Contract law research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Contract law - Research Paper Example As earlier mentioned, a contract refers to a relationship of exchange that is either written or oral agreement between persons. This relationship contains one or more promises, which are legally enforceable. Several crucial elements are reflected by this definition of a contract. They include the following: the first element of an indenture is that, it is an agreement that is either written or oral between a minimum of two persons. This element implies that one cannot make a contract with oneself. The relationship in a contract is consensual and voluntary, meaning that no one is coerced to sign a contract. Even, though, the minimum number of people required in signing a contract is two, the transaction can involve a limitless number of parties. The parties create a contract with intent and free will to be bound, and they reach an agreement concerning vital provisions of the relationship. A contractual obligation is distinguished from other legal duties by the agreement element. The s econd element is that a contract is a relationship of exchange that is based on the principle of offer and acceptance. This element emphasizes that the parties who enter in to a contract are bound together by the by a commodity that they are exchanging. Minimum interaction is involved in a number of contractual relationships (Blum, 2007). For instance, if an individual enters into a contract to have his hair cut, the barber will perform a quick activity of trimming his hair and the individual will honor his obligation by paying for the services. These two activities will mark the end of the contractual relationship. On the contrary, contractual relationships like supply contracts or leases could last for several years, and the parties involved engaging into constant dealings that are controlled by the provisions stated in the agreement. A contract relationship has an essential purpose which is exchange. Society and the economy require the trade of intangible rights, services and pro perty. These exchanges are regulated and facilitated by a contract as part of its chief role. Therefore, a contract carries with it the principle of reciprocity, in which one must part with something to get something back. The third essential element is that a contract should have a minimum of one promise, which is made with a hope of being honored in a later date as per the agreements. A contract is not constituted in the instantaneous exchanges, even though they involve a trade and are consensual (Blum, 2007). A promise, therefore, goes beyond the agreement instance as a future commitment. If both parties honor their side of the commitment at the expiry of the agreed duration, then there will be no need of involving the law in contracts. Contract law comes in incase of breach of contractual agreement by either of the parties. Last but not least, a contract has an

Cross-Cultural Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Cross-Cultural Perspectives Essay Cross-cultural perspectives are just that, an individual perspectives of other another culture in comparison to another. Cola-Cola was created May 8, 1886 by John Pemberton and Jacobs’ Pharmacy was the first place it was served at. In 1906, Coca-Cola expanded to three countries outside the United States. In 1912, they expanded to the Philippines and then to Asia for the first time. In the late 1920’s, Coca-Cola formed a Foreign Department that would supply their concentrate to 10 other countries. Coca-Cola started a couple of bottling operations in India, one at Mehdiganj, Uttar Pradesh in 1999 and another one in 2000 at Plachimada, Kerala. Environmental issues began to surface at these two India locations shortly thereafter. Environmental Issues India has several Coca-Cola bottling operations throughout their country. The two that will be discussed are the ones in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, in particular. These two plants have similar issues that they are facing, including closure of their operation. If the ISO14001 standard was utilized before and during the operation of these two plants, the outcome would have been considerably different. According to ISO14001:2004 EMS Requirements (2004), â€Å"ISO 14001:2004 is applicable to any organization that wishes to implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system; assure itself of its conformance with its stated environmental policy; demonstrate such conformance to others; seek certification/registration of its environmental management system by an external organization; make a self-determination and self-declaration of conformance with this international standard.† Uttar Pradesh Location The plant in Uttar Pradesh was opened in 1999 and the people were not happy  about it from the beginning. Coca-Cola started proceedings to expand the water table for consumption which ultimately took from the local farms. It was discovered that Coca-Cola also increased their production from what was allowed per their contract from their government which in turn made them use even more water. Locals protested this request plus they also stated that the plant was built on ground that did not belong to them. With this area already considered drought-stricken, Cola-Cola should have taken other measures to obtain the necessary water to run the plant and the right to increase production prior to this dilemma. Morally and ethically speaking, they had the obligation to not harm the people or their environment in any shape, form or fashion while operating their business for profit. If depletion of was not bad enough, the water they used was contaminated and were found in about a dozen of th e finish products that were produced there. Hansia (2014), â€Å"The Center for Science and Environment (CSE) found high levels of toxic pesticides and insecticides, high enough to cause cancer, damage to the nervous and reproductive systems, birth defects and severe disruption of the immune system† (para. 17). They were only fined $2,000 US dollars for the land issues and was ordered to vacate the premises but Coca-Cola obtained a stay order but the National Green Tribunal (NGT) have not allowed them to reopen as of the summer of 2014. However, Coca-Cola was instructed to replenish twice as much water they extracted as part of the ruling, and in 2014, the government made a promise to the local village council that the factory will be demolished because the land belong to them and the construction of the plant was illegal, (Coca-Cola Forced To Close India Bottling Factory Over Excessive Water Use, Pollution, 2014). Kerala Location The Kerala plant started their operation in 2000 but soon came to similar complications as the Uttar Pradesh location encountered in 2004. Due to