Essay --

Sustainability is defined as the ability to be sustain, support, uphold, or confirm which my group and I were able to present during our presentation. We were assigned to 13.53 acres of land, ten single family homes, two sets of five townhouses, food and a playground. Our land had one identifiable feature which was a stream that ran around the length of our property and crossed over occasionally. We made sure that our power lines were underground and that during construction we put in drainage ditches. Our ten single family homes carried around thirty people who would live in them. Our two sets of five townhouses carried around twenty people who would also live in them. Each single family would have three solar panels. Each townhouse would have fifteen solar panels, and all houses would carry compost toilets. Lastly, our playground is right around the corner from our housing complex. The playground is also completely made from recycled material. Instead of using things to power up out energy we would use natural resources to power up things in order for it to be beneficial. Our 100...

Air Pressure :: essays research papers

Air Pressure Air is composed of molecules. Air is matter. It has mass and takes up space. Air is composed of different gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases. Air molecules are in constant motion. As they move, they come in contact with surfaces. Air molecules push and press on the surfaces they contact. The amount of force per unit area that air molecules exert on a surface is called air pressure. (What is Air Pressure 6) Air pressure is caused by all of the air molecules in the Earth's atmosphere pressing down on the Earth's surfaces. We can measure air pressure to help us predict weather conditions around the world. Temperature also affects air pressure because air contracts when it cools and expands when it is heated. So if air above a region of Earth cools, it does not extend to as high an altitude as the surrounding air. In this case, its pressure at higher temperature is lower than in the surroundings even when the pressure at the surface is the same a s in surrounding areas. Then air flows into the cooler region at high altitude, making the total weight of air above the region greater than in the surroundings. This is a "high". The cool air descends to the earth's surface. Near the surface, the falling air spreads out, spiraling clockwise in the northern hemisphere. The opposite happens where air is warmed by the sun or by the Earth's surface temperature. The resulting rising air is above a "low." Near the surface, air flows into the "low" to replace the rising air, spiraling counter-clockwise (Atmosphere 26). Highs and lows react to each other causing a variety of conditions. Driving up or down a mountain leads to a reduction or increase of air pressure in the outer part of the ear, creating a pressure difference across the eardrum, which separates the outer ear from the middle ear. The difference distorts the eardrum, so that sounds are muffled (What is Air Pressure 9). However, this can be taken care of by swallowing air and opening the Eustachian tube between the middle ear and the nasal cavity, which in turn is joined to the mouth.

Heroic Virtue in Othello Essay -- Othello essays

Heroic Virtue in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello puts on exhibit an obvious hero and other not-so-obvious heroes. Let us examine them all in this essay.    The supreme type of hero in this play did not occur overnight to the playwright. Rather he slowly built upon one hero after another in his plays until his work culminated in the Moor. A. C. Bradley, in his book of literary criticism, Shakespearean Tragedy, describes the development of the Shakespearean super-hero in Othello:    And with this change goes another, an enlargement in the stature of the hero. There is in most of the later heroes something colossal, something which reminds us of Michelangelo’s figures. They are not merely exceptional men, they are huge men; as it were, survivors of the heroic age living in a later and smaller world. [. . .] Othello is the first of these men, a being essentially large and grand, towering above his fellows, holding a volume of force which in repose ensures pre-eminence without an effort, and in commotion reminds us rather of the fury of the elements than of the tumult of common human passion. (168)    The character’s attitude toward life is certainly a criterion for heroism. Is he heroic in what he does? H. S. Wilson in his book of literary criticism, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, discusses the general’s heroic attitude in the final scene of the play:    In the final scene of Othello, the hero, with that utter lack of self-consciousness of self-criticism which is the height of human vanity, strikes a heroic attitude, makes an eloquent plea for himself, at the height of his eloquence stabs himself – and the innocent spectator feels a lump in his throat or dissolves in te... ... of the play is a pleasant surprise.    Despondent Othello, grief-stricken by remorse for the tragic mistake he has made, acts heroically, following the example of Emilia. He stabs himself and dies on the bed next to the one he has wronged.    WORKS CITED    Bradley, A. C.. Shakespearean Tragedy. New York: Penguin, 1991.    Gardner, Helen. â€Å"Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from â€Å"The Noble Moor.† British Academy Lectures, no. 9, 1955.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.               

The Blue Sword CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Sungold turned and ran up the valley to the Gate, and leaped lightly through the cleft, and Harry was aware of Narknon shooting past her as she slid or fell out of the saddle and into Jack's arms. Gonturan clattered to the ground. â€Å"Brandy,† said Jack, and put something between her teeth; she drank a mouthful, gagged, and shoved the thing away. â€Å"Good for you,† said Jack, but the lightness of his tone was forced, and they both knew it. â€Å"Are you hurt?† Harry shook her head dizzily. â€Å"No. You?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"But – ?† Harry looked around. Narknon was beside her, covered with blood, but little of it seemed to be her own. Her flanks heaved and her green eyes were glassy, but she sat in her usual precise manner and, as Harry watched, slowly, stiffly, began to try to lick herself clean. The archers stood with empty quivers on their backs, cleaning their long daggers. There were fewer of them than there had been when she sent them into the valley's forested sides less than an hour before; and more than half of their cats were gone. She saw Kentarre, who had a rag wrapped around one forearm, but was on her feet. She saw Senay and Terim. Terim's horse was bleeding from a tear on its side, and Senay stood at its head, a hand on its crest, whispering to it, and Terim spread some pale ointment on the wound. The only wounds she saw were minor ones; none who were worse hurt had returned to the Gate. â€Å"Is this all of us now?† Jack nodded. â€Å"I'm afraid so.† There was barely half the tally of the defending southerners that had stood at the Madamer Gate in the morning; and there was an ashen cast to the faces that remained, for the northwest wind was not good to breathe. Unwounded limbs were numb and slow, and brains were clouded with a nagging dread that had little to do with the mortal risk of battle. Kentarre said, as she bound up another archer's arm, â€Å"Thurra is known to love slow bloodshed, and he can afford not to hurry, for nothing can stand against him. But you have done him a blow he did not expect, for you tore down his standard.† â€Å"Thurra?