Explain the issues in natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies Coursework

Explain the issues in natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies that China faces and propose solutions that you feel may be - Coursework Example Again, Chinese regulations require their buildings to be earthquake-resistant. However, the collapses of schools, hospitals, and factories during natural disasters raise questions about the country’s enforcement of building codes (Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, n.d.). The Ministry of Science and Technology of China has established a few monitoring and early warning systems around Mount Ailao in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, the southeast China’s Fujian Province and the reservoir region of the Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River. However, these structural systems are not sufficient given the vast topography of the country (Xinhua, 2011). In order to address these issues, the government of China needs to invest considerably towards the expansion of the public health system to provide shelter, potable water, food, medical care and sanitation. Secondly, the country can work in collaboration with international agencies to develop and impl ement frameworks for disaster response, risk assessment, evacuation measures and public education. Finally, the government also needs to ensure that building codes and policies are implemented within their country.

Overload protection systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Overload protection systems - Essay Example Depending on the type of overload, the appropriate protection systems are chosen and employed is design of machines. For instance, relays, overload release and circuit breakers are used to protect systems against mechanical overload (Bhalja & Maheshwari, 2011). The most common overload protection systems are mechanical and hydraulic overload protection systems. Mechanical overload protection systems are used in mechanical presses; the working principle is based on a delicate shear plate that requires approximately 130% capacity to be broken. When the shear plate is broken, a slide in position has some space of free distance that allows the press to go through a complete stroke. The shear plate is replaced after each case of overload. Hydraulic overload protection systems are more common because the force of the press can be restricted by controlling the hydraulic pressure, and the press can be restarted after an incidence of overload without having to change the plates. Overload prot ection systems (a) mechanical (b) hydraulic (Altan & Tekkaya, 2012). The system consists of an oil pad placed between the slide and the connecting rod to which pressure is applied when force is developing. The pressure from the oil is used to move another piston, which acts to intensify the pressurized air. In case the oil pressure (air pressure) exceeds a threshold value, the oil is sapped back into a tank. Therefore, the force applied is restricted and some space is created for free movement. (Altan & Tekkaya, 2012). a) Torque guard Torque guards are overload protection devices used in power transmission  applications. A spring with a load cam follower placed in a core and detent causes the core and load to rotate jointly. Thus the load always resets in one position and stays in phase when tripped. The system automatically resets when it goes back into the set position after tripping, normally by moving the machine after the overload is cleared. Torque guards assist to protect m echanical systems from damage that may result from extreme torque produced by jamming and overloads. The automatic reset and instant reaction capacity offers consummate guard and reduces down-time. The system disengages at the stipulated torque limit (Grote & Antonsson, 2009). b) Torque limiter A Torque Limiter is a torque overload system consisting of a spring loaded friction style. The load connected to the friction pads is regulated in order to transmit the process torque is transmitted. An overload torque that exceeds the set torque makes the system to slip, preventing overloads from passing through the system. The torque limiter stops slipping when the load drops below the set level, transmitting the torque. In a torque limiter, the phase between input and output is not kept constant. This system can be used in a chain drive with a machined sprocket placed between the friction pads to act as the slip interface so that shutdown and restart is not necessary (Grote & Antonsson, 20 09). Torque limiters are regularly used in applications such as conveyor systems, machine tools, and off-highway mobile equipment. c) Axial guard Axial guards are used in systems where the load acts in the linear rather than revolving direction. This overload protection device provides greatly accurate and repeatable trip point. The point of load set is simply adjusted by rotating a screw. The Axial Guard instantly trips when overload occurs and the tie between the load side and drive side is disengaged. The Axial Guard is reset by a slight push or pull in the reverse direction, allowing production to be revived swiftly and downtime to be reduced (Grote &

