Advantages of using cement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advantages of using cement - Essay Example ement, including calcium, iron, silicon, and aluminum (â€Å"How Cement is†) are readily available and the chemical reaction required to make cement is easy to set, cement is found everywhere. The wonderful aspect of these ingredients is that their combination in different percentages and under different conditions leads to the manufacturing of cement with different properties and color. These days, a lot of varieties of cement are produced that vary with respect to color, strength, texture, and setting time. The tendency in cement to be manufactured in different varieties makes it a very useful material in architecture. The different colors of cement are used for aesthetic purposes, whether between bricks, stones, or wall tiles. Certain varieties of cement are so fine and have such beautiful colors that they do not require any additional coatings of paint or varnish over them to look presentable. This saves the cost of the constructors. Cements used in architecture are either hydraulic or non-hydraulic. Both varieties are made by addition of certain admixtures in the ingredients during the process of manufacturing cement. Hydraulic cement is manufactured by replacing part of cement in the concrete with pozzolanas. This activates the setting of cement in wet conditions, and enhances the tendency of the hardened concrete to deter chemical attack. On the other hand, use of non-hydraulic cement in concrete prevents it from setting in the wet conditions. This is a very useful property as it increases the setting time of concrete, as may be required to form architectural elements of certain shapes and styles. Cement finds its biggest use in mortar and concrete. Mortar is used as a binding material in bricks and blocks. Concrete is used to form hard surfaces like floors and roofs. The quality that makes cement particularly suitable for inclusion in the mortar and concrete is its high capability of binding the materials together and achieve strengths that cannot be

Effects of Climate Change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Effects of Climate Change - Research Paper Example Due to global climate change, areas that used to experience huge amounts of rainfall are now experiencing minimum rainfall such that they are now becoming arid like while at other times rain is falling in excessive amounts, leading to flooding. Low rainfall means that there is not enough clean water for domestic purposes. In such a circumstance, it becomes difficult to maintain hygiene and consequently, diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, dysentery and cholera among others become a health hazard. In addition, malnutrition as a result of withering of crops due to lack of sufficient rainfall is also a health condition, which has been noted to occur in the contemporary world. According to the World Health Organization (2008), â€Å"Malnutrition, much of it caused by periodic droughts, is already responsible for an estimated 3.5 million deaths each year.† Flooding on the other hand, is a condition, which brings as much health calamities as those caused by drought. To begin with, f looding involves having stagnant water in areas that are largely flat in nature. Human beings live in these areas and every time there are floods, they are forced to take refuge on higher grounds, where they live under poor hygienic conditions especially due to lack of facilities such as toilets and latrines to dispose off human waste. In addition, flooding contributes to the mixing of ground and surface water with dirt and other effluent from raw sewerage and this becomes a catastrophe especially in third world countries and other emerging economies, which rely mainly on surface water for drinking and other domestic purposes. This water therefore carries a lot of... This research paper is a critical evaluation of climate change, as a direct consequence of global warming, and its effects on humans and nature. Climate change, as a result of global warming, is an environmental problem, which has emerged in the last 50 years and is projected to worsen significantly in the near future. it is justifiable to imagine the level of damage, which has occurred over the last 100 years. Most notably, scientists have warned that there is a possibility that this temperature will increase by 1.1o C by the end of this century if stern measures are not taken to prevent it. Green house gas emissions such as Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide among others have been credited for the increases in global surface temperatures as a result of their capacity to trap and maintain heat from the sun. It is also mentioned in the research paper that human activities are the major contributing factors to this anthropogenic climate change, which has adverse effects on human h ealth, agriculture and biodiversity. Some of these activities are for example; deforestation, charcoal burning, pollution from industries, all of which increases the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In order to save these important facets of nature, efforts must be made to control the rate at which climate change is occurring. The researcher then concluds that otherwise, the next 100 years will record an extinction of important plant and animal species, which are the surviving blocks for humans.

