Reflective journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Reflective journal - Essay Example In addition, I also learnt about colostomies. The high point of my day was doing an IVPB successfully with minimal direction from my clinical instructor. The low point was seeing the patient so nauseas and unable to eat anything and there was nothing I could do to help. The patients on the medical surgery floor received great care. However, the unit should be added two more nurses to ease the amount of workload that they have to do. The nurses in the unit should also be trained on how to handle patients with unique medical conditions. Although I did not encounter any challenge, I know that I can always ask for help from any of the nurses on the medical surgery floor. My interaction with patients presents an opportunity to acquire valuable life lessons. Seeing the patient deal with so much pain with a lot of calm taught me the importance of having courage when I am faced with unpleasant conditions. Lastly, my last day on the medical surgery floor provided a great opportunity to acquire practical nursing skills. I am grateful for all the things that I have learned from the other nurses and the patients. In addition, I have been able to identify my strengths and weaknesses. This experience has not only helped me to grow as a nursing profession but also as a

Economic Problems And Issues Essay Example for Free

Economic Problems And Issues Essay Does big business own by corporations synonymous with monopoly? Let us first check the nature of the capitalist market how large firms dominated the market. When only a number of large companies dominated a specific market, what resulted would be an oligopoly. This means that only the larger and selected companies had the command in the market thus excluding smaller firms. This resulted in reducing competitive pressures in the market. In this manner, there is a tendency that the price of commodities may rise above what would be the market level. The oligopolistic producers do not have rivals or competitors coming into their market circle because of relatively high capital costs. The domination of a trade commanded by few big firms especially when they are incorporated into one large organization may result in exploitation and monopoly. In the market economy, if a market is marked by an oligopolies practice, exploitation affects the consumers because they will be charged with higher prices as compared to the price in the competitive market. The Big Businesses therefore are having a bigger slice of the oligopolistic profits because of this unfair competition at the expense of smaller firm. To know more why big business gets more profits due to oligopoly and monopoly, we need to look into the economics of production and marketing in relation to capitalism. Capitalism comes in a way that it focuses on distribution not on fair production. Instead of equal trade, capitalism is guided by hierarchy and inequality to all business concerns. Usually the privately owned businesses do their production mainly for profit where investments, income, distribution and pricing of goods and services are estimated through the operation in a market economy. In the world of business economics, this is how capitalism makes an impact in the regulation of the price of the commodity. Unfortunately due to the potential of the big business to engage in capitalism, they sometimes monopolize the market. According to the economic theory of Malcom Sawyer, within the market trade there exists a certain degree of monopoly. This indicates that profits come to those businesses with monopolistic power. As always, an increase in the monopoly of large firm always directed the profit to them instead to the small businesses. This explains that the degree of monopoly within a market will determine how poorly the small firms will be able to survive as compared to those small firms who are earning more in a more competitive market. The degree of monopoly can be graded with few factors being exhibited by the big business in the market. Their market power is obvious in the volume of their market share, the extent of their advertising, the barriers that prevent small businesses to enter the mainstream and so on. The higher and stronger of these factors, the higher the degree of monopoly. There is however an argument of the monopolistic practice of big businesses. Accordingly they put up higher prices in their product because of the prices of the materials being purchased and used in the manufacturing of goods. Another reason was the unpredictable inflation and the need for sustaining the salaries of their employees. However, any reason would still result in profits for them. Such alibis only undermine the status of their employees as according to their profits. If these companies are forced to lower their prices the employees will suffer due to lower wages and compensations. Also, poor quality materials will be used which result in poor quality products and the demand will fall as well as its production. Basically large firms can always maintain their prices and profits more than the normal price in the market without assistance from the government due to their big financial back-up and market power. The existence of Big Businesses and their influence in the economy has their impact on every nation’s future. In some ways economist always compare them to be practical capitalist building their market world in their own hands. Another bad effect of capitalism and oligopoly is that when big business are lording it over other business, the tendency would be for the smaller firms to also merge and have a fight for a competition. This is to improve their market power and have larger slice of the profits. In effect there is another monopolistic tendency in the market. Although competition is also beneficial to the consumer since they would have many choices with products, and the price would temporarily go down, the competition will most affect smaller and weaker firms. The formation of oligopolies within capitalism will result in the loss of profits for small capitalist directing the profit to Big Business. For this reasons, small and medium sized businesses ends up detesting Big Business and will be blaming the government for unfair and unequal treatment of trade (Mattick, 1974). In conclusion, the capitalists always have the tendency to use monopoly power so they can manipulate the price, the quality and quantity of the commodities. There is no real opportunity for smaller firms when the trade is being ruled by the oligopolistic and monopolistic big businesses. Although there are few advantages with competition, the smaller firms are always outside the room full of opportunities. What they lack is the power to push the big blockade blocking their road to profiteering because of the giants in the trade. The answer to the question now would absolutely be, Yes. Free Trade against Ptotectionism? What is a Free trade and what is Protectionism? Free trade is defined as a market model in which trade in goods and services between or within countries flow freely by government to government laws and restrictions. Included on the restrictions are taxes (tariffs) and other non-tariff trade barriers. On the opposite side is Protectionism. Protectionism is the economic policy of controlling trade between nations or countries such as imposing high tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas and other government regulations made to discourage imports from other countries. It also includes anti-dumping laws to protect local industries from a certain foreign nation who could take-over the competition especially in business. Some people call protectionism as â€Å"fair trade† and it may sound alluring at first. Some supporters of protectionism agree that keeping out foreign commodities will save domestic jobs and give a chance for jobs to recover and enrich themselves. It will also sustain trade deficits as well. But are these claims have enough economic basis? Protectionism in effect raises tariffs and imposes quotas on the volume of commodities the government allows to come into the country. Although tariffs is one of the major financial resources of a country, such laws restriction control the choice of consumers to have freedom of choice as well as it also opens job to the trade. According to the US Department of Labor’s statistics, eight jobs are getting lost compared to one job saved in a protected industry due to protectionism Let us give an example, in Japan the government was protecting their own farmers against the influx of imported rice from other countries but in return they are paying five times more as compared with the rice in the world market. Even the European and U. S. consumers are paying more than double the price of their own commodities on certain products as compared to price in the world market take for example agricultural products such as sugar. When the U. S. Semiconductor Trade Pact pressured the Japanese to cut back production and exportation of their computer memory chips, the result was a worldwide shortage of this parts and the eventual rise of demand and short of supply. Eventually, this has caused price increase and the technology was badly hurt by such restriction. The laws of protectionism force you to pay more on taxes on foreign and imported commodities but also increase your domestic taxes as well. This happens when governments enlarge their Customs Department Bureaucracies to guard and enforce rules with trade restrictions. So if there is no benefit for protectionism, why is it being imposed and who gains from it? Those who gain specially from it are usually groups with their special interest. Such as big corporations, unions, and farmer’s groups whom they want to command higher prices as much as getting higher wages. Such groups are thought to have special political and influential clout to politicians which pass laws favorable to their counterpart. Who are the losers with protectionism? The answer would be very clear the people and their government. Then what are the benefits of a free trade? Substantially, all countries benefits from free trade. In the US, every agreement within the free trade must be checked and balanced critically. At present, the U. S. economy is being augmented by more than $12 trillion in gross income from tree trade. American exports in the 2005 has totaled to an estimated of $1. 2 trillion. Jobs that are connected with production of goods for export are 13 to 18 percent higher. The free trade policies have made competition today on a higher level in the open market. This led to better innovation and better products, higher salaries, new markets and more savings for the employees and the government. Free trade has been bolstering America’s high standard of living and there would be more opportunities and income if trade restrictions could be alleviated further. For the past 50 years, trade liberalization has made an extra $9,000 per year for each American household according to the study made by The Institute for International Economics. The relaxation of regulations by the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Uruguay Round of the WTO—the two major agencies that impose agreements between nations has generated an annual additional benefits of $1,300–$2,000 for the standard American family of four. In conclusion to this, freer trade facilitates more goods and services to reach consumers at lower prices, providing families additional income which they can use to buy other consumer goods. It does not only help families but helps to widen global freedom, follows international law, and provide economic development especially on poor or third world countries. The World Bank also reported in 1990 that the per capita real income is three times bigger in developing countries that has opened their markets to free trade or loosen up strict regulations on certain imported products. Freer trade and market reforms have lifted more than 500 million people from poverty for the last 25 years. This in every opinion is enough to agree on trade liberalization rather than stayed embrace with the so called â€Å"fair trade† and remained stocked from a world full of opportunities (Markheim, 2007).

