Effective Financial Policy and Procedures

Effective Financial Policies And Procedures Effective Financial Policies and Procedures Medical practices establish financial policies and procedures to control patient billing and the ability to collect money for services they provide. Successful billing practices start with thorough financial policies and procedures which explain patients’ payment responsibilities in terms that are easily understood. An effective medical office financial policy is one that both staff members and practice patients can easily follow and understand. Patients need to understand their obligations and staff members need to know what is expected of the patients. All possible situations should be addressed by a good financial policy. This includes financial arrangements and payment plans, payments for services not covered by the insurance company, and a variety of other circumstances. The basic elements of an effective policy should inform patients how particular situations will be handled. Collection of a patient’s copayment, deductibles and any past-due balances should be addressed; as should payment for services that are not covered by a patient’s insurance company. An effective policy should address how a practice handles prepayment for services they will provide and also any possibility for payment arrangements of unpaid balances on a patient’s account. If a practice offers charity care or discounts to patients with low incomes/financial need it should be stated in the financial policy. Finally, a practice’s financial policy should state their accepted forms of payment such as cash, checks, money orders, and credit or debit cards. Clear medical office procedures that are consistently followed by staff members help support the office’s financial policy. When administrative staff members collect appropriate copayments and other fees as stated in the financial policy, they are helping to support the policy. When staff members become lax in their collection duties and neglect to follow established office†¦

The Cause and Effect of Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a cause that haves numerous effects on people in the United States today. It’s defined as a condition that resulted in the continued consumptions of alcoholic’s beverages, despite health problems and negative social consequences. The symptoms of alcoholism vary from person to person, but the most common symptoms seen are changes in emotional state, behavior, or personality. Alcoholics may become angry and argumentative, and withdrawn or depressed. They may also feel more anxious, sad, tense, and confused. Alcoholism is a treatable disease and many treatment programs and approaches are available to support alcoholics who have decided to get help, but no medical cure is available. Regardless of how someone is diagnosed as alcohol dependent or how they came to realize they have a serious drinking problem, the first step to treatment is a sincere desire to get help. Alcoholics who are pressured into treatment by social pressure or forced to quit by circumstances rarely succeed in the long run. Next, I will like to discuss the causes, effects and consequences of Alcoholics. There are several possible causes of alcoholism and risk factors for the disease. Alcoholic liver disease usually occurs after years of excessive drinking. The longer you use alcohol and the more alcohol consumed, the greater the likelihood of developing liver disease. Acute alcoholic hepatitis can result from binge drinking. It may be life-threatening if severe. People who drink excessively can become malnourished because of the empty calories from alcohol, reduced appetite, and poor absorption of nutrients in the intestines. Malnutrition contributes to liver disease. These are many causes that come from drinking a constant amount of Alcohol. The effects that alcohol has on the human body range from short to long term symptoms. As a person consumes alcoholic drinks the stomach immediately absorbs the alcohol and it enters into the bloodstream. Depending on the features such as the age, weight, sex, and body size of an individual the alcohol will affect people in many different ways. Some of the lighter effects of the intake of alcohol comprise lightheadedness, while other effects with an increased amount of alcohol consumed include queasiness, vomiting, slurred speech and vision, and an increased amount of dizziness. There are many consequences of drinking that can lead to an addiction commonly known as alcoholism. Permanent long term effects of consumption can lead to severe damage to essential organs as the liver and brain. If a sustained period of no consumption happens, many effects such as anxiety, delusion, and shuddering may occur. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may lead to birth defects in infants commonly known as fetal alcohol syndrome. Retardation and permanent physical deformities are common in many cases, and investigative studies have shown that offspring of alcoholic parents are at a great deal higher possibility of becoming alcoholics themselves. In conclusion, there are several causes, effects, and consequences of Alcoholism that I have mentioned. Many people that use alcohol do not understand how harmful it is to their body. After reading my essay I hope you have a better understanding of why drinking to much alcohol is bad for you.

Adv Disadvantages of Leadership Development Methods

Professional qualifications that require refreshing will be supported if they are an essential criteria for the post| * Trust induction * Trust Essential Update training * Manual Handling * Professional re-registration training * PRINCE2, MSP, LEAN| * Provides an understanding of how the Trust works * Provides health and safety training * Sends out a clear message that professional registration is recognised, important and is supported| * Trust induction training tends to be very generic and does not necessarily relate to the job role * Training for re-registration is not always timely * Is dependent on funding * Cost implications of ensuring that the training budget can cover training| Elective Learning| Courses that are not part of the essential criteria for the post will be deemed to be elective and will be subject to the trust policy on supported learning| * Courses identified as part of the personal development plan * Influencing skills * Negotiating skills * MS Project/Other IT Skills * Meets specific needs for the individual * Can be delivered by others in the team or by a generic course * Ensures that leaders are given requisite skills| * Some generic courses do not cover specific requirements * Is dependent on funding being available| Work Assignments| Work assignments will be seen as an opportunity to help leaders develop specific competencies or practice key behaviours. * Specific goals will be set as part of personal development plans * Feedback on progress will be done either via formal appraisal or by 1:1 feedback with line managers| * Reiterates the message that lessons can always be learned * Gives leaders the growth opportunities to put theories and models into practice * Learning by doing| * Unless well managed there is a tendency to concentrate on ‘getting the job done’ * Opportunities are not always recognised or used to the full advantage| Special Assignments/Initiatives| Involvement in short-term assignments or initiatives either generated from within the team or as part of a project team| * Attendance at programme or project board meetings * Involvement in assignments/initiatives

The Process of Currency Conversion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Process of Currency Conversion - Assignment Example A spot exchange rate is a rate used in an instant currency conversion agreement between two or more parties. Spot exchange is carried out in a spot exchange market, which is part of the foreign exchange market. On the other hand, the forward exchange rate is the rate agreed on today, to convert currencies at a future date specified in the agreement. Company X, based in Saudi Arabia, plans of purchasing equipment from two suppliers. Considering the location of the sellers, the buyer will have to decide on whether to exchange AED for Euros or the pound. The initial amount set for the purchase is AED 50 million. Both the financial manager and the CEO of Company X plans to take advantage of exchange rate fluctuations and, if the opportunity arises, lowers the cost of the purchase. The equipment is quoted to cost â‚ ¬ 1,090,000 and  £ 860,000 in Euro and pounds respectively. In order to make informed choices, exchange rate movements will be observed for five days from 24th to 28th December. On that note, this assignment presents a five-day exchange rate in a table format showing the value of AED 50 million, for each day, in both the currencies (Pounds and Euros). For each of the five days, the cost of the purchase and the impact of the decision are presented. Last, a report that provides justifications that the decision made is favorable to the company also is provided. For the purpose of purchasing the equipment, the currency used for the transaction is Euros. The equipment has been quoted to cost â‚ ¬ 1,090,000. The table 3 below shows the cost of the equipment in AED based on the exchange rates observations presented in table 1 above. Based on table 3 above, the company will spend AED 4,880,867 when purchasing the equipment within the seven day period when the offer is still valid. When comparing the new cost with the planned initial outlay, the company will spend less than anticipated.

International Conflicts Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Conflicts - Article Example Must go beyond advocacy, publicity, and documentation but lead to a culture of human rights that is systematic and integrated’ (Bernath, Holland, & Martin, 2002). Another key point is that teachers and Human Rights activists point out that ‘each human being has rights and that the authorities are obliged to recognize and protect them’ (Bernath, Holland, & Martin, 2002). On the other hand, the cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral dimensions of Human Rights Education have to be stressed in order to make it much more effective. It is essential the integration of international Human Rights standards and practices into peoples daily lives. The researchers present their findings with clear-cut arguments in favor of the integration of Human Rights Education in conflict and post-conflict societies addressing its benefits for building peaceful and just societies. Their insights can be applied in any society as a necessary resource for helping policy-makers in the process of emphasizing Human Rights Education in international conflict resolution initiatives. After defining the concept of racial profiling, Kennedy (2002) argues that there is a contradiction among opponents of racial profiling who are in favor of affirmative action since there is also some level of discrimination in affirmative action. The same contradiction is evident in supporters of racial profiling who are opposed to affirmative action. One of the author’s key points is the definition of racial profiling as ‘the policy or practice of using race as a factor in selecting whom to place under special surveillance’ (Kennedy, 2002). After pointing out the discriminatory nature of racial profiling, Kennedy (2002) states that any kind of discrimination ‘backed by state power’ is ‘presumptively illicit’ under U.S. laws. Opponents of this policy argue that there is not enough rigorous empirical evidence to support the idea that racial profiling is an effective tool for law enforcement.

Home Depot Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Home Depot - Case Study Example Home Depot Inc became the fastest growing firm in the world after its establishment and no one would have ever thought that such a firm would be faced with the challenge of operating in an interconnected world of retail which led to of slowed growth rate and reduction in revenues. The business environment had changed due to customer empowerment and development of on-line retailing. To cope with this problem, the firm embarked on standardization, centralization and performance metrics. Home Depot was established in 1978 by Marcus and Arthur Blank together with other associates. Marcus and Blank had enough experience in home improvement firms as they had both worked in Handy Dan Home improvement Centers before they were fired. They had an idea of creating their own firm which would be bigger and much improved from the one they had been working in. Home improvement industry in the U.S was at its climax and each day new firms were being establishment. They had an idea of establishing the irs that would be much competitive in the industry. (Hagg A, 2011). The reputation of the firm in the country was built by its commitment to service of customer. Different from many other firms they adopted an inverted pyramid in their ways of operation putting the customers in front of the firm and the administration. The main customers of the firm were the do-it-yourself customers. These customers are those that purchase products and go ahead to install on their own. There was a need by the firm to have proper arrangements and training people in the firm on how to handle customers and explain to them on how to install the products in their homes. The other kind of customers to be targeted was professionals. These were mainly those that are trained such as plumbers and masons. Thou their number was much less than the other kind, they were the most frequent and contributed a considerable amount of revenue to the firm. Home Depot faced strong competition from Lowe’s which had a great share of pro customers in the market. After the massive drop in revenues

Online Discussion 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Online Discussion 2 - Essay Example y part describes the expectation of linguistics learners to have simple languages so that they can easy apply their comprehension in literature (Shemshadsara, 2012). To that effect, the tutors compromise the standards of language proficiency in order to impress the learners. It shows teachers as being selective in developing their teaching programs instead of maintaining the prescribed schedule to develop critical and analytical skills in students (Cameron, 2001). The objective of the article is to first articulate the fact that linguistics is a challenging field of study. Secondly, it aims at developing constructive perception of teachers and students with regards to linguistics in order to develop skills that challenge the community beyond the classroom environment (Fairclough, 1995). This article demonstrates an understanding of the needs of sequential stages of learning, and suggests a low level proficiency requirement for elementary classes. The ultimate aim of the article is to trigger a paradigm shift for both the students and learners about languages by providing solution to the emerging challenges. The article addresses different categories of audience, with a variety of reasons. First, it exposes the attitude with which teachers discharge their duties. It focuses on pointing to teachers their real experiences in teaching with the hope that they can improve on their attitudes. The second target group is students. It focuses on developing a sense of proactive participation of students in the acquisition of linguistics and literature skills. The third target group is that of the authors of various literatures. It recommends the use of simplified languages for the low level literature and linguistics classes to develop relevant skills in a progressive manner. The strengths of the article is evident in its understanding of the linguistics and literature challenges. In the introductory section, Cots (2006) describes the tasks as problematic. Secondly, it

