Crime prevention through environmental design Essay

Crime prevention through environmental design - Essay Example Through CPTED, people's lives will improve since they will no longer fear for any vandalism that may occur ("CPTED Crime," para 1). CPTED theories state that in order to attain a crime-free environment, the community should not rely on the law enforcers alone. An interaction among law enforcement officers, architects, city planners, landscape and interior designers and resident volunteers is deemed necessary to stop vandalism. Through a 'built environment' that is obtained by this interaction among the major participants in building a community, the occurrence of crime will be averted. CPTED's 'built environment' is basically building a community such that its physical environment positively influences human behaviors wherein people who live in the area perceives it to be a safe environment where law offenders will find it too risky to commit any crime within the area ("CPTED Crime," para 9). For communities who have utilized the CPTED concepts, the results were impressive. Criminal activity were reported to have decreased for as much as 40% ("CPTED Crime," para 3). There are four main principles that cover crime prevention through environmental design. Natural access control is one strategy where it encourages the community to create a differentiation between public and private places. By selectively placing entrances and exits, fencing, lighting and landscape to limit access or control flow, natural access control occurs ("Crime prevention," para 26). Streets and sidewalks should be planned and designed in manners that would limit offenders an access to commit crimes ("CPTED Crime," para 6). Natural surveillance is another strategy adopted by CPTED that encourages maximum visibility of people and areas that may be potential spots for offenders to commit a crime. Architectural designs of buildings including residential edifices must obtain natural surveillance of the various areas that may provide access to lawbreakers and harm the community. Maximum visibility includes proper nighttime lightings along the sidewalks and residential buildings i n order to limit the escape routes for the criminals ("CPTED Crime," para 4 & "Crime prevention," para 23). Territorial reinforcement on the other hand is another concept of CPTED that promotes social control through increased definition of space and proprietary concern. Landscape designs are used in order to strengthen a sense of ownership of a certain property where intruders are easily identified. Fences and signs are most commonly used territorial designs that follows this CPTED strategy ("CPTED Crime," para 5 & "Crime prevention," para 29).Lastly, target hardening is the most popularly known strategy that prevents the occurrence of a criminal act. This concept basically refers to the different features that prohibit law offenders from entering any premises through locks and bolts that are found in windows and doors ("CPTED Crime," para 6). Furthermore, there are two other strategies that CPTED utilizes in preventing crimes. Maintenance and activity support are two other activit ies that CPTED promotes. ("Crime prevention," para 33) In Herkimer, New York's most recent crime statistics, larceny obtains to have one of the most offenses among other kinds of crimes. Thus, a more comprehensive program must be developed in order to prevent further increase in crime rates that does not alone involve

Abortion In Mauritius Health And Social Care Essay

Abortion In Mauritius Health And Social Care Essay When does human life begin? In one sense this is a philosophical or religious issue, outside the realm of science. From a purely biological point of view the life of an individual begins when there is fertilisation. The birth of a child, no doubt, is a wonderful occasion. However women do abortion to limit births. Definition of abortion According to World Health Organisation, abortion is defined as an induced termination of pregnancy by use of medications or surgical interventions after implantation of the embryo and before the foetus is able to survive outside the maternal organism (before 22nd week of pregnancy). Types of abortion The term abortion most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy, while spontaneous abortions are usually termed miscarriages. Worldwide 42 million abortions are estimated to take place annually with 22 million of these occurring safely and 20 million unsafely. While maternal mortality seldom results from safe abortions, unsafe abortions result in 70,000 deaths and 5 million disabilities per year. One of the main determinants of the availability of safe abortions is the legality of the procedure. Forty percent of the worlds women are able to access therapeutic and elective abortions within gestational limits. The frequency of abortions is, however, similar whether or not access is restricted. Abortion has a long history and has been induced by various methods including herbal abortifacients, the use of sharpened tools, physical trauma, and other traditional methods. Contemporary medicine utilizes medications and surgical procedures to induce abortion. The legality, prevalence, and cultural views on abortion vary substantially around the world. In many parts of the world there is prominent and divisive public controversy over the ethical and legal issues of abortion. Abortion and abortion-related issues feature prominently in the national politics in many nations, often involving the opposing pro-life and pro-choice worldwide social movements (both self-named). Incidence of abortion has declined worldwide, as access to family planning education and contraceptive services has increased. Abortion in Mauritius Abortion is generally illegal in Mauritius under the Penal Code. Any person procuring an abortion or supplying the means to procure an abortion is subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years. Abortion in Mauritius is one of the taboo subjects even in 2010. Why abortion still taboo is can maybe be explained by the fear of