Breaking Style

Breaking Style Breaking Style Breaking Style By Mark Nichol DailyWritingTips.com readers frequently email a message or write a comment in which they disagree with me (usually but not always respectfully) about something I’ve written. Occasionally, a reader has misunderstood me. Now and then, I’ve been unclear or I’ve made a mistake. Sometimes, the issue is of a difference between the recommendations of one style guide and another. Regardless, sometimes readers tell me that they are going to do something their way regardless of the â€Å"rules.† Writing (and editing) is both an art and a science, and the guidelines about producing prose are somewhat amorphous, for various reasons. As I mentioned, there’s more than one kind of style: Some writing and editing guides call for serial commas (a, b, and c), for example, while others recommend omitting serial commas (a, b and c) unless they’re necessary for clarity. There’s also a degree of flexibility: Introductory phrases should generally be separated from the main clause of the sentence by a comma (for example, as in â€Å"When the council met again the next day, the mood was somber†), but short phrases are sometimes given a pass (for example, as in â€Å"In effect it acts like a catalyst†). In some cases, the flexibility is a matter of formality: Contractions (such as can’t in place of cannot) are rare in academic prose but ubiquitous in colloquial writing, for example, and both extremes are intrinsically valid. But one thing I always emphasize when readers disagree with my advice is this: If you are writing for your own pleasure, or if you self-publish (whether in print or online), you are the final authority and may choose which rules to follow and which to flout (though consider that, if you actually want other people to read what you write, with great power comes great responsibility). But if you intend for your writing to be mediated if you are submitting it for publication on a website, in a periodical, or in a book you are generally expected to abide with a set of guidelines about grammar, syntax, usage, punctuation, and other issues of style. Exceptions exist, of course and they’re called style breaks, because they break with the standards for style. For example, one book I copyedited was a second edition of a guide to herbs. The author had (erroneously, according to prevailing style) capitalized all the plant names and made other editorial decisions that I thought diminished the book’s authoritativeness, so I lowercased the names and made other style changes. When I received a complimentary copy of the published new edition from the publisher, I noticed that the plant names were capitalized, as before. Apparently, the author had felt strongly about retaining the capitalization and had asked that it be restored (or had done so himself while reviewing the edited manuscript). I should have queried the publisher’s project editor before making such a comprehensive editorial decision, but I am glad that the author did not name me on the acknowledgments page. The decision about whether to allow such profligate capitalization is for the publisher to make, but although most readers may not notice or are unlikely to realize or care that lowercase style is the norm for such usage it looks amateurish, especially when hundreds of references to dozens of herbs appear throughout the book. More recently, an editor for a company that publishes commemorative books for professional sports teams told me to honor a style break for references to sports scores when I edit manuscripts. Normally, a score is set off from the rest of the sentence, as in â€Å"The 49ers beat the Raiders, 28–21, before a sellout crowd,† but I was asked to preserve the omission of commas in such constructions. This type of change is innocuous and nearly invisible, and it happens often. The copy editor simply notes the deviation from the norm on a style sheet, a record of variations in spelling, punctuation, and the like, and other editors involved in the project note and preserve the style break. Feel free to break style in self-published writing or to request that deviations from style be honored when you submit content for publication. But in either case, have a good reason for doing so, or be prepared to accept with good grace a denial of your request. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Program vs. Programme55 Boxing Idioms"To Tide You Over"

