Monday, September 30, 2019

What does the Shannon Matthews Case Suggest about Family Life in Modern Britain

This essay will examine and discuss whether the Matthews family is a typical representation of family life in modern Britain. It will take a look at social class and investigate whether this effects the morals and mechanics of family units today, taking into account contributing factors such as financial issues, the benefit system and changing values in the 21st century. Nine year old Shannon Matthews from Dewsbury, West Yorks, went missing for a period of 24 days in February this year, in a suspected kidnapping. Shannon was found a short distance from her home, and later media coverage informed us that despite her publicised pleas for Shannon's safe return, her mother Karen, had known of her whereabouts the whole time. Since her release Shannon has remained in the care of social services. Her mother has been charged with child neglect and perverting the course of justice. Shannon's stepfather Craig Meehan was charged with possessing indecent images of children. Public and media speculation suggests that the kidnapping was little more then a publicity stunt that went wrong. Police officers are examining alleged similarities between Shannon's disappearance and a storyline from the Channel 4 drama series ‘Shameless' that was shown shortly before the nine-year-old vanished. Stokes, P (2008) Shannon Matthews' mother charged over disappearance. Telegraph. 9 June. As the family depicted in ‘Shameless', The Matthews family live within a typical example of an unloved and unkempt council estate. According to the local newspaper, The Dewsbury Reporter, Moorside is â€Å"†¦one of the most deprived areas in the country† This is backed up by information collated in the ‘Index of Deprivation 2007†². Kirklees, the county in which the town of Dewsbury is located has been deemed as the 12th worst district in England in terms of low income levels, high crime rates, health deprivation and unemployment. Only 11.2% of the 32'482 other LSOA's are in a worse state than Moorside itself. Karen Matthews is unmarried, has seven children by five different fathers, only four of which reside with her. She comes from a working class family and is one of seven siblings, her parents were married and both worked, as does her sister who also has seven children, by one man, her husband. Despite the differences between her and her family, Karen is not an exceptional case within her surroundings, or for that matter, in other deprived areas around the country. † †¦here was an example of Britain's feckless but fecund underclass, churning out children at a reckless rate, cushioned by benefits and permanently estranged from the world of work.† Tweedie, N (2008) Another side to Shannon Matthews' Moorside. Telegraph. 27 September Britain's social classes were originally divided into three distinct social groups, these represented an individuals level of education, occupation and financial status; The Upper, Middle and Lower/Working classes. Since the welfare system was created a new class has begun to emerge. The Underclass, consists of people that are reliant on state benefits for the majority of their income. Not only does it include; teenage and single mothers who are unable or unwilling to work, and temporary benefit claimants who are trying to get back on their feet, but also; layabouts, high school drop outs, drug addicts and those involved in criminal activities. Many of the underclass are quite happy to live and raise their children on state benefits. Through an attempt to help the needy the welfare state has created a dependency culture with no incentive to work, marry or educate themselves and who expect handouts to survive. The benefit system highlights the perks of not working, recipients not only receive free money from the state but can also be entitled to free health care, interest free loans and free or discounted accommodation and council tax. Council housing estates increase the segregation of the underclass from the rest of society and creates a never ending social circle of crime, dependency and insolence. People who live on these estates rarely have any positive influences around them, grouping deprived families together in one community leaves them with nobody to learn from except each other. â€Å"Council estates became places of last resort for people who had failed to keep up. They have been given this label of the ‘underclass' †¦.and begin to act like worthless people. So you get domestic violence, alcohol abuse and family breakdown.† (Estates; An Intimate history – Lynsey Hanley) It is not only the welfare system and morals of the lower classes that have brought about changes to modern society and family life, prior to the 20th century, women married young, stayed home and raised their children. After the war women's aspirations began to change as they questioned their positions as wives and mothers. It was within the same era that contraception became commonly available and divorce was liberalised. People were no longer restricted by so many rules, regulations and assumptions regarding what kind of behaviour was acceptable and as the 20th century progressed this new state of mind caused the traditional aspects of family life to change tremendously. People no longer had to marry before beginning a sexual relationship or starting a family, and could choose divorce when things didn't work out the way they had expected. In modern society it is acceptable for both parents to work, and for children to attend childcare settings whilst their parents are occupied. In some ways working families are depriving their children of the necessary parental interactions needed to aid their development. In their aspirations to make more money in order to keep up with modern living parents are having to prioritise their jobs over their families. Halsey A H Quoted in Dennis N and Erdos G Families without Fatherhood, 1993 â€Å"..children of parents who do not follow the traditional norm (i.e. taking on personal, active and long-term responsibility for the social upbringing of the children they generate) are thereby disadvantaged in many major aspects of their chances of living a successful life. On the evidence available such children tend to do less well at school, to exist at a lower level of nutrition, comfort and conviviality, to suffer more unemployment, to be more prone to deviance and crime, and finally to repeat the cycle of unstable parenting from which they themselves have suffered..† Conclusion Shannon Matthews family is not a valid representation of family life in modern Britain. Families now come in many shapes and sizes and are defined by much broader categories. It would be stereotypical to assume that untraditional family units or those that are further down the social ladder are more likely to have come from an unstable family background and themselves incapable of creating and sustaining a successful family life. Despite the fact that modern life has altered the mechanics of the family unit, many families/parents are still striving to provide for their children in the best way that they can, regardless of social status. Parents from lower and underclass backgrounds are just as likely to provide loving and caring parenting and create insightful and ambitious children as those from other classes. In comparison, those from the upper and middle classes are just as likely to create dysfunctional family units where the children feel neglected and unloved because of their parents busy lifestyles. It is the ignorance of individuals that play the main part in the creation of dysfunctional families and the negative psychological issues this then creates for those within that family. Overall an individuals personal strengths, weaknesses and morals are what cause them to make their choices in life regardless of nature, nurture and social grouping.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Photosynthesis

