The time machine ch9-12 summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The time machine ch9-12 summary - Essay Example He is convinced that people are kept smart and strong through variety of needs and dangers. The Time Traveler takes a nap and then he moves to open Sphinx and then he gets the Time machine. He finds the door open by the time he gets Sphinx and then he throws his club. (Wells 10) Time traveler decides to farther forward in time and he begins to start travelling first as the evening approaches. He stops on a beach as he watched the sea moving slowly. After standing for sometimes, he realizes that he is surrounded by crabs, though he manages to escape. (Wells 11) In a flash, Time Traveler sees someone named Hillyer, though it is not clear to him, but when he wakes up he realizes that it was a dream though the Time Machine was in a totally different place. In the house, the Time Traveler hears the guest eating. Everyone looking at the Time Machine is looking worn though they are consoled by the Time Machine. The narrator was suppose to narrate them a story but then he decides to disappear but by the time he comes up e finds the Time Machine and the Time Traveler are already gone. (Wells

Describe slavery in the US especial black women in bondage .use Essay

Describe slavery in the US especial black women in bondage .use annotated bliliography that include primary and secondary source - Essay Example Through the mid-19th century, westward expansion of America, beside with a rising abolition movement in North-America would arouse a long discussion over slavery that could have divided the nation during the American Civil War (1861-65). After the end of this bloody war, though the Union’s victory freed four million slaves of the nation, but the inheritance of slavery sustained to influence the history of America, from the chaotic years of Reconstruction (1865-77) to the movement of civil rights (1960s), that came out a century after the end of slavery. Slavery in America In beginning of the seventeenth century, European colonists of Jamestown Virginia, in North America were the first who turned towards African slaves. (Alexander, and Rucker  55-56) These slaves were considered as a cheaper, extra hard working alternative of indenture servants. ("Slavery and Indentured Servants:Law Library of Congress.") These indenture servants were mostly poorer Europeans. Twenty African m en and women were transported by a Dutch ship to a British colony, slavery stretch all over the American colonies. Although it is not possible to give exact number, it is estimated by some historians that around six to seven million slaves were transported to the New World during the eighteenth century alone, divesting the continent of Africa from large number of its healthy and able men and women. Both men and women slaves experienced an equally devastating time. Both were deprived from a family and land of origin. Together were forced to carry out tough labor, subjected to psychological and physical humiliation, and were also denied of their very basic rights. During slavery these men and women were beaten cruelly, divided from loved ones randomly, and despite of gender, treated as private property in the eyes of the law.   African Women Early on, females slave were available to buyers in the colonies for working on their fields. These female slaves were available lower prices. Actually, skillful labor, like carpentry and blacksmith, was allotted only to men slaves; that further reduced the number of black men available for agriculture work. As an outcome, men were outnumbered in the field by women slaves.   On farms having a small agricultural area, only women slaves were forced to perform labor equal to men slaves. On large farms, field and plantations, work was divided amongst both genders, while male groups were given physically tough tasks. Commonly, men were assigned plowing while women were given hoed task. Motherhood of Enslaved Women Major role of women in Africa was that of mother. While in slavery, this primary role of African womanhood was dishonored. Inside the plantation system of America in the 18th century, women slaves during their pregnancy were considered as an economical advantage for their masters as a number of labor pool are multiplied. (Gilchrist) While in Africa birth of a child brought in respect for these black women. The avera ge age of enslaved woman giving first birth was nineteen years old and afterward, used to give a new birth every two years. As this cycle was advocated by the master, was also benefiting the mother. During pregnancy, she was given more food and lower working hours. She was also no likely to be sold as tested fertility made her more precious for her master Harassing the Dignity of Black Women Black women slaves were expected to

