The Impacts of Dams on the Hydrologic Regime

The earliest remains of dams that archaeologists have unearthed date back to around 5000 A.D.They were constructed as part of a domestic water supply system for the ancient town of Jawa in Jordan. Over the next few millennia, the building of dams for water retention spread throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Southern Asia, China, and Central America. Later, as technologies increased and industrialization took hold in Europe, dam mechanisms advanced to incorporate watermills. With the advent of the water turbine in 1832 and developments in electrical engineering, the first hydropower plant began running in Wisconsin in 1882 (IRN n. pag.). Over the next few decades, while structural engineering techniques improved, dams multiplied in size, strength, and numbers worldwide. Today, although the construction of new dams is halting ( albeit with less vigor in underdeveloped countries) (de Villiers 146; Pielou 206), they are still being built around the globe for a multitude of social and economical reasons: flood control, hydroelectric power production, river navigation, irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, emergency water reservation, tourism, and flat-water recreation (e.g., NPDP n. pag.; Trout Unlimited 11). For all the benefits that dams provide, however, there are adverse effects and concerns that arise from manipulating the environment in such an unnatural manner. Impacts of Dams on the Hydrologic Regime Dams are ultimately created as a water reservoir. This impounding of water impedes the circulation of a river and subsequently changes the hydrology and ecology of the river system and its contiguous environments. Behind a dam, the rise in water level submerges the landscape; often displacing people and engorging culturally valuable ruins. Furthermore, biodiversity of the region is constrained by the destruction of vegetation and loss or extinction of wildlife (Power et al. 887-895). In essence, both the aquatic and land-based ecosystems are damaged by the advent of a dam (Pielou 209). Upstream of the barricade, the once flowing water that housed the riverine habitat becomes still, oxygen depleted, deepens into darkness, temperature stratified, and susceptible to enhanced evaporation which adjusts the entire hydrologic cycle (e.g., Pielou 207, 210; Ocean Planet n. pag.; Leopold 157). Moreover, drowned vegetation in the stagnant water is subject to rotting and may thereby pollute the atmosphere and reservoir with methane and carbon dioxide (Leopold 158; Pielou 208). Another change in the water chemistry that alters many river-based systems is the inclusion of heavy metals (and minerals) such as methyl mercury due to reactions between the reservoir bed and the standing water (Pielou 114, 207). If undetected, these toxins may bioaccumulate by moving through the trophic levels of the food web, eventually reaching humans. Aside from the changes in the chemical constituencies of the water, a dam will also physically augment the river by modifying the shape of the channel. This is primarily due to the retention of sediments behind the dam wall. Water that was once entrained with silts has the increased erosive power to degrade the riverbanks downstream while upstream, the deposition process is shallowing and narrowing the river reaches (e.g., Moffat 1116; Pielou 210). These alterations in channel shape can also shift the elevation of the groundwater table and can amplify the severity of the floods that the dams may have been built to prevent (de Villiers 155-56; PCFFA n. pag.). The silting process, though, can have other effects on riverine environments. With the deprivation of sediments, valuable nutrients are withheld from the floodplains and the delta of the river. Ultimately, agricultural land suffers from fertility loss and coastlines recede (e.g., DRIIA n. pag.; Pielou 212). In addition to the above noted deterioration of wetland environs, major fish spawning and nursing grounds are harmed by the lack of continual silt and gravel replenishment (e.g., Chambers n. pag.). Fish species, nevertheless, are not simply affected by the decreased deposition that occurs below a dam. These, and other aquatic based biota adapted to the natural pulsations of seasonal flooding, can be strained by the regulation of stream flow afforded by a dam (Pielou 145; Leopold 156). Furthermore, moderating the flow may actually retard the entire regime of the river by delaying spring break-up (Pielou 212). Apart from the precipitous effects on the hydrologic cycle and river-based ecosystems thus far noted, there are an extensive number of further reasons to remove a dam. Briefly, a few of these are (Ocean Planet n. pag.; Pielou 208-09; Trout Unlimited 17; Leopold 156): Æ’x the restoration of anadromous fish migration and subsequent reliant fisheries Æ’x ameliorate conditions associated with damming which promote epidemics such as bilharzia and milaria Æ’x damming has accelerated the rate of earth ¡s rotation, displaced the axis of the earth, changed the shape of earth ¡s magnetic field, increased the occurrence of seismic events, and influenced sea level changes Æ’x dam removal has been shown to improve recreation, tourism, and aesthetics to the associated riverside communities Æ’x amend the river and groundwater quality Yet for all of the reasons that a dam may be removed, it is often economic and, in part, safety purposes that prompts the decommissioning of a dam. Whether the reservoir has filled with silt, wear-and-tear has taken its toll, or the dam has become obsolete, the benefit of removal may outweigh the cost of maintaining dam operation (PCFFA n. pag.). Consequences Associated with Dam Removal: A Case Study of the Elwha River Early in the 20th century, two hydroelectric dams were built on the Elwha River within the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. The Elwha Dam, the first to be constructed (1910), created the Lake Aldwell reservoir 4.9 miles from the mouth of the Elwha river [fig. 1]. Respectively, 8.5 miles upstream, Lake Mills is contained by the Glines Canyon Dam (1926). Despite their continued success as a viable resource for Bonneville Power Administration (Meyer n. pag.), the existence and utilization of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams causes detrimental besetment for the ecosystem and native anadromous fish populations of the Elwha River basin (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1995, n. pag.). Thus, per restitution stipulations, the 1992 Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act (the Elwha Act) authorized the Secretary of the Interior to appropriate the two dams (e.g., Winter n. pag.). Measures to remove the dams will be undertaken as sanctioned from the Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIS) that followed in 1995. Fig. 1. Map of the Elwha River, Clallam County, Olympic Peninsula, Washington. (Olympic National Park n. pag.) In an effort to remove the dams in a  ¡Ã‚ §safe, environmentally sound and cost effective manner ¡ (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Apr. 1996, n. pag.), various procedural alternatives are being considered prior to the implementation of the scheduled 2004 deconstruction. Under the River Erosion alternative, which is the proposed action, the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams would be incrementally removed in succession over a two year period with the controlled regulation of natural sediment erosion (e.g., U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Aug. 1996, n. pag.). A dredge and slurry system, a further method of sediment disposal, is an action alternative that has also been analyzed by the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Team (e.g., U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Apr. 1996, n. pag.). Between the inauguration of the Elwha River dams and 1994, it is estimated that 17.7 million cubic yards of sediments has become trapped in the Lake Aldwell and Lake Mills reservoirs (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Aug. 1996, n. pag.). Of that total deposition, some 4.8 to 5.6 million cubic yards of fine-grained alluvium (silts and clays less than 0.075 m in diameter) and 1.2 to 2.6 million cubic yards of coarse grained sediments (sands, gravels, and cobbles greater than 0.075 mm in diameter) will be reintroduced into the Elwha River system through the proposed action (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Apr. 1996, n. pag.; U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Aug. 1996, n. pag.). In comparison, approximately 6.9 million cubic yards of the fine-grained sediments stand to be directly pumped via a pipeline into the Strait of Juan de Fuca if the dredge and Slurry alternative is undertaken (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Aug. 1996, n. pag.). Incremental removal of the dams will be the primary regulation on the rate of sediment withdrawal and will partially effect the resulting term of biological and physical impacts felt on downstream reaches of the Elwha River (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Aug. 1996, n. pag.). An increase of alluvium transport will renew the natural sediment distribution and hydrological flow patterns to their pre-dam character while new channels and wetland habitats will be created in the freshly drained areas (Foster Wheeler 17). Aggradation of stream load materials will be most prominent in the low-lying and less circulating shoals, including a revitalization of the Ediz Hook [fig. 1] and estuarine beaches (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Aug. 1996, n. pag.). In response to these raised river beds, water elevations are expected to rise, thereby threatening the resources that fall within the 100-year floodplain (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Apr. 1996, n. pag.). Surface water quality is likely to be hampered for two to six years after dam abstraction as turbidity, suspended sediments and dissolved solids flow through the system. Furthermore, water temperatures, dissolved oxygen concentrations, and pH levels will be affected for the interim of dam removal (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Apr. 1996, n. pag.). Turbidity, in turn, will be the chief cause of groundwater contamination by infiltration into underlying foundations or well and septic systems (removal (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Apr. 1996, n. pag.). The implementation of either the Proposed Action or Dredge and Slurry alternatives will also impact the native anadromous (indigenious?) and resident populations on the Elwha River. The high sediment regimes, especially those of the River Erosion Alternative (the proposed action), will encumber the migrating fish over the deconstruction process. However in the long term, runs will improve with the staged delayed of dam destruction, fisheries management (including the supplementation fish stocks through hatchery intervention), unrestricted passage up the full stretch of the Elwha River, and the formation of quality spawning grounds and rearing habitats from the released sediments (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Aug. 1996, n. pag.). (steph, this last paragraph seems akward) Moreover, apart from the obvious economic profits of salmon run restoration, the heightened decomposition of dead fish after spawning will significantly enrich nutrients cycling through the riparian area (Munn et al. n. pag.). Magnified numbers of anadromous fish will, too, eventually increase the biotic diversity down the length of the Elwha Basin. In the future wildlife will be drawn to the decaying remains of dead fish and their young even though the immediate disturbances during the removal period may ward off certain animals (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Apr. 1996, n. pag.). Vegetation and marine organisms will benefit from the circulation of organic remains; those primarily adapted to sandy substrates will flourish after the initial strain of post-dam sediment conditions (Winter, 2000, n. pag.; U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Aug. 1996, n. pag.). Prospective temporary consequences to the environment will also include air, traffic, and noise pollution in conjunction with dam destruction and debris conveyance (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Apr. 1996, n. pag.). This Elwha River case study exemplifies the foremost probable impacts on the hydrologic cycle and the environmental ecosystems which it encompasses. Successful removal of a dam can, in the end, rehabilitate a region to its natural state. Recovery, however, is not without adverse consequences to the existing regimes and full restoration may take many years.

