Domestic violence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Domestic violence - Research Paper Example Owing to its legality, alcohol is a ubiquitous in many societies around the world and many individuals engage in alcohol consumption. In North America alcohol can be found in liquor stores, neighborhood convenience stores, grocery stores as well as in your local bar. Although alcohol is prevalent and easily accessible, it remains a harmful drug with the potential to kill, ruin lives and destroy families. Accordingly, one of the most insidious aspects of alcohol is that it is so freely available that we forget that it is a harmful drug with important health ramifications as well as a many important social consequences for individuals who choose to over indulge in alcohol. Alcohol-related fatalities remain an important concern across the globe and despite its ubiquitousness, alcohol abuse has been proven to lead to conflict and violence.2 Seeking to address the relationship between alcohol abuse and domestic violence, the following will, discuss alcoholism and provide a broad conceptual framework for our analysis. We then turn to a discussion of the dynamics of different types of alcohol-related conflicts, including the role that alcohol plays in perpetuating conflict with the family unit, with a spouse and with children Following this thorough discussion of the different dynamics and types of conflict caused by alcoholism, we turn to an in-depth discussion of the particular approaches used to deal with conflict. In this section we will explore the use of mediation as a method to deal with alcohol-related conflict. We will discuss groups such as Alcoholic’s Anonymous (â€Å"AA†) and the role that group mediation can play in resolving conflicts which have been brought on by alcohol abuse. We then turn to an analysis of family/group counseling and a discussion of the role of intervention in combating alco hol-related conflicts. With the goal of providing a holistic analysis to a complicated – yet increasingly

Advanced Corporate Finance Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advanced Corporate Finance - Coursework Example Differential tax treatments are the causes for less than one dividend drop ratios (DDR). Thus, through their research on the relationship between taxes and a firm’s decisions, they articulate that in a rational market, the ex-dividend cutoff should reflect the value of capital gains and dividends to a marginal shareholder. However, when tax enters into the investors’ decisions, the fall in share price in the ex-dividend should show the price of the post value capital gains relative to the post value of dividends. Therefore, because of the influence of tax differential rates, on the capital gains and dividends, the DDR will be less than one because of the fall dividend values due to higher taxation as a result of the effect of personal taxes (Elton, Gruber, & Blake, 2005). Therefore, this impact will influence the firm’s decision in terms of contributions to capital gains and dividends. There are other factors that like tax influences the decisions of a firm to ei ther pay dividends or capital gains. The availability of growth opportunities for investment requires that firms plow back their profits to invest in projects with positive NPVs as illustrated by the signaling hypothesis lieu of paying or increasing their dividend payout, which sends a negative signal to the investors. The stability of earnings is another factor. Firms that have constant earnings are likely to pay out dividends unlike firms with lower or unstable earnings whose dividend payout is likely to result in the decline of growth of their earnings.

