Overview of the Film Free

Overview of the Film Freedom Writers Essay Based on a true story, Freedom Writers is an inspiring film about a young teacher named Erin Gruell (played by Hilary Swank) who chooses to work at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. It is a school that is torn by gang violence and racial tension due to the recent integration program in that district. The story begins in 1994, Erin is a newly hired teacher at the high school and is assigned to teach Freshman and Sophomore English. Teaching at the school is nothing like what she expected, as fights constantly break out both inside and outside of the classroom. Additionally, students come to school strapped with guns (if they come at all). The teachers have very little faith in the students and the students have very little faith in Erin Gruell, but as time goes by she develops their trust and respect. Erin throws out her more traditional lesson plans and instead appeals to the students by having them write daily journals about their personal stories. She teaches them about the Holocaust, Anne Frank, and takes them on field trips and to restaurants. At the same time that Erin tries to reach out and inspire these young people, Erin faces a divorce and protests from her fellow coworkers. However, Erin rises above these adversities to inspire her students to soar to new academic and personal heights, none of which they ever thought were imaginable. Erin displays unwavering faith in her students and in their capacity to learn. Likewise, these students find faith in themselves and each other and previous gang, racial, and territorial divides are broken down as students like Eva, Jamal, Marcus, and Brandi gain the courage to do what’s right and improve their lives. The ending is incredibly motivational as Erin gets 35 computers to be donated to her school so that her students can compile their stories from their journals into a book that would eventually be published in 1999. Most of her students went on to college and broke from their previous lives.

