Database Design and data security breeches Essay - 1

Database Design and data security breeches - Essay Example The information with de-identified status can be given to the researcher. This is the information that gives details about a particular group off patients but cannot be narrowed to a specific patient. Such information is exempted from the HIPAA regulations since it is in a general format (Wilson, 2010). Such information do not have any hint of that links the information to a particular patient, such as contacts, names, job number, geographical information, official documents, account number, e-mail and medical record number. The current rules and regulation governing health information is HIPAA. This stands for health insurance portability and accountability act. The laws were put in place in the year 1996 by the congress. The rules are meant to give the mandate to transfer and link health insurance coverage and reduce heath information abuse and fraud. It also give rules on the confidentiality and protection of health information. Giving access to the restricted areas has to involve some consultations first with the senior administrators. Later the researcher is given access using MySQL 5.1 version which can access different databases. The privileges to be accorded to the academic researcher include being allowed to be a member of the data reader so that he or she can access the data easily. The database system should only avail the information needed by the researcher. Other information should be kept private. The SQL statement used should be able to sort the data according to the limited privileges. Such statements include GRANT PRIVILEGE_NAME option. Creation of restricted views of the data are to be created using SQL. The statement retrieves the information that can be accessed by any user. The user name specifies the type of information that is being given. For this case, the user can read and modify (Andrews, 2012). The department of health of Utah had their system accessed and personal information stolen. This is where a hacker made the figures

Portrayal of Women in Dreamgirls 2006 Movie Review

Portrayal of Women in Dreamgirls 2006 - Movie Review Example The plot of the movie is set in the period of 1960s and 1970s. The movie narrates the lives of three young promising and talented African American women who formed a music trio The Dreammates with the dream of becoming famous musical group. The three women Effie White, Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson were the members of the musical group where Effie acted as the leading singer. The singing talent of the girls was discovered by the record executive Curtis Taylor. He offered the girls to become back-up singers for headliners James Thunder. He worked hard on the grooming of the girls and takes the control of look and sound of the group. He soon started feeling closer to Deena and based upon his romantic interest he insists that Deena should replace Effie as leading singer of the group.They underwent a conflicting situation over the issues of change of group name and substitution of lead singer. The record executive insists that they should change the name of the group to Dreams because this name seems to be more music friendly. Furthermore, he also wants to see Deena as the leading singer of the group. The movie shows the three women having the realization that they have to pay high costs for getting their dreams come true because the fame and fortune come to them in exchange for much higher cost than  their imaginations.  

Challenges to Project Management in Construction

Challenges to Project Management in Construction By Aivaras Symanas Introduction This work uses Dreadnought project as a vehicle for discussion for challenges and of project management in construction as well as examining risk management strategy, particularly focusing upon the issues that arise from . Challenges to Construction Project Management The complexity of clients demands, together with the increasing complexity of the construction industry, particularly as a result of technological developments, has over the years resulted in specialisation within the industry. Variety of professions have developed as separate skills (e.g. Architecture, Quantity Surveying, ME Engineering etc.) and even on a small project all of those skills are involved. The key to the management of construction projects is therefore the way in which the contributors are organised so that their skills are used in the right manner and at the right time for the maximum benefit to the client. There is little point in the construction industry developing its skills if they are not then implemented effectively.(Walker, 2002) Scenario issues In addition to the professions already mentioned, every construction project involves many of the following additional stakeholders: Multiple regulatory bodies, local residents, statutory undertakers, end users etc. Internal and external stakeholders would be involved in different stages of the project. Early and comprehensive stakeholder identification and analysis, together with regular monitoring and updating, is necessary in order to deal successfully with all stakeholders and defuse many possible project obstacles. (Guerin, 2012) Successful Construction Project Management A project may be considered as successful if the building is delivered at the right time, at the appropriate price and quality standards, and delivers the client with a high level of satisfaction. (Naoum Langford, 1989). Effective project management seeks to make sure that these objectives are achieved, but nonetheless, completing large construction projects on time and on budget depends on a high degree of synchronization among many stakeholders which requires the entire team to work in collaboration. The need for collaboration arise and are depended on level of uncertainty, interdependence and complexity of the project. Issues with construction industry and its link with collaboration was recognized in the Latham Report (Constructing the Team) in 1994, and again reinforced by the Egan Report in 1998 (Rethinking Construction)(Gardiner, 2014) .It is fair to say, that collaboration is even more needed in todays industry with its complex chain of supply and introduction of specialist subcontractors and supplier design. Effective collaboration is one of the tools to ensure that stakeholders can accomplish the complex sequence of interconnected tasks on time. Tools to achieve collaboration http://www.constructionbusinessowner.com/topics/strategy/construction-company-management/key-successful-construction-project-management Decision making Iron Triangle As mentioned earlier, time cost and quality, also known as iron triangle, is often associated with project success, finding a perfect balance between them, or identifying the priorities of key elements could play a big role of project management. Lawrence Miles developed methodology called value engineering which is used to solve problems and identify and eliminate unwanted costs, while improving function and quality. In construction this involves considering the availability of materials , construction methods , transportation issues, site limitations or restrictions, planning and organisation, costs, profits and so on. https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Value_engineering_in_building_design_and_construction Knowledge Dreadnought project involves major refurbishment works, as well as replacement of existing services. According to (Koehn Tower, 1982) refurbishment work demands even greater supervision than new build work, given the increase in labour, together with a corresponding increase in fragmented specialized work and the difficulties associated with unforeseen challenges such as asbestos findings in demolition stage. The high level of uncertainty in refurbishment projects tends to lead to project over-run. The ability of project manager to cope with unexpected change and/or conflicts are necessary as well as knowledge associated with the analysis of project risks. (Smyth Pryke, 2008) Provision of a Risk Management Strategy Risk Management is a particular form of decision making within project management, these decisions are made against a predetermined set of objectives, rules or priorities based upon knowledge, data and information relevant to the issue. (J.Smith, et al., 2009). Nevertheless, it is not possible to have all relevant information on time, or conditions of total certainty and in some cases decisions are ill-founded, not based on a logical assessment of project specific criteria and lead to difficulties later. (J.Smith, et al., 2009). Dreadnought project was intended to be open by 2016, but due.kas nutiko ? the main contractor was liquidated. In construction projects each of the three primary targets of iron triangle will be likely to be subject to risk and uncertainty. It follows that a realistic estimate is one which makes appropriate allowances for all those risk and uncertainties which can be anticipated from experience and foresight. Project managers should undertake or propose actions which eliminate the risks they occur, or reduce the effects of risk or uncertainty and make provision for them if they occur when this is possible and cost effective. (J.Smith, et al., 2009). Most commonly, the Client has an overall risk management strategy and policy included in the strategic documents and quality management systems. Main issues concerning project owner risk strategy are risk ownership (which party owns the risk; risk exposure and transfer) and risk financing (how to include and use budget risk allowance or contingency). Project planning methods should be utilized to communicate to all parties in a project, to identify sequences of activities and to draw attention to potential problem areas. The successful realization of a project will depend greatly on careful planning and continuous monitoring and updating. Sequences of activities will be defined and linked on a timescale to ensure that priorities are identified and that efficient use is made of expensive and/or scarce resources. The purpose of planning are therefore to persuade people to perform tasks before they delay the operations of other groups pf people, and in such a sequence that the best use is made of available resources and to provide a framework for decision making in the event of change. Project management information systems (PMISs) should forecast the outcome of a project in terms related to achievement of its objectives. Integrated cost models link time with money. They provide project managers with forecasts to completion in terms of cost, time resource usage and cash flow. Decision about future actions can be made with the best available forecasts in these terms. Cost models also help to overcome an implementation gap between monitoring systems and the managers action. Risk management software (RMS) is the term used to denote a specialist software, which can be used to apply on of the many risk assessment methodologies (e.g. Origami, Procore) It is well known fact that managing risk has two major objectives; to avoid the downside risks and to exploit opportunities. And very often, the latter has been neglected, as the former has much more to do with securing your project objectives, which for many organizations is priority. But on the hand, the major leaps in project cost and time reduction are results of innovative thinking with focus on exploring opportunities by challenging the risks. The trend today is to establish ambitious goals, to seek for new technological solutions and concepts and to look for effective ways of organizing and managing projects (J.Smith, et al., 2009) To achieve these aims it is suggested that a systematic approach is followed: to identify the risk sources, to quantify their effects, to develop management responses to risk and finally to provide for residual risk in the projects estimates. These four stages comprise the core of the process of risk management. Risk Management can be one of the most creative task of project management. (J.Smith, et al., 2009) Contingency Conclusion Conclude recommend there are specific parts to the question, however, there may be a variety of options, it is useful to appraise these before you conclude; the conclusion should re-iterate, this may be subjective, if a balanced view is stated, this cannot be wrong, however there must be a conclusion Word count (excluding References) 2000 Guerin, D. M., 2012. Project Management in the Construction Industry, Massachusetts: Brandeis University. J.Smith, N., Merna, T. Jobling, P., 2009. Managing Risk in Construction Projects. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Koehn, E. Tower, S., 1982. Current aspects of construction rehabilitation.. ASCE, 108(C02), pp. 330-340. Naoum, S. Langford, D., 1989. An investigation into the performance of management contracts and traditional method of building procurement. s.l.:Brunel University School of Engineering and Design PhD Theses. Smyth, H. Pryke, S., 2008. Collaborative Relationships in Construction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Walker, A., 2002. Project Management In Construction. 4th ed. Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd.

