Drunk as drunk Essay

Drunk as drunk This poem is about the lustful relationship between two people. The pair lay in the flowers under the night sky and kiss each other til’ what seems like months later. I think the couple depicted are in the early stages of their relationship. They spend all day with their bodies pressed against one another and kiss in the flowers. They are so consumed in each other that they neglect sleep, food, and water. I think it’s all a bit exaggerated but it is definitely depicting a young, passionate love. Neruda uses many similes in this poem for the effect of creating a pair of lust filled lovers. He likens them to â€Å"fish under a net of our kisses. † The two spend all of their time together, and can’t think of anything other than that. He also uses imagery, saying miour wet body wedged between my wet body and the strake of our boat that is made of flowers. † He uses imagery to depict two lovers lying on the grass, and pressed against each others’ bodies. He makes it seem like the lust (and love) between these people is wedged together, i. . inseparable. The tone of the poem is very loving and romantic. The narrator is one of the lovers, which makes you see their connection better. The use of similes, metaphors and tone in this poem show the strength of Neruda’s writing. He makes you â€Å"drunk as drunk on turpentine† from his writing. Girl. Themes The Danger of Female Sexuality Even though the daughter doesn’t seem to have yet reac hed adolescence, the mother worries that her current behavior, if continued, will lead to a life of promiscuity. The mother believes that a woman’s reputation or respectability determines the quality of her life in the community. Sexuality, therefore, must be carefully guarded and even concealed to maintain a respectable front. Consequently, the mother links many angential objects and tasks to the taboo topic of sexuality, such as squeezing bread before buying it, and much of her advice centers on how to uphold respectability. She scolds her daughter for the way she walks, the way she plays marbles, and how she relates to other people. The mother’s constant emphasis on this theme shows how much she wants her daughter to realize that she is â€Å"not a boy’ and that she needs to act in a way that will win her respect from the community. The Transformative Power of Domesticity The mother believes that domestic knowledge will not only save her daughter from a ife of promiscuity and ruin but will also empower her as the head of her household and a productive member of the community. She basically believes that there are only two types of women: the respectable kind and the â€Å"sluts. Undoubtedly for many Antiguan women, domestic knowledge leads to productivity, which in turn wins respect from family and society. Household work therefore brings power and even prestige to women in addition to keeping them busy and away from temptation. Readers recognize the reverence the mother has for the power of domesticity because of the numerous specific instructions she gives her daughter, such as how to ook pumpk in fritters, sweep, grow okra, buy bread, and wash clothes. For her, domesticity brings respectability; sewing up a dress hem thus becomes more than an community. Motifs The mother repeatedly emphasizes food throughout her lecture to reinforce her belief that happiness comes from domesticity. The acts†and art†of making pumpkin fritters, tea, bread pudding, doukona, and pepper pot thus take on greater meaning as elements that link women to their families, their households, and the greater community. In many ways, food will also be the mother’s greatest legacy as he passes old family recipes and culinary traditions down to her daughter and future generations of women. Interestingly, foods such as doukonaand pepper pot also act as anchors that squarely place the story in Antigua and the Caribbean. Mentioning these specific regional foods allows Kincaid to recreate a world that’s vivid and different from our own without ruining the storys structure with unnecessary descriptions. Cloth Cloth and its relationship to appearances and proper housekeeping reappear throughout the story to highlight the importance of respectability. The mother knows hat a person’s clothing reveals much about character and personality and that shabbiness implies laziness and poverty. Washing, sewing, and ironing allow women not only to project their status but also their productivity and self-worth. Neatness in appearance also corresponds to the community’s perception of a woman’s sexual respectability and morality. Organized, productive, well-groomed women appear competent and in control and consequently have much less chance of falling under suspicion of having had illicit relationships with men. The mother therefore stresses the importance of dress and appearance to save the daughter from a life of isrespect. Symbols Benna Antiguan folksongs, or benna, symbolize sexuality, a subject the mother fears her daughter already knows too much about. Historically, native Antiguans sangbenna to secretly spread scandalous rumors and gossip under the uncomprehending British people’s noses. Singing benna in Sunday school, therefore, represents not only disobedience but also sinful, forbidden knowledge that can’t be discussed openly in public, let alone in church. Even though the daughter may not consciously equate benna with sexuality as her mother does, her protestations nevertheless uggest she knows full well benna’s seductive power, mystique, and forbidden qualities.

Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle Essay

Every day the people in this nation zoom around in their busy lives. People cut corners to save time and often take the easy route in many tasks. Sometimes by cutting these corners, an impact can be made on the world around us and the people we love. Eating is just one of the many things that people forget to take care of. Food is the foundation to our bodies. Food is what keeps people going and fuels them to do what they need to do. In 337 BC, Hippocrates stated, â€Å"Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.† Most of the food people consume is not good for them. Poor nutrition is damaging and causes mood swings, behavioral issues, problems in growth development, cancer, sickness, disease, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and the list goes on. The artificial fillers, colors, dyes, excess salts and sugars in food cause the body to break down. This deterioration of the body leads to many types of ailments. People need to stop eating fast foods, genetically modified foods, processed and refined foods. It is killing the people in this country day after day. It is severely important to eat healthy nutritious foods. â€Å"A poorly nourished child will fail to grow properly; a poorly nourished adult will have a decreased resistance to infection and disease (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2008).† The body needs a certain amount of vitamins and minerals to stay functioning properly on a daily basis and to keep sickness out. If people do not start eating and living healthier, sickness and chronic disease will only increase and continue to occur. 45% of Americans have at least one chronic condition and 26% of the population has two or more conditions (AACC, 2009). Poor eating habits are being passed down to children and these habits are going to be detrimental to our communities and to this nation. Eating nutritious organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (beans) will prevent and diminish many health issues as well as maintain a healthy body and mind. In the past 3 decades, there has been significant increase in hyperactive beh avior, ADD and ADHD in children. A 3% increase per year has been recorded from 1997 to 2006 and a 5.5% increase from 2003 to 2007 (CDC, 2011). In America today, 5.2 million children are diagnosed with ADHD and 63% of those children are currently taking medication as a treatment (CDC, 2011). Fast foods, processed foods, candy, soda, chips and pizza are all attributing factors for hyperactive behavior. Research has linked food additives, dyes and poor nutrition with behavioral issues. The debate continues over the actual cause of hyperactivity however, a solid body of evidence points to food additives, allergic reactions to food and excess sugar in the diet. Food additives cause adverse responses that a child’s natural body is incapable of warding off. Aggressive behavior and restlessness will occur in a child when refined carbohydrates and sugars are present (Kirschman, 2007). Good eating habits are critical for the proper growth and development of a child. Studies have proved that removing artificial additives from a child’s diet will provide a substantial improvement on one’s behavior. One study demonstrated a 70% behavioral improvement after just 5 weeks (Stevenson, 2010). People need to take more care when making choices on what to feed their kids. Children also need to be educated on the effects of a poor diet. This will help them to become conscious adults and less likely to develop chronic diseases. Junk food filled with empty calories, sugars, salts and fats are like drugs to children. Their bodies are not developed enough to handle this sort of distortion in body activity. Food is medicine. Therefore, the body requires proper nutrition to function correctly. There will be a considerable increase in risk of chronic disease in upcoming generations if poor eating habits are not addressed starting at a young age (AACC, 2009). The World Health Organization (WHO) has been compiling information since 1989 about the direct link between poor nutrition and chronic disease. The WHO has concluded that there is a growing epidemic of chronic illness. Evidence has shown a direct relationship between poor diet and unhealthy lifestyles. America has been a world leader in the areas of technology, medical and scientific research, and higher education for generations. However, as people spent billions of dollars and millions of man-hours solving the crises of infectious diseases around the world, a more silent and deadly crisis grew; chronic illness (Rose, 2011). Obesity is the most prevalent of all chronic diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2010, overweight and obesity counted for one third of the adult population. Overweight and obesity can lead to chronic illnesses like hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, respiratory problems and some cancers. U nfortunately some aspects of appetite come from an emotional nature, often times not feeding the body but feeding the need for love and comfort (Kirschman, 2007). Other factors include hormonal malfunction, emotional tension, boredom, habit or malnutrition. â€Å"According to a June 23, 2011 report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, participants gained weight with the intake of potato chips, potatoes, sweetened beverages, unprocessed red meats and processed meats. They lost weight with the intake of vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and nuts (Rose, Para 9, 2011).† Additives and preservatives take the place of nutrients and minerals removed from the original food sources. Even though processed food may taste good, it is lacking all the beneficial nutrients needed to nourish the body, maintain blood sugar levels, and ensure proper digestion. Our bodies store all the things that our digestive systems cannot process therefore making more fat tissue which contributes to obesity (Rose, 2011). Statistics show that people who are average weight will live longer, have more energy and feel better overall. A well-balanced, whole foods diet high in all essential nutrients and absent of offending substances will result in healt hy body, healthy mind and healthy body weight (Kirschman, 2007). People need to realize just how serious the consequences are related to poor diet. Conscious living and healthy eating habits are essential to a healthy, long life free from ailments and chronic illness. It is never too late to start making a change. The time has come for the people of this nation to take control of their lives. People need to stop making choices based on how they feel and from what they see when they wake up and step out into the world each morning. Changes in diets and lifestyles have occurred through industrialization, urbanization and economic development. These changes have impacted what people chose to eat as well as their activity levels (WHO, 2002). There has been a significant impact on the health and nutritional status of our population. The access to food has increased and diversified and this direction is not beneficial. The more people evolve and find new technologies; the sicker, the bigger and more in debt people become. These changes in dietary and lifestyle patterns; chronic illness including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and some types of cancer are becoming increasingly significant causes of disability and premature death. This places additional burdens on already overtaxed national health budgets (WHO, 2002). Expressing the importance for changing the way people consume food is tough but the consequences of poor diet outweigh any sort of excuse. People’s minds are being filled with attraction to the wrong types of food. People need to take charge of their habits and recognize the importance of adopting a healthier lifestyle. This society needs to stop overeating and consuming overloaded amounts of non-nutritious foods. Food may look and taste absolutely delicious, but that does not mean it has the same satisfying benefit to our bodies. People need to start making choices that matter over the ones that feel good in the moment. This is needed for the well-being of every person in this nation. Food is a person’s foundation and without consuming it properly; a long life of sickness awaits. When people fuel their bodies with proper nutrients it is virtually impossible to get cancers and other chronic diseases. If a person’s body is balanced; when a person nourishes all their systems and all the functions of the body are intact, sickness is powerless (Gerson, 2012). The University of Berkeley, California (2008) writes that one of the biggest preventative measures in avoiding disease is to quit smoking, reduce your blood cholesterol, avoid hypertension, stay active, maintain a healthy weight, avoid diabetes, and balance alcohol consumption. In fewer words, eat healthy and stay active. Testing shows that vitamins A, C, E, B3 and B6 prevent the growth of cancer cells. They stimulate the body’s immune system and act as free-radical scavengers. Free radicals are chemicals produced by the body when exposed to harmful elements such as food and drink contaminants, rancid fats or air pollution. Lipotropes, which prevent the accumulation of fat in the liver, protect the cells from the transformation to cancer cells. Free radicals damage parts of the human cell, especially DNA (a hereditary material present in nearly every cell in the human/animal body) and RNA (similar to DNA except that it is a single stranded molecule). DNA and RNA direct the actions of each cell. Once this process is disturbed by free radicals (poor nutrition), cancer and other chronic disease can develop. (Kirschman, 2007) The result of poor diet, lack of nutritious foods, and absence of activity will result in sickness, disease and chronic illness. People can prevent these things from happening by making simple changes in the way they live their lives. Avoid junk foods like candy and chips. Soda and manufactured juices that pose as being healthy, reduced in calories/sugar or low in fat can be replaced with water. A juicer is also a great investment. An assorted variety of colorful fruits and vegetables can be mixed into a juice extractor which can substitute for a snack or fill the desire for a delicious beverage. Juice from natural juicing requires little digestion and goes directly into the body system Haynes, 2012). It is beneficial to the earth, to communities and to this nation to grow food locally; to purchase food locally. People need to include a large range of fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and nuts in their diets. It is vital to eat these foods in their most natural and unprocessed forms. Pesticides, chemicals and hormones added in foods can alter the capabilities of the nourishment naturally presented (Kirschman, 2007). This nation needs to step out of consumerism and go back to the basics of eating. Humans are gatherers (herbivores) and meant to eat foliage. People do not have enough land, time or money to consume at the level they are devouring (Andrews, 2009). â€Å"A meat-cancer connection has been reported in over 100 epidemiological studies from numerous countries with assorted food habits. Diets can be healthy when including moderate amounts of meat from healthy source s. Yet, unlike plants, which we can’t live without, we don’t need meat to survive (Andrews, 2009).† If people were to provide their bodies with nutrient packed fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans, chronic illness, disease and sickness could be diminished. According to the National Center of Health Statistics, 65.2% of American adults are overweight and obese because of poor nutrition (CDC, 2010). That is just one result of this chronic issue. With eating conscious, people can eliminate the risk of developing a sickness or having different types of chronic illness. Eating crunchy peppers, carrots, apples, celery, nuts or radishes can be consumed as a snack instead of chips and candy. Water should be substituted for all sodas and commercial juices. Boil and steam fruits and vegetables instead of frying them. Eat them raw or juice them in a juicing machine. Foods that are fried, processed, genetically modified and refined tend to lose of their nutritional value thus destroying the body. Too much sugar stored in the body basically just turns into fat. Excess fat stored in the body and the lack of energy from poor nutrition can cause people to become inactive. To avoid all of this the answer is very simple. Eating healthy is imperative to one’s health. Nutritious, mineral and vitamin packed food must be consumed to keep the body functioning properly. People need to take care in what is being served on their dinner tables. People need to be conscious and aware of what they are choosing at the grocery store. People need to watch their portions and take care in the way their foods are being cooked. Chronic illness and sickness can be prevented by eating healthy. If people take the steps and watch the way they consume food they would live longer, disease free lives. If they take care in what they are eating there would be less sickness, disease and debt in our nation. References American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC). (2009). July 2009 Clinical Laboratory News: Rates of Chronic Disease Expected to Rise Sharply. Clinical Laboratory News, 35(7). Retrieved from http://www.aacc.org/publications/cln/2009/july/Pages/newsbrief0709.aspx# Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). (2011). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Behavior (ADHD). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html/ Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). (2010). Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html/ Columbia University Press. (2008). The Columbia Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://lib.kaplan.edu/login?url=/login?qurl=http://www.credoreference.com.lib.kaplan.edu/entry/columency/nutrition Gerson, C. [gersoninstitute]. (The Gerson Institute). (2012, April 24). Charlotte Gerson at the Rock Church’s Cancer Care Ministry [Video file]. Available from http://youtu.be/WtHujJeEguI Haynes D., Haynes, V. (2012). Health Benefits of Juicing. Retrieved from http://juicerrecipesnow.com/health-benefits-of-juicing/ Kirschman, J., Nutrition Search Inc. (2007). Nutrition Almanac Sixth Addition. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies Rose, C. (2011). Obesity in America. Down to Earth. Retrieved from http://www.downtoearth.org/health/nutrition/obesity-america References (cont.) Stevenson, J. (2010). Recent Research on Food Additives: Implications for CAMH. Child & Adolescent, 15(3, 130-133. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4a239b06-faf5-442b-90fa-f212cc52100d%40sessionmgr12&vid=7&hid=9 University of Berkeley California. (2008). Preventing Heart Disease. Retrieved from http://www.wellnessletter.com/ucberkeley/foundations/preventing-heart-disease/# World Health Organization. (2002). Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Disease. WHO Technical Report Series, 916, 1-160. Retrieved from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/who_trs_916.pdf