Student Leader Speech

Make it sound very persuasive. You need to make it seem like you are perfect for the job and have very formal. Practice it over again and again until you have perfect. Emphasize with italics at some parts, so if you're reading it aloud you can say it like that, and, if someone is reading it, they will know you're putting your voice in it†¦ Talk about issues concerning your school. Actual issues. Say why it is important to you and how you can make things better and jazz it all up. Find out from classmates what they really think the issues is. The point is to get people to listen to YOU and YOU only.You've got to be the center of attention when you're talking. Don't just read from the paper. Eye contact with many of who you're reading it to. It shows your dedicated and willing to go far. Tell your strengths. â€Å"I'd be good as Vice President of Student Council because†¦ (example) I'm a great leader, I have really great characteristics for it. I listen to the issues that my peers think should be brought up to the school. I want to make a difference so that I can make school a more enjoyable place. † Don't put ANYTHING down or bad about you in your speech.AT ALL. If you had something like â€Å"I'm a good worker but I tend not to listen well† then, I'm sorry, but you are out. Instead, say â€Å"I'm a good worker. † It shows up a lot better. Now, I know you asked for a main topic, so find out what the issues are in your school that are important to your peers AND some teachers. Once you have that, you can go straight from there. If you are really desperate and in need for a topic, write about this: â€Å"How I can make our school a better place and more enjoyable for everyone. † Just go from there, and good luck

Long-term performance of IPOs: Evidence from Singapore Market

Introduction Stock markets are a key part of the capitalistic economic system as they bring together those in need of capital and those with surplus capital to invest. Initial public offerings of companies whose share capital had previously been privately held provides just such an opportunity. The IPO process entails due diligence and pricing by underwriters, after which they underwrite the issue and sell it to investors in the primary market. Following the IPO, the company’s shares trade in the secondary market until the company is shut down or is merged with another company or is acquired. In addition to IPOs, companies which are already public can also participate in capital raising by undertaking secondary stock offerings which investors can use as investment vehicles to increase returns on their portfolios. Traditional finance theory recommends individual investors to adopt a buy-and-hold strategy for investments in the stock market, since they are unable to time the market, and since the efficient market hypothesis suggests that all available information is immediately incorporated in stock prices. A question this raises is whether long-term buy-and-hold a profitable investment strategy in the initial public offerings (IPOs) asset class for individual investorsAccording to the bulk of literature on this subject, the answer is no. However, there are variations in the results depending upon how the comparison index is selected and what market is being studied. Investors may also be able to select a winning portfolio of buy-and-hold IPO investments if they are successfully able to predict what factors lead to strong or weak price performance in the IPO universe. This study attempts to collect previous research on the subject and apply the learning to the Singapore market. One objective wo uld be to identify ex-post which factors led to IPO success. Indirectly, it may help investors reduce risk and earn strong returns while devising ex-ante investment strategies as well. Organization First this study will review the existing literature on the subject and summarize its conclusions. Then it will use the statistical methods used by prominent studies such as Loughran and Ritter (1995) to calculate whether IPOs have underperformed the market in Singapore. The study will also collect what other papers have identified as sources of high performance within the universe of IPOs and see whether these results hold in IPOs in Singapore as well. Some of these factors include high percentage of institutional ownership, venture backing, industry and age of the company at IPO. Problem Statement Equity investors are constantly looking to maximize their risk-adjusted returns by investing in various asset classes in financial markets. The results from the literature lead to the conclusion that a strategy of buy-and-hold investments in IPOs underperforms the market on average. What would be interesting and useful would be to see whether a subset of IPOs can be identified where this result does not hold and where a different version of the strategy can be shown to produce a higher return for investors than the index or benchmark portfolio. Research Objectives The objective of the research is to study performance of Singapore listed IPOs using factors which have been identified in academic literature as having effect on IPO performance, including: percentage of institutional ownership venture backing reputation of the underwriter industry age of the company at IPO legal and institutional environment The ultimate objective is to see whether factors can be identified that lead to recommendation of alternative investment strategies which perform better than buy-and-hold of IPOs for a multiple year holding period. Proposal Structure IPOs listed on the Singapore stock exchange during the five year period of 2000 – 2004 would initially be identified. Subsequently, 3-year, 5-year and 10-year buy-and-hold returns of these portfolios would be calculated and compared to returns over the same period by a stock exchange index such as the Strait Times Index (STI). Another method for comparing results to market could be the selection and composition of a matching portfolio which would be used to compare underperformance or overperformance over the holding period. To create a matching portfolio, a similar sized public company that did not issue equity for five years prior to the IPO date would have to be selected for each IPO company. The return on the matching portfolio would be compared to the return on the IPO portfolio as per Loughran and Ritter (1995). It will be assumed that investors would purchase shares in the secondary market and none of them would be lucky enough to be allocated shares by the underwriter at the offering price. Literature Review Underperformance of IPOs relative to market indices has been studied extensively in academic literature. One series of articles examines the degree of underperformance of IPOs relative to market indices and asks what factors could cause such underperformance. Factors typically examined include size of the IPO, the company’s industry, whether the company is venture backed or not, the degree of institutional holdings, age of the company at IPO, quality of the underwriter and the institutional and legal environment of the company. Another string of literature looks at empirical evidence of underperformance in different markets, including the US, several European countries including Germany (Stehle, Ehrhardt & Przyborowsky, 2000), Switzerland and Greece and several developing Asian markets such as Malaysia, Taiwan and China. Most of these studies take time series data of IPOs during a given period of time. Then they look at nominal buy-and-hold returns over 3 or 5 years, typically without assuming any portfolio rebalancing, though as shown by Brav and Gompers (1997), the results hold even if portfolio rebalancing is introduced. The returns of individual IPOs are compared with results of an industry index such as S&P 500, Nasdaq or NYSE, or with an industry benchmark portfolio (value weighted or equally weighted). The typical pattern of IPO returns that emerges is the following: After a period of strong performance following an IPO, the stock starts to underperform the market index. This period of poor performance lasts for several years. The length of the period of initial strong performance lasts up to several months, depending on whether or not the stock market is in a bullish state. Ritter (1991) examines both underpricing of IPOs and their underperformance. Underpricing is a phenomenon in which investment banks taking a company public, and wanting to manage their own risk, keep offer price low in order to build a strong deal book and to keep market participants incentivized for participation in the offering. This is reflected in the fact that on average there is a 16.4% gain from the offering price to the closing price on the first day. In addition, the author believes the IPOs appear to be overpriced when 3-year IPO returns are compared to 3-year returns for comparable firms matched by size and industry. In a sample of 1526 common stock IPOs between 1975 and 1984, IPOs produced a return of 34.47% and seasoned offerings produced a return of 61.86%, 3-years after going public. Upon careful examination of the sample, the author concludes that the cause of the underperformance are those small IPOs that benefit in the short-run due to optimistic market conditions, but which are not able to establish themselves in the long-run. Loughran and Ritter (1995) find that all issues, both IPO and secondary, offered during 1970 to 1990 produced poor long-term returns for investors. Using a strategy of 5-year buy and hold investing would have produced a result of only 5% per annum for IPOs and 7% per annum for secondary offerings. The authors highlight an important observation for potential underperformance by secondary offerings (SEOs) – most public companies opt for secondary offerings following high return periods in the market; thus their subsequent underperformance may simply be linked to eventual reversion of returns to their long-term averages. In order to judge the performance of secondary offerings, for each issuing firm the study choose a non-issuing matching firm that is similar in size and has not issued equity in the previous 5 years. The authors calculate wealth relatives for each year as the ratio of end-of-period wealth from holding a portfolio of matching firms with the same starting market capitalization. The ratio is below 1 in most years indicating that investors would have been better off investing in buy-and-hold strategy in non-issuing firms. The authors conclude that it is not advisable for investors to invest in shares of companies issuing stock. Instead investors would be able to generate the same return with 44% less capital if they simply invested in similar size non-issuing companies for the same holding period. The results in Loughran and Ritter (1995) do not control for industry since it is often difficult to find matching companies in the industry which also share similar size. According to a study by Spiess and Afflect-Greaves (1995) nearly one-third of the long-run underperformance of secondary offerings comes from industry effect. Another potential explanation for why this happens is offered by Lerner (1994) – firms which are not yet ready to grow cashflows consistently sometimes take advantage of the IPO window during bull markets and other periods of market exuberance, only to then suffer from poor market performance when cashflows do not keep pace with market expectations (Clark, 2002; Ljungqvist, Nanda & Singh, 2006). If long-term IPO returns are infact so dismal, why do investors keep buying IPOs during all market cyclesAn insight into the solution is provided by Field (1995). The author analyzes the impact of the extent of institutional shareholding on long-term IPO performance and concludes that IPO having large holdings by institutions earn significantly higher long-term returns than those with low institutional holdings. Institutional holdings also differ substantially between industries. In fact, the latter category often fails to achieve even the risk-free rate of return available to bondholders. The author concludes that there are groups of IPOs which do not experience poor long-term performance, though they may be identifiable ex-ante. Other authors also identify factors that can lead groups of IPOs to have relatively strong performance. For example, Michaely and Shaw (1994) identify reputation of underwriter as one of the factors that is directly related to IPO return. Brav and Gompers (1997) find that venture backed IPOs outperformed non-venture backed IPOs significantly. The 5-year buy-and-hold return for venture backed IPOs was 44.6% while the equivalent figure for non-venture backed IPOs was 22.5%. These results were calculated based on equally weighting of components in an index, whereas if the index is value weighted then these differences are significantly reduced. The authors believe that their results might have inspired by the fact that venture backed companies tend to be those which are in growth industries and are at an early stage of their development cycle. Such companies are likely to have many good investment opportunities. The authors also find that underperformance resides primarily in small, non -venture backed IPOs. Qualitatively similar results are also provided by Bessler and Seim (2011) who study European venture backed IPOs. Turning to the second string of literature which deals with tests of IPO underperformance in different geographies, it appears that this phenomenon holds in both developed and less developed markets. While, the original hypothesis was formulated for the U.S. market, it holds to various degrees in most markets. Thomadakis, Nounis and Gounopoulous (2012) study performance of 254 IPOs during the 1994 – 2002 period. They find that the period of initial overperformance in Greece lasts longer than it does in western markets. While IPOs outperform the market in the first two years, by the third year underperformance sets in. The authors attribute this to longer ‘hot’ periods in the Greek market than in more developed western markets. In a study on the same subject in Taiwan, Wen and Cao (2013) find that IPOs perform as well as matching reference portfolios in the first year of trading and then start to underperform that portfolio. Drobetz, Kammerman and Walchli (2005) examine the same in the Swiss market. They find that while underperformance holds, it is much weaker than is suggested by equivalent tests from the US market. Chan, Wei and Wang (2001) find practically no underperformance of class A and B shares, though there is significantly higher underpricing of Class A shares compared to other markets. In another study on the Chinese stock market, Chi and Padgett (2002) find strong performance of Chinese Privatization IPOs, which the authors attribute to government ownership, offering size and belonging to the high tech industry. Reference List Ahmad?Zaluki, N. A., Campbell, K., & Goodacre, A. 2007. The long run share price performance of Malaysian initial public offerings (IPOs). Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 34(1?2), 78-110. Bessler, W., & Seim, M. 2011. European Venture-backed IPOs: An Empirical Analysis. Brav, A., & Gompers, P. A. 1997. Myth or RealityThe Long?Run Underperformance of Initial Public Offerings: Evidence from Venture and Nonventure Capital?Backed Companies. The Journal of Finance, 52(5), 1791-1821. Chan, K., Wang, J., & Wei, K. C. 2004. Underpricing and long-term performance of IPOs in China. Journal of Corporate Finance, 10(3), 409-430. Chi, J., & Padgett, C. 2005. The performance and long-run characteristics of the Chinese IPO Market. Pacific Economic Review, 10(4), 451-469. Clark, D. T. 2002. A Study of the Relationship Between Firm Age?at?IPO and Aftermarket Stock Performance. Financial Markets, Institutions & Instruments,11(4), 385-400. Drobetz, W., Kammermann, M., & Walchli, U. 2005. Long-Term Performance of Initial Public Offerings: The Evidence for Switzerland. Schmalenbach Business Review, 57, 253-275. Espenlaub, S., Gregory, A., & Tonks, I. 2000. Re?assessing the long?term underperformance of UK Initial Public Offerings. European Financial Management, 6(3), 319-342. Field, L. C. 1995. Is institutional investment in initial public offerings related to long-run performance of these firmsFinance. Lerner, J. 1994. Venture capitalists and the decision to go public. Journal of Financial Economics 35, 293 – 316. Ljungqvist, A., Nanda, V., & Singh, R. 2006. Hot Markets, Investor Sentiment, and IPO Pricing*. The Journal of Business, 79(4), 1667-1702. Loughran, T., & Ritter, J. R. 1995. The new issues puzzle. The Journal of Finance, 50(1), 23-51. Michaely, R., & Shaw, W. H. 1994. The pricing of initial public offerings: Tests of adverse-selection and signaling theories. Review of Financial studies, 7(2), 279-319. Ritter, J. R. 1991. The long?run performance of initial public offerings. The journal of finance, 46(1), 3-27. Ritter, J. R. 2003. Differences between European and American IPO markets. European Financial Management, 9(4), 421-434. Schultz, P. 2003. Pseudo market timing and the long?run underperformance of IPOs. the Journal of Finance, 58(2), 483-518. Spiess, D. K., & Affleck-Graves, J. 1995. Underperformance in long-run stock returns following seasoned equity offerings. Journal of Financial Economics, 38(3), 243-267. Stehle, R., Ehrhardt, O., & Przyborowsky, R. 2000. Long?run stock performance of German initial public offerings and seasoned equity issues.European Financial Management, 6(2), 173-196. Teoh, S. H., Welch, I., & Wong, T. J. 1998. Earnings management and the long?run market performance of initial public offerings. The Journal of Finance, 53(6), 1935-1974. Thomadakis, S., Nounis, C., & Gounopoulos, D. 2012. Long?term Performance of Greek IPOs. European Financial Management, 18(1), 117-141. Wen, Y. F., & Cao, M. H. 2013. Short-run and long-run performance of IPOs: evidence from Taiwan stock market. Finance and Accounting, 1(2), 32-40.

