Monday, September 30, 2019

A Case Study of Obsessive Impulsive Disorder

A Case Study of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Some Diagnostic Considerations INTROD  UCTION Prior to 1984,  obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)  was  considered  a  rare disorder and  one difficult  to treat (I  )  . In 1984 the  Epidemiologic Catchment  Area (ECA) initial survey results  became available for the first time, and  OC  D  prevalence figures  showed that  2. 5  %  of  the  population m  et  diagnostic  criteria  for OCD (2,3)  . Final  survey results published  in 1988  (4) confirmed these  earlier reports. In  addition, a 6-month  point prevalence of  1. 6%  was observed,  and  a  life  time  prevalence  of 3. 0% was  found.OCD is  an illness of secrecy, and  frequently the  patients  present  to physicians in  specialties other than psychiatry. An  other factor contributing to under diagnosis of  this disorder  is that  psychiatrists m  a y fail to ask screening questions  that would identify  OCD. The  following case study is  an example  of  a patient  with moderately severe OCD  who  presented  to  a  resident  psychiatry  clinic  ten years prior to being diagnosed  with OCD. The patient  was  compliant with  out patient treatment for the  entire time  period  and was treated  for  major  depressive  disorder  and border line personality disorder with medication s and  supportive  psychotherapy.The patient never discussed  her OCD symptoms  with her doctors  but in retrospect had offered many clues  that might have allowed  a  swifter  diagnosis and treatment. CASE  HISTORY Simran Ahuja was a 29 year  old,  divorced,  indian female who worked  as a file clerk. She  was followed as an  out patient  at the  same  resident  clinic since  1971. I  first saw her 2012. PAST PSYCHIATRIC HISTORY Simran had been  seen in the  resident  out pati ent  clinic since July of 1984. Prior  to  this she  had not be  en  in psychiatric treatment. She  had never been hospitalized  .Her initial  complaints were depression and anxiety  and she had been placed on  an phenelzine  and responded well. Her  depression  was  initially thought  to be  secondary to amphetamine withdrawal, since she  had been using  diet  pills  for 10  years. She stated  that at first  she  took them to lose weight,  but  continued for  so  long because people at work had noted that she  concentrated  better  and that her job performance had improved. In addition,  her past doctors had  all  commented on her limit  edibility to  change  and her neediness, insecurity,  low  self-esteem,  and poor boundaries. In addition,  her past doctors had noted  her promiscuity.All noted  her poor attention span and limited capacity  for insight. Neurological  testing during her ini tial  evaluation had shown the  possibility of non-dominant parietal  lobe  deficits. Testing  was repeated  in 1989 and  showed †Ã‚  problems in attention ,  recent visual and verbal memory  (with  a greater deficit  in visual memory),  abstract thought  , cognitive flexibility, use  of mathematical operations, and visual analysis. A possibility of right temporal dysfunction is  suggested. †Ã‚  IQ testing showed a  co  m bine d score of 77 on the Adult Weschler  IQ test ,  which  indicated borderline  mental  retardation  .Over the years  the patient had been maintained  on various  antidepressants  and antianxiety agents. These  included  phenelzine,  trazadone, desipramine, alprazolam, clonazapam,  and hydroxyzine. Currently  she  was on fluoxetine  20  mg  daily and clonazaparn 0. 5 mg  twice  a day and 1. 0 mg at bedtime . The antidepressants  had been effective over the years in treating her depression. She  has  never used  m  ore clonazapam than prescribed and there was no history of  abuse  of alcohol or street drugs. Also, there was no history  of discreet  manic episodes and  she  was  never treated with neurolepics.PAST MEDI CAL HISTORY She suffered from  gas  troesophageal reflux and  was maintained  symptom free on a combination  of  ranitidine  and  omeprazole. PSYCHOSOCIAL  HISTORY Simran   was  born  and  raise d in  a  large city. She had a brother who was  3 years younger. She  described  her father  as morose , withdrawn,  and recalled  that he has said, †Ã‚  I don't  like  my  children. Her  father was  physically and  verbally abusive throughout her  child  hood. She  had  always longed  for a good relationship  with him  . She  described  her mother as  the  family martyr and the  glue that  held  the  family together.She stated that  sh e  was  very  close  to her  mother;  her mother always listened  to her and was  always  available to talk with her. She  was a poor student,  had difficulty all through school , and described herself  as †Ã‚  always disrupting  the  class by talking or running  around. †Ã‚  She  had  a  best friend through grade school whom  she  stated †Ã‚  deserted† her  in high  school. She  had maintained  few close  friends since  then . She   graduated high school with much difficulty and  effort. She  dated on  group dates  but never alone. Her husband  left her  while  she was  pregnant with her  son.The husband  was a  bus driver  and had not had  a  role in their  lives  since the  divorce. Aft  e r the  divorce,  she moved  back  to her parent  s'  home  with her son  and  remained there until getting her  own apartment  3 years ago. FAMILY HISTORY Simr an’s  mother  had two  serious  suicide attempts at  age 72 and was  diagnosed with major  depressive  disorder with psychotic features  and OCD. She also had non-insulin dependent  diabetes  mellitus and irritable  bowel  syndrome. Her  brother was treated  for OCD  as an outpatient  for the  past  20 years and also has Hodgkin's Dis  ease, currently in remission.The brother's diagnosis of  OCD was kept secret from  her  and did not become  available  to her until her mother died. Her father  is  alive and well. MENTAL STATUS EXAM She  was a  thin  ,  bleached  blond woman  who appeared her  stated  age. She  was dressed in  skin  tight  ,  provocative  clothing,  costume jewelry earrings  that eclipsed her ears  and hung to her  shoulders, heavy  make-up and  elaborately  styled hair. She  had difficulty  sitting  still  and fidgeted  constantly  in  her  chair. H er body language through out  the interview  was  sexually provocative. Her speech was  rapid,  mildly pressured,  and  she  rarely finished  a sentence.She  described  her  mood  as â€Å"anxious. † Her affect appeared anxious. Her  thought  processes showed mild  circumstantiality and tangentiality. More significant  was her inability to finish a  thought  as exhibited by her in  complete  sentences. COURSE  OF TREATMENT Initial  sessions with the  patient were  spent  gathering history  and forming a working  alliance. Although  she  showed a  good  response  by  slowing  down enough to finish  sentences and focus on  conversations  ,  she  could not tolerate  the side  effects and  refused  to  continue taking the medication  . The  winter  of  1993-94  was  particularly  harsh.The  patient  missed  many sessions because of  bad weather. A pattern  began  to   emerge  of  a  consistent  increase  in the number  of phone  calls that  she  made  to the office voice  mail to  cancel  a session. When  she was questioned about her phone  messages she stated,  Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  I always repeat  calls to make sure my  message  is received. † Since  the  most recent cancellation generated  no less than six phone calls ,  she  was asked why a  second call wouldn't  be  enough â€Å"to be  sure . † She  laughed  nervously and  said,  Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  I  always repeat  things. † With careful questioning  the following  behaviors  were uncovered.The patient checked  all locks  and windows repeatedly  before  retiring. She  checked the  iron a dozen times  before leaving the house . She  checked  her door  lock  Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  a  hundred  times† before  she  was able to  get in her  car. The patient  washed her hands frequently. Sh e carried disposable  washcloths in  her purse †Ã‚  so I  can wash as  often  as I need too  . †Ã‚  She  said people  at work laugh  at her  for washing  so  much. But she  stated  ,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I  can' t help it. I've been this way  since  I was  a  little girl. † When  questioned  about telling former  doctors  about this,  the  patient  stated that she  had never  talked  about it with her doctors.She  stated  that  everyone that knew  her  simply knew  that  this  was  the  way  she  was:  Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  It's  just  me . †Ã‚  In  fact , she  stated, †Ã‚  I didn't  think my doctors  would  care†¦ .  I've always  been this  way  so  it  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs  not something  you can  change . † Over the next  few sessions, it became  clear  that her arguments  with her boyfriend centered  on  his annoyance with her need  to  const antly repeat  things. This was  what she  always referred to  as †Ã‚  talking too much  . †Ã‚  In  sessions it  was  observed that  her  anxiety,  neediness and poor boundaries  a  rose over issues of misplacing things in her purse and insurance forms that were incorrectly  filled  out.In  fact,  when I  attempted to correct the  insurance forms for her, I had difficulty because of her need to repeat the  instructions to me  over and over. The Introduction Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterised by persistent obsessional thoughts and/or compulsive acts. Obsessions are recurrent ideas, images or impulses, which enter the individual's mind in a stereotyped manner and against his will. Often such thoughts are absurd, obscene or violent in nature, or else senseless. Though the patient recognises them as his own, he feels powerless over them.Similarly,compulsive acts or rituals are stereotyped behaviou rs, performed repetitively without the completion of any inherently useful task. The commonest obsession involved is fear of contamination by dirt, germs or grease, leading to compulsive cleaning rituals. Other themes of obsessions include aggression, orderliness, illness, sex, symmetry and religion. Other compulsive behaviors include checking and counting, often in a ritualistic manner, and over a â€Å"magical† number of times. About 70% of OCD patients suffer from both bsessions and compulsions; obsessions alone occur in 25%, whilst compulsions alone are rare. 1n  she spent  ten minutes checking and rechecking  the  form  against the receipts. She  became convinced that she'd  done it wrong, her anxiety would increase, and  she  would  get  the forms out  and check  them again. Her  need to include  me in this  checking  was  so great  that she  was almost physically on  top  of  my  chair. In the  following  weeks,  se ssion s  focused  on  educating the  patient about  OCD. Her  dose of fluoxetine  was increased  to 40 mg  a  day but discontinued because  of severe restlessness and insomnia.She continued to  take 20  mg of  fluoxetine a day. Starting  another medication in  addition to fluoxetine  was difficult because of the patient  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs  obsessive  thoughts  about  weight gain, the  number  of  pills  she  was  taking, and the  possible side effects . Finally,  the  patient agreed to try adding  clomipramine to her medications. The  results were  dramatic. She  felt  Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  more relaxed † and had less anxiety. She  began to talk, for  the  first  time, about her  abusive  father. She said,  Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  His behavior was always supposed  to be the family  secret. I felt  so afraid  and  anxious I didn't  dare tell  anyone.But now  I  feel better. I don't care who  knows. It  Ã ¢â‚¬Ëœs  cost my  mother  too  much  to  stay  silent. †   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At  this time  the  plan is to begin behavioral therapy with  the  patient  in  addition to medication s  and  supportive therapy to  deal wit  h her  difficulties with relationships. DISCUSSION This is  a complicated  case  with multiple diagnoses: borderline  mental  retardation,  attention deficit disorder,  borderline  personality  disorder,  a  history  of  major depressive disorder and  obsessive compulsive disorder. Given the  level  of  complexity of  this  case and the  patient ‘s  own silence  about her  symptoms,  it  is  not urprising  that this  patient's OCD remained  undiagnosed  for  so  long. However,  in  reviewing  the literature  and the case,  it is instructive to  look  a  t the  evidence that  might  have  led  to an earlier diagnosis. Fir st of  all,  there  was the  finding  of soft neurological deficits. The patient  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs Neuropsychological testing suggested  problems  with  visuospacial  functioning  n visual memory,  as well as  attentional difficulties  and  a  low IQ. In the  past,  her doctors were so impressed  with her history of  cognitive difficulties  that  neuropsychological testing was  ordered  on two separate occasions.Four  studies in the  recent literature have  shown consistent findings of  right hemispheric dysfunction,  specifically  difficulties  in visuospatial  tasks, associated  with OCD  (6,7,8,9). The patient also had a history  of chronic dieting,  and  although  extremely  thin, she continue d to be  obsessed with not  gaining  a single pound. This was  a  patient who took diet  pills for 10  years and who  see earliest memories  involved  her father's disapproval of  her bod  y  ha bitus. Eating  disorders a  reviewed by  some  clinicians  as  a form  of  O C D. O  C D.Swedo and Rapoport (II)  also note  an increased incidence  of  eating disorders in children  and  adolescents  with  OCD. While  this was  no doubt true,  the underlying  obsessional  content pointed directly  to OCD and should have  generated a list of screening questions  for OCD. This underscores  the  need to be  vigilant for diagnostic clues and to perform one's  own diagnostic assessment when  assuming the treatment  of any  patient. While the  literature  makes  it clear that OCD  runs in families,  the  patient was unaware of the  illness  in her family  until after  her diagnosis  was mad  e.It  would have be  en  helpful to know this information  from the  beginning  as it should  immediately  raise a suspicion of OCD in a patient  presenting  with complaints  of  depression and anxiety. Finally,  her diagnosis of borderline  personality  disorder  made  it  easier to pass  off her observable  behavior  in the office as  further  evidence  of  her  character structure. The diagnosis of borderline  personality  disorder was  clear. She  used the  defense of splitting  as evidence d by her descriptions  of her fights  with her boyfriend . H  e was either  Ã¢â‚¬Å"wonderful† or a  Ã¢â‚¬Å"complete bastard. † Her  relationships were  chaotic  and unstable.She had no close friends outside  of her family. She  exhibited  affective instability, marked  disturbance of body  image  and impulsive behaviors. However, it was difficult to discern whether her  symptoms were truly  character logical  or  due  instead  to her underlying  OCD and related  anxiety. For instance,  the  in  stability  in her relationships was,  in  part,  the result  of  her OCD , since  once she  began to obsess  on  something,  she  repeated  herself so much  that  she  frequently  drove others into  a  rage. A  study by Ricciardi,  investigated  DSM-III-R Axis II diagnoses following treatment for OCD.Over  half  of  the  patients in the study  no longer met DSM-III-R  criteria for personality disorders after  behavioral  and  /  or pharmacological treatment  of  their  OCD. The  authors  conclude that  this  raises questions  about  t  he validity  of an Axis  II diagnosis  in the  face  of  OCD. One might also begin  to wonder how many  patients  with personality  disorders  have undiagnosed  O  CD? Rasmussen  and Eisen  found a very high comorbidity of  other Axis I diagnoses in patients  with OCD. Thirty-on  e  percent of patients studied  were  also diagnosed with major  depression, and  anxiety disorders accounted for twenty-four per cent.Other coexisting disorders  included eating disorders, alcohol  abuse  and dependence, and Tourette's syndrome. Baer,  investigated  the comorbidity  of Axis  II disorders  in patients  with OCD  and found that 52  percent  met  the criteria for  at least one  personality  disorder  with mixed,  dependent  and histrionic being  the  most common disorders diagnosed  . Given  the  frequency of comorbidity in patient  s  with OCD,  it would  be wise to include  screening questions  in  every  psychiatric  evaluation. These  need  not  be elaborate. Questions about  checking,  washing,  and ntrusive,  unwanted thoughts can be  simple  and direct. In  eliciting a  family history,  specific  questions about  family members  who check  repeatedly  or  wash  frequently  should  be included. Simply as  king if  any  family member  has  OCD  m  ay  not  elicit   the  information  , since  family members may  also be undiagnosed. In  summary, this  case  represents a complicated  diagnostic  puzzle. Her  past physicians  did not have the  information  we d  o  today  to unravel  the  tangled skeins  of symptoms. It  is  important to be  alert  for  the  possibility  that this  patient ‘s story is not an  uncommon one.BIBLIOGRAPHY * Psychology book (NCERT) * Identical * Suicidal notes * A psychopath test: journey through the world of madness * Disorder of impulse control by Hucker INDEX * Introduction * Case study * Course of treatment * Discussion * Bibliography ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my special thanks and gratitude to my teacher Mrs. Girija Singh who gave me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic ‘obsessive-compulsive disorder’, which also helped me in doing a lot of research and I came to know about so many new things.Secon dly I would also like to thank my family and my friends who helped me a lot in finishing this project. CERTIFICATE This is to certify that Jailaxmi Rathore of class 12 has successfully completed the project on psychology titled ‘obsessive-compulsive disorder’ under the guidance of Mrs. Girija Singh. Also this project project is as per cbse guidelines 2012-2013. Teacher’s signature (Mrs. Girija Singh) (Head of psychology department) 2012-2013 PSYCHOLOGY PROJECT NAME OF THE CANDIDATE: JAILAXMI RATHORE CLASS: XII ARTS B SCHOOL: MGD GIRLS’ SCHOOL