Myths and Misconceptions about Viruses and Security Essay Example for Free

Myths and Misconceptions about Viruses and Security Essay Computer viruses, as they are commonly known today, are malicious malware design to destroy and distort the normal working of a computer. The first known origin of computer viruses is estimated to be in the 1960’s CITATION Nat14 l 1033 (Devotta, 2014). The virus was in form of a game called Core Wars, and would self-replicate every time it was run. The group of programmers who developed it also made the first known anti-virus called Reeper. It was not until 1983, that one of these programmers announced the existence of Core Wars CITATION Ant l 1033 (AntivirusWorld, n. d.). In the same era, an influx of personal computers flooded the market and games became very popular. As a result, malicious viruses like Trojan horse were developed and innocent consumers downloaded them thinking that they were nice games only to feel the repercussions later. Since then, many viruses have been developed and continue to cause havoc to our computer experience. A computer virus is a malicious code that is written with instructions to replicate itself in a host computer and attaches itself to files and programs in the machine CITATION All l 1033 (AllAboutCookies, n.d.). Often, this happens without the consent of the user, and once the machine is booted or the infected program is launched, the virus attacks and damages data. In the case where an infected file is saved on a storage device, transfer of that file to another computer repeats the cycle and the virus re-infects the new host computer CITATION Sym10 l 1033 (Symantec, 2010). Viruses are designed to be spread via several media, where they piggyback on emails, programs, or network systems. The same way myths and misconceptions arise after a deadly disease pandemic, the computer world is full of myths about viruses. Some of the most common unfounded myths include; Mac users are virus proof, firewalls block off viruses, formatting and re-installing the operating system of an infected computer and then backing up one’s data gets rid of viruses, using antivirus programs protects one fully from viruses, signs of error messages popping up on one’s computer indicate that the computer is infected, corrupted files and blue screen displays on computers indicate a virus attack CITATION Rak11 l 1033 (Tembhurne, 2011). While some of these misconception hold water, they are not absolutely true all the time. A common scenario for internet users is the appearance of irritating pop-up messages, especially when browsing. While some of these messages are strategies for internet marketing by companies, and are indeed inevitable, it is possible for one to block pop-up messages- without purchasing software. First and foremost, there are free downloadable pop-up blockers that are effective on general browser pop-up ads. Examples include, Google Toolbar, Yahoo Companion Toolbar, Pop-up Stopper, PopUp Blocker, WorldIQ Toolbar and CleanMyPC, just to name but a few CITATION Kio15 l 1033 (Kioskea, 2015). Peer-to-peer file sharing programs are another source of disturbing pop-ups, especially once you install a program downloaded from these sites. To get rid of search, uninstall any unfamiliar programs from the Control Panel. Most browsers today also come with in-built software that block pop-ups, and can be adjusted to block the ads under the Settings tab. A good example is Internet Explorer CITATION Uni04 l 1033 (Iowa, 2004). Using Windows XP Service Pack 2 is also another viable option since the latest version includes a built-in Pop-up blocker CITATION Ram07 l 1033 (Srinivasan, 2007). References AllAboutCookies. (n.d.). Retrieved from All About Cookies.org: http://www.allaboutcookies.org/security/computer-viruses.html AntivirusWorld. (n.d.). History of Computer Viruses. Retrieved from http://www.antivirusworld.com/articles/history.php Devotta, N. (2014, Septemner 4). A short History of Computer Viruses. Retrieved from COMODO Antivirus: https://antivirus.comodo.com/blog/computer-safety/short-history-computer-viruses/ Iowa, U. o. (2004, June). Pop-up blocking. Retrieved from Information Technology Services @ The University of Iowa: https://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/articles/june2004/popupblocking.htm Kioskea. (2015, March). How to get rid of Pop-Up ads. Retrieved from http://en.kioskea.net/faq/104-how-to-get-rid-of-pop-up-ads Srinivasan, R. (2007, October 27). How to block Pop-ups? Retrieved from Rameshs Site: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Popups.htm Symantec. (2010). pc tools. Retrieved from http://www.pctools.com/security-news/what-do-computer-viruses-do/ Tembhurne, R. (2011, May 10). 15 Myths and Misconceptions about Viruses and Security Applications. Retrieved from http://rakesh.tembhurne.com/15-myths-and-misconceptions-about-viruses-and-security-applications/ Source document

