Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Inclusion - Special Educational Needs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Inclusion - Special Educational Needs - Essay Example and b., in the absence of the special educational provisions (Sec. 312 Education Act 1996) (Blackpool Council, 2009) educational provisions that are in addition to or happen to be inherently different from the educational provisions extended to the other students of the same age group in the academic institutions run by the Local Authorities (Blackpool Council, 2009). There are many children who face learning disabilities of one kind or other during their school years. Children having special educational needs may require extra help while dealing with a range of areas in their schools that include: Generally speaking, making provisions for the children with special educational needs in the secondary education is a very humane approach towards education and is in consonance with the contemporary Western ideals pertaining to education. Every child deserves a chance to make the best of his/her abilities and the inherent disabilities in no way should hamper a child from pursuing proper education and academic aspirations. However, the concept of SEN took a relatively long time to become an integral part of the British education system. The Education Act of 1944 strived to define special educational needs in terms of concrete and discernable medical disabilities. The Warnock Report of 1978 that preceded the 1981 Education Act revolutionized the concept of special educational needs, that became much more inclusive in its approach and aspired to define the learning disabilities in terms of the "common educational goals for all children" (House of Commons Educational and Skills Committee, 2005: 11). The ensuing legislations stressed upon the need for not discriminating against the children with special educational needs. However, the 1981 Education Act failed to make ample financial provisions for statementing and teacher training. Through out the 90s despite the existence of Warnock Framework, there was a marked decline in the number of children in special schools and a steady rise in the number of children identified as having special educational needs (House of Commons Educational and Skills Committee, 2005: 13). T he Labour government tried to align the state standing in consonance with the UN Statement on Special Needs Education 1994, in the form of 1997 Green Paper 'Excellence for All Children Meeting Special Educational Needs (House of Commons Education and Skills Committee, 2005: 11). Thus for the first time the state tried to make a genuine and sincere effort to incorporate the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Tomorrow’s “Smart” technologies will improve everyday life Essay Example for Free

