Oxford City Council Research Proposal Essay Example for Free

Oxford City Council Research Proposal Essay Oxford City Council (OCC) provides a range of recycling services, including kerbside collection services and recycling sites where residents can deposit items for recycling. Such schemes enable OCC to recycle approaching 40% of Oxford household waste currently. However, the UK government want to establish a recycling culture and continue to set increasing targets for household recycling, with an aim of reaching 50% by 2020. Following a recent (DEFRA) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs initiative to allow the use of financial incentives for household waste minimisation and recycling, OCC is considering the introduction of a pilot scheme in selected postcodes areas. This would involve the introduction of bins fitted with microchips to monitor how much recycling and other waste a household produces, leading to refunds from local taxation bills for a good recycling performance or additional charges for a poor recycling performance. OCC is keen to understand likely reactions of residents to such a scheme and the overall impact that this might have on household recycling rates. OCC has invited the marketing research agency, Research Solutions to provide a proposal for marketing research to inform decision making. What is the research objective? A research objective is basically the main objective of the research i. e. the purpose of carrying out the research forms the research objective. The research objective is basically formed on the basis of the background of the research that is being conducted. (Creswell 2008). In this case, the main issue is recycling. This is due to the increasing population in the UK due to which the wastes have been increasing with a higher percentage. However, it is not a wise idea to leave the wastes just like that and it would be a very good option to recycle the waste so that it can be utilized again as the resources we own in the world today are limited but the demands of the people are unlimited. Therefore, it is always a good idea to save as much as possible so that we can save our future generations from suffering. The research objective of this research is that the UK government wants to establish a recycling culture and continue to set increasing targets for household recycling, with an aim of reaching 50% by 2020 in order to improve the previous targets. Previously, Oxford City Council provided a range of recycling services, including kerbside collection services and recycling sites where residents could deposit items for recycling and this enabled Oxford City Council to reduce the household waste by 40%. The idea now is to increase this percentage by 10% and to make it 50%. Problem Statement Before the research team assigned to solve the problem starts their job, a problem statement needs to be defined and to be presented to them and the problem statement should answer three main questions i. e. to define the problem and the reason why the team is required to solve this problem, the client who needs a solution to the problem and the scope as well as the limitations of the problem in terms of various issues such as time, money and other resources. Moreover, it is also important for the problem statement to address all the W’s i. e. to answer what, how, where, when, why, and who. (Denzin Lincoln 2005). Referring to this case, due to the increasing need of recycling, the government of UK plans to increase recycling of the household wastes to 50% by 2020 i. e. an increase by 10% from today. This aim has been defined basically to serve the households and to meet their demand of recycling household wastes; however there are certain limitations that are coming in the way to meet this requirement of the government of UK. In order to solve this problem, we, a research team from a marketing research agency, Research Solutions has been assigned to work out and to know the likely reactions of residents to such a scheme and the overall impact that this might have on household recycling rates. For this purpose, What methods will be used? Following a recent (DEFRA) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs initiative to allow the use of financial incentives for household waste minimisation and recycling, OCC is considering the introduction of a pilot scheme in selected postcodes areas. This would involve the introduction of bins fitted with microchips to monitor how much recycling and other waste a household produces, however this will involve a certain cost as Oxford City Council will have to make refunds from local taxation bills for a good recycling performance or to pay additional charges for a poor recycling performance. (Patton 2002). We will use both primary as well as secondary data to conduct our research as well as both qualitative and quantitative data. Once we have gathered the secondary data, we will then seek for primary data for which we will prepare a set of 200 questionnaires. The questionnaire, we have planed will consist of around 20 open and close ended questions. We will get these questionnaires filled and will also interview people in Oxford from different age groups especially the women as the issue is basically related to household recycling so the housewives would be the best option to interview. Data analysis The process of gathering, modeling and transforming data aiming to make the important information prominent, to suggest conclusions as well as to support the decision making is called data analysis. There are various approaches and techniques that can be used for this purpose under different domains. (Spatz Kardas 2007). As Oxford City Council has been asked to increase recycling of household wastes by 10%, they now have to plan everything to achieve this goal but for this it is essential for the Oxford City Council to collect all the important information and to transform it. Therefore, to understand the likely reactions of residents to such a scheme and the overall impact that this might have on household recycling rates. A time schedule The government of UK wants the goal of an increase in the recycling of household wastes to be achieved by an increase of 10% by 2020 and this gives Oxford City Council more than a decade to achieve this aim. The Oxford City Council should plan out seriously and work on the aim that is to be met but before finally starting the work, it is always essential to conduct research in order to know whether the plans they have made will be successful of not and also to know the reaction of the people in the UK after the introduction of the pilot scheme in selected postcodes areas and before the plan can be executed, marketing research will be conducted whose timing is mentioned below. (Pan 2004). The time schedule will not just provide a timeframe but it will also help us meet the deadlines. As we have been assigned one month to conduct this research, we have accordingly divided the time to meet our goals in an efficient manner. In the first week, we plan to conduct desk research followed by qualitative fieldwork in the second week as well as to prepare a qualitative desk research report. On the first day of the third week, we aim to prepare questionnaires that will follow the quantitative stage, coding and data preparation. In the fourth week, that is also the last week, we will do the analysis, prepare a presentation and on the last day we will present a final report. Bibliography: Creswell, J. W. (2008). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 3rd edn. Sage Publications. Denzin, N. K. , Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). The Sage handbook of qualitative research. 3rd edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Pan, M. L. (2004). Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. 2nd edn. Los Angeles: Pyrezak. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Spatz,C. Kardas,E. P. (2007). Research Methods in Psychology: Ideas, Techniques, and Reports. McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages, Hardcover.