Definitional Arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Definitional Arguments - Essay Example Notably, definitions appear in almost every argument, though sometimes they are hidden or tacitly accepted. But they rarely appear in isolation; the challenge in definitional arguments is for an individual to find the definitional claims that underlie other claims in academic, civic or other types of arguments. Pier Jennifer and Pattakos Alex provide a deeper understanding of definitional arguments through their respective articles â€Å"The Reprehensibility of the White Lie† and â€Å"The Meaning of Friendship in a Social-Networked World†. In each article there is a central issue or argument, which has been developed through a series of steps. In the article â€Å"The Reprehensibility of the White Lie†, the central issue is the white lies. In this article, Pier uses various examples that are familiar to provide an understandable definition of white lies. For instance, Pier uses daily conversations to define the concept of white lies. Amongst the aspects that Pie r uses to define white lies include of course, it was a blast, and it wasn’t me. Pier’s main concern is the evasion of responsibility in as far as white lies are concerned throughout her article. In order to support her definition, Pier uses various criteria. ... Another claim that Pier uses to justify the definition of white lies is the creation of the distinction between white lies and other forms of duplicity. Thirdly, Pier claims that white lies are destructive. The second criterion that Pier uses to justify the definition of white lies is crafting of definitions. One of the definitions crafted by Pier is the operational definition of white lies. Pier tries to find a common ‘perfect’ lie capable of fitting all the mentioned claims or qualifications. Lastly, Pier used the criterion of mapping the formulated claims and crafted definition to come up with a convincing conclusion in regards to definition of white lies (206-209). In the second article, â€Å"The Meaning of Friendship in a Social-Networked World†, Pattakos’ main or central issue is friends and how their acquisition contributes to a meaningful life. Just like Pier, Pattakos uses familiar examples and concepts to help in defining friends. In addition, Pa ttakos uses ideas from different stakeholders and scholars such as Aristotle and Mark Zuckerberg to try and establish the definition of friends and its relationship with meaningful life. In a bid to justify the definition, Pattakos employs various criteria. The first criterion employed by Pattakos in the article is the use of claims. Pattakos has employed various claims in a bid to justify the definition of friends. The first claim is that friends significantly contribute to meaningful life. Another claim that Pattakos makes in relation to finding the definition of friends is that various reasons prompt the search for the meaning of friends. For instance, the intrinsic motivation of persons and the fact that it is a megatrend within the 21st century to understand and

Mars Reconnaissance orbiter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Mars Reconnaissance orbiter - Essay Example In this particular essay, the mission, roles along with the responsibilities of MRO would be discussed in order to determine the effectiveness of the activities performed by MRO. Moreover, the instruments through which MRO has been assisted in order to seek evidences regarding the persistence of water on Mars surface for several years would also be discussed in the essay. In addition, the discoveries and related snapshots would also be depicted in the essay. While determining the mission, roles along with responsibilities and the scope of MRO, it can be apparently observed that the aspect of MRO comprises certain effective scientific instruments for the purpose of analyzing the stratigraphy, landforms, ice and minerals present in Mars. In this similar concern, the instruments can be observed as radars, cameras, sensors and spectrometers among others. Specially mentioning, the above discussed instruments assist future spacecraft in terms of scrutinizing the prevailing surface as well as weather conditions in Mars. Moreover, the instruments aid in studying effectively the prospective landing sites and most importantly hosting an innovative telecommunications system. Notably, MRO is regarded as a mission, which has been designed by NASA in order to analyze the atmosphere, weather and geology prevailing in Mars. The studies conducted by MRO reveal the identification of the deposits of minerals that had formed specifically in water in Mars o ver longer period of time and the evidences of shorelines of prehistoric lakes and seas. Moreover, the studies of MRO indicated the amount of deposits in layers that took place due to flow of water in Mars. After acquiring a brief idea about the studies conducted by MRO and its focus upon seeking evidences concerning the prevalence of water in Mars, it can be affirmed that it might attract the viewers or the individuals towards acquiring a brief idea about the above

Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Management - Essay Example An accountant helps to scrutinize business financial records and analyse them to ascertain profitability, liquidity and financing. The generated financial information indicate whether business has a potential to earn the potential buyer appropriate levels of income or not. Restaurants prepare and serve wide variety of foods, drinks and dessert to customers. In a typical restaurant, the waiters take the orders and bring them when ready to customers. The customers pay for the meals before leaving. It is important to understand that running a restaurant successfully requires the owners to be creative and innovative to gain competitive edge over close competitors especially in a location where there are many similar restaurants. Though both restaurants have good quality meals and good service, Brigham’s restaurant is preferred to Shadracks’ restaurant because it performed better financially. Financial analysis took into account the profitability, liquidity and solvency ratios. Additional financial statements for at least three years are needed. Finally, the report shade light on the additional non financial information needed to make informed purchase decision of one of the restaurants. Financial analysis helps to establish whether the business is financially stable and sustainable. Financial analysis is made easier by use of profitability, liquidity and solvency ratios. Profitability ratios are financial ratios that indicate the capacity of a business to earn a profit (Thukaram, 2007). The main profitability ratios are gross profit, net profit and return on equity employed ratios. The above table indicates the profits, revenue, and owner’s equity as well as computed profitability ratios of the two restaurants. Brigham’s restaurant has higher absolute profits by $1,860, higher gross profit ratio by 1% and higher return on equity ratio by 0.04. Higher gross profit ratio shows that

What Were the Causes of the Unrest in England in the Early 19th Century Essay Example for Free

What Were the Causes of the Unrest in England in the Early 19th Century Essay There were many issues in the 19th century that caused chaos, people weren’t happy with they way that England was being ruled during that period in time. As a result of this riots and protests broke out all over England. The people were protesting about the political and economical issues that they found in the way parliament ruled England. 16th August 1819. The Peterloo Massacre. Peterloo gained its name by combining the place the battle happen, St Peters Field, and the previous battle’s name ‘Waterloo’. Peter-loo. Originally people had gathered at St Peter’s Field to listen to a well known speaker Henry Hunt to share his ideas on reforms such as giving all the men a right to vote and ending bribery and fraud at elections. At the massacre the soldier that came in killed 11 people and wounded over 500. As consequences from this the government passed 6 laws in December 1819. 1. Ban meetings of more than 50 people  2. Ban marching and weapon practice 3. Punish insults to the Church and government 4. Increase a tax on newspapers 5. Allow magistrates to search homes for weapons and documents without permission 6. Make it faster to take people to court and punish them. The Luddites. The Luddites were machine-breakers, so called after a mythical leader, General Ludd. In 1811-16 textile workers in the east midlands, south Lancashire, and west Yorkshire met secretly in public houses or on the moors, took oaths. They smashed the machinery of mill-owners who refused what they demanded. When trade unions were illegal, Luddism may be recognised as bargaining by riot: frame-breaking in the east midlands was an attempt to bully factory employees. Eventually the Luddite bands were tracked down and the presumed leaders were executed or transported. 1811-1812. Captain Swing and Ned Ludd. Before the invention of factory machines, spinning and weaving were skilled jobs which people could do at home. The new machines in textile factories in Lancashire, Nottingham and Yorkshire fewer, lower paid and unskilled workers. In 1811 many letters were sent to employers in textile factories. These letters looked like this:- Sir, Information has just been given that you are a holder if those detestable shearing-frames and I was asked by my men to write to you and give fair warning to pull them down. If they are not taken down by the end of the week I shall send 300 men to destroy it. Signed Ned Ludd Many of these letters were sent and many machines were destroyed. The letters were signed ‘Ned Ludd’ or ‘Captain Swing’ as a false name to protect the identity of desperate workers who carried out their threats. 23rd February 1820. The Cato Street conspiracy. The Cato Street conspiracy gained its name by the fact that the main conspirators were arrested on ‘Cato Street’. A group of men all got together to attach the government in attempt to get revenge on the government for ‘Peterloo’. I think there were many reasons why there would be plots against the Government in 1820. The reasons could be different laws being introduced; the solders were losing their jobs and couldn’t get new ones, finally certain food prices were increasing with the tax. Later on Arthur Thistlewood, the main conspirator, was arrested whilst trying to invade on a government meeting. After that Arthur was hanged, drawn and quarter along with 10 other men on the 1st May 1820. Thistlewood and the others were the last to be punished in this way in Britain. Before the 1830’s in Britain only certain people could vote, these people were men, the results could take up to three weeks to be known, the men had to vote in public and the voting would take place on a platform called ‘husting’ in an atmosphere of a drunken crowd. Britain in the 1830’s, there were many protests in the 1830’s; these were towards making Britain fairer. In 1830-1831 there were many protest marches in Scotland. The marchers were protesting at the unfair way in which the country was run. They then passed ‘The First Reform Act’. 1832. The First Reform Act. In 1830 the recently elected Government of the Whigs or Liberals led by Earl Grey introduced the reform bill. It was opposed by the Conservatives (The Tory Party) but most people supported the bill. The new law was called ‘the Reform Act of 1932’. The law was one step closer to making Britain a more democratic country. The chartists were a group of people that were trying to pass the ‘Charter’ through parliament. They were mainly workers that didn’t own their own property. The chartists had only one aim, to achieve the charter. The Charter was a document the contained six points that the chartists wanted parliament to pass. The six points:- †¢ Every man over 21 who is not a criminal or insane should be allowed to vote †¢ Voting should be done in secret †¢ You do not have to be rich or own property to become an MP †¢ All MPs should be paid for doing there jobs †¢ All voting areas should be the same size †¢ Elections should be held every year Later in 1900 five out of the six points had been achieved. The only one that hadn’t was ‘Elections should be held every year.’ Throughout the 19th century and late 18th century hundreds of workers lost their jobs. Many people were afraid of not providing for their family, their family starving to death and being homeless. The cause of this was machinery being introduced into the factories and onto farms. In conclusion to this essay, I don’t think there was one main cause to the unrest in Britain in the 19th century, think there were many causes. There were many political issues that caused to the protests in the country, all the protests and historical events followed onto each other by the consistent problem of the English people not liking the way Britain was ruled and run. These protests were due to economical reasons, the fear of loosing their job and starving.