House prices in uk

House prices in uk Introduction According to a new study from Halifax one of the largest mortgage lenders. House prices in UK have beaten inflation over the past 50 years. It says that have risen 273% between 1959 and 2009 an average of 2.7% annually. But if measured by current prices, its uneven. The fastest growth was from 1999 to 2009 by 5% and in previous decade i.e. from 1989 and 1999, price fall by 24%. The rising price was on these years i.e. 1971-73, 1977-80, 1985-89 and the highest price was in 1998 and 2007. The study also noted that coincided with a very strong increase in owner occupation of homes. In 1961, only 43% of households owned the homes in which they lived by 2008 that had risen to 68%. The strongest rise in owner occupation rates occurred in the 1980s. The proportion that is privately rented also fell sharply over the past 50 years from 33% in 1961 to 14% in 2008. www.ft.com cited on 21/02/10. Demand And Supply Of Housing The comparison of prices in local and regional housing markets is an example of microeconomics. Lets see the interaction between buyer and seller with prices being offered and agreed before a final transaction is made. The transaction for house in UK depends upon a) The price that the seller is willing to agree for their property with prospective buyer. b) The actual price that the buyer is willing and able to pay. Buyers place offers for a property that the seller can either accept or reject. A Sellers Market When there is demand in a market for housing and short of good quality property i.e. means the supply is scarce. A Buyers Market When demand for good quality and bad quality property is weak than there should some offer or can negotiate the price than its published price. When the demand for houses in a particular area increases (perhaps because of an inflow of population into the area, or a rise in incomes following a fall in unemployment), there is upward pressure on market prices. Often the supply of available housing in the market is relatively inelastic. This is because there are time lags between a change in price and an increase in the supply of new properties becoming available, or other homeowners deciding to put their properties onto the market. When demand shifts outwards and supply is inelastic the result is a large rise in market price and a relatively small expansion of the quantity of houses traded. As supply becomes more elastic over time, assuming the conditions of demand remain unchanged, we expect to see downward pressure on prices and a further increase in the equilibrium quantity of houses bought and sold. Factors affecting housing price 1. Growth of real incomes Privately owned housing is a normal good for most people. As standard of living rise, the demand for house expands. 2. Consumer confidence Consumer has a vital role in the housing sector. When the economy is sustaining growth and rising property than its but natural that the number of house buyers and shifts the balance of power in the market. 3. Jobs The other factor is job. if it involves making a long-term commitment through a mortgage lender, changes in unemployment. If theres unemployment and average incomes are likely to be lower than confidence among buyers would affect. 4. Housing taxes and subsidies. Government policies, taxes and subsidies also affect the housing prices. Demand factors affecting house price FUTURE EXPECTATIONS 1. 2012 London Olympics May Help UK Economy Britains recovery can be done because of the infrastructure projects for 2012 London Olympics. Total spending is estimated for 2012  £9.3 (US$13.8) billion. There will be two major beneficiaries of the 2012 games: Londons crumbling mass transport system; East London, where the Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Village and other major facilities will be located. To accommodate the number of people in a city, the improvement is going on for transport of London upgrading to the London over ground. The Olympic delivery authority has given  £3.1bn for the construction of the Olympic park. The budget for this is  £1 billion for the Olympic village, and  £400 million for the media centre. This will benefit to the housing sector in UK. The more people going to accommodate in this country the space to live .That would benefit the housing sector of UK. http://www.financemarkets.co.uk/ cited on 15/02/10 2. UK Mortgage Supply Crash A loan to finance the purchase of real estates, usually with specified payment and interest rates. The borrower (mortgagor) gives the lender (mortgagee) a lien on the property as collateral for the loan. www.investorwords.com The data collected by British Bankers of Association is that the no of mortgages approved for purchase of house was 17,773 against 64,014 in July, 2007 a fall of 72%. The mortgage market clearly remains as extreme preventive measures are taken due to the collapse of Britains mortgage banks. The supply has fallen so the average value of loan offered for house purchases which peaked at  £159,600 in June 2007, and now averages at just  £116,700. Home owners imagining that equity of 25% despite the fall in house prices to date may in fact on attempting to remortgage find that remortgage purposes and hence not offered any loan at favorable interest rates. The interest rate cut from 5% straight to 2% in 2 months and  £600billion bank bailout package. The net effect to this area was total amount of mortgage loans were outstanding the amount was  £35billion, against to a stable market. And in 2009 the house price rose by 2.9% says government. But the data of nationwide and Halifax says that UK house price rose by 6%nearly. The fastest growth was in 2009 went up by 4.9%. http://www.independent.co.uk/ cited on 16/02/10 Repossessions Extreme Government Pressure In an attempt to limit the number of repossessions during 2009, the government is putting extreme pressure on the mortgage banks to ensure repossessions are a last resort. Up until September 2008 this amounted mostly to hot air from the politicians, however after having taken major stakes in most of Britains biggest banks there are strong signs that the banks are starting to comply with their new majority shareholders wishes (the government), that look set to increasingly introduce initiatives