Children With Intellectual Disabilities And The Effects Of Physical Activities

Children With Intellectual Disabilities And The Effects Of Physical Activities The research area will focus on the effects physical activities can have in the lives of children with intellectual disabilities (ID). In this research there will be a detailed account of the terms intellectual disabilities, social interaction and physical activities. This research aims to find the effects physical activities can have on such things as health and in particular the social interaction that occurs due to clubs and groups catered for the disabled. The researcher will be looking closely into the effects having a disabled child can have on parents and sibling and how social gatherings in the form of physical activities can help support families. The author will also look into the accessibility and availability of such social gatherings in the Castlebar, Co. Mayo area. 1.1.1 A little bit of history. People with intellectual disabilities exist in all societies and have been recorded throughout history. The earliest record is possibly the Papyrus of Thebes (1552 BC) cited in Bray A. (2003). They have had various names and titles some were very offending while others believed them to be angles and incapable of sin, Bray A (2003). There is actually very little evidence of the type of life people with intellectual disabilities lived in regards to how their families and the general population treated them. The name or title give can have an effect on how society perceives them. Many people still associate intellectual disabilities with mental illnesses this is not the case. An intellectual disability is not a disease it is a permanent condition that cant be cured it can however be improved with the proper help and facilities. Irelands special needs education system has gone through three stages these are the era of neglect and denial, the era of the special schools and the era of intergration or inclusion Swan (2000) cited in Flood, 2010. It wasnt untill 1831 that it was compulcory that children go to school. The government did not however think the education of children with special needs was important they felt that their needs were merely medical. From 1919 to the early 1990s special needs education was run by religious orders. It wasnt untill these religious orders started to rapidly decline that the state took over. At this time there was also a increse in awarness. It was also found that irish special needs fasilities were way behind any other nation these caused big chance in the govermenta policy and new pieces of legislation was introduced. Today there is a tolal of 107 special schools in Ireland. It was in the mid 1980s that people started to lobby for children with special needs to be intergrat ed into mainstreem schools. Over two thousand children were being educated in mainstreem school by 1993. There will always be changing thoughts on intellectual disabilities and the definitions and terms used as the times change and technology improves that is why it is important to continue reading and informing oneself on these topics, if you are interested in working in this area. 1.2 Justification Many parents can feel isolated and uninformed when they have a child with a disability. I feel that a social group for the whole family can play a vital part in helping families cope and expand their social networks and get a chance to meet other parents in the same situation. I believe that organised social settings are just as important for the family as they are for the disabled child. I feel it is important that siblings are involved in such groups and I wish to look into this further. In Ireland, close to 10% of the population have a disability or long-lasting health problem and more than 60% of these have more than one disability. (NDA website) This is a very high statistic and autism is on the rise in Ireland, I feel that this is a very underdeveloped area in the Irish education system and in outdoor education organization. I think it deserves to be researched properly and developed in a way that can be beneficial to people with physical and mental disabilities as well as their families and carers. I hope that if I were to show the benefits physical activity had on people with intellectual disabilities and how participating in these sport can help social interaction. I could use that information later on to help run and improve such courses. As families play such a vital part in the lives of people with disabilities I feel that this is worthy of research. In Castlebar, there are many courses run for people with disabilities but there is not a very high attendance rate in many of the courses. I hope to look at this in more detail and investigate the accessibility of these courses. Accessibility Outdoor education Ability is of little account without opportunity Napoleon Bonaparte Physical activity for people with intellectual disabilities in Ireland Get Ireland Active -The National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland This is a booklet that can be easily downloaded or read on http://www.getirelandactive.ie/. On this sight there is a clear layout Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction In this Literature review the author will review articles and case studies and compare them in the hope of gaining a greater knowledge of the meaning of Intellectual disabilities and the effects having a disabled child can have on a family. 2.2 Intellectual disabilities Intellectual disabilities, is not a term that can be easily explained. The use of and IQ test is usually how intellectual disability is accessed. The average IQ is 100, there are three levels of disability these are: Mild IQ 52-67: Slow to develop but can be educated with proper training and go on to live a normal, independent life. Moderate IQ 36-51: They will be able to contribute to family life and a variety of activities. With the proper facilities they can learn to care of themselves. They will need lifetime support in planning and organising their lives and social activities. Sever IQ 20-35: It is likely that they will have little or no speech. They will need lifetime care in communicating and taking care of themselves. Communication can be hard. The use of pictures and photographs may be needed to communicate. They can also have some physical impairment. (Latto, 1981) This is only a rough guide to intellectual disabilities many other factors can affect how a person will live their life factors such as proper education and health services. If a person with intellectual disabilities has a physical disability also this can hinder their learning and may lead to them needing additional external assistance. Two disabilities this author will be looking at are Autism and Downs Syndrome. This part of the study will look at the different definitions of special needs. As cited in Rosenthal-Malek (1997). People with autism are often characterized by their self-stimulatory behaviours such as body rocking, spinning, hand flapping, head-nodding, object-tapping, gazing at lights and mouthing (Lovaas et al. 1987, Sugai et al. 1986) This study Jonathan M. Harris et al. (2008) attempts to investigate the relationship between cognitive performance and three major theories that try to explain the traits associated with autism these are, theory of weak central coherence and executive function. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction, social communication and by a restricted, repetitive range of interests and behaviours. The theory of weak central coherence (Firth 2003) cited Harris et al. (2006), this theory suggest that autistic people are more inclined to work better with separate units as opposed to larger units they are found to see an image embedded in a more complex pattern faster than people with a strong central coherence. The second, theory of mind (Baron-Cohen et al. 1985) cited Harris et al. (2006); this is the ability to work out from evidence rather than direct statement the mental states of others. Finally executive function theory (Hughes et al. 1994) cited Harris et al. (2006); this is basically the ability to multitask. The study suggests that there may be more reliable results if further research was to be done on the individual traits of autism. The article also suggests that the relationship between Theory of mind and executive performance may be more related to features of ASD than the individual traits. 2.2.1 What this means for the family We always have to focus on the disabled child. No one asks us how this is for us and how we can survive as a couple Cited in Hareide ( ) Many families find it difficult to come to terms with having a disabled child it can be a shock and sometimes it can be unexpected. Even families who know there might be something wrong with the child before its born can find it very difficult to understand and cope with everything when the child is born. In this part of the study the author intends to look into the effects having a disabled child can have on a family as a whole, the strains it can have on a partnership and the effects it can have on siblings. It is thought that there are more negative effects than positive ones. The author will look into both sides of this argument through previous studies and compare them to give the reader a greater knowledge of this area. In the first study Hareide looks into how the couples relationship can be affected and how it is important for them to have time to themselves. Hareide was at a talk on the cooperation between parents and professional helpers it was afterwards when she was telling some parents that she was an outreach worker for couples that she was asked to run a couples workshop in the upcoming year. She feels that the most important factor to good parenting is how the parents work as a couple. From this impulsive question three projects came about. A research project, six one-week courses and the national initiative: a three year project. The research project consisted of nineteen families. This project was set up to take a closer look at married couples relationships. The parents of seventeen children were interviewed; four of the couples were divorced. They used both a qualitative and narrative approach. They looked at such things as how having a disabled child affected their live, the life of their other children, and their relationship with professionals and how their marital life was affected by it here is the breakdown of their observations. The professionals: most of the families felt helpless in the hospital, they felt that there was no one there to talk to them. Some of the families came home with what they thought was a healthy baby, these couples found the uncertainty extremely hard. One couple however had a more positive story they were however one of the younger couples. This showed that maybe the hospitals are starting to improve slowly in the way they treat families with a new born. The main difficulty was being able to handle their own reactions and be there for their spouse also. One thing that was common in both the divorced couples was that the father was not doing enough in helping with the daily care. Where to live: many parents commented on how different areas offered different support. This fact had influenced where some parents wanted to live. Many parents talked about how they felt they needed to be ahead of the professionals always when it came to things like moving from kindergarden to