Oil Exploration And Production Companies Management Essay

Oil Exploration And Production Companies Management Essay The oilfield service industry is a sector which mainly provides services to the oil exploration and production companies. Schlumberger is the leading name in the oilfield servicing market which has lots of stake in the highly competitive market environment of the Middle East. This report is basically an in depth understanding about the behavior and performance of Schlumberger in the highly competitive environment. The initial analysis of the report would focus on the qualitative aspects of the oil field service industry. It would provide an overview of about the current trends prevailing in the industry which would help in getting a better understanding about the issues and the current matters taking place. It would provide an in-depth analysis of how the oil and gas prices are affected by the demand in industry. In order to run a successful business, every company should have a competitive advantage in the market. This aspect would be analyzed through Porters five force model, which will identify the sources of competitive forces Schlumberger would face in the market in the future. The later part of the analysis would focus on the strategic approach of Schlumberger and the positioning of the company in the market with regards to its competitors which are Halliburton, Baker Hughes and Weatherford. The strategic approach identification of each company and the market position would be done by utilizing Porters framework of competitive analysis and will help in analyzing the position of the companies through its competitors array. This report will provide insights into the speed with which the competitors in Middle East are able to acquire the market share and also analyze Schlumbergers value-creating strategy which would determine how long this competitive advantage will last. List of figures: Figure 1: Revenue of the Oilfield Service Industry in Billion $ Figure 2: Upstream Capital Expenditure from 2001 2013 Figure 3: Average rig Count according to Baker Hughes International Figure 4: Porters five force model Figure 5: Production of crude oil in the Middle East Figure 6: Production of natural gas in the Middle East Figure 7: Revenue of Schlumbergers competitors region-wise Figure 8: Estimated percentage of merger and acquisitions in next 2 years. List of Tables: Table 1: Baker Hughes International Rig Count displaying the active rigs. Table 2: Relation between WTI crude oil price, upstream CAPEX and avg Rig Count Table 3: Impact of each force on the oilfield service industry Table 4: Key success factors of the oilfield service industry Table 5: Global and Middle East revenues of Schlumbergers competitors in Middle East Table 6: Comparative analysis of Schlumberger and its competitors Table 7: Competitors array of Schlumberger Table 8: YTD revenue of Schlumbergers competitors Contents Introduction: The oil and gas industry seems to have recovered from the slump in 2008-09 due to the economic crisis as we can see that the oil and gas prices are rising for the past three years. The oilfield service industry which is an integral part of the petroleum industry was no exception to this phenomenon. The oilfield service industry which provides services to the exploration industries has witnessed increase in the profitable quarters over the past three years and it continues to grow despite the current Eurozone crisis and all the challenges faced by the service industry due to economic situations such as the BP Deepwater Horizon incident. Schlumberger, which is the leading oilfield service company all across the globe, enjoys a major market share over other companies and has been one of the most profitable companies amidst all these hardships. As of December 31, 2011, the company had more than 113,000 people of over 140 nationalities working in approximately 85 countries. The companys revenue touched $39.54 billion in 2011 crossing the highest revenue by any company in this sector. Schlumberger is located in various geographic areas such North America, Latin America, Middle East/Asia, Europe and Africa. In the Middle East/Asia region, Schlumberger does have a competitive advantage over others but no competitive advantage is permanent. Thus the company has to keep a constant check on its existing competitors and the new players to the oil field services industry. Given the industry context mentioned above, the main aim of this business report is to analyze the current trend in this industry and also to analyze Schlumbergers competitors in the Middle East to sustain its competitive advantage. The primary objective of this report is to ensure that Schlumberger is aware of the changes going on in the Middle East that is affecting its ongoing strategies and business plans and also to keep a close eye on its competitors new strategies and the advancements they are making. It is also to ensure that their current strategies are in line with the business environment and if not, what changes can be brought about in order to keep it at par with the other competitors within the industry. The main findings of the project will assist Schlumberger not only in maintaining their strong position within the industry, but will also help them in evaluating and forecasting about the changes in advance and develop their business plans accordingly. Chapter 1: Literature Review: Porter five forces Model: There are a number of management tools which analyze the industrys profitability despite the existing competitions and changes in the economy. This section will help us in getting an understanding about the appropriate strategies to gauge industry analysis. For getting an understanding about the proper strategic analysis of an industry, there are a few management tools and theories such as SCP Paradigm, Porter five forces model and Value Net model. The Structure Control Performance framework is derived from the Industrial Organization (IO) economics and it studies the market based on the three elements and also tries to draw a connection between them, (Fu, 2003). Mason (1939, 1949) and Bain (1951, 1956, 1959) as cited in (Goddard, Wilson and Lipcztynski, 2005, p6) had developed the SCP paradigm. It correlates the relationship between the market structure, company conduct and company performance (Ajlouni, 2010). According to this approach, the structure of a market influences the conduct of the firms operating in the market, which in turn influences the performance of those firms. (Goddard, Wilson and Lipczynski, 2005, p6). Thus the SCP paradigm analyses the industry in three steps. First, the structure analyses the basic framework of the market which is required by the company for conducting business. It involves the buyers and sellers, barriers to entry, product differentiations, vertical integration and diversifications. Second, the model analyses the behavior of the firms to get an in depth analysis about the business objectives, pricing policies, research and development, acquisitions and mergers. The third, performance describes the parameters required to measure the performance of the industry through profitability, growth and increase efficiency. The SCP Paradigm is based mainly on empirical research than on theoretical aspects and it was one of the dominant models till the early 1980s (Slade, 2003). Thus there were many criticisms about the model because of its dependence on the empirical researches and one of the main problems of the paradigm was to analyze many of the variables in each factor of the paradigm. The further growth on the Industrial Organization witnessed the introduction of Porters five forces model. One of the well-known and an important framework is Porter Five Forces Model. Porters five forces is heavily influenced by the SCP Paradigm as one the Structure of the paradigm is basically the Porter Five Forces model and the other Performance is outcome of Porters model which is the profitability (Goddard, Wilson and Lipcztynski, 2005, p16-18). Micheal E.Porter (1979) developed this model which attempts to handle the main forces which affect the industry structure. Porter five forces model tries to explain the industry structure and the competitive conditions by evaluating the following forces: the risk of new entry in the industry, the degree of rivalry among established competitors, the bargaining power of buyers and suppliers and the threat of substitute products. According to Porter, the presence of stronger forces of the model, make the business environment of the industry to be more challenging and is less attractive to the investors. On the contrary, if the forces are weak, then the companies seem to be in a more profitable condition as there would be less competition in the market. According to Kevin Coyne and Somu Subramanian (1996) as cited in The McKinsey Quarterly(2001), this model is built under three essential assumptions: Firstly, the buyers, suppliers, substitutes and competitors are not related and do not interact with each other in the industry. Secondly, more capital will be available to the companies that have a structural advantage over their competitors and potential entrants. Thirdly, there is much lower risk involvement which let the companies in the market to plan properly and prepare a strategy accordingly. According to Mintzberg (1994), Porter assumption that future of the industry can be predicted based on the present market conditions is being discarded by Mintzberg. He explains that a company cannot forecast future market conditions precisely owing to economic changes and also technological innovations. Every model has its limitations and criticisms and Porter Five forces model is no exception to it. The limitations are: Firstly, the model was based originally on the economic situation of the eighties when there was a strong competition and relatively stable market structures. Second, it does not focus on the different challenges that a company faces as it enters international arena. The challenges faced by them in other nations are extremely different in comparison to what it faces in its own nation. Third, Porter takes into consideration only the industrial factors, whereas it overlooks the company resources available to the industry without which the profitability of the industry cannot be determined. Finally, as and when the companies expand, they diversify themselves into various other markets and other regions and thus the model does not concentrate on role of expansions and various acquisitions (Parnell, 2004, p50-51). Brandenberger and Nalebuff (1985) as cited in Unknown (n.d.) too identified an important flaw in the Porter model. In the book, Coopetition (Competition + Co-operation), has been discussed but the model ignores the strategic alliance which exists between some industries and which in turn helps each other to bring out a finalized product. These are mainly known as complementors in business terminology. Thus Brandenberger and Nalebuff in addition to suppliers, consumers and competitors introduced a new force namely the complementors. This was known as Value Net. This is basically an extension of the Porters model and is known by the name of Value Net model. Porters five forces analyze what are the challenges in the face of their growth opportunities whereas Value Net model analyses threats and opportunities available to the industry (Unknown, n.d.). Porter admits that developing a strategy in a new emerging industry or in a business undergoing revolutionary technological change is a daunting proposition (Downes and Mui, 2000, p60). According to Downes and Mui, Porter explains that the new digitalized and high tech world comes with a lot of complexities and developing a full proof strategy is a daunting task and this does not mean that the old rules are invalid. But if we look around in todays work environment, we will find that every industry is heavily dependent on the new technology. Thus Downes and Mui introduced three new forces to the Porter five force model namely Digitalization, Globalization and Deregulation (Downes and Mui, 2000, p64-67). These are the driving forces which steers the modern business houses in the right direction and amongst these the most important force is Digitalization. Thus the setback with the Porters framework is the absence of the digitalization force which has revamped the industries with the introduction of modern technology. Though from the above discussion it may appear that Porter five forces is outdated as it does not consider digitalization. But if we consider both its assumptions and limitations, it is one of the effective management tools that can be used in business and can easily be understood by the managers. Porters Competitive Framework: There are different strategic frameworks available which would be helpful for doing a competitor analysis. The most prominent among them are Porters Competitive Framework and SWOT analysis. Porters Competitive Framework is a management tool which is used to analyze the industry on four basic elements namely: future goals, current strategies, assumptions and capabilities. Future goals discuss what drives the competitor, current strategy discusses what a competitor is doing or can do, assumptions focus on the supposition made by the firm about itself and the industry and capabilities discuss about the strengths and weaknesses of the firm (Porter, 1980). This is one of the most prominent frameworks but a lot of researches are based on assumptions about competitor analysis which is discussed below. A lot of scholars have defined what a competitors analysis is but the most difficult part is the evaluation of the competitor at a firm level (Tsai, Su and Chen, 2011). A number of studies have been conducted on how a competitor could be analyzed at a firm level. Porac et al, 1995 presented a cognitive model which is developed on the basis of the observation the firm makes about its competitors actions and reactions and then decide on its strategy. Also, Baum and Lant (2003) as cited in (Tsai, Su and Chen, 2011) illustrated that resemblance in geographic location, price and size are sufficient for a firm to have an idea about their competitors. Chen in 1996 gave a different perspective of competitor by introducing the two-firm concept explaining that a competitor analysis is mainly based on market commonality and resource similarity. But many researchers found the two-firm concept to be difficult to relate with the competitor analysis. Competitors analysis is necessary for every enterprise as because there may be certain gaps which the company might not foresee while making competitive decisions. Zajac and Bazerman(1991) discussed the relation between the strategic decision making process and competitive analysis and named the gap between them as competitive blind spots. They discussed how a wrong assumption by a firm about its competitor may result in blind spots. Rothschild (1979) too discussed on where the companies many miss the link and what are the questions to be posed for a proper competitor analysis. Tsai, Su and Chen, 2011 gave a different perspective with regard to the competitor analysis by introducing the concept of competitor acumen. It illustrated about the relationship between the different firms in the same industry and also the extent to which a firm can understand its competitors. Every researcher mentioned above has challenged the Porters framework but none of these have the same prominence as Porters framework. However, there exists a challenge which in the Porters framework that cannot be ignored. Porter does discuss about the fact that when a competitor analysis is done, a firm should know both its direct (current) and indirect (emerging) competitors. However, it does not discuss whether a firm should consider all its competitors or only the top three or four or just a bunch of them. Thus the firm has to analyze the industry first, identify its competitors and then go for competitor analysis (Rao, 2011). The SWOT analysis focuses on the Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats which a firm faces and its advantages in comparison to other competitors in the marketplace. SWOT analysis has a lot of advantages, for example its framework is extremely simple which helps a firm to identify its focus and can be applied to many intelligence reports like market intelligence. The analysis has a drawback as well. It can be too private and disconnected from the realities that are impacting the company (Evans, n.d, p7). Since Strength and Weakness part is been covered in the Capabilities part of the Porters framework and Opportunities and Threats are also discussed, it is an important competitor analysis tool despites its limitation. Chapter 2: Oilfield Service (OFS) Industry and its trends: 2.1 Background of the Oil Field Service Industry The energy sector comprises of the petroleum (oil and gas industry), electric power, coal, nuclear power and the renewable energy industries. The petroleum industry plays an important role in this sector as crude oil and unconventional natural gas account for a large percentage in worlds energy consumption which is around 56% (BP, 2012). Thus, the work of the petroleum industry is primarily classified into two main activities namely- upstream and downstream activities. The upstream activities in this industry are the exploration and production activities. The exploration activities include locating of the hydrocarbon reserves, such as oil and gas reserves, which can be done through desk study, aerial survey and seismic survey. After locating the reserves, the next step is to drill the surface and pump the hydrocarbon out of the reserves. This can be done both on the onshore (water) and offshore (land) through drilling rigs. After the drilling and getting an idea about the size of the oil field, the next step would be production and development activity where the oil and gas is produced through various techniques and services. After the oil and gas has been extracted from the reservoir and brought to the surface, it is then taken to the refineries where the downstream activities begin. The downstream activities in the industry include refining and processing of the oil and gas products and then further distribution of these products through various distribution channels like the retailers, distribution companies, chemical plants etc. The important industry which supports the upstream activities is the oilfield service industry. The oilfield service industry provides equipment and services which are utilized in the exploration and extraction of the hydrocarbons mainly oil and gas. This industry is thus the backbone of the oil and natural gas industry providing various services and equipments for the proper running of the industry. (Etechinternational, n.d.) 2.2 Demand for the oilfield service industry: The demand for the oil field services industry in the market can be measured in terms of the revenue generated by the industry over the years. Given below is the revenue generated by the industry in USD billion over the years from 2007-2011 and it also states about the forecast of the industry for the next five years till 2016. (Source: MarketLine, 2012) Figure 1: Revenue of the Oilfield Service Industry in Billion $ The global revenue of the industry increased till the 2008 where it reached the highest point of USD 361.9 billion. Then there was a decrease in the revenue in 2009 to USD 256.9 billion where the revenue declined by 29.1% mainly due to the global economic and financial crisis resulting in the drop of the oil price. The WTI Crude Oil Price for past few years (refer Appendix 1) indicates that the oil price was once at its peak in 2008 at $145.16/barrel (Yahoo Charts, 2012) and then there was a sudden drop in the oil price and this price drop did sustain in the industry for quite sometime. This drop in the price of the oil led to loss of billions of dollars due to various macro and micro-economic factors in the market (Hamilton, 2009). But later on after the financial crisis, the industry started to improve its business and now since the market has been stabilized and it seems to be rising and expected to reach global revenue of $638.4 billion by 2016 (MarketLine 2012). Knowing the basics of the oilfield service industry, gives us a brief idea about the indicators which is extremely useful for understanding the growth of the industry and the factors influencing its growth. 2.2 a Upstream Capital Expenditure: The growth of the oilfield service industry also depends upon the capital expenditure of the companies in the upstream industry. The companies in the upstream industry is basically segregated into large integrated super-major oil and natural gas companies, international independent oil and natural gas companies which are also known as the International Oil Companies(IOCs), and the national or state-owned oil companies known as the National Oil companies(NOCs). Thus the upstream expenditure will result as a combination of all these three types of companies. The upstream capital expenditure appears to be rising over the past few years and is expected to be profitable over the next few years as well. The total capital expenditure was estimated to be USD 450 billion in 2011(Brown, n.d), which was at an all time high over the years and the oil field service industry seemed profitable at this juncture. The oil and gas exploration and production capital expenditure (CAPEX) for the past decade and for the next few years is shown below. (Source: Combination of WoodMackenzie Corporate Analysis Tool and Upstream Service cited in Brown,n.d and Energy Equipment and Support Services Oilfield Services Sector Report, 2010, please refer Appendix 2 and 3) Figure 2: Upstream Capital Expenditure from 2001 2013 In the above figure we see that the upstream capital expenditure does not include the exploration and appraisal spend. In this graph, we see that the expenditure was increasing until 2008, after which there was a dip in 2009 due to the global economic and financial crisis. 2.2b Rig Count: There are many indicators where the investors of oilfield service industry can gauge the growth or the demand of the industry. The upstream capital expenditure is one of the principal indicators which provide insights on how the industry is generating the revenue but the major concern with the upstream capital expenditure is that the figures are not released on a timely basis as it is shown in the quarterly or the annual report. So it is difficult to have updated information for a particular period of time like weekly or monthly about the industry. Thus, to have timely updates about the industry, another important indicator which helps the investors to know about the global demands of the industry is known as the rig count. The rig count indicates the number of rigs which are currently active in the industry and this shows the number of active rigs, and the specific areas has more demand indicating the demand for more labor. It is very easy and the quickest way for accessing the growth in the oil field service industry. It is used by many companies, analysts like for example Wall Street analysts use the rig count for profit projections from the oil field service companies (Sprehe, 2004). There are a number of rig counts available to serve the industry like the Baker Hughes, Smith Tools but the most commonly used rig count is the Baker Hughes (BHI) rig count as it is one of the oldest rig counts in the industry. Baker Hughes Rig count gives a weekly update on the North America rigs and a monthly update on the International rigs. Area Last Count Count Change from Prior Count Date of Prior Count Change from Last Year Date of Last Years Count US 17-Aug-12 1914 -17 10-Aug-12 -60 19-Aug-11 Canada 17-Aug-12 326 +27 10-Aug-12 -160 19-Aug-11 International Jul-12 1264 -21 Jun-12 +114 Jul-12 (Source: BHI Rig Count as on 20-Aug-12, Baker Hughes Investor Relations, Rig Count) Table 1: Baker Hughes International Rig Count displaying the active rigs As we see in the above table, it shows the update on the active rigs in America, Canada and in the International arena as well where we can see that the last count for the America rigs is on the 17-August 2012(weekly) whereas for International it is July 2012(monthly). This table also analyses the changes in the active rig count from the date of prior count. This table also presents before us a clear picture on how the industry has grown comparing from previous years figures (Baker Hughes Investor Relations, Rig Count, 2012). The Baker Hughes rig count measures the number of rigs which are actually being drilled at a give point of time on a weekly (North America) and monthly (rest of world) basis. This indicator also provides additional information like rig count in different states, or whether the rigs were used for drilling the oil or the natural gas from the surface. A lot of products and services are required for an active rig and thus the use of these products and services show the demand for the services provided by the oilfield service industry (Brener, 2008). An increase or decrease in the rig count also shows the fluctuations in the job market of the oilfield service industry. Increase in rig count increases the job opportunities in the oilfield. The BHI count considers the count of active rigs which means the rigs which are actually drilling holes on the land or the sea to extract the oil or the gas. Therefore, if a rig is being transferred from one location to another, or is being involved in non-drilling activities like casing or completion and production activities, then Baker Hughes does not count the rig as active, even if the activity is still being performed at the field by a number of suppliers and outworkers. Though the rig count provides us with a brief idea about the drilling activity, it does not show many other important factors. The factors which the rig count does not focus on are production activities, depth, cost and location (Brener, 2008). The chart shows the average rig count worldwide from 2000 to June 2012 and we can observe that number of rigs have been on the increasing trend apart from when there was a dip during the financial crisis which hit the industry adversely. (Source: Baker Hughes Investor relations, Rig Count 2012). Figure 3: Global average Rig Count (Oil + Gas + Misc) according to Baker Hughes International The average rig counts for 2011-present from various geographical locations is shown in Appendix 4 where we observe that North America has been leading all the way and that is where the companies generate the maximum amount of revenue. 2.2c Current Industry Trend: The trends of an industry help us to understand what are the current issues and their effect which help us to speculate the likelihood of its impact in the future. There have been many other micro and macro factors which affect the industry trends like government rules and regulations, the oil and gas demand and supply etc which ultimately are the main reasons for the fluctuations in oil and gas price. Thus the trend of the industry can be known from the fluctuations in the oil and gas prices. High prices are beneficial for the industry and vice-versa. The following table shows the relation between the WTI oil price, upstream capital spending and the rig count. Avg. oil rig count Int. N.A. Canada Avg. WTI Oil Price 2007 768 297 127 76 2008 814 379 161 87 2009 764 278 103 55 2010 825 591 199 80.5 2011 897 984 278 95.5 2012(August) 946 1344 260 93.5 (Source: Avg.WTI Crude Oil Price Average WTI crude oil price Yahoo Charts. Upstream CAPEX Combination of WoodMackenzie Corporate Analysis Tool and Upstream Service cited in Brown, n.d and Energy Equipment and Support Services Oilfield Services Sector Report, 2010, please refer Appendix 2 and 3. Average oil Rig Count Baker Hughes Investor Relations) Table 2: Relation between WTI crude oil price, upstream CAPEX and oil Rig Count The above table shows the main trends in the industry indicating that the its demand is dependent on the Upstream CAPEX and Rig count which depend on the WTI crude oil price. This shows that when crude oil price increase, there is a tendency for the investors to invest more in this industry. We see a dip in 2008 due to the economic crisis but in this year we saw that the highest price was $145.16 per barrel in July and the lowest was $30.28 per barrel in December. The average rig counts has also seen a dip during the year 2009 from 2008 indicating that there was less demand of labor during that year. Thus we can suggest that the Rig Count depends on the Investment in the Upstream Industry which in turn is dependent on various factors such as crude oil and gas price fluctuations. Having known the trend in the industry we need to analyze how a company will maintain its profitability in different economic situation which holds good for the future as well. This can be analyzed in the next chapter using the Porter Five Forces Model. Chapter 3: Porter five forces analysis: In order to know the profitability of an industry, the corporate strategists suggest using the Porter five forces model as it is the best way for anticipating the competitive environment. Porter (2008) said Understanding the competitive forces, and their underlying causes, reveals the roots of an industrys current profitability while providing a framework for anticipating and influencing competition (and profitability) over time. The Porter 5 forces are: Rivalry among existing customers, Threats of substitutes, Power of suppliers, Power of buyers and Threats of new entrants. The impact of the forces on this industry is shown in the following table: Forces Impact Rivalry among the existing competitors HIGH Power of Suppliers MODERATE Threat of Substitutes LOW Power of Buyers HIGH Threat of New Entrants LOW Table 3: Impact of each force on the oilfield service industry (Source: 12manage, n.d.) Figure 4: Porters five force model 3. a Threat of new entrants: If we consider this particular industry, then one thing that is pretty clear is that the competitors have been operating in this sector for many years and giving them a tough challenge is not an easy task. An ideal new entrant tries to enter and capture the market share and put pressure on the competitors directly by applying new technology and new ideas. The impact of the new entrants in the oilfield service industry is low. The presence of

