My Childhood Autumns in a Nutshell. . . or an Apple :: Essays Papers

My Childhood Autumns in a Nutshell. . . or an Apple As a native Vermonter, I have spent every autumn driving out of Burlington and into the rust and golden mountains of Stowe to admire the foliage and to take advantage of nearby orchards. I have visited probably every orchard, mill, factory and farm over my lifetime. Through these excursions, freshly made apple cider, warm cider doughnuts, cool, crunchy apples picked right off the branch, and the smell of these apples have all become imbedded into my memories of my childhood here in Vermont. Despite all of my experience with Vermont apples and their by-products, I have never taken the time to really get to know the fruit. There are so many varieties of apples, and although I’ve most likely eaten them all, I could only surely identify one: the Granny Smith. I feel that, as a Vermonter, telling one apple from another is something that I should be able to do. As this passing autumn will be my last consecutive one in Vermont before college, I made it my duty to learn about one of my home state’s largest exports, and set of in search of the best Vermont apple. I figured that before I began tasting apples, I should first have a list of ideal apple qualities to measure my candidates against. My criteria for being considered a good apple: not too sweet but also not too tart, juicy, but not so juicy that it’s embarrassing to bite into it in front of others, not yellow on the inside, no brown spots or bitter bit, not so soft that your bite extends down into the seeds and core, but also not so hard that it hurts your gums to bite into it. A good apple is not mushy or bruised, it has a stem, it’s nicely shaped, and it’s not small- it’s a nice big apple, but not so big it makes you sick to eat the whole thing. A good apple must be flavorful, have a nice aroma, and, very importantly, be crunchy enough that it makes a crisp sound when you bite into it. Also, a perfect apple must be very round, not tall and oval shaped with four big humps on the bottom. I don’t like this kind. I figured that the best place to buy the freshest apples would be at a co-op, so I went to the City Market in Burlington and bought a bag of Vermont apples grown at a local orchard.

Understanding Zapatista Longevity :: Mexico Economics Politics Zapatista Essays

Understanding Zapatista Longevity When Mexican President Vincente Fox rode into office on a wave of popular support in 2000, he inherited the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas. In 1994, the largely indigenous Zapatista movement began a military campaign to protest economic and political disenfranchisement. Vincente Fox claimed that he could solve the Zapatista uprising in â€Å"15 minutes.† Like his predecessor, he has failed to solve the problem. How did the Zapatistas achieve such longevity in the confines of the â€Å"perfect dictatorship?† When Mexico entered the international economy, it opened itself to global scrutiny. Mexico’s trading partners have kept an eye on Mexico’s human rights record. Mexico simply could not crush the Zapatista rebellion with an iron fist: â€Å"Mexicans and the international community will not accept a genocidal war in Chiapas† (Collier 167). Furthermore, global connections empowered Mexican human rights organizations to exert more leverage on the Mexican government to moderate their repression. The Zapatistas were particularly adept at using the internet to voice their demands and to protest the excesses of the Mexican government. The Mexican government also faced legal restraints which prevented an all-out war on the Zapatistas. After the uprising 1994 and the government counter-attack in 1995, the federal congress passed a law for dialogue in 1995. This foreclosed the option of a unilateral show of force by the Mexican army in areas under Zapatista control. The jungles of Chiapas also made a complete military victory improbable. The government changed its tactics to end the rebellion, resorting to low intensity war. Paramilitaries with differing levels of tacit and explicit support terrorized Zapatistas and their sympathizers. The killings in Acteal in 1997 that claimed the lives of 45 innocent people remains a particularly gruesome example of paramilitary massacres. Most importantly, the Mexican government lots the war of ideas. Though the Mexican government maintained a virtual monopoly of the press, Marcos and the Zapatistsas managed to diffuse their ideas and goals across the country. Though many did not support their violent tactics, the Zapatistas brought attention to the â€Å"plight of those at the losing end of Mexico’s economic globalization, particularly the indigenous groups who were losing both their livehood and their hopes for self-determination† (155). Marcos’ articulate and incisive letters put the government on the â€Å"moral defense† (168). Despite the government’s efforts, support for the Zapatistas increased. The government believed it had scored a victory when it revealed in 1994 that Sub-commandante Marcos was in fact a non-indiginours former philosophy student.

