Floods in India Essay

Floods are caused by weather phenomena and events that deliver more precipitation to a drainage basin than can be readily absorbed or stored within the basin. Acre-foot. Volume of water required to cover 1 acre of land (43,560 square feet) to a depth of 1 foot; equivalent to 325,851 gallons. Cubic feet per second (ft? /s). A unit of measurement expressing rates of  discharge. One cubic foot per second is equal to thedischarge  of a stream of rectangular cross section, 1 foot wide and 1 foot deep, flowing water an average velocity of 1 foot per second. Equivalent to 448. 8 gallons per minute. Discharge. Rate of flow–a volume of fluid passing a point per unit time, commonly expressed in  cubic feet per second, million gallons per day, or gallons per minute. Drainage basin. A part of the surface of the Earth that is occupied by a drainage system, which consists of a surface stream or a body of impounded  surface water  together with all tributary surface streams and bodies of impounded  surface water. Land area drained by a stream or river. Flash flood. The result of heavy or excessive amounts of rainfall within a short period of time, usually less than 6 hours, causing water to rise and fall quite rapidly. Flood. An overflow or inundation that comes from a river or other body of water and causes or threatens damage. Any relatively high  streamflow  overtopping the natural or artificial banks in any reach of a stream. Flood frequency. Refers to a flood level that has a specified percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. For example, a 100-year flood occurs  on average  once every 100 years and thus has a 1-percent chance of occurring in a given year. Flood plain. A strip of relatively flat-lying land that borders a stream and is underlain by sediment carried by the stream and dropped in the slack water beyond the influence of the swiftest current. Flood stage. The  stage  at which overflow of the natural  streambanks  begins to cause damage in the reach in which the elevation is measured. Flood stages for each USGS gaging station are usually provided by the National Weather Service. Gage datum. An arbitrary datum plane that is established for a particular gaging station to which water-surface elevations can be compared. Gage height. See  Stage. Gaging station. A site on a stream, canal, lake, or reservoir where systematic observations of gage height or waterdischarge  are obtained by a gage, recorder, or similar equipment. Peak stage. The maximum height of a water surface above an established datum. Same as peak gage height. Precipitation. Rain, snow, hail, or sleet. Real-time data. Data collected by automated instrumentation and telemetered and analyzed quickly enough to influence a decision that affects the monitoring system. Recurrence interval. The average interval of time within which the magnitude of a given event, such as a flood, will be equaled or exceeded one time. Stage. The height of a water surface above an established datum. Used interchangeably with gage height. Streambank. The margins of a stream channel. Banks are called right and left as viewed facing the direction of flow. Streamflow. The discharge or flow that occurs in a natural channel. Although the term discharge can be applied to the flow of a canal, the word â€Å"streamflow† uniquely describes the discharge in a surface stream course. Surface runoff. That part of the runoff that travels over the soil surface to the nearest stream channel. It also is defined as that part of the runoff of a drainage basin that has not passed beneath the surface following precipitation. Surface water. Water on the surface of the Earth. Water year. The water year deals with the surface-water supply for a 12-month period, October 1 through September 30. The water year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends and which includes 9 out of the 12 months. Thus, the year ending September 30, 1999, is called the â€Å"1999 water year. † NOTE:  Some definitions were excerpted from other sources. Terms 1. Current and historic stream water levels are reported as stage above a gage datum or as water-surface elevation above sea level. which is the addition of the stage to the gage datum.

