A Biography of Adolf Hitler

A Biography of Adolf Hitler Free Online Research Papers When Hitler was born at the end of the 19th century, the country of Germany had not even fought in one World War. By the time he died, Adolf Hitler had helped fight in one World War and had started another. This son of a civil servant would change the world in countless ways and cause the deaths of millions. Hitler’s experiences in life before becoming the leader of the Third Reich of Nazi Germany would help shape him into the man who would eventually become one of the most recognizable names in the 20th century. Adolf Hitler was born on April 20th 1889 in a small town called Braunau into a family that would sharply influence his beliefs (The History Place: The Rise of Hitler, 1996). He was the son of Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl and was technically their fourth child but the previous three all did not survive to make it into their adult lives, making him the focus of their attention until they had two more children. Alois had a son from a previous marriage who did not live up to his high expectations and eventually ended up in jail for theft (The History Place: The Rise of Hitler, 1996). This bothered Hitler’s father greatly and he vowed that he would not fail his next son and do whatever it took to make him into a proper man. Alois was a very intense and angry father and would beat Adolf if he didn’t do exactly as he was told. The household Adolf Hitler grew up in was not the most pleasant place to be and he had only his mother to turn to for comfort. The family tree of Adolf Hitler indicates a few reasons that he would turn out to behave the way he did. The man who was Adolf’s grandfather remains a mystery; the only documentation of his father’s birth says that a unmarried servant girl named Maria Anna Schicklgruber who gave birth to Alois but â€Å"In the registry of births in Dollersheim parish the space for the name of the child’s father was left blank† (Fest, 1974, p.15). There are different stories floating around about who is the true grandfather but the most intriguing one is the one that would give that distinction to a Jewish man named Frankenberger. Maria was working in his house at the time that she became pregnant and when Hans Frank who was Hitler’s lawyer later looked into this idea, he found some evidence that would indicate that Frankenberger was the actual grandfather. However nothing that could be proved ever came of this but â€Å"its real significance is independent of it being true or false. What is psychologically of crucial importance is that fact that Frank’s findings forced Hitler to doubt his own descent† (15). Throughout his life, Hitler would try to hide his family history due to the shame he would feel if he discovered that he was related to the group of people that he despised most. Alois Hitler’s involvement in his son’s life played a strong role in what Hitler would grow up to be. Alois was described a man who was â€Å"hard, unsympathetic and short tempered† (Bullock, 1962, 25). To make matters even worse, â€Å"The Hitler household now consisted of Adolf, little brother Edmund, little sister Paula, older half-brother Alois Jr., older half-sister Angela and two parents who were home all the time† (The Histoy Place: The Rise of Hitler, 1996). All the noise from everyone jammed into the small living quarters did not improve Alois’ mood much during his peaceful retirement and he took it out on the children. Adolf’s step brother received most of the beatings and harsh words due to his being the oldest until finally one day he couldn’t take it anymore and ran away. This made Adolf next in line to obtain all the attention that Alois felt was necessary to guide his boys. His father, with his domineering and har sh style of parenting would help to make Hitler into a man who lacked empathy for (The History Place: The Rise of Hitler, 1996). The reason behind many of Adolf’s failures at school at least according to him was that he was doing poorly in order to spite his father. Their poor relationship led him to want to go against anything his father wanted. Alois due to his commanding nature thought â€Å"It was simply inconceivable to him that I might reject what had become the content of his whole life† ( Mein Kampf, 1925, p.8). At this time, the Hitler family moved from their small farm home into the town of Lambach, Austria where Hitler would learn the importance of religion. By going to school at a monastery, Hitler gained a special insight into the lives of men who made speeches for a living and controlled the lives of others. Hitler â€Å"especially admired the Abbot in charge, who ruled his black-robbed monks with supreme authority. At home Hitler sometimes played priest and even included long sermons† (The Histoy Place: The Rise of Hitler, 1996). The lifestyle of a priest appealed greatly to Hitler, he loved the idea of giving speeches to many and the power they had over the people that listened to his words and those working under him. Also found around the monastery, were swastikas carved into wood and other things which Hitler would have seen almost every day by going to school there (The History Place: The Rise of Hitler, 1996). This symbol obviously had a great impact on him due to the fact that he made the swastika the symbol of the Nazi’s that would become one of the most well recognized images worldwide. Also during this time, Hitler was placed in many situations where he had to make a decision on where his loyalties lie. Being a German-Austrian in Hitler’s eyes had three schools of thought you were either â€Å"The fighters, the lukewarm, and the traitors† (Mein Kampf, 1927, 12). Adolf Hitler was of course a fighter, which meant that he stood for â€Å"Pan-Germanism of the Los-von-Rom movement founded by Ritter Georg von Schonerer† (10). This movement was all about reuniting Germany with the parts of Austria that had become separated and also importantly Schonerer’s movement was very strongly anti-Semitic. Hitler at this young age did not believe in the Pan-German movement which is very easy to confuse with Pan-Germanism but each has a completely different message. People who followed the Pan-German ideas were completely for the idea of German overtaking the entire world. Adolf was still able to partake in the struggle between the different views in Austria, whenever donations were taken for the school, Hitler and his fellow mates would wear corn flowers with red, gold, and black colors. This type of flower was the emblem of Germans loyal to the imperial House of Hohenzollern which was a royal monarchy that unified Germany and created the German empire. Hitler also stayed true to his beliefs in other ways, â€Å"Heil was our greeting, and instead of the imperial anthem we sang ‘Deutschland uber Allies,’ despite warnings and punishments.† (Mein Kampf, 1927, 13). This time at the monastery wo uld act as a beginning to his views of politics and fueled his fanaticism of being a German Nationalist. However all good things must come to an end and Alois Hitler decided the family needed to move again to the town of Leonding where he would begin primary school. Adolf Hitler’s academic career would provide many important experiences in affecting the man who would become leader of the Third Reich. In 1895 which was the same year that Adolf would begin primary school, his father also retired from his job as for the Austrian civil service. This was not good for Hitler because: This meant a double dose of supervision, discipline and regimentation under the watchful eyes of teachers at school and his strict father at home. His father, now 58, had spent most of his life working his way up through the civil service ranks. He was used to giving orders and having them obeyed and also expected this from his children. (The Histoy Place: The Rise of Hitler, 1996) Adolf began his education by doing â€Å"extremely well at primary school and it appeared he had a bright academic future in front of him. He was also popular with other pupils and was much admired for his leadership qualities† (Fest, 1974, p.19). Adolf had become somewhat of a gang leader at his primary school, and this part of his life served as the start of his developing leadership qualities. Also during his time at primary school, Adolf discovered that he enjoyed drawing very much and it was something that he cared about very strongly. Most of the teachers at school thought Adolf was lazy and lacked self control. However not every teacher had such a negative view of Adolf and one there was one teacher who made such an impact that he stood out above all the rest in Hitler’s academic career. Dr. Leopold Potsch was Adolf’s history professor at the R ealschule (The History Place: The Rise of Hitler, 1996). For Hitler, he has fond memories of this old man who by the passion of his tales and ability to make them forget the present, Hitler would sit in his seat aflame with fervor, and often times he was moved to tears. Adolf said that he and Dr. Potsch would sit and talk for long periods of time talking about their shared sense of intense national pride. . Potsch filled Adolf’s mind with exciting stories of past national heroes of Germany, and the idea of being a champion of his country thrilled Hitler to no end. His professor told him tales â€Å"of the German victories over France in 1870 and 1871 and attacked the Austrians for not becoming involved in these triumphs† (Spartacus Educational). What helped to make him special was that Dr. Potsch was very good at showing how past events influenced the present and showed how present events mirror the past. The professor had a special connection to the students an d: â€Å"He used our budding nationalistic fanaticism as a meaning of educating us, frequently appealing to our sense of national honor. By this alone he was able to discipline us life ruffians more easily than would have been possible by any other means. This teacher made history my favorite subject. And indeed, though he had no such intention, it was then that I became a revolutionary. For who could have studied German history under such a teacher without becoming an enemy of the state which, through its ruling house, exerted so disastrous an influence on the destinies of the nation? And who could retain his loyalty to a dynasty which in past and present betrayed the needs of the German people again and again for shameless private advantage? Did we not know, even as little boys, that this Austrian state had and could have no love for us Germans†.