Thursday, October 31, 2019

The helpful of technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The helpful of technology - Essay Example It is apparent that  whatever we do in our daily lives we interact with technology. Our interactions with technology may be direct or indirect, but the fact of the matter remains that we are benefiting a lot from technology (Oak Web). Have you ever wondered what the world would be like without technology? Talk about the communication sector, transport sector - air transport or road transport or water transport, and the financial sector. We need technology to make all these sectors afloat. Our lives depend solely on these sectors, and without technology, we are not able to have a smooth life. Technology therefore, makes it easy for use to live. The transport sector has undergone a lot of technological advancements throughout the world. Since the invention of the wheel, the transport sector has made incredible transformations. Modernization of the rail transport, road transport and the transport has made it easy for people to transport all sorts of things across the planet. Travelling has been made fast and people take the shortest time possible to get to their destinations. Goods on the other hand, take the least time possible to reach their intended recipients across the continents. This means that people make huge economic gains. Entrepreneurs are able to make maximum profits from their daily business transactions that involve moving their goods from one place to the other (Oak Web). Africa for instance, is the biggest beneficiaries of technological advancements in the transport sector. Close to all African countries are developing economies and therefore, each of them is making large gains out of trading with the rest of the world. The presence of very reliable means of transport to these destinations is of greatest essence to them. Large scale farmers in Africa, especially the ones who are in the flower industry are able to make deliveries to

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Globalization - Essay Example Armed Forces. He took part in the hostilities in Vietnam. In the 70-ies Al Gore worked as a manager of the company Tangle-wood Note Builders Co. in the state of Tennessee, and was a columnist for The Tennessean. In 1977 he was elected to the House of Representatives of the 95th Congress convocation, and was re-elected in 1979, 1981 and 1983. In 1985 he was elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of Tennessee, and reelected in 1991. In 1991 he announced his candidacy for a U.S. presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. At the Democratic National Convention he became a candidate for vice president. In November 1992 he was elected vice president of the United States and re-elected to that position in 1996. Al Gore is married and has one son and three daughters. He lives in Washington, DC. The book â€Å"Earth on the Balance† (1992) was written at a time when Al Gore was the chairman of the Senate committee on ecology and environmental protection. In it in an accessible an d vivid form the problems of maintaining global ecological balance in the current situation are considered. According to many critics, it is one of the most professional researches on environmental problems, ever issued from the pen of political activist. This certainly gives the book a special flavor and keen reader's interest, especially in the third part, where the author offers a number of specific practical measures to improve environmental law and keeping the natural balance in third world countries. The book consists of three parts. In the first part called â€Å"Balance at Risk† the specific examples of ecological imbalance in the different regions of the planet are viewed. In the second part â€Å"The Search for Balance† which, from my point of view, is the most conceptually rich, the author analyses the social, economic and ideological reasons that have made a destructive attitude to the environment possible, which was until recently characteristic of the ind ustrialized world and which even today distinguishes the policy of most developing countries. The third part â€Å"Striking the Balance† is devoted to assessing the ways out of this situation. The book combines a deep analysis of economic and social causes of the current ecological crisis and the great factual material with, in my view, idealistic notions about the possibility of consolidating the efforts of developed countries in the fight against the impending danger. In particular, considerable attention is given to the propaganda of â€Å"a new Marshall Plan† as the author names it, i.e. the reallocation of national product of developed countries (amounting to 100 billion dollars per year) in favor of environment-oriented programs in third world countries. I can’t help noting that even much more modest financial measures approved by the World Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, have not been implemented up to now as well as the fact that the volume of U.S. aid to developing countries in this area was significantly reduced during Bill Clinton and George Bush’s presidency. Meanwhile, a book by A. Gore remains highly relevant as an example of a deep analysis of the origins of the ecological crisis and reflection of the concerns of political circles in the West. â€Å"Earth on the balance† over its four hundred pages undoubtedly gives us a lot of hard-to-dispute empirical facts about the Earth on which we live, about the environment.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Leadership Competencies Required to Become a Global Leader

Leadership Competencies Required to Become a Global Leader THOMAS K. TARUS Introduction Globalization can simply be described as the process of increased interconnectedness among countries most notably in the areas of economics, politics and culture. Friedman et al, (2011) refers to globalization as the integrated and interdependent nature of the worlds economy, culture, political agendas, and educational systems. As our world becomes one village and globalization increases, businesses are changing strategies and operational procedures which are dependent on leaders to deploy and implement. Global leadership has been defined as being capable of operating effectively in a global environment while being respectful of cultural diversity (Harris, Moran, Moran, 2004, p.25). Global leaders are individuals who effect significant positive change in organizations by building communities through the development of trust and arrangement of organizational structures and processes in the context involving multiple cross-boundary stakeholders, multiple sources of external cross-boundary authority, and multiple cultures under conditions of temporal, geographical and culture complexity (Mendenhall 2008:17). Leadership competencies are leadership skills and behaviors that contribute to superior performance. There has been a considerable effort to identify the global leadership competencies that can be learned as well as the most effective learning and development methods for learning them (Tubbs Schulz, 2006). For the purpose of this study, I have aligned 5 research papers to come up with the global leadership competencies listed below. Global Leadership Competencies Birds (2013) framework of nested global leadership competencies has three broad categories with fifteen different competencies that is five in each category. The three categories are (a) competencies of business and organizational acumen, (b) competencies of managing people and relationships, and (c) competence of managing self. Business and organizational acumen Vision and strategic thinking this competency is characterized by first the ability to understand and act in complex and strategic settings, characterized by dimensions such as intellectual intelligence, short and long term thinking, and seeing the interdependent aspects of strategic thinking. Secondly, is the development and articulation of a global vision for an organization and finally is the development and implementation of strategic plans. Business savvy this competency encompasses two types of knowledge and an attitude and is characterized primarily as knowledge based competency. The two types of knowledge are general business savvy and technical oriented knowledge. Bird (2013) describes the attitude as a value added orientation incorporating entrepreneurialism and creativity. Managing communities this competency is centered on the global leaders ability to succeed within the vast network of relationships required in todays global workforce. The three dimensions of this competency include skills to span boundaries, influence stakeholders and accomplish strategic objectives. Organizational savvy this competency consists of the ability to design organizational structures and processes in ways that facilitate global effectiveness and ability to perform effectively within an organization. Leading change this competency results from the instrumental application of all previous competencies in business and organizational acumen. Bird (2013 p. 90) sums it up as the primary thrust of global leadership is to bring about change. Managing people and relationships Valuing people this competency encompasses showing respect for people and their differences, understanding the emotions and motivations of others on a deeper level and creating and maintaining trusting relationships. Interpersonal skills this includes emotional intelligence, sensitivity, engagement and self-awareness. It also involves relationship management skills that include behaviors such as influencing, listening and using relationships for result oriented purposes. Cross-cultural communication this competency is divided into general cultural awareness where both ones own culture as well as the culture of those with whom the global leader works and specific cognitive and behavioral skills in an intercultural context. Empowering others this competency addresses talents such as motivating direct reports, colleagues and superiors by increasing self-efficacy within the relationships. It also incorporates skills related to coaching, instructing, personal and professional development, and delegation of authority. Teaming skills this competency refers to working effectively in multicultural and global teams, as well as being able to both lead and take subordinate roles in global teams. Managing self Resilience this competency refers to ability to cope with the highly stressful challenges of leading across multiple time zones, large distances, myriad cultures, and widely varying national systems. It is characterized by dimensions of optimism, hardiness, and stress reduction, attitudinal facets such as resourcefulness and self-confidence and behavioral skills such as healthy lifestyle choices and work life balance. Character this competency can be narrowed down to integrity, maturity and conscientiousness. Inquisitiveness Bird ((2013) argues that this is the most essential personal quality of global leaders and it refers to an innate curiosity, an openness to learn and humility. It means not letting pride or self-consciousness interfere with the learning process (allowing oneself to be taught by others). Global mindset this refers to the complex melding of new perspectives, attitudes and knowledge within a global context. This is broken down by Bird (2013) into two facets; (a) cognitive complexity, specifically a highly contextualized, multifaceted, multilayered approach to the environment and cosmopolitanism, or interest in knowledge of the greater world. Flexibility this involves willingness to adapt and adjust to varied situations. Bird (2013) describes it as both a cognitive and behavioral component. The cognitive component is intellectual flexibility marked by tolerance for ambiguity, while the behavioral component is behavioral flexibility, indicating a willingness to adapt behaviors to fit the demand of the situation. Conclusion While leadership competencies are the same for domestic and global leaders, certain competencies are more critical for global leaders and the proficiency level typically increases. Also global leaders require a unique set of competencies which is important to lead in diverse environments. References Bird, A. (2013). Mapping the content domain of global leadership competencies. In M. E. Mendenhall, J. S. Osland, A. Bird, G. R. Oddou, M. Maznevski, M. J. Stevens, G. K. Stahl (Eds.), Global leadership: Research, practice and development (2nd ed.; pp. 80-96). New York, NY: Routledge. Friedman, T. L., Mandelbaum, M. (2011). That used to be us: How America fell behind in the world it invented and how we can come back. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Harris, P. R., Moran, R. T., Moran, S. V. (2004). Managing cultural differences global leadership strategies for the 21st century (6th ed.). Oxford: ButterworthHeinemann/Elsevier. Mendenhall. M. Eà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Osland. J. Sà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Bird, A.. Oddou, G. R., Maznevski, M. L (2008). Global leadership: Research, practice, and development. London and New York: Routledge. Tubbs, S.L., Schulz, E. (2006). Exploring a taxonomy of global leadership competencies and meta-competencies [electronic version]. Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, 8, 29.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Biomedical research on animals Essay -- essays research papers fc