† Harry said in disbelief. Kentarre nodded, and Terim and Senay both stopped what they were doing and looked at her. Kentarre said: â€Å"I recognized him at once. He laughs during battle, and he always rides a white stallion who loves bloodshed as much as he does. â€Å"Why do you think there are so few of us left after so brief a meeting? We are strong fighters, and we fight with the strength of despair besides, for we are terribly outnumbered. But anyone who is struck by the white rider dies on the first blow.† â€Å"Not everybody,† said Terim. â€Å"Not Harimad-sol.† Kentarre nodded solemnly. â€Å"Why do you think we follow her?† Harry said, with her left arm across Sungold's saddle to help hold herself up, â€Å"I did not die only because he chose not to kill me. I cannot match him, even for one blow.† Sungold turned his head, and Harry reached stiffly out to put her fingers on his soft muzzle. She rested them there for a moment, and a little warmth crept into her nerveless hand. â€Å"And, perhaps, a little because I ride a better horse than his.† There was a commotion then, somewhere behind them, near the mouth of the trail; and then one of Jack's men laughed, and the commotion subsided. Harry looked inquiringly in the direction of the laugh, and saw a tall slim figure stride forcefully into the clearing, leading a tired horse. â€Å"Dickie!† she said; and blushed uncomfortably, because she knew how he hated the old childhood name. â€Å"Richard – † she began, humbly, but he had reached her by then and threw his arms around her. She hugged him back, although her right arm was still not functioning very well and the left was weaker than it should be. He let her go at last, and her eyes blurred, and she couldn't tell if the brightness in his eyes was her own tears, or his. He said to Jack, although he was staring at his sister, and his hands were closed on her arms as if she might disappear if he let her go, â€Å"I returned two days after you had left, sir. I had gotten no satisfaction on my mission, as you anticipated.† Jack grunted. â€Å"They told me what had happened, and where you were going – and who was with you – and I took a fresh horse and followed you.† He smiled at last. â€Å"Harry, damn you, we all thought you were dead.† She shook her head. â€Å"I'm not, you see.† She smiled back. â€Å"Not yet, at least.† Richard let his hands drop. The shadowed army lay spread below them, and the north wind, which had quieted a little after Tsornin beat back the wizard's stallion and Narknon pulled down the red-and-white standard, began to howl around them again, and sting their eyes and throats. â€Å"Took another horse?† said Jack musingly. Richard had dropped his reins when he reached for Harry, and the animal stood, weary and patient, where it had halted. â€Å"This looks like Bill Stubbs' horse.† Richard turned back to his commander and grinned. â€Å"It is. It always was too good for him; and I needed something fast, to catch up with you before it was all over.† â€Å"You've just blighted a spotless career with horse-stealing?† Jack said mildly. Richard sobered. â€Å"If you like. You know that all of us who have come here – thrown in our lot with the old Damarians – are finished as far as Her Majesty's Government is concerned. You knew that when you decided to come.† Harry stared at Jack, although in the back of her mind she had known this all along. â€Å"Is this true?† Jack shrugged. â€Å"Yes, it's true. That's why the two dozen of us who came are all grizzled old veterans – we don't have much to lose. But Richard, you – â€Å" Richard made an abrupt gesture with one arm. â€Å"I knew what I was doing. Blood calls to blood, I suppose – for all that I've resisted it the last few years.† He glanced at his sister. â€Å"It was your coming out here to Daria – Damar – and loving it, loving the desert, even though you knew nothing of it – I could see it. You were as bad as Colonel Dedham – begging your pardon, sir – by the end of the first month. It made me ashamed. I – I couldn't talk about it †¦ â€Å" Harry realized she was being offered an apology, and nodded. It didn't matter any more. He was here, and that was what mattered. â€Å"Then, after you disappeared,† Richard went on slowly, â€Å"these last long months, I've thought a lot – I even thought that you weren't dead – and the thought felt like betrayal †¦ You know, I came here, to the Gap, without ever having to think about it. I knew which way to turn, all those mad little trails on the way up here. I always knew.† â€Å"Blood calls to blood,† Harry said. â€Å"Why didn't you ever tell me there was Hill blood in us?† Richard looked surprised. â€Å"Father told me. I – I assumed he'd told you. I didn't want to talk about it. There was a lot I didn't want to talk about.† Harry said, â€Å"I found out a week ago, when Jack told me.† There was a silence, and Richard began to laugh. â€Å"My God. Then becoming a king's Rider must really have been a shock to you. It was shock enough to me, when Tom Lloyd told me.† He took her right hand and turned it over to look at the palm. â€Å"I was proud of you. That's when I knew I had to follow you – not only to see my sister again. To – reclaim something. Or admit to owning it all along.† The north wind snapped at their hair and eyelashes, listening to their conversation. Harry wondered idly if it understood Homelander speech. Kentarre had left them; she returned now and said, â€Å"My lady. The North prepares to move against us again.† Richard turned to face his sister; he put his shoulders back as if bracing himself for a blow. â€Å"Command me, sol,† he said awkwardly, in Hill-speech. Then in Homelander he went on: â€Å"As I came late, perhaps you'd like me to commit a daring single-handed raid.† Jack snorted. Harry smiled in spite of herself. â€Å"No; that won't be necessary. We'll arrange ourselves across the Gap, here, and on the plateau.† She paused. â€Å"I can't risk what's left of us going into the valley again †¦ â€Å" She raised her voice: â€Å"We're here to slow the Northerners down. We'll do the best we can. But we're overmatched – vastly more overmatched than I expected. I don't expect any of you to fight to the †¦ last. The day is half over; if we can hold them till this evening, they'll have to wait till morning to try again.† Harry closed her eyes and thought, I hope. Even demons see better by the light of day – or do they? Swimming through the mist behind her eyes then, she saw Corlath and his army; they were beating back a horde of Northerners that outnumbered them by no more than three to one. The black mass that filled the valley below the Madamer Gate was twice the size of the army that sought to pass the Bledfi Gap. Corlath's stallion ran red from its nose as it leaped and struck; Corlath's sword was dull with blood. She recognized Fireheart first; it took her a moment to recognize his rider, for Corlath's sash was the wrong color. She saw Mathin, who grinned fiercely as he fought at Corlath's heels. â€Å"If we have gained a day, we have gained †¦ something. Tonight, those of you that remain †¦ may scatter. Fade into these Hills; make your way back to Corlath if you can.† Senay said: â€Å"Why do you say those of you, lady? Do you not come with us? Are you so certain of death?† Terim, very low, said, â€Å"Do you seek it?† Harry sighed. â€Å"I can't leave. This defense, here, was my great idea. I can't leave. But what's-his-name, out there, will take care of that, when next we meet.† She tried to speak lightly. â€Å"Very noble of you, my dear,† said Jack, â€Å"but we will, I think, stand with Harimad-sol. We can hold here †¦ perhaps three days, if Thurra is so fond of slow death. Three days might give your Corlath a breathing-space; and it's always remotely within the realm of possibility that Sir Charles will believe the letter I wrote him, and the Northerners will find the Outlanders a little more troublesome than they expected for a few more days of preparation. We will stay.† The last three words he said in Hill-speech, and Senay and Terim and Kentarre repeated, â€Å"We will stay.