Jonathan Glover Essay Example for Free

Jonathan Glover Essay Jonathan Glover (born 1941) is a British philosopher known for his studies on ethics. He was educated at Tonbridge School, later going on to Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He was a fellow and tutor in philosophy at New College, Oxford. He currently teaches ethics at Kings College London. Glover is a fellow of the Hastings Center, an independent bioethics research institution in the United States. Glovers book Causing Death and Saving Lives, first published in 1977, addresses practical moral questions about life and death decisions in the areas of abortion, infanticide, suicide, euthanasia, choices between people, capital punishment, and war. His approach is broadly consequentialist, though he gives significant weight to questions of individual autonomy, the Kantian notion that we ought to treat other people as ends in themselves rather than merely as means. He criticises the idea that mere consciousness or life itself are intrinsically valuable: these states matter, he argues, because they are pre-requisites for other things that are valuable and make for a life worth living. There is, then, no absolute sanctity of human life. [1] He criticises the principle of double effect[2] and the acts and omissions doctrine,[3] the notion that there is a huge moral difference between killing someone and intentionally letting them die. In his discussion of real cases of moral decisions about killing he draws on insights from history and literature as well as philosophy. Throughout, the emphasis is on the consequences of moral choices for those affected, rather than on abstract principles applied impersonally. In Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century, published in 1999, Glover considers the psychological factors that predispose us to commit barbaric acts, and suggests how man-made moral traditions and the cultivation of moral imagination can work to restrain us from a ruthlessly selfish treatment of others. Gaining greater understanding of the monsters within us, he argues, is part of the process of caging and containing them. [4] He examines the various types of atrocity that were perpetrated in the 20th century, including Nazi genocide, communist mass killings under Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot, and more recent slaughter in Bosnia and Rwanda, and examines what sort of bulwarks there could be against them. He allows that religion has provided bulwarks, which are getting eroded. He identifies three types of bulwark. The two more dependable are sympathy and respect for human dignity. The less dependable third is Moral Identity: I belong to a kind of person who would not do that sort of thing. This third is less dependable because notions of moral identity can themselves be warped, as was done by the Nazis. [5] In The End of Faith, Sam Harris quotes Glover as saying: Our entanglements with people close to us erode simple self-interest. Husbands, wives, lovers, parents, children and friends all blur the boundaries of selfish concern. Francis Bacon rightly said that people with children have given hostages to fortune. Inescapably, other forms of friendship and love hold us hostage too Narrow self-interest is destabilized. [citation needed] In 1989 the European Commission hired Glover to head a panel on embryo research in Europe. [6] He is married to Vivette Glover, a prominent neuroscientist. Jonathan is father to three and grandfather to one (father to Ruth, Daniel and David Glover and grandfather to Samuel Glover).

The associated energy change involved Essay Example for Free

The associated energy change involved Essay For example, by combusting an alcohol with seven carbon atoms in the same apparatus, it would produce 1500 kJ per mole. We can also use the graph to devise a formula so that we can easily calculate the energy released in an alcohol with, say a thousand carbon atoms. The formula for any straight line is y = mx + c [m is the gradient and c is the y-axis intercept]. Therefore the formula would be y = x + 0 [where y is the energy released and x is the number of carbon atoms in the alcohol]. The above will only calculate approximate values as the formula was devised form the graph which can cause inaccuracies. For example, an alcohol with 15 carbon atoms would produce the following amount of energy with this apparatus: y = x = 15 =3214. 29 kJ/mol to 2 d. p. Hence, using the same method, we can devise a formula with the predicted accurate values. It would be: y = 1217x + 910 The above is accurate and will calculate exactly the amount of energy produced. For example, an alcohol with 15 carbon atoms will produce exactly this amount of energy. The two formulas are able to support my explanation that energy transfer is not 100 per cent efficient and that a lot of energy is always lost. GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation into energy changes in the combustion of alcohols Evaluation The procedure of the experiment did not allow us to obtain highly accurate results because a lot of energy was still lost to the environment, though a draft excluder was used, heat was lost through the top of the apparatus. Hence this explains why our actual results are smaller than the predicted ones because energy is lost and so not all of it is taken into account. The procedures qualitative errors were a major problem, hence the large difference between the two results, though they show the same trend. The results are fairly accurate to what was actually measured, they differ with the predicted results due to the main qualitative error which was heat loss. Otherwise they are fairly accurate results to what was actually transferred to the water and the can. Also we did not calculate the heat transferred to the can accurately because we assumed its temperature rise was also 20i C, which is the same as the water. This is wrong because heat is not all transferred to the water and instead to the environment, and hence the temperature of the can is actually higher than 20i C, and also explains why the actual results were smaller than the predicted. We were only measuring temperature with a thermometer to the nearest degree, this is highly inaccurate because any small error made in these measurements are magnified because we are manipulating the results to get what we want, i. e. the energy transferred. Therefore this reduced the accuracy of the results. The anomalous results that were below the line of best fit showed that the energy released was too small, this was because of extra heat loss than expected and was caused by us blowing onto the can or water to cool