Monday, September 30, 2019

Diversity and Globalization Essay

Women in motion: globalization, state policies and labor migration in Asia is one of the major works by Nana Oishi. As a writer, Nana provides an analysis about labor migration in Asia with a close look at the patterns of female migration from various countries. Certain provisions are made that governs both receiving and sending countries in matters of female migration. Nana is critical in various theories that are conventional in economic theories of migration. A major area she is interested in is the driving factors reflecting in the source country. She is also very much concerned with structuralist theories relating to patterns of labor migration. Nana criticizes household strategies adopted by international migration as it has failed to consider household members as reliable individuals in a position to make independent decisions. The number of female immigrants has increased in the past owing to factors such as poverty, looking for good jobs, globalization effect and family problems (Oishi, 28). Female migration has a number of negative effects which include increased levels of sexual abuse, dislocation in family ties which has a social implication and increased vulnerabilities as a result of low incomes of the unskilled. The receiving country has the right to protect individual’s rights of female migration to avoid violation of human fundamental rights. A number of policies need to be considered but two major outstanding policies are enforcement of dual citizenship laws and dissemination of information with a view of incorporating female migrants in programs and institutional structures. Leaders in the receiving country should establish laws that protect the rights of non-citizens such as female migrants. The existence of such migrants perhaps is an aspect of blessing to the receiving country through various developments. Existence of dual-citizenship laws protects such individuals from discrimination, violence and other forms of human abuse. Once a female migrates to another country, she should acquire citizenship rights of that particular country. The migrant acquires equal rights like any other citizen and thus she is protected from vices such as slavery, sexual abuse or forced labor (Oishi, 60). The receiving countries are supposed to observe friendly legal systems that promote female migrants dignity. Another major consideration as a protective policy that should be adopted by the receiving country is provision of programs that absorbs female migrants in institutional structures. The reasons that results to female migration such as academic advancement, seeking for good jobs and poverty can be resolved through such programs. It is important for the receiving country to clearly understand such reasons for purpose of protecting their dignity. Considering the humanitarian aspect of life, leaders in receiving countries should incorporate female migrants in programs that promote their rights. Enrolling female migrants into institutions allows them to acquire skills and hence be in a position to seek employment. With skills the female migrants can support their own needs without bothering other individuals which is a reason for discrimination. The educational programs also help female migrants to know their rights and feel protected. The McDonaldization of sushi The eating patterns of individuals in the entire world have changed and this is attributed to globalization in the aspect of culture. Food culture is one of the major debates in developed and developing nations which have significance influence on globalization. This is clearly reflected in the argument by Sasha Isenberg in â€Å"The Sushi Economy†. It is an article that clearly reflects on globalized food culture and commerce. In many parts of the world, Macdonald foods have dominated the food sector. MacDonaldization which is a term derived from MacDonald’s has influenced the eating habits of many individuals (Issenberg, 17). This thus is a clear reflection about the influence of globalization in various economic sectors. The spread of various MacDonald fast food restaurants in the world has an impact in the way the global economy is being implemented. The global economy in this aspect relates to diversification of certain aspects of economic fields which promotes establishment of common way of life. In Japan, there are many fast foods stop over that provides both civilians and visitors the capacity to taste their food culture. Development in various economic sectors and establishment of similar practices in the entire economy results to a common way of people’s life. Food culture is one of the most recognized impacts of globalization which is promoted by modernization. The global economy which is influenced by interaction of people from various regions of the world is highly reflected in food culture. MacDonaldization by Sushi thus talks more about global economy which has an impact in many lives of individuals. One major impact of global economy is influence on individual’s life which changes the eating habits. In this aspect, McDonaldization of Sushi reflects clearly on the impact of global economy in eating habits of people. Any person from developed countries traveling in developing nations is in a position to receive equivalent services in the scope of fast foods. This is seen as a major achievement for both state and promotes the growth of global economy. The growth of economy as a result of globalization and food culture has seen various developments in other food items. A more corresponding aspect is in fish as a food stuff which is reaching the same status as MacDonald. Fish as a food stuff is high recognized by nutritionists as a source of proteins that is essential for body building. Another common aspect of fish is its easiness to prepare and serve to customers (Issenberg, 25). In both developed and developing states, the availability of fish makes it to dominate the global markets. Considering these provisions, it becomes very easy for fish to resemble Sushi success. Developing states are seen as the cheap source of quality fish such as Africa and as an influence of globalization in the aspect of transportation it becomes easy to supply the commodity in global markets. The global economy is promoted through consideration of such policies making it easy for economy to grow fast. Diversification of food culture and change in lifestyle resulting from economic development makes individuals to change their eating habits. This promotes a common practice by investors in the hospitality sector. Sushi success as well as establishment of fish as a common food stuff promotes global economy. Globalization and flow of information from different perspectives makes it possible to trade fast foods such as fish through the supermarkets and other retail outlets. Since it is served as take away, travelers and children usually enjoy the food stuffs. Globalization in this aspect has led to establishment of certain policies necessary to transform global economy from one state to another. Works Cited Issenberg, Sasha, The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy, Gotham, 2007 Oishi, Nana, Women in Motion: Globalization, State Policies, and Labor Migration in Asia, Stanford University Press, 2005

Sunday, September 29, 2019

World Resources – scarcity and conflict

In the 1960s, one photograph changed the way world leaders, scientists and the general population thought about the management of the world's resources. People became concerned about the world's resources running out. This photograph was our Earth. When world leaders saw this photograph taken from space, the world looked for the first time the world looked small and finite, this is because there is so many people on this planet and there needs to be consideration on what resources we use, and how much we use of them. The term ‘spaceship earth' is applied here to describe how people felt about the Earth's resources†¦they were limited just as a spaceship has limited reserves of air, water and food. Before world leaders were in illusion thinking that the world's resources were in abundance. Some resources are non renewable meaning that after they run out there is no way of replacing them, and they only reform after millions of years these resources are called fossil fuels. There are three types of fossil fuels (crude oil, coal and natural gas). These resources are the resources the world should be concerned about and therefore use it sparingly. However the fossil fuels although the most important are not the only non renewable resources, others include food and forests. There are other resources called renewable energy sources which are starting to be developed such as biomass and wind power which takes the earth's natural processes such as wind and through certain mechanisms covert it into energy which can be used for electricity. So in answer to the question, the fossil fuels are the most important world resources, however there are other non renewable world resources that have to be carefully used otherwise certain things couldn't happen, for example imagine what the world would be like without out any wood. When the first maps of the world were created, many parts of the world were not discovered and therefore because society in that day and age believed in sea creatures and mermaids and other such things, everyone thought two things, firstly that at the end of the world was limitless and secondly that at the end of the worlds there were sea monsters. The first maps of the world were flat. Naturally many incorrect assumptions had been made, the world was not limitless and of course no sea monsters. However as countries began to be discovered the world seemed to become limitless and powerful. People began to have a care free attitude about the resources because they thought they would never run out. Things started to go downhill when it was discovered that the world was actually round, people started to believe that the world was not limitless, however they still remained in the delusion that the world's resources were not going to run out any time soon and then therefore continued with their care free attitude. It was not until the 1960's that people began to get worried about the world's resources and decide to do something not to waste electricity (which in theory is the product of fossil fuels). This diagram shows how many people began to care about the world. Background There are two main official views in regard to the world's resources running out. These are optimists and pessimists: Optimists View Optimists believe that the world's resources are eventually going to run out, but we can delay that happening, and our future is not doomed. Because the is such talk and media coverage of the world's resources running out optimists hope that people will alter their lifestyle and take certain measures to delay the world's resources running out such as turning their computers off at night. Optimists also believe because of advanced technology and science, we can discover more and more alternative fuels, optimists believe that people would use alternative energy sources as it is cheap and therefore more economical. In the future optimists believe that there should be a more equal distribution of the world's resources. Famous optimists include E.Boserup and J.Simon. Pessimists View These people believe that the world's resources have a finite limit and could eventually run out or be damaged beyond repair. In 1970, 10 countries, known as the Club of Rome, met in order to discuss resource management. Their report, entitled ‘The Limits to Growth', made predictions about a world where continued industrial and population growth would consume both resources and food supplies. This Club believed that population increase are the reason why world resources are running out because there is more demand for it; they put forward the idea of preventive checks. An example of one of their ideas is the one child policy; they wanted to make the one child and international policy. Famous pessimists include P.Ehrlich. Factors that are causing the World's Resources to Decrease There are a few main factors that are causing the world's resources to decrease. Population Because there is such a growth of population, people are needing more and more energy in their house. This is best displayed in a case study: In the year 2000 Family A (comprising of a husband and wife) used 20,000kg of energy per year. In 2002 they had their first child. Before Family A didn't watch that much T.V., however now because their child needs entertainment, the T.V. is turned on for the whole day even if the child is not watching. So in 2003 their yearly consumption increased to 25,000kg. Now think of this on an international scale and everyday the population is using up more and more world resources. Optimists say that creating new alternative energy sources rather than using the fossil fuels up, is the way forward. Pessimists say that the way forward is to enforce an international one child policy, to over populated areas to balance the population out to one of an optimum population. However I agree with the pessimists but I don't think there should be an international one child policy, but as a whole unit we need to find a method to achieve optimum population and taking into consideration a specific area's carrying capacity and therefore move into the direction of sustainable development. Economic Threats Because of the current economic downturn people are turning to cheaper ways to provide heat, water and electricity to their houses they are put off by the idea of alternative energy sources such as solar panels because they can't afford it Case Study-Diamonds (Sierra Leone) In this day and age diamonds are such a controversial issue, as most people in the West think diamonds are nice stones that are on their rings, however twenty years ago 40% of all diamonds were somehow in the process of buying/selling at least one illegal transaction was carried out, now due to the Kimberly agreement and other factors including media this figure has decreased to 25%. Diamonds are a world resource that is limited as they will eventually run out. Sierra Leone is a country located in the north west of Africa. Sierra Leone is one of the largest diamond producer in the world this is because of it's geographical location, it's relief and finally because it has so many mines. This is still unfortunately has not lead to the economic development of the country, because rebel troops take over the mines and take all profits. Sometimes diamonds are fought over; these diamonds are known as conflict/blood diamonds. Sierra Leone's Conflict Diamonds In 1991, Sierra Leone a rebel force known as the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) launched assaults against the government. A military government was set up, yet this did not deter the RUF attacks. From the beginning, the RUF became allies with Liberia. Their goal was officially to combat crime and corruption but it soon became clear that their main aim was to take control of the diamond mines. The RUF would take prisoners and enslave them to work in the diamond mines. The work conditions were horrible and they were punished for the slightest things. Anyone opposed to the RUF's methods and practices would be brutally punished. All this was unknown to – or perhaps ignored by – the outside world for many years. UN studies estimate that about $125 million worth of rough diamonds were bought by the diamond industry in Europe alone! The equivalent of this money is tens of thousands of people killed and even more hurt. It was only in 1999 that the UN deployed a mission to Sie rra Leone to deal with the problem of Sierra Leone Conflcit Diamonds. Since then, sanctions have been put in place so as to curb such illegal activities. The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme requires a paper trail that certifies the origin of rough diamonds. This aims to cut off the flow of diamonds from countries like Sierra Leone. The question that remains to be answered today is whether the paper trail that accompanies each diamond shipment is for real. Certificates can be forged. Rough diamonds can be smuggled into a â€Å"clean† country. After that, there would be no way of knowing where the gems came from. There is always a willing market somewhere in another country. Traders and buyers don't always ask questions. They are just happy to buy and line their pockets. In an area inflicted with suffering and poverty, there is always an official who would be willing to accept bribes. All it takes is one person to overlook a shipment of blood diamonds. For all we know, there might still be a steady flow of rough conflict diamonds coming from the mines of Sierra Leone today. We do not know any of these facts and figures exactly as the Government is reluctant to let media or aid into the country. In 2000 the BBC published a moving article and photo about diamonds in Sierra Leone. Effects of the BBC Article and Photo The BBC article had a resounding effect on the rest f the world not only did people become more interested in where their diamonds came from, but starting to buy ethical diamonds. Also Kanye West (singer) released a controversial song about diamonds in Sierra Leone which caused more and more people to take an interest of the origins of the diamonds. Also Kanye West refused to wear any type of ‘bling' which influenced many children. Artificial/Man made Diamonds ‘Science have finally found a way to make diamonds-Bad News for Sierra Leone' this was a news headline a few years ago form the BBC. Everyone knew the time would come when science would be able to find a way to make diamonds. There is a plus side and down side for this, firstly the up side. If more people buy synthetic diamonds because they are cheaper, then more people would stop buying diamonds that have been sold but rebel forces. However on the down side the economy of Sierra Leone is plummeting to all time low because more and more people are buying synthetic diamonds because of the recession. The Kimberly Process The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (Kimberley Process) is an international governmental certification scheme that was set up to prevent the trade in diamonds that fund conflict. Launched in January 2003, the scheme requires governments to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are free from blood diamonds. Case Study-Water (Across the Globe) Water is a world resource as we rely on it thoroughly and if we didn't have the sad reality is we would die. Water is not at the moment is shortage, but the way consumption is going in the West in the next one hundred years it could well become shortage. We have a good supply of water in the West, however in LEDCs, water is quite hard to lay hands on. Water is one of the prime essentials for life as we know it. The plain fact is – no water, no life! This becomes all the more worrying when we realise that the worlds supply of drinkable water will soon diminish quite rapidly. In fact a recent report commissioned by the United Nations has emphasised that by the year 2025 at least 66% of the worlds population will be without an adequate water supply. Incalculable damage. As a disaster in the making water shortage ranks in the top category. Without water we are finished, and it is thus imperative that we protect the mechanism through which we derive our supply of this life giving fluid. Unfortunately the exact opposite is the case. We are doing incalculable damage to the planets capacity to generate water and this will have far ranging consequences for the not too distant future. Bleak future The United Nations has warned that burning of fossil fuels is the prime cause of water shortage. While there may be other reasons such as increased solar activity it is clear that this is a situation over which we can exert a great deal of control. If not then the future will be very bleak indeed! Already the warning signs are there. Droughts The last year has seen devastating heatwaves in many parts of the world including the USA where the state of Texas experienced its worst drought on record. Elsewhere in the United States forest fires raged out of control, while other regions of the globe experienced drought conditions that were even more severe. Parts of Iran, Afgahnistan, China and other neighbouring countries experienced their worst droughts on record. These conditions also extended throughout many parts of Africa and it is clear that if circumstances remain unchanged we are facing a disaster of epic proportions. Moreover it will be one for which there is no easy answer. Dangers. The spectre of a world water shortage evokes a truly frightening scenario. In fact the United Nations warns that disputes over water will become the prime source of conflict in the not too distant future. Where these shortages become ever more acute it could forseeably lead to the brink of nuclear conflict. On a lesser scale water, and the price of it, will acquire an importance somewhat like the current value placed on oil. The difference of course is that while oil is not vital for life, water most certainly is! Power shift. It seems clear then that in future years countries rich in water will enjoy an importance that perhaps they do not have today. In these circumstances power shifts are inevitable, and this will undoubtedly create its own strife and tension. Nightmare situation. In the long term the implications do not look encouraging. It is a two edged sword. First the shortage of water, and then the increased stresses this will impose upon an already stressed world of politics. It means that answers need to be found immediately. Answers that will both improve the damage to the environment, and also find new sources of water for future consumption. If not, and the problem is left unresolved there will eventually come the day when we shall find ourselves with a nightmare situation for which there will be no obvious answer. Conclusion Overall I feel that we should be optimistic about the resource management in the future however we should guard about being complacent and consequently wasteful. Science is developing quickly and in the future there will be a system of some sort to enable better management of the resources. However again this doesn't mean we can be wasteful, also we have to make sure that we use certain resources more conservatively to ensure future generations live happily. On the other hand however if we implant many more alternative energy resources (i.e. wind power instead of coal) then future generations will use them as the norm, rather than the present day generation who have to deal with this cross over stage that we are undergoing now-the Government encouraging other sources of energy, however when we look at these the prices are sky high. To ensure that we manage resources so that it is more sustainable, I propose certain plans: 1) Increase price of electricity and gas, decrease price of alternative energy sources (for example solar panels). This would hopefully on the economic side of things encourage people to use alternative fuel. 2) Carry out a major distribution project of the world resources, ensuring each country has roughly the same amount. 3) Set up a kind of police to make sure diamonds are not being sold or mined illegally, through slavery or through violence. This will ensure the decrease the amount of conflict or blood diamonds. Finally, I have outlined five strategies for using more sustainability in my daily life: 1) Have a shower, rather than a bath. This will decrease the amount of water I use, reduce the water bills and make it more efficient cleaning process. 2) When shopping with my parents, I should encourage them to look at the label and check where the product comes from, and therefore try to get the product, which has the least food miles. 3) Encourage my parents to buy energy saving bulbs, which last longer, and are more sustainable. 4) When going out turn off my computer rather than leaving it on standby. 5) When making a cup of tea, don't fill the kettle right to the top, as that wastes, water and energy.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Case Study-Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case Study-Critical thinking - Essay Example This action has made the airline compete effectively in an industry faced with stiff competition. This paper examines the factors that have contributed to China Southern Airlines’ competitive advantage. In addition, the paper looks at how its growth affects other airlines. Andrade and Stafford (2013) say that in the year 2000, the Civil Aviation Administration of China declared its intention to merge the 10 airlines it managed into three airline groups. Later CAAC merged the airlines into Air China Airline, China Eastern and the airline under study China Southern (AmCham China News 2004). Following that merging, China Southern has since become one of the three largest carriers in the country (AmCham China News 2004). According to China Southern Airline (2013), Southern Airline serves over 193 destinations in 35 different countries across the globe. The company is a regular in the local market with its main hubs being at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport just to mention a few. In the year 2012, China Southern Airline (2013) reported that China Southern Airlines carried over 9.1 million local and international passengers which translates to an average load factor of 81%. Such a huge number of passengers car ried by the airline clearly show it controls the airline industry in the Asia-Pacific. Following the merging of the airlines, it remains, therefore, that China Southern has two main competitors i.e. Air China and Eastern China. Air China, a major carrier in the People’s Republic of China, has its headquarters in Shunyi District in Beijing (China Tours n.d.). The airline’s flights are mainly out of Beijing Capital International Airport. According to China Southern Airline (2013), the airline carried an average 51 million local and global passengers in 2012. China Eastern, on the other hand, has its headquarters based at Changning District in Shanghai. The airline’s focus is at