The leaves are the part of a plant where most photosynthesis takes place. If you cut a leaf in half and look at the cut end, it would look like this: Key: 1. Waxy cuticle: this gives the leaf a waterproof layer, which lets in light. 2. Upper epidermis: provides an upper surface. 3. Palisade cells: contain chloroplasts. 4. Spongy mesophyll: collection of damp, loosely packed cells. 5. Lower epidermis: layer of cells on the lower surface. 6. Air space inside the leaf: allows contact between air and moist cell surfaces. 7. Stoma: a hole in the leaf through which gases diffuse. . Guard cells: change shape to close the stoma. One unique feature of leaves is that they have tiny holes in them to let carbon dioxide and oxygen enter and exit. The hole formed between these cells is called a stoma. A stoma is just a hole. It is controlled by two guard cells, which change shape to either open or close the hole. Something makes water enter the cells by osmosis and so they swell up and change shap e, but no one is quite sure of the trigger. The stomata (air holes) on plants are normally open during the day and closed at night.These stomata are found on the undersides of leaves. This is because if they faced the sunlight, some of the plant's precious water could evaporate out of them. [IMAGE] Guard cells Hole Open stoma Closed stoma Photosynthesis is the way that plants make their food using energy from sunlight. This is the word equation: [IMAGE] Plants use the green dye (or pigment) called chlorophyll to pick up the energy from the sunlight. Plants make sugar and use some of it for energy to keep them alive (respiration) but they also use some for growth and repair by making fats and proteins.However, it is not always sunny so plants need to be able to store some of the sugar they make, so they convert it to a storage carbohydrate (starch). Plants could use starch or glucose. Starch is insoluble (it does not dissolve in water) while glucose is soluble. This means that if sta rch is used, less water is required to keep its food stored. The amounts of water, carbon dioxide, sunlight and temperature can all affect how effectively a plant carries out photosynthesis.The amount of water is effected by how much is taken up through the roots and how much is lost from the leaves. If less water is available in the leaf then photosynthesis will occur more slowly. Similarly, if there is less carbon dioxide around then photosynthesis will occur more slowly. There wont be enough of the fuel (substrate) to get the reaction to work. If there is less sun, which usually means it is cooler too, then there is less energy for photosynthesis and it occurs more slowly. So photosynthesis works best when it is warm and sunny.Aim === The aim of my experiment is to determine whether or not the intensity of light will affect the rate of photosynthesis in a plant. To do this, I am going to observe Canadian pond weed (Elodea) under varying light intensities. The Elodea will be subme rged in water. I will count the amount of oxygen given off in this experiment by counting the number of bubbles produced. I used Canadian pondweed because of its unusual ability to emit bubbles of gas from a cut end, when placed in water. IntroductionPhotosynthesis occurs only in the presence of light, and takes place in the chloroplasts of green plant cells. Photosynthesis can be defined as the production of simple sugars from carbon dioxide and water causing the release of sugar and oxygen. The chemical equation for photosynthesis can be expressed as: sunlight [IMAGE]Carbon dioxide + water sugar (glucose) + oxygen + water CO2 + H2O C6H2O6 + O2 + H2O All plants need light in order to photosynthesise. This has been proven many times in experiments, so it is possible to say that without light, the plant would die.The reason that light intensity does affect the rate of photosynthesis is because as light (and therefore energy) falls on the chloroplasts in a leaf, it is trapped by the c hlorophyll, which then makes the energy available for chemical reactions in the plant. As the amount of sunlight (or in this case light from a bulb) falls on the plant, energy is absorbed. This means that energy is available for the chemical reactions, and so photosynthesis takes place. The more light there is that falls on the leaf in the first place, the quicker the rate that the reaction can take place.There are many factors which will affect the rate of photosynthesis, including light intensity, temperature and carbon dioxide concentration. The maximum rate of photosynthesis will be controlled by a limiting factor. This factor will prevent the rate of photosynthesis from rising above a certain level, even if the other conditions needed for photosynthesis are improved. It will therefore be necessary to control these factors throughout the experiment so as not to let them affect the reliability of my investigation into the effect of light intensity.Predictions ——â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ I predict that as the intensity of light increase, so will the rate of photosynthesis. I also predict that if the light intensity increases, the rate of photosynthesis will increase at a proportional rate until a certain level is reached, and the rate of increase will then go down. Eventually, a level will be reached where an increase in light intensity will have no further effect on the rate of photosynthesis, as there will be another limiting factor, in this case probably temperature. Preliminary work =============== Initially, to determine a suitable range of levels of light intensities at which to record results for my experiment, I did a preliminary investigation in which I recorded the number of bubbles of oxygen given off in a given time at various light intensities. To alter the light intensity, I placed a lamp at various distances from the plant. I also therefore needed a way of accurately measuring the light intensity, and I did this using a light intensity mo nitor. I obtained the following results:Light intensity (%) Number of oxygen bubbles collected 100 38 95 51 90 45 85 36 80 33 75 14 70 7 65 1 60 0 Although this is a very quick, simple and efficient way of obtaining an idea of the trends for the graph, and the boundaries for the measurements, this experiment was not in itself in my opinion accurate enough to be the basis of my main experiment. This lack of accuracy was mainly due to the fact that by simply counting the bubbles, I was relying on each bubble being exactly the same size, which they clearly were not.The preliminary experiment will give me a best fit curve to which I can compare my main graph, and also points at either end of my results at which it is clear to see light intensity has little or no effect. Here, it was in fact at a light intensity of around 95% when it seems that another factor such as temperature or carbon dioxide concentration has become a limiting factor. In my main experiment, it will not be necessary to take readings above this point. It also shows that while my outer limits are justified, it will be better to take more readings between the current light intensity values of around 60 – 95%.I will take readings at 60%, 62. 5%, 65%, 67. 5%, 70%, 72. 5% aâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ This way I will obtain more results between an accurate value scale. Here are my results from my preliminary experiment: [IMAGE] Method Input variables Light intensity – This is to be varied by increasing and decreasing the distance from the light source to the plant Output variables Volume of oxygen (rate of photosynthesis) – This is to be measured by finding the number of bubbles of oxygen produced in a 30 seconds. Carbon dioxide concentration – This can affect the rate of photosynthesis, since if there is too little CO2, it can become the limiting factor.In this case, as long as the experiment is done over a short period of time, the amount of carbon dioxide used up by the plant will not b e sufficient enough to cause the carbon dioxide concentration to become the limiting factor. If my experiment were to be performed over a longer period of time, this would become a problem. Water availability – Water is also required in the photosynthesis reaction, and when it is lacking, the plants' stomata close to prevent further water loss. This closing of the stomata cells also leads to little carbon dioxide being able to diffuse through.Clearly, in a water plant, (like the pondweed) as long as the plant is fully submerged in water at all times, this will not be a problem. Temperature – Enzymes are used in the photosynthesis reactions of a plant. Therefore, temperature will increase the rate of photosynthesis, until a point at which the enzymes weaken and work at a slower rate. I am going to perform the experiment at 22 degrees, checking the temperature frequently in case the heat given off from the light should slightly raise the temperature, in which case I shal l simply refill the beaker with more water after each experiment.Apparatus list A § Desk lamp A § Elodea pondweed A § Clamp A § Water A § Thermometer A § Test-tube A § Beaker A § Cold water A § Stopwatch A § Light intensity meter Cut a stem of Canadian pondweed of about 7cm in length. Fill a test-tube with water, and place it in a clamp. Then place the test tube into a beaker of cold water. Insert a thermometer into the beaker, and record the temperature at the beginning and end of each experiment, (as a precaution against a significant