Heart attacks, bladder failure, and lack of medical cures are all very serious problems that are killing people today. How can doctors learn more about these medical difficulties? Through animal testing doctors can obtain valid results regarding these medical problems and create cures for people with many other medical difficulties. The progression of medicine and the day to day life styles of the general population rely on the ethical practice of animal testing. The alternatives to animal testing are not very valid. â€Å"Artificial testing with computer simulations, have not reached a technological level at which these simulations can be trusted to give a valid results to experiments(3).† Also, human testing has many restrictions and guidelines that make it almost impossible to perform tests on humans that could mentally or physically harm the subject. Therefore, animals provide a necessary involvement in the tests being performed today because there are no other reliable, valid sources for medical or cosmetic experimentation. Animal testing is imperative to the progression of medical cures, procedures and drugs. Animal research is constantly insuring the healthy future of others or a future at all for infants and children. â€Å"Recent advancements in biomedical research have led to better treatments for common childhood ailments(5).† â€Å"Today, vaccines developed through animal research have all but eradicated diseases such as small pox and polio and treat asthma, juvenile diabetes, childhood cancer and many other illnesses.(5)† This can be seen especially in the advancements of drugs used to cure and inhibit the HIV virus and diabetes. Today, doctors are able to â€Å"achieve long-term insulin independence in a small group of severely diabetic patients who had received pancreatic islet cell transplant, something previously achieved in experimental mice and primates but never before in humans(5).† Now people with sever even life threatening diabetes can receive relief from this dis ease. Without the necessary preliminary testing on mice, this procedure would not be possible. Think about it, a common rodent that people try to eliminate everyday is now saving peoples lives! But why animals? Are they really that biologically close to humans? Now some may argue that an animal’s anatomy is very different than that of a human’s anatomy, which is very true for the most part. H... ...ls are raised in a contained environment just like animals used for experimental research. Both food producing animals and animals used in experiments provide humans with life sustaining products. Animal testing is a way of life because it sustains and extends life and until there are valid alternatives, animal testing will remain an ethical, valid, and conclusive practice. Works Cited Animal Experimentation. 14 Jan. 2002 . Animal Research Fact vs. Myth. 14 Jan 2002 . Are There Valid Research Methods. 14 Jan. 2002 . Bad Company. 18 Jan. 2002 . Breaking the Diabetes Transplant Barrier. 14 Jan. 2002 . Fox, Michael Allen. The Case For Animal Experimentation. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1986. End Notes (1)Animal Experimentation. 14 Jan. 2002 . (2)Animal Research Fact vs. Myth. 14 Jan 2002 . (3)Are There Valid Research Methods. 14 Jan. 2002 . (4)Bad Company. 18 Jan. 2002 . (5)Breaking the Diabetes Transplant Barrier. 14 Jan. 2002 . (6)Fox, Michael Allen. The Case For Animal Experimentation. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1986. The Argument Over Animal Testing

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Discipline – Necessary or Not

Disciplining a child entails directing and teaching him or her proper behaviors and acceptable morals. Effective disciplining is all about training a child to act responsibly and practice self control. Discipline is about rewarding and punishing accordingly. It is necessary to discipline children so as to be able to guide them through the loops and turns of life. This discipline should however be within the acceptable parameters (Coloroso, Barbara, 19). Disciplining children has a number of benefits to kids.Through disciplining, children are taught on the appropriate morals that will enable them interact well with the rest of the society. Studies have shown that the kind of the upbringing a child receives from home has a bearing on the type of characters that one exhibits in the society and in later life. Though bad behaviors in kids are not necessarily out of bad parenting, the kind of discipline that one receives will determine to a great extent personal interactions with the rest of the society (Van Zeijl, Jantien; Mesman, 628). Disciplining children is important if a child is to achieve set objectives in life.Children have to be taught a lot of things in life and this cannot be achieved without proper discipline. Aristotle once said that the mind of an individual immediately after birth is like a tabula rasa, clean slate. The mind then is filled with knowledge as the child grows. Disciplining a child then makes him aware of what is good and what is inappropriate. It directs him t the right path arming him with useful knowledge. It helps them to learn how to obey the rules set in the society and by the government. Within the society, people operate under certain framework of set rules.A child who is disciplined and taught how to obey rules will enjoy useful interactions with the rest of the society. It is important that a child be taught how to obey laws and authority. Disciplining a child though does not always turn out well especially if the inappropriate tactics are applied. Parents are in a dilemma over the best strategy to raise and discipline their kids. Some parents scold and spank their children while others just talk to them in the hope that they will change (Williams, Joseph E, 26). Debate has always ranged over the benefits of spanking kids as a form of punishment.This however has been found to be more of retrogressive to a child’s development. Children may end up becoming too timid and submissive (Galivan, Janice, 38). Disciplining children may result to them becoming retroactive than proactive. Disciplining is times a ‘quick fix’ to problems. Children will tend to behave well in the presence of their parents but get out of control when such a cocoon is broken Disciplining kids may also result to a low esteem. It may create a feeling of inadequacy especially in handling important responsibilities as such kids may be used to supervision.This mostly affects kids brought up in highly authoritative environme nts (Leung, Debbie W. ; Slep, Amy M,. 525). Disciplining children however is necessary if children are to develop well. Kids need a guide to direct them towards the proper paths in life. They need to be taught about the societal expectations, good morals and the appropriate attitudes in life. They have to be shown the boundaries in life, acceptable manners and the expected responsibilities. This cannot only be done through observation, it requires firmness.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

George says several times ‘If I was alone I could live so easy’ Do you think he is right? Essay

It was obvious that George and Lennie were great friends as they always stood by each other and were rarely seen apart. However it was not the perfect friendship, as the book clearly establishes. George is often agitated by Lennie’s childish ways and he states that without Lennie’s company he could have a much better life, ‘I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail’. George constantly has to look out for Lennie and it’s as if he is responsible for two people. We see this early in the book when George says ‘you gonna be sick like you was last night’. George knows deep down that he doesn’t have to do this for Lennie but he continues to care for him as if he was his child. If George lived alone then he would only have to look out for himself and he would not have to be constantly checking Lennie and sorting his problems out. Lennie has the mind of a kid, therefore forcing George to treat him like one. He has to give in to him lots of times and he finds him self comforting him continuously. For example when Lennie cried about the mouse, George had to promise him a new one to get him to stop. This is probably very tiring for George, but he has to do it otherwise Lennie could do something stupid like harming himself. Lennie continually annoys George by being immature and dumb. George often says ‘Jesus Christ, you’re a crazy bastard’. We can see that Lennie frequently drives him to using the lord’s name in vain. George can not always be a happy and cheery man, as he has to be bossy and constantly worrying about Lennie. It can’t be much fun for George to have to watch his every move 24/7. He scarcely has enough time to look after himself. We see this when he has to warn Lennie to stay away from Curley’s wife ‘Don’t you even take a look at that bitch’. I get the impression that George has not had much experience with women, how could he? What with Lennie always being there behind him. This has resulted in him not having a very good attitude towards women and it is a bad fault in his personality. If George was on his own, he could get to know the opposite sex better and maybe find a girlfriend. He definitely would like one as he says ‘I could live so easy, and maybe have a girl’. The worst thing about George always being with Lennie is the amount of trouble he has to get in because of Lennie’s senseless actions. This was first shown when we hear about the girl from Weed, if it weren’t for Lennie the pair would never have had to leave. The interview with the boss was also very risky and George had to use his quick thinking and cleverness to think up things to cover for Lennie. If he were on his own, he would have had no bother and could basically have just strolled on to that ranch. Although Lennie is good company for George and they are close friends, I think that George would be better off without Lennie. It would be a huge weight off his shoulders and he could get on with his own life. Lennie is not his responsibility, and I’m sure if Lennie had sense he would want his best friend to concentrate on their own dreams and goals instead of waiting on him all the time. Lennie is not the type of company that George needs; he is still lonely deep down.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Different Methods of Counseling and Psychotherapy Essays

