Lighting Needs of Houses in Newbold Crossing

LIGHTING NEEDS OF THE HOUSE Glare problems; snow or bare ground Newbold is situated in the rural north-west sector of NSW, with Clarence River been the main body of water that passes directly through the area. According to results conducted by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts  (2009) the turbidity of this large body of water appears to be fair to poor. Turbidity takes into account suspended solids in the water and measures the clarity, absorption of light and the amount of light which gets scattered causing little to no glare to houses on the banks of the river. The topography of Newbold is mainly flat with a couple of gentle slopes, which consists of grass land, bare ground and the remainder of the area been surrounded by trees. As the majority of the days throughout the year are sunny with little or no overcast shadows. This means that there is an abundant amount of sunlight which hits the pasture and bare ground with the majority of the amount of sunlight been absorbed with small amounts uv-rays that bounce off and create minimal to no discomfort to the eyes. Pretoria in South Africa is geographically the same in essence as Newbold Crossing in NSW as the same phenomena with glare occurs there. Clarence Way, Newbold NSW 2460 http://maps. google. com. au/maps? hl=en&tab=wl Natural and artificial methods of lighting Ndebele houses in Pretoria, South Africa only had one opening which was the entrance into the house. As displayed in the picture below the entrance was typically facing the south, this meant that minimal amount of light entered the building. The source of light came from a fire which was set in the middle of the hut. Image 1 Ndebele traditional huts Traditional houses in Pretoria, South Africa have always aimed at eliminating the maximum amount of sunlight that could penetrate their huts. But through the years their huts have evolved and changed due to the influences that they had from the Sotho and Pedi neighbours. In respect to the dimensions of the entrance of their huts, they have gotten bigger meaning that further light could enter the building. This concept is similar to houses first built in Newbold Crossing. Initially they had small window dimensions, as they thought this would minimise the amount of heat that would enter the building, but they suffered from cold nights and low levels of lighting in houses. Soon they developed a new concept where they would have larger window dimensions to allow light into a house so that rooms would be illuminated, and so that relatively low amount of heat would be retained within the household for the cold night, making houses thermally more comfortable. This same concept lead to the idea of large windows been incorporated into Newbold Crossing. The concept has developed as houses in this region have solar passive design. The houses constructed have specific eave dimensions to counteract the amount of sunlight the building takes in. In the winter the sun has a low angle in respect to the horizon of the earth, and the maximum amount of sunlight is absorbed to maintain the building warm and well lit up. But in the summer the angle at which the sun is in respect to the horizon to the earth is greater, this is where the eaves are used to counteract the effect of direct sunlight by the building. To further avoid the abundant amount of direct sunlight, properties in Newbold have trees located in-front of large windows. In the centre and other areas of a house that sunlight does not reach, a skylight is put in place to aid with natural lighting and avoid carbon footprints. The artificial method of lighting in Newbold is through incandescent light bulbs and some of the newer houses use halogen downlights. But the Clarence Valley Council (corresponding council of Newbold) has set up initiatives and emphasised the use of compact fluorescent lights which have less wattage ower but in turn does not require the same amount of energy to run, therefore it uses less electricity and minimises carbon footprints. Taking in mind that there is plenty of sunlight throughout the whole year into households, so artificial lighting should only be used during the evening or for tasks that are complex and require good lighting. REFERENCE Australian Governement, 2009, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, viewed 9 May 2010, Dalton, J 1808, A new system of chemical philosophy, Deansgate, London.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Barriers to Learning Examples, Definition

