Rising Fuel Costs and US Transport Industry Essay

Rising Fuel Costs and US Transport Industry - Essay Example Consequently, comfort is often sacrificed in an attempt to cut back on the fuel budget. Often, Americans have had to make do with fewer cars, or shift to fuel efficient ones. In addition, car pooling has become a common practice among friends and families while air travel is not only restricted, but also limited to either official travels, or longer journeys that would otherwise be uneconomical with the use of a car (Coyle et al, 2006). By and large, the use of public modes of transport has increased. In fact, ridership by public transport in the United States rose by 15 percent in 2007. For those in the taxi business, these have especially been hardest hit , and this has forced some of the operators to increase fares, only to have their customers walk away from them (ACTE, 2008). The airlines too, have not bee spared either, with a coupe of them such as Delta and American airlines recording massive annual losses in the range of $ 1 billion (KLEIN, 2008). With such a gloomy picture having been slapped on the American transport industry, is there any respite for the Americans in the near future For the last six years, the price of gasoline, crude oil and natural gas has significantly risen. In 2000, a barrel of crude oil ranged from $ 25 and $ 30 per barrel. This was later to rise to a high of $ 75 per barrel six years later. Due to this, such petroleum products as jet fuel, gasoline and diesel fuel, and which are primarily dependent upon by the transportation industry in the United States, have risen sharply. In addition, the price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline almost doubled to $ 2.36 in 2006, up from $ 1.46 in 2000. The rate at which both India and China are developing, has led to a sharp demand for oil, and this has had a massive impact on the petroleum-based products such as gasoline (Hiare & Machemehl, 2007). The reliance of the transport industry on fuel is in no doubt, and its usage keeps on increasing by the day. In 1973, the consumption of petroleum was pegged at 9.05mb/day, and this was later to rise to 13.9mb/day by the year 2005. In addition, there was a strong growth in petroleum consumption to 28.2 percent in 2005, up from 24.6 percent in 1973. Furthermore, the annual average vehicle per capita mileage has also immensely improved from 5,440 miles in 1970, to 10, 087 miles in 2005 (ACTE 2008). Automobiles For the automobile makers, they too have not been spared by the rise in fuel cost, as customers are no longer shopping for cars. Both Ford and General Motors have witnessed a slump in sales in recent years, leading to a recording of major losses. As a result, the auto makers have had to institute changes (VOA news, 2008). According to Rich Wagoner, the chairman of General Motors, the company has no choice but to close down some of its factories, following in the footsteps of Ford motors, who proceeded by closing shop on the manufacturing factories for non-fuel efficient vehicles. The General Motors boss views this as a proactive move, in a bid to ensure the survival and success of the company. This will mean that thousands of jobs will have to be cut down. There is also a shifting trend in the auto industry towards the manufacturing of

Louis Pojman’s We Don’t Deserve What We Earn Essay Example for Free

Louis Pojman’s We Don’t Deserve What We Earn Essay Merit and desert are two terms that are always in opposition to one another. While merit measures value in terms of success or failures, desert presupposes that value is not only measured in terms of success or failure but also the intentions must be assessed. Desert asseses â€Å"whether or not one had good or bad intentions, whether or not one was responsible for the success or failure†. While it is tempting to decide on issues with regards to their value in terms of the intentions of doing them as well as the success or failure of the object to meet our specific demands, I do believe that we merit is the best way of making a decision; we deserve what we earn. Athlete who has been training for long hours everyday deserves to win a race because of his attempt to train, and not marely because he is tall or has some long strides. Merit presumes that a person deserves something provided that he has some qualities. This is in contrast to desert which assumes a person to deserve something given that he attempts or does something. The criterion for deciding whether we deserve what we earn may be either through merit or desert, but one fact is that we generally deserve what we earn. The society itself is full of pointers to the fact that we get what we â€Å"saw†. To begin with, the laws governing our actions in the society show a justice. The concept of justice is found in most cultures and religious institutions. An ancient Greek poet, Simonides, defined justice as â€Å"giving each person his due† an idea which is unequivocal in the ancient Greek laws which also defined justice as giving the people what they merited. This idea of justice is also evident in most religions. The concept of the final judgment done on the basis of ones goodness or badness cuts across all religions; in the Hindu scriptures the notion of reward got after reincarnation is portrayed as being proportional to the person’s deeds. This same idea is also exemplified in the Quran and explicit in the Hebrew and Christian bibles. The bible for example states that what a person sows such shall he reap. In the current world affairs, we can look at the US election as one indicator of the criteria by which the society measures its values. We can decide to look at Obama as deserving the win from two perspective, from a meritorious point of view or from a desert based point of view. If we look at it from a merit-based point of view, then we can say that Obama deserved the win because he planned well, mounted a successful campaign machinery and was successful in convincing the young people, many of whom voted for him. On the other hand, we can decide to say that Obama deserved to win because he represented a minority community which has been oppressed and so deserved to win the election on this ground. Reference Pojman, L. Merit: Why do we value it. Journal of Social Philosophy. New York. Vol 30:83-102.

