Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Road Construction Essays

Road Construction Essays Road Construction Essay Road Construction Essay International Infrastructure Project Cost Estimating Work Breakdown Paul Hewitt, International Project Estimating Limited Introduction Construction Cost Estimating Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The term WBS has become a common term in all fields related to Cost Engineering including Construction Cost Estimating, Scheduling and Project Cost Control. A well defined WBS is the backbone of good Construction Estimating Software and can take several forms including the breakdown of items within an estimate, the layout of groups within a schedule or the rollup of accounts within a cost report. It usually starts with a client’s desire to breakdown a tender into definable pay items, followed by the project manager’s wish to schedule activities of work in a logically and efficient manner and the contract cost control engineer’s goal to track and forecast costs. In each case a properly organized WBS is required. The Phases of a Civil Infrastructure Project The cycle of developing, designing, constructing and maintaining Civil Infrastructure projects includes many phases and participants. The projects usually originate with a developer or government body who formulate a concept design and budget. If the project is approved it then moves on to preliminary design and a more detailed budget is estimated. Depending on the financing options available, the project may go out as a traditional Detailed Design and Bid Build project or proposals may be solicited for Design Build or Design Build and Finance options. Participants within the Project Cycle The life of a major international infrastructure project can involve many participants and span across many years. These projects involve developers, government agencies, engineers, contractors, operators, environmentalists and community stake holders. It is essential for the success of a project that all participants within the project cycle communicate and transfer data efficiently and consistently. Lack of a Standard Industry Wide Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The dilemma that the international construction industry faces today is that there has been no common work breakdown upon which to communicate and transfer data between project participants. Traditional agencies like state and provincial highway authorities have all developed their own tender breakdowns, many of which that have been around long before the creation of electronic data transfer. Construction estimators have tended to follow the layout of the bids as provided by the government agencies. The scheduler commonly ignores the estimate breakdown because it does not logically adapt well to the sequence of work activities. The cost control engineer has to rollup the project costs into a corporate chart of accounts that even creates more inconsistency. Current Standard Work Breakdown Structures Many standard project work breakdown structures have been created over the years. The CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) format in North America and the SMM7 (Standard Method of Measurement) format in Great Britain are the most common and have been in existence for over 40 years. These originated as breakdowns for commercial building construction and quantity survey but both have evolved over the years to include other forms of construction. The State of California USA (DOT) Department of Transportation and the Province of Ontario Canada (MTO) Ministry of Transportation are examples of transportation government agencies whom have standardized tender breakdowns. The CSI (Construction Specifications Institute), the most popular Work Breakdown in North America, recently introduced an expanded version of their MasterFormat â„ ¢ in 2004 [1]. This work breakdown was expanded from the tradition 16 divisions of work covering building construction to include 50 divisions of work covering civil site work as well as process equipment. A Proposed Standard for an International Infrastructure Project Work Breakdown None of the current breakdowns, including CSI, fully cover the complete civil infrastructure project cycle including; development, engineering, construction, operations, maintenance and risk mitigation. The current CSI MasterFormat â„ ¢ 2004 Edition [1] comes closest to covering all the scope of work found in the construction of Building Facilities and Site Work. It falls short in addressing the unique requirements of estimators, schedulers and cost engineers in identifying all phases of work included in major Infrastructure work such as Build Own and Transfer (BOT) projects. This Standard Work Breakdown attempts to format the project into a multi-level WBS suited to estimate, schedule, track cost and measure performance on international infrastructure projects. The breakdown is also designed to facilitate the data transfer of a standard work breakdown between common estimating, scheduling and cost control software applications. The International Infrastructure Project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The following paragraphs outline the various sub-projects and phases within the Civil Infrastructure WBS. The Sub-Projects within a Civil Infrastructure Project Life Cycle Traditional work breakdown structures in the past have only identified the Construction Divisions within a project. This proposed work breakdown includes all phases within the life span of the project cycle, including Development, Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Transfer and Risk. 1 Project Capital Cost 1. 