How to Pronounce Vowels in Italian

How to Pronounce Vowels in Italian Italian pronunciation might pose some difficulties for the beginner. Yet it is very regular, and once the rules are understood, it is easy to pronounce each word correctly. Italian vowels (le vocali) are short, clear-cut, and are never drawn out. The glide, with which English vowels frequently end, should be avoided. Finally, it should be noted that the vowels a, i, and u, are always pronounced the same way. E and o, on the other hand, have an open and a closed sound that may vary from. How to Pronounce Vowels A- sounds like a in fatherE- has two sounds: short vowel like e in pen; long vowel, similar to ai in fairI- sounds like ea in tea or i in marineO- has two sounds: like o in cozy or similar to o in costU- sounds like u in rude Tips: Italian vowels are always articulated in a sharp, clear fashion, regardless of stress. They are never slurred or pronounced weakly.Vowels (a,e,i,o,u) always retain their value in diphthongs.Italian is a phonetic language, which means that it is spoken the way it is written. Italian and English share the Latin alphabet, but the sounds represented by the letters often differ considerably in the two languages.    Examples of Vowels a is like a in the English word ah! Here are some examples in Italian with an English translation. casa  houseantipasto  appetizerama  lovesbanana  bananasala  hallPapa  Popefama  famepasta  pasta; dough; pastry e is sometimes like e in the English word they (without the final i glide). Here are some examples in Italian with an English translation. e  andbeve  drinksme  mefede  faithvede  seesmele  applessete  thirstpepe  pepper e is sometimes like e in the word met. This is the open e. Here are some examples in Italian with an English translation. à ¨Ã‚  islento  slowbene  wellfesta  party; holidaysedia  chairpresto  soonvento  windtà ¨Ã‚  tea i is like i in machine. Here are some examples in Italian with an English translation. libri  booksbimbi  childrenvini  winesviolini  violinstini  vatspini  pines o is sometimes like o in the English word oh!. Here are some examples in Italian with an English translation. o  ordono  giftnome  namesolo  aloneposto  placetondo  roundvolo  flightmondo  world o is sometimes like o in or. This is the open o. Here are some examples in Italian with an English translation. moda  fashiontoga  togano  nooro  goldposta  mailbrodo  brothcosa  thingtrono  thronerosa  roseolio  oil u is like u in rule. Here are some examples in Italian with an English translation. luna  moonfungo  mushroomuno  onelungo  longfuga  fuguemulo  muleuso  usetubo  tube

American Landscape Artwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American Landscape Artwork - Essay Example In particular, nature and landscape were utterly synonymous. Cole’s painting evidently depicts a picturesque image seen in the Connecticut River in the time of the romantic artist. The masterpiece clearly shows trees, shrubs, waters, and other images visible in the natural landscape. Further, the landscape painting is portrayed like a picture-postcard perfect, a characteristic of American romanticism. Church’s â€Å"The Heart of Andes† also belongs to the 19th-century American romanticism. Similar to Cole’s painting; Church’s art work depicts the panoramic view of the wilderness. â€Å"The Heart of Andes† shows the exotic of nature. In contrast to cityscape, Church’s painting evokes the untamed and virgin element found in the vast green forest. American romanticism is basically defined in terms of landscape, seascape, and other natural wonders -- what Kaufman and Macpherson (2005) call sublime and beautiful. The landscape paintings prominent in the 19th-century America are considered as part and parcel of the American romanticism. Cole’s â€Å"The Oxbow† and Church’s â€Å"The Heart of Andes† are beautiful and sublime landscape art works characterized in a romantic movement. Both paintings exhibit nature in its grandeur and exotic

The Existence of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Existence of God - Essay Example When he does buy it that is not God answering your prayer, but just coincidence. My remarks surprised you because you are a staunch believer in God. You rejected my argument, terming it logically fallacious, saying there is a supreme being that controls our existence and nature. You continued to say that everything that happens does so for a reason, and the reason is God. That was brilliant and so enlightening. Introducing the fallacies of the appeal of faith, I stated that if you do not have faith you could not learn about God and His mysteries. Faith relies on belief and does not base on any evidence, depends on irrationalism in thinking. This implies that, if you do not believe in God, then you surely cannot learn about him. I am not a believer but know little about God, because I believe knowing about Him is not necessarily about faith but interest in learning. You could not agree with me at all from the beginning. Your response was that one has to have faith in God, to understand how mysterious He is, and termed my argument logically fallacious. Also, dismissed my argument saying that you cannot learn about something you do not believe in at all. That was a smart argument and really got me thinking. This was a revelation to me. I also brought forward the fallacy on begging the question or assuming the answer to certain problems in the society. Many people believe that spreading religion among more people in society will instill moral behavior. I did not understand how praise and worship could instill moral behavior in the society, rather than teaching moral behavior and personal choice of people. Being a believer, you explained that from God’s teachings Christians are encouraged to have good moral behaviors. Therefore, spreading religion to more members of society, to have more believers, there will be a change of morality in society. This was a truly factual argument. Receive my