Homeless Services Coalition in Kansas City Essay

Homeless Services Coalition in Kansas City - Essay Example I have had a past experience with my place of study whereby I was one of the homeless people at the place who benefited from the programs offered by the coalition agencies. This happened during the internal wars that happened in our country and we ran to Kansas for refuge. Literature Review Homeless Services Coalition strives to get rid of homelessness in the city. Homeless Services Coalition was formed to address the concerns and interests of the homeless community, service providers, their consumers and supporters (Rich Wiatt, Rich Thomas and Mullins 93). It works with local leaders to improve and sustain homeless community action plan. It was not easy to refuge community’s homeless population and it was very difficult to build the ability to prevent homelessness. This problem continued to spread each day and it became the growing need of the City. The organization had representatives from across the metropolitan area and continued to grow, in most cases it was made up of religious and commercial community. People came together to discuss the issue of homeless and the problems they face. The growing problem of homeless had negative impacts on the neighborhoods, business corridors and community at large. The size and characteristics of homeless population was of importance when dealing with the issue (Wright and Donley 18). This enabled in the roper planning by the organization. Several factors leading to homeless were stated and many programs and services were made available to the struggling population.

Credit Derivatives Market Overview with Focus on Collateralized Debt Essay

Credit Derivatives Market Overview with Focus on Collateralized Debt Obligations - Essay Example Therefore each type of entity would have different strategic motive for taking on positive or negative credit postures at any given point of time. Generally speaking Credit derivatives enable users to transfer credit risk, generate leverage or yield enhancement, proactively manage credit risk on a portfolio basis, manage regulatory capital ratios, decompose and separate risks embedded in securities (such as in convertible bond arbitrage), use as an alternative vehicle to equity derivatives (such as out-of-the-money equity put options), hedge and/or mitigate credit exposure and synthetically create loan or bond substitutes for entities that have not issued thus far for specific maturities. Since much of the activity in credit derivatives is OTC and a good proportion of these negotiations are private and involve off balance transactions, size of the market turns tedious for exact measurement and only information that is available if of the nature of volunteered information from various market participants. An estimate of the global size of this primarily privately negotiated market was placed at $100 billion to $200 billion at the end of 1996. The British Bankers Association (BBA) estimated the size of the London market only to be about $20 billion at the end of 1996. These figures did not include the credit derivative transactions taken up by a good number of Japanese securities firms, which was mainly of the type to include credit default puts embedded in privately placed transactions. British Bankers Association (BBA) published a "Credit Derivatives Report" based on data collected from 25 major international players concerning their... As the report declares credits risks are assumed by varied players in today's credit markets. These include. These include banks, government Agencies, corporates, securities companies, pension funds, insurance companies, fund managers, hedge funds etc. All of these entities have a calculated and strategic need to assume, reduce or manage credit risks and therefore the credit derivatives markets have typically players comprising of these entities. However the economic or regulatory motives of each of these entities differ because they have different market positions and are governed by varying regulations. This paper stresses that credit derivatives are the products which involve the transfer, in part or entirety, of the credit risk of a credit obligation, without in any manner resulting in transference of the ownership of the reference credit product. As the conditionalities governing the basic credit products are evolving into sophisticated and fine tuned structures resulting in varying, splitting and multi-timing of credit risks so are the derived credit derivative products turning diverse and complex almost making for a robust and vibrant credit derivatives' market. Credit default swaps have turned really popular instruments in present day's credit derivatives' market. CDS are bilateral contracts agreeing to transfer the credit risk of one or more reference entities. The buyer of protection is therefore in a position similar to that of a short seller of a bond issued by the reference entity, and the market price of the CDS mirrors the degrees of risk inherent in the underlying cred it asset.

