Karl marx Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Karl marx - Essay Example He intended to help the readers understand the kind of pain that these classes were being placed into by the rule that had been established in France at the time, and how the dictatorship failed to notice the plight of the commoners, which further led to a pitfall in the politics as well as economy of the country. Through his writing, Marx tried to help the people to understand that even a commoner could come to terms with the entire situation and circumstance and play the rightful part of a hero by lifting the pressure that the lower classes had been engulfed into because of the rule that persisted in the country at the time. It was leading to a major deterioration in the economy’s cycle, not to forget the happiness factors of society at large. One of his most famous quotes help to provide readers of the Brumaire with Marx’s views on an individual’s life within society at the time in France. ... anxiously conjure up the spirits of the past to their service and borrow from them names, battle cries, and costumes in order to present the new scene of world history in this time-honoured disguise and language.† By this, Marx means to throw light on how the rise of Bonaparte led to a downfall of the people and how the country suffered on the basis of their societal aspects because of harsh and unfair decisions taken by a single man. This quote means that a man has a destiny to follow, and thus he must follow the path of his life with respect to the same, while creating new opportunities for himself. Most people are under the impression that whatever is in store for them will happen eventually, however a man must try and create solution for himself to live his life with ease and peace. Life throws a number of situations and circumstances towards a person during his lifetime, and these are the opportunities that a person perceives. He must have the ability to figure out on his own what must be done in a given situation because otherwise he might end up regretting and hurting himself as well as others around him. According to Marx following a set tradition laid down by ancestors was not the way by which life was meant to be lived. He writes that it is this tradition that weighs people down in the present as they are hell bent on trying to imitate the lives that their forefathers had undergone. Even though some men try and break free from such a historical presence present in their lives, they somehow fall short at the very last moment as the past catches up with them and weighs them down. A man must be strong in his will and determination to be able to live a life for himself despite whatever he must have gone through earlier, or despite whatever hardships his family

Security Of Medical Records and Protected Health Information Essay

Security Of Medical Records and Protected Health Information - Essay Example Monaural stethoscope can be considered as the maiden application of technology in medicine, in less than two centuries technology has secured a commanding position in almost all specialties of medicine. Today, information technology is one such tool that is gradually empowering almost all the stakeholders involved in this domain of high social relevance, these stakeholders include health care delivery system, clinicians, patients and regulators. Researchers and practitioners in medicine have claimed that information technology boosts efficiency, reach, quality and safety of health care services and that telemedicine and electronic medical records are two of the prime applications of information technology in medicine. It is intriguing to note that adoption of information technology in health care is dismally low and the scenario is even worse when it comes to adoption of electronic medical records. There are many reasons those impede adoption of information technology medicine. The r easons are specific to all actants from provider to consumer of health care services; security and interoperability for a health care delivery system; reimbursement, data ownership and security for clinicians; confidentiality of health information for patients. Medicine being a safety as well as security critical domain, security and privacy are two prime concerns when it pertains to security of medical records and protected health information. The case in point mentioned at the start of this essay highlights the current state of affairs pertaining to the â€Å"security of medical records†. As per the remarkable and an insightful study on electronic medical records conducted by National Research Council Report (Stead and Lin 2009), electronic medical record implementations are unsafe, this finding reinforces our fears further (highlighted in the case pertaining to breaches in medical data of

The European powers