Friday, September 27, 2019

Rap and Hip Hop Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rap and Hip Hop - Term Paper Example Experts are not unanimous in their conclusions. The influence of rap music is intense and it can have mostly negative effects. The worrying factor is rap has become part of the popular culture. It has made rapid strides since it originated 1970s. â€Å"It is a known fact that hip-hop has taken over, in a sense, the mainstream youth culture,† said Emmett Price, a professor at Northeastern University in Boston, who teaches hip-hop culture. â€Å"So, the young kids from the age of being able to speak to going on to high school are influenced by hip-hop culture whether they listen to music or not.† (Killion†¦) A correlation exists between rap music and increased criminal behavior, sexual activity and drug use. Tricia Rose opines, â€Å"A key aspect of much of the criticism that has been leveled at hip-hop is the claim that it glorifies, encourages, and thus causes violence. This argument goes as far back as the middle to 1980s—the so-called golden age of hip-ho p—when politically radical hip hop artists, such as Public Enemy, who referred to direct and sometimes armed resistance against racism ‘by any means necessary,’ were considered as advocates of violence.†(p.34) The wise saying goes—‘a lie repeated from a platform a thousand times, becomes the truth.’ In the present times of internet revolution, it is necessary that the young adults should know many things.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The dark ages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The dark ages - Essay Example We will look at some of these inventions to see how they impacted on life and brought light to the dark ages. Ammad Ibn Musi al-Khwarizmi [780-850 AD] was a Persian mathetician, astronomer and geographer. He was born in Chorasmia in present day Iran. Later he studied maths and science at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, Iraq. He is famous for writing the treatise "Kitab al-Jabr Wa l-Mugabala" which translates roughly as "The Book of Reasoning and Balancing† which introduced the first complete system of algebra to the world. Built on the roots of Greek and Hindu systems, the new algebraic order was a unifying system for rational numbers, irrational numbers and geometrical magnitudes. Al-Khwarizmi was also the first to introduce the concept of raising a number to a power. He also introduced the system of decimal positional to the Western world. His work focused on the solving of linear and quadratic equations which was the most comprehensible method of that time. Al-Khwarizmi did extensive work on geography; he compiled the book â€Å"The Image of the Earth† in which he gave more accurate coordinates and information on the Mediterranean sea, Africa and Asia which aided in better understanding these areas by providing their Longitudes and latitudes. He also assisted in determining the circumpherance of the earth. In astronomy he developed tables for the moon, sun and the five known planets of the time. These tables aided in the understanding of celestial movement and became the basis for other astronomers in the Western world. Alhazen was a physicist and mathetician who was Born in 965 AD in Basra which is in present day Iraq. He wrote over 200 books; however, his most famous work was the writing of The Book of Optics. This book dealt with all manner of vision related theories and experiments. For instance, he made a study of the passage of light rays through transparent mediums such as air and water, which led to the discovery of the laws of refractio n. He also dealt with the theories of physical phenomena such as shadows, eclipses and the rainbow. One such phenomenon, twilight, was researched and he established that twilight only begins and ends when the sun is 19 degrees below the horizon. This discovery helped him create other theories about the atmosphere. Alhazen was the first physician to properly describe the parts of the eye and give a scientific explanation on vision. He was the first to use camera obscura. He disproved the previous theory that rays of light are omitted from the eye which allows a person to see an object; rather, he proved that it is the opposite, light refracts off objects allowing the eye to visualise them. In mathematics he developed analytical geometry in which he established a link between algebra and geometry. Alhazen influenced many Western scientists such as Roger Bacon, John Pecham and Johannes Kepler. The asteroid 59239 Alhazen was named in his honour due to his contribution to the knowledge o f physics and mathematics. He died in 1040 AD. Abbas Ibn Firnas [810-887 AD] was an astronomer and poet who lived in the Emirate of Cordoba, in the Spanish region. He is mostly known for an early attempt at aviation. He designed a glider like mechanism which comprised of bird-like wings with feathers; although, it is said that his attempt at flight was somewhat successful, he greatly injured his back when landing. Some of his other inventions include the creation of a water clock, colorless glass,

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Role of Private Sector Organizations in Education Essay

Role of Private Sector Organizations in Education - Essay Example This calls for infrastructure development, and thus huge investment. Despite rapidly increasing government expenditure in education, real expenditures per pupil are increasing. Property-tax relief efforts and calls for more equitable funding across rich and poor school districts have increasingly led states to pick up a greater percentage of education costs. Basic needs for today's market are3: Privatization could provide an appropriate response to public education offering opportunities both for reducing costs and infusing private-sector funds into the education system. Schools are struggling to raise money to maintain existing buildings and to build new schools in order to keep up with increasing enrollment5. Private-sector involvement in education can provide infrastructure, and this may be one of the more politically acceptable methods of, since neither teachers nor students are directly involved. Providing classroom space, buildings, or land, Furnishing or equipping existing classroom space, providing maintenance services and utilities, providing teaching programs, Managing schools or school districts, Negotiating management deals that include provision of infrastructure are some of the issues where private sector can contribute in education6. The emergence of diverse privatization responses to inadequate public resources, coupled with some legislative restructuring ( school choice and open enrollment plans) in public schools, can result in substantial cost savings. Public/private partnerships can increase saving potential, as an alternative to increased taxes and service cuts and in response to growing school enrollments and increasing costs7. In addition, the company may implement a smaller student-teacher ratio, continued teacher training, and increased use of technology teacher's salary and benefits, books, supplies, furniture, equipment etc...8 Another key area where private agencies can make significant contribution is skill training to help children who did not move beyond school education, to come up in life. Private sectors can give away grants and scholarships to deserving candidates. Business organizations can influence the quality of future workers and can encourage improved performance in several ways9: Executive programs, where corporate executives work in specialized areas such as administration, staff development, or resource management. Curriculum renewal programs, where corporate executives work with educators to develop curricula that reflects private-sector technology, standards and practice. Mentor programs, where professionals have linked with individual students. Donation of equipment to schools. Programs between business

