Investigation into the relationship between the density of fresh water shrimps in fleet brook and the flow rate of water brook Essays

Investigation into the relationship between the density of fresh water shrimps in fleet brook and the flow rate of water brook Essays Investigation into the relationship between the density of fresh water shrimps in fleet brook and the flow rate of water brook Essay Investigation into the relationship between the density of fresh water shrimps in fleet brook and the flow rate of water brook Essay Essay Topic: Into the Wild Fresh water shrimps (gammarus pulex) are crustacean living in many rivers and streams of this country. They prefer to live in flowing fresh water environments which often has better oxygenated waters that still water environments.2 Aim The aim of my investigation will be to determine the relationship, if any, between the gammarus pulex (fresh water shrimp) population density (the number of shrimps) and the rate of water flow at particular sites of Shir Burn Brook. Preliminary work For my preliminary work, a variety of sampling techniques were carried out to collect samples of freshwater organisms in Shir Burn Brook. The methods include the kick sampling technique and the prodding sampling technique. The range of the flow rate of water in Shir Burn Brook was found to be 0.05m/s-0.25m/s. The samples collected also enabled me to correctly classify and thus allowing me to recognize gammarus pulex. Samples were also collected in a static water environment to enable me to differentiate between the species gammarus pulex and its static water relatives, grangonyx pseudogracilis. Kick samples were taken at different site in the brook. The numbers of freshwater shrimps found at each of these sites are 20, 35, 60, 15, 24. This shows me the range of the number gammarus pulex I should expect. These figures gave me a rough guide on the range of the numbers of gammarus pulex living in the brook. This means that I have a rough estimate of the numbers of shrimps I expect to find during my investigation. Hypothesis: There will be higher densities of gammarus pulex present in areas of faster water flow. The results should show a positive relationship between the rate of flow at a site in the stream and the number of shrimps found at the site. I believe this will be due to the variation in oxygenation of the water. As the water flows faster, the movement will mean that more oxygen can be dissolved into the water, creating a higher dissolved oxygen level in the water. The increased amount of oxygen will allow larger numbers of shrimps to thrive. Null hypothesis 1. There will be no relationship between the population density of gammarus pulex and the water flow rates of sites in Shir Burn Brook where the gammarus pulex are collected. 2. There is no correlation between the dissolved oxygen level of the water of the different sites of Shir Burn Brook and the rate of flow of water at these sites. Background information to explain hypothesis Site The Fleet is a man-made brook by diversion of Shir Burn Brook (TM075314) in the 19th century. The purpose of the Fleet was to deliver water to be used by the steam turbines in the near by railway station down stream.1 It runs through a clearing in woodlands. It is relatively unpolluted with nitrates and phosphate levels within the normal guidelines. As with any flowing fresh water habitat, there are large numbers of freshwater shrimp dwelling there.1 Gammarus pulex Gammarus pulex is a species of freshwater shrimps. Fresh water shrimps belong to the order of the amphipoda. A typical amphipod crustacean is flattened from side to side, and the body when at rest is curved round to form an arch. Gammarus pulex is found swimming on its side. When it is moving the hind parts of its body straightens out, only to contract again suddenly into its normal curved position as soon as the creature stops. They are often found under stones or on the soft surface of the mud, and when disturbed scud rapidly away to shelter. The male is about 25mm in length and the females slightly smaller. Their colour is usually lightish brown. Fresh water shrimps are largely scavengers, feeding on decaying organic matter, but they are also known to devour other smaller creatures. Gammarus pulex are found abundantly in freshwater habitats in the British Isles. Care should be taken during classification to differentiate between the species gammarus pulex and grangonyx pseudogracilis which are usually found in static water environments.2 Flow rate of water Velocity of water varies throughout streams. This is due to the friction between the water and the stream bed. It is therefore expected that deeper parts of the stream will have higher rates of water flow since the surface in contact with stream bed-water volume area is smaller, meaning less friction. Depth is therefore a good indication of the flow rate at any site in the stream. Slower flow rates of water will allow small sediments of mud to develop on the bed of the stream. In faster sites, however only larger substrates such as pebbles are allowed to deposit while substrates that are too small are carried off by the water. The stony bed of the stream are especially suited for the gammarus pulex as there legs will allow them to cling on to rocks, this would be less possible with a muddy substrate.3 Some species of fresh water fauna are in a similar niche to the gammarus pulex will not all be designed to with stand the turbulence of the water. Therefore, at sites with higher water speeds, the diversity of species present there will be less. This means that there will be less interspecies competition for all the essentials which the gammarus requires (e.g. planktonic foodstuffs, oxygen, space for shelter).4 Dissolved oxygen and temperature. The solubility of oxygen from air, at normal atmospheric pressure, in pure fresh water is related to the temperature of the water by the equation: Cs = 475à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½(33.5 + t ) 5 Where Cs is the solubility of O2 in water in mg/l and t is the temperature. It is obvious that if more oxygen is dissolved in the water, there will be more of it available for the respiration of fresh water fauna living in the stream. Respiration provides energy in the form of ATP allowing the metabolisms in the animals bodies to occur.6 The oxygen concentration in the streams is expected to be higher in concentration compared to static aquatic environment. The distribution of oxygen is also expected to be more even than static water habitats. This is all due to the movement of the water in streams allowing more oxygen to dissolve and subsequently mixing the oxygen evenly. Nitrates and phosphates Nitrogen and phosphorus are basic elements in all living matter. Nitrates and phosphates therefore are not unexpected to be found dissolved in Nitrate is an essential provider of nitrogenous elements for living organisms. Nitrogen is essential for the synthesis of protein and nucleotides in most living things. Nitrogen is recycled through the biosphere by the nitrogen cycle.7 Dead and decaying organic materials (in this case dead leaves) are broken down by denitrifying bacteria inhabiting the water. The nitrogenous molecules are converted into nitrates Nitrate and phosphates are regulators of organic growth. The free flowing algae and small planktonic forms are affected directly. High levels of nitrates and phosphates often stimulate their growth. Gammarus feed on these. Therefore if more plankton are in the stream due to the nitrate and phosphates, the number of gammarus will increase also. The problem with nitrate and phosphates is that when excessive amounts are present (often due to soil leaching, effluent produced by farms, and human effluent) algal growth is intensified leading to eventual deoxygenation of the water eventually causing eutrophication. Thus there will be a decrease in the number of gammarus found in the water. 8 Variables and Key variables Explain Independent, the different rates of flow of the Dependent Factor / Variable Effect on the project Control method Density of fresh water shrimps This is what is tested Flow rate of river This is the key variable of the investigation. It is expected that a higher flow rate of water will lead to higher gammarus population densities, and lower water flow rate will lead to smaller gammarus populations. Dissolve oxygen level of water For all aerobic organisms, oxygen is essential for their survival. Thus, a higher concentration of dissolved will enable a larger population of gammarus to exist in an area providing other factors are not limiting. Control variables Nitrate levels in water This will increase the algal populations in the water. Though sustainable amount of nitrates in the stream will lead to more foodstuffs for the gammarus and thus increase their population, high levels of nitrates caused primarily by pollution will lead to diminished shrimp population as the result to the effects of eutrophication. This variable is sampled at each site so that it is ensured that the nitrate level throughout the stream is constant. It is expected to be constant since the movement of the water will mix any dissolved nitrates till it is in equilibrium in the water. Phosphate levels in water Like the nitrate levels, this abiotic factor will cause fluctuating levels of micro organisms in the stream. The phosphate level in the water is tested at every site. This again ensures that the phosphate concentration is constant throughout all of the tested sites as expected. The phosphate compound is expected to be distributed evenly in the water due to the movement of the currents. Water temperature There will be an optimal temperature range at which gammarus will like to live. If a section of the river is out of this range, the number of gammarus found there will be lower than other sites. The water temperature is monitored at every site. This again ensures that the temperature of the water is constant throughout every site. The water of the brook should be of very similar temperatures since the flowing water currents will distribute the heat evenly throughout the river. Where the water temperature is significantly different from the other sites tested, another site with a more acceptable water temperature will be chosen to be sampled. pH of water There again will be a range of pH of water outside of which few gammarus will survive. Sites whose water pH is too low or high will not contain many gammarus. The pH of the water is tested at every site. This is to make sure that every site tested all have the same pH. Sites whose pH is significantly different from all of the other sites are not chosen to take samples from. The pH is expected to remain fairly consistent throughout the stream. Leaf coverage of the sky above the brook If a section of the brook is covered by leaves, the chance of a dead leave falling into the brook is greatly increased. Since gammarus pulex feeds primarily on decaying plant material, the populations of freshwater shrimp in these regions will be expected to be greater than regions with no leaf cover. The percentage leaf coverage is recorded at the sites where samples are taken. It is made sure that the leaf coverages at all these sites are similar. This shall not prove to be difficult since the brook runs through a wooded area. Seasonal variations Due to the life cycle of the fresh water shrimps, there will be times in the year were there will be small amounts of the gammarus making sampling difficult. This is over come by taking all of the samples in a day. The investigation is conducted in summer when there is sufficient numbers of shrimps in the river. Range of samples and number of repeats At least ten different sites of the stream should be sampled. This will give me a suitable amount of data to adequately perform statistical tests such as Spearmans rank coefficient. The range of the water flow rate of