International Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

International Finance - Assignment Example The economy of Thailand is still in its nascent stage. The managed floating rate of exchange along with the Inflation Targeting framework has worked well for the country under consideration. The flexibility in the exchange rate helps the economy in absorbing shocks. With the adoption of the above exchange rate, Thai Baht moves in line with the economic fundamental. It was seen that the Baht/US dollar exchange rate have fluctuated widely from 36-56 Baht/US dollar. But the exchange rate in the past few years. Blades Inc. wants to import many raw materials like plastic and/or rubber from Thailand. This would enable Blades to import them at much cheaper rate. Hence this would enable Blades Inc. to lower the cost of goods sold. Thailand is a weak economy and they are recovering from the effects which results in lower cost of goods. Importing from Thailand will help Blades Inc. in establishing long term relationship with the Thai suppliers. The company will definitely want to build a long term relationship so that they can make agreements with the suppliers in importing the costs at low prices. Blades Inc. by importing raw materials from Thailand will help achieve economies of scale in the production process such that it enjoys special advantages from them. Again by achieving specialization in production efficiency, Blades Inc. will be able to achieve economies of scale and which will in turn lead to lower cost of the products. This will in turn increase the net income of Blades, Inc. With increase in sales, Blades, Inc. will have an impact on profitability together with lowering the unit costs. Blades, Inc. will be able to sell roller blades in Thailand as the first firm. This will help the company to penetrate Thai market and thus they will be able to earn more profit for the company. If a situation comes where the US roller blades is saturated then exports in other countries will provide more opportunities

Summary on Russia Country Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Summary on Russia Country Report - Essay Example The government remains especially intolerant of political protest, as illustrated by its response to a recent small-scale incident in Tibet, which is reported to have prompted many arrests. International Relations. China's co-operation with its neighbors to the North and West is strengthening. The most recent illustration of this came in August, when the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO), a group consisting of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, held joint military exercises for the first time. Over the outlook period, co-operation among SCO members will continue to develop. Joint military exercises held under the auspices of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO) in August prompted some observers to comment that the group could come to rival the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as a military alliance. Tibet Outfalls. The claim to sovereignty over Tibet has implications for China's complicated relations with neighboring India. China maintains a claim to the entire Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, an area of 90,000 sq km running between Bhutan and Myanmar. The state includes a large area around the Tawang monastery that was previously under Tibetan control, but China's claims have broadened out to encompass the entire state, possibly as a method of forcing territorial compromises from India in the disputed Aksai Chin area of the western border near Kashmir. Although India has been careful not to overreact to Chinas more assertive pushing of its claim to Arunachal Pradesh, border issues between the two countries remain far from resolution. Economic Policy Outlook. In August, the government unveiled a scheme that would allow individual investors to invest in equity securities in Hong Kong. This move marks a further step towards liberalization of the capital account. Fiscal revenue growth outpaced expenditure growth in the first half of 2007. Monetary policy continues to be tightened, with increases in interest rates and bank reserve requirement ratios and a reduction in the tax on deposit interest earnings. Real year-on-year GDP growth reached 11.5% in the first half of 2007, up from 11.1% in 2006 as a whole. Soaring agricultural prices, notably for pork, forced consumer price inflation to a ten-year high in July. China's foreign-exchange reserves grew to US$1.3trn by end-June, an increase of 41.4% on the same month in 2006. The government has begun investing China's massive foreign exchange reserves in companies abroad. The stock market continues to rise despite a rise in stamp duty on share transactions. Reforms to the export tax rebate regime in the first half of 2007 boosted export growth, contributing to a massive surplus of US$155.6bn in January-July. Economic forecast. The underlying objective of economic policy remains the need to achieve strong rates of growth in order to create jobs and reduce the unrest associated with the massive changes that society is undergoing. The government will also seek to upgrade the quality of economic growth, promoting more research and

Nursing Education Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing Education Philosophy - Essay Example According to the report findings  constructivist is defined as a method that is based on observation and scientific on how people learn study. Nursing training should support learners to have an organized way of applying knowledge. As there are significant differences in how nurses are supervised within the realm of nurse education in Oman as compared to other countries in the West, those differences form the focus of this paper. Currently, in Oman, nursing students receive their academic education, clinical supervision and speciality training from the same academic educators. This is in contrast to how nurses are educated in the UK, the United States, Australia, and most of Europe wherein nursing students have the academic component, which emphasized the practical part using simulation for accurate leaning, and engage with professionals in the field as part of higher education.  This paper highlights that  a lens of Constructivist will frame the paper in order to examine the e fficacy and value of this current method that utilizes both observational and scientific justification in drawing conclusion in nursing education. Constructivist is a normative ethical theory that holds that the most effective and economical action is the one considered to support learners in constructing their knowledge while under the supervision of a facilitator.  The information requires re-publishing in order to produce the most efficient methodology that involve the finding a result that aligns with the goals of nursing practice.

