Zero Dark Thirty, Affecting America Essay Example for Free

Zero Dark Thirty, Affecting America Essay Describing the murder of Osama Bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty remains top in the box office, garnering over five Oscar nominations and deeply affecting its audiences. Disturbing and poignant, this â€Å"R† rated production accurately depicts the nature of war in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, while viewers vicariously experience the violence of terror attacks and observe the involvement of America’s Military and Intelligence Communities. Scenes exhibiting torture techniques spark controversy, leading to discussions about the ethics surrounding their use. Lastly, the dramatic story highlights the career of Maya, a female CIA operative determined to bring about the capture of Osama Bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty introduces viewers to the horrors of the war on terror and those who fight the battle, the controversial subject of torture, and the inspirational character Maya. While dinning at a premier Pakistani hotel, Maya and her fellow diners’ lives abruptly change when the room around them explodes, the result of a suicide bomb. Through the portrayal of events such as these, Zero Dark Thirty reveals the horrific conditions under which American military and intelligence personnel work. Far from the minds of most American’s, but constantly in the minds of those on the front lines, looms the thought that each day could bring death for themselves or their colleagues. Living under these conditions, the mind snaps leaving one in every eight soldiers returning from overseas suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, proving that the pain of working in these circumstances scars the soul. Zero Dark Thirty introduces not only the horrors of torture, but the necessity of obtaining information. Struggling with the idea of forcefully extracting information from detainees, America’s shifting political environment after a presidential election reveals itself in a scene where United States President, Barack Obama, orders the Central Intelligence Agency to end the use of torture techniques. Too easily, graphic scenes of torture override the weak memories of Americans and they forget the heinous deeds propagated on uninvolved bystanders. People should never lose the intensity of the shock experienced on September, 11, 2001 when realizing that the objects tumbling from the twin towers no longer resembled pieces of the falling buildings, but came into focus as innocent victims leaping to their death before the inferno claimed their body and soul. Vital information withheld by radical jihadists endangers the lives of millions of people as terror plots blow apart the world. Zero Dark Thirty reopens this conversation. Serving as a powerful female image to many young women in America, actress Jessica Chastain portrays a determined CIA operative who seeks to find and kill Osama Bin Laden. Throughout the movie, Maya expresses her morals by remaining persistent in her journey to find Osama Bin Laden. In one scene she expresses her plans for the future, after a bombing killed many of her colleagues, stating â€Å"Im going to smoke them (Bin Laden’s assistants) and then Im going to kill Bin Laden.† No matter how many disregarded her or underestimated her research, in the end her incredible persistence led to the defeat of the mastermind behind 9/11 who destroyed many lives of American families. She set an example to young women as she stood strong against a group of men disagreeing with her, always remaining certain in a sea of uncertainty, providing America with closure and reward for over a decade of work. Recounting history’s greatest manhunt, Zero Dark Thirty introduces the world to another level of terrorism, explaining everything from detailed missions to their Pakistani allies. Characters like Maya speak volumes about the type of people protecting our country and how their lives remain on the line to ensure the safety of American citizens. Disputing the recent controversy over a process referred to as enhanced interrogation techniques, the new information known about the treatment of detainees left a sense of necessity for the use of torture methods on jihadists, knowing that it can save lives. Without a doubt everyone will leave the theater with a sense of pride in our nation for accomplishing such a hard task, but also feeling somber as they relive large terror attacks such as 9/11, or think upon the unknown bombings that occur every day in foreign countries. Work Cited: â€Å"Zero Dark Thirty† http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790885/ â€Å"Study of 9/11 Emotional Response† http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2015528,00.html â€Å"1 in 8 returning soldiers suffers from PTSD† Associated Press. Date Last Revised: 6/30/2004.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5334479/ns/health-mental_health/t/returning-soldiers-suffers-ptsd/ â€Å"Election will decide future of interogation metods for terrorism suspects† Charlie Savage http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/28/us/politics/election-will-decide-future-of-interrogation-methods-for-terrorism-suspects.html?_r=0

