Nicki minaj and Michael Jackson Essay

The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five, sometimes stylized The Jackson 5ive), later known as The Jacksons, or simply Jacksons, are an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana. Founding group members Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson and Michael Jackson formed the group after performing in an early incarnation called The Jackson Brothers, which originally consisted of a trio of the three older brothers. Active from 1964 to 1990, the Jacksons played from a repertoire of R&B, soul, pop and (in the 1970s) disco. During their six-and-a-half-year Motown tenure, The Jackson 5 was one of the biggest pop-music acts of the 1970s, and the band served as the launching pad for the solo careers of their lead singers Jermaine and Michael, the latter brother later transforming his early Motown solo fame into greater success as an adult artist. The Jackson 5/The Jacksons have sold 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best selling artis ts of all time!!!!!!!! Nicki minaj Born in 1982, Nicki Minaj grew up with an abusive, addicted father. She attended La Guardia High School for the Arts, she was introduced to rapper Lil Wayne, who launched her career. Her 2010 debut album, pink friday,wit the single â€Å"Your Love,† topped the Billboard charts. A frequent â€Å"cameo† singer, Minaj’s voice was featured in seven songs on the charts. In 2012, Early Life Hip-hop artist and singer Nicki Minaj was born Onika Maraj on December 8, 1982, in Trinidad and Tobago, and moved with her family to Queens, when she was 5 years old. Minaj’s father was a severe drug addict with a long history of violence. At one point, he set fire to the family’s home and tried to kill Minaj’s mother. Those early struggles, Minaj has said, helped fuel her drive to rise above the life her parents knew. â€Å"I’ve always had this female-empowerment thing in the back of my mind,† she told Details magazine, â€Å"because I wanted my mother to be stronger, and she couldn’t be. I thought, ‘If I’m successful, I can change her life.'† To reach that point, however, nicki developed personas for herself that would allow her to be a â€Å"new person.† An early incarnation was someone she called â€Å"Cookie,† then came â€Å"Harajuku Barbie,† before finally settling on Nicki Minaj. â€Å"Fantasy was my reality,† she has said. Minaj clearly had a knack for performance. At the age of 12, she authored her first rap, then went on to delve into acting at La Guardia High School of Music and Art, the school that inspired the movie Fame. Rapper and Singer Determined to make it in the music business, Minaj took on backup singing roles for local New York City rappers. Soon, she began writing her own material. She was eventually discovered by Dirty Money CEO Fendi, who came across Minaj’s MySpace page, loved what he heard, and immediately signed her to his label. That connection led Minaj to Lil Wayne, who collaborated with her on a series of mix tapes, the first of which, Playtime is Over, was released in April 2007. The recording, and subsequent mixed tapes, showcased Minaj’s female swagger and out-front style. By early 2010, considerable anticipation had built up around Minaj’s much discussed, much covered debut album, which was scheduled for release that fall. In April of that year, she released her first single, â€Å"Massive Attack.† Two months later she won Best Hip-Hop Female at the annual BET Awards. She dedicated the award to Lil Wayne.she later became an America idol jugde.

How Effectively an Organization Meets the Wants

Competitiveness How effectively an organization meets the wants and needs of customers relative to others that offer similar goods or services Business compete using MARKETING 1. Identifying consumer wants and/or needs is a basic input in an organization’s decision making process, and central to competitiveness. The idea is to achieve a perfect match between those wants and needs and the organization’s goods and/or services. 2. Price and quality are key factors in consumer buying decisions. It is important to understand the trade-off decision consumers make between price and quality. 3.Advertising and promotion are ways organizations can inform potential customers about features of their products or services, and attract buyers. Business compete using OPERATION 1. Product and service design should reflect joint efforts of many areas of the firm to achieve a match between financial resources, operations capabilities, supply chain capabilities,and consumer wants and needs . Special characteristics or features of a product or service can be a key factor in consumer buying decisions. Other key factors include innovation and the time-to-market for new products and services. 2.Cost of an organization’s output is a key variable that affects pricing decisions and profits. Cost-reduction efforts are generally ongoing in business organizations. Productivity(discussed later in the chapter) is an important determinant of cost. Organizations with higher productivity rates than their competitors have a competitive cost advantage. A company may outsource a portion of its operation to achieve lower costs, higher productivity, or better quality. 3. Location can be important in terms of cost and convenience for customers. Location near inputs can result in lower input costs.Location near markets can result in lower transportation costs and quicker delivery times. Convenient location is particularly important in the retail sector. 4. Quality refers to material s, workmanship, design, and service. Consumers judge quality in terms of how well they think a product or service will satisfy its intended purpose. Customers are generally willing to pay more for a product or service if they perceive the product or service has a higher quality than that of a competitor. 5. Quick response can be a competitive advantage. One way is quickly bringing new or improved products or services to the market.Another is being able to quickly deliver existing products and services to a customer after they are ordered, and still another is quickly handling customer complaints. 6. Flexibility is the ability to respond to changes. Changes might relate to alterations in design features of a product or service, or to the volume demanded by customers, or the mix of products or services offered by an organization. High flexibility can be a competitive advantage in a changeable environment. 7. Inventory management can be a competitive advantage by effectively matching s upplies of goods with demand. . Supply chain management involves coordinating internal and external operations (buyers and suppliers) to achieve timely and cost-effective delivery of goods throughout the system. 9. Service might involve after-sale activities customers perceive as value-added, such as delivery, setup, warranty work, and technical support. Or it might involve extra attention while work is in progress, such as courtesy, keeping the customer informed, and attention to details. Service quality can be a key differentiator; and it is one that is often sustainable.Moreover, businesses rated highly by their customers for service quality tend to be more profitable, and grow faster, than businesses that are not rated highly. 10. Managers and workers are the people at the heart and soul of an organization, and if they are competent and motivated, they can provide a distinct competitive edge by their skills and the ideas they create. One often overlooked skill is answering the t elephone. How complaint calls or requests for information are handled can be a positive or a negative. If a person answering is rude or not helpful, that can produce a negative image.Conversely, if calls are handled promptly and cheerfully, that can produce a positive image and, potentially, a competitive advantage. Key EXTERNAL factor 1. Economic conditions. These include the general health and direction of the economy, inflation and deflation, interest rates, tax laws, and tariffs. 2. Political conditions. These include favorable or unfavorable attitudes toward business, political stability or instability, and wars. 3. Legal environment. This includes antitrust laws, government regulations, trade restrictions, minimum wage laws, product liability laws and recent court experience, labor laws, and patents. . Technology. This can include the rate at which product innovations are occurring, current and future process technology (equipment, materials handling), and design technology. 5 . Competition. This includes the number and strength of competitors, the basis of competition (price, quality, special features), and the ease of market entry. 6. Markets. This includes size, location, brand loyalties, ease of entry, potential for growth, long-term stability, and demographics. Key INTERNAL factors 1. Human resources. These include the skills and abilities of managers and orkers; special talents (creativity, designing, problem solving); loyalty to the organization; expertise; dedication; and experience. 2. Facilities and equipment. Capacities, location, age, and cost to maintain or replace can have a significant impact on operations. 3. Financial resources. Cash flow, access to additional funding, existing debt burden, and cost of capital are important considerations. 4. Customers. Loyalty, existing relationships, and understanding of wants and needs are important. 5. Products and services. These include existing products and services, and the potential for new produ cts and services. . Technology. This includes existing technology, the ability to integrate new technology, and the probable impact of technology on current and future operations. 7. Suppliers. Supplier relationships, dependability of suppliers, quality, flexibility, and service are typical considerations. 8. Other. Other factors include patents, labor relations, company or product image, distribution channels, relationships with distributors, maintenance of facilities and equipment, access to resources, and access to markets. PRODUCTIVITY MEASURE Productivity measures are useful on a number of levels.For an individual department or organization, productivity measures can be used to track performance over time. * This allows managers to judge performance and to decide where improvements are needed. * For example, if productivity has slipped in a certain area, operations staff can examine the factors used to compute productivity to determine what has changed and then devise a means o f improving productivity in subsequent periods. Productivity measures also can be used to judge the performance of an entire industry or the productivity of a country as a whole.These productivity measures are aggregate measures. In essence, productivity measurements serve as scorecards of the effective use of resources. Business leaders are concerned with productivity as it relates to competitiveness: If two firms both have the same level of output but one requires less input because of higher productivity, that one will be able to charge a lower price and consequently increase its share of the market. Or that firm might elect to charge the same price, thereby reaping a greater profit.Government leaders are concerned with national productivity because of the close relationship between productivity and a nation’s standard of living. High levels of productivity are largely responsible for the relatively high standards of living enjoyed by people in industrial nations. Furtherm ore, wage and price increases not accompanied by productivity increases tend to create inflationary pressures on a nation’s economy. Improving Productivity A company or a department can take a number of key steps toward improving productivity: 1.Develop productivity measures for all operations. Measurement is the first step in managing and controlling an operation. 2. Look at the system as a whole in deciding which operations are most critical. It is overall productivity that is important. Managers need to reflect on the value of potential productivity improvements before Okaying improvement efforts. The issue is effectiveness. There are several aspects of this. * One is to make sure the result will be something customers want. * For example, if a company is able to increase its output through roductivity improvements, but then is unable to sell the increased output, the increase in productivity isn’t effective. * Second, it is important to adopt a systems viewpoint: A productivity increase in one part of an operation that doesn’t increase the productivity of the system would not be effective. * For example, suppose a system consists of a sequence of two operations, where the output of the first operation is the input to the second operation, and each operation can complete its part of the process at a rate of 20 units per hour.If the productivity of the first operation is increased, but the productivity of the second operation is not, the output of the system will still be 20 units per hour. 3. Develop methods for achieving productivity improvements, such as soliciting ideas from workers (perhaps organizing teams of workers, engineers, and managers), studying how other firms have increased productivity, and reexamining the way work is done. 4. Establish reasonable goals for improvement. 5. Make it clear that management supports and encourages productivity improvement. Consider incentives to reward workers for contributions. . Measure impr ovements and publicize them. Other factors that affect productivity include the following: * Standardizing processes and procedures wherever possible to reduce variability can have a significant benefit for both productivity and quality. * Quality differences may distort productivity measurements. One way this can happen is when comparisons are made over time, such as comparing the productivity of a factory now with one 30 years ago. Quality is now much higher than it was then, but there is no simple way to incorporate quality improvements into productivity measurements. Use of the Internet can lower costs of a wide range of transactions, thereby increasing, productivity. It is likely that this effect will continue to increase productivity in the foreseeable future. * Computer viruses can have an immense negative impact on productivity. * Searching for lost or misplaced items wastes time, hence negatively affecting productivity. * Scrap rates have an adverse effect on productivity, signaling inefficient use of resources. * New workers tend to have lower productivity than seasoned workers. Thus, growing companies may experience a productivity lag. Safety should be addressed. Accidents can take a toll on productivity. * A shortage of information technology workers and other technical workers hampers the ability of companies to update computing resources, generate and sustain growth, and take advantage of new opportunities. * Layoffs often affect productivity. The effect can be positive and negative. Initially, productivity may increase after a layoff, because the workload remains the same but fewer workers do the work—although they have to work harder and longer to do it.However, as time goes by, the remaining workers may experience an increased risk of burnout, and they may fear additional job cuts. The most capable workers may decide to leave. * Labor turnover has a negative effect on productivity; replacements need time to get up to speed. * Design of the workspace can impact productivity. For example, having tools and other work items within easy reach can positively impact productivity. * Incentive plans that reward productivity increases can boost productivity.