Motivational Impairment in Schizophrenia

Motivational Impairment in Schizophrenia ANTICIPATING PLEASURE AND EFFORT IN SCHIZOPHRENIA 1 Do People With Schizophrenia Have Difficulty Anticipating Pleasure, Engaging in Effortful Behavior, or Both? David E. Gard, Amy H. Sanchez, Kathryn Cooper, Melissa Fisher, Coleman Garrett, and Sophia Vinogradov Citation Gard, D. E., Sanchez, A. H., Cooper, K., Fisher, M., Garrett, C., Vinogradov, S. (2014, August 18). Do People With Schizophrenia Have Difficulty Anticipating Pleasure, Engaging in Effortful Behavior, or Both?. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/abn0000005 Introduction The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of â€Å"motivational impairment† on the goal directed behavior of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. This was accomplished by measuring the levels of pleasure (reward) and effortfulness in the activities and future goals of the subjects. These two factors were selected to be measured due to the fact that they are two of the component processes of motivation which has been proven by previous research to be affected by schizophrenia. Research has found inconsistencies in the assessment of pleasure and reward in schizophrenia patients. For instance, while Anhedonia has been frequently reported to be associated with schizophrenia (Herbener Harrow, 2002; see Gard et al., 2014), patients do not report a decrease in pleasure or positive stimuli (Cohen Minor, 2010; see Gard et al., 2014). These inconsistencies have been explained to be the result of clear-cut distinctions between the different temporal components associated with specific types of reward and pleasure. Schultz (2002) and Wise (2002) (as cited in Gard et al., 2014) have shown that there is a physiological difference in how anticipatory pleasure and consummatory (in-the moment) pleasure are processed in the brain. While consummatory pleasure involves serotonergic and opioid systems, anticipatory pleasure involves dopaminergic and mesolimbic projections (Schultz, 2002; Wise, 2002; see Gard et al., 2014). In another study conducted using an Ecological Mome ntary Assessment (EMA), participants with schizophrenia showed similar levels of consummatory pleasure, but depleted levels of anticipatory pleasure (Gard et al., 2007; see Gard et al., 2014). Consequently, pleasure was selected to be a dependent variable (DV) in this study. Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia have reported difficulty in anticipating rewards (Buck Lysar, 2013; Gard et al., 2007; see Gard et al., 2014) as well as in processing rewards (Strauss, Waltz Gold 2008; see Gard et al., 2014). The link between reward and motivation has been established through the study conducted by Juckel et al. (2006) (as cited in Gard et al., 2014) which showed decreased ventral striatal activation during reward processing from individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia; decreased ventral striatal activation has been associated with anhedonia (Juckel et al., 2006; see Gard et al., 2014). This also relates reward to anticipatory pleasure. Research has indicated that patients with high negative symptoms of schizophrenia have difficulty assessing the effort required to accomplish a task which would provide a high reward (Gold et al., 2013; see Gard et al., 2014). Furthermore, in addition to difficulties assessing the effort involved, patients also appeared to have difficulty putting in the effort required to do a particular task. In relation to reward, Fervaha, Graff-Guerrero, et al. (2013) (as cited in Gard et al., 2014) showed that patients of schizophrenia only had problems when it came to the assessment of the effort involved to achieve a reward, and not when ascertaining the value of a reward. (Fervaha, Graff-Guerrero, et al. 2013; see Gard et al., 2014) In light of the aforementioned findings in past literature, the researchers came up with three assumptions, and the resulting research questions reflected them. The assumptions were that individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia would have: A deficit in anticipatory pleasure Difficulty in anticipating and processing rewards Difficulty assessing and expending the necessary effort required to accomplish a task Using these assumptions, the researchers of the present study came up with 5 research questions. The following has been taken from Gard et al. (2014) Compared with a socio-demographically matched group of healthy participants, do participants with schizophrenia demonstrate fewer daily activities and goals, decreased anticipatory pleasure for their upcoming goals, decreased pleasure-based goals, but intact in-the-moment pleasure? (Hypothesis) Do participants