Afghanistan Taliban Regime Essay Example for Free

Afghanistan Taliban Regime Essay The motion picture Osama really has the capacity to move anyone’s heart. Unsurprisingly, it garnered awards and commendations from several award-giving bodies in the film industry (Ebert 500). However, the bonafide intention of this motion flick is for the world to know the story of women under the Afghanistan Taliban regime. Moreover, women and young girls suffered so much misery under the sadistic governance of Taliban people. Real life story such as this reflects that women from some parts of the world have little freedom or truly there is no liberty at all. We are on the era where everything seems so easy to achieve and women have the power to rule things within their hands. However, many female individuals including Afghan women take so many years before they can do something for their own welfare. Afghanistan is severely devastated from the past hostilities and so as the Afghan women. No doubt that Afghanistan is one of the most poverty-stricken countries on earth. Nevertheless, the mortality rate of both maternal and child are extremely below par which is considered to be the second highest among nations in the world. Women’s literacy is beyond acceptable rate for the reason that they are not given enough education. So to speak, only few female individuals are given the chance to study and participate in building the nation. During the Taliban’s dictatorship, female population is strictly discriminated in many aspects. Women and girls do not have enough access to employment, education and most especially to health care facilities. Inadequate medical assistance worsens the circumstances of pregnant women and newborn child. Malnutrition among Afghan people also increases every month and the unacceptable governance of the Taliban regime aggravates the present condition. There is a very small portion of female population who are lucky enough to receive informal primary education. Even the education system of the opposite gender is also affected by the prohibition of female employment because most of the educators are women. Since the Talibans take charge of the Afghan government, education system starts to descend. Apparently, fewer educated individuals mean lesser chance of getting a descent job. Women are not able to travel or wander alone so those widowed women and single women who participate as the head of the family are well affected. A male relative must accompany a female family member at all times or else the latter will be captured and put into jail. Another thing that disregards women’s contribution in building a nation is when a decree was issued by the Taliban regime banning women from driving vehicles in any form. Women’s seclusion in their homes is an obvious chauvinism of the Taliban government. Several reports of harassments and physical assaults are also perceived among Afghan women. The closing stage of Osama breaks my heart. As I see the finale, my mind starts to contemplate what would happen to Osama now that she has to be a wife of an old man. Osama’s so young to live through things which are not really meant to be. She must not be in that situation. Moreover, she must still be studying or perhaps enjoying her life as a kid. Women are not objects that can compensate a person’s debt to other people. Women are part of this world, they give life. Their presence is very significant in each and every one. Without these women, there will be no tomorrow. Mr. Siddiq Barmak, the director of the film leaves the viewer to hang into something that would strengthen one’s hope and faith. He believes that life is a journey and each road leads us to a situation where we need to choose what we think what’s best for us. He clearly reminded the spectators that though we’re on the side of the world where we only see how the sun shines and sets, there is also another half of the world who could not get a glimpse of the sun until now. He effectively strikes a chord to wake up the other side of world to lend a hand to let the dying Afghan women and children to experience freedom and live a normal life. Warfare among women and children must be ended and democracy among people must win to end this kind of battle. The battle to raise children and women’s welfare isn’t over. This is just the beginning – when realization takes place. Work Cited Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert’s Movie Yearbook. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2008.