Ethical Issues in Business

2. Ethical Issues in Business. It seems that every day in the news we are hearing of new company that has acted at least unethically and possibly illegally in the operation and financial reporting of their company's business dealings. There are many ethical issues in business. One major issue that we see is over and under reporting net income. Companies like to show that every quarter the net income of the business has an increase or profit. In order to show this they adopt unethical or illegal means in the operation and financial reporting.One such method is the indiscriminate use of stock options for employees that enable companies to take employment costs off balance sheet and inflate earnings. With the recent ethical issues we have had companies over the years it is important that we pay close attention to financial reporting provided by companies. This method will reduce the equilibrium price and increase equilibrium quantity for this company's products and services. The reason for this is that the wage is bill is shown lower than what it actually is. This causes the supply curve to shift to the right.With an increase in supply, if the firm is a monopoly/oligopoly/monopolistic competition, there will be a decline in the price of the product of the firm. In case the firm is operating in perfect competition, there will only be an increase in the quantity the company sells in the market. The scenario described above indicates that there is a shift in the supply curve, in other words the costs are shown to be lower than what they actually are at the time. The supply curve shift to its right but its elasticity is not affected.As the method described above does not relate to demand, the elasticity of demand is not directly affected. Any market structure, perfect, monopoly, oligopoly or monopolistic competition, the same ethical issues arise, the salary cost is underreported because of the use of stock options. This means costs are shown at a lower rate and profi ts are inflated. The decision to show inflated profits is unethical. From the deontological ethical perspective it is the duty of the management to show the correct profits and not inflated profits. Chapter 3, Question 14Assuming that the demand and supply for premium coffees are in equilibrium, the price will be at a constant, without significant pressure from the market. If Starbucks introduced the world to premium blends, this would cause a positive shift in the demand curve. There a higher equilibrium price and higher quantity when demand increases and supply remain unchanged. As prices increase, and the market moves to a new equilibrium, we will see higher wages, more advances and investments in technology and infrastructure, and greater competition.As production become more efficient and competition becomes greater, supply will increase and cause prices to settle back down. There are several factors that will impact the long-term equilibrium, such as changes in supply. For exa mple, if a hard freeze eliminated Brazil’s premium coffee crop, this would cause a negative shift in the supply curve. Assuming demand remains constant a negative shift in the supply curve will cause quantity to decrease and equilibrium price to increase. Research shows that in 2011 a frost occurred in Brazil's southeastern coffee growing belt.Traders worried that next year's yields could be hurt. At the same time, heavy rains during harvest forced Columbia to reduce its crop estimate for 2011. Understanding the impact of problems along the supply chain and how the changes in supply will impact prices in the market allows real world investors to make predictions of price in the future. This is important for businesses along the supply chain as well, in order to â€Å"stay ahead of the curve† when making strategic business decisions. ? Chapter 5, Question 17Assuming there is a large rise in the demand for computer chips and potato chips. Potato chips manufacturers will be able to respond to a rise in demand quicker than a computer chip manufacturer. This is due to the fact that potatoes are more readily available, and the process for making potato chips is not as involved or difficult. The tools, materials and highly skilled labor force it takes to manufacture computer chips are more complex and will require more time to complete. Both manufacturers may attempt to ramp up production by adding another shift to the existing production line.Another option in the short run may be to contract another company to assist with the manufacturing as the demand increases or purchase/rent additional equipment to expand the production lines as needed to keep up with the demand and process request. In the overall big picture the positive shift in demand will put pressure on the market for increased competition. In order to maintain market share and maintain competitive advantage, both manufacturers will need to deliver value to the customer either in the form of a differentiated product or lower prices. In the long run, both of these priorities will be achieved through investment.A decision will have to be made that either investment in more efficient production and supply chain management, or more investment in a better product that stands out in the market. The long run success will also be dependent on the abilities of the entire supply chain to keep up with demand. If the demand is large but you are unable to meet the demand and supply the products it means nothing. The disadvantage of the potato chip company is that no matter how many potato chip factories you build, the manufacturer is still at the mercy of how many potato crops can be grown in a given season.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Chapter 9 Review Questions