open talks and some constraint that some cultures and religions put upon such talks. Since abortion is illegal in Mauritius and in this globalized world it is still considered as a taboo, there is very few empirical evidence on this issue in Mauritius. Women fear or sometimes are ashamed of talking on this issue. Sometimes after having an abortion done illegally that they make use of the contraceptives method. The study will provide an insight of the perceptions of young women on the issue of abortion. Rational of the study The purpose of this study is to provide an insight of the perception of the issue of abortion among young women in Mauritius since the rate of abortion is increasing and many women are having post abortion complications. Aims and objectives To evaluate the perception of the issue of abortion among young Mauritian women. To assess their understanding on the causes and consequences of abortion among young women. Chapter outline Chapter 1 is the introduction. It will give an introduction of abortion and will give and overview of what will the dissertation consist of. Chapter 2 is the literature review and it will give an overview of the situation. Chapter 3 is the methodology. It will give an overview of the methodology used to carry out the study. The study will be a qualitative study using in depth interviews as the perceptions of women are to be assessed. Chapter 4 is the report finding and analysis. In this chapter the findings will be presented and analysed by using graphs, charts. Chapter 5 is the conclusion and recommendation. Man, through the ages from primitive, non-literate societies to advanced, industrialized and sophisticated societies, has attempted to control conception by a variety of largely crude and rule-of-thumb methods. When he failed to prevent conception he tried to interrupt pregnancy. As a means of fertility, abortion is as old as humanity and probably occurs in all cultures. Throughout recorded history women have resorted to abortion to terminate unwanted pregnancies, regardless of moral or legal sanctions and often at considerable physical or psychological risk and cost. Definition of abortion Abortion means ending a pregnancy. There are different definitions of abortion and they are as follows: Medical and pro-choice communities definition The definition used by the medical and pro-choice communities is: the end of a pregnancy before validity of the fetus. i.e. the termination of the process of gestation after the time when the zygote attaches itself to the uterine wall (about 14 days after conception), but before the fetus is possibly capable of surviving on its own (currently 23 to 28 weeks from conception). The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists definition According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has defined abortion as occurring before the 20th week (134th day) of gestation. There are two types of abortion: Accidental abortion: a termination of pregnancy before viability that occurs naturally, without medical intervention. This is commonly called a miscarriage by the public. Therapeutic abortion: a termination of pregnancy via the intervention of a physician through surgery or the use of RU-486 or some other medications. Pro-lifers definition Pro-lifers sometimes define abortion as an intentional interruption of the development process, at any time from conception to birth. Definition from Wikipedia An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced. Statistics on abortion According to World Health Organisation, every year in the world an estimated 40-50 million women faced with an unplanned pregnancy decide to have an abortion. 20 million of them resort to unsafe abortion, often self induced or obtain clandestinely. These unsafe abortions are carried out by untrained person under poor unhygiene conditions. This corresponds to approximately 125,000 abortions per day. Worldwide in 1995, there were approximately 45.5 million abortions. Of these 19.9 million were unsafe or clandestine abortions and about 25.6 million abortions took place in countries where the procedure is legal under a broad range of conditions. Why seek an abortion? An unwanted or unplanned pregnancy is at the start of the abortion decision making process. Some of the most commonly declared reasons for having an abortion are the following: (Alan Guttmacher Institute. Aborto clandestine: una realidad Latinoamericana. New York, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1994 (in Spanish)) A woman is unable to raise a child because she and her partner receive a low salary, have unstable jobs or are unemployed or are students The relationship between the women and her partner is unsufficiently stable for the couple to be sure of raising children together or because the man stopped providing emotional and economic support to the women when the pregnancy was discovered. The women or the couple have all the children they want or they want another child but not at this time The pregnant adolescent or unmarried woman fears rejection by her family and society Some young single women wish to attain a certain level of personal satisfaction before becoming mothers In certain cases, the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or the fetus is abnormal. Other reasons why women decide to terminate their pregnancy are as follows: They do not want more children or want them later on They are not married Their contraceptive method failed A child would disrupt their education or ability to work They cannot afford to raise a child Their relationship with their partner is bad They are too young Their parents objects They do not want their parent to know Methods of doing an abortion Many women are confronted with an unwanted pregnancy resort to a variety of techniques to induce an abortion. Many of these procedures begin in the womans home and end in the hospital emergency room. They may include self-administered abortifacients taken orally or administered vaginally. When women turn to others for help, the uterus may be manipulated by an unqualified person who may introduce