Development of a GIS Within a Water Company

Development of a GIS Within a Water Company Introduction Geographic information systems (GIS) confirm every day, and with increasing popularity, that they are some essential tools for storing, managing, processing and mapping a large amount of georeferenced data, which related to a database shape a given geographical space. The increasingly widespread use of personal computers, along with a greater choice by software manufacturers allow an item, previously limited to powerful computers, can be treated by a large number of users. Geographic information systems make possible, among other things, the ability to extract different layers of thematic information relating to a particular spatial area, as well as all kinds of analysis and diagnosis in areas as diverse as territorial planning, or the environment or management resources This report aims to examine the development of a geographic information system within an organisation. More specifically it is a water company, as might be the case of Thames Water. This report will go into the operation of a large water company. The nature of the information included into geographic information system is varied. For example, data from network infrastructure projects are used as well as a geographical aspect, such as hydrologic basin boundaries, water bodies and other In this company there is also administrative information such as databases related to public use of water resources in a basin. Another type of information made available is the satellite image. For the development of the geographic information system it has been necessary to carefully define its own infrastructure of all the components involved in the process. These components are: hardware, storage, software, information structure in a server (done in a way that can be cost effective), tools for accessing and updating. Thus, it allows system users to access all information related to use them in tasks of water management. The idea of the implementation of a geographic information system in the company aims to provide technological and methodological solutions to the tasks of water management. The geographic information system is established to respond to questions that are not predefined in advance. Background An initial analysis of the company gives an idea of its size, and in base to this, the kind of infrastructure is chosen. Also, an study of the resources available is needed in order to meet the requirements of GIS that the company has. Services are put in place regarding maintenance of the geo-referenced information: infrastructure maintenance Within a water company, like Thames Water, several activities related to water management are summarised next in order to give examples of need for a GIS. First, there is a need to manage water resources, the public usage of water, water supply infrastructure and reservoirs GIS can help in the creation and implementation of water policies. Carry out the administration of public water usage and manage the use of water. Manage the implementation of works and water infrastructure, coordinate the exploitation and management of works and projects. Manage the recruitment, management and control of the earnings in the company A mobile system that reinforce the departments ability to manage field resources and service orders (Jacobs, D. et al., 2007) GIS sources As mentioned earlier, the company deals with information from different sources, each with its particular characteristics: information from infrastructure projects and other projects and other directly related to the natural environment, information from information systems information from satellite imagery and derived products. Information from infrastructure projects and other projects and other directly related to the natural environment The projects that the company deals with generate a lot of geographic information: major infrastructure projects (for example, water supply), environmental monitoring and planning (like flood zones and evacuation routes map (Mioc, 2008) and reference maps on issues relating directly to the environment (for example maps of rivers or watersheds). Once the company receives the information, the administrator of GIS adds value to information. One example is the case of water supply infrastructure: establishing topology, and enabling queries of what happens at certain point. Information from other systems The GIS of the company uses data from other information systems. The GIS software of the company is linked to external databases. Through database connectivity the company have access to information on Oracle format and Access format that contain administrative information with the records of the actions of the public with water resources (for example consume, discharges, building permits, etc..). It is also linked to other information systems with information directly related to the physical environment (network information system of surface water control) The company databases are based on a relational data model where data is stored in two dimensions tables. In this way theses tables are related and contain records for one entity. The company databases are also based in a georelational model where the tables are linked and contain data like topology, attributes etc. Using SQL language the company can query the data from the database and in this way can generate maps and tables with the information required by the users. The integration between databases and GIS software allows the end user to represent the elements of the database on a map, in that way many layers o different maps can be opened and overlaid and geographical relations between the