20 Facts About the Chemical Element Silver

20 Facts About the Chemical Element Silver Silver is a precious metal that has been known since ancient time. This is a list of interesting facts about the element silver. 1. The word silver comes from the  Anglo-Saxon word  seolfor.  There is no word that rhymes with the English word silver. It is a transition metal element, with symbol Ag, atomic number 47, and atomic weight of 107.8682. 2. Silver is exceptionally shiny! It is the most reflective element, which makes it useful in mirrors, telescopes, microscopes and solar cells. Polished silver reflects 95% of the visible light spectrum. However, silver is a poor reflector of ultraviolet light. Stocktrek Images/Getty Images 3. Silver can exist in its native state. In other words, nuggets or crystals of pure silver exist in nature. Silver also occurs as a natural alloy with gold that is called electrum. Silver commonly occurs in copper, lead, and zinc ores. 4. Silver metal is not toxic to humans. In fact, it can be used as a food decoration. However, most silver salts are toxic. Silver is germicidal, meaning it kills bacteria and other lower organisms. 5. Silver is the best electric conductor of the elements. It is used as the standard by which other conductors are measured. On a scale of  0 to 100, silver ranks 100 in terms of electrical conductivity. Copper ranks 97 and gold ranks 76. 6. Silver has been known since antiquity. It was one of the first five metals to be discovered. Mankind learned to separate silver from lead back in 3000 BC. Silver  objects have been found dating back before 4000 BC. It is believed the element was discovered around 5000 BC. Early Saxon coins, 5th-6th century. Silver pennies known as sceattas, found in excavations in London area.   Heritage Spanish/Getty Images 7. Only gold is more ductile than silver. An ounce of silver can be drawn into a wire 8,000 feet long. 8. The most commonly encountered form of silver is sterling silver. Sterling silver consists of 92.5% silver, with the balance consists of other metals, usually copper. 9. The chemical symbol for silver, Ag, comes from the  Latin word for silver, argentum, which in turn derives from the Sanskit word  argunas, which mean shining. 10. A single grain of silver (~65 mg) can be pressed into a sheet 150 times thinner than the average sheet of paper. 11. Silver is the best thermal conductor of any metal. The lines you see in the rear window of a car consist of silver, used to defrost ice in the winter. 12. The words for silver and money are the same in fourteen languages or more. 13. The primary source of silver today is the New World. Mexico is the leading producer, followed by Peru. The United States, Canada, Russia, and Australia also produce silver.  Around two-thirds of the silver obtained today is a by-product of copper, lead, and zinc mining. Silver mines in Mexico, such as this now-abandoned one, provided Spain, in the 18th century, with over one third of the silver sent out of the New World.   Danny Lehman/Getty Images 14. Coins minted in the United States prior to 1965 consists of about 90% silver. Kennedy half dollars  minted in the United States  between 1965 to 1969 contained 40% silver.   15. The compound silver iodide has been used for cloud seeding, to cause clouds to produce rain and try to control hurricanes. 16. The price of silver presently is less than that of gold, varying according to demand, discovery of sources and the invention of methods of separating the metal from other elements. In ancient Egypt and Medieval European countries, silver was valued more highly than gold. 17. Some silver compounds are highly explosive. Examples include silver fulminate, silver azide, silver(II) oxide, silver amide, silver acetylide, and silver oxalate. These are compounds in which silver forms a bond with nitrogen or oxygen. Although heat, drying, or pressure often ignite these compounds, sometimes all it takes is exposure to light. They may even explode spontaneously. 18. Silvers atomic number is 47, with an atomic weight of 107.8682. 19. Silver is stable in oxygen and water, but it  tarnishes in air because of a reaction with sulfur compounds to form a black sulfide layer. 20. Uses of silver metal include currency, silverware, jewelry, and dentistry. Its antimicrobial properties make it useful for air conditioning and water filtration. It is used to make mirror coatings, for solar energy applications, in electronics, and for photography. Sources Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-08-037941-9.Hammond, C. R. (2004). The Elements, in Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (81st ed.). CRC press. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.