unexpected rise in temperature).Set up a lamp at a set distance from the plant, ensuring that this distance is from the filament of the lamp to the actual pondweed, rather than the edge of the beaker. The light intensity must be measured in the same way as described in the preliminary experiment. When bubbles are being produced at a steady rate, start the stopwatch and count how many oxygen bubbles are produced in 30 seconds. Repe at this experiment three times for accuracy. Following the aforementioned method, I obtained these results: Light intensity (%) Number of bubbles counted Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 95 52 0 50 90 47 48 46 85 37 39 39 80 35 32 33 75 12 13 10 70 4 2 3 65 1 0 2 60 1 0 0 From these results, I have worked out one set of average results and drawn a graph to show them. The results are rounded up to integers because the â€Å"number of bubbles counted† is discrete data (ie – â€Å"4 and a half bubbles† would not be appropriate). ===================================================================== Light intensity (%) Average number of bubbles counted 95 51 90 47 85 38 80 33 75 12 70 3 65 1 60 0 *****Analysis***** ================== *****My graph was in the form of a best-fit curve.I drew it as a curve rather than a straight line because of the clear pattern of the points. This meant that the rate of photosynthesis increased as the light intensity increased. This was because ph otosynthesis is a reaction, which needs energy from light to work, so as the amount of energy available from light increased with the rise in light intensity, so did the amount of oxygen produced as a product of photosynthesis. My graphs showed that the relationship between the light intensity and the rate of photosynthesis was non-linear, as both graphs produced a best-fit curve.However, as I expected in my hypothesis, it does appear that for the very first part of the graph, the increase in rate is in fact proportional to the increase in light intensity (i. e. a straight line) and I can show this by taking some readings from the graph: Results from graphaâ‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ =================== From these results, I am able to say that an increase in light intensity does certainly increase the rate of photosynthesis. The gradual decrease in the rate of increase of the rate of photosynthesis (the shallowing of the curve) can be attributed to the other factors limiting the rate of photosynth esis.As light intensity increases, the photosynthetic rate is being limited by certain factors, such as carbon dioxide and temperature. These factors do not immediately limit the rate of photosynthesis, but rather gradually. As light intensity increases further, so the rate of photosynthesis is being limited by other factors more and more, until the rate of photosynthesis is constant, and so is almost certainly limited in full by another factor. Overall, both graphs and my results support my predictions fully.My idea that the rate of photosynthesis would increase with light intensity was comprehensively backed up by my results. This is because a higher light intensity involves a greater level of light energy, which can then be transferred to a special protein environment designed to convert the energy. Here, the energy of a photon is used to transfer electrons from one chlorophyll pigment to the next. When enough energy has been gathered at a reaction centre, ATP can be synthesised from ADP. The oxygen collected in the experiment is in fact the by-product of this reaction, and so it is lear to see that the more light energy, the more ADP is being converted into ATP and more oxygen is produced as a result. Evaluation ========== Although I feel that my experiment was sound overall, I thought there were many points at which the accuracy was not perfect. As I have already stated, my preliminary experiment was not accurate enough to justify being used as my main experiment. This was mostly due to the fact that I was relying on all the bubbles being the same size, which they clearly weren't, however many of the smaller inaccuracies also apply to my main experiment.Firstly, the distance between the light sources and the Canadian Pondweed were not measured to a very high degree of accuracy, especially when you note the fact that the distance should have been measured exactly from the filament of the light bulb to the centre of the plant. It is possible here to find a percentage error. I estimate that the error could have been up to 0. 5cm and I will find the percentage error for the largest and smallest reading using this estimate: Percentage error = possible inaccuracy total reading % error distance 10 5cm 1 50cm Percentage error is just how much your guess was off from the actual value. The formula is: |estimate – actual|/actual * 100% [That is: the absolute value of (the estimate minus the actual) all divided by the actual, all multiplied by 100%. ]* It is clear to see that the percentage error is much less for the larger distances. Although I was not actually using the distances as part of my results, I used them as a marker for where the lamp was placed each time, as I assumed that the light intensity would be the same each time at a particular distance. Therefore, any inaccuracies in measuring the distances, i. e. f a distance was slightly different when doing the actual experiment from the distance at which I earlier measured the l ight intensity, an error would ensue. The second major inaccuracy was in measuring the volume of oxygen given off. When reading the syringe there could have been an error of 0. 25mm, and again it is possible to find a percentage error. % error volume 3. 57 7ml 50 0. 5ml For the smallest volumes this is clearly a massive error, and to improve this, it would be necessary to do the readings over a longer period of time, therefore increasing the volumes, and in turn reducing the percentage errors.Another error would have been due to background light in the vicinity. We tried to reduce this error by closing all blinds in the laboratory, but due to practical reasons, we could not all perform the experiment in a separate room, and we therefore experienced light pollution from other student's experiments. This would have had a very marginal effect on my results as a whole, but to eliminate this problem completely, it would have been necessary to perform the experiment in a totally dark room . A further inaccuracy was in the heat generated by the lamp.As I have earlier described, temperature has a very noticeable effect on the rate of photosynthesis, and so any increase in the temperature of the pond water would have had serious effects on the accuracy of my results. To ensure this did not happen, I monitored the temperature of the water before and after every reading, to check that the temperature did in fact not rise. It turned out not to be a problem, as over the short period of time taken by my experimental readings, the temperature did not rise at all.However, if I were to extend the time of my experiment to 5 minutes for each reading for example, which would have the effect of reducing other percentage errors, I would have to find some way of keeping the temperature constant. One way of doing this would be to place a perspex block between the lamp and the plant, which would absorb most of the heat, while allowing the light energy to pass through. As I mentioned in my planning, carbon dioxide concentration could have been an error in the experiment. However, I feel that due to the short period of time taken there is very little chance that the oncentration would ever have been so low as to become the limiting factor. Again if I were to carry out the experiment over a longer time period, it would have been necessary to add sodium hydrogen carbonate to the water to increase the carbon dioxide concentrations. The last inaccuracy, though a small one, was in the time keeping. The main problem here was in when to begin the minute. If for one reading, the minute was started just after one bubble had been produced, and in another reading it was just before, this could have had a negative effect on the accuracy of my results.I therefore ensured that in each case I started the stopwatch just after a bubble had been produced, thus heightening the accuracy. Overall, I felt that due to the small volumes of oxygen involved, my experiment was not as accurat e as it could have been, however I believe it was accurate enough to support and justify my hypotheses. Improvements could have been made as I have stated, mainly by simply increasing the time taken. However, due to practical time constraints in taking the readings for my investigation, and some consequential problems relating to time extension, I could not in fact make these adjustments.The other obvious way of increasing the reliability of my results would be to take many repeat readings and find an average. To extend my enquiries into the rate of photosynthesis, I could perhaps try to link in some of the other limiting factors to the same experiment, as well as investigating them in their own right. It could also be interesting to explore the effects of coloured lights on the rate of photosynthesis, which could lead to the question of whether or not other types of light, such as fluorescent lights or halogen lights, would have a different effect on the rate of photosynthesis.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Accidents at Home Essay Example for Free

