Keeping Appointments Essay Example for Free

Keeping Appointments Essay Doctors appointments are missed each and every day by people who either forget to show up or choose not to call and cancel their appointment. This article will look at some of the reasons why it is important to try to and keep doctors appointment and what to do if you must cancel. At my previous doctors surgery (office) in the UK, the surgery would regularly post the latest numbers of people who had not shown up for their doctors appointments. I was amazed at the staggering amount of people who failed to show up for their appointments. It was not just a few individuals who did not show up. A large number of people regularly missed their scheduled doctors appointments. If you are a receptionist it can be very frustrating to work under these conditions. You will have to call patients when it is their turn to see the doctor and be left standing when no one appears. Then you must inform the doctor that the patient did not show up. One of the reasons why it is best to try and keep your doctors appointment is because it is the polite thing to do. Would you arrange a job interview with a company you were serious about working for but then fail to show up? It is highly unlikely. Yet, members of the medical profession routinely have to deal with patients who do not show up for their appointments. It is also important to keep your appointment if you will be receiving the results of blood tests, and other test results that will determine your medical condition. This in turn will help doctors see what the next step should be in your courseof treatment. If you miss the appointment, you are not only wasting your doctors time. You could also place your health at risk if you do not start your treatment as quickly as possible. Sometimes, it is just not possible to keep a doctors appointment. It may clash with a business meeting at work or your childs emergency visit to the dentists. If you can, try to inform your doctors surgery of the cancellation 24 hours in advance. But if that is not possible, let them know as soon as you can. That way, your appointment slot can be given to someone else who may be in need of a last minute appointment. Keep in mind that breaking an appointment without first calling to cancel can prevent someone else from being seen and it wastes the time of doctors and the rest of the team.

The Role And Task Culture

The Role And Task Culture Employees decide what best they can do and gladly accept the challenge. Every individual is responsible for something has to take responsibity of the work assigned to him. Nowadays in most organizations there is role culture. It is the specialization of employee to a job where they are the best. By having the role culture in an organization, it should increase the productivity. This is a functional structure and it is also a divisional structure. The task culture: The task culture is to put the right people together and then give them a task. This type of culture is teamwork. The people with more knowledge and experience will lead this type of culture in an organization and bring the teams together to work towards the same goal. Decisions are made quickly because people are able to discuss with each other freely. Staff feels motivated because they are allowed to make decisions within their team. This is a matrix structure. The difference between role culture and task culture is that one is individual and the other one is teamwork. In a role culture power comes from the personal position whereas in the task culture the power is derived from the team. 2) There are three main organizational structures: Functional: The first advantage is the specialization where each unit operates as a type of independent with specific role. Employees develop specialized knowledge. They become experts within their functional area. The company will benefit from their expertise and experience over time. Then we have like advantage the Efficiency and Productivity. It is where a worker completes a tasks with a high level of speed and efficiency, which improves productivity. The employees may be highly motivated to advance their careers, which may also make them more productive. The disadvantage is a lack of teamwork where employee may have difficulty working well with other units. And if they have to work with a team it can be a problem where specialized workers can not be agree with others. Difficult Management Control can also be a problem where management can maintain control when the organization expands. If management doesnt control it, the different department can think that they have autonomy. Matrix A Matrix structure organisation contains teams of people created from various sections of the business. These teams will be created for the purposes of a specific project. At every new project there a new team. The advantages of a matrix are that workers are chosen according the needs of the project. Project manager are directly responsible While the disadvantages can be in conflict between teams mate. And if team have lot of independence it can be difficult to monitor them Task B According to John Ivancevich and Michael Mattson, the major factors that influence individual differences are demographic factors, abilities and skills, perception, attitudes and personality. Demographic Factors: The demographic factors are socio economic background, education, nationality, race, age, sex, etc. companies prefer persons that belong from good socio economic-background, well educate. Young and dynamic professionals that have good educational and effective communication skills are always in great demand. The demographic factor helps managers to select future candidates for job. Abilities and Skills: The physical capacity of an individual can be the ability. Skill is the ability to act in a way to perform well. The individual behaviour and performance is highly influenced by ability and skills. The managers plays vital role in matching the abilities and skills of the employees with the particular job requirement. Perception: It is the process that interprets external environment stimuli. But they are different reasons that can influence the perception of persons. The study of perception plays important role for the managers. It is important for mangers to create the positive work environment so that employees notice them in most favourable way. Employee would perform better within a good environment. Attitude: Attitude is the best way to succeed in life. It is the tendency to respond positively to object, persons or situation. Employees will perform better if they have a positive attitude. They should have the attitude to work with their heart for the company. Job should be a prayer for people. Personality: It is the study of the characteristics and distinctive traits of an individual. Heredity, family, society, culture and situation are factors that influence personality. Its the manner to respond in an environment. Personality offers opportunity to understand the persons. It helps them by motivating them for the accomplishment of the organizational goal. Every organisation demands a particular type of behaviour from their employees. All these factors are important. Lets take an example when a company offers a job of helper. The manager should look the physical capacity of the man before employing him. There are