Cyber Bullying Is Growing Rapidly Psychology Essay

Cyber Bullying Is Growing Rapidly Psychology Essay Although bullying has been around for centuries, it has only been in the past twenty years that researchers have tried systematically to measure bullying (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008). In 2001, the first study of bullying in the United States was conducted with more than 15,000 students in grades 6 through 10 (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008; Nansel, et al., 2001). Tanya Nansel and her fellow researchers found that, within a single school term, 17% of children and youth said they had been bullied sometimes or more often, and 19% had bullied others sometimes or more frequently and 6% said they had been bullied and had bullied others sometimes or more often. In 2005, David Finkelhor and his colleagues conducted telephone interviews with children and parents, and found that 25% had been teased or emotionally bullied during the previous year (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008; Finkelhor, Ormrod, Turner, Hamby, 2005). The researchers estimated that 13.7 million children and youth were physically bullied and 15.7 million were teased or emotionally bullied each year in the U.S.(Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008). The massacre at Columbine High School in 1999 seems to have been pivotal in focusing attention on bullying in the United States. Although the specific motivations for this (or other school shootings) may never be fully understood, retrospective accounts in the popular press and in the research literature pointed to bullying as a contributing factor in many of these crimes (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008; Limber, 2006; Fein, et al., 2002). A search of the Lexis/Nexis database using the search terms bullying and schools demonstrates how much school attention to school bullying has changed in recent years within the United States. In 1998, the year prior to the Columbine shootings, school bullying was in the headlines of American newspapers, magazines, and other popular press periodicals 145 times. The following year, the number of articles on school bullying doubled, and, in 2001, shot to more than 750. There has also been an increase in attention to bullying among researchers since that time. In a search of the Psych Info database using bully or bullying as search terms, there were only five publications in 1990. By 2000, the number increased to 94. In 2004, there were nearly 250 such publications. Cyber bullying wasnt even an issue in the 1990s. However, with advances in technology, children are now exposed to a new form of bullying cyber bullying (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008). Cyber bullying occurs only between minors. If an adult is involved, the behavior is labeled cyber harassment or cyber stalking (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008). Much of the attention in the popular press and professional literature has focused on sexual predators that seek out their victims through online venues such as Facebook and Myspace. The same cannot be said of cyber bullying. Significantly less attention popular, academic, and/or legal has been devoted to the topic of cyber or electronic bullying. The reality, however, is that the majority of children are more likely to be targeted by a person who cyber bullies than by a stranger they have met on the Internet who is trying to arrange an offline meeting(Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008). In 2005, it was estimated that 17 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 use the internet, and 74 percent of teens IM (Lisante, 2005; TEXAS STUDY, 2009). Today, 87% of U.S. teens use email and 93% use the internet (Jacobs, 2010). WHAT TYPES OF CB ARE OCCURING THE MOST? Although traditional bullying is still more common, cyber bullying is increasing rapidly. Cyber bullying may occur through phone calls, text messaging, email, picture and video clips, instant messaging, web sites, and chat rooms. The number of people who own a cell phone is on the rise. There are a number of ways that cell phones can be used in bullying. Cell phones are a popular device used to cyber bully because unlike computers, cell phones are typically left on when not in use. When someone is done using a computer, they generally shut it off. Cell phones, however, are left on all hours of the day. The fact that cell phones are portable allows the bully to make contact with the victim throughout the day. Cyber bullies may use text messaging to attack their victim or they may use digital photos. Many bullies will call and leave abusive messages for the victim also. Since most cell phones have a built in camera, it is easy for the bully to use photos as another form of bullying. Bu llies may capture their victims changing in a locker room or using the bathroom. They can then disseminate these photos to others to embarrass their victim. Another form of bullying is called happy slapping. Happy slapping typically occurs when embarrassing images of someone are caught on a camera or on a camera phone. Many times, the person is not aware that they are being recorded. In many instances, these recordings may be set up and planned out. In April 2008, the beating of a 16-year-old girl was videotaped by other female students. The incident sparked outrage after the bullies posted the video on MySpace and YouTube. The victim suffered a concussion, damage to her eye and ear, and numerous bruises. Eight girls faced charges of felony battery and false imprisonment for the attack on a fellow teen. This event sparked national outrage brought to light the importance of educating youth on teen bullying. Cyber bullying also occurs regularly in chat rooms. Most victims of cyber bul lying say abuse occurs in chat rooms, where people who are in the room send and receive messages, called chatting. People inside chat rooms generally use screen names, or nicknames, and all the screen names of people in the chat room are listed on each users screen. A person can read messages from others in the chat room, and type and send his or her message as a reply. What someone types instantly appears on the screen as part of the chat (Breguet, 2010). Another form of cyber bullying that can occur is by exclusion. If a person is intentionally left off of a buddy list, in order to have their feelings hurt, then they have been cyber bullied. These chat rooms not only exist on the computer, but in video gaming as well. It can be difficult for adolescents to separate their character from themselves. Bullies who cheat and gang up on other gamers are called griefers (Bailey, 2010). Like traditional bullying, minor forms of cyber bullying include being ignored, disrespected, picked on, or otherwise hassled. The more debasing forms involve the spreading of rumors about someone, stalking or physically threatening another person through some medium or method of electronic communications (Hinduja Patchin, 2010). More indirect