Social Unrest in the Bahamas Essay Example for Free

Social Unrest in the Bahamas Essay The principal causes of working class unrest and increasing dissatisfaction were the same throughout the British Caribbean Region colonies: low wages; high unemployment and under-employment; arrogant racist attitudes of the colonial administrators and employers in their relations with black labourers; lack of adequate and proper, in most cases, any representation; and no established structure for the resolution of industrial disputes by collective bargaining. Furthermore the unfairness shown towards black labourers would later result too many complaints and little or no positive response. Black labourers continued to seek some kind of equality due to the fact that most of their work at the same performance level as those who were white. ? Political Struggles: The Bahamas, like many other countries that are apart of the Commonwealth, had representative assemblies based on the bicameral system of the mother country. Each colony had a governor who represented the monarch, an appointed upper house, and an elected lower house. The electoral franchise, however, was extremely restricted, being vested in a few wealthy male property holders. Colonial acquisition and administration were not neatly and easily accomplished. The Burma Road riot, however, was more than an isolated act of venting. Although a powerful symbol of black agency that has been referenced again and again in the political struggles of Bahamian blacks, the riot was more than a symbol. The riot also kindled the development of a pro-black consciousness in the country, a necessary precursor to black rule and independence. The majority black population in the Bahamas could literally dismantle the edifices of minority white rule, if sufficiently provoked. The fissure that was created in 1942 would widen over the next few decades and within a quarter of a century it became a gapping hole that the majority black Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) walked through to victory. ? ? High unemployment and under-employment: By the early nineteenth century, blacks constituted at least 80 percent of the population in the Bahamas. Majority falling in the unemployment or the under-employment category. Around this time whites were considered more qualified leaving most blacks with little work options. For example, middle class blacks had a better chance to receive a well paying job than any equally qualified ‘grass root’ Bahamians. ? Racism: Even after emancipation, Caribbean societies inherited a rigid racial stratification that was reinforced by the unequal distribution of wealth and power. The three-tier race structure, which existed well into the 1940s and in some societies beyond, upheld the belief of European racial superiority, although most West Indians are of African descent. Racial discrimination was prevalent throughout the Bahamas in the 1930s and the 1940s. Black Bahamians were treated as subhuman in this country. It appears as if the suffering of the black masses, which were mostly living in abject poverty. For example, in the general strike in 1958, white taxi drivers were granted license to transport tourist from the newly opened airport located on Windsor Field. This started began the ‘Quiet Revolution’ which was gave the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) a chance bring the issues of the nation in the presence of the House of Assembly. Low Wages: Black labourers were reluctant to work but were mostly given low wages. Blacks were paid less than white labourers which began uproar in most cases. The government was forced to impose martial law (where the police are given extra powers to arrest) and establish curfew fearing that the black labourers would take out their frustration on local whites. In relation to racism, foreign workers were paid 8 shillings per day versus shillings for local workers (Burma Road riot). Although many have suffered discrimination in many ways, this seems to be the most effective and injustice of them all. Bahamians were willing to work but they were unwilling to remain submissive to the white government or merchant class order. This was because of the difference of wages between black Bahamians and the merchant class order. The white government tried to negotiate the improvement of the wages, however, the Bahamians still suffered from the discrimination. Things such as owning a property was difficult because they never met the outstanding payment due to low wages. Foreign workers were paid more than black locals; overlooking the fact that the some black locals work harder to be paid that the small amount of money. In conclusion, during the nineteenth century, common causes of working class unrest were extremely obvious because of the many riots and the constant discrimination against blacks and whites. The inequality of each factor represented how Bahamians suffered to find a job that would offer them a respectable a wage and to muster their strength to create a political party that can proudly present the frustrations of the black Bahamians in the House of Assembly. Black Bahamians wanted to elevate black people to a position of racial equality and to promote democratic values for all Bahamians. Successfully the Bahamas looked forward to an outstanding future. The black majority party (PLP) won the government making Lynden Pindling the first black Premier of the Bahamas. Sir Milo Butler became the first Governor General of the Bahamas. The Bahamas has greatly improved since the 1930s and the 1940s. The country didn’t face anymore labor discrimination and most importantly racial tension. The Bahamas grew even more and hadn’t faced any more struggles and strife. The 1930s and the 1940s were forever engraved in the Bahamian history because it was a time that the Bahamas had to fight for what was theirs in pride and strength. 1. You are a member of the Taxi Cab Union during the General Strike of 1958. Give an account of your experience. In November 1957 the government had once again betrayed us by granted license to white taxi drivers to transport tourists from the newly opened airport at Windsor Field. As a black Taxi cab driver and a member of the Taxi Cab Union, it wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling to be discriminated public ally by the government. We were not going to tolerate this injustice act us Taxi Cab drivers. So we all came together and planned to use our Taxi cabs as blockade across the road leading to the airport. It seemed risky but it was worth it. The question â€Å"What was I thinking? † lingered in my mind for a couple of days but I had to do it for the sake of my family, my colleagues, my job, and my country. The strike officially began in January of 1958. We formed a blockade with our vehicles across the road lading to the airport exactly like we had planned. Many other workers came outside to support us as well. The leader of the Bahamas Federation of Labor and a known heroic figure, Randol Fawkes, called for all hotel workers, sanitation workers, government workers, teachers and public servants to strike, in order to force the government to address the labor issues of the country. The General Strike was to last sixteen (16) days. Bay Street owned tour companies were given the exclusive right to transport tourists to and from the hotels. Obviously, this move, if allowed to go unchallenged, would have destroyed the livelihoods of hundreds of black Bahamian independent taxi drivers. The General strike was a peaceful, non-violent revolution of the labor laws of this country. The strike had its intended outcome. New labor laws including the Trade Union and Industrial Conciliation Act were passed. A labor department was set up giving ordinary workers more rights. Discriminatory labor practices were also banned. The black majority got a right to vote. In 1959 all Bahamian men over were allowed to vote. In 1961 legislation was passed that allowed women over 21 to vote. As Bahamians we struggle to get what we want but it was a strong fight to what we deserved. Life had changed ever since then all because we didn’t tolerate the racial attitudes and unfairness of the white government.

Human Superiority Over Animals

Human Superiority Over Animals Superior is a relative term. Humans are capable of doing advanced things, which set us apart from other species on earth, such as using tools. We have the physical advantage of using our hands, which due to our opposable thumb makes it much easier for humans to use tools compared to a bird, or a four-legged animal. Hands also allow the human race to compensate for their inherent lack of anti-predator adaptations, such as camouflage, venom, claws and general muscle mass by building weapons and protective shelter. Humans consider these adaptations to be far superior to any other species on earth, and this certainly goes a long way to the feelings of dominance over animals. Most people would agree that humans differ from other animals in terms of intelligence; however, biologically speaking humans are classified as animals. Dictionary.com (2010) describes an animal to be A multicellular organism of the kingdom Animalia, differing from plants in certain typical characteristics such as ca pacity for locomotion, nonphotosynthetic metabolism, pronounced response to stimuli, restricted growth, and fixed bodily structure. All of these qualities apply to humans and other animals alike. As plain as it is to see the similarities between humans and chimpanzees, with which we share 98% of our genetic information (Science Museum, 2010), there is no doubt that humans have pedestaled themselves above the animal kingdom. We generally use the term animal to describe a creature that is not human. For example, you would never see RSPCA(EH) Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Excluding Humans). Hunting Humans have hunted wild animals since the beginning of the Homo genus 2.5 million years ago, long before civilizations were formed (Holzman, 2003). From hunting solely for survival, ensuring that every part of the captured animal was put to good use, to trapping live prey to sell and ultimately becoming a sport, huntings role in society has changed and evolved dramatically throughout history (Lewis, 2009: 49). Hunting with horses and dogs is emblematic of how hunts in modern Britain are typically perceived, but this has not always been the case. Horses and sometimes dogs were an important part of our food chain long before they were partnered with man (Lewis, 2009:50). Although it is unclear when man started to work along side the original wolf descendents of the 10.5 million estimated canine pets in the UK alone (Browne et al., 2010), it appears that they developed their relationship around 20,000 years ago (Serpell, 1995: 7). The domestication of wolves was a natural and logical st ep in improving early mankinds hunting development. Wolves have a strict natural order in their packs identifying one leader that they will all follow, a position that was taken by Late Stone Age man (Lewis, 2009: 54). Wolves superior senses were hugely beneficial to humans. Smell, sight and hearing coupled with their instinctual need for protecting their pack would have provided man with excellent added protection from carnivores and hostile groups of other humans. Apart from the advantages these senses would give humans during a hunt, all of these reasons helped to form the foundations of their symbiotic relationship. There are many possible processes that may have lead to the domestication of the wolf with the most popular theory having a basis in natural selection (Serpell, 1995: 7-21). This hypothesis maintains that wolves ventured into human communities to feed from their left over food waste. Over many generations these wolves would have become more comfortable and less fearful of humans resulting in greater sustenance. Natural