many others example we can make. Individual behavior is very important for an organization because if the manager chooses right workers, his workforce will increase. TASK C There are three types of leadership; the autocratic, democratic and the laissez faire. Melanie seems to use the autocratic leadership style. This leadership is characterized by an individual control over all decisions and little contribution from group members. Autocratic leaders naturally make choices based on their own ideas and hardly accept others suggestions. They control the groups. She makes the decision. Melanie is a leader where she doesnt want to hear NO or WHY when she tells what workers have to do. I think an autocratic attitude is good for the organization because when Melanie has to make a decision it is direct. But by having this attitude, the workforce is falling down. She doesnt have direct connection with his employees; she only gives instruction through officers. The communication is only one side. There is not really a relation between workers and Melanie. Workers have lost interest in theirs jobs thats why the labour turnover is high. Furthmore employee fear Melanie. This situation was created by the instauration of a powerfull discipline of work. As we know, employee should have some flexibility of work. Melanie has just run after high productivity, she didnt take care about the condition of her employee. She should have know that automatically if the workers are not happy the productivity would decrease. But Melanie didnt see that this way she had prefer to take new workers than keeping the ancient one. Which has result to a high labour turnover. Having an autocratic leadership is also good because it helps the company to take decision quickly. This kind of leadership is mostly present in most Small medium companies. 2) There is a problem in Melanies department. To change this, as an HR we can use Maslows hierarchy of need model. Abraham Maslow developed where humans have five needs which will fulfill their needs. Humans need begin with needs, which are vital to survive, and then one by one he try to satisfy higher needs. The needs are as follows: Physiological needs Safety needs Relationship needs, Self-esteem needs Self-actualization needs. In order to improve the organizational performance, it is vital that the company recognizes the individual need and provides openings for satisfaction for workers. At Innovative Prods Ltd., the worker works with fear because if they do something wrong they can be fired and also Melanie has establish a high power discipline. It can be result into a poor productivity. The most basic needs for an employee is to have a decent pay so he can live and make his family living. The safety needs to be fulfilled by having a security of work tomorrow. As we know there is a high level of labour turnover. The relationship need is very important because employees should have a direct contact with their boss. They constantly need to know that their boss is counting on them. They should fell valued. But Melanie does not even talk to her employee. She should start interaction with them so that the motivation level can increase. Melanie is proud of her productivity but she doesnt reward her employees and the need of recognition could enable them to have be valued into this company. Melanie should understand and appreciate her labors efforts rather than staying apart from them. To improve motivation: Esteem needs: Management can reward employees on accomplishing and reaching their targets. Or simply increasing their salary. Social needs: management can encourage teamwork Self-actualization needs: the management can propose professions in which the employees skills and competencies are fully utilized. However, Maslows hierarchy has some limitations in this case. For example, the eight workers may not have any safety needs with regards to their work. Herzbergs theory of motivation could be applied to the present case. For instance, a motivator would be to receive feedback on their performance. And then Melanie has to talk to her workforce about their performance.

Heating Ventilation And Air Conditioning

Heating Ventilation And Air Conditioning Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) constitutes up to 35 percent of energy used in manufacturing facilities. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning and refers to the equipment, distribution network and terminals used either collectively or individually to provide fresh filtered air, heating, cooling and humidity control in a building. A facility can have any combination of heating and cooling sources to supply the HVAC system. For heating a facility, a gas-or oil-fired boiler or furnace, heat pump, rooftop unit, new technology such as infrared radiation, or electric heat could be employed. Common cooling sources include rooftop units, chillers, heat pumps, air conditioner or some sort of off-peak cooling system. The Basic HVAC Design HVAC systems can vary in design and complexity. Air is taken through an outdoor air intake that is usually a louvered opening on the top or side of the building. Atmospheric pressure pushes the air through a damper, which regulates the amount of outdoor air (OA) taken in by the system. At this point, already conditioned return air (RA) from the system can be mixed with the outdoor air to form mixed air. The mixed air goes through pre-filter where larger dust particles; insects, leaves, etc. are caught. A more efficient filter is usually present to address small particles. After the filters, the air enters a centrifugal fan. Once exiting the fan outlet, the air is under positive pressure and being Pushed towards coils where the air is either heated or cooled, depending on the temperature of the air and the season. Under the coils lies a drain pan to collect any water condensing on the coils. If a humidifier or dehumidifier is needed it is usually incorporated into the cycle at this point. The air travels through ductwork where it reaches a distribution box and may travel through smaller ducts to supply the terminals, registers or diffusers into the workspace. Once the air reaches its destination, it is returned through an air register (usually through a louvered door that opens into a space above the ceiling tiles) in the form of return air that will become mixed air or exit the building. Air Conditioning Air conditioning is treating air for temperature, cleanliness and humidity, and directing its distribution to meet requirements of a conditioned space. Comfort air conditioning is when the primary function of the system is to provide comfort to occupants of the conditioned space. The term industrial air conditioning is used when the primary function is other than comfort. There are three basic types of air conditioners: à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ Direct expansion coolers include window air conditioners, heat pumps and packaged or rooftop units. Air is cooled and dehumidified as it moves past a cold, refrigerant-filled coil. à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ Chilled water systems use water cooled by a refrigeration machine instead of air. This cool water supplies a coil, which cools and dehumidifies the air. à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ Evaporative (or swamp) coolers are usually only appropriate in hot, dry