Monday, September 30, 2019
ICT Database
My client, (full time DJ) Mr. I. C. H. Cheezeburger has just been employed by Avenue Q, a newly opened club in the west end. He is currently having problems organising his very vast and varied, music collection. He currently organizes his collection manually using index cards. This proves extremely impractical, as they are often mislaid, and he is forced to start again, creating even more work than necessary. Clients Background. My client was born on 5th May 1985 in Chelsea. He went to Dun Raven in Streatham; he was bullied at school, until in year 10 he moved to St William Perkins all boys' school. Where he excelled in, Music and, Performing arts. He later took a level performing arts, music, ICT, and Textiles. He went on to university, but was expelled after three months. He was interested in dj-ing since a young age, and went on to do it in his spare time, and then constantly after being expelled from university. He then helped out at local venues, at low key parties and occasions. He then went on to take an apprenticeship, and started charging for his services. He then bought his own flat in Woking, with a small studio, where he could focus constantly on his DJ-ing. He has been employed by various clubs such as ââ¬Å"wickedâ⬠, ââ¬Å"Lyyneâ⬠ââ¬Å"Chameleonâ⬠and most recently ââ¬Å"Avenue Qâ⬠. His intentions are to raise enough money to be able to go back to university. Identifying the user My client will be the main user of the system, but I will occasionally use the system to check for updates and any possible faults. Statement of the problem My client currently organizes his music collection manually, using index cards and other pieces of paper. This is organised by Artist name. But this proves inadequate and time consuming, as he often loses his lists, resulting in him having to write it all out again. Using valuable time, that could be spent doing something more constructive. Manual solution considered My client could keep his current method of index cards, (organised via artist name) which can prove sometimes useful, as technology can sometimes crash, or have faults. On the other hand index cards can be often lost, resulting the time consuming task of re-writing them all out. Another manual solution would be to use folders to organise his collection, (organised either by artist name, or song name) this is more effective than index cards as they are large, and easier to keep track of. But, could result in a large amount of space being taken up, as the folder collection, would have to be extremely large. Two alternative software solutions considered Mr Cheezeburger could use itunes to organize his music collection, as it is user friendly and very easy to use. Contrariwise to be able to use itunes QuickTime and safari must be downloaded using up more memory, causing the system to be slower, also, an itunes library cannot be transferred to multiple computers in a short space of time. MS Excel could also be used, as it is easy to use, and the cells can be filtered and things can be located quickly and easily. On the other hand it is easy to make errors, and they effect the system long term. Proposed solution justified I have chosen to use MS access because it is easy to use, and it is simple to find things using queries and searches. At least 3 Quantitative objectives identified * Database must be password protected * Search Info Easily * User friendly way of entering data
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Consumer Decision Making Process for Purchasing Property in Spain Essay
This study has investigated the decision process of consumers purchasing property in Spain. The report focused on the underlying reasons for purchasing a property in Spain, the methods used by the purchaser to gather information and the overall satisfaction with the purchase process. The intention of the report was to link current theories on consumer purchasing behaviour to the purchase of property abroad. The methodology used was deductive research using a survey approach. The questionnaire was analysed by a means of Chi square and variable comparisons. The results were collected using a postal and an email questionnaire. The investigation revealed a clear link between the level of satisfaction of the purchase process and the level of information and advice sought. The report concluded that the majority of respondents from the questionnaire purchased their property abroad as a holiday home and purchased from an estate agent. The gathering of information and the seeking of advice was prevalent among most respondents; this was reflected in satisfaction levels and the overall purchase experience. The majority of consumers were overall, satisfied with their purchase. However, if given the opportunity to repeat the purchase, most stated they would change something about the process they followed. Many stated they would not use a Spanish agent again due to experiencing communication problems. This area gives scope for future research in order to establish why communication weaknesses are present in the supply of Spanish properties to British citizens.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
School Shootings
Situation On February 14, 2018, Nikolas Cruz massacred 17 students of Stoneman Douglas High School. Since then, politicians, grieving mothers and fathers, and average citizens are at odds with one another over what should be done to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again. In today's world of perceived division, animosity, and public policy debate, it seems now more than ever that school shootings are a hot button issue. In 2018, websites and organizations with political agendas argue that anywhere from 15 to 18 school shootings have happened in the U.S. while those with opposing beliefs say that those incidents have been exaggerated or isolated incidents either near or off a school campus. Since the shooting at the University of Texas (1966) to the Columbine (1999) shooting to most recently the Stoneman Douglas (2018) school shooting, acts of violence are becoming more and more common. School shootings perpetrated by youth (16-25) are a concern and researchers have investigated what causes individuals to perform such actions. Years of research, investigating, autopsies, and psychological evaluations can be, to a degree narrowed down into two causes of school shootings; Individual factors affecting troubled youth and social/cultural influences. While many would argue that there is no definitive cause of school shootings, it seems that most suspects involved experienced some sort of contribution at the psychological or communal level. The researchers who have data to back their argument are hopefully going to be instrumental as to determine a cure or implement preventative measures to make sure a school shooting can either never happen again or reduce the number of incidents/casualties. Researchers: Argument of Individual Factors Affecting Troubled YouthThe consensus among most researchers is that the suspect suffers from mental health issues. Dr. McGee and Dr. DeBernardo, both forensic examiners, believe that ââ¬Å"school shootersâ⬠can usually fit a common criteria due to their research of adolescents responsible for school shootings from 1993 to 1998. Both