Hydrofoils and How They Work :: Hydrofoil Physics Boat Boating Watercraft

What is a hydrofoil? A hydrofoil is a watercraft that is supported on ski-like pontoons while in motion, with the bulk of the hull remaining entirely above the water (Encarta Encyclopedia 2002). Hydrofoils were first seen about in 1869. Emmanuel Denis Farcot was issued a patent on a boat that he had developed to go faster through the water because of less resistance. If you look at his design, he was using many little foils along the side of his boat to lift it out of the water in order to reduce the drag on the hull of the boat. Hydrofoils are not only used on boats. Guidoni and Croco took the idea of hydrofoils and put then on seaplanes. Their main reason for puting foils on the plane was to make the landings smoother and to make takeoffs much quicker. The plane can get out of the water much faster with foils because there is less drag inhibiting the plane from gaining speed to get airborn. This is useful when taking off of short lakes or in rough water. There are many purposes for hydrofoils. The main reason people or buisnesses install hydrofoils onto their watercraft is to decrease the drag of the boat as it travels through the water. By decreasing the drag, the watercraft is able to travel at higher speeds while burning less fuel. This makes use of the watercraft much more economical and provides a smoother, more comfortable ride because the watercraft rides above the reach of most of the waves. Another reason to use hydrofoils is because they are fun. The picture below shows a water ski that has been transformed into something that you sit on with your feet in front of you while you are "floating on air" behind a ski boat. When used on sail boats, hydrofoils can increase the top speed by quite a bit. Once the hull of the sail boat is out the the water the drag from the water is much less. Simply explained, there is less surface area "rubbing" on the water to slow the boat down. This means that even with gentle winds, a small boat can really get moving. Most hydrofoils lift the watercraft that they are supporting in the same way that airplane wings keep the plane supported in the air. With enough lift on the water foils, the hull of the watercraft is lifted out of the water.

Citizenship the inderviduals and society

Some differences within equality include: Age Disabilities Gender Gender reassignment Sexual orientation Marriage and civil partnership Pregnancy or maternity Race Religious beliefs There is now a variety or legislations in place in order to make sure people re employed or in some cases not, purely on worth and qualifications and not because of their age, gender or race.Despite these being in place there is still significant inequalities, some examples of this would be: The importance of equal opportunities in society Unemployment in ethnic minority communities is, on average, twice the rate in white communities and members of ethnic minority groups find it twice as hard as white people to secure jobs. – Black and Asian people are 16% more likely than white people to be highly qualified, but highly qualified black and Asian people are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as white people.Black and Asian people are 16% more likely than white people to be highly qualified, but highly qualified black and Asian people are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as white people. There are thousands of cases every year and many are not reported. Woman, despite the passing of the sex discrimination laws almost 30 years ago, hold fewer than of the most senior jobs in public life. % of the country's top business leaders and national newspaper editors are women. But women account for 45% of the workforce and 30% of managers. The public sector is a leader in the area of equal opportunities and they expect their public services to lead from the front. The public services are encouraging the elimination of discrimination within the services. Then to promote good relations in local community and to ensure their workforce reflects this.It is also important for the public services to recognize that different backgrounds and cultures and that this will affect what they need from them as a service. The importance Of equal opportunities in the public services # The public services have a legal and moral responsibility to eliminate discrimination within the service and to remote good relations between them and the population in its local community. The public services should ensure their workforce reflects the communities it services.It is important that the public services understand that the public have different backgrounds that affect what they need from them. UP: Illustrate how equal opportunities are enforced in the UK with reference appropriate legislation The equality act was enforced in October of 201 0, this new equality act replaces all previous legislations, in a single law making it easier to understand and strengthens prevention of discrimination. It also helps by setting out the different ways in which it's unlawful to treat someone.The Equality Act 2010 covers nine protected characteristics, making it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of: Age Disability Gender reassignments Pregnancy and maternity Religion or belief The a ct covers the fields of: Employment Facilities Goods and services Admission and treatment of students Most sign efficiently the extension of the public sector duty to promote equality of opportunities. Human rights act 1998 Your human rights are: 1. The right to life 2. Freedom from torched and degrading treatment 3.Freedom from slavery and forced labor 4. The right to liberty 5. The right to a fair trial 6. The right not to be punished for something that wasn't a crime when you did it 7. The right to respect for privet and family life 8. Freedom of thought, concise and religion, and freedom to express your beliefs 9. Freedom of expression 10. Freedom of assembly and association 11. The right to marry and to start a family 12. The right not to be discriminated against in respect Of these rights and freedoms 13.The right to peaceful enjoyment of your property 14. The right to an education 15. The right to participate in free elections 6. The right not to be subject to the death penal ty The Equality Act 201 0 The Equality Act 201 0 simplifies the current laws on discrimination and unfair treatment and puts them together in one piece of legislation. The Equality Act 201 0 covers nine protected characteristics, making it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of: 1. Age 2. Disability 3. Gender reassignments 4.Marriage and civil partnership 5. Pregnancy and maternity 6. 7. Religion or belief 8. Gender 9. Sexual orientation Most significantly the extension of the public sector duty to promote equality of opportunities. The freedom of information act 2000 Personal information – you are entitled to see information held about you. Official information – you are entitled to request official information held by public authorities, including government departments, local authorities, hospitals, schools and police forces.Public sector equality duty, the general duty: The new public sector equality duty is expected to cover all of the protected characteristic s apart from marriage and civil partnership and will require public sector bodies to have due to regard to the need to: Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and visitation Advance equality of opportunities between different age groups; and Foster good relations between different groups Public sector equality duties, the specific duties public bodies are required to: Be open to how they have engaged with people as part of their work towards fulfilling the aims of the equal duty Demonstrate how the impact on equality has been assessed in the design if key policies and service delivery initiatives Proactively consider the equality requirements of every contract they tender The specific Duties public bodies are required to: Develop and publish equality objectives how they intend to achieve them (to e renewed at least every areas) publish a range Of equality data relating to their workforce and the service they provide on an annual basis Need to public their gender pay gap figur es and their employment rates for black and minority ethnic staff and disabled staff on an annual basis UP: Explain the different ways in which public services have supported society Some examples of the public services as employers supporting equal opportunities are: Creating coherent race equality and diversity policies across the service this shows that the public services have got clear rules of what they will and ill not stand for within equality and racism. They also have a no tolerance approach to bullying within the work place and support groups for people of different backgrounds and beliefs.Have selection processes designed to include not exclude – this includes having recruitment adverts to appeal to all, not to exclude different types of people. They have also got to be seen as setting an example for other employers and therefore have to have a noticeable variety in they people thy employ. Individual religious beliefs can be catered for, for example Sikh men can w ear turbans as part of their inform, and Muslim women can wear hajjis and ankle length gowns while on duty – this shows that the services are willing to adapt to meet the needs of people. They also allow time off to attend religious festivals and days can be granted. There are also provisions prayer rooms and special diets.Ensuring premises are accessible to people with different disabilities and provision is made for people with hearing or sight disabilities – this includes having wheelchair ramps and automatic doors, for disabled accesses. As well as having the appropriate measures in place for people with disabilities such as sight or hearing. Although these are just a few examples of the wide range of things that this act covers, and all of these examples are supported by the 201 0 equality act, in addition they support equal opportunities. How have the public services helped society? Are service – the fire service help society by acting as a first response during accident and emergencies, some examples of these would be Art's or house fires.The fire service also helps to educate people about fire and safety; they achieve this by going into local schools and businesses they also go to public areas and give out fire alarms. Police force ; The police force help society in a rarity of ways depending on different things, for example location, although the typical responsibilities include keeping the peace, law enforcement, and investigation of crime. Navy – The role of the navy is to help society by protecting the country by controlling and protects the seas this is so that a country can use them for economic growth; they also work as a support network for the military, and are also there to help to protect power, using marine forces.UP: Demonstrate the different ways in which public services have affected society Statutory and non-statutory public services can have a age impact within society and on one another, some examples of th ese include: Community support, this could be doing things like education for schools or some more challenging tasks Acting as a force group to encourage change They can also campaign for increased resources and therefore support the community better, although people think that this should not be the role of the services Influence and to encourage the government to change or bring in new laws Give the government advice about social issues such as knife crime Support and campaign issues that people may not otherwise be aware of The media A collective term for the ways in which both Statutory and non-statutory service communicate information this is made up of types of communication such as the newspaper, television, radio, internet/ social networking, books, journal articles and service magazines. Public services used media in many different ways like appealing for information, safety warnings, improving their public image. Also the way that the media portray the services affects thi s too as if they focus more on negatives such as deaths in custody then this may cause some resentment and anger towards them.