Research Paper Challenge and Change in Society Essay

Research Paper Challenge and Change in Society - Essay Example In the period of 1946-1950 UNICEF spent $112 million to provide "articles of clothing to five million children in twelve countries, vaccinated eight million against tuberculosis, rebuilt milk processing and distribution facilities, and [. . .] provided a daily supplementary meal to millions of children" (Haberman, 1972). Though the initial mandate of the program was for immediate and emergency aid, the organization has expanded to provide a wide range of diverse and long-term projects. The purpose of the United Nation's mandate is stated in UNICEF's mission statement which says it is to, "advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential" (About UNICEF: Who we are, n.d.). UNICEF has moved beyond emergency relief and into the areas of pro-active medical and educational needs. Its long-term and rapid response efforts are designed to help disadvantaged children that are the victims of poverty, violence, exploitation, and war. Many of their programs are gender specific as they fight for equal rights for girls and women. One of the goals of UNICEF is to promote girls' "full participation in the political, social, and economic development of their communities (About UNICEF: Who we are, n.d.). The numerous programs implemented by UNICEF have at their core the goal of improving the lives of children everywhere in the world. The motivation behind UNICEF lies in their belief in the principle that all children have civil and human rights that need protected. The Convention on the Human Rights of Children (CRC) is a widely ratified treaty that provides the protection of "civil rights and freedoms, family environment, basic health and welfare, education, leisure and cultural activitiesand special protection measures" (Why we do it: Children have rights, n.d.). UNICEF is driven by a philosophy that children not only deserve the basic protection of human rights, but the best way to change the world is to improve the condition of the children which will be tomorrow's adults. In their efforts to raise the standard of living for children UNICEF has programs that are implemented in 190 countries including most of the industrialized world. As an example of their international efforts is the recently launched program to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in eight countries in Western and Southern Africa and India (UNICEF, UNITAID, 2007). The PMTCT initiative works in partnership with UNITAID, a World Health Organization (WHO) effort whose mission is to provide "long-term, sustainable and predictable funding to increase access and reduce prices of quality drugs and diagnostics for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries" (What is UNITAID, 2007). In the United States the United State's Fund for UNICEF has raised over $1.6 billion to "promote the survival, protection, and development of all children worldwide through fundraising, advocacy, and education (United States Fund for UNICEF, 2008). Because the United States is a leading voice in the United Nations UNICEF has looked to the American citizens for support and advocacy. The activities of UNICEF in the United States have not been without controversy. During the Cold War standoff between

