Wednesday, July 31, 2019

How has CMOS memory changed over the years? Essay

How has CMOS memory changed over the years? CMOS really hasn’t changed very much from what I could find on the internet†¦ Mainly the speeds have increased and the noise has been reduced it also went from analog to digital. Originally, the IBM PC only used of a small portion of CMOS memory and the balance of the 64 bytes were left undefined. Once other manufacturers cloned the AT form factor it wasn’t long that other areas of the CMOS was used by various BIOS manufacturers for such user-selectable options as memory wait states, memory type, initial boot drive selection, boot-up clock speed, hard drive interface type, green options, shadow RAM options, cache options, and password protection of the CMOS contents. It still uses a small battery in case there is a power outage and still uses volatile RAM. Has the size of the CMOS memory increased, decreased, or stayed the same? The size of the CMOS memory has also pretty much stayed the same because there is no need to increase the size. There was never any need to store more than 512 bytes in the memory as it holds the absolute basic boot settings for the system. The typical size is still 512 bytes currently. All it comes down to is â€Å"If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.†, so it’s been that way since almost the very beginning. It does its job which is to just get the computer started and make sure everything is in place and then hands it all over to the computers OS. Determine if CMOS still utilizes RAM, requiring a battery on the motherboard, or has it evolved into using EEPROM? The CMOS still utilizes RAM but it is being rapidly replaced with EEPROM in today’s time. EEPROM is a small chip that data can be written and re-written to with codes. As we all know RAM losses data every time you loss power to your system, well EEPROM does not require a power source to maintain its data. Although EEPROM is relatively slower than RAM it is fine for applications, such as storing saved BIOS settings?

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

AIDS and Children

HIV/AIDS is relatively a new disease, and was first recognized in the year 1980, following an outbreak of the opportunistic infection Pneumocystis carnii pneumonia in a group of New York homosexuals.   The incidences of Kaposi’s sarcoma (a malignancy of the blood vessels) were also observed to occur more than 50 times in young homosexuals.Gradually, it was observed that the condition was an infectious disease, and tended to spread wherever infected blood/semen was involved including blood transfusion, intravenous drug usage and unprotected sexual activity (whether homosexual or heterosexual).The condition was gradually observed to affect the immune system, causing a huge number of opportunistic infections and malignancies.   By the year 1982, AIDS was also observed in several children belonging to New York, San Francisco, Miami and New Jersey.The condition was relatively unknown before the 1980’s and following this, it became one of the most common and deadly infect ious diseases.   Although, HIV/AIDS began in a developed nation which could handle the ill-effects of the disease, it slowly began to spread to developing and poor nations, and the effect on such individuals is even more devastating (Mandell, 2005 & Borkowsky, 2004).HIV/AIDS has not only been a problem in the reproductive age group, but has also caused serious problems in the pediatric age groups.   In the US, more than 9300 children (as on December 2002) have been affected with the disease.   The number of cases of individuals affected with the disease is still on the rise.There may be several differences in the opportunistic infections, malignancies and symptoms that occur in children and adults.   In children, HIV/AIDS can either spread through vertical transmission (from infected mother to child) and from other means (including child sexual abuse, IV drug abuse, infected blood transfusion, etc).If we look at vertical transmission of HIV/AIDS, the disease can be transmitt ed by three different methods, which occur at three different times: – prenatally it is transmitted across the placenta from the infected maternal blood, during delivery it may be transmitted from contaminated material secretions and after delivery it may occur due to consumption of contaminated breast milk.Some of the factors that play an important role in the transmission of HIV/AIDS from infected mother to child include the severity of the infection of the mother, the material viral load, trauma to the child during delivery, the mode and the duration of breastfeeding.Children below the age of 13 years can develop lymphoid interstitial pneumonia, pulmonary lymphoid hyperplasia and recurrent bacterial infections.   The risk of a serious drop in the CD T4 lymphocytes below 200 is less in children compared to adults.   In children with HIV/AIDS, the CD T4 cell count can play a major role in determining the prognosis of the disease.Children usually have a rise in the number of lymphocytes.   This may be observed in normal children and infants.   If the CD4 count in children affected with HIV/AIDS drops down, it can suggest a serious impairment.   Children suffering from HIV/AIDS may also develop a serious form of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and can develop serious respiratory problems.This condition may also be fatal if proper preventive measures and treatment are not followed (CDC, 1996, Mandell, 2005 & Borkowsky, 2004).Another problem that can be frequently observed in children who develop HIV/AIDS from infected mothers (vertical transmission) is the chances of co-infection with other STD’s including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, etc.   These conditions are transmitted in a similar manner (mainly IV drug usage, unprotected sex, blood transfusion, vertical transmission, etc).Often when a person is infected with HCV, the infection takes a long time to develop and progress (about 20 years).   However, in co infection with HIV, the re may be an acceleration of both the conditions often leading to severe disease in the infant or childhood stage of life.When the mother is co-infected with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C infection, the chances of the child getting infected with HIV is much higher than if the mother is infected with HIV alone.   In cases of infection with HIV, the infection spread in 16 % of the cases, whereas in co-infection cases, it spread 26 % of the total number of cases (England, 2006).The Problem1. Incidences of HIV/AIDS in childrenThe exact incidences of HIV/AIDS in children may be far more than anticipated.   On December 31, 2002, more than 9300 children were reported to suffer from AIDS.   A majority of these cases are due to infection from the infected mother.In a study conducted in 1997 in the US, more than 91 % of the cases were due to infection from the mother to the child, 2 % were due to transfusion of infected blood and 8 % developed the condition due to an undetermined risk.   1 of the children who was a part of the study had a clotting disorder.Most of the children who were infected with HIV/AIDS had parents who were using IV drugs.   In most cases, the mother practiced unprotected sex.   There is a lot of racial differences in the rates of HIV/AIDS.   Individuals belonging to minority and weaker sections of the population are at a higher risk of acquiring the infection compared to the mainstream population.There is a tendency that children across the various racial groups would have the same incidence rates of HIV/AIDS as their mothers.   In a study conducted, it was found that 63 % of the children affected with HIV/AIDS were African-Americans and 26% were Hispanics.   18 % belonged to the White groups and 1 % was from the other racial groups.Out of every 100, 000 children in the US who developed HIV/AIDS, 6.4 % were Blacks, 2.3 % were Hispanics, 0.4 % were Whites and 0.7 % were other racial groups.   In most HIV affected children, the diseas e is diagnosed at the age of 18 months.In most children affected with HIV (about 80 % of all cases), AIDS develops by the age of 5 years.   Most cases of HIV/AIDS was recorded in New York (1900 cases), followed by Florida (1200 cases), New Jersey, California and Texas.   Between the years 1984 to 1992, there was a rise in the incidence of HIV/AIDS due to the ignorance of the disease from various populations including Blacks and homosexual groups.In the year 1992, the number of HIV/AIDS cases were as high as 905, which declined to 663 in 1995 (a drop in about 27%) mostly attributed to greater awareness and education.   However, across varies ethnic and racial groups, greater amount improvements occurred in the Whites (39 % drop), followed by Black (26 % drop) and Hispanic (25 % drops).Another reason for this drop had been the sudden discovery of the effect of Zidovudine (an antiretroviral drug) in helping to reduce the vertical transmission of HIV/AIDS from infected mother to c hild.   In 1994, a series of clinical trials effectively demonstrated that the disease vertical transmission could be reduced by about 65 % if Zidovudine was given early during the pregnancy of the infected woman.Hence, recommendations were raised for mandatory testing, counseling and ARV therapy for pregnant women.   Following more active implementation of this program following 1995, the number of HIV/AIDS cases due to vertical transmission dropped to 92 in 2002.   This was a significant drop, cutting the incidence rates by 10 times within a span of ten years (Mandell, 2005, Yogev, 2004, CDC, 1996, CDC, 2008).