Organic Foods Pdf Essay

Abstract: During the last decade, consumers’ trust in food quality has decreased drastically, mainly because of growing ecological awareness and several food scandals (e. g. BSE, dioxins, bacterial contamination). It has been found that intensive conventional agriculture can introduce contaminants into the food chain. Consumers have started to look for safer and better controlled foods produced in more environmentally friendly, authentic and local systems. Organically produced foods are widely believed to satisfy the above demands, leading to lower environmental impacts and higher nutritive values. So far, studies have partly con? rmed this opinion. Organic crops contain fewer nitrates, nitrites and pesticide residues but, as a rule, more dry matter, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, essential amino acids and total sugars than conventional crops. Organic crops also contain statistically more mineral compounds and usually have better sensory and long-term storage qualities. However, there are also some negatives: plants cultivated in organic systems generally have 20% lower yields than conventionally produced crops. Several important problems need to be addressed in the coming years: environmental, bacterial and fungal contamination of organic crops and, the most essential issue, the impact of organic food consumption on animal and human health.  © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry Keywords: organic plant crops; quality; yield; composition; nutrition; vitamins; phenolics; sugars; nitrates; nitrites; pesticides; dry matter; health; sensory qualities. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE QUALITY OF ORGANIC PLANT FOOD PRODUCTS There are several important factors in?uencing the quality of food products that also are relevant to organically produced plant products. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the basic factors are the quality of the environment (abiotic factors) and the levels of pest and pathogen damage (biotic factors) to which plants are subjected. The main components of the environment (air, water, soil) have to be unpolluted if the crops obtained are expected to be of high nutritive quality. Many environmental contaminants enter the food production chain (soil–plant–animal–human organism), causing signi? cant problems in human health. 1 These contaminants include heavy metals, pesticide residues, nitrogen compounds, mycotoxins, chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), aromatic hydrocarbons (e. g. benzo[a]pyrene), plant growth stimulators (e. g. choline chloride), antibiotics, hormones, radioactive isotopes and plastic substances (monomers). Climate and weather are also important factors, as well as soil type and pH, soil cultivation, fertilisation and conditions of crop storage after harvest. ? Biotic factors can have also a signi? cant impact on crop quality. The main biotic factors are cultivar choice, bacterial and fungal contamination (disease) and pest damage. Cultivars of the same crop species can differ signi? cantly in nutritive quality. For example, the content of ? carotene in carrots (Daucus carota L. ) can vary between 7. 19 and 13. 84 mg g? 1 depending on the cultivar. 2 The main potential source of bacterial contamination in plant crops is animal manure used in organic farming. Contamination can take place via the roots or by water splashing onto the leaf surfaces. The most important organisms are several species of facultative anaerobic bacteria (Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis), protozoa (Toxoplasma gondii), tapeworms, viruses and prions. The results obtained so far are contradictory. Some studies indicate higher bacterial contamination in organic crops, while others show the opposite. 3 Mycotoxins (produced by fungi) originate mostly in the ? eld but can also develop during storage. Owing to the fact that fungicides are not used Correspondence to: Ewa Rembialkowska, Organic Foodstuffs Division, Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Warsaw Agricultural University, Nowoursynowska 159 C, PL-02-776 Warszawa, Poland E-mail: ewa rembialkowska@sggw. pl (Received 24 October 2006; revised version received 29 January 2007; accepted 8 February 2007). Figure 1. Factors in? uencing the quality of organic food products. in organic agriculture, some authors believe that organically produced foods will contain higher concentrations of mycotoxins. However, literature reviews show that mycotoxin concentrations are usually similar or reduced in organic compared with conventional products. 4 The most notorious mycotoxins are those produced by Fusarium species on cereal crops and maize. One of the reasons for lower Fusarium infections in organic grains could be the lower nitrogen concentrations in the tissues. 5 Insect pests also exert an in? uence on crop quality. Because of the ban on synthetic pesticides in organic agriculture, insects often damage fruits and vegetables, thereby diminishing their yield and harming their appearance. However, it is not clear whether they also reduce their nutritive quality. In contrast, there is evidence that organically grown plants contain more phytochemicals (which are natural insecticides) and are therefore more resistant to insect damage. 6 They can also play a positive role in human health, because several phytochemicals, being plant defence compounds, are connected with possible health bene? ts (Brandt K, oral presentation at QLIF Congress, Newcastle, 2005). Regulations on organic plant production allow actions that avoid many negative features of crop quality if they are consistently performed by producers. In order to ful? l these demands and to offer highquality products to consumers, an ef? cient and airtight certi? cation and control system must be implemented. In most countries such systems are quite ef?cient, though a rapid increase in the number of organic farms could lead to problems with a subsequent loosening of regulatory control. Therefore the main rule should be ‘trust is good, but control is better’. Moreover, the ? nal quality of organic food products is in? uenced by the effective implementation of 2758 the regulations on animal production and organic food processing. Only precise ful? lment of all these regulations can guarantee the best organic food quality (Fig. 1). IMPACT OF REGULATION ON ORGANIC PLANT PRODUCTION The regulations for organic plant production are clear and detailed. 7 The European Union (EU) regulation published in 19918 contains parts that relate directly to the composition of organic plant products. The most important aspects of this regulation include:7 †¢ a ban on genetic engineering and genetically modi? ed organisms (GMOs); †¢ lower nitrogen levels – a maximum limit for manure application of 170 kg N ha? 1 year? 1 ; †¢ a ban on synthetic pesticides; †¢ a ban on synthetic mineral fertilisers; †¢ a ban on growth promoters. Organic farmers must follow the above regulations if they want to pass the inspection procedure every year and receive a certi? cation document. If all requirements are complied with, several qualitative results can be expected. The most important conclusions from scienti? c comparisons are given below. CONTAMINANTS Nitrates and nitrites A large amount of data shows that the content of nitrates and nitrites is distinctly higher in conventionally cultivated than in organic crops. This is important, because nitrates can easily be converted into nitrites, which can cause a dangerous illness called methaemoglobinaemia in babies, infants and elderly people. 9 J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa Quality of organic plant products. Moreover, nitrites can react with amines to create nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic and mutagenic substances causing cancer of the digestive tract and leukaemia. 10 This process is dangerous not only for young children but also for adults of any age. Based on a large amount of data, the nitrate content of organic and conventional crops has been compared. On average, the nitrate content of organic crops was 49% that of conventional crops. 11 These and other data provide a basis for stating that organic methods lead to an approximately 50% reduction in the intake of nitrates and nitrites by humans. Pesticides Governments place legal limits, known as the Maximum Residue Level (MRL), on the level of pesticides that can be present in food. The MRL is usually estimated by testing individual pesticides on rats. Governments maintain that consumption of pesticides below the MRL is not a health risk. However, at lower levels, pesticides are known or suspected to cause many diseases and health problems, including cancer. 12 The main problem is that the MRL for pesticides is usually estimated by testing individual pesticides on rats for a relatively short period. Virtually nothing is known about the effects of consuming combinations of potentially hundreds of different pesticides over the course of a lifetime. We do not and cannot know explicitly what is causing what, so precaution is the main tool available to us (Howard V, oral presentation at QLIF Congress, Newcastle, 2005). The levels of pesticide residues found in organic crops are de? nitely lower than those present in conventional crops (Howard V, oral presentation at QLIF Congress, Newcastle, 2005). It can be expected that eating organic foods will result in lower pesticide levels in human milk and body tissues. There is some evidence con? rming this hypothesis. Researchers in France found that the level of pesticide residues in the milk of breast-feeding women decreased signi? cantly with an increase in the proportion of organic food in the daily diet (from 25 to 80%). 13 All available results show that the content of pesticide residues is signi? cantly lower in organic crops, which creates safer health conditions for consumers eating organically. Heavy metals Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury and zinc are introduced into the food chain from various sources, including industry, transportation, communal wastes and agriculture. For example, mineral phosphoric fertilisers used in conventional agriculture can introduce cadmium into crops, but the metal industry and transportation also cause cadmium contamination of soils and crops. Therefore there are no clear results in studies comparing the levels of J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa heavy metals in organic and conventional crops. Some data point to higher levels in conventional crops, while others show the opposite. 11 A problem to be solved is whether organic farming (composting, increasing the organic matter in soil, pH, etc. ) can diminish the intake of heavy metals by cultivated plants. DESIRABLE COMPOUNDS IN PLANTS Vitamins, phenolic compounds and mineral compounds The nutritive value of foods depends mainly on them having the appropriate content of compounds indispensable for proper functioning of the human organism. The content of phyto-compounds in plant foods is a topic of great interest in food science nowadays. A growing body of evidence indicates that secondary plant metabolites (phytochemicals) play a critical role in human health and may be nutritionally important. 14 There are two main theories explaining the factors in? uencing the levels of compounds in plants. 15 The carbon/nitrogen (C/N) balance theory states that, when nitrogen is easily available, the plant will ? rst make compounds with high nitrogen content, e. g. proteins for growth and nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, glucosinolates and non-protein amino acids such as the Allium ? avour precursors. When nitrogen availability is limiting for growth, the metabolism changes more towards carboncontaining compounds, e. g. starch, cellulose and non-nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites such as phenolics and terpenoids. The second, newer theory is the growth/ differentiation balance hypothesis (GDBH). 15 It states that the plant will always assess the resources available to it and optimise its investment in processes directed towards growth or differentiation. The term ‘differentiation’ encompasseses increased formation of defence compounds as well as accelerated maturation and seed development. The C/N balance theory is a special and typical case of the GBDH theory, since low nitrogen availability is the most common growth-limiting condition in natural ecosystems. 15 To verify the above theories, several authors investigated the content of some vitamins and phyto-compounds in organically and conventionally produced crops. In order to summarise different data, for each organic–conventional comparison a % difference was calculated: [(organic ? conventional)/conventional] ? 100 The collected data for several desirable components are presented in Table 1. The role of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the human organism is basic for several metabolic functions, mainly because it is one of the major cellular direct antioxidants (along with glutathione) and is a 2759 E Rembialkowska Table 1. Contents of desirable components in organic crops relative to those in conventional crops Component Vitamin C Phenolic compounds Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Mean % difference +28. 