Tomorrow’s â€Å"Smart† technologies will improve everyday life Essay Smart Technology devices would be able to change and improve human life to an extent of having more comfortable home, productive school and a more efficient workplace. Smart Technology devices are systems that used some of the highest level of technology available to man.   These devices are aware of the environment they function.   They are also capable of reacting to certain situations that may arise in the environment (Worden, 2003).   SMART systems are very useful devices, as they would understand the environment they are functioning.    In this paper, we would be looking at how SMART devices could be useful to human beings and make our daily life easier. Let’s now look at the various functions of Smart devices.   It can protect itself from certain eventualities that may arise in the environment.   A car having a smart system is able to detect any vehicle when it gets too close and automatically applies the brakes, so that not only is the car protected, but also most importantly is the user.   Another way in which the smart device would be protecting itself is from a fire.   Several buildings have an automatic fire management system that is able to detect a fire and control it.   Such a system would also be protecting the users (Worden, 2003 Bishop, 2007). A smart device is capable of repairing itself, limiting the damage.   Several smart systems have a repair mechanism that is able to identify damage done on itself, and accordingly repair or limit the damage.   For example, if a computer system has been affected by a virus attack, the systems have embedded software that is able to identify the corrupted files and accordingly isolate or delete them.   In this way, the intelligence of the system would be helping it to work better in the future (Worden, 2003). Another important use of a Smart device is that it is capable of identifying changes that occur in the environment and accordingly adapt to those changes.   The smart device contains several portions, namely the input channels (which may include several sensors), the input system, the interface devices, the central unit or the microcontroller (which contains the microprocessor), the interface, and the output unit.   The input unit contains several sensors to detect the presence of a specific user (Casciati, 2004 Gardner, 2005).    For example, a fingerprint device contains sensors that are able to recognize the user.   Otherwise sensors are able to detect changes that occur in the environment such as temperature changes, pressure changes, stress levels, etc.   A Smart Air conditioner would automatically sense the environmental settings and accordingly change the settings according to the preferences of the user.   The SMART system is in fact similar to the human nervous system.   Like the human parts, it contains sense organs that are able to sense the external data. This is then transferred to the brain or the central processor through nerve connections that carry signals.   When the information reaches the brain or the central processor, it gets processed through several methods such as filtering, organizing, computation, preferences, problem solving, decision-making, scoring, tabulating, and sorting out.   The data, which is processed, may be stored in the SMART system and/or may be transmitted to the connections to the external environment.   The microprocessor present in the system is capable of performing a number of computational tasks (Casciati, 2004 Gardner, 2005). Several of the Smart Devices has several embedded software that enable it to function better and to optimize the functioning.   Nowadays, the development of microchips and microprocessor has been phenomenonal.   They have several algorithms within them, which help to perform the tasks faster and more effectively.   The systems are capable of communicating with the user in a two-way manner.   The process of sending information from one part of the system to another is highly complicated and a refinery would help to transfer the information more efficiently. Some systems also utilize a diagnostics tool to ensure that if any problem exists, the mechanic can be informed immediately of the nature of the problem.   This would ensure that the user does not have any inconveniences if the system goes wrong.   The reporting in a SMART device is of two types, namely predictable (which may occur over a period of time) and unexpected.   As they are able to report both, they are very useful for application (Cougias, 2003 Gardner, 2005).   The smart systems may be very easy to operate and upgrade in case the user wants to have the latest version. Today’s SMART systems are becoming hybrid in nature.   They can perform several tasks rapidly at the same time.   The smart system should be able to function in the predicted manner in real life situations.   It is just not enough for the system to function in the laboratory or the manufacturers office.   It is very important for the manufacturer to know what environment the use would be having, and accordingly test the Smart system.   Research and development would help build a faster, better and a more effective system.   The SMART system should be able to perform several functions simultaneously.   A number of algorithms should be handled. The system should be flexible during functioning.   It should be able to adapt to conditions that prevail in the environment so that the user would be benefited.   Having a Smart system embedded in a device has several advantages.   It could help reduce the amount of energy or power consumed by the device.   Hence, the operational costs could be reduced. It could also help prolong the life of the system, as sensors that would be able to detect non-use and automatically switch of the system.   Only the rightful user can access the system.   The Smart system would permit only the rightful user to enter it, and hence the system would be secure, safe and protected.   In case several users are accessing the device, the system can be setup in such a way that one user would be able to access only the relevant information.   Some of the ways in which the user identity can be recognized includes finger print screening, corneal scans and username passwords (Casciati Hydrocarbon Engineering, 2004). Compared to regular technology, smart technology has several benefits.   The cost of operations is reduced using smart technology.   Smart technology is able to identity any problems that exist during operations and would sort them out effectively.   In this way the cost of operations may be reduced.   Newer technology is more effective than older ones in reducing the costs and processors are becoming more and more advanced and efficient (Hydrocarbon Engineering, 2004 Gardner, 2005). Smart devices are able to save electricity, energy and power.   This is because they have sensors that are able to detect non-use.   If the user is not using the system for a stipulated time, the system is automatically shut down (Casciati).   As the smart system save energy it is also environmentally friendly, preventing unnecessary damage to the environment (Hydrocarbon Engineering, 2004). Smart systems are very flexible and can adapt to a number of conditions that prevail in the environment.   This effectively makes the system more and more user—friendly. The lifespan of the devices or the machine can be extended as whenever it not in use, it is automatically shutdown.   Besides, the system can also maintain itself effectively. It would signal for replacements or care from a mechanic. Another important benefit of a smart system is that it is able to understand its environment.   It employs computational methods and the use of sensors to gain data from the environment.   However, it is very important to know that awareness of the environment and automatically responding to it is not a straightforward task.   It may take sometime to develop this.   As the systems are becoming more and more advance, they are finding it easier to understand the environment they function in.   A system may take time to learn the various situations that prevail in the environment.   Once it is able to do so, it can perform even complicated tasks (Worden, 2003). The smart system helps to reduce the labor cost and the manpower required.   The human resources required to maintain the system would also be minimal (Hydrocarbon Engineering, 2004). It may be very easy to upgrade a smart system.   Nowadays this may be possible by the installation of software and up gradation packs.   They also do not require the knowledge and skills of an expert to upgrade (Hydrocarbon Engineering, 2004). Smart systems can be utilized in a number of situations including schools, home, workplace, industry, space, offices, shopping, roads, hospitals, buildings, vehicles, oil refineries, banks, etc.   It can be said that in all these situations, Smart systems may help to improve overall everyday life.   Within the next two decades, SMART systems would be changing several devices and aspects of our lives including computers, machines, processes, power, vehicles, etc (Cetron, 1997). In the homes, they could be utilized to wash our clothes, prepare food according to the individual tastes and preferences and even perform other tasks daily as required by the user. In the school, the smart system could be utilized in a virtual reality environment to help the student attend classes and interact with the teachers and other students.   They could help students to express their creative skills and learn languages faster and more effectively (Negroponte Papert, 2007). At the workplace Smart system could be utilized in fingerprinting devices, so as to identity a particular staff member and give him/her access to a particular system.   The staff members could utilize the smart systems to perform effective computational tasks, manage the workflow and manage several operational processes that may occur in the organization. Some of the fields in which Smart systems are utilized include telecommunications, banking, education, automobiles, interior decoration, architecture, entertainment, engineering, healthcare, etc.   They find application in almost any device, such as security system, fire detection and control systems, computers, mobiles, cars, motorcycles, microwaves, washing machines, airplanes, etc.   Smart system could be utilized in a traffic management system.   They could be utilized in the healthcare sector to monitor the condition of the patient and inform the doctor of the status.   With respect to vehicles, smart devices, could help control the speed of the vehicle and effectively brake when an accident is anticipated (Bishop, 2007). Voice to text is a system in which the individual is able to offer oral commands to the computer, and the computer would be converting it into a text format.   The computer can be told of the tasks that should be performed, and the individual can be later reminded of what he/she should be doing.   Effectively, voice recognition systems have replaced keyboards.   It may be initially difficult for the system to identify and transcribe the voice of an individual.   However, over a period of time, the computer would do this task more efficiently and rapidly. Voice to text translation systems are very useful in an educational environmental and also to train the staff embers at the workplace.   Studies have shown that the current voice to text systems may be only 90 to 95 % accurate.   However, with time more and more advanced systems are being manufactured, that are able to reach an almost 100 % accuracy rate.   The system would also be useful for individuals with disabilities.   Such a system could easily help to learn a foreign language (Tech Learning, 2007). Another way smart system would be improving everyday life is by the use of compact computing devices such as laptops, pocket PCs, Tablet PCs, PDA and mobiles.   These computing device should possess certain characteristics such as: Compactness Cost effective Security Have a long span Waterproof Should be able to withstand accidents that the child may face whilst playing Should be able to be connected to the network Should be able to access any person across the globe Should have an expandable memory Should be able to make calls Should be light-weight Students and children from schools and colleges would benefit hugely from having a compact computing system.   It would offer a greater amount of mobility and flexibility.   However, there are several problems that exist with the use of these devices, which need to be sorted out.   These include short battery life, ease in decoding the password, extreme costs, and difficulty for current users to use the system. Wireless connectivity would definitely help the system to remain connected to the Internet and other systems throughout the world.   Teachers and students could hugely benefit by having a virtual classroom.   Physicians and doctors are also finding it very convenient to use palm-top devices such as PDA’s to chart the patient’s history and follow-up the cases.   As these devices have smart technology, the physician could be prompted in cases certain extra precautions need to be taken   (Tech Learning, 2007, Negroponte Papert, 2007, Reinsel, 2005). Computers containing smart technology can be utilized to perform complicated tasks know as ‘hybrid computing’.   The size of the microprocessors are becoming smaller and smaller, and the tasks they are performing are becoming more and more complicated.   They are also able to perform several tasks simultaneously.   Virtual reality is an environment in which an individual can perform certain tasks and function. A simple folder of a computer could be considered as a virtual reality.   Virtual reality was first described about 2 decades back.   Several computer organizations are coming up with highly complicated virtual systems.   A Virtual environment could help educate students.   An entire classroom can be conducted in a virtual environment   (Tech Learning, 2007 Gardner, 2005). Several systems contain artificial intelligence that would help them perform several tasks including teaching students, computing input signals and decoding data.   Artificial intelligence has several applications.   They could be utilized to test the intelligence levels of the students.   Some of these systems may be about 99 % reliable   (Tech Learning, 2007).   Microsoft has been thinking of developing user interfaces.   Computers that have better sense systems are being developed.   Eric Horvitz, Researcher at Microsoft Corporation and Jack Breese, Assistant Director of Microsoft Corporation in their interview with Discovery are able to provide more information about new user interfaces and the manner in which it could be utilize to handle emails and other communication methods.   One of their products known as ‘Look out’ is a new SMART system program that informs the user about emails, messages and schedules. It is a very effective tool to sort out messages utilizing a voice-based system (Horvitz Breese, 2007).   Berners-Lee, the Director of the WWW Consortium has developed newer and more intelligent systems to help store, access and transmit over the Internet.   This newer type of Internet would be known as ‘Semantic World’.   It is a highly intelligent system that would use very intelligent software so that the information is more secure.   This has very strong applications for use in banking, healthcare, etc.   This could also help in management of disasters and epidemics.   Several organizations that are utilizing Semantic systems feel this kind of technology could help change human lives (Berners-Lee, 2007). Smart technology could also be utilized to develop and express creative skills of the individual.   Several software such as moviemaker, are able to help one improve their creative skills.   The system itself would suggest ideal changes that would help to improve the quality and the appearance of the picture or the video short   (Tech Learning, 2007). One of the main areas in which smart technology is utilized is in fingerprint technology.   This field is mainly required by law-enforcing agencies and forensics organizations.   Earlier it was a very tough and meticulous job to identify an individual’s fingerprint.   However, nowadays, smart devices can virtually do it in a matter of seconds.   A database containing the fingerprints of several individuals may be stored, and when a given fingerprint is to be identified, it can be compared to various fingerprints that are present in the database   (Tech Learning, 2007). Smart devices could also help students that have certain problems during learn to overcome these difficulties.   During learning some students may experience a difficulty in a portion of the brain.   Utilizing a computer may identify this.   The computer would suggest ways in which this problem could be solved.   Psychologists would be closely coordinating such cases   (Tech Learning, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, it can be proved that Smart technology is helping to make human lives easier. At present Smart technology is still in the infancy stage. Soon Smart technology would be able to help human beings much more than they are doing today. They would be more reliable and trustworthy. A lot of research and developments need to be conducted in order to improve and help advance this very useful form of technology. Although, Smart Technology is in the infancy stages it has demonstrated that it could really do unbelievable things. Thus it can safely be said that SMART technology would be able to change and also improve human life to a very large extent, at home, the school, college and the workplace.   It would certainly help to improve comfort and efficiency levels (This answers the thesis question).       References: Books: Bishop, R. (2005), Intelligent Vehicle Technology And Trends, US: Artech.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This book written by Richard Bishop demonstrates how SMART technology can be utilized in cars and other vehicles.   The book shows how SMART technology could be utilized to increase the driver safety, reduce the strain on the driver, etc.   It concentrates on several aspects such as costs, user-friendliness, etc.   As the book concentrates on how to improve driver safety and the strain on the driver, it would certain helps meet the thesis statement of improving comfort levels and making human life easier and safer.   The author concentrates on various aspects such as cost, user-friendliness, acceptance, etc.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.amazon.com/Intelligent-Vehicle-Technology-Trends-Library/dp/1580539114/ref=sr_1_8/002-8224583-7909648?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1187180326sr=8-8 Cetron, M. Davies, O. (1997), Probable Tomorrows: How Science and Technology Will Transform Our Lives in the Next Twenty Years, St. Mary’s Press. http://www.amazon.com/Probable-Tomorrows-Science-Technology-Transform/dp/0312154291/ref=sr_1_28/002-8224583-7909648?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1187180609sr=8-28   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This book provides an insight of how technology could affect various aspects, processes and objects that we utilize in our daily life.   The presentation by Cetron is a very good one and needs to form a part of a book collection on SMART Technology.   She concentrates on the technological developments in the field of computers, building technology, power generation and vehicles.   The author makes predictions of the future in SMART technology and also suggests that the technology would have immense amount of benefits for humans.   In this way, it can be said that the author is contributing towards the thesis statement, in proving that SMART could include the comfort levels in various sphere of life. Casciati, F., Rossi, R. (2004), In. Holnicki-Szulc, J. Soares, C.A.M. (Ed), Advances In Smart Technologies In Structural Engineering, New York: Springer. http://books.google.com/books?id=vJPjorqGsIwCpg=PA1ots=TdVRc3L7WTdq=smart+technologiessig=q7drMwwfLh2-rtJuiKa_aFrdAMQ#PPP11,M1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The chapter throws more light on the use of fuzzy logic and sensor devices to help make lives easier.   The designing of sensor network and fuzzy logic systems have also been mentioned.   Besides, information of embedded microcontroller and microprocessors are also mentioned.   Certain information motioned in the book has been collected from a conference organized in Poland in the year 2003.   This technology is utilized to make Buildings in Europe smarter and user friendly.   In this way, the book is helping to meet with the thesis statement in making our lives more comfortable and easier.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Alleviating Illness Naturally :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Alleviating Illness Naturally Presently there is a general trend to treat mild illnesses naturally and to avoid strong allopathic medications. People are embracing herbal remedies which are less expensive, readily available, and have many less side effects. Echinacea, considered to have a remarkable immunostimulating activity, is one of the most widely used phytomedicinals for treatment of the common cold, flu, and other upper respiratory tract infections (1). It is readily available in liquid form, capsules, and in tea. You can purchase it over the counter at the drugstore, supermarket, and even at Kmart. I, like many others, have tried echinacea to treat the common cold and flu, but it never seemed to make me feel better. Am I the exception to benefiting from this common herbal remedy, or has the American public at large been conned into believing this plant will prevent them from getting sick? As of yet, there is no known medication proven to cure the common cold or flu. Both are upper respiratory tract infections caused by viruses and thus treatment in the form of antibiotics will not work. Medications referred by doctors, such as antihistamines, cough suppressants, and decongestants, treat the symptoms of the illness but not the underlying cause. Although echinacea is similar to other treatments in that it does not attempt to cure the illness, it distinguishes itself by directly stimulating the immune system. This novel approach for combating the cold or flu seems to work as well as the more common medical treatments (2). The herbal remedy echinacea is a family of nine flowering plants belonging to the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family and indigenous to North America. Three species, E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida, are used in medicinal supplements. Liquid extracts of the leaves and above ground parts of E. purpurea and E. angustifolia are the products most commonly available in the United States, while E. pallida is encountered in Europe (2). The study of how herbs affect the immune system is a current hot topic in pharmacological research. Do herbs, like the echinacea plant, really strengthen our resistance and help us lead healthier lives? There appears to be a contradiction between the wisdom of centuries of observation and the scrutiny of scientific laboratory research. Echinacea was among the most popular herbs used by Native American Indians. Its popularity in treating colds, coughs, and infections continued and in the late nineteenth century echinacea became the best selling medicinal tincture in America (1).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Biometrics :: Science Technology Essays