Monday, July 29, 2019

Russian 20th Century History Post WWII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Russian 20th Century History Post WWII - Essay Example The city dwellers also experienced food supply crisis forcing most of them to starve (Zubkova and Hugh, 1998). Many ex-soldiers and young civilians served in the red army while others worked in labor battalions to rebuild infrastructure destroyed during the Second World War. Following the massive loss experienced by Russia during the war, Russia developed reconstruction programs to overcome these losses and rebuild itself just like other countries affected by the war. The reconstruction program focused more on the industry and the loss of agriculture and consumer goods, and as a result, the steel production was doubled. Some of the major events that have positively affected Russia’s development include strengthened ties between Russia and China. The China-Russia cultural and people-to-people exchanges have assisted in promoting the development of bilateral relations. This has led to better trade relations between the two countries, which have in turn enhanced Russia’s development. Further, Russia’s Prime Minister claims that the major sports event in the country will trigger the country’s development. According to him, there have been major developments particularly in infrastructure because of the Olympic Games. Olympic Games provide Russia with an opportunity to develop its territories including building proper roads, housing, and airports. Truly, one of the most important factors in development of any country is geography, that is, where the country is located in the world. It has been noted that geographical location plays a significant role in access to markets, and that all great countries are based around trade routes. Undeniably, Russia’s geographical location has helped in enhancing the country’s development. Russia’s remoteness ensured that the government was not tampered with by a European-style renaissance or a religious reformation

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Bitcoins vs Money Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bitcoins vs Money - Essay Example Bitcoin system is entirely dependent on internet platforms, which are readily available across the globe because of the technological advancement (Rotman 1). Using Bitcoin, the average income earners can easily transact beyond border transactions without incurring extra costs in physically moving to those places. This essay examines the use of Bitcoin and money as applied in the current system. Kudlow Larry downplays the rise in use of digital currency. He cites the rapid fluctuations in prices by hundreds of dollars in the space as a key challenge that emanates from digital currency use. He outlines an example of an individual who buys an item for $500 but after the retailer processes payment, the digital currency falls to $100 in value. He resolves that both sellers and buyers make associated losses because bitcoin is not a reliable medium of exchange with dependable store of value (Kudlow 1). On the contrary, money has a store of value. Its value does not fluctuate as rapidly and frequently as in the case of digital currency. Because Bitcoin has no store of value, economists prefer the money system to digital currency. Digital money use has no border restrictions. Making cross-border transactions is easier and simpler than in the case of money. Money system is more reliable and regular fluctuations in prices do not affect it. Digital currency use will therefore not pose a significant effect on money use. The reason for this is that money system posses superior features like security and reliability that the digital currency system lacks. There are viewpoint that the rising use of digital currency like bitcoin transactions will not pose a significant impact countries’ economic progress. According to Gaulio, bitcoin transactions are easily traceable to their initiators hence American government, for instance, will fully advocate its use. In a state controlled digital economy, the taxation units will

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Based on the two uploaded journals, what is one point from this week's Research Paper

Based on the two uploaded journals, what is one point from this week's readings that stood out to you. Your comments should f - Research Paper Example It is, however, both interesting and perplexing that while the complications experienced in data integration already has available solutions like the multi-level integrated information structures (MIIS), provisions for organizational change to accommodate new technology can not keep pace. Information in a knowledge-based society is considered a resource. Among others, organizational change in terms of revision / adaption of policies and resource handling constitute the primary issues which hinder data integration for inter-organizational networks. Data experts and concerned government authorities should, therefore, forge symbiotic relationships so that the power of synergized information and technology can be harnessed for optimal benefits of both government and society. Braman, Sandra. 2009. Change of State: Information, Policy and Power. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. The definition of information policy in the past is much simpler than it is today. The United States Constitution sought to protect the right of the people to communicate and express their opinion. Along with these protective mechanisms, the right of the people to information is enforced, since the only way for societal change to take place is by communicating ideas and opinions to those who can act and make things happen. Today, the landscape is more complex than ever.