water depletions, the community is aggressively taking action to have the plant shut down. The liabilities that the legislation is holding Coca-Cola is $47 million for damages caused by the operation of the plant (Coca-Cola Plant Shut Down In India , 2014). Considerably more than Uttar Pradesh imposed previously. Along with having the same water contamination issues, the Kerala plant also had solid waste problems. The company was passing off  the sludge as fertilizer to the farmers which caused environmental and health damages which were most likely included in the liability charges that were imposed. India now accuses Coca-Cola of having double standards were human health is concerned, in comparison to the United States, (Ethical Issues Concerning Coca-Cola In India, 2009). That very well may be an accurate accusation because that would not have happened in the United States. The U.S. environmental rules and regulations are a lot stricter than most countries and are strictly enforced throughout the U.S. Hefty fines are issued when the rules are broken as they are there for the protection of the U.S. environment and the future generations to come. Viable Solution For both locations in reference to the water issue. Further evaluations and consultation with the environment committees would have been beneficial knowing that water is a commodity that is scarce in both regions. Critical thinking into other options in obtaining water such as building traps to collect rain water or recycling the waste water through new technology that has been recently created and tested to be the cleanest water. As far as the solid waste dilemma, find other ways to dispose of it such as other approved locations or disposal plants, if any that it can be taken to or contact renewable energy plants that use bio materials to operate their power plants. If one does not exist, explore the opportunities to create one for renewable energy for the Coca-Cola plant itself. Conclusion In spite of the water/beverage contamination, solid waste problems and the two closures discussed previously that Coca-Cola had endured, they are known around the world as the top leading soft drink. Cola-Cola needs to align the ethics and morals of the operations in the United States with those of other countries in order to get and maintain the status that all their stockholders would be proud of. The communities would actually invite the company to open an operation in their region because they would know that their environment would advance and improve along with the well-being of the people of that community. Coca-Cola should have embraced overseas countries as if it were in their own backyard. References Coca-Cola forced to close India bottling factory over excessive water use, pollution. (2014). Retrieved from http://rt.com/news/167012-coca-cola-factory-closed-india/ Coca-Cola Plant Shut Down in India. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.indiaresource.org/news/2014/1020.html Ethical issues concerning Coca-Cola in India. (2009). Retrieved from http://imaginecorporation.blogspot.in/2009/08/ethical-issues-concerning-coca-cola-in.html Hansia, F. (2014). Coca-Cola Forced To Shut Bottling Plant in India. Retrieved from http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=15963 ISO 14001:2004 EMS Requirements. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.itgovernanceusa.com/shop/p-644-iso14001-iso-14001-ems-requirements.aspx?gclid=CLqom7Gt6MMCFYeTfgodzVAAUw#.VOLgEvmAEbI

Building Nsanje Port on Shire Zambezi Waterway

Building Nsanje Port on Shire Zambezi Waterway Project Description Malawi is a landlocked country that relies on Mozambican ports on the Indian Ocean for transportation of imported and exported goods. The project will open new doors for Malawi and reduce transport costs. Currently Malawi uses Beira and Nacala port in Mozambique from which transporters cover a return distance of about 1700km from Blantyre. Using Nsanje port, transporters now will cover a distance of 238 km for a return journey to Blantyre as opposed to Beira port. Reduction in transport costs may lead to reduction of other goods such as agricultural inputs. This will be a benefit to the Malawians who depend on agriculture for their economy and it will also improve food security in the country. The project will also provide Malawi with a multimodal transport linkage to other land locked countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia; the people of Nsanje district will be empowered socially and economically due to new infrastructure and markets that will be established to support the services of the port; the visual scenery of Nsanje district will improve with the building of the port; creation of temporary and permanent jobs; time saving and reduction on wear and tear of vehicles due to reduced travel distance. Though the project will have positive effects but will also have negative impacts such as loss of fishing area and income for fishermen who used to fish along the shire river; air and water pollution due to construction work that will take place on the site; the project will affect the water species found along this area of the Shire river; empowerment of people socially and economically may increase the spreading of HIV and AIDS as this districts already has high percentage of HIV patients due to cultural beliefs; urbanization due to viable environment for small scale and large scale businesses; natural visual scenery will be affected by new built structures, risk to flooding along the Shire river; conflicts with hosting communities and negative influences on religion and local culture. Location The project will be located at Nsanje District in Malawi. Malawi is located between latitudes of 09ËÅ ¡ and 17ËÅ ¡ south and longitudes of 33ËÅ ¡ and 37ËÅ ¡ east. Malawi is bordered by Zambia in the East, Tanzania in the North and Mozambique in the South and West. Nsanje District Assembly is found at the tip of Southern Malawi where Malawi shares borders with Mozambique. It is at this place that the shire river passes along the boundary between Malawi and Mozambique flowing into Zambezi river and then to Indian Ocean through Chinned Port. The site was selected because of the wider width of the river as it connects to Zambezi River offering a better place for the port. Location map is shown in relation to the Shire River and location for the proposed port. Malawi Map showing location of Nsanje, Imagery showing location of the port, Shire River and Nacala corridor from Mozambique. MALAWIS EIA LEGISLATURE In Malawi the Environmental Act enacted in 1996, provides the legal framework for the protection and management of the environment, the conservation and sustainable utilization of natural resources. EIA processes are outlined on section 24 of the Act to which all private and public