Thursday, January 16, 2020

Lyndon Baines Johnson

Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th President of the United States (1963–69), was born in a farmhouse on the Pedernales River near Johnson City, Texas[i]. Johnson grew up amidst poverty. On both sides of his family he had a political heritage mingled with a Baptist background of preachers and teachers. He graduated (1930) from Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Southwest Texas State Univ.), in San Marcos. He taught in a Houston high school before becoming (1932) secretary to a Texas Congressman. In 1934 he married Claudia Alta Taylor and they had two daughters, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines. A staunch New Dealer, Johnson gained the friendship of the influential Sam Rayburn, at whose behest President Franklin D. Roosevelt made him (1935) director in Texas of the National Youth Administration. In 1937, Johnson won election to a vacant congressional seat, and he was consistently re-elected through 1946. Despite Roosevelt's support, however, he was defeated in a special election to the Senate in 1941. He served (1941–42) in the navy. In 1948, Johnson was elected U.S. Senator from Texas after winning the Democratic primary by a mere 87 votes. A strong advocate of military preparedness, he persuaded the Armed Services Committee to set up (1950) the Preparedness Investigating Subcommittee. Rising rapidly in the Senate hierarchy, Johnson became (1951) Democratic whip and then (1953) floor leader. As majority leader after the 1954 elections he wielded great power, exhibiting unusual skill in marshalling support for President Eisenhower’s programs. He suffered a serious heart attack in 1955 but recovered to continue his senatorial command. Johnson lost the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination to John F. Kennedy, but accepted Kennedy's offer of the vice-presidential position. Elected with Kennedy, he energetically supported the President's programs, serving as an American emissary to nations throughout the world and as chairman of the National Aeronautics and Space Council and of the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunities. After Kennedy's assassination on Nov. 22, 1963, Johnson was sworn in as president and announced that he would strive to carry through Kennedy's programs. Congress responded to Johnson's skilful prodding by enacting an $11 billion tax cut (Jan., 1964) and a sweeping Civil Rights Act (July, 1964). With Johnson's insistent backing, Congress finally adopted a far-reaching civil-rights bill, a voting-rights bill, a Medicare program for the aged, and measures to improve education and conservation. Elected (Nov., 1964) for a full term in a landslide over Senator Barry Goldwater, he pushed hard for his domestic program. The 89th Congress (1965–66) produced more major legislative action than any since the New Deal. During the Johnson Presidency, Medicare and Medicaid were established to provide medical insurance for those over 65 and those too poor to pay. During the Johnson Administration, the first environmental legislation was passed. A bill providing free medical care (Medicare) to the aged under Social Security was enacted, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 provided new safeguards for African-American voters, and more money went to antipoverty programs. The departments of Transportation and of Housing and Urban Development were added to the Cabinet. Johnson's domestic achievements were soon obscured by foreign affairs. Johnson's actions (Feb., 1965) of bombing on North Vietnam aroused widespread opposition in Congress and among the public and developed vigorous antiwar movement. As the cost of the war shot up, Congress scuttled many of Johnson's domestic programs. After Senators Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy began campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination, Johnson announced (Mar., 1968) that he would not run for reelection. When Johnson retired from office (Jan., 1969), he left the nation bitterly divided by the war. He retired to Texas, where he died [ii]. In 1964 the American people seemed to give overwhelming endorsement to his achievements. His reelection was followed by the notable series of legislative victories establishing the Great Society–the most visionary domestic program in American history. Conventional wisdom suggests that President Lyndon Baines Johnson pushed each Congress to the limit to obtain a maximum number of controversial legislative victories. Consequently, slim margins were often expected and indeed planned for. A key Johnson legislative aide, Henry Hall Wilson, made this point explicitly, â€Å"When we have a fat Congress as we did in the Eighty-ninth, then we can hike up our demands to fit the situation. When votes are not razor thin in either case, then we are not doing a good job[iii]. Johnson used just about everything in his extensive repertory to get Congress moving and excelled. According to Hugh Sidey, â€Å"During 1965, Johnson would zero in on a congress- man or a senator and get what he wanted, a good deal. He would lie, beg, cheat, steal a little, threaten, intimidate. But he never lost sight of that ultimate goal, his idea of the Great Society[iv]. Substantial preparation was required to identify that the linchpin of the whole system was â€Å"the treatment,† Johnson's personal techniques of political persuasion and political skill[v]. â€Å"A Great Society† for the American people and their fellow men elsewhere was the vision of Lyndon B. Johnson. In his first years of office he obtained passage of one of the most extensive legislative programs in the Nation's history. During World War II he served briefly in the Navy as a lieutenant commander, winning a Silver Star in the South Pacific. After six terms in the House, Johnson was elected to the Senate in 1948. In 1953, he became the youngest Minority Leader in Senate history, and the following year, when