Modern and Avant-garde art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Modern and Avant-garde art - Essay Example The term avant-garde is refers to vanguard or advance guard, meaning works that are innovative or experimental or innovative with respect to politics, art and culture. Avant-garde involves going beyond the boundaries of what is generally accepted as a norm in a society or the status quo mainly in the cultural realm. Since the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, performance and art have undergone significant transformations as a result of the avant-garde practice. The term modern in respect to the avant-garde practice in art and performance around these times denotes the activities, and visible and transformational results of people who felt that traditional forms of art and performance were becoming outdated. In the 1980s, there was an assertion that it was relevant to entirely reject previous norms. The society was supposed to desist from revisiting the past knowledge by relating them to current techniques. Like other aspects of like physics, art and performance als o witnessed growing movement in line with this ideology. The result of this is that in the first fifteen years of the 20th century, many artists, thinkers and, writers managed to break with the traditional ways of organizing painting, music, literature and painting. Cranestates that Avant-garde writers who saw themselves as being modernized abandoned bourgeois values and begun bothering their readers with new styles and forms that were difficult and complex in nature. Modernization also led to a change in the continuity.

Video tape evaluation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Video tape evaluation - Case Study Example As a 'good girl,' she is expected to meet the domestic demands of the family without complaining. She is also required to excel in studies in the university course. I recognized that I had a tendency to rush through the questions during interview. I did not allow much time for reflection, and summarizing the discussions. At times, I did not ask more probing questions, even when such opportunities were present. I therefore decided to use this session to practice reflective listening, and "stay with the interviewee" than "getting ahead of her." I also wished to practice empathic response, and make concerted efforts to understand the interviewee's propositions. I also studied the tools presented in the video training material, "Building on Strength" which provided practical techniques in effective counseling for community based family workers (Armstrong, 1994). In particular, I decided to use Genograms and family maps to identify the immediate and extended family members, their interdependencies, and interconnectedness (Maidment, 2004). I subscribe to Adlerian Family Therapy (Bitter, 1997), which assumes that both parents and children often become locked in repetitive, negative interactions based on mistaken goals. I also believe that the climate of relationships that exist between members in a family exerts tremendous influence in one's belief, thinking and responses (Sherman & Dinkmeyer, 1987). I found this paradigm useful in the context of current counseling session. I also find great merit in adapting to the Adler's theory, that each person must be viewed as an individual from a holistic perspective (1938). I feel it is important to understand the whole person in a social context, than understanding different aspects of one's life or personality. In this regard, I applied the Genogram tool to the current counseling assignment. Demonstrated Positive Counseling Behaviors: Reflective Listening: I tried to reflect upon the interviewee's feelings through empathic response during the interactions. A strong feeling that emerged from discussions was that the interviewee has been subject to unfair quantum of work at home. Despite three younger siblings, incidentally all brothers, the mantle of domestic chores directly fell upon her. The interviewee was also expected to perform equally well in her full time University study. She had to carry

Business to Business Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business to Business Marketing - Essay Example TCL needs to review its marketing mix strategies in order to have a competitive advantage in the market and make its business sustainable in future. The various changes in the marketing mix strategies that could be helpful for TCL to achieve its objectives are as mentioned below: 2.1 Product Strategy For every marketing strategy of a company the starting point is its product. One cannot set the price or plan for the distribution system of the product without having the knowledge about what product they are offering. Product here refers to both products and services which the company has in offer (Gitman, & McDaniel, 2008, p.295). TCL is a SME which is engaged in the business of providing wide range of services to its clients. Their product or service offerings include mainly four services. They are Media Services, Advertising and Marketing Services. Apart from having its own production unit, TCL also outsources most of its production to another company namely, ‘PJW Media Produc tion’. Hence TCL has a wide variety of products and services in its offerings. Now since TCL is a small business unit with limited workforce its product strategy would be more effective if it concentrates on having a small product line. After narrowing down its product line, TCL should develop the products or services which are highly specialised in nature. It would help TCL to ensure that it provides its customers a service package which is unique in nature (Brock, et al., n.d.). Hence it would be beneficial for TCL to gradually cut down on its product line and concentrate more on those services which are profitable to them and have competitive advantage over its... TCL is a completely service based company situated in Cambridge. The company is running a small business and has a limiting workforce. The recent economic condition had an adverse effect on the performances of the company. The sales revenue of the company has gone down significantly. TCL should look into this issue seriously and various reforms are necessary for the sustainable development of the company in future. Firstly it needs to address its marketing mix strategy. Regarding the product strategy, TCL should think of reducing its wide range of services and concentrate on specialising some of its core services which they are specialised at. Next regarding its pricing strategy, TCL must be flexible in its pricing strategy to cater to the current expectations of its clients. The company should utilise its website to a greater effect for the promotion of its business. Since TCL is a core service agency, public relationships are vital for its development and growth. Developing strong relationships with its clients and forming a strong business network is quite necessary for TCL. Next, the company should think of structuring and developing an effective sales force to boost up its sales and creating strong relationships with its clients. Hence, TCL’s current primary focus would be retaining its existing clients and adding up new clients to its customer base.