a probe, catheter or sharp object to cause an abortion. Private physicians and other medical, paramedical and pharmaceutical facilities may also provide abortion services for a fee, using high-dose oral or injected hormone treatments such as misoprostol, aralen, quinine or oxytocins illegally. Millions of women through the centuries have followed old wives tales about drugs that produce abortion. Many have been the primitive, painful and dangerous methods used for abortion. Historically both tribal and urbanized societies have employed a variety of methods to end unwanted pregnancies. German Greer in her book Sex and Destiny described some of the abortion methods used throughout the world. They include the application of pressure outside the womb using logs and rocks, jumping on the womens abdomen as well as internal methods such as the ingestion of highly toxic chemicals and the use of various implements inside the uterus. In todays more industrialized societies technology has simplified the abortion procedure to a few basic, safe methods. For example medical and surgical abortion methods. Medical abortions use medications to end the pregnancy. This can be accomplished with a variety of medications given either as a single pill or a series of pills. It is commonly known as the Abortion Pill RU486 (brand name Mifeprex). Medical abortion causes an early abortion through the combination of the two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol. In Mauritius, it is commonly known as Cytotec. Some examples of surgical abortion methods are: Vacuum Aspiration and Dilation and Curettage: This abortion procedure, also known as DA or suction aspiration, uses gentle suction to remove all of the pregnancy tissue. Additionally, dilation and curettage or DC, may be necessary after a vacuum aspiration. In this procedure, a separate curette (a spoon-shaped instrument) may be used to help remove any remaining tissue that may be lining the uterus. Dilation and Evacuation (DE): This method uses the same procedures as DC procedure while also using additional surgical instruments (such as forceps). A DE abortion is usually performed during the second trimester of a pregnancy (roughly 13 to 24 weeks since conception). Induction Abortion This procedure is used to end a second or third trimester pregnancy through the use of medications that trigger the start of contractions. This, in turn, expels the fetus from the uterus. Induction abortions must be done in a hospital, so that the woman can be monitored during the entire procedure. During this procedure, a woman will undergo all the steps of delivery and childbirth. Induction abortions are usually only performed if there is a medical problem or illness present in the fetus or the pregnant woman. Intact Dilation and Extraction This method is performed after 21 weeks of pregnancy and is also referred to as DX, Intact DX, Intrauterine Cranial Decompression and Partial Birth Abortion. This abortion procedure takes about 2 to 3 days and results in the extraction of an intact fetus. Risks associated with abortion Abortion may impair a womens health through a variety of early and late somatic complications, which may occur at the time of the abortion or soon thereafter or which may be discovered much later, perhaps in connection with another pregnancy or with efforts to become pregnant again. Studies in Hungary and in Japan have shown that premature births tend to occur more frequently among women who have had induced abortions than among women who have not had them. Death According to the best record based study of deaths following pregnancy and abortion, a 1997 government funded study in Finland, women who abort are approximately four times more likely to die in the following year than women who carry their pregnancies to term. In addition, women who carry to term are only half as likely to die as women who were not pregnant. The leading causes of abortion related maternal deaths within a week of the surgery are hemorrhage, infection, embolism, anesthesia, and undiagnosed ectopic pregnancies Breast cancer The risk of breast cancer almost doubles after one abortion, and rises even further with two or more abortions.   Cervical, ovarian, and liver cancer   Women have had an abortion done face the risk of cervical cancer, compared to non-aborted women. Ovarian and liver cancers have also been linked to single and multiple abortions. These increased cancer rates for post-aborted women are apparently linked to the unnatural disruption of the hormonal changes which accompany pregnancy and untreated cervical damage.   Uterine perforation The risk of uterine perforation is increased for women who have previously given birth and for those who receive general anesthesia at the time of the abortion. Uterine damage may result in complications in later pregnancies and may eventually evolve into problems which require a hysterectomy, which itself may result in a number of additional complications and injuries including osteoporosis.   Cervical lacerations:   The risk of cervical damage is greater for teenagers, for second trimester abortions, and when practitioners fail to use laminaria for dilation of the cervix.   Placenta previa Abortion increases the risk of placenta previa in later pregnancies (a life threatening condition for both the mother and her wanted pregnancy) by seven to fifteen fold. Abnormal development of the placenta due to uterine damage increases the risk of fetal malformation, perinatal death, and excessive bleeding during labor.   Complications of labour Induced abortion not only increased the risk of premature delivery, it also increased the risk of delayed delivery. Women who had one, two, or more induced abortions are, respectively, are more likely to have a post-term delivery (over 42 weeks). Pre-term delivery increases the risk of neo-natal death and handicaps. Handicapped newborns in later pregnancies Abortion is associated with cervical and uterine damage which may increase the risk of premature delivery, complications of labor and abnormal development of the placenta in later pregnancies. These reproductive complications are the leading causes of handicaps among newborns.   