Summary response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Summary response - Essay Example Romano lists both â€Å"strengths and weaknesses† (Romano, 405) of Statsky’s argument. She gives credit to Statsky for her strong defense and authoritative evidence. At the same time, she points out the shortcomings in Statsky’s argument. The intended audience is parents who are the main stakeholders in the welfare of their children. It is through the lens of their â€Å"worries and hopes† (Romano, 402) that Romano views Statsky’s essay. Romano also bases her criticism of Statsky’s writing on its failure to completely address the questions of those parents who disagree, fully or partly, with her thesis. Romano’s thesis is that, while Statsky’s argument is very effective in reaffirming the beliefs of those parents who share her stand, Statsky weakens her argument by not providing enough evidence to refute the objections of those parents who differ from her. Statsky also fails to address non-contact sports, which form a basic part of children’s

How HPV causes cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

How HPV causes cancer - Essay Example Most of cancer cases that exist in the world happen because of viruses. Both DNA and RNA viruses are able to cause cancer in humans. One of the DNA viruses is Human papilloma virus (HPV)(Liao, 2006), which belongs to the family of papoviruses, non-enveloped, double stranded DNA viruses (Levinson and Jawetz, 2000) figure 1. Human papillomavirus were discovered after cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRVP). The first investigation of HPV in human cancer was conducted in 1970s, particularly in patients with epidermodysplasia verruciformis. (Howley, 2006). HPV usually causes benign papillomas or warts in humans (Liao, 2006). These viruses can also affect humans worldwide, especially women as they are susceptible to acquiring cervical cancer (Schiffman et al., 2007). Most studies consider these viruses as a major cause of cervical cancer. Also, these studies have identified the mechanism of cervical cancer development (Schneider, 1993; Boulet et al., 2007; Schiffman et al., 2007). This ca n explain the progression of disease. Most, if not all cases of cervical cancer occur due to the persistent infection of HPV, particularly the HPV-16 (Liao, 2006). Furthermore, HPV can be divided into several types and species such as HPV16, 18, 31, 33, 35, and 39 (Zur Hausen, 1999). Specific types of HPV linked with cervical cancer are HPV16, 18, 31 and 45 (Chumworathayi et al., 2010). The genome of the virus can encode several proteins such as (E1, E2, E4, E5, E6, E7 and E8) and two capsid proteins (L1, L2). This classification depends on the types of HPV (Su et al., 2010). Cervical cancer requires particular genes to be developed, such as E6 and E7 as Boulet and his colleagues have found (Boulet et al., 2007) and that have been encoded by HPV (Howley, 2006). Once HPV enters epithelia cells and integrates in the host DNA, the malignant transformation increases by the E6 and E7 production (Liao, 2006). These genes have effects on cell cycle progression in cervical cancer. However, HPV can also play a role in aggravating other forms of cancer in humans such as head and neck tumor and skin cancers in immunocompromised individuals (Liao, 2006). Apart from cervical cancer, HPV can also cause cancer according to HPV diversity both in humans and animals. Examples are the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRVP) infection in domestic rabbits, epidermodysplasia verruciformis patient HPV5, 8, 14, Bovin paoillomavirus type 4 (BPV4), alimentary tract cancer in cattle, and Bovin papillomavirus type 1 in horses (Howley, 2006). As several studies observe the association between HPV and cervical cancer, this essay aims at discussing cancer development caused by HPV. Transmission and infection of HPV: Human papillomavirus can be transmitted in different ways both sexually and non-sexually. However, the most common transmission happens through sexual intercourse. This causes anogenital warts of type (6 and 11 HPV) which are considered low in risk with respect to many HPV types. Other types of cervical cancer such a s HPV16, 18 are responsible for about 70 % of cervical cancer and 50 % of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 3 (CIN3) (Schiffman et al., 2007; Smith et al., 2007). The HPV16 and 18 are considered as high risk types of HPV. Additionally, infection of HPV is usually transmitted by direct contact such as skin to skin and mucosa to mucosa, nevertheless, the likelihood of infection for each sexual intercourse is still unknown. Furthermore, several types of HPV can be transmitted collectively according to high proportion of infected women. On the other hand, men also may be infected by different types of HPV, therefore, any sexual act can quickly result in the transmission HPV types (Schiffman et al., 2007). In case of non sexual transmission, a child can acquire the infection of HPV from the mother (Castellsague et al., 2009) especially by placenta as Rombaldi and his colleagues have observed. For example, transmission from mother to the child may occur via amniotic fluid and fetal

Human resource development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human resource development - Assignment Example While higher education is respected for its ability to make us professionals in whatever occupation we choose to follow and make a living, the value of primary education is nevertheless important in imparting us with skills like reading, writing and arithmetic- basic skills that help us understand and evaluate the world around us. The child also learns social skills like sitting together in a classroom, interacting with each other as individuals and groups, and questioning and answering on different topics that are so much an integral part of primary education. Every school needs to have a curriculum that meets certain objectives that are set by the Department of Education in the UK. Therefore focus on a Human Resource Development Plan becomes necessary even for a school. The Need for and Importance of an HRD Plan in a School No organization can function effectively and efficiently without a plan or a vision. A plan takes us from where we are to where we want to be. Point A is a star ting point and Point B an endpoint, which is an objective. It is therefore important to set out the objectives first and then make out a plan to achieve these objectives. It may also be quite true that some of these objectives are short term (1 to 6 months or a year), some intermediate term (between 1 to 3 years), and some long term (3 years and more). In fact a little reflection will show that plans are an integral and necessary part of every teacher’s curriculum and workday. We have subject plans and course plans given to students in schools and colleges, with textbooks, reading materials and assignments to be delivered thus known to the students in advance. However at the primary level, a teaching session or course plan falls to the lot of the teacher who is required to give a weekly or daily plan of what was taught and achieved in the classroom. When it comes to a human resource plan for a school, this is usually the responsibility of the person who does the HR and Admin function for the school. It is usually entrusted to someone in the Administration Department of the school, and that person reports to and is usually directed by the head of the school regarding staff requirements and school objectives. Only when a school has achieved its planned objectives on time can it be said to have operated successfully. There must be concern and care for the overall development of the child, at an individual and group level, in every subject and every discipline practiced and every skill learned. That is why the teacher’s remarks about a child form an important part of his or her report card in regard to his or her overall progress and development (www.direct.gov.uk). Identifying Human Resource Requirements The first and most important part of the Human Resource Development Plan for a school would be to plan for the objectives of the school in the coming year. This is usually done just before the start of the school year. It is a good time to reflect o n what the school has achieved in the past year and evaluate its successes and weaknesses. It is also a good time for taking suggestions from teachers, parents and the Department of Education in order to incorporate workable requirements in the school curriculum (www.legislation.gov.uk). The Department of Education in the UK has a national curriculum that must be adhered to in preparing and finalizing the syllabi for primary education at all primary schools in the UK. This generally relates to the

The Brand Identity Worksheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Brand Identity Worksheet - Essay Example Excellence in craftsmanship Durability Difference in design from other brands Relevant with changing trends Excellence, Perfection and Exclusivity (Rolex.com, 2012,p3) Luxury Items and Luxury watches Pioneers of perpetual self winding springs, pioneers of the oyster shell waterproof technology, the first company to be Kew ‘A’ certified. (Rolex.com, 2012,p3)They are masters of perfection in watch works. Perfection, durability, accuracy, precision, world class customer support, prestige and recognition. (Rolex.com, 2012,p3) Class, Social status, Jazzy style statement, Affluent life style, brand-conscious The brand uses authoritative language in that they are the masters of perfection and the first in the business to make wrist watches that achieved impeccable perfection Be specific The text is in white against a green background with a crown in golden colour. Visual style is old-school, aristocratic and symbolic of something which is an antique. Visual style is monarchic, commanding, clear and distinct A crown for every achievement Eric Clapton, Vijay Amritraj - the ambassadors for Rolex.

Leadership in History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership in History - Research Paper Example When he came to power, Mr. Putin faced a number of problems, dilemma and obstacles in his presidency. President Putin rose to power when the Chechnya problem was at the peak, high corruption in the government and military, economic meltdown and having to choose between a deal not to criticize the former president and doing whatever he believed was right according to him(Baker and Glasser 117). That time marked the worst time ever for the Russian economy, which required the best leadership skills to maneuver the tide. Putin did not let his citizens down in this one. He made some decisions that though were controversial, ended up saving the Russian economy. In fact, president Putin tried very much to change the governance of Russia from a militarized state to a communist state by moving away from military rule. Most countries believe that by being super-powerful in terms of military might, then their citizens and the country at large can be peaceful. However, this might not be the obvious case going by Gorbachevs new thinking on international relations. He believed that even though not everything can change overnight, people will always have different approaches to certain issues. For peace to prevail is to acknowledge the needs and interests of every person or country and the equality of their equality internationally and then striving to provide them (Gorbachevs). The same sentiments seem to have motivated Putin’s presidency going by some of the decisions he made regarding his leadership. This paper is going to examine the presidency of Putin, the problems he encountered, how he came to power and finally how he dealt with the problems. Mr. Putin’s presidency came at a time when the problem of Chechen rebellion was troubling government and wanted to bring the presidency that recognizes the plight of Chechnya and on the same note not portraying the outgoing President in bad light. This was not the

Introduction to Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Introduction to Political Science - Essay Example Political parties refer to groups of people joining to contest elections through which they hold power hence running the government. These people may not necessarily share ideologies in real life but for political reasons affiliate themselves with ideologies that will drive their agenda. They may agree in policies developed or procedures or programs developed for the society. They work together as a unit to promote the good of the community in a collective approach. The different ideologies may not matter considering members of the political party have one core ideology that drives them. It is under the political party that electorates elect those to run the government. The management of parties is different in different political jurisdictions. Some have more than one party applied as the multiparty system while others operate on one party like Chine. These differ in approach and each has different management styles that may fit its operations in a country. These parties have develo ped as the defining features of the modern day democracies.

