Compare and contrast the Baldrige core principles with W. Edwards Essay

Compare and contrast the Baldrige core principles with W. Edwards Deming's 14 points - Essay Example The paper explores comparison and contrast between Baldrige principles with W. Edwards Demings 14 points. The application of quality in production has a long history, starting from 1970’s in Japan and gaining recognition across the world because of its positive effect on product quality (Evans & Lindsay, 2012). This resulted in inventing principles such as total quality management (TQM) that focuses on collective efforts of managers and workers with an aim to satisfy customers’ quest by continually improving operations, management processes and product whose origin traced to W. Edward Deming, Joseph M. Juran and Philip B. Crosby. While the Baldrige principle from Malcolm Baldrige consist of seven core areas: leadership, information and analysis, strategic quality planning, human resource utilization, quality assurance of services, quality results and customer satisfaction. Total Quality Management (TQM) is generally associated with W. Edwards Deming. The economic transformation of post-war Japan through application of TQM principles lead to the crediting of Deming. According to Deming, the principle of total quality management (TQM) embraces total commitment to process and product (or service) improvement by all employees at all levels. On other hand, the Baldrige principle enacted into law in 1990 to emulate and stimulate economic success similar to that of Japan as a result spread the usage of the total quality management (TQM) in businesses and industries in the United State. Moreover, the Baldrige principle invented by Malcolm Baldrige is an illustration of the total quality management (TQM) beliefs because of its seven-core element addressed in the Baldrige sums objectives of the total quality management whose main purpose is to ensure constant quality production (Anderson et al , 2010). This lead into many companies embracing Baldrige in their o peration as it enables collection of baseline data vital in the measurement of the

What are the Impediments to Restoring Peace in Post-Saddam Iraq Term Paper

What are the Impediments to Restoring Peace in Post-Saddam Iraq - Term Paper Example In and after several stages over the next 12 years or so, Iraq attained its independence in the year 1932. Iraq was proclaimed as a republic in the year 1958, but in actual a series of military strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last one known of them was Saddam Hussain. Iraq also had territorial disputes with Iran that led to an inconclusive and costly war for almost an entire decade from the year 1980 to 1988). In the year August 1990, Iraq captured Kuwait with the sole reason of capturing the major chunk of oil trade in the Middle East but was later on expelled by the US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War that happened during January-February 1991. It followed in the liberation of Kuwait, the UN Security Council (UNSC) put stringent conditions on Iraq to scrap all its weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles. (Tripp) The UNSC also pressurized Iraq to allow UN verification inspectors to inspect it's suspected nuclear facilities and centers for making of weapons of mass-destruction like biological weapons. Iraq didn't cede to and complied with the UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years that in turn led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in the year March 2003 and the permanent ouster of the Saddam Hussain regime from Iraq. Under a UNSC mandate, the coalition forces are keeping a vigil in Iraq trying to keep the democracy alive and helping to provide security to the common people and to support the freely elected democratic government. (Frontline) Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. Although looting, insurgent attacks, and sabotage have undermined economy-rebuilding efforts, economic activity is beginning to pick up in areas recently secured by the US military surge. Oil exports are around levels seen before Operation Iraqi Freedom, and total government revenues have benefited from high oil prices. (CIA The World Fact Book, Iraq)It is true that there has been a lot of rebuilding effort in Iraq with the intervention and aid of quite a few International Institutions and Countries and Iraq has made some progress to rebuild the institutions that it needs to implement and reap the rewards of the new economic policy. In this direction, Iraq has also negotiated an agreement for the reduction of debt with the Paris Club and also a new Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF. Iraq has also received pledges for $13.5 billion in foreign aid for the period span ning 2004-07 from outside of the US, and also more than $33 billion in total pledges from all the aid givers. An understanding was reached with the current regime in Iraq in May 2007 to integrate Iraq into the regional and global economy without any apparent prejudices.

