good-natured attitude he always had. Still enchanted by human stuff, he wanted us to take him into the city and show him entertaining things – particularly the aforementioned women with low inhibitions. Considering the car ride would have literally killed him, we ordered pizza instead. You could tell it was sort of a letdown for him, but he still enjoyed it. He found delight in everything, I realized. Well – except for those extreme moments of boredom that seemed to plague him, although even in those he still managed to find some sort of joke. I didn’t know many people like that. I saw him once more that week, this time at his place. He made me repeat the boring water experiment five times, but it only yielded the exact same results. At least this time I didn’t conjure any storms. When I asked if we could do something else next time, he laughed and sent me home. The day before Dorian’s ball, I mustered up the courage to do something I’d been thinking about for a long time now: visit Wil Delaney. He still left messages with Lara almost every other day, but that wasn’t what finally made me go see him again. Ever since my mom’s visit, I hadn’t been able to shake the idea of her locked away, miserable and alone, in Storm King’s castle. The pain of that image transferred to my impressions of Jasmine, and no matter how reluctant the girl had been to leave, I knew she was still a victim. I wanted to do something – anything – to help her but had no idea where to start or even how to do it, considering last time’s disaster. Talking to Wil again seemed like a semireasonable beginning. Kiyo went with me, driving us in his rental car since his poor Spider was out of commission. This car was a brand-new Toyota Camry that seemed pretty nice to me, though it obviously caused him considerable distress. When we knocked on the door, Wil didn’t answer right away. â€Å"You sure he’s here?† Kiyo asked. â€Å"Yeah. I don’t think he ever leaves. We’re probably being thermal-scanned or something.† Kiyo gave me a puzzled look. â€Å"Just wait,† I warned. A minute later, I heard the legion of locks and bolts being undone, and Wil’s face appeared. â€Å"Oh, my God,† he gasped, face lighting up. â€Å"You’re back. Wait. Who’s that?† â€Å"A friend. Now let us in.† Wil gave Kiyo a hesitant look and finally opened the door wider. As we walked in, I could tell from Kiyo’s expression that he was having exactly the same reaction I’d had to the weirdness of Wil’s lair. In particular he paused in front of a magazine lying open on a coffee table. An article’s large headline read: THEY’RE USING YOUR DNA TO TRACK YOU! WEAR A HAIRNET WHEN LEAVING THE HOUSE! â€Å"I knew you’d come around,† Wil burbled out, leading us into the kitchen. â€Å"When are we going back?† â€Å"I don’t know that we are, Wil.† â€Å"Then why – â€Å" I held up a hand to silence him. â€Å"I just want to talk right now, that’s all.† His face fell, but he nodded and walked to the refrigerator. â€Å"You want something to drink?† â€Å"Sure. What do you have?† He opened the refrigerator. Inside were about ten jugs of water whose labels guaranteed ultra-ultra-ultra purification and refinement against impurities. â€Å"Water,† he said. â€Å"Most soft drinks are laden with – â€Å" â€Å"Water’s fine.† He poured three glasses and sat down with us, watching me expectantly. â€Å"I want to know more about Jasmine,† I explained. â€Å"If we’re ever able to go back†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Again, that pale face loomed in my mind. I swallowed. â€Å"It might not do us any good if she doesn’t want to go. Is there anything about her†¦anything you can tell us that might sort of explain that?† The fanatical gleam left his eyes, replaced by something sober and sad. â€Å"I don’t know. I mean, I guess half of it’s being fourteen, you know? Not that she ever seemed all that impressionable. I guess she could have been brainwashed. There’s lots of documentation on that; the government does it all the time. I imagine even fairies have conditioning techniques†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He started going off on that, and I felt Kiyo’s hand rest on my thigh under the table and give a slight squeeze. It was less of a sexual thing and more of a What the hell have you gotten us into? Keeping my expression blank, I finally interrupted Wil’s lecture. â€Å"Can you give us any information about her? Like†¦what she was into? Likes? Dislikes? If we could just get some idea about that, it might help us understand her better.† â€Å"Well,† he said doubtfully, â€Å"I could show you her room.† He took us farther into the house, which was just as dark as the kitchen, and into a small room that smelled of dust and disuse. Probably making a great sacrifice to his values, he flipped on the lights. For half a second, I was relieved that Jasmine’s room did not mirror the rest of Wil’s crazed existence. It looked like a normal teenage girl’s room. At first. Then I saw the fairy posters. They were interspersed with other airbrushed fantasy pictures – unicorns and dreamscapes – but fairies definitely made up the dominant theme splashed against the room’s rose-pink walls. These images weren’t accurate representations of the very humanlike gentry but depicted more of what pop culture perceived fairies to be like: small and winged, playing with flowers and fireflies. Those sorts of beings did exist in the Otherworld, though technically they were pixies. â€Å"You didn’t think this was relevant?† I breathed, gazing around. â€Å"This is fluff,† said Wil dismissively. â€Å"Stuff girls are into. She’s liked this stuff since she was little. You read "Storm Born Chapter Nineteen" in category "Essay examples"† I walked farther into the room and knelt in front of a small bookcase. J. R. R. Tolkien. C. S. Lewis. J. K. Rowling. More and more fantasy titles. A shrine to escapism. Glancing around, Kiyo seemed to be thinking along the same lines I was. â€Å"Are there any photos? Any friends of hers?† Wil shook his head. â€Å"She didn’t have a lot of friends.† He sat down on the ruffled pink bed and found a small album on the floor. â€Å"Here are a few pictures.† Kiyo and I sat next to him. The album was sort of a record of Jasmine’s childhood. There were some baby pictures and some shots of her as a little girl. Wil figured into a lot of the pictures, but we saw little of their parents. I recalled his bitter comments about their chronic absence. We did find a few pictures of her with other children, but as she grew older, those became more rare. Mostly these seemed to be candid shots that someone – Wil, most likely – had snapped while she was busy with something. One showed her curled up with a book, another found her lying in a backyard hammock while bright sunshine lit up her strawberry-blond hair. She had noticed the photographer in that latter one and regarded the camera with a sad, sweet smile. â€Å"What did she do for fun?† I asked when Wil closed the album. â€Å"Hobbies? Sports?† He gestured to the shelves. â€Å"She liked to read, obviously. And she liked being outside. She went for walks, sometimes planted flowers. Wasn’t really into sports or anything like that.† â€Å"She must have hung out with some people,† I pointed out. â€Å"Didn’t you say she was at a party when she was taken?† â€Å"Yeah†¦kind of surprising, actually. But she went to things like that once in awhile. Not often. But sometimes. I mean, she did things with me sometimes too. We went to Disneyland once. Saw movies. But mostly she was alone.† â€Å"Do you know why?† â€Å"No. I think†¦I think she just had trouble relating to kids her age. She was smart, always sort of ahead of her time.† His voice was wistful, and I realized no matter how unstable he might be in some ways, he did truly love and miss his sister. â€Å"Was she this reclusive before your parents died?† asked Kiyo gently. â€Å"Yeah. She was always kind of this way.† After a bit more investigating around the room, we finally left. Wil pushed me hard on what I was going to do about Jasmine, but I had no answers to give him. â€Å"Well,† Kiyo said after a few quiet minutes on the road, â€Å"that was depressing.† I didn’t answer right away as I stared off at the road ahead of us. â€Å"Eugenie? You all right?† â€Å"No. Not really.† I sighed. â€Å"That poor girl.† â€Å"Starts to make more sense, though, doesn’t it?† â€Å"Yeah. Isolated from the real world, she starts living in a fantasy one. Then suddenly Aeson gives her the chance to actually live in that one.† He nodded his agreement. â€Å"Of course, abduction and rape probably weren’t the ways she envisioned escaping off to fairyland.† I stared off again for a while. â€Å"She reminds me of me.† The glance he gave me was wry. â€Å"You dissociated into a make-believe world that you hoped would become real?† â€Å"No. But I was kind of a loner too. I think I had more friends than her, admittedly, but I always had trouble relating to others. It got worse once Roland made me his apprentice. Hard to get excited about boy bands when you’re learning to exorcise ghosts.† â€Å"I don’t think you missed anything there.† I rewarded him with a smile as I continued thinking. â€Å"Even though I didn’t have many friends, I always wanted them, wanted to be noticed. If Jasmine’s the same, then she probably likes being Aeson’s mistress, as sickening as it is. He probably showers her with attention.† â€Å"You’re right†¦though I wonder if there’s more to it.† â€Å"How so?† â€Å"I think a lot of teens feel disconnected sometimes, like no one understands them. I mean, I felt that way lots of times. Not sure I would have welcomed what happened to her as some sort of salvation.† â€Å"Me either. But I suppose everyone copes in different ways. I took up solitary things. Running. Swimming.† â€Å"Puzzles?† â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"How’d you know about that?† â€Å"Because you have about a hundred of them in your closet.† I laughed, then reconsidered something he’d just said. â€Å"What was it like for you, growing up? You knew from the beginning what you were, right?† â€Å"Yeah. My parents never made that a secret. They accepted that they were from different worlds – literally – and didn’t fight that. Growing up with that duality sort of became second nature. Like I said before, I like both worlds, which is why I certainly don’t want to see some conquest of this one. Of course, I had plenty of times in my life, particularly when I was young and moody, when I’d get mad at one of my parents. Then I’d swear I’d be all kitsune or all human, depending on who’d pissed me off.† â€Å"Your teenage angst must have been a terrible thing,† I teased. â€Å"You have no idea.† â€Å"Are your parents still together?† â€Å"No. Still amicable. My mom finally stayed in the Otherworld for good once I got older. I see her from time to time. It broke my dad’s heart – he was crazy about her – but he remarried and seems to be better off.† I leaned back against the seat. â€Å"Now that I know what I am†¦I kind of wish I’d known sooner. I would have liked to get a head start on my magic and go blow Aeson’s castle apart and get Jasmine back.† â€Å"You don’t know that you can actually do that,† he warned. â€Å"You’re half-human. You may not have gotten all his power.† â€Å"Did you get everything your mom has?† He hesitated. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I can’t leave Jasmine there. Not knowing what I know. But I don’t know how to get her back.† Kiyo reached over and squeezed my hand. â€Å"We’ll think of something. Don’t worry.† It was a little comforting, but I think we both knew it was the sort of empty, kind statement you say to make someone feel better. I doubted he had any better ideas than I had on how to get Jasmine back. Kiyo didn’t have to work until the next morning, so we decided to go hiking at Sabino Canyon. Physical exertion seemed like a good way to forget about abducted girls, and it was. The temperature pushed into triple digits, and we were exhausted and sweaty as we finally made the return trip down, both of us greedily drinking from water bottles. I saw him watching me at one point while we stopped to take a break. There was a content and admiring expression on his face, not purely sexual, for a change. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Your hair. I never realized how red it is. The sun lights it up like a flame.† â€Å"Is that a good thing?† â€Å"Very good.† The comfortable look on his face shifted, and I saw the familiar glint of need surface. We didn’t say much after that. The rest of our hike and subsequent ride home proceeded in silence, but the air burned between us, hotter than anything we’d felt outside. Tim was nowhere to be found when we arrived home. Just as well. I turned on the shower, eager to remove the sweat and grime, and Kiyo hopped in with me. â€Å"We’re here to get clean,† I warned. â€Å"Sure,† he said, pushing me up against the wall. Water poured down on us as we kissed and touched and attempted some semblance of washing ourselves. I don’t know how good a job we did. I think some parts got significantly soaped down more than others. I wouldn’t have minded sex in the shower, but we had no condoms in there. Sometimes I thought the double birth control was overkill; in eight years, I’d never had problems with the pill. But we both knew how high the stakes were. A condom was a small thing to ask. We fell onto my bed, still kind of slick and soapy. He slipped the condom on in like two seconds, and I moved on top of him. Foreplay apparently wasn’t going to play a big role in our relationship. His hands grasped my hips, halting me for a moment. â€Å"You took your pill today?† â€Å"Yes, yes,† I assured him. He relaxed and released me, letting me move down and take him into me. A soft sound, half-groan and half-sigh, escaped his lips. He opened his eyes and smiled at me. â€Å"You are†¦the most right thing in my world.† I smiled back, knowing exactly what he meant. We felt good and right together, like the last month’s tension hadn’t existed. We were where we should be, picking right up after our first night together. His hands clenched my sides, his nails touching my back as my body shifted up and down. A tingle of apprehension ran through me whenever those fingers came near my back, but he continued to show restraint. The scratches were finally healing, albeit slowly. He let me stay on top only about a minute or so before he flipped me onto my stomach and took me from that position, all aggression and furious passion. I slyly tried shifting us once, and he playfully returned me back. Maybe it was the fox thing, or maybe it was just his own human nature, but something in him liked being the dominant one. I decided not to fight it, far too busy swimming in the bliss and fire of him moving inside of me. When he finished, he rolled off and pulled me to him. Happy, I buried my face against his body, drinking in his scent and feel like an intoxicant. Clinging to each other, we listened to our ragged breathing calm down. For the first time in awhile, I felt safe and at peace. Things were exactly as they were supposed to be. He stayed with me that night, and our bodies wrapped around each other in the darkness. My body fell into its old bad habits, and I found myself lying awake long after he’d fallen asleep. I twisted and turned, counting stars on my ceiling and attempting to force my mind into calmness. I tried too hard, apparently, because my mind slipped into trance, one off from wakeful consciousness but not really asleep either. Recognizing this, I started to shift out of it until an image appeared in my mind, a familiar one of a barren area I didn’t recognize and a dark, crowned figure standing over me. The memory I’d half-started in the sauna returned, flooding my mind’s eye. I suddenly found myself looking up at Storm King. The fear was there, the fear that I couldn’t escape him and that he would take me away. Then, just as before, I reached for something both within and without. Power surged through me, and the air grew thick. Dark clouds formed out of nothing, covering the sky. Soft thunder echoed around us. I still couldn’t see his face in this memory, but I could sense his amusement. â€Å"Are you going to try to fight me, little one?† A different power built up around us as he gathered his own magic. â€Å"I like your attitude – though you’re fighting a losing battle. For now, at least. Come with me, and I’ll show you how to really use your gifts.† He gently nudged his power toward me, attempting to quell mine. I sucked in more of my magic, letting it course through me. It burned, but it was wonderful. Amazing. Like nothing I had ever felt before or could have conceived of. I was more than a human in that moment, more than Eugenie Markham, more than a god. It filled me, but even then, I could not control it. Not yet. Lightning flared above us, followed immediately by thunder. Storm King was still pushing against me. I don’t think I was really more than a match for him, but he hadn’t quite expected this much of a fight. I tried to focus my power, to get ahold of it and use it against him. It was slippery, though; I couldn’t keep a hold. Lightning blazed again, and I reached out with my mind to seize it, willing it to strike him down. Only my aim was off. It hit me instead. I screamed, pain ripping through me as I became the lightning’s conduit, its means of grounding itself. It couldn’t kill me, however; it couldn’t even really hurt me – that much. I was one with the storm, and the magic I’d summoned was my own. It shot into my body, terrible and magnificent, a burning pain laced with pleasure, an ecstasy I didn’t ever want to let go of†¦. I jerked upright in bed, gasping for air. Immediately, Kiyo was beside me, asking what was wrong. I couldn’t answer right away. That fiery, exultant power was emblazoned in my memory. Yet, even as I sat there, I could feel the memory fading, the remembered sensation going with it. Some part of me cried out for it, willing it to stay. But it was going. â€Å"Eugenie?† I think it was the hundredth time he’d spoken my name. â€Å"What’s wrong?† â€Å"A dream,† I murmured, closing my eyes. Even with that magic gone – gone for years, really – my body shivered with delight. I felt alive, my flesh tingling with an awareness of both itself and the world around me. I opened my eyes and turned to Kiyo, resting my hands on his arms, curling my fingers into his skin. â€Å"What’s the – mmm.† His words were swallowed by my kiss. My mouth fed so ferociously at his that I tasted blood from where I’d bitten his lip. In an instant, I felt his animal lust answer my own as his hands gripped my hips and tried to pull me down. But I was already pushing him down, moving myself on top of him. â€Å"Don’t fight me on this,† I growled, digging my nails against him. He smiled. I think he thought I was joking, little knowing the power and aggression suddenly churning through me. His hands slid over to my wrists. Gripping them tightly, he rolled me over, pressing his full weight down on my body. â€Å"A little fighting’s not bad,† he teased. â€Å"No.† My words were fierce. Unchallengeable. Still wrapped up in the dream’s fleeting power, I surprised both of us and flipped him over. It was a lot like when we’d had sex earlier today, only now the roles were reversed. My own strength astonished me. â€Å"Don’t fight me,† I repeated, voice low and dangerous. His eyes widened in the near-darkness. There was only a heartbeat’s pause. â€Å"Anything you want.† Ostensibly, he sounded excited and amused, but there was an undercurrent of nervousness there too. Burning and exultant, I moved my mouth and hips down. We both gasped as I took him inside me. No condom, nothing between us. I shuddered at the contact, growing aroused at the thought of him directly feeling me and all my wetness. Skin to skin. Maybe I should have moved slowly, letting him savor the new sensations, but my body was too impatient. I rode him as fiercely as he had me earlier, something within me needing to assert my dominance and claim him as mine. My nails drew blood, and he cried out each time our hips slammed together. I felt powerful, in control. Like I could do anything and conquer anyone. The warmth and bliss of orgasm started building up inside of me, and some very small part of me wondered if I was getting off on thrusting him inside of me or simply on the thrill of domination. And if it was the latter, whom was I exerting my control over? Kiyo? Storm King? The ecstasy in my lower body grew more intense, more urgent. I pushed aside the nagging speculation and gave myself up to my own selfish wants. I stared down at Kiyo; he looked back as though he scarcely recognized me. â€Å"Mine,† I gasped, holding back my release. â€Å"Right now, right in this moment, you’re mine.† Kiyo made a strangled noise of pleasure, head tipped back. I was on the edge; I couldn’t hold my body back much longer. I didn’t want to hold back much longer. I was the powerful one here. I was taking what I wanted. But first, I needed to make sure he knew that. â€Å"Say it,† I told him between heavy breaths. â€Å"Tell me you’re mine. Tell me, and I’ll let you come. I’ll let you come in me. I’ll let you explode in me.† â€Å"Eugenie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he moaned when I started to slow my pace. â€Å"You’re mine,† I told him again. The lovely agony between my thighs was almost too much to bear. I was going to lose it. But Kiyo lost control first. â€Å"Yes†¦yes. Oh, God, Eugenie. I’m yours.† The power of that admission set me off, both physically and mentally. Crying out, I threw back my own head as I came. I didn’t need to see his face to know he was coming too. I could feel it, feel it in the way his body spasmed inside of mine. Squeezing him tighter, I earned another moan of pleasure from him and another orgasm for me. It was glorious. We both shook from the force of our own reactions. When we finally collapsed apart, sweating and panting, neither of us could say a word. Finally Kiyo rested his head on my chest as though seeking comfort or protection. â€Å"Yours,† he murmured at last, just before falling asleep. How to cite Storm Born Chapter Nineteen, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Quadcopter free essay sample

The Quad Copter presented in this project, is a type of quad rotor helicopter or quadrocopter that is lifted and propelled by four rotors. Early designs in the 1920s and 1930s suffered from poor performance and lack of stability due to limited controls and system integrations. Today with advanced electronics, accurate sensors and control system technology these limitations are becoming more a thing of the past, technology today has allowed these systems to grow more and more appealing due to increased stability and payload capacities. To overcome these obstacles, complex integration of various sensors would have to be incorporated to allow this configuration of flight to be successful, the quad copter. The overall goals of this project are the following: 1. Achieve Autonomous Take off and Landing. 2. Streamline Mechanical Construction/ Weight. 1 3. Attain a workable design that can be improved over time. The points presented above will be discussed thoroughly within this paper. 1. 2 History [1] The concept of a quad-rotor aircraft has existed since early in the 20th entury. Throughout the 20th century not many unique rotor-craft designs have been developed. The earliest workable designs for a quad-rotor were developed by George DeBothezat and Etienne Oemichen. The Oemichen‘s quad-rotor design is the earliest mention of a complete four-rotor hovering vehicle in past history. Oemichen‘s first design in 1920 failed in the initial attempt to become airborne, thereby requiring Oemichen to add additional lifting power and stability of a heliumfilled balloon. After a number of recalculations and redesigns, Oemichen was able to come up with a design that actually was capable of lift off and even established world helicopter flight records of the time, remaining airborne for up to 14 minutes at a time by 1923. Figure 1. 