to reduce the number of repossessions. The most recent action on this front was by RBS which stated that it would give a 6 month reprieve to its mortgage customers that are in arrears before initiating court repossession orders. Whilst the measures will undoubtedly mean that less homes will now be repossessed than would have otherwise been the case, however it does act as a two edged sword in that whilst supply of repossessed homes onto the market will be less, at the same time the mortgage banks are being forced to carry loss making loans that prove costly to administer and without bringing in much needed revenue i.e. tieing up resources that could have gone to more profitable mortgage customers. The Governments initiatives to reduce repossessions will have no discernable impact on the housing market price trends either positive or negative due to the points about tieing up capital in loss making costly to administer loan accounts. The number of homes expected to be repossessed during 2008 is now revised lower to 55,000 with the expectations of 65,000 homes for 2009 in advance of further government interventions in the housing market to prevent repossessions on an larger scale. The government is engaged on a programme of forcing down mortgage interest rates by a series of deep unprecedented cuts in UK interest rates towards the target of 1% , and possibly even lower to make up the shortfall in the lack of responsiveness by mortgage lenders in cutting their rates, who at the same time have tightened lending criteria due to the increased risk of defaults. The mortgage interest rates have fallen significantly from the credit crisis extremes and are heading to below 4% which implies a strong pointer for support for house prices as the cost of servicing mortgages falls and therefore should support a recovery in housing prices. However the housing market has always been that of being driven by sentiment, in that it is the trend in house prices that is most significant and NOT the cost of servicing the mortgages, it is this which pushed house prices to above X7 earnings, where people were prepared to take on large mortgages at high interest rates for the prime reason that house price gains in the order of 15% per annum or more were far above that of the mortgage interest payments of typically 6%. However now that the housing bubble has burst has resulted in the trend and sentiment reversing as house prices have already fallen by nearly 20%, which equates to a loss of  £40,000 on an average  £200,000 house that is now worth  £160,000, which averages to a fall in value of  £2500 per month. Against which a typical mortgage of say  £160k on a  £200k property at 6% would result in monthly interest charge of  £800 per month. Now with mortgage rates having typically fallen to 4% which is resulting in an reduced interest payment of  £533 per month or a significant fall of  £277 per month that many commentators are taking as a cue for imminent price stability. Unfortunately the  £277 saving is just above 10% of the amount that home owners are typically losing in value per month! Therefore the interest rate cuts are having little if no effect on the housing market, I first warned of this likely outcome back in February 2008 that interest rate cuts will not stop hous e prices from falling. This therefore implies that low interest rates are not an important factor at this point in determining house price trend during 2009, as housing market sentiment is decidedly bearish and will take time to first stabilise and then start to recover. UK Economic Recession Unemployment UK unemployment has probably already risen above 2 million by the time Decembers data is released in March, with the original UK unemployment forecast for a rise to 2.6 million by April 2010 now destined to be breached as the UK economy targets a severe recession on par with that of the early 1980s rather than the more milder one of the 1990s. Increasing expectations are that the UK economy will contract by 3% GDP during 2009 which implies that the UK is heading for an unemployment rate that could pass above 3,000,000 by early 2010. Therefore this confirms that the UK housing market is at least 15 months away from a period of stabilising in nominal terms i.e. where house prices stop falling. The actual trigger for a resumption of the housing bull market would be a sustained period of falling unemployment with the trigger level of 2,000,000 expected to act as a strong marker for year on year housing market recovery as occurred following the last housing bear market. This suggests that the housing market may not embark on an sustainable up trend for as longs as another 4 years and thus points to a period of house price stagnation that will following the current crash in UK house prices. http://www.marketoracle.co.uk Credit Crunch a credit crunch is a period in the economy, distinct from a recession or depression, but potentially heralding one or the other. Credit crunch including mortgage loans, personal loans, car finance, credit cards and other type o f lending become much harder to obtain in a credit crunch. Credit crunch has completely changed the face of the global economy with hundreds of business. From banks and capital markets at given interest rates. The reduced availability of credit can result from many factors, including an increased perception of risk on the part of lenders, ann imposition of credit controls, or a sharp restriction of the money supply. www.teachmefinance.com A sudden reduction in the availability of loans and other types of credit Eg: Lehman brothers. Supply Factor Affecting House Price Immigration There had been a large influx of over 800,000 migrants from the Accession states who contributed towards the buy to let market bubble Strong UK Economy The UK economy at the centre of the worlds credit bubble continued to outperform mainland Europe, which looked on with envy from the less flexible and more regulated European countries of France and Germany, though as we find out during 2009, not participating in the credit boom did not help them as many of the European banks become belatedly suckered into buying U.S. subprime mortgage backed toxic securitized debt as one the last to fling themselves onto the debt derivatives pyramid.