Flash V. Illumination Industries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Flash V. Illumination Industries - Essay Example In the matter of the wrongful price quotation of the computerized board, the legal team deems the contact entered into between Flash and Mack as being invalid since Mack does not have express authority to enter into such a contract. This argument is based upon the law of agency in which Mack as a contractor does not have actual authority for actions undertaken. Relevant Rules Under the law of agency, Mack is an independent contractor. Mack is a special agent since he undertakes specific assignments for Illumination Industries upon request. The general principle applied in agency law is that a principal is liable for actions undertaken by the agent if the actions fall within the authority of the agent to enter into such agreements. The issue of authority is thus of utmost importance in determining liability of the principal in contracts or actions entered into by the agent. The agent may have authority as a result of express conferment or through implication. In tort litigation the th ird party cannot claim any damages from the principal unless it can be proved that the agent’s actions were within the scope of authority in the contract. Express actual authority entails that the agent has been explicitly given authority to undertake actions on behalf of the principal. There is also the principle of implied actual authority. This is the authority that the contractor has to have if he is to perform his obligations in the required manner. This is exemplified in Ireland v. Livingstone in which the court ruled that the principal is only liable to actions which are expressly authorized by the contract. The principle of implied actual authority is however subject to personal opinion. In the matter of whether Illumination Industries ought to pay for the negligent acts of Mack, the defense team relies upon the principle of independent contractors. The principal is in law not vicariously liable for the negligent actions of the agent since the principal lacks the crit ical relationship found under employer employee. The principal would not be able to exercise the supervisory and control function in the instance of an independent contractor. There is however exceptions to this rule in instances where the actions of the contractor results into injury to a person in the real property of the principal; the contractor’s work involves potentially dangerous activity; and in instances in which the principal acted in a manner to suggest the contractor was an employee or an agent. Arguments Under the law of agency, Illumination Industries is not liable for actions undertaken by Mack since Mack is an independent contractor. Mack is an independent contractor since the nature of his work with Illumination industries is intermittent and he decides on what kinds of jobs to accept. Mack as an independent contractor does not have the authority to make quotations on the prices of goods which Illuminating Industries is to pay since he does not have the power of agent. The plaintiff may however argue that Illuminating industries had delegated authority to Mack in order to complete the job. In arguing that the job in its entirety had been delegated to Mack the plaintiffs fail to take into consideration that some aspects of agency such as the monetary aspects cannot be implied. This aspect of the independent contractor must be expressly provided by the principal and should not be by implication. In the matter

Why Did Vietminh and NLF Win the Vietnam War Essay

Why Did Vietminh and NLF Win the Vietnam War - Essay Example Unfortunately, the Vietnamese side of the conflict is persistently disregarded. Why and how the Vietminh and National Liberation won the Vietnam War remains obscured from the public. Nevertheless, the success of the Vietminh and the NLF during the Vietnam War can hardly be overestimated. The party and the Liberation Front greatly contributed to the success of the political and military operations against the United States. That the Communists won the Vietnam War was both remarkable and unbelievable: active propaganda, local support, sophisticated military strategies and the undisputable leadership capacity of Ho Chi Minh altogether laid the groundwork for advancing the victory of the Communists during the Vietnam War. It should be noted, that the fact of the Communist victory during the Vietnam War remains one of the most remarkable elements of modern history. Needless to say, before and even during the Vietnam conflict, the United States could not even suspect that the Vietnamese co mmunists would have a chance to outperform Americans, in all senses. Andrew Jon Rotter writes that â€Å"the most significant fact about the Vietnam conflict is not that the United States lost but that the Communists won† (180). In this sense, the most confusing is the fact that the main factors responsible for the Communists’ victory during the Vietnam War often remain beyond the scope of historical analyses. One possible reason is that, for many years, the United States did not want to shed light on the Vietnam War controversies that could affect its political image. It is also possible that more than one factor was responsible for the Communists’ victory, making the overall historical analysis extremely complicated. It is widely established that not the errors made by the United States in Vietnam but the actions made by Washington’s adversaries in Hanoi were at the heart of the Communists’ military and political achievements in Vietnam (Rotter 1 80). From the very beginning to the very end of the war, an interplay of factors created conditions needed to support Vietnam in its fight against the U.S. These factors included political propaganda, local support, effective military strategies, and the unprecedented authority and leadership of Ho Chi Minh. Historically, the Vietminh was created by one of the most outstanding Vietnamese leaders, Ho Chi Minh, in 1945 (Spartacus International). Later, in 1960, the National Liberation Front (NLF) was established (Moise). It is interesting, that the NLF was initially established with the goal of leading the guerilla against Vietnam’s Prime Minister Diem (Moise). South Vietnamese professionals, including artists, youth leaders and peasants, organized the NLF (Levy 19). At that time, the growing corruption in the country and the lack of positive political and economic changes raised the wave of public dissatisfaction with the prime minister’s actions and decisions. That was also the time when the NLF could not yet anticipate that it would play a crucial role in the Communists’ victory over the U.S. Political propaganda became one of the most important factors driving the NLF’s popularity and the public opposition to the actions of the U.S. in Vietnam. It is no secret that the NLF propagandists were well trained to work with the local population. Propaganda schools were scattered widely across the Southern regions of Vietnam, which helped to spread the NLF’s ideology against the United States (Friedman). The public messages sent to the local people were full of optimist about the future victory over the

Did Lebanon fall apart in the 1970s and 1980s because of the Essay

Did Lebanon fall apart in the 1970s and 1980s because of the Arab-Israeli conflict - Essay Example The Arab-Israeli conflict had a direct hand in the political instability which developed in Lebanon since, as an Arab country, it came to be pulled into the conflict.i Lebanon, in an attempt to show solidarity with the Palestinians because of Israeli occupation got themselves in the wars, which the Arab states of Jordan, Egypt, and Syria launched against Israel. Despite the fact that the Lebanese army did not do much during this conflict and its success was minimal, it came to become one of the havens for the Palestinian liberation movements. While these groups were provided with a safe haven in Lebanon, their strength within the country grew so much that they started getting involved in the local political affairs. The arrival of these groups as well as the influx of Palestinian refugees increased the sectarian tensions, which were lurking just beneath the surface of the Lebanese society. One of the most significant events that developed from the Arab-Israeli conflict and came to be a contributing factor in the destabilization of Lebanon is that which led to the Black September in Jordan.ii When the Jewish state was formed in 1948, the remaining Palestinian territories came under the control of Jordan and Egypt, with the former occupying the West Bank for maintaining its own security. Jordan had quite a large number of Palestinian refugees, who formed about half of its population, and when it occupied the West Bank, the Palestinian population doubled to form one third of the total Jordanian population. This country suddenly found itself in a situation where its native population had become a ruling minority. This situation inevitably led to a conflict between the two groups that formed the population of Jordan, especially when the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) established itself within the country. Black September is the conflict, which arose between the Jordanian government of King Hussein, and the

NET Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NET - Essay Example In academic circles with the frequent need of large quantities of information the use of databases has become popular and can be seen in the linkage that they maintain with databases in addition to the libraries that they still maintain. In short we can call the databases virtual libraries. The databases that I usually use are Medscape, Medline, PubMed, BioMed, and eMedicine. On the Internet it is the search engine that uses a set of software programs to identify the request and search the databases and provide the outcome of the search (search engines). Put in simple terms traditionally an individual went to a library and searched for information and brought the information back. The search engine does exactly this by searching for information based on the search terms given and makes available the information that it has found on the databases. The first step in my search for research resources on the internet was to use the most common search engines of Google and Yahoo. This gave me access to some databases, but found that I could do a better job in searching for resources on the net by selecting more academic oriented search engines and so I shifted like Academic Reference and Research Index. (Searching the Internet). The search terms used are crucial in getting the required information and the peed at which the information is located. Initially I found that my search terms were inadequate and provided me with information I did not require or I was flooded with information, which I had to shift to. This made refining of the search terms or queries a requirement. Refining a search term means altering or adding to the set of search terms employed. (Refining a Query). I exploited the search terms that gave me the information and amended the search terms that proved to be not satisfactory. The changes that I have adopted in my methods of researching the Net for information have made me more successful in securing the information that I want