elements mapped can be checked. The company uses Automated Mapping/Facilities Management AM/FM. With this application the non geographic and the geographic information can be integrated in one. The information of the company database is geocoded with the postcode address of their home. The process to geocode can be tedious, so another company does it. Once the information is geocoded analysis can be undertaken combined with other maps overlaid like a city map for instance. Like this the company can undertake different tasks. Information from satellite images and derived products Another type of information that makes use of GIS is the remote sensing information. Through contracts with other companies water company regularly receives processed images from satellites such as Landsat or SPOT. The images are geometrically and radiometrically corrected, the metadata is completed and is integrated into the GIS. The images are produced as a product of great visual interest. Compositions are created with true colour and false colour, easily accessible guide maps are made for quick access to view the images. This information is also used to track water requirements of crops, monitoring of snow cover and monitoring of water quality along the coast. On products derived from monitoring the area are creating databases, initially simple, storing the information, and are creating management tools to generate reports, graphs and maps to access quickly. On products derived from monitoring the area databases are created, that store the information, and management tools are created to generate reports, graphs and maps to access quickly. Maps can be created using this information of humidity index, cadastral parcels with water content, evapotranspiration, etc.. One of the problems that the company is facing is the lack of knowledge of the resources of remote sensing data. The GIS and Remote Sensing software used have been chosen according to the needs of the company: the key points when deciding which software to use in the company are: which benefits the software offer, the profile of users who will use it is also important, number of licenses needed and the price is also important. The technology is used by the company is ESRI because offers a high performance level in GIS: for example, has the necessary tools for analysis and interfaces hydraulic and hydrologic modelling (very important for a water company) and also offers the possibility of programming highly customized interfaces that are often very friendly welcome by users, but the disadvantage is its high cost that can limit the number of licenses. Hardware For hardware, the company has chosen to use a high-powered server as the company is a large size company and the amount of map information generated is very large. It is very important to choose a high performance hardware because as a large company, the amount of data to be processed is very high. When choosing the hardware is taken into account the time factor as the large amount of data that is received daily makes essential a technology that can provide mid-term capacity. Besides, the hardware has to respond to the addition of new series of maps and the continuing contribution of remote sensing imagery. It is essential to manage the huge volumes of geographical data in a efficient and effective way if the GIS is to be cost justified. Apart from hardware and software the structure of the data is also very important. The access to the information has to be easy to the users and also the maintenance and update. Information must be stored in a way that is structured in a objective way, scalable and easy to add new information. The structure of the data have been created according to the major thematic areas within the company. Here are the big four groups where the data has been divided into: Mapping management: maps and databases that include elements of the territory directly involved in the management, control, planning and land always in relation to the water business. These maps are generated within the company. (watershed, sewage systems, etc.). Thematic Mapping: mapping not linked to the water business, but that is related to environmental issues that the company is related to like natural reserves, Mapping of reference: map collections supplied by the Ordnance Survey (all sort of maps, from topographic to aerial photo rectified Other mapping: maps and databases of a part of the territory administered by the company, this mapping may also come from other entities as a result of specific studies Those who do easier tasks they dont need a full training on GIS and Remote Sensing because probably they are not going to use it, but what it is important is that these users have a personalised training on the task that are going to perform normally. For this reason within the company some personalised training is undertaken. Also step by step manuals describing the processes and above all the GIS office of the company is conducting ongoing advice on issues of GIS and Remote Sensing to the entire company. Conclusions Currently the GIS is an essential tool in the in the day to day in the company. Work of different sorts relating the water is undertaken with GIS. The GIS model of the company has allowed, despite some problems, enhance in each of the workspaces GIS as a tool for management, planning and analysis. Jacobs, D., Souza F., Ramey R. â€Å"GIS to the Rescue† Water Wastes Digest February 2007 Volume: 47 Number: 2 Darka Mioc, Franà §ois Anton and Gengsheng Liang On-line Street Network Analysis for Flood Evacuation Planning Remote Sensing and Gis Technologies for Monitoring and Prediction of Disasters. Berlin: Springer, 2008. Pages219-242