The Electricity Company Of Ghana Action Plan Finance Essay

The Electricity Company Of Ghana Action Plan Finance Essay Electricity generation, transmission and distribution in Ghana mainly involve three institutions that work in an interrelated manner. Volta River Authority (VRA) generates the electric power through hydro and thermal plants and, until recently, also had responsibility for the high voltage transmission system. The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO), created as part of reforms in the power sector, now has responsibility for the high voltage transmission so as to have that separated from generation entities. It is the least known of the institutions. The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) distributes the energy produced to most consumers through low voltage transmission lines. It is the institution that is in direct contact with most of the public. Figure 1 below shows the main processes of the power distribution in Ghana. The ECG is a limited liability company owned solely by the Government of Ghana and has the responsibility of supplying and distributing electrical power in the southern part of Ghana. It was established in November 1997 as Joint Stock Company based on the companies code in accordance with the 1993 Corporate Act (Act 461) of Ghana. The company has its headquarters in Accra, a total workforce of 5,281 with a customer base of 1.7 million (ECG annual report 2008). Vision The ECGs vision is to be among the leading electricity distribution companies in Africa in terms of quality, safety and reliability. Mission Statement The mission statement of the company is to provide quality electricity services to support economic growth and development in Ghana. The primary objective of the company is to supply electrical energy to people in its areas of operation. In discharging its various duties, the company has executed a number of national electrification programmes on behalf of the government. The ECG is a monopoly in the electricity distribution sub sector of Ghana. The tariffs that clients pay for the supply of electricity services are regulated by the state owned company called Public Utility Regulatory Commission. The ECG charges commercial rates to its clients which are subsidized by government. Organizational structure The company is run by the Board of Directors, Principal Officers and Advisors. The companys Board of Directors are appointed by the Government of Ghana. The Principal Officers and Advisors control and run the eight directorates of the Company. These directorates are Engineering, Operations, Customer Services, Materials Transport, Finance, Audit, Legal Services and Human Resources. Figure 2 below depicts the organizational structure of the ECG. Fig.2: The Organizational Chart of ECG Board of Directors ManagingDirector rector Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (6) Director Legal Services Director Customer services Divisional Managers (3) Employees Employees Director Human Resource Director Customer services Director Material and Transport Director Material and Transport Director Audit Director Finance Director Engineering Director Operations Divisional Managers (6) Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (2) Divisional Managers (2) Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (3) Divisional Managers (5) Divisional Managers (3) Lower managemt Employees LOwer Managemt Employees Lower Managemt employees Employees Lower Managemt Employees Lower managemt Employees Lower managemt Employees Lower Managemt Employees Lower Managmt Employees Board of Directors The Board of Directors as at 29th June, 2009 was composed of the following persons: Ing.Sqn. Ldr. Clend Sowu (Rtd.): The chairman of the Board. He is a Consultant Engineer and a Retired Military Officer. Mr. Cephas Gakpo: The Managing Director of the company Mr. Bernard Allotey Jacobs: A Media Practitioner Barimah Kwame Nkyii XII: Omanhene Assin Aimanim Traditional Area, Tax Ecpert. Dr. Kwaku Osafo: Economist/Engineer Mr. Samuel M. Codjoe: Lawyer Mr. Anthony Gyampo: Educationist Mr. Kwabena Adjei: Businessman, Communication Professional Hon. Dr. Nii Oakley Quaye-Kumah: Member of Parliament for Krowor Constituency, Veterinary Surgeon Mr. Jake Kofi Anre: A Lawyer and Secretary to the Board Directorates of ECG The Engineering Directorate is responsible for the planning and designing of the distribution network. The directorate is also responsible for the procurement and implementation of investment projects. The Operations Directorate is responsible for delivering quality reliable and safe supply of electricity to customers, maintain the network regularly in order to reduce the number of interruptions and outages, respond quickly to faults and use modern technology to operate the distribution system; Materials Transport Directorate has responsibilities of managing all activities regarding materials received for projects and other ECG operations. In addition, the department has to manage all operations regarding Transport (Vehicles). Customer Services Directorate has responsibilities of gathering all information about Power Purchases, Power Sales, Average End-User-Tariff (EUT), System Losses, Revenue Collection, debtors position at the end of each year and customer population. Audit Directorate is responsible of operational, commercial and financial activities of ECG. With Technical Audits, physical inspections and reconciliation of materials usage are carried out. The directorate is also responsible of Audit investigations on fraud and corruption. Lastly, it support Management about operational activities and give directives to address them. Legal Services provides legal services to the ECG. The Director is the Secretary to the Board of Directors and maintains a Board Secretariat to provide secretarial services to the Board of Directors. He is involved in the prosecution of people involved in the illegal activities against the ECG to reduce system losses. Finance Directorate has responsibilities of analyzing and reviewing financial data, reporting financial performance, preparing budgets and monitoring expenditures and costs for the ECG as a whole. Human Resources Management Directorate has responsibilities in the following areas: Staffing (Employment and Recruitment, Personnel records, Compensation); Training and Development and Industrial Relations (Health and Safety). The ECG is a Strategic Enterprise in the sense that it is the only electricity distribution company that supplies electricity to the whole of Ghana. Secondly it offers employment to over 5,000 Ghanaians, making it the largest employer in Ghana. SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS The analysis of the performance of ECG as described below is based on available information up to year 2008. The Impact of Global and National Forces on ECGs Operations The worldwide economic recession (Credit Crunch) affected both the economy of Ghana and ECGs operations. The year saw rapid hikes in crude oil and metal prices which resulted in the high cost of power generation from thermal sources and sharp increases in the cost of materials and equipment required for capital investment projects. The Ghana Cedi also depreciated against the major world trading currencies especially the US Dollar, the Euro, and the British Pound. Since most of the inputs for ECGs capital investment projects were imported, prices consequently increased relative to energy sales which were generally denominated in the Ghana Cedi. The cost of investment projects therefore increased from 12% to about 20%. The U.S dollar for instance appreciated in value against the Ghana Cedi from a rate of $1: GHÂ ¢0.92 in July 2007 to $1: GHÂ ¢1.49 in June 2009Â  [1]Â   The inflation rate in Ghana also contributed to the high cost of operations and subsequently affected the companys profitability. The inflation rate has increased over the period from an average of 10.73% in 2007, 16.46% in 2008 to 19.86% in 2009. This resulted in increases in labor cost and other local raw material inputs. Details of the inflation rate is attached as appendix 1 Financial, Operations and Human Resources Performance Profit and Loss The ECG has made an operating profit of GHÂ ¢25,089,202 in 2008. Prior to this year, the company had been making losses. In 2006 and 2007 for example, the net operating losses were (GHÂ ¢3,429,300) and (GHÂ ¢8,657,716) respectively. Current Assets The stocks level at year 2008 was GHÂ ¢135,851,792. This was an increase of 99.8% over year 2007 figure. The Accounts Receivables also increased by 50.5% to GHÂ ¢258,033,418 in 2008. The table below depicts the status of the Current Assets of the company over the three year period from 2006 to 2008. Current Assets 2008 GHÂ ¢ %age change 2007 GHÂ ¢ %age change 2006 GHÂ ¢ Stocks 135,851,792 99.8 67,999,841 39.3 48,800,300 Debtors 258,033,418 50.5 171,411,587 16.2 147,503,100 Prepayment 8,323,294 184.6 2,924,574 48.4 5,665,800 Short Term Investment 16,358,519 108.5 7,845,126 12.0 7,002,600 Cash and Cash Balances 49,473,765 42.6 34,690,929 16.4 29,796,100 468,040,788 64.3 284,872,057 19.3 238,767,900 The increases in the stocks and debtors depict a weak inventory management and credit policy of the company. Debtor/Sales Ratio The Debtor/Sales ratio which is an expression of customer debt in days of billing was 130 days in 2008. It deteriorated from 138 days in 2006 to 162 days in 2007 representing a decrease of 17.4%. Although there was an improvement from 162 days in 2007 to 130 in 2008, the figure is still too high. Loans and Suppliers Credit The ECG through the Government of Ghana has secured the following loans and credit from the World Bank and other suppliers for investments in its distribution network. This has increased the companys debt situation tremendously. DSUP $15m financed by IDA, ECG (2003-2007) GEDAPÂ   $94.5m financed by IDA and partners, AfDB, ECG, (2008-2012) GEDAP Extension $70m for Ashanti Region, financed by IDA (2010-2014) French credit Euro 65m for Tema and Kumas. Financing from the french govt. (2008-2012) Norwegian credit Euro 60m for Greater Accra and Eastern regions. Financing from the Norwegian govt. (2008-2012) El Sewedy credit 16.5m from El Sewedy TD (2010-2011) As at December 2008, an amount of GHÂ ¢171.92 million was outstanding in suppliers credit. Systems Losses System loss is a power loss in its course from the source to end users. In 2007 the systems loss was 24.03%. This increased to 25.58% in 2008 as result of poor transmitting system and also theft through illegal connections. The ECGs performance in this area is declining and this is adding onto the cost of operations of the company. The table below shows the trend of the systems losses over a three year period from 2006 to 2008. System losses units (GWh) Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total Purchases 5045.4 5252.8 5145.6 5799.4 Total sales 3762.0 3978.4 3909.1 4315.8 System losses in % 24.26 24.03 25.58 Human Resources Capacity ECGs staff strength at the end of the year 2008 was 5,281. This was an increase of 6.07% over year 2007 figure of 4,929. Staff turnover over the year period is showed in the table below. Employee turnover Year 2006 2007 2008 Employee turnover 3.02% 3.27% 3.53% The percentage of employee turnover increased from 3.27% in 2007 to 3.53% in 2008. The reasons assigned for this increase upon our investigation are lack of motivation and incentives to the employees. Evaluation of ECG This section of the Plan tries to come out with a range of expected fair market values for ECG incase the government find it necessary to privatize it. The main purpose of this evaluation is to give all stakeholders especially government and management of the company a fair market range of values within which the ECG can be sold. ECG, as already mentioned above is a public monopolist and as such not listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). As a result of this, the market Comparison Method of evaluation can not be used. The only feasible formulas to use would be the Asset Appraisal Method and the Discounted Cash Flow Method. Asset Appraisal Method This method involves revising all the asset and liabilities of the company including Goodwill. Using the 2008 audited financial report of the company, we can easily get the values of the asset and liabilities of the company at Net Book Values (NBV) and not the Revised Values. Since we are not in a position to revalue the companys assets and liabilities we are solely relying on the NBV of these assets and liabilities. The NBV of assets and liabilities for the 2008 financial year were given as follow: 2008 GHÂ ¢ Current Assets 468,040,788 Fixed Assets Plant, Property and Equipment 1,171,197,452 Goodwill 2,021,653,890 Total Asset 5,008,661,390 Less Current Liabilities (259,567,145) Value ECG 3,401,324,985 Calculating the value of Good Goodwill is calculated based on the Supper Profit Method. This involves determining a value for the expected future profit of the company. Here, some past profit of the collected based on the 2008 report and an average is taken. We then make adjustments to reflect future profits. Thus, expected future expenses and income are adjusted. Years Net profit/Loss GHÂ ¢ 1999 17365,259 2000 (7,583,807) 2001 152,973,046 2002 (451,974) 2003 (483,609) 2004 (269,686) 2005 (305,425) 2006 (475,200) 2007 (48,836,581) 2008 11,598,017 Total 123,530,040 Average profit for the 10 years = Expected Future Operating Expenses Looking at the operating expenses of the company over the years, the average expenses over the years is around GHÂ ¢6,574,530. Since expenses are expected to increase over the coming years, a 10% adjustment is made to reflect future changes. This 10% was chosen based on the increasing trend of operating expenses from 1999 to 2008. This brings the total future expected operating expenses to (GHÂ ¢6574530 +GHÂ ¢657453) GHÂ ¢7,231,983. Expected Future Income Again, looking at the operating income over the years, the average income for the 10 years is GHÂ ¢54,145,602. Since the expected income are expected to increase as a result of the stabilization of the Ghanaian Cedi against major foreign currencies, stable world price of crude oil, materials, and of course the discovery of crude oil in Ghana. Taking all these factors into consideration, a 15% adjustment is made to reflect these changes. Therefore the future operating income is (GHÂ ¢54,145,602 + 8,121,840) GHÂ ¢62,267,442 GHÂ ¢ The number of years of purchase which depends on the bargaining powers of both the government who is the owner of ECG and the would-be private investor on the reputation of the company. ECG, as earlier discussed, serves both the Ghanaian Economy and other two countries in West Africa (Togo Benin). It also has the potential to expend to other countries as a result of the discovery of crude oil in Ghana. With all the above reputations and potentials, we have decided to fix the number of years of purchase at 30 years. The Goodwill for the company would be Limitation of this method The value of the fixed assets used in the valuation might have some composition of non-productive assets and therefore would affect the fair market value of the company. Discounted Cash Flow Method This method takes into consideration the time value of money. Thus, discounted cash streams of future cash flow. Here, the first thing we do is to forecast the future cash flow by making adjustments to 2008 cash flow of the company. From the cash flow statement (2008), the net cash flow was GHÂ ¢15,819,658. Since cash inflows are expected to increase over the next few years due to expansion and reduction in operating expenses, an upward adjustment of 15% is made to the net cash flow for the next five (5) years. Thus, from 2008 up to 2013. Expected net cash flow from 2013 upwards can not be forecasted due to uncertainty. Discount Rate The company is at the moment using a discount rate of 10%. Due to the possibility of inflation and exchange rate fluctuations, have decided to fix the discount rate between 12% 15%. According to the discounted cash flow method: FMV = Present value of cash flow up to the terminal year + Present value of terminal value. Year Expected Net Cash Flow GHÂ ¢ 2009 18192607 2010 20921498 2011 24059722 2012 27668681 2013 31818983 Using the NPV formula which is given as: NPV =, we can now calculate NPV at both rates of discount (12% and 15%). NPV @ 12% = But Terminal = NPV = NPV (12%) = GHÂ ¢2,200,234,081 NPV @ 15% = But terminal value = NPV = GHÂ ¢1,708,064,531 Interpretations Since the Asset Appraisal Method gave us the highest value of GHÂ ¢3,401,324,985 it would be considered. We are therefore concentrating on the Discounted Cash Flow Method range of values to determine the value of the company. This therefore means that the value of ECG, must be in the range of GHÂ ¢1,708,064,531 and GHÂ ¢2,200,234,081. SWOT ANALYSIS The investigations conducted on the ECG revealed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as summarized in the table below. STRENGTH Competent Work Force High level of technical expertise Government Support A monopolist (large customer base) Facilities (i.e. warehouse) Availability of donor funds Installation of prepayment meters Customer Call Center Vast Distribution network system Low cost of production as compared to countries in the sub region Availability of electrical fault detection technology WEAKNESSES High turnover of professional and technical staff Uncompetitive conditions of services Lack of rule enforcement Poor Communication Lack of team work Not clear defined job descriptions Talents in the company not used to the best advantage No effective Research and Development (RD) Weak Inventory Management High network distribution losses Mismanagement of resources OPPORTUNITIES Potential to expand (nationwide and other countries) Potential of quality power delivery Political and Economic stability Staff training and development West Africa Gas Pipeline Oil discovery on the coast of Ghana THREATS Government Interferences Government determination of Tariffs Fluctuations in the exchange rates Effects of inflation Natural Disasters (i.e. rain storms) Increasing World prices of metals, materials and equipment WEAKNESSES OF THE THREE MAIN DEPARTMENTS THAT NEEDS TO BE RESTRUCTURING BASED ON OUR ANALYSIS MATERIALS AND TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT Weak Inventory Management Unstructured Procurement Unit Increases in the world prices of metals, materials and equipment Mismanagement of Company resources Effects of inflation on local procurement Fluctuation in the exchange rate OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT No effective research and development High network distribution losses Unreliable and low quality of power supply Inadequate training and development of operations staff Inadequate staff HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT High turnover of staff Talents in the Company not being used to the best advantage Poor Communication Lack of team work Uncompetitive conditions of service Lack of rule enforcement No well defined job description Excess labor force STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES AND RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES Based on the SWOT analysis, the following strategic alternatives are recommended to bring about turnaround for the Material and Transport Directorates; Human Resource Directorate and the Operations Directorate. MATERIAL AND TRANSPORT DIRECTORATE Assets Reduction Strategies: Divesting Specific Assets Assets that are in surplus with respect to the future requirements of the company should be sold off. Unproductive and obsolete assets such as transformers, power cables, electric conductors and meters should be sold. Reducing Inventory Material costs should be reduced through improved buying practices, better utilization of materials and efficient inventory management. Inventory of the company such as transformers, meters, cables, conductors and wooden poles should be managed based on Vital Few Trivial Many Principle. This will help the company to avoid holding too much inventory, which is cost to the company and also prevent the company from holding too little inventory which can make the company loose customers. Not only that but also, the reorder level should be fixed between the maximum order level and the minimum order level to prevent the inventory from reaching the danger level. Reducing Debtors (Accounts Receivables) There should be a credit policy to help in the effective administration of the debtors. Customers credit worthiness should be well determined. Debts should be collected within 30 days. There should also be a debt recovery plan. Reducing Cost The Company should adopt Total Cost Management (TCM) control strategy as a way of reducing cost. There should be intelligent optimization and not just cost cutting in the areas of direct costs; overheads; procurement costs; production costs; selling and distribution costs; inventory costs; personnel costs. There should be speedy execution of contract bids and procurement processes to avoid additional costs being incurred as a result of lapse of deadlines. The introduction of e-Procurement should also be used to facilitate the procurement process. The company should also enter into forward contracts to reduce costs. Debt Restructuring Arrangements should be made for third party (government) to service the debt on behalf of the enterprise. There should be selective sale of assets and the revenue that would be realized from the sale of these assets should be used to offset the debt owed to suppliers. Legal Restructuring Specific legal steps should be taken to privatize the company. HUMAN RESORCE MANAGEMENT DIRECTORATE Organisational Restructuring There should be a merger of the engineering and operations directorates to ensure harmonization of action plans towards the achievement of corporate objectives. Information technology should also be used to make the hierarchical organizational structure flat. A strategic planning unit should be created and headed by a corporate strategist to lead the process of strategically positioning the company towards the achievement of the companys goal. There should be appropriate job descriptions, specifications and schedules matching with the qualifications, experiences and skills of employees so to get the best performance out of them. Furthermore, training and development should be a routine exercise for the company. Rules and regulations should be explicit, easily accessible and discipline enforced to ensure compliance with set standards. Labour Redundancy Management should develop a Redundancy Implementation Plan considering the economic climate and political mood of the country, since the implementation of the redundancy plan could be a complex and time consuming process. Staff Performance Appraisals methods such as the Balanced Scorecards should be used to identify and declare non performing staff redundant. Compensation packages should be prepared for such redundant staff, and contingency plans made for unforeseen circumstances in the event of strikes. OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE Physical Restructuring It is recommended that this Directorate should be merged with the Engineering Directorate to bring about efficiency and effectiveness. The size of budget for Research and Development should be increased. Investments in distribution networks should be increased to improve quality and reduce losses of electric power. There is also the need to improve upon the monitoring of customers consumptions to be able to detect theft of electric power. The technical staff strength should also be augmented and given the appropriate technical know-how so to be able to cope with the growing demands of the proposed merger of the Operations and Engineering Directorates. Safety equipment should be made available for the staff to use in protecting themselves in order to reduce the rate of accidents. Proposed Timeline for implementation of Turnaround strategiess TURNAROUND STRATEGIES 2010 2011 2012 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Discussions with Management Assets Reduction Reducing Cost Debt Restructuring Legal Restructuring Organisational Restructuring Labour Redundancy Physical Restructuring Conclusion ECG plays a vital role in the socio- economic development of Ghana and there is no doubt that any Turnaround would yield enormous benefits to the Ghanaian economy. Hence, for the above recommended strategies to bring about any meaningful Turnaround, it calls for commitment and support of management of ECG and the government of Ghana. Not only that but also, for efficient and effective implementation of the strategies, there is the need for expert knowledge and advice. It is therefore hoped that the necessary support will be given for the desired results to be realized in ECG. Privatization Option The public sector in Ghana has suffered setbacks which are largely attributed to ineffective and in efficient management. When we consider the case of Ghana Electricity Company, noticing the trend of losses of the company over time and the failure to meet the objectives or purpose of its formation, in view ,it is suggested that it would be better for the ECG to involve expatriates into their operations, this can be done by private sale of there shares to the foreign multinationals who have got the technical and financial knowhow and experience in the distribution of energy to buy into the private share of the organization ,Government should endeavor to have multinational partnership in the operation of the privatization by giving them of shares in the enterprises. There is need for good follow up on privatized enterprises. This would make the organization to be more effective and efficient in their operation. The federal Government should encourage this multinational to participation in the distribution of power in Ghana. This would be done by establishing a power sector reforms which will allow the involvement of foreign multinationals expatriates in the distribution of power. These reforms would include the provision the necessary Infrastructures which would enable the reduction in establishment costs, rationalization of power tariff, mobilization of private capital for power generation and transmission and lower capital-power generation ratio. In order to achieve these goals, distribution companies. A State Electricity Regulatory Commission would also be also set up to monitor the operation of the company. The desire to involve the private sector in the management and provision of infrastructure and services which will prompt multinational company to buy private share of the organization. . Private placement occurs when a company makes an offering of securities not to the public, but directly to an individual or a small group of investors. Such offerings do not need to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and are exempt from the usual reporting requirements. Private placements are generally considered a cost-effective way for small businesses to raise capital without going public through an initial public offering (IPO) The ECG should sale 49 of its shares to a multinational partner would be able to participate in the core business of energy distribution in Ghana. Also the Government should provide