History 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History 101 - Essay Example Besides the Goths taking over the Roman Empire, and the Franks and Gauls rising up to form the Frankish Kingdom, Christianity was spreading quickly and had already permeated in Roman society and still survived even the fall of Rome. All of this resulted to the integration of various cultures and practices. The Carolingian Dynasty was perhaps the earliest successful of a prosperous medieval kingdom. It was considered a model or example of how a successful merging of different cultures and practices can mix well to bring out a stable political structure, a flourishing society and a thriving intellectual atmosphere. This was all possible and caused by and during the rule of Charles the Great or Charlemagne. The Carolingian period was stable in rule, but nothing really as compared with that of the Roman Empire’s political structure. While the Romans had their Caesars as absolute rulers and the Senators as representatives of the people as well as advisors to the Caesars, the Carolingian rulers formed what seemed to be a different form of government. What developed were kingdoms -- the king had to constantly move around his land in order to show and prove himself to his subjects (Kreis, â€Å"Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance†). This of course was called the Feudal system, or Feudalism, in which the land was divided among the nobles in power who laid their allegiance to the king of the realm. This was particularly very Gallic and Germanic influence because they did not maintain for the sole reason that Rome had built a government around the emperor and his elaborate and extensive administrative bureaucracy (Kreis). The Roman political structure relied on its efficient and effective system of political management to keep the state running properly. Proper protocol is followed among the hierarchy of powers, and the various political positions are there to check each other and maintain balance and order. The legal system, as well as

Education Policy In Bangladesh Essay Example for Free

Education Policy In Bangladesh Essay Introduction â€Å"Insurance is a way of protecting against these financial losses†. â€Å"General insurance or non-life insurance policies, including automobile and homeowners Policies provide payments depending on the loss from a particular financial event†. Anyone who owns an asset can buy insurance to protect it against losses due to fire or theft And so on. Each one of us can insure our and our dependents’ health and well being through hospitalization and personal accident policies. In this report we tried to show that how general insurance business operates in Bangladesh how important it is for economy what types of problem it faces in our country. Objective of the Study Primary objective The main objective of the study is to know how the insurance business works in our country. Secondary objective: The case study has the following objectives: To know about the insurance company (Based on three insurance companies.) To know about general insurance its classification. Company Overview Green Delta Insurance Company Limited (GDIC) is one of the leading private non life insurance companies in Bangladesh. GDIC was incorporated in December 14, 1985 as a public limited company, under the Companies Act 1913.  Actual operations started on 1st January 1986, with a paid up capital of BDT 30.00 million. Now, Green Delta Insurance Company Ltd. is amassed about BDT 637.875 million with a credit rating of AA1 and ST1. GDIC holds the proud distinction of being the first ever company to raise its paid up capital to such a level. This is also the 1st Insurance Company in Bangladesh to have equity partnership with IFC. With a presence in the strategically important parts of the country, which includes 38 branches, Green Delta Insurance Company Ltd. has established its prominent presence with equity participation in Delta Brace Housing Ltd., Progressive Life Insurance Co Ltd, United Hospital Ltd. Fin Excel Ltd. and BD Venture Ltd. Green Delta Capital Ltd. and Green Delta Securitie s Ltd. are two of the direct subsidiaries. GDIC provides stock brokerage services through Green Delta Securities Ltd. (GDSL) and investment supports through Green Delta Capital Ltd. (GDCL). As a part of the recognition for the contribution in the development of the insurance industry and for maintaining the standard of service, the company has been considered as one of the top 500 companies according to the renowned Rating Agency, Dun Bradstreet Rate Agency of Bangladesh. The company has also been awarded with many national and international awards like –‘’ICAB National Awards’’ for Best Published Accounts, ICMAB Best Corporate Award in Insurance category, ‘‘Certificate of Merit’’ for the Best Presented Accounts Award in the category ‘Insurance Sector’ by the South Asian Federation of Accounts (SAFA), ‘‘International Quality Crown Award’’ by BID International in London, The BIZZ Award by World Business confederation of Business, USA for leadership, Excellence in a management, Quality and Marketing, ‘‘The Diamond Eye Award For Quality Excellence’’ by BID OTHERWAYS, The Platinum Technology Award for Quality Best trade name by Association Other Ways in Berlin, International Star Award for Leadership in quality in the Gold, Platinum and Diamond categories and many more. With the slogan â€Å"Marches with time† during the last 28 years GDIC has been helping people in their time of need; pulling out all the steps when needed, and has been proud to be a partner in progress. Our Vision Our vision is to mature into a sustainable, coherent organization, raise competitiveness to the highest level in the insurance industry, maintain  high profitability balanced quantitative growth and exceed customer’s expectations by offering legendary services, embrace a new corporate identity and creative corporate culture. Our Mission Our mission is to create shareholders value through customer’s satisfaction and employee’s commitment to excellence. Our Strength Constant pursuit of suitable strategies has made the company the leading insurer of Bangladesh for over two decades. Our Belief We believe that client must stand at the center of our all activities. We have the ability to optimally fulfill the client’s needs based on risk management with minimum cost and personalized services Finding: Products Services Corporate Risk Management Industrial All Risk Insurance including Machinery Insurance and Business Interruption Property All Risk Insurance including Business Interruption Electronic Equipments and Computer Insurance Professional Indemnity Insurance Comprehensive Machinery Insurance Comprehensive General Liability (CGL) Product Public Liability Insurance Directors and Officers Liability (DO) Fire and Allied Perils Insurance Marine Cargo and Hull Insurance Financial Cash-in-safe, Cash-in-transit Cash-on-counter Insurance Portfolio Cover Credit Card Indemnity Insurance Bankers Blanket Insurance Bank Lockers Insurance A.T.M. Booth Insurance Banc assurance Retail SME Fire and Allied Peril Insurance Marine Cargo and Hull Insurance Personal Accident Health Insurance Overseas Mediclaim Insurance Micro Insurance Micro Health Insurance Nibedita-Comprehensive Insurance Policy for Women Household Insurance Motor Insurance Peoples Personal Accident Policy Comprehensive Travel Insurance Conventional Aviation Insurance Automobile Insurance Workmen Compensation Insurance Miscellaneous Insurance Engineering Insurance (Erection all Risk, Contractors all Risk, Deterioration of Stock Boiler Pressure Vessel Insurance, business intemiption Crop Insurance Nlbedlta-Comprehensive Insurance Policy for Women Weather Index Based Insurance Investment Portfolio Management Underwriting Pre-IPO placement Syndication Trusteeship Green Delta Insurance is known for its innovation and services. Today ´s competitive insurance market is driving the market to think and Winovate now products and services and GDIC have been doing with its authentic. Beside the Traditional insurance portfolio GDIC introduced following personal line of products in last year and some them are in pipeline: Health Insurance Household Insurance Nibedita-Comprehensive Insurance Policy for Women Cellular Phone Contingency Insurance Weather Index Based Insurance Personal Accident Insurance Policy for Migrant workers It is matter of great pride that GDIC has introduced an insurance product first time ever in Bangladesh which is designed only for the females named as Nibedita-Comprehensive Insurance Policy for Women. GDIC has also designed first ever Weather Index Based Insurance for the farmers of Bangladesh which will be launched shortly. In Briefly Fire Insurance Basic cover: Fire Lightning Explosion(domestic) Damage during or immediately following Fire caused by – smoke, scorching, Falling walls, water used for extinguishing Fire, blowing up building for preventing Spread of fire. This coverage can be extended to include other perils by the additional premium; Riot, Strike Terrorism Storm, Flood Subsidence Landslide Aircraft damage Bursting or overflowing of tanks. Health Insurance The health policy provides for reimbursement of hospitalization/domiciliary hospitalization expenses for illness/disease suffered or accidental injury sustained during the policy period. Under this scheme the expenses for treatment in a hospital for an illness or injury are insured. It does not cover for any expenses in respect of domiciliary or outdoor treatment. Covers: Hospitalization due to accident or illness. Ancillary services like ICU/CCU room, post-operative room, blood transfusion, special investigations, etc. Labor room services. Intensive care facility. Oxygen therapy. Skilled nursing services. Blood transfusions. Ambulance services. Dressing while in confinement and test other than the routine investigations. Marine Insurance The oldest branch of insurance. Comprises: a. Cargo Insurance. b. Hull Insurance. Lloyd ´s is the famous world ´s Marine insurance market. Marine Insurance Act 1906. HULL INSURANCE Concerns the insurance of ships. Hull, machinery etc. CARGO INSURANCE Plays an important role in domestic trade as well as international trade. Provides insurance cover in respect of loss of or damage to goods during transit by –rail, -road -sea -air Burglary Insurance Scope of Cover Lost by burglary Housebreaking following upon an actual forcible and violent entry into or exit from the premises by the person or persons. Then the company will pay to the extent of such loss to the extent of the intrinsic value of the descriptive value of the insured. Exclusions: Theft by persons lawfully on the premises. Any legal liability, Loss or damage during the progress of or following upon fire or explosion. Earthquake, war, Riot, Civil war, Invasion etc. Uncover able property: Deeds, bonds, stamp collections, bank or currency. Theft by persons lawfully on the premises. Any legal liability, Loss or damage during the progress of or following upon fire or explosion. Earthquake, war, Riot, Civil war, Invasion etc Company overview Delta Life Insurance Co. Ltd. established mainly through the initiative of a group of Bangladeshi professionals then working abroad along with a few enthusiastic local entrepreneurs, started its operation in December, 1986 after the Government of Bangladesh allowed the private sector to operate in the insurance sector in 1984 to carry on the business of insurance in the Private Sector. A brief explanation as to the growth of life insurance business in Bangladesh is in order here. Bangladesh declared independence from the Pakistani rules on March 26, 1971 following which she had to witness a bloody liberation struggle with the occupation forces lasting for 9 months before they were defeated. Insurance business which was exclusively carried on in private sector before independence was nationalized after liberation in 1972 primarily to address the emerging situation of eroding public confidence in the industry that was left staggeringly short of resources in the face of huge losses caus ed by the war of liberation. After a series of experimentation, a state-owned body, namely Jiban Bima Corporation (JBC), established in May, 1973 for transacting the life insurance business, took over the assets and liabilities under life portfolios of all erstwhile private insurance companies and started business in its own name. Since inception, Delta Life set before itself a high  standard of all round performance coextensive with professional soundness and proficiency. It soon made a mark in the life insurance arena by not only being the leader among the private sector indigenous companies, but by undertaking and successfully implementing innovative and welfare oriented life insurance schemes. It introduced an array of conventional life and group insurance products many of which were the first in Bangladesh. For the first time, health insurance products were also introduced by Delta Life. But more importantly, in fulfillment of the avowed commitment towards social development, Delta Life for the first time not only in Bangladesh but probably in the World, devised and introduced micro-life insurance-cum-savings products specially suited to the needs and pockets of poor people of the country who constitute more than 80% of the people of Bangladesh. Two projects of the company namely Grameen Bima for the rural people and Gono Bima for the poor and marginal savers of the urban areas were initiated to devote them slave exclusively to marketing and management of these innovative products. We are happy to report that we have achieved a good measure of success although there is a long way to go. These schemes that we have introduced have created great stir and enthusiasm among th e general mass who, before these projects started functioning, could not even dream of owning a policy that provides the much needed life insurance coverage along with facility of regular savings on a long-term basis. At a later stage i.e. in the year 2002, the projects were merged into a division of Delta Life, namely, Gono Grameen Bima Division. The GNGRB Division has been growing at a first rate of more than 25% p.a. for the last couple of the years and is poised to maintain this growth rate at least in the next five years or so. Delta Life can take pride in moulding the saving habits of the lower and middle class people and transforming them into prospective policyholders. The potential is now so strongly perceived that all life insurance companies old and new alike operating in the country have started their own micro insurance products. Finding Ordinary Life Insurance Delta Life offers a wide variety of ordinary life product/plans ranging from the most common endowment type to more modern and sophisticated plans like endowment with open term, pension plan with built in provision for  increasing pension, increasing protection with provision for premium refund etc. The plans have been designed keeping in view the diverse and multifaceted needs of the insuring public belonging to different strata of the society. Some of the popular plans are briefly described below. Group Life Insurance Group Insurance is an instrument for providing life insurance coverage (protection) to a number of individuals under a single contract (policy) who are associated together for a common interest other than insurance. It is the most cost effective means to provide immediate financial support to an insured member and/or his family in case of devastating events like-death, disability, disease as well as retirement. Group Insurance has already established its importance as a component of Employee Benefit Package in Bangladesh. Exclusive features of Group Insurance are: Insurance coverage to a number of individuals under a single contract. Simple insurable conditions Easy administrative procedure Prompt claim settlement Affordable premium Tax exemption on premium Delta Life offers a host of Group-Life Insurance schemes from which an organization/ employer may choose for benefits of its members/employees, as may best serve their interest according to organizational setup. To be treated as a group, the following criteria need to be fulfilled. A Group Should comprise of at least 15 members It should be a legitimately organized body Group clients of Delta Life Insurance Company Limited include: Semi-Government organization, autonomous bodies Private, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) Educational Financial Institutions Public Limited Companies Associations, Business organizations etc. Group Life Insurance Schemes offered by Delta Life are of two types: Traditional Schemes: For insurance coverage of members/employees of a Group Exclusive Schemes: For insurance coverage of clients of Financial Institutions Traditional Scheme: These are the commonly offered Group-Life Insurance schemes and are also known as Basic Schemes: These are: Short Term Contract Group Term Life Insurance Scheme (GT) Group Term Life with Premium Refund Scheme (GTR) Long Term Contract Group Endowment Life Insurance Scheme (GEN) Group Pension Scheme (GP) There are several variants of Basic Schemes. Examples of two variants of GTR are GTR-100/10: Group Term Life with 100% Premium Refund after 10 years GTR-50/10 : Group Term Life with 50% Premium Refund after 10 year Health Insurance Health Insurance is now considered indispensable in developed countries. In the present financial-social perspective of Bangladesh as well, Health Insurance has now become an essential, dependable, acceptable and the most cost effective means to make the modern treatment facilities affordable to all socio-economic classes of people, especially the fixed income group. As a pioneer of Health Insurance in Bangladesh, Delta Life Insurance Company offers several Health Insurance Schemes, which are as follows: Hospitalization (In-patient) treatment coverage plans Hospitalization Insurance Plan (Group)- offered to Members of a group and their dependants (if desired) Hospitalization Insurance Plan (Individual) – offered to an Individual as well as his or her dependant family members also known as Delta Care Hospitalization Plan. Out-patient treatment coverage plans Out-patient Insurance Plan Offered as an adjunct to Group Hospitalization Out-patient Management Plan Offered as an adjunct to Group Hospitalization Overseas treatment coverage plan for travelers Overseas Medicliam Policy (OMP) – A pre-requisite for visa application offered only to Individuals traveling abroad. Hospitalization Insurance Plans Covers in-patient (Hospitalization) treatment expenses of an insured member Expenses Covered under Hospitalization Insurance Plans Hospital Accommodation Consultation Fee Medicine Accessories Medical Investigations Surgical Operation Ancillary Services like Blood Transfusion, Ambulance Service, Dressing etc. General Features of the Scheme No need for preliminary Medical Examination during enrolment. Treatment coverage round the clock inclusive of Accidents and Emergencies. Coverage offered to Bangladeshi National as well as resident foreigner. Treatment at any renowned hospital or clinic by consultant of own choice. Preferential service at Designated Hospital. Direct payment of treatment expenses by the company at Designated Hospital. Reimbursement of expenses for treatment at non-designated hospital. Membership ID card for each insured to facilitate preferential services. Option for Maternity Benefit and Overseas Treatment coverage. Provision for inclusion of Spouse Children under the plan. Provision for inclusion of new member under the plan. Coverage up to 65 years under Group HI 60 years under Individual HI plan. Two types of plans with several benefit grades to choose from. Option to choose more than one grade according to status of the members of a group. Option to alter benefit grade during renewal. Gono Grameen Bima Delta Life first launched Micro-insurance product in 1988 through its Grameen Bima Project (GRB) to cater to the necessity of economic protection against premature death and of disability as well as providing a way for regular savings for the poor and low income group of people living in villages. Later it started another project in 1994, namely, Gono Bima (GNB) for the urban poor and the low income class. These projects are now merged under the  name of Gono-Grameen Bima Project (GN-GRB). The initial problems apart, the project started to yield impressive results right from the beginning by creating great interest among the target population who could not even perceive an institutional arrangement through which the ever present problems of insecurity of life could be addressed. To suit the needs and pockets of the target people, and for efficient management of these portfolios, some of the age-old traditional concepts of carrying on life insurance business had to be diluted and in some cases replaced by simple and straightforward practices. Yet, the results are so encouraging that Delta Life is now regarded far and wide as the undisputed leader espousing the cause of welfare of teeming millions and its experiences are now used to advantage not only by indigenous companies but also other micro-savings organizations abroad. Target Group and the Product In GN-GRB the formalities are minimum. Insurance Cover is given under Group Insurance concept. A person interested in a policy submits a simple two-page proposal form; it is signed or thumb imprinted by him or her. There is no need for medical check-up. The person needs to be between 18 and 45 years of age, have a monthly income of Tk. 5,000.00 (US $100.00) or less, be of good health and supply a Declaration of Good Health (DGH) at the time of submitting the Proposal form. Death through pregnancy complications within the first year of the policy and death through suicide in the first year of the policy are not covered under an exclusion clause. Simple endowment with profit policies are offered for 10 and 15 years term both with premium payment mode being weekly or monthly. Premium rate is the same irrespective of age at entry. Besides this plan, new plans like three-payment plan with 12 and 15 years term and double protection endowment plan have recently been introduced. Policy Documents Upon acceptance of the proposal, a pass book is issued to the policyholder detailing all terms and conditions of the policy. The pass book serves as the purpose of recording of all payments made by him towards the policy. There is one group policy document for the policyholders of each Thana or Block. For individual policyholders the passbook serves as policy document. Micro Investment (Loan) GN-GRB gives small project loans to its policyholders on a group liability basis. No collateral is required. There is 20% service charge on the loans, which is calculated at a flat rate and added to the principal amount. The loan, together with the service charge, is repayable in 12 equal monthly installments. The repayments are collected from door to door by the organizers. Recently a decision has been taken to establish small collection booths in the villages. A person must be a policyholder and pay premiums for at least one year before being eligible for a loan. The maximum loan given is Tk. 5,000.00 (US $100.00) per policyholder. The loans are for income generating activities (IGA) only. Policyholders form a committee of 5 to 7 members. 3 policyholders selected by the committee are given the first loan. After recovery of 3 installments from each of the first three borrowers, the next 3 are given their loans and so on. As a general rule, 60% of the premium income of an area and 40 % of the repaid loan of an area are available for loan in that area. Also 100% of premium collection of a committee is available for loan to that committee. Company overview Crystal Insurance Company Limited is one of the leading general insurance (Non Life) company in private sector in Bangladesh. The company transacts a wide range of General Insurance business in Bangladesh and expertise in the field with sound and stable financial position. Our Mission To provide prompt, efficient and professionalized services for maximum risk coverage of the insured. To provide insurance coverage at the most competitive premium rate ensuring maximum security. To promote Human Resource development and professionalism in insurance business. To settle insurance claim promptly. CICL believes in the quality of the deals struck rather than the quantity of it. With our knowledge and expertise it is our commitment to the insuring community to deliver them the highest standard of security and professionalism. Finding Fire Insurance Fire Insurance Policy (including R SD, Flood, Cyclone Earthquake coverage) Industrial All Risks (IAR) Engineering Insurance Machinery Insurance {Machinery Breakdown Policy (MBD)} Deterioration of Stock (DOS) Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPV) Electronic Equipment Insurance (EEI) Erection All Risk Policy (EAR) Contractor’s All Risk Policy (CAR) Motor Insurance Motor Insurance for Commercial Vehicle Motor Insurance for Private Vehicle Motor Insurance for Motor Cycle/Scooter Marine Cargo Insurance Marine Cargo Insurance transit by Steamer or Power Vessel Marine Cargo Insurance transit by Rail/Lorry/Truck Marine Cargo Insurance transit by Inland Rail or Road Conveyance Marine Cargo Insurance transit by Inland Cargoes (water borne) Marine Cargo Insurance transit by Air Cargo Miscellaneous Burglary House Breaking Insurance Cash-in-Safe Cash-in-Transit Cash-in-Premises Cash-in-counter People personal Accident Workmen’s Compensation Policy Business Interruption Overseas Med claim and Holiday Insurance Public Liability Policy Product Liability Policy Consequential Loss Householders Comprehensive Policy