1 1. 2 1. 3 1. 4 1. 5 1. 6 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 2. 5 3. 1 3. 2 3. 3 3. 4 3. 5 Overhead Construction Equipment Engineering Design Capital Cost Escalation Capital Cost Risk Proposal Financial Close Development Overhead Development Escalation Development Risk Operations Maintenance Transfer O M Escalation OM Risk 2 Project Development 3 Operations Maintenance Project Capital Cost The Project Capital Costs are normally the initial cost of the project, also referred to as the initial investment for the project. It is within this phase that the project is designed and built. Traditional work breakdowns have only included direct construction divisions. This WBS includes Site Head Office Overheads, Construction Equipment as well as Rolling Stock and Engineering. 1. 1 Overhead 1. 1. 1 1. 1. 2 1. 1. 3 1. 1. 4 1. 2. 1 1. 2. 2 1. 2. 3 1. 3. 1 1. 3. 2 1. 3. 3 1. 4. 1 1. 4. 2 1. 4. Site Indirect Costs Head Office Overhead Unallocated Costs Bonding Insurance Facilities Site Work Infrastructure Construction Equipment Operations Vehicles Transit Vehicles Site Investigation Engineering Design Resident Engineering 1. 2 Construction 1. 3 Equipment 1. 4 Engineering Design Project Development With the advent of the Build Own procurement model the activities and costs associated with the financial development of the project also ha ve to be accounted for and tracked. On major Civil Infrastructure projects, separate entities called â€Å"Concessionaires† have evolved to take on this responsibility. The concessionaire is often a joint venture company comprised of the contractors involved with the project or can be a separate entity on their own. The activities performed by the concessionaire have to be defined within the work breakdown structure. These activities are split into 3 distinct phases; the Proposal Phase during which time the proposal and financial models are prepared, the Financial Close phase, where the concessionaire negotiates with banks and financial institutions to procure financing for the project and the Operations phase, where the concessionaire manages or oversees the operation of the facility. On some international projects it may take several years to finalize all the legal agreements in order to get to financial close. 2. 1 Proposal 61. 10. 00 61. 20. 00 61. 30. 00 61. 40. 00 61. 50. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 Proposal Preparation Financial Modeling Legal Due Diligence Financial Due Diligence Success Fees Management Salaries General Expenses Office Facilities Office Services Public Relations Travel Subsistence Municipal Taxes 2. 2 Financial Close 2. 3 Concessionaire Overhead Operations and Maintenance In addition to building and owning infrastructure facilities the concessionaire (developer) is normally required to operate and maintain the facility over an extended period of time. The concession period can extend for 20 to 30 years. At the end of the period that facility is then transferred back to the municipality or government agency. The WBS must include the ability to estimate, schedule and track these operations maintenance activities over the concession period. The staff involved with operating infrastructure facilities can include Management, Supervisors, System Controllers, Fare Collectors and Vehicle Operators. Energy Consumption can include electric power consumption for transit vehicles and fuel for buses. Consumables include tickets. Maintenance can include such things as the cost of maintaining and cleaning buildings, repairing highway pavements, cutting and watering grass, replacing bridge bearings and maintaining ticket vending machines. Maintenance can also include the labor and parts required to operate transit vehicles over the concession period. Transferring the facility back to the government includes demobilization costs such as cleanup costs, staff severance as well as audit fees required to transfer the assets. 3. 1 Operations 3. 1. 1 3. 1. 2 3. 1. 3 Staff Salaries Overhead Energy 3. 1. 4 3. 1. 5 3. 2 Maintenance 3. 2. 1 3. 2. 2 3. 2. 3 3. 2. 4 3. 2. 5 3. 3. 1 3. 3. 2 Consumables Insurance Bonding Facility Maintenance Road Site Work Maintenance Infrastructure Maintenance Rolling Stock Maintenance Service Vehicle Maintenance Demobilization Legal Audit 3. 3 Transfer The Construction Phase of Work Breakdown Structure The Construction phase of the Capital Cost portion of the project is still where most of the detailed scheduling and cost control tasks are required. Most current WBS layouts have addressed the direct construction costs in detail. The following paragraphs describe how current breakdown structures have been adapted and revised to form part of the proposed Civil Infrastructure WBS. Summary Levels within the Construction Cost Breakdown The cost of construction has been summarized into definable levels that can be estimated, scheduled and procured. These sections are structured to help the estimator, scheduler or cost control engineer group the project into definable work packages. These work packages can also serve as subcontract procurement packages. The following table lists the main summary levels within the Construction Phase of an Infrastructure Project. 1. 2. 1 Facilities 1. 2. 1. 1 1. 2. 1. 2 1. 2. 2. 1 1. 2. 2. 