Creation of a navigation system for impaired hearing persons Essay

Creation of a navigation system for impaired hearing persons - Essay Example This report has outlined some of the main stages, their requirements, operational needs, and other valuable details. I hope this research will offer a brief idea of development of navigational system for impaired hearing people. 5 A lot of people have hearing problems. In addition, a number of people have difficulties to discover their way back home or to other places by foot. Until now, there are lots of products available for both problems, however there are no such systems or devices, which are resolving both difficulties at the same time. So, I have decided to develop a navigation system for impaired hearing persons. This report will provide a brief introduction of different aspects of navigation system development for hearing impaired persons. The development of the system will started after collecting the system main development requirements. In this phase we will require to conduct a detailed analysis of overall system development requirements analysis. For this task we need to take requirements through an extremely carefully way. This involves the better understanding of the main problems and difficulties faced by these people and needs for the system for their movement and navigation within specific areas. For this purpose we need to conduct detailed interviews, analytical studies, and surveys for collecting the main requirements from impaired hearing people. This process will be most sensitive area or phase of this system development process. This will involve the designing of system for hearing impaired persons, which will offer them better and automatic navigation all through their way. This area will require extensive user interface designing and interaction research. This system will need a special type of system that involves the enhanced user interface specially designed for hearing impaired persons. This will involve some special treatment for the people who have less number are interaction means to world. Here we will add some

Reading response on Communication Essay Example for Free

Reading response on Communication Essay For any effective communication, there must be understanding between the parties involved. This will therefore depend on the medium used and consideration of the barriers to effective communication. Students depend on communication to learn and when it is effective and inclusive, they get opportunities to grow and learn. In education, parents who are magnetic involve themselves in finding opportunities for their children. This is by involving the community at large and the administration to get opportunities for their children(Henderson, 297). Other parents are not concerned, which leads to inequality between the different children. Other families plan a teacher visit to the family, which increases unity and communication. When a teacher, parent and a student have a close relationship, they facilitate ample communication that leads to growth and opportunities. Accordind to (Mediratta, 32), for one to create opportunities that leads to growth among children, there should be a link between the outside of the school and the culture in the school. This is because the teachers do not understand the base the children are coming from especially in boarding schools. The power issue of the teachers goes down when the parents and their children mingles freely with the children which increases communication avenues. Poor families lack even the basic needs which make their students lack concentration due to the stress of their homes. This leads to inequality in the opportunities to children from richer families. Creating a link between the families and the general community leads to expansion of the communication network which leads to opportunities and growth. This addresses structural inequality and enables student from poor families learn and have good health. According to WARREN, (15), translation of important information to languages that learners understands leads to effective communication. Those who understands the foreign language have added advantage to those who can not. A barrier to translation is money to pay the translators and some parents lack the time to opportunity talk. In opportunity talks, the issue of freedom when talking is an issue due to distrust among members in the society(Zehr, 8). Relationships that can be trusted spread opportunities and this is true with parents who create friendship with their children’s teachers as they create trust between them. This is different from the parents who can not create this relationshipthat lead to disadvantage on their students’ opportunities. Organizing and planning for events for the school with older people with children improves their skills and confidence. This boosts their opportunities and improves their communication prowess unlike those who do not involve themselves in such programs. References Henderson, T Anne, Johnson Vivian, Mapp Karen, and Davies Don. Selection from Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family/School Partnerships. New York: The New Press, (2007): 296-301 Mediratta, Kavitha, Shah Seema, and McAlister Sara.Building Partnerships to Reinvent School Culture: Austin Interfaith. Providence, RI: Annenberg Institute for School Reform. Mark Warren, â€Å"Communities and Schools.†(2009):1-49. Print. WARREN, MARK. Communities And Schools: A New View Of Urban Education Reform. Harvard Educational Review 2.75 (2005): 1-40. Print. Zehr, M. A. Civil Rights Deal Signals Federal Push for Translation Services. Education Week, (2011): 30(3), 8-9. Source document

Energy Demand Essay -- Environment, Thermodynamics

1. Introduction Due to the economic growth, the energy demand of the world increase every year. In the energy conversion process in power plants and small engines, energy efficiency is a key factor. The equipments with higher efficiency, the more work output. Therefore, a number of researches studied on thermodynamics of efficiency, irreversibility and exergy in both spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines were found during the last century. The thermal efficiency and the energy loss in the system are normally calculated from the 1st law of thermodynamics, while the maximum work output or exergy is characterized by the 2nd law of thermodynamics. The exergy of a system from the 2nd law is defined as the maximum useful mechanical work as can be produced as the system is brought to thermal mechanical and chemical equilibrium with its environment through reversible processes [1]. Unlike energy, exergy is not a conserved quantity and can be destroyed during the process due to irreversibility. Rakopoulos and Giakoumis [1], Caton J.A. [2], Som and Datta [3] studie... Energy Demand Essay -- Environment, Thermodynamics 1. Introduction Due to the economic growth, the energy demand of the world increase every year. In the energy conversion process in power plants and small engines, energy efficiency is a key factor. The equipments with higher efficiency, the more work output. Therefore, a number of researches studied on thermodynamics of efficiency, irreversibility and exergy in both spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines were found during the last century. The thermal efficiency and the energy loss in the system are normally calculated from the 1st law of thermodynamics, while the maximum work output or exergy is characterized by the 2nd law of thermodynamics. The exergy of a system from the 2nd law is defined as the maximum useful mechanical work as can be produced as the system is brought to thermal mechanical and chemical equilibrium with its environment through reversible processes [1]. Unlike energy, exergy is not a conserved quantity and can be destroyed during the process due to irreversibility. Rakopoulos and Giakoumis [1], Caton J.A. [2], Som and Datta [3] studie...

“Rhetorical Analysis of “I Have a Dream”

IntroductionThe day of August 28, 1963 At the Lincoln Memorial 200,000 people gathered after the March on Washington. This is where Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his speech â€Å"I Have a Dream† to America. He spoke about the injustices of segregation and discrimination of African Americans that was taking place in our nation. In his first statement he said, â€Å"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.† In this statement he has said what he was there to do.He is speaking out for freedom. This speech is one among few to demonstrate the freedom our nation was built upon. We are a nation of democracy and our nation was built on the fact that we have the right to â€Å"alter and institute new government†(Congress). Dr. Martin Luther King’s speeches and demonstrations would provoke a change in the minds and hearts of the American people. He stood up and inspire d a nation into action with his words. With his speech he masterfully uses Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in his rhetoric to provide proof to all Americans that racism and segregation is not the intended foundation of America.EthosAs he delivered his speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial he analogizes Lincoln in his speech, â€Å"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the emancipation proclamation.† (King) His use of Lincoln brought authority into his speech. Lincoln was a powerful and great president who empowered the American people throughout the civil war. He gained the trust of America and established a new sense of freedom. Martin Luther King is invoking the authority of Lincoln and his view on civil rights. This is providing a strong ethos appeal and establishing credibility with his audience.He also uses the Declaration of Independence to invoke authority in his cause. He quotes, ‘â€Å"unalienable Rights† of â€Å"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of  happiness†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Congress) (bible) his use of this quote is to use a supreme authority as being on his side. He is stating that the American government has neglected on the obligation to ALL of the American people. He is setting up his own credibility by tapping into authority of a great American and our constitution.PathosHis use of pathos is incredible as he strikes emotional values of both black and white people. His use of the bible causes an emotional response, ‘â€Å"And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.† (Isaiah) He is using the bible to provide a belief and faith in what he is saying is truth, and that all people will stand together.His use of metaphors throughout his speech is keeps his audience engaged in his fight for freedom, he states â€Å"And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in t he American dream.† (King) He uses the American dream to appeal to all Americans. He is saying that his dream is part of the American dream that we all deserve to have the freedom to dream.He also uses the appeal that he is a father and that he wants more for his children. â€Å"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character.† (King) This is allowing the listener to relate to him as a father and the aspirations we hold for our children. It provides a human appeal and uses pathos.LogosHe also uses logos in his analogies. When he states, â€Å"America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’† (King) His analogy is using logic as a form of reasoning. He reasons is that everyone understands money and that the listener is able to relate to being handed a bad check.ConclusionMartin Lu ther King’s skillful and articulate use of rhetoric in his â€Å"I have a Dream† speech was a major turning point in American history and represented a firm stand for equal rights. He spoke out to confront the issues of racism in our nation. This speech was not the beginning or the ending, but a remarkable moment in the fight for equal rights of everyone. â€Å"When all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing,† â€Å"Free at last! Free at last!† (King)