A Critical Evaluation Of Selected Teaching Materials English Language Essay

A Critical Evaluation Of Selected Teaching Materials English Language Essay This assignment is aimed at providing a critical evaluation of one of the modules (units) in the textbook New Cutting Edge, Pre-intermediate level in a relevant context for its possibly best use. This is an internal evaluation of a unit, in McDonough and Shaws (1993) terms, rather than just an external evaluation based on the statements of the publishers. It is well known that no textbook can be so generic to function in an ideal manner in all specific contexts, but if chosen with tact, textbooks can provide a general framework for an optimal use of time and resources at the hand of teachers and learners. The lack of an objective standard to evaluate textbooks should not bring this significant investigation to a halt because in the long run nothing can replace the care and discretion in selection of the best available resource. Experience together with skill in this area would definitely serve learning. Introduction There are different views on the use of textbook, from those who put it at the heart of English language programmes (Sheldon 1988: 237) to those who consider their use as problematic (Swales 1980). A reasonable stance is a halfway between a long standing and extreme arguments on whether textbook makes all the difference or makes no difference whatsoever. Despite being far from perfect, textbooks remain the most suitable means of providing structure (Hutchinson and Torres 1994) and they currently are regarded as an inevitable resource for language learning with its capacity and relative effect depending on context and the situations (Cunningsworth 1979, McGrath, 2002). Reasons for evaluation of textbooks A general perception is formed, as Sheldon (1988) have noted, that regards coursebooks as temporary goods for profit rather than treating educational quality. McGrath (2002) relates the utility as a direct function of informed judgement of a teacher on the appropriateness of a particular textbook for a given classroom. Selection, rejection, addition and modification are four processes that teachers can use to adapt coursebooks to their needs (McGrath, 2002: 59). Richards (2001: 260) contends that because most teachers are not material writers themselves, they should adapt already available textbooks to fit students needs and seek ever opportunity to be creative and supplement the textbook exercises or activities whenever necessary. a teacher will find the need to modify, or expand some parts while omitting other parts, or reorganising the content in textbook as appropriate, a fact which is also very true for Cutting Edge. It should also be noted that book may be perfectly suitable for one situation but short of most parameters of a fair selection in another situation. Thus, its evaluation in isolation is impossible. Thats why Richards (2001: 256-257) explains that studying the role of textbook, teachers and learners in the curriculum takes precedence over textbook evaluation. Methods for evaluation There are various methods and several perspectives for implementing evaluation. One perspective to textbook evaluation is what Hutchinson and Waters (1987) present simply as an analytical matching process to available solutions, but a generally agreed upon criteria for evaluation can be summarised as the focus on design, linguistic content, topic, and logistics (McGrath, 2002). Evaluation an also be done internally or externally. The fundamental methods to evaluate a textbook are listed by McGrath (2002) as the impressionistic, the checklist, and the in-depth methods. Evaluation using impressionstic method Cunningsworth (1995) holds that impressions are useful as a general introduction and a quick overview which helps choosing the coursebook. The coursebooks title New Cutting Edge may not be very revealing but it is exciting combined with its cover images. The size is convenient and the representations look multicultural. Following Cunningsworths checklist (1995), the topic of the module, important firsts, is a key point to consider whether the as it suggests variety and raises real interest, and enables learners to expand their cultural awareness. It provides great potential for student interaction. Tomlinson (2003) argues that graphic details such as opening pictures have a great impact on learners. In module 2, the photo of women in very chic dresses is not readily connecting to the topic or the other one near that, too. Images with more motion could disclose the energy of the topic. The photos in the first two pages are not the units strongest point since they are culturally loaded or at best unfamiliar to foreign language learner but photos in page 3 and onward are very engaging, funny and expressive. Another good point is the balanced focus on form and meaning which go side by side, and column by column. Following is an adapted evaluation checklist (drawn from McGrath 2002). It provides a brief overview of appearance and physical details based on an impressionistic method. Practical considerations affordable Yes weight (for transportation purposes) Yes Support for teaching and learning Teachers book available? Yes Cassettes/CD-Rom available? Yes Suitable for self-study? Yes Context Relevance Suitable for length of course? No Suitable for aims of course? Yes Suitable for learners level? Suitable for learners cultural background? Suitable for teachers? Required resources available? Likely appeal to learners Layout Visuals Topics Yes Yes (partially) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes (partially) The impressions may be more accurate for experienced teachers but they are often very subjective and simplistic. The in-depth methods, on the other hand, deserve such a space which is beyond the confines of this paper. The practicality of checklist method is highlighted in Cunningsworth (1995: 2). Therefore, several methods and perspectives including checklist methods worth consideration in this paper. To evaluate the book part I selected which is followed by an evaluation from external and internal perspectives as well as a micro analysis. Evaluation through Checklists Cunningsworth (1995) developed a checklist which is widely used for evaluation of textbooks. This is one the first checklists that gives a broad analysis (Tomlinson 2003). It should be noted that any checklist has its own advantages and disadvantages and they should be adapted to meet the needs of a specific context (McGrath, 2002: 27). Cunningsworths checklist (1995) is powerful in addressing language content, skills, topics as well as methods but ignores the role of culture and institution. McGrath (2002) pinpoints the principles underlying the design of materials. Checklist is adaptable such as the questionnaire Rahman and Sinha (2010) used. It is given to both teacher and students after background information, to elicit their appraisal of the textbook via several items assessing its layout and physical make up, subject matter, vocabulary and structure, exercises and activities. The questionnaire given to teachers has an extra section on their evaluation of aims and goals and has more items on each of the above mentioned sections. Almost any quality that teachers and language teaching methodology would deem essential for textbooks can be evaluated through a checklist. For instance, learner-centeredness is a quality that can be fostered in a textbook in a form of gradual independence from teacher and developing students self confidence in using English (Cunningsworth, 1995). Jun, Hua and Huiru used an evaluation questionnaire to this effect from which applying a gist would be useful. Firstly, communication skills are developed fairly well through the New Cutting Edge since we have two speaking task about important firsts through both an open-ended personal and a picture-aided controlled activity. A scaffold for doing this task is in the 3rd page where a sentence completion task required pair work and comparison activity about personal information an earlier in the module. Most other tasks are fill-in-gap grammar, vocabulary and writing exercises as well as pronunciation practice. Pair work encourages cooperativ e learning and pronunciation practice leads to an awareness of linguistic skills. The topic important first can relate very well to students lives, views and feelings and offers options to cater for learner differences. Answer key on page 158 is a helpful reference material, but there is little sign of indexing and internet technology that enhance independent language learning. External Evaluation The publishes claims that New Cutting Edge follows a Communicative Language Approach to teaching English which supports learners all-inclusive development in their language by incorporating all language skills. Students are promised to see improvement in their functional English and their ability to communicate on a daily basis. It is also said that the contents hold the interest and respond to the needs of students at this level. Topics are wide-ranging, attractive and up-to-date and designs and images are so vivid that makes this book superior to other coursebooks. The activities in each unit are described as so engaging that can lead students to a comfortable use of English outside classroom in real life situations and that exercises both focus on essential grammatical points and help learners to communicate spontaneously enriched by an authentic sample of reading, listening, writing, speaking, listening and pronunciation activities. Units of  New Cutting Edge  correspond to the Common European Framework which allows students and teachers to simply check the learning outcomes against a generally recognised standard. The coursebook also boasts of a very clear and cumulative structure in consecutive modules that gradually build on each other to improve grammatical points, key vocabulary, and various skills as well as revision and practice opportunities. The supplementary materials for New Cutting Edge are in sufficient, supply which is deemed as suitable because of its interactive nature  and its various features which contains class/ student audio cassettes and CDs, a workbook with key, as well as teachers books, tests, videos, mini dictionary and links to other companion websites. (www.longman.com/cuttingedge) Internal evaluation The New Cutting Edge series have the characteristics of modern textbooks Haines (1996) lists such as being multi-componential (grammar, vocabulary, reading, speaking, writing and a study tip in one module), commercialised, and culturally sensitive as well as having a rich design which consist of lively pictures, visual aids and diagrams, indentations, word clouds, bullets and numbering. The first page begins with a catchy headline and itemised summary besides pictures at the top. Even in grammar section simple pictures and design are intended to help learning while in vocabulary section, more expressive images are used (human faces for words of feeling). The visually attractive cover of this book is a plus like Headway series because as McGrath (2002) claims, the cover, title or sizes of a book are important factors in motivating learners. Evaluation of textbook with micro-analysis of the chosen module (unit) New Cutting Edge, Pre-intermediate by Cunnigham and Moor taps several language skills and subskills. It is a textbook intended for teaching English as a Foreign Language. The New in title suggest maturation from an earlier version besides having a tricky commercial effect. The authors claim that it just got sharper and fresher and easier to use (New Cutting Edge, Pre-intermediate Students Book, back cover). The book is composed of fifteen modules, each containing eight pages, with additional resources such as tapescripts, mini-dictionary and consolidation material. Auxiliary matter consists of a teachers resource book, workbook with and without key editions, CDs and audio cassettes for students use and a separate cassette for classroom use as well as an accompanying website, tests and videos. The book under review is in general support of an integrated skills approach and this second unit has a particular emphasis on pronunciation. Texts for reading are kept short. Writing is practiced at the end of module after speaking tasks. This means productive skills are last in order of presentation. The colourful layout and reasonable placing of items makes it look smart but the photographs are not of highest quality but the illustrations are and cartoons are lively. Closer scrutiny follows in a tabulated form. Topic: Important Firsts. Potential to enhance speculation, but may be too short. Language Focus: Past Simple and Time Phrases A good continue to a tense in previous module (unit). Timely to introduce time phrases (matching with topic) Vocabulary and Wordspot Thematic presentation of new vocabulary with visuals is very engaging. Diagrams in wordspot can consolidate that but it may be difficult for learners at this level. Speaking The first task with questions which makes learners to talk about generally activates the outgoing and breaks the ice for other students who seem to be clueless. The second task is aided with pictures and scaffolds the shy to talk about other people. Pronunciation There are three areas in this unit to deal with pronunciation of past tense regular and stress, a bit above the right size, relatively. Listening There are 11 parts for which there is need to listening and tape, which is relatively high. They address not only the listening part itself but also pronunciation and stress practice as well as checking answers to vocabulary and grammatical exercises. Reading Reading parts are short which may be good at this stage of course if it helps fast pace. May be a supplementary reading is required for faster students. Writing The writing practice comes at the end and reading writing integrated activity. Review In the practice section, grammar and vocabulary exercises dominate and there is no pronunciation exercise despite the weight it has throughout the unit. i: Sequencing ii: Methodology i: Sequencing of skills is generally good with some skills practice between. An exception should perhaps be made for writing: it should not be the last or the least or seem so. Because of its learning potential for foreign language learners that often go unrealised. ii: it follows a task based syllabus and a mixture of communicative approach to language teaching with form-focused instruction as it brings language focus into attention. Conclusion This evaluation once again confirm the point that a quest to find a perfect coursebook maybe unrealistic, but there will be a best book for any situation (Grant 1987). The organization of the material in this units as a sample of the book in question, suggests ways that language can be integrated in the diverse aspects of life.  However, students with more enthusiasm can be given an opportunity to produce more output. My recommendation is to supplement the material with more tasks requiring productive language use such as writing and speaking and that there be more room for discussion and illustrations or examples. They can be set as homework, or if time allows, at the end of session. In all, I found this book very inspiring and highly recommend it for use in an appropriate level and context.