forms of cyber bullying include disseminating denigrating materials or sensitive personal information or impersonating someone to cause harm (Willard, 2007). Add info on social networking WHICH ADOLESCENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE VICTIMS OF CB? Five signs that indicate a student is being cyber bullied are as follows: Changes in mood or demeanor after being online Avoids talking about school, friends, or what they do online Has crying, anxiety, or depression episodes, especially after using the computer or cell phone Makes excuses not to go to school Withdraws from friends or usual activities (Tiano, 2008; Borgia Myers, 2010). The highest numbers of incidences of bullying occur at the middle school level. Bullying can start with children in elementary school. By the time students reach middle school, the bullying becomes more physical. Boys and girls typically bully in different ways. Boys usually push, shove, and hit. Girls on the other hand, usually start rumors or exclude girls from being a part of their social network of friends. A series of studies found that the chance of being a victim of cyber bullying increases as youngsters grow older (Kowalski and Limber, 2007; Patchin and Hinduja, 2006). Other studies found lower cyber bullying rates for students 15-18 years old than for students 12-15 years old (Slonje Smith, 2007). Still other studies found no relationship between age and being the victim of cyber bullying (Vandebosch Van Cleemput, 2009; Smith et al., 2006). Cyber bullying is occurring less frequently than traditional bullying and most cyber bullying is occurring outside of the school environment (Smith, Mahdavi, Carvalho, Fisher, Russell, Tippett, 2008). However, it is the responsibility of the school district to provide a learning environment that is in a safe environment. Studies show that 85% of high school students spend at least an hour a day on the internet. Many of the shows that teenagers are watching on television at night are reality shows. There is a lot of fighting and verbal confrontations that occur during these shows. It is believed that confrontations keep the audience entertained and wanting more. ARE F2F BULLIES GENERALLY CBs ALSO? Researchers who investigate online behavior recognized that people engage in activities online that they would not be as inclined to engage in if they were in the real world. Researchers use the term disinhibition to describe this phenomenon (Willard, 2007). There are several reasons why a bully may choose the internet to torment a victim. Cyber bullying can be done anonymously, with little effort, and the bullying can be carried out repeatedly and at a convenient time for the bully. One of the most important reasons a bully torments online is because there is a constant, captive audience to witness his or her handiwork and the victims humiliation (Breguet, 2010). Males are more likely to be traditional face to face bullies. Females, on the other hand, are more involved with cyber bullying. This could be due to the indirectness that cyber bullying plays a role in. Since females generally do not like confrontation, they are more like to participate in a form of bullying in which they do not have to face their victim. Cyber bullying allows the female students the opportunity to bully without confronting their victim. In accordance with the relationship between age and being a cyber bully, no clear tendencies could be discarded. Since cyber bullying can be anonymous, a bully can victimize someone much older or much younger than themselves. In 2006, Megan Meier committed suicide at the age of thirteen. Megan killed herself after receiving cruel messages on MySpace from who she believed was a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. Joshs identity was actually created by Lori Drew. Drew was the mother of a former friend of Megansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Many individuals who bully have issues controlling their anger, come from violent homes or neighborhoods, have overly authoritarian parents, or may be acting out because of other problems at home (Goodstein, 2007). Some bullies may have poor social skills and trouble adapting to new or overwhelming situations (Goodstein, 2007). As a result of being bullied, many victims in turn begin to bully individuals who are younger or weaker than themselves. Many kids try to be funny as an attempt to be cool while at school. Making fun or ridiculing others is sometimes considered funny. So as an attempt to be cool, bullying may occur. Bullies are not always the friendless, mean loners many people assume them to be. Bullies actually can be quite popular. Many times, they are very connected to school life through athletics, academics, or other extracurricular activities. Bullies generally are strong, confident, and aggressive, much more so than their victims, who, by comparison, tend to be weak, timid, and nonassertive (Bolton Graeve, 20). Some cyber bullies are angry loners or misfits, sometimes seeking revenge for having been bullied themselves. Experts say it is common for online abusers to be popular students with plenty of self-esteem who are trying to strengthen their place in the social hierarchy. They do it by intimidating those they perceive to have less status (Billitteri, 2008). Its not really the schoolyard thug character. Its the in-crowd kids bullying those who dont rank high enough, says Nancy Willard, executive director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use (Billitteri, 2008). Mark Wei ss, education director of Operation Respect, says, I think the culture is angrier. He went on to say, The things on TV, the laugh tracks of situation comedies, its all about making fun of each other and putting each other down, and reality TV is all about humiliation(Billitteri, 2008). WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS FELT BY THE VICTIMS OF CB? Although cyber bullying is occurring most frequently at home and not at school, it affects students at school. Even when its off campus, the impact is coming to school in the form of young people who have been so tormented they are incapable of coming to school to study, which leads to dropouts ,fights, violent altercations and suicide, said Nancy Willard, a former attorney and former teacher of at-risk children (Billitteri, 2008). Patchin and Hinduja (2006) found that 42.5 percent of the cyber bully victims were frustrated, almost 40 percent felt angry, and about 27 percent felt sad (Vandebosch Van Cleemput, 2009). One teenager said, It makes me hurt both physically and mentally. It scares me and takes away all my confidence. It makes me feel sick and worthless (Hinduja Patchin #1). Victims who experience cyber bullying also reveal that they were afraid or embarrassed to go to school. In addition, research has revealed a link between cyber bullying and low self-esteem, family problems, academic problems, school violence, and delinquent behavior. Cyber bullied youth also report having suicidal thoughts, and there have been a number of examples