Japanese Number Seven History and Superstitions

Japanese Number Seven History and Superstitions Seven appears to be a universally lucky or holy number. There are many terms that include the number seven: seven wonders of the world, seven deadly sins, seven virtues, the seven seas, seven days of the week, seven colors of the spectrum, the seven dwarfs, and so on. Seven Samurai (Shichi-nin no Samurai) is a classic Japanese movie directed by Akira Kurosawa, which was remade into, The Magnificent Seven. Buddhists believe in seven reincarnations. The Japanese celebrate the seventh day after a babys birth, and mourn the seventh day and seventh week following a death. Japanese Unlucky Numbers It seems that every culture has lucky numbers and unlucky numbers. In Japan, four and nine are considered unlucky numbers because of their pronunciation. Four is pronounced shi, which is the same pronunciation as death. Nine is pronounced ku, which has the same pronunciation as agony or torture. In fact, some hospitals and apartments dont have rooms numbered 4 or 9. Some vehicle identification numbers are restricted on Japanese license plates, unless someone requests them. For example, 42 and 49 at the end of plates, which are linked to the words for death (shini æ ­ »Ã£  «) and to run over (shiku è ½ ¢Ã£  ). The full sequences 42-19, (proceeding to death æ ­ »Ã£  «Ã¨ ¡Å'㠁 ) and 42-56 (time to die æ ­ »Ã£  «Ã©  Æ') are also restricted. Learn more about unlucky Japanese numbers on my Question of the Week page. If you are not familiar with Japanese numbers, check out our page for learning Japanese numbers. Shichi-fuku-jin The Shichi-fuku-jin (ä ¸Æ'ç ¦ Ã§ ¥Å¾) is the Seven Gods of Luck in Japanese folklore. They are comical deities, often portrayed riding together on a treasure ship (takarabune). They carry various magical items such as an invisible hat, rolls of brocade, an inexhaustible purse, a lucky rain hat, robes of feathers, keys to the divine treasure house and important books and scrolls. Here are the names and the features of the Shichi-fuku-jin. Please check out the color image of the Shichi-fuku-jin at the top right of the article. Daikoku (Ã¥ ¤ §Ã© »â€™) - The god of wealth and farmers. He holds a big bag filled with treasures on his shoulder and an uchideno-kozuchi (lucky mallet) in his hand.Bishamon (æ ¯ËœÃ¦ ²â„¢Ã©â€"€) - The god of war and warriors. He wears a suit of armor, a helmet and is armed with a sword.Ebisu (æ  µÃ¦ ¯â€Ã¥ ¯ ¿) - The god of fishermen and wealth. He holds a large, red tai (sea bream) and a fishing rod.Fukurokuju (ç ¦ Ã§ ¦â€žÃ¥ ¯ ¿) - The god of longevity. He has an elongated bald head and a white beard.Juroujin (Ã¥ ¯ ¿Ã¨â‚¬ Ã¤ º º) - Another god of longevity. He wears a long white beard and a scholars cap, and is often accompanied by a stag, which is his messenger.Hotei (Ã¥ ¸Æ'è ¢â€¹) - The god of happiness. He has a jolly face and a big fat belly.Benzaiten (Ã¥ ¼ Ã¨ ² ¡Ã¥ ¤ ©) - The goddess of music. She carries a biwa (Japanese mandolin). Nanakusa Nanakusa (ä ¸Æ'è â€° means seven herbs. In Japan, there is a custom to eat nanakusa-gayu (seven herb rice porridge) on January 7th. These seven herbs are called, haru no nanakusa (seven herbs of spring). It is said that these herbs will remove evil from the body and prevent illness. Also, people tend to eat and drink too much on New Years Day; therefore it is an ideal light and healthy meal that contains a lot of vitamins. There are also the aki no nanakusa (seven herbs of autumn), but they are not usually eaten, but used for decorations to celebrate the week of the autumn equinox or the full moon in September. Haru no nanakusa (æ˜ ¥Ã£  ®Ã¤ ¸Æ'è â€°) - Seri (Japanese parsley), Nazuna (shepherds purse), Gogyou, Hakobera (chickweed), Hotokenoza, Suzuna, SuzushiroAki no nanakusa (ç §â€¹Ã£  ®Ã¤ ¸Æ'è â€°) - Hagi (bush clover), Kikyou (Chinese bellflower), Ominaeshi, Fujibakama, Nadeshiko (pink), Obana (Japanese pampas grass), Kuzu (arrowroot) Proverbs Including Seven Nana-korobi Ya-oki (ä ¸Æ'è » ¢Ã£  ³Ã¥â€¦ «Ã¨ µ ·Ã£  ) literally means, seven falls, eight getting up. Life has its ups and downs; therefore it is an encouragement to keep going no matter how tough it is. Shichiten-hakki (ä ¸Æ'è » ¢Ã¥â€¦ «Ã¨ µ ·) is one of the yoji-jukugo (four character kanji compounds) with same meaning. Seven Deadly Sins/Seven Virtues You can check out the kanji characters for seven deadly sins and seven virtues on our Kanji for tattoos page.