Essay --

Many countries suffered from the Great Depression during the 1930s. The United States was one of the many. During this decade approximately thirteen to fifteen million Americans were unemployed. Considering the number of men that were unemployed, women had to look in unusual places for jobs to sustain themselves, and often their families during difficult times. It was accustomed that men would be the ones providing for the family, but during this time women had to step up and work too. The few jobs that were available during the Great Depression were given to men because many required a man’s strength; therefore women had to look for jobs elsewhere. The economic downfall of the Great Depression forced some women into prostitution. Money and jobs were scarce in the United States during this time. Prostitution rates increased drastically during the depression that women were willing to work for little money. Prices on prostitutes varied depending on the woman’s ethnicity. â€Å"One establishment, for instance, charged twenty-five cents for sex with Mexican women, fifty cents for African American or Asian women, and seventy-five cents to a dollar for white or European immigrant women† (Wild 729). Ethnic differences affected the value of a prostitute. The white prostitutes knew their worth and considered themselves better than the prostitutes of color. This can be considered as white privilege; which is an advantage a white person has over a non-white person. This also shows that prostitution was common amongst women of many ethnicities, due to the desperate need of money. Another statistic states that, â€Å"in the 1930s, one in five American men lost his virginity to a prostitute† ( Weir and Laurier). Considering the high unemp... ... The Great Depression brought worries and sorrows to some people in the United States. With so many individuals unemployed, women felt forced to obtain a job they did not want. Few prostitutes did it for pleasure; however many did it as a necessity. Prostitutes were willing to work for very low prices just to earn money during the depression. Consequently, prostitution rates increased in the 1930s. Proliferation in prostitution occurred all over the United States. The increase in prostitution increased the number of brothels as well. A successful brothel was Polly Adler. The increase in prostitution also affected the way women were viewed by others. Many people were quick to judge prostitutes and forget they were exposed to many dangers. The only reason many women joined prostitution was because of the economic hardships during the 1930s.

The University Office of Information Technology :: Education Data Information Essays

The University Office of Information Technology Introduction In this paper I report on the history, mission, organization, finances, evaluation strategies, and current issues of a university’s office of information technology. I will use the term â€Å"office of information technology† throughout the paper. This term needs to be defined here because it is very general and each university seems to have a unique definition for it. Within this paper, office of information technology will refer to those areas of the university whose primary mission is to serve the information technology needs of the institution. Information technology needs include â€Å"that collection of technologies that enables data and knowledge to be stored and exchanged, assessed, displayed and communicated, and in some cases, synthesized and created.† (Iowa State University, 2000, p. 2). In other words, the computer hardware and software, communications hardware (phone and network) and software, media-related instructional technologies, and the organization needed to support this information technology infrastructure. These services touch the entire university and all its faculty, staff, and students. As with any administrative unit on campus, the organization of that unit will depend on the context in which it is set. Another term that I will use loosely in regard to the office of information technology is the university. While all institutions of higher education rely on information technology as a basic service to provide products to their clientele, I will try to keep my discussion and analysis confined to the concept of Kerr’s â€Å"multiversity†, or research university satisfying multiple goals. This is not to diminish the role of the office of information technology at smaller universities and colleges but only to focus this discussion. One area within a university that is often lumped into the â€Å"information† infrastructure is the library. While my definition does not include the library within the office of information technology, the technology used for many of its services is included. Lastly, I would like to preface the ideas presented within this paper through the perspective of Weick’s (1976) theory of loosely coupled systems. As discussed throughout, the office of information technology is a unit on campus that is intertwined with all other areas in some manner. Thus it must go beyond the â€Å"niche† perspective of individual units and departments and engage itself directly in the politics of the university as a loosely coupled system. As the reader will see, this has affected the history, mission, and organization of the office of information technology and is embedded in many of its

Academic Performance of Nursing Students

Factors Affecting Academic PerformanceFactors Affecting AcademicperformanceCHAPTER IProblem and Its SettingIntroductionAcademic performance is measured by the standing of rates of grades of student in every subject. Having a high level of performance on the academic area of a student suggest its competency and high level of confidence on its certain field. Students have their own attitude towards learning and achieving a high level of academic performance. The development of their enthusiasm towards succeeding in their own field varies.In order for a student to succeed he needs to be armed with strategies and techniques that will supplement his desire to reach his goals. One way is to have an efficient and adaptive study habit. This phenomenon can be linked to multi factors that affect their study habit. Such factors can be found in their environment, these includes the type of house they live in; the people around them and the level of support they give; the student and his familyâ €™s daily routines; the availability of resources Is this Essay helpful?Join OPPapers to read more and access more than 350,000 just like it! get better grades for studying; and also his family’s economicstatus, etcetera. Calbayog City, geographically, is a large city and it is also the focal point of many municipalities in the islands of Samar. That is why apart from the majority of students with families living in the city, it is also common in schools to have students that live in boarding houses since these students live in places far enough from Calbayog City.Christ the King College, specifically the College of Nursing shares this commonality which brings the researchers to wondering whether there are comparisons and differences among BS Nursing students living in their homes and boarding houses in relation to their academic performance. Statement of the problemThis study aims at finding the factors affecting the level of academic performance among the BS nursing stu dent of Christ the king college. It specifically seeks to answer the following questions:1. what is the profile of the BSN students in†¦

How does Shakespeare manipulate and vary the mood throughout Act 2 Scene 3 of Twelfth Night?

In the opening to this scene Shakespeare creates a comic atmosphere by the use of jovial characters; Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. They are carousing in a drunken, noisy celebration and are shortly joined by Feste. However the merry atmosphere is cut short by the introduction of Feste’s song. The song, despite the fact that it is a love song seems to allude to death with the reference to the lover’s journeys end. This could be Shakespeare’s way of reminding the audience that love will not last for ever, creating a rather dismal mood. However shortly after, Feste delights in another song which provides the audience with subtle hints of what is to come further in the play. The audience later learn that the song is what sparks Maria, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew’s trick on Malvolio, as it urges that they must live in the present as ‘in delay there lies no plenty’ suggesting that other characters in the play will too realize that time is short and the speed of the plot will start to increase when characters decide to confess their love creating a sense of excitement. Youth’s a stuff will not endure. ’ Suggests to the audience that Olivia’s beauty is fast fading and if she wishes to find love she must come out of her mourning state. It also alludes to Viola as her beauty will too start to fade and she will no longer appeal to the Duke but he will never know that she is a woman unless she removes her disguise. Shakespeare returns the scene to its comical nature with entrance of Malvolio. He is traditionally wearing night attire and as an audience we struggle to take his authority seriously while he looks so ridiculous. Yet the comical moment is cut short with Malvolio’s reminder to Sir Toby that he can be thrown out of the household if he will not separate himself from his misdemeanours. Sir Toby continues to sing of how he can never change his ways and so therefore must leave, however when probed by Feste that he is too cowardly to stand up to Malvolio social ranks are resumed. We see Sir Toby turn from a merry character to one who can be vicious when he verbally attacks Malvolio addressing the fact that he is in fact nothing more than a steward. Again Shakespeare has changed the mood from humorous to quite serious. This serious mood continues when Malvolio threatens Maria. Yet it is vital note that it is this threat which too encourages Maria to conjure her plan to destroy Malvolio. This is surprising to the audience as she is the one who is most likely to be affected from the outcome of this trickery as Malvolio is her boss. We are left feeling unsettled as to what the will be the outcome of her physic. Nevertheless Maria reminds the audience that Malvolio is a cheat and fraud who is self-obsessed and we feel less unsettled and more willing for them to follow through with their plan. Ultimately in the scene Shakespeare has varied the mood greatly. Despite the fact that it is a comedy in this scene a serious note runs throughout. It is also important to note that this scene runs in a cycle as we start with Sir Andrew and Sir Toby wanting to get drunk and the ending of the scene also finishes with them wanting to get drunk suggesting that the play may run as a cycle too. He uses songs to hint to the audience of events to come and also address the fact that time is running out.