it and also not fully closing the draught excluder. The anomalous results that were above the line of best fit show that the energy released was too high and was due to uneven stirring of the water and so some areas of the water were hotter than the others. It was also due to the fact that the tip of the flame was too near to the bottom of the can, i. e.height x is too small, and so it was an unfair test and less heat was lost than expected. The procedure was highly inaccurate due to the apparatus used, which caused too much heat to be lost. The apparatus was not in sealed conditions and so a lot of heat was lost to the air around it, between the flame and the can causing convection currents. If the flame was too near the bottom of the can it would mean less heat loss but also incomplete combustion and so the energy transferred would be different than expected and the carbon that forms on the bottom of the can causes inefficient heat transfer. If the flame was too far form the can then there would be a lot of heat loss and so affecting the accuracy of the results. The draught excluder proved to be of limited use as heat rises and so heat was not kept in from above where most heat energy is lost. The measurements were also not accurate enough as the results would have to manipulated. It is for these reasons that the procedure is not suitable enough to enable us to produce highly accurate results of which would be very similar to the predicted. But we must appreciate the fact that there is never a 100 per cent energy conversion and that energy is always lost. An improve procedure, would involve the use of a thermocouple to replace this calorimeter. The thermocouple reduces heat loss greatly as it is able to create a sealed environment and so nearly all the energy released in the combustion of the alcohol is accounted for. The water is also circulated and so is heated evenly. But the calorimeter could be improved by heating the water by a larger temperature, such as 60i C. This means that the inaccuracy of the thermometer would be spread over a larger temperature and so the error factor is smaller. We could also use a digital thermometer instead which measure to 2 decimal places which would be efficient and accurate. We could also heat a larger amount of water for the same reason. The entire apparatus could be put into a sealed environment such as a large jar with vent holes at the bottom and a small hole the top for stirring the water. The oxygen needed for the reaction would be sucked into the jar through the holes at the bottom and so the heat produce would be trapped in the environment and could be measured. A more detailed trend with the results could be obtained by continuing the experiment with alcohols that had larger molecules, i. e. more carbon atoms. Also the experiment would be repeated more than twice to allow us to identify and eliminate the results even further. The evidence is reliable in showing the sort of trend that would be produced. The anomalous results were also very small and still show the trend clearly and so the results are accurate. The difference in the actual result and the predicted results can also be fully accounted for. The actual results are also more realistic in terms of energy transfer as it takes into account the energy loss. The obtained evidence is sufficient to support a firm conclusion that as the molecular size of the alcohol increases so does the amount of energy released. This is because the results show this trend very clearly and are similar to the predicted results. The anomalies are also not far from the line of best fit and so support the trend making them reliable. Even though the actual results differ from those that were predicted, it can be explained by the fact that energy is lost to the environment. Further work for this investigation would include testing to see the rate at which energy is produced; how long it takes for each alcohol to heat the water by a certain amount. My prediction would be that the alcohols with the larger molecules would take less time because they have more bonds and so more energy is released in a certain amount of time, and so it would heat the water faster. Additional evidence for the conclusion could also be obtained by continuing the experiment with more alcohols with more carbons and so allowing us to gain a more detailed trend in the relationship. Also by replacing the calorimeter with a thermocouple would allow us to see a more accurate trend and find other factors apart from heat loss that may cause anomalous results. Steven John 11c Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Effect of Water to Cement Ratio on Concrete

Effect of Water to Cement Ratio on Concrete Introduction In construction projects, concrete, along with steel, wood, glass, etc, is one of the most essential materials that are needed for a successful manufacture of a structure. It one of the most common materials on a construction site and accounts for billions of pounds everywhere across the world. Due to ever-increasing machinery and technological advancements concrete can now be made of a mixture of compound materials, nevertheless the necessary components of concrete are course or fine aggregates, Portland Cement and water. In the current times, concrete structures are manufactured every day and to sustain a safe environment for people, so it is vital that that the structures that are built are sturdy, durable and do not cause any hazards to people. It is therefore a huge task for construction companies to guarantee that the structures that are built are done so to meet all the specific safety codes, British Standards or the Euro Code Standards. The properties of concrete are very vit al as they provide the necessary stability that structures are dependent on to maintain their sturdiness. As a result it is essential to research and be aware of the distinctive components of concrete and its properties, and how in this experiment these might affect the way that concrete performs when changing some variables.  (Richardson, 2002). The workability of a concrete mix gives a measure of the ease with which fresh concrete can be placed and compacted. The concrete should flow readily into the form and go around and cover the reinforcement, the mix should retain its consistency and the aggregates should not segregate. There are four factors that can affect the workability are: Consistency: The degree of consistency is depended on the nature of works and type of compaction. Water/cement Ratio or Water Control of a concrete: Water/cement ratio is the ratio of water in a mix to the weight of cement. The quality of water that required for a mix is depended on the mix proportions, types and grading of aggregate. Grading of Aggregate: The smooth and rounded aggregate will produce a more workable concrete than the sharp angular aggregate. Cement Content: The greater workability can be obtained with the higher cement content. Aims The aim of this experiment was to establish the effects of water to cement ratio on the  fresh properties of concrete (workability), and its effect on the hardened properties  of concrete (strength). Furthermore to increase the understanding in making a concrete mixture and working out the water content that needs to be added to the mixtures. And last to expand on the understanding of the importance of fresh and hard properties of concrete. Objectives The objectives of the experiment were to make three concrete mixtures by altering their water/cement ratios (0.47, 0.55 0.65) and to find out the water content to use for the three mixtures. To do a variety of tests such as the slump test, compacting factor test on fresh concrete and to carry out compressive and flexural strength tests of hardened concrete. Then finally to discuss how features such as variation in the water/cement ratio affects the workability  and strength of concrete. Theory Concrete Production, concrete is a mixture that is made up of three components, cement, water and aggregate. The water and cement are mixed together to produce a thick paste, to which then measured out aggregates are added to. The aggregates that are added are mainly composed of usual materials such as sand, gravel and crushed rocks, however due to the latest advanced technology; it has been known that other materials such as car tyres and crushed glass to be also used as aggregates. The cement is produced by blending limestone and clay, and burning it in a rotary kiln, this results in the formation of a clinker, to which gypsum is added. The mix is then ground down to fine powder cement, in which the most common is called Portland Cement. The cement/water slurry solidifies through a chemical reaction called hydration, the reaction produces immense heat so fresh concrete must by no means be handled with unprotected bare hands. During the winter season, temperatures drop below 2Âà ‚ °C, so the chemical hydration reaction may be very slow as heat is needed as a catalyst to speed up the collision of the particles. Therefore concrete pours during these seasons are not suitable as the concrete will not set. Initially this reaction is slow to start with, so this allows for the concrete to be transported and poured before it is hardened, and the theory states that complete 100% hydration takes place after 28 days. Properties of Concrete: There are four key properties that are desired in fresh concrete i.e.  good workability, compactability, mobility and stability. The most desired properties for  hardened concrete are strength and durability. The concrete should have compressive strength  (resist squeezing), tensile strength (resist stretching) and flexural strength (resist bending). All these strengths are highly dependent on the water/cement ratio and aggregate used in the  mixture, the degree of compaction and the age of the concrete. Curing concrete under water  over time allows hydration to continue hence giving it strength. The concrete used in this experiment was a C30 concrete grade and according to B.S. 5328  the compressive strength for this grade at 28 days is 30.0 N/ sq mm which can also be written  as 30 MPa which is adequate for use in beams, however this is only an estimation as there  are other factors (mentioned above) that affect concrete strength. In this experiment the slump  test and the compacting factor test were used to assess the workability and uniformity of  concrete. The deflection/ flexural strength test was carried out to evaluate the strength of the  concrete beam (mini beam sample) and find the failure load of the mini beam (100mm by  100mm by 500mm). The compressive strength was carried out to determine the maximum  failure load of the cube samples (150mm by 150mm) and the cylinder samples (150mm by  300mm) (Barnes 1992). MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT Casting Equipment Concrete mixer Bucket (average size) Measuring Cylinder Shovel Wheel Borough Scale Figure 2: Shows Compaction Factor Apparatus. (used to determine workability of concrete  mixture) Figure 3: Slump Test Apparatus B.S. Slump cone (300mm high, tapering from a 100mm diameter top to a 200mm  diameter bottom) Slump rod (or steel tamping rod) (16 mm diameter, 600mm long, with rounded ends) Flat metal base plate (600 sq mm) (K0837225) Page 5 9. Metal Rule (300mm long) 10. Metal Scoop 11. Levelling Trowel 12. Waste rag 13. Vibrating Table 14. Moulds 6 no. Cube Moulds (150mm by 150mm) 3 no. Cylinder Moulds (150mm by 300mm) 3 no. Mini beam Moulds (100mm by 100mm by 500mm) 15. Materials Course Aggregates (Stones) Fine Aggregates (Sand) Cement Water (Tap) *Note: Aggregate used was natural aggregate used was from London. Therefore no need for  determining aggregate moisture content as aggregate is assumed to be laboratory dry to  SSD. Hence no considerable effect on water-cemet ratio. Striking Equipment 1. Pressure pipe (for striking cubes and cylinders) 2. Brushes (Soft and Hard metal brushes) 3. Oil, oil brush and rugs (for cleaning moulds before storing) 4. Crayon (for labelling concrete samples) 5. Curing room Testing Equipment 1. Compressive test machinery Figure 4: Shows the Compressive test machine used to apply loads on cubes and cylinder  samples 2. Deflection test machinery (Picture shown in figure 3. Load reader/display 4. Concrete samples 5. Digital Camera *Personal Protective Clothing was worn on all days of the experiment (Safety boots and Coats, individuals handling concrete wore protective gloves). METHODOLOGY Concrete Production: 1. Aggregates were readily weighed and placed into buckets. Quantities (constants) used in  all Concrete Mixes are shown below: Material Quantitative Weight (Kg) Cement (CEM1) 6.50 Fine Aggregate (Sand) 16.55 Natural Course Aggregate (Stones) 26.00 2. The amount of water required was determined by using the formulae shown below. Water content = (water/cement ratio) x cement weight. 3. Water was measured into a bucket using measuring cylinders. 4. The water/cement ratio was set as the variable between 3 Concrete Mixes (to determine  the effect of water/cement ratio on the strength and workability of the concrete). Water  content quantities used are shown on table 1. Table 1: Water/Cement Ratio (variable) for Concrete Mixes 1, 2 3 Concrete Mix Water/Cement Ratio Water Content (litres) 1 0.47 3 2 0.55 3.6 3 0.65 4.25 *See Appendix 1 for Actual Calculations Carried Out. 5. The concrete mixer paddles and pan were lightly dampened before aggregates were  placed in the mixer. 