in the United States where youth who were victimized ended up taking their own lives (Hinduja Patchin #1). Even though suicide rates have decreased 28.5 percent among young people in recent years, upward trends were identified in the 10- to 19-year-old age group (Hinduja Patchin #2 plus others). Youth who are bullied, or bully others, are at an elevated risk for suicidal thoughts, attempts, and completed suicides. The reality of these links has been str engthened through research showing how experience with peer harassment (most often as a target but also a perpetrator) contributes to depression, decreased self-worth, hopelessness, and loneliness-all of which are precursors to suicidal thoughts and behavior (Hinduja Patchin #2 plus others). In a research conducted by Hinduja Patchin (2010), cyber bullying victims reported that they were almost twice as likely to have attempted suicide compared to youth who had not experienced cyber bullying. Traditional bullying and victimization have also been linked to loneliness, peer rejection, low self-esteem, poor mental health, and other psychological and physiological ailments among youthful populations (Hinduja Patchin, 2010; Crick Bigbee, 1998; Forero, McLellan, Rissel et al., 1999; Hershberger DAugelli, 1995; Mills, Guctin, Lynch et al., 2004; Prinstein, Boegers,, Spirito, Little et al., 2000; Prinstein, Boegers, Vemberg, 2001; Rigby Slee, 1993; Salmon, James, Smith, 1998). After considering the extent research on bullying and suicidal ideation, it can be said with confidence that a strong relationship exists (Hinduja Pachin, 2010; Balry Winkel, 2003; Kim, Koh, Leventhal, 2005; Mills, Guerin, Lynch, et al., 2004; Roland, 2002; Seals Young, 2003). The research on cyber bullying flourished following the school shooting at Columbine High School. Research from the Secret Service and the United States Department of Education on thirty-seven school shootings, including Columbine, found that almost 75 percent of the shooters felt bullied, threatened, attacked, or injured by other. Several shooters also reported experiencing long-term and severe bullying and harassment from their peers (Goodstein, 2007). According to Goodstein (2007), victims of bullying usually miss more school, have higher dropout rates, and have problems concentrating on their schoolwork. They also tend to show higher levels of insecurity, anxiety, depression, loneliness, unhappiness, physical and mental symptoms and low self-esteem. The consequences of being cyber bullied quickly creep into the classroom where the students eventually face the damage to their psyches or their reputations(Borgia Myers, 2010). Children have always been encouraged to not tattle tell. Once these children are bullied, many withhold the experience they are going through as a result of what they have been taught. Parry Aftab, of wiredsafety.org, says 45,000 students-85 percent to 97 percent of her audiences-reported having been victims of cyber bullying in 2007. Yet, only 5 percent will tell a trusted parent or adult (Billitteri, 2008). Another reason many victims do not report that they have been bullied is because they worry that the problem will escalate. An 11-year old from Michigan said, She kept texting me so many mean things that I wanted to throw my phone against the wall. I told my mom and she called her. After that the mean girls texted me, wow you cant fight your own battles (Billitteri, 2008)! Although online comments have the potential to spread at a much faster rate than conversations in a school hallway, dealing with it could possibly be easier. Teens have the capability of ignoring the comments online by merely turning off the computer and not reading them. Since comments were made online, the victim is able to print the comments to turn them over to the local police unit. Victims can also report incidences to their ISP. School districts and parents need to make themselves responsible for educating youth on cyber bullying. Since most cyber bullying occurs away from school, parents may attempt to protect the bully by arguing that they have the freedom of speech to express their thoughts aloud. Conclusion: It is very important as parents to monitor childrens online activity. Parents should be aware of social networking sites that their children participate in. It is critical to educate children about the proper language that should be used online. Experts believe that cyber bullying is going to worsen because most bullies enjoy the idea that they have a large audience witnessing their attacks on the victims. As the price of computers continues to drop and as internet use gets faster, cheaper, and more far-reaching, it only makes experts believe that cyber bullying will continue to grow. Therefore, it is critical for parents to talk to their children about the impact of cyber bullying on youth. When kids are confronted about being a cyber bully, many of the kids respond that they didnt know that they were actually hurting the other person. Since many cyber bullies do not face their victims, it is difficult to witness the effects that the bullying is having on the victims.

Garlic And Abate As Larvicide Against Mosquito Larvae Biology Essay

Garlic And Abate As Larvicide Against Mosquito Larvae Biology Essay This experiment was designed to investigate and compare the effectiveness of garlic as the natural larvicide and Abate as the chemical larvicide against mosquito larvae. The effectiveness of the larvicides was determined by the time taken for all the mosquito larvae to be killed. The mosquito larvae were placed in separate plastic cups containing garlic extract and Abate respectively. They were monitored at fixed time intervals and the time taken for all the mosquito larvae to die was recorded. The experiment was repeated with different concentrations of garlic extract and Abate. A two-way ANOVA statistical test showed that Abate is more effective against mosquito larvae at 5% significance level compared to garlic, corresponding to the experimental hypothesis. Research and Rationale Mosquitoes originate from the family Culicidae.13 Like many other insects, they go through a life cycle from egg to larva, pupa and finally adult. They are generally well-known as blood-sucking insects to human and they are responsible for many fatal diseases such as dengue, malaria and yellow fever. Some commonly known genera are Aedes, Culex and Anopheles. Usually, mosquitoes breed in stagnant water like ponds, marshes and swamps and they thrive in warm climates.9 (210 words) In order to control mosquitoes, chemical larvicides are used. One commonly used larvicide, Abate is applied to stagnant water to kill larvae of a wide range of pathogen-carrying vectors (mosquitoes) to hinder their development into adult mosquitoes.2 Consequently, this prevents disease-carrying mosquitoes from hatching and transmitting the pathogens to human via bites. Although the active ingredient of Abate, temephos is said to be effective against mosquito larvae (affects the nervous system by inhibiting cholinesterase