7 +119. 3 +21. 1 +29. 3 +13. 6 Range (%) ? 38 to +135. 5 ? 56. 6 to +734. 2 ? 73 to +240 ? 35 to +1206 ? 44 to +240 Number of studies 21 15 16 17 18 production and reduces carbohydrate production. Moreover, the increased protein produced in response to high nitrogen levels contains lower amounts of certain essential amino acids such as lysine and therefore has a lower quality with respect to human nutrition. Source: Ref. 17 and author’s own calculations. cofactor for certain enzymes. Vitamin C also supports detoxication and resistance of the human organism. The higher content of vitamin C in organic crops is bene? cial to health, because vitamin C inhibits the in situ formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines, thus diminishing the negative impact of nitrates on the human organism. 10 Therefore organic vegetables can play an important anticarcinogenic role. Plant-based phenolic metabolites are particularly interesting because of their potential antioxidant activity and medical properties, including anticarcinogenic activity. 15 According to Benbrook,16 organic farming has elevated antioxidant levels in about 85% of the cases studied to date and, on average, levels are about 30% higher compared with foods grown conventionally. Mineral compounds containing iron, magnesium and phosphorus are fundamental for human health. According to Worthington,17 the higher mineral content in organic crops may be connected with the higher abundance of micro-organisms in organically managed soil. These micro-organisms produce many compounds that help plants to combine with soil minerals and make them more available to plant roots. Unfortunately, there have been only a few studies on other vitamins such as ? -carotene, B1 and B2 and the results are contradictory. Therefore no general conclusions can be drawn about these compounds. Total sugars A higher total sugar content in plant crops not only improves their taste but is also an important component of their technological quality, e. g. in the case of sugar beet. Studies clearly indicate a higher content of total sugars, mainly sucrose, in organically produced vegetables and fruits such as carrots, sugar beet, red beetroot, potatoes, spinach, Savoy cabbage, cherries, redcurrants and apples. 11,18 Proteins Several studies analysed in review papers11 show that the quantity of crude protein is lower in organic than in conventional crops but that the quality is better as measured by essential amino acid content. According to Worthington,17 nitrogen from any kind of fertiliser affects the quantity and quality of protein produced by plants. Provision of a large amount of nitrogen to a plant increases protein 2760 SENSORY QUALITY OF ORGANIC FOODS Many studies have proved quite unequivocally that vegetables and fruits from organic farms have a better taste and smell. This was found for carrots and potatoes, celery and red beetroot, head cabbage and tomatoes as well as for apples, cherries and redcurrants. 11 Organic fruits contained more total sugars, which probably in?uenced the better taste perception by consumers. Better taste and smell have also been found for bread made from organic grain, which also had better crumb elasticity. 6 Interesting studies have been conducted on animal food preference in which animals were given organic or conventional fodder. Most studies have proved a clear animal preference for foods produced organically; such studies have been conducted on rats, mice, hens and rabbits. 19 Preference for organic fodder was also observed in cases where, according to chemical analyses, both organic and conventional fodder ful? lled all physiological needs of the animals tested. 20 The reason for this was probably the difference in taste between organic and conventional fodder. STORAGE QUALITY OF ORGANIC PLANT CROPS Transpiration losses and decay processes, as well as changes in nutritive value, normally take place during the storage period of potatoes and other vegetables. However, these changes can proceed at different rates and to differing degrees. Most of the available data indicate that the decay process is slower in organic crops, which therefore show better storage quality after the winter period. A review study based on many sources21 concluded that the storage quality of vegetables and fruits was better in the case of plants grown on organic farms (Table 2). The better storage quality of organic crops Table 2. Storage losses of carrots, potatoes and various fruits and vegetables from organic (ORG) and conventional (CONV) farmsa Carrots Potatoes Fruits and vegetables ORG CONV ORG CONV ORG CONV Number of quoted studies Storage loss (% of initial mass) a 15 33 15 40 22 22 22 30 53 28 53 38 Average data based on literature review. 21 J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa Quality of organic plant products Table 3. Positive nutritive attributes of organic plant products No. 1 2 3 4 5 Attribute Organic crops contain fewer nitrates, nitrites and pesticide residues than conventional crops. There is no clear difference in the content of heavy metals between organic and conventional crops Organic plant products contain, as a rule, more dry matter, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, essential amino acids and total sugars. However, the level of ? -carotene is often higher in conventional plant products Organic plant products contain statistically more iron, magnesium and phosphorus. They also tend to contain more chromium, iodine, molybdenum, selenium, calcium, boron, manganese, copper, potassium, sodium, vanadium and zinc Organic plant products usually have better sensory quality. They have a clearer smell and taste and are sweeter and more compact because of their higher dry matter content Preference for organic products is typical not only for humans but also for animals such as rats, rabbits and hens. This preference was also observed in cases where, according to chemical analyses, both organic and conventional fodder ful? lled all physiological needs of the animals tested Vegetables and fruits from organic production maintain better quality during winter storage, showing lower mass losses due to transpiration, decay and decomposition processes. A possible reason for this is their higher content of dry matter, minerals, sugars and other bioactive compounds 6 Table 4. Negative and unclear aspects of organic plant products No. 1 Negative aspect Plants cultivated in organic systems have, as a rule, signi?cantly (on average 20%) lower yields than conventionally produced crops. This increases their price and creates for many consumers a barrier to buying organic foods Unclear aspect Environmental contamination (heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins, aromatic hydrocarbons) can be similar in organic and conventional crops, because the impact of industrial, transport and communal sources is similar on organic and conventional farms located in the same area Bacterial (mainly Salmonella and Campylobacter) Contamination can sometimes be higher in organic produce, but scienti?c evidence of this is still not clear Mycotoxins can contaminate both organic and conventional foods, but scienti? c data are contradictory The impact of organic food consumption on human health and wellbeing remains essentially unknown in spite of some positive indications, so the subject needs further study 2 3 4 was probably associated with a higher content of dry matter in their ? esh, resulting in less extensive decay and decomposition. Lower losses in organic production have not only nutritive but also economic bene? ts. In conventional systems, high yields are produced but signi?cant losses during storage reduce the economic bene? ts. CONCLUSIONS Recent food crises (BSE, foot and mouth disease, food contamination by dioxins, toxic fungi, Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria) have caused consumers to look for more authentic and safer foods. Organic food production is widely recognised as being more friendly to the environment, more controlled and better for animal welfare. On the other hand, many data indicate that a lot of food contaminants have their source in conventional methods of agriculture, animal production and food processing. The negative effect of the continuing enthusiastic use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture is potentially huge. Therefore safer methods of agricultural production, mostly organic methods, are very important. Studies conducted in various countries have indicated several positive attributes of organic plant J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa products (Table 3) but also a few negative and unclear aspects (Table 4). To summarise the positives, organic food should be recommended for all, but especially for young babies, pregnant and breast-feeding women, elderly and chronically ill people and vegetarians. The last group obviously consumes a lot of vegetables, which can contain too high levels of carcinogenic substances when produced conventionally. The lower content of nitrates and higher content of phenolic compounds and vitamin C in organic crops are especially important for health. Nitrates are easily converted in the digestive tract into poisonous nitrites, which are the precursors of carcinogenic nitrosamines. This process is hampered by vitamin C, and carcinogenesis is retarded by phenolic compounds and other dietary phytochemicals present at higher levels in organically produced crops. Therefore organic vegetables can play an important anticarcinogenic role. REFERENCES 1 Rembialkowska E, Organic agriculture and food quality, in Ecological Agriculture and Rural Development in Central and Eastern European Countries, Vol. 44 of NATO Science Series, ed. by Filho WL. IOS Press, Amsterdam, pp. 185–204 (2004). 2761 E Rembialkowska ? ? 2 Schuphan W, Biochemische Sortenprufung an Gartenmohren ? ? als neuzeitliche Grundlage fur planvolle Zuchtungsarbeit. Z? chter 2:25–43 (1942). U 3 Franz E, van Bruggen AHC and Semenov AM, Risk-analysis of human pathogen spread in the vegetable industry: a comparison between organic and conventional production chains, in Bayesian Statistics and Quality Modelling in the AgroFood Production Chain, ed. by van Boekel MAJS, Stein A and van Bruggen AHC. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, pp. 81–94 (2004). 4 FAO, Food Safety as Affected by Organic Farming (Twentysecond FAO Regional Conference for Europe). [Online]. (2000). Available: www. fao. org/docrep/meeting/x4983. htm. 5 Van Bruggen AHC and Termorshuizen AJ, Integrated approaches to root disease management in organic farming systems. Aust Plant Pathol 32:141–156 (2003). 6 Bjorn G and Fruekilde AM, Cepa onions (Allium cepa L) grown conventionally and organically – similarities and differences. Gron Viden 153:1–6 (2003). (in Danish). 7 Hansen B, Alroe HF, Kristensen ES and Wier M, Assessment of food safety in organic farming. DARCOF Working Paper 52 (2002). 8 EU, Council Regulation No. 2092/91 of 24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs. OJL 198, 22. 7 P. 1 (1991). ? 9 Szponar L and Kierzkowska E, Azotany i azotyny w srodowisku oraz ich wplyw na zdrowie czlowieka. Post Hig Med Do? w s 44:327–350 (1990). 10 Mirvish SS, Vitamin C inhibition of N-nitroso compounds formation. Am J Clin Nutr 57:598–599 (1993). 11 Rembialkowska E, Wholesomeness and Sensory Quality of Potatoes and Selected Vegetables from the Organic Farms. Fundacja ? Rozwoj SGGW, Warszawa (2000). 12 BMA, The BMA Guide to Pesticides, Chemicals and Health. Report of Science and Education. British Medical Association, London (1992). 13 Aubert C, Pollution du lait maternel, une enquete de terre vivante. Quatre Saisons Jardinage 42:33–39 (1987). 14 Lundeg? rdh B and M?rtensson A, Organically produced plant a a foods – evidence of health bene? ts. Acta Agric Scand B 53:3–15 (2003). 15 Brandt K and Molgaard JP, Organic agriculture: does it enhance or reduce the nutritional value of plant foods? J Sci Food Agric 81:924–931 (2001). 16 Benbrook CM, Elevating Antioxidant Levels in Food through Organic Farming and Food Processing. An Organic Center of Science Review. Organic Center for Education and Promotion (2005). 17 Worthington V, Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables, and grains. J Alternative Compl Med 7:161–173 (2001). 18 Zadoks JC, Development of Farming Systems. Pudoc, Wageningen (1989). 19 Williams CM, Nutritional quality of organic food: shades of grey or shades of green? Proc Nutr Soc 61:19–24 (2002). ? 20 Woese K, Lange D, Boess Ch and Bogl KW, A comparison of organically and conventionally grown foods – results of a review of the relevant literature. J Sci Food Agric 74:281–293 (1997). 21 Bulling W, Qualit? tsvergleich von ‘biologisch’ und ‘konventionell’ a erzeugten Feldfruchten. Regierungsprasidium, Stuttgart (1987). 2762 J Sci Food Agric 87:2757–2762 (2007) DOI: 10. 1002/jsfa.