1 DeBothezats Quad-Rotor Design, 1922. The DeBothezat‘s design was created for a 1921 contract with the United States Air Corps as seen in Figure 1. 1. After working on his design for over 2 years, he was able to develop a fairly capable helicopter, which was able to take on a payload of up to 3 people in addition to the pilot. His design was deemed underpowered, unresponsive and susceptible to reliability issues. In 2 addition, instead of the calculated 100 meters cruising altitude, his craft was only capable of reaching a height of roughly 5meters. The early designs were propelled by additional rotors located somewhere on the rear or the front of the craft, perpendicular to the main rotors. Thus, they are not true quad-rotor designs. It was not until the mid-1950s that a true quad-rotor helicopter flew, which was designed by Marc Adam Kaplan. The prototype first flew in 1956, and did so with great success. The 2200 pounds craft was able to hover and maneuver using its two 90 horsepower motors, each capable of driving all four rotors in backup mode. Control in this case did not call for additional rotors on the sides of the craft, but was obtained by varying the thrust between rotors. This also was the first quad-rotor design that was able to fly successfully forward. Despite these early proofs-of-concepts, people saw little practical use for quad-rotors. They simply were not competitive with the performance specifications (speed, payload, range, etc. ) of more conventional aircrafts. No production contracts were awarded and interest in quad-rotors diminished. 3 1. 3 Prospective Applications [1] [6] Quad Copter designs are constantly progressing as the years go on. It wasnt too long ago that designs were limited and constrained, those days are history. The number of projects being undertaken regarding the topic has considerably increased, most of which are for commercial payload, human transport and military use. Currently Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems are doing joint research and development of the Bell Boeing Quad Tilt Rotor, as depicted in Figure 1. 2. The initial design consists of four 50-foot rotors powered by V-22 engines. The main role of the Bell Boeing Quad Tilt Rotor will be that of a cargo helicopter with the ability to deliver pallets of supplies or also deploy paratroopers. The first wind tunnel tests were completed in 2006 and the first prototype is expected to be built in 2012,with great anticipation. Figure 1. 2 Bell Boeing Quad Tilt Rotor. 4 Chapter 2. Quad Copter Dynamics and Theory 2. 1 Concepts of Quad Copter Flight [3] [4] [5] Copters are one of the most complex flying machines due to versatility and maneuverability to perform a number of tasks. Classical helicopters are usually equipped with a main rotor and a tail rotor. However the UAV (Unmanned Air Vehicle) presented in this paper is known as a quad copter. Quad rotors are symmetrical vehicles with four equally sized rotors at the end of four equal length rods. By making use of multiple rotors it allows for greater thrust and maneuverability. Each of the rotors on the quad-rotor helicopter produces both thrust and torque. Given that the front and rear motors both rotate counter-clockwise and the other two rotate clockwise , resulting in a net orque of zero due to the rotational axis. Lastly, the quad rotors symmetrical design allows for easier control of the overall stability of the aircraft. Figure 2. 1 Quad Copter Torque Pattern and Movement Generality. 5 The principle for maintaining an equal rate of change for the two opposing rotors is how the translation of the craft is determined, as shown in Figure 2. 1. Due to either a pitch or a roll, the lift force is displace d in the x and y axes, resulting in a horizontal force component that will direct the craft. The altitude of the quad-rotor is altered by changing the rate of all rotors by the same amount. The UAV representation is obtained by representing the quad copter as a solid body evolving in 3D to one force with three moments (Figure 2. 2). The general coordinates of this craft are: q=(x, y, z, , ) [2. 1] Where ( x, y, z) denotes the position of the center of the mass of the craft in relation to the frame base and ( , ) denotes the three angles yaw, pitch and roll (Euler angles) and represent the orientation of the copter. Figure 2. 2 Quad Copter General Inertial Frame Coordinates. 6 2. Dynamics of a Quad Rotor The kinematic relations relate the movements and rotations in the earth-fixed inertial reference to the body-fixed reference frame. The derivatives with respect to time of the angles ( , [ in which N( , ]T = N ( , , ) , ) can be expressed in the form: [2. 2] = [p q r]T are the angular velocities with respect to the body reference frame and , ) is the 33 matrix given by: N( , , )= [2. 3] This matrix depends only on ( , singularity hold. , ) and is invertible if the boundaries on ( , , ) for non Similarly, the derivative with respect to time of the position (x, y, z) is given by: [ ]T = V0 [2. ] where V0 = [u0 v0 w0]T is the absolute velocity of the quad rotor with respect to an earth-fixed inertial reference frame. Let V = [u v w]T be the absolute velocity of the quad rotor expressed in a body-fixed reference frame. V and V0 are related by: V0 = R( , , )V [2. 5] 7 where R( , R( , , )= , ) is the rotation matrix given by: [2. 6] After the rotation matrix has been applied, the translational equations of motion with respect to an inertial frame are given by: m( ) = m( )= ) [2. 7] m( ) = Following the Euler-Lagrange equations, the rotational dynamics include torques and Coriolis terms. The coriolis term, C( , ) , defines the gyroscopic effects on the system when the craft yaws. represents the vector of torques applied to the system. = ( C( , ) ( T ) [2. 8] + C( , ) = = J + C( , ) It follows that =[ , , ]T= [2. 9] Combined with [2. 7] the translational and rotational dynamics can be summarized as = = = [2. 10] 8 Where x and y are the coordinates in the horizontal plane, and z is the vertical position and are the yaw, pitch and roll angles respectively. 2. 3 Assumptions It is not possible to create a model that conforms to reality completely. Some assumptions need to be made, in this model the following is assumed: †¢ The quad rotor structure is rigid and its deformation characteristics will be disregarded. †¢ The quad rotor structure is symmetrical and material inconsistencies will be disregarded. †¢ The propellers are rigid and deflections will be ignored. †¢ The cross products of the inertia matrix can be neglected. †¢ The ground effect is neglected. 9 Chapter 3. Control Theory 3. 1 Closed-Loop Control Systems In closed-loop control systems the difference between the actual output and the desired output is fed back to the controller to meet desired system output. Often this difference, known as the error signal is amplified and fed into the controller. The general structure of a closed-loop feedback control system is seen in Figure 3. 1. A few examples of feedback control systems are elevators, thermostats, and cruise control in automobiles. Figure 3. 1 Typical Closed Loop Control. 10 3. 2 Classical Control using PID Method [2] [15] The PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) control is one of the earlier control methods implemented. Early on its execution was in pneumatic devices in the 1940s, followed by vacuum and solid state analog electronics, before arriving at today’s digital use of microprocessors. It offered a simple control structure that was understood by operators and was relatively easy to work with. The quad rotor will use a PID system, which will be tuned to determine the optimum response and settling time, illustrated in Figure 3. 2. The PID controller equation is a closed-loop feedback system which will output a control signal u and receive feedback from the sensors. The controller will calculate the difference between the desired position and current position, adjusting u accordingly. The equation for a PID controller is as follows: = + + [3. 1] e(t) = ed(t) ea(t) Where ed denotes the desired condition, ea the actual condition, and e(t) denotes the actual difference, error, the two at each individual time step. A PID controller has proportional, integral and derivative terms that can be represented in transfer function form as K(s) = Kp + + Kds [3. 2] Where Kp represents the proportional gain, Ki represents the integral gain, and Kd represents the derivative gain, respectively. By tuning these PID controller gains, the controller can provide control actions designed for specific process requirements. The integral term Ki is proportional to both, magnitude of the error and the duration of the error. It (when added to the proportional term) accelerates the movement of the process towards the set 11 point and often eliminates the remaining steady-state error that may occur with a proportional only controller. The rate of change of the process error is calculated by determining the differential slope of the error over time (i. e. , its first derivative with respect to time). This rate of change in the error is multiplied by the derivative gain Kd. Figure 3. 2 Typical PID Control Logic. Feed-forward control plus feedback control can considerably improve performance over a simple feedback control done whenever there is a major disturbance affecting the system. In idyllic situations, feed-forward control can entirely neutralize the effect of the measured disturbance. Feed-forward control is used along with feedback control as necessary to track set point changes and to curb unmeasured disturbances that are always present in any real process. For this project, feed-forward control accounts for the behavioral dynamics of the quad copter, such as its momentum and motor response time. The integral term determines the magnitude of the accumulated error by summing the instantaneous error over time. The integral control equation is: I= Ki [3. 3] Note that t is replaced with , which denotes the past time. 12 The derivative term accounts for the rate at which the error is varying. In addition, by decreasing the rate of change close to the set point reduces overshoot and increases settling time. D = Kd P = Kp e(t) [3. 4] [3. 5] 3. Control Tuning [16] For tuning of the PID controllers, several tuning algorithms have been developed, such as Ziegler-Nichols and Lambda tuning. The Zeigler-Nichols tuning method is a heuristic method of tuning a PID controller. It was developed by John G. Zeigler and Nathaniel B. Nichols. This tuning process is the response of a plant to unit-step input. If the response results in an S-shaped curve, both time constant and delay time are determined by a differential slope line at the inflection point of the curve. When iterative tuning is used, the following algorithm can be used to et the desired overall response: 1. Investigate the step response. 2. Add gain KP to reduce the rise time tr if necessary. 3. Add gain KD to improve the maximum overshoot Mp if necessary. 4. Add gain KI to eliminate steady state error ess if necessary. 5. Adjust gains till desired overall response is obtained. 13 The transfer function of this method equals: = [3. 6] The values of Kp, Ti, and Td are determined by the factors in Table 3. 1. This method demonstrates improvement in contrast to traditional manual tuning, but still is difficult to set exact values to critical gain. Table 3. Values Set by Zeigler-Nichol Tuning Method. Type of Controller P PI PID Kp T/L 0. 9 T/L 1. 2 T/L Ti ? L/0. 3 2L Td 0 0 0. 5 L 3. 31 Vertical Position Control When operating above the ground effect, the control output U1 is approximately proportional to the vertical acceleration in the body reference frame. To remain at constant height, a large value of U1 is required to counteract gravity, additionally a PID controller is added to stabilize the motion in the z direction (Figure 3. 3). The control law can be described by: r1 = U1 = zp (z zd) KZI ) [3. 7] Figure 3. 