This case study of marketing shows how an international company, Essay

This case study of marketing shows how an international company, Beiersdorf, combines market research with new product development on its NIVEA Deodorant brand - Essay Example based on variables like age, gender, location and income level.† Market research involves the systematic gathering, recording and analyzing of data about customers, competitors and the market. This links marketers to consumers by supplying essential information to solve marketing challenges and help with marketing decisions. This market research provides companies with up-to-date information about consumer needs and desires, current trends in the market, and what consumers desire. This can lead to a win-win situation as consumers get the opportunity to talk to the providers of products and services and products are developed and improved accordingly. This leads to increased sales. It is crucial that one addresses global issues such as viewing domestic business activities from an international and global point of view before entering a market. An international marketing strategy also assists in cross-cultural communication, cooperative decision-making, and collaborative problem-solving in a multinational corporation management.  This leads to cultural homogeneity.  Interaction and integration, global norms, and ideas or practices all become united.  It is important that the management of a multinational corporation work together to overcome boundaries and differences and to be able to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate in order to effectively work together, communicate, make decisions, and solve problems as a single entity as a successful marketing plan increases globalization which in turn brings the world together. This case study analyzes Beiersdorf, an international company and innovation leader, combining market research with new product develo pment on its NIVEA Deodorant brand to provide exciting new products that better meet consumer requirements. In today’s world, there are numerous of products on the market. In fact, there are too many products and brands to mention as it seems that just about every single thing imaginable has already been

Principlies of Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Principlies of Humanities - Essay Example Jubal, the seventh descendant of Adam was the father of them that play upon the harp and the organs (Renehan 2). Music falls into the natural subdivisions of Uncivilized, Semi-civilized or Civilized depending on the people it is associated with. Uncivilized music is primitive in form and exists among races that have not reached the point of artistic organization (Pratt 18). Semi-civilized music falls into two distinct groups, one for people existing now for example, Chinese and Hindus and the other for ancient people for example, Hebrews and Egyptians both of whose music has a real system not relating to our own (Pratt 19). Civilized music falls into three groups marked by centuries namely, Greek and Roman, Mediaeval and Modern music (Pratt 19). This paper covers the song â€Å"Amazing Grace† by English poet turned Clergyman, John Newton. Although born to a religious mother, Newton always abandoned the Christian faith in pursuit of his own interests. At some time in his life, he commanded an English slave ship that he owned and would supply for slave trade. The song dates back to a time between 1760 and 1770 composed in Olney. Newton wrote it after experiencing a tumultuous life in slavery and brutal abuse that led to his conversion. Unpredictable events in his life included, the early death of his mother, adolescent passions, seizure by naval press gang, servitude in Africa, disaster and deliverance at sea, tales of whippings and sudden deaths, climatic religious conversion, romance, an epileptic fit, unemployment, a succession of job opportunities, failed attempts to enter the ministry and so on (Hindmarsh 2).After his experience he got to believe in God and sought Him. The song was originally a poem with its basis derived from works of the New Testament in the Bible. The first verse for example, is derived from the parable of the prodigal son. â€Å"‘My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate

Social Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Social Work - Essay Example The latter is according to research in social work. According to (Coady and Lehmann, 2008), the emergence of the two theories is a result of outcomes that were not efficient concerning approaches in case work. These approaches were stuck according to the method known as psychodynamic. The center of focus from the relating methods is on short term and brief interventions. The link emerges from theory learning and forms a basis of ideas geared towards solving problems. The call made by the two approaches is to have workers in the social sphere to be part of service users in a joint activity. The intention will be to analyze troubles, what causes them and actions that will help address them. The person-centered theory is consequently necessary for the process of applying the above methodologies (Walsh, 2006). There is a need to have the service user to be central to the problem. Then it is vital to see the urgency of the case from their perspective. In regard to that, social workers are to be good listeners if they are to trace issues because interfere with service users. As a result, they can offer help with solutions that can help handle their problems. Task centered approach also has challenges just as other social work methods. (Rzepnicki, McCracken and Briggs, 2012) Looks at the service users and how ready they are to carry forth duties with social workers and how reasonable this is. To achieve more value, it is applicable to necessary assistance from the agency. Further, the two approaches are valuable in creating empowerment and innate approach to opposing oppressive techniques. Therefore, the inclusion of a new set of skills will improve the capabilities of the service users. That will allow them to handle the present situations and more so upcoming state of affairs that portray oppression and difficulty. There are many factors that influence the practices in social work that require the inclusion of

Echoes of Heaven Essay Example for Free

Echoes of Heaven Essay The world today seems to be going further and further from Christian Values. Denominations are arising against each other time after time. We no longer hear the proper preaching of the gospel because preachers prepare their sessions to suit the audience and therefore a lot of truth is left uncovered. A Christian who performs and leads a true Christian life seems very outdated. There are rumors of wars everywhere in the world today. People seem to rely on technology much more than on God. I am a born again Christian, I have been a Christian since I was born but there is a huge difference in my life after I accepted Jesus Christ. I have received tangible breakthroughs and therefore when I say so much truth is left uncovered in today’s churches I do it with reference to my personal experience. Sometimes suffering comes our way because God wants to show us our weakness without Him. We must rely on Him and not on our own understanding. I have observed Muslim practices closely and they are more devoted to their religion and believes than Christians! Charles I agree that God’s Love is better than Life Itself and would very much want to know where to get the book.