selection would favour the wolves less inclined to flee the humans, and this lack of fear would have been learned by the wolf cubs. This process would have eventually led to the domestication and introduction of dogs. Once these dog ancestors were inducted into communities, humans would have begun to breed the animals selectively to produce traits specialized in hunting local prey. Selective breeding from early prehistory was the basis of the huge variations in dog breeds that we see today. As hunting became a sport rather than a life duty, the role of dogs continued to evolve and certain groups of dogs were specifically bred developing strong bloodlines (see Appendix one) There are two main types of hunts typically associated with Britain. The most popular is fox hunting which is an activity that involves tracking, chasing, and sometimes killing of a (traditionally red) fox. A group of followers are led to the fox on horseback or on foot by the trained scent hounds. Deer hunting is also enjoyed by many and either involves the chasing and killing of deer with a pack of hounds or deer stalking and shooting. This is usually done just with human participation as dogs can cause too much of a disturbance (Bateson and Bradshaw, 2000). Bow hunting deer is also a recreational sport that can be seen all over the globe. Although 10,000 deer per annum are thought to be killed by this method in the EU alone, the UK is one of two countries worldwide (the second being Senegal) where the practice is illegal due to welfare implications (Gregory, 2005). Hunting has long been a fashionable British pastime for royal and rural society. William the Conqueror was a keen huntsman who supposedly loved red deer as much as if he were their father (Griffin, 2007: 15). He realised that in order to maintain a huntable population of red deer in this country he needed to ensure their protection and conservation. He introduced control over when and where hunting was acceptable, which included the prevention of deer hunting during their mating season. This ensured a new generation of the animals to replace those killed. He established royal forests for the preservation of deer, which consisted not just of woodland, but also common land, arable land, moors and heaths. These royal forests lay outside of common law and became subject to forest law, placing them directly under the personal rule of the king. This action caused new ideas concerning ownership of the wild animals to come to life. Where it had once been the case that the hunted deer belonge d to whomevers land they lived on, William I declared that only he had the right to hunt wild deer as they belonged solely to him (Griffin, 2007: 20). Ultimately the kings laws made it very difficult for all those living in woodland areas. He prohibited hunting of all animals so as not to disturb his royal game and ruled that all dogs living in or around woodlands must be mutilated in order to prevent them chasing his deer. The necessary toe-removing procedure was known as lawing, and was later described by an authority as follows: The mastive being brought to set one of his forefoot upon a piece of wood eight inches thick and a foot square, then one with a mallet, setting a chisel two inches broad upon the three claws of his forefoot, at one blow doth smite them cleane off (Griffin, 2007:18) Hunting animals for food is often seen to be much more acceptable than hunting purely for the sake of killing (Lewis, 2009: 181). Foxes are largely thought of as vermin and for generations farmers had regularly killed them as a form of pest control. It wasnt until a decline in the UKs deer population in the eighteenth century that foxhunting evolved into its modern incarnation and was considered a sport in its own right (Craig, no date given). The activity grew in popularity with dogs being bred specifically for their scent tracking abilities, speed and stamina. The specialized breeding of the dogs resulted in longer, more exciting hunts, which were more attractive to those involved. The expansion of the British Empire under the reign of Queen Victoria spread fox hunting to far reaches of the globe. The European fox was introduced into Australia during the nineteenth century solely for recreational hunting (Dickman and Glen, 2005). Fox hunting in Britain continued to grow in populari ty well into the twentieth century despite the sport being banned in other European countries such as Germany (BBC, 1999a). In recent years however, the sport has undergone much controversy and has been involved in a great deal of debate between those who support the activity and those who oppose it. Many believe that fox hunting, in particular with mounted hunters and dogs, is cruel and outdated (BBC, 1999b). Foxes are considered to be vermin by some farmers and country folk who experience/fear loss of livestock due to these wild animals (Baker et al., 2000). Foxes are also known to kill many animals but only take one for feeding, which does not help improve farmers opinions of them when they are faced with so much unnecessary waste of livestock. Because of this, it is common practice for some farmers to shoot a fox on sight. This can have further consequences, such as the case of Edward Tibbs, a farmer who works in Essex. He was arrested on the grounds of attempted murder in Augus t 2010 as he shot two human trespassers with a shotgun after mistaking them for a fox. His gun licence has since been removed as the police consider him a danger to public safety and peace (Twomey, 2010) (See appendix 2 for full article). The argument that mounted fox hunting is performing an important role in the British countryside by helping to control huge numbers of foxes is an idea that sits uneasily for many people. It has been suggested that the method of this process is more uncomfortable than the principle of killing (Baker et al., 2003). Commonly a pack of dogs is used to chase a fox through the countryside, until it is either caught, manages to escape the scenting abilities of the hounds or until it reaches its den (but even then it can be flushed out and shot). It is argued that by using dogs, the hunt is made fairer by giving the fox the opportunity to escape rather than been located by humans and shot outright. Another justification behind this method is that the heal thier the fox is, the more likely it is to out run the hounds, therefore only the elderly and infirmed foxes are captured which helps to maintain a healthy population (Support Fox Hunting, 2010). It is also argued that mounted hunts are not an effective form of population control. The number of foxes killed during hunts are insignificant when compared to those killed in road accidents. The pest control argument has also been discredited by the fact that there have been times when there has been a shortage of foxes in Britain and that they have had to be imported from Europe to maintain a huntable population (May, 2010). Scientific research performed during the nationwide one-year hunting ban in 2001, during the foot-and-mouth disease crisis showed that the ban played no significant impact on fox populations (Baker et al., 2002). With talks of introducing a ban on hunting the Burns inquiry was commissioned in 1999 to establish the facts about fox hunting (Lord Burns, 2000). The report found that there were over 200 active hunting packs in England and Wales and that the number of foxes killed annually was between 21,000 and 25,000, around 6% of the 400,000 foxes estimated to di e annually (Leader-Williams et al., 2002). The report also established that there were a high number or foxes being dug out and shot by individual landowners and farmers on top of those being hunted. There are many jobs dependent on fox hunting ranging from kennel workers to clothing industries that make the pinks for the huntsmen. The report found there is still a great deal of support for the hunts especially in the rural communities. The hunts provided a very important social function, bringing together vast networks of otherwise isolated people. Although it claimed that hunting with dogs seriously compromises the welfare of foxes, it did not outright support a ban on the activity (Lord Burns, 2000). The government introduced an options bill in 2000, which led to the House of Commons voting for a ban of the sport and the House of Lords voted for self-regulation. In 2004, The Hunting Act was passed to protect foxes (BBC, 1999). As of February 2005 it has been illegal in England an d Wales to hunt animals with more than two dogs, which is a step towards giving foxes similar legal protection against cruelty that other, more popular animals have received for generations. The Hunting Act affected not only hunters and the hunted, but reached contemporary art practice. Scenes of fox hunting have traditionally focused on the aesthetics of the chase. Detail would go into the beautiful countryside, the red coats that the hunters wore, the powerful horses or the groups of hunting dogs. The depiction would be centred on the prestige and glory of the hunters, with nothing for the brutality of the victims death (Fig. 1). Generally, they do not show the full truth or the outcome of the hunt. This is something that animal rights activist and artist Angela Singer feels very strongly about. Her works centre on the violence and pointlessness of the hunt that is rarely seen in art as well as the relationships humans share with animals. We cherish and adore those animals that we choose to share our lives and homes with, yet mass-produce others in predominantly appalling conditions purely for consumption. The majority of the animals are caged indoors for their entire lives and some get so bored and agitated by the intense overpopulation and lack of external stimulation, they fight and ultimately end up eating one another (Channel 4, 2008a,b). Singer maintains that hunting in modern day western society represents a disgraceful attitude toward animals, which reinforces the idea that these animals are disposable, soulless creatures and promotes human superiority towards them (Duffy, 2009). In reaction to the thought of the country woman sitting at home, waiting for her hunter husband to return, oblivious to the reality and brutality of the hunt, Singer created a piece of work entitled, Fall (Fig. 2). It is a twist on traditional cross-stitch designs. These designs tend to show an idealistic interpretation of what would happen during a hunt. The hunted animal is shown rather content being run down by packs of dogs and men with guns (Duffy, 2009). The tapestries would not show blood, massively reducing the evidence of the animals violent death experience. Singers tapestry depicts a more authentic and genuine representation of a hunted games death. It shows a duck that has been shot, falling from the empty sky surrounded by blood red woollen spray. The work is made much more interesting by Singers choice of medium. By using cross-stitch she accentuates the different traditional roles of men and women: the hunter man, and supposedly naive cross-stitching woman. Singer does nt want her viewers to be like the wife, unaware of the animals senseless death. By showing a truthful representation of the killing she is in some way honouring the animals death and by the nature of tapestry she is literally bringing home the truth about the hunt. The historic looking frame also highlights the out-dated way humans regard animals. Singers more recent works have focused on using taxidermy to reflect on issues surrounding hunting. Singer lives in New Zealand where hunting for sport is very common and as a result so are hunting trophies (Potts, 2009). She recycles donated hunting souvenirs to challenge the publics attitudes towards these sports (Baker, 2008). Taxidermists traditionally try to make the animal look alive, all traces of the animals death are removed and the creature is placed into a serene pose. Singers