Eating Disorders Essay -- essays research papers

Millions of American women struggle with eating disorders. An eating disorder is a disturbance in eating behavior. Most people associate eating disorders with anorexia nervosa, "active self-starvation or sustained loss of appetite that has psychological origins" (Coon 133), or bulimia nervosa, "excessive eating (gorging) usually followed by self-induced vomiting and/ or taking laxatives (Coon 411). They need to purge their bodies of calories in any way possible, so they may also use diuretics or even exercise compulsively. Their body images are severely distorted. They're the most talked about and the best studied eating disorders, and researchers estimate that nearly seven million women in the United States suffer from either anorexia or bulimia. But there's a newly recognized condition known as binge-eating disorder that is now considered the most common eating disorder. In the U.S. population, it has a frequency of about one to four out of every one hundred people. Although eating disorders afflict women much more often than they do men, it is estimated that about one million American men suffer from either anorexia or bulimia, and millions more have binge-eating disorder. Eating disorders are much more prevalent in industrialized countries. According to the American Psychiatric Association, eating disorders are most common in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa. Americans today live in a fat-phobic society where, from a very early age, girls are raised to think that thin is better. The famous writer and theater critic Dorothy Parker once said, "no woman can be too rich or too thin," words that quickly became a catchphrase still used today. Many of us grow up learning to associate fat with ugliness and failure. Advertisements bombard us with thinner-than-normal models. Most Miss America contestants and fashion supermodels are more than fifteen percent below the expected weight for their height and age, a criterion for anorexia according to the American Psychiatric Association (Breen). It is not surprising to hear reports of healthy, children of normal weight who are concerned about their diet and afraid of becoming too fat, and of an increasing number of girls who haven't yet reached puberty who are showing signs of... ...ill take care of it for them. Their mindset needs to be changed, so by taking these burdens off of their shoulders, they will have less to worry about and more time to concentrate on getting well. This whole process is very difficult and very time consuming but well worth it in the end. These victims are probably the most caring and selfless of anyone, and they need to realize this point. So in helping them do so, you need to show them how many people are there for them and how many people care them and want them to get better. Basically, the good feelings are going to try to overpower the negative mind, making it mute. In conclusion, eating disorders are treatable through proper care and therapy. It is not something to take lightly and needs to be treated as soon as possible. Though these disorders can be treated they will never be completely cured; they are more â€Å"under control† than anything. So just because a person may start to eat more does not mean that everything is over and should be forgotten. Right from the very beginning when it is first noticed that there is a problem, professional help should be sought out.