The Paradox in US-China Relations

The Paradox in US-China Relations The Paradox in the US-China Relations: A Commentary Almost a decade and half ago, one of the leading thinker and strategic expert on China; Gerald Segal prophetically described the implications of Chinese power especially in the East Asian region. He argued, â€Å"There is no more weighty uncertainty for East Asia, than the future of China. If China staggers amid leadership struggles and perhaps even disintegrates as a state, the region will fear mass migration and spreading chaos, if China forges ahead with a double digit growth, East Asia will fear the implications of Chinese power[1] Segal in the concluding remarks of his article titled, â€Å"Tying China into International System† (Survival; 1999) presented few assumptions. He foresaw that the uncontrolled economic growth in China would result in an increasing need and desire to trade with the outside world and China needs to be tied into the international system on the basis of these assumption about China’s future. One of them was a) that it will not disintegrate in chaos, will have a looser political system b) second that East Asian region will fail to develop any serious multilateralelism. There will be much talk in the region about the need to work more closely at the ASEAN and CSAP forum on the security of the region, however no real action was perceived. Surprisingly the East Asian region will have ramification of the Chinese power and the lead in dealing with China in the coming years would not be initiated by the East Asian countries. This would leave China unchallenged in the region. He a lso asserted that China would also likely to have a major long term adversarial relationship with the west. The aforementioned analysis describes some of the reality of the Chinese rise as of today. Beijing has certainly not disintegrated into chaos, through a steady projection of its influence, it has established that it is indeed a rising power and would continue to do so. The West especially the US may not have a direct adversarial relationship with China but all that is not hunky-dory in the Sino-US relationship. Interestingly this becomes evident when the trajectory of the bilateral relations is analysed at a profound level. Both the US and China are ambitious countries as far as projecting their influence is concerned. China is the only country which has directly challenged the US hegemony after Soviet Union. In the post-Cold War era of multipolarity the decline of the West (US) has also been juxtaposed with the rise of the rest (China) even by American scholars. (Zakaria; 2008). While the US was preoccupied with the global war on terror campaign and entangled itself in Iraq and Afghanistan; the People’s Republic effectively utilised this opportune moment of US occupation to its advantage by extending its international interactions and maximised its inventory of allies in the international political system. The Chinese influence in the international politics was regarded significant to such an extent that US too responded to the emerging threat discourse with an accommodating view. In a Congressional Report (2008) and the US Quadrennial Defense review (QDR-2001), the US administration was counselled to adopt ‘engagement’ as the best way to integrate China into prevailing global system. Today, China is engaging itself with the international community like never before by crafting a multitude of bilateral agreements and partnerships. Beijing has sought trade agreements, oil and gas contracts, scientific and technological cooperation, and de-facto multilateral security arrangements with countries both around its periphery and around the world such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It has also extracted oil and gas exploration contracts with Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, and Cuba; and with Central Asian states such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan; in search to satiate its hungers for energy security International Negotiations Diplomacy The emergence of multiple centres of power in the international politics have not only declined the pre-eminence of the American power but have also made space for China to exerts it influence in various spheres such as international economy, international negotiations on significant issues such as climate change, the South East China Seas and even in the nuclear realm. On all these issues China has taken a powerful stand. For instance on the issues of currency, China maintains a low exchange rate of its currency for its economic growth. Financial experts from both US and Europe have called China to allow its currency to rise. This sentiment was resonated even by the US President himself during his first visit to China in 2009. The same year Presidents of major banks like Europen Central Bank; Jean-Claude Trichet, and Dominique Strauss-Kahn; the former managing director of the IMF have also called for a stronger yuan but China did not adjust its currency in response to a foreign pressure.[2] China has boldly stood up against the US on the issue of Climate Change too. It is referred as the world’s largest Green House Gases (GHGs) emitter and suffers from a poor record as far as environment issues are concerned. In-fact China occupies a unique position in the Climate Change negotiations. It is one of the largest emitters of Co2 but it is also a developing country and possesses a valid claim of right to further develop like the US. It is one of the major voices in the Climate Change talks and some experts has suggested that it was China that blocked the last Copenhagen (2009) talks by asking for an appalling deal such that western leaders can walk away and thus creating a stalemate. At the Copenhagen it not only insisted on removing the binding targets for itself but also for other countries.