climates and bring hot air in contact with a water spray or damp surface. The result is evaporation of moisture, which lowers the temperature of the air. What is Ventilation Ventilation is a process that either supplies or removes air from a space by natural or mechanical means. All air that is exhausted from a building must be replaced by outside air. Outside air must be brought to a certain temperature by makeup air units used throughout the building. Negative building pressure can be a problem during winter heating season and could lead to a number of other problems such as difficulty in opening doors and equipment operation. Air seeps through gaps around windows, doors and ducts. While designing HVAC systems for energy efficiency-cy, it is also good to take into account the design for human comfort. Good working conditions increase productivity and employee satisfaction. The HVAC design should incorporate: à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ a determination of indoor conditions and how energy use is affected; à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ the impact on equipment selection, ducting and register design; and à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™ determination whether certain conditions will be acceptable for comfort criterion. Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) Systems The main purposes of a Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system are to help maintain good indoor air quality through adequate ventilation with filtration and provide thermal comfort. The choice and design of the HVAC system can also affect many other high performance goals, including water consumption (water cooled air conditioning equipment) and acoustics. Codes and Standards Many state codes also specify minimum energy efficiency requirements, ventilation controls, pipe and duct insulation and sealing, and system sizing, among other factors. In addition, some states and localities have established ventilation and other indoor air quality related requirements that must also be followed. Design in accordance with ASHRAE standards Design systems to provide outdoor air ventilation in accord with ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2007 and thermal comfort in accord with ASHRAE Standard 55-1992 (with 1995 Addenda) Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy Ensure familiarity with, and adherence to, all state and local building codes and standards. Potential for Natural Ventilation and Operable Windows In some parts of the country, where temperature and humidity levels permit, natural ventilation through operable windows can be an effective and energy-efficient way to supplement HVAC systems to provide outside air ventilation, cooling, and thermal comfort when conditions permit (e.g., temperature, humidity, outdoor air pollution levels, precipitation). Windows that open and close can enhance occupants sense of well-being and feeling of control over their environment. They can also provide supplemental exhaust ventilation during renovation activities that may introduce pollutants into the space. However, sealed buildings with appropriately designed and operated HVAC systems can often provide better indoor air quality than a building with operable windows. Uncontrolled ventilation with outdoor air can allow outdoor air contaminants to bypass filters, potentially disrupt the balance of the mechanical ventilation equipment, and permit the introduction of excess moisture if access is not controlled. Strategies using natural ventilation include wind driven cross-ventilation and stack ventilation that employs the difference in air densities to provide air movement across a space. Both types of natural ventilation require careful engineering to ensure convective flows. The proper sizing and placement of openings is critical and the flow of air from entry to exit must not be obstructed (e.g., by closed perimeter rooms). Designers should consider the use of natural ventilation and operable windows to supplement mechanical ventilation. Consider outdoor sources of pollutants (including building exhausts and vehicle traffic) and noise when determining if and where to provide operable windows. If operable windows will be used to supplement the HVAC system, ensure that: openings for outdoor air are located between 3-6 feet from the floor (head height); the windows are adjustable and can close tightly and securely; the windows are placed to take maximum advantage of wind direction, with openings on opposite sides of the building to maximize cross-ventilation. Selection of HVAC Equipment In most parts of the country, climatic conditions require that outdoor air must be heated and cooled to provide acceptable thermal comfort for building occupants, requiring the addition of HVAC systems. The selection of equipment for heating, cooling and ventilating the school building is a complex design decision that must balance a great many factors, including heating and cooling needs, energy efficiency, humidity control, potential for natural ventilation, adherence to codes and standards, outdoor air quantity and quality, indoor air quality, and cost. Where feasible, use central HVAC air handling units (AHUs) that serve multiple rooms in lieu of unit ventilators or individual heat pumps. Although there are many different types of air handling units, for general IAQ implications in schools, air handling units can be divided into two groups: unit ventilators and individual heat pump units that serve a single room without ducts; and central air handling units that serve several rooms via duct work. Unit ventilators and heat pumps have the advantage of reduced floor space requirements, and they do not recirculate air between rooms. However, it is more difficult to assure proper maintenance of multiple units over time, and they present additional opportunities for moisture problems through the wall penetration and from drain pan and discharge problems. Central air handling units have a number of advantages as compared to unit ventilators and heat pumps serving individual rooms. Features for air handling units: Double-sloped drain pan and drain trap depth Double-sloped drain pan A double-sloped pan prevents water from standing and stagnating in the pan. Non-corroding drain pan Made from stainless steel or plastic. Prevents corrosion that would cause water to leak inside the AHU. Easy access doors All access doors are hinged and use quick release latches that do not require tools to open. Easy access to filters, drain pans, and cooling coils is imperative. Double wall cabinet The inner wall protects the insulation from moisture and mechanical damage, increases sound dampening, and is easier to clean. Tightly sealed cabinet Small yet continuous air leaks in and out of the AHU cabinet can affect IAQ and energy. The greatest pressure differentials driving leaks occur at the AHU. Double wall doors with gaskets Double wall doors provide better thermal and acoustic insulation, and will remain flatter, allowing a better seal against door frame gaskets Minimum 2 inch thick filter slots For better protection of the indoor environment, as well as the equipment and ducts, the filters slots should be able to accommodate 2 in. or thicker filters. Extended surface area filter bank To reduce the frequency of filter maintenance and the cost of fan energy, the