the sites will be from about 0.05m/s 0.25m/s as I have discovered in my preliminary work. This will provide an adequate range for the above ten sites of data to be taken, e.g.: 0.05m/s 0.07m/s 0.09m/s 0.11m/s 0.13m/s 0.15m/s 0.17m/s 0.19m/s 0.21m/s 0.23m/s In practice it will be difficult in the natural environment of to select sites with these exact flow speeds of water. Rather than findinf sites with precisely the same flow rate of the above, ten sites with suitably different flow rates and of suitable range is used to take the samples from. At each site, the site is repeatedly sampled for ten times. This will allow me to calculate the mean of each site and to identify any anomalous samples that were taken. Apparatus A wide range of equipments are needed for sample collection and the monitoring of the aboitic variables of the different sites of the stream. The possible sampling techniques are also considered here as the preference of any one of the methods will invariably affect the choices of apparatus. Kick sampling Prod sampling Needs large area to take each sample, So the sample area may not e of equal flow rate Not much substrate at some sites. Prodding method difficult in picking up samples. Use of apparatus Apparatus available Apparatus Chosen Reason for choice Effect on precision and reliability To measure flow rate of rive at different sites Pooh stick method Impellor method Impellor method The impellor will enable me to determine the rate of water flow at the bed of the stream. Whereas the Pooh stick method will only tell me the surface flow rate. The impellor and flow rate counter will give the speed of water flow to the nearest 0.1m/s. it also eliminates any human error To measure water temperatures Mercury thermometer Digital thermometer Digital thermometer It is more accurate if the thermometer is always left in the water when the temperature reading is taken. The level of the stream is on a very low level, making the accurate reading of the mercury thermometer very difficult. Furthermore, the digital thermometer will record the temperature to the nearest 0.1oC, whereas the accuracy of the spirit thermometer is at best à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.25oC. The digital will give us the temperature of the water to a greater degree of accuracy (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.05oC). This reduces the precision error from the mercury thermometer by ten fold. Human error is eliminated by not having to take a reading of the temperature at the correct eye level. There is no longer need to estimate when the reading lies between two graduation marks. To measure water pH level Digital pH meter Universal indicator Digital pH meter The digital pH meter will give an accurate qualitative pH reading to two decimal places. The universal indictor will allow me to estimate the pH by matching the colour of the test solution with a colour chart. This is extremely prone to errors in that it is often very difficult to obtain test solutions with exact matching colours as the chart. The digital meter gives the pH to a far greater degree of accuracy. There is no comparison with colour charts needed. Care should be taken to ensure that the pH meter is properly calibrated before use. To measure dissolved oxygen concentrations of water. Diaphragm dissolved oxygen meter Diaphragm dissolved oxygen meter (0.0-19.9mg/l) This will give the dissolved oxygen level of the water. There is not another method that is both as accurate and as easily performed as this, making it ideal for project work in the wild. This is the only applicable method of testing the oxygen content of the water in the stream. It is also the most accurate method that could be used. The dissolved oxygen concentration of the water will have to be tested on site rather than on samples taken back to the laboratory. This is because that some oxygen will enter or leave the water in the sample bottles during transporting to the laboratory. To obtain dissolved nitrate concentrations of water. Reflectometer Indicator strips Reflectometer The reflectometer gives the nitrate concentration quantitatively rather than a qualitative result from the indicator strips. It gives the concentration of nitrate in water in units of mg/l. Reflectometry allows the conversion of a single nitrate presence test in to a qualitative nitrate concentration analysis. As the name suggests, the test is conducted by reflection light on an indicator strip which will undergoes a colour change in the presence of nitrate. The strip changes colour in proportion to the concentration of nitrate in the water. The reflectometer is calibrated to detect the degree of this change and convert it into a quantitative concentration of nitrates. To obtain dissolved phosphate concentrations of water. Reflectometer Indicator strips Reflectometer (for high phosphate levels) Indicator strip and reagents kit (for low phosphate levels: 3.0mg/l Similar to the nitrate concentration test, the reflectometer gives the concentration of phosphate in the water quantitatively. One difference between testing for phosphate and nitrate is that there is going to be much less phosphate expected to be dissolved in the water than nitrate. If the nitrate concentration is smaller than 3.0mg/l, this reflectormeter will register the concentration only as low. Under these circumstances, another technique is used. In this technique, 5cm3 of water sample is used and a series of two reagents are added to it. The colour change underwent is compared to the colour changes on a chart. This gives the phosphate concentration to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.25mg/l accuracy. The reasons are similar to those for testing the nitrate concentrations of water. The phosphate low concentration test will present a range of five distinctive colour changes. These will correspond to the concentrations of 0.0mg/l, 0.5mg/l, 1.0mg/l, 1.5mg/l, 2.0mg/l, and 2.5mg/l. This give the phosphate level to a greater degree of accuracy the reflectometers for higher concentrations of phosphates, although the over all precision error will remain similar (0.5à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.5 = 1.0 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 5.0) To measure the depth of brook at different sites. Meter rule Meter rule The meter rule will be most suitable as only a rough guide for the depth of the brook is to be obtained. The waster will leave a mark on the ruler from which the depth can be taken. The meter rule will give the depth of the brook to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1mm. This is of an acceptable accuracy as only a rough guide of the depth of the stream at the sampling site is requires. To collect sample kicked up. 0.50 meter net width. 0.25 meter net width. 0.5mm holes. 1mm holes. 0.50m wide net with 1mm holes in the netting material with 2m handle. As kick sampling is preferred, as net of the biggest width should be used to ensure that all organisms disturbed by the kick sampling is collected. As gammarus pulex are larger than 1mm, the pores in the net will allow substrate to filter through while retaining the gammarus to be sampled. The biggest possible net is used to ensure that most of the sample kicked up from the stream bed is collected. A net with 1mm pores is used to allow mud particles to pass through the net. Less mud will be transferred to the vessel in which the gammarus pulex are counted. This means the water in the vessel will be clearer which means any gammarus pulex present can be spotted more easily. To mark out site of sample taking. 0.50m by 0.50m quadrants 1.00m by 1.00m quadrants. 0.50 x 0.50m quadrant. A suitably large area of the stream will be marked out by this quadrant for sampling. At the same time the quadrant is not so big so that the speed of water flow does not vary within the area enclosed by the quadrant. A good sized quadrant will allow a site to be marked out for sampling. The quadrant chosen will increase the reliability of the test by allowing a large enough area with the same flow rate to be sampled. Apparatus required to classify and count the numbers of gammarus pulex in each sample. White enamel tray Pipette Plastic spoon. White enamel tray Pipette Plastic spoon. A white enamel tray will offer a light background to contrast the darker colours of the gammarus pulex so that they can be easily spotted. Pipette and plastic spoons will allow gammarus to be removed from enamel tray once they are counted. This avoids one gammarus being counted more than one time. Several major measures are to be take ensure the accuracy of the investigation. Water tamparature, oxygen concentrations, and water samples are collected before any sample is taken. This ensures that the abiotic variables of the water is not disturbed before they are measure. Whilst sampling, always work from down stream to up stream. This means that sites up stream from where the sample is taken is not disturbed. For each sample, the same number of kicks is done with the same hardness. From my preliminary work, kicking each spot ten times gives an adequate numbers of shrimps in each sample. It was seen that if the shrimp population density at a site is high, kicking 10 times brings up large number of gammarus pulex. At areas with low gammarus concentration however, only small numbers of gammarus are collected despite kicking ten times. Method 1. Select 10 sites in the river with 5 suitably ranged flow rates. This can be estimated by firstly measuring the depth of the brook at that point with a meter ruler. Make sure there are no drastic differences in percentage branch cover by using a section of hose pipe. 2. Once a site is chosen, the dissolved oxygen level and the water temperature must be measured first. This means that the water is no disturbed before the measuring which could lead to anomalous results. Water dissolved O2 levels Submerge probe in water. Do not sub merge the electrical wires. Move probe gently in water and wait for dissolve O2 level reading to equilibrate on digital display. Record the dissolve oxygen level in mg/l. Temperature Submerge metal part of thermometer into the water. Water for readings to equilibrate Record the water temperature. 3. Water sample is taken with a 150ml water sample bottle. The water sample should be taken from as close to the bottom of the stream as possible as this is the immediate surrounding of the freshwater shrimps. 3. The flow rate of the water is then tested with an impellor. The impellor device is placed in to the water. When in rotates freely, the digital counter is switched on. A flow rate speed is then given after 30 seconds of testing. Wait another 30 seconds to ensure that the reading displayed is correct since the first reading could be erroneous. 4. Before taking the sample, fill a white porcelain tray with water from the brook. This will allow any fauna collected to survive while the sample is being counted. 5. A 50cm x 50cm quadrat is then placed into the brook. Collect the sample by using the kick sampling technique on areas within the quadrat. The substrate is kicked ten times with the same hardness. The disturbed substrate and organisms is then collected by the net placed down stream. 6. The sample in the net is emptied in to a porcelain tray. It is rinsed with water in the porcelain tray to ensure no life forms are stuck on to the net. 7. Any gammarus pulex identified in the sample is counted. To avoid counting the same shrimp twice, the counted shrimps are removed by a plastic spoon or pipette in to a plastic palette. Once counting is completed the shrimps are returned back in to the brook. 8. All of the remaining substrate and fauna in the porcelain tray are returned in to the river also. 9. Within the vicinity of the quadrant, choose another undisturbed site around 15cm up stream and repeat the process above. A site upstream is used to ensure that the site used is not disturbed when the previous sample is taken. 