6. Course and fine aggregates were placed into the mixer and mixed for 30seconds. 7. Half the water required for the mix was added to the mixture and the contents were  further mixed for 1 minute. 8. The contents were covered and left for 8 minutes, to allow aggregates to absorb water,  (because aggregates are porous therefore they should soak in water into voids to get a good  mix and bonding with cementious (water/cement) paste). 9. Cement was spread evenly over the aggregates and mixed for 1 minute. 10. The remaining water was added and the contents were mixed for 2 minutes ensuring  homogeneity of the mix. 11. Workability tests were then carried out, in the order shown below. *Note; immediately after each test the used concrete was returned into the mixer and the contents were remixed for 30 seconds. FRESH CONCRETE TESTS Compacting Factor Test: 1. Trap doors of all hoppers were shut prior to beginning the test. 2. Sample of freshly mixed concrete was scooped from the mixer into the upper hopper, the  concrete sample was filled up to the brim of the upper hopper. 3. The trap-door of upper hopper was opened, to enable concrete to fall into the lower  hopper. 4. After all concrete had been collected onto lower hopper, the trap-door of the lower hopper  was then opened and the concrete allowed to fall into the cylinder. 5. Excess concrete remaining above the top level of the cylinder was then cut off using a  plane blade. 6. The concrete collected in the cylinder was then weighed. (This weight is known as the  weight of partially compacted concrete). 7. The concrete filled cylinder was vibrated to obtain full compaction, and more concrete  was added to the cylinder as required to ensure the vibrated/compacted concrete was  filled to the brim of the cylinder. 8. The now fully compacted concrete in the cylinder was weighed. 9. The compacting factor was then obtained using the formulae shown below. Compacting factor = (Weight of partially compacted concrete)/(Weight of fully  compacted concrete) Figure 5: Shows steps followed during the compacting factor test. 1) Compacting factor equipment. 2) Partially compacted weight is taken on a scale, 3) The concrete is vibrated/compacted  on a vibrating table and then the contents are toped up and vibrated to the rim container and the  partially compacted weight was taken. Slump Test: Concrete was thoroughly mixed in the concrete mixer. The slump cone was dampened to prevent concrete sticking to it. The slump cone/mould was placed on the centre of the metal plate and one individual was  asked to stand on the foot pieces on both sides of the mould. The mould was filled in 3 equal depth layers and each layer was rod 25 times using the  steel slump rod (ensuring even spread of blows covering over the whole area). Concrete was heaped over the top of the cone and with a rolling motion of the rod over  top of the mold the concrete was levelled thus removing the excess concrete. The spillage was carefully removed from the sides of the mould and the base plate   The mould/cone was carefully and slowly lifted vertically upwards. The slump cone was turned upside down and placed next to the molded concrete and the  rod was laid across the slump cone and the distance (slump) between the underside of the  rod and the highest point of the moulded concrete were read using a metal rule. There are different kinds of slump a collapsed slump, sheared slump and a true slump. The first two slump types indicate bad workability and a true slump indicates good  workability. Concrete Beam Casting Curing: Concrete was scooped out of the mixer into oiled moulds on the vibrating table (ensuring  even spread). Concrete was vibrated throughout the pour to eliminate voids and to enable compaction  of concrete by switching on the vibrating table. The vibrating motion also levelled the concrete. The concrete was left to set on the mould for 24 hours After which concrete was struck and placed in the curing room over 14 days. HARDENED CONCRETE TESTS Concrete Sample Testing: Compressive Strength Tests; were carried out on cube and cylinder samples. Flexural Strength Tests; were carried out in the mini beams. The machines where loaded with concrete sample and load applied was set to zero  before running the test. Base and top plates (spacers) were used to determine to provide platforms for the  concrete specimens and to also help provide even distribution of load. The load was applied by the machine till maximum failure load was reached. This reading was taken and the machine cleaned off concrete debris before running tests  for other samples. *Note the loading Pace Rates varied for different sample shape as shown below: Cylinders loading Pace Rate was set at 5.30 KN/s Cubes loading Pace Rate was set at 6.80 KN/s Mini Beams loading Pace Rate was set at 0.200 KN/s RESULTS 1. FRESH CONCRETE PROPERTIES TEST RESULTS Compacting Factor Test Results: Mix 1 Observations: The Concrete Mix appeared to be dry and did not pass through when the trap  door of the upper hopper was opened. The concrete mix was helped through the trap door to  the lower hopper by pushing it with a metal rod through the first trap door. The same was  done in order to get it through the second trap door into the container. This showed that it  was a bad mix with bad flowability, mobility and workability properties due to low water  content. Mix 2 Observations: The concrete mix was passed through the hopers with better ease than mix 1,  however only  ¼ of the contents went through, the rest was forced through both trap doors  with a metal rod. Therefore the flow ability and workability properties of this mix were bad,  but better than mix1, owing it to the increased water content in mix 2. Mix 3 Observations: The obtained concrete mix was a wet mix (a bit too wet) with what would  appear to be good flowability properties as all contents went through the hopers and trap  doors with one sweep and much ease. Therefore the flowability and workability properties  were the best observed for all 3 mixes, but too much water content is not good either. The compacting factor test was worked out for all the 3 Concrete Mixes and results are  shown in table 2 below. *The calculations were carried out on Microsoft Excel using the formula shown below. Compacting factor = (Weight of partially compacted concrete)/(Weight of fully  compacted concrete) BS 1881: Part 103 states that concrete is deemed unsuitable if its compacting factor is  below 0.70 or above 0.98. For normal concretes the compacting factor normally lies  between 0.80 and 0.92 (Jackson Dhir 1996). Apparent workability shown below was determined by using Compacting factor table in There was no slump as  the mix was too dry  therefore indicating  poor mobility,  flowability and  workability Collapsed slump was  obtained and the slump  exceeded the allowable  tolerance stated in BS  5328. The slump cone  was 300mm high and  the concrete mix  slumped by half that  value to 150mm. This  indicates that the mix  was too wet and this  affected its cohesive  properties. Very high *Apparent workability shown above was determined by using Slump Results Table shown  in Appendix 2 (Kew 2009). (K0837225) Page 12 Mix 1 Dry Mix/ Zero Slump Mix 2 Wet mix /13mm True Slump Mix3 Mix too wet/ collapsed slump Figure 7: Shows the Slump Results Obtained for concrete mixes with varying water  cement ratios. (Mix 1 w/c ratio 0.45, Mix 2 w/c ratio 0.55 and Mix 3 w/c ratio 0.65). 