Medias Influence on Society essays

Medias Influence on Society essays Human curiosity is the essence of our lives; we live to understand and explore others troubles or triumphs, their faults or follies. However, since the beginning of time, our views have been slanted by whoever tells these stories. We are led to believe that what they say is the truth, when it could be simply their view or version of the story, without fully understanding what they were preaching themselves. In todays society, our views of our weight, beauty and sexuality are simply the extended beliefs of third party sources, such as magazines, newspapers, radio and/or the television. We are fed their beliefs, disguised as simple telecasts. Television is no longer what it once was. Showing a great singers hips, as he graced the stage of the Ed Sullivan Show, was once believed to be blasphemous and too much for society to handle. Today it is the complete opposite, however, producers jump at the chance to expose a womans breast or a mans butt, or even go as far as providing the audio of a man and woman involved in sexual activities. These acts are but a part of ABC, CBS, Fox and especially MTV, with their reality show hit, the Real World or any one of their other music countdown shows. But lest we forget who the principal audience is for these shows; young teenagers are watching these shows, where women dress in reveling clothing and grind up against a willing man. They are led to believe that this is how one should act to be accepted or feel older. They do not realize, however, that these stunts are simply that, stunts to produce a larger audience, for the pure financial gain of the company. This common access to sex on the airwaves has greatly affected teenagers in the recent years, despite education on abstinence in schools. Aside from the more provocative dancing, which teens have been accustomed to lately, sexual activities have become more rampant at parties and childrens homes. Teens are ...

Free Essays on The Tomb Of Medici

concerning Michelangelo’s financial status for materials and his visions for the figure. According to the book entitled, Michelangelo: The Complete Sculpture, Painting, and Architecture; â€Å"Michelangelo was an aristocratic artist working for the pope and had a nearly unlimited budget in the 1520’s. Michelangelo also had a legendary ability to judge the quality of a block of marble; it was even said that he could see the figure imprisoned in it.†(Pg.213) I think that this quote from author, William E. Wallace, shows a very interesting background in Michelangelo’s finances and genius. He had made numerous life-size statues with handpicked blocks of marble. Wallace also states that some experts believe Michelangelo’s financial backing helped contribute to the beauty of his work. I was not sure how to take that comment at first, but after looking at many of Michelangelo’s sculptures, I think the fact that he was particular about the quality of block which was used shows that he was a master that wanted to depict figures that were unequivocally beautiful, muscular, and harmonious. The Tomb of Giuliano de’ Medici is an example of Michelangelo’s mastery of both muscular figures as well as composition. The piece was worked on from 1519 through 1534. The piece contains three figures. The elevated central figure in the piece is Giuliano de’ Medici. The niche in which Giuliano sits is very small, which I beli... Free Essays on The Tomb Of Medici Free Essays on The Tomb Of Medici One of the most famous artists ever known since the 16th century is a man by the name of Michelangelo Buonarroti. He has composed art that is both breathtaking and unmatched in such skills as painting, sculpture, architecture and poetry. Some of his most famous works of sculpture that he composed are standing in the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy even today. I would like to speak of a particular piece contained in the Chapel entitled Tomb of Giuliano de’ Medici. First I would like to say a few words concerning Michelangelo’s financial status for materials and his visions for the figure. According to the book entitled, Michelangelo: The Complete Sculpture, Painting, and Architecture; â€Å"Michelangelo was an aristocratic artist working for the pope and had a nearly unlimited budget in the 1520’s. Michelangelo also had a legendary ability to judge the quality of a block of marble; it was even said that he could see the figure imprisoned in it.†(Pg.213) I think that this quote from author, William E. Wallace, shows a very interesting background in Michelangelo’s finances and genius. He had made numerous life-size statues with handpicked blocks of marble. Wallace also states that some experts believe Michelangelo’s financial backing helped contribute to the beauty of his work. I was not sure how to take that comment at first, but after looking at many of Michelangelo’s sculptures, I think the fact that he was particular about the quality of block which was used shows that he was a master that wanted to depict figures that were unequivocally beautiful, muscular, and harmonious. The Tomb of Giuliano de’ Medici is an example of Michelangelo’s mastery of both muscular figures as well as composition. The piece was worked on from 1519 through 1534. The piece contains three figures. The elevated central figure in the piece is Giuliano de’ Medici. The niche in which Giuliano sits is very small, which I beli...

The Aztec Calendar Stone - Not a Calendar After All

The Aztec Calendar Stone - Not a Calendar After All The Aztec Calendar Stone, better known in the archaeological literature as the Aztec Sun Stone (Piedra del Sol in Spanish), is an enormous basalt disk covered with hieroglyphic carvings of calendar signs and other images referring to the Aztec creation myth. The stone, currently on display at the National Museum of Anthropology (INAH) in Mexico City, measures about 3.6 meters (11.8 feet) in diameter, is about 1.2 m (3.9 ft) thick and weighs more than 21,000 kilograms (58,000 pounds or 24 tons). Aztec Sun Stone Origins and Religious Meaning The so-called Aztec Calendar Stone was not a calendar, but most likely a ceremonial container or altar linked to the Aztec sun god, Tonatiuh, and festivities dedicated to him. At its center is what is typically interpreted as the image of the god Tonatiuh, within the sign Ollin, which means movement and represents the last of the Aztec cosmological eras, the Fifth Sun. Tonatiuhs hands are depicted as claws holding a human heart, and his tongue is represented by a flint or obsidian knife, which indicates that a sacrifice was required so that the sun would continue its movement in the sky. At Tonatiuhs sides are four boxes with the symbols of the preceding eras, or suns, along with the four directional signs. Tonatiuhs image is surrounded by a broad band or ring containing calendrical and cosmological symbols. This band contains the signs of the 20 days of the Aztec sacred calendar, called Tonalpohualli, which, combined with 13 numbers, made up the sacred 260-day year. A second outer ring has a set of boxes each containing five dots, representing the five-day Aztec week, as well as triangular signs probably representing sun rays. Finally, the sides of the disk are carved with two fire serpents which transport the sun god in his daily passage through the sky. Aztec Sun Stone Political Meaning The Aztec sun stone was dedicated to Motecuhzoma II and was likely carved during his reign, 1502-1520. A sign representing the date 13 Acatl, 13 Reed, is visible on the surface of the stone. This date corresponds to the year 1479 AD, which, according to archaeologist Emily Umberger is an anniversary date of a politically crucial event: the birth of the sun and the rebirth of Huitzilopochtli as the sun. The political message for those who saw the stone was clear: this was an important year of rebirth for the Aztec empire, and the emperors right to rule comes directly from the Sun God and is embedded with the sacred power of time, directionality, and sacrifice. Archaeologists Elizabeth Hill Boone and Rachel Collins (2013) focused on the two bands which frame a conquest scene over 11 enemy forces of the Aztecs. These bands include serial and repeating motifs that appear elsewhere in Aztec art (crossed bones, heart skull, bundles of kindling, etc.) which represent death, sacrifice, and offerings. They suggest that the motifs represent petroglyphic prayers or exhortations advertising the success of the Aztec armies, recitations of which might have been part of the ceremonies which took place on and around the Sun Stone. Alternative Interpretations Although the most prevalent interpretation of the image on the Sun Stone is that of Totoniah, others have been proposed. In the 1970s, a few archaeologists suggested that the face was not Totoniahs but rather that of the animate earth Tlateuchtli, or perhaps the face of the night sun Yohualteuctli. Neither of these suggestions has been accepted by the majority of Aztec scholars. American epigrapher and archaeologist David Stuart, who typically specializes in Maya hieroglyphs, has suggested that it may well be a deified image of the Mexica ruler Motecuhzoma II. A hieroglyph at the top of the stone names Motecuhzoma II, interpreted by most scholars as a dedicatory inscription to the ruler who commissioned the artifact. Stuart notes that there are other Aztec representations of ruling kings in the guise of gods, and he suggests that the central face is a fused image of both Motecuhzoma and his patron deity Huitzilopochtli. History of the Aztec Sun Stone Scholars surmise that the basalt was quarried somewhere in the southern basin of Mexico, at least 18-22 kilometers (10-12 miles) south of Tenochtitlan. After its carving, the stone must have been located in the ceremonial precinct of Tenochtitln, laid horizontally and likely near where ritual human sacrifices took place. Scholars suggest that it may have been used as an eagle vessel, a repository for human hearts (quauhxicalli), or as a base for the final sacrifice of a gladiatorial combatant (temalacatl). After the  conquest, the Spanish moved the stone a few hundred meters south of the precinct, in a position facing upward and near the Templo Mayor and the Viceregal Palace. Sometime between 1551-1572, the religious officials in Mexico City decided the image was a bad influence on their citizens, and the stone was buried facing down, hidden within the sacred precinct of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. Rediscovery The Sun Stone was rediscovered in December 1790, by workmen who conducted leveling and repaving work on Mexico Citys main plaza. The stone was pulled to a vertical position, where it was first examined by archaeologists. It stayed there for six months exposed to the weather, until June of 1792, when it was moved into the cathedral. In 1885, the disk was moved to the early Museo Nacional, where it was held in the monolithic gallerythat journey was said to have required 15 days and 600 pesos. In 1964 it was transferred to the new Museo Nacional de Anthropologia in Chapultepec Park, that journey only taking 1 hour, 15 minutes. Today it is displayed on the ground floor of the National Museum of Anthropology, in Mexico City, within the Aztec/Mexica exhibition room. Edited and updated by  K. Kris Hirst. Sources: Berdan FF. 2014. Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory. New York: Cambridge University Press. Boone EH, and Collins R. 2013. The Petroglyphic Prayers on the . Ancient Mesoamerica 24(02):225-241.un Stone of Motecuhzoma IlhuicaminaS Smith ME. 2013. The Aztecs. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Stuart D. 2016. The Face of the Calendar Stone: A New Interpretation. Maya Decipherment: June 13, 2016. Umberger E. 2007. Art History and the Aztec Empire: Dealing With the Evidence of Sculptures. Revista Espaà ±ola de Antropologà ­a American 37:165-202 Van Tuerenhout DR. 2005. The Aztecs. New Perspectives. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO Inc.