Solutions for Teaching in an Overcrowded Classroom

Solutions for Teaching in an Overcrowded Classroom One of the biggest issues facing schools and teachers today is overcrowding. A combination of an increasing population and a decrease in funding has caused class sizes to soar. In an ideal world, class sizes would be capped at 15 to 20 students. Unfortunately, many classrooms now regularly exceed 30 students, and it is not uncommon for there to be more than 40 students in a single class. Classroom overcrowding has sadly become the new normal. The issue is unlikely to go away anytime soon, so schools and teachers must create workable solutions to make the best out of a bad situation. Problems Created by Overcrowded Classrooms Teaching in an overcrowded classroom can be frustrating, overwhelming and stressful. An overcrowded classroom presents challenges that can feel nearly impossible to overcome, even to the  most effective teachers. Increasing class sizes is a sacrifice many schools have to make in order to keep their doors open in an era where schools are underfunded. Overcrowded classrooms create a number of problems for modern school systems, including: There is not enough of the teacher to go around. Students perform better when the teacher is able to give one-on-one or small-group instruction on a regular basis. As classroom size increases, this becomes increasingly difficult to do. Overcrowding increases classroom discipline issues. Large classes packed with students provide more opportunities for personality conflicts, tension, and general disruptive behavior. Even the best teachers find it difficult to manage an overcrowded classroom successfully and can find themselves spending more time managing their classroom than they do teaching. Struggling students fall further behind. Average and below-average students will struggle to advance in an overcrowded classroom. These students need more direct instruction, one-on-one instructional time and minimal distractions to maximize their learning potential. Standardized test scores suffer. While many teachers would argue that there is an overemphasis placed on test scores especially in America’s public schools, the chance of successfully improving proficiency on a standardized test decreases as the number of students in the classroom increases. The overall noise level is increased. This is an expected result when you increase the number of students in the classroom. Louder classrooms translate to distractions making it more difficult for students to learn and for teachers to teach. Teacher stress is increased often leading to teacher burnout. More students translate to more stress. Many excellent teachers are opting to leave the profession because it is not worth the stresses they deal with on a daily basis. Overcrowding leads to less access to equipment and technology. Space is already at a premium for many schools and there often is not enough room to accommodate specialties such as science or a computer lab. District Solutions to Overcrowded Classrooms Increasing class sizes should be the last resort for any school district. It should never be a starting point. There are many other ways to trim a budget. If all other options are exhausted, then schools may be forced to enact what is known as a reduction in force, where teachers and staff are laid off for budgetary reasons and class sizes subsequently increase. Even with tight budgets, districts can take certain actions to ease overcrowding issues: Take advantage of ability grouping. Schools should use benchmark assessments to determine student placement. Class sizes should be kept relatively small for those who perform unsatisfactorily. Students who are strong academically have less to lose in an overcrowded classroom. Provide teachers with an aide. Providing a teacher with an aide can help decrease the burden on the teacher. Aides receive a lower salary, so placing them in overcrowded classrooms would improve the student/teacher ratios while keeping costs low. Lobby for more funding. Schools administrators and teachers should regularly lobby their state and local representatives for more funding. They should keep them apprised of issues overcrowding is causing. Administrators can also invite them to spend time at their school so that they can see the impact of overcrowding. Solicit local donations. Private schools are able to keep their doors open due to tuition and to a large extent by soliciting donations. In tough financial times, public school administrators should not be afraid to solicit donations either. Teachers across the country have sought and used public donations for everything from technology upgrades to classroom basics like notebooks and paper. Every dollar counts and even garnering enough donations to hire an extra teacher or two each year can make a significant difference. Apply for grants. There are thousands of grant opportunities made available to schools each year. Grants exist for almost everything including technology, supplies, professional development and even teachers themselves. Teacher Solutions to Overcrowded Classrooms Teachers in an overcrowded classroom must be exceptionally organized. They have to be well prepared every day. They must develop a fluid system through trial and error to maximize the time they have with their students. Teachers can generate solutions for overcrowded classrooms by: Creating energetic and engaging lessons: Every lesson must be enticing, energetic and fun. It is easy for students in any class to be distracted and lose interest, but this is especially true in a large classroom. Lessons must be fast-paced, unique and full of attention grabbers. Tutoring struggling students who need more time after school: There simply is not enough time to provide struggling students with the one-on-one time that they need. Tutoring these students two to three times a week after school gives them a better shot at being successful. Assigning seats and rotating when necessary: With a large class, teachers must be structured, and this starts with strategically placed assigned seats. Students who are low academically and/or are behavior issues should be assigned seats toward the front. Students who are high academically and/or are well behaved should be provided seats toward the back. Understanding that the dynamics in an overcrowded classroom will be different: It is essential that teachers understand that there are significant differences in a classroom of 20 students compared to a classroom of 30 or 40. Teachers have no control over how many students are in their classes, so they cannot allow themselves to become stressed due to things that are out of their control. Teachers should understand that they are not going to be able to spend time with each student every day. They should understand that they will not get to know each student on a personal level. That is simply the reality in an overcrowded classroom. Lastly, structure is very important in any classroom but especially so in a classroom with lots of students. Teachers need to establish clear rules and expectations on day one, and then follow through as the year progresses. Clear rules and expectations will help create a much more manageable class- where students know what they are required to do and when- especially an overcrowded one.

