Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Human Security and Health
Human security Human security is a diverse concept that cannot be defined or determined by one scholastic view. The fact that people every day are exposed to different vulnerabilities and threats calls for many forms of human security. According to the UNDP human security includes adequate protection of all human beings from threats such as food, environmental, health, economic, personal, community and political insecurities. Human security and health According to Ivan Illich, health is basically an adaptation process. The process results from an autonomous and culturally shaped reaction to realities created by the social settings. Health can also be defined as the ability of a person or individual to normally exists and function in a relationship that his/ her cultural context allows at any point in his/her lifetime. Additionally, health can be viewed as the condition that results from that ability. Dubois believes health is the ability of people to adapt to the dynamic environme nt and the social situations that characterize life. Effectively the ââ¬Å"social situationsâ⬠refers to cultures that different people have. All the above are important to human survival. However, some carry more importance considering their effect on human beings on everyday life.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Human Security and Health specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Good health normally encompasses access to nutrition in the right amount and disease and stress free life. Human security is only possible if elements like survival, safety, opportunity, dignity, agency and autonomy are available. The above elements are crucial to the achievement of universal health for all people (Acharya 2001). The field of health has for a long time been hampered by gender differences and inequalities that have bred huge gaps between males and females situations. These differences affect the extent to which membe rs of both genders access health as a basic human security need. The elements listed earlier are a precursor to achieving good health and especially reducing vulnerability to HIV/Aids which is one of the biggest global health challenges. The third world is the most affected in terms of HIV infections and the aftermath impacts. Women form the majority of the people infected in these regions severely limiting their health hence rendering them insecure. In the third world, and specific instances of fairly advanced economies like china and Brazil, women and girls have a higher rate of HIV infection because of their dismal positions in terms of economic and social status. It severely impacts on their sovereignty standing that the UNDP stresses is one of the pillars of human security. According to Sovereignty Women in most cases are disadvantaged and underrepresented in various fields of human development especially literacy, income and education. According to statistics, (Garry and Murra y, 2001):Advertising Looking for assessment on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Two thirds of the worldââ¬â¢s over 800 million illiterate people are women The average pay for women who perform the same work as men is less by 30-40% In education, women are generally outnumbered by men in terms of enrolment and school completion Womenââ¬â¢s health and HIV Aids-the facts According to the WHO There has been a steady increase of adult women living with HIV/Aids since the year 2000 In selected places in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia, HIV/Aids has been cited as the leading killer of women Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of people infected with HIV/Aids and one of the places where more women than men are infected and dying with HIV/Aids Some studies have proven that women get infected with HIV at an early age compared to women of the same age group The above facts point to part of the nega tive impacts of gender related inequalities that have deprived women of the right to good health, which is critical to human security. Personal Perspective on Health and human security Human security is achievable. However, it depends on the personââ¬â¢s background and status. I have not experienced any discrimination, I have access t good health and my human security status is satisfactory. Everybody should be able to achieve that. Economic Empowerment and Poverty Hassan (2002) contends that Economic security and opportunity are necessary in bargaining for good health hence human security. Compared to men, women have less of both. According to facts: Poverty has necessitated the creation of a risky environment that increases chances of people especially women of getting infected with HIV. This is through the aggravation of the lack of access basic services like educations and health. Additionally, HIV has been cited as the cause of people losing their sources of livelihoods, st igmatization and failure to access good healthcare. Women and men infected by HIV has been pushed further into poverty due to persistent global inequalities Many governments have implemented austerity measures that have include slashing of expenditure on social programs like healthcare, education and social protection. In the aftermath, more women than men are affected especially considering the fact that women generally are at a disadvantage than men when everything is help constant HIV/Aids and food Security Buzan (2002) says that, Death through HIV has led to labour shortages in the areas most affected Women form the biggest portion of agricultural labour in third world countries. Effects from HIV have led to their declining productivity hence threatening food security in many households and larger communities There an intricate interaction between HIV/Aids related mortality, reduction of farm labour and the faltering economy of the households have forced elderly women in poor health in third world countries to assume responsibility for orphans under a very complicated human security situation War, human security, gender and HIV Aids According to (ul Haq 12), Women are exposed most in situations of war especially through rape and other related crimes In the aftermath of war, women are vulnerable and in higher risk of HIV especially through prostitution. Additionally, they are exposed to rape especially in the refugee camps Action There is need for a gender oriented approach to HIV/Aids within the context of human security. The approach should focus on increased roles of women in economic development Men should become more involve in HIV/Aids prevention and management especially given their positions as family heads, decision makers and bread winners. There is need to implement affirmative actions like the Beijing Plan for Action that will champion the rights of women as minorities Authorities must roll out and implement gender based HIV/Aids programs that are primarily aimed at improving the health of women hence their human security index Good governance and cooperation between countries on issues on gender, womenââ¬â¢s health and HIV/Aids Discussion questions What in your opinion surpasses human health in terms of importance? What other factors do you think are as important to human security as health? Do you have any experiences with an epidemic and / or pandemic? What is your countryââ¬â¢s situation on HIV/Aids? What in your opinion is the way out in eliminating health problems in developing countries? Primary Readings Gender, women and health: Gender inequalities and HIV https://www.who.int/gender-equity-rights/en/ HIV/AIDS as a human security issue: a gender perspective https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/hivaids/kristoffersson.htmAdvertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Human Security and Health specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Acha rya Amitay. ââ¬Å"Human Security in the Asia-Paciï ¬ c.