One Who Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest :: Ken Kesey

Chief is the narrator because if McMurphy were the narrator, he could not quite be telling the story as a fable. He would be empowered to control the path of the narrative--if he were still sane. But Chief, who has not been lobotomized but freed, recounts McMurphy's story and takes the lesson to the outside world. He becomes the messenger. Chief Bromden believes in the "fog" and the power of the "Combine." The fog is, on an individual level, a kind of mental dimness or confusion that also represents the thickness of delusion and suffering that prevents the inmates from seeing their true situation and their true selves. The Combine is, on a social level, a repressive institution and all the individual wheels and cogs in it that ensures that the inmates stay quiescent. When McMurphy supposedly oversleeps and is discovered, we must question the depth of his motivation to escape. McMurphy has found deep fulfillment in helping the men in the ward, especially Bromden, despite his increasing personal frustration. But he also has been letting his frustration distance himself somewhat from his initial efforts at leadership. McMurphy may well be the kind of person who is immoderate in his desires and who might end up oversleeping even while he might have preferred to escape. McMurphy has figuratively disrobed Nurse Ratched, disempowering her and because she has been exposed as human. Her power over the men is further broken, despite her clear victory over McMurphy as an individual. "Thoughts are free," but if part of one's brain has been removed, one does not even have much in the way of thoughts. Ratched has been stripped of much of her authority, her credibility in the overall institution has been further eroded, and Bromden finally gains the independence to escape. Nurse Ratched is nominally the villain, but she symbolizes a somewhat broken institutional system and the problems of a larger, repressive society that subjugates individualism to conformity. She is part of the Combine, and another upon her demise will likely take her place in the machine. Still, she is particularly cruel at a level beyond that of the other doctors and nurses. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey, each character is a representation of something else. Randle McMurphy represents an outside world/nature and Nurse Ratched represents the inside world and is a manipulator. However, Chief Bromden is different. He is depicted as an adherent, the balance between the outside and inside world, and a follower of McMurphy.

Importance of Schools Essay

Insertion of Article 25-A in the Constitution has guaranteed the provision of free and compulsory education by the state to all children in the age cohort of 5 to 16 years. The 18th amendment and insertion of Article 25-A has the potential to accelerate the pace of achievement of national and international targets towards the achievements of MDGs since right to free and compulsory education has been recognized. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the lack of appropriate public sector educational institutes leads to the high ratio of drop out from schools. The available public sector schools in KP are not able to support high influx of students passing out from primary schools. Each second union council in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has no high school for girls, leaving thousands of female students to drop out after completing primary education. Latest official data reveals that around 505 out of the total 990 union councils in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have no high school for girls sho wing the apathy of the successive governments towards female education in the militancy-ravaged province. Similarly, 158 union councils have no high schools for boys. In the absence of high schools both for girls and boys majority of the students in the respective areas have no option but to stop going to schools after completing primary education. Unfortunately, on one hand a number of educational institutions, particularly for girls, were blown up or torched in the militant-infested districts of the province while on other the government in past failed to pay heed to establishment of high schools to boost the already deteriorating standard of education. The insecurity and lack of schools have increased the dropout rate of the children in early age. Sitting aside the far-off districts like inaccessible Kohistan and Dir, even the capital city of Peshawar is short of educational institutions. Out of total 93 union councils in Peshawar, about 55 have no high school for girls while 32 of them are without high school for boys, according to the data. Out of 75 union councils in Mardan the sec ond largest city in KP, 34 have no high school for girls and 15 have no high school for boys. The Kohistan district has total 38 union councils but only one of them has a high school for girls. Similarly, its 24 union councils have no high schools for boys. Bannu has 47 union councils and among them 23 have no high school for girls and 15 are without high school for boys. Similarly, 41 union councils in Swat, 21 in Abbottabad, 23 in Chitral, 27 in Charsadda, 14 in Dera Ismail Khan, 10 in  Lower Dir, 33 in Mansehra, 24 in Nowshera, 23 in Lakki, 16 in Battagram, 20 in Upper Dir, 23 in Shangla and 13 in Hangu have no high schools for girls. According to policy analysis report from UNESCO in 2012, there are about 2,845,843 students enrolled at primary level throughout KP, while only 1,077,597 at high schools in KP. This shows that almost 50% get dropped out after primary schools due to one reason or another, the most prevailing of which is the huge difference in the number of institutes both at primary and high level leads to the drop out of most of the students due to the non-availability of high schools in their locality or the high schools available do not have the facilities to accommodate the large number of students. Majority of the population cannot afford the fee structures of private schools so they are unwillingly compelled to discontinue the education of their children, and leaving no option but to involve their children in child labor. The lack of High Schools in the locality also leads to dropout. Due to cultural norms and values people mostly don’t send their female children to schools far from them.