Legalization of Marijuana (medicinal purposes only) Research Paper

Legalization of Marijuana (medicinal purposes only) - Research Paper Example For instance, in â€Å"Drugs: The Facts About Marijuana,† Ted Gottfried claims that â€Å"cannabis was used during the last half of the nineteenth century to treat gout, migraine headaches, rheumatism, hysteria, depression, loss of appetite, childbirth pains, and many other conditions† (11). During this time in history, marijuana was used extensively for its medicinal purposes. It was much beneficial but lacked consistency and standardization in the drug’s strength. Hence, slowly, the use of the drug for medicinal purposes declined. By the mid 1960’s, marijuana became the most abused illegal drug of the country. In the 1969 concert famously known as Woodstock, the use and abuse of marijuana created an outrage. Thus, from the 1970’s onwards, marijuana was not only illegal but was a serious crime against the law. Central to this debate today is whether to legalize its use or not and if to legalize, the limitations to be imposed. In religious, politica l and economic scenes, proponents have mainly based their arguments on the plant’s medicinal benefits while opponents cite issues to do with crime rate and health consequences e.g. brain damage among others. For instance, in 1996, the state of California legalized the use of marijuana in medical institutions for the relief of certain problems such as nausea and migraines. Contrary to this is the harm that marijuana legalization would entail. Thus, majority of the U.S. are against its legalization. In Ian Thomson’s â€Å"Inhaling: The Changing Significations of Marijuana in Hegemonic and Subcultural Discourses, from Antiquity Through its Prohibition,† he claims that the use of marijuana â€Å"had cost U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Douglas Ginsburg, a seat on the bench in 1987, a fact undoubtedly not lost on fast-rising political star Bi11 Clinton. He suggestively pointed out that similar use during the 1988 campaign by Bruce Babbit and Al Gore did no harm to their political careers† (3). The current American President, Barrack Obama, also admitted to have used it rather frequently in his early years. However, Obama, unlike Ginsburg, made it clear in numerous occasions that he is against marijuana legalisation but claimed that new ways need to be formulated. Kayla Morgan elucidates this in a work entitled â€Å"Legalizing Marijuana,† by saying that raids and prosecution of marijuana users would no longer be necessary (7). Nevertheless, the debate still remains open to question. The legalization of marijuana can be seen from two general perspectives, that is, from its advantages and disadvantages. Marijuana legalisation, being a controversial issue across the world, has both its pros and cons but in essence, its pros far outweigh its cons. It is important to appreciate that other people’s views are necessary in developing landmark legislations. This calls for the need to look keenly into the moral and economic issues that s urround marijuana use, whether it be for medicinal use or as a normal recreational drug. It is also quite necessary to dig deeper into the reasons as to why this issue is controversial, as well as the possible reasons people fight for its prohibition; one being its moral implications. In â€Å"Legalizing Marijuana,† Kayla Morgan states, â€Å"Legalizing marijuana is a moral issue for people on both sides of the debate† (10). These people argue that legalizing marijuana is morally wrong not because of its health or economic basis but because it manipulates

Nature and Causes of the Declining Political Participation in the Research Paper

Nature and Causes of the Declining Political Participation in the United States - Research Paper Example 2008). Ultimately, numerous people think that the government is not functioning in a useful way in society and fails to grant authority for the system they resist by taking part in it. A Brief History of U.S. Political Participation Historically, the United States has the lowest ranks of political participation, as determined by voter turnouts, of any leading industrial democracy. The United States is ranked below other highly industrialized democratic countries, excluding Switzerland, a country known for its steady electioneering and repudiation, until in recent times, to grant women suffrage rights, in cross-country turnout. G. Bingham Powell Jr. (1986 as cited in Crotty 1991), evaluating trends of political participation across 19 modern democratic countries, assumed that â€Å"voter turnout in the United States is severely inhibited by its institutional conflict†¦ the U.S. was disadvantaged by voluntary registration, unevenly competitive electoral districts, and very weak l inkages (perceptual and organizational) between parties and social groups† (pp. 25-26). Powell (1986 as cited in Crotty 1991) concludes that party system and institutional variables slow down turnout and registration processes, primary causes of the low ranking of the United States in terms of political participation compared to other countries. Robert W. Jackman, in a similar study of levels of political participation in 19 modern democratic nations, although opposing Powell over the function of the political traditions of a country in influencing the political participation rates, stresses the role of political institutions, such as electoral guidelines, political... Historically, the United States has the lowest ranks of political participation, as determined by voter turnouts, of any leading industrial democracy. The United States is ranked below other highly industrialized democratic countries, excluding Switzerland, a country known for its steady electioneering and repudiation, until in recent times, to grant women suffrage rights, in cross-country turnout. G. Bingham Powell Jr. (1986 as cited in Crotty 1991), evaluating trends of political participation across 19 modern democratic countries, assumed that â€Å"voter turnout in the United States is severely inhibited by its institutional conflict†¦ the U.S. was disadvantaged by voluntary registration, unevenly competitive electoral districts, and very weak linkages (perceptual and organizational) between parties and social groups† (pp. 25-26). Powell (1986 as cited in Crotty 1991) concludes that party system and institutional variables slow down turnout and registration processes, primary causes of the low ranking of the United States in terms of political participation compared to other countries. Robert W. Jackman, in a similar study of levels of political participation in 19 modern democratic nations, although opposing Powell over the function of the political traditions of a country in influencing the political participation rates, stresses the role of political institutions, such as electoral guidelines, political parties, and national electoral districts, in forming electorates (Ramakrishnan 2005).