Water Assisted Injection Moulding: a Study on the Influence of Melt and Process Parameters on the Residual Wall Thickness and the Occurrence of Part Defects for Pa6.

KATHOLIEKE HOGESCHOOL LIMBURG Departement Industriele Wetenschappen en Technologie Water Assisted Injection Moulding: A Study on the Influence of Melt and Process Parameters on the Residual Wall Thickness and the Occurrence of Part Defects for PA6. Gielen Bjorn, Heynickx Lien, Van den Brink Dominique, Vandersteegen Jochen Water Assisted Injection Moulding: A Study on the Influence of Melt and Process Parameters on the Residual Wall Thickness and the Occurrence of Part Defects for PA6. Gielen Bjorn, Heynickx Lien, Van den Brink Dominique, Vandersteegen Jochen Received 7 March 2011 Abstract Although water assisted injection moulding is a relatively new and advanced technique to produce hollow parts, several problems which reduce the product quality can occur. Namely, water inclusions in the wall, severe fingering and double wall defects reduce the product part stiffness. This study investigated the effect of the process parameters water volume flow rate, water injection delay time and melt temperature on the part defects to obtain a better understanding of the formation of these part defects. The effect on the residual wall thickness and the weight of the products was also investigated. Three materials were used: two polyamides and one polypropylene as a reference. The experiments were carried out on an injection moulding machine equipped with a water-injection unit to produce hollow handles. The parts were weighed before and after drying, their wall thickness was measured and their percentage of defects was calculated in order to determine the influence of the processing parameters. IR images and pressure profiles ware also used to investigate possible detection methods for part defects. It was found that all the investigated parameters have a significant influence on the residual wall thickness and part defects. Their ‘ideal’ settings depend on the material and the desired properties since small wall thicknesses and few part defects do not always correspond. IR images can give an indication for the presence of defects, but the internal structure of the surface can not be examined using this technique. Key words: water assisted injection moulding, polyamide, processing parameters, residual wall thickness, fingering, double wall 1. 1. Introduction The development of the water assisted injection moulding (WAIM) technique has led to a breakthrough in the manufacturing of hollow or partly hollow plastic parts, which is not possible with the conventional injection moulding process [1] [2]. These hollow parts are characterised by the lighter weight of the products, relatively lower resin costs per part and less shrinkage and warpage compared to conventional moulded products [3]. Several techniques are available for the production of hollow parts. Two of the most important techniques for hollow parts are gas assisted injection moulding (GAIM) and water assisted injection moulding (WAIM). The principle of water assisted injection moulding is basically similar to gas assisted injection moulding, but the use of water has some interesting advantages over gas assisted injection moulding such as a shorter cycle time and an average smaller residual wall thickness of the products. This is due to the fact that the thermal conductivity and the heat capacity of water are respectively 40 and 4 times greater than those of gas [1], providing a better cooling of the part and therefore a faster production. Water assisted injection moulding is better to mould larger parts with a smaller residual wall thickness. Another advantage of water assisted injection moulding is the absence of the foaming phenomenon in the internal surface which can occur by using gas assisted injection moulding , since water does not dissolve or diffuse in the polymer melt during injection moulding. Disadvantages of water assisted injection moulding are part defects such as fingering and double wall arising in the internal surface. Also, the process is more complex so experience with conventional injection moulding is no guarantee for understanding water assisted injection moulding. The control f the process is much more critical, the design of the mould is more complicated and requires more knowledge of the dynamic interaction between the polymer and the filling water [4]. In addition, new water related processing parameters (water pressure, water injection delay time, water temperature, †¦ ) are involved and require proper adjustment [5]. The technology can be used to mould a large variety of polymers, includi ng glass fibre reinforced composites. Liu [6] reported the successful moulding of PP, PE, ABS and glass fibre filled polyamide 6 (PA6) composites with water assisted injection moulding. According to our investigation, few researchers have described the moulding of pure polyamide 6 with the water assisted injection moulding technique. By understanding the water assisted injection moulding process for this polymer, one is able to optimize the production and improve the product quality of PA6 parts. The water assisted injection moulding process can be applied in four variations [1] [6], which differ by the amount of injected polymer and introduction and evacuation of the water. In the short shot moulding process the cavity is first partially filled with polymer and in the next sequence, highly pressurised water is injected into the polymer core. The pressure is maintained during the cooling sequence to minimize the shrinkage and to further cool down the part. After cooling, the water is evacuated and the part is ejected. This technique is useful for thick parts, but the important limitation is the switchover mark on the surface [7]. This limitation can be eliminated by using the full shot moulding process in which the cavity is first completely filled with polymer. Next, the injection of water pushes the melt into a cavity positioned outside the cavity of the product. This overspill cavity arises by pulling back a core to enlarge the mould cavity for the overspill polymer which has to be removed from the product afterwards. Full shot moulding makes it possible to mould parts with a more uniform residual wall thickness through the end of the part in comparison to short shot moulded parts. Michaeli et al. [6] stated that the melt-push-back process is also capable to produce parts with a more uniform residual wall thickness distribution. In this process the water is injected in the reversed direction of the polymer injection and pushes the excess of melt back into the plasticizing unit. Finally, the core-pulling process uses a series of steel cores that are pulled back during water injection to increase the cavity volume and the product volume. This method produces parts with more uniform internal profiles in comparison to the former mentioned techniques. The investigated polymer, polyamide 6, is a semi-crystalline material that is classified as an engineering plastic. Beneficial properties of polyamide 6 over a wide range of temperatures and humidity are its high strength, high stiffness and toughness, good wear and abrasion resistance, low coefficient of friction and good chemical and electrical resistance [8], [9], [10], [11]. Further modification can be obtained by adding additives like fillers and plasticizers. Fillers achieve a better strength and stiffness, plasticizers cause higher toughness [12], [13]. Modification of the molecular weight has also a distinguishable influence on the polymer properties. The main drawback of polyamide 6 is the high moisture absorption affecting the rheological properties and deteriorating the processability. High moisture absorption causes part defects and results in a bad internal surface quality reducing the stiffness of the end product [14], [15], [16]. The absorbed water in the polymer has two important roles. Firstly, the water molecules act as plasticizers reducing the hydrogen bond interactions between the polyamide chains. Secondly, due to the hygroscopic nature of polyamide 6, the absorbed water influences the condensation reaction equilibrium depending on the initial moisture content [17], [18]. If the moisture content is less than prescribed thermodynamically, the reaction proceeds towards further condensation and an increase in molecular weight, increasing the viscosity exponentially. If the moisture content is higher than determined by the equilibrium, a hydrolysis reaction occurs. This causes a decrease in viscosity as well as degradation of the polymer. To properly process polyamide 6, the pellets are preferably dried to small moisture levels. Possible part defects that may occur in water assisted injection moulding are fingering and double wall. Liu and Lin [19], [20] investigated the problem of fingering in water assisted injection moulded composites. The fingering phenomenon comprises the non-uniformly penetration of water bubbles or steam into the polymer wall outside the designed water channels causing the formation of finger-shaped branches and small cavities in the polymer wall, which lead to a bad internal surface quality and a reduced part stiffness of the end product. Fingering depends on the dimension of the part: thick parts usually exhibit less fingering pattern than thin parts. Three factors might affect the formation of fingering. The first one is shrinkage of the polymer during cooling. During post-filling, the polymer undergoes volumetric shrinkage allowing water to penetrate into the parts. The more the polymer shrinks, the more water will penetrate into the part and causes fingering. However, this statement is in contradiction with the statement that thick parts exhibit less fingering, so research is necessary to investigate which conclusion is relevant for PA6. Shrinkage also depends on the crystallinity of the polymer. PA6 is a crystalline polymer and thus expected to show more shrinkage than an amorphous polymer. Also, water injection moulded parts show more fingering than gas injection moulded parts since water has a higher cooling capacity than gas and has a higher cooling rate of the polymer. This leads to a greater non-uniform temperature distribution in the polymer material which worsens the uniformity of water penetration inside the parts, resulting in fingering [20]. This is equal to the statement that more shrinkage leads to more fingering. The second factor is the viscosity of the polymer melt. During water injection, water follows the path with the least resistance. While the water enters into the mould cavity, it cools the polymer melt and increases the viscosity. It then becomes more difficult for the water to penetrate into the core of the parts. The third factor is the flow resistance in the channel and in the polymer. The higher the flow resistance in the channel and the lower the flow resistance in the polymer, the more water fingering will be induced. The researchers [19] concluded that water fingering worsens when a combination of a higher water pressure, a smaller melt short shot size and a shorter water injection delay time is used. Other parameters which need to be paid attention to are the temperatures of the melt, the mould and the water. Increasing these parameters decreases the cooling rate and the viscosity and results in more fingering because it is easier for water to penetrate in the part. Another possible part defect in water assisted injection moulding is double wall [22]. Double wall is the appearance of a second polymer wall inside the hollow product which deforms the wall significantly. During the water hold time water inclusions develop in the wall. The double wall is caused by the pressure drop after the water hold time. The water in the inclusions becomes steam and expands the internal material surface causing a second wall in the polymer. Two important parameters are responsible for the forming of double wall. The first parameter is the water hold time which should be minimized in order to eliminate double wall. Increasing the water hold time compensates the shrinkage in the wall but enlarge the water inclusions in the wall worsening the double wall. The second parameter is the volume flow rate. Increasing the volume flow rate causes more double wall because more water penetrates in the polymer forming water inclusions which expand into double walls after the water hold time. There is not much known about the phenomenon of double wall. A lot of investigators do not even make a difference between fingering and double wall and characterize it as the same part defect. Hollow parts are mainly characterized by their residual wall thickness that should be minimized in order to obtain a good product quality with minimal defects. A decline in wall thickness is mainly obtained by choosing water assisted injection moulding instead of gas assisted injection moulding [4]. However, Michaeli et al. [22] concluded that in some cases gas assisted injection moulding yields parts with a smaller residual wall thickness. Several process settings can be applied for water assisted injection moulding, each having an influence on the residual wall thickness. Huang and Deng [23] concluded that besides the short shot size there are two other main parameters affecting the residual wall thickness in polypropylene samples. The first parameter is the melt temperature. Increasing the melt temperature leads to reduction of the solidified layer thickness and thus to a decrease in wall thickness. The second parameter is the water injection delay time. When increasing the water injection delay time, the residual wall thickness exhibits an increment because the solidified layer of the melt becomes thicker. Liu and Wu [24] researched the effect of the injection pin on the residual wall thickness distribution. In their research they concluded that a pin consisting of a sintered porous surface can mould large parts with a more uniform residual wall thickness distribution. Application of this high flow rate pin could significantly improve the product quality in terms of smaller wall thickness. The non-uniformity of the residual wall thickness distribution usually occurring in curved product sections, was found to be less in water assisted injection moulded parts than in gas assisted injection moulded parts. Fluids try to follow the path with the least resistance; this is the shortest path. However, water has a higher mass inertion than gas and therefore gives a better concentricity of the residual wall thickness over a cross-section. The uniformity of the residual wall thickness could be improved by adopting different mould temperatures [25]. In order to mould PA6 parts with high product quality using WAIM, one has to apply the optimal settings to reduce the part defects (fingering and double wall) and decline the residual wall thickness. The water injection delay time influences fingering and the residual wall thickness. A shorter water injection delay time causes a smaller residual wall thickness but results in more fingering [19] [23]. The water volume flow rate is an important parameter on fingering, double wall and the residual wall thickness. A higher water volume flow rate gives a smaller residual wall thickness but more fingering and double wall [21]. The melt temperature has an influence on fingering and the residual wall thickness. Increasing the melt temperature leads to a smaller residual wall thickness but to more fingering [19] [20] [23]. Further experiments in this research focuses on the influence of the water injection delay time, the water volume flow rate and the melt temperature on the residual wall thickness and the occurrence of part defects for PA6, using a design of experiments. 2. Experimental procedure 2. 1 Materials To investigate the residual wall thickness and part defects like water inclusions, fingering and double wall of water assisted injection moulded products, two polyamides (PA F223-D and PA F130-E1 from DSM) and a polypropylene (PP 400-GA05 from Ineos) were used. The melting and crystallization temperature of the materials were measured with differential scanning calorimetry (TA Instruments 2920 CE). The viscosity was measured with a capillary rheometer (CEAST Smart Rheo 2000 twin bore). The complex viscosity, storage and loss modulus were measured with a parallel plates rheometer (AERES strain controlled rheometer). The measurements show that the zero-shear viscosity of the polypropylene is higher than those of the polyamides. PA F223-D has a higher zero-shear viscosity than PA F130-E1. This indicates that the molecular weight is higher for polypropylene than for PA F223-D and that PA F130-E1 has the lowest molecular weight. The decrease in viscosity at higher shear rates occurs at lower frequencies for polypropylene in comparison with the polyamides. This indicates a higher molecular weight distribution for polypropylene than polyamide. PA F223-D has a higher molecular weight distribution than PA F130-E1. . 