The Use Of Enzymes In Textile Industry Biology Essay

The Use Of Enzymes In Textile Industry Biology Essay Enzymes are bio-catalysts and are used in several industrial processes since nineteenth century. Its use in textile industry is an example of industrial or white revolution. Enzymes, due to their non-toxic and eco-friendly characteristics, have gained wide applications in textile industry. Not only they are highly specific, efficient and work under mild conditions but also they help reduce process times, save energy and water, improve quality of product and reduce pollution. As a result they are rapidly gaining global recognition as important requirement for textile industry. Commercially enzymes can be obtained from three primary sources, animal tissues, plants and microbes. However, these naturally occurring enzymes are not produced in sufficient quantities to be readily used in industrial applications. Hence, microbial strains producing the desired enzyme are cultured and optimised i.e. fermentation, to obtain enzymes in sufficient quantities for their commercial use in textile industry. The enzymes used in the textile industry are amylases, cellulases, pectinases, lipases, catalases, proteases, xylanases etc. and are mainly used for processing of the textiles i.e. preparatory and finishing of the goods. Some of the applications include removing of starch, bleaching, degrading lignin, fading of denim and non-denim, removal of peroxidises, finishing of wool, decolouration of dyestuff, bio-scouring, bio-polishing, wool finishing, etc. (Shenai, 1990; Nalankilli, 1998; Barrett et al., 2003;Cavaco and Gubitz, 2003; Chelikani et al., 2004). CLASSIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF ENZYMES USED IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY Enzymes are very specific toward catalysing the substrate. Hence these are classified on the basis of their catalytic functions in six broad categories: EC1 Oxidoreductases: catalyze oxidation and or reduction reactions EC2 Transferases: catalyze transfer of a functional group EC3 Hydrolases: catalyze the hydrolysis of various bonds EC4 Lyases: catalyse cleavage of various bonds by means other than hydrolysis and oxidation EC5 isomerases: catalyse isomerisation changes within a single molecule EC6 Ligases: joining of two molecules with formation of covalent bonds Properties of enzymes exploited for use in industrial application: Acceleration of the reaction rates by lowering the activation energy of the reaction. Operating optimally under milder conditions of temperature, pH and atmospheric pressure. Alternative for polluting, toxic and carcinogenic chemicals High specificity towards substrate makes easy to control their activity Biodegradable and do not produce toxic wastes. Due to their high efficiency, specificity, property of working under milder conditions and biodegradability enzymes are well suited for various industrial applications. ROLE FO ENZYMES IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY Use of enzymes in various textile processing processes has greatly benefited textile industry with respect to both environmental impact and quality of product. There are 7000 known enzymes, but only 75 are commercially used in textile industry (Quandt and Kuhl, 2001) and most of them belong to hydolases and oxidoreductases families. The hydrolases family includes amylases, cellulases, pectinases, proteases, catalases and lipases/estarases and oxidoreductase family include laccase, peroxidises. AMYLASES Amylases actson starch molecules and hydrolyses to give dextrin and small polymers of glucose units (Windish and Mhatre, 1965). These are classified according to the sugars they produced i.e. ÃŽ ±-amylases and ÃŽ ²-amylases. ÃŽ ±-Amylases being produced from filamentous fungi and bacteria are mostly used in industries (Pandey et al., 2000). This enzymes are stable over wide range of pH from 4-11 and optimal activity is related to the growth conditions of the source microorganisms (Vihinen and Mantsala, 1989). In general, ÃŽ ±-Amylases shows high specificity towards starch followed by amylase, amylopectine, cyclodextrin, glycogen and maltotriose (Vihinen and Mantsala, 1989). 1.1 Textile Desizing Size is an adhesive substance used to coat the wrapping threads used in weaving of the fabrics made from cotton or blend. Starch and its derivatives are broadly used to size fabrics due to their easy availability, relative low cost and excellent film forming capacity (Feitkenhauer et al., 2003). Amylases are used to remove this sizing material and prepare the fabric ready for dyeing and finishing (Cavaco-Paulo et al., 2008). Earlier to the discovery of amylases, desizing was done by chemical treatment of fabric with acid, alkali or oxidising agents at high temperature. But, this technique was inefficient in removing the starch which resulted in imperfections in dyeing and also degradation of cotton fibre. Amylases are commercially used for desizing fabric due to its efficiency and specificity and its effectiveness in completely removing the size without affecting the fabric (Cegarra, 1996; Etters and Annis, 1998). Starch is removed during washing in the form of water soluble dextrin and thus reduces the discharge of chemical waste into the environment. 2.0 CELLULASES Cellulases are the hydrolytic enzymes that catalyses the breakdown of cellulose to smaller oligosaccharides and finally to glucose. These enzymes are commonly produced by soil-dwelling fungi and bacteria such as Penicillium, Trichoderma and Fusarium (Verma et al., 2007) and shows optimal activity in temperature range from 30C-60C. The applicationof cellulases in the textile industry begin in late nineteenth century with denim finishing. It alone accounts for 14% of the worlds industrial enzyme market (Nierstrasz and Warmoeskerken, 2003). 2.1 DENIM FINISHING Denim is high grade cotton and its washing is done in order to give a worn look e.g. stonewashing of denim jeans, in which the denim fabric id faded using sodium hypochlorite or potassium permanganate are used as pumice stones (Pedersen and Schneider, 1998) it resulted in damage to the fabric and machine. Introduction of cellulases have increased the productivity without affecting garment or the machine. Cellulases hydrolyses the exposed surface of dyed (indigo) fabric leaving the interiors intact, partial hydrolyses of the surface results in removal of dye and leaves a light area. Most of the cellulases are produced from fungi, but cellulases from bacterial and actinomycetes origin are now studied with regard to its use in bio-stoning of denim. Cellulases used for washing of the denim can be further classified on the basis of optimal pH required for its maximum efficiency; as neutral cellulases operating at pH 6-8 and acidic cellulases acting at pH 4.5-6. 2.2 BIO-FINISHING Washing of cotton and other natural and man-made cellulosic fabrics, besides denim, such as linen, hemp, rayon and viscose by enzymatic activity of cellulases to improve final appearance is done by bio-finishing or bio-polishing processes (Videbaek and Andersen, 1993). The process helps in preventing the formation of ball of fuzz called pill on the surface of the garment, this formation usually results in unattractive, knotty fabric appearance. Cellulases, hydrolyses the microfibrils protruding from the surface of the fabric which tends to break off leaving a smoother surface. Bio-finishing may be an optional step for upgrading cotton fibrics, but is very important step in prevention of pilling or fibrillation during finishing of lyocell fabrics (Cavaco-paulo et al., 2008). Similarly, Carrillo et al. (2003) stated that cellulases can be used for viscose type regenerated celloloses like viscose and modal. Yachmenev et al. (2002) showed the use of ultrasound as an efficient way to improve the enzymatic activity in bioprocessing of cotton.