Fred Bear MAIR 1449. 02 3-24-11 R. Q. Unit 9 (E. B. ) 1. What is magnetism? When two pieces of iron are attracted to each other by physical means or electrical means. 2. Torque is A. Strength that a motor produces by turning. 3. A magnetic field is D. All the above. 4. True or False: A permanent magnet is a piece of material that has been magnetized and can hold its magnetic strength for a reasonable length of time. True. 5. How is an electromagnet produced? Through electricity. 6. Which of the following produces the best electromagnet? B. soft iron 7.Unlike poles of a magnet repel each other and like poles attract each other. 8. What part does polarity play in the operation of an electric motor? It allows the motor to run continuously. 9. What part of a motor produces an inductive magnetic field within itself to facilitate the rotating motion? Rotor and stator. 10. What part does the frequency of alternating current play in the operation of an electric motor? Helps change polarity 1 20 times a second. 11. What would be the speed of a two-pole motor operating on a 120 volts 60 Hertz power supply? 3450rpm 12. What are the five types of single-phase motors used in the industry? 3. Which of the following correctly lists the motor’s starting torque from lowest to highest? B. Shaded pole, three phase, permanent split capacitor, capacitor start. 14. Which of the following is a common use of a shaded pole motor? A. Furnace fan motor. 15. How does a shaded pole motor operate? The shaded poles produce a magnetic field that is out of phase with the magnetic field of the main winding. 16. How can a shaded pole motor be reversed? The stator must be reversed to change the positions of the shaded poles, and this usually means disassembling the motor. 17.What determines the rotation of a shaded pole motor? B. Location of shaded pole. 18. Draw a diagram of a three speed, shaded pole motor. 19. What enables a split phase motor to develop enough torque to begin rotation? T he method of splitting the phase of incoming power to produce a second phase of power, giving the motor enough displacement to start. 20. What removes the starting winding from the electrical circuit of an open type split phase motor once it reaches 75% of its operating speed? Centrifugal switch. 21. What are the three probable areas of trouble in a split phase motor?The bearings, windings, and the centrifugal switch. 22. What is the unit of measurement for the strength of a capacitor? C. microfarad. 23. What is the purpose of the capacitor? To boost the starting torque or running efficiency of a single phase motor. 24. What is the difference between a running and a starting capacitor? Starting capacitors are usually made of plastic and used to assist a single phase motor in starting. A running capacitor has an oil filled case and is mainly used to increase a motor’s running efficiency. 25. List the five capacitor replacement rules. 1.The voltage of any capacitor used for rep lacement must be equal or greater than that of the one being replaced. 2. The strength of the starting capacitor replacement must be at least equal to but not more than 20% greater than the one being replaced. 3. The strength of the running capacitor replacement may vary by plus or minus 10% of the strength of the one being replaced. 4. If capacitors are installed in parallel, the sum of the capacitors is the total capacitance. 5. The total capacitance of capacitors in series may be found in the following formula: 26. Explain the operation of a permanent split capacitor motor.It has two windings, running and starting. A running capacitor is put in series with the starting winding. The capacitor causes the electron to flow through the starting winding to shift it out of phase with the running winding. Therefore, a rotating magnetic field is set up, causing the rotor to turn. 27. How are a PSC motor and a capacitor start capacitor run motor similar? C. Both use starting relays. 28. Wh at are the advantages and disadvantages of using the following types of motors? A. Shaded pole motor- 29. What are the similarities between an open type split phase motor and a capacitor start motor?C. Both have a centrifugal switch. 30. Which of the following is an advantage in using a three phase motor? B. Stronger. 31. Draw a wiring diagram of a capacitor start capacitor run motor: 32. True or false: All starting apparatuses are mounted externally to the hermetic compressor shell. True. 33. What is the purpose in troubleshooting any electric motor? 34. Which of the following is the capacitance of an 88 uf and a 108 uf starting capacitor connected in series? A. 196uf. 35. Which of the following is the capacitance of two 20 uf running capacitors connected in parallel? B. 20uf. 36.If a capacitor produces 15 A on a 240 volt supply, which of the following is its microfarad rating? A. 166 uf. 37. Which of the following capacitors could be used to replace a 35 uf, 370 volt running capac itor? B. 35uf, 390 volt. 38. Which of the following capacitors could be used to replace a 188 uf, 250 volt starting capacitor? C. 200uf, 250 volts. 39. Which of the following capacitors or combination of capacitors could be used to replace a 45 uf 370 volt running capacitor? A. 40uf, 440 volt. 40. Which of the following capacitors or combination of capacitors could be used to replace an 88uf 250 volt starting capacitor?D. 150uf, 250V. 41. Find the common, start, and run terminals of the following hermetic compressor. 42. Briefly explain the procedure for troubleshooting hermetic compressor motors. Electrically taking resistance readings of the windings with a good ohmmeter. 43. What are the electrical failures categories for hermetic compressor motors? Open, shorted, or grounded. 44. What precautions should be taken when checking hermetic compressor motors? Infinity. 45. What would be the highest allowable resistance reading for a grounded compressor motor? Zero. 46.What are the adv antages of using an electronically commutated motor over a PSC motor? 47. Explain the construction of an ECM. The direct current converters convert the alternating current that the power company supplies to direct current, which can then be regulated to vary the speed of the motor. 48. An ECM is a B. Three-phase DC motor. 49. True or False: The resistance readings of the windings of a properly operating ECM should be equal. False. 50. True or False: The line voltage power supply of an ECM should never be disconnected or connected with the power on. True.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Limited Liability and Partnership Corporation Essay

Limited Liability and Partnership Corporation - Essay Example This stipulation becomes of significant value when the company defaults or files for bankruptcy subsequently initiating a liquidation process. 2) Auditing Ease: - Limited liability companies require much less paperwork and bookkeeping than corporations. Also some of the standard laws of the company’s ordinance applicable on corporations do not apply on limited liability companies such as annual general meeting, appointment of directors, annual reports, etc. 3) Advantageous Tax Treatment: - A limited liability company has the privilege of being taxed as a sole proprietorship, partnership or a corporation. This fact is of significant value as several entities may chose different options depending on the state tax laws in place. 4) Avoiding Double Taxation: - Unlike corporations, Limited liability companies do not have to face double taxation, although the shareholders have limited liability. In corporations, taxes are applicable at the corporate level first and then at the share holder level. Such is not the case with a limited liability company (Jitman, 2009). ... This fact does not allow a limited liability company to gauge loans or investments easily as most lenders seek personal assurances in case of default which defeats the purpose of LLC. 2) Managerial Difficulties: - This new form of the business organization is understood by most stakeholders involved initially which results in managerial difficulties in determining the chain of command to people within and outside the organization. Creditors are reluctant to lend as they do not quite understand who is responsible. (Mclaney, 2009) Partnership Introduction: - A partnership is an association of individuals or an unincorporated company that is formed by two or more persons, created by agreement along with proof of existence and personal liability of owners in case of default or liquidation of the company (Mclaney, 2009). Partnerships are characterized by intricacies in terms of defining relationships between partners themselves and relationship of the partnership company among the outside world. The problem of relationship between the partners is sorted out with a legal binding contract that lays down the framework of the company along with individual and collective responsibilities. Members in a partnership can stretch from 2 to 20 depending on the need of capital and other necessities of the business (Jitman, 2009). The assets of a business are owner by the partners and the partners are jointly or severely responsible for fulfilling liquidation clauses and terms in case of default, including keeping their personal assets at stake for paying creditors. Each partner is deemed to be an agent of the business hence if a partner is carrying out business related

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Recommendation proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Recommendation proposal - Essay Example In this report, I give an explanation on better solution identified by the state welfare committee and present our findings after comparison of substance abuse mental disorder cases in the state. Together with the social welfare committee, we have considered the following solutions: There has been a big increase of substance mental disorder cases over the past couple of years. Excessive drinking of alcohol has been one of the major causes. This increase is attributed to ignorance, violation of rules controlling sale and drinking of alcohol not having effective public sensitization programs on dangers of abusing alcohol and lineament punishment to the offenders. The enforcement of laws that govern alcohol sale and consumption is a major step. This can de enhanced by employing more policemen and giving them relevant patrol facilities. This will deter the law breakers from going against the regulations that control alcohol sale and consumption. More social workers should be employed and trained to educate the public on the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. In addition, the social worker should be empowered and facilitated by more training and finances to educate the public. Further, the social workers should innovate more ways to educate and create more forums to sensitize the public. There are bar attendants selling alcohol to patrons which are already drunk to maximize the profit. In addition, others extend the time limits contributing to an increase in excessive alcohol consumption. Laws should be enacted to give stiff penalties to these offenders to deter them violating the law. For the first offenders, the fines should be more and the second offenders’ licenses should be suspended and the offenders jailed. The fines for patron who engage in binge drinking should be more and repeat offenders should be taken to rehabilitation centers. There were 1040 cases of substance abuse mental disorder in 2012. Through recruiting more