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Patient Nutrition Health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Patient Nutrition Health Assessment - Essay Example The recommended is 1900 calories (ICMR, 1989). The protein intake is about 25 grams when she needs about 45 grams (ICMR, 1989). Total fat is about 30% (when it should be less than 20%) and mainly constituting saturated fat and dietary fibre is only about 10% (when it should be 30%). Except for some iron and calcium in the breakfast and some vitamins in the snacks, her diet is poor in vitamins and minerals. Also, there is increased consumption of non milk extrinsic sugars in the form of coke and cookies. The diet does not contain fresh fruits or vegetables or starchy staple foods. Nor does the diet contain any milk. Of course, the amount of alcohol is in moderation (consider pregnancy and lactation). Due to the excess calorie intake and predominance of saturated fats and sugary foods, Ana is at risk of chronic diseases like obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, arthritis and chronic pulmonary disease. Consumption of acidic foods and non milk extrinsic sugars (like in coke, pastries, chocolates) are cariogenic and are the beginning of periodontal diseases (Moynihan,10). Also, diet poor in minerals and vitamins can lead to multi-vitamin deficiencies, anemia and malnutrition. Improper diet can also have a psychological effect leading to depression. It is important to suggest dietary recommendation to this patient and this must be done by talking to the patient personally and in detail and not just mentioning in a single statement. The importance of good nutrition and the consequences of poor nutrition must be stressed upon. First of all, it is advisable to take food three to four times a day. The total calorie value of food should not exceed 2000 k cals. According to the National Food Guide (Moynihan,10) to an adult’s diet, bread, cereals and potatoes should comprise one third of the diet and preferably whole grains. Another

Monday, September 23, 2019

Implementing Strategy and Leadership Ethics Assignment

Implementing Strategy and Leadership Ethics - Assignment Example Culture is considered as a core element in the overall vision of any organization (Schein, 2010). The first way of embedding culture into the organization is through avoiding cultural drift. Even though it is easier to follow some cultural practices, there is a tendency of ignoring them with time. A drift comes in and the main culture is supported by several gestures. There is a tendency to overlook the important cultures of the organization. Therefore, leadership should recognized and reward those who are consistent with following the core organization’s culture. In talking about organizational midlife, it means that the organizations have been in existence for a period of between 35 to 75 years. Such organizations are complex in terms or character of the employees and a fascinating folklore. They tend to be a bit resistant to change than the younger entities. Things tend to be more stabilized for these types of organizations and they have their own way of carrying out their daily duties. Additionally, they have a culture that drives their success or failure in all their initiatives. This type of organizational soul-searching in most cases is triggered by a number of factors (Schein, 2010). Ethical leadership basically needs ethical leaders. If an organization has ethical leaders, they will find it easy to ensure ethical practices are followed in the organization, right from the management to the subordinates. Naturally, leaders are in a position of power, either on or off-duty. Therefore, ethical leadership focuses on how leaders leverage their power in the decisions they make and ways they influence others (Schein, 2010). By demonstrating ethics in leadership, leaders promote a high level of integrity. The integrity they promote stimulates trustworthiness and equally encourages the subordinates to accept and follow the organization’s vision. Basically, integrity and character

Sunday, September 22, 2019

How does amount of CO2 vary in the places with a high amount of cars Lab Report

How does amount of CO2 vary in the places with a high amount of cars comparing to the fields - Lab Report Example The components of the fields determine the level of consumption that the field uses of the component while the cars release it. Cars release a substantial amount of the carbon dioxide the world environment suffers from (Mintzer. p.202). The study is developed to detail these studies and aid in understanding their effects on the environment. How does the amount of carbon dioxide vary in the places with a high amount of cars comparing to the fields? This question provides a more general approach to the study. A more direct question would include a coverage that includes the activities in an environment and the effect that they have on the volume of carbon dioxide. The question would consider the effect that the presence of cars in an environment would have creating a difference between the amounts of carbon dioxide in the two places. That is the fields and places with many cars. Based on these, the research question therefore would be: What effects does the level of activity in the environment have on the amount of carbon dioxide in relation to the presence of cars and their absence in a field? Places with cars have high carbon dioxide volumes while fields have low carbon dioxide volumes. Considering the volumes that cars emit in carbon dioxide, one discovers that chances prove high that places with many cars have a high carbon dioxide content compared to fields. The study aims at proving this hypothesis. The variables include two aspects that are the amount of carbon dioxide and the place or environment that is between a place with a high amount of cars and fields, which have a small amount of cars. In the study, the level of carbon dioxide provides the dependent variable whose volume depends on the environment and the activity in it in relation to cars. This means the environment is the independent variable. To understand further the effect that

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Effects of gambling Essay Example for Free

Effects of gambling Essay What are the Odds? With flashy lights, cheap buffets, and free hotel rooms; owners of casinos use these things as a ruse to pull people in. In a study by Dr. Weinstock, it was found that when gambling, the odds are stacked against the player. The odds of a college athlete becoming a pro football player are 3,000 to 1, the odds of being struck by lightning are 280,000 to 1, the odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are 140,000,000 to 1 (Weinstock). Gambling is a complex and intriguing human activity. It has been in existence for several thousand years. Casinos are now located everywhere and gambling has become a recreational activity for all kinds of people. Gambling can be destructive to people and communities; however gambling can be a positive pastime because it provides entertainment and relaxation. It is a popular activity because people find it so pleasurable. The United States History of Gambling board did a study shows that thirty-eight percent of Americans will go to Las Vegas in their lifetime (History of Gambling in the United States). People go on vacations to places like Las Vegas or Reno Nevada, which are two major cities for gambling, to gamble for fun. It’s an enjoyable activity. People can participate in many different types of gambling; those with instantaneous prizes or scratch cards, slot machines, betting on sporting events, betting on special events, televised lotteries and traditional lotteries. Gambling can be positive and negative for these reasons: economy, addiction, harmful to the youth, and scholarships. Gambling preys on people who are poor, luring them with the promise of a life free from financial worries and burdens. In a physiological study, sixty percent of casino revenue comes from gamblers making less than $25,000 per year (Nance-Nash). As a result, bankruptcy rates are 100 percent higher in counties with casinos than in counties without casinos. While casinos may bring in tax revenue, this is perhaps the worst form of regressive taxation imaginable (Nance-Nash). The poorest of the population are the ones funding this tax revenue. On a more positive note, the regulation of the economy is a positive in favor of gambling. Wherever there is a casino, there is people spending money. When people win money, they use it to purchase items, thus putting the money back into the economy. Through regulation of the economy, new schools and hospitals can be constructed because of the increased funds caused by gambling taxes. With the creation of new casinos, other businesses in the area are often forced to shut down. Although gambling establishments may give tourism a boost, there may also be an increase in crime rates, which clearly isn’t a positive change. With more people passing through a town or city, there are more opportunities to commit crimes without getting caught. Gambling addicts can turn to thefts, robbery, fraud and embezzlement just to get more gambling money. The benefits to local businesses may be overstated, since many tourists will confine their activities to casinos and may not even spend their money elsewhere. Casinos are bad, because when people become addicted, it takes away from the economy by providing rehab, food, and housing assistance. As some people view gambling establishments as providing jobs, the activity also takes jobs away. People who become problematic gamblers become so addicted that they feel like that can’t do anything else besides betting. In turn, this causes people to lose their job in result of this addiction. 50% of college students were either problem or probable pathological gamblers (Weinstock). Looking at gambling from a different angle; when these establishments are built, other real estate such as hotels and restaurants are added to the community. These businesses provide more jobs. . Casinos are a positive because of the jobs they provide. Such jobs include: dealers, security staff, janitors, and entertainers. By providing more jobs, casinos help increase the population in an area. Jobs in the casino industry are often well paid jobs. Casinos make a great addition to a city with rundown areas because they encourage visitors and tourists. Gambling addicts not only do damage to themselves but to their families. Gambling addicts take a whole lot of time away from their families and friends. Whats worse is that they may even be spending not just their money but money for their familys daily expenses or for their kids education. Addicted gamblers fail to recognize this and are only focused in getting more cash when in reality, theyre just losing more. Gambling badly affects family life. Divorce, child neglect and suicides are products of gambling addictions. The legalization of gambling is not a problem, people who become addicted bring the problems and suffering upon themselves. A lack of self-discipline can lead to financial problems. Americas gambling addiction isn’t too far behind the nation’s drug problem, and it’s growing (Nance-Nash). In the United States there are 15 million Americans addicted to gambling and 23 million addicted to drugs or alcohol so the problem of people being addicted to gambling is not as bad as it may look. Also, there is a simple cure to gambling and that is to just stop going to casinos. Drugs have harmful effects and are much harder to break that addiction. The key for society is to find the right balance of it. Furthermore, people should be aware of the downsides of gambling so they participate in moderation. Gambling is fun and rewarding but destructive too, if one doesnt know how to handle it. As a youth, the rates of being at-risk for problem gambling can be two to three times higher than an adult. Gambling has become a problem because young kids, not yet old enough to gamble are now participating in this harmful activity, illegally. Huang found through research that students who gamble are at risk of obtaining other addictions such as binge drinking, marijuana use, cigarette use, and unsafe sex. (Huang) Living in the constantly changing times of today, technology has made placing bets easier than ever before. Students are liable to take part in gambling because it is deemed socially acceptable. As is it glamorized by advertising, and promoted as a sport, more and more people have found it okay to throw their money away on a nonsense game of luck. Although, for students gambling creates money for scholarships like the Arkansas Lottery scholarship. The Arkansas Lottery Commission is responsible for providing entertainment to the public and maximizing the revenue generated. Though gambling is looked at both negatively and positively everyone has their own opinion. They are all opinions; by giving supporting facts for both looks I have shown that gambling does have its ups and downs. Neither out ways is the other gambling something that will more than likely always be around. The gambling industry only exists because there are people willing to risk their money on a game of chance in the hope that they will make a profit. Usually, the only people who profit are the owners of casinos and other gambling establishments, but there are some people who are convinced that their day will come. Is it worth the risk to gamble your life away? While doing research supporting gambling it was found that gambling is beneficial because it stimulates the brain and strengthens decision making skills. (Campbell) People gamble, whether it is legal or not, because it helps them face the world more successfully than they could without the spark which it gives. Gambling is just an extension of entertainment like going to the movies or out to a sporting event. Casinos and gambling are harmless in moderation. They are beneficial to the community and the people who live there. Legalized gambling is a national sensation. The gaming industry is prosperous and should continue expanding.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Quality Performance of Streaming Video(s) over Networks