Mark Twain: Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: English Literature

Mark Twain: Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn There are many wonderful books written by great authors. However the writer who inspired me the most is the one and only Mark Twain. I was impressed by his books since I was a child. The two novels which I enjoyed were two of his most famous works, Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. These books are considered to be masterpieces by a lot of people. Samuel Clemens, better known by his pseudonym Mark Twain, was born in Florida, Missouri, in 1835. When Samuel Clemens was twelve years old, his father died. After his father’s death Clemens went to become a printer’s apprentice. His childhood dream was to become a steamboat salesman, and ride along the river down the stream. He had this goal achieved early in life until the Civil War came along putting him out of business. The Civil War forced Clemens out west in search of gold but ended up becoming a reporter for the Virginia City newspaper. While Twain was traveling the nation with his lectures he met his future wife Olivia. While trying to earn Olivia’s love, Twain wrote over two-hundred love letters, trying to earn her fathers respect and have permission to marry her. He then after this wrote his very first best seller which was called â€Å" Innocence Abroad†. Through many writers Twain was slowly becoming the United States first celebrity. He was selling his name, Twain became spokespersons for all different types of products, putting his face on to anything which companies thought would help sell there products. While Twain was away from the public life, he was able to create two very well known classics: Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. However at one point in time, Twain experience financial problems and had to declare bankruptcy. His next money making idea was to travel the world and make money by giving lectures. He became very famous from this. During this trip however his wife became very sick and died along with one of his daughters. When he returned home he was very lonely, and his life changed a lot. At the time Mark Twain was the most influential person in the country. This man who started out as a printers apprentice and a steamboat salesman was able to become the most well known person. Twain died in 1910 and still until now he is very respected and a well known writer. When I was a little girl I loved to read Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I remember reading it at my grandmother’s garden

Financial Management Essay

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The Correlation Between Personal Responsibility and College Success

The correlation between personal responsibility and college success Roland Miner GEN/200 November 30, 2012 Sara Martin The correlation between personal responsibility and college success Even though some may say there is no direct correlation between personal responsibility and college success, the relationship with how responsible you are and how that affects your college success becomes evident with higher Grade Point Averages and overall pride in your work. With these tools, high GPA, intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy, you receive during your college years there is evidence of achieving greater success after graduation.Another vital tool that will be explored, that is not being taught but comes naturally to some students, is emotional intelligence or common sense. The relationship between how responsible you are and your college success is apparent in many ways. A good strategy is to follow the syllabus and set up a game plan or schedule. Following an agenda will help you sp read out your work load over the week, it will show that you are on the right track and is a great indicator of how responsible you are.One of the worst traits that many people possess is procrastination. According to â€Å"California Polytechnic State University, Cal Poly Academic Skill Center† (n. d. ) â€Å"The procrastinator is often remarkably optimistic about his ability to complete a task on a tight deadline; this is usually accompanied by expressions of reassurance that everything is under control. (Therefore there is no need to start. )† â€Å"At some point, he crosses over an imaginary starting time and suddenly realizes, â€Å"Oh no! – I am not in control! There isn’t enough time! (Characteristics) The University states, later in their paper, the benefits of overcoming procrastination â€Å"Peace of mind, a feeling of strength and purpose, and healthy feeling of being in charge of your life. While procrastination makes you feel week, useless , and helpless, taking charge of your life will make you feel strong, competent, and capable. You will experience increased personal freedom! † (Benefits of overcoming procrastination) A responsible person will not wait until the day the paper is due to write it. The final day should be set up for proof eading and any last minute tweaks. As any responsible person will tell you, following a schedule and turning your work in on time and producing higher grades will bring you an overabundance of self-pride other wise know as intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy. Spitzer found that (2000) â€Å"Academic self-efficacy is one’s confidence to succeed at the academic tasks rather than one’s actual ability. Students with high self-efficacy show greater cognitive effort, intrinsic motivation, persistence, and self regulation in their academic performance. The pride you feel knowing that you did the best job you could in the time you were allotted. This very same drive to internal satisfaction that will continue not just throughout your college years but will stay with you in all that you do. Intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy are not the only rewards you will gain. By taking your time and producing outstanding work you will see a substantial increase in your Grade Point Average which is also your defining mark of greatness in college and beyond. â€Å"All college students share at least two goals during their college career.First, they must perform academically, usually measured by GPA (grade point average). Second, they must progress in career development. † (Spitzer, 2000) Your GPA will stay with you throughout your college career and is important to keep track of and strive for higher marks. It is after you graduate that your higher achievements will continue to count. Many employers will take you GPA into consideration when looking for new employees. The job you are applying for may come down to you and one other person and somethi ng like a GPA could loose you that career.It will help distinguish you from others applying for positions that you desire. Your high Grade Point Average will set you apart from mediocrity. A final important asset to consider is emotional intelligence. According to a study conducted by Sparkman, Maulding, and Roberts (2012) â€Å"Emotional Intelligence is the set of skills that a Pearson needs to function effectively in the world and what might be referred to as â€Å"common sense† (p. 644). Their study with EI, although very new and controversial, points to ow well an individual will â€Å"handle frustration, control emotions, and get along with other people† (p. 644). There is a wildly popular television show that is currently broadcasting which shows a group of twenty to thirty something year old nerds trying to function in the typical day to day environment. They are depicted in what we would call normal day to day functions and interactions and shown how even thou gh they are the Einstein’s of our time they fail miserable on a social level. One of the nerds in particular lacks the emotional intelligence to even function with his own fellow intellectuals.Studying this comedic group flounder their way through life is a perfect, all be it extreme, example of Sparkman, Maulding, and Roberts points on how important common sense is a must to function in today’s society. They even go so far as to suggest that â€Å"Universities wishing to increase student retention and graduation should use these scores to develop curriculum and extracurricular activities to encourage student growth in emotional intelligence which will specifically help students and institutions alike reach their educational goals† (p. 50). To be a successful student there are many tools for you to use, intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, GPA, and even emotional intelligence, just to name a few. Each student will have to find what tool it will take to enhance t heir achievements. There are those they may disagree, they may say that being responsible has no correlation to a successful college education. They may even say that your Grade Point Average has no impact on landing a stable career.Zupek (2008) â€Å"While grades and GPA play a small role in the job-search process, the good news is that chances are, your GPA is not going to make or break you when it comes to getting a job† (what matters the most? ). With this economy and in these times why run that risk? Why would you not want to give your all? With a higher Grade Point Averages and a greater sense of self-pride there is no end to what you can accomplish. References California Polytechnic State University, Cal Poly Academic Skills Center. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://sas. calpoly. edu/asc/ssl/procrastination. html Sparkman, L.A. , Maulding, W. S. , & Roberts, J. G. (2012). Non-cognitive predictors of student success in college. College Student Journal, 46(3), 642-652. Ret rieved from University of Phoenix Online Library Spitzer, T. M. (2000). Predictors of college success: a comparison of traditional and nontraditional age students. NASPA Journal (National Association Of Student Personnel Administrators, Inc. ), 38(1), 82-99. Zupek, R. (2008) Does your gpa matter to employers? Retrieved from http://msn. careerbuilder. com/Article/MSN-1577-College-Internships-First-Jobs-Does-Your-GPA-Matter-to-Employers/