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Barriers to Learning Examples – Essay Speech about inclusive Education Good morning principal and fellow colleagues. I have been given the task to talk to you about Inclusive education and the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to learning and development. What is inclusive education? In line with international trends, South African education is moving away from special education towards a policy of inclusion (i. e. Inclusion of learners with disabilities, impairments and historically disadvantaged in terms of access to curriculum into mainstream schools). International and South African perspectives on inclusion are closely related to wider social concerns about human rights. The new Constitution highlights respect for the rights of all, with particular emphasis on the recognition of diversity. This implies an inclusive approach to education in the sense that all learners are entitled to appropriate education. It was argued by Engelbrecht et al. (1999: viii) that this is only possible if one education system is liable for educational provision, and not two systems (i. e. mainstream and special education system). However in order for it to be effective, schools, classrooms and teachers need to be prepared to change and supported in doing so. There has never been a formal exclusion in our country. Learners with a wide variety of special education needs were and are to be found in many classrooms. The difference now is that these learners are recognised as having the right to access the curriculum and the right to a curriculum which is appropriate to their learning needs. This has implications for the nature of the school and classroom environments, the nature of the curriculum and roles of teachers, parents and communities in the education of all learners. A commitment to inclusion does not mean that all learners with special education needs will necessarily be in mainstream classrooms. There will always be a few who are better catered for in separate environments. Inclusion and education for all The 1994 report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), stated and I quote. â€Å"The guiding principle that informs this framework is that schools should accommodate all learners regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions. This should include disabled and gifted learners, street and working learners, learners from remote or nomadic populations, learners from linguistic, ethnic or cultural minorities and learners from other disadvantaged or marginalised area or groups. † In other words, inclusion is not simply about reconstructing provision for learners with disabilities, but is a means of extending educational opportunities to a wide range of marginalised groups who may historically have had a little or no access to schooling. This is of great significance in our country, considering our past (apartheid era). There are many journals and books based on inclusive education, and how to run an inclusive school and classroom, so before going on and on, I will briefly outline occurrences of barriers to learning and development of learners. There are two groups: intrinsic factors – those located within the individual learner themselves. The learners are usually born with specific characteristics such as blindness or a missing appendage. The second barrier is extrinsic factors – those emanating from outside the learner – that is their environment, home, upbringing and teaching (Weeks, 2003: 19). If we look at: 1. Intrinsic barriers. The most prominent intrinsic factors are physical and/ or physiological impairments and personality characteristics which are caused by many factors. If I’m tired of my own voice by now, I don’t want to imagine how you may be feeling, so I will only outline a few general causes (Weeks, 2003:21). 1. 1. Genetic or hereditary factors We inherit out genetic composition in the form of chromosomes and we receive an equal amount from each parent. Just as one inherits certain characteristics of the parents, for example eye and hair colour, so too, can a physical or physiological impairment be inherited. Examples of this are poor eyesight and low levels of intelligence. Sometimes abnormal genes are not inherited, but something goes wrong with the genetic composition during the very early stages of development in the uterus. This is known as â€Å"chromosomal† or â€Å"genetic† deviations. Down’s syndrome and Turner’s syndrome may result and these learners usually have an intellectual impairment ((Weeks, 2003: 22). 1. 2. Before, during and after-birth brain damage A child may suffer brain damage before birth from various factors – radiation, measles or syphilis injections, a defective placenta, an incompatibility of blood groups, etc. During birth they may suffer brain damage if there is a complication at birth and; after birth; brain damage may be caused by accidents, diseases such as meningitis and, polio which may result in permanent muscle paralysis. Here are a few forms of physical impairments that are directly associated to brain damage: Epilepsy, cerebral palsy, learning impairments such as dyslexia or dyscalculia and certain forms of intellectual, hearing and visual impairments. Learners with these impairments require special educational methods and aids and therefore have special educational needs, for example, blind learners require Braille machines. In the past, these learners were taught in special schools but now, the new legislation includes them in the mainstream of education (Weeks, 2003:22). 1. 3. Personality problems Some learners have specific personalities that have a negative impact on their academic achievement and gives rise to barriers to their learning. These traits may be inherited or could be shaped by extrinsic factors (Weeks, 2003:23). Examples:Some learners are extremely shy and cannot assert themselves. They lack confidence to ask questions and query statements.Rebellious learners and attention seekers do not want to respect the authority of teachers. Teachers become aggravated and frustrated with them, thus ignoring and punishing them regularly.This impacts on the learners achievement in a negative way as the learner loses interest and motivation for school work. Learners with a low self-esteem do not have the perseverance to excel. The slightest negative experience is an even greater discouragement on their motivation to do well. Now I will outline the second barrier which is: 2. Extrinsic factors. Extrinsic barriers are not barriers within the learners themselves. They are perfectly normal at birth but circumstances outside or beyond are so inadequate that they adversely affect their development and learning and ultimately cause barriers to their learning. Let’s take a look at the first factor (Weeks, 2003:23). 2. 1. Environmental factors 2. 1. 1 Unfavourable socioeconomic circumstances Learners of lower socioeconomic groups face many barriers to their success in education. Many do well in school despite the difficulties faced in other aspects of their lives. However, they are much more likely than their peers of a higher socioeconomic environment to be behind in their accomplishment and to leave school earlier and with fewer qualifications, and are at far greater risk of being excluded from school. There are many reasons why learners of lower socioeconomic groups tend to have low achievement. Some face so many difficulties in their lives that schooling may seem to be of low priority to them and to the organizations providing support. Schooling is also often given insufficient priority when making and reviewing care plans. There are additional factors associated with this way of life that are not conducive to achieving good academic results on the part of the learner. The following are examples of rife conditions: Poor medical services, poor lighting, cramped, overcrowded and noisy homes makes studying difficult, limited time for study because learners are often expected to do house chores and work over the week end to supplement the family income, a lack of cognitive stimulation because there is little or no reading material at home, poor language use, a shortage of role models, a general attitude about resignation of life, Irregular and poor school attendance and lastly, a general relaxation of morals (Weeks, 2003:24). These destructive social circumstances usually initiate a chain reaction. There are few schools in these areas and when there is education it is not of a very high standard (it is related that good teachers are usually found in favourable environments). According to Reglin (1992) these learners would perform better at school if their parents and family members got involved with their school academics and social lives, which we as teachers utterly agree. 2. 1. 2. Urban and rural areas In cities, learners often grow up in apartment buildings, usually both parents and the single parent works. There is no parent supervision when learners return home from school and therefore the learner can do as he / she pleases. Young learners are confined to the flat and do not have the opportunity to play outside, whereas the older learners roam freely in malls a on the street. There is very little control over their schooling and homework and this leads to slim stimulation to scholastic achievement. Contrastingly, in rural areas, literacy is much higher than in cities. Parents who themselves are illiterate; do not always see the value of education for their children. They expect them to leave school at an early stage so that they can supplement the family’s income. These learners attend school very irregularly because they have to herd cattle and till fields (Weeks, 2003:25-26). 2. 1. 3. Prosperous areas Environments need not be disadvantaged to have a negative effect on learners’ improvement at school. In prosperous areas there are factors that give rise to barriers to learning in learners. Since these learner’s grow up without hardship, have plenty of money and their need are provided for, these learners get easily bored and seek excitement elsewhere in the form of drug and alcohol abuse. Of necessity, these learners will show deterioration in school achievement. Additionally, pressure is placed on these learner’s to achieve and this causes rebelliousness and depression. The second extrinsic factor is: 2. 2. Upbringing 2. 2. 1. Mistakes in upbringingLearners who are pressurised by parents to achieve, become hostile and negative towards school.Overprotective parents deny their children the freedom to become independent. Their decisions are made for them by their parents; hence they do not take responsibility for their work. Some parents show little interest in the activities of their children and do not encourage them to achieve academically.Poor disciplined homes allow children to do as they please. These learner’s are disorganised and are not disciplined in their studying. Disorganised homes constitute one of the main causes of learning problems in learners. These are just to mention a few mistakes, the next factor in upbringing is:2. 2. 2 Unstable and broken homes. Another factor that plays a role in acting as a barrier is:2. 3. School factors Poor teaching due to the lack of qualifications, lazy and unmotivated teachers, stereotyped teaching methods, teachers are not looked at as role mod els and teachers do not have empathy for learners.Incomplete participation on the part of learners because of domestic vices, scholastic backlogs, emotional problems and peer pressure.Inappropriate study material.Inefficient school organisation.Crowded classrooms and,At-risk schools, where learners and learners are estranged, low standards and poor quality, incomplete studies, disciplinary problems and frequent absenteeism and teachers suffer from â€Å"burnout†.And the last two extrinsic factors to barriers to learning are, a difference in language and culture and limited job prospects. The latter is a well-known fact that because of the poor economic growth in our country, very few job opportunities have been created. This means that many school leavers do not succeed in finding jobs. Consequently they lack the will to achieve. QUESTION 2 2. 1. A Hearing Impairment For a learner with a hearing impairment the following steps will be taken by me (Weeks, 2003:158):Obtain advice from a teacher trained to teach the deaf. If possible the learner should wear a hearing aid.The learner must sit in front of the class.Speak to the learner while facing the learner so that he / she may read my lips (if possible) and pay attention to facial expressions, gestures and body language.Speak clearly, naturally and at a normal pace, unless asked to slow down.If the learner is not facing me, I would gently touch him / her on the shoulder or arm to indicate that I want like to talk to him / her.Explanations will begin with concrete, example working from concrete to abstract. The use of visual aids will be most helpful since vision is the primary means of receiving information to the hard-of-hearing learner.For reinforcement, new vocabulary words would be repeated in different contexts and written in sentences, many words presented look al ike to the lip-reader.All announcements and instructions will be written.An interpreter will be used where needed.Vibrations and excessive noise will be avoided.I will not talk while writing on the chalkboard.When writing materials:Long sentences will be broken up Difficult vocabulary load will be reducedConcept density will also be reducedQuestions asked by other learners will be repeated so that the learner in question knows what I am referring to.Carbonless note taking paper can be used. The volunteer note taker needs to take eligible notes and then give the learner with the hearing impairment a copy.Obtain feedback from the learner at every opportunity as an indicator of the level of understanding.Provide an outline in advance of the lesson or activity to give to the child in advance and also list expectations. Encourage parental involvement, for example, attending speech therapy after school.2. 