â⬠In Mely C.Anthony and Mohamed Jawhar Hassan, eds. The Asia Paciï ¬ c in the New41 Overview of Health and Human Security Case Studies Millenium: Political and Security Challenges. Kuala Lumpur: Institute of Strategic and International Studies. 2001. Buzan, Bary. ââ¬Å"Human Security in International Perspective.â⬠In Mely C. Anthony and Mohamed Jawhar Deepa N , et al. Voices of the Poor Crying Out for Change. New York: Oxford University Press. 2000. Gary King and Murray Christopher. ââ¬Å"Rethinking Human Security.â⬠Political Science Quarterly 16(4): 585ââ¬â610. 2001. Hassan, eds. The Asia Paciï ¬ c in the New Millenium: Political and Security Challenges. Kuala Lumpur: Institute of Strategic and International Studies. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canada. 2002. Web. ul Haq, Mahbub. ââ¬Å"New Imperatives of Human Security.â⬠RGICS Paper No. 7. New Delhi: Rajiv Gandhi I nstitute for Contemporary Studies (RGICS), Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. 1994. This assessment on Human Security and Health was written and submitted by user Sylas B. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Why Immigration Is a Controversial Issue in Uk Essays
Why Immigration Is a Controversial Issue in Uk Essays Why Immigration Is a Controversial Issue in Uk Essay Why Immigration Is a Controversial Issue in Uk Essay Essay Topic: Controversial ââ¬Å"It was once believed that when you were born, you were a blank state and could be taught to learn different things in a variety of wayâ⬠(Gardner, H. Personal Learning Solution 2012) In this essay I will be talking about the importance of study skills for higher education. I will be identifying the different skills that are used both personal and professional and also providing some evidence towards my findings. The main skills I will be touching on will be people skills, reflective and creative skills, writing skills and also time management. I will be exploring how these skills have an importance in the higher education and viewing their similarity and differences between them. Study skills are the strategies and the different approaches used in learning to develop better understanding and knowledge for a life time. It is an essential piece of material that is needed for better grades in an exam, assignment etc and tackles problems such as bad organization, time management or writing skills which are useful for a life time. There are many different study skills that can be used in higher education in order to gain a successful qualification for a successful job application. It is important indentify your own personal learning style and develop on all the important study skills that helps with your learning. The reason for this is because it helps you remember and learn more and new information. It also allows you to do well in your essays/assignments and exams you are undertaking. Once your learning style has been identified and used, it will provide you with the opportunity to move up a level. There are different styles such as: The Diver: like to get on with it and get it out of the way The Dreamer: like to think a lot and research thoroughly The Logician: like things to make sense and reasons The Searchlight: like to see the bigger picture and find everything interesting (Cottrell, S. 2008. Third Edition. Pg59-60) The Dearing Report (1997) states that ââ¬Å"the key to future success of graduates ommunication skills, numeracy, use of ICT, learning how to learnâ⬠(heacademy. ac. uk) This report gives a clear understanding of the main skills need for a successful future. On the other hands in the theory of Gardnerââ¬â¢s, H (1983), he believes that everyone should be able to find 8 different areas to help with their learning, which may identify what they prefer (Gardner, H. Personal Learning Solution 2012). The first skill I will talk about is People S kills. This skill has a combination of inter-personal skill, which means the ability to work well with others in a team/group, and also intra-personal skills, which means the ability to manage your own attitudes and emotions within the environment (Cottrell, S. 2003. Pg 115). A people skill involves being able to communicate well with others and adapting to others within the team and interacting well amongst others. This skill can be turned into academic skills by making connections with groups in class, listening well to others allowing everyone to talk, being assertive without demonstrating any form of anger etc. This is one important skill that is needed for higher education which can be developed further for a successful job in the future. My second skill I will talk about is reflective and creative skills. This is a thinking process that can put you in deep thoughts aiming to gain a better understanding. It allows you to make sense of what your putting together, go over what you have, make any judgements and changes needed and also weighing up what you have to get better balance which includes taking different things into account. In the book of The Science Good Study Guide, it states that ââ¬Å"it is important that you take a systematic, analytical, strategic, and reflective approach to managing yourself and your studiesâ⬠(Northedge, A et al, 1997, pg 16). Creativity plays a big role in study skill because; you need to identify what strategies are suitable for you in learning. With this you can be as creative as you can to help you in the process. The third skill is writing skills. This skill can also be combined with organisation as you will need to learn how to organise your essays and assignments e. . introduction, main body and conclusion/evaluation. Writing is another form of communication. In higher education, when writing an essay/assignment, you are communicating what you know and understand of what you have learnt in class. This is why writing skills is very important so you know what youââ¬â¢re writing is clear for the reader. However as Cottrell (2008) stated that writing a good assignmen t is a hard and challenging process but is a very rewarding aspect of your studying. Your writing skill is something that can always be developed as you grow (The Study Skills Handbook. 2008. Pg167) The last skill I will talk about is time management. This is one of the most essential skill needed, not only for higher education but also for every other thing in life e. g. job, appointments, lectures, meetings etc. you need to know how long it requires for you to do something. Time is special because you cannot change time. I believe everyone has the same exact time on their hands; it depends on how itââ¬â¢s being used by the individual. Most students like myself will complain and say there is not enough time for their work, however what I have come to learn is that if time is managed widely it helps a lot with what you need to do or what you desire to do. In higher education, when time is managed well, it helps set your priorities straight, become more conscious with your decisions and also learn how to become more productive each day. In conclusion, I have come to read and understand how important study skills are in higher education. The first thing is to identify what type of learner you are and focus on the most important study skills. I have come across some understanding that if you lack in your study skills, there is a low chance of gaining good grades meaning less chance of a successful job application. As stated in the Dearing report (1997) the four main skills needed for success in the future and also Howard Gardnerââ¬â¢s theory explaining how creative you should be in different ways of learning such as finding 8 different areas to learn that may help with your learning. I believe that we learn something new every day giving us the opportunity to move up a level of intelligence.