approach to the frozen animals is what she describes to be de-taxidermy (Mudie, 2007). She strips back the taxidermists work to expose bullet wounds and scars, revealing the evidence of the aggression inflicted upon on the animals. By undoing the taxidermists work, Singer forces the viewer to confront their own attitude toward hunting. It can be easy to forget what the animals must have gone through in the name of sport, when they are positioned into these calm poses; this is something Singer wishes to address. She is surprised by how indifferent the majority of people seemed to respond to the presence of hunting trophies being hung in bars and resturants. Singer said that, It seems to me very disturbing that an enormous dead animal in a room could be ignored in that wayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It gave me the idea to use old hunting trophies to explore the human-animal relationship. I hoped to be able to make the trophy more controversial, it gave it a greater presence and makes it not so easy to ignore (Pacheco, 2009) One of her works titled Brand New Wilderness shows just how powerful using taxidermy can be (Fig. 3). There is one image of a rabbit included in the work that is particularly disturbing to look at. The rabbits formerly concealed wounds have been reopened and adorned with red beads and buttons symbolizing the blood and suffering the animal went through in its death. When first looking at the piece, the viewer instantly feels disgust and then guilt; the audience is forced to question how and why the animal was killed. After the initial shock has worn off the viewer then has the opportunity to see the beauty and care that has gone into creating the work. There is a huge contrast between the aesthetics of the beads, which are traditionally used to make jewelry and other attractive objects, and the morbid nature of the work which confronts the observer to deal with creutly involved. Singer is also inspired by the way in which the animal has been killed to influence her work. For example, her piece entitled Sore (an archaic name for a fallow deer (Baker, 2009)) shows a stag trophy head covered in blood like red wax (Fig. 4) (Aloi, 2008).The piece relates to the history of the stags death. When the hunter had originally killed the deer and sawn off its antlers, both he and the deer would have become covered in blood. Antlers contain a blood reservoir so naturally when cut blood pours out. The resultant work is alarming and hard to look at. The stags gaze creates unease in the viewer as it glares accusingly. This is undoubtedly not a piece of subtle, serenely posed taxidermy. Sore certainly makes the observer question the morality of hunting and forces them to think about their own feelings and relationships toward animals. Polly Morgan is another artist who uses dead animal bodies as her raw material. Her work is much more focused on preserving the animals in death, compared to Angela singer, whose work is a celebration of the animals life. Singer uses recycled taxidermy to create her pieces, whereas Morgan taxidermys her animals freshly after they have died. Unlike Singer, Polly Morgan does not want to make political comments on animal welfare through her artwork. She is interested in how the animals look when they are brought to her, not in what sort of life they might have lived, nor how the animals came to die (Pengilley, 2010). Morgan admits to not being sentimental regarding the animals that she uses: I confess I think less about their souls the more I handle them. I prefer live animals but I have this selfish overbearing urge to hold them and examine them and just generally do all the things they hate. Dead, I can spend as long as I like looking (Morgan, 2010: 89). Polly Morgan recently put on her first solo show, titled Psychopomps at the Haunch of Venison gallery (Eyre, 2010). One piece of work that she exhibited was a large birdcage suspended from the ceiling, seemingly being held up by an array of orange finches and canaries. The birds are attached to a burnt cage-like flying contraption inspired by an old Victorian image (Fig. 5) (Morgan, 2010: 7). The birds, in various stages of flight are tethered to the contraption, supposedly flying it through the gallery space. Systemic Inflammation (Fig. 6) is a re-visioning of an earlier, larger work titled, Departures (Morgan, 2010: 39). The idea of the artworks is that the space inside the cage is large enough for a man to fit. The man can be transported around by the birds but he is himself trapped inside the cage, while the birds have the real freedom of flight despite the fact that they are bound to the structure. The charred and distressed human cage, coupled with the birds dyed various shades of orange (Fig. 7) creates a surreal and slightly nightmarish atmosphere in the gallery. This piece coupled with the two suspended spheres, each made of 60 right wings, makes the space feel fantastical, yet very macabre. This feeling is clearly her intention; all of the pieces shown in the exhibition are named after deadly afflictions or illnesses. Blue fever (Fig. 8) the first hanging orb is made entirely of pigeon wings and Black fever (Fig. 9) crow. In both objects the wings are positioned in different stages of flight, causing the work to feel organic, as though it has a pulse. By discarding most of the birds bodies and only using the right wings, Morgan helps the viewer to detach from their feelings and emotions regarding the animal as a whole [Collinge, 2010]. By only seeing an explosion of wings, the audience is less distracted by what the work is made of allowing them to appreciate the animals as the objects they become in death. Animal Testing As well as using animals for sport we have for a long time used them for scientific purposes. Physiological research has been common on animals for centuries, but the event that is considered by many to have sparked the British debate on the subject came in the 19th century. In 1874 a French scientist Eugene Magnan gave a lecture to the British Medical Association which culminated with a demonstration where he induced epileptic seizures in a dog by injecting it with Absinthe. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Creulty to Animals (formed 50 years previously (RSPCA, 2010)) brought legal charges against Dr Magnon who fled prosecution by returning to France (Matfield, 2002a). The press ran the story with enthusiasm and the worlds first anti-vivisection group was formed in London a year later, The National Anti-Vivisection Society (Matfield, 2002b). With the wars of the 20th century the issue was put on the backburner, as the general public became more understanding towards military development and had more pressing welfare issues of their own (Matfield, 1991). The public backlash returned with greater force than ever before in the 1970s and reached its peak at the end of the millennium. In 1997 peaceful protests lost their media coverage in favour of a few extremist acts (Matfield, 2002a). Consort, a laboratory dog breeder ceased trading following continuous harrassment and attacks of staff members, as did Hillgrove farm, a cat supplier, Regal Rabbits and other animal breeders (Davies, 1999). In 2000 animal rights extremists focused their attention on Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), the company that has since become synonymous with this issue. Several videos, filmed by hidden cameras were released which severely dented the companies reputation (see supplementary CD for examples). The extremism continued to escalate until, amongst other illegal activites, activists almost blinded HLSs marketing director and broke several ribs of the companies managing director (Anon., 2001). These actions were interpreted in the media as a step too far, and damaged the fight against animal testing. Along with greater police powers to crack down on extremists (Abbott, 2010a) and counter campaigns set out by the lobby group Understanding Animal Research in 2005 (Campbell, 2010), the British public seems to be rather more neutral towards the subject. In 2010, Lord Drayson, the UKs science minister who was the chief executive of a biotechnology company at the height of the violence, said about animal testing and the British publics opinion: The picture is much better nowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I think we have made and won the argument, but we have to continue to make the argument (Gray, 2010). However around the world, scientists still clash with politicians on the content of ethical laws. For example, in 2008, Switzerland banned the use of macaque brains in research as the fundamental understanding gained had no immediate advantages. The Swiss courts consider this t o be unconstitutional as the benefit to society is not worth the burden placed upon the animals. Kevan Martin, a leading Swiss researcher in the area argues that We need to understand the basic biology of our brains in order to be able to successfully treat brain diseases such as Parkinsons (Abbott, 2008). EU laws on the issue are constantly being redrafted to varying degrees of strictness. Currently the proposed laws allow moderate pain to the animals and have recently scraped the condition that animals must be destroyed immediately after a single procedure. It also introduces benefits to lab animals such as minimum cage sizes for all species (Abbott, 2010b). Animal testing is essential in the development of new drugs. Take for example the steps involved in bringing new cancer medicines to market. First a compound has to be designed and synthesized. This process usually involves a trial and error system of slightly changing existing drugs, or making a molecule that will specifically target a part of a cancer cell. This drug will then be incubated with specifically grown cells of different forms of cancer. If it kills a certain proportion of these cells then it will enter clinical trials. Here, animals, most commonly mice, with cancer are exposed to various quantities of the future drug. This plays two essential roles. Firstly, it shows whether the drug actually works in a real biological system or if it kills a large amount of healthy cells as well. Secondly it sets a benchmark for how much of the drug can be administered to a person before serious side effects occur. After this the drug is tested on critically ill human patients, paid vo lunteers and eventually is licensed for prescription by doctors (Nako, 2010). Larger animals, such as dogs and monkeys, are often necessary in the drug development process and after a walk around Parliament Square, London it seems apparent that graphic images of these animals are used more than those of mice in protester art (Fig. 10). According to a chart taken from the HLS website shows that in 2003, mice, fish and birds account for the vast majority of regulated procedures on animals in the UK. (Fig. 11) These animals are generally perceived by the British public as being superior, or perhaps dogs are seen as pets, and monkeys as too humanoid. Some scientists, having become aware of the role that public opinion can have in their research (Hobson-West, 2010), have embarked on the RETHINK project which is designed to help reduce, replace and refine animal testing by using a special breed of pigs called minipigs (Bode et al., 2010a). Pigs have remarkably similar toxicology to humans and until recently slightly altered pig insulin has been given to Type I diabetics (Norman, 2009). Currently over 60,000 pigs are used per annum in the EU alone as they have similar skin, cardiovascular and digestive systems to humans (Svendsen, 2006). The pig is a food animal, bred in their millions for worldwide human food consumption, they hope that the British public will be even more understanding and sympathetic to future research (Bode et al., 2010b). Studies suggest that with further education, public attitudes could change dramatically. 84% of people surveyed in 2000 called themselves conditional acceptors of animal research. This means that they would accept the research if there was little burden on the animals and that the experimentation was for a serious purpose. The study also found that the vast majority of those questioned did not realise that these conditions have been met and thoroughly enforced since the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act of 1986 was passed by the UK government(Matfield, 2002b). An assessment of the standard of laboratory mouse welfare in the UK was conducted in 2008 and was considered to be good, with generally good health and often much more living space than legally required. Some units were found to have an excess of negative environmental factors, such as noise and light intensity, but it could be argued that, to some extent, these factors are far from ideal for wild mice living in some parts of the country (Leach, 2008). Another study has shown that due to strict animal testing rules, laboratory animals may get a better standard of welfare on average than pet, farm, or wild animals (Honess and Wolfensohn, 2007). The researchers claim that there are little restrictions placed upon who can keep pets unless the person has already been caught committing an offence, such as Mary Bale, a woman who caused a media storm in 2010 after being caught on CCTV placing a cat in a wheelie bin. (Fig. 12) She was made to pay costs of almost  £1,500 and has been banned from keeping pets for 5 years (Cooper, 2010). A pet owner also has no legal commitment to take their pet to a vet when they become ill, no commitment to pay for the necessary treatment and even the most loving and devoted owner may cause welfare issues, for example, overfeeding the animal until it is obese. Farm animals were found to often suffer more discomfort over prolonged periods of time as the welfare of the animals becomes a profit issue. Although fundamental research may have no immediate advantage for society, animal products are needed in day to day diagnostic techniques. Animal blood is vital in diagnosing many diseases, ranging from the relatively benign to life threatening. According to Elizabeth Nakoneczna (2010), senior microbiologist at St. Thomas hospital, London Horse blood is used as an essential ingredient in the routine culture of bacteria. Some pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis, the most dangerous form of meningitis, require blood to grow and many of these require the detection of haemolysis, the break down of red blood cells, for correct diagnosisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I am not sure how the horse blood is obtainedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Some diagnostic tests have improved significantly since I was a trainee 25 years ago. For example, to test for TB, microbiologists used to take a sample from the patient and inject it in a rabbit. After a month or so the rabbit would be killed and scientists would look for signs of the disease. Although now the test still takes up to six weeks, specialist culture media is used instead of live animals. When asked if she can foresee an end to animal participation in hospitals within her lifetime, she replied With rapid scientific progression, The use of polymerase chain reactions for the detection of bacteria is already starting to replace the need for blood infused agar. With rapid scientific progression it seems reasonable to imagine a future where animal products are no longer necessary in diagnostic medicine. (Nakoneczna, 2010) Scientists try to use computer modeling and other research techniques that exclude animals (Dolgin, 2010), but there are still plenty of studies that need them (Coghlan, 1996). Amongst these are experiments into sheep with human livers. Human bone marrow stem cells are injected into fetal sheep so that when the lamb is born its liver is made up mostly of the humans cells. The lamb is then sacrificed and its liver transplanted into the human. The bodys immune system quickly eliminates the lambs liver cells resulting in a brand new organ, perfectly matched for the human. Because the liver is made predominantly of the humans cells, it makes the body much less likely to reject the organ, potentially saving hundreds of human lives, but at the cost of those of hundreds of sheep (Bailey, 2004). Scientists have really begun to obscure boundaries between animals and humans by creating hybrid creatures. In 2005 human cells were successfully fused with rabbit eggs to create the first human-anim al chimeras. The resulting embryos were then allowed to develop in a laboratory dish for a number of days before they were destroyed to harvest stem cells (Mott, 2005). Another artist that q

Social Work Methods and Theories

Social Work Methods and Theories This essay will consist of four main parts. In part one; the essay will give a brief introduction and history to social work theories and methods. Moving forward the essay will look at the importance and value of theories and methods in relation to social work and how it informs practice. Throughout, reference will be made to the most popular theorist. Part two will consider how social work theories and methods can be successfully applied in the drug and alcohol field. Given an overview of this, it will be necessary to demonstrate how two social work methods are chosen, and applied, in the intervention of an example case study. Where applicable, contributions from service users will be used to bring more insight and balance to the essay. Part three will be an analysis of a social work method used in the example case study. From the method, the essay will explore and evaluate, in depth, the way it underpins anti-discriminatory practice. Part four of this essay will conclude with a reflection on how the student has gained a valuable knowledge base throughout the module and assignment. This reflection will also show how the student will use this knowledge base in practice. No reflection would be complete without a concise look at how reflective practice can play a vital part of future social work practice. An initial risk assessment was carried out by the referral worker, in the vein of a questioning model to identify possible risks and dangers to staff and other service users, however as discussed by Smale, Tuson and Statham (2000) taking a strengths based approach would allow referral workers and key workers to work as collaborators, facilitating service users to identify needs and outcomes. During intervention with Mr AB sessions, in the form of an exchange model, were carried out endeavoring that further assessment became a process of dialogue rather than just a fact finding mission with the exchanging of ideas and information. This approach is compatible with the framework of task centered practice, appropriate with this intervention (Ford Postle, 2000) Key work sessions started with Mr AB and from the outset the process was explained and the objectives made clear, it was also explained to Mr AB that due to company policies, and his terms and conditions of stay in the night shelter, these sessions were time limited so a positive ending to the professional relationship was hoped for. It was also considered that this approach would reduce the power imbalance in the relationship; however the power will never be fully balanced when working within legislative and multi agency procedures (Parker Bradley, 2008) However as stated by Dalymple Burke (2000) it is necessary to endeavour to empower rather then disempowere with the need to balance power relationships. In this instance this can be evidenced by the written agreements in the form of the assessment and support plan . Weekly key worker sessions agreed to by Mr AB provided further support as required and opportunity to review whether desired outcomes were being achieved, as in the National Occupational Standards Key Role and outlined by Supporting People and the agency policy and procedures (ODPM, 2004). (Walker Beckett, 2007). It is also necessary to not only collect information as part of the key worker sessions but to balance findings in order to produce an overall analysis of risks and need (Walker Beckett, 2007). Throughout the assessment procedure it is necessary to be aware of the influences of ethics, power, and professionalism along with anti- oppressive practice. Middleton (1997) states that in order to empower, it is necessary to respect the individual, enhance their strengths and coping abilities. It is therefore vital that key worker sessions be conducted with a non judgmental attitude. While acknowledging the key worker has different values and status to Mr AB showing acceptance to people in all situations can be difficult however as stated in by Carl Rogers (1951, 1961) the human psychologist the person should show they are genuine, and portray empathy and warmth. It become apparent as key worker sessions continued that Mr AB was reluctant to engage with this service as he was in pre contemplation (Denial) (Prowchaska Di Clamentis 1996). However, the threat of eviction if he did not adhere to his conditions of stay was a considerable worry to Mr AB as was the thought of becoming homeless and having to sleep rough. It is very important to remember that as key working intervenes in the lives of vulnerable people these people have the right not to be victims of untested and possible harmful interventions. This confirms the need of understanding how theory relates to practice and learning from research and evidence based practice (Rutter, 2006) This confirms Maslow (1970) who shows in his hierarchy of need, that before higher needs can be met basic needs are required to be in place. Therefore to allow Mr AB to move forward in his life he requires support to start a procces to put these needs in place (Giddens, 2006). Mr AB during his key work sessions discussed his feelings and it was felt by him that no opportunities were open to him and that he was struggling against a society that was oppressive and keeping him down. It was pointed out to Mr AB that his position in society was that of a lifestyle choice, that society is changing to support people to progress and that choices were open to him (Giddens, 2006) ). It is however necessary to acknowledge as stated by Bronfenbrenner (1979) that different levels of society will influence the individuals life course. Also stated by Jack and Jack (2000) individuals are products of their environment and can never be fully understood separately from one another. As stated by Crawford Walker (2005) transitions have the potential to be stressful even those that are planned and welcomed. As the intervention process progressed and the support plan auctioned positive outcomes including building on self confidence which led to Mr AB seeking and securing part time employment Doel (1994) states that service user motivation may weaken and it was therefore important to continue supporting and encouraging Mr ABS interest and commitment to work. By adopting a model that worked with service users strengths helped to ensure that an anti oppressive focus was maintained. . Using task centered practice as discussed by Ford Postle (2009) goals were set which would support the researching and attending of courses which provide basic computer skills, with the attainment of each goal aimed to promote self-confidence and further motivation (Rooney Larsen, 1997). Subsequently in this instance the planned ending and outcomes have not been realized, with events determining an alternate course of action (Walker Beckett, 2007). The first part of this essay will lookÂÂ  at the relationship between social work methods and substance abuse Denial can also be explained as a defence mechanism whichÂÂ  is establishedÂÂ  by aÂÂ  person when there is aÂÂ  dangerÂÂ  that heÂÂ  or she will become aware of or actÂÂ  onÂÂ  unconsciousÂÂ  primitive impulses that areÂÂ  unacceptableÂÂ  (Freud, 1967). ). Knatz (1999) states that denial is a defense mechanism by which individuals are able to cope with unpleasant realities. Be aware that the term alcoholism implies disease/condition.