2. A Visual Impairment Depending on the type of eye condition and the amount of resi dual vision of the learner, assistance would be given (Weeks, 2003:151).A learner with myopia (nearsightedness) or cataracts:The learner must sit in front of the class, near the chalkboard so that he / she may see better.Repeat what is written on the chalkboard to help the learner check his / her own work.A magnifying glass will be kept on my table which may be useful to the learner if the print in textbooks is too small. Also when using duplicated copies, the print would be large, dark and visible.With regard to his / her notebook – instead of using ordinary A-4 books, a blank book could be used by drawing horizontal parallel lines with a black koki – this will be more visible to the learner and it will be easier for the learner to write between the lines.Contrastingly, if the learner suffers from hyperopia (farsightedness):The learner will be placed at the back of the classSince these type of children enjoy outside play more than having an nterest in school work, con crete apparatus would always be kept for their usage.As for a learner suffering from albinism, their eyes are sensitive to light, therefore:The learner would be placed in a darker place in the classroom, away from the windows and glare.If there is no dark side, curtains will be used to regulate the amount of light coming into the classroom.Due to a lack of pigmentation that protects the skin, they are very vulnerable to skin diseases and cancer.Therefore, to avoid sunburn, their school attire should be cotton long sleeve shirts and trousers, and hats with wide brims. Additionally, they should make use of medicinal creams for the skin. Textbooks can be recorded on tape for the learner. Also doors should be kept either opened or closed because open doors can be a potential hazard. The learner could bump into them and get hurt. Passages between desks should be kept clear to prevent the learner from stumbling over stray objects (Weeks, 2003:152). 2. 3. Cerebral palsy For a learner with cerebral palsy I would support the learner by (Weeks, 2003:180):First, viewing the classroom as if I were going to have to navigate it in a wheelchair or walker. Make sure the classroom is set up to provide accessible resources for someone in a wheelchair or with a limited range of movement.See that the learner is comfortable with his / her orthopaedic aids.Take time to introduce and explain these aids to other learner’s.Build the learner’s self-esteem at every possible opportunity.Try to have a way to secure paper or moveable objects to the workspace so they can be utilized without having to be secured by another hand.Look around for areas where the cerebral palsy learner might benefit from additional support, like a handrail or ramp. Understand that the learner might require additional time to reach the classroom or get set up for the class.If the learner has difficulty with handwriting, I would make use of a type writer and tea ch the learner how to use it.Insure that I know what to do if a cerebral palsy learner begins to seizure.Insure the time allocation for taking tests and completing tasks is compatible with the cerebral palsy learner’s abilities or it could be orally.I would allow lessons and discussions to be taped.The learners would also be placed in the front of the class to help with vision or hearing problems. Use of small groups for discussion and work collaboration will encourage active listening and communication skills.Learners in the class would take turns to carry the cerebral palsy learner so that they get used to it, in case of an emergency or a need to improvise.QUESTION 3 Epileptic seizure Ease the learner gently to the floor, clearing the area of hazards and without preventing movements. Then I would place something flat and soft (like a folded jacket or a pillow that will be kept in the class) under the learner’s head. The learner would be turned to one side to keep the air passage clear. I would not try to force his/her mouth open and neither hold the tongue, nor would I put anything in the learner’s mouth. If the learner is known to have epilepsy, I would follow the parent’s instructions (a written and signed copy of instructions). When jerking movements stop, the learner will be allowed to rest. When full consciousness has returned to the learner, he/she would rest under supervision. If a seizure lasts for longer than 10 minutes or if another starts right after the first, I would call for emergency services. The parents of the child will be notified of every seizure the child has during school hours. If the learner has no history of epilepsy, the parents will be notified immediately and have an immediate check-up by a medical doctor (Weeks, 2003: 189-190; Epilepsy, South Africa, Reg. 001-912). Additionally, all learners in the class will be trained to help the epileptic learner during a seizure; however, only two specific learners will be assigned to help each time so that all learners do not leap to the epileptic learner when a seizure occurs. The rest of the class would clear and create space. QUESTION 4 4. 1. ECD Phase At any school one can witness a variety of different behaviours. Behaviour patterns are acceptable if they elicit the approval of adults and peers. However, a class can include learners who:Show aggressive behaviour and react aggressively towards others.Have a display of bullying, threatening, or intimidating behaviour.They physically abuse others.Deliberately destroy other's property.Show little empathy and concern for the feelings, wishes, and well-being of others. Show callous behaviour towards others and lack of feelings of guilt or remorse.They may readily inform on their companions and tend to blame others for their own misdeeds. The above behaviours become apparent and should be taken in a serious light when:They occur to a serious extent and over a period of time.The symptoms appear to worsen.They occur in conjunction with social aggression.They negatively impact the learner’s academic development. Furthermore, behaviour problems are unaccept able when they prevent:Other learners from participating in class activities. The teacher from managing class activities effectively. If I have a learner with the above behaviour in my class the following steps (Essa, 1995:22, cited in Weeks, 2003: 237) will be taken to support and assist the learner:Investigate the causes of the problem behaviour.Problem behaviour can stem from non-variable external factors (Essa, 1995:22, Weeks, 2003: 237) such as chronic illness, food or environmental allergies, or the child’s diet. As a result the child may feel a bit irritated, function on a generally lower level or experience a lower level of tolerance. These problems may not be removed but I as a teacher will treat such a learner with sensitivity, be supportive and try to create an environmentally friendly space for him / her.Positive reinforcement is one of the most important techniques and is used in conjunction with others to change unacceptable behaviour or encourage positive behaviour. I would show the learner approval by either smiling, hugging or saying something positive. This would be repeated regularly to achieve quick and good results.Ignoring the learner proves to be a very effective strategy.   It is very useful when learners try to secure the attention of adults through their irritating or unacceptable behaviour. But when the child acts in a positive manner then I would pay attention and praise the child and reinforce positive behaviour. Also if the child persists with the negative behaviour, all teachers would be asked to ignore him/ her.When aggressive behaviour should be stopped, the learner will be withdrawn from the group and be given a time-out. The child should be warned beforehand only when the third transgression occurs should he / she be removed from the group / class.The child will be taken to an isolated area and explained why he / she has been removed and then be left there without looking or talking again to the child. The rest o0f the class will be told that he / she needed a time-out. Only after a certain amount of time (when I feel it’s time-up) will the child rejoin the class. Positive behaviour reinforcement will begin immediately thereafter.If th e Learner is overwhelmed by the classroom activity and is over sensitive to stimulation will be allowed to move to quiet corner for a while until they feel calmer.The reason for his / her behaviour is external and therefore this strategy will help him / her to calm down.Prevention is an excellent technique, but can only work if I am aware of what leads to the problem behaviour and if I’m a keen observer. This method is effective for younger learners who do not have self-control and who do not yet have the ability to express themselves.Redirection can be used for a two year old by directing the child’s attention away from something and by giving him / her a toy to play with.Two year olds do not possess the social skills of sharing things; therefore the child will gradually learn these skills with my help. If it was an older learner, he / she will be guided to overcome social problems.A child of four or five is often willing to change problem behaviours and feels embarra ssed about an outburst. I would therefore find a quiet, calm place and discuss the situation and work with the child to find a workable solution.If I feel a learner’s problem behaviour is a result of need for attention, I would use the special time strategy.   I will set a special time which I can spend alone time with the child. Probably every alternate day or twice a week. During this time I would do what the child would like to do and fulfil his / her wishes.Another strategy that can be used is a highly visible reinforcement like a star chart.   Successful positive behaviour is reinforced in this manner and it should not be used as an indication of failure. The use of the above techniques depends on the type of problem behaviour and the child. Hyperactivity and Distractibility are manifestations of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Hyperactivity is actually a surplus of motor activity where learners are over active, running around, fiddling, touching everything in their path, never quiet, pushing and kicking other children and moving about without any purpose or aim. This can be quite disturbing and irritating for both the other learners and the teacher as well. Distractibility is also known as ‘sensory hyperactivity’, refers to children that are continually moving around, on the go in terms of attention. Most things that they see or hear (sensory stimulus) catches their attention, but they are unable to concentrate on one particular thing for a long time. They are unable to control their attention, because any slight sound or movement distracts them. Due to this, they are unable to complete tasks and move from one unfinished task to another. Hyperactive and distractible learners cannot pay attention to instructions properly, often misunderstanding when spoken to, cannot wait their turn during tasks, act impulsively and therefore come across as undisciplined. These learners also seem to have temper tantrums and rapidly changing moods which makes it difficult to handle them in the classroom. This cam result in the learner having a poor self-concept because they of the many mistakes they make. It is important for teachers and learners to work together to being able to better handle these learners and this can be done by having a better understanding of this particular kind of behaviour. :- Recognising the symptoms and identifying the learners strong and weak points:-Identifying easy and difficult tasks and situationsIdentifying sills necessary for each task and situationInvestigating your own thoughts and feelingsOther people’s reactions Understanding the learner’s world:-Learn to understand the learner’s behaviourKeeping the learner’s level of development in mind Discussing problems with the learnerVerbalising the learner’s unexpressed feelingsCommunicating more than wordsAnticipating problems rather than waiting for themDistinguishing between the learner and the learner’s behaviourProviding Structure such as relationship, task and situation structure is also important as it provides the learners with safer environment where they are able to develop optimally. Therapeutic discipline is also important and is different from punishment because it shapes, corrects and reinforces behaviour. (Weeks, 2003: 239-246) Who is going to be tasked with integrating music & math? Who's going to be responsible, in any school, for joining the arts w/other subjects? IME, most elementary classroom teachers have come through public school systems whose arts have been eviscerated, so those teachers are FAR less likely to be musically literate than they might have been when I was in public school *mumble mumble* years ago. As an elementary general music sub a few years ago, I pretty much had to co-opt teaching limericks in the 4th-grade poetry unit because their classroom teachers didn't really understand, musically, the meter of the poems; even teacher-created limericks left a lot to be desired in terms of the 6/8 meter/rhythm characteristic of limericks. I find it hard to imagine that they'd be the best folks to use rhythmic or metric subdivisions to teach fractions. So will this task fall then to the music teachers? Elementary music teachers in MCPS already have their own music curricula to deliver, even wi thin the â€Å"intrinsic barriers to learning† approach of Curriculum 2.0 – and they see the kids once per week, assuming no field trips/assemblies/standardized testing/snow days/holidays, AND they have to spend time assessing what they're teaching already because â€Å"Data-Driven.† When could they possibly find time to do this in addition to what they're already tasked with doing (which is theoretically to get kids to a basic level of music proficiency in less time per week than classroom teachers have DAILY with kids in reading, so already set up to fail )? Is there going to have to be concentrated staff development to get classroom teachers to a level of musical proficiency that will enable them to add one more thing to their curricula?