Understand how to safeguard the well-being of children and young people Essay

2.1 It is important to safeguard children and young people in a setting to ensure they can feel safe and secure. We must protect children and young people from abuse or neglect, ensure they stay safe and healthy and continue to develop well. 2.2 It is important to have a child centred approach so that the child’s feelings are experiences are taken into account and therefore any further distress can be avoided. 2.3 Partnership working in the context of safe guarding refers to the sharing of information between different agencies and collaborative working. It is important to feel that a child’s welfare is safe guarded regardless of there they are from and who’s looking after them at all times. For example, children who attend multiple settings, such as primary school and an after school club. It is important that these settings work closely together to ensure the child is safe, healthy and developing. Practitioners must ensure continuity and coherence by sharing relevant information with each other parents or carers. 2.4 When a child is abused or harmed, there are many agencies that may be involved. The fist is likely to be the social services ( after a referral). Referrals are likely to be made by a school or childcare provider. It is part of every person working with young children’s responsibility to report any signs of abuse or neglect to their safeguarding coordinator who will refer the case to the local social services hub. Other organisations and practitioners who have a duty of care to report any of these signs include doctors, nurses, health visitors and play schemes. Social services then carry out an initial assessment as a response and the possible decisions include; Offering services and support to the child and their family. This will only be decided if it is judged that the child is not in any immediate danger. Urgent action to protect the child from harm such as obtaining a court order to remove the child from the care of their parents and placed into safe temporary care. A discussion to discuss further strategy will then  take place. Staff in schools or other settings where they care for children must never try to independently investigate the circumstances of the abuse or neglect themselves, but their input may be requested in the initial assessment meetings, and their cooperation with the continued plan is important. 3.1 Every person working in the setting must be a suitable person to work with young children, must have a valid CRB check and must be assessed by the Independent Safeguarding Authority. Practitioners must actively promote the well being of every child. This includes providing every opportunity for children and young people to learn and develop, play and communicate and socialise in the setting. Children and young people also need healthy, nutritious food and the opportunity to move their bodies and exercise. They need to be able to make decisions and develop an appropriate level of independence. Practitioners also have a responsibility to provide extra support to children who’s needs are not being met, by working with parents and other professionals. Some children in early years settings mya present a delay in development, or emotional of social difficulties, which may be the result of adverse early years experiences, like witnessing domestic violence or growing up with a parent with a mental illness. This extra support could include helping the parent join a â€Å"stay and play† group to make friends and build a support group, or by working with a clinical psychology service to give advice on things such as bedtimes. This work can be coordinated under the CAF. 3.2 It is important to have policies and procedures in place to protect children and the adults who work with them. Policies and procedures that should be in place within settings for safe working include; duty of care, whistle blowing, power and position of trust, physical contact, photography and video and off site visits. The setting’s policy for safe guarding should include the settings’ name and the type of service it provides, the name of the child protection officer, the importance of child protection and outline the relevant part of UK legislation, everyone’s responsibility to safeguard, how the setting will meet this obligation, the safeguarding policy works together with other policies, such as the equality and diversity policy,  behaviour and partnership with parents. The procedure should inform how the policy will be put into practice on a daily basis. The procedure should be clear on the following points; the obligation to respond appropriately in a timely fashion, a brief summary of signs to look out for with reference to the relevant guidance document, the steps that should be taken if there are concerns, specific guidance and effective safeguarding. 3.3 There may be an occasion where you work in a setting and you believe that there are incidences of poor practice. For example, a staff member has raised concerns about a child’s welfare and reported these to the child protection officer. The child’s parents are on the school governing body. The child protection officer’s response is that â€Å"they’re not the sort of people to harm their child†. In cases like these it is very important that action is taken before the situation becomes worsened. Make it clear to the person you have reported to that the situation is dangerous and illegal and that you may feel it necessary to â€Å"blow the whistle† is necessary. Whistle blowers are legally protected against bullying being sacked or disciplined if they have acted in good faith. 3.4 Practitioners can protect themselves within their every day practice in and out of the setting by knowing their company policy. Schools and early years settings can keep children safe by having effective recruitment procedures, management and general operation policy. The children’s intimate care should be coordinated by the child’s key person so they don’t feel like just anyone can take them aside and undress them, this ensures their right to privacy is upheld. Is possible, children should be asked is they consent to offers of intimate care. Early years settings are required to have a policy for allegations made against staff. This will cover cases where a child, parent of other staff member has made the allegation. Practitioners participating in an off site visit have a duty to protect children from harm on the visit. Unqualified staff or volunteers mustn’t be left in sole charge of children and young people on an off site visit, unless deemed safe through a risk assessment. There should be a minimum of two adults participating in an off site visit, and must not be put in a situation where they are alone with a child away form the group. 