Different Methods of Counseling and Psychotherapy Essays Different Methods of Counseling and Psychotherapy Paper Different Methods of Counseling and Psychotherapy Paper In counseling and psychotherapy there are more than 400 distinct models with methods of practice ranging from one to one counseling, group therapy, couples or family therapy, online therapy and over the telephone counseling. Depending on which school of thought the therapist is following, each therapy engages the client from a different angle. Each school has its own rationale and specific techniques but there are common components which are shared across all approaches Research has shown that there Is little evidence for the superiority of one school over another Assay and Lambert, 1999). It is the similarities rather than the differences that account for the observation that all psychotherapeutic approaches are effective (in general). These similarities can be combined into four factors that are common to all forms of psychotherapy. These four factors Include: technique (1 5%), psychotherapeutic change (40%), therapeutic relationship (30%) and hope or expectancy (15%). Hammond (2010) further strengthened the argument that psychotherapy is an effective intervention nut that no one theory has been proven to be more effective over all of the others. The four main schools that Influence anthropometry counseling and psychotherapy practice are the psychodrama school, the humanistic-existential school, the cognitive behavior school and the post modern school. Within each school come a variety of theories with its own factors which make them all unique. This paper will briefly present an account of the four main schools mentioned above whilst taking Into consideration the effect of post modernism and demonstrating the effects of an enhanced eclectic and integrated approach to psychotherapy in our society today The Psychodrama school Psychodrama therapy is a general name for therapeutic approaches which try to et the patient to bring to the surface their real feelings, so that they can experience them and understand them. This approach aims to help clients gain insight into the dynamic conflicts and tensions manifesting as symptoms of mental distress or physical symptoms in their lives Psychodrama psychotherapy incorporates revealing conflicts of the unconscious and creating understanding and insight In the client to allow him/her to gain coping skills to deal with difficulties presently and in the future. It Is the study and theory of psychological forces underlying human behavior developed the concept of the unconscious. This Is the part of the mind where desires and memories are stored, unrecognized and are only hinted at through dreams or slips of tongue. Classical psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud (1856 1939) Is regarded as the father of psychoanalysis and developed the unconscious within his approach which he classified Into three regions I. E. The d, the ego and the superego. Freud we have three levels of OFF techniques including free association and transference. A lot of his work surrounded identifying and analyzing resistances and defenses (feelings held in the unconscious are too painful to face and defenses protect us from these painful feelings). Interpretation of information was another technique which Freud used and he spent a lot of time interpreting dreams and fantasies of which he thought were the pathway to the unconscious. An integral piece of psychodrama therapy is the transference which occurs between the client and the therapist. Because psychodrama therapists focus relies on interpreting the unconscious, therapists use transference to reveal unresolved conflicts that clients have with figures from their childhood. Transference refers to redirection of a clients feelings from a significant person to a therapist. Transference is often manifested as an erotic attraction towards a therapist, but can be seen in many other forms such as rage, hatred, mistrust, prettification, extreme dependence, or even placing the therapist in a god-like or guru status. When Freud initially encountered transference in his therapy with clients, he felt it was an obstacle to treatment success. But what he learned was that the analysis of the transference was actually the work that needed to be done The Humanistic Existential school The Humanistic school is based around developing human potential through an individuals own abilities and qualities. It involves the therapist emphasizing these abilities to enhance the experience of personal and feelings. The aim is to harmonize both thinking and actions to become unique individuals. Carl Rogers (1902 1987) is the originator of person centered therapy and introduced a non-directive approach to therapy. There are two main therapeutic principles that underlie the person centered approach. The first principle is that the therapist emphasizes the relationship with the client as this is an integral part to the therapeutic Journey. It is based around respect, equality and authenticity. The client is regarded as the expert on his or her win life and the therapist is there to facilitate the client to identify, airframe thinking and come up with their own solutions to their own personal challenges. The second principle is concerned with working with the clients in the here and now to learn about old patterns, to make new changes. Carl Rogers posits that the relationship that the therapist has with the client, in person centered therapy is central to the success of the therapy. The relationship is sufficient for client change if Rogers core conditions are used. These include: empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. Person centered therapy is a relationship therapy and these core conditions are ingredients for the formulation of an effective therapeutic relationship. Other factors were mentioned over the years to be essential ingredients for the therapeutic relationship including: presence, boundaries, sensitivity and consistency but the three core conditions have remained integral to the person centered approach to practice (McLeod, 2011). Gestalt therapy is another humiliatingly oriented approach to therapy. Like person centered therapy, it rejects psychoanalytic ideas and emphasizes humanistic values such as individual Gestalt therapy was Frizz Peers (1893-1970). The therapy highlights the importance of increasing clients awareness. Rather than aiming towards insight and interpretation it focuses toward understands ones own emotions through a Journey of discovery. It looks at the wholeness of the person and relies on the here and now experience. Gestalt therapy practice includes awareness techniques (For example, two-chair work) and experiments and this is one particular area which divides gestalt therapy from person centered therapy. Gestalt therapists believe in inviting the client to experiment through in session techniques of behavior and awareness. On the other hand, person centered therapy views this experimentation as directive and shifts focus away from the client. It is successful but the number of therapists that use it as their primary orientation is very small. The Cognitive behavior school The cognitive behavior school evolved out of behavioral psychology and is based around three key themes. These include: 1. A problem solving, change-focused approach to working with clients 2. A respect for scientific values and 3. Close attention to the cognitive processes through which people monitor and intro their behavior (McLeod, 2011) Its intervention involves the assessment of clients and subsequently the intervention to help change specific patterns of their thinking and behavior that is sustaining their problems. The integral premise of cognitive behavior therapy is to change the way that clients think about things. Beck (1976) pinpointed the selfs of these include: 1. Personalization 2. Dichotomous thinking 3. Personalization Similarly, Albert Ellis (1962) showed parallel thinking within the cognitive behavioral school of thought and highlighted peoples irrational beliefs in a cornerstone approach called Rational emotive behavior therapy (REST). These irrational beliefs include crooked thinking around events in ones life which is surrounded by should and would. This involves overstraining as discussed above or rushing to judgment. Catastrophic a tuition in a negative way leads to anxiety and depression, if anything goes anyway off the beaten track. Westbrook et al (2007) defined the key principles that underpin cognitive behavioral therapy. 1. It is a collaborative project between client and counselor 2. The work is problem focused and structured 3. Therapy is time limited and brief 4. Practice is informed by research The main areas of focus in cognitive behavioral therapy are establishing and maintaining a positive working alliance, assessment of the problem behaviors and cognitions, formulation off plan, intervention and finally relapse prevention. So the effectiveness of CAB in psychotherapy whilst the evidence for other approaches are not as well researched. Stiles et al (2008) conducted a comparison of the outcomes of CAB, person centered therapy (PACT) and Psychodramas Therapy (PDP) within the UK National Health Service. CAB, PACT and PDP are all distinct approaches with regard to their individual interventions and their assumptions. Data was collected from 5613 patients (adults) who received CAB, PACT or PDP and completed the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-outcome Measure at the beginning and end of their treatment. Findings in the study are testament to the Dodo Effect highlighted over 70 years ago. Results demonstrated that PACT and PDP had comparable effectiveness to CAB. This is a significant finding because CAB is a widely researched intervention in that there has been a lot of research testing the efficacy and effectiveness of CAB for a wide range of disorders. On the other hand, PACT and PDP have not being studied to the same degree so this is a very positive result to represent the effectiveness of such interventions. Presenting problems in this study included anxiety, depression, bereavement/loss, trauma/abuse, addictions and more. In effect results demonstrated that the three treatments assessed (theoretically different) had equivalently positive outcomes suggesting that there is no one intervention producing more positive outcome than another (Stiles et al, 2008). Scientific positivism is the idea that if a therapeutic theory is true then it can be used with clients irrespective of when, where and with whom the therapy occurs. Freud, Skinner and Rogers all attempted to develop a universal theory, a viewpoint which suggests that one size fits all. The view that each of their individual theories wholly explained human nature. The contemporary view of counseling and psychotherapy emphasizes the individuality of clients, therapists and people and postulates that the blanket approach that had been highlighted in the past does not work. Post modernism has seen people beginning to question thing with the emphasis being that the world is a much smaller place today with innovations in technology and communication and the influx of mass media. Therapies are now being designed to fit people rather than proposing a universal theory as a blanket effect over society. Post modernism believes that a therapist for example imposes a framework on an individual, the individual will only be seen through a certain lens and the therapist will confine the clients problems to what the lens sees. The only way of looking at people is by getting them to disclose what their lived experience is like I. E. We all hold basic things together in common. The way we interpret them is unique, the experiences we have are unique and we all develop our own world view. Post modernism acknowledges that it is the clients own lived experience that is most important and the therapist needs to work with that. It is an anti-behaviorism approach. Cognitive behavior theory aims to airframe thoughts to enable the client to manage his/her life whilst post modernism rejects this. It posits that the persons subjective experience is the most important piece. Social constructivist narrative counseling has been evolved through the work of Michael White and David Postpone and they have developed this approach which is completely different from mainstream therapies. Narrative therapy emphasizes the importance of languages and stories in the field of counseling and psychotherapy. It is the way that people translate their thoughts, feelings and emotions so that people an understand them. One of the distinctive features of narrative therapy is the procedure of exterminating the problem. (McLeod, 2011). This refers to the idea that many clients consider the problem to be a part of themselves and of who they are as an individual. The problem then becomes apart of who they are in total. They become self blaming. Exterminating the problem involves separating themselves and their relationship from the problem and releasing that the problem is the problem. In narrative therapy the person experiencing psychological distress tells a therapist stories about their past, present and possible future. The therapist listens, observes and responds. The therapist makes sense of these stories using professional experience, their underpinning theoretical knowledge and own life experiences. During this process the therapist focuses on certain aspects of the narrative more than others. So the therapist encourages the person to elaborate and reflect on certain stories more than others. Narrative therapists perceive that clients seek therapy when the main stories they tell about themselves lack meaning, do not reflect their actual experience, or cannot be shared with people close to them. Linking problems with the self-identity or inner self is rejected by narrative approaches. People develop this way of thinking about their life events and situations because of the pressure to conform to the norms of society. When therapists combine the person with the problem they aim to change the person, perceiving them as flawed or damaged. This means that the therapist is colluding and acting on the part of society rather than collaborating with the client. The aim is to find a new definition of the problem that stops the person from always describing themselves in ways that others view them (experience far). For example a shift from Im depressed to sometimes depression tends to take over. The therapist is actively curious about the effects of the problem on the persons life and talks as if the problem and the person were two different things. One of the main proponents of this type of approach is that the therapist is there to facilitate the client in re writing their story and to encourage to reform this story in their community. Although narrative therapy is a dialogue and conversationalist style, it also incorporates letters and certificates to give the client a permanent documentation to heir story. In narrative therapy the use of humor and imagery is included to rephrase particular words and situations in which the client has had difficulty with. The therapist is continually creating and demonstrating the difference between the person and the problem. It is important to note that narrative therapy is not solely an individual-centered approach but works between the person and the community. (McLeod, 2011). Solution focused therapy which is most commonly associated with the work of Steve De Sharer (De Sharer et al (2007). Rather than being of a theoretical orientation, SOFT s a highly disciplined and pragmatic approach and places emphasizes on a number of tenets which forms the basis for this approach. If it isnt broken, dont fix it If it works, do more of it If its not working, do something different Small steps can lead to big changes The solution is not necessarily directly related to the problem The language for solution development is different from that needed to describe a problem No problems happen all the time; there are always exceptions that can be utilized The future is both created and negotiable The idea behind the SOFT approach is that talking about the problem makes the robber worse, the problem becomes central in the individuals life and through his/ her relationships and this takes the attention away from creating solutions. The role of the therapist is to invite the client to talk around solutions although there must be acceptance (not encouragement) around the fact that they client may want to talk about the problem. Strategies followed by SOFT include focusing on change. It is believed that change is inevitable. Problem free conversation is also utilized to get an idea of the clients positive aspects and competencies. SOFT therapists believe that no matter how big and bad a problem is hat is does not affect ones life all the time and to therefore search for the positives top construct the solutions. As highlighted above in the list of tenets, there slogans are often used with clients to communicate the basic principles around this approach to therapy. The miracle question is an important facet in the solution focused process whereby in the first session the client is asked to imagine a time in the future that the problem has disappeared. This allows the client to come up with the small manageable goals of tackling the problem themselves whilst respecting the enormity of the problem itself. Homework tasks are also incorporated in this form of therapy to keep the client focused on the solution. Unlike the traditional psychotherapy approach of problem focus, SOFT emphasizes the resilience of the client and concentrates on the solution to the problem whilst linking previous positive solution solving to their thinking pathway and through intervention, the client is encouraged to incorporate past positive experience (De Sharer et al, 2007). Traditionally therapists operated from within their own therapeutic orientation but theories, and the inadequacies and potential values of others. A dissatisfaction with single school approaches along with an openness and a commitment to learning from multiple schools of many therapists do not stick to one school of thought or theoretical approach but work in an eclectic or integrative way. Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases. Integration draws from different counseling and therapy approaches with an tempt to blend together the concepts and interventions into a logical and harmonize whole. Norris Glorified (2005) highlighted eight interacting, mutually reinforcing factors that have fostered the development of integration over the past twenty years including; proliferation of therapies, inadequacy of single theories and treatments, external socioeconomic contingencies, ascendancy of short term, problem focused treatments, opportunity to observe various treatments particularly for difficult disorders, recognition that therapeutic commonalities heavily intricate to outcome, identification of specific therapy effects and evidence based treatments and development of a professional network for integration. An important factor to take into account in the emergence of integration is the increasing awareness that no one theory can account for all clients and all situations strengthening the argument above stating that with the zeitgeist and societal changes, a one fits all approach which the likes of Freud, Skinner and Rogers put forward is not enough to cover the wide range of unique individuals, behaviors and situations we find in our society today. An eclectic or integrative approach has been popularized in the last number of years with studies demonstrating that between 29% and 66% of respondents use this type of approach to theoretical therapy rather than following one school of thought alone or one theory (Hickman et al, 2009). Through the use of qualitative methodology (questionnaires), Hickman et al (2009) studied the theoretical orientation of twenty four psychotherapists. Results suggested that respondents engaged in an eclectic and integrated approach although it appeared that one theory played a prominent role over the others in the harpists approach to therapy which they relied heavily on whilst engaged in an eclectic manner. Yalta (1995) argued that the personality and characteristics of the therapist are significant predictors of therapeutic success. Rogers three core conditions are significant common factors for the therapist. These include the therapist empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. Other common factors include support, caring, acceptance and respect. These all form the basis for development and maintenance of the relationship. Line (2005) also highlights factors such as warmth and attention, and understanding s important elements in this environment. It is emphasized that the therapists common factors include a teaming of: personality characteristics and facilitative qualities (honesty, caring, genuineness, unconditional positive regard, acceptance and openness), professional competence and integration; and the provision on a non-threatening, trusting, safe and secure atmosphere) and the therapists confidence in own abilities of the client and in the efficacy of therapy itself (Line, 2005). Corey (2009) developed his own integrative approach to counseling. He defines an integrative approach as being rooted in a hurry with techniques systematically borrowed from other approaches and tailored to a clients unique needs (Corey, 2009). He highlights important aspects of creating and developing an integrative approach including considering the therapists own personality, what concepts and techniques work most effectively with a range of clients, determining what technique are specifically suitable for what problems and particular clients. Corey (2009) posits that an integrative approach is needed in the counseling arena to effectively counsel the wide range of personalities and individuals whom are in our society today, with many unique challenges and robbers.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Property Taxes for Owners of Habitat for Humanity Houses