the Democrats won control, Majority Leader. With rare skill he obtained passage of a number of key Eisenhower measures. Johnson's Great Society program was designed to fight poverty in the United States. It consisted of a series of legislation, which included the Job Corps, to provide vocational training for disadvantaged youth; Volunteers in Service of America (VISTA) – a domestic Peace Corps; Head Start, to instruct disadvantaged preschoolers, among other programs. The other part of the Great Society program was the passage of civil rights legislation proposed by the Kennedy Administration. In the 1960 campaign, Johnson, as John F. Kennedy's running mate, was elected Vice President. First he obtained enactment of the measures President Kennedy had been urging at the time of his death–a new civil rights bill and a tax cut. Next he urged the Nation â€Å"to build a great society, a place where the meaning of man's life matches the marvels of man's labor.† In 1964, Johnson won the Presidency with 61 percent of the vote and had the widest popular margin in American history–more than 15,000,000 votes. The Great Society program became Johnson's agenda for Congress in January 1965, an aid to education, attack on disease, Medicare, urban renewal, beautification, conservation, development of depressed regions, a wide-scale fight against poverty, control and prevention of crime and delinquency, removal of obstacles to the right to vote. Lyndon Johnson faced the toughest transition after Kennedy's death[vi]. Johnson had to confront the grief and despair many people felt over the loss of a beloved leader and their antagonism toward someone who, however much he identified with JFK, seemed like a usurper, an unelected, untested replacement for the man the country now more than ever saw as more suitable for the job. Johnson understood the essential need for continuity, for reassuring people at home and abroad that the new President would be faithful to the previous administration. The death of a President was trauma enough, but Kennedy's assassination made his passing a national crisis in self-confidence, a time of doubt about the durability of the country's democratic system and its tradition of non-violent political change. Despite his private fears, Johnson was an inspiration to the country. His public appearances, his use of language, his management of the press promoted feelings of continuity and unity[vii]. The hallmark of his Great Society social reform program, the War on Poverty strove to achieve what LBJ's mentor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, could not, an end to the nation's most distressing social ills and recognition that racism still divided the nation into distinct economic and social groups. For American Jews, LBJ's reformulation of New Deal liberalism into a group-based, race-sensitive political philosophy challenged long-held assumptions about the role of the state and pressed the community's organized leadership into the forefront of national public policy debate. Millions of Democratic voters registered their disapproval of LBJ by abandoning their long-time political home and bolting to the Republican Party[viii]. Johnson's cynical idealism and the unmanageable mysteries of the times converged into the early-American, frontier-style presidency that finally forced us to begin to redefine our nationhood. Lyndon Johnson was rude, intelligent, shrewd, charming, compassionate, vindictive, maudlin, selfish, passionate, volcanic and cold, vicious and generous. He played every part, he left out no emotion; in him one saw one's self and all the others. He was not an idealist, but he served ideals when it suited and pleased him. He was not a reactionary, but he fanned reaction when it helped him advance himself. He was tireless and diligent, but he was also narrowly political, and he was suspicious of new ideas. He berated intellectuals because he envied them. He was as personally responsible for American history since 1950 as any other man of his time. Throughout his career he was consolidating his private wealth by a calculating use of public power, and there is an affinity between this squalid side of his success and the corruptive commercialism in the national ethos[ix]. President Johnson's Presidency will be remembered for the â€Å"Great Society† programs for which he wanted to be remembered, and for the Vietnam War, which eventually forced his resignation. [i] On both sides of his family he had a political heritage mingled with a Baptist background of preachers and teachers [ii] Encyclopedia Article Title: Johnson, Lyndon Baines. Encyclopedia Title: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Publisher: Columbia University Press. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 2004. [iii]   Doris Kearns, Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream ( New York: New American Library, 1976. [iv] Merle Miller, Lyndon New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1980. [v] Bernard J. Firestone.1988.Lyndon Baines Johnson and the Uses of Power. Editor, Robert C. Vogt Publisher: Greenwood Press. Place of Publication: New York;Page Number: 7. [vi] At the height of his power as Senate leader, Johnson sought the Democratic nomination for president in 1960. When he lost to John F. Kennedy, he surprised even some of his closest associates by accepting second place on the ticket. [vii] Robert Dallek .2004.Lyndon B. Johnson: Portrait of a President. Publisher: Oxford University Press. Place of Publication: New York; Page Number: 227. [viii] ) Marc Dollinger .2001.The Other War: American Jews, Lyndon Johnson, and the Great Society. Contributors: – author. Journal Title: American Jewish History. Volume: 89. Issue: 4. Publication Year: 2001. Page Number: 437+ [ix] Ronnie Dugger .1982.The Politician: The Life and Times of Lyndon Johnson the Drive for Power, from the Frontier to Master of the Senate. Publisher: W. W. Norton. Place of Publication: New York; Page Number: 13.   

