Quantifying the properties of various types of Megayacht fillers Literature review

Quantifying the properties of various types of Megayacht fillers - Literature review Example Any marine equipment requires strong and durable surface finishing that would enable it last longer in terms of body maintenance. There are several fillers found in the market, but the big question that remains unanswered is their sustainability in the market. Your boat is not only under threat from the components; damage can occur as a result of abrasion, collision and other mechanical damage. Fillers can be applicable in minute repairs and choosing the right one for the task is very necessary in case the result is meant to last at the end of it all. Fillers are normally available with several characteristics that are specific to how they will be applied. Fillers are available in a wide variety. There are new releases on a daily occasion which draws attention as to which should be the appropriate one for use. According to Hellio and Yebra, considerations should be made on the mechanical strength that the filler will have to avoid having detrimental effects on the coating later on (2009 p.315). Several companies are on the forefront in advertising their products, but through market research, it has been established that there are some which leaves a wanting result after their use. Some filler have been designed for quick drying and much simple repair properties on top side surfaces. Others need keen care having been built for long lasting reasons. Fillers remain one of the most demanding applications in marine world. Having the right filler also remains a major concern for most end users. End users are always torn apart between choosing the right kind of filler to use. Some end users go as far as applying inappropriate fillers just because the filler is well known and is popular in terms of advertisement. At the end of this paper, there are several facts that a user should be well aware of which include: The whole article has six segments which include the introduction, problem statement, Aims and objectives, project plan, resources, literature survey and

Fallacies Exercise Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fallacies Exercise Assignment - Essay Example After analyzing the discourse, it is one’s contention that the fallacies were committed in terms of: attacking Kingsley Guy’s arguments as without merit; even asserting in the title that Kingsley Guy was wrong about the climate. Further arguments show fallacies in post hoc when the author argued that computer models are less than perfect and therefore these models which they use to predict hurricane paths have been imperfect all along. Finally, the slippery slope fallacy was exemplified in the second paragraph claims that the subsequent sets of using five or six predicted paths in climate modeling were used despite their imperfections, yet in the end, the author blames global warming to men. The GOP makes no secret of what it would do if we elect a Republican president. Some Republican governors have already implemented their plans, cutting teachers, police and firefighters and trying to do away with their unions. They have never done anything to benefit the middle class. They are strictly for the wealthy. [Post Hoc].They would love to privatize everything. Privatization equals profit. They should not be allowed to profit from necessary programs like Social Security and Medicare. I cannot believe that their candidate could win on the platform they propose. President Obama has received no cooperation from the Republican members of Congress, yet he gets the blame for everything wrong in this country. He is not a king. He cannot operate alone. The Republicans know this, and they voted against all his proposals every time. We dont need a political party in charge that puts party ahead of country and admits its aim is to make Obama a one-term president. This article presents one post hoc fallacy that aimed to exemplify that event b (Republicans are for the wealthy) happened prior to event a (they never do anything to benefit the middle class); therefore being for