2. HARDENEDED CONCRETE PROPERTIES TEST RESULTS Figure 8: Shows the cube specimen being loaded into the compressing machine and on the right,  the classical cube hour glass failure mode on one of the cube specimen. Figure 9: Shows the cylinder specimen being loaded into the compressing machine and on the  right, the failure mode on 3 of the cylinder specimens. Figure 10: Shows a mini beam failing when subjected to Flexural Loads. This is the classical failure  mode of beams. The beam undergoes tensile and flexural strain resulting in bending and snapping of  the beam. Concrete is generally brittle and this makes it weak in tension. Hence the need for  reinforcement of concrete, steel is good in tension so it lends that quality to concrete, resulting in  better stronger structures. The results above are indicative of the effects of w/c ratio on the strength of concrete. At  0.45 w/c ratio the strength was 630.4 (Influence of test conditions. Table above show that specimen shape and size is also  influential on the compressive strength. Therefore measured strength of concrete is also  affected by height diameter ratio. This is to just show that test conditions can also affect the  determination of concrete strength. In BS 1881: Part 116 specifies that 150mm cube test are  only used for quality control purposes. Whereas BS 1881: Part 120 indicates that cylinder  test specimens are used to carry out compressive strength tests for in situ concrete and  precast members. A correction factories usually applied to the cylinder strength to obtain an  equivalent cube strength, it takes into account the specimen height /diameter ratio (i.e.  300mm/150mm = 2.). This explains the high compressive strength results obtained in  cylinder specimens than in cube specimens despite the being made off the same batch of  concrete. It should also be considered that the loading Pace Rates for c ubes (and cylinders  were varied. The trend obtained from the results shown above indicates that increasing w/c ratio increases  flexural strength. Af hydration strengthens the bonding between the cementious material and  the aggregates. However like all other factors, too much of anything is not good. If the mix  has excess water it will result in reduced flexural strength and results in bleeding of concrete  thus a weakened structure with pours in them. Again the normal distribution curve can me  expected with extremes. DISCUSSION One type of test is not enough to indicate the workability of the concrete as a whole. Use of  various tests bring out various properties that determine workability, for example, the  compacting factor can indicate how workable in the concrete will be in terms of how easily  can the concrete be vibrated and compacted. It is also a good indicator of the mobility and  flowability of concrete. It Shows how easily the concrete can be pumped from a concrete  skip into shutters, how easily the concrete will pass through the skip trap door when on  casting real structure on site. On the other hand the slump best indicates how workable the  concrete is in terms of its cohesive nature and segregation of its aggregates. It is important to  carry more than one of these tests to indicate various workability factors. These tests can also  be carried out at various stages between concrete production and casting. The common  construction site test (In situ test) is the slump tes t, it serves as the last point of quality check  prior to casting, and all other workability factors are normally carried out on the concrete  production sites. For example, the compactability factor will be most useful on production as  other mobility enhancing admixtures may be added prior to transporting concrete to site,  hence saving time, money and other complications that may arise from delaying site  programmes. From table 2 the results obtained from all mixes had compacting factors  between 0.70 and 0.98 hence indicating that all the tested concrete mixes would be  acceptable under the BS 1881. This certainly does not mean that all mixes had good  workability properties. Jackson Dhir (1996) state that some of the basic assumptions for  the test are not correct and should not be solely relied upon extensively as they can be  misleading. As concrete mixes can have same compacting factor but may not always require  the same amount of work to reach full c ompaction as compaction cannot be justified in the  true sense. From the results in table 2 it shows that changing the water/cement ratio affected  the compacting factor. Increasing the water cement ratio increased the compacting factor  therefore the workability of the concrete. All these tests have limits, for example placing  more water would have resulted in decreasing compactability factor as increasing the water  content will result in lowered compacting factors. (Compacting liquid materials do not result  in changes between partially compacted weight and fully compacted weight, hence if more  excess water is added the mix will have lower differences between partially compacted  weight and fully compacted weight. Hence giving rise to normal distribution curves for the  compressive tests. This also applies to flexural strength and durability of the concrete. CONCLUSION In conclusion it is clear that too little w/c ratio reduces the strength of concrete just as well as  too much w/c ratio will result in porous concrete. Therefore adequate amounts need to be  used to gain the best results. The best way of getting accurate assumptions on concrete is to  consider various factors. Increasing the water content ratio generally increases the strength  but may also result in shrinkage of the concrete hence altering durability and permeability  factors. Q1: Report all the results fresh properties (slump value and the shape of the slump) and  hardened properties (strength) of the concrete and comment on the results. See Results  Section for Answers. Q2: Why the need to measure the fresh and hardened properties of the concrete? Fresh properties are only of much importance in the stages of the concrete mix. These  help concrete producers spot problems early on the stage before structures are cast thus  potentially saving money, time and preventing unstable structures form being built by  spotting and correcting problems with concrete at an early stage. Also this helps prevent  the need to strike down newly built structures due to instability of concrete mixes used. Fresh properties can help indicate how much work labours will have to do on site and  consequently the energy and money that will be required when casting concrete on site. On the other hand hardened concrete properties are important in determining and the life  span of the concrete in the form of s concrete structure. The hardened properties are  important in observing and maintaining the strength of the structure and its durability. Other hardened factors are permeability and shrinkage of the concrete structures after  being built due to harsh weathers and conditions. The latter factors are of much  importance in structures like dams which require high water retaining properties.   Therefore both properties help in the development and maintenance of a good quality  structures and ensuring long life span. Whilst providing adequate safety to the habitats of  those structures. Q3: Concrete is usually tested at 28-Days for its compression strength. Why at 28-Days? The specimens should be cured under water and for normal concrete they should have  reached maximum strength at 28 Days. Concrete hardening process (Hydration) is  thought to reach its final strength in 28 Days as the reaction slows to a halt and adding  more water or curing concrete past that stage will sure minute or no further significant  changes in concrete strength. Q4: As for reinforced concrete beam, describe the need to place reinforced steel in  concrete beam, the purpose of cover/spacing, the diameter of the steel used and why  concrete beams need to be reinforced? Concrete is good in compression meaning it has high resilience to compressive forces but  is very weak in tension. As noted in the results the beams failed at much lower loads than  both cubes and cylinders, although there are other factors that play a role here that is the  general observation. Hence concrete reinforcement is required, it has good tensile  resilience and when concrete and steel are combined they result in components strong in  both tensile and compressive properties. The purpose of concrete cover is to protect steel  from corrosion, due to air reacting with steel and prevent rust formation due to water. Corrosion and rust results in weakened concrete structure as may result in loss of  resilience to tensile forces. So the concrete cove4r provides protection and a neutral  environment for steel. Concrete cover usually ranges around 500mm from the steel bars. Excess cover is not good as it makes the structure more susceptible to chipping and hence  weakens the cover itself and increases chances of steel corrosion taking place. The  diameter of steel used can vary according to the purpose of the structure but over  reinforcement can also bring about imbalances to the structural stability and may result in  a weakened structure. The normal diameter used ranges between 10-30mm, this makes it  easier to bend and alter on site as well as provide ease of manual handling for steel fixers.

The Impact of Work-Based Learning on Students :: Impact Cause Effect Education Essays

The Impact of Work-Based Learning on Students Recent educational approaches that have career and technical education (CTE) components, such as Tech Prep, career academies, and High Schools That Work, have striven to integrate work experience with traditional academics; similarly, school-to-work (STW) by definition is composed of school-based learning, work-based learning (WBL), and bridging activities. How have these approaches affected their student participants both academically and personally? This Digest brings together research on the effects of approaches involving WBL on students' educational outcomes, attitudes, and short- and long-term employment prospects. Students' Educational Outcomes As a general rule, studies and evaluations have found positive associations between participation in approaches involving WBL and students' educational outcomes at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. Positive effects have been reported throughout the whole range of high school experience, from attendance to coursetaking to graduation, whereas too little time has passed for the longer-term effects in postsecondary education to be investigated. Secondary Typically, approaches involving WBL proceed from the premise that learning set in the real-world context of work not only makes academic learning more accessible to many students but also—even more fundamentally—increases their engagement in schooling. Such fundamental effects have been found over and over. For example, a 5-year study of 3.4 million Texas high school students (Brown 2000) found that Tech Prep students had higher attendance and on-time graduation rates and lower dropout rates than both non-Tech Prep CTE students and the general population of secondary students. Similar positive effects have been reported in reviews of studies on career academies (Stern et al. 2000) and--in spite of wide variation in the levels and details of implementation--STW programs (Hughes et al. 2001). Studies of youth apprenticeship programs also found increased attendance and decreased dropout rates (Hollenbeck 1996; Silverberg et al. 1996). Furthermore, positive effects were not limited to persistence. Brown (2000) reported that Texas Tech Prep students completed more academic courses than non-Tech Prep counterparts. Comparing 4,700 Tech Prep and non-Tech Prep participants from eight selected Tech Prep consortia, Bragg (2001) found that in four consortia, Tech Prep students were more likely than non-Tech Prep counterparts to begin high school below the level of Algebra I; but almost all had completed Algebra I by graduation. Higher grades or grade point averages (GPAs) were reported in studies of community-based STW programs for high-risk youth (Adler et al. 1996), Rhode Island Tech Prep programs (MacQueen 1996), and youth apprenticeship (Hollenbeck 1996; Silverberg 1996).