Aircraft Crash Survival Analysis and Design Essay Example for Free

Aircraft Crash Survival Analysis and Design Essay ? 1. Describe the effect plowing can have on crash forces when the impact surface is soft soil. Earth gouging and scooping of soil occur when the structure makes initial contact with the ground which minimize the acceleration and force levels to which the structure is subjected. Soft soil can cause plowing and rapid deceleration if there is a large horizontal velocity component. A high-speed longitudinal impact into water can also cause high loads from water plowing as water enters through lower nose transparencies. Reducing the earth scooping effects encountered in longitudinal impacts should include a large, relatively flat surface thereby increasing the aircraft’s tendency to slide over the impact terrain and by minimizing inward buckling of the fuselage nose or engine nacelle to maintain skid surface integrity. 2. Explain the term submarining in respect to the use of lap belt restraints. What human injuries may result? This is where the lap belt rides over the pelvic brim and compresses the soft tissues of the abdomen resulting in serious abdominal and spinal injuries. Submarining occurs due to the pelvis rotating under the lap belt, usually due to inappropriate location of the lap belt anchors or due to poor design of the seat bottom or a combination of both. Lap belt only restraints so commonly inflicted serious injuries on users in automobile crashes that the medical community coined a new term, â€Å"the seat belt syndrome†, to describe  the constellation of injuries caused by submarining under the lap belt. ftp://ftp.rta.nato.int/pubfulltext/RTO/EN/RTO-EN-HFM-113/EN-HFM-113-06.pdf 3. Discuss forward and rearward facing passenger seats and explain which you feel may be an advantage in crash survivability. The rearward-facing seat is optimal for providing maximum support and contact area in longitudinal impacts. The only critical impact sequence for the rearward-facing seat is one that involves a severe lateral component that allows sideward movement of the occupant prior to application of the longitudinal or vertical Pulse. However, lateral torso movement can be minimized by use of a torso restraint system of much lighter weight than that required for other seat orientations. The rearward-facing cabin seat is preferred. 4. Explain the concept and intention of Delethalization of Cockpit and Cabin Interiors. The delethalization of cockpit and cabin interiors is the design and set up of aircraft cockpits and cabins to prevent injury on impact. This is done by ensuring the occupant’s immediate environment be designed so that when the body parts do flail and contact rigid or semi-rigid structures, injury potential is minimized. This can be done in different manners. First is to relocate the hazardous structure or object out of the occupant’s reach or the hazard might be reduced by mounting the offending structure on frangible or energy-absorbing supports and applying a padding material to distribute the contact force over a larger area on the body member. The aircraft interior has occupant strike envelopes, meaning that there are hazards that are more conducive to occupant injury than others. Overall the intent is to protect the head and torso first to prevent debilitating injuries or death and then protecting the lower body parts to ensure the area hazards are clear of tripping hazards or anything that could prevent rapid escape. Typical contact hazards in the cockpit area include window and door frames, consoles, controls and control columns, seat backs,  electrical junction boxes, glare shields, and instrument panels. Contact hazards commonly found in aircraft cabin areas include window and door frames, seats, and fuselage structure. Use of suitable energy absorbing padding materials, frangible breakaway panels, smooth contoured surfaces, or ductile materials in the typical hazard areas mentioned is recommended to reduce the injury potential of occupied areas. The use of protective helmets is also recommended in certain types of aircraft. 5. Explain the expected advantage frangible fuel system attachments can provide as an aircraft post-crash survival technique. Frangible Attachment- An attachment possessing a part that is designed to fail at a predetermined location and/or load. Frangible structures or frangible bolts should be used at all attachment points between fuel tanks and aircraft structure to prevent fuel tank components from being torn out of the tank wall during impact. Frangible attachments should be used at other points in the flammable fluid systems where aircraft structural deformation could lead to flammable fluid leakage. This increases the survivability by containing any remaining fuel to the tank its encapsulated within and reducing the chance of a fire being spread throughout a crash site or into the cabin. 6. What are some of the key concerns when selecting aircraft interior materials form a crash survivability perspective? All aircraft interior materials such as seat fabrics and cushions, interior wall insulations, and nonmetallic structural components must be flame resistant and produce the least amount of smoke and toxic gases possible. 7. Describe some of the key points of post-crash design criteria associated with oil and hydraulic systems. Oil and hydraulic fluids are easily ignited and can serve as ready ignition sources for fuel meaning fluid spillage should be prevented. Oil tanks and  hydraulic reservoirs should not be located where spilled or sprayed fluid can readily be ingested into the engine or ignited by the engine exhaust. Oil tanks and hydraulic reservoirs should not be located near the bottom of the fuselage, in or above engine compartments, in electrical compartments, in occupiable areas under, in front of, or at the side of heavy masses, such as engines and transmissions, nor above landing gears Oil and hydraulic lines should consist of flexible hoses with steel-braided outer sheaths and for high-temperature; coiled metal tubing should be used. Lines should not be routed, near the bottom of the fuselage, over landing gears, under, in front of, or at the sides of heavy masses, such as engines and transmissions, in the leading edges of wings, in areas of anticipated rotor blade impact, in any area where flammable fluids could be spilled or sprayed onto hot surfaces or ingested into the engine or above electrical wiring 8. Considering aircraft electrical system post-crash survivability design, what are the guidelines concerning routing electrical wires in the vicinity of flammable fluid lines? Wiring is a prime ignition source for leaking oil, fuel or hydraulic fluid leaks or vapors. To aid in crash survivability wires should be routed above or away from flammable fluid lines and they should never be closely spaced between outer skin and fuel lines. Wires must not be routed near flammable fluid tanks unless the wires are shrouded to prevent arcing. Wires should not be routed near the bottom of the fuselage, over landing gears or in the leading edges of wings. 9. What G forces are experienced if an aircraft impacts the ground at a speed of 120 MPH and skids along the ground 50 feet before coming to rest? 9.8 G’s. 120^2/50 = 14400/50=288288x.034=9.79 10. Explain why you believe passenger airlines do not have to utilize passenger shoulder harnesses as a crash survival precaution. The passenger shoulder harness is not used for crash survival because: *  The cost of the harnesses for one would be huge to retrofit all the airliners in the fleet today and that cost would be put onto the customer. * The need for various sizes; very small through very large would result in further cost. * Comfort, if people are not comfortable then they will not have a good flying experience while others may have a fear or feeling that they are trapped. * The ability to understand how to use the shoulder harness. Most cannot figure out how to wear the harness which would delay taxiing and flight times. The required ability to quickly restrap in bad weather or to unstrap in an egress situation could be deadly. * Americans don’t like to be told what they have to do†¦.they are the paying customer. Aircraft Crash Survival Analysis and Design. (2016, Oct 19).