4.1 Possible signs and symptoms that may indicate abuse or neglect and be cause for concern are outlined in the NSPCC’s â€Å"Learn to recognise signs of abuse†. A baby or toddler who is always crying a child who often has injuries or bruises a child who is often very withdrawn a child who often wears dirty clothes, is unwashed for a long period of times a child who is frequently very hungry a child who is often inappropriately dressed for the weather or season any indications a child is being left alone at home or unsupervised a child who does not receive medical treatment they need  a child who is mocked, sworn at, constantly joked about or made to feel foolish a child who expresses fear about particular adults, seams reluctant to be picked up by specific people, afraid to be left alone with that person. A child who has strong mood swings- anxiety, depression, uncontained anger or aggression. A child who has sexual knowledge, used sexual words or sexual behaviour that is not appropriate for their age. A child who is witnessing domestic violence A child who it witnessing significant alcohol or drug abuse. The NSPCC advised that you trust your judgement on a situation. 4.2 If a child make an allegation of abuse or harm, you must first record exactly what the child or young person has said and anything you may have noticed about the child or young person. Then discuss the concerns as a matter or urgency with the named member of staff within the setting. In my own setting, each room has a named person (usually the room leader) and the deputy manager is also a named person. In the case that I had a concern, I would first speak to the appropriate named person. In some cases it is acceptable to speak to the parent. For example, if a child has come into the setting with a number of bruises, either myself or the named person would ask the parent how the marks were acquired. I would then fill in an incident report describing the marks and ask the parent to sign it. If the parents account did not seam legitimate, I would then fill in a â€Å"cause for concern†Ã‚  report sheet. Both of these are filed in the child’s personal file, along with an y other reports of a similar nature. I would then be told of the action made by the named person. If the parents account seams reasonable based on what we know of the child’s behaviour within the setting, the named person may decide to take no further action. They may decide to advise the child’s parents, for example, what sort of clothes the child needs to wear. The child will then be monitored by his or her key person to see if the advise is followed up on. They may offer support for example, by making an appointment with a clinical psychologist. They may decide to refer the family to support at the children’s centre. They may decide however that serious action need to be taken and refer the incident to the Children’s Social Care (social services). If I feel that the action taken by the named person is inadequate, I would contact the Nursery owner, and then social services myself. There is the option of a â€Å"no names† interview with social services if I am unsure of what action to take. 4.3 In situations where abuse has been suspected, it is important to be mindful of the rights of the children and of their carers. In general, any information disclosed is confidential. If information circulates too freely, it can leave children and adults feeling too vulnerable and they may stop sharing information with you. If a parent disclosed information to you which you feel should be shared for the child’s benefit, the parent should feel they can consent or withhold consent freely ( assuming the child’s safety isn’t compromised). We must never disclose information inappropriately for example to people not within the setting. Everyone has the right to privacy. If sharing information is necessary to the child’s safety, you must do so. Start by discussing with the parent why you must share the information, explain that you are legally obligated to do so. If in doubt, seek advise from your named person. 5.1 There are many different types of bullying, including physical, verbal or indirect bullying. Physical bullying includes hitting kicking and taking belongings. Verbal bullying includes name calling, insulting and making  offensive remarks. Indirect bullying includes the spreading of rumours, exclusion form a social group, sending malicious emails or texts. There is never an excuse for bullying behaviour. Children and young people are more likely to be bullied if they are; shy or have an overprotective family environment, are from a different racial or ethnic group to the majority, appear different in some respects, have special needs such as a learning difficulty, behave inappropriately or have less developed social and interpersonal skills, possess expensive accessories such as a mobile phone or computer game. Bullying can lead to low self esteem in children and young people and can often leave them feeling hopeless. Children and young people who are experiencing bullying may be reluctant to attend the setting and may therefore have poor attendance. They may be more anxious and insecure than others, have fewer friends and may often feel unhappy or lonely. This will, in turn, effect all areas of their holistic development. 5.2 Some types of bullying may amount to unlawful discrimination. All settings must have a policy and system to deal with bullying. Policies must include reference to bullying in all forms such as bullying on grounds of body shape or size, homophobic bullying, racist bullying, faith based bulling, ageist bullying, disability bullying and sexist bullying. These policies and procedures are in place to protect people and to understand how best to support victims and their families. Children and young people should be provided with information about sources of help such as Childline or The Samaritans. If bullying is suspected or reported, within our setting, the issue will be dealt with by the child’s key person. The EYFS required that â€Å"Children’s behaviour must be managed effectively and in a manner that is appropriate for their stage of development and individual needs†. If bullying occurs within the staff team, it must be reported to the Company director (nur sery owner) who will deal with it as a matter or urgency. 5.3 Practitioners should work in partnership with parents to a support the victim of bullying. They can do this by helping the child improve their personal and social skills, including assertiveness techniques and conflict resolution. You can also provide support by encouraging the child to talk, listen to their problems, believing them if they say they are being bullied,  providing reassurance that it is not their fault, discussing the issue with a senior member of staff and taking action by following the settings’ anti-bulling procedure. 