The Invasion Of Kuwait By Iraq Politics Essay

The Invasion Of Kuwait By Iraq Politics Essay There are many reasons behind Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Some of the most basic causes thought to be behind this invasion is: Iraq had always considered Kuwait as a natural part of Iraq which was carved out of it due to British imperialism. After signing the  Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1913, the  United Kingdom  split Kuwait from the Ottoman territories into a separate  sheikhdom. Iraqi government also argued that the Kuwaiti Emir was very unpopular among the people of Kuwait. Hence they claimed themselves to be the liberators of the Kuwaiti people, providing them with greater economic and political freedom by overthrowing the Emir. After the Iran-Iraq War, the economy of Iraq  was struggling to recover. Civil and military debt of Iraq had crossed its state budget. Most of its ports had been destroyed in the war, oil fields had already been  mined, and traditional oil customers had been lost. In spite of having a total land area of just 1/25th of Iraq, Kuwaits coastline was twice as long as Iraqs and its ports were some of the busiest in the Persian Gulf region. The Iraqi government concluded that by seizing Kuwait, it would be able to solve most of its financial problems of Iraq consolidate its regional authority.   Also, it is thought that with Saddam Husseins attempted invasion of Iran defeated, he sought easier conquests against his weak southern neighbors. Kuwait because of its relatively small size was seen as an easy target by the Iraqi government. Kuwait had heavily funded the 8-year-long  Iraqi-Iran war. By the time the war had ended, Iraq was not in a financial position to repay the $14 billion it had borrowed from Kuwait to finance its war.  Iraqs point of view that the war had prevented the rise of  Iranian  influence in the  Arab World did not go down well with the Kuwait regime. Therefore Kuwait was reluctant to pardon the debt. It created strains in the relationship between the two Arab countries. During late 1989, several official meetings were held between the Kuwaiti and Iraqi leaders but they were unable to break the deadlock between the two and reach to a mutual agreement regarding the repaying of the debt by Iran. According to reports, Iraq tried to repay its debts by raising the prices of oil through  OPECs oil production cuts. However, Kuwait, a member of the OPEC, prevented a global increase in petroleum prices by increasing its own petroleum production, thus lowering the price and preventing recove ry of the war-crippled Iraqi economy.  This was seen by many in Iraq as an act of aggression, further distancing the countries. The collapse in oil prices had a catastrophic impact on the Iraqi economy. According to former Iraqi Foreign Minister  Tariq Aziz, every US$1 drop in the price of a barrel of oil caused a US$1 billion drop in Iraqs annual revenues triggering an acute financial crisis in Baghdad.  It has been estimated that Iraq lost around US$14 billion a year due to Kuwaits oil price strategy. It created a further ridge in the relations between the Iraqi and Kuwaiti governments. Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing Iraqi oil through  slant drilling, however some Iraqi sources indicated  Saddam Husseins decision to attack Kuwait was made only a few months before the actual invasion  suggesting that the regime was under feelings of severe time pressure. The  rich deposits of oil lined the ill-defined border of Iraq and Kuwait. Iraq constantly claimed that Kuwaiti oil rigs were illegally tapping into Iraqi oil fields. The problem was aggravated by the fact that the Middle Eastern deserts make border delineation difficult and this has caused many conflicts in the region. Kuwait and many other Arab nations had supported Iraq against the Islamic Revolutionary government of Iran during the Iran-Iraq war, fearing that Saddams defeat would inspire an Iranian revolution throughout the Arab world. Following the end of the war, relations between Iraq and Kuwait deteriorated; with a lack of gratitude shown from the Baghdad government towards the Arab nations for their help in the war. Options that could have been adopted to stop the war The conflict resolution approach attributes escalation primarily to the failure of communication between the U.S. and Iraqi governments. The U.S. should have made its own views clearer in the condition that Iraq declared war on Kuwait. Right up to the point of war America kept its stand unclear as to what action it would take in an event of war. Saddam was motivated by this fact and decided to invade Kuwait. The balance of power among the adversaries is also an important factor. Kuwait would have been empowered by improving its relations with potential ally Jordan. It would have helped Kuwait to defend itself better against Iraq and probably would have acted as a deterrent for the Iraqi attack on Kuwait. The Arab countries could have acted as intermediate and helped the two countries to reach a mutual decision. The disinterest shown by the Arabs in the earlier stages of the conflict encouraged Saddam to go ahead with the planned invasion. Even after the invasion of Kuwait there was a strong opinion in the intelligence community, as well as the Middle Eastern community, that the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam should be handled in an Arab context, not by Western powers. A proposal was quickly put forward by the Saudis that could have produced a peaceful withdrawal of Saddams forces from Kuwait. The proposal was for Kuwait to allow Iraq to remove two Kuwaiti islands that were blocking the entrance to Iraqs seaport. The islands were barren islands that were owned by Kuwait; they did nothing for Kuwait and they blocked the precious little access that Iraq had to the sea. The proposal was seen as a face saving measure for Saddam that would allow him to withdraw from Kuwait and still declare a victory. At the same time the action would have provided assistance to the Iraqi economy. But the American government rejected the proposal as it justifiably wanted Iraq to gain nothing from the conflict. The war and its consequences On August 2 Iraq went ahead with plan of invasion of Kuwait with four of its elite Iraqi Republican Guard Divisions. Commandos were deployed by helicopters and boats to attack the Kuwait City. In support of these divisions a squadron of   Mil Mi-25  helicopter gunships, several units of  Mi-8  and  Mi-17  transport helicopters, as well as a squadron of  Bell 412  helicopters were deployed. Kuwait was caught unaware by the invasion and did have its forces on alert. Kuwaiti forces tried to resist but they were vastly outnumbered. The Emir of Kuwait, Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-shahfled into the Saudi desert. After a decisive victory of his troops Saddam installed Alaa Hussein Ali as the Prime Minister of Kuwait. The Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait was unanimously condemned by all major  world powers. Even countries traditionally considered to be close Iraqi allies, such as  France  and  India, called for immediate withdrawal of all Iraqi forces from Kuwait. States had issued an ultimatum to Iraq to withdraw its forces from Kuwait by January 15, 1991 or face war. After series of failed negotiations between major world powers and Iraq, the  United States-led coalition  launched a massive  military assault  on Iraqi forces stationed in Kuwait in mid January 1991. By January 16, the Allied planes were targeting several Iraqi military sites and the Iraqi Air Force was said to be decimated.  Hostilities continued until late February and on February 25, Kuwait was officially liberated from Iraq.  On March 15, 1991, the Emir of Kuwait returned to the country after spending more than 8 months in exile.  During the Iraqi occupation, about 1,000 Kuwaiti civilians were kill ed and more than 300,000 residents fled the country.