Student Debt and Its Implications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Student Debt and Its Implications - Essay Example Many students engaged in borrowing as well as in huge sums of money. During graduation, the average debt in 2008 rose by six percent in the following year heating $24,000. In the year 2008, there was the highest number of defaulters in federal loan repayment in over a decade. This was when the nation’s economy slid into recession. Partly driven by the slow economy, federal loan defaulters are increasing. If a student fails to make payments for 270 days, it becomes a matter of increasing significance to both community colleges as well as the students. Loan default brings about severe consequences to the borrowers as well as colleges. When one misses some payments he/she could be demanded to play through calls and letters. However, defaulting can destroy a student’s future. Federal agents will demand that a defaulter pays the loan in full. In addition, the case may be assigned to some collection agency. A defaulter’s wages, as well as benefits, could be garnished till the balance (that may not be easy to discharge in bankruptcy) gets resolved. This may apply even to old age social security benefits being garnished (Clark, 499). Loan defaults for borrowers could wreck their credit, create the inability to buy a home or car, finding employment or even renting a home. Colleges, where only a few students get to borrow, have special protections, however, colleges could result to being not eligible to federal loans as well as grants where most of the colleges’ former borrowers default within a given period of 3 years’ time for entering payment (Bryce, Matthew and Debbie, 1). With federal loans as well as the grand plus loans, it is at a time when this loan is twenty-one to thirty days late that the loan can go to delinquency but the national credit bureaus may be informed when a loan is 60 days late. However, the program of federal loans provides a number of plans to that held defaulters. But one has to negotiate with their lender in the case for private loans which involve agreement terms of the loan as well as options for payment.  Ã‚  

24 hours surviliance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

24 hours surviliance - Case Study Example As such the paper would be discussing the surveillance of the current facility with regard to various measures that are needed to adopt to feel safe and protected. The surveillance is very important part of security measure for the multistory building which has multiple exits. The major objective of the surveillance is monitoring of intruders and suspects who could pose threat to the safety of the people inside the complex. Hence, the facility/ building and surrounding area would be under surveillance. CCTVs would be installed in all the areas of critical importance that would be interconnected and feed into the main control room. All the rooms, stairs, elevators, lobby areas, hallways would have CCTV and spy cameras. The two restrooms and cafeteria would be excluded from the surveillance but nevertheless, their entrance would be guarded by security guards and CCTV cameras. The cameras would also be installed on the strategic positions in the ground and parking to monitor the activities of people moving around the campus. The installation of CCTV cameras on a closed network would be centrally monitored by the control room continuously. Around 11 CCTV monochrome cameras would be used across the rooms and public places like elevators, stairs etc. They would also be equipped with alarm system that would be connected to the main security office which would have direct connections with the local police station. Moreover, the complex would also be guarded by 4 fully armed security guards. It is envisaged that appropriate identity cards would be issued to permanent members and visitors would be given token which would monitored electronically. These are important aspects that are designed to alert security officers to burglary/ theft in progress or identify suspects hanging around in the building, open ground or parking places so that crime can be prevented. Surveillance is key factor in security issues that helps

Examining the controversial dilemma MNCs (multinational corporations) Thesis

Examining the controversial dilemma MNCs (multinational corporations) face in EMEs (emerging market economies) while simultaneously focusing on economic growth and social responsibility - Thesis Example If the companies and organizations only stress on generating profit, then that endeavor will not be a helpful one for them in the long run. For acquiring vigorous market goodwill and for remaining in the market (in the local as well as global market) as a dominant player they have to take in to consideration the ethical aspects of society and environment as a simultaneous mechanism with growth and development strategies of business and they have to become good corporate citizens. In this respect, the notion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) along with its various codes of conducts carries a considerable importance. Effective functioning of CSR is aimed at the establishment of socially responsible business practices within the organizations both locally and globally. With thorough multiplication of liberalization and globalization processes across the world since the 1990s, the rise of CSR agenda can be attributed as a significant development with the domain of that multiplication. The popular business mantra, â€Å"doing well by doing good† (Ciconte & Jacob, 2011, p.196) (associated with cause related marketing) became a common manifestation of CSR in the beginning of the 1990s. The underlying meaning of this mantra states that organizations can be successful by serving the broader societal interests at the same time satisfying the narrow interest of their stakeholders. Yes, it can be stated that the realization of implementing CSR is almost omnipotent among all the big companies in the world today but its very concept still attaches robust elements of confusion with itself. There have been stringent efforts by the firms in keeping the CSR policies at the apex of their business strategies but one of the major constraints is that only a h andful of them have been able to realize the way in which an integrated business strategy incorporating the agenda of society may be configured. It can be inferred that there still exists a

Self-Reflection Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Self-Reflection Assignment - Essay Example Humans should pick up the truth, even if it’s not what they wish to hear. That, to me, is if they charge a duke the most, and a lot of the time it is if no one is accommodating to accord it to them (Mcleod 2003). I have applied Cognitive theory in this research in order to know the mental reasoning of mister Peter Levine to focus on his mental plans and thoughts that has guided me throughout the research. To the other people of this world, the relatives has gained a respectable position as they complete the family mightily, but I feel different and in my central acquaintance of the relatives the action of their trade and dealings is very important. Why should this be? In analytic for the answers to this meaninglessness of credible additional and absolute loss and in the course of the plan of Peter Levine’s and his book â€Å"Waking the Tiger†, I have learnt a lot of new things. As Peter has said that the acceptance of pain in its cerebral senses. Peter Levine was a psychologist by profession and has seen many patients in his entire career. He believes that abounding individuals absorb endless years of bootless therapy, because their acceptance to an alarming accident is not accurately analyzed as an adventure of agony. Mr. Peter gave assorted examples of this phenomenon in his book Walking the Tiger (Levine 1997). Mr. Levine explains that some of his patient’s acquisition alternation along with the share of the health profession an acutely demanding practice, even if these people are absolutely healthy (Guy 1987). The agony of affectation getting appear on the faces in order to accept the biologic has larboard an abstruse abhorrence in those patients. An additional model adapted by Mr. Peter Levine is the arctic activity acquired by animal abuse and cruelty. Mr. Peter Levine has had a great triumph with abounding patients who had been clumsy to account from accustomed psychoanalysis.Mr.

