A Soccer Story Essay

Snow fluttered to the ground as Jane pulled her gold jersey closer to guard against the blistering chill. Although the miniature goblins and ghouls had just collected their annual treats, winter was already wrapping its bitterly cold hands around her. The soccer field shone, glistening from the already melting snowflakes. Even though championship game had not yet started, the Warrior stadium overflowed with rows of eager fans, enthusiastic to be watching such an important soccer match. The line of girls marched up to the slushy field to meet their adversaries, the Panthers, shivering in their gold soccer shorts. Jane could see the opposing team glance warily at them as if the game was just a waste of their time. In every heart burned the desire to win, to achieve a task never before accomplished. The Lady Warriors were on a mission: to beat the Panthers for the first time in school history. The first forty-five minutes of the game went uneventfully; both teams attempted to score, but the soccer ball was shuttled around the field like a ping-pong ball, aimlessly with no sense of direction. As they battled against their opponents, the harsh and brutal wind attacked the athletes. They had to win. They had to beat the cold. They had to beat the best team, and they had to get even. Whistle blaring, halftime was declared, and the team trudged back through the icy grass, disappointed. The winter chill was barely felt as their unspoken frustration took over. The team circled together and listened to their coach’s encouragements. The shrill whistle sounded once again, and the team charged back onto the field, feeling the motivation to win, remembering Coach Smith’s last words: â€Å"There’s nothing you girls can’t do†. Jane was inspired and she rushed on the field, playing like a maniac. Suddenly, an ear-splitting crack was heard and for a second, there was silence. Perhaps her excitement blinded all other senses, but Jane only remembered seeing a blur moving in her direction before she collapsed on to the snowy field, head throbbing. Head bowed down in defeat, Jane could not bring herself to look up at the crowd surrounding her. But a solitary clap  emanated from the row of spectators, and as she lifted up her tear-streaked face, her eyes locked with those of her optimistic team mates. Unsteadily, Jane stood up and the stadium resounded with cheers. The game commenced promptly; the clock was ticking with no time to lose. Then, the words, the assertion, that made Jane’s fists clench, a single statement uttered by the rival coach: â€Å"That girl’s weak, one charge at her, and she’ll be down again†. That girl was Jane, the offensive player, the unnerving forward, and she was enraged. Stinging pain from where the ball made contact with bare skin was quickly forgotten, even as the ugly red marks remained. The biting wind whipped strands of hair in her face, and Jane’s eyes squinted in the icy coldness. But her mind was defiantly set: she was on a mission to score. Adrenaline rushed through her bloodstream and her heart pounded rapidly as she rushed down the field. Jane swiftly maneuvered the ball with exact precision, imagining the moment the ball would enter the opponent’s goal. It was amazing how much satisfaction one solitary act could reward a person. One moment the white jersey of the defensive girl was coming at Jane’s way, ready to charge and steal the ball away. At the next instant, the sky was looking quite beautiful, sun shining, as the ball sailed swiftly into the white net. The whistle sounded shrilly and the multitude of onlookers erupted with excitement, the Warriors had defied an age old tradition, defeating the long-standing champions. The accomplishment, the pain-it made Jane triumphant that day. Against the odds, the underdog emerged victorious on the battlefield.

Elderly Healthcare Limitation

While there were many provision s of the act, there were specific amendments and legislation focused on healthcare delivery to t e costliest and most inefficiently serviced population which is the elderly population. Statistics Let's analyze the current numbers really quickly: The U. S. Population is aging r vapidly. At the same time, the life expectancy of seniors is extending, and they will place a significant strain on the health care system in coming years. Medicare, the U. S. Federal govern meets health care program for Americans 65 years or older, provided coverage to an estimated 54. Million seniors in 2014 (Plunked Research, Ltd. 2014). National expenditures on Medicare of r fiscal 2014 were projected to be $615. Billion, including premiums paid by beneficiaries. By 2 030, the number of people covered by Medicare will balloon to about 81. 4 million due to the mass Sieve number of baby boomers entering retirement age (Plunked Research, Ltd. 2014). While it is true that the hea lth and lifestyle of people at the age of 65 is very different than it was in g enervation past, the reality is that chronic conditions continue to plague this population.Multiple s tidies declare that of the total outlay for all Medicare costs, [email  protected]% occur in the last year of life f or beneficiaries (Giovanni, 2012 ppup29). Most of these beneficiaries being chronically ill are b eiEwingoorly medically guided and managed in the last year of their life. Now that we have a better idea of how the elderly, primarily the chronically ill account for such high expenditures and healthcare cost, we must ask ourselves a few simple but important questions: How do we better manage the elderly population?How do we better deliver care in the last years of an elderly person's life? How do we provide a better q ualaityf life? But the single most important question we must ask is: should health care for the elderly be limited? When seniors reach a phase in life where their life expec tancy is limited, shshould we really spend a high amount of money in order to keep them alive for a limited amount of titite; whether it be a few days, a few weeks, or a few months? Does the 92roadsideatient who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer really need aggressive chemotherapy and radiation?Ho w do they benefit? Will they survive the cancer treatments? What chances do they stand or have for recovery? While the answers are complex, we do know that we cannot go about apapplying aggressive methods to elderly patients without a proper cost and quality of life benefits a a aylistsNow that we have a better understanding of costs associated with care of an elderly person in the last year of their life, we have to come up with solutions to help cut spending and to provide a better quality to a seniors life; particularly the last year ofoffbeatife.While we face moral and ethical dilemmas on how to better approach care for the elderly, ththere are two initial approaches that can be used to better drive outcomes: the introduction of ad vaVanceirectives early on in a disease process and shifting care to more transitional care prpriormampshat reduce ossotsnd focus stronger education with patients and families in regards to fuifile care. Advance Directives An advance directive, also known as a living will, is a legal document that exexpertssees person's wishes for the type of care they would like to receive should they bebeckmmomnable to 2 make such decisions themselves.They allow patients to document their wiwishes, whether they want all lilibertarianismeasures to be taken or if they'd prefer to avoid such p roreoccurredGordon, 201 1). EnEndocrineare accounts for more than one quarter of MeMedicare spending in a patient last year of life (PlPlunkedesearch, Ltd. 014). Many patients are illeperared to deal with their enendocrinerocess. Many patients come into hospitals unprepared to understand the impact of heroic measures, invasive treatments, and aggressive medic ine has on their disease process. Many of them do not have an understanding for what an advanced d irreceives.No one has had a conversation with them or if they have, it has not been emphasized enough. Educating elderly patients early on in their disease process helps them better prepare to understand resuscitation, inintubationsartificial breathing, transfusion, feeding tubes, and r etturno acute measures. Having a thorough understanding of what each of these processes entails for the purpose of lilibertarianismr quality of life, is important. While advances in me didicingnd technology can help people stay alive longer, it does not necessarily give them a better quality to their life.At many points, it only further prolongs a person's suffering. That is why introducing advanced directives early helps better prepare for enendocrinerocesses and popopssibylelp reduce unnecessary costly aggressive treatments. Transitional Care Model In the last several years transitional care models ha ve been introduced into h alaltercates a way to help reduce costs, provide more effective care and help keep patient s, more specifically, the elderly and chronically ill out of hospital settings. These models are used t o manage the chronically ill, frequently hospitalized, and terminally ill population.These pop ulululationsave the highest utilization rates and longest length of stays of inpatient bed days at h oscapitalsationally. 3 Transitional care programs identify and target these populations with the use of mid level practitioners, nurse case managers, ancillary service providers and paparticipate of primary care physicians and outpatient clinics. They deliver timely and necessary services t o patients who can be better managed in a more supportive way in their home setting or in sesettingsgasway from the hospital (NaAnally1990). Ambulatory care also assists in the management of ththe chronically ill population.Health managed systems use telephonic case managers and med ickc altaff to ensure patients are being reached out to in their home setting and make sure patient s are following up with their visits to their primary care physician, checking for medical and non medical needs, ndNDnsuring patients are communicating issues and medical problems that may arise so support is given when needed. Due to higher use of these types of programs, patients are getting more care away from the hospital, lessening the need for them to be in an acute set ting which helps drive down cost.Within the use Of transitional care models, the disciplines in t heHessodels focus on having discussions with families and patients to better understand what fuifile care is. Futile Care How or when do we know when an illness is not curable or no longer best to be treatable in a heroic or aggressive manner? What ethical or moral principles do we apapply in order to find better understanding and find resolutions to this issue? According to WiWisped, futile medical care is the cocontain eduerovision of medical care or treatment to a patient whwhew there is no reasonable hope of a cure or benefit.Medical futility is also described as a pr opopposedherapy that should not be performed because available data has shown that it will not imIMrove the patient's medical condition (MeNetscape2007). Futility is used to cover many situations of predicted improbable outcomes, improbable success and unacceptable benefit burden atotioseBeBà ©chamel 4 ChChildless2013, ppup170). Educating a patient and family on what takes place c an be difficult; much less a conversation about how certain interventions are deemed to be useless or medically inappropriate.A good example of futility is as follows: If a patient has died, but remains on a respirator, cessation of treatment cacanttoarm him or her, and a physician has no obligation to continue to treat. However, some religious and personal belief systems do not consider a patient dead, according to the same criteria healthcare instituti ons recognize. For example, if there is a heart and lung fun ctactionsome religious traditions hold that the person is not dead, and the treatment is, fro m his perspective, not futile even if healthcare professionals deem it on useless and wasteful (BeBà ©chamel ChChildless2013, ppup69). We understand that futile care is the most important Issue in helping to cocontactn healthcare costs. Addressing futility as a valued choice to patients is important. There mumumtSSTe an educational understanding that death is a natural part of life and should not be extended with aggressive medical interventions or heroic measures. Aging is not a curable didideceasein fact aggaggEngs not a disease at all. Discussions that providers need to have, must be early on in a patients disease process in order to better provide them with a better quality to their lilieefee/p>Example Scenario In order to better understand futile care in relation to quality of life quality of I iffifeone must also understand scenarios where futile care is considered but not appaperrprivateHere's an example: a 91earldomemale who has been considered a frequent flyer in a h oscapitalmergency room gets admitted after a few stints in a nursing home. This poor ununfortunateelderly woman was admitted with a diagnosis of sepsis, extremely low blood pressure, and s hohormonesf breath. This lady was bed bound, suffered from dementia, she was never lucid or con sccouscousand she was very frail.She had several ununstableedeciduousounds all over her body. H ererrrotein levels were really low upon lab draws, which indicated she had suffered from very p ooorutrition. The 5 only family this patient had was a husband who was very loving according to s taTaftbut rarely visited his wife at the nursing home. Her husband was power of attorney and made all her healthcare decisions. Every time she visited the hospital, her husband wanted her to be aggressively treated, he wanted her resuscitated.She was known as a full cod e patient. When she coded in the hospital, her husband wanted all aggressive and heroic measure s to be applied including inintubationsnd artificial respiration. When asked as to why he was d oiowingt seeing his wife suffer, he merely stated that he believed in â€Å"divine intervention†. The her measures applied would require her to be inintimatedon a ventilator, treated with fluids and antibiotics. She would also require surgery for a feeding tube in order to make an attempt at proving her nutrition.As you read this scenario, questions come to mind: Is it right to agagarsexcessivelyreat this 91 year old lady, who has a poor prognosis, because her husband believes in something miraculous? This unfortunately is morally and ethically inappropriate trtreatmenttNTBefore identify how my personal code of ethics informs my perspective in rereeltactiono this topic, let's first look at the functional utility of the principles of justice, autautnanomynomalefactionand beneficence as the y apply to this issue. Respect for Autonomy Having respect for person's autonomy is probably the single most important riRenvillender the four ethical lenses.This principle supports a person's ability to mamake their own decision. Autonomy can only occur when there are no other factors that ininternre with the ability for a patient to make decisions. The only factors that can interfere with auautumnmmomre cognitive impairments such as dementia, AlAlchemist'sloss of orientation and any other illnesses that limit dedecommissioningMany patients, in particular those with lack Of advanced care planning, such as 6 having an advanced directives in place, are illapidarieso understand how her directly impact their enendocrinerocess.In these cases, respect for autonomy r eqsquireshat a patient's values and goals are set and balanced with the goals Of care to accacheeeve better outcome. Because so many scenarios are very complex, the reality is that patient's auto noanomyan only be respected w hen proper education about possible medical treatments, patient goals, and values are understood and leveraged with goals of effective care and outcomes. The plplanninningnd incorporation of advance care planning also known as advanced directives is a very important factor with respect to autonomy.Forming an advanced directive allows papatientsTTSo form a value aseasedpinion on the future of their care. It gives the patient full control over how patient would like any healthcare provider to apply decisions regarding aggressive medicine, heroic measures and any other forms of invasive treatment. Nonetheless, the advanced didirecteeves a valid way for competent persons to exercise their autonomy (BeBà ©chamel ChChildless201 3, ppup189). It simply allows them to live their last year of life with some dignity.Beneficence BeBeneficences to contribute to a person's welfare; it is the action that is done for the benefit of others, not merely refrain from harmful acts (BeBà ©chamel ChChil dren, 2013, ppup202). It attends to the welfare of the patient, it's not merely avoiding harm; it emmobies medicinal goals, rational thinking, and any form of justification. Beneficence is embrace d in preventative medicine; and in this case preventative medicine being applied to elderly paPattin.NETho should no longer seek aggressive treatment because it's considered futile.PhPhysiciansn.NETelationship is vital in principle of beneficence. Only a physician can help relate with an elder lylayatient who is in their last year of their life. Only then, with clear communication and proper education towards end of life treatments; can beneficence truly apply. PhPhysiotherapistselations hip has to embody values of honesty, integrity, and consideration. In today's age, a good phphysician is considered a physician that puts their patient first by taking positive steps towards helping their patients by being caring, open, honest, and empathetic.NoMalefactionuality of life judgments are very important when discussing limitations of ca re for the elderly. The principle of nomalefactionays that we should avoid causing ha rmarmo others (BeBà ©chamel ChChildless201 3, ppup150). So how do we avoid harm? In the siispamplestorm for physician; avoiding harm is to introduce early education, early goal oriented d isconcussionsand most importantly set up an advanced directive. In many ways nomalefactionverrides beneficence.There is a moral and ethical obligation to not harm others, which is greater than the obligation to help (BeBà ©chamel ChChildless201 3, ppup150). When we see a pat ieintentf elderly status at the end of their life's term suffer, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually; it is important that any healthcare professional protects them from further harm. The only rational ay to practice this with a patient who is alert, oriented, and competent is to be honest, forthright, and to have a goal oriented discussion ababouthe potential harm a procedure might cau se vsvs.heHeuality and quantity of life they may have left. Justice The final principle is justice. Justice can be defined as an act of fairness, hahaving a sense of entitlement, fair, equitable, and appropriate treatment in light of what is du e(BeBà ©chamel ChChildless2013, ppup250). The use of medical resources to intervene when car e is deemed futile 8 can directly affect the poor quality of life and in essence may not be what's jujug for all elderly in the same end of life situation.We have a responsibility to treat the elderly in a way that their choices are absolutely important, honor their wishes, maintain their respect, and their dideignersonal Perspective My personal perspectives are formed around the basis of honesty, being fort hrWrightand responsible. For me honesty is essential in helping someone make a proper d ecsessionSometimes honesty can be brutal, and for the elderly at the late stage of life, can be the dididfpreferenceetween living a dignified life or a life o f suffering. elLivehat being forthright is also mpimportantMedical professionals should have clear and opopenediscussions as to the value of pursuing treatments that are no longer considered beneficial to an elderly patient and ensure that the drive and persuade their point There are so many instances in my professional car eeerehere I run into scenarios where families and patients are not given a thorough explanation a ndNDr education about what's happening in their disease process.