agree that through their research, the ââ¬Å"shooterâ⬠is a ââ¬Å"normalâ⬠adolescent coming from a middle class, white neighborhood of around 50,000 people. They have a somewhat high IQ and come from a type of broken home (divorce, separation, etc.). It isn't until that they investigated what the child was experiencing pre-incident that caused concern. The adolescent will experience low self-esteem, disconnect from their peers, and some sort of psychological stressor. These stressors/factors all culminate into ââ¬Å"triggeringâ⬠the suspect into them believing that the only way to respond to recent trauma is to enact violence on whoever they believe is the cause for such conflict. In the case of Charles Whitman who was the perpetrator of the University of Texas massacre, he murdered the ones closest to him, his wife and mother for debatable reasons while Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold took revenge on their entire school. Glenn W. Muschert, author of ââ¬Å"Research in School Shootingsâ⬠examines the multitudes of contributing factors of school shootings and states ââ¬Å"A variety of causes may contribute to school shootings â⬠¦ even if direct causality may not be established.â⬠(Muschert, 67) While he believes that there is no definitive cause, mental health is the primary point of argumentation. Continuing with the trend of individual factors affecting troubled youth, another pivotal cause that researchers can identify besides mental health problems is peer humiliation/bullying. Mr. Kimmel and Mr. Mahler, authors and contributors to ââ¬Å"Adolescent Masculinity, Homophobia, and Violenceâ⬠examine the societal impacts of possible school shooters at the peer level, stating ââ¬Å"In conducting our analysis â⬠¦ because they were different from the other boysââ¬âshy, bookish, honor students, artistic, musical, theatrical, nonathletic, ââ¬Å"geekish,â⬠or weird.â⬠(Kimmel Mahler, 1445) Contrary to mental health, the argument of these authors is that the influence doesn't happen personally from psychological issues but those around them. In their research, most school shooters are suburban caucasian males in suburban neighborhoods and the influence is from students use of derogatory, homophobic slurs to ridicule these kids and repress their individualistic qualities. Eventually this contributes to the triggers discussed with mental health and the peer humiliation/identity becomes the cause. Another quote from a researcher contributing to the argument that bullying creates school shooters states ââ¬Å"Is there something disturbing about the fact that children expect that their schools will have high levels of gay bashing, slut bashing, violence against girls, racism, and violence against those who are less able or otherwise ââ¬Å"differentâ⬠?â⬠(Klein,233) Jessie Klein believes through experimentation, statistics and testimonials from victims of bullying, this hurts the individual in such a way that the only recourse is through violence in the form of school shootings. Argument: Social, Media, External Influences Lead to School ShootingsWhile the argument from a multitude of researchers and scholars that mental health and bullying are the preliminary factors that cause school shootings, other researchers examining the same topic have come upon the hypothesis that external factors are to blame. The first would be the media's coverage of school shooters upon apprehension. The national news and tv coverage gives the belief that those who commit school shootings are regarded as celebrities within the nation's spotlight on them. Since the Columbine Shooting the news provides national news to inform America about what is currently happening but students who are currently experiencing a rough patch of bullying, declining mental health, and other things see this as an opportunity to gain the attention of all who are drawn to national disaster. Video games are believed by many to glorify and give possible shooters a platform to commit such an act without consequence leading to the belief that violence in schools is the next step. McGee, J. P., ; DeBernardo, C. R. The classroom avenger: A behavioral profile of school based shootings. The Forensic Examiner, (1999). 8(5-6), 16-18. (2018)Muschert, G.W., Research in School Shootings. (2007) vol. 1, issue.1, 60-80Kimmel, M. S.; Mahler, M. Adolescent Masculinity, Homophobia, and Violence. (2003)k vol. 46, issue. 10, 1439-1458Klein, J., The Bully Society: School Shootings and the Crisis of Bullying in America's Schools. NYU Press. (2012) School Shootings In this paper it looks at some previous school shooting that have happened in the United States. It looks at the shooters, and also look at theories of what possibly couldââ¬â¢ve been their motives for commenting such a tragedy, taking innocent lives. The paper looks at what we have learned and what we can do to prevent future school shooting tragedies. It looks at how bullying has pulled the trigger and how kids just want to be heard. The paper looks at what psychologist and criminologist have to say about future shootings and past shooters.It looks at the copycat effect and how the 1999 Columbine High School shooting has set the tone and gained such attention that people have attempted or made notion that there will be an attempted repeat. Keywords: School shootings are a tragedy that does not cross many minds in America until one occurs. The people who end up involved never imagine something like that happening to them, and the ones that go unaffected by the situation continue to ignore it. This is a major problem in America today.But we canââ¬â¢t really fix what we donââ¬â¢t know what to fix, looking back on these tragedies that take place in schools. We see donââ¬â¢t see nothing but a cold blood killer, but looking deeper than what the naked eye sees on the surface, we have saw that many of the shooters that have shot up schools in the past have been victims. They have been victims of harassment, depression, and anger that has been built up. They have stated warning signs but people in society tend to ignore and blow the warning signs off like nothing could ever happen.That is until all the built up anger and resentment from being bullied, feeling alone, and depressed seem to outburst in to horrific tragedies. The Columbine Shooting. Americaââ¬â¢s most deadly school shooting took place at Columbine High School in 1999. Two boys named Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire on their classmates killing which 14 classmates and teaches life go t taken away that day when Harris and Klebold entered their school. They also took their own life after the horrific act (Phillips, 2006). It is said that the two killers were plotting this soon to be known tragedy for two months.Right after the shooting happened, it was discovered that one of the gunmen had an internet site talking about killing. The website talked about making pipe bombs on the website it stated that ââ¬Å"pipe bombs were some the easiest and deadliest way to kill a large group of people. â⬠The site also referred to NBK which was an event that that was approaching where the pipe bombs would be used. Itââ¬â¢s said that the two boys were a members of an antisocial group that are referred to as the ââ¬Å"Trench Coat Mafiaâ⬠there was supposedly a group of ten students