The European powers Abstract Being unified late in the 19th century it was difficult for Italy to establish itself amongst the other European powers. Therefore, one can view the indecisiveness of the Italians on where their national interests lie, as an act of opportunism because since its unification Italy had no particular loyalty to any group of powers except that group from which it could benefit most. This assignment gives prominence to this factor and also delves into detail in Italys policy during the Cold War (mainly resting on two main pillars: NATO and the EU). The Post Cold War period is also covered with special emphasis on the governments of Berlusconi and Romano Prodi. Introduction In 1858-9 the Kingdom of Piedmont was allied with France against Austria in order to achieve Lombardy. Seven years later it fought side by side with Bismarcks Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War. Four years later it stayed neutral in the Franco-Prussian War which was eventually won by Prussia. The road to Italian Unification in itself shows that the Italians had no particular loyalty to any power. The shifts in alliances were quite common for Italians as long as they were sure that they were getting the maximum benefit from them[1]. In the course of the Risorgimento the keystone of Piedmontese foreign policy had been friendship with France and Britain. When France was defeated by Prussia after 1870 it was not useful anymore. In fact, the Italians started even regarding it as a hostile country especially after the French conquered Tunisia in 1881 (a country which the Italians had been aiming to conquer themselves)[2]. Although they had claims on Austrian Territories such as South Tyrol, Istria and Dalmatia; the Italians still joined the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria in 1882. Joining an arch-rival like Austria-Hungary was certainly a piece of real politick. In fact this move wasnt really popular with many Italian nationalists who preferred having France rather than Austria-Hungary in an alliance. In fact, after the fall of the anti-French Crispi, Italian foreign policy started moving closer towards France[3]. In WW1, Italy did a remarkable piece of political opportunism when it first concluded an agreement with France in 1914, and then joined France and Britain in the war, thus betraying the Triple Alliance of which it had been part of for more than a generation[4]. The end of WW1 brought a lot of dissatisfaction amongst the Italians. The Versailles Settlement barely gave any territory which the Italians had hoped for. This was one of the main factors which led to the rise of Mussolini who advocated a revisionist policy towards this settlement. Mussolinis active foreign policy proved to be a headache for France and Britain which had their own empires to take care of. Mussolini regarded the Mediterranean as Mare Nostrum (while both France and Britain had interest in it) and was for expansion in the Balkans and Africa, despite Woodrow Wilsons insistence on self-determination[5]. Mussolinis ambitions did not stop France, Britain and Italy to sign the Stresa Pact mainly aimed against Germany (1935). Yet, when in the Abyssinian crisis France and Britain imposed sanctions on Italy, Mussolini immediately made a U-turn in Italian foreign policy and joined Hitler in what is famously known as the Pact of Steel (1939)[6]. This eventually led to Italy joining Germany in WW2. The Years of the Cold War In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War it was clear that the allied forces presence in Italy would have a great effect on Italian Politics; they would not think twice to intervene in cases of serious civil disorder[7]. The uninterrupted predominance of the Christian Democratic Party after the war made Italy an original and unquestioned member of NATO and the EC[8]. Another important field of interest on the international scene were those areas involving a geopolitical and economic interest; like the Balkans, the Mediterranean and certain Arab countries. Yet, Italy was in a very difficult position in this period of time because it was regarded as a defeated state. Its foreign policy had to practically start from scratch[9]. Italy was one of the first countries to ask and benefit from Marshall Aid to avoid the rising power of the communists. In fact, when the government formed in 1947, the Socialists and the Communists were excluded. Marshall Aid was one step forward towards a completely original aspect in Italys foreign policy history: a closer relationship to America. This relationship was sealed in 1949 when Italy joined NATO, therefore achieving an international warranty for De Gasperis government leadership[10]. According to Sergio Romano: LItalia non era nella NATO per prepararsi con gli alleati alleventualita` di una Guerra possible, ma per due obiettivi con cui aveva dimestichezza sin dagli anni della Triplice Alleanza: evitare i rischi dellisolamento e sfruttare lo stallo per intrattenere con lavversario i migliori rapport possible[11]. For Paolo Tripodi, the first pillar of Italian foreign policy during the cold war was the USA[12]. In fact, till late 1980s Italy always followed NATO faithfully. However, one must not forget the other fundamental aspect of Italian international affairs: Europe. In fact, Italy had a shared vision internationally which pointed to a mutual reinforcement of the two guidelines: The more the Atlantic link was emphasized, the more European integration would have progressed and vice-versa[13]. The Marshall Aid was not enough to sustain Italy; it needed a wider market to consolidate its economy. Here one can also mention the federalism of Altiero Spinelli, whose figure was an indicator of the great Europeanism fervour that existed in the Peninsula at the time[14]. At this point the left wing parties too accepted NATO and EEC membership. Being part of the EEC (and later the EU) undoubtedly helped to transform the country from peasant backwardness into industrial dynamism, a transformation in which