bank is designed to allow more filter area, such as the deep V approach or bags. Air filter assemblies (racks housings) designed for minimum leakage The filter bank should have gaskets and sealants at all points where air could easily bypass the air filters, such as between the filter rack and the access door. Use properly gasketed manufacturer supplied filter rack spacers. Air filter monitor A differential pressure gauge to indicate the static pressure drop across the filter bank. This feature could easily be installed as an option in the field. Corrosion resistant dampers links All moving parts such as pivot pins, damper actuators, and linkages are able to withstand weather and moisture-induced corrosion for the full life of the system Location of Outdoor Air Intakes and Exhaust Sloped Intake Plenum and Accessible Intake Screen Proper location of outdoor air intakes can minimize the blockage of airflow and intake of contaminated air. The bottom of air intakes should be at least 8 inches above horizontal surfaces (generally the ground or the roof) to prevent blockage from leaves or snow. In northern locations, more separation may be needed due to greater snow depths or drifting snow. Intakes should not be placed within 25 feet of any potential sources of air contaminants, including sewer vents, exhaust air from the building, loading docks, loading areas, garbage receptacles, boiler or generator exhausts, and mist from cooling towers. If the source is large or contains strong contaminants, or if there is a dominant wind direction in the area, the minimum separation distance may need to be increased. Air admittance valves, an inexpensive and code-approved one-way air valve, can be added to sewer vents to eliminate the potential for release of gases into the surrounding air. Grilles protecting air intakes should be bird- and rodent-proofed to prevent perching, roosting, and nesting. Waste from birds and other pests (e.g., rats) can disrupt proper operation of the HVAC system, promote microbial growth and cause human disease. The use of outdoor air intake grilles with vertical louvers, as opposed to horizontal louvers, will reduce the potential for roosting. Intake Screens must be accessible for inspection and cleaning. In existing buildings, an insufficient amount of ventilation air is often the result of clogged intake screens that are inaccessible for inspection and cleaning. Screens hidden by an intake grille should be designed with a grille that is easily opened, such as a hinged grille with two quick-release latches, or in the worst case, a grille with four one-quarter turn fasteners. All screens should be easily removable for cleaning. Consider adding a section of sloped intake plenum that causes moisture to flow to the outside or to a drain if intake grilles are not designed to completely eliminate the intake of rain or snow. Air Distribution and Duct Insulation Dirt and moisture should not be present in duct systems, and must be controlled to prevent mold growth. However, it is not always possible to assure that ducts remain dirt and moisture free. In many existing buildings, sheet metal ducts, as well as those constructed of or lined with insulation products, are often contaminated with mold because dirt and moisture found their way into the system. Duct board and duct liner are widely used in duct systems because of their excellent acoustic, thermal, and condensation control properties. If the HVAC system is properly designed, fabricated, installed, operated and maintained, these duct systems pose no greater risk of mold growth than duct systems made of sheet metal or any other materials. However, the very properties that make duct board and duct liner superior insulators (e.g., a fibrous structure with large surface area that creates insulating air pockets), also makes them capable of trapping and retaining moisture if they do get wet (though the fibers themselves do not absorb moisture). While there is an ongoing debate about the wisdom of using insulation materials in duct systems that might retain moisture longer, all sides agree that extraordinary attention to preventing moisture contamination of the duct work should be the primary strategy for preventing mold growth. As a secondary strategy, designers should consider methods of reducing the potential for future problems to occur due to unforeseen moisture contamination by investigating insulation products now on the market that minimize the potential for moisture to penetrate the insulation material. These include foil vapor retarders, tightly bonded non-woven vapor retarders, butt or shiplap edges, and other techniques that have been developed by insulation manufacturers to address concerns about moisture. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schooldesign/hvac.html Water supply Water has the unfortunate quality of being heavier than air. it weighs 62.4 pounds per cubic foot. This mass requires a pressure of 0.433 psi to lift water one foot (62.4 lbs/144 in in ft). To put it another way, one psi will lift water 2.31 feet (1/0.433). In a single story building with 70 psi in the street, this can be insignificant. In a high-rise building, this factor will drive the design of both the hot and cold water systems. First, high and low pressures need to be determined. Plumbing codes usually limit the high water pressure to 80 psi. Using 70 psi will result in more manageable flow rates at the fixtures, reduced water hammer and lower velocities. These characteristics will result in lower operating costs and a longer life of the system. Codes often limit the low water pressure to 20 psi, unless there are fixtures such as flush valves that require greater pressures. Nevertheless, a minimum pressure of 40 psi is recommended for the comfort of the end users. With a pressure differential of 30 psi, a zone can be no more than 69 feet in height (30 ft x2.31 ft/psi). Using a typical floor to floor height, for a hotel, of 11 feet, no more than six floors can be served by a single zone. The next step is to determine the system pressure. The suction pressure can be determined by adding the street pressure and the elevation gain (assuming your booster pump is in the basement). Adding the anticipated losses including friction, elevation and PRV falloff to the minimum pressure results in the system pressure. Subtracting this from the street pressure yields the boost pressure. The manufacturer will also need to account for internal losses in the booster pump system. Booster pumps today can be configured in any number of ways. With advancements in pumping technology, vented roof tanks are a thing of the past. A constant speed pump, carefully calculated, could operate without PRVs. If so, PRVs might be required at the top floor, and shutoff head must be checked. Shutoff head is the system pressure resulting from the demand approaching zero. It can be determined by adding the suction pressure to the pressure indicated on the far left end of the pump curve. In some cases, this pressure can exceed the capacity of the piping system. If PRVs are provided on the pump discharge, problems with shutoff head can be eliminated outside of the booster pump package but must still be checked within the package. A better solution is a variable speed booster pump. By tracking pressure, flow or electrical current, a variable speed booster pump can deliver constant