Dependence of man on the environment Essay

Three experiments were conducted during week two. The first was to determine how many contaminates that we put into our water supply will reach our groundwater. The conclusion that I arrived at was, that there are still large remnants of contaminates in the groundwater supply after it has had a chance to be passed through soil. We emulated this affect by using smaller amounts of contaminates such as oil, vinegar and laundry detergent. Put them in a smaller amounts of water and then passed them though soil. Introduction In the introduction, I will list the problems with our world’s water sources. Contained in the articles written by: The Natural Resources Defense Council. Water. These sources go on to state problems that we are facing as a population with our water quality. Some of these problems are large amounts of water waste, the large cities that are going to face a climate change that will alter their dependence on water. They also note that dirty water is the worldâ€⠄¢s largest health risk and it continues to threaten the quality of life and the public health in the United States. The first problem is that people don’t know how important having clean water is until it’s no longer easily accessible for them. When people become more informed about the problems that we are facing and will face very soon as a society. We can take certain steps to try to prevent it and to ensure our quality of life not only stays the same, but improves. Little can be accomplished by one, but if we work together and try to  conserve and keep our water clean, it can last much longer. The objective of this experiment is relatively simple, to educate on how much we affect our environment by the actions we take and what we can do to improve our habits to ensure that our water supply will last much longer and have good quality. It also has the purpose to let people know that their actions don’t just affect them or only the people that they live around; it also affects the environment and the animals that inhabit it. During the experiment of the Water Quality and Contamination my hypothesis were; The Oil hypothesis was that if there is oil in the surface water then, I think when the water is passed through soil it will be able to filter out the oil before it reaches the groundwater. The hypothesis for the vinegar hypothesis was if there is vinegar in the surface water then, I think that when passed through soil it will still remai n in the groundwater. My laundry detergent hypothesis was if there is laundry detergent in the surface water then, when it is passed through soil it will still have traces of laundry detergent in the groundwater. The next experiment’s hypothesis was that using particular chemicals and methods of filtration, we should be able to remove most of the contaminates that are in the groundwater. This was the experiment that involved different methods of Water Treatment. The final experiment pertained to the drinking water quality and my hypothesis was that tap water will contain the most contaminates because of its path and unknown condition. The bottles of water are in a more sterile environment. The Dasani water is treated and Fiji comes from a natural spring. The treated water (Dasani) will have the least amount of contaminates. Materials and Methods The first experiment that was conducted used soil, different beakers, wooden stir sticks, vegetable oil, vinegar, liquid laundry detergent, water, cheesecloth and funnels. I poured water into each of the first 4 beakers, and then put vegetable oil, vinegar and laundry detergent in respectively. I stirred them with the wooden stir sticks and used the cheesecloth to line the funnel and put soil in and poured each of the different contaminates through, replacing the soil and cheesecloth each time. The second experiment involved beakers, soil, cylinders, sand, charcoal, gravel, wooden stir stick, alum, funnel, cheesecloth, bleach, stopwatch and water. I added  soil to a beaker and put water with the soil and mixed them with two beakers 15 times. I divvied some on the contaminated solution into a new beaker and added alum to it. I stirred the mixture with a wooden stick for 1-2 minutes and then let it sit for 15 minutes. I lined a funnel with cheesecloth and layered sand, charcoal and g ravel into the cheesecloth. I poured the clean tap water through the filter and repeated 4 times. I poured  ¾ of the contaminated water into the funnel and let it filter for 5 minutes. I annotated the smell and compared to the mixture in step 3. I added a few drops of bleach and stirred the combination for 1 minute. I then compared and annotated the now filtered water to the initial contaminated water. The final lab contained Dasani bottled water, Fiji bottled water, Ammonia test stripes, Chloride test strips, 4 in 1 test strip, phosphate test strips, iron test strips, beakers, marker, stopwatch, Parafilm, pipettes, foil packets of reducing powder and tap water. I labeled each of the beakers and poured Dasani, Fiji and tap water in each of the three beakers. I gathered the ammonia test strips and placed in the water and moved them up and down vigorously for 30 seconds each, I held each pad level for 30 seconds to get a reading. I did this 2 more times for each of the beakers. I then retrieved the chloride tes t strips and immersed the reaction zones in each of the three beakers one at a time for 1 second each. I shook off the excess liquid and determined what color the test strip was. I then used the 4 in 1 test strip and dipped in each of the beakers again, one at a time, for 5 seconds and wiggled back and forth. I briskly removed the excess water and waited 20 seconds to read the results. I then used the phosphate test strip by dipping in each of the beakers signally for 5 seconds and then removed and held horizontal for 45 seconds, leaving the excess water on the test strip and recorded the results. Finally, I used the Iron test strip and removed 70 ml of water from each beaker and tested 30 ml of each of the three beakers. I added one foil packet and covered with parafilm and shook the beaker for 15 seconds. I removed and dipped the test pad into the sample and moved it back and forth under the water for 5 seconds. I removed and shook the excess water off and tested and compared 10 seconds later.