it overtook Britain in terms of income per person and could proudly take its seat at the G7 table of rich economies[15]. Until the beginning of the 1980s the membership of the EC was considered as complimentary to the alliance with the USA and to NATO. This perception wasnt always accurate and in the 1960s, Italy moved away from Gaullist France as it regarded a breach of harmony in the Transatlantic Relationship as a threat to the foundation of Italian foreign policy[16]. After 1945, Italy kept a low profile foreign policy in the Mediterranean since they didnt want to cause tension with the other powers in the region (including the USA which had the biggest fleet in the sea). It only started making its first real moves after the 1973 oil crisis where it established relations with Libya and Algeria. In the 1980s, Italy also established relations with the PLO and other 3rd World Countries[17]. This section of the assignment showed that Italy had a new dilemma in its foreign policy. USA and the EU might have been allied, but their interests didnt always intertwine and this became very evident in the post Cold War period. In my opinion, although it had quite a fundamental role in European affairs, Italy tended to give its relationship with USA more importance than Europe. This scenario comes out more clearly in recent years under the Berlusconi leadership and even to a certain extent under Romano Prodi. The Post Cold War Policy The end of the Cold War meant that the geopolitical importance of Italy was now limited in NATO. The new international situation required a greater Italian engagement especially in the military department. However, Italy needed stability within its domestic affairs to carry out a more active foreign policy. The 1990s were far from stable; it was only in the beginning of the 21st century that domestic stability was achieved under Berlusconi[18]. The term continuity was used for the foreign policy of Italy during the Cold War because it rarely took independent bold action and usually followed the EU and NATO faithfully. Since the end of the Cold War, Italy began to take a more active approach in its foreign and security policy which it conceptualised and upheld in terms of pursuit of national interests[19]. This indicates that during the Cold War Italy gave more importance to NATO sometimes even above its national interests. This can be due to fear of offending the U.S. which was its main ally against a hostile communist east. The end of the Cold War meant that Italy had to reconsider its role within NATO. This is because first of all NATOs role automatically weakened with the fall of the USSR. Another factor was that disagreements within the alliance would be more likely to arise; and the third factor was that in case of major disagreement between USA and the EU Allies, the latter wouldnt have the ability to act on its own[20]. Professor Osvaldo Croci explains how Italy revised its traditional role as a security consuming country and embarked on an effort to become a security producing country as well[21]. Italian governments in the 1990s and even in 2000s pursued a number of policies aimed at reinforcing and functionally linking the different multilateral organizations of which the country was member of: primarily the UN, the EU and NATO[22]. For example Italy fully supported the development of a European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) but, unlike France, it regarded its development as complimentary and not as an alternative to NATO. The victory of the centre-right coalition (Casa Della Liberta`) in 2001 made EU members apprehensive about the foreign policy this government was expected to adopt. This political faction was known for the lukewarm attitude it had towards the EU. In fact, as The Economist rightly pointed out, the EU still had plenty to offer to Italy but both the EU and Italy had changed and what was good for the EU was not always good for Italy. That was what the new centre-right coalition set out to do in 2001: to question some EU policies and to assert Italys national interest more forcefully[23]. Nevertheless, the two main pillars in Italys foreign policy remained NATO and the EU. The accusations that Italy had embarked on a Europe-sceptic path were exaggerated because Berlusconi only brought change in the tone and style of Italys foreign policy but not in its substance[24]. It was the resignation of foreign minister Mr Ruggiero, who was known for his pro-EU agenda that worried most EU Countries. Lega Nord leader Umberto Bossi showed no particular enthusiasm to the EU. He even referred to it as the new Soviet Union. The EURO was even greeted with indifference by the Italian government[25]. As a successful tycoon, Berlusconi was both European and Internationalist in his outlook[26]. In his electoral victory speech he claimed: We are proud to be part of Europe. We are proud of the special relationship we have with the United States. We will work attentively in the next few months and years to develop those relations even more[27]. Berlusconi was practically stressing continuity in Italys foreign policy. According to Ignazi, the only announced change was a more assertive international presence flanked by a new modus operandi centred round personal and direct contacts[28]. One such contact was certainly Russias Vladimir Putin. A meeting was carried out by the Italian government in Practica di Mare. The aim was to