Marketing and Overhead Allocation Rate

Bridgeton Assignment 1. The overhead allocation rate used in the 1987 model year strategy study at the Automotive Component & Fabrication Plant (ACF) was 435% of direct labor dollar cost. Calculate the overhead allocation rate using the 1987 model year budget. Why do you get different numbers? 2. Calculate the overhead allocation rate for each of the model years 1988 through 1990. Are the changes since 1987 in overhead allocation rates significant? Why have these changes occurred? 3. Consider two products in the same product line: Product 1 Product 2Expected Selling Price $62 $54 Standard Material Cost 16 27 Standard Labor Cost 6 3 Calculate the expected gross margins as a percentage of selling price on each product based on the 1988 and 1990 model year budgets, assuming selling price and material and labor cost do not change from standard. 4. Are the product costs reported by the cost system appropriate for use in the strategic analysis? 5. Assume that the selling prices, volumes, a nd material costs for the 1991 model year will not change for fuel tanks and doors produced by the ACF of Bridgeton Industries.Assume also that if manifolds are produced, their selling prices, volume, and material costs will not change either. a. Prepare an estimated model year budget for the ACF in 1991 (1) if no additional products are dropped. (2) if the manifold product line is dropped. Explain any additional assumptions you make in preparing your estimated mode year budgets. b. What will be the overhead allocation rate under the two scenarios? 6. Would you outsource manifolds from the ACF in 1991? Why, or why not? What more information would you want before reaching a final decision?

Understanding Research Methodology

Understanding Research Methodologyour site – Dissertation TopicsWhat is Research Methodology? The research methodology is an integral part of your study, and explains the methods you are planning to use to prove your thesis or answer your research question. As an example, if you would like to research what customers think about a new product, you will need to design a research methodology that accurately answers the question: either interviews, focus groups, or questionnaires. The purpose of the research methodology chapter is to explain how you will conduct the research, and which data collection/analysis methods you will use. The research methodology will detail: The framework of the research, including philosophies, assumptions, and theories The methods, procedures, and techniques you use to ensure the reliability and validity of the research The philosophical orientation of the research Justification for choosing the given research methodology The ethical considerations and limitations of the selected research method. Designing Your Methodology Research When you write your methodology for your research, you must already have a clear working hypothesis and research questions. Preparing your research design is a challenging task, and involves the following tasks: Defining the basis of information (qualitative, quantitative, or both) Determining the subject matter of the research: basic, or experimental Identifying the research methodology approach: longitudinal or cross-sectional Determining the sample design: Data collection methods The plan for the data collection and analysis Generalisation and interpretation You have to justify your research methodology decisions by showing your understanding of different techniques. You also need to be aware of the risks and limitations of the selected data collection and analysis method, and show your competency in using different data analysis. What to Include in Your Research Methodology We have already covered mixed research methods in a different article, so be sure to check it out, however, in order to inform your readers about the study you have undertaken, you have to include the research strategy, research method, research approach and assumptions, data collection methods and tools, sample selection, research process, data analysis techniques, ethical considerations, and research limitations. Below you can see what to include in each part of your methodology research. Research strategy You need to state how you will gather information, complete your analysis, literature review, and how you will draw conclusions. Research method You must choose between qualitative, quantitative, or mixed research methods. Research approach and assumptions You need to state whether or not your research is based on any assumptions or hypotheses, and how you will approach the topic. Data collection methods and tools Detail the strategy you will use to collect information: surveys, observation, statistics, or interviews, and list the tools and software you will use. Sample selection Provide a sample selection and inclusion/exclusion criteria. In case you complete a research involving people, state the demographics of the sample. Research process Draw up a research process map that lists all the steps you have to ensure that the data will be reliable and delivered in a timely manner. Data analysis techniques State how you will analyse the results, for example software, spreadsheet, or thematic analysis in case you conduct a qualitative research. Ethical considerations Show your understanding of the ethical issues that might arise during the research and state how you will handle them. Research limitations You can state the limitations of the methodology uses, potential bias, or small sample size.Research Methodology ExamplesThe research methodology is needed for most PhD Theses and dissertations. No matter if you are writing about patients’ experiences in a hospital or research new technologies in data protection, this chapter will be essential. Below you will find some examples of using methodology research descriptions the right way.Nursing Research Methodology: Dementia CareThis study details the methods used for literature search for an empirical study focusing on different interventions for dementia care. The structure of this methodology chapter is different, as the study focuses on comparing existing research studies and drawing a conclusion. Check out the nursing research methodology to see the structure.Quantitative Research Methodology SampleWriting a quantitative research methodology chapter should justify the selection of the data collection and analysis tools, and detail the methods, sampling strategy, and instruments used for collecting information. As you can see, this methodology research chapter includes the ethical considerations and the problems and limitations at the end of the section. Read a sample quantitative research methodology chapter.Business Case Study Dissertation Research MethodologyAs you can see, the research methodology chapter is uniquely designed for case studies. In this sample, the author provides dissertation philosophy and a clear description of the research approach: mixed methods research, as well as the research strategy, detailing each step’s aim, sample size, type of questions, and the method of data analysis. The writer also provides a detailed description of the sampling method, primary data collection, and data analysis methods separately for quantitative and qualitative information. Read the full case study methodology chapter.Research Methodology for Quantitative Surveys Including Time HorizonsIn this quantitative survey dissertation methodology chapter, you will find an introduction that justifies the selection of the methods and research strategy, as well as a research philosophy, research approach, strategy, and time horizons. If you take on a large scale research that will take months to complete, it is a good idea to provide a time horizon. In this sample chapter, you can see that the author utilizes both primary and secondary research, and carries out a longitudinal research consisting of multiple phases. Therefore, a timeline helps planning all the steps and gives the reader a clear idea about the work involved in this study.Do You Need Help with Writing Your Research Methodology?If you are still confused about where to start writing your dissertation research methodology chapter, and would like some help selecting the right data collection and analysis methods, you can get in touch with our friendly team at our site, who have already helped many students in the past getting their research finished to a high standard, advising them on topics, methodology, and structure. Submit your question and get professional help from one of our academic researchers.

