Friday, November 8, 2019
Oxidizing Agent Definition and Examples
Oxidizing Agent Definition and Examples An oxidizing agent is a reactant that removes electrons from other reactants during a redox reaction. The oxidizing agent typically takes these electrons for itself, thus gaining electrons and being reduced. An oxidizing agent is thus an electron acceptor. An oxidizing agent may also be viewed as a species capable of transferring electronegative atoms (especially oxygen) to a substrate. Oxidizing agents are also known as oxidants or oxidizers. Examples of Oxidizing Agents Hydrogen peroxide, ozone, oxygen, potassium nitrate, and nitric acid are all oxidizing agents. All of the halogens are oxidizing agents (e.g., chlorine, bromine, fluorine). Oxidizing Agent Versus Reducing Agent While an oxidizing agent gains electrons and is reduced in a chemical reaction, a reducing agent loses electrons and is oxidized during a chemical reaction. Oxidizer as a Dangerous Material Because an oxidizer may contribute to combustion, it may be classified as a dangerous material. The hazard symbol for an oxidizer is a circle with flames on top of it.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
The Importance of Infrastructure
The Importance of Infrastructure Infrastructure is a term architects, engineers, and urban planners use to describe essential facilities, services, and organizational structures for communal use, most commonly by residents of cities and towns. Politicians often think of infrastructure in terms of how a nation can help corporations move and deliver their goods- water, electricity, sewage, and merchandise are all about movement and delivery via infrastructure. Infra- means below, and sometimes these elements are literally below the ground, like water and natural gas supply systems. In modern environments, infrastructure is thought to be any facility we expect but dont think about because it works for us in theà background, unnoticed- below our radar. The global information infrastructure for communications and internet involves satellites in space- not underground at all, but we rarely think about how that last Tweet got to us so quickly. Infrastructure is not American or exclusive to the United States. For example, engineers in nations across the globe have developed high-tech solutions for flood control- one system that protects an entire community. All countries have infrastructure in some form, which can include these systems: Roads, tunnels, and bridges, including the Interstate Highway SystemMass-transit systems (e.g., trains and rails)Airport runways and control towersTelephone lines and cellphone towersDams and reservoirsHurricane barriersLevees and pumping stationsWaterways, canals, and portsElectrical power lines and connections (i.e., the national power grid)Fire stations and equipmentHospitals, clinics, and emergency response systemsSchoolsLaw enforcement and prisonsSanitation and waste removal facilities for solid waste, wastewater, and hazardous wastePost offices and mail deliveryPublic parks and other types of green infrastructure Infrastructure Definition infrastructure:à The framework of interdependent networks and systems comprising identifiable industries, institutions (including people and procedures), and distribution capabilities that provide a reliable flow of products and services essential to the defense and economic security of the United States, the smooth functioning of governments at all levels, and society as a whole. - Report of the Presidentââ¬â¢s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection, 1997 Why Infrastructure Is Important We all use these systems, which are often called public works, and we expect them to function for us, but we dont like to pay for them. Many times the cost is hidden in plain view- added taxes to your utility and telephone bill, for example, may help pay for infrastructure. Even teenagers with motorbikes help pay for infrastructure with every gallon of gasoline used. A highway-user tax is added to each gallon of motor fuel (e.g., gasoline, diesel, gasohol) sold. This money goes into what is called the Highway Trust Fund in order to pay for repairs and replacement of roads, bridges, and tunnels. Likewise, each airline ticket you buy has a federal excise tax that should be used to maintain the infrastructure needed to support air travel.à Both state and federal governments are allowed to add taxes to certain products and services in order to help pay for the infrastructure that supports them. The infrastructure may begin to crumble if the tax doesnt keep increasing enough. These exci se taxes are consumption taxes that are in addition to your income taxes, which also can be used to pay for infrastructure. Infrastructure is important because we all pay for it and we all use it. Paying for infrastructure can be as complicated as the infrastructure itself. Nevertheless, most people depend on transportation systems and public utilities, which also are essential for the economic vitality of our businesses. As Senator Elizabeth Warren (Dem, MA) famously stated, You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear: you moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for; you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate; you were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didnt have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did. - Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 2011 When Infrastructure Fails When natural disasters strike, stable infrastructure is necessary for swift delivery of emergency supplies and medical care. When fires rage in drought-ravaged areas of the U.S. we expect firefighters to be on the scene until the neighborhoods are safe. All countries are not so fortunate. In Haiti, for example, the lack of well-developed infrastructure contributed to the deaths and injuries suffered during and after the earthquake of January 2010. Every citizen should expect to live in comfort and safety. On the most basic level, every community requires access to clean water and sanitary waste disposal. Poorly maintained infrastructure can lead to a devastating loss of life and property. Examples of failed infrastructure in the U.S. include: When the Oroville Dams spillway eroded, thousands of Californians evacuated, 2017Unsafe drinking water from lead supply pipes affected the health of children in Flint, Michigan, 2014Sewer spills during hard rains in Houston, Texas created a public health hazard, 2009The collapse of Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota killed motorists, 2007Failure of the levees and pump stations after Hurricane Katrina flooded communities in New Orleans, Louisiana, 2005 Governments Role in Infrastructure Investing in infrastructure is nothing new for governments. Thousands of years ago, Egyptians built irrigation and transportation systems with dams and canals. Ancient Greeks and Romans built roads and aqueducts that still stand today. The 14th-century Parisian sewers have become tourist destinations. Governments around the world have realized that investing in and maintaining a healthy infrastructure is an important government function. Australias Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development claims that It is an investment that has a multiplier effect throughout the economy, generating lasting economic, social and environmental benefits. In an age of terrorist threats and attacks, the U.S. has stepped up efforts to secure critical infrastructure, extending the list of examples toà systems related to Information and communications, gas and oil production/storage/transportation, and even banking and finance. The list is the subject of an ongoing debate. Critical infrastructures now include national monuments (e.g. Washington Monument), where an attack might cause a large loss of life or adversely affect the nationââ¬â¢s morale. They also include the chemical industry....A fluid definition of what constitutes a critical infrastructure could complicate policymaking and actions. - Congressional Research Service, 2003 In the U.S. the Infrastructure Security Division and theà National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center are part of the Department of Homeland Security. Watchdog groups like the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) keep track of progress and needs by issuing an infrastructure report card every year. Books About Infrastructure Infrastructure: The Book of Everything for the Industrial Landscape by Brian HayesThe Works: Anatomy of a City by Kate AscherMove: How to Rebuild and Reinvent Americas Infrastructure by Rosabeth Moss KanterThe Road Taken: The History and Future of Americas Infrastructure by Henry Petroski Sources Presidentââ¬â¢s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection, October 1997, pp. B-1 to B-2, PDF at https://fas.org/irp/crs/RL31556.pdf Summary, Critical Infrastructures: What Makes an Infrastructure Critical? Report for Congress, Order Code RL31556, Congressional Research Service (CRS), Updated January 29, 2003, PDF at https://fas.org/irp/crs/RL31556.pdf Infrastructure, Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Australian Government, https://infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure/ [accessed August 23, 2015] Elizabeth Warren: There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own by Lucy Madison, CBS News, September 22, 2011, cbsnews.com/news/elizabeth-warren-there-is-nobody-in-this-country-who-got-rich-on-his-own/ [accessed March 15, 2017] Highway Trust Fund and Taxes, U.S.Department of Transportation, https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/fastact/factsheets/htffs.cfm [accessed December 25, 2017]à Ascher, Kate. The Works: Anatomy of a City. Paperback, Reprint edition, Penguin Books, November 27, 2007. Hayes, Brian. Infrastructure: The Book of Everything for the Industrial Landscape. Paperback, Reprint edition, W. W. Norton Company, September 17, 2006. Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. Move: How to Rebuild and Reinvent Americas Infrastructure. 1 edition, W. W. Norton Company, May 10, 2016. Petroski, Henry. The Road Taken: The History and Future of Americas Infrastructure. Hardcover, Bloomsbury USA, February 16, 2016.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Labor Relations MGT 402 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Labor Relations MGT 402 - Essay Example cement of immigration laws would mean more deportations and make being an illegal immigrant a felony, and just because an illegal immigrant has a temporary worker pass does not mean that the worker will become an American citizen. The question is how would new immigration law effect labor relations in the U.S.? Some labor unions oppose the passing of these new immigration laws. The most prominent is the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations). The AFL-CIO is not opposed to new immigration laws, but wants only for responsible immigration laws to pass. The AFL-CIO states that any responsible immigration laws must contain the following elements: 5. Reform of immigration laws must consider the root causes of migration, and must take into account the global economic policies, as well as U.S. foreign policy that are pushing workers to migrate. (ââ¬Å"Responsible Reformâ⬠) A prominent organization that wants the current immigration law proposal to pass is SEIU (Service Employee International Union), one union under the umbrella organization Change to Win. Change to Win not only includes SEIU, but also Laborers, Teamsters, UNITE HERE, Carpenters, United Food and Commercial Workers, and United Farm Workers. Establish an Earned Path to Citizenship for Hardworking Taxpaying Immigrants. The following list show why the SEIU is for the proposed immigration reform: Immigration reform is important to American workers, illegal workers working in America, and the industries employing them all. It is estimate that 5.8 million illegal workers were in the U.S. as of March 2005 (Camarota). Advocates of harsher immigration reform argue that if the millions of illegal immigrants are deported, more Americans would be employed, especially in jobs which require less education requirements. This is not exactly true. Illegal immigrant workers work along side Americans equally in lower paid jobs (Camarota). 84% of illegal immigrants do not
Friday, November 1, 2019
Finance for Business Decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Finance for Business Decisions - Essay Example AMP Limitedââ¬â¢s financial data of 2011 shows that the company has 949,037 shareholders with a total share capital of 2,854,672,784 ordinary shares. The total number of Employees that work under the banner of AMP Limited is 6000, with 4131 employed and self-employed planners and has a relationship with 6,000 independent financial planners (AMP 2012). The company has two major business units, the first works under the name of AMP Financial Services where 4100 aligned and employed planners provide services regarding income protection, disability and life insurance, superannuation and superannuation services for business, retirement income, selected banking products and financial advices to its customers based in Australia and New Zealand. The second unit AMP Capital is diversified investment managers, who invest in fixed interest, property, diversified funds, equities and infrastructure. Currently they are managing $123 billion in assets for those who believe in AMP Capital and their strategies of creating wealth for their clients. The growth is on going with the emergence into different countries worldwide. The merger between AMP with AXA Asia Pacific Holding in 2011 gave a boost to the growth of AMP Limited as being the strongest business of Australia and New Zealand enhancing their services while it creates a competitive force in the financial sector. The investment in AXA Pacific Holding has proved to be a strong policy for the companyââ¬â¢s future growth as the merger has increased sales, company has become more competitive and an expanding advisory force. Based on the financial report the company maintains its payout ratio of 75 to 85 percent by announcing a dividend of 14 cents per share for the year 2011. However, the net profit attributable to shareholder of the company declined by 11% and reached $688 million compared to $775 million in 2010. The underlying profit shows 20% increase of $909 million than the previous year, as the 9 months contribution
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Comparison Between Structure and Function of Human and Animal Eyes Assignment
Comparison Between Structure and Function of Human and Animal Eyes - Assignment Example This essay stresses that the human eye is adapted to sense different colors and lights of various intensities and adjust according to brightness. Color and light vision involves the simultaneous interaction between the two eyes and brain. When light from the object hits the eye, it is focused by the cornea and lens elements that form transform it to an inverted image. The image successfully transverses the aqueous humor, crystalline lens, gelatinous vitreous body, and vascular ad neuronal layers before it is focused on the surface of the retina. Rod and cone cells found in the retina detect the image, translate the light into a series of electrical signals, and transmit the signals to the brain. This report makes a conclusion that vision is insidious in the animal kingdom since; it is the sensory organ that is relied upon in finding reproductive mates, suitable food, shelter, and escaping from predators and danger. The study of human and animalââ¬â¢s eyes show wild disparities in their mode of vision and anatomical features. Human vision is presented as sometimes ineffective as in detecting infrared and ultraviolet lights, or overly sophisticated than that of felines. This study is important to help researchers to find cure for human eye diseases and explain the adaptation of animals to their environment. The visual perception of living creatures is dependent on how they process light using their photoreceptors.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Analyzing Pro Forma Statements Essay Example for Free
Analyzing Pro Forma Statements Essay The Home Depot is the worldââ¬â¢s largest home improvement retailer. The tagline for The Home Depot is ââ¬Å"More savings more doing thatââ¬â¢s the power of The Home Depot.â⬠The catchy and recognizable tagline can be heard on nearly every TV and radio station in the United States. The Home Depot realizes that in order to maintain its title as the worldââ¬â¢s largest home improvement retailer the company will need more than its catchy tagline. Therefore, The Home Depot has decided to extend the time in which small household appliances are available to its customers. Analysis of Pro Forma Data The Home Depot does not usually sell small house appliances like coffee pots, toasters, mini convection ovens, blenders, and irons through the year. The mentioned small appliances were only sold during the Christmas season. The Home Depot has decided to extend the time frame in which small appliances could be purchased. In 2014, The Home Depot sold the small appliances from the Christmas season until March 2015. The extension of the availability of the small appliances increased sales revenue by %. The increase in revenue prompted The Home Depot to employ the idea for the 2015 Christmas season until March 2016. There was an increase in revenue of % for 2016. The same model was used for the Christmas season of 2016 to March 2017, and again there was an increase in annual sales, %. The Home Depot decided that since sales revenues were increasing each year with the extension of having the small appliance available to its customers that the store would sell the small appliance year round. So in 2017 The Depot made the decision to sell small appliance all year. There was an increase in sales for 2017 of %. There was an increase in sales for 2018 of %. Sales revenue increased % in 2019, which proved to be the most successful year. Conclusion The decision to extend the availability of small household appliances proved to be a very successful plan for The Home Depot. Annual revenue continued to increase each year that the small appliances were sold for a longer time frame to the customers. The decision to sell the small appliances throughout the year proved to be one of the best decisions that The Home Depot could have made. The company continues to run the catchy tagline ââ¬Å"More savings more doing thatââ¬â¢s the power of The Home Depot. The company also employed a new catchy tagline after the success of its 2014 plan. Now the new tagline ââ¬Å"Letââ¬â¢s Do Thisâ⬠can also be heard on TV and radio stations through the United States. It is also proudly displayed on the infamous orange work buckets that only The Home Depot sells.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
William Butler Yeatsââ¬â¢ The Magi Essay -- The Magi Essays
William Butler Yeatsââ¬â¢ The Magi à à à Briefly stated, William Butler Yeatsââ¬â¢ The Magi is a poem about people who, upon reaching old age, or perhaps just older age, turn to God and the spiritual world for fulfillment and happiness. We are told in the footnote to this poem that, after writing The Dolls, Yeats looked up into the blue sky and imagined that he could see "stiff figures in procession". Perhaps after imagining these figures, Yeats debated within himself whom these pictures could represent. Yeats then went on to write The Magi, a poem which is full of symbolism, a literary technique that he greatly valued. à à à In the first two lines of the poem, Yeats writes "Now as at all times I can see in the mindââ¬â¢s eye, / In their stiff, painted clothes, the pale unsatisfied ones". Yeats is saying that when he looks into the blue sky, towards heaven above, he is reminded of all those people who have spent their lives "playing the game". These people have achieved great success and have many wonderful things, such as their "stiff, painted clothes," but still they feel as if their lives are incomplete. Despite everything they own and the pride they feel in what they have accomplished, they are not quite happy with their lives as a whole. à à à The fourth line of the poem, "With all their ancient faces like rain-beaten stones," clarifies for me that Yeats is talking about people of an older generation. He is certainly not talking about unsatisfied twenty- or even thirtysomethings. Yeats uses simile in this line to describe faces that are well worn. These faces belong to people who have experienced the stresses and strains of life. They are no longer vibrant and distinct, but are instead bland and unremarkable. These are people who ... ...and successful and are turning to God for solace. They are choosing to honor and revere him in the hopes of finding everlasting peace and happiness. à à à Perhaps Yeats wrote this poem out of frustration with his own life. Maybe he felt that he also was one of the "pale, unsatisfied ones". He may have been struggling with the strains brought upon him by success. He may also have been going through a time of indecision in regards to his own spiritual life. Whatever the reason for his writing The Magi, Yeats wrote a poem rich in symbolism and imagery that many people could then, and can now, relate to on a very personal level. à References Ellmann, Richard and Robert O'Clair, eds. The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry, 2nd edition.à New York:à W. W.à à à à à à à Norton, 1988. Urdang, Laurence, ed.à The American Century Dictionary.à New York:à Oxford UP, 1995.
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