2 1. 2. 2. 3 1. 2. 2. 4 1. 2. 2. 5 1. 2. 2. 6 1. 2. 2. 7 1. 2. 3. 1 1. 2. 3. 2 1. 2. 3. 3 1. 2. 3. 4 1. 2. 3. 5 1. 2. 3. 6 1. 2. 3. 7 Buildings Building Services Existing Conditions Earthwork Paving Landscaping Site Improvements Utilities Traffic Control Walls Bridges Tunnels Rail Airfield Marine Dams 1. 2. 2 Site Work 1. 2. 3 Infrastructure CSI MasterFormat â„ ¢ 2004 Divisions of Work It is under construction summary levels that the author has followed the basic divisions of work as defined by CSI MasterFormat â„ ¢ 2004 [1]. In the 2004 version, the term â€Å"Building† construction was replaced with â€Å"Facilities† construction. Building Services that used to be classified under division 15 for Mechanical and division 16 for Electrical were shifted to divisions 20 through 29. New divisions were created covering Civil and Infrastructure from divisions 30 through 39. There are over 3,000 lines within this section of the WBS. We have included sample breakdowns of two of the main CSI divisions here for illustrative purposes. The Building divisions, that remained the same from the original CSI breakdown, and a new breakdown for the Earthworks level, included with the new CSI divisions for Site Work. 1. 2. 1. 1 Buildings 02. 00. 00 03. 00. 00 04. 00. 00 05. 00. 00 06. 00. 00 07. 00. 00 08. 00. 00 09. 00. 00 10. 00. 00 11. 00. 00 12. 00. 00 13. 00. 0 14. 00. 00 31. 21. 00 31. 22. 00 31. 23. 00 31. 24. 00 31. 25. 00 31. 26. 00 31. 27. 00 31. 28. 00 31. 33. 00 31. 38. 00 31. 39. 00 31. 40. 00 Building Site Work Building Concrete Masonry Metals Wood Plastics Thermal Moisture Protection Openings Finishes Specialties Permanent Equipment Furnishings Special Construction Conveying Systems Dewatering Grading Earth Earth Excavation Embankment Construction Erosion Contr ol Sub-grade Preparation Structural Excavation Structural Backfill Rock Stabilization Soil Stabilization Rock Excavation Shoring 1. 2. 2. 2 Earthwork New Infrastructure Items and Activities For Infrastructure work, where similar activities can be included in multiple items, the traditional CSI breakdown does not work for estimating and scheduling purposes. For example; if a Retaining Wall and a Bridge are to be constructed on the same project, they have to be estimated and scheduled separately, yet they both include similar CSI divisions of work such as excavation, setting and stripping formwork, and placing concrete. For this reason, the work breakdown structure must include different WBS codes for these similar activities in the various infrastructure summary levels. The proposed Infrastructure Break down includes the following classifications: Walls, Bridges, Tunnels, Rail, Airfield, Marine, Dams The following table illustrates the different breakdown required for a Wall as opposed to a Bridge, although each are performing essentially the same activities. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2 Cast in Place Walls 03. 11. 01 03. 11. 02 03. 11. 03 03. 12. 01 03. 12. 02 03. 12. 03 03. 12. 04 03. 13. 01 03. 13. 03 03. 21. 01 03. 21. 02 03. 21. 03 03. 22. 01 03. 22. 02 03. 22. 03 03. 22. 05 03. 22. 06 03. 22. 07 03. 22. 08 03. 2. 09 03. 23. 01 03. 23. 02 03. 23. 03 03. 23. 04 03. 24. 04 03. 24. 05 Foundation Preparation Footing Excavation Wall Backfill Mud Slab Concrete Mass Concrete Footing Concrete Wall Concrete Reinforcing Steel Dowels Foundation Preparation Footing Excavation Abutment Backfill Mud Slab Concrete Mass Concrete Footing Concrete Substructure Concrete Deck Concrete Approach Slab Concrete Barrier Wall Concrete Concrete Slope Paving Reinforcing Steel Welded Wir e Fabric Dowels Stressing Systems Pre-cast Concrete Girders Structural Grouting . 2. 3. 2. 1 Bridges Conclusion A comprehensive Work Breakdown Structure is essential for the proper communication of construction cost estimating and scheduling data between all participants in an International Infrastructure Project. The Work Breakdown must include all phases of the project life cycle, from conception, through development, engineering, construction, operations, maintenance and transfer. In order to accomplish this task, the WBS must also be available in formats compatible with the common software applications used to manage these projects. References 1. MasterFormat â„ ¢ 2004 Edition Numbers Titles Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) 99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA USA 22314

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Chemical Composition of White Gold

The Chemical Composition of White Gold White gold is a popular alternative to yellow gold, silver, or platinum. Some people prefer the silver color of white gold to the yellow color of normal gold, yet may find silver to be too soft or too easily tarnished or the cost of platinum to be prohibitive. While white gold contains varying amounts of gold, which is always yellow, it also contains one or more white metals to lighten its color and add strength and durability. The most common white metals that form the white gold alloy are nickel, palladium, platinum, and manganese. Sometimes copper, zinc or silver are added. However, copper and silver form undesirable colored oxides in the air or on the skin, so other metals are preferable. The purity of white gold is expressed in karats, the same as with yellow gold. The gold content is typically stamped into the metal (e.g., 10K, 18K). The Color of White Gold The properties of white gold, including its color, depend on its composition. Although most people think white gold is a shiny white metal, that color is actually from the rhodium metal plating that is applied to all white gold jewelry. Without the rhodium coating, white gold might be gray, dull brown, or even pale pink. Another coating that may be applied is a platinum alloy. Typically platinum is alloyed with iridium, ruthenium, or cobalt to increase its hardness. Platinum is naturally white. However, its more expensive than gold, so it may be electroplated onto a white gold ring to improve its appearance without dramatically increasing the price. White gold that contains a high percentage of nickel tends to be closest to a true white color. It has a faint ivory tone but is much whiter than pure gold.  