High School Graduation Day Essay

Many people have experienced the over whelming excitement that you feel as you approach high school graduation day, and for me, that’s a day that I will never forget. The amount of emotions that you feel on graduation day is unbelievable, and I have yet to experience anything else like it. I can remember feeling anxious to celebrate the big day with my friends and family, while at the same time I was panicking thinking about having to walk across the stage in front of that many people. Then, the more I thought about the reality of graduation day, I started to get curious, but nervous, about being able to start a new chapter in my life once graduation day had passed. There are several reasons why I, still to this day, consider high school graduation day one of the most exciting days of my life. As exciting as it was to finally graduate high school, I still had some mixed emotions about it. When they called my name, I walked to the side of the stage, where I had to wait in a short line before actually crossing the stage. I couldn’t wait to get that diploma in my hand, but I really thought I was going to have a panic attack on the side of the stage before that happened. I finally made it up onto the stage I shook the principles hand one last time as he handed me my diploma, and made it back off the stage without anything embarrassing happening. When I sat back down I felt relief that I had gotten that part over with, and could enjoy the remainder of the graduation. When the graduation ceremony came to an end, I rushed to the auditorium to celebrate with all of my friends and family. I couldn’t believe how many people came to celebrate our graduation day with us. I knew my friends immediate families, but I got to meet everyone’s extended families, and hear stories about them that I will never forget. Then I took what felt like a million pictures, and hugged everyone I knew, and headed off to my graduation party to continue the celebration with the ones that I loved the most. That night I think I smiled and laughed more than I ever have in my life. As the end of the night approached us, I couldn’t stop thinking about how many mixed emotions I had about starting a whole new chapter in my life. I couldn’t wait to go to college, meet all new people, get a degree so that I could start my career path, but I knew that meant I had to say goodbye to my two best friends, who were moving several hours away from me. This was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do in my life. We all cried a little, and then made promises to keep in touch, and then we were off into the real world! I was very happy to be at this point in my life, but I was scared deep down inside. When I look back on this day now, I still remember every detail as if it was yesterday. I was so proud, and happy to be able to celebrate such an amazing day with all of my friends and family. I know I will never forget how embarrassed I was walking across the stage in front of all of those people, feeling famous after taking so many pictures, making our final memories together at our graduation parties, and then being a nervous wreck when it was time to go out into the world without my best friends at my side. High school graduation day was a very emotional day for me, but it was by far the most exciting day I have ever experienced in my life.

The Reel Life Of A Genius essays

The Reel Life Of A Genius essays In the movie A Beautiful Mind, Russell Crowe played John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who developed the game theory of economics, for which he later won the Nobel Prize in 1994. At the age of 31 he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and suffered a mental breakdown. Because of his hallucinations and bizarre behavior, he was institutionalized and put on anti-psychotic drugs. He stopped taking them however, after he discovered that they reduced his sex drive, confused his emotions and prevented him from being able to think clearly and effectively. Instead, he attempted to take control of the disease though extreme willpower. As he became older he did take newer medications that helped him live a more normal life while still allowing him to work to his full potential. The film, for the most part, accurately showed the devastating effects that schizophrenia can cause in a persons life; the terror of living through experiences that seem so real, and the agony that both Nash and his loved ones had to go through. In the movie many of Nashs classmates treated him with disrespect and made fun of him, knowing that there was something different about him. This accurately showed the various stereotypes and derogatory attitudes that exist in the world today. He was not seen as being normal and therefore was labeled as crazy and strange because of his anti-social behavior. When Nashs condition worsened he was placed in a mental institution and treated with insulin coma therapy in which patients were given insulin to induce a comatose state. The results of the therapy, as shown in the movie are horrific. Insulin coma therapy has since been discredited and is no longer used, due to its severe side effects. Also, with the introduction of anti-psychotics, which were safer and more effective, there was no longer the need to put patients through the torture of insulin therapy. A...

An Outline of the Basic Concepts of Narrative Therapy Essay Example

An Outline of the Basic Concepts of Narrative Therapy Essay Example An Outline of the Basic Concepts of Narrative Therapy Paper An Outline of the Basic Concepts of Narrative Therapy Paper Essay Topic: Narrative Michael white and David Epston are best known for their use of narrative in therapy. According to white individuals construct the meaning of life in interpretive stories which are then treated as truth. Adopting a postmodern, narrative, social constructionist view sheds light on how power knowledge and truth are negotiated in families and other social and cultural contexts. Key concepts Focus narrative therapy involves adopting a shift in focus from most traditional theories. Therapists listen respectfully to clients stories to search for times in the clients lives where they were resourceful, use questions as a way to engage clients, avoid diagnosing and labeling clients, assisting clients in mapping the influence a problem has had on their lives and to assist the client in separating themselves from the dominant stories they have internalized so that creation of new stories can occur. The role of stories the stories we live our lives by shape our reality in that they construct and constitute what we see, feel and do. Clients tend to be the victors or heroes of their own stories and the therapist is privileged to be a part of this unfolding process. Listening with an open mind All social constructionist theories place an emphasis on listening to clients without judgment or blame, affirming and valuing them. Therapists can encourage their clients to reconsider absolutist judgments by moving toward seeing both â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† elements in situations. Narrative therapists aim to help clients create new meaning from the stories clients share. As the client tells their story the therapist is able to listen for opportunities where the client was able to overcome difficulties in the past thus highlighting the clients own strengths. One of the therapist’s roles is to remind the client that they are able to capable of managing and overcoming the problems they face even when the client is not able to see this. Another important role the narrative therapist undertakes is to separate the problem from the client by listening and responding. Narrative therapists do not assume an expert stance and clients are the primary interpreters of their own experiences, thus the process of change can be facilitated but not directed by the therapist. The therapeutic process There are several steps in the therapeutic process but it is important to remember that they do not follow a linear progression. Create a mutually acceptable name for the problem with the client Personify the problem and attribute oppressive intentions and tactics to it Investigate how the problem has been disrupting or discouraging the client Invite the client to see his or her story from a different perspective Discover moments when the client wasn’t dominated by the problem Find historical evidence that the client was able to overcome problems in the past As the client to speculate about what kind of future could be expected from this new competent person who is emerging from the newly constructed story Find or create an audience for perceiving and supporting the new story It is more realistic to consider events happening in a cyclical progression containing the following elements; Move problem stories toward externalized descriptions of problems Map the effects of a problem on the individual Listen to signs of strength and competence in an individual’s problem saturated stories Build a new story of competence and document these achievements Therapy goals a general goal of narrative therapy is to invite the client to describe their experience in new and fresh language. In doing this the client explores new possibilities and enables clients to develop new meanings for problematic thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Narrative therapy almost always includes an awareness of the impact of various aspects of the dominant culture on human life. Therapists function and role Act as active facilitators. The concepts of care, interest, respectful curiosity, openness, empathy, contact and even fascination are seen as relational necessity. A main task of the therapist is to help clients construct a preferred story. White and Epston both start with an exploration of the client in relation to the presenting problem. From there they would attempt to separate the client from the problem and in doing so objectify the problem as external to the client. Therapist adopts a not knowing attitude through language choice and avoids diagnosis and pathologising. There are no set formulas or recipes for the practice of narrative therapy. The process will vary with each client because each person (and their stories) is unique. The therapeutic relationship great importance is placed on the qualities the therapist beings to the therapy venture.