Stability Analysis of DC Distribution System

Stability Analysis of DC Distribution System Stability Analysis of DC Distribution System with Constant Multiple Power Loads Ethics Declaration Checklist (to be completed by student) Does this project involve the use of: YES/NO Human participants, NO Previously collected confidential data, NO Animals for scientific purposes? NO If YES to any of the above, then the proposal will not be approved and you will not be allowed to proceed with this project. By submitting this report through the unit website for assessment, you certify that the information provided above is true and correct. Abstract In recent times dc distribution system is become a very complex which consist different types of multiple power converters. But system is suffered from stability related problem which arise due to negative incremental impedance of constant power loads. There are several methods for stability analysis of dc distribution system such as Middelbrook criterion, phase and gain margin criterion, energy source consortium criterion and the Passivity- Based stability criterion (PBSC). Furthermore, one another technique which name is Positive Feed-Forward control which is used with PBSC to improve the stability and to solve the system interaction problem. The main aim of the project is to run whole system into simulation mode in MATLAB and try to make the system stable. Introduction Now day dc distribution systems are mostly based on the power electronics Which used power converter and semiconductor devices. As a result stability and dynamic performance developed due to converter interconnection system. As we mentioned above there are most of criterion can be used only for single bus system. However, the power electronics based system consist multiple converter and multibus system so for this complex scenario the most reliable and accurate technique is the Passive Based Stability Critrion (PBSC). In this technique, stability of the any system may be derived by evaluating the system bus impedance. (Siegers, Arrua and Santi, 2017) Furthermore, in PBSC technique the system may be stable if the bus impedance of the system is analysed as a passive therefore this system also need to couple with positive feed-forward technique which is used to design stabilizing controllers that force the system bus passivity by damping impedances. The main concept of dynamic performance is based on impedance region of the system so suitable damping impedance can be developed or calculated in the system using the PFF control. Fig1.0 multi-bus system with power converters Motivation In recent time, to work with dc distribution system becomes very easier because of developed semiconductor technology and power electronics converters. In power system network generally stability of any system is very import if it is dc or ac distribution. Power quality is generally related to voltage quality of the system. At this stage, the main tendency is to change ac distribution system with high level dc distribution system. There are several technique are available for stability analysis of dc distribution system but the impedance based stability criterion such as PBSC is widely used. When any system is connected with the constant power load then it may be suffer from instability because it causes to increase the current. As a result it will definitely decrease the voltage. (Hodge Flower, 2009). In addition, PBSC is recently developed stability analysis technique which is exhibit better stability margins and establishes certain performance. Furthermore, this technique is power electronics based so it may consist of multiple power converters. There is one basic architecture model is given in fig 1.0. This technique is now applied to several networks such as automotive power system, telecommunication system, electric- ship and electric- aircraft, as well as electric and hybrid- electric vehicles. (Siegers, 2017). Moreover, firstly PBSC technique could be apply only to single bus system which consist of source and load converter. But after dynamic closed loop response of the converters is establish using standard resistively intermediate converter which is used to limit the analysis of single bus system. In general, the multi-bus power converter system has n numbers of buses and also has large number of switching converters, sources and loads. Multi-bus system is evaluated to an equivalent network (n-Port) to each bus. Mostly, passive based stability criterion is developed in frequency domain. Objectives The main objective of this project is how DC distribution system should be become stable during constant power load using PBSC technique. PBSC is one of the different techniques which can be used for both single and multiple bus system so it will be helpful to understand the switching system of converter. Need to analysis of criteria for the stability of dc distribution system. To create the circuit of dc distribution using switching converter for different block system such as open loop, feed forward input control. Create the matrix diagram and its calculation of transfer function. To run whole DC distribution model in simulation mode in MATLAB. To compare and analysis of the actual calculation and simulation result for stability. Significance The main significance of this method is that system may be stable if the network is passive. PSBC is mostly used for multi-bus system so it has n number of load converter and m number of source converter. Therefore, mainly two criteria for system stable which related to total equivalent impedance. Z(bus) has no poles on right half plane(RHP) Re{Z(bus(jw) >=0} or Z(jw) has a contour of Nyquist which is lies totally in the RHP. The main goal of the technique is to make system stable. So, positive feed- forward control (PFF) is using damping impedance in parallel with the existing impedance. The main reason of using damping impedance is to stabilize the DC bus voltage by changing the bus impedance in the frequency domain. Furthermore, there are mainly three types of parallel damping cases such as Capacitor parallel damping, R-C parallel damping and L-R-C parallel damping. Proposed Approach The project work can be divided into a number of tasks that lead to complete work sequentially and successfully for achieving the main objective. There are mainly four task that need to be done such as research or understand the DC system, Principle of PBSC technique and how it is different from the other stability technique, matrix analysis and mathematical approach and finally to establish dc distribution model in simulation mode in MATLAB. In the first task, it is necessary to understand the basic principle of dc system such as how dc system works and why dc system becomes unstable in certain condition. Furthermore, PBSC is the main part of this project so it is necessary to understand other stable system first then how PBSC can be different technique than other for example; these only one system which can be used for multi-bus system. In addition, the main role is that it works with switching converter because dc system can work only in resistive part but due to switching approach in time domain analysis it can work with inductive and capacitive part. The third part is to establish mathematical model or calculation of any system by using matrix formation. It will give the actual value of impedance for stability of system because whole method is depends on impedance of the system. Finally, the last part of this project is very important. It is necessary to understand the MATLAB software and then apply simulation mode for DC grid system. Timeline One grant chart is given in the appendix which shows the whole timeline of the project. In the first semester, project is divided into 13 weeks excluding holidays and exams. The description and time is also given in the grant chart. Furthermore, for semester 2 dates and description is not fixed but given approximate nearly. During the project, it may come some error and difficulties then some changes will occur. Each task is given sequentially and it may help to complete the whole task in given period. Risk Assessment There is another attachment is given in appendix which shows the risk of the project. In general, the risk of the project is very low because mostly work in simulation mode not in the real world. There are several factors which can be affecting on the project such as supervisor, health, personal, software, equipment and computer. All factors are defined by code which is given below. SUP- Supervisor Per- Personal HLTH- health EQU- equipment CMP- computer SFT- software As mentioned above the overall risk of this project is low. Some risk factors are near to zero such as supervisor, personal. The health risk also low but sometimes it is dangerous for eyes due to sitting in front of computer but it can be overcome wearing the glasses. Instrument risk sometimes high because of awareness of using but it can solve by taking care properly. Computer data risk is very low and it can be overcome by back up data in USB. Software risk can be moderate. Progress to Date The current level of the project work is at initial stage. Firstly I try to understand the how DC system is different than AC system. Furthermore, Try to find research paper related to the project work. Research is started on PBSC (Passive based stability criterion) technique and its main principal of this technique. Try to understand that why PBSC is used for stability analysis rather than another method. I am trying to understand matrix equation of stability criterion. In addition, in the last session I understand how DC system works with capacitor and inductor. Also I get broad knowledge about using capacitor in parallel with any circuit. In further session we will learn whole system and after we will learn the MATLAB software for future simulation. Conclusion After completing all task of this report, the stability of dc distribution system is quit complex but it is very useful for high voltage distribution system. It is very reliable and easier than AC system. The PBSC technique is also better than other technique because multi- bus system stability developed. Also PBSC is also analysis the passivity for individual bus system within MVDC system present. This technique is also validated or applies for both simulation and experimental model of four converter system. Also PBSC can reduce design and sensitivity to component. There are some benefits of this system such as reduce power dissipation, large currents, weight and cost. References [1] Barkley, A., Santi, E. (2009). Improved online identification of a DC-DC converter and its control loop gain using cross-correlation methods. IEEE Transactions on power electronics, 24(8), 2021-2031. [2] Barkley, A., Dougal, R., Santi, E. (2011, March). Adaptive control of power converters using Digital Network Analyzer Techniques. In Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC), 2011 Twenty-Sixth Annual IEEE (pp. 1824-1832). IEEE. [3] Bottrell, N., Prodanovic, M., Green, T. C. (2013). Dynamic stability of a microgrid with an active load. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 28(11), 5107-5119. [4] Cho, H. Y., Santi, E. (2008, November). Modeling and stability analysis in multi-converter systems including positive feedforward control. In Industrial Electronics, 2008. IECON 2008. 34th Annual Conference of IEEE (pp. 839-844). IEEE. [5] Cvetkovic, I., Boroyevich, D., Mattavelli, P., Lee, F. C., Dong, D. (2013). Unterminated small-signal behavioral model of DC-DC converters. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 28(4), 1870-1879. [6] Lin, R. L., Yeh, P. Y., Liu, C. H. (2012). Positive feed-forward control scheme for distributed power conversion system with multiple voltage sources. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 27(7), 3186-3194. [7] Lin, R. L., Liu, W. S., Chen, J. F., Chen, M. H., Liu, C. H. (2013). Positive feedforward control for multimodule output-series power-conversion systems with individual nonideal sources. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 60(4), 1323-1334. [8] Riccobono, A. (2013). Stabilizing Controller Design for a DC Power Distribution System using a Passivity-Based Stability Criterion. [9] Riccobono, A., Santi, E. (2013). Positive feedforward control of three-phase voltage source inverter for DC input bus stabilization with experimental validation. IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 49(1), 168-177. [10] Riccobono, A., Santi, E. (2012, February). A novel passivity-based stability criterion (PBSC) for switching converter DC distribution systems. In Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC), 2012 Twenty-Seventh Annual IEEE (pp. 2560-2567). IEEE. [11] Rivetta, C., Williamson, G. A., Emadi, A. (2005, July). Constant power loads and negative impedance instability in sea and undersea vehicles: statement of the problem and comprehensive large-signal solution. In Electric Ship Technologies Symposium, 2005 IEEE (pp. 313-320). IEEE. [12] Siegers, J., Arrua, S., Santi, E. (2017). Stabilizing Controller Design for Multibus MVdc Distribution Systems Using a Passivity-Based Stability Criterion and Positive Feedforward Control. IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, 5(1), 14-27. [13] Sudhoff, S. D., Crider, J. M. (2011, April). Advancements in generalized immittance based stability analysis of DC power electronics based distribution systems. In Electric Ship Technologies Symposium (ESTS), 2011 IEEE (pp. 207-212). IEEE. [14] Sun, J. (2011). Impedance-based stability criterion for grid-connected inverters. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 26(11), 3075-3078. [15] Zadeh, M. K., Gavagsaz-Ghoachani, R., Martin, J., Pierfederici, S., Nahid-Mobarakeh, B., Molinas, M. (2014). A new discrete-time modelling of PWM converters for stability analysis of DC microgrid. Proc Electrimacs14, 1-6. [16] Zadeh, M. K., Gavagsaz-Ghoachani, R., Martin, J. P., Pierfederici, S., Nahid-Mobarakeh, B., Molinas, M. (2015, March). Discrete-time modelling, stability analysis, and active stabilization of dc distribution systems with constant power loads. In Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC), 2015 IEEE (pp. 323-329). IEEE. [17] Zenger, K., Altowati, A., Suntio, T. (2006, November). Stability and performance analysis of regulated converter systems. In IEEE Industrial Electronics, IECON 2006-32nd Annual Conference on (pp. 1975-1980). IEEE. Attachment 1 Timeline Chart Attachment 2 Risk Assessment Matrix Risk Reference Risks Consequences CurrentRisk Treatments Current Level of Risk AdditionalRisk Treatments Residual Level of Risk Likelihood Consequence Risk Level Ranking Likelihood Consequence Risk Level Ranking SUP Not available on campus Not get enough information Contact through mail 0 0 0 L Not required 0 0 0 L HLTH-1 Health problem Delay in project Precaution needed 0 1 1 L Not required 0 0 0 L HLTH-2 Eye related problem Eye burning Very less chance 1 1 2 L Wear glasses 1 2 2 L PER-1 Family issues Not concentre on work Work management 2 2 3 M Progress work 1 2 2 M PER-2 sickness Reduce work efficiency Take rest 0 1 1 M Take medicines 0 1 2 M EQP-1 Laptop not working Lost data Backup or save file 2 2 3 L Online store cloud 0 0 1 L CMP-1 Cable not working Not charging properly Protect the cable 1 1 1 L Extra cable 0 0 1 L CMP-2 Tough screen problem Not getting data Use keyboard 0 0 1 L Not required 0 0 0 L SFT-1 Software not available Work delay Try another software 0 1 2 L Not required 0 0 0 L Activity Overall Risk Rating 0.00 LOw