The Nature of Quantitative Research Essay -- Quantitative Research Pap

The Nature of Quantitative Research Quantitative Research Defined: According to Huysamen (1997), "descriptions of quantitative research typically discern a cycle of successive phases of hypothesis formulation, data collection, analysis and interpretation." Using a deductive approach, quantitative research seeks to establish facts, make predictions, and test hypotheses that have already been stated. A large part of the data analysis of quantitative research is statistical, striving to show that the world can be looked at in terms of one reality; this reality, when isolated in context, can be measured and understood, a perspective known as positivism (Gay & Airasian, 1999). Quantitative researchers are those who find themselves "treat(ing) their objects of study as having an existence independent of themselves and without any intrinsic meaning" (Huysamen, 1997). The Differing Characteristics of Qualitative Research: Somewhat in contrast to quantitative research is the practice of qualitative research. Whereas quantitative research is positivist in its outlook, qualitative research has a non-positivist perspective; this theory holds the view that the world itself is made up of different people with different perspectives and therefore, has many different meanings and contexts. While quantitative researchers work mostly with numerical data, qualitative researchers use mainly "non-numerical data such as observations, interviews, and other more discursive sources of information" (Gay & Airasian, 1999). Another difference between the two types of research is that where quantitative research seeks to find evidence which supports or does not support an existing hypothesis, "qualitative designs allow the hypotheses to emer... ...vey Isn't Research." Counselor Education and Supervision, 31, 194-195. Gay, L. R., & Airasian, Peter. (1999). Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Application, Sixth Edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill. Huysamen, G. K. (1997, March). "Parallels Between Qualitative Research and Sequentially Performed Quantitative Research." South African Journal of Psychology, 27, 1-8. Johnson, R. Burke. (1997). "Examining the Validity Structure of Qualitative Research." Education, 118, 282-293. McCullough, Dick. (1997). Quantitative vs. Qualitative Marketing Research. [Online]. Retrieved September 18, 1999 from the World Wide Web: http://www.macroinc.com/articles/ Urban Wallace & Associates. (1995). Quantitative Research. [Online]. Retrieved September 18, 1999 from the World Wide Web:http://www.uwa.com/marketing/consultants/homepage.htm#Questions