Quality Performance of Streaming Video(s) over Networks   ABSTRACT Video-based sharing services have gained a rapid fluctuation in users over recent years with the help of the ever-growing internet availability, reaching even the most rural of areas, gaining an increasing share in the multimedia market. Online streaming videos should fulfil strict quality of service constraints. Internet streaming relies upon packet transmission; there are varying influences such as delays, packet loss, transmission errors, data loss and bandwidth restrictions that all influence the quality and playability of a video. This causes serious problems for the end user as the producers of videos rely on the end-users. Therefore, the results of this paper can help users determine whether they can view videos in a high quality whilst preserving smooth video transmission. With the use of detailed diagrams, we can see how the network reacts to buffering, low network speeds and congestion in-order to keep sending video data. Keywords: YouTube, streaming, video, video streaming, network measurement, QoS, TCP, RTSP INTRODUCTION During the last 10 years theres been a significate growth of the internet video streaming websites such as YouTube (USA), Vimeo (USA), Twitch (USA), Daily Motion (France), Vevo (USA) have grown exponentially in popularity and by viewing the growth of the internet and more and more gadgets connecting to the internet [6], they will keep growing. YouTube alone have over one billion users [4], which in return equates to billions of video requests every day. Global Consumer Internet Video for 2016 is 29,046PB (petabyte), the year 2017 is estimated at 38,297 with a steady yearly increase of 14,000PB[7]. This therefore causes a strain on the internet service providers (ISPs) to increase bandwidth in order to provide stronger/wider and faster broadband connectivity to accommodate such growth. This in comparison to File sharing such as peer-to-peer which includes the likes of BitTorrent which in 2016 was calculated at 5,938PB and has declined to 5,858PB in 2017 with a slight variance there-on -after. In North America alone, YouTube accounts of 17.9% of bandwidth whereas the likes of BitTorrent only account for 2.7% [8]. The most important part of accumulating a vast growth of users and popularity is the fact that YouTube is free, from viewing videos, upload your own videos, streaming live or following your favourite channels. It can all be done by signing up to a free account, this ensures that the website can be viewed by a wider audience rather than those of that can legally pay and older, there is a small compromise to pay in the form of adverts randomly placed in-between or at the beginning of videos. Coupled with the fact that YouTube has now offered to pay YouTubers real currency for the popularity of their own videos ensures an even higher number of users.   They have recently launched a premium service called YouTube Red, which is their premium service to those willing to pay $10 a month; the benefits include Google Play Music subscription, ad-free videos and premium content not available to free users [9]. YouTube does not have many competitors that can match its popularity but there are some in the likes of Vimeo who have over 100 million visitors per month [10] and a more artistic community where promotional and corporate videos are prohibited, they have four tiers of accounts; Free, Plus, PRO or business each varying is ways from their counterparts. However, a very important difference between the two in the way videos are played. Vimeo uses a constant rate factor (CRF) of 20 whereas YouTube incorporates variable bitrate mode, which allows for lower overall bitrates while maintaining quality. YouTube allows 60fps, 4K 3D, Vimeo does not, and this is a reason why Vimeo is not as large as YouTube. YouTube has a leading edge compared to others in the respect that where others have strictly controlled content, normally professionally produced, YouTube does not; videos can be uploaded by anyone whom has access to the internet. Interne t Connection has high unpredictability rates in the regards of latency and speed reliability, which all depends on location and ISPs with traffic times, network infrastructure and work load. Videos viewed via the internet is more problematic compared to say, television, thus, YouTube infrastructure manages playback using various methods. BODY Transmission from client to server YouTube uses Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) is an application-level protocol, which controls delivery of data with real-time properties; it enables controlled, on-demand delivery of real-time data, such as audio and video [11]. The server starts by sending small RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) packets, the data in a bitrate chosen, is sent to the client where their buffer is loaded only slightly before playback occurs. This ensures that not too much bandwidth is used in case the user decides not to continue playing the video, as users dont have a static internet connection, if the user or YouTubes servers recognise inconsistencies in the connection e.g. packet loss, an altered bitrate can be used instead e.g. the server sends the video but in a reduced encoding rate. When it comes to video playback, smooth transmission is key, without it users grow tired of continual pausing, dropped frames etc. and leave, this cannot do. Therefore, the use of TCP ensures pre-fetching and buf fering to ensure smooth playback. As bandwidth is something of an issue when loading videos constantly whilst ensuring smooth continuous playback, TCP guarantees reliable transmission for a no-loss of frames. It also has probing bandwidth and congestion control which will attempt to use all available bandwidth for fetching content as soon as possible. However as YouTube has introduced live streaming in 2015 which opts for UDP (User Datagram Protocol), an application layer protocol, UDP is used because minimum pre-fetching can be done where buffering and pausing is somewhat of a nuisance and should be reduced at all cost as everything is live. It is conjoined with RTSP, another application layer protocol which helps with video streaming. A major drawback of using UDP is that firewalls from ISP or companies are not in favour of allowing the protocol, which cause video traffic and throttling problems. However, with the advantage of lower overhead, the compensation of a few dropped pack et will suffice. In order to deliver videos the use of Content Delivery Networks (CDN), it works by using a globally distributed network of proxy servers, whose job it is to serve content to end-users (the users who are watching the videos) at high performance, where, when a user clicks on a video it is served from the nearest Data Centre from their geolocation. YouTube, before the buyout from Google used LimeLight Networks (LLNW), afterwards Google built their own CDN. Most CDN servers are configured to support web services, therefore streaming over HTTP goes hand in hand, and most firewalls are configured to allow HTTP traffic. The usage of DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming) over HTTP is common practice where the video is split into chunks of various resolutions thus, the player can easily switch into another resolution when the internet bandwidth changes which equates to smooth playback. Video Playback Quality As of January 2015, YouTube migrated to HTML5 for its default web player. YouTube first checks to see if the clients browser supports both, HTML5, H.264 codec or WebM VP8. Many browsers support an in-built flash player, which removes the need for installation of Adobe Flash Player, which has seen a decline in usage, with the amount of resources it requires and security flaws [14]. In addition, as devices such as Apple do not have support for flash there is a large market excluded. The use of HTML5s Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) is key [Figure 1]; it allows the player to switch resolutions based on users network quality. This has reduced buffering by more than 50% globally and as much as 80% on heavily congested networks [15]. YouTube switched from progressive downloads to adaptive bitrate streaming to allow for switching of quality without the need to re-buffer and start from the beginning. YouTube is constantly analysing connection speeds between the client and server, when it detects the bandwidth is deteriorating, a lower bitrate video stream is selected, in order to create a seamless playback experience for the end-user the buffer stream is loaded a few seconds ahead of your current position. From the users perspective, the key trait of a network is Quality of Service (QoS) of the content they are streaming. Whilst using HTTP, video transmission is reliable, HTTP reassures the user that there is no packet loss or video disturbance. Experiments Buffering over various internet speeds With the use of Wireshark, various experiments were done to see how packets are send from YouTube to client whilst watching a video under different network conditions and playback quality. To extract only YouTube video packet data, the filter tcp.port eq 443 was used, all graphs were set to a tick interval of 1 second with a pixel per tick of 10 and the units used in the graph are packets/Tick with a scale of 10000, all data is coming from Wi-Fi only. Buffering Time over Wi-Fi connectivity (No Throttling) using a forced 720p video Figure 2, displayed above shows a YouTube clip, which spans a total of 8:36 minutes. The graph depicts a burst of data thats sent initially on load. After the few second burst, the data rate reduces considerably. YouTube server initially sends the video as soon as possible for the initial buffering before significantly reducing the sending rate. Once the video has buffered fully, the rate of packet sending drops to near zero. Buffering Time over 3G connectivity (1.5mb/s, 750kb/s) using a forced 720p video Figure 3 depicts how a YouTube video is loaded whilst on a 3G connection; the clip used is the same as Figure 2, for comparative reasons. The burst seen in the graph spans for a greater period than on a faster connection. The video instantly plays but YouTubes server loads data for longer before finally reducing the frequency of data being sent. The player buffers for a quarter length from the current position of the playing position before finally stopping for a brief moment to allow catch-up, which can be depicted on the graph where the throttle rate drops to This is mainly due to QoE, which is based on human perception, where the user doesnt care for statistics such as packet loss etc. but rather in the quality of their video, they want to be able to view the video as soon as possible and at the best quality that is available. Buffering Time over GPRS connectivity (50kb/s, 20kb/s) and the effects of having a reduced bandwidth Figure 4 depicts the packets that are received whilst on a GPRS connection, reduction in the transmission rate in-turn has resulted in bandwidth significantly reduced, the impact almost certainly forces re-buffering to occur, which reduces the QoE for the user. This results in a longer queuing delay at network nodes and increases server-to-user delays, as the graph shows, the amount of data stored by the inbuilt players buffer is diminutive, as the initial burst did not store enough on load, the video is constantly buffering and playing leading to an endless need to re-buffer to continue. This can be seen at seconds; 120, 145 165, with seconds; 135, 150, 160 being the periods in which data is being transmitted, which consequently dont last long as periods of re-buffering flow directly afterwards. Video delivery over various video quality Figure 5 shows how a single video is re-loaded and buffered from the users current position. Each time a quality change is introduced, the video stops for a brief moment and the buffer pool is restocked with the new video quality data. The higher the quality of video, the more data is introduced initially to ensure that the video starts immediately, as the graph depicts, the lower the quality, the less of an initial burst is needed, as the size of the video is equitably reduced too, YouTube therefore can send all the data for the video quickly. As the video quality is higher, the size of the video being transmitted will also be higher. Network Speed Download Upload Regular 3G 750 kb/s 250kb/s Good 3G 1.5 Mb/s 750 Kb/s Regular 4G 4 Mb/s 3.0 Mb/s Compare this to a mobile phone when outside using data connection for example, 3G 4G connection, as there are many more collisions and obstructions whilst outside compared to a consistent Wi-Fi signal, the results are very different. With the location of the user a key aspect of reliable data transmission and how close the user is to the radio tower. Quality Duration 1080p 0 100s 720p 101s 200s 480p 210s 300s 360p 301s 400s 240p 401s 500s 144p 501s 600s By using network-measuring tools, figure 6 depicts the measurements taken for a single video to load over various qualities via regular 3G, good 3G and regular 4G connection. The results vary compared to Wi-Fi where the transmission is reliable, there are fluctuations in the transmission and the amount of data being sent, whereas Wi-Fi could send a considerable amount in the initial burst of the loading, 3G and 4G do not. Starting with regular 3g, 1080p, 720 and 480p quality videos spend a considerable amount buffering. There was not an initial burst of data that YouTubes servers transmitted, as network speeds were low, the first few seconds where spent buffering and then the video played, the video soon after paused, as buffering had to recommence to gather more data. The results show that in the initial stages of buffering with 4G connection, the amount of packets being sent are high, this is to ensure the user is able to view the video as soon as possible without interference, as the bandwidth is high, a large amount of packets can be sent, this ensures no pausing. YouTube servers application layer is not greedy where it feeds the TCP stack at a rate given by the private throttling algorithm. The TCP layer manages the buffering, when the transmission rate at TCP layer is reduced, the data that cannot be transmitted begins to be stored in the buffer, which can be seen in the 144p portion from 510 seconds onwards. However, when the buffer is occupied, the TCP layer is blocked from sending more data. This can also be shown via YouTubes stats for nerds feature [Figure 7], where when the video is done buffering to the max size of the video file, the network activity drops to a dead 0. With the more limited bandwidth of 3G connectivity, the video has to buffer for longer as with the capped transmission rate, not as much video data can be sent with more frequent throttling. Conclusion Overall, it is clear that the higher the quality, the more bandwidth is needed in-order to view the content with no interference. Limiting bandwidth had effects on the overall quality where YouTube would automatically decrease or increase the quality accordingly. Looking at the graphs produced, choosing to view content at a high quality on speeds of, for example, 3G will result in a in-viewable experience where the end-user will have to wait considerable amounts of time to even view small portions of content. The results of viewing video show that YouTubes progressive download algorithm starts by transferring an initial burst of data at the end users maximum available bandwidth and then uses a sophisticated throttling algorithm to implement a data rate that is more suited. This is key in making sure the user gets to view the video as soon as possible without tirelessly needed to pause and wait for the buffer pool to fill again. QoE is an important factor that YouTube have taken into consideration to ensure that even if the user has a limited bandwidth, by using DASH, they are always able to view the video even if it is at the lowest quality available. For smooth transmission of high quality video, bandwidth should be atleast >=3mbps. Where enjoyable watching on medium quality should start at least 1Mbps. References Yabe, M., Yokota, S. and Nakajima, T. (2006). A Quality Evaluation of High-Speed Video Streaming on Congested IP Networks. IEEEXplore, [online] p.1. Available at: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1593437/ [Accessed 13 Mar. 2017]. Tech-faq.com. (2017). How Television Broadcasting Works. [online] Available at: http://www.tech-faq.com/how-television-broadcasting-works.html [Accessed 13 Mar. 2017]. Thetoptens.com. (2017). Top 10 Best Alternatives To YouTube TheTopTens ®. [online] Available at: https://www.thetoptens.com/best-alternatives-youtube/ [Accessed 13 Mar. 2017]. MakeUseOf. (2017). 21 Amazingly Interesting YouTube Facts in 2016. [online] Available at: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/21-amazingly-interesting-youtube-facts-2016/ [Accessed 14 Mar. 2017]. Youtube.com. (2017). Statistics YouTube. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/en-GB/statistics.html [Accessed 19 Mar. 2017]. Provider, S. and Papers, W. (2017). The Zettabyte Era Trends and Analysis Cisco. [online] Cisco. Available at: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/visual-networking-index-vni/vni-hyperconnectivity-wp.html [Accessed 19 Mar. 2017]. Provider, S. and Papers, W. (2017). White paper: Cisco VNI Forecast and Methodology, 2015-2020. [online] Cisco. Available at: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/visual-networking-index-vni/complete-white-paper-c11-481360.html [Accessed 20 Mar. 2017]. Rosoff, M. (2017). Netflix and YouTube are Americas biggest bandwidth hogs. [online] Business Insider. Available at: http://uk.businessinsider.com/which-services-use-the-most-bandwidth-2015-12?r=USIR=T [Accessed 20 Mar. 2017]. Edwards, L. (2017). YouTube Red is now live: What is it and is it worth paying for? Pocket-lint. [online] Pocket-lint.com. Available at: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/135686-youtube-red-is-now-live-what-is-it-and-is-it-worth-paying-for [Accessed 20 Mar. 2017]. DaCast. (2017). Youtube Competitors: Top 5 Alternatives for Video Hosting DaCast. [online] Available at: https://www.dacast.com/blog/youtube-competitors-top-5-alternatives-video-hosting/ [Accessed 20 Mar. 2017]. The Internet Society (1998), (1998). Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP). [online] Network Working Group, p.1. Available at: https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2326.txt [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. Chotaliya, C. (2016). Which streaming protocol does Youtube use?. [online] quora. Available at: https://www.quora.com/Which-streaming-protocol-does-Youtube-use [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. Support.google.com. (2017). Recommended upload encoding settings YouTube Help. [online] Available at: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171?hl=en-GB [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. Blueberry Consultants Custom Software. (2016). Why Nobody Uses Flash Anymore. [online] Available at: https://www.bbconsult.co.uk/blog/why-nobody-uses-flash-anymore [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. The Verge. (2015). YouTube drops Flash for HTML5 video as default. [online] Available at: http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/27/7926001/youtube-drops-flash-for-html5-video-default [Accessed 21 Mar. 2017]. Figure 1 Video Used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq2Kum-eG8g Szigeti, T. and Hattingh, C. (2017). QoS Requirements of Video > Quality of Service Design Overview. [online] Ciscopress.com. Available at: http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=357102seqNum=2 [Accessed 30 Mar. 2017].