The Early, High and Late Middle Ages

The Early, High and Late Middle Ages Although in some languages the Middle Ages are labeled in the singular (its le moyen age in French and das mittlere Alter in German), it is difficult to think of the era as anything other than ages plural. This is in part because of the numerous subjects encompassed by this long period of time, and in part because of the chronological sub-eras within the era. Generally, the medieval era is divided into three periods: the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, and the Late Middle Ages. Like the Middle Ages itself, each of these three periods lacks hard and fast parameters. Early Middle Ages The Early Medieval Era is sometimes still called the Dark Ages. This epithet originated with those who wanted to compare the earlier period unfavorably with their own so-called enlightened age. Modern scholars who have actually studied the time period would not so readily use the label, since passing judgment on the past interferes with a true understanding of the time and its people. Yet the term is still somewhat apt for the simple reason that we know relatively little about events and material culture in those times. This era is often considered, to begin with, the fall of Rome and end sometime in the 11th century. It encompasses the reigns of ​Charlemagne, Alfred the Great, and the Danish Kings of England; it saw frequent Viking activity, the Iconoclastic Controversy, and the birth and rapid expansion of Islam in Northern Africa and Spain. Over these centuries, Christianity spread throughout much of Europe, and the Papacy evolved into a powerful political entity. The Early Middle Ages are also sometimes referred to as Late Antiquity. This time period is usually viewed as beginning in the third century and stretching to the seventh century, and sometimes as late as the eighth. Some scholars see Late Antiquity as distinct and separate from both the Ancient world and the Medieval one; others see it as a bridge between the two where significant factors from both eras overlap. High Middle Ages The High Medieval Era is the period of time that seems to typify the Middle Ages best. Usually beginning with the 11th century, some scholars end it in 1300 and others extend it for as much as another 150 years. Even limiting it to a mere 300 years, the High Middle Ages saw such significant events as Norman conquests in Britain and Sicily, the earlier Crusades, the Investiture Controversy and the signing of the Magna Carta. By the end of the 11th century, nearly every corner of Europe had become Christianized (with the notable exception of much of Spain), and the Papacy, long established as a political force, was in constant struggle with some secular governments and alliance with others. This period is often what we think of when someone mentions medieval culture. It is sometimes referred to as the flowering of medieval society, thanks to an intellectual renaissance in the 12th century, such notable philosophers as Peter Abelard and Thomas Aquinas, and the establishment of such Universities as those in Paris, Oxford, and Bologna. There was an explosion of stone castle-building and the construction of some of the most magnificent cathedrals in Europe. In terms of material culture and political structure, the High Middle Ages saw medievalism at its peak. What we call feudalism today was firmly established in Britain and parts of Europe; trade in luxury items, as well as staples, flourished; towns were granted charters of privilege and even established anew by ​feudal lords with alacrity, and a well-fed population was beginning to burgeon. By the end of the thirteenth century, Europe was at an economic and cultural height, perched at the verge of a downturn.​ Late Middle Ages The end of the Middle Ages can be characterized as a transformation from the medieval world to the early modern one. It is often considered to begin in 1300, though some scholars look at the mid- to late-fifteenth century as the beginning of the end. Once again, the end of the end is debatable, ranging from 1500 to 1650. Cataclysmic and awesome events of the 14th century include the Hundred Years War, the Black Death, the Avignon Papacy, the Italian Renaissance, and the Peasants Revolt. The 15th century saw Joan of Arc burned at the stake, the fall of Constantinople to the Turks, the Moors were driven from Spain and the Jews expelled, the Wars of the Roses and the voyage of Columbus to the New World. The 16th century was wracked by the Reformation and blessed by the birth of Shakespeare. The 17th century, rarely included within the medieval era, saw the Great Fire of London, a rash of witch hunts, and the Thirty Years War. Though famine and disease had always been a lurking presence, the Late Medieval era saw the horrific results of both in abundance. The Black Death, preceded by famine and overpopulation, wiped out at least a third of Europe and marked the end of the prosperity that had characterized the high medieval era. The Church, once so highly respected by the general populace, suffered reduced status when some of its priests refused to minister to the dying during the plague and sparked resentment when it enjoyed enormous profits in bequests from plague victims. More and more towns and cities were wresting control of their own governments from the hands of the clergy or nobility that had previously ruled them. And the reduction in population triggered economic and political changes that would never be reversed. High medieval society had been characterized by the corporation. The nobility, the clergy, the peasantry, the guilds- all were group entities that saw to the welfare of their members but put the welfare of the community, and their own community in particular, first. Now, as was reflected in the Italian Renaissance, a new regard for the value of the individual was growing. By no means was late medieval nor early modern society a culture of equality, but the seeds of the idea of human rights had been sown. The viewpoints examined in the previous pages are by no means the only ways to look at the Middle Ages. Anyone studying a smaller geographical area, such as Great Britain or the Iberian Peninsula, will much more easily discover start- and end-dates for the era. Students of art, literature, sociology, militaria, and any number of subjects will each find specific turning points pertinent to their topic of interest. And I dont doubt that you, too, will see a particular event that strikes you as possessed of such towering importance that it defines the beginning or end of the medieval era for you. The comment has been made that all historical eras are arbitrary definitions and, therefore, how the Middle Ages is defined really has no significance. I believe that the true historian will find something lacking in this approach. Defining historical eras not only makes each era more accessible to the newcomer, it helps the serious student identify interrelated events, recognize patterns of cause and effect, understand the influence of a periods culture on those who lived within it and, ultimately, find a deeper meaning in the story of our past. So make your own choice, and reap the benefits of approaching the Middle Ages from your own unique perspective. Whether you are a serious scholar following the path of higher education or a devoted amateur like me, any conclusions you can support with facts will not only have validity but will help you make the Middle Ages your own. And do not be surprised if your view of Medieval times changes over the course of your studies. My own outlook has certainly evolved in the last 25 years, and will most likely continue to do so as long as the Middle Ages continues to hold me in its thrall.

Procurement and supply chain management Assignment

Procurement and supply chain management - Assignment Example 23). In the company I work for, we use the supplier selection criteria, which will be explained in the next section. It has been present since the start of the company no matter the new trends that have been emerging of late. This supplier selection is a significant section in our supply chain management. Risk management of any supply chain is an overly complicated subject. Understanding how it works will be very significant to identifying a range of risks that are in the current system and making the necessary recommendations on which of these issues are a priority and how they can be reduced (Giannakisa & Louisb 2011, p. 23). This paper will provide a review of the supplier selection process and make recommendations on how it can be improved. It will use the risk analysis and management framework to identify the risks in the process and make recommendations on how the issues found there can be reduced. The paper will also recommend how to select sustainable suppliers whatever the m eans. Our supplier selection process involves nine elements considered very crucial to the organisation. The elements include (1) specific process capabilities, (2) tough safety procedure, (3) competitive pricing, (4) constant quality improvement, (5) financially stable organisation, (6) stability, (7) culture, (8) alliance experience, (9) strong references. Just a brief explanation of these steps. The company looks at the specific strengths that will ease the process of supplying the goods. This is whether they have the needed infrastructure to supply the goods efficiently such as the right trucks among others. The tough safety procedure includes whether the safety of the workers are guaranteed and whether the goods will reach the business unharmed. Competitive pricing discriminates the supplier in terms of price, who is cheaper and reliable

Things we dont like Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Things we dont like - Research Paper Example The main issues that is of significant concern is the country’s economy. Over the past years, the government has been issuing economic report based on statistical elements that describe different economic trends such as economic growth, rate of unemployment, GDP growth, and interest rates. Although the government considers such statistic as the only tools of relaying economics information, such information is unconvincing and inconclusive. This is because economic reports are based on statistics that can only be understood by people who have economic knowledge (Shaw 643). On the other hand, the government does not indicate the validity or the credibility of such information. It is evident that majority of the people lack economic understanding and, therefore such information does not make sense at all. In addition, the government fails to give information on how such economic indicators relate to the real world. Such economic indicators fail to connect the actual situation wit h the theoretical aspect or to explain how things happen in the real world (Shaw 632). I consider it hypocritical to have statistics stating that the country is experiencing an economic growth while the cost of living is increasing constantly. Authorities are prone to giving inconclusive information on issues that affects the public. Government reports are filled with generalizations that do not replicate to the actual situation in the ground. I am concerned about when the authorities will learn to give out credible information that captures and explain the real situation and real happenings. For instance, the weather department is charged with the responsibility of directing the public on matters related to weather patterns and changes. However, the department never issues any concrete information on the area of their responsibility. The public needs to have precise information about the weather. However, the responsible department

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 74

Journal - Essay Example Hence, the story brings out the conflict, which is one of the components of a newsworthy story, and consequently, this gives the story a controversial element. While this is a developing story on a recent outbreak of protests in Hong Kong, the writers fail to offer a clear background into the issue concerning its origin. They only give a brief history, which comes at the end of the article. Therefore, a person reading the story and unaware of the happenings in Hong Kong will be confused, not knowing what exactly is happening. Though focusing mostly on police actions, the story is detailed giving accounts of the protests including areas where the protestors are located. Additionally, the authors use descriptive terms that allow the reader to draw a mental image of what is happening in Hong Kong city. Additionally, the story is timely given that there is an ongoing unrest in Hong Kong regarding the issue of democracy, which has occupied news headlines all over the world in the past days. The residents seem fed up with the current system and want a more democratic system both on paper and in

Introduction to psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to psychology - Essay Example Families, friends and inner attitude of a person to learning are important. In such a way, people will feel more confident in their learning success and self-performance if their inner attitude to learning and surrounding atmosphere and people is favorable for them. On the example of involvement of external and internal rewards, social approval of surrounding people will be discussed further on. Such issues as family understanding, teachers’ and employers’ attentive and careful attitude etc. belong to external rewards, while such issues as motivational strategies, self-esteem development belong to internal rewards In order to create appropriate atmosphere for students, it is necessary to decrease a negative attitude of young people to learning, i.e. to involve external and internal rewards. The role of external rewards can’t be underestimated, because with regard to learning many people feel emotional oppression and social disapproval very often. Having overcome a psychological barrier (internal rewards’ involvement), having reached a strong desire to learning, students are able to concentrate, put them together and learn efficiently. Generally, motivational difficulties prevent students from the learning process. Teachers and psychologists have to put all their efforts in order to fulfill motivational gap, i.e. involve external rewards. It is possible to reach this goal in the following way: to work out interesting materials for learning process; to involve personal charisma of a teacher; to use examples from real life (Peer, 1998). In such a way, students will feel more confident in their learning success and feel a thirst for knowledge. The abovementioned strategy involved in the learning process is an example of external rewards used for students. For example, a practical decision on external rewards’ involvement can be the following: the teachers have to offer such kind of tasks, which may seem to be very easy. Nevertheless, it is a necessary