Dubai Metro Case Study

Course Name: Fundamentals of Project Management Project Topic: Dubai Metro Analysis Submission Date: 19th April 2013 Submitted By: Ayaz Tariq (128403) / Syed Jamaluddin (105807) Table of Content 1)Summary of Project: Dubai Metro a)Why Dubai Metro was initiated b)Why we selected Dubai Metro 2)Preliminary Project Scope of Dubai Metro 3)Stakeholders of Dubai Metro 4)Dubai Metro Project Possible Constraints i)Resource Constraints ii)Delivery Constraints iii)Environmental Constraints iv)Budgetary Constraints v)Functionality Constraints )Dubai Metro Risk Analysis i)Political Risks ii)Environmental Risks iii)Security Risks iv)Social Risks v)Technology Risks vi)Legal Risks vii)Economical Risks 6)Dubai Metro Budget & Cost Analysis a)Different kind of costs variables involved b)How was budget estimated of Dubai Metro 7)Project Scheduling Analysis a)Sample Activity Network for Metro Station b)Different kind of activities with sample c)Different kind of Activities Lags in Dubai Metro d)How Gantt Chart / AON / AOA can be used for Dubai Metro 1)Summary of Project: – Dubai MetroThe Dubai Metro is fully automatic trains mean no drivers in City of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. There are two lines which are currently operational categorized as Red Line and Green Line, However extension of this project includes around 4 More Lines and extension of existing 2 lines as well which is currently under construction expecting to finish by 2030. Dubai Metro opens at September 9 2009, Dubai Ruler His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the founder of Dubai Metro, the. Giving convenience to people of Dubai during rush hours, around 1. Million passengers uses Dubai metro in its first month of operations and everyone were pretty satisfied as the services was matching the level of their expectations, Today many people in Dubai use Dubai Metro as a means of transportation. a)Why Dubai Metro Was Initiated? The combination of rapidly growing population expected to reach 3 Mil lion by 2017 a severe traffic jam prompted the government to build public transit rail system, with 87 trains and nearly 50 miles of track the Dubai Metro is the world longest Automatic Trail System. b)Why We Selected Dubai Metro?We saw this project as a skunk work and Dubai metro is one of the largest emirate’s infrastructure project in more than a decade, world largest automated driverless train system mentioned by Guinness world record as well which we can study various project management aspects of it. 2)Preliminary Project Scope of Dubai Metro: – While looking into Preliminary Project Scope of Dubai metro we identify following major points which was base of Dubai Metro Project The Dubai Metro will be driverless, fully automated metro network. It will be the longest fully automated rail system in the world when it opens.It will be having four lines (Blue, Green, Red and Purple) after completion Dubai metro will be having 70 kilometers of lines and 47 stations inclu ding 9 underground stations. 3)Stakeholders of Dubai Metro:- Internal Stakeholders Top ManagementDubai Road & Transport Authority Project Management & EngineersSystra and Parsons Corporation External Stakeholders ClientsUAE Residential & Visitors CompetitorsOther countries who supports tourism SuppliersMitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation, Obayashi Corporation, Kajima Corporation and Turkish firm Yap?Merkezi 4)Dubai Metro Project Possible Constraints:- Dubai metro is one of the unique projects of its kind which lead to many types of constraints which could have cause this project delay in time and has affected the cost of project as well. We have tried to find out possible constraints of Dubai Metro. i)Resource Constraints (1)Each metro station was following a same architecture design which should have been explained to all engineers and any change or fix in one should’ve updated in all, it was perfectly handle by Project managers. 2)Training of each worker to get quality and similarity between each metro station. ii)Delivery Constraints (1)Metro service being an automated service to public should be properly testing in all kind of safety measures which could’ve cause delay in delivery. (2)There is no time limit on approving cycle and reviewing of technical specification of metro. iii)Environmental Constraints (1)Approvals of higher management in case of their unavailability could’ve cause delays in delivery. (2)Launching of any metro station depends on successfully completion of its previous station. iv)Budgetary Constraints 1)Initial estimated cost never considers any changes in requirement which happened in Dubai Metro Project. Project was as per scheduled but over budgetary cost shot up by 80 per cent from the original AED 15. 5 billion to AED 28 billion. v)Functionality Constraints (1)Dubai metro also faced problem in unclear scope of its specification and design, Official said that they attributed the increase in expen diture to the major changes in the scope and design of the project. 5)Dubai Metro Risk Analysis:- We have analyze different kind of risk that could be involved in Dubai Metro a)Political Risks )Stability of Dubai Government, Change Government Policies, and Probability is Low on scale but can affect a lot on Project. ii)War & Terrorism b)Environmental Risks i)Ecology ii)International environmental issues iii)National environmental issues iv)Local environmental issues v)Environmental regulations vi)Organizational culture vii)Staff morale and attitudes c)Social Risks i)Population growth and demographics. ii)Health, education and social mobility of the population iii)Consumer attitudes iv)Advertising and media v)National and regional culture vi)Lifestyle choices and attitudes to these. ii)Levels of health and education viii)Major events ix)Socio-cultural changes. d)Technology Risks i)Impact of new technologies. ii)Inventions and innovations iii)The internet and how it affects working an d business iv)Licensing and patents v)Research funding and Development. e)Legal Risks i)Home legislation ii)International legislation iii)Employment law iv)New laws v)Regulatory bodies vi)Environmental regulation vii)Industry-specific regulations viii)Consumer protection f)Economical Risks i)Stage of business cycle. ii)Current and projected economic growth iii)International trends v)Job growth v)Inflation and interest rates. vi)Unemployment and labor supply. vii)Levels of disposable income across economy and income distribution. viii)Globalization. ix)Likely changes to the economic environment. 6)Dubai Metro Budget & Cost Analysis a)Different kind of costs variables involved b)How was budget estimated of Dubai Metro 7)Project Scheduling Analysis a)Sample Activity Network for Metro Station b)Different kind of activities with sample c)Different kind of Activities Lags in Dubai Metro d)How Gantt Chart / AON / AOA can be used for Dubai Metro