Accidents at Home Essay Choose cite format: APA MLA Harvard Chicago ASA IEEE AMA Haven't found the essay you want? Get your custom sample essay for only $13.90/page ? We’d all like to believe that our home is a secure, comfortable environment, but we tend not to notice that this very place holds the potential to become very dangerous. In fact, most accidents occur in and around our homes, with the consequences involving anything from minor abrasions to a fatality. Believe it or not, water one of our most valued necessities in life, can not only provide life but also take it. Young children are often the victims of this hazardous feature. All it requires is for the parents to look in the other direction and the next moment, a curious child can wander in the direction of the family swimming pool. An unsurprised toddler can easily fall into the pool and drown. Due to the alarming increase in infant deaths due to drowning, a change in council legislation now demands the presence of childproof fencing around all pools. However there is always the slightly older and more mischievous lot of children who have managed to overcome the barriers of the fencing around pools. As a result, child drowning cases have continued to occur. These numbers have led to a council initiative of childproof safety gates to be manufactured. This requires an adult to open these gates, ensuring parental supervision. In response to the broken bones and concussions that have occurred around pool areas due to older children and teenagers running and playing carelessly around the pool, there has been the further implementation of non-slip pool pavers and surrounds. Nevertheless water inside the home can also be the cause of various accidents, especially in the bathroom which often have wet floors. Wet tiles that may cause a soothing sensation under the feet on a hot day, can instantly become the source of harmful falls, for people of all ages. A slip on a wet floor can lead to bruises, a broken bone or even concussion. In order to prevent these incidents from occurring, households are being urged to make use of the vast array of non-slip mats and non-slip stick-on designs that can even add colour to assist the visually impaired elderly residents. As we age, the activity of our nervous systems tends to function at a lower rate, causing our bodies to react more slowly, so in the event of an accidental fall, the time taken for the brain to send out signals to alert the effectors is lessened as we age. When an elderly person falls, there is the potential for severe injuries because their fragile bones can easily be roken. To ensure their utmost safety, hand rails around the bath are becoming common. Furthermore as water is heated, the hot liquid and steam that results can cause severe scalding accidents that can inflict a single burn or a serious injury. This is especially true for the elderly, with their delayed sensory reaction times, because they can be under a hot shower for several minutes before realising that they’re burnt. As a result, water temperature regulators have been installed in hospitals and the homes of the elderly, in an attempt to minimise the burns caused by hot water. Children can also be subject to similar types of burns when left unsupervised for a moment in bathrooms. Being fascinated by the motion of a rotating tap, these young minds may find themselves running hot water long enough to accidently burn themselves. For this reason, there are childproof tap covers that prevent the tap from turning on, to prevent curious children from scalding injuries when handling hot water. In the kitchen, a slip of the hand is all it takes to cause severe third degree burns. Therefore community service advertisements appear from time to time on television and on the radio to inform people about the hazards present in the kitchen. Even the steam that arises from the kettle poses certain threats. Top-opening kettles posed a potential risk for steam burns on the hand, arm and face and as a result kettles have been redesigned to open and fill at the front, thereby directing steam away from the user. Microwavable food has also proved to be a problem, because when opening the packaging, steam rushes out quickly, causing steam burns. This is why, instructions on the packaging is now mandatory alerting people to delay the time before opening. By doing this, the steam is allowed to dissipate, greatly decreasing the risk of steam burns. Nevertheless, burns are not only the result of hot liquids, because household heating poses a major threat to those who reside in the home. Open fires were once a common source of heating in many households, however the alarming number of house fires caused by curtains or furniture igniting has increased public awareness and also initiated government actions. Thus pressure has been placed on manufacturers to produce burn resistant carpets and curtain material in an attempt to reduce the risk of a stray spark causing a house fire. In order to further minimise the risk of burn injuries from open fires, a ban on installing fully open fires has been passed through government, and slow combustion fires which are a safer alternative, are readily available in many retail stores. However, during cold nights, there is an urge to leave the heater on for the entire night. This action, and the increased use of nylon sleepwear, posed a major threat of house fires while the family was asleep. Consequently, several steps have been taken by the government to ensure the safety of all individuals while they sleep. For instance, sleepwear sold to customers must have the required level of flammability labelled, in order for them to make an informed decision and about avoiding unnecessary burns. The advancement of technology has also allowed for artificial intelligence to be implemented in heating appliances in the form of temperature regulators, causing the heater to either turn on or off in order to maintain the temperature of the room without the risk of overheating and causing a fire. There has also been the danger of accidentally knocking over a heater, especially by children or pets, and this has been responsible for severe burns or even a fatal house fire if the heater came in contact with the carpet and began to burn. However the use of cut-off switches in these portable heaters has greatly minimised the risk of burn injuries and house fires, as the heater simply stops working the moment its sensors realise that it has fallen over. Yet accidents involving electricity can involve more than just electrical heating because there are many appliances used on a daily basis in the average home. Even the simple toaster or hair dryer can cause severe injuries when not correctly handled. For instance when a wet hand decides to grab the nearby hair dryer, water can seep into the electric circuit causing various degrees of electric shock. In order to minimise the risk of this occurring, safety instructions have been attached to such appliances that highlight the dangers that can arise. The toaster is another classic example, where burns have occurred simply by sticking metal cutlery into the toaster in an attempt to remove a piece of toast. Safety instructions have therefore been stuck onto these appliances in order to make people think twice before performing harmful actions. Furthermore, community service advertisements have also been appearing, informing viewers on the dangers that household electrical appliances can pose. Because curious young children can unwillingly stick a finger or a fork into the holes of a power point, safety plugs for power points have been introduced onto the market. When inserted, they prevent easy access, reducing the risk of electrocution especially amongst the younger children. Most importantly, with vast areas of the modern home powered by electricity, the possibility can always arise for a circuit overload or shortage. However being completely engrossed in our busy lives, we tend to not notice, so circuit breakers have been introduced that instantly shut down all power to the house when a threat arises, saving people from serious injuries or even a fatal house fire. Even when electricity is not present, tools and implements also increase the chance of obtaining cuts and lacerations. The preparation of any dish requires the use of knives, peelers and sometimes graters, yet these are some of the many implements that can cause accidents. For instance, the knives when kept in a drawer can see unsuspecting fingers close over their sharp teeth, whilst searching for a particular item. The cuts that result from this incident can be severe and as a result knife boards and jackets have been designed to allow knives to be safely stored. As with knives, peelers and graters only require a slight slip or fumble to cause deep lacerations. Due to these alarming occurrences, manufacturers have improved the design of these implements to include firmer bases and safety blades, in an attempt to minimise any injuries they may inflict. Children are once again victims of the many implements in the kitchen, involving cutlery and scissors. Although they might consider such items to be enjoyable to play with, the number of cuts that have been inflicted has increased rapidly. This is why plastic cutlery and scissors have been produced to allow children to continue playing in a safer environment. Outside the house, there are a variety of tools that can inflict even worse damage. Garden tools can cause severe lacerations if carelessly touched or used, due to their sharp edges. For example, the saw with its sharp teeth can inflict severe cuts so to minimise the likelihoods of such injuries, safety packaging now accompanies these potentially dangerous products, allowing them to be stored safely. In the garden shed, specially padded gardening gloves are also found which help prevent unexpected cuts from thorns or sharp branches that are incurred while performing regular garden jobs. Besides the tools on the shed or garage shelf, there are a wide range of substances, some more dangerous than others. Apart from the cuts, bruises and burns that are inflicted from appliances and various activities around the home, the improper storage of such dangerous substances have accounted or the numerous incidents involving rushing young children to hospital. This may occur after children are attracted to the brightly, coloured tablets and consume them, thinking they are lollies. Similarly with liquids, unsupervised children can easily open and drink a colourful dishwashing liquid or shampoo, thinking it is cordial, but this can lead to serious vomiting and diarrhoea requiring medical attention. For this reason, childproof caps have been introduced on many dangerous liquids which require bo th motions of pressing down and twisting. To ensure the child’s safety when parents are busy, childproof cupboard locks have appeared in many homes, restricting children from accessing dangerous chemicals or medications. To further protect people from the dangers of overdosing or mixing pharmaceutical drugs in an unsafe manner, such as when a headache is so severe that a victim takes three different kinds of painkillers, it is now mandatory to label all substances with both safety instructions and medical advice if for example, a dangerous substance like weedkiller is absorbed, breathed or comes in contact with the skin. Bruises, broken bones, scalding and lacerations are just some of the injuries that can be inflicted on residents, in and around the home. Surely it is clear, that with the numerous cases of severe injuries, which occur in and around our homes every day, it is in fact a very dangerous place to be in. Accidents at Home. (2016, Nov 21).