Materialism as a Worldview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Materialism as a Worldview - Essay Example Reducing the debate simply to materialism and idealism therefore, the materialist hypothesis is that all existence is an unbroken, material continuum from its origins in ancient Greece to the mind-brain materialism of the modern times (Vitzthum, 1995). Materialism as a worldview appears to be prevalent in society today. Materialism began in the 18th century (McConnell, 2003). The leading scientists of that time suffered cognitive dissonance between the beliefs of the many religious sects which then existed along with their own scientific discoveries (McConnell, 2003). They relieved their discomfort by agreeing among themselves that religion was unnecessary. Unfortunately, the amorality of materialism was so attractive to lesser intellectuals, who lacked the status to question the leaders. The same was true to businessmen, who could use materialism to justify exorbitant profits that it has become a defining feature of the culture (McConnell, 2003). Materialism and its theories can be traced as far back as the poem, The Nature of Things, written in the first century B.C. by Lucretius ("Materialism: what matters," 2007) to the more recent research done by Richard Vitzthum (1996), An Affirmative History and Definition. The doctrine of materialism was formulated as early as the 4th century B.C. by Democritus, in whose system of atomism all phenomena are explained by atoms and their motions in space (Armstrong, 1984). Other early Greek teaching, such as that of Epicurus and Stoicism, also conceived of reality as material in its nature. The theory was later renewed in the 17th century by Pierre Gassendi and Thomas Hobbes, who believed that the sphere of consciousness essentially belongs to the corporeal world, or to the senses (Armstrong, 1984). Later, the investigations of John Locke were adapted to materialist positions by David Hartley and Joseph Priestley. They were a part of the materialist development of the 18th century strongly manifested in France, where the most extreme thought was that of Julien de La Mettrie. The culminating expression of materialist thought in this period was the Systme de la nature (1770), for which Baron d'Holbach is considered chiefly responsible (Armstrong, 1984). In Western civilization, materialism is the oldest philosophical tradition. It reached its full classical form in the atomism of Democritus and Epicurus in the 4th century B.C. Epicurus argued that reality consisted of invisible and indivisible particles of free-falling matter called atoms randomly colliding in the void. Through materialism, everything that happens is explained in terms of the law of nature (Armstrong, 1984). Overview of major beliefs and representative thinkers Materialism is a simple philosophy, having two principles: 1) There is no reality except that which can be defined in terms of the physical concepts of space and time; and 2) As individuals, we have no obligations to other persons except for those obligations that we accept for our own pleasure. This second principle follows from the first (McConnell, 2003). When people use the word "materialism" they usually have one of two definitions in mind. Philosophically speaking,

The relationship between HRM and business performance Literature review

The relationship between HRM and business performance - Literature review Example First, the review suggests that human resource practices have synergistic and performance enhancing influences when used in conjunction with empowerment-enhancing practices that boost employee responsibility and autonomy. Secondly, study attempts to explore the link between HRM and firm performance by studying frameworks that link HRM to financial performance despite the various studies that claim there is no link between HRM and Firm performance. The literature offers overview on research regarding HRM and Businesses performance and subsequently shows the relation between HRM and performance in organizations. Business strategy and the integration of HRM practices form an essential factor in organizational effectiveness because the use of business strategy as a contingent factor moderates the relation between human resources practices as el as firm performance. Therefore, business strategies paired together with proper HRM activities have positive influences on the firm’s perf ormance. According to Ahmad and Schroeder(2003) and their counterparts Youndt and Snell(2004), the impact of HRM to organizational outcomes became an essential topic in early 1990s because it attaches significance to motivational aspects of organizational practices in developing and utilizing human capital. HRM involves development of people’s abilities and attitudes in way that the individual can develop personally and contribute toward the organization’s goals. According to Youndt and Snell(2004), other studies consider HRM practices to be pay and reward, recruitment and selection, training and development, health and safety as well as work expansion or reduction. However, various studies suggest that six essential HRM practices that are likely to positively influence a firm’s performance include training and development, teamwork, incentives, HR planning, performance appraisal as well as employment security (Sels, Winne, Delmotte, Maes, Faems and Forrier, 200 6; Seibert,Silver and Randolph, 2004). According to Sels et al (2006), training and development involves the amount of formal training offered to employees, although organizations can offer extensive training, organizations also rely on acquired skills through selection and socialization. Training in businesses influence performance in two key ways the first one being, that training improves on the relevant skills, capabilities, and secondly training compliments employees’ satisfaction in their prevailing job and workplace. Teamwork in businesses contributes to business performance because it results in effective achievement, facilitates flow of ideas resulting in innovative solution and helps in saving administrative costs associated with paying specialists in order to watch people (Sels et al 2006). Incentives in businesses rely on performance and remain one of the usual means for organizations to enhance employee motivation through provision of performance-contingent incen tive in order to align employee and shareholder interests. According to Chiang(2004), although compensation is categorised into financial and non-financial incentives, some incentives like pay incentives in form of bonuses and profit sharing or even indirect compensation like health insurance and vacation all influence the performance of firms. According to Gill and Meyer(2008), HR planning in enterprises involves forecasting

Materialism as a Worldview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Materialism as a Worldview - Essay Example Reducing the debate simply to materialism and idealism therefore, the materialist hypothesis is that all existence is an unbroken, material continuum from its origins in ancient Greece to the mind-brain materialism of the modern times (Vitzthum, 1995). Materialism as a worldview appears to be prevalent in society today. Materialism began in the 18th century (McConnell, 2003). The leading scientists of that time suffered cognitive dissonance between the beliefs of the many religious sects which then existed along with their own scientific discoveries (McConnell, 2003). They relieved their discomfort by agreeing among themselves that religion was unnecessary. Unfortunately, the amorality of materialism was so attractive to lesser intellectuals, who lacked the status to question the leaders. The same was true to businessmen, who could use materialism to justify exorbitant profits that it has become a defining feature of the culture (McConnell, 2003). Materialism and its theories can be traced as far back as the poem, The Nature of Things, written in the first century B.C. by Lucretius ("Materialism: what matters," 2007) to the more recent research done by Richard Vitzthum (1996), An Affirmative History and Definition. The doctrine of materialism was formulated as early as the 4th century B.C. by Democritus, in whose system of atomism all phenomena are explained by atoms and their motions in space (Armstrong, 1984). Other early Greek teaching, such as that of Epicurus and Stoicism, also conceived of reality as material in its nature. The theory was later renewed in the 17th century by Pierre Gassendi and Thomas Hobbes, who believed that the sphere of consciousness essentially belongs to the corporeal world, or to the senses (Armstrong, 1984). Later, the investigations of John Locke were adapted to materialist positions by David Hartley and Joseph Priestley. They were a part of the materialist development of the 18th century strongly manifested in France, where the most extreme thought was that of Julien de La Mettrie. The culminating expression of materialist thought in this period was the Systme de la nature (1770), for which Baron d'Holbach is considered chiefly responsible (Armstrong, 1984). In Western civilization, materialism is the oldest philosophical tradition. It reached its full classical form in the atomism of Democritus and Epicurus in the 4th century B.C. Epicurus argued that reality consisted of invisible and indivisible particles of free-falling matter called atoms randomly colliding in the void. Through materialism, everything that happens is explained in terms of the law of nature (Armstrong, 1984). Overview of major beliefs and representative thinkers Materialism is a simple philosophy, having two principles: 1) There is no reality except that which can be defined in terms of the physical concepts of space and time; and 2) As individuals, we have no obligations to other persons except for those obligations that we accept for our own pleasure. This second principle follows from the first (McConnell, 2003). When people use the word "materialism" they usually have one of two definitions in mind. Philosophically speaking,

Volunteer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Volunteer - Essay Example Research shows, investment in corporate social responsibility has a positive effect on business revenues (Aras and Crowther 498). Volunteer service learning is an engaged teaching and learning strategy that allows the student to participate in an organized service that target to fulfill a certain community need. The student are supposed to reflect, critically evaluate and analysis the service activity to enhance their sense of civic responsibility, help in understanding the course content and appreciate the discipline they are undertaking. One of the most engaging and interesting service activities that a person can undertake is helping the elderly. In most cases, they are unable to clean their home properly and hence are exposed to diseases. The elderly occupy a special place in our society, and they act as the link between the previous generation and the current one. They preserve knowledge and hence it is the duty of the society to take care of them. I chose this service activity for the knowledge and wisdom that the elderly share with you work in their home. The elderly has a lot of experience, and as you work with them, you can get a glimpse of the previous century. The service learning project involved visiting the homes of the elderly to help them clean their house and yard. The group met in the designated venue early in the morning, and we were a lot of people. Hence, the principal in charge of volunteering divided us into groups. Some groups were to clean the street while others were to visit the elderly homes and help them clean their house and yard. My group was to visit an old couple and clean their house and yard. We left the volunteer office and headed for the old couple home. We started by cleaning the house, where we scrubbed the floors and repainted the kitchen walls. The couple was very old and hence was unable to move furniture and hence we rearranged the house