(Mein Kampf, 1927, 14-15) From this young age Adolf was able to decide in his mind that the only way to keep Germanism safe was by destroying Austria. This way of thinking that stayed with him for the majority of his life showed that he had an â€Å"ardent love for my German-Austrian homeland, deep hatred for the Austrian state† (16). Art allowed Hitler to express himself but the rejections that came along with it forced him to change the lifestyle he had hoped to have. Growing up, Adolf found that he and had a good amount of talent went it came to drawing and it became one of his passions throughout his life. During his time at the Realschule, Hitler in his own opinion was the best in his class at drawing and therefore received a lot of high praise for his work. All the compliments Adolf got from people started to go to his head and his view of his own art became very overrated in comparison to the artists that were already out in the real world. Art also was something that was a means to become someone of importance in society. Adolf vowed that he would never have a desk job like his father and art would be his pursuit of a â€Å"better class of society† (Fest, 1974, p. 20-21). Adolf Hitler would never be okay with having a normal job like the rest of society and now with his father not controllin g his life, he would be one step closer to forging his own path. In the final few months of his mother’s sickness, Adolf decided to take a trip to Vienna to take an entrance exam for the art Academy. When the results came back, Hitler was struck by a crushing blow when he learned that he had not been accepted into school of painting ( Mein Kampf, 1925, pp. 19-20). After thinking so highly of his skills and having everyone else around him admire his ability for so long he just was not able to comprehend how a school would not want his superior talent. However after speaking to the director at the school he recommended that Adolf apply for the architecture school there because he believed Adolf was good enough in that field to be accepted (20). Hitler accepted his fate but ran into a few problems when he learned about what was required to gain entrance to the school. In order to apply for the school of architecture, Hitler had to have a high school diploma and then attend the building school at Technik. However due to his stubbornness and refusal to do well in school in order to spite his father, he did not any of the credentials required. With his mother no longer around, Adolf Hitler returned to Vienna for the third time in order to regain his composure. After being down on himself for not making it into art school, he regained his defiance and was determined â€Å"†¦to become an architect, and obstacles do not exist to be surrendered to, but only to be broken† ( Mein Kampf, 1925, p. 20). Looking back on these times in his life Hitler is grateful for these days because even though they seemed miserable at the time, his will to get through anything was strengthened. Adolf said: I owe it to that period that I grew hard and am still capable of being hard. And even more, I exalt it for tearing me away from the hollowness of comfortable life; for drawing the mother’s darling our of his soft downy bed and giving him ‘Dame Care’ for a new mother; for hurling me, despite all resistance, into a world of misery and poverty, thus making me acquainted with those for whom I was later to fight. ( Mein Kampf, 1925, p. 21) As he did with many problems he faced during his life, Hitler was able to find a way to blame the Jewish people for problems with the world of the arts. In referring to the Jews, Hitler said â€Å"Culturally he contaminates art, literature, the theater, makes a mockery of natural feeling, overthrows all concepts of beauty and sublimity, of the noble and the good, and instead drags men down into the sphere of his own base nature†(Mein Kampf, 1925, p. 326). Klara Hitler was a kind and gentle woman, who was a big part of Adolf Hitler’s childhood. She was the only person that he had a strong emotional bond with and she was the person that he always turned to when things with his father got too rough, Adolf said â€Å"I had honored my father, but my mother I had loved† ( Mein Kampf, 1925 p. 18). Klara Hitler however had many health problems for much of the time Adolf was living away from the family and therefore was not always around to help him with problems he may have been having. Due to her anxiety about losing all her other children except for two, Adolf’s mother was too soft on him and Hitler used this to his advantage whenever possible (The History Place: The Rise of Hitler, 1996). Even though she was not as passionate as Alois was to see Adolf become a civil servant, she still tried to keep with her husband’s wishes after he passed away and keep Adolf in school. On the day of September, 1904, Adolf would only be promoted to the next level of schooling if he were to leave that school. This marked his mother’s last attempt at getting him the education his father wanted, â€Å"She sent him to Realschule in Steyr† (Bullock, 1962, p. 20). Still though even with his father gone, his grades did not improve and his work was very poor. Adolf did so badly his first term at this new school that he went out and got drunk for the first time in his life and used the report card as toilet paper. However he still continued at the Realschule for one more semester but was still unable to make any improvements and finally his mother gave in to his request and allowed him to leave the school. Hitler was now free to try to fulfill his dream of becoming an artist and even his mother becoming gravely ill wouldn’t stop him from leaving for Vienna. This was a prime example of how Hitler’s ambition for personal success would trump any thoughts of human empathy. After failing to gain entrance into Vienna’s art school, Hitler was humiliated and was unable to even tell his mother that he was rejected and he still pretended like he was still an art student (Spartacus Educational). Hitler was able to entrance millions by the speeches he gave about Germany and what the Nazi Party would do for them to get them back what was rightfully theirs, however when it came for him to talk about himself there was much less discussion. At a period in his life where he may have needed some guidance or just a place to gather himself after the failure, Hitler didn’t take advantage of the people around and kept everything to himself. It took for Klara Hitler to pass away for Adolf to finally return home to see her one last time. At the time of her death, Hitler returned to his home and spoke with the doctor who said â€Å"he had never seen a young man so crushed by anguish and filled with grief†¦With the death of his mother, whatever affection he had ever had for any human being came to an end† (Fest, 1974, p. 28). Hitler lost the one person who he had turned to when his father’s beatings were too much or when things got too hard for him as a small child. Even though he was more distant from her as he moved off to Vienna, he still had a special bond with her that would not be shared as closely with anyone else. From that day on, Hitler â€Å"carried her photograph wherever he went and, it is claimed, had it in his hand when he died in 1945† (Spartacus Educational). Now Hitler had nobody to rely on but himself to get him to where he wanted to be in life. The illness of hit mother had used up the majority of the money his father had left to the family after his death and the small amount of pension money he received would not be enough for him to survive. Now was the time for Hitler to make something of himself and to â€Å"wrest from Fate what my father had accomplished fifty years before; I, to o, wanted to become ‘something’- but on no account a civil servant† ( Mein Kampf, 1925, p. 18). Literature would also provide to be another important influence on the ideas and beliefs of Adolf Hitler. For Adolf, reading had a different importance than for what is what for the average intellectual of that time period. He understood that people were able to read books and have great deals of knowledge stored in their mind, however what set him apart according to him was that he was able to determine what was useful and what information was worthless in a book. According to Adolf, â€Å"Reading is not an end in itself, but a means to an end† (Bullock, 1962, p. 48). These attitudes would help show not only his Hitler’s attitude towards books but towards life as well. This is a picture of a man with a closed mind, reading only to confirm what he already believes, ignoring what does not fit in with his preconceived scheme. ‘Otherwise, Hitler says, ‘only a confused jumble of chaotic notions will result from all this reading†¦Such a person never succeeds in turning his knowledge to practical account when the opportune moment arrives; for his mental equipment is not ordered with a view to meeting the demands of every day†¦ ‘Since then (i.e. since his days in Vienna) I have extended that foundation very little, and I have changed nothing in it. (Bullock, 1962 p. 49) After reading a book about the Franco-Prussian war, Hitler’s sense of national pride would never be the same. When reading the book Adolf felt a strong connection to the men of Germany who fought for their country. However he was unable to grasp why the men of Austria including his father chose not to fight (Mein Kampf, 1925, p. 