Free Essays on CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Civil rights and civil liberties are two common statements that sometimes are used inadvertently with one another. The two statements do coincide with each other, but mean different things. Civil rights â€Å"are the rights belonging to an individual by virtue of citizenship, especially the fundamental freedoms and privileged guaranteed by the 13th and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution and by subsequent acts of Congress, including civil liberties, due process, equal protection of the laws, and freedom from discrimination† (American Heritage). The 14th amendment states that â€Å"no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens†¦ No State shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law† (Articles-website). Civil liberties on the other hand are â€Å"fundamental individual rights such as freedom of speech and religion protected by law against unwarranted governmental or other interference† (American Heritage). Civil rights and civil liberties may seem like the same exact thing but when you break them down, the difference between the two is clear. Civil rights are the rights that are given to U.S. citizens that make ‘everyone created equal.’ Civil rights have to do with slavery, racial discrimination, women’s equal rights, gender-based discrimination, equal protection, affirmative action, and the rights of gay males and lesbians, as well as many more. Civil liberties are the protected laws given to everyone – even people that are not citizens – who is in the United States such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, as well as the other rights stated in the 1st amendment. The focal point of this paper will be on racial discrimination; specifically to Arab-Americans since the tragedy of September 11, 2001. One year ago, our nation was faced with one of its biggest chall... Free Essays on CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES Free Essays on CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Civil rights and civil liberties are two common statements that sometimes are used inadvertently with one another. The two statements do coincide with each other, but mean different things. Civil rights â€Å"are the rights belonging to an individual by virtue of citizenship, especially the fundamental freedoms and privileged guaranteed by the 13th and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution and by subsequent acts of Congress, including civil liberties, due process, equal protection of the laws, and freedom from discrimination† (American Heritage). The 14th amendment states that â€Å"no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens†¦ No State shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law† (Articles-website). Civil liberties on the other hand are â€Å"fundamental individual rights such as freedom of speech and religion protected by law against unwarranted governmental or other interference† (American Heritage). Civil rights and civil liberties may seem like the same exact thing but when you break them down, the difference between the two is clear. Civil rights are the rights that are given to U.S. citizens that make ‘everyone created equal.’ Civil rights have to do with slavery, racial discrimination, women’s equal rights, gender-based discrimination, equal protection, affirmative action, and the rights of gay males and lesbians, as well as many more. Civil liberties are the protected laws given to everyone – even people that are not citizens – who is in the United States such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, as well as the other rights stated in the 1st amendment. The focal point of this paper will be on racial discrimination; specifically to Arab-Americans since the tragedy of September 11, 2001. One year ago, our nation was faced with one of its biggest chall...

Special K Case Essays

Special K Case Essays Special K Case Paper Special K Case Paper Kellogg is a U. S. company, which offers the Special k cereal and accompanying products (cereals in different flavors as well as granola bars and protein shakes) that are healthier options for people who are aware of their diet and want a better lifestyle. Kellogg expands the market by targeting women who skip breakfast to stay slim. The marketing strategy helps to position the brand as a healthy alternative. The commercials we chose offer a weight management plan designed to lose weight in 2 weeks by consuming Special K products. The commercials chosen are both from the same campaign and the same year- 2009. In this report we have taken into consideration different international advertising factors to show Kellogg’s international advertising strategy. In this report we used several factors of international ad models to determine that Kellogg uses a hybrid international marketing strategy. Hybrid Advertising Strategy see table 1 Based on the environmental analysis below, we concluded that Kellogg’s uses a hybrid strategy known as pattern advertising (1). We considered these environmental factors: Political and legal: Kellogg uses a global approach because both countries have similar advertising regulations; therefore, there is no need for diversification. Economic: Kellogg’s uses a global approach because both ads target the same market consisting of middle and upper class working women who have a similar income, age, and knowledge of healthy lifestyle. Sociocultural: Kellogg’s uses a local approach because in the American advertisement the idea of time and logic is very important. In contrast, in the Mexican advertisement Kellogg appeals to emotions and the idea of personal satisfaction. Technological: Kellogg’s uses a global approach because they are aware that their target markets, who are middle to upper class working women, have the technology (television, internet) to see the commercials. Creative Execution see table 1 Creative execution, or the manner in which ads are carried out and presented, is different for U. S. and Mexican ads. The impact of the message depends not only on what is said but also on how it is said in these ads (2). Messages are presented in a mix of different execution styles: Straight sell: is presented in both ads. Here, the straight sell relies on the specific benefits/attributes of the product-the target audience can lose 3 kilos in 2 weeks (Mexico)/6 lbs in 2 weeks (U. S. ) with the help of Special K products. Both ads show that by buying Special K products, the target audience will enjoy the reward of weight loss. Rational vs. emotional argument: the rational argument, or the supporting claim, is presented in the U. S. ad by stating that loosing weight will lead to the â€Å"healthier new you. This is because in the U. S. the rational argument appeals to the monochromatic culture with low power distance like U. S. On the other hand, the emotional appeal is demonstrated in the Mexican ad when it shows the woman feeling great about herself. The emotional appeals to collectivistic cultures with high power distance like Mexico. Demonstration: the actual use is seen only in the Mexican ad bec ause Mexico is a collectivistic culture heavily relying on the opinion of family, friends, etc. so therefore the target audience is able to connect with the woman eating and enjoying the Special K cereals. High-context cultures, like Mexico, are relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. Therefore, women in Mexico need to relate to the everyday situation when using Special K products. Americans rely on reason and individualism and therefore they don’t have the need to connect with the woman in the ad. Slice of life: both ads portray a real-life situation involving a problem-not being able to fit into jeans- and then both ads focus on how to resolve the problem by eating Special K, losing weight, and finally fitting into those jeans again. The slice of life is effective for everyday products such as cereals that consumers feel good about if they see real people buy and use them. Dramatization: it is used in the Mexican ad where there is a scenario in the form of a story- bad shopping experience and not being able to fit in your regular size-and the problem solution-eating special K products and losing weight. The reason for dramatization is that Mexico uses emotional/dramatic appeal in the advertising. On the other hand, U. S. commercials rely on the rational/lecture appeal. Also, Mexico is a high context culture meaning that they use more dramatizations in commercials while they do not have to use many words to explain the situation. In contrast, U. S. is a low context culture, so ads are based on words and explanations. Personality symbol: there is a central character (woman) that the audience can identify with in both ads. Special K is positioned as a cereal for adults, targeted to women and their ongoing concern with losing weight that is heavily influenced by popular culture in both Mexico and U. S. Humor: humor is used in Mexican ad when the woman tries to fit into jeans in the dressing room while her husband waits, and then she dances around when she is finally able to fit her jeans. The commercial is targeted to women, who can relate to main character because they think about the times when they tried to fit into jeans in the dressing room, and therefore they get the joke. As stated previously, the Mexican ad is appealing to women’s emotio ns and this is accomplished with the help of humor. Lifestyle: how well a product fits in consumer’s lifestyle is presented in both ads. Both ads show how easy it is to integrate Special K products into their lifestyle and lose weight. Special K ads are targeted towards working, middle class women, who do not have time to prepare difficult healthy meals, and therefore they can grab Special K cereal in the morning and pack healthy snacks for the whole day without any special, lengthy preparation. Advertising appeal see table 1 Both advertisements have an emotional appeal to their consumers, but the appeals are presented in different manners (1). Both advertisements present the issue of weight loss and women struggling to fit into their clothes. The American advertisement shows a woman trying on her jeans next to a dryer giving the impression that because she put her jeans in the dryer and they shrunk and won’t fit. Then it presents a clock, which indicates that it’s time to lose weight. Americans are very concerned with time, and the idea of losing 6 pounds or a jean size in 2 weeks can be very appealing to the American woman. In the Mexican advertisement, the advertisement involves the sense of personal satisfaction. A woman can be seen in a dressing room trying on many different garments that don’t fit her correctly while outside the dressing room a man is waiting impatiently for her. The commercial explains that no matter what, women will always have a reason to take their time. The advertisement encourages them to accept the challenge and gives them a chance to be able to win a full day of shopping. The commercial also says they can debut a new figure in new clothes. The Mexican advertisement not only has to appeal to the fact that women will lose 3 kilos in 2 weeks, but they can also win new clothes. Message see table 1 The American Special K advertisement claims that you will lose 6 pounds in 2 weeks if you take the Special K Challenge. The Special K Challenge requires you to eat their cereal and other snacks and follow the diet plan they give you. If you do this, you will lose weight. They claim that if you lose this weight, your clothes will fit you better and you will be much healthier. The Mexican Special K advertisement claims that if you use the Special K Program, you will lose 3 kilos in 2 weeks. If you use this program to lose weight, you will look better in your clothes. Also, if you buy Special K products, you will have a chance to win a new wardrobe that will flatter your new figure. Copy/ copywriters see table 1 Both ads use copywriters to communicate what the product is intended for and what it is supposed to do. In the American advertisements, they advertise the Special K challenge while in the Mexican ad they advertise the Special K program (programa de special K). Both ads in different words refer to the same thing, but are not copied from English to Spanish. Also, the slogan of the Mexican add is †because you can† (porque tu puedes) while the one in America is â€Å"It’s never too late to start a healthier new you† they both appeal to a slimmer healthier life, but again are interpreted and not presented with the exact translation. Neither of the ads present slang terms, but the American ad does present the term â€Å"wake up call† which for American means the time to change something, but in the Mexican society such idiom does not mean anything. Target market appeal see table 1 Number of people in ad: The Mexican ad reflects the collectivist culture by having many people in it. It is very busy, with many people in line and husbands waiting for their wives. The American ad, on the other hand, shows only one person, therefore appealing to the individualistic aspect of American culture. Masculine values: Both countries have a masculine culture, but the difference is that the Mexican ad reflects on the compet itive aspect, and the American ad reflects on the individual achievement aspect. Risk: Mexico is much more risk averse than the United States, so the Mexican ad backs the product with a promise of winning a shopping spree. The American ad just states that you can lose weight, therefore making you take the risk of purchasing the product for a vague reason. US product: Mexico has an overall positive attitude towards the United States, and therefore like American products. Therefore, The Special K brand is portrayed very similar in both advertisements. Availability of time: The product is a convenient and quick meal, so it appeals to people that are in a hurry. The product is portrayed in a similar manner in both advertisements. Independence of media from government control: Both countries have limited government control of broadcast television, so the company is able to freely express themselves in the ads, taking into account cultural factors. Relative importance of visual versus verbal in a message: Both cultures rely on visuals to portray a message and appeal to people. The ads both use imagery (i. e. more red in the Mexican commercial, minimalism in American) to appeal to the target market. The American ad, however, relies on verbal delivery to get the message to the viewers. Importance of self-service retailing: In both cultures self service retailing plays an important role for the deliverance of products to the population. Both ads expect the customer to purchase the product at their local grocery store. Development and acceptance of international trademark or trade name: Red, which is used for the theme color of Special K, is important in Mexican culture. The Mexican commercial underlines the red color, using it more than the American ad. Also, Special K does not mean anything bad in Mexico, so the name is acceptable. Applicability of products’ theme or slogan to other markets: Both slogans are different, but they imply the same thing. Both slogans are geared to appeal to the culture. Global media decisions see table 1 Both ads are television ads that implement sight, sound, motion, and color. Television advertising is intrusive in nature meaning that the viewer doesnt have to be actively involved to receive message. Special K is targeted towards middle-class working women and therefore both Mexican and U. S. ds run on television in the morning when women usually turn on the TV while preparing breakfast and in the evening while preparing dinner. The reason for this is the intrusive nature of TV advertising. Special K commercials also run on TV during the TV programs targeted to women. Advertising Objectives see table 1 Both Mexican and U. S. ads are hybrid of persuasive an informative advertising. The persuasiv e advertising motivates users to take action in the form a lifestyle change with the help of Special K products. There is an ongoing issue of weight loss presented in both ads and solution to lose weight. An informative advertisement communicates to create and build brand awareness by positioning Special K products as a cereal for adults that fits into working woman’s lifestyle. It informs the audience about the benefits (weight loss, healthier lifestyle) of the product. Big Idea see table 1 If your clothes are feeling tight, then you should eat Special K to be able to fit into them again. The big idea of both of these advertisements is that this product is a tasty, easy way to lose weight. This definitely appeals to many people who want to lose weight but do not have a lot of time. Also, they have many different Special K products so that the people who are trying to lose weight will have a lot of variety in the food they eat. In the Mexican ad you also have a chance to win a new wardrobe that will fit your new figure. Push/pull strategy see table 1 Both the American and Mexican advertisements use a pull strategy. Kellogg assumes that the target market has knowledge of the product. The ad’s wording them to try Special K and see for themselves that the product will help to lose weight, thus creating demand for the product. The customer will subsequently go to their retailer in search of the product. The ads encourage women to take the â€Å"special k challenge† and lose 6 pounds in 2 weeks. The Mexican ad also offers a free shopping spree for women that can fit into a specific red dress after the challenge. These challenges and offers make women look for the product at their local store. Table 1 Factor/ CountryUnited StatesMexico Hybrid advertising strategyPoliticalGlobal TechnologyGlobal EconomicalGlobal Socio-culturalLocal Creative executionStraight sellyesyes Rational/ motional argumentRationalEmotional demonstrationnoyes Slice of lifeyesyes dramatizationnoyes Personality symbolyesyes Humornoyes lifestyleyesyes Advertising appealyesyes MessagePromisesLosing 6 pounds in 2 weeks. Losing 3 kilos in 2 weeks. Benefit/ claimClothes will fit better and consumer will be healthier. Clothes will fit better and consumer will have a chance to win new clothes. Copy/copywriteCopywriteCopywrite Target marke t appeal# of people in ad 1 character-IndividualismMultiple characters-Collectivism Masculine valuesMasculine-individual achievementMasculine-competitive RiskMore risky-no promise behind Less risky-win shopping spree U. S. productAmerican is goodAmerican is good Availability of TimeLimited-convenientLimited-convenient Independence of media from government controlYes-choiceYes-choice Visual v. Verbal in messageVerbal-minimalisticVisual-dramatization Importance of self-service retailingPeople know where to buyPeople know where to buy Development and acceptance of international trademark Kellogg known Kellogg known Applicability of product’s theme or sloganVisible in adVisible in ad Global media decision Television advertisement-short commercialTelevision advertisement-short commercial Advertising objectivesHybrid of persuasive and informativeHybrid of persuasive and informative Big ideaFlavorful and convenient way of losing weight. Flavorful and convenient way of losing weight. Pull strategyKnown to target marketKnown to target market 1. Keegan, Warren J. , and Mark C. Green. Global Marketing. 6th. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. , 2011. Print. 2. Lakdawala, Ali. Advertising Messages. Scribd. Scribd Inc. , 2011. Web. 29 Nov 2011. .