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

The Banking Concept Of Education - 904 Words

For many years education in the United States has been taught the same way over and over again. It has put children through many years of boring lectures to learn something and eventually will be forgotten. In the Banking concept Freire gives his opinion on the traditional way students have learned for many years. He Calls it the Banking Concept of Education, it is when a student knows nothing and the teacher has to educate them with boring long lectures that will eventually be forgotten by the school year is over. This form of teaching has not really helped students succeed especially when they get to the college level. It has not let students think about what they are learning and think critically about everything they are learning. The banking concept way of teaching has only let students learn a ton of materials but not so much in depth because of a lack of time and too many topics to cover. Students today have been struggling to succeed in their future because of the banking con cept, and some countries have already passed the education in the United States. Students are being taught the wrong way according the Freire. Freire mentions narration leads the students to memorize mechanically the narrated content. Worse yet, it turns them into containers, into receptacles to be filled by the teacher(pg. 1). In other words this means that s a teacher s or instructor s job is to teach the children all the requirements that are needed and they expect them to know all theShow MoreRelatedThe Banking Concept Of Education958 Words   |  4 PagesIn the excerpt from â€Å"The Banking Concept of Education† the author, Paulo Freire explains the critical flaw in the current education system. He continues by offering his believed solution to this problem. The two concepts Freire discusses in this excerpt are the â€Å"banking concept† of education and the â€Å"problem-posing method† of education. The â€Å"banking concept† is talked about rathe r negatively, whereas the â€Å"problem-posing method† is talked about highly. Freire believes in the â€Å"problem-posing method†Read MoreThe Banking Concept Of Education881 Words   |  4 Pages The banking concept is a term used by Paulo Freire to describe the â€Å"traditional† educational system. With this concept, students seem to learn all they need to know by narration of the teachers. â€Å"Narration leads the students to memorize mechanically the narrated account†(Freire, page 1). Because of this method, students are being referred to as depositors since teachers’ deposit information into their brains and the students receive, memorize and repeat. This concept has shown that people lack creativityRead MoreThe Banking Concept Of Education951 Words   |  4 PagesWhen I first read Freire’s writing, â€Å"The ‘Banking Concept’ of Education†, I felt really passionate about it. The reason I felt so passionate about it, was because once upon a time I wanted to be a teacher. Until I began to see the struggles that teachers’ had, trying to teach large class sizes all of the same information. The longer the teachers taught, the more they lost their passion. In class there was never enough time for teachers to show their passion, or explain why they really loved the subjectRead MoreThe Banking Concept Of Education Essay1834 Words   |  8 Pageshours studying. We could agree that the method of our education has also been the same; listening, note taking, memorizing, and hoping to God that we did not just bomb our most recent test. What if someone told us in high school that this grueling and boring process was all wrong? Well, this is exactly what, Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator and philosopher, proposes in his essay, â€Å"The Banking Concept of Education.† Freire argues â€Å"banking education† stunts and discourages critical thinking and creativityRead MoreThe Banking Concept Of Education1277 Words   |  6 PagesTrue Education at Its Best In The Banking Concept of Education, Paulo Freire evaluates the teacher-student relationship and the concept of Banking education which he thought not to be a suitable process of education. Education is a systematic body of knowledge that is acquired through life experiences, schooling, and the environment. It is an important tool that applies in the contemporary world to succeed and to mitigate life challenges. Also, the knowledge gained through educationRead MoreSummary Of The Banking Concept Of Education1519 Words   |  7 PagesDominants and Subordinates in Education In â€Å"The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education,† from the Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Revised Edition, Paulo Freire discusses two different types of education: â€Å"banking† and problem-posing. The banking concept of education is when teachers â€Å"make deposits which the students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat† (318), and ‘problem posing’ is when the teachers and students are equal. Instead of being treated as human beings that have their own thoughts and ideas,Read MoreThe Banking Concept Of Education Summary1133 Words   |  5 Pages0701 23 September 2017 The Banking Concept of Education In the essay, â€Å"The Banking Concept of Education†, Paulo Freire compares two teaching concepts used in education, which are the â€Å"banking concept† and â€Å"problem-posing†. In the â€Å"banking concept†, the educator assumes that the students are passive, so they take full control and instill students with information without explaining it to them or receive their input. Freire believes that problem-posing education allows people to develop their humanRead MoreBanking Concept of Education Essay685 Words   |  3 PagesBanking Concept of Education Philosopher and educator Paulo Freire once said, â€Å"Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.† In Freire’s work of â€Å"the Banking Concept of Concept†, he describesRead MoreThe Teaching Concept Of Banking Education1098 Words   |  5 PagesPhilosophy Statement Essay Introduction Effective teachers are able to meet the student’s individual needs by modifying the curriculum, being involved in the community and involving the parents in the student s education. I teach in San Luis, AZ, a community composed mainly of Hispanic families and Spanish is the primary language. In order to build a positive relationship with the community and parents, it is important to understand and implement the culture in the curriculum. Setting an open doorRead More The Banking Concept of Education and The Achievement of Desire1463 Words   |  6 PagesThe Banking Concept of Education and The Achievement of Desire Education is a topic that can be explored in many ways. Education is looked at in depth by both Richard Rodriguez in his essay, â€Å"The Achievement of Desire†, and by Paulo Freire in his essay, â€Å"The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education.† After reading both essays, one can make some assumptions about different methods of education and exactly by which method Rodriguez was taught. The types of relationships Rodriguez had with his teachers