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Life And Times Of Alexander The Great Essay -- essays research papers

Life and Times of Alexander the Great Introduction Alexander the great made an impact on world history that few individuals can profess to have done. He ruled all of the known world, and one of the largest empires ever. His men were the first westerners to encounter tales of the Yeti. They even discovered and classified new types of flora and fauna, such as the red mold that grew on their bread while they were in Asia, and made it appear as if it were bleeding. He expanded the Hellenist sphere of influence to the farthest reaches of the globe. When the king of Greece visited the British colony of India around the turn of the century, the colonial government had some native Indian dances displayed for him. He was shocked when he immediately recognized the dances as the same harvest dances that his fellow Greeks performed near Thessalonika. This was the breadth of Alexander's influence on hundreds of different cultures around the world. Throughout the whole of Europe, Asia, and North Africa, stories of this great man have been handed down from generation to generation throughout the centuries. In many cases Alexander has even taken on a superhuman aura, and many unbelievable legends have been based on his life. When Julius Caesar visited Alexandria, he asked to see the body of the greatest warrior of all time-Alexander the Great. Such was Alexander's reputation, able to impress even the powerful Caesar. He was, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable men that ever walked the face of this Earth. And this is the story of his life. The Life and Times of Alexander the Great The story of Alexander the Great is one of courage, genius, and great accomplishment; but it is also somewhat of a bittersweet one, ending with his tragic death during the prime of his life, at thirty-two. Alexander was born to Philip II of Macedon and Olympias, his principal wife, in 356 BCE, mpic Games. Just three years earlier, Philip had ascended to the throne after the death of his older brother, Perdikkas1, and named the city of Philipi after himself. Shortly thereafter, at the age of twenty, he met Olympias at a religious ceremony on the island of Samothrace. Olympias was of the Mystery Religions, and... ... Alexander had at last learned his lesson and began trusting Philip. Philip, though had finally had enough of Ptolemy and the rest of Alexander's friends meddling in Alexander's business, and exiled them from Macedonia "sine die". In Alexander's twentieth year, Philip was ready to begin his conquest of Persia and Asia Minor, but first he had to cement Epeiros's allegiance to him by marrying off Cleopatra (his only daughter from Olympias) to King Alexander of Epeiros. At daybreak the wedding procession began. Twelve of the Greek deities led the procession with Philip following close behind. A man posing as a guard gained access to Philip's entourage and stabbed Philip in the side before anyone could stop him. This man, later identified as Pausanias, had a horse prepared for a quick departure, but as fate would have it, he tripped over a bush, and was transfixed with a spear before he was able to rise to his feet. But there was no helping Philip- he was quite dead. Alexander was a firm believer in the saying, "The king is dead,

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

To Live in a Vermin’s World: A Marxist View of Kafka’s The Metamorphos

To Live in a Vermin’s World: A Marxist View of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis One of the honors for ‘greatest theories’ in contemporary civilization has to be awarded to Marxism. Invented in late 19th century by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Marxism has had great influences on the development of modern society. Despite its eventual failure, Marxism once led to numerous revolutions that working classes raised against the ruling parties in different countries. Consequently, it paved the way for the erection of the Berlin Wall, the formation of the Warsaw Treaties—communist camp confronting NATO, and the establishment of a world super power, the Soviet Union at the dawn of this century. Even decades later, after all those Marxist milestones have collapsed, China, with one fifth of world’s population, still faithfully believes in this theory. It is certain, then, Marxism’s effect on people’s thoughts is deep and profound. It is natural for people living in the birthplace and at the birth time of Marxism, Franz Kafka for i nstance, to have been affected by this theory to a greater extent. As an author, Kafka’s affiliation with Marxism was revealed in his novella, The Metamorphosis. It tells about a German travelling salesman Gregor Samsa, who awoke one morning only to find himself transformed into a bug. Thereafter, Gregor was soon deprived of his job and was no longer able to financially support his family as he had been. Confronted with this sudden change, the family members started to discard Gregor one after the other. Not only the father, who was eager to get rid of his bug-shaped ‘son’ right after Gregor’s disaster, his mother and sister finally retracted all their love and care as well. Ending with Gregor’s miserable death, ... ...ncy of interest lies in the fact that Gregor’s family members have to sacrifice leisure and go on work after his transformation while Gregor himself switches from a provider to a consumer. Thus, it is easy to observe a match between Gregor’s outcome and that of proletarians. Gregor is not a bug physically, but mentally he is. A story about his denial of a life in oppression, Gregor’s metamorphosis is as well a story about his pursuit of a life with fairness. Marked by Marxist characteristics, the transformation conforms to a proletarian struggle in that they have 1) like motives--unjust social and economic position; 2) like natures—both the target and the form; and 3) like outcomes--a wretched collapse. Though noticed and commented on by few critics, Marxist thoughts are clearly presented by Kafka in terms of Gregor’s decisive turning: to live in a vermin’s world.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Hypertext Fiction Essay -- Exploratory Essays

Hypertext Fiction When you read a typical paper book, your job as the reader is simply to read what the author tells you and understand it. Printed books are a linear way of telling a story, where the author chooses the exact way the story should be told and interpreted. Jay David Bolter discusses in his book Writing Space that hypertext fiction will redefine the relationship between the reader and the author of a text. With printed text, the reader has a clearly defined role, where he or she takes in the story exactly as it is told with no say as to where it is going or how they should interpret it. With the development of hypertext fiction, the reader can cross the line into being a sort of author by deciding between options in the story. The reader can create a story suited to them within the boundaries of the hypertext piece as a whole. When a printed text is read, the author becomes more of an authority figure. The author is the creator of the text and is held in high regard by the reader. However, in hypertext fiction, the author is basically creating a story where readers are free to move around and make their own choices about the story with a few limitations set by the author. Bolter describes it by saying on page 168, â€Å"†¦Hypertext writers have shown how the electronic medium can accommodate a different relationship between author and reader. No longer an intimidating figure, an electronic author assumes the role of a craftsperson, working with prescribed materials and goals. She works within the limitations of a computer system, and she imposes further limitations upon her readers†¦the reader may well become the author’s adversary, seeking to make the text over in a direction that the author... ...ver the reader. Hypertext does not take away the role of the author entirely, it simply blurs the line between reader and author that exists in written text. It is my personal belief that as time goes on, the role of the reader and the author will be more and more interchanged. With the boundary between the two already fading, it is possible that there will be hypertexts where someone can be a reader and a writer at the same time. Continuing advances in technology and writing will constantly redefine the roles of everyone involved, it is simply society’s decision to accept the changes that will keep blurring the line between the traditional reader and author. Bibliography Bolter, Jay David. Writing Space. 2nd ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001. Fisher, Caitlin. These Waves of Girls. .