First Amendment freedoms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

First Amendment freedoms - Essay Example The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments, which contain procedural and substantive guarantees of individual liberties and limits upon government control and intervention. The First Amendment, perhaps the best known of these freedoms and protections, prohibits the establishment of a state-supported church, requires the separation of church and state, and guarantees freedom of worship, of speech and the press, the rights of peaceable assembly, association and petition. While some Supreme Court justices have declared that First Amendment freedoms are absolute or occupy a preferred position, the Court has routinely held they may be limited so as to protect the rights of others (e.g. libel, privacy), or to guard against subversion of the government and the spreading of dissension in wartime. Thus, the Court's majority has remained firm - the First Amendment rights are not absolute. Only two Supreme Court justices, Justice Hugo Black and Justice William O. Douglas, insisted the First Amendment rights are absolute and their dissenting opinions fell to the wayside. Most court cases involving the First Amendment involve weighing two concerns: public vs. private. Also, the Supreme Court has often defined certain speech, also known as "at risk speech," as being unprotected by the First Amendment (Corwin 56). Freedom of speech and expression is not a luxury of democracy, but it should be recognized as a necessity. In order for a democratic form of government to function and continue to exist, it must have free expression and educated criticism. Most of the development of the United States' free society has come about because of public debate and disclosure, in both oratory and written form. The First Amendment was written because at America's inception, citizens demanded a guarantee of their basic freedoms. Without the First Amendment, religious minorities could be persecuted, the government might well establish a national religion, protesters could be silenced, the press could not criticize government, and citizens could not mobilize for social change. When the U.S. Constitution was signed on Sept. 17, 1787, it did not contain the essential freedoms now outlined in the Bill of Rights, because many of the Framers viewed their inclusion as unnecessary. However, after vigorous debate, the Bill of Rights was adopted. The first freedoms guaranteed in this historic document were articulated in the 45 words written by James Madison that we have come to know as the First Amendment. The Bill of Rights - the first 10 amendments to the Constitution - went into effect on Dec. 15, 1791, when the state of Virginia ratified it, giving the bill the majority of ratifying states required to protect citizens from the power of the federal government. First Amendment Speech and Provision was absolutely rigid by original intent, higher than modern standards (indeed unreasonable by modern standards) and not coincident with eighteenth century perceptions of the proper extent of the right to publish or speak freely. The strongest piece of new evidence involves the unofficial reporter who sat close to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Near the end of the first session of the First Congress, after the drafting of the First Amendment (then third) but before submission of the amendment to the

Causes of Great Depression Essay Example for Free

Causes of Great Depression Essay The economists and historians have not been able to reach an agreement regarding the causes of the depression. Most of them argue that the extensive stock market speculation was the major cause of depression. However they differ in the magnitude of effect of stock-market crash on the great depression. Milton Friedman says in this regard; I dont doubt for a moment that the collapse of the stock market in 1929 played a role in the initial recession (Parker, 49) Another economic historian Temin (1976) only attribute a minor role to the speculation and stock market crash as the cause of great depression. Other economists speculate that stock market crash set an impetus for great depression and was the primary cause of this economic devastation. For example, the research studies by Romer (1990) and Flacco and Parker (1992) provides verified and verifiable evidence that speculation and stock market collapse were the primary source of consumers uncertainty in the economic activity that finally led to great depression. As usual the period of depression was preceded by a long period of speculation. The prosperity of the 1920s has benefited only a small group of people who owned great businesses. These people made huge profits in the form of dividends. No doubt in these big businesses hundred and thousands of stockholders had also shares but their investments were purely of marginal nature. The major share in these concerns was in the hands of comparatively small number of people. It is estimated that in 1929 almost 78% of the dividends from the great industries, railroads, oil companies and other combines went to 0.3% population, headed by a handful of multi-millionaires. Gusmorino (1996) says in this regard; According to a study done by the Brookings Institute, in 1929 the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42%2. That same top 0.1% of Americans in 1929 controlled 34% of all savings, while 80% of Americans had no savings at all3. Automotive industry mogul Henry Ford provides a striking example of the unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the middle-class. Henry Ford reported a personal income of $14 million4 in the same year that the average personal income was $750. As a result of speculation wave which swept the country during the years 1928-1929, the stock market reached new heights. This boom was caused by a large number of people speculating in shares of stock ‘on margin’. Under this system speculator deposited only as much money with their brokers as was sufficient to cover the probable range of fluctuations. Speculation in shares is resorted to because the price of the shares is rising and seems likely to rise. Tempted by the possibility of an easy fortune and wealth, in the late 1920s, people from different walks of life and professions freely indulged in stock speculation. For some time the prices of the shares showed a steady rise and reached an all time record in 1928-1929. Hall and Ferguson states that: The Federal Reserve began expressing concern in early 1928 and at that time began a policy of monetary restriction in an effort to stem the stock market advance. This policy continued through May 1929. The monetary restriction was carried out by selling $405 million in government securities and raising the discount rate in three stages from 3.5 percent to 5 percent at all Federal Reserve banks. But it was a late move as in October 1929, the stock market collapsed following Britain decision to raise the rate of interest to six and a half percent, with a view to attract back the capital that had been invested in United States. As a result many European holdings were thrown on the market and the prices of the shares began to sag. Once the process fell, the speculator started selling their stock-shares to avoid bigger losses. Once selling on larger scale started, this affected the confidence of the others who also fell in line. As a result of this stock market collapse, an unparalleled depression overtook United States. The prices started falling sharply, foreign trade declined, factories curtailed production, real-estate declined, new construction practically ceased, wages were cut and unemployment began to increase. Over-production of agricultural products is considered as another cause of great depression. As the farmers produced more wheat, cotton, corn and other cash crops than could be consumed, as a result there was sharp decline in the prices and purchase of farm products. This affected the purchasing power of the farmers, Furthermore, the farmers had assumed heavy mortgage during the prosperous times, which further curtailed their purchasing capacity. This inevitably cut down the market for the manufactured goods and prevented the factories from producing to their full capacity and stood in the ways of the workers getting employment. So it was cause and effect phenomenon. Over-production in the industrial sector also augmented the depression. In the years of boom which followed by World War I, the American manufacturers, encouraged and captivated by huge profits had made too many goods which could not be consumed by the home market. Ultimately these manufacturers were compelled to cut down the production which meant dismissing a number of workers. The unemployed workers had very little or no capacity to spend which meant further reduction in the production of goods. As the depression grew, this process continued. For sometime the production of these merchants was consumed by the domestic consumers due to system of installment buying. However, carried to extreme, this plan of installment buying was dangerous and completely dried up the future purchasing power and increased the load of private debts. The introduction of the labor-saving devices also led to greater production with less labor. As a result of introduction of the machines, a large number of men were thrown out of jobs and usually they failed to secure alternative jobs. This meant diminishing capacity of the labor to purchase. The Gold standard and money hoarding also contributed toward the increase of depression. Due to economic unrest caused initially by bathed stock market crash compelled the people to hoard large amounts of money. As America had a 100% gold standard at that time, so circulation of money became a major dilemma for the Federal Reserve Board. Money supply dropped radically. However Professor Richard Timberlake (2005) negates this preposition and holds that the gold standard could not held accountable for the Great Depression, because Federal Reserve Board was not pursuing a austere gold standard even earlier. As a result of the war, the economies of the European powers were badly shattered and they owed huge debts to United States. Most of these debtor nations made an effort to buy as little as possible and sell more to United States. For sometime the American investor kept the international trade machinery working by providing huge loans to the foreign powers. But once the borrowers reached a point where their capacity to repay ceased, the loans were stopped. This greatly affected the American trade. Gusmorino (1996) holds the view; A last major instability of the American economy had to do with large-scale international wealth distribution problems. While America was prospering in the 1920s, European nations were struggling to rebuild themselves after the damage of war. During World War I the U.S. government lent its European allies $7 billion, and then another $3.3 billion by 1920. By the Dawes Plan of 1924 the U.S. started lending to Axis Germany. American foreign lending continued in the 1920s climbing to $900 million in 1924, and $1.25 billion in 1927 and 1928. Further, the American government adopted huge tariffs (Fordney-McCumber Tariff 1922 and Hawley Smooth Tariff of 1930) which checked the inflow of European goods into United States. The European powers retaliated by erecting tariff barriers against American goods. As a result the American exports to overseas markets fell considerably. Randall Parker add another psychological dimension to these material and monetary causes of great depression. He analyzes that pessimistic expectation of the investors and the consumers also contributed greatly toward solidifying depression. He further says; †¦the behavior of expectations should also be added. As explained by James Tobin, there was another reason for a â€Å"change in the character of the contraction† in 1931. Although Friedman and Schwartz attribute this â€Å"change† to the bank panics that occurred, Tobin points out that change also took place because of the emergence of pessimistic expectations. If it was thought that the early stages of the Depression were symptomatic of a recession that was not different in kind from similar episodes in our economic history, and that recovery was a real possibility, the public need not have had pessimistic expectations. Instead the public may have anticipated things would get better. However, after the British left the gold standard, expectations changed in a very pessimistic way. The public may very well have believed that the business cycle downturn was not going to be reversed, but rather was going to get worse than it was. When households and business investors begin to make plans based on the economy getting worse instead of making plans based on anticipations of recovery, the depressing economic effects on consumption and investment of this switch in expectations are common knowledge in the modern macroeconomic literature. In addition to these above factors, certain other factors also operated either o cause the depression or to make it worse once it had come. These included (i) the increase in population rate was much less than the production rate, which reduced the consumers.; (ii) the disappearance of the western frontier, which meant that America could no lo9nger move in that direction during bad times and (iii) political unrest in Europe, Asia and South America, due to inter-governmental debts, also aggravated the great depression in United States. References Gusmorino, Paul A., III. `Main Causes of the Great Depression.` Gusmorino World (May 13, 1996). http://www.gusmorino.com/pag3/great_depression/index.html Flacco, Paul R. and Randall E. Parker. â€Å"Income Uncertainty and the Onset of the Great Depression.† Economic Inquiry 30, no. 1 (1992): 154-71. Hall, Thomas Ferguson, David. The Great Depression: an international disaster of perverse economic policies. Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 1998. Kaiser, David E. Economic diplomacy and the origins of the Second World War: Germany, Britain, France and Eastern Europe, 1930-1939 (1980) Parker, Randall E. Reflections on the Great Depression. Northampton, MA, USA : Edward Elgar. 2002. Parker, Randall E. An Overview of the Great Depression. Economic History Association. http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/parker.depression Temin, Peter. Did Monetary Forces Cause the Great Depression? New York: W.W. Norton, 1976. Timberlake, Richard. Gold Standards And the Real Bills Doctrine in U.S. Monetary Policy. Economic Journal Watch. VOL.2. No. 2. (August 2005). 196-233.