Evolution of Smart Homes

Evolution of Smart Homes I. Introduction Smart homes, the next gigantic leap in the field of home automation, have become an emerging research field in last few decades. Research on smart homes has been gradually moving towards application of ubiquitous computing, tackling issues on device heterogeneity and interoperability. A smart home adjusts its function to the inhabitants need according to the information it collects from inhabitants, the computation system and the context [1]. By 2050, approximately 20% of the world population will be at least 60 years old [2]. This age group is more likely to suffer from long-term chronic diseases and will face difficulties in living independently. According to World Health Organization (WHO), 650 million people live with disabilities around the world [3].The most common causes of disability include chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer; injuries due to road traffic crashes, conflicts, falls, landmines, mental impairments, birth defects, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases. It is not possible and logical to support all these patients in the medical center or nursing homes for an uncertain period of time. The solution is to accommodate health care services and assistive technologies in their home environment which is the main objective of smart homes. Sensors, multimedia devices and physiological equipments are core components to perceive information from home environment Infrared (IR) sensors, pressure sensors, magnetic contacts, passive and active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are used to track inhabitant location detection. Electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmograph(PPG), ,temperature, spirometry, galvanic skin response, colorimetry and pulse measurement equipments are used to get physiological information from the patient. Camera and microphones provide audiovisual response from home user. Inhabitant can access the system through display panel. Power line communication protocols are widely used for the connectivity of home appliances. Public telecommunication network with voice and text messaging service is involved to provide telecare facility from remote location. Videoconferencing is used as an interactive communication media between caregiver and the client. TCP/IP protocols of Ethernet network provide data connectivity for local and remote sites and locations. Ethernet protocols are also used to connect health-monitoring equipments and to provide data repository service. Algorithms from machine learning, data compression, statistics and artificial intelligent are employed to predict user behavior, detect activities of daily life (ADL) and location. C4.5 algorithm from machine learning is utilized to build spatiotemporal context of user. C4.5 algorithm is developed by Quinlan in 1993 which classify the data to construct a decision tree according to data attributes [47].Active LeZi from data compression algorithms is used to predict inhabitants next behavior. Active LeZi by Gopalratnam et al..in 2007 builds a decision tree utilizing similar methodology of LZ78 data compression algorithm and predict next event using Prediction by Partial Matching (PPM) algorithm[22].Statistical predictive algorithms like Bayesian filtering, dynamic Bayesian network algorithms classify the information and recognize ADL of home client[34][41][44]. Different flavors of AI algorithms extended for smart home data processing. Markov model, Hidden Markov model, Artificial Neur al Network can detect the living pattern of user and can also predict the user [7][13][14][38]. Fuzzy Logic is used for home appliance control [36]. Smart home is mainly dedicated to provide health care, safety, security and monitoring service for patient and elderly. The house is equipped with sensors, cameras to track people and can trigger an alarm to a remote heath care service provider in the case of emergency. Sophisticated physiological devices monitor heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, ECG record and the patient is being observed from a distance location. Telecommunication service is used for communicating with service provider, relatives or neighbor and as a redundant acknowledgement method from the patient. For home comfort system, lighting, heating, doors, windows and home appliances are automatically controlled by ambient intelligence of smart home. Smart home also has significant contribution towards energy conservation by integration of energy meter with smart home [4]. Home automation is the initial state of smart home where electronic technologies are used to provide an easy access to household devices. Rapid development of sensor technology accelerated the growth of smart home that involved more data processing. Improvement of information and communication technology make possible to develop easy and cost effective methods for data repository and exchange. Smart home is a growing concept, efficient and lower cost solutions for general people are the main idea to promote it. II. Smart Home defination Smart home is an extension of modern electronic, information and communication technologies. The main objective of smart home research is to provide smartness to a dwelling facility for comfort, healthcare, security and energy conservation. Remote monitoring system is a common component of health smart home where telecommunication and web technologies are used to provide quick and proper medication to the patient from specialized assistance centre. The first formal definition of smart home was published by Intertek in 2003, which was involved to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) smart-homes project in UK [5]. According to Intertek a smart home is a dwelling incorporating a communications network that connects the key electrical appliances and services, and allows them to be remotely controlled, monitored or accessed. A home needs three things to make it smart: Internal network wire, cable, wireless Intelligent control gateway to manage the systems Home automation products within the homes and links to services and systems outside the home III. Review of Smart Homes Smart homes projects are being conducted for last several decades and they convey different ideas, functions and utilities. It is growing to different brunches of specialization focusing the interest of the researchers and user requirements and expectations. This article is a study of the evolution of smart home according to time. Adaptive Control of Home Environment (ACHE) system is developed by Mozer in 1998 in USA. ACHE monitors user device usage pattern utilizing different types of sensors and builds an adaptive inferential engine for neural network to control temperature, heating and lighting. ACHE can control three main components of a home while trying to maximize user comfort and conserve energy [7].ACHE is one of the early smart home projects which is able to partially automate home environment via controlling lighting, temperature and heating components. CarerNet is an architectural model of integrated and intelligent telecare system proposed by Williams et al. in 1998. Its core components are sensor set, a sensor bus, intelligent monitoring system and a control unit. ECG, photoplethysmograph, spirometry, temperature, galvanic skin response, colorimetry, and pulse measurement tools used to collect physiological data. The communication network within the clients local environment is an integration of HomeLAN and Body Area Network (BAN) which is responsible to carry real-time data, event data, command and control data. It has a distributed intelligence system in the form of smart sensors, smart therapy units, body-hub, Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) and Clients Healthcare Record (CHR). Home emergency alarm system, community health information and ambulatory monitoring service can be provided by the system. [8]. CarerNet is an abstract model of health smart home and interconnecting components. No prototype of the model has been developed . Only a hypothetical case study is of an individual who had undergone brain surgery after suffering from a subarachnoid is discussed. Barnes et al. in 1998 have evaluated life style monitoring data of elderly using infrastructure of British Telecom and Anchor Trust in England. The system detects inhabitants movement using IR sensors and magnetic contacts on the entrance of the doors. To measure temperature it uses a temperature sensor in the main living area. An alarm activation system is developed which detects abnormal behavior and communicates to remote telecare control center, the clients and their carers[9]. The researchers presented a lower cost solution for smart telecare. The limitation of the system is it can identify only abnormal sleeping duration, unexpected inactivity, uncomfortable home temperature and fridge usage disorder. Moreover, it uses a special new telecom protocol named No Ring Calling which demands modifying existing telecom protocols. TERVA is a health monitoring system developed in Finland by Korhonen et al.(1998). TERVA processes physiological information like blood pressure, heart beat rate, body temperature, body weight to draw graphical representation of wellness condition of the subject[10].Research goal of the TERVA system is to develop a real time visual monitoring system but it is unable to provide long-term trend of certain physiological information. It cannot detect physiological problems and no assistive service is deployed to provide health care. The intelligent home (IHome) project at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst has developed an intelligent environment (Lesser et al.1999) IHome is a simulated environment designed with Multi Agent Survivability Simulator (MASS) and a Java Agent Framework (JAF) as tools to evaluate agent behavior and their coordination. The focus of the project is to model agent interactions and task interactions so that the agent can evaluate the tradeoff between robustness and efficiency [11].IHome is a simulation only solution, the project never build a practical smart home to evaluate their model. The Aware Home Research at the Georgia Institute of Technology developed a smart home, which equipped with monitoring facilities to study human behavior (Kidd et al. 1999). To build a model of user behavior pattern, it uses smart floor to sense footsteps. Hidden Markov models, simple feature-vector averaging and neural network algorithms are applied on these data to create and evaluate behavioral model [12]. The aim of the project is to study user behavior, which is the primary stage of smart home research. The project never developed home intelligence which is a big shortfall of the research. The EasyLiving project at Microsoft Research based on intelligent environment to track multiple residents using distributed image-processing system (Krumm et al. 2000). The system can identify residents through active badge system. Measurements are used to define geometric relationship between the people, devices, places and things [13][14].The system is workable in single room only and can track upto three peoples simultaneously. SELF (Sensorized Environment for LiFe), is an intelligent environment, which enables a person to maintain his or her health through self-communication (Nishida et al. 2000). SELF observes the persons behavior with distributed sensors invisibly embedded in the daily environment, extracts physiological parameters from it, analyzes the parameters, and accumulates the results. The accumulated results are used for reporting useful information to maintain the persons health. The researchers constructed a model room for SELF consisted of a bed with pressure sensor array, a ceiling lighting dome with a microphone and a washstand with display[15].SELF describes a self-assessment system of human health but measuring only respiratory system and sleeping disorder, which is not sufficient to monitor health condition. The ENABLE project was set up in 2001 to measure the impact of assistive technology on the patient suffering from mild or moderate dementia (Adlam et al. 2004). The researcher installed two devices (cooker and night light) in the apartment of several patients in different locations to evaluate the efficiency of the system [16]. The research scope is limited to only two household devices but to assist this type of patient the whole house must possess some kind of intelligence. Health Integrated Smart Home Information System (HIS) is an experimental platform for home based monitoring (Virone.et al. 2002). IR sensors are used to track inhabitant activities and the information is transmitted via Controller Area Network (CAN) to a local computer. The system generates alerts according to some predefine zones [17]. The research is only limited to single inhabitant monitoring. In 2002, GuillÃÆ' ©n et al. developed a system composed of two parts: home station (HS) and caregiver medical center (CMC) connected via integrated service digital network (ISDN) backbone. The home station is equipped with vital signs recording module to monitor physiological data like blood pressure, temperature, ECG, pulse oximetry. Caregiver medical center is like a call center designed specially with patient monitoring software. An interactive communication system between home and caregiver center is developed using videoconferencing technology [18]. Figure 1 shows functional modules of multimedia smart home. The system requires high Internet bandwidth for videoconferencing, which needs expensive equipments and high maintenance cost. Functional module of multimedia platform [18] At University of Tokyo, Noguchi et al (2002) designed an intelligent room to support daily life of the inhabitant. The system has three main components: data collection, data processing and integration of processed data. The system learns current state of environment from sensors attached to bed, floor, table and switches. A summarization algorithm is used to track any changes in the system. The algorithm segments the collected sensory data at the points where sensor outputs changes drastically (i.e. pressure data appears suddenly or switch sensors are changed). It labels the segment with the room state. It joins a state of each segment to quantize the accumulated data and ties up the changed situation. The algorithm also tries to eliminate and reduces situations that changes slightly [19].The proposed summarization algorithm can detect user activities which is tested for single room only. No home automation method discussed utilizing the algorithm. MavHome (Managing an Adaptive Versatile Home) first introduced by Das et al. in 2002 at the University of Texas, Arlington [20]. Figure 2 describes MavHome architecture in brief. MavHome use multi disciplinary technologies: artificial intelligent, multimedia technology, mobile computing and robotics. It is divided into four abstract layers: physical, communication, information and decision. X10 protocol is used to control and monitor more than sixty X10 devices plugged into the home electric wiring system [21]. Active LeZi algorithm is developed that makes a decision tree based on kth order Markov model and predict next action calculating probability of all actions applying prediction by partial matching method [22]. Although MovHome utilize algorithms to make accurate prediction and decision, it only predicts the behavior of single inhabitant [23]. concrete architecture of MavHome[21] The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology for Successful aging (RERC-Tech-Aging) at the University of Florida introduced House of Matilda (Helel et al. 2003, 2005)[24].The home is inhabited by a dummy called Mutilda. The main aim of this research is to perceive user location using ultrasound technology. After two years, in 2005 they designed the second generation of this home named GatorTech'[25]. GatorTech is actually integration of smart device with sensors and actuators to optimize the comfort