Participatory Notes †Concept Essay

Participatory notes are issued by FIIs to their unregistered clients who want to invest in the Indian equity market but do not want to meet the disclosure requirements to do so. Thus the modus operandi they opt for is to invest their money with the fund companies (FIIs), who will invest in Indian market on their behalf. The fund company is registered with SEBI in India and issues participatory notes to these investors as a proof of their investment. Participatory notes are instruments used by foreign funds not registered in the country to trade in the domestic market. SEBI’s Concern and rulings regarding these notes: Participatory Notes have always been a bone of contention for SEBI as the identity of the investors is not known. In 2003, there was a boom in the stock market mainly due to a lot of foreign funds. This also led to a lot of volatility in the Indian market because a lot of Investment was done through Participatory Notes. So in 2003, SEBI amended regulations relating to foreign institutional investors to incorporate a new 10 point code of conduct and inserted a clause seeking disclosure of information with regard to participatory notes. The code seeks compliance to good corporate governance standards and SEBI regulations. SEBI has clarified that there is no change in the rules relating to FIIs except for the strengthening of KYC Norms. They have also given a ruling which states that from Now on, The PNs can only be issued to Registered Entities. The actual investing parties must be registered with the regulator of their country of Incorporation. In addition, to facilitate the process of transition, derivative instruments already issued and outstanding against un-regulated entities will not be required to be terminated immediately. It has been decided that the said contracts will be permitted to expire or to be wound – down on maturity, or within a period of 5 years, whichever is earlier.

Ronald McDonalds Goes to China Research Paper Example

Ronald McDonalds Goes to China Research Paper Example Ronald McDonalds Goes to China Paper Ronald McDonalds Goes to China Paper McDonalds entered Hong Kong in 1975 and Beijing only in 1992. After about seven years, there were already 235 McDonalds restaurants across China and in Hong Kong there were 158 franchises as of 1999 (Watson, 2000). Today, there are already about 200 outlets and more than 10,000 staff in Hong Kong (McDonalds HK, 2007) while in Beijing there are 90 outlets some of which are offer 24-hour service (CEN, 2006). The entry of McDonalds in China, although the country is known for its rich, deep-rooted culture, has become successful primarily because of the changing lifestyles of the people themselves along with the changing characteristics of the countrys demographics. This case study identifies the problems McDonalds in China is facing and recommends possible solutions to the problems identified. Problem Identification McDonalds is faced on the issues on how to stay competitive in the fast food industry and on how to take advantage of the many opportunities available for them. If McDonalds does not take advantage of these opportunities, its competitors are likely to grab such opportunities. According to Watson (2000), China is currently experiencing changes with its demographic characteristics such as changing family system, lifestyles, family values, aging population, and rising incomes. Due to these opportunities. China has become more attractive to other fast food companies that the number of fast food restaurants as well as the intensity of competition in the country is increasing. There is the KFC, Pizza Hut, Mos Burger, California Beef Noodle King, Starbucks, Yoshinoya, and recently, Burger King. All of them have their own market segments and have their own way of attracting customers. Burger King for instance had already entered the Chinese market in 2005 (AP, 2005) and can be expected to expand across China in the next few years. Burger King has many similarities with McDonalds from the quality of service to the quality of products as well as with the ability to attract customers. Additionally, Burger King also knows how to innovate and differentiate products from that of the competitors (e. g. patties are grilled thus the taste of its burgers is distinguishable from that of other brands). Another problem is that the taste of McDonalds beef patties does not appeal to the Chinese adults (Watson, 2000). This means that the adult segment of McDonalds market eat there not because they like the taste of the foods but because of the popularity associated with it and the comfort especially the children and teenage customers find at every McDonalds restaurants. Burger King, McDonalds number one competitor in the United States which has been proven to have better tasting burgers than McDonalds, may soon become a big threat to McDonalds if McDonalds will not give careful attention in improving the taste of its burgers to suit the taste preferences of the Chinese. Identification of Options or Alternatives McDonalds may implement one or a combination of the following alternatives: Intensify its communication and marketing efforts to ensure that McDonalds remains attractive to the younger consumers, making up with the loss made due to the unattractiveness of McDonalds burger to adults. McDonalds definitely has competitive advantage over its competitors due to its popularity and strong brand identity which was developed through its strong marketing and communication tools. This particular strength of McDonalds can be further utilized in order to sustain its competitive advantage. However, this alternative requires McDonalds to allot additional budget for its marketing strategies. Instead of allocating additional financial support for promotions and marketing, McDonalds may opt to allocate budget for research and development in order for the company to innovate and improve the taste of its burger patties; that is, integrate Chinese taste preferences with the American burger. McDonalds should conduct research to determine the specific taste of burgers that Chinese adults want and to alter the recipe of its traditional American burger patty. In other words, although Chinese customers are now embracing American foods, it will be better if they can still get to eat the Chinese way even at McDonalds. McDonalds must focus on product innovation. According to Nonaka (1991, p. 25) innovation means â€Å"to recreate the world according to a particular vision or ideal†. If McDonalds is really aiming to localize the company, it must then become serious in offering products with tastes that will be appreciated by the Chinese consumers.. McDonalds is a food company thus, its focus must primarily be on the taste of its products and not only on providing customers the experience of eating in a friendly restaurant. McDonalds may expand its operation by opening new outlets to be able to broaden its market reach and ensure that McDonalds has presence in all possible strategic locations. This alternative addresses the opportunities available for McDonalds; however, it does not really solve the second problem identified above.