developers must adhere to. The Act has outlined projects for which EIA is mandatory before implementation of the project as gazetted in section 24. The section also stipulates all activities that must be carried out by the developer before any implementation. The developer has to submit a project brief to the Environmental Affairs Department (EAD) who administers the environmental Act. The Director assesses the project and is supported by expertise from the technical committee of environmental affairs (TEC) which participate in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements; project briefs reviews; Terms of Reference (ToRs) and EIA reports; develop and monitor project auditing programme and recomme nded course of action to the Director though the director is not bound by the TEC report. The act also stipulates that only the EAD is mandated to issue out certificate under section 26(3) for which an EAI is required. For thorough evaluation of project activities that might have significant impact on the environment by the port developer, the EIA is supported by various Malawi government Acts and policies as indicated in table 1 and other international legislatures as attached on appendix I. Malawi legal documents 4.2 EIA Process The EAI process is carried out in phases in a project cycle in which EIA requirements are integrated within the cycle (EMA, 1996). The project cycle is carried out in phases and begins with a concept then pre-feasibility and feasibility studies before a detailed design and implementation phase. The objective of the cycle it to provide detailed and up-to-date environmental information at key stages in the cycle. This helps the developer to identify early results from an EIA and able to take action on any significant changes and adopt them during project implementation. The project cycle also provides opportunity to the developer, consultant, relevant authorities, interested parties and the general public to assess the impacts of the project on the environment and provide alternatives on adverse effects. The project cycle focuses on identification of negative impacts, reasonable alternatives and assessing the relevant issues so as to ensure that the EIA becomes a useful to decision mak ers. All the activities in the project cycle are done through screening and scoping. 4.1 Screening Screening allows a project to be assessed whether an EIA is required or not and establishes the basis for scoping (Theodorsdouttir, 1999). In Malawi, screening is done through a project brief which is a document that highlights critical issues prepared by the developer and in this case the Malawi Government and is submitted to the Director of Environmental Affairs Department and who is supported by TEC to assess whether it requires EIA or not. Building of an inland port is among the projects that EIA is mandatory in Malawi therefore an EIA is to be carried out (EMA, 1996). 4.2 Scoping Scooping ensures that all relevant issues to be addressed in an EIA are established and makes sure that all relevant authorities, interested and affected parties are involved, alternatives to the project are identified and to make sure that the resources are conserved and used wisely. In Malawi, comprehensive identification of the significant impacts are based on the Terms of Reference (ToRs) which are prepared by the developer and approved by the director (EMA, 1996). ToRs are identified in the scooping process. The figure I below outlines all the EIA process in Malawi. 4.3 ASSESSMENT METHOD There are various methods of assessing environmental project impacts such as checklist, network diagrams, graphical comparisons overlays and matrices (FAO, 1995) In this assessment matrices as shown in figure 2 have been used to come up with the most significant impacts as matrices easily identify impacts in a summary form and provides better bases for evaluating most significant ones Leopold et al. (1971). 4.4 Environmental Plan Impacts identified in the matrices are further assessed by Stakeholders, EAD, TEC, general public and the developer to evaluate the impacts and also identify mitigation measures. In the environmental plan potential project impacts are identified in regard to project phases as indicated in Appendix II The most significant impact Water Pollution The most significant environmental impact on this project is water pollution. Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies through pollutants which are discharged directly into water bodies without adequate measures to remove harmful compounds. Water pollution may take place due to effluents derived from soil erosion, accidental spills, waste oil, fertilizers and detergents, heavy metal and pesticides, heat and micro-organisms (JICA/GOK, 1992). 5.1 Significant Impacts Drinking Water: Water is considered safe if it can be used by human beings and other living creatures without any effect (UNEP, 1999). Polluted water is not safe for drinking for the communities living along the river and can easily wipe away a large population of human beings and animals as the birds shown in figure3. Odour: Sediments in the water under the structures may cause water stagnation and after sometime the water may produce odours that may be nuisance to the people working around the area Impact on irrigation: Water polluted with chemicals and oil spills may affect irrigated crops. Recreation: Polluted water will not be good for swimming or recreation as it may affect the people in contact with polluted water. To reduce water pollution, there is need to provide mitigation and monitoring measures as shown in table III below. Significant impact Project Activity Possible Mitigation measures Prediction and Monitoring measures Water pollution Landfills and site development Careful site selection and layout design is important to reduce stagnation. Dredging should be carried out to remove any deposits and sediments in the water Enhance the water law Act to punish offenders who deliberately pollute water Construction of break waters, bays and terminals Make a fence around the construction area Quarterly meetings during the construction phase should be held to monitor the negative environmental impacts. TEC and EAD to monitor the activities Dredging and disposal of dredged materials Proper disposal of dredged material plays an important role in preserving the environment.   