3 Vertical Position Controller [1]. 14 3. 2 Horizontal Position Control The horizontal position (x, y) of the quad rotor is controlled by adjusting the roll and pitch. The total thrust produces a lift acceleration approximately equal to the gravity (g) in a direction normal to the plane of the rotors (Figure 3. 4). A small angle of roll acceleration ? g. results therefore in a lateral The commands in x and y direction are described by: Ux = Uy = P( d) KxI KyI ) ) [3. 8] yP (y yd) Corrected for the yaw angle they give the commands for the desired roll and pitch angle: d= d= Ux + Ux + Uy Uy [3. 9] Figure 3. 4 Horizontal Position Controller [1]. 3. 3 Roll and Pitch Position Control Because the quad rotors layout is symmetrical the roll and pitch control can be assumed independent for small attitude angles (Figure 3. 5). Relative to the yaw control a higher bandwidth is required, since the value has a direct relationship to the lateral acceleration in x and y direction. U2 = P( d) ) 15 U3 = P( d) ) [3. 10] Figure 3. 5 Roll Position Controller [1]. 3. 34 Yaw Position Control The yaw is the least critical of the controls since it has no direct effect on the quad rotors motion. It can be independently tested and tuned, while having manual control in the remaining channels (Figure 3. ). The PID control law for yaw is described by the following equation: U4 = P( d) I ) [3. 11] Figure 3. 6 Yaw Position Controller [1]. 3. 4 Rotor Theory Unlike other helicopters which require complex mechanical rotor mechanisms to control the pitch of the blades, a quad-rotor relies solely on differential torque and thrust, and thus uses fixed-pitch blades. One of the goals of the project is to increase total thrust; increasing thrust is accomplished by increasing the velocity of the air being moved by the rotor, or by increasing the amount of air being moved by the rotors. 3. 12] 16 Where T is the thrust, is the mass airflow, and u9 and u0 are the outgoing and incoming velocities, respectively. From a simple physics perspective, using the kinetic energy equation: [3. 13] Doubling the thrust by double m would lead to double the energy required. Doubling the thrust from doubling differential velocity would require four times the energy. The design of propellers is a complex subject, and as there were already dozens of readily available propellers on the market, it was both cost and time e ffective to select a commercial blade. The propellers are designed for radio control applications, and their airfoils are highly proprietary. The standard measure of propellers is diameter x pitch, where pitch refers to the angle of incidence at ? of the radius. Using this angle, the pitch is converted to inches by how far the propeller would move after one revolution if it were â€Å"screwed† into a solid substance. 17 Chapter 4. Electrical Control Systems 4. 1 The Microcontroller Arduino ATMega 2560 [8] The microcontroller we decided to utilize in our project was the Arduino Mega 2560, after careful review of several models. Considering that this single part is the heart of the project we selected with special care to characteristics like connectivity, available I/O and broad power integration. The microcontroller offered all the features we needed to develop the quad copter, with the characteristics we desired. It is based on Atmels ATMega 2560 microcontroller. The board comes with 54 digital input/output pins, 16 analog inputs, 4 UARTs (hardware serial ports), a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connector, and a power jack. The operating voltage of the microcontroller is 5V, with an input voltage of 7 to 12V. The ATMega 2560 has a flash memory of 256 KB, of which 8 KB are reserved for the boot loader. 8 KB of SRAM, 4 KB of EEPROM, and a clock speed of 16 MHz. The Arduino Mega 2560 can be powered through a USB connection or with an external power supply. Additionally, the Arduino platform was particularly attractive because of its open-source physical computing platform based on a simple i/o board and a development environment that implements the Processing/Wiring and language, seen below in Figure 4. 1. Figure 4. 1 Arduino Mega 2560 Microcontroller Board. 18 The ATMega 2560 comes with an Atmel AVR core which combines a wide instruction set with 32 general purpose working registers. All 32 registers are directly coupled to the ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit), allowing two independent registers to be accessed in one single execution of the instruction per clock cycle. In order to maximize parallelism, the AVR uses a Harvard architecture – with separate memories and buses for program and data. Figure 4. 2 shows the block diagram of the AVR architecture. Figure 4. 2 Arduino Mega 2560 Microcontroller Block Diagram. 19 . 2 Electronic Speed Controllers An electronic speed control or ESC is a circuit with the purpose to control an electric motors speed, its direction and possibly also to act as a dynamic brake in some cases. ESCs are often used on electrically powered brushless motors essentially providing an electronically-generated three phase electric power, with a low voltage source. An ESC interprets control information in a way that var ies the switching rate of a network of field effect transistors (FETs), not as mechanical motion as would be the case of a servo. The quick switching of the transistors is what causes the motor itself to emanate its characteristic highpitched whine, which is especially noticeable at lower speeds. It also allows much smoother and more precise variation of motor speeds in a far more efficient manner than the mechanical type with a resistive coil and moving arm once in common use. The ESC generally accepts a nominal 50 Hz Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) servo input signal whose pulse width varies from 1ms to 2ms. When supplied with a 1ms width pulse at 50 Hz, the ESC responds by turning off the DC motor attached to its output. A 1. 5ms pulse-width input signal results in a 50% duty cycle output signal that drives the motor at approximately 50% speed. When presented with 2. 0ms input signal, the motor runs at full speed due to the 100% duty cycle (on constantly) output. The correct phase varies with the motor rotation, controlled and monitored by the ESC. The orientation of the motor is determined by the back EMF (Electromotive Force). The back EMF is the voltage induced in a motor wire by the magnet spinning past its internal coils. Finally, a PID algorithm in the controller adjusts the PWM to maintain a constant RPM. Reversing the motors direction may also be accomplished by switching any two of the three leads from the ESC to the motor. 20 4. 21 Turnigy Plush 18A ESC Modules [13] [14] The ESC controller chosen for this project was the Turnigy Plush 18A series, shown in Figure 4. 3. Many considerations had to be made in making the appropriate selection. Ideally the ESC controller should be paired to the motor and rotor craft with the following considerations. 1. Temperature and thermal characteristics. 2. Max Current output and Impendence. 3. Needs to be Equipped with a BEC (Battery Eliminator Circuit) to eliminate the need of a second battery. 4. Size and Weight properties. 5. Magnet Rating. The Plush series Turnigy ESCs offered several outstanding performance features that fulfilled our needs, fast sync timing, a generous current rating and a small size to weight footprint (Table 4. 1). Specifications as follows: Table 4. 1 Turnigy Plush18A Specifications. Continuous Current Rating Burst Current Rating BEC Mode BEC LiPo Cells Weight Size 18 Amp 22 Amp Linear 5V/ 2 Amp 2-4 Cells 19 grams 24x45x11mm Additionally, the speed controller has fixed throttle settings so that the stop and full throttle points of all the various modes which can be cut through cleanly. The controller produces audible beeps to assist in navigating through the program modes and troubleshooting logs. 21 Figure 4. 3 Turnigy Plush18A ESC Packs. 4. 3 The Battery Pack Selecting the proper battery for our rotor copter was a challenging task. Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), and Lithium Polymer (LiPo) were common choices with the advantages and disadvantages of each battery pack. NiCd batteries are reasonably inexpensive, but they have a number of negatives. NiCd batteries need to be fully discharged after each use. If they aren’t, they will not discharge to their full potential (capacity) on following discharge cycles, causing the cell to develop what’s commonly referred to as a memory. Additionally, the capacity per weight (energy density) of NiCd cells is commonly less than NiMH or LiPo cell types as well. Finally, the Cadmium that is used in the cell is quite destructive to the environment, making disposal of NiCd cells an issue. NiMH cells have many advantages over their NiCd counterparts. NiMH cell manufacturers are able to offer significantly higher capacities in cells approximately the same size and weight of equivalent NiCd cells. NiMH cells have an advantage when it comes to cell memory as well, as they do not develop the same issues as a result of inappropriate discharge care. Lithium Polymer (LiPo) cells are one of the newest and most revolutionary battery cells available. LiPo cells maintain a more consistent voltage over the discharge curve when compared to NiCd or NiMH cells. The higher nominal voltage of a single LiPo cell (3. 7V vs 1. 2V for a typically NiCd or NiMH cell), making it possible to have an equivalent or even higher total 22 nominal voltage in a much smaller package. LiPo cells typically offer very high capacity for their weight, delivering upwards of twice the capacity for ? the weight of comparable NiMH cells. Lastly, a LiPo cell battery needs to be carefully monitored during charging since overcharging and the charging of a physically damaged or discharged cell can be a potential fire hazard and possibly even fatal. LiPo Pros: ? ? Highest power/weight ratio. Very low self-discharge. Less affected by low temperatures than some. LiPo Cons: ? ? ? Intolerant of over-charging. Intolerant of over-discharging. Battery. Significant fire risk. Figure 4. 4 Zippy 4000 mAh 4. 31 Zippy 4000mAh Battery Pack Module [17] Considering our copters weight, current load and predicted discharge rates, the Zippy 4000mAh battery pack seemed to fit the bill (Figu re 4. 4). The Zippy 4000mAh battery pack offered the following characteristics seen in Table 4. 2: Table 4. 2 Zippy 4000 mAh Battery Specifications Table. Capacity Voltage Discharge Weight Dimensions Balance Plug Discharge Plug Max Charge Rate 4000 mAh 3 Cell 11. 1 V 20C Constant 30C Burst 306 grams 146x51x22mm JST-XH Bullet Connector 2C 23 To approximately calculate the run time, the following equation was used: Run Time (Mins) = Battery mAh Rating [4. 1] Considering the average hovering current consumed by the motors is 12Amps per motor. We were able to calculate a min run time of 5 minutes and a max run time of 10 minutes, which was sufficient in our case, since we would be running at reduced speeds for testing with spare batteries. . 4 The Gyroscope Transducer A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. A MEMS gyroscope takes the idea of the Foucault pendulum and uses a vibrating element, known as a MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical System). These typically are packaged similarly to other integrated circuits and provide either analog or digital outputs. In addition, they are inexpensive and have become widely available today. They provide accurate 3 axis positioning of a craft and are highly reliable over the years with no internal moving parts. 4. 1 ITG3200 Gyro Module [11] The Gyro Sensor chosen for this project was the ITG 3200 by Invensense (Figure 4. 5). The ITG3200 featured a three 16-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) for digitizing the gyro outputs, a user-selectable internal low-pass filter bandwidth, and a Fast-Mode I2C (400kHz) interface as shown in the block diagram below (Figure 4. 