Tim Paterson :: essays research papers

Tim Paterson, also known as the "Father of Dos" is the computer programmer who created the world's most widely used computer program: DOS. Creating DOS at age 24, Paterson claims, "it is an accomplishment that probably can't be repeated by anyone ever." After Paterson graduated from University of Washington in Seattle with a bachelors of science degree, he tried going to graduate school but lost interest. "I thought they were too oriented towards theory and not what I needed." Although he received a good education at U of W, Paterson did not learn the majority of his computer skills from text books. "I learned it by reading and playing with it. I got a lot of exposure to electronics stuff at home." Throughout his education and experience with computers, Tim Paterson as become one of the most genius computer programmers of our time. After college, Paterson landed a job as a computer technician at a Seattle area retail computer store. Because of his experience with computers, Paterson stared designing his own peripheral boards on the side. Through his job and his computer experience, Paterson was hired into a better job. "I got to know Rod Brock of Seattle Computer when he came into the store periodically. We were selling his boards. Eventually he asked me to consult for Seattle Computer." After helping the company fix there memory boards at fifty dollars a day, they offered him a full time position and Paterson quit his job at the retail store. The first major task Seattle Computer threw at Paterson was building an operation system for their new computer; the CP/M. Paterson was a little hesitant at first in creating such a program but he put up to the challenge. "I had always wanted to write my own operating system. I’ve always hated CP/M and thought I could do it a lot better." Little did he know before he started the project that he was about to create the "the world's most widely used computer program." By the spring of 1980, Paterson had created a program called QDOS.10 (stands for Quick and Dirty). After finding bugs in the program, he fixed the problem and named it QDOS.11. By the end of August 1980, the program was working well and being shipped. Not knowing the great potential of his new program, Paterson was not expecting much from it. "I was aghast," says Paterson, "When I heard that IBM was using it (QDOS.

Cheaper by the Dozen :: Free Essay Writer

Cheaper by the Dozen â€Å" Cheaper by the Dozen†, based on a real-life story of the Gilbreth family, is a fantastic book. This hilarious comedy about a family with a dozen children kept me in stitches until the end! This family, run like a well oiled machine, took me on Sunday rides through the country, battles in the family court, summers at the sea, Father’s theories on motion study, and the economic removal of the whole families tonsils. I loved it! I find it truly amazing. Not only did the family boast twelve children, but they all learned to speak foreign languages, touch typing, mental arithmetic, and even Morse Code- all because their father worked out dozens of ingenious ways to motivate them- although often it was quite reluctantly on their part. I had many laugh out loud moments, and at times would have enjoyed being a part of this large and loving family, or perhaps raising one of my own in the same manner†¦imagine that! It probably could never happen. I can’t imagine living with twelve brothers and sisters and getting along! Actually, I would not call it getting along; I would call it survival, by jimgo! The Gilbreth family of twelve red-haired, freckle-faced children parented by efficiency experts and pioneers in the field of motion study, Lillian and Frank, were a bit eccentric and extremely funny. I can still remember one of the lines a child blurted out at the dinner table â€Å"Please, we are NOT in the mood for an organ recital.† This was the standard reprimand for belching in the family and never intended for public airing. I also enjoyed the part when one of the children said to a dinner guest, â€Å"Is this of general interest?† Although these twelve children were highly disciplined by their father, (mother, for the most part, would just agree with father) in a couple instances they were able to catch father off guard, like when the children would continually ask him â€Å"Father can you touch type?† â€Å"No,† he would reply, â€Å"but I can teach it!† Nothing was considered more of a sin than wasting valuable time, that is why the father, Frank timed himself trying to go as fast as he possible can with almost everything. Every movement of everyday must be functional. He timed himself buttoning his shirt to see which way was faster, top-bottom, or bottom-top. He timed himself shaving to see which way took longer, using to brushes to apply the shaving cream, or one.