Consumer Law in United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Consumer Law in United Kingdom - Essay Example The paper tells that very many companies today use awkward tactics to make sales. These range from closing down sales that they let to run for as long as possible, to the special offers that do not really exist. Nonetheless, some of the offers they usually make are quite genuine. However, the way the sales are made to the customers usually leaves the customers perplexed and wondering what the salespersons are aiming. A sales man or woman may stay for very long, up to hours waiting for a customer or client to make a subscription and then go ahead to tell the customer that his or her income depends on the client paying up. No sound for alarm, though, because ever since 26th may 2008, laws have been put in place with the aim of militating against such practices. Consumer protection from unfair trading regulations 2008 (CPRs) have made it possible for the protection of consumers from exploitation, and unfair treatment through misleading omissions, misleading actions, or other aggressive practices that businesspersons engage in. Misleading actions according to the consumer protection regulations are such practices such as marketing or advertising goods that do not really exist in the first place. Businesspersons also offer also usually make advertisements of items that they do not really have enough of in their stock. This means they create excess demand for the little goods they have in their stock. This practice of advertising a commodity with no aim of meeting its demand is a misleading action on the part of the traders and sales persons. The consumer protection regulations also prohibit traders from lying about the goods they have, or marketing them to consumers as another product, in order to gain credibility. In any case, a trader has signed a code of practice, he or she should stand by it and obey it to the later, failing to do so; failing to follow the code of practice may result for charges on the grounds of breach of the Consumer Protection regulations (Wo odroffe 82). Misleading omissions on the other hand, applies to the act of traders being very economical with the truth about their products, or deliberately leaving out information that customers need in order to make decisions that are well informed. Under these consumer protection regulations, it is the responsibility of the traders to make sure information about the products they sell reaches the consumers and customers at the right time. Timeliness is important in business. This ensures that information gets to consumers when they really need it; and not very late, that they can no longer use the information (Sealy 54). The aggressive practices are the sales tactics that really influence the process of decision making of consumers and customers in general. ThiAQAs means that the traders who ‘force customers’ to make decisions through threatening behavior, and do not give consumers breathing space, will be, under the regulations of consumer protection, committing an offence. In practicing these consumer protection regulations on traders, it is not just enough to demonstrate the deed. The accuser has to show that the consumer’s decision was indeed, influenced by the practice the trader is guilty of doing. The new rules set out by the United Kingdom to govern consumer protection against traders who are rogue came into effect in 2008. For the first time in the history of the United Kingdom, traders will not be allowed to trade unfairly to their customers. This does not mean that they will be restricted from making their own profits as they would; they are only required to follow the guidelines stipulated by the consumer

Social Media - Pr practice modernised Dissertation

Social Media - Pr practice modernised - Dissertation Example As this occurs, there is also a question of how effective the use of social media and public relations are online. Examining how customers interact and the difference it makes with sales and relationship building is one of the main questions. This research paper will examine the mechanics of relationship building through social media and with online portals. There will be a question of how this changes consumer perception as well as potential opportunities for businesses that are building an online presence. Specifically, this research study will provide insight into the importance of social media and PR as an element for businesses. ... †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦34 4.0 Results and Findings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦35 5.0 Significance of the Project†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...39 5.1 Limitations of the Project†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.40 5.2 Future Studies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..42 6.0 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...43 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..44 Appendix A†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦48 Appendix B†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦49 List of tables and figures Image 1: Social Hierarchy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.11 Image 2: Random and Scale Free Network†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.......14 Image 3: Corporate Social Strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.19 Image 4: Social Media Networks and Giant Component WOM†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...22 1.0 Introduction The use of social media is continuing to grow as a trend among businesses. Those who have a website or brick and mortar business are now using social media as a part of the vocabulary necessary for defining what is needed for an effective marketing plan. The growing trend is one that is now creating a question of where this fits into the promotion mix. Most marketers are looking at social media as a necessary component of finding new customers and spreading the word about one’s

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Art - Essay Example It is true that media artists today consider both aesthetics and ethics in their work. In the current investigation, my point of view is that the most important thing in a work of art is its ethical qualities, because no matter how hard one tries, one cannot get away from ethics. To me, concentrating wholly on form and ignoring ethics is basically blinding oneself to a critical aspect of artistic creation and (especially) consumption. Television, movies, and other media arts are judged in terms of morality and ethical qualities as a foremost consideration; to ignore this aspect borders on folly. Media arts are made for public consumption, and part of this public consumption is the ethical judgment of the genre and the product. Television must pass censorship standards, and movies must pass ratings standards. When people watch a movie, especially a mass-market production, they are often watching an ethical polarization of good and evil (good guys vs. bad guys). And if there is ambiguity between who is the bad guy and the good guy, this is also a moral or ethical question. â€Å"From our casual conversations about the moral status of cinematic villains and heroines, through debates about the effects of the portrayal of violence by Hollywood International, to arguments about the portrayal of sex and sexuality, film talk is intimately tied up with ethical concerns and evaluations† (Meskin, 2009). The same can be said of talk about other media arts, especially television, which seeks to appeal to a mass market kind of morality or ethics. To say that media arts is only for malism is all well in good in a very limited art-house context, but to consider the real situation, one must accept the mass-media perspective. In this perspective, ethics and morality are explicitly involved in the consumption of media arts. One cannot subtract ethics from this consideration; to do so would be to lose a large piece of the puzzle in terms of how human beings react

Teenage Texting and driving Essay Example for Free

Teenage Texting and driving Essay With the advent of the smartphone, life has become much easier for all of us. We can now make a phone call, text, access social media sites and other pertinent applications all from one device. While the advances in the cellphone industry are amazing, they have come with dire consequences. Texting while driving has now become the leading cause of death of teenagers in the United States, overtaking drunk driving. Nearly every teenager looks forward to driving, it represents independence and freedom. While this new found freedom is great for the teenage driver, it represents fear and sleepless nights for parents. Today, not only does a parent have to worry about how their teenage son/daughter is driving but what they are doing while they are driving. In the past, the biggest fear of a parent was whether their child was drinking and driving, which is the cause of over 2,700 deaths and 282,000 treated for injuries, per year (Ricks 2013). As a result, drinking and driving has been the leading cause of deaths among teenagers for the past 30 years. However, per the CDC, since 1991, drinking and driving among teenage drivers has dropped over 54%, while 50% of teens between the ages of 15-18 admit to texting while driving (Ricks 2013). This shift in teenage driving habits has created a whole new concern among law enforcement and parents. Experts say texting while driving can be as distracting as drinking and driving, and laws banning texting while driving have very little if any effect on stopping the practice. â€Å"Composing a typical text message is roughly akin to closing ones eyes for nearly five seconds, during which time a car going 55 mph covers more than the length of a football field† (Savitz 2012). Due to the technological advances of the smartphone, and the fact that 50% of all teenagers admit to texting while driving, deaths of teenagers from texting while driving has skyrocketed. The latest data shows that over 3,000 teenage drivers died and over 300,000 were injured last year, as a result of teenage texting while driving. â€Å"The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that it is to blame for 11 teen deaths each day† (Savitz 2012). These deaths and injuries now make teenage texting while driving the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States. With laws making no difference on whether drivers text, the number of deaths attributed to teenage texting while driving will only rise in the coming years. We can now manage our whole life from a cellphone, due to the technological advances in the cellphone industry. While this convenience saves everyone countless hours a day, over 3,000 teenagers die and over 300,000 are injured every year from this convenience. Texting while driving among teenagers is at epidemic levels and is now the number one cause of teenage deaths in the United States. Laws are not enough, only knowledge, training and a teen driver saying â€Å"No† to texting while driving will stop this epidemic. I for one have said â€Å"No†. References Ricks D. Study: Texting while driving now leading cause of death for teen drivers. Newsday, (Melville, NY) [serial online]. May 8, 2013:Available from: Newspaper Source, Ipswich, MA. Accessed September 1, 2013 Savitz E. Naughty, Naughty: Nearly Third Of Teens Text While Driving. Forbes. Com [serial online]. June 7, 2012;:36. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed September 15, 2013