ÂÂ  IfÂÂ  youÂÂ  use the term alcoholism in assignments, be sure toÂÂ  establishÂÂ  that youÂÂ  meanÂÂ  to say alcoholism and not alcohol dependency ). IfÂÂ  youÂÂ  useÂÂ  generalÂÂ  references around statistics on alcohol, try to refer to British statistics, you could use National Treatment Agency website reports, Office of National Statistics (ONS), NICE guidelines on treatment of alcoholÂÂ  dependencyÂÂ  for British/UK data, all available on line LetsÂÂ  giveÂÂ  theÂÂ  wordÂÂ  relationshipÂÂ  a different definition from the dictionaries, forÂÂ  unlocking theÂÂ  meaningÂÂ  of theÂÂ  wordÂÂ  often leadsÂÂ  to greater understanding.ÂÂ  -ÂÂ  tooÂÂ  colloquial, would be better to state, The word relationship has varied definitions from different sources of literature. Conflict is aÂÂ  partÂÂ  of most every interpersonal relationship.ÂÂ  ThereforeÂÂ  it could be stated that managing conflict,ÂÂ  is importantÂÂ  if the relationship is to beÂÂ  long-lastingÂÂ  and rewarding.ÂÂ  Jason and Beth have numerous conflicts and barriers which prevent them from having a more effective relationship.ÂÂ  Interpersonal relationships and communication (is a two-way street), too colloquial, say have mutuality Beth and Jason seemÂÂ  to rarely communicateÂÂ  between each other, aÂÂ  furtherÂÂ  factor which appears to contribute to the disintegration of their relationship. It can give rise to greater anxiety, depression,ÂÂ  insomnia, and general distress, reducedÂÂ  self-esteemÂÂ  andÂÂ  confidence, and sometimes disrupted family relationsÂÂ  ((Fryer,1992;Jahoda,1982). Bibliography Barber, G (2002) Social work with addiction.ÂÂ  Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire Berger, G. (1993), Alcoholism and theÂÂ  family.ÂÂ  New York: Franklin Watts Conville, Richard (1998) The meaning of relationship in interpersonal communication.ÂÂ  Praeger Publications.ÂÂ  Califonia. Heider, Fritz (1958) The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations.ÂÂ  LawrenceÂÂ  ErlbaumÂÂ  associates Jahoda, M (1982) Employment and Unemployment (The Psychology of Social Issues).ÂÂ  Cambridge University Press Knatz, H (1999) Getting on Oxford Books.Oxford Levinger, G. (1983).ÂÂ  Development and change.ÂÂ  Freeman and Company.San Francisco. Manstead, Antony S. R. and Miles Hewstone (1996).ÂÂ  The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Psychology.ÂÂ  Blackwell Publishing, Oxford. Maslow, Abraham.(1954) Motivation and personality.ÂÂ  Harper and Row, New York. Steele, CM (1985) TheÂÂ  psychologyÂÂ  of drunken excess.ÂÂ  London Press, London. West, Robert (2001) TheÂÂ  theoryÂÂ  of addiction.ÂÂ  Blackwell publishing, Oxford. The principle areas of social , administration and social workstudies include health issues and administration, employment services,community care, housing needs, crime prevention, disability checks,unemployment concerns, mental health, old age as well as social issues of raceor gender and poverty (Drake, 2001). Social work practice focuses on dealing with the problems of service users. The maintenance and improvement of their social, physical, and mental states is often dependent upon the effectiveness of social work intervention. (Miller, 2005) ÂÂ  Providing appropriatesocial services is an important target of social care policy and social policyin general (Adams, 2003). Welfare is general well being of individualsand when provided by the State, refers to a form of social security or social protectionthat aims to protect people from conditions such as sickness, ill health,diseases and poverty (Malin et al 2002) Social work practice has, over the years, become integral to Britains working life and current estimates put the number of active social workers in the country at significantly more than one million. (Parrott, 2002) Social work practice focuses on dealing with the problems of service users. The maintenance and improvement of their social, physical, and mental states is often dependent upon the effectiveness of social work intervention. (Miller, 2005) Users of social work services are largely economically and/or socially disadvantaged, and the vulnerabilities, which arise from these circumstances, frequently contribute to the nature of their relationships with service providers. (Miller, 2005) Social work makes use of a broad range of knowledge and incorporates information obtained from several disciplines; it empowers social workers in practice to use their acquired knowledge and skills first to engage service users and then to bring about positive changes in undesirable emotional states and behavioural attitudes, or in positions of social disempowerment. (Miller, 2005) ÂÂ  Social work makes use of a range of skills, methods, and actions that are aligned to its holistic concentration on individuals and their environments. (Harris, 2002) Counselling, whilst being a catch-all term, used for describing of various professions, is, an important component of social work practice. (Rowland, 1993) Specific counselling approaches have been developed to assist people with problems related to substance abuse, gluttony and for giving up smoking. (Pease Fook, 1999) In some areas of counselling, which deal with addiction, for example, with users of hard drugs, counsellors engaged in social work practice, function side by side, with sets of legal restrictions and moral issues. (Pease Fook, 1999)ÂÂ  

Essay on Utopia - Constitution of the United States as a Utopian Propos

The Constitution of the United States as a Utopian Proposal   Ã‚  Ã‚   Few people would take issue with the statement that America faces monumental challenges both to its own well-being as well as to its self-imposed duty to become "a more perfect union". Over the years, many speakers, authors, and dreamers have used the dirty facts of this nation's (and its predecessors') seemingly unrepentant capitalism, paternalism, belligerence, and tendency toward cultural assimilation to declare the entire enterprise bankrupt and to focus, not on where, exactly, the USA went wrong, but instead on what the truly ideal civilization would look like. They have created, in speech or on paper, entire realms of happiness and harmony, free of injustice, crime, and any other negative social vice. They have failed, however, in most cases, to free themselves from the trap of the nature of the human animal and his uncanny ability to absolutely avoid accurate prediction or even adequate description. It is my suggestion that, out of the bulk of utopian proposals th e world has seen, the Constitution of the United States does, in fact, come the closest to creating "no place" for the greatest number of people through its pragmatism, its admission to not knowing the nature of every man, and, most importantly, its allowal of alternate visions of Utopia.       Of course, all one needs to do to get a glimpse of the monumental challenges the USA faces is open the closest almanac. Nearly half (49%) of all American marriages end in divorce. Some 700,000 high school students end up dropping out of school each year. There are nearly one million cases of child neglect and/or abuse per year and 2,700,000 cases of violent crime. Around 8.5 million individuals... ...ough a total change in the accepted social order. The framers of the Constitution were looking in the right direction; it is our legacy and responsibility to see that the essence of their vision is amended to accommodate the changes this nation has experienced since its founding and to provide the opportunity for every citizen to express, and possibly achieve, his or her own utopia.    Works Cited Bellamy, Edward. Looking Backward: 2000 to 1887. Internet text version copyright 1996 by Geoffrey Sauer. http://english-server.hss.cmu.edu/fiction/bellamy/contents.html Brunner, Borgna, ed. 1997 Information Please Almanac. Boston: Information Please, LLC. Constitution of the United States of America. http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.overview.html. Democratic Socialists of America. (1998). http://www.dsausa.org/dsa.html

WWI causes Essay -- World War 1 I One

History Term paper What one thing do you think caused WW1? There in fact were many causes of WW1. One of the causes was imperialism. There was jealousy between the countries because some had more colonies then others. The major countries did not trust each other or get along. They were worried about the build up of each others army. Each country had great pride and nationalism. By 1914 all major countries had taken sides against one another and formed alliances. The immediate cause of WW1 was the assignation of the heir to Austria-Hungary’s throne. At the beginning of the war all countries were enthusiastic about it especially Germany. The countries were divided onto sides like so; Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria. These countries were the central powers. There were also the allies who consisted of Great Britain and colonies, France and Russia. Others got involved eventually. Each country had their own strategy and their own strengths. For example: Great Britain had the strongest navy and Germany had the strongest military. Their strategies were different too, like Germany’s strategy failed because they under estimated Belgium’s army. The battle took longer then they thought. They originally were supposed to defeat Belgium and France quickly so they could fight Russia on the eastern front. Even though Germany’s war plan failed they still ended up dominating most of the war before the Americans arrived. It ended up to be a naval race of who could build their navy the quickest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Russia first came into the war they were starting to dominate. They were going through a lot of trouble within their own country because they had a huge population and not enough resources because the land was frozen. The idea of the country going to war lit a certain spark and nationalism and pride through out the country. Russia going to war actually made them respect their leader Tsar Nicholas II. It was the first decision the Tsar made that the people agreed with. The first few battles they won and the word spread through out Russia and Europe that Russia’s army was unstoppable. This quickly changed and Russia started to loose everywhere. The Russian army started to get wiped out by the thousands. They were being defeated by Germany and other countries everywhere they went. A feeling of uncertainty grew through out the Russian people wh... ... to blame for the war. They believed the only way they can be safe from Germany is if they strip Germany for their wealth and armed forces. The allies made the Treaty of Versailles which stated: Germany pays thirty three billion to France, Belgium and Great Britain; they loose all colonies, loose land to create Poland and Alsace and Lorraine goes back to France. They are limited to an army of one hundred thousand along with no tanks, no u-boats and no airplanes. Germany is never to make an alliance or union with Austria. The Rhineland is to be a demilitarized zone and the French will take control of coal mines and rich industries of the Saar region.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the war first started all countries were anxious to fight. When the Great War ended in 1918 no one wanted to think or even speak of war again. Millions of people were slaughtered and killed, people lost their friends and families. The war took longer then expected and by the end all countries were tired and worn out, had problems of their own and lost a lot of money and land that was put into the war. The countries agreed never to have a war again. Little did they know this was only the first one.