6). In addition it included a embedded temperature se nsor and a 2% accurate internal oscillator. 24 The ITG-3200 had a wide power supply range of anywhere between 2. 1 and 3. 6V with a low operating current of 6. 5mA. The sensor also featured a interrupt output, and an optional clock input. Figure 4. 5 ITG 3200 Gyro Board. Figure 4. 6 ITG 3200 Gyro Functional Block Diagram. The ITG-3200 detects the rotational rate of the x, y, and z axes for roll, pitch, and yaw respectively. This is achieved through its three independent vibratory MEMS gyroscopes. When 25 the gyros are rotated about any of the sense axes, it causes a deflection that is detected by a capacitive pickoff. 4. 5 The Accelerometer Sensor An accelerometer is a device that measures proper acceleration by measuring weight per unit of mass, a quantity of force, or g-force (although it is not a force). Consequently, by measuring weight, an accelerometer measures the acceleration of the free-fall reference frame (inertial reference frame) relative to itself (the accelerometer). Single- and multi-axis models of accelerometers are available to detect magnitude and direction of the proper acceleration (or g-force), as a vector quantity, and can be used to sense orientation, coordinate acceleration (so long as it produces g-force or a change in g-force), vibration, shock, and falling (a case where the proper acceleration changes, since it tends toward zero). Micro machined accelerometers are increasingly present in modern electronic devices, to detect the position of the device or provide for the game system input. Pairs of accelerometers extended over a region of space can be used to detect differences in the proper accelerations of frames of references associated with those points. 4. 51 BMA180 Accelerometer Module [12] The Accelerometer Sensor chosen for this project was the BMA180 by Bosch (Figure 4. 8). The Bosch BMA180 three-axis, high performance digital accelerometer was chosen because of its superior variable characteristics. The BMA180 provides a digital 14-bit output signal via a 4-wire SPI or I2C interface. The full-scale measurement range can be set to A ±1g, 1. 5g, 2g, 3g, 4g, 8g or 16g. 26 The sensor also has two operating modes consisting of low-noise and low-power. The input power supply voltage should be between 1. 62 and 3. 6V for VDD and 1. 2 to 3. 6V for VDDIO. The sensor will typically only consume 650uA in standard mode. Figure 4. 7 BMA180 Accelerometer Block Diagram. As seen in Figure 4. 7 the BMA180 diagram shows: 1. The micromechanical g-sensors elements which measure acceleration in the x,y and z directions. . The front end circuit including pre amplifiers and multipelxers. 3. The 14 bit Analog to digital controller. 4. The Interrupt generator and output interface. Figure 4. 8 BMA180 Accelerometer Board. 27 4. 6 The Barometer Transducer Bosch BMP085 [9] A barometer is a scientific instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure (Figure 4. 9). We chose Bosch’s BMP085 Digital Bar ometric Pressure sensor for this project. The ultra-low power and low voltage electronics of the BMP085 are ideal for navigation devices. With a low altitude noise of merely 0. 5m at fast conversion time, the BMP085 offers superior performance for an application such as ours. It comes equipped with I2C capabilities for easy system integration with microcontrollers and offers a measuring range of 300 to 1100 hPa with an absolute accuracy of down to 0. 03 hPa. This sensor supports a voltage supply between 1. 8 and 3. 6VDC. Figure 4. 9 BMP085 Barometer Board. 4. 61 Barometric Pressure in Altimetry Barometric pressure has a measurable relationship with altitude, meaning you can use the BMP085 to deduce how high the quad copter has climbed. At sea level the air pressure is on average 1013hPa. The measuring limits of the BMP085 should allow us to measure pressure at elevations anywhere between -1640 to about 29,000 ft above sea level. 28 Figure 4. 10 BMP085 Barometer and Altitude Relationship. With the measured pressure p and the pressure at sea level p0, the altitude in meters can be calculated with the international barometric formula. p0 is the average pressure at sea level (1013hPa), and p is the pressure that we measured. This relationship is observed in Figure 4. 10. Note that this equation gives you altitude in units of meters. Altitude (meters) = 44330 [4. 2] 4. 7 The Brushless Motors Each of the four rotors comprises of a Brushless DC Motor attached to a propeller. The Brushless motor differs from the conventional Brushed DC Motors in their concept essentially in that the commutation of the input voltage applied to the armatures circuit is done electronically, whereas in the latter, by a mechanical brush. As any rotating mechanical device, it suffers wear during operation, and as a consequence it has a shorter nominal life time than the newer Brushless motors. In spite of the extra complexity in its electronic switching circuit, the brushless design offers several advantages over its counterpart, to name a few: higher torque/weight ratio, less operational noise, longer lifetime, less generation of electromagnetic interference and much more 29 power per volume. Virtually limited only by its inherent heat generation, whose transfer to the outer environment usually occurs by conduction. 4. 71 KDA20-22L Brushless Motors [10] The KDA Brushless motors were chosen for our copter because of their superior specifications (Table 4. ), weight, power output and availability (Figure 4. 11) . Additionally, this motor offered a wide variety of securing provisions which was extra helpful in its mounting and use. Table 4. 3 KDA 20-22L Brushless Motor Specifications. Kv (rpm/v) Weight Max Current Max Voltage Motor Length Motor Diameter Total Length 924 56 grams 17 Amps 11V 32mm 28mm 46mm Figure 4. 11 KDA 20-22L Brushless Motor. 30 Figure 4. 12 Quad Copter H ardware Block Diagram. Figure 4. 13 Quad Copter As Constructed. 31 4. Software Development General Concepts All of the electrical hardware components previously mentioned provide the necessary ground work for the software subsystems to allow the copter to function as desired, as depicted in block diagram Figure 4. 12. The software plays one of the most important roles controlling and facilitating the features of the device discussed in this paper. All of the inputs from the various sensors gyroscope, accelerometer and barometric sensor are to be taken and evaluated by the microcontroller to facilitate flight (Figure 4. 13). The goal of this project is to successfully achieve unmanned flight by simply hovering and landing. The quad copter must be able to take off from a stationary position to a hovering state and then land once again using the following organization illustrated in Figure 4. 14. Figure 4. 14 Software Architecture Organization. 4. 81 Operating Modes of Flight The quad copter has three main operating states known as, take off, hover and land. These states together form what is known as VTOL (Vertical Takeoff Landing) with characteristics shown in Figure 4. 5. 32 The Take Off stage involves several procedures, which include motor/ESC initializations, data acquisition of the attached sensors and any human input. If after evaluating this data the quad copter senses that it has not met the necessary criteria it will slowly ramp up the necessary motor thrust until it reaches the desired set point while the microcontroller is verifying the sensor data. When the actual altitude equals the desired position, the quad copter can now go to hovering mode. Hovering is the most challenging component of flying any copter. While in the hovering stage, the copter must take into account many factors that assist the craft in steady flight. Among the most common causes for a quad copter to not perform sufficiently is drifting in the horizontal plane. Movements in all four directions such as forward, back, right, and left, are consequences of drifting, accumulation of small errors in various values leading to uncontrollable oscillations which have to be accounted for. Landing is the final stage of flight, the landing process is the opposite of the take off phase. The system checks for x and y levels; if they are leveled, the altitude is checked. At this point, the acquired value is checked with the ground level. If the acquired values are not at ground level, thrust from all motors are decreased and decelerated until the ground level is reached, only then will the system halt activity. 33 Figure 4. 15 Quad Copter Operating Modes Of Flight. 4. 2 Position Flight Control Position control is currently implemented using a PID controller design which actuates the vehicle’s roll and pitch as control inputs. Tilting the vehicle in any direction causes a component of the thrust vector to point in that direction, so commanding pitch and roll is directly analogous to commanding accelerations in the X-Y plane. However, the current control implementation has little ability to reject 34 disturbances from wind and translational velocity effects. For this scale aircraft, even mild winds can cause large disturbances. A key weakness of this and similar position controllers used is the assumption that the velocity of the free stream and attitude control are decoupled. This is in fact only true for very small velocities. 4. 83 Kalman Filter Design[7] A Kalman filter is used to reduce the error in tracking. The Kalman filter operates by predicting the next value from the current value and the previous value. This is then corrected once the next measurement is taken to be between the measurement and the predicted value. This reduces the influence of noise on the measurement of the position. Over time errors in measurements tend to accumulate causing the sensors inefficiencies for long term measurements and thus they tend to drift. The ideal solution to the problem described above would be combining both, gyroscope and accelerometer data values resulting in the offset of the deficiencies of each with the strengths provided by the two sensors. Kalman filtering is an iterative approach that requires two varying input values. At every iteration, the Kalman filter will change the variables in the linear model, so the output of the model will be closer to the second input (Figure 4. 16). For the project, two inputs will consist of the gyroscope and accelerometer data, the model using the gyroscope data looks like: ) [4. 3] Since individual applications are favored and computed, equations for the filter in one dimension are required. Equations [4. 3] are reduced for the latter two dimensions. Where, K is the Kalman gain, P 35 s the estimation error covariance, measurement. is the filtered value, S is the sensor noise, and z is the The process noise p is reduced gradually, when tuning the filter for optimal performance. Concurrently, sensor noise S is increased until a satisfactory speed/noise level is achieved. Figure 4. 16 Kalman Filter Recursive Algorithm. 36 Chapter 5. Structural and Mechanical Approaches 5. 1 The Frame of the Quad Copter Typical quad-rotors utilize a four-spar method, with each spar anch ored to the central hub like the spokes on a wheel. The frame of the quad copter is composed of a combination of materials chosen for their strength, weight and flexibility. When designing an autonomous quad-rotor, there are several material options which must be considered. When designing a machine capable of flight, weight must be greatly well thought-out. The materials considered for our project aluminum, plastic, and carbon fiber. Historically, aluminum historically, has been the material of choice for RC helicopters. Aluminum is light and strong, dissipates heat well, and is relatively inexpensive compared to the other

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Shouldice Hospital Case Report Essay Example