Debate on School Uniform Essay

Today we are seeing that the younger generations are becoming more preoccupied with fitting into the latest fashion trends. School administrations have noticed that dress code violations could be an attribute to the lack of performance in the classrooms. Public schools across America are searching for answers to enhance a better learning environment for the students. Taking all this into consideration, school uniforms would be a great idea to alleviate some of the negativity kids face due to societies apparel obsessions. In addition to what has been mentioned, studies have shown positive results with the use of public school uniforms. If it means that the schoolrooms will be more orderly, more disciplined,† Mr. Clinton said, â€Å"and that our young people will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside instead of what they’re wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms (Mitchell, 1996). I believe a requirement of school uniforms should be implemented in all public elementary and middle schools. Read more: Should uniforms be mandatory essay In the name of putting â€Å"discipline and learning back in our schools† President Clinton instructed the Federal Education Department today to distribute manuals to the nation’s sixteen thousand school districts advising them how they can legally enforce a school uniform policy. If it means that the schoolrooms will be more orderly, more disciplined,† Mr. Clinton said, â€Å"and that our young people will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside instead of what they’re wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms† (Mitchell, 1996). â€Å"It’s a fashion trend that’s spreading from Los Angeles to Louisiana, from Maryland to Miami, public schools are discussing, and in many cases adopting, the old private school idea. School uniforms are designed to help kids focus on algebra instead of high-tops; to make students compete for grades rather than jackets (www. pbs. org). In 1987, the first public school Cherry Hill Elementary in Baltimore, MD instituted a school uniform policy. Later in 1994, the Long Beach Unified School District in California adopted a mandatory uniform policy in some of its schools, making it the first urban district to do so. Before long there was a considerable increase in the use of uniform. For example, ninety-five percent of New Orleans’ public schools require uniforms, eighty-five percent of Cleveland, eighty percent of Chicago, sixty-five percent of Boston, sixty percent of Miami, and fifty percent of Cincinnati’s public School changed to uniforms (www. education. org). New York City, which is the largest school district in the US, has adopted the school uniform policy. The largest school district in the U. S. has adopted school uniforms. Over a half-million elementary-school students in New York City will have to adhere to a dress code by the fall of 1999. The president of the school board said the policy is â€Å"important to diminish peer pressure and promote school pride,† but that it’s not â€Å"an act of magic to transform schools overnight†¦ It isn’t going to replace a good teaching, good principals, and small classrooms. †(www. pbs. org). The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) conducted a phone survey of seven hundred and fifty five principals in 2000, which revealed that twenty one percent of all public schools had a uniform policy (www. education. org). Another reason that schools have decided to conform to uniform policy is because some students arrive at school in T-shirts that bear slogans or graphics promoting drugs and alcohol, or that display a variety of messages that conflict with values the schools are trying to promote. Others may swagger around the halls in gang-related garb. Also, others may show up in sexually provocative clothing. These issues, as well as a desire to minimize socioeconomic tensions between the â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have not’s†, have spurred some schools to adopt more stringent dress codes or to require students to wear uniforms. As the Department of Education’s Manual on School Uniform notes, â€Å"Uniforms by themselves cannot solve all of the problems of school discipline, but they can be one positive contributing factor to discipline and safety† (Lumsden, Miller, 2002). Some authors contend that uniforms lessen emphasis on fashion, reduce the financial burden of low-income families, and promote peer acceptance, school pride, and learning. In a ten-state survey of elementary and middle school principals conducted two years ago by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the clothing company Lands’ End, eleven percent of respondents said that their schools mandate uniforms, and another fifteen percent were considering such a policy. Others recent survey indicated that support for uniforms are growing among parents as well. In one survey, fifty-six percent of parents said they would support a school uniform policy (Lumsden, Miller, 