Analysis of Heavy Metals Found in Vegetables

Analysis of Heavy Metals Found in Vegetables Analysis of heavy metals found in vegetables from some cultivated irrigated gardens in the Amravati City, India. Arvaind Chavhan, Dhote Jayashree  and Ingole Sangita Introduction Irrigation is the artificial addition of water to soils in order to meet plants’ needs to overcome drought limitations and improve the crops’ yields. However, other factors such as soil and water quality and management practices are also important. Wastewater irrigation is known to contribute significantly to the heavy metal contents of soils (Mapanda et al., 2005; Devkota and Schmidt, 2000). In Zimbabwe, Nyamangara and Mzezewa (1999) implicated land disposal of sewage and industrial effluents as the chief source of heavy metal enrichment of pasturelands and agricultural fields. Barrow and Webber (1972), Pike et al. (1975) pointed out the dangers of repeatedly treating soils with metallurgical slag because of the possible build up of elements to toxic concentrations. Juste (1974) observed that the spreading of some organic wastes (town refuse, domestic and industrial effluents etc) might contribute to increased levels of nonessential metals in soil, which could cause poor plant growth. Studies conducted by Kisku et al. (2000) in Kalipur, Bangladesh, on the uptake of Cu, Pb, Ni and Cd by Brassica oleracea from fields irrigated with industrial effluent indicated widespread contamination from heavy metals despite showing a healthy and gigantic external morphology. High levels of accumulation of heavy metals from soil by common garden vegetables have been reported by many env ironmental researchers (Boon and Soltanpour, 1992; De Pieri et al., 1997; Xiong, 1998). Therefore, heavy metal contamination of vegetables cannot be underestimated as these foodstuffsare important components of human diet. Vegetables are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, and fibers, and also have beneficial anti-oxidative effects. However, intake of heavy metal-contaminated vegetables may pose a risk to the human health. This is because, heavy metals have the ability to accumulate in living organisms and at elevated levels they can be toxic. It has been reported that prolonged consumption of unsafe concentrations of heavy metals through foodstuffs may lead to the chronic accumulation of the metals in the kidney and liver of humans causing disruption of  numerous biochemical processes, leading to cardiovascular, nervous, kidney and bone diseases  (Trichopoulos,1997; Jarup, 2003). Determination of the chemical composition of plants is one of the most frequently used methods of monitoring environmental pollution. Various plants have been used as bioindicators (Kasanen and Venetvaara, 1991). Several studies have been reported on the accumulation of environmental pollutants in plants. In Israel, for example lichen and higher plant species were exposed near industrial areas in order to detect the accumulation of heavy metals in these plants (Naveh et al., 1979). Tree barks and their leaves remain in the environment for a long period and are sensitive indicators of the environmental contamination with heavy metals, sulphur and fluorine (Ayodele and Ahmed, 2001). Batagarawa (2000), analyzed moss plant in Kano metropolis for heavy metals and reported high levels of lead, zinc and cadmium from industrial areas of Sharada, Bompai and Challawa. Nuhu (2000) also reported high levels of cadmium, manganese and lead in mango leaves obtained from industrial areas of Bompai, Challawa and Sharada in Kano metropolis.Kano is one of the highly populated cities in Nigeria. It lies within longitude 8 ° 32’E and latitude 11 ° 58’N, within a topographical drainage of River J akara flowing north east. The vegetation of the area is the savannah type, with more grasses than hard wood trees. The average annual rainfall of the area is 817 mm and the temperature varies between 27 to 35 °C with a moderate relative humidity. Study area Jakara (JKR) and Kwakwachi (KKC) gardens are irrigation sites alongside Jakara river valley at Ahmaddiya and Sabon-gari areas respectively, while Sharada (SRD) garden is located in the middle of industries at Sharada industrial estate all in the Kano metropolis. In these three sites, farming activities are carried out throughout the year but with domestic and industrial wastewaters being used to treat the soils during dry seasons. Thomas (TMS) Dam is another irrigation site outside Kano metropolis where fresh water from the dam is being used to treat the  soils during dry seasons.   The objectives of this study were to analyze the vegetable samples from the irrigation sites for heavymetals and to compare results obtained with one another and with those of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) safe limits, while using vegetable (spinach, okra, onions and tomatoes) samples from Thomas Dam as control. The metals of interest include cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). The results obtained from this study will be useful for assessing the metals contamination and as well as determining the need for remediation. The results would also provide information for background levels of metals in the vegetables in the study area. MATERIALS AND METHODS Analytical reagent (AnalaR) grade chemicals and distilled water were used throughout the study. All glassware and plastic containers used in this work were washed with detergent solution  followed by 20%( v/v) nitric acid and then rinsed with tap water and finally with distilled water. Sampling and sample treatment The vegetables analyzed include spinach, okra, tomatoes and onions. Samples were collected twice in the year 2002 from three different farms in each site. The first round of sampling was carried out in May towards the end of the dry season while the second round was in September at the peak of the rainy season. Each sample was randomly handpicked, wrapped in a big brown  envelope and labeled. In the laboratory, each sample was washed with tap water and thereafter with distilled water and then dried in an oven at 80 °C (Larry and Morgan, 1986). At the end of the drying, the oven was  turned off and left overnight to enable the sample cool to room temperature. Each sample was grounded into a fine powder, sieved and finally stored in a 250 cm3 screw capped plastic jar  appropriately labeled. Digestion procedure A 2.0 g of the sample was weighed out into a Kjaedahl flask mixed with 20 cm3 of concentrated sulphuric acid, concentrated perchloric acid and concentrated nitric acid in the ratio 1: 4: 40 by volume respectively and left to stand overnight. Thereafter, the flask was heated at 70 °C for about 40 min and then, the heat was increased to 120 °C. The mixture turned black after a while (Erwin and lvo, 1992). The digestion was complete when the solution became clear and white fumes appeared. The digest was diluted with 20 cm3 of distilled water and boiled for 15 min. This was then allowed to cool, transferred into 100 cm3 volumetric flasks and diluted to the mark with distilled water. The sample solution was then filtered through a filter paper into a screw capped polyethylene bottle. Instrumental analysis An Alpha 4 model atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Chemtec Analytical, UK) equipped with photomultiplier tube detector and hollow cathode lamps was used for the determination of metal concentrations. Working standards were also prepared by further dilution of 1000 ppm stock solution of each of the metals and a calibration curve was constructed by plotting absorbance versus concentration. By interpolation, the concentrations of the metals in sample digests were determined. Statistical analysis All analysis was performed in triplicates. Results were expressed by means of  ±SD. Statistical significance was established using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Means were separated according to Duncan’s multiple range analysis (p RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The mean concentrations of Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in different vegetable samples from the three effluent irrigated sites and the control are listed in Tables 1A and B. The results generally show significant levels (p However, there are a few cases in the control site where negative values were recorded for percentage loss of metal in rainy season samples over those of the dry season, thus indicating an increase in metal levels in the rainy season samples over those of the dry season (Table 2). This may be attributed to the possibility of the runoffs from the surrounding land containing metal salts being washed into the control site. Generally, the mean concentration range of Cu in all vegetables analyzed was 0.30 to 7.50 mg/Kg, with the highest concentration recorded for Jakara onions and the lowest for spinach from the control site. The maximum value recorded is below the National Agency for Food  and Drug Administration and Controls (NAFDAC) maximum tolerable Cu concentration of 40 mg/Kg in fresh vegetables (Figure 1). Ni was below detectable level in the control samples while the highest level of 2.02 mg/Kg was obtained in SRD spinach. Also Pb was below the detectable level in control samples while SRD spinach recorded the highest level of 1.60 mg/Kg. The highest values obtained for Pb and Ni are below the NAFDAC safe limits for these metals (2.00 and 2.70 mg/Kg, respectively) in fresh vegetables. The mean concentration range for Co was found to be 0.12 to 1.14 mg/Kg with the highest concentration recorded in JKR onions and the lowest in tomato from control site. The mean concentration range for Cr was found to be 0.16 to 0.85 mg/Kg with the highest concentration recorded in JKR spinach and the lowest in the okra from control site. The results indicated the mean concentration range of Zn to be 0.67 to 18.89 mg/Kg with the highest concentration found in JKR onions and the lowest in tomatoes from the control site. However, the highest value obtained is still below the NAFDAC safe limit of Zn (50 mg/Kg) in fresh vegetables. The results  obtained in this study are comparable with some literature values of similar studies reported previously (Onianwa et al., 2001; Erwin and Ivo, 1992; Pennington et al., 1995). Consequently, from the results, the general trend for the mean levels of metals analyzed in all vegetables sampled from the three effluent irrigated sites as well as the control for both dry and rainy seasons showed that for the concentrations of Cu and Zn, JKR > KKC > SRD > Control; for Co and Cr concentrations, JKR> SRD> KKC > Control; for Ni concentration, SRD> JKR > KKC > Control, and for Pb concentrations, SRD > KKC > JKR > Control (Figure 1).These sequences indicated that the metal contents of the vegetables are higher in areas being treated with wastewater. The observation is in good agreement with other studies elsewhere (Sharma et al., 2006; Sawidis et al., 2001) which suggested that uptake of metals by plants is proportional to their concentrations and availabilities in soils. Dasuki (2000) had earlier reported high levels of Cr (1.5 to 3.8 mg/Kg) in effluents from Sharada and Challawa industrial estates while Batagarawa (2000) had also reported high levels of Cu (1.74 to 1 1.54 mg/Kg), Pb (10.38 to 154.64 mg/Kg), and Zn (11.40 to 87.34 mg/Kg) in the samples of moss plant from Bompai and Sharada industrial estates in Kano metropolis. The trend also shows that JKR garden recorded highest mean concentrations in four out of six metals analyzed (Co, Cu, Zn and Cr), while SRD garden recorded highest concentrations in two metals (Ni and Pb). Hence, the trend for the level of contamination by metals in the irrigation gardens is JKR > SRD > KKC > control (Figure 1). The high mean levels of Pb and Ni in SRD samples could be attributed to industrial emissions (Yilmaz and Zengin, 2004) while the high level of Pb in KKC could be attributed to automobile emissions as a result of its proximity to the road side in addition to the possible high levels of metal in contaminated wastewater being used for irrigation. The close relationship between lead concentrations and traffic intensity has been  demonstrated in detail by many authors (Li et al., 2001; Viard et al.,2004). Furthermore, the relative high levels of Zn, Cu, Co and Cr in JKR and KKC samples may be attributed to the contaminated Jakara stream (Ogbalor, 1991; Dasuki, 2 000) used for treating soils at the two  sites, as many industrial and domestic waste waters are discharged into it. Conclusion This study further confirms the increased danger of growing vegetables on soils irrigated with contaminated industrial and domestic wastewaters. However, the levels of the metals are currently within the NAFDAC safe limits guidelines. But, if the practice of treating the soils in the irrigation gardens with contaminated waters is not controlled, it may lead to health hazard on the part of consumers of the vegetables on the long term. Therefore, there is the need to continually monitor, control and take necessary policy decisions so as to limit and ultimately  prevent these avoidable problems. However, in the mean time, farmers from the study areas are hereby encouraged to use well water for irrigation in their gardens instead of contaminated streams. Table :1 Heavy metal concentration of Waste water of Amravati ciy, Maharashtra India. (mean Value)