Comparison and Contrast between Egyptian and Greek History Essay

Comparison and Contrast between Egyptian and Greek History - Essay Example   The social organizations and governments of ancient Greeks and Egyptians differed. Ancient Egypt was ruled by dynasties such as the Old Kingdom Dynasty while Greeks had an aristocratic form of government. Ancient Greece was divided into provinces called polis. The few rich landowners, who owned slaves ruled their territories. The more slaves a landowner had, the more powerful they were (Finlay).   The form of literature between these two was also different since Greeks introduced vowels to the alphabetic system. This formed the basis for the modern day English language. The Egyptians developed their own form of writing which used pictures and symbols to communicate.Greek were highly engaged in trade activities. This was favoured by their easy access to the Mediterranean Sea which made it easy for them to import and export goods. This also facilitated slave trade as well as fishing activities that formed a major part of their economy. The Egyptians had a different type of econom ic system which relied on supply function. Producers of different commodities would deliver their produce to the ruling administration and temples. These commodities would then be distributed to other citizens on a need basis.   Any surplus that was available after distribution would be supplied to neighbouring states in exchange of commodities that were not available in the exporting state. ComparisonsGreeks introduce vowels the alphabets. This formed the basis for modern-day English.  Ã‚  

Does Robert Bruce deserve to be remembered as a great Scottish king Essay - 4

Does Robert Bruce deserve to be remembered as a great Scottish king - Essay Example His ability to defeat most of his enemies enabled him to control a much larger part of Scotland; something that gave him the way forward and accorded him respect from his fellow citizens. He was also able to retain this independence up to his death, and this should be enough to keep him as a national hero that deserves such honour for gifting his country the most essential part of any liberal society. The fact that Robert the Bruce fought to free the Scottish society should be reason enough to have him remembered as a hero. The history of Robert the Bruce began in 1124 when the very first of the Bruce’s family arrived in Scotland. David Bruce was the first one, and he was able to settle in the lands of Annandale in Galloway and Dumfries (Whyte 2014: 12). This was enough to have the family recognised as one of the ruling dynasties, though the then king of England, who remotely ruled Scotland, wanted to use it as a way of wooing them to his side. Robert the Bruce was the son of Robert de Bruce, who was the sixth Lord of Annandale and Marjorie who was the Countess of Carrick (Brown 2004: 15). Robert the Bruce claimed the throne as David 1’s fourth great grandson. From his mother, he was able to inherit the Earldom of Carrick, and his father gave him the chance to have his chance at the Scottish throne. The family was also well endowed, having lands and estates in County Durham, Essex, Garioch and Middlesex (Brown 2008: 54). This allowed them to have a better chance of recognition from the go vernment in England, and that was a good thing for their survival. He had nine siblings, spending a huge part of his life together his brother Edward at the courts with the nobles. Little can be said of Robert’s youth because it was a little obscured by the hidden nature noted in many of the kingdoms then. Speculations would occur based on what people knew would happen in these kingdoms, since history did not record his existence until he was older. As such, there is a

Visual Merchandising window project for Matchesfashion Essay

Visual Merchandising window project for Matchesfashion - Essay Example The scent inside is fresh and natural together with well-ventilated light ceilings makes it a perfect environment that makes one feel free and comfortable to shop. Matches Fashion Store has a target of fashion ladies together with stylists and models who live in Marylebone. Their VM design is in a way that updates the fashion blogs in a fashion style from a collection of visuals. The VM inside the store brings about the creative environment for the attendants, picture impressions and even pet fittings which make it diversified in meeting the needs of customers together with their pets. The dressing and walking area is spacious enough to allow perfect decoration and styling. Customers get a clear view of the favorite designs as they walk around the shop. Matches Fashion has held different events that seek to advertize it, but they are carefully not to overspend and strain their budget on advertising. Matches Fashion has held advertising done with pageant auditions, using the web and also online promotion with â€Å"face book† and twitter accounts to collect fans and followers respectively. Magazines of Matches Fashion are found in the shop that showcases the shop and its variety of fashions. The focal point is normally found just below the level of the eye slightly away from its center and Matches Fashion have its display windows raised meaning the eye level will be lower. The accessories here fall below giving a perfect display of the store. Just from the other side of the street, an individual can have a vivid view of the shop on the other side from a deflection angle which allows one to look into the shop. In the window; Matches Fashion has slid fragmented glass windows, the walls and pillars are made of bricks. They are well balanced on each side that creates attention and makes the eyes explore. The accessories section is placed forward for easy access and testing. The design of the windows and the

You are tasked with analyzing the last four years of accounts of a Essay

You are tasked with analyzing the last four years of accounts of a global mining company - Essay Example Graph 1 shows the company’s liquidity ratios over the four-year period. All the point ratios are less than one, and this means that performance of the company in management of short-term assets and liabilities is poor. In addition, current ratio and quick ratio have a declining trend, and this means that the organization’s management of liquidity worsened over the period. The two ratios, however improved from year 1 to year 2 before assuming the decreasing trend. Cash ratio reported an increasing trend but it was too low, with a maximum value of only 0.15. Correlation analysis of the ratios identifies a positive correlation between current ratio and quick ratio and a negative correlation between cash ratio and both current and quick ratio. Table 1 shows the correlation coefficients. Long-term solvency ratios are indicators of management’s efficiency in long-term management of resources. The ratios compare internal and external funding that an organization has and are inversely proportional to management efficiency (Thukaram 2007, p. 90). Times interest earned ration and cash coverage ratios are however inversely proportional to management efficiency (Mayes & Shank 2011, p. 118). From the graph, total debt ratio is low, over the entire period, and debt to equity ratio and equity multiplier ratio falls to lower values by year 1. The three ratios then decreases with time, indicating improved performance, which can be forecasted. Times-interest ratio and cash coverage ratio also show an improvement trend in performance because of their increasing trends over the period. Performance in management of long-term solvency is therefore strong and show improvement possibility. Asset turnover is another performance indicator that shows asset utilization in an organization. Inventory turnover, receivable turnover, and total asset turnover measures are directly proportional to management efficiency while days of realization and capital intensity are inversely

Internet Piracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Internet Piracy - Essay Example The Internet is a vast repository of music, movies, games and software. As the access to the Internet increases, the rate of piracy also increases. People with access to the Internet can download computer software, music or movies and other copyrighted material in digitalized form; and copy, replicate and sell it on the black market. All these activities constitute physical forms of piracy. Nevertheless, in developed nations, although people have widespread access to the Internet, the piracy rate is on the decline (Assenova). There is a direct relationship between such physical piracy and the Internet. Piracy has affected the international music industry. The proliferation of the Internet has made file – sharing and unauthorized downloading of music, very simple. Software pirates invented new technologies and tools to share music over the Internet. For instance, Napster introduced peer – to – peer technology that posed a serious threat to the music industry. It d ecreased the sale of legitimate music works, which caused the music industry to sustain severe financial losses (Mcclintock). Piracy did not stop at this and extended its depredations to the movie industry. The latter implemented several programs to protect itself from piracy, and the major movie companies launched joint campaigns against movie piracy, and made a number of efforts to enhance public awareness about piracy. These companies conducted antipiracy campaigns in university campuses and colleges across the US (Mcclintock).

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Law - Essay Example "Except where the parties have agreed otherwise, the goods do not conform with the contract unless they: (a) are fit for the purposes for which goods of the same description would ordinarily be used; (b) are fit for any particular purpose expressly or impliedly made known to the seller at the time of the conclusion of the contract, except where the circumstances show that the buyer did not rely, or that it was unreasonable for him to rely, on the seller's skill and judgment." In this case, the seller is acting in the course of business. It is common knowledge that bricks are made of clay. According to facts, ‘Sparkling Bricks’ were made of compressed paper. CISG (Article 38(1)) states that, ‘The buyer must examine the goods, or cause them to be examined, within as short a period as is practicable in the circumstances.† If the courts are convinced that it could have been revealed that the bricks were not made of clay upon reasonable examination, Brick-for-All would not be held liable. Paul can easily be expected to have known that what kind of material was used in making those bricks. Kingsley Ltd is a construction company and the purchasing of bricks is a very important factor for them. They must have chosen Paul to purchase the bricks because he must have had sufficient knowledge about bricks. In the given case, ‘Sparkling Bricks† were normally used externally which is their ordinary use. The facts clearly evince that the bricks that did not came into contact with sea salt did not allow damp into the house. They were fit for the purpose of external usage. The only purpose that was mentioned by Paul to the seller was external use. He never said anything about the location of the site where they were to be used. Paul chose the ‘Sparkling Bricks’ himself. On the other hand, i f ‘Sparkling Bricks’ are such that it cannot be found out upon reasonable examination that they were made of compressed paper instead of clay, it is a duty of Brick-for-All to tell the buyer about that fact. If it is further assumed that the knowledge about the bricks being made of compressed paper was crucial for Paul’s decision, Brick-for-All would be held liable. Article 36(1) of CISG states that, â€Å"The seller is liable in accordance with the contract and this Convention for any lack of conformity which exists at the time when the risk passes to the buyer, even though the lack of conformity becomes apparent only after that time.† Still assuming that reasonable examination by Paul could not have revealed the composition of the bricks, it would have been immaterial if Brick-for-All would have mentioned that fact to him. If the courts hold Brick-for-All liable, there is a question of restitution. Kingsley Ltd would be unable to return the bricks in the ir original form. Article 82(1) of CISG states that, â€Å"The buyer loses the right to declare the contract

Internet Piracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Internet Piracy - Essay Example The Internet is a vast repository of music, movies, games and software. As the access to the Internet increases, the rate of piracy also increases. People with access to the Internet can download computer software, music or movies and other copyrighted material in digitalized form; and copy, replicate and sell it on the black market. All these activities constitute physical forms of piracy. Nevertheless, in developed nations, although people have widespread access to the Internet, the piracy rate is on the decline (Assenova). There is a direct relationship between such physical piracy and the Internet. Piracy has affected the international music industry. The proliferation of the Internet has made file – sharing and unauthorized downloading of music, very simple. Software pirates invented new technologies and tools to share music over the Internet. For instance, Napster introduced peer – to – peer technology that posed a serious threat to the music industry. It d ecreased the sale of legitimate music works, which caused the music industry to sustain severe financial losses (Mcclintock). Piracy did not stop at this and extended its depredations to the movie industry. The latter implemented several programs to protect itself from piracy, and the major movie companies launched joint campaigns against movie piracy, and made a number of efforts to enhance public awareness about piracy. These companies conducted antipiracy campaigns in university campuses and colleges across the US (Mcclintock).