2002). School uniforms also take the pressure off students to pay top dollar for clothes, according to Reginald Wilson, a senior scholar at the American Council on Education in Washington, D. C. â€Å"I think it does lower the cost of clothes, and kids don’t emphasize clothes as much when they’re all wearing the same thing,† Wilson said. â€Å"Certainly the competition to wear the best shoes or the best sweaters and so forth has been prevalent in school ever since I was in school, and the poor kids felt inferior† (www. pbs. org). Deborah L. Elder wrote about an evaluation of school uniform policy at John Adams and Truman Middle Schools for Albuquerque public schools. In the beginning in the fall of 1998 under a policy started by parent’s students at John Adams and Truman Middle Schools in Albuquerque were required to wear tuck-in polo shirts and khaki pants or skirts. Elder reports on an evaluation of this policy that used interviews, focus groups, and surveys, along with data on discipline referrals and numbers of students achieving honor-roll status. During the first semester of the 1998-1999 school year, both schools experienced a clear improvement in student conduct from the previous year. At John Adams Middle School, discipline referrals fell from one thousand five hundred and sixty-five during the first semester of the previous year to four hundred and five. At Truman, referrals dropped from one thousand one hundred and thirty-nine to eight hundred and fifty. Students, teachers, and parents stated in interviews â€Å"uniforms place all students on an equal level,† Elder writes, â€Å"Students who may be immediately labeled by peers and staff no longer stand out. † Survey data showed that seventy-five percent of parents and eighty-nine percent of staff supported uniforms and believed they decreased violence, theft, and gang activity, Although only fifteen percent of students supported uniforms, fifty-nine percent agreed that â€Å"school uniforms help school officials identify trespassers on campus. † Concerns about school violence have led to increased interest in and acceptance of uniform policies. In the wake of school shootings, communities and schools are much more willing to embrace uniforms as well as a number of other strategies to enhance student safety. Curbing gang-related violence was the primary goal of the Long Beach (CA) Unified School District when, in 1994, it began requiring students in all its elementary and middle schools to wear uniforms, In the Dysart Unified School District outside Phoenix, Arizona, eliminating some of the stigma associated with clothes was the main motivation behind the adoption of uniforms. Even before the recent series of school shootings, a survey of principals conducted by the National Association of Secondary School Principals found strong support for uniforms. In addition to having a sense that uniform may aid in violence prevention, many administrators believe that uniforms will reduce discipline referrals, while improving attendance, achievement, self-esteem, and school climate. A study of middle school students in the Charleston (SC) School District fount that school uniforms did appear to alter students’ perceptions of school climate. Students attending district schools that required uniforms viewed their school climates more positively than did students enrolled in schools where uniforms were not mandatory. Additional benefits credited to school uniforms include improved discipline, increased respect for teachers, increased school attendance, fewer distractions, improved academic performance, increased self-esteem and confidence, lower overall clothing costs, promotion of group spirit, reduction in social stratification and fashion statements, improved classroom behavior, lower rates of school crime and violence, and easy identification of nonstudents (Lumsden, 2001). Many opponents believe that dictating what students wear to school violates their constitutional right to freedom of expression (Lumsden,Miller, 2002). People oppose uniforms point to unnecessary violations of students First Amendment rights, authoritarian regimentation, extraordinary expenditures on special clothing, an environmental tone that is harmful to education and learning, and cosmetic solution to deeper societal problems. Students First Amendment right to freedom of expression, and whether it is being abridged, is one of the fundamental issues raised, Several legal challenges have asserted that students freedom to select what to wear to school is a form of self-expression that schools are not entitled to interfere with (Lumsden, 2001). In a recent case, Littlefield v. Forney, parents challenged a school uniform policy adopted by the Forney, Texas school board. The policy required students to wear polo shirts, oxford shirts, or blouses in any of four specified solid colors, with blue or khaki pants, shorts, skirts, or jumpers. Denim, leather, suede, vinyl, and spandex were off-limits, as were baggy clothes and specific types of shoes. The