2 Moulded parts The part that is moulded for this experiment is displayed in figure 1. It contains four curved sections varying in radius of curvature. The polymer and water enter the cavity at the bottom side. Water enters when a movable injector is pushed forward and a core at the end of the part is pulled allowing the polymer to be removed out of the inner core of the part. Figure 1: moul ded part containing four curved sections 2. 3 Equipment The injection moulding was executed with an Engel 80-ton injection moulding machine ES 330H/80V/80HL-2F. The dimensions of the machine are 4,80 m x 2,22m x 2m. The single screw diameter is 50 mm and the plastification unit can operate with a maximum injection rate of 152 cm? /s. A volume flow rate controlled water injection unit brings the water into the mould. It can operate with a maximum water volume flow rate of 30 l/min, delivered by a maximum pressure of 200 bar. During the tests a maximum pressure of 160 bar was applied. Three pressure sensors type Priamus are localized in the mould. An IR-camera type FLIR is used to observe the temperature distribution over the produced handles after moulding. The IR-images were used to compare with the internal section to discover the cause of part defects, because water in the product gives lower temperatures on the IR-image. The dried hollow polymer handles are sawed in lengthwise direction with a band saw. The band saw is type Metabo bas 260 swift. After sawing the hollow polymer handles, the internal section were scanned with a scanner type Cannon FG17500. A metric software 8. 01 plus was applied to analyze the surface quality of the polymer. With the aid of the software, the surface area of the wall and the part defects can be determined. . 4 Method DOE procedure The experiment investigated four processing parameters that were selected after a preliminary literature study, assuming these will have a significant influence on the residual wall thickness and part defects. These parameters are the water volume flow rate, water injection delay time and melt temperature. Using the design of experiments approach, each parameter was measured on a low and high setting; making this a 23 experiment. In addition three centre points were measured bringing the total number of experiments to 11 for each material. Response functions were constructed for residual wall thickness, weight and defects. The significance of each parameter was checked by comparing its effect to the deviation of the centre points, neglecting the parameter if its effect is smaller than the centre point deviation. Experimental procedure After steady state was reached, five shots were produced for each setting of water volume flow rate, water injection delay time, melt temperature. For each last shot of an experiment, a print screen of the pressure evolution and an IR-image was taken. During the process the following parameters were measured: * real injection time; * absolute shot volume; * real cushion; * flow number. After moulding, the parts were dried with compressed air to remove water of the inner- and outer surface of the product. Then the injection side of the product was removed and both halves were weighed. The sawed injection product was controlled on the presence of defects giving a first indication of the quality of the product. Afterwards the handle was dried in a furnace for 44 hours on 90  °C. After drying, the handles were weighed again obtaining the weight of the water inclusions in the product wall. Three representative handles were sawed in lengthwise direction and the breams were removed. The handles were scanned to determine the residual wall thickness and the percentages of defects like water inclusions, fingering and double wall. Table 1: Processing variables and settings used for the experiments | A| B| C| Process parameters| Water volume flow rate (l/min)| Water injection delay time (s)| Melt temperature ( °C)| -1| 10| 1,5| 240| 0| 20| 5| 260| 1| 30| 8,5| 280| A| B| C| Experiment| Water volume flow rate (l/min)| Water injection delay time (s)| Melt temperature ( °C)| 1| 20| 5| 260| 2| 10| 1,5| 240| 3| 30| 8,5| 240| 4| 30| 1,5| 240| 5| 10| 8,5| 240| 6| 20| 5| 260| 7| 30| 8,5| 280| 8| 10| 1,5| 280| 9| 10| 8,5| 280| 10| 30| 1,5| 280| 11| 20| 5| 260| Table 2:Experiment schedule for parameter settings The part defects are calculated as follows: The parameters whic h have an influence on the product quality are the water volume flow rate, the water injection delay time and the melt temperature. The tested parameter settings are presented in table 1. A code using -1 for low, 0 for center point and 1 for high setting is applied. The combination of parameter settings (Table 2) are determined using design of experiments. Using the design of experiments method makes is possible to obtain a better understanding of the formation of the defects and the influence of the processing parameters. Eventually a moulding window will e determined in which the defects are minimized. 2 Results and discussion 3. 1 Effect of water volume flow rate Figure 2 shows the effect of the water volume flow rate on the residual wall thickness and the product defects. Following paragraphs discuss these diagrams. Influence on the residual wall thickness and product weight Considering the residual wall thickness, polypropylene has a smaller residual wall thickness than the residual wall thickness of polyamide for all experiments. Polypropylene has a higher molecular mass, causing a wider water flow front. The higher molecular weight distribution (MWD) of PP causes a block velocity profile of the water resulting in a higher velocity on the polymer- water interface. The higher velocity causes a higher shearing and consequently a lower viscosity, resulting in a higher removal. This results both in a smaller residual wall thickness and a lower part weight. The density of polypropylene is lower compared to compared to the density of polyamide, which is also an explanation for the lower weight of product. Regarding the product weight and the residual wall thickness, the two polyamides do not differ much and correspond to each other. This is probably due to the small difference in molecular mass and molecular weight distribution. Figure 2: Effects of water volume flow rate on water inclusions, residual wall thickness, fingering and double wall The residual wall thickness of polyamide seems not to be significantly affected by the water volume flow rate. Polypropylene however, tends to increase in residual wall thickness by application of a lower water volume flow rate. These results correspond to the suggestion that a higher water volume flow rate gives a smaller residual wall thickness, as was found in preliminary literature study. In general a material with a high MWD, like PP, will be more influenced by the flow rate than other materials like polyamides. Influence on water inclusions In general the water inclusions tend to decline when the water flow rate increases. A higher flow rate provides more shearing, giving a lower viscosity. The water can easily remove the internal polymer and does not penetrate into the walls of the polymer. PP completely corresponds to this theory, but the polyamides show an irregularity during high flow rates. this can be explained by the strong variations in injection time and a chance in the water flow profile to a profile called recirculation flow. It pushes the water into the walls causing an increase in water inclusions. The strong variations that occur with PP are probably caused by its high MWD. This property also played an important role regarding the RWT. Influence on fingering Fingering is probably caused by differential shrinkage, making a material with a high degree of crystallization like polypropylene vulnerable to this defect. The defect diminishes at high flow rates where the wall thickness is smaller, making it more difficult for polypropylene to shrink and for fingering to occur. PA F130-E1 exhibits a low variation in fingering in comparison to the other materials. This material is not in its area of shear tinning when working with low flow rates, resulting in a constant viscosity and residual wall thickness. Because of this low variation in RWT and corresponding shrinkage with changing flow rate the effect of the flow rate will be very small. In general materials with a high MWD and MM like PP show more fingering than materials with low MWD and MM like PA F130E1. PA F223D will take a intermediate position taking into account that its centre point is not completely representative. This trend for fingering is visible for all parameters. Influence on double wall The influence of the flow rate shows an overall optimum profile. Low and high flow rates cause more double wall than an intermediate setting. A first theory relates this effect to the pressure inside the part. Low flow rates exert low pressure on the polymer melt and the polymer will not form a rigid layer, making it possible for the water to penetrate into the polymer walls. High flow rates cause high pressures inside the part forcing the water into the walls. The second theory is based on the tendency of water to follow the ath of least resistance and can only explain the effect with low flow rates. The low rate will cause almost no shear stress inside the polymer so it will not reach the shear tinning area. The polymer will not easily be pushed back by the water and the water will penetrate the walls where the resistance is much lower. The effect of the water volume flow rate on double wall is the same as for water inclusions, which is explained by the rel ation between water inclusions and double wall. Water inclusions can grow during the water hold time, collapsing into double walls in the product after pressure removal. The higher double wall defects for PAF130-E1 in comparison to PA F223-D are probably caused by the difference in molecular mass. PA F130-E1 has a lower molecular mass and thus a less viscous melt resulting in a more easily penetrable material. Another noticeable result is that of the investigated materials, PA F223-D shows high part defects but relatively the smallest double wall defects. PP, the material with the highest MM shows more double wall at high flow rates for which no explanation can be found. 3. 2 Effect of the water injection delay time Figure 3 shows the effect of the water injection delay time on the residual wall thickness and the product defects. Following paragraphs discuss these diagrams. Influence on the residual wall thickness and product weight A shorter water injection delay time causes a decline in the residual wall thickness and weight of product for polyamide and polypropylene, as was predicted by literature. When the water injection delay time is short, the polymer is still hot and has a low viscosity, giving the water the opportunity to hollow out the polymer more. A higher water injection delay time causes a higher residual wall thickness and weight of product because the melt viscosity increases. The residual wall thickness is higher for polyamide than for polypropylene, for the same reasons as discussed under the previous paragraph. Influence on water inclusions An increase in delay time is accompanied by an increase in viscosity that makes it more difficult for the water to penetrate into the walls. However, if the viscosity is too high, the water can also be forced into the walls, which explains the slight increase in water inclusions for PP 400-GA05 and PA F130-E1. Figure 3: Effects of the water injection delay time on water inclusions, residual wall thickness, fingering and double wall The strong decrease in water inclusions that occurs with polypropylene is caused by the high heat capacity of this material making it cool down faster than the polyamides and increasing its viscosity faster. PA F130-E1 shows less defects in comparison with PA F223-D, probably caused by its strong temperature related viscosity. During the delay time the viscosity strongly increases, making it more difficult for the water to penetrate. Influence on fingering Increasing the delay time increases the residual wall thickness and should result in a higher chance of fingering. In general this trend can be observed from the diagrams. More fingering occurs within PP 400 GA05 caused by its higher degree of crystallization. Furthermore, this polymer is processed at much higher temperatures than its melting point, leading to further shrinkage and corresponding fingering. The presence of defects during processing with long delay times is caused by a greater residual wall thickness, which leads to more differential shrinkage. Processing with short delay times increases the presence even further, but no plausible statement can explain this. Therefore further research will be necessary. The results for the centre point of PA F223-D are probably not representative, since it is based on a single experiment of three shots. Influence on double wall The water injection delay time shows an overall optimum profile, which can be related to the shift of the rigidity in time, caused by the temperature drop over time. Production with a short delay time will push water inside the low viscosity polymer which makes it easy for the water to penetrate. Increasing the delay time also increases the viscosity and thus the rigidity of the polymer making it harder to penetrate the walls. However, if the viscosity is too high, the water will also be forced into the walls. PA F130-E1 shows more double wall because its viscosity is highly temperature related. Longer delay times will lead to larger temperature drops and a corresponding increase in viscosity. 3. 3 Effect of the melt temperature Figure 4 shows the effect of the melt temperature on the residual wall thickness and the product defects. Following paragraphs discuss these diagrams. Influence on the residual wall thickness and weight of product Considering the residual wall thickness, polypropylene has a lower residual wall thickness and weight of product compared with polyamide for all experiments. This might be due to the higher molecular weight and the higher molecular weight distribution of polypropylene. The higher molecular weight distribution shows a square blocked velocity profile causing a higher velocity on the wall and a higher shearing. This results in a lower viscosity and therefore more removal of the polymer decreasing the residual wall thickness and weight of product. PA F130-E1 and PA F223-D are quite similar and do not differ much in residual wall thickness and weight of product. Increasing the melt temperature leads to a smaller residual wall thickness as was suggested by literature, because a higher melt temperature makes the polymer less viscous so more polymer can be removed by the water. The residual wall thickness of PP decreases from 240 °C to 260 °C but increases to 280 °C. The increase of the melt temperature is difficult to explain and is possible a unreliable point. In fact, also for polypropylene a decreasing tendency is remarkable. Influence on water inclusions There is a trend towards higher water inclusions when a higher melt temperature is applied. This parameter thus shows the opposite effect of the delay time. PA F130-E1 differs from the other materials, probably due to the strong variations in injection time during production. Furthermore this polymer shows a lot of internal heating (viscous heating) when Figure 4: Effects of the melt temperature time on water inclusions, residual wall thickness, fingering and double wall high pressure is exerted, leading to a drop in viscosity. This effect usually appears in combination with low melt temperatures where the polymer has a lot of pressure to bear. So low temperatures will lead to viscous heating and therefore to high intern temperatures. The water can then easily enter the walls of the polymer due to the lower vicosity. Influence on fingering When processing the material at low temperatures, the material will have to shrink less and thus less fingering will occur. This trend is clearly visible for the polyamides, taken into account that the centre point of PA F223-D is not representative. In fact, the effects should show an opposite effect from the delay time, but this is not clearly noticeable. Further research will be necessary to explain these irregularities. Influence on double wall A higher melt temperature causes an overall increase in double wall defects for all three materials. This effect is related to the viscosity of the polymer which varies with temperature. High temperatures will lead to a decrease in viscosity making the polymer more penetrable for water. Another theory is based on the water flow profile inside the polymer. Higher temperatures usually correspond to smaller residual wall thicknesses changing the flow profile into a recirculation flow where water will be pulled into the walls. 3. 