Monday, September 30, 2019

Earthquake resistance design

Columns can sustain two types of Damage, namely axial- flexural (or combined compression bending) Failure and shear failure. Shear damage is brittle and must be avoided in columns as by providing transverse ties at close spacing which carry the horizontal shear forces and hold concrete and vertical bars together. Horizontal Bands and its Role: Horizontal bands are the most important Earthquake-resistant feature in masonry buildings, since it holds a masonry building as a Single unit by tying all the walls together. There are four types of bands in a typical Masonry building, namely gable band, roof band, lintel band and plinth band. Lintel band is the most Important of all, since it ties the walls together and also breaks the monotonous continuity of wall.The gable band is employed only in Buildings with pitched or sloped roofs. In buildings with flat R. C or reinforced brick roofs, the Roof band is not required. In buildings with pitched r sloped roof, the Roof band is very importan t. Plinth bands are primarily used where uneven settlement of foundation in soil undergoes bending and pulling actions. It will be better to use ARC bands Shear Wall: Reinforced concrete buildings often have vertical plate-like ARC walls called Shear Walls. These walls generally start at foundation level and are contain souse throughout the building height. Their thickness varies from mm to mm. Shear walls are usually provided along both length and width of buildings.Shear Core Shear walls are like vertically-oriented wide beams that carry earthquake odds downwards to the foundation. Just like reinforced concrete (ARC) beams and columns, ARC 6 shear walls also perform much better if designed to be ductile.. Shear walls, if provide around the elevator core or stair well is known as shear core. Boundary Elements: Under the large overturning effects caused by horizontal earthquake forces, edges of shear walls experience high compressive and tensile stresses. To ensure that shear walls behave in a ductile way, concrete in the wall end regions must be reinforced in a special manner to sustain these load reversals without loosing strength.End regions of a wall with increased infotainment are called boundary elements which have high bending strength. Boundary Elements (Design, Location) Short and Long Columns: During past earthquakes, reinforced concrete (ARC) frame buildings that have columns of different heights within one storey, suffered more damage in the shorter columns as compared to taller columns in the same storey. Short Column Behavior: Poor behavior of short columns is due to the fact that in an earthquake, a tall column and a short column of same cross-section move horizontally by same amount. However, the short column is stiffer as compared to the tall column, ND it attracts larger earthquake force. Therefore it cause X-shaped cracks.Short Column (Failure, Location with Mezzanine floor) Stiffness of a column means resistance to deformation -? the larger is the stiffness, larger is the force required to deform it. This behavior is called Short Column Effect. Design Phenomenon: 7 If it is not possible to avoid short columns, this effect must be addressed in structural design. As per Indian Standard the reinforcement must extend beyond the short column into the columns vertically above. In case of stone or brick masonry the width has to be increased accordingly for short column. BEAM COLUMN JOINT: The points where the beams and columns intersect is a beam column joint. Since they too made of same material we can't expect to have more strength. So have to take care on these unavoidable joints.During earthquake the upper bars and lower bars act in a different direction causing elongation or damage of joint. Design Strategy: In design practice large column size, having large closed loops are placed inside. These should follow some design specification. Normally we will go for the anchoring of the bars at the ends. Micro concreting can b e gone in the congested junction. Beam Column Joint (Location, Failure without proper anchorage) Hidden Beams: These are also called as concealed beams which have their depth equal to that of the slab. These can be provided either on longer or on the shorter span. When provided along longer span it is found that the load carrying capacity increase to 135% with an economical increase of just 0. 4 -? 0. 5%.These beams are designed for negative bending moment which is caused due to load reversal expected during earthquake. 8 Hidden Beam Plastic Hinge: As moment increases, the linear stress distribution form persists and the extreme fiber stress reaches the yield stress value. Further increase in the bending moment cannot produce any increased fiber-stress but causes yield to spread into the inner fibers. As the bending moment Increases more and more fibers reach the yield stress until the final state, the whole of the section will yield. The complete yielding across the section of a be am is termed as plastic hinge. The section now carries the maximum bending moment without strain hardening taking place. The beam can carry no further load.Any further load will only result in increased deflection. The beam will behave as if t is hinged at the plastic section and a condition of collapse has been reached. Reduced Beam Section: This is a section of beam which is provided along the length of steel beams. These will have their area of cross section lesser than the proceeding section to an extent that it will just act as a plastic hinge. In case of steel section also a circular arc will be cut in the required flange portion of span. Reduced Beam Section Pre tensioning Technique: In case Of domes and shell Structures, the lateral thrust experienced will be more. This fault is answered well by pre tensioned concrete.In case of huge trustees like nuclear 9 rectors, large spanning domes we will be having a thin walled cylindrical tube of diameter about 10 to 15 CM and steel rods will be packed tightly. Pre tension elements (After & Before Concreting) Then stressing will be done as per design and then the micro concrete is injected in pressure into the tube. This setup is then done with normal concreting. It will resist the lateral thrust in an effective manner. Techniques to Adopt on Sky Scrappers: While speaking about large multistoried buildings we can't simply go in for normal strengthening of beams, columns, and other structural elements. There we had an alternative to speak about some elements such as Bearing, Bracing, Friction pendulum and Dampers which are primarily meant to take Vibration produced by lateral force.Rubber Bearings: Rubber bearings are made from layers Of rubber with thin steel plates between them, and a thick steel plate on the top and bottom. The bearings are placed between the bottom of a building and its foundation . The bearings are designed to be very stiff and strong for vertical load to carry the weight of the building an d designed to be much weaker for horizontal loads, so that they can move sideways due to lateral thrust. Rubber Bearing Viscous Dampers Viscous Dampers: Viscous fluid dampers are meant as shock absorbers. They consist of a closed cylinder containing a viscous fluid and a piston having small holes in its head. As the 10 piston move in and out of the cylinder oil is forced in and out causing friction.The damper is usually installed as part of a building's bracing system using single diagonals. As the building sways to and fro, the piston is forced In and out of the cylinder. Friction Dampers: Friction dampers are designed to have moving parts that will slide over each other. The damper is made up from a set Of steel plates, with slotted holes in hem, and they are bolted together. At high enough forces, the plates can slide over each other creating friction causing energy dissipation. The plates are specially treated to increase the friction between them. Friction Dampers Cross Bearing s (In foundation) Cross Bracing: These are very common in case of vertical load distribution.But we can also adopt this technique to foundation, in which the entire building will be laid in a cross horizontal bracing rather than placing it directly on foundation. It will distribute the load to joints and through foundation finally. Friction bearing (Location, Appearance) 11 Friction Pendulum: Considering about the large multistory buildings, we can always expect some appreciable movement in it base due to the vibration. Instead to resist against it completely we can allow the structure to deform at its foundation level by provision of friction pendulum without damaging the structural integrity.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Research Process and Terminology Paper Essay

The aim of this paper is to address the linkage between foreign direct investment (FDI) flows and the number of natural disasters. By using the data of 94 countries in the period of 1984 to 2004 and applying a variety of empirical tests, the result appears that natural hazards have significantly negative effects on FDI of countries. A. Economic Effects of Natural Disasters and The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment Economic Effects of Natural Disasters There are three patterns that concern with the economic effects of natural hazard. The first two strands concentrates on the primary or short-term effects and long-term effects of hazards on economy. While the short-term effect strand achieves abundant evidences of negative disasters’ impacts on GDP, the long-term effect strand cannot reach a clear conclusion. The third strand focuses on the capacity to mitigate the destructive effects of natural risks. A brief conclusion is that the negative impacts of risks can be diminished by country’s institutions. Determinant of Foreign Direct Investment There are three types of foreign direct investment, namely: (1) Operating new (2) Moving an existing (3) Moving a part of existing The first type is considered as location decision and categorized in pull factor, the latter two types are relocation decision and belong to push factor. Following this logic, propositional pull factors to put in models are the level of openness and the size of the economy. Obviously, the push  factor in models is natural risks. Other determinants which are mainly focused are institutions, such as government infrastructure, political freedom, corruption, etc. B. Data and Methods The data for analyzing impacts of natural disasters on FDI flows are taken from the EMDAT, which provides by the institution Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) and World Bank. Some observations were dropped because of missing data, the data which is used in this research contains an unbalance panel with 1,822 country-year observations from 94 countries (29 in Africa, 17 in Asia, 22 in Europe and 26 in Americas) in the period 1984-2004. Table 2 presents descriptions of dependent and independent variables. (TABLE 2) At this point, it is important to look again at two primary variables which devoted to results of empirical tests. The first key variable is FDI, which is measured by the total net inflows of foreign direct investment as a percentage of GDP. FDI is the dependent variable in all models. The second key variable relates to natural hazards. Since both recent and longerterm risks have its impacts on investors, the authors deliver four variables that are concerned with the number of natural risks happening in four time period: Total events in the prior year, total events in the prior 5 years, total events in the prior 10 years, total events in the prior 25 years. Table 3 shows the correlations between FDI/GDP and each of four variables referring to the measures of natural risks. (TABLE 3) It is undoubtedly true that both the counted measure as number of natural hazards and the monetary measure as the estimation of â€Å"dollar value of damages† affect decision makers. While it can be argue that result as the dollar amount of damages may have substantial influence on investors’ decisions, it is obvious that estimating the consequence of natural disasters is complex and not as accurate as â€Å"counts of disasters†. For this  reason, models will mainly focus on counts of disasters. Moreover, the research emphasizes on five types of natural hazards that severely devastate infrastructures, physical capital and labor forces. As such, these five types are earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, landslide and windstorms (include hurricanes). The following two variables which refer to the degree of openness and incentive in trade and investment are Trade and Investment. The former is taken from World Bank’s 2008 World Development Indicators and the latter is provided by Political Risk Services Group, assembled by the IRIS Center at the University of Maryland. Regarding to a country’s reliability for trade and investment, the investment variable is the estimation of three factors: contract viability/risk of exportation, repatriation of profits and delay in payments. These three factors are rank from 0 to 12 and the higher value illustrates the higher risk in investment. The final three variables in the base model are Inflation, Gov. stability and Rule of law. The Inflation variable is the inflation level of each country in a particular year and taken from 2008 World Development Indicators. The other two variables are collected from the International Country Risk Guide, with reflecting the level of stability of government and adhesion to the rule of law. The higher value implies the better environment for investors. Those variables contribute to the base model as this form: FDIit = ÃŽ ±0 + ÃŽ ±1Total events in the prior # yearsit + ÃŽ ±2GDP per capitait + ÃŽ ±3GDP growthit + ÃŽ ±4Tradeit + ÃŽ ±5Investmentit + ÃŽ ±6Inflation + ÃŽ ±7Gov. stabilityit + ÃŽ ±8Rule of lawit + ÃŽ ³i + ÃŽ ³t + ÃŽ µit This research also employs ÃŽ ³i as country fixed effects over time and ÃŽ ³t as year fixed effects for all countries. C. Results and Their Implications The below table indicates the linkage between foreign direct investment and natural disasters by applying the base model. It can be seen from Table 4 that all four natural hazard variables have significantly negative effects on FDI in each of models. Moreover, there is a decline trend in coefficients of disaster variables when measuring in Total events in the prior 1 year to Total events in the prior 25 years, which suggests that relatively recent risks have more significant influence than long term risks on investors’ decisions. The next two variables, which are GDP per capita and GDP growth, are positive as expected and significant. However, although both Trade and Investment variables have positive effects on FDI, only Trade is significant. The Inflation variable is negative and significant in all four models. Only Gov. stability variable has unexpected side and both Gov. stability and Rule of law are not significant in all models. The authors also employ the empirical tests to find out different effects of five particular types of disasters. The result is presented in Table 5. The outcome demonstrates that all other non-disaster variables have the same reaction and all damage variables are negative in side. However, Windstorms is significant in all three cases, Volcanoes is significant in two cases while Landslides, Earthquake and Floods are significant in only one case. Hence, there is evidence to support the view that each type of hazards has its effects on FDI, the clearest evidence is found on Windstorms. Regardless the inaccurate in estimation of dollar value of damages, the research generates the final test by using the base model with â€Å"dollar value of damages† in place of â€Å"counts of disasters†. The result is displayed in Table 6. Similarly with the above case, all non-disaster variables have the same result as the base model case. Though disaster variables are negative and significant in all case, they do not decline from recent to older events. A draw conclusion may be policy makers equally focus on relative recent and longer-term risks or maybe there is error in data. D. Conclusion To sum up briefly, there are four important conclusions. First and foremost, natural disasters have significant and negative effect on foreign direct  investment. Second, there are some evidences to support the view that decisions of foreign investors are deeper affected by relative recent events in comparing to longer-term events. Third, different types of natural hazards are considered to have different impacts on foreign direct investment, the most severe impact is found on windstorms. Finally, regardless the intricacy and inaccuracy in monetary measuring the value of damages, the model which focuses on dollar value of damages also addresses the same result with the base model: natural disasters discourage foreign direct investment.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Can u pls make up a title for me anything to do with marktering Literature review