Property Taxes for Owners of Habitat for Humanity Houses Introduction Property tax rates are an essential source of revenues for the majority of local governments which ensure their local fiscal autonomy. The procedures of determining the property tax rates are complicated and extremely important for the functioning of the internal financial administration in general.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Property Taxes for Owners of Habitat for Humanity Houses specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most cases, the property tax rates are calculated based on the market value of the property. However, in particular cases, due to the specifics of the situation, this method can be inappropriate. This paper will analyze the complex process of quantification of property tax rates for the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses, detect the main inconsistencies in the current procedures, provide two arguments in favor of giving this category of taxpayers with a tax break and two argumen ts opposing this decision and offer a resolution for the existing problem. Quantification The property tax bills received by taxpayers combine some rates imposed by different jurisdictions and can be compared to a layer cake. Similarly, the process of quantification of the property taxes paid by the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses in a particular municipality is somewhat complicated and depends upon a wide array of influential factors. The rate of property taxes is defined by property tax administration, consisting of the property assessors determining the value of parcels, the local bodies responsible for evaluating the amounts of money which are needed for the budgets of particular jurisdictions and should be taken from the property tax revenues, auditors calculating the property tax rates for different authorities and treasurers collecting the taxes and distributing them among the corresponding governments. One of the primary goals of the property tax administration is to m easure property value and adjust it to the taxpayers’ capability to pay the tax. Market value is the commonly accepted standard used for appraising the property (Mikesell, 2010, p. 496). Market value can be defined as the price at which the property could be sold in a competitive and open market. Therefore, the quantification of property taxes paid by owners of Habitat for Humanity houses in a particular municipality depends upon the market value of these houses and the decisions made by the local jurisdictions.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, taking into account the specifics of the Habitat for Humanity programs in which partner families from vulnerable categories of population are selected and then take part in building and/or restoring the houses they will live in and receive zero-interest mortgages for buying these houses, it can be stated that there is a substantial deviation of the acquisition price from the market value. Arguments in favor of a property tax break Taking into account the inconsistency in the current system of determining the real property taxes paid by the owners of the Habitat for Humanity houses due to which the property taxes become an overwhelming burden which can tax people of their homes, it can be stated that a property tax break is required for adjusting the tax rates to the house owners’ capability to pay. The first argument for developing the appropriate tax break programs for the owners of the Habitat for Humanity houses is the deficiency in the procedures of measuring the tax breaks. The use of the standard of the market value based on the principle of possibility to use the property for different purposes for determining the tax rates for this category of taxpayers is inappropriate. Because of the deed restrictions preventing the owners of this property from selling their houses or getting home equity loans before their 20-year mortgages are fully paid. Therefore, the principle of the potential use of this property for profit is excluded because of the deed restrictions and the market value is not related to the case of the Habitat for Humanity houses. The second argument for establishing a tax break for the owners of the Habitat for Humanity houses is the patent unfairness of the current system of determining the tax rate for this category of property taxpayers. The existing provisions contradict the constitutional requirement for equal protection. Taking into account the fact that the initial objectives of the Habitat for Humanity program were to provide the low-income categories of the population with opportunities to buy affordable houses, it can be stated that the tax system contradicts the main principle of this program. It understates the efforts of the Habitat for Humanity (20 year zero-interest mortgages) and hundreds of hours of ‘sweat equit y’ the owners spent on building work due to which the residents received an opportunity to buy houses at the cost significantly different from their market value.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Property Taxes for Owners of Habitat for Humanity Houses specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Arguments against a property tax break Regardless of the apparent deficiency in the current tax system determining the property tax rates for the owners of the Habitat for Humanity houses, the application of a property tax break for this category of taxpayers can have some negative implications. The first argument against giving a property tax break to owners of Habitat for Humanity houses is the potential inconsistency in the tax administration functioning as a result of such a decision (Schick, 2000, p. 151). The property tax is the source of revenues used by the local jurisdictions for financing the schools. Consequently, the reduction of the property laws in particular spheres can result in deficits of school financing (Mikesell, 2010, p. 485). Therefore, a property tax break given to a specific category of taxpayers can lead to the imbalance of budgets and deficits in certain expenditures covered at the expense of particular tax revenues. The second argument against giving a tax break to the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses is the destruction of uniformity and the possibility of imposing different tax rates for similarly situated individuals. Tax breaks result in the gradual erosion of  the integrity of general taxes, which in their turn have some negative consequences. Rubin (2009) stated that tax breaks result in a reduction of revenues and require cutting back spending, searching for alternative sources of revenues or permitting constant budget deficits (p. 68). Additionally, the tax break for the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses can produce the impression of unequal treatment of eq uals upon other low-income citizens. It can encourage different low-income categories of population to look for the opportunities to reduce their tax payments, further erosion of the integrity of the tax system and budget deficits. Suggestion resolution As can be seen from the case under analysis, the current property taxes based upon the market value of property overburden the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses and should be reconsidered.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Taking into account the fact that the owners of these houses pay higher taxes than their mortgage payoffs and some of them have to leave their homes because of the high fees, it can be stated that there are significant inconsistencies in the current tax system. Analyzing possible negative implications of giving a tax break to this category of taxpayers, it can be stated that a substantial reform instead of local measures are required for improving the existing situation. One of the possible solutions which can be suggested for adjusting the property taxes to the owners’ capability to pay is to change the procedures of determining the tax rates and using the acquisition-value assessment instead of the market value standard. Additionally, changes need to be made in the ordinary appraisal procedures, which assume that an owner can use the property for different for-profit purposes. Therefore, it is recommended to take into account the specifics of the case of the owners of Habit at for Humanity houses, including the circumstances under which they receive this property and the restrictions in use of these houses imposed by Habitat for Humanity. Generally speaking, analyzing the case of the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses, it can be stated that the acquisition value assessment procedure can be an effective alternative to the commonly used property tax rates based upon the market value of property in determining the property tax rates for low-income property holders. Conclusion Bearing in mind the importance of property taxes as a source of revenues for the local fiscal administration and taking a close look at the principles of taxation of the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses, it can be concluded that a resolution of the existing problem is not an easy one. Though the inconsistency in the existing procedures of determining the tax rates contradicts disregards the specifics of the situation of the holders of Habitat for Humanity houses, a tax break for this category of taxpayers can have several negative implications. Therefore, more fundamental changes in determining the property tax rates are needed, and using the acquisition-value assessment instead of the market value standard can be one of the possible resolutions. Reference List Mikesell, J. L. (2010). Fiscal administration: Analysis and applications for the public sector  (8th ed.: 2010 custom edition). Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning. Rubin, I.S. (2009). The politics of public budgeting: Getting and spending; borrowing and  balancing (6th ed.). Washington, DC: CQ Press. Schick, A. (2000). The federal budget: Politics, policy, process. Washington, DC: Brrokings Institution.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Harvard Receives Record Applications for the 2018-2019 Cycle

For the fifth year in a row, Harvard College has received a record number of applicants for its incoming freshman class. Harvard announced recently that it received 43,330 applicants for the class of 2023, marking an increase of 1.3% from the previous year. During the 2017-2018 cycle, the college received 42,749 applications; it was their first year breaking 40,000 . Dean of Admissions William R. Fitzsimmons attributed last year’s increase in applicants to the college’s generous financial aid program. He noted that affordability was becoming increasingly important to applicants, with over 75% applying for financial aid and nearly 30% requesting an application fee waiver. In addition to receiving higher numbers of applicants as a whole, applications from diverse groups also marked record numbers. The number of Latinx applicants to the Class of 2023 increased by 3.4% from last year, the number of Asian American applicants increased by 5.1%, and the number of African American applicants increased by 1.1%. First-generation college applicants grew by 13.8% from last year, and applicants from certain geographical areas also went up, especially from the south. With this pattern well-established, there’s little doubt that Harvard will receive more and more applicants in years to come. To learn what this means for future potential Harvard students, keep reading. As the number of applicants to Harvard College continues to climb, the acceptance rate at Harvard shrinks. Applicants to the class of 2022 were accepted at a rate of just 4.59%, a record low. Because admissions at Harvard is so competitive, even students with perfect test scores and a stellar extracurricular profile are not shoo-ins. Â  When applying, students should have realistic expectations about the odds of getting in. In fact, at , we recommend that all applicants consider Harvard a reach school, no matter how strong their profile. Creating a balanced college list with a variety of schools is especially important when applying to elite universities like Harvard. For more tips about creating a college list, read our posts The College List, Decoded: Safety, Target, and Reach Schools and What Makes a Good College List? With acceptance rates on the decline, applicants to Harvard need to be increasingly impressive to earn a coveted spot in the incoming class. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula to earning a Harvard acceptance. At , however, we have a unique understanding of the admissions process, based on our experiences guiding thousands of students to elite college acceptances. To learn more about getting in, check out our post What Does it Really Take to Get Into Harvard? , written by a Harvard alumna. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. Many students think that perfect test scores or a stellar GPA guarantee a Harvard acceptance, but this is definitely no longer the case. In fact, it’s often said that Harvard receives enough applicants with perfect SAT scores that they could fill their entire freshman class. As such, strong academics are not the only necessary component of a successful Harvard applicant’s profile. Instead, the admissions committee practices a holistic admissions process, weighing extracurricular activities, essays, recommendations, interviews, and personal qualities. One quality that Harvard looks for specifically is your student’s potential for growth. This is partly evidenced by a successful academic record that shows positive grade trends and a willingness to take on challenges. In addition, admissions officers want to see students who create opportunities and take initiative. That being said, academics are definitely important when it comes to Harvard admissions. The middle 50th percentile of accepted students scored between 1460-1590 on the SAT. On the ACT, the middle 50 percent fell between 32-35. In addition, 95% of applicants were in the top 10% of their graduating class and 93% had a GPA of 3.75 or above. Finally, your teen’s essay for their Harvard application needs to stand out. They’ll need to use a voice that is uniquely theirs to highlight something unusual, or discuss something in a new or interesting way. To learn more about the Harvard supplemental essays, check out our annual feature, How to Write the Harvard University Supplemental Essays 2018-2019 , which we update each admissions cycle. The admissions committee at Harvard fully admits that they receive applications from far more qualified candidates than they are able to accept. This means that it is often little details that make an accepted student stand out from the rest of the applicant pool. Learning exactly how to set oneself apart can be a daunting task, but luckily your high schooler doesn’t have to do it alone.

Friday, October 18, 2019

TV Violence and Aggressive Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TV Violence and Aggressive Behavior - Essay Example Regardless of the grade of movie, media is continuously exposing alcoholic beverages as a source of fun and fashion. Advertisements during children programs are not carefully designed and contain aggressive behavior, exposure to alcohol and smoking etc. Advertisements today contain sensual messages and images which are contributing to the likelihood of early sexual initiation in adolescents. Advertisements are influencing the psychosocial environment by sexual exposure on television, music videos, internet and movies. Alcohol consumption encourages aggression and violence as the normal brain functions are disrupted due to alcoholism. Alcohol is responsible for weakening the brain mechanisms which keep rash, violent and aggressive behaviors under control. This aggression is one of direct effects of alcohol consumption. Hence, increased alcohol consumption may be related to increased aggression and violence (Gustafson, 1994). Children get a lot of information from television and believe what they watch. They trust their favourite characters beating the monsters and so called ‘bad guys’ after having an energy drink or milk or some other product. They perceive it all to be true and are more likely to consume that particular product and imitate those characters in every possible manner. Such portrayals are of course not true and advertisements are exaggerating the energy and effects of products. They target children because children are easily influenced by such fantasies. Children who watch aggressive and violent movies are likely to behave aggressively and choose violent games to play than those who do not watch television or violent shows. The advertisements nowadays are targeting young generations and are using different characters as powerful objects and promoting their products by portraying them as a source of energy and supremacy (Chaves, 2008). The characters of children’s favourite movies, cartoons and games are portrayed with a cigarette, wine bottle or involvement of that character in some sexual activity also affect the children’s perceptions and thoughts. The aggressive behaviors of action animated characters (like superman, batman, power-puff girls etc.) also increase the probability of their future aggressive behaviors. Advertisements involve these characters to attract young consumers and indirectly affect their behaviors. Children live in their fantasy world and believe everything they watch or are told of. They perceiv e the effects of products as are exposed and try to use the brand that their favorite cartoon character or hero uses in the media content. The irony is the fact that they imitate the action of those characters which more often result in aggressive behaviors and leave long lasting effects on their behaviors (Strasburger, & Donnerstein, 1999). The act of imitation and copying the media characters, however, is not the only way children are affected by violence exposure. One more common psychological process that is associated with media exposure is desensitization. This process points towards the emotional response of a person as a result of a particular action. People who are exposed to the dangers associated with wild animals are more likely to become psychologically upset and emotionally aroused if they face them in real. They are more likely to fight against it or protect themselves in some way. However,

Discussion about hunger game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion about hunger game - Essay Example Children are being abused and lives taken just for entertainment purposes.This inhuman acts by the leaders of panama and the resident of Capital demonstrate disregard of human rights and social injustice of the highest order. The District residents are viewed as so much inferior human being to an extent that they don’t see anything wrong with making their children kill each other to entertain them. The government of Panem holds all the power over the districts and they rule with finality and totality. The districts resident has no say in matters concerning their governance and the government imposes on them whatever they want regardless of their feelings about it. The government keeps District resident on their knees by warning them of how miserable their lives will be if they rebel against it. The people are forced to live under hostile conditions like fighting among themselves, deny them freedom of movement and joining forces was criminalized among district residents. The book shows how different the lives of those who has power (Capitals) was to the inferior class (the district).When Katniss refuse to kill Peeta or join forces with Rue, she defies the rule of capital and this meant she was to be severely punished as she belonged to an inferior class of people in that society. Here inequality of different classes of people in this society is clearly

African American Cultures Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

African American Cultures - Research Proposal Example Through the nuance of the Black culture, the African Americans are reminded of their past especially during slavery. The bifurcations in the trajectory remind the black American persons of their past and the conditions that unite them (Anderson, 1977, p.4). The aura of the Black spirituals is also credited for uniting the Blacks. The church also boosted the culture, creativity of the African American Music, in relation to Huggins (2007, p.xiv –xx) and the depictions in African American poems (Graham & Vard, 2011, p.535). Anderson, E. (1977). The Use of the Black Folk Oral Tradition and Other Black Rhetorical and Verbal Strategies in the Teaching of Composition. Retrieved on 2 August, 2012. From: http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED145425.pdf Hamlet, J. (2011).Word! The African American Oral Tradition and its Rhetorical Impact on American Popular Culture, 74 (1), p27-31. Retrieved on 2 August, 2012.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

