Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Answer all of them i short paragraph ( around 20 sentences) Assignment

Answer all of them i short paragraph ( around 20 sentences) - Assignment Example e understood as the next stage in which, the body starts homeostasis, which means that it tries to normalize the physiological provocation because of ongoing stress. The exhaustion phase occurs when the stress becomes chronic and immune system gets weak welcoming diseases in the body. Chronic stress affects various body systems because the first and foremost system that it assaults is the immune system. With continuous stress, the body undergoes exhaustion phase that weakens immune system, which eventually welcomes different diseases affecting various body systems. All the body systems are connected with the nervous system and when nervous system gets exhausted resisting stress resulting in lack of immunity, various body systems such as cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal system and many others. Dr. Wilder Pennfield experimented employing electrical stimulation â€Å"to map the cortex of conscious human patients†. With this experimentation, he was able to realize that our prefrontal lobes, which are liable for ‘fear’, ‘anxiety’ and ‘emotional memory’, contain a certain motor portion that keeps the ability to overrule the signals of other bodily systems. The prefrontal lobes are quite useful in foreseeing and enabling us to keep away from dangers, but also dangerous for us in case of overstimulation. The prefrontal lobes have effective role in stress management because they are involved in reflective actions that make us ready to anticipate some kind of stress and avoid it beforehand. The primary appraisal in the transactional model of stress can be described as assessment of potential threat in terms of its being stressful or not. The stressful threat is dealt by analyzing the amount of damage, anticipation of future damage and prospect of development. The secondary appraisal in the transactional model of stress is the evaluation of resources that can be employed for dealing with the potential threat. If the accessible resources are less as

Monday, October 28, 2019

Student Cramming Essay Example for Free

Student Cramming Essay Abstract This study aims to determine whether cramming behavior had a significant effect on the memory retention students who took Physics 82(Fundamental Physics II) during the second semester of school year 2006-2007. A test was given to these students after one semester (first semester, 2007-2008). A comparison was made between the scores of students who acknowledged frequent use of cramming methods and those that did not. Data shows that retention decreases with time whether the student crammed or not. However, students that crammed have faster rate of decrease in memory retention. 1. Introduction Cramming is defined as studying a relatively large amount of subject matter in a short period of time. It can be regarded as a desperate measure of students to pass exams, complete projects. The consequence of such manner of study is low memory retention [1]. This study aims to confirm or disprove this stereotype. It is possible that grades reflect only short term learning since they are given at the end of the semester and there is no assurance for long term retention. According to Duda, memory retention is enhanced if, for example, a five hour study session is broken down into five separate one hour sessions [1]. This applies to cramming where a single study session just before an examination is less effective than several short study sessions. A survey was conducted to verify these assumptions using UP Los Banos students who took Physics 82 during the second semester of school year 2006-2007. The survey was limited to these students who are currently enrolled in Physics 83 during the first semester of school year 2007-2008. Physics 82 covers fundamental concepts in electricity and magnetism. This study aims to: 1.Determine whether there exists a correlation between the chronological order in which Physics 82 concepts were taught and the students’ memory retention of these concepts. 2.Determine the percentage of students who acknowledged to have employed cramming methods for their Physics 82 semester. 3.Determine whether there is a appreciable difference between students’ final grade (1-5 scale) in Physics 82 and their survey grade for both for the crammers and the non-crammers. 1.1 Hypotheses 1. There no strong positive linear correlation between the chronological order in which PHYS 82 concepts were taught the previous semester, and their memory retention of these concepts. Earlier topics taught are more retained than earlier topics. 2. There is no significant difference between crammers and non-crammers final grade (1-5 scale) in Physics 82, and between crammers and non-crammers survey score. Grade is not a good indicator of cramming behavior. 3. There is no strong linear correlation survey score and Physics 82 final grade for both crammers and non-crammers. Grade is not a good indicator of memory retention. 4. There is no significant difference between the between the students’ final grade (1-5 scale) in Physics 82 and their survey grade both for the crammers and the non-crammers. Cramming has no significant effect on the student’s memory retention of Physics 82 concepts. 2. Methodology The survey population consisted of all Physics 83 students that took Physics 82 the previous Semester. The Survey was done in class hours of Phys83 to all students. The population needed was filtered out afterwards. The survey questions included 16 topics in Physics 82 which were divided into 4 sets reflecting the first to the last quarter of the semester. Questions were generated for each topic. Five basic equations and two to four conceptual problems were taken from the topics. This was to ensure that the survey was representative of the whole Physics 82 semester. The questionnaire survey was divided into three parts, personal information, matching type and multiple choice. The first part consisted of personal information and also asked the students to rate themselves in a scale of 1 to 5 where 5 was the highest. The information taken were the following: ofrequency of cramming in exams and/or projects: â€Å"I cram my study for the night before exams† ostudy routine: (1-2hrs), (monthly(1)†¦, weekly(5)) I do not study for quizzes/do assign ahead oPreparation time for exam(a night before(1)†¦, three weeks before(5) ) I review only near exam dates oStudents claim on good retention: â€Å"I forgot my Physics 82† oLikelihood of cramming in the future: â€Å"I expect myself to cram for the coming exams due to unavoidable circumstances.† From these the students were then categorized to two sets as non-crammers (labeled as R), having less than 65% of total points in part I, and crammers (C) whose high score in part I acknowledge their use and likely future use of cramming methods. The percentage of students C and R in the population were then taken. The following comparisons were made: (1) between C and R Physics 82 final grade, (2) between C and R survey scores, and (3 ) between Physics 82 final grade and survey scores of all respondents. In the second part, students were asked to match an equation with a concept. There were 20 equations and corresponding concepts. Each match was given 1 point. Examples of the questions were [2]: Column AColumn B 1.Coulomb’s Law 2.1 Volt K. 1AmpCoul=1Joule/Coulomb Part 3 (multiple choice) consisted of 8 conceptual and 8 computational questions. The following are some examples: 1. Which of the following is false about electric potential? A.is the energy per unit charge B.is dependent of charge passing per unit time in a conductor. C.it is a scalar quantity D.electric potential surfaces lines cross each other 2. Which of the following is true? I.An Ohmic Conductor has a linear Voltage and Current relationship. II.When Ohm’s Law is not obeyed the resistivity (Ï ) of a substance is constant in the equation E=Ï J (J is current density). A.I only B. II only C. Both I and II D Neither I and I 1. The intensity of light is Io=100 Watts 1 meter away from its source. What is its intensity if the distance is doubled? A) I=Io/4 B) I=Io/2 C) I=0 D) I=Io/8 E) none of the above 2. In a DC R-L circuit, the current rises gradually to 5 ÃŽ ¼A in 8ÃŽ ¼sec. What is the induced EMF of the 10H inductor? A) 6.25V B) 0.625V C) 6V D) 12.5V E) none of the above Problem solving skills were also tested to gain insight on the student’s skills in operating some equations in part 2. Part 3 consisted of 16 items of 2 points each. The questions were structured so that 5 matching type items (Part 2), 2 conceptual and 2 computational multiple choice items (part3) represented each quarter of the Physics 82 semester. It was ensured that all items in the four quarters are of comparable level of difficulty. In order to test the reliability of the survey, we repeated some problems in the questionnaire so as to infer whether the students focused on answering the survey or merely guessed the answers. The questionnaire had a total of 52 points, 20 points for part two and 32 points for part three. Each quarter has perfect score of 13 points. A correlation between the sequence of these quarters and average points per quarter was taken. 3. Results and Discussion All of the 48 Physics 82 students who are enrolled in Physics 83 took part in the survey. Simple statistical methods were employed since the survey involved the whole population. In part I, it was assessed that there were approximately 32.56% crammers and 67.44% non-crammers in the population. The mean of the final grades of non-crammers was 2.36 while that of those who cram was 2.42. Since the grading system is in a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the highest, the one with lower mean implies a higher grade. Those who cram tends to have a lower grade than those who do not cram. This trend was also observed in the difference in the average of survey scores between the two categories where non-crammers had a 59.41% average and crammers had a 55.47%. The difference between the two averages was 3.94%. These difference is not significantly observable in the 1-5 grading system; thus, inference in cramming behavior based on grades is not reliable. Figure 3.1 Linear Regression of corresponding average survey score of students per quarter in the simulated exam to test natural degradation of retention through time. In figure 3.1 the trend of score increase is shown with a correlation of 0.566. This shows a natural degradation of memory retention through time since in the most recent quarter, 4th quarter, the average grade of the student in the simulated exam were higher than their average grade in the previous quarter. The average points of 1st 2nd, and 3rd 4th are then averaged in pairs that reflected first and second half the of the Physics 82 semester. Figure 3.2 Average scores of students per quarter in the simulated exam. The average of the second half is 7.802326 which is higher than that of the first half which is equal to 7.476744.This further justifies the degradation of memory of retention with time. Figure 3.3 Linear correlation of Physics 82 final grade and survey score Figure 3.3 shows the correlation between the survey score and the final grade of the students in physics 82 last semester. The negative correlation is due to the fact that 1 is the highest in the 1-5 scale Grading System. Students who got high grades in Physics 82 also got high scores in the survey. The correlation of -0.62263 implies that the final grade of the students is a strong indicator of memory retention where a high grade likely implies high retention. Table 3.1 Mean difference and median difference between physics 82 final grade and survey grade CategoryMean DifferenceMedian Difference Crammer-0.839-0.5 Non-Crammer-0.664-0.25 Table 3.1 shows the difference between physics 82 final grade and survey grade (1-5 grade system). The negative sign indicates that all the students have lesser survey grades compared to their final grade. There is a significant difference between the degradation of grade between crammers and non-crammers. The crammers’ grade decreased by 0.839 while that of non-crammers’ decreased by 0.664. The crammers significantly had less memory retention than those of the non-crammers. 4. Conclusion Memory retention undergoes degradation process through time. This degradation is further increased by cramming behavior. Memory retention has a natural degradation through time both for crammers and non-crammers. The earlier topics were less retained than the most recent topics. Cramming had a significant effect on the student’s memory retention of Physics 82 concepts. There was a strong linear correlation survey score and Physics 82 final grade as shown in figure 3.3. Grade is a strong indicator of memory retention since it was shown that those who got higher grades had better performance in the simulated exam. Thus, students who obtained higher grades tend to have more concepts retained. Cramming was shown to contribute to memory loss. Crammers had a 0.5 median drop in grade between Physics 82 final grade and survey grade whereas non-crammers had a median drop of 0.25. The result of this study is consistent with Duda’s study which affirms the negative effect of crammi ng. The structure of this study may be implemented on other subjects to further assess the effects of cramming behavior on memory retention and may involve other criterion on student academic performance. References [1]J Duda. Study shows test cramming has negative effects on grades. http://wc.arizona.edu/papers/94/91/01_2_m.html. Last modified on Feb 2, 2001. [2]H.D. Young and R.A. Freedman. University Physics: The Modern Physics, tenth edition. USA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 2000. [3]Statistics.Encyclopedia Britannica 2005 Deluxe Edition CD.USA, Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. 2005