Ba and Achebe A Comparative Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ba and Achebe A Comparative Analysis - Essay Example On the surface these two novels have precious little in common, but a deeper reading reveals that Ba and Achebe using broad strokes of their pen have traversed much of the same terrain with regard to themes like tradition, gender roles, oppression, religion and the like. Preceding a comparative analysis of the two, information about the authors, summary of the plots and an understanding of the recurring themes is called for. Mariama Ba was a Senegalese writer who wrote largely about the social injustices meted out to women. She belonged to a traditional Muslim family. Thanks to her father she received a good education at a prestigious French school despite prevailing tradition which did not encourage the education of women. Her talent as a writer manifested itself at an early age when she wrote bold and thought-provoking articles for journals and newspapers. So Long a Letter was her first novel and it won the Noma Prize. Following its success she wrote the Scarlet Song, her final contribution to literature. So Long a Letter is a novel told in epistolary style that is it... She recounts the twists and turns both their lives have taken. Finally she furnishes details about her new life even as an uncertain future beckons to her. Her unique style allows readers intimate glimpses into the life of the protagonist which transports them into the core of her existence. According to Pritchett, in this novel "Thoughts on constitutional politics, economic development, and international relations combine easily with thoughts on life, love, marriage, childrearing, duty to others and self" (50). About Achebe and Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe is a world- renowned Nigerian writer. He attended the Government College in Umuahia and University College in Ibadan. In the course of his readings he was appalled to note the way Africans were portrayed and set about trying to remove the stereotypical impressions created by such works. He had an impressive career as a writer and received prestigious awards. His works include Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God and Anthills of the Savannah. Things Fall Apart tells the tale of the rise and fall of an Igbo man named Okonkwo. Starting of with few advantages Okonkwo drags himself to the uppermost realms of success and just when he begins to enjoy the trappings of success, circumstances lead to his taking an innocent life and this event marks the beginning of his decline. The tragic flaws in his character lead to his downfall and ultimate destruction. Thematic Concerns of Ba and Achebe The works of Ba and Achebe need to be viewed within the context of colonialism, which nearly annihilated the traditions, beliefs, value systems and culture of native Africa. The aftermath of colonialism, the

500 Word Essay Essay Example for Free

500 Word Essay Essay What a thing of beauty is the well-written 500-word essay. In some ways, it is the perfect length to express a certain level of knowledge about a particular subject. It is long enough to allow the writer to show familiarity, and possibly expertise, regarding her chosen topic. But it is not a length that requires copious amounts of research. When sufficiently motivated, one can manage to research, write, and revise such an essay in an hour or two, given enough practice. Given the fact that students will write dozens, if not hundreds, of essays in their high school and college careers, it can be advantageous to become familiar with the mechanics, tools, and resources associated with essay writing. The mechanics of a paper include such elements as accurate spelling, correct grammar, and proper formatting. The conscientious writer does not simply rely on spell check to make sure his paper does not contain misspellings. A thorough proofreading will catch mistakes that spell check misses. For instance, spell check might not know the difference between homophones such as â€Å"there,† â€Å"their,† and â€Å"they’re. † A careful review by the writer (or a friend) should catch these errors. Using correct grammar in all its forms – the parts of speech, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation – can ensure that brilliant writing is not overshadowed by careless or sloppy mechanics (Writing Mechanics). The â€Å"look† of the paper is important as well. High school teachers and college professors alike appreciate readable papers with a consistent appearance. This means using the Times New Roman font, size 12, and double-spacing the body of the essay. The title should also be a size 12 font, center justified, with the first word, the last word, and other important words all capitalized. The default margin settings of one inch at the top, bottom, left, and right, give the paper a professional look. While having a crisp, clean look is valuable, the substance of the paper is of the greatest importance. Supplementing one’s own personal knowledge with well-researched material is the key to a terrific essay. A 500-word essay is not going to require as much research as a six- or ten-page paper. The individual assignment and the topic will determine where to seek out information. But once the research is done, the bibliography (or Works Cited list) can be assembled quite easily using EasyBib (EasyBib). What used to be quite a laborious task – putting sources in the correct MLA format, then alphabetizing them all – is now a fairly automatic process using this handy website. Some students are intimidated when given a writing assignment. Hopefully, the hints given in this essay will make it easier for students to get started on their own essays. Becoming fairly automatic about formatting a paper prevents too much time from being wasted â€Å"reinventing the wheel. † Using viable, trustworthy websites and resources for research will help writers supplement their own knowledge. Knowing how to organize these resources into a coherent bibliography will cap off the paper quite nicely. Using these â€Å"tricks of the trade† should help students concentrate on the composition of their papers, and not obsess on the minutiae.