Nickel white gold often does not require plating with rhodium for color, although the coating may be applied to reduce the incidence of skin reactions. Palladium white gold is another strong alloy that may be used without a coating. Palladium white gold has a faint gray tinge. Other gold alloys result in additional colors of gold, including red or rose, blue, and green. Allergies to White Gold White gold jewelry typically is made from a gold-palladium-silver alloy or gold-nickel-copper-zinc alloy. However, about one in eight people experience a reaction to the nickel-containing alloy, usually in the form of a skin rash. Most European jewelry manufacturers and some American jewelry manufacturers avoid nickel white gold since alloys made without nickel are less allergenic. The nickel alloy is most often encountered in older white gold jewelry and in some rings and pins, where the nickel produces a white gold that is strong enough to stand up to the wear and tear these pieces of jewelry experience. Maintaining the Plating on White Gold White gold jewelry that has a platinum or rhodium plating typically cant be resized because doing so would damage the coating. The plating on jewelry will scratch and wear over time. A jeweler can re-plate the item by removing any stones, buffing the metal, plating it, and returning the stones to their settings. Rhodium plating typically needs to be replaced every couple of years. It only takes a couple of hours to perform the process, at a cost of around $50 to $150.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

London Olympics 2012 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

London Olympics 2012 - Essay Example Similarly, there are significant health and safety problems both during and after the event because of a large number of workers that are needed for running the event. The author then talks about the documentary film on which she is working about the London 2012 Olympics. The title of film is ‘Construction in the games’ and it mainly deals with the legacy left by the construction industry in terms of employment and training for the locals. In the end, she points out there is a poor system of training in Britain as mostly the focus of training is on the traditional trades. Since the training from surrounding colleges is inadequate, according to professor, it would be extremely difficult to fulfil the legacy of the London Olympics. Even though it is generally believed that being the host for Olympics bring economic boom for the country, it is not easy to assess the economic impact of the Olympic Games (Cashman, 2002). As expected there is a great surge in the employment of the skilled labor for the construction as well as for different services (Economic and Social Research Council, 2012). However most of these labors are required only in the preparation stage of the game and the rapidly pacing economy suffers a heavy setback once the Olympic Games are over. This is because the labor and the services are no longer required and hence the host country is unable to maintain the momentum it had acquired before the start of the games (Girginov, 2005). Therefore it is not easy to analyze the overall economic impact of the Olympic Games. The Olympics is not merely a sports event but it has evolved into means of urban development and regeneration. It is imperative for the host country to have enough facilities for the participants as well as the spectators therefore a great deal of urban investment is generally required (Winch, 2012). This comes in the form of setting up

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Hotel Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Hotel Industry - Essay Example the customers. For any commercial organization it is then a people versus people equation for its survival. Unlike other resources which an organization deploys people or its staff are live resources that think, have feelings, aspirations, motives and emotions which get nurtured, developed ,frustrated or stunted every now and then. No human would be willing to work with frustrated aspirations or stunted and suppressed feelings. Thus it becomes incumbent on an organization to nurture and develop the feelings, aspirations, emotions of its employees. This is the traditional function of the human resource management function in any organization. Present day literature, however lays more emphasis on strategic human resource management wherein the human resource management function is aligned in such a manner that fulfilling human resource management function automatically ensures reaching strategic objectives of the organization. In short the human resource management function is woven wi th in the overall strategy of the