Biometrics For most people when first hearing the word biometrics, they have an instant reaction to tune out. Just because the term sounds complicated and somewhat boring does not mean that the information behind the term is incredibly interesting and fun! When first discussing the term with others, I too thought it would be a typical boring computer topic. It was not until I began to research the topic, that I saw computers to be intriguing. One of my favorite aspects of the topic is what it initially reminds me of. I could not help but think of spy and other technical movies that show biometrics being used. The term biometrics, refers to the automated methods of categorizing a person, based on their behavioral, and physiological characteristics. What people may not know about biometric systems, is that the basis alone is from natures oldest way of identification. By determining these characteristics in an authentication inquiry, this information can then be saved in reference, for identification to determine if the user can be granted access to any private or secured location. This particular method of recognition is preferred to those such as, passwords, or pin numbers. Although these methods are still commonly used, with biometrics we are able to make sure the person being identified is physically present, and elements the hassle of remembering several passwords. These physiological techniques could include fingerprints, retinal scanning, voice patterning, facial recognitions, DNA analysis along with hand and finger geometry. Biometrics is such a rapidly improving technology, that has been previously used for years in forensics, such as identification, and prison security. While the behavioral techniques include handwriting and voice recognition, gait, and keystroke dynamics. By having these special techniques replacing pins, we are able to feel secure about unauthorized used of ATM’s cellular phones, desktop PC’s, and other personal securities. In addition to these currently password protected areas, biometrics can also replaces keys for automobiles, such as key-less entry. Trust in these areas of secured access, is essential to a happy and healthy environment. Even though there are several ways of detecting identity, the most popular has been the facial recognition and fingerprint matching. These techniques are expected to be added in aid for homeland security identification, at places such as airports, along with helping in reliable travel documents, and preventing ID theft. Along with th e important need for reliable homeland security, biometrics are important in areas such as financial transactions, retail sales, investing, electronic banking, law enforcement, and health and social services.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Greek and Roman Cultures

Alicia Battles AIU-Online Cultural Topics November 11, 2012 Abstract In this assignment I will compare and contrast Greek and Roman Culture. I will discuss the likes and differences of their government, geographic terrain, economics, trade practices, art, architecture, philosophies, and religious beliefs. Greek Terrain- city states separated by hilly countryside and all near water Art- ideal artistic form (Superior to Roman art) Economy- grew wheat, produced, wine and olive oil; thought trading was degrading Social classes- slaves, freedmen, metics, citizens, women; women were not considered citizensGovernment- kings originally ruled, then oligarchy, then democracy Religion- cupid God of Love, Ares God of war, based on human personality traits, Love, Honor, Hatred, Dignity, also their roles in life determined what they were god of; Zeus: sky/weather, Hades: death, Poseidon: sea, aquatics; Physical life was of importance instead of eventuality of the afterlife; Each god had characteri stics that determined their actions; Deities were important for progression of life but mortals were just as Both Geographic Terrain- Mediterranean countriesEconomy- based on agriculture, worked mines, had slaves, produced wine and olive oil, coinage, divided by wealth Religion- same gods but different names and traits Government- originated by kings Philosophy- slowly emerged out of religious awe into curiosity about the principles and elements of the natural world. When Greek population moved to their cities interest changed to social living. Roman Terrain- Rome was inland, and on one side of the Tiber River Art- realistic portraits for decoration Economy- imported wheat, farmers, and also engaged in trade Social Classes- slaves, freedmen, plebeians, patriciansWomen were considered citizens Government- Kings originally ruled, then mixed republican form, then emperors Religion- Eros god of love, Mars god of martial fertility, Deities named after objects; mortals did good deeds to b e rewarded in the afterlife; they strove to gain their place with the gods in heaven Religion- gods not gender specific so their individual characteristics were not central to the myths; myths based in brave, heroic deeds of gods not mortals as mortal life was not important after death; Not individualistic; a warrior found sacred; actions more important than words; gods had no physical mportant as it was their contribution in society that mattered in the end; Individualistic: individuals had more consequences for their actions than that of a group Physical work not as important as creativity Gods were beautiful, bodies, muscles, eyes and hair made them more beautiful. Architecture- Buildings made of wood, clay, or mud bricks, limestone, marble, terracotta, plaster, and bronze; buildings were of the type of religious, funerary, domestic, civic, or recreational themes ppearance; Architecture- Rome adopted most of its architecture from Greek architecture References: http://www. britann ica. com/EBchecked/topic/1350843/Western-philosophy/16256/Shifts-in-the-focus-and-concern-of-Western-philosophy http://www. differencebetween. com/difference-between-greek-and-vs-roman-archit ecture/ http://www. diffen. com/difference/Greek_Gods_vs_Roman_Gods http://ancienthistory. about. com/od/greecevsrome/ss/GreecevsRome_8. htm

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Alice Walker Question Essays - Alice Walker, Booby Trap, Free Essays

Alice Walker Question Essays - Alice Walker, Booby Trap, Free Essays Alice Walker Question The selection from Alice Walker deals with the coming of civil rights and the different attitudes of the old and coming generations. Walker portrays the mother figure as supportive and tough; she fills both the masculine and feminine rolls, "With fists as well as / Hands." Images to emphasize the descriptions take up their own lines within the poem "Step," "Hands," "Doors," "Shirts," "Armies," "Fields," "Ditches," "Desks," and ending with "Themselves." This combination of domestic and military objects emphasizes the women's self reliance and perseverance. The military focus emphasizes their struggle through a stereo-typically male role while the domestic objects recall the expected housewifery of the period which one would expect. The hands that both iron and break down doors unify the two themes as being different parts of the same people. The theme of the American Dream echoes here; every parent wants their child to see a future better than their past, "A place for us / How they knew what we / Must know / Without knowing a page / Of it / Themselves." The speaker sees her mother as being supportive regarding that which she is unfamiliar with, "Without knowing a page" in the interest of furthering her offspring's chances of success in the world. The poem is unrhymed and utilizes imagery "fists," "battered down / Doors," "Across mined / Fields / Booby-trapped / Ditches / To discover books" of a war to express the difficulties with making progress in an oppressive society. The fact that the poem exists is a self-supportive testament to the ideals it portrays. Morgan Glines March 3 1997 AP English

Monday, October 21, 2019

Inventor Henry Blair and His Patents

Inventor Henry Blair and His Patents Henry Blair was the only inventor to be identified in the Patent Office records as a colored man. Blair was born in Montgomery County, Maryland around 1807. He received a patent on October 14, 1834, for a seed planter and a patent in 1836 for a cotton planter. Henry Blair was the second black inventor to receive a patent the first was Thomas Jennings who received a patent in 1821 for a dry cleaning process. Henry Blair signed his patents with an x because he could not write. Henry Blair died in 1860. The Research of Henry Baker What we know about early black inventors comes mostly from the work of Henry Baker. He was an assistant patent examiner at the U.S. Patent Office who was dedicated to uncovering and publicizing the contributions of Black inventors. Around 1900, the Patent Office conducted a survey to gather information about black inventors and their inventions. Letters were sent to patent attorneys, company presidents, newspaper editors, and prominent African Americans. Henry Baker recorded the replies and followed-up on leads. Baker’s research also provided the information used to select Black inventions exhibited at the Cotton Centennial in New Orleans, the World’s Fair in Chicago, and the Southern Exposition in Atlanta. By the time of his death, Henry Baker had compiled four massive volumes.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Land Rover Case

Land Rover Case Land Rover CaseAfter an extensive research regarding consumer demands for SUV's - there seems to be an increasing demand to develop SUV's to accommodate a consumers' safety, price value, usage purpose, and luxury needs to foster the constant change in consumer tastes and preferences. In order to satisfy these criteria, the ability to position the SUV correctly while targeting the appropriate consumers will determine the overall firm wide success in the future.Due to staggering costs that are required in purchasing and maintaining a Land Rover, the target market to position their fleet of cars should be geared towards those who are more likely to afford the vehicle. In Exhibit 1, the average buyers for Land Rovers have incomes of at least $100, 000. This expensive and luxury brand association with Land Rover will nonetheless be instilled in the minds of consumers as the luxury car alternative that tackles any on/off-road challenges, while adapting and conforming with the constant chan ge in trends, styles, and tastes of the typical American consumer.a Sussex Police Land Rover DefenderOriginally designed and marketed as a general-purpose vehicle that provided countryside workers with an efficient mean of transportation, there is now a new and untapped market opportunity for development and expansion to attract suburban and city dwellers to enter this market for SUV's. This market development to expand operations will penetrate into the largest automotive industry in the world, the United States. The growing demand to own a safe and dependable SUV to fulfill the needs of an average family of four to five is another great opportunity to quickly emerge as the leader into this market for SUV's. If Land Rover reacts quickly in an expansion plan for productions and operations, market domination can result from the foreseeable profitability in the long run.Land Rover's image as having...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Evaluating the jury in the English legal system Essay