with schizophrenia pursue goals and activities that are less effortful than healthy comparison participants, and do they have difficulty assessing the effort of an upcoming goal? (Hypothesis) Do people with schizophrenia have difficulty completing their goals, and is this related to anticipation or experience of pleasure, or to how effortful the goal is? (Hypothesis) In people with schizophrenia, what is the relationship of anticipatory pleasure and effort exertion or assessment to: cognitive dysfunction, symptoms, and functioning? (Alternative Hypothesis) To what degree could group differences found in Questions 1– 4 be explained by any other non-diagnostic group differences? (Alternative Hypothesis) Participants The selection of participants differed between the experimental and control group. The subjects for the control group were selected through postings on the Internet and the distribution of flyers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Initially, forty-three individuals agreed to participate and signed the informed consent forms. However two of them dropped out; one, finding the study to be too much of a burden, dropped out on the first day, and the other failed to respond to even a third of the phone calls. The subjects for the experimental group were selected from outpatient clinics and day treatment centers in the Bay Area. Fifty patients of schizophrenia initially signed the informed consent forms but three decided to drop out; two dropped out even before the experiment started citing that it was too intrusive, and the other dropped out after two calls on the first day. All in all, the results of the study were formulated based on the results from forty-one subjects without schizophrenia and forty-seven subjects with either schizophrenia (n=31) and schizoaffective disorder (n=16). Diagnoses for the conditions were confirmed for all participants using the DSM-IV-TR. Strict exclusion criteria for the whole sample, and especially for the patient group, were established and implemented. Individuals who had had traumatic head injuries which leads to bouts of unconsciousness, had substance abuse problems in the last six months, mental disorders, or illiterate in English were all excluded. Patients who had been hospitalized in the last three months or had had their medication or dosage changed in the last month were also excluded from the study. Both groups were predominantly white males and had relatively no demographic differences between groups except for the symptoms for the disorder and employment rates. Only 17 percent of the individuals in the patient groups were employed full time or part time (4% and 13% respectively), compared to the 68 percent of full time and part time employees (24% and 44% respectively) in the control group. The experimenters did account for this discrepancy during the results phase. Method Four different types of assessments were used during this study, although the EMA remained the primary form of assessment of pleasure and effort. The Ecological Momentary Assessment is generally used in situations where specific activities and goals of the participants in a study need to be explicated. This study utilized a modified version of the EMA where cell phone calls were used instead of the traditional self-report forms, which were filled at particular intervals of time; cell phones were provided to every participant irrespective of who does or doesn’t own a cell phone. Trained research assistants called each participant four times every day, between 0900hrs and 2100hrs, for seven days to conduct a â€Å"semi-structured† interview. A majority of the questions were open ended and participants were encouraged to give detailed descriptions of their daily activities and goals. Some questions asked them how much pleasure/effort was associated with a particular task; their responses were rated on a Likert Scale (0 = not at all; 5 = extremely). The answers were categorized based on the research questions. Four independent raters then scored the pleasurability, effortfulness, difficulty, and etc†¦ of all the goals and activities reported by the participants on a 0-3 Likert Scale. A subset of participants with no demographic differences from the original sample was also tested to determine the difficulty of the tasks they attempted; also measured on a 0-5 Likert Scale. After the completion of the week of EMA, two independent research assistants travelled to the homes of the participants in order to determine the levels of stimulation and reward provided by the environment. Several subjects from the patient and control group (seven and nine respectively) decided to opt out from this stage of assessment citing different reasons. The levels of