celebrate the partnership between NATO and Russia. This meeting showed the great respect Berlusconi had towards Russia. Berlusconi even went to the extent of defending Putins policy in Chechnya[29] (a policy which had raised international concern). Under Berlusconi, the transatlantic relationship became the focal point of Italian foreign policy. The proof of this were the number of statements in support of the U.S. foreign policy, especially in Afghanistan and the Iraqi crisis[30]. Despite the domestic opposition to the Iraqi War, Berlusconi made sure that Italy participated actively even militarily. Sergio Romano points out that lopposozione e una parte della opinion pubblica hanno accusato il governo Berlusconi di essere succube degli americani[31]. Though in official declarations Italy always followed the Europhile line; when war in Iraq broke out and created a division between USA with UK against France and Germany. Berlusconi supported the U.S. Even though as pointed above the war was opposed by many influential groups including the Catholic Church, when war was formally declared Berlusconi sent troops, even if they marched under a humanitarian disguise[32]. Therefore America was preferred over maintaining the preferential channel with Arab countries and also over the EU (keeping in mind the Franco-German opposition to the war)[33]. The newly elected Prodi Government in 2006 hoped to bring the country back onto the centre stage of EU politics. Berlusconi had never considered the EU a high priority and he preferred flirting with other top international leaders instead. In his few years in office Prodi worked for a more balanced transatlantic relationship coupled with a transformation of the EU into a fully autonomous international actor. This idea resembled Chiracs idea of multipolarism[34]. Berlusconi was certainly in favour of enlargement; in fact, he went as far as to pronounce himself in favour of the accession of both Israel and Russia. This reflected his vision of the EU more as a common economic space than as a political entity. On the other hand Prodi sought to strengthen the EU institutions before the actual enlargement[35]. President Bush lost a great ally when Berlusconi lost the election in 2006. In fact, before the election Bush had made certain statements that came very close to an open endorsement of Berlusconis re-election. These statements were regarded by a commentator as a blatant interference in Italys domestic affairs[36]. Yet, in reality Bush had little to worry from Prodi, as, once elected, Il Professore made it clear that he wished to enter into close dialogue and consultation with USA concerning Italys military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prodi even defended Italys military presence in Afghanistan: The goal of our presence in Afghanistan is to consolidate the countrys young democratic institutions our soldiers bring a culture of dialogue and help, not of clashes.[37] In 2008, Berlusconi was at Italys helm again. This time accusations of corruption and his attempts to silence criticism from the press, cast new doubts over Italys international credentials. Berlusconi is currently accused of taking a personal approach to Italys foreign relations. He strengthened certain aspects of Italian relations but weakened Italys EU credentials; even though Italy supported both the EU Constitutional Treaty and the Lisbon Treaty vigorously. Berlusconis friendship with Russia and understanding with Libya can be regarded as a structural realist approach to Italys foreign relations[38]. Conclusion In a book he wrote, Italian foreign minister Frattini argued that the present Italian foreign policy is grafted into a long tradition of continuity and that its only novelty is its activism[39]. In my opinion he couldnt have hit the mark more accurately than that. Since 1861 Italian governments endeavoured to win recognition at the table of the Great Powers, searching for legitimization through various international coalitions and alliances. Since the end of the Cold War Italys international profile has been raised considerably; but do the Italians know where their national interests really lie? For years this question has echoed the Italian international policy. History shows that Italy tends to support anything that it thinks will benefit her (like it did in both World Wars). In recent times the dilemma has been more between the EU and the U.S. And in my opinion, the last decade has consolidated the factor that Italy tends to be closer to the U.S. than to the EU in its foreign poli cy. References Absalom Roger, Italy since 1800: A Nation in the Balance?, London, Longman Group Ltd, 1995. Calvocoressi Peter, World Politics since 1945, England, Pearson Education Ltd, 2009 Croci Osvaldo (2002), The Second Berlusconi Government and Italian Foreign Policy, The International Spectator, available: www.iai.it/pdf/articles/croci.pdf (accessed: 20th December 2009). Greco Ettore (2006), The Foreign Policy of the New Prodi Government, The Brookings Institution, available: http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2006/08europe_greco.aspx (accessed 23rd December 2009). Ignazi Piero , Italian foreign policy since 2001: a preliminary assessment, available: foreignpolicy.it/file_adon/ignazi_edit_2.doc (accessed 20th December 2009). Kissinger Henry, Diplomacy, New York, Simon Schuster Paperbacks, 1994. Miller Stuart T., Mastering Modern European