[3] The strange power play by the Chinese delegation can also be viewed as an effort to weaken the Climate Change regulation regime. Very recently the UN Climate Summit at New York was concluded in which both the US and China seems to have agreed on reaching an agreement on reducing emission from 26 to 28 percent for the United State by 2025 and China to reach the emissions warming peak by 2030 or earlier[4]. Being a top emitter of Co2 China’s budge towards a substantial position on emission cuts ; only after the US has promised to take a step ahead on emission reflects nothing but geopolitics manifesting at the negotiation table. Nuclear Relations A similar Chinese behaviour of pushing the US to do its bit first can also be seen in the realm of nuclear security as well. Nuclear capability symbolises power in international politics. While China is far away from matching the US inventory of nuclear weapons, it cannot be ignored that being the only P-5 that is increasing its nuclear arsenal; China’s potential in influencing the nuclear debate at the international multilateral forum remains strong. It is interesting to note here that the official Chinese position on nuclear arms race is that, â€Å" the nuclear-weapon states with the biggest stockpiles should undertake special responsibility for nuclear disarmament and take lead in reducing their nuclear arsenals and delivery systems,†[5] China expects the US to first pave way for the other nuclear-weapon states to join the nuclear disarmament process. Furthermore the 2013 nuclear notebook of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists describes the Chinese nuclear capability as growing slowly and increasing in capability. Many in the US presume that the growing Chinese nuclear capability especially the long range missiles which includes as many as many as 60 LRBMs can reach some portion of the United States. In-fact according to the US intelligence community prediction by the mid-2020s, China could have more than 100 missiles capable of threatening the US.[6] In-fact the American experts for nuclear issues believe that there is a need to maintain a long term stability in the US-China nuclear relations even though the nuclear dynamics between the two countries are relatively stable at the present. The exponents of such idea have based their judgement on the US concerns about the Chinese expansion of the quality and quantity of its nuclear arsenal. The analysis of US-China nuclear relations by the working group reveals a possible intensification of strategic arms race between the two countries. This might manifest in increasing the uncertainties about the nuclear deterrence and thus crisis management between the two must take effect. In-fact it is advised to the US government to take up informal ways to shape China’s nuclear decision making.[7] Geopolitical Ends at the Asia Pacific Region The current Chinese Ambassador to the US; John Kerry in his remarks described the bilateral relations as â€Å"the most important as well as the most sensitive, the most comprehensive as well as the most complex, and the most promising as well as the most challenging †[8] and referred it as the most consequential one determining the shape of the 21st century world. While officials from the White House have diversified adjectives to describe beautifully the US-China synergies, they have also acknowledged the difference the two countries have a two distinguished countries. Moreover, these two distinguished countries also have comparable power interests in the same geographical entity called the Asian Pacific region. For both the countries the region is a crucial one and the most promising as far as security is concerned. The US has blatantly announced its pivot to Asia Pacific in order to execute its rebalancing strategy. One must reckon that in the recent years China too has started looking at the region more prominently. The US has categorically announced its reservations on the Chinese assertive foreign policy behaviour in the South and East China Seas region. Even though the US is not directly related to any of the South China Sea dispute; the United States maintains a strong position on the Chinese claims on the South China Sea Vis-a-Vis claims of other littoral states. The South-China Sea region is a strategic pass way containing critical sea lanes of communications. It is also a region through which half of the world’s oil transport passes through. The sea connects the Pacific Ocean with the Indian Ocean it has utility for major naval power. It must be reckon that the United States considers itself as a influential player in the Asian Pacific region and it has sustained its pre-eminence over this region for over six decades. [9]The region not only has a symbolic utility for the United States but it is also practically being used as a transit point and an operating area for its Navy and Air Force to shuttle between the military bases in Asia the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. Similarly on the East China Sea, the similarity of ambitions and the difference in policy approaches towards the region also appear to be clear. Very recently the US deepened its commitment to the East Asian region and invited Japan and Australia for a military co-operation towards collectively working on strengthening maritime security in the Asia-Pacific region. It is noteworthy that in the same platform revealed President Obama’s subtle hint to China that aggressive acts on territorial disputes concerning the region might, â€Å"spiral into a confrontation†.