The Change of Social Views on Mental Illnesses Essay Example for Free

The Change of Social Views on Mental Illnesses Essay In the past, mental illnesses were not widely accepted in society. Many times, upon the discovery of a mental illness in a child, the parents would send them to a mental institution to take care of them. Because of this, people with mental illnesses were often looked down upon due to the public’s unfamiliarity with them. Society’s ignorance has minimized over the years. The social views over the past 30 years have changed considerably towards people with mental disabilities due to socialization, by being involved in valued roles in society, and the evolution of medicine. The socialization of people with mental illnesses changed society’s way of thinking. The closures of mental institutions have contributed greatly to this. Sending a child with a mental illness to a mental institution to be raised, isolated them from society. By not being exposed to people that are different, it is difficult to widely accept and understand those differences. The more one is exposed to something, the more desensitized they are to it. For example, studies show that the more exposure to violence through the media and video games, the more desensitized the consumers are to the violence in real-life situations (Science Daily). Many times in society, one sees someone with a mental illness working in places that give them seemingly meaningless roles within that workplace (i. e. Jobs that do not contribute to society). By eliminating those meaningless jobs, people with mental illnesses have the opportunity to work among those without a mental illness. It will therefore increase contact, consequently increasing familiarization. The media has contributed greatly towards providing knowledge to the public about mental illnesses such as depression, autism, and bipolar disorder. By educating the public, it will cause less apprehension and misunderstanding of people with mental disorders. Marsha Gray of Community Living Mississauga points out that, â€Å"One of the things I find that is very bothersome is when people treat them like babies, like they can’t handle themselves. † This treatment is often a result of ignorance and often demeans the person whom they are speaking. It implies to them that people with a mental illness is unable to take care of themselves. Participation in meaningful activities that people without mental disabilities participate will increase the social skills that people with certain mental illnesses often lack. To build intimate relationships, for example, provides a chance to develop better self- esteem, and self-awareness that many people without a mental illness often take for granted as it develops naturally earlier on in life. As explained by Marsha Gray, â€Å"A social stigma is that people with mental illnesses cannot have a boyfriend/girlfriend or get married and have kids. It is encouraged to be engaged in those social settings to strengthen the social skills that they may not have had fully developed or may still need to learn. † The teaching of social norms is essential to the changing of society’s views. In the case of Autism, which is a â€Å"disorder that severely impairs development of a person’s ability to communicate, interact with other people, and maintain normal contact with the outside world,† there is the incapability to be aware of the needs and feelings of others. This may result in social deviancy. Social deviance is any behaviour that is different from the societal norm. With the incapability to be aware of the needs and feelings of others, people with autism may act in a way or do something that may offend others without realizing the consequences. This creates a stereotype that all people with a mental illness are never able to act according to social norms. This view can be changed by teaching what is right and wrong according to the social norms to prevent intolerance. There are certain valued roles in society that everybody plays. There is a stigma that people with mental illnesses cannot carry on the role as a parent, or as an employer. The evolution of medicine has played a large part in changing the views of society. The introduction of Lithium as a mood stabilizer for patients with bi-polar disorder was a medical breakthrough (NIMH). Because of this, people who are affected by bi-polar disorder are able to live a better, productive life in society with less extreme mood swings between mania and severe depression. In the past, electric shock treatment was commonly used to treat mental illnesses such as severe depression, and epilepsy. With new advancements in medicine, people with mental disorders are able to function better, and live lives that are more productive and fulfilling. With socialization, which is a result of closing down mental institutions, eliminating meaningless roles, and educating society, the views of the public have changed for the better because the increase of awareness and more exposure to those with mental illnesses. By providing centres that help teach people with mental illnesses basic life skills and how to act in ociety, it is getting easier for them to live their lives without constant scrutiny for the people around them. By creating ways for people with mental illnesses to be integrated and treated fairly has opened societies eyes and help society be more welcoming to those who are different and decreasing discrimination. The change of social views on mental illnesses have changed for the better, and will continue to do so because they see that all people affect by a mental illness want is to be no different than the normal John Doe, and to be treated as such.