Organizational Theory Literature and an Analysis of the U.S. Steel Term Paper

Organizational Theory Literature and an Analysis of the U.S. Steel Corporation - Term Paper Example It is also found that, in the context of each organization, two different powers are likely to exist: one originated from the organization’s external members, such as customers and suppliers, and ‘one originated from the insiders, i.e. employees or shareholders’ (Hatch & Schultz 2007, p.356). As for the relation between image, culture and identity, the following assumption is made: the theories that have been published in regard to each one of these concepts are related, more or less (Hatch & Schultz 2007, p.364). The assumptions of Hatch & Schultz (2007) in regard to identity, culture and image in organizations, can be characterized as valuable, providing important insights in the relation of the above organizational aspects. It should also be noted that although no empirical research has been employed for this study, still its findings are quite credible as they are based on important studies that have been published in the specific field. The validity of the study is further increase due to the following fact: Hatch & Schultz (2007) have developed a graph for showing the characteristics of the relation between culture, image and identity, as derived from the research developed on this issue (Graph 1, Appendices). Cultural Diversity in Organizational Theory and Practice Mazur, B., 2010 In the study of Mazur (2010) emphasis is given on diversity, as an issue related to modern organizations. The study is based on two different research methods: a) the literature that has been published in regard to the specific subject is critically reviewed, b) the cultural characteristics of people in a particular region, the North-East of Poland, are critically discussed aiming to show the potential level of diversity in society. Furthermore, the practices followed by firms in the specific region are presented, at the level that can offer important advice on how cultural conflicts in modern organizations can be resolved. The specific study presents the various elements of culture and diversity, as these concepts interact in the workplace. It is noted that diversity cannot be avoided, thus emphasizing on the cultural characteristics of employees would be a key strategy for facing conflicts in modern organizations (Mazur 2010, p.14). It is also explained that the effective managemen t of diversity in the workplace may not be easy, but it can result to a series of benefits for the organization, such as the improvement of cooperation and communication and the increase of employee morale and employee performance (Mazur 2010, p.14). The specific study could be possibly supported with empirical evidence, where available. The use of the case study, as a tool for supporting the research needs of the study, has limited the potential gaps of the lack of empirical evidence. The Classical Theory of Organisation and it's Relevance Alajloni, M., Almashaqba, Z. & Nemer Al-Qeed, M., 2010. Alajloni, Almashaqba and Al-Qeed (2010) refer to the classical theory of organization, as a framework that it is often used for explaining organizational strategies. The above researchers focuses on three particular concepts that are incorporated in the classical the

Friday, July 26, 2019

Organization's Management and organization's structure Essay

Organization's Management and organization's structure - Essay Example This essay discusses that organization involves prudent utilization of assets to accomplish the best out of the workers. Poor administration prompts despondent representatives who inevitably make issues that lead to problems for themselves and also the company. Leaders must set clear focuses for the colleagues. Managers must verify his colleagues work as one towards a common goal. He is the person who chooses what might be right in a specific circumstance. Managers must be mindful of what is occurring around them. Hierarchy orders ought to be all around characterized for a powerful administration. The reporting supervisors must survey the execution and advancement of their subordinates and aide them at whatever point needed. Efficient time management helps the workers to make the best choice within the provided time frame. Motivation issue is much wider than tying the workers together for teamwork and cooperation. Organization management alludes to the art of getting individuals toge ther on a typical stage to make them work towards a typical predefined objective. It empowers the ideal utilization of assets through careful arranging and control at the working environment. The administration gives an ability to read a compass to the workers. The people are very much aware of their parts and obligations and recognize what they should do in the association. Thus it becomes evident that effective organization management implies a variety of options to support all the aspects of the lifespan of the company.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

How the Global Finacial Crisis impacted Egypt Term Paper

How the Global Finacial Crisis impacted Egypt - Term Paper Example One effect of the challenges was a disruption of the reforms that were later resumed in 2004. This paper will discuss how Egypt’s economy was impacted by the crisis, what the government’s response was in terms of policies, and the nation’s current economic status. An understanding of Egypt’s economy before the 2008 crisis helps in understanding and analyzing how the economy was impacted. The economic reform policies that had run from 1991 to 2007 met most of the terms set by international institutions, donors and lenders and included broader incentives to the private sector’s role in all monetary activities. The greatest negative impact was felt, rather than by the banking sector, on the real economy (Altintzis 1). This was occasioned by the fact that among the reforms that preceded the financial crisis, the government had put limits to the level of integrating the banking subdivision into the global financial system. Instead, banks had been consoli dated into larger corporations with restructured management as the government did away with toxic debts, reducing the impact of the crisis on the sector, while the economy’s growth rate and the stock market suffered the most. According to a report by the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, the losses by commercial and production sectors alone due to the crisis were estimated at US$4 billion for the year 2008/2009 (Altintzis 1). The greatest negative impacts on the real economy can be listed as the decline of GDP between 2007/8 and 2008/9 from 7.2% to 4%; a drop in domestic investment; a decline in the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI); an increase in the rate of return migration accompanied by reduced remittances; collapse of the capital market; a pronounced strain on payments balances; volatile oil prices; and reduced tolls from the Suez Canal that previously generated 70% of the nation’s foreign exchange (Altintzis 1). The implication is that the economy was impacted in a complex manner, with the nation being exposed to true economic shocks and the government remaining relatively protected in terms of financial shocks. The worst hit portion of the population was the lower and middle income earners, who spend 45% of the earnings on food. The government was soon faced with the need for an urgent response to the financial crises as from mid 2008 to 2011, food prices became unaffordable to 40% of Egypt’s population that was below the poverty line (Radwan 40). The slight improvement in annual growth rate did not reach the poor as only the wealthy benefited from it, increasing the poverty percentage to 50. The result was a socioeconomic instability that was politicized leading to the 2011 revolution. Among the policy changes to alleviate the effects of the crises, a bill was endorsed into law by parliament with the intention of protecting the 40% citizens below the poverty level as well as the lower and middle income groups. The bill reflected a fiscally and socially neutral package characterized by a decrease in energy subsidies as well as increased fees on the registration and licensing of automobiles and using cement raw materials. There was also an increase on cigarette sales tax with various income tax exemptions abolished. In particular, the