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Teamwork And Communication As A Nurse Leader - 1828 Words

Teamwork and Communication As a nurse leader, there are many ways to engage staff through various methods of leadership. Creating an environment that values teamwork and communication is a method that would bring about success on the unit through many ways. Teamwork builds trust, creates an environment where the employees are accountable, and sets a moto that everyone is in this together, and no one is left to fend for themselves. In order to have a successful team, there needs to be great communication. Communication skills will be an important asset for the team members to have because it will make the work day flow smoothly and will also keep everyone involved in a patient’s care up to date. Teamwork and communication are needed to provide a positive outcome for the patient; to teach nurses that they are not alone, and that help can be given if they communicate properly; and that patient care and safety is a clear representation of how well a team works and communicates wit h one another. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) provided an example of a situation where there was a lack of communication and a team of people who had not worked together before. The patient elected to have knee surgery and was given the wrong dose of medication because the surgery was rushed and they had new nurses in the operating room who were not familiar with orthopedics and their protocols (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, 2016c). With the lack of communication, the lack ofShow MoreRelatedTeamwork And Communication Of The Healthcare Field Essay1590 Words   |  7 PagesTeamwork and communication are very important in providing good quality care, especially in the healthcare field. A team is described as a group of people that works together and cooperatively, between each member of the group to reach a common goal (Sullivan, 2013). For a team to function, communication is essential. A report by McKay and Crippen (2008), as stated by Alfaro-LeFevre, (2013) showed that when collaboration is in place, hospitals can decrease their mortality rate by 41%. When mortalityRead MoreEvaluation Of The Joint Commission On The Accreditation Of Hospitals1324 Words   |  6 PagesQSEN Essay Paper Teamwork and Collaboration Natalie M. Alvarez Intro to Prof. Nursing NUR3160 Professor Newman November 26, 2014 â€Æ' Introduction According to the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAHO) in July 2004 released a Sentinel Event Alert on the prevention of infant deaths. Its database showed that nearly three-quarters of hospitals cited communication break down and teamwork problems as a major reason for these deaths. The practice of teamwork and collaborationRead MoreLeadership From A Nurses Perspective1548 Words   |  7 PagesWhen one thinks of leaders, they think of those who hold a high profile position or someone who is highly visible in the public eye. A leader, regardless of prestige is someone who can easily influence and inspire the actions and goals of others. The definition of a leader in Nursing Leadership and Management in Nursing states, â€Å"leadership is commonly defined as a process of influence in which the leader influences others towards goal achievement (Kelly, 2012 p.2). 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These elements, when put to proper use, will create an environment of teamwork, reduced medical errors, and positive patient outcomes. Leadership can support a TeamSTEPPS approach to improving patient safety and quality of care. Through financial assistance, communication effort, an d a commitmentRead MoreTransformational Leadership As A Transformational Leader1463 Words   |  6 PagesLeaders have played a pivotal role in every society throughout history. Today s modern world is no exception to that fact. While there are many different styles of leadership, transformational leadership has become one of the most inspiring forms for leaders to embody. Along with changes in leadership style, the emergence of women as leaders in the workplace has brought about new forms of transformation. These changes have greatly impacted the professional climate of nursing. In order to fullyRead MoreIntroduction. Qsen Is Quality And Safety In Nursing. It1035 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction QSEN is quality and safety in nursing. It is designed for nurses to continuously improve the quality and safety of patient care delivered. Interdisciplinary friction can threaten the delivery of quality patient care. In addition to ineffective communication and teamwork which can be very detrimental and result in adverse effects in patient care. These adverse reactions lead to the need for incident reports to be filled out, however, some reports end up incomplete or overlooked. TheRead MoreDefinition Of Health Care Quality1657 Words   |  7 PagesThe definition of health care quality has changed significantly over the years. Depending on who is asked (doctor, patient, nurse etc.), the definition can vary; however there are always some similarities. There are two definitions expressed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) that I believe adequately express my view on health care quality. One definition is from the Institute of Medicine that states health care quali ty is â€Å"safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficientRead MoreImproving The Health And Wellbeing Of An Individual1425 Words   |  6 Pageseffective communication and teamwork can have direct ramification on patient morbidity and mortality as well as the health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals (Royal College of Nursing Policy statement, 2006). This paper will discuss exactly how both communication and teamwork in healthcare between healthcare professionals and patients can improve the health and wellbeing of an individual, physically and mentally. Research has shown that when there is strong use of communication and teamwork in aRead MoreIntroduction.The Football Is Thrown; It Is In The Air,902 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction The football is thrown; it is in the air, going into the end zone. Wait, where is the other player? Football is a teamwork sport. One person does not win championships, the team working together as one does. Healthcare is no different. Today’s world of healthcare relies on nurses, doctors, pharmacist, and the whole healthcare system to work together to form a common goal; the goal of making our society healthier. Through collaboration, we can succeed in that goal. Collective Competence

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Standard Forms of Building Contract Free Essays