The Main Functions Of The Nervous System

The Main Functions Of The Nervous System The nervous system is the control and communication system of the body. It sends and receives messages. The nervous system controls all our body movements. It is made up of two parts, the central nervous system (CNS), and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system is made up of the nerves and neurons. The central nervous system; consists of the brain and spinal cord. Diagram showing the different structures of the brain. The brain; it is a large soft mass of nerve tissue that is contained within a vault of bone called the cranium. It is made up of the neurons nerve cells, and other supporting cells. The brain is composed of grey and white matter. The grey matter is the nervous tissues that formed the H-Shaped structure, and it is surrounded by white matter. The human brains has more than 10 billion nerve cells and over 50 billion other cells, an average weighs 3 1/8 pounds. The brain monitors and regulates our bodily functions and co-ordinates almost all our voluntary movement. The brain is our area of thought, creativity and consciousness. The spinal cord; it is an ovoid of column of nervous tissue that average 44 cm in length when flattened. It expands from the medulla oblongata in the brain stem to the second lumbar vertebra in the spinal canal. The spinal cord is the centre of reflexive action. There is a reflex arc that goes from the peripheral nerve to the spinal cord, up to the brain and back down to relay (spread) the action. The spinal cord is contained in a vertebral vault, and it passes down through a hole in each vertebrate. It is surrounded by other tissues, pia mater, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), arachnoid mater and dura mater. These three maters are called meninges, and they surround the brain. The anterior of the H is made up of motor cells from the fibers that make up the motor portion of the peripheral nerves. The sensory neurons enter the posterior of the H. The peripheral nervous system; this is the nerves on the periphery of the body. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is under the control of central nervous system (CNS) and also part of the peripheral nervous system, these nerves stay inside the body and effect organs and soft tissues. The autonomic nervous system is automatic, and in control of voluntary bodily functions. It is separated into two parts; the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. It regulates the function of the glands, the adrenal medulla, smooth muscle tissue, organs and the heart. 1.2 Explain the functions of each part of the nervous system. The nervous system is made up large numbers of units known as neurons. They send, receive and process the nerve impulses inside and outside the body. Sensory neurons convert physical stimuli, e.g. smell, light, or sound, into action possibilities, which are then transmitted to the spinal cord or brain. Afferent neurons bring information into the central nervous system. We also have the motor neurons which transmit nerve impulses (sudden urge) away from the brain and spinal cord to muscles or glands, and are known as efferent neurons. Brain; the cerebral cortex is linked to three main varieties of activity: Mental activities; this involved in memory, intelligence, sense of responsibility, thinking, reasoning, moral sense and learning. These are accredited to the higher centres. Sensory perception; this includes the perception of pain, temperature, touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell. Initiation and control; to initiate and control voluntary muscle contraction. The nerve cells initiate the contraction of voluntary muscles. Nerve fibres from Betzs cell move past descending through the internal capsule to the medulla oblongata, and crosses to the opposite side and descends in the spinal cord. The motor region of the right hemisphere of the cerebrum controls voluntary movement of the left side of the body. There is a group of nerve cells called the motor speech (brocas); it controls the movement essential for speech. The postcentral (sensory) is the area that perceived sensations of pain, temperature, pressure and touch, knowledge of muscular movement and position of joints. The parietal is believed to be connected with obtaining and retaining accurate knowledge of objects. We perceive spoken word from the sensory speech, and the auditory (hearing) receive and interpret transmitted impulses from the inside ear by the auditory nerves. The olfactory (smell) receives impulses from the nose via olfactory nerves and interpret it. Taste is the area where impulses from special nerves endings in taste bud and tongue, and in the lining of the cheeks, palate and pharynx are perceived as taste. The visual is the area which receives and interprets impulses as impressions. There are groups of cells called known as nuclei, they act as relay stations. It passes one neurone to the other in chain. Some important masses of grey matter are: Basal nuclei; it is thought to influence skeletal muscle tone Thalamus; this is where sensory input from skin, viscera and special sense organs are transmitted to before redistribution to cerebrum Hypothalamus; it controls the output of hormones from both lobes of the gland, and it also control the autonomic nervous system, such as thirst, body temperature, hunger, heart and blood vessels defensive reactions. Spinal cord; it is the centre of reflexive action. The reflex arc is the pathway of nerves through spinal cord. The first step of reflex arc is stimulation of a receptor nerve. They sense heat, coolness, pressure or over-stretching of the muscle. The sensory neuron transmits impulse to spinal cord. The sensory nerves link directly with a motor or glandular nerve, or go through in-between nerve and then to the motor of the glandular nerve, depending on the reflex being stimulated. The nerve sends signals to the muscles or glands to react. Visceral reflexes control heart muscle, glands and organs, and the somatic reflexes control involuntary movement of the skeletal muscles. The spinal cord does the followings: Support the body and the skull, helps us to stand upright and maintain body balance. Flexible movement; it allows and helps the head and neck move, and permit the body to stretch, lean, rotate and lean. It helps protect internal organs, such as heart and lungs. It provides base for attachment of muscles, ligaments and tendons (tough band connecting muscle to bone). It has bone marrow inside the bones of the spinal cord that produces red blood cells and also stores minerals. It connects the upper body to the lower body. Its intervertebral discs acts like a shock absorber. Peripheral nervous system; it is the autonomic nervous system which is part of the peripheral nervous system, that control the internal organs; it consists of the motor neurons. It has two systems, the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic system. The autonomic nervous system controls muscles in the heart, the smooth muscle of the intestine, bladder, and uterus. The sympathetic nervous system is involved in the fight or running away response. The parasympathetic is involved in relaxation. Each of the two functions in the reverse of the other (resentment). The two systems act in opposition to maintain homeostasis (state of equilibrium). The sympathetic nervous system promotes the following activities: It allows blood flow to skeletal muscles and the lungs. It diverts blood flow away from the gastro-intestinal tract and skin. It dilates bronchioles of the lung. Increases heart rate and the ability of cardiac cell (myocytes) to contract. Dilate pupils (opening in eye) and relaxes the ciliary (surrounding lens of eye) muscle to the lens. It narrows all intestinal sphincters and urinary sphincter. It inhibits (adversely affect action of an organ) peristalsis. Responsible for the stimulation of orgasm. The parasympathetic nervous system promotes: The expansion of blood vessels leading to the gastro-intestinal tract, increasing blood flow. The constriction of bronchiolar diameter when the need for oxygen has diminished. The constriction of the pupil (opening in the eye) and contraction of the ciliary (surrounding lens of eye) muscle to the lens. The stimulation of salivary gland secretion, and speed up peristalsis (muscle contraction). The erection of genitals. The stimulation of sexual arousal. The control of the myocardium (heart muscle). 3.2 Explain the transmission of an impulse across a synapse. A synapse is the junction where communication between neurons and neurons between muscles takes place. Synaptic transmission starts when nerve impulse arrives at the pre-synaptic axon terminal. The depolarisation (less polarity) of the pre-synaptic membrane starts series of events leading to transmitter release, and the activation of receptors that is on the post-synaptic membrane. Synaptic vesicle lives in different pool; attached to the cytoskeleton in a reverse pool, or free in the cytoplasm. A number of the free vesicles make their way to the plasma membrane for docking, and sequence of primary reactions prepares the vesicular and plasma membranes for fusion. The membranes of the synaptic vesicles are drawn together passing through protein complexes that are articulated on the vesicle and pre-synaptic membranes. A depolarised axon terminal open voltage calcium channel and calcium ions run into the axon terminal and some of the calcium ions attach to a protein on the synaptic vesi cle membrane known as synaptotagmin. The vesicles are drawn closer to the pre-synaptic membrane, when calcium attach to synaptotagmin on the synaptic vesicles adjacent to the active region. Transmitter cargo is release into the synaptic cleft when the vesicles combine with the axon membrane. Some transmitter molecules attach to receptor molecules in the post-synaptic membrane. Post-synaptic cell response depends on neurotransmitter and receptor combination. After attaching acetylcholine, the channel opens and sodium ions enter the post-synaptic cell, and generate an exciting post-synaptic response. The transmitters are removed or inactivated quickly from the synaptic cleft. Acetylcholine, an enzyme in the synaptic cleft, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), breaks down Ach into choline and acetate. The transmitter released from the receptor causes the channel to close. Some transmitters are not broken down by enzymes and many transmitters rapidly clear from the synaptic cleft and taken into the pre-synaptic terminal by special proteins known as transporters. This process is called reuptake, it not only cut off synaptic activity quickly, but also allow the terminal to recycle transmitter molecules. Membrane needed for the creation of synaptic vesicles, is also recycled passing through endocytosis of the pre-synaptic membrane. The recycled vesciles which are now filled with neurotransmitter molecules are ready for another circle of synaptic transmission. 4.1 Describe the main parts of the brain and explain their functions. The brain; it is a large soft mass of nerve tissue that is contained within a vault of bone called the cranium. It is made up of the neurons nerve cells, supporting cells. The brain is composed of grey and white matter. The grey matter is the nervous tissues that formed the H-Shaped structure, and it is surrounded by white matter. The human brains has more than 10 billion nerve cells and over 50 billion other cells, an average weighs 3 1/8 pounds. The brain monitors and regulates our bodily functions and co-ordinates almost all our voluntary movement. The brain is our area of thought, creativity and consciousness. Functions of the brain; the functions of the three main parts of the brain are the followings: The cerebrum; this is the largest portion of the brain, it occupies about 2/3 fractions of the human brain. The cerebral hemisphere is separated into two by a longitudinal fissure. The two hemispheres are joined by a fibre called corpus callosum that consists of long bundles of closely packed nerve fibres of about 10cm long. The corpus callosum has about 200 million of nerve fibres. The cerebral hemisphere is divided into four lobes by three deep grooves called fissures. From the front part of the brain to the back is known as the Frontal lobe, the Temporal lobe, Parietal lobe and Occipital. The right part of the brain controls the left part of the body while the left part of the brain controls the right. Frontal lobe- It is involved in inner monitoring of complex thoughts, actions and creative ideas. The anterior (front) portion of the frontal lobe is called the prefrontal cortex. The posterior (back) of the frontal lobe consists of the motor and premotor areas. Nerve cells that produce movement are located in the motor areas. Temporal lobe- it helps in the decoding and interpretation of sounds. It is the centre for memory and emotions. It also helps in language comprehension. Occipital lobe it decodes and interprets the visual information, such as shapes and colours. Parietal lobe- it is the main area for feelings, touch, hot, cold and pain. It takes different bits of information from the surroundings, organises it and communicates it to other part of the brain. The cerebral cortex; this is the outside surface of the cerebrum with a layer of 2-4mm thick. It has a greyish brown look, and it is referred to as the gray matter. The surface of cerebral cortex is divided into large number of folds, which increases the surface area of the brain. The Diencephalon it is made up of mainly subcortical nuclei, thalamus and hypothalamus. . Thalamus it lays crossway to the cerebrum. The thalamus plays an important part in the link between the sense organs and cerebral cortex. It receives bulk of incoming signal from the sense organs. It also determines the source of signals, evaluates their importance integrates them and passes them to the cerebrum. Hypothalamus it lies in the base of thalamus, weighs about 4 gm with a small vascularised structure. It is only about 1/300 of the total brain mass. It incorporates and manages visceral activities. It maintains homeostasis and the bodys internal equilibrium. The hypothalamus corrects the rate of heart beat and respiration whenever they go wrong. It is known as the control centre for fight and flight (Control Mind, 2010). The mid brain; this component forms the middle part of the brain. It controls the activity of voluntary muscles. It is made up of four small lobes called the corpora quadrigemina. The upper part is colliculi which receives sensory informations from eyes and muscles of the head; it controls all the visual reflexes and coordinates the movements of the head and eyes. The lower part control part of colliculi and receives sensory impulses from the ears and muscles of the head. (Control Mind, 2010). The hind brain; It is made up of the followings: Cerebellum; it is the second largest part of the brain and it consists of two cerebral hemispheres. They are located at the cerebral hemisphere and the brain stem. The cerebellum assists in the maintenance posture and balance of the body. It plays an important role in controlling the fast muscular activities of the brain, e.g., running and talking. Medulla Oblongata; this is the posterior part of the brain which links the other parts of the brain to the spinal cord. The medulla controls the subconscious activities, e.g., digestion and breathing. Brain stem; it is part of the brain that controls basic functions that are necessary for maintaining blood pressure, eye movements, heartbeat, swallowing and breathing. Pons Varoli; it is the base of the brain stem. It connects the cerebral cortex to the cerebellum. It relays the information between cerebrum and cerebellum. It is the part of the brain that controls arousal and control respiration (Quizlet, 2010).