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Casestudy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Casestudy - Essay Example This aspect is very subjective and the expectations and objectives along with their ever changing nature make them very ambiguous and prone to conflicts and misinterpretations (Petersitzke, 2009, p.26). This has made the concept of psychological contract the root cause of mistrust between employers and the employees. Psychological contract is a phenomenon that induces at the very onset of a relationship between an employer and an employee. Psychological contract often forms the basis of employee associations and emergence of faiths and beliefs of an individual (Wilton, 2010, p.37). Figure 1: Psychological Contract and the effect on Organization (Source: Wilton, 2010, p.37) The figure above clearly shows the components as well as the influence on the areas of organization with regards to the aspect of psychological contracts. ... The aspect of psychological contract and its linkage with economic and monetary aspects including rewards and compensation has been a matter of debate for academic and other circles. Authors like Schein state that psychological contracts and its effects are only prominent in case of non tangible aspects and hence rewards and monetary compensation do not influence the aspect of psychological contract in an organization and vice versa. However certain authors often refute this claim and state a direct linkage with aspect like compensation and psychological contracts (Makin, Cooper & Cox, 1996, p.5). The case study in the present analysis reveals a case of psychological contracts and its influence. On one hand it is seen that the initial reception to the trainees was good and it induced a lot of motivation on the part of the employees. This include the corporate sponsored lunch and dining at various plush hotels, blackberry set for office work etc. Moreover the rigorous and tough recrui tment process was also motivating to the extent that employees started to believe of a path breaking successful stint at the organization and were hopeful of getting a profile that would add value to their careers. They also hoped that the rigorous process and the following events would essentially mean a tenure that would provide them with considerable responsibility that would add to their learning curve and would enrich the value addition process. In this case the process of psychological contract can be seen to have evolved much before the actual stint at the organization. It also reveals that these aspects were essentially not a part of the formal contract between the employee and the employer. However these aspects had a crucial linkage with the morale and

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Taxation Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Taxation Case study - Essay Example The pension contributions made wholly and exclusively for the business purposes are deductible in the accounting period in which the payment is made. However the company may opt to spread it over a period o up to five years, if such contributions have exceeded 210 percent of the previous year's contribution. The capital gains and losses are, generally, calculated in the same way for companies as for individuals. While the net gains are included in the chargeable income, there is no taper relief that applies for individuals available to companies. No annual exemption is available to companies. Trading losses can be set off against all other income and gains of the accounting period, with provisions available for carry back and carry forward. Capital losses can be set off only against capital gains. This allowance is given at the rate of 4 percent on the eligible expenditure on the construction of industrial buildings or structures that are used for qualifying purposes. For claiming this allowance, the building should have been in actual use at the end of the chargeable period. A claim of 100 percent can be made if the expenditure is incurred on the construction of certain commercial buildings, including hotels located in enterprise zones. For capital expenditure on certain plant and machinery with at least 25 years of long working life and with a minimum expen... deduction of 25% is available for large companies. The pension contributions made wholly and exclusively for the business purposes are deductible in the accounting period in which the payment is made. However the company may opt to spread it over a period o up to five years, if such contributions have exceeded 210 percent of the previous year's contribution. Capital Gains: The capital gains and losses are, generally, calculated in the same way for companies as for individuals. While the net gains are included in the chargeable income, there is no taper relief that applies for individuals available to companies. No annual exemption is available to companies. Trading Losses: Trading losses can be set off against all other income and gains of the accounting period, with provisions available for carry back and carry forward. Capital losses can be set off only against capital gains. Capital Allowances: The following are some of the capital allowances available to the companies: Writing Down Allowance for Industrial Buildings: This allowance is given at the rate of 4 percent on the eligible expenditure on the construction of industrial buildings or structures that are used for qualifying purposes. For claiming this allowance, the building should have been in actual use at the end of the chargeable period. A claim of 100 percent can be made if the expenditure is incurred on the construction of certain commercial buildings, including hotels located in enterprise zones. Allowances on Plant and Machinery: Writing Down Allowance at the 25 percent on reducing balance method is available for capital expenditure incurred on plant and machinery. For capital expenditure on certain plant and machinery with at least 25 years of long working life and with a minimum expenditure of

Monday, July 22, 2019

Comparison between devised play and Hot Money Essay Example for Free

Comparison between devised play and Hot Money Essay For our second scripted play we had to perform the farcical comedy Hot Money. This comedy is about two unintelligent bank robbers who get lost and end up finding themselves in a rundown manor. The Lord and Butler of the manor arrive home to find a suitcase of money and they both scheme to take it. The play ends with the blowing up of the house and money. My contribution to the performance was as the Butler, Phelps. I contributed to the main farcical comedy of the piece mainly through my actions. I stay in role throughout the piece even when the audience found parts amusing. The main similarity between Zoolander and Hot Money is that they are both comedies and for the purpose of entertaining people. However Hot Money being a farce made the play more extravagant and unlikely situations to happen. It had broad physical humour, and deliberate absurdity and nonsense. An example of this is when the house is blown up with Phelps inside; although the house has blown up I still remain unharmed. Zoolander also contained elements of a farce as it is a parody it imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself. For example when Derek Zoolander imitates the stereotypical male model of the 21st century. Hot Money was set in the 1920s however we performed the play as a whole with the characters more stereotypical of peoples views rather than how the characters would have been in the 1920s. This made our play was appropriate for any time period between the 1920s and now. However Zoolander is a modern film set in the 21st century and a parody of male fashion models and the people who work within that industry. There are also similarities in the themes of the plays. For a start both plays contain characters that are essentially making fun of themselves unintentionally. However, one of the differences is that the society of Hot Money ranges from the lower class stereotypical bank robbers to the very upper class Lord of the Manor, with these vastly different worlds of rich and poor both depicted in the play it meant that the audience could be amused by people who are higher up in society than them and people who were also lower down. In contrast, the society of Zoolander is, at its richest level. It contains rich male models, prime ministers and the fashion designer Mugatu. However the richness and upper-class of these characters contrast with their own stupidity and self humiliation. As Hot Money is set in the outskirts of London all the characters within this play are Londoners. The lower class had the cockney accent of 1920s and the upper class characters had an aristocratic accent. In contrast, the society of Zoolander is of the typical Americans as it is set in New York, America. Zoolander being a film has had many retakes and editing, this makes the film seem more polished and perfected than our play, Hot Money. These retakes and editing make the film seem more effective and amusing to watch to an audience. However as we were not able to retake or edit any of our play as it was performed live, this may have affected how effective it was to an audience but on the other hand as it was performed live it may have made the play seem more effective as people prefer to watch things live than on a television screen. There are many differences and similarities in the characters represented in Hot Money and Zoolander. Both contain characters which are comical to an audience, unintelligent and make fun of themselves unintentionally. The stupidity of many characters including Derek Zoolander in Zoolander and Bert in Hot Money are represented by their slow speech and length of time to react to other people and to react to happenings around them. However Zoolander does surprisingly contain sharp witted characters such as Mugatu characterised by there quick come backs and intelligence. Zoolander is very affective to an audience although as it is very over the top not all audiences may find it amusing, this is also true for Hot Money. In conclusion to this essay, I would like to say that I have learnt a lot about the difference between the two different comedies and the difference between a film and a play. At first there seemed to be a big difference between a farcical comedy and a parody but now I can there are many similarities as well.