6.1 Children’s self esteem can be greatly boosted by an effective key person approach. Many aspects of this support the safeguarding of children. Listening and tuning into a child are import aspects of this. The key person notices changes in the child’s behaviour and emotion well being and developing a trusting relationship so that the child feel like they can talk to their key person about thing that are upsetting them. The child must know that you are there to listen and will believe what he or she is telling you. It is important to allow the child to express their feelings, such as anger, sadness and happiness, they may feel more confident that they can have a range of emotions. You can increase a child’s confidence by making the child feel a sense of belonging and that they have a unique set of qualities that are valued. It is important to show genuine interest in what a child is doing or saying. You can also work with parents to support their child’s self confidence and self esteem. Help a parent to understand that their child is finding a particular situation difficult and wha they can do to help, support parent with practical advise such as care or clothing, offer emotional and practical support in cases of family conflict or domestic violence. 6.2 Resilience is a crucial life skill that children require to survive the turbulences that life can provide. Resilience provides a person with the ability to deal with arising issues without it largely effecting their well being. It is something that they will develop in childhood and take with them into adult hood while continuing to improve their strength of resilience. It is therefore extremely important that adults support the resilience of young people. It teaches them to act in a way that will repair any damage caused by a major life event, good or bad, and enables them to regain self esteem. A lack of resilience can lead to cases of depression in an arising situation where the person feels unable to cope. If children are resilient it will help them in everyday life as a child, to overcome issues, hold onto self-esteem if victims of bullying and be better at dealing with  life. This will enable them ot be happier individuals who can carry this resilience into adult life. 6.3 It is important to work with children to enable them to have the strategies to protect themselves for neglect or abuse so they have a means of preventing it from happening. As part of this prevention role it is important that children understand what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour towards them, how to stay safe from harm, speak up if they have any worries or concerns, develop awareness and resilience. Being actively involved in prevention helps children stay safe both in the present and in the future. 6.4 One way to empower children and young people to make positive and informed decisions that will support their well being and safety is to encourage them to trust their own feelings and judgement in difficult situations. You can use role play as a tool to help them think about what to do if their friends are doing something they feel uncomfortable with such as having sex, drinking, drugs etc. Peer pressure can often be very strong, children and young people to decide upon limits for what they will and wont do so they can cope if a situation does arise. Make suer children understand the dangers of situations that may put their safety at risk, such a; being left home alone, playing in deserted or dark places, being out on their own, talking to strangers, accepting lifts from strangers and walking home alone, especially in the dark. Role play, stories and television can also be used to discuss acceptable risk taking. Children can discuss the actions of characters and identify risks they are taking in their own lives. Children also need to know where they can go to get help if they need it. They should be encouraging to find people in the setting or within their community who can help keep them safe. 7.1 Risks associated with using the internet and mobile phones usually revolve around contact with strangers, either posing as themselves or someone the child may trust. These people may try to obtain information from them, coerce them into meeting them which is highly dangerous. There are also issues of fraud around online shopping where criminals can obtain bank account details from the website used and use them as a theft devise. 7.2 You can reduce risks of using social networking sites (including chat rooms) by teaching children not to give out personal information that could lead the recipient to discover who they are and never arrange to meet anyone they have â€Å"met† in a chatroom. If young people wish to use social networking sites, they should be taught how to make the settings of they profile private so that only accepted people they know and trust can view their postings. Additionally, children and young people should be taught only to accept â€Å"friend requests† from people they are friends with in real life. They should never disclose personal information online. Filtering systems can be used to stop children and young people accessing inappropriate content on the internet. The curriculum should also provide opportunities to teach internet safety in ICT lessons. There should be procedures in p[lace to deal with â€Å"personal alleging† by a child or young person as a result of internet safety education. The setting must have a nominated member of staff who is in charge of child protection issues. It is important that children and young people are aware of the risks of online shopping. They should be encouraged to ensure their computer has anti-virus software and a firewall in place to provide protection against the potential risks of online shopping. You should only use online retailers you trust and check their privacy policy before buying anything. Ensure that you have a strong password and know what a secure website looks like. Print out a copy of any online orders you have made and always check your bank statement after buying anything online. UK mobile phone operators take steps to protect children and young people from accessing inappropriate material on their phones. They do this using internet filters, and having the option to register a mobile phone as a child so they can not access material for over 18s. They also advise that bluetooth (which enables bluetooth users to â€Å"talk† to each other) is turned off on children and young people’s phones. Chil dren and young people can be educated on e-safety by being given the following tips; Think carefully about who you give your mobile number to. Do not reply to any unwanted texts or messages.  Be careful what you download to your phone as there are growing numbers of viruses. Check with your friends if you are planning to upload a photo or video with them in it before uploading it. Remember to take control of your own image as one picture can become permanent when uploaded to the internet.