Comparing John Stuart Mills The Subjection of Women and Florence Night

Comparing John Stuart Mill's The Subjection of Women and Florence Nightingale's Cassandra For thousands of years, women have struggled under the domination of men. In a great many societies around the world, men hold the power and women have to fight for their roles as equals in these patriarchal societies. Florence Nightingale wrote about such a society in her piece, Cassandra, and John Stuart Mill wrote further on the subject in his essay The Subjection of Women. These two pieces explore the same basic idea, but there are differences as well. While they both recognize its presence, Mill blames the subjection of women on custom, and Nightingale blames it on society. These appear to be different arguments, but they may be more similar than they seem. Mill’s and Nightingale’s work both have the main theme of men dominating over women. Mill introduces his work with, â€Å"the principle which regulates the existing social relations between the two sexes — the legal subordination of one sex to the other — is wrong in itself†¦and it ought to be replaced by a principle of perfect equality† (Mill 1156), letting the reader know his stance on the issue right away. Nightingale’s article also starts off with a strong statement in the form of a question. She wonders why women are given such useful gifts if utilizing them is socially unacceptable: â€Å"Why have women passion, intellect, moral activity...and a place in society where no one of the three can be exercised?† (Nightingale 1734). Although these works both have the same thread running through them, they place the blame for the occurrence in different places. In Mill’s essay, he places the blame for the suffrage of woman on custom. He says, â€Å"custom...affords i... ... sound like completely different arguments; however, they are both placing the blame on one relationship. Custom and society exist together in a dependent relationship. One cannot be without the other. Custom defines what society does, and society does what custom defines; therefore, this relationship is blamed for the subjection of women in these two pieces. They may appear to have different arguments, but they are really arguing the same thing. This enforces the ideas Mill and Nightingale convey in their work: two different things seemed to have been blamed, and yet, after further analysis, the blame ended up resting in the same place. We can conclude that the subjection of women is likely to rest on this particular relationship because both of their arguments boil down to it, and Mill’s and Nightingale’s essays are more similar than at first believed to be.

The Great Depression Essay -- Papers History New Deal Market Crash Ess

The Great Depression The great depression hit the nation quite hard with an un-comparable feeling of instability and weakness. The United States and other nations including Europe and Great Britain were quickly affected. The depression, caused by the fall of the stock market in 1929, caused many individuals to panic and the depression was everywhere by 1932. Many people were affected by the depression. Investors, the ordinary work force and consumers sank rapidly with the panic that spread across the world. The United States tried to gain security through several attempts at restoration. With the help of president Roosevelt and his attempt to restore security with The New Deal the nation would overcome the onset crisis. The ordinary people affected by the crisis experienced many forms of mass unemployment. As the workforce began to panic the anxiety grew stronger. The stress of unemployment and anxiousness forced thus individuals to look to the government for the answers. Governments quickly responded to the anxiety by raising taxes. Which in turn only seemed to make matters worse. The United States attempts at restoring the nation with confidence failed. Some believe that the main reason being that the United States had developed an enormous economy of mass production, but the larger picture consisted of analyzing more than the mass production. Instead there was a problem arising. How would the nation survive with a population of mass production and a decrease in consumption became the main question being analyzed. As the stock market crashed and the United States economy began to as well the U.S. government began to focus on the idea of every nation for themselves. The... ... New Deal solved the depression because it didn?t, but I think that it gave the nation the fundamentals that they needed to solve their problems themselves. All that was missing was the structure and strength in the citizens themselves to reunite as a nation and not as individuals. The New Deal helped many individuals perceive these morals and values by setting the standards for economic equality, limited production, and fairness for the rich and poor and it also provided equality in the field of competition. All in which were needed to be restored. After all we did create The Pledge of Allegiance, which plainly states the fundamentals of The United States by saying we are ?One nation under god, individual with liberty and justice for all.? Meaning justice for all people in our country and resembles the unity we should all feel in our nation together as a whole

Free Essay - Review of Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

  Review of the Scarlet Letter   The novel opens with an explanation of how the romance of The Scarlet Letter came to be presented as a story in its existing form.   Having always wanted to be a â€Å"literary man†, Nathaniel Hawthorne talks about his three-year stint as a Surveyor in the Salem Custom House.   Mostly filled with older gentlemen, the workplace was a very political, Whig-influenced environment and charged with Puritan history.   After brief character sketches of the personalities in the Custom House, Hawthorne then explains how he came upon a special package among the piles of papers.   It contained a red cloth with the letter â€Å"A† embroidered in gold thread and a manuscript by Jonathan Pue (the man who once held Hawthorne’s job).   Finding the story extremely interesting, the author thus retells the story of Hester Prynne from Massachusetts’s Puritan history.   The first chapter begins with Hester being led to the scaffold where she is to be publicly shamed for having committed adultery.   Hester is forced to wear the letter â€Å"A† on her gown at all times as punishment for her crime.   She has stitched a large scarlet â€Å"A† onto her dress with gold thread, giving the letter an air of elegance.   Hester carries Pearl, her daughter, with her.   On the scaffold she is asked to reveal the name of Pearl’s father, but she refuses.   In the crowd, Hester recognizes her husband from Amsterdam, Roger Chillingworth.   Chillingworth visits Hester after she is returned to the prison.   He tells her that he will find out who the man was, and that he will read the truth on the man’s heart.   He then forces her to promise never to reveal his own identity to anyone else.   Hester moves into a cottage bordering the woods.   She and Pearl live there in relative solitude.   Hester earns her money by doing stitchwork for local dignitaries, but often spends her time helping the poor and sick.   Pearl grows up to be wild, in the sense that she refuses to obey her mother.   Roger Chillingworth earns a reputation as being a good physician.   He uses his reputation to get transferred into the same home as Arthur Dimmesdale, an ailing minister.   Chillingworth eventually discovers that Dimmesdale is the true father of Pearl, at which point he spends every moment trying to torment the minister.   One night Dimmesdale is so overcome with shame about hiding his secret that he walks to the scaffold where Hester was publicly humiliated.

Current Event Summary and Reaction – Honors Government – “North Carolina Getting a State Religion? No.”