Fundamentals of Computer

entExamination Paper: Fundamentals of Computer IIBM Institute of Business Management Semester-I Examination Paper MM. 100 Fundamentals of Computer Section A: Objective Type (20 marks) ********************************************************** Multiple Choices: 1. b. 2 types 2. b. 1 or more input signals to produce output 3. d. Both (a) & (c) 4. b. Non-volatile 5. c. Direct-access storage device 6. c. Multiple object program files of any software 7. a. Are geographically distributed 8. b. Way in which the network’s nodes are linked together 9. a. World wide web 10. . General purpose electronic equipment for homes Fill in the Blanks: 1. Multimedia applications are multimedia presentation, foreign language learning, multimedia Kiosk and †¦multimedia books, e books, digital library, video games, animation films & virtual shops†¦ 2. Computer audio deals with synthesizing, recording and †¦Palying audio†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ with a computer. 3. Collating sequence is ordering o f symbols in an †¦encoding†¦. standard. 4. Binary coded decimal is a †¦6-Bit†¦ Code. 5. The logic gates are interconnected to form gating or logic networks known as †¦combinational†¦.. ogic circuits. 6. †¦CPU†¦. is the brain of a computer system. 7. The term †¦software†¦. refers to a collection of programs. 8. Program errors are known as †¦bugs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9. Documentation†¦. is the process of collecting, organizing storing and maintaining a complete historical record of programs. 10. File organization†¦ deals with physical organization of records of a file for convenience of their storage and retrieval. Section B: Short Questions (20 marks) 1. What is data processing? Data processing is a series of actions on input that converts the input into useful output.In data processing, input is data and output is the useful information. In consists of three sub activities: Capturing input data, manipulating it and pro ducing output information. People, procedure and devices are required to produce the output from the input data. 2. What is a file management system? File management system is a set of programs which help the users to organize, create, delete, update and manipulate their files. Its common features are as described below. a. Transaction file: It stores the input data until the application uses it during next processing cycle. b.Master file: It contains all current data relevant to an application. c. Output file: some applications use multiple programs. One program takes the output of another program as input; hence the former program stores the output as an output file. d. Report file: It is a copy of report, generated by application in computer accessible form. e. Backup file: It is a copy of file crated by user or system to avoid loss of data due to corruption or deletion of original file. 3. What is a computer network? Computer network is a group of computers which are linked to e ach other via internet.The computers on network can communicate with each other and can share information. Four basic service provided by internet to its users are electronic mail, file transfer protocol, telnet and use net news. The common network types are personal area networks (PANs), local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area network (MANs), campus area networks (CANs) and wide area network (WANs). 4. What is a secondary storage? The additional memory needed in all computers to overcome the limitations of primary storage (Limited capacity and Volatile) is called secondary storage. t is nonvolatile and has lower cost per bit stored. It operates generally at slower speed than primary storage. Computer system uses it primarily to store large volume of data on permanent basis. Commonly used storage devices are hard disk, CD ROM, DVD, memory card and Pen drive. Section C: Long Questions (20 marks) 1. Explain the printing mechanism of laser printer. Mechanism of Laser Printers: Tr ansfer of Data The very first step in laser printing is the transfer of data from a computer to the memory of the image processor of a printer. Writing DataNow, once the data is transferred to the printer's memory, it is written to the printer's drum with the help of a laser. The drum will keep rotating and the moment it rotates past the laser, it sweeps off the printer's surface neutralizing some spots to about -100v. These spots are the areas where the toner remains stuck to the drum and further gets transferred to the paper. Inserting the Paper and Pickup Process of the Toner Once the writing process is over, you need to add papers to the printer. Keep the papers into the printer's paper tray.The feed rollers inside the printer pull the paper inside and the registration rollers hold it till its release. As the drum keeps on rotating, the toner settles down in an area which is at a charge of about -100v and remains attached to the drum till the paper comes in. Transfer of the Tone r to the Paper Now, the complete toned image is created on the drum. The moment you apply the paper to the printer, the toner transfer process starts. The transfer corona applies a charge of about +600v to the paper and when the paper passes through the drum, the toner which is at a charge of about -100v gets transferred to the paper.Further, the paper passes through a static charge eliminator that decreases the positive charge in the paper, with the help of its negative charge. Fusing The process of fusion takes place in order to secure the printout by melting the minute plastic fragments present on the toner's surface, so as to fix them to the paper fibers. Laser printers are handy when it comes to fast, bulk and quality printing. But high prices and some health risks such as respiratory disorders due to the release of some harmful sub-micrometer particles are some of the disadvantages associated with laser printing.However, this kind of printer still remains the first choice for most of the organizations when it comes to printing. 2. Explain the importance of system software for a computer system. System Software is a set of programs that manage the resources of a compute system. System Software is a collection of system programs that perform a variety of functions. * File Editing * Resource Accounting * I/O Management * Storage, Memory Management access management. System Software can be broadly classified into three types as: System control programs: It Controls the execution of programs, anage the storage & processing resources of the computer & perform other management & monitoring function. The most important of these programs is the operating system. Other examples are database management systems (DBMS) & communication monitors. System support programs: It provide routine service functions to the other computer programs & computer users: E. g. Utilities, libraries, performance monitors & job accounting. System development programs assists in the creat ion of application programs. E. g. , language translators such as BASIC interpreter & application generators.Application Software: It performs specific tasks for the computer user. Application software is a program which program written for, or, by, a user to perform a particular job. Languages already available for microcomputers include Clout, Q & A and Savvy ret rival. The use of natural language touches on expert systems, computerized collections of the knowledge of many human experts in a given field, and artificial intelligence, independently smart computer systems – two topics that are receiving much attention and development and will continue to do so in the future. 1.Operating System Software Storage Manager Process Manager File – System Manager I/O Control System Communication Manager 2. Standard System Software Language Processor Loaders Software Tools 3. Application Software Sort/Merge Package Payroll/Accounting Package DBMS General-purpose application soft ware such as electronic spreadsheet has a wide variety of applications. Specific – purpose application s/w such as payroll & sales analysis is used for the application for which it is designed. Section D: Applied Theory (40 marks) 1. What is a computer virus? How does a typical virus works?When a computer system suffers from virus infection, how it is cured? Defenition: Computer virus is a small software programs that are designed by human to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with normal computer operations. Work of Typical virus: The A computer virus is most often defined as â€Å"a malicious code of computer programming†. What this means is that a computer virus is just another software, written with not so very noble intentions. A computer virus is designed to install, propagate and cause damage to computer files and data without the knowledge and/or express permission of the user.A computer virus can only survive, attack and propagate in computer memory. Computer memory is usually the RAM (and all different variations of it) and disk storage (hard, floppy and everything in between). Besides this you will not find computer viruses in your monitor, keyboard and certainly not in your own blood stream! The first step in any virus attack is always the invasion. This is when the virus actually enters the computer system from an outside source. Much of the effort in preventing a virus attack lies in understanding what these virus entry points are and how best to monitor and block out any possible intrusion.All viruses enter the computer system through two main entry points: the disk network adapter card is most likely your computer network and/or modem card connected to the local Intranet and/or the Internet. Virus enters through the network card most likely disguised in the form of attachments in e-mails. These attachments are often program files and office documents containing macros. Besides this, certain webpages that we visit on the Internet may also contain harmful programming codes that might transfer virus or virus-like codes into our system.To guard our systems against virus intrusion from these sources, many good anti-virus programs allows users to completely scan all files read form disk drives or downloaded from the Intranet/Internet. How do virus infections occur? The act of infection often begins with a harmless looking action such as opening a file (like a video game or a Word document) that one often gets in e-mail attachments or while accessing any disk in a disk drive. These actions inadvertently activate the virus lurking in these files and disks. The virus then installs itself into the computer’s memory. Computer system suffering from virus infection:After entering the computer memory, a virus often immediately sets out to multiply and spread duplicate copies of itself across the main data storage device (most often the hard disk drive). It does this by copying itself into as many files it can find on the disk drive. Later when users transfers or copies these files to their friends and colleagues, the virus gain entry into ever increasing number of systems. If the virus has found its way to this level of the user’s computer, the user runs a high risk of permanent damage to data and hardware. But such a level of infection only happens to two types of users.The first are those who do not employ any kind of anti-virus measures (or if they do, it obviously isn’t doing a good job). The second are those who do have good anti-virus programs installed and running but did not bother updating their software with the latest virus data files. As a result newer viruses can actually use the anti-virus programs to infect an even greater number of files. So we can see here that having good anti-virus software isn’t enough. One must constantly keep it updated (preferably on a monthly basis). If a virus were to just spread itself, users might not have much to worry about.But the worst is yet to come. Many viruses contain what is called a payload. This is the destructive sequence that is activated on a certain trigger. The trigger may be the arrival of a particular date or an action done by the user. The effect of the payload can be anything as benign as some harmless message appearing on screen to as frightening as the destruction of the disk drive’s boot record – making it completely unusable and in most cases completely irreparable. Indeed it is the later that causes permanent lose of data and hardware and which is responsible for the virus’ notorious reputation.If a virus is capable of unleashing its payload on the user’s system, this indicates a serious breach of security on part of the user. It’s time for the user to learn from the experience and never let computer virus have a second chance. How do I know if my computer has been infected? After you open and run an infected program or attachmen t on your computer, you might not realize that you've introduced a virus until you notice something isn't quite right. Here are a few indicators that your computer  might  be infected: * Your computer runs more slowly than normal * Your computer stops responding or freezes often Your computer crashes and restarts every few minutes * Your computer restarts on its own and then fails to run normally * Applications on your computer don't work correctly * Disks or disk drives are inaccessible * You can't print correctly * You see unusual error messages * You see distorted menus and dialog boxes How to Cure: Remove a virus manually: Sometimes a virus must be removed manually. This can become a technical process that you should only undertake if you have experience with the  Windows  registry and know how to view and delete system and program files in  Windows.First, identify the virus by name by running your antivirus program. If you don't have an antivirus program or if your pr ogram doesn't detect the virus, you might still be able to identify it by looking for clues about how it behaves. Write down the words in any messages it displays or, if you