10. Ten samples should be taken altogether from a site with a certain flow rate. 11. The above is to be repeated with the other nine sites. Testing of water samples The pH, nitrate, and phosphate levels are tested in the laboratory due to the nature of the equipment which has to be used. Nitrate 1. Set test 261 on reflectonmeter. 2. Dip NO3- indicator strip in water sample. 3. Start 60 second count down. 4. The indicator strip should change to a purple colour if nitrates are present. 5. Insert the strip in to the reflectonmeter after 55 seconds. 6. Record the nitrated concentration displayed (mg/l) Phosphate 1. Put 5ml of water sample in to a small bottle. 2. Add in with it 10 drops of H2SO4 (care corrosive). Shake to mix. 3. Select test 124 on reflectonmeter. 4. Start 90 sec countdown. 5. Dip indicator strip in sample. 6. There will not be any colour change if low amounts of phosphate are present. 7. If phosphate levels are below 3mg/l, the reflectonmeter will display LOW. If this happens, use the low phosphate test as below. Low Phosphate 1. Put 5ml of water sample in to a small bottle. 2. Add in with it 5 drops of H2SO4 (care corrosive). 3. Add 1 measure of Reagent 2 then shake for 2min to mix. 4. There should be a colour change of the solution. Compare the colour change with the chart provided to ascertain phosphate level. pH Insert digital pH meter into water sample. Swirl around and wait till reading equilibrates. Record the pH. Safety precautions Make sure that there is someone around at all times, and do not work alone. Do not sample areas in the brook which is too deep. Wear rubber gloves while sampling to avoid infections. Carry a mobile phone in case of an emergency. Give mobile contact numbers to staff. Sign in and out of the field centre so that the staffs know my whereabouts. Analysis of results I will calculate the standard deviation for the data collected from each site of the stream. This will tell me the diversity of the data collected at these sites. I will plot the graph of shrimp density against water current flow. This will inform me of any correlation that may be present between the two variables. I will carry out Spearmans correlation to establish the strength of the correlation between the variables above. I will plot the graph of rate of water flow against dissolve oxygen concentration. This will inform me of any correlation that may be present between the two variables. I will carry out Spearmans correlation to establish the strength of the correlation between the variables above. If there seem to be a linear proportionality between any of the two pairs of variables above, I will calculate the regression line which will enable me to plot a line of best fit onto my graph. This will allow me to carry out interpolations of the data which could give me a chance to carry out further studies in the future to see whether the interpolations are reliable, thus determining the accuracy of this study. By looking at the data for the dissolved oxygen concentration at the different sites and the rate of water flow at each site, it is obvious that there is no correlation between the two variables as I had expected. I will still plot a graph between the two variables and carry out spearmans rank correlation coefficient to support the null hypothesis. Below are examples of how I carried out the statistical analysis. Spearmans rank coefficient Flow rate of water /m/s Density of gammarus pulex R1 R2 d d2 7 8 13 22 14 16 12 7 19 13 ? Conclusion * There is a positive correlation between the current flow rate and the density of gammarus pulex found at the site. * The abiotic factors tested remains constant throughout the river, it is therefore assumed that the varying densities of gammarus pulex collected at different sites are not affected by these. The constant nature of abiotic factors is caused by the moving nature of the water. Any nitrate, phosphate, and oxygen will be well mixed to obtain equilibrium. The temperature of the water remained constant for the same reason. * Contrary to my prediction, the dissolved oxygen level in the stream was indeed higher than that in still water. * If varying oxygen levels are not the main cause for the diversity of shrimp density, the cause could be attributed to the different nature of substrates found at different sources. * Faster sections of the stream have more small stones under which the gammarus may cling for shelter to avoid the current. The stone acts as a barrier for the gammarus against the water. Thus the numbers of gammarus in these faster, rockier sections thrive. In slower sections of the stream, more sediment is deposited. This leads to muddy sections of the river bed. Here, gammarus will have less protection from the streams currents. They would have to burrow under the surface of the muddy substrate. This is far difficult than hiding behind a stone. Smaller numbers of gammarus will be able to remain there, thus its density is the lowest in slower sections of the river. * At faster sections of the stream, fewer other species of fresh water organisms will be able to survive due to them being unable to cling in to rocks and being washed away. This means there is less overlapping of the niches of organisms and thus less competition for the shrimps. This means the shrimp population is able to grow larger than areas with slower current speeds.9 To be sure of the assumption above, more tests need to be carried out in site with flow rates of between 0.05-0.15m/s and ;0.05m/s. Discussion Percentage branch cover. Substrate quality. I mentioned carrying out further tests to find out the accuracy of interpolations make from the available data, it is however more likely that as the flow rate of water is increased further, the increase in the number of gammarus found at these sites will not increase in the same proportions as before. A graph of this is shown below: This is due to other limiting factors such as intra species competition. Evaluation Assumptions made to limit In reality, a wide range of factors would act along with the speed of water flow to affect the gammarus population density. Assumptions were made that other factors will not vary greatly since the sampling was conducted in a single river. Although many important variables were tested to confirm that they are indeed fairly constant, there are fluctuations in the concentration of nitrate () at the different sites. This probably will have had an effect for the sample data. For example, the nitrate concentration at the site with the water flow rate of 0.18m/s is 53mg/l compared with the rest of the sites having a nitrate concentration of about 47mg/l. It is instances like this which may limit the reliabilities of the findings. There may be other abiotic factors which I did not have the means to measure affecting the gammarus pulex density. For example, the calcium carbonate concentration of the water is an important issue concerning the density of shrimps. Shrimps require calcium to form and repair their shells. The assumption was made that all of the shrimps which were collected in each sample were correctly classified and tallied. The fact is that it was far from certain that every single shrimp in sample is indeed counted. The classification of the gammarus made difficult by the amount of substrate brought up along with each sample. Large numbers of shrimps in a single sample made counting difficult since they are mostly fast moving. Difficulties caused by method The method caused unavoidable disturbances to both the water and the substrates of the river bed other than that of the sampled area. This is due to that many groups are conductiong investigations in the stream at once. The disturbed water meant that the various abiotic variables of the river is disturbed. It also affects the speed of water flow as people standing in the river unavoibly obstructs the flow of the river. Sources of error Limitations of method * Uneven kicking It is very hard to control the amount of stream bed disturbed by each kick. Although the number of kicks is kept constant, it is very hard to keep constant the area and amount of substrates and fauna sampled each time. * Not all disturbed substrate collected Due to the width of the net, it is impossible to collect every bit of potential sample that is kicked up. * Equipment cross contamination The reflectometers, pH meters which were shared between the groups could have been contaminated with the samples of other groups. Thus giving a higher NO3- level that the actual value etc. * Not all shrimps sampled It cannot be guaranteed that every gammarus collected in the sample will be counted. This could be caused by the size pf the gammarus, problems with identifying, and gammarus hiding below substrates brought up with the sample. The numbers of gammarus counted should be treated as a bare minimum. * Slightly different speeds at different sites Although several impellor readings are taken at different areas within the 0.25m2 area within the quadrat, it is more than likely that there will be areas in the site where the speed will vary. * The dissolved O2 level meter did not work at the site. Therefore the dissolved O2 levels of the water samples collected in bottles were tested back at the lab. To avoid oxygen to be mixed in to the water while inside the bottle, the bottle was filled completely full to the brim. Due to the concave shape of the lids, some air bubbles remained in the bottle. This could have had an effect on the dissolved oxygen levels recorded. * Other investigations taking place upstream * There were other people conducting investigations up stream. This means that the samples I collect could contain some shrimps that have been disturbed and the carried down the stream by the current. This will increased the number of shrimps I collect in some samples. * Errors in classifying species of shrimp * Precision errors of apparatus ; Meter Rule à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.5mm ; Flow meter à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.01m/s ; Oxygen meter à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1.5% of total scale of 0.0 19.9mg/l ; Reflectometer à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.5mg/l ; Digital thermometer à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.3 ; Digital pH meter à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.2 These contribute to the percentage errors of the results. Anomalous results Anomalous results are highlighted in red in the result table. These are excluded when the average for each site is calculated. This is so that it will affect the reliability of the data. The anomalies would probably have arisen due to the limitations to the method listed above. Improvements * Sample a larger number of sites to further establish a trend. * Sample different rivers to see if the trend is replicated. * Find regions in the stream where the water current is faster to see if the trend continues linearly, or whether there is a cut off point to this positive correlation. * Retest sites which seem to give anomalous results. * Investigate the contribution of substrate quality to shrimp density * Reflectometers could have been contaminated with water samples of other groups. Since the equipment is shared, other groups using the reflectometer to test water samples would have their water left in the testing slot. This will results in the indictor strip changing its colour to another shade thus registering an anomalous NO3 reading. Further work Futher work should be conducted to investigate the relationship between the substrate quality of different sites of the stream and the number of gammarus pulex these sites contain. * Investigate whether the diversity of fresh water fauna is linked with the speed of the water flowing at the point. This will show whether interspecies competition has a major effect on the population density gammarus pulex.