Ectopic pregnancy Abortion is significantly related to an increased risk of subsequent ectopic pregnancies. Ectopic pregnancies, in turn, are life threatening and may result in reduced fertility. Endometritis Endometritis is a post-abortion risk for all women, but especially teenagers are more likely to acquire endometritis following abortion.   Immediate complications   The nine most common major complications which can occur at the time of an abortion are: infection, excessive bleeding, embolism, ripping or perforation of the uterus, anesthesia complications, convulsions, hemorrhage, cervical injury, and endotoxic shock. The most common minor complications include: infection, bleeding, fever, second degree burns, chronic abdominal pain, vomiting, gastro-intestinal disturbances, and Rh sensitization. Clients and abortion provider Clients are usually referred to a provider by a family member or friends who have used the service before. Sometimes the help of intermediaries such as person from the community, a chemist or a lay health provider may be sought. This informal information network is the main source of accessing services in illegal contexts. Women do not always obtain satisfactory services from the first provider they visit and sometimes refuse a service because the cost is prohibitive. In contexts of illegality or poor availability of services the choice of provider is limited but where options exists, women demonstrate a concern for quality of care and safety. Frequently mentioned reasons for choosing a particular provider include the fact that he or she is known to be experienced in performing abortions. A variety of techniques to induce abortion are used depending on the type of provider. Traditional methods vary widely and range from abdominal massage to insertion of roots, twigs, catheter, holy water, bitter concoctions etc. Many service providers ignore the psychological needs of women undergoing abortion or post abortion care and focus only on the physical aspect of the abortion. Motives and attitudes of providers tend to vary considerably and are not always focused on providing appropriate abortion-centered care. In a study in a public hospital in Mexico in 1998 where women were admitted with incomplete abortions were interviewed, it was reported that these women often felt considerable worry, fear, and /or guilt in addition to physical pain, that the staff were short of skills and time, and in many cases showed little interest in providing a minimally dignified encounter. Cost and abortion Unwanted pregnancy is a social problem of major urgency to society and of central important to individual women who must accept the consequences or seek alternative solutions. The cost of a legal abortion varies from country to country. For example, in Romania, the price of an abortion is less than US$3 public clinics but may be as much as US$15 in private clinics. In Armenia, abortion was provided free of charge until August 1997; since then, the charge has increased gradually form about US$7.50 in 1997 to approximately US$9 in 1999 and general anesthesia raises the charge to approximately US$13.50. In Lithuania, abortions under 6 weeks gestation cost approximately US$15; those beyond 6 weeks gestation cost approximately US$22. Private practices also offer abortion services ranging from US$100 for vaccum aspiration to US$200 for dilation and curettage. In the Russian Federation although abortion is theoretically free of charge, prices may reach US$50 in some clinics. A study was carried out on induced abortion in Mauritius (Study on induced abortion in Mauritius: Alternative to fertility regulation or emergency procedure? July 1993. A total number of 475 women who had undergone an abortion were interviewed. 7.1% of the women obtained abortion by aspiration. Aspiration is done mainly by private doctors and is accessible only to those who could afford to pay for the procedure. The cost varied from Rs 1000 and Rs 4000 depending on the expertise and qualifications of the doctor. Historical evolvement of abortion The practice of abortion dates back to ancient times. Pregnancies were terminated through a number of methods, including the administration of abortifacient herbs, the use of sharpened implements, the application of abdominal pressure, and other techniques. The first recorded evidence of induced abortion is from the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus in 1550 BC. A Chinese record documents the number of royal concubines who had abortions in China between the years 500 and 515 BC. According to Chinese folklore, the legendary Emperor Shennong prescribed the use of mercury to induce abortions nearly 5000 years ago. Many of the methods employed in early and primitive cultures were non-surgical. Physical activities like strenuous labor, climbing, paddling, weightlifting, or diving were a common technique. Others included the use of irritant leaves, fasting, bloodletting, pouring hot water onto the abdomen, and lying on a heated coconut shell. Evolution of abortion related laws in some countries Historically laws on abortion have been influenced by religious attitudes that consider abortions a sin. Women seeking and obtaining abortion were considered perpetrators of a wrong. The extent to which a woman has a legal right to determine the fate of her pregnancy is differently interpreted in the different countries. Societies attempted to restrict the practice of abortion, partly on religious and moral grounds but undoubtedly largely because the primitive methods available until relatively recently resulted in the death or maiming of large numbers of women. Despite often severe penalties on abortionist and aborted women alike and the high risk of illness and death, abortion continued to be employed. With the evolution of medical science, safer methods of abortion emerged, thus removing one of the principal bases for restricting abortion. Changing religious and moral views, coupled with the realization in many societies