6). He strongly disagreed with their choice of not going to war because he felt that the men of Germany and Austria were of the same blood. Hitler said â€Å"Are we not the same as all other Germans? Do we not all belong together? This problem began to gnaw at my little brain for the first time† (Mein Kampf, 1925, p. 7). It was this book that caused him to strongly want to unite the area around the country of Germany because he felt that the men of Germany and Austria should come together as one. Also all the talk of fighting and battles excited Hitler very much and he became quite interested in the idea of battles and being a soldier. Th e book caused him to believe that all men should be honored to fight for their country. He also believed that national pride should lead men to be willing to die for their country because that is what they are meant to do for the good of their people. World War I would only help to enforce Hitler’s sense of national pride and would give him military experience that he would use in the future to further for his own ideals. When Franz Ferdinand was murdered by Serbian students, at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, Hitler was unsure initially at how he felt about this event (Bullock, 1962, p. 49). Ferdinand caused many problems that made many German Nationalists quite enraged, however another way to look at it was that his country of Austria would be duty-bound to fight in the war. Austria would also have to stay faithful to Germany which Hitler always believed was bound to happen (Bullock, 1962 pp. 49-50). The amount of joy that Hitler felt at finally being given the change to reu nite Germany was so great that he fell to the ground and thanked the heavens( Mein Kampf, 1925, p. 161). The war finally gave Hitler a way to prove himself as a man of worth to his country. After all his past failures, the war would serve as a fresh start, which with his poor childhood would be greatly welcomed. Adolf Hitler believed that entire population wished for this war to happen and couldn’t see how anyone else could have a different view. Hitler volunteered to fight in the war; however he did not choose to fight for the country of Germany. He ended up writing a formal petition to the King of Bavaria asking to be allowed into a Bavarian regiment. The reply granted his request and he was overjoyed beyond belief at the idea of being able to fight for the land he felt loyal to (Bullock, 1962, p. 50). A few of the other men he met during this time in his regiment which included many volunteers, ended up working for him in the Nazi Party. This time of his life would help to connect him to the people that he had blocked himself off from as a younger man. When his unit finally began fighting, Hitler was assigned the job of a Meldeganger which means that he was dispatch runner who sent messages between the command staff in the back of the camp and up to the units fighting in the front (The Histoy Place: The Rise of Hitler, 1996). Hitler was very eager and was generally liked by the other soldiers however some thought that he was too enthusiastic to please his superiors. He had the uncanny ability to escape danger which was lucky for him due to the fact that he would always volunteer his services for the most dangerous missions. Hitler’s bravery ended up getting many honors including the highly esteemed Iron Cross medal during World War I (Spartacus Educational). The Iron Cross medal which is a quite rare honor for the foot soldiers such as Hitler to earn, was recommended for Adolf by a lieutenant who just happened to be a Jew (The His tory Place: The Rise of Hitler, 1996). This was a fact that Hitler would pretend like never happened and when it was brought up, only talked about the honor and not the man who gave him the chance to earn it. The members in his unit found Adolf to be peculiar and strange, and a fellow soldier named Hans Mend â€Å"claimed that Hitler was an isolated figure who spent long periods of time sitting in the corner holding his head in silence. Then all of a sudden, Mend claimed, he would jump up and make a speech† (Spartacus Educational). Due to this strange behavior, Hitler was never promoted within the regiment past the rank of corporal. Fellow soldiers within the regiment would His superiors believed that Hitler’s odd outbursts and poor companionship within the group would make it difficult for other men to take orders from him (Spartacus Educational). The media and politicians during the war also played a role in how Hitler’s views on certain aspects of society were formed. Adolf said there was â€Å"a certain section of the press,slowly, and in a way which at first was perhaps unrecognizable to many, began to pour a few drops of wormwood into the general enthusiasm† ( Mein Kampf, 1925, p. 166). This group of media had different ideas about how Germans should behave during the war effort. They were not fond of great displays of emotion and believed that Germany should act more like other foreign countries who accepted their battle victories with a â€Å"silent and dignified form of joy† (166-167). Hitler even as a younger man was known to have sudden outbursts of passion filled speeches overflowing with his emotions and couldn’t understand why people would want to control that. He believed that the country needed this show of passion to be able to withstand the struggle which would overtake their country during World War I ( Mein Kampf, 1925, p. 167). Adolf Hitler was never able to understand this type of thinking and it was something that would be changed when he became leader of the Third Reich. Another thing that also bothered Hitler about the media was the stance they took towards Marxism. Some authorities believed that Marxism had become the national way of thinking for the country of Germany. Hitler believed that their faith in this doctrine lay in the fact that they do not teach how Marxism will destroy the world â€Å"especially since this cannot be learned in Jewified universities† (Mein Kampf, 1925, 168). Adolf Hitler also gave hints as to what he believed should be done to these mostly Jewish men who were misleading the country; he said â€Å"It would have been the duty of a serious government†¦to exterminate mercilessly the agitators who were misleading the nation† (169). At the time that Hitler was a soldier, he had no urge to talk much about politics. For him, the politicians of the day were more worthless than the everyday steward who performed his daily task without complaint. Adolf said â€Å"I had never hated these big-mouths more than now when every red-blooded man with something to say yelled it into the enemy’s face or appropriately left his tongue at home and silently did his duty somewhere† (166). When Hitler became the leader of all of Germany he would make himself the dictator and get rid of all these government men whom he believed were harmful to society as a whole. Hitler would become even more distressed about his country after returning home for a short hospital stay. After becoming injured in the war, the time spent back in Vienna would only add to the anti-Semitic feelings Adolf Hitler had towards other groups of people with different ideas. While laying in his bed he listened to men brag of injuring themselves in order to escape the war and act like they were the brave ones. Hitler was outraged at these men â€Å"who boasted of their shrewdness; he noted hypocrisy, egotism, war profiteering†( Mein Kampf, 1925, p. 71). Hitler decided that behind all the appraisal of these terrible ideas was the working of the Jew. Hitler was openly for the unification of Germany and he believed these Jewish men and the politicians and journalists were trying to pull everyone apart for their own gain. Adolf Hitler said that the â€Å"Hebrew Corruptors of the people†¦.should be held ‘under poison gas’ and against the politicians and journalists on the other hand†¦deserved nothing but annihilation. ‘All the implements of military power should have been ruthlessly used for the extermination of this pestilence† (Fest, 1974, pp. 71-72). Everywhere that Adolf Hitler went, he said that he saw Jews filling every office space and that every clerk was a Jew. It disgusted him that the Jewish people were all safe in the town while there were so few Jewish men to be seen fighting along the front lines for their country such as himself. Hitler thought that while the real Germans were off fighting for their country, the Jewish people were at home destroying the economy and plundering the wealth of their country for themselves. Hitler was once again was unable to fit in with society and in the spring of 1917 requested to be transferred back to the military front where he stayed until the end of the war (72) After being described by so many as the shy and loner type as a child, the life that Hitler led was nothing short of amazing. To be able to lead a nation and inspire millions to follow his every command, words cannot describe the conformation that this man underwent from his younger years into adulthood. Whether it was resisting his overbearing father or seeking comfort with his often too kind mother, there was never a calm moment in Adolf’s life. In order to become the man who would grow to be the leader of the Nazi Party, Adolf Hitler as a child and a young adult would go through many life experiences that would help turn him into one of the most identifiable men of his century. Hitler, A. (1971). Mein Kampf. ( Ralph Manheim, Trans.). Boston: Houston Mifflin. (Original work published 1925). Bullock, A. (1962). Hitler: A Study in Tyranny. New York: Harper Row Publishers. Fest, J. (1974). Hitler. (Richard Winston Clara Winston, Trans.). New York: Houghton Mifflin. (Original work published 1973). The History Place: The Rise of Hitler. (1996). The History Place. Retrieved 27 March 2009 from Simkin, J. Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 27 March 2009 from Research Papers on A Biography of Adolf HitlerAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2The Effects of Illegal Immigration19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceWhere Wild and West MeetEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Making a Doctors Appointment - ESL Dialogue