pressure at any flow rate. This provides a more predictable system pressure and saves electricity at t he same time. Regardless of pump type, the lower zones in a high rise will need PRVs. In most cases, for economical reasons, direct acting PRVs are used. A more consistent pressure can be maintained by using two valves piped in parallel (figure 1). The smaller valve may be sized to handle 1/3 of the flow rate at an acceptable falloff pressure. The larger valve is then sized for 2/3 of the flow rate at the same falloff pressure. If the smaller valve is set for 75 psi and the larger valve is set for 70 psi, then under low flow the larger valve will be closed and the smaller, more accurate valve will regulate the pressure. A relief valve is required downstream of the PRVs and will require an indirect waste receptor, which is often overlooked in the design of these stations. In many cases, the lowest of all zones may not require a boost in pressure. If so, a separate branch in the main, prior to the booster pump, could serve several lower floors, saving installation and utility costs. The maximum number of floors that can be served depends on the materials used. The booster pump, valves, piping and appurtenances must all be capable of handling the maximum pressure at the base of the riser. Understanding pressure ratings can get quite involved. Bronze, threaded, class 150 valves are limited to 200 psi at 150 F, while the more expensive class 200 valves are limited to 400 psi. Iron, class 125 valves up to 12 in size are also limited to 200 psi at 150 F, while the more expensive class 250 valves are limited to 500 psi. The correct valves must be specified in the booster pump package and in the piping system, at least for the lower floors. At higher floors, the pressure falls; good practice is to reduce the class of valves when a safe working pressure has been reached. Pressure gauges and other small devices are often overlooked, along with, surprisingly, the piping. The maximum safe working pressure of 6 hard drawn copper tube at 150 F is 376 psi, and the maximum gauge working pressure of the solder joint (assuming 95-5 tin-antimony solder) is 375 psi, but the rated internal working pressure of the fitting is only 213 psi. As such, serving more than 40 floors can be difficult at best. One solution, to add a few more floors, is to use stainless steel pipe. The typical joint working pressure of schedule 10S can be 300 psi and schedule 40S can be 600 psi depending on the couplings used. When serving even taller high rise buildings, a secondary pumping station must be used (figure 2). In this scenario, a lower pump serves the bottom half of the building and also feeds the suction side of the higher pump, which in turn serves the top half of the building. Particular attention must be given to the simultaneous control of these pump sets; a buffer tank may be necessary to maintain a constant suction pressure at the higher tank Alternatively, two lower pumps can be provided, one for the lower fixtures and one to feed the higher pump. This separation of the upper and lower building systems will allow for more independent control over pressures and can be useful for maintenance. In most high rises, the water is pumped up to the PRV stations that are located at the top of the zones. The downstream risers and branch piping then downfeed to the fixtures. This decision, however, can be affected by the type of fixtures and the location of the hot water heater. In an upfeed system, the pressure loss due to friction and the pressure loss due to elevation are additive; the worst case is the top of the system where the pressure is lowest. In a downfeed system, at least for smaller pipe sizes, the friction pressure loss will be somewhat offset by the pressure gain from downfeeding. Also, since the friction loss is greatest at the bottom of the system where the pressure is greatest, smaller branch pipes can be utilized. The result is a more consistent static and dynamic pressure, providing a better experience for the end user. An economic analysis often reveals that the cost of the express riser, the upfeed pipe that has no connections, is less than the savings from the smaller branch piping. It is strongly recommended that the hot and cold water in any building feed in the same direction. Otherwise, the cold water friction losses may be at a minimum where the hot water friction losses are at a maximum. Even with pressure balancing shower valves, a differential pressure of 50% could have disastrous results. If the water heater is on the roof, a downfeed system makes good sense. The design of hot water systems is outside of the scope of this article. Engineers often return this hot water to the central water heater. Doing so can create a system that is very difficult to balance. Even when each zone is protected by a check valve, the pressure from the higher zone will often prevent the lower zones from circulating at all. A better approach is to circulate within each zone (figure 3). A fractional horsepower pump and a small electric tank type heater work well. Five gallons and three to nine kilowatts will handle six floors of almost any footprint since the water is only reheating from 110 F to 120 F. Since the pressure is already reduced, the circulating pump and reheat tank can be placed on any floor. Dont forget about the main hot water riser. It must still be circulated back to the central system to ensure that this large column of water does not get cold overnight. One final issue to consider in both hot and cold water distribution is the ability to purge air from the system. There are manual air vents the best way to purge air from the system is simply to provide horizontal distribution on the floor below the highest floor in each zone. This allows the air to collect in each riser and float to the top, where it is purged every time that a fixture on the top floor is used. This is rarely noticed by the end user unless the fixture is seldom used. http://www.plumbingengineer.com/june_08/highrise_feature.php Drainage Pressure control on the drainage side presents other challenges. water is essentially the same in either system; however, drainage theory holds that considerable air travels downward with the water flow. This theory asserts that water flowing in a vertical pipe tends to adhere to the pipes walls, acting very much like a sleeve of water with a hollow core of air, all sliding down the pipes walls until it reaches a ratio of approximately 6/24 full of the pipe cross-sectional area. This watery sleeve travels at almost 15 feet per second (fps), propelled by gravity but restricted by friction. When the piping remains vertical, the entrained air is relatively simple to control, but when piping offsets from the vertical, the fluid flow velocity drops considerably, filling the entire pipe diameter. Horizontal, sloped drainage piping should flow in the 4-8 fps range, so it is easy to see that a large slug of water can quickly develop. This can lead to compressing air in the path of the fluid and/or lowering air pressure on the leaving side of the fluid flow. The impact of these fluid and air fluctuations can be controlled by effective use of yoke vents, relief vents, and vent connections at the bases of stacks. the solutions are largely not unique and have been used successfully on many intermediate-height and even