Leadership themes in World and American Hist Essay

Leadership themes in World and American Hist - Essay Example Subsequently, Deng implemented a development plan for the foundation of the Chinese economy known as the ‘Four Modernization policy’ (Benson, 2013). The approach focused on key development sectors such as agriculture, defense, industrialization, science, and technology. According to Benson (2013), Deng paid more attention to agriculture since it was the main economic and social activity in China (80%). Investing in agriculture would reduce poverty and hunger levels; hence, increasing the national economic growth. The modernization of the industry had more setbacks compared to other policies leading to a slow growth (Benson, 2013). However, agriculture provided a foundation for science and technology that would be used in mechanization of agriculture and production of ammunition for the military. Additionally, it also attracted urban and rural workers due to the high pays leading to higher rates of economic development. In the long-run, the economic growth under Deng’s reign attracted foreign investors that also contributed positively to the development. China also signed international treaties that linked its market to the global markets. The foundation of the CPP was a major political revolution in China under Deng (Benson, 2013). However, he had to change the political ideologies of most of the leaders. Consequently, he initiated a plan to eliminate some of the higher-ranking leaders in the party to ensure that the new members would follow his rule. He slowly dismantled China’s socialist ideas by adopting the Marxist-Leninist thought. The proposal had both political and economic benefits since his network of leaders made sure that it infiltrated the Chinese villages (Benson, 2013). China was under an imperial leadership structure that did not allow for any uprising from the public. Deng presented a political ideology that was recognized internationally mostly due to the previous notion of the enemy and

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Literary criticism of article on The Ehics of Genetic Engineering Essay

Literary criticism of article on The Ehics of Genetic Engineering - Essay Example In fact, people have more to fear from the restriction of this technology in the sense that giving up on its benefits, in favor of outdated moral arguments, could lead to more harm than good. Although Koepsell prescribes regulation in order to control potential abuses of this technology, he does not provide a political or scientific framework for managing the risks associated with genetic engineering and gives a rather cursory look at the moral arguments against new technologies. With these weaknesses in mind, one should nonetheless take Koepsell’s warnings seriously, as they are not only applicable to genetic engineering but a wide variety of novel fields in the application of scientific research. The author begins by giving the basic science behind genetic engineering, which includes basic information about DNA, genes, and genetic disorders. He also approaches the issue of ethical challenges, including the secular and non-secular objections to genetic engineering. Secular ar guments tend to focus on dignity at the species level. However, this objection fails in that there is no room for non-arbitrary distinctions between human DNA and the DNA of other species. Consistency in this case requires hands-off for both human DNA and that of crops. The non-secular arguments tend to focus on genetic engineering as something opposed to â€Å"nature†. ... This cost/benefit analysis is presumed to have moral significance because it focuses specifically on things that human beings value most. If genetic engineering is beneficial to all of these different areas of human life, then it necessarily must be good. Koepsell devotes some attention to drawbacks of the technological advances; however, the only drawback that is addressed is the inherent unpredictability of genetic crossbreeding between engineering and non-engineered genomes. This is exemplified both in human populations, where gene therapies can have potentially harmful effects on populations, and in agriculture, where the spread of genes is more uncontrollable and less conscious. However, Koepsell’s section on drawbacks is not as positive as one might hope: it is interspersed with language like â€Å"will improve,† â€Å"scientific breakthrough,† and â€Å"testing should be employed† (Koepsell 13-15). One can tell immediately that this section on drawb acks is not a value-neutral account of the actual dangers of the technology, but is rather fodder for the author’s arguments for more research. Appropriately, this section leads into considerations of â€Å"justice† and â€Å"equity,† which are two primary ethical concerns of scientific research. The author considers straw-man situations such as those found in science fiction to dispute the theory of a genetically-derived underclass, and begins to acknowledge the difficulty of trusting policymakers to provide â€Å"rational oversight and regulation of germline modifications in humans† (18). The purpose of regulation, the author contends, is to provide a just and equitable distribution of benefits to a society. Accordingly, instead of having only the rich able

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Importance and Benefits of Wetlands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Importance and Benefits of Wetlands - Essay Example One can imagine the importance of wetlands by the idea that these wetlands provide sources on which the ecosystems are based. These wetlands actually provide support to the entire ecosystems. There are some plants species that can only and specifically survive in the wetlands i.e. water lilies, sedges, cypress, cattails, mangroves and many more other species. These plant species, which are specific in the wetlands and can only grow in a certain environment, are the food for many other living organisms. Therefore, we can say that the wetlands provide food for certain living organisms in the form of different plants. Like plants, there are many other marine animals, which are only specific to the wetlands. These animals are also wetland specific and cannot live in any other area except wetland. The rate of moisture can be seasonal or permanent on these wetlands. Similarly, in these wetlands the water can be different depending upon the nature of wetland. It can be fresh water, salt wat er, marshes, brackish water. The water present on the wetlands can be used in different ways. Like many other things in the natural environment, the wetlands are also disturbed by the human activities. The human beings are using these wet lands for their own construction and other purposes. Another reason behind the problems with the wetlands is the increasing rate of pollution and specially water pollution. These pollution resources are actually destroying the natural habitat of many species, which are specific to the wetlands and cannot grow with a wetland area. The negative impacts of human activities are very clear on these wetlands because they are being cleared or eroded by the human beings. This erosion may destroy the natural chemical makeup of all the species, which are related to the habitat of wetlands and thus a major portion of the wetlands can be shattered.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Bitter Competition The Holland Sweetener Company Versus NutraSweet Essay

Bitter Competition The Holland Sweetener Company Versus NutraSweet. Harvard Business School 9794079 Rev November 13, 2000 - Essay Example The company might also use its strong brand equity to combat threats of competition. Even though it gained a name in the consumer market, NutraSweet's revenue still largely come from other business organizations like Coke and Pepsi. In response to the entry of competitors, the company is expected to further forged stronger partnerships with them by giving them special discounts or by decreasing its prices outright. With the aforementioned discussion, it a price war is more likely to happen between NutraSweet and Holland Sweetener Company (HSC). In competing in the market, HSC will capitalize in its production efficiency which will enable it to price more competitively. In fact, what HSC really desires is the lower the price level of aspartame in the market. With this move, it is expected that NutraSweet will respond competitively by lowering its prices especially in the industrial sector. However, in the consumer segment, NutraSweet will maintain its prices and further differentiate its products from the offering of other industry entrants.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) Essay Example for Free

Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) Essay 1. Introduction: To accelerate the progress of sanitation in rural areas, Government of India is implementing from 1.4.2012, the ‘Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA)’, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme [earlier Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC)]. Similarly, to provide drinking water to rural population in adequate quantity, the Govt. of India is implementing a centrally sponsored Scheme called the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP). New Delhi: The union cabinet Wednesday gave its approval for restructuring of â€Å"Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan† into Swachh Bharat Mission. The programme is aimed at creating a clean India by 2019 with peoples participation. The cabinet has approved the Swachh Bharat Mission, union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prasad said the mission will be launched Oct 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The prime minister has been striving to make the mission a mass movement. The cabinet also approved a Swachh Bharat Mission for urban areas, which will be part of a joint Swachh Bharat Mission which has another component for rural areas. The drinking water and sanitation ministry will implement the programme in rural areas while the urban development ministry will do the same in urban areas. The Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan will be restructured into the Swachh Bharat Mission with two sub-missions Swachh Bharat Mission (rural) and Swachh Bharat Mission (urban). Budgetary provisions for the two sub-missions will be provided separately in the demand for grant of the ministries of drinking water and sanitation (for rural) and ministry of urban development (for urban), an official statement said. â€Å"I take this pledge that I will remain committed towards cleanliness and devote time for this. I will devote 100 hours per year — that is two hours per week — to voluntary work for cleanliness. I will neither litter nor let others litter. I will initiate the quest for cleanliness with myself, my  family, my locality, my village and my work place. I believe that the countries of the world that appear clean are so because their citizens don’t indulge in littering nor do they allow it to happen. With this firm belief, I will propagate the message of Swachh Bharat Mission in villages and towns. I will encourage 100 other persons to take this pledge which I am taking today. I will endeavour to make them devote their 100 hours for cleanliness. I am confident that every step I take towards cleanliness will help in making my country clean.† Narendra Modi 2. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: The present goal under NBA is to achieve 100% access to sanitation for all rural households by 2022. Under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA), the Goal is now pre-phoned to make India Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2019 by construction of individual, cluster community toilets; and villages will be kept clean, including through solid and liquid waste management through Gram Panchayats. Water pipelines have to be laid to all villages enabling tap connection into households on demand by 2019. In this matter, co-operation and convergence of all Ministries, Central State schemes, CSR bilateral/multilateral assistance may become necessary as well as new innovative ways of funding such interventions. In a federal set-up like ours, where sanitation and water are state subjects, it is all the more important that states take the initiative to complete all activities to achieve Swachh Bharat by 2019 by dove-tailing all schemes Central or State. Swachh Bharat Mission: Facts and Figures Project Cost: Rs. 1,96,009 crore Project Start Date: 2nd October 2014 Project Estimated End Date: 2nd October 2019 Ministries Involved in Project: Ministry of rural development, ministry of urban development, ministry of drinking water and sanitation, Public Sector Undertakings ( PSUs), corporations, NGOs, state governments etc. Purpose of Project: To make India a filth-free country in five years, to construct community and public toilets in rural and urban areas, to provide running water supply, to treat waste water, to keep roads, pavements and localities clean etc. 3. BACKGROUND: 3.1 Individual Health and hygiene is largely dependent on adequate availability of drinking water and Proper sanitation. There is, therefore, a direct relationship between water, sanitation and health. Consumption of unsafe drinking water, improper disposal of human excreta, improper environmental Sanitation and lack of personal and food hygiene have been major causes of many diseases in Developing countries. India is no exception to this. Government started the Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP) in 1986 primarily with the objective of improving the quality of life of the rural People and also to provide privacy and dignity to women. 3.2 The concept of sanitation was expanded to include personal hygiene, home sanitation, safe water, Garbage disposal, excreta disposal and waste water disposal. With this broader concept of sanitation, CRSP adopted a â€Å"demand driven† approach with the name â€Å"Total Sanitation Campaign† (TSC) with effect From 1999. The revised approach emphasized more on Information, Education and Communication (IEC), Human Resource Development, Capacity Development activities to increase awareness among the rural people and generation of demand for sanitary facilities. This enhanced people’s capacity to Choose appropriate options through alternate delivery mechanisms as per their economic condition. The Programme was implemented with focus on community-led and people centred initiatives. Financial incentives were provided to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households for construction and usage of Individual household latrines (IHHL) in recognition of their achievements. Assistance was also extended for construction of school toilet units, Anganwadi toilets and Community Sanitary Complexes (CSC) apart From undertaking activities under Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM). 3.3 To give a fillip to the TSC, Government of India also launched the Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) that Sought to recognise the achievements and efforts made in ensuring full sanitation coverage. The award Gained immense  popularity and contributed effectively in bringing about a movement in the community for attaining the Nirmal Status thereby significantly adding to the achievements made for increasing the Sanitation coverage in the rural areas of the country. 3.4 Encouraged by the success of NGP, the TSC is being renamed as â€Å"Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan† (NBA). The Objective is to accelerate the sanitation coverage in the rural areas so as to comprehensively cover the rural community through renewed strategies and saturation approach. Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) envisages covering the entire community for saturated outcomes with a view to create Nirmal Gram Panchayats with following priorities: Provision of Individual Household Latrine (IHHL) of both Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Identified above Poverty Line (APL) households within a Gram Panchayat (GP). Gram Panchayats where all habitations have access to water to be taken up. Priority May be given to Gram Panchayats having functional piped water supply, Provision of sanitation facilities in Government Schools and Anganwadis in Government Buildings within these GPs Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) for proposed and existing Nirmal Grams Extensive capacity building of the stake holders like Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) and field functionaries for Sustainable sanitation. Appropriate convergence with MNREGS with unskilled man-days and skilled man-days 4. OBJECTIVES: The main objectives of the NBA are as under: a) Bring about an improvement in the general quality of life in the rural areas. b) Accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to achieve the vision of Nirmal Bharat by 2022 with all gram Panchayats in the country attaining Nirmal status. c) Motivate communities and Panchayati Raj Institutions promoting sustainable sanitation facilities through awareness creation and health education. d) To cover the remaining schools not covered under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Anganwadi Centres in the rural areas with proper sanitation facilities and undertake proactive promotion of Hygiene education and sanitary habits among students. e) Encourage cost  effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainable Sanitation. f) Develop community managed environmental sanitation systems focusing on solid liquid waste Management for overall cleanliness in the rural areas. 5. STRATEGY: The strategy is to transform rural India into ‘Nirmal Bharat’ by adopting the community led and People centred strategies and community saturation approach. A demand driven approach is to be continued with emphasis on awareness creation and demand generation for sanitary facilities in houses, Schools and for cleaner environment. Alternate delivery mechanisms would be adopted to meet the Community needs. The provision of incentives for individual household latrine units to the poorest of the poor households has been widened to cover the other needy households too so as to attain Community outcomes. Availability of water in the Gram Panchayat shall be an important factor for sustaining sanitation facilities created. Rural School Sanitation remains a major component and an entry Point for wider acceptance of sanitation by the rural people. Wider technology options are being provided to meet the customer preferences and location- specific needs. Intensive IEC Campaign is the Corner stone of the programme involving Panchayati Raj Institutions, Co-operatives, ASHA, Anganwadi Workers, Women Groups, Self Help Groups, and NGOs etc. A roadmap for engagement of corporate houses is being introduced. More transparent system involving social audit and active people’s participation in the implementation process of NBA is being introduced. Convergence with MNREGS shall also be Important to facilitate the rural households with fund availability for creating their own sanitation Facilities. 6. IMPLEMENTATION: The Guidelines of NBA and the provisions hereunder are applicable with effect from 01.04.2012. Implementation of NBA is proposed with ‘Gram Panchayat ‘as the base unit. A project proposal that Emanates from a district is scrutinized and consolidated by the State Government and transmitted to The Government of India (Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation) as a State Plan. NBA is to be Implemented in phases with start-up activities. Funds are  to be made available for preliminary IEC work. The physical implementation gets oriented towards satisfying the felt-needs, wherein individual Households choose from a menu of options for their household latrines. The built-in flexibility in the Menu of options gives the poor and the disadvantaged families opportunity for subsequent up gradation Depending upon their requirements and financial position. In the â€Å"campaign approach†, a synergistic Interaction between the Government agencies and other stakeholders is essential. To bring about the desired behavioural changes for relevant sanitary practices, intensive IEC and advocacy, with Participation of NGOs/ Panchayati Raj Institutions/resource organizations is envisaged. NBA will be implemented with a district as the project. The States/UTs are expected to Prepare/revise NBA Projects for all the districts, consolidate at State level as State Plan and submit Before the Government of India. 