Beryllium Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements

Beryllium Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements Beryllium Atomic Number: 4 Symbol: Be Atomic Weight: 9.012182(3)Reference: IUPAC 2009 Discovery: 1798, Louis-Nicholas Vauquelin (France) Electron Configuration: [He]2s2 Other Names: Glucinium or Glucinum Word Origin: Greek: beryllos, beryl; Greek: glykys, sweet (note that beryllium is toxic) Properties: Beryllium has a melting point of 1287/-5Â °C, boiling point of 2970Â °C, specific gravity of 1.848 (20Â °C), and valence of 2. The metal is steel-gray in color, very light, with one of the highest melting points of the light metals. Its modulus of elasticity is a third higher than that of steel. Beryllium has high thermal conductivity, is nonmagnetic, and resists attack by concentrated nitric acid. Beryllium resists oxidation in air at ordinary temperatures. The metal has a high permeability to x-radiation. When bombarded by alpha particles, it yields neutrons in the ratio of approximately 30 million neutrons per million alpha particles. Beryllium and its compounds are toxic and should not be tasted to verify the metals sweetness. Uses: Precious forms of beryl include aquamarine, morganite, and emerald. Beryllium is used as an alloying agent in producing beryllium copper, which is used for springs, electrical contacts, nonsparking tools, and spot-welding electrodes. It is used in many structural components of the space shuttle and other aerospace craft. Beryllium foil is used in x-ray lithography for making integrated circuits. It is used as a reflector or moderator in nuclear reactions. Beryllium is used in gyroscopes and computer parts. The oxide has a very high melting point and is used in ceramics and nuclear applications. Sources: Beryllium is found in approximately 30 mineral species, including beryl (3BeO Al2O3Â ·6SiO2), bertrandite (4BeOÂ ·2SiO2Â ·H2O), chrysoberyl, and phenacite. The metal may be prepared by reducing beryllium fluoride with magnesium metal. Element Classification: Alkaline-earth Metal Isotopes: Beryllium has ten known isotopes, ranging from Be-5 to Be-14. Be-9 is the only stable isotope.Density (g/cc): 1.848 Specific Gravity (at 20 Â °C): 1.848 Appearance: hard, brittle, steel-gray metal Melting Point: 1287 Â °C Boiling Point: 2471 Â °C Atomic Radius (pm): 112 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 5.0 Covalent Radius (pm): 90 Ionic Radius: 35 (2e) Specific Heat (20Â °C J/g mol): 1.824 Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 12.21 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 309 Debye Temperature (K): 1000.00 Pauling Negativity Number: 1.57 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 898.8 Oxidation States: 2 Lattice Structure:Hexagonal Lattice Constant (Ã…): 2.290 Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.567 CAS Registry Number: 7440-41-7 Beryllium Trivia Beryllium was originally named glyceynum due to the sweet taste of beryllium salts. (glykis is Greek for sweet). The name was changed to beryllium to avoid confusion with other sweet tasting elements and a genus of plants called glucine. Beryllium became the official name of the element in 1957.James Chadwick bombarded beryllium with alpha particles and observed a subatomic particle with no electrical charge, leading to the discovery of the neutron.Pure beryllium was isolated in 1828 by two different chemists independently: German chemist Friederich WÃ ¶hler and French chemist Antoine Bussy.WÃ ¶hler was the chemist who first proposed the name beryllium for the new element. Source Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.), CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (89th Ed.)