Can u pls make up a title for me anything to do with marktering - Literature review Example In the earlier times, shop keepers were able to acquire a fair understanding of consumer behaviour because they sold their products directly to the customers. However, with the increasing growth in the size of firms, opportunities of direct contact with consumers have lowered. Increasingly, managers are investing more to gain an insight on consumer behaviour. As a consequence, business and academic researchers invest more resources in studying consumer energy for the improvement of businesses. One of the oldest models in regards to consumer behaviour is ‘stimulus-behaviour model’. The following model propagates that marketing and other stimuli influence the buyer’s black box, producing certain responses (The Institute for Working Futures, n.d.). The stimuli can be of two kinds. The marketing stimuli or the marketing mix consist of 4 P’s including product, price, place and promotion. Others include economic, technological, political and cultural stimuli. All these stimuli move through the consumers’ black box and help them to make the product choice, brand choice, purchasing timing and purchasing amount. Apart from this simplified model, several other models have been developed by the marketing scholars in the field of ‘consumer behaviour’. The most prominent models have been developed by John A. Howard and Jagdish N Sheth, Francesco M. Nicosia, James F. Engel, Roger D. Blackwell and David T. Kollat. The five stage model of buying process includes steps like recognizing the problems, searching for information, evaluating the alternatives, purchasing decision and post purchase behaviour of the consumers. After purchasing the products, the buyer is expected to feel some level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction regarding the product or service acquired. The number of organisational buying processes can be quite

Friday, September 27, 2019

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

Violence - Essay Example Ironically, both films depend on anticipation, leaving a similar feeling in the viewer as they progress. When viewed from the point of view of several sociological perspectives and discussed for the character portraits and dark humor, a comparison can be made between Pulp Fiction and Dog Day Afternoon. There are two basic forms of violence that can be viewed in a film. The first more obvious form of violence is that of physical violence where a living organism is dealt physical harm. The second less obvious form of violence is that of psychological violence. Psychological violence comes from the allusion to violence or from actions that cause mental harm. Slocum (2001) uses the example of the film Gaslight where a man intends to drive his wife mad. Slocum refers to Freud and says that â€Å"Real violence can have symbolic meaning and symbolic violence can have real consequences† (p. 40). Actions that show an intent toward violence can also create a sense of psychological violence, even thought the act may never actually be fulfilled. psychological violence is apparent in the constant threat that is pervasive throughout the film. The film is a series of character studies as revelations about each character comes through to the viewer in humorous and often shocking moments. The moment that is the most shocking, especially when viewed with the point of view of the sociological dynamics of the 1970’s, is when Leon reveals one of the motivations for the robbery. Leon says: I couldnt explain why I did the things I did. So I went to this psychiatrist who explained to me I was a woman in a mans body. So Sonny right away wanted to get me money for a sex change operation: but where was he to get that? 2500 dollars! My God, hes in hock up to his ears already (IMDB, 2010, Dog Day Afternoon). When viewed from the point of view of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND ORAL HYGIENE INSTRUCTION TO A SMOKER Essay

DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND ORAL HYGIENE INSTRUCTION TO A SMOKER COMMUNITY - Essay Example different methods of giving information, I would like to convey to them the possible health difficulties that they will most likely face and ultimately, persuade them to drop the habit. The group that I have specified are my friends who are heavy smokers and who seem to ignore the dangers posed by their habits, I would like to enlighten them on the dangers that they imbue on themselves with smoking. For this study, I will identify six resources that will greatly help in illustrating how dangerous smoking is. Mostly, it will be through the form of websites, journals, case studies and videos that greatly focus on the oral health problems that stem from smoking tobacco. First is an Australian Dental Journal (1999) with the title of the article being ‘Dentist’s attitudes and practices towards smoking’, which in a nutshell aims to identify the importance of the oral health guardians in the dissemination of information and to the persuasion of dropping the smoking habit. (1) To further deepen the study on this article, the researchers used a survey among dentists and their interaction with patients on smoking. The aim was to establish the dentists’ current practice regarding discussing smoking with patients, to explore dentists’ perceptions of the barriers to discussing smoking with patients and to explore dentists’ interest in discussing smoking with patients. During the study, the reasons why smokers cannot stop the habit was identified. (1) Now, regarding my view if this study is effective in persuading smokers to stop smoking, it certainly is. To whom do we entrust our oral health care better than our dentists? If they advise patients on the situation of their oral health, they would most probably listen. And given their knowledge on the situation, it would really be foolhardy for patients to ignore their diagnosis. Another published article about the dangers of smoking tobacco is: ‘Tobacco or Oral Health’ made as a guide to health

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Workplace Relations Amendment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The Workplace Relations Amendment - Essay Example (Parliament of Australia, 2006) The bill has caused strong reactions from numerous stakeholders. A substantial number of employer association affirmed their support for the Bill. However, there are also some trade unions and labor associations that strongly campaigned against the Act. Some of these groups oppose the way the Bill was passed in parliament; they feel that most of them were not adequately informed about it. These arguments were brought forward by opposition members of parliament who argued that members of the Liberal National Coalition did not give the Bill enough time. However, there are intentions to change many parts of the Work Choices legislation as asserted by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. He represents the Labor party which may have won the election due to this issue. Numerous opposition parliamentarians were opposed to the legislation. This affected the way the matter was handled in parliament. These opposition members; who represented the Labor party, claimed that there were inadequate copies of the Bill. Consequently, they took part in numerous campaigns against the Bill on the day it was introduced. Matters became more heated when parliamentarians were required to question the Bill; Labor party members were seen interrupting remarks made by proponents of the Bill and a substantial number had to be removed from the House. ... This was quite a hurried arrangement. As if that was not enough, the Bill was passed exactly a month after it had been introduced. Minister at that time argued that the hurried response was to avoid introduction of the legislation during an election year. However, this undermined the need for consensus. In order for pieces of legislation to gain acceptance by the public, they need to be thoroughly scrutinized. When this is not done effectively, some problems may arise in the future especially during implementation. The role of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) The AIRC has been in charge of unfair dismissals and terminations too. However, the enactment of the Work Choices legislation has reduced their efforts in this regard. For example, employees who wish to make a claim to the Commission about unfair dismissals are expected to do so within a period of twenty one days fork the time their employment was terminated. This means that employees are placed at a disadvantage because twenty one days are not enough. In light of this, the legislation places more power in the hands of the employer rather than the employee since most of them may not be bale to meet this new deadline. The Australian Industrial Relations Commission is expected to approve extensions of claim periods. However, it has been shown that most of the time, these extensions are rarely granted. Part of the reason for this could be that there is a fee for application and most employees may not be able to afford this. Another reason for this observation could be the long procedures that employees have to pass through before they are granted extensions. The Work Relations Amendment has created long procedures;

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The American History Cookbook Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

The American History Cookbook - Research Paper Example Peanut butter is a favorite spread on bread. Peanuts are either fried or roasted. They help maintain healthy body weight, reduce the risk of heart disease and reduce diabetes risk. Peanuts reduce obesity through the provision of fiber and improvement of the digestive system. The absence of peanut would mean no peanut butter in snacks, a not so interesting though. Potatoes are a good source of starch. Chips are a favorite food for many of the Americans. Potatoes are fried, baked, boiled and fit in to make so many recipes ranging from potato soup to potato salad. They are a good source of potassium, helps regulate mineral balance and fluids, transmit nerve impulses and muscle contraction. Vitamin C, which also acts as an antioxidant is obtained from potatoes. They contain fiber that helps lower blood cholesterol. Vitamin B6, Obtained from potatoes, helps in the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins. Iron, a major component of hemoglobin that carries oxygen to parts of the body can also be sourced from Potatoes (Mark 10). Tomatoes emanated from South America. Thinking of their goodness from their red color, the health implications from consumption of potatoes are many. The value behind the red color of tomatoes is the presence of lycopene that is an antioxidant and a contributor towards healthy bones. Tomatoes can be made into fresh tomato sa lad, grilled together with pizza or even used to make vegetarian sandwiches. Chili Peppers are a common ingredient in menu’s worldwide. Delicacies with Chilli Spice, are a favorite option as the stinging sensation left on the tongue is refreshing. Capsaicin is an ingredient found in pepper and boosts metabolism. It also suppressed appetite and may ultimately, after using it for some time result in weight loss.  