Converting Paper Records to a Computer Based Health Record Essay Example for Free

Converting Paper Records to a Computer Based Health Record Essay Traditional utilization of paper based medical records leads to the dispersion of clinical information as a result of the heterogeneous character of hospital systems. Due to this, the development of a clinical information system that can integrate hospital information as well as enable cooperation amongst legacy systems became a difficult task. System integration as well as the development of an efficient clinical information management system was thereby dependent upon the creation of conceptual and architectural tools that will enable such an integration. In line with this, many healthcare institutions are currently seeking to establish the integration of their workstations through the utilization of technological tools. Such tools are effective in the arrangement of clinical matters as well as in the arrangement of administrative and financial information. Clinical information systems are utilized by healthcare institutions in their integration of information. At this point, the utilization of electronic medical systems in healthcare delivery is evident in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Hong Kong, Canada, as well as Australia. The current shift from a human memory based paradigm to a technological paradigm can be traced to the recent emphasis given on health care quality improvement and cost reduction. In lieu of this, policymakers started to adopt health information technology such as the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). According to Tim Scott in Implementing an Electronic Medical Record System, most information regarding the use of EMR systems are derived from the Regenstrief Institute, Brigham and Womens Hospital, the Department of Veterans Affairs, LDS Hospital, and Kaiser Permanente. The information derived from the following medical institutions shows the following. First, success is dependent upon the organizational tools rather than on the type of technology used. Second, minimal changes were noted in terms of increase of quality and efficiency as a result of the system’s adaptation. Such findings thereby led to the slow adoption and implementation of EMR systems since majority of medical institutions as well as healthcare systems required the high verifiability of the systems utility. True enough, researches within these institutions also showed that EMR systems increase the quality of patient care as it decreases medical errors, however, the economic aspect regarding its use has not been well documented leaving most medical institutions adamant regarding its implementation. In lieu of this, the paper is divided into three parts. The first part will present the rationale behind the formation of the technology based medical paradigm. It will be formulated within the parameters of Thomas Kuhn’s conception of scientific revolutions. The second part present a discussion of the various EMR components and the problems encountered in its implementation at Kaiser. The last part, on the other hand, will concentrate on presenting possible solutions to the problems evident in the utilization of the EMR systems within the Kaiser program while giving specific emphasis on the role of the agent in successful implementation. Thomas Kuhn, in his work entitled The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, discusses the very nature and necessity of what he calls scientific revolutions. In this particular work, Kuhn sees an apparent parallelism between political revolutions on the one hand, and scientific revolutions on the other. Kuhn writes: â€Å"scientific revolutions†¦ (are) those non-cumulative developmental episodes in which an older paradigm is replaced in whole or in part by an incompatible new one† (2000, p. 50). On a preliminary note, paradigms are frameworks in and through which we approach phenomena, in general. They are models, so to speak. Naturally enough, different models employ different methodologies, different methodologies in turn, generate different types of knowledge, which, consequently, have different criteria of proof or validity. Scientific development, as Kuhn contends, may appropriately be characterized by paradigm shifts and this he calls scientific revolutions. It is important to note that scientific developments do not occur in a vacuum. For the aforementioned reason, there is a felt need to situate scientific developments in the historical context within which they are conceived, proposed and ultimately, institutionalized and integrated as part of society’s shared knowledge. This is to say that scientific revolutions are also proper objects of historical analysis and discourse in as much as political revolutions are. Kuhn contends that there is a parallelism between political and scientific revolutions. As pointed out earlier, it is important to note that he characterizes scientific revolutions as â€Å"those non-cumulative developmental episodes in which an older paradigm is replaced in whole or in part by an incompatible new one. † Kuhn’s characterization emphasizes two important points. First, â€Å"that there is a replacement of an old paradigm by a new one†. Second, â€Å"that the new paradigm is not merely something new; it is also incompatible with the old paradigm†. This is to say that the incompatibility or the irreconcilability of the new paradigm with the old paradigm serves as warrant for the necessity of such a revolution. Although there are significant differences in both scientific and political developments, Kuhn argues that one may be justified in using the notion of revolution as a metaphor for understanding them. He writes: Political revolutions are inaugurated by a growing sense, often restricted to a segment of the political community, that existing institutions have ceased adequately to meet the problems posed by the environment that they have in part created. In much the same way, scientific revolutions are inaugurated by a growing sense, again often restricted to a narrow subdivision of the scientific community that an existing paradigm has ceased to function adequately in the exploration of an aspect of nature to which that paradigm itself had previously led the way. (2000, p. 150) Kuhn’s parallelism is thus, founded on the idea that in both cases, a sense of malfunction (in our institutions as for the case of the political, and in our paradigms as for the case of the scientific) necessitates for the occurrence of a revolution. In relation to this, the shift from a human memory based paradigm to the technological paradigm may be likened to a revolutionary development within the field of medical data acquisition and retention. The difference between the human memory based paradigm as opposed to the technological paradigm stems from the ascription of greater subjectivity in relation to human memory based data as opposed to technologically maintained data. As was stated in the first part of the paper, the heterogeneous characteristic of medical institutions stems from the existence of various separate holistic systems within it. As a result of this, deriving and correlating clinical information becomes tedious. The main reason for this stems from human memory based paradigms utilization of paper based records which has a high probability of non-viability and unreliability. Examples of this are evident in evidence-based medicines non-adherence to the traditional methods of training and practice. Second, paper based records fall short of their original expectations. The objective of the healthcare record is to identify problems and to understand the impact of the illness on the individual thereby enabling the amelioration of the problem to the patients satisfaction, within the bounds of medical capabilities and society’s resource limitations(Simpson and Robinson, 2002, p. 115). The main limitation of the paper bound records, therefore, stem from their inability of being multiply accessible to members of society. On the other hand, Scott related the reasons for the development of a technology based paradigm with the high verifiability of the positive results of technologically determined medical care processes. According to Scott, new technologies make it possible to evaluate and intervene to improve care in ways not heretofore possible (2002, p. 2). In line with this, members of both the public and private sector lobby for the accessibility of technological improvements. For the members of the private sector, this is due to the inclusion of the medical industry within the business sphere. For the members of the public sector, on the hand, demands for greater accountability for health care stems from the prevailing belief that technological advancements must be made accessible to the general public. According to the IOM, information technologys role in the substantial improvement of the redesign of the healthcare system is important since it ensures the formation of a strong infrastructure in supporting efforts to reengineer care processes oordinate patient care across clinicians and settings and overtime, support multidisciplinary team functioning, and facilitate performance and outcome measurement for improvement and accountability (qtd in Scott, 2002, p. 4). The results of the success of the EMR are traceable to the developments within the field of e-Health. According to Silber, EMR serves as the fundamental building block for the development of va rious applications such as the use of ICT by the Primary Health Care Team. Others involve the use of ERM for validation of research or as an instrument in Continuing Medical Education. Information necessary for the functions ascribed above, in relation to the personal health record, are possible since the health record’s functionality enables the inclusion of the following: practitioner order entry, electronic patient record, document management, clinical decision support, administrative data, integrated communication support, as well as access to knowledge and resources. According to Raymonds and Dolds, the functions of each component are as follows. The electronic patient record presents the patients history. Document management, on the other hand contains the actions undertaken in relation to the patients diagnosis. Clinical decision support as compared to the later contains the alerts based on current data from the electronic medical record, evidence based practical guidelines or more complex artificial intelligence systems for diagnostic support†. Access to administrative related information such as admission and discharge are contained within the section encompassing administrative data. Integrated communication support however provides the tools for the facilitation of effective and efficient communication amongst members of the patients health team. The last part enables access to other sources of information regarding the patients condition (Scott, 2007, p. 4). The Kaiser Permanente EMR implementation presented one of the main problems in relation to the utilization of the components of the technologically based paradigm. It was recognized that the problems arose due to several factors which range from the software’s lack of efficiency up to the non adherence of specific qualities of the program with the social conditions in the region as well as the team’s lack of background in relation to the efficiency the program necessitates with regards to the division of the work flow as well as its dependence upon all the players within the medical institutions that the program was implemented. Scott however stated that what should be given credence with regards to the above failed project is not so much as the failure of the program but the possibilities it opened in relation to the creation and implementation of new EMR programs in the future. Scott states, success and failure are socially negotiable judgments, not static categories† (2007, p. 43). Hence if such is the case it is thereby possible to conceive of the problems noted by Hartswood et al (2003) in relation to the user-led characteristic of EMR. The social negotiability of judgments thereby ensures the possibility of reversals in judgments as soon as occasions arise wherein a perceived failure may be reconnected with an overall success. In line with this, the continuous developments within the various EMR systems produced and implemented within the country ensures the viability and possibility of a near success and perfection within the system which in a sense also ensures the possibility of another scientific revolution in the near future whose scope may extend beyond that of the technological sphere.