Making a Doctor's Appointment - ESL Dialogue Read the following dialogue with a partner to learn important vocabulary used for making doctors appointments. Practice this dialogue with a friend to help you feel confident when you next make an appointment in English. Check your understanding with the quiz and review vocabulary.   Role Play: Making a Doctors Appointment Doctors Assistant: Good morning, Doctor Jensens office. How may I help you?Patient: Hello, Id like to make an appointment to see Doctor Jensen, please. Doctors Assistant:  Have you been in to see Doctor Jensen before?Patient: Yes, I have. I had a physical last year. Doctors Assistant:  Fine, what is your name?Patient:  Maria Sanchez. Doctors Assistant:  Thank you, Ms. Sanchez, let me pull up your file... Okay, Ive located your information. Whats the reason for your making an appointment?Patient: I havent been feeling very well lately. Doctors Assistant:  Do you need urgent care?Patient: No, not necessarily, but Id like to see the doctor soon. Doctors Assistant:   Of course, how about next Monday? Theres a slot available at 10 in the morning.Patient: Im afraid Im working at 10. Is there anything available after three? Doctors Assistant:  Let me see. Not on Monday, but we have a three oclock opening next Wednesday. Would you like to come in then?Patient: Yes, next Wednesday at three would be great. Doctors Assistant:   All right, Ill pencil you in for three oclock next Wednesday.Patient: Thank you for your help. Doctors Assistant: Youre welcome. Well see you next week. Goodbye.Patient: Goodbye. Key Making an Appointment Phrases Make an appointment: schedule a time to see the doctorHave you been in before?: used to ask if the patient has seen the doctor beforePhysical (examination:  yearly check-up to see if everything is okay.Pull up a file: find a patients informationNot feeling very well: feel ill or sickUrgent care: similar to an emergency room, but for everyday problemsA slot:  an available time to make an appointmentIs there anything open?:  used to check if there is an available time for an appointmentPencil someone in:  to schedule an appointment True or False? Decide whether the following statements are true or false:   Ms. Sanchez has never seen Doctor Jensen.Ms. Sanchez had a physical examination with Doctor Jensen last year.The doctors assistant already has the file open.Ms. Sanchez is feeling fine these days.Ms. Sanchez needs urgent care.She cant come in for a morning appointment.  Ms. Sanchez schedules an appointment for next week. Answers:   FalseTrueFalseFalseFalseTrueTrue Preparing for your Appointment Once youve made an appointment youll need to make sure youre prepared for your doctors visit. Here is a short overview of what youll need in the United States. Insurance / Medicaid / Medicare Card In the US doctors have medical billing specialists whose job it is to bill the correct insurance provider. There are many insurance providers in the US, so its essential to bring your insurance card. If you are over 65, you probably will need your Medicare card. Cash, Check or Credit/Debit Card to Pay for Co-payment Many insurance companies require a co-payment which represents a small portion of the total bill. Co-payments can be as little as $5 for some medicines, and as much as 20 percent  or more of larger bills. Make sure to check with your insurance provider for much information on co-payments in your individual insurance plan as these vary widely. Bring some form of payment to your appointment to take care of your co-pay. Medication List Its important for your doctor to know which medications you take. Bring a list of all medications that you currently take. Key Vocabulary Medical billing specialist:  (noun) a person who processes charges to insurance companiesInsurance provider:  (noun) company that insurances people for their health care needsMedicare:  (noun) a form of insurance in the US for people over 65Co-payment / co-pay:  (noun) partial payment of your medical billMedication:  (noun) medicine True or False? Co-payments are payments made by the insurance company to the doctor to pay for your medical appointments.Medical billing specialists will help you deal with insurance companies.Everyone in the US can take advantage of Medicare.Its a good idea to bring a list of your medications to a doctors appointment. Answers: False - patients are responsible for co-payments.True - medical billing specialists specialize in working with insurance companies.False - Medicare is national insurance for those over 65.True - its important for your doctor to know which medications you are taking.   If you need English for medical purposes you should know about troubling symptoms  and  joint pain,  as well as  pain that comes and goes.  If you work in a pharmacy, its a good idea to practice talking about  prescriptions.  All medical staff might be faced with a patient who is  feeling queasy  and how to  help  a patient.

Business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business environment - Essay Example Every other day in newspapers we see the news about spin off, takeovers, mergers and acquisition. For a successful development of a product or service, at some stage, it is essential to undergo mergers and acquisition. Many experts believe that mergers increase the efficiency and values of a firm and in this way, resources can be utilized in the best possible way, thereby increasing the overall value of shareholding. (The Basics of Merger and Acquisition, 2010) 1.1 What is a Merger? Merger is defined as amalgamation of two or more companies in order to form a single company where only one company survives and the amalgamated one lose their corporate existence. The company that intends to survives take overs all the assets and liabilities of those companies which have been merged. In merger, all the shareholding, assets and liabilities of one company is transferred to the company that has to survive in the form of: Debentures Equity share Cash Or mix of all of the above. (The Basics o f Merger and Acquisition, 2010) 1.2 What is Acquisition? In general, acquisition is defined as acquiring the ownership of a company. In the context of business, acquisition is a purchase of a company where the buyer purchases the shareholding, assets and liabilities of seller. ... Renovation of Product facilities Mergers and acquisition helps in intensively utilizing resources and plants, achieving economies of scales through expanding and efficiently utilizing production facilities. It also helps in after sales services and thereby improving customer satisfaction. iii. Market Expansion The most imperative advantage of merger and acquisition is that it helps in expanding the market and boosts growth of business. Mergers and acquisition helps in eliminating competition and offers new products and diversification strategies to the merged or acquired companies. iv. Financial Strength In history, many mergers and acquisitions have failed but in most of the cases, financial strength of companies after getting merged or acquired has increased. Mergers and acquisitions help in improving liquidity and provide access to the cash resources. Greater backing of assets is provided and gearing capability gets improved. By being merged or acquired, companies are in better po sition to avail tax benefits and the EPS (Earning Per Share) also gets improved. (Sobek, 2000) v. General Gains After merger and acquisition, a company gets in a position to improve its public image and it also attracts experienced managerial talents to look for its managerial affairs. M&As (Mergers and Acquisitions) help in offering better satisfaction to the users or consumers of its products. vi. Strategic Purpose The company which is going to acquire the other one looks for all the available alternatives including product expansion, market expansion, vertical expansion, horizontal expansion etc. Thus, the company sets it strategic purpose which

Drama Essay, Riders to the Sea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drama , Riders to the Sea - Essay Example In the end, she is left with only enough strength to stumble into her grave. Though painful and lacerating, Maurya’s suffering has been worthwhile. Her ultimate recognition of pain, and her acceptance of death as the irrevocable end of human existence does not compensate for her losses; but certainly, it  makes the losses appear meaningless in a broad human context: the  knowledge of life is available only to those  who have been chastened and purified by suffering. Maurya in the end negates life and accepts the ravages of the death. She becomes a stoic. She becomes a universal figure who can induce others to acquire â€Å"calm of mind, all passion spent†. This purgation of emotion comes after experience (Milton, 87). Death is undoubtedly a universal phenomenon but that should not mean one should be pessimistic about life. She is merely an old woman in a family of fishers on the barren and windswept Aran Island. The poor and illiterate Maurya is taught and enriched only by her experience. Her life has been marked by a series of bereavements. Her husband, father-in-law and all her six sons perish in the sea. When the play opens, we find her almost at the nadir of psychological setback. Michael has been missing for nine days and is possibly dead. Maurya is restless and laments continually. The readers find her confronting the mysteries of the unknown from whose bounds no traveler returns. Her sorrows and lamentations over Michael’s death is a poignant picture of loss and misery. She has acquired a strange, almost uncanny knowledge of premonitions. For years, she has looked at the sea and the sky, trying to figure out the set of the wind and the timings of the tide. For years, she has knocked at the doors of the impenetrable mystery of death, weeping and praying, This continuous mourning has taugh t her a few secrets to bear the misery of suffering and death if not champion them. Therefore, when Nora reports that the young priest has told her that