† Terim said, with his usual buoyancy, â€Å"Harimad-sol, you cannot ask us to give up so easily, after we have come so far.† Harry blinked. She looked out over the valley; the Northern mass was beginning to shift forward again. â€Å"Very well,† she said gruffly. â€Å"I suggest everyone eat something and take a few minutes' rest; for Thurra is moving. And †¦ thank you.† She smiled. â€Å"Perhaps we will hold out three days.† â€Å"And think of the songs they'll sing about us,† said Jack. He handed her a bit of meat in a hard roll, and she began absently to chew it. Her right arm was still nearly useless, but her left hand closed and opened when she told it to, the elbow bent, and the shoulder swung. She squinted up at the mountains around her. The peaks that surrounded the Gate were perhaps four times a man's height from the shallow plateau where she stood; then beyond them the mountains sloped up again, and a little distance from the stony Gate some small trees covered the steep ground and spilled out toward the valley below them. She looked around, toward the forested arm where the archers had stood. She found she had finished her roll. â€Å"I'll be back in a moment,† she said. Jack and Richard looked at her questioningly. â€Å"In plenty of time to stand against our friends.† She picked up Gonturan and awkwardly wiped and resheathed her, and began to clamber slowly up the western side of the Gate. She could only use her left hand, and even its grasp was not strong. Jack said sharply, â€Å"Harry, what have you done to your arm?† She waited till she was standing on the low crest to answer: â€Å"Strained a muscle, I think,† she said. â€Å"Don't worry.† She turned away as Jack opened his mouth; and from where her little band stood, disappeared around a spur of rock. Richard started after her, but Terim moved in front him as Jack said, â€Å"No. If she wants to be left alone, we'll leave her alone. I don't like it either, but she – or the thing that's riding her – still knows a little more about this than the rest of us. Or so I believe.† Richard shrugged, but his eyes stayed on the spot where his sister had disappeared. â€Å"She did promise that we could die together,† Terim said cheerfully. Jack rubbed his face wearily. â€Å"I'm not thinking about dying yet.† He looked out into the valley, and slowly he brought his glass to his eye. More figures, some riding on strangely jointed steeds and some lumbering along on their own heavy feet, were pouring into the valley; there was no end of them. They roiled up the slope toward the Gate, the slope Harimad-sol had so laboriously pushed them down less than an hour before. He could no longer see the lower half of the rocky bowl at his feet for the creatures that walked upon it. He dropped the glass. â€Å"However foolish that may be.† Richard took the glass from Jack's hand and gazed through it. He saw Thurra's white stallion near the front; but there was no standard-bearer. Harry stumbled up, and up farther; and then her feet found something like a path or a deer track, and she gratefully followed it. She came above the trees again, and looked down. Below her was the valley, full of tiny crawling things; nearer her, but still far away – I hadn't realized I'd come so far, she thought, startled – was a small flat space behind a cleft in the rock, where her people waited. She looked down dispassionately; the thought flickered through her mind that she was too far, and should return at once; but there seemed to be something she should do first. Her numb right hand crept its way up the scabbard of Gonturan till it felt over the hilt to rest on the stone at her peak; Harry found that she was panting for breath. â€Å"Lady Aerin,† she murmured; and the scene before her wavered, and she blinked, and suddenly she could see as an eagle sees: she recognized the white stallion that Thurra rode, with the red ribbons in its mane and the red blood dried on its neck and flank, and saw the red- and green- and black-eyed faces of those who followed him, and the queer beasts many rode instead of horses, that had clawed feet and forked tongues. She saw the north wind pluck at her brother's hair and realized abruptly she felt no wind on her bare mountain top; and with that there was a stab of pain from the base of her neck down her right arm, and her hand grasped the hilt of the sword and drew her. She raised her slowly above her head, point upward, as if to cut the clouds that Thurra had brought, and throw them down on his head in knife-edged fragments. The pain in her neck rose and flooded her brain; â€Å"Corlath, help me,† she said to the air. The small knot of people on the plateau behind the Gate looked up suddenly as a blaze of light fell over them and splattered like water; and they saw Harimad-sol on a peak behind them, where no peak had stood before; and around her head and shoulders was blue-and-white fire. She r aised her right arm, and Gonturan sparkled so fiercely they could not look at her; and Harimad-sol stabbed skyward once and again and shouted words that each felt they heard distinctly but could not repeat or understand; but Ken-tarre and Jack recognized the Old Tongue of the Hills, the Language of the Gods. Blue fire began to run down from the stone on the hilt of the sword and splash to the ground, where it seemed to eddy around Harry's feet, and bits of it flaked off and floated into the air, and the bits spun and glittered like prisms, and tossed tiny rainbows down the sides of the mountains, although the rainbows had more blue in them than most rainbows. In the valley they heard hoarse cries, but the voices did not seem to reach the Blue Sword or the woman who held it, but fell back into the valley like fish who had leaped too high, gasping for their lives. They heard the white stallion scream, and heard an awful voice they knew to be Thurra's, but no one turned to look; everyone stared upward. Even the horses stood with raised heads and pricked ears, facing as their riders faced; and Narknon, who had not followed Harry although she could have, stood stone still but for her lashing tail; Sungold pranced, looking up the rocks he could not climb. The blue light fell into his eyes and mouth and nostrils till he looked like a ghost horse. The hillside began to move. Pebbles, then larger pebbles, then rocks and boulders began to tumble into the valley. The woman's clear voice went on, and the incomprehensible words poured over the Hillfolk and the Outlanders with the brilliant blue light; then the noise of the mountains falling grew louder, and many fell to their knees and bellies because they could not keep their feet. They could no longer see with their eyes, though the light burned into their brains, and they no longer heard with their ears, for the roaring of falling earth blocked them, yet they heard in their minds the blue-lit words going on and on. And then it was over. The horses shook themselves; some had to haul themselves, sweating, to their feet. The human beings turned over where they lay, and looked up at the sky, which was blue and cloudless; and shivered, and cautiously stood up. Jack looked up first; there was no sign of Harry. At first he thought it was because his eyes were still blind from the light, but he could pick out the shape of the mountain peaks around him, and he could work out where Harry had been standing; but where Harry had been was there no longer. He was sure he was looking in the right direction. Puzzled, then, he looked around for confirmation; his eyes crossed Richard's; he was going through the same bewilderment. They turned together to look out over the valley. But there was no valley. There was a smoking rubble of broken stones and uprooted trees; the cliff face beyond the Gate itself had sheared clean away, and the Gate would be a pass through the mountains no more. They stood at the edge, looking down, and then out and across; there was no sign of life anywhere. The only things that moved were clouds of dust. The dust was curiously blue-edged, and twinkled in the sunlight. A little breeze began. It came through a wide breach in the mountain that had not been there before; surprised, it began to investigate the new landscape. The weary anxious people and beasts on the ridge that was once a Gate turned a little to face it. It smelled good, of young green things. â€Å"The north wind is gone,† said Jack. â€Å"Yes,† said Richard. â€Å"This wind blows from the south and east.