Popular Opinion of Under a Cruel Star

Popular Opinion of a Cruel Star Heda Margolius Kovaly was a woman who during her time in Czechoslovakia lived through many harsh periods for not only the country, but people of Jewish heritage as well. Her memoir Under a Cruel Star tells her story of hardship from 1941 to 1968. In this memoir she explains her time in Auschwitz, her escape, as well as life in Communist Czechoslovakia, concentrating more on the hardships of Czechoslovakia after World War II.While Kovaly’s memoir depicts the suffering of the Czechoslovakian people as well as the Slansky trials, which her first husband was a victim of, she never really touches upon the fact that many of the people tried, convicted, and killed were of Jewish decent. However, an article entitled â€Å"A ‘Polyphony of Voices’? Czech Popular Opinion and the Slansky Affair,† by Kevin McDermott depicts the suffering of the Czech people as well as the trials in a completely different manner, addressing the anti-Semiti c actions of the Czechoslovakian government under the rule of Joseph Stalin and the influence that followed his death.Both the memoir and the article explain the Slansky Trial, each with a different view. In Kovaly’s memoir her husband was one of the Jewish KSC leaders which were tried during that time. It is explained in text that her husband had no connection to Richard Slansky, but it left him questioning the years of devotion he made to the communist government. While the Kovaly perspective shows an outsiders view of what was happening to Slansky McDermott’s article explains why and how Slansky was brought to trial.The article explains how Slansky was a very powerful leader in the KSC party, â€Å"he was effectively second in command to Gottwald, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party machine and co-responsible for formulating policy and strategic direction†¦ He was a member of the party’s top decision-making- bodies. † Stalin sent a letter to Gottwald stating that he had â€Å"committed a number of errors† in promoting leading personnel which has caused a threat to the party and the people and advised him to remove Slansky. This could have been caused through a change in geopolitical support In the Middle East.This could infer that Stalin’s increasing anti-Semitic tendencies impacted Czechoslovakia. Other than the fact that both Kovaly and Slansky were Jewish another reason for their demise was their different view on the communist ideal. When Heda tries to beg her husband to leave his government position he responds by saying â€Å"if all the decent people leave now, things will get worse. † Leaders like Slansky and Kovaly believed in the communist party actually as one for the people, they did not take huge bribes or look out for only themselves.They worked to do good for the party and the people. However, the Czech economy was failing, there was widespread social discontent and with tha t brought demonstrations and strikes. â€Å"Workers universally cursed the fact that everything is dear and wages are low†¦ A year ago salami cost 8 crowns and today it’s 28 crowns. † The government needed a scapegoat and Slansky (mainly him) as well as many Jewish officials were the perfect people to blame. Vzpominky Goldstucker actually spoke about Slansky saying â€Å"†¦He was cleverer than all the others so they had to get rid of him. †When the arrest of Kovaly’s husband took place and her friends and family found out, people purposefully avoided her and severed all contact with her. The government had effectively influenced people to fear going against them by staging arrests and trials such as Kovaly’s husband. A lot of what Kovaly writes in her memoir shows her being ostracized by society. Her husband’s arrest was one of those times. She wrote that people would spit at her and other people who were like her were stoned. At t his point in her memoir she doesn’t mention any anti-Semitic acts, only the ostracized effect that came with her â€Å"traitorous† husband’s arrest.When the trials began Heda was hospitalized due to her being sick of sleep deprivation, malnutrition, and stress, while she was in the hospital she heard her husband present a statement on the radio. Hearing his â€Å"flat and halting† voice leads her to believe that he is repeating a written statement which he was forced to memorize. Both Kovaly and McDermott touch on this subject of torture and forced statements. McDermott writes that the conduct of the court hearings came under criticism among citizens. Some people are saying that they have the impression that the trial is a show rehearsed in advance†¦ because the accused reply so fluently as if they are reading their statement. † Slansky was forced to do the same thing. He originally apologized for allowing some wrong people to make it through t he government ladder, but denied ever being traitorous, that was until the secret police began to interrogate him. They used a series of â€Å"physical and psychological pressures bordering on torture† which finally influence him to confess his â€Å"guilt†.While both Kovaly and McDermott addressed the torture that some of the prisoners received to influence their confession, Heda addressed a personal experience focusing only on her husband while McDermott’s article addresses several sources as well as explained deeper detail why the torture was used. With the regime change it was written that â€Å"The Death of Stalin Means Death to Communists. † The regime changed in 1956 and Kovaly writes that Nikita Kruschev gains power and criticizes Stalin’s reign. Quickly satellite nations begin releasing prisoners and declare them to be rehabilitated.The party even admitted that confessions were forced through torture, drugs, and psychological manipulation. The article does defend these points which Kovaly is making as well as takes it one step further by explaining some of the signs citizens were apparently posting in the towns. Even though Stalin was dead his anti-Semitic influence was not. An example would be an inscription found on the ground floor of a residential block which read â€Å"DEATH TO THE JEWISH TRAITORS-TO JEWS, GOTWALD AND THE JOINT- WE WANT A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. † Although not mentioned by Heda Kovaly, hatred towards Jewish people was still present after Stalin’s death.People were influenced to believe that it was Jewish leaders fault for the hurt economy which is why many jokes, comments, and almost fighting broke out. Although the extreme hatred towards Jewish people was un-intentionally publicly created it grew to something that the government could almost not control. While Kovaly’s memoir depicts the suffering of the Czechoslovakian people as well as the Slansky trials, which her first hus band was a victim of, she never really touches upon the fact that many of the people tried, convicted, and killed were of Jewish decent.However, Kevin McDermott depicts the suffering of the Czech people as well as the trials in a completely different manner, addressing the anti-Semitic actions of the Czechoslovakian government under the rule of Joseph Stalin and the influence that followed his death. This difference in historical focus during the same time period happens because Kovaly is writing on personal experience while McDermott is not. His research however does allow weight to be brought to the experiences which Kovaly is writing by showing detail which she is missing.Still, Kovaly’s work does lack the reference of anti-Semitic acts which were extremely present during that time and continuously present in the article. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. McDermott, Kevin. â€Å" , â€Å"A ‘Polyphony of Voices’? Czech Popular Opinion and the Slansky Affair,†. †Ã‚  Slavic Review. 67. no. 4 (2008): 840-865. (846) [ 2 ]. McDermott 847 [ 3 ]. McDermott 847 [ 4 ]. Kovaly, Heda. Under a Cruel Star: A Life in Prague 1941-1968. Cambridge, MA: Plunkett Lake, 1986. Print. (101) [ 5 ]. McDermott, Kevin. , â€Å"A ‘Polyphony of Voices’? Czech Popular Opinion and the Slansky Affair,†. †Ã‚  Slavic Review. 67. no. 4 (2008): 840-865. [ 6 ]. McDermott 859 [ 7 ]. Kovaly 150 [ 8 ]. Kovaly, Heda. Under a Cruel Star: A Life in Prague 1941-1968. Cambridge, MA: Plunkett Lake, 1986. Print. 170 [ 9 ]. McDermott 852 [ 10 ]. McDermott 856/857 [ 11 ]. McDermott, Kevin. â€Å", â€Å"A ‘Polyphony of Voices’? Czech Popular Opinion and the Slansky Affair,†. †Ã‚  Slavic Review. 67. no. 4 (2008): 840-865. 849 [ 12 ]. McDermott 859 [ 13 ]. McDermott 859

Billing and Coding for Health Services Research Paper

Billing and Coding for Health Services - Research Paper Example The interaction is described as the revenue cycle management, which is noted to take a varying amount of time to complete. Medical healthcare providers are observed to contract the healthcare services rendered with a variety of insurance companies. However, the interaction commences after the patient is treated by a physician. There is a trend towards the outsourcing of billing and coding services through the Group purchasing organizations (Reese, 2014). This has been noted to lead to significant reductions in cost. However, there is a growing need to make the billing process clearer to the patients. The codes that are defined in the diagnosis procedures are employed by the insurance companies in the examination of the medical necessity and the coverage. After the determination of the medical procedures and diagnosis, the medical biller is demanded to communicate the claim to the insurance company. Usually, medical healthcare providers utilize electronic transmission, such as electronic data interchange, to communicate the claim to the payer directly. It is integral to note that the insurance company defines the payer; thus, the insurance companies use medical claim adjusters or medical claims examiners to process the claims that are submitted. In the case of great dollar amount claims, the insurance companies examine the claim and value the validity for the eligibility of the payment via rubrics defining patient eligibility, the healthcare service provider’s credentials and the medical necessity of the claim. The approved applications are refunded for an agreed percentage that is negotiated between the insurance companies and the healthcare service providers. However, the failed claims must be communicated to the provider using an Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA). There is a difference between the rejected and denied claims; however, there is a common mistake of

Ethical Dilemmas in Psych-Article Critique Assignment

Ethical Dilemmas in Psych-Article Critique - Assignment Example The experiment was also approved by Stanford’s Human Subjects Review Committee (the university’s equivalent to an IRB), the Stanford Psychology Department, and by the Navy, who funded much of the study. The APA, at Zimbardo’s request, conducted an ethics evaluation in 1973 and concluded that all existing ethical guidelines had been followed (O’Toole, 1997). Like in the case of Milgrim’s famous study on authority conducted a few years earlier, which has been compared to the Zimbardo study, there are those who believe that this study would have never passed an IRB’s scrutiny today. Zimbardo himself felt that there was much about this study that was unethical. In his book The Lucifer Effect (2007), Zimbardo even apologized for conducting it. He believed that it was unethical because of the suffering it inflicted on its participants and stated, "I was guilty of the sin of omission—the evil of inaction—of not providing adequate overs ight and surveillance when it was required†¦The findings came at the expense of human suffering. I am sorry for that and to this day apologize for contributing to this inhumanity." (181, 235) PINNEBAKER (1997) James W. Pennebaker’s article (1997), â€Å"Writing About Emotional Experiences as a Therapeutic Process,† is a literature review. ... One of the most interesting studies he discusses is the study in which patients used a â€Å"magic pad;† researchers found that there were as much positive effects as therapy modes in which they received feedback from a therapist. Pennebaker’s thesis of his article seems to be that there needs to be some kind of physical activity in the disclosure of trauma and to remedy inhibition; what form the activity takes does not matter, as long as it occurs. Pennebaker, in his discussion of the research about writing, does not state if the evaluators followed ethical guidelines, but since they all occurred in laboratory and university settings, it can be assumed that they were all brought before IRBs or similar authorizing committees. It can also be assumed that all participants granted informed consent. It does not seem that other than a few tears, much harm occurred as a result of their participation in any of these studies. Some emotional pain is expected when disclosing trau matic experiences, and in most cases, the release of emotional pain is therapeutic. Most members of IRBs, who are most likely also counselors or those familiar with the counseling process, would understand this when faced with approving these kinds of studies, so passing them was probably an easy process. Pennebaker makes it clear that more studies on the therapeutic benefits of writing needs to be conducted. This article and the studies he discusses support the importance of putting language to traumatic experiences, whether by talking about them, writing about them, and even better, by doing both. MIDDLEMAST (1976) R. Dennis Middlemast’s study (1976) was conducted in 1974, like the Zimbardo study, before the widespread practice of IRBs were firmly established. Also like the

Fallow the instrcsion Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fallow the instrcsion - Case Study Example Based on the results of the ratio analysis, Seward Inc. is a weak player in the international trade finance market due to the loss made from its trading activities. After having realized net sales of $ 4, 500, Seward Inc. made a net income of $ 315 despite the $ 1,700 gross profit realized before deducting corresponding expenses. Unfortunately, net income is prone to criticism from managers as it increases from earnings gained from discontinued operations. Investors ought to focus on measures such as cash flows, sales, or profits before considering interests and taxes. Efficiency in a company operation prevails through total asset turnover, fixed asset turnover, and equity turnover. Total Asset Turnover is a ratio used to measure the ability of a business to generate sales given its sales in total assets. The rate tends to be lower in capital-intensive businesses compared to non-capital-intensive businesses. A firm is said to be efficient if it meets a total asset turnover of 1 and above. Having a Total asset turnover of 1.6, Seward Inc is a profitable company. On the other hand, liquidity is the ability of a business to cater adequately for its financial obligations upon the occurrence. Current ratio is the best liquidity determinant followed by acid ratio. The industry recommends a current ratio of 1 and above. The rate increases with the financial position of the company. Seward Inc. is in sound financial position as the current ratio of three indicates that it can pay its short-term obligations. Damodaran (2012) acknowledges operating leverage as a change indicator in operating income caused by a change in sale. Leverage ratio is any rate used in calculatin g the company financial leverage to know how it can meet its financial obligations. An operating profit margin 8.0 percent indicates better performance of the firm. Seward Inc. is capable of meeting its short-time obligations due to its current ratio of 3.0 and Acid 1.5. The rates