Transaction And International Law Essay Example for Free

Transaction And International Law Essay Question 1. Before the UCC and the UCITA, what was one of the first, and most significant, of the U.S. governments attempts to promote uniformity in commercial laws from state to state? (Hint: think of commerce and Constitution). The first, and most significant, of the U.S. governments attempts to promote uniformity in commercial laws from state to state is firstly, the relevant provisions of the US Constitution and also Section 118 of the General Business Law which predates that of Section 7-210. [1] Question 2. Based on the information presented above, what do you see as the major differences between Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code and UCITA? The UCITA, as a controversial model law promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, covered transactions in computer and digital information, in place of Article 2 of the UCC. UCITA would codify the view that traditional software distributions are licenses, not sales. Section 102(43), (44) of the UCITA (1999 Official Text) recognized mass marketed binary software transactions as licenses.[2] UCC Article 2 covers only contracts for sale of goods, so computer software is not expressly covered by Article 2. Computer software is different considering that it is so easily copied, thus it needs special protection. It is one of a few commercial enterprises that entirely depend on a single traditional copyrighted work such as a book, musical recording, motion picture, or painting.[3] Licensing thus becomes very important. Licensing enables the developer to control software distribution, to price software to reflect its value to the user, and to ensure that users are subject to developers limitation of liability provisions. However, there is a legislative gap that has forced courts to apply the UCC to license transaction, which it was never meant to address. Hence, the UCITA. Question 3. What is the legal distinction between selling a product and licensing it? The overlap of terminology between sale and license has caused confusion within the courts and has led to some acceptance of a license as a sale in some jurisdictions. The courts have used several methods to establish that a sale of software is the sale of a good within the meaning of the UCC Article 2. The simplest method of establishing software as a sale is when the parties agree in their briefing that Article 2 applies to the licensing of their software. Court would thus only have to look at the contract to see what rules would apply. For other courts, the analysis is more in-depth. In Architectronics, Inc v. Control Systems, the court applied UCC Article 2 to a software development transaction for a license of the software. The court held that the applicability of Article 2 is not defeated by use of license in lieu of sales if license provides for transfer of some of incidents of goods ownership. In Microsoft Corp. v. DAK Industries, the court looked to the economic realities of the particular arrangement. Upon this analysis, the court found that DAK had a right to sell the software and thus the arrangement was similar to a purchase of goods thus indicating that it was a sale, not a license to use.[4] Question 4. Many of the provisions in the UCITA were first proposed as a modification to Article 2 of the UCC. Why do you think the drafters decided to propose it as a separate and distinct uniform act? To be effective, a provision must be approved both by the NCCUSL and the ALI. Since the final draft of Article 2B as proposed was rejected by the American Law Institute or ALI, the required approval of both bodies was thus lacking. As a consequence, the NCCUSL renamed it as the now UCITA.[5] Specifically, the UCITA, as a controversial model law promulgated by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, covered transactions in computer and digital information, in place of Article 2 of the UCC. UCITA would codify the view that traditional software distributions are licenses, not sales. Section 102(43), (44) of the UCITA (1999 Official Text) recognized mass marketed binary software transactions as licenses .[6] UCC Article 2 covers only contracts for sale of goods, so computer software is not expressly covered by Article 2. Computer software is different considering that it is so easily copied, thus it needs special protection. It is one of a few commercial enterprises that entirely depend on a single traditional copyrighted work such as a book, musical recording, motion picture, or painting.[7] Licensing thus becomes very important. Licensing enables the developer to control software distribution, to price software to reflect its value to the user, and to ensure that users are subject to developers limitation of liability provisions. However, there is a legislative gap that has forced courts to apply the UCC to license transaction, which it was never meant to address. Hence, the UCITA. References: Adobe Systems Inc., 84 F. Supp. 2d; SoftMan Products, 171 F. Supp. 2d. August, R. International Business Law (3rd Edition), New Jersey: 2000 Ayyappan, UCITA: Uniformity at the Price of Fairness?, 69 Fordham L. Rev. 2471, 2471-72 (2001) Brownlie, I. Principles of Public International Law (6th edition), OUP, 2003. Davidson Assocs., Inc. v. Internet Gateway, Inc., 334 F. Supp. 2d 1164, 1177 (E.D. Mo. 2004) Lake v Dye, 232 NY 209 [1921] Maritime World Corp. v Grefe Steel Warehouse Corp., 154 NYS 2d684 Nadan, Software Licensing in the 21st Century: Are Software â€Å"Licenses† Really Sales, and How Will the Software Industry Respond?, 32 AIPLA Q.J. 555, 558 (2001). [1] August, R. International Business Law (3rd Edition), New Jersey: 2000; Lake v Dye, 232 NY 209 [1921]; Maritime World Corp. v Grefe Steel Warehouse Corp., 154 NYS 2d684 [Sup Ct, Trial Term, NY County 1956]) [2] Davidson Assocs., Inc. v. Internet Gateway, Inc., 334 F. Supp. 2d 1164, 1177 (E.D. Mo. 2004) where the court finds first sale doctrine does not apply because defendants did not buy the software, they bought a license to the software. [3] Nadan, Software Licensing in the 21st Century: Are Software â€Å"Licenses† Really Sales, and How Will the Software Industry Respond?, 32 AIPLA Q.J. 555, 558 (2001). [4] Adobe Systems Inc., 84 F. Supp. 2d; SoftMan Products, 171 F. Supp. 2d. [5] Ayyappan, UCITA: Uniformity at the Price of Fairness?, 69 Fordham L. Rev. 2471, 2471-72 (2001) [6] Davidson Assocs., Inc. v. Internet Gateway, Inc., 334 F. Supp. 2d 1164, 1177 (E.D. Mo. 2004) where the court finds first sale doctrine does not apply because defendants did not buy the software, they bought a license to the software. [7] Nadan, Software Licensing in the 21st Century: Are Software â€Å"Licenses† Really Sales, and How Will the Software Industry Respond?, 32 AIPLA Q.J. 555, 558 (2001).