History, New York, Palgrave Master Series, 1997. Morris Terry and Murphy Derrick, Europe 1870-1991, London, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, 2006, p. 262 Romano Sergio, Guida alla Politica Estera Italiana: Da Badoglio a Berlusconi, Milan, BUR Saggi, 2004. Ratti Luca (2009), Italian Foreign Policy in the Second Republic: new wine in old bottles?, available: www.e-ir.info/?p=2523article2pdf=1 (accessed 20th December 2009). The Economist (2002), Berlusconi strikes out, available: http://www.economist.com/opinion/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=930034 (accessed 20th December 2009). Sanminiatelli Maria (2007), Prodi Defends Italys Foreign Policies, The Washington Post, available: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022700884.html (accessed 23rd December 2009). Tripodi Paolo (1996), A half-century of Italian foreign policy, available: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_n1568_v269/ai_18826921/ (accessed 13th December 2009) Stuart T Miller, Mastering Modern European History, New York, Palgrave Master Series, 1997, p. 50 Terry Morris and Derrick Murphy, Europe 1870-1991, London, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, 2006, p. 262 Miller, op.cit., pp. 214-217 Morris, op.cit., p. 263 Ibid., p. 276 Henry Kissinger, Diplomacy, New York, Simon Schuster Paperbacks, 1994, p. 299 Roger Absalom, Italy since 1800: A Nation in the Balance?, London, Longman Group Ltd, 1995, pp. 161-165 Peter Calvocoressi, World Politics since 1945, England, Pearson Education Ltd, 2009, p. 206 Paolo Tripodi (1996), A half-century of Italian foreign policy, available: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_n1568_v269/ai_18826921/ (accessed 13th December 2009) Ibid. Sergio Romano, Guida alla Politica Estera Italiana: Da Badoglio a Berlusconi, Milan, BUR Saggi, 2004, p. 240 Tripodi, op.cit. Piero Ignazi, Italian foreign policy since 2001: a preliminary assessment, available: foreignpolicy.it/file_adon/ignazi_edit_2.doc (accessed 20th December 2009) Tripodi, op.cit The Economist (2002), Berlusconi strikes out, available: http://www.economist.com/opinion/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=930034 (accessed 20th December 2009). Ignazi, op.cit. Tripodi, op.cit. Ibid. Osvaldo Croci (2002), The Second Berlusconi Government and Italian Foreign Policy, The International Spectator, available: www.iai.it/pdf/articles/croci.pdf (accessed: 20th December 2009). Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. The Economist, op.cit. Croci, op.cit. Ignazi, op.cit. Calvocoressi, op.cit., p. 211 Croci, op.cit. Ignazi, op.cit. Ibid. Ibid. Romano, op.cit., p. 4 Ignazi, op.cit. Ibid. Ettore Greco (2006), The Foreign Policy of the New Prodi Government, The Brookings Institution, available: http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2006/08europe_greco.aspx (accessed 23rd December 2009). Ibid. Ibid. Maria Sanminiatelli (2007), Prodi Defends Italys Foreign Policies, The Washington Post, available: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022700884.html (accessed 23rd December 2009). Luca Ratti (2009), Italian Foreign Policy in the Second Republic: new wine in old bottles?, available: www.e-ir.info/?p=2523article2pdf=1 (accessed 20th December 2009). Ignazi, op.cit.

Things They Carried Essay: Rebirth of a Spirit :: Things They Carried Essays

Rebirth of a Spirit in The Things They Carried Speaking of courage is a story found in Tim O ' Brien's The Things They Carried about a solider named Norman Bowker who has returned home from the Vietnam War. As Bowker circles the town's "source of pride" he comes to realize that the town that he left so many years ago will never be the same. While his life was paused by the war, theirs weren't. He also comes to understand that while the people he once knew have changed that he has also changed. He has been consumed by a war and it will forever alter his being. When Norman Bowker returns to his hometown after the war things seem to have moved on without him. It seems that while his life was put on pause, his friends and family had moved on to their lives. His simple wish is for the past to be the present once again. He speaks of his friends Max Arnold and Sally Kramer. Now, Max was dead and Bowker refers to him as an idea. He talks of how things would be different if Max was around to listen to all his stories and how Max would have enjoyed them. The irony is that Max is gone. At one time Bowker had carried a picture of Sally in his wallet. He talked of how he would stop and talk to her when he saw her while driving. He decided that he might impress her with his knowledge that he had acquired during the war such as his ability to predict the time at any point during the day within 10 minutes. He repeatedly said "if she was to listen". Just like the others she did not want to think about the war, it was in the past. Page 143 makes a clear po int that "The town could not talk, and would not listen.. It (the town) did not know shit about shit, and did not care to know". As Bowker continues what seems to be a trip back to what is reality he circles the town lake nearly 13 times. This lake is the life of the town and is very symbolic in itself. On one side of the lake the houses are "modern, with big porches and picture windows facing the water" on the opposite side the houses were described as "handsome, though less expensive and on a smaller scale".

Middle Class Black Burden Essay

The Middle Class Black’s Burden Leanita McClain, an African American journalist, was greatly acknowledge as a black African American middle class success. McClain was condemned by her own peers and was pated on the head by whites who believed her success was only based on talent than affirmative action . Due to prejudice whites and berate blacks, Leanita was forced to choose between the envy of her own race or for her own amentities. In McClain’s essay, â€Å"The Middle Class Black’s Burden, She uses percise Rhetorical Strategies to express her burden. Those strategies are Compare/Contrast, Author’s Tone, and Logical Appeal. McClain uses the rhetorical strategy of compare/contrast to depict her burden. McClain compared her lifstyle of her childhood to her success as a middle class black woman. Leanita was castigated by her peers simply because they felt she sold out her nation to work as a middle class african american. Others felt that she forgot where she came and that she characterized herself as white instead of black. In her essay she stated ,† It is impossible for me to forget where I came from as long as I am prey to the jiv hustler who does not hesitate to exploit my childhood friendship†. With blacks passing judgements, a heavy burden was placed on the back of Leanita. This Rhetorical Strategy was very effective because it helps the reader understand how her life as a lower class affected how her life was as a middle class. The second Rherorical Strategy McClain uses to express her burden was tone. McClain’s tone throughtout essay is depressed and confused. Part of the tone is confused becuase McClain doesnt know if she should stand aside her nation or pursue her career in the middle class. It also shows depression because both sides are nagging at her and making her feel as if she’s unwanted from both. In her essay it she states, † I have a foot in each world, but I cannot fool myself about either. I can see the transparent deceptions of  some whites and the bitter hoplessness of some blacks. This rhetorical strategy was effective because it displays how the author’s depression she felt througout her life. The last Rhetorical strategy McClain uses to depict her burden was Logical Appeal. All three were used for the reader to understand why she feel she’s torn between two worlds. In her essay McClain mostly uses ethos and pathos to explain her burden. Being an african american journalist in chicago, made her appeal as a figure that people would consider. However, judgements from blacks made her feel indifferent. In Mclain’s essay, My Turn, she states, † Some of my liberal white acquaintances pat me on the head, hinting that I am a freak,[†¦] , I may live among them, but it is difficult to live with them. This personify her chose of rhetorical strategies. This strategy is effective because it helps the reader percieve the choice of words the authors uses. Conclusively, McClains rhetorical strategies not only help the reader, but displayed her appeal as a middle class black woman. The Rhetorical strategies that Leanita used were proven to be effective and impacted the theme of the passage.

Investigate the Effect of Caffeine on the Heart Rate of Daphnia

Aim: In this experiment we are trying to find out how varying the concentration of caffeine can affect the heart rate of Daphnia shrimp.Prediction: I predict that caffeine will increase the heart rate of the shrimp.IntroductionI believe the results will comply with my prediction. Caffeine is a compound found in especially tea and coffee plants and acts as a natural pesticide.Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant meaning it increases the amount of neurotransmitters released meaning coffee is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system by increasing its activity. In this practical the caffeine should have a noticeable effect on the heart rate of Daphnia as Daphnia absorbs chemicals present in the solution around it without selection. I also predict that there would be an increase in heart rate once placed in decaffeinated coffee as decaffeinated coffee still has caffeine content but significantly lower per milligram than caffeinated coffee.However I will expect the inc rease of heart rate of the culture placed in caffeinated coffee to be significantly higher than the culture placed in decaffeinated coffee. Daphnia: The reason Daphnia is used as the organism in this experiment is due to its transparent body which makes the heart visible. Daphnia is better than Brine shrimp because brine shrimp is not transparent meaning heart rate has to be measured by counting leg movement. Variables: The independent variable that we change. In this case it is the caffeine content.We would be experimenting with water, decaffeinated coffee and caffeinated coffee to observe and compare its effect on the heart rate of Daphnia. The control for this experiment is a solution with no caffeine which allows us to see if the change in heart rate is due to the caffeine or other factors. To ensure that this experiment is a fair test only the concentration of the caffeine will be changed. Caffeine is the independent variable. I tested each particular concentration of caffeine 10 times.I decided this prior to the experiment because there was bound to results that are out of pattern so repeating this many times would eliminate systematic errors resulting in more accurate and reliable data. The dependant variable is the heart rate of the shrimp will be measured over 10 seconds Ccontrol variables: These are variables that should be kept the same. As a result the effect other factors other than coffee content are limited. This is needed as the objective is to investigate the effects of caffeine content. The control variables ensure valid data.Volume of solution The time heartbeat is measured within Temperature: Daphnia may be very sensitive to the heat therefore the kinetic energy given to them by heat could have effects on the heart rate. Same culture of Daphnia: To minimise genetic differences. The size of the shrimp can change the degree of the effect of caffeine. The larger shrimp will have a lower heart rate. I will ensure this as best as possible by kee ping the Daphnia in the same light intensity by shining a lamp directly at it.Preliminary experimentI did a preliminary experiment to familiarise myself with the methods so no time is wasted during the actual experiment. It helped me identify the limitations in the experiment and how to conduct the experiment appropriately. For example I noted not to add too much of each solution on the microscope as there will be a loss of surface tension and it will spill. I also learnt to not use the slide covers as they kill the Daphnia Analysis The mean heart rate of Daphnia shrimp placed in solution B is 26. 5% higher than the heart rate of the Daphnia placed in the control solution.Furthermore it is 1.9 % less than Solution A ( less difference than I predicted. From these results we can infer that Solution B is the solution containing decaffeinated coffee. This is because the mean heart rate is lower than caffeinated coffee and higher than the control solution. This is because decaffeinated c offee contains caffeine but significantly lower per milligram than caffeinated solution. However this Solution A, caffeinate coffee caused the daphnia heart rate to increase the most. This proves the hypothesis because the greater the caffeine content, the more neurotransmitters are released.The increase in this neuronal stimulation is interpreted as an emergency in organisms causing adrenaline to be released therefore heart rate increases. There still appears to be fluctuations that are probably caused by systematic errors. The data from shrimp placed in solution A (caffeinated coffee) has the greatest variation in results at 168 compared to solution B, 108. Evaluation Reliability: My results appear fairly reliable because there is an obvious pattern occurs and it supports my prediction. The experiment was carried out as a blind trial whereby the solutions except for the control are unknown.This helps eliminate bias whereby I don’t choose some results and ignore others to su pport my prediction making the results more reliable. Validity Systematic errors could have caused this for example I did not give time for the Daphnia to absorb the solution before counting the heart rate. These factors could have also caused the fluctuations in the results so accuracy is questionable. The variation in caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee could have been caused by systematic errors. For example, the Daphnia could have already been dead.There was a significant drop between the eighth and ninth test of solution A ( around 54. 7%) I did not expect this because caffeine is a stimulant drug. This suggest that the shrimp have different tolerance towards caffeine and some may have been dying. Furthermore the heart rate of some shrimp could be distinctly different from the other shrimps as they were trying to escape the cotton fibres which requires more energy thus hear rate increases. This suggests that the culture of Daphnia used in the experiment could have contained sh rimp that are different age and size.Although I tested each concentration 10 times, there is still a lot of variability of the results. Water, on the other hand has the lowest variability of only 60. The variability in the other contents are at 168 (caffeinated coffee) and 108 ( decaffeinated coffee) This could perhaps be the effect of other chemicals in caffeine which Daphnia are responsive to. Accuracy Certain methods of collecting data were not accurate therefore affecting the validity. For example, a random error such as not tapping the pen in the rhythm of the heartbeat affected the number of heart beats per minute.