Effectiveness of Support Services for Reducing Poverty

Effectiveness of Support Services for Reducing Poverty A 6000 word literature review project which critically analyses and evaluates the effectiveness of family support services aimed at reducing stress and poverty for the parents of children in need. Introduction The whole issue of parents and children in need is a vast, complex and ethically challenging one. This review is specifically charged with an examination of those issues which impinge upon the stresses and strains that are experienced by parents of children in need. A superficial examination of these issues that are involved in this particular area would suggest that there are a number of â€Å"sub-texts† which can all give rise to this particular situation. Firstly, to have a child in need is clearly a stressful situation for any parent. (Meltzer H et al. 1999) This can clearly be purely a financial concern and a reflection of the fact that the whole family is in financial hardship, perhaps due to the economic situation or perhaps due to the actions of the parents themselves. Equally the need of the child can be a result of a non-financial need, so we should also consider the child who is in some way handicapped, ill, emotionally disturbed or perhaps in need in some other way. This produces another type of stress on the parent, and these stresses are typically longer lasting and, in general, less easily rectified than a purely financial consideration of need. (Hall D 1996). It is part of the basic ethos of the welfare state that it should look after its less able and disadvantaged members. (Welsh Office 1997). Parents of children in need will often qualify in this definition. We shall therefore examine the various aspects of this problem. Literature Review We will make a start by considering one type of child in need. The first paper that we will consider is that of Prof. Vostanis (Vostanis 2002), which looks at the mental health problems that are faced by deprived children and their families together with the effectiveness of the resources that are available to them. It is a well written and well researched paper, if rather complex and confusing in places. We will consider this paper in some detail as it provides an excellent overview of the whole area. The paper starts with a rather useful definition for our purposes. It qualifies the deprived child, initially in terms of a homeless family, that being : A family of any number of adults with dependent children who are statutorily accepted by local authorities (housing departments) in the UK, and are usually accommodated for a brief period in voluntary agency, local authority or housing association hostels. This period of temporary accommodation can vary enormously depending on the time of year and the area considered, and can range from a few days to perhaps several months. The target in Greater London is currently to rehouse homeless families within 4-6 weeks. In London particularly, the homeless families can be placed in Bed Breakfast accommodation. (D of H 1998) In this respect, the immediate family support mechanisms do appear to be in place. Vostranis however, goes on to make the observation that despite the fact that the definition of the homeless family is rather broad, it does not cover all of the potential children in need, as those children and their carers who have lost their homes but have managed to live with relatives, on the streets or perhaps live as travellers, are not covered by the statutory obligation to provide housing. The official figures therefore, he observes, are generally an underestimate of the true situation. The official figures for the homeless families are put (in this paper) at 140,000. (Vostanis Cumella, 1999) The authors give us further information in that many families will become homeless again within one year of rehousing and the typical family seen is the single mother and at least two children who are generally under the age of 11 yrs. They also observe that the typical father and adolescent child tend to be placed in homeless centres. (D of H 1995) In exploration of the particular topic that we are considering, the authors give us the situations that typically have given rise to the degree of parental stress that may have led to the homelessness. They point to the fact that a homeless family is usually homeless for different reasons to the single homeless adult. Vostanis (et al 1997) is quoted as showing that 50% of the cases studied were homeless as a direct result of domestic violence and 25% as a result of harassment from neighbours. The authors observe that the numbers in this category (and therefore the problems), are rising. (Welsh Office 1999). There are a number of section to this paper which are not directly referable to our considerations. We shall therefore direct our attention purely to those parts that have a direct bearing on the subject. One particularly useful and analytical part of the paper is the section that details the characteristics and needs of the target group. This is a very detailed section, but it makes the point that the children in need in this group are particularly heterogeneous, generally all with multiple and inter-related needs. Homelessness is seldom a one off event. This particular observation, (say the authors), is crucially important for the development and provision of services. Most families have histories of previous chronic adversities that constitute risk factors for both children and parents (Bassuk et al, 1997). Such events include family conflict, violence and breakdown; limited or absent networks for family and social support; recurring moves; poverty; and unemployment. Mothers are more likely to have suffered abuse in their own childhood and adult life and children have increased rates of placement on the at-risk child protection register, because of neglect, physical and/or sexual abuse. If we specifically consider the health needs of this population, the authors categorise them thus: The children are more likely to have a history of low birthweight, anaemia, dental decay and delayed immunisations, to be of lower stature and have a greater degree of nutritional stress. They are also more likely to suffer accidents, injuries and burns. (BPA 1999) Some studies have found that child health problems increase with the duration of homelessness, although this finding is not consistent. A substantial proportion of homeless children have delayed development compared with the general population of children of a similar chronological age. This includes both specific developmental delays, such as in receptive and expressive language and visual, motor and reading skills, as well as general skills and educational status (Webb et al. 2001). It is for this reason specifically, that it has proved extremely difficult to assess the effectiveness of the family support services because of the multivariate nature of the problems that are presented. The authors point to the fact that one of the prime determinants of the degree of support available, is the actual access that the families have to these services. Many sources (viz. Wilkinson R 1996), equate the poor health of the disadvantaged primarily with the lack of access to services. One immediate difficulty is the current registration system in the UK. In order to be seen in the primary healthcare team setting, one must be registered with a named doctor. In the majority of cases that we are dealing with here, they have moved area and registration is probably not high on their list of priorities. One can argue that there is the access to the A E departments of the local hospitals but there is virtually no continuity here and they are no geared up to provide anything other than immediate treatment. (Hall D 1996). This fact restricts their access to primary healthcare team procedures such as immunisations and other preventative medicine health clinics. (Lissauer et al, 1993) . By the same token these groups also have restricted access to the social services, whether they be the access teams, the family teams or the family support units and other agencies. The authors also point to other more disruptive trends in this group such as an inability to attend a particular school for fear of being traced by an abusive partner. It follows that these children do not have a stable social support of a school. They are denied such factors as peer groups, routines and challenges which are both important protective and developmental factors. (Shankleman J et al 2000). The summation of all of these factors, and others, is that the effectiveness of the family support services is greatly reduced by the mobility and the transient nature of the family unit. Quite apart from the difficulties outlined above relating to the problems of access to avenues of help open to the child in need and their families there are the problems engendered by the fact that social service departments in different areas of the country may not have immediate access to the previous records giving rise to many potential, and real, problems with continuity of care. This problem is brought into more immediate focus when one considers the increased frequency of child protection registrations in this particular group. (Hall D et al 1998). One specific analysis of the family support services of this particular group comes in the form of the psychiatric services. In the context of the title of this piece, it demonstrates how these particular services, (but not these alone), are failing to deal with the totality of the problem. All of the aspects that we have outlined so far are conspiring to dilute the effectiveness of the services provided. The fact that they are a mobile population with no fixed address means that some of the services may choose to invoke this as a reason for not making provision for them, particularly if resources are stretched. If more resources are given, then they are typically preferentially targeted at the single adult homeless population where the need is arguably greater. The authors of this paper point to the fact that this may not actually be true as some studies have shown that homeless single mothers and their children have a 49% psychopathy rate and only an 11% contact with the support services. (Cumella et al, 1998). The impact of this fact on the children can only be imagined. To an extent however, it can be quantified as the authors cite other studies which show a 30% need rating for children, (they do not actually define exactly what their perceived level of need was), contrasted with a 3% contact