extremely tall high-rise buildings. A related concern is the impact of the hydraulic jump on the piping itself. The mass of water and the rapid change of velocity from vertical to horizontal cause this jump. While the pressure associated with this jump is significant, it does not destroy the fitting at the base of the stack. Rather, the movement of the pipe stresses the frictional forces that hold the joint to the pipe, leading to eventual coupling failure. Good design must compensate for the strong thrust that occurs at this change of direction. Successful methods include increasing the horizontal drain size and/or slope, using thrust blocks, or using restraining joints with threaded rod or similar arrangements that mechanically anchor the fitting to the entering and leaving piping. Once the water is raised and used, it is discharged to a drainage system that includes an attendant venting system, which is responsible for the flow of air in the drainage piping network. Air is critical to the drainage process because drainage flow is caused by sloping pipes, and the motive force is gravity. Absent air, the drainage would range from erratic to nonexistent. When the water in a pipe flows to a lower area, air must be added to replace the water, or a negative pressure zone will occur. If this zone is near a fixture, air will be drawn into the drainage system through the fixture trap with an easily identified gulping sound and very slow drain performance. This condition leads to poor performance throughout the drainage system and trap seal loss due to siphoning or blowout. The remedy for this condition is venting. At the individual fixture level, this consists of a fixture vent. As the number of fixtures increases, venting needs do as well, and a venting system evolves, with branch, circuit, and loop vents at the appropriate locations. When dealing with high-rise drainage stacks, a vent stack should be attendant, allowing for pressure equalization and re lief along the height and breadth of the system. Aside from relieving pressure in the drainage system, the vent system allows air to circulate in both directions in response to the fluctuating flow in the drainage system. In many high-rise vent designs, where stacks need to offset horizontally on a given floor, a relief vent is required. Although not often highlighted, the building venting system also serves to supplement the vent for the municipal sewer, relieving noxious or even hazardous gases and allowing the sewer to drain without pressure limitation. Fire Protection One area that should not be overlooked in any high-rise design is the fire protection systems. As a minimum, all high-rise buildings should have sprinkler systems on each floor and standpipe systems in each stairwell. These systems have proven themselves throughout the years to significantly save both life and property. The specific type, coverage density, and outlet placement all vary based on the building type, height, and location and local fire authorities. All high-rise buildings containing fire protection systems have large, dedicated fire pumps to provide the flows and pressures required for the individual system. While not always tasked with these system designs, plumbing engineers need to know that these systems are an integral part of the building and must account for their presence regarding equipment space, riser locations, and ceiling cavities. Wet systems in commercial spaces must be designed as a minimum to criteria for Light Hazard (0.10 gpm/sq. ft. over the remote 1,500 sq. ft. of floor area). Sprinkler piping on floors up to the 2nd floor shall be sized for street pressure only. Standpipe systems shall be provided .In particular: a. The standpipe risers shall be interconnected and have isolation valve for each standpipe. b. Two four-way fire department connections shall be provided on separate streets, piped to separate standpipe risers. c. At least one fire department connection shall be piped to the standpipe side of an isolation valve. d. FDCs must be located at an approved location. e. A Fire hydrant must be located within 50ft of the FDC g. Roof and floor remote areas must be within 200 feet of hose travel distance from a protected standpipe hose connection. Standpipe risers shall be combination standpipe/sprinkler risers using a minimum pipe size of 6 inch. One 2-1/2 inch hose connection shall be provided on every intermediate floor level landing in every required stairway and elsewhere as required. Two separate water supplies are required for the sprinkler/standpipe system. One must be a permanent City water main connection and the second must be a dedicated reservoir. http://www.newcomb-boyd.com/pdf/high-rise%20article.pdf

Physics of Lightning Essay -- physics lightning thunder weather

In ancient times, lightning was seen as a tool of the gods. In Viking legend, it was Thor’s hammer striking an anvil in the sky that was responsible for lightning. For the Greeks, it was Zeus who threw lightning down to the earth. North American Indian tribes thought that lightning was produced by a mystical bird with flashing feathers whose flapping caused thunder. Even now, hundreds of years after the first scientific work with lightning, people remain in awe of its power. In the 18th century, the first systematic scientific study of lightning was carried out by Benjamin Franklin. Before Franklin’s experiments, electrical science had grown to the point of separating positive and negative charges, and had developed primitive capacitors. The sparks produced in laboratories were noted as similar to lightning, but it was Franklin who designed an experiment to prove that lightning was electrical. Benjamin Franklin believed that clouds must be electrically charged, which would mean that lightning must also be electrical. For his first experiment, he stood on an electrical stand with an iron rod in one hand to achieve an electrical discharge between the other hand and the ground. If Franklin’s belief that the clouds were electrically charged was correct, then sparks should leap between the iron rod and a grounded wire held by and insulating wax candle. This test method was published in London and performed in both England and France. Thomas Francois D’Alibard of France was the first to successfully perform this experiment in May of 1752, when sparks were seen jumping from the iron rod during a thunderstorm. Before Benjamin Franklin achieved results from his first experiment, he devised a better way of testing his hyp... ...wave). Lightning is often seen long before its thunder is heard. This is because sound travels at about 343 m/s though air, much more slowly than 3.00x108 m/s, the speed of light. While a lightning strike takes less than a second to complete, the sound of its thunder often lasts much longer. There are many reasons for this. The shape of the lightning bolt is a major factor, as all parts are not an equal distance from the listener. Sound produced by closer portions of the bolt will be the first of the thunder a listener hears, and sound produced by portions of the bolt that are farther away will be heard later. Another factor is that objects on the ground interfere with the sound, and echoes from hills and other objects can perpetuate thunder. Often lightning occurs in groups, so the sounds from multiple bolts sometimes overlap to cause longer lasting thunder.