America Needs Environmental Equity Essay -- Environmental Racism

Introduction "...We live in a breakable takeable world, an ever available possible worldÃâ€"" These words, by poet and singer-songwriter Ani Difranco, articulate the relationship between the environment and its inhabitants. Society is constantly manipulating the environment. Our capacity for changing the environment is kept in check by the destructible aspect of nature. The changes we make, those advancements in technology, are limited. While the industrial revolution, per say, is over, industry is ever expanding, moving us into a faster, more efficient lifestyle. However, efficiency and advanced technology are not without their price, and that fee, even more so than monetary in nature, is more accurately quantified by an increased duress on the environment and its inhabitants. As industry expands, waste products increase, and often this waste is toxic to humans, plants, and animals. So-called advancements, such as pesticides, which can greatly increase crop production, may cause chronic health problems. Environmental stressors, such as smelters, chemical plants, incinerators, and landfills all result from efforts to improve the functioning of society, and all have adverse effects on the populations living within proximity of these stressors (Bullard 1994). The Problem We have decided as a collective society to further our technology and expand our industries at the cost of a less healthy environment. Because this decision is one that affects all of us, we must be willing to take equal responsibility for the harm done to the environment and to its inhabitants. Unfortunately, white members of the middle and upper socio-economic classes have not accepted the price of advancement, and have instead placed the burdens of ou... ...onmental Planning and Management. June 1996, Volume 39:2. "Less Equal than Others." Lancet. April 2, 1994, Volume 343:8901. Payne, Henry. "Green Redlining." Reason. October 1998, Volume 30:5. Bibliography Boerner, Christopher. "Environmental Injustice." Public Interest. Winter 1995, Issue 118. Bullard, Robert D. "Overcoming Racism in Environmental Decisionmaking." Environment. May 1994, Volume 36:4. Durning, Alan. Action at the Grassroots: fighting poverty and environmental decline. Worldswatch Institute: Washington D.C., 1989. "Environmental Racism?" Wilson Quarterly. Spring 1995, Volume 19:2. Sachs, Aaron. Eco-Justice: linking human rights and the environment. Worldswatch Insititute: Washington D.C., 1995. Reilly, William K. "Environmental Equity: EPA's position." EPA Journal. March/April 1992, Volume 18:1.

Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby What is unknown is often talked about as being mysterious, perhaps even ominous. Naturally, many people become curious and want to find out what lurks about in the dark and be able to say that they know what others do not. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, the main character, Jay Gatsby is quite enigmatic. Seclusion and isolation are well known to Gatsby, especially when it comes to his personal life and his history. Throughout the novel, except when with Nick or Daisy, Gatsby asserts himself as an observer, who would rather watch others than to join in with the crowd. The silhouette of a moving cat wavered across the moonlight, and turning my head to watch it, I saw that I was not alone--fifty feet away a figure had emerged from the shadow of my neighbor's mansion with his hands in his pockets . . . (p. 21) Being the absolute mystery that he is, Gatsby is this "silhouette of a moving cat," and lives his life this way. As this quote shows, Gatsby emerges from the shadow to reveal himself to Nick (who is one of a very few amount of people that he confides in with the truth of who he really is). Whether Gatsby is throwing extravagant parties in his own home or with a small group of people, who he is remains a secret. Gatsby is constantly encompassed by darkness and secrecy When Gatsby threw his large parties, he was rarely seen amongst his guests and was most often alone, observing them. "Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another."(p. 50) The one time that Gatsby is noticed talking to his guests is when he introduced himself to Nick and started a conversation with him. Yet, most of the time that he throws these parties at his own home, he is alone and does not socialize with the people who attend. Trying to understand Gatsby is a very difficult thing to do, because there is so much to grasp. Entering into the upper class of wealthy people, Gatsby not only held onto a secret past, but also had the hidden agenda of trying to get Daisy back, whom he had fallen in love with while in the war.