Essay --

Anxiety disorders are the 2nd most diagnosed mental illness in the United States. Anxiety comes from the â€Å"fight or flight† physiological response in ones body. The fear a person experiences is an intense emotional alarm accompanied by a surge of energy in the autonomic nervous system. The surge is what motivates us to flee from danger, cueing the â€Å"flight† response. However, some anxiety is good for us in moderate amounts. Most people perform better when we are a little anxious (Yerkes & Dodson, 1908). Anxiety can improve test performance or make you more energetic and charming on a date. It improves, social, physical, and intellectual performance. In fact little would get done if we didn’t have any anxiety. However anxiety can be negative as well. The most common symptoms are looking worried and anxious or fidgeting. That is pretty normal for most people. These symptoms are a physiological response that starts in the brain. It elevates the heart rate and creates muscle tension. Most of the research has been done with animals. Animals seem to experience anxiety in a similar way to ...

Street Gangs

Street gangs are very common in America and especially amongst African American populations. The history of street gangs can be traced back to the 1930s when African Americans were undergoing challenging moments considering that it was an era of great racial discrimination. Different street gangs have different names for instance, famous street gangs in the US included The ‘Kelleys’, The ‘Driver Brothers’, The ‘Boozies’ as well as The ‘Magnificents’ .Activities of such gangs evolved from violence, robbery, drug dealing, and prostitution to covert missions. In addition, street gangs have been usually composed of juveniles. Composition of the street gangs has always been around peers such as friends, sisters or brothers. Although street gangs lack clear ideology in the struggle for black liberation street gangs were seen as the voice of black struggle within the black community and very little was done by the community to deal with th e problem of street gangs.Today, street gangs have various definitions depending on who is defining them. For instance, a researcher’s definition is different from a police definition and definitions have varied from author to author with different authors giving different definitions for street gangs. For example; (Skogan, 1990) defined street gangs as groups of teenagers who congregate around street corners not necessarily for covert missions but also because of social pressures such as lack of shelter (Sarnecki. 2001).Another author, Sheriff and Sheriff (1964) defined street gangs as an elaborate network of young persons whose goal is to violate the law (Sarnecki. 2001). This shows how greatly the topic of street gangs has been surrounded by mystery in America. However, there is agreement that street gangs in America are largely networks of people with a loosely threaded ideology which is temporary. In addition, membership to street gangs is never permanent as the street g angs have very strict ‘code of conduct’ which often see members fall apart.In addition, street gangs cut across racial, religious, national and ethnic backgrounds and today, unlike before the definition of street gangs goes beyond ‘black’ gangs (Jennifer Lee, Min Zhou, 2004). Street gangs have a way of identifying themselves which is distinct from other competing gangs. For instance, each gang in America has their particular label of clothing or shoes which is only specific to that gang and anyone found to be using the same label outside the gang membership is often met with punishment which can include lynching or assault and in some cases, death (Jennifer Lee, Min Zhou, 2004).Street gangs also use specific types of tattoos on their bodies to further define themselves and as a result differentiate themselves from other competing gangs (Jennifer Lee, Min Zhou, 2004). Also common amongst street gangs is the use of hand signals which are unique to members of the given street gang and is a way of communication, identity and a sign of loyalty to the particular street gang. Street gangs also have their unique communication styles embedded in both verbal and non-verbal use of language and this is further used to promote the culture of the givens street gangs.As mentioned earlier, street gangs are rarely permanent in terms of the duration which members last in the gang. Leadership of street gangs is often autocratic and oppressive, something which is responsible for the rampant fallout amongst members which makes it very difficult for members to stay long in the groups. Another factor which defines street gangs in American is the fact that all street gangs have their turfs which they control and fight any effort by police or other law enforcement agents to oust them.As a result, street gangs come to form part of the life of the area where they occupy, something which has led to the spread of gang life especially practices such as drug abuse, prostitution and violence in the areas occupied by street gangs (Jennifer Lee, Min Zhou, 2004). Another factor, which defines street gangs in America, is the fact that all are involved in criminal activities and rarely do street gangs engage themselves in any constructive activity apart from some form of art such as rap music .It is generally accepted that street gang is a problem which is not only a threat to social order but also to national security. In the advent of terrorism, the police and other law enforcers cannot leave anything to chance when it comes to addressing loopholes in national and homeland security. To that end, several policing strategies, new legislations and other changes have been implemented in America to not only address the danger posed by external aggression but also the potential of threats within the United States of America. Street gangs are known to carry out any business for money indiscriminately.Therefore it does not matter whether it is a terroris t that the gang is working for. All that matters to a gang is that it forms a source of income. To counter the potential of street gangs posing a significant threat to homeland security, the police have moved as a measure to contain the street gangs within their ‘territories’. As mentioned earlier street gangs operate strictly on their territories and rarely do they move to new locations. This has presented an opportunity to the police to contain and deal with street gangs in a more localized manner.To ensure that the influence of street gangs does not spread widely into the community the police have come up with a strategy of road patrols which are made to make the community safer and secure. This is made to counter the possibility of gangs using the roads to harm their victims or to infiltrate fear amongst the members of the community. This has greatly worked well although it has been faced with the problem of racial profiling, given the fact that members of racial mi norities are often targeted by police searches aimed at countering street gangs.However, to a great deal, police road patrols have raised the level of security even in areas where street gangs are common. Another strategy has been to use technological power to deal with street gangs. This has seen the police use sophisticated weapons to fight street gangs whenever confrontations occur and to ensure that the police always remain in control. The police in most states have strategic plans which have seen police set up traffic checks along major roads aimed at ensuring that gangs’ activity is limited.The fact that most gangs trade in narcotics means that police have to strengthen their anti-narcotics units to decapitate the ability of street gangs to carry on illegal drug trade. This has seen the police work closely with intelligence, local community leaders as well as religious bodies to ensure that every member of the society is involved in fighting street gangs. Another great change in law enforcement agencies that has resulted from street gangs activities in America is the introduction of community policy. Unlike conventional policing, community policing is proactive, less resource laden and problem-solving .As a result of community policing, violence and drug abuse incidences have significantly dropped in the community level. However, it is worth noting that community policing requires training of local community members to equip them to deal with the sophisticated nature of crime in the society. The fact that police departments lack enough resources has seen a slow implementation of community policing as a strategy of law enforcement. Nonetheless, community policing has led to a decrease in fear levels amongst community members .Although originally community policing was motivated partly by the threat of street gangs in the community, community policing has turned out to be effective in fighting even crime which is unrelated to street gangs. The strat egy of community policing revolves around training of community members to equip them with the necessary tactics and knowledge to deal with crime, establishing of stations at the community level, increased foot patrols of police officers, as well as brainstorming meetings between community members and police in a bid to encourage citizen participation in fighting crime .It is worth noting that policing strategies, laws and other changes aimed at dealing with the problem of insecurity is largely based on state administration. This therefore means that different states use different approaches to fight with levels of crime considering the fact that different states have different security needs. For instance New York policing strategies is aimed at tackling crimes such as public drunkenness, violent crimes as well as prostitution. This therefore shows that the nature of criminal issues facing a state may vary and therefore may dictate the types of policing strategies.In addition, New York State is faced with a high threat of terrorism than the threat of street gangs for example. This therefore means that the changes and strategies by law enforcement agents have been broadly aimed at dealing with threats specific to that state . In Washington DC for example, there are gang legislations which have been specifically enacted to deal with the problem of gangs. This has attracted more funding aimed at empowering law enforcement agents’ efforts to deal with prevention of gang activities in Washington.The availing of funds has seen the police and other law enforcement agents become more capable of dealing with the problem of gang violence, which is deep-rooted in the State. The legislation has also allowed for funding of intervention measures and programs, which have seen the community, enjoy safer neighbourhoods. Other changes aimed at dealing with the problem of street gangs in Washington DC have included the imposition of tough penalties for street gang member s who are caught participating in violent crimes . This approach has seen the threat of violent street gangs decrease significantly in Washington DC.However, it is worth noting that all efforts geared towards dealing with the problem of insecurity and particularly street gang activities need to be integrated into federal laws so as to ensure that the state is able to fully address the challenge. Such legislation such as the companion legislation is aimed at making sure that there is the availability of funds to deal with lawlessness. In addition, the legislation aims at making sure that the police and other law enforcement agents are able to meet the challenge as well as effectively deal with violence before it becomes widespread (Jennifer Lee, Min Zhou, 2004).Efforts to deal with the threat of violent street gangs has moved from the preventive level to correctional facilities by empowering correctional officers to put in place reform measures aimed at rehabilitating street gang off enders. It can be said that the tough laws have been largely successful in not only dealing with violent street gangs but also in increasing the level of security in the neighborhoods (Sarnecki, 2001). Not all policing strategies or new laws have been successful in dealing with crime.However, some strategies such as road policing strategy have been effective due to its ability to prevent crime at the neighbourhood level. Other strategies or changes such as enhanced penalties have to some degree failed given the fact that the prisons where such offenders are sent to are not necessarily effective in correcting the behaviour of the offenders and therefore when such street gangs or any other offenders come out of the prisons they usually continue with the same criminal activities.Forfeiture is a strategy aimed at decapitating not only street gangs but other criminals of their ability to coordinate and execute criminal activities. Laws permitting the forfeiture of profits gained from cri minal activities have made it possible for law enforcement agents to seize property of criminals and therefore making sure that it becomes very unattractive for criminals to continue with their crime activities (Sarnecki, 2001).Another change or strategy which can be said to have resulted from the threat of street gangs is the initiation of gangs’ data bases which makes it possible for law enforcement agents to trace criminals with this (Jennifer Lee, Min Zhou, 2004) This also allows for easy monitoring of released criminals to monitor whether such have reformed. Having gang data bases also enables the easy exchange and sharing of information amongst law enforcement agents. Another change in the law enforcement agencies, which has been occasioned by the threat of street gangs, is the adoption of information technology systems .The introduction of information technology use amongst law enforcement agents has seen a dramatic increase in the ability of law enforcement agents to counter the activities of gangs. This has also made it very possible to collect data on criminal activities. Information technology has led to the quick exchange of information and intelligence on security issues, which significantly has boosted the ability of the law enforcement agents to prevent crime. Information technology has made it very hard for the gang members as well as other criminals to infiltrate law agencies, something which can jeopardize the effectiveness of law agents.Another strategy, which has been initiated to deal with crime in America, is the empowerment of law enforcement agents (Jennifer Lee, Min Zhou, 2004). This has been done through providing them with better equipment as well as training which makes it possible for law enforcement agents to operate with a high level of efficiency. Lack of capacity can greatly impact negatively on the war against crime. Therefore the move to empower law enforcement agents must be seen as one of the most effective changes e ver in dealing with organized crime.If the war against crime is to be won, a combination of the above mentioned strategies and changes must be implemented. For instance, having legislations however good, without having a capable human resource to enforce the legislation is likely to yield not better than meager results. The war must be sustained, focused and the aims should be well defined. Clearly, the strategies must address the root causes of criminal behaviour and activities. This should not be left to law enforcement agents alone.Violent behaviour has been found to be caused by a myriad of factors namely social factors, economic factors, political factors, religious factors and cultural factors. This indicates that the changes and strategies must cut across socio-cultural issues as well as economic, political and religious dimensions. There is an increasing trend of juvenile violence in America. This is a clear indication that there is a social crisis which must be addressed no t necessarily by law enforcement agencies but by other departments such as children’s department.In the past, efforts to deal with violent crime have tended to be reactive as opposed to proactive. If this approach is not changed, there is a high likelihood that a lot of resource will keep on being wasted due to using of the wrong strategies to fight lawlessness. Indeed, crime is not a war that can be won by law enforcement agencies only. Hence the reason why all efforts geared towards reducing criminal activities in the American society should be multisectoral. The introduction of community policing strategy is particularly encouraging.However, it is sad that most legislation aimed at curbing street gang crimes or other forms of crimes in the society have tended to originate from criminal justice. Given the fact that crime is influenced by other factors such as economic factors, there is a need for legislations based on economic principles such as equitable distribution of re sources especially to the marginalised communities to be enacted. Such legislations will see youths from the marginalised groups empowered economically and perhaps desist from joining street gangs or any other forms of crimes.Educational reforms or legislations can also be a great intervention measure in dealing with crime in the society. This is true considering the fact that there is a direct positive correlation between involvement in criminal activities and the level of education. Therefore, empowering people and especially the youths through education is likely to deter a good number from participating in crime. There is a need for education to reach every single youth in America as a way of empowering the society. If this is realized it will be an effective and less costly way of dealing with the problem that crime has become in the society.There is a need for more research to be commissioned to deal with the issue of street gangs in America. It appears that one of the reasons why law enforcement agencies have been slow in winning the war is the fact that most of the decisions made concerning how to deal with street gangs in America are not based on empirical evidence but rather on egoistic feelings of politicians. Until the law enforcement agencies realise the power of research in dissecting social problems, street gangs and other violent crimes are likely to continue threatening the American society.In addition, there is the possibility that a lot of resources will be wasted and there will be no resource to show for it. In conclusion, it can therefore be said that the war changes in street gangs in America have had an impact on law enforcement agencies in regard to the type of strategies the police have come up with, laws which have been put in place to deal with crime as well as the resources allocated to the fight against crime. Reference George, L, K and Coles, C. M. 1997. Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order and ReducingCrime in our Communities. 88. Simon & Schuster. New York. Jennifer Lee, Min Zhou; 2004. Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity, and Ethnicity Routledge. United States. Jerzy, Sarnecki. 2001. Delinquent Networks: Youth Co-offending in Stockholm. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, England. Mark, H. M. 1992. Problem Solving and Community Policing. Modern Policing. Vol. 99 Scott, Robert C. , Warner, Mark R. , Wilder, L. Douglas. June 7, 2004. Democrats Square off over Richmond Election. The Washington Times.