7. COMPONENTS OF NBA The Programme components and activities for NBA implementation are as follows: (a) Start-Up Activities: The start-up activities include a. Conducting of preliminary survey to assess the status of sanitation and hygiene practices. b. Base line survey. c. Orientation of key personnel at the district/GP level. d. Preparation of State Plan. The cost of Start-up activities will be met from the IEC funds up to Rs. 10 Lakh. Additional fund. Requirement, if any, shall be met by the State. (b) IEC Activities: Information, Education and Communication (IEC) are important components of the Programme. These intend to trigger the demand for sanitary facilities in the rural areas for households, schools, Anganwadis and Community Sanitary Complexes through behavioural change. The activities carried out under these components should be area specific and should also involve all sections of the rural Population. IEC is not a one-time activity. IEC  strategy and plan to be drawn to include creation of Demand leading to construction and use in a sustained manner. IEC should be conducted at all tiers i.e. Districts, Blocks and Gram Panchayat. A national communication strategy framework has been developed by Government of India giving Emphasis on Inter Personal Communication (IPC) at the grassroots level. The states are to evolve their own strategy using folk media, mass media and also outdoor media like wall painting, hoarding etc. The IEC should also focus on health and hygiene practices and environmental sanitation aspects. Interpersonal communication and door to door to door contact are recognised as the most Significant tools for attaining the programme goals. In order to strengthen communication machinery at the village level with participatory social mobilization, guidelines for engagement of village level Motivators (Swachchhata Doot / Sanitation Messengers) have been issued separately. As part of this Strategy, in addition to Swachchhata Doots, field functionaries like Bharat Nirman Volunteers, ASHA, Anganwadi workers, School Teachers etc. can also be engaged at the village level for demand creation and taking up behaviour change communication. The motivator can be given suitable incentive from the Funds earmarked for IEC. The incentive will be performance based i.e. in terms of motivating the Number of households and schools/ Anganwadis to construct latrines and use them. Each project district should prepare a detailed IEC plan along with the Annual Action Plan with Defined strategies to reach all sections of the community. The aim of such a communication plan is to motivate rural people to adopt hygiene behaviour as a way of life and thereby develop and maintain all Facilities created under the programme. The Annual IEC Action Plan should be duly approved by the DWSC/DWSM. The Communication and Capacity Development Units (CCDUs) / Water and Sanitation Support Organisations (WSSOs) set up at the state level must support the districts in developing a good IEC plan and also in implementing it. Observance of Sanitation Day/ Sanitation Week / Sanitation Fortnight should be essential component of the Annual Action Plan. For effective dissemination of the IEC material, funds may also be provided under this component To blocks and gram Panchayats for execution of works. The development of such material executed by the Panchayats may be standardized by the district or the CCDU. The IEC funds should be broadly divided into pre Nirmal and Post- Nirmal phase so as to have Funds for sustaining the movement. The project districts, however, shall have the flexibility of deciding this division depending on the baseline survey reports and rate of acceleration of sanitation coverage. Funds available under IEC may be used for imparting hygiene education to the rural communities, General public, as well as children in schools. The IEC plan should include a component for rising Awareness among school going children, teachers and PTAs. IEC funding will be in the ratio of 80:20 between GOI and the State Governments and the total IEC Cost including start up grant will be limited to 15% of the total project cost. (c) Capacity Building: This component is for training of VWSC and PRI members, block and district functionaries and Grass root functionaries like ASHA and other health, education and related functionaries, Anganwadi Workers etc. SHGs can be trained in trades such as masonry work, brick-making, toilet pan making and Plumbing etc. as also for awareness raising activities. NGOs/CBOs of repute can be engaged for this Activity. State Resource Centres and Regional / District Resource Centres should be identified for Conducting such trainings. Capacity building funding will be in the ratio of 80:20 between GOI and the State Governments and will be limited to 2% of the IEC budget. (d) Construction of Individual Household Latrines: A duly completed household sanitary latrine shall comprise of a Toilet Unit  including a super Structure. The programme is aimed to cover all the rural families. Incentive as provided under the Scheme may be extended to all Below Poverty Line (BPL) Households and Above Poverty Line Households (APL) restricted to SCs/STs, small and marginal farmers, landless labourers with homestead, physically handicapped and women headed households. The construction of household toilets should be undertaken by the household itself and on completion and use of the toilet; the cash incentive can be given to the household in recognition of its achievement. The incentive amount to Below Poverty Line (BPL) household/identified APLs for construction of one unit of IHHL shall be Rs.4600.00n (Rs.5100.00 for difficult and hilly areas). The central share out of this shall be Rs.3200.00 (Rs.3700.00 in case of hilly and difficult areas) and State Government share shall Be Rs.1400.00. Minimum beneficiary share shall be Rs.900.00 in cash or labour. State Governments are allowed the flexibility to provide higher incentive for a household toilet, of the same or higher unit costs from their own funds. All houses constructed with the central or/and state assistance should invariably Have suitable sanitation facility as an integral part. However, all houses constructed by the beneficiaries Under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) or any other state rural housing scheme which did not have toilets shall also be eligible for the incentive as above for creation of sanitation facilities for the targeted groups Under NBA. APL families not covered by the above incentives will take up construction of the household Latrines on their own through motivation. The IEC activities will provide comprehensive coverage to all the families in the GP without exceptions. APL families facing cash crunch may access the revolving fund as outlined in the guidelines. Construction of bucket latrines is not permitted in the rural areas. The existing bucket latrines, if any, should be converted to sanitary latrines and the sharing pattern for incentive for the targeted Beneficiaries shall be identical to that of construction of individual house hold latrines. Ministry of Rural Development notification Number S.O.l022 (E) dated  04.05.2012 regarding Convergence of TSC with MNREGS will be mutatis mutandis applicable for convergence with NBA. (e) Rural Sanitary Marts and Production Centers: The Rural Sanitary Mart is an outlet dealing with the materials, hardware and designs required for The construction of sanitary latrines, soakage and compost pits, vermi-composting, washing platforms, Certified domestic water filters and other sanitation hygiene accessories required. RSMs should Ensure that a variety of pans (ceramic, mosaic, HDP, fiberglass) are available for choice by the Beneficiaries. RSM should necessarily have those items, which are required as a part of the sanitation Package. It is a commercial venture with a social objective. The main aim of having a RSM is to provide Materials, services and guidance needed for constructing different types of latrines and other sanitary Facilities for a clean environment. Production Centers are the means to produce cost effective affordable Sanitary materials at the local level. They could be independent or part of the RSMs. The Production Centers/Rural Sanitary Marts could be opened and operated by SHGs / women Organizations/Panchayats/NGOs etc. Support of private entrepreneurs may also be taken for ensuring An effective supply chain. DWSM/DWSC should have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the RSMs/PCs along with A system of joint monitoring evolved to ensure that the RSMs PCs are on track with production plans As per requirement. RSMs should have a method of quality certification of its products and a band of Trained masons and motivators. Quality standards (where notified by BIS or by MoDWS) for each of the items of purchase should Be strictly adhered to. An interest free loan up to Rs.3.5 lakh can be given for establishing RSM/PC out of revolving fund Available with the district. In case more RSMs are required, a maximum of up to Rs.35 Lakh from the Revolving Fund can be utilized for this purpose. Loans from the revolving fund for RSM/PC shall be Recovered in 12-18 instalments after one year from the date of receiving the  loan. (f) Provision of Revolving Fund in the District The revolving fund may be given to Cooperative Societies or Self Help Groups whose Creditworthiness is established, for providing cheap finance to their members. Loan from this fund Should be recovered in 12-18 instalments. NBA projects will have the flexibility to decide the other Terms and conditions for sanction of the revolving fund. This revolving fund can be accessed by APL Households not covered for incentives under the guidelines. Loan can also be given to the owner of the Household where Anganwadi centre is located for construction of baby friendly toilet provided the ICDS Authorities agree to refund the loan from the rent paid to the house owner. 5% of the District project Outlay subject to a sum of up to Rs.50 Lakh, can be used as revolving fund. The revolving fund is shared Between Centre and State on an 80:20 basis. (g) Community Sanitary Complex: Community Sanitary Complex is an integral component of the NBA. These Complexes, comprising An appropriate number of toilet seats, bathing cubicles, washing platforms, Wash basins etc., can be set Up in a place in the village acceptable and accessible to all. Ordinarily such complexes should be Constructed only when there is lack of space in the village for construction of household toilets and the Community owns up the responsibility of their operation and maintenance. The ultimate aim is to Ensure construction of maximum IHHLs and construction of community complexes will be restricted to Only when IHHLs cannot be constructed, for whatever reason, and also teach the community of â€Å"Hygiene practices†. The maintenance of such complexes is very essential for which Gram Panchayat Should own the ultimate responsibility. User families may be asked to contribute a reasonable monthly User charge for cleaning maintenance. The proposal for putting up CSC will be approved by the National Scheme Sanctioning Committee (NSSC). Such complexes can also be made at public places, Markets, etc. where large scale congregation of people takes place. Suitable maintenance guidelines May be adopted by the community to ensure proper maintenance of the complex. Maximum unit cost prescribed for a community sanitary complex is up to Rs.2 lakh. Sharing Pattern amongst Central Government, State Government and the community is in the ratio of 60:30:10. The community contribution, however, can be made by the Panchayat out of its own resources, from Grants of the Thirteenth Finance Commission or from any other fund of the State duly permitted by it. (h) Institutional Toilets: Children could be a good channel to influence parents to adopt proper sanitary habits. Children are More receptive to new ideas. Schools/Anganwadis are appropriate institutions for changing the Behaviour, mind-set and habits of children from open defecation to the use of lavatory through Motivation and education. School Toilets: Toilets in all types of Government Schools should be constructed. Emphasis should be given to Toilets for Girls in Schools. Toilet should provide access opportunity to children with special needs. A Toilet unit consists of a toilet and minimum of two urinals. Separate toilet units for girls and boys should Be provided in all co-educational schools, which are to be treated as two separate units and each unit is Entitled to Central assistance. The number of toilet units to be constructed should be adequate to meet The requirements of the school as per the strength of the students attending the school. State/UT Governments, Parent-Teachers Association and Panchayats are free to contribute from their own Resources over and above the prescribed amount. In addition to creation of hardware in the schools, it is essential that hygiene education is imparted To the children on all aspects of hygiene. For this purpose, at least one teacher in each school must be Trained in hygiene education who in turn should train the children through interesting activities and Community projects that emphasize hygiene behaviour. The expenditure for this purpose can be met From the IEC fund earmarked for the project. The district and Panchayat implementing agencies should Ensure  good coordination with Department of Education and Health other partners in order to fulfil The objective of SSHE i.e. to provide a safe, healthy learning environment to all children. The Central assistance per unit will be restricted to 70 percent for a unit cost of Rs.35,000 (Rs.38,500 in case of hilly and difficult areas). Funding for School Sanitation in a NBA Project is provided By the Central and State Government in the ratio of 70:30. Anganwadi Toilets: In order to in still the practice of using a toilet in children from very early stage in life, it is essential That Anganwadis are used as a platform of behaviour change for the children as well as the mothers. For This purpose, each Anganwadi should be provided with a baby friendly toilet. Since there are a large Number of Anganwadis operating from private premises, following strategy may be adopted: a) In all the Anganwadis, which are in Government buildings, baby friendly toilets should be Constructed from the NBA funds provided. b) In those Anganwadis, which are in private buildings, the owner must be asked to construct The toilet as per design, and, he/she may be allowed to charge enhanced rent for the Building to recover the cost of construction. c) Alternatively, the toilet may be constructed from revolving fund component under the NBA And, suitable deductions made from the monthly rental paid to the owner to recover the Cost over a period of time. Unit cost of a toilet shall be up to Rs.8,000 (Rs.10,000 in case of hilly and difficult areas) for each Anganwadi in the rural areas. Financial assistance to be given by Government of India will be restricted To Rs.5,600 (Rs.7,000 in case of hilly and difficult areas). Additional expenses can be met by the State Government, Panchayats or funds from Thirteenth Finance Commission, MPLADS, MLALADS, MNREGS Etc. Construction of Anganwadi toilets is to be prioritised in the 200 high focused districts to assist in Tackling the issue of malnutrition. All government buildings constructed with financial support of the Centre must have appropriate Sanitation facilities under the respective schemes as an integral component of the scheme. This is Considered essential to achieve the vision of ‘NIRMAL BHARAT’.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