Characterising Mesenchymal Stem Cells Health And Social Care Essay

This abstract is related to a seminar delivered by Dr. Platt sing Isolation of Mesenchymal root cells from kids ‘s dentitions and geographic expedition of their function in tissue fix. The seminar provided a comprehensive overview of root cells before concentrating on Mesenchymal root cells ( MSCs ) from the dental mush of kids deciduous dentitions. By definition, â€Å" a root cell is an unspecialised cell that can both self-renew and distinguish into functional phenotypes † ( Grad et al. , 2012 ) . Stem cells are divided into two chief groups: embryologic root cells ( ESCs ) and big root cells ( ASCs ) ( of bodily beginning ) . ESCs derive from blastocyte phase and are capable to give rise to all sorts of cells. Therefore, ESCs are considered pluripotent. On the contrary, ASCs are merely multipotent because they have restricted distinction potency ( Barbara et al. , 2011 ) . Stem cells give rise to different cell types, and are classii ¬?ed into totipotent, pluripote nt, and multipotent harmonizing to their grade of distinction or potency ( Arce et al. , 2007 ) . Totipotency is the ability to organize all cell types including the full foetus and placenta. Pluripotency is the ability to organize several cell types of all three sources beds ( exoderm, mesoblast and entoderm ) excepting excess embryologic tissues. Multipotency is the ability of giving rise to a limited scope of cells and tissues appropriate to their location such as Mesenchymal root cells ( MSCs ) ( Mirzapour et al. , 2011 ) . MSCs are ASCs with mesoblastic and neuroectodermal beginning ( Barbara et al. , 2011 ) .For case, MSCs possess an drawn-out grade of malleability compared to other ASCs populations, including the ability to distinguish in vitro into non-mesodermal cell types such as nerve cells and astrocytes. MSCs, in add-on to their multipotency, are easy to be isolated and cultured in vitro and they do non seemingly represent an ethical issue based on their beginning of beginning ( Barbara et al. , 2011 ) . The first unequivocal markers of MSCs were proposed in a new survey of Pittenger et al. , the group who besides developed consistent in vitro checks of MSC multipotentiality towards bone, gristle, and fat line of descents ( Pittenger et al. , 1999 ) . These MSC markers correspond to CD105 and CD73 molecules, severally. Of note, CD stands for â€Å" bunch of distinction † , the standard terminology for cell surface molecules ( Boxall et al. , 2012 ) . These two markers alongside CD90 are positively expressed on MSCs and remain the primary molecules used to place MSCs by the International Society of Cell Therapy ( ISCT ) place statement ( Dominici et al. , 2006 ) . The ISCT place statement besides advices that MSCs should be negative for the look of CD11b or CD14, CD19 or CD79a, CD34, CD45, and HLA-DR ( Dominici et al. , 2006 ) . MSCs harvested from assorted beginnings, such as bone marrow, adipose tissue and dental mush, have been tested for their periodontic tissue regeneration potency. MSCs have shown improved efficaciousness and duplicability compared to current clinical pattern ( Tobita & A ; Mizuno, 2011 ) . Tooth derived cells are readily accessible and supply an easy and minimally invasive manner to obtain and hive away root cells for future usage. Obtaining root cells from human exfoliated deciduous dentitions ( SHED ) of kids is simple and convenient. Every kid loses primary dentitions, which creates the perfect chance to retrieve and hive away this convenient beginning of root cells — should they be needed to handle future hurts or complaints and nowadayss a far better alternate to merely flinging the dentition or hive awaying them as souvenir from the yesteryear. Stem cells can besides be recovered from developing wisdom dentitions and lasting dentition. Persons have different chances at different phases of their life to bank these valuable cells ( Arora et al. , 2009 ) . However, it is best to retrieve root cells when a kid is immature and healthy and the cells are strong and proliferative ( Arora et al. , 2009 ) .In fact, the research of Dr. Platt showed that dental mush cells from 2 twelvemonth old female have increased attachment to plastic than those of 3 twelvemonth old female after 11-days post-seeding. SHED are instead freshly discovered MSC ( Miura et al. , 2003 ) . When compared with grownup bone marrow stromal root cells ( BMSSCs ) and dental mush root cells ( DPSCs ) , SHED of kids showed a higher proliferation rate ( Fig.A 1 ) and a higher figure of population duplicating ( Miura et al. , 2003 ) and interestingly express many of nervous cell markers in the cell civilization ( Huang et al. 2009 ) . Therefore, root cells from dental mush ( largely SHED from younger kids ) demonstrate increased multipotentiality and capableness to renew multiple dental/periodontal tissues in vitro and in vivo compared with MSCs from other niches ( Huang, 2009 ) . Fig1: Datas obtained from Miura et al. , 2003 Dental mush root cells can be preserved for long periods without losing their multipotential distinction ability ( Laino et al. , 2005 ) . The dental mush plays a major function in tooth regeneration after hurt, by take parting in a procedure called reparative dentinogenesis. An ideal signifier of therapy might dwell of regenerative attacks in which diseased or necrotic mush tissues are removed and replaced with regenerated mush tissues to regenerate the dentition ( Sun et al. , 2010 ) . In fact, Dr. Platt isolated MSCs from deciduous dental mush ( SHELD ) by the enzyme-digestion method. This method involves the aggregation of the mush tissue under unfertile conditions, the digestion with appropriate enzymes ( collagenase, dispase, and trypsin ) for 90min at 37EsC/5 % CO2, the seeding in civilization dishes incorporating a particular medium supplemented with necessary additives, and so the incubation at 37A °C. It can be concluded from Dr. Platt research informations that Mesenchymal root cells from kids dental mush are fictile adherent cells with a fibroblastic morphology. These cells signifier settlements in vitro which is declarative of a stem/progenitor cell. In fact, it was proved that these mush cells have multi-lineage distinction potency in vitro, into several cell types including nervous primogenitors, chondrocytes, endothelocytes, adipocytes, smooth musculus cells and bone-forming cells ( Sloan & A ; Waddington, 2009 ) . To day of the month, several surgical techniques have been developed to renew periodontic tissues. The clinical result of presently available techniques is undependable, although assorted intervention modes have shown regenerative potency. Progresss in root cell biological science have yielded promising consequences in vitro and in vivo, proposing that future applications in dental medicine may be accomplishable ( Tobita & A ; Mizuno, 2011 ) .