Leukemia :: essays research papers

Leukemia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leukemia strikes all ages and both sexes. In 1995 approximately 20,400 people died from Leukemia. The all time five year survival rate is 38%. This rate has gone to 52% in the mid 1980’s. Approximately 25,700 cases were reported in 1995 alone(American Cancer Society-leukemia, 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leukemia is a form of cancer in the blood cells. Most forms of Leukemia occur in the white blood cells. These abnormal cells reproduce in large quantities and look and perform differently than normal cells(MedicineNet- leukemia, 1997). Right now the causes of Leukemia are unknown. Some studies have shown that exposure to high-energy radiation increases chances of contracting leukemia. Such radiation was produced in the atomic bombing of Japan during World War II. There is also enough energy in nuclear plants so strict safety precautions are taken. Some research shows that exposure to electric magnetic fields, such as power lines and electric appliances, is a possible risk factor. More studies are needed to prove this link. Some genetic conditions, such as Down’s syndrome, are also believed to increase the risk factor. Exposure to some chemicals is also suspected to be a risk factor. By learning the causes of leukemia treatment options will become available(MedicineNet-leukemia, 1997). There are many symptoms of leukemia. The symptoms of leukemia are the same for all the different types of leukemia. The acute types of leukemia, ALL and AML, symptoms are seen more quickly than in the chronic types of leukemia, CLL and CML, where symptoms do not necessarily appear right away. The symptoms are flu symptom, weakness, fatigue, constant infections, easily bleed and bruise, loss of weight and appetite, swollen lymph nodes, liver or spleen, paleness, bone or joint pain, excess sweating, swollen or bleeding gums, nosebleeds and other hemorrhages, and red spots called petechiae located underneath the skin. In acute Leukemia the cancerous cells may collect around the central nervous system. The results can include headaches, vomiting, confusion, loss of muscle control, or seizures. These clumps of cancer cells can collect in other various parts of the body(MedicineNet-leukemia, 1997 and American Cancer Society- leukemia, 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leukemia can be diagnosed in a number of ways. Blood work is commonly done in the laboratory. Different forms of blood work include checking the hemoglobin count, platelet count, or white blood cell count. X-rays are routinely done for treatment follow-up. Ultrasound is also used as a treatment follow-up. CT Scan is a special type of x-ray used as a detailed cross section of a specific area of the body. Bone marrow is routinely tested to examine progress of the disease. Spinal taps are also used in certain types of cancers.