† They stood for a moment, collecting their thoughts. â€Å"We should look for Harry,† said Richard. â€Å"Shouldn't we?† He sounded very young. â€Å"Yes,† said Jack. â€Å"That was Harry, wasn't it?† Harry's brother said, a little uncertainly. Jack smiled a small smile. â€Å"Yes. Or it was Harry as much as it was anyone. Terim,† he went on in Hill-speech, â€Å"we would like to look for Harimad-sol. She might be too †¦ exhausted to return to us. Will you come?† Terim said, â€Å"Yes,† and Senay joined them, while the rest would wait for word. Sungold followed them to the foot of the rock wall Harry had disappeared beyond, and whinnied anxiously after them, and reared and pawed the rock behind them as they climbed away from him. â€Å"We'll bring her back,† Jack said to him. â€Å"Be patient.† Narknon came with them. The four of them seemed to move very slowly; or perhaps their feet moved at a reasonable pace, but their minds could not keep up. Narknon, instead of ranging around them as she usually did, trotted at their heels and paused when they paused. Jack felt that he was grinding out thoughts that moved as grudgingly as centuries, and when he shook his head, his brain seemed to turn over uneasily, like a bad swimmer in deep water. His eyes hurt in their sockets, and he still saw Harry with her sword raised and the blue fire around her, although the picture was memory now, and his eyes focused on scrub and dirt and rock and blue dust. They all stopped as they came to a slope with trees growing above them. â€Å"This can't be right,† said Richard; â€Å"we saw her on bare rock.† Jack peered up at the sun. â€Å"It is right, though; or at least this is the right direction. If the sun hasn't moved, which I don't guarantee †¦ perhaps these trees grew while the mountains were falling.† Jack began to climb again as if he were sure he knew the way; Terim and Senay followed, for they were less shocked by Harimad-sol's performance than Jack or Richard, and did not expect the landscape near such a piece of sorcery and kelar to conform to the usual physical rules. They had looked at the sun too, and knew they were heading in the right direction. Richard was last. He felt old, and his bones creaked, and Narknon made him uncomfortable. He knew of the Damarian hunting-cats, but he had never before met one. There was a tiny path, as if made by small hoofed animals, up the slope, and Jack followed it hopefully; and after only a few minutes they broke through the trees and into a small glade, with fresh green grass in it, the first good grass they had seen since they left Senay's village. Harry lay crumpled near one edge of the glade, with Gonturan, dull as pewter, the blue stone of her hilt opaque, lying on the grass beside her. Harry lay on her side, curled up, and both her hands touched the sword; the left awkwardly fell over the hilt, the right grasped the blade just below the guard. Jack came into the clearing first, and he was the only one who saw – or thought he saw – a figure in the trees just behind Harry; he thought he saw a glint of red hair. But he blinked, so he could stare again harder, feeling for his saber; and when he looked again, the figure was gone. He was never sure afterward if he had seen anything but an odd fall of leaf shadow, although he knew the Hi ll legends, and knew who had carried Gonturan before his young friend. â€Å"Harry,† said Richard, and ran forward, and dropped to his knees beside her. The others, who had a little more faith in Hill magic – or who understood a bit better that whatever had happened was finished now, for good or ill – followed more slowly. Jack looked around. There was nothing like the stone knoll where Harry had stood anywhere near them; the trees – real trees, not the grey and stunted things they had seen around the Gate, and in the valley that was no more – stood high overhead, rustling softly in the green breeze from the east; and beyond the little glen there was nothing but more trees, more sweet greenness, for however far the eye could reach, no sunlight-glint of a clear space anywhere. Harry was dreaming something, but Dickie was calling her. Aerin was leaning over her, smiling the wry smile Harry knew well by now; it was a smile of affection, but more of understanding. Aerin spoke to her, for the second time; she had a low rough kind voice. â€Å"This is what one mad Outlander on a Hill horse would have done; rather like something I once did. But it's not fair that the heroes get all the adventures and all the glory alone; your band will be sung of for centuries to come, and Jack's great-great-grandchildren, and Richard's and yours, and Senay's, and Terim's will remember the Madamer Gate and how the mountains fell and crushed Thurra's army. I found out that those at home don't like having no part in adventures – I didn't learn very much, but I did learn that; and it's as well if someone can learn by my mistakes †¦ â€Å" â€Å"Corlath,† said Harry miserably; and Aerin answered her gently: â€Å"Corlath is waiting for you.† Harry wanted to say, That's what I'm afraid of. But Dickie was calling her. It couldn't be Dickie, she hadn't seen him since †¦ She opened her eyes. Her memory of the immediate past was not good, but she knew she had called on Aerin, and asked Corlath for help in whatever Gonturan's past, master might send her, and that something had happened; and that Aerin had spoken to her about it †¦ and Corlath †¦ Her head hurt. â€Å"Richard,† she said. The other three sat down with a sigh beside her, and there was a silence that no one seemed to know how to break. Narknon put a paw on Harry's chest and began licking her face; a hunting-cat's tongue is much harsher than a housecat's. Harry thought her skin would crumble and peel off, but she didn't have the strength to push her away. At last Harry said, and her voice sounded low and hollow, â€Å"Not that I feel much like moving just now, but don't we have some fairly urgent business in the valley? Or have three days gone by while I †¦ and †¦ â€Å" Richard said, â€Å"There is no valley.† Jack said, â€Å"The Northerners are now lying under a very large pile of rock, which used to be a mountain range. You appear to have pulled it down around their ears, and, Harimad-sol, I salute you.† He touched his forehead and flicked the fingers out in the particular curl that is the Hillman's gesture of respect to his king. Harry smiled weakly. â€Å"That's blasphemous, you know. I'll have you court-martialed.† â€Å"By Homelanders or Hillfolk?† Jack inquired blandly. â€Å"Can you stand?† â€Å"I am gathering my courage to find out,† replied Harry. She had flopped over onto her back – Narknon was now nibbling lovingly on her hair – and then hauled herself up on one elbow; now Senay and Richard propped her up on both sides, and she reeled to her feet. Her leather vest seemed as stiff as iron. â€Å"I feel like a potato that's recently been mashed,† she said. Narknon leaned against her knee and purred madly. â€Å"Shall we carry you?† Terim said, hovering anxiously, torn between respect and caution. â€Å"Not yet, thank you,† said Harry. â€Å"But you could hand me Gonturan. I don't quite feel like bending over just now.