History Of Birth Control :: Contraceptives, Birth Control Essays

History of Birth Control Although birth control has been practiced since ancient times, the first organized efforts developed during the 19th century as population increased dramatically because of improved medical care, nutrition, and sanitation. However, birth control met with resistance. In 1873 the United States Congress enacted the Comstock Law, which prohibited the distribution of birth-control devices and information. During the early 1900s, American nurse Margaret Sanger led the birth-control movement in the United States. She and others opened clinics to provide women with information and devices. Although frequently jailed, she and her followers were instrumental in getting laws changed. In subsequent years, laws against birth control gradually weakened, and more effective methods were developed. Now a days there are several different methods of birth control. The first that I am going to talk about is called the rhythm method. As its synonym implies, this method is based on the assumption that, for each women, there is a rhythmic pattern of menstruation and ovulation that can be identified by keeping a careful record of the dates of menstruation. A second assumption is that ovulation occurs 14 days before the onset of the next menstruation. The rhythm method is the most commonly used of the natural methods. To be used successfully a record should be kept for at least six menstrual cycles. The fertile period is then defined by a set of rules for example: The length of the shortest cycle less 18 days marking the start of the fertile period and the length of the longest cycle less 11 days marking the end of the fertile period. This is the only birth control method that has received the Catholic Church’s seal of approval. The next natural way of avoiding the use of contraceptives is called the Basal body temperature method. In a normal, ovulatory cycle the temperature of the body measured on awakening, called the basal state, rises by 0.2C to 0.5C during two or three days following ovulation. This rise is defined as one in which three consecutive daily temperatures are at least 0.2C higher than the six daily temperatures preceding the shift. This rise reflect the secretion of progesterone from the corpus luteum. The unplanned pregnancy rate of this method is about 11.

Why People Commit Murder

What Triggers People to Commit Murder? Alicyn Nitsch Criminology April 17, 2013 Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide. (Wikipedia) In most countries, a person convicted of murder is typically given a long prison sentence, possibly a life sentence where permitted, and in some countries, the death penalty may be imposed for such an act. (Wikipedia) Murder has been a common crime in the United States and it has taken a lot of influence for kids and teens.  Control Key and Word – Text and Graphics.The rate of killings in the U. S. involving five or more victims — one generally accepted definition of a mass killing — represented less than 1% of all homicides 25 years ago, and still does today. (Kluger,Jeffery)Though it is difficult to have a control on such factors but a little attention of parents on their children can minimize growth of criminal nature in their kids. Education is another criterion of prevention of such criminal activities. Education makes a person to distinguish between right and wrong and makes him stable and balanced.He is thus able to withstand any kind of circumstances and develops a potential to overcome any situation. (Shipali, Sharma) Murders are committed for many different reasons. One major reason people commit murder is due to anger. People are often confronted with feelings of disappointment, frustration and anger as they interact with government officials, co-workers, family and even fellow commuters. (Greeneimer, Larry) In Anger, a person often tends to lose his senses. He loses the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Also, the rush of adrenaline makes him to commit crime.What turns anger into action is self-control. Watching a movie showing violent acts predisposes us to act violently. Even just listening to violent rhetoric makes people more inclined to be violent. Iron ically, the same mirror neurons that make people empathic make them very vulnerable to all sorts of influences. Indeed, after many years of studies on mirror neurons and their functioning, scientists are shifting their lab research to the study of the control mechanisms in the brain for mirror neurons. The key issue is the balance of power between these control echanisms are called top-down—because they are all like executives that control from the top down to the employees—and bottom-up mechanisms, in the opposite direction, like mirror neurons. This anger could turn into something deadly such as revenge. Revenge can make a person to commit crime. When a person is not able to take revenge by direct means then he adopts indirect and unlawful means to punish his enemy. Peer influence and poor parenting skills are the reasons for easily giving up the path of honesty and truth. Signs that a person is disturbed enough to take action are quite visible.When it does happen, t he people likeliest to commit the crime fall into a drearily predictable group. They're 95% male, and 98% are black or white — not a big surprise since more than 87% of the population is made up of those two races. action itself is a sign, a desperate form of communication from a disturbed individual. Connecting with the subject, that person may have rethought some of the activity of mirror neurons toward a truly empathic behavior, rather than in the service of the deranged imitative violence leading to action. The violence shown in Televisions is also highly responsible in negatively affecting one’s mind.Kids and teenagers generally try to mimic the stunts and the violence acts shown in the TV. The violent games of video games and computer games are very famous among kids and teens. Such games and scenes shatter their innocent brain and are responsible for making them aggressive and violent. Another key note in why people commit murder is due to mental health and past experiences. According to neuropsychologist Jonathan Reed; 49. 4% had a developmental disorder in childhood, 87% had a brain injury, 85% had a history of substance abuse, 45% had a psychiatric history and 35% have had a history of abuse in childhood.Exactly what is going on in their heads can never be known and the neuropsychological factors don’t explain the trigger or situation in which the murder took place. However, it is clear that there are neurological and neurodevelopmental factors going on here, and given what we know about these in childhood and from case studies, it is unclear how much control such individuals have in a given situation. (Reed, Jonathan) So many of these people’s problems seem to stem from experiences and events in their childhoods. People are not criminals by birth.Their circumstances, needs and their upbringing make them criminals. Another big factor that criminals are brought up by is poverty. Poverty is one of the main factors for commit ting a crime. When a person is helpless with no money in hand and a huge family to support then in such cases his circumstances forces him to take up the gun in his hand. There are many terrorist associations that hire such needy people for little money and use them in their criminal acts like murders, bomb explosions, kidnapping etc. Unemployment, which is another cause of poverty, is the main cause of aggression in today’s youth.Lack of job opportunities misleads the youth to take up this direction and earn money in this way. (Shipali, Sharma) The Greed of possessing materialistic things and the intense desire to have a luxurious life by any possible means leads a person to follow this track of crime. It is a human desire to lead his life luxuriously which is sometimes not possible in the little income of a person. (Shipali, Sharma) For this reason some people look up for easy and fast methods of gaining cash and they do not even hesitate to take up the life of some other i nnocent person. It’s greed that completely weighs over their judgment.