North Carolina getting a state religion? No. | By: Eric Marrapodi  and  John Blake, CNN A group of representatives in North Carolina have recently been pushing the idea of uniting their government with an established religion. Two Republican representatives in particular filed a resolution that would potentially permit the state to declare Christianity as its official practice of worship. In this case, the North Carolina would reject all federal law and ruling concerning separation of church and state.Although these representatives argue this would protect the county’s commissioners in their freedom of speech, critics say the resolution violates the Constitution’s first amendment. Those in favor of an established religion continue to fall back on the nullification theory, but many agree that because the theory has repeatedly been ruled as incorrect, courts won’t buy it. Personally, I don’t think the courts will buy it either. Putting the specifics and details aside, the concept of separation of church and state is ultimately already decided upon.The way things are now is the way they should be; everyone is free to practice their own religion, including those who are pushing the resolution. I don’t know why one would want to force others to be a member of their religion if they don’t want to be. There is no way to force someone to be devoted to or believe in something. In the article, critics called the argument for a combined church and state â€Å"phony,† and I agree. If most â€Å"Christians† are not truly Christians, Christianity will quickly become a joke, as well as a lie for some.If the state did adopt a conformed religion, what would regulations consist of? I doubt one would be punished for practicing another religion; therefore, there is really no point. If anything, I think those in favor of the resolution should be less concerned about spending time on a pointless argument and be more concern ed about practicing their religion themselves. http://religion. blogs. cnn. com/2013/04/04/north-carolina-getting-a-state-religion-no/

Case of Speluncean Explorers Essay

After reading the opinions of various judges in the case of The Speluncean Explorers, I found the arguments of Justice Foster well justified. Hence, I agree with him the most. He believes that the four explorers are innocent of any crime and rests his conclusion on two grounds. Firstly, Justice Foster takes the view that positive law cannot be applied to the case. Instead, he states that law of nature should govern the case. Men’s co existence in a society is essential for the application of positive law. I agree with him because in this situation where the co existence of the men is not possible without the taking of life, positive law is not applicable. He believes â€Å"maxim cessante ratione legis, cessat et ipsa lex† which means when the reason for law ceases, the law itself ceases, should be applied to thiscase.I agree with him that the men were not guilty of crime because Roger Whetmore’s life was ended in a â€Å"state of nature† and not in a â€Å"state of civil society†. This is a case where natural law supersedes positive law. He also raised a point regarding the jurisdiction that the state had over these explorers at the time of the murder given that they were miles below the territorial jurisdiction.Also, what the men did was according to the agreement accepted by all of them.I agree with Justice Foster’s question that when the state can sacrifice the lives of ten workers trying to rescue the five explorers in the cave , then why isn’t it justified that one life be sacrificed to save the lives of four. Secondly, he emphasizes and talks about the relevance of the golden rule. The case had been decided without violating the statute â€Å"he who shall willfully take the life of another is a murderer†. However, literal rule cannot always be applied. Justice Foster illustrates cases such as Commonwealth v.Staymore and Fehler v. Neegas to support his argument that applying golden rule often gives a more just result. He raises a point that the above-mentioned statute has never been applied literally by giving an example of the exception of self-defense. I agree with him that statutes must be read between the lines to close the loopholes and give a fair judgment. Also, there was no malicious intention in committing the murder and it was solely for the purpose of survival. An important point to be noticed is the lack of intention to murder and the role of survival. According to Aristotle and Plato’s discourse on law, I also think that the end can justify the means and so to save many people, one man was killed. Therefore, I agree with Justice Foster that the four men are innocent of the crime of murdering Roger Whetmore.

Optimism and Health Benefits Essay

â€Å"Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.† This quote from Victor Hugo is a perfect example of optimism. When someone is optimistic, they have a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome. Optimism is simply a mental game. The brain can interpret situations or events as being optimized; meaning that some factors may not be fully comprehendible, yet having confidence that the present moment is in an optimist state. This understanding, although criticized by counter views such as pessimism, realism, and idealism, leads to a state of mind that believes everything is as it should be. With optimism, someone contains hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something. Not only does optimism give someone confidence, it also provides many health benefits and a sense of purpose in life. â€Å"Is your glass half empty, or half full?† This saying is a common idiom that illustrates optimism versus pessimism; an optimist is said to see the glass half full, and a pessimist sees the glass as half empty. Winston Churchill provides another unique understanding of this idea: â€Å"The optimist sees opportunity in every danger; the pessimist sees danger in every opportunity,† The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events will last a long time, will undermine everything they do, and are their own fault. The optimists, who are confronted with the same problems of the world, think about misfortune in the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback. Provoked by a bad situation, they perceive is as a challenge to try harder. If the thoughts that run through one’s head are mostly negative, their outlook on life is more likely to be pessimistic. There is nothing better in life than having a peace of mind that no matter what the troubles are that life may bring, everything will be okay and that life has so much to offer. Unfortunately this peace of mind does not happen over-night, it takes years of trials and experience s to be able to see the bright side of any given situation. People are not automatically born with optimism; they have to experience negative circumstances in order to find the strength to be optimistic in general. Without hardships, optimism would not grow. Optimism often starts with self-talk. These endless streams of unspoken thoughts can either be positive, or negative. Optimism does not mean that one keeps their head in the sand and ignore life’s less unpleasant situations, it just means that the approach to the unpleasantness is in a more positive and productive way. With this approach to any given situation, stress can be reduced. Often time’s people upset themselves over something minute, causing a lack of sleep, unhealthy eating habits, hostile mood, etc. What they do not know is that with a simple thought of, â€Å"I can do this,† or â€Å"It will be okay,† their whole stream of thoughts eventually start following that positive pattern, changing their whole mood, reducing stress, and increasing their chances of overcoming obstacles. Not only does an optimistic view reduce stress, it also decreases the risks of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and infections. Optimism itself, not just its association with happiness, lowers anxiety, thus causing less hostility, and has the potential to lower the risk of a stroke. U.S. researchers followed more than 97,000 women for about eight years. Measures of optimism and cynical hostility were strongly associated with these outcomes: Optimists had a lower incidence of heart disease and total mortality. Conversely, cynical hostility, which is a lack of confidence and increased bitterness, was associated with both higher overall mortality and cancer-related effects. Along with positive health benefits, optimism also gives someone a sense of purpose. American psychologist, Salvatore Maddi, co-author of Resilience at Work: How to Succeed No Matter What Life Throws at You, extensively studied what makes executives tough in the face of work-related stress. He found that the healthiest of executives shared three characteristics: a feeling of commitment, a sense of control in their lives, and an acceptance of life’s stressful moments as challenges rather than threats. This research confirms that having a sense of commitment to a purpose does not merely give someone meaning; it makes them more resistant to the impact of stressful living. This view on optimism can increase one’s chances of succeeding their goals or dreams, and not allowing negative situations to hinder their attitude. With hopefulness that their goals will be achieved, their motivation is amplified as well. Optimism is a way of life that is not learned automatically, it takes time and effort to completely change one’s mindset. This mindset has many positive effects. A firm confidence in one’s self develops, and they have self-assurance that no matter what life throws at them, it is completely possible to overcome those obstacles. Optimists tend to believe that defeat is not their fault; circumstances, bad luck, or other people bring it about. Such people are unfazed by defeat. Optimism not only gives one confidence, but also provides a countless number of health benefits. With an optimistic attitude, depression can be reversed. Although it takes time to get out of a slump, just the start of positive self-talk can remove one out of despair. Positive self-talk also reduces stress and the chance of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and strokes. A sense of purpose also develops with someone who acquires an optimistic mentality. A sense of purpose does not only give someone meaning, it helps them to overcome the stresses that life brings. Optimism merely starts with a simple â€Å"I will be okay.† It takes small steps, but it is completely possible for one to change their outlook on life and not let circumstances defeat one’s life.