Spanish Verbs Related to Tener

Spanish Verbs Related to Tener Tener is one of many verbs in Spanish that can be combined with several prefixes to form new verbs. Although tener doesnt have a cognate (an equivalent word with a common ancestor) in English, the verbs derived from it do, and they are among the English verbs ending in -tain. Thus detener has the same origin as the English detain, mantener is related to maintain, and so on. But just because Englishs -tain words are related to Spanishs -tener verbs doesnt mean that they are exact matches. For example, detener and retener are often interchangeable in Spanish as their meanings can be quite similar, but the English verbs are less likely to be used synonymously. Similarly, the meanings of to hold something up and to defend a viewpoint can both be expressed in Spanish with sostener and mantener, while the English verbs tend to have less overlap in meaning. The Nine Verbs Here are the nine most common Spanish verbs derived from tener along with some of their most usual meanings and sample sentences: Abstener Abstener is usually used in its reflexive form abstenerse and typically means to deliberately refrain from something. It is usually followed by de. Mi padre tiene que abstenerse del alcohol. (My father has to abstain from alcohol.)Me abstengo de pensar en las cosas malas que han pasado. (I refuse to think about the bad things that have happened.)El presidente fue interrumpido por su abogado para que abstuviera de atacar a su rival polà ­tica. (The president was interrupted by lawyer so that he would keep from attacking his political rival. Atener Atener refers to keeping within some figurative boundaries, such as by heeding instructions or obeying the law. In more general usage, it can refer to merely paying attention to or dealing with a situation. As in the first two examples below, it is often used in the reflexive. Es importante que nos atenemos la ley. (It is important that we obey the law.)Pero no puedo atenerme a ella todo el tiempo. (I cant attend myself to her all the time.)Las autoridades no atienen el problema. (The authorities arent dealing with the problem.) Contener Contener has two categories of meaning: to control or restrain, and to contain or include. La jarra contiene dos litros. (The jug contains two liters.)Muchas veces  contuvo su enojo. (She often controlled her anger.)Los champà ºs de limpieza profunda contienen un ingrediente cido como vinagre de manzana. (The deep-cleaning shampoos include a high-acid ingredient such as apple vinegar.) Detener Detener usually means to stop something or detain someone, such as by arresting. La policà ­a detuvo a once personas. (The police arrested eleven people.)Es importante que detengas todo ese caos. (It is important that you stop all this chaos.) Entretener Meanings of entretener include to distract, to entertain, to delay, and to maintain. Se entretuvieron buscando un coche. (They got distracted looking for a car.)No ha entretenido su coche. (He has not maintained his car.)Se entretenà ­a por tocar el piano. (She entertained herself by playing the piano.) Mantener Mantener can refer to maintaining in the broad sense of the word, such as by physically supporting, sustaining, remaining, and keeping. Los precios se mantuvieron estables. (Prices remained stable.)Mantenga limpia Espaà ±a. (Keep Spain clean.)Roberto se mantiene con caramelos. (Roberto keeps himself going with candy.)Se ha mantenido como nuevo. (It has been maintained like new.) Obtener Obtener is the cognate of obtain but is used more informally and frequently than the English word. It is often translated as to get. Obtuve la firma del actor. (I got the actors signature.)Quiere obtener dos archivos de audio. (She wants to get two audio files.) Retener Retener has most of the meanings of to retain, such as to retain, to hold back, to deduct, and to keep. Retenieron el avià ³n presidencial por una deuda. (They held back the presidential plane because of a debt.)Muchas empresas retienen impuestos. (Many businesses deduct taxes.)Retengo en la cabeza todos los lugares que he visto. (I retain in my head every place I have seen.) Sostener Like sustain, sostener refers to supporting something. Los tres bloques sostienen la casa. (The three blocks hold up the house.)No puedo sostener mi opinià ³n. (I cant support  my position.) Related Words Here are some words that are derived from or otherwise related to the above verbs along with some common meanings: abstemio (teetotaler), abstencià ³n (abstention), abstencionismo (abstentionism)contenedor (container), contenido (contents)detencià ³n (arrest, a halt)entretenido (entertaining), entretenimiento (entertainment, pastime)mantenimiento (maintenance, upkeep)obtencià ³n (an obtaining)retencià ³n (detention, deduction, retention)sostà ©n (a support), sostenido (sustained) Conjugation of the ‘-tener’ Verbs All of the verbs based on tener are conjugated irregularly in the same way that tener is. For example, the first-person singular indicative is of tener is tengo, so the same form of the other verbs are abstengo, atengo, contengo, etc.

Supply chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Supply chain management - Essay Example This is the first step in the elimination of fraud which emanates from dubious and illegitimate payments (Coe 2007, pg. 206). After, registration of the request, a thorough scrutiny is done to the document to establish its authenticity and note any errors. The calculations and values indicated under the document are vetted to ensure their correctness and omit possible errors. More over, this step is necessary to detect overvaluations and unnecessary items. If the document fails the check list, it should be retained for further action (Coe 2007, pg. 208). Remarkably, on meeting the laid down procedures and requirements, the request is acted upon by raising the requested ministry budget. This is important to enable the concerned ministry to meet its responsibilities. Allegedly, the finance ministry may be forced to suspend the request until the next financial year budget. Notably, this will not be undertaken, purportedly to avert the instances of the ministries failing to meet their obligations. As requested, funds are channeled through to requesting ministry as per items in order of their priority and time limits (Coe 2007, pg. 208). More over, the ministry of finance supply chain officials conducts an audit on the previous allocations to the concerned ministry to establish their spending. This is also in endeavor to ascertain whether the ministry, did under spend and establish the balance they retained in the current financial year. In the event, the ministry fails to even meet the set criteria; there is no sending of the request to the budget department for more scrutiny (Coe 2007, pg. 208). Finally, the supply chain specialists issues the requested checks as per the detailed items to the ministry which now is at liberty to spend the funds efficiently. Notably, from the above flow chart, some discrepancies are emerging indicating the weakness of the model. As indicated, after checking the request order, it is not returned back to the requesting

Separation of Powers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Separation of Powers - Essay Example As the report declares in the United States, the aspect of separation of powers is clearly stated in the US Constitution. The President, Congress and the Supreme Court are separate and distinct entities. The same is not the case in the United Kingdom, where the Prime Minister is also a Member of Parliament as are all other members of the Cabinet. Similarly, the Lord Chancellor and the Law Lords are members of the Executive and Legislature respectively, while also forming part of the Judiciary. This duality results in a situation where the Executive is in de-facto control of the Legislature, as also enjoying the sympathy of the Judiciary. This dicsussion explores that various Home Secretaries have taken judicial decisions from time to time on grounds of national security, whether during war time or in otherwise tenuous situations like the ongoing global war on terrorism. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 seeks to redress some of these grey areas though there are many who have, â€Å"defended the current system on the grounds that it discourage judges from making law by judicial rather than legislative means†. Inherent in this argument is the underlying fear that the Judiciary will not allow itself to be led by the nose by an Executive, trying to concentrate power in its hands. One of the concepts on the basis of which the principle of separation of powers functions is that of ‘deference’, which characterise the relationship of the Judiciary towards the Executive and Legislature.