Multi Cloud Database Service Providers (MCDSP)

Multi Cloud Database Service Providers (MCDSP) A Multi cloud service provider is expert in building the distributed database cloud and can manage those cloud storage servers also. And this multi cloud database service provider is capable of operating the cloud computing system in an interactive way. When a user wants to store the data in the multi cloud, he needs to log with his credentials. MCD service provider of the multi cloud plays a dominant role in managing all the resources of cloud databases to offer a high quality 24X7 secure access. In reality the architecture is planned to operate with any number of databases and types, the architecture is planned to work with a limited number of cloud databases. In its inception the project is planned to use MySql as the storage server in all the cloud environments. The cloud databases can be accessed, controlled and configured through MCDSP’s configuration control manager. Thus we have configured five server databases of which the user can choose any three servers of his choice to store his confidential information. The client is simply aware of the storage servers and their status used for storing information. In this multi-storage environment the client can manually stores user (secret) information by choosing the server IP address (name) from the active servers list. So involvement of MCDSP is nullified, when the client puts his information in the cloud. 5.2.1 Cloud server’s information: 5.2.1.1 Cloud sever1 Cloud Server Name:SVPPC704 Configured IP address: 10.10.10.200 dbname : db1 Password : user1 User name : user1 5.2.1.2 Cloud sever2 Cloud Server Name: SVPPC705 Configured IP address : 10.10.10.83 dbname : db2 Password : deepika User name : deepika 5.2.1.3 Cloud sever3 Cloud server Name: VJ Babu Configured IP Address : 10.10.10.99 dbname : db3 Password : user3 User name : user3 5.2.1.4 Cloud sever4 Cloud server Name: SVPPC707 Configured IP Address : 10.10.10.125 dbname : db4 Password : user4 User name : user4 5.2.1.5 Cloud sever5 Cloud server Name: SVPPC719 Configured IP Address : 10.10.10.74 dbname : db5 Password : user5 User name: user5 Information of MCDSP, is stored in databases is stored as, 5.3 UML Diagrams The unified modelling language is a standard language for specifying, Visualizing, Constructing and documenting the software system and its components. It is a graphical language that provides a vocabulary and set of semantics and rules. The UML focuses on the conceptual and physical representation of the system. It captures the decisions and understandings about systems that must be constructed. It is used to understand, design, configure, maintain and control information about the systems. 5.3.1 Class diagram A Class diagram shows a set of classes, interfaces and collaborations and their relationships. Class diagram addresses the static design view of a system. Class diagrams to describe the structure of the system. Classes are abstractions that specify the common structure and behaviour of a set. Class diagrams describe the system in terms of objects, classes, attributes, operations and their associations. In UML class diagrams, Top compartment contains name of the class. Middle compartment contains class’s attributes or instance variables. Bottom compartment contains class’s operations or methods. 5.3.2 Use case diagram Use cases are used during requirements elicitation and analysis to represent the functionality of the system. Use cases focus on the behavior of the system from the external point of view. The actor is outside the boundary of the system, whereas the use cases are inside the boundary of the system (MCDS).The Actors involved in this use case diagram are: User, MCDSP. 5.3.3 Sequence diagram The time ordering messages are emphasized by the Sequence diagram; this is the one of the type of interaction diagram. To visualize the communication among objects and behaviour of the system are can be done by using the sequence diagram. By using, identifying the any additional objects may participate in the uses cases or not can be done by using this sequence diagram. This diagram shows the where the interaction takes place among the objects. 5.3.4 Activity diagram The flow from activity to activity, shown by using the activity diagram within a system. One of the dynamic views of the system is activity diagram. The system can be described as activities, in the activity diagram. In this diagram, operations execution is represented by using the activities. The activity diagrams are as similar to the flowchart diagram. Description: The admin gets login and checks whether the admin had an appropriate login id and password. The admin enters successfully and upload the files, maintain the files. The user gets login, if the user is a new one then he must have to create an account and gets login. The user searches the file, if it exists, displays the original file by entering the access key. 5.4 User Interface Design The design of computers, applications, machines, mobile communication devices, and websites are designed by considering the user’s experience and interaction is called as User Interface Design or User Interface Engineering. The main goal is, make the user’s interaction is simple and as efficient as possible can be done by considering the user goals and this design procedure is called as user centred design. Without drawing the unnecessary attempts and finishing the task at hand is called as good user interface design. To design a user interface there must be an balance between technical functionality and visual elements. This is important, because when creating a system it is not only operable but also usable and adaptable. When designing the user interface design it should be useful for the users, means that the it is in meaningful manner, it should be clear then only useful for users, appearance model is easily recognizable by the users, giving more clearance by separating the similar and dissimilar things separately. This overall design can be done based on the interface architecture. 5.5 Input Design Output Design 5.5.1 Input Design Through a link only information system and user can communicate with each other and that link is called as input design. This input is taken from either in the form of printed document or entering the key values by using the keyboard can be done by using the computer and processed by the processor. There is an control on how much amount of input is required, controlling the errors, avoiding the delays, extra steps are avoided and the process is as simple as possible all these are considered when designing the input. When designing the input by considering the all these things it provides the security and ease of use. By considering the following input is designed as, To give an input which data is given? In which format the data should be arranged or coded? When operating the system personally, there is an dialog to provide the input? When an error occur, what are the different methods used for preparing the input validations and steps. Objectives: An user oriented description of an input is converted in to computer based system can be done by using the input design process. When to design this process that must be error prone and giving correct directions when accepting the input from the keyboard. To handle the large volumes of data, creating the user friendly screens for data entry. While entering the data it must be easier and it is an error prone. While entering the data, all data must be manipulated and also providing the viewing facilities also. Checking validation for input is necessary and also through screens only input is entered. When entering the data, appropriate messages are provided for better understanding purpose. For this if input layout is designed, by using this layout easy to follow the instructions. 5.5.2 Output Design The output quality is important because end user requirements are satisfied and clear information must be there. After processing the input in any system the output is displayed. The intermediate results of the output are also stored in the form of hard copy for further references. For users direct information resource is output only. For decision making and maintaining the relationship with system output is necessary. To design the output it meets the requirements of the end user. The developed output must be right and if necessary the people can used. Proper methods are selected for presenting information. In the user manual, it should contain the information regarding the output. The successful implementations of the information system having the objects are, providing information for past activities, Present status and also proving the future enhancement also. Giving information for proble.ms, important event, warnings and different opportunities. What are the different actions are performed on Triggers. What are the conformation actions are performed. 