Italian City :: History

Italian City The Renaissance was the period from 1350-1600. The Renaissance began first in the city-states of Italy for many reasons. Although most of Europe had become a big economic crisis during the late Middle Ages, Italy managed to avoid everything and their towns remained important centers of Mediterranean trade and boost their production of textiles and luxury goods. Town life was bigger in Italy than in other parts of Europe. Therefore, most Italians could easily discard feudalism and other medieval institutions. Because Italy was wealthy and successful, they became independent city-states, each of which included a walled urban center and the surrounding countryside. The Italian city-states started a new social order. It was that wealth and ability mattered more than aristocratic titles and ownership of land. Wealthy merchants and bankers replaced the nobles in the upper class. Shopkeepers and artisans ranked below the wealthy merchants, forming a moderately prosperous middle class that employed a lot of poor workers. Most of these workers came from the countryside. And at the very bottom of the social ladder, were the peasants who worked on the country estates for the wealthy classes. During the Renaissance, Italy was not under one government, but was divided into the city-states. Each of these were ruled by wealthy families whose fortunes came from commercial trading or banking. A lot of times, workers rebelled against the upper classes. Their demands for equal rights and lower taxes, however, remained unspoken. During the 1400s, social conflicts became so bad, that many city-states decided to turn over all political authority to one single powerful leader to restore peace. These leaders were known as signori. At times, city-states would have territorial disputes. Since military service would interfere with conducting business and trade, the signori chose to replace citizen-soldiers with hired soldiers known as condottieri. The major city-states were Florence, Venice, Rome and Milan. A banking family known as the Medici ruled Florence in the 1400s. The Medici rulers helped to keep the spirit of humanism alive in the city-state’s scholars and artists. With the spirit alive, Florence became known as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Lorenzo de’ Medici (also known as â€Å"the Magnificent† as a result of the city’s prosperity and fame) ruled Florence from 1469-1492. He used his wealth to support artists, philosophers, and writers, and to sponsor public festivals. During the 1490s, Florence’s economic prosperity began to decline due to increasing competition with English and Flemish cloth makers.