The City of London Essay Example for Free

The City of London Essay London is the capital city of United kingdom and it is considered as the chief city of British Commonwealth. It is considered one of the greatest and oldest centers of finance, industry and culture in the world. The city is also one of the largest in the world (How stuff works, par 1). It is preparing to host 2016 World Cup and for that matter, it is crucial to know what is behind the magnificent city of London. This essay seeks to explore on aspects that characterize the city right from its geography, history, culture and political jurisdiction. London is located at latitude 51.30’ north and longitude 0. 70 west. It is situated in Lambeth; south East of England in United Kingdom (Maplandia, par 1). The city is 2. 6 square kilometers (Easy expert, par 2). It also lies on the Thames river about 40 miles from the North Sea (How stuff works, par 2). Roughly, the river divides the city into two equal parts and it is on two hills on the bank north of Thames (How stuff works, par 2-3) . The river’s embankments are in central London. Along the great bend of the river, is the Victoria embankment. Other embankments include the Albert and Chelsea which are further upstream. This river is characterized by great bridges for example, Tower, London, Westminster and waterloo bridges (How stuff works 1, par 7). Geographical Features London has so many natural areas throughout the city. For example Meadows such as Kellaly; forests such as Meadow lily woods and Medway valley heritage forest; Wetlands like Westminster ponds among others. Moreover, it also harbors 22 kilometers paved paths for bikes along the Thames River (Tourism London All, par 1). Political jurisdiction The corporation of London is the one that administers the city headed by the Lord Mayor. The Greater London has 33 boroughs with the inner one having 14 and the outer London having 19 boroughs. The greater London has an elected mayor with an assembly and it is also the administrative entity in England (Britannica Encyclopedia, par 2). The city is governed following feudal system of government. The body that is involved with decision making is the court of common council which has 100 members who are elected directly from 25 wards in the city. This council meets every four weeks but committees meet more regularly. They have committees concerned with finance, education, policy and resources, planning and transportation. Some committees have members who have no voting rights in the corporation and are members because of their specialist expertise. The overall leader is the historic Lord mayor but the policy and resources committee’s chairman represents the body to the media (Stevens, par 6-7). The representatives of the boroughs form the assembly of the great London which boasts of its own constitution (Easy expert, par. 2). For one to be eligible for elections, he or she must be a free man in the city. Elections are not based on political parties. There is also the court of Aldermen where each ward elects one Alderman adding up to 25 Aldermen. The office of the Aldermen has diminished significance and today, they just discharge judicial function as magistrates and are also allowed to sit in the court of common council’s committees with no allowances (Stevens, par 10). Origins of This Great City The origin of London can be dated back to 43 AD. Before Romans invaded the land, no permanent settlement existed but only River Thames flowing surrounded by small islands of gravel and sand. When comparing the population of mosquitoes and people, the former were many (Britain express, par 1). London has been inhabited for more than 5000 years but it was only characterized by marshes and forests instead of a city. The city itself was started by Romans about 2000 yeas ago but originally, they called it Londinium. During the invasion, they landed in Kent and passed through River Thames sailing upwards. They knew the strategic importance of the river in controlling the crossing point at the river. So, they built on the north bank, a settlement. They carefully chose two spots in two hills, which were small and where the river was narrowing, and built a bridge. This is the London Bridge that is known today. They brought up buildings, a port and streets and they named the settlement Londinium which became the capital city of the Roman Britain (Barrow, par 2-3). The original London could only last for several years, little more than 10, and the ships could reach there making the city to become a trading center (museum of London, par 4-5). The bridge was very significant as it was the center for the road networks that sprung up from the crossing place, and thus it allowed the movement of the troops to be fast (Britain Express, par 4). The city later grew into a great trading center and by the second century AD, in the middle, the city had the largest town hall, a temple, and a governor’s palace among others. The Romans built a wall around 200 AD, surrounding the city and this defined the shape and size of London over a millennium. The area which was surrounded by the wall, is the one that is called ‘The city† (Britain Express, par 7-9). Urban And Street Patterns Prior to World War 2, London was characterized by very few buildings which were more that 6 stories high but today, the buildings with 20 stories and above can be found, for example, the towers of Barbican are 40 stories and above. The tower of Canary Wharf rising 80 stories and an office building, east of central London in the dockyards is the longest structure in Britain rising 800 feet high. The square of Trafalgar is in the west of the city, near the Thames River. Two large fountains can be found in the square and Admiral Lord Nelson’s statue; this square has been used mostly for celebrations in the city (How stuff works 1, par 7-9). The London streets follow bends and twists of the river and the Roman walls which have long disappeared. The current through ways came originally from the village lanes that existed there before. Strangers get confused most of the time because, these streets may have their names put in different places. One name may be found on one side of a street inter-section or a square and the other one will be found on other side. Contrary to streets in America, London roads have no numbering system which is logical and this makes it difficult to navigate through the streets. To learn the routes will take sometime (Geographers A-Z Map Company, par 1). When it comes to transportation system, it mainly consists of bus lines, surface and underground railways. The main railway stations include: Charing Cross, Waterloo, Paddington and Victoria lines. Two fifths of the city’s railway system covering 250 miles, is made up of London subways. The underground system is made of brick tunnels below the surface. The First line was made in the year 1863 but later, so many of them developed, built in deep tunnels lined with metals which are often called tubes. London boasts of three international airports and these include: Heathrow and Gatwick which is adjacent to the main railway line from London to Brighton. The third one is Stansted which is in the north east of the city (How stuff works, par 1-3). The London’s tower is a complex of buildings sitting on an 18-acre land. The walls and the grounds are on the Thames River, east side of the city. Mostly, the crown jewels are usually on display here. Yeomen warders in uniforms dating back to 16th century are usually used to guide visitors around the complex. Next to it is the mansion house which has been in existence since the 16th century and this is the place where the Lord Mayor of the city resides. North of this house stands Guildhall which was put up in the 15th century (How stuff works 5). South west London, rises a cathedral called St. Paul’s which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. This church is among the largest in the world. The duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson are buried there. On the west side of the cathedral, there is a street called Fleet Street which was once, the center of newspaper publishing in Britain (How stuff works 4, par 2-5). Just next to it is the knights’ templar medieval headquarters which also harbors the courts’ inns, law schools and legal associations. The Fleet Street merges forming a strand which leads to the west and Westminster. Buckingham palace is situated in this place and it hosts the London sovereigns. Westminster Abbey is also found there and this is where the monarchs are crowned. 8 acres of land around this place is covered with the parliament building and one thing that distinguishes it from other buildings it is its famous clock tower, the clock having a bell called â€Å"the Big Ben†. The Lambeth place is just across Thames from the parliament and this is where the Arch bishop of Canterbury resides (How stuff works 4, par 2-5). White Wall is found between the parliament and the square of Trafalgar . White Wall is a street which is bordered by government buildings. Another one is called Number 10 Downing Street found in the west of the White Wall and it is the prime minister’s home. The district of West end theatre is also found there between Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar square and it is London’s world renowned theatre district which harbors more than a 100 theatres. Soho is also found in the North and it is known for its famous foreign restaurants and entertainment sites. Mayfair is found in the west characterized by residential areas, hotels, department stores and embassies, which include the US embassy that is found on the Grosvenor square (How stuff works, 5). West end hosts London largest parks. Regents Park can be sighted there and it is on 472 acres of land. It has a lake, open air theatre, a rose garden and the London zoo. Another park, Hyde Park is also found there. It sits on a piece of land of 360 acres which includes a lake called Serpentine. Marble Arch and bridle path which is called Rotten Row . The speakers’ corner is also found there. Kensington gardens with 275 acres of land adjoin Hyde Park on the west and this is where Kensington palace can be sighted which also hosts the Albert memorial and Peter pan’s statue. Short distance towards west of central London, botanic gardens of the royalty can also be found especially in Kew (How stuff works 5). Major Buildings And Landmarks In London The first major building in city is the tower of London, a prominent building for over 900 years and attracting tourists from all over the globe. The tower serves the royalties as a palace and a fortress. Ironically, it is also a place where executions take place and jailing of law defaulters. Royal mint, arsenal, menagerie and jewel house are also found here (Barrow, par 1). One of the oldest buildings and the most important centers for religion is the Westminster Abbey. This palace has been used to burry so many queens and kings and there commemoration ceremonies are usually done there. It was founded by Edward the confessor who was later made a saint. Parliament houses are also found in the palace of Westminster. Buckingham palace has 600 rooms and it is surrounded by a 40-acre garden with 40,000 tulips (Barrow, par 6-10). The Canary Wharf is the tallest building and it is part of the dock lands in London. The Canary is estimated to be 244 meters high and stainless steel has been used o cover it. Another major building is St Paul Cathedral which was built 604 AD but it was later re-built twice after being burnt down twice. The current one was built in 1675 and 1711 . The other monument is the O2 millennium dome which is the largest one in the world covering 180 acres with 320m diameter and the height of 50 m. It also has support towers of about 100 m high. It was built to commemorate the new millennium and it sits on the Greenwich meridian, longitude 0 degrees. Another one is the London eye. It is one of the London’s modern landmarks, made up of the biggest ferries wheel in the world and it can carry passengers of about 800 in number at a time. Its highest point is about 450 feet and it provides a view that goes covers 25 miles (Barrow, par 10-18). In addition, 30 St Mary Axe was opened in 2004 and it was known as Gherkin because of its oval shape. It is very visible especially when traveling from different places into London. The outside of the building is made of 24,000 m square glass whish has been arranged in panes that are diamond shaped. Other monuments include the monument of Trafalgar square which was put up in commemoration of the great fire of London which happened in 1666; the tower is 62 meters high. It is just next to Pudding lane where the fire began in the bakers shop. It is also characterized by 311 stairs to the top and one can use it to view London (Barrow, par 18-24). Other buildings include: One Canada square, Tower 42, Millban tower, St. Paul’s cathedral, Tate modern, St. Pancras chambers, Royal courts of justice, St. Brides church, BT tower, Wembley stadium, Centre point, the Lloyd’s building, Westminster cathedral, the Ark and Christ Church Spitalfields (Emporis Corporation, par 1). London Industries London’s industries form the crucial part of the economy. The industries come in form of manufacturing, aircraft, ship building, and food processing including the chemical industries, offering employment to so many people. These industries comprise of both small and large scale industries and mostly, different business communities are involved in boosting the growth of these industries though the manufacturing one is the largest sector of London’s economy (Maps of world, par. 1-2). Of all the laborers in London, 16% are found in the manufacturing industry. The leading industries in London include: chemical, electronics, cable manufacture, food processing, vehicle manufacture, and ship and aircraft building. The names associated with aircraft industry include Sopwith Aviation Company, Fairey aviation, Handley Page, Green Engine Co. and Lucas Rotax among others (Maps of World, par 3-4). Vehicle industry is one of the most recognized industries in London and it is associated with companies such as Ford of Britain, Dagenham, Park ward, Power Drives among others. Those companies that deal with cable manufacturing include: British Insulated Callender’s cables, Siemens, North and Woolwich among others. Food processing is associated with companies such as Pura Foods, Park Royal, The Smith’s Snack Food company and the list is endless (Maps of World, par. 4-7). When it comes to ship building, the companies include; Woolwich Dock Yard, Samuda Brothers, Scott Russell and so on. Companies associated with chemical manufacturing are; Hackney Wick, Liford photo, Sir William Henry Parking etc. Lastly, is the electronics industry which is associated with companies such as Ferguson Electronics Racal, Plessey, Bush Radio and so on (Maps of World, par. 7-10). These companies vary in the number of the workers employed by each. This is given below in percentages: Manufacturing 16. 2%, trade 14. 7%, educational services 9. 7%, health care and social assistance 13. 5%. Accommodation and food services 5. 8%, finance and insurance, real estate and leasing 7. 3%, agriculture 1. 8%, transport and ware housing 3. 8%. Public administration 3. 0%, construction 4. 7%, business building 4. 8%, information, culture and recreation 4. 2 % and lastly, professional, scientific and technical services 5. 7%. Other industries which are not included amount to 4. 0%. All these companies are under the administration of London chamber of commerce and industries (Maps of World, par. 12). Tourism sector The Londoners benefit mostly from tourism especially in regards to economy and social aspects. It boosts employment rates generating huge income. The businesses have also benefited so much. 10% gross value in London is from the sector and it also employs 13 % of all the workers in London. The city has a record of getting tourists from other parts of the world more than New York, Las Vegas and Sydney. It also attracts these tourists more than any European state (Government Office for London, par 3, 4). Tourism sector generates 2 billion pounds yearly in West London; 14. 7 million tourists who make daily trips to the same region and 5. 4 million tourists visit attraction sites in East London yearly (London’s Councils, par 1). Cultural geographical aspects of London London is a diverse cultural centre and an international one for that matter. It harbors so many museums, theatres and art galleries, cinemas which offer entertainment of first class level to 300 nationalities and above. The architecture of this city offers the diversity and the historical buildings. Six of London cultural landmarks include: the tower of London, St . Margaret church, Palace of Westminster and the Westminster Abbey and last but not list, the Maritime Greenwich (Europe Cities, par 1-2). When it comes to language, London is considered a multi lingual city. It has 300 different languages within its boundaries which are often spoken. The city has proven that, compared to Europe and New York, it is the most cosmopolitan city with its internationalism (Buncombe and Mac Arthur, par 2). The most common languages spoken are:English,Bengali,Panjabi,Gujerati,Hindu,Turkish,Arabic,Yorubu,Somali,Cantonese,Greek,Portuguese, French, Spanish, Italian, Vietnamese and the list is endless (Woodlands Junior Academy, par 1). London is characterized by so many events and celebrations each year. Carnaval del pueblo is a Latin American festival which is usually the largest in UK. It is usually held in August. The other one is City of London festival usually held in June and July and it involves celebration of Music, film, architecture and art. Another one is the London Art fair which is usually held every year in the month of January (First for London, par. 1-3). London boat show is also a major event every January. Others include London Marathon, parade, Lords mayor’s show ,Notting hill Carnival , Rise festival, South West Fest, Spitafields Festival, St. Patrick’s Day, Streatham festival, The Great River Race, and the Mayor’s Thames festival (First for London, par. 4-16). In London, the largest religious group is Christianity according to the census that took place in the year 2001. This group consists of 58. 2% of all the religions in London. The city is characterized by three Anglican churches which are: St. Paul’s and Southward cathedrals and also Westminster Abbey which usually hosts the crowning of the king and queen of England (Barrow, par 1). The population of the Jews is concentrated in the city of about 56 % of all the Jews in Great Britain. 52% of all Hindus in Great Britain are found in London and they have built magnificent places of worship which include temples. 38% of all Great Britain’s Muslims also live in London from Bangladesh and Pakistan. 31 % of Sikhs and 36 % Buddhists that are found in country reside in London (Barrow, par 4-7). In conclusion, the factor that makes the city unique is its marvelous architecture which has a historical background. Not so many cites in the world are rich in history and culture as compared to London. Almost all the monuments and buildings have some history behind them and this makes them to be world treasures. More to that, these landmarks have a quality touch on them in that, they are unique in their own way. Right from the foundation of the city to its current state, the history is actually represented in the design and pattern of the city. Work Cited Amazon. Com . A-Z London, 2010. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://www. amazon. com/Z-London-Londons-Selling-Street/dp/0850397529. Barrow, Mandy. Buildings and Landmarks in London. Woodlands, 2010. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://www. woodlands-junior. kent. sch. uk/customs/questions/london/buildings. htm. Barrow, Mandy. The History of London. Woodlands, 2010. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://www. woodlands-junior. kent. sch. uk/customs/questions/london/history. htm. Barrow, Mandy. Religious Groups in London. Woodlands, 2010. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://www. woodlands-junior. kent. sch. uk/customs/questions/london/religion. htm. Britain express. Roman London. Britain Express. Web. May 16, 2010, http://www. britainexpress. com/London/roman-london. htm. Britannica Encyclopedia. Learn More about London. 2010. Web. May 16, 2010, http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/346821/London. Buncombe, A. and MacArthur, Tessa. London: Multilingual Capital of the World. 29 March, 1999. Web. 16 May, 2010. http://www. phon. ucl. ac. uk/home/estuary/multiling. htm. Easy expert. Geography. Easy Expert, 10 April, 2010. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://www. easyexpat. com/en/london/overview/geography. htm. Emporis Corporation. Famous Buildings of London. 2010. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://www. emporis. com/en/wm/ci/bu/mf/? id=100637. Europe Cities. Culture of London, 2009. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://www. europe-cities. com/en/600/uk_england/london/culture/. First 4 London. Events. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://www. first4london. com/directory/Events/. Government Office for London. Tourism. UK Government, 2009. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://www. gos. gov. uk/gol/Culture_leisure/Tourism/ tourism. How stuff works. General Plan and Description, 2010. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://geography. howstuffworks. com/europe/geography-of-london1. htm. How Stuff Works. Geography of London: Education and culture, 2010. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://geography. howstuffworks. com/europe/geography-of-london5. htm. How stuff Works. Introduction to Geography, 2010. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://geography. howstuffworks. com/europe/geography-of-london. htm. How stuff works. Landmarks and Place of Interest, 2010. Web. 16 May, 2010, http://geography. howstuffworks. com/europe/geography-of-london4. htm. How stuff works. Transportation, 2010. Web. 16 May, 2010,