Properties of Zeolites as Cataystics

Properties of Zeolites as Cataystics 1.0 INTRODUCTION TO ZEOLITES Zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicates, composed of TO4 tetrahedra (T = Si, Al) with O atoms connecting neighbouring tetrahedral, that contain pores and cavities of molecular dimensions (Breck, 1974). Many occur as natural minerals, but it is the synthetic varieties which are among the most widely used sorbents, catalysts and ion-exchange materials in the world (Barrer, 1982). The channels are large enough to allow the passage of guest species. In the hydrated phases, dehydration occurs at temperatures mostly below about 400 °C and is largely reversible. The framework may be interrupted by (OH, F) groups: these occupy a tetrahedron apex that is not shared with adjacent tetrahedra. Zeolites are different from other porous hydrates, as they retain their structural integrity upon loss of water. The Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association identifies each framework with a three-letter mnemonic code (Baerlocher et al., 2001) e.g. Amicite- GSI; Faujasite- FAU etc. 1.1 IMPORTANCE OF GREEN PROCESSES In the chemical industry, the acceptability of a process is not only governed by cost and yield but in terms of eco-friendliness and pollution abatement. Choosing a more efficient catalytic route has greatly improved the efficiency of chemical processes. Green chemistry has been defined as the design of chemical products and processes in order to reduce or eliminate the generation of hazardous substances (Armor, 1999). The principles of green chemistry listed by Armor (1999) employs future approaches to new chemical processes. It includes: efficient use of raw materials, energy efficiency, use of biodegradable products and other subtle features. 2.0 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF ZEOLITES 2.1 NATURAL ZEOLITES Research in the field of zeolite science and technology made its first steps with natural zeolites and was mostly focused on natural zeolites until the beginning of the 1950s. The history of zeolites began in 1756 when Swedish mineralogist A.F. Cronstedt discovered the first zeolite mineral, stilbite when studying its apparent properties discovered its strange behaviour upon heating although there is no certain proof of its identity. The term ‘zeolite was coined from two Greek words, ‘zeo (to boil) and ‘lithos (stone). On the contrary, the first zeolite, chabazite, described by Bosch DAntic in 1792 has clear evidence in literature. Several other zeolites were discovered in the following years and around 1850, only about 20 zeolite types were reported in mineralogy books, including analcime, brewsterite, chabazite, edingtonite, epistilbite, faujasite, gismondine, gmelinite, harmotome, heulandite, laumontite, levyne, mesolite, natrolite, phillipsite, scolecite, stilbi te, and thomsonite. Starting from the middle of the 19th century until about 1975, there was a moderate increment in the number of zeolites discovered (about one new type every 6-7 years) and a clear acceleration in the last twenty five-thirty years. About 40 natural zeolites are known (Tschernich, 1992). Most zeolites known to occur in nature are of lower Si/Al ratios, since organic structure-directing agents necessary for formation of siliceous zeolites are absent. Sometimes natural zeolites are found as large single crystals, though are very difficult to make in the laboratory. The catalytic activity of natural zeolites is limited by their impurities and low surface areas. However, interests in natural zeolites shifted towards zeolite synthesis and synthetic materials, as they offered a series of advantages such as wider versatility, more open frameworks( for adsorption and catalysis),and quality in constitution and chemistry. As a result, research on natural zeolites, was mainly devoted to ion exchange process which was discovered around 1850 (Thompson, 1850; Way, 1850). Few years later, Eichhorn observed that chabazite and natrolite behaved as reversible ion exchangers. In the early decades of the 20th century, ion exchange selectivity of a variety of zeolites for peculiar cations, e.g., ammonium was performed (Barrer, 1950) and starting from the end of the 1950s, found uses in various sectors of environmental relevance, e.g., treatment of wastewaters and soil rebuilding and remediation. The most recent frontier in the application of natural zeolites is in the field of life sciences. One of the drawbacks of natural zeolite research for application purposes is due to the limited availability of zeolite as it is a precious mineral, compared to the synthetic counterparts which could be mass produced at a lower cost (Colella, 2005). 2.1.1 Formation The pathway of natural zeolite formation is similar to the laboratory synthesis of zeolite. Zeolite nucleation, crystallisation and crystal growth take place as a result of slow to fast cooling of warm to hot magmas(of volcanic origin), which are basic, oversaturated in silicate and aluminate species and contain alkaline and/or alkali-earth cations. hot fluid + volcanic ash oversaturated basic magma zeolite crystals {solution + gel) The magma is obtained via hydrolysis of the original glassy material and is responsible for the tetrahedral coordination of aluminium and together with silicon. The main factors responsible for the structural formation are temperature, chemistry of the ash and the chemical composition of the resulting solution. Gel is formed along the process but is however not directly connected to nucleation and growth, as there is evidence that zeolite nuclei form from the oversaturated solution at the glass shards / solution interface (Aiello et al., 1980). Temperature and time are two factors which differentiate natural zeolitisation from laboratory synthesis. 2.1.2 Physico-chemical properties i.Cation exchange: The ion exchange properties of natural zeolites depend on their chemistry which ismainly in terms of selectivity. Selectivity depends on the framework topology, ion size and shape, charge density on the anionic framework, ion valence and electrolyte concentration in the aqueous phase (Barrer et al., 1978). ii.Reactions with alkalis: Oncein alkaline environments, zeolites become unstable as they tend to transform, similarlyto glassy systems, into more stable phases, usually into other framework silicates (Goto and Sand, 1988). The interaction of zeolite-rich materials with Ca(OH)2 give rise to calcium silicates and aluminates, which upon hydration are able to harden in both aerial and aqueous environments. This behaviour makes them to be known as pozzolanic materials Thermal properties: Heating of zeolite powder induces physical and chemical changes, which have been shown to include water loss (which causes expansion on heating), decomposition and gas evolution, phase transition, structure breakdown, re-crystallisation, melting etc (Colella, 1998). This property enables zeolite tuff stones to display good sound-proofing and heat insulation and serve as good building materials. Depending on zeolite nature, chemical composition and rock constitution, the tuff expands as a result of quick heating at temperatures of 1250 °C or above, inadvertently followed by a rapid quenching to room temperature. 2.2 SYNTHETIC ZEOLITES Early work could be traced back to the claimed synthesis of levynite by St Claire Deville in 1862 as there were no reliable methods for fully identifying and characterising the products. The origin of zeolite synthesis however, evolved from the work of Richard Barrer and Robert Milton which commenced in the late 1940s. The first synthetic zeolite unknown as a natural mineral later found to have the KFI structure (Baerlocher et al., 2001 ) was discovered by Barrer when investigating the conversion of known mineral phases under the action of strong salt solutions at fairly high temperatures (ca. 170-270  °C). Robert Milton was the first person to use freshly precipitated aluminosilicate gels to carry out reactions under milder conditions. This led to the discovery of zeolites A and X (Milton et al., 1989). Initially, the synthesis of zeolites required the use of only inorganic reactants but was however expanded in 1961 to include quaternary ammonium cations leading to the discovery o f silica-rich phases (high-silica zeolites). Subsequently, more synthetic zeolites have been discovered (Baerlocher et al., 2001), as well as zeolite-like or zeolite-related materials (Szostak, 1989) known as zeotypes- represented by microporous alumino- and gallo phosphates (AlPO4s and GaPO4s) and titanosilicates. Studies on understanding zeolite synthesis have continued to be carried out upto the present day (Table 1). This has been due to discoveries of new materials, advances in synthetic procedures, innovations in theoretical modelling methods and, especially, by the development of new techniques for the investigation of reaction mechanisms and the characterisation of products. Table 1: Evolution of materials development in the zeolite field ‘‘Low Si/Al zeolites (1-1.5) A, X ‘‘Intermediate Si/Al zeolites (f2-5) A) Natural zeolites: erionite, chabazite, clinoptilolite, Mordenite Synthetic zeolites: Y, L, large-pore mordenite, omega ‘‘High Si/Al zeolites (ËÅ"10-100) By thermochemical framework modification: highly silicious variants of Y, mordenite, erionite By direct synthesis: ZSM-5, Silicate Silica molecular sieves silicalite Source: Flanigen (1980) 2.2.1 Mechanism of Hydrothermal Synthesis Experimental observations of a typical hydrothermal zeolite synthesis Due to its chemical reactivity and low cost, amorphous and oxide-like Si and Al which make up the microporous framework are mixed with a cation source usually, in a basic water-based medium. The resulting aqueous mixture is then heated in a sealed autoclave at above 100ËšC allowing the reactants to remain amorphous for sometime (induction period) after which crystalline zeolites are detected (Figure 2). Gradually, an approximately equal mass of zeolite crystals which is recovered by filtration, washing and drying replaces all the amorphous materials (Cundy and Cox, 2005).The bond type created in the crystalline zeolite product (e.g. zeolite A or ZSM-5) which contains Si-O-Al linkages is similar to that present in its precursor oxides, therefore the enthalpy change is not great. This process reduces nucleation rates, thereby forming larger crystals. Reactivity of the gel, temperature and pH affect the rate of zeolite formation as an increase in pH and temperature leads to increase in the rate of formation of zeolite crystals. In their mother liquors, the zeolitic phases are metastable, thereby transforming the initial zeolite into an undesired thermodynamically more stable phase (Ullmann, 2002). 