rate for children and adolescents in this area. (viz. Power S et al. 1995). Putting these considerations together, the authors outline a set of proposals which are designed to help improve the access to some of the essential services. The model that they propose could, if successful and with a degree of modification, prove suitable for adaptation to other areas of the family support services. It is not appropriate to discuss this model in detail, but suffice it to say that it has a tiered structure so that the degree of distress and need is titrated against the degree of input generated. One of the reasons that we have selected this particular paper to present in this context is for its last section. It proposes a â€Å"family support services model† which has been developed and pioneered in the Leicester area. In the context of our review, it is worth considering in some detail. A service provided through a family support team (four family support assistants).This is designed to detect a range of problems at the time of crisis; manage a degree of mental health problems (behavioural and emotional); provide parenting-training; support and train housing (hostel) staff; co-ordinate the work of different agencies; and provide some continuity after rehousing by ensuring intake by appropriate local services. The family workers are based at the main hostel for homeless children and families. Other, predominantly voluntary, services have established alternative posts, such as advocates and key workers. Whatever the title of the post, it is essential that the post-holder has some experience and ongoing training in mental health and child protection, so that he or she can hold a substantial case-load, rather than merely mediate between already limited services. The family support workers have direct access to the local child and adult mental health services, whose staff provide weekly outreach clinics. Their role is to work with the family support workers and other agencies, assess selected children and families, and provide treatment for more severe problems or disorders such as depression, self-harm and PTSD. A weekly inter-agency liaison meeting at the main hostel is attended by a health visitor, representatives of the local domestic violence service and Sure Start, There are also close, regular links with education welfare and social services. The aim is to effectively utilise specialist skills by discussing family situations from all perspectives at the liaison meeting. A bimonthly steering group, led by the housing department, involves senior managers representing these agencies, as well as the education and social services departments and the voluntary sector, and they oversee and co-ordinate the service. This appears to be something of an exemplar in relation to services provided elsewhere. The paper does not provide any element of costings in this area neither does it provide any figures in relation to its success rates, contact rates or overall effectiveness. In conclusion this paper is an extremely well written and authoritative overview of the situation relating to the stresses of the homeless parent with children and the effectiveness (or lack of it) in its ability to reduce the stresses experienced by the homeless children in need and their parents. It proposes remedies but sadly it does not evaluate the effectiveness of those remedies. In order to address these shortcomings we can consider another paper by Tischler (et al 2000). This looks at a similar outreach set up which has been designed to capture the families of children in need who might otherwise slip through the net. This paper is written from a different perspective and specifically analyses the effectiveness of these services as they pertain to an entry cohort of 40 families. This particular study was set up after preliminary work was done in the Birmingham area with 114 homeless families and this study defined the needs of the families but did not quantify their support systems.(Vostanis et al 1998). This paper set out to identify and measure the support systems available and their effectiveness as far as the families were concerned. The stresses encountered were partly reflected by the incidence of psychiatric morbidity. The mothers in the group were found to have over 50% more morbidity than a matched control group. The children in the group were found to have â€Å"histories of abuse, living in care, being on the at-risk protection register, delayed communication and higher reported mental health problems.† All of which adds to the general background stress levels. (Kerouac S et al. 1996). This particular study found that despite the psychiatric morbidity in the children, (estimated to be about 30%), and the psychiatric morbidity in the parents, (estimated at about 50%), only 3% of the children and 10% of the parents had had any significant contact or support from the social services. In this respect, this paper is very useful to our purpose as it quantifies the levels of intervention and access to healthcare resources that this particular group has. By any appreciation, it would be considered woefully inadequate in any society that calls itself civilised. In the terms of the title of this piece, the effectiveness of the family support services is minimal. Like the last paper discussed, this one also considered how best to tackle the problem, and this one is of much greater value to us, as it specifies a response, or intervention, to the problem in much the same way as the Vostranis 2002 paper did, but it makes the same measurements as it did prior to the intervention, and therefore allows us an insight into the actual effectiveness of the intervention. The way this particular study worked was to assess the problem (as it has been presented above), devise an intervention strategy and then to measure its effect. This particular study goes to great lengths to actively involve all the appropriate agencies that could help the situation by having a central assessment station that acted as a liaison between all of the other resources. In brief, it actively involved liaison with the following: Education, social services, child protection, local mental health services, voluntary and community organisations to facilitate the re-integration of the family into the community, and particularly their engagement with local services following rehousing; and training of staff of homeless centres in the understanding, recognition and management of mental illness in children and parents. This is essential, as hostel staff often work in isolation and have little knowledge of the potential severity and consequences of mental health problems in children. It was hoped that, by doing this, it would maximise the impact that the limited resources had on reducing the levels of morbidity and stress in the families of the children in need. The post intervention results were, by any estimate, impressive considering the historical difficulty of working with this particular group (OHara M 1995). 40 families (including 122 children) were studied in detail. The paper gives a detailed breakdown of the ethnic and demographic breakdown of the group. By far the biggest group were single mothers and children (72%) The results showed that the majority of referrals were seen between 1-3 times (55%), with a further 22% being seen 4-6 times. It is a reflection of the difficulty in engaging this type of family in need that over 25% did not actually keep their appointments despite the obvious potential benefits that could have been utilised. The authors investigated this group further and ascertained that a common reason for non attendance was the perception that the psychological welfare of the children was not actually the main concern. The families perceived that their primary needs were rehousing and financial stability. Other priorities identified were that physical health was a greater priority than mental health. The authors also identify another common failing in the social services provision, and that is the general lack of regular contact. They cite the situation where some families cope well initially, apparently glad to have escaped an abusive or violent home situation, but a prolonged stay in a hostel or temporary accommodation may soon precipitate a bout of depression in the parents and behavioural problems in the children of such parents. (Brooks RM et al 1998). They suggest that regular re-visiting of families who have been in temporary accommodation for any significant length of time should be mandatory. This paper takes a very practical overview by pointing out that workability of the system is, to a large extent, dependent on the goodwill of a number of committed professionals. The authors state that this has to be nurtured and they call for sufficient funding must be given to enable this particular model to be extended to a National level. Thus far in the review we have considered the effectiveness of the service provision in the support of the families of the children in need in one specific target grouping, those who are stressed by virtue of the fact that they are homeless. We will now consider the literature on a different kind of family stress, and that is when a parent dies. This leaves the children with a considerable amount of potential emotional â€Å"baggage† and the surviving parent with an enormous amount of stress. (Webb E 1998). An excellent paper by Downey (et al 1999) tackles this particular problem with both sensitivity and also considerable rigour. It is a long and complex paper, but the overall aims and objectives are clear from the outset. The structure of the paper is a prospective case study which aims to assess whether the degree of distress suffered by a family during a time of bereavement is in any way linked to the degree of service provision that is utilised. The base line for this study is set out in its first two paragraphs. Parentally bereaved children and surviving parents showed a greater than predicted level of psychiatric morbidity. Boys had greater levels of demonstrable morbidity than did girls, but bereaved mothers showed more morbidity than did bereaved fathers. Children were more likely to show signs of behavioural disturbance when the surviving parent manifested some kind of psychiatric disorder. (Kranzler EM et al 1990). The authors point to the fact that their study shows that the service provision is statistically related to a number of (arguably unexpected [Fristad MA et al 1993]) factors namely: The age of the children and the manner of parental death. Children under 5 years of age were less likely to be offered services than older children even though their parents desired it. Children were significantly more likely to be offered services when the parent had committed suicide or when the death was expected. Children least likely to receive service support were those who were not in touch with services before parental death. Paradoxically the level of service provision was not found to be statistically significantly related to either the parental wishes or the degree of the psychiatric disturbance in either the parent or child. (Sanchez L et al 1994) The service provision did have some statistical relationships but that was only found to be the manner of the parental death and the actual age of the child at the time. The authors therefore are able to identify a mismatch between the perceived need for support and the actual service provision made. Part of that mismatch is found to be due to the inability of the social services and other related agencies to take a dispassionate overview. Elsewhere in the paper the authors suggest that there are other factors that add to this inequality and they include lack of resources and a lack of specificity in identifying children at greatest risk. (Harrington R 1996) The authors examine other literature to back up their initial precept that bereaved children have greater levels of morbidity. They cite many other papers who have found distress manifesting in the form of â€Å"anxiety, depression, withdrawal, sleep disturbance, and aggression.