John Locke And 18th Century Materialists Philosophy Essay

John Locke And 18th Century Materialists Philosophy Essay John Locke, the British philosopher and physician, is considered to be one of the most prominent figures of the Age of Enlightenment; he is also sometimes referred to as the Father of Liberalism. Drawing on the philosophical principles of Francis Bacon, his predecessor, and the progress of contemporary natural science with what it could offer philosophy in terms of contributing to its progress John Locke developed the theory of empiricism that had a profound influence on French materialists of the Enlightenment Age. In his first book Essay Concerning Human Understanding John Locke laid down his major principles of the human mind being what can be described as tabula rasa, a blank on which people write what they acquire from their experience. He contrasted his major principle of cognition to Descartes ideas of innatism claiming people would not be able not to recognize the existence of such ideas if only they possessed them. Lockes also referred to the way different people learn throughout their lives, and how basic principles they are guided with vary for different people and at different periods of time. As human experience is the only source of knowledge, people depend on their senses in acquiring knowledge. Thus Lockes theory is also known as sensualism. According to Locke, the experience should be seen as either external or internal. The former, also called sensation, provides us with what we know about the objects of the external world (or what we suppose to be such, as there is no evidence, according to Locke, of their actual physical existence). These can be, for example, sounds, motion, color, size, etc. The internal experience, or reflection, is expressed in such human processes as knowing, believing, doubting etc., all of which are related to our internal operations of the spirit caused by the influence of objects. Also, Locke discriminates between simple and complex sensations and reflections, depending on whether they can be reduced to more simple elements (e.g. rotundity) or they are such that cannot be reduced to more simple components. Complex ideas that we have about complex elements can be also distinguished into three groups: ideas of substance, ideas of mode and ideas of relationship. The first group includes certain simple ideas of a given object that has its core characteristics; the ideas of mode are a combination of ideas presented by human mind, which are the reflection of the mode or features of existing things. The ideas of relationship derive from human comparison of ideas and may include certain relationship and cause or other types of relations. Besides, Locke stipulated the existence of general ideas that come as a result of isolating the universal, abstract idea from the actual object due to its being common to several sensations. Thus the humans collect abstract ideas, which are regarded as the cognitive process of nominalization. Having given a detailed theory of human cognition process, John Locke emphasized the value of education by claiming that he thought that it may be said that of all the men we meet with, nine parts of ten were what they were, good or evil, useful or not, were made by their education. (Locke, 1979). It is important to see what implications Lockes ideas had for ethics and political theory both of his contemporaries and further periods of human history. In his ethical principles Locke approaches Rationalism. As there are no innate moral ideas human well-being becomes the key the criterion of moral actions. Human experience demonstrates that all people try to find more pleasure and avoid pain. Yet if people are rational in their pursuit of pleasure they will come to principles of cooperation that will result in the general happiness and welfare coinciding with individual emotions. Therefore it is in the best interests of people to think of others, to be focused on general good, both in terms of their daily routine and what may come after their lives in this world. Locke supported religious freedom (being himself born into a Puritan family) and was against dogmatic approach to religious principles emphasizing on the ethical principles of Christianity. Specifically focusing on tolera nce, Locke rejected atheism and Roman Catholicism. Those ideas and principles expressed by an outstanding philosopher that were probably most valued by different people and prominent political leaders in different countries are those associated with political theories. Locke postulated that all people were created equal (the principle referred to by the US Constitution and its founders expressing their admiration of Locke). No person had the right over other persons life, health, liberty, or possessions. The state had to be result of peoples concession and had to be guided by natural laws. Rights of property had to be valued, and each person had to exercise his or her right over the products of their labor. Therefore Locke is justly looked upon as the founder of liberalism in politics, with his influence extending far to other thinkers and their theories. Similarly to Locke, La Mettrie was a man with broad academic background typical for great thinkers of his time. He, like Locke, also found his main opponent in the personality of Rene Descartes contrasting his principles to the latters principles of rationalism, or truth through knowledge. For La Mettrie truth came through experience, and this principle of empiricism makes him what can be described as Lockes disciple. Another point of debate was that Descartes claimed animals were machines. La Mettrie argues with Descartes about what he termed as an absurd system. In his best-known work Man a Machine, though, La Mettrie comes closer to principles of Descartes who considered the soul as a separate entity from the body and denied the soul in men, thus recognizing only the mind, which, according to him, was merely a function of the brain. Further in his book, La Mettrie surveyed the philosophy of materialism and atheism. In contrast to John Lockes principles, La Mettrie denied that the natural world could serve as the evidence of God. According to him, all the evidences of a creator, repeated thousands and thousands of times, were the evidences that placed far above the comprehension of men. The natural consequence is his next idea that life might be completely without purpose. La Mettrie considered the essence and attributes of matter. He claimed that its main property was the ability to move. This feature is universal for describing any objects in the world and therefore can be hardly argued with. For La Mettrie the human soul was not more than the physical functions of the body not proved by any evidence of physiology. Being consistent in applying his theories to humans La Mettrie brought to the maximum the principles of the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. Having the medical academic background, La Mettrie cited examples from anatomy, physiology, and psychology showing the functions of the body as the basis of what philosophers considered to be a soul. His claim was that people were so closely related to animals that there hardly was a difference between them. La Mettries man was organic, self-moving (as part of any matter), active; the philosopher made no distinction between conscious, or voluntary movement and unconscious, or instinctive move ment. Other important implications of La Mettries theory were those connected to moral issues. He viewed the moral problems as something that needed to be associated with physiological nature of human beings. For him the good and the evil were merely arbitrarily notions constructed social structures out of their own interests and with the aim of serving their own needs, which not only could not be corroborate by natural science but also contradicted it and the nature of an individual. La Mettrie went as far as stating that by recognizing the arbitrary nature of moral principles developed by mankind and its institutions people would get better chances of getting happiness for them and accept wider frameworks of behavior patterns. According to him, the society could not dispose of its members that their behavior aimed at personal happiness was contrary to its principles. The objects of La Mettrie acute criticism was in particular Christianity as a moral systems, because he believed that it was based on an adequate and distorted principles of addressing the human nature. La Mettrie philosophy can be seen as starting from John Lockes basic principles of empiricism, sensualim and liberalism but then departing from them far enough to get to atheism and the kind of materialism that exaggerated the physiological nature of human beings, underestimating the principles of their social behavior and thus reducing them to creatures not bound by moral principles or social laws.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Botanical Garden Importance Essay