Organic Farming Business Proposal

PB B A S E M E S T E R V I ORGANIC FARMING PROPOSAL GROUP 6 Iftekhar Ansari, Mujtaba Yameen, Priyamvada Panicker, Akbote Shiva, Vikas D, Jayadev B BBA †¢ Semester VI †¢ Group VI†¢ Organic Farming B B A S E M E S T E R V I BBA †¢ Semester VI †¢ Group VI†¢ Organic Farming Organic Farming Introduction Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control.Organic farming uses fertilizers and pesticides but excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured (synthetic) fertilizers, pesticides (which include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), plant growth regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, genetically modi? d organisms, human sewage sludge, and nanomaterials Organic agricultural methods are internationally regulated and legally enforced by many nations, based in large part on the standards set by the International Federation of Organ ic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), an international umbrella organization for organic farming organizations established in 1972. IFOAM de? nes the overarching goal of organic farming as: â€Å"Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people.It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to bene? t the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved†¦ † —International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements Since 1990, the market for organic products has grown from nothing, reaching $55 billion in 2009 according to Organic Monitor (www. organicmonitor. com).This demand has driven a similar increase in organically managed farmland which has grown over the past decade at a compounding rate of 8. 9% per annum. [5] A pproximately 37,000,000 hectares (91,000,000 acres) worldwide are now farmed organically, representing approximately 0. 9 percent of total world farmland (2009) History Organic farming (of many particular kinds) was the original type of agriculture, and has been practiced for thousands of years. Forest gardening, a fully organic food production system which dates from prehistoric times, is thought to be the world's oldest and most resilient agroecosystem.After the industrial revolution had introduced inorganic methods, some of which were not well developed and had serious side effects, an organic movement began in the mid-1920s in Central Europe through the work of Rudolf Steiner, who created biodynamic agriculture, an early version of organic agriculture. Organic agriculture was independently developed in the 1940s England through the work of Albert Howard as a reaction to agriculture's growing reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Arti? ial fertilizers had been created during the 18t h century, initially with superphosphates and then ammonia-based fertilizers mass-produced using the Haber-Bosch process developed during World War I. These early fertilizers were cheap, powerful, and easy to transport in bulk. Similar advances occurred in chemical pesticides in the 1940s, leading to the decade being referred to as the ‘pesticide era'. Although organic farming is prehistoric in the widest sense, Sir Albert Howard is widely considered to be the â€Å"father of organic farming† in the sense that he was a key founder of the post-industrial-revolution organic movement.Further work was done by J. I. Rodale in the United States, Lady Eve Balfour in the United Kingdom, and many others across the world. The ? rst lectures and publications on organic agriculture stem from Rudolf Steiner, however, whose Lectures on Agriculture were published in 1925. The modern organic movement is a revival movement in the sense that it seeks to restore balance that was lost when technology grew rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries. Modern organic farming has made up only a fraction of total agricultural output from its beginning until today.Increasing environmental awareness in the general population has transformed the originally supply-driven movement to a demand-driven one. Premium prices and some government subsidies attracted farmers. In the developing world, many G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 1 producers farm according to traditional methods which are comparable to organic farming but are not certi? ed. In other cases, farmers in the developing world have converted for economic reasons Methods Soil management Plants need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as micronutrients and symbiotic relationships with fungi and other organisms to ? urish, but getting enough nitrogen, and particularly synchronization so that plants get enough nitrogen at the right time (when plants need it most), is likely the greatest challenge for organic farmers. C rop rotation and green manure (â€Å"cover crops†) help to provide nitrogen through legumes (more precisely, the Fabaceae family) which ? x nitrogen from the atmosphere through symbiosis with rhizobial bacteria. Intercropping, which is sometimes used for insect and disease control, can also increase soil nutrients, but the competition between the legume and the crop can be problematic and wider spacing between crop rows is required.Crop residues can be ploughed back into the soil, and different plants leave different amounts of nitrogen, potentially aiding synchronization. Organic farmers also use animal manure, certain processed fertilizers such as seed meal and various mineral powders such as rock phosphate and greensand, a naturally occurring form of potash which provides potassium. Together these methods help to control erosion. In some cases pH may need to be amended. Natural pH amendments include lime and sulfur, but in the U. S. ome compounds such as iron sulfate, alum inum sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and soluble boron products are allowed in oganic farming. Mixed farms with both livestock and crops can operate as ley farms, whereby the land gathers fertility through growing nitrogen-? xing forage grasses such as white clover or alfalfa and grows cash crops or cereals when fertility is established. Farms without livestock (â€Å"stockless†) may ? nd it more dif? cult to maintain fertility, and may rely more on external inputs such as imported manure as well as grain legumes and green manures, although grain legumes may ? limited nitrogen because they are harvested. Horticultural farms growing fruits and vegetables which operate in protected conditions are often even more reliant upon external inputs. Biological research on soil and soil organisms has proven bene? cial to organic farming. Varieties of bacteria and fungi break down chemicals, plant matter and animal waste into productive soil nutrients. In turn, they produce bene? ts of healt hier yields and more productive soil for future crops. Fields with less or no manure display signi? antly lower yields, due to decreased soil microbe community, providing a healthier, more arable soil system Weed management Organic weed management promotes weed suppression, rather than weed elimination, by enhancing crop competition and phytotoxic effects on weeds. Organic farmers integrate cultural, biological, mechanical, physical and chemical tactics to manage weeds without synthetic herbicides. Organic standards require rotation of annual crops, meaning that a single crop cannot be grown in the same location without a different, intervening crop.Organic crop rotations frequently include weed-suppressive cover crops and crops with dissimilar life cycles to discourage weeds associated with a particular crop. Organic farmers strive to increase soil organic matter content, which can support microorganisms that destroy common weed seeds. Other cultural practices used to enhance crop competitiveness and reduce weed pressure include selection of competitive crop varieties, high-density planting, tight row spacing, and late planting into warm soil to encourage rapid crop germination.Mechanical and physical weed control practices used on organic farms can be broadly grouped as: Tillage – Turning the soil between crops to incorporate crop residues and soil amendments; remove existing weed growth and prepare a seedbed for planting; G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 2 Cultivation – Disturbing the soil after seeding; Mowing and cutting – Removing top growth of weeds; Flame weeding and thermal weeding – Using heat to kill weeds; and Mulching – Blocking weed emergence with organic materials, plastic ? lms, or landscape fabric. Some naturally sourced chemicals are allowed for herbicidal use.These include certain formulations of acetic acid (concentrated vinegar), corn gluten meal, and essential oils. A few selective bioherbicides based on f ungal pathogens have also been developed. At this time, however, organic herbicides and bioherbicides play a minor role in the organic weed control toolbox. Weeds can be controlled by grazing. For example, geese have been used successfully to weed a range of organic crops including cotton, strawberries, tobacco, and corn, reviving the practice of keeping cotton patch geese, common in the southern U.S. before the 1950s. Similarly, some rice farmers introduce ducks and ? sh to wet paddy ? elds to eat both weeds and insects. Controlling other organisms Organisms aside from weeds that cause problems on organic farms include arthropods (e. g. , insects, mites), nematodes, fungi and bacteria. Organic farmers use a wide range of Integrated Pest Management practices to prevent pests and diseases. These include, but are not limited to, crop rotation and nutrient management; sanitation to remove pest habitat; provision of habitat for bene? ial organisms; selection of pest-resistant crops and animals; crop protection using physical barriers, such as row covers; and crop diversi? cation through companion planting or establishment of polycultures. Organic farmers often depend on biological pest control, the use of bene? cial organisms to reduce pest populations. Examples of bene? cial insects include minute pirate bugs, big-eyed bugs, and to a lesser extent ladybugs (which tend to ? y away), all of which eat a wide range of pests. Lacewings are also effective, but tend to ? y away. Praying mantis tend to move more slowly and eat less heavily.Parasitoid wasps tend to be effective for their selected prey, but like all small insects can be less effective outdoors because the wind controls their movement. Predatory mites are effective for controlling other mites. When these practices are insuf? cient to prevent or control pests an organic farmer may apply a pesticide. With some exceptions, naturally occurring pesticides are allowed for use on organic farms, and synthetic subst ances are prohibited. Pesticides with different modes of action should be rotated to minimize development of pesticide resistance.Naturally derived insecticides allowed for use on organic farms use include Bacillus thuringiensis (a bacterial toxin), pyrethrum (a chrysanthemum extract), spinosad (a bacterial metabolite), neem (a tree extract) and rotenone (a legume root extract). These are sometimes called green pesticides because they are generally, but not necessarily, safer and more environmentally friendly than synthetic pesticides. Rotenone and pyrethrum are particularly controversial because they work by attacking the nervous system, like most conventional insecticides.Fewer than 10% of organic farmers use these pesticides regularly; one survey found that only 5. 3% of vegetable growers in California use rotenone while 1. 7% use pyrethrum (Lotter 2003:26). Naturally derived fungicides allowed for use on organic farms include the bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus; and the fungus Trichoderma harzianum. These are mainly effective for diseases affecting roots. Agricultural Research Service scientists have found that caprylic acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid in milk and coconuts, as well as G r o u p V I!Organic Farming 3 other natural plant extracts have antimicrobial characteristics that can help. Compost tea contains a mix of bene? cial microbes, which may attack or out-compete certain plant pathogens, but variability among formulations and preparation methods may contribute to inconsistent results or even dangerous growth of toxic microbes in compost teas. Some naturally derived pesticides are not allowed for use on organic farms. These include nicotine sulfate, arsenic, and strychnine. Synthetic pesticides allowed for use on organic arms include insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils for insect management; and Bordeaux mixture, copper hydroxide and sodium bicarbonate for managing fungi. Genetic modi? cation A key characteristic of o rganic farming is the rejection of genetically engineered plants and animals. On October 19, 1998, participants at IFOAM's 12th Scienti? c Conference issued the Mar del Plata Declaration, where more than 600 delegates from over 60 countries voted unanimously to exclude the use of genetically modi? ed organisms in food production and agriculture.Although opposition to the use of any transgenic technologies in organic farming is strong, agricultural researchers Luis Herrera-Estrella and Ariel Alvarez-Morales continue to advocate integration of transgenic technologies into organic farming as the optimal means to sustainable agriculture, particularly in the developing world. [32] Similarly, some organic farmers question the rationale behind the ban on the use of genetically engineered seed because they view this kind of biotechnology consistent with organic principles. Although GMOs are excluded from organic farming, there is concern that the pollen from genetically modi? d crops is inc reasingly penetrating organic and heirloom seed stocks, making it dif? cult, if not impossible, to keep these genomes from entering the organic food supply. International trade restrictions limit the availability GMOs to certain countries. The hazards that genetic modi? cation could pose to the environment are hotly contested Economics The economics of organic farming, a sub? eld of agricultural economics, encompasses the entire process and effects of organic farming in terms of human society, including social costs, opportunity costs, unintended consequences, information asymmetries, and economies of scale.Although the scope of economics is broad, agricultural economics tends to focus on maximizing yields and ef? ciency at the farm level. Economics takes an anthropocentric approach to the value of the natural world: biodiversity, for example, is considered bene? cial only to the extent that it is valued by people and increases pro? ts. Some entities such as the European Union subsi dize organic farming, in large part because these countries want to account for the externalities of reduced water use, reduced water contamination, reduced soil erosion, reduced carbon emissions, increased biodiversity, and assorted other bene? s that result from organic farming. Traditional organic farming is labor and knowledge-intensive whereas conventional farming is capital-intensive, requiring more energy and manufactured inputs. Organic farmers in California have cited marketing as their greatest obstacle. G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 4 Geographic producer distribution The markets for organic products are strongest in North America and Europe, which as of 2001 are estimated to have $6 and $8 billion respectively of the $20 billion global market (Lotter 2003:6).As of 2007 Australasia has 39% of the total organic farmland, including Australia's 1,180,000 hectares (2,900,000 acres) but 97 percent of this land is sprawling rangeland (2007:35). US sales are 20x as much. (2003). Europe farms 23 percent of global organic farmland (6. 9 million hectares), followed by Latin America with 19 percent (5. 8 million hectares). Asia has 9. 5 percent while North America has 7. 2 percent. Africa has 3 percent. Besides Australia, the countries with the most organic farmland are Argentina (3. 1 million hectares), China (2. 3 million hectares), and the United States (1. million hectares). Much of Argentina's organic farmland is pasture, like that of Australia (2007). Italy, Spain, Germany, Brazil (the world's largest agricultural exporter), Uruguay, and the UK follow the United States in the amount of organic land (2007). Growth Organic farmland by world region (2000-2008) As of 2001, the estimated market value of certi? ed organic products was estimated to be $20 billion. By 2002 this was $23 billion and by 2007 more than $46 billion. In recent years both Europe (2007: 7. 8 million hectares, European Union: 7. 2 million hectares) and North America (2007: 2. million hec tares) have experienced strong growth in organic farmland. In the EU it grew by 21% in the period 2005 to 2008. However, this growth has occurred under different conditions. While the European Union has shifted agricultural subsidies to organic farmers due to perceived environmental bene? ts, the United States has not, continuing to subsidize some but not all traditional commercial crops, such as corn and sugar. As a result of this policy difference, as of 2008 4. 1% G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 5 percent of European Union farmland was organically managed compared to the 0. 6 percent in the U. S.IFOAM's most recent edition of The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends 2009 lists the countries which had the most hectares in 2007. The country with the most organic land is Australia with more than 12 million hectares, followed by Argentina, Brazil and the US. In total 32. 