David Copperfield :: essays research papers

David Copperfield The novel David Copperfield, written by Charles Dickens, deals with the life and times of David Copperfield. About a century ago in a small town in England, David was born on a Friday at the stroke of midnight, which is considered a sign of bad luck. David's father has already died and his aunt comes to stay with him and his mother as this novel gets off to a very slow start. Soon David becomes aware that his mother has relations with another man and asks one of his servants, "if you marry a person, and the person dies, why then you may marry another person, mayn't you?" David is immediately angered that his mother has betrayed his father and goes off to live with his aunt. A while later, David goes back home but quickly gets into trouble and is sent off to school. Dickens uses excellent description in his telling of this story and the reader can easily relate to the characters. The setting of a small town in England is standard in all of his novels, including Great Expectations. The reason for this Dickens' setting is because he was born in the town of Portsmouth, England in 1812. Although as a young child he moved to Chatham where he experienced a pleasant childhood in which many scenes from his childhood are intertwined throughout his novels. Dickens father was constantly in debt and was eventually sent to jail. This memory was agonizing for young Charles as years later he wrote: "No words can express the secret agony of my soul. I felt my early hopes of growing up to be a learned and distinguished man, crushed in my breast." This directly relates to Dickens discussion of David in a wine house later in the novel. A couple of years later, Dickens attends school at the Wellington House Academy where he fell in love with Maria Beadnell but her father opposed the marriage and nothing became of it. David Copperfield is more of a biography of Dickens life made into fiction than of just a regular story about a boy. Dickens writing skills are apparent as he ties chapters together in an easy to understand novel where the writing seems to move along swiftly. Dickens work is rich with metaphors and enjoyable to analyze as in statements such as, "he eats at one gulp exactly like an elephant." This book is a classic and may be considered his best work. There are times when the novel moves slowly, but the positives outweigh the negatives and David