and safety of older peoples. The system is not user friendly because it requires wearable device for user tracking. In 2004, Mihailidis et al. developed a computer vision system in pervasive healthcare systems. The vision system consists of three agents: sensing, planning and prompting. Statistics and physics based methods of segmenting skin color in digital images are used for face and hand tracing [26]. Only hand and face tracing is not sufficient to make an efficient smart home system, the system should include body tracking and hand gesture reorganization. Multimedia Laboratories, NTT DoCoMo Inc. in Japan, has developed a system for modeling and recognizing personal behavior utilizing sensors and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag (Isoda et al. 2004)[27]. C4.5 algorithm is used to construct decision tree from the data obtained from the sensors and RFID tags. The users behavioral context at any given moment is obtained by matching the most recently detected states with previously defined task models. The system is an effective way for acquiring users spatiotemporal context but no intelligent system is developed for home appliances control. Andoh et al. in 2004 developed a networked non-invasive health monitoring system analyzing breath rate, heart rate, snoring and body movement. Researchers adopted Ethernet network for breath monitoring system implementation. The system can estimate sleep stages analyzing data using the algorithm developed for the purpose [28]. The system cannot summarize long term observation of patients sleeping disorder. In 2005, Masuda et al. have developed a health monitoring arrangement using existing telecommunication system for home visit rehabilitation therapists. Researchers used an air filled mat to measure heartbeat and respiratory condition. When the patient lies on the air mat, his heartbeat and respiratory movement cause significant change in air pressure inside the mat, which is measured by pressure sensor and analyzed by appropriate filtering process [29]. The interesting part of the project is the usage of an air bag as monitoring equipment but its limitation is, it can only measure heart rate and respiratory condition. In 2005, Ma et al emphasized on context awareness to provide automatic services in smart home. They used case-based reasoning (CBR) to provide more appropriate services. CBR technique relies on previous interactions and experiences to find solutions for current problems. The system can adopt any manual adjustment done by modifying case data [30].This is the initial state of the project where few scenarios like AC, TV, lamp interaction is evaluated. Their future plan is to add more contexts and enrich the features of case tables. The House_n group at MIT designed PlaceLab a new living laboratory for the study of ubiquitous technologies in home environment (Intille et al. 2005). PlaceLab deployed with numerous wire, light, pressure, temperature water, gas, current sensors with video and audio devices to create vast amount of real life data from single volunteers as well as couples [31].The goal of the project is to study human behavior, influence of technology on the people and how technology can be used to simplify user interaction with home appliances. Their main contribution is an open online database of smart home sensor events and a well featured analyzing software [48].Researchers never implemented the study to build an autonomous intelligent home. Yamazaki (2006) constructed Ubiquitous Home, a real-life test bed, for home context-aware service. It is a housing test facility for the creation of useful new home services by linking devices, sensors, and appliances across data networks. Active and passive RFID tags located above the ceiling and at the entrance of the door are used to detect and recognize inhabitants. Pressure sensors are used to track user movement and furniture. The system is occupied with plasma panels, liquid crystal display and microphone for better interaction with the users. A network robot is employed to perform certain home services. Researchers concluded that the goal of smart home is not to design an automated home but to develop an environment using interface technologies between human and the system [32].Although, the researchers installed enough sensors and interfacing devices , the system is only sensible to few task automations like TV program selection, cooking recipe display and forgotten property service. Ha et al. (2006) presents a sensor-based indoor location-aware system that can identify residents location. Researchers used an array of Pyroelectric Infrared (PIR) sensor and proposed a framework of smart home location aware system. An algorithm is developed to process the information collected from PIR sensors for inhabitant location detection. Their next step is to design an algorithm to determine location and trajectory of multiple residents simultaneously [33]. The project in dedicated to user location detection system which is an essential part of smart home. No system is developed to provide intelligence to the house employing user location. In 2007, Rahal et al. at DOMUS laboratory, Universit ´e de Sherbrooke, Canada, utilized Bayesian Filtering methods to determine location of the inhabitants. Bayes filters are efficiently used to estimate a persons location using a set of fixed sensors. In this method, the last known position and the last sensor event are both used to estimate a new location. The algorithm based on Bayesian filtering shows a mean localization accuracy of 85% [34].This project also deals with user location detection algorithm, no home automation is developed using the processed information. De Silva et al. (2007) have implemented an audiovisual retrieval and summarization system utilizing multimedia technology for human behavior tracking. Using a large number of cameras a hierarchical clustering of audio and video handover used to create personalized video clips. An adaptive algorithm is used for complete and compact summary of the video retrieved. Basic audio analysis methods are applied for accurate audio segmentation and source localization. An interface allowed users to incorporate their knowledge into the search process and obtain more accurate results for their queries [35].The system can track people, extract key frame, localize sound source, detect lighting change but cannot distinguished different people. At Tampere University of Technology, Vainio et al.(2008) developed a proactive fuzzy home-control system. An adaptive algorithm applied to evaluate the test on obtained results. The goal of the research is to help elderly people live independently at home. Developed system can recognize routines and also recognize deviations from routines. The system can provide information to caregivers about living rhythm, sleeping disorders, and medicine taking of inhabitant [36]. But the system works sensibly only for lighting control. In 2008, Swaminathan et al. proposed an object reorganization system using visual image localization and registration. Appliances are first registered in the image processing system. According to the voice command of the user, appropriate object is selected using an environmental map [27].It is actually a home automaton project using speech reorganization to receive user command and commands are executed to the objects which already known to the system. Growing Self-Organizing Maps (GSOM) used a self-adaptive neural network to detect and recognize activities of daily life addressed by Zheng et al in 2008 [38] [39]. The GSOM follows the basic principle of the Kohonen self-organizing map with a special focus on adaptive architecture. The learning process of the GSOM is started by generating an initial network composed by four neurons on a 2-dimensional grid, followed by iteratively presenting training data samples. The system is tested in single room apartment for about two weeks where it can recognized user pattern of 22 distinct activities. Like other Self Adaptive Neural Networks (SANN), the system is depends on several learning parameters to be determined in advance such as initial learning rate and the size of the initial neighborhood. Other machine learning method must be utilized in parallel to determine optimum parameter for best performance. In 2008, Perumal et al. from Institute of Advanced Technology of University Putra Malaysia (UPM) have presented a design and implemented Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) based residential engagement for smart home systems appliances control [40]. An appliance control module based on SOAP and web services developed to solve the interoperation of various home appliances in smart home systems. Fifteen feedback based control channels implemented with residential management system through Web Services. If the residential management system experiences server downtime, the home appliances can still be controlled using alternate control mechanism with GSM network via SMS Module locally and remotely. This system offers a complete, bi-directional real-time control and monitoring of smart home systems. No security mechanism is used to protect the web server from unauthorized access. Virone et al. present a dozens of statistical behavioral patterns obtained from an activity monitoring pilot study. The pilot study examined home activity rhythms of 22 residents in an assisted living environment with four case studies. Established behavioral patterns have been captured using custom software based on a statistical predictive algorithm that models circadian activity rhythms (CARs) and their deviations (Virone et al. 2008). The system cannot differentiate multiple inhabitants [41]. Yoo et al. examined web-based implementation possibility of a central repository to integrate the biosignal data arrives from various types of devices in a remote smart home. Medical waveform description Format Encoding Rule (MFER) standard is followed for communicating and storing the biosignal data in ubiquitous home health monitoring system. The web-based technology allowed ubiquitous access to the data from remote location. The paper presents a common data format for all types of sensor (Yoo et al. 2008)[42].Figure 3 describes functional architecture of web based data retrieval system. Information security, which is a burning issue for any web based system is not considered in this research. A web-based architecture for transferring the measured biosignal data from the u-House to the remote central repository. A snow-flake data model is designed by Zhang et al. in 2008 to represent the activities data in smart homes [43]. Sensor data are stored in the homeML structure. A new algorithm is proposed on the prediction of class labels for variable person and activities of daily life (ADL) indicating who is doing what, given the observed episode and time information. Accuracy is calculated as the proportion of the number of correctly predicted class over the total number of episodes in the evaluation dataset. The learning output in the form of a joint probability distribution is also assessed by the distance to the true underlying probability distribution, using the Euclidean metric. The smaller the distance is, the closer the learned model to the true situation. The algorithm is based on probabilistic distribution and able to predict ADL of more than one inhabitant. The result given is based on simulated data and the example shows only one task identification (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"making drink activi ties). In 2008, Park et al. proposed a method for recognizing ADL at multiple levels of details by combining multi-view computer vision and RFID based direct sensor [44]. A hierarchical recognition scheme is proposed by building a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) that encompasses both coarse-level and fine-level ADL recognition. Their methodology combines the two tracking technology. The system requires wearable RFID tag which is not comfortable for users. Rashidi et al. developed CASAS at Washington State University in 2008. CASAS is an adaptive smart home that utilizes machine-learning techniques to discover patterns in user behaviour and to automatically mimic these patterns. The goal is to keep the resident in control of the automation. Users can provide feedback on proposed automation activities, modify the automation policies, and introduce new requests. In addition, CASAS can discover changes in residents behaviour patterns automatically. Frequent and Periodic Activity Miner (FPAM) algorithm mines this data to discover frequent and periodic activity patterns. These activity patterns are modelled by their Hierarchal Activity Model (HAM), which utilizes the underlying temporal and structural regularities of activities to achieve a satisfactory automation policy. User can provide feedback on proposed automation activities, modify the automation policies, and introduce new requests [45].To make a system more interactive smart home s hould be equipped with voice reorganization facilities which is absent in this system. Raad et al. developed a cost-effective user-friendly telemedicine system to serve the elderly and disabled people. An architecture of telemedicine support in smart home that consists of web and telecom interface is considered in their research (Raad et al. 2008)[46]. This system also suffers from information security issues. PRIMA (Perception, recognition and integration for interactive environments) research group of the LIG laboratory at the INRIA Grenoble research center in France has defined a model for contextual learning in smart homes (2009). The authors developed a 3D smart environment consisting cameras, a microphone array and headset microphones for situation modeling. It relies on 3D video tracking and role detection process regarding activities of the person. Roles are learned by support vector machines (SVM). It is also capable to learn speed of the inhabitant and distance to the interacting object. Proposed system can identify situations like introduction, presentation, aperitif, game and siesta. Its error rate is very high [49]. Kim et al. developed a pyroelectric infrared (PIR) sensor based indoor location aware system (PILAS) in 2009.The system uses an array of PIR sensors attached with the ceiling and detects inhabitants location by combining overlapped detected areas. PIR sensors construct a virtual map of resident location transition. To improved accuracy, they applied Bayesian classifier using a multivariate Gaussian probability density function to determine the location of an inhabitant. PILAS is unable to detect multiple residents [50]. Wang et al. have developed a smart home monitoring and controlling system(2009). The system can be controlled from remote locations through an embedded controller. They have developed different GUI for mobile devices and PCs. Each device has a unique address. A new command format to control the devices is introduced. It is a complex system and not compatible to previous smart homes architectures [51]. Yongping et al. have developed an embedded web server to control equipments using Zigbee protocol (2009). For this purpose they used S3C2410 microprocessor which was programmed with Linux 2.6 kernel. To provider online access a small web server (only 60 Kbytes) named Boa is installed. An interface had also been designed to communicate with Zigbee module (MC13192).The system do possess any type of intelligence [52]. Hussain el al. have developed inhabitant identification system using wireless sensor network (WSN) and RFID sensors (2009). The system can identify user location by the intensity of the Radio Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of WSN. A person is recognized by attached a RFID tag. The combined reading of RSSI signal and RFID receiver can successfully identify specific location of a resident in the home. The system is limited to single person tracking [53]. At Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Taiwan, Chen et al.