Evaluating the jury in the English legal system - Essay Example This paper attempts to comprehensively analyze the Jury present in the English legal system. It (paper) would examine the strengths and weaknesses of the jury, based on the current state of affairs. Also, the paper would go on to suggest the manner in which improvements can be brought about in this system (jury). Before proceeding further with the discussion on all the aspects mentioned in the previous paragraph, it would be of help in having a brief look at the jury, as it is seen in the English legal system. Jury Historically, the concept of jury has been there in the English legal system for nearly the past eight centuries. But it was only in the year 1670 that a jury having its distinct power and which is not dependent on the judge was formed. In the criminal cases, the jury comes to the decision whether or not the crime in question can be attributed to the defendant. Likewise, in the civil matters, the jury decides whether the claimant has come forward with proof strong enough t o strengthen their case. Here, the jury also arrives at a collective decision about the eligibility of the claimant to receive compensation. (1) As per the English Law, a person can become a part of the jury, only if they satisfy some conditions. Firstly, the age of the person should not be less than eighteen and more than seventy. To become part of a jury, it is imperative that the electoral roll has name of the person, and it is also required that they have been a resident of the United Kingdom for a minimum of five years, right from the time when they were thirteen. Here, it needs to be noted that persons who are directly related to the judiciary or the department of justice cannot be included in a jury. People who have developed any mental ailments are not eligible to get included in the jury, too. (1) At this point, it needs to be specifically mentioned that all the above are only the most vital points pertaining to jury of the English legal system. It has to be understood that there are several other laws and regulations governing the avenue (jury). As is the case with most of the systems, even the jury has both strengths and weaknesses, and the paper would now endeavor to have a look at them (strengths & weaknesses). Strengths There are several advantages of the jury system of the English Law, and a brief glance at some of the major ones (strengths) would be very much appropriate. Whenever a person accused of a crime is in a position that, despite being innocent the related legal aspects are very much against them, they can take the help of jury. And it is a matter of common sense that there are countless legal cases where, the points enumerated in the law books cannot be of help to the defendant in proving their innocence. (2) Likewise, the jury system can be conveniently rated as being a safeguard to the common man of the country, as it prevents the government from adopting an autocratic approach. To put it in other words, the jury makes sure that the government cannot imprison people solely for furthering its political objectives. A person can be jailed only when they are guilty of committing a crime, as per the British Law. The jury goes a long way in making sure that the citizens of the land are not victimized by the corrupt acts of judges. (2) One of the major advantages of the jury as per the English Law is that, it enables common people of the Kingdom to participate in the process of delivering justice. As a result of that, it can be safely concluded that, the eventual judgment is nothing but the common verdict of people pertaining to varying backgrounds. It (judgment) can in no way be the decision of just one official of the judiciary, courtesy the presence of jury system. In addition, the juries go a long way in making sure that the verdict delivered by them is free of ambiguity. They just need to decide whether the accused in question is innocent or guilty. (3) As mentioned earlier, the members of a jury come from diver se social backgrounds. Owing to

Friday, October 18, 2019

The touristic developments in Libya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The touristic developments in Libya - Essay Example Despite being the second largest oil producer in the world, Libya continues to be underdeveloped even though the UN embargo was lifted in 2003. To understand the prospects of tourism in Libya, it is necessary to know the economic situation, the political condition, the natural resources, the local culture and the people, and the infrastructure in Libya. Libya’s economic progress has been very slow and it has been dependent on overseas technology, expertise for expansion and modernization, and upgradation of the vital infrastructure (Infrastructure Libya, 2009). However, even after two decades of isolation and sanction, Libya continues to be Africas second largest oil producer after Nigeria (Gearon, 2007). It has an authoritative form of government as the government has total control over the oil resources which accounts for approximately 97% of the export earnings, 75% of the government receipts and 54% of the GDP (BNEA, 2007a). It is believed the economy has been mismanaged and the income of the country has mostly been used to increase personal influence of the bureaucrats. This has resulted in high inflation and increase import prices. As a consequence, the standard of living continued to decline up to 2003. Because of the bureaucratic form of government privatization and growth were constrained. There was excessive contro l over prices, credit, trade and foreign exchange. The country also experienced periodic shortage of food and other resources. The country is however endowed with natural resources such as Petroleum, natural gas, gypsum. Wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans are the agricultural produce of Libya but almost 75% of the food required in Libya is imported (BNEA, 2007). The country has business relations with different for different products. While it exports crude oil and major petroleum products to Italy, Germany, Spain, Turkey, and France, it

Sample content for either a book or magazine of your invention plus an Essay

Sample content for either a book or magazine of your invention plus an indicative publishing plan and a critical reflection - Essay Example R. (2003 is first ensuring that data stored in the computer is safely stored and only accessible to the people who have been authorized. This can be done by ensuring that your computer is locked with a not only a password but a strong password. A strong password is a password that is at least eight characters long. It should include a mixture of numeric, alphanumeric and symbols. Alphanumeric should include both uppercase and lowercase letters (Caldwell, 2003). The second thing to ensuring that your computer is safe is employing the use of an anti-virus. The anti-virus will according to Kaspersky lab, ensure that your computer is safe from viruses, worms, malicious codes and any suspicious software that are likely to affect the normal functioning of your computer (Caldwell, 2003). The anti-virus is capable of removing the malicious software from your computer. Not only should you ensure that you have an anti-virus, but also ensure that the anti-virus you choose to incorporate in your system in compatible with the computer programs installed. You should ensure also that the anti-virus’ performance is capable of reaching up to your personal needs and specifications. Ensuring that your computer programs and the operating system are up to date is also another way of ensuring that your computer stays safe. By keeping your operating system up to date for example, this will have the effect of ensuring that the security flaws that were present in the previous version are patched up. One should also ensure that their anti-virus software are up to date. This will give the computer users the confidence that their system will be free from any emerging viruses in the internet (Caldwell, 2003). In order for one to ensure security on-line, (Shneiderman, 2000) they have to ensure that their firewalls are turned on. A firewall is software that controls the traffic being received and being transmitted by a computer. It will help the user in

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Gambling Regulations among Different Sports Organizations Essay

Gambling Regulations among Different Sports Organizations - Essay Example Gambling has strong roots in the history as it could be found among the emperors of china 6000 years ago and common people who made betting their habit. Anthropologists have found evidences which prove gambling in the dark ages. Dice more than 4,000 years old have been discovered inside the Egyptian pyramids. Horse racing is more than 2,000 years old. The Christian bible contains a number of references of gambling which includes the roman soldiers "casting lots" (probably stones or shells) to divide up Jesus' clothes after his crucifixion. Nowadays the betting on sports is very common amongst the sports fans of all classes and nationality. Sport betting is generally the activity of predicting the results of a sports event by making a wager on the outcome of a sporting event. This kind of gambling is permitted in most of the civilized countries such as UK and USA. In United States, the professional and amateur sports protection act of 1994 has made betting and gambling illegal except for the states of Nevada, Oregon and Delaware. Despite of gambling's practice and long history, gambling is often considered a controversial issue with strong advocates on both sides. Legalized gambling authorities argue that for most people it is a harmless diversion which makes individuals, free to spend their money as they wish. The most common arguments are related to economic benefits, especially in poorer communities that use gambling to attract investments and jobs. Civilized cities and states can use legalized gambling to generate tax revenue that supports specific public services, such as education. Supporting jury of the fact, also argues that gambling attracts tourism, and that restrictions simply divert the potential tax revenues to illegal gambling operations where the practice is legal. According to the research, gamblers sometime turn to criminal and non ethical activities to support their habits. Violent crime rates can also rise in some cases when gambling is legalized. Corruption of government and law enforcement officials is another issue associated with gambling. The gambling industry often contributes heavily to political campaigns in the hopes of influencing legislation and expanding operations in those areas. Every issue has some pros & cons. some of the pros comprise that due to gambling a vital contribution of tax is generated for the national exchequer. If a state does not allow gambling then people may go else where, many people go to Las Vegas each year. New casinos are 'democratic'. The wealthy and aristocratic have always been able to gamble in exclusive clubs and casinos. Why not let ordinary people enjoy the same freedom. As per for the cons, new casinos are dragging people into addiction. Damage done to individuals and families by gambling addiction is catastrophic. Lives are ruined; everything possible should be done to discourage such a dangerous habit. there are many outlets already (some would argue too many) for people who like to bet - from betting shops on high streets to the national lottery and the football pools. Gaming is morally wrong and saps ambition. When gambling and money come to a sport, it ruins the glory and passion. When

Migration in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Migration in the US - Essay Example This section further states that to consciously employ, hire or continue employing an illegal immigrant will be a great violation of Federal procedures that have been stipulated in 8 U.S 1324a(b)(1)-(3 ) that require the verification of employee. An illegal immigrant is defined in this section to as a person who is not a citizen of or a national of U.S and who has no authority to work in America as stated in the federal law. SECTION 3(1),(16) defines a business entity to as any group of individuals or an individual that operates any activity, profession or engages in an occupation for any gain, benefit, advantage or livelihood either for profit on non profit motive. SECTION 3(2) states that business includes traditional entities, self employed individuals. An employer under Section 3(5) is defined to as any person or business that employees another person within the Alabama states. Section 15 (b): E-VERIFY. This section makes it a requirement that businesses and employers enroll in E -verify system and use the system to verify the eligibility of a person for employment. The E-verify is a federal electronic employment verification system that was established in 1996 by the illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act and is used by the U.S department of Homeland security. Section 3(7) provides that the Alabama Department for Homeland for security has an obligation to create an E-verifier, an employment agency to be used by business or employer with 25 employees or less. Section 25 put it clear that any business or employ that uses the E-verify system will not have violated Section 15.It further puts that the use of E-verifier to verify the status of any employee will be doing it in good faith and shall be in conformity with all Federal laws applicable. SECTION 15(c)-(f): PENALTIES. If a business or employer violates section 15(a), the court of law shall do the following. The unauthorized employed immigrant tenure of work will be terminated .The bus iness that violate this section will be placed on probation for three years and provide quarterly reports about progress of the business regarding the hiring of new employees. The business will be required to provide a sworn affidavit that it has terminated the employment of illegal immigrants and that it shall not hire any other such employee knowingly. The work permit of the business shall be suspended for ten day. The business that may not be using the E-verify will have their business suspended and only after they have introduced the system in their business will their licenses be reinstated. Any subsequent violations by businesses and employer will result into permanent suspension of their entity. According to mondaq.com (2011), states that the new law affects the healthcare providers in their capacity as employer of such services and also affects the provision of health cares. Under this Act, state agencies are required to verify the status of any person applying for public be nefits. This verification will target state universities, health care that are directly operated by state and