Evidence Based Practice Aseptic Technique for Peripheral IV Insertion Essay

The significance of asepsis in the intravenous IV therapy is integral in the modern patient care because of the increased patients number requiring IV therapy due to changes in patterns of prescription and the today’s illnesses which has acute nature (Bofah et al, 2012). Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation according to Bofah et al (2012), is a procedure in which patent’s skin is punctured with a needle allowing a device to be temporarily inserted into the hand or forearm veins in administering intravenous medications or fluids, although other body sites can be used. It is vital to use intravenous drugs in the management of the patients who are hospitalized. The infections linked to the intravenous therapy may affect the blood stream or the skin around the insertion site of the catheter (Bofah et al, 2012). For this reason, Bofah et al (2012) suggested that general infection control and universal precautions measures need to be taken into considerations when undertaking a clinical procedure. However, specific measures need to be taken into consideration when administering intravenous therapy especially those in the home setting and the vulnerable patients. Kampf et al (2013) conducted an observational intervention study on â€Å"Improving Patient Safety during the Insertion of Peripheral Venous Catheters. The aim of the study was to determine the application of specific steps for peripheral venous catheters insertion in clinical practice and implementation of a multimodal intervention with an aim of improving both optimum order and compliance with the steps. Results indicated that 202 insertions were observed during the intervention period and 207 in the control period (Kampf et al, 2013). Compliance significantly improved for 4 to 5 steps that are 11.6% – 57.9% for disinfection of hand before contact with the patient (Kampf et al, 2013). Skin antisepsis of the site of puncture compliance was high after and before intervention (99% after and 99.5% before). Specific steps performance in the correct order also improved, which is from 7.7% – 68.6% when 3-5 steps were done. From the description of the intervention by partici pants, 46.8% said it was helpful, 46.8% as neutral and 6.4% as disruption (Kampf et al, 2013). This indicated that a multimodal strategy, of improving compliance with peripheral venous safety steps of insertion of catheter and optimum procedure performance, was effective and regarded as helpful by the health professionals. Bofah et al (2012) conducted a study, â€Å"Peripheral Intravenous Therapy: Focus on Asepsis Systematic Literature Review.† The aim of the study was to describe the principles that are involved in the preparation, management and administration of peripheral IV in the clinical setting. Systematic literature review was conducted on the published studies describing asepsis principles involved in the preparation, management and administration of peripheral IV in the clinical setting from the year 2005 to 2012 January (Bofah et al, 2012). The findings from the 1135 publications suggested that the healthcare professionals should consider the patients always as being susceptible. Additionally, practices of standardizations will help in a reduction of infection risk. Lastly, all healthcare professionals must be educated to ensure procedures and practices are consistent and are adhered to with the day-to-day practices (Bofah et al, 2012). O’Grady et al (2011) developed guidelines for healthcare workers who insert the intravascular catheters and also for the people responsible for control and surveillance of infections in outpatient, hospital and healthcare hoe settings. The report was compiled by members of professional organizations that represent the disciplines of infectious diseases, critical care medicine, surgery, healthcare infection control, interventional radiology, anesthesiology, pediatric medicine, pulmonary medicine and nursing (O’Grady et al, 2011). The guidelines are to provide recommendations that are evidenced based for preventing infections related to intravascular catheter. The major areas of emphasis by the guidelines include (1) training and educating healthcare workers who maintain or insert catheters;(2)using sterile barrier precautions maximally during central insertion of venous catheter; (3) using alcohol with >0.5% chlorhexidine skin preparation for antisepsis; (4) avoiding the routine central venous catheters replacements as a strategy of preventing infection;(5)using sponge dressing that are impregnated by chlorhexidine and short-term central venous catheters that are impregnated by antibiotic/antiseptic if the infection rate is not reducing despite adherence to strategy 1 to 4 (O’Grady et al, 2011). The strengths of the current research of Kampf et al (2013)was that the methodology of observations applied provided direct access to the variables under consideration rather than relying on some form of self-report like asking questions in questionnaires and interviews. The strength of Bofah et al (2012) was that it used 1135 publications that were a good sample size. The guidelines recommended by O’Grady et al (2011) had a strength of the input from different professional bodies and expert hence reliable. The weaknesses of Kampf et al (2013) research is that might be having observer bias hence undermined its validity and reliability. The weakness of Bofah et al (2012) was that systemic review was not done under a set of guideline and standards hence could be unreliable. The weakness of O’Grady et al (2011) is that with the presence of many professionals, coming to a common ground in scenarios of disagreements affects the validity of the recommendations and guidelines. Future research should address pediatric infections and resistant organisms in Aseptic Technique for peripheral IV insertion. There are much evidence supporting current nursing practice on different techniques of IV insertion including aseptic technique. Moreover, guidelines have been provided by a collection of all relevant heath professional and organizations. In addition, the current nursing practice is the best since it is widely used, it is supported by many different researches, and it is standardized. Meaning all healthcare professionals have a standard procedure of practicing as elaborated in the guidelines agreed by all professionals and healthcare bodies. Conclusion In conclusion, the essay discussed the evidenced based Aseptic Technique for peripheral IV insertion. The essay defined Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation before detailing what the paper will analyze. Three studies has been analyzed, and their strengths and weakness discussed. The paper then provided an area for future research before elaborating that there is enough evidence supporting current nursing practice. Lastly, the paper elaborated why the current practice is the best practice. References Bofah, Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu, Josephine Adu-tutu, & Lay, Albert Alexander. (2012). Peripheral intravenous therapy : focus on asepsis : Systematic literature review. Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CD8QFjAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theseus.fi%2Fbitstream%2Fhandle%2F10024%2F42656%2FBofah_Josephine.pdf%3Fsequence%3D1&ei=hJ_AVKnGHaTV7QagyoCwBA&usg=AFQjCNHQcdW7lEuoXASBbH-A3ZNVZ7-nvQ&sig2=hCJEBzRL69lu8TtTSNFDHQ&bvm=bv.83829542,d.ZGUKampf, G., Reise, G., James, C., Gittelbauer, K., Gosch, J., & Alpers, B. (January 01, 2013). Improving patient safety during insertion of peripheral venous catheters: an observational intervention study. Gms Hygiene and Infection Control, 8, 2.). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3850230/O’Grady, N. P., Alexander, M., Burns, L. A., Dellinger, E. P., Garland, J., Heard, S. O., Lipsett, P. A., †¦ Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) (Appendix 1). (January 01, 2011). Summary of recommendations: Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-related Infections. Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 52, 9, 1087-99. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3106267/ Source document

Employment Rights Act Essay

1. Know the statutory responsibilities and rights of employees and employers within own area of work. 1.1 List the aspects of employment covered by law Here is a list of the aspects of employment covered by law; minimum wage, discrimination, health and safety, holiday entitlements, redundancy, dismissal, training, disciplinary procedures, union rights and consultation, maternity rights, protected disclosures, working time regulations, particulars of employments. Working hours and holiday entitlements, Sickness absence and sick pay, Anti – discrimination provisions, Data protection, Relevant equalities legislation. 1.2 List the main features of current employment legislation is : – Health and Safety Act 1974 – Equality Act 2010 – Date Protection Act 1998 – Employment Rights Act 1996 – Part Time Workers Regulations Act 2000 – Working Time Regulations Act 1998 – National Minimum Wage Act 1998 1.3 Outline why legislation relating to employment exists. Legislation relating to employment exists to protect the rights of employers and employees by providing rules and regulations that must be followed. It prevents employers from abusing or taking advantage of employees. To prevent exploitation and To ensure safe working environment. 1.4 Identify sources and types of information and advice available in relation to employment responsibilities and rights. Sources and types of information that are available to employment responsibility and rights include: Employment contracts -copy, company policies, manager of team, Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, Jobcentre Plus, Citizens Advice Bureau, Department for Work and Pensions, Employment Appeals Tribunal Service, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, Access to Work (to help pay towards a support worker or the equipment you need at work) and Direct.gov website. Understand agreed ways of working that protect own relationship with employer.