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Video Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Video Games - Essay Example With this, the company is also armed with more significant information relative to its competitors. The company capitalizes on its patent-pending technology and a wide network of exclusive publishers and developers. Massive is also capitalizes on the capability and experience of its management team, wide network, innovative ideas, and technological capability. The announcement of Microsoft last May formalized its acquisition of the in-game advertising pioneer. With its being a subsidiary of Microsoft, this brand equity is further enhanced while also increasing its reach and scope. Weaknesses. Prior to the acquisition by Microsoft, the major weakness of Massive Incorporated lies in its financial capability. As a start-up, the company lacked the much-needed financing to back its research and development program. It was also hard to take the risk of releasing new products without the financial muscle to back it up. Relative to its competitors, Massive lacks the capability of customizing it product offerings like what is being offered by Double Fusion. As opposed to IGA Worldwide, Massive's products are only applicable on a single platform. Opportunities.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Assignment 4 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Assignment 4 - Case Study Example If cooperation were present in the organization, relationships between employees and employers and among the employees would improve. Question #2 There are several problems facing Frank Questin as the Product Engineering Manager of the organization. First, he does not believe in himself with respect to his job. He constantly doubts his capacity to deal with complex situations despite being his very first time to hold a managerial position (Silverman 677). Second, he has managerial issues in that he does not complete most of his tasks on time. Additionally, his team management skills are lacking in spite of the fact that he has introduced teamwork in the organization. Third, the motivation of his employees is also deficient. This is because some of his employees are dissatisfied with their positions to the point that they would like to quit. Additionally, he receives and addresses many complaints in a day. Furthermore, at one time, he had some overdue performance appraisals. Question #3 Frankââ¬â¢s management style has certain pros and cons. The pros include that he facilitates and encourages teamwork and communication in the organization. ... Question#4 The major cause of conflicts among the major departments is the lack of a clear definition of roles and those responsible for these roles. This is the reason behind some employees being unavailable to help their peers in common challenges. Additionally, this has resulted in production of underperforming and faulty products. To resolve this issue, the manager must redefine all roles and ensure that all individuals are aware of their roles. This would improve the flow of work and thus reduce conflicts and complaints. Question #5 The organizational structure of Custom Chip has its pros and cons. The pros include that the employees are clearly aware of their immediate leaders. Additionally, the employees have a clear path through which they would get to a specific position when promoted. The cons include that although the employees know the immediate leader, they are not clear on a precise leader to whom they should turn for specific problems. Moreover, although the structure is clear, it does not fulfill its roles that include provision of clear work processes and roles for individual positions. Furthermore, the organization does not appear to have a specified culture that the employees follow. An organizationââ¬â¢s culture defines the values and behaviors of employees while performing their duties. In addition, the structure lacks innovation and flexibility. Here, self-regulating teams have not been established. Such teams are flexible and have the opportunity to test their ideas so as to facilitate innovation. Question #6 To improve the current situation, Frank should take specific appropriate steps that include variation of leadership styles. First, he
Monday, January 27, 2020
Force Plate Design And Use Health And Social Care Essay
Force Plate Design And Use Health And Social Care Essay Force plates are a powerful tool for examining the kinetic characteristics of an athletes movement. The plates offer a large variety of information about the external forces involved, but have very specific characteristics that define the potential quality of collected data. Through proper understanding of these qualities, and sound use of calibration, filtering, and sampling procedures, the user can ensure that the error disguising the signal of interest is minimized. Thus, the collected data is at its highest possible quality, and inference about the athlete in question is strongest. This paper deals with the aforementioned topics related to force plate design and use, including a section describing an example laboratory set-up. Keywords: force plate, filtering, sampling, data collection, kinetic Introduction Force is the entity that results in movement- it can be understood as a push, or pull, or simply, a tendency to distort a material. Measurement of force can allow a coach or sport scientist to quantitatively understand an athletes execution of a skill, or to assess an athletes physical progress. For example, assessment of the external forces applied to the ground by an athlete in a vertical jump provide a very good picture of the explosive abilities of an athlete, as well a very good indicator of the progress of those abilities if measured at multiple time points in a training program. Force plates and other force measurement devices are widely used to assess the external forces generated by athletes. Force plates in particular measure external ground reaction forces in up to three planes -vertical, anterior-posterior, and medial lateral. This data provides a picture of the interaction within an athlete-ground system, something extremely difficult to do without a force plate. It is important to distinguish between kinetic and kinematic analysis. Kinematics is related to movement, what is visually observable, e.g. positions velocities and directions, while kinetics refers to what causes the movement to occur (i.e. torques and forces), and is not directly observable. Force plates allow one to see the kinetic characteristics of a skill, and thus the forces that cause the precise execution of that skill. Force Plate Design and Use Force plates measure external forces based on the principles of Newtons third law- that an object exerting a force on another object has a simultaneous force exerted upon it that is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the original force exerted. Thus, the force plate measures ground reaction force (GRF). GRF is the force the ground exerts as a reaction (equal, opposite, and simultaneous) to the forces