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Workers Need a Living Wage Essay -- Its Time to Raise the Minimum Wag

It's 6:00am and that annoying beep of your alarm is ringing in your ears. You get up, start the coffee maker, shower, and get dressed in your work attire. You start your car and back out of your drive-way before noticing that you're running on the last fumes of your tank. You drive to nearest gas station where you see gas prices have, once again, risen. The aforementioned scenario is only one of many examples of the depreciating value of the dollar. In fact, in the past five years, the CPI-U has increased from 168.8 to 190.7 - that's a 12.97% inflationary increase (Historical CPI)! Sure, to Corporate Joe in his fancy sports car, a few extra pennies for gas isn’t much, but what about the school janitor who is trying to successfully raise a family of four on minimum wage? The most immediate reality behind Living Wage organizing is the dramatic erosion of the minimum wage. Even with the 1996 increase to $5.15 an hour the buying power of the minimum wage is still 30 percent below its peak in 1968. This is true despite the fact the economy was about fifty percent more productive than in 1968. A minimum wage that had kept pace with productivity gains would be roughly $11.20 today (Pollin and Luce, 58). In fact, in 2003 the poverty rate rose from 12.1 to 12.5 percent leaving 35.9 million people at or below the poverty line of $18,660 for a family of four (U.S. Census Bureau). These 35.9 million people trudge through their manual labor occupations day in and day out only to see the (few) dollars they earn slowly depreciate in value. In 1906, John Ryan, advocate of the living wage, wrote "Every man who is willing to work, has, therefore an inborn right to sustenance from the earth and on reasonable terms or conditio... ...ome of the fiscal burden they experience. With the increasingly inflating dollar and therefore the depreciating value of the minimum wage, an implementation of a universal living wage would be the humanitarian thing to do. Works Cited Historical Consumer Price Index. Historical CPI. 2003. 4 March 2015. Pollin, Robert and Stephanie Luce. The Living Wage: Building A Fair Economy. New York: New Press, 1998. U.S. Census Bureau. Poverty 2003 Highlights. 26 August 2004. 25 February 2015. Glickman, Lawrence. A Living Wage: American Workers and the Making of a Consumer Society. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997. Acorn.org. ACORN: About Acorn. 2005. 2 March 2015.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Visualizing Eternity in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Essay -- Song of

Visualizing Eternity in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself Whitman's poem "Song of Myself #44" stands as a confession and testaments of not only who he is and what he is, but also as who we are, we being people in general. The poem is not about a self-idolizing author claiming to be the greatest being of all time. Instead it paints a picture for all mankind alike to relate to. It puts a mirror in front of the world and presents an angle of an image that, though familiar, we have never seen or realized before. In the very beginning of the poem, Whitman addresses the world upon a pedestal, asking them to stand and explore with him the unknown. And what is unknown is eternity and the meaning of life. From this beginning there is a tone of a confession or a speech that is set out to reveal something new and something of importance. He "strips away" what is known, or rather, all the little things of life, that which really does not matter much, and tries to get to the bottom of it all. And what lies at the bottom is eternity. This is the unexplainable, the unattainable, but also the essential. Eternity cannot be captured by people, it "lies in bottomless reservoirs"(1136). It is a force that has been present for many years, and will continue forth for more than anyone will ever know. But it is through this force that people have grown and learned to exist. The poem puts in writing the constantly moving force of life and time. We were born somewhere along the line of life and will die somewhere as well, but we still were present in the nurturing existence of time; everyone has his or her time, place, and moment of life. In line 1142, Whitman writes, in my opinion, a kind of commentary of society, that whi... ...nd then to "Monstrous sauroids" or dinosaurs roaming the earth. The whole process has "been steadily employed to complete and delight me"(1167). I do not feel that he intentionally means that he alone is the product of the universe's existence, but I feel that he speaks of himself in such a way but does not exclude everyone else from the realization that they too are the end result of history. It reads to me more like a confidence boaster rather than an egotistical look at life. But this is arguable as, in the beginning of the poem, he says "It is time top explain myself"(1133), but he includes as along by saying "I launch all men and women forward with me into the unknown"(1134), so it is a matter of perspective. I feel, however, that it is not just Whitman but everyone who can now stand as the completion of nature, the final product of history, which is life. Visualizing Eternity in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself Essay -- Song of Visualizing Eternity in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself Whitman's poem "Song of Myself #44" stands as a confession and testaments of not only who he is and what he is, but also as who we are, we being people in general. The poem is not about a self-idolizing author claiming to be the greatest being of all time. Instead it paints a picture for all mankind alike to relate to. It puts a mirror in front of the world and presents an angle of an image that, though familiar, we have never seen or realized before. In the very beginning of the poem, Whitman addresses the world upon a pedestal, asking them to stand and explore with him the unknown. And what is unknown is eternity and the meaning of life. From this beginning there is a tone of a confession or a speech that is set out to reveal something new and something of importance. He "strips away" what is known, or rather, all the little things of life, that which really does not matter much, and tries to get to the bottom of it all. And what lies at the bottom is eternity. This is the unexplainable, the unattainable, but also the essential. Eternity cannot be captured by people, it "lies in bottomless reservoirs"(1136). It is a force that has been present for many years, and will continue forth for more than anyone will ever know. But it is through this force that people have grown and learned to exist. The poem puts in writing the constantly moving force of life and time. We were born somewhere along the line of life and will die somewhere as well, but we still were present in the nurturing existence of time; everyone has his or her time, place, and moment of life. In line 1142, Whitman writes, in my opinion, a kind of commentary of society, that whi... ...nd then to "Monstrous sauroids" or dinosaurs roaming the earth. The whole process has "been steadily employed to complete and delight me"(1167). I do not feel that he intentionally means that he alone is the product of the universe's existence, but I feel that he speaks of himself in such a way but does not exclude everyone else from the realization that they too are the end result of history. It reads to me more like a confidence boaster rather than an egotistical look at life. But this is arguable as, in the beginning of the poem, he says "It is time top explain myself"(1133), but he includes as along by saying "I launch all men and women forward with me into the unknown"(1134), so it is a matter of perspective. I feel, however, that it is not just Whitman but everyone who can now stand as the completion of nature, the final product of history, which is life.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A Garden Lover in my family Essay

It gives me immense pleasure to talk about a garden lover in my family. As we all know gardening is a creative activity in which nature is made to order. Garden provides inexhaustible sources for paintings and poems all over the world and it is a home for many species of birds and flies which lend charm to the verdant looks of the garden. The heartening sounds of birds distract us from the monotonous regimen of our daily lives. My father is a garden lover. He devotes his leisure time in gardening. I think it is natural in human that he likes gardens. After all the first man Adam and first woman hawa ever lived in the garden of Eden. He has a piece of plot to practice and pursue gardening. There he has varieties of crops and vegetables and a couple of fruit trees. The vegetables include spinach, bitter guard, chillies, tomato, lady’s finger, cucumber etc. Also there are roses, jasmine which turn the garden into a rich feast of colors to eyes. The fruit trees include mango, bana na and guava. Many birds visit the garden and some lives there. Gardening keeps him physically fit, mentally alert and fresh. The air here is fresh, fragrant and invigorating. The atmosphere is quiet’ calm and soothing. Gardening involves digging, weeding, cutting, grafting, watering, maturing and tilling of the soil. These activities give him sufficient physical exercise to keep me bodily fit and mentally alert. Many of our friends and relatives appreciate his hobby and skills in it. Moreover we help him in maintain the garden during our spare time. Plants are as sensitive as we human beings are. They react to our actions of love, affection or cruelty. But one requires a very sensitive heart and acute senses to understand their language. He never feels lonely, sad, unemployed or bored because of his hobby. Plants, flowers, birds and butterflies give us a pleasant and delightful company. We feel amidst them very happy and fortunate. There are beauty, pleasure, education and instructions in their company. Sometimes, he seeks help and advice from a gardener as well. He spends all his pocket money in purchasing seeds, manure, fertilizer, gardening implements or books on gardening. He never misses a program on gardening if it is there on the television. He also visit flower-shows, vegetable and fruit exhibitions. The delight he derives from gardening helps him a lot in concentrating on his working. He feels more close to nature and  God when he is in his garden. To him gardening is like a prayer. It inspires his imagination and gives him noble thoughts. We are nearer God when we are in the garden because in the garden there are peace, calmness, beauty, pleasure, colors, coolness, purity and leisure. And these are some of the qualities closely associated with God.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

