Introduction to How PCs Work

When you mention the word â€Å"technology,† most people think about computers. Virtually every facet of our lives has some computerized component. The appliances in our homes have microprocessors built into them, as do our televisions. Even our cars have computers. But the computer that everyone thinks of first is typically the personal computer, or PC. A PC is a general-purpose tool built around a microprocessor.It has lots of different parts — including memory, a hard disk, a modem, and more — that work together. â€Å"General purpose† means that you can do many different things with a PC. You can use it to type documents, send e-mail, browse the Internet and play games. PCs trace their history back to the 1970s, when a man named Ed Roberts began to sell computer kits based on a microprocessor chip designed by Intel. Roberts called his computer the Altair 8800 and sold the unassembled kits for $395.Popular Electronics ran a story about the kid in its Ja nuary 1975 issue, and to the surprise of just about everyone, the kits became an instant hit and the era of the personal computer began [source: The Computer History Project]. A few years later, the dynamic duo of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak unleashed the Apple II computer on the world. From that point on, the personal computer really began to take off. Other manufacturers followed suit, and soon there were computers from Commodore, Atari and Texas Instruments.Not long after the debut of the Apple II, IBM got into the personal computer game. Today, when someone says PC, chances are they mean a machine running on the Microsoft Windows operating system with an x86-compatible microprocessor. While Apple Macintosh computers are technically personal computers, most people wouldn't call them PCs. In this article, we will talk about PCs in the general sense and all the different parts that go into them. You'll learn about the various components and how they work together in a basic operat ing session.You'll also find out what the future may hold for these machines. PC Parts Let's take a look at the main components of a typical desktop computer: †¢ Central processing unit (CPU) – The microprocessor â€Å"brain† of the computer system is called the central processing unit. It's a chip that holds a complete computational engine. It uses assembly language as its native language. Everything that a computer does is overseen by the CPU. †¢ Memory – This is very fast storage used to hold data. It has to be fast because it connects directly to the microprocessor.There are several specific types of memory in a computer: †¢ Random-access memory (RAM) – Used to temporarily store information with which the computer is currently working †¢ Read-only memory (ROM) – A permanent type of memory storage used by the computer for important data that doesn't change †¢ Basic input/output system (BIOS) – A type of ROM that i s used by the computer to establish basic communication when the computer is first powered on †¢ Caching – The storing of frequently used data in extremely fast RAM that connects directly to the CPU †¢ Virtual memory – Space on a hard disk used to temporarily store data and swap it in and out of RAM as needed †¢ Flash memory – a solid state storage device, Flash memory requires no moving parts and retains data even after the computer powers off †¢ Motherboard – This is the main circuit board to which all of the other internal components connect. The CPU and memory are usually on the motherboard. Other systems may be found directly on the motherboard or connected to it through a secondary connection.For example, a sound card can be built into the motherboard or connected through an expansion slot. Power supply – An electrical transformer regulates the electricity used by the computer. †¢ Hard disk – This is large-capa city permanent storage used to hold information such as programs and documents. Traditional hard drives contain moving parts — the drive has platters on which it stores data. The drive spins the platters to record and read data. But some newer hard drives are flash-based with no moving parts. These drives are called solid-state drives. †¢ Operating system – This is the basic software that allows the user to interface with the computer. †¢ Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) Controller – This is the primary interface for the hard drive, CD-ROM and floppy disk drive.Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) – This is a very high-speed connection used by the graphics card to interface with the computer. †¢ Sound card – This is used by the computer to record and play audio by converting analog sound into digital information and back again. †¢ Graphics card – This translates image data from the computer into a format that can be displaye d by the monitor. Some graphics cards have their own powerful processing units (called a GPU — graphics processing unit). The GPU can handle operations that normally would require the CPU. †¢ Ports – In computer hardware terms, a port is an interface that allows a computer to communicate with peripheral equipment. †¢ Real-time clock – Every PC has a clock containing a vibrating crystal.By referring to this clock, all the components in a computer can synchronize properly. †¢ Complementary Metal-oxide Semiconductor – The CMOS and CMOS battery allow a computer to store information even when the computer powers down. The battery provides uninterrupted power. †¢ Fans, heat sinks and cooling systems – The components in a computer generate heat. As heat rises, performance can suffer. Cooling systems keep computers from overheating. PC Connections A typical computer connects to the world around it in three different ways: input/output d evices, ports and networking. No matter how powerful the components inside your computer are, you need a way to interact with them. This interaction is called input/output (I/O).The most common types of I/O in PCs are: †¢ Monitor – The monitor is the primary device for displaying information from the computer. †¢ Keyboard – The keyboard is the primary device for entering information into the computer. †¢ Mouse – The mouse is the primary device for navigating and interacting with the computer. †¢ Removable storage – Removable storage devices allow you to add new information to your computer very easily, as well as save information that you want to carry to a different location. There are several types of removable storage: o CD-ROM – CD-ROM (compact disc, read-only memory) is a popular form of distribution of commercial software.Many systems now offer CD-R (recordable) and CD-RW (rewritable), which can also record. CD-RW discs ca n be erased and rewritten many times. o Flash memory – Based on a type of ROM called electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), Flash memory provides fast, permanent storage. CompactFlash, SmartMedia and PCMCIA cards are all types of Flash memory. o DVD-ROM – DVD-ROM (digital versatile disc, read-only memory) is similar to CD-ROM but is capable of holding much more information. You may use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to sync your music player or print driving directions, but many computers still have ports to help you connect to a wide selection of peripherals.While there have been others, two are most commonly found on newer computers: †¢ Universal Serial Bus (USB) – The most popular external connection, USB ports offer power and versatility and are incredibly easy to use. †¢ FireWire (IEEE 1394) – FireWire is a very popular method of connecting digital-video devices, such as camcorders or digital cameras, to your computer. Networking , especially to the Internet, is very important to today's computer users. Your computer can probably use one or more of these methods: †¢ Modem – This is the standard method of connecting to the Internet. †¢ Local area network (LAN) card – This is used by many computers, particularly those in an Ethernet office network, to connect to one another. Cable modem – This type of modem uses the cable system in your home, like the kind you might use to subscribe to cable TV, to connect to the Internet. †¢ Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem – This is a high-speed connection that works over a standard telephone line. †¢ Very high bit-rate DSL (VDSL) modem – A newer variation of DSL, VDSL requires that your phone line have fiber-optic cables. An even faster version called the gigabit per second DSL (GDSL) may follow [source: Cioffi, et al. ]. Powering Up a PC A typical computer session begins with turning on the power. Here's what happen s in that process: 1. You press the â€Å"On† button on the computer and the monitor. 2.You see the BIOS software doing its thing, called the power-on self-test (POST). On many machines, the BIOS displays text describing such data as the amount of memory installed in your computer and the type of hard disk you have. During this boot sequence, the BIOS does a remarkable amount of work to get your computer ready to run. †¢ The BIOS determines whether the video card is operational. Most video cards have a miniature BIOS of their own that initializes the memory and graphics processor on the card. If they don't, there is usually video-driver information on another ROM on the motherboard that the BIOS can load. †¢ The BIOS checks to see if this is a cold boot or a reboot. It does this by hecking the value at memory address 0000:0472. A value of 1234h indicates a reboot, in which case the BIOS skips the rest of POST. Any other value is considered a cold boot. †¢ If yo ur computer is undergoing a cold boot, the BIOS verifies RAM by performing a read/write test of each memory address. It checks for a keyboard and a mouse. It looks for an expansion bus and, if it finds one, checks all the connected cards. If the BIOS finds any errors during the POST, it notifies you with a series of beeps or a text message displayed on the screen. An error at this point is almost always a hardware problem. †¢ The BIOS displays some details about your system.This typically includes information about the following: o Processor o Floppy and hard drive o Memory o BIOS revision and date o Display †¢ Any special drivers, such as those for expansion cards, are loaded from the adapter and the BIOS displays the information. †¢ The BIOS looks at the sequence of storage devices identified as boot devices in the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) setup. Boot is short for â€Å"bootstrap,† as in the old phrase â€Å"Pull yourself up by your boo tstraps. † Boot refers to the process of launching the operating system. The BIOS tries to initiate the boot sequence from the first device using the bootstrap loader. 3.The bootstrap loader loads the operating system into memory and allows it to begin operation. It does this by setting up the divisions of memory that hold the operating system, user information and applications. The bootstrap loader then establishes the data structures that are used to communicate within and between the sub-systems and applications of the computer. Finally, it turns control of the computer over to the operating system. PC Operating Systems Once loaded, the operating system's tasks fall into six broad categories: †¢ Processor management – Breaking the tasks down into manageable chunks and prioritizing them before sending to the CPU †¢ Memory management -Coordinating the flow of data in and out of RAM and determining when virtual memory is necessary †¢ Device management â⠂¬â€œ Providing an interface between each device connected to the computer, the CPU and applications †¢ Storage management – Directing where data will be stored permanently on hard drives and other forms of storage †¢ Application Interface – Providing a standard communications and data exchange between software programs and the computer †¢ User Interface – Providing a way for you to communicate and interact with the computer Say, for example, that you open up a word processing program and type a letter, save it and then print it out. Several components work together to make this happen: ? The keyboard and mouse send your input to the operating system. The operating system determines that the word-processing program is the active program and accepts your input as data for that program. ?The word-processing program determines the format that the data is in and, via the operating system, stores it temporarily in RAM. ? Each instruction from the word- processing program is sent by the operating system to the CPU. These instructions are intertwined with instructions from other programs that the operating system is overseeing before being sent to the CPU. ? All this time, the operating system is steadily providing display information to the graphics card, directing what will be displayed on the monitor. When you choose to save the letter, the word-processing program sends a request to the operating system, which then provides a standard window for selecting where you wish to save the information and what you want to call it. Once you have chosen the name and file path, the operating system directs the data from RAM to the appropriate storage device. ? You click on â€Å"Print. † The word-processing program sends a request to the operating system, which translates the data into a format the printer understands and directs the data from RAM to the appropriate port for the printer you requested. ? You open up a Web browser and check out HowStuffWorks. Once again, the operating system coordinates all of the action. This time, though, the computer receives input from another source, the Internet, as well as from you.The operating system seamlessly integrates all incoming and outgoing information. ? You close the Web browser and choose the â€Å"Shut Down† option. ? The operating system closes all programs that are currently active. If a program has unsaved information, you're given an opportunity to save it before closing the program. ? The operating system writes its current settings to a special configuration file so that it will boot up next time with the same settings. ? If the computer provides software control of power, then the operating system will completely turn off the computer when it finishes its own shut-down cycle. Otherwise, you will have to turn the power off manually. The Future of PCsSilicon microprocessors have been the heart of the computing world for more than 40 years. In that time, microprocessor manufacturers have crammed more electronic devices onto microprocessors. In 1965, Intel founder Gordon Moore predicted that microprocessors would double in complexity every two years. Since then, the number of electronic devices put on a microprocessor has doubled every 18 months, and the prediction has come to be known as Moore's Law. Many have predicted that Moore's Law will soon reach its end because of the physical limitations of silicon microprocessors. 2008 HowStuffWorks Extreme ultraviolet lithography is the future of computer-chip manufacturing.The current process used to pack more transistors onto a chip is called deep-ultraviolet lithography (DUVL), which is a photography-like technique that focuses light through lenses to carve circuit patterns on silicon wafers. While new manufacturing techniques have extended the useful lifespan of the DUVL process, before long chip manufacturers will have to use new techniques to keep up with Moore's Law. Many are already looking at extreme-ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) as a way to extend the life of silicon at least until the end of the decade. EUVL uses mirrors instead of lenses to focus the light, which allows light with shorter wavelengths to focus on the silicon wafer accurately. To learn more about EUVL, see How EUVL Chipmaking Works.Beyond EUVL, researchers have been looking at alternatives to the traditional microprocessor design. Two of the more interesting emerging technologies are DNA computers and quantum computers. DNA computers have the potential to take computing to new levels, picking up where Moore's Law leaves off. There are several advantages to using DNA instead of silicon: †¢ As long as there are cellular organisms, there will be a supply of DNA. †¢ The large supply of DNA makes it a cheap resource. †¢ Unlike traditional microprocessors, which are made using toxic materials, DNA biochips can be made cleanly. †¢ DNA computers are many times smaller tha n today's computers.DNA's key advantage is that it will make computers smaller than any computer that has come before, while at the same time increasing storage capacity. One pound (0. 45 kilogram) of DNA has the capacity to store more information than all the electronic computers ever built. The computing power of a teardrop-sized DNA computer, using the DNA logic gates, will be more powerful than the world's most powerful supercomputer. More than 10 trillion DNA molecules can fit into an area no larger than 1 cubic centimeter (. 06 cubic inch). With this small amount of DNA, a computer would be able to hold 10 terabytes (TB) of data and perform 10 trillion calculations at a time. By adding more DNA, more calculations could be performed.Unlike conventional computers, DNA computers could perform calculations simultaneously. Conventional computers operate in linear fashion, taking on tasks one at a time. Parallel computing will allow DNA to solve complex mathematical problems in hour s — problems that might take electrical computers hundreds of years to complete. You can learn more about DNA computing in How DNA Computers Will Work. Today's computers work by manipulating bits that exist in one of two states: 0 or 1. Quantum computers aren't limited to two states; they encode information as quantum bits, or qubits. A qubit can be a 1 or a 0, or it can exist in a superposition that is simultaneously 1 and 0 or somewhere in between.Qubits represent atoms that are working together to serve as computer memory and a microprocessor. Because a quantum computer can contain these multiple states simultaneously, it has the potential to be millions of times more powerful than today's most powerful supercomputers. A 30-qubit quantum computer would equal the processing power of a conventional computer capable of running at 10 teraops, or trillions of operations per second. To equal the top of the line in supercomputers you'd need more qubits. The Roadrunner supercomput er can run at a petaflop — 1,000 trillian floating point operations per second. You can learn more about the potential of quantum computers in How Quantum Computers Will Work.