What is the Word Love Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is the Word Love - Essay Example Love is something that individuals know from the very beginning. A mother whispering to an unborn baby is one of the first signs of love that a human is shown. From the beginning of an individual’s life, it is likely that love is the first feeling they feel. In the very beginning God created man. Man was alone. Since man was alone God loved man and he created a woman (Genesis 2:16) this woman allowed man to feel love. Love is one of the first feelings since the beginning of creation. The love between a man and a woman are one of the greatest feelings of love. Love between a man and woman produce an intimate and sexual form of love. These forms of love are what allow men and woman to want to become married to one another. Marriage is one of the oldest symbols associated with loving one another. Intimate and sexual forms of love allow individuals to become attracted to one another. This attraction allows chemicals in the brain to release endorphins that make people feel good. Th is feeling of good is all possible because of love. The love a man and woman share can lead to having children and raising a loving family. Love is something that is taught to children and carried with them their whole life. When a child is shown love, the child loves others and teaches that love to their own children. LOVE IN ACTION Children that are shown love from the beginning are more likely to love others. Loving others can be shown. Because of this, love is so much more than just a word defined in the dictionary. Love is an action. Love as an action is amazing. There are so many ways to show love as an action. People show love everyday as an action. From infants to adults, people are able to show love. Babies show love by crying when someone they love walks away. The babies cry because they love that person and do not want to see them go. Children love in action when they hug someone else that they see hurt. They hug to show that they love. Teenagers show love as an action wh en they experience there first kiss. That first kiss is a sigh of love. An adult bringing home a bouquet of flowers is showing love as an action. Love in action is without a doubt amazing. Love can be shown by picking up the phone and calling an old friend. Love can be shown by hanging up a photo of someone who is missed. People perform these actions because of love. No other emotion would show such an experience. This is why love is an experience in itself. Although love is able to show actions that are pleasing, love can also show actions that may be tough and hurtful at times. A parent may discipline a child because of a tough form of love. Love as a tough action is important for all individuals. Being shown tough love can allow someone to learn and gain from the experience. When someone close does something that seems hurtful at the time, it is likely because they love. Doing things that may not seem right are necessary to prove a point. An individual would not bother proving th e point if it was not for love. Love can also cause intense and inappropriate actions of love.  Ã‚  

Eating Disorders Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Eating Disorders - Research Paper Example However, the same study done in 2008 showed that eating disorders had become an affair for all: men and women, the rich and the poor, blacks and whites. This paper explores the various aspects of the globalization of eating disorders, factors favoring the globalization and whether at all there is a possibility of managing this trend. Eating disorders have existed for a long time in history, earlier than the 19th Century where people engaged in self-starvation (Bruch 89). However, as time goes by, the rate of the prevalence of the disorders has risen and varied in various demographics. Bruch in his article ‘The Golden Cage’ explains Anorexia Nervosa as disorder for teenage girls mostly from financially stable families. This notion has been disagreed upon as research by the American Psychiatry Association has shown that males, middle-aged and aging people, African-Americans and low-class population have reported cases of eating disorders. Contrary to the earlier notion, eating disorders are an emerging problem for the entire female fraternity in the world. In the African society, for instance, the ideal woman traditionally was voluptuous and fat. Thin women were seen as a sign of poverty, sickness or even death. As Frank Osodi points out in the ‘’Golden Cage’, African girls have hips, bums and are fleshy. For years, this was sustained as the optimal standard of measuring beauty among women in Africa. Conversely, in United States, thinness was associated with social status and as an evidence of moral virtue (Raisanen and Hunt 57). Fatness is associated with low status, laziness and gluttony. This contemporary definition of beauty has spread across the globe changing even the Africans beliefs on beauty. African women have become keener about their body shape and size. Practices such as cosmetic surgery, exercise, and strict dieting regimes have been adopted with the aim of controlling weight and becoming slender. Globally, being overweight is

Breast Cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Breast Cancer - Research Paper Example There are many studies and intensive research is underway in order to identify the most important factors that are the reason for the constant increase of the incidence of breast cancer in the last several decades. The results and information’s from this research should help us reduce the morbidity and mortality from breast cancer and increase the self-awareness of the general population about the risks for this disease. In this study we will conduct a systematic research on the risk and other factors that are the most important factors in the etiology of breast cancer and also we will discuss the challenges of effective screening and treatment of breast cancer. Introduction Breast cancer is malignant neoplasm that is originating from the tissues of the breast. It has significance as one of the most common cancers in the population that almost exclusively affects the female population, however in small percentages this malignancy is present in the male population also (less than 1% of all cases of breast cancer) (Florescu et al. 2011). Breast cancer is the most common type of invasive malignancy that affects women and contributes up to 23% of all invasive cancers that affect female population worldwide. It is registered that in year 2008 13.7% of cancer mortality in the female population in the world was caused by breast cancer or 6% of all cancer mortality worldwide (men and women) was caused by breast cancer (GLOBOCAN 2008). These numbers are alarming and show that breast cancer has severe impact on the global morbidity and mortality especially on the female population. It is also alarming that incidences of breast cancer are constantly increasing dur ing the last three decades and this tendency is maintained till the resent day (Louwman et al 2008). It is believed that this is caused by the modern way of life and the changes that appeared in the habits and diets of modern way of living, changes in the reproductive behavior of the female population and other factors (Dignam et al 2003). This fact can be elaborated more clearly if we understand that the incidence of breast cancer is higher in western, developed countries and in countries that accept western way of lifestyle. For example incidences of breast cancer in population of 100 000 in western Europe is 78, in North America is 90 and these rates are significantly higher when compared to eastern Asia with 18 cases per 100 000 population, in sub-Saharan Africa 22 etc. (Stewart and Kleihues 2003). United States has the highest incidence of breast cancer in the world with 128 new cases of breast cancer on 100 000 women and in United States breast cancer is the second most common cancer after the skin cancer and the second most common cause of cancer mortality after lung cancer (American Cancer Society 2007). As we can see from the above statistics breast cancer has significant effect on the mortality in the population worldwide but especially in the developed countries. 3. Risk factors for breast cancer 3.1. Unchangeable risk factors for breast cancer There are many factors that is believed are the risen for the increase of the incidence of breast cancer in developed countries. In order to understand these factors we will look at the risk factors that are found to be associated with increased incidence of brea

Short Answer Responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short Answer Responses - Essay Example speech, privacy and the right to a fair hearing and the opportunity to counter the allegations of incompetence and inappropriate remarks are the substantive rights that require protection. 2. Due process under the 5th and 14th Amendment apply in Situation B because the teacher is tenured and property rights are at stake. To this end the dismissal essential deprives the teacher of his property rights and to do so requires that the authorities take certain fair procedural steps as provided for under the US Constitution. The mode of action taken must commensurate with the interest the interest protected. To this end, deprivation of job security should entail an opportunity to respond to the allegations giving rise to the action plan and the dismissal, an opportunity to be heard on the issues and right to appeal any decision. These procedural rights are measured against the school’s interest and the welfare of the students and will only be protected to such an extent that they do not compromise school policy and the welfare of the students. 3. Virginia Code SS 63.2-1503, 63.2-1505 and 63.2-1516.1 apply to situation B. Virginia Code SS 63.2.1503 requires investigation by School officials of suspected incidents of child neglect and abuse. In this case the teacher has been accused of Child neglect with respect to his method of teaching and making inappropriate comments to the children. This invokes Virginia Code SS 63.2.1502. Virginia Code 63.2-1505 requires that the person/teacher investigated be notified of the complaint investigation. In other words a fair protocol regarding employment greivances is required to be followed. If the matter goes to court, the codes may be invoked by the plaintiff to counter any claims by the defendant that he was denied procedural due process. 4. Title VI and IX of the Civil Rights Act 1964 as amended does not arise in the case in Situation B. Title VI arises in instances where the application of public funds is

Finalize Feasibility Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Finalize Feasibility Study - Essay Example The study becomes more feasible if another company already has such an idea. The company creates an outline for the study. A company will include a table of content, summary, cover page and description of recyclable products. Physical description of the product should be enhanced. The technology to be used by the company in recycling should be described. Marketing strategies of a mentioned business model need also to be implemented. Critical factors of risk encountered in recycling are also considered in the study. Various financial anticipations and conclusion have to be clear in the study. Recycled items are majorly categorized into; plastics, metals and glass. Under plastics items such as plastic papers, plastic containers like those of detergents are recycled. Metals such as aluminum, copper and steel are recycled. Glass which is majorly known as cullet is recycled. Cullet is then melted down to make glass bottles. Recyclable items are hauled away by trucks of sanitation where it is taken to several places. These places include a landfill, an incinerator until then it can reach a recycling facility.About14,300 tones of trash is incinerated yearly. This helps in provision of electricity for a given community. Landfills are prepared in a way that trash and other recyclable materials are deep down and covered to ensure no micro-organisms get exposed on the environment. When most recyclable items reach a land fill most of them get exposed on the environment which is quite not a good thing. Recycling has become more vital to our environment which ensures a perfect way of minimizing waste. For that matter recyclable trash should always get recycled. To make recycling economically feasible and make the environment more effective, a system should be put in place for extracting recyclables from wastes and reprocess them into more demanded recycled products. Without this initiative recycling remains collection rather than being