† This was said in Hill-speech, so it is possible that Richard did not understand. But of the other three there was a brief but obvious moment when no one moved, and everyone thought of the blue fire on the mountaintop, and everyone's palms prickled. Then Jack took a step forward and bent and picked up Harimad-sol's blade, flat silver now, glinting faintly in the sunlight, and offered the hilt to her. One narrow gleam of white fire ran up the edge of the blue sword, and outlined Jack's fingers. Jack's and Harry's eyes met, for it was only when it was too late to stop her words that she realized what she was – or might be – asking. â€Å"Thank you,† she said. â€Å"I probably should have bent over myself, to find out if I could.† She resheathed the sword. Jack looked at his glowing white hand, and rubbed his palm along his thigh. There was a tingle in that hand that buzzed up his arm and fluttered for a moment in his brain. It was not an unpleasant sensation. As her fingers closed on Gonturan, Harry realized that her body was functioning; that she would be able to walk. She kept her hand on the hilt of Gonturan and took a step forward. â€Å"We'll stop where we are tonight,† she said. â€Å"Tomorrow we ride back to find Corlath.† She shut her eyes a moment; the world spun, then steadied. â€Å"They're farther west than they expected to be. Six days, if we hurry. If we can hurry.† She frowned, her eyes still closed. â€Å"They are beating the Northerners back; they are winning.† She opened her eyes again. â€Å"They're winning,† she repeated, and the color rose in her cheeks, and her three friends smiled at her. Harry concentrated on walking, and by the time they came to the rockface at the Gate she had gotten pretty good at it; she still kept her eyes on her feet, but she slid and scrambled down by herself, while Jack and Richard, who had gone before her, tried very hard not to reach up and help her. When she got to the bottom, and her people were standing around her, and Tsornin was bumping her shoulder angrily, asking her why she had gone anywhere he couldn't come too, and her Hillfolk were flicking their finger salute at her, Kentarre very deliberately touched her forehead too and flicked the fingers out, and all the archers followed suit. And Jack's Outlanders stared and bowed and pointed saber hilts at her, and she realized how quiet they were. Too quiet. She turned to look at the valley. She turned white, and then Jack and Richard did put out hands to steady her. â€Å"My God,† she said. â€Å"That was a bit of †¦ something, wasn't it?† The dust still swirled in clouds over the desert of rubble they looked at, and it hung thickly enough that they could not see beyond it. There were threads of blue woven through and over it, as if there were a webbing holding it in place. The sun burned brightly over the blue-shot fog, and hurt the eyes. The dust got into eyes and noses and throats as they breathed, and mouths as they talked, and their voices grew hoarse with it. â€Å"Kentarre,† said Harry. â€Å"Will a lot of rock simply falling on him stop someone like Thurra?† Kentarre shrugged. â€Å"My sol, I don't believe it has been tried before.† Harry smiled wanly. â€Å"It will at least have stopped his army,† said Terim; â€Å"few of them have any kelar of their own.† â€Å"They have never needed it,† said Senay, â€Å"for Thurra has always been stronger.† Jack said, â€Å"There's more than rock out there. There's something holding the rock down.† He stared out, the flecks of blue teasing the corners of his eyes. Kentarre and Senay and Terim, who knew the legends of the Northern mage, were silent. â€Å"It is possible that he will rest here,† said Kentarre at last. â€Å"But we can say that today is ours.† â€Å"Today is Harimad-sol's,† said Terim firmly, and Senay's face lit up, and she cried, â€Å"Harimad-sol!† Kentarre drew her dagger and tapped herself on the chest with the hilt and then shook the point over her head. â€Å"Harimad-sol!† she called, and â€Å"Harimad-sol!† the other archers echoed, drawing their daggers in the same gesture; and Senay's people picked up the shout next. Jack's men, shaken out of their half-fearful amazement, began to applaud and stamp, as if they didn't know what else to do; and it was Richard who yelled, â€Å"Angharad!† whereupon the Outlanders shouted â€Å"Angharad!† too, and a few whistled, as though Harry had just sung an aria at the opera. When at last they stopped, everyone was smiling and easy again, as if individually inspired landslides and earthquakes were quite a normal feat of warfare, or at least of leadership. Then everyone heaved a sigh and settled down, and supper fires were lit; and Narkno n appeared, dragging a brown deer larger than herself, and looking terribly pleased with herself. The sunset that evening over the mountains was violet-blue.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Everything happens for a reason and this I can prove by looking back at previous experiences which made vital contributions to my personality. My name is (insert name of student here) and I am aiming for a good position in your credible university as a student majoring in Industrial Engineering. My personal and academic experiences made me realize the importance of taking up another level of this field since I can seek for broader opportunities in the future. I came from China and graduated there with a degree in Electrical Engineering and upon graduation, I still long for more knowledge relating to this field. I was too confused at that time of changing my career path since I am also fascinated in studying Industrial Engineering. I seek for a friend's advice and his name is (try to insert a friend's name here) and I was able to get the best advice that made a lot of difference in my life. My friend told me that I should go out of the country and try studying in the United States where they give the best quality of education. My friend gave me a life changing advice since he convinced me to step out of my homeland so I can make my dreams come true of taking up a different field of Engineering. I felt really blessed and relieved since I got the necessary support from my family who agreed to my decision of furthering my education abroad. I started to follow the advice given by my friend by having the necessary courage and never be intimidated by the fact that I will be in a foreign land. I utilized most of his words of wisdom by trying to seek for more details regarding the said country and seek for a credible institution that will help me fulfill my career. I am now in the point of my life were bravery and confidence is at its best. I will never loose hope and I will maintain my optimistic attitude especially when it comes to my future career. Taking the stand and going to the United States is indeed a worthy advice given by my friend. I am looking forward to spending my educational days at (insert name of university here) and learning more about Industrial Engineering. I believe that this University is capable of producing excellent Industrial Engineers in the future. I anticipate my future with success. Impossible is nothing for a person who shows dedication and passion for success. I will never be this confident if not by the help of my friend. He brings out the best in me by means of his encouraging words. I will follow what he told me because I know that it will make a difference in my career path. At the same time, choosing to study at (insert name of university here), will make all my dreams come true since I will be taking up a major in a university that recruits only the best and finest students. In addition there are wide array of academic resources on this university along with professors who are experts in the field of Industrial Engineering. Now is the right time for me to make all my dreams into reality. I am an optimistic person and considers problems as important factors that will make me a person stronger that before and well prepared for tomorrow. I will not let my friend down and I will follow what he told me when it comes to taking up the field of Engineering that I love most.