Crimes of the Heart Essay

I choose Babe as the character that I would make a â€Å"through-line. † She has one of the more detailed and complex background stories. They are complex, because it is not extremely evident why they are significant. However, once one deeply analyzes her character, it becomes evident why these stories about her are so important in trying to understand Babe. Babe’s ultimate goal is to understand her complex reality. Unlike the other Magrath sisters, she has been deeply pondering the reason behind her mother’s suicide. She even goes so far as to think about it before each suicide attempt told in the novel. Each time, she feels closer to her mother due to her self-discoveries. For example, she is extremely happy to learn that her mother hung the old, yellow cat not out of hatred but out of fear of loneliness in the afterlife. She is also one of the few characters that try to understand Meg’s promiscuous and crazy personality. Babe describes the after affects Meg had after finding their mother dead. According to Babe, Meg would look at pictures of people diseased or in pain in order to prove that she was not weak. This desire to appear strong translated into other areas of Meg’s life. The way Babe tries to accomplish her goal of understanding her reality is by acting like a child. Babe sees the world through a child’s lens. She asks many questions, cannot control her emotions, and does not understand social norms. One example where she cannot control her emotions is when her sister is in the room and she tries to claw out the rope from the drawer. Rather than discreetly take the rope, she feels the need to claw it out and kill herself immediately. Similar to a child, she also does not understand social norms or their consequences. While Babe is pretty and has men after her such as the young lawyer, she prefers small children. Babe cares for and has sexual relations with a small boy, Willie Jae, who is only 15 years old. It seems she feels better connected with young children, versus adults her age. Additionally, Willie is African American. During such a time, having just contact between the two could have led to significant punishment for the both of them. Rather than simply understanding her situation, she appears oblivious to it. When Willie Jae must go north for protection, she asks why. It seems she does not completely understand the way certain races are viewed in society. Her act as a child saves her in the end. Her lawyer had a fanatical obsession with his personal vendetta against Zachary; however, he gave that up for her sake. He loved and cared for Babe’s child-like and kind personality. Babe has probably used her perceived child-like innocence before. As she tries to understand the world, her child-like characteristics both help her and are a detriment to her. Through-line: -Dad abandons her and her sisters Mother hangs herself in the cellar along with the old, yellow cat. Mother ends up on the national news -Grandfather calls her dancing sugarplum. -Marries Zachary while drunk. Grandfather believes she will become the top of society. -Is physically abused by her husband and pushed around by her sister-in-law, Lucille -Gets a dog called Dog from Willie Jae, 15 year-old African American boy. She has sexual intercourse in the garbage several times -Zachary comes home early and hits Willie Jae. Babe is suicidal, but instead tries to kill Zachary. Makes lemonade and then calls an ambulance.

8 Resume Tips for Landing an Hourly Position

8 Resume Tips for Landing an Hourly Position Having a resume is necessary to get an hourly job, so knowing how to write a concise resume that highlights your qualifications can  get your foot in the door for that all-important first interview. A great resume is more than a mere list of positions you’ve held and your duties in those jobs. It is the way a job  seeker advertises him- or herself. Knowing what are the best practices for a resume is very important at helping you write your own. Here are a few tips on how to write a resume that stands out and will lead to a job offer. 1. Order is ImportantWhether you’re looking at part-time jobs or want a job full time, write your  resume in the same manner. Start off with your name and contact information, including phone number and email address, and check periodically to ensure that this information is current.Then, the first few sentences are your chance to  talk about qualities and achievements. Instead of using tired attributes such as â€Å"problem solver † or â€Å"creative talent,† connect your positive qualities with your work experience to show how you were an asset to the company.Finally, follow this with your skills and experience and list your education at the end.2. Highlight with Bullet PointsBullet points make a resume more easily scannable and help break up areas of text. By using bullet points, a hiring manager can quickly see if you are qualified for a job. Use a capital letter to begin each bullet point and, if you are writing in complete sentences, end with a period.3. Use Active VoiceUsing action verbs, such as planned, managed, or led, are words that are more easily noticeable and can make more impact with the hiring manager. Use present tense verbs for a job you currently hold and past tense for previous jobs.4. Don’t Include All JobsHiring managers are not interested in what jobs you held in high school, unless you are perhaps a recent college graduate and have a short resume. In this case, addi ng those summer jobs or volunteer work might show that you have a good work ethic and will be seen in a positive light. In other cases, include the most recent jobs in the last 10 or 15 years. This helps keep your resume short and makes it more likely the hiring manager will read it.5. Simple is BetterUsing colors, fancy fonts, and decorations is frowned upon;  this type or resume may end up on the bottom of the applicant pile. Hiring managers are looking for serious applicants and might  consider decorative resumes as frivolous. In addition, use a font that can be easily read.6. Be HonestBe honest about your education and work experience. Employers frequently check on employees, even after they are hired. If you don’t tell the truth on an application, you may not be keeping that job. If you apply for a job without the proper education, use your experience and training to show you can do the job.7. Check Spelling and GrammarIf you’re  applying for a job with a re sume that contains errors in spelling or grammar, you’re  less likely to be called for an interview. Proofreading your resume and using a spell-checker before finalizing  it  can help avoid errors.8. Leave Out Irrelevant InformationDon’t include hobbies, politics, religion, or family information on your resume. In addition, character references are unnecessary. If the hiring manager is interested in references, he or she will ask for them.Writing a good resume makes it easier to get a job when searching for part-time jobs or a full- time position. After writing a resume, the job search can begin. TheJobNetwork makes job hunting easier for all types of employment. After you enter your job interests and qualifications, we work around the clock to send you job alerts as soon as they appear. Sign up for job match alert so you don’t miss any opportunities to get hired for just the job you want.

The French Revolution and black revolution.