Is Jealousy Ever a Good Thing Essay Example for Free

Is Jealousy Ever a Good Thing Essay Jealousy has always been one of the meanest quality of mankind. What is worse is that, it is almost inevitable. In one way or another, jealousy enters our lives, naturally and sometimes unconsciously, creating suffering for ourselves and others. As events from history and daily life have shown, human’s failure to stay away from this instinct has led to ruined relationships, suffering for everyone involved, and even demoralization. Let’s take Cesare Borgia as an example of how dangerous jealousy is to human. As the oldest son of the powerful Pope Alexander VI of Vatican, Cesare is said to have everything, from wealth to land and power. Compared to his brother Giovanni, however, Cesare himself felt inferior. He was sick of seeing Giovanni taking away from him beautiful women and more affection from the Pope, as well as losing more important military duties and national honor in to his brother. In situations like this, it is human nature to feel jealous, but Cesare’s extreme envy led him to kill his brother. Now having gained absolute power, it is ironic that Cesare was still not happy. His father was so upset that he imprisoned himself in a palace for a long time, and Cesare was detested by Giovanni’s wife and many family members. From the story, it is startling how jealousy can make people do crazy things and turn brotherhood into rivalry, degrading moral values and causing agony to everyone. Daily life proves to be a huge source of evidences for the negative effects of jealousy. I feel sad to see the way some of my friends at school treat each other like rivals. Because of excessive competitiveness in academics, the scene of some classmates making fun of somebody else’s low grade is not uncommon. I am astonished at the way many students turn so indifferent whenever I ask them for help with my homework, and the way they wish each other to fail exams so that they can climb to the top of the class. People may argue that being jealous of others’ success gives them extra determination. They must have not realized that friendship is more important than superficial achievements. By being jealous, they actually develop a selfish attitude, and sacrifice what may have become their lifelong friendships. Among the many ways to achieve our goals, being jealous is absolutely the worst one, for proofs from both history and daily life have shown that it can destroy friendships and creates rivalry. Unless people can avoid it and take others’ success as a model and motivation for themselves to make progress, they will never have what they want.

Symbols and Symbolism in Lord of the Flies :: Lord Flies Essays

Symbolism in Lord of the Flies In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, the boys who are stranded on the island come in contact with many unique elements that symbolize ideas or concepts. Through the use of symbols such as the beast, the pig's head, and even Piggy's specs, Golding demonstrates that humans, when liberated from society's rules and taboos, allow their natural capacity for evil to dominate their existence. One of the most important and most obvious symbols in Lord of the Flies is the object that gives the novel its name, the pig's head. Golding's description of the slaughtered animal's head on a spear is very graphic and even frightening. The pig's head is depicted as "dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth," and the "obscene thing" is covered with a "black blob of flies" that "tickled under his nostrils" (William Golding, Lord of the Flies, New York, Putnam Publishing Group, 1954, p. 137, 138). As a result of this detailed, striking image, the reader becomes aware of the great evil and darkness represented by the Lord of the Flies, and when Simon begins to converse with the seemingly inanimate, devil-like object, the source of that wickedness is revealed. Even though the conversation may be entirely a hallucination, Simon learns that the beast, which has long since frightened the other boys on the island, is not an external force. In fact, the head of the slain pig tells him, "Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill! Ö You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?" (p. 143). That is to say, the evil, epitomized by the pig's head, that is causing the boys' island society to decline is that which is inherently present within man. At the end of this scene, the immense evil represented by this powerful symbol can once again be seen as Simon faints after looking into the wide mouth of the pig and seeing "blackness within, a blackness that spread" (p. 144). Another of the most important symbols used to present the theme of the novel is the beast. In the imaginations of many of the boys, the beast is a tangible source of evil on the island. However, in reality, it represents the evil naturally present within everyone, which is causing life on the island to deteriorate. Simon begins to realize this even before his encounter with the Lord of the Flies, and during one argument over the existence of a beast, he attempts to share his insight with the others.