that illegal abortion using primitive and dangerous methods is wide spread, lead some countries to liberalize their abortion laws. Termination of pregnancy at the request of the women was first legalized in the Soviet Union on November 8 in 1920. Historically abortion was legalized in most Eastern European countries following the 1920 Soviet Union. In 1920 Lenin legalized all abortions in the Soviet Union. In 1931 Mexico was the first country in the world to legalize abortion in case of rape. 1932 Poland was the first country in Europe outside Soviet Union to legalize abortion in cases of rape and threat to maternal health. In 1935, Iceland became the first Western country to legalize therapeutic abortion under limited circumstances. In 1935, Nazi Germany amended its eugenics law, to promote abortion for women who have hereditary disorders. The law allowed abortion if a woman gave her permission, and if the fetus was not yet viable, and for purposes of so-called racial hygiene. In 1969, Canada passed the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968-69, which began to allow abortion for selective reasons. In 1971, the Indian Parliament under the Prime Ministership of a lady Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, passes Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 (more commonly referred to as simply MTP Act 1971). India thus becomes one of the earliest nations to pass this Act. The Act gains importance, as c India had traditionally been a very conservative country in these matters. In 2007 the government of Mexico City legalizes abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and offers free abortions. On August 28, 2008, the Mexican Supreme Court upholds the law. In 2008, the Australian state of Victoria passes a bill which decriminalizes abortion, making it legally accessible to women in the first 24 weeks of the pregnancy. In 2009, in Spain a bill was passed to decriminalize abortion, so as to make it legally accessible to women in the first 14 weeks of the pregnancy. The evolution of religious views on abortion Mans attitude towards abortion have ranged over a wide spectrum, from approval, bordering on encouragement to total prohibition and condemnation; all the way from the early civilizations Assyrian, Babylonian, Hindu, Greek and Roman to the present day. History is strewn with evidence that abortion has always been a subject of interest, if not of controversy. Provisions for abortion in almost all contemporary societies and the rituals prescribed in these societies, lead one to suspect that attitudes towards abortion are a part of a universal cultural process in the same manner as attitudes towards puberty or mating. Eastman has demonstrated the lack of historical correlation between the attitudes of societies towards abortion and their ethical conduct or intellectual sophistication. Our own attitudes towards abortion are thought to be derived from the commandment Though shalt not kill, and its Judeo-Christian interpretation. A major factor in the evolution of present-day attitudes towards abortion has its origin in the gradual breakdown of the repressive sexual mores of the Victorian Age. An important cause of this change and one which has received little attention, is the devastating effect of the First World War which left in its wake disillusionment and loss of hope in a social system whose values, buttressed by a Victorian moral code, had brought on the slaughter. Weisner (7, p.24) notes that the concept of the phase in which the fetus is imbued with life varies according to culture. The degree of approval or disapproval of induced abortion will depend in part on this concept. For 70% of weisners Chilean study population, life does not begin at the moment of conception but is generally defined as beginning somewhere between the first and third month of the pregnancy; the state prior to this is considered a blood clot formation. The early Christians views The attitude of early Christians is that anything that interrupted human life, be it contraceptive potion or poison or abortion was disapproved of and denounced as murder. The Catholic views The Catholic Church believes that life begins at conception and therefore the removal of a zygote, embryo or foetus is considered as murder and is hence forbidden. The Hindu views The Hindu scriptures from the vedic age down to the Smritis (100 BC-AC100) called it bhruna-hatya (foetus murder) or garbha-hatya (pregnancy destruction) and condemned it as a serious sin. The Jewish views The popular Jewish wisdom of the Sentences of Pseudo-Phocylides (written between 50 B.C and A.D 50) says that a woman should not destroy the unbirth babe in her belly nor after his birth throw it before the dogs and vultures as a prey. Similarly the first century Jewish historian and apologist Josephus wrote The law orders all the offspring to be brought up, and forbids women either to cause abortion or to make away with the foetus. A woman convicted of this was regarded as having committed an infanticide, because she destroyed a soul and diminished the race. Abortion law in Mauritius The legal provisions governing abortion in Mauritius are a result of the intermingling of elements of French and English law. The French ruled Mauritius from 1721 to 1810, while the British ruled from 1810 until independence was attained in 1968. The provisions of the Penal Code dealing with abortion are derived directly from the French Napoleonic Penal Code of 1810 and from the British Offences against the Person Act of 1861. They were not modified by the 1938 revision of the Penal Code of Mauritius. Abortion is generally illegal in Mauritius under the Penal Code. Any person procuring an abortion or supplying the means to procure an abortion is subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years. A similar punishment is prescribed for a woman who induces her own abortion or consents to its being induced. Physicians, surgeons and pharmacists who facilitate or perform an abortion are also subject to imprisonment. Nonetheless, under general criminal law principles of