Friday, September 27, 2019

Manual - Google Street (Google map 3D) Coursework

Manual - Google Street (Google map 3D) - Coursework Example In essence, the 3D maps provide the user with the ability to see the buildings, street details and roads that make up a particular area. It acts as the basis to ensuring that users can efficiently navigate from one point to another. This is to aid them in travelling through most of densely populated cities (Peterson 32). It is vital to note that there is a significant set of well-designed functions contained in the Google 3D maps. These crucial functional features act as the building to ascertaining that there is efficient delivery of the targeted services to users. These functions include the global positioning system module, which allows users to experience real-time definition of different areas contained in a map. In each of the displayed 3D map, a user is provided with the function of changing between list views, street view. Another one is the search function where a user is allows searching for a particular company, street or any other geographical feature. The Google 3D map also provides users with a get direction function. This helps users to get access to the right path towards a particular destination. There is also a zoom function for users to zoom a location in or out. Lastly but certainly not the least, this feature contains a function, which allows users to save a favorite map towards a particular destination. This is important in that users can simply open a saved map and get the right directions to a preferred destination (Peterson

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Enterprise Database Management System Term Paper

Enterprise Database Management System - Term Paper Example The growing scale of data demands a better and reliable method to manage and access them. Such a demand has yielded in the development of Database Management Systems. Every organization needs some sort of information to be stored and accessed all the time and as a result, Database Management Systems have become an integral part of every organization. A database is nothing but a repository of data where the information are stored in an organized way so that any kind of complex details can be retrieved easily. For example, one may have the details of all employees contact information, but to retrieve the names of all employees who live in a particular place, then the organization of the data in the database could be easily queried upon to retrieve the information. (Rob, Coronel & Crockett, 2008) A DBMS is nothing but software that helps in managing the data stored in the database. As with every other software there are several products of DBMS that are available to help an organization to manage data. Some of the operations that are performed by a DBMS include the basic functions such as adding, deleting and modifying data. (Hoffer, 2009) There are four important characteristics for any DBMS that determine its purpose and usage in an organization. They are, There are several types of modeling languages that are currently available. These include relational, object oriented, network oriented and hierarchical languages. These languages determine the way the data is organized in the databases. (Hoffer, 2009) The efficiency of a DBMS is measured by the number of transactions that can be run concurrently at a given time. The level of concurrency depends on how well the DBMS uses deadlock prevention mechanisms that restrict update access to a data by allowing only one user access a particular data at a time. (Kedar, 2009) The database systems form the basic groundwork for any enterprise. There are obvious