organization. ... tivities that are undertaken consciously or unconsciously, internally or externally to an organization whereby human resources of the organization are developed and utilized in a manner to maximize achievement of organizational goals. One important precept of entire human resources' management exercise is the recognition of the fact that the most valuable resource for any organization is its human factor; it is the only live factor and thus the only truly mouldable factor. Therefore human resource management (HRM) is a term used to represent that part of an organization's activities concerned with the recruitment, development and management of its employees (Wood & Wall, 2002). Employee empowerment is an important piece of strategic initiatives in human resource management in any hotelling organization. Empowerment if adopted as a conscious strategy has important implications for employee motivation, performance and the quality of the service offered by the hotel. This paper seeks to examine the issue of employee empowerment in some star hotels in Jordan in the back drop of a comprehensive literature review. The Hotel Industry Parks (2003) states with abundant clarity the role of human interface in hotel industry in following words," The hospitality industry is obviously customer-service driven. If your employees aren't satisfied in their jobs, their unhappiness is bound to spill over into their attitudes and behaviors toward clients and guests. Most hospitality positions require people to be in constant communication with the public while servicing guests. Because of this, employee satisfaction is vitally important to the success of your business. Everyone knows that it costs much more to hire and train a new employee than it does to keep an existing employee.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Physical development observation of a special need child in a group of diverse children Essay Example for Free

Physical development observation of a special need child in a group of diverse children Essay ASSIGNMENT # 2: PARENT INFORMATION/EDUCATION SHEET In Chapter six, Stress is the bodys reaction to a physical or emotional situation that causes discrepancy in a persons life. On the other hand, all children will experience stress, sometimes significant amounts of it, in their lives. The author depict the stress that young children may experience and it may well be resulting from disrupted homes, blended families, both parents working outside the home; increased exposure to violence, Parents working all the time, death, poverty Experts agree that for some children, growing up in today’s world may be tougher. As many as 25% of all children are at risk of academic failure because of physical, emotional, or social problems and are less able to function well in the classroom because they are hungry, sick, troubled, or depressed. Children seem to have fewer sources of adult support than in the past, and many are being pressured to grow up faster (Honig, 2009; Marks, 2002).We need to be concerned about accumulated childhood stress and to be watchful about the types of stress-coping responses children are developing. Children experience stress from time to time in growing up. We have good evidence that children in poor families are less able to function well academically, socially, and physically. Despite this, almost 12 million children in the United States (16%) live in poverty, and another 5 million (7%) live in extreme poverty (Luthar Sexton, 2007. Many children live in families that are typically overwhelmed with high levels of substance abuse, domestic abuse, and mental health problems. Poor children are more inclined to have developmental delays and behavioral and disciplinary problems than other children. They experience malnutrition, health problems, and below average school performance. Five suggested techniques for reducing childhood stress and supporting young children at home are: For parents that are working all the times, quality time is important as kids get older. Allow time for fun activities, Its really hard to come home after a long day of work to get down on the floor, and p lay with your kids or just talk to them about their day especially if theyve had a stressful one themselves. Whether they need to talk or just be in the same room with you, make yourself available because expressing interest shows that theyre important. Complicating factors, like a divorce or separation, when these are added to the everyday  pressures that kids are facing, the stress is overstated. Divorce has been embattled as the single largest cause of childhood depression. Almost all children in that situation manifest some signs of psychological imbalance or feelings of insecurity. Even the most amicable divorce can be a difficult experience for kids because of uncertainty, it is a tough change. Parents should never put kids in a position of having to choose sides or expose them to negative comments about the other spouse. Parents need to sit down and explain to children the changes in an age appropriate way about what to expect, reassure them that the love both parents have for them will never change and that both of you will always be there to support them in any way. Another Suggested technique is Life event like death of a love one, Parents feel uncertain about how to comfort their children who have experienced the loss of a love one. Children understand very little about death, it is