Difference Between Domestic and International Marketing

Difference between international marketing and domestic marketing First, International marketing is facing a more complex market environment . Domestic marketing is conducted in this country and so faced corresponding structure of the market environment is relatively simple ,which consists of those factors that are more familiar to companies — the domestic political, economic, legal, cultural and so on. However, International marketing is facing a more complex environment, it's a market with multi-level structure.This is because those companies who engage in international marketing , will inevitably be subjected to the world market environment. Which requires companies to face the world market environment, including the world's political, military, economic, technological and other aspects. Second, International marketing is facing more Uncertainties factors The contradiction between subjective understanding and objective reality, coupled with the volatility of the objective p rocess, international marketing facd more uncertainties factors for the companies .Compared with domestic marketing, it's more difficult to make sure the total demand, purchasers and competitors and more difficult to investigate and predict wholesale segment, retail structure, buying habits in international marketing. Third, International marketing is facing more diverse selection of marketing programs Companies in the domestic market, although also need to deal with different regions and different programs for different target markets, different strategies, and even the use of different promotions, but the overall program is the same however. he international market is a market composed of different countries . Enterprises in the international marketing, its marketing programs are of diversity, Enterprises in different country markets to sell their products, not unified marketing program, and must host country market, different scenarios were developed.Four, Marketing in internatio nal marketing is more difficult   Besides the complex environment and the uncertain factors ,diverse selection programs, international marketing have more risks and meet more fierce competition. The risks are added by the changing international political situation and the fluctuate exchange rate . Competitor's brilliant competitive strategy in price, promotion and products made the international market more and more narrow. Difference Between Domestic and International Marketing Difference between international marketing and domestic marketing First, International marketing is facing a more complex market environment . Domestic marketing is conducted in this country and so faced corresponding structure of the market environment is relatively simple ,which consists of those factors that are more familiar to companies — the domestic political, economic, legal, cultural and so on. However, International marketing is facing a more complex environment, it's a market with multi-level structure.This is because those companies who engage in international marketing , will inevitably be subjected to the world market environment. Which requires companies to face the world market environment, including the world's political, military, economic, technological and other aspects. Second, International marketing is facing more Uncertainties factors The contradiction between subjective understanding and objective reality, coupled with the volatility of the objective p rocess, international marketing facd more uncertainties factors for the companies .Compared with domestic marketing, it's more difficult to make sure the total demand, purchasers and competitors and more difficult to investigate and predict wholesale segment, retail structure, buying habits in international marketing. Third, International marketing is facing more diverse selection of marketing programs Companies in the domestic market, although also need to deal with different regions and different programs for different target markets, different strategies, and even the use of different promotions, but the overall program is the same however. he international market is a market composed of different countries . Enterprises in the international marketing, its marketing programs are of diversity, Enterprises in different country markets to sell their products, not unified marketing program, and must host country market, different scenarios were developed.Four, Marketing in internatio nal marketing is more difficult   Besides the complex environment and the uncertain factors ,diverse selection programs, international marketing have more risks and meet more fierce competition. The risks are added by the changing international political situation and the fluctuate exchange rate . Competitor's brilliant competitive strategy in price, promotion and products made the international market more and more narrow.