† (Worden JW et al. 1996) and also psychological problems in later life (Harris T et al. 1996). In terms of study structure, the authors point to methodological problems with other papers in the area including a common failing of either having a standardised measure or no matched control group (Mohammed D et al 2003). They also point to the fact that this is probably the first UK study to investigate the subject using a properly representative sample and certainly the first to investigate whether service provision is actually related to the degree of the problems experienced. The entry cohort involved nearly 550 families with 94 having children in the target range (2-18). With certain exclusions (such as two families where one parent had murdered the other etc.) and non respondents, the final cohort was reduced to 45 families and one target child was randomly selected from each family. It has to be noted that the comparatively large number of non-respondents may have introduced a large element of bias, insofar as it is possible that the families most in need of support were those who were most distressed by the death of a family member and these could have been the very ones who chose not to participate. (Morton V et al 2003) The authors make no comment on this particular fact. The authors should be commended for a particularly ingenious control measure for the children. They were matched by asking their school teacher to complete an inventory of disturbed behaviour on the next child in the school register after the target child. A large part of the paper is taken up with methodological issues which ( apart form the comments above) cannot be faulted. In terms of being children in need, 60% of children were found to have â€Å"significant behavioural abnormalities† with 28% having scores above the 95th centile. In terms of specific service support provision, 82% of parents identified a perceived need for support by virtue of the behaviour of their children. Only 49% of these actually received it in any degree. Perhaps the most surprising statistic to come out of this study was the fact that of the parents who were offered support 44% were in the group who asked for it and 56% were in the group who didn’t want it. The levels of support offered were independent of the degree of behavioural disturbance in the child. As with the majority of papers that we have either presented here or read in preparation for this review, the authors call for a more rationally targeted approach to the utilisation of limited resources. The study also provides us with a very pertinent comment which many experienced healthcare professionals will empathise with, (Black D 1996), and that is: Practitioners should also be aware that child disturbance may reflect undetected psychological distress in the surviving parent. While not suggesting that this is a reflection of Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy, the comment is a valid reflection of the fact that parental distress may be well hidden from people outside of the family and may only present as a manifestation of the child’s behaviour. (Feldman MD et al. 1994) The conclusions that can be drawn from this study are that there is a considerable gap in the support offered ( quite apart form the effectiveness of that support) in this area of obvious stress for both parents and children. (Black D 1998). This study goes some way to quantifying the level of support actually given in these circumstances. We have considered the role of the effectiveness and indeed, even the existence, of adequate support services for the children in need and their parents in a number of different social circumstances. The next paper that we wish to present is an excellent review of the support that is given to another specific sub-group and that is women and children who suffer from domestic violence. Webb and her group (et al 2001) considered the problem in considerable (and commendable) depth The study itself had an entry cohort of nearly 150 children and their mothers who were resident in a number of hostels and women’s refuges that had been the victims of family violence at some stage in the recent past. The study subjected the cohort to a battery of tests designed to assess their physical, emotional and psychological health, and then quantified their access to, and support gained from, the primary healthcare teams and other social service-based support agencies. This study is presented in a long and sometimes difficult to read format. Much of the presentation is (understandably) taken up with statistical, ethical and methodological matters – all of which appear to be largely of excellent quality and the result of careful consideration. The results make for interesting and, (in the context of this review), very relevant reading. Perhaps one of the more original findings was that nearly 60% of the child health data held by the various refuges was factually incorrect. This clearly has grave implications for studies that base their evidence base on that data set (Berwick D 2005). Of great implication for the social services support mechanisms was the finding that 76% of the mothers in the study expressed concerns about the health of their children. Once they had left the refuge there was a significant loss to the follow up systems as 15% were untraceable and 25% returned to the home of the original perpetrator. The study documents the fact that this particular group had both a high level of need for support and also a poor level of access to appropriate services. In the study conclusions, the authors make the pertinent comment that the time spent in the refuge offers a â€Å"window of opportunity† for the family support services to make contact and to review health and child developmental status. This is not a demographically small group. In the UK, over 35,000 children and a parent, are recorded as passing through the refuges each year, with at least a similar number also being refered to other types of safe accommodation. Such measures are clearly not undertaken lightly with the average woman only entering a refuge after an average of 28 separate assaults. One can only speculate at the long term effects that this can have on both the mother and the children. In common with the other papers reviewed, this paper also calls for greater levels of support for the families concerned as, by inference, the current levels of effectiveness of the family support services is clearly inadequate. Conclusions This review has specifically presented a number of papers which have been chosen from a much larger number that have been accessed and assessed, because of the fact that each has a particularly important issue or factor in its construction or results. The issue that we have set out to evaluate is the effectiveness of the family support services which are specifically aimed at reducing the stress levels for the parents of children in need. Almost without exception, all of the papers that have been accessed (quite apart from those presented) have demonstrated the fact that the levels of support from the statutory bodies is â€Å"less than optimum† and in some cases it can only be described as â€Å"dire†. Another factor that is a common finding, is that, given the fact that any welfare system is, by its very nature, a rationed system, the provision of the services that are provided is seldom targeted at the groups that need it the most. One can cite the Tischler (et al 2000) and Downey (et al 1999) papers in particular as demonstrating that a substantial proportion of the resources mobilised are actually being directed to groups that are either not requesting support or who demonstrably need it less than other sectors of the community. Some of the papers (actually a small proportion) make positive suggestions about the models for redirecting and targeting support. Sadly, the majority do little more than call for â€Å"more research to be done on the issue†. In overview, we would have to conclude that the evidence suggests that the effectiveness of the family support services in reducing stress and poverty for the parents of children in need is poor at best and certainly capable of considerable improvement. References Bassuk, E. Buckner, J. Weinreb, L. et al (1997),  Homelessness in female-headed families: childhood and adult risk and protective factors.   American Journal of Public Health, 87, 241–248 1997 Berwick D 2005 Broadening the view of evidence-based medicine Qual. Saf. Health Care, Oct 2005; 14: 315 316. Black D. 1996,  Childhood bereavement: distress and long term sequelae can be lessened by early intervention.   BMJ 1996; 312: 1496,   Black D. 1998,  Coping with loss: bereavement in childhood.   BMJ 1998; 316: 931-933,   BPA 1999,  British Paediatric Association. Outcome measures for child health.   London: Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, 1999.    Brooks RM, Ferguson T, Webb E. 1998,  Health services to children resident in domestic violence shelters.   Ambulatory Child Health 1998; 4: 369-374.    Cumella, S. Grattan, E. Vostanis, P.