necessity, an abortion may be performed to save the life of the pregnant woman. Abortion in Mauritius Abortion is the dread secret of our society. It has been relegated for so long to the darkest corners of fear and mythology that an unwritten compact virtually requires that it remains untouched and undiscussed so writes Lader in the introductory remarks of his 1966 work on abortion. Abortion, unlike many countries, is illegal in Mauritius is not permitted under any circumstance. Despite these strict legal parameters, clandestine illegal abortions are being performed in all corners of the island, by untrained doctors, nurses, midwives and wise women, and mostly under unsafe conditions. There are no reliable statistical data available on the number of abortions performed in Mauritius. More than 2,800 post abortion complication cases have been registered in Government hospitals in 2000. The number of abortion is estimated to range between 15,000 to 20,000 and almost equal to the number of live births annually (Mauritius Research Council Biomedical Research, September 2001 pg 33). Any form of abortion which is defined as the termination of pregnancy is illegal in Mauritius yet a large number of cases are admitted at hospitals and clinics following complications of abortions. A Mauritius family planning official has estimated that there is one abortion for every live birth. Among 2008 official cases of post abortion complication registered in 1997, 798 occurred among youth below the age of 24 years old. Mauritius has a high incidence of unsafe abortions because of unprotected intercourse experienced by many young women in a rapidly industrializing environment. The Mauritius Family Planning Association (MFPA) tackled the issue of unsafe abortion in 1993. The MFPA organized an advocacy symposium in 1993 on unsafe abortion. The advocacy campaign of the MFPA consists of having abortion legalized on health grounds and improving family planning services, especially for young unmarried women and men. The full support of the media was secured on the abortion issue: articles appeared, meetings were attended by the press, and public relations support was also received from them. The MFPA worked closely with parliamentarians. A motion was tabled in 1994 in the National Assembly which called for legalization of abortion on health grounds, but the Church squelched its debate. In March 1994 MFPA a conference on Unsafe Abortion in Mauritius with the participation of over 100 representatives from 2 0 countries. Studies on abortion in Mauritius It is estimated that each year there are some 20,000 cases of induced abortion, which is illegal in the country. Since abortion services are illegal, post abortion services addressing complications are often a womans only point of contact with the public health sector. A study was carried out on induced abortion in Mauritius (Study on induced abortion in Mauritius: Alternative to fertility regulation or emergency procedure? July 1993. A study based on a sample of 475 women admitted to three hospitals with complications due to induced abortion revealed considerable use of unreliable methods (e.g., withdrawal and natural methods), frequent method switching, and inconsistent use of modern methods. The study also found that women seeking abortion were usually under 30 years of age, and 20% of women with abortion complications were not using any method, and some 50% were using an unreliable method at the time they become pregnant. It emerged that with increasing numbers of women employed, their work schedules hindered their going to a family planning clinic and resulted in abortion being used as a

Magical Realism: History and Theory :: Realist Latin American Literature Essays

Magical Realism: History and Theory Magical Realism to me is the world's view of literature and art combined. It has a vast amount of characteristics that most, if not all, Magical realist fiction shares. Magical Realism has a lot of content to be studied in order to fully understand it. The term magical realism was first introduced by Franz Roh in 1925. He was a German art critic who started the idea of magical realism when he saw a new direction in painting. He used the term to characterize his paintings. Franz Roh states, "We look on it with new eyes"(17). To me, this statement is saying that we look on the world with a different approach. There is magical realism in everything we do. Literature and art are two main topics magical realism occurs in often. If studied thoroughly, we realize that there is magical realism in our lives everyday. Many articles have the main definition of magical realism stated in them. These articles are by Franz Roh, Angel Flores, Luis Leal, Amaryll Chanady, and Scott Simpkins. Most of the information in these articles is repetition from the articles however, they still include important information and feedback about each authors' views on the term. One of my favorite texts that we read was the article by Luis Leal. Leal which states, that magical realism is to express emotions, not to evoke them(121). Leal disagrees with many authors. Leal says that he does not believe magical realism was started by Borges in 1935(120). There are many added characteristics of magical realism. Some of these characteristics are to express emotions, do not use dream motifs, innocence has no logical or physiological explanation, and feelings are unexplainable. Magical Realism differs from fantasy because it is set in a normal world with descriptions of humans and society. Luis Leal states, "Strange how people are under the impression that making a bed is exactly the same as making bed, that to shake hands is always the same as shaking hands, that opening a can of sardines is to open the same can of sardines"(121). Everything is an exception. In Franz Roh's discusses many characteristics of magical realism in paintings.. "Both kinds of miniaturist paintings, the one that reconciles is to the world and the one that tries to horrify us"(qtd.in Roh 29). The way I view the world through art is a big characteristic to magical realism myself.