American Core Cultural Values

I grew up in a very liberated yet bonded family. Mom and Dad are working, my siblings have their own worlds, and I am busy with school. However, we still find time to sit and relax and chat every night, and know the latest in each and everyone of us. I am also raised in a wonderful community which I call my second home. I met a bunch of people, of different tongue and color, whom I consider friends; and neighbors, who burst out of their houses ready to greet you with a warm smile.For me, everyday is a new day – learning new things, getting excited with minute things, seeing beauty in the world. Since then and now, America has changed a lot – it has dramatically transformed from something so simple, into a great nation of complexity. This often make me stand, gaze in oblivion and ponder – of the diverse American values, a hundred or so cultural diffusion if not acculturation, countless experiences, rich and unique history, are there any left native to us?Are there values that we can proudly call â€Å"heraldic† and â€Å"ours† since time immemorial? I discover many, but for the purpose of this paper, I will focus on four American core values I found significant and got to live with since I was born – Individualism, Time Management, Equal Opportunity and the so-gone issue on Racism. At a very young age, I was trained by my workaholic parents to stand on my own feet which simply began with learning to dress myself alone, to tie my shoe lace, to prepare my school bag and cook my own breakfast.I was trained to be responsible with my actions, words and decisions that if failures arose, I have no one to blame but myself. I grew up having sense of being an individual – independent, resourceful, hardworking. I tend to be self-reliant, not giving myself much attachment to other people except for social purposes. I had envision myself to be this or that person, or to have this or that belongings and I strive (and is still s triving) to reach the goal that I have designed and formulated.Like most of my co-citizen, I want to be known not as the son of Paul Miller or a brother of Louise Brown – I want to be known as a separate, unattached entity named Robert Walden. Like the Africans, the Americans live with the value of Individualism – a concept which stresses human independence and the importance of individual liberty in terms of morality, politics, economics and society. It opposes the general concepts of communism, holism, socialism and the likes which view communal relationship as more important than individuality. Being self-reliant, Americans believe in the ability of the â€Å"self.† One is responsible for himself, and most likely, you won't find a person who will generally lend a hand to you, because as an individual, with determination and own way of thinking, you are expected to seek solution or find someone else who can aid you. Americans also have a very strict work ethic . As most of us notice, American businesses are most likely to stick to deadlines and seldom would it be extended for an individual's sake. Often, when an employee arrived late, the employer wouldn't scrutinize the former since he has nothing to do with it and the employee is responsible for his tardiness.Also, businessmen strongly value the concept of â€Å"healthy† competition. Americans believe that competition brings out the best in an individual, and in this case, in a business. Having a â€Å"free market† economic system, companies are strongly encouraged to compete resulting to the lowering of product prices while increasing its quality, thus, the concept of â€Å"free enterprise. † Not only in the workplace is competition highly visible – it is as well a common value at school. Students also do compete – they study well, participate in class activities, etc.Seeing other students doing the same way make them strive even harder so they would end up being the best among the rest. If schools award and honor students who have worked harder than the others, companies also reward those who showed industry and dedication, especially those employees who achieved the greatest goals. The state promotes liberty and equality, not just of the individual but of all aspects of life – from the family to the society, from local government to the entire city, from a single entity to a nation.Liberty is defined as the condition that provides an individual to act according to his own will, giving him the freedom from external compulsion. This again falls to the initial value of individualism – one being solely responsible for himself. The combination of these two ideals refines an American to act and work efficiently and in the most practical way. From liberty resurface the concept of equality. Americans regard â€Å"equality† as significant, if not, vital for the nation's survival, and the citizens' harmonious relati onship. To quote paragraph 2 of the US Declaration of Independence:We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed (US Congress, 1776). But the pursuit of equality in the United States took many years of efforts and struggles from different social groups – innumerable bullets soared in the air, blood flooded the countryside, protests and social movements impaired the hearing of those who wouldn't listen.Racism has, ever since the coming of the â€Å"colored† people, been the most debatable and undying issue in American history. The entry of the Blacks during the â€Å"Slave Trade† commenced the years of discrimination since they came primarily to work in the plantation, construc tion sites and other brawn activities that require strength and endurance. As workers, they were viewed lowly by the society – as inferior to their professional office activities. But as the society slowly becoming liberated in ideas and open to changes and transformation, so are the people's behavior and attitude towards their so called â€Å"other people. †This understanding resulted to the dawn of the concept â€Å"equal opportunity,† another significant American value that has been continuously advocated by the U. S. Government. Equal opportunity is said to be synonymous with racial harmony – the elimination of all forms of violence and discrimination between different races, thus, giving everybody equal access to politics, economy, spirituality, and other common necessities and needs. One way to promote such ideal is by creating and passing laws that prohibits, for instance, job discrimination and elevates the international understanding of human rig hts and human rights violations.Some laws and provisions against job discrimination are discussed and incorporated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Civil Rights Act of 1991. The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (or EEOC) enforces these and other laws related to the protection of people from job alienation, particularly those of non-American race. Before, I found it really difficult to befriend other nationalities, as personally, I have no idea on how to approach them in utmost respect.However, feeling at ease in a diverse and complex environment that I grew up with gave me the courage (and in some way, disciplined me) to act normally with and treat other races in a manner that I would want them to treat me. And as such, it is now a taboo to see a White man cursing and pouncing on a Black man simply because of the latter's color. Last ly, what I regard as among the most important values of the Americans is their reverence with time. Cliche as it may seem, but the quotation, â€Å"Time is Gold† is an understatement.For Americans, time is more than precious – it is almost â€Å"invaluable† in the sense that you can't add-on value to time. They have this attitude of maximizing the day so as to make themselves a productive person in as many hours as possible. In that case, it is normal to see most Americans, even students my age, working in a cafeteria, gasoline stations, and the like so that, while learning, they are as well earning. Being time-oriented, wasting time is a â€Å"no no! † In a signboard hanging along a commercial avenue I passed through reads, â€Å"Being early means being on-time.Being on-time means coming late. And coming late means being dead! † As we value time for being productive, so as to relax and pamper ourselves. Most Americans, especially those with better jobs, spend their year working as hard as they can so that by the time of vacation, they have more money to spend and a lot more time to reward themselves with a luxurious and satisfying vacation. We don’t just work to earn, we work to have fun. An Asian friend once told me that it’s really difficult to understand an American – or to grasp the core of a true-to-the-blood American.I ask him why and told me that the country is too diverse and totally mixed-up. American culture is too complex that it seems like its entire culture is a result of the mixing of this and that foreign culture, he added. Again, it made me wonder – are we really that hard to understand, or don’t we really have a â€Å"trademark† that would particularly identify us? This paper prove them wrong. And I've proven them wrong. Americans have their own identity, and treasure a set of values they call their own. What I've discussed in this paper are but some of our core valu es, which in my opinion, are the most vital of all.I may have not fully exercised some of these values now but I intend to when the right time and avenue comes. Entertainment media has successfully portrait the life of a true American through the many local and international films. However, what foreign viewers grasp is our more obvious character, that is, being liberated in words, actions and decisions. We practice and enjoy liberty that it almost overflow or over portrayed in movies. Liberated is equated to Americans. But we are more than just being liberated.We are more than a bunch of people who have our own free-will. We are not simply those Whitemen who exhibited liberty for the sole reason of being free. We are more than what they thought of us. In one word, we are â€Å"deeper. † Still in doubt? Just read this paper again and you'll surely understand what I mean. Works Cited Smedley, Brian D. and Alan Jenkins. All Things Being Equal: Instigating Opportunity in an Ineq uitable Time. New York: The New Press, 2007. US Congress. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America. Retrieved on 15 April 2008 at