Jewelery Market in UK and EU Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Jewelery Market in UK and EU - Essay Example This was at a time when Princess Victoria was getting married to Prince Albert. Most of the jewelry worn in that period contained pictures of loved ones and engraved messages as a show of commitment to loved ones. This era was also greatly influenced by new fashions from the East popularly known as Japonaiserie. The fashion was characterized by use of flora and fauna images on jewelry. Shakudo jewelry and styles like Etruscan became famous in that period. Shakudo jewelry was a technique of gold coloring developed Japanese. Etruscan style of jewelry is common today and these jewels have pictures of the eras from the ancient Greeks to the Egyptian periods. A remarkable change in jewelry style occurred when Prince Albert died. The Queen began wearing mourning jewelry and black dresses. Everyone in the nation followed the same trend and dark gemstones gained popularity. Gemstones such as Jet, Onyx and blood red Pyrope Garnet were used to make ‘dark jewelry’. The end of this era is known as the Aesthetic Period and was marked by new styles such as stud earring and bar brooches. Art Nouveau Period which started from 1890 to 1915 was based on craftsmanship and design of jewelry. The era emerged towards the end of Victorian Period. The jewelers were more interested in coming up with new designs. The worth of the materials used did not matter. The era featured designs such as Rene Lalique, Louis C Tiffany and Emile Gaffe. These designs were inspired by nature, wildlife, insect life and mythical forms such as chimeras, serpents, dragons and griffons. Anything that was inspiring was captured in their designs. Japonaiserie style was greatly embraced during this period and influences from Europe and Far East were captured in their designs. Edwardian Period began in 1901 and ended in 1915. The period was also referred to as ‘La Belle Epoque’ which means beautiful era. Wealth was abundant because movie and motor industries were flourishing at this time. It was a

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Case Study Example takeholder include the Government; UNICEF; National Health Committee; NGOs; school teachers; local leaders; national television; media; village sanitation committees; private sector; and households. Responsibilities for stakeholders have been clearly defined in project plans. Impoverished communities around the world suffer from unique problems. Singleton (2003) described origins of problems including lack of access to safe water; lack of facilities for health care; lack of access to educational opportunities; shortage of nutrition; lack of employment opportunities; inadequate transport facilities; and limited or expensive power supplies. Impoverished communities are caused by lack of income because of underemployment; inadequate housing, sanitation, and water supply; limited educational opportunities; or inadequate or expensive transport. Reasons for failure of poverty alleviation strategies include lack of planning for operation and maintenance; limited attention to the development of ownership by the local communities; political interference and intervention; allocation of funds without poverty alleviation strategy; and corruption. Myanmar suffered the deaths of 30000 children in 1997 from diarrhoea. The sanitation coverage was 39 percent for the population, and personal and domestic hygiene was poor. The World Health Report published in 2000 ranked Myanmar 190th among 191 countries. Attempts were made to improve sanitation in the 1990s by promoting community participation. A strategy was the provision of free latrine plans to families, but the project had to be phased out as it did not succeed in achieving community support and became costly. The government realized that its role was to facilitate and stimulate local communities for recognizing and meeting their own needs (Singleton, 2003). The aim of this case study is to highlight the role project governance in the development of engineering solutions for communal sanitation in Myanmar. Aspects of

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

U.S vs. Nevada Constitutioons Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

U.S vs. Nevada Constitutioons - Term Paper Example This study would not only establish a comparison between Nevada and United States’ legislation but even conduct a proper analysis on legislative elements of Nevada. The major aim of any constitution is to exercise limit as well as allocate power to governmental authority. Limited government is another term used for constitutionalism. Recent advancements associated with constitutional system of Nevada shall also be incorporated in this particular study. American constitution is responsible for dividing power amongst various governmental components. The constitutional structure of Nevada comprises of major state government offices, a linkage between these offices, procedure for developing regulation and law, regulation of activities occurring across national borders, state representation to other nation and states, and departments focused on state citizen’s welfare. Nevada constitution is basically larger compared to federal constitution. Word count can be considered as most effective way to compare length of two constitutions. Constitutions are now available online and hence page count is highly dependent on font size, margins, font type, printer choice, etc. United States or Federal constitution has a word count of 7500, whereas, amendments, histories or notes comprised within Nevada Constitution accounts for 56,716 words. Length of the later constitution can be easily altered since amendment in it is easier. Federal consti tution has been amended only 27 times. On the other hand, constitutions which are drafted in later time period are much lengthier compared to others. Word count has been opted for as an ideal measure since page count changes at a rapid rate. Length of any constitutional system proclaims a significant meaning. Nevadan judges due to long constitution are not able to have broad discretion, which is deliberately exercised by federal judges due to short

Monday, September 23, 2019

Upgrade Library System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Upgrade Library System - Essay Example First, the institution’s brand name will improve attracting more students and other interested team of researchers. Second, student’s performance will greatly improve both their psychological attitudes and Morales being improved. This will directly and indirectly enhance their academic performance. The conflicts between students and staff that result of poor quality products and services shall be reduced. The quality of service delivered to students shall increase. For example, by automating all its operations, it will be able to better respond to the needs of students in a faster and more accurate manner. The upgraded library will save time thereby allowing more time for studying. It will also lead to higher productivity and improved attitudes towards learning and studying in the college. The project has numerous benefits both tangible and intangible not only to the sponsors but also to the society at large. I therefore, strongly recommend that the project be undertaken to realize its potential fruits of growth and development in the arena of education and research. The proposal involves the upgrading the library to suit and respond to the ever-increasing needs of students and other interested stakes. Through a brief historical background of Miami-Dade College, the project has highlighted the need for upgrading the library system to address the increasing number of their students and their ever-changing needs. The project aims at improving the service delivery by reducing the workload of librarians, saving time, automation of all the library operations. It will also increase the efficiency and the general outputs of the staff. The project will consist of three members, who have vast expertise and knowledge in the field of technology and administration o key a keen eye of the progress of the project to ensure its success. The research will take a maximum of two weeks considering the urgency and role it is awaiting to play in the institution that is marred with inefficiency and high staff turnover due to using the traditional manual system in its operations. The project aims to