Cave present us with a coherent picture of Platos ideas Essay Example for Free

Cave present us with a coherent picture of Platos ideas Essay The purpose of the simile of the Sun is to show the difference between knowledge and opinion. In the world of opinion the sun gives light for us to gain empirical knowledge through sight. Objects (such as tables and mugs) and concepts (such as beauty and love) are part of the world of opinion because they are detected by our senses. The Form of beauty (or love) exists in the realm of the Forms. Plato believed that the Form of good gives philosophers knowledge of the Forms. The Form of Good gives the minds eye the power of knowledge and illuminates other Forms with truth and reality. In this way the Form of good allows us to see other forms and ultimately it allows us to see the form of good. The sun is also the source of all growth, and thus the Form of good is the source of all the Forms, and the cause of all existence. In the Sun, Platos idea is that visibility is opinion and the Form of good gives us the reality behind visibility knowledge of the Forms. The divided line goes into more depth on Platos previous idea. Although an abstract example, Plato uses it to try and make his idea simpler. Plato believed that there were four different states of the mind, and four different states of reality, both progressing from a lower level (illusion / images and shadows) to a higher level (intelligence / Forms). The lowest level is the second hand images of physical things. As Plato thought that physical things were just in the mind anyway, a shadow of a physical thing is the lowest form of knowledge, which corresponds to illusion in the mind. The next step up is physical things, which also covers sciences as they are based on the study of physical things. Belief is the empirical knowledge of physical thing, but is still opinion. The upper half of the divided line has mathematical reasoning, which is part of deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning does not rely on empirical knowledge and so mathematical reasoning is not based on belief. The reasoning perceives mathematical ideas, which are based on some belief (such as seeing a square, you have a mathematical idea about the square), but these ideas do not rely on belief. The highest kind of knowledge in the mind is intelligence, which can only be reached by the philosopher. Mathematical reasoning leads to intelligence, but mathematical ideas (part of the intelligible world) lead to knowledge of the Forms. In the idea of the Divided Line, Plato is showing us in more detail the differences between knowledge and opinion. He suggests progressions from both illusion to pure thought, and from the less real (images and shadows) to the truly real (the Forms). He also makes two clear distinctions between the world of knowledge and opinion (in the mind), and the world of appearances and the intelligible world (in reality). Platos idea of the Forms and the distinctions between the mind and reality have been coherent between the Sun and the Divided Line both showing very similar ideas but in different attentions to detail. There is a slight incoherence though. In the simile of the Sun, Plato tells us that the Form of good gives us power to see all forms, yet in the Divided Line it is unclear if the Form of good gives any power at all, as it appears to be mathematical ideas which allow us to perceive the Forms. It may be though that these mathematical ideas simply give way to the Form of good so it can allow us to see the Forms. The Simile of the Cave moves into more specific detail on the accent of the mind from illusion to knowledge, shown by the prisoners accent from the cave to the outside world (intelligible world). The simile is also an example of the divided line, using ideas put forward such as shadows, physical things, illusion, the Forms (the Sun) etc. Like the Sun simile Plato depicts the Form of good as the greatest of all lights. There is a road between the fire and cave, maybe to portray a clear conversion from illusion to intelligence. There are people talking outside holding statues. Their voices and the images of the statues are projected into the cave, and the prisoners believe these are real. The people trapped in the cave are all looking at shadows of statues (images themselves) projected against the wall, and therefore are doubly ignorant. Plato allows a prisoner to be released, and he walks towards the fire where he is dazzled. It hurts him, and he is told that the people on the road are real and that the shadows are nonsense. He returns to the cave: choosing illusion. Plato is showing a would-be philosopher failing his journey of knowledge, due to a flawed character. Later on, the prisoner is taken into the sunlight and held until his eyes grow accustomed to the sunlight. Once accustomed he can see shadows and reflections within time. Plato here brings in the idea from the simile of the Sun, creating a coherent idea between the two similes, that the Form of good (the Sun) allows the philosopher to see other things until finally he can see the forms, and finally the Form of good itself (the Sun). Through duty the prisoner returns to the cave and is blinded by the darkness. This is an idea Plato has that the eyes can be blinded by the light and by the dark, as the mind can be confused by greater and lesser minds. This continues a coherent idea of Platos from the Sun simile, the idea of the Sun and the Mind, or if we were to bring the Divided Line into this, Reality and the Mind. So far Plato has created a seemingly coherent picture of knowledge and opinion. After descending from the Forms the prisoner tells the other prisoners the statues. He has seen the Form of justice and they have only seen the shadow of justice, and so they hold different views and therefore he is put on trial. Plato here is showing societys view of the philosopher ruler in a similar way as he does with the simile of the Ship. The different states of the Mind in the Divided Line are straight comparisons to features of the Cave. Illusion is the shadows cast by firelight; belief is the statues of things and the fire; mathematical reasoning is the shadows and reflections of real things of which the images are made; intelligence is the things themselves (moon and stars), and finally the Form of Good is the Sun. Plato uses a coherent idea throughout as appears to use similar / the same ideas in each of his similes (i.e., The Sun the Form of Good). There are problems in each of the similes and they all have points where they break down and lose a certain amount of coherence. In the simile of the Sun, although Plato would not have known at the time, the eyes are not charged up by the Sun, like he wanted us to think. Within the simile, therefore, the Form of Good no longer charges the mind with the power of seeing the Forms, but rather casts light onto other Forms. This is not what Plato wanted to portray. In the Sun, Plato explores the idea of the Sun being the ultimate Form in detail, but in the Cave, the sun itself is forgotten, and is seen more as a goal, or object, than as a metaphor for knowledge. Plato uses the fire and statues in more detail than the sun in the Cave simile, giving a better explanation of knowledge, which creates incoherence between the use of the sun in the Sun simile and its use in the Cave. In the simile of the Cave, mathematical ideas are not mentioned at all, not even in the accent to the Forms. This breaks down the idea of the Divided Line. A solution would be though that in the Divided Line, mathematical ideas are implied rather than stated: Plato may not even have mentioned the idea of mathematical ideas. This may be a reason why Plato did not mention them in the Cave. Plato says the prisoners only perceive shadows, which means the lowest level of knowledge illusion. This implies that Athenians cannot even see physical things, which is absurd because, unless all Athenians are blind, they will be able to visibly see objects such as tables, chairs, knifes etc. He also contradicts what he said earlier in the section on the Philosopher Ruler, that people in general only experience opinion / belief. This is only a problem if we use a strict interpretation, and in that case it would not be a simile at all, as similes should be open to wide interpretation. Another problem occurring in the Cave is that the shadows are used to describe illusion once, and mathematical reasoning another time. If we take the Divided Line, shadows should show illusion, and mathematical reasoning should be based upon physical things and a certain amount of belief. Plato has misused his metaphor of shadows in one of these similes and created an inconsistency. Although Plato has given us a clear picture of what his idea of knowledge and opinion is, and how the Form of Good fits into it, he has left many questions unanswered and a lot of gaps which need filling. His similes have been written and laid out in such a way that they can be interpreted in many varying, some contradictory fashions. This leads to the question of did Plato actually know himself where he was going with his arguments, or did he make them up as he went along? I personally think he thought them out well, but had to manipulate some things to fit in with his line of reasoning. This is perhaps a reason why these three similes are partly incoherent.