History of disease Essay

In what ways did the understanding of the treatment of disease change in the years 1860-1945? The treatment of disease changed dramatically in the years 1860-1845 due to the changes of how people understand it, how each discovery such as Pasteur’s opens new doors, leading to other discoveries such Koch’s identification of germs, the magic bullet and discovery of penicillin. this has help society to understand the causes of disease, and the ways to tackle it. These discoveries began in the 1800s, where doctors at the time were just beginning to speculate about germs and microbes with a new invention, the microscope. the microscope can see what is invisible to human eye and it was good use for identifying micro organism as they were incredibly small. those doctors who believed germs existed thought they were the result of disease and not the cause of it, and this idea was called the spontaneous generation. However this was about to be proven wrong, in 1857 a wine maker Lo use Pasteur was the man that made a breakthrough that linked germs to disease. His discovery was made by accident when he was investigating why sugar beat became sour unexpectedly. he proved that sugar beat soured because of the germs carried in the air. the germs in the sugar beat infected by the air is eliminated by boiling it with fire, this is known as pasteurizing. although his experimental evidence supported his idea, people at the time refused he’s belief. its like saying to the community that i have discovered a treatment for cancer but they wouldn’t believe it because it wasn’t taken to account for. Pasteur’s discovery has made a huge influence to the treatment of medicine. His work led to the discovery of vaccines for chicken cholera 1880, Anthrax 1881 and Rabies 1995. Furthermore, Robert Koch a German physician took Pasteur’s work a step further. He spend his work looking to link particular germs to particular diseases. His first major b reakthrough came in 1875 when he identified the microbe that causes the Anthrax disease. With the development of technology, he discovered that there are microbes that are preciously invisible to the human eye, even to the most powerful microscopes. because of this factor he developed ways of staining the microbes with dyes so he could see them, calculate the microbe’s rate of reproduction and their lifespan. His discovery of the identification of different bacteria and the different disease it caused was a huge breakthrough in medical history and the understanding of the treatment of diseases, as his work proved that what  really caused diseases was. This is a significance to medicine as he discovered 21 different germs causing diseases. in 1882 he discovered a germ that causes tuberculosis, 1883 a germ that caused cholera and these were one of the top 3 deadliest diseases. this breakthrough paved way for other scientists to take up the challenge and conduct research leading to new discoveries as such. Koch’s assistant Emil Behring developed the first an ti toxin which could help to destroy the poison spread from bacteria in the blood stream. This was used for the successful treatment of Diphtheria in 1891 one of the top deadliest diseases. This led to a German Jewish scientist and physician Paul Ehrlich who worked on Koch’s bacteriology lab to take on a research during the 1890s on how certain dyes could stain certain bacteria and maybe find certain chemicals that can kill them. by 1914 his team had discovered several types of ‘magic bullets’, these different compounds would have a specific attraction to specific disease-causing microbe in the body and this would hit a specific germ (that has become visible because of a specific dye) and not damage anything else in the patient’s body. the magic bullets dye discovered were Methylene blue (for malaria), Trypan red (for sleeping sickness) and Salvarsan (for syphilis). This was a huge medical breakthrough because this will allow other scientists to developed specific drugs to target specific germs, attacking the cause of the disease rather than treating the symptoms. this is a significant discovery because it shows us an understanding on how bacteria behaves and how to treat a disease by target and kill. this gave a broad idea of treating medicine because not only they can target and kill syphilis, malaria but they can do this for other diseases. As a result, in 1928 a bacteriologist Alexander Fleming while cleaning his cluttered lab noticed that a culture of Staphylococus aureas had become contaminated with mould in his Petri dish. This mould was called Penicillium Notatum. The mould was in a shape of a ring, and the area around it seemed to be free of the bacteria staphylococcus. Fleming concluded that the bacteria on the plate around the ring had been killed off by some substances that had come from mould. He continued to experiment with the mou ld and found out (in controlled experiments) that the mould killed harmful bacteria and appears to be non-toxic to humans or animals . This was a huge scientific breakthrough because the mould is nontoxic and can kill all kinds of  bacteria; if it was isolated into a drug it can be used to treat patients. Unfortunately Fleming could not isolate the mould and could not make a usefule drug to treat humans. although he wrote his discovery in 1929 the science department remained uninterested. Not Until 12 years later a pair of young scientists Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, revisited and continued Fleming’s work as a way to help military effort in World War 2, since a lot soldiers die in infections than gun wounds, something needed to be done. So in Oxford University they finally isolated the bacteria-killing substance from mould. this creation has a huge significance in medical treatment because they have created the once known ‘wonder drug’ that could kill harmfu l pathogens as such, that can possibly cure syphilis gangrene pneumonia and tuberculosis. To prove its potential it needed to be trialed on a human. In 1941 a doctor Charles Fletcher heard of their work. he had a patient who was near death from an bacterial infection on wound. Fletcher used some of chain’s and Florey’s penicillin on the patient and the wound made a spectacular recovery. however the patient died a few weeks later because Fletcher did not put enough penicillin to eliminate completely the bacteria in the patient’s body. Despite this case, this had proven that penicillin could do what it’s made to do. the patient only died because he did not have enough penicillin, not that it did not work. Since a lot of people died in infections than gunshots in World War 2, they needed a drug that can effectively heal America’s soldiers. Florey then got the American drugs Company to mass produced Penicillin before D-Day, so American soldiers on the front have enough penicillin to treat all infections that will be inflicted among the troop s. This is a huge significance to medical treatment because not only they created a non toxic, bacteria killing drug, the drug can cure all bacterial based diseases such a syphilis , pneumonia and tuberculosis, since they can mass produce it the drug is therefore cheap and can treat almost everyone. Overall the understanding od disease and treatment developed greatly in the years treatment of disease change developed greatly in the years 1860-1945 as man were able to understand†¦