received the virus in email, write down the subject line or name of the file attached to the message. Then search an antivirus vendor's website for references to what you wrote down to try to find the name of the virus and instructions for how to remove it. Recovery and prevention:After the virus is removed, you might need to reinstall some software or restore lost information. Doing regular backups on your files can help you avoid data loss if your computer becomes infected again. If you haven't kept backups in the past, we recommend that you start now. 3. Write short notes on: (a) The OSI model (b) Internetworking tools (c) Distributed computing systems (a) The OSI model The Open System Interconnection, model defines a networking framework to implement protocols in seven layers. This article explains the 7 Lay ers of the OSI Model.The  OSI, or  Open  System  Interconnection, model defines a networking framework to implement protocols in seven layers. Control is passed from one layer to the next, starting at the application layer in one station, and proceeding to the bottom layer, over the channel to the next station and back up the hierarchy. a. Application Layer This layer supports  application  and end-user processes. Communication partners are identified, quality of service is identified, user authentication and privacy are considered, and any constraints on data  syntax  are identified.Everything at this layer is application-specific. This layer provides application services for  file transfers,  e-mail, and other  network  software  services. Telnet  and  FTP  are applications that exist entirely in the application level. Tiered application architectures are part of this layer. b. Presentation Layer This layer provides independence from differences in data representation (e. g. ,  encryption) by translating from application to network format, and vice versa. The presentation layer works to transform data into the form that the application layer can accept.This layer formats and encrypts data to be sent across a  network, providing freedom from compatibility problems. It is sometimes called the syntax layer. c. Session Layer This layer establishes, manages and terminates connections between  applications. The session layer sets up, coordinates, and terminates conversations, exchanges, and dialogues between the applications at each end. It deals with session and connection coordination. d. Transport Layer This layer provides transparent transfer of data between end systems, or  hosts, and is responsible for end-to-end error recovery and  flow control.It ensures complete data transfer. e. Network Layer This layer provides  switching  and  routing  technologies, creating logical paths, known as  virtual circuits, for transmitting data from  node  to node. Routing and forwarding are functions of this layer, as well as  addressing,  internetworking, error handling, congestion  control and packet sequencing. f. Data Link Layer At this layer, data packets are  encoded  and decoded into bits. It furnishes  transmission protocol  knowledge and management and handles errors in the physical layer, flow control and frame synchronization.The data link layer is divided into two sub layers: The Media Access Control (MAC) layer and the  Logical Link Control  (LLC) layer. The MAC sub layer controls how a computer on the network gains access to the data and permission to transmit it. The LLC layer controls frame synchronization, flow control and error checking. g. Physical Layer 1 This layer conveys the bit stream – electrical impulse, light or radio signal through the  network  at the electrical and mechanical level. It provides the  hardware  means of sending and rece iving data on a carrier, including defining cables, cards and physical aspects. b) Internetworking tools The art and science of connecting individual  local-area networks (LANs)  to create  wide-area networks (WANs), and connecting WANs to form even larger WANs. Internetworking can be extremely complex because it generally involves connecting networks that use different  protocols. Internetworking is accomplished ith  routers,  bridges, and  gateways. Routers: It is a  device  that forwards data  packets  along  networks. A router is connected to at least two networks, commonly two  LANs  or  WANs  or a LAN and its  ISP  network. Routers are located at  gateways, the places where two or more networks connect.Routers use  headers  and forwarding tables to determine the best path for forwarding the packets, and they use  protocols  such as  ICMP  to communicate with each other and configure the best route between any two hosts. Bridges : It is a  device  that connects two  local-area networks (LANs), or two segments of the same LAN that use the same  protocol, such as  Ethernet  or  Token-Ring. Gateways: It is a  node  on a  network  that serves as an entrance to another network. In enterprises, the gateway is the computer that  routes  the traffic from a workstation  to the outside network that is serving the Web pages.In homes, the gateway is the  ISP  that connects the user to the internet. In enterprises, the gateway node often acts as a  proxy server  and a  firewall. The gateway is also associated with both a  router, which use  headers  and forwarding tables to determine where  packets  are sent, and a  switch, which provides the actual path for the packet in and out of the gateway. A computer system located on earth that switches data signals and voice signals between satellites and  terrestrial  networks. An earlier term for  router, though now obsol ete in this sense as  router  is commonly used. c) Distributed computing systems A distributed computer system consists of multiple software components that are on multiple computers, but run as a single system. The computers that are in a distributed system can be physically close together and connected by a local network, or they can be geographically distant and connected by a wide area network. A distributed system can consist of any number of possible configurations, such as mainframes, personal computers, workstations, minicomputers, and so on. The goal of distributed computing is to make such a network work as a single computer.Distributed systems offer many benefits over centralized systems, including the following: Scalability The system can easily be expanded by adding more machines as needed. Redundancy Several machines can provide the same services, so if one is unavailable, work does not stop. Additionally, because many smaller machines can be used, this redundancy does not need to be prohibitively expensive. Distributed computing systems can run on hardware that is provided by many vendors, and can use a variety of standards-based software components. Such systems are independent of the underlying software.They can run on various operating systems, and can use various communications protocols. Some hardware might use UNIX(R)  as the operating system, while other hardware might use Windows operating systems. For inter machine communications, this hardware can use SNA or TCP/IP on Ethernet or Token Ring. This system contains two local area networks (LANs) that are connected to each other. One LAN consists of UNIX workstations from several different manufacturers; the other LAN consists primarily of PCs that are running several different PC operating systems.One of the LANs is also connected to a mainframe by way of an SNA connection. The client/server model A common way of organizing software to run on distributed systems is to separate funct ions into two parts: clients and servers. A  client  is a program that uses services that other programs provide. The programs that provide the services are called  servers. The client makes a request for a service, and a server performs that service. Server functions often require some resource management, in which a server synchronizes and manages access to the resource, and responds to client requests with either data or status information.Client programs typically handle user interactions and often request data or initiate some data modification on behalf of a user. For example, a client can provide a form onto which a user (a person working at a data entry terminal, for example) can enter orders for a product. The client sends this order information to the server, which checks the product database and performs tasks that are needed for billing and shipping. Typically, multiple clients use a single server. For example, dozens or hundreds of clients can interact with a few servers that control database access.The client is isolated from the need to know anything about the actual resource manager. If you change the database that you are using, the server possibly needs to be modified, but the client does not need to be modified. Because usually fewer copies exist of the server than of the client, and because the servers are often in locations that are easier to update (for example, on central machines instead of on PCs that are running on users' desks), the update procedure is also simplified. Also, this approach provides additional security. Only the servers, not the clients, need access to the data that the resource manager controls.Clients can also access several different servers, and the servers themselves can act as clients to other servers. Exactly how the functions are distributed across servers is an application design decision. For example, a single server could provide all the services that a client needs, or the client could access multiple servers to perform different requests. The application designer must consider items such as scalability, location, and security. For example, are the clients and servers local or is the application distributed over a wide geographic area? Do the servers need to be on machines that are physically secure?Such design decisions are outside the scope of this introduction. Some servers are part of an application and are referred to as  application servers. Other servers are not part of a specific application. Instead, any application can use them. For example, the CICS Structured File Server (SFS) provides record-oriented file access for applications. Three-tiered client/server architecture A common design of client/server systems uses three tiers: 1. A client that interacts with the user 2. An application server that contains the business logic of the application 3. A resource manager that stores data.

Chemistry Background Information Essay

When a person is exercising, or undergoing some sort of a strenuous activity, it has often been observed that they drink a lot of drinks. This maybe in the form of water, energy drinks, juice or it may even be carbonated sodas. Why is this so What Benefits do athletes get from drinking energy drinks How does fitness relate to energy drinks This answer lies in the basic chemical structure of energy drinks. These drinks consumed during exercising are much more complex than what they look like. They comprise of some vital nutrients which give the respective drinkers quick energy. Energy Drinks Energy drinks are drinks designed to increase stamina and improve physical performance. Some energy drinks are designed especially for elite athletes, but most are produced and marketed for the general community. The main ingredients in energy drinks are caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone. Some new drinks on the market also contain opium poppy seed extract or ephedrine. Details of the ingredients present in some energy drinks: Chlorine Ions pH Glucose is the body’s preferred fuel. Energy drinks contain a ton of sugar which means, they contain a lot of energy. It’s a carbohydrate, and a lot of exercise regiments suggest a good dose of carbohydrates for workouts lasting more than an hour. However, to much sugar intake has been proved to cause diabetes. Taurine is an amino acid that our body naturally produces. It helps regulate heartbeat, muscle contractions, and energy levels. Usually the body makes enough that supplements are not needed. It’s thought, but not proven, that under â€Å"stress conditions† like illness, physical exertion, or injury, the body does not create enough and supplements can help. Taurine might be a â€Å"mild inhibitory neurotransmitter†, some studies show it helps with excitable brain states, suggesting its addition to most energy drinks. Ginseng, an adaptogenic herb, is known to increase energy, relieve stress and increase memory. However, it does contain some anti-fatigue components. Right now it’s suspected that ginseng helps stimulate the hypothalamic and pituitary glands, which then secrete something called adrenal corticotropic hormone. Ginseng is nothing that’s naturally created in the body, so having it in drinks certainly won’t hurt. 200mg/day is the standard dose, but one can safely take up to 2700mg. Anti-oxidants help the body gracefully recover from the damage of free radicals. Vitamin C is the most common anti-oxidant. Energy drinks containing a lot of Vitamin C can be compared to a really fresh orange juice. Anti-oxidants help fend off illness and prevent cellular damage. Vitamins C, E, and Vitamin A, are all anti-oxidants. Besides these common ingredients, energy drinks contain, sodium, magnesium and other ions. They are all a mixture of different chemicals performing their desired actions when it enters the human body. Thus, in this research project, we decided to analyse energy drinks and perform different types of qualitative tests on these drinks; so as to verify whether or not what the labels on the drinks, say, are true. As a result, different drinks are to be tested qualitatively. At the end of the experiments, a much more general idea of energy drink contents would be seen. In our research project, we will try to compare the qualitative contents of some energy drinks. These drinks will vary from international drinks to simple local energy drinks. To differentiate energy drinks form other drinks, such