stimulation and reward were measured in terms of three elements; aesthetics of the home, availability of media, and social stimulation. These were measured using a combination of a modified version of the Environmental Assessment Scale (EASy) and the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment (HOME). Scores from each of the three elements as well as individual scores were averaged; the results had high inter-rater reliability. Two additional assessments were conducted on the patient group; they were tested for neurocognition, and were also clinically rated for functioning. During the former, 40 subjects with no demographic differences completed a Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (METRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery. An overall average of their results was used for all the future analyses. During the latter, a Quality of Life Scale (QLS) was used to assess overall functioning of patients with respect to elements such as â€Å"social initiative† and â€Å"capacity for empathy†; â€Å"motivation† and â€Å"anhedonia† were not measured since they were already been used as DVs for the EMA. Procedure Rigorous pilot testing was carried before the actual experiment was conducted. Factors such as whether participants understand what the terms â€Å"activity† and â€Å"goals† meant in the context of the present study were determined during the piloting phase. After participants were selected, orientations on how to properly respond to an EMA during laboratory testing were conducted; they were subsequently required to provide written informed consent before going any further. Most of the basic questions that research assistants asked during the study were previously determined with respect to their effectiveness. Before they were provided a larger sample of the study to be rated, the coders were extensively trained for their task using a smaller subset of the original sample. When the results from the EMA were presented to the four independent raters, the responses from the experimental and control group were presented together in a randomized fashion. Attributes that were to be rated by the coders (such as pleasurable activities and effortful activities) were clearly defined within parameters. As previously mentioned, cell phones were provided to each participant to be used purely for the purposes of the study, and to be returned after its conclusion. The EMA and subsequent home assessments were recorded on audio for post hoc quality assessment. Monetary compensations were provided to every participant upon the completion of the whole study (marked by the returning of the cell phones) and for the completion of the several different assessments conducted during it; the amounts were different for each assessment. Data Analysis The independent variables (IVs) for all stages of assessment were individuals with schizophrenia and individuals without schizophrenia. The dependent variables (DVs), however, weren’t as consistent throughout the experiments, except for pleasure and effort. A number of other variables such as reward, difficulty, and sociability were also measured during the different stages of the study. The basic design of every experiment conducted in the study was to determine how the experimental group was different from the control group with respect to the numerous DVs they were being tested on. Two types of analyses were used to determine the statistical significance of the results obtained. The theoretical principles of these analyses are too convoluted to be properly explained, but for all intents and purposes, they seem to have been implemented correctly. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used in EMA analyses. Its effectiveness comes from the fact that it can categorize data into separate levels so that analysis of data from one level wouldn’t influence others. The EMA data were separated into Level one data (the multiple observations of participants) and level two data (between group differences in terms of neurocognition and functioning). For each research question and assessment, separate analyses of variation (ANOVA) were computed and their significance determined. Significance levels obtained through the HLM were presented as â€Å"pseudo-r2†. Independent sample t tests were conducted on the results obtained during the home assessments. It was used to determine whether or not the average level of stimulation that was computed for the control and experimental group was significant, with respect to each of the three aforementioned elements they were being measured on. Furthermore, the significance for the results of all five of the research questions seems to involve computation of t tests. The p values for them