2.2.3 Synthesis from Clay minerals Kaolin and metakaolin (calcining kaolin at 500-700 °C) are two important clays used for the production of the zeolites NaA, NaX, and NaY (Breck, 1974; Barrer, 1978) because binder-free extrudates and granules which offer advantages in adsorption technology are produced. 2Al2Si2O5(OH)4 2Al2Si2O7+4H2O Kaolin Metakaolin Depending on the zeolite, the clay is shaped and, SiO2and seed crystals are added and while in the preformed shape, the zeolite crystallises. Alternatively, zeolite is formed when the binder component of metakaolin undergoes hydrothermal treatment with sodium hydroxide solution (Goytisolo et al., 1973; Chi and Hoffman, 1977). Using ultrasonic radiation, reaction rate is enhanced and there is energy saving and lower production cost due to lower temperatures. This process is less often used as it could cause odor of the product due to impurities present in clay e.g. iron 2.2.2 Industrial Zeolite Synthesis Zeolite synthesis is an extremely broad area of research and due to differences in the preparation of each zeolite type, two representative zeolite types, TPA-ZSM-5 and zeolite Na-A, are chosen for a more detailed presentation of the synthesis {Table 2} (Jansen, 2001). Table 2: Synthesis mixtures, physical chemical properties of the representative zeolites Molar oxide ratio Na-A TPA-ZSM-5 SiO2 1 1 Al2O3 0.5 Na2O 1 0.16 H2O 17 49 TPA2O 0.3 T (ËšC) > 150 Physical Chemical properties Pore arrangements 3D, cages connected via windows 2D, intersecting channels Bronsted activity low High Affinity hydrophilic Hydrophobic Pore volume (cm3/g) 0.37 0.18 Source: Jansen (2001) The composition of zeolite product can be expressed by the cation type and its overall Si/Al ratio. In the preparation of zeolite, nucleation is the rate determining step which is influenced by a range of factors dependent on the temperature of the reaction mixture. Low Temperature Reaction Mixture: Here, the reaction mixture is prepared at low temperature, At high pH, condensation occurs when the nucleophilic deprotonated silanol group on monomeric neutral species is attacked (Figure 5). The acidity of the silanol group depends on the number and type of substituents on the silicon-atom (Jansen, 2001). Temperature raise of the reaction mixture from High Temperature Reaction Mixture: At this temperature, zeolites are formed from amorphous material which involves, reorganisation of the low temperature synthesis mixture, nucleation and precipitation (crystallisation). During the induction period, gel and species in solution rearrange from a continuous changing phase of monomers and clusters which disappears through hydrolysis and condensation, in which nucleation occurs (Jansen, 2001). The process particles become stable and nuclei forms, followed by crystallisation which could occur in metastable solid, highly dispersed or dense gel forms. Product quality, reaction time and yield influence efficient production of zeolites by optimising their composition. 2.2.2 Secondary Synthesis Methods Catalytic or adsorbent properties that cannot be achieved by direct synthesis utilise post-synthesis (secondary) treatments to increase catalytic activity, shape selectivity or porosity and thermal/hydrothermal stability. Dealumination and ion exchange are used to carry out these modifications. Dealumination The zeolite structure is selectively dealuminated by acid solutions, washing out aluminium out of the crystal, as was observed for zeolite A. However, for higher silica containing materials (clinoptilolite), a fully decationated structure is produced after continuous acid treatment. The metal ion is replaced with H3O+ followed by (Al+3 + H3O+) removal, generating a hydroxyl nest. Aluminium is removed from the framework but not the crystal by hydrothermal dealumination. The heterogeneity in the concentration of the framework and non-framework of aluminium depends on the type of modification used. Hydrothermal treatment causes the amorphous aluminium to collect on the crystal surface which through fluorosilicate treatment can reduce aluminium centred acid sites. Often, a secondary pore system is generated and hydroxyl nests can be annealed. In order to enhance the catalytic properties as well as stability, silicon, aluminium and other metal ions are introduced into the framework (Szostak, 2001). Other methods of producing thermally and hydrothermally stable cracking catalysts include: use of EDTA, SiCl4 vapor, and (NH4)2SiF6. Acid mediated dealumination process via aluminium extraction and generation of hydroxyl nest (Szostak, 2001) Ion Exchange This is an important technique in pore-size engineering for the production of zeolitic adsorbents (Breck, 1974). Ion exchange used in the production of Brà ¸nsted acid sites has major importance in the synthesis of solid acid catalysts (Ullmann, 2002). Ion exchange can be achieved also, for certain intermediate-silica and high-silica zeolites (e.g., mordenite) by treatment with mineral acids although involves the risk of dealuminating the zeolite framework (McDaniel and Maher, 1976). An indirect route via an ion exchange with ammonium salt solutions must be followed, producing the â€Å"ammonium form† calcined at ca. 400 °C to liberate ammonia and give the hydrogen form (Ullmann, 2002). When cations to be exchanged are positioned inaccessible cages, a sieve effect is produced. pH is an important factor in ion exchanging of highly charged transition metal ions in order to prevent metal hydroxide precipitation especially at low pH. 2.3 CHARACTERISATION OF ZEOLITES In order to determine the relationships between the physical and physicochemical as well as sorptive and catalytic properties of zeolites, it is important to know the structural, chemical and catalytic characteristics of zeolites. Several standard techniques are employed in zeolite characterisation. The most common of which is X-ray diffraction used in determining the structure and purity of zeolites. Others include: x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) or atomic absorption spectrometry, used to analyze elemental composition, sorption analysis to study the pore system, IR-spectroscopy, typically using adsorbed probe molecules to characterize the acid sites, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), for determining the size and morphology of zeolite crystallites, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, temperature programme desorption (TPD) and many others (Schà ¼th, 2005). 3.0 GENERAL APPLICATIONS OF ZEOLITES Zeolites are used primarily in 3 major applications: ion-exchange, adsorbents, and catalysts. Natural zeolites play an important role in bulk mineral applications. Adsorbent applications: Common adsorbent applications focus on removal of small polar molecules and bulk separations, by more aluminous zeolites and based on molecular sieving processes respectively (Table 3). Table 3: Zeolite commercial applications as adsorbents Purification Bulk separations Drying: natural gas (including LNG), cracking gas (ethylene plants), refrigerant Normal/iso-paraffin separation, Xylene separation CO2 removal: natural gas, flue gas (CO2 + N2) cryogenic air separation plants Olefin separation, Separation of organic solvents Pollution abatement: removal of Hg, NOx, SO Separation of amino acids, n-nitrosoamines Sweetening of natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas Separation of CO2, SO2, NH3 Source: Flanigen (1980). Catalyst applications: Zeolites have the greatest use in catalytic cracking. They also play a role in hydroisomerisation, hydrocracking and aromatics processing. The strong acidity of zeolites plays a role in hydrocarbon processing. Asides this, they are finding increasing use in synthesis of fine chemicals and organic intermediates in isomerisation reactions, nucleophilic substitution and addition etc. Table 4: Zeolite applications in Catalysis Inorganic reactions: H2S oxidation, NO reduction of NH3, CO oxidation, reduction Hydrocarbon conversion: Alkylation, Cracking Organic reactions: Aromatization (C4 hydrocarbons), Aromatics (disproportionation, hydroalkylation, hydrogenation, hydroxylation, nitration, etc.) Dehydration Epoxidation Beckman rearrangement (cyclohexanone to caprolactam) Methanol to gasoline Chlorofluorocarbon decomposition Shape-selective reforming Source: Flanigen (1980); Galarneau et al (2001). Ion-exchange applications: Zeolite properties are directly exploited in several applications such as in the detergent industry, where zeolites are used for water softening or ‘building, animal food supplementation and in the treatment of wastewater (Townsend and Coker, 2001). Zeolite A has selectivity for Ca2+, thereby providing a unique advantage. Also, natural zeolites can be used to remove of Cs+ and Sr 2+radioisotopes through ion-exchange (Payra and Dutta, 2003). Table 5: Applications and advantages of Ion-exchange Applications Advantage Metals removal and recovery High selectivities for various metals Removal of Cs+ and Sr2+ Stable to ionizing radiation Detergent builder zeolite A, zeolite X (ZB-100, ZB-300) Remove Ca2+ and Mg2+ by selective exchange, no environmental problem Ion exchange fertilizers Exchange with plant nutrients such as NH4+ and K+ with slow release in soil Source: Flanigen (1980) Other Applications: Zeolites also play important roles in health-related applications (such as antibacterial agents, vaccine adjuvants, drug delivery, bone formation, biosensors and enzyme mimetics), oil refining, and petrochemical processes. Zeolite powders are used for odor removal and as plastic additives. Zeolitic membranes offer the possibility of organic transformations and separations coupled into one unit (Payra and Dutta, 2003). 