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Gambling Regulations among Different Sports Organizations Essay

Gambling Regulations among Different Sports Organizations - Essay Example Gambling has strong roots in the history as it could be found among the emperors of china 6000 years ago and common people who made betting their habit. Anthropologists have found evidences which prove gambling in the dark ages. Dice more than 4,000 years old have been discovered inside the Egyptian pyramids. Horse racing is more than 2,000 years old. The Christian bible contains a number of references of gambling which includes the roman soldiers "casting lots" (probably stones or shells) to divide up Jesus' clothes after his crucifixion. Nowadays the betting on sports is very common amongst the sports fans of all classes and nationality. Sport betting is generally the activity of predicting the results of a sports event by making a wager on the outcome of a sporting event. This kind of gambling is permitted in most of the civilized countries such as UK and USA. In United States, the professional and amateur sports protection act of 1994 has made betting and gambling illegal except for the states of Nevada, Oregon and Delaware. Despite of gambling's practice and long history, gambling is often considered a controversial issue with strong advocates on both sides. Legalized gambling authorities argue that for most people it is a harmless diversion which makes individuals, free to spend their money as they wish. The most common arguments are related to economic benefits, especially in poorer communities that use gambling to attract investments and jobs. Civilized cities and states can use legalized gambling to generate tax revenue that supports specific public services, such as education. Supporting jury of the fact, also argues that gambling attracts tourism, and that restrictions simply divert the potential tax revenues to illegal gambling operations where the practice is legal. According to the research, gamblers sometime turn to criminal and non ethical activities to support their habits. Violent crime rates can also rise in some cases when gambling is legalized. Corruption of government and law enforcement officials is another issue associated with gambling. The gambling industry often contributes heavily to political campaigns in the hopes of influencing legislation and expanding operations in those areas. Every issue has some pros & cons. some of the pros comprise that due to gambling a vital contribution of tax is generated for the national exchequer. If a state does not allow gambling then people may go else where, many people go to Las Vegas each year. New casinos are 'democratic'. The wealthy and aristocratic have always been able to gamble in exclusive clubs and casinos. Why not let ordinary people enjoy the same freedom. As per for the cons, new casinos are dragging people into addiction. Damage done to individuals and families by gambling addiction is catastrophic. Lives are ruined; everything possible should be done to discourage such a dangerous habit. there are many outlets already (some would argue too many) for people who like to bet - from betting shops on high streets to the national lottery and the football pools. Gaming is morally wrong and saps ambition. When gambling and money come to a sport, it ruins the glory and passion. When

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

IT425-1403A-01 Phase 5 System Integration & Deployment (DB) Assignment - 1

IT425-1403A-01 Phase 5 System Integration & Deployment (DB) - Assignment Example Focus will be on producing a work breakdown structure for the system. A work breakdown structure requires the project manager to divide a large project into small and manageable tasks. In this case, there is a need to breakdown the entire project into seven interrelated activities in order to simplify the entire process. This will give the project manager the autonomy to monitor the overall progress and thus be in a position to mitigate any delays (Tutorialspoint, 2014). The Ordering system for Pizza Restaurants requires the dedication of all the stakeholders especially considering that some of the activities need to be performed at the actual restaurant’s premises (Reeves, 2010). This means that the last two stages are important since they will involve the total corporation of users. Migration of the entire system is a vital activity that characterizes the deployment and operational stages and thus should be handled with extra attention. Another activity is the retire of the system should it become absolute. Even though this is not expected to happen in the near future, all the necessary plans should be put in place to ensure there is a smooth rollover (Schiesser, 2010). Maryland Department of Information Technology (2014). Phase 6: Development Phase. Retrieved from http://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Documents/

Cry Baby Ink Essay Example for Free

Cry Baby Ink Essay Have you ever had that deja-vu feeling before? Well at Cry Baby’s Ink a tattoo shop in Eugene, Oregon it is very different from other tattoo parlors because of its overall atmosphere to customer service quality to its artist work quality. You get that deja-vu feeling at Cry Baby’s, because it’s homely. When you walk in the door at Cry Baby’s Ink you notice something different about this from other tattoo parlors†¦the walls are painted very bright neon green and there are racks of clothing which is different from your average tattoo shop. Not to mention Cry Baby’s is a very large tattoo shop as well with lots of pictures of tattoos that their artists have done covering the walls. At Cry Baby’s you are welcomed with â€Å"Welcome to Cry Baby Ink!† and a smile; Not like other places where you feeling like you are bothering the artists and the other employees, but you feel comfortable. Along with that, employees are pretty outgoing as well. You can tell these people like coming to work every day, they are also willing to answer any questions you may have to their knowledge and if they don’t have an answer for you; they will get manager or even the owner to answer your question. You can tell they pride themselves on being helpful, welcoming and assuring. After speaking with employees about some tattoo ideas or an idea you already have, they’ll personally recommend an artist that they think would do the best job or they give you the option to look at an artist’s tattoo book and you can look through and through their thousands of drawings and tattoos they have done over the years. Many of the artists have over 10 years of tattooing experience and have done thousands of tattoos and are covered in them as well. Once you have chosen an artist to do your tattoo, they’ll sit you down and ask if you’ve ever gotten one, and if so then you’ll lie down or sit in a position where you’ re getting your tattoo done on. As a side note, one thing many tattoo artists like to do while tattooing a customer; they talk and get to know who they’re tattooing, The process of getting a tattoo can take as little as 20 minutes or up to a number of hours. So you’ll have quite the time getting to know your artist; you’ll discover that they aren’t your typical tattoo artists. They are young and they’re pretty outgoing as well. Some cool and unique things Cry Baby’s does is a customer appreciation day once every couple of months to show appreciation to customers! On this day they do $30 dollar tattoos, give out donuts in the morning and pizza in the afternoon all day long. They also post coupons on Facebook for you to redeem in the store for a discount on t-shirts, hoodies, backpacks†¦.etc. They do also a number of different things on a lot of holidays; On Halloween, they dress up in costumes and give candy out to the kids who come and stop by. In October they do $25-45 dollars off a tattoo that has to do something with breast cancer. Cry Baby Ink is a One-of-a-kind tattoo parlor that doesn’t follow your stereotypical tattoo parlor atmosphere; they’re putting a huge emphasis on overall atmosphere, customer service quality, artist work quality. They want their customers to be happy and wanting to come back. They don’t want you leaving as a Cry Baby!