Octopus Facts

Octopus Facts Octopuses (Octopus spp.) are a family of cephalopods (a subgroup of marine invertebrates) known for their intelligence, their uncanny ability to blend into their surroundings, their unique style of locomotion, and their ability to squirt ink. They are some of the most fascinating creatures in the sea, found in every ocean in the world, and every continents coastal waters. Fast Facts: Octopus Scientific Name: Octopus, Tremoctopus, Enteroctopus, Eledone, Pteroctopus, many othersCommon Name: OctopusBasic Animal Group: InvertebrateSize: 1 inch–16 feetWeight: 1 gram–600 poundsLifespan: One to three yearsDiet:  CarnivoreHabitat: Every ocean; coastal waters in every continentPopulation: There are at least 289 species of octopuses; population estimates are not available for anyConservation Status: Not listed. Description The octopus is essentially a mollusk that lacks a shell but has eight arms and three hearts. Where cephalopods are concerned, marine biologists are careful to distinguish between arms and tentacles. If the invertebrate structure has suckers along its entire length, its called an arm; if it only has suckers at the tip, its called a tentacle. By this standard, most octopuses have eight arms and no tentacles, while two other cephalopods, cuttlefish and squids, have eight arms and two tentacles. All vertebrate animals have one heart, but the octopus is equipped with three: one that pumps blood through the cephalopods body (including the arms), and two that pump blood through the gills, the organs that enable the octopus to breathe underwater by harvesting oxygen. And theres another key difference, too: The primary component of octopus blood is hemocyanin, which  incorporates atoms of copper, rather than hemoglobin, which incorporates atoms of iron. This is why octopus blood is blue rather than red. Octopuses are the only marine animals, apart from whales and pinnipeds, that demonstrate primitive problem-solving and pattern recognition skills. But whatever kind of intelligence these cephalopods possess, its different from the human variety, probably closer to a cat. Two-thirds of an octopuss neurons are located along the length of its arms, rather than its brain, and theres no convincing evidence that these invertebrates are capable of communicating with others of their kind. Still, theres a reason so much science fiction (such as the book and movie Arrival) feature aliens vaguely modeled on octopuses. Octopus skin is covered by three types of specialized skin cells that can quickly change their color, reflectivity, and opacity, allowing this invertebrate to easily blend in with its surroundings. Chromatophores are responsible for the colors red, orange, yellow, brown, and black; leucophores mimic white; and iridophores are reflective, and thus ideally suited to camouflage. Thanks to this arsenal of cells, some octopuses can make themselves indistinguishable from seaweed. Fleetham Dave / Perspectives / Getty Images Behavior A bit like an undersea sports car, the octopus has three gears. If its in no particular hurry, this cephalopod will walk lazily with its arms along the ocean bottom. If its feeling a bit more urgent, it will actively swim by flexing its arms and body. And if its in a real hurry (say, because it has just been spotted by a hungry shark), it will expel a jet of water from its body cavity and zoom away as fast as it possibly can, often squirting a disorienting blob of ink at the same time. When threatened by predators, most octopuses release a thick cloud of black ink, composed primarily of melanin (the same pigment that gives human beings their skin and hair color). This cloud is not simply a visual smoke screen that allows the octopus to escape unnoticed; it also interferes with predators sense of smell.  Sharks, which can sniff small droplets of blood from hundreds of yards away, are especially vulnerable to this type of olfactory attack. Marevision / age fotostock / Getty Images Diet Octopuses are carnivores, and the adults feed on small fishes, crabs, clams, snails, and other octopuses. They typically forage alone and at night, pouncing on their prey and wrapping it in the webbing between their arms. Some octopuses use venom of varying levels of toxicity, which they inject into its prey with a beak similar to a birds; they can also use their beaks to penetrate and crack hard shells. Octopuses are night hunters, and they spend some of their daylight time in dens, generally holes in shell beds or another substrate, vertical shafts sometimes with multiple openings. If the sea floor is stable enough to permit it, they can be as deep as 15 inches or so. Octopus dens are engineered by a single octopus, but they can be reused by later generations and some species are co-occupied by male and female for a few hours.   In laboratory situations, octopuses build dens out of shells (Nautilus, Strombus, barnacles), or artificial terracotta flower pots, glass bottles, PVC tubes, custom blown glass- basically, whatever is available.   Some species have den colonies, clustered in a particular substrate. The gloomy octopus (O. tetricus) lives in communal groups of about 15 animals, in situations where there is ample food, many predators, and few opportunities for den sites. Gloomy octopus den groups are excavated into shell middens, a pile of shells built by the octopuses from prey.   Reproduction and Offspring Octopuses have very short lives, between one and three years, and they are dedicated to raising the next generation. Mating occurs when the male approaches the female: One of his arms, typically the third right arm, has a special tip called hectocotylus which he uses to transfer sperm to the females oviduct. He can fertilize multiple females and females can be fertilized by more than one male.   The male dies shortly after mating; the female looks for a suitable den site and spawns a few weeks later, laying the eggs in festoons, chains which are attached to rock or coral or to the walls of the den. Depending on the species, there can be hundreds of thousands of eggs, and before they hatch, the female guards and cares for them, aerating and cleaning them until they hatch. Within a few days, after they hatch, the mother octopus dies.   Some benthic and littoral species produce a smaller number of larger eggs which house a more highly developed larva. The tiny eggs produced in the hundreds of thousands begin life as plankton, basically, living in a plankton cloud. If they are not eaten by a passing whale, the octopus larva feeds on copepods, larval crabs, and larval seastars, until they are developed enough to sink down to the bottom of the ocean.   An octopus mother fiercely guards her den.   Getty Images Species There are nearly 300 different species of octopus identified to date- more are being identified every year. The largest identified octopus is the giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini), the full-grown adults of which weigh about 110 pounds or so and have long, trailing, 14-foot-long arms and a total body length of about 16 feet. However, there is some tantalizing evidence of larger-than-usual Giant Pacific octopuses, including one specimen that may have weighed as much as 600 pounds. The smallest (so far) is the star-sucker pygmy octopus (Octopus wolfi), which is smaller than an inch and weighs less than a gram. Most species average the size of the common octopus (O. vulgaris) which grows to between one and three feet and weighs 6.5 to 22 pounds. This bioluminescent pelagic octopus is in the Red Sea at night. Jeff Rotman/Photolibrary/Getty Images Conservation Status None of the octopi are considered endangered by either the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) or the ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System. The IUCN has not listed any of the octopuses. Sources Anderson, Roland C., Jennifer A. Maher, and James B. Wood. Octopus: The Oceans Intelligent Invertebrate. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 2010.  Bradford, Alina. Octopus Facts. Live Science / Animals, June 8, 2017.Caldwell, Roy L., et al. Behavior and Body Patterns of the Larger Pacific Striped Octopus. PLOS One 10.8 (2015): e0134152. Print.Courage, Katherine Harmon. Octopus! The Most Mysterious Creature in the Sea. New York: Penguin Group, 2013.  Leite, T. S., et al. Geographic Variability of Octopus Insularis Diet: From Oceanic Island to Continental Populations. Aquatic Biology 25 (2016): 17-27. Print.Lenz, Tiago M., et al. First Description of the Eggs and Paralarvae of the Tropical Octopus, Octopus Insularis, under Culture Conditions. BioOne 33.1 (2015): 101-09. Print.Octopuses, Order Octopoda. The National Wildlife Federation.Octopus Fact Sheet. World Animal Foundation.Scheel, David, et al. Octopus Engineering, Intentional and Inadvertent. Communicative Integrative Biology 1 1.1 (2018): e1395994. Print

Free Essays on Highway Bridges

General The following documentation explains the structural design procedures performed. The design was followed in according to AASHTO specifications. Design analysis was implemented from â€Å"Design of Modern Highway Bridges† by Narendra Taly (Chapters 6 and 7). Information gathered for design was obtained from Banner and Associates, Inc. in Brookings, SD and South Dakota Concrete Products. Assistance with design procedures was from Dr. Nadim Wehbe, SDSU Civil and Environmental Engineering Structures professor, and Doug Wessels, Structural Engineer at Banner and Associates, Inc. Expansion The replacement bridge was expanded from the original bridge according to the â€Å"South Dakota Bridge System Code Manual – 1998 Edition† obtained from the SDDOT. The replacement bridge was then extended to span 120 ft. as compared to the original length of 90 ft. All design of the bridge girders and deck is based on the 120 ft expansion. Design Traffic The design truck loading for this bridge is for an HS20-44 and an estimated daily traffic volume of 100 vehicles per day. Bridge Type The design of this structure is for a continuous span, prestressed concrete I-Beam girder bridge with a continuous reinforced concrete deck and a New Jersey barrier. Girder Selection Graphs obtained from South Dakota Concrete Products were the basis for girder spacing and size (See figure B.1). With a 120 ft span length, a 54 M I-Beam girder with 5.25 ft was selected. The width of the bridge is 38 ft from outside edge to outside edge. Therefore, 8 I-Beam girders will be spaced at 5.25 ft on centers along the width of the bridge and an overhang of 7.5 in. on both ends. Deck Design Normal weight concrete is to be used for the decking. The deck thickness was determined