applied to the ground or other object by the athletes body (see Figure 1). This principle allows the researcher to determine the forces exerted by an athlete while in contact with the force plate. In a vertical jump for example, the athletes body mass and propulsion forces from the jump exert a push on the plate, causing a tendency of the plate to distort. This tendency is measured as GRF. The kinetic information obtained from force plate data then provides an understanding of the kinematic characteristics through a derivation of Newtons second law that the force on a body is directly proportional to the mass of the body and the acceleration of the body, represented by the equation force = mass X acceleration. Given that the forces can be measured by a force plate, and the mass of the athlete is known, a very good understanding of the kinematic characteristics of the skill can be obtained through calculation of the acceleration of the athlete using the aforementioned equation. Five important pieces of information can be obtained from a modern full featured force plate: force in the X, Y, and Z directions, the center of pressure, and moment (torque) around each of the axes. Each of these variables shows a picture of the forces exerted by an object (i.e. a limb) on the force plate. This data allows the investigator to determine a multitude of measures. For example, force plates have been used to study the take-off forces in pole vault technique (3) and the forces involved in the second pull in weightlifters (7); as it stands, the uses for force plates are numerous. Before analysis and use of the collected data, processing of the analog signal must occur. Figure 2 shows the complete flow of the force plate data, from the initial analog signal output (continuous voltage) from the force plate, to the final digital input signal leading into the final analysis. Force is applied to the force plate, which changes the excitation charge sent through the force plate in proportion to the force applied. That new charge is sent to an amplifier. Analog signal processing (some kind of filtering or smoothing of the signal) can occur. After the signal has been amplified, the current goes to a data acquisition device, where it enters an analog-digital converter which converts the continuous analog signal to a discrete digital signal. The newly-converted digital data is recorded as evenly spaced samples, and more processing of the digital signal can occur. It is at this point that the recorded digital signal can be analyzed. Load Cells Forces must be measured through indirect means, through a force transducer. A force transducer functions toconvert physical states into electrical signals (21). The load cells in a force plate transduce the force applied to the plate into a measureable electrical voltage and current. There are a variety of load cell types. Two commonly used load cells in force plates are piezoelectric transducers and strain-gauge load cells. Both types of load cells receive an excitation voltage input, and output an different electrical current which is proportional to the load experienced by the cell (based on Ohms Law: current = voltage / resistance) (1). The operation of each differs in a few distinct ways. Piezoelectric cells operate based on the fact that when a piezoelectric material has a force applied to it, a charge appears on the face of the material; This charge is proportional to the force applied. Recording of the resultant voltage allows calculation of the applied force. The strain gauge load cells operate on the fact that changes in electrical current occur when a metal or semiconductor is deformed (1, 19). A thin sheet of metal or semiconductor material is bonded to a metal object, which provides a solid structural device on which to apply the force. Deformations in the device and the bonded sheet result in changes of the electrical resistance of the bonded sheet, thus modifying the current that moves through the bonded sheet. Monitoring of these changes allow for calculation of the force applied to the device. A common form of the strain gauge is the shear beam load cell (1, 19). One end of the beam is anchored to a stable platform, while the other is extended so that it can receive a load. A foil sheet or semiconductor is bonded to the beam, and an electrical current is run through the sheet. Force applied at the end of the beam (perpendicular to the plane of the sheet) causes deformation of the beam, resulting in electrical resistance changes across the sheet bonded to the beam. This results in a different electrical current and allows measurement of the applied force. Shear beam load cells have the advantage of a high force capacity and accurate measurement, which can make them a good candidate for use in force plates. A typical tri-planar force plate is constructed with four three-component load cells (14). Each three-component cell measures force in the X, Y and Z direction, and the placement of the load cells allow for calculation of center of pressure, center of force and torque about the axes. The four load cells are arranged in each of the four quadrants of the force plate, evenly spaced from each other and from the edges. Moment about the axes, center of pressure and center of force can be calculated based from measurements from data from individual load cells and their respective locations on the forceplate. Typically, the forces that are transduced from force plates are summed from measurements from individual force transducers on the plate. For example, in a force plate with four load cells, one in each corner, vertical ground reaction force is calculated from the sum of the forces measured on each cell. Likewise, in a force plate that is capable of anterior-posterior measurement or medial-lateral forces, the forces of interest are the summed composed of the total of the load cells of the plate. Sampling Monitoring the changes in force applied to the force plate requires sampling at regular intervals. Sampling frequencies of 500 to 2000 hertz (Hz) have been noted in the more recent sport science literature, however a sampling frequency of 1000 Hz is perhaps most common (14). While substantial research has examined sampling frequency in a wide variety of applications (engineering, for example), substantially less has been done to examine sampling frequency in sport science, although several authors have evaluated the variability of vertical jump performance data with different sampling frequencies. Vanrenterghem, et al. (24) found that sampling frequencies of above 100 Hz were adequate and Hori, et al. (10) found that sampling at about 200 Hz was accurate enough for accurate measurement. Contrary to the previous authors, Street, et al. (23) found that sampling rates of less than 1080 Hz could lead to an underestimation of jump height (calculated via the impulse method) by up to 4.4%. Other authors have recommended a sampling frequency of 500 Hz or 1000 Hz in force plate research to ensure accuracy, especially when impact is involved (2). Sampling frequencies must be high enough to ensure accuracy of measurement and reduction of signal aliasing (where the recorded digital signal fails to accurately show the original signal due to inadequate sampling). The Nyquist Theorum suggests that the absolute minimum sampling frequency is two times the frequency of interest. Bartlett (2) recommends a sampling frequency of at least 500 Hz, however 1000 Hz is a common choice for force plate capture of human motion (14). High sampling frequency is especially important when creating force-time curves in the early