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Economic insight into the baby disposable diaper industry

Economic insight into the baby disposable diaper industry The disposable diaper, an invention that revolutionized the baby care industry exists today as a practical solution to the problem of dirty, smelly, wet baby bottoms throughout the world. The need for diapers has always existed. There are several documents from the past that refer to the use of milkweed leaf wraps, animal skins and other creative natural resources to serve the need, a far cry from todays disposable diapers [citation]. Proctor Gamble commercialized the disposable diaper business by introducing Pampers in the year 1961 [citation]. Since then, the industry has witnessed remarkable magnitude of development and one of the reasons disposable diapers are enjoying overwhelming popularity is due to the rising number of working mothers in the society [citation]. The volume of growth is also closely co-related to the level of birth-rate, and owing to its rising trend there lay great potential in the coming years [citation]. The baby disposable diaper industry is poised to take advantage of this growth and thereby to realise its potential this paper will try to highlight some of the key propositions for a keen investor so as to assist him/her gain a comprehensive overview of the market from the logistics perspective. To provide one with factual insights, the report has sketched a detailed schematic for the city of Dunedin (New Zealand) and tries to serve details of the current market scenario, potential and other practical considerations. However the report holds high level of generalisability and similar settings can later be applied to other regional markets. Please note that the estimations made are based on calculative judgements and are not totally accurate. Target Market The duration for which children may rely on diapers depends on how fast they pass their potty training. There is a high level of diversity across the globe, where Americans take the longest to learn, around 34 months [citation]. Babies in China and Russia probably are the best examples who learn in less than 20 months [citation]. The rest of the world is somewhere in the middle. A good estimate should be around 30 months, i.e. 2.5 years. Therefore, children within the age bracket 0-2.5 form the end consumers. However the purchase decisions are undertaken by the parents who form the target consumers. Market Potential The market potential of the disposable diaper market relies on the estimation of absolute demand. The first step towards this estimation is to calculate number for children lying within the age bracket of 0-2.5 years. The next census figures for New Zealand will be released in 2011, and using statistical data for the year 2006 would prove obsolete. However NZ Stats does provide with real time figures for the entire country. To derive recent figures for the required age group, proportionate increase in total population of New Zealand from the year 2006 to 2010 was calculated, which stood around 8.7% [citation]. This increase was then added to the 2006 census for Dunedin. From the total population of the city, number of children within the age of 2.5 years was 2.5% of the total population [citation]. This gave us a final figure of 3,225. The second step was to calculate the diaper consumption for each life stage and arriving to an average number of diapers used during the entire life o f the child. As per Absormex data index, a new born infant consumers around 6.82 diapers per day, whereas two year olds use 3.74 per day [citation]. Therefore at an average a baby consumes around 5.2 diapers per day. Thus the daily consumption is derived by multiplying the total number of babies with the average daily consumption. As consumption can be equated to the market demand, the absolute maximum demand for the city approximately stands around 16,770 diapers per day. The market potential is the maximum demand for the market, which assumes if all babies use disposable diapers. But this is certainly not the case. Thus one has to consider the market penetration to arrive to the actual demand potential. As per Richer Investment consultants, diaper purchase triggers at around $3,500 USD of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) per year which equates to around $ 4,700 NZD [citation]. In Dunedin, 83% of the population earn an annual income of more than $ 5000 [citation]. Thus this gives us a demand potential of around 14,000 disposable diapers per day. Inventory Planning and Warehousing Owing to a long shelf life and high volume, inventory planning for disposable diapers can turn into a perplexing job. This is because both the characteristics contradict each other to arrive to an optimum stock. Technically, disposable diapers do not have an expiry date [citation]. But they do turn pale after the duration of eighteen months [citation]. Nonetheless, they still possess a comparatively longer shelf life than most of the FMCG products. Thereby the seller can gain an opportunity of lowering the cost by stocking large quantity of goods. However disposable diapers, owing to their fluffiness take up larger shelf space and stocking large inventory could be quite expensive. To answer this dilemma, one has to take into consideration the low value of the product and quicker technological innovations. In the inventory cost, the cost of storage remains flat regardless of the type of the product. In the case of diapers, a pack of forty four in New Zealand costs around $ 28, giving us a per unit price of 60 cents, which is quite high in comparison to the shelf space it takes up. Moreover, observing the technological trend in the diaper industry, a new innovation is introduced every three months. Therefore, storing goods more than three months would lead to stock obsolesce. Therefore one needs to carefully plan out the inventory considering all the above mentioned factors. Diapers are available in different sizes, and one has to also consider the proportions of different sizes to be held in the right quantity. Disposable diapers are available in 6 sizes, from 1 to 6. Small infant consumer size 1-2 and two year olds use size 5-6. The level of consumption for different sizes is indirectly correlated to the age of the children, i.e. small infants consume higher quantity of smaller sized diapers as compared to the bigger sized diapers consumed by two year olds. To estimate the proportion of different sizes to be stocked, we can make use of the Absormex consumption figures aforementioned. For medium sized diapers (size 3-4), we would assume that its consumption is equal to the average of the small and large sizes, i.e. 5.20 per day. Thus, the total inventory would be composed of 43%, 33% and 24% of sizes 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6 respectively. Distribution Channels Supermarkets and pharmacy shops are the two primary retail distribution channels for disposable diaper. Hospitals with maternity wards do serve as a secondary channel for catering the diaper needs for new born infants. Supermarkets Chains: Supermarkets are the most generic channel to reach the customers. As per Timmons survey, almost 41% of the total stock flows through supermarkets [citation]. In Dunedin there are 18 major supermarkets [citation]. Major concentration of these stores is observed around Dunedin Central and mainly across Roslyn, Saint Clair, Caversham, Port Chalmers and Mornington. Pharmacy Shops: Pharmaceutical outlets also serve as a channel for retail distribution, though not as important as supermarkets, owing to the lower frequency of customer visits and lower foot traffic. As per Timmons survey they contribute around 18% of the total sales [citation]. However, the clustering of pharmacy shops is identical to that observed for supermarkets aswell. Hospitals: Hospitals act as a tertiary distribution channel which caters the needs of the new born infants after their immediate birth. In Dunedin, there are 16 main hospitals, out of which 11 have maternity wards [citation]. However as they only cater the needs of infants hence would only require small sizes of 1-2. To estimate the number of diapers required by the hospitals, one has all the required figures. As per breathingearth.net, a baby is born every 8.9 minutes in New Zealand, which gives us a national figure of 162 births per day. The proportional birth rate for Dunedin comes to around 5 babies per day. These babies are held in the hospital for two days where they required 6.82 diaper changes per day. Thus a baby needs a diaper change every every 3.5 hours. Thus gives us a total consumption for hospital of around 35 diapers per day. Therefore the requirement is marginal as compared to the aforementioned distribution channels. Alternative Channels of Distribution A distribution channel can be feasible if is able to suffice the benefits with its costs. In the case of disposable diapers, the product holds absolute sense if one proposes to avail it via online channels. On the first place, the popularity of diapers is purely driven by the level of convenience it avails to the working parents for whom time is of essential value. Therefore, home delivery would enhance its level of convenience. Moreover, it is a functional product which does not require personal inspection before every purchase. However the channel would only be justified it is able to provide the product at least in par with retail prices or lower. These could be justified by the savings created after cut shorting the profits of the retailer along with other related costs for availing the product on retail shelves. Thus higher savings would enable feasibility of the channel from sellers perspective as well. Procurement and Distribution Globally centralised manufacturing centres serve benefits of reduction in costs through economies of scale, given that the high logistics and transportation costs are sufficed with the profit margins of the goods. In the case of disposable diapers, it is highly unlikely to support the structure for a centralised manufacturing plant owing to the low value and high volume of the product. Therefore diaper manufacturers maintain regional manufacturing units. For the region of Oceania, prominent enterprises such as Kimberley Clark and Proctor Gamble have their diaper manufacturing facilities primarily located in Australia, whereby the national distribution centres for New Zealand are situated in Auckland and Christchurch. Procurement from Christchurch via railway would prove feasible cost wise, unless if the national distributors agree to cover the road transportation costs, which is less likely. Proximity would lead to shorter transit duration, which in this case would be approximately 11 hours, eventually lowering the lead time. The losses related to out of stock situation for diaper brands are is reasonably high. It is highly likely that the consumer would pick up the competitors product due to the product high level of substitution. Moreover, the functionality of the product remains flat across different brands. Therefore in the case of several out of stock situation; the customer might eventually switch brands. The ultimate solution to this problem is to reduce the lead time by holding stock as close as possible to the retail channels. This would require holding distribution centres at district level. In Dunedin, majority of the retail outlets including hospitals are clustered around the Octagon, Great King St. North, St. Clair, and Mornington, which are situated in the Central, North, South and East portion of the city respectively. West portion of the city is scarcely populated, hence not taken into consideration. Taking into account the rent for holding a centralised distribution facility near the railway station, which falls into Dunedin CBD, it would be rather cheaper to hold three smaller centres across the north, south and east portions of the city. Northern and Central portions of the city hold approximately 40% of the total population [citation], whereas the rest of the population is more or less distributed equally around the Southern and Western portions of the city [citation]. As consumption is directly related to the volume of population, a comparatively larger the distribution centre can be held in North Dunedin (Great King St. North). As this centre would be closest to the Central portions of the city, it would suffice the needs for this portion as well. The other two centres can be held in Western and Southern zones of the district. Therefore proximity to remote distribution centres from the retail locations would serve cheaper transportation costs, shorter delivery and lead time. Stock Allocation and Replenishment Two aspects are to be considered for stock allocation, one is distributing to different channels and the second is geographical allocation. Both the aspects are dependent on the frequency of purchase. This again directly co-relates to the level of population. Considering the population of Dunedin, around 40% are concentrated in the Central and Northern portions of the city where as the rest is equally concentrated in the Western and Southern portions of the city. The Eastern portion of the city is not considered due to habitat scarcity. Therefore the stock would be allocated keeping into consideration the same proportion of the population residing at the different parts of the city. It is observed that parents of smaller infants are less price sensitive as compared to those of grown up babies [citation]. Therefore marking smaller size diapers at a slightly higher price wont bring would only affect the demand in a comparatively smaller correlation. Moreover a higher demand of the smaller size as compared to the larger one can further benefit the suppliers to buy in bulk and sell to the retailers. Therefore would serve cost benefits from purchase as well as sale. [Replenishment] Overcoming Demand Fluctuation The supply chain for disposable diapers can be a victim of the bullwhip effect, which can be caused by minimal information sharing between the channel members where irregular purchase patterns exist. Considering the actual market scenario; parents who buy disposable diapers already anticipate that their baby would require diapers in the coming weeks. Therefore they do not buy in single packs, but in multiples to save on large quantities. However, this can lead to apparent delay in subsequent purchase occasions. This is because they do not possess accurate consumption estimates and can lead to fluctuations in purchase patterns, eventually leading to increase in demand volatility. The supermarkets stores at which they buy these products order by the pallet size or even truck load, and again at varying frequencies. Moreover the wholesalers will also be ordering according to their own re-order level policies. The combined effect of all this could create volatile picture of demand by the time this distorted picture is received at the diaper factory. To overcome these inefficiencies the one has to make sure to ensure transparency between the retail channels and can strongly count on efficient consumer response. Instead of having to anticipate requirements on the basis of personal forecasts, it should be demand driven. For which the supplier has to rely on retailers sales figures rather than his own personal forecasts to place orders to the national suppliers. It can be made sure that one own figures also get passed on to the channel members closer to the manufacturers. This is to give out a clear demand picture to the manufacturer who can further utilize this for making efficient use of resources. Manufacturers efficiency highly impacts the profit margins, sales figures, and above all the very existence of channel members. Thus with the achievement of better use of production and transportation capacity, all the members in the supply chain can respond efficiently to demand fluctuations along with saving on working capital. Technological Considerations RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) has been a technological breakthrough in the field of logistics. It serves the seller with an array of information which him gain deep insights, far beyond the conventional bar code technology. The question is whether the diaper industry can make use of this technology to reap greater benefits. Considering the costs, a single tag costs around 10-15 cents (USD), which converts to around 20 cents in New Zealand Currency [citation]. Incorporating the technology does not support the cost and profit structure in case of disposable diapers. Moreover the cost of the tag is just around 65% of the total cost, whereas the rest is comprised of infrastructure to support the technology in the supply chain. Therefore would add up to a total cost of approximately 30 cents per unit which remains constant across all the packing sizes. Operating in thin profits, 30 cents would not support the profit margins nor would serve the benefits in the scarcely populated co untry of New Zealand. Conclusion Diapers were introduced in the 1960, since then they have undergone tremendous number of innovations. It might look simple, but its an technological achievement, where a single diaper of today has over 200 patents. On top of this, it keeps getting modified with superficial upgradations such as fasteners, size of the pads, colour patterns, and even liner material. But the core appeal of diapers is still its convenience. This is of utmost importance to todays working mothers. Made from non-degradable plastic, disposable diapers reduce the task of washing cloth diapers. Plastic is by far the most expensive component of disposable diapers. The higher shelf life is highly responsible for the durability of this plastic used in diapers, which is resistant to heat, weather and other environmental concerns. This is where the problem lies, they cannot be broken down by sunlight nor natural deterioration works for them, eventually turning it into a non-degradable waste. In todays highly environmental sensitive society, the unfriendliness of diapers towards the environment is creating a big issue towards its preference and sale. The whole structure might fall apart if this issue is taken seriously. However, major efforts have been undertaken to introduce molecular structures in the plastic paper used in diapers to cause it to disintegrate upon extended environmental elements. This development highly potent in changing the perception towards disposable diapers and how it is viewed by the consumers.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

An American :: essays research papers

What is an American? What does it mean to be "American?" What makes it "American?" And how does it make us "American?" American stands for the beliefs, the music, as well as the people that come from this great nation. The beliefs of this great nation speak every language. These beliefs stretch from the furthest reaches of Africa to the city life of New York. These beliefs are pride, freedom, and equality. American means to be proud. It means to stand up for what you believe in and to fight for it wholeheartedly. American also means to have freedom, freedoms to do what you wish, to practice your own religious ceremonies, customs, and beliefs. With these freedoms comes a responsibility, a responsibility to be accountable for your actions. Equality is the basis of American society. Before equality for all, there was slavery. With this slavery came accounts of cruelty and disillusioned violence. Without help from first hand accounts of slaves such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, we would have never emerged from this dark era in American history. American music is the envy of nations around the world. From Frank Sinatra to the Beatles, American music continues to diversify and grow. American bands develop large masses of followers in nations of all different ethnic backgrounds. From Asia to Germany, American music continues to influence the music styles of the rest of the world. Proud American men and women joined the armed forces to serve the country that they love and protect. These people show what it means to be American. Just as the colonists fought the British for Independence, they risk their lives, for something they believe in and cherish. These same people also stand for exploration and discovery.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Compare and Contrast British Tourism Policy vs. Maltese Tourism Policy

Introduction The report presents an overview of the national and international tourism policies that have been drafted and implemented throughout the years. I will compare and contrast the Maltese Tourism Policy (2006 & 2012) with the British Tourism Policy (2011). Goeldner and Ritchie (2009) identify a tourism policy as a set of regulations, rules, guidelines, directives, and development/promotion objectives and strategies that provide a framework within which the collective and individual decisions affecting long-term tourism development and the daily activities within a destination are taken†. The main purpose of any tourism policy is to generate income and create employment. In fact, tourism is one of the crucial generators of income all around the world. In this case, the two countries; Malta and England are largely dependent on this industry so it is of particular importance that they adapt an effective policy. Malta’s Tourism Policy 2012; new set of challenges As the preceding Policy came to an end, a couple of months ago the Maltese government drafted a new tourism policy planned for the years 2012-2016. It has been also launched online for a four week period of consultation from the public. By this, the policy has also acknowledged the importance of including the locals. This was one of the primary difference that the current policy shown improvement from the previous one. In addition, drafting a second policy means that the former policy has successfully generated positive results. The Tourism Policy of 2012, acknowledge that compared with the situation of the previous years, the Maltese tourism today has shifted towards being more diverse; â€Å"less seasonal and less dependent on tour operator business†¦consequently m... ...atively untapped. These different characteristics needs separate objectives and policies. Conclusions Being aware that the tourism industry will continue to grow in the coming years, it is of particular importance that both the Maltese Island and also the United Kingdom continues to investigate this sector whilst trying to adapt effective policies. Investigating the targeted markets, the industry’s pitfalls, the contribution within the country’s economy whilst sustaining the environment should be the primary goals that every destination must to consider within the tourism policy. Works Cited www.ppcd.gov.mt/file.aspx?f=519 http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Tourism-policy-available-for-public-feedback-20120214 www.culture.gov.uk/.../Government2_Tourism_Policy_2011.pdf https://secure2.gov.mt/tsdu/file.aspx?f=7339