Why We Hate the Dumb Kids.

Magazine, or K Magazine, they wont read it. They can't spell. They spell in text. OMG, TTYL, etc. , They spend all their time playing online games and admiring each others Faceable lives. Its the truth simply put. The problem is much worse than you think. Not long ago, a high-school teacher in California handed out an assignment that required students to use a ruler ? and discovered not a single one of them knew how.I read that In an online article about â€Å"Kids these days† . What does that say about our society? What does that say about us? We as parent's are the ones ultimately responsible for encouraging our children's thinking and engaging ablest aren't we? Or have we dropped the ball and relied on the school system again. One English teacher actually denounced any textbook reading and suggested watching the movie! That's Insane. People wonder why homecomings has become more and more common these days, that's why.Its the parent's lack of Involvement In their children da y to day lives cause we too have put too much pressure on ourselves to make that effort to know that â€Å"Johnny† is being educated and we are doing everything we can to assist he properly utilizes all the tools he is given to learn with. Yes, it may be easier to watch a Youth video that will demonstrate in verbatim how to reprogram your Phone to albeit mode but if you were asked to demonstrate it on paper, these kids would be dumbfounded. We need to be more involved and help structure their theories of the now and impatient ways of learning versus actually learning.

Crime and The American Dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Crime and The American Dream - Essay Example The American has adopted a capitalistic society that leads to lack of social control and deviant behaviour. The American Dream refers to broad cultural ethos that has a goal of success open to competition. Americans are socialized to believe that they can achieve it regardless of nay obstacles, since it is a free country of equal opportunities (Messner, & Rosenfeld, 2012). This Dream has a distorted the values of Americans where they focus on monetary success and disregard happiness with commitment to acquire material gains. This has created a culture of prioritizing material gain using illegitimate methods to gain success that results in anomic imbalance in the society (Maume, & Lee, 2003). The Anomies means disintegration of social controls that produce high likelihoods of deviant behaviour that leads to the breakdown of morals in the society. America has a set of norms and values that distinguish its culture from others which explains the foundation of Americans are resistance to social control and hence culpable to criminal temptation, This means that norms and values that are supposed to mould the cultural and social stamina in America is the main motivator of high rates of criminal behaviour, and the values are individualism, achievement, orientation and materialism. The American society looks at its social worth by what it accomplishes since it is the primary objective. The methods used to get to such a point are disregarded since the focus is the end goal. In the pursuit of success, this means that one must also achieve their own success thus creating competition in the society rather than moulding collaboration. This demotivates use of legal means especially to those with limited resources (Agnew, 1992). These values mould the minds of Americans in such a way to legitimize harmful means of achieving success, and this creates an obsession with crime. The Anomie theory integrates the concepts why American Dream leads

Aspirin Use and Pancreatic Cancer Mortality in a large United States Essay

Aspirin Use and Pancreatic Cancer Mortality in a large United States Cohort - Essay Example Jacobs et al. examined the association between these two through the Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS II), a large group of U. S. adults. In the past, aspirin use had been shown to decrease the risk of colon, stomach, and esophageal cancer in the same group. The group consisted of 1,184,588 people in all, with 508,318 males and 676,270 females who came from all U.S. states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico (Jacobs et al. 2004, p. 524). In 1982, the group completed a four page questionnaire that gave data regarding â€Å"demographics characteristics and various behavioral, environmental, occupational, and dietary factors† (Jacobs et al., 2004, p. 524-525). In 1982, 1984, 1986 and 2000 follow ups were conducted to see if the group members were alive or dead. It was found that 28.1% of them had died and 0.2% could not be traced, whereas 71.7% were alive. A few of the participants had been excluded from the study based on their cancer history, cigarette smoking, o r missing data on aspirin use. Resultantly, 987,590 participants were left, out of which 4577 died from pancreatic cancer (Jacobs et al., 2004, p. 525). Statistics were gathered using the information given by the participants in their 1982 questionnaires, and the Cox model of proportional hazards was used to analyze the ratio of deaths caused by pancreatic cancer, and other potential risk factors, for instance cigarette smoking, dietary habits and family history of pancreatic cancer, were adjusted in the findings (Jacobs et al., 2004, p. 525). The frequency of aspirin intake was also taken into account, and it was discovered that most of those who took aspirin regularly, i.e. more than 30 times a month, were older and white, just like the majority of participants, who were mostly middle aged or elderly and white (Jacobs et al., 2004, p. 526). The results showed that there was no relationship between aspirin use and pancreatic cancer mortality. The result was similar