International Paper - Business Biography

International Paper - Business Biography Free Online Research Papers International Paper employs 66,500 employees and of those employees, 47,100 are located in the United States. International Paper is ranked 93rd among Fortune 500 companies and No. 1 in the forest products sector for the Most Admired Company. The stock is traded internationally on the New York, Swiss and Amsterdam exchanges. The customers of International Paper are distributors and chain and restaurant stores. International Paper produces bags, corrugated board and boxes. The Charlotte location produces bags. This will be the topic of this paper. International Paper’s has a long-standing policy of using no wood from endangered forests. They are also committed to environment protection and have partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, State agencies and non- governmental organizations to ensure the protection of endangered species and forests. The vision of IP (International Paper) is to â€Å"be one and most respected companies in the world-as measured by our employees, our customers, our communities and our shareowners† (internationalpaper.com/Our%20Company/About). Their mission is based on why they exist, what they do and how they do it. IP upholds these by being dedicated to making people’s lives better. The employees use renewable resources. The customers succeed because of their innovative products and services. The communities welcome them because of their philosophies to protect the environment and still provide good products. The shareholders benefit from the superior financial performance. This is all done because International keeps their promises that deliver results. The Charlotte bag plant has not been able to accomplish most external and internal goals with the exception of some plant operations. Externally, they are being competitively beaten to the point where they are unable to produce a profit in the current market. Internally, the company is relatively new, 18 months on the East coast and is trying to slim operations to be competitive on the outside. The issue is the sales personnel are giving extreme pricing and rebates to remain competitive with a long-standing company who’s under-pricing is working at the moment. International Paper has been dominant on the West coast as well as in the Central part of the United States and is trying to establish a presence in the Southeastern part now. Operations have made improvement to help the overhead and the bottom line. Machine target rates have been over achieved. Waste has been practically eliminated. Two new supervisors have been brought in to help with training issues to ensure quality is top priority so re-work has been decreased by 80%. Shipments are at a 99.8% arrival rate with no shortages. The only two issues the operational overhead has had are buying roll stock and freight cost incurred. Roll shock prices have increased 20% and freight has gone up 38%. This has off set the savings described above. Even with the improvements made these aren’t in line with the other plants. Machine speeds, roll stock costs and overhead determine costing which in turn is higher than what is being charged by our other plants and our competitors. We are selling our products below what we can produce them for. Our average ROS (return of sale) is -39.10% with the largest being –106.08% for Winn Dixie. This is also due to the credit terms and the amount of rebate we are given our customers. We only make a positive net profit on 2 customers, Corporate Express and I-Supply. This is because we give no rebates to them. In the next 2 months, intensive research needs to be done on what our customers needs and wants are not what they think they can get out of us. We also need to do extensive marketing research on our competitor here on the East coast. This compile of information needs to be analyzed within 2 months of its existence so that we can compile an aggressive strategy to combat the pricing war that is going on between us and find a common ground for the plant to make a profit. The plant is losing anywhere from $300k to $800k a month so this is a time sensitive issue. While the research is progressing, certain measures already in existence need to remain there but continuous improvements in the operational area need to remain focus to help keep monthly losses at a minimum. It will take everyone to ensure that overhead as minimal as possible. The sales team needs to reconsider the pricing they have set forth. Once the research comes in and a plan of action has been established, pricing needs to reflect that plan. The sales team is going to have to â€Å"sell† this new approach to our customers. This is going to be a gradual thing. This is going to be in increments and should be completed by the end of the 3rd year of business. Monthly progress reports will have to be initiated in order to ensure that the team is on track to switching our customers over to the new sales terms and to also make any necessary adjustments needed to the plan. We also need to reconsider the amount of rebates and credit that we are issuing. We have spent $65,000 last month in credits with no foundation and over $100,000 in rebates to customers that we make no net profit on. Revising the criteria set forth on which we give rebates will help immensely with losses we currently have. New policies need to implemented and relayed to our existing customer base as â€Å"incentives† for doing business with us not used as the only way to keep our customers happy. The generic strategy that should be used is focused. The Charlotte based plant has only been open for 18 months so a pricing was is something that is not wanted but yet we need to stay competitive. The way to do this is to also differentiate the company from our competitors. This will allow for certain â€Å"higher† prices because of customer loyalty and our superior products (Pearce-Robinson, 2008). Our specialty bags will play a major role in this. We will need to continue to improve our â€Å"lean† approach to our processes to help keep cost down. There are certain products that do not produce sufficient profit and may need to be reconsidered for future sales. For example, #2 bag isn’t in demand enough to warrant keeping the bag available. The downtime and change over alone makes the bag expensive to produce. The #8 bag is in high demand and we are having to buy this bag from the outside at $250k a month. If we considered another #8 machine at $600k, the machine would pay for itself in a little over 2 months. Mean while, our sales personnel will have to revise their thinking and bring our product back to the forefront of innovation when selling it to our existing customers as well as to new customers. We need to remain competitive in the market without being edge out in a pricing war with our competitors for this will certainly put us out of business. In conclusion, research is vital to the implementation and the success of the Charlotte bag plant at this moment. The plant is in a newborn state and needs to mature with the demand of the market relatively quickly. Certain measures can be taken to help with the competitive demands of the market but it is well advise to strategically place a plan into action, to have means to measure the success and way to improve any necessary adjustments as they come up. It is also advise that the actions involved every entity of the Charlotte plant so that the greatest success can be achieved. References: 1. Pearce-Robinson (2009). â€Å"Strategic Management† New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Company 2. www.internationalpaper.com 3. McFarren, Tracy: Finance/Planning Manager, International Paper 4. www.marketingteacher.com/ Research Papers on International PaperWhat are Stock OptionsGap Analysis: Lester ElectronicsA Marketing Analysis of the Fast-Food RestaurantGene One the Transition from Private to PublicDefinition of Export QuotasCash or Card?Exempt vs Non-Exempt EmployeesCombating Human TraffickingProject Management 101My Writing Experience

Monday, October 21, 2019

Ap History Essay essays

Ap History Essay essays Declaration of Independence is considered one of the most important documents in world history because its effects were felt around the world and not only in its place of origin, the United States. While blacks used context from the declaration to challenge slavery in the United States, the French used its ideals to start their own revolution. The Declaration of Independence can be seen to be one of the few documents that had a profound impact on the world, and this can be easily seen because of the changes it brought forth. The Declaration of Independence was a document made by several delegates of the U.S. in 1776. It was simply made as a document that declared the independence of the 13 British colonies in America. On July 4, 1776 the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration after a few changes were made to it. Even though I think the Declarations main purpose was to declare the colonies independent, there were many other ideas the declaration addressed. There are many important abstractions in the Declaration of Independence. These abstractions such as: rights, freedom, liberty and happiness have become the foundations of American society and have helped shape the American identity. Power, another abstraction that reoccurs in all major parts of the Declaration plays equally important role in shaping American identity. One forgets the abstraction of power because it appears in relation to other institutions: the King, the earth, and the military. Even though power is addressed very indirectly in the declaration its existence is still valued. All of these important abstractions collectively have led to major changes in the world. A very simple phrase: all men are created equal which is included in the Declaration of Independence was quickly used by blacks in the U.S. to question slavery. They wondered if all men were indeed created equal then how could one m ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Cooperative Learning Sample Lesson

Cooperative Learning Sample Lesson Cooperative learning is a great technique to implement into your curriculum. As you begin to think about and design this strategy to fit into your teaching, consider using the following tips. Present the material first, cooperative learning comes after students are taught.Choose your strategy and explain how it works to the students. For this sample lesson, students will be using the jigsaw strategy.Assess students individually. Although students will work together as a team they will also be working individually to complete a specific task. Here is a cooperative learning sample lesson using the the Jigsaw method. Choosing Groups First, you must choose your cooperative learning groups. An informal group will take about one class period or the equivalent to one lesson plan period. A formal group can last from several days to several weeks. Presenting the Content Students will be asked to read a chapter in their social studies books about the first nations of North America. Afterward, read the childrens book The Very First Americans by Cara Ashrose. This is a story about how the first Americans lived. It shows the students beautiful pictures of art, clothing, and other Native American artifacts. Then, show students a brief video about Native Americans. Teamwork Now its time to divide students into groups and use the jigsaw cooperative learning technique to research the First Americans. Divide students into groups, the number depends on how many subtopics you want the students to research. For this lesson divide students into groups of five students. Each member of the group is given a different assignment. For example, one member will be responsible for researching the First American customs; while another member will be in charge of learning about the culture; another member is responsible for understanding the geography of where they lived; another must research the economics (laws, values); and   the last member is responsible for studying the climate and how the first American got food, etc. Once students have their assignment they can go off on their own to research it by any means necessary. Each member of the jigsaw group will meet with another member from another group that is researching their exact topic.For example, students that researching the First Americans culture would meet regularly to discuss information, and share information on their topic. They are essentially the expert on their particular topic. Once students have completed their research on their topic they return to their original jigsaw cooperative learning group. Then each expert will now teach the rest of their group everything that they learned. For example, the customs expert would teach members about the customs, the geography expert would teach members about the geography, and so on. Each member listens carefully and takes notes on what each expert in their groups discusses. Presentation: Groups can then give a brief presentation to the class on the key features that they learned on their particular topic. Assessment Upon completion, students are given a test on their subtopic as well as on the key features of the other topics that they learned in their jigsaw groups. Students will be tested on the First Americans culture, customs, geography, economics, and climate/food. Looking for more information about cooperative learning? Here is the official definition, group management tips and techniques, and effective learning strategies on how to monitor, assign and manage expectations.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Is the U.S. and U.N. doing all they can do to assist and protect the Research Paper

Is the U.S. and U.N. doing all they can do to assist and protect the victims of FGM - Research Paper Example The United States, on the other hand, has also chipped in with funding and lobbying efforts to eradicate FGM. But these efforts have not been sufficient to significantly reduce the occurrence of FGM. The rest of this essay will foray into the successes and failures of the US and the UN in protecting victims of FGM and also in preventing it. The United Nations has brought up the issue of FGM under its broader program for women's health. In the United Nations assemblies in Vienna (1993), Cairo (1994) and Beijing (1995) women's issues were deliberated upon. Most nations of the world then committed themselves to act and promote healthy reproductive practices for women and also to upkeep the rights endowed them by the UNDHR. Also during these meetings, major UN agencies and programmes have pledged their support to Governments in meeting these commitments. (Germain, 1998, p.22) But when one looks at the United States' record on alleviating FGM globally, it has acted counter to United Natio n programmes. This detrimental tendency was especially acute during the Bush Presidency, where some of the the Republican party's Christian fundamentalist roots had an effect on the American government's policies. As early as the first month since his inauguration in 2001, Bush exerted pressure on humanitarian organizations across the world into downplaying abortion rights. Since his Administration's priorities were to promote Christian fundamentalist values, it took a reactionary approach to women's rights in general and their reproductive rights in particular. (Prescott, et, al., 1999, p.45) Since FGM falls under these categories, issues pertaining to it were either neglected or left unacknowledged. Since FGM is usually performed on babies and girls, the Bush Administration's hostile attitude to children's rights indirectly undermined progress on FGM awareness and prevention programs. For example, â€Å"He then stripped the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) of 12.5 percent of its budget , withheld $3 million from the World Health Organization's Human Reproduction Program and is now earmarking $33 million--almost exactly the amount he took away from the UNFPA--to augment domestic abstinence- until-marriage "sex-ed." He dispatched his emissaries to throw colossal tantrums at the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children, the World Summit on Sustainable Development and, most recently, the Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference, bringing all three negotiations to a near-halt over objections to no-brainer public health concepts like "consistent condom use" for HIV prevention and "safe abortion" where it is legal. Together, joined by the Vatican, these culture warriors fought to purge the world of comprehensive sex education for adolescents, restrict STD- prevention and contraceptive information to heterosexual married couples, and redefine "reproductive health services" to exclude legal abortion.† (Block, 2003, p.18) Hence, what we learn the American government, especially during the Bush reign, has acted in a manner that is counter-productive to the programs initiated by the United Nations. Since FGM is said to increase the chances of HIV infection, the American government's opposition to condom use (a position derived from its Christian fundamentalist allegiance) has not helped in controlling FGM occurrence. The American government's obsession with abortion issues and its insistence on abstinence

Friday, October 18, 2019

Effect of Unions on Workers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Effect of Unions on Workers - Essay Example For example, in the United States such unions as Teachers, professional athletes (NBA and NFL unions) and United Auto Workers are successful. The successful union must ensure the members welfare is to their best of interest. The union achieve this through increased collective bargaining and speaking with one voice. The unions, therefore, provide better wages and salaries, better working conditions and other benefits. The Unions within particular professional are most likely to be successful. From example, teachers and professional athletes in US have remained successful. This is because, there can be quickly banded together as they share teething problems. In addition, the union membership is vast and hence they remain a force to reckon as the government must proactively consider before squashing them. The policies and tactics that make union successful is through active contribution to the union by members. Also, ensuring that the members adhere to the laws governing the union is central to the success of members. The unions can also use strikes and boycotts to convey their grievances to become stronger. Further, the union leadership is also key to the success of the union. The political environment is necessary to unions. The government would always try to squash the activities. Therefore, those political environments such as political party’s campaigns may make promises to union members for support (Markowitz, 2000). When such parties ascend to power, they may fulfil the promises made to union members. On the other hand, when they fail, such members may find