Biochemical Processes of Oil Degradation

Biochemical Processes of Oil Degradation 1. INTRODUCTION Surfactants are surface active compound that reduce the interfacial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants are organic compound that contain both hydrophobic (head part of the surfactant) and hydrophilic (tail part of the surfactant) moieties. Thus surfactant contains both water insoluble i.e. water repellent group as well as water soluble i.e. water loving group. Biosurfactants are also surface active compound like chemical surfactants but unlike the chemical surfactant, biosurfactant are synthesized by microbes like bacteria, fungi and yeast. Biosurfactants comprise the properties of dropping surface tension, stabilizing emulsions, promoting foaming and are usually non-toxic and biodegradable. Recently interest in biosurfactant has increased because of its diversity, flexibility in operation, and more eco-friendly then chemical surfactant (BS Saharan et al ., 2011; Eduardo J. gudiËÅ"na et al ., 2011). Biochemical process es of oil degradation carried out by microbes involves several type of enzymatic reactions driven by oxygenase, dehydrogenase and hydroxylase (Hamamura N et al., 2008). These enzymes cause aliphatic and aromatic hydroxidation, oxidative deamination, hydrolysis and other biochemical transformation of original oil substance leading to formation of large number of intermediate degradation products. However, a major limitation of microbial degradation of crude oil is its hyydrophobicity. Biosurfactant produced by oil degrading bacteria facilitate the uptake of crude oil hydrocarbons by bacterial cells and also have low toxicity and high biodegradability (Batista SB et al. , 2006). So, crude oil degrading bacteria with the ability to produce biosurfactant is widely recommended for fast degradation of crude oil. (Kumar M et al., 2006). Furthermore possibility of their production on large scale, selectivity, performance under intense conditions and their future applications in environ mental fortification also these have been increasingly attracting the attention of the scientific and industrial community. These molecules have a potential to be used in a variety of industries like cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, humectants, food preservative and detergents (BS Saharan et al. , 2011). But the production of biosurfactant on industry level is still challenge because of using high costly synthetic media for microbial growth. Biosurfactants are classified on the basis of diversity in their structure and their microbial origin. They contain a hydrophilic group, that contain an acid, peptide cations, or anions, mono-, di- or polysaccharides and a hydrophobic group of unsaturated or saturated hydrocarbon chains or fatty acids. Biosurfactants produced by a variety of microorganisms mainly bacteria, fungi and yeasts are diverse in chemical composition and their nature and the amount depend on the type of microbes producing a particular biosurfactant. 1.1 Classification of Bio surfactant: Biosurfactants are classified in to two major group one is low molecular weight surface active agent call biosurfactant and high molecular weight substance called bio-emulsifier that is especially used as enhancement of emulsification of hydrocarbon. Further these two major group is divided in to six major group known as glycolipids, lipopolysaccharides, lipoproteins-lipopeptides, phospholipids, hydroxylated and cross linked fatty acids. (a) Glycolipids: Mostly biosurfactants are glycolipds. They are lipids with a carbohydrate attached. The connection is by means of either an ether or ester group. Among the glycolipids, the best known are rhamnolipids sophorolipids and trehalolipids.