Furthermore, procedures for selecting main contractor and sub-contractor was reviewed and comparison was prepared to show differences between two procedures. A flow-chart diagram was attached in the Appendix to show the procedures. 2 Introduction 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Standard Forms of Building Contract or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1 Background of the Projects The project we are going to bid is a private development, which to construct a 24- storey residential apartment. The form of contract that the client decided to use in the captioned project is Hong Kong Standard Form of Building Contract 2005-With Quantities, which is published by HKIS, HKIA HKICM. The client preferred a single stage selective tendering approach and we are now going to enter the bid. 2. 2 Objectives (i) Understand the procurement strategy adopted (it) Understand the form of contract adopted (iii) Understand how the Client will appoint our company (iv)Understand how our company will appoint a subcontractor (v) Identify differences in tendering procedures 2. 4 Procurement Strategy Figure 1 Organizational structure ofa traditional strategy (RICS, 2013) Based on the above scenario, we assumed the project adopting the traditional rocurement. Traditional procurement is most commonly used approach in the construction industry. It’s standard practice in the industry since 19th century. (RICS, 2013) Therefore, roles and responsibilities of contractors and different project consultants are well understood. In traditional procurement, design process is kept separate from the construction process. (RICS, 2013) The design have to be completed first and full documentation including drawings, specifications are needed before tendering process. In view of the client, he can remain his control over the design and ensuring quality. A contract dministrator will also appointed to monitor the projects, usually the architect or the engineer. In view of cost and contracts, all returned tenders are based on same intormation, the tender prices can be easily analyzed, and no need tor the Contractor to build in a risk premium in the tender sum. If the designed is fully completed, construction costs can be determined with reasonable certainty given that there are no changes in the construction stage. OCT, 2008) However, this procurement method may take longer time because the scheme has to be more or less fully designed before seeking tenderers. Also, fragmented design nd construction process can leads to disputes between the Contractors and the designers, rather than single responsibility in â€Å"design-and-build† method. (RICS, 2013) 2. 5 Contract Choice Since the client has adopted traditional approach, â€Å"Hong Kong Standard Form of Building Contract Private Edition-With Quantities 2005 Edition† (HKSFBC05) has been chosen by the client to use in this tender. This contract is commonly used in private developments in Hong Kong. (KPK, 2010) It is a lump sum contract in which payment will be made at monthly interval. It’s suitable for adopt in medium-large size building orks designed by the Employer, or someone on behalf of the Employer. Drawings and bills of quantities have to provide by the Employer to define the quantity and quality of the work for Contract to price for it. OCT, 2008) The HKSFBC05 contains detailed conditions which regulates the rights and obligations of the Employer and Contractor. Moreover, under Article 34 of the HKSFBC05, an Architect and a Quantity Surveyor have to be named to administer the contract conditions, their power and duties are also described in the Contract. The Architect will be the contract administrator whereas the quantity surveyor will assist im to prepare valuations for interim payments and variations, calculating liquidated damages (LD) and prepare final account, etc. Generally, the price is bases on lump sums and payment to be made in monthly interval. OCT, 2008) 3 Tendering Procedures 3. 1 Definition Tendering is the process by which bids are invited from interested contractors to carry out specific packages of construction work. The process aims to ensure achieving of true competition. Procurement strategy and forms of contract should have decided and confirmed in precedence to execute the tendering process. 3. 2 Main-contract The whole tendering procedures for main contract can be divided at 3 sections as follows:- 3. 2. 1 Establishment of Tender List At the very beginning of the process, the client should have compile a tenderer list, in order to ensure every contractor chosen to tender will be able to meet specified eligibility, if they are appointed. To form the tenderer list, pre-qualification mechanism may adopted. Interested contractors should prove that they meet minimum standards in certain criteria like financial conditions, project experience, protessional competence, etc during pre-qualitlcation. Sometimes, the consultant quantity surveyors will also give advice to prepare a potential tenderer list, depends on the clients need. Generally, 4 to 8 tenders is enough, depends on value and nature of the work. Once the tenderers list is compiled, preliminary enquiry should be made to those contractors on list, asking those potential contractors whether they are interested to bid the project before formal invitation. The outcome of the tender would be more satisfactory if the Contractor can decline at the earlier stage, and saving excessive papers for tender documents. 3. 2. 2 Tender Invitation and Submission During the compilation of the tenderers list, the consultant quantity surveyors should prepare the tender documents concurrently. So, as soon as the tender documents ready to be issue out (i. e. bill of quantities, drawings, specifications and client’s specific requirements), the tender will be issue to the tenderers with the invitation. The good practice in the industry for the tendering period would be a minimum of 28 days in private sectors. This is a suggested fgure for traditional contract with no design responsibility from the contractors. For easier to analyze the capability of each contractor, usually the Employer will ask he tenderers to submit their own qualifications such as preliminary programme for the work, organization chart, etc. Details of those documents should be listed in the form of tender and also in the â€Å"Invitation to Tender† 3. 2. 