Monday, October 14, 2019

Human Comfort Approach In Green Building Design

Human Comfort Approach In Green Building Design Recently, there has been an increasing emphasis on a green building design approach, which is aimed at ameliorating the overall impact of the built environment on human comfort and the natural environment. In this selective review, external , building envelope and internal factors will be examined in relation to human comfort. In particular, this project will focus on human comfort in regard to the importance and impact for day lighting, visuals and environment, material properties, protection factors, ventilation, thermal comfort, and access their effectiveness in the context of green building design. With regard to human factors, it is concluded that the impact of these factors on building occupants needs to be taken into account in advance in order to design a building which enhances the human health and well-being and consequently leads to the increase of productivity. Introduction Green building design approach is one of the global response to the increasing realization that the built environment contributes significantly to climate change over the entire buildings lifecycle. Building accounts for more than 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions (Hegger et al. 2008). Moreover, the steadily rising energy cost over the past few years help to facilitate the trend towards sustainability. Taking into account these factors, energy saving measures have become a requirement in these days. End-users search for sustainable building concept, with low management cost and energy usage, which provides structures made from building materials that are in accordance with ecological point of view. Aside from looking at energy and operating cost, they also take an increasing concern in work performance levels. Only when people healthy and satisfy they can optimize their productivity (Bauer et al. 2007:11). Seeing these factors by necessity, means offering both a comfortable and healthy environment which is essential as a strategy to attract the investors and buyers. Still, there is no doubt that the comfort and well-being of humans is based to a certain extent on their subjective perception of some external influences (Hegger et al. 2008:55). Sassi (2006:101) seems to support this view and points out that people respond differently to situations and environments depending on their character and circumstances. Hegger et al. (2006) claims that the factors which will affect human comfort are basically categorized under physical, intermediary and physiological conditions. The purpose of this project is to examine the physical conditions with regard to human comfort and to focus on the building envelope, external and internal influencing factors. The importance and the impact of these factors on human comfort will then be examined, with a focus on the effectiveness in the green building design approach. Since the concept of this approach is increasingly put into practice globally, it is felt that this examination will highlight areas which need to be taken into account and will be integrated into the design process. 1.0 A Definition of Human Comfort and Green Building Design Human Comfort Human comfort can be broadly defined as the building occupants expression of satisfaction with the thermal environment (Yudelson 2007). Some of the parameters that affect the users comfort are as follows: environmental conditions (interior air temperature, lighting intensity and level of noise), physiological criteria (age, gender and constitution), intermediary conditions (clothing and activity) and individuals (Hegger et al. 2008:55). There is a connection between physical and psychological health. They are the factors that are highly likely to influence the human sense of happiness (Martin 1997). In turn, ones happiness will impact on peoples expectations, experiences and sense of self-worth. Humans generally wish to be accepted, respected and to feel secured. Therefore, it is essential for an architect to understand how people respond to the environment in order to design spaces which can enhance human health and well-being. Styles and types of building material, responses to individual building, light quality and atmosphere are linked to culture and personal memories which in turn linked to individuals character (Sassi 2006). For instance, a small space may feel comfortable to certain people but claustrophobic to others. It is difficult to design a building which would be universally appealing that enhances everyones well-being. Nevertheless, certain commonalities can be identified in regard to comfort and identity. Buildings should be designed to satisfy and fortify positive feelings as well as enable people to enjoy quiet moments of reflection and relaxation (Sassi 2006:137). It plays an important role in increasing occupants productivity and health in buildings. The building design could influence the human body mechanism to exchange heat with the environment through convection, radiation and evaporation (Hegger et al. 2008:55). As Bordass (1995) has pointed out that the elements which affect human comfort should be able to be operated and adjusted by the occupants. In other words, reduce heat loss yet sustaining good air quality is a necessity in terms of thermal comfort in building design for cold weather. Green Building Design Green building is always name as ecological building, sustainable building, or energy-efficient building. Green building design is a concept which emphasize on passive design strategy by making full use of day lighting, natural ventilation and allowing the insulated fabric and thermal to work effectively (Woolley 2008:181). A green building focuses on reducing building impact on the environment and occupants health while increasing the efficiency of resource use through better planning, design, construction, management and maintenance (Green building index organization 2009). To quote from the Department of Standards Malaysia (2007), a green building design approach is an strategy which united architectural, engineering, site planning, and landscaping so as to design an energy efficient building which would optimize the human comfort This approach makes an effort to optimize the advantage of the environment and to use building materials which is acceptable from a building ecology point of view. 2.0 External Factors Relevant to Human Comfort in Green Building Design Architecture and open spaces can help to define peoples identity and to define their territory. A good architecture can create special reference to the locality, high design quality and interactions between building and its environment (Hegger et al. 2008:102). Recognition of the locality help to promote responsibility with respect to the environment and human beings. Designing with emphasize on natural day lighting and visuals should begin at the preliminary design stage. By proving these, it can help to conveys a feeling of safety, belonging and security. 2.1 Day Lighting Day lighting is a significant factor for pleasant interior conditions. Without sufficient day lighting, people cannot perform well and healthy. Natural light stimulates humans organism and controls bodys functionality. It is crucial for our visual perception and has a substantial influence on our work efficiency (Hegger et al. 2008:102). Building materials which are transparent or translucent are essential if we wish to make use of daylight. However, it transmits heat as well as light. This in turn means that with more daylight, it reduces the dependence on artificial lighting, and the internal heat loads are decreased as well (Thomas and Garnham 2007:135). Conventional and innovative day lighting systems that collect, transport and distribute light deep into buildings and systems that reduce the need for artificial lighting are recommended. For building plans, this implies a design that is no more than 66 feet wide, about 33 feet length of front to back from any window to any workstation (Yudelson 2007:80). In other words, a buildings long axis should be oriented to east-west in order to allow a maximum day lighting from both south and north facing windows. The day lighting conditions over the course of the day influence the human hormone balance and synchronize our internal clock (Ander 2003). Thus, day lighting strategies, for instance, the orientation of the building, the proportion of window, the depth of the rooms, glare and ultra-violet (UV) protection, the design of reflective surface and the coloring of the enclosing components (walls, floors and soffits) are all the important design features. Passive and technical measures can be taken into account during design. Sunlight acts as a link that connect the building occupants with the outside world, facilitating our essential connection with nature and giving us a sense of time. It is important to realize that the mood or the perception of a space created by light is just as vital (Thomas and Garnham 2007:136).. To put it simply, people see and feel better whenever there is natural light for reading and working. 2.2 Visuals and Environment In green building design, emphasis is placed on providing outdoor views from all workstations. The research shows that if the occupants able to enjoy the outside view during the workday, it is more conductive to physical and mental health than working in a windowless environment (Yudelson 2007). Trees can help to absorb carbon dioxide from the air and store it as carbon. It can also provide shade to buildings, reducing heat gains and thus, improving the internal environment. In other words, contact with nature is beneficial to the well-being of humans. The building should be planned and designed so as to be visually as well as physically well connected with the outdoors. When designing the external works, emphasis should be put on to create and preserve natural habitats by providing extensive lawns, keep the area is natural state, trees and hedges, green roofs, and green facades. In some cases which the area of plot is small, rooftop planting can replace ground sealed by construction work. Environment plays an important role in satisfying basic human needs and quality of life. It can help to reduce stress and also can speed up recovery. In addition, it can affect humans on a psychological and physical level by acting as a recuperative and stimulating factor for our creative functions. In densely developed cities, it is critical for human health to strike a balance between making space accessible to people and preserving flora and fauna. According to some studies, dealings with nature will affect humans mental health, whereas leisure activities in nature directly benefit to physical health (Sassi 2006). 3.0 The Influence of the Building Envelope on Human Comfort in Green Building Design Building envelope acts as a boundary that separates between interior and exterior of a building through which thermal energy is transferred (Hegger et al. 2008:82). It also serves the function of protecting users and occupants against climate change such as solar radiation, precipitation and wind so as to create safe, healthy and secure interior space. However, the role of building envelope becomes more complex as the demand for comfort increases. A building should enable people to feel safe and comfortable by reducing potential dangers. To increase human comfort, the well-being and health of occupants in aspects such as material properties, safety and security, sound, interior air, and interior climate must be taken into consideration during design stage. 3.1 Material Properties The choice of material for building envelope will affect human comfort in the building. The designers should take great care when specifying materials in regards of the impact these materials have upon humans feeling about spaces and buildings. Functionality that reflect regional climate as well as cultural preferences, local vegetation and high-technology material need to be incorporated in the design. Materials are always describe as cold or warm. Based on scientific basis, metal for example, are good conductors of heat and therefore take the heat quickly from the body. On the contrary, wood is a poor conductor and hence feels relatively warm to touch. These physical sensation correspond to psychological states, such as a timber paneled room would feel warmer and more comfortable to inhabit than a predominantly metal one (Thomas and Garnham 2007:89). Different kind of wall material, construction and thickness are likely to differ in the value of thermal conductivity. U-value is a measure of the fabric heat loss which take into accounts mechanism like conduction, radiation and convection of heat transfer. The same can be said that the lower the u-value, the better the insulation the lesser energy needed to maintain comfort, the lower the environmental impact. Insulated walls reduce energy cost and increase comfort with levels of minimal effort (Thomas and Garnham 2007:102). To achieve sustainability in building design, consideration should be given to low embodied energy, material manufactured that is on waste, easy to disassembly and used to recycle in the end of the building life span, transportation to the construction site and strategies or method that are often used in architectural practice. 3.2 Protection Factors on Occupants Well Being and Health Building should keep users safe and secure both within the building and its environment by protecting them from accidents, intruders, fire, and natural dangers. Accordingly, contributions to the subjective perception of safety and secure by providing a good layout, lighting, social controls, presence of other people and good visual links are necessary (Hegger et al. 2008:195). A designer can provide these features by considering the specification of material, fire protection concept, natural dangers, clarity and peoples activities during design stage. Creating pleasant acoustic conditions is also one of the important protection factors. Noise pollution and acoustic conditions will influence the well-being of people and can affect their health. Noise between usage units and plus disturbance such as noises from building services and unfavourable room acoustic should be avoid through precautionary building physics and room acoustic measures. Constructional sound insulation and room acoustic measures should be included in the room acoustics report as a guidance. Besides the above aspects, interior air and climate are also the fundamental elements to increase the well-being and health of the occupants. A poor interior air quality will cause some bodily symptoms and lower the productivity (Awbi 2008). Moreover, thermal comfort has a major influence on the human heat balance and direct effect on energy consumption of buildings. It should be optimized through constructional and passive measures. For example, it can be done through specifying the construction methods, thermal insulation, moisture control, coordination of window proportion, ventilation concept and also the protection against overheating by providing sun shading devices. 4.0 Internal Factors Which Support Human Comfort in Green Building Design The primary function of building is to provide a suitable internal environment for the purpose of the building. According to Boubekri (2008), the effects of poorly designed buildings, whether in terms of limited natural ventilation or poor thermal comfort, would affect the health of building occupants. In order to achieve an acceptable level of human comfort, the indoor environment for human implies a temperature between 16 to 25 degree Celsius. 4.1 VENTILATION Natural ventilation is another approach which will provide a healthy and comfortable internal environment by removing polluted indoor air and replace with the fresh air from outside through openings. It would be cosy if the air can be circulated naturally from the outside to the inside of the building (Hegger et al. 2008:101). People will have sensations such as the warmth of the unfiltered sunlight, smells and acoustic stimulus by direct contact with outside air. It can have a positive effect on the quality of the habitable room, in that, natural ventilation system are particularly user friendly from the emotional pint of view (Hegger et al. 2008:99). Thus, habitable rooms should always include opening the facade whenever possible. There are three main mechanisms in natural ventilation, for instance, single sided where air comes in from a window, cross ventilation where air crosses a space from one side to another which the effect of wind pressure causes the air to enter on the windward facade and pass through the building and lastly providing a stack effect exiting path, resulting from the temperature differences between the indoor and outdoor air, where the hot air rises and exits the opening near the roof or providing openings at the 2 sides of the wall. According to Department of Standards Malaysia in MS1525 (2007), cross ventilation is defined as the flow of air through a building due to a wind-generated pressure drop across it. These processes are natural and are provided by pressure gradients and temperature differentials which in turn create pressure differences (Thomas and Garnham 2007:116). They do not required large quantities of energy to run the powerful fans which used in mechanically ventilated buildings. Natural ventilation is the most energy efficient way of supplying essential fresh air to a building. When it is insufficient, then other cooling options may be possible. 4.2 THERMAL COMFORT According to Flynn and Segil (1970:80), human body functions as a heating and cooling mechanism. It can, to some extent, efficiently and automatically adjust to the environmental conditions that vary from optimum. Our body functions to lose heat at a certain rate to reasonably cooler air and surfaces. Nevertheless, if such action is either too slight or excessive, it will lead to occupant discomfort and physiological stress. Human heat balance, humans body temperature, needs to be around 37ÂÂÂ °C; this is a prerequisite for well-being. Humans emit heat through the following mechanisms: firstly by exhalation and through evaporation of skin, secondly by covection of heat from body surface to the surrounding air, thirdly by conduction of heat from the body to immediate objects and lastly by radiation of heat to the nearby objects and the surfaces enclosing the room (Hegger et al. 2008:55). On the other hand, heat transfer in building in three modes, which are conduction, convection, and radiation (Moe 2010:9). If the temperature of surrounding area drops, the body will first allow the extremities to cool in order to protect the functions of brain, heart and other vital organs (Hegger et al. 2008:55). It is essential to transfer the internal heat generated to the environment in order to get a constant temperature. If the temperature of the interior air is not consistant, the risk of accidents increases and manual dexterity, productivity and mental abilities decrease quickly. In regards of this, a thermally comfortable environment is primarily due to physical influencing factors such as the temperature of the interior air and the average temperature of the external air, the humidity of interior air and the movement of the air (Hegger et al. 2008:56). Building functions to admit and conserve heat when the external environment is cold and to thwart the penetration when the external environment is warm. Conclusion Human comfort is not only a strategy in green building design for the purpose of attracting the investors and buyers, but also an approach which determines occupants health and well-being. This paper has discussed the factors that contribute to human comfort and has briefly presented the importance and the influence of the factors towards peoples comfort in certain aspects of building design. These included the building envelope, interior and exterior factors which consist of day lighting, visuals and environment, material properties, protection factors, ventilation, and thermal comfort. The effectiveness of the approach towards users comfort has also been highlighted, particularly with regard to the human comfort and well-being lead to the increasing of productivity. In discussing the effectiveness of the approach, it has concluded that although the desired degree of comfort can be a highly subjective perception, some commonalities can be identified. This can assist in optimizing the design for a better human comfort. Green buildings always offer a high level of comfort and healthy indoor climate while depending on renewable energies and low energy embodied resources ( Bauer et al. 2007). It should be noted that human comfort is only one of the approach in green building design. Other approaches such as energy efficiency and renewable energy should be taken into account in design , however, are lied outside the parameters of this paper due to the limited scope and a more thorough research could be done in this area. This would be particular interest to the professionals who incorporate the environmental engineering studies in their design.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Cloning of Human Beings :: Science Papers