Defining And Understanding A Formwork System Construction Essay

Defining And Understanding A Formwork System Construction Essay Nowadays, construction industry in Malaysia is a mature industry. The Malaysia construction sector is regarded as a catalyst for growth while its own performance serves as an indicator to the nations economy. It is supported by a fraternity of construction player encompass developers, contractors, building material and equipment, suppliers, manufacturers, financiers, regulators and other in the value chain (Lynda, 2006). Formwork system is defined as the system of support for freshly placed concrete including the mould or sheathing which contacts the concrete as well as supporting members, hardware, and necessary bracing. Formwork system development has paralleled the growth of concrete construction throughout the twentieth century. Both designers and builders are aware of the need of construction industry in order to develop creative innovations from traditional method to improve quality and economy in the face of incoming construction industry challenges. Formwork is the largest cost component for a typical multistory reinforced concrete building. It normally cost account around 40% to 60% of the cost of the concrete frame and for approximately 10% of the total building cost. Besides, the demands and requirement of the clients have continued to grow and it is essential to find ways to build faster, cheaper and better quality building. Consequently, cost, productivity and quality of formwork system is variable by the system and material choosing. Therefore, consider as much as issue possible must be done before make the decision of choosing formwork. Definition of Formwork Formwork is a temporary boarding or sheeting erected to contain freshly placed and compacted concrete until it has gained sufficient strength to be self-supporting. The appearance of the finished concrete depends on the face texture and stiffness of the formwork. (Dictionary of Quarrying Terms) Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent moulds into which concrete or similar materials are poured. In the context of concrete construction, the falsework supports the shuttering moulds. (Wiki Answer) Definition of Steel Wall Form System Steel is a material generally hard, strong, durable, malleable alloy of iron and carbon, usually containing between 0.2 and 1.5 percent carbon, often with other constituents such as manganese, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, copper, tungsten, cobalt, or silicon, depending on the desired alloy properties, and widely used as a structural material. Steel wall form system is one of the Engineered Formwork systems. (Answer.com) This formwork is built out of prefabricated modules with a metal frame (usually steel and aluminum) and covered on the application (concrete) side with material having the wanted surface structure (steel, timber, etc.). The two major advantages of formwork systems, compared to traditional timber formwork, are speed of construction (modular systems clip or screw together quickly) and lower life-cycle costs (barring major force, the frame is almost indestructible, while the covering may have to be replaced after a few or a few dozen uses, depending on the applications). (Nation Master.com) Definition of Conventional Timber formwork Conventional Timber formwork is also as known as Traditional timber formwork. The formwork is built on site out of timber and plywood. It is easy to produce but time-consuming for larger structures, and the timber facing has a relatively short lifespan. It is still used extensively where the labour costs are lower than the costs for procuring re-usable formwork. It is also the most flexible type of formwork, so even where other systems are in use, complicated sections may use it. (Nation Master.com) Background of Research Formwork is the single largest cost component of a concrete buildings structural frame. The cost of formwork exceeds the cost of the concrete or steel, and in some situation the formwork costs more than the concrete and steel combined. (Robert Leroy Peurifoy, Garold D. Oberlender, 1996) For some structures, deciding the priority of the formwork design allow to reduce the total frame costs by as much as 25%. This reduction involved direct cost and indirect cost. Formwork is one of the main components in a project, it efficiencies in accelerate the construction schedule in order to reduce interest cost, labour cost, machinery cost and etc during construction and early complete for the project. (Formwork for Structure, 1996) Formwork can be categorized into two types, which are conventional timber formwork and system formwork. Conventional timber formwork is the most common type of formwork, local contractors are already familiar and get used with this method. System formwork is a new technology which introduced by Industrialized Building Systems. Based on lack of knowledge on this technology, local contractor still refused to apply this method in project broadly. The main reason they refused to applied this technology is cost of conventional formwork is much lower than IBS or the technology of it. Justification of Research Presently, high rise building project is increasing in Malaysia. It consider as the main trends in Malaysias development policy. Steel wall form system and conventional timber formwork both is the main method to construct a building. The contribution of this research will be explorer and analyzed in order to allow provided information to allow contractor in placing formwork design. Problems Statement Adapting the usage of Industry Building Systems in the construction of high rise building had significantly giving advantages in various aspects, such as reducing the construction cost, speed of construction, minimizing manpower, environmentally friendly, improved site safety and better quality construction (Shaari 2004). In order to obtain the advantages of IBS, during pre-planning stage, contractor has to decide which type of formwork is most suitable to be use in the project before contractor tender the project. For a consultant, he must have well sensed in selecting the suitable formwork system to satisfy clients requirement. Therefore, this dissertation will suggest and provide a detail of comparison of costing and productivity between steel shear wall form and conventional timber formwork for high rise building to contractor and consultant. Consequently, they are able to choose suitable formwork system instead of increase quality and productivity of work, and save time and cost in the same time. Objectives of Study The aim of this research is to compare and find out whether steel wall form system or conventional timber formwork is more suitable in high rise residential building construction. The specific objectives were: To analyze and cost and labor force required for both types of formwork system. To define and study productivity of steel wall form and conventional timber formwork. To study into different quality outcome from the both formwork system. To compare of costing and productivity between steel wall form and conventional timber formwork. Scope of Project This research will focus on the local projects that are using steel shear wall form and traditional formwork system. The study is limited to high-rise residential building construction. Site visit to the high rise residential building project will be carry out in this research. One project will be sampled for this research with two different of formwork system for wall only. Research Methodology Desk Study The data, information and reference materials will be collected through reference books, journals, magazines, newspaper and etc will be major tunnels for me to gather information for my research title. Initial study is carried out by comprehensive review on the literature on all the resources, to gain the basic understanding and ground theory on the relevant topics and area, which then be used in generating useful information and data. Internet Research Internet is a major tool to allow me finds out the information about steel shear wall form and traditional timber formwork. It also enables me to get the latest information which is related with my dissertation. Site Visit Throughout site visit, it allow me to understand the method of the construction in apply both different types of formwork in detail. Interview will be carrying out during the construction site visit. The people to be interview included contractors and other relevant party. Case study Case study about steel and timber formwork system used in high rise residential construction will be carried out. Interview will be carried out during the construction site visit. The people to be interview included contractor, project managers and other relevant party. Chapter Organization Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter has been a general introduction to dissertation research and outlines the main aims and objectives of this dissertation. It also consists of clarity of problem statement and justification of the research before to start this research. Chapter 2: Literature Review This chapter explains and describes the characteristic and the usage for the steel wall form system and conventional timber formwork. It wills emphasis in the usage of both type of formwork in local high rise residential building construction. Besides, this chapter is going to introduces steel wall form system and conventional timber formwork in costing, productivity, quality, advantages and disadvantages. Chapter 3: Research Methodology This chapter will explain the process of the whole dissertation and the type of research Methodology. The method of collect data, information and analysis will be explained in this chapter Chapter 4: Data Collection This chapter will be completed by carried out one case study in order to understand in more detail of the steel wall form system and conventional timber formwork. Besides, a structured interview is conducted for analysis. Data and photographs will be show as an evidence for case studies. Chapter 5: Data analysis This chapter carries out analysis and discussion of the data collected from the interviewer and case study. The data analysis will included cost analysis, productivity analysis, quality analysis and manpower analysis. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter includes the objectives review of this dissertation. All the studies on this dissertation will be concluded in this chapter too. There will be further recommendation of this A Study on Cost, Productivity and Quality Comparison of Using Steel Wall Form System and Conventional Timber Formwork in Residential High Rise Building.

Buddhism, Jainism and Hinudism Essay -- world religions, comparative re

Jainism, in many respect, is the most prominent religion in India, it is also associated with other major religions e.g. Hinduism and Buddhism. In the past, it was considered that Jainism was a stem either of Buddhism or of Hinduism. However, nowadays it is a well-known reality that Jainism is a separate religion of India but not a branch of either Buddhism or Hinduism. It is accepted that Jainism is the primordial religion of India. As Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism, are the most prominent religions of India, and have existed side by side for many centuries, it is accepted that they have impacted one another in several ways. Similarities are evident in images of paradise, earth and hell, and faith in the verity of the teachers of religion. Various issues like clothing and curios, occupations and professions, sports and amusements, sacraments and rituals, speech and journalism, stance on life and character, religious festivals and fasts, are a range of common practices among Jainas a nd Hindus. Certain castes have their members in the Hindus and the Jainas as well as marital relations to a certain extent (McKay, Hill, Buckler,Ebrey,Beck, Crowsto and Wiesner-Hanks, 2009, p.0). Buddha viewed as very progressive was an all the rage of Mahavira and came from the same social class. Just like Mahavira he was born to a leader of one of the communities in the Himalayan slopes in what is now Nepal. Discontented with his days of placate at age 29, and concerned by the anguish he saw around him, like mahavira he left his residence to become a peripatetic ascetic. While he was meditating under a Bo tree, he became enlightened and gained an ideal insight into the systems of the universe. He emphasized a middle-way amid asceticism and worldly l... ... view of the fact that people knew their positions in society (McKay et al. , 2009). Both Jainism and Buddhism are religions of India, and disregard the Vedas of the Hindus as powerful binding. Both religions also attach importance to the ascetic way of life. For the bulk of Indians, religion inculcates into every facet of life, from every day chores to culture and politics. Works Cited Dowling, E. M., & Scarlett, W. G. (2006). Encyclopedia of religious and spiritual development. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications. Ibbetson, D., Maclagan, E., & Rose, H. A. (1991). Religious life of Indian people: (Bonn in Tibet, Budhism, Jainism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, etc.). Delhi: Amar Prakashan. McKay, J. P., Hill, B. D., Buckler, J., Ebrey, P. B., Beck, R. B., Crowston, C. H., & Wiesner-Hanks, M. E. (2009). A history of world societies. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Multiculturalism in Mother Tongue, Memorial Day and Multiculturalism, a

Multiculturalism in Mother Tongue, Memorial Day and Multiculturalism, and College Writing      Ã‚  Ã‚   As an American it is very important to understand the different concepts of assimilation and multiculturalism. It is these terms that differ one person from everybody else in some kind of way. Multiculturalism is a term that is just what it sounds like. It is including several cultures. According to the American Heritage dictionary, multiculturalism is " a social or educational theory or program that encourages interest in many cultures within a society rather than in only one mainstream culture. " Assimilation is the exact opposite of what multiculturalism is. Assimilation is described to be where " a minority group gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture. " So how does one decide whether to believe in assimilation or multiculturalism? Well the truth to that question is that there really is no direct correct belief. It all depends on the person. On how their past was like, who their parents are and where they came from. Some of the greater issues that come up when talking about assimilation versus multiculturalism are language, literacy, power, and difference in American culture. Amy Tan's reading titled " Mother Tongue ", Thomas Bray's " Memorial Day and multiculturalism ", and Maxine Hairston's " College Writing " readings are amongst one of the most appropriate in addressing the issues of multiculturalism and assimilation. One of the greatest differences in American culture right now is language. This is because people come from all sorts of different countries into America and only know how to speak their own native language. Many people come over to America to work here... ...most people in American have come together to form a part of assimilation; however not to it's fullest. Although people are proud to keep their American culture and initiate with it as much as possible, I feel that people must not forget their own personal heritage from where they were born. The Idea of assimilation for me is just as important as multiculturalism. I will be just as proud to learn and follow in the English language, as I will be to remember all that I have been taught about my Russian culture.    Works Cited: Bray Thomas. " Memorial Day and Multiculturalism, " Detroit News 24 May 1998 Tan Amy. " Mother Tongue. " Border text: cultural reading for contemporary writers Ed. Randal Bass. Boston: Houghton- Mifflin, 1999 Hairston Maxine. " College Writing ." College Composition and Communication 43.2. University of Texas, 1992  

Brihadeeswara Temple Essay

Location: The Brihadeeswara is located in Tanjavur district in Tamilnadu, India. The temple was built on the banks of River Cauvery with its water turned to the moat. The temple, constructed entirely of granite, stands amidst fortified walls. There was no rock formation around this area. It is believed that the rocks would have been brought from a place at least 50kms away. History: The temple had its foundations laid out by the Tamil emperor Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I, in 1002 CE, as the first of the great Tamil Chola building projects. It was built to grace the throne of the Chola Empire in compliance of a command given to him in his dream. The scale and grandeur is in the Chola tradition. An axial and symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout. Temples from this period and the following two centuries are an expression of the Chola wealth, power and artistic expertise. The emergence of such features as the multifaceted columns with projecting square capitals signals the arrival of the new Chola style. The Brihadeeswara Temple was built to be the royal temple to display the emperor’s vision of his power and his relationship to the universal order. The temple was the site of the major royal ceremonies such as anointing the emperor and linking him with its deity, Shiva, and the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of the king. It is an architectural exemplar showcasing the pure form of the Dravida type of temple architecture and representative of the Chola Empire ideology and the Tamil civilization in Southern India. The temple â€Å"testifies to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting. † Construction: The wish to build a mammoth temple like this is said to have occurred to Rajaraja while he stayed at Sri Lanka as an emperor. This temple is the first building fully built by granite and finished within 5 years [1004AD – 1009AD]. The solid base of the temple raises about 5 metres (16 feet), above which stone deities and representatives of Shiva dance. The huge kalasam or Vimanam (top portion of the shrine) is believed to weigh 81. 28 tonnes and was raised to its present height by dragging on an inclined plane of 6. 44 km. The big Nandi (bull), weighing about 20 tonnes is made of a single stone and is about 2 m in height, 6 m in length and 2. m in width. The presiding deity of lingam is 3. 7m tall. The prakaram (outer precincts of the temple) measures 240m by 125m. The outer wall of the upper storey is carved with 81 dance karanas – postures of Bharathanatyam, the classical dance of Tamils. The shrine of Goddess is added by Pandyas during the 13th century; Subramanya Shrine was renovated by Vijayanagara rulers and the Vinayaka shrine was renovated by Maratha rulers. Architecture: The gopuram of the main entrance is 30 m high, so smaller than the vimana. It is unusual in the Dravidian architecture where the gopurams are generally the main towers and taller than the vimana. A first rectangular surrounding wall, 270 m by 140 m, marks the outer boundary. The main temple is in the center of the spacious quadrangle composed of a sanctuary, a Nandi made of a single stone, a pillared hall and an assembly hall (mandapas), and many sub-shrines. The most important part of the temple is the inner mandapa which is surrounded by massive walls that are divided into levels by sharply cut sculptures and pilasters providing deep bays and recesses. Each side of the sanctuary has a bay emphasizing the principle cult icons. The karuvarai, a Tamil word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, is the inner most sanctum and focus of the temple where an image of the primary deity, Shiva, resides. Inside is a huge stone lingam. The word Karuvarai means â€Å"womb chamber† from Tamil word karu for foetus. Only priests are allowed to enter this inner-most chamber. In the Dravida style, the Karuvarai takes the form of a miniature vimana with other features exclusive to southern Indian temple architecture such as the inner wall together with the outer wall creating a pradakshina around the garbhagriha for circumambulation (pradakshina). The entrance is highly decorated. The inside chamber housing the image of the god is the sanctum sanctorum, the garbhagriha. The garbhagriha is square and sits on a plinth, its location calculated to be a point of total equilibrium and harmony as it is representative of a microcosm of the universe. In the center is placed the image of the deity. The royal bathing-hall where Rajaraja the great gave gifts is to the east of the hall of Irumudi-Soran. The circumambulation winds around the massive lingam in the garbhagriha and is repeated in an upper story, presenting the idea that Chola Empire freely offered access to the gods. The inner mandapa leads out to a rectangular mandapa and then to a twenty-columned porch with three staircases leading down. Sharing the same stone plinth is a small open mandapa dedicated to Nandi, Shiva’s sacred bull mount. Surrounding the main temple are two walled enclosures. The outer wall is high, defining the temple complex area. Here is the massive gopuram or gateway mentioned above. Within this a portico, a barrel vaulted gorpuram with over 400 pillars, is enclosed by a high wall interspersed with huge gopurams axially lined up to the main temple. Legends: After the death of the patron, Rajaraja Chola I, his son Rajendra I who was a great military leader succeeded him in 1014. During his reign, he extended the territory of already vast Chola Empire up to the banks of the river Ganges in the north and across the ocean. He shifted the capital of the Chola kingdom to Gangaikondacholapuram, about 60km away, and started building a new temple there, as he wanted to build a bigger version of â€Å"The Big Temple†. Rajaraja Chola I donated a big amount of money for the maintenance of the Brihadeeswara. But, Rajendra I had diverted all the money for the construction of his new temple. His decision deprived the Big Temple of royal patronage. However, Rajendra was able to build only a smaller version of the Big Temple, eventually. Furthermore, the Cholas built hundreds of temples along the banks of the River Cauvery, changing its landscape forever. None of the forts and palaces built by the Cholas survives today. But the temples remain and they stand testimony to their achievements. They are also a major tourist attraction for both local and foreign visitors. Myths: The 60-metre tall Vimana is the tallest in South India. A European-like figure which is carved on the Vimana is believed to be an ancient warning of the arrival of the Europeans. Later investigations by archaeologists proposed that this claim may be a hoax. Features: Another widely held belief is that the shadow of the gopuram (pyramidal tower usually over the gateway of a temple) never falls on the ground. . The temple is said to be made up of about 130,000 tons of granite. The Kumbam itself, a 60 ton granite stone carved in one piece, on top of the main gopuram is believed to have been taken to the top by creating an inclined slope to the height of 66m to the top of the gopuram. The prevailing belief is that a mud-slope, which starts at about three miles from the temple site, from Thirukoilore (birthplace of Raja raja’s mother) near Sri Virateshvara swamy temple. Elephants might have been used to drag the stone up the slope. This was claimed to be the only part of the gopuram, which does not cast a shadow that fall on the ground, at least not within the temple premises. Millennium celebrations: Built in the year 1010ce by Rajaraja Chola in Thanjavur, Brihadeeswara Temple popularly known as the ‘Big Temple’ turned 1000 years old in September 2010. To celebrate the 1000th year of the grand structure, the state government and the town held many cultural events. It was to recall the 275th day of his 25th regal year (1010 CE) when Rajaraja Chola (985–1014 CE) handed over a gold-plated kalasam (copper pot or finial) for the final consecration to crown the vimana, the 59. 82-metre tall tower above the sanctum. Latest News: During the consecration (Kumbhabhishekham) of 1997, 48 people were killed in a fire accident and 86 others injured. The incident occurred hours before the Mahakumbabishekam ceremony. It is believed a fire cracker lit near the temple fell on the yagasala; a temporary structure built to accommodate the ritual ceremonies, and sparked the fire that spread to the thatched roofs. A stampede resulted when the panic-stricken devotees rushed the only entrance to the temple on the eastern side. However, another version claimed the fire was caused by a spark from the electric generator. Most of the deaths were reported be caused by the inhalation of carbon monoxide and a few due to burn injuries. The Tamil Nadu Government announced a compensation of Rs 100,000 to the families of the deceased and the injured were paid from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 each. Government of India, Mumbai Mint issued Rs. 1000/- coin to commemorate the 1000th year of the temple. And at last the Brihadeeswara is an unbelievable, extraordinary master piece of architecture†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦actually designed not by Rajaraja, but by Somavarma the temple architect†¦

Grade and Grading Curve Scenario

————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- New Perspectives excel 2010 ————————————————- Tutorial 10: Case Problem 1 High Desert University Skills Define a scenario View scenarios Edit a scenario Create a scenario summary report Find an optimal solution using Solver Activate Solver Set up Solver to find a solution Create a Solver answer report Save and load Solver models Project overviewProfessor Karen Reynolds teaches calculus at High Desert University in Tempe, Arizona. The class has 220 students who are distributed among dozens of sections and discussion groups. Professor Reynolds wants to use Excel to determine the appropriate cutoff points for her grading curve. Generally, she wants to set the cutoff points so that the following distribution of grades is observed in the student body: F 5% D 10% C 35% B 35% A 15% Professor Reynolds has five possible grading curves. For example, in Grading Curve 1, she will assign As to test scores from 80 to 100.She wants you to evaluate each grading curve scenario and determine which one results in a distribution of grades closest to her proposed distribution. After you choose which of the five scenarios fits the data the best, she wants you to use Solver to determine whether there is a grading curve that is even closer to the desired distribution of grades. STUDENT start FILE NP_Excel2010_T10_CP1a_FirstLastName_1. xlsx (Note: Download your personalized start file from www. cengage. com/sam2010) Instructions Open the file NP_Excel2010_T10_CP1a_FirstLastName_1. lsx and save the file as NP_Excel2010_T10_CP1a_FirstLastName_2. xlsx before you move to the next step. Verify that your name appears in cell B4 of the Documentation sheet. (Note: Do not edit the Documentation sheet. If your name does not appear in cell B4, please download a new copy of the start file from the SAM Web site. ) 2. The Test Score worksheet contains a table of individual student scores and a table for the grading curve. In the Test Score worksheet, the range F4:G8 will contain the lower and upper ranges for each letter grade.Add the missing upper range values in the range G4:G7 by inserting formulas in each of those cells that calculates the upper range for each letter grade as being one point lower than the lower range of the next letter grade. Any changes to the numeric values in F5:F8 should result in changes to the calculated values in G4:G7. 3. In cell D4, enter the VLOOKUP function to return the letter grade for the first student in the list. The lookup value is the studentâ⠂¬â„¢s final score, the table array is the cell range $F$4:$H$8, the column index number is 3, and the lookup should find the closest match in the first column of the lookup table.Copy the formula in cell D4 into the range D5:D223 to calculate the grades for the rest of the students’ scores. 4. In cell I4, use the COUNTIF function to count the total number of letter grades in the range $D$4:$D$223 equal to the value in cell H4 (e. g. â€Å"F†). Copy your formula into the range I5:I8 to count the total number of the other letter grades assigned under the current grading scale. In cell I9, calculate the total number of all letter grades, verifying that the total equals 220. 5. In the range J4:J8, calculate the percent of each letter grade assigned to the student body.In cell J9, calculate the total percentage of all letter grades, verifying that the total percentage equals 100 percent. 6. In the range L4:L8, use the ABS function to calculate the absolute value of the dif ference between the observed percentage of each letter grade and Professor Reynolds’ optimal percentage. In cell L9, calculate the total value of these absolute differences. 7. Assign the following range names: a) LowF, LowD, LowC, LowB, and LowA for the values in the range F4:F8. b) HighF through HighA for the values in the range G4:G8. c) PercentF through PercentA for the values in the range J4:J8. ) DifferenceFromCurve to the value in cell L9. 8. Enter the values of the five grading curve scenarios named Grading Curve 1 through Grading Curve 5 shown in the chart below into your scenarios. Use the range F4:F8 as your changing cells. Scenario Name Low F Low D Low C Low B Low A Grading Curve 1 0 20 40 60 80 Grading Curve 2 0 30 50 70 90 Grading Curve 3 0 50 65 80 95 Grading Curve 4 0 40 60 75 85 Grading Curve 5 0 60 70 80 90 9. Create a scenario summary report evaluating the results from each of the five scenarios, displaying the values from the range J4:J8,L9 as your result cells. Note: The closeness of each grading curve to Professor Reynolds’ optimal grading curve is expressed in the value of cell L9. If there is perfect correspondence, the value of cell L9 would be zero. ) 10. Create a Solver model to minimize the value in cell L9 by changing the values in the range F5:F8, subject to the constraint that all of the values in the range F5:F8 must be integers. Save the Solver model, selecting cell L13 as the top cell holding the solver model data. Save your changes, close the workbook and exit Excel. Follow the directions on the SAM Web site to submit your completed project.

My Goals and Walden Vision and Mission Essay

Being an Emergency Room nurse for 7 years and working as a traveling nurse in many different parts of the country has impacted my future and decision of going back to school. My personal career goal is to become a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) with specialization in pediatric critical care area, mainly pediatric emergency medicine. I have known since a very young age that I had a gift for working with children. My colleagues always call me the â€Å"pediatric nurse†. I feel it takes a very special type of person to work with pediatrics, and this is where my heart is. I chose to become a FNP to broaden my area of expertise and to leave multiple doors open to work in different areas. I have looked into numerous FNP programs across the country, but I was particularly looking for a program that would allow me the flexibility with my changing work schedule and lifestyle. A few co-workers of mine are currently going to Walden and informed me about the school and program. After reading the university and School of Nursing’s vision, mission, and goals, I knew that Walden would be right for me. I strongly agreed with many aspects of what Walden stood for as an overall school. I truly connected to Walden’s mission to provide â€Å"a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they can affect positive social change† (Walden University, 2013a, para. 2). I value that Walden incorporates everyone’s background and experiences to better the learning of other students. Only being a nurse for 7 years, I have worked in over 17 hospitals and feel that I have gained a vast knowledge of how nursing differs in multiple parts of the country. I relate to Walden University’s statement of the diverse community of students helping to bring positive change including nurses from all aspects of healthcare. Furthermore, two of Walden’s University (2013a) outcomes that really caught my attention were to â€Å"demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning† (para. 5), and also to utilize â€Å"knowledge to positively impact†¦ profession, communities, and in society† (para. 5). I want to continue to broaden my knowledge over the life of my career. I also believe in using this knowledge to positively impact others in all aspects of healthcare. Incorporating Social Change I agree with Walden University’s (2013a) view on social change that â€Å"Walden supports social change through the development of principled, knowledgeable, and ethical scholar-practitioners, who are and will become civic and professional role models by advancing the better of society† (para. 4). I plan to incorporate social change in my profession by applying my past work experiences and knowledge from school to become a better professional role model to my patients, co-workers and community. An example of one learning outcome for the Master of Science in Nursing is to â€Å"exhibit ongoing commitment to professional development† (Walden University, 2013b, para. 3). I am constantly trying to learn new ways to improve and better my knowledge and education. I recently obtained my Certified Emergency Nurse certification and will soon be taking the Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse exam. I only hope that with my past experiences and my future knowledge gained at Walden University, I will be able to become a professional advocate and role model for the future of pediatric care and the patient population thereof.

Applying Six Sigma to Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. (an Operations Management Commentary)

The Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U. S. A. , Inc. (TMM) case involves a scenario where – as a result of deviating from Toyota Production System (TPS) practices. TMM found itself faced with quality issues (i. e. , a â€Å"hook† component in the car seat would break during installation) that created a bottleneck in the production process, a pile-up of cars with quality issues waiting to be addressed at the clinic and overflow parking areas of the Kentucky plant – and therefore failed to avoid some of the â€Å"wastes† (i. e. wastes of time, material and production utility as a result of defective products) that the TPS philosophy in itself was designed to eliminate. In the context of a customer value-driven approach, this meant the seat problem gave issues to the final assembly team (e. g. , being bulky and prone to damage, it was likely time-consuming to install), the QC team (e. g. , in relation to crash-test performance, and also in terms of not being broke n or defective), the ultimate customer (i. e. , in terms of surface finish). The goal of the Six Sigma strategy is to improve the quality of process outputs by addressing errors through minimizing variability in the manufacturing process – i. e. , the production process can statistically be expected to be free of errors or defects at the Six Sigma confidence level (effectively only 3. 4 defects per million). In the case of a manufacturing entity like TMM, Six Sigma could be implemented through the so-called â€Å"DMAIC† methodology, which involves defining the problem, measuring and analysing relevant data (i. e. statistical data), improving or optimizing – based on the data analysis, and controlling and monitoring the implemented improvements to address any deviations from the optimized process. TPS and Six Sigma philosophies both employ process-based (as opposed to a functional) approaches to process optimization and improving quality. However, the Six Sigma approach takes this to another level by putting problem solving in the context of reducing risks of â€Å"deviation† from the norm. Six Sigma calls for the use of verifiable quantitative data – i. e. , statistical data and analysis – as basis for designing or optimizing a process (i. e. attempting to eliminate risk of variation), and quantitatively monitoring compliance (or deviations) from these targets. In the case of TMM’s seat hook problem, TPS would ideally have called for production to stop at the first sign of problem, and drilling down to the source of the problem through techniques such as the â€Å"5 Why’s†. A statistical approach, however, such as determining the number of defects in relation to the entire production lot, and in relation to Company standards, and subsequently monitoring whether the improvements to address the problems are operating as designed could have provided a more rationalized solution. Six Sigma could also benefit TMM through improving the â€Å"value† of the suppliers, by helping them improve their own processes and products. For example, if the â€Å"5 Why’s† pointed to a problem in KFS’ own production process, TMM could work with KFS to obtain statistical data as basis for comparing production output with quality standards (e. g. , defect rate, or maybe even compliance with existing manufacturing tolerance levels), identify deviations/ problems, and monitor effectiveness of solutions. By using a Six Sigma approach as early as the supplier level, TMM should, theoretically, be able to expect a higher quality level in the production inputs that it receives, which invariably, should also translate into a higher quality level the finished product. Six Sigma could also be used to optimize the overall efficiency of the production process. Six Sigma could be used to determine standards for production efficiency, like task times, cycle times and throughput times, and if monitored properly, deviations from the standard should easily be detected. When combined with other TPS techniques such as the â€Å"5 Why’s†, the problem – once identified and defined properly – could be addressed immediately, and Six Sigma approach (i. e. , DMAIC) should again measure the effectiveness of new solutions. From the broader perspective, Six Sigma as a philosophy benefits the Company’s stakeholders by adding value to TMM as a whole – the assurance of being able to produce quality products with virtually zero defects raises the overall perception of TMM and its products. Likewise, on the micro perspective, with each process being viewed as a customer of the preceding one, Six Sigma adds value to the predecessor (i. e. , â€Å"supplier†, or preceding production task) by providing assurance over the quality of the production inputs. Nonetheless, the success of any such philosophy – whether TPS, or Six Sigma, or a combination of both – really depends on the people tasked with implementing the philosophy. Six Sigma approach at TMM may still be doomed without a corresponding improvement in the culture and mindset of people attempting to employ the philosophy. References: -Kazuhiro Mishina, â€Å"Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U. S. A. , Inc. † (Business Case), HBS Premier Business Case Collection, September 8, 1992 -De Feo, Joseph A. ; Barnard, William (2005). JURAN Institute's Six Sigma Breakthrough and Beyond – Quality Performance Breakthrough Methods. Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited. -Tennant, Geoff (2001). SIX SIGMA: SPC and TQM in Manufacturing and Services. Gower Publishing, Ltd.. p. 6. ISBN 0566083744.

PDP-Learning diary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

PDP-Learning diary - Assignment Example Discussion in seminars is primarily based on individuals’ learnedness as well as oratory skills. In this paper, I have discussed how our previous learning experiences shape our tendency to gain further knowledge. People hold different views about intelligence and learning. Some believe that intelligence is a God gifted skill while others think that it is one of the skills that can be polished with hard work and attention. Although this is basically true, our previous learning experiences shape our perceptions of ourselves as learners. These perceptions primarily control our confidence and hence, the tendency to learn, though these perceptions keep evolving as we gain more experience. I used to think that I had a problem with my auditory skills when I was in the elementary school. It was not until I changed my school that I realized that the back benchers could not listen clearly in the previous school because of faulty classroom design. This realization inculcated great confidence in me, and the effort I previously exerted in hearing the lecture was now being utilized in understanding it. I felt like God has recreated my ears. This also had a significant impact on my grades that had changed for good. †¢ Block 2b: Reflection on essay feedback Recently, I have had the teacher’s comments on an essay that I had written. In this paper, I have reflected upon the teacher’s feedback.... I was taken aback with surprise. That was the loveliest day of my life. I felt so fulfilled. That trophy assured me that I had the talent to rock in the world of academia. I fundamentally attribute all my love for studies to that first trophy. I have consistently been a position holder since then. Yes, academic achievement reinforces positive attitudes in students. Block1b: Reflection on discussion in seminars Discussion in seminars is primarily based on individuals’ learnedness as well as oratory skills. In this paper, I have discussed how our previous learning experiences shape our tendency to gain further knowledge. People hold different views about intelligence and learning. Some believe that intelligence is a God gifted skill while others think that it is one of the skills that can be polished with hard work and attention. Although this is basically true, our previous learning experiences shape our perceptions of ourselves as learners. These perceptions primarily control our confidence and hence, the tendency to learn, though these perceptions keep evolving as we gain more experience. I used to think that I had a problem with my auditory skills when I was in the elementary school. It was not until I changed my school that I realized that the back benchers could not listen clearly in the previous school because of faulty classroom design. This realization inculcated great confidence in me, and the effort I previously exerted in hearing the lecture was now being utilized in understanding it. I felt like God has recreated my ears. This also had a significant impact on my grades that had changed for good. Block 2b: Reflection on essay feedback Recently, I have had the teacher’s comments on an essay that I had written. In this paper, I have reflected upon