Role of Economic Development in Reducing the Poverty Rate Essay

Role of Economic Development in Reducing the Poverty Rate - Essay Example This paper presents comprehensive analysis of interrelations between economic development and poverty The essay is aimed at attempting to argue that economic development is a solution towards eradicating poverty. Factors that determine economic development have been examined, factors that cause poverty have been analyzed. Through the GDP, scholars are able to determine the living standard of people occupying specific parts of the world. Thus, any notable increase in economic growth is seen as indicating an increase in standard of living to an average level. It is worth noting that the average living standards are mostly achieved through greater inequality and poverty. Similarly, a section of scholars have argued that economic activities could solely not be attached to bringing to an end poverty across the world. In fact, numerous countries struggling with their economic activities such as oil, tea, precious stones among other natural resources have been continually exploited by foreign countries leaving them with very little benefits for their people However, economic development does not only cause poverty as it has been used by numerous countries to upgrade their economic life. This has been visual through the accessibility of facilities such as water, schools, medical facilities electricity among others. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that economic development does not only cause poverty as it has been used by numerous countries to upgrade their economic life. ... As such, pressing challenges attached to economic development must be dealt with to pave way for curbing poverty. Theoretical framework The Theory of Economic Development The theory of economic development emanates from a scholar known as Schumpeter. According to the theory, it was evident that his view on economic development was based entirely on two types of research that had been carried out by Scholars: Walras and Marx. Although they were both dedicated towards coming up with solution based on the impact of economic development, they had varying reasons. Through Walras who was his great hero, this theory is said to embrace the actual logic on the interdependence between quantities in the economy. On the other hand, Marx argues that there must be vision based on economic evolution that acts as a pathway towards the generation of economic system (Rowe, 2009). In light of this, Schumpeter argues that both contributions have played a huge role in giving the economic development a gr ound as one is rigid and the other is dynamic. As such, he argues that the dynamics in any economic entails data changing by carrying out new combinations of the five cases of economic development. The five cases in economic development consist of new products, new production methods, and opening of new methods, new organization forms and new supply sources. The development of this theory by Schumpeter has greatly contributed towards economic development for over a century. Although the theory focuses more on the limitations of tackling poverty, it could be argued that there are more possibilities towards economic development been a solution to poverty

The Gendered Landscape Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Gendered Landscape - Essay Example He is also believed to be frequently watching over us, the sand in his hourglass slowly decreasing as it slips through the hand of time. No wonder the saying â€Å"time wasted will not be recovered†. Him being elderly and having white beard symbolizes flow of time and its effect. His scythe show that time cuts down all things; it is a symbol of harvest, death or end of existence. For example, the end of the year (Petre, 2005). The green man is normally related to natural vegetative divine beings and is often interpreted as a figure of rebirth. Green man is a symbol of nature spirit of man dependence on and in union with nature. It may interpret to embrace negative and positive attributes of colour green as green colour may signify a young man with natural vitality and love. On the other hand, the green man can signify hostility and death. Some people say that the green man appears whenever there is a requirement to protect the environment. It is a blend that compromise between a pagan and Christian doctrine. It is seen in churches as a decorative feature and it is also a pagan spirit associates with nature (Anderson & Hicks, 1998). The Cyborg is a machine that characterizes the human being. Science fiction has included the Cyborg into human culture. The Cyborg is as a result of merging of technology and human form. It is evident that those archetypes of green man and the Cyborg signify the wish for human transformation. In my view, there is a need to embrace the Cyborg because technology will soon outshine normal human capability. Gender fits perfectly into this discussion in that the facets of green man and the Cyborg clearly are male and female respectively. This is because green man poses the characters of strength and love while the Cyborg poses the nature of nurturing. Piccinini is an artist who gets her inspiration from real life genetically modified organisms and

Monetary Policy in an economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Monetary Policy in an economy - Essay Example However, the effectiveness of monetary in controlling the economy is real terms remains to be a debatable issue. If Central bank attempts to control economy by implementing monetary policy through varying interest rates, it can have some indirect impacts on the overall economic activities that might lead to problems. This paper illuminates the theoretical foundations upon which the monetary policy rests. It discusses the various methods utilised to determine and implement the monetary policy in an economy on the part of Central banks. The paper also elaborates the effectiveness of monetary policy in controlling economy and critically discusses its effectuality in meeting the intended economic ends such as controlling inflation and maintaining price stability. Developing and implementing monetary policy happens to be the most crucial responsibility of a Central Bank. Monetary policy refers to the strategies of Central Banks implemented for the purpose of controlling various economic factors such as inflation and employment etc. Bofinger, Schchter and Reischle propound that "the main aim of monetary policy is a control of final targets of the economic process (price stability, real growth, full employment), which have been set in such a way as to maximise the ultimate goal of social welfare."1 Theoretically, there are four equations that are used to evaluate the impact of money or monetary policy on the overall economy. The aggregate demand function emphasises the impact of total demand on interest rates which consequently affects inflation. The 'Philip-Lucas supply curve' or the supply function relates the total output in an economy to the rate of inflation. The third equation relates the demand of money in an economy to total expenditure as well as the interest rates. The fourth equation of monetary policy relates it to the supply of money in the economy on the part of Central Bank.2 The theoretical foundations of monetary policy rest on the fact that money plays a great role in the economy of a country. Therefore, various economic factors, in particular, the inflation rate and employment level can be controlled by an effective monetary policy. King also propounds that "money growth is higher, the higher is the inflation rate".3 The growth of money or credit in an economy goes a long way in determining the prevailing inflation rate and employment level in the long run. Monetary policy helps Central banks to achieve the goal of economic stability and inflationary targets. Mahadeva says that "Central banks have always been in the forefront of those that promote low inflation or price stability as a or the goal of monetary policy."4 It is because of the fact that controlling inflation or maintaining a desired level of prices is considered to be the important functions of monetary policy and crucial aims of a Central bank. Central banks influence the supply and growth of money in the economy by changing interest rates in order to affect the aggregate demand. Arestis and Sawyer delineate the rate of interest as, "the Central Bank rate can be viewed as the key rate on which all other interest rates are based-often explicitly so as in the case of the interest rates charged by banks on loans and paid by banks on deposits" (2004, p443). Hence the Central bank influences the supply of mon

Synopsis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Synopsis - Essay Example If the fitness center is able to provide highly trained fitness staff, they will be able to charge higher fee. There is little or negligible impact of the size of the facility on the fee charged by the fitness center because customers experience higher satisfaction if other offerings such as fitness training staff are of higher quality. There is a major different in the designing of a particular service as compared to the designing of a particular product. There are even differences in the factors that need to be considered while designing services. First, service designers need to understand that service is intangible in nature so it should be designed while keeping those factors in mind that impacts the customer’s perception of the quality of a service. The customers’ perception of the quality of a particular service is dependent on the timeliness of the service provided. This means that the service should be available to the customers when they need it and any delays may make the customer perceive that the service is of low quality. Furthermore, the service designer should even take into consideration the physical setting in which the service is being provided. The safety, security and the overall environment of the setting is of utmost important in making the customer’s feel that the servic e is of high quality. This factor should be given importance when designing services that includes lower labor involvement. Another important factor is the service providing labor and the way through which they provide the service. This factor should be given importance when designing services that are labor intensive. The term mass customization is used to refer to the procedure of developing products and services based on the needs of individual customers but at the same time charging them prices that are set for

Mergers and aqcuisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Mergers and aqcuisition - Essay Example Since Bentley has somehow gained fame after operating with eleven stores in Southern Europe, Zeta's should look for 24-year AA bonds to determine the discount rate. Judging by the present status of Bentley in the Southern European market, the discount rate Zeta's should use to assess the value of Bentley for their equity holders should range from 5.0%-5.25%. At this low discount rate, they generally have a much shorter period concerning their liabilities. Furthermore, a discount rate of that range is competitive enough to acquire Bentley if Zeta's other competitors for Bentley acquisition uses a higher discount rate. Zeta's also have the advantage since they have operated for years and gained patronization from retail stores in London and Newcastle. Thus, using a lower discount rate to assess the Bentley's is a safe way for their excess cash. By doing so, Zeta's is being prudent enough. If they take the bond rate, Bentley equity holders would actually overview it down for prudence. A pparently, it is quite difficult to get a good AA measure for acquisition and bond yields. Markova (2001) states that if a company uses a discount rate of such range, the competitors tend to overlook the rate and thus t discourages them to continue bidding. Terminal value is defined as the value of any item at the end of a particular time phase. For instance, the terminal value may include the value of a fully depreciated asset and the maturity value of a bond (Bergstein, 1998). Based on the Table 1 of Mr. Sharpe, the terminal value is 8.5 million. The terminal value that should be used in order to evaluate the cash flow of Bentley is satisfactory enough for Zeta's to gain full acquisition to it, which has principally been driven by the market. Since Bentley has somehow gained fame after operating with eleven stores in Southern Europe, Zeta's should look for 24-year AA bond. At this terminal value, they generally have a much shorter period concerning meeting the demands of their liabilities. Furthermore, a Bentley's terminal value for 2005 which is expected to grow by 5% in 2006 is competitive enough to acquire Bentley if Zeta's other competitors for Bentley acquisition uses fashion retail items using their own names. Since Zeta's is j ust planning to start using its own name, Zeta's have the advantage since they have operated for years and gained patronization from retail stores in London and Newcastle. Thus, using a lower discount rate to assess the Bentley's is a safe way for their excess cash. By doing so, Zeta's is being prudent enough. If they take the bond rate, Bentley equity holders would actually overview it down for prudence. Collateral, which consists of securities that could be sold by the Reserve Bank if the borrower fails to pay back the loan, limits the Fed's (and therefore the taxpaying public's) risk exposure. Acceptable collateral includes, among other things, U.S. Treasury securities, government agency securities, municipal securities, mortgages on one- to four-family dwellings, and short-term commercial notes. Usually, collateral is kept at the Reserve Bank,

The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb - Article Example Recommendations made by Stimson to presidents Roosevelt and Truman were based on consultation with the people concerned with the issue. One of the sources that Stimson relied on for information was General Grove. This person was to provide information on the progress of the project design for making the atomic bombs. The other source of information that Stimson relied on was the secretary of state and secretary of naval forestall. Moreover, Stimson relied on information from other members of the interim committee as well as members of the scientific panel. All these sources provided him with information that assisted him in arriving at the recommendations to both President Roosevelt and President Truman. Air of uncertainty indicated no proof that any given bomb would explode when dropped from an airplane. This resulted to a problem of exploding a bomb at predetermined height in air. However, the atomic bombs had a higher chance of exploding when dropped from a plane than the other types of bombs. This made them to be preferable to the other types of bombs. Therefore, the â€Å"air of uncertainty† influenced the choices made by revealing that other bombs had a lower chance of exploding when dropped from a plane compared to the atomic bomb. Several people influenced the reached decision. Participants who had most influence on the reached decisions were President Roosevelt and President Truman. Other individuals who had most influence on the reached decisions were the members of the interim committee including Stimson. Moreover, General Grove had a very great influence on the decisions of using the nuclear bombs in the war against Japan. This is because he was the one who provided the information on the progress of the project initiated to create the bombs. The other people who had most influenced on the reached decisions were the members of the scientific panel since they provided

Stakeholder Impact Essay Example for Free

Stakeholder Impact Essay Stakeholder are groups of people who have interest in an organization and have the potential to impact or influence or to be impacted on, or to be influenced by the event. As good engagement with stakeholders is critical to successful event planning and delivery, therefore we should handle stakeholders and their needs carefully. If this crisis is poorly handled, it might create a wide impact on the event or even the event organization’s reputation. Therefore, it is very important to analyse each stakeholder, both individual and group, and then decide on the appropriate approach for each of them to keep them involved and supportive. In general, there are two types of stakeholder who can create impact to an organization or project which is internal stakeholder and external stakeholder. Internal stakeholders are people within the organization, for example employee, owner and shareholder. Therefore they can affect the hierarchy status using the formal power such as authority and senior position. They can also create influence to the organization culture with their leadership style or personal charisma. In addition, they can take control of strategic resources with their responsibility for strategic products. They also own the possession of knowledge and skills as they might own the expert knowledge to operate the project. For example, the balloonists in the hotair balloon event own the knowledge to fly the balloon. Other than that, internal stakeholder can control the environment due to their network relationships to external stakeholders. For example, the event planner of a company is the one who interact with the clients, so if he/she leaves the company, the clients might follow him/her too. Last but not the least is that they have involvement in strategy implementation, internal stakeholder have the decision power to do changes for example changing the supplier, suggesting other venue and so on. External stakeholders are people related to the project or organization who can affect and be affected by any decision made but not a member of them. They have the power to control the strategic resources. For example a monopolistic supplier has the power to decide the price and thus result in high cost for the organization. They also have involvement in strategy implementation; such external stakeholder may be strategic partners in distribution channels like media. They can also have to work together with the organization to find out the best way to send out the information to the target market. Other than that, they also have the possession of knowledge and skills. Examples are, organization outsources for subcontractors in order to utilize their expertise for the benefits of the organization.

The History Of Community Mobilization

The History Of Community Mobilization Introduction: The term community has various meaning. We can define community is a place where people living in the particular geographical area and they shares their common values, interests and they follows a particular way of living. The term community may refer to the national community or international community. In biology a community is a group of interacting people sharing a populated environment. Apart from a geographical area a community is a group or society, helping each other. In human communities belief, resources, needs, interest and a number of other conditions may be present in common, which also affects the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness. In every society various types of communities may take place. Some categorizations are as follows:- Geographic communities: It ranges from the local neighborhood, suburb, village, town or city, region, nation or even the planet as a whole. These refer to communities of location. Communities of culture: It ranges from the local clique, sub-culture, ethnic group, religious, multicultural or pluralistic civilization, or the global community cultures of today. They may be included as communities of need or identity, such as disabled persons, or frail aged people. Communities are nested; one community can contain another-for example a geographic community may contain a number of ethnic communities. Identity is also one of the important factor to assess the type of community. For example if a group of people shares the common identity other than the location, we can call that as community based on their common interest. Likewise, in present scenario we can see that various communities exist in society based on the certain profession. A professional community is a group of people where they are with the same or related occupations. Not on the basis of above things, There are different things that bound people together to their different communities or that they may have in common with the other people living around them, which includes beliefs and values, traditions, common interest, language, territory, religion, culture and occupations. Community Mobilization: A strong community feeling one can identifies at the time of crisis and occasions like change for families, such as marriage and death. In a community people shared their we feeling with each other. As we know that proper management and utilization of resources is the best possible way for the development of the community. Therefore community mobilization is always prominent for the development and upliftment of any community. For mobilizing the community people make their plans and then do the things accordingly. They take charge, transforming, developing their community and their lives as well. Community mobilization is a process which allows people in the community to identify their needs and problems and bring them together for a social action and their community development. Communities can mobilize to work for changes that will fulfill the social, emotional, financial and physical needs of people. Community mobilization is an organized process through which people can aware regarding the present situation of their community also how to bring positive changes within the community by using various resources. Nutshell, community mobilization is one of the strategic method which helps the people to attain maximum community development. For community mobilization communication is one of the important tool to achieve it. Through proper and effective communication various methods of mobilizing the community can be implemented. Here we are discussing the various methods for community mobilization by given actors as per the fig 1.1. Mobilizing the community Political Parties Social Movements Individual groups Political Parties The use of social networking sites by political parties and other politically active groups has been increased in these days. All these political and other groups realized that by suing of social networking sites many people can be mobilized. The internet has become the strongest communication tool even at the global level. Even various politicians also used Twitter, Flicker, You Tube, and Facebook among people to communicate and mobilize people. As political parties using of social networking sites is one of the effective method to mobilize the people. In the present scenario, the use of social media is really important to mobilize the people and communities for collective action. We know that today millions of people are connected in one way or another to the internet. People are easily accessible on internet. It is another way of reaching large numbers of people to mobilize them for a group effort. Facebook, Mixit, Twitter can also be effective for the above. To generate awareness among people and to mobilize them in large number to make a community independent. Newspapers, radio stations and the TV have the authority to inform thousands more people about various campaigns for mobilizing any community. By writing a press release, a political party can highlight the facts, peoples demands, and what people want the media to talk about regarding the development and continuous empowerment of their community. Parties can also organize a press conference. So they can invite the reporters to come to a meeting where spokespeople from the community organization speak out publicly about the problem and the solution of the problems of community. Apart from above, Political rallies and the use of local languages are instrumental in the mobilization of groups for social action. Social Movements Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals or organizations which focus on specific political or social issues for their development. In other words, they carry out, resist or undo a social change in the society. Social movement campaigns play a critical role in mobilizing and maintaining the submerged networks of social movement communities. A social movement refers to collective effort organizing from the people for their development and to bring social change in the society. Community mobilization is often used by grassroots-based social movements, which includes revolutionary movements. Through Social movement for mobilizing the people in community we can apply various methods like large public gatherings such as mass meetings, marches, parades, processions and demonstrations. These gatherings usually are part of a protest action. These are the different ways by which a community can be mobilized and can raise voice for the demand of development of the community. In other words, community mobilization seeks to facilitate change within the community for its development. Modern Western social movements became possible through education (the wider dissemination of literature), and increased mobility of labor due to the industrialization and urbanization of 19th century societies. Social movements have been and continued to be closely connected with democratic political systems. Occasionally, social movements have been involved in democratizing nations, but more often they have developed after democratization. Modern movements often utilize technology and the internet to mobilize people globally. Adapting to communication trends is a common theme among successful movements. Research is beginning to explore how advocacy organizations linked to social movements use social media to facilitate civic engagement and collective action. Social movements are any broad social alliances of people who are connected through their shared interest in blocking or affecting social change. Although social movements do not have to be formally organized. Social movement is always an important tool to bring the change in society and as well as to mobilize the communities for their own development. By arranging people in mass meetings, parades, marches, discussions on various issues, movements for stressing the education of people, bringing the concept of democratization in light communities can mobilize through theses social movements. Social movements are always a part of society, and people may compare their options and make rational choices about which movements to follow. As long as social movements wish to be success, they must find resources (such as money, people, and plans) for how to meet their goals. Furthermore, for organizing successful social movements and mobilizing the people there should be strong and effective networking with other organizations especially the organization which are exist in the local community. There has to be proper networking and strong communication even on the grass roots organization which are working locally in the community such as Church groups, clubs, special interest organization, local schools, hospitals , recreational groups and other community groups can support the social movement and through effective and strong networking with the above organizations we can mobilize the communities. Physical concentration is also necessary for organizing successful social movement and for mobilizing people. We should bring people into closer proximities in cities, factories, local university campuses which help the social movement to get into the right direction for mobilizing people for their betterment in society. Also a co-optable communications network should be there to speed up the social movements for mobilizing the people and to spread awareness among the people. As we know that the greater the number and excessive participation of people builds a strong network which leads to mobilizing the greatest number of people. Also for maintaining the above and to get a fuller participation of people and to mobilize them we need to able ourselves to maintain the resources within and outside the community. We should also provide the equal opportunity to each and every unit of the community. We cannot let the youth and other units to go. We need to encourage every individual with n o matter of his / her own personal identity. We need to motivate people to participate actively in the social movement and consider the point of availability in our mind. As People with full time jobs, marriage and family responsibilities are less likely to participate in social movement activity. Autonomous individuals with few personal responsibilities such as college students and single professionals are much more likely participants. On the other hand, for mobilizing people without considering them as particular unit of society, we need to encourage them for their maximum participation. Through motivation and encouragement we can mobilize people and can make them ready for their community development. Individual groups It is always easy to start a fire and involve a number of people. Community members need to choose certain people whose role will be to keep the fire of community mobilization burning. In this guide these people will be called motivators. People in the community know each other very well. Take time to carefully choose honest people who are respected by others, and who can encourage others to work well together. They need to have some time and energy available, have a desire to bring change and be willing to work free of charge. Each community should select two or three motivators. The people chosen will need equipping and support in their role. Each local area has a number of different kinds of resources. People use these resources to keep alive and to cope with changing seasons, political change and cultural pressures. Helping people to understand and to value the different resources they have is very important. These are the main kinds of resources: _ Natural resources include land, trees, forests and water. _ Human resources include the skills, knowledge, understanding and labour of local people. _ Financial resources include money, access to credit and loans, credit unions and government support. _ Social resources include the culture, traditions, organizations, friends and extended family. _ Physical resources include buildings, tools, roads, water pumps and transport. _ Spiritual resources are the strength and encouragement that people gain from their faith. Local people already know more than any outsider about their community and the people living there. Many people assume they know everything about their local area, but there is always more to learn and understand before making new plans. Take plenty of time to help people in the community to tell their story together. One very effective way of doing this is to draw maps, either using clear ground with sticks, leaves and stones, or if available, large sheets of paper and pens. Encourage small groups to draw different maps to show: the natural and physical resources in the area (hills, forests, roads and rivers, for example) -where people live, noting important people and organisations -how the area looked 50 or 20 years ago (only for older people). So for mobilizing communities, individual groups can do the social mapping of the community so that the people can aware about the present problems in the community. Another helpful way to focus on key issues within the local area is to encourage people to prepare a role-play to express their concerns. As people discuss what subjects to use, they will often focus on important issues. However, they are also likely to share these in funny ways. Laughter has a way of taking the pressure out of a situation, helping people to discuss sensitive issues, sometimes for the first time. Again, encouraging people to work in small groups is another way to mobilize the communities. Having chosen their first priority for action, local people need to decide whether they have enough information to take action. For example, if education is identified as the priority, people may need more information about the problems and whether they are at primary or secondary level. The problem may be poor attendance and, if so, there is a need to find out why. Considering electing teams of local people to gather relevant information is another way to mobilize the communities. Choose people who can be trusted and who know their community well. Before sending teams out to gather information, take plenty of time to decide exactly what kind of information is needed. Apart from this, conducting role plays- street plays in the community is always a good strategy to mobilize the maximum number of people and to preparing them for a social action. By Arranging a community meeting to share all the information gathered is showing information clearly to the people. A large number of people can mobilize for the collective action after getting all the facts and problems of the community. Also, motivation plays an important role in this activity. As keep motivating the people in right direction is always worthy and will be fruitful for attaining maximum development of the community. Initial contact with the community is another way to mobilize people. Understanding community practices and traditions prior to establishing contact can help identify the appropriate approach for engaging with different groups and members of the community. It is important to focus on learning from the community, especially during the initial contact.  Taking every opportunity to meet informally with diverse members of the community (at the health post, during registration, at distribution points, in the queue for water). Also utilizing community leaders also increases the chances of reaching a cross-section of the population and not just a narrow representation. It is essential that all members of the community receive word about mobilization and how they can be involved.  Outreaching to those who are isolated, vulnerable or considered. If they cannot personally attend a meeting, it is important that they be represented in some way. So as per the above discussion, motivating peop le, arranging meetings, initial contacting with the communities, utilizing the community leaders, conducting role-plays, street plays, community outreaching are different ways to mobilize the maximum people of community by individual groups. Also, identifying an existing committee or a community-based organization which can give individual groups access to the community and facilitate distribution of  messages. Meeting the host community and the authorities is important to reach out the goals for community development and mobilization.   Messages might only reach certain groups, such as community leaders, and not all members of the community.  Developing outreach strategies with the leaders and others to ensure that everyone is informed, including women, girls and boys, minority groups, and people with mental and physical challenges. Making sure that information is delivered in a language everyone can understand, is culturally sensitive and is correctly perceived and understood.  As always communication should be effective and strong for the mobilization. Arranging meetings at mutually convenient times. As far the mobilization concern, for development of any community individual groups should make positive rappor t building among the community with key people- like facilitator, leaders, service providers etc. and whole community as well. A good rapport building is effective strategy to mobilizing the people.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Transparency, respect and consistency are essential for building trust, confidence and collaboration between organizations and partners, including members of the community.  Also individual groups have to make ensure that after the first contact immediate follow-up action is taken or not.   Orienting the Community is another way to mobilize the people. The first step in mobilizing the community is to orient them to the process.  This can be done in a number of ways, including written communication, television, radio, or an organized meeting.  Meetings are more personal and conducive to building relationships.   They also facilitate two-way communication where questions can be answered efficiently. As groups can motivate community people for their maximum participation in every discussion as they should feel that they are the key part of it.   Also to start these meetings as soon as possible, so that trust and a positive working relationship can be built between parties. Having the meeting sponsored or hosted by a respected individual or group within the community can add credibility to its agenda.  This may happen through a church, school, tribe, or other local group.   Utilizing community leaders also increases the chances of reaching a cross-section of the population and not just a narrow representation. It is essential that all members of the community receive word about mobilization and how they can be involved.  Outreach is prominent to those who are isolated, vulnerable or considered marginal is critical. If they cannot personally attend a meeting, it is important that they be represented in some way. Individual groups should take care of these things before conducting any activity as part of the community or within the community. An only arranging meeting is not as sufficient. The goals of the meeting must be carefully considered and reflected in the agenda.  Community leaders can provide assistance presenting the information in a culturally appropriate manner. Some of the community leaders may be chosen to convey topics with which they are familiar.  During this meeting, it is important to invoke the input of the community. Identify their needs and begin to priorities how those needs will be met.   Individual groups sho uld know that this meeting will be an opportunity to develop an awareness of what the contributing organizations can provide, and also an opportunity to learn about the strengths and resources of the community. It will be important to define mutual goals and develop a plan as to how to reach these goals.  This will include organizing individuals to work together and coordinate services.   Proper organization of every resources and management is necessary to mobilize the people. Also individual groups should develop ongoing ways to communicate for mobilizing the people. Once goals have been defined and a plan has been developed, it will be important to identify ongoing ways to communicate.  Rather than having large meetings, cluster meetings of project staff, community leaders and community members working on similar tasks are more manageable and efficient.  The groups should begin team building with all team members (international  and national staff, community leaders and community members). It is vital that marginalized and vulnerable people are included in these teams.  Intervention with the community may be required for them to allow marginalized or isolated members of their community to participate in a team.   Working in small teams that include affected people as well as outside helpers.  Team leaders should meet daily for sharing of information, planning and coordination. Not all teams will be required for all emergency response projects. Some people may be a member of more than one team. Conclusion: It is to be concluded that for continuous community development mass awareness, people mobilization is very important. In our society there are different resources which can perform to mobilize the community. But one should only need to generate these resources within the community or outside the community. Maximum resource utilization and mobilization of people are key things for developing any community. Community development emphasizes participation, initiative and self-help by local communities but should be sponsored by national governments as part of a national plan.

Comparing Binomial Tree, Monte Carlo Simulation And Finite

Comparing Binomial Tree, Monte Carlo Simulation And Finite In recent years, numerical methods for valuing options such as binomial tree models, Monte Carlo simulation and finite difference methods are use for a wide range of financial purposes. This paper illustrates and compares the three numerical methods. On one hand, it provided general description of the three methods separately involved their definitions, merits and drawbacks and determinants of each method. On the other hand, this paper makes a concrete comparison in valuing options between the three numerical methods. Overall, the three numerical methods have proven to be valuable and efficient methods to value options. Introduction In recent years, option valuation methods are very important in the theory of finance and increased wildly in the practice field. The various approaches on option prices valuation included binomial tree models, Monte Carlo simulation and finite difference methods. Binomial models are suggested by Cox, Ross and Rubinstein (1979). Boyle (1977) firstly discussed Monte Carlo simulation and then it has been used by both Johnson and Shanno(1985) and Hull and White(1987) to value options when it is a stochastic process. Finite difference methods are discussed by Schwartz (1977), Brennan and Schwartz (1979), and Courtadon (1982) (Hull and White, 1988). This essay aims to provide a comparison and contrast among the three numerical methods mentioned above. All these numerical methods focus on the objectives of both calculation accuracy and speed. The only way for any given method to achieve better accuracy and speed is to calculate with many times (Hull and White, 1988). For one thing, this es say provides general description about binomial trees, Monte Carlo simulation and finite difference methods and defines benefits and drawbacks of each method. For another thing, it makes contrast on the valuation option prices involved American and European options. Binomial tree models Hull and White (1988) provide a general description about binomial trees. They concluded that Binomial model is a particular case of a more general set of multivariate multinomial models. All multivariate multinomial models are characteristics as lattice approaches such as binomial and trinomial lattice models(Hull and White, 1988).And the binomial trees, a valuation option approach, which involved separating option into a large number of small time intervals of length Άt. The assumption of this method is that the asset price changed from its initial value to two new values, both upward and downward movement, Su and Sd separately. The probability of an upward movement was indicated as p, while the probability of a downward movement is 1-p and the parameter u, d, p are used to value option prices. (Hull, 2008) The binomial model focused on option replication. For the binomial trees, the only way to reproduce the payoff of an option is to trade a portfolio involved the stock and the risk-free asset. Within other lattice approaches, involved the trinomial tree model, do not admit option replication(FiglewskiGao, 1999).However, the fair value of option can be valued under the basic assumptions of option pricing which is the world is risk-neutral. (Hull, 2008) In this case, the fair value can be valued simply by computing the expected values within the risk neutral distribution and discounting at the risk-free interest rate (Hull, 2008).When the world is risk-neutral, any approximation procedure which is based on a probability distribution and rough risk neutral distribution and make convergence to its limit, can be used to value options prices properly. Therefore, it is necessary to use trinomial tree model even a more complex structure without lack of the ability to calculating unique option payoffs (FiglewskiGao, 1999). What is also worth mentioning about the application of binomial tree is that there exists known payouts involved dividends (Hull and White, 1988). Dividend policy was based on the principle that the stock maintains a constant yield on each ex-dividend date which was denoted by ÃŽÂ ´ (Cox et.al, 1979) Essentially, binomial and trinomial models are powerful, intuitive methods to value both American and European option. Moreover, it also provides asymptotically exact approximation based on Black-Scholes assumptions (FiglewskiGao, 1999). Consider the efficiency and accuracy of this method, the binomial method is more efficient and accurate when there are a small number of options values without dividends. However it lacks of efficient in a situation where effects of cash dividends should be analysed. Actually, the fixed dividend yield generated an improper hedge ratio despite that the assumption of fixed dividend yield is an efficient and accurate approximation. Furthermore, the binomial tree models are inefficient in valuing American options compared with European option. And it is less efficient and accurate than finite difference methods for multiple options valuation. This is because it has a conditional starting point (GeskeShastri, 1985). Monte Carlo simulation Monte Carlo simulation is a useful numerical method to implement for various kinds of purposes of finance such as securities valuation. For the valuation of option, Monte Carlo simulation use risk-neutral measure (Hull, 2008). For example, a call option is a security whose expected payoffs depend on not only one basic security. The value of a derivative security can be obtained by discounted the expected payoff in the risk-neutral world at the riskless rate (Boyle, et.al, 1997). Boyle et.al (1997) stated that this approach comprises several steps in the following. Firstly, Simulate sample paths of the underlying state variables (e.g., underlying asset prices and interest rates) over the relevant time horizon. Stimulate these according to the risk-neutral measure. Secondly, evaluate the discounted cash flows of a security on each sample path, as determined by the structure of the security in question. Thirdly, average the discounted cash flows over sample paths There is a tendency that high-dimensional integral is becoming more and more necessary to evaluate in the derivative security. Monte Carlo simulation is widely used in the option valuation due to the increases of high dimension (Ibanez Zapatero, 2004). Regarding the integral of the function f(x) over the d-dimensional unit hypercube, the simple Monte Carlo estimate of the integral is equivalent to the average value of the function f over n random points from the unit hypercube. When n tends to be infinite, this estimate converges to the true value of the integral. Furthermore, the distinct advantage of this method compared with other numerical approaches is that the error convergence rate is independent dimension. In addition, the function f should be square integrable and this is the only restriction which is relative and slight ((Boyle, et.al, 1997). Monte Carlo simulation is simple, flexible. It can be easily modified to adapt different processes which involved governing stock returns. Moreover, compared other methods, it has distinct merit in some specific circumstances. Essentially Monte Carlo simulation can be used when the process of generating future stock value movement determined the final stock value. This process mentioned above is created on a computer and aims to generate a series of stock price trajectories which is used to obtain the evaluation of option. In addition, the standard deviation also can be used simultaneously in order to make sure the accuracy of the results (Boyle, 1977). However, there are some disadvantages of this method. In recent years, some new techniques were developed so as to overcome the disadvantages. One key drawback is that it is wasteful to calculate many times and difficult to control situations when there are early exercise opportunities (Hull, 2008). Different variances reduction techniques involved control variate approach and antithetic variate method are used to solve these problems. Furthermore, deterministic sequences also known as low-discrepancy sequences or quasi-random sequences are used to accelerate the valuation of multi-dimensional integrals, (Boyle, et.al, 1997). Quasi-Monte Carlo methods are suggested as a new approach to supplement Monte Carlo simulation. It uses deterministic sequences rather than random sequences. These sequences are used to obtain convergence with known error bounds ¼Ã‹â€ Joy ¼Ã…’et.al. 1996 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Until recently, Monte Carlo simulation has not been used in American options. The key problem is that payoff depends on some sources of uncertainty. The optimal exercise frontier of American options is uncertain (Barraquand Martineau, 1995). Finite difference methods Hull (2008) provides a general description of finite difference methods. He concluded that finite difference methods value a derivative by solving the differential equation that the derivative satisfies. Finite difference methods are classified into two ways those are implicit and explicit finite difference method. The former approach is related the value of option at time t+Άt to three alternative values at time t, while the latter one is related the value of option at time t to three alternative values at time t+Άt (Hull White, 1990). The explicit finite difference method is equivalent to a trinomial lattice approach. Compared with the two finite difference methods, the distinct advantage of explicit finite difference method is that it has fewer boundary conditions than the implicit way. For instance, to implement implicit method, considering the price of a derivative security S, it is vital to specify boundary conditions for the derivative security whether minimising or maximising price. By contrast, the explicit method, regarded as a trinomial lattice approach, does not need specific boundary conditions (Hull White, 1990). There are two alternative problems of partial differential equations. The first, known as boundary value problems where a wide range of boundary conditions must be specified, the second, known as initial value problems where only a fraction of valuation required to be specified. There is a fact that most option valuation problems are initial value problems. The explicit finite difference method is the most appropriate method to solve initial value problems because implicit finite method used extra boundary condition which was produced errors (Hull White, 1990). Furthermore, consider the efficiency and accuracy of valuing option, the explicit finite difference method, with logarithmical transformation, is more efficient than the implicit method. This is because it does not need the solution solved a series of simultaneous equations (GeskeShastri, 1985). In addition, for the finite difference method and jump process, the simple explicit difference approximation is harmonized with a three-point jump process, while the more complex implicit difference approximation corresponds a generalized jump process which is based on that the value of derivative security will jump to infinite future values, not just three points(BrennanSchwartz, 1978) Finite difference approach can be used in the same situation as binomial tree approach. They can control American and European option and cannot easily used when the payoff of an option depends on the past history of the state variable. Furthermore, finite difference methods can be used in the situation where there are some state variable ¼Ã‹â€ Hull 2008). However, the binomial tree method is more intuitive and easily implemented than the finite difference methods. Therefore, financial economists tend to use binomial tree methods when there are a small number of option values. In contrast, finite difference methods are frequently used and more efficient in a situation where there are a large number of option values (GeskeShastri, 1985). The comparison between the three methods Overall, compared with the three numerical methods of valuing option, Monte Carlo simulation should be seen as a supplement methods for the binomial tree models and finite difference methods. This is because the increase of a variety of complexity in financial instruments (Boyle, 1977). Furthermore, binomial and finite difference methods are implemented with low dimension of problems and standard dynamics, while Monte Carlo simulation is the proper methods to solve high dimension problems and stochastic parameters (Ibanez Zapatero, 2004) The binomial tree models and finite difference methods are classified as backward methods and can easily handle early exercise opportunities. On the contrary, Monte Carlo simulation is a looking forward method and may be opposed with backward induction (Ibanez Zapatero, 2004) For the two similar methods, finite difference approach is equivalent to a trinomial lattice method. They are both useful for American and European options and tend not to be used in a situation where the options payoff depends on the past history of state variables. However, there also are some differences between them. Binomial tree methods can be used to calculate a small number of values of options, while finite difference methods can be used and more efficient and accurate when there exit a large number of option values. In addition, binomial tree models are more intuitive and readily completed than the finite difference methods Monte Carlo simulation is a powerful and flexible method to value various options. In principle, Monte Carlo simulation is calculated a multi-dimension integral and this is becoming an attractiveness compared other numerical methods. It can be used to solve the problem of high dimension. The drawbacks should not be neglected. The computation with many times and cannot easily handle the situation where there are early exercise opportunities. Based the traditional Monte Carlo simulation, a new approach was developed, known as Quasi-Monte Carlo methods to improve the efficiency of Monte Carlo method. The basic theorem is to use deterministic number rather than random. However, it has not been used in valuing American options due to the optimal exercise frontier is uncertain. One way to value American option is to achieve combination of Monte Carlo simulation and dynamic programming (Ibanez Zapatero, 2004) Conclusion To sum up, with the complexity of numerical computation, numerical methods are wildly used to value derivative security. This paper provided general description and specific comparison between the three numerical methods mentioned above. Binomial tree models, known as lattice approach, are a powerful and intuitive tool to value both American and European option with and without dividend. When there are a small number of option values, binomial method is more efficient and accurate. On the contrary, it is inefficient in a situation where effects of cash dividend should be analysed. Finite difference method can be seen as the trinomial lattice approach. They are used with the problems of low dimension and have been regarded as efficient and accurate methods to value American and European options. Compared with binomial tree models, finite difference methods is more efficient and accurate when practicers computing a large number of values of options. Monte Carlo simulation can be seen as a supplement tool for the two methods mentioned above to value options. It can be used with high dimensional problems whereas other two methods are used with low dimensional problems. The flows of Monte Carlo simulation are that it consumes time for calculating and cannot readily handle the situation where there are early exercise opportunities. In this case, Quasi-Monte Carlo methods based on traditional Monte Carlo simulation utilise deterministic sequences known as quasi-random sequences. These sequences provide an opportunity to acquire convergence with known error bounds. Referenc: Barraquand ¼Ã…’J. Martineau, D. (1995)Numerical Valuation of High Dimensional Multivariate American Securities The Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Vol. 30, No. 3 pp. 383 -405 Boyle, P.P., Option: A Monte Carlo Approach, Journal of Financial Economics, Volume:4, pp: 323-338 Boyle, P. Broadie, M. and Glasserman,P.(1997) Monte Carlo methods for security pricing, Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Volume 21, Issues 8-9,29,pp:1267-1321 Brennan, M.J. Schwartz, E.S., (1978)Finite Difference Methods and Jump Processes Arising in the Pricing of Contingent Claims: A Synthesis, The Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Vol. 13, No. 3 pp. 461 -474 Cox, J.C., Ross, S.A. and Rubinstein. M.(1979) Option pricing: A simplified approach, Journal of Financial Economics, Volume 7, Issue 3, pp: 229-263 Figlewski,S.Gao,B.(1999)The adaptive mesh model: a new approach to efficient option pricing, Journal of Financial Economics, Volume 53, Issue 3, pp: 313-351 Geske,R. Shastri, K.(1985) Valuation by Approximation: A Comparison of Alternative Option Valuation Techniques, The Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Vol. 20, No. 1 pp. 45- 71 Hull, J.(2008) Option, Futures, and Other Derivatives,7th edition, Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall Hull, J, White, A.(1988) The Use of the Control Variate Technique in Option Pricing, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis. Vol. 23, Issue. 3; p. 237-251 Hull, J, White, A. (1990) Valuing Derivative Securities Using the Explicit Finite Difference Method,Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis. Vol. 25, No. 1; pp: 87-100 Ibanez, A. Zapatero, F. (2004) Monte Carlo Valuation of American Options through Computation of the Optimal Exercise Frontier, Journal of Financial and Quantitative analysis Vol.39, No. 2, pp: 253-275 Joy, C., Boyle, P.P. and Tan, K.S.(1996) Quasi-Monte Carlo Methods in Numerical Finance, Management Science.Vol.42, No.6,pp:926-938

Free College Essays - Mr. Shimerda in My Antonia :: My Antonia Essays

Mr. Shimerda of My Antonia Most people find it very hard to pull up roots in their native land and move to a strange country. Throughout history, countless millions of people have done so. People forsake their homeland and move to another country for various reasons. Some people emigrate to avoid starvation. Some seek adventure. Others wish to escape unbearable family situations. Still others desire to be reunited with loved ones. However, the main reason for immigration has long been economic opportunity--the lure of better land or a better job. Yet, some people can't conform to the American way of life. Like replanting a flower's roots, completely moving a person so attached to their homeland and customs, can prove to be fatal. In the book, "My Ántonia," the Shimerdas seemed to be very religious. For example, on Christmas evening, "When the candle ends sent up their conical yellow flames, all the colored figures from Austria stood out clear and full of meaning against the green boughs. Mr. Shimerda rose, crossed himself, and quietly knelt down before the tree†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦" History shows that the Bohemian people were constantly revolting for their freedom. This was probably one of the reasons for the religious Shimerdas move to America, to get away from those many "hard times." "All the time she say: 'America big country; much money, much land for my boys, much husband for my girls†¦my mama, she want Ambrosch for be rich, with many cattle." This must have been the main factor for the move from their "kawn-tree." Unfortunately, not all the Shimerdas were excited by the move. "My papa sad for the old country. He not look good. He never make music anymore†¦He don't like this kawn-tree†¦M y papa, he cry for leave his old friends what make music with him." These quotations were the warning signs of what happened next. "Why, mam, it was simple enough; he pulled the trigger with his big toe. He layed over on his side and put the end of the barrel in his mouth, then he drew up one foot and felt for the trigger. He found it all right!" Mr. Shimerda was so depressed about losing everything and anything that was familiar to him that he felt there was no use in living. Jim thought, "I knew it was homesickness that had killed Mr. Shimerda, and I wondered whether his released spirit would not eventually find its way back to his own country.

The Red Badge of Courage and The Blue Hotel :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Red Badge of Courage and The Blue Hotel: The Singular Love of Stephen Crane Stephen Crane firmly cemented himself in the canon of American Romanticism with the success of works such as The Red Badge of Courage and "The Blue Hotel." His writing served to probe the fundamental depths of the genre while enumerating on the themes vital to the movement's aesthetic. Such topics as heartfelt reverence for the beauty and ferocity of nature, the general exaltation of emotion over reason and senses over intellect, self-examination of personality and its moods and mental possibilities, a preoccupation with genius and the heroic archetype in general, a focus on passions and inner struggles, and an emphasis on imagination as a gateway to transcendence, as well as a predilection for the exotic, the remote, the mysterious, and folk culture are all characteristic of his stories. However, the most traditionally "romantic" facets of his artifice are most fully manifested in a series of private correspondence between himself and a certain society maiden by the name of Nellie Crouse. It is these letters that serve to illustrate Crane's writing prowess as it transcends traditional Romantic genrefication. Through these letters, which serve as an informed testament to Crane's marked skill as a writer, we begin to examine Crane in the context of his own existence, devoid of the fictional trappings of his most acclaimed accomplishments. What is most remarkable about Crane's series of letters to Mrs. Crouse is the tone of his love-stricken entreaties. He gracefully plays off of his burgeoning fame and his growing success as a published artist with good-natured self-deprecation and a propensity to undermine his own endeavours. The series of letters commences with a carefully constructed communique crafted to provoke a sympathetic response from Mrs. Crouse. Employing "inside" reactions to his celebrity to impress, he relies on an aura of exotic settings and playful humor to win a reply. Having succeeded in securing an apparently satisfactory response, he eagerly raises the temperature of the correspondence in his second letter. Without compromising further relations with Mrs. Crouse, his words adopt a more acute degree of intimacy, with Crane even going so far as to volunteer to accept her literary advice. The third letter opens to the heart of the correspondence on Crane's side, as he begins in earnest to try and make Mrs.

Greek And Roman Arches :: History, Art, Architecture

Greek and Roman Arches and Architecture Architectural designs changed greatly since the ancient times. Most famous architectures and sculptures today originated from the Greek and Roman civilizations. Moreover, some of the inventions from those civilizations are also being used today, such as the arch, which originated from Roman architecture, and the columns, which originated from the Greek architecture. Throughout history, these architectures and inventions have become the foundations for our buildings, churches, and much more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Greek architecture used mainly columns in most of their temples. The shape of the column was the most significant architectural factor. There were three types of columns, which were Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. On these columns would lay a magnificent centerpiece, which displayed Greek gods or any sort of decorations. On the other hand, the Romans’ architecture used mainly arches, which could hold much more pressure than a column. Romans also used columns in their buildings, but only in a decorative form. Arches were made of stones or bricks and placed on top of each other in a way that it can form an arch and hold weight upon itself. In most Roman architectures, such as the Colosseum, there would be a dome over the top to protect from rain, sun, or any other weather. The dome has a massive weight, so there has to be something to support it up, and this is where the job of the arch takes place. In these Greek and Roman buildings or temples, there would be sculptures of famous gods and warriors. The Greek sculptures were also different than the Romans’.