enzyme), it has its downsides. Research has shown that certain mosquito species (Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti) have developed resistance for Abate.4 In addition, rats exposed to temephus showed organic phosphorus poisoning while some fish are vulnerable to temephus. Temephus also harm inverterbates such as shrimps and crabs. Accumulation of temephus may also cause drastic impacts on cholinesterase activity involved in nerve signal transmission.6 Plant extracts such as those of garlic are potential alternatives to Abate. Crushing garlic releases thiosulfinates which convert into diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide if mixed with water.10 These two products formed are effective against mosquito larvae. Trials conducted in Bombay have shown that several species of mosquito larvae are susceptible to garlic extracts. Allicin helps to curb malaria by preventing the formation of circumsporozoite protein (CSP) of Plasmodium sporozoites to infect host cells.10 They are effective, safe, environmental-friendly and economical. The objective of this experiment was to investigate and compare the effectiveness of garlic as the natural larvicide and Abate as the chemical larvicide against mosquito larvae. The results from this experiment indicate that the spread of pathogen-causing diseases by mosquitoes can be curbed by using natural substances such as garlic as well as chemical larvicide like Abate. Garlic is a potential alternative to Abate as it is effective, easily available and eco-friendly. Although it might not be as fast-acting as chemical larvicides, garlic has none of the downsides of Abate such as accumulating in the environment and killing other invertebrates. Thus, more research is being conducted to investigate the efficiency of garlic as a larvicide. (545 words) Experimental hypothesis There is a significant difference between the effectiveness of garlic and Abate as larvicide. Abate is more effective larvicide compared to garlic. Null hypothesis There is no significant difference between the effectiveness of garlic and Abate as larvicide. Variables Manipulated variable : Types of substances Responding variable : Time taken for all the larvae to die Fixed variables : Number of mosquito larvae, volume of distilled water, room temperature Apparatus 100mL measuring cylinder, electronic balance, plastic cups, label stickers, pestle and mortar, disposable droppers, glass rod Materials Mosquito larvae, garlic cloves, cinnamon powder, fennel powder, Abate 1.1G, distilled water Planning A trial experiment was conducted to determine which natural substance has the most significant effect on mosquito larvae. The three natural substances used were cinnamon powder, fennel power and garlic cloves. Three labelled plastic cups were used. About 1% of each respective natural substance extracts were made by either dissolving 1g of the powder in 100mL of distilled water or pounding 1g of garlic and then mix with 100mL distilled water. Using a disposable dropper, 5 mosquito larvae were inserted into each cup and they were allowed to sit for 24 hours. The number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours was counted. (750 words) Types of natural substances Number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours Cinnamon 3 Fennel 5 Garlic 0 Table 1: Number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours with respect to natural substances The results imply that garlic showed the most significant effect on mosquito larvae since none of the mosquito larvae was left after 24 hours. A second trial was carried out to determine the method to measure the effectiveness of garlic and Abate. The first method was to count the number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours while the second was to measure the time taken for all larvae to die. Three concentrations were used for each substance and method. Substance Number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours for each concentration 1% 2% 3% Garlic 0 0 0 Abate 0 0 0 Table 2: Calculating the number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours Substance Time taken for all larvae to die for each concentration (minutes) 1% 2% 3% Garlic 420 360 120 Abate 90 75 55 Table 3: Measuring the time taken for all larvae to die The results showed that method 1 was not practical to use since no mosquito larvae is left after 24 hours for both garlic and Abate. Therefore, method 2, which is to measure the time taken for all larvae to die, was used to compare the effectiveness of both substances as larvicides. (983 words) Real Experimental Procedures 1g of garlic clove was weighed using an electronic balance. The garlic clove was placed in a mortar and it was pounded lightly using the pestle to obtain garlic extract. 100mL distilled water was measured using a measuring cylinder and it was poured into the mortar to form an extract solution of concentration 1%. The solution was then transferred into a labelled plastic cup. Using a disposable dropper, five mosquito larvae were transferred into the beaker. At 5-minutes interval, the number of dead mosquito larvae in the beaker was counted and recorded to measure the time taken for all larvae to die. Dead larvae are those that cannot be induced to move when they are touched with the tip of the dropper. Steps 1 to 6 are repeated twice to obtain an average time taken. Steps 1 to 7 are repeated for garlic cloves of 2g, 3g 4g and 5g. The time taken for all larvae to die for each respective garlic concentration was tabulated. Steps 1 to 9 were repeated using 1g, 2g, 3g, 4g and 5g of Abate 1.1. A graph of mean time taken for all larvae to die against concentration of larvicides was plotted. A two-way ANOVA test was used to analyse the data statistically. Risk Assessment The experimental procedure is ranked low-risk. The risk of accidental introduction of mosquito into the environment had been considered and precautions were taken to ensure that pupae which had developed into mosquitoes were not released, but killed in the water. The container containing larvae were closed at all time. Gloves were worn to avoid direct contact with Abate which is toxic. Hands were washed before and after handling garlic extract, Abate and mosquito larvae. After using droppers, they were disposed properly. When the experiment had completed, the solution containing dead mosquito larvae were drained into the laboratory sink. (1307 words) Results Concentrations (%) Time taken for all mosquito larvae to die (minutes) Garlic Abate1.1G 1 2 3 Mean 1 2 3 Mean 1 360 345 370 358.3 90 85 90 88.3 2 300 310 300 303.3 75 75 70 73.3 3 120 115 120 118.3 55 50 60 55.0 4 100 90 110 100.0 45 40 40 41.7 5 80 80 70 76.7 30 35 35 33.3 Table 4: Time taken for all larvae to die for different concentrations of garlic and Abate Figure 1: Graph of mean time taken for mosquito larvae to die with respect to concentrations of larvicides (1409 words) Statistical Analysis Two-way ANOVA test was used to analyse the data to show whether there is a significant difference