Abstracts Xue Chen Simulink Book Wiley

Starting from introducing various MUTUAL windows and on-line help facilities, the fundamentals of MAT LAB programming including data types, statements and matrix representation are explained first allowed by matrix manipulations, such as algebraic computation, logical and relationship expressions and data conversion. Then, flow charts in MAT LAB programming is illustrated, including loop structures, conditional structures, switches and trial structures.MUTUAL function programming and pseudo code processing are covered together with two-dimensional and three- dimensional graphics and visualization techniques. MATT_ABA graphical user interface (GIG) technique sues are explained so that the readers will gain new GUI programming skills to design user-friendly interfaces. Finally, programming kills for delivering high speed, high efficiency codes are introduced with special emphasis on commonly used tips, vectored programming methodology and MIX programming fundamentals for mixed-language programming.Exercises and chapter references cited are included. Programming, data types, program flow control, functions, matrix operations, GIG, code efficiency, vectored programming techniques, MIX (mixed-language) programming. Chapter-03 MUTUAL Applications in Scientific Computations This chapter covers both numerical computation and analytical problem solutions with MAT LAB. Topical parts included in this long chapter are linear algebra, calculus, ordinary differential equation, optimization, and data and signal processing.First, a general discussion about analytical solutions and numerical solutions to mathematical problems is presented with a dedicated argument why using numerical methods. We then start by first explain and illustrate how to solve various linear algebra problems, including the input of special matrices, matrix analysis, similarity transformation, decomposition, generally problems, algebraic equation solutions and matrix function evaluations. It is demonstrat e that the use of MAT LAB in the solution of linear algebra problems is very straightforward and reliable.How to solve calculus related problems in MAT LAB is presented next which includes numerical solutions to difference, differentiation, integration and multiple integral problems, as well as analytical (symbolic) ways in solving certain classes of calculus problems. Then, it comes to the fundamentals of dynamical system simulation techniques that are mainly based on numerical solutions to ordinary differential equations in MAT LAB via numerous examples to illustrate how to solve stiff differential equations, implicit differential equations, stochastic differential equations and differential algebraic equations.Integral transform methods and analytical solutions of differential equations are also dealt with. In particular, the numerical inverse Lovelace transform technique is introduced for solving some complicated differential equations. In the numerical solution methods in optim ization problems, a universal nonlinear equation solver is presented, for finding with ease the possible multiple solutions to nonlinear equations, together with other approaches.Unconstrained optimization problems are explored, followed by inner programming problems and quadratic programming problems as well as ordinary nonlinear programming problems. Dynamic programming techniques and their use in path planning problem applications are discussed as well in a separate section. Finally, this chapter ends with a section introducing data and signal processing methods, including one- and two dimensional interpolation problems and least squares curve fitting problems, data sorting, pseudo random number generating, fast Fourier series transformation and spectrum analysis.Exercises and chapter references cited are included. Key. Fords: linear algebra, numerical and symbolic calculus, ordinary differential equation, numerical inverse Lovelace transform, optimization, dynamic programming, c urve fitting, data interpolation, random numbers, signal processing Chapter-04 Mathematical Modeling and Simulation with Simulating This chapter opens with a historical recall of the evolution of Simulating and a simple explanation of the basic idea of Simulating. This chapter is prepared for those who have little to zero experience with Simulating.First, a brief introduction to various block libraries of Simulating is given, and some of the commonly used blocks are described. Basic manipulations of Simulating blocks such as rotating, connecting and block parameter modification, together with how to build Simulating models, are then introduced and illustrated at the mouse click level. TO grow the Simulating modeling skills, some essential tools are introduced, including the use of the model browser, model printing and simulation parameter settings. To put Simulating in actual use, modeling and simulation techniques are demonstrated with some detailed illustrative examples.Equipped w ith the necessary fundamental knowledge and prepared for more advanced modeling and simulation tasks, the readers are dead to learn linear system modeling and representation methods where L IT Viewer based linear system frequency domain analysis and numerical simulation methods are presented. Finally, simulation methods for continuous systems driven by stochastic inputs are discussed. Statistical analyses of simulation results are given such as probability density function, correlation and power spectral density of the signals in the systems with illustrative examples.Exercises and chapter references cited are included. Simulating modeling, Simulating library, Block-diagram manipulation, Linear time invariant (LIT), Frequency domain analysis, Time domain analysis, Stochastic signal Statistical analysis Correlation analysis Power spectrum analysis Chapter-SO Commonly Used Blocks and Intermediate-level Modeling Skills This chapter will take a closer examination of some commonly used S imulating blocks and their uses in Simulating modeling so in the end of this chapter, readers will be at the intermediate-level in Simulating modeling techniques.First covered is a simple example used to further demonstrate the model representation and modeling skills such as including vectored block modeling and model decoration techniques. Important problems such as the concept of algebraic loops and their elimination, and also the zero-crossing detection method are discussed. Then, Simulating modeling of linear multivariate systems is illustrated, where the L TTL block in the Control System Toolbox is recommended for simplifying the modeling process.Commonly used blocks important in Simulating modeling applications such as the lookup table and various switches are explored. General methods in constructing piecewise linear nonlinearities are introduced for both cases: memory's nonlinearities and nonlinearities with memories. Simulating modeling techniques for various kinds of diff erential equations are demonstrated in a dedicated section. These include ordinary differential equations, differential algebraic equations, delay differential equations, switching differential equations and even fractional-order (Nan-integer-order) differential equations.Simulation result visualization is essential in any simulation task so various visualization output blocks in Simulating are presented, such as scope output, workspace variable output and gauges output. More advanced Simulating output visualization methods are presented, including three- emotional animation methods with virtual reality techniques. Fundamental world modeling with VRRP is briefly introduced as well, and the VRRP models driven by MUTUAL and Simulating output are discussed. Finally, subsystem modeling is introduced using subsystem masking techniques.An illustrative example of Simulating modeling of a complicated system is presented in detail. Exercises and chapter references cited are included. Algebra ic loop, L TTL blocks, Nonlinear blocks, differential algebraic equations, delay differential equations, switching differential equations, fractional-order