Shouldice Hospital Case Report Essay Subject: Problems and Plans Operational Assessment of the Shouldice Hospital Thank you for the opportunity to consult on your Shouldice Hospital operational assessment. I understand that you have implemented a well developed focus strategy (market focus and internal focus) successfully and Shouldice achieves outstanding results by maximizing the difference between perceived quality and value to the patient on one hand and the cost of supplying services on the other. The nurses and doctors treat their patients with care and understanding and treat them more like family members. This has led to the high level of praise for this hospital and its treatment. The rising number of satisfied patients and word of mouth referral has led to demand for the facilities services which outstrip the facility’s current capacity. I understand that you are looking for guidance on specific actions in order to increase the hospital’s capacity while at the same time maintaining control over the quality of the service delivered, and the hospital management. I have identified the problems and offered a list of alternate courses of action. Problem Definition: The problem is that Shouldice is facing a paradox of change. Shouldice is operating at its â€Å"best operating level† for a service company with limited flexibility in its facility, a specialized work force but are failing to meet all the demand for its chosen market niche. Adding additional capacity to meet the unmet market need may upset the existing work force and lower service quality. Failing to meet the market demand may invite competition that could eventually cause Shouldice to lose market share and end up with excess capacity. We will write a custom essay sample on Shouldice Hospital Case Report specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Shouldice Hospital Case Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Shouldice Hospital Case Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Problem Justification: It is assumed that they are operating at the â€Å"best operating level† because the way the case describes how efficiently the hospital is ran and how the patients appear to be pleased with their treatment. Capacity is nearly 100% full if they do 30 operations a day and the patients stay 3-4 days. This would fill up 89 beds for a 5 day work week. They also have 15% (14 hostel rooms) additional capacity for peak times. This also works out to be about 70% capacity of their full time potential of 7 days. 70% of maximum capacity is the best operating point. To increase it rate of service utilization will decrease the service quality. For capacity analysis, refer to Appendix-B. To increase their output and maintain their quality they would need to increase the size of the hospital. This involves large capital investments and considerable time. Construction would also cause a disruption to the quality and country club atmosphere of the hospital. Due to shift restrictions the current operating rooms are completely un-utilized for 2 days of the week as well as 15. 5 hours of each weekday. Kitchen and common area are designed to accommodate one hundred patients and it is important that these facilities be kept up to ensure patients still receive the high level of satisfaction with the experience at Shouldice. The staff also has limited flexibility. Surgeons and surgeons’ assistants are specialized fields that have limited desire to be cross trained. It is assumed that the staff is happy with the existing work schedule and do not want a change. Increasing the days worked would cause more aggressive scheduling of the operating rooms and may make it hard to maintain the same kind of working relationships and attitudes. Alternative Courses of Action: Alternative courses of action are based on the assumption that the reason for their desired expansion is to meet an unmet market demand. i) They could add an additional day by operating on Saturday. ii) They could do nothing different and continue to do as they are currently doing. iii) They can add a new floor (i. e. 45 i. e. 50% more hospital beds). iv) They can meet the unmet market demand with external capacity (establish a new facility). v) They can utilize the current facilities during some of its present idle time. Evaluate alternatives and make decisions: i) Adding an additional operating day on Saturday is a valid consideration. It would utilize ideal hospital capacity. It could increase the number of patients served by 9% or 800 patient a year. Would this be a sufficient number of patients served to keep competition from entering the same market is unknown. Adding a Saturday is also assumed to have a negative impact on the work force that drive down the quality that gives Shouldice a competitive advantage. It would increase rate of service utilization beyond 70%. This could be offset by hiring addition staff. But one should consider the time it takes the new staff to come up the efficiency curve. For capacity analysis and financial details refer to Appendix-C. ii) Doing nothing is a valid consideration. Their existing system and reputation sets them apart as a market leader and it is assumed to be a profitable setup. If it is working do not try to fix it. We assume that the existing set up is acceptable to management as far as profit and other operating measures. The assumed risk is if they do not do anything then competition will enter the market place and could eventually take patients away from Shouldice. There is insufficient data presented to truly analyze this risk. iii) Increasing the number of bed by 50% would not be advisable unless they added more doctors and surgery rooms because the existing plant capacity and number of doctors could not fill an addition 45 beds. They would be operating the surgery rooms at over capacity. The construction requires large capital investment, time, and would disrupt the country club atmosphere. For capacity analysis and financial details refer to Appendix-D. iv) Meeting the unmet market demand with external demand is a valid consideration. It could be done in several different ways. They could look to other facilities that are similar and team with their doctors to train them in the Shouldice processes and share in the profits. This would help keep the competition out of the market and could be done as a silent partner until the service quality reaches a level that Shouldice would want to associate their name with the other facility. Another option would be to establish a new facility for Hernia. Another option would be to subcontract or franchise the operation. For merits and demerits refer to Appendix-E. v) Relieve the operating room bottleneck by utilizing the current facilities during some of its present idle time. Addition of weekend or evening surgeries will increase throughput without any capital investment. Expand the facility’s kitchen and social area’s to accommodate the increased patient throughput and continue to provide a high quality patient experience for its customers. Recommendations: I would recommend a combination of doing nothing with the existing staff and plant as to maintain the country club atmosphere and gregarious nursing staff that gives it its competitive advantage and meet the unmet market demand with external sources of capacity to keep the competition from entering the market. I would be happy to elaborate on my recommendations in future correspondence. Sincerely, An MBA Student Appendix-A Cost comparison – Shouldice vs. Other Hospitals: Cost Items| Shouldice| Other Hospitals| Remarks| Costs of typical operations| $954*| $2000-4000| * Without general anaesthetic| Transportation(round-trip fares for travel to/from Toronto)| $200-600| $200-600 **| **No data available. Considered the same as Shouldice. | Time Lost from work in Hospital| 04 days| 05 days| | Time lost from work while recovering| 05 days| 10 days| | Value of time lost (ranging from $50 to 500 per day)| $450-4500| $750-7500| | Total before Allowancefor recurrence| $1604-6054| $2950-12100| | Probability of Recurrence| 0. 80%| 10. 00%| | Expected Cost of Recurrence| $13-48| $295-1210| | Total cost to patient, employee and insurer| $1,617-6,102| $3,245-13,310| | Profitability of Shouldice Hospital Clinic: Hospital: Items| Shouldice Hospital| Remarks| Revenues per year(4 days X $111/day x 6,850 patients/year)| $3,041,400| Charges for hospital stay = $111/day. Operations per year = 6,850 (in 1982)| Cost per year| $2,800,000| | | | | Profit per year (A)| $241,400| | Clinic: Items| Shouldice Clinic| Remarks| Revenues per year(($450 + 60 + 75 X 0. 20) X6,850)| $3,596,250| Surgical fee=$450/operation. Fee for the assistant surgeon=$60. Fee for a general anaesthetic =$75. Operations per year=6,850 (in 1982)| Cost per year| $2,000,000| | | | | Profit per year (B)| $1,596,250| | Total (Hospital + Clinic) Profit per year (A+B)| $1,837,650| | Total Depreciated Assets = $5 million Return on Asset = $1,837,650/$5 million = 0. 36753 i. e. 37% Appendix-B Current Capacity Analysis Current Throughput: * 6,850 Operations/50 weeks = average 137 operations/week with a peak of 165/week in September. Capacity Analysis: * Examination Rooms: (6 rooms x 3 hrs (1-4 PM) x 5 days x 60 min/hr) / (20 min / exam) = 270 patients /week = 54 patients/day. * Admitting Procedure: (2 people x 4 hrs (1-5 PM) x 5 days/week x 60 min/hr) / (10min/patient) = 240 patients/week = 48 patients/day. * Nursing Station: (2 stations x 4 hrs (1-5 PM) x 5 days/week x 60min/hr)/ (10 min/patient) =240 patients /week = = 48 patients/day. * Operating Rooms: (5 rooms x 8. 5 hrs/room/day x 5 days/week)/ (1. 1 hrs/patient) = 187 patients /week = 37 patients/day. Average operation time = (82% x 45 min + 18% x 90 min) + 15 min file time = 68. 1 min/operation. * Surgeons: 12 surgeons x 3. 5 operations/day x 5 days = 210 patients/week = 42 patients/day. * Hospital rooms: 89 rooms = 147 patients per week (assuming 3. 5 days average stay, 3 days recovery and Monday – Wednesday admittance, No procedures on Saturday or Sunday only recovery and admittance) – 29 patients/day. 103 rooms (incld. 14 hostel rooms) = 161 patients (assuming 3. 5 days average stay, 3 days recovery and Monday – Wednesday admittance, No procedures on Saturday or Sunday only recovery and admittance and use of 14 â€Å"hostel† rooms for two nights each week) – 32 patients/day. Current: Check-in day| Beds Required| | Monday| Tuesday| Wednesday| Thursday| Friday| Saturday| Sunday| Monday| 30| 30| 30| 0| 0| 0| 0|. Tuesday| 0| 29| 29| 29| 0| 0| 0| Wednesday| 0| 0| 29| 29| 29| 0| 0| Thursday| 0| 0| 0| 29| 29| 29| 0| Friday| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| Saturday| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| Sunday| 30| 30| 0| 0| 0| 0| 30| | | | | | | | | Total Number in Hospital| 60| 89| 88| 87| 58| 29| 30| Total number of patients per week| 147| Appendix-C Adding an additional operating day on Saturday Use current 89 beds + 14 hostel rooms. Consider 3. 5 days average stay. Total number of patients per week = 180. Current throughput = 137 operations/week (refer to Appendix-B). Theoretical throughput = 161 patients/week (refer to Appendix-B). So, new throughput = (137/161)*180 = 153 patients/week. Therefore, additional patients per week = 153 – 137 = 16 Additional patients per year = 16*50 = 800 Additional revenue = 800*(450+75*0. 20) = $372,000 Total cost = $124,250 Therefore, Net increase in profit = $372,000 $124,250 = $247,750 for no additional investment. Demerits of this alternate action: * Require to schedule 23-25 operations on Saturday. * Six surgeons and a supervising surgeon have to work on Saturdays. * Additional other personnel (an anesthetic, nurses). * Violates the implied contract that Shouldice has with its surgeons, strong opposition by the senior doctors. * Operating close to the theoretical capacity of the facility. Merits of this alternate action: * No investment is needed. * Can still maintain quality service. Appendix-D Increasing the number of bed by 50% Current number of beds: 89 Add in a new floor (expand the capacity by 50%) at the cost of $2 million: 45 beds Total beds = 89+45 = 134 Total number of patents per week = 210 Current throughput = 137 operations/week (refer to Appendix-B). Theoretical throughput = 161 patients/week (refer to Appendix-B). So, new throughput = (137/161)*210 = 179 patients/week. Therefore, additional patients per week = 179 – 137 = 42 Additional patients per year = 42*50 = 2100 Additional revenue = 2100*(450+75*0. 