The French Revolution and black revolution. The French Revolution The statement citing the essential cause of the French Revolution as the "collision between a powerful, rising bourgeoisie and an entrenched aristocracy defending its privileges" has great pertinence in summarizing the conflict of 1789. The causes of the French Revolution, being provoked by this collision of powers, were the financial debt of the government and the long-standing political differences in the government. Over the course of twenty-five years after the Seven Years' War, the government of Francethe Bourgeoisie royalty, could not manage it's finances on a sound basis. This was worsened when France aided the American Revolution against Great Britain. The Government had reached great financial debt. The problem lied and continued because of the government's inability to tap the wealth of the French nation by taxation. There was a great paradox in France being a rich nation with a government in poverty. The deteriorating finances of the government are wh at triggered the prolonged differences between the Bourgeoisie and the aristocracy.President Lyndon B. Johnson and Rev. Dr. Martin Lu...The political differences between the monarchy and the nobles came about after the Seven Years' war also. The increasing debt of the government escalated the hope for the monarchy to resume an "absolute power" status as it did with Louis XIV. However this could not be accomplished because of the doubt that the public had towards the present kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, and the public could not be swayed to help. The only result of the attempts for absolutism by the monarchy was a series of new and increases taxes on the nobles. The aristocracy immediately reacted to these taxes as declaring them unfair and would not accept them. They made many attempts at taxation, such as a land tax, but each of these were defeated by the nobles the Parliaments were even...

5 Tips for Incoming High School Freshmen

Starting high school can be exciting, stressful, and at times, overwhelming. It’s also a time you should be exploring, trying out new opportunities, and making the most of your experiences. Here are five tips for starting off high school on the right foot. Now that you’re older, you have more flexibility as to how you spend your time. Search for groups and activities that align with your interests. Not sure where to start? Try out different clubs at your school. Check out How to Determine Which Clubs to Join: A Guide for Freshmen for ideas. Joining different clubs and trying out activities will allow you to meet new, like-minded people. It will also help you hone your area of specialization , or area that aligns with your interests and talents and path you want to pursue. This can guide your academic and career focus. In a similar vein, freshman year is a great time to try out new things. While every year matters, this year is lower stakes than the other high school years. Even if you’re not sure if you’ll like something, try it out and see. You can always cull your list of activities later. Read A Guide to Extracurricular Activities for Grade 9 for more advice. If you have choices in what courses to take, explore your options in this area as well. For instance, there might be an elective that interests you. Think about getting a job or internship as well; that will give you real-world experience early on. You may have heard that your grades don’t matter this year, but that’s not really true. While it is true that colleges won’t pay as much attention to this year as other years, you should get into the habit of studying and being productive now. That way, you’ll be in good shape later on. For advice on developing good studying and organization habits, read Eight Tips to Use Your Time Efficiently and Stay Organized in High School . Being organized will also help you manage your stress. Consider using planners and calendars to make sure you’re on top of everything you need to do. In this free guide, we'll explain how to set up a solid foundation for the rest of your high school experience. Enter your name and email below to download the guide. It’s not too early to think about college. You don’t need to start filling out applications, of course, but you should be setting goals . Think about the path you need to take to achieve these goals. Set incremental â€Å"sub† checkpoints to help you achieve your larger aspirations. For instance, if you’re hoping to become the editor of your school newspaper, consider the steps you need to take to get there, such as attending meetings, writing killer articles, and bonding with and learning from the current editor and the newspaper’s advisor. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from parents, teachers, guidance counselor, older students, and even peers. If you feel like you’re getting overwhelmed, it can be helpful to talk to someone for support and guidance. Take some time to get to know your teachers. You’ll probably have more than you did in middle school, and your teachers, in turn, probably have many students. Developing connections with your teachers can be a substantial addition to your support system, since it will give you another resource for academic help. Additionally, when it comes to ask teachers for college recommendations, your teachers will be able to speak to your character, not just the papers you’ve written. It’s also important to develop a relationship with your guidance counselor. Make sure you introduce yourself and check in occasionally , so your guidance counselor really gets to know you. Like your teachers, she can be an excellent source of support and will be able to write about you as a person in your recommendation letter. High school won’t be easy, but try to get the most out of the challenges it brings. Take your time seriously, and create a plan for success. While you’ll face challenges along the way, having a plan, trying out new opportunities, and using your support system will help you manage your time well and prepare yourself for the future. Looking for help navigating the road to college as a high school student? Check out the Mentorship Program . Our mentors drive significant personal and professional development for their high school mentees. Combining mentorship with engaging content, insider strategies, and personalized analyses, our program provides students with the tools to succeed. As students learn from successful older peers, they develop confidence, autonomy, and critical thinking skills to help maximize their chances of success in college, business, and life.

Caveman Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Caveman Project - Research Paper Example These materials might involve stones, wood, or materials for basket weaving. As these materials exist in the wild as raw and not broken down to manageable portions, the individual must then transport them home so that they can be broken down and converted into useable tools and devices for production. For instance, if one is attempting to make a spear they must first ensure that the stone they procured from the journey was grinded down to a level where it could be attached to the spear. During this process if the stone is chipped or broken to a too large extent, then the entire process of gaining the materials must be accomplished again. In terms of fashioning the spear, one must also attend to the wood part. Rather than simply buying wood from a store, the individual must find a tree or sticks that have been discarded. This is a harder task that might be originally assumed as the wood must be of considerable strength and be able to withstand the blunt force pressure of hunting. In t he process of combining the spear and the stone arrow they must be done so with incredible delicacy as a mistake in this department will surely cause the entire process to be have to gone through again. It’s worth noting in these regards that one must recognize the artistry and skill of the cavemen, as it takes more than brute force and knowledge to construct such weaponry. While cavemen are generally thought of as brutes, it’s clear that in order to find subsistence and survival they must also have a variety of subtle and fine-tuned skills. One of these skills one can consider is the nature of basket weaving. Baskets were a central aspect of... While cavemen are generally thought of as brutes, it’s clear that in order to find subsistence and survival they must also have a variety of subtle and fine-tuned skills. One of these skills one can consider is the nature of basket weaving. Baskets were a central aspect of pre-historic life, as they allowed individuals to transport foodstuffs and materials from one region to another. StillÐ ± the actual production of these objects was one of great challenge and skill. As elucidated above, individuals must first collect the materials to construct these objects, which is a laborious process unto itself. In terms of the basket-weaving the proper palm-fronds must be gathered and then taken back to the village or area of gathering. At this point, the caveman must go through an elaborate process of construction where they are interweaved within each other to form a structural whole. While this occurred four thousand years ago, one recognizes that the skills involved in this process are advanced to the point that most individuals today would be at a loss for the means by which they are accomplished.

Isolation and How It Kills within Ethan Frome Research Paper

Isolation and How It Kills within Ethan Frome - Research Paper Example Throughout the novel, isolation defines the plot and the characters' destinies. This essay analyzes the theme of isolation in Ethan Frome. Wharton uses setting, characterization, and symbolism to show how isolation emasculated Ethan Frome and affected his relationship with Mattie and Zeena. The setting of the book is Starkfield, a fictional New England village, which shows how physical isolation has resulted to the emasculation of Ethan Frome. Starkfield is an isolated and cold place, which also affects its small-town culture. It is very far from other cities and it often has harsh cold weather. The weather has become a cold blanket that rules over people's emotions and thoughts. The community is also poor, being constantly cold and poor of resources, which is why Harmon says that it is better if people left the village: â€Å"Most of the smart ones get away† (Wharton Chapter 1). The weather and geographical location leave people feeling terribly lonely and hopeless. The sadne ss and hopelessness in Starkfield have been embodied through several images in the novel. For instance: â€Å"Beyond the orchard lay a field or two...huddled against the white immensities of land and sky, one of those lonely New England farm-houses that make the landscape lonelier (Wharton â€Å"Ethan†). ... In addition, the farm houses can stand for the townspeople. They also feel isolated from each other. Gossip is commonplace, but they rarely show acts of empathy and love toward each other. For example, even they feel sorry for Frome after the â€Å"smash-up,† they do not offer him any real empathy. Frome must have felt lonelier after the smash-up, because people â€Å"guessed† what he and Mattie wanted to truly do. Moreover, the coldness of their environment spills over people's hopes and freezes their ability to dream and pursue their dreams. Ethan once wanted to be an engineer, but because of lack of social and financial support, he did not become one anymore. He also has to take care of his mother. Then, he dreams of being with Mattie, but due to his poverty and the problem of being â€Å"judged† by his society, he does not leave Zeena. Ethan wants an easier way out instead of facing poverty and ridicule, but this dream is snatched from him too. The setting al so evokes a fairy tale escape and simplification of characters and their isolation. Ammons argues that Ethan Frome can be viewed as a fairy tale, because the novel contains the archetypes of â€Å"the witch, the silvery maiden, the honest woodcutter† (Ammons 48). She compares Ethan Frome to Snow White, where Zeena is the witch, Mattie is the silvery maiden, and Ethan is the honest woodcutter. Zeena is the witch, because she is the selfish villain who wants to be Ethan's queen, even when Ethan no longer loves her. Zeena will do everything she can to keep Ethan from leaving her and Starkfield. One of her ways is being constantly sick. If she is sick, Ethan will remember what she did for his mother. She uses Ethan's indebtedness to her to force him into living with her, if not loving her. Another

Bill of Rights - Freedom of religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bill of Rights - Freedom of religion - Essay Example The documentation of religious beginning in America is found in the Mayflower Compact of 1620 which is a common referencing material. In 1648, the â€Å"Lauues and Liberty† of Massachusetts adopted banishment as the punishment to any person who criticized the baptizing of infants. Execution was put forward as the punishment for any one who worshiped any other God rather than the Lord God. The witch, blasphemer or a child who cursed their parents were executed through capital punishment. In 1648 and 1688, a total of five women were put to death because of practicing witchcraft and 16 other practitioners of witchcraft were put to death through hanging on the Salem Common in 1692. In 1660, Mary Dyer who was a Quaker was hanged On Boston Common after it was alleged she refused to stop preaching that the baptizing of infants was wrong and people may have a direct relationship with God without clergy intervening. In year 1659 and 1661, three other Quakers were hanged on the Boston C ommon for heresy. The Puritans of Massachusetts and the Anglicans believed in God, Slavery and witchcraft but they did not believe in religious freedom. (Gunn, 2004, p 442)1(Gunn, 2004, p 442) In 1649, the Catholic Maryland adopted the â€Å"Act Concerning Religion† .This act protected Protestants and Catholics who professed to believe in Jesus Christ from being prosecuted by puritans 2(Feldberg, 2002, p 8). However, the law later established a death penalty among the people who did not believe in trinity and prevented any critical utterances against the evangelists, the virgins and the apostles. Many of the legislators saw the law as helping to reduce religious conflicts but the Puritans of Maryland opposed it because it was very negligent and later requested the American Puritans to suppress the law. When Cromwell came into power in England, the Puritans of Maryland and Virginia joined other groups in ousting the Catholics and the Act was revoked in 1654. As a result, four Catholics were executed, all Catholics priest were exiled and Jesuit estates vandalized. The Maryland experiment in tolerating of religious ideologies only lasted for five years. (Gunn, 2004, p 443) In the 17th and 18th centuries, anti-catholic, laws discriminating against Catholics existed through out colonies. In some instances, the Huguenots who had fled from France supported the legislation. The Pennsylvanians who for along time resisted the anti-catholic laws that prohibited Catholics to hold political office and from voting also embraced the laws. In 1774, the English parliament adopted the Act of Quebec Act which provided religious freedoms to all catholic in her colonies. The Continental Congress and the legislatures in America condemned the Act for establishing an act of tyranny even though; the Act provided partial freedom to Catholics. Thus freedom of religion became the first right to be identified in the Bill of Right. The problem was that the statement of â€Å"free e xercises of religion† was omitted in the fist constitution on the Bill of Right. In 1787, the congress debates led to the adoption of the Bill of Rights but they did not assert that the freedom of religion was above other rights. Even after the Bill of Rights and the constitution was ratified, freedom of religion did not manifest itself uniformly since anti-catholism was prevailing in all protestant settlements. In the 18 century, the prominent personalities in America who struggled for religious liberty like Thomas Jefferson engaged in the condemnation of anti-catholism. John jay sponsored a law which was meant to deny the Catholics political rights unless they gave up their allegiance to the pope. (Gunn, 2004, p 444) In 1786,