time segments of the curve. For example, some performance monitoring testing evaluates forces applied in the first 50ms of application of force in the isometric mid-thigh pull (12). At a sampling frequency of only 200 ms, if one were to construct a force-time curve, only 11 data points could be used for constructing this 50ms long curve. While a polynomial function could be applied to the 11 data points, a greater degree of accuracy for the curve will be obtained with a frequency of 500 Hz or 1000 Hz, because there would be 26 and 51 data points, respectively, from which to construct a curve. Signal Amplification and Conditioning Data collected from the force plate is not useable until amplification and signal processing occurs. Typically, analog signals (the raw voltage values) from the force plate are amplified and sent to an analog to digital (AD) converter (14). The AD converter then converts the analog voltage signal into a scaled digital signal, a signal that is able to be processed by computer software. Custom software developed in programs like LabVIEWTM (National Instruments, Austin, TX, USA) or Matlab (Mathworks Incorporated, Natick, MA, USA) can perform signal processing to clean up some of the noise from the data for use. Other methods exist for smoothing data that can be done in spreadsheet software such as Microsoft ExcelTM (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA, USA). Many force plates come with proprietary software with filtering and smoothing methods included. Through the collection process, amplification and A/D conversion, there are a number of electrical noise sources that may contaminate the data (5). A number of methods exist for filtering the noise in the signal, in order to best isolate and identify the signal of interest. This filtering can be done on either the analog or digital signal, or both. A low-pass filter eliminates frequencies above a certain level defined in the method, while a high-pass filter eliminates frequencies below a designated level. As noise often occurs at higher frequencies, a low pass filter is able to eliminate much of the noise in the signal. Sometimes it is necessary to restrict the data collected to within a range of frequencies, during which time a band-pass filter can be used. Other times it is necessary to eliminate a certain range of frequencies from a signal; a notch filter will be able to accomplish that task. There are a multitude of signal processors and conditioners that are used in digital signal processing. Three common methods of reducing signal noise are Butterworth filters, splines and frequency domain techniques, such as Fourier Analysis (5). Yet another method is a moving average, which is relatively simple to calculate in Excel. Each of these methods operates differently, and provided that the optimal filter is applied to a signal, the end result is the same: the signal is less choppy and smoother, thus data is cleaner and easier to analyze (for more detailed information, the reader is directed toward Bartlett (2), Challis (5)) and Street, et al. (23). The general recommendation for filter choice is the one that most effectively and accurately isolates the signal of interest. Calibration Force plate calibration is necessary to establish a regression equation to calculate ground reaction forces from output voltage, as well as to ensure accuracy of data obtained from testing. Because force plates only provide an output voltage, a calibration equation must be used to calculate what the ground reaction forces actually are. Unfortunately, often little is done by researchers to address the proper calibration of force plates (9). While calibration of some of the testable variables of the force plate can be difficult, calibration is absolutely necessary given the immense error that can be introduced even with small errors in calibration (9). The general idea behind calibration is that a range of known forces is applied to the force plate to see the resultant voltage given by the load cells, allowing the creation of a regression equation (1). For the Z-direction, a common method of calibration is to place a range of dead weights of known mass on top of the force plate, which allows the researcher to calibrate based on the resulting output voltage of the known mass. Calibration of the horizontal forces, torque and center of pressure can be a more difficult endeavor. However, researchers have proposed methods of calibration that are possible in the laboratory environment, such as a pulley system for X- and Y-direction calibration as proposed by Hall, et al. (9). In the pulley system, a regression equation is built from the output voltages with progressively higher (horizontally) applied loads. A pendulum system for dynamic calibration designed by Fairburn, et al. (6) is also a possibility for more advanced calibration. In-laboratory testing would allow a laboratory to avoid the potentially expensive calibration that is done by the force plate companies and private metricians. Technical Information of Note Force plate technical reports typically contain a data table with information about some or all of the following: linearity, hysteresis, crosstalk, and/or natural frequency. Each of these items provides valuable information about the characteristics of the force plate, as each affects the data obtained from it. Refer to Table 1 for recommended ranges. Linearity Linearity is the maximum deviation of collected force plate data from a straight line (2). Perfect linearity is ideal, but is not necessarily a requirement for accurate data collection and analysis, as it can be calibrated for by applying a higher order polynomial to the data points(2). Linearity can be expressed as: ( Where y=maximum deviation from linearity, and Y=full scale deflection (8). Full scale deflection refers to the voltage output with the highest load within the limit of the force plate. Dividing deviation from linearity by the highest voltage achieved gives a relative measure of linearity, and allows comparison to a standard. Hysteresis Hysteresis is the difference in output values seen during the loading and unloading of a material (2). This is a quality that should also be minimized, as many force plate measurements involve both a loading and unloading component (see Figure 3). For example, large hysteresis in a load cell might over-estimate the forces in the eccentric portion of a squat, while correctly estimating the forces during the concentric portion. Hysteresis is sometimes seen as a result of a mechanical lag in deformity return to normal shape occurring during loading of the force transducers. Hysteresis can be calculated with the equation: ) Where XL = output voltage for a given load during loading, XU = output voltage for the same given load during unloading, and Z =full scale deflection (2). Cross-Talk Many force plates measure forces in multiple planes; the components required to measure the different directions generally have at least a minor amount of cross-talk. Cross-talk refers to the interference of force in one component direction with the measurement of force by a component in another direction (2). It is important that this quality is minimized, so that forces from one plane are not measured on another, thus falsely attributing forces to an incorrect source. Bartlett (2) stated that less than 3% of full-scale deflection is preferable. Natural Frequency Maximum Frequency Ratio When struck, every object has a frequency at which it will tend to vibrate, (5). Force plates, as they are constructed of multiple materials, sometimes have multiple natural