5.6 System Requirements 5.6.1 Hardware Requirements: System:Pentium IV or equivalent Hard Disk (Free space):20 MB. RAM:256 MB. 5.6.2 Server Software Requirements: Operating system : Windows XP Professional Front End : JAVA Back End (Database) :MySql Tool :Net beans IDE 5.6.3 Client Software Requirements: Operating System : Linux or windows Access: Web browser (Recommended Firefox) Memory: 256 MB (RAM) 6. IMPLEMENTATION 6.1 Shamir Secret Sharing Algorithm In this project using algorithm proposed by Adi Shamir called Shamir’s secret sharing algorithm, by using this algorithm sharing the secret information into multi cloud and again reconstructing the secret information can be done by using this algorithm. The algorithm called Shamir’s secret sharing is worked as, the secret information of user’s data can be divided into number of pieces of secret information and each part of secret information is stored into different servers of the Multi cloud and this service is provided by the multi cloud service provider. To reconstruct the original secret information, accessing the pieces of secret information from the at least two servers from the Multi cloud. 7. SYSTEM TESTING The purpose of testing is to discover errors. Testing is the process of trying to discover every conceivable fault or weakness in a work product. It provides a way to check the functionality of components, sub assemblies, assemblies and/or a finished product It is the process of exercising software with the intent of ensuring that the Software system meets its requirements and user expectations and does not fail in an unacceptable manner. There are various types of test. Each test type addresses a specific testing requirement. Testing is a critical element of software quality assurance and represents the ultimate review of specifications, design and coding. Following are some of the objectives of testing. Testing is the process of executing program with the intent of finding an error. A good test case in one that has a high probability of finding an as yet undiscovered error. A successful test is the one that uncovers as an yet undiscovered error. Testing cannot show the absence of defects, it can only show that software errors are present. The benefits obtained are: If testing is conducted successfully (according to the objective stated above), it will uncover errors in the software. As a secondary benefit, testing demonstrates that software functions appear to be working according to specifications and that performance requirements appear to have been met. In addition, data collected as testing is conducted provides a good indication of software reliability and some indication of software quality as a whole. 7.1 Types of Tests 7.1.1 Unit Testing Unit testing involves the design of test cases that validate that the internal program logic is functioning properly, and that program inputs produce valid outputs. All decision branches and internal code flow should be validated. It is the testing of individual software units of the application .it is done after the completion of an individual unit before integration. This is a structural testing, that relies on knowledge of its construction and is invasive. Unit tests perform basic tests at component level and test a specific business process, application, and/or system configuration. Unit tests ensure that each unique path of a business process performs accurately to the documented specifications and contains clearly defined inputs and expected results. 7.1.2 Integration Testing Integration tests are designed to test integrated software components to determine if they actually run as one program. Testing is event driven and is more concerned with the basic outcome of screens or fields. Integration tests demonstrate that although the components were individually satisfaction, as shown by successfully unit testing, the combination of components is correct and consistent. Integration testing is specifically aimed at exposing the problems that arise from the combination of components. 7.1.3 Functional Test Functional tests provide systematic demonstrations that functions tested are available as specified by the business and technical requirements, system documentation, and user manuals. Functional testing is centered on the following items: Valid Input: identified classes of valid input must be accepted. Invalid Input: identified classes of invalid input must be rejected. Functions: identified functions must be exercised. Output: identified classes of application outputs must be exercised. Systems/Procedures: interfacing systems or procedures must be invoked. Organization and preparation of functional tests is focused on requirements, key functions, or special test cases. In addition, systematic coverage pertaining to identify Business process flows; data fields, predefined processes, and successive processes must be considered for testing. Before functional testing is complete, additional tests are identified and the effective value of current tests is determined. 7.1.4 System Test System testing ensures that the entire integrated software system meets requirements. It tests a configuration to ensure known and predictable results. An example of system testing is the configuration oriented system integration test. System testing is based on process descriptions and flows, emphasizing pre-driven process links and integration points. 7.1.5 White Box Testing White Box Testing is a testing in which the software tester has knowledge of the inner workings, structure and language of the software, or at least its purpose. It is used to test areas that cannot be reached from a black box level. 7.1.6 Black Box Testing Black Box Testing is testing the software without any knowledge of the inner workings, structure or language of the module being tested. Black box tests, as most other kinds of tests, must be written from a definitive source document, such as specification or requirements document. It is a testing in which the software under test is treated, as a black box .you cannot â€Å"see† into it. The test provides inputs and responds to outputs without considering how the software works. 7.2 Test Results 7.2.1 Unit Testing Unit testing is usually conducted as part of a combined code and unit test phase of the software lifecycle, although it is not uncommon for coding and unit testing to be conducted as two distinct phases. 7.2.2 Test strategy and approach Field testing will be performed manually and functional tests will be written in detail. Test objectives: All field entries must work properly. Pages must be activated from the identified link. The entry screen, messages and responses must not be delayed. Features to be tested: Verify that the entries are of the correct format. No duplicate entries should be allowed. All links should take the user to the correct page. 7.2.3 Integration Testing Software integration testing is the incremental integration testing of two or more integrated software components on a single platform to produce failures caused by interface defects. The task of the integration test is to check that components or software applications, e.g. components in a software system or – one step up – software applications at the company level – interact without error. Test Results: All the test cases passed successfully. No defects encountered. 7.2.4 Acceptance Testing User Acceptance Testing is a critical phase of any project and requires significant participation by the end user. It also ensures that the system meets the functional requirements. Test Results: All the test cases have passed successfully. Minor defects encountered are fixed. Fix quality is maintained. 7.3 Test Cases Table 7.3: test cases 8. FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS In this project work the numeric attribute (integer data type) is considered in the secret sharing approach. For future work, further evaluation of non-numeric data types and larger data size can be performed. Another area of attention for future work is the idea of substituting simulation for real CSP, such as own cloud. 9. CONCLUSION The cloud computing usage is significantly notified across medium to large scale companies. But security in the cloud is still a challenging issue. A clear attempt is made to enhance has the security using Shamir’s secrete sharing algorithm. A cloud environment is simulated with six cloud databases which can be configured by the MCDSP which are available to the users to choose and then to store their information. By setting up the above kind of environment confidence can be built to the cloud users to w.r.to security and availability compromising a bit storage time.