Based on your tradition Christianity and the decisions you make based Essay

Based on your tradition Christianity and the decisions you make based on your values and morals, what is the proper role for YOU in your own work as a technolog - Essay Example Considering all these fact a question arises for each and every individual sooner or later, whichs what is the proper role for the citizen in the society. What should we do for to keep the environment we live in balanced, and pleasant to dwell in? Are we obliged to contribute to the society we live in? Every individual has to find his own answer, or answers for these questions. Those answers come after years of life; they are dictated by the kinds of experience the person has. Thus, in my opinion, every viewpoint, considering this question is valuable and true in some way, and we have no right to throw stones at people whose opinion is somehow different from ours. As each and every individual who dwells on our planet I have my own answer on this question. I dont consider it to be the only true, nor do I reckon it to be suitable for the majority of people in my country. My judgment on the role of the individual in the society is dictated by my social, and, what is even of greater importance, religious background. The specific of my work requires me to be aware of the reasons and principles which guide me in my decision-making process. The thing is that I am a Technology Manager responsible for the technology to support training and content management to our external and internal customers. I am one of the decision makers and I am in direct contact with senior level executives providing input and opinions on decision making. My staff consists of 8 people in which I must manage and provide strong leadership. Thus I feel I have to possess deep understanding of the principles which guide me in my work, in my decision making process, and in my relationships with the colleagues and senior executives. I feel this project can help me to have an insight into my values and beliefs; it is able to assist me in improving my decision-making and leadership skills. The thing is that the values and morals that guide me in my existence are

Michelle Obama should be in 2010 Time Magezine Essay

Michelle Obama should be in 2010 Time Magezine - Essay Example A lot of the criticism of Michelle comes from people who seek to demonize her husband. It is all politics. They see Michelle as a kind of radical who supported black nationalism in her youth. These caricatures are offensive and do a disservice to American political discourse. Nevertheless, they form part of the background noise that follows Michelle and the Obama administration. There are still those who would use racial issues to divide us, no matter how much Michelle and her husband have risen above these problems and inspired the country. Michelle has a number of fantastic initiatives to which she dedicates a great deal of time. In recognition of her selfless work on behalf of these cause she should be one of Time Magazine's Most Influential People. One of her biggest accomplishments has been to support military families. America is currently engaged in two wars. One in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. Both of these conflicts take a huge toll on America's fighting men and women. Famil y members are away for months at a time on active duty, away from their spouses and children. They are always in harms way; family members are always waiting beside the phone for the dreaded call. Their families need support. This is one of the best things that Michelle does. She promotes and helps military families and helps to ensure that they get the respect that they so richly deserve.

Smokers in great Britain and USA are increasingly treated as social Essay

Smokers in great Britain and USA are increasingly treated as social pariahs - Essay Example In Britain, following the ban on smoking; merchants have reverted to selling cigarettes in disguise to avoid confrontation with the government agencies who have vowed to eliminate smoking not only in the public places but also in private environments. The book creates scenarios of the possible implications of smoking ban in Britain. This makes the book reliable, authoritative, and objective for the research. Scenarios are conceivably the best practical analysis of social phenomena since it enables the creation of foresight into the societal issues. This literature details the health campaigns by the American Authorities to advocate for the elimination of smoking due to its contribution to cancer. It further depicts the discrimination that smokers encounter in seeking employments and sustaining such jobs. It captures the deliberate denial of civil rights in disguise for health campaigns and the resulting effects of the denial of civil rights on the smokers. In this light, it is reliable, authoritative and objective for the research. In a nutshell, the literature analyses the implications of reduced smoking on the economy, health standards, and the general welfare of the citizens. The book contains the elaborate steps employed by the American Authorities to at least minimize the use of certain drugs such as cigarettes. It recounts the intrigues in the banning of smoking in virtually all public places and that possibly with time, smokers would be registered as pedophiles. Berman, P.S, Neckerman, and K.M &Wright, elucidate the con tribution of health campaigns in changing the societal perception about smoking in America. In more precise terms, the book covers the risk perception about smoking among the early America smokers and the proceeding causes of changes in risk perception currently. The authors expose the earlier misconceptions that predisposed American to smoking such as the use of Menthol cigarettes to

Fundamentals of Decision Support Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fundamentals of Decision Support - Essay Example Some more problems arise which may be linked with increasing the size of the facility. Consequently the cost of operation of the facility will shoot creating another problem. Industry siting may be regulated the existing state regulations’ and local laws. ‘This imposes another problem due the technique of increasing the size of the facility in each region in order curb diseconomies of scale. (Watzlawik) Completion for raw materials by other companies which are related to plastic manufacturing company may also impose another threat. In this case growth of different facilities in different regions may be returded. (Michael, 2009) Technological change can also affect manufacturing and also the utilization of the plastic product hence affecting the growth of plastic manufacturing companies in different regions The increase in the size of the company or organisation leads to the overload of management team due to large scale operations which draw the attention of the managers all through. (Guttmann, Michael, & John). A larger number of employees are employed which requires maximum supervision to ensure smooth operation of the company. Managers should ensure that company resources and materials are not wasted. As a result of overworked management, minimal supervision and control of staff operation emerges leading to laxity of cost of production control. Scale enlargement of the facility in an region of the world could lead to decreased attention on customers individual taste .goods of the same quality are produced consequently as a result of large economies of scale. Fall in demand of the plastic product follows. Hired employees controls the operation of the large sized business in absenter of the owners There usually be loss of personal interaction between the employer and employees which can later lead to staffs strikes and lack outs .This

Introduction of the new Nokia Lumia Product Essay

Introduction of the new Nokia Lumia Product - Essay Example product development is crucial to survive in the global competitive environment especially when it comes to technology such as gadgets, mobile phones, tabs and other electronic devices. In the era of globalisation it becomes crucial for organisation to innovate new product to keep up with the competition in the global environment and secure a better market place. Timely and responsive new products have become more critical in the global environment and there arise the need to response quickly to the changing dynamics of global forces (Yelkur & Herbig, 1996, p. 38). Methodology Research methodology includes two forms of research, primary research and secondary research. Primary researches are conducted based on questionnaires, interviews and can be both qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis. Secondary research is based on data which were already found and an analysis is made on the existing data. The methodology used to analyse the product introduced by Nokia, Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 in collaboration with Microsoft operating system are done mainly through secondary research. Data are collected from sources such as web, books, news and other relevant sources and are further analysed. Analysis and findings of Nokia and Microsoft are also based on SWOT analysis. Findings and Analysis According to IDC press release the global mobile phone market grew by 1% in the second quarter of 2012 where Apple and Samsung shipped half of the global Smartphone. With respect to the Operating System, Android has expanded its dominance in the global Smartphone market and accounted for 68% of the total Smartphone shipped in second quarter in 2012. According to findings, success of Android can be traced to Samsung accounting for 44%, iOS posted growth with double digit and remains at... This essay stresses that Nokia currently has been suffering from a major decline in market share leading to major loss for the company. Symbia which was the OS for Nokia did not help the company to generate enough revenue and as a result the company has partnered with Microsoft regarded as an opportunity for the company to increase its market share and profits. Nokia was facing a tough challenge from OS like Android, iOS due to the lack of innovation made by Nokia and also its slow response to match up the international market demands. Thus the advantage of pairing Nokia with Microsoft will be beneficial for both as within six months of the launch of Lumia Nokia from zero percentage went up to a third of the overall windows phone devices in the US. Nokia which was once the market leader in the mobile category had recently suffered a setback in the smart phone category and is trying to catch up with Apple and Samsung. This paper makes a conclusion that the management decision to partner with Microsoft has resulted to be beneficial for Nokia as the growth rate has increased within the six months of its launch of Nokia Lumia 820 and 920. In the competitive mobile Smartphone market, Nokia was lagging behind the market leaders Samsung and Apple and had suffered huge loss. Now entering into partnership with Microsoft it hope to regain back its lost market share and introduce new range of products with exciting features.

Development of Tourism in West London Assignment

Development of Tourism in West London - Assignment Example West London boasts many world class tourism assets and is a genuinely dynamic, vibrant and exciting place to visit. I believe this strategy will help West London to rise and meet the challenges ahead and I look forward to having the London Development Agency, West London Business, Visit London and the Boroughs work together to achieve the goals we have set here (London Development Authority, 2005). London's reputation as a world-class city is well-deserved. It is the place where the historic past and the vibrant present come alive. No other place in the world offers the range of sights, sounds and cultural diversity that London can boast. Visit London is passionate about London and we are committed to marketing all aspects of our great City. West London is a prime example of London's diversity. It is filled with a range of fascinating, multi cultural, enthralling destinations and products and it is this wide range of visitor experiences that will keep tourists coming back to London time and time again. The inception of this sub-regional tourism strategy is a positive step forward and we look forward to working in partnership with the London Development Agency and the sub-region to help to deliver the action plan (London Development Authority, 2005). West London - with a population of 1.4 million - is one of the most successful sub-regional economies in Europe with a 27 billion pound output. West London Business aims to sustain that success. A well established business-led organisation, West London Business is committed to supporting private and public sector interests in the sub-region and articulating their needs. The tourism and hospitality sectors make an important contribution to the West London economy and a dynamic tourism industry is an essential ingredient for continuing economic progress. West London offers a host of quality tourism and hospitality assets, which West London Business is keen to profile and promote. We are delighted, therefore, to be a key player in the implementation of this strategy. We look forward to working in partnership with the London Development Agency and Visit London to successfully deliver the actions that have been identified for the next two years (London Development Authority, 2005). Task 2 Question 2 Define a visioning (reference it) What is the vision outlined in this document 2-3 (sentences maximum) To develop London as an exemplary sustainable world city, based on interwoven themes: strong and diverse, long-term economic growth; social inclusion to give all Londoners the opportunity to share in London's future success; fundamental improvements in London's environment and use of resources. The following are the vision for the West London Tourism Development (London Development Authority, 2005): A Prosperous City , A City for People, An Accessible City, A Fair City and A Green City. Why is it necessary to vision It is necessary to have a vision because vision is the instrument in making a mission into a reality. Task 3 Question 3 What is the mission statement of the LDA (ONE sentence) The mission of

Introduction of the new Nokia Lumia Product Essay

Introduction of the new Nokia Lumia Product - Essay Example product development is crucial to survive in the global competitive environment especially when it comes to technology such as gadgets, mobile phones, tabs and other electronic devices. In the era of globalisation it becomes crucial for organisation to innovate new product to keep up with the competition in the global environment and secure a better market place. Timely and responsive new products have become more critical in the global environment and there arise the need to response quickly to the changing dynamics of global forces (Yelkur & Herbig, 1996, p. 38). Methodology Research methodology includes two forms of research, primary research and secondary research. Primary researches are conducted based on questionnaires, interviews and can be both qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis. Secondary research is based on data which were already found and an analysis is made on the existing data. The methodology used to analyse the product introduced by Nokia, Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 in collaboration with Microsoft operating system are done mainly through secondary research. Data are collected from sources such as web, books, news and other relevant sources and are further analysed. Analysis and findings of Nokia and Microsoft are also based on SWOT analysis. Findings and Analysis According to IDC press release the global mobile phone market grew by 1% in the second quarter of 2012 where Apple and Samsung shipped half of the global Smartphone. With respect to the Operating System, Android has expanded its dominance in the global Smartphone market and accounted for 68% of the total Smartphone shipped in second quarter in 2012. According to findings, success of Android can be traced to Samsung accounting for 44%, iOS posted growth with double digit and remains at... This essay stresses that Nokia currently has been suffering from a major decline in market share leading to major loss for the company. Symbia which was the OS for Nokia did not help the company to generate enough revenue and as a result the company has partnered with Microsoft regarded as an opportunity for the company to increase its market share and profits. Nokia was facing a tough challenge from OS like Android, iOS due to the lack of innovation made by Nokia and also its slow response to match up the international market demands. Thus the advantage of pairing Nokia with Microsoft will be beneficial for both as within six months of the launch of Lumia Nokia from zero percentage went up to a third of the overall windows phone devices in the US. Nokia which was once the market leader in the mobile category had recently suffered a setback in the smart phone category and is trying to catch up with Apple and Samsung. This paper makes a conclusion that the management decision to partner with Microsoft has resulted to be beneficial for Nokia as the growth rate has increased within the six months of its launch of Nokia Lumia 820 and 920. In the competitive mobile Smartphone market, Nokia was lagging behind the market leaders Samsung and Apple and had suffered huge loss. Now entering into partnership with Microsoft it hope to regain back its lost market share and introduce new range of products with exciting features.