Blood Alcohol Content Essay

The thought of alcohol being involved in fatal crashes brings about an emotional response. Recently, there has been a movement based on emotion rather than logic to change a certain drinking and driving law. This involves lowering the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) from 0. 10% to 0. 08% nationwide. However, this attention is misdirected. By looking at my personal experiences, statistics, and current laws, it is clear that there is no need for lowering the BAC. First off, I do not drink. Yet, I’ve had many experiences relating to drinking and driving through my friends. One thing I’ve noticed is that it is extremely hard for people to tell if they are legally drunk or not. Furthermore, I have never heard any of my friends say that they feel that they should drive home because they have only a . 09% BAC. The law has very little effect on how many drinks a person decides to consume. Therefore, lowering the legal drunk limit will not result in people acting more responsible. Supporters of lowering the BAC like Judith Lee Stone in her essay â€Å"YES! † think they are targeting the problem of drunken driving, but the real problem lies within the higher BACs. Ninety three percent of fatal accidents are 0. 10% BAC and above, and half of those ninety three percent have a BAC of 0. 20% and above. The average BAC for fatal accidents is at actually at 0. 17%. This seems like a more logical target for new laws then 0. 08%. Furthermore, Stone asks â€Å"Who would want their children in a car driven by someone who has consumed three, four, or even more beers in an hour† (Stone 46)? I couldn’t agree more. However, this common argument from the pro-0. 08% side is more like a parent responsibility question. They use this to manipulate our emotion by putting an innocent child in an improbable and unrelated situation. She also goes on to state, â€Å"A study at Boston University found that 500 to 600 fewer highway deaths would occur annually if all states adopted 0. 08%† (Stone 47). On the other hand, a similar study at University of North Carolina shows no significant change after their adoption of 0. 08%. Which study is correct? Most likely, both have some truthfulness. It could be either way depending on the state. The lowering of the Blood Alcohol Content percentage law is unnecessary and useless. Nevertheless, some states have already moved to the 0. 08%, and we hear the argument: â€Å"It makes no sense for a driver to be legally drunk in one state but not in another† (Stone 46). To that, I ask a couple questions of my own. Why can I carry a concealed gun in one state and not another? Why is it that I can drive a certain speed in one state, but a different speed in another? The response to those questions and Stone’s statement is all of the above are state laws. At this point, the federal government seems to get confused. In October 2000, congress passed a law that uses the states’ money against them. It asserts that if a state doesn’t lower its BAC percentage to 0. 08% by 2003, it will lose two percent of its highway money. States that don’t like the law will be forced to vote for it because they are desperate for highway construction money. Strings shouldn’t be attached to this money. What are lost in all of this are the current laws for drunk driving. Driving while impaired is already illegal whether the person tests 0. 04% or 0. 10%. Courts can use alcohol test of 0. 04% and higher as evidence of impairment. It’s at 0. 10% where a person is legally drunk and cannot legally operate a vehicle. Therefore, it’s not as if people who test 0. 08% are going unpunished like the other side would have you believe. In conclusion, anybody who picks out one particular aspect and says that it is not working hasn’t looked that the whole problem. The president for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Brian O’ Neill, says that he’d rather see resources directed toward enforcing existing drunken driving laws. Hopefully, with more education, more awareness, and more enforcement we can successfully reduce drinking and driving fatalities. Bibliography Stone, Judith Lee. Yes!. Reading and Writing Short Arguments. Ed. William Vesterman. Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing Company, 2000. 46-47. Word Count: 702.