varied from 0.5, 0.1, and 0.001. Limitations and Future Research Dr. Marvin Monroe, Department of Psychology, Springfield University Sir, As requested, I have reviewed the study about pleasure and effort in schizophrenia, and it has got a number of interesting findings. Analysis of the results revealed that subjects with schizophrenia indeed set less effortful goals and engaged in less effortful activities. They also found that patients had difficulty determining with accuracy how difficult or effortful a task was going to be (in terms of resultant rewards). However, unlike the two aforementioned findings which were within the researchers’ expected results, the final finding was not; it showed that patients with schizophrenia engaged in more pleasurable activities, and that they set goals that were, and also anticipated by them, to be more pleasurable. I also analyzed the study for potential limitations and further research areas. In terms of limitations, it had many. Employment differences between the two sample groups felt like a deal breaker; however, the researchers did not find any significant difference when they computed the study for employment differences. The researchers themselves pointed out many, if not most, of the limitations that I found in this study. They highlighted four of them in the discussions and gave possible reasons for their occurrence. The foremost limitation according to the researchers was the reason behind the unexpected result which disproved their hypothesis. According to them, the social interactions with the research assistants might have induced pleasurable feelings within some participants. Other limitations include them focusing solely on short-term goals, the relatively new use of home assessment as a tool for measuring motivation in schizophrenia patients (which they also pointed out as a fut ure research area), and the fact that some assessments used fewer number of participants than the actual sample group. The researchers reported that there are no data available on â€Å"the relationship between effort assessment and functioning† and the â€Å"assessment of effort in daily life in Schizophrenia†. Another key area of research could be why social interactions increased anticipatory pleasure in patients with schizophrenia. This study illustrates several different ways in which schizophrenia patients could increase their motivation about everyday activities and goals. It was a very fascinating read. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review such a study. Sincerely, Ibrahim Fatheen Abdul Sameeu

Double Jeopardy Summary :: essays research papers

In the movie, Double Jeopardy, Libby Parsons, played by Ashley Judd, and her husband Nick, Bruce Greenwood, go out on a weekend sailboat trip. During the night, Libby wakes up finding herself alone and covered in blood. As she gets up to search for her husband, all she finds is more blood all over the boat and a bloody knife on deck. As the investigation is underway, Libby is charged with her husband’s murder. It is found that Nick and she had two million dollar life insurance policies. This is used as a motive and Libby is convicted of his murder. As Libby serves her time in prison, she entrusts her friend, Angela, Annabeth Gish, with her son. Over some time, Libby finds out through a phone call to Angela and Matty, Benjamin Weir, that Nick had staged his own death and was still alive. After serving six years in prison, she is released on parole. She violates her parole and through her own investigation finds out that Angela is dead and that her husband lives in New Orleans under a new identity. By skipping town, her correctional officer Travis Lehman, played by Tommy Lee Jones, is on her trail. He finds out what she is after and teams up with the local police to track her down. Once in New Orleans, Parsons finds the new Jonathan Deberaux and lets him know that she found him. She tells him that all she wants is her son and he agrees. He sets her up, however, at the cemetery by pretending that her son is there, but he knocks her out and puts her in a casket in a catacomb. Travis finds Libby after she escapes but instead of taking her in, he helps her to finish what she was there to do. He goes back to question Jonathan one last time about why Libby may want to find him, but instead tapes him when he says that he buried her and that there was nothing left to worry about. Libby comes into the room and demands her child again with a gun in her hand. Jonathan tries to get her to put it down by asking her if she wanted to serve time again. She tells him, how ever, what she learned in prison from an inmate. As the conversation heats up, Libby’s husband shoots Travis, but Libby kills Mr.