An Outline of the British Education system

An Outline of the British Education system This essay is entitled An outline of the British education system. and it especially concentrates on explaining some relevant issues concerning primary schools in this country. The essay talks about three topics, all of them divided in three paragraphs: the first one is a historical background and a key element that may help us clarify todays structure, referred to in the following paragraph. Since we are living in a society ruled by the new technologies, the last paragraph focuses on the importance given to the ICTs in British schools. The essay concludes by highlighting what, in my opinion, are the main strengths of the educative system in the United Kingdom. As stated by some historians, the roots of British education can be found in the mid sixth century. It was not however until the seventeenth century, when the first schools were built. At that time, education belonged to the Catholic Church which was committed to teaching the principles of Christianity, by building schools. According to the author Denis Haye, the XIX century saw the birth of the first state schools. At that time, these were still controlled by the Church which used to introduce poor children to the main matters of Churchs beliefs. However, it was not until the mid-century when the State starts gaining some control over education, introducing a wider variety of subjects. Among all the education acts that have passed in the history of British education, it is important to focus on two of them, since they may help us clarify the roots of todays structure. The also referred to as The Scottish Act, is born in 1872 and according to the on-line article Key Dates in Education it is known for making school attendance compulsory from the age of 5 to 12 years old. Another education act to be drawn up took place in 1944, and is in my opinion, important to highlight because from this time on primary school children are exempted of paying tuition fees. With this new education act a tripartite system was introduced in British education system, and this led to the creation of so-called technical, grammar and modern schools. While analysing the history of the education system, it is decisive to go back to the year 1988 when the national curriculum is introduced in British schools, including English, Maths, Science, and Religion as compulsory subjects. From 2010 MFLT , which stands for Modern Foreign Languages Teaching is also an obligatory subject. It is indeed the creation of the national curriculum, probably considered the most important fact that may help us achieve a better understanding of todays system. The author Denis Haye who wrote Primary Education: the Key Concepts, claims that in the 20th century, just after the introduction of the national curriculum, children were obligated to study in school from 5 to 11 years old and this primary stage was followed by a specific education which would end at the age of 16. It is because of the national curriculum that todays pupils go to school at the age of 5 and leave when they turn 11. The author also claims that there is a minor quantity of educational centres which accept children from the age of 8 to 12 called deemed middle in his words, while others referred to as first accept 5-8 or 9 year-old pupils. Todays British primary educations structure could not be analysed without bearing in mind what is in my opinion the main strength of the British system: the variety of schools offered to parents and British pupils. On the Department of Educations webpage, some of the main types of schools can be found, establishing a division in three sections: mainstream state schools, state schools with particular characteristics and specialist schools in the first section. Trust and Voluntary controlled/aided schools in the second. Faith schools, academies and grammar schools also belong to the second section. In the third group the Department includes Independent schools. This last kind, as its name shows, is governed by an independent body which according to the Department of Education have their own curriculum and admission policies. Since we are living in a society ruled by the information technologies, without a doubt a valuable aspect to be drawn up, is the use of information and communication technologies in the British education system, paying a special attention to schools. The British Department of Education claims that the adoption of the information and communication technologies (ICTs) to todays primary schools radically improves the education centres level. It was in the year 2002, when the Education and Training inspectorate wrote a report which highlighted the positive aspects of integrating the ICTs in the UK schools. In most schools, both the students learning and the quality of teaching were shown to be satisfactory. Most of them used a great number of applications such as developing web pages, using social networks for educational purposes, sending electronic mails and using web-cams, to mention but a few of them. This report also indicates that the introduction of the ICTs in primary schools cla ssrooms and lessons notably increases the pupils motivation and enthusiasm to learn. The Department of Education also claims that the information and communication technologies have been adapted to the curriculum of several schools in the UK for the past 5 years, including ICT as a compulsory subject. In my opinion, the main advantage of the ICTs probably relies on its positive effects on childrens attention and interest, and this is one of the reasons why there are an even higher number of centers which are incorporating them. While looking for information on this matter, I found two relevant articles in two different newspapers which show a clear example of how these technologies are being adapted to education. The first article belongs to the journalist Borland, and appeared in The Guardian. It talks about a school in the UK which bought a couple of Wiis in order to boost pupils enthusiasm for sport using the new Wii Fit Plus. This new Wii application, the writer claims, is focused on various fitness exercises proved to be beneficial for the childrens health, especially for sedentary ones. Borland also states that although this initiative firstly received a very positive feedback from most people, there were other voices alleging that a video console should never take the place of traditional drills or exercises. Another article to be taken into account, was written by The Telegraph s education editor Graeme Paton who states that a school in the UK has decided to introduce Twitter, the UKs widely known s ocial network as a subject. Children, however, will not only be taught how to use this network for academic purposes (if there are any) but also to communicate by using Skype and develop on-line blogs. To conclude this essay, it is important to mention that the British education system probably stands out for the enormous variety of schools offered to children and parents while in other countries only three or four types of schools. Furthermore, the last paragraph can indeed be interpreted as an example of the adaptation of this system to todays new generation of children, enhancing educational perspectives, and finally catering for wider needs. 1,200 words. Group Research Proposal Research problem: What are the main types of bullying in primary and secondary schools? How can this problem be tackled? Why is this argument important? Bullying is a problem present in current primary and secondary schools, normally affecting children from four to sixteen years old. Not only pupils are involved, but also parents and teachers who, in most cases, do not even know the truth or conceal the abuse. There are different kinds of bullying which, can be divided into five groups: verbal, physical, emotional, cyber-bullying, and homophobic. In the verbal and emotional bullying, the bully uses disrespectful remarks and threatening words which intend to harm the victim. This is probably one of the worst kinds since children are physiologically affected, creating in most cases traumas leading to social issues such phobias to develop relationships with other classmates due to a low self-esteem. In physical bullying, the perpetrator intends to affect physically the target by resorting to violent acts such as hitting, punching or pulling without having a necessary reason to do so. Cyber-bullying is considered to be a relatively new k ind, due to the development of new technologies. It not only affects pupils in the classrooms but outside in the real world, by using slanderous videos publishing the abuse on the internet. The last type, homophobic bullying, is related to the childs sexual orientation using derogatory terms such as gay or even the despicable faggot. These are but a few of an endless list of other kinds of bullying. Studying this problem is important since it not only might help those who need it most, it can also clarify one of the darkest aspects of human behaviour towards the others. Methodology In order to carry on this research, it is vital to access to different sources of information. Not only books can help us with this matter; articles published in scholar or public newspapers, as well as television interviews or scholarly programs can be very helpful. A very relevant documentary on matter, entitled The Red Balloon House aired on the BBC last month will be born in mind while developing the research. This is a charity organization aiming to help children who suffer from school phobia due to bullying abuses. This documentary offers a close expose of this matter, clarifying many aspects about the principal effects of this kind of abuse. Another useful method to be taken into account, however difficult and risky, is carrying on a private interview with a primary source, a victim. Literature Review Aspectos psicolà ³gicos de la violencia juvenil http://portales.educared.net/convivenciaescolar/contenidos/biblioteca002.pdf Bullying http://portales.educared.net/convivenciaescolar/contenidos/biblioteca003.pdf Convivencia escolar y prevencià ³n de la violencia http://portales.educared.net/convivenciaescolar/contenidos/biblioteca015.pdf Convivencia en los centros educativos http://portales.educared.net/convivenciaescolar/contenidos/biblioteca011.pdf Acoso escolar. Guà ­a para chicas y chicos http://portales.educared.net/convivenciaescolar/contenidos/guia.pdf La actuacià ³n ante el maltrato entre iguales en el centro educativo http://www.obrasocialcajamadrid.es/Ficheros/CMA/ficheros/OSSoli_MenorMaltrato.PDF Conclusion Bullying is a social problem that affects more frequently all cycles of education. Everybody should become aware of this problem and try to end up these abuses by the application of methods and efficient solutions to it. Individual Research Proposal Research Problem Tackling bullying in the U.K. primary schools. What are its roots and types? What are the principal effects on the psychological health of todays pupils? Why is this argument important? Bullying in primary and secondary schools in the UK, is indeed a problem that has been haunting British pupils since the first schools were built in the nineteenth century. This leads us to question ourselves about bullyings roots, what they are and how they can help us eradicate this problem from scratch. According to the education reporter Kristin Rushowy form the US newspaper The Star, bullyings roots can be found in the bullys family relationships. In most cases, Rushowy claims, bullies come from blended or single-parent families, and feel they cant rely on their parents who act in an overprotecting way. Although it is a fact that schools are built in order to provide a good education for our societys children, parents also have the duty to educate their children in tolerance, and respect towards their classmates and all the members of society. However, it is not always this way and it is indeed an issue to be analysed in depth. The rise of the new information and communication technologies which as I stated in my essay, are being adapted to todays primary schools in the UK, have a negative effect on this matter. Pupils who are taught how to use social networks as Twitter unconsciously tend to use this knowledge to harass other children. This is a relatively new type of bullying referred as cyber-bullying. As happens to other kinds of bullying such as, homophobic, it has indeed an adverse impact on students mental health. According to Doctor Marc Dombeck in his article The long time effects of Bullying short-termed effects such as anger, depression and suicidal thoughts can lead to the long term increased tendency to be a loner self-esteem problems, and difficulty in trusting people. These are but a few of the negative impact of Bullying and it is indeed a matter to be researched on. Methodology To carry out this research, I will bear in mind some on-line articles published in British and American newspapers, as well as some guides published by the British Department for children, schools and families and an essay I wrote concerning British primary education. Literature Review The first source to be considered is a guide published by the Department for children, schools and families, entitled safe to Learn: Embedding anti-bullying in Schools, since it is a perfect outline of this issue. Another guide published by the previous department entitled homophobic bullying is also to be considered. Various online articles written by experts on this matter as Dr. Marc Dombeck The long time effects of Bullying are also to be born in mind. An essay written by myself entitled An outline of Primary education in the UK which is focused, among other issues on the adaptation of the ICT in todays schools, may help us clarify the roots of cyber-bullying. Conclusion Although Bullying is a problem that has already been researched on by many experts, there are some main issues such as its roots or psychological effects that still need to be examined in depth. Self- Assessment The Cardiff Universitys module entitled Introduction to Academic Study in the UK has notoriously helped me develop and improve my research skills. Although in the degree I am currently studying I had already been taught how to cite using the Modern Language Association (MLA)s style, it is always useful to learn how to quote using the Harvard style, since it is the one that is normally used in the United Kingdom. The Research skills seminar, was also decisive since it taught me to research using academic sources and databases. I had no previous knowledge about it and it helped me while planning essays for some of my modules. The lecture on critical thinking was indeed very advantageous since it was an enormous help while writing my two critical analyses for the module The Victorian Novel from a subjective and critical point of view. The lecture on the ways UK students are assessed and the marks used, was also very appealing and interesting since I come from an overseas University with a totally different structure. To end up I would like to mention that although unfortunately I could not attend the peer-review seminar and therefore it has been impossible for me to analyse other students proposals including my findings in this piece of writing, I have taken into account some feedback I received from the classmates I worked with, in order to write my own research proposal. I have considered rewriting the proposal, being specially focused on changing the research question because it was too broad.