elementary school. Many of these transitions were very hard for the parents especially things like the day their child moved away from home, they found it very hard to let go. Daily life: it is noted in earlier studies that the woman were the main care giver and the men were the wage earner. This studies shows that this is not the case anymore except for the oldest generation. Although the household chores and child care was equally shared the mothers were always thinking ahead and worried more. In the report it was found that parents who had a strong relationship led an easier and less stressful daily life. Family and friends: many of the couples found that their friends were either close or distance when they were told about the child. Many parents found a dramatic reduce in their circle of friends. They found this challenging. Almost all the parents that were in this study worked outside the home and the felt this was very important and had a very positive impact on their life. It was a normal place where they could go to be free of their hectic lives, cited in (Hareide). The couples also found that social engagment brought the couples closer. Other childern: this study states that it is said that the mother looks after the disabiled child while the father lookes after the other children. This however is not always the case. Whlie some of the couples talked about a sence of grief there was also talked of a grest joy they felt at some of the little things in their daily life. Some of the couples talked of a deep meaning that behind all that had happened in their life. Others found there was no meaning behind their childs disability and all the positive things their child had given them. From theis study we can gather two things: practical support is nessary to have a somewhat normal life and secondly, the couples relatioship is very important and should be concentrated on more. The the second study, six one-week courses were run for parents. The course lasted five days and the parents came without their children. There was three parts to the course, psychoeducation, counselling and recreation. The psycheducation was a workshop about how important their relationship was on their family as a whole. They talked about what life was like having a disabiled child and how that effected the rest of their family. This was a workshop that let parents talk about their worries and meet other parents that were in the same situation as them. There was a councling servise for all the couples so they could talk to a profesional about anything that might have derive form the workshop or previouse problems. The recration also played a vitle part in the coures the workshops didnt start till late so it gave the parents time to relax and sleep. They were incuraged to take walkes in the woods around them. Althouh this course was a little exclusive and didnt cather to the needs of working couples there was extremly high praise given to the course. Ministry of Children and Family Affairs in Norway made this a three year national initiative project. It sets out to cater for a greater range of people. One day courses and weekend courses are ran. It is aimed at enhancing communication, strenghtning relationships and preventing divorce in families with disabled children (Hareide) the feedback is very positive. More than nine hundred profecionals have taken part in build-up courses. In a two day confrence in 2003, 240 people took part. Due to the large mida cover this course has received the general public have become more aware of these issues. All this came from within eight years of that first all important conversation. One thing can be said from this article listen to the parents and let their voice be heard and let them have a say on what should be done (Hareide) This is a crusial if we are to open peoples eyes to the needs of families and work on inclusion in our everyday lives. In this next study (Davison Dosser, April 1982) talk about how a special support system set up to facilitate families who have a developmentally disabled child can benefit them. The transition to parenthood is normally a relatively short period whereas becoming a parent to a developmentally disabled child can be sudden and it takes a lot longer to become accustomed to this new life. Many families find the transition very difficult, there is a higher than average separation and divorce rate among parents of disabled children. Out of 215 families studied only 18% believed that they received enough information after the birth of their child. Most did however say that the medical services were good. (Davison Dosser, April 1982) One family talked of how while their physicians were friendly they offered no reassurances to them. Most families felt that if they were provided inititly with some support a lot of unnessary anxiety could have been avoided. Abramson, et al. 1977 cited in (Davison Dosser, April 1982) says that information and support systems should be available immeditaly after recieving the news of their childs disability. To offer them a chance to work through their feelings and get enough information to make informed disissions and to provide them with what to expect next. The structure of the parent helpers program: during this program parents get positive information to help them come to terms with their new situation. This program invites parents who have developmentaly disabiled children to come and talk to new parents on how they managed to succeed positively in dealing with theis life changing situation. these parents are given the name peer-parents. They are trained in the basic elements of counselling. This program runs from the basic idea that because these peer-parents have gone through the process they will be sincere and understanding. Secondly, peer-parents attend lectures and training on various developmental disabilities. Most importantly, peer-parents have been through this experience and have adjusted to it. Parents that want to become part of the peer-parent group attend a ten week, 20 hour training course. This course involves lots of role-playing and counselling skills. They play the part of both the helper and the helped this allows them to consider both sides and work through different problems. They are constantly giving feedback to each other and receiving it from the trainers. There are many different trainers in different profession, such as nurses and special educators. 2.3 Benefits of Physical activities on people with Intellectual disabilities In an early study Dunlap and Koegel (1980) attempt to find an alternative teaching method in relation to autistic childrens general learning. There have been suggestions that introducing stimuli variation can lead to an improvement in autistic childrens levels of motivation and general responses to learning. (Faw Nunnally 1968; Panyan Hall 1978; White, 1966; Zeaman, House Orlando, 1968) cited in Dunlop and Koegel (1980) suggests that the introduction of stimulus variation may serve to heighten responsivity to such antecedent stimuli. This study is designed to test this theory. The study consists of two methods of teaching. A constant task consists of one continues task throughout the session and a varied task is taught the same as a constant task but has one main objective and is combined with a variety of other tasks. Overall the results of this study showed that there was generally a clear decline in both children during the constant task and a very positive and considerable rise in correct responses when it came to the varied task. Although the responses improved during the varied tasks there were also correct responses in the early stages of the constant task. The study also suggests that this could show that the varying task might have been influencing the childrens motivation to respond rather than their ability to learn. The study shows that although it is clear that learning occurs through both techniques. It is plausible to speculate that the children may have been bored during the constant task conditions (Ross, 1977) cited in Dunlop and Koegel (1980). In this next study twelve years later Weber and Thorpe (1992) attempt to further Dunlaps (1990) studies by transferring hes findings to a physical education setting. Weber and Thorpe (1992) used two techniques similar to that of Dunlap (1980). Constant task Conditions (CT) and Distributed Learning (Task Variation-with-Maintenance-Task) Condition (TV). The study consisted of 12 autistic males aged 11-15. All students displayed many Self-stimulatory behaviours, all children were nonverbal and all displayed similar psychological behaviours. All sessions were run in a room with three bicycles ergo meters, one mini trampoline and a box with various balls. The teachers provided the participants with physical shaping, physical assistance, physical prompting and social reinforcements (Fait, 1960; French et al. 1982, Sherrill, 1986) cited Weber et al. (1992) until the student responded on their own. Correct responses were always acknowledged and incorrect responses resulted in a plain No (childs name) cited Weber et al. (1992). These tasks were Overhand throw, kick, vertical jump, slide, continuous bounce and underhand roll. Weber et al. (1992) the article stated that there was a significant benefit to TV. The study shows that the TV has an overall higher success rate than that of CT. In the high level of skills acquired within the classroom. The study shows that Distributed Learning Condition (TV) can deal more efficiently with short attention span, one of the stronger traits of a person with autism. These results have a significant impact on teaching children and adolescents with autism. Task variation has a better impact then constant task method. Maintained tasks may help the student to retain the skills learned. Tasks being changed every 2-3 min appears to be extremely effective in holding the short attention of a person with autism. Teaching stations or something similar would more than likely improve learning. In this study Rosenthal-Malek (1997), attempts to look into the effects of aerobic activities on adolescents with autism. The author felt that there was not sufficient study done on these effects on adolescents with autism. The author also set out to investigate these effects on task performances in a workshop as well as in academic situations. The study took place in a public school and a community-based workshop programme with five autistic male adolescents. The author used two different preconditions an aerobic exercise and an academic precondition. The aerobic exercise consisted of a warm-up stretches and some mild jogging. The academic precondition consisted of a mixture of academic subjects taught the same way as a usual class. After every precondition either workshop or an academic condition was run as usual by the teacher. The author instructed the teacher not to attempt to control the childrens Self-stimulatory behaviour. The author noted the self-stimulatory behaviours as well as their academic responses. The results showed that there is a significant decrease in the levels of Self-stimulatory behaviours after the aerobic exercise. The level of correct responses increased dramatically and the number of tasks completed in the workshop also increased, compared to regular academic preconditions. The author was aware at the star of the study that the physical activities might result in negative effects such as fatigue. The author noted that physical activities do not appear to negatively affect any of the positive traits in this population. The author also finds that because of the simple nature of these activities the teacher does not need to be extensively trained and it relies on minimum equipment. The article states that there is a lack of research into the long term effects of aerobic activities on adolescents with autism and their behaviours. The benefit of physical exercise is very clear. Rosenthal-Malek (1997) proves that with a simple 20 min aerobics class the students self-stimulatory behaviours dramatically decrease and their learning increases. Todd and Reid (2006) also back this. A later study by Chien-Yu Pan (2009) also provides strong evidence towards physical activities and suggests that favourable environments and social interaction has the potential to make subsequent positive behaviours. Jonathan M. Harris et al. (2008) suggest that further research is needed in the traits of autism and how they relate to each other. There is little evidence to show that Ireland has incorporated any of these findings to their full potential. The author feels that there is a lot more to be done in this area in regards to Ireland. 