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Rabbit Proof Fence - Help to Study Essay Example for Free

Rabbit Proof Fence Help to Study Essay While watching the movie, take notes and think about the following questions: 1. What is the history and context of the film? When is it set? In what genre is it? Is it based on a true story, a book? Is it fictional? True story. 2. How did the cameraman use specific angles, lighting and music in the film to indicate different moods? What did you notice about the camera angels as the girls became more threatened, for example? What happened to the music when the girls were trying to escape? The music is trying to sound like native music but with a modern feature. 3. What is the fence designed for? How does the fence function as a symbol? Why is the film titled rabbit-proof fence? 4. Very early on in the film, we see the eagle, Molly’s totem, her spirit bird. Her mother tells her the eagle will look after her. When does the bird appear again in the film and why? 5. Discuss Mr. Neville’s theory of eugenics. What were his policies and official duties? Is he a villain or is he a misguided idealist? Why are half-caste children seen as a problem? Think about Neville’s attitude toward the girls? Does it change over the course of the film? Give examples of words and actions that indicate this change. 6. The three children are not experienced actors. Do you find them convincing? Give your reasons. 7. What do you think are some of the film’s key themes and issues? Are these issues/themes effectively communicated through the film? 8. Finally, did you enjoy the movie? Either way, find examples and use descriptions to state your opinion.

Friday, September 20, 2019

How Effective is Congress as a Legislature?