Modal and Phraseological Verbs in Italian

Modal and Phraseological Verbs in Italian In addition to the Italian auxiliary verbs essere and avere, Italian modal  and phraseological verbs also serve as support to other verbs. Italian phraseological verbs (verbi fraseologici)  include   stare,  cominciare,  iniziare,  continuare,  seguitare,  finire, and  smettere,  which, when used before another verb (mostly in the  infinitive, but also as a  gerund), define a particular verbal aspect. Read on to learn more about these important Italian helping verbs. Modal Verbs The Italian modal verbs are dovere, potere, volere- meaning, respectively: necessity, possibility, and volition- they precede the infinitive of another verb and indicate a mode, such as in the following examples. The sentences show how to use these three verbs in Italian, followed by the type of mode in parentheses, followed by the English translation: Sono dovuto tornare (necessit)- I had to come back (need).Non ho potuto aiutarlo (possibilit).- I could not help him (possibility).Rita vuole dormire (volont).- Rita wants to sleep (will). To underscore the close link between the modal verb and the verb that follows it, the former usually takes the auxiliary of the second: Sono tornato. / Sono dovuto (potuto, voluto) tornare.Ho aiutato. / Ho potuto (dovuto, voluto) aiutare. This translates in English to: Im back. / I had to (have, wanted to) return.  I helped. / I have (had, wanted to) help.. It is common to encounter modal verbs with the auxiliary avere, even when the governing verb requires the auxiliary essere, as in: Sono tornato. / Ho dovuto (potuto, voluto) tornare.- Im back. / I had to (have, wanted to) return. Modal Verbs Followed by Essere In particular, the modal verbs take the auxiliary verb avere when they are followed by the verb essere: Ho dovuto (potuto, voluto) essere magnanimo.- I had to (have, wanted) to be magnanimous. The presence of an unstressed pronoun, which can be placed before or after the servile verb, has an effect on the choice of the auxiliary verb, such as: Non ho potuto andarci.  Non sono potuto andarci.Non ci sono potuto andare. Non ci ho potuto andare. This transelates in English to: I could not go there. I am not able to go there.  I could not go there. I could not go there. In addition to dovere, potere, and volere, other verbs such as sapere (in the sense of being able to), preferire, osare, and desiderare can also support the infinitive forms: So parlare inglese. Preferirei andarci da solo.Non osa chiedertelo. Desideravamo tornare a casa. In English, this translates to: I can speak English. Id rather go alone.  Do not dare ask. We wanted to go home. Phraseological Verbs To understand phraseological verbs, its helpful to view how they are used in context, in brief prases. Each of the following phases in Italian uses a phraseological verb, followed by the type of action being described, followed by the translation of the phrase and type of action in English: Sto parlando (azione durativa) - Im talking about  (action durative)So per parlare (azione ingressiva)- I know from talking  (ingressive action)Cominciai a parlare (inizio dellazione)- began to talk  (onset of action)Continuai a parlare (proseguimento dellazione)- continued to talk  (continuation of)Smisi di parlare (fine dellazione)- I stopped talking  (end of action) Additionally, various phrases and expressions are used idiomatically in Italian: essere sul punto di, andare avanti, a etc.- be about to,  go ahead, and  etc.

Unit 6 Case Management Seminar Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 6 Case Management Seminar - Research Paper Example 279), which may be performed by Case Managers. Thus, it is imperative for Case Managers to know how to complete a provisional DSM Diagnosis. A social history is an accurate account of the client’s family and societal background, educational level, whether special assistance was required in the past, information regarding alcohol or drug abuse or any legal problems associated with the client. The Mental Status Examination (MSE) forms an integral part of the social history, capturing subtle visual and verbal attributes of the client. It involves observations based on our client’s general appearance, cognitive functioning, behavior intelligence, thought process and content, reality testing, affect, suicidal or homicidal ideation, impulse control, judgment and insight. As described in the text, it is useful in Case management by helping clinicians understand what has been going on with the client between sessions and to determine the best course to follow with each individual† (Ch. 18, p. 314). Case Managers are required to assess the client’s environment in order to understand their specific needs and goals. Our author mentions, â€Å"Sometimes you will be asked to go to someone’s home to do an assessment or to do an interview. People’s surroundings often hold clues to the way they are currently structuring their lives.† (Ch. 18, p.313). Case Managers need to carefully assess the appropriateness of the surroundings after proper inquiry, to order to judge the client’s needs. Importantly, Case managers must look at the way the person keeps his home. Our author rightly adds that â€Å"this tells something about the person’s capacity to attend to the routine details of living, or it may indicate a debilitating mental illness, such as hoarding† (Ch. 18, p.313). Thus, an ecological perspective helps understand the client’s needs and accordingly define

Industrialization in the USA during the 19th century Essay

Industrialization in the USA during the 19th century - Essay Example This trade led to a surplus of raw materials into the United States causing the need to industrialize the manufacturing industries so that they could meet the external demand for their products. In addition, industrialization took place due to migration of large populations from England to the USA, which marked an influx of labor forces to work on the different sectors in USA. This was then coupled with rural-urban migration of the American population leading to creation of urban settlements that were well planned (Hirschman & Mogford, 2009). Consequently, the skilled and semi-skilled population took to commerce and other urban economic activities, which further saw industrialization take root in the USA. Advancements in transport and technology also saw industrialization take place due to the ability to move bulky goods within a shorter period in the case of transport. In regard to technology, mechanization of certain aspects of production saw industrialization take place due to the ease of manufacturing and processing of certain goods. Altogether, technology and trade were the most significant factors responsible for the industrialization of the USA during the 19th century because trade brought demand and technology eased production. Wizard of Oz The wizard of Oz goes as far as to present numerous angles to which the story of the Wizard of Oz can be translated and even understood by looking at it through different literary forms.