Galileo: Scientist, Scholar, Rebel Essay -- essays research papers

Seventeenth-century European study was controlled by two powerful forces: the Roman Catholic Church, headed by the Pope, and ancient philosophy dominated by the 2000-year-old ideas of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. The Church had an overwhelming influence on the lives of most Europeans. During Galileo’s time one in twelve people living in Rome was either a cleric or a nun.1 The Church forbid any teaching that deviated from what was taught in the Bible. To enforce this control, the Church set up the Inquisition. Galileo was targeted by the Inquisition for his observations and experiments. 2 Because his teachings differed from the socially accepted ideas of Aristotle, the Inquisition believed he should be persecuted. Even though Galileo’s observations were much more factual than Aristotle’s and, more important, backed up by experiments and the use of the telescope, he was still sentenced to house arrest for life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564, in Pisa Italy.3 Galileo was born into a family considered nobility, and his father, Vincenzo Galilei, was an accomplished musician.4 Galileo was tutored privately and also educated by his father until the age of eleven, when his family moved to Florence and sent him to a Jesuit monastery to study medicine.5 Three years after his son began school, Vincenzo was surprised to learn Galileo had decided to become a monk. Somewhat angered, his father withdrew him from the monastery, and Galileo continued his high school education in Florence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At age seventeen Galileo began college at the University of Pisa, where he reluctantly studied medicine. 6 Throughout his first term attending the university, Galileo became more interested in mathematics than medicine. A court mathematician, by the name of Ostillo Ricci, noticed Galileo in his lectures.7 Impressed with Galileo’s knowledge, he urged Galileo change his major to mathematics. Against his father’s wishes, Galileo changed courses, and by the end of his first term he was a mathematics undergraduate.8   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Galileo made his first important discovery while attending the University of Pisa. Galileo noticed a swinging lamp above him during a church sermon. Extremely bored, Galileo conducted an experiment to see if the amount of time in between each swing was the same. Using hi... ...i. School of Mathmatics and St. Andrews, Scotland, August 1995; available from http://www.history.mcs.standrews.ac.uk/history/mathmatics/galileo.html;Internet. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 Jack Meadows, The Great Scientists. Oxford University; New York, 1987, p. 35. 8 Deborah Hitzeroth and Sharon Heerbor, Galileo Galilei. Lucent Books Inc; California, 1992, p.15. 9 Ibid., p.16. 10 J.V. Field, Galileo Galilei. School of Mathmatics and St. Andrews, Scotland, August 1995; available from http://www.history.mcs.standrews.ac.uk/history/mathmatics/galileo.html;Internet. 11 Ibid. 12 Galileo Galilei- Astrology. Available from http://www.astrology.about.com/library/weekly/aa0zz00b. 13 Ibid. 14 Ibid. 17 Ibid. 18 Jack Meadows, The Great Scientists. Oxford University; New York, 1987, p.41. 19 Deborah Hitzeroth and Sharon Heerbor, Galileo Galilei. Lucent Books Inc; California, 1992, p.24. 20 Jack Meadows, The Great Scientists. Oxford University; New York, 1987, p.44. 21 Ibid., p.45. 22 Giorgio De Santillan, The Crimes of Galileo. Time Inc; University of Chicago Press, 1962, p.185. 23 Ibid., p.257. 24 Ibid. 25 Jack Meadows, The Great Scientists. Oxford University; New York, 1987, p.48. 26 Ibid

Advantage of Using Mobile

Health Effects Electromagnetic radiation from cell phones may cause health problems. Rigorous studies are being carried out to know about the negative effects of cell phones. Sleep deprivation, stress and brain problems have been linked to overuse of cell phones, and are considered as the possible effects of cell phone radiation. Some studies have reported that cell phone usage can trigger male infertility symptoms. But nothing has been proved yet, though we can lessen mobile use to some extent. Children Suffer Children have been found to have some worrisome effects of mobile phone usage.Since they have weaker immune system, thinner skin and developing nervous system, waves generated from mobile phones can harm their body cells. It has been found that children can absorb radio waves to a far greater extent than adults. Legal Issues Mobile phones come with cameras and hence this has led to hundreds of thousands of cases pending in courts about privacy problems. There have been instanc es in the past, in countries like Saudi Arabia, Japan, Korea, where a ban was imposed on camera phones, making it a strict rule to sell only those cell phones that come with an appreciable click sound!Moreover, crime rate has also increased with miscreants like robbers and terrorists pursuing their nefarious schemes through mobile phones. Driving and Mobile Phones If not anything, this is certainly one of the most dangerous disadvantages of cell phones. In the US, cell phone and driving have become a major concern among traffic officials. The seriousness of this issue in the eyes of the federal government was highlighted when a US court in 2009, imposed a whopping million dollar fine for talking on phone while driving, on a Texan driver.It is the highest fine imposed in the world, for someone using mobile phone while driving. Many accidents can be averted if people are cautious, and avoid cell phone usage while driving. Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Phones in Business Here are some advantages of mobile phones in business. †¢It's easier to contact employees, staff members and clients. Mobile phone is useful in sales and marketing business. †¢For business people, mobile number is the first thing their clients/customers ask, in case, they're interested in the business idea/product. †¢In business, you can't meet everyone.With cell phones you can contact the person and even talk as per his time and convenience. Moreover, you can have more time at your disposal to talk. †¢Business people can check emails, keep reminders about meetings, conferences and record details of business etc. even in small gadgets like mobile phones. †¢With inexpensive phone plans for corporate firms, business networking has been redefined. Mobile phones come with several disadvantages in business. They are as follows. †¢Business people can often feel stressed due to constant calls. This is true for telemarketers. Even consumers get baffled due to variou s calls.Some employers who give the facility of cell phones to their employees are often afraid of potential costs that the firm has to bear. But then, these days, call rates are pretty inexpensive and people avoid using business sim cards for their personal usage. Hence, this disadvantage is not a big concern. †¢In general, landline numbers still indicate authenticity and if you glance around, every large business group will, for sure, have a landline number. For an effective business firm, landline number is important. Any change that transforms our society (for the good or bad, both) effect every age group.Several schools of thoughts have raised their voice for various advantages of mobile phones for students. Being in touch with parents and for seeking help during emergencies, are some of the advantages of mobile phones in school but more than that, I don't think students must be allowed to carry cell phones in schools. Cell phones for kids: pros and cons are many, and the school management and parents must consider properly before allowing kids to carry mobile phones in school. Studies have reported that mobile phones have been used by students for cheating in tests, arranging drug deals, thereby causing distraction in studies.Till today, cell phone use in schools is a highly debated topic. This was all about the advantages and disadvantages of mobile phones. Certainly, too much of everything is bound to have negative implications. Since the last few years, cell phone radiations have been said to be a prominent problem and as the number of cell phone users are increasing day by day, medical threats are bound to increase. While we can wait and watch for more medical and scientific evidences supporting medical concerns about mobile usage, as an individual, we can try to restrict mobile phone usage.

Word Choice Envelop vs. Envelope - Proofeds Writing Tips

Word Choice Envelop vs. Envelope - Proofeds Writing Tips Word Choice: Envelop vs. Envelope Some words look or sound unhelpfully similar to others, which can be confusing if you speak English as a second language or rely heavily on automatic spellcheckers, which don’t pick up errors of this type. The terms â€Å"envelop† and â€Å"envelope,† for instance, are one letter apart in spelling, yet  confusing the two would affect the clarity of your writing. But what exactly is the distinction between these terms? Envelop (To Enclose or Enfold) The word â€Å"envelop† is a verb meaning â€Å"to completely cover or enclose† something: It’s cold outside, so I’ll envelop myself in a comforter and think warm thoughts. The bridge was enveloped in fog, giving the scene a creepy look. In military circles, â€Å"envelop† is also a word for a flanking maneuver, though you shouldn’t need to use this on a regular basis unless you’re in a combat situation! Envelope (A Paper Container) Although similar, â€Å"envelope† (with an â€Å"e†) is a noun, typically referring to the flat paper container used for sending letters (until email came along). (Photo: U.S. Post Office Department) After slipping the card into the envelope, she sealed it and handed it to the carrier. â€Å"Envelope† also has a few technical meanings, such as the membrane of a virus or the limits within which an aircraft remains operational. This latter sense of â€Å"envelope† is actually how â€Å"pushing the envelope† came to mean going beyond expectations, as flight tests were designed to â€Å"push the envelope† of the aircraft being tested. Envelop or Envelope? Despite their similarity in spelling, â€Å"envelop† and â€Å"envelope† are importantly distinct; most notably, one is a verb (i.e., an action word), the other a noun (i.e., a naming word). As long as you remember this difference it should be simple to tell them apart. â€Å"Envelop† will always describe an action, while an â€Å"envelope† will always name something (usually a papery container): Envelop (verb) = To cover or enclose Envelope (noun) = A papery container for mail

The Factors of Poverty essays

The Factors of Poverty essays What is poverty? Every day we are exposed to some nature of poverty. There is no one definition to define poverty because poverty can be in reference to anything. Generally, poverty is referenced to being extremely poor or lacking general necessities required to live each day. Examples may include water, food, and shelter. Each view of poverty has its own opinion and explanation. Poverty affects all aspects of life, even the ones who are fortunate to have everything they need. Poverty is either blamed on the individual or the system, which we refer to as the government. A couple of things one should take into consideration when referring to poverty is the causes and effects of poverty, the types of poverty, and the people mostly affected by poverty. Although poverty is well overlooked, the less fortunate should be taken into consideration rather than overlooked or set apart as an outcast to society. There are two categories of poverty. The first category of poverty is case poverty. Case poverty is defined as something an individual does or lacks which causes them to be poor. For example, drug addicts and alcoholics who are living in poverty are in that state because of the habit they would rather support. On the other hand, those living in poverty due to a handicap or mental problem are in that state because that disables their ability to work. The second category is insular poverty. This is brought about to a particular group living in a particular area and is solely based upon environmental factors. Insular poverty could exist in the slums of the city, and this result from lack of attention and maintenance from the city. There is a major difference between the two cases of poverty, solely based on who is effected and how. John Kenneth Gilbraith expressed his forethought about these cases of poverty and suggested, The cure of poverty is possible but is not sure that the peop le along with the government see it as an important...

Warhol by Ratcliff essays

Warhol by Ratcliff essays The life and work of Andy Warhol has inspired many writers to tell of the artists secrets in published writings. However, Carter Ratcliff accomplishes this feat in a unique fashion, profiling Warhols work in Andy Warhol. A must-read for anybody interested in the origins of American Pop art, Ratcliffs book touches on all aspects of Warhols work. Segmented chronologically, Ratcliff explains the influence and significance of select paintings, as well as sections devoted to Warhols sketches, photographs, movies and notes on the techniques used by the artist. This format, combined with the inclusion of nearly 100 prints of paintings, is effective because a natural theme flows through the chronological ordering of the monograph. Some of the influences are obvious in Warhols work. However, the cumulative effect of the artists attempts is more easily understood through the chronological ordering of the pieces. The chronological ordering helps the reader understand what social or personal beliefs or conflicts the artist was dealing with pertaining to the given time period. For example, Warhol produced many pieces with singular subject matter displayed multiple times as in his Campbells soup cans, Coca-Cola bottles and dollar signs, possibly just comforting symbols to Warhol as well as the American Pop Culture. Also, Ratcliff l eads the reader on a journey through the details, effects and consequences of the work. The author also describes similarities in select Warhol pieces. The development of Warhol as an artist is easily understood using this format, as his work transforms from the playful character of Saturdays Popeye (Figure 1) to the realism of Skull or the political power of the Hammer and Sickle series. Andy Warhol takes a convincing and comprehensive look at the pursuits of the artist, basing observations on a plethora of sources. The information cited i...

Quality of Health Care Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Quality of Health Care - Term Paper Example Thus the quality and performance of hospital staff would be determined by a dichotomy of perception, one by private enterprise and the other by the government. Along with these developments raining and development of skills in the healthcare sector would lead to a new dimension both in the sphere of motivation and performance. Human Resource Training & Development (HRTD) policies and initiatives have received greater attention in the current period due to highly articulate employee skills training and development strategies at the individual healthcare sector. Thus the theoretical and empirical analysis of this paper is based on the available literature on the subject at a global level along with hospital's own training and quality improvement practices. This study basically draws on the hospitals' policy based convergence/divergence parameters for the continuous analysis for a proper articulation of the TQM strategy at broader level though its theoretical underpinnings are based on the need to focus attention on the evolving environment of competition. TQM policy and initiative based analysis is a near approximation of an otherwise intractable continuum which lacks definable contours and a logical conceptual framework of reference. While theoretical constructs underlying this approach have been presented as a uniform analysis there is very little attention being focused on the qualitative paradigm shift caused by the a priori and a posteriori catalytic changes (Creech, 1995). Thus the qualitative shift in this study is essentially based on these outcomes and the latest calibrations and/or benchmarks enunciated by researchers to establish a conceptual framework for analysis.As a business management strategy Six Sigma can be identified as a best practice in many industries including healthcare sector. Six Sigma simply defined as "a measure of quality for near perfection" (www.isixsigma.com). In fact some of the hospitals are focusing their attention on innovative ways to overcome some of the challenges in healthcare sector including create safety environment for patients and efficiency of the service delivery. Thus Six Sigma strategies can be used to enhance the quality of the service in the hospital by reducing the errors and variability in healthcare process. Therefore it can be used as a quality management method within the hospitals with sequence of steps to achieve desirable objectives such as improving the quality of the service, efficient service delivery, patient safety, reducing the cost and increasing the profits and so on. As a result hospital sectors are experiencing positive outcomes on patients, staff and the bottom line. Training and development process of the hospital's staff PhysiciansPhysicians would not be the same after extensive training. Apparently they would be in a better position than now especially with regard to their ready involvement. The government bureaucracy that makes policy decisions now would be defunct and a new breed of decision makers who are practicing physicians at the same time would make important strategic decisions in the future. As for the private hospitals, physicians would also be substantial

Operations Management course. Memo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operations Management course. Memo - Case Study Example Although CX Technologies has been able to maintain its position in the market, growth has plateaued and with the incoming recession, business is set to go down further. Bhole e.al states that the company’s expansion into the Asian market recently and considering the positive outcomes of this expansion, the probability of succeeding into the automotive industry is high (7-8). According to observers, the automotive industry faces a bleak future, considering that many people are more apprehensive about rising gas prices, a factor that has led to lower vehicle purchases. The situation has been aggravated by the fact that the largest three manufactures have approached the government in search of caution against the recession. According to Bhole et.al, possibilities for success are raised by the sheer size of the industry in the United States is a major motivating factor in this expansion (7). This allows for CX Technology to penetrate the market and offer competitively lower prices, since the company’s personnel are enough to provide the needed labor. With branches in Asia already, the company is in a good position to tap into the Chinese market and take advantage of the growing economy and demand for automobiles. This is a risky project because it puts the entire future of the company at stake. If the decision is made to follow up with the plan, then the company risks running bankrupt, especially considering the current recession. If the proposal into expand to the automotive industry is passed, then feasibility studies need to be undertaken as soon as possible. The company’s entire workforce is to be notified about the new enterprise, so as to be prepared to provide the necessary labor. In conclusion, every business needs to take a risk once in a while and test new opportunities; otherwise it risks stagnation and monotony. Venturing into the automotive industry seems like a worthwhile risk for CX Technology, in an effort to grow the company’s

Financial Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Accounting - Essay Example Further an analysis is made to understand which of the two objectives is apt for the GPFR. Also an analysis is made to understand if the proposal of the IASB has helped improve the GPFR. A conclusion is then drawn out based on the discussion. However to discuss this further it is essential that we first understand what general purpose financial reports deal with. The next section focuses on understanding general purpose financial reports in detail. The Statement of Accounting Concept (SAC 1) explains general purpose financial reports as reports that are intended to meet the needs of common users who are unable to command the preparation of reports tailored to their specific needs. Also GPFRs can be produced by entities that have users who cannot command the preparation of specific information. The entities are required to be reporting entities and if they are not deemed to be report entity then it would not require producing a GPFR and would not require complying with all the accounting standards (IASB, 2008). GPFRs are not produced for a single group of users. It has grown from the basic need of all groups of users who need financial information. However there are conflicts between the groups since almost every group require different information for example suppliers and lenders vs. the shareholders, or the senior management vs. the employees. Shareholders require a more detailed report which helps them analyses the profitab ility, whereas lenders and suppliers require the report to be made for them to be more conservative. Similarly senior management would have concerns about the profits that are reported as if the profits are reported to be high the chances of increase in wage demanded will also be high. The main objectives of general purpose financial reports of the Australian accounting standards board is to provide reliable and

Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion - Research Paper Example â€Å"Personality is expressed through influences on the body† (Mayer, 2005, p.22). Further, I realized that some individuals have a low locus of control, which means that they believe others influence and affect their own destinies and feel as though they are victims of circumstance (Treven & Potocan, 2005). This is unhealthy personality-related behavior that causes people to be too passive and always on the defensive. This was the root of what was causing these physical stress responses unlike a normal functioning person who believes they have control over their own fate without being influenced by others. The intervention chosen for this client was built under the operant conditioning model, which is essentially conditioning a person to change their behaviors through positive reinforcement when a desired behavior occurs (Kadden, 2008). Each time this client described a positive scenario in his life, I would touch the individual in a gentle way such as offering a rub on the shoulders in a soothing fashion. When the client began discussing negative behaviors, I would instead look depressed and show body language that was modestly disinterested. This operant conditioning, over time, made the individual want to discuss more positive factors so that my responses followed a more desired consequence.

Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention Research Paper - 1

Genocide and Humanitarian Intervention - Research Paper Example Despite optimistic dreams, harmony was shattered in the early 1990s with the explosion of ethnic conflict and humanitarian tragedies on the grandest scale.   While ethnic conflict and humanitarian crises have existed since the dawn of time, for the first time ever images of extreme bloodshed, violence, and even genocide were broadcast into the millions of people around the world, from New York to New Delhi and from London to Lagos. Images of children being slaughtered, women being raped and people brutalized were beamed into the living rooms of concerned citizens all over the world, for all to see. For the first time, the public was confronted, on a near daily basis, with images of mass carnage, violence, and humanitarian crisis. People pressed their congressmen, parliamentarians and state representatives to act and, in varying degrees, a groundswell calling for a decisive role for governments in ending these humanitarian crises and conflicts emerged. Although some wanted direct military action, often French, British or American, in ending a particular conflict, most governments have traditionally favored other instruments of diplomacy: p olitical pressure, economic sanctions and imposed a settlement through international bodies such as the United Nations. As Carleton, & Stohl have emphatically demonstrated, a foreign policy rhetoric may be politically salient but not always political possible.  The purpose of this report is to provide an analysis of the human rights issue of genocide and humanitarian intervention.   With the aim of providing a thorough and concise overview of an incredibly timely issue, the following will explore arguments by two major scholars in the field regarding this important human rights issue.  

Examination of Major Epistemological Constraints Essay

Examination of Major Epistemological Constraints - Essay Example Similarly, it is fundamental to comprehend these terminologies for reasons of building a strong argument and supporting points with regards to the subject matter. A precise definition of epistemology is the study of nature, limits of the human understanding and origin of concepts and logical framework of various ideologies. However, there are some key points to note in epistemology for instance the possibility of various pulls of knowledge. Additionally, the kind of knowledge that is in question. It further seeks to find out whether some knowledge is in born or all knowledge is acquired (Fumerton 2006, p.66). History, on the other hand, is the study and analysis of past chronological events, facts and knowledged that has either been documented or is evident in various aspects. One of the most significant way of predicting the future happenings is by using past historical events (Neustadt & May 1988, p.25). Similarly, in the intelligence, world history has been used greatly to learn t he behavior and the reactions various armies, kingdoms, dynasties and empires. However, in as much as history is playing a major role in the development intelligence, and further act as a learning tool, it also has various applicational limitations. There are several underlying factors that contribute to limiting history as a learning tool with regards to intelligence (Butterfield 1965, p.35). In the United Kingdom (UK), for example, the intelligence unit was termed as the invincible man by both government and the general public. Additionally, most of these operations were not heard of. It was a silent movement, and most of its work was a secrete. Due to the high level of secrecy of the United Kingdom (UK) Secret Service, most of its operations were never documented hence limiting history as a tool for learning. In the early 20th century, most countries had spies who were responsible for gathering intelligence in a foreign country on behalf of their country. Due to this kind of oper ations it made documentation of the secret service strategies and operations extremely vulnerable. If this kind of information would leak to another country through spying, then it could put the whole United Kingdom (UK) in jeopardy. As a consequence of this documented history of previous operations, it is very difficult to find hence cannot be used as a historical tool for learning purposes. The existence of the secret service was a major secret to a point that even the UK government denied the very exixtance of this unit in order to protect it from foreign spies and foreign units who sort information in the UK. Another major limitation to using history as a tool of learning in regards to intelligence is that, in the United Kingdom, the documents that were used by the secret service were never kept by the Public Records Office (PRO). These records were exempted from storage by the Public Records Act of 1958. These records were famously know as the blanket exception records (Neustad t & May 1988, p.38). Similarly, the Act grants the chancellor exemption power to withhold these documents that were related to intelligence. The death of basic or primary sources of information posed a great challenge and limitation to historians and other people who would want to use this form of history as a tool of learning and for scholarly purposes. The main aim for this secrecy was to intensify operational security and eliminate any prospects of external

Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion - Research Paper Example â€Å"Personality is expressed through influences on the body† (Mayer, 2005, p.22). Further, I realized that some individuals have a low locus of control, which means that they believe others influence and affect their own destinies and feel as though they are victims of circumstance (Treven & Potocan, 2005). This is unhealthy personality-related behavior that causes people to be too passive and always on the defensive. This was the root of what was causing these physical stress responses unlike a normal functioning person who believes they have control over their own fate without being influenced by others. The intervention chosen for this client was built under the operant conditioning model, which is essentially conditioning a person to change their behaviors through positive reinforcement when a desired behavior occurs (Kadden, 2008). Each time this client described a positive scenario in his life, I would touch the individual in a gentle way such as offering a rub on the shoulders in a soothing fashion. When the client began discussing negative behaviors, I would instead look depressed and show body language that was modestly disinterested. This operant conditioning, over time, made the individual want to discuss more positive factors so that my responses followed a more desired consequence.

Examination of Major Epistemological Constraints Essay

Examination of Major Epistemological Constraints - Essay Example Similarly, it is fundamental to comprehend these terminologies for reasons of building a strong argument and supporting points with regards to the subject matter. A precise definition of epistemology is the study of nature, limits of the human understanding and origin of concepts and logical framework of various ideologies. However, there are some key points to note in epistemology for instance the possibility of various pulls of knowledge. Additionally, the kind of knowledge that is in question. It further seeks to find out whether some knowledge is in born or all knowledge is acquired (Fumerton 2006, p.66). History, on the other hand, is the study and analysis of past chronological events, facts and knowledged that has either been documented or is evident in various aspects. One of the most significant way of predicting the future happenings is by using past historical events (Neustadt & May 1988, p.25). Similarly, in the intelligence, world history has been used greatly to learn t he behavior and the reactions various armies, kingdoms, dynasties and empires. However, in as much as history is playing a major role in the development intelligence, and further act as a learning tool, it also has various applicational limitations. There are several underlying factors that contribute to limiting history as a learning tool with regards to intelligence (Butterfield 1965, p.35). In the United Kingdom (UK), for example, the intelligence unit was termed as the invincible man by both government and the general public. Additionally, most of these operations were not heard of. It was a silent movement, and most of its work was a secrete. Due to the high level of secrecy of the United Kingdom (UK) Secret Service, most of its operations were never documented hence limiting history as a tool for learning. In the early 20th century, most countries had spies who were responsible for gathering intelligence in a foreign country on behalf of their country. Due to this kind of oper ations it made documentation of the secret service strategies and operations extremely vulnerable. If this kind of information would leak to another country through spying, then it could put the whole United Kingdom (UK) in jeopardy. As a consequence of this documented history of previous operations, it is very difficult to find hence cannot be used as a historical tool for learning purposes. The existence of the secret service was a major secret to a point that even the UK government denied the very exixtance of this unit in order to protect it from foreign spies and foreign units who sort information in the UK. Another major limitation to using history as a tool of learning in regards to intelligence is that, in the United Kingdom, the documents that were used by the secret service were never kept by the Public Records Office (PRO). These records were exempted from storage by the Public Records Act of 1958. These records were famously know as the blanket exception records (Neustad t & May 1988, p.38). Similarly, the Act grants the chancellor exemption power to withhold these documents that were related to intelligence. The death of basic or primary sources of information posed a great challenge and limitation to historians and other people who would want to use this form of history as a tool of learning and for scholarly purposes. The main aim for this secrecy was to intensify operational security and eliminate any prospects of external

The Chinese Immigrants in Cuba are Excellent Workers Essay Example for Free

The Chinese Immigrants in Cuba are Excellent Workers Essay The Chinese immigrants in Cuba are excellent workers. And, they are known the world over for the hard work that they give to whoever is their employer. The focus here is the immigration of Chinese immigrants to the far away land that is called Cuba. Currently, it is led by the sick old man named Fidel V. Castro. He took over the government through force and bloodshed. The migration of the Chinese people to Cuba started way back in the eighteenth century and continued until the nineteenth and twentieth century before the arrival into power of Fidel V.   Castro. The follow paragraphs explains why and how the Chinese immigrants travelled so far to another side of the world to leave the loving arms of their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children and other friends and relatives. In addition, the research includes the migration of Cuban Chinese into the Miami, Florida shores. This is one of the reasons why the Cubans (including the Chinese coming from Cuba) are the largest foreign group in the Miami area. The article What Type of Transition is Cuba Undergoing? Poquet 91) depicts the current Cuban economy that emanated in the 1990s was confronted by the a crisis similar to the crisis that befell the likes of Eastern Europe. On the other hand, the economic condition of Cuba started to wake up and vigorously walk faster started in the year 1995 until today. This wonderful turn of events is exuding significant outcomes in terms of recovery in the Cuban economy and an improvement in the country’s financial conditions. Further, there were rippling outbursts of stability, liberalization and privatization of entities in Cuba synonymous with the reform that had unfolded in the Chinese economy. The current Cuban economy is happily on the booming path towards a market economy. This has been forced on Cuba because of the world economy outside its borders as well as the internal forces of Fidel Castro’s Cuba. And, this market economy is currently weaning from its infancy stage. The Cuban economic transformation is in line with the new policies of Fidel Castro. The Chinese immigrants in Cuba are excellent workers. The article Towards a Realistic Cuba Policy stated that Cuba’s staunch man on the helms, Fidel V. Castro, has ruled Castro for the longest time among the current leaders of the world. He has learned many lessons during his stay as its ‘commander in chief’. One of the lessons that he has learned from the dismemberment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is that a leader must not implement too many changes in the economic, financial and family lives of the people. For many may not be ready to accept the many innovative changes unfolding before their very eyes. This was what happened to the Russia. It finally splintered into many independent states because of the policy of USSR’s one hundred eighty degree turn towards a free market economy. In fact, such changes could bring too much disorder or chaos during the implementation of the changes brought about as well as after the implementation process is complete. Cuba’s Fidel V. Castro, an Army commander, is implementing changes under his conservative style of government. He is using first gear as he drives the Cuban economy slowly and softly around each turn of his economic recovery program. He is slowly taking each step carefully. Then, he watches the after -effects of his new step in order to make adjustments before, if any. As a self –proclaimed founder of the new Cuban economy, Fidel V Castro moves carefully forward on a parallel course with the fundamental teachings of the Chinese society. Fidel V. Castro lends a deaf ear to his critics from both inside Cuba as well as the outspoken critics outside his state. His more than forty years of philosophically fighting against the teachings of its ‘Goliath’ neighbour, the United States, by implementing a hostile attitude towards Uncle Sam. In return, it has a self imposed isolated isolation. This United States and Cuban conflict started long before the John F. Kennedy presidency. After the United States military left the island of Cuba, The United States army dug itself in for the long haul. General Fizhugh Lee, the military governor of the island then set up his headquarters in Marianaobarrio area of Quemados located in Havana, Cuba. The population at this time period started to grow. Notably, The economic growth of Marianao had speeded on fourth gear as it left behind the economic development as well as the population of people living in two rival municipalities in Western Cuba from the year 1907 to 1919. Its population had mushroomed from 18,156 doubly to 37,464. The economic wealth of the Cubans at this time period had been realized. The houses then sprouted along the roadsides, plateaus, hills and ridges. The chinese  immigrants had contribute their small share to the improvement and landscaping beauty of the countryside for their main jobs focused on gardening. These immigrants had preferred to take abode in the low lands and were ready to take up the struggle to fight the floods whenever the torrential tropical rains dig into their homes. To fight the floods, they dug ditches in order to reroute the waters to other less damaging places. These ditches would drain the flood and rain waters to other less populated areas. The Chinese helped renovate the Cuban economy because they planted crops that could feed only themselves but also the non –Chinese people living in their community. These Chinese loved to plant vegetables and flowers. And, the government decided increase the height of the valleys as the population of Havana, Cuba grew in a geometric ratio. The government dumped tons and tons of soil that would cover the fertile vegetable and flower farmlands of the valleys. As a result, the vegetable lands that had been tilled by the Chinese immigrants were now converted into roads. These were needed by the government to connect the different towns from the different hills surrounding Havana, Cuba. Thus, the luscious and mouth watering lettuce farms of the Chinese immigrants were transformed into truck and automobile pathways. The farms included the beautiful and lovely rose gardens. For, the government wanted to increase the transfer of goods and services among the towns of Principe Hill and Vedado and the upcoming population of Cerro suburb’s population. The Cuban locals living in these suburbs were happy with this new development because the roads connecting the three hill tops would increase the values of their lands. In addition, the Cuban culture is characterized by a society that is bonded together by a marketable custom of is the combination of the different lifestyles distinctly from many of the communities of Cuban island life. The Cubans do not have any wooden footwear nor any gigantean windmills. For these are landmarks of a place commonly called Holland. The Cubans do not have a national textile or ceramic style. The country does not mandate a national costume and there are no distinct religions in the place. In the same light, the country does not pride itself of having an authentic tribal dance. Further, the Spanish colonial culture covering the Cuban air is cannot be identified by Cuba as uniquely its own landmark. Also, the Cuban culture does not have the authentic Indian ruins or easily available. In the same light, the Cuban culture is impregnated by the cultures from the Spanish, African, Chinese and Creole upbringings. For, Cuban society has adopted, reinstalled, improved on the Cultures and traditions from their original countries. For example, the Spanish castanets were old by the Cuban stores as souvenirs. The Cubans also enticed people to visit their Holy Week celebrations in Matanzas. Also, the visitors to Cuba were invited to religious processions that were popular such as the Regla processions which were held monthly. The Cubans also invited tourists to join the carnival celebrations that had been influenced by mixed pagan African Cuba dances and songs fused with Cuban frivolity (Ibid 76) Furthermore, the Cuban tourism founders had cried out that their dreams had been distorted. On the other hand, Cuba has been praised for their beautiful handling of their finances. And the Cubans of the 1950s had a repeat performance of their 1920s where the tourists enjoyed visiting Cuba’s festivities and other special occasions. Cuba was transformed into a place of many sights for those who have sore eyes. Clearly, there were mores bars to enjoy the night away. Also, the number of the restaurants had sprouted like mushrooms. Thus, the Cubans had many eating alternatives to choose from. Here, the people who have the money can literally paint the town red. The Cubans could choose from the Russian foods at Boris’ or the Chinese food at the New Mandarin among other popular choices. Thus, the Chinese had helped the Cuban economy by selling foods that were palatable to the Cuban taste buds. The Cuban hospitality industry was characterized by the presence of hotels like the Bowman ten story hotel and the roof garden entertainment center in 1924. Further, horse races were one of the favourite pastimes of the Cuban people. And, many of the hotels constructed in the 1950s had an average of twenty air conditioned rooms. Many of the tourists had toured Cuba by plane in 1958. There were many Florida, USA to Havana flights and vice versa depending on the occasion or time of the year. The regular plane flights from the United States, European and Latin American countries to and from Cuba would land on Havana’s international airport or even directly touch down in Varadero Beach (Ibid 123) The Chinese immigrated to Cuba from the Guandong and Fukien provinces during the middle of the nineteenth century(Moya, 12). The estimated number of Chinese immigrant to entire West Indies at this time reached only eighteen thousand. Unmistakeably, the British employers prefer to hire the Chinese over the Indians and other races because of their industriousness and hard work. However, the British were not very successful in enticing many of the Chinese to work for them in the West Indies. The Chinese would rather work for the employers in Peru and Cuba. The Chinese that migrated into Cuba reached a big chunky amount of 150,000 persons. In contrast the Chinese that immigrated to Cuba only reached the chunky 100,000 persons. The author, Moya, describes that the Cuba had the biggest number of Chinese immigrants as compared to the other countries where other droves of Chinese Immigrants arrived. This immigration of the Chinese people happened in the middle of the nineteenth century and increased in number and frequency until the entire twentieth century. Also the Chinese formed themselves in groups or organizations there. These Chinese organizations were more diverse than the Chinese organizations established in Jamaica. The Chinese organizations in Cuba were generally falling under the categories of federations, agriculture groups, credit associations, triads among many other smaller Chinese clusters. The Chinese were also socially diverse themselves. The Chinese immigrants that arrived in Cuba during this time period were generally grouped as coolie Chinese immigrants who generally started arriving in Cuba during the middle of the nineteenth century. Some came to Cuba as free Chinese immigrants. This group came during the twentieth century. Many former coolies and other Chinese groups in Cuba formed an exclusively elite class. This elite cluster was evidently richer than the elite groups formed in the West Indies. Further, the glaringly diverse Chinese population in Cuba could be divided into several diverse groups themselves such that concentrating the study on the Chinese population in Cuba would entail also studying the middle and higher social classes of Cuban Chinese. Also, many of the Chinese in Cuba had slowly migrated into the suburbs of Manhattan, USA. Sad to say, many of the White intellectuals in Cuba created a fear in the Cuban population that the African immigrants as well as others like the Chinese were the importers of such deadly diseases as the malaria and smallpox(Mcleod 1). In a related story, the Cuba Cane Corporation pushed through with its plans to move for the hiring of Chinese from across the ocean to migrate into Cuba and work in their plantations. This Cuban company targeted more than two thousand Chinese living in Hong Kong. The were contracted to work for five years in the Cuban Cane plantations. These Chinese Cane workers would receive a pay of $50 per month to work between seven to ten hours a day for the entire seven day week. In addition, the Chinese recruiter headed by Guy Morrison Walker was paid $100 for each Chinese Immigrant that was hired by the Cuba Cane Corporation (Ayala 116). And, another famous history writer, Alexander Von Humboldt, wrote that he encountered a large group of Chinese immigrants in Cuba from the year 1799 to the year 1804. They were brought there from the Philippines using the Manila (Philippines) Galleons. These Galleons were owned by the Spanish who literally owned the Philippines for an estimated three hundred years. This shows that the Migration of Chinese to Cuba started many years before the large Chinese influx to Cuba during the middle of the nineteenth century. During Alexander Von Humboldt’s visit, he noticed that the 1860s saw a Chinese migration into the Caribbean and Latin American countries which is bigger in size than the Chinese immigrants that entered in the United States then. A census of population in 1861 showed that there were 34,834 Chinese in Cuba alone. This is almost similar to the 34,933 Chinese immigrants that entered the United States. During the 1880s there were around one hundred forty two thousand Chinese immigrants that entered the borders of Cuba. At the same time period, there were only one hundred thousand Chinese immigrants that entered Peru and another nineteen thousand Chinese immigrants had entered into the British West Indies. However, a big group of Chinese immigrants reaching six hundred thousand persons left for the United States at this same time period (West 143). The year 1991 saw and estimated four million people in Cuba. And, twenty seven percent or 1,079,106 of the such population were colored. Colored refers to any race that is not Caucasian. This includes, the Africans, the Chinese, the Filipinos, the Japanese and others. The immigrants that compromise the Cuban population at this time shows that there were ten thousand three hundred (10,300) Chinese in Cuba in 1991. This figure ballooned to twenty four thousand four hundred eighty (24,480) in 1931 which gives us an increase in the Chinese in Cuba of fourteen thousand one hundred eighty (14,180). This represents a one hundred thirty –seven and 7/10 percent increase of the Chinese people in Cuba. The alien population of Cuba had increased uncontrollably starting from the World War I era. The table below gives the other missing details of the colored aliens living in Cuba during the Cuba census of 1991 and 1931 periods.

Marketing Strategy For The Chevy Volt Marketing Essay

Marketing Strategy For The Chevy Volt Marketing Essay In November of 1911, Louis Chevrolet, William Little and Edwin Campbell integrated the Chevrolet Motor Company. Chevrolet offers an assortment of motorized vehicles to the general public such as subcompact cars, sports cars, luxury cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans. Chevrolet made the cut and will continue to serve its customers for years to come, stated Nick Kalapos the Times leader in a documentary about Chevrolet being the leader in their community (15). Chevrolet continues to be on top with performance, price, fuel economy, and value leader for General Motors North America (13). Many people are becoming more aware of global warming and they are trying to find various ways to become more environmentally friendly. Record oil prices have pushed consumers toward fuel efficient vehicles and have prompted many governments to consider electric transportations as a way of traveling (5). Research shows that consumers want eco friendly cars. About 68 percent people say that they are willing to buy an eco friendly car within the next couple of years (1). Will Buss said that in reference to Newtons Third Law of Motion, consumers have reacted to gas prices, which have soared to record levels, by buying fewer gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles and more of the fuel-efficient and hybrid-powered variety. As consumers become more aware of how harmful emissions are and how much oil prices continue to rise they will be more willing to buy and the need for electric cars and hybrids will take over the automotive marketplace (1). Chevrolet is searching for those who are willing go the extra mile to be early adopters for the new Volt that will hit the market in late 2010. The people who are going to be more interested in the Eco friendly cars are the Generation Y consumers, says James Schroer. As Generation Y grows up they are going to demand for their vehicles to become more environmental friendly. Gen Y consumers have grown-up up to be technology savvy and they are known to be more familiar with technology than any other generation (1). By developing high technology that could be appealing to the consumers it would entice drivers to plug in rather than filling up (5). Chevy Volt has soaring technology that will give buyers a smart phone application that will let the owners control key vehicle functions along with On star. I phones, blackberries and android phones will be available with the electric car. Remote access will also be possible from a cell phone web browser that will have applications for starting , locking and unlocking the doors, security system arming and disarming commands, and trunk popping. Also there are applications for honking the horn so people will be able to locate their cars easily. The Chevy volt has new technology innovations for the generation Y. As this generation matures and gains more power, their influence will spread across the country (4). There are also some cultural issues to deal with when it comes to electric cars. Some Issues about the electric car depends solely on the time the vehicle will come out, the cost of the Volt and most importantly the consumers (5). Americans want to do good things for the environment, as long as they do not have to compromise performance, convenience, or comfort which causes a major issue (1). Americans only want to do what is suitable and as long as it does not affect their everyday life. Many Americans have a large family which requires them to need a bigger vehicle like a SUV making a gas eating vehicle more suitable than a small electric car. Bigger issue that arises is the lack of batteries that are available. Many car manufactures have been slow to commit to their decisions about electric vehicles, because they are unsure about how many people will want to purchase the electric car. Without orders being placed battery manufactures cannot invest in the time and money that is necessary to produce the batteries at a timely fashion. Gassenheimer says that he has concern that the United States will trade their dependence on the Middle Eastern oil for a reliance on Asian batteries (5). Many experts say that Western companies have more experience in technology and Asians are the leaders in producing Lithium-iron batteries for electronics. A concern for the U.S is that they really dont know if they have the resources or capabilities to produce mass loads of Lithium-iron batteries and the same concern goes for Europe. So a major concern arises about where the Lithium-iron batteries are going to be made. This is a huge issue due to Asians being the only ones that are experienced in making loads of Lithium-iron batteries. An issue about shipments of the Lithium-iron batteries is that its on a strict International Regulation that would be placed on goods making these goods being labeled in the dangerous goods category. Tollefson stated, When the first generation of anything comes out, to a certain extent car manufactures are rolling the dice and this is the biggest roll of the dice anybody has ever made (5). With the rising gasoline prices and consumers growing preference for environmentally-friendly technologies, the hybrid car market has grown tremendously. Toyota, being a huge competitor to General Motors captured the largest percentage of the hybrid car market. Automobile companies such as DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors (GM) have agreed to double their annual production of energy efficient vehicles by 2010. With all the environmental issues going on, nearly all automobile companies are scrambling to be the first and best new electric or hybrid on the market. Shane Donahue stated, Our competitors and others are pursuing similar technologies and other competing technologies, in some cases with more money available. There can be no assurance that they will not acquire similar or superior technologies sooner than we do. With that being said, it can be recognized that General Motors feels that their competitors are one step-ahead of them in the hybrid car market. The GM Chevy Volt will enter the market as a direct competitor to the Toyota Prius hybrid and the Honda Insight hybrid. The Toyota Prius is only a conventional hybrid, the Volt is essentially a plug-in car that has to affirm the companys ability to innovate and turn the company around. However, Nissan has announced that it will beat the Volt to market in fall 2010 with its Nissan Leaf, which boasts a 100 mile range on a charge. The Leafs target launch date will beat General Motors Volt plug-in hybrid, and while Japans Mitsubishi and Subaru both launched EVs for sale to fleets in Japan last month, the cars are smaller, lower-speed, city cars with far less range than the 100 miles-per-charge, claims Nissan for the Leaf. With the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf threatening to steal the green car market, Nissan is accelerating its plans for a plug-in version of the Prius (19) Ford has also announced that it will produce a battery-powered version of its Focus, called Focus EV, in late 2011. As well as many other companies are working on electric cars such as the BMW City, Dodge Circuit, Tesla Model S, and Chinas BYD E6. Although they are way more expensive, Tesla has actually sold a few of its cars, which gives it some advantage. Another eco friendly competitor of Chevrolet is Zenn. Their marketing slogan is Zero Emission and No Noise. The Zenn does not use gasoline but is all electrical The Zenn companys idea on eco friendly cars is about purity and original feeling. The Volt needs at least 8 hours for it to charge fully, but the Zenn can take as little as 4 hours to get a full charge. The price of owning a Zenn is half the cost of the 2010 Volt which has not even hit the market yet. The Zenn has been stated in Time magazine as small, inexpensive electric vehicles that can be charged to cover enough miles to handle the daily commute. (20) The Zenn is a Canada based company which has already launched the car in Canada and in the United States. Its sales are increasing with the concerns of a bad economy. A Zenn has significantly less parts than a regular vehicle that will have to be maintained on a regular basis. The owner will never have to worry about changing the oil, replace a filter or muffler and there i s absolutely no need for an emission test. Chevrolet has many routes to take its new innovations with its worldwide channels of production and distribution. GM has organized its brands into four channels: Chevrolet, Buick-Pontiac-GMC, Cadillac-Hummer-Saab and Saturn. Now it has changed the job responsibilities and titles of several of its channel leaders (3). A channels brand name depends on where the vehicles are being produced and sold in. Channels use different brand names to make their vehicles appear more localized. Many of the changes made to the cars are designed specifically to meet the customer needs of where their production is being made. GM took over bankrupt Daewoo Auto and technology to help regain Daewoo reputation at home. GM received a big achievement with Daewoo with their exports. Chevy Europe is a swiss-based firm that sells rebranded products of the GM Daewoo. Chevy Europe sold few United States domestic markets that were modified to suit the European regulations. Chevy Europe sold the Camaro, Beretta, Co rvette, Blazer and the Trailblazer. In 2005 Chevy Europe rebranded its ownership to the Ssangyong, however the Daewoo name retained its name in South Korea and Vietnam after 2005. The Suzuki badge is in the U.S and Canada, Pontiac Badge Canada, the Holden badge in Australia and New Zealand, and the Buick badge in China for some certain GM Daewoo models. Marketed in different distribution channels operated by the Netherlands-based Kroymans Corporation group are the Corvette and Cadillac. Kroymans Corporation going to sell German GM vehicles such as the Opel and they will also sell Netherlands and Belgium made brands. Kroymans is going to stay focused only on importing, distribution, marketing car and retail sales in the Netherlands. The reason for this is because the Chevy Brand represents value-driven cars in Europe. The Corvette name was made into different brand for Europe and Japan. With this World wide vast coverage GM will be capable of designing and marketing vehicles to diffe rent parts of the world. By having this wide coverage GM will be able to draw knowledge and cultural differences from engineers around the world (2). Market Approach The Chevrolet Volt is a hybrid electric automobile. The cars main source of power comes from lithium-ion batteries stored underneath its hood. The batteries can receive charge through one of two ways. They can store electrical energy from the small, gasoline powered engine, or can be charged by using 120-240V AC outlets. On a full battery charge, the Volt is capable of traveling over 40 miles (22). A study found that this distance satisfies nearly three quarters of Americans daily commutes. In addition, Chevrolet expects the batteries to last for up to ten years. The Chevrolet Volts main target market is middle class families that share similar opinions, interests, and hobbies. Segmenting the market and choosing this group is reflected within GMs marketing strategy. They will adapt a strategy that is tailored to attract consumers with related lifestyles and purchasing behaviors. With all the Green Marketing focus in todays world, many consumers are looking for vehicles that are environmentally friendly. Also, with the recent state of the economy, many consumers are seeking a car that provides good value and quality at a fair price. The Volt is a new kind of hybrid that runs primarily off of electricity which greatly reduces its fuel consumption. With increasing gas prices and a poor economic state, this makes the Volt attractive to these eco-friendly customers. As GM seeks to be a part of the Go Green initiative, many consumers who value this idea will begin to become loyal to General Motors. When GM set out to price the Volt, they had a good idea of where to position their product. Some other big automobile companies have already dipped into this market and give the Volts marketers a good idea of a fair price for this type of vehicle. Nissans Altima Hybrid is priced at $34,000, followed by Hondas Accord ranging from $35,000-$40,000 (23). The Toyota Camry Hybrid rounds off this vehicle class with a standard price tag of $37,000 (24). These prices made it apparent to Chevrolet that for the Volt to be competitive it should be priced somewhere in the range of $30,000 to $40,000 depending on available options. The anticipation of the introduction of the Volt is growing, according to Chevrolet. They have over 30,000 potential buyers that cannot wait to drive one of these fascinating cars. Chevrolet wants consumers to see the car as more than just an inexpensive way to travel. They want to the vehicle to reflect style, and be a car that people aspire to own (24). However, some automakers are skeptical of the Volt. Some of the more luxurious competitors feel that most consumers will not pay a higher premium for a car that really doesnt offer much more than a basic automobile. Chevrolet hopes to shock them as well as the consumers it captures with the Volts release. Chevy and GM have worked hard to make the Volt a user friendly and customizable car. One of the features they are offering will be a few different gauge interfaces from which the driver will be able to choose. One set contains a standard, traditional gauge set with all normal gauges placed directly over the steering wheel, while a second set displays the gauges from the center of the dash. This second set is impressive, in that it uses touch screen technology and backlit LED lighting for a bright, clear display. Both sets allow drivers to see how they are using the cars energy, which can let them adjust driving patterns to reduce lost energy (25). Still, the location of the interface is strictly up to the driver, and consumers like the idea of being able to customize a vehicle to their liking. Another advantage the Volt has over foreign electric vehicles is its federal rebate program. The government offers $7,500 off for buying the Chevrolet brand. This becomes quite a bargaining chip when talking about a sticker price of 30-40K. General Motors is planning to produce tens of thousands of these new vehicles to be sold around the world. An actual price has not been set but the pricing strategy and final MSRP will factor in gasoline prices (26). Chevrolet offers many services that other companys lack. An important service that Chevrolet has is a life saving service called On-Star. The Chevrolet Volt will be equipped with On-Star, but not just any On-Star, it will come with On-Star EV Lab. This version is offered to give the Volt a more high tech appeal (6). One of the features includes communicating with the Volt by telling it to charge during the night at off peak times to take advantage of lower rates; this technology is called smart charging (6). On-Star automatically runs hundreds of diagnostic and maintenance checks on your vehicles key operating systems and deliver a summary report right to your inbox every month (7). Chevrolet has been a loyal company that has always been superb when coming up with new ideas for vehicles. Chevrolet has been working hard to process this new advanced automobile. Volt is an electric vehicle with a range extender. Volt runs on electricity from its battery, and then it runs on electricity it creates from gas. Depending on the weather, the electrical features that are turned on and how you drive, you can drive up to 40 miles on the electricity stored in the battery totally gas and emissions free(8). After this takes place, the range-extending generator automatically kicks in to provide the electrical power. This allows the Volt to go for several hundred additional miles, until it is plugged in again. Chevrolets brand is becoming more solid after GM filed for chapter 11 bankruptcies and has just recently emerged. Chevrolet is one of the leading automobile brands in America. The automakers are continuing to launch fuel efficiency options, while also introducing safety and security packages for the new models. Trailing the American urban congestion, the Chevys hybrids are poised to surpass their mainstream competitors. Above all, the most visually arresting feature for the brand of Chevrolet vehicles is the Chevrolets corporate logo that creates a distinct look for the exterior(9). Financials: The Chevrolet Volt has an estimated price of around $40,000, in the U.S. market. Due to the capacity of the Volts battery pack it qualifies for the maximum US $7,500 federal tax credit. The former vice president Bob Lutz initially wanted the Volt to be sold at around $30,000. Electricity is an extremely affordable way to power a car the average American pays less than 12 cents per kilowatt hour. If the average American drives less than 40 miles, it will cost about a dollar a day for electricity (8). This is about the same cost as running a basic household appliance. To save even more, some utility companies recommend charging overnight for off-peak rates and may even offer incentives to customers who do so (8). The Volt is being endorsed by Dalton McGuinty and the Ontario government in Canada. The province will provide a $10,000 subsidy, and will purchase 500 Volts for the Ontario Public Service fleet. The subsidies are part of McGuintys target to have electric vehicles make up 5% o f all cars in Ontario by 2020. (10) At the Sydney Motor Show in October 2008, Holden stated that the Volt would be available in Australia by 2012 for more than $30,000. At the U.S. average cost of electricity (approximately 11 cents per kWh), a typical Volt driver would pay about $2.75 for electricity to travel 100 miles, or less than 3 cents per mile. GMs average annual sales growth over the past five years is a low 0.7 per cent. It has accumulated losses of $51 billion (U.S.) since 2005, and the shareholder value of GM, with 2007 sales of $297 billion, is a humbling $12 billion. (21) An analysis of the financial statements of the Chevrolet Volt show that the accounts receivable remain at about $500,000 throughout the year; not including a seasonal fluctuation in sales. The accounts receivable turns over once every 60 days. The inventory on the other hand remains about $800,000 and turns over every 90 days. The accounts payable remains at $400,000 and turns over about once every 45 days. With an accounts receivable collection period of 60 days and an average balance outstanding of $500,000, results show that $750,000, is the amount that should be collected on the receivables in 90 days. If the inventory of $800,000 valued at cost turns over once in 90 days and if the average markup is about $200,000, cash sales should amount to about $250,000. If there is no seasonal factor, the total amount divided by four should be an approximate test on the amount budgeted for the next 90 days. A Chevy Volt owner could theoretically drive 15,000 miles for less than $300.00 a year, assuming current rates for electricity stay the same. Volt uses about 2500 kWh annually, which is an extremely affordable way to power a car as the average American pays less than 12 cents per kilowatt hour. In other words, if you drive 40 miles or less that could work out to be about a dollar a day. And that can add up to big savings. (27). Depending on the weather, the electrical features that are turned on and how you drive, you can drive up to 40 miles on the electricity stored in the battery totally gas and emissions free. After that, its gas-powered, range-extending generator automatically kicks in to provide electrical power. Assuming the EPA estimates $2,000 a year in fuel cost for a compact car, like the Chevy Cobalt or Honda Civic cost savings in fuel would go a long way toward offsetting the cost of a $40,000 electric vehicle. Battery and size and vehicle cost should fall rapidly as pr oduction rises.   (27). In Flint Michigan, General Motors Company is investing more than $230 million in four different GM plants in the greater Flint area to support the production of the fuel-efficient 2011 Chevrolet Cruze and Volt, according to the automaker.   The four GM plants include Flint Engine South, Flint Metal Center, Flint Tool Die, and Grand Blanc Weld Tool Center.   At the Flint Engine South nearly $202 million dollars have been invested to renovate the former I5/I6 manufacturing operations for production of a 1.4L four-cylinder engine generator for the Chevrolet Volt.   In the Flint metal center, $1.7 million has been invested to refurbish press lines that will produce sheet metal stampings for the Volt.   All dies for the Chevy Volt were engineered at Flint Tool Die. Approximately 50 percent of dies for the Volt were designed at this facility. At the Grand Blanc Weld Tool Center, approximately $30 million invested in this facility to build the robotic weld tool cells that will ass emble the Volt body at the Volt assembly plant. Grand Blanc Weld Tool Center also built the robotic weld tool cells for the body shop to assemble the Chevrolet Cruze at Lordstown (Ohio) Assembly (28). When GM CEO Rick Wagoner testified that the Volt is being pushed into production for 2011, he added that, It will not be at that point fully cost competitive.   GM has actually spent about three quarters of a billion to develop the Volt, and much of that is in battery research. GM recognizes the importance of staying ahead of the competition in developing new technology. They are willing to take the risk of spending a large amount of money even in these desperate times of recession. Without doubt, some of that money will eventually be spread across the automobile industry when the Volts power train and battery advances get shared with other GM models. However, it is still unlikely that the Volts addition will bring down the bottom line until a second generation model is introduced, which may not be until 2014 to 2016   (29). Electricity is defiantly the way of the future when talking about the automobile. Electricity runs clean in a vehicle, therefore there will be no tailpipe emissions. And if the electricity is generated using alternate power sources such as wind, hydro, solar or bio-fuels, there is the potential to considerably reduce the emissions associated with personal transportation. Advancements in electricity production along with reduction in emissions from electric-powered driven cars can make our world a cleaner place.(30)   General Motors Corporation will open the first lithium-ion battery pack manufacturing plant in the United States in Michigan with production expected by 2010. The lithium-ion battery cells will be supplied by Compact Power Inc., a subsidiary of South Koreas LG Chem based in Troy, Michigan for Volt prototype vehicles until GMs battery facility is operational. GM has also signed a joint engineering contract with Compact Power and LG Chem to develop Volts lithium-ion batt ery technology. The advanced battery strategy is expected to strengthen GMs capabilities to develop hybrid and electric vehicles (30). By using the battery as a power source, we will in the long run help cut back our dependency from other countries. Since almost all of our electricity is produced domestically, its a great way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The U.S. has a variety of electricity sources, all with the potential to help us become more energy-independent. (31) Because the market of electric cars is still forming, there is not any real information available about cash flows.   There are a few known factors, though.   First of all, GM has spent about $750 million to develop the Volt, and will probably still spend even more.   For another, there is no way to break even on this investment for at least another several years (and several models) have passed.   Only time and 2011 income statements will tell how well GMs bottom line fairs with its new Volt.