between the two larvicides. The Columns P-Value (8.58E-24) is less than the significance level (ÃŽ ± = 0.05). There is a significance difference between the larvicidal properties of Abate and garlic. Abate is a stronger larvicide than garlic. Therefore, the experimental hypothesis is accepted and the null hypothesis is rejected. From the analysis also, the calculated Sample P-value (3.62E-22) is less than the significance level tested as well (ÃŽ ± = 0.05). This shows that there are statistically significant differences between different concentrations of garlic and Abate. The Interaction P-Value (3.01E-19) indicates that there was a statistical significant interaction between the larvicides and the concentrations used. Higher concentrations of both larvicides are more effective against the mosquito larvae compared to lower concentrations. (1548 words) Substances Garlic Abate Total 0.01 Count 3 3 6 Sum 1075 265 1340 Average 358.3333 88.33333 223.3333 Variance 158.3333 8.333333 21936.67 0.02 Count 3 3 6 Sum 910 220 1130 Average 303.3333 73.33333 188.3333 Variance 33.33333 8.333333 15886.67 0.03 Count 3 3 6 Sum 355 165 520 Average 118.3333 55 86.66667 Variance 8.333333 25 1216.667 0.04 Count 3 3 6 Sum 300 125 425 Average 100 41.66667 70.83333 Variance 100 8.333333 1064.167 0.05 Count 3 3 6 Sum 230 100 330 Average 76.66667 33.33333 55 Variance 33.33333 8.333333 580 Total Count 15 15 Sum 2870 875 Average 191.3333 58.33333 Variance 14458.81 445.2381 Table 5: Summary of the data (1656 words) Source of Variation SS df MS F P-value F crit Sample 137903.3 4 34475.83 880.234 3.62E-22 2.866081 Columns 132667.5 1 132667.5 3387.255 8.58E-24 4.351243 Interaction 69970 4 17492.5 446.617 3.01E-19 2.866081 Within 783.3333 20 39.16667 Total 341324.2 29 Table 6: Calculations for two-way Anova test (1701 words) Data Analysis The two-way ANOVA test revealed that Abate is a stronger larvicide than garlic. The Columns P-value is less than the significance value (ÃŽ ± = 0.05), which indicated that Abate and garlic are significantly different in terms of larvicidal properties. This supports the experimental hypothesis that the effectiveness of Abate is greater than that of garlic. Table 4 shows that for all Abate concentrations, the mean time taken for all the mosquito larvae to die are shorter compared to that of garlic. For both larvicides, as their concentrations increased, the mean time decreased. From the data in Table 4, it can be evaluated that there is a bigger percentage difference in the mean time taken between garlic and Abate for the first two concentrations (about 75%). For 3%, 4% and 5% concentrations, the percentage differences in mean time range from 54% to 58%. This is illustrated in Figure 1. It clearly suggested that Abate is much more effective than garlic. Abate is a chemical larvicide while garlic is a natural larvicide. Both contain the active substances which are capable to kill mosquito larvae. Within 24 hours, all mosquito larvae would have died in Abate as well as garlic solutions. It was therefore not practical to calculate the number of live mosquito larvae after 24 hours. Hence, the time taken for the mosquito larvae to die was used as a measure of the substances effectiveness. The shorter the time taken, the more effective the compound is. Dead larvae can be identified by touching them with the tip of a rod or dropper. They cannot be induced to move. Abate contains temephos which is an organophosphate compound.11 It is able to inhibit acetylcholinesterase enzyme which is required to stop a nerve impulse after it has crossed the synapse. As a result, there is a continuous stimulation of the nerve, resulting in tremors and uncoordinated movement.11 Garlic, when crushed and mixed with water, will convert thiosulfinates to diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide,10 both which are organosulfur compounds. They are effective against mosquito larvae. (2043 words) The experiment showed that Abate is a more effective larvicide compared to garlic. Both organophosphorus and organosulfur compounds worked against mosquito larvae. This explains that during the trial experiment, after allowing both solutions to sit for 24 hours, all mosquito larvae died. Nevertheless, the experimental results showed that Abate which contains organophosphorus compounds took a shorter time to kill all the mosquito larvae compared to garlic (organosulfur compound), implying that organophosphorus compounds are more effective against mosquito larvae. However, this may also be due to the purity of the active substances. The industrially-produced Abate contain pure temephos, whereas allicin found in garlic is impure. For an active ingredient to work effectively, it has to be extracted and processed to give optimum results. Although results showed that Abate is a more effective larvicide, it should be noted that Abate is harmful to certain animals such as mice and fish, as well as to some invertebrates. Abate is also liable to accumulate within the natural environment, posing risks to human health. Garlic is an option to replace Abate as it is easily obtainable, cheap and does not pose harm to the environment. Nevertheless, garlic takes a longer time to kill mosquito larvae compared to Abate. Time is a crucial factor when dealing with disease-carrying mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti. Therefore, although garlic might be effective against mosquito larvae, it may not be practical to use such a time-consuming substance to alleviate the problem with mosquito larvae. (2287 words) Evaluation To increase the accuracy, the base of the garlic, together with its skin was removed before the garlic cloves were weighed using an electronic balance. The garlic cloves were pounded lightly using a mortar and pestle to prevent heat from destroying the chemical contents of garlic, which might decrease the effectiveness of garlic. Disposable droppers were used to avoid contamination of substances being tested and in the container used to collect mosquito larvae. Besides, plastic cups were used instead of laboratory glassware in order to prevent contamination as well. Each cup was closed with a perforated cover to ensure that air flows into the cup. The cup was covered as a precaution to prevent the introduction of any mosquito into the environment in case any larvae managed to complete its life cycle. Results from the trials showed that all mosquito larvae were killed by the larvicides within 24 hours. Therefore, if the number of live mosquito larvae were noted after 24 hours, there would not be any significant differences. As an alternative, the time taken for the mosquito larvae to be killed was measured. It was also impossible to run a stopwatch to measure the time as it would be difficult to estimate when to stop it. Instead, the mosquito larvae were observed every five minutes and any dead larva was noted. Hence, the time measured was estimation as it would be hard to check on the larvae every minute for hours. To increase the precision of results, the experiment was repeated twice