A cross-cultural analysis of perception towards sex appeal advertising Dissertation

A cross-cultural analysis of perception towards sex appeal advertising - Dissertation Example In this research, the design taken up for the information involved the distribution of research tools to different places in an attempt to diversify the information acquired and to rule out monotony. Different towns were visited from which I gained an understanding of the information from an even deeper perspective. Research Approach The research approach incorporated in the tabulating of information was a mixture of all the four major types of research. The initial research carried out was the Advocacy research where it was arrived to the conclusion that the existing modes of research and the information acquired was not sufficient for the analysis and conclusion of the topic under review. This is from the fact that numerous people and scientists have indulged in this research method with the hope of coming to a conclusion but with the rise in technology, the information is never satisfactory. There was also the incorporation of the pragmatic approach of research. This is where ther e is the study of what professionals in the stated field have to say regarding the issue. This is important to take into account before incorporating the more popular approaches to research. This is from the fact that they offer a basis for the research and one is able to understand the waytogo buy the research and also offers one an in depth understanding of the topic under review. ... The first one involved going online and looking at several sites in an attempt to understand the different approaches that various professionals and writers had to say regarding the issue of sex appeal advertising. This method was resourceful from the fact that different opinions lead to some form of loggerheading and creates a basis for more research by individual proffesionals. With increase in research, it is clear that more information is arrived at and consequently more knowledge is articulated. Another mode of secondary research incorporated was by visiting live libraries. Libraries are known to harbor many books with different topics and the fact that the library was visited gives more credit to the information presented seeing as many books were visited. There was also the watching of many videos and documentaries that assisted understand the manner through which cultures in the prior years used to take the issue. This is compared to the manner through which contemporary cult ures percieve and act on the matter. Primary Research Primary research is the research through which a research gets information first hand without referring to any other research carried out prior to the date of research. One of the methods that I used in an effort to accumulate data through primary research was by observation. I was able to stand across a street directly opposite to a lotion advertising billboard that had a semi-naked woman photographed in it. I was able to observe the reactions that different women across all ages as they passed trough the location. From this method, I got to understand that different women of different ages had different reactions to the billboard. Women of a slightly older age were greatly offended by the billboard and could be seen frowning as

Jacksonian Age religious commotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jacksonian Age religious commotion - Essay Example For a long time, the government controlled every activity that the church was doing (Sellers 2006). The separation between the church and the state caused a commotion in the religion. Divisions in the church were evident, where each denomination claimed to have power than the other. The main denominations according to the ranking of the majority were Methodist, Presbyterians and the Baptists. It was due to this margin among the religious institution that caused changes in the church. This commotion gave birth to revivalism which was highly welcomed by the Americans. Long before these changes, the Americans used to be attracted by secular meeting organized through camps to gain a social touch, but with the emergence of revival meetings, they diverged their lifestyle to concentrate on revivals (Sellers 2006). Salvation was evident in such meetings, having faith was also encouraged, and as a result, many people gave their lives to God. Each denomination could formulate ways to mak e their revivals unique. For instance, the Baptists came up with the idea of baptism. They argued that, it was vital for the fulfillment of conversion experience (Sellers 2006). Those who were baptized, were convinced of having gained eternal life, hence as a way of maintaining it, they became so loyal to the church. The church at one point started deteriorating in terms of fame in the country. This was due to some actions that were happening in the church which did not make people happy. Business-minded revivalists emerged, using revivals as a source of income. Though giving was a requirement, in the church, American citizens wondered how they could make themselves rich. People who conducted the revivals could not maintain their purity. They were involved in the dirty acts of immorality. Traditional religion The traditional religion in the United States was not forgotten. A good number of Americans believed in things like dreams, fortune tellers, ghosts and

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Capital Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Capital Budgeting - Essay Example It is imperative to note that, the expected spot rate appreciation or depreciation is determined by the expected inflation differential (Johnson, 92). RPP is the most useful tool of parity conditions considered in determining whether to accept or reject projects. It is fundamental to note that, RPP predicts the change in the exchange rate over time of the project. The illustration below indicates the most likely setup for NPVs. The table above indicates that all NPVs are positive numbers. It is essential to note that, foreign exchange threat can add, or annihilate the value of the project. Furthermore, a higher parent prospective foreign exchange, adds value to the project. Similarly, a higher project prospective foreign exchange destroys the value of the project. There are two kinds of NPVs. They include NPV from the project prospective, which does not contain foreign exchange risk. The other type is RPP NPV from the parent prospective. It does contain foreign exchange risk (Johnson, 65). In this circumstance, the project risk gives a slightly positive number. On the other hand, the RPP NPV parent prospective gives a bigger, positive number the foreign exchange risk is included (Johnson, 67). In this circumstances, the project can be accepted due to the positive number for the Canadian NPV from the parent prospective RPP. More over, the NPV with foreign exchange risk add more value to the project. The Crystal Ball report results, indicates that maximum and minimum scenarios of NPVs from the project and the parent prospective exists. Consider the following table, which illustrates the maximum scenarios for NPVs. It is imperative to note that, despite changes of variables, the maximum scenario for all the NPVs increased in positive values. In this case, the project could be accepted because NPVs are positive (Johnson, 69). More over, it is fundamental to note that RPP is critical in this course. The value of RPP is observed to be

Jacksonian Age religious commotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jacksonian Age religious commotion - Essay Example For a long time, the government controlled every activity that the church was doing (Sellers 2006). The separation between the church and the state caused a commotion in the religion. Divisions in the church were evident, where each denomination claimed to have power than the other. The main denominations according to the ranking of the majority were Methodist, Presbyterians and the Baptists. It was due to this margin among the religious institution that caused changes in the church. This commotion gave birth to revivalism which was highly welcomed by the Americans. Long before these changes, the Americans used to be attracted by secular meeting organized through camps to gain a social touch, but with the emergence of revival meetings, they diverged their lifestyle to concentrate on revivals (Sellers 2006). Salvation was evident in such meetings, having faith was also encouraged, and as a result, many people gave their lives to God. Each denomination could formulate ways to mak e their revivals unique. For instance, the Baptists came up with the idea of baptism. They argued that, it was vital for the fulfillment of conversion experience (Sellers 2006). Those who were baptized, were convinced of having gained eternal life, hence as a way of maintaining it, they became so loyal to the church. The church at one point started deteriorating in terms of fame in the country. This was due to some actions that were happening in the church which did not make people happy. Business-minded revivalists emerged, using revivals as a source of income. Though giving was a requirement, in the church, American citizens wondered how they could make themselves rich. People who conducted the revivals could not maintain their purity. They were involved in the dirty acts of immorality. Traditional religion The traditional religion in the United States was not forgotten. A good number of Americans believed in things like dreams, fortune tellers, ghosts and

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Video game aggression Essay Example for Free