Superhero Morality Essay Example for Free

Superhero Morality Essay ?I intend to prove that superheroes are not immoral for not abiding by the law. I am defining immorality as going against was is accepted as good behavior. Superheroes are very simply people who defend and protect those in need with their extraordinary abilities. Superman, Batman, the Flash, Ironman, Captain America, Thor and many others have graced us with their entertainment in movies, comic-books, and television shows. Their purpose is to save mankind in ways that â€Å"ordinary† people can’t. Superheros are not ordinary so they should not have to abide by laws that ordinary people put into place. People are not supposed to go out and take the law into their own hands. Essentially that makes them criminals. But let me ask a question. If somebody has a broken arm and can’t open a door isn’t it your moral obligation to open the door for them if you can? The same thing applies to superheroes, when the law is incapable of stopping people that are hurting people who are unable to defend themselves and the superheroes can, isn’t it their responsibility to stop them? As Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben said â€Å"With great power, comes great responsibility. † Take Batman in the series the Dark Knight. For years gangs ran the city with the law being incapable of doing anything because everyone was afraid of testifying against the gangs. People were being killed, stores were being robbed, children were being forced to watch their parents die. Enforcers of the law were in the pockets of these criminals. Crime ran the city, until one citizen decided to do something about it, Bruce Wayne. Now Bruce was not a cop, he technically had no authority to go about eliminating crime lords but the people with the authority to take out the crime lords were incapable of doing it because of the law itself. Law is supposed to help keep order in the world, but in Gotham it was keeping the crime in order. So Batman rose. Superheroes are the only ones that can standup and make a change when the law is ultimately hurting the people it was designed to protect even if it is technically breaking the law. Some disagree with superheroes being exempt from the law. Especially in a land of democracy superheroes should be on the same ground as â€Å"ordinary people†. Saying that superheroes don’t have to abide by the law is welcoming chaos. If they can do it, why can’t ordinary people? Since Superman can fly into a hostage situation why can’t an ordinary man like John? John might think that he has the ability to negotiate or stealthily get the people out of the dangerous situation because he negotiates for his job or sneaks out of his house a lot to see his mistress without his wife ever knowing. He has a special skill set that someone on the police force might not have. Using the logic of â€Å"if you can do it you should do it† it would be John’s responsibility to go into that hostage situation to save those people. Saying that it’s okay for superheroes is hypocritical because anyone can be a superhero. It would be different if we were saying that only people with abilities no one else can attain could be a superhero. Superman and Thor are perfect examples. Both of these superheroes attained their powers from their lineage. They can do what normal humans cannot. But superheroes like Ironman and Batman are ordinary people with rich banks. So saying they can take the law into their own hands is giving the okay for everyone to take the law into their own hands which ends in chaos. The law was put into place to give structure to a naturally chaotic world. Ultimately if there is chaos more bad behavior is going on than good behavior. More immoralities than moralities. Most laws punish what isn’t good behavior like killing, stealing, or forging which i bad behavior. Bad behavior is breaking rule, in this case a law. Those actions are immoral, so law is a good compass for what is moral and immoral. We cannot hold people who break these law accountable if the very same person that brought them in broke laws as well. That’s why warrants and other measures exist for the people that are trained to enforce the law. Using Okham’ razor it simple. People that break the law are criminals. Superheroes break the law. Superheroes are criminals. The issue with that argument is that superheroes are not normal people. They are different hence the â€Å"super† before the hero. If John the unfaithful husband that has a job in negotiation went into the hostage situation and succeeded in getting the people out he would be considered a hero not a superhero. Superheroes achieve what should be impossible. Batman and Ironman are a different type of superheroes but they are superheroes because of their gadgets and genius minds. The men themselves a Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark are not superheroes because they cannot achieve superhuman acts without their gadgets. If, a men, they were to save people they would be considered heroes. But when these men put on their suits and use their genius minds to power them they become superheroes. Because superheroes are not normal people they abide by different rules/laws. A sort of superheroes code. One for example is not killing. I can say this and be correct because law is not the decider of immorality. Stealing to feed ones family is a good behavior, the act is not immoral but the person can go to jail for it because stealing is against the law. Lying is immoral, but there is no law against lying. The reasons for laws is the prevent chaos, but the reason superheroes rise is because there is chaos. In the Justice League cartoon show Wonder woman left her homeland to stand beside the other members of the Justice League because the world was in turmoil. If the law was doing what it was supposed to do, preventing chaos, superheroes wouldn’t need to exist. But the law fails at doing that, which is why superheroes have to step in. There I also an utilitarian view. Superheroes have a choice. Either they follow the law perhaps letting innocent people die or be harmed because the law prevents them from stepping in which would most likely hurt many or they step in and eliminate the issue which would probably only hurt a few (which would be the villains most likely). I have proven that superheroes are not immoral for not abiding by the law by explaining that superheroes are not normal people so the law applies to them in a different way. Superheroes have a responsibility to abide by their own moral compass and live up to the responsibility of their power. Normal people can be heroes but they have to abide by the law so chaos won’t arise. Superheroes rise because there is chaos that the law can’t control. And since immorality is being defined as going against what is being considered good behavior it immorality is relative not a law so the superheroes are moral however they choose to save people.