Common Problems of Belt Filter Press and the Corresponding Solutions

Contact: Mr Wang Phone: +86-18903999962 EMAIL: [email  protected] cn Common Problems of Belt Filter Press and the corresponding solutions Common Problems of Belt Filter Press and the corresponding solutions 1. slurry passentrate filter cloth in a great quantity Maybe caused by: in-correct filter cloth model sizing Poor result for flocculation Shooting method: sizing filter cloth again and select right size and model by testing choose right flocculation agent and right tossing quantity. 2. ilter cloth bad washing result Maybe caused by: Low washing water pressure or few quantity for washing water washing nozzle was fulled by solids and spray water easily shooting method: increase washing water pressure or flow rate clean washing nozzle. 3. lways a great quantity of slurry leakage at the first at the first squeezing roller Maybe caused by: high squeezing pressure poor flocculant result too big flow rate for slurry feeding fast movement for squeezing belts Shooting method: decrease filter cloth tightening force choose right flocculant agent and most suitable flocculant quantity decrease slurry feeding flow rate decrease filter belt running speed. 4. filter cloth flapped Maybe caused by: less tightening force for filter cloth roller axle line are not horizontal Shooting method: adjust tighting force for filter cloth adjust axle line for rollers. 5. ilter cloth connector breakage Maybe caused by: poor holding force for filter cloth connector Shooting method: repair filter cloth connector. 6. filter cloth running in deviation but can't be controlled easily Maybe caused by failure of anti-deviation system un-balanced degree for adjacent rollers Problem shooting method: reset,to shift the failure alarm adjust horizontal degree for rollers. 7. breakage for squeezing rollers Mainly caused by big filter cloth tightening pressure,or rollers was badly corrosive shooting method: decrease filter cloth tightening pressure repair or replace the rollers.

American Chemical Corporation Analysis Essay

Executive Summary American Chemical Corporation’s Collinsville plant in Alabama is being sought by Dixon a speciality chemicals company. This plant mainly specialises in Sodium Chlorate production and fits well with Dixon’s strategy of supplying chemicals to paper and pulp industry. It would also complement Dixon’s existing product line. The plant costs $12million in investment and requires up to$ 2.25 million for upgrading to new technology. An in-depth investigation and analysis is conducted for both the company and the industry to accurately determine the worth of investment in the Collinsville plant. Net present values are calculated for all possible scenarios. After a thorough analysis of the data, suitable recommendations are provided. Introduction Dixon, an American specialty chemical producer, wants to buy Collinsville plant from American Chemical Corporation, another typical chemical company  in 1979. Dixon wants to diversify its product line by acquiring the aforesaid plant, which produces sodiumchlorate to supply to paper producers in South-eastern part of the US. This plant initially cost USD 12 million and additional USD 2.25 million needed to buy laminate technology to increase efficiency and profitability of the plant in order. About The Collinsville Plant American Chemical Corporation’s plant in Collinsville had the capacity to produce 40000 tons of sodium chlorate per year. Sodium chlorate is produced via the electrolytic decomposition of salt, water and energy. The important factors for us to consider regarding sodium chlorate is where the demand for this chemical comes from. 85% of demand for the product is derived from the paper and pulp industry, where it is used in the production of the bleach that is used to whiten the paper. The remaining 15% comes from its use as a soil sterilant, in uranium mining and in the production of other chemicals. Sodium Chlorate Market in USA Bargaining Power of Customers * Customers include Paper & Pulp Producing Companies like Georgia Pacific and Universal * Because of high competition among the sodium chlorate producers, the bargaining power is being increased. * The demand is also increasing at the rate of 8 to 10% per year with extra usage in the plant effluent problems of paper corporations.| Competition within Industry * Highly Competitive Market * Market Leaders like Hooker, Pennwalt, American & Kerr-McGee have more than 55% of the US Market * Huge number of small medium enterprises with active shares in the sodium chlorate market in US * Paper Companies like Universal also have their own NaClO3 plants actively participating in the competition. * Companies like Brunswick and Southern are specialised only in NaClO3 production| Threat of New Entrants * Union Chemicals and Lousiana Paper Company have already announced their entry into the competition with 40000 and 35000 tons plants respectively| Threat of Substitutes * Graphite Rods used in the production of NaClO3 are being replaced with Metal or Laminate rods. * This would eliminate graphite costs and also reduce power costs by approx. 