Pipeline Inspection at Petronet, South Africa The WritePass Journal

Pipeline Inspection at Petronet, South Africa Introduction Pipeline Inspection at Petronet, South Africa Introduction1. Background2. Description3. Possibilities Of Failure3.1. Weld Defects3.2. Incomplete Fusion3.3. Internal Corrosion3.4. External Corrosion3.5. Mechanical Damage3.6. Fatigue Crack           3.7.   Material Defects3.8. Weld Cracks3.9. Hydrogen Blistering4. Inspection5. Results6. Conclusions7. Recommendation7.1. Short Term Solution7.2. Long Term Solution7.3. Prevention of Lack of Fusion  ReferencesRelated Introduction Petronet, a local company that transports natural gas through underground pipelines across South Africa, had approached MA2K Testing Labs to conduct an investigation on a leakage on the pipeline, which was found during a random leak inspection. The Pipeline operates from Johannesburg to Potchefstroom. Upon inspection a joint was singled out as being a major source of leakage. The affected area was joined using a butt weld and reinforced with a clamp. This section was dissected and inspection revealed that the leakage was due to incomplete fusion in the weld which initiated the formation of hook cracks and cavities in the parent material directly adjacent to the weld. External stresses from the environment may have accelerated the growth of the cavities and cracks yet the clamp increased the strength of the joint aiding in the prevention of any accelerated growths of the defects. As a short term solution it is advised to replace the damaged section with a new pipe. It must be correctly welded of the same material and as an added precaution to weld an additional sleeve over the newly joined and welded section. As a long term solution it is advised to replace the entire pipeline with a new combination of materials. 1. Background Petronet, a leading company in South Africa which transports natural gas through underground pipelines conducted a random leak inspection survey on one of their pipelines operating from Johannesburg to Potchefstroom, and it was discovered that there was a gas leak at the specific joint. The pipe carries natural gas and it is imperative that the leak should be fixed, due to the volatile nature of gas as well as the loss of resource, in turn profits. The systems comprised of numerous seamless pipes and connected using a butt weld; these joints were reinforced by clamps bolted on. MA2K Testing Labs had been approached by Petronet, to inspect the leakage and was employed to identify the true cause of failure and as well as make many suitable recommendations for the repair and prevention of malfunction of the joint. The pipeline was effective since the 20th February 1995; this put the pipeline age in the region of 15 years. Figure 2.1 (Below) was taken on site 2. Description The defective section of the pipe, including the clamp was then marked, cut out and removed from the site for further inspection and analysis. The inspection and analysis was carried out in MA2K Testing Labs in Durban. Two grade A 106 GR.B SCH40 seamless pipes with outside diameters of 168.3mm and wall thickness of 9mm were butt welded end to end. A butt weld consists of the two pipes heated to a proper fusion temperature then joined by means of force. The joint was further secured by a clamp. The operating internal gas pressure was 2620 kPa (380 psi). Chemical composition of the pipe: Element C Si Mn P S Cr Mo Cu Ni V % ≠¤ 0.30 ≠¤ 0.10 0.291.06 ≠¤0.035 ≠¤0.035 ≠¤0.40 ≠¤0.15 ≠¤0.40 ≠¤0.40 ≠¤0.08 3. Possibilities Of Failure 3.1. Weld Defects Penetration is poor at the start of welding Ensure the grades of pipes are constant to optimize bonding strength Poor quality welds caused by  Inaccurate timing Incorrect temperature Incorrect pressure applied Failure due to fatigue (welding lowers fatigue strength)   Fusion did not occur between weld metal and fusion faces. Incomplete penetration Weld metal does not extend through the joint thickness Exposed to water and contaminants in the gas, such as O2, H2S, CO2, or chlorides. A particular gas composition may cause corrosion under some operating conditions Oxygen content (oxidizing salts) Passing through soils of different mineral content Contact of different metals, particularly at valves (galvanic corrosion) Normally consists of gouges and dents. Generally created by excavation or handling equipment during construction. Results from cyclic stresses that are below the ultimate tensile stress, or even the yield stress of the material. 3.2. Incomplete Fusion 3.3. Internal Corrosion 3.4. External Corrosion 3.5. Mechanical Damage 3.6. Fatigue Crack            3.7.   Material Defects Material defects are unwanted contaminants at the melting of steel, the steel forming or the heat treating. Furthermore faults can occur by improper storage or processing. Material defects can appear in different forms. Example of various defects mentioned below :                              Ã‚  Non-metallic inclusions                               bad microstructure                               surface corrosion                               mechanical damage                               surface defect 3.8. Weld Cracks Refers to fracture of weld caused as a result of poor parts fit-up, rapid cooling, and localized stresses exceed the ultimate strength of the metal etc. Examples of weld cracks :                                 Arc   Cracks                               Longitudinal Crack                               Transverse Crack                               Crater Crack                               Throat Crack                               Toe Crack                               Root Crack                               Hot Crack                              Cold Crack                              Hook Crack 3.9. Hydrogen Blistering A type of hydrogen-induced failure produced when hydrogen atoms enter low-strength steels that have macroscopic defects, such as laminations 4. Inspection The clamp was removed for further inspection of the weld join. The removal of the clamp was done under supervision by National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). The pipe surface was required to be cleaned. An acetone solution was used. Liquid Penetrant examination was performed on the weld area of the pipe. Surface discontinuities were visible on the bottom of the pipe. All examinations and analysis was carried out by MA2K Testing Labs. Through inspection it was deduced that a Butt weld was used to join the pipe line and macrostructure images revealed that there were defects on the welded area. Namely weld cracks, improper penetration and incomplete fusion.   