2.3 Health improvements Intellectually disabled people have physical injuries and health issues just like anyone else. Many people with ID also have a physical disability. It is very important that before they start exercise that they are physically fit to do so. Many can have poor posture and such people will benefit greatly from exercise, Latto (1981). Special Physical activities that are catered for such disabilities can help build mussels and improve their posture. People with physical disabilities as well as mental disabilities may find it harder to take part in some activities. This is where a good coach comes in to facilitate all members of the team. Sometimes things like running, jumping or hopping might be difficult for a severely disabled person to do. The smallest bit of cardiovascular exercises can be of huge benefit to such a person. There are many studies done on the benefits of physical activities on the population as a whole, there is however not a great deal known about the benefits on people with intellectual disabilities. This next study by Dan Gordon discusses the benefits of exercise on to a Downs syndrome population. A recent study showed, Pastore et al (200) cited in Gordon (2006), that out of 42 individuals with Downs 43% were classed as obese and 61% showed low exercise tolerance these are just some of the frightening findings. This paper gives a review of previous articles that discuses different types of exercise. The author gives his opinion and offers recommendations on fitness regimes for people with intellectual disabilities. 2.3 Social interaction Many children with ID need to be thought how to play. This plays a vital part in the development of any child. Play eventually leads to sport and this leads to social inclusion. When working with intellectual disabled children play needs to be organised so they can learn how toys and games work. This can also be said when they get older and start playing sports and other activities. This next article shows the importance of organised sport and how physical activity can help improve social interaction. Chien-Yu Pan (2009), attempts to further the study of children with autism by introducing the concept of age and social engagement in relation to physical activity. In this article the author carried out a five day observation on twenty-five school children between the ages of 7 and 12 during their 10-20 min recess and their 40 min physical education class. The author noted the amount of physical activity the children were involved in and their social engagement throughout the day at school. The results showed that on average the children with ASD had a higher rate of activity and were more social during physical education than recess. The author also finds that according to the results that age has a significant impact on the amount of physical activities the children participative in. The author also feels that there is not sufficient enough research in the connection between age and physical activity and that this study shows that it is a very important factor in why autistic children participate in physical activities. In this study the author notes that the children with ASD participate more as they aged and their overall social interaction is a lot higher in physical education as they grow older, in elementary school. The author feels that this is because of the more structured and supervised physical education classes. The children were observed in both physical education and recess and they were found to pay more attention, giving feedback and participating in physical education, unlike the recess results where the children were noted to be spending most of their time not interacting with the other children. Mundy et al. (2007) as cited in Chien-Yu Pan (2008) suggest that favourable environments and social interaction has the potential to make subsequent positive behaviours. 2.3.4 Mental improvements In this nest study Todd and Reid (2006) attempt to examine the impact of an intervention programme that included edible reinforcements, verbal praise and self-monitoring on sustained physical activity of adolescents and a young adult with autism. (Todd et al. 2006). The author used three young men. All students attended a Canadian school for individuals with severe disabilities. The school had no physical education class available. The physical activity programme consisted of two one hour lessons a week either in the park or inside the school, 15 min walk to the park 30 min walking/jogging or snowshoeing then, the 15 min walk back. The author laid out a circuit and the young men followed the circuit any way they pleased in the half hour. For every lap they did they got a smiley sticker to put on their self-monitoring board when they did this they received a sweet. They were also verbally encouraged as they went around. The study intended to examine these techniques. As the lessons went on the author reduced the number of edible reinforcements. By the end of the lesson the participants stopped receiving edible reinforcements and only got verbally encouraged. The result of this study show that programmes that do not require high skill and can be incorporate individuals of different skill levels are beneficial in educational settings (Berkeley et al., 2001) cited in Todd and Reid (2006). The author stated that although the edible reinforcements were gradually wiped out the physical activity increased. The self-monitoring continued throughout the course. The author also feels that further research is needed in the effects of self-monitoring. 2.4 What these benefits mean for the family, Teachers or carers 2.5 Conclusion Chapter 3: The Methodology Methodology introduction The researcher intends to Possible Groups There is a Saturday club that runs every second Saturday in the Hall in St Geralds College, Castlebar from 11am-12.15pm. The author intends to attend this club on the 13th of November. The club is for children with disabilities as well their family and friends. It doesnt cost anything. There is a range of different sports including Basketball, football in addition to this general games and fun. During this time the author will talk to parents and children in an informal way to get their feedback on such a club and any other activities they might participant in. This will give the author a base to work from when compiling the questionnaire and interview question. There is also an Inclusive Gymnastics class for Children that runs in Breaffy school gym on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4.30-6.30. As well as this a PE class on Friday morning in St. Anthonys hall from 9.30-12. The author called Loraine on 10.11.10 and discussed the possibility of attending one of these days. The author will attend Breaffy on Wednesday the 17th of November. She proposes to assist the teacher and shadow her work to comply a list of questions and observations to add with her questionnaire that will be used at a later date. The author also works with two adults with Downs syndrome in the swimming pool

Merger of Cadburys and Kraft | HR Analysis

Merger of Cadburys and Kraft | HR Analysis Cadbury being one of the top lead and almost 200 years old confectionery company having chocolate, gum and candy brands in the portfolio , with a power of making brands like Cadbury, Trident and Halls, that people love. John Cadbury, in 1824 started cocoa and chocolate selling shop in Birmingham. Since then the business kept expanding over time around the world, and today operates in more than 60 countries, with over 35000 direct and indirect suppliers and having more than 45000 employees Cadburys HR department Cadbury operates in more than 60 countries all around the world. Each of the factories has its own HR department that deal with the demand of the workers of the region according to their local situations and demands. Like all other HR departments, it deals with the efficient and effective utilization of resources available. The HR department actively takes care of the following: Recruitment of new staff that must have good skill level or past experience of working at factories of similar kind. Provision of training to new and existing staff so that they are fully equipped with knowledge of any new equipment or procedure brought in and will be able to use it efficiently. Helping the existing workers with problems that they may have at work place. The problems that Cadburys HR department is most likely to face are: Potential employees have in adequate skill or knowledge creating a skill gap. Other factories create competition among staff and creating a deficiency of new staff. Increase in staff turnover in different situation affect production GUEST MODEL: Through statistics and evidences we can easily identify the active management at Cadbury that not only seek betterment of its business but continuously strives for development for the people it holds and for the people that looks forward in joining hands with the company. In this way the Guest model fits in the best with the companys strategies and outcomes. The Cadburys powerful organizational policies can be understood by any good marketer through the managerial decision it takes in the market all over the world. The utmost emphasis on human resource development has helped Cadbury to gain the loyalty of its employees. The employees that are working with the company have created a good will of the company in market such a way that new graduates seek opportunity to work with the company. (Cadbury) The proactive approach of providing equal opportunities to the workers for their development and encouragement packages that the existing employees are enjoying helped to maximum decrease in the turnover and absenteeism percentage. The flexibility employees get during their tenure help them enjoy their work. The organizations communication system is well operated. The management gives a platform to its employees and not only that, they assure the employees that they have a devoted audience that will welcome whatever they place upon that platform. This strategy has helped tremendously that it has not only reduced the grievance level but have also again helped in the reducing the absences. Thus, all the statistics, feedback of employees and consumers and the well known companys market reputation indicates the companys conformance best with the Guest Model. KRAFT: ABOUT KRAFT: A US manufacturer, Kraft, being the second largest food company with approximately $ 50 billions revenue, doing business in more than 160 countries. A company that grew out of cheese whole sale and delivery business started in Chicago in 1903 by James L. Kraft. It later on incorporated as Kraft Bros, Co. in 1909. It acquired Philip Morris Cos in 1988 and later on renamed it as Altira Group Inc., in 2003. THE CULTURE: At Kraft, being open and inclusive a simple concept to follow that has became a part of their core company value in action and that guides their behavior. Being open and inclusive is critical to creating a delicious work experience for our employees and business partners. And its the foundation of our strategy to build a high-performing culture. (Krafts management) Their business style: Two words open and inclusive has become the core code of all the business Kraft do everyday, from training and development programs to the accountability in leadership objectives. THE HR PERSPECTIVE: The Kraft believe in attaining heights through their diverse workforce is one of the modern day technique. Krafts Human resource approach revolves around the same perspective. The management claimed to be providing equal opportunities and rights to different races and color people working at Kraft. At Kraft, following key points are emphasized and are followed religiously: Provision of training for every employee to value the diversity creating a sustainable culture of welcoming differences and values. Their diversity-focused council aligns objectives with the business strategies in order to enhance the impact. HARVARD MODEL: Kraft Foods Company fits in with the Harvard model for HRM. The reviews, feedbacks and statistics indicated that the company emphasis on the company as a whole with respect to its employees. The Kraft management is working with the situations of the worlds market in formulation of policies and making organization wide decision. It works in interest of all the members i.e. stakeholders, of the company. Although the model is weaker than the others and has a fair vulnerability to Unitarianism but it is a much more appropriate model of reference. The decisions the company have made over time had given us the idea that the company works in between constraints and choices that made the company a successful and still growing one. The influence of company itself on the unique contribution within the environmental and organizational parameters not only depicts the management as the real actor but also confirms its conformity with the model. The hr perspective also indicates the active HRM the company has that gives the 4 C outcome that is obvious enough through the employees feedbacks that have been reviewed. In the last the model gives three types of long term consequences i.e. individual based, organization based and societal level. At individual (employee) level, the psychological rewards a worker receives in exchange for efforts. At organizational level, increased effectiveness that ensures the survival and growth of organization. These two levels in turn, enable the societal level as; these two levels make its possible for fully utilization of human resource available and thus, societal goals like employment and growth are easily attained. STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: CADBURY: Strategic human resource management aims at the improvement of the way human resources are managed strategically within organizations, with the definitive goal of improving organizational performance, as judged by its impact on the organizations declared corporate strategy, the customer or shareholders. It is a philosophy of people management based on the belief that human resources are uniquely important to sustain the success of a business. It can also be defined as the process of linking the human resource functions with the strategic objectives of the organization in order to improve performance. Strategic human resource management involves the linking of HRM with the strategic goals and objectives of the organization in order to achieve a progressive business performance and achieve an organizational structure that promotes innovation and flexibility. Strategic HRM according to text published in 2004 has emerged as a major approach to improving the competitive advantage of the firm. The strategic management is concerned with policy decisions effecting the entire organization, overall objective being to position the organization to deal effectively with its environment. Strategic HRM aims to provide a sense of direction in an often turbulent environment so that organizational and business needs can be translated into coherent and practical policies and programs. It provides competitive advantage over the others. (Malik, 2009) The goals and objectives of HRM are aligned with the strategic objectives and plans of the organization. The case referred presents a clear picture of an organization that works with clear business objectives i.e. to deliver shareholder performance. The company works with the aim at dividends. The company policy works with the vision that the people it holds are the most important asset that not only works for the company but also integral in achieving the desired goals. Through different papers and journals we saw that the management is managing its human resources in a contingent manner. Thus, we can say that they are following the contingency approach.ÂÂ   Many advocates of the contingency theory of SHRM a company can only be effective if its policies and strategies align with the other key factors and strategies of the firm. According to journal HR must be closely integrated into the planning process of a firm. They also believed that a firm can achieve success if it is able to develop HR policies and practices that complement and support other HR policies and practices and other elements of the organizations strategic plan. (TME) Thus it is evident enough in the case that Cadbury considers its people as a source of competitive advantage and believes that they work as the main contributors to the companys success. The company also seeks and welcomes changes. The goals and objectives are clear and in order to achieve the goals and set objectives it must be aligned with the efforts of its people. The only way to observe such a trend is through Strategic Human Resource. As the company requires active and effective communication with its human resource and it plays the most important role in the companys approach, and in conveying all the policies, plans and strategies so that people at work can synchronize their efforts. The mere fact that Cadbury Schweppes has an HR director on the main board and that HR is represented at every regional business unit make it obvious that the company recognizes the strategic importance of human resources and takes HR issues and concerns seriously. (Cadbury) Cadbury is a resource based company. The company core competencies make it a resource based company. Cadburys unique strategies and policy, the working conditions and the development opportunities it provides to its employees that in turn becomes the key asset or its edge over its competitors. (TME) KRAFT: Kraft unique style of providing training and development opportunities at all level and point of time during an employees tenure makes it a best fit, best practice based company. Through analysis we can see that all the employees from top to bottom have a particular thing to be on that position. The core strategies that are followed at Kraft begin with the aim of building a high-performing organization (Kraft Foods). The provision of best fit entitles an employee for his reward in terms of promotion or training or even other means of rewards and appraisals. It also provides the top management the opportunity of enjoying a decentralized decision making power. The best fit eventually leads to best practice where a good healthy employee who is psychologically satisfied through rewards and encouragements strives to work for better tomorrow. All these practices are observed in Krafts foods operations making it Best Fit, Best Practice based company. LITERATURE REVIEWS: Kraft wins BBC Big Challenge Award for Gloucestershire (Kraft Foods, 2006) Kraft Foods today announced that it has won the BBC Big Challenge Health Works Award for Healthiest Large Employer in the BBC Radio Gloucestershire area. This award is presented to employers who have made health in the workplace one of their top priorities in 2005 and beyond. Kraft won the award for its commitment to creating a working environment that encourages and supports employees in their efforts to lead a balanced, active and healthy lifestyle. Since its launch in July 2004, Krafts employee wellbeing programme has offered advice on living a healthy lifestyle, supported activities that promote wellbeing such as pilates and yoga, provided healthy options in its staff restaurants, and offered all employees the opportunity to obtain periodical health checks through the companys occupational health team. The programme also demonstrates Krafts commitment to being a global leader in Health and Wellness, and its vision to Help people around the world to eat and live better. Christine Harrop, Occupational Health Sister at Kraft Foods won the BBC Big Challenge Unsung Hero Award for Gloucestershire an award presented to employees who have done something to inspire and encourage their colleagues to lead healthier and fitter lives. Christine won the award for her commitment to the health and wellbeing of Kraft employees, and her role over the past 18 years in participating and encouraging Kraft employees to take part in the annual London to Brighton Bike Ride. Christine regularly manages to recruit up to 60 employees to participate in the initiative and has raised thousands of pounds for the events chosen charity, the British Heart Foundation. Commenting on the two awards, Jim Beaty, HR Director stated Its a terrific achievement and recognition for the efforts of all employees who have contributed to the success of the employee wellbeing programme. Kraft Foods Names May to Global Human Resources Post. (Busniess Wire, 2005) NORTHFIELD, Ill. Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE:KFT), a global leader in branded foods and beverages, announced today that Karen May, 47, is joining the company in October as Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources. May will provide leadership for all of Krafts human resources disciplines, including benefits, compensation, diversity, facilities management, labor and employee relations, human resources strategy, safety and security, and talent management. She will report to Roger Deromedi, Chief Executive Officer of Kraft Foods, and join the Kraft Executive Team. May replaces Terry Faulk, who is retiring after more than 38 years with the company. She will work closely with Faulk to ensure a smooth transition, prior to his retirement at the end of the year. We will truly miss Terrys vast experience and sound judgment, said Deromedi. I want to thank him for his many significant contributions to Kraft throughout his long and distinguished career, and wish him and his family the very best in his retirement. Karens broad range of experiences and thorough understanding of the Human Resources function will serve her well in this role, Deromedi noted. Im confident that shell play a key role in driving Krafts transformation to a more consumer-focused, innovative and nimble company in the years ahead. May joins Kraft from Baxter International, Inc., where she has been Corporate Vice President of Human Resources since 2001. She joined Baxter in 1990 as Director of Corporate Audit and held several positions of increasing responsibility, including Vice President of Corporate Audit and Vice President of International Finance. In 1998, she became Vice President of Global Talent Planning and Staffing at Baxter and, prior to her most recent assignment, was named Vice President of Human Resources in 2000. May began her career in finance, with PricewaterhouseCoopers. She has a BS in accountancy from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Kraft Foods markets many of the worlds leading food brands, including Kraft cheese, Maxwell House and Jacobs coffees, Nabisco cookies and crackers, Philadelphia cream cheese, Oscar Mayer meats, Post cereals and Milka chocolates, in more than 155 countries. CONCLUSION: After all the research it can be concluded being key players of same consumer good category companies, and apart from the merger or acquisition, both the companies have their own unique set of competitive advantage over each other. Challenges in Highway Construction | Research Proposal Challenges in Highway Construction | Research Proposal Dissertation Proposal Challenges in Highway Road Construction in Nigeria. Research Questions: Why is there a high number of highway roads in poor conditions especially in the eastern part of the country? Why is there abandoned highway roads across Nigeria despite huge investments in highway construction? Why this there a poor maintenance culture of roads across the country? Hence, this proposed dissertation would aim to address this gap in knowledge by challenges facing the highway road construction, focusing more on the supervision of highway roads of indigenous construction companies. AIM To review and identify the challenges facing the construction of highway roads in Nigeria and to provide relevant recommendations for minimising these problems. The objectives of this research proposal are: To clearly identify the challenges facing highway construction in Nigeria through literature review. To conduct a questionnaire survey and interview of professional bodies and engineers and obtain their perceptions on highway construction challenges in Nigeria (particularly professionals with 30years and over of experience). Analysis of the survey data. To recommend possible changes in the supervision of highway construction in Nigeria. Background Introduction Nigeria is the largest country in Africa in terms of size and population of 174 million with landmass of 923,768 sq. km with diverse ethnic and cultures. It has 36 states with the Federal capital at Abuja with commercial states at Kano, Lagos, and Port Harcourt representing the northern, southern and eastern parts of the country. The Construction industry contributes about 7% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in Nigeria annually and the GDP per capital was about $2,800 in 2013 and is made up of small, medium and large scale companies. It is dominated by foreign companies controlling about 95% of the construction works across the country with top construction companies namely Julius Berger, Dantana Sowoe, Borini Prono, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, etc. OVERVIEW OF HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION IN NIGERIA Nigeria has the largest road network in West Africa with a total of over 193,000km length which is generally funded and managed by government. Road transportation is the major means of movement in Nigeria and it accounts for about 90% of movement of goods and services (Akpogomeh, 2002). In terms of scale and value, the transport infrastructure sector is dominated by the roads and bridges which make up about 17.2% of the total construction industry in 2014. However less than 20% of the road network is paved. With the government’s commitment to development, large investments in highway roads has been awarded across the country and the sector is expected to grow. The road network in the South and eastern part of the country are denser than the other parts owing to the high population densities in the areas (Ubogu et al, 2011). For example, the population in Lagos is about 6 million which was the former capital state and is the commercial and production part of the country and hence the volume of usage of the highway roads to and fro Lagos is quite high. The total highway roads are separately owned with the responsibility for construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation.The Federal roads are about 17%, State owned roads 16%, rural and Local Government Areas (LGAs) about 67%. The funding of the construction of the highway roads comes from the allocation of budget and also revenues from excess crude oil sales. Also, some states generate funds through private partnering which is used in Lagos States. However, only about 27% of Federal roads are reported to be in good condition, of which a major cause is likely to be the instability of the country during the military regime, which later became civilian rule since 1999. Annual loss to the economy is estimated in the region of N175b (N75b due to reduction in asset value; N88b due to increased vehicle operating cost; N12b due to increased turn around and increased travel time). Due to the high cost of construction of highway roads especially in the southern part of the country characterized with poor soils, high cost of labour, the Federal government relies heavily on international aid especially from China and the World Bank. With the World Bank, funding erosion projects across the country worth over $500 million. In October 2012, in the Northern part, Kaduna State approved $176million for 31 rural and township roads, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed a loan of $170million for roads as part of the Nigeria Agriculture Transformation Agenda (NATA), which targets rural development. Also, a 128km road contract in Zamafara state worth $43.47million was awarded in 2013. Over in western part of Nigeria November 2012, in one of the biggest road developments, Ogun state awarded four companies a share of $568million for road contracts. Borini Prono, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Hi Tech and PW Construction will complete eight new roads by 2014, with a second phase of construction worth over $250 million. Also, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is one of the major road projects under development. The Infrastructure Bank Plc. is to raise NGN117bn for the reconstruction of the 127km road. Over in the Middle part of Nigeria, Delta where the country gets its crude oil from, a road construction contract worth $1.07 billion has been awarded to China Railway Construction in Nigeria. The Ministry of Delta Affairs of Nigeria awarded the package of works for Section V of the A121 East-West highway to China Civil Engineering Construction, a division of China Railway Construction with a 5 years duration to connect the main North-South highways. ITS route runs from the A1 highway at Shagamu in Ogun State to the A2 highway at Benin City in Edo State. More recently, in 2014, the governments of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of which Nigeria is strong member approved a $50million six dual lane road projects to link Lagos, Abidjan and Dakar together cutting across Benin, Togo and Ghana. Also, the African Development Bank is expected to provide $16million for the construction and rehabilitation of roads across Africa linking the major cities. In general, the present condition of the Nigerian roads require urgent attention, in terms of rehabilitation and had a negative effect on the cost of production, lengthy travel time and standard of living ((Ubogu et al, 2011). For example, travelling from Benin to Lagos normally should take 5hours, but due to the bad road, the journey takes 8hours. Table 1.0 showing highway construction projects, value in US dollars, capacity, contractors and status. Project Name Value(US$) Capacity/length Companies Status Benin-Sagamu Highway 156 9.93km NA Under construction from 2013 Edepie-Tombia road Reconstruction 63 13km Shell Petroleum Development Company Under construction Niger Delta East- West Highway 2,175.69 338km Setraco Limited Under construction from 2013 Akwa Ibom State roads reconstruction 726 266km NA Planning stage Six lane Rig road in Niger Delta Port Harcourt 1,000 125km Africa Finance Corporation, China Harbor Eng. Company Contract awarded in 2008 East-West Road Project 2,276.3 338km Setraco Nigeria Ltd, Reynolds Construction Company Ltd, Gitto Costruzioni General Nigeria Ltd. Under construction since 2012. 51% of work completed. Ibadan-Ilorin highway upgrade 292 52km Shikin Binui Housing and Construction Under construction awarded 2010 and includes new dual carriage with interchanging bridges. Lagos- Ibadan Expressway 1054 127.6km Julius Berger, Reynolds Construction Company Ltd. Awarded 2013. Concession awarded to Bi-Courtney Highway Services ltd and was terminated and granted to Messrs Julius Berger Plc, Reynolds Construction Company. Gbongan Akoda Omoluuabi Motorway widening 185.8 30km RATON construction Nigeria Awarded May 2013 Magami-Dangulbi Dankurmi, Sabon Birni, Bagega Anka road 94.91 128km Bonny Prono Awarded Nov. 2012 Charanchi Ganuwa-Rawayau road 8.18 17km Mothercat Under construction from Oct 2013 Kaduna roads 178.1 NA NA Project Finance Closure(Funding Approved) NA-Not Available Source- Nigeria Infrastructure Report 2014 (BMI key Projects Database) SUPERVISION IN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION IN NIGERIA In Nigeria, supervision of highway construction is done by consultant engineers and middle level supervisors with few highway field experience, for example in the construction of say 10km rehabilitation in rural areas. A major factor affect supervision of highway projects is low knowledge of highway design and construction, understanding and interpretation of drawings, which is impossible to supervise what ones does not have knowledge of. Some processes in highway construction requires proper supervising such as the road alignment, soil tests, laying of asphalts or macadam as the case maybe. Also, the supervision should involve checking of quality of the material used for construction such as sand, laterite in accordance with the specifications in the highway drawings. In the awarding of highway roads contracts, the construction and supervision are awarded separately with competitive biddings. For example, Julius Berger, a foreign based company which specializes in highway construction which major works in Abuja city capital. The major issue is that for some construction works supervision contracts are awarded based on connection instead of actual knowledge of the supervision and hence there are no checks. But in general, most of the construction of highway roads by the foreign companies have stood the test of time. The case is not the same for home based construction companies who have limited resources and technical knowledge are awarded huge highway road contracts, with home based consultants supervising. Another issue is that the bill of the consultants supervising the construction is often times added to the entire contract and hence responsibility rests in the hands of the contractors