30%| Issues surrounding Collinsville opportunity 1. Impact on revenues: Reduction in margins due to overcapacity: Although sodium chlorate prices were expected to increase, the overcapacity would cause number of tons to reduce (competition) and therefore, hit the margins. 2. Impact on costs: Increase of electricity from $0.019 in 1977 per kWh to $0.025 per kWh in 1979. Besides, due to upward revaluation of assets, depreciation was expected to increase. 3. Impact from adoption of technology: Depreciation would increase and Dixon was required to pay all costs related to the installation of laminated electrodes. 4. Impact of Financing of acquisition: Temporarily increase Debt to capital ratio to 47%. Target debt to capital ratio: 35% Valuation The Next important step is the valuation of sodium chlorate plant i.e. Collinsville Plant for Dixon Company. The given values and assumptions are summarised in the following tables: Using NPV Rule for the project – Without Laminated Electrodes [Details of the expected values is given in Exhibit 1 As the table is clearly indicating the net present value is a negative value if the Collinsville Plant is valued assuming that the graphite rods are not substituted with the laminate ones. This project may not be profitable considering this negative value. Using NPV Rule for the project – With Laminated Electrodes [Details of the expected values is given in Exhibit 2] For calculating the NPV of project in case of Laminated Electrodes, the power costs are reduced by 20%. The Graphite costs are taken as zero since there is no utilisation of graphite in the newer technology. Also the capital expenditures for first year are taken as 2.5 million $(the cost of project). Now, the NaClO3 plant in Collinsville is valued using discounted cash flow assuming the plant would operate using new replaced laminate electrodes when they become available. In this project, it is founded out that the Net present value is positive suggesting the project is profitable if $2.25mn of laminate electrodes is included in the overall $12mn deal. Calculations of Beta The systematic risk of the project could be the risk of the production of sodium chlorate in the industry. Therefore, we calculate beta of the project based on the beta of the sodium chlorate industry. The beta of Brunswick and Southern will be used to calculate the Beta un-leverd for the firm because the two firms purely produce sodium chlorate. Their Beta will be first unlevered. Then weighted average of those un-levered Betas will be used to calculate the levered beta of the firm. Debt/Equity ratio For calculating levered Beta we take Dixons target capital structure (D/E ratio of 35%). Financing by the debt package will temporarily increase Dixon’s D/E ratio to .47. But we take .35 as the D/E ratio for calculation as the company will ensure that it maintains its target D/E ratio in the long run. Monte Carlo Analysis Monte Carlo analysis is used to gauge the sensitivity of free cash flows on the Net present value of the project. This is used to simulate various sources of uncertainty inherent in the cash flows. Monte Carlo Analysis is performed on both the relevant scenarios in the case and the variations are plotted in a graph. For the Unlaminated factory After installing lamination Recommendations Basing on our detailed calculations following recommendations are made to Dixon Corporation * The net present value (NPV) of Collinsville plant (without the lamination technology) comes out as -0.89 million. Since the NPV value is negative it is advisable not invest in this project and company should pursue other alternatives. * If the new Lamination technology is installed in the Collinsville plant then the Net present value comes out as $10.919 million. This is attributed mainly to the huge savings in power and graphite costs. Even though it requires a $2.5 million extra investment, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Because of a high NPV value it is advisable to invest in the Collinsville plant and install the lamination technology. This investment will not only create synergies because of the similarity in the business but also add value to shareholders wealth. * If terminal values are taken as zero (assuming no residual value)then the NPV of Collinsville plant comes out as -$2.928 million. And after installation of lamination the NPV becomes as 3.6 million $. Because of the high NPV value in the later scenario it is advisable to implement advanced Lamination technology while investing in Collinsville plant.