Principles of real estate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Principles of real estate - Research Paper Example As a real estate agent working in Memphis for the past fourteen years, I have wisely made distinction between property and contractual rights. I have done by ensuring that there is a clear distinction between property rights that someone has over things enforceable against other people and contractual rights that are enforceable against a specific or particular person. In some instances, I will properly understand that property rights might come from contract (Thomas, 1996). In relation to real estate, for instance, I have to identify two sets of legal relationships to prevail alongside one another in that there is the property right to be exercised over the lease of the estate and contractual right to sue over evictions. In this manner, I have been able to work efficiently without complications in that I know my areas of jurisdiction as a real estate agent and in a position to handle any eventuality that might arise. Principle of property ownership  From my fourteen year experienc e, I understand that property is usually perceived as being protected by domestic or local sovereignty. This is because ownership on its part does not necessarily equate with the issue of sovereignty because if ownership offered supreme power or authority, it will not be ownership but sovereignty. I have to do this due to the fact that; property ownership rights come from social convention while others come from explanation from natural law or morality. This in turn put me in a good position since I know there is an estate of indefinite duration.  

Boyz in the hood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Boyz in the hood - Essay Example Tre is still being cared for by his father, who continues to guide Tre on the right path of life. This task becomes difficult after Tre’s friend, Ricky, is killed by a rival gang, and Tre is eager to seek revenge with the rest of his friends. However, the words of his father stay with him, and Tre returns home while his friends continue their mission. At the end of the movie, Tre and his friend speculate on the condition of the Hood and how America does not care enough to do anything about the continuing problems in the neighborhood. The film ends with an epilogue that states that, of the three friends, Tre is the only one to live to see out the rest of his successful life. There are numerous things that I understood from watching the movie. The first is that sometimes the most gravest issue is the one receiving the least attention. Instead of programs being implemented to help young people at risk, such as those in dangerous living situations, they simply go ignored until the y disappear. Unfortunately, problems like these will never be entirely gone from the world. There are still many neighborhoods where the percentages of at-risk children and teenagers are incredibly high.

Ecological Footprint Calculator Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ecological Footprint Calculator - Assignment Example beef from a properly grazed cow can both be qualified as meat, but their production, development and preparation all have serious impacts on one’s ecological footprint. The quiz also lacked clarity at certain points. One question had to do with how much trash I generate. This question is easy to answer at first, but after some thought it actually becomes quite difficult. Do items recycled and composted count as trash? The quiz does not answer this question. Nor are there further questions relating composting and recycling. I can only cite the example of my own family. In our case, my mother would frequently refer to recyclable containers as trash, even though we used the environmentally friendly method to dispose of them. If other Americans use the same language as was used in my household, this particular question may produce skewed results and leave people with a very inaccurate perception of their ecological footprint. Ultimately the quiz does what it’s supposed to do. The Footprint Network is an organization designed to promote environmentally friendly lifestyles. It does this by giving you a result that projects your ecological footprint (however inaccurate it may be) and then listing ways you can improve your lifestyle to better the entire planet. However, it would be more useful for the website to give you a more accurate appraisal of your environmental situation. These are problems that could easily be fixed by introducing a new level of clarity to the questions

Bertrand Russell Essay Example for Free

Bertrand Russell Essay I should like to say two things, one intellectual and one moral. The intellectual thing I should want to say is this: When you are studying any matter, or considering any philosophy, ask yourself only what the facts are and what the truth that the facts bear out is. Never let yourself be diverted either by what you wish to believe, or by what you think would have beneficent social effects if it were believed. But look only, and solely, at what are the facts. That is the intellectual thing that I should wish to say. The moral thing I should wish to say†¦I should say love is wise, hatred is foolish. In this world which is getting more closely and closely interconnected we have to learn to tolerate each other, we have to learn to put up with the fact that some people say things that we dont like. We can only live together in that way and if we are to live together and not die together we must learn a kind of charity and a kind of tolerance which is absolutely vital to the continuation of human life on this planet.