frequencies. Force plate manufacturers often report the natural frequency of the force plate when set up according to manufacturer specifications. This natural frequency should be significantly higher than that of the measurement, as it greatly increases the ease of isolating the measurement signal from the plate vibration. Force plates generally have high natural frequencies to aid in the ease of isolation through filtering. For example, the Kistler Type 9281E Triplanar force plate has a natural frequency of 1000 Hz (Kistler Group, Winterthur, Switzerland). The high natural frequency of this force plate is high enough to measure the impact activities of sports, which can surpass 100 Hz (2). The ratio of frequency of the measured skill to natural frequency (Maximum Frequency Ratio) should be less or equal to 0.2, so that the information of interest in the signal can be effectively isolated from the natural frequency of the plate. Minimizing Error The possibility of inaccurate measurements must be minimized if accurate conclusions are to be drawn. Certain steps can be taken to reduce the possibility of error, although even the most optimal setup will have at least a small amount of error. First and foremost, if a user does not know how to properly use the force plate and the software associated with it, the largest source of error may be the user himself. In this article, it is emphasized that with a proper education and the right information, the reader of this paper should be able to understand the basics of using a force platform, thus severely reducing potential for user error. Adherence to the recommendations by Bartlett (2) will also serve to ensure accuracy of the data collected by the plate. Any deviance of the force plate characteristics outside of the recommendations increases the risk of inaccuracy. For example, Lees and Lake (14) and Hall, et al. (9) showed how cross-talk of even 1% could introduce a large amount of error in certain gait measurements. Calibration should occur over a range of loads, from unloaded to above the highest expected load, within the manufacturer-specified loads of the force plate (if the expected loads are outside of the range, then a new plate with greater load range is necessary). For example, in an isometric pull, where measurements of vertical ground reaction force can exceed 7000 N or more (4), the force plate should be calibrated in the Z-axis with loads ranging from 0kg to more than 700kg. For horizontal calibration, a pulley system, like the one designed by Hall, et al. (9) would suffice. Dynamic calibration can be a bit more tricky, requiring expensive equipment or complex methodology. This can be done by major force plate companies or by private metricians. It is also extremely important to install and adjust force plates based on manufacturer recommendations. Manufacturer-reported technical data about the force plate (e.g. hysteresis, linearity) are measured and determined under set conditions. Recommendations for where the force plate is installed, the type of flooring installed on and which floor level it is installed on must all be followed. A level surface for installation is required. Should the conditions during use deviate from those specified by the manufacturer, there is the possibility that those reported qualities (linearity, hysteresis) are no longer accurate. Even with an ideal setup, there remain other sources for error. Other such sources of error are thermal noise, chemical noise, and electrical interference. Thermal noise is associated with the temperature of the device in use. Part of the reason for allowing a device to warm up is so that thermal noise is allowed to stabilize, as rising component temperatures result in changing electrical noise. Chemical noise is random noise that exists everywhere, and comes from variations in temperature, humidity, pressure and other sources. Electrical noise results from devices around the testing area that use electricity, such as lighting and equipment. Electrical noise is at 60 Hz and progressively weaker at its harmonics- 120 Hz, 180 Hz, etc. For example, if a force platform is placed in a room that has fluorescent lights, air conditioning/heat, and the building is located near power lines, electrical noise may be a substantial source of interference. In all devices, the measured value is the result of the true score plus error. While one can attempt to eliminate as much error as possible, there will always be a degree of error in the collected data. It is up to the tester to eliminate and reduce as many sources of error as possible, and a theoretical judgment as to how much error in the collection is acceptable. Our Laboratory Equipment and Processing While our laboratory uses tri-directional force plates, the majority of force plates we use are unidirectional, and measure only in the vertical direction (See Figure 4 for a photo). Although it is a drawback to only allow collection in the vertical direction, the plates offer a substantial reduction in cost over other plates offered by KistlerTM or AMTITM, for example. Furthermore, a number of studies have demonstrated that vertical forces and vertically- oriented skills have strong relationships to explosiveness and speed in sporting movements, thus measurement of vertical forces is of substantial importance (12, 20, 22, 25). In addition, we use force plates (0.914 x 0.46 m; 3 x 1.5; Rice Lake Weighing Systems, Rice Lake, WI) situated side-by-side to allow for collection of unilateral force data. For bilateral data collection, the forces from each force plate are summed. Each plate sits on a level concrete pad that is on the ground floor of the laboratory, to reduce contamination o f data from extraneous sources. Each force plate in the Sport Science laboratory is attached to Transducer Techniques TM0-2 amplifier and conditioner module (Transducer Techniques, Temecula, CA, USA). The amplifier provides both the excitation signal (the initial current going to the strain gage load cell) and amplification of the analog signal. In addition, the module provides an analog low-pass filter at 16 Hz. In between the amplifier/conditioner and the A/D converter is a shielded connector block. The BNC-2110 (National Instruments, Austin, TX, USA) accepts the analog signal and conveys the signal to the A/D converter. The block then connects to a DAQCard-6063E (National Instruments, Austin TX, USA). The DAQCard-6063E converts the analog signal to a digital signal. The digitized signal is then analyzed with custom software developed in LabVIEWTM (National Instruments, Austin TX, USA). The custom software weve developed in LabVIEWTM samples the analog signal at 1000hz. The custom software has been set up to save the digital signal file and filter the digitized signal using a 4th order low-pass Butterworth filter at 100 Hz. From there, the signal can be analyzed for whatever variables are of interest. Refer to Kraska, et al. (12) for examples of measures of interest for static and countermovement jumps, and Leary, et al. (13) for examples of measures of interest in the isometric mid-thigh pull. The Data Collection Process Calibration of our force plates is performed immediately before the data collection process, which ensures that the calibration equation used in data analysis is established under similar environmental conditions as the data collection as well as avoids a potential shift of voltage output over time. Prior to calibration, force plates, amplifiers, A/D converters and computers are all turned on so that all of the collection equipment can warm up (thus stabilizing thermal and instrumentation noise). After this warm up period, the force plates are calibrated using loads from 0 kg to 350kg or 500kg, depending on the specific use of the plate (either jumps or isometric pulls). The plates are progressively loaded in 25kg increments, with the output voltage recorded each time. A linear regression equation is then applied to the calibration load data set in Microsoft Excel. This regression equation is saved, and used in the custom LabVIEWTM program during analysis. Conclusion A full understanding of a testing device and its characteristics are an integral part of accuracy, validity and reliability of testing. The force plate is a rather complex device. The complexities of the device and its peripherals allow the user to collect a large variety of high-quality data for analysis that are difficult to obtain via other means. While it is somewhat difficult to master use of the device, the plethora of information that can be obtained from a force plate makes the endeavor more than worthwhile.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Learning in a Group Essay