Child Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Child Law - Essay Example The Child Abduction Act addresses the offence that is child abduction. In this case, an abductor could be a parent, or not. The act also provides that an individual who is involved with a child below sixteen years of age is deemed to have committed an offence at such a time as when he either sends or takes a child away from the United Kingdom, and not taking the trouble of seeking proper consent. Once a person is deemed to be a parent to such a child, the law recognizes such a person as being connected to the child in question (Wardle & Nolan 2002). In a situation whereby such a child was born at a time when his parents had not yet married, but evidence exists without any reasonable doubt that such a person is the father to the child, or a guardian for that matter, this is still counted as a connection with the child. The same case applies when such a person has been awarded the child’s custody (Wardle & Nolan 2002). The Child Abduction Act states that the consent to taking away a child has to be sought from the mother to the child, his father (only in a case where such a father enjoys parental responsibilities), the child’s guardian, or another individual who has been favoured by a residence order to take care the child. The same case applies to an individual that has been granted custody of the child in question (Wardle & Nolan 2002). According to the Child Abduction Act, an individual may send or take a child away from United Kingdom and not be seen to have committed any offence under certain circumstances. For example, an individual who has had a residence order ruled in favour of, in as far as the custody of the child is concerned gets exempted, or if an individual wishes to send or take such a child from outside of the United Kingdom for no more than a month’s time (Lyster 2007). The Child Abduction Act may be said to take into account the welfare of the child. For example,

SWOT analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SWOT analysis - Assignment Example As the CEO of the Samsung smart Phone Company and based on the analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats I would focus mainly on improving on the areas that pose a challenge to the company to ensure that my competitors do not face the Samsung Company out of the market. I would also improve on the quality of my products, hardware and also the operating systems. Additionally, I would take advantage of the opportunities open to the company to see on how I can incorporate them in the operations of the company so as to release better and improved products. Consequently, I would also create a business environment that is ready to accept technological change as the world is dynamic and it keeps on changing and therefore the use of modern technology will result in improved and new products in the market. This ensures that the company will be able to stand the heat from its competitors. Lastly, SWOT analysis aids the company in knowing the attitude of its customers by how they purchase the product; this will ensure that the company continues to improve on their

Bill of Rights - Freedom of religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bill of Rights - Freedom of religion - Essay Example The documentation of religious beginning in America is found in the Mayflower Compact of 1620 which is a common referencing material. In 1648, the â€Å"Lauues and Liberty† of Massachusetts adopted banishment as the punishment to any person who criticized the baptizing of infants. Execution was put forward as the punishment for any one who worshiped any other God rather than the Lord God. The witch, blasphemer or a child who cursed their parents were executed through capital punishment. In 1648 and 1688, a total of five women were put to death because of practicing witchcraft and 16 other practitioners of witchcraft were put to death through hanging on the Salem Common in 1692. In 1660, Mary Dyer who was a Quaker was hanged On Boston Common after it was alleged she refused to stop preaching that the baptizing of infants was wrong and people may have a direct relationship with God without clergy intervening. In year 1659 and 1661, three other Quakers were hanged on the Boston C ommon for heresy. The Puritans of Massachusetts and the Anglicans believed in God, Slavery and witchcraft but they did not believe in religious freedom. (Gunn, 2004, p 442)1(Gunn, 2004, p 442) In 1649, the Catholic Maryland adopted the â€Å"Act Concerning Religion† .This act protected Protestants and Catholics who professed to believe in Jesus Christ from being prosecuted by puritans 2(Feldberg, 2002, p 8). However, the law later established a death penalty among the people who did not believe in trinity and prevented any critical utterances against the evangelists, the virgins and the apostles. Many of the legislators saw the law as helping to reduce religious conflicts but the Puritans of Maryland opposed it because it was very negligent and later requested the American Puritans to suppress the law. When Cromwell came into power in England, the Puritans of Maryland and Virginia joined other groups in ousting the Catholics and the Act was revoked in 1654. As a result, four Catholics were executed, all Catholics priest were exiled and Jesuit estates vandalized. The Maryland experiment in tolerating of religious ideologies only lasted for five years. (Gunn, 2004, p 443) In the 17th and 18th centuries, anti-catholic, laws discriminating against Catholics existed through out colonies. In some instances, the Huguenots who had fled from France supported the legislation. The Pennsylvanians who for along time resisted the anti-catholic laws that prohibited Catholics to hold political office and from voting also embraced the laws. In 1774, the English parliament adopted the Act of Quebec Act which provided religious freedoms to all catholic in her colonies. The Continental Congress and the legislatures in America condemned the Act for establishing an act of tyranny even though; the Act provided partial freedom to Catholics. Thus freedom of religion became the first right to be identified in the Bill of Right. The problem was that the statement of â€Å"free e xercises of religion† was omitted in the fist constitution on the Bill of Right. In 1787, the congress debates led to the adoption of the Bill of Rights but they did not assert that the freedom of religion was above other rights. Even after the Bill of Rights and the constitution was ratified, freedom of religion did not manifest itself uniformly since anti-catholism was prevailing in all protestant settlements. In the 18 century, the prominent personalities in America who struggled for religious liberty like Thomas Jefferson engaged in the condemnation of anti-catholism. John jay sponsored a law which was meant to deny the Catholics political rights unless they gave up their allegiance to the pope. (Gunn, 2004, p 444) In 1786,

SWOT analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SWOT analysis - Assignment Example As the CEO of the Samsung smart Phone Company and based on the analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats I would focus mainly on improving on the areas that pose a challenge to the company to ensure that my competitors do not face the Samsung Company out of the market. I would also improve on the quality of my products, hardware and also the operating systems. Additionally, I would take advantage of the opportunities open to the company to see on how I can incorporate them in the operations of the company so as to release better and improved products. Consequently, I would also create a business environment that is ready to accept technological change as the world is dynamic and it keeps on changing and therefore the use of modern technology will result in improved and new products in the market. This ensures that the company will be able to stand the heat from its competitors. Lastly, SWOT analysis aids the company in knowing the attitude of its customers by how they purchase the product; this will ensure that the company continues to improve on their

Truth Is Absolute Not Relative Essay Example for Free

Truth Is Absolute Not Relative Essay Background of the Topic: Many people nowadays seek for â€Å"THE TRUTH†. I searched up the internet and Google gave me 611 million answers in just a quart of a second. As top answer Google gave me this definition from wisegeek.com, â€Å"An absolute truth, sometimes called a universal truth, is an unalterable and permanent fact. The concept of absolute truths what they are and whether they exist has been debated among many different groups of people. Philosophers have waded in the muck of defining absolute truth for millennia. For example, Plato believed that absolute truth existed, but that truth on earth was merely a shadow of great forms of absolute truth existing in the universe which is now commonly called â€Å"universals†. Alternatively, many believe in relative truths, where facts may vary depending on the circumstances.† Simply put, WHAT’S TRUE TO ME MAY NOT BE TRUE TO YOU. It is however difficult to disprove the concept of absolute truth, since saying that there are no absolute truths that it is absolutely true that no absolute truth exists is itself an absolute truth.† Relationship of the Topic- Main: It will help us to know and recognize the fundamental basis of truth. To me: I firmly believe on absolute truth unlike others. I believe in the absolute truth of the Bible and God as its ultimate source. To the society: Living in a society sharing the same ground that there is an existence of absolute truth would eradicate most of today’s debates on non-significant yet intriguing problems. Also, there is the need of a certain and mutual fundamental basis of the absoluteness of truth and from whence it come forth. Problem: Many of us were blinded about what is truth and a lot of us have different queries regarding what is the real meaning of truth whether it is absolute or relative. Definition of the topic: There are a few things that we all agree are absolutely true, but they depend upon an agreement in definition. ABSOULTE TRUTH: †¢ Truth is discovered not invented †¢ Truth is transcultural: it can be conveyed across different cultures. †¢ Truth is unchanging: it can be conveyed across time. †¢ Beliefs cannot change a truth statement no matter how sincere one may be †¢ Truth is unaffected by the attitude of the one professing it †¢ All Truths are absolute †¢ Truth is knowable In order for truth to be absolute and holding these qualities, it must be grounded in a source that is personal, unchanging, and sovereign over all creation. Relative Truth: Truth is created not discovered. Truth is a matter of perspective and each culture or individual defines for themselves what truth is. †¢ Since truth is invented, there is no universal transcultural truth. Each culture or individual will define truth differently according to their background and perspective. †¢ Truth changes since it is inseparably connected to individuals and cultures which continually change truth perpetually to changes. †¢ Since truth is a matter of a group or individual’s perspective, one’s beliefs can change a truth statement. †¢ Since an individual determines truth, truth is affected by the attitude of the one professing it. †¢ There can be no such thing as absolute truth. †¢ Absolute truth is not knowable. Absolute and objective truth cannot be known since it is built on the shifting foundation of man’s perceptions. As each individual’s perception is different, truth cannot be known. References: Bible and Blogs specifically the Truth Project