The Objective Of Green Building Concept Environmental Sciences Essay

The Objective Of Green Building Concept Environmental Sciences Essay Buildings, as offices, are responsible for around forty percent of the expenses borne by the business in operations. It is estimated that by the year 2050, the residential and office buildings will consume thirty eight percent of the total global energy and will release three thousand eight hundred mega tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere. Green Building is a technique of constructing buildings using processes and materials which are environment friendly and energy efficient at the same time. Buildings require air, water, energy and space for its occupants. These are provided by systems in place like the ventilation system, the water supply system and the electricity supply system. The materials which are used in the construction of the building also produce environmental impact like carbon footprint, pollution through wastes and slurry, and the consumption of water and power. Buildings are one of the major sources of pollution that cause air pollution and are responsible for climate change. The objective of green building concept is to develop buildings which use the natural resources to the minimal at the time of construction as well as operation. Green buildings emphasize on the resource usage efficiency and also press upon the three Rs Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The technique of green building maximizes the use of efficient construction materials and practices; boosts the use of natural sources and sinks in the buildings surroundings; minimizes the energy usage to run itself; uses highly proficient equipment for the indoor area; uses highly proficient methods for water and waste management. The indoor equipment includes lighting, air-conditioning and all other needed equipment. Green Building is a team effort and the designing and construction include consultants from architecture and landscaping, air conditioning, plumbing, energy and electrical areas. These consultants have to assess the impact of the each and every design on the environment, keeping in mind the cost involved. The final design needs to be feasible and should minimize the negative impacts that the building would have on the environment. Implementation of the green building concept can lead to a reduction of carbon emission by thirty five percent, water usage by forty percent, solid waste reduction by seventy percent and reduction in energy consumption by fifty percent. Green Building concept also emphasizes on the fact that an area with high biodiversity should be avoided as a site for the construction of a building. To ensure minimum negative impact on the environment by the construction and operation of a building, the factors which are to be kept in mind are to preserve the external environment to the building location; to improve the internal area for the residents of the building; and also preserve the areas which are not close to the building. Saving Energy Energy saving through green building concept occurs in two ways. First is reduction in the amount of energy that is consumed in lighting, air conditioning and other building operations. Second is the usage of energy sources which do not produce any greenhouse gases and are renewable in nature. Green Buildings emphasize more on natural lighting and concepts of temperature control and efficient design to further reduce the carbon footprint as well as reduce cost of operation. Saving water Green Buildings use various methods to reduce water usage, treat and reuse waste water and filter water from sourced from precipitation. The target is to be able to achieve zero water table negative impact from the green building. Reducing Waste Waste reduction is one of the most important issues that are to be dealt with. In the US alone, the waste from construction and demolition of buildings accounts for sixty percent of the total non-industrial waste. Green Building concept emphasizes on improving the design of the product, re-using and recycling materials. It results in tremendous waste reduction and also helps to reduce the environmental impact of the building. Improving Health and Productivity Hygiene and proper conditions inside the building also help in boosting human productivity. Hence various businesses concentrate on this aspect. Green Building concept provides for cleanliness and sound working conditions for employees and other inhabitants. Green Building concept in USA: Green building markets in the United States of America (USA), account for five to ten percent of the total building market. The largest organisation for green building in USA is the US Green Building Council (USGBC). It has over twelve thousand member organizations and is around a financial worth of over twelve billion dollars. Some of the rating systems that have been developed for green building concept are: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Green Globes, Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), International Codes Council and American National Standards Institute. In USA, the existing buildings are accounting for forty percent of total energy consumption, twelve percent of total water usage, sixty eight percent of electricity usage, thirty eight percent of carbon dioxide emission and sixty percent of non-industrial waste generation. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System: LEED rating system was developed in USA by the US Green Building Council in the year 1998. It provides a set of standards for environmentally sustainable construction of building using a market-based rating system. This rating system is being followed in the US and many other countries for the evaluation of sustainable building. LEED can be defined for new constructions, existing buildings, commercial buildings and schools. Buildings which have been recognized to be eligible for LEED are offices, retail establishments, institutional buildings and service establishments. LEED rating system provides a variety of benefits and cost savings. The benefits include reducing the operating costs, reducing resource utilizations in terms of water and electricity, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The other cost savings includes the tax rebates and zone allowances. LEED rating system provides four levels of rating to a building design: Certified 26-32 pts Silver 33-38 pts Gold 39-51 pts Platinum 52-69 pts The points are obtained by the building through the following design issues: Sustainable sites 14 pts Innovation and design 5 pts Energy and atmosphere 17 pts Indoor quality 15 pts Materials and resources 13 pts Water efficiency 5 pts Green Building concept in India In India, a number of agencies are involved in the Green Building concept execution and monitoring. The major agencies are Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) was established in 1974 and is headquartered at New Delhi. TERI has developed a new rating system for Green Building assessment. This rating system is called Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA). In India, both the LEED and the GRIHA rating systems are followed along with the Energy Conservation Building Code 2007 given by BEE. Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) rating system: GRIHA was developed by TERI and has been adopted by the ministry of new and renewable resources. It takes into account the variations in the climate, architectural practices followed and the practices for construction and also keeps the National Building Code 2005 as well as the Energy Conservation Building Code 2007. GRIHA has been specially created keeping in mind the non-air conditioned and the partially air conditioned buildings. GRIHA provides ratings for institutional, residential and commercial buildings. The emphasis is on the national concerns for environment, the weather and climate conditions, and providing solutions. According to the information collected, the following hypothesis is formulated: H: The benefits of Green Building approach are significantly greater than the costs incurred to go green Green Building concept and corporate sustainability: For corporations, green building concept comes with a bundle of benefits. The benefits include: Potentially higher capital value in the future for the building Risk of obsolescence decreases The demand from institutional investors increases Operating costs reduce for the building The attrition for the tenant decreases The maintenance cost reduces The need for refurbishment in the future decreases Green Building concept also helps in ensuring that the business stays insulated from any energy price increase in the future Cost and Benefits of Green Buildings: Figure : Source: Greening our built world: Costs, Benefits and Strategies The major barrier found towards Green Building concept, through research conducted, is the widespread perception amongst people that the upfront costs involved in the development of a green building are significantly higher than those of conventional buildings. In a survey, by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in the year 2007, it was found that the people perceived the green buildings initial setup costs to be higher than the conventional buildings by 17 percent. This perception of the people was found to be wrong. 170 buildings were analysed in the research in Greening our built world. The analysis revealed that the green buildings cost, on an average, less than 2 percent more than the conventional buildings, also providing a large range of additional benefits. The same survey, by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, also found that the people perceive buildings to produce around 20 percent of the CO2 emission. This perception is also wrong since buildings produce around 40 percent of the world CO2 emissions. The architects and the developers interviewed from these 170 buildings gave information on the premium, in terms of cost of turning green. The following figure illustrates the cost premium that is incurred, in green building development according to the levels of certification by LEED rating system. It shows that more than 80 out of the 170 buildings analysed have incurred less than 2 percent premium in going green. Figure : Source: Greening Our Built World: Costs, Benefits and Strategies The average costs and benefits analysed through the research are also listed in the form of a graph. It provides a comparison of the additional costs incurred by going green in schools and offices, and the simultaneous benefits received. The graph clearly suggests that the benefits far outweigh the costs incurred. Figure : Source: Greening Our Built World: Costs Benefits and Strategies Another perception that people have about green buildings is that a green building necessarily has to air conditioned. This perception is also proved wrong by the application of green building concepts to some of the Indian like the Gulbarga and the Hyderabad Institute of Technology and Management. The third misleading perception about green buildings that people have is that green buildings typically take more time to be developed than a conventional building. This perception is also not true. (Urban Sustainability and Green Buildings for the 21st Century, 2009) Hunzinger Construction University Case: Hunzinger Construction University achieved Platinum level LEED certification in Green Building concept. It has been able to achieve savings in water, energy and increased usage of green materials. Water efficiency has been achieved through various measures like dual flush water closet, waterless urinals and efficient lavatory faucets. These methods have led to a saving of 7700 gallons of water per annum. Energy efficiency was achieved using intelligent lighting systems which could control light intensity and power usage, and work with the day light intensity control. Automatic shut-off systems were also used. Using these techniques, HCU has achieved more than 34 percent reduction in power density, significantly more than the specifications of ANSI. HCU has opted for green power generation like solar panels and wind power, to minimise its power requirements from conventional power sources. The construction material used in the HCU comprised of more than 57 percent of salvaged recycled materials. These practices have led to a decreased operation cost as well as reduced impact on environment. The case has been published in Journal of Green Building, 2008. Woods Hole Research Centre Case: Woods Hole Research Centre (WHRC) is an independent, non-for-profit, NGO with core focus on environmental studies, education and creation of new and innovative policies. The research facility spans 19,300 sq. feet and has been designed with the target of achieving zero net-energy building status. It has been fitted with a solar photovoltaic system on the roof and a wind turbine for electricity generation. The design of building provides natural lighting to reduce energy consumption and also provides for insulation materials which are CFC-free. The HVAC system installed in the complex provides for an energy efficient heating, cooling and ventilation. The target of the photovoltaic system is to provide for 33 percent of the energy requirements of the complex while the rest is provided by the wind powered turbine system. The facility requires a total of 90964 kiloWatt-hour electrical energy, out of which 60720 kiloWatt-hour was provided by utility grid and the remaining 30244 kiloWatt-h our was provided by the Photovoltaic System. The case is an extract from the Journal of Green Building, 2008. The following figure compares the energy intensity of the Woods Hole Research Centres other facilities, average of US offices and the newly constructed WHRC facility. Figure : Source: Journal of Green Building, volume 3, 2008 Nordheim Court Case: Nordheim Court is a student housing facility for University of Washington. It forms a great example of the operational and setup benefits of green building concept with the right choice of strategies. The building has been constructed with a budget of 85 dollars per sq. feet. The energy efficiency of the building far surpasses the Washington State Energy Code standards and the water consumption in the building is less by 30 percent than a conventional building. The construction waste has been diverted to prevent 589 tonnes of landfills. This procedure of waste diversion has also resulted in a saving of 14582 dollars. University of Sunshine Coast Chancellery Case: University of Sunshine Coast is located in Queensland, Australia. One of the parts of the university called the Chancellery has been designed on green building standards. The total fossil fuel based energy consumption of the building is around 133 kiloWatt-hour per sq. metre which is less than the 152 kiloWatt-hour per sq. metre. The building uses a combined mode of ventilation system which provides natural ventilation as well as fully air conditioned area without any natural ventilation. This helps in reducing the CO2 emissions from the building. The lighting system used in the building also uses natural light and light intensity control systems to provide better energy efficiency to the building. (St. Clair, Peter Hyde, Richard, 2009) Green Building performance in India Name of the Project Location Built-up Area (sq ft.) Rating Achieved Increase in Cost (percent) Payback Period (Years) CII-Sorabji Godrej GBC Hyderabad 20,000 Platinum 18 7 ITC Green Centre Gurgaon 170,000 Platinum 15 6 Wipro Gurgaon 175,000 Platinum 8 5 Technopolis Kolkata 72,000 Gold 6 3 Spectral Services Consultants Office Noida 15,000 Platinum 8 4 HITAM Hyderabad 78,000 Silver 2 3 Grundfos Pump Chennai 40,000 Gold 6 3 Figure : Source: CII According to studies, in a project worth 5 million dollars, an additional expenditure on green building concept of 100 thousand dollars results in a saving of 1 million dollars over a period of 20 years. One Indiabulls Centre in Lower parel, Mumbai is a fine case of green building initiatives that have been undertaken in India. The material usage in the centre have been through use of fly ash in concrete, recycled metal content in steel used, low VOC content paints, efficient HVAC systems. The centre also includes a sewage treatment plant, solar panels for heating water, water harvesting system as well as a roof top garden. Figure : Source: Indiabulls Real Estate The cost benefit analysis from the project of One Indiabulls Centre is given below. The savings resulting from the concept of green building is substantial. Figure : Source: CII, Indiabulls Real Estate