Case Study Week 1 Example

Case Study Week 1 Example Case Study Week 1 – Article Example Managing for Operational Integrity Managing for Operational Integrity The scandal and the alleged rumors of Baidu.com, it can be seen that the company’s reputation and strong profit growth has suffered a certain degree of damage. Under the US Stock Market NASDAQ, Baidu.com’s (BIDU) share price has dropped from $308 to $110 in a few months of 2008.[1] 2. If the damage to reputation continues, this could lead to problems in the future. Measurement of risks can be done by two basic methods: firstly, the ranking model which uses publishes information to compare reputations. The other is one that uses internal client information as an aid for reputation owners. 3. Baidu.com can manage its reputation in many different ways, namely, avoidance, management, mitigation, or transferring risks. The last one doesn’t apply to risk which aren’t or can’t be insured. It will be a challenge they will have to overcome because strictly speaking, reputation itself canno t be managed, and often there is so dedicated individual responsible for ownership of damaged reputation or risk. 4. Because of these delays in recognizing the diseases mentioned, the companies who manufacture products which spread them greatly benefit, with low production costs, and thus acquire a high profit margin. The public on the other hand, who buys and uses said products suffer adversely. 5. There should be a national or country-to-country consensus to not monitor the news, as well as organizations set up for the regulation of international legislation and treaties to ensure a smooth flow of uncensored information to prevent the ‘culture of secrecy’6. a) One method is surprise checks and visits to the sites in other countries to ensure compliance with company policies. b) Such organizations exist. E.g. is the United Nations initiative to stop child labour. un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/childlabour/c) They shouldn’t be held responsible, as the mela nin tinted ingredients were of Chinese Company and not theirs. d) Yes, it would be different, and more immediate. e) Nike discloses its responsibilities and practices because it has a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to do so, in particular the Kaksay Lawsuit. This is done by publishing a CSR report online. References[1] Pg. 40, Ch. 1, Managing for Operational Integrity

Religion in Germany

Religion in Germany For good reason, the intersection of the huge topics â€Å"religion† and â€Å"Germany† is understandably Martin Luther. Luther was born in Eisleben, Germany, in 1483, and his family soon moved to Mansfeld, Germany. Luther received a superb basic education in Latin and German, entered the University of Erfurt in 1501, where he received his baccalaureate degree in 1502 and his master’s degree in 1505. Urged by his father, Luther undertook graduate work in law, but switched to theology within six weeks, owing, he said, to a violent thunderstorm that so terrified him (â€Å"besieged by the terror and agony of sudden death†) he promised God to become a monk if he survived. Luther began his so-called priestly formation at the University of Erfurt, became a priest in 1507, transferred to the University of Wittenberg in 1508, and completed his doctorate in 1512, which the University of Erfurt granted based on his studies at Wittenberg. Five years later, the rift with Catholicism that became the Protestant Reformation began and the ripple effect of Luther’s Ninety-five Theses in 1517 changed the world forever. Today, Germany is still a Christian nation, although, in keeping with religious freedom, there is no official religion. â€Å"Religionen Weltanschauungsgemeinschaften in Deutschland: Mitgliederzahlen† analyzed results of the 2011 census and found that ca. 67% of the population identified themselves as Christian, i.e., Protestant or Catholic, while Islam comprised ca. 4.9%. There are very, very small Jewish and Buddhist groups that are barely measurable, so the remaining population, i.e., ca 28%, either belong to unidentified religious groups or do not belong to any formal religious group. The German constitution (Grundgesetz fà ¼r die Bundesrepublik Deutschland), which opens with these stirring words: â€Å"Human dignity is inviolable,† guarantees freedom of religion for everyone. The core of this guarantee of religious freedom is based on â€Å". . . the freedom of religion, conscience and the freedom of confessing one’s religious or philosophical beliefs are inviolable. Uninfringed religious practice is guaranteed.† But the guarantee does not stop there. The very nature and form of the government reà ¯nforce and bolster that guarantee with many safeguards that strengthen one another synergistically, e.g., a democratic society, popular sovereignty, a strong emphasis on social responsibility, and binding federalism among the sixteen German states (Deutsche Bundeslnder). There is an excellent, in-depth discussion of religious freedom in Germany in Wikipedia  which provides many details and examples for those who wish to know specifics. It is certainly worth one’s time. The overall distribution of religious affiliations can be outlined roughly as follows: you’re more likely to encounter Protestants in the North and Northeast and Catholics in the South and Southwest; however, â€Å"Germany Unity†- the joining of the German Democratic Republic (the â€Å"DDR†) and the Federal Republic of Germany (the â€Å"BRD†) on 03 October 1990- skewed this rule of thumb. After 45 years of communist rule in East Germany, many, many families had drifted away from religion altogether. So, in the former German Democratic Republic, you’re more likely to encounter individuals and families who don’t identify themselves with any church affiliation. Despite the rough geographic distribution of various religious adherents, many of the holidays that began as religious holy days centuries ago are still part of German culture, regardless of location. â€Å"Fasching†- also known as Karneval, Fastnacht, Fasnacht, Fastelabend- begins either a 11:11 on 11 November or on 07 January, the day after the Feast of the Three Kings, depending on your locale, and runs until Ash Wednesday (der Aschermittwoch), the beginning of Lent- the fortyday period of fasting and abstinence immediately preceding Easter. Knowing that they will have to set their frivolity aside during Lent, people party extensively; perhaps to â€Å"get it out of their system† (verrà ¼ckt spielen). The celebrations are mostly local and vary from village to town to city, but inevitably culminate in the week leading up to Ash Wednesday. Participants dress in outlandish costumes, prank one another, and generally try to have a frivolous time. It’s mostly harmless, playful, and inconsequential silliness. For example, Weiberfastnacht is the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, usually in the Rhineland, but there are pockets of Weiberfastnacht all over. Women kiss any man who catches their fancy, snip off their ties with scissors, and end up in bars to laugh, drink, and recount the day’s exploits. There are parades of various sorts and sizes over the weekend before Easter weekend. Costumes abound, groups strut their stuff (â€Å"stolzieren ungeniert†), as they say, with lots of good-humored hooting and hollering. Rosenmontag, the Monday before Ash Wednesday, has the most extravagant carnival parade in Cologne, but very respectable rival parades also take place throughout the Rhineland, all of which the German television network broadcasts, not merely nationwide, but to other Germanspeaking areas, particularly in Austria Switzerland. The next day, Fastnachtdienstag, additional parades take place, but the focal point of this day is the so-called burning of the â€Å"Nubbel†. The Nubbel is a straw-filled figure- a scapegoat- that the merrymakers fill with all the sins they committed during the carnival. When they burn the Nubbel, they burn their sins away, leaving them with nothing to regret during Lent. After sacrificing the Nubbel and not wanting to waste a good Lent at their disposal, the revelers once more start partying into the wee hours of the night just before Ash Wednesday, in hopes of having something about which they can be a bit contrite, even remorseful. This attitude is in keeping with a very human exchange Luther had with Philip Melanchthon, one of Luther’s companions and an early Protestant theologian. Melanchthon was a rather circumspect man whose unwavering mien annoyed Luther from time to time. â€Å"For goodness’ sake, why don’t you go and sin a little?† urged Luther in exasperation. â€Å"Doesn’t God deserve to have something to forgive you for!† For the record, Martin Luther was a rather lusty, earthy monk who, after the Catholic Church excommunicated him, married and commented several times about how delightful it was to awake to find â€Å"braids on the pillow† next to his. Luther would have loved and sanctioned the very ethos of Fasching, for he said â€Å"Wer nicht liebt Wein, Weib, und Gesang, Der bleibt ein Narr sein Leben lang.† (â€Å"Who loves not women, wine, and song, Remains a fool his whole life long.†)

Confucious and the golden rule, East meets west Coursework

Confucious and the golden rule, East meets west - Coursework Example From the Chinese philosopher’s perspective, a person who does not want to be hurt should not hurt others. On the other hand, Jesus implies that if you do not want to be harmed, do good to others because if you are good, then other people will give you back the same treatment. As an individual, I live by the same rule of Jesus because I strongly agree that people should be active participants in their community in making it a peaceful and harmonious place to live in. I recognize the view of Confucius that people should not do to others what they do not want others do to them. However, I am more inclined to strongly concur with Jesus’ point of view because it is not only stated positively but it also encourages an active participation of a person. I firmly believe that we need to stay away from doing dreadful things as Confucius interjects but in order to minimize if not eliminate awful situations, we have to actively do excellent things. According to Tao, the best man benefits all things just like water does. Where there is water, life abounds and the same is true with the best man. Tao says that the best man is selfless, able to benefit the people around him and does not compete with them. Instead, he is able to see identify a need and does something to meet the need without thinking about what he should gain from it or what he is going to lose if he needs to spend a lot of time and money in accomplishing the task. The best man, despite his commendable attributes will remain humble and simply continues to exist influence his community in a positive manner. Humility is that place which Tao says the water goes to which all disdain. Indeed, through the different centuries, only a handful strove to do good and still remain quiet about what they did. Most people set their goals high and do mighty works and above all their achievements, they want to be recognized and exalted. Nevertheless, the best man takes a different route. He gives