Cavities were discovered near/adjacent to the welded section of the pipe material. Surface discontinuities were made visible by the Liquid Penetrant examination. These results further justify the suspicion that there was an improper weld process conducted on the joins of the pipeline and thus the cause of the gas leak. Cavities are visible in the pipe walls. This may be caused by vacancies in the material join in the weld. The extracted sample was investigated by method of etching. A Nital solution was used to etch the pipe material. Nital is a solution of alcohol and nitric acid commonly used for routine etching of metals. It is especially suitable for revealing the microstructure of carbon steels. The alcohol can be methanol, ethanol or methylated spirits. By viewing the etched sample under a Scanning Electron Microscope it was revealed that there was an overlap of material and as a result, it was discovered that there is an irregularity or there is a non-uniform overlap or join of material. This could cause a weakness in the join due to variants in material or state of the material. The non-uniform joint of material gives weak point on the structure of the pipeline and thus resulted in a leak. Arrows on figure 5.3 clearly indicate all the weld areas, the heat affected zones and the pipe parent material. 5. Results Before the pipe was sectioned for detailed examination, a radiographic examination was performed on the premises of MA2K Testing Labs. The following image was revealed on the radiographic film. The radiograph picture shows the microstructure of the material and identifies the weld overlap with the parent material. There are clear indications of variant material or states which cause weakness in the join when added stress is applied. There are cut out root cavities visible in the radiograph which could be the cause of leakage in the pipeline. Figure 6.2: Radiograph Of Material In figure 6.3 below: The longitudinal cross section of the pipe showed the weld structure inside the pipeline. This revealed defects in the weld structure and cavities in the wall of the pipeline and a clear indication of the crack and fracture lines that could cause a leak in the pipeline. These defects occurred in the joining of the pipe and together with possible external stresses that act on it due to the environment, no corrosion had occurred and pipe was designed to withstand pressure of the gas within the pipe. Longitudinal samples were taken from the extracted piece. Cuts were made across the weld line, to define the differences in the material used in the weld and the parent material. The two cross sections through the wall thickness of the pipe was polished and etched with Nital. The one macroscopic image (Figure 6.4) revealed a clear leakage path through the wall thickness of the pipe. This shows that there was a weakness in the join between the weld material and the parent material. Further fracture and strain caused the weld to split at the join between the weld material and the parent material. Figure 6.5 shows that there was a lack of side wall fusion in the pipe and that there was another weld bead on the left, this had been made to try to fill the vacancies produced from the lack of fusion. 6. Conclusions After thorough investigation of the defective area of the pipe it was found that the leakage was due to improper weld process and lack of fusion, lack of fusion causes cavities. Cavities form cracks over a period of time. Due to this hook cracks were formed and leakage had occurred. Therefore, the components used contain no post installation defects as there was no internal or external corrosion to the material. The design of the material is suited to the environment as it was able to withstand cyclic loading, fatigue stresses and no signs of hydrogen blistering was present on the material. Mechanical damage may have aided or accelerated the growth of the crack size. The clamp made detecting the source of the leak more difficult and may have helped in the prevention or retarded the rate in which the cracks had grown. The condition of the pipe or clamp base steel compositions or microstructures was as expected for the working life of the system.   No softening was found associated w ith the weld and pipe Heat Affected Zone. 7. Recommendation 7.1. Short Term Solution As a short term solution it is advised to replace the damaged section with a new pipe. It must be correctly welded of the same material and as an added precaution to weld an additional sleeve over the newly joined and welded section. This may suffice for the next 10 years 7.2. Long Term Solution As a long term solution it is advised to replace the entire pipeline with a new combination of materials as per Petroleum Bulk Storage Regulations, the requirement is that all new underground pipelines be as follows: v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pipes must be either constructed of a non-corrodible material such as fiberglass reinforced plastic, nylon or engineered thermo-plastic, or metal such as steel with a cathodic protection system designed to protect it for 30 years. v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pipes may be in single or double-walled construction v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Access ports must be installed to permit tightness testing; v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Installation must be in accordance with recognized engineering practices v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pipes and joints must be tightness tested before being covered and placed in. To reduce downtime and loss of profits, the new pipeline may be installed next to the existing pipeline and until completion will be ineffective. Thereafter the new pipeline will replace the old with minimal downtime. This is another advantage of laying down a new pipeline. 7.3. Prevention of Lack of Fusion v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Surface should be machined/ground smooth to avoid minute discontinuities. v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ensure welding current is sufficient. v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Weld arcs should not be longer than the pipe diameter v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The â€Å"V† angle should not exceed 7 degrees v  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The strip width should be appropriate and consistent for the diameter of the pipe   References Alibaba.com, 1999. Sourcing Products And Suppliers (Carbon Steel Piping: ASTM A106 GR.B). (Updated 01 April 2011) Available at: alibaba.com/product-gs/258930670/ASTM_A106_GR_B.html. [Accessed 24 April 2011] Jernberg, John (1919), Forging, American Technical Society (Updated 29 April 2007) Available at: http://books.google.com/books?id=-ksxAAAAMAAJpg=PA26 [Accessed 24 April 2011]

Blowing The Gaff

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