Why China Is A Threat To India History Essay

Why China Is A Threat To India History Essay 1. The Chinese leadership believes that conflict is due largely to the rapacious role of the adversary, and that in this zero-sum context the application of violence is highly efficacious for dealing with the enemy. These assumptions generally translate into preference for offensive strategies followed by progressively less coercive ones, where accommodation is ranked last. This makes conflict over territory and other core interests of the Chinese regime and the PLA highly likely if the other state refuses to accommodate to Chinese goals.1 2. The Chinese defence white paper for the year 2008 critically analyses the world security situation and clearly brings out Chinas willingness to play a major role in international affairs. China also gives out its military policy as that of active defence, which means that China can launch a pre emptive if the need be so. The white paper also gives out probable reasons as to why would China go on war with any nation. The white paper states World peace and development are faced with multiple difficulties and challenges. Struggles for strategic resources, strategic locations and strategic dominance have intensified. Meanwhile, hegemonism and power politics still exist, regional turmoil keeps spilling over, hotspot issues are increasing, and local conflicts and wars keep emerging. 2 The reasons for likely struggle (conflicts) as given in the white paper in context of India are being analysed below: (a) Strategic Resources. Strategic resources in Indian context which could affect Sino-Indian relations could be water, natural gas, oil, exploration rights over sea and in other continents/ nations. The Chinese ambitious plan to divert river Brahmaputra before it enters India could be potential cause of conflict. Moreover, China views water of the yarlem Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) as an important natural resource, especially for its North Western provinces. Chinas dependence on imported oil will continue to rise and it is assessed that by 2010, it will be importing 61% of its oil requirements and by 2020, the figure will rise to 76.9%. Indias oil imports by 2020 are likely to be 91.6%. 3 majority of Chinas oil (about 54% ) 4 is imported from the African continent whereas majority of Indian oil imports are from the middle east countries. Chinas oil imports will have to cross the Indian ocean, where Indian Navy has the potential and capability to interdict these strategic supplies. China v iews this as a major weakness and is trying to counter balance the Indian Navy by its string of pearl policy. Especially the port that China is developing at Gwadar in Pakistan could provide China a base from where Indian oil supplies could be threatened. Chinese participation in anti piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, could provide the PLAN experience of conducting operations far away from the mainland. This could come in handy especially in keeping the threats from Indian Navy at bay in case of a conflict. (b) Strategic Locations. Chinas perceived strategic frontiers can be said to include the Indian Ocean and the Malacca straits to the South West, South China Sea, the East China sea, in addition to the current territorial boundaries and claimed justification over the aforementioned territories. 5 As interests between India and China clash in these regions, conflicts cannot be ruled out. China also views Central Asian Republics as important and strategic locations due to the enormous amount of gas reserves there. China has also made efforts to establish its presence in a manner so as to secure its sea lanes of communications, import gas through pipelines avoiding shipment through Indian Ocean where India can influence Chinese shipping, and also to acquire strategic bases such as Gwadar in Pakistan, Coco islands to be able to establish strategic naval capabilities. The reaons for conflict with India will keep increasing wherever interests clash. (c) Strategic Dominance. China views itself as one of the major powers in the world and the leading power in Asia. Mr Barak Obama termed it as the leader amongst Asian countries during his maiden visit to China. China also aspires to be a powerful nation second to none. In the Chinese quest for greatness Chinese analysts feel that two nations, Japan and India could be hindrances in its road to greatness. Japan because of the overbearing legacy from history and India due to its differences with China. The Tibet Issue 3. China invaded and captured Tibet in 1956. Indian opinion about Chinese occupation of Tibet has changed over a period of time and India