Monitor sediment deposits and use Secchi disk to check depth and visibility (United Nations, 1992). Waste Management Encourage recycling and devise proper means of disposing both solid and liquid waste District Assembly to monitor all dumping sites and advise residents accordingly. Transportation of construction materials Proper handling of raw materials is required i.e. Cover cement and sprinkle water frequently on dusty roads Monitor handling of the raw materials. Vessel traffic operations Appropriate regulations should be put in place to cater for ship discharge, emissions and oil from cargo, ship spills and disposal of waste Use of Microwave remote sensing satellites and receivers aboard ship vessels to monitor ship movements, oil spills and grease and ship leakage in the river (Woodhouse, 2006). Use predictions models to monitor water quality such as Artificial Intelligence models, Artificial Neural Network models and Mathematical assimilations (Najah et al., 2009) Cargo handling and storage Special equipment should be provided for handling cargo and transportation of goods and   Provision should be made for periodical clean-up of floats and wastes   Developer to monitor that cargo handling equipment is regularly serviced Waterfront and cargo operations Provide regulations on effluent from waterfront industries and monitoring of water quality TEC to monitor all activities probably by employing a full time environmental specialist. Transportation of goods All roads leading to the port must have bitumen to avoid dust which may pollute the water.   Stakeholders to monitor where they there expertise is required. 5.2 Acts that govern the legislature for water are; Environmental Management Act 1996 which stipulates the conservation and sustainability of utilization of natural resources and water is one of the natural resources. Water Resources Act 1969 The act governs the control conservation, apportionment and use of water resources in Malawi. Water Works Act The act makes an offence if any person willfully and negligently causes water pollution. 5.3 Baseline data Baseline data is the collection of relevant information proposed in the project with the purpose of determining the status and trends of environmental factors (e.g., water pollutant concentrations). This offers opportunities to predict changes in terms of importance and provide for means of detecting actual changes once the project is initiated. Baseline data plays an important role in EIA assessment and monitoring of environmental effects (Wathern, 1988). Alpha (1995) recommends the following data to be collected for checking water pollution: Dissolved Oxygen Water conductivity Water salinity Turbidity Temperature PH Use of questionnaire to get more information from the communities around the district Assembly on the activities that take place along the river Measurements on sediments. Maps showing river catchments area 5.3.1 Parameters for checking water quality UNEP prescribes measurement of various parameters for assessing, water quality and these include:- Temperature recommended is between 25 and 35 Suspended solids it is recommended is 30mg/l Biochemical oxygen Demand (5-day at 20 C) Clean water is between 4mg/l to 10 and more than 10 is considered polluted Heavy metal concentration should not exceed 0.1mg/l in combination Lead (PB) less than 0.1mg/l Mercury (Hg) less than 0.005 mg/l Silver (Ag) , Zinc(Zn), Chromium (Cr), Arsenic (As) less than 0.05 mg/l Nickel (nI) less than 0.3 mg/l Copper (Cu), Cyanides (CN), Hydrogen Sulphide (S) less than 1.0mg/l Free Ammonia (NH 3 ) less than 0.2mg/l Phenolic Compounds (Phenol) 0.001 mg/l Nitrates (N) 10mg/l Phosphates Floating materials oils foam and greases. Bhardwaj, 2005, suggest water quality criteria as shown in the table below: 5.4 GAPS Measurement of water quality can only be undertaken by people with special expertise and with special equipment which cannot be used by a local person and the water measuring instruments are not up-to-date and not enough to cover all water bodies in the country (UNEP, 1999). Conclusion This project has a significant impact on water which is critical to water species and human beings therefore mitigation measures have to be followed to reduce water pollution in the Shire river which its impacts may have an effect over a long distance and all the way to the Indian ocean and affect so many people and all water habitats.

Effect of Sleep Quality on IQ Experiment

Effect of Sleep Quality on IQ Experiment Project Report Title: Do sleeping qualities affect IQ? Abstract As sleep is so important that we cannot live without, there must be some reasons. Research has proven that it is associated with many other aspects of our lives such as IQ and mood. It is a process to maintain the wellbeing of our internal functioning and an activity that we necessitate, not an option. The present research examined the effects of the quality of sleep people have on IQ. 100 individuals participated in the research and were asked to complete a sleep scale made by the researchers and an IQ test. The results signify that there was a significant positive correlation between one’s quality of sleep and how intelligent they are. There was also a surprise finding of a significant difference between genders, where the results for females was significant but not for males. Introduction Why do we sleep? Every single creature on earth needs to spend time sleeping every day as a natural part of our lives; we spend on average a third of our lives sleeping. Many people decide however to spend less than the recommended time to accomplish certain tasks, there are many theories as to the exact reason why humans spend time sleeping although none of them ultimately conclusive. Investigation carried out by the National Science Foundation (1999-2004) showed that nearly 12% out of the 320 million American population suffer from different sleeping disorders. Moreover, 69% of children have reported having sleeping difficulties once or twice a week. In many cases when these symptoms occur, they are often being ignored and untreated (F. Dinges et al. 2005). In light of this we can see the ways in which sleep has an effect in many people’s lives, as well as the effects it can have on our external and internal environment. It is essential that we have good understanding of the importance of sleep, as factors such as having a higher IQ score is reflective variables such as better mood states, having the recommended hours of sleep and having a good sleeping quality. Recent research by Blackwell et al. (2014) has found that older men have developed an cognitive decline as they have an appalling quality of sleep. However, they have found no association between sleep duration and decline of the cognitive system. Even though it has no link between sleep duration and cognitive functioning, humans still need a certain amount of sleep everyday in order to have a good sleep quality. The following are some factors that will affect sleeping quality or being affected by the lack of sleep. 1. Using phones Using phone or any other electronic appliances before sleep might associate with bad sleeping quality as it can causes cognitive stimulation.