20) = $ 976,500 Total cost = $176,500 Profit = $ 976,500 $176,500 = $ 800,000 Therefore, Return on investment (ROI) = $800,000/$2,000,000 = 40% Demerits of this alternate action: * Require to schedule doctors to the full capacity of five days per week * Increase work load on admissions, kitchen, laundry, housekeeping and accounting * Further staggering of meal hours for patients (100 seat dining room) * Disruption during construction. * Expensive Merits of this alternate action: * Easy to control and maintain quality * Retain the culture and environment Addition of 45 beds: Check-in day| Bed Required| | Monday| Tuesday| Wednesday| Thursday| Friday| Saturday| Sunday| Monday| 42| 42| 42| 0| 0| 0| 0| Tuesday| 0| 42| 42| 42| 0| 0| 0| Wednesday| 0| 0| 42| 42| 42| 0| 0| Thursday| 0| 0| 0| 42| 42| 42| 0| Friday| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| Saturday| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| Sunday| 42| 42| 0| 0| 0| 0| 42| | | | | | | | | Total Number in Hospital| 84| 126| 126| 126| 84| 42| 42| Total number of patients per week| 210| Appendix-E. Meeting the unmet market demand with external demand – Establish a new facility Merits of establishing a new facility: * New location close to current setup, say a major city (New York) in USA * Improve its competitive position and increase its profits * Operate in a less restrictive environment * New Opportunities for existing personnel * Transfer of knowledge and expertise to the new facility. Demerits of establishing a new facility: * Requires a significant investment and time * Difficult to maintain Quality control * Difficult to create the same culture and atmosphere * Potential competition with the existing facility.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

PunchDub Campaign Evaluation Essays

PunchDub Campaign Evaluation Essays PunchDub Campaign Evaluation Essay PunchDub Campaign Evaluation Essay Evaluate the PunchDub campaign that the Deutsch LA agency developed when it took over the Volkswagen of America account. Discuss the pros and cons of the campaign and assess the way it was implemented by the agency. After reading the article on Volkswagen Punch Dub campaign that the Deutsch LA agency created. The primary goal of the Punch Hub campaign developed by Deutsch LA was to raise awareness of the Volkswagen product line in North American market.However, one of the challenges VW faces is that consumers know the VW brand but are not buying the company’s cars as awareness is very high. The Punch Hub campaign was designed to address this problem and make consumers aware of the other vehicles in the VW product line such as the Passat, Golf and GTI. They built this campaign around the classic Punch Buggy (or Slug Bug) game. The Deutsch LA reached a market through IMC which was a TV commercial doing the 2010 Super Bowl.The advertisement tapped into every generation that watched the 2010 Super Bowl. I didn’t see to many cons in its campaign the only con was made online by VM competitors. The Punch Dub campaign accomplished what it was trying to achieve, to reach a new market and get its other brand of cars known to the world, with the commercial and VW dealers and the online media. The Punch Hub campaign was implemented by using variety of IMC tools and was a very good way to address the VW market in facing of low awareness for many vehicles in its product line.One limitation that might be noted is that of whether consumer would actually take the time to become e ngaged with the online campaign and play the PunchDub game. Consumers who did not do so would not learn more about the VW product line and one might argue that the IMC program would have been more effective if the monies had been spent by promoting the entire product line more directly. However, this would have been very expensive and may not have been as engaging and effective as the PunchDub campaign.

Friday, November 22, 2019

The U.S. Militarys Space Operations

The U.S. Militarys Space Operations People love a good military conspiracy theory, including the one that the Air Force has its very own space shuttle. It all sounds very James Bond, but the truth is that the military actually never had a secret space shuttle.  Instead, it used NASAs space shuttle fleet until 2011. Then it built and flew its own mini-shuttle drone and continues to test it on long missions. However, while there may be great interest within the military for a space force, theres just not one out there. There is a space command at the U.S. Air Force, mainly interested in working through issues of armed forces using space resources. However, there arent phalanxes of soldiers up there, just a lot of interest in what military use of space might eventually become. The U.S. Military in Space The  theories about the military use of space stem largely from the fact that the U.S. Department of Defense flew secret missions on the shuttles when NASA was still using them to get to space. Interestingly, when NASAs fleet was being developed, there were plans to make  additional copies exclusively for military purposes. That affected the specifications of the shuttle design, such as the length of its glide path, so that the vehicle could accommodate military and top-secret missions. There was also a shuttle launch facility built in California, at Vandenberg Air Force Base. This complex, called SLC-6 (Slick Six), was supposed to be used to put shuttle missions into polar orbits. However, after the Challenger exploded  in 1986, the complex was put into caretaker status and was never used for a shuttle launch. The facilities were mothballed until the military decided to retool the base for satellite launches. It was used to support Athena launches until 2006 when Delta IV rockets began to lift off from the site.   Use of the Shuttle Fleet for Military Operations Ultimately, the military decided that having dedicated shuttlecraft for the military was unnecessary. Given the amount of technical support, staff, and facilities required to run such a program, it made more sense to use other resources to launch payloads into space. In addition, more sophisticated spy satellites were developed to accomplish reconnaissance missions. Without its own fleet of shuttles, the military relied on NASAs vehicles to meet its needs for access to space. In fact, the space shuttle Discovery was planned to be available to the military as its exclusive shuttle, with civilian use as it was available. It was even going to be launched from the militarys Vandenbergs SLC-6 launch complex. Ultimately the plan was scrapped following the Challenger disaster. In recent years, the space shuttle fleet has been retired and new spacecraft are being designed to take humans to space.   For years, the military used whatever shuttle was available at the time of need, and military payloads were launched from the usual launchpad at Kennedy Space Center. The last shuttle flight strictly for military use was carried out in 1992 (STS-53). The subsequent military cargo was taken up by shuttles as a secondary part of their missions. Today,  with the increasingly reliable use of rockets via NASA and SpaceX (for example), the military has much more cost-effective access to space.   Meet the X-37B Mini-shuttle Drone While the military hasnt had a need for a conventional manned orbiting vehicle, some situations could call for a shuttle-type craft.  However, these craft will be quite different from the current stable of orbiters- perhaps not in look, but definitely in function. The X-37 shuttle  is a good example of where the military is going with a shuttle-type spacecraft. It  was originally designed as a potential replacement for the current shuttle fleet. It had its first successful flight in 2010, launched from atop a rocket. The  craft carries no crew, its missions are secret, and it is entirely robotic. This mini-shuttle has flown several long-term missions, most likely performing reconnaissance flights and specific types of experiments.   Clearly, the military is interested in the ability to place objects into orbit as well as have reusable spy craft; the expansion of projects like the X-37 thus seems entirely possible and very likely will continue into the foreseeable future. The U.S. Air Force space command, with bases and units around the globe, is the front line for space-based missions, and also focuses on cyberspace capabilities for the country, as needed.   Could There Ever Be a Space Force? Occasionally politicians float  the idea of a space force. What that force would be or how it would be trained are still very large unknowns. There are few facilities to get soldiers ready for the rigors of fighting in space. As well, theres been no talk by veterans of such training, and expenditures for such places would eventually show up in budgets. However, if there was to be a space force, massive changes to military structures would be needed. As mentioned, training would have to ramp up on a scale so far unknown to any military on the planet. Thats not to say one couldnt be created in the future, but there isnt one now.   Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Humanities Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Humanities Ethics - Coursework Example Application of this understanding is equally to restate that human sexuality is to exhibit divine purpose that justifies why it is immoral to engage in sexual activities without the slightest intention and obligation to deliver the finality of the act. In other words, sexual activities are only mandated to be used for purposes of procreation. This one and the only end desire as evinced by the moral discourses. It is explained that only people in marriage that have the absolute authority of giving birth to offspring. Reproduction is essential in human life for the extensions of lineage (White 264). The family owns the moral objective ensuring that human beings multiply to fill the world as stated in the bible. The declaration does not however provide adequate information on giving birth to offspring outside the wedlock, but rather offers a poignant illustration on the danger of having children outside binding relationships that are sanctioned and approved by the society. For instance, if premarital sex can be used to raise offspring then there is a huge possibility that the family as a unit and a value will crumble (White 263). There will be immoral binding between such couples hence families will disappear and no one would take care of children. Sexual activities must therefore be for purposes of achieving the moral finality bestowed upon such an act, and this finality is procreation or reproduction. Other sexual engagements like homosexuality, pre-marital sex, masturbation are immoral since they do not possess any bit of the sexual moral teleology. They are meant simply for entertainment and recreation hence not justified by a moral discourse. There is no form explanation that can support sexual engagements outside marriage since they are not only valid for such important engagements b9ut most of them lack the ability to do so. It is immoral and unjustified by any available moral discourse. They do not meet the expectation of sexual activities as important and divine act given by the most high. 2. Explain the two sides of the debate regarding homosexual marriage and traditional heterosexual marriage, citing arguments both for and against. Which side appears to carry the weightiest arguments? Why? In a balance of acts, the society has undergone extremely severe changes. Many issues have not only cropped up, but they have delivered with them â€Å"moral justifications† for the respective acts. A huge proliferation of sexual acts has made the society succumb to a state of confusion. Many people are engaging in sexual activities such as homosexuality and masturbations. Homosexuality has gone to an extent of being integrated and accepted as a normal sexual act, hence people engaging in such kind of sexual activities should not be demonized or punished. In one way, this reasoning may be right because all human beings have the natural rights and freedom. They also have the constitutional right of liberty hence things that they do in thei r private lives should not be used against them as long as such acts do not affect others or those around them (White 274). On the other hand, these acts beat the logics of sexual morality. They do not see sexual engagements as unique phenomenon that is only entitled to provide the medium of reproduction or procreation. They defy the holiness that the religious moral emphasize in many occasions. Most of the religious mor