Luminescence Dating in Archaeology

Luminescence Dating in Archaeology Luminescence dating (including thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence) is a type of dating methodology that measures the amount of light emitted from energy stored in certain rock types and derived soils to obtain an absolute date for a specific event that occurred in the past. The method is a direct dating technique, meaning that the amount of energy emitted is a direct result of the event being measured. Better still, unlike radiocarbon dating, the effect luminescence dating measures increases with time. As a result, there is no upper date limit set by the sensitivity of the method itself, although other factors may limit the methods feasibility. How Luminescence Dating Works Two forms of luminescence dating are used by archaeologists to date events in the past: thermoluminescence (TL) or thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL), which measures energy emitted after an object has been exposed to temperatures between 400 and 500 °C; and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), which measures energy emitted after an object has been exposed to daylight. To put it simply, certain minerals (quartz, feldspar, and calcite), store energy from the sun at a known rate. This energy is lodged in the imperfect lattices of the minerals crystals. Heating these crystals (such as when a pottery vessel is fired or when rocks are heated) empties the stored energy, after which time the mineral begins absorbing energy again. TL dating is a matter of comparing the energy stored in a crystal to what ought to be there, thereby coming up with a date-of-last-heated. In the same way, more or less, OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) dating measures the last time an object was exposed to sunlight. Luminescence dating is good for between a few hundred to (at least) several hundred thousand years, making it much more useful than carbon dating. The Meaning of Luminescence The term luminescence refers to the energy emitted as light from minerals such as quartz and feldspar after theyve been exposed to an ionizing radiation of some sort. Minerals- and, in fact, everything on our planet- are exposed to cosmic radiation: luminescence dating takes advantage of the fact that certain minerals both collect and release energy from that radiation under specific conditions. Two forms of luminescence dating are used by archaeologists to date events in the past: thermoluminescence (TL) or thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL), which measures energy emitted after an object has been exposed to temperatures between 400 and 500 °C; and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), which measures energy emitted after an object has been exposed to daylight. Crystalline rock types and soils collect energy from the radioactive decay of cosmic uranium, thorium, and potassium-40. Electrons from these substances get trapped in the minerals crystalline structure, and continuing exposure of the rocks to these elements over time leads to predictable increases in the number of electrons caught in the matrices. But when the rock is exposed to high enough levels of heat or light, that exposure causes vibrations in the mineral lattices and the trapped electrons are freed. The exposure to radioactive elements continues, and the minerals begin again storing free electrons in their structures. If you can measure the rate of acquisition of the stored energy, you can figure out how long it has been since the exposure happened. Materials of geological origin will have absorbed considerable quantities of radiation since their formation, so any human-caused exposure to heat or light will reset the luminescence clock considerably more recently than that  since only the energy stored since the event will be recorded. Measuring Stored Energy The way you measure energy stored in an object that you expect has been exposed to heat or light in the past  is to stimulate that object again  and measure the amount of energy released. The energy released by stimulating the crystals is expressed in light (luminescence). The intensity of blue, green or infrared light that is created when an object is stimulated is proportional to the number of electrons stored in the minerals structure and, in turn, those light units are converted to dose units. The equations used by scholars to determine the date when the last exposure happened are typically: Age total