Critical Issues of Soil Erosion Problems

Soil quality is one of the most basic and perhaps least understood indicators of land health. Soil supports plant growth and represents the living reservoir that buffers the flows of water, nutrients, and energy through an ecosystem. The ongoing degradation of the earth†s soils by human activity, particularly agriculture, threatens human potential to feed a growing population. The annual global erosion amounts to about 36 billion tons, of which 10 billion are due to natural causes and 26 billion are the result of human activity (Crosson et al. 995). The soil or runoff that has been eroded ends up in groundwater, lakes, streams, and rivers. The deposits of excess soil and the contaminates in it, cause further ecological complications. Bodies of water need to be dredged and monitored for contamination. Water levels are lowered with the increasing soil eroded into them, making our world†s water supply a concern directly related to the erosion of soil. The process of soil renewing itself is largely unknown. However, there is consensus on the need for conservation. Evaluating the scope of the problem or predicting the effects that various solutions might have on agriculture and the environment is very difficult. Degradation is gauged for all soil in terms of compaction, erosion, nutrient loss and loss of organic matter. Soil quality refers to the capacity of a soil to perform these beneficial functions. Its texture, structure, water-holding capacity, porosity, organic matter content, and depth, among other properties determine a soil†s quality. Because soils naturally vary in their capacity to perform these functions, we must tie our understanding of soil quality to landscapes and land use. We must understand soil quality for two important reasons: First, we must match our use and management of land to soil capability. Second, we must establish understanding about soil quality so we can recognize ongoing trends. If soil quality is stable or improving, we have a good indicator that the ecosystem is sustainable. If soil quality is deteriorating, the larger ecosystem will almost certainly decline with it (Wilken 1995, Mirzamoatafa et al. 1998). Many conservation efforts are being taken to control soil erosion. In order to do this a universal language is need to measure soil erosion, texture, and the potential for erosion. Soil loss tolerance (â€Å"T†) is the amount of a given soil that can be displaced by water or wind erosion each year and be replenished through natural soil regeneration processes. This is a basis for evaluating the impacts of soil erosion and develops objectives for conservation treatment. Erosion at rates greater than T is a special concern because it threatens agricultural sustainability. Enrichment Ratios (ER) often used as a measure of the nutrients available for soil. It is a ratio of the intrinsic potential for soil displacement from erosion to the â€Å"T† limit (Baffaut et al 1998). From 1991 to 1992 in Central Kenya†s highlands, these formulas were used to monitor runoff, soil loss, and enrichments of eroded soil material. Annual rainfall was 948 and 1125 mm for 1991 and 1992. Soil loss ranged from 0. 8 to 247. 3 tons, and runoff ranged from 1 to 89 mm. The enrichment ratios (ER) were [greater than or equal to] 1 and sediments were mostly enriched with P and Na. The P and Na concentrations were 4 to 10 and 2 to 3 times the source material. Sediment from the plots was 247 to 936% richer in P than the soil from which it originated. Too much P can have negative effects on the plant and wildlife surrounding it. Changes in soil pH, percentage organic C, and percentage total N following erosion were significantly correlated with cumulative soil loss (r values of 0. 77, 0. 59, and 0. 71, n = 20). The data indicated that the unbalancing of nutrients in the soil is due to erosion, and one of the major causes of soil fertility depletion of Kenyan soils (Gachene et. al. 1997). The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) estimates average annual soil loss from sheet and till erosion. The equation is: A=RKLSCP, where A is the computed soil loss per unit area, R is a rainfall factor, K is a soil erodibility factor, L is a slope length factor, S is a slope degree factor, C is a crop practice factor, and P is a conservation practice factor (Baffaut et al 1998). Data from erosion plots in Tarija suggest only moderate rates of erosion (200tons-per. yr. ). Data at 6-min intervals for 41 sites in the tropics of Australia were used to compute the rainfall and runoff factor (R-factor) for the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), and a daily rainfall erosivity model was validated for these tropical sites. Mean annual rainfall varies from about 300 mm at Jervois to about 4000 at Tully. For these tropical sites, both rainfall and rainfall erosivity are highly seasonal. The daily erosivity model performed better for the tropical sites with a marked wet season in summer in comparison to model performance in temperate regions of Australia where peak rainfall and peak rainfall erosivity may occur in different seasons (Yu 1998). The Wind factor must be considered when evaluating soil erosion. Plant nutrients are transported in windblown sediment. The Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ) is designed to predict long-term average annual soil losses from a field having specific characteristics. The equation is E=f (IKCLV), where E is the estimated average annual soil loss, I is the soil erodibility, K is the ridge roughness factor, C is the climatic factor, L is the equivalent unsheltered distance across the field along the prevailing wind erosion direction, and V is the equivalent vegetative cover (Baffaut et al. 1998). As validation for the Wind Erosion equation (WEQ) two field sites were established in southern Alberta (one in 1990, one in 1993). At Site 1, total N in windblown sediment trapped at 25-cm height showed an average (13 events) enrichment ratio of 1. 11, while organic C in windblown sediment showed an average enrichment ratio of only 1. 02 compared with soil from the erodible surface. At Site 2, the average (4 events) total N enrichment ratio was 1. 08 and the average organic C (carbon) enrichment ratio was 1. 05. The results provide further evidence that every effort should be to prevent erosion of the thin layer of surface soil that ensures the future sustainability of agriculture (Baffaut et. al. 1998). These examples of using universal formulas to measure soil erosion allow scientists to evaluate an area and compare efforts that are working else where and apply them to areas were soil erosion is in need of being lessened. During last 40 years, nearly one-third of the world land has been lost by erosion. This loss continues at a rate of more than 10 million hectares per year. The world population†s food demand is increasing at a time when per capita food productivity is beginning to decline (Pimentel et al. 1995). If conditions leading to famine are to be avoided, land that produces food must be preserved. The ecological food web links plants, animals, and people must live in harmony with the planet†s water, soil, and atmosphere. Once those connections are severed the hunger web begins. To avoid these devastating effects, steps must be taking in all aspects of ecology. The greatest impact of soil erosion is farming practices that are ignorant to overall effects on the food web. The key to farming is to grow enough food for all of your people. When towns were made up of small farms this goal was more easily obtainable. When people stop farming, food production then became an industry where money takes precedent over soil. Because of demand and economic reason farmers in the United States are destroying delicate balances in nature and drastically altering the landscape so that soil is at risk of erosion, and is eroded faster than it can be formed. (Pimentel, Resosudarmo1995) Agricultural practices of cropping and tillage are two important factors that influence runoff and soil losses. Much research had been done to show the effects of different tilling and crop rotations on soil erosion. Doyle†s (1996) research concluded that between 1982 and 1992 the US improved or at least had no increase in average erosion rates in most areas with extensive cropland. Some of the improvement found was the result of crops being rotated and better tiling methods. Brown (et al 1998) investigated the effects of combining whey and straw in croplands. This research found that straw or whey alone reduces soil loss by 60-85 percent. When combined they reduce soil loss by 96- 98 percent. Ghidey and Alberts (1998) found through a study in Kansas that the annual runoff and soil losses from soybean cropping were slightly higher than those for corn. These studies and others like them have provided the knowledge of how to prevent further soil erosion. The Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers to remove or add environmentally sensitive crops to their croplands (Ghidey, Alberts 1998). There are many casualties of conventional chemical farming: erosion, a decline in soil quality, water purity, weakened crop resistance to pests and diseases, and the safety of farm workers. According to US News & World Report, 9/14/92, an excess of $4 billion a year is spent on pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides Chemical farmers are still losing about a third of their crops each year to insects, diseases, and weeds. Because of tilling practices, these chemicals used in farming not only effect the food produced and ground water but also the places where the runoff is deposited. Herbicide loss by runoff is a world wide problem. These contaminated runoffs kill a variety of wildlife, aquatic life forms, and many species of vegetation. An economical and environmental alternative to conventional farming is organic crop production. Organic farming is a soil management system that maintains and replenishes soil fertility. Organic foods are produced without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. The strategy behind organic crop production is to produce food crops which are â€Å"processed, packaged, transported, and stored so as to retain maximum nutritional value without the use of artificial preservatives, coloring, or other additives. Allowable management techniques include: the use of cover crops, manures, and composts for soil fertility management, the use of mulches, hand or mechanical cultivation, and crop rotation for weed management, and production scheduling and crop selection for disease and insect management. Organic farming is not as easy or as productive as conventional farming, especially on infertile sandy soils. To be successful, an organic farmer requires a sound knowledge of soil type, crop management and the incidence of pests and diseases in different seasons (Arden-Clarke et al 1987). Organic production preferably should be combined with systems not usually used in agriculture such as cover crops and livestock farming. This requires a larger area than the normal agricultural holding, which must be chosen carefully. The Department of Agriculture (Elliott et al. 1987) certifies organic production systems. Certification involves the development of an organic plan for the operation, the plan to be evaluated and approved by an accredited agent, and the agreement of the farmer to abide by the list of approved substances. The organic agent also reviews soil and water tests, crop histories, production, and rotation plans. The area in which organic crops are to be grown must be chemical free for 3 years. They verify compliance with standards through annual and spot inspections, and record keeping requirements (Elliott et al. 1987). Consumers are demanding organically grown fruit and vegetables, and are willing to pay a higher price. The sales of organic products have increased from $178 million to over $4 billion in 1998, and is growing in excess of 20% per year. These operations will focus on the production of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers (Us News &World 1998). There is a demand for certified organic vegetables, especially with the new health awareness of the public. As with any type of farming, there is the risk of unfavorable weather and invasive pests, which could, reduced a season†s crop. Economics may be a large controlling factor for soil erosion. . When demand for grain increases, and supply decreases, price for food will increase. Americans can afford to pay a few cents extra for bread, horse food, and rice but poorer countries will suffer when food becomes too expensive. Although the United States has been referred to as the â€Å"bread basket† of the world because of our impressive food production, our history constituted prolific amounts of soil erosion. During the 1930†³s dust clouds forced people from their homes, killed humans and animals alike, and caused snow in Vermont to be black. Agricultural economists are aware that severely eroded soils are less productive–if too much soil is lost, the next planting and harvest are delayed. Soils are less productive if crop planting has to be delayed. Instead of harvesting five times in one season, farmers might only reap three. Severely eroded soils have deficiencies in nutrient, bacteria, alterations in structure, and decreased resistance to pests. Continuously planting row crops, corn for example, can cause severe soil loss. Sustainable agriculture can prevent or lessen soil erosion and ensure higher productivity (Gardner 1996). Our county†s high demand for grain forces farmers to over work their land. The demand for this grain and the human consumption of grown vegetation are not the only factors leading to soil erosion. The beef industry and our consumption of red meat impacts soil erosion as well. Of the total amount of grain that is grown in the US, 80% of it is fed to livestock. To support our meat centered diet, 260 million acres of U. S. forest must be cleared to create cropland for livestock (Gardner1996). Costa Rican produced beef is even more devastating to the environment. For every ? lb. of Costa Rican beef made, one acre of Costa Rican rainforest must be destroyed. This devastation is worsened by the deaths of all the plant and animal species that occur due to habitat loss (Gardner1996). Because of the above reasons and several other moral, nutritional, and economical reasons, beef consumption is bad for the environment. Every individual who switches to a purely vegetarian diet (Gardner1996) spares one acre of trees each year. The factor of agricultural practices on soil erosion becomes more severe when forests, grasslands, and wetlands are destroyed. Roots from trees in forests, grasslands, and wetlands stabilize soil not only by holding earth, but also by intercepting precipitation, dispersing energy of raindrops, and by increasing infiltration and reducing runoff (Smith 1998). Native Americans have used good agriculture practices for years. American Indians had respect for the land and all of its life forms. One of their cultural beliefs about farming is centered on the three sisters: corn, squash, and beans. The corn provides a stalk for beans to climb. Beans produce nitrogen that fertilizes the corn. And squash protects the soil and corn roots from the sun, traps moisture, and prevents erosion. All three plants provide edible food, while preserving soil. (Wilken 1995) It is essential to the survival of the human race, and all other life forms that several forms of soil conservation practices are used. There is a finite amount of food that our country can produce before our production starts to decrease. Although erosion is a natural process, humans have found several unnatural ways to make soil erosion more severe. To be able to continue to feed the growing population and preserve the species diversity of wildlife and plants we need to have sustainable agriculture practices and soil conservation these efforts are crucial in the prevention of extensive soil erosion.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Patient Teaching

Patient Teaching: Importance of Repositioning Sean Crayton University of Toledo College of Nursing Patient Teaching: Importance of Repositioning Assessment of Patients Learning Needs M. C. is an elderly male who was admitted and treated for a fall and hip fracture. He had surgery, is bed ridden but is soon to be released. He and his family need proper teaching on the importance of reposition as to avoid obtaining pressure ulcers during his limitations to extensive bed rest and staying off of his feet or performing any unnecessary movements that could cause irritation or reinjuring the recently repaired hip.As requested we are including the family who will be his primary care takers at home and it is necessary that they all learn how to take care of M. C. properly due to his inability to adequately reposition himself successfully in the early stages of his release. Priority Nursing Diagnosis Knowledge deficit. Patient will need proper positioning teaching. The teaching will pertain to the deliberate placement of the patient or body part in order to promote proper physiological and psychological well-being. r/t.Lack proper knowledge related to how position/reposition M. C. to avoid development of pressure ulcers. AEB. M. C. was admitted with a hip fracture and received surgery. He is soon to be release to go home but is ordered to long term bed rest. Desired Patient Outcome(s) At the conclusion of the patient teaching and proper diagnosis care we hope to ensure that M. C. and his family adequately know how to position/reposition the body to reduce the risk of pressure ulcers, at more importantly the critical, but all areas of the body.Time Frame. Being realistic we are giving M. C. and his family the duration of his projected discharge week in order to properly and thoroughly learn the information and techniques required to successfully position/reposition a patient at risk for pressure ulcers. Interventions Managing patients at risk for pressure ulcers relies on a multitude of different interventions implemented by nurses in a hospital or responsible care takers and family members in the home setting.These interventions include but are not limited to: using support surfaces, optimizing nutritional status, moisturizing critical areas and of course, what we are focused on in this particular patient teaching instance, repositioning the patient (Reddy, Gill & Rochon 2006). Regular turning of patients is routinely used ostensibly to decrease the risk of pressure ulcers, and is considered a standard of care (Peterson, Schwab, Van Oostrom, Gravenstein & Caruso 2010). Pressure from lying or sitting on a particular part of the body results in oxygen deprivation to the affected area.This normally results in pain and discomfort which stimulates the individual to move. Failure to reposition will result in ongoing deprivation; poor wound healing and further tissue damage. Patients who cannot reposition themselves require assistance (Moore 2010). To bet ter ensure that this will be handled for M. C. we will be including his family in the teaching. Teaching strategies. In order to teach and relay this process and the importance of patient repositioning to M. C. and his family I will be focusing on the utilization of pictures and demonstration.Teaching will take place throughout the duration of M. C. ’s projected discharge week. During this teaching there will be a chance for them to return the demonstration to me so that they can practice and show they understand before it is necessary for them to do it in the real setting all the while allowing adequate breaks and time for them to process the information and ask questions if any do arise (remember to stay open to conversation with my patient and his family). Rationale. The most important thing that I feel to remember is that all patients or people in general do not learn in the same fashion.You have your different visual (learn best when presented with graphs and other illus trations, maps, written material), auditory (learn best when they can listen to a lecture or a fast paced exchange of information) and kinesthetic (learn best when they can just do it and are hands on) learners. Before trying to teach your patient or possible care takers how to perform or ensure proper intervention application you should first figure out the best way to teach them. I chose to provide pictures, demonstrate and allow a return demonstration or practice session with M.C. and his family because from inference and their replies to my questions pertaining to their learning strategies they all learn best visual and when performing and practicing themselves. I will be including M. C. ’s family because they are who he preferred and indicated to take care of him while he is rendered unable at home. Neither M. C. nor his family have experience dealing with caring for a person at risk for pressure ulcers so it is important that I cover all bases and be specific with infor mation.Knowing that not everyone learns at the same speed or has the same mental capacity is my reason for breaking it up and allowing for conversation and questioning so that everyone is able to comprehend and understand the information and techniques that are being provided during this teaching session. I don’t expect them to learn and understand all this in one day and it is important to break up the session so during the week of M. C. ’s discharge I will be spacing the learning sessions out. Evaluation of LearningDuring the return demonstration and their responses to my questions I evaluated their understanding to rate their processing of the information and techniques. M. C. and his family understood all the information and seemed thoroughly prepared to perform the necessary tasks related to patient repositioning and reducing risk of pressure ulcers at the end of the teaching course. It is important that when documenting I provide the patient teaching including th e information covered and the resources I used to demonstrate and infuse the importance of repositioning to M.C. and his family. Reference Moore, Zena. (2010). Systematic review of Repositioning for the Treatment of Pressure Ulcers. EWMA Journal, 10(1), 5-12. Peterson, M. , Schwab, W. , Van Oostrom, J. , Gravenstein, N. , Caruso, L. (2010). Effects of turning on skin-bed interface pressures in healthy adults. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(7), 1556-1564. Reddy, M. , Gill, S. S. , & Rochon, P. A. (2006). Preventing Pressure Ulcers: A Systematic Review. JAMA, 296(8), 974-984.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Alternative Investments Essay

Executive Summary: The purpose of the report is to do an in-depth investigation, study and analysis on alternative investments. From the various alternative investments, our team of analyst chose commodities, variable annuities and hedge funds as our subject of interest for the study. Each financial product has its own aims as to cater to the different investment goals to meet the needs of investors. Thus, just by looking at the basis on expensiveness and tax-efficiency, and then from selecting the better one is unwise. We have to look at the overall picture and considering other indispensable factors like risks, liquidity, asset allocation which are equally important. Therefore, our basis of evaluation comprises of various important factors so as to make  a robust analysis. Firstly, commodities are a highly demanded investment which is traded using options and futures contract.. Moreover, they are also an element of diversification that investors can lower their vulnerability to market volatility. Despite its high volatility in its prices, it managed to gain a higher return as compared to stocks and bonds. As commodities have a low correlation with bonds and stocks, it is able to reduce unsystematic risk through diversification. Its high correlation with rate of inflation thus looks favorable in times of crisis and these enable investors to control its asset allocation decision. By using the 60/40 tax treatment, it has shown that it is indeed an efficient method in lowering taxes. Its high commodity market liquidity thus seem promising to investors as it correlates well with it market trading especially in corn, gold and precious metals futures. Moreover, it is advisable for them to allocate 5% to 10% of their investment to commodities so as for better diversification to eliminate unsystematic risk. As it has no or few substitute, it is advised that investor should take note of any unexpected risk involved. Variable annuities on the other hand are tax-deferred with a withdrawal date only after the age of 59 ½. The performance of its sub-accounts affects many aspect of variable annuity. This is so as the performance of varied underlying investments in the sub-account results in non-uniform distribution in its returns. Furthermore, variable annuity is relatively volatile as it returns tend to varies as accordance to the returns of its underlying investments. Thus, granted with a choice of an asset for the underlying investments, investors will choose an underlying asset that is non-correlated to their portfolio holdings. Variable annuity also incurs reasonable costs. However, the main benefit of investing in variable annuity is that it is highly tax-efficient as it is a tax-deferred vehicle. This reduces the tax burden on investors and at the same time creates an opportunity for them to invest in tax-inefficient vehicles before the withdrawal date as no tax is imposed before the date. The downside to investing in variable annuity is that it has liquidity risks. However, it can reduce unsystematic risk significantly due to the investment options for  its sub-account and this important aspect of it also provide investors with the ability to allocate their assets. The primary aim of most hedge funds is to reduce volatility and risk while attempting to preserve capital and deliver positive returns under all market conditions which brings investors an indispensable option to invest in hedge fund. With a low standard deviation of almost zero, hedge funds are highly of an advantage as it does not fluctuate widely within periods. However, volatility is not the only indicator of risk affecting the fund. For hedge funds, the skewness variations are not uniform across styles. While hedge funds offer potential for returns that are not highly correlated with other markets, their unique properties would also mean that they involve a high degree of risk. Its fees are regular thus investors should follow accordingly. Hedge Funds exploit different ways to minimize capital gains and income taxes for investors. With the Tax Exemption for Singapore Resident Funds, it places investment in Hedge Fund at an advantage. Putting their trust in the fund manager’s ability to meet the fund’s objectives, it is then recommended for investors to choose the right fund manager to manage their investments. From the in-depth analysis on alternative investments, we realized that there is no a perfect product to solely invest in. Each alternative assets has its advantages and disadvantages, thus we have to invest in varieties of asset classes but diversified it. There is also the need for proper asset allocation management and the use of investment strategies. Introduction: The continual search to reap higher risk-adjusted returns has led to a number of highly alternative assets to be considered for financial investment purpose. Thus, the growth of alternative investments market is outstanding. According to the 2010 Alternative Investment Survey of U.S Institutions and Financial Advisor, 36% of the institutional investors that are surveyed have $1-10 Billion in asset under management and 29% with greater than $11 Billion in asset under management. In this report, our team of financial analyst has chose to do an in depth analysis on commodities, variable  annuities and hedge funds. Through this report, we are going analyze the aforementioned alternative assets through various important factors namely its returns, risks, costs, other competitive advantages and disadvantages. At the end of this report, we hope to achieve an in-depth evaluation on the attractiveness of each subject of interest and make sound recommendations. Introduction to Commodities: Commodities are raw materials used for producing secondary goods which are transacted in volumes and classified into energy, metals, grains and livestock. Manufacturers in the commodities market purchase commodities needed on a â€Å"spot market† while speculators purchase and sell commodities using options and futures contracts. Commodity markets are real demand and supply markets. Thus with the increasing world population, there is now higher demand than supply for commodities, making commodities a viable investment for both the present and the future. Expected Returns: During inflation, commodities total returns will soar. When making an investment in commodities one can expect returns that are capital return. Commodities have been providing its investors with relatively high returns, exhibiting negative correlations with equities and bonds as well as hedge against risks. Based on the Commodity Price Index for the past year, expected returns were at 0.85%, volatility were at 0.0641 which is considered to be relatively low, while the return-risk was 0.1319. Volatility: Volatility in commodities’ prices fluctuated recently with their highs and lows due to the â€Å"interference† of the commodities market like political disputes and natural disasters. In 1973 to 2007, based on the S&P 500 Index, MSCI Index and Lehman Brothers Bond Index, it has an annualized return of 10.9% and 24.5% annual standard deviation, volatility. Although stocks performed better than commodity, commodities’ volatility was in the peak compares among stocks and bonds. Historical risk return on commodity had remained positive of about 5% during the years. T-statistic, outlining the level of confidence that the risk return is different from 0 shows a  figure of 2.84 which shows that it is higher than stocks and bonds. Distribution of returns [Refer to Appendix]: From the bell-shaped curve, we can surmise that the distribution of returns on commodities is widely distributed and tends to be close to a normal distribution as investors are concern about their real returns as they want to outperform inflation. As compared to stocks and bonds, the returns in commodities are positively skewed. Since returns for commodities investment is right skewed, it means that the amount of returns will be higher than stocks and bonds which are negatively skewed. Returns distribution is very wide as the returns show a greater than 3 excess kurtosis. However, this also means higher risk for investors due to the wide distribution of returns. Correlation with other asset classes: [Refer to Appendix]: From the table, it shows that Standard & Poor’s 500 and the company are closely related in contrast to the other asset classes. GSCI and 1 month T-bills with a correlation value of -0.003, proves that they are independent of one another. It is revealed that commodities futures are negatively correlated to returns of stocks and bonds with coefficients of -0.42 and -0.25 respectively. Therefore, by allocating funds to those assets of negative correlations, it provides the benefits of diversification when facing a stand-alone risk asset class. Fees, Trading and other expenses: There are many fees and expenses that are implied in commodities trading. When trading commodities, investors incur management and brokerage fees, service tax and a possible loss of investments. When a futures contract is purchased, an initial down payment on the total futures price (initial margin) is to be made. The margin requirement is basically a small percentage of the total purchasing price for a commodity. This margin requirement usually adds up to be less than 10%. Liquidity: Commodity market liquidity often correlates well with commodity market  trading profits. Investors can benefit in high commodity market liquidity. It is easier to enter and exit trades. With the high trading volume and liquidity, the statistics of predictive ability of time honored tools like Candlestick patterns formulates tend to be more precise. Commodities that offer good commodity market liquidity include trading in Corn and Gold futures. Each of these trades at high volume and high liquidity. However, they are driven by different factors. Gold and other precious metals perform well when investors are worried about inflation or when there is the threat of economic or political disruption. Corn is determined by supply and demand. Location: The location of where the commodity is produced is not an important factor that an investor should consider as there are similar products that will be sold regardless of where it has been produced. Hence investors’ consideration of location is not required when making an investment. Tax Efficiency: In commodities, it is quite tax-efficient as they follow the 60/40 tax treatment whereby 60% of the gain is taxed as long-term gains and 40% are taxed as short-term gains. Long-term capital gains are capped at 15% which is favorable for high income investors, meaning that 60% of gains will be taxed at 15% while 40% of gains will be taxed at 35% which both equals to 23% for commodities. Thus, it will help investor to save money in tax. Ability to eliminate or significantly reduce unsystematic risk: Investing in commodities does not reduce unsystematic risks. Firstly natural disaster and bad weather may affect a various types of commodities. Another risk is geopolitical risk. This risk occur as world’s natural resources are located in various continents and the jurisdiction over these commodities lies with sovereign governments, international companies, and many other entities. Thus, international disagreements over the control of natural resources are quite commonplace. Negotiations on the extractions are pretty tense as disagreements may easily rise over licensing agreements, tax structures, environmental concerns, employment of indigenous workers, access to technology, and many other complex issues. Ability to control the asset allocation decision: Investors are able to control asset allocation decision in commodities. This is so as commodities are not professionally managed unless you have the intentions to. Thus, investors who wish for professional money managers who specialize in commodity trading to handle their investments, they may turn to ETFs or mutual funds. With that, commodities traders are able to free decisions on the allocation of their assets. It is advisable for investor to allocate more of his investments to other types of investments and allocates 5 to 10% of his investments into commodities due to its volatility. Substitute? Any alternatives that achieve the same objective in a more efficient –less expensive and/or more tax efficient- manner: Commodities have few/no substitutes as they are generic goods that we utilize in our everyday lives. It’s suggested for any investor to take into consideration the unexpected risk such as natural disasters and bad weather. If they allocate most of their investment in commodities and when an adverse event strikes, they would be caught in a difficult position. Commodities have the best advantage against inflation. During inflation, prices of commodities have the tendency to rise. Therefore, as an investor in commodities, you would be able to gain much from the increment of value. Introduction to Variable Annuities: Variable annuities are tax-deferred investment vehicle that comes with a minimal insurance contract so they can qualify for their tax-deferred status. Variable annuities can be immediate or deferred. Once you reach 59 ½, you can begin withdrawing the funds without any penalty. Expected Returns: Variable annuity has no expected rate of returns as its return is based on the marketplace performance. Its fees will be subtracted from the returns. By diversifying assets, a portfolio may have a higher return potential with a lower level of risk than the portfolio’s components would achieve separately. Volatility: The standard deviation indicates the tendency of the returns to rise or fall drastically in a short period of time. Since the return on investment in a variable annuity is directly tied to the performance of sub-accounts that make up investors’ annuity, the fund would exhibit a high standard deviation as each year’s return of the fund may differ from its mean return. This in turn makes variable annuity riskier as it is volatile. Distribution of returns: Return on investment in a variable annuity is directly tied to the performance of sub-accounts that make up investor’s annuity. If the underlying investments are in stock and bonds for example, there’s potential for a greater return. However, this will be coupled with a higher risk of loss including loss of capital which involves the funding options. It means that payments and earnings are not guaranteed. Thus the skewness variations are not uniform as returns varies depending on the instruments it consists of in the underlying investments. Correlation with other asset classes: Variable annuity offers a range of investments options for the sub-accounts. Investors will have to choose a specific one of his interest. Thus, entitle with the benefit of deciding the underlying investments, it enable investors to pick an asset that is low correlated or non-correlated with other assets classes of his portfolio. Thus, variable annuity offers balance and diversification to investors. Fees: Firstly, there is the