Impact of a water Jet laboratory Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Impact of a water Jet laboratory - Lab Report Example Throughout the world, water turbines have been used in the generation of power. This happens when water that is under pressure strikes the turbine vane thus producing mechanical work. The force that is generated gives out rotational motion when the jet hits the vanes. A clear example of a water turbine is the Pelton wheel. This form of a turbine has more than one water jets which are normally tangentially directed towards vanes which are tightened on the turbine disc rim. The water creates an impact on the vanes producing a torque on the wheel. The torque makes the wheel to rotate thus developing power. The prediction of the pelton wheel’s output and determination of the optimum speed of rotation requires the understanding of the jet’s deflection to produce a force at the bucket and its relation to the momentum rate of the jet. This experiment explores the various forces that are exerted by a water jet on different plates. In this experiment, the measurement of the gene rated force when a water jet strikes a deflector was obtained. Theory. Whenever a horizontal water jet with a velocity v1 hits a freely moving plate, a force would be generated to the plate through the jet’s impact. This force, according to the theory of momentum is equal to the needed force in bringing back the plate in the initial position. This force should be same as the rate of momentum change of the flowing water towards that direction. In this regard, when F is a force of balancing needed to return the plate to the original position, it means that; F = Ï  Ç ª (v1-v2), where V2 includes the velocity of the jet in the direction that is horizontal after hitting the plate, V2 is certainly zero. This implies that F = Ï  Ç ª v1F = ? O v1 F= , where is the jet’s cross-sectional area. The calculation of the force due to the jets impact on a plate requires the application of the momentum change principle. According to this principle, the force produced is equivalent to the rate of momentum change. This is given by the equation that described. Additionally, the volume of the rate of flow in the above equation could be calculated in the experiment by calculating the quantity of the volume in a specific time period. Thos equation would be given by; Q=v/t. V1 could be calculated in the experiment through identifying the nozzle velocity and making use of the equations of motion. V2, on the other hand, could be obtained by measuring the nozzle’s diameter and making use of the equation of motion. Therefore, Vnozzel= Q/A. V1 could be calculated using; V12 = Vnozzel2-2gs where by g represents acceleration due to gravity, S represents the distance in between the plates and the jet. From th ese calculations, the force for the hemispherical cup is F = 2 ? O v1. For the flat plate, F = ? O v1. Apparatus. In this experiment, the following apparatus were used; hydraulic bench, water jet apparatus, loading weight, stopwatch, weighing tank, and deflectors like the hemisphere, plate, and slope. Experiment procedures. In this experimental set up, the procedure was as follow. The flat plate was fitted on the apparatus. After fitting the cup, water was removed from the   cup through undoing the retaining screw and lifting it out. This is completed using the loose cover plate. The cover plate was fitted over the flit plate stem while holding it in position under the beam. Then, the retaining screw was screwed and tightened. It was then that the weigh-beam was set

Thursday, October 17, 2019

DESIGNING AND PREPARING TO IMPLEMENT AN EVALUATION Research Paper

DESIGNING AND PREPARING TO IMPLEMENT AN EVALUATION - Research Paper Example For this reason, there is need to evaluate the use of Vermont Immunization Registry and incorporate it into a family medical center. Rationale Center for Disease Control argues that the recent increase in immunization of children has led to the increase in diseases like Polio, Measles, and Pneumonia, because there is no good database that is able to record all the vaccines that a child has been given. For this reason, CDC decided that Vermont Immunization Registry be evaluated to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Immunization has been identified as a cost effective and beneficial means through which new infections are eradiated or reduced. This project entails the creation of a computerized system through which immunization records can be safely kept and maintained. It is for this reason that the Vermont Immunization Registry (IMR) was implemented into the Family Medical Center. The registry was to promote quality and efficient treatment for the patients and to ensure that all immunizations are done on time and proper records kept. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2004) immunization has succeeded in eradicating diseases such as smallpox, measles, poliomyelitis, and rubella worldwide (Meri, Jordens, & Jarva, 2008). A computerized system for maintaining records of immunization is needed. The system should track the immunization dates, printed school, and parent reports. It is essential in guiding and timing the appropriate time for administration of vaccines. Health care providers for the past two years have scattered the medical record papers. Parents, therefore, find themselves looking for their immunization records. This has helped in saving many by ensuring that the right vaccine is administered to the children (Maciosek et al., 2006). Statement of the Problem Most of the parents struggle with vaccination procedures and dates. The research provides ways of training parents on how to access their vaccination data through the compu ter at any time. Most of the nurses, doctors, and family members are also facing a challenge in utilizing this program hence the need for evaluation Purpose of Evaluation It is important for health services, doctors, and patients to access their vaccination information at any time. This report shows the efficiency and advantages of accessing this information. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of Solution Criteria To be able to access vaccination data at any place all over the world Proposed Task Statement The problem can be solved by installing a computer guide on how to correctly input the data. Allocation of resources by the management also needs to be revised. Stakeholders Primary CDC- they are the reference point and ensure they support fully the evaluation program. They are also responsible for the evaluation program. Financial Committee- The director of finance must ensure allocation of funds for the evaluation program for all the hospitals within US. Secondary Stakeh olders Supervisors-Supervisors will be in charge of ensuring that there is proper training of the medical staff and ensure full participation of all those involved. Volunteers Staff and Parents Volunteer’s staff and parents will be responsible for taking part in the training program to ensure there is full evaluation of the Vermont Immunization Registry for the future. Tertiary Stakeholders Investors-this will include the private and public investors who are aiming at supplying the computer machines and upgrade programs. Key Evaluation Questions The evaluation of this training program will aim to answer the following questions: 1. What do the volunteers, staff, supervisors, and upper level management think about the current training program? 2. What are those that partake in the training learning as a result of

Construction & Diagnostic of Recombinant DNA Plasmid Research Paper

Construction & Diagnostic of Recombinant DNA Plasmid - Research Paper Example The experiment established that the competency of cells increased greatly.   In the next experiment, running PCR provided me with an amplified His3 gene which is used in subsequent steps to transform haploid yeast. Transformation occurred through homologous recombination. The experiment proved that specific integration does occur although cases of non-specific integration are rampant. In the next experiment, I constructed a sub-clone of the HIS3 gene and inserted it into a plasmid pSP72 making a recombinant plasmid which I used to transform bacterial cells. In order to determine whether the integration was successful, I extracted the plasmid to analyze if the inserted gene was present. However, I established that integration had not been successful. Introduction One of the laboratory techniques that help in understanding the basics of knocking out genes is the standardized procedure of replacing the ADE2 gene responsible for adenine biosynthesis with HIS3 that is responsible for on e of the steps in histidine amino acids. The procedure involves production of a hybrid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as the first step. The hybrid product constitute of the vector DNA template and the primers of choice. Running of the PCR major steps produces the hybrid product. Agarose gel electrophoresis helps in determining whether PCR amplification occurred. The next step involves the transformation of yeast cells with the hybrid PCR product. The last step involves analysis of r4esults and morphology of transformed yeast cells. Other experiments involve transforming competent Escherichia coli cells with the use of a plasmid as a vector. This transformation follows the recombinant DNA technology protocol. The general procedure starts with digestion of plasmid DNA and template DNA of interest with restriction enzymes to generate DNA fragments with sticky ends. The second step involves ligation of the DNA fragments using DNA ligase, forming a recombinant plasmid. The next step in volves insertion of the recombinant plasmid into the competent bacterial cells. The final step involves plating on appropriate media and selection of transformed cells. In addition, performing a backward procedure of isolating the plasmid from the transformed cells verifies insertion at the right locus. Laboratory 1: Transformation of Competent Bacteria Objective: Introduction of Plasmid DNA into E. coli cells and determination of transformation efficiency Materials and Reagents: Plasmid DNA Gene of interest SOC media LB-amp media Procedure: The protocol preferred was the High-Efficiency Transformation Protocol. However, a variation occurred with 2 µl of plasmid DNA. The high efficiency transformation protocol requires thawing of competent cells in ice for about ten minutes. The next step involves transfer of 50 µl of the cells to a transformation tube using a micropipette. Adding of 2 µl of plasmid DNA into the tube followed. The next step involved placing the mixture on ice for 20 minutes. Next, exposure of cells to heat shock at 42?C occurs, a process lasting 35 seconds. Following this was adding the right amount of SOC media to the cells. After this, incubation at 37C? for 40 minutes and subsequent vigorous shaking followed. Plating of the cells in LB-amp media and overnight incubation at 37?C was the last step. In the first experiment, plating of the concentrated cell mixture without dilution occurred. In subsequent trials, there was dilution of cell solution at different dilution ratios.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

DESIGNING AND PREPARING TO IMPLEMENT AN EVALUATION Research Paper

DESIGNING AND PREPARING TO IMPLEMENT AN EVALUATION - Research Paper Example For this reason, there is need to evaluate the use of Vermont Immunization Registry and incorporate it into a family medical center. Rationale Center for Disease Control argues that the recent increase in immunization of children has led to the increase in diseases like Polio, Measles, and Pneumonia, because there is no good database that is able to record all the vaccines that a child has been given. For this reason, CDC decided that Vermont Immunization Registry be evaluated to determine its strengths and weaknesses. Immunization has been identified as a cost effective and beneficial means through which new infections are eradiated or reduced. This project entails the creation of a computerized system through which immunization records can be safely kept and maintained. It is for this reason that the Vermont Immunization Registry (IMR) was implemented into the Family Medical Center. The registry was to promote quality and efficient treatment for the patients and to ensure that all immunizations are done on time and proper records kept. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2004) immunization has succeeded in eradicating diseases such as smallpox, measles, poliomyelitis, and rubella worldwide (Meri, Jordens, & Jarva, 2008). A computerized system for maintaining records of immunization is needed. The system should track the immunization dates, printed school, and parent reports. It is essential in guiding and timing the appropriate time for administration of vaccines. Health care providers for the past two years have scattered the medical record papers. Parents, therefore, find themselves looking for their immunization records. This has helped in saving many by ensuring that the right vaccine is administered to the children (Maciosek et al., 2006). Statement of the Problem Most of the parents struggle with vaccination procedures and dates. The research provides ways of training parents on how to access their vaccination data through the compu ter at any time. Most of the nurses, doctors, and family members are also facing a challenge in utilizing this program hence the need for evaluation Purpose of Evaluation It is important for health services, doctors, and patients to access their vaccination information at any time. This report shows the efficiency and advantages of accessing this information. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of Solution Criteria To be able to access vaccination data at any place all over the world Proposed Task Statement The problem can be solved by installing a computer guide on how to correctly input the data. Allocation of resources by the management also needs to be revised. Stakeholders Primary CDC- they are the reference point and ensure they support fully the evaluation program. They are also responsible for the evaluation program. Financial Committee- The director of finance must ensure allocation of funds for the evaluation program for all the hospitals within US. Secondary Stakeh olders Supervisors-Supervisors will be in charge of ensuring that there is proper training of the medical staff and ensure full participation of all those involved. Volunteers Staff and Parents Volunteer’s staff and parents will be responsible for taking part in the training program to ensure there is full evaluation of the Vermont Immunization Registry for the future. Tertiary Stakeholders Investors-this will include the private and public investors who are aiming at supplying the computer machines and upgrade programs. Key Evaluation Questions The evaluation of this training program will aim to answer the following questions: 1. What do the volunteers, staff, supervisors, and upper level management think about the current training program? 2. What are those that partake in the training learning as a result of