Computer Addiction Essay -- Technology

Technology today is progressing at an exponential rate with new devices being released practically daily. With each new invention comes new and exciting possibilities as well as ever growing temptations and danger. One such pitfall many have fallen victim to is that of computer addiction. Computer addiction can be defined as the obsessive use of computers that interferes with daily life. This addiction has been shown through many activities over computers such as video gaming, chat rooms, and net surfing to just name a few. In order to truly understand what computer addiction is one must understand the symptoms and motivations that lead one to become addicted. Computer addictions have been found in every race, gender, and socio-economical class in America, and yet many still view it as pure laziness. While it is still widely disputed many psychologist recognize it as a valid mental disorder. Like many addictions the origins of computer addictions cannot be accurately identified as there are always many causes of such addictions. Some psychologists speculate that the origins lay in our increased reliance on computers. The majority of people are required to use computers in their professional lives and throughout their educations. This reliance coupled with increased time restraints may lead to individuals to spending longer periods of time on the computer. A recent study was conducted by Robert Kraut at Carnegie Mellon University in which one hundred and sixty nine individuals from ninety three diverse households in the Pittsburg area were monitored during their first two years of internet use. By using monitoring software and surveys Dr . Kraut was able to establish a direct correlation between the amounts of internet use to a... ...lcoholics Anonymous. Regardless of the treatment sought, professional help is needed in order for addicts to overcome the dependency on computer time. As technology progresses more and more people are drawn to computers for their professions and education. If caution and restraint is not maintained some will become addicted, and this will have a tremendous impact on their personal and professional lives. Many have fallen prey to computer addictions and some have paid with their lives. Works Cited James Fearing, Ph.D. Computer / Internet Addiction - Self Diagnosis. n.d. 25 April 2009. . Spaith, Judith. "Sony Online Entertainment: EverQuestor EverCrack?" Journal of Business Ethics 58 (n.d.): 3–6. Williams, Ian. Vnunet. 01 March 2007. 25 April 2009. .

Classicism And Romanticism In Sleepy Hallow

Shannon Divine English B block Mrs.. Bernard In the movie The Legend of Sleepy Hollow there are many examples of Classicism and Romanticism. Romanticism meaner imagination over reason, common man important, nature and beauty. Classicism is the opposite of that, it is reason over faith h, fixed laws of humanity and the idea that society and more important than the undivided In the movie many characters and places both have characteristics of both Classicism and Romanticism. In the beginning of the movie Cohabit Crane, one of the main characters, is a PRI example of classicism.Crane is a person who believes in science and facts. When he first entered Sleepy Hollow to investigate the killings, he didn't believe the ghost store SE about the so called â€Å"headless horseman†. He believed there was a reason for everything. He said that the heads of the victims could not have Just disappeared by magic, that the heads have to be somewhere and someone obviously took them. Cranes mothe r also had a big part in showing classicism in the movie. She was not allowed to be free. She believed in witchcraft but Cranes father wouldn't allow it.He didn't believe in it and had a stop to it immediately. The movie also showed classicism by showing how overcrowded the Jails were. This showed how important society was and that society was more important than the individual. Classicism was shown great lay in the beginning of the film. Romanticism was shown greatly in the town of Sleepy Hollow. All of the townspeople believed in the story of the headless horsemen which is an example of romanticism. The headless horsemen shows examples of mystery and strangeness which is what romanticism is.The witch in the cave also was an example of romanticism. It showed invigilation over reason and nature and beauty. The witch, like the headless horses was a spirit from another world. The tree of the dead that the headless horsemen iris up from also shows romanticism. The tree has no reason un like classicism which is filled with reason. Cohabit Crane also changes his views by the ending of the book. H alkalizes that the headless horseman is a spirit and not everything can be proven by science.He came to the conclusion that magic and the supernatural is real. He change De a lot throughout the movie. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow shows that you can have both Classicism and Romanticism together in one movie. It also showed how people can change there believes like Crane did. Classicism was shown more in the beginning of the movie whereas Romanticism was shown at the end of the movie. Romanticism and Classicism m differ greatly but in this movie they contrasted each other.