(Adams et al. 2013) Just before you sleep, your brain’s electrical activity should start to decrease and neurons begin to slow down. However with the use of an electronic device, the opposite effect takes place; the light from electronic appliances such as your phone can prevent your body from resting. The light will essentially pass through the retina into the hypothalamus, making your body become tense thus causing a production of the stress hormone cortisol. As a result the body’s â€Å"fight or flight† response would occur. Thus delaying the secretion of the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin, ultimately leading to a bad sleeping quality. 2.Mood Throughout the day many of us experience events or situations that can ultimately affect our mood. However if someone is experiencing a bad or low mood it can be found there is an association between this variable and sleeping quality. Some researchers have found relationships between the mood of an individual and the quality of sleep they receive. (Zawadzki et al. 2013) They found that people who have certain emotion disorders such as depression or anxiety are at a higher risk of developing certain disorder such as insomnia, which ultimately decreases one’s sleeping quality. Research by Meltzer, L. J., Mindell, J. A. (2007) has also proved that people with sleeping disorders are likely to have mood disorders and stress related illnesses too; it is found that having difficulty in and lack of sleeping are normally the first symptoms and a great risk factor when a mood disorder first develops. 3. Hours of sleep The amount of sleep one receives ultimately varies among different age groups. There was a study in 2005 by Ursin et al. that showed how the amount of sleep people received varied across populations. There were 3531 males and 5329 females, a total of 8860 participants, age ranged from 40 to 45. Participants were from Bergen and other four communities. They found that people with different work shifts, place of living education and marital status have variations in sleep duration. It was genuinely suggested that an adult should have at least 7 to 8 hours sleep a day. If taken from a biological perspective, it was also proposed that there were certain traits to indentify within genes that provide a predictor of on average how much sleep one is likely to engage in. With regards to previous research the goal of our study was to investigate whether sleep quality has an effect on IQ. This was a correlation study using 100 participants and our predictive hypothesis would be that the quality of sleep people receive does in fact have an association with IQ levels. Method Participants For this research, a sample of 100 participants (57 Females and43 Males) aged 18 or above were selected(M=23.56,SD=6.08) and obtained through opportunity sampling which included Psychology Undergraduates from University of Warwick as well as their families and friends. Their participation in the study was voluntary and they were not paid for their participation. Design This was a correlation study. This was a within subject design under self-report condition. The independent variable for this research would be the sleeping quality (mood, hours of sleep and use of electronic devices) of the participants which was being measured through a sleep scale. The dependent variable was the participants’ IQ , that they would scored on in IQ test given after completing their sleeping scale. Material A Sleeping Quality Scale which was developed by the researchers, driven by the formed hypothesis and literature reviewed. The scale consisted of 7 questions and an IQ test of 30 questions which was found on (www.iqtest.com). Please refer to Figure 1 for the sleeping quality scale used. The questions in the IQ test were generated through the following aspects: General knowledge, solving problems through mathematics, logic and analogy. The Brief Mood Introspection Scale by John D. Mayer was also used in the research, using these symbols ‘ XX,X,V,VV’ to indicate their mood state. Procedure Firstly, participants were informed of the procedure, were given a consent form and asked to sign and write their require contact details. They were then given a short semi-structured questionnaire (the sleeping quality scale) which stated â€Å"Please put a tick in the box which suits you the most† at the beginning of the page. The questionnaire consisted of seven questions about their sleeping quality such as the amount of sleep they have every night and the amount of time they took to fall asleep. They were also asked about their use of electronic devices, the number of electronic devices they own, hours spent on electronic devices as well as the hours spent each week using one at their place of employment. A Brief Mood Introspection Scale was given afterwards, there were two groups of adjectives about mood which were in positive and negative aspects, XX, X, V, and VV were used to indicate their mood. If they definitely did not feel that particular mood at that mo ment they would select â€Å"XX† and select â€Å"X† if they do not feel in that mood. Similarly, if they feel that particular mood slightly, they would select â€Å"V† and they would select ‘VV’ if they were definitely in that specific mood. After completing both of the scales, they were given an IQ test which contained 30 questions. In each question there was a statement, the participants had to indicate whether it was true or false. They were asked to complete the scales and the IQ test in silence and were given as much time as they needed to complete both. The participant’s identity was left as anonymous. The Sleeping quality Scale was marked out of 142 (M=110.75,SD=13.75) and the IQ test was marked out of 150 (M=91.08,SD=12.64). If a participant was to score (142) on the sleep quality questionnaire, the sleep scale would determine that they have high sleep quality and therefore a score of 0 would determine a low sleep quality as 142 is t he maximum score that can be obtained. Correspondingly, if a participant was to score (150) in the IQ test would determine they are highly intelligent. The higher they got in the IQ test, the higher their level of intelligence. After the study was completed, participants were debriefed of the aims of the study and thanked for their time. Results Please refer to Table 1 for all the means and standard deviations of the sleeping scale and the IQ test. Our hypothesis was that the score of the sleeping quality scale participants would positively correlate with their IQ test score and was successfully proved by our results. There was nothing major went wrong in the conduct of the study. When examining the effects of sleeping quality on IQ, researchers created a sleep questionnaire and an IQ test found online. The dependent variable was the score participants gained in the IQ test. In the IQ test, participants will be awarded 5 marks for each