surrender charge. It is a type of sales charge that will be issued to the customer when they withdraw money from a variable annuity within a certain period (which may vary from six to ten years) after the purchase. It is to pay the financial professional as a commission for the sale of the variable annuity. It decreases gradually over the surrender period, usually 1% less each year. Next, it is the mortality and expense risk charge which is 1.25% per year. It compensates insurance company for insurance risks. Its profit is to pay the insurer’s initial cost of sale of  the variable annuity. Next up is the administrative fees which are charges for record-keeping and other administrative expenses and is charged 0.15%. Trading and other expenses: Underlying Fund Expenses are fees that will be charged indirectly and they are imposed by mutual funds which are the underlying investment options in the variable annuity. Fees and Charges for other features are other miscellaneous fees charged in special features offered in some variable annuities. Such features include stepped-up death benefit and long-term care insurance. Liquidity: Variable annuity has liquidity risk in it whereby the proceeds from the variable annuity may be unavailable at the time of withdrawal or it will be available but at a significantly lowered value. These are attributable to two factors. Firstly, because annuities are designed as retirement vehicles, getting out early can mean taking a loss. Many variable annuities assess surrender charges for withdrawals within a specified period, which can be as long as 6 to 8 years. Furthermore, any withdrawals before an investor reaches the age of 59 ‘/2 are subject to a 10% tax penalty by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) in addition to any gain being taxed as ordinary income. Secondly, if the holder is in a need for cash and must liquidate his variable annuity, there is a possibility that on the date of liquidation, its account balance is lower than what it was previously simply due to market fluctuations. Location: Annuities are a commonplace in the current world but actually it existed way back during the Roman times. It was then introduced in Europe and the United Kingdom. It made its mark in America in 18th century but was only fully aware of in the 1930s where the Great Depression caused Americans to â€Å"save for a rainy day†. Variable annuities were first created in America in 1952. Today, variable annuities is popular than ever with sales estimated to be USD40.2 billion and are offered in many countries due to its applicability for retirement purposes. Singapore is not excluded in the variable annuities  market as well. Manulife Singapore launched the first variable annuity, Secure Retirement Plus (US$), in 2007 and later introduced Secure Retirement Plus(S$) in 2008. Tax Efficiency: Variable Annuities are tax-deferred. It can help investors save more while reducing their overall tax burden. This provides investors with good opportunity to invest in tax-inefficient vehicles such as bonds and types of equities. However, there will be a taxable amount of 10% IRS penalty with withdrawal before reaching the age of 59 ½ years. This means that investors pay no taxes on the income and investment gains from their annuity until the withdrawal date. They may also transfer their money from one investment option to another within a variable annuity without paying tax at the time of the transfer. At their withdrawal of variable annuity, they will be taxed on the earnings at ordinary income tax rates rather than lower capital gains rates. Ability to eliminate or significantly reduce unsystematic risk: By diversifying, investing in variable annuity does reduce unsystematic risk. Investors are able to make payment purchase and allocate it to various asset classes such as small-company stocks, international government bonds and fixed annuities. Unsystematic risk decreases as the number of stocks in a portfolio increases. It could help to protect the investors against sustained losses in a single stock or sector of the market. Ability to control the asset allocation decision: Variable Annuity has an accumulation phase whereby the investor makes purchase payments in which they can allocate it to a number of investment options. Moreover, it is a flexible investment that allows investors to move their money into more stable accounts such as fixed account to preserve their gains. It also allows investors to have play in the strong stock market. Substitute? Any alternatives that achieve the same objective in a more efficient –less expensive and/or more tax efficient- manner: Exchange  Traded Note (ETN) is an alternative that can achieve the same objective of a variable annuity in a less expensive and more tax efficient way. A variable annuity can cost up to 4% a year in its fees, while ETN only charge 1% fees. Both ETN and variable annuities are tax efficient and there is no negative tax consequence till the ETN is sold. However, while an annuity is passed through death to its beneficiaries, its entire gain will be taxed. The ETN under the current estate tax laws, will be receiving a step up in basis, this makes it more tax efficient than the variable annuity. However, investors of ETN have to assume credit risk as it is an unsecured debt. Thus, we have to look at other equally important factors before deciding the better alternative as just using cost-effectiveness and tax-efficiency does not equate to a robust eva luation. Introduction to Hedge Fund: Hedge fund is a fund that can take both long and short positions through the use of arbitrage, buying and selling undervalued securities, trading options or bonds, and investing in any opportunity in any market where it foresees impressive gains at reduced risk. Its strategies vary enormously especially today with volatility and anticipation of corrections in overheated stock markets whereby many hedge against downturns in the markets. Main aim of most hedge funds is to reduce volatility and risk while trying to preserve capital and deliver positive returns under all market conditions. Expected Returns: Most hedge funds’ goal is to earn a positive return despite how the overall stock market is performing. It is refer to as an absolute return. Absolute return gains and losses of a hedge fund can be measured relative only to the assets in the fund itself and investors do not compare returns to market benchmarks. With the absolute return goal, hedge fund managers often use aggressive investment techniques like short selling and leveraging. Volatility: Standard deviation reports a fund’s volatility which indicates the tendency of the returns to rise or fall drastically in a short period of time. It measures this risk by measuring the degree to which the fund fluctuates in  relation to its mean return, the average return of a fund over a period of time. Since hedge fund seeks absolute returns independent of market movements; the standard deviation for this fund would then be zero as the fund’s return does not differ within periods. Hence it shows that hedge funds are highly at an advantage since the fund with the lower standard deviation would be more optimal as it is maximizing the return received for the amount of risk acquired. Distribution of Returns: By knowing which way data is skewed, one can better estimate whether a data future point will be more or less than the mean. For hedge funds, the skewness variations are not uniform across styles. For instance, when the number of funds increases, the skewness drops systemically and is negative for Fixed Income Arbitrage, Convertible Arbitrage and Event Driven Strategies while it increases slightly. The Kurtosis tends to be concentrated in the -0.5 to +0.5 range. Changes in kurtosis tend to less predictable and differ widely over time and across investment styles. However, diversification within some hedge fund strategies may appear highly attractive in mean or variance terms, but this is much less so when skewness and kurtosis are taken into account as assessing hedge funds based on return and volatility criteria maybe misleading because of the potential underestimation of return volatilities. Correlation with other asset classes: Correlation is interlinked with diversification. Investors aim for a sound portfolio which is achievable through applying diversification. However, traditional assets classes like bonds and stocks are increasingly linked. Hedge funds which performances often highly dependent on the qualities of individual investment decisions or strategies, as opposed to being highly correlated to an overall market, diversify risk thus bringing about high returns. Instead of achieving returns from market activities, hedge funds use unique investing strategies to exploit market inefficiencies that the markets have not perceived. This further intensified diversification which put them at a better stead than traditional asset classes. Fees: Hedge fund consists of 3 kinds of fees. Sales Charge. It is a one-time charge, generally 5% and it’s the front-end load or commission that is charged on the investment amount. Management fee. It varies around 2% and it is charged on an annual basis and imputed into the Net Asset Value of the fund. Performance fee. It varies around 10-20% above the benchmark and it is charged on an annual basis and imputed into the Net Asset Value of the fund. The benchmark can be simply the zero return line or a benchmark like the London Interbank Offered Rate. Performance fees are charged on a high water mark which means investors are only charged for excess returns with reference to the previous high. If investment drop in value, the manager must bring it back above the previous greatest value before they can receive performance fees. Trading and other expenses: Apart from the above fees, investors also need to pay expenses such as the accounting and tax preparation expenses, auditing expenses, costs and expenses of entering into and utilizing credit facilities and structured notes, swaps or derivative instruments. Liquidity: There are two forms of liquidity constraints that are impose on investors which are liquidity dates and lock-up. Liquidity dates refer to pre-specified times of the year when an investor is allowed to redeem shares. Hedge funds typically have quarterly liquidity dates. Moreover, it is often required that investors give advanced notice of the desired to redeem: these redemption notices are often required 30 days in advance of actual redemption. Lockup refers to the initial amount of time an investor is required to keep his or her money in the fund before redeem shares. Lockup therefore represents a commitment to keep initial investment in a fund for a period of time. For Singapore registered hedge fund, MAS guidelines stipulate one regular dealing day per quarter. Redemption of funds usually requires a notice period and it states that redemption proceeds must be paid to the end investor within 95 days from the dealing day the redemption request is accepted. Location: Funds with a regional presence outperform those without one. Risk-adjusted return difference between nearby and distant hedge fund portfolio is about 4% and is significant. A fund’s geographical proximity to the companies in which it invests the closer it is to its investments the greater the chances that the hedge fund will earn high returns. They are better able to take advantage of local information via short selling and the use of derivatives. Direct way for hedge fund to take advantage of local knowledge is to invest in stocks and bonds in their region. Moreover, Singapore is perceived as having a high level of transparency and reliability in business, economic and regulatory affairs. It boasts a stable political structure, well-established judicial system and forward-looking financial authority thus bringing an advantage to investors locally. Tax efficiency: Tax consideration can be a benefit of alternative investments, particularly hedge funds which exploit different ways to minimize capital gains and income taxes for investor. Investors might be worried of being charged at a higher rate for tax. Singapore has in place a tax incentive scheme which exempts offshore funds from tax. Broadly speaking, a qualifying fund will be granted tax exemption provided it is not 100% owned by Singapore investors. There is also Tax Exemption for Singapore Resident Funds. It requires pre-approval from the authorities and although it is aligned to the offshore fund exemption scheme, some additional conditions have been imposed. Ability to eliminate or significantly reduce unsystematic risk: To diversify from stock-specific risk known as non-systematic risk one can invest in a range of stocks with different characteristic. Most investors of such practice regard it as unwise not to diversify into non-systematic risk. However, killing two birds with one stone is a more attractive opportunity to be seized. Thus, we turn to hedge fund. The main idea behind diversifying your non-systematic risk into assets like hedge funds is that any investment with a positive expected return, low volatility and low correlation to the rest of portfolio, will have a great chance of reducing the overall  portfolio volatility which is an additional advantage as compared to diversifying through stocks and bonds. Thus, hedge fund is an indispensable option. Ability to control asset allocation decision: Hedge fund manager has total trading authority over the fund. They are not required to provide investors with information about the underlying holdings of the hedge funds. Thus, there’s a lack of transparency when investing in hedge funds. Investors are putting their complete trust in the manager’s ability to meet the fund’s objectives. As such, investors lose control over their asset allocation. Thus, it is essential to choose the right fund manager to manage their investments. Substitute? Any alternatives that achieve the same objective in a more efficient –less expensive and/or more tax efficient- manner: The primary objective of hedge funds is to reduce volatility and risk while attempting to preserve capital and deliver positive returns under all market conditions. The emphasis here is positive returns under all market conditions and thus this explains fully utilization of specialized and carefully selected investment strategies to achieve that primary goal. There are alternatives which are less expensive and more tax-efficient such as ETFs and ETNs. Both offer similar advantages which are lower fees, lower investment minimums and greater tax efficiency. However, both products have different investments goals. ETFs mirror the indexes they track by holding diversified collection of securities, such as stocks or bonds but traded like stock on an exchange while ETN is an unsecured debt typically issued by an investment bank that mirror index like ETF. Thus, from the way they operate, we are able to conclude that their investment aims just show differences with that of hedge funds.