3 Tender Assessment and Award All tenders should have received on the tender submission date. Sometimes the Employer maybe request the tenderers to submit non-price material such as Job reference, organization chart, financial statement, etc. These materials should be evaluated independently of the examination of the priced documents. OCT, 2012) To xamine the tenders efficiently, an assessment criteria should have established by the Employer. Price-oriented or quality-oriented? The answer should affect the examination process of tenders. For the priced documents (i. e. bill of quantities or schedule of rates), it should be checked to detect any arithmetical errors. Professional practice is that the tendered prices should never be altered without Justification. If there are any errors or discrepancies between BQ pages and the tender sum wrote in the form of the tender. There are procedures set out to deal with the above situation. Details of the errors should be given to the tenderers. If the said errors are rather minor in the contract sum, the tenderers may confirm the errors and abide his tender. Or the tenderers can withdraw his tender if he thinks the errors are unaffordable. However, it’s depend on the tenderer’s commercial decision. Under this procedure, correction of the overall tender price is not permitted. OCT, 2012) It the tenderer decided to stand by his submitted tender and confirmation nas been reached with the Employer, the gross amount of errors should be converted into a discount factor, usually express in percentage of the corrected tender sum. In Hong Kong projects, this factor is usually endorsed together in the letter of intent or letter to acceptance to the Main contractor. Then the factor will be applied to the variation account where related to the BQ or SOR, except those preliminaries, prime cost rates, provisional sums. WSCC, 2010) After checking errors, if there are any changes affecting prices or design, tender queries should be issued to all tenderers and carry out a second tender exercise. All replied tender queries should bind into the contract document as contract correspondences and forming part of contract, especially those with cost mplications. Upon completion of evaluation of retur ned tenders and tender queries, the consultant quantity surveyor should prepare a tender report and recommend the tenderer which he preferred. Then, the letter of intent or letter of acceptance should be sent out to complete the whole awarding process. 3. 3 Sub-contract The whole tendering procedures for sub contract can be divided at 3 sections as follows:- 3. 3. 1 Selection for a Specific Project When the contract was awarded to the Main Contractor as described above, the Main Contractor takes up total responsibility for the contract work. He cannot complete the hole work using only his own labour and worker. Sub-contractors is therefore needed, especially for E;M services, which require specialist sub-contractors. Each structured main contractor should have his own domestic sub-contractors (DSC) list, the criteria for being qualified into the list depends on different main contractors. Common criteria includes work quality, safety and health record, financial conditions, insurance cover, etc. (CIB, 1997) To appoint sub-contractors for specific project, a preliminary tenderer list should be prepared by drawing up suitable sub-contractors in the company approved list. Confirmations should be seek from potential tenderers if they are interested to tender. Numbers of tenders in the list should between four and six, for â€Å"construct only’ sub-contract. (CIB, 1997) Same as appointing main-contractor, upon complication of tender list, preliminary enquiry should be made with sufficient project details given to the proposed tenderers. Information including conditions of contracts, payment terms, amounts of retention, commencement date and completion date of main contract, etc. Clearly state all necessary information helps to reduce disputes between the main contractor and sub-contractors. CIB, 1997) 3. 3. Tender Invitation and Submission As a formal and good practice, a tender documents for acquiring prices is recommended. By using formal tender documents, offers from different sub- contractors are more easily to be analysed. In contrast, some main contractors may preterred simpler procedures such as asking sub-contractors to submit quotation themselves based on information received. However, in this report, formal tendering proc edure are referred. For content of the tender documents, it’s basically the same with those described above in the Main contract section. The tenders are to be sent out with the nvitations and date for submission of tenders should have stated in the invitations. The time for tendering should be 6 weeks for â€Å"construct only’ tenders. In case of any queries, the tenderers should submit in writing to request for clarifications from the main contractors. (CIB, 1997) Method statements may be requested to submit from the tenderers to better assess their capability for the work and cost incurred by the main contractor for providing temporary working platform and storage space, etc. 3. . 3 Tender Assessment and Awa rd Like the procedure of selecting Main-contractors, only tenders submit by the ubmission date would be evaluated. Non-price material like method statements should be assessed independently, different methods may affect potential costs incurred by the main-contractor. The priced document will be go through checking process first, any arithmetical errors are to be notified to the tenderer and ask whether he will stands by his tender price, procedures are generally same with those above described for main-contract. If it’s possible, the tender prices should never be changed if the scope of works remain unchanged. (CIB, 1997) Subcontractors should then be chosen on the basis of the assessment criteria set own before issuing tender documents. The main contractor may arrange tender interview if he think it is necessary to clarify or amplify the submitted documents. Especially those preliminary items, such as provision of site office, storage, lifting equipment, insurance policy, etc. Responsibility for these items should clearly state and agree before awarding contract. Any matters agreed during the interview should be recorded in writing for further reference. If the main contractor has decided to appoint the tenderers as his subcontractors for the projects, the letter of acceptance should be sent as a formal record here. (CIB, 1997) In case the tendering process for sub-contractors start before the award of main- contract and the preferred sub-contractor’s tender are to be used for main tender submission, the sub-contractor should be notified so the sub-contractor can arrange his resources more efficiently. Upon the acceptance of the main contract tender, the main contractor should also accept that sub-contract tender price agreed before and notify the sub-contractor formally. Letter of acceptance should be sent to the preferred tenderers as a formal contractual record. (CIB, 1997) Conclusions Tendering procedures for main contract and sub contract has been briefly laborated in above passage. Major differences is illustrated by Figure 2 below. Description Sub-contract Compilation of Tenderer List Consultant QS or Employer Main Contractor Tendering Period 8 weeks minimum 6 weeks minimum Nos. of Tenderers Figure 2 Comparison of Tendering Procedures For the tenderer list, the one used for tendering for main contract are usually recommend by the consultant quantity surveyors or the client have its own preferred list, based on reputation. In contrast, each main contractor have its own sub- contractors list based on their specialized trade. For the tendering period, the codes suggested 8 weeks minimum for main contractors to prepare their tender for the Employer while 6 weeks minimum was suggested for sub-contractors to prepare their tender for main contractors. For numbers of tenderers, it is necessary to have sufficient numbers of tenderers to enable a fair competition. It’s suggested 4-8 tenders will be enough for tendering of main contracts, depends on the value and nature of the projects. Fewer numbers of tenderers would be enough for selecting sub-contractors, 4-6 tenderers is suggested in the Codes, depends on different trades. How to cite Standard Forms of Building Contract, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Enzymes Lab free essay sample