Problems in Setting Up and Running a Business Unit Essay

A business unit, sometimes called a strategic business unit or SBU, is a segmented group or department within a company that focuses on reaching a specific market or client. It may also focus on achieving a specific goal for the organization. While some businesses find success with this strategy, there are concerns and potential problems to consider before trying it at your company. Finances In business, money is usually a problem. It can be good to make money, but when you are just getting started with a business, it can be easy to lose money quickly. Before you start your business, develop a comprehensive list of the things you will need to finance and how much money you will need to make it happen. Discuss your business with others who have experience to try to cover as many costs as you can. When you have developed your startup budget, add 20 percent to it to cover the costs that you have not yet accounted for. When it comes to financing a startup, it is better to plan for more than you will need than to find yourself deep in debt right away. Employees Your employees can be your greatest asset and your greatest expense. It costs money to hire, train and retain employees. Your company needs to provide some sort of benefits package that includes health insurance, paid vacation days and paid sick days to attract and retain employees, and even then, you will have competition from other companies that may be able to offer better. As you delegate responsibilities to your employees, you begin to rely on them for your company’s success. A key employee leaving your company can have an effect similar to losing a major account. Space It is common for a new business owner to try to keep his office and warehousing costs down. When your company first starts out, a small and affordable space may be adequate. As your company grows, you will need more space, and you may realize that the facility you signed the one-year lease for is no longer sufficient. Have a backup plan available for warehousing just in case you outgrow your current warehouse. Offer sales employees the option of telecommuting to reduce the amount of office space you need. Become creative with your space, or you may find yourself spending money to remedy a space problem to which you are contractually bound for years. Problems Meshing Ideas When you segment your company in this way, you may find it becomes more difficult to get units to combine and work together. Though the separate units have different purposes, there may come a time when they need to convene in order to accomplish a goal for the organization. If your employees become too familiar with working in segmented groups, they may have problems working on joint projects with other units. Expensive Establishing business units can also be expensive. For one, you may have to create separate physical departments within the company. You may also need to create separate websites, mailing addresses and, in some cases, entirely new sub-organizations to properly establish these units. Finding a balance between efficiency and cost when maintaining these units can be challenging. Time-Consuming Setting up and running business units is also time-consuming. When you establish one, you must create a separate mission statement, budget, marketing plan and general business proposal. You must also set up technology and tools to support the department. You must then evaluate the functionality of the department before repeating the process with another business unit. If you decide to start all of your units at the same time and then determine that the formula isn’t working, you’ll also spend a significant amount of time dismantling or updating all of them. Social Responsibility Small businesses can encounter several problems related to Corporate social responsibility due to characteristics inherent in their construction. Owners of small businesses often participate heavily in the day-to-day operations of their companies. This results in a lack of time for the owner to coordinate socially responsible efforts.[9] Additionally, a small business owner’s expertise often falls outside the realm of socially responsible practices contributing to a lack of participation. Small businesses also face a form of peer pressure from larger forces in their respective industries making it difficult to oppose and work against industry expectations.[9] Furthermore, small businesses undergo stress from shareholder expectations. Because small businesses have more personal relationships with their patrons and local shareholders they must also be prepared to withstand closer scrutiny if they want to share in the benefits of committing to socially responsible practices or no t.[9] Job Quality While small businesses employ over half the workforce [10] and have been established as a main driving force behind job creation [11] the quality of the jobs these businesses create has been called into question. Small businesses generally employ individuals from the Secondary labor market. As a result, in the U.S. wages are 49% higher for employees of large firms.[11] Additionally, many small businesses struggle or are unable to provide employees with benefits they would be given at larger firms. Research from the U.S. Small Business Administration indicates that employees of large firms are 17% more likely to receive benefits including salary, paid leave, paid holidays, bonuses, insurance, and retirement plans.[12] Both lower wages and fewer benefits combine to create a job turnover rate among U.S. small businesses that is 3 times higher than large firms.[11] Employees of small businesses also must adapt to the higher failure rate of small firms. In the U.S. 69% last at least 2 yea rs, but this percentage drops to 51% for firms reaching 5 years in operation.[10] he U.S. Small Business Administration counts companies with as much as $35.5 million in sales and 1,500 employees, depending on the industry. Outside government, companies with less than $7 million in sales and fewer than 500 employees are widely considered small businesses.

Numerical Predictions Of The Mechanical Properties Of A356...

Amal E. Nassar 1 Eman E.Nassar1 ISSN 1333-11243 eISSN 1849-1391 NUMERICAL PREDICTIONS OF THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF A356-SiC COMPOSITES FABRICATED BY POWDER METALLURGY Summary Pure aluminum nanocomposite reinforced with silicon carbide was produced by powder metallurgy route. Modeling investigations and mechanical experiments were carried out on the mechanical Behviour. of this nanocomposites .Measurements of density, tensile properties and hardness showed that the tensile strength and the porosity of composites increased with the increasing in the amount of the nanoparticles; however, aluminum ductility was decreased. On the other hand, the elongation percentage keeps constant with the increasing in the percentage of the nanoparticles. Wear resistance increased in the composite samples comparing to alloy. In the current research, a technique based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Finite Element Method (FEM) was implemented to predict mechanical properties. It was observed that prediction results in this study are consistent with the real measurements for composites. keywords: nano SiC, finite element method, artificial neural network. NOMENCLATURE (Optional Section) Subscripts ANN Artificial Neural Network FEM Finite Element Method LMA Levenberg Marquardt Algorithm Vol% Volume Fraction Ep (w) The error in network of the pattern JP(w) The Jacobian matrix for vector error AMC Aluminium Metal Composite MLP