Botanical Garden Importance Essay The topic for this essay is the role of botanical gardens in plant conservation. The essay will be divided into four main parts. The first part discuss about the botanical garden. This part will include the introduction, history and development, network and function of botanical garden. Second part will explain the importance of plant conservation and the global strategy for plant conservation. The third part is the role of botanical garden in plant conservation. The fourth part will be the example of botanical garden in Malaysia and its roles in plant conservation. The last part will be the conclusion of the essay. 2.0 Botanical Gardens 2.1 Introduction Botanical gardens or botanic gardens are generally well-tended parks displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names. They may contain specialist plant collections such as cacti and succulent plants, herb gardens, plants from particular parts of the world, and so on; there may be greenhouses, again with special collections such as tropical plants, alpine plants or other exotic plants. Botanical gardens are often run by universities or other scientific research organizations and often have associated herbaria and research programmes in plant taxonomy or some other aspect of botanical science. In principle their role is to maintain documented collections of living plants for the purposes of scientific research, conservation, display and education, although this will depend on the resources available and the special interests pursued at each particular garden. 2.2 History and Development The origin of modern botanical gardens can be traced to European medieval medicinal gardens known as physic gardens, the first of these being founded during the Italian Renaissance in the 16th century. This early concern with medicinal plants changed in the 17th century to an interest in the new plant imports from explorations outside Europe as botany gradually established its independence from medicine. In the 18th century systems of nomenclature and classification were devised by botanists working in the herbaria and universities associated with the gardens, these systems often being displayed in the gardens as educational order beds. With the rapid rise of European imperialism in the late 18th century botanic gardens were established in the tropics and economic botany became a focus with the hub at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, near London. Over the years botanical gardens, as cultural and scientific organisations, have responded to the interests of botany and horticulture. Nowadays most botanical gardens display a mix of the themes mentioned and more: having a strong connection with the general public there is the opportunity to provide visitors with information relating to the environmental issues being faced at the start of the 21st century, especially those relating to plant conservation and sustainability. 2.3 Network Worldwide there are now about 1800 botanical gardens and arboreta in about 150 countries (mostly in temperate regions) of which about 400 are in Europe, 200 in North America, 150 in Russia and an increasing number in East Asia. These gardens attract about 150 million visitors a year so it is hardly surprising that many people gained their first exciting introduction to the wonders of the plant world in a botanical garden. Historically, botanical gardens exchanged plants through the publication of seed lists. This was a means of transferring both plants and information between botanical gardens. This system continues today although the possibility of genetic piracy and the transmission of invasive species have received greater attention in recent times. The International Association of Botanic Gardens was formed in 1954 as a worldwide organisation affiliated to the International Union of Biological Sciences. More recently coordination has also been provided by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) which has the mission To mobilise botanic gardens and engage partners in securing plant diversity for the well-being of people and the planet. BGCI has over 700 members- mostly botanic gardens- in 118 countries and strongly supports the Global strategy for plant conservation by producing a range resources and publications, and by organizing international conferences and conservation programs. Communication also happens regionally. In the United States there is the American Public Gardens Association and in Australasia there is the Botanic Gardens of Australia and New Zealand (BGANZ). 2.4 Role and Function Botanic gardens have had a changing role throughout history, beginning often as medicinal gardens for the study and cultivation of plants with healing properties and going through many phases including of course as pleasure gardens. But the fact that their collections are more or less scientific means they are continually adapting and serving the needs of their societies in evolving ways as new challenges face those societies. In current times, they are becoming key players in both the conservation of plants and in the education of the people who come to see them. They are also starting to play a role in the mitigation of the effects of climate change, and could be absolutely vital to the survival of the planet as they are perfectly placed to help move species around and help ecosystems to adapt to new climates in different regions. 3.0 Plant conservation 3.1 Importance Plants are universally recognized as a vital part of the worlds biological diversity and an essential resource for the planet. In addition to the small number of crop plants used for basic food and fibres, many thousands of wild plants have great economic and cultural importance and potential, providing food, medicine, fuel, clothing and shelter for vast numbers of people throughout the world. Plants also play a key role in maintaining the planets basic environmental balance and ecosystem stability, and provide an important component to the habitats for the worlds animal life. At present we do not have a complete inventory of the plants of the world, but it is estimated that the total number may be in the order of 300,000 species. Many of these species are in danger of extinction, threatened by habitat transformation, over-exploitation, alien invasive species, pollution and climate change. The disappearance of such vital and large amounts of biodiversity poses one of the greatest challenges for the world community: to halt the destruction of the plant diversity that is so essential to meet the present and future needs of humankind. Plant conservation, long the poor relation of the conservation world, has started to come into its own since the rise of conservation biology as a recognized discipline in the 1980s. Plant conservation, and the heritage value of exceptional historic landscapes, was treated with a growing sense of urgency. Specialist gardens were sometimes given a separate or adjoining site, to display native and indigenous plants. 3.2 Off-site plant conservation Off-site conservation is the conservation of plants away from their areas of natural occurrence. The term ex situ is frequently used to describe the off-site conservation. Off-site conservation not only include growing the plants in botanic gardens, the concept extends as well to field gene banks, clonal collections, and germ plasma banks where propagating tissues and seeds are preserved for growing in the future. Off-site conservation can involve a range of plant parts-the whole plant, seed, other tissues, or genetic material in culture. Whole, living plants have particular value for conservation and will continue to be a major concern of off-site conservation. But conserving whole plants is not simple. To capture the range of genetic variation, such collections require large number of plants; these are expensive to establish and maintain. If the plants are annuals, they will require seasonal replication. Outside their natural habitat some plants may require hand pollination and special treatment of fruit and seeds to ensure germination. It is fortunate that improving technology is making storage as seeds, seedlings, rhizomes, tissues in culture, and even DNA an option for many plants. 3.3 Global Strategy for Plant Conservation The entry point for the strategy is plant conservation; other aspects such as sustainable use, benefit-sharing and capacity building are also included. The Strategy provides an innovative framework for actions at global, regional, national and local levels. The strategy is supported by a wide range of organizations and institutions governments, intergovernmental organizations, conservation and research organizations (such as protected-area management boards, botanic gardens, and gene banks), universities, research institutes, nongovernmental organizations and their networks, and the private sector. The most innovative element of the Strategy is the inclusion of 16 outcome-orientated targets, aimed at achieving a series of measurable goals by 2010. 3.3.1 Objectives The ultimate and long-term objective of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation is to halt the current and continuing loss of plant diversity. The Strategy will provide framework to facilitate harmony between existing initiatives aimed at plant conservation, to identify gaps where new initiatives are required, and to promote mobilization of the necessary resources. The Strategy will be a tool to enhance the ecosystem approach to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and focus on the vital role of plants in the structure and functioning of ecological system and assure provision of the goods and services such systems provide. 4.0 Role of Botanical Gardens in Plant Conservation Botanic gardens have collectively accumulated centuries of resources and expertise that now means they play a key role in plant conservation. Many of these activities contribute to ex situHYPERLINK http://www.bgci.org/ourwork/ex_situ/ conservation, but botanic gardens also play an important role in in situHYPERLINK http://www.bgci.org/ourwork/Ecosystems/ conservation Horticulture and cultivation skills allow us to grow plants that might be lost in nature, which means their plants diversity can be conserved in the gardens, but also allows us to consider restoration and rehabilitation of degraded habitats. Living collections of plants collect species under various groupings, to maintain a living store of genetic diversity that can support many activities in conservation and research. Seed banks and collections of living plants allow species to be safeguarded. Plants must be carefully collected stored to ensure maximum genetic diversity is retained, and much research is required to determine the best way of storing each species. This is the conservation of plant diversity in situ, and botanic gardens are key to this strategys capacity and success.. Research and development into plant taxonomy and genetics, phytochemistry, useful properties, informing selection of plants that can withstand degraded and changing environments (especially important in face of the threats posed by climate change). Education is a strength of botanic gardens that allows them to communicate the importance of conserving plants, reaching out to diverse audiences, and also to communicate how this may be achieved. Linking plants with the well-being of people, and also helping conserve indigenous and local knowledge, to encourage the sustainable use of plant resources for the benefit of all, as part of sustainable development. The conservation of plant diversity is critical for sustainable development and botanic gardens are playing a key role as centres of conservation action. Gardens maintain a wide range of species as living plants, in seed banks and tissue culture; according to estimation of BGCI, there are probably over 80,000 species in cultivation in botanic gardens of the current estimate of 270,000 known plant species in the world. Botanic gardens contain collections of plants for education, scientific purposes and display; they can be: Taxonomically-based collections of a particular family, genus or group of cultivars; Collections of native plants; Plants which share a common geographical or ecological origin such as Mediterranean, desert or alpine; Wild relatives or cultivars of useful species such as medicinal, aromatic or textile plants; Shared habit or life form such as an orchard, arboretum or succulent collection. Botanic gardens also have important conservation collections particularly of rare and threatened plants. According to the IUCN Red List of threatened plants 34,000 taxa are considered globally threatened with extinction. Currently, over 10,000 threatened species, approximately a third, are in botanic garden cultivation. These plants contribute to species recovery programmes and provide long-term backup collections. Botanic gardens undertake research from plant taxonomy, ecology to breeding systems. With their expertise in horticulture, botanic gardens develop propagation and cultivation methods for plants which have never been in cultivation. All these areas are essential for species recovery programmes and reintroduction of plants into the wild, such as developing techniques to reintroduce the Dragon Trees into the wild. A major cause of biodiversity loss is the over-collection of wild plants for horticulture, medicine and food. Bringing plants into cultivation can take the pressure off the wild populations, and also support livelihoods by generating income and promote trade Botanic gardens also manage protected areas within and outside their garden to promote biodiversity. These ecosystems such as forests, bush land, catchment areas, and coastal areas provide essential services from the generation of water, cycling of nutrients and replenishment of soil fertility and prevention of erosion which are vital to the livelihoods of all people. One of the major causes of species decline is invasive alien species which threaten plants, plant communities and ecosystems. Botanic gardens with their skills in identification and horticulture monitor invasive species and work locally and nationally to restore habitats that are important for diversity. Botanic gardens work with their local communities and visitors on education and environmental conservation programmes which promote environmental awareness and sustainable living. Globally, botanic gardens receive more than 200 million visitors a year. Further, botanic gardens are key institutions working with their governments and other organisations on key policies, national biodiversity strategies and action plans. 5.0 Botanic Garden in Malaysia Rimba Ilmu 5.1 Introduction Rimba Ilmu is a tropical botanical garden, set up in the University of Malaya campus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is modelled after a rain forest garden concept rather than a formal flower garden. It emphasises the flora of the Malaysian and Indonesian region. Together with the living collections of over 1,600 species, the Rimba Ilmu also houses the University of Malaya herbarium (acronym KLU) and has its own Environmental Education Programme. The Rimba Ilmu is a member of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and the South East Asia Botanic Gardens Network. Rimba Ilmu means The Forest of Knowledge in the Malay language. The garden, established in 1974, occupies an area of 80 hectares. It is partly buffered by old rubber plantings and the living collections, mostly from Malaysia, are one of the most important biological conservatories in Malaysia. There are also plant species from other parts of tropical Asia, the Pacific islands, Australia, South America, Africa and Madagascar. Rimba Ilmus mission is to generate and promote awareness and knowledge of tropical plant life and its environment, ecology and conservation through the development and management of facilities and activities appropriate to its function in a university located within Malaysias most developed and populated landscape. The Herbarium (a reference library of preserved plant specimens) is Malaysias largest university collection containing some 63,000 accessions. In the Garden, there are several main show collections, including medicinal plants, palms, and the citrus and citroid collection. The Conservatory of Rare Plants and Orchids, opened in 2000, and the Fernery, with planting establishments made over several years and commissioned in 2003, are accessible only to special group visits and research contacts, and a new bambusetum (living collection of bamboos) was completed at the end of 2003 and generally accessible to the public. There is also a small research collection of bananas. A highlight in the development of the Rimba Ilmu is the establishment of a special arboretum (living collection of trees) beginning in 2001 as the anchor for our Millenium Forest project, which seeks to engage friends and concerned parties in establishing biologically diverse forest plantings in making a new forest withi n the city of Kuala Lumpur. Besides having a general collection of species from a variety of plant families selected for teaching, Rimba Ilmu is also developing various special collections ranging from those of medicinal plants, wild orchids, palms, pandan, tropical fruit trees, gingers, aquatic plants, wild citrus relatives to rare and endangered plants in need of conservation. 5.2 Role in Plant Conservation Rimba Ilmu is an important repository for many types of plants, including conservation collections of rare and endangered plants, and special collections of the useful plants (such as citruses and starch palms) and their wild relatives. In 2001, two other special collections, bamboos (sponsored by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute) and bananas (anchored by one of the universitys research groups in banana cytology), were also begun. Over 2004-5, with the assistance of DHL and involving their employees, a special collection of Malaysian forest trees has also been established. Outside of the Rimba Ilmu, it may be very difficult to observe so many different species of some groups, and the habitats of some of these plants may have already been altered or damaged. Conservation also involves public awareness, and visitors are first treated to a permanent exhibition on Rain Forests when they start to get familiar with the Garden. 6.0 Conclusion Botanical gardens maintain a wide range of species as living plants, in seed banks and tissue culture. Thus, botanic gardens contain collections of plants for education, scientific purposes and display. In conclusion, the botanical garden play an important role as the ex situ conservation for plant and also in situ conservation site. The conservation of plant diversity is critical for sustainable development and botanic gardens are playing a key role as centres of conservation action.