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Ethical or social responsibility issue related to aviation Research Paper

Ethical or social responsibility issue related to aviation - Research Paper Example The employees are required to comply with the letters of the guidelines as well as the spirit of the guidelines. The formal codes of ethical documents are important in analyzing the different companies and rating them (Hoppe, 2007). The rating is based on the practical implementation of these codes. It is harder than it seems to implement these codes due to the various inherent limitations on a day-to-day basis. Therefore, the aviation industry has guidelines on how the codes will be followed. The codes cover the major issues that the airlines face on a day-to-day basis and need to be addressed constantly. These issues are under different topics depending on different airlines, but can be summarized in three main parts; conflict interest, asset protection and working together. Conflict of interest arises when employees encounter situations where they have to choose between the airline’s interests and their own interests (Hoppe, 2007). Most airlines can pinpoint the various sit uations where conflict of interest may arise, and have guidelines on what actions the employees should take when such situations arise. An example is a situation where an employee receives gifts and rewards from customers, suppliers or other stakeholders in the company for a job done. It is common for some passengers to give stewards gifts for their services in the plane. If the customer enjoys good services while travelling with a certain airline, and feels the urge to reward the company, they are likely to reward the stewards since they are the people with whom they are in direct contact. If the employees accept such gifts, they may compromise their moral obligations to the employer if they feel obliged to meet the gift givers’ demands instead of the employer’s interests. Most airlines stipulate, in their code of ethics, that the employees should not receive gifts especially when the gifts are excessive or too lavish. Most of the passengers who fly a lot are likely t o be wealthy, and are likely to give expensive gifts. In this case, the employee who receives the reward should talk to the human resource department in the specific airline if they believe that their ethical conduct might be compromised. Another situation occurs when employees request rewards from clients when they realize that they have to work hard in providing services to these clients (Hoppe, 2007). This is in spite of the fact that the employees are employed to provide such services to the clients. The conflict of interest arises because the employees have to choose between asking for these gifts, thereby serving their own interest, or maintaining a good reputation for the airline. Most airlines strictly prohibit seeking rewards from clients. Another situation could be when employees work for a rival airline (Hoppe, 2007).

Comparative Economics Studies of China and India Essay Example for Free

Comparative Economics Studies of China and India Essay In 1950, China and India was the two developing countries with largest resources in term of land and labor. At that time, they both had the comparable economic structures and degree of development. However, with the difference mainly in political systems, in which China is Socialist Communist government, while India adopt parliamentary democracy, and specific countries’ development policy, it leads to the difference in the rate of growth in industrialization in particular countries. The dissimilarities in political system account for the rate of decision making process. It is the particular reason China had its development policy change in 1978, which undertake export-oriented policy creating special economic zones (SEZs), result in being one of the fastest growing countries in the past 30 years, while In the case of India, before 1991, the economic growth is considerably low, referring as â€Å"Hindu rate of growth†, reflects slow growth in industrialization. After 1991, India had its economic reform policies, Industrialization begin to grow once more, especially with the support of SEZ Act in 2005. It is still questioned whether India could follow China in growth of industrialization due to poor quality of infrastructure and protesting in land acquisition. Introduction The development policy of China and India had it starting point since India’s independency in 1947 and China’s liberation in 1950. These two countries had merely identical initial position in term of economic structures. GDP per capita of China and India, using prices at 1960, were estimated to be 65 US dollar and 62 US dollar respectively. Also, total labor working in industry was 11 percent in India, while it was only 7 percent in China. Moreover, 9 percent of total output was generated in Large-scale manufacturing and utilities, similar to 6% in India. Likewise, Both China and India economies characterized by mass rural poverty under feudal mode of protection in the country side. However, the gap of industrialization between two countries began to widen during 1970s. As in 1980, there was a substantial disparity in percentage share of GDP, only 21. 9 percent in India, compare to 48. 5% in China (Saith, 2008. ) Why was the gap broadened due to similar economic structures? This paper focuses on the reason behind the different rate of industrialization that leads to discrepancy in economic growth. The first section analyzes about the distinction of Chinese and India’s political system, autocratic socialist versus parliamentary democracy, and how it affect the decision making process of two countries. Next section examines various policies of each country, including Import substitution policy of India during 1950-1990, China reform in 1979 with special economic zones (SEZs) and SEZ Act of India in 2005 and the success or failure of those policies. The third Section discusses the policy of land acquisition of China and India that contribute to industrial district. Section four reviews quality of infrastructure of two countries that affect the industrialization accordingly. The Final section concludes the paper. Political Systems There is a distinct political system between China and India. China or PRC is considered as a single-socialist party, in which general secretary of communist party is the president of PRC. This gives total power to communist party to rule over country, although there are minorities of eight other political parties. Furthermore, having economic reform in1978, it gave provincial leader powers to allocate resources in their province. Local economic performances among states evolved into the essential criterion to evaluate lower-level officials. These economic performances included GDP growth, to steel produced, the miles of road constructed (Li amp; Zhou, 2004. ) It created competition among state official to compete for promotion in to higher level, which increase efficiency in each states. Li and Zhou (2004) used data from 28 provincial units from 1979-1995, estimated with regressions, showing that annual growth rate of GDP has positive relationship with promotion (15 %. ) Moreover, with average growth rate over 5 years, result in positive relationship more than double of the result of annual growth rate (33%. In contrast, India constitutes a parliamentary multi-party democracy which more than 40 political parties. It can be said that Indian politics is dominated by duopoly of National Congress party and BJP party. However, those small regional parties still possess some political power as no parties have votes enough for being one-party government. After 1992, Indian politics have become politics of caste factions. Candi dates for legislative assembly seats have been selected from local faction leaders who have local ote banks in specific caste and community. There is no party which can be one-party dominance except being head of multi-party coalition (Stern, 2000. ) Also, with numerous political parties, those parties choose to play vote bank politics. Sometimes they prefer not to afflict with their vote banks, although it is better in terms of society (Inhovi, 2009. ) Moreover, the composition of state power of China and India which it was created during achieving independence or liberation is what make it difference between two political system. In India, the independence movement was supervised mainly by the people in the middle and upper castes. By this I mean, in the post-independence period, people in middle and upper castes can retain their power, while protecting their benefits. As a result, the Indian institutional framework is taking as a constraint toward industrialization and economic growth (Saith, 2008) On the other hand; revolutionary communist party led by Mao Zedong has taken control over china in 1950. Those powers were in the hand of the poor peasant and workers. Prior Status-quo and political structures were overthrown during the revolutionary under socialism. Therefore, the Chinese could adjust their institutional framework so that it is suitable for development of the countries. With the dissimilarity in political system, it leads to the differentiation in the decision making process. For China, which political system is one-party domination, the decision for policies can be made in the communist party as less transaction cost of negotiation among political parties and no obstacle from institutional framework and status-quo. But for India, having duopoly in politics with coalition of multi-party government, culture of patron-client relationship and vote banks system, such decision on policies takes longer time as high negotiation cost between political parties, and it might has conflict with their vote banks (Inhovi, 2009 . ) In addition, China had dual-track implementing system in decision making process, in which State Planning Committee (SPC) make important decision on policies. It also monitors and implements the policy, supporting by powerful party structure, result in successful solutions in terms of growth and infrastructure development. While, India had separated institutions of decision making process and implementation on policies. Strategic Plans were constructed by working groups, including representative of line ministries, technical experts and others. However, in reality, the implementation was deviated from the plan. In addition, past Indian development plans only pointed out directions but not specific goals, making implementation process harder. The distinct model of decision making process would affect both developments policies and infrastructure of both countries that lead to difference growth of industrialization and economic performance (Kimamp; Nangia, 2008. Development Policies In 1950s, India led by Nehru Gandhi launch first development plan, in which its objective was to promote industrialization which large investment were made basic industries. It was known as Import Substitution Policy (ISI). Self-reliance on industrial goods was their prime target. As a consequence, government placed heavy pro tection against domestic industries with licenses, permits and quotas. Only manufactured goods that improve productivity of industrial goods were allowed to import. The development of industrial sector was portrayed by central planning which controlled private sector through license and permits and massive investment in public sector, including specific industries exclusively reserved (McMillanamp; Naughton, 1992. ) Consequently, India industrialized that its industries mostly produce everything from tinned fruit to nuclear energy (Stern, 2000). However, the rate of industrialization is slow as in behalf of non-comparative advantage and high costs of producing goods. Still, average annual GDP growth in industrial sector in real term from 1951-1960 was 5. 7% (Reserved bank of India, 2011. ) At the same time, China had its development policy slightly differentiate from India. China also had development policy centrally planned. However, it relied on the collectivization of agricultural sector, using surplus on development of producing raw materials, investment goods industries and larger-scale, capital intensive industry. All trade of China was co ntrolled by foreign trade corporations, which indeed owned by ministry of Foreign trade. It regulated all imports and exports to specific quantitative guidelines. Similar to India, China’s export and import is irrelevant to country’s comparative advantage (Branstetteramp; Lardy, 2006. ) Then, in 1970s, there’s a turning point in Chinese economy. China, led by Deng Xiaoping, had a several economic reforms especially creating â€Å"special economic zones. † These zones were enacted for which foreign firms receive preferential tax and administrative treatment and given an unusually free hand in their operations (Branstetteramp; Lardy, 2006. ) By that time, there were 4 zones: Shenzen, Zhuhai, Xiamen and Shantou. The prime objective of SEZs was to serve as a bridge to introducing foreign capital, technology and knowledge and management know-how (Roychoudhury, 2010. ) These special economic zones had several advantages. First, each of the zones is extremely large in terms of geographical area; for instance, 2000 square kilometers in Shenzen. It creates cost advantage of economies of scale for industrial sector both internal and external, and low transportation cost among suppliers. Second, they locate in the coastal area, having ports and transport networks. Also, these zones were established near major cities or countries; for example, Shenzen neighbor Hongkong, and Xiamen borders Taiwan. It could attract foreign investment from nearby cities, boast industrialization in SEZs. Moreover, foreign industries received preferential tax in corporate tax rate; the actual tax burden is 11%, while domestic industry paid 23% in actual tax burden, although nowadays, the preferential tax had been lifted except few high-technology sector and small enterprises (Guoamp; Feng, 2007. SEZs helped foster rapid industrialization in China within its area; incentivize foreign investors using comparative advantage of cheap labor costs. Along with the assistance of import policy in 1987, which granted imports of raw materials, parts and components for exporting production purpose tax-free, China industrial sector emerged as low-wage assembly services (Branstetteramp; Lardy, 2006. ) As a result, SEZs growth has been enormous, as an example of Shenzen, which aver age annual GDP growth rate from 1980-2005 was 27%, later referred as â€Å"Shenzen Speed† (Guoamp; Feng, 2007. Later on, China has gained benefit from importing technical knowledge contained in capital goods, parts and components; as a result, some of the industry has shifted from assembling and processing services to self-manufacturing (Branstetteramp; Lardy, 2006. ) By the end of 2005, there are five Shenzen brands with sale more than 10 billion Yuan. The actual use of foreign capital inShenzen has increased to $3. 3 billion in 2006, compare to $153. 7 million in 1979 (Guoamp; Feng, 2007. ) 7% of gross world FDI flows in 2009 went in to China, increase significantly from 1% in 1980. In 2008, China had its share of world GDP in PPP basis of nearly 12% compare to 2% in 1980. China’s real GDP has increased average over 10% annually (Roychoudhury, 2010. ) SEZs policy has proved its own successful, accelerating industrialization and economic growth in China in the past 30 years. In contrast, coping with Hindu rate of growth for over 40 years, 3 percent per annum from 1947 to 1975 and 5 percent per annum from 1976-1991, India had its economic reform later in 1991, starting trade liberalization to oster industrialization and economic growth, including abolishing of industrial licensing, decreasing tariff protection, removing industries reserved for public sector and small-scale sector and liberalizing foreign direct investment. Before trade liberalization, the import substitution policy proved to be inefficiency due to licensing policy, high cost of producing, inflexibility of labor market and non-incentive for efficiency improvement (Ahluwalia, 2002. ) Companie s paid no attention on management training, quality control and advertising because there is only few or no competitor due to licensing policy and tariff protection. As in 1970s, Indian market for industrial goods soon exhausted as domestic market is small and low competitiveness against other companies in the world market. GDP growth in industrial sector of India from 1971-1980 is only 4. 3% especially growth from 1970-1976 is only 3. 4%, compare to 5. 9% and 6. 2% for growth from 1951-1960 and 1961-1970 respectively (reserved Bank of India, 2011. ) As a consequent, industrial licensing has been nullified, replaced by new competition law to increase competitive environment in domestic and international market. Moreover, 15 industries in public sector that was reserved exclusively, such as iron and steel, air transport services, have been opened for private companies to invest. Also, some of productions reserved for small-scale sector have been removed as those productions have export potential. Moreover, import licensing against capital goods and intermediate goods were removed in 1993, and quantitative restrictions on imports of manufactured consumer goods were abolished in 2001. It increased competitiveness for domestic industry, forcing to compete with other companies in global markets. In addition, Average tariff rate has reduced from 72. 5% in 1991-1992 to 15 percent in 2004, which will increase competition in domestic markets. However, the average tariff was considered high, comparing to China (Ahluwalia, 2002. ) The growth in economy and industrialization in India in late 2000s also partly came from â€Å"Special Economic Zones† or SEZ. In 2005, Government of India has passed SEZ A, which it goals was to incentivize local and foreign investors and promote export. There are numerous benefits investing under special economic zones.. Firstly, the government provided duty free import of goods for development, operation and maintenance of SEZ units. Secondly, income tax on export in the first 5 years is exempted, and 50% exempted in year 6TH -10TH and 50% of the export ploughed back export profit for year 11TH-15TH. Third, SEZs units also exempted from central sales tax, service tax and minimum alternate tax. Moreover, SEZs units could borrow from external commercial borrowing up to 500 million dollars in a year without maturity restriction. In addition, SEZs unit gain benefit from single window clearance for central and state approvals, which reduce transaction cost of dealing with governments (SEZ India website, 2011. ) The SEZs policy in India is quite similar to SEZs policy in China; however, there are some distinctions between two countries. First, SEZs units in China mostly produce industrial products or consider in industrial sector, while in India, it can be both industrial sector and service sector. IT/ITES/Electronic hardware Technology parks accounted for 61. 3% of formal approvals of SEZs.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Categorical imperative described by Immanuel Kant