luminescence/annual rate of luminescence acquisition, orAge paleodose (De)/annual dose(DT) Where De  is the laboratory beta dose that induces the same luminescence intensity in the sample emitted by the natural sample, and DT  is the annual dose rate comprised of several components of radiation that arise in the decay of natural radioactive elements. Datable Events and Objects Artifacts which can be dated using these methods include  ceramics, burned  lithics, burned bricks and soil from  hearths  (TL), and unburned stone surfaces that were exposed to light and then buried (OSL). Pottery: The most recent heating measured in pottery sherds is assumed to represent the manufacturing event; the signal arises from quartz or feldspar in the clay or other tempering additives. Although pottery vessels can be exposed to heat during cooking, cooking is never at sufficient levels to reset the luminescence clock. TL dating was used to determine the age of  Indus Valley  civilization occupations, which had proved resistant to radiocarbon dating, because of the local climate. Luminescence can also be used to determine the original firing temperature.Lithics: Raw material such as flints and cherts have been dated by TL; fire-cracked rock from hearths can also be dated by TL as long as they were fired to sufficiently high temperatures. The resetting mechanism is primarily heated  and works on the assumption that the raw stone material was heat-treated during stone tool manufacture. However, heat treatment normally involves temperatures between 300 and 400 °C, not alw ays sufficiently high enough. The best success from TL dates on chipped stone artifacts likely are from events when they were deposited into a hearth and accidentally fired. Surfaces of buildings and walls: The buried elements of standing walls of archaeological ruins have been dated using optically stimulated luminescence; the derived date provides the age of burial of the surface. In other words, the OSL date on a foundation wall of a building is the last time that foundation was exposed to light before being used as the initial layers in a building, and hence when the building was first built.Others: Some success has been found dating objects such as bone tools, bricks, mortar, mounds, and agricultural terraces. Ancient slag  left from early  metal production  have also been dated using TL, as well as absolute dating of kiln fragments or vitrified linings of furnaces and crucibles. Geologists have used OSL and TL to establish long, log chronologies of landscapes; luminescence dating is a powerful tool to help date sentiments dated to the  Quaternary  and much earlier periods. History of the Science Thermoluminescence was first clearly described in a paper presented to the Royal Society (of Britain) in 1663, by  Robert Boyle, who described the effect in a diamond which had been warmed to body temperature. The possibility of making use of TL stored in a mineral or pottery sample was first proposed by chemist  Farrington Daniels  in the 1950s. During the 1960s and 70s, the  Oxford University Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art  led in the development of TL as a method of dating archaeological materials. Sources Forman SL. 1989.  Applications and limitations of thermoluminescence to date quaternary sediments.  Quaternary International  1:47-59. Forman SL, Jackson ME, McCalpin J, and Maat P. 1988.  The potential of using thermoluminescence to date buried soils developed on colluvial and fluvial sediments from Utah and Colorado, U.S.A.: Preliminary results.  Quaternary Science Reviews  7(3-4):287-293. Fraser JA, and Price DM. 2013.  A thermoluminescence (TL) analysis of ceramics from Applied Clay Science  82:24-30.cairns in Jordan: Using TL to integrate off-site features into regional chronologies.   Liritzis I, Singhvi AK, Feathers JK, Wagner GA, Kadereit A, Zacharais N, and Li S-H. 2013.  .Luminescence Dating in Archaeology, Anthropology, and Geoarchaeology: An Overview  Cham: Springer. Seeley M-A. 1975.  Thermoluminescent dating in its application to archaeology: A review.  Journal of Archaeological Science  2(1):17-43. Singhvi AK, and Mejdahl V. 1985.  Thermoluminescence dating of sediments.  Nuclear Tracks and Radiation Measurements  10(1-2):137-161. Wintle AG. 1990.  A review of current research on TL dating of loess.  Quaternary Science Reviews  9(4):385-397. Wintle AG, and Huntley DJ. 1982.  Thermoluminescence dating of sediments.  Quaternary Science Reviews  1(1):31-53.