parents claimed that the district’s policy violated â€Å"the right of parents to control the upbringing and education of their own children. † The plaintiff also argued that the policy interfered with students’ freedom of expression and forced them to express ideas with which they might disagree. In addition, they also declared that the procedures for opting out of the policy violated their religious freedom by allowing school officials to assess the sincerity of people’s religious belief. The federal district court dismissed the suit without a trial, but the plaintiffs then appealed to the 5th Circuit Court, where the ruling of the lower court was upheld. In its decision, the 5th Circuit Court indicated that students’ free-speech right to select their own clothes is â€Å"not absolute,† and that this right must be balanced against a school board’s stated interests in adopting a dress code or uniform policy. To decide whether a specific uniform or dress code policy is permissible under the Constitution’s free-speech clause, the court used a four-pronged test it had previously applied in another school uniform case, Canady v. Bossier Parish School Board. The court looked at four criteria: the school board must have the power to make a policy, the policy must promote a substantial interest of the board, the adoption of the policy must not be an attempt to censor student expression, and the policy’s â€Å"incidental† restrictions on student expression must not be greater than necessary to promote the board’s interest. In this case, the 5th Circuit found that all four criteria were satisfied and that the district’s school uniform policy therefore did not violate students’ right to free expression. The court also ruled that parents’ rights to control their children’s upbringing, including their education, cannot override school rules that are considered â€Å"reasonable† to maintain an appropriate educational environment. In this case, the court concluded that the uniform policy was â€Å"rationally related† to the interests of the school board in â€Å"promoting education, improving student safety, increasing attendance, decreasing dropout rates, and reducing socioeconomic tensions among students. † The parents’ argument that the opt-out procedure violated religious freedom because if gave school officials the authority to judge the sincerity and content of families’ religious beliefs was also rejected by the court. Their decision was based on the policy not containing any religious goals; they did not have the effect of advancing or hindering any particular faith over any other; and did not excessively â€Å"entangle† school officials in religious beliefs (Lumsden, and Miller, 2002). Public schools that have already put uniform into place have seen improvement. Kids are less focus on what they are wearing, and more focus on schoolwork. Kids are not focused on what they should wear the next day for school and you won’t have kids up early looking for clothes to wear to school. Elementary and Middle Schools will see significant change once uniforms are put into place. School uniforms are a great way to preserve the level of social equality amongst the students. The thought of knowing the social background is prevented. It makes kids treat each other equally; not judging by what clothes they wear. Students will learn to respect each other on the foundation of how they get along and not how sexy they look. Humiliating or bullying other kids will decrease or stop altogether. The level of distraction is considerably reduced. Since students will be dressing in similar clothing, which will be distinctive to the school, the students will build up a sense of belonging and loyalty to the school. School uniforms will help avoid incidents of complicated situations (inferiority and superiority). Students will not be known by what they wear, but by how they perform. Kids can build team spirit. When you wear specific colors, a sense of unity can be developed. Similar clothing promotes team spirit. School uniforms encourage a sense of ownership and discipline. Therefore, I strongly believe school uniforms should be a requirement for public school students in the elementary and middle schools. Overall, implementing school uniform in elementary and middle public school will be beneficial, as I have mentioned above. Kids may not be happy about it at first, but they will eventually catch on. I personally work with middle school kids who go to public school and wear uniforms. They did not like it at first, but what they all agree on is how they don’t have to decide on what to wear. References Lumsden, Linda and Gabriel Miller. â€Å"Dress Codes and Uniforms. † 2002. National Association of Elementary School Principals, Alexandria, VA. 19 6 2012 . Lumsden, Linda. Uniforms and Dress-Code Policies. Eugene, May 2001. Mitchell, Alison. New York Times: Clinton Will Advise Schools on Uniforms. 25 February 1996. 23 June 2012 . Public School Uniform Statistics. 2012. 19 6 2012 . School Uniforms. 21 6 2012 .

Evaluation on pulmonary rehab audit Dissertation

Evaluation on pulmonary rehab audit - Dissertation Example This dissertation has endeavoured to prove both the existence of such high standards in the practice of Pulmonary Rehabilitation and the lack of adequate means for LNFH to meet those standards. A random sample of 47 patients revealed insufficient assessments and records of assessments. However, it is very clear from reviews of many doctors who published their findings that PR should improve the quality of life of patients through an improvem...... The present lean Team made up of only two (2) Specialist Nurses and one (1) Specialist Physiologist at LNFH did not have weekly records to control. And the main task was just to encourage patients to exercise at least twice a week. To see improvements, the standard has been to try and be able to prolong those exercises or increase the distance and time for walking as well as to gather positive feedback through the accomplishment of Chronic Respiratory Questionnaires (CRQs). Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs at LNFH consist of physical cardiovascular and strength training, disease education, and nutritional, psychological and behavioural intervention. The benefits should eventually include the improvement in exercise performance, health status, dyspnea, increased quality of life and reduction in use of health services. The Respiratory Assessment Unit of Lymington New Forest Hospital provides a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service (assessment and management) to the Hampshire PCT (SW) popul ation, following referral from Consultant, GP or Practicing Nurses following national standards. Phase 3 (supervised programme) and Phase 4 (ongoing lifestyle change management programmes) are available on an out patient basis. It delivers pulmonary rehabilitation at two sites, namely, Lymington New Forest Hospital and Hythe Hospital. This is to maximize capacity and offer a geographically more suitable location for patients. The course runs for eight weeks, on a rolling basis to improve compliance, and consists of exercises to improve limb strength and cardiovascular fitness. After a period of recovery and relaxation where refreshment is served and an education session is delivered based on the following core

Illegal Immigration in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Illegal Immigration in America - Essay Example Throughout most of American history, America has portrayed an existence of invasion, and has stepped foot into almost every battlefield and continent in the world. Taking this aggressive stance towards diplomacy, America should not be able to forget its past, and say that after destroying so much land and taking over so many peoples, it is now not going to let immigration happen. After all, this country was built on immigrants, and to not allow immigrants into this country is simply against all past policies of the United States. To invade so many lands, and then turn the other check and not allow other people into our own country is hypocrisy, and should not be the stance America takes. Even at the start of our own history, Americans looked towards the West. The idea of Manifest Destiny grew up in popular opinion, and people began to push the boundaries of the United States further and further West. This feeling of territorial claim that the United States has to the rest of the fron tier was used to justify many of our territorial expansions. Manifest Destiny "has also been used to advocate for or justify other territorial acquisitions. Advocates of Manifest Destiny believed that expansion was not only good, but that it was obvious ("manifest") and certain ("destiny")" (Manifest, 2007). This idea is still relevant today, when people feel that America has the right, or even the calling to police other areas of the world. However, America tends to expand without thinking or care towards the native people of the land. When America was first being colonized for example, some historians estimate that up to 80% of some Native populations died due to European diseases"(Native, 2007). This apparent lack of disregard continued through American history, as we took over Native American lands and put them on reservations, all trying to further expand our power. But now, when other peoples look to move into this country, we are not allowing them to do so. Even if this country was one taken on behalf of other people. As America continued to grow, so did its outward policies of getting involved in other countries. However, today we will not return the favor by allowing other counties to send their immigrants to our land. For instance, in 1989 the United States intruded upon Panama, disposing a leader we did not approve of. The United States "incursion into Panama began on December 20, 1989, at 0100 local time. The operation involved 27,684 U.S. troops and over 300 aircraft -including the AC-130 Spectre gunship, OA-37B Dragonfly observation and attack aircraft, and the F-117A Nighthawk stealth aircraft and AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the AH-64 and the F-117A both seeing their first combat deployment. These were deployed against the 16,000 members of the Panama Defense Force" (United,2007). We also set up a new President, a President we approved of. However, we were really justified in taking action in this region Or was the 'father' idea of the United States getting the best of us Either way, i f we were to invade a country, one would think that we would then allow immigrants from that country. However, one can see today that that is not the case, and that America is

Sport and meida reading proof assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sport and meida reading proof assignment - Essay Example The behavior of people when conceiving visual sporting activities on television is different from newspapers and audio. Effective communication and expression is more attainable in visual images that are experienced in television. The diverse concepts addressed in sporting media plays central role in actively initiating mental reaction towards various activities. For instance, in the contemporary sports activities like Football and athletics, stadia are surrounded by several advertisements. The reason behind such advertisements is that people tend to associate images with events which have significant effect in the mind of the spectators. The aesthetical effect of sports in the mind is active and calls for insightful study of how images infiltrate thoughts that sound. Media has used this concept to tune the mind of the mass and provoke widespread politics in sports (Kirsten, 2007). According to Fransen, long period of exposure to television make people to begin developing a strong relationship with respect to media content. Considering the increasing popularity of football across the world, people tend to associate watching television with various European premier leagues and this in turn promotes media commitment to meet people’s

Solve a regression problem using SPSS Coursework

Solve a regression problem using SPSS - Coursework Example The Equation of Best Fit is a calculation or equation that attempts to minimize distance between all the data points and a fitted line. The general idea is that small and unbiased difference between a model’s predicted values and the observed values indicates the model of best fit. However, it is advisable to look at the residual plots before concluding about goodness-of-fit as a statistical measure. We interpret the slope b or regression coefficient as the amount of change in Y for each unit increase in X. that is b represents the effect of X on Y while the intercept a, is the predicted value of Y associated with X = 0. From our analysis, the slope (a = 0.124) and Y-intercept (-1.031), X-temperature, and Y ice cream sales. Figure 2 below shows the strong positive correlation between temperature and Ice Cream Sales (slope). The main idea for this task is to find out whether the number of ice cream sold varies with temperature. Based on existing literature, we would expect ice-cream sales to increase with temperature. In order to answer the questions for the exercise, the Number of Ice Cream Sales is the dependent variable (criterion variable), and Temperature is the independent variable. Overall, the task is a simple linier regression because there are only two variables. Figure 4 above shows the correlation coefficient (r) is +0.98, which tells us a strong positive correlation between sales of ice cream and temperature, at 0.001 significance level. Therefore, we establish that the relationship between sales of ice cream and temperature was positively and strongly related (r = +0.98), p

Development of the Social Self Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Development of the Social Self - Essay Example The ability to develop and maintain a consistent and functional sense of the self in the increasingly superficial and anonymous interpersonal context of modern mass societies is widely believed to be one of the cornerstones of personal and social success (Forgas and Williams, 2003). According to Freud theory, the self is developed as the result of the conflict between id, ego and superego (Bakhurst and Sypnowich, 1995). Chapter 2 discusses the development of the self as the result of comparing the self-concept of who the person thinks he is and the possible selves as images of what the person dreams of or dreads becoming in the future. Within the social identity approach, the self is taken to comprise both personal and social identity. The developmental study of the social self is important because social identities of adults mobilize specific forms of group-related perception and actions. The understanding of the relation between social self-conceptions and social action becomes vit ally important because social identity creates and defines the individual’s place in the society. ... uch actions as supporting person’s dreams, strengthening positive self-image and inspiring for further improvements have profound and long-lasting impact. By helping people connect to their sense of optimism and individual vision of ideal self, people can highly motivate and energize others for better learning, development and change (Bennett and Sani, 2004). The main idea of the self discussed in Chapter 2 is that usually people tend to overestimate of what others think about them, thus, their behavior is limited and controlled by fear, lack of confidence and social stereotypes. When people speak in public, for instance, they usually feel nervous and think it is obvious for others. Though, if to explain about spotlight effect and the illusion of transparency (informed condition), people become more confident while speaking in public and felt better about their speech and appearance than those in the control and reassurance conditions. The development of the self starts at the early age when children learn to understand themselves through the perception of surrounding world and in relation to certain social groups. In the process of developing a theory of mind, children and adolescents gradually learn that people have thoughts, feelings, motives and behavior different from their own. The interpersonal skills are developed and nurtured through the relation to the family, friends, school mates, university mates, colleagues and other people (Bennett and Sani, 2004). Chapter 2 further discusses the sense of individualism and collectivism compared between industrialized Western cultures that have independent self and those in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America that have interdependent self. Such different perception of the self in these cultures creates different