Categorical imperative described by Immanuel Kant The Categorical Imperative which was initially described by Immanuel Kant is the theory that a person is to act only on the maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law (ONeill, 1993, p.177). He believed that individuals are able to behave in a moral way due to their ability to think rationally and freely when making choices. He felt that a persons moral duties are categorical imperatives, in that our morals tell us how we ought to act. He stressed that these moral duties command us to take certain actions thus giving us the word imperative (Smith, 2010). Kant also felt that these moral responsibilities are relevant to individuals because of their rationality and because individuals have the ability to make their own decisions apart from others influence. The role of his categorical imperative within Kants ethics will be discussed in this essay as well as the limitations to his theory, leading to the conclusion that the categorical imperati ve may be a guiding ideal, but cannot be universally and fairly applied in the real world. Kants ethics seem grounded in the basis of the idea that we each have rights to freedom, autonomy and democracy. Because these rights are ours, we therefore have the ability to make free, rational and moral choice. We can determine our duty through our ability to reason. Kant contends that the categorical imperative begins with the premise that human beings have a free will and that ability to reason (ONeill, 1993, p.175). Kants explanations make sense because he argued that in order to act morally, it was necessary for one to first be free to have the choice of being moral or immoral (Smith, 2010). He also felt that as rational beings, individuals are compelled through their rationality to follow norms and requirements in society, thus our reasoned morality follows a set of internal laws which will then govern our actions. In Kants view, morality is characterized by the ability to universalize (ONeill, 1993, p.177). If a choice or action cannot be universalized across all agents, then it is irrational, unreasonable and therefore immoral. These choices or decisions can be called maxims, so a universalizable maxim is a moral maxim (ONeill, 1993, p.177). In contrast, subjective maxims are those which are not binding or applicable to all people and which cannot guide the actions of the moral, rational individual. So with the cornerstones of rationality and universalizability at the base of Kants categorical imperative, we add his views on duty and good will. To Kant, morality is based on the intent not on the action or outcomes of those actions. Acting with good will is acting with duty to others, through of course the reasoned conclusion that this duty is moral. According to Kant, this was the foundation of overall good. He highlighted the fact that â€Å"one cannot use action to judge whether a being was good or bad because sometimes some good actions may be an avenue for committing evil acts† (Smith, 2010). For example, to donate your money or possessions to others could be considered a good or worthy deed. However, if that donation is actually done to gain a heightened profile in the community or to hide resources from the government, then this will undermine the seemingly good act. Whether or not the action is good comes down to the intent of the individual, not the outcome. The connection can therefore be made that Kant characterized inherent good as good will, meaning that if one has pure intentions at the commencement of a n activity, then no matter the result of that activity, the individual would be considered to be good and duteous, as they have removed â€Å"empirical ego† from the decision (Schroeder, 2005, p.19). The categorical imperative therefore gives us the ability to decide if an action is a moral or immoral one, in that it tells us to make our decisions not on our desires or expected outcomes, which would be hypothetical, but by making a decision which is the right, moral or categorical imperative (Smith, 2010). This is not a simple answer, as the categorical imperative is a way of leading us to decision making which is considered and which demands we assess our motivations for those decisions. To apply Kants categorical imperative in a practical way, he offers four formulations to aid in its understanding. The first is the formula of universal law which states â€Å"act only in accordance with that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it become a universal law† (Kant, 1998, p.31). As stated earlier in this essay, this formulation relates to the universability principle. The second is the formula of the law of nature and asks us to â€Å"act as if the maxim of your action were to become through your will a universal law of nature† (Kant, 1998, p.31). This formulation relates to the parallels between the laws of nature and moral law. The third formulation of his imperative is of humanity and asks that you â€Å"act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means† (Kant, 1998, p.37). This describes his respect for others and our n eed in moral action to act well towards others in a universal manner. His fourth and final formulation for the categorical imperative is that of autonomy. It states that our actions are to be guided by â€Å"the idea of the will of every rational being as a will giving universal law† (Kant, 1998, p. 39). This principle of autonomy includes the concept of free and rational choice, as well as the capacity to compare and evaluate differing options. Unless directed by good will, autonomy is an ideal which will not be achieved in Kants theory. There are limitations to the belief that moral requirements must be categorical. Kants own writing on the issue of lying shows a much debated weakness to his theory. In refuting a French philosopher who maintained that truth was only a duty if it did not injure others, Kant stressed that truth was a duty in and of itself. However great the disadvantage to self or others, Kant believed that the categorical imperative demanded truth in all human action that it in fact was a sacred decree of reason (Kant, 1994, p.281). The consequences of an action held little interest for Kant, as it was in the morality of the decision or action that he held forth. Yet the implications of such a rigid and insensitive view of the actuality of human existence make Kants theory of categorical imperative unrealistic (ONeill, 1993, p.182). When a person obeys the categorical imperative, they are working within an ideal which presents them with the choice to make independent, ethical decisions (Katchy, 2007). One can only have this choice if the idea of freedom of thought and action accompanies a lack of fear of â€Å"authoritarian repercussion for not conforming to the will of another† (Katchy, 2007). Kant believed that forefront on the minds and consciousness of people, should be their own self-interest, and that republics should be established, where law would be adopted by the citizenry over violence. This would support his belief that due to the categorical imperative to act morally, these republics would lead to the possibility of peaceful existence (Schroeder, 2005, p.20). Whilst it may seem logical to some that all individuals are rational and level-headed because we as Kants individuals have the capability to use such rational and level-headed ideas to guide our actions, the truth is that reality has lit tle bearing on Kants ideals (Katchy, 2007). Kant presented sound theory which not only is used today by many, but was far-reaching for a theorist of the 1900s. His theories would by many be termed as simple common sense in todays world and the categorical imperative offers clear counsel for those who wish to place an underpinning theory to their day-to-day decision making. With an â€Å"absolute and detailed necessity of making sure that a person exercises their own will and does not conform to the ways of others† (Katchy, 2007), Kantian morality has an attitude that can be found in modern times. Individuals are able to rely upon logic to guide their actions in a rational way, but rationality is not due to logical behaviour. Kants theory is relatively simplistic, be your own person, act morally and do not simply act as others tell you to, but with your own thought and evaluation (Katchy, 2007). It is also quite clear in confirming the distinction between understanding the duty towards self and our responsibilities towar ds others. As a utilitarian however, the categorical imperative is not a sustainable view. As utilitarians, we must take into account the consequences of our actions and decisions and the impact of these actions or decisions on others. Kants murderer at the door is a prime example of how the outcome of lying is so much better than of telling the truth the correct response was to lie. But as an ideal to aspire to, the theory of the categorical imperative is a powerful one (Katchy, 2007) which transcends time or geography, upon which one can establish their own moral foundation in a world which can be confusing and contradictory.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Risky Business :: essays research papers