Academic Skills Plus Essay Example for Free

Academic Skills Plus Essay Atwood writes: â€Å"What I mean by ‘science fiction’ is those books that descend from H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds, which treats of an invasion by tentacled, blood-sucking Martians shot to Earth in metal canisters – things that could not possibly happen – whereas, for me, â€Å"speculative fiction† means plots that descend from Jules Verne’s books about submarines and balloon travel and such – things that really could happen but just hadn’t completely happened when the authors wrote the books. I would place my own books in this second category: no Martians.† (From In other worlds, p.6) With these remarks in mind, is it useful to distinguish between science fiction and speculative fiction? In answering this question you might consider Le Guin’s suggestion that people who refer to their works as ‘speculative fiction’ rather than ‘science fiction’ are simply trying to protect themselves from some of the negative connotations associated with science fiction (see In other worlds)? Discuss in relation to at least two works. ‘Science fiction’ is often defined as a wide literary genre related to fictional stories. It contains many subgenres, such as space opera, cyberpunk, utopia, dystopia, alternative histories and speculative fiction. Although there are an extensive number of subgenres, some writers, as Margaret Atwood, have been trying to differentiate ‘speculative fiction’ from ‘science fiction’. Maybe this wideness of subgenres existing under the genre ‘science fiction’ is exactly the reason why Atwood found interesting to present this differentiation. When we consider science fiction stories, many different things can came up to our mind, such as aliens, intergalactic travel, artificial intelligence and utopian (or dystopian) societies. Considering that, as we can notice in these examples, these topics can differ a lot from each other and it might be understandable that Atwood  wanted to differentiate (more than just defining different subgenres) the kind of fiction related to more ‘plausible’ things (things that could really happen, as she says). Definitely, ‘speculative fiction’ books have a completely different scenario from cyberpunk, aliens or space opera works and this could awake a desire to disconnect them in a more significantly manner. However, it is possible to affirm that this distinction between ‘science’ and ‘speculative fiction’ is not useful and that there is no reason for making it, especially considering that speculative fiction is just one more subgenre of science fiction. This thesis will be supported by a number of points presented throughout this essay. Firstly, it will be argued that the subgenre ‘speculative fiction’ fits perfectly into the definitions and requisites related to ‘science fiction’. Secondly, it will be discussed that Atwood’s definition of ‘speculative fiction’ is vague and can change according to interpretation, and also that it can be used to define as speculative fiction other books that she clearly had classified as belonging to ‘science fiction’. Thereby, her definition can be seen as not clear, which makes it not useful at all. Finally, it will be presented that Atwood seems to reinforce this division specially because distinguishing ‘speculative fiction’ from ‘science fiction’ is convenient for her. There are some evidences for that, for example, Le Guin once said Atwood was trying to protect herself from negative connotations associated with ‘science fiction’. This is even noticeable considering that many of her attempts to define the genre contained irony and clichà ©s. Firstly, it will be discussed that ‘speculative fiction’ fits perfectly into the definitions and requisites related to the ‘science fiction’ subgenres, which makes unnecessary and not useful the distinction between them. It was stated before that ‘science fiction’ has a big number of subgenres and it is clear that they differ considerably from each other. However, despite their singularities, all of them have one kind of cohesive element in common, which brings each subgenre to be defined as part of the genre ‘science fiction’. To define this common element noticed in all the science fiction subgenres, it is useful to consider two Suvin’s definitions about science fiction: SF is, then, a literary genre whose necessary and sufficient conditions are the presence and interaction of estrangement and cognition,  and whose main formal device is an imaginative framework alternative to the authors empirical environment (Suvin 1979, p. 7) and â€Å"Science Fiction is distinguished by the narrative dominance or hegemony of a fictional novum (novelty, innovation) validated by cognitive logic† (Suvin 1979, p. 63). Considering these two definitions, it is possible to affirm then that the necessary and sufficient conditions to identify one science fiction work are: the presence of a ‘novum’ and the presence of a ‘cognitive logic’, the logical consistency which makes the ‘novum’ become part of our knowledge about real things. With this in mind, we can analyse the book The Handmaid’s Tale from Atwood. She clearly have classified this book as not being ‘science fiction’, however, it is easy to identify the ‘novum’ and also the ‘cognitive logic’ in her book. The ‘novum’ is represented by the whole system of political organization in the Republic of Gilead described on the book and the ‘cognitive logic’ is given by some similarities that can be noticed between our society and the society described on the book. In the same way, for the book of H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, we can also identify the ‘novum’, which is given by the Martians and their technology; and the ‘cognitive logic’, given by the similarities existing between both societies. Thus, it can be affirmed that both books The Handmaid’s Tale and The War of the World belongs to the genre ‘science fiction’, contradicting Atwood’s previous proposition. This proves that although Atwood’s book can be classified as ‘speculative fiction’, it truly belongs to ‘science fiction’, leading us to verify again that ‘speculative fiction’ is just one more subgenre of ‘science fiction’. It makes clear then that the division between ‘science’ and ‘speculative’ fiction is not useful and not justifiable. Secondly, it will be presented that Atwood’s definition of ‘speculative fiction’ is imprecise and also can be used to define as speculative fiction other books that were categorized as ‘science fiction’ by her. In order to illustrate these points, we will analyse Atwood (2011) definition about ‘speculative fiction’ as â€Å"things that really could happen but just hadn’t completely happened when the authors wrote the books.† This is a vague and inaccurate idea. It could encompass different definitions because the range of things that could really happen is highly dependent of each person’s  beliefs and ideas, what makes this definition extremely subjective. Also, with just a few exceptions, it is not possible to say for sure what is and what is not going to happen. Besides, Atwood even gives us another definition: Oryx and Crake is not science fiction. Science fiction is when you have chemicals and rockets. (Watts 2003, p. 3). Considering both definitions given by her, it could be understood that she considers rockets and chemicals as things that really could not happen, as they belong to science fiction. However, it is known that rockets and chemicals are not things impossible to happen, especially because nowadays we can see some examples of them. Both definitions become contradictory then. Considering her first definition, books about this theme would be classified as speculative fiction; however, she decided to use these two themes to exemplify ‘science fiction’. Atwood’s definitions about ‘speculative fiction’ are imprecise, therefore, what is the purpose in using an imprecise and cloudy definition? It is simply not useful to distinguish ‘science’ from ‘speculative fiction’ then. Thirdly, it will be presented that Atwood seems to reinforce this division specially because distinguishing ‘speculative fiction’ from ‘science fiction’ is convenient for her. Le Guin (2009) states that Atwood was trying to protect herself from negative connotations associated with science fiction and also â€Å"from being relegated to a genre still shunned by hidebound readers, reviewers and prize-awarders†. Considering Le Guin’s remarks, it is possible to observe that ‘science fiction’ was not a literary genre with considerable prestige in the intellectual audience. This could reduce her reputation on the high literary society. One possible reason for ‘science fiction’ being underestimated is that science fiction could be related to some works produced for mass audience like Star Trek and Dr Who and intellectuals would associate her books to these works. Then it would be interesting for her to dissociate the connecti on between her books and the genre ‘science fiction’ once it was not so appreciated by the intellectual audience. And this is also noticed by considering that some of her remarks about ‘science fiction’ contains irony, as she frequently uses clichà ©s to refer about it, such as ‘rockets’, ‘chemicals’, ‘blood-sucking Martians’, ‘talking squids in outer space’, and ‘skin-tight clothing’. Thus, it is possible to verify why Atwood reinforces the division between ‘speculative’ and ‘science’ fiction. And  considering her reasons we can see that they are not justifiable and strong enough to make the distinction between ‘speculative’ and ‘science fiction’ useful. Finally, this essay discussed a number of points in order to support the thesis that the distinction between ‘speculative’ and ‘science’ fiction is not useful. Firstly, it was stated that although it may be hard to define some literary genres it is noticeable that ‘speculative ficti on’ fits perfectly in most of definitions of science fiction, making it a subgenre only. Secondly, it was presented that Atwood’s definition about ‘speculative fiction’ is vague and could classify as ‘speculative fiction’ some books that she clearly classified as ‘science fiction’. Thirdly, it was discussed that is convenient for her to separate ‘speculative fiction’ from ‘science fiction’ since the genre of ‘science fiction’ was not so appreciated by reviewers and prize awarders and was associated to some mass audience works. She does not want to be linked to this image so she tries to put her works under a different literary classification. This point shows us clearly that there is no consistent and general reason for her to do the distinction. In conclusion, this essay illustrated that is not useful to distinguish between ‘science fiction’ and ‘speculative fiction’ and the reason for this was explained by all of the arguments stated previously. References Atwood, M 1985, The Handmaid’s Tale, Anchor Books, New York. Atwood, M 2011, In Other Worlds SF and the Human Imagination, Doubleday. Le Guin, U 2009, ‘The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood’, The Guardian, 29 August. Available at http://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/aug/29/margaret-atwood-year-of-flood Suvin, D 1979, Metamorphoses Of Science Fiction, Yale University Press, New Haven Watts, P 2003, ‘Margaret Atwood and the Hierarchy of Contempt’, On Spec, vol. 15, no. 2, summer, pp. 3-5. Wells, H 1898, The War of the World, New York Review Books, New York.