Learning and education Essay Example for Free

Learning and education Essay Learning and education are some of the most prized assets any person could have. Many parents consider these assets to be the primary treasure which they can give to their children to face the challenges of the future. However, there are some instances in which education becomes unreachable due to some hindrances like learning disabilities. It may become a concern not only for the individual but for the family as well.   Fortunately there are still some available steps in order to combat the possible dilemmas learning disabilities might bring.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the part of Tony, it seems that he is not really that ready enough to become a part of the larger scope of education structure. He used to have a separated domain of learning which highlighted his interests to accommodate knowledge. The one-on-one teaching method provided by Ms. Brumbley became the most comfortable realm for Tony to achieve success. However, in order to develop more, he needs to take a few more steps of the education ladder. In middle school and beyond, school works are more complex and require more diligence in following directions. Add to that the extremely dynamic social nature of the class where students will tend to stabilize their roles and projections towards other members of the society. Because of such factors, Tony may have a hard time adjusting to the situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to accommodate Tony to perform his ultimate best, what can be done is to at least set some modifications in the classroom. First is to introduce the basic foundations of new lessons for discussion. For example, a lesson in Math can first take a course of simple arithmetic to fraction computations. This may seem too easy relative for the whole class but exampling to them the importance of the strong math foundation will not impose an obvious aspect that the procedure is intended for Tony to refresh what he has previously learned. It is also possible to provide Tony a separate customized textbook and assignments so that he can gradually adjust to the lessons involved in middle school education. This approach is not intended for a long term basis so that he can actually progress to entertain newer and more complex lessons in middle school subjects. Lastly, as a concerned teacher, he will be provided with at least an hour of academic assistance everyday after class. A consultation form of conversation is best for him so that he could provide any feedback about the class procedures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to support the standing of Tony in middle school through high school, coordinating with his other teachers would be the best practice to do. This will help the whole learning sector to have a single approach in fulfilling the special needs of Tony. Even if after he has completed the year level in a particular class, a complete coordination between his previous teachers and the ones who will be handling him should be initiated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Basing on some studies and personal observations, individuals like Tony do not simply experience learning problems. The nearest dilemma apart from education concerns is the social interaction aspect of the person. Primarily, if one is not able to acquire the supposedly pace of learning rates in education, then most probably there will be a certain problem within his core interactive capabilities. Of course, it was noted that he exemplifies a certain degree of fondness in dealing with people in a comical way but deep inside, Tony might also have some concerns in having an interaction with people in a serious manner. If he will realize his disadvantages over the people he will constantly interact with, he might experience a sense of inferiority or discrimination. Compassionate encouragement and kindness can minimize the inferiority factor this dilemma might induce (Kentucky Education Cabinet).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Helping the students to explore their capabilities is one way to nurture their personalities. But for individuals who have a relative disadvantage in learning, utmost assistance and care is needed beyond teaching. References Kentucky Education Cabinet. N.D. Learning Disabilities. Kentucky.gov. Retrieved February 4, 2008 from http://ada.ky.gov/learning_dis_def.htm.

Greek Legacies :: essays research papers

Greek legacies are their governmental systems, culture and arts, and science and technology. Classical Greece was a time where the growth of a community held strong through times of plague, wars, and numerous breakthroughs. A major legacy left by classical Greece was a government based on direct democracy. With a direct democracy, citizens ruled by majority vote. The citizenship was expanded to all free males, except foreigners. Those not considered citizens were women, slaves, and all foreigners. In 621 b.c.e., Draco, an Athenian lawmaker wrote the first legal code. In the legal code Draco dealt with contract and property ownership, it also included debt slavery. In classical Greece, citizens were also allowed to bring charges of wrong doing with a trial by jury. Direct democracy was a new innovation that not only changed the world, it also helped classical Greece become a great and powerful nation. Another legacy left by Greece was their culture and art. With their culture they created the Greek language. The Greeks also invented their mythology, which included gods and goddesses. Through myths, Greeks tried to understand the mysteries of nature and the power of human passion. God lived forever and Greeks attributed human qualities to them. The Olympic Games were originated in Greece around 776 b.c.e. They were dedicated to the god Zeus, the Greeks even suspended the wars between city-states so the athletes of the Olympics could compete. Philosophers, lovers of wisdom, were determined to seek the truth. There philosophy was based on two assumptions: (1) The universe (land, sky, and sea) is put together in an orderly way, and subject to absolute and unchanging laws, and (2) people can understand these laws through logic and reason. The three main philosophers of classical Greece are Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The arts of classical Greece had a different flair than any other civilization. The Greeks invented both drama and built the first theaters in the west. Statues in Greece depicted their gods and goddesses in idealized human form, their faces neither showed laughter or anger, only serenity. Athena, goddess of wisdom, is found in the Parthenon, dressed in full battle armor, holding a six-foot high figure of victory. The Parthenon is a masterpiece of not only craftsmanship, but also design. Artisans built the 23,000 square ft. building with the traditional style that had been used several hundred years before. Classical Greece’s art and culture inspired Greeks to pursue their life as a privilege.