Tips for Working With Students With Severe Handicaps

Tips for Working With Students With Severe Handicaps Typically, children with severe handicaps have behavior concerns and minimal ability or cannot perform or havent yet learned many of the basic self-help skills. Some sources of research estimate that somewhere between 0.2-0.5% of school-aged children are identified as having a severe handicap. Although this population is low, times have changed and these children are rarely excluded from public education. They are, in fact, a part of special education. After all, with the incredible growing technologies and trained professionals, we can hold higher expectations than previously possible before. Handicaps Usually, children with severe handicaps are born with it, some of the etiologies and causes include: Chromosomal abnormalitiesPostnatal difficultiesGestational (prematurity)Maldevelopment of the brain and or spinal cordInfectionsGenetic disordersInjuries from accidents Problems With Inclusion There are still major issues related to inclusion of students with severe handicaps. Many teachers dont feel they have the professional training required to meet their needs, schools are often not adequately equipped to meet their needs, and more research needs to be done to determine how best their educational needs can be met. However, the reality is that these children have a right to be included in all aspects of society. Teacher Tips for Working with Children with Severe Handicaps Prior to supporting the specific goal, it is important to make sure you have their attention. Typically, youll be using a very direct teaching method.As much as possible, use grade appropriate materials.Identify some clear goals/expectations and stick with it. It takes a great deal of time to see success in most cases.Be consistent and have predictable routines for everything you do.Make sure that everything is relevant to the child you are working with.Be sure to track progress carefully, which will help you define when the child is ready for the next milestone.Remember that these children dont often generalize, so be sure to teach the skill in a variety of settings.When the child has reached the goal, be sure to use the skill regularly to ensure mastery of the skill continues. In summary, you are a very important person in this childs life. Be patient, willing and warm at all times.

The Father of Revolution Essay Essay Example

The Father of Revolution Essay Essay Example The Father of Revolution Essay Essay The Father of Revolution Essay Essay I belong to the opposing group. who opposes Jose Rizal as the national hero. and affirms Andres Bonifacio. who genuinely owns the throne to the alleged rubric of â€Å"National Hero† which presently belongs to Jose Rizal. First of all. allow me acquire some facts straight. His complete name is Andres Castro Bonifacio. and he was born on November 30. 1863 in Tondo. Manila and died on May 10. 1897 at a really immature age of 33 in Maragondon. Cavite. Like Abraham Lincoln. his formal instruction was really limited because of his parents’ decease when he was merely 14. He was an devouring reader excessively similar Lincoln and has read legion books like the Gallic Revolution. Biographies of US Presidents and many others. As the firstborn. he had to drop out from school in order to back up his siblings. Bonifacio was able to see working several uneven occupations such as courier. salesman and. warehouser. He was besides a man of affairs merchandising fans and canes. He founded the radical motion known as KKK and was its supreme leader which sought for independency from the Spaniards. Not known to many Filipinos. some historiographers regarded him as the â€Å"first president of the Philippines. Andres Bonifacio and Greogoria De Jesus were married at the historic Binondo Church in 1893. His married woman. more popularly known as Aling Oriang. was the laminitis and the vice-president of the women’s chapter of KKK. As a member of the Katipunan. Gregoria was designated the codification name â€Å"Lakambini† which is the equivalent of â€Å"goddess† or â€Å"muse† in Tagalog idiom. Andres and Gregoria had a boy named Andres but died of variola. Bonifacio was executed in 1897 and after more than a twelvemonth his married woman Gregoria met Julio Nakpil. a commanding officer of the Katipunan military personnels in northern Philippines. They got married in December 1898 and had 5 kids. The primary aim of the constitution of KKK is to accomplish independency from Spain through a revolution. On July 7. 1892. the twenty-four hours after Rizal’s exile to Dapitan. Andres Bonifacio founded the KKK – Kataas-taasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan ( Highest and Most Respected Children of the Society of the Country ) As a Katipunero. a member of the secret society called KKK. Bonicafio used the anonym â€Å"May Pag-asa† ( There’s hope ) . The first â€Å"Supremo† of the Katipunan. short of KKK. was Deodato Arellano. Bonicacio’s brother-in-law. The 2nd KKK â€Å"Supremo† was Roman Basa. Although Bonifacio was the laminitis. he merely took over as â€Å"Supremo† in 1895 and anterior to keeping the highest place he was the organization’s accountant and so its fiscal. Bonifacio wrote the poem â€Å"Pag-ibig SA Lupang Tinubuan† ( Love of Homeland ) under the anonym Agapito Bagumbayan. With less than 300 KKK members in January 1896. ranks of the Katipunan soared high to more than 40. 000 by August 1896 due to the publication of â€Å"Kalayaan† and rank spread out throughout Luzviminda.