Meat packing industry Essay

Introduction America’s fast food industry was founded by self made man who took risk, worked hard, some not even going to collage. Today the industry relies on a low-paid and unskilled workforce, where a handful are able to rise up the corporate ladder, while the vast majority lack fulltime employment, receive no benefits, and end up quitting after a few months. The fast food industry prospered over the last 30 years because minimum wage was lowered, marking was directed at children, federal agencies meant to protect workers and consumers ended up working for the companies, and corporations worked with congress to oppose laws that didn’t help them. The â€Å"American world view† is embodied in fast food because it takes advantage of those who don’t know any better. Chapter 1 The element of car based restaurants like the ones started in Southern California encouraged the spread of fast food because they had good food, became successful, and were very popular among young people. Chapter 2 Disney and Kroc were similar because they both used science to sell their products, made up famous mascots to sell products and both focused selling to kids. They were different because Disney founded his company, and Kroc bought his, they sold different products, and Kroc wasn’t involved in politics, while Disney was. Their companies cooperated when McDonald’s agreed to sell Disney toys and Disney agreed to allow McDonald’s in Disneyland. The fast food industry started with billboard ads to attract kids and evolved to adverting every where, from TV, to the internet, to school hallways. They also make the restaurants themselves fun for kids with play places and selling toys so they want to go more, and even as adults bring their own kids. Personally, I don’t think it is ethical to advertise in schools because it fast food is unhealthy and kids should be learning that, not that the burgers at McDonald’s get and A in taste. Chapter 3 Most employees of fast food restaurants ate teenagers because most are willing to work long hours with little pay. Fast food corporations relentlessly stop their workers from unionizing by doing things like integrating workers with information about a possible union with lie detectors, or closing locations with unions and opening new locations near by. Working conditions at fast food restaurants are unsafe. Typical dangers the employees face ate slips, fall, cuts, burns, and robberies. Problems are dealt with by increasing security with cameras or more parking lot lights. If I worked at a fast food restaurant and I injured my self, I might not tell my manager because I could loose my job because they could blame me for the injury. Chapter 4 The advantages of starting your own business is if it is successful, you could get a lot of money, not to mention you are your own boss so no one besides the government tells you how to run your business. The disadvantages are the business could be unsuccessful and you could loose a lot of money. The advantages of working for someone else are you do not have to make too many tough decisions. The disadvantages are you will not make as much money as your boss, and you may not like your boss for whatever reason. Some legal issues that fast food franchises have been involved in are the Coble’s Bill which makes franchises obey the principles other companies follow. The Subway fast food franchise was involved in the SBA which helps restaurants by giving them government funds. Subway got involved and made it so they would get extra money. Chapter 5 Family farms are disappearing because industry farms take all the business and close family farms because they have no one to sell to. there are only a few small potato farms left because industries take up all the land and business. The take-over of agricultural farms effects communities because local farms go out of business and communities become dependent on the corporate farm. Chapter 6 Development and fast food farms take land and effects cattle pastures because there is less land for the cattle to graze. Since most cowboys and ranchers have gone out of business, they have become irreverent in today’s culture. The government set up the Sherman Antitrust Act and a congressional investigation in the meet packing industry to help ranchers. Later, the Reagan administration allowed the top four meat packing firms to merge and they took over the cattle markets. Corporate domination affected family farms by forcing them to work for them or go out of business. Self-reliance is still a viable goal for Americans, but has become very difficult because of big corporations. The fast food industry makes chicken farmers work for them or they would get no business. In farm culture, the land is a tangible connection to the past, meant to be handed down and not sold. To native Americans, the land meant life and prosperity. In traditional Irish culture, the land is a link to past generations and to loose the land meant to fail your relatives. Their concept of land is similar to the American concept. Chapter 7 The demands of the fast food industry changed towns by making is so almost everyone ends up eating fast food because the industries are aloud to put their restaurants wherever they want and advertise as much as they want until the town’s economy runs on the fast food restaurants. Chapter 8 Meatpacking is dangerous because of the machines and rarely cleaned cutting tools. Since a meatpacking manager’s bonus is based in part on injury rate, many injuries go unreported and the worker is either given an easer job to takes time off to recover. Chapter 9 The meat packing and meat processing industry has been a spreader of disease because the animals are not screened well enough or sick workers spreading disease on the animals. After reading about the pathogens in hamburger meat, I am concerned about food poisoning in fast food. E. coli is not common in restaurant food, but is likely to be in hamburger meat. Chapter 10 Many Americans are obese because of lack of information and improper food laws. Fast food probably plays a big part in obesity because it provides unhealthy food to almost every where. Americans are probably more obese than other countries because fast food started here. Fast food companies increase the size of their meals to effect the calorie count look better for the per serving part. This effects American health because it is misguiding and you eat more than you thought you were going to. People in other countries do not want fast food because they have seen its effect on America. Epilogue The free market Schosser talks about leaves workers unprotected with little interference from the government. In the quote, Schosser is referring to the free market. I agree to what Schlosser says on 216. I believe the government needs to work harder to protect both the workers and consumers of fast food. At the end of the Epilogue, the author remedies his criticisms with the fact that it is a persons choice to eat want. Afterword Mad Cow disease is a disease that slowly destroys the brain and can be spread through hamburger meat. It can be controlled by feeding cows grass instead of corn and hormones, and inspecting the meat better. Cattle get infected by it because they stand in the dung of an effected cattle. It is a very serous threat to humans.