3.1 ZEOLITES AND THE ENVIRONMENT Nearly all applications of zeolites are driven by environmental concerns, from cleaning toxic (nuclear) wastes, to treatment of wastewater, thereby reducing pollution. Zeolites have now been used to replace harmful phosphate builders in powder detergents due to water pollution risks. Zeolite catalysts help to save energy as they make chemical processes more efficient, minimising un-necessary waste and by-products. When used as solid catalysts and redox catalysts/sorbents, they reduce the need for corrosive liquid acids and remove atmospheric pollutants, (such as engine exhaust gases and ozone-depleting CFCs) respectively (Bell, 2001). In wastewater, zeolites (clinoptilolite, mordenite) are used to remove ammonia and ammonium ions (Townsend and Coker, 2001), as well as heavy metal cations and transition metals. 3.2 ZEOLITE CATALYSTS IN GREEN CHEMISTRY Zeolite catalysts have contributed to the design and synthesis of novel materials and development of new methodologies in organic synthesis, displacing the conventional and waste generating reagents thereby maximising atom utilization and reducing waste generated (E-factor). Zeolites play an important role in acid-catalyzed reactions such as acylation, alkylation, isomerisation and condensation, cyclisation and electrophilic aromatic substitution. Acylation of aromatic substrates: used in fine chemicals manufacture although has proven unsuccessful in less reactive aromatic compounds due to adsorption imbalance, unless performed in vapor phase using H-ZSM-5 (Singh and Pandey, 1997). 4.0 CONCLUSION Due to the role zeolites play mainly as catalysts in the environment as well as in chemical industry, the efficiency of the zeolite catalysts has been greatly improved. The yield and selectivity of the zeolite process is quantitative and in addition, reduces energy requirements, capital costs and complexity of equipments. Over the years, the synthesis process of zeolites have encompassed the principles of green chemistry as described in the report which has included waste prevention, energy efficiency, fewer environmental impacts, safer solvents, renewable materials, process intensification, catalysis and reduction in capital cost. Though present techniques seem to apply some of the principles of green chemistry, further research is still being employed to improve the overall process. 3.0 REFERENCES Aiello, R., Colella, C., Casey, D. G. and Sand, L.B. 1980. In L.V.C. Rees, ed. Proc. 5th Int. Conf. on Zeolites. Heyden Son, London, U.K. pp. 49. Armor, J. N. Applied Catalysis A: 189 (1999) 153-162. Baerlocher, C., Meier, W.M., Holson, D. 2001. Atlas of Zeolite Framework Types. 5th ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Barrer, R. M. 1978.Zeolite and Clay Minerals as Sorbents and Molecular Sieves. Academic Press, London. Barrer, R.M. 1978. In L.B. Sand and F.A. Mumpton, eds. Natural Zeolites. Occurrence, Properties, Use. Pergamon Press, Elmsford, NY. pp. 385. Barrer, R.M. 1982. Hydrothermal Chemistry of Zeolites; Academic Press: London. Barrer, R.M. J. Chem. Soc. (1950) 2342. Bell, R.G. 2001. Zeolites. [Online]Available at http://www.bza.org/zeolites.html. [Accessed 1 May 2010]. Breck, D.W. 1974. Zeolite Molecular Sieves. New York: Wiley. Colella, C. 1998. In J. Ma. Rincon and M. Romero, eds. Characterization Techniques of Glasses and Ceramics. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, Germany. pp. 112. Colella, C. 2005. Natural zeolites. In J. Cejka and H. van Bekkum, eds.Stud Surf Sci Catal 157. Cundy, C. S., Cox, P. A. 2003 .The Hydrothermal Synthesis of Zeolites: History and Development from the Earliest Days to the Present Time. Chem. Rev.103, pp.663-701. Cundy, C.S. and Cox, P.A. 2005. The hydrothermal synthesis of zeolites: Precursors, intermediates and reaction mechanism. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials. 82, 1-78. Damour, A., Hebd, C. R. Seances Acad. Sci. 44 (1857), pp. 975; also Ann. Chim. Phys., 3rd series, 53 (1858), pp. 438 (in French). De Gennaro, M., Colella, C., Franco, E. and Stanzione, D. Neues Jahrb. Mineral.-Mon.hefte. H.4(1988)149. Flanigen, E.M. 1980. Pure Appl Chem 52:2191-2211. Galarneau, A., Di Renzo, F., Fajula, F., Vedrine, J. eds., 2001. Zeolites and Mesoporous Materials at the Dawn of the 21st Century. Stud Surf Sci Catal 135. Goto and L.B. Sand. 1988. In D. Kallo and H.S. Sherry, eds. Occurrence, Properties and Utilisations of Natural Zeolites. Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, Hungary. pp. 161. Jansen, J.C. 2001. The preparation of oxide molecular sieves: synthesis of zeolites. In H. Van Bekkum, E.M. Flanigen, P.A. Jacobs, J.C. Jansen, eds. Introduction to zeolite science and practice.2nd ed. Stud Surf Sci Catal 137. Lancaster, M. 2002. Green Chemistry: an introductory text. Cambridge: Royal society of chemistry. Ch.4. McDaniel, C.V., Maher, P.K. In J. A. Rabo, ed. Zeolite Chemistry and Catalysis. ACS Monogr.171(1976) pp.285 Milton, R.M. In M.L. Occelli, H.E. Robson, eds. Zeolite Synthesis. ACS Symp. Ser. 398 (1989) pp.1 Payra, P., Dutta, P.K. 2003. Zeolites: A Primer. In S.M. Auerbach, K. Carrado, P.K. Dutta, eds. Handbook of zeolite science and technology.New York: Marcel Dekker Inc. Ch.1. Schà ¼th, F. 2005. In J. 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Data Protection Act 1998 and Broad Based Hr Essay

Assignment The main purpose of my current job role is the responsibility for processing all aspects of the Company’s payroll from start to finish and providing HR support to the other members of the team to ensure the effective day to day running of the HR function. This includes assisting with the recruitment of new staff and maintaining personnel records relating to employees in compliance with relevant legislation and regulation. To successfully undertake my role a wide range of skills, knowledge and behaviours are required.   The two professional areas Insight Strategy and Solutions and Leading HR are the heart of the profession and are the most important to all HR professionals. Very important is to understand the Company’s HR Strategy. The core of the Company’s HR strategy identifies two broad based HR objectives: Ensure that the talent and abilities of staff are recognised and developed to their full potential Ensure that the individual and collective skills and abilities of staff support the on-going delivery of Company objectives Develop understanding of the Company and use the insights to tailor strategy and solutions to meet organisational needs now and in the future Helping employees understand their role in change, the reason for it and the results that are expected In the design of the annual HR plans all members of the department work collaboratively to ensure the plans are challenging and deliver positive results for the company. As a leading HR it is important to support development plans and programmes. Provide advice confidently based on sound understanding of organisation’s policy and practice. Act as a role model leader, support, develop and measure others across the organisation. Work collaboratively with colleagues to deliver good policy, practice and advice. Employee engagement is important so that all employees have connection with their work, colleagues and to the organisation so that employees are more fulfilled by work and make a greater contribution towards organisational  objectives, therefore particular attention is needed to good leadership and management. To be effective in my role I need to refer to eight behaviours: 1. Curious- to be open to trying ideas reflect, analyse and test them and insight with others, take on board change, implement changes to payroll system and procedures try new ides 2. Decisive Thinker – analyse payroll data to ensure details and facts are correct, complete and consistent; use experience, standard procedure and common sense and knowledge to solve payroll problems while recognising limits of experience and authority within the organisation 3. Skilled influencer – understand how to influence within the culture, governance of performance framework and politics, identifying the key points to communicate on any interaction, selecting the right message and audience 4. Personally credible – improving own experience, knowledge, skills shearing it with colleagues, considering how to add value and ensure expertise is developed, accept and act on feedback on own performance to both criticism and praise 5. Collaborative – passing information promptly, keeping colleagues up to date, support them in their day-to-day work, handle disagreement as they occur, seeking a constructive solution, showing respect for diversity 6. Driven to deliver – identify the steps to achieve agreed tasks, goals and objectives in the immediate or short term, keep track of own progress, keeping deadlines or inform others when targets can’t be met, deliver to expectations and commitment, meeting or exceeding agreed standards 7. Courage to challenge – stand by own proposal in the face of difficult questions, providing supporting evidence, explore the full range of viewpoints, consult others when facing problems, undercover pertinent facts to move a debate forward 8. Role model – consistently act according to organisational and legal principles and agreed processes, deal with personal date and information in a highly professional manner and relevant legislation such as Data Pr otection Act, deliver expectations and promises Experience of processing all aspects of Payroll A good understanding of tax codes, tax and NI rates, thresholds, allowances  and deductions from pay Ability to calculate payroll manually A good understanding of SSP, SMP, SAP and Employment Law Experience of recruitment campaigns A good understanding of HR policies and procedures Ability to maintain confidentiality and ensure data protection principles are adhered to at all times Ability to work on own initiative and deal with difficult and sensitive situations Ability to organise and prioritise workload and to meet agreed deadlines and targets Excellent interpersonal skills