Supply Chain Management Essay -- business processes, SCOR model

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the integration of information, technologies and management of key business functions which is linked directly or indirectly and provides services to the same customer. It promotes the flow of products downstream from raw materials to the end consumer and the flow of information upstream from consumer to supplier [1]. In above figure it explains that raw materials is procured and then it goes to the supplier for processing of raw material, suppliers supplies the processed raw materials to the manufactures, producers transform these raw material into finished goods, distributors delivers finished goods, packed materials to customers or retailers and retailers sell that product to consumers. Supply chain management was introduced due to inability of the organizations to understand the entire string of activities that governed the delivery of the product to the final customer. Previously companies were too restricted in their outlook and were concerned only with activities within their own boundaries. In essence, supply chain management integrates supply and demand management within and across companies. SCM ensures higher efficiency of modern businesses, by coordinating and synchronizing various organizations in the supply chain [2]. There are a variety of supply chain models, which address both the upstream and downstream sides. The SCOR (Supply-Chain Operations Reference) model. This literature review gives a brief description of the SCOR model. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1. THE SUPPLY CHAIN COUNCIL Supply Chain Council (SCC) is a global nonprofit organization (NGO) whose framework, improvement methodology, training, certification and benchmarking tools help member organizations make dramatic,... ...espread use of SCOR model. 10. REFERENCES [1] SASCM Student association of supply chain management, Weber State University. [2] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_chain [3] Supply Chain Council (2010), Supply-Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model, Version 10, Supply-Chain Council, Inc, 2010 [4] Supply Chain Council (2008), Supply-Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model, Version 9 Overview, Supply-Chain Council, Inc, 2008. [5] Peter Bolstorff and Robert Rosenbaum. Supply Chain Excellence: A Handbook for Dramatic Improvement Using the SCOR Model. Broadway, NY: American Management Association, 2003. [6] https://supply-chain.org/f/SCOR-Overview-Web.pdf [7] Samuel H. Huan, Sunil K. Sheoran, Ge Wang, (2004) "A review and analysis of supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model", Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol. 9 Iss: 1, pp.23 - 29

Agatha Christie :: essays research papers

Agatha Christie: Queen of the Mystery Genre Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Miller of Torquay, Devon, England. Researchers debate on the year in which she was born, but it was September 15 in either 1890 or 1891. Her father was an American who lived with his British wife in Torquay. At the time, her parents did not realize that their daughter would one day become a famous English author, writing an insatiable amount of novels and plays. Her focus was mainly on the mystery genre of literature. She was married two times, and bore one daughter by her first husband. In 1971, five years before her death, Christie was given the prestigious title of a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She died January 12, 1976 at Wallingford in Oxfordshire (Prichard www.mysteries.com/birthday/). Agatha Miller was born the third child to her parents, Fred and Mary Miller. She grew up in Torquay, Devon, England. She was taught at home by her mother and several tutors and governesses, never attending a real sch ool. As a child, Miller kept herself occupied by inventing games to play with her siblings. Not being around other children besides her siblings made Miller a shy child. She was not outspoken in her thoughts, so she expressed her feelings in music. Later in life, she would turn to writing as a means of expression (Yaffe BKYaffe@nltl.columbia.edu). Agatha Miller’s first husband was Archibald Christie, who was a World War I fighter pilot. The newlywed Mrs. Christie worked as a nurse while her husband was off at war. Through her nursing experiences, she learned of many new drugs on the market. These drugs fascinated her, thus prompting her to use them as factors in several of her Graham 2 works. Her marriage to Christie lasted only twelve years, and they were divorced in 1926. Not long after her divorce from her first husband, Christie disappeared without a trace for a short period of ten days. She was found at a resort hotel, claiming to be a victim of amnesia caused by emotion al stress. Agatha Christie had checked into the hotel under the alias Theresa Neele; Neele being the surname of her husband’s mistress. After a full memory recovery, Christie claimed for the rest of her life that she truly suffered amnesia. Some critics say that Christie faked her amnesia to do two things. Agatha Christie :: essays research papers Agatha Christie: Queen of the Mystery Genre Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Miller of Torquay, Devon, England. Researchers debate on the year in which she was born, but it was September 15 in either 1890 or 1891. Her father was an American who lived with his British wife in Torquay. At the time, her parents did not realize that their daughter would one day become a famous English author, writing an insatiable amount of novels and plays. Her focus was mainly on the mystery genre of literature. She was married two times, and bore one daughter by her first husband. In 1971, five years before her death, Christie was given the prestigious title of a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She died January 12, 1976 at Wallingford in Oxfordshire (Prichard www.mysteries.com/birthday/). Agatha Miller was born the third child to her parents, Fred and Mary Miller. She grew up in Torquay, Devon, England. She was taught at home by her mother and several tutors and governesses, never attending a real sch ool. As a child, Miller kept herself occupied by inventing games to play with her siblings. Not being around other children besides her siblings made Miller a shy child. She was not outspoken in her thoughts, so she expressed her feelings in music. Later in life, she would turn to writing as a means of expression (Yaffe BKYaffe@nltl.columbia.edu). Agatha Miller’s first husband was Archibald Christie, who was a World War I fighter pilot. The newlywed Mrs. Christie worked as a nurse while her husband was off at war. Through her nursing experiences, she learned of many new drugs on the market. These drugs fascinated her, thus prompting her to use them as factors in several of her Graham 2 works. Her marriage to Christie lasted only twelve years, and they were divorced in 1926. Not long after her divorce from her first husband, Christie disappeared without a trace for a short period of ten days. She was found at a resort hotel, claiming to be a victim of amnesia caused by emotion al stress. Agatha Christie had checked into the hotel under the alias Theresa Neele; Neele being the surname of her husband’s mistress. After a full memory recovery, Christie claimed for the rest of her life that she truly suffered amnesia. Some critics say that Christie faked her amnesia to do two things.