Information Systems in Business Essay

List of the databases in which data about you exists †¢Flat- file data bases. The flat file databases are used to store small amounts of data that is required to be edited by the hand. They are made up of files strings that combine one or more files and they are effective in storing simple data lists but they become complex if the data structures are replicated. Flat file databases require a simple approach to the methods of storing data, therefore if complex data types are stored, the file become unreadable for the individual using the data bases. Many companies use the flat file data bases in storing their data since they are easily assessed and edited (Matthias, 2003). †¢Server databases The server databases uses the Internet and it is easily accessed by the clients at any time, for instance, 24 hours, one week. The clients are able to access the websites in order to retrieve the data. Server databases are applicable to many companies that require to make applications and communications on data issues anywhere in the world. Server databases have a special feature that allows the clients to provide specific data requests from the database and then it is the responsibility of the database to perform the function (Matthias, 2003). †¢Relational databases An example of a rational database includes the SQL server databases. These types of databases uses a logical formulation in the processes that they store data. For instance presentation of tables in data storing where by each field is described by a certain character. The realtions in the databases are described when the characters are linked with one another. many companies uses the relational data,bases since they are effective when they are designed propely and therfre resulting to clear data analysis without any duplication (Bing, 2011). ii): Make a list of the databases in which data about you exists. How is the data in each database captured, updated and how often? What data privacy concerns do you have? Explain briefly. Data sources are defined by their portability mechanisms and the independent approaches that enhances the connection of the databases. There are different types of data sources and they are introduced to define a certain database. An application can be used to define different types of database by changing the components of the data source. There are three different types of data sources, managed data sources,native data source and operational data sources (Pang,2001). †¢Managed data sources Managed data sources define the approaches used in error handling mechanisms, connections pooling as well as global transaction management. Since they are applicable on global transactions they are usually updated on daily basis. A managed data source in a data warehouse provides all the implementation mechanisms and interfaces that are issued in the data source. The warehouse can be able to use the managed data source in the participation of global transactions (Pang,2001). †¢Native data sources Native data sources are significant in the warehouse interface and are provided by the vendor’s sich as oracle. The native data source are different from the managed data source since the connections cannot be retrieved in global transaction. They are updated with several approaches depending on the information to be retrieved. Operational data sources All operational data sources applicable in a warehouse are used in the management of data in different sectors. The data sources are retrieved through the application of connections that enhance the operational process of data retrieving and enhancement effective. In a datawarehouse basis, information of data is retrieved from more than one ideal source therefore the application of the operational data source defines different strategies of connection to effectively define a certain data. ii): Using your company of choice example from above, explain the type of decision support that thecompany can benefit from implementation of a data warehouse. Within this context, what would bethe role of data mining? Decision support systems are important computerized information that enhances the strategies that are used in decision making (Power, 2002). The decision makers are able to use the networking communication technology, data information and other models to enhance the approach of decision making. Decision support systems are significant in the company since they provide information on graphical approaches and include expertise application on artificial intelligence (Power, 2002). BLM Company is entitled to use the communication driven decision support system that has a responsibility in targeting internal patterns. The importance of the communication driven decision support system is to enhance individual collaboration. The technology that is applied in this type of decision support system includes the client services for instance, instant messaging. Role of data mining †¢analyzing Data mining softwares are important in analyzing data from different perspectives (Bing, 2011). It analyses, categories,summaries and indicates the relationship that occurs in a given data. Data mining procedures are effective since they analyses the total components that the user wants prefers effectively. †¢Determination of valuable information Data mining is defined as the processes that are used by data software to analyses, summaries useful content. Data mining provides all the knowledge that is required to uncover certain figures related with information retrieval for several applications. In such cases, cross tabulation information, decision trees applications can assist in the retrieving of certain valuable information. QUESTION 2: Enterprise Content Management (ECM) helps companies to capture, organize and analyze particularly unstructured content to deliver better business. ECM technologies cover a broad set of capabilities. With the help of examples name and briefly explain