[10] In addition to this President Obama categorically conveyed his idea of an effective security order in Asia that ought to be based on alliances of mutual security and driven by international norms and laws instead of spheres of influences or driven by acts of intimidation of big nations ( such as China)[11] Cyber Space It is a known fact that the United States was the progenitor of what we know today as the world wide web/internet. The internet owes its birth to the US Department of Defense in the 1960’s where it was developed and used for defence communication. Today the commercialised internet has grown so big and forms part of much bigger virtual domain known as cyber space. This cyber space in its totality is, practically out of a complete control of one singular country let alone the United States, which ironically gave birth to it. The cyber space has escalated itself in international politics as a powerful domain. It is regarded as one of the battle domain for future wars among countries. China is notorious for practicing all forms of cyber theft, hacking, cyber terrorism, etc. towards the United States. China is an increasingly growing player in the Cyber security realm. It is the only Asian country with one of the most internet users, which is state controlled. While the domestic environment of China’s internet is largely defined as strict; externally China is identified by the United States as real cyber threat for other countries. According to the US reports on China uses cyber warfare for data gathering, to constrain an adversary’s effective communications etc.[12] United States has suffered the most out of these evil intentions of China. Many instances of cyber-attacks such as ‘Titan Rain’ from China have been reported. In-fact it was revealed in 2004-2005 that the Chinese hackers have compromised the computers of NASA and other military and technological centres across the United States. Not only have the Chinese denied all these allegations as baseless, but have also refused to cooperate with the American investigations. The White House has recognised cyber security as linked to America’s economic prosperity national security, and individual liberties. Indeed the cyber space touches the American lives closely on a daily basis and to safeguard the security in this realm, the US has been evolving a policy to shape the future Cyber security regime. It starts from domestic ownership of critical infrastructure combined with an improved reporting of incident and response. Since the Cyber domain involves virtually all countries with no boundaries any cyber policy would only be effective if international partners are engaged effectively. Under this context the co-opting of China becomes really critical. The United States seeks to build a consensus based approach as far as implementing international cyber norms are concerned[13]. The American concern for the on growing Chinese Cyber warfare capabilities appears evident from the statement of a former US Defense Secretary; Leon Panetta two years ago have reiterated the need for both the countries to work together in the realm of cyber security as both of them have developed technological capabilities in this arena to a great extent. [14] Concluding Observations: China too has registered its presence as influential players in the international politics. Interestingly it has raised concerns in the US about its ramifications upon the American goal of sustaining its pre-eminence. Indeed China continues to ameliorate its presence in the strategic calculus of the US almost daily with the American strategic narrative painted with the shades of Sino-US Strategic partnership, competition, bilateral ties, cooperation etc. There are number of American experts such as Selig Harrison, Aron Friedberg, David Lampton etc who have predicted a rise of a peer competitor in Beijing especially bearing in mind the Chinese power influence in the Asian region. These experts have categorically highlighted the prospects of a regional threat to the US from China. The China watchers in the US; even after a decade have analysed that China would look outward as its foreign policy ambitions are as aggressive as the United States. [15] The US views on China could be assessed from various perspectives such as realist and liberal and each lens is likely to put forward a conflicting rudimentary divide between the two countries. This is clear from the analysis of former Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs; Aron Friedberd and even the greatest practitioner of diplomacy in America; Henry Kissinger himself. While Friedberg argues that both countries have locked themselves in an increasingly intense struggles for power and influence; Kissinger have put forward his advice to the US in dealing with China and have insisted that both sides should be open to convincing of each other’s activities as a normal part of international life. He further argued that, â€Å"the inevitable tendency to impinge on each other should not be equated with a conscious drive to contain or dominate†[16] The US-China interaction in international politics cover so many arenas that is has become rather tricky for scholars to identify one set of variable to describe the bilateral relations that both share. In the most recent times the labels for US-China relations have ranged from business-partnership, strategic partnership, strategic competitors and even Sino-US cold confrontation.