The Cloning of Human Beings I examine five concerns held by the general population regarding human cloning and argue that they show either a misunderstanding about the process and/or result of cloning, or else ignorance about what we already do. Put differently, I argue that human cloning is not in principle more questionable than other current practices. However, I do have serious concerns about the uses to which the new technology will be put. I argue that the reasons currently proposed for human cloning are not persuasive. My position is that human cloning is not objectionable in principle, but practical application of the technology raises serious concerns. In my opinion, present circumstances do not seem to warrant it. As soon as Scottish scientists announced that they had successfully cloned a sheep from cells of another sheep, people began to be alarmed at the prospect of cloning human beings. Editorial after editorial warned that we'd be "playing God", that we'd be creating Frankenstein-like soul-less creatures, and that we'd be encouraging people's tendency towards egoism to reach its ultimate expression by enabling human beings to clone themselves. President Clinton banned all federal funding for research leading to the cloning of human beings and called for a voluntary moratorium on private research. Pope John Paul II denounced "dangerous experiments" that harm human dignity. I, too, have some concerns about cloning human beings; but I think that most of the fears people have are misplaced. As a philosopher who has worked on issues concerning personal identity and, more recently, medical ethics, I have a different perspective on the issue of human cloning from most commentators. Perhaps I can make a useful contribution to the discussion of this topic. I would, first, like to examine five concerns the general population seems to have about cloning human beings and argue that they show either a misunderstanding about the process and/or result of cloning, or else an ignorance of what it is that we already do. I shall argue that there is nothing in principle more questionable about the cloning of human beings than practices we currently engage in. However, I do have two serious concerns about how the new technology is likely to be used; and, since I am not convinced that that there are any really good reasons at the present time for cloning human beings, I too would vote against permitting it. I 1. It has been claimed that if we cloned human beings that we'd be "playing God.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Essay --

Statistical Interpretation of United Arab Emirates Trading Patterns I have chosen to research the trade patterns of United Arab Emirates because, in my view, it is one of the most important players in the world in terms of trade. Furthermore, trade has influenced the living standard in this area, such that, the standard of living in Dubai, for example, has increased comparably. United Arab Emirates has mostly developed due to the petroleum and natural gas exports. In the following paragraphs I will present statistics and data regarding not only oil and natural gas trading patterns, but also commodities. The United Arab Emirates is one of the 10 largest oil and natural gas producers in the world, and is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF). The UAE has had a great impact on oil trade because of its natural endowments. According to OPEC, its share of world reserves is of 8.1%. The most abundant factor of production, oil, has brought them a comparative advantage and specialization, which contributed to the country’s development. According to the data presented by Central Intelligence Agency, United Arab Emirates was ranked on the 24th place in the world in terms of total Imports and 19th place in total exports in 2012. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2078rank.html In the WORLD FACTBOOK it is said that the UAE has an open economy with high per capita income. In recent years, successful efforts have been made regarding economic diversification and nowadays, the GDP based on oil and natural gas output has decreased to 25%. Since the discovery of oil 30 years ago, UAE has been through important transformations and h... ...in 2012, a 38% increase since 2011. However, imports to the US from the UAE have remained approximately the same, at over $2 billion. The data can be found on the website of the US Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5200.html#2010 As a conclusion, I believe that United Arab Emirates are focusing more and more on diversifying their exports and not depending so much on the oil ones. As far as their partners are concerned, I believe that in the future India will continue to be the top trading partner of UAE, being followed by China and Japan. China is in need of more and more oil because it has recently been ranked as the World’s top importer of crude oil. Japan, on the other hand, continues to depend on the Middle East countries for oil imports, being the world’s third largest net oil importer. (US Energy Information Administration).