to obtain an average time. It was also impossible to differentiate the types of mosquito larvae. Different larvae species might have different response towards larvicide. However, in this experiment, they were assumed to be of the same species. The larvae were also of different days old. Larvicides might have different effects on larvae of different days old. Besides, the solutions might not contain the exact concentration which was supposed to be tested. This is because garlic juice might not be able to be extracted and dissolve in distilled water completely. Abate granules also did not dissolve completely in distilled water. (2641 words) An ethical issue that may be questioned is the accidental introduction of mosquitoes into the environment. In this experiment, mosquito larvae are collected from ponds, which are mosquito breeding grounds. These mosquito larvae are actually prevented from turning into adult mosquitoes, which may transmit certain diseases. Larvae collected are placed in a covered container and are monitored to prevent accidental introduction of mosquitoes in case any larva managed to complete its life cycle. This investigation could be modified by grinding the garlic cloves and dissolve it in ethanol to form garlic solution of a particular concentration. This would increase the reliability of the results. Besides, mosquito larvae of the same species could be used to ensure that the effects of larvicides on that particular type of mosquito larvae only are determined. This reduces the probability of results occurring by chance. Mosquito larvae of a specific species could be cultured rather than collecting them from a pond. The number of mosquito larvae could also have been increased to obtain a more reliable result. Conclusion Chemical larvicide, Abate is significantly more effective than garlic in killing mosquito larvae. This was determined by the notably shorter time taken by Abate to kill all the mosquito larvae than shown by garlic. (2848 words) Source Evaluation Source 2 contains information on agricultural products such as vector control by BASF, the worlds leading chemical company and a corporate group. Hence, it is trustable and reliable. Source 4 is a journal, so contains sound scientific information. It contains a research note written by authors from several research universities. Therefore, it should be trustable and reliable. Source 6 is a data sheet on temephos, the active ingredient in Abate. The data sheet is provided by IPCS INCHEM, cooperation between International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCHOS). IPCS INCHEM compiles information regarding management of chemicals and their risks based on data from World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Therefore, this source is reliable and not biased. Sources 8 and 13 are published books. Therefore, they are credible sources with reliable contents written by notable experts in the respective fields. Source 10 is a trustable review as it is written by credible experts in the particular area. Source 12 is a reliable and credible governmental website by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in regulating pesticides; therefore, all facts and information provided are updated. Source 14 is guidelines for laboratory and field testing of mosquito larvicides by World Health Organization, so should contain sound scientific information.

Woodstock: A Peaceful Rock Revolution Essay -- Woodstock History Histo

Woodstock: A Peaceful Rock Revolution To some, the 60s were a decade of discovery as Americans first journeyed to the moon. Others remember the time as a decade of America’s moral decline with the advent of rock and roll and its representation of "sinful", inappropriate ideals. Yet for many people, the 60s symbolized a decade of love and harmony. Hippies exemplified these beliefs, and in 1969 they gathered at a music festival known as Woodstock to celebrate their music, their love, and their freedom in a concert that has remained on of the most influential events of the 60s. The youth of the 60s were known as the "Love generation". They made love promiscuously and openly, and preferred open to formal marriages. Weekend "love-ins", free form gatherings, communal living quarters, and rock festivals were held in response to the "love movement". The "love movement" was the hippie belief for peace and harmony. It reached its peak in the summer of 1967, and by then it had over 300,000 followers who referred to themselve s as the "love children" or the "gentle people". They gathered in San Francisco, the hippie center of the world, during the summers. During these "Summers of love", they lived on the streets of Haight-Ashbury, sitting in groups along the street and strumming their guitars (Frike 62). These "love children", otherwise known as the hippies were the result of the antiwar movement that was sweeping the nation during the Vietnam war. Hippies were resolutely against the war. They participated loudly, and often violently in countless anti-war protest rallies and marches. They were known to publicly burn draft cards, and some even renounced military service for prison (Hertsgard 124). Hippies were not only antiwar, they were predominantly antiestablishment. The status symbols of their elders were decisively rejected: wealth, social position, culture, physical attractiveness, and economic security. They held in disdain, cosmetics, expensive jewelry, nightclubs and restaurants and all other re finements of the affluent society. Wealth meant nothing to them. Personal freedom to express oneself was believed to be the most important thing in life. They were antiauthority, antirace discrimination, and antipollution, in short they were rebels against the society, fighting against the moral standards of America they felt were unjust (Hertsgard 153). Events such... ...peace. They knew about art and nature. They lived for a weekend in the still eye of the hurricane" (Woodstock). Works Cited "All Nature is but Art: Woodstock Music and Art Fair." Vogue. December 1969:194-201. "Big Woodstock Rock Trip." Time. August 1969:14b-22. Ewen, David. All the Years of Popular Music. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc.,1977. Fass, Don. "The Sixties." http://www.sixties.net (19 March 1999). Frike, David. "Minor Epiphanies and Momentary Bummers." Rolling Stone. August 1989:62-91. Grunwald, Henry. "Youth Trip." This Fabulous Century: 1960-1970. 1986 ed. Hertsgard, Mark. A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles. New York: Dell Publishing Groups Inc.,1995. Huges, Rupert. Music Lover’s Encyclopedia. New York: Doubleday Inc.,1984. "Rock Audience Moves to Dusk-to-Dawn Rhythms." New York Times. 18 August 1969:25. "Tired Rock Fans Begin Exodus From Music Fair." New York Times. 20 August 1969:1-3. "What Happened in the Sixties?." http://www.bbhq.com/sixties2.htm (19 March 1999). "Woodstock: Dawn of the Bigtime." Economist. August 1989:75. "Woodstock Music and Art Fair." Newswe ek. August 1969:88. "Woodstock: Peace Mecca." Billboard. August 1969:1,10.