2 million hectares were under organic management in 2007. For 1999 11 million hectares of o rganically managed land are reported. As organic farming becomes a major commercial force in agriculture, it is likely to gain increasing impact on national agricultural policies and confront some of the scaling challenges faced by conventional agriculture.Productivity and pro? tability Various studies ? nd that versus conventional agriculture, organic crops yielded 91%, or 95-100%, along with 50% lower expenditure on fertilizer and energy, and 97% less pesticides, or 100% for corn and soybean, consuming less energy and zero pesticides. The results were attributed to lower yields in average and good years but higher yields during drought years. A 2007 study compiling research from 293 different comparisons into a single study to assess the overall ef? ciency of the two agricultural systems has concluded that †¦ rganic methods could produce enough food on a global per capita basis to sustain the current human population, and potentially an even larger population, without increas ing the agricultural land base. (from the abstract) Converted organic farms have lower pre-harvest yields than their conventional counterparts in developed countries (92%) but higher than their low-intensity counterparts in developing countries (132%). This is due to relatively lower adoption of fertilizers and pesticides in the developing world compared to the intensive farming of the developed world. G r o u p V I! Organic Farming Organic farms withstand severe weather conditions better than conventional farms, sometimes yielding 70-90% more than conventional farms during droughts. Organic farms are more pro? table in the drier states of the United States, likely due to their superior drought performance. Organic farms survive hurricane damage much better, retaining 20 to 40% more topsoil and smaller economic losses at highly signi? cant levels than their neighbors. Contrary to widespread belief, organic farming can build up soil organic matter better than conventional no-till far ming, which suggests long-term yield bene? s from organic farming. [56] An 18-year study of organic methods on nutrientdepleted soil, concluded that conventional methods were superior for soil fertility and yield in a cold-temperate climate, arguing that much of the bene? ts from organic farming are derived from imported materials which could not be regarded as â€Å"self-sustaining†. Pro? tability The decreased cost of synthetic fertilizer and pesticide inputs, along with the higher prices that consumers pay for organic produce, contribute to increased pro? ts. Organic farms have been consistently found to be as or more pro? table than conventional farms.Without the price premium, pro? tability is mixed. Organic production was more pro? table in Wisconsin, given price premiums. Sustainability (African case) In 2008 the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) stated that â€Å"organic agriculture can b e more conducive to food security in Africa than most conventional production systems, and that it is more likely to be sustainable in the long-term†[60] and that â€Å"yields had more than doubled where organic, or near-organic practices had been used† and that soil fertility and drought resistance improved.Employment impact Organic methods often require more labor than traditional farming, therefore it provides rural jobs. G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 7 Sales and marketing Most sales are concentrated in developed nations. These products are what economists call credence goods in that they rely on uncertain certi? cation. Interest in organic products dropped between 2006 and 2008, and 42% of Americans polled don't trust organic produce. 69% of Americans claim to occasionally buy organic products, down from 73% in 2005.One theory was that consumers were substituting â€Å"local† produce for â€Å"organic† produce. Distributors In the United States, 75% o f organic farms are smaller than 2. 5 hectares. In California 2% of the farms account for over half of sales. (Lotter 2003) Small farms join together in cooperatives such as Organic Valley, Inc. to market their goods more effectively. Most small cooperative distributors have merged or were acquired by large multinationals such as General Mills, Heinz, ConAgra, Kellogg, and others. In 1982 there were 28 consumer cooperative distributors, but as of 2007 only 3 remained.This consolidation has raised concerns among consumers and journalists of potential fraud and degradation in standards. Most sell their organic products through subsidiaries, under other labels. Organic foods also can be a niche in developing nations. It would provide more money and a better opportunity to compete internationally with the huge distributors. Organic prices are much more stable than conventional foods, and the small farms can still compete and have similar prices with the much larger farms that usually ta ke all of the pro? ts. Farmers' markets Price premiums are important for the pro? ability of small organic farmers. Farmers selling directly to consumers at farmers' markets have continued to achieve these higher returns. In the United States the number of farmers' markets tripled from 1,755 in 1994 to 5,274 in 2009 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 8 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 9 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 10 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 11 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 12 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 13 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 14 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 15 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 16 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 17SWOT ANALYSIS OF INDIAN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE (DOMESTIC AND EXPORT MARKET) Organic farming is one such part of agriculture sector which is unexploited yet. The projects strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are discussed below: STRENGTHS: Export of organic produce from India is on the rise With organic farming, comes greater nutrit ional value and better taste There is increased awareness for healthy food in the present generation The realization of the harmful effects of pesticides and presence of their residues is surfacing The international and national certi? ation bodies in the country that are making it easier for the farmers to certify their produce as â€Å"organic† With increased demand, Central and State Governments are providing more land at cheaper rates for Organic Agriculture The Government is also providing higher subsidies Tax holidays are given a higher priority and are being given to the farmers who produce organics Organic produce being a premium product, pro? ratios will be towards the higher end due to the higher prices Sustainability over the long term There is an enhanced soil structure and water in? ltration Reduces non-renewable energy use by decreasing agrochemical needs (these require high quantities of fossil fuel to be produced by reducing carbon levels in the soil) OA promo tes biodiversity at all levels of production Duration of the edibility is longer G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 18 Drought resistive in nature A major strength is that the only technology OA needs is more of the SUNWEAKNESSES: Lack of awareness is the major downside of Organic Agriculture Not only among the customers but also among the farmers Most farmers have small holdings Quality consciousness is low amongst them Lack of marketing skills (mainly due to the disjoint between the agricultural sector and its domestic market not to mention the international market) The market for organics is not consumer-based, but supply oriented There is lower productivity due to the mono-cultured farming Fields may become bland due to the lack or inorganic additives Industrialized agriculture (if a conversion to organic agriculture takes place) exploits the land to an extent where the soil loses its fertility Sowing of seeds is time consuming since direct drilling of seeds (as done in the traditio nal form of agriculture) increases risk of soil being lost to wind and erosion There is no usage of genetically modi? ed seeds Another major drawback is the time required for the interaction and the observation between the farmer and his crop A requirement for OA is using skilled labor, which is hard to ? nd Finding the speci? c seeds are not only time consuming, but also more expensive Being more supply oriented, it requires a larger workforce to look after it G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 19 OPPORTUNITIES: With the ever growing society and economy in the country and in the world, the growth potential for Organic Agriculture is enormous As of 2001, the estimated market value of certi? ed organic products was estimated to be $20 billion.By 2002 this was $23 billion and by 2007 more than $46 billion and still showing a positive trend Along with the market value, the total farmland assigned for OA is also increasing massively The government is also starting to believe in this form of farming, hence giving its consent for extensive practice throughout the country The Indian Competence Centre of Organic Agriculture (ICCOA) is a promising initiative towards OA and serves as a platform for various activities related to its market development With the continuous growth of the sector, it will be providing a vast number of job opportunities OA helps in making people less reliant on generically modi? ed food and moves them towards healthier living The market for organic fertilizers and other organic materials is also growing and making it easier for the farmers to get hold of all the supplies they need G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 20 THREATS: Dishonesty among the suppliers of the raw materials required, i. e products offered with declarations such as â€Å"without pesticides†, â€Å"organic† etc.Unavailability of actual organic materials such as seeds, fertilizers and more High costs of being a premium product may prevent success in the market Hesitatio n for purchase by customers due to lack of awareness Land may be to contaminated or may not be convertible for organic agriculture Training unskilled labor may be tougher than expected Although governments are cooperating for organic farming, some state governments still believe this method is unproductive and may not give the required permissions and grants Lives of organic farmers are being made dif? cult by large food conglomerates as they want the consumers to focus only on their products Unpredictable Climatic Factors G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 21 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 22 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 23 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 24 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 25 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 26 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 27 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 28 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 29 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 30 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 31G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 32 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 33 G r o u p V I! Organic Farm ing 34 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 35 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 36 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 37 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 38 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 39 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 40 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 41 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 42 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 43 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 44 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 45 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 46 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 47 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 48 G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 49 APPENDIX Excerpts from our interview with Mr.Samad Patel, Assistant Director, The Department of Agriculture, Gulbarga, Karnataka M: How is the Government helping in Organic Farming? S: Organic missions are being formed by the governement to promote organic farming amongst the farming community. 1: Organic Village: It is one of the schemes which promotes organic farming in a hundred acre area in a village per block on a pilot basis, thereby other farmers can learn how to do or ganic farming. 2: Giving subsidy to bio-degradable, vermi-compost units through Agricultural & Horticultural Department, Industry & Commerce. 3: Establishing organic farming research centers at agricultural universities.M: What are the fertilizers allowed in organic farming? S: 1: Farm Yard Manure 2: City Compost 3: Vermi-Compost 4: Enriched Compost 5: Green Manure M: What is the method of growing the plants in organic farming? S: 1: Sowing the seed with recommended dose of naturally occurring organic fertilizer G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 50 2: Irrigation of the sowed area 3: Seed gets germinated in 1-2 weeks 4: Process of Weeding 5: Harvesting, once the plant is ready 6: Ploughing the ? eld for the next crop M: What are the risks involved with Organic Farming? S: 1: In case of organic farms, there is low yield in the ? rst few years. 2: Pest and Disease management is dif? ult 3: Our soils are addicted to fertilizers and take time to revert back to organic standards 4: It is a v ery laborious process 5: Organic manure are to be produced by the farms, which is also a lengthy and expensive process 6: Seeds are not easily available 7: High prices may lead to low sales M: Is organic food more nutritious than conventional food? S: Yes, organic food has more nutritional value and also has better taste. Reason being that it is produced in its natural method. M: What does â€Å"certi? ed organic† mean? What is the certi? cation process? S: In western countries as well as in India, Organic produce is purchased on basis of the certi? cation by various agencies such as the ICCOA. After completion of the initial three years of production, the farmer must enroll for the certi? cation. The agency then monitors G r o u p V I!Organic Farming 51 the day-to-day cultivation activities and soil testing, the said agency will certify the farm as â€Å"organic†. M: Why does Organic cost more? S: It costs more, because the cost of cultivation is higher although the y ield obtained is low. The demand is higher when compared to the supply. Also, it is pesticide and fertilizer free and has a higher nutritional value, steering it towards being a healthier alternative. M: Is there a national standard for Organic Farming? S: No M: How do farmers fertilize crops and control pests, diseases and weeds? S: Organic farmers fertilize crops by using farmyard manure, vermi-compost, green manure etc. : They manage pests by manual collection of pests 2: Botanical extracts 3: Neem Oil 4: Neem Cake 5: By following integrated pest management methods Diseases are managed by: 1: Manual Roughing 2: By using Botanical extracts G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 52 3: Some plants have naturally occurring fungicidal properties Weeds are managed by: 1: Summer Ploughing 2: Intercultivation 3: Hand Weeding M: What subsidies does the government provide for organic farmers? S: 1: Vermi-compost per farmer – Rs. 6000 – Rs. 30000 (depending on the size of the farm) 2: Biogas Unit – Rs. 60000 Subsidy 3: City Compost: Distributed at 50% subsidy 4: Green Compost: Sold at 50% subsidy 5: Biodigester: Subsidy of Rs. 0000 (Biodigesters convert organic wastes into a nutrient rich liquid fertilizer and biogas, a renewable source of electrical and heat energy) Irrigation Subsidy Operations & Maintenance subsidy + 6 per cent interest on cumulative Irrigation investments Operations & Maintenance subsidy + 1 per cent interest on cumulative irrigation investments Power Subsidy G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 53 Difference between average cost of production per unit and the average revenue realized per unit multiplied by agricultural power consumption as estimated by APTRANSCO Difference between the cost to serve agriculture and average revenue realisation per unit multiplied by agricultural power consumption as estimated by APTRANSCODifference between the cost to serve agriculture and average revenue realised per unit multiplied by power consumption as estimated by AP Farmers Federation G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 54 ACKNOWLEDGMENT We would like to thank our Entrepreneurship Development faculty, Mrs. Radhika, for giving us the opportunity to create a project report such as this, which was a widely informative and knowledge building exercise. We also worked in tandem with Mr. Samad Patel, Assistant Director of The Department of Agriculture, Gulbarga, Karnataka, throughout our research. He guided us through our dif? culties and gave us essential information that we needed to complete our analysis. G r o u p V I! Organic Farming 55