the parent’s responsibility to help their children develop a healthy understanding about the subject matter. Different families have different views when talking to children about death, it is a day to day event that even adult cannot comprehend but in that circumstance parents have no choice but to help their children cope with their loss by allowing them to talk and express their feelings and emotions. Additional suggested technique is natural disaster, as we seen in many countries where a hurricane or an earthquaque cause a family to lose their home and all their belongings. In time of hardship and confusion such as this, Children are thrown out of balance, they feel disoriented and will develop stress and anxiety caused by fear. Parents need to shield their children and help them get back into control. Talk to the children, reassure them that this situation is temporary and promise them that things will get better or seek professional help. Conclusion Our complex modern society has greatly increased the amount of stress adults and children are exposed to. Children are experiencing more stress at younger and younger ages Children react in different ways to stress. Some children become ill. Some may become withdrawn and nervous while others show anger and demand attention. It is not easy to recognize when kids are stressed out, but listen and watch for behavioral changes, mood swings, acting out, changes in sleep patterns, or bedwetting can be indications. Some kids have trouble concentrating or completing schoolwork. Still others become withdrawn or spend a lot of time alone even very young children have worries and feel stress to some degree. Adults ordinarily fail to recognize the incidence and magnitude of stress in the lives of children the author went on to explain how to help kids cope with stress, it is to provide proper rest and good nutrition, to create time for your kids each day. No technique will work all of the time. But Pay a little extra attention to her Some children experience more stress than others, some are more sensitive to stress and some are better at handling it than others. We cannot eliminate all stress from children’s lives, nor can we always succeed in making stressed children feel better immediately. Stress is a part of life, and children learn how to handle child-sized stress by dealing with it, with appropriate help and support. By practicing stress-reduction and relaxation strategies with your children, you’re helping them build skills they will use throughout their lives. Create an information sheet that can be sent home to help families support their children in times

Friday, November 15, 2019

Why Xeon Doesnt React :: essays research papers

Xenon is a rare, colorless, odorless, tasteless, chemically unreactive gas. It is one of the inert gas elements found in group 0 of the periodic table. Xenon was long considered incapable of chemical reaction, but in 1962 Neil Bartlett, a Canadian chemist, reported synthesis of xenon hexafluoroplatinate, XePtF6, a true compound. Before 1962, people thought that xenon and other noble gases were unable to form compounds. Now, xenon's reported compounds are sodium perxenate, xenon deutetrate, xenon hydrate, difluoride, tetrafluride and hexafluoride. Xenon is present in the atmosphere in extremely low concentration (about one part in 20 million). It is obtained commercially from liquid air. Xenon is used in certain photographic flash lamps, in high-intensity arc lamps for motion picture projection, and in high-pressure arc lamps to produce ultraviolet light. It is used in numerous instruments for radiation detection, e.g., neutron and X-ray counters and bubble chambers. It has found som e use in medicine, e.g., as an experimental anesthetic. Naturally occurring xenon is a mixture of 9 stable isotopes 20 short-lived radioactive isotopes are also known. A mixture of stable and unstable isotopes of xenon is produced in nuclear reactors during neutron fission of uranium one of these, xenon-135, is a very good neutron absorber and must be removed since it poisons the reaction. Xenon was discovered spectroscopically in 1898 by William Ramsay and M. W. Travers, who obtained it by fractional distillation of an impure sample of krypton. Xenon as well as the other noble gasses require an incredible amount of pressure for them to react, which makes them very inert since such a large amount of pressure does not occur naturally.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Nature good or bad

This is partly because human nature can e regarded as both a source of norms of conduct or ways of life, as well as presenting obstacles or constraints on living a good life. The complex implications of such questions are also dealt with in art and literature, while the multiple branches of the Humanities together form an important domain of Inquiry Into human nature, and the question of what It Is to be human. Is It good or evil? The nature of humankind has been explored endlessly, with no definitive answers. What people believe the nature of humans to be is a very personal belief.That belief s shaped by the religion they follow, the culture they grew up in, and by their life experiences. What people believe has a large elm[act on the way they live their lives. It Is the pylons of this writer that people are Inherently good. This writer's pylons that people are Inherently good has developed gradually over time. One reason for this viewpoint is the