Monday, September 23, 2019

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 33

Research Paper Example It is the sixth vastest nation in the world and its neighboring nations include East Timor, New Zealand, Indonesia, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. It is estimated that human habitation in the country started between 42,000 and 48, 000 years ago. For approximately 40, 000 years, the country had been inhabited by roughly 750, 000 to 1,000,000 Indigenous people who spoke diverse languages. However, this number declined rapidly after settlement due to infectious diseases. The Aboriginal Protection Act of the year 1869 led to the separation of children from their communities and families, which also contributed to the reduction in the number of the indigenous people. During the European settlement, most of the Australians were horticulturalists and hunters as well as gatherers. They also had strong spiritual values that were grounded on a major belief in Dreamtime and reverence to the land. Since the year 1951, the US and Australia became military allies after signing the Anzus treaty. After the Second World War, immigration from regions such as Europe and Asia were promoted. Consequently, the country’s culture, image, and demography were transformed (Macintyre et al. 2008; Index Mundi, 2014). Australia is the only largest nation across the globe that covers the continent. Although it has an increased space reserved for fertile lands and have various natural resources, roughly one-third of the nation is a desert. Most of the deserts are located in rural remote regions where there are high temperatures, less or no vegetation, and there is little water. Its land area comprises of around 7.7 million square kilometers and its most southerly point is the South, which is 38 degrees, 08 minutes latitudes (Index Mundi, 2014). The country has an economic zone that is 370.4 kilometers and the driest as compared to other nations. Most of its farms

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Kidulthood Essay Example for Free

Kidulthood Essay Kidulthood is a realist drama set in West London, made in 2006. It shows stereotype with teenagers and gender. Stand By Me is a film about four young teens going on a adventure to find a dead body. This film was made in 1986 but was based in 1959. The four boys lice in a small town in America. The youth and gender representation of kidulthood is that, it represents girls as being sex toys and that they need the opposite sex. A character which shows this is Becky (Alisas best friend). She always sells her body to men so that she can get stuff which shows that women are born to do these stuff. For instance in the film she gives an older man a blowjob for drugs. This evidence also shows that she is a sex toy for men. In conclusion Becky represents her gender as being lower than men because of her actions. Sam is the main antagonists in the film. He is represented as someone who everyone fears inside school and he always goes for someone who is less dominant. He represents his youth by showing that teenagers being a bad citizen around there area and people are not safe around them. My evidence is that he led to two murders in the film, one was Katie because of his demeanour towards her which led her to suicide and at the end of the film he hits Trife in the belly with a baseball bat. He represents his gender as boys being stronger and dominant than girls because he threatened his girlfriend with a baseball bat and he pulled Alisas her towards the end of the film. Overall he represents his youth and gender as boys nature is to be violent and have rough demeanour to girls and other people in his community. Jay is part of Trifes crew and he often uses women in the film. Jay acts big during the film but is often described as someone who is all talk and no actions. This is shown in the film when he kisses Sams girlfriend and he tells her he is not scared of Sam. But when Sam confronts him, he let him take his Gameboy. Jay represents his youth as teenagers have early sex with each other and this was shown when he tried to seduce Claire at Sams house. Also him and his crew pushed Sams mum on the floor which shows that most teenagers dont have respect for people. Also he represents his gender throughout the film by using women showing that boys can treat women however they like without their opinion. In conclusion Jay represents his youth and gender by showing that teenagers have lack of respect and boys can do whatever they want with girls. Chris from Stand by me is from a family who are criminals and alcoholics and most people stereotype about him due to his background. He represents his youth as twelve years old boy who smokes and uses a gun, also he uses foul language most of the time throughout the film. My evidence is that in the beginning of the film him and teddy smoke in the tree house at a young age and he stole a gun from his dad. Also he swore at one of the characters during the end of the film. In conclusion Chris represents his youth as young people always are a bad influence and most youth are always doing these activities not matter what age they are. Maybe for the fact that Chris was bought up in a criminal family could suggest his actions outside which could infer that the representation of youth depends on their surroundings. Also the fact that in Stand By Me they are going on a adventure to find a dead body indicates that they are clueless to be very excited and interested in a dead body, it also shows their innocence for the fact that they live in a small town where nothing really happens. In the kidulthood poster we see Sam with a baseball bat and standing up showing that he is one of the main villains of film because his position in the poster is more apart from the other characters suggests that everybody is scared of him and the baseball bat shows it. But in Stand By Me the prop is the gun held by Gordie but it does not show danger because he is wearing a cap and a backpack that could indicate that this was used for self defence, rather than the baseball bat in the Kidulthood poster because Sam is wearing a hoodie and his facial expression shows he is proud to have this baseball bat in his hand or in other hand to show this prop was made to harm people. The reason why we dont get a impression that the gun in Stand By Me was made to harm is that the quotes on top of the poster shows their childhood and what they do in life which is talking about sweets and life. But it could also represent that they act much younger than their age to be talking about is really childish. Furthermore there was no girls in the film Stand By Me which could highlight that the female gender are much more responsible, mature and better gender than them because they would not get involved in dangerous activities like the four boys got into to. Becky however shows the total opposite of what Stand By Me infers, she represents her gender as male being the dominant sex because she used a man to get money. As you can notice in the Kidulthood poster that the characters have no emotions on their faces and the mid shot of the picture shows more of the background which is dark to emphasise that London is not a place you would want to stay in whereas the Stand By Me background is more bright and one of the characters are smiling. The position of Trife and Alisa show a more of a husband and wife pose to indicate their role during the film.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Effects of Computers and Technology on Society Essay Example for Free

Effects of Computers and Technology on Society Essay The development of office computers in late 70s has made a major breakthrough in our present society. Although the earlier computers were used solely for the purpose of processing and transmitting military data, the realization on the use of computers bear out the office computers we have today. Office tasks have never been easier since the computers have been dedicated to complete such enormous and taxing jobs in data processing. Since then the work loads particularly in the office have become minimal and less stressful for the employees. Suddenly because of our innovativeness we began to explore more and come up with more sophisticated computers we use today. The earlier versions of computers were unpopular because they are bulky and with heavy features which makes them inappropriate for small offices. Thus most of them are installed on laboratories and engineering rooms. As computers continued to be innovated, their sizes have been greatly reduced but they are now faster and more reliable. They can now be used for word processing which is a very essential in processing documents. In the mid-80s the dimension of the computers continued to be lesser into portable desktops and can now be placed on top of office tables. Indeed they now evolved to be more compact, lighter, faster and more powerful. They can now run multiple programs and software at the same time. Then in the 90s the age of the Internet has arrived. From the introduction of powerful computers now comes the most usable means of transferring data and messages all over the world. Here is the now the world of the World Wide Web or the Internet. The Internet has developed into one of the most powerful medium for universal communication, mode of information provider, highway for electronic transactions and most convenient source for entertainment. The Internet link computers by phone lines and high speed digital lines which networked all computers that are spread out around the world. Technology which brought up the invention of the computer and the Internet has made everything possible. We have improved a lot by leaps and bounds. The Internet as today’s most ingenious form of technology has greatly influenced our lives. We can now find jobs just by browsing the Net, watch movies from different websites, search for anything and everything that is beyond our imagination, source out information on any subjects and conduct transactions with other people around the globe. It is now so easy to send messages just by typing our texts using our email address and with a click of a button can send the message to other emails. Transferring the message may just take few seconds. Another example to prove the efficiency of the Internet are the chat rooms that can transfer bulk of messages and pictures in seconds at the same time. These are only few but most usable contributions of the â€Å"technology† we use today. Since the Internet has become the highway for the largest and widest medium of communication and information exchange, business transactions and on-line commerce have developed into the most popular method in business operation. The largest online deals in the world such as the Stocks Exchange and the Foreign Exchange currency trading rely on the Internet to conduct business. In line with this technology, the computers, however, also became sophisticated and powerful to carry on the task of processing data and information hundred times better than what ordinary computers can do three decades ago. To frank and honest this is what people want to invent and invest on technology to make things lot easier for us. Even ordinary house chores are now performed with the aid of the machines. We have invented washing machine, the dishwasher, the floor polisher, the air-conditioning system and the television for our entertainment. How wonderful it is to live in a world full of magic brought about by the gadgets, machines and equipment we make. But after all of these amazing things have been invented did it benefit the society in general? It is true that the inventions of machines have made things lot easier, faster and more precise. But do you know that since technology has greatly improved, millions of jobs have already been lost because they have become obsolete? As we advance in our future and develop more technology there is also displacement of man with their profession. We use to power everything by hand then by the machines and now by the computers. Why would manufacturing companies hire production people if they can mechanize and computerize every process in their factories? Why would car makers hire people for car assemblies where they can buy machines that are programmed and automated? Machines does not take their break, do not complain about abuse and no need for any insurance? Obviously because of our â€Å"technology†, people are getting phased out of their circulation and depriving them to earn their living. The computers, the Internet, the game gadgets, cell phones and accessories have also loosen our touch with the reality thus our bond with our families are also affected. The realization of the technology which has widened man’s contact into the outside world has in a way confined him to smaller virtual world that rely on technology alone and not on physical attributes (Ghimire 2006). On the side of the economy, however, the negative impacts are obviously caused by the advancing technology. It is true that many people preferred engaging on technology-based education have benefited with the continuing trend in science. But what happened to those who did not earned degrees or does not have knowledge with the trend? How can they cope up with the world that is being run by this technology? Would they remain to be at the bottom of the ladder because the skilled people take all the best opportunities? Since the early 70s, computerization started to liberalize workforce, American workers with non-degrees begin to feel the squeeze. This is because the technology has started to manage the world in a more synchronized and automated manner. The most favored jobs have turned the table in favor of the educated and the skilled. To cope up with the development, courses in relation to technical skills, computer and software engineering and programming were offered. Today, the people who dominate the highest income brackets come from among those who specialize in this field. The jobs for the unskilled have become leaner and the demand for their services was greatly reduced making them poorer, ignorant and unfit for employment. According to L. Mishel, Director for Research on Welfare Reform Network, the hazard on the development of information age is that while the technology can replace workers with cheaper cost, this trend might become self-destructive with the economy because there will not be enough purchasing power to push the economy onward while we lead our lives into the future. To ease the effect of technology on people, Mishel suggested that there must be political action to make societal evolution beneficial to everybody (Smith 2007). But although the technology has affected those who are untrained, the computers and the Internet have produced a digital world of information and accessibility. Almost everybody can now reach out to the Internet. You only have to go online to order goods, books, clothes or even groceries and it will be delivered directly to you. The Internet also benefits the older people because they can now email people they want to get in touch with. If you happen to feel sick and want to check for yourself about the symptoms you have you can check from the Internet to avoid health hazards. Moreover, the computers and the Internet have created a world full of opportunities. Jobs are being created and obtained everyday because there are always new jobs entering the Internet sphere. This is especially beneficial for those who have skills with regards to Information Technology. Based from the 2005 – 2006 National Association of Colleges and Employers, the regular computer engineer can earn more than USD53, 000 a year for their first year of employment while the entry level management can make up to USD 38,000 as well. Even small businesses have greatly benefits from this technology. Business owners can now advertise their product through many websites and can organize employee schedules with programs like Microsoft Excel. There are also online educations today that many universities offer and the opportunities are getting larger. It is projected that by the year 2009, one in every ten students will be enrolled in an online degree program. However, there are always disadvantages from the advantages. Now the backlash from this advantage does involve risk with every person registered on the Internet. Identity theft has always been the number one crime in the United States. Although programs are constantly created to protect users from Internet hackers and scammers, there are also lots of experts who use their knowledge to commit fraud in their favor. Billions of dollars are being stolen because of identity theft, scams and online fraud. Unfortunately only few of them are getting caught and usually the discovery was too late before the harm has been done. Even the movies and TV series which are supposed to be legally shown only on cinemas and televisions are also being shown on the Internet without proper license and agreement with the producers. Recently the Writer Guild of America demanded payments from the owner of the domains. In effect, the rights of producers, TV stations, actors and actresses are violated and the chances to earn from these shows are lost. Sadly as the worlds of computers are here to stay there are always dangers in getting scammed in every step of the way (Weidenfeld 2008). And so as the technology changes in its fast paced environment we, as users also changes as well. Let’s just hope that we could always cope up with any changes that the age of information and technology can bring us. There would be transformation and modification, of course but with less time to prepare we may probably make the wrong choices and our technology even it was intended to develop can destroy us (Graves 1990). Summary Computers and the Internet are two of the most brilliant discoveries of man. Life has never been easier with their aid. Computers are the most used and essential equipment in the office or even at home. Everybody almost have it because of its functionality and usage. The Internet on the other hand has succeeded in building gaps between people, races and cultures and provides us the opportunities to explore all things that exist here and beyond our world. But while we are joyful of the benefits of these forms of technologies not everybody is at their advantage. From the very first introduction of computerization, the untrained and the unskilled began to feel the hardships of being uncompetitive. The technology has created jobs according to its own trend. If you are unskilled and wants to earn a decent living you have to sweat it out to and can be able to earn minimum wage while the new generation of computer experts enjoy their chances in their virtual world. This is the general belief of some observers. Analysis According to the points presented, there are always advantage and disadvantage at any prevailing discoveries of man. Man is a very adaptable creature and he makes discoveries according to his needs. The Internet and the computers have naturally eased up our burdens with our jobs, communication and commerce. But with this technology there is the theory that lots of people still blame technology as the culprit in decimating their chances to be competitive. Accordingly, people living on rural societies as well as the older people and the unskilled feel that they are always left out with the technology making them helpless and useless. But my personal opinion relies not how quantitative the advantaged of technology to most people but how the technology could benefit all people in any society. Technology does shape our future but our future depends on every fiber in our society which means that the people alone are shaping the future not the technology. Technology is merely the product of our modernization and innovation that is continuously taking us higher to new realities and development. But we lest not forget that technology can also be erased, altered or reprogrammed because the society is making the technology themselves. However, the complexities of the issues discussed here is that has the introduction of the computers and the Internet really affected our society in general? True enough the untrained and the uneducated can find it hard to participate with the virtual world. But does technology was created to rationalize people according to their capabilities? I think not. Whether we like it or not our technology with computers and the Internet will continue to advance and so there are no chances in going back to pick those that have been left out. There are always two sides of the coin here. It is up for the people to choose. If we are people with strong mind and interest to cope up then we can be able to discover how wonderful the technology can bring. Computers and the Internet are not complicated, adaptable, beneficial and educating people continuously. Whatever jobs and opportunities you wanted can be found in the Internet regardless of what you can do. Just look around and observe. Even children, the elderly and disabled people can benefit from the technology. Education, jobs, opportunities and communication is now empowered by our technology. The old days of manual labor is almost over. We invent things to make things easier and there is nothing wrong with doing the job the easy way. If there are people who are against of this technology it maybe because they are closing their mind with it. The Internet offers all kinds of prospects in learning, opportunities and information. It is only right that we have to take advantage everything that it offers because for sure we would definitely grow with it References: Ghimire, Shakti. 2006. Effects of Computers and the Internet on Society. in Student Operated Press. Vero Beach, Florida: SOP. org. Graves, James. 1990. Technology and Its Effect on Society. Smith, Hakeem. 2007. How Emerging Technology Affects Modern Society. Weidenfeld, Kelly. 2008. Effects of computers and the Internet on society Helium.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Maggots have a standard development