Friday, October 11, 2019

International Trade Simulation Essay

In jumping into international trade a country would ideally want to maximize profits and maximize the impact of opportunity costs associated with importing and exporting goods and services. The ideal situation for a country involved in international trade would be the exportation of specialized goods that can be efficiently produced and the importation of goods that are produced elsewhere that are produced under similar conditions. Doing so creates reasonably priced goods that are desirable to other countries. The contents of the paper will discuss the advantages and limitations of international trade as identified in the simulation and will indentify four key points from the reading assignments that were emphasized in the simulation. In addition there will be a discussion on the application of what was learned in the simulation to a familiar organization. Lastly there will be a summary of results from this assessment. Rodamia International Trade Advantages and LimitationsOne major advantage of international trade, as pointed out in the simulation, is that by importing certain goods that a country does not have an advantage over means that the country will be able to optimize the production of the products that they do have advantage over. In this type of situation a country exports an efficiently made, high quality product. For example in the first scenario Rodamia the best products for export were cheese and DVD players. Due certain choices along with availability of technology and resources those commodities were the best choices to produce and subsequently export. Importing corn from Uthania was another good choice because corn is produced at a lower opportunity cost which passes that savings along to Rodamia. In addition importing corn allows Rodamia to put a large amount of its resources into producing cheese. Suntize has a comparative advantage in electronics so importing watches from them was a good decision as well. In trading with Suntize and Uthania this made Rodamia in line with opportunity costs of production in each country. The limitation is that comparative advantage does not stay the same because over time as technology develops and skill level adapts the advantage changes as well. Scenario 2 & 3Another advantage is that in order to stabilize international conditions countries can decide to or not to impose tariffs to equalize the  market. In the second scenario Suntize exported watches to Rodamia at a lower price than the watches Suntize was selling domestically. Placing a different price otherwise called dumping, causes the international market to become unstable. Rodamia decided to place a tariff so that the price imported can equate to the market value of the watches. The dumping margin was calculated at 25% which would raise a tariff of $40 per unit or 25% of the export price. The tariff also proves to help protect the domestic producers. This is so because the number of imports starts to decrease and domestic production numbers raise because of it. In Rodamia the tariffs caused imports from Suntize to drop to 2.00 million units and increased domestic production to 6.00 million units. One of the limitations is that imposing tariffs means that consumers will no longer be able to reap the benefits of a cheaper imported product. High tariffs can mean that consumers may have to pay for higher priced domestically made goods. In scenario three not imposing a tariff proved to be an advantage because not imposing a tariff on Uthania and Suntize caused them not to impose tariffs on the cheese that is imported from Rodamia. A tariff would also harm goods producers in Uthania and Suntize. The limitations are that in Rodamia the corn industry is in its beginnings and imposing a tariff would protect the domestic industry from cheaper produced corn. A tariff would foster the potential for Rodamia to be a large corn producer. Scenario 4Free trade improves domestic market competition. What this means for the consumer is better quality goods and for producers an expanded market in which to export their goods. Countries involved in free trade benefit from all the other countries involved as once a country determines their competitive advantage other countries can reap the benefits of having quality goods. Rodamia has decided to negotiate free trade agreements with both Uthania and Suntize. In doing so free trade negotiation lowers trade barriers which allow countries to explore other markets. This can provide consumers with a larger variety of products. In addition opening the country to other markets increase production leads to an increase competition and consumers benefit from this. The limitations are that free trade negotiations do not affect countries that are not a part of the FTA. Countries outside of the FTA will have high trade barriers. Four Key PointsFour key points that were emphasized in the readings and in the simulation were comparative advantage, consumer surplus, opportunity costs, and trade restrictions. Comparative advantage is when a country possesses the technology and resources to produce at good at a lower cost compared to another good and another countries production. Since Rodamia could produce cheese efficiently their comparative advantage would lay in cheese production. The comparative advantages in the simulation determined Rodamia’s exports and imports from the neighboring countries. Consumer surplus is when a country can produce goods at a lower price than another country. The country of Suntize may have had a consumer surplus with its production of electronics. The decision to choose Suntize to import watches was based upon the fact that Suntize had an advantage in producing electronic goods. Opportunity cost is the benefit foregone by producing a certain good (Colander, 2004). Opportunity costs were weighed heavily in Rodamia choosing goods to export. Rodamia was encouraged to export the commodity that had the lowest opportunity cost which turned out to be cheese. Giving away 2000 tons of corn cut cheese production in half where as if no corn was exported and imported instead, yields 8 million pounds of cheese. The last key point involves trade restrictions. Some types of trade restrictions include tariffs, quotas, embargos, and licenses. Tariffs were imposed upon Suntize for creating an unbalanced market. The tariff helped to equalize the imported price with the market value. Not imposing trade restrictions can also help not to harm foreign producers of goods and in return they may not decide to place tariffs on imports. Application of SimulationAs a frequent traveler to foreign Asian countries I now know why some countries produce the goods they produce. For example Jasmine rice is widely known as a Thai commodity but their number one export is computers and computer parts. This is so because Thailand has a comparative advantage in producing those goods and exporting them. Because of the lowered price of production Thailand will be able to export units at a reasonable price making those products desirable to countries that are in need of them. In addition I also see the major disadvantages of being a country that does not have any sort of comparative advantage. This would  make it difficult to trade with other countries that will look for products that can be produced efficiently and less costly. Summary of Results Scenario 1:Exports: Cheese and DVDsImports: Corn/UthaniaWatches/SuntizeScenario 2:Level of Tariff (%/unit): 40Imports from Suntize (million units): 2.00Domestic Product (million units): 6.00Scenario 3:Tariff level: 0%Imports from Uthania & Alfazia ($ in million): 37.29Exports from Uthania ($ in million): 32.48Exports to Alfazia ($ in millions): 8.86Rodamia’s Balance of Trade ($ in millions): 4.04Scenario 4Weather to Negotiate FTA’s: YesCountry to Negotiate FTA’s with: Alfazia and Uthania Conclusion In summary international trade does not come without issues of creating optimal exports and importing the most cost efficient goods. International trade seems to expand the variety of goods that consumers want and for a country and its producer it seeks out new consumers and markets. The contents of this paper has discussed the advantages and limitations of international trade as identified in the simulation and indentified four key points from the reading assignments that were emphasized in the simulation. In addition there was a discussion on the application of what was learned in the simulation to a familiar organization. Lastly there was a summary of results from this assessment. References: Colander, D.C. (2004). Economics (5th ed.). Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin/McGraw-HillUniversity of Phoenix. (2007). Applying International Trade Concepts. Retrieved on October18, 2007 from, University of Phoenix, rEesource, Simulation,ECO360- Economics for Business I Web site.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

MegaCities Essay Essay

Mega Cities are cities that have a population of more than 8 million and are characterised by the challenges they face, including issues involving the informal economy, unemployment, poor sanitation and shelter. These issues are largely prominent in these cities due to rapid urban growth and a lack of resources. In many cases action has been taken by national governments and non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) to combat and reduce the impact of these issues, however In order for these strategies to be effective they need to fit 3 primary criteria, the solution must be community based, cost effective and sustainable economically and environmentally. Strategies such as micro financing.. Etc. have been adopted to resolve these challenged. A primary challenge facing many mega cities is the population’s heavy reliance on the informal economy as a means of income. The informal economy is a sector of unregulated work and with this comes high unemployment rates and a lack of jobs to support the ever-increasing population. Jobs in the informal economy are particularly prominent in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where 65% of all jobs are found in this sector. Jobs in the informal economy pose a threat to mega cities and their population as workers are not protected and are open to exploitation (e.g. Child labour) and people employed informally pay no tax (e.g. Street vendors, rickshaw drivers) leading to a reduction in the governments revenue. A number of strategies have been undertaken in order to transform informal work into the formal economy, including Micro financing. Micro financing involves NGO’s giving out small loans (approximately $US200), which provide people with money to formalise their business. There are a number of NGO’s that undertake this strategy, including Opportunity International, which is an Australian charity, operating in manila, targeting particularly impoverished communities. Access to these loans is based on a persons standing in the community and once the business begins to sustain itself loans must be repaid. The outcome of this process is a formalised business, which then contributes to government  beneficially by providing it with revenue. This strategy to combat the prominence of the informal economy has been particularly successful, adheres to the three evaluation criteria and provides users with lifetime skills and an income, which could potentially improve their living standards/quality of life. Another challenge faced by a large majority of mega cities is access to shelter, due to population growth in mega cities being too extreme for sufficient supply of housing. This in turn leads to the creation of informal housing, such as squatter settlements, which are generally formed on unoccupied unwanted land, such as next to rail lines or sewerage systems. Informal housing is extremely prominent in developing countries such as India, where 500,000 people live on the pavement in Kolkata with at least 4 million more living in squatter settlements; as well as 1 million people living in cemeteries in Cairo, and  ¼ of the Philippines population residing in slums. This informal housing creates a number of problems for its residents and government; it lacks basic services (sewerage, electricity, water), leading to unsanitary living conditions. There is a lack of tenure, which is the legal right to occupy land, which stops residents from wanting to improve property, insecurity for people and also extremely high crime rates particularly in the Favelas of Rio de Janiero where the police are unable to patrol, due to extreme gang violence. NGO’s and governments have undertaken strategies to improve the issue of lack of access to shelter, including the Kolkata Bustee Improvement Project, a joint initiative between government and non-government organisations. This is a site and service program meaning that the project takes an existing site and provides it with necessary services, such as sanitation, electricity etc. This program in turn reduces the cost burden on local government and creates jobs by incorporating the local community into the work. This movement has tried to stop India’s slum clearance policy, which frees up NGO’s to be able to assist the extreme urban poor. This movement has proved to be extremely successful in improving the shelter situation in Kolkata as it improves the living standard of squatter settlement dwellers, provides jobs and skills to the local community (therefore adding to the formal not informal economy) and also allows NGO’s to be able to assist the poor as they were previously  restricted by government policies. Another benefit is that it is cost effective because it aims to improve existing settlements and creates tenure. Access to sanitation is another key challenge faced by many Mega Cities that is, providing safe food and drinking water and sewerage management. Due to increasing populations, inadequate and ancient sewerage systems and also lack of access to fresh water many Mega Cities face sanitation issues. This issue is particularly prominent in cities such as Manila, where only 11% of people have access to a sewerage system, Karachi at 20% and Dhaka at 18% of the population. Water Borne diseases are particularly prominent in megacities, such as Cholera, Dysentery and Typhoid. Furthermore the disposal of solid waste in Mega cities has lead to issues involving contamination of groundwater and creating Vernon, this is common of Jakarta where only  ¼ of all rubbish gets collected. To combat the issue of sanitation, local governments and NGO’s have established very effective, low-tech strategies, such as the Pour Flush Toilet. This initiative is a relatively cheap response to the needs of unplanned urban settlements in mega cities. A pour flush toilet has a water seal that avoids the problems associated with odour and insects. However its effectiveness is limited by the fact that the system is not suitable in cities where the groundwater table is close to the surface, which is the case in many mega cities, including Mumbai and Kolkata in India and Dhaka in Bangladesh. Also, pour flush toilets can produce substantial quantities of heavily contaminated wastewater which can require substantial downstream infrastructure to avoid severe environmental and public health problems. Despite the disadvantages of this strategy it has proved to be a very successful short term solution to the issue of sanitation and is widely used in Mega Cities around the world, due to the fact that they are simple to use and can be kept clean fairly easily. Mega Cities face many challenges; largely due to their high population increase rate. They therefore need to develop a number of solutions and strategies to combat these prominent issues, such as the informal economy, access to shelter and access to sanitation. If action is not taken to confront these issues they will only become more consequential, leading to more deaths and further environmental and land degradation. Governments and  NGO’s continually need to create strategies to solve these issues and their efforts so far have proved to be extremely beneficial in improving the quality of life of residents of Mega cities, as they fit the three primary criteria needed for solutions to be effective.