Structure of the Balance Sheet of Islamic Banks

Structure of the Balance Sheet of Islamic Banks INTRODUCTION Structure of the Balance Sheet of Islamic Banks Liquidity is an important characteristic of banks. By their very nature, banks transform the term of their liabilities to have different maturities on the asset side of the balance sheet. At the same time, banks must be able to meet their commitments such as deposits at the point at which they become due. Thus, liquidity management lies at the heart of confidence in the banking operation. Customers place their deposits with a bank, confident they can withdraw the deposit when they wish. If the ability of the bank to pay out on demand is questioned, all its business may be lost overnight. The importance of liquidity transcends the individual institution, since a liquidity shortfall at a single institution may invoke systemic repercussion causing harm to the whole financial stability of a country. Therefore it is important for banks to have adequate liquidity potential when it can obtain sufficient funds promptly and at a reasonable cost. For Islamic banks, liquidity risk is a signific ant risk owing to the limited availability of Shariah-compatible money market instruments and Lender-Of-Last-Resort (LOLR) facilities. Hence, the recent introduction of commodity murabahah instrument based on tawarruq concept by Central Bank of Malaysia is deemed as an innovative approach to liquidity management. It certainly adds to the list of instruments for Islamic banks to manage their liquidity more effectively and efficiently. This paper reviews the structure and mechanism of commodity murabahah particularly for liquidity management purpose. As will be evident in this paper, this instrument has its own advantage which appeals to certain practitioners who were previously uncomfortable with `inah-based instruments (www.acrobatplanet.com). Liquidity management lies at the heart of confidence in the banking operation. Customers place their deposits with a bank, confident they can withdraw the deposit when they wish. If the ability of the bank to pay out on demand is questioned, all its business may be lost overnight. In general terms, liquidity refers broadly to the ability to trade instruments quickly at prices that are reasonable in light of the underlying demand/supply conditions through the depth, breadth and resilience of the market at the lowest possible execution cost (Pervez, 2000). A perfectly liquid asset is defined as one whose full present value can be realized, i.e. turned into purchasing power over goods and services, immediately (Tobin, 1987). Cash is perfectly liquid, and so for practical purposes are demand deposits, and other deposits transferable to third parties by cheque or wire, and investments in short term liquid government securities (Abdul-Rahman, 1999). The importance of liquidity transcends t he individual institution, since a liquidity shortfall at a single institution may invoke systemic repercussion causing harm to the whole financial stability of a country. Therefore it is important for banks to have adequate liquidity potential when it can obtain sufficient funds promptly and at a reasonable cost (Heffernan, 1996). The concern over liquidity management is also relevant to Islamic bank that holds illiquid assets while its liabilities are liquid, and holds assets unpredictable in value while guaranteeing the value of its liabilities. Thus, since Islamic banks follow the same structure and characteristics of a commercial banks balance sheet, they are not immune from liquidity risk. The potential mismatch between deposits and investment financing exposes Islamic banks to liquidity problems. On the other hand, if the banks maintain too much liquidity to avoid getting into the liquidity problems may in turn hurt its profitability, therefore creating a right balance between the two objectives of safety (www.acrobatplanet.com). Off-balance-sheet financing Also called synthetic leases, this is where a company uses rules from different systems, such as financial and tax, to account for an asset in different ways. For example, I lease a computer from company A. Because I dont own the computer (and I am assuming this is not a capital lease), I get to take the rent expense (for the lease) as a deduction on the books, but I dont have to account for the asset or the debt, therefore it is not on the balance sheet. This is attractive because it creates no debt on the companys books. It is often done through a SPE (Special Purpose Entity). Though lucrative, it has contributed to the demise of companies such as Enron. The lessor (company A) maintains the asset on their books and, if they financed it from another company (company B), the debt as well. Credit card issuers, mortgage companies and various other entities also use a type of off-balance-sheet financing known as asset backed securitization (ABS). The ABS process effectively allows a company to sell a portion of the loans (receivables assets) to investors, effectively removing the assets from their balance sheets (allowing a lower level of reserves, and, therefore capital) while managing the servicing of the debt (http://wiki.answers.com). AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To study the structure of the balance sheet of Islamic banks To study the On Balance Sheet Financing as compared to Off Balance financing. Critical appraisal of the structure of the Balance Sheet of Islamic Banks. BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS Risk management and liquidity are of crucial importance in the overall banking environment, and they have clear relevance also to the specific environment of Islamic banking. In itself, Islamic banking is of growing significance. Regulators have their own particular perspective on these issues. As a regulator based in London the Financial Statement Analysis (FSA) should focus on the following: The importance of London as a centre of Islamic financing. The overall role of the FSA as a regulator why sound regulation is of critical importance in any financial marketplace, how it can assist in facilitating competition and innovation. Risk management issues in banking: a summary of the key elements involved. Risk management and liquidity issues as applied to Islamic banking. The perspective of the regulator, and why the UK operates a single regulatory framework for all firms. The importance of London as a centre of Islamic financing London is clearly one of the pre eminent centres of Islamic finance, for two main reasons. These are the presence of sizeable Muslim community in the UK; and the importance of London as a financial centre with the expertise to develop new and innovative products. The FSA as Regulator welcomes the development of Islamic finance, and would be happy to see this grow further. Other important centres include Bahrain and Malaysia (www.financeinislam.com). London plays a role in four areas of significance in Islamic banking: Trade assets such as murabaha, istisnaa, and bai-al-salam. The market is probably worth US$ 10 billion in the UK. Equipment leasing asset and partner selection, operating leases and finance leases Real estate where investors are looking for rental and capital benefits. Investment routes include fund management, club transactions, leverage funding, and asset analysis, corporate structuring and tax planning. Packaging and delivering assets engineering solutions. This includes a growing market in securitizations of pools of Shariah compliant assets. The role of the FSA as a regulator The Government has set the FSA four objectives: Market confidence Public awareness of the financial system Consumer protection Reducing financial crime The new FSMA will bring in eleven principles for the handling of business, which set out at a high level how we expect a firm and its management to conduct themselves. In terms of minimum criteria, the FSA has to be satisfied that institutions have adequate capital, adequate liquidity and adequate control over large exposures. Banks of what ever origin must be prudently run and that their management must be fit and proper for the task. Satisfactory risk management, a realistic business plan, and adequate systems and controls need to be clearly demonstrated. The FSA must be satisfied also that each institution is subject to effective consolidated supervision i.e., that one supervisory authority takes prime responsibility for supervising the bank or banking group as a whole (www.financeinislam.com). RISKS, PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES Risk management issues in Islamic banking Senior management in any business must be able to provide effective risk management. The consequences of failure to do so are dire, for example, the collapse of Barings where proper controls and monitoring were not effectively in place: Regulators need to be sure that such risks are managed so as to prevent a worst case scenario such as the systemic collapse of a whole banking system. Critical issues for Islamic banks are the reputational risks and legal risks of non-compliance from Shariah board requirements and/or from engaging in any activities that were not perceived as properly Islamic by the marketplace. The maintenance of trust amongst Islamic market participants is crucial (www.financeinislam.com). Credit risk This is the risk that customers default and cannot service their debts. Banks can also suffer from the excessive concentration of exposures to particular customers, industries or countries. Asset quality should be closely monitored using appropriate management information and systems support. Islamic banks run an asset book, just as conventional banks do, so the same disciplines must apply. Liquidity risk Banks face collapse or severe trading difficulties when they are unable to meet their liabilities. For example, many Japanese institutions operating in London in the late l990s were hit when the Japanese premium increased their funding costs and eroded their liquidity. This did not mean, however, that they became unable to meet their liabilities. For the FSA, liquidity is a key concern. The dilemma for the Islamic sector is that liquidity from the Gulf is currently very substantial, but there is the need to seek out appropriate outlets for it. There is not a clearly defined lender of last resort for Islamic banks that might suffer liquidity problems, although support could probably be found from with in the overall pool of liquidity. Interest rate risk The risk of declines in earnings due to the movement of interest rates, most of the balance sheet items of banks generate revenues and costs that are indexed to interest rates. A key aspect of interest rate risk is also the possible mismatches that can arise between fixed and floating rates. In the Islamic banking context, interest rates per se are not a factor. However, commissions generated on Islamic transactions could also be vulnerable to market movements. Market risk The risk of adverse deviations of the mark-to-market value of the trading portfolio during the period required to liquidate the transactions. Islamic financial institutions take up risk sharing funds, whereas conventional banks take capital certain deposits where repayment must be made. There is the implicit requirement for both parties to a given transaction to share in the loss as well as the profit. Foreign exchange risk The currency risk of suffering losses due to changes in exchange rates. This principle applies equally to Islamic banks. Letter of credit and trade finance for example, a significant proportion of which is denominated in US Dollars, often pose an exchange risk. Currency transaction and translation Factors must be taken into account. Solvency risk The risk that financial institutions will be unable to hold sufficient capital resources to cover their different risks, regulators need to decide what amount is held, supervise, in order to maintain an appropriate level of solvency. Islamic banks need to be clear about the status of their deposits or liabilities. Any capital-certain transactions generate more solvency risk than risk-sharing with investors. Operational risk There is no precise definition, but we view operational risk as being the risk that arises from human error and/or deficiencies in information systems or controls, resulting in direct or indirect loss. In the Islamic banking context, operational risks can impact just as much as in conventional banking, with the additional element of possible operational defects causing failure to comply with the Shariah (www.financeinislam.com). FINDINGS Risk management and liquidity issues as applied to Islamic banking This is a very important area and a number of key regulatory issues are under review. For example, whether liquidity requirements should apply to all on-balance sheet funds, risk sharing as well as capital certain; and how liquidity should be managed for funds, which are held off balance sheet. The basic issue, however, as for any bank is how easily and quickly, and with what penalty, assets can be turned into cash. The establishment of a genuine inter-bank market or markets would be a significant step towards providing Islamic banks with the ability to maintain adequate liquidity without holding excessive amounts of very short-term assets. For example, it was very interesting to note that the Bahrain Monetary Authority (BMA) announced the first issue of its Islamically-structured bonds the Sukuk al-Salaam worth US$ 25mn. ABC Clearing Company BC and ABC Islamic Bank have been active in offering overnight investment opportunities for Islamic funds for a number of years. BNP Paribas and Kuwait Finance House signed a memorandum of understanding for the creation of a US$ 2bn Islamic money market fund (IMMF). Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, and ABN AMRO also plan to launch such instruments. Malaysia has also been developing an Islamic inter bank market. These developments offer potential flexibility to Islamic banks. UK practice is such that the Financial Statement Analysis (FSA) has scope to take account of such developments when agreeing liquidity guidelines with banks (www.financeinislam.com). CONCLUSION There are two different categories of commercial financing from an accounting perspective: on-balance-sheet financing and off-balance-sheet financing. Understanding the difference can be critical to obtaining the right type of commercial financing for your company. Put simply, on-balance-sheet financing is commercial financing in which capital expenditures appear as a liability on a companys balance sheet. Commercial loans are the most common example: Typically, a company will leverage an asset (such as accounts receivable) in order to borrow money from a bank, thus creating a liability (i.e., the outstanding loan) that must be reported as such on the balance sheet. With off-balance-sheet financing, however, liabilities do not have to be reported because no debt or equity is created. The most common form of off-balance-sheet financing is an operating lease, in which the company makes a small down payment upfront and then monthly lease payments. When the lease term is up, the company can usually buy the asset for a minimal amount (often just one dollar). The key difference is that with an operating lease, the asset stays on the lessors balance sheet. The lessee only reports the expense associated with the use of the asset (i.e., the rental payments), not the cost of the asset itself (www.evancarmichael.com). Why Does It Matter? This might sound like technical accounting-speak that only a CPA could appreciate. In the continuing tight credit environment, however, off-balance-sheet financing can offer significant benefits to any size company, from large multi-nationals to mom-and-pops. These benefits arise from the fact that off-balance-sheet financing creates liquidity for a business while avoiding leverage, thus improving the overall financial picture of the company. This can help companies keep their debt-to-equity ratio low: If a company is already leveraged, additional debt might trip a covenant to an existing loan. The trade-off is that off-balance-sheet financing is usually more expensive than traditional on-balance-sheet loans. Business owners should work closely with their CPAs to determine whether the benefits of off-balance-sheet financing outweigh the costs in their specific situation. Other Types of Off-Balance-Sheet Financing An increasingly popular type of off-balance-sheet financing today is whats known as a sale/leaseback. Here, a business sells property it owns and then immediately leases it back from the new owner. It can be used with virtually any type of fixed asset, including commercial real estate, equipment and commercial vehicles and aircraft, to name a few. A sale/leaseback can increase a companys financial flexibility and may provide a large lump sum of cash by freeing up the equity in the asset. This cash can then be poured back into the business to support growth, pay down debt, acquire another business, or meet working capital needs. Factoring is another type of off-balance-sheet financing. Here, a business sells its outstanding accounts receivable to a commercial finance company, or factor. Typically, the factor will advance the business between 70 and 90 percent of the value of the receivable at the time of purchase; the balance, less the factoring fee, is released when the invoice is collected. Like with an operating lease, no debt is created with factoring, thus enabling companies to create liquidity while avoiding additional leverage. The same kinds of off-balance-sheet benefits occur in both factoring arrangements and operating leases. Keep in mind that strict accounting rules must be followed when it comes to properly distinguishing between on-balance-sheet and off-balance-sheet financing, so you should work closely with your CPA in this regard. But with the continued uncertainty surrounding the economy and credit markets, its worth looking into the potential benefits of off-balance-sheet financing for your company (www.evancarmichael.com). The perspective of the Regulator The fundamental stance of the regulator is that the same principles in the handling of risk should apply for Islamic as for non-Islamic banks and financial entities. There has to be a level playing field. For the regulator, risk management in the Islamic context is becoming easier to understand as the following develop: A set of common international equivalent accounting standards. The AAOIFI is a doing a lot of good work in this area but we need to see more harmonization. Greater standardization of products. A clear role for the Shariah Board. For example, if there were to be one Board per country it should assist in giving consistency of interpretation of the Shariah. The FSA has had no applications for authorization from purely Islamic banks. If an application were to be made, it would be considered against our minimum criteria and principles for business. For us, an important aspect of any application would be the effectiveness of the applicants risk management systems and controls (www.financeinislam.com).