1. What do you learn from working in a group? I learnt that by working in a group, we work towards a shared purpose and common goals in doing so shared our varied experiences and skills and in the cooperation with each other. Students are much likely to perform well when they work effectively in a group. This is because good group work creates synergy ââ¬â where it combine effect of the group is greater than the sum of individual effort. Working together as a group can apply individual perspectives, experiences and skills to solve complex problems, creating new solutions and ideas that, and be beyond the scope of any one individual. As well as enhancing class performance. Good group work benefits individual too. It enables mutual support and learning, can generate a sense of belonging and commitment. I also learnt the following benefits on working in groups: â⬠¢Apply a mix of skills that go beyond the scope of one individual. â⬠¢Solve complex problems that take more than one mud. â⬠¢Generates new ideas. â⬠¢Provide support and help group members. â⬠¢Give students a sense of belonging. â⬠¢Enhance communication. â⬠¢Help students to learn from each other and develop. â⬠¢Generate commitment. Q. 2 what do you think can be done to make this course (Lifelong Education/ more interesting. INTRODUCTION Lifelong learning skills are wide concern in tertiary education. Fostering these skills requires reconsideration and changes to traditional approaches to teaching and learning. We are living in a time of knowledge explosion. University or colleges are unlikely to be able to teach all the essential knowledge a student needs for their whole career within a four-year period. Moreover, much of the knowledge student learn in the university will be out of date when they leave, because of the rapid technical developments. This means student and have to master a self-learning method and a set of lifelong learning skills in order to meet the demand of their future, professional lives. Quality teaching and learning in tertiary education should aim to develop studentââ¬â¢s lifelong learning skills. Each teacher should make a contribution in developing these skills when teaching a certain course. How to make the course (lifelong Education) more interesting includes â⬠¢Group working tutorials; workshop tutorial classes are aimed at developing studentââ¬â¢s self directed leaving, group work and interpersonal skill the classroom for intervals should have movable desk and class. Each interval class should contain about 15 student and last one hour. The tutor will ask question to guide students to think and to work together to determine potential solutions to a problem. Some questions will challenging and relevant to real world, while some are from previous lectures and assignments. Student in each group are expected to work with each other, to share their ideas to discuss, and to debate and convince each other, thus creating an active and interactive learning environment. One student in each group will be asked to give a short presentation to the whole class. â⬠¢Interaction in lectures Whatever the similarities and differences in learning styles and intelligence among your student, you can help your entire student by employing a range of active learning approaches (talking and listening, writing, reading, reflecting) and by using varied teaching techniques and strategies. â⬠¢ The course lifelong education is suppose to be handle by a professional lecturers, people like Prof . M. B Shitu, Mal. Sani Bala Hassan, those who during the lectures will give students the opportunity to think and talk, and set some time during lectures for asking question or encouraging student to answer and ask question: In this way student understanding can be assess and make them engage with the activity. There is also need to introduce hardware demonstration in lectures. Although software demonstration are cheap and convenient, it is a virtual world . When doing demonstration let student predict what will happen next, and ask them to observe things going on and explain the theory behind it . Some question may follow to make the student learn interactively and to establish connections between pre-existing knowledge and new information. In this way student are expected to develop observational skills and thinking and these will make the course more interesting. â⬠¢The lecturer supposes to use two o three case studies in the course. Case studies tell real and complete story, usually interdisciplinary and set in a real world context, and have academic and professional significance and social implications. With case studies, students can develop problem solving skills for seeking and assessing information and interdisciplinary knowledge. â⬠¢Students should be taught according to their aptitude. Give excellent studentââ¬â¢s additional training. For example, a few exemplary students will be encouraged to give mini lectures to review material or less important sections. Thus, they develop oral and leadership skills from the process of searching for information and inquiry about classmates understanding. â⬠¢Lecturers for the course must consider the features of their courses and the characteristics of their learners before they think about what kind of knowledge and skills students will learn from the course. Then they must decide which teaching strategies are suited to their course. They should try and adapt contemporary teaching strategies to create a more student ââ¬â centred teaching and learning climate for developing studentsââ¬â¢ lifelong learning skills. Students are expected to develop problem solving skills, lateral thinking skills, group work ability, self-directed learning skills, and communication skills in the cause of lifelong education. â⬠¢Lecturersââ¬â¢ must adopt student-centred approaches in teaching and learning. The so called student-centred approach means that teachers should think about how the learners learn and make the student actively involved in the teaching process. In most cases, a combination of several teaching outcomes. Lectures in this course should work out the suitable strategies for themselves, the students and the course content. CONCLUSION Teaching and learning is a cooperative process between teachers and students. Before a lecturer tries to teach in a different way, he/she needs to introduce students to new teaching and learning theories. And also need to seek colleagues support and finds to implement appropriate changes. The work may be challenging and time consuming. Hopefully, opportunities will coexist with challenges. A good lecturer motivates him/her self in pursing quality teaching.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Primewater Csr