PESTLE Analysis for Dialog Axiata

PESTLE Analysis for Dialog Axiata Dialog Telekom PLC (The Company) operates Sri Lankas largest and fastest growing telecommunication network Dialog GSM. Dialog Telekom is one of the largest companies listed under the Colombo Stock Exchange. It is a subsidiary of the Axiata Group Berhad. Due to Dialog the Sri Lankan mobile industry has achieved new heights and has come at par with the developed world. The telecom company operates 2G, 3G and 3.5G mobile services, supporting the current trends in mobile internet and multimedia services, as well as international roaming. Dialog Telekom accounts for more than 50% of Sri Lankan mobile phone subscribers. Along with the mobile telecommunication business Dialog Telekom operates a wide portfolio of international telecommunication services including retail and wholesale international voice and data services. Dialog Broadband Networks Pvt. Ltd. (DBN) is an owned subsidiary of the Company, and is an important player in Sri Lankas ICT infrastructure sector. DBN was also the first service provider in Sri Lanka to introduce high-speed broadband internet services based on Wi MAX technology. Dialog Television Pvt. Ltd. (Dialog TV) is another subsidiary of Dialog Telekom PLC. It operates Dialog Satellite TV, a Direct-to-Home (DTH) Satellite TV service. Dialog TV supports a wide range of international and local television channels. Regarding the structure of the company, Dialog Telekom Ltd. has got a Hybrid structure which is a combination of Matrix structure as well as Modular structure. As in each Strategic Business Unit (SBU) works independently and every function of each SBU has communication linkages with one another. Top down as well as bottom up communication is available and it uses worldwide resources and technologies. MICRO ANALYSIS THROUGH SWOT Analysis (S)trengths Dialog has the first mover advantage of GSM technology in Sri Lanka. Due to its strong infrastructure it has got one of the best and far reaching mobile telecommunication coverage. Relationship with a telecommunication tycoon in the same region; Telekom Malaysia Group. Extension in collaborations maintaining good relations with other Telecom companies has enabled Dialog to have a global approach with services such as and Satellite Coverage high roaming. Dialog Telekom has got a very aggressive marketing strategy which enables it to have a good and stable Brand Equity. Companys financial analysis proved excellent stability in financial statements regarding investments. Strong Public Relationship that has been built up over the years. Expanded CSR initiatives increased the social value of the firm. High quality technical innovations has made dialog market leader in Sri Lanka. Constant rise in the share prices has gained the confidence of the investors leading to value increment. Strong distribution network spread throughout the entire island.. Well managed customer care support techniques has increase the level of customer satisfaction. Wide variety of products. Management Team is efficient and hard-working. High level of corporate business knowledge retention through low employee turnover (W)eaknesses Though the investment on advertising and value addition through technical innovation is high, there is no clear aim and idea of a broader market Poor performance as on ISP. Compared to its competitors Dialog lags behind in innovations related to pricing strategies. The head office in Colombo is of a distributed nature due to non-expandability of the current location. The level of motivation of internal employees is decreasing. Due to the rapidly growing customer base the trends in Quality of Service are going down by the day. In the front-office employee turn-over is high. (O)pportunities Telecom is one of the fastest growing sectors in Sri Lankas 19.5million people As per estimations 4.5million users would have mobile phones by the end of 2006 The communication industry is growing rapidly. Fixed line penetration is low. The approval and acceptability of the Value Added Services (VAS) by the users has increased the probability and success of any new VAS initiative. The strategic partnership of Dialog Telekom with Vodafone UK. Dialog has got the potential to gain benefits of Value Chain Convergence. Technology advancements especially in mobile multimedia technologies and the advent and use of the next 3G mobile communications. (T)hreats Strongest Competitor of Dialog, the Mobile wing of fixed line telecom giant SLT is focused on cost-cutting strategy through its low cost pre-paid products in the market. Rapid changes in the political, social and economic conditions as well as the laws and regulations. Changes in currency exchange rates and high inflation which is inversely affecting the global business. Rapid change in customer preferences and their growing needs due to high level of customer awareness. Constant changes in technology. Dialog had to switch off all base station in northern-province during the last few months due to military operations by the Sri Lankan Govt. forces. Thus there is an uncertainty due to the growing counter terrorist campaigns. PESTEL Analysis (P)olitical Sri Lanka has very positive foreign investment policies. However though Sri Lanka identified importance of liberalization early as in 1977, due to political interventions bureaucratic attitudes inherited from colonial reign and poor governance, the country as a whole and specifically the industry has not grown as it was foreseen at the time of liberalization. During the past two decades, terrorist activities have remained constant as well. (E)conomical Unstable macro-economic environment and trade policy regime has a negative impact on the industry. The fall of the exchange rate over the years happened on a gradual pace. Since the inception of liberalization policy it has undergone massive reforms in this sector. However Sri Lanka lags dynamics incorporated by India to attract foreign direct investments. The attitude towards foreign direct investments needs to be improved. (S)ocio-Cultural Sri Lanka has better social conditions for example literacy rate is high, infant mortality rate is low and life expectancy is long. The country also has an educated and trainable work force. Nevertheless Sri Lankans inherit a bureaucratic attitude from the colonial administration that results in inefficiencies and discrimination. (T)echnological Sri Lanka depends on technology transfers from foreign direct investments. However TRCSL encourages local research and development. The country comparatively has not performed well enough to adapt technological changes on a timely manner. For example the shift from analogue to digital and the adoption of CDMA technology materialized in a slow pace. (E)cological (L)egal TRCSL the regulatory body takes up multidimensional roles. It ensures fair enforcement of Govt. policy, hold operators accountable for performance, address consumer issues, monitor changing industry needs and provide feedback to the policy making units. However TRCSL has been criticized over the years for information asymmetry, inefficiency and discrimination. Porters Five Forces 1. Threat of New Entrants Indias Bharti AIRTEL has got the fifth mobile operator license in Sri Lanka As per TRCSL, no more licenses would be awarded Thus it creates an entry barrier for all others to the market 2. Bargaining Power of Customers Consumer protection groups are almost non-existing As compared to the west, consumers are not that strong in their demands Quality standards and supports are comparatively not major concern if they exist at a basic level Low switching costs Customers are highly cost conscious 3. Threat from Substitutes Almost negligible Alternatives are fixed line and the more recent CDMA connectivity This is a much smaller market as compared to the huge total market 4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Local and International suppliers for Dialog Depends on SLT, MTT and a few other VSAT operators to access the national backbone Thus these particular suppliers are extremely powerful Acquisition of MTT and the creation of the new subsidiary known as Dialog Broadband Network 5. Rivalry Among Competing Firms Very high competition with constant pricing wars Dialog certainly has an edge because of their Value Added Services and differentiation strategy and the huge customer base Value Added Services are becoming very popular among the consumers Strategic Groups Adopted by the