4 Comparison results of response functions and graphical tendencies Table 3 gives an overview of the best parameter settings to reduce each part defect and the total defects for each material, comparing the results of a response function (before /) and the graphics in figure 1/2/3 (after /). The response functions were constructed using the design of experiments method. Regarding the defects, only one response function was made which ncludes both fingering and double wall. Ideal settings according to response functions Using the response functions several conclusions can be made for the ideal settings of the parameters. A high water injection delay time creates less water inclusions in both polyamides. In addition, the polyamides show the same optimal settings of all parameters for the residual wall thickness. A low water volume flow rate is beneficial for the reduction of the residual wall thickness, fingering and double wall. Other settings conflict to give minimal part defects in polyamide. In general, PA F223-D has minimal part defects for a low water volume flow rate, a high water injection delay time, and a low melt temperature. PA F130-E1 requires a low water volume flow rate as well, but a low water injection delay time and a high melt temperature. The optimal settings for the minimal percentage water inclusions, fingering and double wall are highly contradictory for polyamide and polypropylene. PP 400-GA05 requires a high water volume flow rate for a smaller residual wall thickness but the other parameters have the same optimal settings for the residual wall thickness as polyamide 6. The water volume flow rate and the water injection delay time do not influence fingering and double wall significantly, so no conclusions can be made for these settings to obtain minimal fingering and double wall. If also the water inclusions and the residual wall thickness are taken into account, PP400-GA05 shows minimal part defects for a high water volume flow rate, a low water injection delay time and a low melt temperature. There can be concluded that for all three materials the best parameter settings for residual wall thickness, fingering and double wall are not the same. Since other effects may probably have an influence on the materials, further investigation will be necessary. Ideal settings according to previous diagrams The following best parameter setting are based on the previous graphics. Regarding the residual wall thickness, the best parameters for PP and PA F130D are an intermediate water flow rate, a low water injection delay time and a high melt temperature. For PA 223D, a low water flow rate is required and the other parameters are the same. For fingering, a high water volume rate, an intermediate water injection delay time and melt temperature give the best results for PP. PA F223D gives the best results for a low water volume flow rate and water injection delay time and an intermediate melt temperature. PA F130E1 in contrary, the best parameters setting are a high water volume flow rate and a low water injection delay time and melt temperature. The parameters setting are different for the three materials and show a lot of irregularities. Considering double wall, the best parameter settings are a low water flow rate, water injection delay time and melt temperature. For both polyamides the best parameter setting are equal, an intermediate water flow rate, delay time and melt temperature. For the water inclusions, the best results were observed for a high water volume rate and an intermediate water delay time and melt temperature. PA F223D shows less water inclusions when an intermediate flow rate, a low delay time and in intermediate melt temperature is used. PA F130E1 in contrary gives the best results for a intermediate flow rate and delay time and a low melt temperature. Ideal settings for PA F223-D| | Optimal setting| Response factor| Target figure| Water volume flow rate| Water injection delay time| Melt temperature| Water inclusions| Low| High/High| High/High| Low/Low| Residual wall thickness| Low| Low/High| Low/Low| High/High| Fingering and double wall| Low| Low/High| High/Low| Low/Low| Total| | Low/High| High/Low| Low/Low| Table 3: Overview of ideal settings for the materials for each part defect Ideal settings for PA F130-E1| | Optimal setting| Response factor| Target figure| Water volume flow rate| Water injection delay time| Melt temperature| Water inclusions| Low| Low/High| High/High| High/Low| Residual wall thickness| Low| Low/High| Low/Low| High/High| Fingering and double wall| Low| Low/High| Low/Low| Low/Low| Total| | Low/High| Low/Low| High/Low| Ideal settings for PP 400-GA05| | Optimal setting| Response factor| Target figure| Water volume flow rate| Water injection delay time| Melt temperature| Water inclusions| Low| High/High| Low/High| High/Low| Residual wall thickness| Low| High/High| Low/Low| Low/High| Fingering and double wall| Low| -/High| -/Low| Low/Low| Total| | High/High| Low/Low| Low/Low| Once again, here can be concluded that the best parameter settings for residual wall thickness, fingering and double wall are not the same. Since other effects may probably have an influence on the materials, further investigation is necessary. . 5 Detection of part defects 3. 5. 1 IR-images IR images were tested if they can be used to obtain an indication of the quality of the product. This could be an important tool during production as it can deliver information about the internal structure without damaging the part. It was found that a uniform heat distribution in the part usually corresponds to few defects in the walls. The polymer equally shrinks and cools, causing no stress in the walls which could lead to defects. Figure 5 shows the section and an infrared image of a hollow part from PP 400-GA05 without defects. The corresponding IR picture shows no significant Figure 6: Scan and IR image of PP 400-GA05 product with defects irregularities in the heat distribution. The areas where the part has a higher or lower Figure 5: Scan and IR image of PP 400-GA05 product without defects temperature than the bulk are caused by respectively larger and smaller residual wall thicknesses. Small defects like fingering can occur where colder areas are completely surrounded by larger hot material making it isolated cold regions. If the cold area is gradually spread throughout the part and is therefore no isolated region, fingering is often not present. The isolated colder regions are most likely filled with water which provides more efficient cooling than the rest of the part, resulting in uneven shrinkage and corresponding fingering cavities. Large defects like double wall are often present where a relative large cold area spreads throughout the complete section and is surrounded by hot material. These defects are also likely to occur in regions with higher temperature than the rest of the part. However, the latter can also correspond with a larger residual wall thickness and is thus not conclusive for the presence of double wall defects. Figure 6 shows a part with double wall defects and the corresponding infrared image where the isolated hot (white) and cold areas (yellow) are indicated. The texture of the internal surface can not be judged with an infrared image. PA F130-E1 tends to show a rougher surface in regions with a much lower temperature, but not all parts share this conclusion. Within the other materials a rough surface does not corresponds with lower temperature areas thus the infrared does not delivers clear information about this property. 3. 5. 2 Pressure and injection rate profiles The pressure profiles and the injection rate during the injection of the melt can be used to declare some of the defects shown in the different polymer samples. The injection rate was set on 45 mm/sec and the maximum feasible pressure of the WAIM equipment was 160 bar. For the polyamides, this maximum pressure was exceeded in some cases during filling of the mould. This caused a temporary reduction of the injection rate and possibly some of the part defects of polyamide. Polypropylene does not show this trend because it has a lower flow number than PA. Figure 7 shows an example of this phenomenon in PA F223-D. In general it can be concluded that when the temperature increases the measured pressure and the flow number decrease. This reduction in pressure can be explained by the fact that the viscosity of the material will be lower at a higher temperature, so the polymer can flow easier and less pressure has to be applied. However it is not guaranteed that an irregularity in the injection profile of the polymer results in problems during water injection. This experiment was to limited to make clear conclusions about this effect. Figure 7: Pressure and injection rate profile for PA F223-D (green=pressure, blue=injection rate) 4. Conclusions 4. 1 General This report has studied the influence of melt and processing parameters on the residual wall thickness and the occurrence of part defects of PA6 parts produced with water assisted injection moulding. The study examined two polyamides (PA F223D, PA F130E1) and polypropylene 400 GA05 that was used as a reference material. According to a design of experiments, the water volume flow rate, the water injection delay time and the melt temperature are the investigated processing parameters. The water volume flow rate settings are 10, 20 and 30 l/min, the injection delay time settings are 1,5s, 5s and 8,5s and the melt temperature settings are 240 °C, 260 °C and 280 °C. It was found that the residual wall thickness showed a large distribution for all three materials, even for shots from a single experiment and therefore an extra analysis was made on the weight of the products. The product weight can give an indication for the wall thickness as a low weight usually corresponds to small thicknesses. Based on this theory it was found that the water volume flow rate has little influence on the weight and wall thickness. A larger delay time increases the viscosity of the polymer and leads to higher weight and a larger wall thickness. The melt temperature has the opposite effect, decreasing the viscosity at higher temperatures and therefore decreasing the wall thickness and weight. PP has a lower weight comparing with the two polyamides. This can be explained that PP has a higher molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. A higher molecular weight gives a parabolic velocity profile and a higher molecular weight distribution shows a square blocked velocity profile causing a higher velocity located on the wall. The higher velocity causes a higher shearing giving a lower viscosity. This results in more removal of the polymer and the residual wall thickness decreases. In fact, a lower residual wall thickness exhibits a lower weight of product. The water inclusions for the three materials tend to decline when the water flow rate increases although PP shows some irregularities. The delay time has an overall optimum profile. Intermediate settings exhibit less inclusions in comparison to other settings. The melt temperature has the opposite effect of the delay time so more water inclusions occur when higher temperatures are applied. Other defects like fingering and double wall are also influenced by the investigated processing parameters. The water flow rate shows an optimum profile for double wall, so an intermediate setting will yield the best results. For fingering the three materials all act in a different way to the flow rate. An optimum profile also occurs for double wall when the delay time is investigated. In general, fingering increases when the delay time increases, but the materials show a lot of irregularities. An increase in melt temperature causes an overall increase of fingering and double wall. Comparing PA6 and PP, PP shows an overall smaller residual wall thickness than PA6, but on average the same percentage of part defects. This means that a reduction in residual wall thickness does not influence the product quality for part defects positively. When comparing the different polyamides 6, the investigated low viscosity polyamide 6 PA F223-D show less water inclusions and fingering but more double wall than the medium viscosity polyamide 6 PA F130-D. The best choice for a polyamide depends on the relative importance of the negative influence of each part defect on the product quality. This is discussed in detail in the next paragraph. To get an indication of the quality of the product IR images can be used. It was found that a uniform heat distribution corresponds to few defects and irregularities point to the presence of defects like fingering or double wall. The internal texture of the surface can not be examined with IR. This study concludes that the investigated parameters have a significant influence on the presence of part defects and on the residual wall thickness. However, there are still irregularities in the results of the fingering phenomenon that can not be explained yet with the current knowledge of the water assisted injection moulding process. Therefore further analysis will be necessary to examine this part defect. Further research can be done by expanding the design of experiments and by producing more shots for each experiment. Producing more than three shots of each experiment should give more corresponding results, because the standard deviation of three shots is usually high. 4. 2 Selection of the material for WAIM Three materials were used in this experiment namely PA F223D, PA F130E1 and PP as reference. The residual wall thickness, weight of product, water inclusions and part defects like fingering and double wall must be compared with each other to choose the best material. This by varying the selected parameters like water volume rate, water injection delay time and melt temperature. PP has in general the lowest weight of product and residual wall thickness for the three investigated parameters: water volume rate, water injection delay time and melt temperature. As a result of a smaller residual wall thickness, PP has the lowest weight of product. Considering the water inclusions a decreasing tendency is obtained when a higher water volume flow rate and water injection delay time is used. There is a trend toward higher water inclusions when higher melt temperature are applied. Regarding to fingering and double wall, an opposite effect is noticeable. Increasing the water volume rate and water injection delay time gives a decreasing fingering tendency but more double wall effects. For a higher melt temperature, an increase of fingering and double wall is observed. PA F130E1 and PA F223D are quiet similar to each other in weight of product and residual wall thickness. For the weight of product PA F130E1 and PA F223D correspond to each other and for the residual wall thickness they do not differ much for all three investigated parameters. Regarding the water inclusions, both polyamides decline when water the flow rate increases. The highest flow rate provides more shearing and therefore a lower viscosity resulting in more water inclusions. Increasing the water injection delay time leads to lower water inclusions because the viscosity increases which makes it more difficult for water to penetrate into the walls. When higher melt temperatures are applied, results in a trend towards higher water inclusions because of the lower viscosity. In general, PA F223D shows more water inclusions comparing with PA F130E1 for the water volume flow rate, water injection delay time and the melt temperature. Considering fingering and double wall, different results were observed for the two polyamides. In general it is remarkable that PA F223D shows more fingering then PA F130E1 while PA F130E1 gives more double wall then PA F223D and this for the three investigated parameters. For the water volume flow rate, the polyamides act in different ways towards fingering. Although, for double wall the flow rate shows an optimum for the polyamides so an intermediate setting gives the best results. When the water injection delay time increases there is also an increasing tendency of fingering observed but the materials show a lot of irregularities. Increasing the melt temperature gives an increase of fingering and double wall as well. In this investigation can be concluded that both polyamides have their advantages and disadvantages. A selection of the best polyamide depends on which effect is undesirable. The residual wall thickness are the same for the two polyamides. PA F223D shows more water inclusions and fingering for all investigated parameters. However, PA F223D shows less double wall and therefore the best results. PA F130E1 in contrary gives more double wall effects but less fingering and water inclusions. In fact, PA F223D is preferred when double wall must be reduced and PA F130E1 is preferred when fingering and water inclusions must be reduced. Further investigation is necessary on another type of polyamide which improves the product quality using WAIM. 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