Pride and Prejudice Prediction Essay

In today’s society, everyone looks to find real love. They want to find â€Å"the right one†, get married, and live happily with that one person for as long as the world allows them. Some people will wait as long as it takes to find that special someone, while others find their true love in high school. Is it not amazing that we are given the opportunity to find our own love whenever we want? Then again, we are the only ones who know what we really want for ourselves. So, imagine if we did not get that opportunity of picking who we want to share our lives with for as long as we live.I have a hard time letting my mom pick out my clothes, let alone that special someone that I have to live the rest of my life with. In the book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, life is the total opposite of what it is today. Instead of you getting to choose who you want to be with, that person is chosen for you. Sounds like an awful time. The mother would have to pick the spouse and all s he cared about was finding the wealthiest man. Two of the main characters that I want to talk about is Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. From what I have read of the book so far, all these two have done is bicker and disagree on almost everything.But, I think they will fall in love anyway. Even though they seem like total opposites, I think their personalities are a lot alike because they are both very out spoken. Elizabeth Bennet is the second oldest daughter of the five Bennet sisters. She is also known to be the most intelligent, but she is often compared to her sister, Jane, as being of lesser beauty. She is always speaking her mind even though it was frowned upon as a lady during that time period, and she often gets funny looks for what comes out of her mouth.She is very independent and is not fond of people who tell her what to do, which is what that time period was all about for the women. Elizabeth has a very strong personality and it is very hard to confuse her with anyone el se. Mr. Darcy is a very wealthy man and is the master of Pemberley and he is also the nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mr. Darcy is very intelligent and honest and he is quite proud of it. His excess amount of pride causes him to look down on others in lower social classes and he kind of treats Elizabeth like this in the beginning of the book.So far in the book he learns to control his temper and class-consciousness and starts to fall in love with Elizabeth and begins to admire her strong character and different personality. Quote: â€Å"Not at all,† he replied; â€Å"they were brightened by the exercise. † –Mr. Darcy In the quote, Mr. Darcy is telling Miss Bingley that Elizabeth looked rather well after all the exercise of walking to see her ill sister Jane. While Miss Bingley was making fun of Elizabeth for having a dirty petticoat, Mr. Darcy completely looked past the fact that she was muddy and a little bit of wreck from the long walk by herself.In fact, he talks about how nice her eyes looked from the exercise and complimented her. I think this quote is pretty important because Mr. Darcy is all about himself and so full of pride and it seems like he only likes to look down on people. But, he compliments Elizabeth when Miss Bingley was making fun of her. He ignores the fact that she is dirty and looks like a mess and only notices how bright her eyes looked from the exercise. I think this is so much of a big deal because Mr. Darcy never compliments anyone and really never says anything nice at all.I thought he was just looking past all of the obvious flaws that everyone else noticed and only looked at what caught his eye. Quote: â€Å"Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody; and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger. –Narrator This quote comes from chapter 10 after Mr. Darcy asks Elizabeth to dance with him. What Elizabeth said to Mr. Darcy after he asked her to dance was no because she thought he was going to despise her taste. She did not want to make a fool of herself, even though Mr. Darcy had no intention of doing so. The quote mentions how Elizabeth was amazed at his courtesy and thoughtfulness but there was a mixture of sweetness and mischievousness in the way he was acting and that she would have a hard time insulting anyone.I think this quote is important because even though Elizabeth just confronted him about the way she feels his attitude is towards her, she still finds him attractive in many ways. Then Mr. Darcy mentions how he had never been so bewitched by any other woman as he was by her. She just told him how she felt about him in a rude way and he still finds her so attractive, or that might have encouraged the way he feels towards her. I predict that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet will fall in love by the end of the book.Even though they disagree and argue a lot throughout the book, their personalities are a lot alike since they are both so outspoken. One thing that happens between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth is when she shows up to take care of her sister Jane and her petticoat is filthy but Mr. Darcy only talks about how nice her eyes looked from the exercise. Since he looks down on everyone else you would expect him to do the same during that moment. Another is when Elizabeth tells Mr. Darcy off and all they can both think about how attracted they are to one another.

Food Globalization in China Essay

In most Chinese traditional families, family members would sit around the dining table and dine together. Everyone would talk about the day and bond as a family. Usually, it would be the mother who would buy groceries after work and return home to cook for the family. Sometimes, the father, the children or even the grandparents would help out in the kitchen. The mother of the family would always consider the nutrition, thus for every dish, it would be well-prepared, making sure that every family member would not have any health problems, such as getting sick or malnutrition. This was what a Chinese traditional family would be like in the past where fast food restaurants and â€Å"instant† food were scarce. Today’s Chinese family has altered tremendously. Purchasing meals at fast food restaurants is such an easy task compared to the loads of work and preparation for cooking at home. As a result, a mother has lost her chance to increase her energy expenditure that she would have spent on traveling to the grocery store, choosing and purchasing items, and returning home to cook. In addition, the bonding time for the family has decreased due to lack of interactions such as cooking and dining together. Instead, a mother has found other ways to provide food for the family. She would often go straight to a nearby fast food chain, make a take-away order or purchase instant French fries or noodles from a nearby supermarket. Likewise, compared to the traditional way of Chinese dinners, where families sit around a table of different dishes, fast food menus are mostly set for individuals, the amount of time that a family spends together is again decreased, and this unhealthy diet may slowly lead to unpredicted illnesses. In a matter of time, whether you are sitting in a restaurant or walking along the shopping districts of Shanghai, you look around and you could see humongous people with waist like pillars, arms that looks like thighs and thighs that rub against each other when they walk, one hand holding a cup of Pepsi and the other feeding themselves with McDonald’s cheese burger. There will be no more people with wrinkles and white hair. The life expectancy has dropped to fifty. This is not an illusion but an anticipated look of the future: The Fat China. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, globalization is the development of an increasingly integrated global economy, which is marked by the increase in cross-border flows of goods, services, money, people, information and culture. It brings the world together by spreading different ideas, making foreign products easier to access, speeding up the pace of life, and increasing the understanding around us. Most countries welcome the rush of globalization, which symbolizes advancements. However, the negative consequences on Chinese culture are deniable and are not worth the consequences. Food globalization is spreading through the world’s diverse cultures in the form of fast food restaurants, high-caloric beverages, supermarkets supplying instant food and high-caloric imported products, and culture changes that affect family bonding time. These changes have resulted in unhealthy diets, a decrease of energy expenditure, and illnesses such as obesity. Food globalization is causing a negative effect in China. Since the 1980s, China’s openness has led to the growth of foreign fast food chains in China. Coca-cola, Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hà ¤agen-Daz, Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins, Pepsi, DQ, Pizzahut, Papa John’s and Mcdonald’s can be found almost everywhere in China (Popkin). According to Wen Dale, a member of the International Forum on Globalization, McDonald’s alone has opened up to at least 235 restaurants in China, excluding 158 Mcdonald’s franchises in Hong Kong. Every time when I go by McDonald’s in China, I can see the long lines of people, waiting for their turn to purchase the high-caloric food. When I visited Hangzhou (a city next to Shanghai) at the age of six, I already saw many KFCs around Hangzhou. Today’s Hangzhou is way different compared to twelve years ago, it is more modernized, and at the same time, it is crowded with fast food restaurants. In the shopping district of Hangzhou, there are not only Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton but also McDonald’s, Pizzahut, Hà ¤agen-Dazs, Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins, Papa John’s, Starbucks and many other fast food chains. Globalization brought westernization, prosperity into China as well as fast food chains. According to A.Michelle Mendez, a nutritional epidemiologist who received her master’s in epidemiology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, supermarkets, for example, have â€Å"accounted for 48 percent of the urban food markets in China, an increase beyond the 30 percent level in 1999†. With this increase of urban food markets in China, the traditional markets that provide fresh and unprocessed products has started to decline, leading to a higher consumption of processed food. Furthermore, these urban food markets are not only found in large cities but also in poorer areas. (Mendez) The growing presence of Carrefour and Metro that imports foreign products brought giant stores that offer a wide variety of high caloric snacks and soft drinks, increasing the availability of unhealthy products. For example, the direct imports