question that they have answered correctly. There were 30 questions, so the highest they could get was 150. We used the scores they got from the IQ test to determine how intelligent they were. The Sleep Scale consisted of 7 questions and was marked out of 142. The higher they scored on the Sleep Scale, the better sleep quality they have. Referring to results Table 1, participants’ mean IQ score was above national average (M=110.75, SD=13.75) and their scores from the sleeping scale was rel atively high (M=91.08,SD=12.65). However, when looking at the genders separately from Table 3 Table 4, females (M=109.91, SD=13.61) was slightly less intelligent than males (M=111.86, SD=14.02) based on their performance on this IQ test; males also show slightly better quality of sleep (M=92.42,SD=11.67) than females (M=90.07,SD=13.35). Pearson Correlation test had surprisingly shown that females had a significant result r(57)=.306,p.05. This corresponded to sleep quality does have an effect on females’ IQ score while for male, the two factors do not associate with each other. Overall, it was found that sleep quality was positively correlated with IQ score gained, r(100)=.269, p Descriptive Statistics Table 1 Means and standard deviations of measures taken. Table 2 Zero-order correlations among measures taken. Note – N = 100. Correlations are controlling for other variable. Figure 1. The correlation between the scores participants gets in the sleeping scale and their IQ. Figure 2. The correlation between the scores females gets in the sleeping scale and their IQ. Table 3. Means and standard deviations of measures taken (female). Table 5. Zero-order correlation among measures taken (female). Figure 3. The correlation between the scores males gets in the sleeping scale and their IQ. Table 4. Means and standard deviations of measures taken (male). Table 6. Zero-order correlation among measures taken (male). Discussion Our hypothesis was that sleeping quality does have an association with IQ test performance. The predicted hypothesis was supported by the results obtained. However there is divergence exists in the gender. It has always been suggested that there is a link between sleep quality and cognitive functioning and IQ. Not only does the outside elements that might affect our quality of sleep but also the inside elements that we cannot ignore. The time participants took the test also has an impact on the score they gained, besides, it has been purposed that IQ does change over life span. Barter, E. A. (1997). Recent research from Gruber et al. (2013) has found out that sleep quality does have an effect on children’s IQ measures, however the underlying mechanism stay unidentified. They found that when the frequency of the sleep spindle was lower, it was associated with better performance on WISC-IV scales (a working memory scale) So, when considering the environment that affects our sleep quality, we should also consider the biological aspects (e.g. the sleep spindle). Gruber et al. (2013) conducted a research to investigate whether sleep quality does have an effect on children’s IQ performances. They hypothesised that sleep spindles frequencies, amplitude and duration would be associate with the performance on perceptual reasoning, verbal comprehension and working memory. However, after completing the study, they found that although there was an association between sleep spindle frequency and better performance on the perceptual reason and working memory but not with the per formance of the IQ test. Also, as sleep is such an essential part of our lives, government and companies should purpose more policies that encourage and ensure their citizens to have more sleep. Research from Kyle Stanyar (2012) has proved that high workload, lengthy shift work and work weeks has an association with poor sleep quality. Therefore, government should not just place emphasize on school children but also working adults. The research stresses the importance of the quality of sleep to IQ. Significance difference were indicated in the results, the quality of sleep does affect IQ in Females. This might be because of the biological difference in genders that researchers might consider when replicating this research. Reference Adams et al. adolescent Sleep and cellular Phone Use: recent trends and implications for research. Health Services Insights 2013:6 99–103 American Academy of Sleep Medicine. (2014, March 31). Poor sleep quality linked to cognitive decline in older men. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 5, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140331170557.htm Barter, E. A. (1997). Stability and change in IQ scores: An eleven-year study in children ages 6-17. (Order No. 1384630, California State University, Fullerton). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 77-77 p. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.pugwash.lib.warwick.ac.uk/docview/304428718?accountid=14888. (304428718). Dewald, J. F., Meijer, A. M., Oort, F. J., Kerkhof, G. A., Bà ¶gels, S. M. (2010). The influence of sleep quality, sleep duration and sleepiness on school performance in children and adolescents: A meta-analytic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 14, 179-189. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2009.10.004 Epstein, L. J. (2008) Sleep and mood. Retrieved on 4/5/14 from http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/mood. Gruber, R., Wise, M. S., Frenette, S., Knà ¤auper, B., Boom, A., Fontil, L., Carrier, J. (2013). The association between sleep spindles and IQ in healthy school-age children. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 89, 229-240. Gruber, R., Laviolette, R., Deluca, P., Monson, E., Cornish, K., Carrier, J. (2010). Short sleep duration is associated with poor performance on IQ measures in healthy school-age children. Sleep Medicine, 11, 289-294. Hatfield,H. (2008). Power down for better sleep. Retrieved on 4/5/14 from http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/power-down-better-sleep. Kong, F., Li, Q., Liu, S. (2011). Poor sleep quality predicts decreased cognitive function independently of chronic mountain sickness score in young soldiers with polycythemia stationed in tibet. High Altitude Medicine Biology, 12, 237-242. Meltzer, L. J., Mindell, J. A. (2007). Relationship between child sleep disturbances and maternal sleep, mood, and parenting stress: A pilot study. Journal of Family Psychology, 21, 67-73. Ursin R; Bjorvatn B; Holsten F et al. Sleep duration, subjective sleep need, and sleep habits of 40- to 45-year-olds in the Hordaland health study. SLEEP 2005;28: 1260-1269. Zawadzki, M. J., Graham, J. E., Gerin, W. (2013). Rumination and anxiety mediate the effect of loneliness on depressed mood and sleep quality in college students. Health Psychology, 32, 212-222.