that wore long coats and dark sunglasses all the time.Classmates of the two killerââ¬â¢s state that they were jerks and that they were strange. They didnââ¬â¢t really talk to anyon e else at the school, they were considered to be outcasts (Marshall, 1999). Shooters who were victims of bullying. One in particular shooting is a prime example that bullying can send someone over the edge. The shooting took place at Heath High School in west Paducah Kentucky in 1997. The shooter was Michael Carneal who claimed he was bullied and he opened fire on the school prayer group, shooting eight of his classmates.When Carneal was asked why did he do it? He said he was sick of being bullied and picked on (Deadly lessons: Understanding, 2003). Carneal stated that he was talked down to and humiliated and even physically tormented. He was brought to his breaking point due to bullying. Michael Carneal wasnââ¬â¢t just the only one that has opened fire in school due to being bullied. Alleged shooter Charles Williams who took the lives of two students injuring thirteen others when he opened fire at a Santana High School in Santee California in 2001.It was the deadliest shooting i n the United States since massacre that took place at Columbine High School in 1999. Williams had a fit depressingly common profile for children in trouble in the United States Schools according to psychologists and the schools security. The teen was a social outsider whose angry lethal threats were taking as jokes by his friends and family. Richard Butterworth a psychologist who studies United States school shootings, states that the consciousness that are in kids today is shooting is the way to manifest their anger.Since the Columbine school shooting schools have been so afraid of a fire in their hallways, they have put extinguishers everywhere. But yet they have done nothing to what are causing the fires, these kids are mad and they donââ¬â¢t know what else to do states Butterworth (Quinn, 2001). Eric Chester a Denver based teen expert stated that Williams ââ¬Å"appears to be another distraught, disengaged, disenfranchised kid who wanted people to take notice of himâ⬠(Q uinn, 2001).Williams was a 15 year old who was described as ââ¬Å"a skinny kid who got picked on a lotâ⬠some of his other aquanauts described him as an outsider who was a nerd, but others state that he was well liked. One classmate Jessica more says people called him ââ¬Å"freak, dork, and nerdâ⬠(Bradberry, 2001). These two examples of school shooters were not the only victims that felt like they had to open fire inside hallways to be notice or heard. Sad to say they will probably be more that are victims of being bullied and will feel as this is the only way.The Copycat Effect. Since the Columbine High School shooting they seem to be an outburst of copycats that have been found with bomb making material in their passion, people who have made threats to do something Columbine like, to people found just days before their plots that are columbine like and are about to be take place and have been stop due to tips to the officials. The recent school shooting that took plac e a Sandy Hook Elementary School where 28 in total lost their life including the shooter himself and his mother.From the evidence gathered at the house of alleged shooter Adam Lanza, there was no goodbye letters nor a tell all letter. No motive was giving as to why Lanza opened fire in an elementary school full of innocent kids, from the news the day of the shooting no one really knew of an Adam Lanza which means he was antisocial probably. However the officials and investigators did discover he was a twenty year old boy who was obsessed with mass killers. The most odd and dark disturbing thing investigators and officials recovered at Lanzaââ¬â¢s house was Lanzaââ¬â¢s fascination with the 1999 Columbine High School shooting.The Columbine massacre was like the center of Lanzaââ¬â¢s obsession that had to do with mass shootings. According to the Newtown report, Lanza had ââ¬Å"hundreds of documents, images, and videos pertaining to the Columbine High School massacre. â⬠He also had downloaded videos about the two gunmen (Pearce, 2013). During an analysis of school shootings between the years 1999-2007 Professor Ralph W. Harkin of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at City University of New York found that 8 out of 12 school shooters ââ¬Å"directly referred to the Columbine shootingâ⬠(Pearce, 2013).Seung-hui Cho just right after the Columbine High shooting, Cho was an eighth grader when he had supposedly written a disturbing English paper and in it he stated that he wanted to make a repeat of the Columbine shooting eight years after that paper he opened fire on the campus of Virginia Tech College and took the lives of 32 people including his own. Which passed the Columbines total body count with flying colors, even though it was at a college. He still was in the train of thought while he was in grade school which wasnââ¬â¢t many years later after the Columbine shooting.Like one Criminologist warned in 2007 after the Virginia Tech sho oting ââ¬Å"records exist but to be brokenâ⬠(Pearce, 2013). Theories behind the purpose of kids and teenage killers. Although there are a lot of theories on why kids and teenagers go on killing sprees at schools, no one can really put a finger on to why they go on their killing sprees taking innocent peopleââ¬â¢s lives. A big theory is that they are bullied and thatââ¬â¢s the only one that makes sense to a lot of unknown motives of past mass killers that go on killing sprees at schools.They are out casters that can no longer stand the bullying and humiliation, and just want to be heard. They feel as if the only fix to being heard and notice is pack guns to school and unleash the hurt and angry they feel to the bullies, even though they tend to take innocent peopleââ¬â¢s lives that havenââ¬â¢t done nothing to them in their path to destruction. Some theories state that they just want the fame weather they take their own life in the process or they pay the price livi ng. Other theories blame mental illness, some theories blame numerous things all at once.They were mental ill and got picked on and they went unheard, so they wanted to get famous to get notice and heard. But nobody can actually pin point what has exactly triggered todays youths killing sprees. James Alan Fox a Criminologist professor at Northeast University in Boston states ââ¬Å"Nothing is different about kidsâ⬠although fifty years ago, a kid that has been getting bullied or is a victim of being bullied is more likely to take their anger out by going on a vandalism spree rather than to pick up the nearest gun they can get their hands on and go on a killing spree (Khadaroo, 2013).What has been learned and what can help prevent school Shootings. Shootings at educational institutes are tragic and a shocking thing for the United States. For the most recent big massacre that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary, there have been many discussions on what we can do to prevent someth ing so horrific from happening again. But in the reality a lot of people find themselves asking can anything really be done to prevent such horrific things like school shooting from happening?An article the is prepared by Dr.à Daniel J. Flannery at Case Western Reserve University and colleagues the article contains an examination of the past studies on the topic thatââ¬â¢s main focus is on ââ¬Å"targetedâ⬠and ââ¬Å"rampageâ⬠or ââ¬Å"spreeâ⬠shootings. The article finds that there is some characteristics shared from past shooters. Shooters shared characteristics like narcissism, depression, low self-esteem, and a fascination with violence. There isnââ¬â¢t however enough distinctive similarities to create a distinctive profile for a future potential shooter (Springer, 2012).The authors came to a conclusion, that the most effective way to possibly prevent these kind of tragedies is through a threat assessment. An assessment which requires fundamental testing , such as suicide risk, homicide risk, thought process, reality testing, mood and behavior, as well as social and developmental histories. Another key is to pay close attention to an obsession with violence and firearms. Even though this may seem obvious, but the resources that are provided to mental health school officials donââ¬â¢t provide for these assessments.The other conclusion that the authors have come to, is that the mental health officials and adults need to take threats of violence seriously, just like they have been doing to the suicide threats (Springer, 2012). Conclusion. The conclusion we have come to by the end of this paper on school shootings is, that majority of the shootings that have happened have been outburst of anger and just of direr need of wanting to be heard. Although there isnââ¬â¢t many clear motives, almost in every case the shooter have or has been bullied or has been an out caster.Weââ¬â¢ve learned that the Columbine High School shooting has set the bar high for the high body count and even though that was surpassed at the Virginia Tech shooting. The Columbine gave school shootings a new tone. Sure we could crack down on guns and make stricter laws toward them. But the Columbine shooters made it clear that if someone really knew how to make a good bomb they could just as well kill people. There are rules about being tougher on bullying but thereââ¬â¢s always going to be bullying going on no matter how much we suspend kids, press charges against them it might take away some of the bullying.But it will still be there. A lot of these shooters just wanted to be heard and they felt as opening fire in the hallways of school was the only way to get people to listen. So even though there isnââ¬â¢t a lot we can do in prevention of these horrific crimes we can still look for a solution. School shootings can happen in any community in this country. What people donââ¬â¢t realize is that it can happen in a flash, it doesnà ¢â¬â¢t matter how many awards the school gains for being an efficient school, it doesnââ¬â¢t matter how many good people theyââ¬â¢re in the community.There is always a left out person an out caster that has been a victim or is being a victim as we speak that just wants someone to hear them out but this country donââ¬â¢t seem to listen even when they do make threats. Some shooting the shooters have clearly said something bad was going to happen, that they were going to do something. But there again no one would listen people just think yeah right you couldnââ¬â¢t and you wouldnââ¬â¢t. But in reality they are being dead serious. Every threat needs to be taken serious and the one that makes the threats needs people to take time to listen to what they have to say, to what they are feeling.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Operating Systems and Networking Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Operating Systems and Networking - Coursework Example the following fields: opcode: 8 bits ra: 6 bits rb: 6 bits rc: 6 bits rd: 6 bits where ra, rb, rc, specify three input registers and rd specifies one destination register. If there is a single register file to store the identifications of all registers, how many registers could there be in that register file? 1.3. A processor has 24 registers, uses 8-bit immediate, and has 36 different instructions (corresponding to 36 operation codes) in its instruction set. These 36 instructions are classified into 4 types as listed below: Assume that the ISA requires that all instructions be multiple of 8 bits (1 byte) in length, and the operation codes (opcodes) are fixed length. Answer the following questions and write down the calculation steps involved. Type C: 6 bits of the operation code, 5 bits for the source register, 8 bits of the immediate, and 5 bits of the destination register. This totals to 19 bits. These are rounded up again to 24 bits. 24 bits are equivalent to 3 bytes. Therefore 3 bytes are required to encode type c instruction. The pipelining diagram is used to show the execution of a series or a sequence of instructions of processes of a computer. In the diagram, the sequence of instructions is shown vertically; that is from the top to the bottom. As for the clock cycles, they are often shown in the horizontal; that is from the left to the right. Each and every instruction is divided into its component stages. There are 3 instructions. Suppose a non-pipelining processor took 50 Nano seconds to process one instruction, and then it would take 3 * 50 = 150 Nano seconds to complete all the instructions. However when pipelining is used, we instead have 4 segment pipeline with a clock cycle that takes at least 10 Nano seconds approximately. 2.2. Suppose we have a slightly more complex program with data dependency and branches. Assume that in the case of branching, the instruction following a branch is always executed. Note that a conditional branch
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Companys IT & Competitive Advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words
Companys IT & Competitive Advantage - Essay Example The organizations and companies are under constant pressure of competition. First this competition was just with the local industries, organizations and companies, but as the world is coming closer and closer every day and is turning into a global village, the circle of competition has grown from local platform to the global platform. Now the firm of one country tends to compete with the firms of not only their own country but also the firms of other countries of the world.The use of information technology makes it a bit easier to compete. It makes them flexible and feasible, generates better productivity and yields better outcomes. It helps them far more than expected and is thought of in earning better profits, in fact even creating new sources of profits, which might include services like online business opportunities etc described by C Kenneth Allard (2004) such thatInformation technology can help a company to be less identifiable with all other related firms and be more differen t. It in fact can make a company stand out among the other competitors and can help it make and, more importantly, leave a mark of its own in the minds of the consumers, which goes a long way to help a company in achieving and maintaining competitive advantage.This is one of the major reasons why the statistics show a constantly increasing rate of growth in the part of the expenditure made on IT and its implications. In some of the areas, IT comprises as much as 50% of total capital investments.
Psychology - Community service Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Psychology - Community service - Research Paper Example After a lengthy interview with the agencyââ¬â¢s Deputy Director, I found out just how much of a toll order it is to keep these agencies running. They face numerous day to day challenges. It takes nerves of steel to keep these agencies ablaze. The Ray of Hope Agency takes care of the entire Village. It serves a population of about 4500 people. It has majorly employed people from the local area. There are however experts employed from all around the country who take care of the more sophisticated aspects. The agency has employed people from all walks of life, ranging from cleaners to cooks to mentors to psychologists and managers. Applicant employees are thoroughly vetted before being employed. Being a church based agency, Ray of Hope insists that its employees be God fearing. Employment is purely based on merit and dedication to Christianity. The agency has local agents who identify the Middle School Students who are most inclined towards dropping out of school and those who have recently dropped out and have not been subjected to the rigorous process of the agency. Once identified, the students are approached by a set of qualified psychologists who talk them into participating in the agencyââ¬â¢s process. The students are then officially enrolled into the agency. A team of staff members is set out to investigate each studentââ¬â¢s background and approach his or her parents or guardians. The team comes up with a report that explains the possible reasons for the students apparent drop out from school or inclination towards it. The students are then each counseled appropriately by experts. They are made to watch movies that touch on real life scenarios and the importance of education. The values of education are thoroughly highlighted and brainwashed into the studentââ¬â¢s minds. They are kept free from demeaning peer pressure and bad habits like drug abuse and sexual encounters. They are convinced to enroll back in school. Working with their
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
The Treatment of Investments in Intellectual Property at Apple Research Paper
The Treatment of Investments in Intellectual Property at Apple - Research Paper Example While these attributes have become the focus of regulation of SFAS 2 and subsequent standards SFAS 68 and 86, the objective determination thereof remains elusive and indeterminate, and therefore open to managerial discretion. The study also comments on the differences in accounting treatment among standards, such as between the SFAS and the IAS, concerning R&D expenditures. In the past it has been found that regulations allows for large write-offs of acquired R&D in favor of the acquirer, which have been tightened by recently developed standards embodied in SFAS 141 and 142. From published reports, Apple appears substantially and formally compliant with these regulations; however, greater detail and information on specific projects unavailable in the published reports would be required by a sitting and competent body to assess whether these treatments are fully compliant with the letter and spirit of SFAS. ... How close to actuality a firm assesses the value of its assets depends upon how faithfully the accounting treatment mirrors the nature of the asset. Tangible assets are easily valued; intangible ones are more ambiguous. Of all intangible assets a technology corporation, the most important ââ¬â and most difficult to assess ââ¬â is its intellectual property, and the research and development effort that goes into building it. Research efforts, when successful, lay the foundation for the companyââ¬â¢s incomes for the long-term, and therefore should be capitalized; however, since a good amount of R&D efforts are not successful, there is also a possibility that these costs would have short-term implications that does not justify depreciation into the future. This research paper will search for answers to the question: How does a high-technology company with its own proprietary research and development treat its R&D expenditures treat its research and development costs in its fin ancial reports, given that research and development efforts may or may not result in marketable products? The study shall focus on the procedure applied in Apple, Inc., the company of choice because of their high-profile, highly successful new technologies in personal communication devices, for both hardware and software. U.S. GAAP for Research and Development Expenditures The U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles is the body of accounting rules and standards according to which financial statements for companies in the U.S. are prepared, particularly publicly traded and held companies and non-profit organizations. The U.S. GAAP is embodied in the
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Music Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Music - Assignment Example The wide popularity of the music has led to various transcriptions and arrangements. For example, in Switched On Bach on the Moog synthesizer recording done by Walter Carlos and the classical guitar. The composition of this music is in the G key and is in à ¾ time. The music is seen to be a slow moving piece.The introduction has three parts; the top line, the middle line and the bottom line. The choral is seen to have the alto, bass, tenor and soprano. In conclusion, currently, this music is performed at Christian festivities such as Easter holidays, Christmas and weddings. However, it is in non-cooperation to the effect Johann Sebastian Bach suggested in his first song. One referral listener asserted that he could not see a difference in seriousness, in sacred and secular music done by Bach. The opening of Jauchzet Frohlocket BWV 248 is full of jubilant coloratura. This is the same music written by Bach as a secular cantata ââ¬Å"Tonet Ihr Pauken.â⬠There is no distinction on the performance of these two
Monday, September 23, 2019
Practitioner Values in Dementia - Portfolio 3 Essay
Practitioner Values in Dementia - Portfolio 3 - Essay Example These systems are derived on the bio-psychosocial inquiries which addressed the holistic needs of the people receiving dementia care. Barker (2008, p. 297) identifies the different systems in dementia care and includes the following: biological system, psychological system, family system, health and social care system, cultural system, and sociopolitical system. These systems safeguard and promote the ethical wellbeing of people with dementia in various ways. The biological system focuses on the current condition of the people with dementia, their primary caregivers, and family members. It ensures effective care and functioning by addressing the different life needs and its processes. For instance, people with dementia may have alterations in cognitive functions and the physical manifestations cannot be cured but can be controlled. Likewise, the primary caregivers or family members of people with dementia should be physically fit when planning for dementia care as the projected level of stress can sometimes lead to burnout. The psychological dimensions of people with dementia, their primary caregivers, and family members are also affected. Having dementia and caring for people with dementia do not only cause physical exhaustion but emotional stress as well. It is often traumatic for the family members to find the diagnosis and dementia as it may bring back the emotions inclined with birth, life expectancy, and disability of the person. Family system centered on roles, rules, boundaries, and the family life itself. To promote the ethical wellbeing of the families with/caring for dementia, family-centered services must be designed and implemented according to the needs, beliefs, and perspectives of the family (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2009, p. 40). In Asian countries, family members believe that it is their responsibility to care; thus, it would be very difficult and humiliating for them to accept support in dementia care. However, the family has the right to be informed of existing services and support groups that would aid in adaptation and financial matters such as the Dementia Support Groups and Alzheimerââ¬â¢s Society. Health and social care system encompass all aspects of health and social provision of care, including the financial aspects. According to (http://www.alzheimers.org.uk, 2013), it is not only important that we adhere on minimum standards of care; rather, we should promote high quality or personalized care. The Dementia Care Program is an example of health and social care system that deliver high-quality relationship-based care and support for people with dementia. It involves collaborative efforts from different professionals such as staff from geriatrics, elder services, behavioral health, neurology, and dementia education (http://mayoclinichealthsystem.org/, 2013). The Dementia Care Program aims to address the different needs of both the family and the person with dementia and to aid in the progression of the disease. As stated earlier, dementia care must be personalised. It must consider the cultural system or the religious beliefs and customs of those concerned in dementia care. It has been found by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2009, p. 41-42) that ethnicity affects dementia care and very few enjoy the support of extended family networks. The role of ethnicity in clinical experience
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Free
Free Will and Responsibility Essay Responsibility is being able to acknowledge and recognize that an outcome happened because of a choice. Responsibility is also accepting accountability for a particular choice. Once a person learns self-control, and can take blame rather than place blame, he or she can become a happy and successful person. Usually, everyone is capable of being responsible for his or her choices. As much as we might often see responsibility as a burden, it is one of the most important character traits in life. In most cases, there is no other person to blame for what your life is beside yourself. One example of being responsible is going to bed earlier so that Iââ¬â¢m rested for school or work. Responsibility involves self-discipline. In order to get to school and work on time, I have to make sure that I go to bed on time. Being irresponsible is easier, less time consuming, and less challenging. Placing blame on others is always the easiest way out of any situation, and it never fixes a problem. When you allow others to be responsible for you, you give away the power to control your life and the freedom to be who you want to be.When I allow myself to stay up late and talk on the phone, I am not fully rested and often late to school. When I am working as a lifeguard in the summer, not being rested can cause me to not perform my duties to the best of my ability. I am less alert, which puts peoples lives in danger. Imagine how great the world would be if everyone would take on one more ounce of responsibility for themselves and for their community. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, ââ¬Å"In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.ââ¬
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Private Sector Participation in Water Supply
Private Sector Participation in Water Supply ASSESSMENT OF PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION (PSP) IN WATER SUPPLY IN ABRAKA AND ITS ENVIRONS, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA S. I. Efe Department of Geography and Regional Planning Delta State University, Abraka. Delta State, Nigeria ABSTRACT This study assessed the level of private participation in water supply in Abraka and the likely problem militating against their effective operation. This study involved personal field observation and questionnaire survey to all the private owners of water projects in Abraka. This gives a total of 188 questionnaires administered. The data collected were presented in tables and statistical diagram. Percentages were also us ed for the data analysis. The result revealed a high level of private participation in water supply in Abraka. This is evident from 188 out of 202 functioning water projects in Abraka, thus. it indicate that over 93% (percentage) of water projects in Abraka are owned by private individuals. The operators are however faced with the problem of epileptic power supply, hike in pump process of fuel (diesel and petrol, theft and maintenance cost, it is therefore recommended that Abraka should be linked to the national grid and more feeder transformers should be supplied t o Abraka communities 4.y Delta State government. Government should also resuscitate the existing public water system in Abraka to minimise the money spent on water by Abraka inhabitants. Keywords: Private Sector, Participation, Water Supply, Abraka INTRODUCTION The supply of water to the inhabitants of urban areas has been the responsibilities of Local, State and Federal government. As such, there has been pressure in government resources and the government can no longer foot the servicing and maintenance of many socio infrastructures in the countries (Adesuyi, 1996). For instance in Nigeria many hydraulic facilities have been incapacitated and break down completely because of pressure from the increasing population of cities without corresponding expansion or maintenance in these water projects. And some even breaks down soon after commissioning (Efe, 2003). In Abraka its population has increased from 5,006 in 1985 to 57,444 in 1998, and itââ¬â¢s projected to increase to over 66,738 by 2005 and there is no expansion in the existing water facilities. Presently little could one identifSââ¬â¢ any government owned water project that provide water effectively and regularly to the inhabitants of Abraka, except dilapidated overhead tanks. T hus there has been acute shortage of water supply to Abraka communities. As such, the inhabitant now trek long distance at an average of 1-3km to river Ethiope and Ovwuvwe to get drinking and other domestic water, there they bath and do most of their washing (Plates, Clothes ete). Because of this problem there are complains by the inhabitants to government and private individuals, but there was no change of operational attitude by government. However, there has been large increased in Private Sector Participation (PSP) in water supply in recent times in Abraka. This view has been noted Oyebande (1981), Adesuyi (1996) and John (2002). So the private individual seize this opportunity to drill boreholes in their compound for personal use and commercial uses as well. Though the price of water is on the high side for example 20 litres can cost as high as N5.00 to N8.0O in most of the communities. Recently the government of Delta State came out with a policy that every borehole owners sho uld come to the state capital to register with Nb, 000.00 for commercial bores and N3,500.00 for private and pay an annual subscription rate of N2,500.00 and NI,500.00 for commercially and privately owned bore holes in the state. But the owners of these private boreholes are hesitant to register and pay the said amount saying that water is a free gift of nature, and the government who suppose to provide water has failed, and even electricity to power their submersible pump government is not providing, why then is the demand for registration. Based on the foregoing, this study is aimed at assessing the level of PSP in water supply, the willingness of the private sectors to register and pay the annual subscription and to identify the limiting factors militating against effective PSP in water supply in Abraka. STUDY AREA Abraka is located between latitude 5à °45ââ¬â¢ and 5à °50ââ¬â¢ North of the equator and longitude 6à ° and 6à ° 15ââ¬â¢ East. It covers an area of 168.43 sqkm, and a height of 45m above sea level. It is drain by two rivers, River Ethiope to the West and River Ovwuwve to the south eastern extent at the landmass. It has a gentle slope to the two rivers. The area is made of loamy and sandy soil (Efe and Aruegodore, 2003). Abraka fell within the tropical environment that enjoys the tropical rainforest climate (AF) of Koppen in 1919 and the wet equatorial of Strahier in 1969.Generally speaking, Abraka and its environs had an annual mean temperature of 3 0.6à °C, and mean monthly temperature that span from 30à °C in September to 31.1à °C in June and July. The area experiencing heavy amount of rainfall that spans for 12 months period. Annual rainfall generally ranges from 2,703mm in 1977 to 3,647mm in 1989. However, the annual mean rainfall is 3,098mm. This indicates that Ab raka experiences heavy and torrential rainfall throughout this period. The mean monthly distribution of rainfall in Abraka span 25.8mm in the month of December to 638.9mm in September. This indicates that December recorded the lowest rain amount while September recorded the month with the highest rainfall amount; as such there is no distinct dry season. In recent time Abraka has witnessed a rapid population increased, from a population of 55 510 during the 19991 Census, to estimated population value of 60 000 in 2004.This is as a result of the increase in the population of Delta State University students. This increase has also led to rapid urban development and without commensurate growth in infrastructural facilities of the areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS The research designed employed in this study involves a field survey of personal observation and questionnaire administration to all the operators of bores in Abraka. Abraka was stratified into five zones based on the 5 political delineation (wards) already in existed. The researcher and 20 of his field assistants (hydrology students) visited each of the zones at five different occasions between March ââ¬â May 2005 (one zone each ââ¬Ëthy) to count the total number of hydraulic project existing in them and to administered questionnaire to each of them. The researcher waited for them to fill them and collect the questionnaire at the spot from them. The questionnaire covers the following; when the bores are sunk, the ownerââ¬â¢s cost (prices) of water supply and their willingness to register with government and pay the annual water rate fees and likely problem encountered during operation. This took us to Umeghe, Uhuoka, Ekrejeta, Abraka urban, Ajalomi, Urhuovie, Erho, Oria wa terside, Ovwodo, Ekreseme, Urhuagbesa, Otorho and Ugono. A total of 188 questionnaires were administered to the 188 private operators of boreholes in Abraka. The data collected re summarised in table 1 ââ¬â4 and expressed in percentages. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results from the field observations are presented in table 1,2,3, and 4 and discussed below: Table 1: Number of water projects in each community and their owners Source: Authorââ¬â¢s fieldwork, 2005. Table I showed that a total of 202 hydraulic projects (bores) were located in all the communities in Abraka and its environs, Abraka urban (town), which housed the Delta State University recorded the highest concentration of bores, with a value of 68, out of which 63 hydraulic projects were owned by private individuals, 2 owned by non-governmental organisation and 3 owned by governmental They are sited at Delta State University to serve the need of staff and students on campus. This signifies 93%, 4% and 3% respectively lhr private, government and nongovernmental organisation. The 3 governments owned bores were sited at Delta State University, Abraka. Urhuoka and Ekrejeta follow this with 26 with 34 bores owned solely by private individuals respectively. Others are Oria waterside, Urhuovie, Ovwodo and Umeghe with 16, 13 and 109 bores respectively. At Oria waterside, Ovwodo and Uineghe all the boreholes are owned by private individuals, while at Urhuovie, out of the 13 water project, 10 are owned by private, 1 by community effort and 2 by government. These showed that private individuals own 77% of the water projects at Urhuovie. While the community and government own 8% and 15% of the bores respectively. The rest communities on table 1 showed less than 8 bore with the exception of Erho with 9 bores (8 private and 1 government owned). Generally, out of the 202 bores that is presently located in Abraka and its environs, 188 are owned by private individuals, 8 by government. 5 by non ââ¬â governmental organisation and I by community effort (see fig 1).Fig.1: Operators of Bores in Abraka Source: Authorââ¬â¢s fieldwork, 2005 This showed that there is a high level of PSP in provision of water to the inhabitants of Abraka. Thus water supply in Abraka is mostly under the auspices of the PSP. The reason for increased PSP in water supply according to the operators of the bores is that; government has failed in its entirety in providing this basic necessity of life to the ever increasing population of Abraka, and also to make life better for their own people in Abraka and the student who resides off campus, lastly because of the fact that all the water projects owned by urban and rural water board in Abraka have packed-up and no attempt by the government to repair them. Most water from the private bores in Abraka urban is connected to hostels for students use. For instance out of the 68 bores located in Abraka main town; 35 were connected to hostels, where majorities of the inhabitants are students, 25 sunk solely for commercial and household use, while 8 have been connected to private homes similarly 135 (ove r 71%) of the 188 water projects in Abraka and its environs, are used for commercial purpose (see table 2). Some owners of these bores also have their house connected to their owned bores. Table 2: Types of bores in Abraka Source: Authorââ¬â¢s fieldwork, 2005 On the other hand, less than 30% of the privately owned boreholes were connected to private houses and solely for private uses. However most of the boreholes were sunk between 2000 and 2005 respectively. For instance, out of the 202 functioning water projects existed presently in Abraka 153 were sunk between 2000 2005 while 49 were sunk during or between 1989 ââ¬â 1999 (see table 3) Table 3: Years bores were sunk Source: Authorââ¬â¢s fieldwork 2005. Table 3 also showed that out of the 219 water projects seen in Abraka, 15 were sunk before 1989, 51 in 1989 and 1999, and 153 between 2000 and 2005. Out of these, 17 are bad and stop functioning few years after commissioning; Leaving 202 bores. According to the inhabitants, most of these packed-up projects sunk by petroleum trust fund (PTF) during the Babagida regime. However the year 2004 witnessed rapids sitting of bores in Abraka. For instance the field observation revealed that a total 58 bores were sunk in 2004 alone. Presently there are 23 drilled bores not yet connected to the overhead tank (i.e. they are still under construction) when asked they said they occasionally pump water from these bores for block moulding and building of houses. The owners of these bores capitalised on the non-existence of public tap to increase the price of water in the area. For instance, 20 litres of water is sold as high as 5.00 ââ¬â N8.00 in some communities (most especially in Abraka urban) . An interview with some of the inhabitants seen buying water from these sources revealed that though these privately owned bores have really alleviated the problem of water shortage in Abraka, because of their short distances and efficiency, but the price of the water is very high. For instance the price of 20 litres can cost as high as N5.00 or N8.00 on the average in most of these communities. Due to this high price most households have to down size the quantity of water use per day and ââ¬Ëwhenever it rains, they fill all available bowls with rainwater, and little quantity of about 20 litres for drinking is usually bought from the private bores. The interviewed also revealed that high proportion of the bores owners in Abraka are willing to pay and register with the Urban Water Board provided the government of Delta State could provide regular supply of electricity to their communities. This is evident from 153 out of the 188 private bores owners who indicated their willingnes s to register with the Urban Water Board at Asaba (see table 4) Table 4: Number of bores owners who are will to register with government Source: Authorââ¬â¢s Fieldwork, 2005 Their justification of willing to pay is that ground water is one of the natural resources that are owned by the government, and anybody extracting natural resources pays certain amount of money to the government. The operators of the bores outlined the following as a limiting factors in order of severity; epileptic power supply, high prices of diesel and fuel, theft and maintenance cost. They all generally stressed that because of the epileptic power supply they no longer depend on electricity (NEPA) rather on generating plants to power their water project, and that the prices or diesel and petrol have further increased the running cost, which they shifted to the consumer. Thus a change in the price of 20 litres cans from N2.00 to N5.00 or N8.00 depending on the circumstances. Similarly, because of the high rate of insecurity most of the submersible pump have been lost to theft, and now they engages the services of security men to guard these water pumps, which according to them cos t as high as N4, 500.00 or N7, 500.00. They therefore call on the government of Delta State to provide more transformers, in Abraka or if possible linked Abraka to the Ogorode power line, since it will serve the Main Campus of the Delta State University, Abraka. The major problem militating against effective water supply to the inhabitants of Abraka are ascribed to high cost of hydraulic equipment and drilling of the bores, epileptic power supply, theft and the recently introduced 1 0, 000 and N3, 500 bores registration fees by the Delta State government. CONCLUSION This study has been able to show that there is a high rate of PSP in water supply in Abraka. Out of the 202 functioning water project in Abraka 188 are owned and maintained by private individuals. The study also revealed that 188 privately owned bores, supply water regularly to the inhabitants of Abraka, though the price of N5.00 ââ¬â 8.00 is on the high side. The problem of epileptic power supply and theft are major limiting factors to effective water supply. It is therefore recommended that Abraka community should be regarded as a priority or special area and linked to the national grid or Ogorode power supply. When this is done it will enhanced regular power supply that will better the entire life being of the residents of Abraka. REFERENCES Adesuyi, D. (1996), Nigeria Produces 25 year water Master Plan. Ultimate Water Technology and Environment 1(1): 17-19pp. Efe S.I. (2003), Water quality and its utilisation in the Nigerian rural setting of Abraka Delta State International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Dynamics Maiden (ed) 81-86;;. John, T. (2002), Opinion World Summit of Sustainable development, private sector participation in the water sector in the water sector published by international institute for environment and development U.S.A., UK. Oyebande, L. (1981) The hydrology of water supply: A case of Jos in P.O. Sada and J.S. Oguntoyinbo edited Urbanisation Processes in Nigeria, Ibadan University press. 141-149.
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