Personal Response to Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe Essay -- Robinso

Defoe's novel, Robinson Crusoe relates one man's spiritual journey in search of self and his goal of setting things right and making amends. Finding the self may take a lifetime. It took twenty-eight years on the island for Robinson Crusoe to discover more about himself, and, of course, he had to wait that number of years before he could make up for past mistakes. However, we do not have an ocean preventing us from making amends, and if only readers were to open themselves to this book, for all its clumsiness, flat style and Eurocentricity, it can, by illustrating one man's life, illuminate ours. To begin opening ourselves we must begin to identify with Crusoe. This is not as easy as it might seem. For one thing, in my case, he is a man, and I am a woman. He lived two hundred years ago so had very different values. He was white. I am not. It is, however, necessary to push these things aside and go to the text. Look especially at instances when Crusoe is not the most politically correct of heros- -when he seems most at odds with our thinking. Consider Crusoe's treatment of Friday. Friday has no name of his own, and he, the "savage," automatically becomes a servant. Here, Crusoe is condescending and racist. Yet, when I look at my own actions towards others, I have to admit that many times they fall short of being good or just. Let us be honest, don't we all shun or dislike those not like ourselves in color, age, social standing, or religion, at some time or other? One other important flaw--some might not call it a flaw at all--is Crusoe's bond of utility rather than bond of mutual respect that forms the basis of his friendships. Crusoe is a man that, early in the novel, is a friend when the other person c... ...eight years on a desert island. We learn that what really keeps us down is our human self absorption and that we have to rise above this terrible selfishness. We learn that finding the self is acknowledging our frailty and working, in spite of it, towards making our spiritual side strong. If I realize what is important in life, I know I have learnt from Crusoe's experiences and will never have to cry "Oh had there been but one .... "The one book that teaches all that books can teach" Rousseau "I shall pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore I can do, or any kindness I can show to any human being let me do it now, let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." Stephen Grellet Works Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Ed. Thomas Keymer. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008. Print. Oxford World's Classics.

Sample questions and Exam

Sample questions Note: The purpose for providing sample questions is to show the format of questions that will be given in the midterm exam. The midterm exam will have more of both true false questions and short answer problems than those presented here. For more short answer problem types please look at the exercises sets. True-false questions: T Consider the two statements: I. X is an inferior good. II. X exhibits Giffen’s Paradox. The following is true: II implies I, but I does not necessarily imply II. F T F Suppose that at current consumption levels an individual’s marginal utility of consuming an extra hot dog is 10 whereas the marginal utility of consuming an extra soft drink is 2. Then the MRS (of soft drinks for hot dogs)—that is, the number of hot dogs the individual is willing to give up to get one more soft drink is 1/5. If the price of X falls, the budget constraint shifts inward in a parallel fashion. T F T F Suppose a cup of coffee at the campus coffee shop is $2. 50 and a cup of hot tea is $1. 25. Suppose a student’s beverage budget is $20 per week. The algebraic expression represents the budget constraint. Suppose a cup of coffee at the campus coffee shop is $2. 50 and a cup of hot tea is $1. 25. Suppose a student’s beverage budget is $20 per week. Suppose the student simply prefers more caffeine to less and that the tea sold has exactly one-third the caffeine as the coffee. The student will buy a mix of coffee and tea. T F (The student will buy only coffee) T F In economic theory, the demand for a good must depend only on income and its own price and not on the prices of other goods. T F If two goods are substitutes, then an increase in the price of one of them will increase the demand for the other. 1 T F If consumers spend all of their income, it is impossible for all goods to be inferior goods. A good is a luxury good if the income elasticity of demand for it is greater than 1. A rational consumer spends her entire income. If her income doubles and prices do not change, then she will necessarily choose to consume twice as much of every good as she did before. A consumer has the utility function U(x; y) = min(x,2y) If the price of good x is zero and the price of good y is p; then the consumer's demand function for good y is m/2p. Suppose a teenager likes both rap music (R) and country music (C) with a set of preferences so that U = C1/2R1/2. Point (C, R)=(100, 1) makes the teen the happier than point (C, R)=(25, 25). If a person’s indifference curves can be represented as a straight line, the person views the goods as complements (but not perfect). T T F F T F T F T F Short answer problems 1. Walt consumes strawberries and cream but only in the fixed ratio of three boxes of strawberries to two cartons of cream. At any other ratio, the excess goods are totally useless to him. The cost of a box of strawberries is 10 and the cost of a carton of cream is 10. Walt's income is 200. How many boxes of strawberries does Walt demand? Ans: Walt demands 12 boxes of strawberries. (NOTE that the utility function is U=min{2x,3y}) 2. Fanny consumes only grapefruits and grapes. Her utility function is U(x; y) = x3y6; where x is the number of grapefruits consumed and y is the number of grapes consumed. Fanny's income is 48, and the prices of grapefruits and grapes are 1 and 3, respectively. How many grapefruits will she consume? Ans: 16 3. Katie Kwasi's utility function is U(x1; x2) = 2(ln x1)+ x2. Given her current income and the current relative prices, she consumes 5 units of x1 and 20 units of x2. If her income 2 doubles, while prices stay constant, how many units of x1 will she consume after the change in income? Ans: 5 3. Suppose a new healthcare initiative for the working poor will be paid for with a reduction to the earned income tax credit. Suppose the average working poor family has income of $12,000 from work and an additional $4000 from the EITC. If there are two goods, H (healthcare) and C (all other consumption), what will be the equation for a budget line with the EITC? (Let prices of all goods and healthcare be normalized to 1). Ans: C = $16,000 – H 4. Suppose a teenager has $20 and likes both rap music (R) and country music (C) with a set of preferences so that U = C1/2R1/2. Suppose that the iTunes price of a rap music song is and the price of a country music song is . What is the greatest level of affordable utility? Ans: v50 3