Company Dialog strategies are visible in the companys corporate, business and functional levels. They have already diversified their business across many areas during the last few years. For instance, by acquiring MTT, Dialog managed to strengthen its transmission backbone. Also recent past it has acquired CBNSAT, a satellite TV transmission company, and DERANA TV Channel with a long term objective of a value chain convergence. In addition to reach the customer, Dialog has created many alliances with other business corporations. Cargills-Dialog alliance to allow Cargills customers to settle Dialog bills is just one such example. The business plan is formulated at the beginning of the year considering main objectives of the company. The progress of each project is monitored in a monthly basis through different strategic committee meetings. On the other hand, Dialog tries to introduce latest technologies into the market considering global mega trends through its comprehensive Research and Development wing. Among them, the Dialogs initiative to setup the Dialog Research Lab at the University of Moratuwa is of importance because it effectively enabled Dialog to provide tailor made solutions to the local market. Nokia phones with Sinhala language support and Tsunami warning system for mobiles are just to name a few such examples. These technology initiatives can be considered as a strategy used to capture the market by effectively staying ahead from the competition in the technology and innovation sphere. Structure The Companys business and operations are managed under the supervision of the Board of Directors comprising of 5 non-executive directors and 1 executive director. The Board has the power to appoint executive directors including the CEO. Divisional structure can be identified in company level but performances of the divisions are measured through different strategic committees. Systems Apart from the technical backbone, Dialog uses several systems to execute their business strategies successfully. For example- SAP ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) This was launched in 2006 January to integrate identified key process in the company. CCBS (Customer Care Billing System) Currently existing billing system is going to be migrated into a new system to provide more customer centric services. HRIS Used for Human Resource Management and all the day to day functions are carried out through this system. Style The management style always depends on targets and objectives. Strict deadlines are imposed while performance and progress are very closely monitored at all levels of the organizational structure. Rewards and benefit schemes are in line for the top performers and better achievements. All the employees will have a number of recreational opportunities such as trips, get-together, sports etc. to take some time off from busy work schedules. Staff The Company currently employs a workforce of 2500 who in turn are considered pivotal to the organizations growth and success. Annual manpower planning and recruitment is carried out in parallel with the business plan preparation. The capabilities required by potential employees are based on the requirements of the business plans applicable to respective departments of the company in any given year. Recruitment to the Company is governed by several policies. The core policy on filling vacancies spells out the Companys intention to attract the best with the aim of exploiting the individuals potential while providing career development opportunities irrespective of communal or gender differences. 7% of the total HR cost is devoted to training and development. The training needs for individuals and teams are identified from the competency requirements arising from the Companys business plan and employees annual performance review. Subordinate Goals All individuals with different backgrounds, different ethnics and nations are teamed up and driven towards a common set of goals and objectives at Dialog Telekom. The company has been successful in focusing the entire team towards a single vision by incorporating all individuals goals and personal objective together. Skills Dialog team consists of number of individuals with distinctive capabilities and competencies from top to bottom. Dialog is proud to have a very energetic and talented CEO in the caliber of Dr. Hans Wijesuriya. In addition to that Dialog is served by a team of top class individual in the Sri Lankan industry with lot of talent and exposures. Different Strategies Adopted by Dialog Telekom Corporate Strategy Considering the current performance, the key success factors and the SWOT analysis the directional strategy alternatives would be the following Growth strategy to expand the activities of Dialog Telekom further would be the first alternative. Since the current product lines have real growth potencial concentration of resources on those would be ideal. In concentration Dialog Telekom can follow the vertical growth strategy to take the benefit of the value chain convergence opportunity that is existing in Sri Lankan context. Stability strategy to continue with current activities without any changes to the direction would be the second alternative. Here Dialog Telekom can utilize pause/proceed with caution strategy to have only incremental improvements while the weaknesses stated are overcome. It can use this time to stabilize the organization due to the changes took place due to multiple strategies it adopted earlier such as acquisitions and investing on innovative developments, which will help to get back the loosing internal employee motivation. The first alternative will move Dialog Telekom further away from the competition and create a monopoly temporarily for converged industries of telecommunication, content, media and retail. However unfocused highspeed growth to capture the market without stabilizing the existing acquisitions can disassemble everything. The second alternative will give Dialog Telekom and its employees much needed breathing space. The recommendation would be to implement the second alternative initially to stabilize the organization without any other drastic change in the direction. And after some time they can adopt their long term beneficial value chain convergence option depicted in first alternative. Business Strategy The business strategy alternatives available for Dialog Telekom to improve the competitive position in the industries it operates would be The first alternative for the competitive strategy would be to improve on the current strategy of differentiation. It can improve this by having unique Value Added Services for each of its current strategic business units DBN, CBNSAT and Dialog Telekom itself. This can improve the customer loyalty and thereby can charge a reasonable premium rate than competitors. Second alternative which Dialog Telekom can try to implement is cost leadership to overcome the threat of lower rates provided by competitors, Mobitel. Since the VAS are less in Mobitel the switching from Dialog to Mobitel is not much in urban people who use these VASes. But people who are using purely as a voice/sms only are shifting as most of them are cost conscious and there is not much of a difference in coverage. Hence if Mobitel improves on its VASes it would become a serious threat at a stage at which only the rates would decide the attraction of that segment of the market. Typically the differentiation strategy is more likely to generate higher profits than low cost strategy. However differentiation strategy implementation may involve higher investment than low cost strategy. Competitive scope is an important factor when considering competitive strategies. The recommended alternative depends on the competitive scope in this situation. Considering both alternatives and the pros and cons of each most ideal would be to have culmination of both differing from the segment of the market. Dialog Telekom should have a focused differentiation strategy in the market where people are valuing the VASes and cost focus in the market where usage is purely for voice/SMS. Simultaneously Dialog Telekom should look at strategic alliances as a corporate strategy to gain competitive advantage by working with other organizations. Currently they have stated this with some banks and some supermarket chains as mentioned earlier. However this can be vastly improved to include alliances with insurance companies, stock brokers, popular food chains etc.

The Correlation Between Multiple Personality Disorder and Child Abuse :: Child Abuse Essays

Behind Closed Doors: The Correlation Between Multiple Personality Disorder and Child Abuse "Each day that we pretended, we replaced reality with lies, or dreams, or angry schemes, in search of dignity†¦ until our lies got bigger than the truth, and we had no one real to be" From "For Children Who Were Broken" by Elia Wise Have you ever wanted to be someone else? Throughout history the idea of not being just us has intrigued everyone from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. But imagine having no control over who you are. Imagine having 30 people inside of you, and every one of them wanting to be in control. This is the case with Multiple Personality Disorder, and it effects thousands of people in the United States alone. But why does MPD fascinate us? It has often been found quite interesting. Movies, books, and even talk shows have been made trying to show the harsh reality of the disorder, but how seriously are we expected to take Truddi Chase and the "Troops" when they are on The Oprah Show? How worried are we for Sybil when we remember Sally Field as Gidget? As grim as this disorder is we often don't realize the severity unless we hear it from "the voices." Using the psychoanalytical approach, I will show how past abusive experiences have driven some to MPD. Citing case studies from such books as When Rabbit Howls, The Truddi Chase Story, Sybil, and Jennifer and Herselves the correlation between MPD and abuse will be made. There are more similarities to these examples than just MPD, all were driven to MPD due to excessive physical, ual, or emotional abuse from a parental figure. Also, each of these studies show the cause and effects this disorder has on . Most MPD sufferers are , in fact female MPD sufferers outnumber men by a ratio of nine to one (Hales, 1993). This may be true because will keep their feelings of hostility toward others to themselves, whereas men would be more likely to lash out in random acts of . For instance, Anna doesn't want to believe that she is getting beaten, so she believes if she becomes someone else, it is not really her that is taking the abuse. However, it is only a matter of time before the abuse increases or takes another form. The effect compounds, one more personality develops, and so on until "the voices" have consumed Anna and left her broken, with every facet of her personality now being an independent mind. With statistics showing that some form of abuse happens to as many as one out of