differential equations, VRRP, World modeling, subsystem masking Chapter-06 Advanced Techniques in Simulating Modeling and Applications Simulating offers powerful direct graphical based programming-free methods to get system simulation tasks completed.In practice, since graphical methods have some limitations, it may be necessary to use command-line based modeling and design methods together with graphical methods. In this chapter, advanced techniques of command-line modeling and application are presented by first introducing how to use MAT LAB commands to create Simulating models. By command-line drawing techniques, complicated Simulating oodles can be created. Then, issues to note during the execution of Simulating models is introduced are discussed. Elimination techniques of nonlinear systems are also addressed.In particular, t he Pad ‘ e approximation to pure time delays is further discussed. It can be seen that not all the models can be constructed with Simulating graphical methods alone. Some of the complicated models can only be created and analyzed using MUTUAL commands. Thus, using a dedicated section, advanced techniques are presented for creating complicated models. S-function programming techniques will be presented ND illustrated and their use in simulation of automatic disturbance rejection control (DARK) systems will be demonstrated as a case study.Finally, command-line based optimal controller design technique with Simulating models is introduced, and optimal controller design methods for nonlinear plants are also presented as an advanced Simulating modeling application example. Exercises and chapter references cited are included. Elimination, Delay approximation, S-function programming, Masking S-function block, Automatic disturbance rejection control, Optimal controller design, Global optimization,Chapter-07 Modeling and Simulation Of Engineering Systems Simulating models can always be constructed since low-level Simulating blocks can be used to model any dynamical system with arbitrary complexity. However, for complex engineering (and non-engineering) system simulation tasks, this chapter explains, promotes and demonstrates the multi-domain physical modeling strategy advocated and implemented in Simulating. Many well-established and specialized blockades in various disciplines have been developed for use with Simulating. Some of the blockades have been developed and integrated in the Simple framework.This chapter dedicated the first section in introducing the concept of multi-domain physical modeling and an introduction to the Simple bollocks. Then, in detail, electrical system modeling with Comportment's and other blockades is addressed. The rest of the chapter covers the modeling and simulation of electronic systems, motor drive systems and mechanical systems with a lot of examples. Multi-domain physical modeling Simple, electrical system modeling, electronic systems, Spice circuit model, motor drive systems, mechanical systems, mechanical CAD model Chapter- 08 Modeling and Simulation of Non-Engineering SystemsThis chapter serves as a showcase to demonstrate that MUTUAL/Simulating can also be used directly in modeling and simulation of many non-engineering systems. There are also a lot of third-party programs and blockades developed by scholars worldwide. This chapter is only a small showcase chapter. First, modeling and simulation of pharmaceutics systems are presented. Compartment modeling is briefly introduced, and physiology based pharmaceutics modeling methods and nonlinear generalized predictive control of anesthetic processes are shown.Then, a dedicated section is included for MUTUAL/Simulating based image and video processing. Image Processing Toolbox and Computer Vision System Toolbox bollocks are also presented, and real-time v ideo processing systems are explored. In many non-engineering systems, the finite state machine concept is important. How to use Stateless to model and simulate complicated supervision problems is presented. Stateless also generalizes the capabilities of logical or switched systems modeling, and we show that this can be used to describe systems with loops of conditional processes.Finally, this chapter ends with a section on modeling and simulation of discrete event systems and a queuing system s used as an example to demonstrate the use of the Sentiments bollocks. pharmaceutics systems Compartment modeling predictive control image and video processing finite state machine concept Stateless switched systems Sentiments bollocks discrete event systems queuing system Chapter-09 Hardware-in-the-loop Simulation and Real-time Control Simulation is mostly numerical. However, simulation could be analog.Yet, in this chapter, we will show that the simulation can be partly numerical and partly analog. Including the dynamic plant in the loop of simulation, is referred to as a hardware-in-the-loop simulation. Since this kind of simulation s often performed in real-time, it is sometimes referred to as real-time simulation. This has been made very simple in MUTUAL/Simulating due to the Real-Timekeeper's provided by Metaphors that can translate the Simulating models into C code, and the standalone executable files can also be generated using this tool, so that real-time control can be performed.

What is Earthquake Essay

An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault. The tectonic plates are always slowly moving, but they get stuck at their edges due to friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earth’s crust and cause the shaking that we feel.( readanddigest.com/what-is-an-earthquake) The April 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake)[6][9] killed more than 8,800 people and injured more than 23,000. It occurred at 11:56 NST on 25 April, with a magnitude of 7.8Mw[1] or 8.1Ms[2] and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of IX (Violent). Its epicenter was east of the district of Lamjung, and its hypocenter was at a depth of approximately 15 km (9.3 mi).[1] It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake.[10][11][12] The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 19,[13] making April 25, 2015 the deadliest day on th e mountain in history.[14] The earthquake triggered another huge avalanche in the Langtang valley, where 250 people were reported missing.[15][16] Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless with entire villages flattened,[15][17][18] across many districts of the country. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley, including some at the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Squar, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan Temple and the Swayambhunath Stupa. Geophysicists and other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture.[19][20] [21] A major aftershock occurred on 12 May 2015 at 12:51 NST with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.3.[22] The epicenter was near the Chinese border between the capital of Kathmandu and Mt. Everest.[23] More than 200 people were killed and more than 2,500 were injured by this aftershock Geology M6+ Himalayan region earthquakes, 1900–2014 Nepal lies towards the southern limit of the diffuse collisional boundary where the Indian Plate underthrusts the Eurasian Plate,[31][32] occupying the central sector of the Himalayan arc, nearly one-third of the 2,400 km  (1,500 mi) long Himalayas. Geologically, the Nepal Himalayas are sub-divided into five tectonic zones from north to south, east to west and almost parallel to sub-parallel.[33] These five distinct morpho-geotectonic zones are: (1) Terai Plain, (2) Sub Himalaya (Sivalik Range), (3) Lesser Himalaya (Mahabharat Range and mid valleys), (4) Higher Himalaya, and (5) Inner Himalaya (Tibetan Tethys).[34] Each of these zones is clearly identified by their morphological, geological, and tectonic features.[34] The convergence rate between the plates in central Nepal is about 45 mm (1.8 in) per year. The location, magnitude, and focal mechanism of the earthquake suggest that it was caused by a slip along the Main Frontal Thrust.