fact that I believe we are all crea ted in God's image by God to serve him. If that is truly the case, then I feel that people would be inherently good, as God is. It is this writer's belief that God would not create someone who was inherently evil.People do sin, and some people could even be considered ‘evil,' but overall I feel that most people do try and lead a good life by being kind to others and helping those In need. Another reason for my belief Is the culture that I have grown up in. This may seem strange, since many people complain that our society is too filled with violence and other ‘bad' things. However, the very presence of such arguments about our society shows this writer that most people do not find violence at violent programming or acts, society tells people what it rely values: love and peace.If violence did not bother people, then there would not be the debate that exists today. Therefore, the belief that people are inherently good is supported by the culture that I grew up in. The exp eriences that one has throughout their life also shape their belief. In my life, I have had many experiences that reinforce my belief that people are inherently good. I have seen people unselfishly helping others in many circumstances. Many people give blood to save some stranger they will never meet.A woman Just donated part of her liver to a young girl she did not know so that the girl could live. Others donate millions to feed starving children , donate their time to teach people the bible so they could have a better life. These people undergo pain to help others; with no reward for themselves other than knowing they did a good thing. When people have tragedy strike them, the community will surround them with support. One example was the earthquake in 2010 that destroyed my country people came from almost every where to help with many different things, from food to clothing to shelter.In daily life, one can usually find many examples of people helping people, I my self donate my time regularly my time to teach the bible o others to help them bring changes it sir lives and I know more than 9 millions are doing the same thing, and this has been an important factor in shaping my belief. If people were not good, then I do not feel that one would be able to find these things occurring with such frequency. But why are we in that situation where we some times have a tendency of doing ABA things? What the scientist think?SCIENTISTS are hard at work to try to find genetic causes for alcoholism, homosexuality, promiscuity, violence, other aberrant behavior, and even for death itself. Would it not e a relief to find that we are not responsible for our actions but are merely victims of biology? It is human nature to blame someone or something else for our errors. If the genes are to blame, scientists hold out the possibility of changing them, eliminating undesirable traits through genetic engineering. The recent success in mapping the entire human genome has given such aspirations new impetus.This scenario, however, is based on the premise that our genetic endowment is, indeed, the villain responsible for all our sins and errors. Have the scientific detectives found enough evidence to make a case against our genes? Obviously, the answer will profoundly affect how we see ourselves and our future. Before examining the evidence, though, a look at mankind's origin will prove enlightening. How It All Started Most people are familiar with, or at least have heard of, the account about the fall of the first human pair, Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden.Were they made with some intrinsic defect in the genes right from the start, a sort of design flaw that predisposed them to sin and disobedience? Their Creator, Jehovah God, whose works are all perfect, proclaimed that his crowning earthly creation was â€Å"very DOD. † (Genesis 1 :31; Deuteron 32:4) As further evidence of his satisfaction with his work, he gave the first couple his blessing and i nstructed them to be fruitful, to fill the earth with human creatures, and to take charge of his earthly creation?hardly the actions of someone uncertain of his handiwork. ?Genesis 1:28.Regarding the creation of the first human pair, the Bible tells us: â€Å"God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God's image he created him; male and female he created in physical appearance, for â€Å"God is a Spirit. † Noon 4:24) Rather, it means that human returns were endowed with godly qualities and a sense of morality, a conscience. (Romans 2:14, 15) They were also free moral agents, capable of weighing a matter and deciding on the action to take. However, our first parents were not left without guidelines. Rather, they were warned of the consequences of wrongdoing. Genesis 2:17) So the evidence indicates that when Adam was faced with a moral decision, he chose to do what to him seemed expedient or advantageous at the time. He followed his wife in her wrongdoing instead of con sidering his relationship with his Creator or the long-term effects of his action. He also tried later to shift the blame to Jehovah, saying that the wife He had provided misled him. ?Genesis 3:6, 12; 1 Timothy 2:14. God's response to the sin of Adam and Eve is revealing. He did not try to correct some ‘design flaw' in their genes.Rather, he carried out what he told them would be the consequences of their actions, which led to their eventual death. (Genesis 3:17-19) This early history