Video game aggression Essay As technology continues to forge ahead concerns about its effects on the populace are raised. Whether it be microwave ovens causing cancer or cell phones causing accidents, people are always interested in researching, and often condemning, these new products. Such is this case with videogames. Ever since PongO swept the nation, scholars have been researching videogames effects on children. The most popular aspect of videogame research is whether or not games increase aggression. A video game is any console or PC based interactive game, aggression is any thoughts or behaviors related with the intention to cause harm. Contrary to popular belief, there is no reliable correlation between videogames and aggression. Claims are the backbone to a study; they are both the starting point and the goal. Cooper and Mackie (1986) sought to discover if a highly violent game would affect 4th and 5th grade kids differently than a nonviolent game or a paper-and-pencil game. Tamborini et all (2000) predicted that aggressive thoughts and behaviors would be highest amongst those playing a violent virtual reality game followed by those playing a violent standard game, followed by those playing a nonviolent standard game. Derek (1995) was interested in what effect, if any, playing violent games would have on aggressiveness in different personality types. Ballard and Weist (1996) researched whether the level of violence in a game would affect peoples responses on a hostility questionnaire. Sherry (2000) performed a meta-analysis on 25 video game/aggression studies; he wanted to see if there was any credence to the claims. All five studies are very similar in their intent. They mostly focus on whether the level of immersion (via different hardware, violent content, and/or graphics) affects the level of aggression. To understand a study one must understand the definitions used within that study. All five studies use the same general definition of a videogame that the general public uses; an interactive game played on a television or monitor whereby onscreen objects can be manipulated through the use of a controller. Violent video games are those that involve death and destruction to things resembling reality and/or fantasy. Definitions of aggression, however, differ. Cooper and Mackie (1986) used a childs toy selection and distribution of reward/punishment as an indicator of aggression. Tamborini et all (2000) consider aggression to be hostile thoughts. Derek (1995) defines aggression as a mindset that includes seven subcategories (the Buss-Durkee Inventory): assault, irritability, indirect hostility, negativism, resentment, suspicion, and verbal hostility. Ballard and Weist (1996) use the word hostility instead of aggression. In this case it refers to thoughts of defensiveness, dominance, aggression, self-confidence, nurturance, and autonomy. Sherry (2000) just says, ?and some form of aggressiveness as the dependent variable. The Cooper and Mackie study and the Sherry study are the only two that incorporate behavior in their definition of aggressiveness. All of the others deal only with thoughts, but are quite similar in their intent. The real make-or-break portion of research is the method in which you seek and categorize the data. Cooper and Mackie (1986) took 84 4th and 5th graders from New Jersey. They had equal numbers of boys and girls separated into three groups. One group played the violent game Missile Commander (a cheesy game where you shoot lasers at little dots representing bombs falling on a city), another played Pac Man (which we all know and love), and the control group solved mazes with pencil and paper. After 8 minutes of game play the kids were told to select a toy to play with while the researcher did some work (the researcher was actually observing how long the child play with each toy. They could select a Shogun warrior (a violent toy), Nerf basketball (an active toy), Lincoln Logs (a quiet game), or pop-up pinball (a skill game). Which toy the child selected acted as an indicator of mindset. After the play session the children were told to hold down a button to indicate the length of a time a child should be punished for various acts of insubordination. They were then told to hold down a button for the length of time a child should be rewarded for various good deeds. Tamborini et all (2000) enlisted 92 MSU undergrads in the Communications department. The predominantly female assemblage was split into three groups. Before playing any games they filled out a self-report questionnaire concerning aggressive tendencies. The first group got to play Duke Nukem 3D on a virtual reality system (Duke Nukem is a modern first-person shooter where you run around blasting aliens; virtual reality systems incorporate a headset and gloves to more fully immerse the player), the second group played Duke Nukem 3D on a regular computer, and the third group played Cool Boarder (a realistic snowboarding game) on a regular PC. Participants got to play for ten minutes then filled out a thought list coded for types and frequency of hostile thoughts. They also filled out an evaluation of the research assistant they dealt with, this was meant to be another measure of aggressiveness. Derek (1995) enlisted 117 students from Strathclyde University (60% women). Participants were split into three groups. The non-aggressive game group played Tetris (a real-time strategy game), the moderately aggressive game group played Overkill (a typical space-blasters game which no one has heard of), the aggressive game group played Fatal Fury (a martial arts fighting game with high levels of trauma and gore). Players were given a personality test before and after game play under the guise that the study was concerned with hand-eye coordination as it relates to personality. Ballard and Weist (1996) took 30 male undergraduates from Appalachian State University. The guys were split into two groups. Group one played Corner Pocket (a billiards game with virtually no action) while group two played Mortal Kombat (an extremely popular fighting game), which was set at either high violence mode or low violence mode. The subjects played for 10 minutes before filling out a hostility questionnaire. Sherry (2000) drank hundreds of cups of coffee and alienated his wife and kids while pouring over insane amounts of research. There were 32 studies available to him, 7 of which he had to throw out for various reasons. Of the remaining 25 he carefully looked for validity problems while synthesizing them into the definitive meta-analysis on this topic. As with all things capitalist and otherwise, its all about the bottom line, lets see what they found. Cooper and Mackie (1986) found that, overall, the kids played with the skilled toy and quiet toy (118 sec. and 134 sec. respectively) more than the active toy or aggressive toy (89 sec. and 59 sec. ). After exposure to the aggressive game the kids played with the aggressive toy more than the kids in the other two conditions combined (82 sec. compared to 46 sec. for the other two groups). Amount of time pressing the reward/punishment buzzers was not correlated with the game played. Tamborini et all (2000) found a significant effect for media environment on hostile thoughts, F (3,91)=7.21, p*. 01, eta=. 20. Contrary to expectations, a higher number of hostil thoughts was found among those who played the game on a PC, not those who played Virtual Reality. They did find that those playing violent games had higher hostility ratings than those whom played nonviolent games, but the highest hostility was found among those who observed the violent games. Derek (1995) used a one-way ANOVA test and found no significant differences between overall changes in aggressiveness and type of game played. Pearsons correlation coefficients also failed to show a significant relationship between type of game played and change in level of aggression. Ballard and Weist (1996) used a one-way MANOVA test and found a significant relationship between levels of hostility and type of game. Hostility scores were higher after playing high-gore Mortal Kombat than they were after playing low-gore Mortal Kombat. Both were significantly high than those who played the billiards game. Sherry (2000) used the Pearson R on each of the 25 studies individually, he then subtracted out the variance due to sampling error. This resulted in a large standard deviation in the weighted effect size, suggesting extraneous variables at work. He also performed a Fisher Zr test, and was unable to reject the null hypothesis. In the words of Austin Powers, whoopdy-doo, what does it all mean There are many factors that cloud the issue, but overall it seems that the evidence is not very convincing. In the Cooper and Mackie study (1986) the higher levels of play time with the aggressive toy was accounted for almost entirely by the female participants. One theory is that playing the aggressive video game empowered the girls (whom are normally shunned from doing aggressive things) to broaden their aggressive horizons; at the least it calls into question issues of generality. The age of this study is also a factor, Sherry (2000) points out that there is a trend for older video game studies to have greater effect sizes. An issue with all of the studies was the short amount of time participants played the games. Sherry (2000) found that playing time was a negative predictor of effect size. It seems that there is an initial spike in aggression that goes away after longer exposure. Tamborini et alls (2000) findings are odd due to the fact that the observers reported the highest hostility. This could indicate that seeing violence on screen-not necessarily controlling it- leads to higher aggression. The most convincing evidence of all is the meta-analysis (Sherry, 2000). His exhaustive study was unable to produce resounding results, indicating that the positive findings in some of the studies could be anomalous. This lack of evidence would leave one to believe that the status quo is acceptable. Game content can be found through the rating system, but any other measures would be burdensome and unnecessary. So, until more convincing data comes along we can rest assured that any rage is the result of good old American anger, not blasting on-screen boogie men. Bibliography Works Cited Ballard, M. E. , Wiest, J. R. (1996). Mortal Kombat: The Effects of Violent Videogame Play on Males Hostility and Cardiovascular Responding. Journal of Applied Psychology, 26, 717-730. Cooper, J. , Mackie, D. (1986). Video Games and Aggression in Children. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 16, 726-744. Derek, S. (1995). The Effect of Video Games on Feelings of Hostility. The Journal of Psychology, 129, 121-130. Sherry, J. L. (2000). The Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggression: A Meta-Analysis. Human Communication Research*. Tamborini, R. , Eastin, M. , Lachlan, K. , Fediuk, T. , Brady, R. , Skalski, P. (2000). Virtual Violence. 86th Annual Convention of the National Communication Association.

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Fields Of Construction And Engineering Construction Essay

The Fields Of Construction And Engineering Construction Essay In the fields of  civil engineering,  construction  is a process that consists of the  building   or assembling of infrastructure. Normally, the job is managed by a  project manager, and supervised by a  construction manager,  design engineer and construction engineer. For the successful  execution  of a  project, effective  planning  is essential. Those involved with the design and execution of the infrastructure in question must consider the  environmental impacts  of the job, the successful  scheduling, budgeting,  construction site safety, availability of building materials and inconvenience to the public caused by  construction delays. TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS UNDERGOING Two types of projects are activated inside campus:- 1. Building construction, 2. Maintenance of roads. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Several buildings are under construction inside campus to be used as central library, staff residences, educational buildings for B.D.S. and M.B.B.S., shopping mall, boys hostel no.5,hospital, extrusion of built buildings, passage between hostels, footpath repairing , repairing and maintenance, administration building. The contracts are undertaken by different companies in order to have the work done in the shortest possible time. Some of these companies are mentioned below. Building construction of two types:- 1. Framed structure construction, 2. Unframed structure construction. 1. Framed structure is an assembly of slabs, beams, columns and foundation connected to one another so that it behaves as one unit. It is a methodology, which enables the construction of tall buildings and building with stilts. Majority of urban structures and multistoried buildings are built as RCC framed structures. In an RCC framed structure, the load is transferred from a slab to the beams then to the columns and further to lower columns and finally to the foundation which in turn transfers it to the soil. The walls in such structures are constructed after the frame is ready and are not meant to carry any load.   As against this, in a load bearing structure, the loads are directly transferred to the soil through the walls, which are capable of carrying them. A well describing picture of a framed building inside lovely university is displayed on next page. FRAMED STRUCTURE 2.Unframed structures are those in which masonry is done with the help of mortar along with pillars and columns are also extruded.. VARIOUS OPERATIONS CONTINUING The foundation. It is the inferior or bottom part of a building that penetrates the terrain it is on, this carries the weight of the building and supports it. Type of foundations provided that I saw inside the university campus were:- #Spread footing foundations consists of strips or pads of concrete which transfer the loads from walls and columns to the soil or bedrock. Embedment of spread footings is controlled by several factors, including development of lateral capacity, penetration of soft near-surface layers, and penetration through near-surface layers likely to change volume due to frost heave or swell. These foundations are common in residential construction that includes a basement, and in many commercial structures. This type of foundation is provided below the buildings to be used as boys hostel no.5. #Mat-slab foundation are used to distribute heavy column and wall loads across the entire building area, to lower the contact pressure compared to conventional spread footings. Mat-slab foundations can be constructed near the ground surface, or at the bottom of basements. In high-rise buildings, mat-slab foundations can be several meters thick, with extensive reinforcing to ensure relatively uniform load transfer. This type of foundation is provided below the building to be used as central library and staff residence. The walls. The walls of a building   receive the weight of the different ceilings and floors and pass this weight over to the foundation. Masonry has done to construct walls in all buildings inside campus. Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone such as marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and tile. Masonry is generally a highly durable form of construction. However, the materials used, the quality of the mortar and workmanship, and the pattern in which the units are assembled can significantly affect the durability of the overall masonry construction Brick masonry is undertaken inside campus. Solid brickwork is made of two or more layers of bricks with the units running horizontally called stretcher bricks bound together with bricks running transverse to the wall called header bricks. Each row of bricks is known as a course. The pattern of headers and stretchers employed gives rise to different bonds such as the common bond, the English bond, and the Flemish bond .Bonds can differ in strength and in insulating ability. Vertically staggered bonds tend to be somewhat stronger and less prone to major cracking than a non-staggered bond. A picture of brick masonry is given below. Concrete blocks masonry is also under process in some parts of LPU. Blocks of cinder concrete, ordinary concrete, or hollow tile are generically known as Concrete Masonry Units (CMU)s. They usually are much larger than ordinary bricks and so are much faster to lay for a wall of a given size. Furthermore, cinder and concrete blocks typically have much lower water absorption rates than brick. They often are used as the structural core for veneered brick masonry, or are used alone for the walls of factories, garages and other industrial style buildings where such appearance is acceptable or desirable. Such blocks often receive a stucco surface for decoration. Surface-bonding cement, which contains synthetic fibers for reinforcement, is sometimes used in this application and can impart extra strength to a block wall. Surface-bonding cement is often pre-colored and can be stained or painted thus resulting in a finished stucco-like surface. The primary structural advantage of concrete blocks in comparison to smaller clay-based bricks is that a CMU wall can be reinforced by filling the block voids with concrete with or without steel rebar. Generally, certain voids are designated for filling and reinforcement, particularly at corners, wall-ends, and openings while other voids are left empty. This increases wall strength and stability more economically than filling and reinforcing all voids. Typically, structures made of CMUs will have the top course of blocks in the walls filled with concrete and tied together with steel reinforcement to form a bond beam. Bond beams are often a requirement of modern building codes and controls. Another type of steel reinforcement, referred to as ladder-reinforcement, can also be embedded in horizontal mortar joints of concrete block walls. The introduction of steel reinforcement generally results in a CMU wall having much greater lateral and tensile strength than unreinforced walls. cmus can be manufactured to provide a variety of surface appearances. They can be colored during manufacturing or stained or painted after installation. They can be split as part of the manufacturing process, giving the blocks a rough face replicating the appearance of natural stone, such as brownstone. CMUs may also be scored, ribbed, sandblasted, polished, striated (raked or brushed), include decorative aggregates, be allowed to slump in a controlled fashion during curing, or include several of these techniques in their manufacture to provide a decorative appearance A COLUMN in structural engineering is a vertical structural member that transmits through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural element below. Other compression members are often termed as columns due to similar stress conditions. These are designed to and frequently used to support beams and arches on which upper part of walls or ceiling rests. A column might also a decorative member and but need not to support any load. Early columns were constructed of stone, some out of a single piece of stone, usually by turning on a lathe-like apparatus. Single-piece columns are among the heaviest stones used in architecture. Other stone columns are created out of multiple sections of stone, mortared or dry-fit together. In many classical sites, sectioned columns were carved with a center hole or depression so that they could be pegged together, using stone or metal pins. The design of most classical columns incorporates enchases (the inclusion of a slight outward curve in the sides) plus a reduction in diameter along the height of the column, so that the top is as little as 83% of the bottom diameter. This reduction mimics the parallax effects which the eye expects to see, and tends to make columns look taller and straighter than they are while enchases ads to that effect. Modern columns are constructed out of steel, poured or precast concrete, or brick. They may then be clad in an architectural covering or left bare. There are many types of columns such as steel, concrete, wooden etc. but inside lovely professional university, columns preferred are made up of concrete. The high compressive strength of high-strength concrete is especially advantageous in compressed members such as columns, which can be made more slender and, consequently, make economic benefits possible. However, the behavior of high-strength concrete columns is not yet fully understood. This thesis deals with the behavior of reinforced normal and high-strength concrete columns under compressive loading. Numerical results from non-linear finite element analyses were compared with results from columns tested. In the present study, thirty reinforced short stub concrete columns and sixteen reinforced long slender concrete columns have been tested under axial compressive short-term loading to failure. In addition, two long slender columns were subjected to sustained compressive loading. The parameters varied in the study were the concrete strength, stirrup spacing, reinforcement strength, slenderness of the columns, and eccentricity of the axial load applied. The test results for the short stub columns show that the load capacity increased in proportion to the increased compressive cylinder strength. The short stub columns of high-strength concrete exhibited a sudden, explosive type of failure. When the concrete strength of the long slender columns was increased, the maximum load capacity became greater. Although closer stirrup spacing did not provide an increase in load bearing capacity, it did give the columns a more ductile behavior in the post-peak region. The most important parameters for obtaining a ductile behavior were the spacing of the stirrups and the reinforcement configuration. Furthermore, it was observed that the stirrups in the high-strength concrete columns did not necessarily yield at maximum load. Therefore, to estimate the strength correctly it is necessary to use the actual stirrup strain or to design the reinforcement configuration so that yielding is reached at maximum load. Tests showed that the structural behavio r of a reinforced high-strength concrete columns is favorable for sustained loading, i.e., the column exhibited less tendency to creep and could sustain the axial load without much increase of deformation for a longer period of time. The nonlinear finite element analyses show good agreement with the test results. The analyses have been performed with two types of elements, beam elements and three-dimensional solid elements; each type has its advantages. This study has shown that the non-linear finite element method, together with non-linear fracture mechanics, provides a useful tool for the detailed analysis of reinforced concrete structures and contributes to a better understanding of the structural behavior of reinforced concrete columns subjected to axial loading. . 4.The beams. These consist of the horizontal elements that rest over the floor. The beams lean their weight over the pillars and are often times made out of concrete mix with reinforcement. A beam is a structural element that is capable of withstanding load primarily by resisting bending. The bending force induced into the material of the beam as a result of the external loads, own weight, span and external reactions to these loads is called a bending moment. Beams generally carry vertical gravitational forces but can also be used to carry horizontal loads (i.e., loads due to an earthquake or wind). The loads carried by a beam are transferred to columns, walls, or girders, which then transfer the force to adjacent structural compression members. In light frame construction the joists rest on the beam. Beams are characterized by their profile (the shape of their cross-section), their length, and their material. In contemporary construction, beams are typically made of steel, reinforced concrete, or wood. One of the most common types of steel beam is the I-beam or wide-flange beam (also known as a universal beam or, for stouter sections, a universal column). This is commonly used in steel-frame buildings and bridges. Other common beam profiles are the C-channel, the hollow structural section beam, the pipe, and the angle. Most beams in reinforced concrete buildings have rectangular cross sections, but the most efficient cross section for a simply supported beam is an I or H section. Because of the parallel axis theorem and the fact that most of the material is away from the neutral axis, the second moment of area of the beam increases, which in turn increases the stiffness. An I-beam is only the most efficient shape in one direction of bending: up and down looking at the profile as an I. If the beam is bent side to side, it functions as an H where it is less efficient. The most efficient shape for both directions in 2D is a box (a square shell) however the most efficient shape for bending in any direction is a cylindrical shell or tube. But, for unidirectional bending, the I or wide flange beam is superior. Efficiency means that for the same cross sectional area (volume of beam per length) subjected to the same loading conditions, the beam deflects less. Other shapes, like L (angles), C (channels) or tubes, are also used in construction when there are special requirements 5.Shuttering and scarf folding. It can be seen in most of the buildings. Shuttering is filling the concrete mix to construct pillars, beams, roof slabs etc. Scaffolding is done to provide a platform for workers. READY MIX CONCRETE .Ready-mix concrete is a type of concrete that is manufactured in a factory or batching plant, according to a set recipe, and then delivered to a work site, by truck mounted transit mixers . This results in a precise mixture, allowing specialty concrete mixtures to be developed and implemented on construction sites. Ready-mix concrete is sometimes preferred over on-site concrete mixing because of the precision of the mixture and reduced work site confusion. However, using a pre-determined concrete mixture reduces flexibility, both in the supply chained in the actual components of the concrete. Ready Mixed Concrete, or RMC as it is popularly called, refers to concrete that is specifically manufactured for delivery to the customers construction site in a freshly mixed and plastic or unhardened state. Concrete itself is a mixture of Portland cement, water and aggregates comprising sand and gravel or crushed stone. In traditional work sites, each of these materials is procured separately and mixed in specified proportions at site to make concrete. Ready Mixed Concrete is bought and sold by volume usually expressed in cubic meters. Ready Mixed Concrete is manufactured under computer-controlled operations and transported and placed at site using sophisticated equipment and methods. RMC assures its customers numerous benefits. CONCRETE MIX PLANT AT L.P.U Advantages of Ready mix Concrete over Site mix Concrete A centralized concrete batching plant can serve a wide area. The plants are located in areas zoned for industrial use, and yet the delivery trucks can service residential districts or inner cities. Better quality concrete is produced. Elimination of storage space for basic materials at site. Elimination of procurement / hiring of plant and machinery Wastage of basic materials is avoided. Labor associated with production of concrete is eliminated. Time required is greatly reduced. Noise and dust pollution at site is reduced. Reduce cost. Disadvantages of Ready-Mix Concrete The materials are batched at a central plant, and the mixing begins at that plant, so the traveling time from the plant to the site is critical over longer distances. Some sites are just too far away, though this is usually a commercial rather than technical issue. Generation of additional road traffic; furthermore, access roads, and site access have to be able to carry the weight of the truck and load. Concrete is approx. 2.5tonne per m ³. This problem can be overcome by utilizing so-called minimix companies, using smaller 4m ³ capacity mixers able to access more restricted sites. Concretes limited time span between mixing and going-off means that ready-mix should be placed within 90 minutes of batching at the plant. I am looking forward for your satisfaction towards this submission. WITH THANKS REFFERENCE: =Wikipedia =Er. Deepak kumar,J.E., G.S. TRADERS =Self visits on sites =Photography source self captured photos from different sites inside LPU