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Consequences of Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy Research Paper

Consequences of Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy - Research Paper Example (Mian et al, 2008). Another source of captive demand was the money market funds. This boosted their yields since they were required to hold only the high rated securities. The managers that funded these securities knew well what gamble they were playing with these funds but could not resist the temptations and benefit it came with them. The managers also hoped that if any shock arose from these funds, their immediate competitors would also face the same consequences which would result in a reduced reputational cost and this may result in the government interference and may end up supporting these companies through incentives and lowering of taxation. The problem was even strict and severe in the short bond funds. In contrast to the market funds, short bonds fund are not restricted to the types of gadgets they can own. Generally the regulation relies greatly on credit- rating agencies procedures of risks without understanding the incentive created on the regulatory game system. As sta ted, (Morris and Shin, 2002) in circumstances where there are numerous equilibrium, an increase in public information does not necessarily to enhance welfare since it can direct to unproductive bank runs. (Diamond and Dybvig 1983 ). Lack of transparency The other major problem that contributed to the downfall to bankruptcy of the Lehman Brother company was the lack of transparency in big markets. In the last ten years the market for acclaimed default swaps grew uncontrolled from almost zero to 44 trillion, which was more than the of the us stock market in twice the number. Generally the levels of these contracts were very low and did not exist... This paper aims to summarize economic repercussions of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, that essentially marked the beginning of the global financial crisis. Many companies around the world are affected by bankruptcy at a certain time in their financial year. When a company is declared bankrupt, it can no longer invest in the stock exchange. The government declares the company insolvent. An example of such company is the Lehman Brothers, a housing and real estate company that went into bankruptcy in 2008. Regulatory constraints brought about the inflation demand for products thus seeing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac getting the approval of investing in these securities. Another source of captive demand was the money market funds. This boosted their yields since they were required to hold only the high rated securities. The managers that funded these securities knew well what gamble they were playing with these funds but could not resist the temptations. The managers also hoped that if any shock arose from these funds, their immediate competitors would also face the same consequences. The effect that accrues from a company being declared as bankrupt is huge. Businesses and companies should ensure that they adopt proper measures that will make them stay healthy and avoid being insolvent. They should do this by getting involved and seeking support from the government especially if the business is new in the market. The business should also encourage investors from foreign and local to invest in them.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Various Factors in the Preparation and cooking of Fruit and Vegetables Essay Example for Free

Various Factors in the Preparation and cooking of Fruit and Vegetables Essay Pilot Method 1. Use a syringe (or Measuring Cylinder for measuring equal amounts) and pour out 10ml of DCPIP (Solution used to detect Vit.C) into a small beaker. 2. Using a separate Syringe, draw up 10ml of solution 0.1% Vitamin C 3. Slowly add the Vit.C into the DCPIP solution beaker, swirling around a few times. (swirling helps solutions to mix) 4. Continue to add the Vit.C until DCPIP turns a permanent straw colour. 5. Note the amount of Vit.C it took to change the colour of the DCPIP. 6. Repeat steps 1-5 5 3 times and take an average. Pilot Results Strength of DCPIP X Volume = Volume of Vit.C x Strength )( x 10ml = 8.5ml x 0.1% )( = 6ml x 0.1% 10ml Strength of DCPIP = 0.06 Strength of DCPIP X Volume = Volume of Vit.C x Strength )( x 10ml = 6ml x 0.1% )( = 6ml x 0.1% 10ml Strength of DCPIP = 0.06 Strength of DCPIP X Volume = Volume of Vit.C x Strength )( x 10ml = 6ml x 0.1% )( = 6ml x 0.1% 10ml Strength of DCPIP = 0.06 Average Strength of DCPIP = 0.06 Method 1. Using a Syringe (or measuring cylinder) put 10ml of DCPIP into a small beaker. 2. Using a separate syringe, take up 10ml of Juice (Juices will change per experiment) 3. Slowly add the juice a little at a time until the DCPIP turns a permanent straw colour. 4. Make sure 1oml is used at all times as to keep it a fair test at all times. 5. Repeat experiment 5 times on each of the 4 different Juices chosen and take an average one completed. 6. Put all recordings and measurements in a chart, and using the Equation below finding the strength of the Vit. C in each Juice type (Strength of DCPIP taken from Pilot experiment) Strength of DCPIP X Volume = Volume of Vit. C x Strength Results Juice 1 = Ascorbic Acid. (Pure Vitamin C) Juice 2 = Orange Juice. (Smooth) Juice 3 = Pure Orange with Mango Pure. Juice 4 = Orange and Grapefruit. Juice Type J1 J2 J3 J4 Exp. No. 1 7.5 ml 14ml 14ml 12.5ml 2 8 ml 13 ml 14 ml 13 ml 3 8 ml 13 ml 14.4 ml 12.5 ml 4 8 ml 13 ml 14 ml 12.5 ml 5 8 ml 13.5 ml 14 ml 13 ml Average 8 ml 13.5 ml 14 ml 13 ml Ascorbic Acid (J1) Strength of DCPIP x volume = Strength of Vit. C x Volume 0.06 x 10ml = )( x 8ml )( = 0.06 X 10ml 8ml Strength of Vitamin C = 0.075 Orange Juice Smooth (J2) Strength of DCPIP X Volume = Strength of Vit. C x Volume 0.06 x 10ml = )( x 13ml )( = 0.06 x 10ml 13ml Strength of Vitamin C = 0.046 Pure Orange with Mango Pure (J3) Strength of DCPIP x Volume = Strength of Vit. C x Volume 0.06 x 10ml = )( x 14ml )( = 0.06 x 10ml 14ml Strength of Vitamin C = 0.042 Orange and Grapefruit (J4) Strength of DCPIP x Volume = Strength of Vit C x Volume 0.06 x 10ml = )( x 13ml )( = 0.06 x 10ml 13ml Strength of Vit C = 0.046 Results The graph shows that the Orange and Grapefruit Juice had the highest concentration of Vitamin C. Compared with the other Juices (excluding juice one as it is pure Vitamin C) it takes less of this Juice to turn the DCPIP straw coloured (an average of 13ml). In comparison to the others there was not much difference between them all. The Pure Orange Juice with Pure Mango took an average of 14ml to turn the DCPIP straw coloured. After doing some research on the Vitamin content on different fruits, it was seen that both mangos and grapefruits, Mangos and Oranges are excellent vitamin C sources. Fruit Latin name mg vitamin C / 100 grams mg vitamin C per average size fruit/slice* Ranking Grapefruit Citrus paradisi 34 44* excellent Mango Mangifera indica 28 57 Excelent Orange Citrus sinenis 53 70 Excellent * The values are for one whole fruit, however not many would eat a whole medium sized watermelon at a sitting, so for these larger fruit the value is for a slice, a slice being, very generally, about an eighth of a medium sized fruit, or a quarter of a smaller fruit. In the particular case of lemon and lime, the slice value is juice of one wedge. For a few small fruit, such as Kei apple, the ranking is adjusted upward where the fruit mg/100 gram analysis shows it has large amounts of vitamin C, but the small size of the fruit gives it a lower per fruit vitamin C content. You are likely to eat more than one at a serving. In the case of tiny fruit, like red or black currants, a lot more, but probably still only 20-30 raw fruit, especially if they are a bit acid.. The chart states that Mangos have a higher Vitamin C level than Grapefruits implying that the results should have been the other way around with the Orange and Mango Juice having more Vitamin C present. However it could be due to the preparation process that has taken an effect on the amount of Vitamin C present. Vitamin C is a particularly fragile vitamin and is easily destroyed when in contact with oxygen in the air or if it is exposed to light. The vitamin C content of sliced, cut or bruised fruit and vegetables diminish rapidly when such foods are left standing. Freshly squeezed orange juice will lose half of its vitamin C content by the next morning. Vitamin C is one of the least stable vitamins, and cooking can destroy much of this water-soluble vitamin from foods. Vitamin C is a weak acid and is stable in weak acids. Alkalis, such as baking soda, however, destroy ascorbic acid. It is also easily oxidized in air and sensitive to heat and light. Since it is contained in the watery part of fruits and vegetables, it is easily lost during cooking in water. Evaluation The experiment went very well in that that the investigation was carried out in a safe and efficient way. The investigation was planned to produce an out come showing the strength of Vitamin C concentrations in different Juice types. This was done and a conclusion was gathered showing what was being looked for. In hindsight it was seen that the calculation could have caused problems in the reliability of the results. All the calculation were done with one main equation. However if there was any point were the calculations were not dome properly it would mean that the given numbers would not have been correct. Also, the calculator did not round up decimals; therefore figures given would have been dependant on if the numbers were rounded up or not. Making sure that the same method was used at all stages could have rectified this. This would have ensured that all the figures were reliable. Another problem that could have caused results to be unreliable is the readings that were taken. The syringes that were used had markings that went up in 5s. Its possible that the reading were not done very accurate and not made at their actual point. If this problem were consistent all of the readings would have been inaccurate. By having the same person doing the readings and also having used a syringe that has more reading points would have made them more accurate in that the individual points would have been easier to read. Another possible problem that was seen was the fact that the aim was to look for colour changes. It would not have been able to come to a sure conclusion of what was straw colour and what was not. It would have not been able to come to a sure mark of straw coloured. There would not no real solution to this problem as it would be dependant on the person. The only solution that could minimise this problem would be to have the same person making the judgments, as their perception of Straw coloured would be the same. Apart from the above points the investigation was went well and was carried out smoothly. The team were able to conclude the investigation with the use of gained figures and reactions.