Risky Business   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1983 smash hit Risky Business, director Paul Brickman takes his audience on a wild ride through Chicago. The film spans across the Chicago land area, and beyond. From a small high school, to a world famous hotel, it really shows what Chicago is made of. But it also holds a dark side to itself, when the dangerous and socially perverse world of prostitution comes into play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joel Goodman, played by Tom Cruise, is an average high school senior. He has regrets and doubts when it comes to his life and is constantly wondering how will his parents take the next disappointment that he bring to them. But following his parents little getaway, and following some of his friends advise Joel gets himself involved with a small time prostitute named Lana, played by Rebecca DeMornay. In class we touched upon the topic; does this movie glorify prostitution? There is no clean-cut answer to this question, because on one side Joel profited over eight thousand dollars from his little endeavor into essentially being a pimp for a night. And on the other hand you have the actual pimp of Lana being a mean and greedy man, the type of person that would sell your sole for quarter. So to state whether the message of the film was glorifying or to denounce prostitution is up the audience, it is their own opinion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Risky Business has some more to offer its audience than a heated debate. It also has a great setting for such a fantastic plot. We see many of Chicago’s finest and most revered landmarks. It takes us not only to Chicago but is neighboring suburbs. Niles East high school is where Joel Goodman had his hard times finding an open door. The airport where Joel drops his parents off and you hear that very familiar yet shallow: â€Å"Yea, I got it†¦don’t worry†¦okay†¦alright.† Is at O’Hare international airport located in the western suburbs of Chicago. More people pass through O’Hare airport in one day than in any other airport in the world. The two places most famous on the list, is the Drake hotel and the John Hancock building. At the Drake hotel, Joel and one of his good friends are having an eight-dollar cup of hot chocolate while they wait for Lana; Joel’s soon to be business partner. On the 95th floor of the Hancock building is a place where usually the elite can only find a table.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Breast Implants in Teenagers Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The trend for a number of young girls is to get breast augmentation. They think that by changing their bodies, they’re going to change their lives. They think they will be happy, and they will be completely satisfied with their implants. Their expectation is that their self-confidence will skyrocket, and they will be attractive girls. Many young girls get implants to make themselves stand out more and to have a great appearance, but there are many reasons that they should comprehend the long-term effect of surgery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, teenagers expect that plastic surgery will improve their self-confidence, but does it? Teenagers think that their new appearance will be great, but they may get different looks from their friends. For example, when they’re talking, their friends may look at their chest instead of looking at their faces and their friends may feel uncomfortable and awkward about their new breasts. One study found that teenager’s body-image may occur in the late teens because their bodies were still changing. The average girl gains weight between the ages of 18 and 21, and that is likely to change her desire or need for breast augmentation. This indicates that many young girls who are very dissatisfied with their appearance will feel more satisfied a few years later, whether or not they undergo surgery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second, will teenagers who want to have breast implants understand the risks of surgery? Some girls may be completely satisfied with their implants, but...

JSBMHA and HIPPA case study Essay

There are many faults in this scenario that I read about with Jim and Betty. First of all, when you are dealing with people who are in a â€Å"counseling or any type of therapeutic† setting, you have to be able to handle this situation with privacy and always try to treat your client with respect and never discuss them outside of the clinical setting. The HIPAA laws are to protect the patient’s rights so that they cannot be given just out to anybody. The only people that can have access to the medical files would be someone that is involved in the care of or needs to have access to them for anyone that is billing, or the insurance company that is paying for the services that the client is receiving. What areas of the JSBMHA did HIPAA compliance impact, When Jim and Betty were working for that company, they had unfortunately talked about specific clients and some relatives of the clients had heard the conversation and also their relatives names. They had immediately gone to the company and talked with their supervisor so he could deal with the employees that had broken the privacy laws. JSBMHA, is an certified agency that works with clients that have psychological, mental, and addictions for drugs. THE clients need to be able to feel safe, knowing that their conversations are not talked about elsewhere, unless it is related to their recovery. What Jim and Betty did at the cafeteria is inexcusable. You never know who is going to be listening in on your conversation when you are in a public place. If the wrong people hear what is being said, you never know what the ramifications could be. If a woman is at a domestic violence shelter and you are talking about what she went through with her ex-boyfriend , not knowing the whole time that the ex is in the booth right behind you. Right there you have just put that women in a dangerous position. Without thinking you have just put that woman’s life in jeopardy. 3 I believe that because of their actions that JSBMHA should suspend both of them for at LEAST two weeks without pay. I believe with that type of punishment, maybe both of them will really think about what they did and why it was inappropriate. Maybe they should even write a paper on how their actions were wrong and also be able to see how they’re gossiping put that woman in jeopardy. They need to really understand how their actions can affect other people. ‘