Discuss two different public policy case studies Essay

Discuss two different public policy case studies - Essay Example The primary objective of this essay is to examine two public policies case studies, taking into account the theoretical foundations of a public policy, concepts and models and any other critical component. Thereafter, the paper will compare these two public policy initiatives in different settings. The paper considers public policy associated with the public interest that is the ‘big picture view’, the need for public servants to commit their energies for the bigger picture, the wider interests. It also emphasizes the importance of the procedures and tactics for both policy development and public participation; and the commitment and skills required to cooperate with other sectors and the public. The paper proposes that the initial intention of a public policy is that of inclusion, that is every member of a society must be included in the social and economic activities of a system. Development of a Public Policy In the development of a public policy it is important to cr itically study the content, genesis, rationale and structures of the public policy Ashford (1992, p.354). Further, it is important to achieve an understanding of the people involved in this process and the channel through which public policy is developed. In outlining the rationale guiding development of a public policy, we begin by the foundations upon which a concept might be established upon, the definition of a public policy. There are numerous definitions of a public policy, but the definition must contain aspects of ideas, values, decisions made and actions taken, pursued or ignored by the relevant authority with respect to the achievement of that idea or plan Braun and Busch (1999, p.61). This if candidly stated would imply choices and decisions taken by a government that will direct actions that might follow from the initial choice or decisions. Public policies can be split into two classes; there are policies that are already on the public agenda and there are policies that are yet to be formulated. Public policies can also be split into two, a policy can either be regulative or allocative (Harrington, Estes and Crawford 2004, p.7). The policy that is already on the public agenda is already prioritized and the necessary formal stages are in place, on the other hand, any issue that is not on the public policy agenda requires sufficient information and education from all the relevant stakeholders to initiate its development and to oversee its implementation. Gerston (1997, p.63) suggests that for a public policy to be classified as a public agenda it must meet three criteria , first, the policy must have a wide scope, second the impact of the policy must be felt, this the intensity criterion and finally it must have been developed earlier, the time criterion. Public policies have been formulated for a number of reasons, Blakely and Leigh, (2010, p.127) suggests that public policy satisfy three core reasons reactive, proactive and proactive demands. Publ ic policy formulation is deemed as reactive when it acts in response to certain issues and demands that are arising, either out of pre-warning or with minimal warning to the relevant authority, external factors or internal factors. The process may entail the plan to resolve that problem or

Foundation Degree (FdSc) in Food Manufacturing Management Essay Example for Free

Foundation Degree (FdSc) in Food Manufacturing Management Essay Introduction Audit objectives Why Audit? The intentions of this Audit are as follows: Using a recognised GMP standard (UNIDO/BRC) assess and quantify the effectiveness of the current quality system that is in place. Recommend, upon review, strategies for improvement that can be made to meet, and potentially exceed, the minimum retail requirements. * Upon completion, allow the business to set attainable goals and objectives in order to drive the business forward. This is in an efficiency, production and legal capacity. Company Profile Shetland SeaFish (Hull) limited started trading in 1922 as a specialist manufacturer of frozen fish products. The company employs 50-60 staff on site and has a total of 80-100 employees working throughout the group. The group has three factories. The other two are involved in primary processing and fish farming in the Shetland isles. The company supplies supermarkets, discounters, fish wholesalers, frozen food distributors and food service companies. The main market is the UK but the company also has a small export trade. Shetland SeaFish (Hull) limited has implemented a tightly controlled system of operational procedures including a fully documented HACCP system and quality manual. Business Environment The food industry is one under pressure. The fishing industry in particular is an area with its own particular problems which have a direct impact on this company as fish is its primary raw material. Over the past few years, environmental concern over diminishing fish stocks has contributed to increased governmental interdiction to manage fishing quotas. Although this may be the case for the national fishing industry, the world wide catch (up until recently) has been on a steady rise. This company sources raw material from worldwide locals (Particularly the Asiatic areas such as China and Scandinavian Seas) so the impact has been minimal. The way in which the company sources fish may change in the future, as internet auctions are on the increase, and this makes the market more of a volatile entity as prices can fluctuate as events affect fishing procurement. The other main problem with the food industry is the strength of the major multiples over the manufacturers. The major supermarkets to whom most food manufacturers supply, aim to maintain a constant gross profit margin which is typically quite large. To reflect this, the multiples like to pass down on-costs to the suppliers. Offers such as buy one, get one free are fuelled by the manufacturer, and come straight from their bottom line. By running a BOGOF offer, it is affectively selling the product at half the unit price for the duration of the offer. One supermarket that this company has dealt with also deducts (on their own accord) a set price to go towards advertising and marketing. For example, a deduction of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10,000 might be deducted from an invoice to them for product, with the reasoning being that even if that amount is not being used to directly promote that particular product, just by advertising the stores in general, the increased amount of customers flowing through the store, should they say, increase sales to the companys product. This deduction from the invoice is imposed by the supermarket, and because you do not know how often they are going to do this, it makes costing for business more difficult. Combine this with the fact that at every price review by the supermarket buyers, they demand higher quality products, for a reduction in unit price, depresses margins lower than ever. The margin depression brings with it a set of problems. Because a company has to reduce its costs to meet the price points per units, so as to maintain the business with the supermarket, it makes it for a business to remain as profitable as what it would like to be. A smaller margin means that a company does not have the same amount of free capital available to it to make necessary re-investments which would help to procure more sales and increase throughput. In section four of the overview, a specific study of this is discussed in relation to an OEE study on one of the factories lines. There are several technological resolutions available which if purchased would go a long way to increase productivity. Unfortunately there are several financial constraints which place barriers to the procurement of these technological improvements. A brief discussion of Chicken and Egg barriers is briefly explained in section four of the overview. The problem lies in the fact that if a new piece of equipment is needed to continue, or to improve production, then the company does not have enough liquid capital available to be able to purchase it outright. This means that the company would have to investigate borrowing facilities. The problem with this is that the company would like to have a secured amount of business from one of, or a combination of customers, in order to take on the risk of borrowing large amounts of money. The reason for this is that a company has to account for a payback period into their costing to cover borrowing and interest as well as machine depreciation. With shortened product placement tenures, the guarantee of continued business for this period is not there, inhibiting the business from wanting to take a risk of this magnitude. Eventually a company has to bite the bullet and take a risk in order to increase turnover and throughput. Smaller margins also mean that there may not be enough of an increase in net profits to cover staff requirements. Each year there is a general staff appraisal to discuss the terms of wages and conditions. If the company is reduced in its profit capacity, then this trend is often relayed onto the workforce. f the company has diminished available finances then money is not possible to give staffs the annual increase in wages or to be able to invest in communal facilities. This has a knock on effect on staff morale and motivation if the annual increase is postponed or if it has to be cancelled. It manifests itself in some individuals in a revenge motivation mentality. As the individuals feel aggrieved because the company cannon comply with what the workers feel is a basic right, then they may wish to get back at the company. At best this may just be by reducing their amount and quality of work, therefore their loyalty is affected. At worst, it could be resignation, dissention or even some form of industrial sabotage. Without the increase in wages rates it also lessens the difference between that and what the government sets as the national minimum wage. This poses a problem in relation to retaining, and gaining new employees. At one point, working in a factory used to attract a premium, but over time that has decreased to the point to where wage levels between shop workers and factory workers are almost the same. With the current work ethos among new employees (particularly young people) the dilemma of where would I like to work arises. Either a (usually) smelly, shift work system, hard work inducing factory, or a shop, where they can go straight out from without having to go home for a shower and change, is less hard work and usually has a set nine until five work pattern. For the same, or similar, wage, most people appear to want to work in a shop. This displays a distinct shift from employment trends from primary or secondary employment to a majority of employment in the tertiary, or services, sector. If a company has a high turn-over of staff, then generally the quality of staffs decreases. This may then affect production output and efficiencies. One way that this can be combated is though an increase in staff training. This not only acts to both increase staff quality, but it also helps to improve the individuals job satisfaction. This is through increased competency, increased knowledge (i.e. making an individual more multi-skilled) and the feeling that they are not in a dead-end job. In the industry sector to which this company falls, there is an increased amount of governmental grants available for staff training programmes. Within this factory, all of the employees of first tier level have all been through NVQ level 2 training in Food hygiene and handling. Production supervisors have received additional training to NVQ level three in this area. There is also a range of other courses that are being studied that are part funded, or reimbursed by, governmental policies. It is clear that there are some relatively easy ways to increase the efficiency and line throughputs of production. Unfortunately limiting factors come into play to inhibit potential growth as long as margins are squeezed smaller and smaller. This is a self perpetuating cycle. If allowed to make a little bit more profit then this can be channelled back into the business to increase production efficiency and overall turnover making the business more successful. Legal Issues There is a complex mine field of legislation that comes into play when dealing with a food unit operation. There is a whole plethora of acts and regulations which help to control the food industry which helps to protect the consumer from dubious practices and ensure that the final product that is consumed is of the expected substance, nature and quality demanded. There are several levels of legislation: * Acts, which are statutes passed down by parliament. * Regulations which are made under specific acts * E.C. directives which are passed down from the E.E.C. The Food safety enforcement officers have various enforcement powers which enable them to ensure that all of the legislation is correctly adhered to. These can be servicing notices, sampling and seizing foodstuffs, and also to instigate criminal proceedings if an offence is made. The main legislation affecting this business are to be listed as following; Food Safety Act, 1990 This act is in relation to the sale of food for human consumption and is applicable to all food premises. This act makes it an offence to: * Render food injurious to health * Sale or possession of food injurious to health, or that is unfit for, or is contaminated. * Sale of food that is not of the correct nature, substance and quality demanded by the consumer. * Give any false or misleading descriptions. The Food Premises (Registration) Regulations, 1991 (SI No. 2825) amended 1997 This regulation requires all food premises to register with the local, or port authority, in the area that they are situated. Every registration authority must keep a register, which can be accessed by the public for inspection. Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulation, 1995 (SI. No. 1763) This act provides general requirements for all food handlers and premises (with specific requirements for preparation areas, moveable and temp. premises, transport, equipment and the like) to be kept clean, facilitate cleaning, and prevent the accumulation of dirt. It also specifies a requirement for all food premises to identify all steps in the business that is critical to food safety, and to minimise these risks. The Food Safety (Temperature Controls) Regulations, 1995 (SI. No. 2200) This determines any matter involving a risk to food safety, in relation to the nature of the food, manner in which it is handled and packed, and processes and conditions under which it has been displayed or stored. No person should keep food that is likely to support the growth of pathogenic bacteria or the accumulation of their toxins. Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) Regulations, 1996 These regulations govern the origins of animal foodstuffs from countries outside the EEC. Since 1993, foodstuffs imported from other members of the EEC are not liable for inspection due to the open border policy, but they are still subject to the Food Safety Act 1990. Food Labelling Regulations 1996 (SI. No. 1499) These require most foodstuffs that are to be sold for human consumption be labelled with: * The name of the food. * List of ingredients (Quantifying ingredients mentioned in the name of the food). * Best before dates, which indicate minimum durability or perish ability of the food in relation to microbial or product degradation beyond being fit for human consumption. * Any specific storage conditions required. * Name and address of the manufacturer The Quick-Frozen Foodstuffs Regulations, 1990 (SI. No. 2615) amended 1994 Food that has undergone quick-freezing (i.e. whereby the zone of maximum crystallization as rapidly as possible) should be labelled as such. It must be suitably packaged so as to protect it from microbial and other contamination and also to protect from de-hydration. Must be labelled with: * BBE * Storage requirements including temps. * Batch reference * A clear message not to refreeze after defrosting. There are also some specific legislation relating to food poisoning: Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1994 The Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 1988 (SI. No. 1546) National Health Service (Amendment) Act 1986 The National Health Service (Food Premises) Regulations, 1987 (SI. No. 18) The Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) These pieces of legislation relate to reports of incidences of food poisoning and food borne illness. It empowers officers to investigate food premises on the basis of risk to increased infection, and to identify the source of food poisoning illnesses. Separate to food related issues there are also a number of other pieces of legislation that apply to most businesses. These are: Health Safety The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, 1994 (SI. No. 3246) The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation, 1985 (SI. No. 2023) The Electricity at Work Regulations, 1989 (SI. No. 635) The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, 1992 (SI. No. 2051) The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, 1992 (SI. No. 3004) The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations, 1992 (SI. No. 2966) The Manual Handling Operations Regulations, 1992 (SI. No. 2793) All of these laws are in relation to keeping equipment in good order; provide all PPE, also in good order, and to report all accidents and medical problems caused by/ at work. There are some new environmental legislation in relation to waste water and effluent, and also the climate change levy. There are also waste land fill laws (After B.S.E. and Foot and Mouth no food wastes can be further processed into animal feeds) It is clear that there are a lot of laws that help to keep the consumer, and employees safe, both in relation to food safety and personal safety. In order to comply with all of these laws, and check with the companys compliance to these, the office of fair trading and the environmental health office audit the factory on a regular basis. Section 2 Key Findings Summations on Audit checklists Section by section review HACCP System: The company has a very detailed and comprehensive HACCP system following the Codex principles and based on risk assessment for each product type. The latest revision is June 2002. The HACCP documentation includes Introduction (Intro, team, product description, intended use, flow diagram, and verification of flow, controls and hazards), Process flow (product, production process), Hazards, Hazard analysis and Hygiene controls. The site technical manager who is qualified in advance food hygiene leads the HACCP team. The other HACCP team members include the production manager, financial director, business consultant, Q.A. supervisor and HS officer. They have all received training in HACCP principles. Eight CCPs have been identified and clearly marked around the site. These include; R.M. intake, band saw room, product storage, packaging storage, coatings, sauce making, sauce buggies, sauce deposition and metal detection. Shetland SeaFish (in conjunction with Cravenglow consultant limited) has produced a handbook for employees entitled Understanding HACCP and the British Retail Consortium Quality Award. This book was issued to all staff before going through their first successful BRC audit, and is issued to new staff during induction. The Handbook explains; HACCP terms and working practices, details the eight CCPs, How to control potential Hazards, How HACCP works, Different types of Hazard, other important HACCP information and an introduction to the BRC standard Quality Management System: The site operations/quality manual has been fully implemented and indexed in the latest revision (Revision 4 October 2002) to the BRC technical standard version three. Policies and procedures referenced to the HACCP manual and currently cover all of the identified critical controls. Each working area has its own handbook that includes some or all of the following: Factory cleaning procedures Technical terms Key staff Safe working practices Factory procedures QA procedures applicable to the area. A specifications file maintained by the company has a programme of internal audits that cover the entire quality system twice per year. The handling of complaints is the responsibility of the Technical manager. Complaints are referenced individually, by customer, and complaint type. Corrective actions arising from complaints are recorded. An approved supplier list is in operation, deliveries assessed at intake, and supplier performance reviewed quarterly. One of the key findings of this audit has been that although the supplier audit plans clearly defined and laid out, it has not been adhered to. This needs rectifying by the time of the next audit. Factory Environmental Standards: The factory is well located just off the main route into Hull, and has a logical process flow. The buildings are well constructed. Walls panelled with false ceiling and smooth concrete floors. Equipment is industry standard and is be well maintained. There is a planned maintenance system administered by a well-resourced engineering department. Staff changing facilities are provided by separate storage of work wear and personnel wear with staff locker rooms situated well away from production. Work clothing situated in changing facilities on the entrance to the production facility. A dedicated night hygiene crew operate a comprehensive cleaning programme, verified using bioluminescence ATP swabs. This form of assessment is under utilised. By conducting more swabs, a more indicative trend analysis can be compiled. This system could also be extended to incorporate hand swabbing, so as to gauge the effectiveness of the staffs hand washing. A comprehensive pest control contract is in place with Rentokil and no infestation reported. The only addition to this regime would be to introduce catch tray analysis. This is not done at present, although Rentokil have been asked to provide a quote for the service. The reason that catch tray analysis is so important is that various indicator species of insect may help to identify a particular problem within the factory. Another option is that the accountant is a qualified entomologist. The suggestion has been made that they complete the catch tray analysis on behalf of the company. Transport and waste removal are both contracted out services. Product Control: There is a product development procedure detailing the process steps and documentation held for customer driven development work. Development work is mainly restricted to crumbs, batters and sauces and as such, the suppliers of these materials carry out a lot of the work. Product is analysed on line hourly by trained QC staff External chemical and microbiological analyses are carried out at a UKAS accredited external laboratory. The result turn around is typically ten days. There is an investigation into the possibility of bringing the microbiological testing into a feasible in-house solution. The testing procedures preferred are the rapid methods that are now available on the market. These allow for rapid enumeration and identification in unprecedented speeds compared to traditional plating methods. Because of the simplicity of the tests, it reduces the degrees of error that might be entertained in old style methods, and also it helps to simplify the lab quality manual. All of these rapid methods are AOAC accredited methods and are thus suitable for ISO 17025 standards, which is a pre-requisite for the accreditation edicts stated for BRC compliance. Products coded to allow stock rotation, and on-site stock levels kept to a minimum. The cold store has the capacity for approximately 600 pallets, which are on a mobile racking system. Metal detection is carried out on all products at 3.5mm non-fe and 3.5mm fe. Legislation is on the way to incorporate testing using S. Steel rods as well, using the same sensitivity levels. Product is released based on on-line QC testing. A non-conformance procedure is used to prevent the despatch of non-conforming product and its restriction to quarantine. Process Control: Control of sauce cooking and processing is closely monitored by QC and thermographs are in place to verify sauce cooking profiles. QC also regularly verifies process parameters and freezer temperatures. Continuous quantity control monitoring equipment is in place on the coated fish line. Check-weigh systems are calibrated at the start of each day following a detailed calibration procedure. Hourly QC checks and daily taste panels verify process parameters and specifications requirements have been fulfilled and all measuring equipment is calibrated at appropriated frequencies. A small amount of kosher product is processed on site and the delivery processing and despatch of kosher materials is closely monitored. Personnel: Staffs trained to NVQ levels 1 and 2 in hygiene and safe product handling by external consultants. Plans are in place to introduce an in-house training scheme. The Q.A. supervisor holds a CIEH certificate of Advanced Food Hygiene. Once they complete the CIEH professional trainers certificate, it will allow them to train new staffs, and re-iterate to current, basic food hygiene and HS. Hygiene rules are also available in the staff handbook, given at induction. Induction includes hygiene and HS requirements, fire drill procedures including a tour of the facility (highlighting emergency exits), company objectives and the review of the individuals accountability level. Staff and visitors complete a basic medical questionnaire before entering the factory. Protective clothing provided and laundered by Brooks based in Hull and only specialising in laundering of food industry clothing. Supervisory staff and line leaders trained to NVQ levels 3. Detailed training records are in place, but not review on a frequent basis. Section 3 Improvement strategy Recommendations on enhancement Why did it fail? What can be done? The overall result of this audit is promising. The main sections that are in need of improvement are the cleaning and management systems. With regards to the cleaning controls one of the biggest deficiencies is that there were no daily cleaning logs in place at the time of the audit. These are necessary to verify that all of the pieces of equipment that has been used during the course of the production shift have been cleaned effectively. This should also incorporate a list of equipment that needs weekly or monthly cleaning, similar to the engineers protective maintenance system. Provisions are in place to indicate cleaning frequency, but by combining this with a daily cleaning log a system of records can be obtained to help with any Due Diligence defences that might need to be called into play. The preventative step to reduce the microbial and soil loads within the factory are the cleaning schedules, but the due diligence defence are the daily logs. These are a record confirmation that the schedule has been implemented, and also provides accountability of who conducted the particular action that might be in question. It also helps the management team to assess the manning levels required for a particular cleaning regime. By combining these logs with an effective utilisation of the Lightning ATP hygiene verification system it would be possible to more accurately monitor the effectiveness of the cleaning systems that are in place. At present the unit is not used at levels that are going to supply the monitoring team with a set of results that are statistically significant. By increasing the levels of testing with the unit, a better picture of cleanliness levels can be obtained by using the trend analysis software to scrutinize past results and to predict problems that might occur in the future. This system could also be extended to apply to incorporate hand washing checks. This could be done on a random set of checks throughout the week. It might be possible to correlate this to the expected and actual bacterial soap usage rates to see if there is a relationship. This might be an extra way to monitor the effectiveness of the staff in the own personal hygiene in relation to hand washing. The engineers need to keep an inventory of parts as a repair is carried out so that all pieces are accounted for upon completion so as to eliminate the possible physical contamination problem, or at least to identify if there is one. A number of hose pipes were observed around the factory, liberally strewn on the floor. This is not bad GMP; it also creates an impression of untidiness and not caring for not only visitors, but also to other staff. Perhaps the purchasing or some hose reel storage units. If these hoses were kept on one of these units, it would automatically reel in and is then kept neatly on the wall, off the floor and out of the way of people walking around the factory. During the course of the audit the food waste skip was left open. This leaves the door open to many potential problems. The first is that it has a potential to attract pests. By leaving the skip doors open is may provides a food source for advantageous vermin. It was observed that there were some birds on the fence which might have been attracted by the residue surrounding the skip. To eliminate this problem construction of a reaching handle for the skip door should be made. By keeping the skip door closed it prevents vermin from entering the skip to scavenge for food. With the skip door closed, thus stopping pests from gaining a free food store, the area around the skip must be kept clear also; otherwise keeping the door closed is a futile effort. This area not only needs to be swept, but also cleaned down with a detergent to emulsify the fatty residue left from the batter scraps. This would also help to make the area safer for the employees as it would make the area left prone to causing slippages, and this is especially important as there is a small set of steps out there. There is no provision for persons to wash their hands upon re-entering the factory after going to the food skip. There person would have to go to the basins outside the packaging area. A small basin or alcohol station should be installed to prevent this. The main body of the factory was in very good condition. There were a few incidences that need to be rectified in order to improve the grade. Around the sauce making area, the ceiling tiles above them had some signs of mould growth. This is an indication that the ventilation is perhaps inadequate for that area. Some form of steam extraction unit might need to be investigated in that area. In the short term, regular cleaning with a sterilizer (with some form of mould growth inhibitor) would suffice, but this would only deal with the symptoms, and not deal with the route cause. The sauce agitators in this area are in need of recovering. The motors on the agitators have some small areas of paint flaking from them. Even though the paint is blue in colour, it provides a potential physical contamination problem. This needs to be tackled in several ways. The first and easiest to do is to recover the motors. The motors can be covered with a stainless steel covering which would prevent both paint flakes falling into the sauce, but also dirt accumulation on the motor. Another method is to use an alternative agitator motor. There are several on the market, and several of these are not mounted directly above the sauce making kettles. There are also some other methods for sauce production, that if increased production were to be required, then they should defiantly be investigated. Another area in the factory that could benefit from additional extraction/ventilation is directly surrounding the coating line. When the fryer is producing breaded products, then the first stage crumb, which is a fine crumb, causes a lot of dust to be blown in the air. This causes excessive dust accumulation on the pipe works above the fryer line. This needs additional cleaning to remove the dust in this area. Perhaps a form of extraction system should be investigated in this area. As a minor point, there was also a small pool of water surrounding the con-air compressor units. This implies that the floor does not bevel in the right direction. Again this is a situation that has a long term objective, but also has a short term measure. The long term goal is to re-lay the floor in that area to make the floor slope in the right direction (i.e. from the wall to the drain). The short term solution is to have the cleaners regularly squeegee the floor of water. Standing water is a particular problem in that it provides excellent breeding ground for Listeria spp. Bacteria. Listeria is a food borne bacteria that is naturally found in the environment. By providing pools of standing water, it magnifies the problem and opens the potential for increased incidences of Listeria monocytogenes poisoning. It is a strange practice that although there are manager and team leader meetings on a regular basis, there were no supervisor meetings held. This is a gross deficiency, not for GMP, but for the lack of communicational strokes that are missed from these meetings. By conducting these meetings a dialogue can be maintained between the higher levels of management and the junior levels. During these sessions company objectives can be relayed, problems considered, and grievances examined. It is also an excellent opportunity to provide motivation to the staff and to keep them apprised of important happenings within the company, such as potential sales, production turnover, NPD and the direction of the company. These meeting should be implemented effectively immediately. If not in their own right, then try combining the team leader meetings. This may pose a problem with truthful communication if the team leaders feel inhibited by the presence of the supervisors, especially if they have any grievances with them. The omission of the supervisor meetings exacerbates the next point. That is the cross communication of ideas and instructions between departments. This point is discussed in more detail in the second overview of the audit. The job descriptions that are in place for the key positions within the factory are deficient in the totality. I would suggest a review of these be taken with the specific aim to include the individuals main duties and responsibilities, full accountability, and any health and safety requirements that are obligatory to know. By providing a comprehensive description it helps the individual to identify their own progress against what is expected of them. It would also help to identify any training needs by comparing what the individuals actual abilities to what is needed for that position. During an appraisal a gauge of competency can be made against the standard and a measure of feedback can be relayed to the person. This also ties into the fact that no records are kept of personal record reviews. These need to be conducted on a regular occasion, and if they are being conducted at the moment, then they need to be recorded. There are some clear objectives that have been identified and now need to be applied and rectified to improve the factory as a whole. Section 4 Conclusions Overview of progression stratagems Step by step guide Structure and Fabric * Hand washing basin/ alcohol station to be installed by exit to food skip. * Foods skip needs to be looked at and a handle constructed to enable the lid to be closed. * Sauce kettles needs to be looked at for possible installation of extraction units. * Sauce agitator motors needs to be covered to prevent paint flaking into product. * Hose pipes to be placed into self reeling units. * Pool of water needs investigating around con-air units. Floor needs re-laying in that area. * Dust accumulation above fryer area. Additional extraction needed. Pest prevention * Pallet shed door needs to be kept closed. Pallets stored away from walls in storage. * Some drain covers missing and needs replacing. * Catch tray analysis needs to be done. Cleaning systems * Daily cleaning logs introduced. * Engineers inventory of parts during a repair to prevent contamination. * Effective utilisation, and expansion, of ATP hygiene monitoring system. Management Controls * Introduction of supervisor meetings. * Additional training to supplement and increase knowledge of GMP systems, Food hygiene and legislation. * Review of job descriptions. * Record employee appraisals. Section 5 References Background / further reading. Including bibliography Hygiene for Management, Sprenger. R. A. 1998 (8th Ed) Cleaning, Dillion M, et al Inspirational Supervisor, Shaw J. 1999 FdSc Food manufacture management GMP Course work notes, Dillion M. 2002 Log book Overviews Overviews Part 1: Basic findings from two sections of the manual. Section 1 Structure and Fabrication The factory has a logical process flow and the buildings are of sound construction. All internal factory wall surfaces are panelled with a lowered false ceiling and smooth resin floors. Equipment is industrial food