and hence the consultants are often times forced to cut corners and save costs such as not putting a resident engineer to supervise daily and give reports. LOW KNOWLEDGE BASE. A major problem facing the highway construction is the lack of knowledge passage from the old and experienced engineers to the young, inexperienced engineers. Often times, due to the lack of availability of supervision works, most consulting firms do not employ and train engineers, engaging them in design and interpretation of drawings on site. Often times, when consulting firms get work, they employ contract based engineers to supervision leaving a huge gap of knowledge passage to the younger engineers and hence in Nigeria, most graduate Engineers have little or no construction experience. Also there is a lack of modern method of road construction especially the home based construction companies and hence many highway projects, such as highways and bridges, do not meet cost and time performance requirements. There is a poor maintenance culture of highway roads across the country and with the huge investments in highway construction, the average Nigerian lacks maintenance culture. In some cities across the country, some of the highways are constructed without the side drains and in some other cases only one side of the drains are constructed, which later causes failure of the roads. Also, litters can be seen in some of the highway roads especially in the eastern and western parts of the country which is a very serious issue which should be addressed. In the rural areas, most of the side drains are completely blocked especially in the eastern part which is prone to erosions. Another major issue within the highway construction in Nigeria is the failure of the Federal Government in paying contractors. For example, in the reconstruction of the 125km Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which was re-awarded to Julius Berger and R.C.C in which the construction is due to start due lack of payment by the government which is one of the reasons for abandoned highway projects across the country. Nigeria still uses the traditional contracting approach in which procurement is done through advertisement and bid processes has failed in performance in both the quality of construction and the management of the highways, in many developed countries adopting performance-based contract in road construction and maintenance. The Federal Ministry of Works which has branches across the 36 states with head office in Abuja the capital is responsible for all the federal highways construction which involves planning, design, construction, and rehabilitation. It is responsible for awarding for major highway contracts across the country. It also supervises and monitors construction and maintenance of the federal roads. In terms of quality, the choice of materials used, methodology and supervision are key in improving the quality and life span roads. In this regard, (Arumala 1987; and Akpododje 1986) investigated how the design standards, poor supervision and the failure of highways and found little or no evidence supporting it. Also, studies on road failure caused by use of sub-standard materials and knowledge on the geotechnical properties of the soils in which the roads are built (Ibrahim 1980; and Ola 1978). For example, the cost of road construction in the south and eastern part of the country is higher than that in the northern part mainly on the bad conditions of the soil, high cost of labour and availability of construction materials. The British code of Highway practice (BS codes) are still used in Nigeria for both in highway construction and buildings as it was a former colony of the Britain and currently a member of the Common Wealth. The Federal ministry also supervises the activities of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) which is responsible for carryout maintenance works on the federal and state highways across the country. Research Method My proposed research method would be a qualitative research (questionnaire and interview survey). Interview survey for consultant engineers who have over 30 years’ experience in highway construction and questionnaire survey for contractors in highway construction in Nigeria. The reason being that the research requires an in depth perspective and in terms of numbers there are few engineers with over 30 years’ experience I can meet. The structure of the interview would be semi structured to allow for flexibility for 3 consultant engineers home based medium scale firms. Possible Problems Potential Solutions Possible limitations to my proposed study is the firstly the time management and a timetable has been drafted as shown below. Also the responsiveness of the interview survey could be challenging finding professional engineers and consultants with over 30 years’ experience. The research limited to home based construction companies and professionals. Conclusion Hopefully, at the end of research work, solutions could be recommended in the highway construction industry in Nigeria especially in the supervision area which would help in future planning of projects. References Alaba Adetola, et.al (2011) A critical appraisal of road transport infrastructure management in Nigeria International council for research and innovation CIB, pp.77-95. Abdulkareem, Y. and Adeoti, K. (2003), Road maintenance and National Development available at unilorin.edu.ng Adams, O. (1995) Indigenous Contractors’ Perceptions of the constraints on Contractors Performance and Development Programmes required in Nigeria. Habitat International, 19(4), pp.599-613. Adetola, A. (2011) A critical appraisal of road transport infrastructure management in Nigeria. International council for research and innovation CIB, pp.77-95. Aibinu, A. and Jagboro, G. (2002) The effects of Construction Industry, international Journal of Project Management. 20(8), pp.593-599. Nigerian Infrastructure report, 2013; 2014. (2014). A.E Okezie (2013) A case for Performance based road maintenance in Nigeria available at www.nseph.org Odeh, A. and Battaineh, H. (2002) Causes of construction delays: traditional contracts. International Journals of Project Management, 20, pp.67-73. Okigbo, N. (2012) Causes of Highway failures in Nigeria. International Journal for Engineering Science and Technology, 4(11).

Cloning :: essays research papers

The first thing that must be cleared up is what is cloning, and what is a clone. A clone is an organism derived asexually from a single individual by cuttings, bulbs, tubers, fission, or parthenogenesis reproduction ("Cloning", 1997). Pathogenesis reproduction is the development of an organism from an unfertilized ovum, seed or spore ("Pathogenesis", 1997). So cloning, biologically speaking, is any process in which production of a clone is successful. Therefore, the biological term cloning is the production of a genetically identical duplicate of an organism. However, people can use the word cloning to intend other meanings. For instance, we generalize many older and new techniques as cloning. This is not a good practice because these techniques are different and impose unique concerns and issues. In the world of scientific technology, cloning is the artificial production of organisms with the same genetic material. Scientists actually call the transferring of a nucleus from the cell of one organism to an enucleated egg cell, nuclear transfer (Wilmut 811). This will produce an organism that has the exact genetic material as that of the donor cell. Scientists are using current techniques exceedingly more, and with a variety of species. Astonishingly, more clones are present in the world than one would think. In nature, and even in the lives of humans, clones are present. As stated earlier, a clone is an organism that has the same genetic information as another organism. From this we can say that cloning occurs with all plants, some insects, algae, unicellular organisms that conduct mitosis or binary fission, and occasionally by all multi-cellular organisms, including humans. Monozygotic twins, or identical twins, are clones of each other. They have the same exact genetic information due to the division of an embryo early in development, which produces two identical embryos. About eight million identical twins are alive in the world; thus, already eight million human clones inhabit the world. Today, the only cloning research is occurring in scientific model organisms. These are organisms that research scientists from around the globe have collected abundant amounts of data. All this data is necessary so that advancements in research can continue more efficiently. The most common scientific models are E. coli, mice, fruit flies, and frogs. The first organisms that were cloned using nuclear transfer were frogs. This is because they have large egg cells and scientists can obtain up to two thousand of them from one ovulation. Cloning :: essays research papers The first thing that must be cleared up is what is cloning, and what is a clone. A clone is an organism derived asexually from a single individual by cuttings, bulbs, tubers, fission, or parthenogenesis reproduction ("Cloning", 1997). Pathogenesis reproduction is the development of an organism from an unfertilized ovum, seed or spore ("Pathogenesis", 1997). So cloning, biologically speaking, is any process in which production of a clone is successful. Therefore, the biological term cloning is the production of a genetically identical duplicate of an organism. However, people can use the word cloning to intend other meanings. For instance, we generalize many older and new techniques as cloning. This is not a good practice because these techniques are different and impose unique concerns and issues. In the world of scientific technology, cloning is the artificial production of organisms with the same genetic material. Scientists actually call the transferring of a nucleus from the cell of one organism to an enucleated egg cell, nuclear transfer (Wilmut 811). This will produce an organism that has the exact genetic material as that of the donor cell. Scientists are using current techniques exceedingly more, and with a variety of species. Astonishingly, more clones are present in the world than one would think. In nature, and even in the lives of humans, clones are present. As stated earlier, a clone is an organism that has the same genetic information as another organism. From this we can say that cloning occurs with all plants, some insects, algae, unicellular organisms that conduct mitosis or binary fission, and occasionally by all multi-cellular organisms, including humans. Monozygotic twins, or identical twins, are clones of each other. They have the same exact genetic information due to the division of an embryo early in development, which produces two identical embryos. About eight million identical twins are alive in the world; thus, already eight million human clones inhabit the world. Today, the only cloning research is occurring in scientific model organisms. These are organisms that research scientists from around the globe have collected abundant amounts of data. All this data is necessary so that advancements in research can continue more efficiently. The most common scientific models are E. coli, mice, fruit flies, and frogs. The first organisms that were cloned using nuclear transfer were frogs. This is because they have large egg cells and scientists can obtain up to two thousand of them from one ovulation.