three of such capabilities. †¢Document management capability Every department in an organization is conversant with document management capabilities. The role of ECM In most of the organization is to assist the organization on the approaches associated with document management through the introduction of policies that requires documentation cycle. ECM applies centralized methods repositories that enhance the mechanisms of discovering the information effectively and therefore the set policies enable tracking of information in the organization through the application of bar codes and labels(Handy, 2009). The centralized mechanisms have ensured that storage and protection of informations against any unauthorized use, hence they offer security on information. Record management capabilities Record management capabilities has been known as a secondary task, strategies that are associated with this capability include, the requirements on clear records assignments within the departments. Record management capabilities ensure that records are well updated in the organization to ensure that the organization maximizes transparency. The record management capabilities provides the managers with an opportunity to set up the records according to the organizations filing plans. †¢Web content management capabilities The development of web content management capabilities ensures that the organization is able to communicate effectively with employees and customers. Web content management capabilities ensures that the organizations is in a position to manage different sectors for instance multilingual Internet sites and mobile services while it ensures that these sectors are effectively updated. Summary of the findings IBM is a worldwide known company that applies the enterprise content management with software application. They provide semantic data management software within the organization. Question 3 Write the lecture summary relating to Week 9 – Topic: Data Warehouse and Data Mining data warehouse Companies are entitled with different sorts of information. The traditional methods of data storage include, invoices, sales and distribution were developed by many companies and it was a hard task that required a lot of computing producing biased and inaccurate information. With the recent innovations of technology and information systems data management and warehousing has become an easy process (Michael, 2009). The effective use of Data warehousing provides an approach of combining all the information that is required by the company. Data warehousing includes the application of all the companies data storage and the retrieving of any information is made easy. Data warehousing is made effectively through the strategies that are associated with the retrieving of information for instance, the selection process of a certain area to retrieve the data, keying of individual as the subject matter and any data information is retrieved and the group team of the organization develops extraction programs. Data warehousing is applicable in coordination of information and copying of data within the organization and outside the organization(Michael, 2009). Trusting data sources. Data warehouse is subjected with different departments with a large number of data sources from the external departments. An organization can lack the control on the quality retrieval of data into the data warehouse, and sometimes it can be a difficult process to access how the data is refreshed. The data sources used by the organization are diverse; therefore there is the need to determine strategies that can be applied in trusting data sources. Tools The tools include the simple reporting query tools which are used to tell us what has happened. On-line analytical processing gives a reason of the happenings †¢executive information system extracts information on the users who want to mess with the data warehouse †¢ data mining processes includes the all the statistical techniques that are advanced with intellectual research properties. Data mining components include, cross z softwares and the IBM . The architecture- centralised or distributed. If the data is termed as centralized then it means that only one database is applicable to a specific hardware for the access of all users. QUESTION 4 Features and tools in face book The features and tools in facebook have different importances on the representation of the companies, public figures, bands. They are the key tools of the entities and they include pages and the profile subscribers. †¢The pages Pages are used to represent company’s public figures, bands. The pages can be applicable to †¢Profiles with subscribe Profiles with subscribe consists of the strategies that an individual uses to subscribe to another person. In this case the profile with subscribes are used by multiple individuals and they include, news feed, find friends Entity attribute value model(EAV) Entity attribute value model is a data model that is used to define entity where by the parameters and properties are used to explain them. The number that is used to describe each entity is relatively modest. This model is also known as the space matrix model. Structure of an EAV table The data that is represented is defined in a spacious approach that is capable of storing the entire space matrix that is composed of occupied values. In the EAV model each parameter and property describes the entire entity and each row that is represented. In EAV model, it stores a single component. The EAV tables are also described as long and skinny in which the long strategies describe a specific number of rows while the skinny description defines the number of the columns (Michael, 2009). Data in EAV table is recorded and retrieved in three columns, entity, the parameters and the values. The entity colum defines the item description and the parameter column defines the attribute characters for instance, name, and ID and the value define the attributes.