Drugs and Decay :: essays papers

Drugs and Decay Drugs and decay; Iran; Iran's losing fight against drugs. (International)(Brief Article) Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2001 Economist Newspaper Ltd. TABOO subjects, Muhammad Khatami has insisted, should be talked about. Before he was elected president in 1997, most Iranians were unaware of their high level of drug addiction. But now, thanks to press reports and unexpectedly lively debate, everyone knows that the country has about 2m opium and heroin addicts, and that the effects are tugging at the social fabric. The discussion has spurred efforts to stop the flow of Afghanistan's opium, morphine and heroin into Iran, and thence to Turkey and Western Europe. The security forces have stationed 30,000 men on the long border, and fortified lengths of it with trenches and concrete barriers. During a violent period at the end of last year, this border force, which has lost 3,000 men in two decades of fighting the smugglers, was ambushing well-armed gangs almost daily. Their efforts have brought some eye-catching successes. Iran claims 85% of world-wide opium seizures last year, and 45% of morphine and heroin seizures. In February the police raided "Cannibal Island", a squalid corner of Tehran and its biggest drugs supermarket. They arrested about 500 people, before bulldozers razed the area. "It's difficult to see what more they can do," said an admiring Keith Hellawell, the head of Britain's anti-drugs campaign, when he visited Iran earlier this year. "It's a war." To give itself a better chance, Iran has modified its foreign policy. Rather than persist with its refusal to talk to the Taliban, Iran is now helping the Afghan government to transform its poppy fields into prairies of wheat. The UN says that the Taliban may have cut poppy cultivation by 70%. Indeed, in the past three months, the price in Tehran of a mesqal of opium, the five-gram unit of choice, has soared from $2.50 to $9. But talk of victory is premature. However courageous and efficient they are, Iran's border forces and police probably intercept no more than 30% of the drugs that enter the country. Junkies and aid workers alike suspect that the rise in opium prices has less to do with crop substitution and record hauls than it has to do with stockpiling. Moreover, the price of heroin, which is more addictive and more lethal than opium, has stayed absurdly cheap: one (highly adulterated) hit in Tehran costs 50 cents.

Schizophrenia Essay -- Schizophrenia Essays

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects about one percent of the population. Generally if you have schizophrenia you cut out of contact with real world reality. The word Schizophrenia is Greek for â€Å"split mind†. It is common belief that a person with schizophrenia or a â€Å"schizo† has a split personality, but actually the person’s thinking, feelings, and behavior are so far from normal that they get to the point where they interfere with their ability to function in everyday life. People who are suffering from schizophrenia think and act in their own world, which sets them apart from the society around them. About one hundred year ago schizophrenia was first recognized as a mental disorder that scientists have been researching sense, hoping to some day find a cure. The exact cause for schizophrenia is still unknown; scientists believe there is more than one cause for the disease. Most people that have this disease accept the fact but are not willin g to receive the necessary treatment, or follow professional advice. To observers, schizophrenia seems like a disease or â€Å"madness† because people who have this disorder behave differently to the people that are considered â€Å"normal.† It impairs a person from doing work, going to school, taking care of themselves or having a social relationship with others. By looking at the symptoms, it is sometimes hard to classify schizophrenia as a disease because it enables those inflicted with it to develop new ways of expressing themselves, such as communication, and creativity. A disease is usually some kind of sickness that leads to death or heavy medication. Scientists believe that schizophrenia may be caused from genetics; this is also under discussion because kids from a parent with schizophrenia don’t always get it. Because of this theory scientists have been studying identical twins, due to the fact that they have the exact same genetic make up. However, evi dence seems to break this theory. This is because in some of the cases both twins have developed schizophrenia, and in others only one twin developed the disorder. Both men and women are just as likely to develop the disorder; generally the males have had more severe symptoms than the females. About ten percent of the people with schizophrenia end their life by committing suicide. Usually schizophrenia develops between the ages of fifteen to thirty. Earlier sympt... ...but it cannot treat other symptoms such as social withdrawal and apathy. Also, there are some side effects to these medications, including dry mouth, blurred vision, muscle spasms or cramps, and tremors. One of the major side affects is tardive dyskinesia, a permanent condition when the lips, mouth, and tongue move without any control. Besides medications and therapies, family intervention programs exist which focus on the families of the schizophrenics instead of the patients themselves. This is particularly useful since family members can learn and understand how to cope with the patient and provide for them a low-stress environment and aiding them as much as possible. Works Cited Eisendrath, Stuart J. "Psychiatric Disorders." In Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 1998, edited by Lawrence M. Tierney Jr., et al. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange, 1997. Mental Disorders. Videocassette. Winerip, Michael. "Schizophrenia's Most Zealous Foe." The New York Times Magazine 22 Jan. 1998: 26-29. "Schizophrenia." June 2001. Gale Encyclopedia of Science. 17 Mar. 2004 . "Schizophrenia." Psychiatric Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1989.