Transformer Oil Or Insulating Oil Engineering Essay

Transformer Oil Or Insulating Oil Engineering Essay CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction Transformer is one of the most useful appliances ever invented. Transformer can raise or lower the voltage or current in alternating current (AC) network, the circuit can be isolated from one another, and to increase or decrease the apparent value of a capacitor, inductor, or resistor. Furthermore, the transformer allows us to transmit electricity long distances and to circulate safely in factories and homes. (Electrical Machines, Drives, and Power Systems, 6th Edition). The cost of a transformer is high. The failure of one transformer resulted in a loss in terms of the price of one transformer or in terms of energy supply disruptions to consumers. Therefore, to monitor the transformer oil is one the right way and good for detecting the causes of damage to transformers. 2.2 Transformer Transformer is one of the most important electrical devices. Transformer is widely used in power systems and electronic devices. Transformer can also raise and lower voltage levels and the alternating current to suit application. Transformer can transfer power from one section to another on the same frequency but different voltage levels and currents. Transformer basically consists of two coils of a conductor which acts as an inductor electrically separate but magnetically attached. Transformer consists of two loops wrapped around the core base, core and coil which are a part of the transformer structures. Figure 2.1 shows the general structure of a transformer. When alternating current connected to the transformer primary windings, current will flow through the primary winding. Alternating current flows will create an alternating magnetic flux in the transformer core. The magnetic flux can flow to the secondary winding of the transformer through the transformer core. http://www.electricityforum.com/images/electrical-transformer-design.jpg Figure 2.1 General Structure of Transformer According to the Faraday law, the electromotive force or voltage is induced in the coil-winding transformer when the flux is changes in value. Because of the magnetic flux in the transformer core is an alternating flux whose value is constantly changing over time, the electromotive force or voltage is always induced in the coil-winding transformer. Electromotive force in the primary winding is known as the self-induced electromotive force is due to the flux generated by the coil itself. While the electromotive force induced in the secondary winding is known as mutual induction electromotive force due to the induced electromotive force is caused by magnetic flux generated from the primary winding. In an ideal transformer, the induced voltage in the secondary winding (Vs) is in proportion to the primary voltage (Vp), and is given by the ratio of the number of turns in the secondary (Ns) to the number of turns in the primary (Np) as follows: (Equation 2.1) By appropriate selection of the ratio of turns, a transformer thus allows an AC voltage to be stepped up by making Ns greater than Np, or stepped down by making Ns less than Np. There are many types of transformer are designed to meet the specific industrial applications. These include autotransformer, control, current, distribution, general-purpose, instrument, isolation, potential (voltage), power, step-up, and step-down. To avoid rapid damage of the insulating materials inside a transformer, sufficient cooling of the windings and the core must be provided. Indoor transformers below 200 kVA can be directly cooled by the natural flow of the surrounding air. The metallic housing is equipped with ventilating louvres so that the convection currents that can flow over the windings and around the core. Large transformers can be constructed in the same way, but the forced circulation of fresh air must be provided. Such as a dry-type transformers are used inside the building, away from the hostile atmosphere. Distribution transformers below 200 kVA are usually immersed in mineral oil and sealed in a steel tank. Oil carries the heat away to the tank, which it is lost by radiation and convection to the outside air. Insulating oil is much better than air, consequently, it is often used in high voltage transformers. As the power rating increased, external radiators are added to increase cooling surface of the tank contains oil. Oil circulates around the transformer windings and moving through the radiator, where heat released into the surrounding air. For still higher levels, cooling fans blow air over the radiators. For transformers in the megawatt range, cooling can be effected by the oil-water heat exchanger. Hot oil drawn from the transformer tank is pumped into the heat exchanger where it flowing through the pipes that are in contact with cold water. Such as heat exchanger are very effective, but also very expensive, because water itself must continuously cool and recirculated. Some large transformers are designed to have multiple ratings, depending on the cooling method used. Thus, the transformer may have triple ratings depending on whether it is cooled by: the natural circulation of air (AO) for 18000 kVA, or forced-air cooling with fans (FA) for 24000 kVA, or the forced circulation of oil accompanied by forced-air cooling (FOA) for 32000 kVA. These elaborate cooling systems are nevertheless economical because they enable a much greater output from the transformer of a given size and weight. The type of transformer cooling is designated by the following symbols: AA dry-type, self-cooled AFA dry-type, forced-air cooled OA oil-immersed, self-cooled OA/FA oil-immersed, self-cooled/forced-air cooled AO/FA/FOA oil-immersed, self-cooled/forced-air cooled/forced-air, forced-oil cooled The temperature rise by the resistance of oil-immersed transformers is either 55 °C or 65 °C. The temperature must be kept low to preserve the oil quality. By contrast, the temperature rise of dry-type transformer may be as high as 180 °C, depending on the type of insulation used. TEMCo offers the largest selection of High Voltage Transformers.GE Ventilated Dry-type Transformer Figure 2.2 Dry-Type Transformer Figure 2.3 Oil-Immersed Transformer 2.3 Transformer Oil Transformer oil or insulating oil is usually a highly-refined mineral oil that is stable at high temperatures and has excellent electrical insulating properties. It is used in oil-filled transformers. Transformer oil is likened to be the blood within the transformer body. It must be periodically tested to monitor condition of the transformer. Transformer oil serves three basic functions which are to insulate, to cool and maintain the transformer functions at all times. To keep these functions the industry has agreed on certain standards. The two leading transformer oil specifications in the world are IEC 60296 and ASTM D 3487. In these standards there are many specific requirement and limits based on physical and chemical properties. Many of these properties and their limitations stem from the chemistry of refined mineral oils in combination with application specific requirements of electrical insulation. In an age when alternative to mineral oil being developed, it is important both to know what is desirable and what is likely to achieved in technical terms. Whereas some brands of transformer oil could only meet the specifications, the others excel. In the end, transformer oil consumers should decide which properties are most important to their intended use. Technical specifications also have an impact on issues such as asset management, maintenance planning and investment budget. To aid decisions in these fields it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the science underlying specifications and limitations. In Malaysia, mostly used transformer oil is mineral crude oils (uninhibited mineral oils) which contains Paraffic, Naphteric or mixed. It is supplied by Hyrax Oil Sdn. Bhd. 2.3.1 Transformer Oil Properties The main function of transformer oil is insulating and cooling of the transformer. It should have the following properties: High dielectric strength and good dielectric properties resulting in minimum power loss. Low viscosity improves cooling. Freedom from inorganic acids, alkali, and corrosive sulphur. Resistant to emulsification. Rapid settling of arc products. Low pour point. High flash point resulting in low evaporation losses due to high thermal stability. High resistivity gives better insulation values between windings. Excellent interfacial tension for quick water separation. Proven resistance to electrical stresses. High electrical strength. Remarkably low sludge and acidity formation in both ageing and oxidation tests gives longer life to oil and equipment during storage and service. 2.3.2 Theory of Transformer Oil Parameters Water Content The standard for measuring water contain in oil is IEC 60814. (Marcel Dekker, 1990). The important function in transformer oil is to provide electrical insulation. When oil has higher moisture content, it can reduce the insulating properties of the oil, which may result in dielectric breakdown. This is the particular importance with fluctuating temperatures because, transformer will cools down if any dissolved water will become free and this oil become poor insulating power and fluid degradation. (Azliza binti Mohd Jelan,2009). Breakdown Voltage Dielectric strength is one of the important properties in insulation field. Breakdown voltage in insulating material is the maximum electric field strength that it can be withstand intrinsically without breaking down and without experiencing failure of its insulating properties, dielectric strength also means that a certain configuration and electrode dielectric material that produces minimal damage to the electric field. (Rohaina bt Jaafar, 2003). Breakdown strength in liquid according to various factors influenced in the experiment which is electrode material and surface state, geometry electrode, the presence of chemical pollutants, the presence of physical pollutants, oil molecular structure, temperature and pressure. There also various factors in the theory of voltage breakdown which is like electronic theory, suspended particle theory, cavitations theory and bubble theory were postulated. (Olive Oil from the Tree to the Table). Dielectric strength is also very dependent on the time and method of tension, purity materials, the type of tension as well as experimental and environmental parameters, until set of dielectric strength unique to the specific material is difficult, a range of values can be found and used for application purposes. (Noraniza binti Toriman, 2003). Figure 2.4 Heating / Cooling Curve of Oil (Ahmad Norhakimi bin Ibrihim @ Ibrahim, 2010) 2.3.3 Types of Transformer Oil Mineral Transformer Oil (Mineral Based Oil) A mineral oil or liquid petroleum is a liquid by-product of the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline and other petroleum based products from crude oil. A mineral oil in this sense is a transparent, colourless oil composed mainly of alkenes (typically 15 to 40 carbons) and cyclic paraffin, related to petroleum jelly (also known as white petrolatum). It has a density of around 0.8 g/cm3. Mineral oil is a substance of relatively low value, and it is produced in very large quantities. Mineral oil is available in light and heavy grades, and can often be found in drug stores. There are three basic classes of refined mineral oils: Paraffinic oils, based on n-alkenes. Naphthenic oils, based on cycloalkanes. Aromatic oils, based on aromatic hydrocarbons (not to be confused with essential oils). Table 2.1 Properties of Mineral Transformer Oil (http://www.substech.com) Property Value in metric unit Value in US unit Density at 60 °F (15.6 °C) 0.880 *10 ³ kg/m ³ 54.9 lb/ft ³ Kinematic viscosity at 68 °F (20 °C) 22 cSt 22 cSt Kinematic viscosity at 212 °F (100 °C) 2.6 cSt 2.6 cSt Fire point 170  °C 338  °F Pour Point -50  °C -58  °F Flash point 160  °C 320  °F Auto ignition point 280  °C 536  °F Specific heat capacity 1860 J/(kg*K) 0.444 BTU/(lb* °F) Thermal conductivity at 20 °C (68 °F) 0.126 W/(m*K) 0.875 BTU*in/(hr*ft ²* °F) Thermal expansion at 20 °C (68 °F) 7.5*10-4  °Cˆ°Ã‚ ¹ 4.2*10-4 in/(in*  °F) Breakdown strength min.70 kV min.70 kV Dielectric dissipation factor at 90 °C (194 °F) max.0.002 max.0.002 Permittivity at 20 °C (68 °F) 2.2 2.2 Silicon Transformer Oil (Polydimethylsiloxane based fluid) Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) belongs to a group of polymeric organosilicon compounds that are commonly referred to as silicones. PDMS is the most widely used silicon-based organic polymer, and is particularly known for its unusual rheological (or flow) properties. PDMS is optically clear, and, in general, is considered to be inert, non-toxic and non-flammable. It is occasionally called dimethicone and is one of several types of silicone oil (polymerized siloxane). Its applications range from contact lenses and medical devices to elastomers; it is present, also, in shampoos (as dimethicone makes hair shiny and slippery), caulking, lubricating oils, and heat-resistant tiles. Table 2.2 Properties of Silicon Transformer Oil (http://www.substech.com) Property Value in metric unit Value in US unit Density at 60 °F (15.6 °C) 0.960 *10 ³ kg/m ³ 59.9 lb/ft ³ Kinematic viscosity at 68 °F (20 °C) 55 cSt 55 cSt Kinematic viscosity at 212 °F (100 °C) 15 cSt 15 cSt Fire point min.350  °C min.662  °F Pour Point max.-50  °C max.-58  °F Flash point min.300  °C min.572  °F Auto ignition point 435  °C 815  °F Specific heat capacity 1510 J/(kg*K) 0.360 BTU/(lb* °F) Thermal conductivity at 20 °C (68 °F) 0.15 W/(m*K) 1.019 BTU*in/(hr*ft ²* °F) Thermal expansion at 20 °C (68 °F) 10.4*10-4  °Cˆ°Ã‚ ¹ 5.8*10-4 in/(in*  °F) Breakdown strength 50 kV 50 kV Dielectric dissipation factor at 90 °C (194 °F) max.0.001 max.0.001 Permittivity at 20 °C (68 °F) 2.7 2.7 Synthetic Transformer Oil (Organic Esters Based Fluid) Synthetic oil is a lubricant consisting of chemical compounds which are artificially made (synthesized) using chemically modified petroleum components rather than whole crude oil. Synthetic oil is used as a substitute for lubricant refined from petroleum when operating in extremes of temperature, because it generally provides superior mechanical and chemical properties than those found in traditional mineral oils. Table 2.3 Properties of Synthetic Transformer Oil (http://www.substech.com) Property Value in metric unit Value in US unit Density at 60 °F (15.6 °C) 0.970 *10 ³ kg/m ³ 60.6 lb/ft ³ Kinematic viscosity at 68 °F (20 °C) 70 cSt 70 cSt Kinematic viscosity at 212 °F (100 °C) 5.3 cSt 5.3 cSt Fire point 322  °C 612  °F Pour Point -60  °C -76  °F Flash point 275  °C 527  °F Autoignition point 438  °C 820  °F Specific heat capacity 1880 J/(kg*K) 0.448 BTU/(lb* °F) Thermal conductivity at 20 °C (68 °F) 0.144 W/(m*K) 0.98 BTU*in/(hr*ft ²* °F) Thermal expansion at 20 °C (68 °F) 7.5*10-4  °Cˆ°Ã‚ ¹ 4.2*10-4 in/(in*  °F) Breakdown strength min.75 kV min.75 kV Dielectric dissipation factor at 90 °C (194 °F) max.0.006 max.0.006 Permitivity at 20 °C (68 °F) 3.2 3.2 2.3.4 Transformer Oil Testing Regular sampling and testing of insulation oil taken from transformers is a valuable technique in a preventative maintenance program. If a proactive approach is adopted based on the condition of the transformer oil, the life of the transformer can be extended. Hence, transformer oil must be periodically tested to ensure its basic electrical properties. These tests can be divided into: Liquid Power Factor The IEC standard method for this test is IEC 247. This involves measuring the power loss through a thin film of liquid test. Water, contamination, and the decay products of oil oxidation tend to increase the power factor of oil. The new oil has very low power factor less than 0.1% at 25  ° C and 1.0% at 90  ° C. As the oil ages and moisture accumulates, or if the unit is contaminated, the liquid power factor tends to increase. Many owners make the mistake of having this transformer testing at only one temperature. While the test is more sensitive to 90  ° C, both the temperature should be used. The relationship between 25  ° and 90 ° values can assist in making the diagnosis as to whether the problem of moisture, oxidation, or contamination. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) Dielectric Breakdown Strength The dielectric breakdown voltage is a measure of the ability of the oil to withstand electric stress. Dry and clean oil showed the inherent high breakdown voltage. Free water and solid particles, especially the latter in combination with high levels of dissolved water, tend to migrate to areas of high electric stress and dramatically reduce the breakdown voltage. The measurement of breakdown voltage, therefore, serves primarily to indicate the presence of contaminants such as water or conducting particles. A low breakdown voltage can be indicating that one or more of these are present. However, a high breakdown voltage does not necessarily indicate the absence of all contaminants. This test was conducted in accordance with IEC 156. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) Moisture The purpose of dielectric tests are conducted is to ensure the monitoring moisture can be done directly. IEC 733 is a well established and can measure the moisture down to the low part of the million levels. While the acceptable values have been set by the voltage class for moisture, these are somewhat misleading. A truer picture of moisture in the transformer must be taken into account so that percentage saturation of the oil by moisture and percentage moisture by dry weight of the solid insulation can be calculated. A transformer at 20  ° C that containing 20 ppm moisture in oil is considerably wetter than a same unit, with a similar 20 ppm moisture, but it is operating at 40  ° C. The new transformer must be less than 0.5% moisture by dry weight. Anything more than 3.0% (or 30% saturation) is considered very wet. Many owners dehydrate transformer when the moisture level exceed 1.5 to 2.0% moisture by dry weight. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) Neutralization Number (Acidity) This value, measured by IEC standard method IEC 1125A reported as mg KOH / g sample, reports the relative amount of oil oxidation products, especially acids, alcohol and soap. As oil continues to oxidize, the acid increased gradually, generally over the years. Running the acid number regularly provides guidance as to how far oxidation of the oil has proceeded. The acceptable limit by the test is usually used as general guidelines to determine when the oil should be replaced or reclaimed. Acceptable values for acid number are 0.20 and lower. Unacceptable values are over 0.20.These are the values that are used by TNB. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) Interfacial Tension The test methods for interfacial tension (IFT), IEC 6295, measuring the strength in mN/m from the interface that will form between service aged oil and distilled water. Because the decay products of oil oxidation are oil and water soluble, their presence would tend to weaken the interface and reduce the interfacial tension value. Brand new oil is often 40-50 mN/m. A value that is acceptable for the in-service oil is greater than 25 mN/m or greater; unacceptable results are below 28 mN/m. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) Colour/Visual Field inspection of liquid insulation (IEC 296) includes examination for the presence of cloudy or sediment and the general appearance as well as a colour inspection. As oil ages, it will be darken gradually. Very dark oil or oil that changes drastically over a short period of time may indicate a problem. Any cloudiness or sediment indicates the presence of free water or particles that may be harmful to continued the equipment operation. Taken alone, without considering the past history or other test parameters, the colour is not very important to diagnose transformer problems. If the oil has an acrid or unusual odor, consideration should be given to carrying out further tests. (A Guide To Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) Sludge/Sediment The IEC 296 test distinguishes between the sediment and sludge. Sediment is an insoluble substance present in the oil. Sediment may consist of insoluble oxidation or degradation products of solid or liquid materials, solid products such as carbon or metallic oxide and fibres or other foreign matter. Sludge is polymerized oxidation products of solid and liquid insulating material. Sludge is soluble in oil up to a certain limit. At sludge levels above this, the sludge comes out of the solution contributing an additional component to the sediment. The presence of sludge and sediment can change the electrical properties of the oil and prevent the exchange of heat, so encouraging damage to the insulating material. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) Inhibitor Content Inhibited oil deteriorates more slowly than uninhibited oil so long as active oxidation inhibitor is present. However, after the oxidation inhibitor is consumed, the oil can be oxidized at a higher level. Determination of oxidation inhibitor remaining in the in-service transformer oil is based on IEC 666. (A Guide to Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) Dissolved Gas Analysis In contrast to the tests and the methods discussed to this point, the dissolved gas analysis (DGA) did not measure the gradual changes in the quality of oil. DGA has a very limited utility in determining the continued suitability of the transformer oil. The purpose and functions of the DGA is to provide an indication as to whether there may be an active or incipient transformer fault affecting the operation and continued health of the equipment. DGA is used to detect and measure nine of dissolved gases which are Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Methane, Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, Ethan, Ethylene, and Acetylene. (A Guide To Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) Dissolved Metals Analysis Analysis of dissolved metals (in particular, for the three metals: iron, copper, and aluminium) can be used in further identifying the location of transformer faults discovered by dissolved gas analysis. For example, the dissolved metal analysis indicating the presences of conductor metals may indicate a fault is occurring in the winding or at a connection while the presence of iron indicates involvement of the core steel. (A Guide To Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) Furanic Compounds When paper breaks down, the cellulose chains are broken and glucose molecules (which serve as the building blocks of the cellulose) are chemically changed. Each of the glucose monomer molecules that are removed from the polymer chain becomes one of a series of related compounds called furans or furanic compounds. Because these furanic compounds are partially soluble in oil, they are present in both the oil and the paper. Measuring the concentration of the oil can tell us a little more about the paper. The standard method typically tests for five compounds that are normally only present in the oil as a result of the paper breaking down. Those five compounds, and their probable causes, are 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde, 5H2F (typically formed by oxidation of paper), 2-furyl alcohol, 2FOL (typically formed in connection with a high moisture content), 2-furaldehyde, 2FAL (very common, formed by all overheating and aging conditions), 2-acetyl furan, 2ACF (very rare, may be related to elec trical stress), and 5-methyl-2furaldehyde, 5M2F (typically formed as a result of overheating). (A Guide To Transformer Oil Analysis, by I.A.R. GRAY) 2.3.4 Instrument / Device for Transformer Oil Testing Oil Test Set (Megger OTS 60 PB) The OTS 60PB is a 0 60 kV, battery powered portable dielectric strength oil test set. Its size and weight make it suitable for on-site assessment of insulating oil quality. The dielectric strength test it performs is an important deciding factor in knowing whether to retain or replace the oil. Breakdown voltage is measured, averaged and displayed under the control of built-in programmed sequences. Go/no-go testing is available. Figure 2.4 Oil Test Set (Megger OTS 60 PB) OTS 60PB follows the oil testing sequences described in many national and other specifications among which are: British BS 148, BS 5730a (automatic proof testing), BS 5874; International IEC 156, American ASTM D877 ASTM D1816, German VDE 0370, French NFC 27, Spanish UNE 21, Italian CEI 10-1, Russian GOCT 6581, South African SABS 555, Australian AS 1767 and Institute of Petroleum IP 295. Two types of withstand (proof) testing of an oil sample are available. The principle with these tests is to subject the oil sample to a specified voltage for a defined length of time (1 minute) to see if it will withstand that voltage. In one of the tests the voltage is removed after a minute, in the other test, the voltage continues to rise after the minute until breakdown or the maximum value is reached. Withstand (proof) tests can be set up to the users own requirements, and then repeatedly called up to quickly test oil under known fixed conditions. The OTS 60PB is used for determining the dielectric strength of liquid insulants such as insulating oils used in transformers, switchgear, cables and other electrical apparatus. It is portable and suitable for testing on site as well as in the laboratory. The test set is fully automatic. The operator has only to prepare the test vessel, load it with sample oil, place it in the test chamber, select the appropriate specification for the tests and then start the test sequence. The test set carries out automatically (and if necessary unattended) the sequence of tests as defined by the pre-selected national specification. Oil testing specifications, for which the set is pre-programmed, are as follows:- Figure 2.5 Oil testing specifications A 5 minute test sequence is also provided so that the operator may quickly obtain an idea of the breakdown value of an oil sample. Two types of semi automatic withstand (proof) testing of an oil sample are available. The principle with these tests is to subject the oil sample to a specified voltage for a defined length of time (1 minute) to see if it will withstand that voltage. In one of the tests the voltage is removed after a minute, in the other test the voltage continues to rise after passing for one minute until breakdown or the maximum value is reached. Withstand (proof) tests can be set up to the users own requirements, and then repeatedly called up to quickly test oil under known fixed conditions. The test results can be reviewed on the LCD or printed via the RS232 interface. An optional, battery operated printer is available to obtain a hard copy of the results. The safety features incorporated in the test sets design include two forced break switches used as described in B S 5304. These are interlocked with the oil vessel loading door. Volumetric titration system Metrohm Titrino SM 702 An automatic potentiometric titration system Titrino SM 702 with Exchange Unit 806 made by Metrohm measured the acidity of the oils. Here the Total Acid Number (TAN) was determined by a volumetric titration with potash to neutralize the carboxylic acids. The titration took place as follows: At first 10 g of the oil were dissolved in 40 ml of solvent toluene / ethanol in a ratio of 5 to 4. Potash (KOH, 0,1 mol/l) was added as titre with volume increments of 0.001 ml or 0.005 ml depending on the expected acidity. The system detects, when the acid-base-equivalence-point EP is reached by a voltage measurement in the solution. From the volume of potash at the EP equation below calculates the acidity as TAN: TAN total acid number EP1 equivalent point C31 blind value of the solvent toluene/ethanol CO1 0.1 mol/L, concentration of titre CO2 1 CO3 56106 g/mol, molar mass of titre CO0 weight of the oil sample Figure 2.6 Volumetric itration systems Metrohm Titrino SM 702 Kelman TRANSPORT X Portable DGA Unit And Moisture In Oil Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) is an established technique and is recognised as the most important test in monitoring power transformers. It is now being successfully extended to other oil filled equipment such as tap changers and circuit breakers. The TRANSPORT X unit has been designed to be very rugged and user friendly with an emphasis placed on field operation. The unit is used by over 200 companies and utilities and has sold in excess of 600 units worldwide. Figure 2.7 Kelman TRANSPORT X Portable DGA Unit And Moisture In Oil The TRANSPORT X test uses state of the art infrared measurement technology to give accurate, reliable results in a matter of minutes. The TRANSPORT X product represents an invaluable tool for Asset Management and will increase the power of any DGA program. Extensive field and laboratory use worldwide has proven that the TRANSPORT X test gives highly reliable results and that it is genuinely suitable for field conditions. The TRANSPORT X equip

Problems with the Expansion of NATO :: Free Essay Writer

Problems with the Expansion of NATO Throughout the Clinton years the government has tried to make NATO expansion look like a risk free operation. But the truth is that there are many risks and dangers that go with the expansion of NATO. It has been said that the expansion of NATO would be a fatal error in the American policy. As NATO expands it is drawing an imaginary dividing line separating the many NATO nations from the Ukraine, Russia and other countries in the eastern half of the world. The goal should be to settle things between Russia by joining with them and making good relationships with them economically, militarily, and politically. This was done between the U.S. and Germany after World War II to end the threat between Germany and its neighbors. Why shouldn’t we do it now. But as NATO expands the dividing line grows darker and darker between these nations. Since the Cold War era the goal has been to reduce nuclear weapons in Russia. But as NATO expands it scares Russia, who thinks to compete with NATO the only thing they can do is put emphasis on nuclear weapons. Russia’s economy is no where near the strength of the United States which drives them to depend on nuclear weapons. It is the cheapest way for them to compete with us. Russia has always and will continue to have a great fear of foreign invasion as long as NATO expands. As NATO expands it sends fear into Russia that NATO is increasing in domination in former Soviet territories. As NATO expands it only will hurt any good relations that the United States has with Russia. There are also many economic setbacks in the expansion of NATO. Many of the nations will have to spend great amounts of money to modernize their militaries to the NATO standards. Many of these countries cannot afford expenses like that. It would just send small nations economies into the ground causing the needed economic reforms to be that much more difficult to achieve. One example of this is the Czech Republic that is receiving pressure from other NATO nations to modernize their military. The Czech Republic economy does not have that kind of money though. As NATO expands many of the smaller countries cannot or do not want to pay extra fees for things like military enlargement. These expenses will most likely get dumped on us. Causing the United

Renting A House :: essays research papers

Communicating with people from other countries often makes me bother, and it happens when I am totally not expected about. This is not the first visit to the other country, but talking non-native language in non-native country is quite different from the long time study in my country. Especially, when we face some special occasion, like renting a room, it is very hard to negotiate with people. Renting a room is not a thing I am familiar with even in Japan. One day on July, one rumor among Japanese students became true, that not all of us can have a room in dormitory even if one send request in this April. My friend received a mail from UNR, which said that he could not have a room next semester. My friend and I were just shocked and on that day we started looking for a room.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most important thing to do when we want to find a nice room, I thought, was that to correct as much information as I can. Therefore, what I did at first is to check every public board not to miss any information that says, ?gRoommates wanted?h,?h Room for Rent?h or ?gHouse for rent?h. I searched the board in Business Building, EJCH, JTSU, and Main library. However, I could not many of them and if luckily I found these were not so cheap or too far from UNR. Then I started to search the room list at Student Residency Service office. There I found one room five minutes from school on foot. I went back to the dorm I live now in a hurry and called, it was my first phone call to person from other country. The call rang, but no one answer. I waited for a while, then the massage started saying ?hThis number is no longer valid?cplease call XXX-XXXX?h. A short tense atmosphere ended, and I felt relieved. I called the new number, but I could not talk to anyone. After a while, I received new information of vacant room very near from a school. When I was writing e-mail, one of my roommates backed home. He was going to pay a deposit of the room and he told me that the house has some more vacant room available. We went to see the room. There were two vacant rooms; one was on the basement another was on the first floor. Renting A House :: essays research papers Communicating with people from other countries often makes me bother, and it happens when I am totally not expected about. This is not the first visit to the other country, but talking non-native language in non-native country is quite different from the long time study in my country. Especially, when we face some special occasion, like renting a room, it is very hard to negotiate with people. Renting a room is not a thing I am familiar with even in Japan. One day on July, one rumor among Japanese students became true, that not all of us can have a room in dormitory even if one send request in this April. My friend received a mail from UNR, which said that he could not have a room next semester. My friend and I were just shocked and on that day we started looking for a room.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most important thing to do when we want to find a nice room, I thought, was that to correct as much information as I can. Therefore, what I did at first is to check every public board not to miss any information that says, ?gRoommates wanted?h,?h Room for Rent?h or ?gHouse for rent?h. I searched the board in Business Building, EJCH, JTSU, and Main library. However, I could not many of them and if luckily I found these were not so cheap or too far from UNR. Then I started to search the room list at Student Residency Service office. There I found one room five minutes from school on foot. I went back to the dorm I live now in a hurry and called, it was my first phone call to person from other country. The call rang, but no one answer. I waited for a while, then the massage started saying ?hThis number is no longer valid?cplease call XXX-XXXX?h. A short tense atmosphere ended, and I felt relieved. I called the new number, but I could not talk to anyone. After a while, I received new information of vacant room very near from a school. When I was writing e-mail, one of my roommates backed home. He was going to pay a deposit of the room and he told me that the house has some more vacant room available. We went to see the room. There were two vacant rooms; one was on the basement another was on the first floor.

AIDS and STD Education :: Free AIDS Essays

AIDS and STD Education Adults (over the age of 18) from the _________ company and other peope who I know were randomly assigned to receive the survey. The group includes married males and females as well as single male and females. There are 19 female and 31 male subjects. A survey consisting of twenty statements concerning sexually transmitted disease and HIV infection. The survey was designed by myself . The purpose of the survey is to measure participants awareness of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. I am trying to show that people are not well informed about subjects such as condom use, condom use and alcohol, transmission of sexual diseases, and the magnitude of the AIDS problem. Subjects are asked to choose the level with which they agree or disagree with each statement. There are two levels of agreement and two levels of disagreement. See appendix A. A consent form was signed by all participants. See appendix B. Results t-test*: t (48) = -2.2185, p < .0313 | | | df cv pv Variable N Mean Std Dev. Minimum Maximum Q1 50 1.420 0 .810 1.00 4. AIDS and STD Education :: Free AIDS Essays AIDS and STD Education Adults (over the age of 18) from the _________ company and other peope who I know were randomly assigned to receive the survey. The group includes married males and females as well as single male and females. There are 19 female and 31 male subjects. A survey consisting of twenty statements concerning sexually transmitted disease and HIV infection. The survey was designed by myself . The purpose of the survey is to measure participants awareness of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. I am trying to show that people are not well informed about subjects such as condom use, condom use and alcohol, transmission of sexual diseases, and the magnitude of the AIDS problem. Subjects are asked to choose the level with which they agree or disagree with each statement. There are two levels of agreement and two levels of disagreement. See appendix A. A consent form was signed by all participants. See appendix B. Results t-test*: t (48) = -2.2185, p < .0313 | | | df cv pv Variable N Mean Std Dev. Minimum Maximum Q1 50 1.420 0 .810 1.00 4.

Political Typology Essay

How the Political Typology does, doesn’t describe me accurately After looking at my results of the survey, seeing how they placed me and looking more into the category in which I was placed and believe it is very accurate. The survey marked me as a New Coalition Democrat, the definition of their party is strongly pro-government, upbeat about our country’s ability to solve problems through hard work, generally liberal on racial issues, hospitable to immigrants and very religious. Fifty six percent of the party is Democrats, thirty four percent, white thirty percent black and twenty six percent Latino; fifty five percent only have a high school education, twenty three percent are not registered to vote and fifty five percent are regular volunteer for charity. The survey is mostly correct I do believe with hard work the government’s issues can be solved however I believe we the people should be responsible to work hard to get back on its feet not solely the government. I am very liberal on racial issues and believe no matter what color, race or sex everyone is entitled to the same opportunities, they should be allowed a decent education so they have the ability to make something of their selves if they use their resources. I am and have been very hospitable to immigrants feeling no threat from them and I do welcome them into my home as well as help them get onto their feet as they settle in America. I do fit into the religious and volunteer category as well. As to saying I’m pro-government I am yes and no. I take the side of John Locke I believe people do need to have people in power over them or we would live in chaos, but the person’s should have limited power in order to avoid anarchy. I think the government should avoid making many restrictions on what people can and cannot do, however I believe they have done right by putting a celling price and floor price on goods as well as stopping the monopoly system, though looking at them wanting to ban sodas and guns is getting involved in making people stupid and unable to make a decision for themselves. Comparing my results from the survey to the nine groups and their values, mentioned in the book, they would say I am a Social Conservative saying I am a moralist believing people should live by a set of right, just morals, pro-life believing everyone is equal and should have the same opportunities. Oppose welfare, I honestly do I think it is our job as fellow Americans to step in and assist our neighbors not ask the government to come in and fix it for us as Locke said we should be compassionate and take care of each other. I also do believe that assertive foreign policy, forming alliance with other countries agreeing to work together for the better of both our people, is a healthy thing for countries to do. According to the survey and book, I am classified as a New Coalition Democrat and Social Conservative, believing we as American citizens are responsible to work hard to help the government get back on their feet, that everyone should be given the same opportunities no matter who they are, we should accept immigrants they are not threatening us most come here to get away from conflict and I am religious. I take the side of John Locke when it comes to pro-government I believe in limited power to stop anarchy from happening but we as people need to have people in authority or there would be mass chaos. I do oppose welfare as I feel it isn’t the government’s responsibility to take care of the people but the people’s job to assist our neighbors through hard times and lastly I consider foreign policies to be something that is healthy for our country and other countries.