Critical Incident Logistic Response Structure Essay

Critical Incident Logistic Response Structure - Essay Example Units are commonly used in incident Planning, Logistics, or Finance/Administration sections and can be used in operations for some applications. Units are also found in EOC organizations." (Incident Command System, 2004) The Chief of Operations will make sure that all tactical operations at the incident site are carried out efficiently. It will be done immediately after the crisis and will also include recovery. The recovery will include air, water and land if necessary. This unit has to be capable of improvising and functioning under adverse conditions. The tactical team has to be able to immobilize within 72 hours at the maximum and be ready to bear hazardous conditions, even biologically hazardous conditions. This entails total assessment of the situation. The officer in charge of this particular branch will have to appoint different officers responsible for units such as collection, evaluation and status of the resources. There should also be a situation assessment analyst who makes sure that the officer in charge of Planning and the chief of operations are constantly informed of any developments in the crisis. In collections the officer in charge of that particular sub-branch will have officers under him who will be collection data such as (if they play a role in the crisis) weather forecasts reports, casualty information, incident scene reports etc. In evaluations the officer in charge there will receive all this information from the collections branch and make use of it by piecing all the information together. The intelligence information it will develop will not only assist in contingency plans but may be of use for the operations unit in tactical operations. There will also be a unit accountable for resources. This particular unit will be in charge of regulating all resources including human resources. They will make sure that the resources are efficiently spent and properly regulated. The situation assessment analyst will keep regular track of all this information and will keep reporting it to the Emergency manager and the chief of operations. He will also be required to make sure that any situation does not spiral out of control. Table1. Planning Overview Logistics This section is going to be responsible for providing all kinds of facilities and services such as transportation, shelter, hygiene, food, medical facilities etc. It has to be ensured that there are enough facilities present not only for the victims but for the relief personnel too. The logistics' section will actually be divided

Pedestrian and bicycle facilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pedestrian and bicycle facilities - Essay Example Both regional and local authorities have the responsibility of planning, and implementi8ng cycling policies. National level commitment is essential for putting right the legal, regulatory, and financial framework that lead to successful implementation of cycling initiatives. This is the city in the region with a well advanced form of League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community where bicycling is an important means of transport and recreational activity. According to the 2007-2011 American Community Survey, 4% of Newark households engage in bicycling for recreation (Delaware Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan Survey). It is a normal phenomenon that all cyclists at one time have felt to be invisible to motorists. Bike Delaware has provided the â€Å"intentional blindness† that addresses this phenomenon. Another issue of safety is the question as to why cyclists’ and pedestrians’ safety is termed as invisible to traffic engineers. Most traffic engineers pay close attention to road safety and traffic congestion. Despite this safety, little is realized on the ped/bike safety projects. The federal program called the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is responsible for funding Road Safety in Delaware. According to the data collected from the research, Delaware has spent more than $8 million HSIP dollars every year on road safety improvement projects but none focused on reducing pedestrian or cyclist fatalities. As a result, motor vehicle occupant fatalities have reduced while pedestrians’ fatalities have not. Cycling around Delaware University and Newark area is a favored means of transport to students, staff, faculty, and locals living in the area. Cyclists are assisted by the Newark Traffic Relief Committee (NTRC) that has prepared a Newark City Bicycle Map. The map shows cycling and pedestrian routes in the city and provides