Evaluating Life Cycle of Pavements

Evaluating Life Cycle of Pavements Case Study from Nevada Department of Transportations Perspective Nowadays increasing number of agencies and companies have started to shift to the principles of sustainability in conducting business and activities. These principles also make good business sense as we try to improve the environmental, social and economic value of a product. The transportation industry is no different and many Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have already shifted to this by incorporating Life Cycle Analysis of pavements. Life cycle analysis of pavements is a comprehensive approach where economic costs of different alternatives during the life of a pavement are evaluated and the best one is chosen to be implemented. It is a complex process and varies from one DOT to another but usually there are some guidelines laid down by the Federal Highway Administration that are followed. For our case study, we have selected the Nevada Department of Transportation, also known as NDOT. This report presents a brief overview of the various components and strategies used in pavement analysis, maintenance and rehabilitation are discussed in detail. NDOT has a defined Pavement Management System to collect data and the application of LCA for construction of pavements has already been started. The various parameters considered in LCA as well as the limitations are discussed in this report. Keywords: Pavement, Life Cycle Analysis, NDOT, Maintenance, Rehabilitation Pavements, like any other thing, have a definite life cycle. They are constructed by keeping a certain period of utility in mind. The continuous use of roadways often leads to their degradation in their serviceability. The rate of this deterioration is dependent on many factors both environmental and load related. Using appropriate maintenance and rehabilitation techniques at the right time also can impact the life of a pavement drastically. The life cycle of pavements can be very broadly described as Stage 1: New Pavement Newly constructed pavements fall into this category. They require almost no repairs while in use. Stage 2: Minor Repairs After some initial time, the utility of the roads begins to decrease. Some maintenance work is favored. Stage 3: Major Repairs After long time in service the roads become deficient structurally and continuous use of roads in this state is not recommended. Stage 4: Complete Reconstruction Roads in this state of disarray are not be used except under extreme circumstances and require a complete overhaul and construction of new pavements. However, some agencies have been lagging in their effort to properly preserve their roadways. This has led to one third of the roads in United States being in poor or weak condition. Annually an estimated of 70 billion dollars to maintain the highway network in USA. This considerable sum has led people to try and manage pavements more efficiently. Constant evaluation of pavements has been adopted by many state DOTs to try and limit pavement deterioration once it is in use. There are two major categories for repairs of pavements in general terms are Maintenance Rehabilitation Maintenance is the process of repair of roads is done on a small scale as the pavements contain only minor faults and are fixed relatively easily. Some common maintenance techniques include fog seals and crack sealing and mainly slow down the deterioration rate of the pavements [1]. Rehabilitation is the procedure where existing portions of damaged pavements are completely redone as the damage is of significance. Rehabilitation techniques include in-place recycling and overlays and reset the whole process of deterioration [1]. The cost of either maintenance or rehabilitation of pavement is substantive and continuous to rise even today. This has lead highway agencies to use tools that can help combine economics and operations research to achieve pavements that are both cost effective without compromising their long-term properties. The most common method in use is the Life Cycle Cost Analysis or the LCCA [2]. It is a process where the value of the total project is calculated using the initial cost and discounted future costs over the life of the pavement. The components of LCCA is defined by different DOTs independently. For this report the case of Nevada DOT is chosen and LCCA used by NDOT will be explained later. The Nevada DOT was founded in 1917 and has since built and maintained almost 5,400 miles of road. There is an additional of more than 46,000 miles of public road mostly maintained by local agencies. The roads maintained by NDOT account only for 20% of roads in Nevada but these roads account for 52% of all traffic and 82% of heavy truck traffic of the state [3]. In the fiscal years of 2013 and 2014, NDOT spend around 270 million dollars on maintenance rehabilitation repair works. As one can infer from the figures the process of maintaining the roadways is costly and therefore NDOT uses various tools that can help to minimize this cost in the long run. Some of these tools are discussed in this report. Connecting the empirical data collected from the field and theoretical data calculated by an engineer in the lab has been one of the most difficult task in pavement engineering. Long term pavement performance has gained importance as it is a major component of any cost analyses that is conducted on the pavements. Therefore, predicting long term performance of pavements with good accuracy can provide valuable data for pavement modeling. Field data collected from various sites can also be used to verify whether the materials possesses required qualities or the design was sufficient. This can in their turn help in altering future pavement designs to better perform in the field. This has led to the creation of a Pavement Management System by pavement engineers. Data collected from various sites in the field is collected in the PMS and stored for further analysis by engineers. This collected data can be utilized to develop and verify pavement performance models The PMS used by NDOT was established in 1980 and is accordance with ISTEA guidelines. It monitors various pavement characteristics with time on a mile-by-mile basis for the entire NDOT system. The data collected includes cracking, rut depth, patching, surface condition, and ride with data on traffic and accidents are collected for informational purposes only. Using the data collected from the field seven performance indicators are calculated to classify pavements into four repair categories. The performance indicators calculated are Ride Rut Depth Cracking Patching Bleeding Raveling Present Serviceability Index (PSI) The PSI used by NDOT is calculated by the following formula PSI = 5*e-0.0041*IRI 1.38RD2 0.01(C+P)0.5 Where IRI = International Roughness Index (in/mile) RD = Rut Depth (in) C = Cracking Area (ft2/1000 ft2) P = Patching Area (ft2/1000 ft2) For the considered pavement points are assigned for the severity and extent of each of the distress indicators. The total summation of the points is used to assign the pavement into one of four repair categories which are Do Nothing Maintenance Overlay Reconstruction For details refer to Development of Pavement Performance, Analyses and Procedures [4]. The PSI of pavements is kept in check by performing routine maintenance and rehabilitation activities. As explained maintenance as a process only slows down the rate of deterioration while on the other hand rehabilitation will show an initial change in PSI and may also change the rate of deterioration of pavement. Generally, one observes that the cost of maintenance of pavement tends to be lower than the cost of rehabilitation. Therefore, if one has to be cost effective there needs to be a balance between the maintenance and rehabilitation of pavements. That is using only one type of repair work will be more economically inefficient. NDOT has chosen specific repair activities to catalog in the state of Nevada based on availability of previous data. If a technique was chosen without sufficient performance data, then the model would be of limited use only. The techniques thus used by NDOT include Maintenance Techniques: Rehabilitation Techniques: Sand Seals, Chips Seals. Flexible Overlays, Roadbed Modification, Mill and Overlays Sand Seals Sand seal is the application of an asphalt emulsion being sprayed on with a layer of clean sand or fine aggregate being embedded in the emulsion either by spreading immediately or using a pneumatic tire roller. After application of the tire-roller excess particles are removed from the pavement. The sand seals are useful for improving the surface properties of pavements and can also help in filling up any fine cracks of pavement surface. In addition, the sand can also improve the skid resistant properties of the road while reducing the chances of raveling. [5]. Chip Seals Chip seals have become one of the most used surface treatment technique for roads with less traffic. Similar to a sand seal, a chip seal is the process of spraying asphalt and applying a layer of aggregate over it. The asphalt applied could be in form of hot asphalt cement, cutback or emulsified asphalt. After the application of any of the listed types of asphalt aggregate layer is administers onto the surface, before the asphalt either cools down or the emulsion breaks so as to maximize adhesion. The aggregates in the asphalt matrix are further seated and reoriented using a pneumatic roller. Afterwards the excess aggregates are removed from the surface by use of brooming. Chip seals are used as a protection from further raveling as well as seal any small cracks that are in the pavement. Sometimes use of lightweight aggregates is justified in chip seals in cases where heavier aggregates might become a cause for windshield cracking. LWA are manufactured mainly from light minerals like shale, slate or clay and are usually more expensive and less durable than normal aggregates but these are much lighter in weight. This light weight prevents these aggregates from being able to crack windshields in the case they become projectiles. The cracking of windshields can also be prevented by use of polymer modified emulsion [5]. Flexible Overlays Flexible overlay is a method of rehabilitation wherein on top of the old structure a new intermediate layer is constructed. The major purpose of this new layer is to both add an additional structure to the pavement and to prevent the proliferation of reflective cracks from the structure underneath. The old structure can still provide a uniform support. The design and planning of the overlay should be done keeping into consideration the expected traffic loading that the pavement will be under. As such this technique usually causes an increase in the highway profile. Care also has to be taken to prevent moisture from getting between the overlay and old structure. To prevent this the materials uses in the overlay should be tested for both moisture susceptibility and durability [6]. Roadbed Modification Asphalt roads are also reclaimed using roadbed modification. This technique is usually applied to pavements where the PSI has fallen way below desired level. Pulverization of existing pavement is done to a depth depending upon the structure of the old pavement. The pulverization process sometimes also includes base materials sometimes if the depth of pulverization is greater than the bituminous layer. On the other hand, if the depth is lower than that of existing structure then use of cold milling can be beneficial as this will lead to minimal disturbance to the materials underneath. The materials pulverized is then mixed with cement and water, where it acts basically as aggregates. This concrete is spread out and compacted according to the design intended. Pavements with very weak or uneven foundations can benefit from this technique [7]. Mill and Overlays The mill and overlay method is a method of rehabilitation where the top surface of the damaged pavement is removed, usually up to 2 inches. This removal is done by the use of a milling machine capable to perform the task. The removal of the top layer comprises of the milling portion of the method and usually takes around a couple of days. Afterwards a new layer of bituminous layer is constructed on top of the structure, in place of the removed surface. The surface of the milled pavement is coated with liquid asphalt that acts as a tack coat between the old structure and the new bituminous layer. The construction of the overlay can take around one to two days depending upon the width of pavement and the traffic. The asphalt overlay to be placed on pavement is usually embedded to a depth of 1ÂÂ ½ using a paver [8]. When developing NDOTs pavement performance model three categories of data were considered Structural, Environmental and PMS. A list of factors from these categories was created that could possibly affect pavement performance was compiled into standard data collection form. Analyzing all the standardized data the following data sets were finally used when developing the model- Materials data of activity being modeled: These data include the types and percentages of asphalt binder and aggregates used in the maintenance or rehabilitation activity for which the performance model is being developed. Materials data of existing pavement layers: These data include the types and percentages of asphalt binder and aggregates used in the layers underlaying the maintenance or rehabilitation activity for which the performance model is being developed. Structural data: These data include the thickness of the various layers in the pavement structure including the thickness of the maintenance or rehabilitation activity that is being modeled. The structural number (SN) as defined by the AASHTO design guide was used to normalize the structural data among all of the pavement section. Reference 3 describes the method used to convert the layer thicknesses into SN values. Pavement performance data: These data include the PSI, percent cracking, and average rut depth values as obtained from the NDOT PMS data base. Traffic data: The equivalent single axle load (ESAL) was used as the traffic element. The average daily ESAL figures were obtained from the PMS data base and used to obtain the cumulative ESALs over the life of the maintenance or rehabilitation activity. Environmental data: These data include maximum and minimum temperatures, number of freeze/thaw cycles, number of wet days, and annual precipitation. LCCA is a tool that is used by NDOT to evaluate the economic assessment of pavements when considering the entirety of its useful life. It takes into consideration the initial costs as well as maintenance and repair cost that the pavement is likely to undergo in its life. This tool can be used by pavement engineers to optimize their budget to improve the overall useful life of the pavement. Different alternatives for repairs are considered and the one with the most utility or least cost is chosen to be put forward for consideration. LCCA is made from the following steps- All initial treatment alternatives must be identified For each alternative, their analysis period as well as treatment scheme should be determined The price of annual and each alternatives maintenance should be computed The economic assessment calculated for each alternative should be compared The alternative with the best economic assessment should be selected based on LCCA When performing LCCA, NDOT uses the AASHTO prescribed Present Worth method. This method is highly recommended and frequently used by state highway agencies. In this method, any future expense is converted to present value of the dollar. The present value of future expenses is the amount of money which will need to be invested at a particular compound interest rate for the total sum to be equal to the value of the future expense. The formula used in calculation is PW = F(1/(1+i) n) Where F = The future expense after n years i = Discount rate n = Number of years Since the costs of production keeps on changing with time due to inflation and other economic factors, a discount rate is chosen to compare the cost across all time periods. LCCA is performed on the pavement for a specific analyses period. The length of this analyses period has been calculated for various types of roads keeping important factors into consideration. Highway Class Analysis Period (Years) High Volume Urban 30 50 High Volume Rural 20 50 Low Volume Paved 15 25 Low Volume Aggregate Surface 10 20 For newly constructed flexible pavements NDOT recommends an analysis period of 25-40 years while for rehabilitation they recommended a period of 20 years. This data is derived from two major conditions, (a) It represents a realistic life of asphalt mixtures and (b) one or two rehabilitation periods are included in the period. Pavements have a defined life cycle. Regular repair work must be done during the useful life of a pavement to maintain it to a serviceable level. NDOT uses PSI as an indicator to determine the serviceability level of pavement. PSI can range from 0 to 5.0 and repair is done on a pavement when the PSI drops below an unacceptable level. NDOT uses 2.5 as the terminal level of PSI with roads having average daily traffic of more than 750. NDOT also has placed some reality checks in place for calculating the pavement performance period. They are not considered in when in performance models because they can act as an empirical check to the values obtained from theoretical models. These checks include data such as traffic accidents, high maintenance costs, specific site failures, etc. LCAA also include cost factors that encompass all the expenditure that is incurred by the pavement from the design phase till the end of its useful life cycle. These costs have to be properly compared for different alternatives in LCCA to arrive at the most economic pavement. These costs can include First Costs: These include both the expenditure for the initial construction of the pavement and the cost for the operations that occurred to facilitate the construction like surveys, designs and analyses. Annual Maintenance Costs: These include the expenditure that is use to maintain an optimum PSI level of the pavement so as to provide a smooth ride to the drivers. Road User Costs: These are the costs that are associated with driving on the road and include things like increase in travel time, accidents, change in fuel consumption by vehicle etc. Salvage Value: This is the value of the road at the end of its life cycle. These casts can be either positive or negative depending on the condition of the road. 1. Pavement Interactive 2. Evaluation of pavement life cycle cost analysis: Review and analysis 3. State Highway Preservation Report 4. Development of Pavement Performance, Analyses and Procedures 5. https://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/html/99771201/99771201.htm 6.http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/pdm/flexible_base_overlay_and_flexible_base_thickening.htm 7. https://www.nevadadot.com/uploadedFiles/NDOT/About_NDOT/NDOT_Divisions/Operations/Construction/CM%20Section%206%20-%20300.pdf 8. https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/public-works/street-maintenance/mill-overlay