MIH548 - Theory Based Research - Mod 3 Case Assignment Essay

MIH548 - Theory Based Research - Mod 3 Case Assignment - Essay Example The EFPT was designed with the need to determine how people post stroke were doing in the real world. It determines what the patient can do and what kind of support he needs to be able to perform that function. In other words can this person cook, make a telephone call, manage their medications or pay a bill? In comparison, previous tools have been set up to assess the patient but not in the actual home setting. There are several types of variables. These include independent and dependent, extraneous, demographic, moderator and mediator, and operational zing. Most of the variables in this case are listed in the explanatory table 2 on page 449 of the study. There are demographic variables which include race and gender, as well as education and age. There are also operational zing variables which include tasks and components. There was some variation created as both mild stroke and moderate stroke were studied Reliability has to do with the reduction of variables. For instance reliability is important in selecting and using a scale for study. Reliable instruments make the value of a study much higher. When a tool or study is reliable, it is consistent. For example, if you ask the same set of questions to the same group of patients at two different times, the answers should me the same. This makes the instrument reliable. EFPT was tested on a group of 10 participants in which the consistency of the sample results showed to be .94 which shows a high reliability rate. Validity is the determination that the instrument actually describing what is happening or moving the information from abstract to concrete. It is usually seen as having three primary types. Those are content validity, predictive validity, and construct validity (Burns, et.al. 2007). Validity, like reliability happens in degrees. Nothing is completely reliable and no instrument is completely valid. Using an

The Kite Runner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Kite Runner - Essay Example The relationship that is first going to be explored is the one between Amir and his father (Baba). In the first half of the movie, they are shown to possess different characteristics. Baba is brave and powerful, while Amir is a coward. Unlike them, the relationship between their Hazara servant, Ali, and his son, Hassan, is very similar. Ali is defined by his modesty and is very loyal to his master, catering to his needs diligently. His son has the same personality and will do literally anything for Amir, as is seen in various incidents in the movie. However, when I got to know that Hassan was Baba’s illegitimate son further on in the movie, I realized how similar Baba really is to Amir. He acted out of impulse and consequently made a blunder in their lives and never disclosed what he had done. Moreover, he tried to atone for his action in other ways to clear his guilty conscience. Amir had a lot more to atone for. Somehow, the guilt of not being able to stop what happened to Hassan transformed into anger. This was further fuelled when Hassan remained impassive when Amir insulted him repeatedly. Not only had he abandoned his friend at the time when he most needed him, but he also tried to get rid of him later; he planted false evidence to ‘prove’ that Hassan stole Baba’s watch. However, not once does Hassan betray Amir; he ‘admits’ to the ‘crime’ in order to make Amir happy. ... It could also be because Hassan was a Hazara, which was termed as a lower cultural class in Afghanistan, due to which Amir only ‘used’ him by letting him stand up to Amir’s bullies alone. However, their bond must have been pretty strong, owing to how burdened Amir became with the guilt of what he had done. Moreover, after finding out that Hassan’s son, Sohrab, was taken by Assef (the bully who had raped Hassan in his youth), Amir courageously steps forward and receives a beating from Assef for the sake of Sohrab’s freedom. In addition, he took Sohrab to safety and later adopted him. These acts of his prove that he did indeed redeem himself (indirectly, through Sohrab) in front of Hassan. This also shows that this is a buildungsroman story; Amir developed from being a selfish boy to a selfless adult. On the other hand, Assef has an extremely selfish and remorseless character, as he never even thinks of redemption for the sins he committed to Hassan an d Sohrab. Sacrifice has been a major recurring motif in The Kite Runner; Hassan, knowing how important the blue kite was for Amir, refused to give it up even if it caused himself to get sexually abused. He also sacrificed his honesty for Amir by owning up to a crime he did not commit (stealing Baba’s watch). However, even Amir later selflessly put himself in danger’s mouth to save Sohrab. Kites symbolize the difference between Amir and Hassan’s social class and status in their friendship; the kite flyer (Amir) is important and controlling, while the kite runner (Hassan) is minor and ever-available. This movie also showed me that if there is hope for a better future for Sohrab-who has suffered in the hands of Assef-then there is hope for Afghanistan-which has suffered in the hands of the Taliban-as