The Advantages Of Being Physically Attractive Philosophy Essay

The Advantages Of Being Physically Attractive Philosophy Essay Nowadays attractive people rule the world. We see them on television, on the covers of magazines, they are everywhere. They dominate all the fields that include a certain degree of public exposure. What is beautiful is good. This is the stereotype that plays an active role in our lives. Physical attractiveness influences our relationships with other people. It influences social acceptance and the employment process. People consider that less attractive children are more likely to grow up with bad behavior, but if an attractive child grows up with such bad behavior, people perceive this event like an unusual one. On job interviews, attractive people seem to be more efficient. They are good communicators they speak faster and fluently; they enjoy social interactions and exchanges. These people show more confidence and develop more favorable images of them. It is a fact that attractive people tend to be more successful than the less attractive ones. Attractive individuals are more sociable and happier. They tend to be more socially skillful because the favorable expectations of attractive people lead to better social exchanges, more favorable self-images, and better social skills. 2.2. Head Positions Head shaking has its origins in bowing to appear superior. It can be a powerful persuasion tool; you can encourage someone to talk or to make him stop, only by nodding three to four times in certain intervals of time. The speed of nods determines the listeners patience or the lack of it. If the listener is interested in what the speaker is saying he will give a slow deliberate nod. Fast nodding tells us that the listener wants to interfere or he is not interested anymore. Head nodding can be contagious, if someone nods, you will return the nod, even if you dont agree with what he is saying. Head nodding is also an excellent tool to get someones cooperation and agreement; it is an unconscious outward reflection of our inner emotions so when you feel optimistic about something and you feel affirmative your head will start to nod as you speak. Positive emotions cause head nods and it goes the other way around, affirmative head nods can cause positive emotions. If you start to nod intentionally, you will experience those emotions. In different cultures head nodding signifies yes, yes you agree other persons point of view. This is not the case of Bulgaria where positive head nodding means no. In Japan, for example, head nodding doesnt necessarily mean agreement; it can signify yes, I hear you. In other countries, like India, the head movement differs; here people move their head from side to side to signal agreement. There are three basic head position. Head up In this position, the head remains still; the conversation can be slightly punctuated by small nods. Usually, this position takes a person who has neither positive nor negative attitude about what the interlocutor says. If someone lifts the head with the chin jutting forward, he signals arrogance and fearlessness. Anyone who adopts this position is intentionally exposing the throat to gain some height so they can look down their nose. The Head Tilt The head tilt displays the vulnerable necks; it makes a persons look smaller and less threatening. It is believed that this position has its origins in the baby resting its head on his parents shoulder or chest, its submissive meaning is understood by everyone, especially women. Many women use this position in order to get attention from man they fancy because a submissive woman is attractive to most men. It is recommended using head tilt along with head nods during presentation or while delivering a speech because you will appear nonthreatening and the listeners will begin to trust you. Head Down People who have judgmental and negative attitude tend to keep their head down. It shows disapproval or disappointment. Sometimes, conference speakers confront situations when the listeners adopt this position, to make them lift their heads they involve them in action, they invite them to participate into a conversation before their actual presentation. If the method is successfully the next head position of the audience will be the tilt head. 2.3 Eye contact The eyes are the windows of the soul. They are highly expressive region; their movement is allowing various expressions. We keep our eyes open, turn a blind eye to certain events, or we choose not to bat an eye. Our eyes show what we think about a person, how we feel toward him, if we are comfortable or not. Eye contact is one of the most primitive ways of communication, during social interaction all good communicators look at each other in the eye, without the gaze even if it is for several seconds, they dont feel like they are fully into the conversation. Georg Simmel described the phenomenon as a wholly new and unique union between two people and that it represents the most perfect reciprocity in the entire field of human relationship (Simmel). The eye gaze may have a variety of meanings, such as friendship, submission, hate or attraction. The sources of variation are: Point in the conversation: if a person is listening there is more eye contact than the situation where he is speaking. When people speak they tend to look up at the end of the speeches and phrases. Nature of the topic. Topics of personal matter usually avoid the eye contact. Catholic confessionals and psychiatric couches for example are built in such manner, that the person who talks wouldnt be inhibited by the eye contact. The contact between the priest or the therapist and the individual in both of these locations is reduced; the individual can feel, but not see the presence of the priest or the doctor so when he discuss shameful and embarrassing things those who are listening could not stare at them. Relations between a pair of people. When two people like each other there is more eye contact than usual. The pupils are dilating when you look at a person whom you like more. Besides attraction, the gaze could mean threat, when one is cutting off or averting his gaze this signal could mean appeasement. Cooperation. There is also more direct gaze when two people tend to cooperate rather than competing. In this case, an important role plays the quantity of eye contact; a high level of it usually means that the gazer is interested in the subject. However, combined with other expressions it also means threat. Personality. Depending on ones personality, he could look more or less. Extroverts look more often and for longer than their interlocutors and the introverts. There are also people that avoid the gaze; these are schizophrenic patients, depressed people and autistic children. Distance. It is a certainty that eye contact is reduced when proximity is greater, in busses or elevators, for example it ceases at all. Reducing eye gaze helps us reduce the level of discomfort produced by invading our intimate zone. 2.3.1 The Functions of Eye Contact The meanings of eye contact are various, and beside the hate, joy and domination signals that they could express there are several function that they have as well. These functions are: Information-Seeking. Our social behavior is an open book for others to read, it tells the world who we really are. We are the one that give information so it is important to us to receive a properly feedback. The speech could be a way, but sometimes if you look closely to the others face you can find a lot more than he says, especially if you look at his eyes. At the end of the speech he looks at you to see how the information was received. Signaling that the channel is open. When you communicate and maintain the eye contact the speaker will understand that all your attention is his, and he may proceed further with the conversation. On the other hand, a simple flicker of the eye toward a third person indicates that the channel is closed. Concealment and Exhibitionism. Some people look to get attention and to keep it. These people according to Laing suffer from lack of such feelings like self-regard and ego-identity, they need to be seen so they could be loved and confirmed as a person (Laing). The eye contact is the only they need. Establishment and Recognition of Social Relationship. Argyle explained this function through the example of an A and B person. The eye contact plays a central role in the establishment of their relationship. If there is eye contact between A and B it means that there is attraction. If A wants to dominate B: A will stare at B with the appropriate expression, if B accepts As dominance he will adopt a submissive expression and he will look away; If some people want to see and to be seen some of them dont want to have eye contact at all. They hide communication signals and disguise the gaze by wearing sunglasses. Glasses are also used by blind people they wear tinted glasses to avoid the embarrassment of not being able to look a person in the eye whenever it is necessary. Mirrored glasses stay between traffic policeman and the drivers, by avoiding the eye contact policemen can reduce the possibility of an argument; the nervous drivers can be put off a confrontation if they are not seeing the officers eye but, forced to see their own. 2.4 Facial Expressions The interest in human expression of emotion dates from more than a century ago when Charles Darwin published his book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. Darwin believed that humans emotional expressions are defined by our evolution; therefore he couldnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t understand the human emotions without understanding the emotional expressions of animals. Darwin returned to fundamentals, he built his theory of emotional expressions in animals, in infants and children, and in adults from different countries. Although everybody read his book, it hadnt much impact on the scientific community over years. Only recently the scientists agreed that Darwins ideas, his theoretical interpretations and forecasts are the premise of current knowledge in the field of humans facial expressions. Scientists relate facial expressions with emotions they represent. Many anthropologists like Margaret Mead believed that the cultures of the world control these emotions. Paul Ekman on the contrary proved that facial expressions have natural origins therefore, they are universal. Surprise Something unexpected triggers this emotion; it is the shortest one and it takes two or three seconds. It could last if the surprises continue. It is not a surprise when you have time to think if you are surprised or not, because this emotion feels like an explosion. A surprised individual will raise the eyebrows so that the skin below will be more visible than usual. He will have wrinkles on his forehead; wrinkles that everyone shows except young children. The individual will also have the mouth opened; his lips will be smooth and relaxed. His mouth may be partly open or widely open it depends on how intense was the surprise. The raised eyebrows, the relaxed open mouth can occur in combination with other expressions like neutral face, but it will no longer signify surprise, but doubt, fascination, or an astonishing moment. Anger Anger is the most dangerous emotion of all. When you are angry you can say things or worse do things that later you will regret. When you are angry you are not yourself, your blood pressure increases, the veins on your neck and forehead become more visible, your muscles tense and you may move slightly toward the offender. This emotion may be developed step by step, from a simple irritation, to rage or fury, it can be accumulated or it may occur suddenly. Angers appearance can be determined when there are significant changes on the face. The angry person has his inner corners of the eyebrows lowered and drawn together. His eyelids are tense and his eyes look like he stares. The mouth has two basic types: The lip-pressed-against-lip mouth: it occurs when someone is starting some form of violence or when a person is trying to control his verbal anger; he presses the lips to prevent saying something unpleasant. The open-mouthed anger happens when someone is expressing anger or when this person yells during a speech. 2.4.3 Fear Fear is the innate emotion induced by a certain threat or sense of danger. We learn how to avoid the possibility of harm by analyzing what occurs around us. However we canà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t anticipate everything and even it can be prevented we still fear any events or ideas that seems dangerous. Fear is a sudden emotion just like surprise, you cant pause a moment to think if you are afraid or not, it occurs immediately something harms you and you are afraid. Unlike surprise fear is a terrible experience even a mild fear is unpleasant ant it is the most traumatic of all emotions. Another difference between fear and surprise consist of its duration. Fear if it is unexpected it can have short duration but it can also occur gradually, you can know very well the fear-inspiring event and still be afraid of it. During fear there are distinctive appearances in the three areas of the face. The eyebrows appear raised and straightened with the inner corners drawn together, there are also wrinkles but not on the entire forehead. When the brows are held in the fear position the meaning of the expression is either worry or controlled fear. Fear eyebrows are joined by fear eyes and fear mouth. Eyes during fear are tense, the upper eyelid is raised the lower eyelid is also tense. In both fear and surprise the upper eyelid is raised but these emotions differ in regard to the lower eyelid which in surprise is relaxed and in fear is tense and raised. In fear the mouth also may be opened the difference between surprise and fear are the lips in surprise they are relax, but in fear they are tense and also may be drawn back. 2.4.4 Disgust and Contempt Disgust is an emotion of aversion. There are many things that may cause this aversion, the taste of something that you dont like, the smell of it sometimes even the thought could cause disgust. Not only the tastes or the smell can bring someone disgust but also the actions and the appearance of another person. Some people feel disgust when looking a deformed or an ugly person. You may be disgusted by what a person does for example if that someone is torturing an animal. Even if the emotion of disgust is universal, the things that one person thinks disgusting are not universally. What in one culture is disgusting in another culture may seem attractive and the other way around. These kinds of things are not the exactly in the same culture or in the same family. A disgusted person has lowered eyebrows and raised cheeks. However, the important clues that show disgust happen in the nose and mouth area. The upper lip may be raised, and the nose has wrinkles. Disgust may range from a slight form of disgust to an extreme one. The difference between these forms is that in the slight type, the wrinkles on the nose and raised lip are less pronounced. A close form of disgust is the contempt facial expression. This emotion is triggered by other peoples actions not smells, food or touches. Contempts appearance consists of a closed mouth with corners a little bit raised, and lips pressing each other. 2.4.5 Happiness Happiness is a positive emotion that everyone wants to experience. We like when we are happy, it feels so good that we search it, and we try to build our lives around this emotion. Most of the people think that the signal of happiness is the smile. It is not quite true. Sometimes, behind a smile there is pain hiding or even fear. Smiling in these cases, you make the unpleasant situations more comfortable for you. Happiness intensity is determined by the position of the lip; this position is always accompanied by deepening the region between the lips and the nose also by more pronounced lines under the lower eyelid. The intensity of happiness varies from a simple smile to an abroad one from ear to ear. The extreme form of happiness is laughter with tears. 2.4.6 Sadness Sadness means suffering. People when are sad have a distinct way of showing it, they dont cry they dont yell they just suffer in silence. Anything can make a person sad but in the most of cases what triggers this feeling is the loss of somebody. Sadness appearance has distinctive clues in each area of the face. A sad person will lower his face; the inner corners his eyebrows are will be raised. The inner corner of the upper eyelid is drawn up, and the lower eyelid may appear raised. The corners of the lips are drawn down, or the lips appear to tremble. (Ekman and Friesen p121) All the emotions mentioned above can blend with each other creating more ways to express our feelings, to underline or punctuate something in a conversation. It is known that people learn to control their facial expressions and sometimes you can be misled. Gestures Hands arms and even legs can produce a variety of signals. These signals are used either to help you improve your interaction skills or to negotiate. As we grow up our signals become more subtle and less obvious and that is making them harder to read. There is a debate among the researchers wherever some gestures are genetic or they are learned. The conclusion they got is that gestures are learned and they are culturally determined. The open palm Hands have been an important tool in human evolution and it is believed that there are more connection between the brain and the hand than between the brain and any over part of the body. If you try to see if a person is honest or not, an important thing is to look at palm displays. The open palm was associated with truth and honesty throughout history. In ancient times open palms used to show that there are no weapons concealed and therefore there is no threat. Nowadays different kinds of oaths are taken in this way by placing the palm over the heart, in courts when somebody testifies the right palm is held up for the member of the court to see while in the left hand is the Bible. There are three main palm gestures: the submissive palm position, the palm is facing up and it is used as a non-threatening gesture if you ask something from a person he will not feel the pressure of the request like in a superior situation. You will gain authority if you turn the palm to face downwards, the person whom you addressed the request will feel it like an order. The third gesture and the most irritating is that in which the palm is closed into a fist except the pointed finger, with whom the speaker creates a negative effect on other people he beats them into submission. Rubbing the palms together This gesture is the way in which people communicate their positive expectations. Before the dice are threw the thrower rubs them between palms, it signals his positive expectation of wining. Also a positive expectation signals a waiter at the end of the evening when he is asking anything else, sir while rubbing his palms, this usually is the non-verbal sign of a tip. However when a person rubs his palms while he is expecting the bus in freezing winter it means that his hand are cold not that he is expecting the bus. It is all about the context in which these gestures are made. Hands clenched together. This gesture seems to be a confidence one because people are smiling and sound happy when using it. The research showed however that behind that smile the person is holding back a negative attitude and therefore it is a gesture of frustration. The person may hold his hands clenched in three main positions: hand clenched in front of the face, resting on the desk or on the lap when seated. Steepling hands All gestures come in groups that are called clusters. This gesture represents an exception. It can be used in isolation from other gestures by people who use minimal or restricted body language. When it used it signals confident attitude. The gesture has two versions: the raised steeple used when the steepler is doing the talking and the lowered steeple when he is listening. The Mouth Guard This is a gesture learned from childhood and it is as obvious as it was then. The hand covers the entire mouth and the thumb is presses the cheek. What is happening is that the brain automatically tries to block deceitful words. As we grow up we try to disguise it by giving a fake cough or to minimize this gesture, instead of hand slapping over the mouth the finger rub around it. Folded Arms Folded arm gesture stands for a barrier against threatening situations. When a person has a nervous, negative or defensive attitude, he will fold his arms firmly on his chest, a strong signal that he feels threatened. (Pease) The researchers have found that the person who folds his arms has not only a negative attitude toward the speaker but he also is paying less attention to what is being sad. Many people said that they fold their arms because it is cozy. Any gesture will feel comfortable when you have the corresponding attitude; that is if you have a negative, defensive or nervous attitude, the folded arms position will feel good. (Pease) Standard arm-cross gesture This is a gesture that signifies the same universally negative attitude that people have in public events, meetings where they are surrounded by strangers; they have their both arms folded across the chest, it feels like an attempt to block an unfavorable situation. Beside the negative attitude this gesture also means that the person who folds his arms may disagree with what the speaker says. To bring this person into a more open position you have to make him unfold his arms and reach forward. Sometimes this gesture comes in cluster with clenched fists, clenched teeth, it indicates a hostile attitude and it makes possible a verbal or even a physical attack. To make the arm barrier less obvious people disguise their arm-cross gestures. These people dont want for other to know their insecurity or nervousness so their instead of folding their arms or grasping the other arm they just touch some of their personal objects like; handbags, bracelets watches everything near the arm. The standard leg-cross position Arms are not the only body part that can be used to form a barrier between you and the world. In most of European countries in Australian and New Zeeland cultures the right leg is neatly crossed over the left one. It is a gesture that shouldnt be read out of context because people use it when they sit for a long time in uncomfortable chairs or when it is freezing outside. Leg-cross positions may indicate that a defensive attitude exists but not so negative and obvious like arm-crossed gesture. Used together these gestures indicate that the person is not paying attention that he is withdrawn from the conversation. The same meaning of negative attitude has the ankle lock gesture. This gesture is different in male and female version. In male version it appears together with clenched fists placed on the knees or with hands grasping the chairs arms. In womens case the knees are held together, the hands are resting side by side or one on the top of the other on the upper legs. When individuals start to feel comfortable in a certain group they start to open up through a set o movements. This set has five stages: Stage: the arms and legs are crossed in the defensive position. Stage: the feet are placed in a neutral position. Stage: the arm that is folded on top comes out and the palm is flashed during the conversation. Stage: arms unfold and they can be placed either in pockets or on the hips. Stage: the person is leaning forward to the speaker whom he finds interesting and not a stranger anymore. It is important to know that all kind of gestures or facial examples should be considered in the context that they occur, because it is really easy to misread a signal. If for example a man has a soft handshake you most likely will be tented to accuse him of having a weak character, not taking into consideration that he may be a surgeon or a musician and he has to be delicate with his hands in order to protect them.