sheds much light on the nature of human behavior. The Evidence Against Biology For a long time, scientists have been tackling the monumental task of finding genetic causes and cures for human pathology and behavior. After ten years of work by six teams of researchers, the gene linked to Huntington disease was isolated, although the researchers have no idea how the gene causes the disease.However, reporting on this research, Scientific American quoted Harvard biologist Even Balkan, who said that i t would be â€Å"almost infinitely harder to discover genes for behavioral disorders. † In fact, research attempting to link specific genes to human behavior has been unsuccessful. For instance, in Psychology Today, a report on efforts to find genetic causes for depression states: â€Å"Epidemiological data on the major mental illnesses make it clear that they can't be reduced to purely genetic causes. The report gives an example: â€Å"Americans born before 1905 had a 1 percent rate of depression by age 75. Among Americans born a half century later, 6 percent become depressed by age 24! † It thus concludes that only external or social factors can bring about such dramatic changes in such a short time. What do these and numerous other studies tell us? While genes may play a role in shaping our personalities, there clearly are other influences. A major factor is our environment, which has undergone addict changes in modern times.Concerning what today's youth are expose d to in popular entertainment, the book Boys Will Be Boys observes that it is unlikely that children will develop sound moral principles when they â€Å"grow up watching tens of thousands of hours of TV shows and films in which people are assaulted, shot, stabbed, disemboweled, chopped up, skinned, or dismembered, when children grow up listening to music which glorifies rape, suicide, drugs, alcohol, and bigotry. † Clearly, Satan, â€Å"the ruler of this world,† has shaped an environment that caters to man's baser desires. And who can deny the powerful influence that such an environment exerts on all of us? ?John 12:31; Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 12:9, 12. The Root of Mankind's Trouble As we have already seen, mankind's problems started when the first human pair sinned. The result? While generations of Dam's offspring are not responsible for Dam's sin, they nonetheless are all born with sin, imperfection, and death as their entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned. â€Å"?Romans 5:12. Man's imperfection puts him at a decided disadvantage. But that does not absolve him of all moral responsibility.The Bible shows that those who put faith in Jehovah provision for life and conform their lives to God's standards will have his approval. Out of his loving-kindness, Jehovah made a merciful provision to redeem mankind, to buy back, as it were, what Adam had lost. That provision is the ransom sacrifice of his perfect Son, Jesus Christ, who said: â€Å"God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life. â€Å"? John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22. The apostle Paul expressed his deep appreciation for this provision.He exclaimed: â€Å"Miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from the body undergoing this death? Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! † (Romans 7:24, 25) Paul knew that if he succumbed to sin out of weakness, he could ask God's forgiveness on the basis of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ. * As in the first century, today many who formerly led very bad lives or whose situation seemed hopeless have come to an accurate knowledge of Bible truth, made the necessary changes, and come in line for God's blessing. The changes they had to cake were not easy, and many still have to contend with harmful tendencies.But with God's help, they are able to maintain integrity and find Joy in serving him. (Philippians 4:13) we have in this society many example of people who started in a way with a bad life but turn around to do good things , have a complete change in their lives in order to please God or to have a better life for them self. Therefore Wearer Responsible Trying to pin the entire blame for our misconduct on our genes simply does not work. Rather than helping us to solve or overcome our problems, notes Psychology Today, ongoing so â⠂¬Å"may be teaching us a helplessness that is at the root of many of our problems.Instead of reducing the incidence of these problems, this seems to have fueled their growth. † It is true that we must contend with major adverse forces, including our own sinful tendencies and Satin's efforts to distract us from obeying God. (1 Peter 5:8) It is also true that our genes may influence us in one way or another. But we are surely not helpless. True Christians have powerful allies? Jehovah, Jesus Christ, God's holy spirit, his Word the Bible, and the Christian negotiation.Therefore the way one view the nature of human beings is very important as it shapes the way they look at their world. In this case, I must disagree with the â€Å"Theory that say people were born evil. † as I feel that people are inherently good. Most people will choose to be good over evil, and will help their fellow human beings without asking what they are to get from their actions. While there is evil in the world, it is the exception to the norm, and overall it is this my opinion that people can choose to be good . New world translation 2013 edition