[1][35] The earthquake’s effects were amplified in Kathmandu as it sits on the Kathmandu Basin, which contains up to 600 m (2,000 ft) of sedimentary rocks, representing the infilling of a lake.[36] Based on a study published in 2014, of the Main Frontal Thrust, on average a great earthquake occurs every 750  ±Ã¢â‚¬â€°140 and 870  ±Ã¢â‚¬â€°350 years in the east Nepal region.[37] A study from 2015 found a 700-year delay between earthquakes in the region. The study also suggests that because of tectonic stress buildup, the earthquake from 1934 in Nepal and the 2015 quake are connected, following a historic earthquake pattern.[38] Intensity Isoseismal map for the Gorkha earthquake annotated with values on the Mercalli scale According to â€Å"Did You Feel It?† (DYFI?) responses on the USGS website, the intensity in Kathmandu was IX (Violent).[1] Tremors were felt in the neighboring Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Gujarat [39][better source needed] in the National capital region around New Delhi[40] 11 June 2015, 311 aftershocks had occurred with different epicenters and magnitudes equal to or above 4 Mw and more than 20,000 aftershocks less than 4 Mw.[6] Aftermath Disastrous events in very poor and politically paralyzed nations such as Nepal often become a long drawn out chain of events, in that one disaster feeds into another for years or even decades upon end. Casualties Nepal The earthquake killed more than 8,600 in Nepal[7][83] and injured more than twice as many. The rural death toll may have been lower than it would have been as the villagers were outdoors, working when the quake hit.[84] As of 15 May, 6,271 people, including 1,700 from the 12 May aftershock, were still receiving treatment for their injuries.[54] More than 450,000 people were displaced.[57] India A total of 78 deaths were reported in China 25 dead and 4 missing, all from the Tibet Autonomous Region.[59] Bangladesh 4 dead.[60] Avalanches on Mount Everest This earthquake caused avalanches on Mount Everest. At least 19[86] died, including Google executive Dan Fredinburg,[87] with at least 120[86] others injured or missing. Damage The Dharahara tower Before the earthquake After the earthquake Thousands of houses were destroyed across many districts of the country, with entire villages flattened, especially those near the epicenter Kathmandu Durbar Square Before the earthquake After the earthquake Building damage as a result of the earthquake Several pagodas on Kathmandu Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, collapsed,[26] as did the Dharahara tower, built in 1832; the collapse of the latter structure killed at least 180 people,[101][102][103][104] The top of the Jaya Bageshwari Temple in Gaushala and some parts of the Pashupatinath Temple, Swyambhunath, Boudhanath Stupa, Ratna Mandir, inside  Rani Pokhari, and Durbar High School have been destroyed.[108] In Patan, the Char Narayan Mandir, the statue of Yog Narendra Malla, a pati inside Patan Durbar Square, the Taleju Temple, the Hari Shankar, Uma Maheshwar Temple and the Economic loss Road damage in Nepal Concern was expressed that harvests could be reduced or lost this season as people affected by the earthquake would have only a short time to plant crops before the onset of the Monsoon rains.[109] Nepal, with a total Gross Domestic Product of USD$19.921 billion (according to a 2012 estimate),[110] is one of Asia’s poorest countries, and has little ability to fund a major reconstruction effort on its own.[111] Rajiv Biswas, an economist at a Colorado-based consultancy, said that rebuilding the economy will need international effort over the next few years as it could â€Å"easily exceed† USD$5 billion, or about 20 percent of Nepal’s gross domestic product.[111][112][not in citation given] Rescue and relief Nepal Army and Turkish disaster relief aid workers working together About 90 percent of soldiers from the Nepalese Army were sent to the stricken areas in the aftermath of the earthquake under Operation Sankat Mochan, with volunteers mobilized from other parts of the country.[117] Survivors were found up to a week after the earthquake.[119][120][121] As of 1 May 2015[update], international aid agencies like Mà ©decins Sans Frontià ¨res (Doctors Without Borders) and the Red Cross were able to start medically evacuating the critically wounded by helicopter from outlying areas, initially cut-off from the capital city, Kathmandu,[17] and treating others in mobile and makeshift facilities.[122][123] There was concern about epidemics due to the shortage of clean water, the makeshift nature of living conditions and the lack of toilets.[124] Emergency workers were able to identify four men who had been trapped in rubble, and rescue them, using advanced heartbeat detection. The four men were trapped in up to ten feet of rubble in the village of Chautara, north of Kathmandu. An international team  of rescuers from several countries using FINDER devices found two sets of men under two different collapsed buildings.[125] Volunteers used crisis mapping to help plan emergency aid work.[126] Public volunteers from around the world added details into online maps.[127][128][129] Information was mapped from data input from social media, satellite pictures[130] and drones[126] of passable roads, collapsed houses, stranded, shelterless and starving people, who needed help, and from messages and contact details of people willing to help.[131] On-site volunteers verified these mapping details wherever they could to reduce errors. First responders, from Nepali citizens to the Red Cross, the Nepal army and the United Nations used this data. The Nepal earthquake crisis mapping utilized experience gained and lessons learned about planning emergency aid work from earthquakes in Haiti and Indonesia.[132] Reports are also coming in of sub-standard relief materials and inedible food being sent to Nepal by many of the foreign aid agencies.[133][134] A United States Marine helicopter crashed on 12 May while involved in delivering relief supplies. The crash occurred at Charikot, roughly 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of Kathmandu. Two Nepali soldiers and 6 American soldiers died in the crash.[135] International aid UNICEF appealed for donations, as close to 1.7 million children had been driven out into the open, and were in desperate need of drinking water, psychological counsel, temporary shelters, sanitation and protection from disease outbreak. It distributed water, tents, hygiene kits, water purification tablets and buckets.[138] Numerous other organizations provided similar support.[139] India was the first to respond within hours, being Nepal’s immediate neighbour,[140] with Operation Maitri which provided rescue and relief by its armed forces. It also evacuated its own and other countries’ stranded nationals. The United Kingdom has been the largest bilateral aid donor to Nepal following the earthquake.[141][142] The United States, China and other nations have provided helicopters as requested by the Nepali government.[143][144] On 26 April 2015, international aid agencies and governments mobilized rescue workers and aid for the earthquake. They faced challenges in both getting assistance to Nepal and ferrying people to remote areas as the country had few  helicopters.[145][146] Relief efforts were also hampered by Nepalese government insistence on routing aid through the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund and its National Emergency Operation Center. After concerns were raised, it was clarified that â€Å"Non-profits† or NGOs already in the country could continue receiving aid directly and bypass the official fund.[145][147] Aid mismatch and supply of â€Å"leftovers† by donors,[148] aid diversion in Nepal,[149] mistrust over control of the distribution of funds and supplies,[150][151][152] congestion and customs delays at Kathmandu’s airport and border check posts were also reported.[153][154] On 3 May 2015, restrictions were placed on heavy aircraft flying in aid supplies after new cracks were noticed on the runway at the Tribhuvan airport (KTM), Nepal’s only wide-body jet airport.[155][156][157]