of French fries from the United States has increased tenfold between 1995 and 1999 (Mendez). Food globalization that increased the number of foreign investments produces negative changes to the Chinese Cultures (Dale). Globalization has brought large foreign supermarket firms and fast food chains into China. All of these has resulted in lifestyle changes which include a shift from natural-homemade food and beverages consumed to processed ones, a higher consumption of foreign food, a driving dietary change, an increase intake of caloric sweeteners, a reduced food preparation time and an increase in intake of pre-cooked foods. These led to an increase in obesity rate in China. For foreign food chains to produce large amount of ingredients and products and ship them all the way across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, unhealthy chemicals are often added during production. The contemporary world is characterized by â€Å"an intense, continuous, comprehensive interplay between the indigenous and the imported†. (Jackson) This is demonstrated through the importing and exporting of fast food ingredients. According to John Andrew, a citizen journalist, these chemicals are sometimes known as â€Å"food additives† and not all food additives used are foods. Instead, they are â€Å"chemical that are generally recognized as safe† (Andrew). Almost all of these additives are nowhere to be found in a local supermarket, instead, some are found in â€Å"inedible products like tox antifreeze, silicone caulk, soap, sunscreen and play sand† (Andrew). As reported by Riddhi Shah, a writer for the website Salon, Sally Davies, a New York photographer started a â€Å"part-art, part-food† science experiment. Davies documented a McDonald’s Happy Meal every few days until it spoiled. Even at day 137, â€Å"the meal still looks pretty great† (Shah). After reading this experiment, how would people still feel safe and happy consuming these â€Å"Happy Meals†? Consuming foods with chemicals or food additives may damage long-term health. Globalization brought changes that I have personally encountered. In 2007, the number of foreign franchises in China could be counted with ten fingers. There were only a few Starbucks and McDonald’s opened their first outlet near the downtown Wulin Square, the shopping district in Hangzhou. However, after only three years, the number of Starbucks has quadrupled. Today, there are at least eight Starbucks in Hangzhou compared to the only one less than five years ago. Because Starbucks is present everywhere, it is easy for individuals to grab a cup of Caramel Frappuccino (which is about 430 calories) whenever passing by. This availability has brought about a rush of coffee addicts in China as well as weight gains. Likewise, the newly opened Starbucks near Hangzhou International School where I attended high school attracts many students and faculty daily. This situation also happens to the McDonald’s near the school. The increase in availability has caused a tremendous increase in junk food consumption among the staff and students. It is easy for students and faculty to grab a coffee, or a muffin before or after school. In most countries, especially the United States, Asians are often stereotyped as skinny. However, this perception will have to be altered in the coming decade. In the past, malnutrition has been the main health problem in China. According to James. A Levine, a professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, more than 60 million people have become obese in China (Levine). The data presents 23 percent of Chinese population is overweight. 12 percent adults and 8 percent children have obesity (Levine). The more serious problem is that Levine has predicted by 2020, the obesity population in China will exceed that of the United States. The Chinese population is one of the largest in the world and if as predicted by Levine, the Chinese obesity rate rises, the whole world will be affected by this change. Misra points out â€Å"that the obesity and the metabolic syndrome are immediate cursors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease†, thus as China’s obesity rate increases, the well being of the Chinese population is evidently threatened. The increase in obesity rate will lead to maladaptive consequences such as an increase in other illnesses, and these studies provide a strong correlation with the growing of foreign fast food chains. Consequently, the increase of foreign fast food chains has affected everyone living in China. Easy accessibility to these restaurants and supermarkets reduces Chinese’s physical activity and labor intensity in both the urban and rural areas (Jackson). This increase number of foreign supermarkets has also resulted in a rise in the average intake of vegetable oil from â€Å"14.8 grams per person in 1989 to 35.1 grams per person in 2004, adding an extra 183 kcal to the population’s daily diet† (Popkin) (see table 1). In table 1, the availability for consumption of total calories has been going upslope since the 1961 and has no inclination of slowing down. Thus, these changes result in an increase in Chinese adults’ consumption on high-fat which rose from 33 percent to 60.8 percent in urban areas and 13.5 percent to 29.3 percent in rural areas (Mendez). Table 1 Regional Trends in Availability for Consumption of Total Calories, 1961-2000†¨Source: Misra, Anoop and Lokesh Khurana. â€Å"Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Developing Countries†. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2008. Web. 8 November 2011. By switching from Chinese traditional diet to a Western diet, Chinese are consuming goods that are much higher in calories. In a Chinese traditional family, a dinner often included a few dishes of vegetables, a few dishes of meat (normally less than the number of vegetable dishes), a soup, and lastly a bowl of rice for each family member. One or two of the family members freshly cooked all of the food. This kind of traditional dinner included all components of a healthy meal for a well-balanced diet. For centuries, the only beverages Chinese consumed were tea, water, and breast milk after birth. â€Å"Because water has no calories, the human body did not evolve to reduce food intake to compensate for beverage consumption†, thus, adding sugar into new beverages will increase the caloric intake of an individual. (Popkin) Table 2 displays the short history of caloric beverage for humans. From breast milk, water consumption, the human as evolved to consume soda, coffee, juice, liquor and other beverages that contain sugar. Thereby, when people consume any beverage other than water, their total calorie consumption increase (Popkin). Table 2 Remarkably Short History for Caloric Beverages: Might the Absence of Compensation Relate to This Historical Revolution? Source: Popkin, Barry M. â€Å"The World is Fat.† The World is Fat (2008): n. pag. Web. 8 December 2011. The increase in availability of foreign food restaurants has led to a significant decrease of home-prepared food according to Popkin, an â€Å"obvious shift in home-prepared food and home-based meals to ready-to eat meals, often consumed away from home. With this consumption, Chinese are spending less time with their family members and more time outside of their homes. Even though families may eat out at a fast food restaurant together, as the food is served â€Å"fast†,, the social time that an individual spend with his family is still decreased. It is true that food globalization has presented positive effects on Chinese culture, such as the bringing a diverse of cuisines into China, satisfying the Chinese’s curiosity, the increase in their pace of life and the step of taking Chinese a leap forward into the understanding of the outside world. However, the negative consequences, such as the increase in health risks, and the diminishment of traditional culture that come together with food globalization are inevitable and are worth much more of the attention. These negative consequences may not seem worthwhile at this moment but when they do become serious problems, it will be too late to ameliorate. The question that is left for everyone to ponder is that do a higher standard of living, a higher pace of life worth the sacrifice? Work Cited Dale, Wen. â€Å"The Fast Food Invasion†. China Copes with Globalization: (2005): n. pag. Web 14 November 2011. Jackson, Peter. â€Å"Local Consumption Cultures in a Globalizing World†. Royal Geographical Society (2004): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011.Levine, James A. â€Å"Obesity in China: Causes and Solutions†. Chinese Medical Journal (2007): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011. Mendez, A. Michelle and M. Popkin. â€Å"Globalization, Urbanization and Nutritional Change In the Developing World†. Globalization of Food Systems in Developing Countries: Impact on Food Security and Nutrition (2004): n. pag. Web. 13 November2011. Popkin, Barry M. â€Å"The World is Fat.† The World is Fat (2008): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011.Watson, L. James. â€Å"China’s Big Mac Attack†. Foreign Affairs (2000): n. pag. Web. 12 November 2011. Wong, Seanon. â€Å"What’s In A Dumpling†. University of Chicago (2006): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011 Wu, Yangfeng. â€Å"Overweight and obesity in China†. BMJ (2006): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011. Tan, Cheryn. â€Å"Curry – Origins and History†. Suite101, 2009. Web. 13 November 2011. Shah, Riddhi. â€Å"The Secret to the Immortality of McDonald’s Food†. Salon, 2010. Web. 13 November 2011. Andrew, John. â€Å"Surprise Ingredients in Fast Food†. Natural New, 2010. Web. 13 November 2011. Misra, Anoop and Lokesh Khurana. â€Å"Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Developing Countries†. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2008. Web. 13 November 2011.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter Harry Potter And the Philosopher's Stone (Short summary) Harry had lived with his uncle Vernon and his aunt Petunia since he was a baby and they always told him that his parents were killed in a car accident. He didn't have a very comfortable life because he had to sleep in a cupboard under the staircase and wasn't very well treated either. Dudley, his spoiled cousin, hit him whenever he wanted to and the Dudleys didn't care about him at all. Harry had a strange scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightning and he never knew were it came from.One morning in July Harry got a letter and before he could read it his uncle took it away. The next morning a whole bunch of letters arrived and his uncle took them. For the next seven days an increasing flood of letters were sent to Harry and the family even had to pack their things and go on a trip to get away from the letters.The Weasley family as shown in Harry Potter and th...