Product Design †analysis of the XBox 360 Essay

Introduction: The reason that I have chosen the Xbox as the item to do this project on is because of the following reasons. * It has several add-ons which can be used and are used on a constant basis * I am an Xbox owner myself and know its pros and cons and know a severe amount about it. Along with these reasons the Xbox 360 has an expandable memory for music and photos. On the Xbox you can save games to the hard drive which comes in very handy if your and gets scratched this is how you resolve it without having to buy a new game. The expandable memory on these consoles depends on the type of Xbox bought. For example the elite console has an expandable memory up to 250 GB. This 250 GB is for also watching and recording sky on just like the new sky plus box. You can record movies and keep on your hard drive to watch again and again. Aesthetics: The Xbox aesthetics are different depending on which version you buy. The Arcade and Premium versions of the Xbox 360 are very similar with a smooth rectangular shape with rounded edges and a big circular button in the centre with small green lights surrounding it. One is black (Premium) and one is white (Arcade) in colour with some green and silver areas throughout. The arcade is the cheaper of the two as it doesn’t have the same attachments and variety of facilities that the elite has but is more well known as the colour of the Xbox as being white as it is the most often bought. Although they each have a regular colour, people are able to buy any of hundreds of different covers which you can put on easily by yourself. Durability: The Xbox 360 console is not very durable. Beware of letting it fall as it will most definitely smash. Also beware of even letting it tip over as it may not break but it will break whatever game is inside it at the time it falls. This is called laser marks or scratches and is the problem that I had referred to earlier. Although the console cannot survive drops, the controller can survive the occasional drop. Consumer/ Users: The main consumers and users of the Xbox 360 are probably teenagers from about 13- 16. Although these are the most frequent users and buyers of the console, many grown men also buy the console. The Xbox 360 doesn’t appeal to most men but some are very keen on it. The users are also nearly always male as not many girls would find the Xbox interesting or even fun to use. Modifications: There are very few modifications that can be made to the Xbox 360. The first modification I would make to the console would be to do with the durability. I would make it so that it would not break with a slight fall. Another modification I would make would be to the heat given off from the console as it gives off an enormous amount. This could be resolved solved by inventing a fan used via a USB port on the back to keep it discreet. Thirdly the weight of the console is colossal weight weighing 3.5 kilograms which makes it highly importable. Safety: The Xbox 360 is extremely safe. It has rounded edges so that it is safe for little children who may hurt themselves. One unsafe feature of the console would be the heat outlet which could burn someone if they put their hand on it or even worse, start a fire if it is left on for too long. Secondly as mentioned before the weight of the console if it were to fall on a small child it would do serious damage or may even kill the child. Ergonomics: The Xbox 360 is designed to stand up straight on a flat surface. It is made to suit this environment. It can also be sat down flat but it takes up a larger surface area. The Xbox 360 controller is shaped perfectly to fit your hands and the headset that comes with it is designed to fit over any shaped or sized head. Also the microphone on the headset comes with an adjustable piee between the ear and the mouth allowing it to be adjusted to reach your mouth. Cost: The Xbox 360 when it first came out about 2 years ago cost around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½200 for the arcade version, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½250 for premium version and, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½320 for the elite version. Since then the prices have come down quite a bit with the current prices at around; à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½130-140, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½190-200, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½250-260; depending on where you buy. It is well worth the money and you will get plenty of use out of it. Environment and Location: The Xbox 360 should be held in an open environment away from any water or liquid. It should be located quite high off the ground out of the reach of small children. It should also have room behind it do allow the fan to blow the hot air out without overheating. Size and Weight: The Xbox 360 is not that bid for the amount of components Involved in the making of it. It is around 1 foot tall, about 4 inches thick and around 8 inches wide. It is terribly heavy for a console and very awkward to move. Specifica tions: * Plays all Xbox 360 titles. * Wireless control with rumble * Xbox LIVE * 60GB hard drive * Multimedia compatible * Standard or HD graphics * Free and Premium downloadable game and entertainment content. * Support for DVD-video, DVD-ROM, CD-ROM and MP3 CD * Customizable face plates (picture below) * 3 USB2.0 ports * Support for 4 wireless controllers * Removable 60GB drive * Wi-Fi ready Conclusion: The Xbox 360 looks good and is a nice and attractive shape. It doesn’t have the best durability but nothing to worry about. There are very few modifications that could be made to it. It is safe and perfectly designed in every aspect of the console. It is quite large and heavy but is definitely worth the money. Overall in my opinion the Xbox is a great buy for anyone, young or old. Anyone who buys it will have great fun and get plenty of use out of it.