Effects of Indoor Plants on Air Pollution

Effects of Indoor Plants on Air Pollution Are indoor plants adapted to get rid formaldehyde, Sipin, Elly Lorreta one of the noxious wastes commonly found at home 002348-019 nowadays? 1.0 Introduction I did further research and found out that indoor air pollution phenomenon has urged the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) scientists to study the functions of plants to provide clean indoor air. NASA has become the pioneer towards this research and recently has been widened by many other associations like the Wolverton Environmental Services, Inc. endorsed by the Plants for Clean Air Council in Mitchellville, Maryland[1]. Research done by NASA has found out that there are certain plants that have the function to purify the air in a building[2]. They detoxify the existing toxins and pollutants which originate from the things used in daily activities nowadays; fabrics, detergents and also furniture. These pollutants can be classified into three common indoor pollutants according to the list of indoor contaminant that are currently present. There are benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. (TCE)[3] Plants use the concept of transpiration to work onto this problem[4]. As the vaporized chemical enters the stomatal opening on the leaves of the indoor plants, they are either broken down directly or be sent downwards; down to the root system of the plants.[5] The presence of colonies of microbes at the root system breaks down various kinds of unhealthy compounds; in this case the indoor pollutants, and absorbs them as their source of food[6]. As for the mechanism of transpiration to remove the pollutant, water vapour that is liberated by the leaves of the plants will mix with the air in the atmosphere. Convection of air leads to the movement of the atmospheric air that is contaminated with the vaporized chemical downwards to the base of the plants. I chose 6 types of plants to be experimented by one fixed type of pollutant; formaldehyde. It is normally used in the production of grocery bags, facial tissues, waxed paper, waxed paper[7] and produced by tobacco products, gas cookers and open fireplaces.[8] In the experiment, this chemical is predicted to be absorbed by each plant. Plant that absorbs the chemical the most would be the efficient plant to be included in places mentioned before. 2.0 Aim To study the effect of plants transpiration towards the acidity and mass of formaldehyde in a transparent chamber. 3.0 Planning and method development Firstly, a chamber must be set up to place plants chosen. A pot of selected plant is placed into each chamber. 6 types of plants were chosen, therefore 6 chambers must be created. To make sure that air, sunlight and water could be continuously supplied, I decided that the chamber must be transparent, and there are holes to let air enters. The material that I chose is transparent plastic so that holes can be poked, the wall of the chambers can be flipped to water the plants everyday and plants get sufficient sunlight. I selected formaldehyde as the pollutant to the plants. In each of the chamber, I included formalin of the same amount in a beaker and let it evaporate in the chamber. As formalin CH2O, is a reducing agent[9], therefore it has the ability to release its hydrogen.[10] The more hydrogen ions present in it, the greater the strength of the acid. When evaporation of formalin happens continuously, there will be less in quantity of hydrogen atoms in the aqueous solution. Thus, the acidity of formaldehyde could decrease through evaporation; pH of the formalin increases. So, the pH of the formalin is ought to be checked for every interval of two days. Because concept of evaporation is used, it is for sure the volume of the formalin will reduce. The most effective method to measure this is by getting the mass decrease. I took the reading of the mass of formalin for every interval of two days. I decided to take note on the external condition of all the plants so that analysis on that can be don e to find its relativity with formalin. 4.0 Hypothesis My prediction is that indoor plants have the ability to get rid of formaldehyde, one of the noxious wastes commonly found at home nowadays by absorbing the chemicals through their microscopic openings perforated on their leaves; the stomata[11]. As the chemical evaporates, the molecules of the chemical are absorbed by the plants by gaining entrance through the stomata. These plants transport the absorbed chemical to their root system along the xylem of the plants to be broken down by the microbes present at the roots.[12] As formalin acts as a reducing agent, release of hydrogen could occur. Through evaporation of formalin, there will be less hydrogen atoms could remain in the aqueous solution. Thus, it is possible for the decrease in mass and increase in the pH of the formalin to occur when indoor plants are available. 5.0 Methodology 5.1 Variables a) Independent: * Types of plants chosen to be experimented There are variety types of plants chosen in order to know whether the hypothesis could be accepted. They are Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata â€Å"Bostoniensis†), Janet Craig(Dracaena deremensis), Florists mum(Chrysanthemum morifolium), Kimberly queen fern (Nephrolepis obliterata), Snake plant or mother-in-laws tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata Laurentii), Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) altogether. Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) acts as the control of the experiment to show its less in efficiency to absorb the toxin. Some plants have no ability to absorb the chosen toxin as good as in some indoor plants. b) Dependent: * The rate of absorption of formaldehyde The rate of absorption of formaldehyde is taken as the decrease in mass of formalin over time. This is documented for every interval of two days. Other than that, the acidity of formaldehyde in each chamber is also noted. This is done by using pH paper and pH meter to indicate the change in pH. The pH of the formalin in the chamber is recorded to see the pattern of change in acidity. c) Fixed: * The type of toxin chosen; formaldehyde Liquid formalin is selected to be one of the fixed variables in this experiment so that the analysis of the change in acidity can be done easily. More than one type of pollutant will promote confusion while conducting the experiment as the characteristic of one pollutant differ from one to another. Formalin is the aqueous state of the chemical formaldehyde and the concentration of the liquid formalin is 100%. I made the volume and the concentration of liquid formalin the same in every small beaker included in every transparent chamber. It is important to do so because the pH of the chemical and its mass are to be checked every 2 days throughout the duration of the experiment. The initial pH of the chemical is 3.510 while the initial volume of the chemical is 10  ± 0.5 ml making its mass to be 10.19  ± 0.01 g * The estimated size of the plants chosen The chosen plants are of the same size. There is no specific measurement for the plants sizes so therefore, the size is depending on the experimenters justification by fixing the number of leaves present in every plant chosen. This is due to the mechanism of the absorption of the chemical formalin happens through the microscopic opening present on the leaves; the stomata. It is therefore can be predicted that more tiny opening present on the leaves, the more effective would the rate of absorption be. I decided that the total number of leaves is approximately 15-20 leaves depending on the how broad the surface of the leaves is. * The size of the pyramidal transparent chamber The size of the pyramidal transparent chamber is to be made constant by using the same size and number of transparent plastic bags. The size of the plastic bags is 23cm x 38cm and they are cut into same shapes to fit it with the skeleton of the chamber. The base of the chamber is triangular in shape and constant with the area of  ½ (50cm x 50cm). 5.2 Materials MATERIALS QUANTITY JUSTIFICATION Formalin 120ml Formalin acts as the toxin in the experiment. Tap Water 5 litres This is used to water the plants everyday for 2 weeks duration. 5.3 Apparatus APPARATUS QUANTITY JUSTIFICATION Boston fern (N. exaltata) 1 pot These are the plants chosen to determine their effectiveness to absorb the formalin. Janet Craig (D. deremensis) 1 pot Florists mum (C. morifolium) 1 pot Kimberly queen fern (N. obliterata) 1 pot Snake plant (S. trifasciata) 1 pot Himalayan Balsam (I. glandulifera) 1 pot pH paper 1 box To check the acidity of formalin every 2 days. pH meter 1 To determine the pH of the formalin every 2 days. Disposable plastic cups 24 To be the base of the pyramidal transparent chamber. Plastic and bamboo chopsticks 54 To be the poles of the pyramidal transparent chamber. Electronic balance 1 To measure the decrease in mass of the liquid formalin for every 2 days. 50ml beaker 6 To place the liquid formalin in each chamber. 50ml measuring cylinder 1 To measure the amount of formalin in each 50ml beaker. Transparent plastics for packaging (23cm x 38cm) 1 pack To become the cover of the chamber. 5.4 Methodology to prepare a chamber for the plant A chamber has to be invented to place the chosen plants, considering the needs of those plants to get sufficient sunlight, air and water. I chose transparent plastics and attach them together to create a pyramidal transparent chamber. Holes were also poked to allow air move into the chamber. I included nine chopsticks to be the poles of chamber. A pole comprised of 3 combined chopsticks. To increase its stability, I poked a hole onto the bases of three disposable plastic cups and inserted the chopsticks into the holes. 5.5 Methodology to determine the change in acidity of formaldehyde After the chamber was set up, I prepared the solution of the toxin chosen; formalin.in a 50ml beaker. 10  ± 0.5 ml of the chemical in each beaker was measured using 50ml measuring cylinder. 6 transparent chambers were set up to place 6 types of plants which were the Boston fern (N. exaltata), Janet Craig (D. deremensis), Florists mum (C. morifolium), Kimberly queen fern (N. obliterata), Snake plant (S. trifasciata), and Himalayan Balsam (I. glandulifera). All the 6 chambers contained different pots of plants and 10ml of formalin in a 50ml beaker. At intervals of 2 days, the mass of the formalin was recorded. The procedure to get the mass of formalin in each chamber was as follows; * Take the reading of the mass of 50ml beaker before filling in the formalin by using electronic balance. Repeat the steps 3 times in order to get the average reading. * Weigh the 50ml beaker containing formalin by using electronic balance. Repeat the procedure 3 times in order to get the average reading. The reading of the mass of the formalin + 50ml beaker at intervals of 2 days was recorded. The mass of the formalin was determined by subtracting the average value of the mass of formalin + 50ml beaker with the average mass of the 50ml beaker. The pH was again checked by using pH paper and also pH meter for 2 weeks. The change in colour of the pH paper and the reading of the pH meter were noted and documented. Each of the plants in the chamber was watered once a day using tap water. The amount of tap water must was 20ml per watering and watering time was at 10.30 a.m and 4.00 p.m. every day. Condition for each of the plants was observed for interval time of 2 days. All of results were recorded in a table. 5.5.1 Precaution 1. Beware while handling formalin because it is a dangerous chemical. Since a high concentration of formaldehyde will be used in the experiment, [13]it may cause burning sensation to the eyes, nose and lungs. Thus it could result in allergic reaction because of formalin. 