Microwave Radiation Definition

Microwave Radiation Definition Microwave radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation. The prefix micro- in microwaves doesnt mean microwaves have micrometer wavelengths, but rather that microwaves have very small wavelengths compared with traditional radio waves (1 mm to 100,000 km wavelengths). In the electromagnetic spectrum, microwaves fall between infrared radiation and radio waves. Frequencies Microwave radiation has a frequency between 300 MHz and 300 GHz (1 GHz to 100 GHz in radio engineering) or a wavelength ranging from 0.1 cm to 100 cm. The range includes the SHF (super high frequency), UHF (ultra high frequency) and EHF (extremely high frequency or millimeter waves) radio bands. While lower frequency radio waves can follow the contours of the Earth and bounce off layers in the atmosphere, microwaves only travel line-of-sight, typically limited to 30-40 miles on the Earths surface. Another important property of microwave radiation is that its absorbed by moisture. A phenomenon called rain fade occurs at the high end of the microwave band. Past 100 GHz, other gases in the atmosphere absorb the energy, making air opaque in the microwave range, although transparent in the visible and infrared region. Band Designations Because microwave radiation encompasses such a broad wavelength/frequency range, it is subdivided into IEEE, NATO, EU or other radar band designations: Band Designation Frequency Wavelength Uses L band 1 to 2 GHz 15 to 30 cm amateur radio, mobile phones, GPS, telemetry S band 2 to 4 GHz 7.5 to 15 cm radio astronomy, weather radar, microwave ovens, Bluetooth, some communication satellites, amateur radio, cell phones C band 4 to 8 GHz 3.75 to 7.5 cm long-distance radio X band 8 to 12 GHz 25 to 37.5 mm satellite communications, terrestrial broadband, space communications, amateur radio, spectroscopy Ku band 12 to 18 GHz 16.7 to 25 mm satellite communications, spectroscopy K band 18 to 26.5 GHz 11.3 to 16.7 mm satellite communications, spectroscopy, automotive radar, astronomy Ka band 26.5 to 40 GHz 5.0 to 11.3 mm satellite communications, spectroscopy Q band 33 to 50 GHz 6.0 to 9.0 mm automotive radar, molecular rotational spectroscopy, terrestrial microwave communication, radio astronomy, satellite communications U band 40 to 60 GHz 5.0 to 7.5 mm V band 50 to 75 GHz 4.0 to 6.0 mm molecular rotational spectroscopy, millimeter wave research W band 75 to 100 GHz 2.7 to 4.0 mm radar targeting and tracking, automotive radar, satellite communication F band 90 to 140 GHz 2.1 to 3.3 mm SHF, radio astronomy, most radars, satellite tv, wireless LAN D band 110 to 170 GHz 1.8 to 2.7 mm EHF, microwave relays, energy weapons, millimeter wave scanners, remote sensing, amateur radio, radio astronomy Uses Microwaves are used primarily for communications, include analog and digital voice, data, and video transmissions. They are also used for radar (RAdio Detection and Ranging) for weather tracking, radar speed guns, and air traffic control. Radio telescopes use large dish antennas to determine distances, map surfaces, and study radio signatures from planets, nebulas, stars, and galaxies. Microwaves are used to transmit thermal energy to heat food and other materials. Sources Cosmic microwave background radiation is a natural source of microwaves. The radiation is studied to help scientists understand the Big Bang. Stars, including the Sun, are natural microwave sources. Under the right conditions, atoms and molecules can emit microwaves. Man-made sources of microwaves include microwave ovens, masers, circuits, communication transmission towers, and radar. Either solid state devices or special vacuum tubes may be used to produce microwaves. Examples of solid-state devices include masers (essentially lasers where the light is in the microwave range), Gunn diodes, field-effect transistors, and IMPATT diodes. The vacuum tube generators use  electromagnetic fields to direct electrons in a density-modulated mode, where groups of electrons pass through the device rather than a stream. These devices include the klystron, gyrotron, and magnetron. Health Effects Microwave radiation is called radiation because it radiates outward and not because its either radioactive or ionizing in nature. Low levels of microwave radiation are not known to produce adverse health effects. However, some studies indicate long-term exposure may act as a carcinogen. Microwave exposure can cause cataracts, as dielectric heating denatures proteins in the eyes lens, turning it milky. While all tissues are susceptible to heating, the eye is particularly vulnerable because it doesnt have blood vessels to modulate temperature. Microwave radiation is associated with the microwave auditory effect, in which microwave exposure produces buzzing sounds and clicks. This is caused by thermal expansion within the inner ear. Microwave burns can occur in deeper tissue- not just on the surface- because microwaves are more readily absorbed by tissue that contains a lot of water. However, lower levels of exposure produce heat without burns. This effect may be used for a variety of purposes. The United States military uses millimeter waves to repel targeted persons with uncomfortable heat. As another example, in 1955, James Lovelock reanimated frozen rats using microwave diathermy.   Reference Andjus, R.K.; Lovelock, J.E. (1955). Reanimation of rats from body temperatures between 0 and 1  °C by microwave diathermy. The Journal of Physiology. 128 (3): 541–546.

Source Essay analysis and interpretation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Source analysis and interpretation - Essay Example and at different points of time, but in the end they give us a clear picture of the life in the city as well as some of the transformation it went through. Dickens in his article, â€Å"A Dickensian View of New York† begins by giving a dismal view of the city, painting a busy, filthy but beautiful and full of life. Dickens focuses upon the struggles, the darkness and the tough survival of the city. He talks of the beautiful metropolis of America on one hand and the other aspect comprising of â€Å"confused heaps of buildings,†¦.city’s hum and buzz† on the otheri. He compares it to Boston saying that in contrast to the same, New York was not a clean one and did not have clean well maintained houses. This is a little unlike Mrs. Trollope’s view in â€Å"Mrs. Trollope Visits New York City† where she clearly mentions that the rich lived in exotic houses well maintained and decorated, comparable with those of Paris and also London. Dickens calls the ferryboats â€Å"restless Insects† and the ships in contrast to these were majestic. Mrs. Trollope approaches the city’s description with a calmness, which captures the beauty of the New York City in early nineteenth century. She calls the sea liquid gold and says, â€Å"we darted past the green isles which rise from its bosom, like guardian sentinels of the fair city, the setting sun stretched his horizontal beams farther and farther at each moment, as if to point out to us some new glory in the landscape†ii. Thus while she brings out the peace of the scenic beauty, Dickens mainly talks of the hustle- bustle of city life. If we recall some of his novels one might however find his style of creating a contrast between the riches and poverty. Even in this article he adopts the style especially when compares New York to Boston and the ferry boats to the ships. This shows that Dickens was looking into the livelihood of the economically backward or the middle and lower classes of the society, rather the working class. However