Maggots have a standard development 1. Introduction 1.1 Anatomy of Maggots Maggots breathe from the anterior end of their body to get oxygen as they burrow through tissue. They bury with the help of two sharp digging hooks. Maggots have a standard development i.e. egg-larva-pupae. The developmental stage can be determined by the length of the maggots. Maggots grow at an increased rate with higher temperature.(Giangiuliani et al. 1994) Maggots are short in proportion to its thickness and its smaller at the two ends than in the middle. There is line of dots on the body of maggots; these are the mouths of air canals which serve as a lung. They have smooth skin and are commonly of light cream colour.(Schoofs et al. 2009) Some of them have tails for the motion in the water. The movement of maggots with feet is a mixture of crawling and walking. The crawling motion is an alternate elongation and contraction of one half of the length of the body. First, the front half lengthen and stretch forward while the following half is contracted and vice versa. The walking is performed by a successive motion of each pair of feet that support these alternate contractions and elongations of a body making head and tail alternately fixed.(Schoofs et al. 2009) 1.2. Life Cycle 1.2.1. House fly (Musca demostica) life cycle Female flies can place around 500 white eggs in numerous of groups of around 75 to 150. The lengths of these eggs are approximately 1.2 mm. It takes about 24 hours for the eggs to be hatched by larvae known as squats (Singh and Vardanis 1984). The main source of food for consumption of maggots is generally dead organic material like decomposing garbage or faeces. These legless creatures are pale in colour and grow 3-9 mm in length. Larvae stage lasts no less than a week before they crawl to a dry cool place due to their transformation into reddish brown pupae which reach up to 8 mm in length. The mature flies then come out of the pupae. This whole biological process of physical development after the larvaes birth is called ‘complete metamorphoses. The life of adult flies is between 2-4 weeks or even longer under controlled laboratory conditions. The growths of flies come to an end after coming out of the pupae. The small size of some flies does not indicate their growing stage, because at this point flies do not grow up any more, but of course it is the result of inadequate consumption and lack of food during the larval phase. (Bennet S.M. 2008) Some female flies become ready to mate after 36 hours of emerging from the pupae. She is then mounted and inject with sperm by a male from behind. The duration of mating lasts from few seconds to few minutes and the female stores the sperm to frequently produce eggs. The males job is to protect a certain territory to make sure no other flies or insects tress pass the area and also to try and mount the female trespassers. (Bennet S.M. 2008) Just like other insects flies too depend on the warm temperature. The warmer the environment, the more active and faster they are in their development and vice versa. (Bennet 2008) 1.2.2. Bluebottle flies (Calliphora vomitoria) life cycle Bluebottle flies are a little longer than normal house flies, around 10-14 mm in length. They are blue colour as the name suggests, with dull gray head and thorax, red eyes, black legs and antenna, clear wings and a body covered with bristle.(Wooldridge et al. 2007) The eggs of blue bottle fly is placed by a female usually as the same place as her consumption area which could be either rotting meat, garbage, and, or faeces. Just like the house fly larvae (maggot), the larvae of blue bottle fly known as Calliphora larvae is also pale-whitish. As soon as these maggots emerge from their eggs, they begin to consume on the surrounding dead or decaying organic material. After few days of consuming, the larvae are fully grown and ready to wrap themselves into thick brown cocoons in a dry cool area where they can stay in for two weeks before emerging from it as an adult fly. Similar to housefly and other insects, the adult blue bottle flies and pupae hibernate during winter, and waken up by warmer temperature when they can be active again in mating, laying eggs. These flies get involved in the activities such as pollinating of some flowers. (Kurashi 2008) 1.2.3. Green bottle (L. Sericata) life cycle The female fly lays a bunch of eggs in an injured area, a corpse (dead body), or in necrotic (dead tissue) or decomposing tissue. The larvae of green bottle known as pinkie hatch from their eggs 8-10 hours after being placed in a warm damp area; however this process could be delayed to three days in a cooler weather condition. The female fly can lay 130 to 172 eggs. The larvae are again pale-whitish. They are 10-14 mm in length. The larva consumes on the dead or decomposing tissue approximately for 3-10 days. This would change as the temperature increases or decreases. During this length of time, the larva goes through 3 larval stages. In the cool temperature of 16oC the first level of larva phase lasts about 53 hours, the second phase, 42 hours, and finally the third and the last phase will take 98 hours to fulfil this part of their life cycle. If the temperature increased to 27oC, the 1st stage would take 31 hours whilst the second stage lasts 12 hours and the 3rd stage will last 4 0 hours to achieve this particular life cycle. In the 3rd larva stage, the larva will move onto soil to pupate for 6 to 14 days. This will again change if the temperature is lower, and if it is in winter time, they can stay in the soil until the temperature of the soil increases again. Following the transformation of the pupa, the adult fly comes out from the soil and feeds on dead and decomposing tissue. It will take the mature flies two weeks until they begin to lay eggs. The whole duration of the life cycle of the blue bottle fly is between two to three weeks; however this could be reduced during summer time when the temperature is higher which will consequently lead to the more activity of the fly is at its most. There are normally 3 to 4 generations of L. sericata during each year. (Merih 2008) 1.3 Human Infection and Medical Importance Flies are commonly developed in unsanitary areas and manures in farms. The most common type of fly found around these areas is the house flies, also known as Musca domestica, scientifically. The major concerns with these flies are that it does not produce damage directly. They transmit pathogens (viruses, fungi, bacteria, protozoa and nematodes). (Fotedar et al. 1992) The pathogenic organisms are transferred by flies from sewages, unclean areas and wastes onto their mouthparts, via their feces and vomitus and then to human or food. One of the specific problems is the movement of flies from the animal feces to the food soon to be consumed by the human. Moreover, flies can contain the pathogens consumed from unclean or microbe infested area in its mouthparts or alimentary canal for several days, which are transmitted through regurgitation or defecation (Fotedar et al. 1992). Critical health problems can arise if there are food stalls, hospitals or meat market nearby in areas where proper plumbing is necessary such as open latrines or an open drainage. 1.3. 1. A few common diseases caused by flies Two methods of pathogenic transmission by flies are mechanical and biological transmission. 1.4. Maggots Maggots are usually found in decaying bodies. They give an indication of time elapsed since the death and the place of the death, by identifying the stage of their lifecycle and species. Their DNA is used to identify their species. The size of house fly larvae is 10 20 mm. Histeridae (another insect family) feed on larvae. Thus, the lack of maggots would increase the estimated time of death. A few other species of larvae are bred specifically for angling or as the food for pets such as reptiles or birds. They are used in the production of some cheeses (casu marzu). Necrotic wounds can also be cleaned out with the help of maggots. Maggot debridement therapy is the use of disinfected and live fly larvae to promote the healing of wound by necrotic tissue cleaning. The maggot is introduced to the non healing tissue debridement of an animal or a human. (Jones and Wall 2008) Dressing containing maggots are used to seal the non healing wound of the patient. The dressing is air permeable for the maggots to live. They are unable to reproduce in the dressing when they are satiated as they are immature. The length of the therapy depends on the severity of the debridement. 1.4.1. The mechanism of action The maggots are used in the medical field for the three main reasons: Debridement The wound containing the necrotic tissues is the ideal breeding area for bacteria leading to septicaemia, amputation and gangrene. The healing of the wound is stopped if the necrotic tissues have not been cleaned out. The surgeons can only debride the tissues they can see. This often results in the removal of healthy tissues along with the dead tissues causing pain in patient. If a tissue containing dead cells is not removed, bacteria may cause infection to the nearby healthy tissues, spreading it further. Therefore the maggots are used in specific areas where the surgeon is unable to remove the necrotic tissues. The healthy tissues are not damaged by the maggots. They consume with precise boundary. Maggots obtain nutrients by extracorporeal digestion. Proteolytic enzymes are used to liquefy dead tissue, which are later absorbed. (Jones and Wall 2008) Disinfection The wounds are harder to treat if they contain antibiotic resistant microbial strain. Although maggots are used to clean out the necrotic wounds, it contained secretion which could disinfect a bacterial infection. The infections can be life threatening. The secretion contained allantoin, phenylacetic acid, urea and calcium carbonate and proteolytic enzymes. The microbes that are resistant to these secretions are lysed and ingested within the maggots. A few of the pathogenic bacteria that are destroyed and inhibited by the maggots are MRSA, Gram-positive strains and group A and B streptococci. (van der Plas et al. 2007) Wound healing Epidermal growth factor and IL-6 are amplified by the maggot secretion. The growth of the fibroblasts and chondrocytes are also stimulated by the secretions. Moreover, wound exodus and formation of granulation tissue are also stimulated. (Li et al. 2009) 1.4.2. Limitations Only moist wounds are suited to maggot therapy. Adequate oxygen supply is also necessary. Although dry wounds can be moistened with saline soaks, it does not provide a good feeding environment for the maggots. Maggots often have a short life span which restricts its long-term use. Patients may also find them distasteful or disgusting. Therefore polymer bags are used to hide them from others site. (Li et al. 2009) The three types of flies that are studied in our project are: 1.5. House fly The most common type of flies found in most homes is the houseflies also known as Musca domestica. These flies are considered a pest as it carries the common diseases. Houseflies feed onsputum, feces, and humid decaying organic materials.They can only take in foods in liquid form. Therefore, they use their saliva to predigest the solid food which is later sucked in. House flies also regurgitate certain digested food and take it again to its abdomen. Mechanical transmission of organisms on flies: â€Å"Parasitic diseases: Cysts ofprotozoae.g.Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lambliaand eggs of helminths e.g.:Ascaris lumbricoides,Trichuros trichura,Haemenolypes nana,Enterobius vermicularis†. (Fà ·rster et al. 2009) Viruses:Enteroviruses:Poliomyelitis,infective hepatitis(A E). etc â€Å"Bacterial diseases: Typhoid, cholera, dysentery, pyogenic cocci, etc. House flies have been confirmed to be carriers ofCampylobacter andE. coliO157:H7 using Polymerase Chain Reactionâ€Å". (Ahmad et al. 2007) Polymerase chain reaction can also be used to identify the pathogenic bacteria contained in the house fly. (Ahmad et al. 2007) 1.6. Greenbottle fly The greenbottle fly comes from the species ofblowfly, in the generaLuciliaandPhaenicia. The common species ofgreenbottle areLucilia cuprina,Lucilia caesar,Lucilia coeruleiviridis, andLucilia illustris.The maggots of the greenbottle fly feed only on dead tissues and not the living cells. Therefore the larvae of greenbottle fly are used in maggot therapy. (Graczyk et al. 2001) 1.7. Bluebottle fly The bluebottle fly is another type of blow fly known as Calliphora vomitoria. They are half an inch larger than the house flies. The rotting materials attract the adult bluebottle flies. These flies play an important role in ecological system as they feed on dead or dying materials. It is usually the female flies that enter indoors. (Stevens 2003) 1.8. The microbiology of maggots used in angling 1.8.1. Pinkies As its name suggest this maggot is pink in colour. Pinkies are the larvae of the green bottle fly, close to its relative the blue bottle and are about two thirds the size. They are usually about 15 mm long and have the same feed sack as maggots. Like maggots pinkies come in different colours amongst which the red maggot and the natural white are the most common but with one major exception, the fluorescent pinkie, a pink/red colour and usually devastating particularly in the winter. Fluorescent pinkies are very good in cold weather. Pinkies are good as hookbait for small fish at all times. However,being smaller than large whites they are less likely to over ­feed the fish. Also being lively, pinkies tend to burrow out of sight into the bottom when fed into the swim. Pinkies are small, light maggots best suited to canals, still waters and slow-moving rivers as they tend to fall slowly in the water and fast flowing water will wash them away. (Adams and Hall 2003) Storage This is totally dependent on the age of the maggot. Maggots can be stored for 10-15 days provided they are kept cool, as cool environment slows down the natural ageing and development of the maggot in to its chrysalis state. Pinkies are sold in either saw dust or maize to keep them clean and in the best state possible. To keep maggots for any length of time it is advisable to change the sawdust or maize regularly. Pinkies kept for ages in the fridge can be going strong after 2 or even 3 weeks. (Adams and Hall 2003) Hooking The pinkie should be hooked in the same way that you would hook the white maggot, through the bearded end. As the Pinkie is small in size it stands to reason that the hooks need to be smaller too. Again when hooking the pinkie the maggot should remain lively and no fluid should be released. (Adams and Hall 2003) 1.8.2. Squatts The squat or feeder as it is commonly known is the smallest of the maggot family and are the larvae of the housefly. The mature larva is usually 3 to 9 mm in length, creamy whitish in colour, cylindrical but has a tapering head. The head consists a pair of dark hooks. These legless maggots emerge from the eggs during summers within 8 to 20 hours, and they immediately feed on the wastes the eggs were laid on. The fully grown maggots are 12mm long n are greasy on surface. The fully grown maggots move up to the cold dry place for their transformation into pupal phase. (Hou et al. 2007) They are usually used as loose feed and like the Pinkie are more suitable to still or slow moving water as they sink very slowly. The squat is rarely used as hook bait but can be if needed. The squat is a slow moving sluggish maggot that displays little activity when it is on the bed of the water. For this reason they are an excellent fish holding bait and are a good choice when used with ground bait. (Hou et al. 2007) Storage Squats are usually sold in damp sand which helps to stop the maggot from drying out. Unfortunately the squat will not keep for more than a few days so it1s a good idea not to buy too many at any one time. (Hou et al. 2007) Hooking These are not usually used as hook baits but it stands to reason that due their size they will need a small hook to hook them effectively. The squat when hooked should be hooked in the same way that you would hook the white maggot, through the bearded end. 1.8.3. Calliphora larvae The white maggot is the larvae of the common Blue Bottle and is the largest of the maggot family. As soon as, the larvae emerge from their eggs, they begin to consume on the surrounding dead or decomposing organic material. Once they are fully grown within a period of a week, they leave the carrion. (Stevens 2003) Most insect larvae have organs called stemmata which contain the photoreceptors, however, these appear to be absent in maggots. There are a number of structures at the front end of a maggot that have at one time or another been suggested to be the site of photoreception. These include chemoreceptors and even the imaginal discs that are destined to become the compound eyes of the adult fly. (Stevens 2003) Good quality maggots will be lively and soft to the touch. They will have a black spot under the skin which is an indication of having recently fed (the larger the spot the younger the maggot). Maggots that are slow moving or firm to the touch are older and will therefore turn in to casters much sooner. (Stevens 2003) Storage This is totally dependent on the age of the maggot. Keeping the maggot cool slows down the natural ageing and development of the maggot in to its chrysalis state and can therefore be kept for 10-15 days. When kept in warm conditions they last not more than 2 days. Maggots that have been left in warm conditions become sweaty and will eventually die. Sweaty maggots stink due to which they will not be attractive to fishes. (Stevens 2003) Hooking As a general rule of thumb, small hooks should be used when hooking maggots. When the point of the hook is pressed across the beard of the maggot, the maggot should remain lively avoiding the release of fluids. 1.8. Campylobacter Species The genus Campylobacter is a gram negative; microearophilic curve shaped rods that can cause certain diseases such as Campylobacteriosis in both human and particular animals via infection and contamination from the genus itself. Most common species in human pathogens are Campylobacter jejuni and C. Coli and the least common ones are C. Lari, C. Hyointestinals, and C. Fetus. A very high amount of Campylobacter bacteria is detectable in the faeces of individual suffering from acute campylobacteriosis due to developing gastroenteritis. At this stage the Campylobacter could easily be detected and separated from the faeces sample using selective agar plates, however at the later stage is more difficult to detect the bacteria in that way as the number of bacteria decreases in the samples due to the increase of the number of dead or injured cells interfering with microbial flora (Figure 15). This bacteria cause food born infections from mild to severe diarrhoea. This is a big concern in angling industry as the fishermen who eat food after handling the contaminated larva without washing their hands. Therefore they develop illnesses such as food poisoning and diarrheal illnesses. 1.9. References Adams,Z.J.O. and Hall,M.J.R. (2003) Methods used for the killing and preservation of blowfly larvae, and their effect on post-mortem larval length. Forensic Science International 138, 50-61. Ahmad,A., Nagaraja,T.G. and Zurek,L. (2007) Transmission of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to cattle by house flies. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 80, 74-81. Bennet S.M. (2008) Musca domestica. Bennet, S. M. (2008) Musca domestica. Cohen,D., Green,M., Block,C., Slepon,R., Ambar,R., Wasserman,S.S. and Levine,M.M. (1991) Reduction of transmission of shigellosis by control of houseflies (Musca domestica). The Lancet 337, 993-997. Fotedar,R., Banerjee,U., Singh,S., Shriniwas and Verma,A.K. (1992) The housefly (Musca domestica) as a carrier of pathogenic microorganisms in a hospital environment. Journal of Hospital Infection 20, 209-215. Fà ·rster,M., Klimpel,S. and Sievert,K. (2009) The house fly (Musca domestica) as a potential vector of metazoan parasites caught in a pig-pen in Germany. Veterinary Parasitology 160, 163-167. Giangiuliani,G., Lucchi,A., Vinson,S.B. and Bin,F. (1994) External anatomy of adult antennal sensilla of the fly, Trichopoda pennipes F. (Diptera: Tachinidae). International Journal of Insect Morphology and Embryology 23, 105-113. Graczyk,T.K., Knight,R., Gilman,R.H. and Cranfield,M.R. (2001) The role of non-biting flies in the epidemiology of human infectious diseases. Microbes and Infection 3, 231-235. Gr ³bel,P. and Cave,D.R. (2004) Sanitation and houseflies (Musca domestica): Factors for the transmission of Helicobacter pylori. Bulletin de lInstitut Pasteur 96, 83-91. Hou,L., Shi,Y., Zhai,P. and Le,G. (2007) Antibacterial activity and in vitro anti-tumor activity of the extract of the larvae of the housefly (Musca domestica). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 111, 227-231. Jones,G. and Wall,R. (2008) Maggot-therapy in veterinary medicine. Research in Veterinary Science 85, 394-398. Kurashi, H. (2008) 109. Family CALLIPHORIDE. Li,Q., Lu,R., Huo,R. and Fu,H. (2009) Maggots of musca domestica in treatment of acute intractable wound. Surgery 145, 122-123. Merih,C. (2008) Neonatal myiasis: a case report. Turkish Journal of Pediatrics 581-584. Schoofs,A., Niederegger,S. and Spie ¯,R. (2009) From behavior to fictive feeding: Anatomy, innervation and activation pattern of pharyngeal muscles of Calliphora vicina 3rd instar larvae. Journal of Insect Physiology 55, 218-230. Singh,G.J.P. and Vardanis,A. (1984) Chitinases in the house fly, Musca domestica: Pattern of activity in the life cycle and preliminary characterization. Insect Biochemistry 14, 215-218. Stevens,J.R. (2003) The evolution of myiasis in blowflies (Calliphoridae). International Journal for Parasitology 33, 1105-1113. van der Plas,M.J.A., van der Does,A.M., Baldry,M., Dogterom-Ballering,H.C.M., van Gulpen,C., van Dissel,J.T., Nibbering,P.H. and Jukema,G.N. (2007) Maggot excretions/secretions inhibit multiple neutrophil pro-inflammatory responses. Microbes and Infection 9, 507-514. Wooldridge,J., Scrase,L. and Wall,R. (2007) Flight activity of the blowflies, Calliphora vomitoria and Lucilia sericata, in the dark. Forensic Science International 172, 94-97.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Personal Narrative on Divorce :: Narrative Essay Marriage