drinks can be compared to carbonate ones as well. We will be performing the following qualitative tests: 1) Test for Chloride Anion 2) Test for Reducing Sugars 3) Test for pH 4) Test for Electrolyte Aim: To test numerous energy drinks for some essential chemicals present, and validate its ingredients, as suggested by the manufacturers. Apparatus: To carry out these tests in a systematic order, a lot of materials are required. The list of the apparatus needed is given below: * Test Tubes (3-4) * Beakers * Dropper * Tripod Stand * Bunsen Burner * Distilled Water * pH meter * Connecting Wires * Battery * Mili-Ammeter * Light Emitting Diode (LED) * * Benedict’s solution * Silver Nitrate (AgNO3) solution Variables: There are not many variables in our experiment because of the fact that there is no quantitative data. All data to be tested is qualitative. Independent Variable Constant Variable Dependent Variable Chloride Anion: Energy Drinks Volume of Silver Nitrate (AgNO3) solution used Presence of Chloride ions Test for Reducing Sugars Energy Drinks Volume of Benedict’s solution used Presence of Reducing Sugars Test for pH Energy Drinks Volume of Drink pH Value (Acidic or Basic) Test for Electrolyte Energy Drinks Number of Batteries Connected Conductivity of the energy drink Manipulation of Variables: Procedure/Method: A lot of simple steps need to be carried out to achieve valid data. Since four different tests are being carried out, it would be better if the steps for each test ismentioned and followed separately. Test for Chloride Anion: Data Processing: Conclusion and Evaluation: Test for Reducing Sugar: Place a small amount of the solution to be tested into a test-tube. Add an equal amount of Benedict’s reagent into the test-tube and place this test-tube into a water bath. If the solution turns dark yellow or brick red, it is safe to assume that reducing sugars are present in the solution that had been tested. Test for Chloride Ion: Place a small amount of the solution to be tested into a test-tube. Add a few drops of silver nitrate. If a cloudy white precipitate is formed in the solution, it means that the solution contains the chloride ion. Test for the pH: Place a small amount of the solution to be tested into a small beaker. Calibrate the pH meter by placing it into the calibrating solution, and then testing it my measuring the pH of water. After this, place the pH meter into the solution that needs to be tested and then record the reading that appears on the digital display. Data Collection and Processing: All the data collected during the course of the experiment is summarized below: Pocari Sweat POCARI SWEAT is a world renowned mild tasting, refreshing drink which replenishes body fluids lost through perspiration. It is arguably the most widespread energy drink. Information received from: http://www.pocarisweat.com.ph/about.aspx Picture taken from: http://iheartjapan.com/pictures/food/Pocari%20Sweat.jpg Pocari Sweat Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Positive Positive Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. It can conduct currents up to 20 mA. A cloudy white precipitate was obtained. Chloride anions are present in the solution. The final colour was that of reddish-brown. This suggests the presence of carbohydrates (glucose). The pH was recorded as 3.6. This is an acidic solution. Vita zone (orange) Vita Zone (Orange), just like our previous drink is an energy drink produced in Indonesia This drink has an orange flavor. We have taken up these similar drinks (both are Vita Zone) as we wanted to compare the element of flavor on the drink’s chemical components. As a result, we would get a much better insight into the uses of such chemicals. Picture Taken From: http://www.vitazone.com/assets/images/inner/var_orange.jpg Vita Zone (Orange) Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Positive Positive Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. It can conduct currents up to 45 mA. A cloudy white precipitate was obtained. Chloride anions are present in the solution. The final colour was that of reddish-brown. This suggests the presence of carbohydrates (glucose). The pH was recorded as 3.4. This is an acidic solution. Vita zone (Citrus) Vita Zone (Citrus) is an energy drink produced in Indonesia. It is known for its different flavors which help attract athletes. However, the drink we are testing is Vita Zone (Citrus), which has a citrus (lemon) essence added to it. Picture Taken From: http://www.vitazone.com/assets/images/inner/var_citrus.jpg Vita Zone (Citrus) Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Positive Positive Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. It can conduct currents up to 25 mA. A cloudy white precipitate was obtained. Chloride anions are present in the solution. The final colour was that of reddish-brown. This suggests the presence of carbohydrates (glucose). The pH was recorded as 3.9. This is an acidic solution. #Lemon Water Lemon Water is an energy drink produced in Indonesia. It is known for its quantity of Vitamin C that it provides athletes. It has a total of 1000mg of Vitamin C added into the drink itself. This drink is lemon flavored. Lemon Water Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Positive Positive Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. However, it is a weak electrolyte as it can conduct currents only up to 4 mA. A cloudy white precipitate was obtained. Chloride anions are present in the solution. Then, the colour changed directly to black; due to the presence of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). The final colour was that of reddish-brown. This suggests the presence of carbohydrates (glucose). The pH was recorded as 3.6. This is an acidic solution. #Orange Water Orange Water is an energy drink produced in Indonesia. It is known for its quantity of Vitamin C that it provides athletes. It has a total of 1000mg of Vitamin C added into the drink itself. This drink is orange flavored. Orange Water Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Positive Positive Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. It can conduct currents up to 20 mA. A cloudy white precipitate was obtained. Chloride anions are present in the solution. Then, the colour changed directly to black; due to the presence of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). The final colour was that of reddish-brown. This suggests the presence of carbohydrates (glucose). The pH was recorded as 3.9. This is an acidic solution. #UC 1000 (Lemon) This drink is manufactured by the same company as our previous two drinks. As a result, it does have the 1000 mg of Vitamin C added to it. However, this drink is carbonated. It has a natural lemon essence added to it. UC 1000 (Lemon) Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Positive Positive Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. It is a mild electrolyte and can conduct currents up to 10 mA. A cloudy white precipitate was obtained. Chloride anions are present in the solution. Then, the colour changed directly to black; due to the presence of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). The final colour was that of reddish-brown. This suggests the presence of carbohydrates (glucose). The pH was recorded as 3.7. This is an acidic solution. #UC 1000 (Orange) This drink is manufactured by the same company as our previous two drinks. As a result, it does have the 1000 mg of Vitamin C added to it. However, this drink is carbonated. It has a natural orange essence added to it. UC 1000 (Orange) Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Positive Positive Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. It is a mild electrolyte and can conduct currents up to 10 mA. A cloudy white precipitate was obtained. Chloride anions are present in the solution. Then, the colour changed directly to black; due to the presence of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). The final colour was that of reddish-brown. This suggests the presence of carbohydrates (glucose). The pH was recorded as 3.7. This is an acidic solution. Pepsi #Pepsi (Blue) To compare the contents of energy drinks and simple carbonated soft drinks, tests on Pepsi Blue, Coca Cola and Coca Cola Zero were carried out. Pepsi Blue was launched in mid-2002 and discontinued in the United States in 2004, although it remains available in some other countries. Its berry flavor was the result of taste-testing over 100 flavors over a 9-month period. It is consumed by many teenagers and adults alike. Information Taken From: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Pepsi_Blue Pepsi Blue Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Negative Positive Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. It is a mild electrolyte and can conduct currents up to 8 mA. Solution remained blue. Thus, there was no change in colour and no white precipitate. This suggests the absence of chloride ions. The final colour was that of reddish-brown. This suggests the presence of carbohydrates (glucose). The pH was recorded as 3.1. This is an acidic solution. #Coca Cola This is a carbonated beverage sold in more than 200 countries worldwide. It is arguably the most renowned drink in the world. Coca Cola Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Negative Positive Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. It is a mild electrolyte and can conduct currents up to 6 mA. Solution remained black. Thus, there was no change in colour and no white precipitate. This suggests the absence of chloride ions. The final colour was that of reddish-brown. This suggests the presence of carbohydrates (glucose). The pH was recorded as 3.4. This is an acidic solution. #Coca Cola (Zero) This is a carbonated beverage sold in more than 200 countries worldwide. It is arguably the most renowned drink in the world. However, this version of Coca Cola has Zero Sugar in it, as it can be seen from the name. It is claimed that this drink contains no sugar at all. Coca Cola (Zero) Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Negative Negative Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. It is a weak electrolyte and can conduct currents up to 6 mA. Solution remained black. Thus, there was no change in colour and no white precipitate. This suggests the absence of chloride ions. The final colour was that of black. There was no significant colour change during the course of the experiment. As a result, reducing sugars are absent. The pH was recorded as 3.5. This is an acidic solution. #Red Bull Red Bull is the most consumed energy drink in the world. It is adapted from a Thai energy drink and is widely known for its Taurine content. Athletes all over the world consume this very drink to give them a sudden boost of energy. Red Bull Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Negative Positive Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. It is an electrolyte and can conduct currents up to 17.5 mA. Solution remained light brown in colour. Thus, there was no colour change and no white precipitate. This suggests the absence of chloride ions. The final colour was that of reddish-brown. This suggests the presence of carbohydrates (glucose). The pH was recorded as 3.5. This is an acidic solution. Along with the routine tests carried out on this drink, a special ingredient was tested. Due to the unique smell of the drink, one can easily figure out the presence of esters in the drink. As a result, the test for Unsaturation was carried out. Bromine Water Test: Negative The colour of bromine water did not change. It did not decolorize and it can be concluded that Red Bull contains saturated esters. #Hormoviton Hormoviton is a drink associated in building up one’s stamina. It is consumed by males only to increase their endurance and stamina for different purposes. As a result, it can be included in the same category as energy drinks. Hormoviton Electrolyte Test Chloride Test Test for Reducing Sugars pH Test Result Positive Positive Positive Acidic Remarks The solution contains electricity. It is an electrolyte and can conduct currents up to 34 mA. A cloudy white precipitate was obtained. Chloride anions are present in the solution. The final colour was that of reddish-brown. This suggests the presence of carbohydrates (glucose). The pH was recorded as 3.8. This is an acidic solution. Conclusion and Evaluation: Not enough is currently known about energy drinks and their effect on health and wellbeing. The producers of energy drinks make many claims about the health effects of their products. They say that their products can increase physical endurance, improve reaction time, boost mental alertness and concentration, increase overall wellbeing, stimulate metabolism, improve stamina and help eliminate waste from the body. The drinks are marketed as healthy, fun and youthful, and many children, young people and adults are taken in by the excitement created around them, believing these claims to be true. However, the evidence shows that it may be wise to be cautious in our consumption of energy drinks. Caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone occur naturally in the body, but the fact that they are present in much higher doses in energy drinks may be cause for concern. Scientists say that caffeine can have an effect on the growing brain and that it may cause a decline in the body’s immune system. For now, health authorities have determined that energy drinks are generally safe for consumption, with some cautions. Evidence is beginning to emerge that energy drinks may be harmful to some members of our community. It may be best to avoid giving these drinks to children under the age of ten. With older children and young people, watch closely the amount of energy drinks they consume as well as any effects on their mood or behaviour. If you are unsure or would like further advice, consult your doctor or other health professional.