grade standard and appears to be well maintained. A preventative planned maintenance system is in operation and resourced by a competent engineering department. The work wear is situated in a separate clean changing area immediate on entrance to the production area. The pest control is out-sourced to Rentokil (initial services) with no signs of infestation problems to report. OBS 1: The floor is made of an impervious material and when combinations of two immiscible liquids (such as oil and water) mix, it causes some sections of the floor around the fryer area are slippery. Recommendation Review the cleaning schedule for this area to include a protocol stating that the floor in that area is to be cleaned as often as required throughout the production day, in addition to the usual scheduled cleans. Another suggestion would be to use a floor covering/mat to make the area more non-slip. Timescale 30days OBS 2: There was a small pool of standing water around the con-air units during production. Recommendation The long-term goal would be to re-lay/repair that section of floor to provide an adequate slope to provide water run-off into the drainage channels. Action to be taken place in the mean while would be to revise the cleaning schedule to include that the area is to be cleared as often as required throughout the production day. Timescale 90 days OBS 3: There was no steam extraction above the sauce making kettles giving rise to N/C1. N/C1: Evidence was noted by observation and noted, audit checklist ref: GMP Section 1 -ref 1.8.2, that there was the beginnings of mould build up on the ceiling tiles above the sauce kettles. Recommendation Investigate the possible methods of fume extraction best suited to the needs of the task. Possible installation of an extractor cowling. Action that can be introduced quickly is that a revision of the cleaning schedule to include weekly/fortnightly/ or as required cleaning to be undertaken in that area using a detergent with mould growth inhibitor. Timescale 90days Section 2 Storage Facilities Storage or R.M, WIP, finished goods, packaging and tainting elements are well segregated with observed codes of practice to prevent cross contamination. Products are coded to allow stock rotation on a FIFO basis and the stock levels that are kept on site are kept to a minimum. There are no contractual off-site storage facilities used. Products are released on the basis of on-line QC testing. Procedures are in place regarding damaged or defective goods segregation and disposal. OBS 1: Only visual checks are made of the contracted out logistics companys vehicles. Recommendation Revise an audit schedule to visit their head office so as to not only audit the vehicles used for the transportation of goods, but also to review the company policies and procedures regarding GMP practices. Timescale 90days Part 2: Area to improve. The area of greatest need is management control, especially in relation to motivation of staffs and inter-departmental communication. A highly motivated workforce can increase the potential output efficiency greatly, without the need for costly capital expenditure. Poor communication is the catalyst for future problems John Shaw, Business consultant The vast majority of problems within the workplace arise due to the lack of or inadequate communication between colleagues. All members of the organisation must develop their verbal and written skills to allow for ease of dialogue between the two parties. Regular dialogue is essential for the pooling together of ideas and suggestions that helps to minimise problems and help to achieve the company objectives. Employees must be able to interpret management edicts and be able to pass on these instructions to other staffs clearly and concisely in order to achieve peak performance. One opinion that might be made is that the companys impersonal uses of memos are substituting important meetings that would be held to discuss some of the key issues. By conducting regular meetings to open up a dialogue for discussion, it would help to eliminate any confusion that might have arisen because of their own interpretation of what is trying to be stressed in the communiquà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. By opening a dialogue between colleagues, it helps to make them feel a part of the team because they are being consulted and being offered to stress their opinions and grievances. During the meetings, it lets the individual know exactly what is being expected of them to do, with little chance for error. Once the individual knows the parameters in which they are expected to perform, and then the individual has some attainable guidelines on how to conduct him or herself around the workplace. Being made part of a team is one essential tool in the motivation of staffs. By including their opinions within any debate, it helps to raise that persons self-esteem. Once a person begins to become motivated, it often leads to greater job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is a combination of hard work and competence. Employees who reflect pride in their work are an infectious source of inspiration to others. This can be seen again in persons whom take personal pride and lead by example. Motivation is a key component to modern businesses. Staffs should take every opportunity to motivate others constantly. One way to encourage your staff is to let them know what is required of them by defining the days objectives. Use of praise and encouragement inspire maximum performance from an individual from a few choice words or phrases. Where an individual or team needs berating if they have made a mistake, remain calm and resolve the problem through constructive criticism. This is where the situation is given an explanation of what went wrong, gentle words to re-enforce the need that it does not re-occur, and gives further guidance on how it can be avoided in the future. It is imperative that if it is an individual involved, then take them to one side to discipline them. This way you are not undermining them and therefore their personal dignity is maintained. Another critical instruction is not to overreact to minor problems. Destructive and unwarranted criticism is harmful to morale and can easily sweep across a work force. It is also a good idea to be receptive to reasonable grievances that they might have and suggestions that they might make. Motivation encourages individuals and teams to continually achieve the companys goals through sustained peak performance. Part 3 Cleaning and the Law Cleaning plays a fundamental part of food hygiene. It is pivotal in preventing contamination of both microbiological and chemical, but it also helps to make the indicator signs of pest infestation easier to spot. All cleaning comprises of four factors: * Heat * Mechanical energy * Chemical energy * Contact time Cleaning is usually a five stage process (although not exclusively). 1) Pre-clean 2) Main clean 3) Rinse 4) Disinfect 5) Final rinse 6) Drying The relative energy and time components of a cleaning programme can differ greatly. This is all dependants on the load of soil age, the chemical properties of the cleaning agent, and the surface to be cleaned. Staffs should receive clear concise instruction on how to correctly conduct the cleaning schedule. The chemicals used within this factory are as follows: Chemical Action Fatsolve Surfactant degreasing detergent Bleach Hypochlorite based disinfectant Sparkle Surfactant degreasing detergent Acid foam Acidic de-scaler Caustic floor cleaner Alkaline (NaOH) floor cleaner Caustic pearls Alkaline (NaOH) fryer cleaner Tego 2001 Biocidal disinfectant/detergent combination All staffs that will be handling these products for use in hygiene must receive full training and monitored for competency and efficiency. All of these products must comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to protect the employee whom is to be using these chemicals. This Act states specific legislation to include: The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regs, 1994 (SI. 1994 No. 3246) (COSHH) These regulations require employers to assess the hazards and provide suitable controls. Implementation is by means of risk assessment. COSHH is concerned with chemicals that can be classified as toxic, harmful, corrosive or irritant. All of the products used within the body of the factory are supplied with all COSHH safety sheets and are filed in the technical department. Each of these products is mentioned in the company HACCP plan to include the risk assessment of these products. Chemicals (Hazards, Information Packaging) Regs, 1993 (CHIP) Again, this states that all chemicals sold must be supplied with a COSHH safety sheet provided for the purchaser by the supplier. This must include detailed information about the product, its hazard classification under CHIP regulations. It is also prohibited to decant harmful chemicals into unmarked containers. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at work Regs, 1992 These regulations enforce the employer to provide all necessary PPE required for a specific task so as to minimise the health and safety risks that the employees might be subjected to. There are several good reasons why effective cleaning is so important besides those mentioned earlier: * It creates a good visual impression for both workers and visitors alike giving a sense that the business cares. * Helps to maximise the efficiency and costing of several types of products. For example, if a sauce is left to build up deposits, then it would restrict the diameter of the pipe work, making the motor have to run harder to pump product through, thus reducing the lifetime of that component. Its also helps to reduce wastege * Legal obligations. It is that final point which needs further explaining. The food safety Act, 1990 This law makes it an offence to contaminate food so that it would be unreasonable to expect it to be used for human consumption in its current state. It also states that a food proprietor and staffs must identify all steps that are critical to food safety and minimise those risks. This is further backed up by the Food Safety (GFH) Regs, 1995 This states: * Premises must be kept clean, designed to facilitate cleaning, and to protect against the accumulation of dirt. * Make it a requirement for all food business proprietors to identify any step in activities of the business which is critical to food safety, and to introduce restrictive controls at those points identified. This law allows an enforcement officer to raise a non-conformance on the actual presence of dirt, and does not have to prove that that soilage poses a risk to health There is a clear legal and moral obligation that wherever there is a risk to food, a business proprietor must ensure that the working premises are kept clean so as to minimise the risks to public health. These responsibilities must be stressed to all employees not only in their induction period, but also sporadically throughout their employment. Part 4: PEST in relation to OEE During the course of this audit, an OEE analysis was conducted on one of the production lines (See OEE exercise workbook). The aim of GMP is to improve the manufacturing performance, and by using OEE calculations it is possible to gain a quantifiable index of performance. Using the precepts behind GMP it is possible to identify areas that could benefit from improvement so as to improve production performance. The identification of the seven wastes which are the non-value added and also the value added sections of a production period are vital. It is the main objective to reduce the first, and increase the latter. With regards to the production run that was studied several strategies can be entertained to help to minimise waste due to the above mentioned wastes. Firstly, fish cakes are products that produce only small amounts of waste due to the fact that defects can often be re-worked during the same production run. Defect cores can be removed from the line by operatives and then deposited back in the koppens former to be re-moulded into another cake. Reducing the throughput can often help reduce the rejects levels. Running at just a few strokes under the maximum for the line might make it more cost effective to reduce the throughput by a minimal amount in order to dramatically decrease the amount of reject product. By doing this the right first time figure could increase to raise overall production efficiency. If speed is the overriding factor, i.e. the faster the speed, the higher the defect rate, then just by reducing the stroke rate of the machine, the amount of over-processing required would be reduced. If however speed were not the decisive factor, then an investigation of the machines capabilities would have to be reviewed, and if it cannot be removed, then do you accept this defect level caused by the machine, or do you evaluate the possibility of purchasing a more efficient piece of kit? With regards to the machine that is in place, the Koppens former is approximately 10-15yrs old and forms cakes by using hydraulic cups and a forming plate. Over the years the maximum output of the machine has dropped by approximately 25% from the max of 40s/m to now 30s/m. Would it be better to buy a new piece of kit. Perhaps the purchasing an AEW forming machine? Unfortunately these are costly pieces of kit. Costing in the range of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½250K. This is a large prohibiting factor in an SME of the size of the company in question, with their limited financial resources. In order to justify a capital expenditure of that magnitude, a significant order would have to be procured to allow for the required payback period to make it a cost effective purchase. It is almost chicken and egg scenario. With a new piece of machinery of this nature the potential for increased throughput of not only this line, but also of others would rise significantly, but monies or orders to cover payback periods would have to be secured before capital expenditure is considered. It is a difficult political climate with retail customers at present. More and more of the major multiples only issue contracts for periods of usually a year (although there has recently been a downward trend to decrease these to six monthly). So a guarantee off continued business is not certain, which prohibits the purchase of the new machinery. The small margins also affect the staff efficiency and retention (thus quality). Because margins are tight, only a small amount on the top of national minimum wage can be applied. This can limit not only the response to job advertisements, but also with staff retention and loyalty. With a higher staff turnover, the quality of staffs employed often reduces, thus affecting the throughputs and efficiencies of the lines. This interplay of factors is what has to be investigated further upon before resolutions can be found. Identification is just the first step in an overall improvement plan. Appendix 1: Summary Sheets GMP Audit Material Enclosed in this booklet are copies of the audit checklists that you can use to audit your site against each element of GMP. You should aim to audit 2 elements of the standard each week and use the techniques discussed in week 1 on problem solving to objectively assess each element of the standard. If you wish to discuss any elements in more detail then contact one of the tutors on the course who will be able to help you clarify any problems or issues that you may have. IMPORTANT You will need to copy the food safety and hygiene audit assessment form each week, as you will need to use this to summarize for each assignment. Using the Sample Assessment Forms for the 10 sections of Good Manufacturing Practice identify: 1. Areas of Strength and Weakness for the GMP sections for your own plant or operation, using the checklists provided. 2. The causes of problems which are inherent with the areas of weakness 3. The barriers and aids which will effect the improvement process 4. Prioritise the actions needed to improve your Good Manufacturing Practice needs, using the assessment forms, which should be included within your weekly assignment. A grading system has been given on each checklist. You may use this grading system to help you to assess your factory, but feel free to modify this. If you do modify the system then you should explain, quite clearly, how the grading or scoring system is used. Key to the ABCD grading system for assessing the sections and elements of the GMP standard: Grade A Excellent Scores 50 points. Grade A scored when there are no safety problems or issues. Requires no further action. Grade B Satisfactory Scores 30 points. Actionable within defined timescale as agreed at audit. Grade C Major Scores 10 points. Actionable within one working week. Grade D Critical Scores 0 points. A Grade D is automatically awarded when a critical safety issue is identified, and is actionable immediately.

