Euthanasia And Physician-Assisted Suicide free essay sample

This paper looks at the question of Physician-Assisted Suicide or Euthanasia. This paper is an analysis of the many different issues and arguments that occur when the topic of physician-assisted suicide is discussed. The paper looks at some of the ethical questions raised on both sides of the debate and looks at how other countries worldwide have dealt with similar issues. he author presents arguments in support of euthanasia, including its use in cases of patients who are terminally ill, or have suddenly suffered a debilitating handicap, such as a brain or spinal cord injury that prohibits them from being able to function in society. According to the author, these patients feel that they have the right to choose when and how they will live, or die. The Oregons Death with Dignity Law, is an example of how one state has dealt with this pressing issue. The author argues that those who oppose this type of law fail to recognize that they are a way to prevent its reckless abuse, and therefore protect the patient. We will write a custom essay sample on Euthanasia And Physician-Assisted Suicide or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Next, supporters of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide argue that individuals suffering from advanced terminal illnesses experience a total loss of quality of life due to incurable, protracted medical conditions (Humphrey). Traditional forms of suicide often concern individuals who decide to terminate their life because of short-term emotional, financial, and/or psychological difficulties. However, with euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, the difficulty which has caused an individual to consider ending his or her life, i.e., an advanced terminal illness, is not a short-term problem for which a cure or resolution exists. While numerous medical advances have been made with respect to certain diseases and illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinsons disease, the fact is that there is no cure in sight for any of these diseases or illnesses. Thus, it must be asked whether it is ethical or morally right to prolong an individuals life simply for the sake of life itself.

Microeconomics Research Paper Example

Microeconomics Research Paper Example Microeconomics Paper Microeconomics Paper Looks at how individual economic agents (I. E. Consumers/ households and producers/firms) make their day-to-day decisions. Macroeconomics: Looks at the overall behavior of the entire economy of a country. So in addition to households and firms, it also looks at the government and frequently at the rest of the world. The four target variables that all macroeconomicss are concerned about are: (1) Gross Domestic Product (GAP): This looks at how much goods and services are being produced in the country (or how much is everyones income taken together). They try o maximize this. (2) Unemployment: This has to do with how many people have Jobs and how many dont. They try to minimize this. (3) Inflation: This looks at how the prices of goods and services are changing. They try to Meltzer this. (4) Economic Growth: This looks at the rate at which GAP Is going up or down. They try to maximize this. Gross Domestic Product (GAP) Goods: Tangible things firms produce and consumers buy. An example is a Philly cheese steak. Services: Intangible castles firms provide and consumers buy. An example Is a haircut. Definition of GAP: It is the value of new final goods and services intended for the racetrack produced within a country in a given period of time. (Note: We will concentrate only on gross domestic product in this class. The book also talks about the related concepts of gross national product, net national product, national income, personal Income, etc. You do not need to study them. ) Keynoters in the definition: Value: This refers to the market price. New: Only newly produced goods and services are counted as part of the GAP. So if you buy a second hand 2010 Toyota Campy, then that will not be counted as a part of the GAP for the year 2014. The reason is that this car had already been counted once n the GAP for the year 2010 and to count your purchase again would be counting It twice. In other words, the good Is being sold twice, but It was produced only once. Final: A final good is intended for consumption in the form it is in, whereas an intermediate good is a good that is often used to make other goods. Intermediate goods should not be confused with capital, which is a good that is manufactured for the sole purpose of making other goods. For example, If you buy an ice cream shake, then the Ice cream Is an intermediate $2, the milk and the chocolate sauce is worth $1, the labor is worth $0. 0 and the shop wants to keep a profit margin of $0. 50, then the price of the milkshake to the consumer is $4. So when you buy the milkshake, which is a final good as it is consumed in that form, the GAP goes up by $4. But if we had also counted intermediate goods, then we would also have counted the $2 worth of ice cream and the GAP would have gone up by $6, which would again have lead to double counting. What if you dont purchase an ice cream shake but purchase two scoops of ice cream instead? Then ice cream would be a final good as you are consuming it in that form. Intended for the Marketplace: We only count as part of the GAP goods and services that are produced for the market. So we will not count home production, because when you prepare dinner for yourself in the kitchen then you dont go to the market to sell it. But if you are a gourmet cook and start a take-out business from your home, then your cooking will be counted as a service in the GAP as you are selling your culinary skills to others. We will also not count illegal transactions as part of the GAP as when we talk about markets we dont mean black markets. So money spent on buying pot in Old Town East in Columbus ill not be a part of the U. S. GAP. Even if someone buys recreational marijuana in Colorado or medical marijuana in California (both of which are legal at the state level), the transactions will not be a part of the U. S. GAP as they are not legal at the federal level. Within a Country: The good or service has to be produced within the geographical boundaries of the country. Hence exports will be a part of your countrys GAP whereas imports will be a part of the other countrys GAP. In a Given Period of Time: This is usually a quarter or a year. We only count the good ND services that were produced in that quarter or year, as those produced in other periods will be counted as part of the production in those respective periods. Stock: A stock is a variable whose quantity is measured at a particular point in time. For example, capital is a stock, and so is wealth. Flow: A flow is a variable whose quantity is measured per unit of time. For example, investment is a flow, and so is GAP. A few other flow variables are consumption, government purchases and net exports. Measuring National Income / GAP There are three ways of measuring the GAP of a country. All three methods give us the same final result. (1) Expenditure Approach: GAP is the sum of the total amount spent on new goods and services in an economy over a period of time. GAP = Consumption + Investment + Government Purchases + Net Exports Therefore GAP consists of four components. Net Exports: Net Exports = Exports Imports. So if Chevrolet sells an Impala worth $25,000 to a Mexican living in Cacao, then the transaction is going to raise U. S. Net exports by $25,000 and reduce Mexican net exports by $25,000. (2) Income Approach: GAP is the sum of the total income paid to economic agents in GAP = compensation of employees (wages, salaries, perks) + rent + interest + profit + indirect taxes (why not direct taxes too? ) + depreciation (3) Value-added Approach: Well look at this with the help of an example. (a) Suppose cotton is harvested in Alabama. The bale of cotton is priced at $2. This means that there has been a value added of $2 into the cotton by the seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, (b) A factory in Los Angles purchases that bale of cotton and manufactures cloth with it. The cloth is priced at $6. This means that there has been a value added of $4 n this round by the machinery used, the electricity consumed, the labor used and the profit margin retained by the factory owner from the sale of the cloth. (c) An American Apparel plant in Los Angles then purchases that cloth and manufactures a shirt with it. The shirt is priced at $24. This means that there has been a value added of $18 in this round, once again by the machinery, buttons and threads, labor, profit margin, etc. So the total value-added in the three rounds put together is $(2 + 4 + 18) = $24. So the value-added in the production of one American Apparel shirt is $24. Multiplying this y the total number of American Apparel shirts produced in the U. S. And repeating this exercise for every other good and service produced, the total number that we get the GAP. In the absence of statistical errors, the three methods should give us the same answer. In reality, no country uses the value added method as it is extremely cumbersome. Unemployment Determining a persons status in the labor market: Working Age Population In the Labor Force Employed Not in the Labor Force Unemployed Working Age Population: The number of people 16 and over who are not in Jail, hospital, or some other form of institutional care. Labor Force: Labor force is composed of people who are employed and people who are unemployed. Employed: These are the people who have either a full-time Job or a part-time Job. Unemployed: These are the people who are: and one of the following: (IA) are without work but have made specific efforts to find a Job within the previous four weeks (bib) are waiting to be called back to a Job from which he or she has been laid off. (ICC) are waiting to start a new Job within the next 30 days. Not in the Labor Force: These are the people who dont satisfy the criteria for either employed or unemployed. Examples are stay-at-home parents, retired people, college students and discouraged workers (I. E. Unemployed people who gave up looking for a new Job at least four weeks ago). Labor Market Indicators: We use three main indicators to measure the health of the labor market: (1) Unemployment Rate: Percentage of people who are in the labor force who are unemployed. This tells us how many people want Jobs but cant find one. OUR = (No. Of Unemployed / Labor Force)*100 (2) Labor Force Participation Rate: Percentage of working age population who are members of the labor force. This tells us how many people of working age are willing to take a Job. LEAF = (Labor Force / Working Age Population)*100 (3) Employment-to-population Ratio: Percentage of working age people who have Jobs. This tells us about the availability of Jobs and how well Jobs are matching the peoples skill sets. DEPT = (No. Of Employed / Working Age Population)*100 For the U. S. , according to the 2011 census, the civilian non-institutional population 16 and older was 239,618,000, the labor force was 1 and the number of employed was 139,869,000. Hence the number of unemployed was 13,747,000 and he population that was not in the labor force was 86,001 ,OHO. The unemployment rate would then be 8. 95%, the labor force participation rate 64. 11% and the employment-to-population ratio 58. 7%. Inflation Price level is the average price for all goods and services in the economy. Inflation is an increase in the price level. What if we dont have inflation? We can then have two other possible situations: (1) Deflation: This is the case when prices are falling. (2) Disinflation: This is the case where there is no movement in the price level. Measuring the price level and the inflation rate: Inflation is measured by calculating the percentage change in the price level. Hence, in order to measure inflation, we need to be able to measure the price level. The three most common ways of measuring the price level are: (1) Consumer price index (ICP) or Cost of living index: This measures the change in prices of goods used by consumers. In order to construct the ICP, the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics monitors the spending habits of consumers over a certain time period (which is currently 1993-1995) and prepares a basket of the goods consumers commonly buy. It chooses basket in that period. It then adds up the individual prices of all these goods to get the total price of the basket in the base period. Let us suppose that the base period price of the basket comes out to be $210. Next they find the prices of all goods contained in the basket in the current period (say January 2014). Adding up, suppose the current period price of the basket comes out to be $250. Price of the basket in the current period occupancy 2014 the base period 250 = _ * 100 210 = 119. * 100 Price of the basket in How do we calculate the inflation rate from this? The inflation rate is simply the argental change in the price level. occupancy 2014= 119 suppose ICP January 2013 = 109. occupancy 2014 occupancy 2013 Inflation rate = 119-109 * 100 109 * 100 ICP January 2013 ICP for the base period is equal to 100 by definition. Recently the government has switched from using the ICP-W (ICP for urban wage earners and clerical workers) to the C-ICP-U (chained ICP for all urban consumers). The C-ICP-U takes substitution effects into account (for example, if the price of pork goes up then pork is now more expensive but consumers might switch to less pork and more beef to keep their expenditure on meat at around the same level); ICP-W does not. As a result, C-ICP-U increases more slowly than ICP-W (0. 3% less per year according to the COB). This saves the government money as it slows cost of living adjustments given to social security payments. 2) Producer price index (PIP): This measures the change in the prices of goods used by producers. The PIP leads the ICP. The PIP measure price change from the perspective of the seller. This contrasts with other measures, such as the Consumer Price Index (ICP), that measure price change from the purchasers perspective. Sellers and purchasers prices may differ due to gover nment subsidies, sales and excise taxes, and distribution costs. Pips measure average changes in prices received by domestic producers of commodities in all stages of processing (I. E. For both intermediate and final goods). Because producer price indexes are designed to measure only the change in prices received for the output of domestic industries, imports are not included. The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts surveys and releases approximately 10,000 Pips for individual products and groups of products each month. Pips are available for the products of virtually every industry in the mining and manufacturing products of industries in the transportation, utilities, trade, finance, and services sectors of the economy. The PIP and the inflation rate based on it are calculated in exactly the same way as with the ICP. 3) GAP deflator: This is the third way of measuring the price level. Distinction between nominal and real variables: Nominal means that the variable has not been adjusted for inflation. Real means that the variable has been adjusted for inflation. Whenever we need to meaningfully compare between two time periods, we need to invert the variables into real terms. Otherwise we will end up with erroneous results. To see why, consider the following example. Let us consider an economy that only produces books. In 2012 it produced 10 books, while in 2013 it produced 12 books. Hence book production grew by: 12 10 10 Now lets bring prices into the picture. Suppose the price of a book in 2012 was $5 and it increased to $7 in 2013. Hence the nominal GAP in 2012 was = $50 and the nominal GAP in 2013 was = $84. Hence the growth rate of nominal GAP was: 84 50 50 Obviously this number is wrong. The reason because of which this number is so high s that we did not adjust it for the increase in price. The right way to compare the situations in 2012 and 2013 is to use the same price level to calculate the value of the GAP for the two different years. For example, if we use the base period (I. E. 2012) price, then the real GAP in 2012 would be = $50 and the real GAP in 2013 would be $(5*12) = $60. If we now compute the growth rate, then it comes out to be the correct number: 60 50 Nominal GAP GAP Deflator = Real GAP ___*OHIO Unlike a price index, the GAP deflator is not based on a fixed basket of goods and services. The basket is allowed to change with peoples consumption and investment patterns. Therefore, new expenditure patterns are allowed to show up in the deflator as people respond to changing prices. However, the disadvantage of this approach is that the GAP deflator measures changes in both prices and the composition of the basket, and so should not be used as a measure of pure price changes in the economy. In practice, the difference between the deflator and a price index on the same set of goods and services is relatively small. The GAP and GAP deflator are both calculated by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (SEA). Economic Growth short period of time in which producers can only vary the labor they employ, and not the capital stock. Long run: A longer period of time, in which both labor and capital stock employed in a firm can be changed. The long run trend in the GAP represents economic growth. This trend is positive for most countries, but can be negative (as is the case with some sub-Sahara African countries). The short run fluctuations around the trend represent business cycles. There are often business cycle downturns around a positive trend. If the GAP goes up from one ratter to the next, then we say that we are in the expansionary phase of the business cycle. If the GAP goes down from one quarter to the next, then we say that we are experiencing a contraction. If the GAP goes down for at least two successive quarters, then we say that the economy is in a recession.

Post Menopausal Syndrome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Post Menopausal Syndrome - Essay Example Other symptoms include lack of sleep, depression, and a decreased interest in sex. The bodily changes include changes in the vagina which becomes smaller and opening becomes narrower. Changes are also seen in the labia folds which lose fat and become pale and dry. Due to an increase in vaginal pH chances of infection rises and itching of the vaginal area is also reported. In addition to changes in the vagina the uterus and the cervical opening also becomes smaller and the endometrial lining reduced. The pelvic ligaments that support the uterus become weak and this could increase the risk of uterine prolapse. Another major concern for women during and after menopause is decalcification of the bones due to lower estrone and androstenedione hormones which lead to osteoporosis. This condition increases the risk of fractures of the vertebra, hip and knee as the bones are more porous. In addition, women can also suffer from lower back pain, and joint paints resulting in lower mobility. Thi s could however be reduced by maintaining a good physique and consuming a healthy diet during the child-bearing years. The skin changes observed during this period are sudden red flushes on the neck, face and chest which is accompanied by a higher body temperature and sweating. This symptom can last for a period of 1 to 5 years. Lack of estrogen and an increased circulating male hormone leads to male pattern hirsutism in these women. Women are at a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases due to a reduction of the estrogen hormone as it is associated with a rise in low-density lipoprotein and a rise in high-density lipoproteins. However, most of these symptoms can be relieved through estrogen replacement therapy and the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases can be greatly

Marketing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marketing strategy - Essay Example It is anticipated that for such status symbol goods the quantity demanded always increases with increase in their price levels. Thus, those nations who are rich in income can serve better markets for this classy merchandise. The report analyzes the market and business operations of Mercedes and recommends further ways in which it can improve in future. Table of Contents Marketing Strategy 1 Abstract 2 International business helps to coherent capital flows, technical skills and even service opportunities across the globe. Worldwide business is decisive in the globe of money-making contacts. This is the age of globalization and liberalization when almost all the companies of the world are going universal. Luxury car is a status symbol product in character. The probable consumers of these cars behave in almost a perfectly inelastic pattern with reverence to changes in prices. Thus, these goods do not pursue the general theories of demand and supply laws in economics (Sultan, 2011). It i s anticipated that for such status symbol goods the quantity demanded always increases with increase in their price levels. Thus, those nations who are rich in income can serve better markets for this classy merchandise. The report analyzes the market and business operations of Mercedes and recommends further ways in which it can improve in future. ... This is the era of liberalization and globalization when almost all the companies and firms of the world are going universal (LOC, 2007). Industrialized firms, companies involving music, arts and even the service firms like insurance companies and banks are all expanding their branches across the world outside their domestic terrain. International commerce helps to coherent technological skills, capital flows and even employment opportunities across the globe. The consumer’s are now familiar to variable choices of different goods and services. The market for goods and services has enlarged in every country with open trading, giving its consumers a wide variety of products. International trade also facilitates mobility of the workers in the labour market (Rutgers, 2001). The activity moves to a global level when there is reallocation of productive resources and facilitates preferential choices in business. To suffice the objectives of firms, organizations and people, business h ouses are getting involved into cross border dealings. Worldwide businesses have diverse branches like administration contracts, foreign trade, and franchising, licensing along with involvement in foreign institutional speculations. In the past 30 years the quantum of global trade has expanded in Billions. Global links have helped largely by improving the livelihood standards and augmenting technology for business. The business and trade guidelines are now integrated together between countries. It is estimated in 2013 that the business of high end cars contribute the greatest share of income generated in the luxury industry (PRLOG, 2013). The segment of high end cars has gone through

Analysis of the Sources that Explained Mesopotamia in Preindustrial Annotated Bibliography

Analysis of the Sources that Explained Mesopotamia in Preindustrial Era - Annotated Bibliography Example The problems will be linked to the economic and social wellbeing of the country. They will also be linked to the increasing settlement in the region with the focus being on how this article describes early settlement. The social problems experienced are directly linked to urbanization which will be detailed upon by the articles. The aim of the article will be to provide information that would describe earlier settlement. The article will give details on how the problems affected settlement in the city. This will also detail how it also affected the structural design of the city. The article also explores models designed by preindustrial Mesopotamia in curbing these social problems. The article also explores the manner in which the two rivers bordering the city where effecting while constructing the city and at the same time sustain life within the city. The focus will be to highlight the factors that contributed to the problems and the solutions offered by the dwellers within the cit y. There is a need to focus on human geography. This source will detail the population distribution of the region and at the same time focus on the economic activities of the region. The aim will be to determine the human element in the existence of the city and how different cultures coexisted within the city. The focus will be on how resources were distributed within the city. The aim would be discussed the population growth and to determine how this contributed to the expansion of the city. The connections between human population and the citizen of the city will be focused upon. The migration patterns and the population of the neighboring cities will be focused upon. The factors that enhanced the migration will be discussed. This will be compared to the available economic activities within the region. The article will detail what resources were utilized during the development of the city.  

Debate Between Abstract and Realism in Art

Debate Between Abstract and Realism in Art Consider the legacy of the Abstraction Realism debate for artistic practice in the 1950s in either France or Italy. Both culturally and politically post-war France found itself in a period of transition; as Findling, Scott-Haine and Thackeray (2000) state, the euphoria of 1944 soon gave way to agrim realisation of the socio-political consequences of the Vichy Governments collaboration with the Nazis and the challenges of reconstruction. The Fourth Republic, instigated in 1946 and continuing until the late 1950s, attempted to instil anotion of tabula rasa that would be mirrored in its art and culture. The abstraction-realism debate that had begun before the war and had, perhaps, found its ultimate expression in the Modernist oeuvre through such painters as Mondrian, Miro and others was, ironically, questioned at this time, for instance, in essays such as Jean-Michel Atlans Abstraction and Adventure in Contemporary Art (1950, 1997): Contemporary painting, being essential adventure and creation, is threatened by two forms ofconformity which we absolutely oppose: Banal realism, vulgar imitation of reality; Orthodox abstract art, new academicism which tries to substitute for living painting an interplay of solely decorative forms. (Atlan, 1950; published in Harrison and Wood, 1997: 612) Atlan here makes an interesting point and one that has an enormous bearing on the place of the abstraction-realism debate in 1950s France; for the post-war French artist the question became not how one should situation oneself in a polarity but is that  polarity itself outdated and archaic. The tabula rasa of the socio-political sphere could be seen as a reflection of inter-war regression when translated to the aesthetic; the questionable politics of many of the Modernist writers, thinkers and artists making their work unattractive to thesons and daughters of the Fourth Republic. It was this psycho-social zeitgeist that, perhaps, ensured the twinning of art with prevailing theories of existentialism as John Macquarrie describes in his book of the same name(1972). For Macquarrie, post-war art (and particular those movements instigated in France) mirrors existentialism in its desire to negate the failures of pastontological systems and place the artist or philosopher at the centre of are constructive effort; an attempt to find meaning after the horrors of the war without recourse to external teleological notions like truth and beauty. This situation appears, to an extent, in Bretons Prolegomena to a Third Surrealist Manifesto: All present systems can reasonably be considered to be nothing on the carpenters workbench. This carpenter is you. (Breton, 1990: 287) In terms of the debate, then, between abstraction and realism both Atlan and Breton say essentially the same thing that what was needed culturally by post-war France was neither the consolation of realism nor the negation of abstraction but a synthesis of the two; an aesthetic that could both look forward into the future and signal a break with the past. We can see some of this in the work of Yves Klein. Both in terms of his painting and his photography, Klein constantly strove to achieve the kind of Hegelian synthesis we have been hither to looking at. Kleins work in the mid to late 1950s represented two paradoxical elements: on the one hand producing monochrome canvasses of a scintillatingly blue pigment (Monochrome blue sans titre, 1956; Monochromeblue sans titre, 1957) that all but obliterated any sense of the artist as producer of work and, on the other, laying the groundwork for the creation of action pictures whereby nude models would be used as brushes on huge canvasses (Monique, 1960; La Grand Anthropometrie bleue, 1960) that, literally, places the human being at the centre of artistic creation. In Klein we can clearly the manifestation of the legacy of the realism-abstraction debate in the France ofthe 1950s and, as we suggested, it lay in the synthesis of the two a similarnotion to the philosophical ideas of Sartre and Camus who sought an ontologicalmeaning without teleology. In fact it was some of this sense that culminated inthe creation of neo-realism, of which Klein was a leading figure and about whomPierre Restany wrote: We (the neo-realists) are thus bathed in direct expressivity up to our necks, at fortydegrees above the Dada zero, without aggressiveness, without a downrightpolemical intent, without any other justificatory itch than our realism. Andthat works positively. Man, if he shares in reintegrating himself in reality,identifies it with positively. (Restany, 1960, published in Harrison and Wood,1997: 711) What were neo-realists like Klein, Arman, Daniel Sporerri and Jean Tinguely but artists who attempted a fusion,and thereby a transcendence, of the archaic debate that Altman spoke of? We can see how such a view could beseen to lay the foundations for not only the postmodern movement in France that sought to find meaning in a post-Enlightenment world whose meta discourses in the words of Jean Francois Lyotard (2002: xxiii) were beginning to fail, but also the socio-political events of 1968 and the student uprising. Both of these can be seen to arise out of, or at least reflect, the aesthetic and cultural movements of the 1950s that sought to not only destroy the memories of the Vichy Government and the long years of Nazi occupation but also signal a progression away from the nihilism of Dada that left a void in the place of that which it negated. The legacy of the realism-abstraction debate, then, is one of Hegelian synthesis, arising out of the thesis and the antithesis. This situation was, perhaps, felt more strongly in countries suchas France, Italy and Spain where the political situation prompted a desperately needed change in aesthetic and ontological environment and where the need for a humanist consolation was as great as the need for an expression of the madness of the modern age. References Breton, Andre, (1990), Manifestoes of Surrealism, (Michigan: University of Michigan) Causey, Andrew (1998), Oxford History of Art: Sculpture Since 1945, (Oxford: Oxford University Press) Findling, John, Scott Haine, W and Thackeray, Frank (2000), The History of France, (London: Greenwood Press) Harrison, Charles and Wood, Paul(1997), Art in Theory: 1900-1990: An Anthology of Changing Ideas, (London: Blackwell) Kostelanetz, Richard (ed) (1989), Esthetics[sic] Contemporary, (London: Prometheus) Lyotard, Jean Francois (2004), The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge, (Manchester: Manchester University) Macquarrie, John (1972), Existentialism, (London: Pelican) Roskill, Mark and Carrier, David(1983), Truth and Falsehood in Visual Images, (Amherst: The University of Massachusetts) http://www.yvesklein.net/

Financial Analysis of Oracle Corp Essay -- essays papers

Financial Analysis of Oracle Corp INTRODUCTION Background and History Oracle Corporation is a technology company that supplies software for the use of information management. They develop, manufacture, market and distribute computer software that helps other corporations manage their data so they can better grow and prosper. In 1977, Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates founded System Development Laboratories. After being inspired by a research paper written in 1970 by an IBM researcher titled â€Å"A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks† they decided to build a new type of database called a relational database system. The original project on the relational database system was for the government (Central Intelligence Agency) and was dubbed ‘Oracle.’ They thought this would be appropriate because the meaning of Oracle is source of wisdom. In 1978, Software Development laboratories moved from their offices in Santa Clara to ones in Menlo Park, the heart of the Silicon Valley. To better explain what they did, they changed their name to Relational Software Inc., or RSI. In 1979, RSI developed and distributed its first commercial SQL database V2, there was no version 1. In 1982, RSI changed its name to Oracle Systems Corporation, which later changed again to Oracle Corporation. They reasoning behind this was that they thought by naming the company after the product it would help the company obtain more recognition. In 1983, Oracle decided to make the Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) portable. They then introduce V3, the first portable database to run on Personal Computers, minicomputers and mainframes. In 1984, Oracle Corporation’s revenues reach $12.7 million and they move into a new eighty-four thousand square foot building in Belmont, CA. They also went international by working with companies in Canada, Netherlands, and a limited portion in the United Kingdom. In 1985 they hit $23 million in revenues and expanded to Austria, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and Switzerland. Their Initial Public Offering was on March 12, 1986, the same year their revenues reached $55 million. The stock opened at a price of $15 and closed at $20.75. Oracle Corporation expanded to Australia, Finland, France, Hong Kong (limited), Norway, and Spain. In 1987, Oracle’s revenues were $131 million, as ... ...rs, setting a good trend for the corporation. They also have a very low debt-to-equity ratio, indicating that they have enough equity to easily pay off any funds acquired from creditors. As a creditor I would feel safe in lending them funds for any future projects or endeavors. Bibliography: WORKS CITED Oracle Corporation 2000a. Investor Relation – Corporate History. 20 July. Internet: http://www.oracle.com/corporate/. Oracle Corporation 2000b. Investor Relations – Financials. 21 July. Internet: http://ww.oracle.com/corporate/. Oracle Corporation 2000c. 1999 Annual Report – Introduction. 21 July. Internet: http://www.oracle.com/corporate/annual_report/99/index.html. Oracle Corporation 2000d. Financial Highlights. 22 July. Internet: http://www.oracle.com/corporate/annual_report/99/financial/index.html?finhgh99.html. Moyer, Charles R., and McGuigan, James R., and Kretlow, William J. 1998. Contemporary Financial Management. South-Western College Publishing: Cincinnati, Ohio, 64-106. America Online, Inc. 2000. Personal Finance – Investment Research. 30 July. http://research.web.aol.com/index.adp?T1=orcl&item=4.

Titration Lab

Lab Report: Titration Lab Prepare a solution of a given concentration; understand titration including acid-base reactions, pH, stoichiometry and molar equivalence. Chemicals and equipment: NaOH pellets close to purity, HCl 3M, phenolphtalein Beckers, flasks, burette, magnetic or manual stir pHmeter Waste management: The waste disposal will be handled through neutralization of your excess reactant to a pH between 4. 0 and 10. 0 and disposal with abundant rinsing. As a preparation for the lab you may want to practice with The experiment: We will do a titration in which the reaction type is acid-base.The equivalence point is characterized by a sharp change of pH which can be followed with a pHmeter. A graph of pH versus concentration will indicate the molar equivalence at the inflexion point of the curve. The point observed experimentally is never exactly the molar equivalence but a â€Å"best estimate† and is given the name â€Å"end point†. It is easier and cheaper to id entify the end point with an indicator instead a pHmeter. Some chemicals such as phenolphthalein will change color when the pH changes sharply between two given values called the indicator’s range.The range of phenolphthalein is 8. 3 to 10. 0. The shape of a pH curve varies widely with the type of reactants and needs to be taken into account when choosing an indicator. We will titrate a strong base (NaOH) of unknown concentration with a strong acid (HCl). The objective is to find the purity of NaOH pellets. The pellets are close to purity but not 100 % because NaOH is very hydrophilic and the pellets are likely to be slightly hydrated. The procedure: The first part of the laboratory experiment will be the preparation of the reactants and the choice of an indicator.You will need to prepare the analyte, a solution of NaOH, of a chosen concentration and volume and prepare a solution of HCl, the titrant, accordingly. Accordingly means that the end point should be reached after th e delivery of manageable volume. If a 50. ml burette is used the volume to be delivered should be between 15. ml and 40 ml. The chosen concentration of NaOH means the concentration of NaOH that you would obtain if the tablets were pure, with the understanding the objective of the titration is to give you a more accurate measurement that you will use to calculate the purity of the tablet.Acid-base chemistry tells us that the reaction between the hydronium and hydroxide ions is extensive and that the pH of the equivalence point should be close to 7. You will design a titration procedure indicating the reactants, the equipment, the data to be collected and the calculations. You will then proceed with two or three measurements depending on the precision of the first two. Your report will review the chemical background, present the data and the result and justify in your error analysis the number of significant figures of your reported concentration.Trial 2| | Initial Volume of HCL in bu rret 0. 1M| 50. 00 ml| Drops of phenolphtalein| 2| Volume of NaOh in beaker 0. 1M| 15. 0 ml| Final measurement after titration| 24. 4| Initial PH| 12. 8| Final PH| 6. 8| Data: Trial 1| | Initial Volume of HCL in burret 0. 1M| 50. 0ml| Drops of phenolphtalein| 2| Volume of NaOh in beaker 0. 1M| 15. 0ml| Final measurement after titration| 24. 3| Initial PH| 12. 9| Final PH| 6. 5| Calculations HCl + NaOH > NaCl + H2O moles HCl = moles NaOH MHCl  x volumeHCl  = MNaOH  x volumeNaOHMHCl  = MNaOH  x volumeNaOH  / volumeHCl MHCl  = 25. 00 ml x 1. 00 M / 50. 00 ml MHCl  = 0. 50 M HCl Conclusion A titration was performed using 50ml of 0. 1M HCl and appropriate amount of NaOH solution. Titration was repeated 2 times to find the amount of NaOH used to achieve endpoint. 24. 2 And 24. 5 is final measurement. The average of the trial is 24. 3 mL. The molarity of NaOH was found by using the M1V1 = M2V2 equation, resulting in 1. 1 M of NaOH. Discussion In the Titrations Lab, 50. 0 mL of 0. M HCl and appropriate amount of NaOH were titrated to find  the molarity of NaOH and the pH of the solution after x mL of NaOH has been added. The lab discussed the difference between equivalence point, the point at which the reaction between titrant and unknown is complete, and the endpoint, the point where the indicator turns color. The color change occurs when the concentration of more dominant form is ten times as great as the less dominant. However, color changes in a solution does not necessarily equal to the equivalence point.Equivalence point can be found by observing the indicator, or using a pH meter and finding midpoint of vertical line in the titration curve. Endpoints can be found by observing the color change of the indicator. The titration lab also involved indicators. Indicators are substances which undergoes a color change in the pH interval of the equivalence point, allowing physical observation of pH change. Most indicators are weak acids, so protons shif t from acid to conjugate base. The concentrations of indicators in a solution do not change molarity value.

Financial Ratio Analysis on Philip Morris.

Financial Ratio Analysis on Philip Morris. The price customers are willing to pay for a product depends, in part, on the availability of substitutes. The absence of close substitutes in the case of cigarettes means that consumers are comparatively insensitive to price increases. This makes demand for tobacco inelastic with respect to price. The buyer's propensity to substitute cigarettes for another product is largely dependent on their price- performance characteristics. The needs being filled by cigarettes are very complex.Cigarette companies measure average per cigarette yields of nicotine by following standardized machine testing methods. These machine methods were never intended to reflect what and how smokers actually inhale. The method proves that no tests can precisely duplicate conditions of actual human smoking and, within fairly wide limits, no one method can be said to be either 'right' or 'wrong'Philip Morris USA (PMUSA) frequently describes cigarette brands using terms such as "full flavor, medium, mild, light, and ultra light."CIGARETTESmokers have varying preferences; PM USA offers products with differing yields of nicotine, as measured by machine methods. They believe that it is appropriate to contribute to differentiate their brands on this basis that descriptors such as lights, ultra lights, medium, and mild, help communicate these differences to adult smokers.The tobacco industry has many strong competitors with varied portions of market share. As of now, the price leader is Philip Morris. When they increase prices, other brands will follow the lead to avoid price wars. Any attempt to take away market share from the leader will result in more harm than good for the lower companies with fewer shares. Philip Morris is the industry leader and is able to heavily promote and advertise a new product. Marlboro is one of the most well-known brands in the world. We could easily create a line extension...

Fun Ways to Assess Student Learning Informally

Fun Ways to Assess Student Learning Informally There are a variety of ways to assess a student’s progress and understanding. Two of the primary methods are formal and informal assessments. Formal assessments include tests, quizzes, and projects. Students can study  and prepare for these assessments in advance, and they provide a systematic tool for teachers to measure a student’s knowledge and evaluate learning progress. Informal assessments are more casual, observation-based tools. With little advance preparation and no need to grade the results, these assessments allow teachers to get a feel for student progress and identify areas in which they might need more instruction. Informal assessments can help teachers  pinpoint students’ strengths and  weaknesses and guide planning for upcoming lessons.   In the classroom, informal assessments are important because they can help identify potential problem areas and allow for course correction before students are required to demonstrate understanding at a formal evaluation. Many homeschooling families prefer to rely almost entirely on informal assessments because they are often a more accurate indicator of understanding, particularly for students who don’t test well. Informal assessments can also provide vital student feedback without the stress of tests and quizzes. Following are just a few examples of creative informal assessments for your classroom or homeschool. Observation Observation is the heart of any informal assessment, but it is also a key stand-alone method. Simply watch your student throughout the day. Look for signs of excitement, frustration, boredom, and engagement. Make notes about the tasks and activities that elicit these emotions. Keep samples of student work in  chronological order  so that you can identify progress and areas of weakness. Sometimes you don’t realize how much a student has progressed until you compare their current work to previous samples. Author Joyce Herzog has a simple but effective method of observing progress. Ask your student to do simple tasks such as writing an example of each math operation he understands, writing the most complicated word he knows he can spell correctly, or  writing a sentence (or short paragraph). Do the same process once a quarter or once a semester to gauge progress. Oral Presentations We often think of oral presentations as a type of formal assessment, but they can be a fantastic informal assessment tool, as well. Set a timer for  one or two  minutes and ask your student to tell you what he’s learned about a particular topic. For example, if you are learning about parts of speech, you could ask your students to name as many prepositions as they can in 30 seconds while you write them on the whiteboard. A broader approach is to present students with a sentence starter and let them take turns finishing it. Examples include: â€Å"My favorite thing about this topic was†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å"The most interesting or surprising thing I learned about this was†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å"This historical figure was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Journaling Give your students one to three minutes at the end of each day to journal about what they learned. Vary the daily journaling experience by asking students to: list 5-10 facts they’ve learned about a topicwrite about the most exciting thing they learned that daylist one or two things they’d like to know more aboutnote something that they’re having trouble understandinglist ways that you could help them understand a topic better. Paper Toss Let your students write questions for each other on a piece of paper. Instruct students to crumple their paper, and let them have an epic paper wad toss. Then, have all the students pick up one of the paper balls, read the question aloud, and answer it. This activity wouldn’t work well in most homeschool settings, but it’s an excellent way for students in a classroom or homeschool co-op to get the wiggles out and check their knowledge on a topic they’ve been studying. Four Corners Four Corners is another fantastic activity for getting kids up and moving while also assessing their knowledge. Label each corner of the room with a different option such as strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree, or A, B, C, and D. Read a question or statement and have students go to the corner of the room that represents their answer. After students reach their corner, allow them a minute or  two to discuss their choice in their group. Then, choose a representative from each group to explain or defend that group’s answer. Matching/Concentration Let your students play matching (also known as  concentration) in groups or pairs. Write questions on one set of cards and answers on the other. Shuffle the cards and lay them, one by one, face down on a table. Students take turns turning over two cards trying to match a question card with the correct answer card. If a student makes a match, he gets another turn. If he does not, it’s the next players turn. The student with the most matches wins. Concentration is an extremely versatile game. You can use math facts and their answers, vocabulary words and their definitions, or historical figures or events with their dates or details. Exit Slips At the end of each day or week, have your students complete an exit slip before leaving the classroom. Index cards work well for this activity. You can have the questions printed on the cards, written on the whiteboard, or you can read them aloud. Ask your students to fill out the card with answers to statements such as: Three  things I learnedTwo  questions I haveOne thing I didn’t understandWhat I found most interesting This is an excellent activity for gauging what students have retained about the topic they are studying and to determine areas which may need more explanation. Demonstration Supply the tools and let students show you what they know, explaining the process as they go. If they’re learning about measurements, provide rulers or a tape measure and items to measure. If they’re studying plants, offer a variety of plants and let students point out the different parts of the plant and explain what each does. If students are learning about biomes, provide the settings for each (drawings, photos, or dioramas, for example) and model plants, animals, or insects that one might find in the biomes represented. Let students place the figures in their correct settings and explain why they belong there or what they know about each. Drawings Drawing is an excellent way for creative, artistic, or kinesthetic learners to express what they’ve learned. They can draw the steps of a process or create a comic strip to depict a historical event. They can draw and label plants, cells, or the parts of a knight’s armor. Crossword puzzles Crossword puzzles make a fun, stress-free informal assessment tool. Create puzzles with a crossword puzzle maker, using definitions or descriptions as the clues. Accurate answers result in a correctly-completed puzzle. You can use crossword puzzles to evaluate understanding of a variety of history, science, or literature topics such as states, presidents, animals, or even sports. Narration Narration is a method of student evaluation widely used in homeschooling circles and inspired by Charlotte Mason, a British educator, at the turn of the 20th century. The practice involves having a student tell you, in his own words, what he has heard after a read-aloud or learned after studying a topic. Explaining something in one’s own words requires comprehension of the subject. Using narration is a useful tool for discovering what a student has learned and identifying areas that you may need to  cover more thoroughly. Drama Invite students to act out scenes or create puppet shows from topics they’ve been studying. This is especially effective for historical events or biographical studies. Drama can be an exceptionally valuable and easy-to-implement tool for homeschooling families. It’s common for young children to incorporate what they’re learning into their pretend play. Listen and observe as your children play to evaluate what they’re learning and what you may need to clarify. Student Self-evaluation Use self-evaluation to help students  reflect on and assess  their own progress.  There are many options for a simple self-assessment. One is to ask students to raise their hands to indicate which  statement applies to them: â€Å"I fully understand the topic,† â€Å"I mostly understand the topic,† â€Å"I’m a little confused,† or â€Å"I need help.† Another option is to ask students to give a thumbs up, a sideways thumb, or a thumbs down to indicate fully understand, mostly understand, or need help. Or use a five-finger scale and have students hold up the number of fingers that corresponds to their level of understanding. You may also want to create a self-evaluation form for students to complete. The form can list statements about the assignment and boxes for students to check if they strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree that the statement applies to their assignment. This type of self-evaluation would also be useful for students to rate their behavior or participation in class.

The relationship between Henry Miller's novel Tropic of Cancer and Research Paper

The relationship between Henry Miller's novel Tropic of Cancer and Allen Ginsberg's poem Howl - Research Paper Example When â€Å"Howl† and â€Å"Tropic of Cancer† were published they suffered a huge oppression of the American government. That is because deeply conservative and short sighted mass of people didn’t find it appropriate to talk so freely about the most intimate and close topic of sexual intercourse. Surely the main theme of these works is not only sex because sex is an obvious symbol of confronting the environment. Today films, books, cartoons, comics and magazines show and talk about sex in any way but it was totally different from the times of â€Å"Howl† and â€Å"Tropic of Cancer†. The main point in our discussion is morality and ethical definition of what is right and wrong. Government of the USA judged these books in the court and did not publish them until years and decades because people thought it was immoral and wrong to allow the distribution of them. There is no bad advertising and any publicity attracts attention. Silly and foolish critique s as well as the representatives of government did exactly the opposite to what they wanted to do. They made these books incredibly popular by attracting to them a huge audience of curious readers. Such funny thing happened in the country which most of the world’s population thought was the land of freedom and homeland of the liberty and that made a contrast sharper and brighter.

Cloud Computing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cloud Computing - Research Paper Example It is well known that emerging technologies can bring in newer market opportunities, with improved data and information storing, sharing and communication. Among them, the emerging Informational technological concept of Cloud Computing brings in many benefits to the organizations, and thus has great potential for future applications. So, if this emerging technology is taken advantage of, it would benefit the companies by helping to address the business needs of the client, thereby encouraging its business growth through good profits and lowered costs. Both big organizations as well as smaller firms are adopting this technology to fulfill their own needs. So, this paper will look at the technology behind this concept and how it could impact the organizations, which utilizes it. Cloud computing is an Internet-based computer network with the main role for ‘outside’ or ‘virtual’ servers, without the need to establish and maintain in-house infrastructure. The data, softwares, applications, etc stored in those servers can be accessed by computer users from anywhere through a web browser by paying subscription charges, based on the ‘services on demand’ concept. â€Å"The storing and accessing of applications and computer data often through a Web browser rather than running installed software on your personal computer or office server†. (cloudcomputingdefined.com).The fundamental concept behind Cloud Computing got originated in 1960s, when the American computer and cognitive scientist John McCarthy opined that â€Å"computation may someday be organized as a public utility†. (Frangulyan). This rings true because the main characteristics of Cloud Computing is computing in a public or external environment. This ch aracteristic was further explored in comparison with the electricity industry by Douglas Parkhill in his book, "The Challenge of the Computer Utility", published in 1966. The Cloud