It was the last Saturday in December of 1997. My brother, sister, and I were chasing after each other throughout the house. As we were running, our parents told us to come and sit down in the living room. They had to tell us something. So, we all went down stairs wondering what was going on. Once we all got down stairs, the three of us got onto the couch. Then, my mom said, â€Å" Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Your mother and I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  interrupted my father. â€Å"Are getting a divorce, † said my mother, completing his sentence. I was five at the time, so I had no idea what a divorce was. I then asked a ton of questions. â€Å"What’s a remorse?† I asked â€Å"Divorce,† corrected my older sister, Jennifer, â€Å"D-I-V-O-R-C-E. Not remorse, or whatever you said!† My mother then answered my question saying, â€Å"A divorce is when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I could see her eyes watering, â€Å"two married people don’t want...to be married anymore.† â€Å"Will we still live here?† I asked â€Å"No,† answered my mother. â€Å"Will we ever see Daddy again?† asked Jennifer. â€Å" Well of course, † answered my father, â€Å"It’ll just be like I’m out of town for a very long time. Y’all will see me every other weekend.† My older brother, Jonathan, was very quiet at the time. I think he was quiet because he was the only one of the three of us who truly knew what was going on. With me being at the tender age of five, I was very confused of what was going on. I thought that Jonathan, Jennifer, and I would live in a house by our selves and that both my parents would visit us from their separate houses every now and then. Most people would think that I’m depressed, but I like to think of my parents’ divorce as something positive that has happened in my life.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Joseph Stalin :: essays research papers

JOSEPH STALIN: TYRANT OF STEEL Iosef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (a.k.a. Joseph Stalin), was the undisputed leader of the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1953. Although Stalin’s reign in power did not begin immediately his contribution to government began in 1912, and from then on he slowly rose to the high chain of command. Stalin’s long and troublesome road to absolute power had many steps that marked important events in the Soviet Union’s condition but they did not always improve the life of his people. Stalin’s first position in government began in 1898 when he joined a secret Marxist revolutionary group and became involved in many demonstrations. In 1901 Stalin began writing for the Brdzola which published many of his revolutionary articles and ideas. At the end of 1901, he was formally accepted into the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. Between the years of 1902 and 1913 Stalin was arrested and exiled many times for countless crimes and as a result in 1907 he was expelled from the Social Democratic Labor Party. However, his luck changed in 1912 when Lenin appointed Stalin to the Bolshevik Central Committee. In addition, he was given various commands and was appointed to the position of people’s commissar for nationalities. After proving himself at this position, he was assigned the position of commissar of workers’ and peasants’ inspection. He finally gained the power he desired most in 1922, when he became general secretary of the Central Committee. With this position Stalin was able to control appointments, set agendas, and transfer officials and increase his own power. When Lenin died in 1924, Stalin used the current power he attained and crushed his opponents to become the dictator in 1929. Stalin used his new authority to try and make the Soviet Union a world power so that no enemies could destroy his nation. When he first took over, he began a series of five-year plans. The first plan was to industrialize the country, however, the production of machinery and farm equipment became more important than the production of household items and necessities such as clothing and food. Secondly, Stalin wanted to use collectivization to increase the production of agricultural products and to end private farming. Stalin also decided to transfer the control of the farms to the government, and as a result, caused a severe resistance in the peasant class especially the kulaks. The measures taken by Stalin to discipline those who opposed his authority were either exiled, or executed as well as a great famine killed 10 million peasants (1932-33).

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Principles of Public International Law Essay

â€Å"Law will never really play an effective part in international relations until it can annex to its own sphere some of the matters which at present lie within the domestic jurisdiction of the several states. † Discuss ‘The principles and regulations established in a community by some authority and applicable to its people, whether in the form of legislation or of custom and policies recognised’. The aforementioned is a definition of law as defined by the American Heritage dictionary of the English Language. If we apply this definition of community in its strictest sense it becomes increasingly difficult to subscribe to the view that there is an international community at large. If we begin to analyse statistics that show that there are over 7000 languages in the world, approximately 10,000 distinctly different religions, and a disputably infinite number of ethnic groups across just the 195 countries that comprise our global society, then it becomes patently clear that we would be better off highlighting our divisiveness rather than our prospects as a global community. Our collective history as human beings, however, tells a different story about our common interest and the way in which we have formally raised and torn down barriers to promote the same. We have, on the other hand, been separated on the basis of differing ideologies and the exercise of exclusive nationalism. Since the latter is a sentiment which resides in particular nations which have at their core a set legal framework validating their very existence and their interaction with other nations, it is essential to any study of law’s application to international relations. How does a sovereign nation reconcile its very sovereignty with its growing need to be integrated into a shrinking global society with its concomitant shrinking global economy? It is clear that some compromises must be made. Before we consider any specific cases in which states have decided to relinquish some of their sovereign power, we must consider the implications of the term sovereignty itself, the elements of sovereignty and its importance to a nation-state. Much has been written on the topic of sovereignty. Definitions vary slightly from one text to the other but they all have at their core, when specifically referring to the idea of state sovereignty, the idea of legitimate authority. In Sohail H. Hashmi’s discourse on sovereignty in the book ‘State Sovereignty, Change and Resistance in International Relations’, he asserts, referring to the concept of legitimate authority, that it is â€Å" a broad concept – not a definition but a wide category – that unites most of sovereignty’s tradition. He further notes that authority can be defined as â€Å"The right to command and correlatively, the right to be obeyed† and is only legitimate â€Å"when it is seen as right by those living under it. † It is to be noted that legitimate authority is not simply the idea of more power. R. P. Wolf, the twentieth century political philosopher and individual anarchist, illustrates the difference more sharply in a classical example in which he argues â€Å"if I am forced at gunpoint to hand over my money, I am subject to power; if I pay my taxes even though I think I can cheat I am recognizing legitimate authority. † We must recognize, however, that though legitimate authority is the overarching principle on any discourse on state sovereignty, there are specific elements of state sovereignty that are crucial, which every sovereign state holds dear to it and attempts to retain regardless of seemingly necessary or stipulated concessions of power, influence or authority to the international community. They include International Legal Validation (of a sovereign state), Interdependence Sovereignty and Domestic Sovereignty. International Legal Validation can be viewed as the right of the state to be a sovereign entity as prescribed by ‘international law’. It is legitimate authority as a legal construct or as Hashami puts it â€Å"legitimate authority† that is â€Å"prescribed by the law. † (Hashami, pg 18) The author Stephen D. Krasner in his book ‘Sovereignty, Organised Hypocrisy’ describes this element of sovereignty as international legal sovereignty. He states that it â€Å"refers to the practices associated with mutual recognition, usually between territorial entities that have formal juridical independence. † At its core international legal validation concerns issues of the recognition of states. If one were ignorant about the political climate on the global front, the natural answer to the question ‘how did a state become a state? ’ would be that ‘the would-be state must satisfy the defined stipulations (in international law) for becoming a state. Following this line of reasoning would inevitably lead one to the very first article of the Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States, which since 1933 set out that â€Å"The state, as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: (a) permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with other states. It does not take much political savvy, however, to understand that the legal criteria for statehood and the actual criteria for being recognized as a state by the international community at large is a de facto and de jure issue. As Krasner postulates â€Å"States have recognized other governments even when they did not h ave control over their claimed territory, such as the German and Italian recognition of the Franco regime in 1936, and the American recognition of the Lon Nol government in Cambodia in 1970. States have continued to recognize governments which have lost power, including Mexican recognition of the Spanish republican regime of 1977, and recognition of the Chinese Nationalist regime by all of the major Western powers until the 1970s. States have refused to recognize new governments even when they have established effective control, such as the British refusal to recognize the July monarch in France until 1832, the US refusal to recognise the Soviet regime until 1934. (Krasner, pg 15) The recognition of states is definitely an area in which the law (as prescribed by the Montevideo Convention and more recently the EU, which has almost identical tenets concerning the recognition of states) has proved ineffective in international relations precisely because of the political agendas and consequently domestic jurisdiction of the several states which reflect the political climate in which they operate. States attempt to hold on to this type of sovereignty because it affords them clout and validation in a global society in which interdependence is not just an ideal but a tool for survival, at the very least and a necessary aid to prosperity at the very most. The point here is not that nonrecognition brings with it a form of absolute isolation which renders the unrecognised state permanently barred from international commerce and diplomatic relations. What is of paramount importance, however, is the fact that nonrecognition brings with it an air of uncertainty concerning the unrecognised state, particularly in the eyes of multinational firms which as a result may be more reluctant to invest. Krasner notes that â€Å"by facilitating accords, international legal sovereignty offers the possibility for rulers to secure external resources that can enhance their ability to stay in power and promote the security, economic, and ideational interest of their constituents. (Krasner, pg 17) Interdependence sovereignty is the ability of a state to regulate the flow of information, goods, ideas and people into and out of its country. States try to hold on to this type of sovereignty because their ability to do this is directly related to their ability to effectively take control and organise their own polity, which in essence is domestic sovereignty which states must hold on to by definition i. e. in order to be a state in the first place. We shall consider reasons which prompt states to relinquish some of their sovereignty later in our discussion. We have thus far acknowledged, via several examples, based on the politics involved in the process of mutual recognition of states, that the issue of international legal sovereignty or international legal validation is a de facto versus de jure consideration. Is this, however, a trend in the legal procedures in international relations? The law, based on our previously defined definition, must be applicable to the actors in the community in hich it is operating. If, in the realm of international relations, the law can be voluntarily and regularly flouted by those who come under its subjection then serious questions arise about the very existence of ‘international law’. It must be duly noted though that states undeniably operate within the workings of a law order which to a large extent regulates their day to day interactions with one another and which is autonomo us in its operations. There are a countless number of international treatises that are steadfastly observed on a day to day basis. Examples include international agreements which facilitate the smooth to and fro transport of letters which are transported to all corners of the globe at fixed rates which are stipulated by the Universal postal union, the establishment of hundreds of football leagues worldwide- the individual countries who oversee them all subscribing to the specific rules and regulation set out by the world governing body in football, F. I. F. A. and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations which afford diplomats exemption from prosecution within the courts of the country in which they are stationed. It is evident then that there is a legal framework that regulates the goings on of international relations. We have to probe a bit deeper into the workings of this system in order to ascertain whether or not it can accurately be characterised as international law. It can be argued that upon examination of our above examples of situations in which law plays an effective role in international relations, that the circumstances demand that such broad and far-reaching legal action be undertaken. The methods may vary but in order for letters to be transported globally there must be some standardisation procedure. This sort of necessary ‘self-coercion’ can be observed in a slightly different manner in the operations of international trade and commerce. Often times when two countries have a trade dispute they seek to resolve it in the World Trade Organisation (W. T. O. ), the foremost international authority on trade and trade disputes. The country that loses the dispute, in a legal case which is heard before a court of law under the auspices of the W. T. O. , more often that not abides by the decision. This, again, is not necessarily because the losing party has a great respect or reverence for ‘international law’ or the W. T. O. per se, but rather because it is within its interest to do so. As Harris explains, â€Å"The great majority of the rules of international law are generally observed by all nations without actual compulsion, for it is generally in the interest of all nations concerned to honour their obligations under international law. † (Harris pg 8) He further argues that a nation will be â€Å"reluctant to disregard its obligations under a commercial treaty, since the benefits that it expects from the execution of the treaty by the other contracting parties are complimentary to those anticipated by the latter. It may thus stand to loose more than it would gain by not fulfilling its part in the bargain. This is particularly so in the long run since a nation that has the reputation of reneging on its commercial obligations will find it hard to conclude commercial treaties beneficially to itself. † (Harris pg8) There is, evidently then, a law amongst nations, which is effective regardless of the reason for it being so. The problem of defining this law amongst nations as ‘international law’, however, lies in part because of those very cases in which it is flagrantly disregarded. For any legal system to functional optimally it must operate in a community in which there is a legislative system to make laws as it sees fit, a judiciary to implement the administration of justice and an executive body to enforce the law. Now grant it, generally speaking, there is no formal legislative system in international relations, when countries enter into agreements with each other the signing of treaties is usually undertaken and this serves as the source of law that is meant to dictate the terms of their agreement. However, unlike what is the case in municipal law, there is no definite enforceability method. There is no one authority that can guarantee the compliance of states to international treaties or conventions. We have already made the point that in most cases compliance has become second nature – but what of the cases (though they are scarce) in which it is not? Within the domestic law arena there are cases in which the law is glaringly broken. Once there is enough evidence to convict the wrongdoer, he is convicted and punished. The punitive measures that are undertaken would have been pre-determined by the legislative body and subsequently enforced by an executive body. There is no such arrangement in the international domain. As Harris puts forward â€Å"The problem of enforcement becomes acute, however, in that minority of important and generally spectacular cases, particularly important in the context of our discussion, in which compliance with international law and its enforcement have a direct bearing on the relative power of the nations concerned. In those cases†¦considerations of power rather than of law determine compliance and enforcement. † (Harris, pg 9) Therein lies the difficulty in saying that there is a law of nations. Having established the problematic nature of ‘international law’ or a ‘law of nations’, we shall henceforth temporarily ignore our challenges with nomenclature for the purposes of our remaining discussion. That being said, it is of critical importance to analyse the impact of international law on municipal law and vice versa. There is an ongoing dispute between theorist who believe that international law and municipal law are two separate legal orders and theorist who believe that they are part of the same legal order. The formative argument is known as dualism while the latter is known as monism. There is no one argument based on either monism or dualism that comprehensively settles the dispute. â€Å"On the international plane, international law is invoked and applied on a daily basis by states and intergovernmental organisations. With minor exceptions, it is the only law that applies to the conduct of states and international organisations in their relations with one another. Here international law is a distinct legal system, comparable in its scope and function to a national legal system. † (Buergenthal-Murphy, pg 3) The point mentioned above is very valid and gives credence to the dualism argument. Diplomatic relations, as discussed earlier, are dealt with strictly on the international plane. In order to see the appeal of the monism argument however we have to look no further than the argument establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice (C. C. J. ). Article XXIII of this agreement is as follows: 1)Each contracting party should, to the maximum extent possible, encourage and facilitate the use of arbitration and other means of alternative dispute resolution for the settlement of international commercial disputes. )To this end, each contracting party shall provide appropriate procedures to ensure observance of agreements to arbitrate and for the recognition and enforcement of arbitral award in such disputes. The C. C. J. is a court whose aim is to have a â€Å"determinative role in the further development of Caribbean jurisprudence through the juridical process† is thus an international lega l authority. In order for its smooth operation it must nevertheless depend on the domestic jurisdictions of its member states. Monism and dualism can hence be viewed as fluid concepts which exist in varying degrees.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Developing language skills Essay