Retail Management Exam Notes

World of Retailing Retailing: the set of business activities that adds value to the products and services sold to consumers for their personal use or family use * Retailer: a business that sells products and/or services to consumers for their personal or family use * Supply Chain: set of firms that make and deliver goods and services to consumers * Wholesalers: engage in buying, taking title to, often storing, and physically handling goods in large quantities and then reselling the goods to retailers and other businesses * Vertical Integration: that a form performs more than one set of activities in the channel, as occurs when a retailer engages in wholesaling activities by operating its own distribution centers to supply its stores *Backward Integration: when a retailer performs some wholesaling and manufacturing activities, such as operating warehouses or designing private-label merchandise Why are retailers needed? 1. Provide an assortment of products and services 2. Breaking bulk 3. Holding inventory 4. Providing services Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): an organization voluntarily taking responsibility for the impact of its activities on its employees, customers, community and the environment * Intratype Competition: competition between same type of retailers * Intertype Competition: competition between retailers that sell similar merchandise using different types of stores, such as discount and department stores *Scrambled Merchandising: When retailers offer merchandise not typically associated with their type of store * Retail Strategy: how the retailer plans to focus its resources to accomplish its objectives 1. Target market, or markets, toward which the retailer will direct its efforts 2. The nature of the merchandise and services the retailer will offer to satisfy the needs of the target market 3. How will the retailer will build a long-term advantage over its competitors * Ethics: principles governing individuals and companies that establish a ppropriate behavior and indicate what is right or wrong Ch. 2 Types of Retailers Variety: number of merchandise bur differ in the variety and assortment of merchandised offered- Breadth of Merchandise * Assortment: number of different items offered in a merchandise category- Depth of Merchandise* Stock-Keeping Unit(SKU): each different item of merchandise * Conventional Supermarket: large self-service retail food store offering groceries, meat, and produce, as wells as nonfood items, such as health and beauty aids and general merchandise- stock about 30000 SKU’s * Limited Assortment Supermarkets or Extreme-Value Food Retailers: stock about 200 SKU’s * Power Perimeter: fresh-merchandise along the outer walls of a supermarket, that include dairy, meat, floral, produce, deli and coffee bar * Fresh Supermarkets: smaller and more convenient than a traditional supermarket and have less space devoted to packaged goods * Fair Trade: practice of purchasing from factories that p ay workers a living wage, and offer other benefits like onsite medical treatment * Locavore Movement: focuses on reducing carbon footprint caused by transportation of food throughout the world * Supercenters: large 185000 sq ft that combine a supermarket with a full-line discount store Ex.Wal-Mart * Hypermarkets: 100000 to 300000 sq ft combine food (60 to 70%) and general merchandise (30 to 40%) * Warehouse Clubs: retailers that offer limited and irregular assortment of food and general merchandise with little service at low prices for ultimate consumers and small businesses * Convenience Stores: provide a limited variety and assortment of merchandise at a convenient location in 3000 to 5000 sq ft stores with speedy checkout * Department Stores: retailers that carry a broad variety and deep assortment, offer customer services, and organize their stores into distinct departments for displaying merchandise * Full-Line Discount Stores: retailers that offer a broad variety of merchandis e, limited service and low prices Ex.Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart * Specialty Stores: concentrate on a limited number of complimentary merchandise categories and provide a high level of service Ex. Victoria Secret * Drugstores: concentrate on health and personal grooming merchandise * Category Specialists: big-box stores that offer a barrow but deep assortment of merchandise Ex. Bass Pro Shops * Category Killers: offering complete assortment, using their category dominance and buying power * Extreme- Value Retailers: small discount stores that offer a limited merchandise assortment at low prices Ex. Dollar Tree * Off-Price Retailers or Closeout Retailers: offer an inconsistent assortment of brand name merchandise at a significant discount off the manufacturers’ suggested retail price(MSRP) Ex. T. J.Maxx * Closeouts: end-of-season merchandise that will not come back the following season * Irregulars: merchandise that has minor mistakes in construction * Outlet Stores: off-price ret ailers owned by manufacturers or retailers * Factory Outlets: own by manufacturers Ex. Coach * Retail Chain: company that operates multiple retail units under common ownership and usually has centralized decision making for defining and implementing its strategy * Franchising: contractual agreement between a franchisor and a franchisee that allow the franchisee to operate a retail outlet using a name and format developed and supported by the franchisor Ch. 3 Multichannel Retailing Multichannel Retailers: retailers that sell merchandise or services through more than one channel * Retail Channel: the way a retailer sells and delivers merchandise and services to its customers* Internet Retailing, Online Retailing, Electronic Retailing or E-Tailing: a retail channel in which the offering of products and services for sale is communicated to customers over the internet * Catalog Channel: a nonstore retail channel in which the retail offering is communicated to customers through a catalog mailed to customers * Direct Selling: a retail channel in which salespeople interact with customers face-to-face in a convenient location, either at the customer’s home or at work * Multilevel System: independent businesspeople serve as master distributors, recruiting other people to become distributors in their network * Pyramid Scheme: develops when the firm and its program are designed to sell merchandise and services to other distributors rather than to end users * Television Home Shopping: a retail channel in which customers watch a television program demonstrates merchandise and then place orders for that merchandise, usually by telephone, via the internet, or via the TV remote* Infomercials: 30 to 60 minutes that mix entertainment with product demonstrations and then solicits orders placed by telephone * Direct-Response Advertising: 1 to 2 minute advertisements on TV and radio that describe products and provide an opportunity for consumers to order them * Automated Ret ailing: a retail channel in which merchandise or services are stores in a machine and dispensed to customers when they deposit cash or use a credit card * Vending Machines: automated retailing machines, placed at convenient, high-traffic locations * Benefits of Store Channel: 1. Touching and Feeling Products 2. Personal Service 3. Risk reduction 4. Immediate Gratification 5. Entertainment and social interaction 6. Browsing 7. Cash Payment * Benefits of Cataloging: 1. Safety 2. Convenience 3.Ease of use * Benefits of Internet Shopping: 1. Safety 2. Convenience 3. Broad and deep assortments 4. Extensive and timely information 5. Personalization * Risks in Electronic Shopping: 1. Security of credit card transactions on the internet 2. Privacy violations * Disintermediation: when a manufacturer sells directly to consumers and bypassing retailers * Channel Migration: consumers collecting information about products on their channel and then buying the product from a competitor Ch. 4 Custo mer Buying Behavior * Buying Process: steps consumers go through when buying a product or services, begins when customers recognize an unsatisfied need *Utilitarian Needs: shopping to accomplish a specific task * Hedonic Needs: shopping for pleasure; entertainment, emotional and recreational experiences * Cross-Shopping: buying both premium and low-priced merchandise or patronizing both expensive, status-oriented retailers and price-oriented retailers * Internal Sources: information in customer’s memory; names, images, past experiences * External Sources: info provided by ads and other people * Every day-low-pricing policy: assure customers that that won’t find an item at a lower price at a different store the next time they shop for it * Multiattribute Attitude Model: based on the notion that customers see a retailer, a product, or a channel as a collection of attributes or characteristics