Molecular Switches :: essays research papers fc

We live in the technology age. Nearly everyone in America has a computer or at least access to one. How big are the computers you are used to? Most are about 7" by 17" by 17". That's a lot of space. These cumbersome units will soon be replaced by something smaller. Much smaller, we're talking about computers based on lone molecules. As far off as this sounds, scientists are already making significant inraods into researching the feasability of this. Our present technology is composed of solid-state microelectronics based upon semiconductors. In the past few years, scientists have made momentus discoveries. These advances were in molecular scale electronics, which is based on the idea that molecules can be made into transistors, diodes, conductors, and other components of microcircuits. (Scientific American) Last July, researchers from Hewlitt-Packard and the University of California at Los Angeles announced that they had made an electronic switch of a layer of several million molecules and rotaxane. "Rotaxane is a pseudorotaxane. A pseudorotaxane is a compound consisting of cyclic moles threaded by a linear molecule. It also has no covalant interaction. In rotaxane, there are bulky blocking groups at each end of the threaded molecule." (Scientific American) The researchers linked many of these switches and came up with a rudimentary AND gate. An AND gate is a device which preforms a basic logic function. As much of an achievement as this was, it was only a baby step. This million-moleculed switch was too large to be useful and could only be used once. In 1999, researchers at Yale University created molecular memory out of just one molecule. This is thought to be the "last step down in size" of technology because smaller units are not economical. The memory was created through a process called "self-assembly". "Self-assembly" is where computer engineers "grow" parts and interconnections with chemicals. (Physics News Update, 1999) This single molecule memory is better than the conventional silicon memory (DRAM) because the it live around one million times longer. ' "With the single molecule memory, all a general-purpose ultimate molecular computer needs now is a reversible single molecule switch," says Reed (the head researcher of the team.) "I anticipate we will see a demonstration of one very soon." ' (Yale, 1999) Reed was correct. Within a year, Cees Dekker and his colleagues at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands had produced the first single molecule transistor.

Family Honor

Family honor is romeo and juliet is represented by the constant attempts to preserve family pride from both houses. This defense and pride causes many deaths and deeper problems that are passed down from generation to generation. In the first scene of romeo and juliet, the montagues and capulets come across each other, and because of the deep rooted hatred they have for each other's fmilies, they taunt one another and begin to fight. This fight worsens the already tarnished relationship the two houses share. Tybalt, a capulet, holds a strong place in defending his family's honor. It is so strong that he even enjoys it. Like Tybalt, the Montegues are fueled by their hatred for one another. What they don't realize is that this hatred only challenges each other's family honor. Family honor is not always such a negative thing. This can similarly occur outside fiction as well. In my family, there has been little representation of family honor. For example, moving around at such a high rate, we have been unable to develop feuds with other families. There were bits of family honor in my life. At school I was against telling anyone details about what was going on in my home life in an attempt to protect and defend my family's honor. This often was unsuccessful. Though, the type of family honor show in my life differed from the family honor shown in Romeo and Juliet. All in all, there is a distinct representation of famly honor in Romeo and juliet. This honor can also be shown in real life. This completely depends on the family and what family honor means to them. For me, family honor is not a huge factor in my life. This does not mean I do not have family pride. I cannot relate much to romeo and juliet.