Cluster Computing: History, Applications and Benefits

Cluster Computing: History, Applications and Benefits Abstract This report will provide a detailed review of the cluster computing. In this report we look at the birth of cluster computing till the present and the future direction the technology is headed. After the literature review, we move on to the explanation of theories involved from the author’s point of view. The final section of the report covers the current trends and future evolution of the technology as perceived from the author’s point of view. The essence of the report would be a better understanding of the cluster computing and its many uses in today’s world. Introduction A computer cluster consists of a set of loosely connected or tightly connected computers that work together so that in many respects they can be viewed as a single system. The components of a cluster are usually connected to each other through fast local area networks (LAN), with each node (computer used as a server) running its own instance of an operating system. Computer clusters emerged as a result of convergence of a number of computing trends including the availability of low cost microprocessors, high speed networks, and software for high performance distributed computing. Clusters are usually deployed to improve performance and availability over that of a single computer, while typically being much more cost-effective than single computers of comparable speed or availability.[1] Computer clusters have a wide range of applicability and deployment, ranging from small business clusters with a handful of nodes to some of the fastest supercomputers in the world such as IBMs Sequoia. [2] Literature review In 1967 a paper published by Gene Amdahl of IBM, formally invented the basis of cluster computing as a way of doing parallel work. It is now known as Amdahl’s Law. It is a model for correlation between the expected speedup of parallelized implementations of an algorithm relative to the serial algorithm, assuming the problem size remains the same. [3] Types of Clusters Computer clusters are used in many organizations to increase processing time, faster data storing and retrieval time, etc. These computer clusters can be classified in three main types of clusters but these can be mixed to achieve higher performance or reliability. High performance clusters High availability clusters Load Balancing clusters High Performance Cluster: High performance computing sometimes refer to as high performance computing are used for computation-intensive applications, rather than handling IO-oriented applications such as web service or databases.[4] examples of HPCs can include the computational simulations of vehicle crashes or weather. Very tightly coupled computer clusters are designed for work that may approach supercomputing. The worlds fastest machine in 2011 was the K computer which has a distributed memory, cluster architecture.[5] High Availability Cluster: High availability clusters are commonly known as failover clusters. They are used to improve the availability of the cluster approach. In high availability clusters, redundant nodes are used which take over in case of component failure. It is used to eliminate single point of failure by having redundant cluster components.[6] High Availability clusters are often used for critical databases, file sharing on a network, business applications, and customer services such as electronic commerce websites. Load Balancing Cluster: Load balancing clusters, as the name suggests are the cluster configurations where the computational workload is shared between the nodes for better overall performance. One of the best examples of load balancing cluster is a web server cluster. It may use a round robin method to assign each new request to a different node for overall increase in performance. [7] Benefits of Clusters: There are numerous advantages to using cluster computing. Some of these are detailed below. Cost: Cluster technique is cost effective compared to other techniques in terms of the amount of power and processing speed being produced due to the fact that it used off the shelf hardware and software components as compare to the mainframe computers, which use custom build proprietary hardware and software components. Processing speed: In a cluster, multiple computers work together to provide unified processing, which in turn provides faster processing. Flexibility: In contrast to a mainframe computer, a computer cluster can be upgraded to a higher specification or expanded by adding extra nodes. Higher availability: Single component failure is mitigated by redundant machines taking over the processing uninterrupted. This type of redundancy is lacking in mainframe systems. Cluster Management: Message passing and communication The two most often used approaches for cluster communications are PVM and MPI. PVM stands for parallel virtual machine. It was developed around 1989 by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It is directly installed on every node and it provides a set of libraries that make the node a â€Å"parallel virtual machine†. It provides a run time environment for resource task management, fault notification and message passing. User programs written in C, C++ or Fortran can use PVM.[8][9] MPI stands for message passing interface. It emerged in 1990s and supersedes PVM. MPI design is based on various commercially available systems of the time. Its implementation typically uses TCP/IP and socket connection. Currently it’s the most widely used communication system enabling parallel programming in C, Fortran, Python etc.[9][10] Task scheduling Task scheduling becomes a challenge, when a large multiuser cluster needs access to huge amounts of data. In a heterogeneous CPU-GPU cluster, mapping tasks onto CPU cores and GPU devices provide quite a challenge because it’s a complex application environment and the performance of each job depends on the abilities of the underlying technologies. Task scheduling is an active area of ongoing research and there have been proposals to build an algorithms which combine and extend MapReduce and Hadoop. [11] Node failure management Node failure management is a technique used to handle a failed node in a cluster using strategies such as â€Å"fencing†. It isolates the node or a shared resource when it detects a malfunction. There are two types of fencing. First is to disable the node and the second is to prevent access to resources like shared disks. [12] The first method uses STONITH. Which stands for â€Å"Shoot The Other Node In The Head†. This method disables or power off the malfunctioning node. For example, power fencing uses a power controller to turn off the faulty node. [12] The second method uses the resource fencing approach, which prevents access to resources rather than to turn off the node. For example, fiber channel fencing can be used to disable the fiber channel port. [12] 1137395 Muhammad Khurram Shehzad Trends The demand for powerful computers that can be used for simulation and prediction are of great interest to both the public and private sector. Last decade, was the most exciting periods in computer development. As a result of Moore’s law, microprocessors have become smaller, denser, and more powerful. The result is that microprocessor based supercomputing is rapidly becoming the technology of preference in attacking some of the most important problems of science and engineering. A recent report from Intersect360 Research highlighted some interesting trends in HPC. Below are a few of the highlights. [13] More Memory with Multi-core: While memory usage per core is nearly constant in years past, the broader adoption of multi-core systems is creating a demand for more memory. This can be expected but the report also warns of additional system costs as the need for more memory rises.[13] Processors per Nodes: According to summary of the report, two-processors per node is still the preferred configuration with 60% of the market, with just 14% opting for four-processor nodes. These ratios have stayed about the same over the past five years.[13] Future Outlook High Performance Computing (HPC) is expected to increase with which Big Data is analyzed to address variety of scientific, environmental and social challenges, especially on very large and small scales. In order of magnitude more powerful than laptop computers, HPC processes information using parallel computing, allowing for many simultaneous computations to occur concurrently. These integrated machines are measured in â€Å"flops† which stands for â€Å"floating point operations per second.† [14] As of June 2013, Tianhe-2 (or, Milky Way-2), a supercomputer developed by China’s National University of Defense Technology, is the world’s fastest system with a performance of 33.86 petaflop/s. [15] HPC is expected to move into â€Å"exascale† capacity by 2020, developing computing capacities 50 times greater than today’s most advanced supercomputers. Exascale feasibility rests on the rise of energy efficient technology: the processing power exists but the energy to run it, and cool it, does not. Currently, the American supercomputer MIRA, [16] while not the fastest, is the most energy efficient thanks to circulating water-chilled air around the processors inside the machine rather than merely using fans. Applications of the technology High-performance computing (HPC) is a broad term that in essence represents compute intensive applications that need acceleration. Users of application acceleration systems range from medical imaging, financial trading, oil and gas expiration, to bioscience, data warehousing, data security, and many more. In the information age, the need for acceleration of data processing is growing exponentially and the markets deploying HPC for their applications are growing every day. The HPC expansion is being fueled by the coprocessor, which is fundamental to the future of HPC. 1137784 Samra Mohammad 8Future trends, outlook and applications of cluster computing: Computer plays an important role in the information age. Different countries have undertaken thorough studies on computing to improve the information level. I may observe some current trends and speculate a bit about the future of parallel programming models. As far as we can foresee today, the future of computing is parallel computing, dictated by physical and technical necessity. 8.1New trends in cluster computing: These days, there is a new computing paradigm as computer networks called the Grid. It becomes very cheap and very fast .What is a Grid? It is a big system of computing resources that provides to users a single point of access and performs tasks. It is based on the WWW (World Wide Web) interface, to these distributed resources[17] The Grid technology is currently in progress intensive development. The Grid is also the first tools which are already available for developers. In this type of application, we can use a high-speed network in regarding the interconnection between the parts of the grid via internet. Nowadays , the Grid is agree to enable for scientific collaborations to share resources on an unprecedented level and geographically distributed groups to collaborate together in a manner that were previously impossible by using scalable, secure, high performance mechanisms for discovering and negotiating access to remote resources. 8.2Future: In the future, the increase of industry support for low latency clusters will help in availability and performance, but restrictions may require a departure from the current multicast-oriented data distribution strategies. However, latency and bandwidth performance will continue to improve in the Ethernet with a very low cluster with multicast support. 8.3Application and outlook: Obviously, cluster computing is quickly becoming the architecture of choice. One of the categories of applications is called Grand Challenge Applications (GCA). It are defined as fundamental problems in science and engineering with broad economic and scientific impact whose solution can be advanced by applying high performance computing and communication technologies. The high scale of complexity in GCAs demands enormous amount of resources needs, such as processing time, memory space and communication bandwidth. A common characteristic of GCAs is that they involve simulations that are computationally intensive. Examples of GCAs are applied fluid dynamics, environmental modeling, ecosystem simulation, biomedical imaging, biomechanics, molecular biology, and computational sciences. [17] Other than GCAs, cluster computing is also being applied in other applications that demand high availability, scalability and performance. Clusters are being used as replicated storage and backup servers that provide the essential fault tolerance and reliability for critical applications. For example, the internet, search engine, Google uses cluster computing to provide reliable and efficient internet search services. Conclusion Cluster computing offers a comparatively cheap, alternative to large server or mainframe computer solutions. New trends in hardware and software technologies are likely to make clusters more promising. Statement of contribution Member 1: Muhammad Khurram Shehzad (1137395), Abstract, Introduction, Literature review Conclusion as a Group and Trends, Future Outlook applications as individual. Member 2: Samra Mohammad (1137784), Abstract, Introduction, Literature review Conclusion as a Group and Trends, Future Outlook applications as individual. Member 3: Muhammad Faheem Abbas (1137391), Abstract, Introduction, Literature review Conclusion as a Group and Trends, Future Outlook applications as individual. References: [1] Bader, David; Robert Pennington (June 1996). Cluster Computing: Applications. Georgia Tech College of Computing. Retrieved 2007-07-13. [2] Nuclear weapons supercomputer reclaims world speed record for US. The Telegraph. 18 Jun 2012. Retrieved 18 Jun 2012. [3] Amdahl, Gene M. (1967).Validity of the Single Processor Approach to Achieving Large-Scale Computing Capabilities.AFIPS Conference Proceedings(30): 483–485.doi:10.1145/1465482.1465560 [4] High Performance Computing for Computational Science VECPAR 2004 by Michel Daydà ©, Jack Dongarra 2005 ISBN 3-540-25424-2 pages 120-121 [5] M. Yokokawa et al The K Computer, in International Symposium on Low Power Electronics and Design (ISLPED) 1-3 Aug. 2011, pages 371-372 [6] Evan Marcus, Hal Stern: Blueprints for High Availability: Designing Resilient Distributed Systems, John Wiley Sons, ISBN 0-471-35601-8 [7] High Performance Linux Clusters by Joseph D. Sloan 2004 ISBN 0-596-00570-9 page [8] Distributed services with OpenAFS: for enterprise and education by Franco Milicchio, Wolfgang Alexander Gehrke 2007, ISBN pages 339-341 [9] Grid and Cluster Computing by Prabhu 2008 8120334280 pages 109-112 [10] Gropp, William; Lusk, Ewing; Skjellum, Anthony (1996). A High-Performance, Portable Implementation of the MPI Message Passing Interface. Parallel Computing. CiteSeerX: 10.1.1.102.9485 [11] K. Shirahata, et al Hybrid Map Task Scheduling for GPU-Based Heterogeneous Clusters in: Cloud Computing Technology and Science (CloudCom), 2010 Nov. 30 2010-Dec. 3 2010 pages 733 740 ISBN 978-1-4244-9405-7 [12] Alan Robertson Resource fencing using STONITH. IBM Linux Research Center, 2010 [13] http://www.intersect360.com/industry/reports.php?id=67 (Accessed 12/05/2014) [14] http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/futurium/en/content/future-high-performance-computing-supercomputers-rescue (Accessed 12/05/2014) [15] http://www.top500.org/system/177999#.U3ORpPmSzDs (Accessed 12/05/2014) [16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Mira (Accessed 12/05/2014) [17] http://www.slideshare.net/shivakrishnashekar/computer-cluster (Accessed 14th May 2014)

Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia - It Is Not Murder, It Is Mercy Essay

Euthanasia: It Is Not Murder, It Is Mercy Thesis Statement: Thousands of people in the United States alone die every year from terminal illness such as cancer, ALS and AIDS. Advanced Medical technology is responsible for keeping many of them alive - many against their wishes. In the United States, euthanasia (assisted suicide) is illegal in all but one state. Many patients are forced to suffer needlessly when there is another alternative. According to a new Time/CNN poll 7 out of 10 American's say that they want to die at home; instead three-fourths die in medical institutions" (Cloud 59). In our society people are, as a whole, living longer. With all the choices we are allowed, why is a good death not one of them? In our society we are awarded one life and one death, no more, no less. Granted, living life to its fullest is an American way of life NO ONE wants to die in pain, alone and afraid. We would all like to drift to sleep on the wings of a dove never to suffer again. It is a nice thought but for 52.5% of Americans who are terminally ill, this does not happen. More and more people, young and old, are being diagnosed with Cancer, AIDS, and other diseases such as Muscular Dystrophy, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and Alzheimer's disease. Euthanasia is becoming more and more popular as a way to end one's suffering when there is no further medical treatment available to CURE the disease. Darkling I listen, and for many a time I have been half in love with easeful death, Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme, To take the air my quiet breath; Now more than ever it seems rich to die To cease upon the midnight with no pain... -John Keats- Dying is a personal thing ... ...hink that the Death with Dignity Act should be incorporated into all the States laws. It is the last time one has the ability to assert oneself and make a conscious decision to die a good death. Give Strong Drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those of heavy heart - Proverbs 31:6 SOURCES CITED Cloud, Joseph, "Seeking a Humane Way to Die." Time Magazine. September   2000. Euthanasia: Some General Information, http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/2195/info.html Humphry, Derek. Final Exit. New York. 1991 Dell Publishing Tada, Joni Eareckson. When Is It Right To Die? Michigan, 1992.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Zondervan   Publishing Van Biema, David, "Is There a Right to Die?" Time Magazine. January 1997  Ã‚   http://www.time.com/time/magazine/1997/dom/970113/society.is_there_a.html Thomas Nelson Publishers Word in Life Bible. Nashville. 1993

microsoft :: essays research papers

There is a requirement for a Vehicle Data Management System (VDMS) by the United States. The military currently has numerous tracked and wheeled vehicles in its inventory, with technical data on their operation and performance available in manuals and reports. Alternatively, there are various vehicle performance computer models and applications, which manipulate characteristics of these vehicles for analytical purposes, but no standard data depot currently exists for collection and storage of this information. This project has developed a means of storing available information about these tracked and wheeled vehicles in a relational database which will allow the user to easily create, retrieve, update, and delete information via a user-interface connected to the database. The purpose of this project was to create a relational database of vehicle information and a user interface for accessing the database. The project allows for a user-friendly environment (Microsoft Excel and Access) that is convenient and efficient for storing, retrieving, updating and displaying vehicle information. The overall objective of this project was to create an updateable, computerized database application, the Vehicle Data Management System (VDMS), which provides a composite reference/storage retrieval system for current information pertinent to characteristics of standard military tracked and wheeled vehicles. VDMS is intended to minimize the individual need for periodic reference to technical manuals, reports, and large vehicle files containing large amounts of data. Currently, there exist much data in various places, (technical manuals, files, folders, envelopes, etc.) and no easy way to store, retrieve, update, and manipulate it. Using Visual C++ (programming language) and Access (database, the goal of this project was to provide a faster and more efficient method to create, retrieve, update, and delete the information contained in these vehicle files. VDMS manipulates vehicle data files that are currently being used as data for vehicle performance models such as the NATO Reference Mobility Model (NRMM). NRMM is an example of an computerized model developed in the early 1970's that combines many mobility-related technologies into one comprehensive package designed to predict the physically constrained terrain/vehicle interaction of vehicles operating in on-road and off-road terrain. Since it's beginning NRMM has been continually updated and expanded as a result of ongoing mobility research and is now in its second release (NRMM II). NRMM provides the NATO members with a standard reference for mobility performance evaluations. NRMM is integrated into other automated models providing the mobility predictions for several other tactical, analytical, and war-gaming models. Currently, the data files are rather large and are not easily read and the data pertaining to these vehicles are stored in text files. These files are not in a format that is easily understood. Having the data in a database allows the user to manipulate and access