Introduction Enzymes are protein based structures that help speed up chemical reactions. They help these reactions keep up with the everyday metabolic needs and other like functions of organisms. Enzymes are also considered catalysts, due to the lowering in activation energy, in which they are not consumed or changed at any point during the reaction. These enzymes have three main protein structures that help keep them formed and intact. Stage 1 of these structures is the primary structure, which is a unique sequence of amino acids. These unique sequences, when either folded or coiled into a chain, make up the second stage, the secondary structure. Once all these coils are folded into a three dimensional structure, the molecule is in the tertiary structure. These structures are all maintained by the formation of weak hydrogen bonds, and stronger covalent bonds. When enzymes are in the tertiary structure, they have the capability of having a specific substrate enter the active site. Once the substrate enters the active site, it forms a short transient stage known as the enzyme substrate complex. This is where, if the substrate(s) fit, the enzyme will produce specific product through the reaction process of catalysis. The enzyme being studied, catechol oxidase, is a common and well known enzyme that helps in the process of bruising and browning in fruits and vegetables (Danyk, 2013/2014). It is known as catechol oxidase because the phenolic compound, catechol, is being oxidized into quinones, in this case, benzoquinone. Enzymes activity is able to be sped up in many ways, including pH, increase in temperature, and the amount of substrate concentration. As the temperature increases, the rate of collisions between reactants also increases. This increase in rate affects the enzymes because the substrates move in and out of the enzyme faster, until the point at which a temperature will be too hot and it will rupture the bonds in potato juice being used. The acidity or alkalinity of a solution works in the same way, as high acidity or basicity will cause degeneration of the proteins as well. As for  substrate available, there will come a time where the enzyme cannot attach and release the substrates any faster, resulting in a plateau in the benzoquinone concentrations. (Danyk, 2013/2014) In our experiment we used potato juice extract to determine the influence of pH, temperature, and substrate concentration on the rate of enzyme activity. This being said, the increased speed of catechol oxidase should help produce higher concentrations of benzoquinone in the solutions. Methods and Materials The enzyme catechol oxidase was placed into a high speed blender to form a juice. All tests were watched for 5 minutes with gentle shaking at 1 minute intervals, and then placed into the 3 °C ice baths and arranged from palest to darkest. Tubes were placed into 3 °C ice baths in order to stop reactions. For the substrate concentration with 5mL of pH7 buffer was added to each of the six tubes. Respectively, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 24 drops of catechol were added to each of the tubes. To equal out the amount of solution in each of the test tubes, respectively 23, 22, 20, 16, 8 and 0 drops of pH 7 buffer were added. 30 drops of potato juice containing the catechol oxidase enzyme were then added to the solution, and then timed for 5 minutes at room temperature. The pH treatment only required 5 test tubes, with 3mL of matching buffer (pH4, pH6, pH7, pH8, and pH10) in the appropriate tube. Following this, 10 drops of both potato juice and catechol are added to the tubes, and then timed for 5 minutes at room temperature. For temperature, 6 test tubes were required, and placed in their appropriate temperature treatments all with 3mL of pH7 buffer in them. These tubes were place in either 3 °C, 12 °C, 20 °C, 35 °C, 50 °C, and 70 °C baths for 15 minutes to warm each tube up to the appropriate temperature. After the 15 minutes, 10 drops of both catechol and potato juice are added to each of the pH7 solutions. After arranging all the solutions from palest to darkest in their respective treatments, the spectrometer would be needed. Starting with the palest and moving to the darkest, all absorbance was measured at 460 nm. Once all these  readings are found, divide by 0.0078 to calculate the benzoquinone concentration ( µm). Mean and standard deviation were both calculated using Microsoft Excel 2007. Results Based off the class date and the means calculated, it was found that all treatments had a point in which there would be no more benzoquinone released due to bonds breaking. The trend found when working with the amount of substrate availability showed a gradual plateau at concentration of about 85-90  µm (Figure 1). But based off the data collected, until this point, amount of substrate available did have an impact on how the concentration of benzoquinone. After the results were calculated, there was a peak at which it had the highest concentration of benzoquinone, pH7. As the pH got lower, so did the benzoquinone concentrations. As well, when the pH got higher, more bonds would degenerate, causing the benzoquinone concentrations do be lower (Figure 2). The results were seen and could be predicted as to almost be a bell curve trend. Temperature had almost the same effect as pH did. When the temperature reached a certain point, bonds started to be broken throughout the reaction. This caused almost a bell curve in the results. The point at which the highest benzoquinone concentration was found was at about 15 20 °C (Figure 3). Even though the class data pointed out there was a higher concentration at about 70 °C, in general there was a bell curve to the results. Figure 1: Mean amount of benzoquinone concentrations from potato juice at different amount of substrate available including standard deviation with n=6. The bars above and below represent the standard deviation for the class. (n=6) Figure 2: Mean amount of