[17] Finally, the graph of US- China relation s that started officially with the US Secretary’s ‘open door’ notes have fluctuated from being estranged countries to strategic partnership and today have become the one of the most significant bilateral relations defining the shape of the international politics. A saying about history suggests that it repeats itself. It is ironical that several decades ago the United States was driven to China for trade prospects so much so that; the Chinese silk, tea can be credited with bringing the first set of millionaires in America. The American fascination for the oriental products dates back to the year 1784 when a commercial (US flagged) vessel ‘Empress of China’[18] sailed the Chinese seas. It was the trade issues that normalised the US-China relation during the 1970’s. While the US cut the Chinese melon into sphere of influence for economic benefits, today it is the American markets flooded with Chinese goods . Moreover, it is the American ‘Apple’ that is now reverse engineered in China. The United States in the first part of its relationship with China dominated the terms but today China has turn the dynamic of relations into a partnership. It may not be incorrect to suggest that history indeed might be repeating itself in reverse. [1] Segal Gerald, (1999) â€Å"Tying China Into International System†, Survival, Vol.37, No 2, p .60 [2]â€Å"Chinas Exchange-Rate Policy: A Yuan-Sided Argument† 19 November 2009, The Economist, at http://www.economist.com/node/14921327 , accessed on 21 November 2014 [3] Mark Lynas, â€Å"How Do I Know China Wrecked The Copenhagen Deal? I Was In the Room†, The Guardian, December 22 2009 , at http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/dec/22/copenhagen-climate-change-mark-lynas, accessed on November 25, 2014 [4]Laura Barron-Lopez, November14 2014, â€Å" US Climate Envoy: China Deal Boosts Paris Talks, But Uncertainty Remains† The Hill, at http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/225206-us-climate-envoy-china-deal-boosted-paris-talks-but-uncertainty , accessed on 24 November 2014 [5] â€Å"Chinas Contributions To Nuclear Disarmament†, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Peoples Republic Of China, at http://www.china.org.cn/e-caijun/e-caijun1.htm, accessed on December 1, 2014 [6] Hans M. Kristensen and Robert S. Norris, (2013), â€Å"The Chinese Nuclear Forces†, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Vol. 69, No. 6, pp. 79-85 and Hans M. Kristensen and Robert S. Norris, (2014) â€Å" US Nuclear Forces, 2014, Bulletin of Atomic Scientist, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp.85-93 [7] John K. Warden, Elbridge Colby Abraham Denmark, (201p, â€Å" Nuclear Weapons and US-China Relations: A Way Forward† Report by PONI by a Working Group on US-China Nuclear Dynamics, Centre for Strategic and International Studies [8] John Kerry, 4 November 2014, Remarks on U.S.-China Relations, at http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2014/11/233705.htm, accessed on 23 November 2014 [9] Hina Pandey, (2011), â€Å" Recent Developments in the South China Sea: US China Confrontation†, World Focus ,pp. 261-268 [10] [11] Jamie Smyth, (2014), â€Å"US, Japan and Australia to Deepen Alliance† The Financial Times, at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3a34e028-6cb3-11e4-b125-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3KuFyTEkN, accessed on 3 December 2014 [12] E. Dilipraj, (2014), â€Å"Mapping the Cyber Dragon: China’s Conduct of Terror in the Cyber World†, Defence and Diplomacy, Vol.3, No.4, July- September, pp. 85-97. [13] Cybersecurity, 4 December 2014, at http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/cybersecurity , accessed on 4 December , 2014 [14]  David Alexander, (2012), â€Å"US- China Must Work to Avoid Cyber Conflict: Panetta†, Reuters, at http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/08/net-us-usa-china-defense-idUSBRE84700Q20120508 , accessed on 4 December 2014 [15] Selig Harrison, (2000), â€Å"China And The US in Asia: The Threat Perception in Asia† cited in â€Å" China’s Future: Constructive Partner or Emerging Threat† in Carpenter and James A. Don, CATO Institute, pp.109. and Robert Kaplan, (2010),â€Å"The Geography Of The Chinese Power: How Far Can Beijing Reach On Land And At Sea?† Foreign Affairs, May/June 2010 [16] Friedberg L. Aaron, â€Å"The Future of U.S. China Relations: Is conflict inevitable?† ,International Security, Vol. 30, No. 2, Fall 2005, pp7-45 and Henry A. Kissinger,(2012) â€Å"The Future of US-Chinese Relations: Conflict Is a Choice, Not a Necessity†, Foreign Affairs, Vol.91, No.2, p.44 [17] Chintamani Mahapatra (2014), â€Å"US-China Cold Confrontation: New Paradigm of Asian Security†, Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, at http://www.ipcs.org/article/us-south-asia/us-china-cold-confrontation-new-paradigm-of-asian-security-4333.html , accessed on 1 August 2014 [18] Song Yuwu (2009), Empress, â€Å"Encyclopedia of Sino-US Relations,† McFarland Co., p. 99.