Was Convict Leasing a Form of Legalized Slavery

Convict leasing was a system of prison labor used mainly in the Southern United States from 1884 until 1928. In convict leasing, state-run prisons profited from contracting with private parties from plantations to corporations to provide them with convict labor. During the term of the contracts, the lessees—rather than the prisons—bore all cost and responsibility for overseeing, housing, feeding, and clothing the prisoners. Key Takeaways: Convict Leasing Convict leasing was an early system of prison labor that existed fromConvict leasing existed mainly in the Southern United States from 1884 until 1928.Convicts were typically leased to operators of plantations, railroads, and coal mines.The lessees assumed all costs of housing, feeding, and overseeing the convicts.The states profited greatly from convict leasing.Most leased convicts were recently-freed African American slaves.Many leased convicts suffered inhumane treatment.Public opinion, economic factors, and politics led to the abolishment of convict leasing.Convict leasing was justified by a loophole in the 13th Amendment.Most historians consider convict leasing to have been a form of state-sanctioned slavery. While it was first used by Louisiana as early as 1844, contract leasing spread quickly after the emancipation of slaves during the period of American Reconstruction following the end of the Civil War in 1865. As an example of how the states profited from the process, the percentage of Alabama’s total annual revenue generated from convict leasing increased from 10 percent  in 1846 to nearly 73 percent by 1889. As a result of aggressive and discriminatory enforcement of the numerous â€Å"Black Codes† laws passed in the South after the abolishment of slavery, the majority of prisoners leased out by the prisons were black. The practice of convict leasing extracted a substantial human cost, with death rates among leased convicts running about 10 times higher than death rates among prisoners in non-leasing states. During 1873, for example, 25 percent  of all black leased convicts died while serving their sentences. Despite its profitability to the states, convict leasing was slowly phased out during the late 19th and early 20th centuries largely due to negative public opinion and opposition from the growing labor union movement. While Alabama became the last state to end the official practice of convict leasing in 1928, several of its aspects remain as part of today’s growing prison industrial complex. The Evolution of Convict Leasing On top of its human toll, the Civil War left the South’s economy, government, and society in a shambles. Getting little sympathy or aid from the U.S. Congress, the Southern states struggled to raise money to repair or replace damaged infrastructure—including prisons—most of which had been destroyed during the war. Before the Civil War, the punishment of slaves had been the responsibility of their owners. However, with a general increase in both black and white lawlessness during post-emancipation reconstruction, the lack of available prison space became a significant and costly problem. Having elevated many petty misdemeanors to felonies requiring jail time, enforcement of the former-slave-targeted Black Code laws greatly increased the number of prisoners needing housing. As they struggled to build new prisons, some states tried paying private contractors to confine and feed convicts. Soon, however, the states realized that by leasing them out to plantation owners and industrialists, they could turn their prison population from a costly liability into a ready source of revenue. Markets for imprisoned workers soon evolved as private entrepreneurs bought and sold convict labor leases. The Ills of Convict Leasing Revealed Having only a small capital investment in convict workers, employers had little reason to treat them well compared to their regular employees. While they were aware that convict laborers were often subjected to inhumane living and working conditions, the states found convict leasing so profitable that they were hesitant to abandon the practice. In his book, â€Å"Twice the Work of Free Labor: The Political Economy of Convict Labor in the New South,† historian Alex Lichtenstein noted that while some northern states used convict leasing, only in the South was complete control of prisoners turned over to  the contractors, and only in the South did the places where convict laborers worked become known as â€Å"penitentiaries.† State officials neither had nor wanted any authority to oversee the treatment of leased prisoners, choosing instead to give the employers complete control over their working and living conditions. Coal mines and plantations were widely reported to have hidden burial grounds for the bodies of leased prisoners, many of whom had been beaten to death or left to die from work-related injuries. Witnesses told of organized gladiator-style fights to the death between convicts staged for the amusement of their overseers. In many cases, the court records of convict workers were lost or destroyed, leaving them unable to prove that they had served their sentences or repaid their debts.   The Abolition of Convict Leasing While reports of the evils and abuses of convict leasing in newspapers and journals brought increasing public opposition to the system at the start of the 20th century, state politicians fought to maintain it. Unpopular or not, the practice proved extremely profitable for the state governments and the businesses that used convict labor. Slowly, however, employers began to recognize the business-related disadvantages of forced convict labor, such as minimal productivity and lower quality of work. While public exposure of the inhumane treatment and suffering of convicts surely played a part, opposition from organized labor, legislative reform, political pressure, and economic realities ultimately spelled the end of convict leasing. After reaching its peak around 1880, Alabama became the last state to formally abolish state-sponsored convict leasing in 1928. In reality, however, convict labor had been more transformed than abolished. Still faced with the costs of housing prisoners, the states turned to alternative forms of convict labor, such as the infamous â€Å"chain gangs,† groups of convicts forced to work on public sector tasks such as road construction, ditch digging, or farming while chained together. Practices like chain gangs persisted until December 1941, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Attorney General Francis Biddle’s â€Å"Circular 3591† directive clarified federal regulations for handling cases relating to involuntary servitude, slavery and peonage. Was Convict Leasing Just Slavery? Many historians and civil rights advocates contended that state officials had exploited a loophole in the 13th Amendment to allow convict leasing as a method of continuing slavery in the post-Civil war South. The 13th Amendment, ratified on December 6, 1865, states: â€Å"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, nor any place subject to their jurisdiction.† In establishing convict leasing, however, the southern states applied the Amendment’s qualifying phrase â€Å"except as punishment for crime† in the infamous Black Codes laws to allow lengthy prison terms as punishment for a wide variety of minor crimes from vagrancy to simple indebtedness. Left without the food and housing provided by their former owners, and largely unable to find jobs due to post-war racial discrimination, many newly-freed African-American slaves fell victim to selective enforcement of the Black Codes laws. In his book, â€Å"Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II,† writer Douglas A. Blackmon contends that while it differed in ways from pre-emancipation slavery, convict leasing â€Å"was nonetheless slavery† calling it â€Å"a system in which armies of free men, guilty of no crimes and entitled by law to freedom, were compelled to labor without compensation, were repeatedly bought and sold, and were forced to do the bidding of white masters through the regular application of extraordinary physical coercion.† During its heyday, defenders of convict leasing contended that its Black convict laborers were actually â€Å"better off† than they had been as slaves. They claimed that by being forced to conform to rigid discipline, observe regular working hours, and acquire new skills, the former slaves would lose their â€Å"old habits† and finish their prison term better equipped to assimilate into society as freemen. Sources Alex Lichtenstein, Twice the Work of Free Labor: The Political Economy of Convict Labor in the New South, Verso Press, 1996Mancini, Matthew J. (1996). One Dies, Get Another: Convict Leasing in the American South, 1866-1928. Columbia, SC: Universiry of South Carolina PressBlackmon, Douglas A., Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, (2008) ISBN 978-0-385-50625-0Litwack, Leon F., Trouble in Mind: Black Southerners in the Age of Jim Crow, (1998) ISBN 0-394-52778-X