to be 8  ¾ in. AASHTO specification for deck thickness is 8 – 8  ¾ in. thick. Due to the amount of anticipated traffic and the weight of vehicles that will be utilizi... Free Essays on Highway Bridges Free Essays on Highway Bridges General The following documentation explains the structural design procedures performed. The design was followed in according to AASHTO specifications. Design analysis was implemented from â€Å"Design of Modern Highway Bridges† by Narendra Taly (Chapters 6 and 7). Information gathered for design was obtained from Banner and Associates, Inc. in Brookings, SD and South Dakota Concrete Products. Assistance with design procedures was from Dr. Nadim Wehbe, SDSU Civil and Environmental Engineering Structures professor, and Doug Wessels, Structural Engineer at Banner and Associates, Inc. Expansion The replacement bridge was expanded from the original bridge according to the â€Å"South Dakota Bridge System Code Manual – 1998 Edition† obtained from the SDDOT. The replacement bridge was then extended to span 120 ft. as compared to the original length of 90 ft. All design of the bridge girders and deck is based on the 120 ft expansion. Design Traffic The design truck loading for this bridge is for an HS20-44 and an estimated daily traffic volume of 100 vehicles per day. Bridge Type The design of this structure is for a continuous span, prestressed concrete I-Beam girder bridge with a continuous reinforced concrete deck and a New Jersey barrier. Girder Selection Graphs obtained from South Dakota Concrete Products were the basis for girder spacing and size (See figure B.1). With a 120 ft span length, a 54 M I-Beam girder with 5.25 ft was selected. The width of the bridge is 38 ft from outside edge to outside edge. Therefore, 8 I-Beam girders will be spaced at 5.25 ft on centers along the width of the bridge and an overhang of 7.5 in. on both ends. Deck Design Normal weight concrete is to be used for the decking. The deck thickness was determined to be 8  ¾ in. AASHTO specification for deck thickness is 8 – 8  ¾ in. thick. Due to the amount of anticipated traffic and the weight of vehicles that will be utilizi...

City of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

City of God - Essay Example Importance of education The youth gang involvement in urban crime is as a result of lack of education and lack of social and economic mobility. The Brazilians who engage in crime in the film are undoubtedly uneducated. Like other street occupants in the world cities, these youths in the city of God are held in low esteem. Their occupation is crime, begging and barrow-pushing among others (Bromley, 1982). The elite class refers to these people as ‘parasitic occupants’ with disguised unemployment (Bromley, 1982). These descriptions of the street occupants in most cities and especially the young youths are true, but they do not address the causes of these behavioral patterns in the city. In The City of God, the youth gang that develops engages in drug and crime acts. Most of these acts thrive because of poor planning of the government resources. Unequal distribution of resources, therefore, becomes a major cause of youth indulgence in crime (Bromley, 1982). This is because with unequal distribution of resources denies the poor basics such as education and hence lack of employment in the formal sector. Without education, youths spend most of their energetic years struggling for a daily bread and for them to survive, they engage in drug dealings and organized gang crime. For example, in the film, the viewers meet the impoverished thieves known as the ‘Tender trio’ consisted of Clipper, Goose and Shaggy. ... For example, younger boys led by Li’l Dice collide with them to rob occupants of a certain motel. In what can be seen as initiating Li’l into the crime gang, they leave him outside with a gun where he shoots motel inhabitants. At the scene, two members of the trio are killed. Lack of social and economic mobility Socio-economic mobility is the movement of people from one social class to another or one economic level to another. As discussed earlier, there is a strong correlation between education and one’s economic mobility. In The City of God, the young people are unable to secure jobs that would allow them to enhance their economic status (Bromley, 1982). The fact that the young people who form crime gangs in the movie are not employed is an indication that they are not educated. Their involvement in crime while young is a depiction of a sector of urban youths who are idling and surviving in hardships instead of being in school. This means even their parents are not well off or they are not there to support them. Therefore, lack of adequate planning by the government in educating its youths leads to them being denied the most effective and equal process that would enable them to improve their economic mobility. The results of such negligence are blatantly displayed in the movie as thriving of crime and drug business where youths are eliminating each other as a way of surviving. This is a long term effect in the society. Economic mobility starts with ones parents’ inability to take their children to school. Therefore, family background plays a great role in perpetual poverty in urban towns, and this exposes more youths to criminal acts and drug engagements. The evils