Primewater Infrastructure Corporation ABOUT US ? PRIMEWATER ââ¬â a ââ¬Å"public serviceâ⬠oriented company ? CUSTOMER SERVICE FRIENDLY ? 24-hour customer service ? Primewatch ? Payments â⬠¢ Over the counter â⬠¢ Electronic channels ? Application on-line ? State of the art water treatment technology Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation ABOUT US PRIMEWATER Infrastructure Corp. ? PRIMEWATER has gone from the traditional service of providing basic utility to one of the top service rovider of its kind in the industry. Central Water System, Inc Northwell Waterworks, Inc, Basic Utility Southwell Waterworks, inc. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation ABOUT US ? The management and staff of Primewater Infrastructure Corporation, including its technical manpower is composed mainly of mechanical, civil, electrical and chemical engineers who are all seasoned and very well capable in the management, operation and maintenance of water system facilities. All are regularly updated through through trainings and seminars from NWRB, LWUA, PWWA and DENR. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation OUR OFFICES LUZON AND METRO MANILA CEBU ILOILO CAGAYAN DE ORO Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation SERVICE AREAS NORTH-EAST AREA ââ¬â NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION ? Caloocan City ? Quezon City ? Valezuela ? Taytay ? Novaliches Teresa ? Marikina City ? Cainta ? Pasig City ? Antipolo ? San Jose del Monte Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infr astructure Corporation SERVICE AREAS SOUTHERN AREA ââ¬â NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION ? Bacoor ? Las Pinas ? Imus ? Muntinlupa ? Dasmari nas ? Paranaque ? General Trias ? Tanza ? Noveleta Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation SERVICE AREAS KEY PROVINCIES AND CITIESPampanga Tarlac Pangasinan Tuguegarao Ilocos Norte Isabela Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation SERVICE AREAS KEY PROVINCIES AND CITIES Batangas Laguna Naga Legaspi Cebu Bacolod Leyte Iloilo Cagayan de Oro Davao General Santos Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE ? A 30-year professional expertise on water supply set-up and design Access to high quality standard ope rating procedure developed by years of service ? Highly organized management structure specifically crafted for water system management ? Efficient systems control and productive evaluation report ? Links/Ties with premiere consultants, traders and distributors in the water industry Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation TECHNICAL SERVICES ? Water System Development ? Deepwell construction monitoring ? Pump, motor, and control design and nstallation ? Pump, Motor and Control ? Preventive maintenance ? Motor rating sizing ? Water Tank Design and Fabrication ? Power Efficiency ? Power consumption monitoring ? Electrical loading analysis Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation TECHNICAL SERVICES ? Well maintenance and rehabilitation ? Aquifer level and status monit oring ? Deepwell rehabilitation ? Well disinfection ? Underground Televised Inspection ? (Deepwell Camera Logging) ? Research and Development Introduction of new technologies ? Service improvement ? Vertical Development ? Boosters ? Motor control and drives Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation TECHNICAL SERVICES ? Maintenance Projects ? Water tank cleaning and chlorination of water facilities ? Water analysis and treatment ? Leak repairs and pipeline replacement ? Customer Complaints and Homeowners Associationsââ¬â¢ Concerns ? Capex Projects and Development ? Water Quality Monitoring and ImprovementProviding safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation TECHNICAL SERVICES ? Production Monitoring ? Project Identification and DMA Formation ? Implementation and Project Monito ring ? Water Meter Testing Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation TECHNICAL SERVICES NRW REDUCTION ? Control of System Loss ? (Soundsens, X-MIC, and ARAD Meter Testing Equipment) ? Geo-Referencing and VirtualMapping ? (Accountsââ¬â¢ Mapping Sysem) Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation TECHNICAL SERVICES ? Hydraulic Analysis and Design ? (Integration of Epanet and Subdivisionsââ¬â¢ Satellite View with GIS) ? Water Analysis and Treatment Process ? Sewerage Treatment Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation CUSTOMER SERVICES BILLING AND COLLECTION ? Meter Reading of Water Meters Uploading of Read Data and Checking ? Bill Generation and Printing Pro viding safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation CUSTOMER SERVICES BILLING AND COLLECTION ? Modes of Payment Transaction ? OVER THE COUNTER Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation CUSTOMER SERVICES BILLING AND COLLECTION ? Modes of Payment Transaction ? ELECTRONIC CHANNELS ONLINE ATM PHONE BANKINGProviding safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation CUSTOMER SERVICES BILLING AND COLLECTION ? Modes of Payment Transaction ? ELECTRONIC CHANNELS Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation OTHER SERVICES ? Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) of a Water System ? Build, Operate and Owned (BOO) Scheme ? Develop Water Source and Supply Bulk Water to an Existing Waterworks Management and Operational/Maintenance Contract to an Existing Water System Facility ? Design and Installation of Water and Wastewater Treatment Facility Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation ORGANIZATION AFFILIALIATIONS LOCAL ? Philippine Water Works Association ââ¬â PWWA ? Philippine Water Partnership ââ¬â PWP ? Water Environment Association of the Philippines ââ¬â WEAP ? Well Drillers Association of the Philippines ââ¬â WELLDAPHIL Providing safe water for the people and the environment.Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation ORGANIZATION AFFILIALIATIONS INTERNATIONAL ? Water Environment Federation ââ¬â WEF ? AQUAFED ? GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP ââ¬â GWP Providing safe water for the people and the enviro nment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation MOVING FORWARD ? PRIMEWATER envisions expanding its operations to all untapped areas with potential. ? Consequently, we are moving towards providing our services to a significant number of locations and communities.A move that will maximize investment expenses and therefore give PRIMEWATER a leverage to offer the products and services at the least possible cost to the community. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Primewater Infrastructure Corporation CSR Project: Gawaran Heights Source flow meter or Utilities Bulk Meter Coordinators Dist. Line â⬠¢ Coordinators /collectors: appointed by the contracting party â⬠¢ Flexible collection: depends on the source of income of the consumer â⬠¢ Non revenue water: 5-waterfor the people and the environment.Providing safe water for the people and the environ ment. Providing safe 10% Primewater Infrastructure Corporation Application Fee: Php. 3,500. 00 + Tech. Cost Rate: Php. 10. 00 per Drum Note: the Coordinators are allow to sell water up to Php. 15. 00 per Drum. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment. Providing safe water for the people and the environment www. primewatercorp. com
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