benzoquinone concentration from potato juice when working with different pH including standard deviation with n=5. The bars above and below represent the standard deviation for the class. (n=5) Figure 3: The mean amount of benzoquinone concentrations from potato juice at different temperatures including standard deviation with n=6. Bars above and below represent the standard deviation for the class. (n=6) Discussion The results seen during this experiment supported the hypothesis that temperature, pH, and the amount of substrate available all increase the rate of enzyme activity. This is proven by the results discovered in the reactions done. During the reactions, after putting them through the spectrophotometer, the results matched that all treatments would increase the rate at which catechol oxidase works. Both temperature and pH showed a peak before dropping again after a certain point, and the amount of substrate availability showed a gradual plateau. As temperature increases, so does the frequency of the at which substrates collides with active sites. This is due to the increased rapid moving of the substrates. Once the temperature reaches a certain point, in this case about 15-20 °C, the temperature actually starts to rupture the weaker bonds in the active site. This is why there is the drop in the benzoquinone concentration (Reece, 2011). However, in the graph, there was an unexpected result found at the reaction at 70 °C (Figure 3). This result was not seen to be possible, but it was evident that at the 2 tables, due to the cloudyness of the reaction, more light was absorbed in the spectrophotometer. Both the pH reaction and the amount of substrate available both agreed with the hypothesis given, and followed the trend lines expected. No unexpected results came from these 2 reactions. Both these reactions followed different trend lines, due to the effects of the treatments. PH was able to degenerate the ative sites, where as the amount of substrate just made it too much to actually coninue the reation any faster. Thats why there is a plateau when working with the amount of substrate. PH also works the same as temperature, where all enzymes work best at an optimal pH. Most enzymes work best at an optimal pH of 6-8. Beyond these optimal pHs, the active site usually degenerates, and in this labs case, they did degenerate, leaving a peak and drop in the reations. To conclude, with the exception of the skewed result during the temperature readings, all three followed the general and predicted trend lines of the reaction. And with the reactions following the proper trend lines, it is evident that there is an understanding of how temperature, pH, and amount of substrate available affect the rate at which enzymes work Literature Cited Danyk, Helena. 2013. The Cellular Basis Of Life Laboratory Manual. Department Of Biological Sciences. University Of Lethbridge. Reece, J.B., L.A. Urry, M.L Cain, S.A. Wasserman, P.V. Minorsky, and R.B. Jackson. 2011. Campbell Biology, Ninth Edition. Pearson Benjamin Cummings, San Fransisco, CA.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Large number of public wells in The U.S. Essays -

Findings showed that naturally occurring contaminants, such as radon and arsenic, accounted for about three-quarters of contaminant concentrations greater than human-health benchmarks in untreated source water. Naturally occurring contaminants are mostly derived from the natural geologic materials that make up the aquifers from which well water is withdrawn. Man-made contaminants were also found in untreated water sampled from the public wells, including herbicides, insecticides, solvents, disinfection by-products, nitrate, and gasoline chemicals. Man-made contaminants accounted for about one-quarter of contaminant concentrations greater than human-health benchmarks, but were detected in 64 percent of the samples, predominantly in samples from unconfined aquifers. "Detections of contaminants do not necessarily indicate a concern for human health because USGS analytical methods can detect many contaminants at concentrations that are 100-fold to 1,000-fold lower than human-health benchmarks," said lead scientist Patricia Toccalino. "Assessing contaminants in these small amounts helps to track emerging issues in our water resources and to identify contaminants that may warrant inclusion in future monitoring." Scientists tested water samples for 337 properties and chemical contaminants, including nutrients, radionuclides, trace elements, pesticides, solvents, gasoline hydrocarbons, disinfection by-products and manufacturing additives. This study did not assess pharmaceuticals or hormones. Most (279) of the contaminants analyzed in this study are not federally regulated in finished drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The USGS also sampled paired source and finished (treated) water from a smaller subset of 94 public wells. Findings showed that many man-made organic contaminants detected in source water generally were detected in finished water at similar concentrations. Organic contaminants detected in both treated and source water typically were detected at concentrations well below human-health benchmarks, however. Additionally, the study shows that contaminants found in public wells usually co-occurred with other contaminants as mixtures. Mixtures can be a concern because the total combined toxicity of contaminants in water may be greater than that of any single contaminant. Mixtures of contaminants with concentrations approaching benchmarks were found in 84 percent of wells, but mixtures of contaminants above health benchmarks were found less frequently, in 4 percent of wells. This USGS study identifies which contaminant mixtures may be of most concern in groundwater used for public-water supply and can help human-health researchers to target and prioritize toxicity assessments of contaminant mixtures. The USGS report identifies the need for continued research because relatively little is known about the potential health effects of most mixtures of contaminants. Wells included in this study are located in 41 states and withdraw water from parts of 30 regionally extensive aquifers, which constitute about one-half of the principal aquifers used for water supply in the United States. Human-health benchmarks used in this study include U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Levels for regulated contaminants and USGS Health-Based Screening Levels for unregulated contaminants, which are non-enforceable guidelines developed by the USGS in collaboration with the EPA and other water partners. Treated drinking water from public wells is regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Water utilities, however, are not required to treat water for unregulated contaminants. The EPA uses USGS information on the occurrence of unregulated contaminants to identify contaminants that may require drinking-water regulation in the future.