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Booking System Essay

1.Product Description Gamici is one of Singapore’s most prestigious and stylist Italian restaurant which served authentic Italian cuisine. With its simple, elegant yet friendly and vibrant environment, Gamici has become a common social gathering place for many friends and families. Therefore, this has helped to boost the growth of its business. Currently, Gamici is using a completely manual based system to carry out some of their day to day operations. Due to the business growth, this system has become inadequate to meet its business requirements. Some problems it encountered using a manual system when its business is getting busier each day: †¢ More manpower is needed to serve the customers which lead to space constraint in the restaurant. †¢ Servers complained that they have too much to do within the fastest time possible else customers will get impatient with their service. This may lead to more human error such as carelessness. †¢ Inefficiency caused returning customers to decrease as the wait time for seats, food to be served, servers’ response and billing are getting too long. †¢ Food quality degrades as food processing time is shortened to satisfy customers’ impatience. †¢ Customers can only reserve seats and order food through phone calls and this means that payment cannot be made beforehand. Some of the food ordered by customers may have special ingredients that need advance purchasing. Last minute cancellation by customers or customers who do not turn up, result in wastage of food and staff effort is put to a waste. Thus, the restaurant will eventually make loses. †¢ High expenses incurred. With the aim for solving the above problems, Gamici has decided to engage UPz to develop a portal to 1) Reduce the workload of the staff. 2) Have online payment via credit/debit card. 3) Receive order in real time Therefore, UPz software development team will introduce an Online Reservation and Food Ordering System (ORFO) whereby customers can browse the food menu online, which order can be placed and payment can be made through the system and reserve seats based on restaurant floor plan to pick the exact seat location in the restaurant that the customers prefer to dine at. 1.1Product Vision The new system (ORFO) aims to increase efficiency to smoother work flow of the restaurant so as to provide top-notch dining experience and service to the customers. It also aims to reduce overheads caused by the manual system and solve the current problems mentioned in Section 1 – Product Description. 1.2Business Requirements The first version of the ORFO must be available within three months. ORFO must demonstrate cost saving of at least 20% on labor within a year after the introduction. The reduction of manpower would mean that the restaurant need not have to activate as many staff as before during peak hours or days of the week. Labor productivity must be improved by 15% at least. Revenue must result in 20% increase after a year. New and existing customers patrolling the restaurant must result in 15% increase at least. 1.3Stakeholders and Users Management – The Board of Directors as the controlling interest in ORFO. Weekly status update meeting will be held to communicate the progress of the project to the management. Purchaser – Upz who invest money to develop the system. User – Customers who use ORFO to interact with Gamici. Developers – The eight-member development team which includes one project manager, two programmers, two software engineers, two database analysts and one designer. Staff – Restaurant Manager and Restaurant Supervisor who maintain and update the portal such as adding new items to the menu, making changes to the prices, introducing promotions. Administration Clerk and Waiters are only able to retrieve information. 1.4Project Scope The scope of this project is to develop an Online Reservation and Food Ordering System which will be integrated on Gamici website. This system allows reservation making and food ordering services that will provide a convenient dining experience to the customers. Customers can also raise special requests to cater to their needs. In addition, the ORFO system allows customers to choose their desire seats online based on the restaurant floor plan and order food. Then, payment can also be done online through ORFO system. Database will be created to keep track of customers’ information and requests. 1.5 Assumptions Order ID will be issued to customers after each transaction with Gamici. The payment modes will be through credit/debit cards or internet banking. An invoice will automatically be generated after each transaction. 6 Constraints The system should support various payment modes. Functional Requirements 1. General 1. The user shall only be able to perform the following operations: i. For customer: a. Make a reservation b. Browse menu c. Special request d. Make payment e. Modify/cancel reservation ii. For restaurant personnel: a. View database 2. The ORFO must have a â€Å"Back button† to go back to previous page. 2. Make a Reservation 1. When the user initiates ‘Make a Reservation’, he/she must be taken to the ‘Make a Reservation’ page. 2. The user must be able to enter the following information a. Time and date b. Number of people 3. Once the user submits the information, he/she will be taken a page that shows the floor plan of the restaurant. 4. The page must show all the available table(s) that fit the requirements in 2.2.2 in yellow. Unqualified table(s) will be in red. 5. The user must be able to choose the table(s) in yellow only and using the mouse by clicking on the table. The selected table will be in green. 6. The user must be able to deselect the table by clicking the selected table again and the table will be in yellow again. 7. Once the requested table(s) is selected, the user must be able to click the ‘Confirm’ button to proceed. 8. The user must be able to enter the following information: a. Name (between 1 to 32 characters) b. Contact number 9. Once the information is submitted, the selected table(s) and the information must be updated in the database. 10. If the update fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him/her of the failure. 3. Browse Menu 1. The ORFO must display the menu that is updated to the current day and must be coherent to the menu used in the restaurant. 2. The menu page must display the menu in tabs with the following categories: i. Main course ii. Appetizers iii. Beverages iv. Dessert 3. Each tab page must display a list of 10 items at a time. 4. User must be able to navigate through the items using various navigational links provided at the bottom of the page: a. Clicking â€Å"next† will list the next 10 products in the menu. (If more available) b. Clicking â€Å"previous† will list the previous 10 products in the menu. (If previous exists) c. Click on individual page numbers will display the selected page. 5. The ORFO must allow the user to view the following about a single item from the menu by clicking on the item: a. Item name b. Item image c. Item description d. Item price 6. The user must be able to select the item by double clicking on the item and the item will be added to cart, refer to 2.3.7. 7. The ORFO must display a cart that contains the items selected by the user at the bottom of the page. 8. The cart must contain the following information a. Item name b. Item price c. Total price (with GST) d. Total price (with GST) 9. The user must be able to delete the item from the cart by selecting the item and click on the â€Å"Remove† button at the side. 10. If there is at least one item in the cart, the user must be able to click the â€Å"Proceed† button to proceed. 11. Once the â€Å"Proceed† button is clicked, the selected items information must be updated in the database. 12. If the update fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him/her of the failure. 4. Special Request 1. The ORFO must display a list of default special request with tabs with the following categories: a. Birthday b. Date c. User defined 2. For tabs a and b, the page must display a list of 10 items at a time. 3. User must be able to navigate through the items using various navigational links provided at the bottom of the page: a. Clicking â€Å"next† will list the next 10 products in the menu. (If more available) b. Clicking â€Å"previous† will list the previous 10 products in the menu. (If previous exists) c. Click on individual page numbers will display the selected page. 4. The ORFO must allow the user to view the following about a single item from the menu by clicking on the item: e. Item name f. Item image g. Item description h. Item price 5. The user must be able to select the item by double clicking on the item and the item will be added to cart under refer to 2.3.7. 6. To delete the selected item refer to 2.3.9. 7. For tab c, the user must be able to enter in a short description of the special request and must provide the following information: i. Item name ii. Place to buy 8. If there is at least one item in the cart, the user must be able to click the â€Å"Proceed† button to proceed. 9. Once the â€Å"Proceed† button is clicked, the selected items information must be updated in the database. 10. If the update fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him/her of the failure. 11. The ORFO must inform the user via the contact provided in 2.2.8 within 24 hours about the user defined special requests. 5. Make Payment 1. The ORFO must allow the user to look through all the items in the cart with information provided in 2.3.8. 2. The user must be able to confirm the order(s) by clicking the â€Å"Confirm† button. 3. The ORFO must display the modes of payment as shown: i. By cash at the restaurant ii. By credit card via online 4. If the user selects a, proceed to 2.5.5. If the user selects b, proceed to 2.5.8. 5. The ORFO must generate a transaction ID, the user must produce this ID at the restaurant for verification during the day of reservation. 6. The user must click the â€Å"Proceed† button to verify that he/ she has noted the transaction ID. 7. The ORFO must proceed to 2.5.14. 8. The user must be brought to a secured page to make the payment via credit card. 9. The user must be able to enter his/her credit card number. 10. After valid credit card number is entered, the user must be able to proceed by clicking the â€Å"Proceed† button. 11. Once â€Å"Proceed† button is clicked, the ORFO must verify the credit number. 12. If verification fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user to notify him/her of the failure. 13. If verification is successful, the ORFO must generate an invoice and a link must be provided to the invoice for printing. 14. The ORFO must display the following information. a. Transaction ID b. Invoice ID (if any) c. Time and Date d. Number of people e. Table(s) reserved f. Food ordered g. Special request(s) (if any) 15. The reservation is completed, the user must be able to exit the page or proceed with another transaction by clicking the â€Å"Finish† button. 6. Modify/ Cancel Reservation 1. The ORFO must allow the user to modify or cancel reservation at â€Å"Modify/Cancel Reservation† Page. 2. The user must enter the following information for verification: a. Transaction ID b. Credit card (for payment via credit card only) 3. If the verification fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him or her of the failure. 4. If the verification is successful, the ORFO must check the time of this adjustment and the time of reservation. 5. If the duration is more than 24 hours, the ORFO must show a message to the user notifying him/her that it is too late for the adjustment and 2.6.20. 6. If the duration is shorter than 24 hours, the user must be able to proceed to the page to make the adjustment. 7. The ORFO must display the following: a. Modify reservation b. Cancel reservation 8. If the user selects a, proceed to 2.6.9. If the user select selects b, proceed to 2.6.17. 9. The ORFO must allow the user to modify the reservation as shown below: i. Change reserved table, refer to 2.2 ii. Modify ordered food, refer to 2.3 iii. Modify special requests, refer to 2.4 10. If the net payment after the adjustment is less than the previous payment, no refund must be given. 11. If the net payment after the adjustment is more than the previous payment, additional payment must be made, refer to 2.5. 12. The ORFO must update the database with the adjustments. 13. If the adjustment fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him or her of the failure. 14. If the update is successful, the ORFO must display the following information. a. New Transaction ID b. Invoice ID (if any) c. Time and Date d. Number of people e. Table(s) reserved f. Food ordered g. Special request(s) (if any) 15. The ORFO must display the following information of the reservation: a. Transaction ID b. Invoice ID (if any) c. Time and Date d. Number of people e. Table(s) reserved f. Food ordered g. Special request(s) (if any) 16. The user must be able to cancel the reservation by clicking â€Å"Cancel Reservation†. 17. Once the user selects â€Å"Cancel Reservation†, the ORFO must update the database with the adjustments. 18. If the adjustment fails, the ORFO must show an error message to the user notifying him or her of the failure. 19. If the update is successful, the ORFO must inform the user how to get the refund. 20. The adjustment is completed, the user must be able to exit the page or proceed with another reservation by clicking the â€Å"Finish† button. 7. View Database 1. The user must choose the time and date in a drop down menu. 2. The ORFO must display the database in tabs with the following categories: a. Tables reserved b. Food ordered c. Special Orders 3. If the user selects a, proceed to 2.7.4. If the user selects b, proceed to 2.7.6. If the user selects c, proceed to 2.7.9. 4. The ORFO must display the floor plan showing the status of the table: a. Green table means reserved b. Red table means not reserved 5. The ORFO must allow the user to view the following about a reserved table from the floor plan by clicking on the table: a. Customer name b. Customer contact number c. Number of people d. Link to the ordered food e. Link to the special request f. Mode of payment 6. The ORFO must display the ordered food in tabs based on the reserved tables. 7. When the user selects one of the tabs, the ORFO must display the ordered food in a table, with the following format: a. Main course b. Appetizers c. Beverages d. Dessert 8. The ORFO must display the quantity of the ordered food beside the item in the table. 9. The ORFO must display the special requests in tabs based on the reserved tables. 10. When the user selects one of the tabs, the ORFO must display the special requests in a table, with the following format: a. Birthday b. Date c. User define 11. The ORFO must display the quantity of the special requests beside the item in the table. 12. Once viewing of the database is done, the user must be exit the database by clicking on the â€Å"Exit† button. 3.Data Requirements Data requirements describe the format, structure, type, and allowable values of data entering, leaving, or stored by the product. 1. The system will only accept data which are correct and not ambiguious. E.g Mobile number should only be 8 digits long and credit card numbers should be 16 digits long. 2. The booking can only be submitted and processed by the system when all required fields of data have been filled up. 3. The system should display all times in the 24-hour clock format. 4. The system must store customer names in fields recording first and last name. 5. When a customer has selected a table of choice for booking but has not yet confirmed his booking, the system will lock out that particular table to other customers. 4.Non-functional requirements There are requirements that are not functional in nature. Specifically, these are the constraints the system must work within. 1. Compatiblity 1. The website should be compatitible with both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, the 2 most widely used browser currently. 2. User interface 1. The user interface should be as familiar as possible to users who have used other web applications and Windows desktop applications. E.g., we will follow the UI guidelines for naming menus, buttons, and dialog boxes whenever possible. 3. Security 1. Access will be controlled with usernames and passwords 2. Only administrator users will have access to administrative functions, average users will not. 3. Database should be reasonably secured to prevent leak or loss of confidential information such as credit card details from customers.. 4. Performance 1. The system should be up and running 24/7. 2. It should support at least 100 users using the online booking concurrently without any lag. 5. Backup and Recovery 1. There should be a backup server and database to prevent service interuption or loss of data when the main server and database are down. 2. Downtime should not last more then 30sec when switching from main server to the backup server in case of a breakdown. 6. Reliability 1. The whole online booking system should achieve a 99% sucess rate. i.e downtime should not be more then 1% of its total operating time. 2. System review will take place monthly. Any lack in performance or reliability will be addressed and improved on after each review. 7. System Maintainence 1. Maintainence of the system will be conducted weekly. Maintainence will be conducted during off-peak hours e.g between 12am – 6amz 5.Interface Requirements Overview The user interface of this restaurant booking system is a web site which can be viewed using popular web browsers. This high accessibility made it easier and more convenient for users to use the system. Users don’t need to set up any additional software for the purpose of running the system. As long as an Internet co nnection is available, the system can be easily accessed using their mobile devices. Multi-platforms operation is also an additional advantage of this design. One more advantage of this design is the power of the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML). HTML provides nicer features with simple modification and configuration compared to the GUI of other languages. HTML language supports the use of other languages and technique to make dynamic objects, which can improve the vividness of the application. 5.1User Interfaces These are the fundamental features of the GUI that should be included in the websites: A login box comprises of an account and a password textfield. Users can sign in using their NRIC to check their bookings. We can provide the sign up function for long-term users so that they don’t have to refill the information everytime booking is made. A dynamic menu including the links to the homepage, the menu page, the booking page and the information page. the menupage will have the list of food with its respective image.It can be divided into many pages to ease up the navigation. The booking page will have a shopping cart function for the booking of food and a clickable map for the reservation of seats. After booking is submitted, the webpage will automatically redirect to the payment page. The information page will provide additional information about the restaurant. A slideshow or a flash of the images of the restaurant. Images of the top ordered dishes and their respective information (e.g price, ..). A panel for advertisements coming from our own restaurant or from other parties. 5.2Hardware Interfaces Describe how the software application interfaces with hardware that exists outside the scope of the system. 5.3Software Interfaces The use of web design tools such as Adobe Dreamweaver is employed to make a more professional and nicer design of the system. The code editor and the design editor is integrated in one tool, which allows easy modification as well as addition of elements onto the web pages. Interactive and dynamic objects can be created more easily within a few clicks. The platform to implement the webpage is php and mysql with the support of Apache. Another platforms to be considered are jsp, serverlet using netbean, asp.net and C# using Visual Studio. However, PHP is chosen due to its popularity, ease in coding and the availability of free scripts online. To edit the images and make the flash, it is recommended to utilize Adobe Photoshop, Flash SlideShow maker and Adobe(Macromedia) Flash Player. This requires some Actionscript code to make the dynamic contents. It’s also used to create icons and graphics to enhance the interface. 5.4. Difficulties Encountered and Solutions Applied Since most of the languages used is new to the development team. It takes time to get familiar with these languages. Another problem confronted by the team is the inconsistency in designs and layout since different components and different pages are developed seperately by different people. These components are later merged together to form the complete system. Confronting these problems, our team has come up with appropriate solutions and applied it successfully. For instance, we have searched online and found plenty of free pieces of code and software that is applicable to our system. This simplifies the process of coding and developing some interactive components. To name it, we use Flash SlideShow maker to generate the slideshow in the flash format simply by adding pictures and choose the skin of the layout. A lot of PHP codes, Javascript to do some complicated tasks or to make dynamic menus features can be found easily on the websites and tutorials. They give us an idea of how the job is done and save us a lot of hard work. About the inconsistency matter, the Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) is applied to enhance the flexibility and accessibility of the elements by defining the common element property seperately and concretely. These properties are specified in the style sheet, which determines the appearance of all the pages that are linked to it. The point is that these properties only need to be entered once and then they are applied automatically to all the elements, which save a lot of coding. Another remarkable advantage displays itself when it comes to managing big and sophisticated websites. CSS make it possible for the whole systems and organizations to share and reuse a small number of style sheets. Beside ensurement of consistency across the site, CSS also favors the updating and modifying of the web layouts to conform to the changes in system requirement. Instead of editting individual components, we can edit all together in one go by modifying the style sheet. 6.Use Case Model Provide the top-level use case diagram, followed by the use case description for each use case. 6.1Use Case Diagram 6.2Use Case Description 7.Glossary Define all terms and acronyms required to interpret the SRS properly. This is the (problem) domain dictionary. 8.References Provide a list of all documents and other sources of information referenced in the SRS and utilized in developing the SRS. Include for each the document number, title, date and author. |Document No. |Document Title |Date |Author | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9.Revision History Identify changes to the SRS. |Version |Date |Name |Description | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |