A critical review of the role of ICT in the teaching of English and Essay

A critical review of the role of ICT in the teaching of English and mathematics - Essay Example Consequently, the article examines how game formats influence the teaching of mathematics within educational websites (Scanlon et al., 2005). There has been a shift in mathematics calculations that emphasizes mathematics in context contrary to the traditional aspect of abstract calculations. From this perspective, it is also believed that teaching mathematics in context proves to be more motivating. The authors argued that despite presenting real-world variables, traditional approaches towards mathematics do not consider such variables in the process of responding to questions. This qualifies the use of ICT, which according to the authors, incorporates considerable potential in the process of teaching mathematics in context (Buckingham and Scanlon, 2004). Application of computer games such as Gridclub utilises practical and real life examples in mathematics exercises. The technology accompanies the process with background sound mechanisms that describe the surround environment as well as actions. This is contrary to written text that ignores the aspect of human nature in real situations. In this case, application of ICT a ppears deliberate in setting mathematics within realistic context and it provides captivating context in the learning process (Scanlon et al., 2005). In my opinion, mathematics is the application of the conceptual ideas of science. In this case, science is represented by theories that explain in words the characteristics of a particular scenario. Therefore, the use of computer games promotes learning of mathematics amongst children owing to motivating factors behind the process. This is because mathematics in context brings the technical aspect of any learning, therefore breaking the monotony of the theoretical aspect. Therefore, in one way or another both concepts are necessary for effective learning to take place. Scanlon and

SMP And MPP Databases Analysis

SMP And MPP Databases Analysis It has by now become a compulsion to implement Data Warehouses and Decision Support systems in almost all the major organizations. Almost every form of organization is investing heavily in building Warehouses across the multiple functions they implement. Data Warehouses, with their large volumes of integrated, consistent and conformed data, provide the competitive edge by enabling business establishments to analyze past and current trends, monitor current patterns and shortcomings and make informed future decisions. The size of the average Data Warehouse is growing exponentially with each year with organizations looking increasingly to gather every bit of information possible into the warehouse. Modern day ETL tools provide excellent support to integrate from varying and disparate sources like Mainframes, Relational databases, XML files, unstructured documents like PDFs, emails and web pages. It is not just the size of the Data Warehouse that is increasing, but also the utility and the functionality that is expected out of it, that is seeing a multi fold increase. A large number of advanced and high performance Business Intelligence applications Reporting, Dashboards, Scorecards, Data Mining and Predictive modeling are now executed over the Data Warehouse and these applications execute highly complex queries accessing large volumes of data. These requirements the ever growing size of the Data Warehouse and the increasing complexity of the queries executed against it has necessitated the need to look for alternate architectures and implementations of relational databases that can scale up effectively to support efficient querying across large volumes of data with shorter response time and consequently raised the debate of going MPP (Massively Parallel Processing) enabled databases over SMP (Symmetrical multi processors) structured data bases. II. SMP (Symmetrical multiprocessor) Symmetrical multiprocessor systems are single systems containing multiple processors (2 64, or even higher) in which a common pool of memory and disk I/O resources are shared equally. These systems are controlled by a centralized operating system. Sharing of system resources by the processors enables them to be managed more effectively. Very high speed interconnections are deployed across the SMP systems to allow effective interconnection and equal sharing of memory and resources. Apart from high bandwidth, low communication latency is another important property that SMP systems should possess to demonstrate high levels of scalability. This is necessitated by often employed operations in data warehouse such as index lookups and joins that involve communication of small data packets. If the amount of data present in each message is less, then the importance of low latencies is paramount. In SMP , multiple cpus share the same memory, board, I/O and operating system. Each and every CPU acts independently. When one CPU handles a database lookup, other CPUs can perform database updation and perform other tasks. As a result, the device will be able to handle the highly complex networking tasks of todays world in a very easy way. Thus SMP systems too involve a degree of parallelism in that multiple processors can be used to perform mutually exclusive operations in parallel. SMP are relatively cheaper when compared to MPP databases. The cost of upgrading is also lesser because as we scale the number of processors, only an additional processor board needs to be added. Processing power can thus easily and seamlessly be increased by adding extra processors. However SMP have the limitation that they can only scale so far. As all cpus on the same board share a single memory bus, there is a chance of bottlenecks to occur. This bottleneck impacts performance and slows down processing. Instead of placing too many number of CPUs on the same SMP board, designers of high-end network elements can distribute applications across a networked cluster of SMP boards. Each board has its own memory array, I/O and operating system. However this approach begins to complicate the up gradation. Network -specific codes has to be added by network managers to applications. Also as drivers are tightly bound to kernel, moving them involve creation of a new kernel image for each board. III. MPP (Massively parallel processor) Massively parallel systems are composed of many nodes. Each node is a separate computer having a minimum of one cpu and also has its own memory which is local to it. There is a connection also for connecting all the nodes. These type of systems have separate ALUs that runs in parallel fashion. Various standards like MPI are used by nodes for communication. Message passing mechanism is used by nodes for communication. Each node in a massively parallel processor system is accessed with the help of an interconnect technique. The technique supports transfer of data which is at the rate of 13 to 38 MB/sec. Every node in the system contains CPU, disk subsystems and memory. These nodes are self sufficient nodes. The system can be considered as a shared nothing system. Shared nothing indicates that the nodes have their own memory, OS and I/O subsystems, nothing is shared. These systems are designed to have good scalability. Also these systems allow the addition of any number of processors to the system. In cases where partitioning of problems are possible, MPP systems exhibit good performance. In that case there will be no communication among nodes and all the nodes work in parallel fashion. But this partitioning occurs only in rare situations and therefore the performance that MPP systems promises to exhibit is reduced. Such partitioning occurs in the case of ad-hoc queries that are typical to datawarehouses. Also the high scalability that MPP systems offer is limited by data skew or when communication between nodes in the system is highly needed. Single node failure reduces not only the power required for processing but also makes the data located at that node inaccessible. In industries, single-processor nodes which are termed as thin are augmented with multiprocessor nodes which are termed as fat with the help of many processors in SMP configuration. In such cases, the MPP nodes will have many number of processors and less number of nodes. The architecture of MPP includes a group of independent nodes which are of shared-nothing type. Each node has cpu, local disks and memory. Message based interconnect connects all these together. IV. DEPLOYING DATA WAREHOUSE Now that we have discussed in brief the inherent differences between an SMP and an MPP, the below section details the considerations that have to be taken into account while deploying a Data Warehouse. The main consideration when deploying data warehouses are that they should be able to extract meaningful and un-obvious, information from large amounts of data . They can use techniques such as relational intra-query parallelization, on-line analytical processing (OLAP), data mining, and multidimensional databases for the extraction. To perform these analyses, systems that are powerful require access to many times the amount of data that is stored in any one of a companys operational systems. Organizations deploy data warehouses by transferring data periodically from on-line transaction processing (OLTP) databases into data warehouses. These are implemented at fixed schedules via ETL routines that execute at pre-defined intervals in a day. The ETL routines could also execute weekly/monthly and quarterly for sources that provide information at that frequency. Since the databases used in data warehouses are different from the operational OLTP source systems, the ETL from the source systems to the Data warehouse can be a resource-intensive operation involving data extraction, data cleansing and conforming of the data. The amount of storage needed is staggering as well with the entire operations of the company integrated within the Data warehouse sales, orders, operations, finance etc . As the usefulness of this data is not predictable in the beginning, all of the companys data is usually stored in a data warehouse . Data warehouses pose a constant challenge of rapid deployment of application. In the case of OLTP systems the workload is predictable and can be managed with careful tuning. While in the case of data warehouses, they constantly changes whenever new applications are created. Because of their constantly-changing nature, all data warehouses require custom configuration. Factors to consider when deploying data warehouse 1) Complexity of Query: Query complexity ranges from canned queries that are simple to data mining using techniques in artificial intelligence. Canned queries make use of optimized, pre-compiled SQL which may be used in answering questions which are simple and are repeated frequently. Complex data analysis is done using ad-hoc queries which are written in SQL. Also those queries that support operations in data mining are very much complicated . Such queries are not written in SQL and they are difficult to optimize also. Intensive methods like neural nets, genetic programs etc are used by these queries. 2) Workload in Database: Workloads of decision support systems varies from interactive operation to batch operation. Data visualization packages uses access to data warehouse that are interactive. Such packages extract data trends with the help of executing pre-compiled queries. 3) System Architecture: DSS makes use of the technology, parallel processing. Parallel computing architectures range varies in the extent to which memory is hierarchical. Memory is accessed uniformly by symmetric multiprocessors with the help of high-speed buses or crossbar switching technologies. These technologies support point-to point interconnection between processors. Groups of SMP systems are used by clustered approaches. These are linked with interconnection mechanisms which are of slower speed. MPP systems use nodes containing local memory that are accessed through a local high-speed bus. Communication among nodes are carried out through message-based interconnects which are of lower speed. VI. NEED FOR SCALABLE DATA WAREHOUSES The size of a Data warehouse grows rapidly in size and the growth cannot easily be accurately anticipated. Data warehouse implementations often start small and grow as the volume of data and the demands increase. Data warehouses are often deployed with a few processors in the beginning, and can support many times the initial processing capability. Properties When more number of processors are added to an SMP, or nodes are added to an MPP, it is important that system should scale. Ideally, a Data Warehouse system should exhibit two properties to show good levels of scalability speed-up and scale-up. 1) Speed-up: It is the property demonstrated, in which if a job needs one time unit to complete with one processor then it will need 1/N of the time to complete with N processors. For example, consider a job that needs five hours to complete with one processor , it needs only one hour to complete with five processors. Then we say that the system scales well. 2) Scale-up: It is another important property. Consider a system with excellent scale-up. It provides the same level of performance even if the data warehouse size increases through the addition of processors or nodes. For example, when the database size is one terabyte , a batch job that takes five hours to run will take the same time of five hours when the size is two terabytes. In order to maintain scalability, the data should be re re-partitioned across the nodes. This is a time consuming and risky process as databases are terabyte-sized . This step is not required on an SMP. Database administrators valuate scalability by checking whether the systems behavior is predictable when workload intensity increases. If the systems behavior is predictable even when the workload grows, then the system scales well. VIII. CONCLUSIONS Both SMP and MPP server databases can be used for Data warehouse implementations. There are different situations where each can be utilized. The general trade-off point on choosing between the two depends on several factors: 1.) Volume of data expected to be stored in the database. 2.) Expected number of concurrent users. 3.) Complexity of queries to be executed number of joins, aggregations etc to be used. 4.) Average volume of data accessed by each query. 5.) Anticipated growth volumes. When the number of concurrent users is less, and when the volumes are low, SMP are preferred. In fact SMP are preferred for more OLTP like environments. In contrast when the volumes are large, and the number of queries executed is large and involves complex query processing MPP server databases are preferred. These databases on account of their parallel processing capabilities can be utilized to execute complex queries more efficiently and hence offer a natural choice for typical Data warehouse implementations.

Character Analysis of Mrs. Mallard in The Story of an Hour Essay

In the short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† author Kate Chopin presents the character of Mrs. Louis Mallard. She is an unhappy woman trapped in her discontented marriage. Unable to assert herself or extricate herself from the relationship, she endures it. The news of the presumed death of her husband comes as a great relief to her, and for a brief moment she experiences the joys of a liberated life from the repressed relationship with her husband. The relief, however, is short lived. The shock of seeing him alive is too much for her bear and she dies. The meaning of life and death take on opposite meaning for Mrs. Mallard in her marriage because she lacked the courage to stand up for herself. Mrs. Mallard’s repressed married life is a secret that she keeps to herself. She is not open and honest with her sister Josephine who has shown nothing but concern. This is clearly evident in the great care that her sister and husband’s friend Richard show to break the news of her husband’s tragic death as gently as they can. They think that she is so much in love with him that hearing the news of his death would aggravate her poor heart condition and lead to death. Little do they know that she did not love him dearly at all and in fact took the news in a very positive way, opening her arms to welcome a new life without her husband. This can be seen in the fact that when she storms into her room and her focus shifts drastically from that of her husband’s death to nature that is symbolic of new life and possibilities awaiting her. Her senses came to life; they come alive to the beauty in the nature. Her eyes could reach the vastness of the sky; she could smell the delicious breath of rain in the air; and ears became attentive to a song f... ... her true feelings with her sister, or talking to her husband or reaching out to other sources of help to address her marital repressed life, she would not have to dread living with her husband. â€Å"It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long† (Chopin 262). Her meaning for life would not have to mean death to her husband. In conclusion, her lack of self assertion, courage and strong will to address her repressed life made her look at life and death in a different perspective. When in fact there is no need to die to experience liberation while she could have lived a full life to experience it with her husband by her side. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. â€Å"The Story of an Hour.† Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Eds. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 3rd ed. New York: Pearson, 2010. 261-263. Print.

Drunk Driving

Persuasive Presentation Outline Example Driving While Intoxicated Topic: Local San Marcos Problem Organization: Problem/Solution Specific Purpose: I would like my audience to believe that an alcohol education class should be taken before one can receive his/her license Introduction I. Attention Getter: In the past decade, four times as many Americans have died in drunk driving accidents as killed in the Vietnam War (NHTSA, 2006). II. Relevance: How close have you come to losing your life as a result of an alcohol-related accident? III.Credibility: Recall story about my boyfriend receiving phone call that his brother, Jeremy, had been killed in a drunk driving accident. IV. Propositional Statement: Driving while intoxicated remains a problem in the United States and in the city of San Marcos. Because young people do not know enough about alcohol and its effects. I propose that a mandatory course in alcohol education be required before one can receive his/her driver’s license. B ody I. The first part of the problem is that we continue to drive while under the influence of alcohol.A. Drinking and driving is a problem on a national level. 1. 16,189 people were killed in alcohol related accidents in 2005. This is one death every 32 minutes (NHTSA, 2006). 2. Three in every five Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in his/her life (NHTSA, 2006). B. Drinking and driving is a problem on a local level. 1. San Marco police department reported 196 arrests in 2005 related to alcohol-related crimes. Of those arrests, 67 were driving while intoxicated. San Marcos Police Department, 2005). 2. 50% increase from arrests made in 2000 (San Marcos Police Department, 2005). Transition: Not only is drinking and driving a major problem, young people are often very uniformed of its effects.II. The second part of the problem is that young people do not know enough about alcohol and its dangerous effects and they received mixed messages about alcohol. A. Young people lace an awareness of alcohol’s severe effects. 1. In 2004, 2. million teenagers did not know that a person could die from an alcohol overdose (Dunning, 2005). 2. Young people believe myths, not facts. (Dunning, 2005). B. Young people receive mixed messages about alcohol and its effects. 1. Less than one in three parents of tenth grade students gave their children a clear â€Å"no-use† message about alcohol (MADD. 2004). 2. When parents â€Å"bargain† with youth, the youth are more likely to drive after drinking or be in a vehicle driven by someone who has been drinking (MADD

Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento

Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento Composed by: Giovanni Paisiello Nel cor piu non mi sento Brillar la gioventu; Cagion del mio tormento, Amor, sei colpa tu. Mi pizzichi, mi stuzzichi, Mi pungichi, mi mastichi; Che cosa e Questo ahime? Pieta, pieta, pieta! Amore e un certo che, Che disperar mi fa. Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento Giovanni Paisiello was the most popular comic composer of his time. His operas (of which he is known to have composed 94) abound with melodies, the graceful beauty of which is still appreciated.His church music was very voluminous, composing of eight masses, besides many smaller works. He also produced 51 instrumental compositions and many detached pieces. As the eighteenth century operatic scene that surrounded and influenced Mozart emerged into clearer view, Giovanni Paisiello was recognized as one of its most significant shapers. He began composing opera as soon as he left the Conservatory of San Onofrio in Naples in 1763. In Naples, he soon became established as a popular local composer.He was noted for simplifying operatic style in the interests of getting more quickly to the plot and keeping it moving. His tendency towards concision was even greater strengthened when he accepted employment in the court of Catherine the Great of Russia in 1776. She demanded that productions in her theater last no more than an hour and a half. He strove to make his melodies more appealing, his orchestration more colorful, and make the music help illustrate the plot. This is clearly apparent in â€Å"Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento. This upbeat aria is one in which includes comic relief as well as a fast paced rhythm and mood. Well under two minutes, it is concise. Paisiello was known for his short compositions. This song does a great job of attracting people’s attention and keeping that attention, no matter how short or long the piece may be. â€Å"Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento† comes from â€Å"L’Amor contrastato, produced in Naples in 1789. It was perfo rmed throughout Europe for many, many years. In other cities, the opera was sometimes called different names.Nevertheless, this aria in general became immensely popular. Famous stars sang the elaborate piece, as Beethoven wrote piano variations of it. Audiences remembered â€Å"Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento† because it was simple. Also, it was repeated many times throughout the scene in the opera. It is sung by Rachelina, then by a tenor suitor, Colloandro, and the ending is repeated as a duet. Its short and quick rhythmic sound stuck in people’s minds in which contributed to the great success of this song.As for the character of this song, it is best shown through the actual character(s) it was written for. The scene of the opera takes place within Rachelina’s home in the countryside near Naples. Rachelina is described as â€Å"a rich mill-owner and imprudent in love. † In the scene, she is working; something that women in earlier operas seldom did. Sorroundi ng her I assume would be common items found within a home. I expect that she may be in her kitchen cleaning somewhere. As for what she wants, can be compared to what we all want. True love!Love has been driving her crazy and she does not feel as well as usual. She, like most of the world, does not understand how love can make us so crazy at times. Learning about a character that is already discovered and developed, it is almost easier to express emotion into this song. I believe this is because I am a woman and I can relate to how Rachelina is feeling. Also, I try to place myself in her shoes, and truly exert her emotions through my voice. It is a rewarding experience when you allow yourself to become another character. That’s what makes music so much fun!

Nazi Germany essays

Nazi Germany essays The most merciless and cruel party in the world, was under the role of Adolf Hitler, their violence remained a deep gash in the western world Nazism was originated in Germany in the early 1920s. It was the doctrines or practices of the Nazi party. Nazism was a shortened version of the tern National Socialism, denoting the doctrine and form of government of Nazi Germany under the rule of Adolf as enunciated in his book Mein Kampf. The term was an abbreviation of Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (German National Socialist Worker Party). National Socialist German Workers Party founded in 1919 on fascist principles and dominant from 1933 to 1945 in Germany. The party's principles were essentially antidemocratic and racist. Hitler borrowed considerably from the Italian Fascist and Soviet Communist Systems, but the Nazi pseudoscientific racist theories were original German contributions. In the past storm troopers and communists had contested the streets on fairly equal terms. Now, three days after the formation of Hitler's cabinet, communist meeting were banned in Prussia. To enforce such measures, there was a new and ominous agency. A minor department in the Berlin police, detailed to watch anticonstitutional activities, was put under Goring's command. As of April 26, 1933, this old Department IA of the Prussian political police was replaced by the Geheime Staatspolizei ("Secret State Police"), better known as the Gestapo. Within two years its actiones would be free from judicial review and it would take its place beside the SD (Sicherheitsdienst, or "Security Service") and the security branch of the SS in a sadistic competition to achieve the totalitarian Until this time Nazism was very much a function of communism the other side of the revolutionary coin. Now, within Germany, National Socialism stood alone. Communism was gone as a count...

Stalin vs Lenin Essays

Stalin vs Lenin Essays Stalin vs Lenin Essay Stalin vs Lenin Essay Throughout the short history of the Soviet Union there had been many rulers who led the Soviet Union into a superpower. Lenin and Stalin, two of the most controversial dictators of the Soviet Union, were those dictators that brought the Soviet Union to that position. Though their social policies were the same, the way they ruled the country and their economic policies differed greatly. The aspects of Stalin and Lenin’s rule which made them so similar were that they both rules were similar. They ruled the Soviet Union under the laws of Marxism and socialism. They adopted the Marxist ideas and adjusted them to Russian realities so that the Marxism would be successful in the Soviet Union. Also, when Lenin first became dictator of the Soviet Union he made it the first communist nation. After Lenin’s death, Stalin became dictator, and ruled the Soviet Union the same way Lenin did, T hey believed in a communist state that almost every aspect from religion to distribution of resources would be equal. Also, they both had created a secret police force that carried out the dirty work of the dictator and kept strict control of the country by keeping the people in fear, without the secret police the public would not be scared to revolt and the revolution would have continued. In addition, both dictators had a hard time in coming to power, because both had to use cunning to become dictator. Lenin led the Bolsheviks to victory with the help of Germany, while Stalin had to get rid of Trotsky by isolating him from the party and became the party leader and eventually the dictator. While both of these dictators were ruled identically, they differed just as much. The ideology of both Stalin and Lenin show that both these dictators came from different backgrounds and their policies were different. First, Lenin was the first dictator and followed a policy of a light communism and leaned more toward socialism, so his dream of a pure communism state was never achieved. While on the other hand, Stalin followed a more pure communism by taking control of industry and agriculture, which leads to another difference between the two men. When Lenin was in charge, He followed an economic plan that was the NEP. The NEP was a policy that took control of big businesses, banks, and foreign, also he encouraged small businesses. For agricultural purposes he gave the farms to the peasants because Lenin knew that peasants wouldn’t revolt if they could sell their own crop and everything would be stable. While Stalin unknowingly created the Five Year-Plan, which had the goal of making the Soviet Union a industrial power, but started from nothing. It took control of all aspects of the economy, which included taking control of agriculture. Angering the peasants, the kulaks revolted and ultimately burned their fields rather than giving control to government. As a result, the grain supply rapidly dwindled, so famine returned and the economy was hit hard. However, the social changes differed between both leaders; Lenin gave suffrage to all over the age of eighteen and introduced a classless society at the beginning of his dictatorship. Stalin increased women’s rights so that they can take jobs and let them become educated which increased literacy within the Soviet Union. While both Stalin and Lenin might have been the first dictators of the Soviet Union but the differences between them lead to the success of the Soviet Union being a world power. So when it comes into question how Lenin and Stalin are similar and different, it is their economic, social policies and differences in their dictatorship.

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Retail industries of UK Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Retail industries of UK - Dissertation Example Despite of the fact that the UK economy was going through recession, but the overall sales of the industry had increased in 2009 as it reached a figure of over ?285billion. It has been estimated that this figure would further increase in the years to come. Also with the world economy and UK economy recovers itself from recession, retail industry would be one of the most beneficial industries as this would further increase the total revenue of the firms in the industry (The Scottish Government, 2010). By the end of 2010, the total retail units in the kingdom were approximately 286,000 (Arch, 2010). The food retail industry is an important industry for the UK economy as over the years it has been able to contribute a lot to GDP of the country. In addition to this, food retail industry is a significant one for United Kingdom economy as it has been able to consume considerable portion of the employment. According to a report, there are more than half a million people working in the indus try representing almost 13% of the total workforce of United Kingdom. Food retail industry consumed more than 12,750 permanent jobs throughout 2010 which represents an annual growth of 2.1% in the jobs of food retail industry from the year 2009 (The Scottish Government, 2010). ... The total sales of online retail industry equalled ?2.8 billion from Christmas 2009 to Christmas 2010 and they also found that there has been a growth of 44% in terms of time spent by respondents shopping online (Internet Retailer, 2011). Tesco is the market leader in the UK food retail industry for years and it has been dominating the market with market share of almost 31%. Tesco is also considered as the third largest retailer of the world in terms of revenue, after Wal-Mart and Carrefour. Tesco recorded total revenues in the year 2010 – 2011 were more than ?60 billion with a net profit of ?2.67 billion (Tesco, 2011) PROBLEM FORMULATION There are several firms in the food retail industry competing against each other on the basis of Price, Products, Promotions and Placement. However, among these four factors, price is the most dominant one. Consumers in the food retail industry are very much attracted and targeted by firms in the industry on the basis of cost and this is the reason why, most firms in the industry including Tesco and Asda have used Cost leadership strategy. This strategy has allowed firms to keep their overall costs low and thus offer the products at a lower price than the competing firms to the customers. With improvements in technology, the industry has been able to improve its sales because of e-retailing and the e-retailing has provided several opportunities for the firms in the industry to grow and expand their business as well as improve their market share. Also the response of consumers have been very positive towards e-retailing as shopping online is far more convenient, saves time and energy. Because online

A Profitable Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Profitable Business - Research Paper Example After adding up these costs, the value of unsold goods (closing stock) is deducted to give the cost of goods sold. When the COGS is deducted from total revenues from sales, the gross profit is achieved. Gross profit is also known as operating profit because it is a measure of the manufacturing operations of the business. Net profit is calculated after deducting general, selling and administrative expenses from the gross profit. These expenses include items like electricity expenses, depreciation, salaries of office staff, and other expenses related to the day to day running of the business (Pride, Hughes, and Kapoor 513). Sometimes, other income such as interest on loans, etc. is added to the gross profit. The net profit is a measure of the profitability of the business as it represents the amount that would be shared among the shareholders. For this reason, investors use net profit to determine the earnings per share (EPS) by dividing the net profit by the number of outstanding shar es. This tells investors how much return each share of the business earns for shareholders. 2. Misconceptions about Revenues and Expenses A common misconception new business owners have about revenues is that they are the same as profit. Revenues measure what a business received by selling its products. Profit is calculated after deducting expenses from revenues. ... Secondly, when accounting for business operations, the amount of revenue and expenses reported may differ. Under the cash-based accounting method, revenues and expenditures are identified when cash is collected or paid. But under the accrual accounting system, revenues and expenditures are identified when the right to receive or duty to pay has been established. The cash may be received at a later time. New business owners also sometimes fail to distinguish expenses from costs. For accounting purposes, cost is usually used to mean the price of a long-term benefit such as a fixed asset. On the other hand, expenses such as electricity payments and office stationery are payments in the course of the normal running of the business. Some new business owners also hold a misconception that all expenses involve payment of cash. In some cases, such as depreciation expense, there may be no payment of cash. Depreciation and amortization expenses simply involve the spreading of a cost over the p eriod during which the benefits of the cost are realized by the business. 3. Business Management Software InFlow is one of the most popular inventory management software for small and medium-sized businesses. Launched in 2007, it allows for products to be organized into categories with picture and price identification. Furthermore, the system also allows items to be tracked at the aisle and bin level. It supports bar code scanning for efficient point of sale operations. Users can have real-time access to the updated data. The system also produces invoices, purchase orders and other documentation. Customized sales, profit and cost reports can also be produced. The company offers a free edition of the software that has a capacity of storing up to 100 products (InFlow, 2013). QuickBooks is

Crocargo Logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Crocargo Logistics - Essay Example The business has been unable to generate enough capital to increase the ultimate profitability of the firm. The fundamental problem highlighted in this case is that of an inadequate costing system and an internal environment characterized by friction. The company is operating in a very hostile and competitive marketplace. The costing system that is needed to support the operations of the company is totally inadequate to keep the company operational for a very long time. The current costing system has been developed by the company’s operations manager who is more than satisfied with her costing system. She is not willing to take anyone’s opinion regarding the problems inherent in her system, as a result of which the company is not accounting for the costs it is actually incurring. The general manger of the company has finally realized this problem and has called for an external help who would suggest a more competitive costing method. Introduction An activity-based costi ng technique is one of those techniques which enable a company to identify its costs objects more accurately. This aspect of this technique has profound implications on a business, for instance it allows a company to identify unnecessary costs, price its products or services more efficiently and last but not the least it allows a company to be more competitive in its industry. ... So it goes like more the environment is competitive, more the costing system needs to be sophisticated. The costing system should effectively match costs with different cost objects. All these objects are integral to the ABC costing system (Brimson, 1991). Since the level of competition is high in the service competition, therefore a service firm needs to accurately estimate its costs. This new change in the industry has made costing a strategic issue; it has become so important that it effects long-term strategic decisions as well as day-to-day operating decisions. Costing has become so important because it helps a firm in: product or service organization, staffing and resource allocation. Accurate costing allows a company to plan resource consumption, price services properly and implement different strategies. But it is very difficult to initiate an Activity Based costing in a service firm, because in a service firm an employee is engaged in multiple activities involving different time-period. This makes it difficult to trace the resources consumed by a cost object (Cagwin and Bouwman, 2002). Even though the service industry is interested in implementing an activity based costing system, but since these models are made using the activity based costing models of a manufacturing firm as frame of reference, therefore the industry is facing multiple problems with regards to this technique’s implementation. The fundamental problem for this service industry is the absence of inventory, which receives an utmost importance while undergoing a valuation process. Other important cost variables are direct material and labor which are also absent in a service industry. This leads to a problem of estimating

Question answer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Question answer - Assignment Example Appropriate strategies to deal with the volatility of the risks could help the business survive and sustain in the long run. The effective risk management structure of the company focussing on restructuring of its operations, implementing risk mitigating procedures would help the company to deal with hazards. Executive Summary In our discussion, we have considered the operations and spread of markets of Howden Joinery Group. Howden Joinery Group. is a leading supplier of kitchens and joineries. Annual reports and financial statements have been analysed. The major risks identified for the company are the interest rate risk, counterparty risk and foreign currency risk. The company can hedge the interest rate risk by investing in hedging securities which would offset the devaluation of some securities due to change in interest rates. Counterparty risk which the company may incur due to default of payment obligations of the counterparties may be hedged by selecting counterparties above a certain credit rating. Foreign currency risk may be hedged by entering transactions at spot rate. Based on past experience, annual reports, Howden Joinery Group Plc must prepare appropriate strategies for risk management in order to align the business with market conditions and to maintain adequate cash flows and liquidity. Annual report for three years from 2009 to 2011 The Annual Reports are given below for the company under consideration, i.e. Howden Joinery Gr. Plc. The data given below represents the consolidated Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement and Balance sheet for the above-mentioned years followed by a comparative study of the performance of the company from 2009 to 2011. For the year 2009, the consolidated cash flow statement of the company is given. For the year 2009, the consolidated Income statement of Howden Joinery Group Plc. is given (Howden Joinery Group Plc, 2013, p.1). For the year 2009, the consolidated Balance sheet of Howden Joinery Gr. Plc. is given. For the year 2010, the consolidated Income statement of Howden Joinery Gr. Plc. is given. For the year 2010, the consolidated Cash Flow statement of Howden Joinery Gr. Plc. is given below. For the year 2010, the consolidated Balance sheet of Howden Joinery Gr. Plc. is given below. For the year 2011, the consolidated Income statement of Howden Joinery Gr. Plc. is given. For the year 2011, the consolidated Cash Flow statement of Howden Joinery Gr. Plc. is given. For the year 2011, the consolidated Balance sheet of Howden Joinery Gr. Plc. is given. A comparative study of the performance of the company from 2009 – 2011 is given below. Based on the financial statements of the Annual Reports of Howden Joinery Gr. Plc. the following aspects have been described. Different sources of risk and nature of those risks Some of the different sources of risk for Howden Joinery Gr. Plc. are - a) Interest rate risk b) Counterparty risk, and c) Foreign currency

Affordable Care Act in United States Research Paper

Affordable Care Act in United States - Research Paper Example This paper illustrates that the main idea of health care is to improve and reform health care which is of great concern to individuals. Despite how much one is earning in America, there is the need for one to set aside a particular budget that can be used when one is in poor health and thus the aim of Affordable Care Act. Insurance coverage in the companies are of benefit to individuals who work in the factories and other companies since in case of an accident or any other issue related to one health, then the insurance partners can intervene and medical expenses are covered by the insurance company or the use of Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act was signed into a law by President Obama in 2010 in United States federal statute where the government had to work along with health care and education reconciliation act to represent the United States interest in health care issues. The aim of Affordable Care Act is to increases the quality and affordability of healthcare making sure that those who do not have insurance coverage can get access to health insurance and thus expand public and private insurance coverage for the United States residents. The policy aims at lowering the cost of healthcare for individuals and the government as a whole where the government will have the mandate to make sure that all the residents in the United States will have the insurance coverage, subsidies will be available and insurance exchanges that are meant to increase the insurance coverage at affordable rates. The policy requires all the insurance companies to make sure that all residents are covered with minimum standards regardless of preexisting conditions or sex. The policy requires an individual to be covered by insurance from the employer-sponsored health plan and this means that one will have two insurance coverage. Failure to pay an approved insurance policy will mean that an individual will pay a penalty of 1% on income tax and thus the residents must comply with the Affordable Care Act. The policy aim is to get more than 30 million people who are going to be enrolled in the Affordable Care Act. The policy also requires low-income earners and those families with incomes between 100% to 400% federal poverty level will be considered and thus they are going to receive federal subsidies and only if the mode of purchase is through an exchange.

Effective communication skills are essential when facilitating Essay

Effective communication skills are essential when facilitating learning for nurses and clients. With refernce to your area of clinical practice, critically dis - Essay Example It is not merely enough to identify the daunting nature of communication challenges in nursing. The training should have strategies in place to ensure that the nurses are trained and equipped to meat the challenges of their career. This will call for an evaluation of present training and practice of nursing career in the light of significant literature on the subject. This will naturally result in the need for qualitative changes in the area of training and practice of nursing profession. It is good to have an overview of the nature of human communication to understand its broad implications in successful health care practice and its particular importance in mental health care. All health care involves an appreciable amount of communication. There are three main components in the process of communication. They are the sender, the message and the receiver and the process is usually a two way process with the sender and receiver intermittently changing their roles between them to respond to the messages. In the process of communication the message that is developed in the mind of the sender is coded into a sound, letter, picture or gesture and transmitted. The message is understood if the receiver is able to decode the message and able to grasp the intended meaning of the sender (Ellis 1995). The process of human communication is very complex as it involves both verbal and non-verbal aspects. Now the practice of health care is exercised in a multilingual and multicultu ral milieu and the demands of modern health care task can be daunting and nurses need to be well trained to face the challenges of our complex world. The verbal aspects of human communication are very well understood to a large extent and it can be acquired by the proficiency in the language used in a place. When it comes to the non-verbal aspects of

Affordable Care Act in United States Research Paper

Affordable Care Act in United States - Research Paper Example This paper illustrates that the main idea of health care is to improve and reform health care which is of great concern to individuals. Despite how much one is earning in America, there is the need for one to set aside a particular budget that can be used when one is in poor health and thus the aim of Affordable Care Act. Insurance coverage in the companies are of benefit to individuals who work in the factories and other companies since in case of an accident or any other issue related to one health, then the insurance partners can intervene and medical expenses are covered by the insurance company or the use of Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act was signed into a law by President Obama in 2010 in United States federal statute where the government had to work along with health care and education reconciliation act to represent the United States interest in health care issues. The aim of Affordable Care Act is to increases the quality and affordability of healthcare making sure that those who do not have insurance coverage can get access to health insurance and thus expand public and private insurance coverage for the United States residents. The policy aims at lowering the cost of healthcare for individuals and the government as a whole where the government will have the mandate to make sure that all the residents in the United States will have the insurance coverage, subsidies will be available and insurance exchanges that are meant to increase the insurance coverage at affordable rates. The policy requires all the insurance companies to make sure that all residents are covered with minimum standards regardless of preexisting conditions or sex. The policy requires an individual to be covered by insurance from the employer-sponsored health plan and this means that one will have two insurance coverage. Failure to pay an approved insurance policy will mean that an individual will pay a penalty of 1% on income tax and thus the residents must comply with the Affordable Care Act. The policy aim is to get more than 30 million people who are going to be enrolled in the Affordable Care Act. The policy also requires low-income earners and those families with incomes between 100% to 400% federal poverty level will be considered and thus they are going to receive federal subsidies and only if the mode of purchase is through an exchange.

Has the death penalty in the United States run its course Research Paper

Has the death penalty in the United States run its course - Research Paper Example History of Death Penalty Death penalty law was first established way back in eighteenth century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon. In Britain, hanging became the most common method of executing death sentence in the tenth century A.D. However, in the following century, William the conqueror banned all method of capital punishment for any crime. Again, in the sixteenth century some 72,000 people were executed for capital offences like conducting wedding with a Jew, not admitting to a crime, and treason. Since death penalty is a severe form of punishment, the juries did not convict many defendants if the offense was not grave and this called for reforms in the death penalty in Britain. America was influenced mostly by Britain in the methods of death penalty. When the Europeans settled in the newly found land of America, they continued with their practice of capital punishment. In America, the first ever execution that took place was of Captain George Kendall in the Jamesto wn colony of Virginia in 1608. His crime was that he was a spy for Spain. All colonies did not have the same laws of death penalty. The first implementation held in Massachusetts Bay Colony was in 1630 although Capital Laws of New England were not established until years later. Duke’s Laws of 1665 were put into effect in the New York colony and under these laws capital crimes included striking one’s parents or atheism. Attempts to reform the death penalty occurred for the first time in America when Thomas Jefferson initiated a bill to review Virginia's death penalty laws. According to this law crimes that were to be punishable by death penalty were murder and treason. This law was defeated by one vote. In the nineteenth century many states of America brought down the incidence of their capital crimes. Many states like Rhode Island and Wisconsin abolished the death penalty, although most states continued with their practice of capital punishment. Some states increased t he number of offences to be liable to be punished by death penalty, mainly those committed by the slaves. During the civil war, anti slavery movement began more prominent and as such opposition to the death penalty declined. "Progressive Period" of reform began in the twentieth century in America. During the period 1907-17, death penalty was completely withdrawn in six states. Three states kept treason and first-degree murder of a law enforcement official as the only capital crimes. However, this reform did not last for long due to the chaotic atmosphere in America in the wake of the Russian revolution. In addition to that, America participated in World War I and during this period there were severe class conflicts and the socialists became a threat to capitalism. Due to this reason five of the six states which abolished death penalty again established the law of death penalty. In the 1950s, the number of death penalties made a steep drop as many allied nations either abolished or l imited the death penalty. (â€Å"History of the Death Penalty†) Cost of Execution From economic standpoint it is debatable whether death penalty is sufficiently effective for prevention of criminal activities. There are methods that have been proved to be effective for prevention of crime, but resources that are used for the implementation of death penalty are not available for establishing those methods. Costs involved in death penalty cases are much higher

Passivhaus Standard Replacing The Code For Sustainable Homes Construction Essay

Passivhaus Standard Replacing The Code For Sustainable Homes Construction Essay Should the PassivHaus standard replace the Code for Sustainable Homes as the UKs national standard for the design and construction of all sustainable dwellings? Overall Summary The term PassivHaus refers to a specific ultra low-energy construction standard developed in Germany, and now used throughout Europe, for buildings which have excellent comfort conditions in both the winter and summer. The Code for Sustainable Homes is the national standard for the design and construction of social housing in England, which measures the sustainability of a home against design categories, rating the whole house as a complete package. The project I am proposing involves comparing the two standards to determine which performs better in a range of different circumstances, and why? I also propose to establish whether the whole of the UK housing sector would benefit from adopting the PassivHaus standard in place of its current Code for Sustainable Homes standard. Introduction / Background In practice I am currently involved primarily in the design of social housing development projects which require full compliance with Code Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes standard. Through my experience working on these projects I have noticed an increase in the adoption of concepts used as part of the PassivHaus standard to assist in achieving full compliance with the Code for Sustainable Homes. These adopted concepts have included increasing the levels of insulation used in the external envelope of new dwellings, improving the air tightness of the construction details used, and increasingly specifying mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) units for new dwellings. The PassivHaus standard was first developed in the early 1990s in Germany, by Professor Wolfgang Feist of the PassivHaus Institut in Darmstadt, where the first dwellings to be completed to the PassivHaus standard were also constructed in 1991. The core focus of the PassivHaus design is to significantly reduce the requirement for space heating and cooling, without compromising thermal comfort or relying on the falling cost of renewable energy technologies. This focus is also what enables new PassivHaus dwellings the ability to typically achieve an energy saving of 90%, compared to existing housing. The PassivHaus design principles are not exclusively applicable to the residential sector, they can also be applied to commercial, industrial and public buildings, which can also achieve the classification of PassivHaus status upon completion. The performance of the first dwellings to be completed to the PassivHaus standard were subsequently monitored, which eventually led to other PassivHa us projects being monitored around Europe as part of the European CEPHEUS project. The CEPHUS project involves the construction and scientific evaluation of 250 housing units built to the requirements of the PassivHaus standard, in five European countries, with in-process scientific back-up, and with the evaluation of building operation through systematic measurement programmes. To date there are approximately 17,000 buildings, worldwide, that have been constructed in accordance with the PassivHaus principles, several of which projects are now nearing completion and certification in the UK. The PassivHaus standard is publicised as representing one approach that the building industry can adopt in its aspiration towards zero-carbon buildings, and it is proposed that although a PassivHaus building is not in itself carbon neutral, the reduced energy requirements should allow potentially smaller and cheaper quantities of renewable technologies to be specified to achieve zero-carbon stand ards. The Code for Sustainable Homes standard was introduced in England in April 2007, replacing the EcoHomes scheme developed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), and acting as a voluntary national standard to improve the overall sustainability of new dwellings. The EcoHomes scheme was a version of the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), developed for homes, intended to provide an authoritative rating for new, converted, or renovated homes and was developed to be applicable to houses, flats and apartments. The Code for Sustainable Homes standard measures the sustainability of new dwellings against 9 design categories: Energy and CO2 emissions, water, materials, surface water run-off, waste, pollution, health and wellbeing, management, and ecology, in order to provide a sustainability rating for the whole dwelling as a complete package. The Code for Sustainable Homes standard uses a rating system of 1 to 6 stars to communicate the overall sustainability performance of a dwelling, based on the extent to which it has achieved the required standards. From its inception in April 2007, compliance with the Code for Sustainable Homes standard was voluntary. But from the 1st May 2008 the UK Government enforced the requirement of a minimum of Code Level 3 for all new social housing developments. The Code for Sustainable Homes standard was prepared by the Government in close working consultation with Building Research Establishment (BRE) and Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), and through consultation with a Senior Steering Group consisting of Government, Industry and NGO representatives. The standard was also developed so that it could be integrated with current UK Building Regulations and other relevant design guides, such as Robust Details and Lifetime Homes. The Code for Sustainable Homes standard is publicised as aiming to protect the environment by providing guidance on the construction of high performance homes with sus tainability in mind. Since April 2010, planning authorities across the UK have increasingly demanded the achievement of Code Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable homes on new developments. This has been done so in anticipation of the Governments intention to update the UK Building Regulations in 2013 so that they fall in line with the energy requirements of Code Level 4. The Government are also committed to achieving zero-carbon homes by 2016. There remains speculation from professionals in the construction industry that the Governments 2016 target for zero carbon homes is unrealistic, and many developers still believe that building to Code Level 6 is too expensive and unviable. The recent 2010 revisions to the Code for Sustainable Homes standard have been done so in parallel with the 2010 revisions made to the UK Building Regulations. These revisions are already showing a step towards the concepts employed by the PassivHaus standard, with a redefined section relating to Fabric Energy Efficiency Standards (FEES), which will reward reductions in predicted energy demand for space heating and cooling in terms of kWh/m2/year. Currently the PassivHaus standard enforces tough energy efficiency standards and a maximum calculated energy demand, which it also measures in kWh/m2/year. At present, dwellings which are constructed in the UK to meet the requirements of the PassivHaus standard will expect to achieve a Code for Sustainable Homes rating of Code Level 3 or 4. This level is achieved through highly insulating the external fabric, passive use of solar energy, air tightness, heat recovery, use of energy efficient appliances, and ensuring a low energy demand for space heating and cooling. But doesnt factor in water efficiency, surface water management, site waste management, household waste management, and use of materials, which are all addressed within the Code for Sustainable Homes standard. Formal Proposal In this study I am proposing to provide answers to a range of sub-questions, which are intended to provide a wider context to the subject topic and enable an informed conclusion to be made with regard to the overarching question Should the PassivHaus standard replace the Code for Sustainable Homes as the UKs national standard for the design and construction of all sustainable dwellings? These sub-questions are detailed within this section, along with the means in which I intend to answer them, the tasks associated with providing an answer to them and what I anticipate the outcome of each question will illustrate. I propose to provide an answer to the question: what are the full ranges of criteria addressed by the PassivHaus and Code for Sustainable Homes standards? I intend to answer this question by analysing and comparing the full range of criteria addressed by each standard, and in doing so provide a full explanation of the list of requirements for each of the two standards. I anticipate that the outcome of this task will show that the differences between the requirements of each standard are clearly identifiable. I also anticipate that the outcome will show that the PassivHaus standard involves the use of more passive concepts for achieving sustainability, which are mainly applicable during the design stages of a project. Whereas the Code for Sustainable Homes standard involves more active concepts for achieving sustainability, which are mainly applicable during the occupancy stage of a project and heavily reliant on the actions of the end user. I propose to provide an answer to the question: are the design principles employed by the PassivHaus standard suited to the construction of dwellings in the UK, and suited to the UKs climate? I intend to answer this question by exploring the suitability of designing and constructing dwellings in accordance with the requirements of the PassivHaus standard, which are also suitable for production in the UK. I intend to implement this through the analysis of existing dwellings that have been constructed in the UK in accordance with the PassivHaus standards principles and have achieved PassivHaus status, and through the analysis of personally prepared questionnaires completed by professionals in the construction industry. I anticipate that the outcome of this task will show that it is possible for dwellings to be designed and constructed in accordance with the requirements of the PassivHaus standard within the UK, and that those professionals who are familiar with the PassivHaus standard will be receptive to the integration of its principles within the UKs construction industry. But that they will however, be required to vary slightly in their design from PassivHaus dwellings constructed throughout the rest of Europe, and therefore adjustments to the original PassivHaus model may be required for it to be practically applicable to dwellings within the UK. I propose to provide an answer to the question: what implications will the predicted affects of global warming have on PassivHaus dwellings and those designed to meet the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes, and are these standards capable of easily adapting to take account of future climate change? I intend to answer this question by analysing the predicted affects that global warming will have on dwellings within the UK, according to publications by leading specialists in the field, and by analysing the adaptability of dwellings designed and constructed to meet the requirements of the PassivHaus and Code for Sustainable Homes standards. I anticipate that the outcome of this task will show that dwellings designed and constructed to meet the requirements of the PassivHaus standard will be more easily adaptable to the predicted climate change, whereas dwellings designed and constructed to meet the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes will potentially demand additi onal cooling during the summer months to account for the rise in temperature. I propose to provide an answer to the question: what affect do the occupants have on dwellings designed and constructed to meet the requirements of the PassivHaus and the Code for Sustainable Homes standards? I intend to answer this question by exploring the effect occupants have on the sustainability of dwellings designed and built to meet the requirements of the PassivHaus and Code for Sustainable Homes standards. I intend to implement this by analysing the reliance each principle of the two standards has on the end user and by analysing case studies. I anticipate that the outcome of this task will show that the sustainable principles that the Code for Sustainable Homes standard employs are more reliant on the occupants of a dwelling, as they tend to be more active principles. Whereas the sustainable principles that the PassivHaus standard employs tend to be more passive principles designed in to the fabric of the dwelling, and therefore are less reliant on the occupants of a dwelling. I propose to provide an answer to the question: which option is more economical in terms of cost, a dwelling designed and constructed in accordance with the requirements of the PassivHaus standard, or a dwelling designed and constructed in accordance with the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes standard? I intend to answer this question by performing a cost analysis taking into account the design, construction and occupancy of a dwelling. This cost analysis will then be applied to a standard house type model, designed to meet the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes standard and achieve compliance with the UK building regulations, and designed to meet the requirements of the PassivHaus standard. I anticipate that the outcome of this task will show that designing a house to achieve Code Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes will be more expensive overall than designing a house to the requirements of the PassiveHaus standard, which also achieves the equivalent of Code Level 4. I also propose to provide an answer to the question: can a dwelling designed in accordance with the PassivHaus standards principles, be developed to the equivalent of Code Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, and meet the Governments 2016 target for the construction of zero-carbon homes? I intend to answer this question by performing simulations on standard house type models in order to produce a range of dwelling designs which achieve Code Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. The methods used to model these zero-carbon dwellings will simulate the upgrade of a range of house types designed to achieve Code Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes standard and designed to meet the requirements of the PassivHaus standard, into zero-carbon homes which achieve Code Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes standard. I anticipate that the outcome of this task will show that dwellings which have been upgraded from the PassivHaus standard so that they meet the requirements of Co de Level 6 will be less expensive, less complicated and quicker to upgrade, compared to the upgrade of Code Level 4 dwellings into zero-carbon homes. I predict that the outcome of this study as a whole will prove that the ideal solution will be for the UK to adopt a new sustainability standard which includes all of the design principles of the PassivHaus standard and also incorporates the more active concepts used as part of the Code for Sustainable Homes standard. I also predict that this study will highlight that the immediate adoption of the PassivHaus standards design principles, in the construction of new dwellings in the UK, could enable the simple future upgrade of existing dwellings into zero-carbon homes, which would also be adaptable to future climate change. Literature Review The topic that this research will focus on specifically is whether the German PassivHaus standard would be more suitable than the UKs current sustainability standard, the Code for Sustainable Homes, in terms of achieving the UK governments 2016 target of zero-carbon homes. The parameters of this topic will take into account the predicted affects of future climate change, according to publications by leading specialists in the field, and aims to analyse the effects that the occupants have on dwellings designed to meet the requirements of the two standards, the cost implications of designing homes in accordance with each standard, and the potential for existing dwellings designed and constructed to both PassivHaus and the Code for Sustainable Homes standards to be upgraded to zero-carbon homes in the future. The selection of literature that I have chosen to review mainly consists of journal articles as I have been unable to find any published books that directly address this topic area . The journal articles chosen for this review have been selected according to the authors affiliations with the subject matter, and according to their date of publication, with the most current literature prioritised over older articles, to eliminate reference to outdated views and information. From the literature I have reviewed it is evident that the principal questions being asked in relation to the topic, by professionals in the construction industry and sustainability specialists, include: whether it is possible to design and construct dwellings in accordance with PassivHaus standards principles, in the UK, using traditional methods of construction; what the potential cost savings of a dwelling designed and constructed in accordance with the PassivHaus standard are, over a dwelling designed and constructed to meet the requirements of Code Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes; and whether it is possible to achieve Code Level 6 of the Code For Sustainable Homes by adopting the principle of the PassivHaus standard. The current discoveries relating to this topic suggest that the two standards are not directly comparable, because the PassivHaus standard is measured in terms of the total energy use for space heating only, whereas the Code for Sustainable Homes standard and the governing UK building regulations, set standards according to reductions in carbon dioxide emissions for space heating, heating of water and lighting. Literature published by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) suggests that new-build dwellings designed and constructed in accordance with the PassivHaus standard can be expected to typically achieve the equivalent energy requirements of Code Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, but states that it is not possible to go beyond Code Level 4 without specifying renewable energy technologies, and also states that the fabric requirements of Code Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes is currently based on the PassivHaus standard. Discoveries presented by the literature I have reviewed also suggest that PassivHaus dwellings are capable of using up to 90% less energy to heat them than the average UK house, and can cost about a tenth of the price to run. The general consensus from the literature I have reviewed seems to be that environmentalists and sustainability experts are eager for UK architects and other professionals in the construction industry to adopt the principles of the PassiveHaus standard in the UK as a means of reaching the Governments 2016 target for zero-carbon homes. The literature relating to this topic also speculates that there hasnt been a wider uptake of the PassivHaus standard within the UK due to a range of misconceptions related to the quality of internal comfort levels achieved by PassivHaus dwellings, and it is suggested that for dwellings to be effectively designed and constructed in accordance with the PassivHaus standard, in the UK, professionals within the construction industry would need to be educated accordingly. However the PassivHaus standard is criticised in the literature as requiring the use of synthetic materials and products in their construction, which involve the depletion of non-renewable resource in their production and transportation, and which may be difficult to recycle at the end of their lifespan. Also it has been highlighted that the PassivHaus standard. In the literature reviewed it is also expressed by professionals in the construction industry that the PassivHaus standard is only suitable for producing highly energy-efficient building fabric, whereas the Code for Sustainable Homes standard has been meticulously developed to incorporate existing building regulations and collaborate with new design legislation. It is also commented that the Code for Sustainable Homes standard is continuously evolving at regular intervals, working towards the 2016 target of zero-carbon homes, at which point it is believed that the industry will emerge with similar levels of energy efficiency for new homes as the PassiveHaus standard, but with a more holistic context of sustainability, which will incorporate water efficiency, waste management and consideration of the environmen tal impact of building materials. However, it is highlighted in the literature that there is a very little monitoring of low-energy buildings that have been designed and constructed in accordance with the Code for Sustainable Homes standard, in the UK, but those that are monitored are often found to be lacking. The methods of investigation used in the literature relating to this topic are predominantly case studies, performed on occupied dwellings which have been designed and constructed in accordance with the PassivHaus and Code for Sustainable Homes standards. The disadvantage of using this type of methodology however, is that it can result in subjective data. The reviewed literature relating to this subject area encourages the adoption of the PassivHaus standard within the UK construction industry as a means in which to achieve zero-carbon homes in the future, and emphasises the suitability of energy efficient dwellings to be designed and constructed in accordance with its principles within the UK. But however, highlights the concerns surrounding the sustainability of PassivHaus materials, and the rigidness of the standard as just a guide for producing highly energy-efficient building fabric. The Code for Sustainable Homes is complimented, in the reviewed literature, for the way in which it incorporates existing and new legislation, and is continuously evolving into a better performing, more holistic sustainability standard. Very little direct comparison is made between the PassivHaus and Code for Sustainable Homes standards in the available literature, and very few informed conclusions are drawn. Also due to the selected literature consi sting mainly of journal articles, much of the information available is presented from the authors perspective and consequently is mainly subjective and lacking in sufficient statistical data, which is vitally needed to support the authors arguments. The study I am proposing will attempt to collate factual secondary data taken from a range of sources, addressing a wider scope of parameters than has previously been attempted, and supplement this research by running simulations on model house types, which will produce a range of primary data that can also be analysed and compared. Thus enabling a more holistic conclusion to be formed in relation to whether it is feasible, and indeed practical, for the German PassivHaus standard to be adopted in place of the current UK governments Code for Sustainable Homes standard. Methodology and Research Methods I am proposing to conduct a deductive study which involves the collection of primary research data and the analysis of secondary research data. The inclusion of primary research will be in the form of simulation and modelling, and questionnaires. This will be used to supplement the collected secondary research, due to gaps in the current literature relating to directly comparable cost analysis and efficiency ratings. It will also be used to explore the practicality of upgrading dwellings designed in accordance with the PassivHaus and Code for Sustainable Homes standards, into zero carbon homes, and to obtain current opinions regarding the integration of the PassivHaus standards design principles into UK building projects, from professionals working in the construction industry. The primary research data will be used independently in a comparative analysis, from which conclusions can be drawn. The secondary research will be used in the form of correlational research, and will involve the analytical comparison of secondary data and case studies, from which conclusions can be drawn. The research itself will be predominantly quantitative, but will however contain some qualitative elements. The secondary correlational research will be used to form comparisons between the content of the PassivHaus and Code for Sustainable Homes standards, and to form case study analysis of existing dwellings in the UK designed and constructed in accordance with the two standards. The research data obtained from these methods will be subsequently analysed and enable the deduction of an informed conclusion. The primary simulation and modelling research will be used to form a cost analysis for a range of modelled dwellings designed to meet the requirements of the PassivHaus and Code for sustainable Homes standards, and to simulate the upgrade of dwellings designed in accordance with the two standards, into zero carbon homes in accordance with Code Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. The primary research based questionnaire will be used to obtain the views of a limited number and range of professionals working in the UK construction industry, relating to the suitability of employing the principles of the PassivHaus standard into the construction of dwellings in the UK. The research data obtained from these methods will be subsequently analysed, independently, and definitive conclusions will be formed. The results obtained and conclusions formed from each methodology will finally be comparatively analysed as a whole, and form the basis for an overall conclusion which aims to answer the question Should the PassivHaus standard replace the Code for Sustainable Homes as the UKs national standard for the design and construction of all sustainable dwellings?

Essay on Picture of Dorian Gray: Art Cannot Substitute Life :: Picture Dorian Gray Essays

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Art Cannot Substitute Life      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, is the story of moral corruption by the means of aestheticism. In the novel, the well meaning artist Basil Hallward presets young Dorian Gray with a portrait of himself. After conversing with cynical Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian makes a wish that dreadfully affects his life forever. "If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that" (Wilde 109). As it turns out, the devil that Dorian sells his soul to is Lord Henry Wotton, who exists not only as something external to Dorian, but also as a voice within him (Bloom 107). Dorian continues to lead a life of sensuality which he learns about in a book given to him by Lord Henry. Dorian's unethical devotion to pleasure becomes his way of life.    The novel underscores its disapproval of aestheticism which negatively impacts the main characters. Each of the three primary characters is an aesthete and meets some form of terrible personal doom. Basil Hallward's aestheticism is manifested in his dedication to his artistic creations. He searches in the outside world for the perfect manifestation of his own soul, when he finds this object, he can create masterpieces by painting it (Bloom 109). He refuses to display the portrait of Dorian Gray with the explanation that, "I have put too much of myself into it" (Wilde 106). He further demonstrates the extent to which he holds this philosophy by later stating that, "only the artist is truly reveled" (109). Lord Henry Wotton criticizes Basil Hallward that, "An artist should create beautiful things but should put nothing of his own life into them" (Wilde 25). Ironically, the purpose of Basil Hallward's existence is that he is an aesthete striving to become one with his art (Eriksen 105). It is this very work of art which Basil refuses to display that provides Dorian Gray with the idea that there are no consequences to his actions. Dorian has this belief in mind when he murders Basil. Here we see that the artist is killed for his excessive love of physical beauty; the same art that he wished to merge with is the cause of his mortal downfall (Juan 64).

The Heresies of Thomas Hardy :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Heresies of Thomas Hardy       Thomas Hardy is widely recognized as a poet who went against the conventions of his contemporaries by calling religion into question. Hardy's writing style is so prone to allow random natural events to decide the course of his novels that he often seems to be asking why God, if he existed, would let such bad things happen to basically good people.    Another philosopher who expressed heretical views about conventional religion during Hardy's era was Auguste Comte, founder of positivism. In his writings on positivism, Comte "set forth a comprehensive theory of the historical development of human knowledge" (Mitchell 619). According to Comte, humanity has thus far moved through three phases: theological, metaphysical and positive. The positive stage, based on scientific reason, had been achieved about the time of the industrial revolution (Mitchell 619-620). "Comte and his followers rejected traditional religion, substituting a religion based entirely on historical and sociological principles" (Mitchell 620). Comte's central principle was the idea that the laws governing human thought and action are a subclass of the laws of nature (Mitchell 620).    Hardy seems to be able more readily to espouse this idea than traditional religion. For Hardy, traditional religion made no sense because there was no proof that God existed, only speculation (Hynes xviii). It seems more logical that if there is a set of laws governing nature, then there should be a set of laws governing how humans think and interact.    Hardy is not able to fully lend his writing to an idea of logical order, however; he seems to believe that often there is no controlling force, and that is why life can seem so cruel. In his novels, we see completely random actions, either of people or nature, which lead to the unhappiness or downfall of characters. In Far From the Madding Crowd Bathsheda sends the valentine to Boldwood merely on a whim (79); this single act, however, contributes to the downfall of the man, which also manifests itself in the random storm which destroys the ricks. In The Mayor of Casterbridge the wife selling (79) is brought about by Henchard's drunken anger; it is the random arrival of Farfrae, on his way to the new world, that eventually leads to the impulsive Henchard's downfall.

Cultural Influences on Social Cognition and Behavior Essay

There was once a time when I met a Filipino family in the park. The most famous hospitality of Filipinos was showed to me. They have invited me to join them for snacks — something that a typical American would not do even to fellow American. However, these people became friendly to me even though they know that I am not among their own race. I was able to identify with them because I have experienced the real essence of having a family, something I am not seeing in most American families. With that encounter, they have thought me to also be concern with other people. More than that, they have showed me that we can unite amid cultural differences and that we can trust people even at the first meeting; and through that we can have connections. I found this influences to easy come to my senses and being because I have been observing families in my own community and I have not found anyone or family as hospitable as them. That is because I was able to identify with them. I was vulnerable because it was my first time to experience such hospitability from other people who possess different culture other than what I have been practicing. Americans have become very individualistic and have failed to show such culture to other people even in our own kind. I was able to process my thoughts and feelings in terms of dealing with other cultures because I have experienced another culture first hand, more than what I can read from books and periodicals. What I have experienced and learned through the encounter is definitely a positive influence. Because their culture has encouraged me to learn more about other cultures and practices of other people and they have helped me understand the differences of cultures. Reference Huitt, W. (2006). Social cognition. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved May 13, 2008 from http://chiron. valdosta. edu/whuitt/col/soccog/soccog. html.

Family Health Assessment Essay

The Smiths have been married for twenty years and have an eighteen year old son and sixteen year old daughter. I formatted open minded focused questions based on Gordon’s eleven functional health pattern assessments to interview the family. These questions are included with this paper for review. This paper will discuss each of these eleven functional health pattern assessments and how it relates to my chosen family. Health perception relates to what health means to this family. Are they having any health issues, how do they maintain their health and where do they receive most of their health education? This family has few active health problems at this time and none of the family members currently take any medications, except OTC meds for headaches etc. Mom is overweight and is aware of this and has an action plan. Dad is a heavy smoker, smoking two packs per day for the last forty years! He does not recognize this as a health problem and does not want to quit. Everyone is up to date with vaccinations and sees their physician as needed. They have good health and dental insurance coverage. Both parents drink alcohol on occasion but not to excess. Eighteen year old son has drunk alcohol on occasion but has abstained since receiving a DUI last year at the age of seventeen. Mom is a Registered Nurse who oversees family’s general health care and health promotion. Family consider themselves Christian but does not attend church regularly. Nutrition assessment is focused on the patterns of food and fluid consumption relative to metabolic needs (Kriegler&Harton, 1992). Dads diet lacks fruits and vegetables which he refuses to eat, so diet consists of meat and carbohydrates. Mom on the other hand is Vegetarian who does eat fish occasionally. Mom is overweight, has a ‘diet’ plan but fails due to lack of willpower and working night shift. Family does not usually eat breakfast except occasionally on weekends. The children eat lunch at school, mom is asleep and dad will fix himself a snack. All family members take a daily multivitamin. Mom tries to prepare meals in the crock-pot when she gets home in morning for evening meal. If she is too tired or doesn’t do Dad will usually order fast food like pizza. Sleep and rest assessment focus is on the individuals sleep, rest and relaxation practices (Kriegler&Harton,1992). Mom works twelve hour night shifts 5-6 days per week and has 1hour commute each way to work. She is obligated to attend meetings at least one day per week for about 1 hour at end of her shift. She tries to prepare the evening meal each morning before she goes to bed. On a good day she gets 6 hours sleep, on days off she sometimes uses Benadryl to assist sleep. Dad is unemployed but is an early riser, usually awake by 0530 so likes to be in bed by 2100. Both children like to stay up late and must be encouraged to sleep as they have school. Elimination is focused on excretory patterns (Kriegler&Harton, 1992). Dad has no problems and has daily bowel movements. Mom tends to either be constipated or have diarrhea, she also reports moderate bladder leakage. Both children report no issues with elimination. Activity and exercise assessment is focused on the activities of daily living, exercise and leisure activities (Kriegler&Harton, 1992). Dad is unemployed so keeps up with the yard work and some housekeeping, but has no formal exercise regimen. Mom works long hours on night shift so feels she has no time for an exercise program as this would eat into her sleep hours. Both children are active with school sports such as football, cheerleading, volleyball and track. On weekends sometimes the family will go camping or kayaking. The family has a pool which Mom uses daily when the weather permits. Cognitive and sensory perception is the assessment that focuses on the ability to comprehend and use information and on sensory function (Kriegler&Harton, 1992). Dad has a GED but no higher education, he is a USMC veteran of the Vietnam War, and he is a well read individual with above average intelligence. Mom obtained her nurse education overseas and is currently studying for her BSN. Neither have any memory problems buts Dad’s mom had Alzheimer’s so this worries him. Both children are average students with no aspirations to go to college at present. Mom wears contact lenses, Dad wears glasses, and both children have no sensory deficits. Dad is also slightly hard of hearing related to his military career. Self perception assessment is focused on an individual’s attitude towards self such as body image, self esteem and self worth (Kriegler&Harton, 1992). Dad has some self worth issues related to being laid off from work several months ago, he has applied for many jobs but feels he is considered ‘too old’ at 56 years old. Mom is overweight and is extremely conscious of her size. She tends to wear loose clothes and does not like to be photographed. She has tried unsuccessfully to lose weight many times. Children are confident teenagers who are popular at school. Role relationship assessment is focused on the individual’s roles in the world and relationships with others (Kriegler&Harton, 1992). The Smiths appear to have a very tight knit family. Mom loves being a nurse and has worked at the same hospital for over 20 years. The family has a wide circle of friends; he has no living family and her family still live overseas. The whole family is very social and love to entertain when at all possible. Sexuality assessment is focused on the individual’s satisfaction with sexuality patterns (Kriegler&Harton, 1992). Mom and Dad have been happily married for 20 years. They have an active and satisfying sex life. Mom still menstruates and has been considering a hysterectomy on doctor’s advice for fibroid tumors. Mom strongly does not believe in elective surgeries so struggles with heavy menses monthly and severe pain. Dad supports her decision at this time but her pain distresses him. Mom has not had a PAP in years but has an appointment for a PAP and mammogram pending. Son recently split from long term girlfriend, daughter is not sexually active yet but just had her first PAP. Coping assessment is focused on the individual’s perception of stress and coping strategies, also individual support systems should be evaluated (Kriegler&Harton, 1992). Mom is an emergency room nurse who uses her husband to decompress. Each morning when she gets home they discuss her shift. Dad feels under stress at the moment while trying to find employment. Mom is supportive and is working extra to provide extra income. Children have usual high school drama but appear well rounded. This family regularly has a ‘family meeting’ where there is open and non judgmental discussion of any issues. All major decisions are discussed with the entire family. Mom is from overseas but speaks with her family every Sunday. Overall this family is well educated and well adjusted. This health assessment notes some areas that this family can work on.

Nintendo †Creative Product Promotion Essay

When Nintendo release a new console or game, they usually conduct a large marketing product to make their products appeal to the mass market. The first way that Nintendo advertise is through television, they usually have their advertisements shown throughout the day and in the evening in order to try to appeal to the family market because Nintendo’s products are usually targeted towards families and children. Nintendo in their television adverts try to make the view have the desire to buy the product, an example of this could be the initial marketing of the Nintendo Wii where the advertisements on television where an showing how people could become fitter by playing Wii games therefore making people desire the product. Another way that Nintendo used to advertise their products in the UK was through advertisements in newspapers and magazines. They used this form of advertising because it appeals to a wide range of people and also the adverts can be changed to suite the target audience of the magazines. Personal Selling Due to the millions of products they sell it is hard for Nintendo to personally sell their own products face to face, most of their products are either brought from the Nintendo online or brought through retailers. Personal selling is mainly done to customers buying from retail stores from the staff trying to sell customers more accessories. When the retailers were selling the Nintendo Wii the staff had a variety of different statistics given to them by Nintendo to show the customer how good the product is and how it can influence the day to day life of the customer. Sales Promotion When the Nintendo Wii came out Nintendo and some of the major retailers selling the product created competitions giving people the opportunity to win a Nintendo Wii, this then creates a buzz around the product and people become interested in what it is and then decide they would desire the product. Nintendo also used sales promotion in retailers where they funded demo stands where potential customers can use the product to see the benefits and decide whether they would like to buy the product, creating a stand for customers to try products is costly however opens up to a wide range of customers who otherwise may not be interested in the product. Public Relations Nintendo and other large companies that have association with creating video games often release statements, images and information in the media regarding the release of their new products. As I stated before in advertising Nintendo advertises its products in many different ways including Television, newspapers, magazines and various websites online. Direct Marketing Nintendo have a section of their website called â€Å"Club Nintendo†, this is where devoted customers and hear the latest news about Nintendo products and also collect stars which can be exchanged for rewards in the shop. Email newsletters are distributed to members of Club Nintendo telling them about upcoming products or evens, this is a great asset to Nintendo as a company because it allows them to build a solid customer base. Walkers Advertising Walkers main form of advertising is through television, this is because crisps appeal to a very wide group of people which affects almost all demographics. Walkers advertise by using ex footballer and television presenter Gary Lineker, this endorsement attracts attentions because Lineker is a well known celebrity and has a comical acting style within the adverts making them entertaining rather than giving information regarding the product. Another way Walkers advertise is through the press this is very important because it attracts a wide range of audience and does not single out one demographic. Personal Selling Due to the product not being large and expensive enough to make one sale make a big difference, walkers to not focus on personal selling. Walkers mainly concentrate on appealing to the mass market, they do this through mainstream advertising and often get involved in helping fund raising for various charity events such as comic relief and cancer research. Sales Promotion The major way that Walkers do sales promotion is through completions they advertise their competitions on television, press and on the packaging itself. Walkers have a separate website just for completions where customers can view and enter all the competitions. The latest competition that Walkers held gave customers the chance to win ? 50,000 through guessing the flavour of a packet of one of their mystery crisps. When deciding how to advertise this competition Walkers had to make a decision whether to advertise it on television, they saw it worthwhile to advertise on TV because if people saw the product in the supermarket without advertising on they may not know there is a competition so with the advertisement on the television then they will see the â€Å"? † on the packaging and be attacked to that product because they have seen it on television. Public Relations Walkers use public relations such as press interviews and articles when they are introducing an new product or altering a classic. More and more products are being cutinised for being unhealthy for the nation, Walkers have reduced the saturated fat in their products by 50% over the last decade whilst maintain the same taste, this has attracted much attention from the media as they see Walkers are working hard to develop new products that will aid the country to become healthier. Direct Marketing Walkers have a section of their website where customers can sign up and hear about the latest games, news and competitions through e-mail. This gives Walkers the chance to advertise there products cheaply and in greater detail to the people who enjoy the product.

OSHA Risk and Hazards Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

OSHA Risk and Hazards - Assignment Example 3) Part 29CFR Part 1910 standard 22 specifies several standards with respect to walking and slipping hazards in the workplace (Baron, 2011). Of these, 29CFR1910.22a(1) and 29CFR1910.22b(1) are the most applicable (Taylor, 2011). The reason for this is that these standards relate to the way in which designated walkways must be maintained and marked appropriately. 4) This can be accomplished by ensuring that standards are worked towards and that employees are provided with adequate training; concerning expectations of action for day to day operations. Random inspections can also help the firm to reduce the amount of risk that this particular set of hazards poses.   5) High severity level. The reason for this risk level being selected is predicated on the fact that mobility in the workplace is a function that nearly each and every employee values as a product of performing useful work. As such, any hazard to the quality of the walkways or hazards pertaining to slipping affect a large number of stakeholders. 1) Hazards regarding heat stress and strain and chemical burns relate only to specific employees within specific sectors of industrial production. As such, issues pertaining to damaged equipment, faulty inputs, lack of monitoring, failure to measure correctly, and other oversights are likely to contribute to issues relating to further hazards associated with these two previously denoted issues. 2) Those employees that find themselves working within industrial production areas or within construction arenas will be those which are most at risk. Yet, it should also be understood that there is an inherent risk for those employees/stakeholders, that work outside these zones as they could be negatively impacted by a breach of safety standards with respect to the aforementioned hazards.   3) Part 29CFR Part 1910 standard 132 specifies several standards with respect to the use of PPE (personal protective equipment) in dealing with high temperature or chemical substances.