How Off Site Construction Construction Essay

How Off Site Construction Construction Essay This dissertation will discuss the effect of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and particularly the Off-Site Construction (OSC), on the building sector today, and how these methods will contribute to help and resolve social, financial, and environmental difficulties that facing the UK. Off-site construction is an application of modern methods of construction MMC where building sector meets the industrial sector, or by other word, a fusion between building and manufacturing. Off-site construction is where any of building components, or even a whole building, manufactured in factories away from the actual site where the building will be sited, or simply is where the construction site is different from the building site. Off-site construction has different terms, terms like (prefabrication, off-site assembly, factory assembly, pre-assembly, off-site manufacture, etc.). The term off-site construction is generally used nowadays to any part of the construction process that takes place in factories. Off-site construction is not new, in the 20th century specifically in the post wartime, off-site construction (that time the term used probably was factory assembly or prefabrication construction) were needed to replace rapidly buildings which were destroyed or damaged during the war, But due to the lack of technology and modern production techniques, development in lightweights, high-strength materials, and new modern methods of construction that today is available, it gained unfortunately negative significance. The time of the wheelbarrow is finished, announced Jean Prouvà © in 1947, echoing Le Corbusier.We need usinà ©es maisons, homes produced in the factories Since then, a further sixty years have passed: the manufacturing industry has come with story of success of the mechanization, has enhanced electronics and grafting. Today industrial automation and manufactures from shoes to personal computers, and from planes to crackers, all now machine-made, in Seattle as a small village in China. The building construction is still the same. With very few exceptions, the building remains largely an object made by hand with traditional techniques. And the only construction industry still relies to logical and largely pre-industrial processes. With known effects: low productivity, forecast time and cost much more random, exposed to all levels of quality and possibilities and approximations of production conditions are vary widely, backward technologies and unskilled work. Why choose off-site construction now? What is so different from the traditional way of construction? Why is sustainability constantly being brought up? Before I examine these points, I have to mention some important facts that have already occurred. Since the beginning of the century, it is increasingly being talked about and discussed, the world and its climate changing. United Nations ask for action on it. The world met in a summit in Copenhagen to discuss how they can resolve the raising temperature that might cause damages and risks to the global, and how to reduce energy and CO2 emission. Why I mentioned climate change and we are talking about off-site construction? The answer is surprisingly, buildings are responsible for about one third of global energy consumption and if we add the energy used for construction the amount can easily be increased to the half. All of this means that we need to build very efficient houses and in an efficient way, and thats can be achievable only by off-site construction. There is a severe accommodation shortage in the UK. The Government has announced plans for the construction of 200,000 new houses per year, but that target has never achieved yet. Off-site construction can help the accommodation industry to achieve that target where fast delivery is needed. Speedier delivery in construction is one of the potential advantages of off-site construction and research showed that it can reduce the time of construction process to the half because it takes place in a desirable condition away from the unpredictable weather that can affect and delay the process on-site. And research showed that it can reduce the time of construction process to the half because it takes place in a desirable condition away from the unpredictable weather, factory built accommodation. Offsite construction already features in the production of social accommodation.elderly.jpg Skill shortages in the UK construction industry are a severe problem. In 2001 the UK construction industry estimated it needed to train an extra 74,000 skilled workers every year for five years just to make up for the shortages of bricklayers, plumbers and electricians (Verbus System, 2006). In 2009, the chartered institute of building (CIOB) concluded a third research on skill shortages, and the result again showed that the construction industry is still suffering a skills shortage, which is likely to continue to be a challenge for the building sector. Off-site construction can play an important role to resolve this issue. The research showed, compared to more traditional techniques, off-site construction can reduce on-site labour requirements to less than a quarter. This result achieved from some work took place off-site. Off-site work involves different labour that is not under pressure as the on-site workforce. Off-site construction and modern methods of construction (MMC) can therefore make better use of scarce labour. 1.5 DISSERTATION STRUCTURE The dissertation consists of an introduction chapter, three main chapters and conclusion chapter; Chapter two discuss the advantages of off-site construction for the building sector, society, and the environment. The chapter also will discuss the conditions in order to gain the full advantages of off-site construction. Chapter three explain the types and forms of off-site construction, and where off-site construction takes place in the building and in the construction process. Off-site construction takes place in different areas of the building, so how off-site construction will incorporate with the mainstream construction process. Chapter four show and examine some of off-site construction case studies and in which type of building it takes place. CHAPTER TWO: ADVANTAGES OF OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION 2.1 INTRODUCTION Off-site construction, as I mentioned, is part of modern methods of construction (MMC) and is referred to as any of the components of the building built in a high quality controlled factories where they use advanced techniques to manufacture highly specialised doors, windows, stairs, wall panels, frame structure, and complete volumetric pods and then transport them to the location where it will be used and to be assembled on-site. Off-site construction has many advantages that are why nowadays there are more companies and contractors using this method rather than the traditional way of construction, even governments make more pressure to use this method to speed up housing delivery. Modern methods of construction can provide good quality homes with less on-site labour, in a shorter time, with at least the same building performance and at similar cost when compared to more established techniques. Off-site manufacturing and partnering processes increasingly play a part in solving todays problem of moving towards a sustainable housing industry. The advantages of off-site construction can be classified into two types; Business advantages, social environmental advantages Modern construction methods can produce important benefits for housing authorities and developers, not the least of which is the reduced emphasis on on-site activity. This is particularly important in a time of increasing demands on an already stretched labour force. As with any new way of doing things there are risks, but these can be mitigated through good project planning and management (Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, 2005). 2.2 ADVANTAGES Less time in construction process, cost predictability, higher quality,helping the society and the environment, resolving skilled labour shortage, reduce health safety risks,and helping the business the economy. These are key advantages of off-site construction. 2.2.1 Reduced construction time Business advantages give a huge encouragement to the contractors and designers to use more off-site construction components with their design and building processes. The greater speed of manufacturing and on-site assembling is an important factor for business gain. Earlier the delivery of the building means earlier the return of the investment. Modular construction for example, that is an off-site construction, is up to 40-60% quicker than traditional building methods. The predictability of the delivery also is very important for the financial calculation of the business in terms of cost and revenue. The manufacturing process of the components in quality controlled factories is nearly accurately estimated as well as the delivery to the site and the assembly operation. 2.2.2 Cost Predictability Cost-effectiveness is an important factor to show the difference between the off-site construction method and the conventional one. Approximately, around 80% of the construction costs are fixed within the first 20% of the design process. The graph below highlights the potential for cost reduction and alternatively the resistance to the cost of change during the project life. As the project progresses, the opportunities for implementing variation or change reduce and the consequent costs associated with these variations rise substantially, Where off-site production techniques are to be used, these should be introduced early in the process. While off-site construction has tended in the past to be more expensive than brick block, now is being reduced to the same level due to the innovation of more techniques and to the variety of the components, and these bringing even greater economies. 2.2.3 Superior Quality Off-site manufacture for building components significantly improves the quality and the efficiency of the building due to high standard of quality control and test. Buildings exceed requirements on sound and thermal insulation levels, so this means that are more sustainable. 2.2.4 Help the society and the environment Off-site construction has also can help the society and the environment. Millions of affordable homes are required to meet growing demand, and there is increasing pressure to further improve efficiency and sustainability performance during construction and throughout the lifetime of the buildings. Off-site construction is environmentally friendly if it is planned well from the early stages of design and by integrating all the supply chain together. Less energy is generally required to develop the modules or off-site manufactured components. With improved process control ,buildings are pre-engineered each exactly the same and so can be adapted for ease of tiling and this should lead to reduced levels of waste on site of up to 70% and subsequent costs. In addition, with improved control of materials flow, raw materials can be recycled rather than skipped as often happens on site. The advantage of using OSC methods related to the reduction of waste to landfill are that the material usage in the factory is reduced up to 90% by the  careful design and procurement of materials, reducing the  amount of waste generated  both on-site and off-site. Offsite manufacturing was identified as a key potential method for promoting sustainability within the construction industry. Sustainability is increased as sound and thermal insulation are improved. Reduced time on site means less disruption to neighbouring residents or businesses. 2.2.5Reducing reliance on skilled labour While there is a significant shortage of housing in the UK, and the government plans to build more accommodation houses, there is another problem facing to achieve these plans as well the building industry a whole which is the skills shortages bricklayers, plumbers and electricians. Off-site construction helps to build more houses by reducing reliance on increasingly scarce skilled labour by reducing the number of labour where semi-skilled factory labour can be used during the construction of modules. 2.2.6 Improve Health and safety Health and safety issue also give off-site construction an advantage, it has been proven to be a safer method of construction because there are fewer components involved than traditional methods and there is no need for high quantity of labour on-site for the assembly process. 2.2.7 Business integration and economy development Off-site construction helps to integrate the supply chain. When executed effectively, the off-site construction process involves key manufacturers and suppliers early in the feasibility and design stages of the project. This ensures that the specialist skills and knowledge of these key suppliers are embedded within the project and can influence the design and construction phases of the project. Where appropriate these key suppliers should be given ownership of the design and involved fully in the execution of delivery, storage and movements of materials and components. CHAPTER THREE: OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION! WHERE IT TAKES PLACE? 3.1Forms of off-site construction Off-site construction can take a number of forms. The form and extent of acceptance within the projects will depend on:the type of project: Is there a large proportion of duplication or replication? for example; in hotels and hostels, the type of client: Is the client a one-off or repeat client?, and the relationships and the arrangements between the project members. Off-site buildings and components systems range from small bolt-together sections to virtually complete buildings. Systems can be categorised as: Sub-assemblies Frames Panels (open or closed) Volumetric system Hybrids system 3.1.1 Sub-assemblies Sub-assemblies are the most traditional and widely used system in off-site manufacturing which is being used for many generations. Thistype of off-site construction can include elements using different type of materials such as concrete beams, block floors, and foundations. Prefabricated foundation systems can consist of precast, post-tensioned, concrete beams. Prefabricated beam installation in progress on piles. The beams can be omittedand modular structures can be installed to span directly onto piles and pile caps Photograph courtesy of Van Elle An additional examples for sub- assemblies systems are the glass reinforced plastic for chimneys, steel for curtain walling, and timber stairs. 3.1.2 Frames Framed structures, which are pre-assembled in factories, supply the structural support to buildings and are not something new feature in construction. Lightweight pre-assembled frames which can be delivered promptly to the site, speeding up the construction times for the main structural elements. The benefit of pre-assembled framed structures, that can help of reducing site cutting and the inaccuracies that can arise from it.Untitled-1.jpg Insulated steel frame building system Photograph courtesy of Fusion An example of framed structure is the steel frame module. Steel works in off-site construction are taking the most important part of the factory controlled construction due to the characteristics of the steel itself that can be shaped and moulded in any form; the result is light strong steel modules structures. The UK construction market is one of the most steel intensive in the world, with steel proving to be the material of choice for UK architects and structural engineers in the multi-storey building market. The 2007 Market Shares Survey figures show steel construction consistently takes in excess of 70 per cent over double the market share compared to when the survey was first carried out in the early 1980s.(Housebuilder Developer. 2008). The Steel Construction Institute has carried out a study of different construction projects using various levels of off-site steel construction technologies in busy urban sites. The goal of the study was to recognize the benefits of off-site construction relating to the reduction of the disruption caused to local residents by the construction operations. The study also aimed to quantify these benefits in terms of the reduction in dust, noise, vehicle circulation and the impact of site-generated waste on the environment. 3.1.3 Panels Panels are two dimensional frame that consist both the structural and the infill element, are sealed together on site. Example of panels are pre-assembled floor, wall, and roof panels. Using the right sealants are very important to gain the benefit of off-site manufactured panels in order to stand up the frames rapidly. The simplest form of off-site manufactured panel system is lightweight infill panels that are fixed to the structural frame, where the most complex form are the prefabricated sandwich panels which consist of both, the structural element, internal and external finishes. 3.1.4 Volumetric System Volumetric system is the frame and panel systems, and when the building is assembled and built from a series of volumetric steel or timber modules, connected together to form a room or groups of rooms to form complete structure. Modular construction is also a term used to refer the volumetric assemblies. While the foundations are being prepared under factory conditions, the modules are manufactured and finished (or partially finished) off-site, under factory conditions, then transported to the building site and assembled and connected to the foundations, then added the exterior cladding and the roof. Modular construction is more sustainable than traditional techniques because of the minimum foundations that required and because it is built under factory conditions, the modules are in better quality and defects are minimized. Modular construction uses the same techniques from the industrial sector but the result does not look like mass production product. Sophisticated modules and panels can be produced and can be easily customised by the clients requirements, and with new advanced techniques finishes: cladding and roofing, give the building its natural skin that suites the surrounding. 3.1.5 Hybrids System Plant rooms Plant room is a room or space in a building dedicated to the mechanical and electrical equipments and then they need an intensive labour. If plant rooms built off-site where there is cheaper labour, this can be more economically. Other advantage of plant rooms built in factory is if a project in time difficulties, always the installation of the services is squeezed, so using modular plant rooms certainly will help to avoid this problem. Using system-engineering principles, the resulting prototype has been developed principally for use in the construction of two and seven storey residential developments. It is a hybrid of frame and infill panels, the prototype enables construction in stick form, panels or 3D volumetric units, and works on the principle of a frame and infill system. The mainframe is hot-rolled steel and typically uses regular or square hollow sections with a width of 100mm for both columns and beams to provide a standard interface that can be in filled with floor and non-load bearing wall panels to complete the building. The prototype is based on currently available main components, which can be connected in a variety of ways to suit the individual project to allow flexibility in the level of work carried out off-site. Connections include innovative bolt connections to allow complete demountability, location systems and welded connections, all of which can be used in isolation or as part of a combined system. Bathrooms Pods Bathroom construction process can use Off-site construction technology, which in compare to the traditional way, would normally be carried out on-site. If we remove the construction process of the bathrooms to a controlled factory environment, bathrooms will become more ecological, functional, and with lower building costs. Bathrooms that we call them smart will also become more common with highly environmentally toilets and showers systems and with more advanced technology like tapes with sensors. The quality of bathrooms pods is far superior to the traditional on-site construction, more stylish, with high quality materials, and better for the environment in terms of a lower carbon footprint, lower levels of waste and reduced transportation of components. Bathroom pods are a very economically solution when it integrate with the whole construction process in large quantities such as; student accommodations, hotels, hostels, hospitals, and prisons.3.jpg Walker Modular CHAPTER FOUR: CASE STUDIES 4.1 British Land Ropemaker site, London Ropemaker is a commercial building for British Land, one of the UKs largest Real Estate Investment Trust. It is built in an eminent site in London. The 21 storey and three basement levels has 55,000 square metres net lettable space. The high profile building has impressive green certifications achievement including a BREEAM excellent rating. The development has been realised using off-site construction technologies in a large number of parts in the building. This study aimed to evaluate two products manufactured off-site; a modular walling system Podwall from Swift Horseman, and Technik flooring system supplied by Grants LTD. The research aimed to compare in deep analysis off-site construction techniques products to the traditional way of construction in terms of; waste on-site and off-site, resources needed on site, efficiency and productivity, cost, environmental impact analysis and end of life assessment, health and safety, and installation time. Features of the Podwall system (Swift Horsman. 2010) A flexible modular walling system incorporating finishes and services. All elements manufactured off site in a controlled environment. Innovative fit out solution providing high quality female, male, and disabled toilet units throughout the development. PODWALL research results Performance breakdown (man hours on site) Podwall saved approximately 40% to programme. Each floor at Ropemaker had an 11 week programme to install the Podwall (3 blocks per floor one ladies, one gentlemen and one disabled toilet), which would be equivalent to 15 ½ weeks for traditional fit out. Podwall waste Because the Podwall is manufactured off-site the waste on site is reduced. The largest proportion of waste generated is in the packaging, which ensures the product is protected between factory and site. Across the Ropemaker site a total of approximately 213m3 of waste was produced for all Podwall washrooms. Given the low levels of waste observed during the monitoring of the Podwall, traditional waste would considerably exceed the Podwall waste volumes. The percentage of materials recycled from Ropemaker frequently exceeds 85%. At Ropemaker the Podwall washroom package has a value of approximately  £6m, with 54 toilet blocks being delivered across 1969m2 The main differences in cost between the Podwall and the traditional system are in services installation and cubicles. This is because services are integrated off site into the walls and cubicles for the Podwall which explains the greater cost of these elements, whereas with traditional build the cost of installing services on site is higher. The traditional costs do not account for indirect costs such as the increased cost of waste and removal thereof and the increased programme time to install the traditional product. 4.2 Case Study: Bewdley High School and Sixth Form, Worcestershire This case study involves a school and sixth form building based in Bewdley, Worcestershire. A new building which can meet the needs and expectations of this school is to be proposed, designed and implemented. The requirements are said to be a building which offers flexibility for the school and its occupiers as well as being a low-energy solution. The changing needs of the school means space needs to be provided to accommodate the new influx of around 360 pupils. Yorkon manufacturers, who are based in the city of York, have created a two-storey high building at their off-site location. Due to the nature of the build taking place away at York as an off-site project, the building only took a mere 22 weeks to put together compared to an on-site project which would take longer. This new building has become a project now boasting a title as not only one of the most sustainable modular buildings within the UK, but offers heating via biomass fuel and holds a complex passive and low energy ventilation system. The building comprises of 60 steel-framed modules and has clear internal spans measuring up to 12m for space planning flexibility within. The parts were brought in using cranes and windows and partitions were put into place. The effectiveness of pre-installing the windows and partitions off-site show the efficiency and speed of this new phenomenon. It is a desired and sought after concept to still incorporate off-site construction into the regular and more traditional building techniques. The fact the building has integrated off-site technology into its production whilst still being themed around a conventional and traditional design for a drama and dance studio, ultimately shows the two somewhat diverse approaches to construction working in harmony together. The building comprises a 12 classroom facility which may accommodate the schools Modern Languages, Humanities as well as English Departments. Furthermore, a designated creative-area is also catered for within the design concept as well as an area for an administrative centre. Its design features boast central-heating fuelled by biomass fuel thus being environmentally friendly by minimising harmful carbon emissions. Not only this, but the new building can offer all timber cladding from sources that are confirmed sustainable, a highly-glazed activity studio offering a plentiful amount of natural light and an appealing bespoke roof structure thats pleasing to the eye. Looking further into the buildings design concept in offering a complex passive ventilation system, we can see that the clever idea of well-ventilated rooms provide a more comforting area for study and teaching. This additional air-flow is thus providing better concentration and performance for all those working within the new building. This is achieved through something recognised as passive air-stacking. The sensors installed are there to monitor levels of both carbon dioxide as well as temperature. This enables fresher air to be drawn in accordingly when detected as too low. This is fed diagonally over radiators which prevent the possibility of unwelcome cold draughts. Any stale air from the room is passed out from the room via high capacity discharge terminals found on the roof. This ultimately creates a continuous regulation of new air flow replacing older air providing optimum air composition levels in each room. Professionals working at Yorkon have expressed their views in using off-site construction in this project amongst others. They voiced that the main decision to go for off-site production was speed in completing the project which was highly important in making sure the facility would be ready on time for the new quantity of pupils to be joining the school. Furthermore, Yorkon is keen to be recognised as a reputable name in supplying superior quality along with an eye for sophisticated and precise detail in the designs and bringing revolutionary new techniques to building which can change attitudes towards regular modular construction. This is all despite any challenging timescale. Yorkonis adamant their team has provided the required building which can boast quality, bespoke elements and flexibility along with highly favoured low energy, environmentally friendly and speedy results. (The new building has provided us with spacious accommodation and room sizes that are appropriate for our learning and teaching needs. It is visually pleasing from the outside and fits in well with the locality. Our students have been impressed with the design of the building and it has helped to develop a strong sense of pride in our school and working environment. The modular approach is a very good method of construction for schools as it limits the disruption to learning because of the speed of assembly. The building will be easy to expand and the design is sufficiently flexible to meet the changing needs of our students and curriculum development.-Julie Reilly, Head Teacher and Sixth Form centre.) 4.3 Case Study-Emergency Assessment Unit, University Hospital of North Tees. In this case study we are looking at the new revolutionary building which was designed to fulfil the needs of Interserve Project Services/North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. The building will be located at the University Hospital of North Tees. The purpose-designed and built Emergency Assessment Unit has been required in order to reduce waiting times for much demanded emergency treatment. This is something the Government has planned as to drive down waiting times for patients. The amount of beds are needed to be increased at the Stockton site as well as the site needing to be able to provide a service to those needing emergency surgical care, based centrally on location rather than some distance away. The unit has promised to feature up-to-date emergency care and include specialist staff who can deal quickly and efficiently with a high number of patients thus increasing patient turnover. The solution to these needs was met through a  £2.8m Procure 21 project which was awarded to Yorkon manufacturers, based in York, by Interserve Project Services. Off-site construction and the installing of a 42-bed Emergency Assessment Unit was the aim for the new building as its production. The building included 42 steel-framed modules manufactured off-site at York and installed on-site in as little as a few days. Disruption was therefore limited and patients could rest unaware of any commotion. The 1,710m square single storey extension to the pre-existing department was astonishingly and impressively erected in just over six months from beginning to end. The building also can boast a full range of modern well-equipped facilities for any acute medical emergencies. Features are listed as including four-bed wards, single en-suite bedrooms, an isolation ward, high-dependency beds, consulting rooms, ward managers office, waiting area, Quiet room, staff changing facilities and rest room and also an interview room. Incorporated into the design were roof lights to increase any natural light in the centre of the unit and furthermore holds latest technology equipment. The installation of workstations are readily available and can be used at a patients bedside. This building proudly boasts to be one of the first units in the country to offer an electronic information board too. Looking to the comments of professionals working within the construction of this new high-tech building, we can see the positive influence of off-site technology in providing rapid, quality solutions to much needy clients

My Great-grandmother Was Not A Person :: essays research papers

My Great-Grandmother was not a Person My Great-Grandmother was not a person. Neither was yours. Up until about 67 years ago no females were. We were supposed to be pregnant and barefoot in the kitchen. At least that's the perception that the laws enforced. (For ex: The Election Act of the Dominion of Canada and The Common Law of England) As part of the British Commonwealth many of our laws were the same as England's and enforced by British parliament. One such law from the Common Law of England stated that "A woman is not a person in matters of rights and privileges, but she is a person in matters of pains and penalties." This gave women second class citizenship. Women were not recognized as equals to men, even though the expectations of women were such that the work load was equal if not greater. As pioneer women we built homes, raised families, maintained the homestead, hunted food, fought natives, made clothes, cooked, cleaned, as well as the many manual labour jobs that men held. For example, women worked in coal mines, armories, and aided the war effort via the manufacturing industry, such as factorys. If this is what is determeined as equality then women were getting the short end of the stick and men were receiving all of the benifit. This perception still holds strong today, although not as strongly. Men said that women were to fragile to vote. Yet no man has ever experienced labor pains. Furthermore no man has fought any battle that was as hard as the one the famous five women have fought. The Election Act of the Dominion of Canada states that "No woman, idiot, lunatic, or criminal shall vote." So women are equal to criminals? It's not a crime to be a woman. We should not be judged by our sex. On April 19, 1916 women in Alberta were granted the right to vote. A small battle was won. Five Canadian women have conquered countries and nations for their rights. When questionning the wording of "qualified persons to the senate" the Supreme Court of Canada rejected that the word "persons" included women. This battle was lost but the war was won when the Privy Council of England (the highest court in the land) ruled that the word "persons" included women. That was the 18th of October, 1929. The famous five women are: Irene Perlby, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, and Emily Murphy. These women have fought a battle of sexism that is of historic importance. Millions of women in Canada have these

Georg Ohm

Georg Simon Ohm was born on March 16th, 1789. He died on July 6th, 1854. He was a German physicist. As a high school teacher, Ohm began his research with the recently invented electrochemical cell [ (Unknown. ) ] Using his own equipment, Ohm determined that there is a connection between the electrical forces (voltage) applied across a conductor and the resultant electric current. This known as Ohm’s law, which is named after him. Ohm was born in Erlangen, Bavaria. His parents were Johann Wolfgang Ohm and Maria Elizabeth Beck. They were Protestants. Although his parents were not really educated, Ohm's father educated himself enough to have Ohm home schooled. His mother died when he was ten. From early childhood, Georg and his brother Martin, a well-known mathematician, were both taught by their father in math, physic, and chemistry. Georg Simon attended Erlangen Gymnasium from age eleven to fifteen (Unknown. ) His father, concerned that his son was wasting the educational opportunity, sent Ohm to Switzerland. Then in September 1806, he started as a math teacher (Britannica. Karl Christian van Langsdorf left the University of Erlangen in early 1809 to go to the University of Heidelberg. Ohm wanted to go with him to Heidelberg to restart his math studies. Langsdorf told Ohm to continue with his studies of mathematics on his own. Rather reluctantly Ohm took his advice but he left his teaching post in Gottstadt bei Nydau in March 1809 to become a private tutor in Neuchatel. For two years he carried out his duties as a tutor while he followed Langsdorf's advice and continued his private study of mathematics. Then in April 1811 he returned to the University of Erlangen. His studies had stood him in good position for his receiving a doctorate from Erlangen on 25 October 1811 and immediately joined the staff as a mathematics lecturer. After three semesters Ohm gave up his university post because of unpromising prospects while he couldn't make both ends meet with the lecturing post. The Bavarian government offered him a post as a teacher of mathematics and physics at a poor quality school in Bamberg and he took up the post there in January 1813. Feeling unhappy with his job, Georg devoted to writing an elementary book on Geometry as a way to prove his true ability. The school was then closed down in February 1816. The Bavarian government sent him to an overcrowded school in Bamberg to help out with the mathematics teaching. After that, he sent the manuscript to King Wilhelm III of Prussia upon its completion. The King was satisfied with Georg's work and he offered Ohm a position at a Jesuit Gymnasium of Cologne on 11 September 1817. Thanks to the school's reputation for science education, Ohm found himself required to teach physics as well as mathematics. Luckily, the physics lab was well-equipped, so Ohm devoted himself to experimenting on physics. Being the son of a locksmith, Georg had some practical experience with mechanical equipment. He published Die galvanishe Kette, mathematisch bearbeitet in 1827, which in English is The Galvanic Circuit Investigated Mathematically. Cologne's Jesuit College did not laud his work and Ohm resigned his professorial position there and instead applied to and was employed by the Polytechnic school of Nuremberg. He came to the polytechnic school of Nuremberg in 1833, and in 1852 became professor of experimental physics in the university of Munich, where he later died. He is buried in the Alter Sudfriedhof in Munich.