Stereotypical Images of Native Americans Essay -- American America His

Stereotypical Images of Native Americans The encounter of Christopher Columbus with the indigenous people of the Americas and the Caribbean would ultimately set in motion the destruction of Native American life and culture as it had existed for thousands of years. Images and stereotypes of the Native Americans were indelibly etched into the minds of the Europeans and we struggle today to eradicate these harmful portrayals. When Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492, he was greeted by the natives of what is currently Haiti and the Dominican Republic, on the island of Hispaniola. These people were the Taino Indians, who belong to the general group Arawak, which primarily describes the common language shared by the native people from the area now known as Venezuela all the way up to modern-day Florida. Columbus was immediately struck by the peaceful, generous nature of the Taino. He wrote, "they are gentle and comely people. They are so naive and free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would never believe it. When you ask for something they have, they never say no. To the contrary, they offer to share with anyone... They willingly traded everything they owned..." The Taino society was very highly organized, with a patriarchal hierarchy and distinguished by happiness and friendliness. There were 5 different kingdoms on the island of Hispaniola and each kingdom was led by a cacique. Polygamy was in practice and the caciques often had as many as 30 wives, although most men had only 2 or 3. The wife of a cacique enjoyed great status and honor, as did her children. The people of the kingdom paid a tax or tribute to their cacique in exchange for overseeing the village. There were other hierar... ...ine: I. Columbus meets the Taino/Arawak Indians A. Peaceful/ generous nature 1. highly organized society 2. little defense capabilities or the necessity for them B. Manner of living 1. dress 2. housing C. Genocide 1. cruel treatment 2. disease 3. disappearance of cultural heritage 4. population estimates II. European Impressions A. Strong, self-determined people 1. King Ferdinand's letter to the Taino B. Savages 1. Religious implications 2. Self-serving rationalization III. Native American Stereotypes A. Film B. Literature C. Children's Books 1. The Indian in the Cupboard 2. demeaning vocabulary, "vanishing Indian" concept IV. Contemporary Impressions A. "red" man - designation created by Linnaeus 1. tribal affiliations disregarded 2. assimilation in "white" society B. Discrimination in current society

1920s Cars Essay

In 1918, only 1 in 13 families owned a car. By 1929, 4 out of 5 families had one. In the same time period, the number of cars on the road increased from 8 million to 23 million. In fact, the industry grew so fast; by 1925 over 10% of all people in the workforce had something to do with production, sales, service, or fueling of automobiles. Buying on Credit At first, a buyer had to have cash to purchase a car. Banks were unwilling to lend money for something that was difficult to seize if the borrower stopped making payments. A car could be moved from place to place, unlike a house or land. In 1919, General Motors and Dupont introduced the concept of buying a car on credit. But instead of getting financing through a bank, they formed the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC). By 1926, 75% of all car buyers were entering into credit purchase agreements. Ford’s Sales Decline Between used car sales to lower income families, and attractive financing options on new cars for the middle class, Ford began to see a decline in sales. After resisting change for several months, Ford finally chose to shut down production from May to November 1927 to design a new car and re-tool his factories. Ford sold 300,000 Model A’s before the first one appeared on the market. It quickly became the most popular car, but the unplanned shutdown had cost Ford plenty. With over 40 other companies making cars in 1929, competition began to increase. The Car’s Influence on Society The automobile changed the way people worked, conducted their business, and shopped for needs and wants. Doctors were among the first to buy cars, which made it easier for them to make house calls. Police officers could now answer calls more quickly than on foot or horseback. Cars also changed how people spent their leisure time. It gave us easy access to the world beyond our neighborhoods, our cities, and even our states. With a car, some extra income, and more leisure time, motor vacations became popular.

Anemia Essay

1. Differentiate between absolute and functional iron deficiency in the context of ACD and IDA. Absolute iron deficiency is when the stores of iron are depleted and bone marrow iron is absent, resulting in low serum ferritin and low transferrin saturation. Simple absolute iron deficiency usually results in iron deficiency anemia and can be resolved with iron supplementation. Functional iron deficiency results in anemia of chronic disease/inflammation, where infections, connective tissue disorders, or other diseases can cause inflammatory cytokines to be released. These inflammatory cytokines inhibit survival of erythroid progenitor cells, reduce EPO production, and cause excess hepcidin production, which decreases the amount of iron absorbed by enterocytes and blocks the release of iron stored in macrophages. In this case, the iron stores in the body are adequate, but are not being released for use, resulting in hypoferremia and creating a pathological basis for ACD. 2. Explain why transferrin levels in the blood are not increased in ACD patients, unlike in IDA patients. Transferrin is a transport protein that is responsible for mediating the exchange of iron between tissues. Most of the iron transferred is derived from the iron stored in the macrophages and not from iron absorbed via the digestive tract. This affects transferrin levels in the blood in ACD because transferrin is a negative acute phase reactant. This means that during an infection or inflammation, the levels of transferrin in the blood decrease as the body tries to minimize the amount of iron accessible to pathogens and sequesters iron within macrophages. Also, most iron-bound transferrin is delivered to the bone marrow for erythropoiesis or tissues for storage, leaving the bloodstream. On the contrary in IDA, transferrin levels in the blood increase because the body is trying to accumulate iron by increasing the level of transferrin. These transferrin proteins aren’t bound to any iron, due to the deficiency, and circulate the bloodstream. 3. Describe the alternative method of assessing or identifying iron deficiency, which we have not discussed in class. The alternative method of  assessing or identifying iron deficiency mentioned in the paper was the use of flow cytometry to measure reticulocyte hemoglobin concentration (CHr). Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells that are only present for 1-2 days and are the most recently produced 1% of the erythrocytes. As such any sort of iron deficiency that affects proper erythropoiesis will be present upon analysis of reticulocyte hemoglobin concentration. Use of CHr as well as serum transferrin receptor levels to form diagnostic plots has been useful in identifying iron-restricted erythropoiesis (functional iron deficiency), regardless of whether or not an infection, an acute phase response, or ACD is concurrent. Thomas C, Thomas L. Biochemical markers and hematologic indices in the diagnosis of functional iron deficiency. Clin Chem. 2002;48:1066-1076. 4. How can iron supplementation work in ACD patients? How is it administered? Any drawbacks? In certain cases of ACD, iron supplementation can be therapeutic. Usually, since ACD is not a true iron deficiency, the anemia is resolved when the underlying condition of disease or inflammation is resolved. However, in some cases where the pathophysiological condition cannot be resolved, hematologists must instead target the issues that cause ACD, namely suppressed EPO production and increased iron sequestration as a result of excess hepcidin production. In the case of suppressed EPO production, iron supplements as well as rhEPO therapy can relieve the symptoms of anemia by inducing erythropoiesis. However, hematologists must also take into account that since excess hepcidin is being produced, the iron is unable to be absorbed via enterocytes, and must be administered intravenously. Because of the intravenous iron infusion, patients with ACD are at a high risk of being overloaded with iron and developing hemochromatosis. Drueke, T. B. â€Å"Intravenous Iron: How Much Is Too Much?† Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 16.10 (2005): 2833-835. 5. How have mouse models of ACD helped in the search for better management of ACD? Mouse models of ACD have helped in the search for better management of  ACD by providing two different methods of curbing excessive hepcidin production in those with ACD. Firstly, an ACD mouse was created by infection with Brucella. This mouse was then treated with a short-hairpin RNA sequence that would bind to the mRNA transcript products of the hepcidin gene. The mouse was found to have significantly less hepcidin concurrent with pre-inflammation levels, alleviating anemic symptoms. Secondly, the scientists were able to develop an anti-hepcidin antibody that would inhibit hepcidin production. They first created a knock-in mouse with a human hepcidin gene and then used the anti-hepcidin antibody as an effective treatment for anemia when used with ESA (similar to EPO in humans). Another mouse study was also able to inhibit a bone morphogenetic protein that is elevated (along with IL-6) in ACD patien ts and responsible for increase in hepcidin production making inhibiting of BMP a possible anemia treatment. Sasu BJ, Cooke KS, Arvedson TL et al. Antihepcidin antibody treatment modulates iron metabolism and is effective in a mouse model of inflammation-induced anemia. Blood. 2010;115:3616-3624. Steinbicker AU, Sachidanandan C, Vonner AJ, et al. Inhibition of bone morphogenetic protein signaling attenuates anemia associated with inflammation. Blood. 2011;117:4915-4923.