1. INTRODUCTION Throughout the last several years English teaching course books have become the essence to learning the English language successfully. There has always been a major necessity to reading, listening and writing but recently educators have found that communicative competence is an important asset that needs acquiring. According to this latter statement, recent course books are equipped with all four skills in order to achieve a proficient level of English. However, due to new discoveries such as the learner-centered learning or Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory , many books are inclined to the different necessities that better suit the  student. Here, for example, we are presented with two very different books directed to teenagers. In the following course books: Bachillerato book Made Easy and the Basque book ‘Botellà ³n!’ we will intent to make various contrasts and comparisons amongst the four major skills to English language learning. 2. METHODOLOGIES We must realize that all course books have many methodologies.. We have seen in Methodological Approaches (See Funiber Subject 1) that Marianne Celce-Murcia quotes that â€Å"a historical perspective needs to be taken into consideration to be able to evaluate innovations effectively†. As we can see there has been an immense amount of detail added to language teaching from the early 19th century when comparing the Grammar – Translation method to the newly adopted approaches although there are still signs of the methodologies present within the newer books. Here are some: 2.1. TABLE MADE EASY BOTELLON! both Grammar-Translation Method Exercises to translate into L1 Use of dictionary Direct Method No use of mother tongue Reading Method Lots of reading material Structuralism Plenty of drilling and repetition Contrastive Analysis â€Å"Bachillerato† will focus on common Spanish errors, eg. DO/MAKE The theme/subject is inclined to a Spanish saying: botellà ³n.. Behaviourist Stimulus, response, reinforcement: activities Cognitive Approach Rules are made clear first before practice (TPR) CALL The course book is equipped with extra material: resource books for teachers and a website TPR â€Å"Learn language through doing† CLL Extensive list of themes: appreciating the learners needs. – No textbook. Natural Approach – Contain all four skills – Teacher support. Lexical Approach Vocabulary importance. Audio-visual Method Meaningful communication and social contexts. 2.1.1 THE LEARNING THEORIES IMPLICIT This chart shows both course books seem to have adopted some essence of the older methodologies. Nowadays approaches are more familiar where teachers can choose a method that will better suit the learner. However, our next research will be on : integration and segregation of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. 3. INTEGRATION First: the meaning of integration is the usage of all four language skills simultaneously in various activities. Some exercises begin with reading, perhaps a follow up of discussing the article and finally concluding a written summary of the text. By doing all three activities we are utilizing the skills of reading, speaking and writing. As Dr Garza quoted it â€Å"most teachers recognize that the four language skills support each other and are found together in real-life language use†. Also, none of the separate language skills are ever used in isolation (Funiber, Developing language skills in the classroom). Now we understand the significance, we can continue to analyse this method in the books. 3.1. EXTENT Made Easy, from an external perspective looks as though the skills have all been segregated but in fact they have all been integrated. The reading, which is divided into a before, while and after reading which are entwined with various grammatical activities for preparation. However when you look at an internal view of the course book we see that there is a high level of integration with the four skills. Take the writing section which has various grammar exercises (Language/Vocabulary) Assignment – DLSC beforehand to ensure understandability of the learner which also holds a cognitive approach to learning according to Chomsky. Here, reading and writing are both merged then followed by reinforcing activities. As we have learnt reading in traditional terms at least, seems to be a natural bedfellow of writing (Funiber). Lastly, we have a division of the listening and speaking activities from an outer look in the last page but they are  however united through the theme of the subject which locks them together. On the other hand, the Botellà ³n book is relatively distinctive. Firstly, the format that is uses is generally integrating reading and plentiful of brainstorming writing activities with the final intention of speaking. However there are activities of listening which is integrated with writing. However there is only the one activity (2) that is segregated which is the skill of speaking as is the final activity which perhaps helps the teacher to evaluate the extent of the learne rs new acquired knowledge throughout the course. 4. PRODUCT AND PROCESS ASPECT However, there are some similarities worth mentioning between the two course books. They both take a process approach which has the student â€Å"working up to† the final contribution. A process approach tends to focus more on various classroom activities which promote the development of language use: brainstorming, group discussion and rewriting (Steele, 2004). In the Bachillerato book Made Easy on page 61, we have: before and after writing preparation: an insight, planning, mind mapping, writing first drafts, feedback, editing and evaluating.Chen for example states that â€Å"these studies have quantitatively measured improvements in learners’ test scores following the completion of a strategy training programme† (2007). Furthermore, the Botellà ³n book also includes a process approach but in a broader sense and tends to cover most of the book with an abundant amount of brainstorming activities that drive and lead to a final proposal (writing) and a discussion part (speaking) at the end. As Lynch quotes: â€Å" the route one takes to that goal† (1996:148). To compare: 4.1.1 TABLE Process writing Product writing Text as a resource for comparison Imitate model text Ideas as a starting point Organization of ideas are more important than ideas themselves More than one draft One draft More global, focused on purpose, theme, text type i.e. reader is emphasized Features highlighted including controlled practice of those features Collaborative Individual Emphasis on creative process Emphasis on end product * Table 1: Product and process writing: A comparison (Steele 2004 p. 1) 5. AUTHENTICITY Now looking more closely to the aspects of authentic/genuine exercises. The significance of an authentic text: some researchers have gone on to say: â€Å"authentic materials are materials that we can use in the classroom and that have not been changed in any way for ESL students† (Sanderson, 1999). Harmer (1991) defines authentic texts as â€Å"materials which are designed for native speakers; they are real texts; designed not for language students, but for the speakers of the language†. Authentic texts is language used by natives which have not in any case been manipulated by authors to suit the level of then learners. Although, what matters is the response and expression of the learner, if it in accordance to the text then the response has been made authentic as once quoted by Widdowson (Funiber, Developing Language Sills in the Classroom). In Made Easy, there are many reading activities. In the text â€Å"Making and keeping friends† we can see that there is a previous activity to help the learner think and analyse the text before reading; predicting. According to Revell and Breary, a way of dealing with this problem is to get the learners to predict the main points of the text (Funiber). After the reading there are questions to be answered straight after the comprehension: if we immediately ask questions then we are denying the chance to give an authentic response (Lynch 1996: 124-125). The next â€Å"authentic† text would be the possible newspaper or magazine article (pag 63) which has probably been falsified to a certain extent to suit the level of the learner. In the  speaking, on page 67, they are able to give their own opinions in relation to the listening previously heard which allows their own expressions to be considered. The listening provides the learner with many different ideas for brainstorming. However, they are not real life situations, there is no genuine media and there is an exclusion of body language and facial expression and thus there is no possible reply (Funiber). In the Botellà ³n book, we are presented with a real problem of teenage street drinking which induces a genuine problem. The first speaking exercise allows the learner to give real feedback with an authentic and genuine response. Throughout the unit we have, as mentioned above, many reading activities: real life opinions, newspaper articles and a diplomatic meeting. This all seem extremely genuine but to what extent is unclear. On another positive note, we have two You tube debates: Pregnancy Discrimination and The Iraq War. These last two are very opposite to the general and ordinary listening we are used to and they are in fact impossible to manipulate. Following this virtual debate, we have a more general listening about p sychology with Dr. Lindee which although is a very universal reciprocal activity it may have some essence of credibility. 6. SIMPLIFICATION Widdowson says that â€Å"text simplification for second language learners is the adaption of a â€Å"genuine text† in order to facilitate reading and comprehension skills. Some authors claim that Assignment – DLSC authentic materials (genuine) are often too hard for students who read at lower levels .Though is controversial issue, a genuine text is not necessarily better than an adapted one, what matters if the student responds to it as he would in real life.† On the one hand this will benefit the some learners, as by manipulating the text to suit the learners interest this will stimulate their motivation and interests. However, Honeyfield (1977) says that the two principal aspects of text simplification, namely simplifying language and simplifying content, produce material which differs significantly from ‘normal’ English in the areas of information distribution and common structure. By altering the language,it reduces the colloquial and â€Å"realness† of the language. Now the question remains as to how do we  identify if the text has been adjusted? Swaffar (1985) says that the primary intent of an original text is to communicate meaning, and in her view, authentic messages which perform this function have the following characteristics: authorial cues, repetition, redundancy, and discourse markers. She claims that simplified texts do not have these characteristics because they have a â€Å"pseudo-intent†, which is to teach language, rather than to communicate. Made Easy has three very different texts: firstly on page 61 the text holds an easy vocabulary, short sentence structures, redundancy and a a simple content of topic. On page 63 however, in activity 6 we have a newspaper report, we are given information with an unsophisticated vocabulary and a structure that is in relation to the grammar explained in the previous activity: the reported speech. Lastly, there is an essay written in an academic format, supposedly by a native adolescent. There are longer sentences with subordinate clauses and a wider scope of vocabulary . All three text show some sign of simplification which is not ideal because as Willis says, in developing their communicative skills learners need to become aware of the choices realised in genuine language use in order to create appropriate meaning (1996: 26). This opinion puts learning on fluency. The Botellà ³n gives more of a realistic and pragmatic cognizance because all of the texts represent â€Å"real life† opinions which should all interaction between natives should be genuine. Firstly, on page 64, activity 3, we have 7 different views about the subject of alcohol. By analysing the content we have a very colloquial type of language expressed by native English foreigners living in Spain. Secondly, on page 71, activity 6, we have more viewpoints but there is a more complex vocabulary and structure with more detail, plentiful of subordinate clauses and some acronyms. Lastly, on page 74, activity 7, we have more opinions but these are inside quotation marks which indicate direct speech and should be understood as a natural and spontaneous spoken English. The amplest difference about the two books when identifying these concepts is on page 77 of the Botellà ³n book on activity 8: There are two virtual debates (Pregnancy Discrimination and the Iraq war) which are provided to the students to watch from the web. This is the closest encounter we  have to real conversation. McCarthy and Carter explain that â€Å"’language in action’ involves participants in using language to refer to action in an easy and unproblematic way because they are taking place before their respective eyes (pag. 209). 7. SKILLS The next subject is the relationship between the work and learning/practice of grammar: When teachers first began to adopt a communicative approach to foreign and second language teaching, â€Å"learning communication† was often presented as an alternative to â€Å"learning grammar†. We noted a strong sense of convergence between stated beliefs and actual classroom practices. Having our self-experienced English language learning by explicit instruction on the rules of grammar, the belief that grammar teaching should be integrated into speaking, writing and reading. belief that grammar is central to language learning and direct grammar teaching is needed by their EFL/ESL students† We think this particular type of study vitally important especially in light of the results of the recent Richards, Gallo, and Renandya (2001) survey that suggest evidence of divergence between teachers’ stated beliefs and actual classroom practices related to grammar teaching. 8. PRODUCTION: ORAL AND WRITTEN In Bachillerato Made Easy there is a continual relationship between production (oral and written) and grammar because we can see that the step includes a written part where the students write sentences to take into account the ways to report what someone has already said, then in an oral practice they report the message using a reporting verb and making some changes in tenses pronouns, adjectives and adverbs. In â€Å"Botellà ³n† there isn’t a relation between skills and grammar because the unit doesn’t show any grammar description. They have a brief model to write, read, speak and listen but they don’t have the grammar reference to follow the different skills. What are the opportunities for production do both units provide? Oral communication is a two-way process between speaker and listener where both the speaker and the listener have a positive function to perform (Byrne  1986: 8). So speaking is therefore an interactive process but we have to recognize that there will be times when the speaker’s role will be essentially passive which is emphasized in McGregor’s model of collaborative discourse (see Section 2.2.3) Furthermore writing is labeled as written production and is one of the branches, it is a skill that students must develop. When expressing oneself in a language, this is only done in an oral fashion; written communication is extremely important in language learning. So both units provide their students with situations that allow development and progress in the four skills: Bachillerato Made Easy the unit provides opportunities with a group work, self-access and Presentation – Practice –  Producti on, for both production skills (oral, written) the unit tends to be teacher-centred, as the teacher leads the activity and provides necessary information. Furthermore it is a student centred activity because the learners in some steps are able to decide what to say, and how to say it, for example: for oral production the learners start discussing with a self-assessment task in two different exercises. In the first exercise learners have to reflect about their behaviour in given situations and in the second part they have a free group discussion about the same topic which is presented in all the unit and provide the learners with the necessary structure, vocabulary and grammar (previously taught). ‘Botellà ³n!’ provides opportunities with interaction where the learners work in groups or independently where they have the chance to work together and interact autonomously and the teacher acts as a facilitator by monitoring their work. For example for the written part they use the steps in the reading part to refute a diplomatic way the topics given. Now the learners are totally trained for talking about different points of vi ew. As we know there are three main stages in any unit: Presentation, Practice, and Production. A unit which includes all these stages can help learners to learn more efficiently. 8.1 TYPES The presentation stage involves explaining the aims of the unit so that children know what they will learn and why. It is also during this stage that the teacher explains the new language, including both its meaning and  form, and how to say or write it correctly. The goal of the practice stage is to help the children use the new language you have just explained to them. It is at this stage that error correction is most important. The final stage is the production stage. This can help motivate children to communicate meaning with the new language. Children should experiment with the language. For example in Bachillerato Made Easy, they write an essay but in the part for production it is required to follow the steps to create the essay: description, narration, exposition, and argumentation) or it is better to write a paragraph or notes for a letter to produce learning.In â€Å"Botellà ³n† they make a diplomatic discussion, this part requires more group work and pair work to achieve more examples of communicative language. 8.1.1. ACTIVITIES Assignment – DLSC The variety of the activity types provide opportunities for students to build Awareness or Conceptualize understandings related to the learning. They help the learners to apply their knowledge of the contents using a variety of processes and techniques. The four skills work in tandem when the activities that require their use are designed to support learners in the process of learning, creating and producing a specific product. The Bachillerato Made Easy unit presents the following activities for the speaking section (oral): dialogues, role play, talking about themselves related to behaviour in different situations that mention generalization and advice to take into account in our real world to be good friends. In this activity students are allowed to answer questions using their own words. On the other hand, a written section follows these activities: Written practice to responding to questions that are related to friendship. In the speaking section the activity discusses some of the issues, factors and solutions for the problem. Apart from that the other activity is to work individually, whether they agree or disagree and to state their own reasons about the proposed solutions. The last activity is a discussion in groups, giving for and against arguments. In the written section the unit uses a discussion organiser in a written practice where the students have to write some notes proposing a solution which could be appropriate for everybody on the subject of botellà ³n. 9. OPINION AND CONCLUSION We can say a textbook is only as good as the teacher who uses it. A textbook is just a tool, in our teaching arsenal. Sometimes, teachers over-rely on textbooks and don’t consider other aids for the classroom. Some teachers reject a textbook approach to learning because the textbook is outdated or insufficiently covers a topic or subject area, but we know that a book or a unit is very important to learning the language. So we prefer both units: Bachillerato because this unit is considered Authentic and Genuine, the unit works with the four skills and other points such as grammar which are vital to learning the language. Furthermore the unit has different activities for each skill. On the other hand the unit â€Å"Botellà ³n† because it is algo genuine although this unit is more student centred. In this case it is focused on each student’s needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles, placing the teacher as the facilitator. BIBLIOGRAFY 1. Berliner, D. C. (1987). Ways of thinking about students and classrooms by more and less experienced teachers. In J. Calderhead (Ed.), Exploring teachers’ thinking (pp. 60-83). London: Cassell. 2. Chen, Y.(2007). Learning to learn: the impact of strategy training. ELT Journal, 61 (1), 20-29. 3. Gabrielatos, C. (2002). EFL writing: product and process. Retrieved on 25 August. 2010 from 4. Funiber, Methodologies and Approaches. Developing Language Skills in the Classroom. 5. Gardner, A., & Johnson, D. (1997). Teaching personal experience narrative in the elementary and beyond. Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona Writing Project Press. 6. Higuchi, M. (1998) Using Authentic Texts in EFL Teaching and Learning 7. Honeyfield, J. (1977). 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(1998) Using Authentic Texts in EFL Teaching and Learning http://bambi.u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp/~kiyou4228021/12_1/12_1_03.pdf 3. Md. Kamrul Hasan & Mohd. Moniruzzaman Akhand Kamrul, H. and Moniruzzaman, A. (2010) Approaches to Writing in EFL/ESL Context: Balancing Product and Process in Writing Class at Tertiary Level http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/NELTA/article/viewFile/4612/3823 4. Tamo, D. (2009) The Use of Authentic Materials in Classrooms http://www.lcpj.pro/skedaret/1277547685-74_pdfsam_LCPJ,%20Per%20shtyp.pdf