Assessing The Background Of Koolhaas Cultural Studies Essay

Assessing The Background Of Koolhaas Cultural Studies Essay After the devastating fire bombs of the Germans strategy during the early stages of World War II, Rotterdams centre was destroyed, together with many other older buildings of the city. The restoration of the Rotterdams centre presented a great challenge to architects of building a city from the start. Rotterdam was then a post World War II empty canvas which gave birth to some of the upcoming architects of the time. One of them was Rem Koolhaas, who four years after the destruction had the chance to design one of the cultural museums in the centre of Rotterdam. Kunsthal museum was built as a way to encourage tourism in Rotterdams cultural capital. The Kunsthal museum was design and built as a way to draw global attention for the architecture of the building in order to put Rotterdam on the European Cultural stage. Rem Koolhaas is a Dutch architect that was born in Rotterdam in 1944. He started his career as a writer and he worked as a journalist for the Haagse Post and as a film screenplay writer. In 1968 he moved to London to study Architecture at the Architectural Association School. By 1972 a scholarship, that he was awarded with gave him the oppotunity to stay in the United States where he started his analysis of the impact of the metropolitan culture on architecture. He wrote Delirious New York, which was published in 1978 and he described it as a retroactive manifesto for Manhattan.( eneshi reference?) At that time Rem Koolhaas returned to Europe in order to step forward from theory to practice and in 1975 he founded OMA (Office of Metropolitan Architecture) in London with Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and Madelon Vriesendorp. In the first 10 years OMAs designs were theoretical; they were only captured on paper but never build. The intentions of OMA were to define new types of relationships between architecture and contemporary cultural situation, both in theory and in practice. OMAs projects like the Educatorium in Utrecht, the Seattle Public Library and the Kunsthal Museum are undoubtedly revealing those objectives. Rem Koolhaas was mainly influenced by the early modernism of Destijl and the Russian Constructivists and his attempt was to reinvent the variety of the modern movement before the establishment of the Rationalist canon. In the 1980s he turned towards more realistic projects like housing programmes, some of them being a residential building project in Rotterdam (1980 1982) and public housing in Amsterdam (1983). By 1987 Rem Koolhaas had the commission to design the Kunsthal museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands which was the first large project by OMA to be built. Kunsthal Museum is located in Rotterdam, Netherlands and lies between the citys Museum Park and the busy highway Maasboulevard creating a division to the site which Koolhaas used to shape architectural design accordingly. The building contains three large exhibition halls (3300 square meters) on three different levels that can be used jointly or independently, two gallery spaces, a design gallery and a photo-gallery, a large auditorium, a bookshop, a VIP room and an independently accessible restaurant cafe. The museum is not only an exhibition building but also acts as a traffic intersection as well. The south facade of the building faces the main artery of the city, a busy highway which is built on top of a dyke and is connected through the building with the north side where the museum park takes place. In the perimeter of the museum park there are located 4 other museums among them the Netherlands Architecture Institute and the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. Rem Koolhaas is using the surrounding features of the site to contrasts the two sides of the building, the quiet, green park and the busy and noisy highway, and uses Kunsthal museum as a bridge that connects the urban and the natural landscapes. The main idea behind the buildings design was that of a square crossed by two routes. One of those routes is a public pedestrian ramp linking the north and south sides of the museum and a road, parallel to the highway, running east west. Those routes would divide the square into four autonomous parts that would be joined by an axis of movement. The challenge for Rem Koolhaas and his partners was to design a museum- building as four different, autonomous projects, a feature that is used before in the Seattle City Library (2004) where Koolhaas designed the building as several different parts connected by a spiral route. From that challenge the concept of the building was a continuous circuit through the spaces. The concept idea was achieved by the use of ramps running through the interior, connecting the different levels and divides the functional areas. The ramps are connecting the interior spaces on different levels but at the same time the floor slopes and ramps are traversing the structure as the several parts of the building are piled on top of each other. Circulation is an important element of Rem Koolhaas architecture and as he stated: The movement changes the architecture.  [1]   Appendix: 1 Sections of the building showing the floor slopes created by the ramps. One of the ramps that divides the structure is the public, pedestrian ramp that runs from the highway level of the north facade to the access road at the lower level of the museum park. A glass wall separates the public path from the interior exhibition space that creates a connection between interior exterior spaces. Another passage through the Kunsthal Museum is an access road that runs Appendix: 2 Exterior public ramp glass wall beneath the building. A second; interior ramp runs parallel but reversed and crosses the pedestrian ramp. The entrance of the museum is defined when the two ramps meet. The interior ramp at the entrance of the building leads to the ground level into the Exhibition Hall One that faces out to the museum park. Rem Koolhaas used tree columns scattered on the interior to refer to the exterior view. At the end of Hall one a ramp leads to Hall two that faces out towards the urban landscape. Through Hall two a path leads either back to the entrance or leads up a different ramp to a roof garden but halfway up the visitor faces Hall three. This complex spatial circulation creates a unique experience through spaces with the use of different contemporary lighting systems and materials for each of the paths, ramps and spaces through the museum. Koolhaas is also using this technique in order to divide the private and public areas but also to create a unique relationship between interior and exterior. Appendix: 3 Lighting systems through spaces Appendix: 4 Roof Lighting systems Circulation is the main idea behind Kunsthal museum and as Rem Koolhaas stated for the MOMA expansion project: It is evident that circulation is what makes or breaks public architecture.   [2]   In the Kunsthal museum ramps are used as connectors but also are used to move the viewer from one space (gallery) to the next in order to experience the journey between spaces. Rem Koolhaas attempt to contain in Kunsthal, but also in some other projects, a complex spiral shape movement within a square which refers back to Wrights Guggenheim Museum with the circular circulation, the unbuilt endless museum project by Le Corbusier and the pinwheel plan of early villas by Mies Van Der Rohe. Rem Koolhaas has used the spiral circulation within a rectangular volume in several projects like the 1989 design for the French National Library in Paris. Many of Kunsthal design elements were used in the famous Seattle city library 10 years later, like the use of ramped spiral circulation, diverting public routes through the building, translucency and transparency. In order to create a contrast between interior and exterior spaces but also private and public areas, Rem Koolhaas used a various collection of contrasting materials, cheap and expensive, elegant and banal. The use of inexpensive, everyday materials is another element of Rem Koolhaas architecture that is contained in Kunsthal Museum. The architect stated that: Architecture is always the encounter of vision and circumstance. The Dutch dont believe in spending a lot of money on buildings so theres no choice but to build with really cheap materials.  [3]   He created a collage of materials, with Miesian aesthetics, on the exterior of the building which reflects the Mies Van der Rohes National Gallery in Berlin but in a deconstructed adaptation marked with contemporary elements and a contrast of fine marble and glass with raw materials. For Kunsthal museum Koolhaas used a collection of different materials like steel, glass, stone cladding, concrete, translucent corrugated iron sheets and plywood. This differentiation of materials had as a result the fragmentation of the facades and each side of the building is completely different. The architect used heavy, solid materials where the interior spaces had to be kept private and the use of glass gave a feeling of openness and a link between exterior-interior. With the use of glass he also achieved to open the exterior facades in order to show to the public the interior spaces without giving a clear image of whats really happening behind the walls. Appendix: 5 East Facade of the museum Appendix: 6 North West Facades of the museum The complexity and uniqueness of the building but also the detailing that Rem Koolhaas added to the Kunsthal museum is revealed not only through the exterior and interior architectural details but also through the structure of the building. Kunsthal museum, unlike most of the buildings, especially that time, embraces many options that create a varied spatial experience that make the concept and the building itself, stronger. The design of the structure for Kunsthal reveals the relationship between architectural intent, rationality and structure. Many elements were embedded in the structural system in order to create a unique structural system in each area of the building. There is a distortion of the structural grid and it is visible in the interior, in each hall the columns were placed diagonal in plan. Appendix: 7 Architectural and structural plans of the museum. In Hall one there are two rows of columns slipping past each other but in Hall two there is a complete free span space. The Auditorium has also a different structural system with slanted columns and the pedestrians ramps- path is being designed as a double cantilever with columns running across, diagonal in plan. The irrational structural system that is used in Kunsthal museum is exposed on the exterior of the museum at the main entrance, leaving a taste of what is to come on the interior for visitors. Next to the entrance there are four different columns very closed to each, one H column, one reinforced concrete column, one castellated and one cylindrical column. The unique structural systems used in the Kunsthal, the cheap exposed materials, the fragmentation of the facades by different materials, the use of a complex circulation, the extensive detailing throughout the building but also some functional problems that came to the surface after the opening of the museum in 1992, set Kunsthal as the pace for a lot of criticism about Rem Koolhaas and his architecture. Rem Koolhaas stated at one of his interviews for his book S.M.L.XL that: I was also interested in showing the implications of failure showing both the calculations and the miscalculations of projects.  [4]  Kunsthal museum is a great example of many architectural elements that Koolhaas wrote about and used at many of his later projects, but some failures was found in some of the detailing of the building after the opening in 1992. Problems associated with the building were indicated by many of its visitors. Some of the comments made by the visitors stated that the entrance of the building was not exactly obvious so later on a lighting arrow indicating the door was placed outside the entrance. Other problems associated to the building were some of the narrow corridors and metal grid flooring used in one of the exhibition halls that caused several drawbacks to the function of the building and created a lot of criticism for the architecture of the museum. Appendix: 8 Entrance of the museum Conclusion Alli mia paragraph g tin simantikotita p ennan to conclusion se 2 Perhaps its because Koolhaas is not wedded to any one style that he finds McArchitecture easy to digest. Unlike the work of Peter Eisenman or Gehry, a Koolhaas building isnt easily identifiable. In some ways I consider that a compliment, says Koolhaas. You work in so many conditions that it would be artificial and unreal if your work did not become very different too. Bibliography: Balmond, C. (2007) Informal, Prestel Publishing. Baumeister,R. Lee,S.(2007)The Domestic and the Foreign in Architecture, Rotterdam, 010 Publishers. Egeraat, E. Jodidio,P. Richters, C.(2005) 10 years, realized work, Australia, The images Publising Group. Graafland, A. Graafland, A.(2000) The socius of architecture: Amsterdam, Tokyo, New York. Rotterdam, 010 Publishers. Groenendijk, P. Vollaard, P. (2004) Guide to Contemporary Architecture in the Netherlands, Rotterdam, Uitgeverij 010 Publishers. Koolhaas, R. Mau, B. (1995) S.M.L.XL, New York, Monacelli Press. Koolhaas, R. (1996) Rem Koolhaas : Conversations with Students, New York, Princeton Architectural Press. Koolhaas, R.( 1994) Delirious New York: A retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan, New York, Monacelli Press. Naredi-Rainer, P. Hilger, O. (2004) Museum buildings: a design manual, Switzerland, Publishers for architecture. Storrie, C.(2006) The Delirious Museum: A Journey from the Louvre to Las Vegas, New York, I.B. Tauris Co Ltd. Waldheim, C.(2006)The landscape urbanism reader,New York, Princeton Architectural Press. http://architectuul.com/architect/rem-koolhaas http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Ge-La/Koolhaas-Rem.html http://www.ribajournal.com/blog/comments/rotterdam_kunsthal/ Appendixes: