Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Examine the way in which Bluetooth integration functions with Wi-Fi modems The WritePass Journal

Examine the way in which Bluetooth integration functions with Wi-Fi modems Introduction Examine the way in which Bluetooth integration functions with Wi-Fi modems IntroductionAimObjectivesDeliverablesBluetoothThe Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG)History the name BluetoothReferenceRelated Introduction Bluetoothâ„ ¢ is a revolution in wireless technology specially short-range digital communication among computing and communications devices. It is a latest wireless communication technology for exchanging data over short distances, and is an attempt to get rid of computers jungle of wiring. Using a special radio frequency to transmit data, it creates a short range network. It is very secure and can connect up to eight devices. Bluetooth wireless technology enables robust, secure, wireless connections between portable and fixed devices. So the main features of Bluetooth technology are robustness, low power, and low cost. Bluetooth can improve in any short distance communication system like medical instrument, end to end data transfer etc. It has high mobility which means it can be moved anywhere, long life battery which means it lasts longer than any other equipment and it has no infrastructure to support model. This project consists of building a remote health monitoring system which provide a autonomous system for regular patients. The project is designed to meet its aim to provide a plug-and-play system which run over router and transmit data through Bluetooth. A Bluetooth adaptor will be built whose has input from Bluetooth and output via Ethernet/Wireless device. The Tele-health (TH) technology has invented so many systems so far which are helping patients cope, manage and improve their health condition. It has been also used to reduce the workload of healthcare practitioners specially for those patients whose need to visit practitioners regularly basis. However, current TH systems often require patients to actively interact with the technology and this is major drawback of all current TH technologies. The reason being that the elderly patients who are suffering from chronic condition, may find it difficult to interact with new TH technologies. Therefore, our proposal aims to provide a plug-and-play system which permits all ever-present connectivity between different components of the TH system with requiring minimal input from patients [1]. As stated before, this project intends to develop an end-to-end TH system that permits monitoring and feedback solution which uses every-possible technology, e.g: mobile phone technology (GSM, 3/4G), IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) Bluetooth Wi-Fi, xDSL (Broadband) communication standards and even in POTS (Plain Old telephone service) as well. Furthermore, an automatic feedback mechanism on the reading of patients health parameter will be embedded in the system.   Thus, if a location has limited or no mobile phone network coverage, especially in rural areas, then the access point approach to data transmission would be adopted [1]. Currently, there are already so many TH systems exist in the market. TH system currently developing and different health organizer are adopting new TH systems. Moreover, so many universities are researching about new technologies TH systems. Lets consider a scenario where this TH system would be use for: With this TH system, patients will take their blood pressure measurements at home using a Bluetooth enabled or adaptable specific kind of monitoring device. In this project, an extra mobile will take place instead of that monitoring device which is enable to send the reading of specific measurement, taken by patients. This mobile is Bluetooth enabled and have a special designed software that helps to connect another Bluetooth enabled device (patient mobile) and transmits data to that device. The patient mobile is a remote device that uses for building connection with PC and whatever data come from the first mobile (monitoring device), passes to PC automatically. The patients mobile a lso capable to receive any feedback from the doctor as well. The PC works as an end-to-end device in this project which is connected with internet. The PC is capable and send any data received from patient mobile to a particular email address. The whole mechanism will be designed and build to transmit and response automatically. On the other hand, The doctor receives readings of a particular patients and send the feedback for that readings via PC and Internet. The patient mobile has a special kind of software which is enable to receive a feedback coming from the doctor. The whole system is represented graphically in figure 1. Aim The aim is to design and build a plug-and-play Bluetooth interface (within laptop) that connects Bluetooth enabled phones with a doctors surgery using a designated patients email address.   The patients phone sends his/her latest results using Bluetooth to the interface which then sends an email to the surgery.   This avoids expensive text messaging (multiple users increase cost). The doctor then has daily information on patients condition allowing them to make more appropriate decisions regarding their healthcare.   It importantly also allows patients to carry on their daily life as normal, knowing that their latest results are being considered rather than intermittent results while visiting the doctors surgery. Although this work is demonstrated using Wi-Fi, it could easily be done with a simple ADSL modem connection via a network cable.   The system works in both equally. Whats important is that there is an internet connection and a PC within the home or a phone with internet connection. Objectives To do background reading and investigation about Bluetooth technology, Ethernet/IEEE standard 802.11 and Wi-Fi modem. To design a Bluetooth interface which makes connection between two Bluetooth enabled mobiles and a PC. To construct a Java program using J2ME for first mobile (monitoring device) to create a connection with second mobile and sending message over that phone. To construct a Java program using J2ME for second mobile (Patients mobile) to form a bridge connection between first mobile and PC to transmit data via that mobile. To construct a Java program using Java SE for PC to create connection with webmail server and send data in that mail address automatically. To test the connections using two mobiles and check for errors and limitations. To build a PC application using Java SE to give feedback from that webmail server remotely to any mail server. To construct a mobile application using J2ME for second mobile to have access in an inbox of a mail address to receive a feedback. To test PC application and mobile application and check errors and limitations. To integrate and test whole interface and all programs. To investigate the limitation and problems of the whole system and find solutions about them. To investigate the implementation of   that Bluetooth interface for future purposes. Deliverables Project arrangement form: To be completed by Friday 8th October 2010 Interim Report: This report explains the aims and objectives of this project. The requirement for the project and planned technical approach also is included. This report will be submitted by Friday 5th November 2010 and received feedback from supervisor by Friday 19th November 2010. Draft Final report to supervisor: A draft version of the final project report must be submitted for feedback to the supervisor by Friday 25th March 2011. Final project report: Final Project e-Report must be submitted by Tuesday 3rd May 2011 through TURNITIN for plagiarism checking and Final Project Report and log book must be submitted to Faculty office by Thursday 5th May 2011 as mentioned in the Unit Guide. Project Viva and Presentation: Project Viva and Hardware/software Demonstrations will take place in 2nd Semester Examination Period. Constructed Hardware/Software: This project contains both hardware and software part which need constructed. A network adaptor need to design and build and a program which support this adaptor need put together as well. Technical Background and Context Bluetooth The term Bluetooth TMrefers to an open specification for a technology to enable short-range wireless voice and data communications anywhere in the world [2]. Bluetooth technology also uses radio waves like all other communication medium. Bluetooth technology sends information within your own personal space, which is called Personal Area Network (PAN) at distance up to 10 meters. Now-a-days every single communication device has Bluetooth built-in. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has produced an open specification for Bluetooth wireless communication. The reason behind being open specification, this is publicly available and royalty free. To help advance extensive acceptance of this technology, an open specification has been a primary objective of the SIG (The explanation of SIG will be later on). Bluetooth technology is a short-range communication technology that is simple, secure, and everywhere [3]. It is planned for replacing the cables connecting devices. It also maintains high level of security. Thats why Bluetooth wireless technology is widely accepted by public so much that this technology is built into a wide range of products, from cars and mobile phones to medical devices and computers. With Bluetooth technology, these devices can communicate without having any wire over a single air-interface, using special kind of radio waves or frequency to transmit and receive data. So Bluetooth is a way of exchanging data wirelessly over short distances, and is an attempt to do away with your computers jungle of wiring. Bluetooth is a piece of hardware or a small computer chip that contains the Bluetooth radio, and some software that lets the users, connect devices using Bluetooth technology. Thats why Bluetooth is very cheap and a very small sized chip which can fit in any kin d of device. Even with Bluetooth technology, making connections is as easy as just powering up the device. The Bluetooth radio transceivers operate in the globally available unlicensed ISM radio band of 2.4 GHz. The ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and medical) bands include the frequency ranges at 902 MHz to 928 MHz and 2.4 GHz to 2.484 GHz, which do not require an operators license from a regulatory agency [4]. Now, the question arouse: why do we need one more wireless technology? By comparing all other existing wireless technology with Bluetooth, it can be much more clear about why we need one more wireless technology where there is so many successful wireless technologies. It is also going to give much more details about Bluetooth technology. If infrared and Bluetooth devices can support many of the same applications, why do we need both technologies? Infrared transceiver must need to see each other eye to eye   and devices must be in a few feet apart, otherwise transmission will fail. Bluetooth overcomes the distance limitation by having a nominal range of about 30 feet (as stated above). Another sense is Bluetooth works like radio, so transmissions are Omni-directional. Bluetooth can penetrate solid objects and its capability to communicate with other devices in a network called piconet allows for data exchange opportunities that are very hard or impossible with infrared. When it comes to data transfer speed, Infrared can transmit data at very high speed of 4 Mbps while Bluetooth can only at 721 Kbps though new versions of Bluetooth technologies are coming. Now 802.11b (wireless LAN) is to connect large devices that have lots of power at high speed typically 11 Mbps within distance of 300 feet. Though less distance and transmit speed, Bluetooth is to connect peripherals like PDAs and mobile phones and consume less power 500 times. So its not definitely replaced by 802.11b (wireless LAN). 802.11b (wireless LAN) cant be use instead of Bluetooth for transmitting between peripherals. The radio uses 2.5 mW of power. Bluetooth has been designed to have very low power consumption. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) As previously described, Bluetooth wireless communication is personified as a technology specification. The body manages the development of Bluetooth standards and the licensing of the Bluetooth technologies and trademarks to manufacturers is called the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The Sig is a privately held, not-for-profit trade association founded in September 1998 [5]. There was no Bluetooth SIG headquarter or no Bluetooth corporation or any sort of legally incorporated entity until 2001. The SIG built-in and is now officially recognized as the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, Inc in February 2001. Now the SIG is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington with Michael W. Foley presently its executive director [5]. Currently the SIG is comprised of more than 14000 member companies. The SIG has local offices in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Korea, Japan and Sweden. The SIG depends upon the contributions and participation of its member companies. Clearly a major task of the SIG h as been to develop the specification, but other SIG activities include joint work with other consortia and standards and regulatory bodies, educational and promotional events such as developers conferences and the definition of a testing and certification process [2]. Bluetooth technology was visualized by engineers at Swedish telecommunications manufacturer Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson who realized the necessary of global short-range wireless communication. In 1994 Ericsson had begun a project to study the feasibility of a low-power, low-cost radio interface to eliminate cables between mobile phones and their accessories [2]. The Bluetooth SIG was formed to focus on developing open specification by the leading companies in computing and telecommunication in early 1998. The founding companies of the SIG are Ericsson, Intel Corporation, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), Nokia Corporation and Toshiba Corporation. These companies formed the original core group of the SIG, actually known as promoter companies. History the name Bluetooth The engineers at Ericsson code named the new wireless technology Bluetooth to honor a 10th century Viking king in Denmark. Harald Bluetooth reigned from 940 to 985 and is credited not only with uniting that country, but with establishing Christianity there as well [4]. Harald name was actually Blatand, which roughly translates in English as Bluetooth. It seemed perfect to the SIG founders to name the organization that was intended to unify multinational companies after a Scandinavian kind who united countries. Thus the Bluetooth name was initially an unofficial code name for this project but today has become the trademark name of the technology and the SIG. Figure 2 is showing the logo, inspired by the initials H B for Harald Bluetooth. In 1994, Ericsson Mobile Communications, the global telecommunications company situated in Sweden, initiated a study to investigate the feasibility of a low-power, low-cost and wireless interface between mobile phones and their accessories. The main aim of this study was to find a way to get rid of the cables between mobile phones and their accessories. Reference 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dr. S. Dudley-Mcevoy, Proposal for Synchronous Patient Reinforcement Incorporating Tele-medical Environment (SPRITE), London: London South Bank University, November 2010. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   B. A. Miller, C Bisdikian. Bluetooth Revealed, 2nd edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bluetooth SIG, â€Å"Bluetooth specification†, online, available from: bluetooth.com. [accessed 12th APR 2011] 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   N. J. Muller. Bluetooth Demystified. New York: McGraw-Hill Telecom, 2001. 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wikipedia, Bluetooth Special Interest Group, online, available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth_Special_Interest_Group. [Accessed 13th APR 2011] N. Eddy. Bluetooth SIG adopts Low Energy Version 4.0, eWEEK Europe UK, 2010. [Online] Available from: eweekeurope.co.uk/news/bluetooth-sig-adopts-low-energy-version-40-8224 [Accessed 14 APR 2011

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Mount Everest disaster of 1996 as it happened

The Mount Everest disaster of 1996 as it happened Thesis of the Book The thesis of this book is a personal account of Mount Everest disaster in which the author had taken part, but it had turned out to be tragic in which he had lost some of his climbing partners as the disaster unfolded. Although the book has many themes that unfold as the story continues, the theme of mutual trust and care remains dominant across this entire tragic book.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Mount Everest disaster of 1996 as it happened specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thesis of the Essay The essay aims at summarizing the book in which the writer makes a personal opinion of the accounts as they are narrated in the book and criticizes the book to bring out the faults that can be identified in the authors story of how the Mount Everest disaster occurred. Summary of the book Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster is a book which was published in the year 1997. T he book sets off to narrate one of the deadliest disasters that had taken place in Mount Everest from an individual point of view in which the reader is given a description of what actually happened from a survivor of the ordeal. Krakauer who is the author of this book tells vividly of the accounts that occurred at the world’s highest mountain with such emotional clarity. This depicts why the book became a best selling nonfiction book on its release. The author of this book narrates how he participated in Mount Everest expedition, despite having surrendered his career in mountain climbing way years back. The event took place in the month of May in the year 2006. The author, a professional journalist wrote and featured articles for the outside magazine. He had previous participated in many other mountain climbing expeditions from which he had gathered materials for his articles in the magazine. He later on gave up his career prior to this particular event that involved climbin g Mount Everest (Krakauer 20). Krakauer justified his change of heart to participate in Mount Everest expedition as being purely professional. In the initial plan as it had been reported in the magazine, Krakauer was to climb up to the Mount Everest base in which he was to make a report on the commercialization of the mountain. However, in his childhood and wildest dreams, it evident that Krakauer had always aspired of climbing Mount Everest and this was the best opportunity which was right on the table. He requested his editor to hold off the story until later in the year so that he could get ample time to train hard for the monstrous task of climbing to the summit of the highest mountain in the world.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is from this point that the book exhaustively and chronologically narrates the events that happened on the mountain as they ascen ded to the top of the world’s highest mountain. The author tells of the tragedies that unfolded in pursuit of getting to the world’s ceiling by the determined mountaineers. Personal opinion derived from the book It is evident that the tragedy that took place in Mount Everest was an example of an artificial disaster that was manageable if only the set guidelines that have been stipulated to guide such expeditions had been followed to the latter. The author has in a nutshell pointed out that some of the safety guidelines that had been formulated by the most experienced mountaineers in the world had been violated. It is evident that the violation was done because of the competition that was prevailing between the existing companies that provided the mountaineers with guides who led the mountaineers throughout the ascent on the mountain. This competition has resulted in some of the companies compromising the well-being of the mountaineers, some of whom do not have enough t raining and experience to take part in events such as ascending to the summit of Mount Everest (Krakauer 122). Issues that have arisen from this book It is evident that this book was a success in its release as it sold over a million copies. However, despite the success a lot of criticism has been made by renowned mountaineers and people who had also participated in the expedition in which they had escaped the ordeal. The critics have disputed the material facts that Krakauer has relayed in the book with regard to one of the guides of Russian origin who had been mandated with guiding the team throughout the ascent of Mount Everest. It is evident that in the book, the guide had descended the mountain ahead of his clients in which his motive was to find help and lead a rescue mission in which he would have saved more adventurers when the adventure turned sour. Krakauer in his book seems to question the rationale that this guide had applied in which he had decided to leave his clients alone on the mountain, despite fully knowing that they lacked the experience to handle the situations that were prevailing at that time. He questions the guide’s judgment in not having used supplement oxygen that was an essential component in the paraphernalia that were required by the adventurers. He rebukes the interaction techniques that were applied by the guide in his interaction with the clients. He finally questions the mountaineering gears that were used by the adventurers in their quest to ascend the mountain to its summit.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Mount Everest disaster of 1996 as it happened specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand a number of professional renowned mountaineers like Galen Rowell have criticized Krakauer’s account in his narration by faulting it as irrational and clouded by individual judgment that is prejudicial in retelling exactly what happened in the fateful adventure. He points out the inconsistencies that are in Krakauer’s account in which he observes that Krakauer was sleeping in his tent and he had no idea what the guide was doing. It is evident that as Krakauer was sleeping, the guide was busy rescuing some of the climbers who were in dire need of medical attention. Galen reckons that the actions of the guide were heroic and he had used his wisdom to forebode the shortcoming that arose from the expedition. Work Cited Krakauer , Jones. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2009. Print.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Chemistry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Chemistry - Essay Example Aluminium is metal with atomic number 13 and it will combine by loosing two electrons. Beryllium and aluminium are metals and will combine with other elements by loosing electrons while oxygen will combine by gaining electrons, therefore our empirical formula will have the following formula: Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but differ in the number of neutrons; the atomic number is equal to the number of protons therefore Pn has the atomic number 117. Because atoms are neutral then the number of electrons is equal to the number of neutrons. The atomic number is 117; this means that the electronic arrangement is 2: 8:18:32:50:7 this is given by the formula 2N2 which give us the maximum number of electrons in each cell where N is the shell number. We have 6 shells and 7 electrons in the last shell, this means that the element belongs to the 7th period and the 17th group. The empirical formula will be Pn2O7 because oxygen will tend to gain two electrons or loose 6 electrons and Pn will also tend to gain one electron or loose 7 electrons, therefore the highest normal oxide will be loosing Pn loosing seven electrons and Oxygen gaining two electrons. Six decays means loosing six neutrons, and bearing in mind that the number of neutrons is equal to the number of electrons and that the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons then our resulting element will have an atomic number 67-6 = 61.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Goal Statement for a master program Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Goal for a master program - Personal Statement Example My initial plan was to delve into a career in finance or marketing which were potentially interesting at that time, prior to the financial global crisis. However, after I transferred to George Mason University (GMU), I decided that Biology major is a better fit for me. A career in biology gives opportunities in the areas of research, health care, environmental management and conservation, and even in education, where I am more enthusiastic in. I am duly organized, determined, consistently a high academic achiever. The awards and accolades from GMU speak of my personal discipline and intellectual talent. I prefer analyzing data, looking at a big picture than doing research at a lab. I am fluent in English and Vietnamese; proficient in using the Microsoft Office Suite program and a reliable team worker. Studying at GMU was a great and rewarding experience. The academic institution is just exemplary and the professors are all inspiringly impressive. The interactions with my professors and my friends made me want to come back and pursue higher education. My original plan was to apply for a master program in Biology at GMU. However, I inadvertently missed the application deadline so I opt to study for a certificate program in Bioinformatics instead. I believe that this is one of the few certificate programs at GMU that has the option which allows students to take additional courses to earn a master degree after finishing the certificate program. Likewise, it is one’s personal contention that Bioinformatics will give me more selections and opportunities for future career paths. As I have had professional experience working as a pharmacy technician, the program is appropriately applicable and can be used to further my craft. More importantly, I could be given more privileges in terms of working with either public or private scientific research institutes, hospitals, manufacturing organizations of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Comparison of The Speckled Band and Lamb to the Slaughter Essay Example for Free

Comparison of The Speckled Band and Lamb to the Slaughter Essay In this essay I will be comparing the two stories The Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl. The Speckled Band was written in 1892.This was in The Victorian Period when people had very little faith in the Police and Conan Doyle needed to create a Detective who always got everything right so that the public started to believe the Police could actually get it right. It was first published in a magazine called The Strand in weekly episodes so to a certain extent he needed to keep his readers interested as well which is why the plot is so complicated. The plot is about a woman called Helen Stoner who is going to get married, but someone or something murders her sister who also was supposed to get married. Helen Stoner goes to see Sherlock Holmes to see if he can help solve the crime. The plot is full of twists and red herrings that is up to the reader to try and solve as they go along but as always Sherlock Holmes works out the significance of everything and solves the crime. Lamb to the Slaughter was written in 1954by Roald Dahl. This story was also published in a magazine called Harpers but was written to be read in one go so it does not have the complicated layout of Conan Doyles story. Instead the reader knows exactly what is going on form the start of the story and the ending is shocking and designed to entertain and horrify. It was written by Dahl to show how women at the time were a lot more powerful than the men gave them credit for and should be respected more than being at home , pregnant. The plot is about a modern couple that seem to be falling out. Mary Maloney is the perfect 1950s housewife who makes dinner and cleans, but one day when her husband (Patrick Maloney) comes home from work they have an argument. Mary loses her temper with Patrick and hits him over the head with a leg of lamb and accidentally kills him. In a panic she phones the police and puts the leg of lamb in the oven to cook for dinner. When the police arrive she persuades them to eat the lamb because it would be a waste of food. In the end the police eat the evidence and Mary didnt get caught. Dahl uses comic irony at the end to engage the reader as Mary sits there laughing about what she has done; you dont imagine her to do this as a middle class housewife. The times that these stories are set in are both very different. Like travel, in The Speckled Band. They travel by horse and cart but in Lamb to the Slaughter trey use car or foot just like in the modern day. For communication the people in 1892 would have to write or go and see the person they wanted to talk to but in 1954 they would have used the telephone. Also in 1892 they did not have much electricity so they used candles instead of light, whereas in 1954 they had lots of electricity. In 1892 the women would have worn veils and long skirts but in 1954 they would have they would have worn jeans, t-shirt etc. in 1892 rich families would lived in large houses with servants but in the modern day most families are middle classed and do not have the money for servants etc. When there was an enquiry in 1892 the detectives would have had to use their own knowledge to solve crimes but in 1954 they would use fingerprints, evidence etc to solve the crimes. The language used in The Speckled Band was old fashioned and very formal like when Sherlock Holmes says Very sorry to knock you up Watson, said he, but its the common lot this morning. He also says things like Mrs Hudson has been knocked up, she reported upon me, and I on you. This isnt the kind of language we would use in the modern day and proves that it is set in 1892. However in Lamb to the Slaughter there was a lot of slang and it was not as formal. Like when Mary says Hullo darling. And Hullo Sam to the grocer. However the way she speaks to Sam the grocer proves it was set in the 1950s and not in any other time because we would not know the person in the corner shops first name today but it was common in the 1950s to be friendly with them. In The Speckled Band Sherlock Holmes is the main character. He is a famous detective and solves difficult cases. Conan Doyle invented him because people in the Victorian times were fed with the fact that the police could not solve any crimes and he wanted a character that always got everything right. However in Lamb to the Slaughter there were police who are good at solving cases but wouldnt be able to solve them without any evidence and they are very arrogant and treat Mary as a silly woman when in fact she is the person who has tricked them and been the murderer. Dahl does this to shock his readers and make it even more dramatic which Conan Doyle would not want to do because they needed to trust their detective! In The Speckled Band the killer was a snake that had been hypnotised by Helen Stoners stepfather, but all the way through the story he is a suspect and he acts suspiciously like when Helen goes to visit Sherlock Holmes to tell him what has been going on, shortly after she leaves her stepfather came in asking if she has been here. It seemed like he had something to hide, but in the end it had nothing to do with him. In Lamb to the Slaughter Mary seems like a nice, gentle woman who feels that she has to help out. Like when she says, Darling, shall I get your slippers? but after the police eat the evidence she laughs so I think he whole issue hade made her go a bit insane. At the beginning of the story you didnt expect it from her because she just seems like a normal, average wife like when it said about She took his coat and hung it in the closet. and when it said She was sat back again in her chair with the sewing. The scene seems too realistic for something bad to happen. In The Speckled Band the victim was Helen Stoners sister because there was nothing anyone could do to save her; this made the readers feel very sorry for her. The next victim was Helen Stoner and because nobody knew what killed her sister it seemed that she needed protection. I would expect someone like her to be the next victim because she is a woman who has done nothing wrong and is innocent. I dont think her or her sister deserved to be the victims because they are both just happy and normal people. In Lamb to the Slaughter you dont feel sorry for Patrick because he is being horrible to Mary and you feel automatically on her side from the beginning. I think he deserved to be upset but not killed because they are just having a falling out. The Speckled Band is set in Stoke Moran, which is Helens stepfather house. Sherlock Holmes is investigating the house. I think it is a good setting for a murder to take place and because its a very big house which makes it creepier for the reader because you dont know what is doing the killings. Lamb to the Slaughter is set in Mary Maloneys house. I think the way the author has described it makes it sound very realistic, like when he says, The room was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight. This makes the room sound cosy and like it really exists. You can really picture the scenery. I also think its a good setting for a murder because you can imagine it happening there. I think I would expect it because so many crimes in real life have been taken place in houses. Out of the two stories I preferred Lamb to the Slaughter because it is easier to understand and keeps you interested all the way though with the description it uses. I disliked the other story because the speaking parts dragged on to long and I did really just want to get on and find out what happens.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Essay --

QUESTION 1 Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is a seemingly straightforward analytical tool that is used to assess complex public policy decisions, however CEA does not always account for all intangible benefits. Cost-effectiveness is used to help pinpoint neglected opportunities for improving health and then allotting scarce resources to obtain better health outcomes for society. Since Britain’s has limited resources to concentrate on public health issues that have varying outcomes with regards to survival and quality of life. Cost-Utility Analysis (CUA), part of the cost-effectiveness family is an appropriate technique to utilize when making such decisions because it allows different health outcomes to be transformed to a common unit, known as QALYs (quality-adjusted life year). Yet, societal benefits and costs are often not considered for CUA. Additionally, measuring QALYs is harder than measuring the monetary value of life through improvements in health, as is done with cost–b enefit analysis. Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), also a part of the cost-effectiveness family is used to recognize value in terms of economic efficiency, in that it improves allocation of scarce resources. In addition, some individuals believe that life is invaluable and there are moral problems with assigning a value on human life. The main limitation for CEA, is the weighting of QALYs through trade-offs and specific health outcomes may also make it hard to quantify, thus making it harder to measure all factors that may influence QALY for an individual. Also, QALY’s lack of usefulness to physicians in determining the proper route of treatment for their patients represents another limitation. Additionally, older individuals are presumed to have a lower QALY... ...e surface appears to be a good idea however some individuals may argue that this would interfere with individual liberties. The best approach to find out if providing incentives works or if excise taxes works to decrease obesity is to use the cost-effectiveness analysis tool. Researchers will be able to pinpoint which policies are working and which ones are failing because cost-effectiveness is associated with cost-benefit analysis. This means if the benefits outweigh the costs, then policymakers should implement the policy with the most benefit. I believe the optimum approach to addressing the obesity epidemic is to have government incentivize individuals for maintaining a healthy Body Mass Index and to expand evidence-base school interventions. More effort should be focused on education because behaviors are learned not only in the home but also in the classroom.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Implications of a performance pay system

IntroductionHuman resource and industrial relations is viewed by many scholars as themes that see the sights of thoughts that relates to employment relationships in many organizations including teaching institutions in Australia. The issue of performance in these institutions is of interest to nearly every one in the country and much has been centred on improving the results of the students that are in these institutions. Over the past few years, teachers have been under pressure to produce best results in Australia and this development has led to introducing performance/merit pay system. (Williams and Adam, 2006)There is an argument that some or all a worker’s pay is ‘contingent’ that is it only gets paid if the worker meets certain benchmarks. This means that teachers in learning institutions are required to beat specific targets in order to be compensated. The teachers will be compensated for the extra work that they have done and more specifically if their stu dents have performed best in their studies. Research indicates that the Australian teachers with superior degrees and additional years of experience are remunerated extra than those employed recently or those with low educational levels and terms of service are just a manifestation of age and persistence. This system is founded on the supposition that compensating teachers for outstanding performance would offer encouragements for enhanced student accomplishment gains in their studies. (Williams and Adam, 2006)These performance pay strategies are founded on individual instructor performance which may result to rivalry in the middle of the teachers in the learning institutions. This practice has led to every teacher the bright students when they are teaching them in order to achieve the best results and hence get bonuses associated with such outstanding performance. This means that the teacher’s cooperation which is essential in each and ever institution is threatened and actu ally in some cases shattered.This practice of performance pay in Australia has led to unions of teachers being argumentative that the assessment is prejudiced and it is not based on intended statistics. These performance pay systems often provides for additional payments to that of the teachers salaries and has led to economic complexities because more funds are required to be used for the payments.   This system of merit/performance pay has another bad implication to the teachers in that there are under enhanced strain and force to produce good results from their students in the learning institutions within Australia. This pressure in turn leads to low motivation of teachers which may affect the student’s performance in long-term when the teachers involved will feel that they have achieved enough in terms of gaining financial resources associated with student’s performance. (Hagglund and Provis 1996)The Industrial Relation perspectiveThe performance/merit pay system s in Australia has led to teachers expressing their dissatisfaction brought about by the increased pressure of trying to meet the set targets of students performance in order to be compensated. The teachers unions have had the responsibility to champion the rights of the teachers who are the members. (Blyton and Turnbull, 2004)Unitarism/pluralismFor effective collective bargaining teachers through their trade unions are expected to be united and speak in one voice. This implies that with such practice they will have a bigger advantage because their grievances can be solved with ease and with fewer complications. Channelling grievances through trade unions will give them an added advantage and they may be rewarded with payments that they will be comfortable with unlike when they just express their individual opinions to the relevant paying systems.Collectivism v individualismIndividualism is all about achieving individual goals while Collectivism can be defined as a system that asser ts the primacy of collective goals rather than individual goals. Through collectivism individuals’ requirements are viewed to be of less significance than that of the entire society. Individual privileges may be constrained if they are seen to go up against the objectives of the society. Today collectivism is practiced in Australia as socialism whereby socialism can be traced back to scholar known as Karl Marx (1818-1883).In his argument, Marx takes the view that the government or the state ought to own the way of production to guarantee a just reimbursement of workforce and to steer clear of mistreatment of the masses by a few individuals who take advantage of others for their own benefits. Socialism are of two forms; the first one being that of communism whereby its supporters supposes that socialism can only be attained through cruel revolutions and dictatorship. The second form is that of social democrats whereby its supporters seek to achieve socialism or collectivism th rough democratic means. (Hyman, 1975)Merit/performance pay system in Australia have been viewed by the teachers unions to be individual means of compensating performance and thus these unions have been seeking collectivism where all teachers are remunerated equally and depending on there competences. Collectivism in teachers performance may be achieved through the concept of collective bargaining by both the teachers unions and the employer in this case the Australian government. (Hunt and Provis, 1995)Fairness v competitivenessIn order to achieve goals in any learning institutions fairness should be practiced and unfair competition should be avoided because it may results to conflicts between the teachers in teaching fraternities in Australia. If merit pay system is encouraged in the teaching profession teachers will compete for brighter students. This implies that teachers will feel secure and be sure of more bonuses if their students are bright and can perform well in their studi es. With such system also teachers in Australia may result in competition whereby they try to outdo each other in terms of their remuneration that they get from there bonuses. This means that teachers can manipulate the results of their students in order to receive high bonuses than that of their fellow teachers.The HRM perspectiveHuman Resource Management strategy may be defined as a calculated means by which the enterprise deploy its human resources to accomplish its purpose and basic objectives under the most advantageous circumstances. This implies that the HRM strategy defines the direction in which the learning institutions in Australia intends to move and establish the framework of action through which it intends to get there due to the efficiency of the teachers. This is because the institution management and especially the Human Resource Departments believe that people are the most important assets in the institution as compared to other assets that aid in running learning institutions. (Maund, 2001)How can performance be assessed?The human resource perspectives take the view that performance can be assessed through the overall performance of the human resource and in this case the teachers in the various learning institutions. Performance can only be assessed through organizational effectiveness in learning institutions in Australia. Organization effectiveness can defined as achieving results in an organization through a well organized and coordinated series of managerial activities that comprises of planning, leading, organizing, directing, and controlling of all the resources in the organization including teachers in order to achieve desirable results.Organizational effectiveness involves number of activities including; recruiting competent, motivated and qualified teachers in order to achieve good results, good communication system in the learning institutions, unambiguous policies, decisions and regulations, a conducive environment for teaching, good management, ability to adapt to   any changes, and building a viable and strong culture and mission among others. (Sparrow and Hilltop, 1994)Therefore organization effectiveness can only be achieved through management functions; planning, which encompasses defining learning institution’s goals establishing an overall strategy for achieving those goals and developing a comprehensive hierarchy of plans to integrate and coordinate activities, organizing, which is the determination of what tasks have to be done, who does them how the tasks are to be grouped? Who reports to whom and where decisions are to be made.Controlling, this involves monitoring the teacher’s performance, leading, which involves head teachers motivating teachers, directing the activities to be done, selecting the most appropriate channels of communication and resolving any conflicts among the teachers. There are numerous ways in measuring the effectiveness of learning institutions and include; p roductivity, profits, stability, turnover, growth among others.How can differences in performance be rewarded?Rewarding differences in performance is a difficult task in learning institutions and especially in regards to teachers in Australia. It will be wise if the employees in this case the teachers are paid according to the work that they are doing. A good remuneration system that will involve paying better wages to these teachers as required in their profession plus other benefits when they have achieved the set goals. It is prudent for job evaluation to be carried out in order to reward performance.Job evaluation is all about the relative ranking of an individual job in relation to other jobs that exist within the group. This also refers to technique used in ranking of jobs in an organization. This is normally carried out on the basis of various responsibilities and duties that are assigned to the specific job or task. (Sheridan and Provis, 1998)The results of the job evaluatio n process include the job being assigned a specific range of payment.   The range normally includes a maximum pay rate that the specific job can attract and also the minimum rate of payment that can be given to a person holding such a position. Job evaluation as a management tool has been used by employers and managers for approximately more than seventy five years.This management tool has been used both in the private and in the public sector including in learning institutions. Basing on some generic factors, the value of each teaching job is well defined in the job evaluation process. When the teachers responsibilities are evaluated in terms of their results achieved then they can be rewarded with exactness and without prejudice. (Turner, 1962):Will it actually improve performance?Rewarding difference in performance through job evaluation is very important to employers and managers especially in learning institutions in Australia and actually may improve performance. The reason as to why rewarding difference in performance as a management tool never goes out of fashion is because it plays a big role in reducing teacher’s turnover rate.One of the steps involved in job evaluation is bench marking the jobs. This is done in relation to the jobs that have been evaluated before.   In this case the bench mark jobs are those that are commonly included in salary surveys found in most learning institutions. In this process the bench mark jobs of internal pay structures are related to the external structure’s existing in the labour market that is in other institutions.This greatly helps in reducing employee turnover in the various learning institutions because teachers will be satisfied with their pay. This is because job evaluation carried out will enable the learning institution’s pay grades to be at per with competitor institutions. In this case teachers will not see the need of looking for greener pastures since their pay grades will be sim ilar to what their colleagues in the same positions are paid in other learning institutions. This is really important to employers and managers because they will not be worried about losing teachers to better paying learning institutions and will also motivate the teachers to produce results. This generally plays a big role to stability in the organization. (Anderson, Provis, and Chappel, 2002)Possible disadvantages of actuality performance?There are some disadvantages associated with actuality performance and one can be that of teachers being under pressure to produce the best results in their teaching practice. Because of such pressure sometimes they feel over strained and hence they are low motivated at some level. It may also result to unfair competition between the teachers and this may lead to producing bad performance through sub standard teaching practices thus students may not gain the required knowledge and may be termed as half-baked in the job markets. (Provis, 2004)Conc lusionPerformance/merit pay can be both effective and ineffective in learning institutions in Australia. For example with such system teachers can produce the best results because they will be motivated to get bonuses from their work. On the other hand if not utilized well teachers may create an environment full of unfair competition in an effort to produce good results from their students and they may engage themselves in bad activities like leaking exams to students before the exam dates so that they can perform better. This implies that students will not have an opportunity to gain a wider knowledge but instead they will be narrowed to subjects and topics that will be included in their exams. (Provis, 1986)References:Anderson, B. Provis, C. and Chappel, S. (2002): The Recognition and Management of Emotional Labour in the Tourism Industry. Report to CRC on Sustainable Tourism, Pp 124-134Blyton, P. and Turnbull, P. (2004): The Dynamics of Employee Relations, 3rd Edition Macmillan, London Pp 32-56Hagglund, G. and C. Provis (1996): Enterprise Bargaining and Productivity Issues in South Australia, Contemporary Issues in Business and Government 2 (4), Pp 49-54Harris, R.., Provis, C., Park, R., Mason, D., Delbridge, R. and Gough, R. (2002): High Performance Manufacturing and the Learning Factory, Report to Industry Pp 78-89Hunt, I, and Provis, C (1995): The New Industrial Relations in Australia. Federation Press, Sydney Pp 67-78Hyman, R. (1975): Industrial Relations- A Marxist Introduction, Macmillan, London. Pp 67-89Maund, L. (2001): An Introduction to Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice: Palgrave, Macmillan. Pp 67-79Provis, C. 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