now recognises Tibet as a part of China. However, Chinese still feel that India through the Dalai Lama tries to bring to fore the Tibet issue. Notwithstanding, Indias support to China during the anti China protests by Tibetans in the run up to the previous Olympics, Chinas mistrust of India has never diminished and could be used as an ostensible cause for conflict against India by China. Territorial Dispute 4. Today the line of actual control by both sides in the in the eastern sector conforms to the McMahon Line. The disputed area between the pre-1914 outer line and the McMahon Line covers a total area of 90,000 square kilometers. According to China this area comprises Tibets three districts of Monyul, Loyul and Lower Zayul; and according to India, this area is its Arunachal Pradesh. In the western sector, the line of actual control runs roughly along the Karakoram Range, conforming to the Chinese claim. The Indian Government however, claims that the boundary runs along the Kunlun range from the Karakoram pass. The disputed area is the Aksai Chin region between the two ranges, covering a total area of about 33,000 square Kilometers. This area falls mainly in Chinas Xinjiang and Part of it belongs to the Ari district of Tibet. The Indian government claims that it is part of its Ladakh area of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This area is sparsely inhabited, serving only as the traffic ar tery linking Xinjiang with Tibet. The unresolved border dispute has been an irritant in Indo China relations and can be a potential cause of conflict in future. Recent Diplomatic Struggles 5. Chinas recent reactions over Indian prime ministers visit to Arunachal Pradesh, Dalai Lamas visit to the same place and issuing visa to Indian Kashmiris on a separate paper have been seen has diplomatic offensives by China to contain India. Analysts feel that China could be looking for reasons to launch a swift political offensive against India in future to resolve the border issues in its favour. China has resolved its border disputes with those counties which are relatively weaker. 6 It could be deduced that China wants to resolve its disputes with other nations from a strong position so as to gain an advantageous deal. Moreover, normalisation of relations with Taiwan offers China the flexibility to switch forces from its Eastern borders to the borders neighbouring India. China Pakistan Nexus 6. China has been helping Pakistan militarily and in nuclear technology to develop a foil for India and to contain India in South Asian region. Export of military technology and hardware and clandestine support to Pakistan in for developing strategic weapons such as missiles and nuclear weapons flouting all international norms is seen as an effort to dilute Indias military potential. China does not at present wish to see any tensions on its borders with India. But at the same time, its approach to our sub-continental neighbours and our friends in ASEAN indicates that it will spare no effort to contain India strategically. Its actions like continuing assistance for Pakistans nuclear and missile programmes are quite evidently a part of this policy. 7 Insecurity of the Chinese Leadership 7. China is an economic success story but its leadership is highly insecure. The Chinese government under the communist party has every reason to feel confident. Yet, a Chinese professor, Liu Xiabao, was recently jailed for eleven years, just because he publicly advocated freedom of expression and an end to one-party rule in China. 8 Such incidents, human rights conditions, lack of freedom to press, media and internet in China, the Tiananmen incident etc indicate that Chinese communist leadership does feel highly insecure of any uprising against it. Further, India is the country that is spoken of most often as an enemy in China. 9 The leadership may resort to drastic acts such as annexation of Taiwan or an attack on India to divert public attention, if it is cornered by a popular movement in China against the Communist party. End Notes 1. Sujit Dutta, Chinas emerging Power and Military role: Implications for South Asia p 94 2. Chinese White Paper on National Defence; Year 2008, downloaded from www.china.org on 24 Sep 09 at 1500 h 3. Commander PK Ghosh, The Maritime Dimensions of Indias Energy Security calculus, p 33 4. Vice Admiral Raja Menon in his speech at DSSC on Dec 09 5. Ashok Kapur, China and Proliferation: Implications for India p 405 6. Kondanpalli Sreekanth in his lecture at DSSC Wellington on Nov 09 7. Kondanpalli Sreekanth in his lecture at DSSC Wellington on Nov 09 8. Ian Burma, The Times of India, Bangalore, 16 Jan 10 9. Downloaded from yahoo.com on 28 Sep at 0900 h