Heidi Roizen Case Essay

1. Describe Roizen’s network (including her reasons for developing her network) and how she developed it. Roizen’s young adult life shaped the reasons as to why she was going to become independent and self-sufficient. After suffering the tragic loss of her fiancà © she set out to build a career and learned very early on that building connections with high-level people was something she had a talent for and something she ought not to miss out on when given the opportunity. Roizen knew she wanted to be in the technology industry, but with a creative writing degree she had limited options of jobs to choose from. At Tandem computers she wrote the internal newspaper serving as a link between the executives (including the CEO) and the rest of the employees. Roizen immediately realized how to leverage this aspect of her job description and thus began a decade long career of networking. After Tandem Roizen went to get her MBA and then partnered with her brother to launch a company that sold spreadsheet software he developed. T-Maker did not have excessive amounts of capital like some of its competitors, but Roizen knew that with her outgoing personality and her desire to meet (interesting and smart) people she could make the company successful. While marketing T/Maker she made important relationships with people that would end up shaping her career as well as dominating the Silicon Valley technology scene. Roizen was taking a gamble spending so much of her time and energy in developing rapport with these people, but thus far it had proven to be an integral factor in her career development. 2. What are Roizen’s principles of networking and relationships? How would you analyze the strengths and weaknesses of her network as we see it at the end of the case? Because of the amount of time and energy Roizen devotes to networking over time she developed guiding principles to maintain stability. Firstly Heidi claims you must have access to people, which is accomplished over a period  of time. Also held at high regard is maintaining â€Å"performance and consistency during and after each interaction.† Performance involves responsiveness and follow-through in doing what you offered or agreed upon doing. By focusing on performance and consistency Roizen believes that efficiency in maintaining relationships is achieved because interactions of high levels of substance can occur with less frequency. During Roizen’s time at Apple she adopted her next principle, which stressed neutrality and confidentiality in her relationships with competitors. While she did not explicitly state that trust was necessary most people cited in the case seemed to truly trust Roizen and her intentions, which brings us to her last and perhaps most importa nt principle of reciprocity. Roizen values reciprocity in the sense that before calling in a favor she must evaluate if it is a win-win situation for both parties. Heidi has been referred to as a catalyst, market maker, and door opener so before she can do something for someone else she wants to make sure there are mutual benefits to be realized. Heidi is a high-profile industry captain who frankly does not have the time to perform acts of goodwill all day. Her networking is the bulk of her business and her resume. The strengths of her network are that throughout her career and specifically at Softbank her networking landed her the position of partner. Before evaluating the strengths of Roizen’s network one must take the time to recognize that it takes a certain ebullient, patient, conscientious, amicable human being to be able to achieve a network with the wide spectrum of powerful individuals that Roizen began amalgamating at a very young age. The strengths of her network include penetrating the Technology sector and becoming a celebrity of Silicon Valley. Through her network she was able to leverage these relationships to benefit her herself and others along the way. By establishing her guidelines she was able to healthily separate work and her personal life even though an outsiders’ perspective may think theses boundaries are blurred in the case of Roizen’s dinner parties. It is quite apparent that much of Roizen’s success can be attributed to her expertise in the area of networking. She has positively leveraged this unique skill throughout her career to make win-win situations for both herself and the other party involved. Unfortunately networking does come  with some downside. It is overwhelmingly time consuming. As the case mentioned Roizen receives upwards of 100 e-mails a day that she feels obliged to personally answer in order to maintain successful work-related (and sometimes personal) relationships. An acquaintance mentioned the lengthiness of her e-mails decreased over time until the responses were incomplete sentences. This reflects poorly on Roizen because the 2000+ people she networks with all consider her a â€Å"friend† and expect perhaps more than she can provide them with in terms of time and energy devoted to the relationship. Besides the work-related strains this networking seeps into her personal life where she is constantly hosting events at her home, leaving little separation between home and work. Overall the networking doesn’t allow for a balanced work life, which many people claim to be essential in achieving overall happiness and even success. 3. How does she use her network, and what does she achieve through her network? Heidi realized at her first job at Tandem that she had to use her talent of being a people-person to move up in this world. She had a good eye for how to manipulate situations into the interests of her network. Starting with T/Maker she started maximizing all social situations to the benefit of marketing T/Maker. The time she spent developing these relationships during the 1980’s laid out the foundation of her network and consequently her career. Then during Apple’s decline of the 1990’s Roizen was called to the rescue where first the first time she was to formally use her network in the developer community to rebuild a brand. Her success was primarily attributed to her relationships and how she was able to effectively use them to her benefit and in this case in Apple’s benefit. Her work awarded her a promotion to build strategy and eventually to leave and create her own job description as a mentor capitalist. This is Heidi using her network at its finest. Heidi realized what she had built was unique and consequently her network gave her the ability to tailor her job description around her likes and strengths. As an independent and external director she was responsible for recruiting key positions and with her probable one-degree of separation between her and the rest of Silicon Valley she was able to make some impressive matches. It is one thing to have developed the network Heidi has,  but is another to know how to perfectly utilize its full potential and Heidi has done so throughout the course of her career. Moving to the venture capital world allowed Heidi to fulfill an interest in the equity ownership or the â€Å"financial weight† of these start- up companies. With this career change came additional responsibilities that would take away from the time Heidi had previously spent networking. Now it is up to Heidi to re-prioritize and arrange her duties to create a healthy balan ce of completing her venture capitalist duties, while retaining the network she so dutifully built. 4. How would you characterize the â€Å"breadth† and â€Å"depth† (strong or weak ties) of her network? Part of Heidi’s networking phenomenon involves a metaphor of networking as constellations. Heidi can minimize relationship maintenance by staying in more frequent contact with other nuclei of network constellations. Heidi over the years has assumed position of nuclei in her particular networking group and this gives her the ability to â€Å"leverage the network constellation approach† which results in preserving the breadth of her entire network. Her network spans thousands of people who all consider themselves personally acquainted with Heidi. There is not enough time in the day to cater to each individual so Heidi cuts corners by remaining in close contact with the nuclei of all the different networks she is a part of. Heidi also has depth to her network in the sense that she keeps in touch with non-nuclei of other networks. Heidi is most definitely a people person and over the course of her career she has gotten to know people who she likes as individuals because they are interesting and smart (two of her pre-requisites in networking!) That being said the depth of her network may seem to contradict with maintaining the breadth through the constellation approach, but Heidi’s networking is deeply instilled in her so she sees value in her relationships with the nuclei and the random individuals. And thus far her hybrid approach has proven to be successful in all of her career-driven endeavors. 5. What are your suggestions for Roizen to continue to develop and maintain her network? Should she change anything in terms of people, effort, strategies, etc? In order to effectively exploit Heidi’s strengths I would suggest that since she seems to have flexibility in designing her job she could cut down the time she spends reading business plans for a few reasons; she does not enjoy that aspect of venture capital and because she could use that time to network which is a main reason why she was hired. Currently Heidi does not have enough time to evaluate business plans, help companies in early growth stages and to maintain her networking relationships. If Softbank wants to be able to take advantage of Heidi’s rolodex they will have to agree to her requests to be able to keep up her relationships. Fortunately most executives understand how time consuming networking can be and when it is done at Heidi’s level it should be deemed a full time job. I understand Heidi’s reasons for wanting to spend time with the business plans, but by delegating an initial screening process downward in the organization she may find herself with an extra few hours each day to complete time-sensitive networking issues, which would ultimately increase her performance and effectiveness.

Case Study on Early Childhood Essay

This study will provide an understanding of a child’s physical, cognitive, and social development. Early childhood is a time of remarkable physical, cognitive, social, as well as emotional development. Infants enter the world with a limited range of skills and abilities. Watching a child develop new motor, cognitive, language and social skills is a source of wonders for parents and caregivers. The study of human development is a rich and varied subject. We all have personal experience with development, but it is sometimes difficult to understand exactly how and why people grow, learn, and change. What happens or doesn’t happen to children in the earliest years of their lives is of critical importance, both to their immediate well-being and to their future. If you received the best start in your earliest years of life, you are more likely to have grown healthy, developed language and learning capacities, or gone to school and led a productive, rewarding life. Let’s take a closer look at early childhood development including the well-being of potential influences around the child. Five year old Madison, a cheerful and clever girl, is one of the most active children I have ever met. She is a member of gymnastics, dancing, and little league softball team. Weighing about thirty five pounds and very lean, she has the energy times three of one child. To determine Madison’s maturity of her motor skill development, I created a test for both her gross motor skills and fine motor skills. To test her development of her gross motor skills, I told her to run up and down the driveway of her yard, which was about 9 feet in length, until she was tired. Madison only ran this length four times before giving up. I determined that her gross motor skills were above average because of her speed, pace, and length of running. To test her fine motor skills, I gave her one sheet of wide ruled paper and told her to copy each sentence: â€Å"My name is Madison. I am five years old. I like to play ball. † Madison showed that she could write these sentences neatly and accurately. I tested her again on her fine motor skills by testing her strength. I rolled a soccer ball to her five times and she kicked it back to me three of those five times. She showed that her strength was average as well. I also asked her parent a series of questions about her physical development: What was Madison’s appetite on a daily basis? What is her energy level before and after school? What is the pattern of her physical growth? Her parent stated that her appetite was normal and that she ate three full meals a day including snacks in between these meals. She then stated that before school her energy level is low being that most children do not like to be woken early in the morning. After school her energy level is fair because she has been active for more than seven hours and attends practice after school. Her parent also explained that Madison’s weight gain is steady but she has gotten taller by two inches. I determined that Madison’s physical development is excellent and well above average of children her age. Not only a period of amazing physical development, early childhood is also a time of extraordinary mental development. Cognitive development combined with memory and thinking continues to emerge throughout childhood. It would be impossible to avoid mentioning the work of Piaget when it comes to childhood cognitive development. According to Piaget’s theory, Madison is automatically in the preoperational stage. During this stage, children do not yet understand concrete logic, cannot mentally manipulate information, and are unable to take the point of view of other people. I asked Madison does she like to read and she answered â€Å"yes. † I also asked her does she like to learn and she said â€Å"yes. † To test her cognitive skills, I tested her by giving her a paper with a picture of three balls on it. I told her to circle the biggest one, put a square around the smallest one, and underline the medium size one. She correctly circled the biggest one which was in the middle, followed by the smallest one on the right and the medium one on the left. I gave the same test but with different pictures and in a different order. She missed this question because she assumed that the biggest bear was in the middle because of the first test she took. She failed to understand the perception of size because she focused on what she saw before not noticing the change of appearance. This showed that she used static reasoning believing that the world is unchanging. I asked Madison how many fingers she had and she counted ten. I then raised only four of my fingers on one hand and three on the other. I asked her how many did I have on my and and she stated seven but then told me I was hiding more. As you can see I could not pull a trick on Madison with this test. In children, there is perhaps nothing more amazing than the emergence of language. Early childhood is a sensitive period for language learning. I asked her parent does Madison easily learn words. She stated that Madison learns words everyday and often repeat words that she might have said to other people and to her as well. To test Madison on her social development, I sat a phone, a bottle of water, and a book on a table. I asked her what was the first object and why do we use it. She correctly answered the question saying that the phone was used to call people. Second, she could not tell me what the container was (bottle) but she did say it was water. Last, she correctly stated that the book was used to read about things. I asked her does she play with other kids and she said yes. I then asked her did she have friends and she named two friends. Her parent also stated that Madison talks about her friend all the time and has gotten into trouble for talking too much at school. It shows that Madison is a very sociable child and she will more than likely be successful in anything that she does.

Spontaneous Consumer

The impacts on ’Spontaneous Consumer’ have resulted in the trend on Auckland Theatre Company. Impacts such as raising demands in the sales of tickets at the last minute. As inferred from the case study, â€Å"on average, 25-30 per cent of a season is booked in advance by subscribes. This may create loss of sales revenue from the particular group of ‘Spontaneous Consumers'. However, Auckland Theatre Company may extend their registration dates to cater to this particular group's needs. Extended registration dates such as having two sessions. First session registration dates to be launch earlier in the month, second session registration dates to be launch end of the month to cater to busy consumer who are not able to make it for the first launch dates. Other impacts such as disputes consumers may derive from ‘the spontaneous consumers. ‘ The inability to purchase a ticket to the play due last minute decision may result in poor customer experiences and thus poor customer retention. As inferred from the case study, â€Å"Part of the reason for the success of Auckland Theatre Company lies in the company's ability to recognize and address the safety, social, ego and self-actualization of the consumers. The inability to purchase a ticket to the play due last minute decision may also result in the lack of ego needs toward consumers. In addition to minimize the negative impacts on Auckland Theatre Company. Auckland Theatre Company can accommodate to this particular group of ‘spontaneous consumer' by using the power of marketing strategic to enhance attractive promotion such as ‘ early bird promotion' to attract spontaneous consumers to purchase their tickets in an earlier timings. This may help to increase the impulse of spontaneous consumers and influence their buying decision through marketing strategic and also help generate revenues for their company.