Natural resource conflict

Before we proceed to our discussion about the context of the Natural Resource Conflict, it is imperative to take first into account the definition of two terms which are always a part whenever troubles and chaos may arise. These two terms are Conflict and Security. According to (Kernerman Multi Lingual dictionary), security means â€Å"the state of being, or making safe, secure, free from danger etc while conflict is being defined as something to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance or in opposition; clash: a fight, battle, struggle, esp. a prolonged struggle; strife( dictionary.com unabridged). This two are sure to go hand in hand whenever trouble or in a larger scale WAR arises.I-   How and in what ways are conflicts over natural resources more issues of development and political economy, rather than security, traditionally conceived?Natural Resource Conflict is one of the most puzzling problems that the world nowadays is confronting. Some are resol ved through diplomatic manner while others are still being contested until now in the form of a hostile confrontation which hapless victims are usually the innocent civilians and children as well. Natural resource conflicts are commonly seen in the continent of Africa where according to a certain report in 1998 that 9 out of thirteen battle related conflict on Natural Resources had occurred (Scott Peg autumn 2003).The best answer to this question is that they are conceived as something that has got to do with â€Å"weak states, to the increased erosion of boundaries and to open or clandestine intervention from neighboring countries. There are a lot of examples to be considered in regard to this situation. One was the case of Sierra Leone, when that country was turned upside down by the atrocities of the group who called themselves the Revolutionary United Front. This group whose savagery and barbarism was confirmed by the presence of thousands upon thousands of people including chi ldren whose limbs and arms were cut off from their bodies.R.U.F. during it heydays period were using the vast amount of diamond deposits in Sierra Leone in order for them to purchase arms and ammunitions, that are necessary in their fight against the Country’s Government.. What is interesting about this was the inability of the government of Sierra Leone in arresting the major personalities of the group. In fact, what is quite ironic is that after the peace agreement. The government even let the R.U.F. to participate in the ensuing election. Instead of making them pay by sending them all to jail, for all the miseries and pain they have inflected towards the populace. If the government of Sierra Leone is committed and strong enough there is no reason why they can’t do it. What happened is a mere reflection of the weakness of the government.II- Internal and External Factors about the Natural Resource ConflictTalking about factors concerning the existence of Natural Resou rce Conflict, well, there are a lot to be counted as such.First we have to discuss about the 3 internal factors. These are the:1. Authority2. Ideology3. PoliticsSpeaking of Authority it means bureaucratic control and a system of rewards, which generates formal, but passive consensus.  About ideology it addresses a sense of mission, indoctrination, which results in formal but passive consensus.  Lastly is politics (power Game) it touches the result of temporary internal alliances and strong links with the external people of influence.  In regard to the external factors there are the so called:1.  Ã‚   Share holders2.  Ã‚   Financiers3.  Ã‚   Other individuals or groups of individuals having a stake in the behavior of the organization, such as political parties, trade unions, other formal and informal CSOs, powerful individuals with economic or ideological interests.We can cite as example are the sovereign Countries of Angola and Sierra Leone during the time when they were still struggling to resolve their respective insurgency problems. Both these governments at the time were hiring the services of Executive outcomes, a private military company. The purpose for these was to check the flow of diamonds from these countries which as had been alleged were perpetrated by insurgents in order to use the proceeds from this illegal trade in sustaining their effort of destroying the already extant government of both countries. It’s called illegal because the government had nothing to do with this trade. De Beers, the world’s larges trader of diamonds was even under pressure because some of its purchases were coming from these areas.III- The ActorsWhenever conflict arises it cannot be denied that there are a lot of organizations who are ready to share all their expertise just for the sake of concluding a certain conflict. Whether they are government sponsored or not, it should be noted that they’re here to help. One example for this was th e time when Kuwait was invaded by Iraq. The United States together with the assistance of several countries and under the complete approval of the U.N. was able to liberate Kuwait from the occupation of Iraq.IV-  Ã‚  Ã‚   The dynamics of Neo-Liberal CapitalismThe dynamics of Neo- liberal capitalism is an event that is greatly manifested by the massive growth of China, India and other countries which several years ago were still waddling along the seemingly unending mire of poverty and non-growth. It is the kind which leads to the resurgence of this so called globalization. It promotes drastic reforms concerning the economic status of one’s country and give abundant opportunities for countries to invest from one country to another.Naturally the more investments made to a certain country, the greater the economic growth that the recipient of these investments will experience. Like for example China. Its tremendous and dazzling economic growth started when it initiated the ref orm framed by the late Deng Xiao Ping. It opens China economically to foreign investments.The resulting effect is the way China is being treated nowadays, not only in Asia but throughout the world. However, growth sometimes will lead to certain negativity, like what happened to Japan in the middle of the 20th century. Because of its massive economic and industrial growth, it was forced to invade China and its neighboring countries. The reason for that was to gain control of those countries resources so that it can sustain and maintain the necessary materials for its huge industrial and economic sector.REFERENCES:Pegg, Scott. â€Å"Globalization and Natural Resource Confict- The New Strategic Environment.† http://findarticles.com/?noadc=1. 2003. Naval War College Review. 9 May 2007.