How Effective is Congress as a Legislature? Among the world’s most successful democracies is the United States, whose system of checks and balances has seen more successes than failures. A system constantly in flux, the American form of government is divided into legislative, judicial, and executive branches. Of these branches, perhaps the one whose efficacy is most challenged is the Congress, the only branch directly representing the interests of the people (the judiciary is appointed by the executive, which in turn is selected by an electoral college comprised of the legislative). Recent developments in the world stage, in addition to the changing face of American politics and domestic interests have tested the bounds of Congress as well as its ability to function as a check against the executive. Most glaring of its purported shortcomings, however, is its legislative powers. Today’s Congress is most impeded by partisan agendas, traditional bureaucracies, and conflicts of personal interest in its daily machinat ions. No matter its inefficacies, however, â€Å"it cannot be argued that there is a permanent or necessary connection between representative assemblies and liberty†[1]. In an unusual political paradox, it is Congress’ existence despite its countless failures as a legislature that makes it a successful legislative body, and in doing so, makes the United States a successful democracy. As a bicameral entity, Congress is effective in balancing partisan interests with voter interest. Following serious reform after the 1994 GOP blitzkrieg spearheaded by Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia), the two legislative bodies continued down their own respective paths. As they â€Å"adjusted to [GOP] reforms, the two chambers took divergent paths and by the late 1980s†; power in the House had â€Å"centralized under a stronger majority party leadership, whereas the Senate continued as a highly individualistic chamber†[2]. Pursuing an amalgamation of partisan as well as regional constituent interests, the Congress is currently highly effective as a representative legislative body. Recent evidence of partisan splits manifested themselves in the Dubai Ports World fallout and the clash over President Bush’s Guest Worker Program, in which Republican interests revealed the separation earlier delineated. Even in seemingly single-party administrations such as the current Bush administration find themselves in check, its constituents conflicted over interests of the people and goals of the party. The White House has encountered responses varying from wholesale rejection such as Dana Rohrabacher’s (R-California) of the Guest Worker Program to Peter King’s (R-New York) attempted compromise of the failed Dubai Ports Deal initiative. In the sense of sustaining the esteemed tradition of checks and balances, the Congress has proven itself as successful in comparison to the state of Congressional affairs â€Å"in the 1950s, [when the largely ineffective House and Senate were commonly characterized as rigid feudal systems ruled by a small number of powerful committee barons†; today, â€Å"they [are] more often depicted as anarchies where members participated on their own terms and without restraint† owed to executive partisan allegiance[3]. It can be effectively argued, however, that the phenomenon of single party conflict is primarily reactionary in nature, a statement that reflects detractors’ sentiments that Congressional legislation is effective only when there is time to accommodate the bureaucratic machinations that are both Congressional hallmarks and weaknesses. In defense of the American Congress, however, the same ineffectual tendencies can be said of any representative law-making body. All â€Å"representative assemblies [such as Congress]† are ineffectual and â€Å"inherently unfit to be primary political institutions in a technological mass-age† that commands urgency; Congress is regarded by some to be legislatively â€Å"anomalous† not only in their â€Å"inescapable defects as political institutions† but also in â€Å"their characteristic virtues†[4]. Domestic polity may not require urgency or the consolidation of a rushed majority, but in an increasingly globalized environment, the individual temerity and trivial maneuvers of constituent consolidation render Congress alarmingly impotent as a body politic. In his On the Hill: a History of the American Congress, Alvin Josephy asserts that the same Congressional bureaucracy that maintains its plebiscitary nature hampers legislation and â€Å"periodically angers taxpayers, further eroding the prestige of the legislature and served to stultify Congress by deadening its vitality and aggressiveness amid the enervating trappings of a privileged bureaucracy†[5]. Some scholars purport that â€Å"to date, the American Congress, though fallen, is not dead†[6]. However, in drastic times that call for speedy resolution, the American government has reconciled itself to the removal of its bureaucracy in the nullification of Congressional workings. The War Powers Resolution, though designed to limit the President’s power to wage war without Congressional approval, is still bounded by the simple fact that Congress is removed from the equation. There would be no purpose for such an act if Congress established itself as decisive or effective in its legislation. Congressional efficacy has eroded over the last four administrations, stumbling over its own feet in the establishment of a requisite two-thirds majority in order to reign in the executive branch. Despite recent demonstrations of power, the â€Å"congressional curb on the executive has been potential, for the most part, in recent years,† its capabilities seldom â€Å"direct ly [or] wisely applied†[7]. Conditional clauses such as those of the War Powers Resolution are designed to render the Congress as powerless as possible; even the 60-day statute of limitation binding the duration of the War Powers Resolution are contingent upon a time the President deems fit. Granted, more moderate alternatives exist, and past attempts were made to remedy the mounting problem of bureaucratic functional delays. Independent committees were created to handle different fields in legislation. For example, current congressional committees include the committees on foreign relations, security, and military appropriations exist. The number of committees is limited so as to facilitate decisive action. Unfortunately, attempts such as the limiting of committees to abate the morays of bureaucratic management â€Å"came to nothing when both houses began to create numerous subcommittees and special committees†; the goal of â€Å"helping members of Congress in their w ork was corrupted by an unprecedented expansion of questionable emoluments and perquisites for Senators and Representatives [sic]†[8]. Further divisive in their truncation, Congress proved vastly ineffective as a legislative body, most notably due to a loss of functional perspective. The mentioned committees, subcommittees and special committees serve as little more than mediocre shows of power. For example, a minority Democrat Congress may propose several subcommittees so as to facilitate a platform for display of legislative efficacy. If, for example, several smaller committees exist, their individual victories would provide more substantial political capital and momentum so as to provide for a future Democrat Congress. The current immigration reform failures of the Bush administration exemplify the type of fertile political ground established by smaller victories. Larger issues such as the war in Iraq and the treatment of so-called â€Å"enemy combatants† in the curr ent War on Terror that would erstwhile cost Congressional credibility are overshadowed by the successes of smaller committees, whose numerous victories debase presidential and GOP reliability in the eyes of the taxpayer (and more importantly, the swing constituents that won a Republican Congress in 1994). Political aspirations are thinly veiled by legislative action in Congress, which has yet to strongly assert itself in pressing issues of the current administration. There is no doubting the necessity of Congress, no matter its shortcomings. As â€Å"part of the advance of democratism in belief and practice, a plebiscitary or numerical majority comes to seem the only proper expression of the sovereign general will†[9]. No matter the inefficacy of Congress as a legislature, its existence as a legislative body is the prerogative of the people who formed it. Politically speaking, Congress is little more than a forum used to trumpet partisan goals and achievements. The struggle between the two-party American political systems is, however, manifested in legislative wins and losses, no matter how nominal. It is in this mode that Congress is effective—American Congress is effective as a farcical stage in which political dominance is procured through a series of legislative initiatives. Congress’ devolution as a legislature â€Å"seems to be correlated with a more general historical transformation toward political and social forms w ithin which the representative assembly—the major political organism of post-Renaissance western civilization—does not have a primary political function†[10]. Essentially, if legislation is meant to hasten the workings of a democracy, Congress is impotent as a legislative body. However, if the success of Congressional legislation is measured in its ability to marginalize partisan interests, then Congress is not only effective but the most necessary tool in a representative body. Today, Congress’ relegation to a reactionary bureaucracy renders it a â€Å"rubber stamp, a name and a ritual, or an echo of powers lodged elsewhere†[11]. The bicameral legislature, then, is merely a formality, and if treated as such, is a success and for the most part an effective system. Its â€Å"bureaucratic democratism† is in such a mode â€Å"an indispensable instrument of its managerial rule†; the goal, therefore, is not to pass legislation, but to expos e the choices and leanings of those involved in decision-making so as to better acquaint respective constituents with their selections in future elections[12]. The more obtuse failures of the United States Congress have been those that occur in the maintenance of equal distribution of governance among the branches of government. The legislature has oft been expressed as a puppet of the executive, â€Å"unwilling to abolish any of the important newer agencies, bureaus or programs of the executive branch; but by reasserting the power of the purse it still might do so, and this the bureaucracy must keep, however scornfully and reluctantly, in mind†[13]. In its reactionary state, Congress is rather successful as a legislature, albeit lacking in initiative and any means of preventative measures. Congress’ legislative powers endow it with the constantly renewed ability to â€Å"inform citizens about the conduct of the bureaucracy, no matter how closely the executive† guards said information[14]. Some indeed argue that Congress would be more effective as â€Å"a political appendage of the executive which, after a certain amount of verbal ritual, and without genuine debate, invariably and predictably approved the executive’s proposals by a unanimous or close to unanimous vote†[15]. However effective this would render the act of legislation, it would cease to be democratic and hence become decree. The act of legislation is, in and of itself, defined by bureaucratic inefficacy. What most refer to as bureaucracy, others refer to as consensus. Congress’ failures and glaring inefficiencies are its only measure of success; the more unanimous (or what is perceived to be unanimity) the action, the less evidence exists of any real debate or public consultation. The Truman administration, for example, was an instance in which Congress’ legislative efficiency revealed little more than a diminished democracy led by pandering to executive governance. The lack of real legislation during the Cold War was not in the failure to change, but the failure to pass any sort of legislation in Congress that would curb a) hawkish defense spending, and b) presidential liberties in unilateral action. It is indisputable that Congressional powers have diminished, but the diminution of Congressional efficacy reflects its success as a legislature. Bureaucratic bodies such as Congress exist to hamper decision-making, as slowing the process prevents autocracy. If measuring the ability of Congressional legislation is an evaluation of its polity and ability to effectively maneuver without fear of retribution or disagreement, then Congress is a complete and utter failure. However, if the success of Congressional legislature is measured by the amount of bureaucratic stalling and arguments between parties vying for dominance that can never truly exist, then the stasis created would render erstwhile legislative failings as hallmarks of democratic success. BIBLIOGRAPHY Burnham, James. (1965) Congress and the American Tradition. Chicago: Henry RegneryCompany. Josephy, Alvin M. (1975) On the Hill: A History of the American Congress. New York:McGraw-Hill, Inc. Zelizer, Julian E. (2004) The American Congress: The Building of a Democracy. Boston:Houghton-Mifflin Trade and Reference. Footnotes [1] Burnham 338 [2] Zelizer 625 [3] Zelizer 625 [4] Burnham 345 [5] Josephy 369 [6] Burnham 337 [7] Burnham 339 [8] Josephy 369 [9] Burnham 334 [10] Ibid [11] Burnham 337 [12] Burnham 338 [13] Burnham 339 [14] Burnham 400 [15] Burnham 341