Doctor of Pharmacy Admission Essay

My name is Cidone Saintvil, and I am 33years old. I am currently attending Broward College in Davie, Florida. I have selected pharmacy as a career because through the course of my life I have seen how much people come to depend on their pharmacist.Growing up, I saw that patients do not always have knowledge about medications and often they are afraid to speak to their doctor about how they should take medications.   The person people turn to for guidance and for clarification of medical questions is their pharmacist.I have learned a great deal over the last few years, but I know there is much more that I can learn.   My long-term goal is to become pharmacist.   My immediate goal is to continue to learn as much as I can to be able to help my patients to become knowledgeable on the importance of their medications. I believe that the Doctor of Pharmacy program will help me achieve both of these goals.I come from the same socioeconomic background as many of the patients that come t o the pharmacies that I have worked in.   I am bilingual which will help in situations where a patient needs something explained in their native language. I can interpret and counsel these patients easily on how and why they need to take their medications.My parents are elderly, so I have a very good understanding of how to deal with elderly customers.   Many pharmacists do not realize the amount of patience and understanding that is needed to help the elderly and going with my mother or father to pick up a medication for them, I have seen how exasperated a pharmacist can get when my parents ask them a lot of questions.   I also have a good moral character and I believe that I will serve as a role model for future pharmacists.In July of 2003, I achieved my certification as a Certified Pharmacy Technician in July of 2003.   I have been attending Broward College and the classes that I have taken there have given me a good foundation on which to build other essential knowledge that I will learn in the Doctor of Pharmacy program.I have been mentored throughout my education by Morris Bellman, a pharmacist.   Mr. Bellman has been a mentor and a friend and he has taught me many important lessons, lessons that I treasure greatly.   He has taught me the importance of the way that prescription drugs are administered, what the possible side effects of different drugs are, and about the cost and availability of generic drugs that can be substituted for the prescription equivalent.I have learned a deal by reading the most current scholarly papers in the field of pharmacy.   I feel I am now prepared for the next step in my educational journey, the Doctor of pharmacy program.For the past 11 years I have worked in various positions dealing with medication and patients. From January 1998 to 2003, I held the positions of a material handler and a customer service clerk at Caremark Mail Order Pharmacy in Weston, Florida.In July of 2003, I received my certification a nd since my certification I have been working for Soliant Health (formerly called Cardinal Health) as a pharmacy technician.   With every job that I have held, I have learned a great deal and I have always been eager to learn more and feel each opportunity has further prepared me for my next step which is admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program.In closing, I feel that my personal and professional background makes me an excellent candidate for this program.   I am a hard worker, self motivated and I am looking to make a change.   I have always felt that a pharmacist is more then just the dispenser of medications.   I feel that the pharmacist is supposed to be someone who has the best interest of the patient in mind and is there to help them with any and all questions.

The Negative Impact of Tourism Due to Increased Globalization Essay

The Negative Impact of Tourism Due to Increased Globalization - Essay Example It is essential and even necessary to communicate and reach out to the rest of the world as an isolated country can never flourish and keep pace with the rapidly moving world. Japan is an evident example of this case as it had kept itself apart from the rest of the world for many years, not even allowing trade and business with other nations. Japan's isolation policy was fully implemented by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Ievasu and Shogun from 1623 to 1641. For over a hundred years, it retained its secluded position, cut off from the rest of the world, but then, after the Tokugawa government fell, it realized the importance of interconnectivity and globalization (Richie and Reischauer 1994). Now Japan is the home of technology; it is a pioneer in various novelties, most of them related to the information technology and better ways of communication and connectivity. Through globalization the economies of all countries are being rapidly integrated. One method of achieving globaliza tion is through tourism. It especially helps in the cultural interaction of one nation to another as well as a source of revenue generation. Tourism is the commercial organization of traveling for recreation and the sum of relationships resulting from the interaction between the tourists, local government, business suppliers, host communities etc. Tourism plays a vital role in the strengthening of a country's economy as it generates an immense amount of revenue for the government of the county. Local businesses also thrive due to tourism and the tourism industry offers various jobs, which ultimately results in high rates of employment. These are a few positive aspects of tourism but where it is earning net national benefits, it is also responsible for its negative impact on the country's image and economy. Tourism is the world's number one export earner, but with its advantages come the negative aspects and disadvantages. Underdeveloped and developed countries want to promote touris m because it is a good industry for revenue generation, but more than often these are not as beneficial or promising as they sound. The major reason for this is the large transfer of money from the host country and the exclusion of local businesses and products. The tourism industry results in inbound country expenses, as the tourists that come to visit the local community or the host country bring foreign exchange revenues with them mostly in the form of liquid cash, taxes, expanses etc. from their home country. These inbound expenses are usually in the form of destination specific expenses as the tourist require lodging and food facilities on their vacation trips. The foreign revenue which is supposed to help the host country economically results in having unfavorable effects on the host community because of certain hidden costs. These hidden costs are more applicable in developing and underdeveloped countries as most of the foreign revenues which come in the host country through tourists leave through leakages. Even though the revenues are retained by destination specific expenses, estimates show that nearly 80% of them are leaked back to the home country of the tourists, the inbound country expenses are basically the destination specific expenses which the tourists spend on their vacation residence and culinary expenses along with the

Non3 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Non3 - Case Study Example The justice system should be cautious when dealing with terrorism cases because most of them pose legal and practical challenges because they have no precedents. In some instances, the criminal justice system has been criticized because it is susceptible to errors such as being too fast or too slow or sometimes providing harsh or lenient punishments. The evolution of statues and courtroom procedures has exhibited a flexible justice system that can be able to deal with the rising unique case of terrorism. The rising cases of terrorism have given rise to the ethical and legal dilemma of whether to use federal courts or military tribunals. In the United States, jurisdiction of military commissions is limited to time of war and only offenses recognized under the law of war are tried. This poses challenges while using the commissions because given the complexity of terrorist activities, some offenses are not recognized under the law of war. Additionally, only aliens are permitted to be tr ied in accordance to the Military Commissions Act. The federal judiciary on the other hand, is a separate branch of the federal government, which is autonomous from the executive and legislative branches charged with the responsibility of interpreting law and deciding disputes that arise under it. Using the federal court has many advantages. Using the United States federal courts shows that United States takes its obligations seriously regarding the anti-terrorism conventions since it has always been at the forefront advocating for implementation of anti-terrorism conventions that requires states to prosecute terrorists in national courts. Using the federal courts guarantees use of the due process rights thus ensuring a fair trial. However, there are disadvantages of using the federal courts. Federal criminal trial of foreigners especially the Islamic terrorist could turn political leading to demonstrations against the United States which could cause security risk for the trial itse lf. The burden of proof in a terrorist trial is usually high and may hinder efforts to bring suspects to justice and this means that a suspect may get freedom more easily in a federal courtroom than in a foreign or international courtroom (Zabel & Benjamin, 2008). Incarceration of terrorist suspects has also raised a heated debate in the United States. Incarceration, which is mainly used as a punishment for a crime serves several purposes that include isolating criminals to prevent further crimes, punishing criminals, deterring others from committing the same crimes and rehabilitating the criminals. However, when suspects are incarcerated for long, it raises questions whether the rule of law is being applied effectively. This further puts doubt in delivery of justice because of the delays in delivering since access to justice is a mutually reinforcing component of the rule of law. States strive to implement the rule of law and therefore, more attention should be given towards achiev ing the rule of law. A poorly functioning justice system allows crime thus demeaning the essence of the rule of law. Progress in security, governance, economic development, and social well being are dependent on a good rule of law system, which is the foundation for economic and political success. The legal dilemma, which encompasses

Personal Definition of the Word Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Definition of the Word Freedom - Essay Example The researcher states that despite complications in the term interpretation every person naturally understands the great value of freedom, however, sometimes it is difficult to feel free if you did not lose it before. It is impossible to evaluate freedom of thought and speech if you live in a democratic country. To understand the concept you have to feel the limits of your freedom. The researcher thinks that freedom, firstly, presumes freedom from prejudices. Racial, sexual, national prejudices make or world more hostile and less positive place. Prejudices limit the abilities of the person to evaluate the world fairly as they are in most cases based on wrong, shallow knowledge and conclusions. We all are affected by prejudices and certain biases and it is important to keep the mind â€Å"clean† of such things. Freedom form prejudices is a trait of tolerant, mature person, who understands the value of human life regardless of his race, sex, origin or age. The world history has shown numerous examples of discrimination, however, now we are free to choose what to believe. Secondly, freedom is a freedom of choice. Nevertheless, the concept â€Å"freedom of choice† of the person means two things: that we are free and that we have a choice as that. Today the researcher has the right to choose a place to live and to study; he is able to choose a hobby and friends. He can choose which book to read and which music to listen. the researcher believes is free from opinions of people around him. If he does not agree with the majority regarding some issues, it does not mean that he challenge someone`s opinion. Unfortunately, some freedom of choice is illusionary. We are not completely free in our choice of work, for instance, in order to fit into the life we have to make money and we are doomed to choose from a certain list of specialties and companies.