2. Be cautious when building the pyramidal transparent chamber especially when dealing with the bamboo sticks. Avoid any sharp splinter of the bamboo stick from piercing into the skin. 6.0 Data collection TABLE 1: THE pH of FORMALIN IN EACH TRANSPARENT CHAMBER WITH DIFFERENT PLANTS IN 14 DAYS Transparent chamber containing plants Value of Ph of formalin in each transparent chamber according to number of days 2 days 4 days 6 days 8 days 10 days 12 days 14 days Boston fern (N. exaltata â€Å"Bostoniensis†) 3.510 3.550 3.570 4.020 4.130 4.260 4.310 Janet Craig (D. deremensis) 3.510 3.570 3.580 4.020 4.070 4.210 4.430 Florists mum (C. morifolium) 3.510 3.570 3.590 4.120 4.200 4.320 4.620 Kimberly queen fern (N. obliterate) 3.510 3.510 3.520 4.010 4.030 4.050 4.110 Snake plant (S. trifasciata Laurentii) 3.510 3.370 3.360 4.030 4.030 4.030 4.030 Himalayan Balsam (I. glandulifera) 3.510 3.370 3.370 3.350 3.350 3.350 3.350 Note: The pH of formalin in each beaker was checked at the same interval to ensure that none of the formalin being absorbed more by their respective plants. The time that they were checked was at a range of 4.00 p.m. until 4.45 p.m. 10 Are indoor plants adapted to get rid formaldehyde, Sipin, Elly Lorreta one of the noxious wastes commonly found at home 002348-019 nowadays? TABLE 2: MASS OF FORMALIN + 50ml BEAKER IN EACH CHAMBER CONTAINING DIFFERENT PLANTS IN 14 DAYS Transparent chamber containing plants Mass of formalin + 50ml beaker in each transparent chamber  ± 0.01g 2 days 4 days 6 days 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd Boston fern (N. exaltata) 46.950 46.960 46.960 46.530 46.540 46.550 46.230 46.220 46.220 Janet Craig (D. deremensis) 46.910 46.910 46.910 46.520 46.520 46.510 46.310 46.310 46.310 Florists mum (C. morifolium) 46.940 46.940 46.950 46.610 46.600 46.610 46.350 46.340 46.350 Kimberly queen fern (N. obliterata) 46.970 46.970 46.970 46.620 46.620 46.640 46.430 46.410 46.410 Snake plant (S. trifasciata) 46.920 46.910 46.910 46.620 46.630 46.610 46.420 46.410 46.430 Himalayan Balsam(I. glandulifera) 46.940 46.940 46.930 46.780 46.790 46.790 46.720 46.710 46.720 Note: The mass of the formalin was measured at intervals of 2 days and it was at a range of time from 4.00 p.m. until 4.45 p.m. 10 Are indoor plants adapted to get rid formaldehyde, Sipin, Elly Lorreta one of the noxious wastes commonly found at home 002348-019 nowadays? Transparent chamber containing plants Mass of formalin + 50ml beaker in each transparent chamber  ± 0.01g 8 days 10 days 12 days 14 days 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd Boston fern (N. exaltata) 46.010 46.030 46.040 45.480 45.480 45.470 45.210 45.220 45.220 44.950 44.960 44.980 Janet Craig (D. deremensis) 45.520 45.530 45.530 45.030 45.030 45.020 44.960 44.960 44.920 44.580 44.590 44.580 Florists mum (C. morifolium) 45.550 45.550 45.560 45.220 45.210 45.220 44.940 44.940 44.950 44.130 44.130 44.140 Kimberly queen fern (N. obliterata) 45.500 45.510 45.510 45.320 45.350 45.350 44.980 44.980 44.990 44.220 44.230 44.230 Snake plant (S. trifasciata) 45.890 45.900 45.890 45.530 45.530 45.530 45.140 45.140 45.120 44.970 44.960 44.970 Himalayan Balsam(I. glandulifera) 46.680 46.680 46.680 46.340 46.340 46.320 46.290 46.290 47.300 46.250 46.240 46.250 10 Are indoor plants adapted to get rid formaldehyde, Sipin, Elly Lorreta one of the noxious wastes commonly found at home 002348-019 nowadays? Transparent chamber containing plants Change in colour of pH paper 2 days 4 days 6 days 8 days 10 days 12 days 14 days Boston fern (N. exaltata) Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Janet Craig (D. deremensis) Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Yellow leaves Brown Leaves Florists mum (C.morifolium) Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Wilted flowers Wilted flowers Yellow leaves Yellow leaves K. queen fern (N. obliterata) Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Yellow leaves Yellow leaves Yellow leaves Snake plant (S. trifasciata) Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves Green leaves H. Balsam (I. glandulifera) Green leaves Green leaves Yellow leaves Yellow leaves Yellow leaves Brown leaves Brown leaves TABLE 3: DAILY CONDITION OF PLANTS IN THE TRANSPARENT CHAMBERS IN 14 DAYS Note: Only Florists mum (C.morifolium) in this experiment has flowers. When the edges of the leaves becoming brown or yellow, it is indicated as having brown leaves or yellow leaves. The font in italic form indicates the adverse change onto the plants. 10 Are indoor plants adapted to get rid formaldehyde, Sipin, Elly Lorreta one of the noxious wastes commonly found at home 002348-019 nowadays? TABLE 4: CHANGE IN COLOUR OF pH PAPER WHEN pH OF FORMALIN FOR A DURATION OF TWO WEEKS Transparent chamber containing plants Change in colour of pH paper 2 days 4 days 6 days 8 days 10 days 12 days 14 days Boston fern (N. exaltata ) Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Janet Craig (D. deremensis) Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Florists mum (C. morifolium) Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange K. queen fern (N. obliterata) Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Snake plant (S. trifasciata) Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange H. Balsam (I. glandulifera) Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Light orange Note: The original colour of the pH paper is light yellow in colour 10 Are indoor plants adapted to get rid formaldehyde, Sipin, Elly Lorreta one of the noxious wastes commonly found at home 002348-019 nowadays? 7.0 Data processing 7.1 pH difference of formalin I discover that there are some changes in pH of the formalin in the transparent chamber. The following table shows the total difference in the final and the initial pH of the formalin in each transparent chamber. TABLE 5: DIFFERENCE IN pH OF FORMALIN IN EACH TRANSPARENT CHAMBER Transparent chamber containing plants Final pH Initial pH Difference in pH Boston fern (N. exaltata) 4.310 3.510 0.800 Janet Craig (D. deremensis) 4.430 3.510 0.920 Florists mum (C. morifolium) 4.620 3.510 1.110 Kimberly queen fern (N. obliterate) 4.110 3.510 0.600 Snake plant (S. trifasciata) 4.030 3.510 0.520 Himalayan Balsam (I. glandulifera) 3.350 3.510 0.160 Note: The method to calculate the pH of formalin in chamber containing Himalayan Balsam is inverted, since the pH value decreased so that negative value can be ignored. 7.2 Data for mean mass of formalin The following table shows the average mass of formalin + 50ml beaker for 14 days TABLE 6: AVERAGE MASS OF FORMALIN + 50ml BEAKER IN EACH CHAMBER CONTAINING DIFFERENT PLANTS IN 14 DAYS Transparent chamber containing plants Average mass of formalin+50ml beaker in each chamber  ± 0.01g Day 2 Day 4 Day 6 Day 8 Day 10 Day 12 Day 14 Boston fern (N. exaltata) 46.960 46.540 46.220 46.030 45.480 45.220 44.960 Janet Craig (D. deremensis) 46.910 46.520 46.310 45.530 45.030 44.950 44.580 Florists mum (C. morifolium) 46.940 46.610 46.350 45.550 45.220 44.540 44.130 K. queen fern (N. obliterate) 46.970 46.630 46.420 45.510 45.340 44.980 44.240 Snake plant (S. trifasciata) 46.910 46.620 46.420 45.890 45.330 45.130 44.970 H. Balsam (I. glandulifera 46.940 46.790 46.720 46.680 46.330 46.290 44.250 Note: The average masses were obtained by totaling up the three mass values in three trials, and divide it into three. 7.3 Graph for the decreasing mass of formalin In order to get a graph of decrease in mass of formalin from day 0 to day 14, the real mass of formalin is required. Therefore, the table of mass of formalin for a duration of 14 days is made as follows. The formulation to calculate the mass of formalin in each beaker would be; Mass of formalin= [(Average mass of formalin+50ml beaker)- Average mass of 50ml beaker] TABLE 7: MASS OF FORMALIN IN EVERY 50ml BEAKER CONTAINED IN TRANSPARENT CHAMBER WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLANTS Transparent chamber containing plants Mass of formalin  ± 0.01g [(Average mass of formalin+50ml beaker) Average mass of 50ml beaker] Day 2 Day 4 Day 6 Day 8 Day 10 Day 12 Day 14 Boston fern (N. exaltata) 10.170 9.750 9.430 9.240 8.690 8.430 8.170 Janet Craig (D. deremensis) 10.120 9.730 9.520 8.740 8.240 8.160 7.790 Florists mum (C. morifolium) 10.150 9.820 9.560 8.760 8.430 8.150 7.340 K. queen fern (N. obliterate) 10.180 9.840 9.630 8.760 8.430 8.150 7.450 Snake plant (S. trifasciata) 10.120 9.830 9.630 9.100 8.540 8.340 8.180 H. Balsam (I. glandulifera 10.150 10.000 9.930 9.890 9.540 9.500 9.460 Note: The average mass of one 50ml beaker is 36.79  ± 0.1g. This value was used to calculate the mass above. The bar graph of decrease in mass of the formalin against number of days for each beaker containing formalin in every transparent chamber is as follows; graph 1: decrease in mass of the formalin against number of days for each beaker containing formalin in every transparent chamber Note: The graph shows quite obvious inclination of mass of formalin in all chambers except for the H. Balsam (I. glandulifera) 7.4 Mass and percentage of formalin absorbed The initial average mass of the 10ml formalin in the 50ml beaker is 46.980  ± 0.01g and the average mass of the 50ml beaker alone is 36.790  ± 0.01g making the mass of the 10.000  ± 0.1 ml formalin poured in to be 10.190  ± 0.01g. From the data, there is a decreasing pattern of the mass of the formalin in the 50ml beaker. The percentage of decrease in mass of the 10.000  ± 0.1 ml formalin in 14 days of time in respective transparent chamber of plants can be determined. Before that, the mass of formalin absorbed in all the 6 transparent chambers must be d up. Calculation is as follows; TABLE 8: MASS OF FORMALIN ABSORBED BY PLANTS IN EACH CHAMBER Name of plants in each chamber Mass of formalin absorbed [Initial mass (10.190)- Mass on the14th day]  ± 0.01g Boston fern (N. exaltata) 2.020 Janet Craig (D. deremensis) 2.400 Florists mum (C. morifolium) 2.850 Kimberly queen fern (N. obliterate) 2.740 Snake plant (S. trifasciata) 2.010 H. Balsam (I. glandulifera 0.730 Note: The mass of formalin absorbed by plants in each chamber is referring to the decrease in mass of formalin throughout the 12 days duration. It is possible to calculate the percentage of decrease in mass of formalin absorbed by using the formulation below. The table below shows the percentage in respective 50ml beaker of formalin in all 6 chambers; Percentage of decrease in = Mass of formalin absorbed x 100% mass of formalin Initial mass of formalin TABLE 9: PERCENTAGE DECREASE IN MASS OF FORMALIN IN THE 50ml BEAKER IN RESPECTIVE TRANSPARENT CHAMBER Transparent chamber containing plants Percentage of decrease in mass of formalin absorbed Percentage of decrease in mass of formalin (%) Boston fern (N. exaltata) 2.020/10.190 x 100 19.820 Janet Craig (D. deremensis) 2.400/10.190 x 100 23.550 Florists mum (C. morifolium) 2.850/10.190 x 100 27.970 Kimberly queen fern (N. obliterate) 2.740/10.190 x 100 26.890 Snake plant (S. trifasciata) 2.010/10.190 x 100 19.730 Himalayan Balsam (I. glandulifera) 0.730/10.190 x 100 7.160 Note: The comparison of decrease in mass of formalin in beaker is based on the initial mass of formalin in the beaker. The greater the percentage of decrease in masses of formalin, the better the quality of air in the chamber, the better formalin absorber would the plant be. The following diagram shows the ascending order of the quality of plant as formalin absorber. Himalayan Balsam (I. glandulifera) Snake plant (S. trifasciata) Boston fern (N. exaltata) Janet Craig (D. deremensis) Kimberly queen fern (N. obliterate) Florists mum (C. morifolium) 7.5 Calculation for mean, standard deviation and T-test TABLE 10 : TABLE OF MEAN AND STANDARD DEVIATION FOR EVERY PLANTS CHOSEN Mass  ± 0.01g Plants Boston fern (N. exaltata) Janet Craig (D. deremensis) Florists mum (C. morifolium) Kimberly queen fern (N. obliterata) Snake plant (S. trifasciata) Himalayan Balsam (I. glandulifera) 1st trial 2.000 2.330 2.810 2.000 1.950 0.690 2nd trial 2.000 2.320 2.810 2.740 1.950 0.700 3rd trial 1.980 2.330 2.810 2.740 1.940 0.680 Mean 1.993 2.327 2.810 2.493 1.947 0.690 Std. Dev 0.009 0.005 0.000 0.349 0.005 0.008 Note: The mean was determined by getting the difference of mass of formalin between 14th day with the 0 day; initial mass. The formulation to calculate t-test is as follows; t-value =_____difference in mean___ difference of standard error TABLE 11: TABLE OF T-VALUE FOR THE COMPARISON OF MASS DECREASE MEAN BETWEEN BOSTON FERN (N. exaltata) AND JANET CRAIG (D. deremensis) Mass  ± 0.01g Plants Boston fern (N. exaltata) Janet Craig (D. deremensis) Difference between Boston fern and Janet Craig 1 trial 2.000 2.330 0.330 2 trial 2.000 2.320 0.320 3 trial 1.980 2.330 0.340 Mean 1.993 2.327 0.330 Std. Dev 0.009 0.005 0.008 Std. Error 1.151 1.343 0.191 Degree of freedom 2.000 Critical value at 5% level 4.300 t-value 1.728 Null Hypothesis: There is no significance difference for decrease in mass between Boston fern (N. exaltata) and Janet Craig (D. deremensis) | t | = 1.728 Thus, null hypothesis is rejected. The mean difference is not significant TABLE 12: TABLE OF T-VALUE FOR THE COMPARISON OF MASS DECREASE MEAN BETWEEN BOSTON FERN (N. exaltata) AND FLORISTS MUM (C. morifolium) Null Hypothesis: There is no significance difference for decrease in mass between Boston fern (N. exaltata) and Florists mum (C. morifolium) Mass  ± 0.01g Plants Boston fern (N. exaltata) Florists mum (C. morifolium) Difference between Boston fern and Florists mum