Descartes Failure Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Descartes' Failure In his Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes strives first and foremost to provide an infallibly justified foundation for the empirical sciences, and second to prove the existence of God. I will focus on the first and second meditations in my attempt to show that, in his skepticism of the sources of knowledge, he fails to follow the rules he has set out in the Discourse on Method. First I claim that Descartes fails to draw the distinction between pure sensation and inference, which make up what he calls sensation, and then consider the consequences of this failure to follow his method. Second, I will show that in his treatment of thinking Descartes fails to distinguish between active and passive thinking. Although he succeeds in showing that he is aware of thinking (and therefore at least a passive thinker), from which it follows that he exists, it is possible that Descartes[1] is no more than a passive thinker. I claim that Descartes successfully shows that he exists, that â€Å"there is thinking going on,† and that thereby â€Å"there exists a thinking thing,† but Descartes’ ‘thinking’ may only be a passive awareness of thinking; he may be separate from the active thinker required by the fact that there is thinking-going-on.[2] I will argue that if this is the case, then Descartes doesn’t have free will. Without free will, Descartes can no longer prove the existence of God. As the foundation upon which he re-establishes his knowledge of the world depends on free will then, if my claim is true, Descartes does not succeed in finding a solid foundation for empirical knowledge, nor does he succeed in his secondary goal of proving the existenc e of God. I. Pure Sensation and Inference ... ...ur being active thinkers can be doubted, but only from a third person perspective, for doubting, itself presupposes active thinking. I have chosen to be charitable to Descartes, and allow him those acts, such as doubting, that could legitimately be performed from a third person perspective, so as to avoid undermining his entire account. [21] Descartes Selected Philosophical Writings Meditations on First Philosophy, p93 [22] ibid. p92 [23] Putnam, p7 [24] This sounds a lot like Berkeley’s suggestion that objects in the physical world continue to exist although we are not perceiving them because they are being perceived by God. [25] I will not discuss this claim further here, due to the length of this paper. [26] Descartes Selected Philosophical Writings Meditations on First Philosophy, p79 [27] ibid. p80

Desperate Air

What would I do if I was in George Nash’s position as Vice President of Real Estate at Desperate Air Corporation (a company in dire financial straits), and my pending sale of Florida property potentially had toxic waste buried beneath the surface. I found this to be the least challenging question posed thus far in terms of my own ethical beliefs. In this instance I would proceed with the sale without disclosing the information regarding what I had heard about the toxic waste. Clearly Florida law states that you do not have to disclose that there is a hazardous substance on commercial property as long as there is not a fraudulent statement about the property. Nash did his due diligence by hiring someone to do an environmental study. The company hired found nothing and a report was submitted to the buyers. Nash also consulted his attorney about what should be disclosed. Fledgling, the company purchasing the property, had the responsibility of performing their own due diligence. While a representative walked the property and found nothing, the article did not state whether or not Fledgling did a full environmental study as well. That should have been part of the purchaser’s process. If you purchase a home it is your responsibility to hire an impartial building inspector to look at your home and report on its condition. The Fledgling representative had the same responsibility to obtain an impartial environmental study. Had the representative done so, they probably would have discovered the toxic waste. It doesn’t matter that the DAC report did not include the disclosure. Unfortunately Fledglings representative was at fault here in my opinion. The fact that Nash prayed about the situation shows that he is not a cold hearted capitalist with only selfish motivations. Similarities between â€Å"Desperate Air† and the Seglin article are that two executives had to make choices that they believed would prevent their companies from potential financial ruin. Although I believe there are differences in the level of disclosure (I believe the CEO of the aircraft company had a financial responsibility to disclose his findings to the auditors), the process of deciding what to disclose is similar. Both parties consulted their attorneys whose guidance instructed them that they did not have to disclose the information. The motivating factor in both decisions was to protect the livelihood of their companies. The facts of the information that had been revealed to each company had not been proven. Had Nash followed the RDCAR process I believe the outcome of his decision may have been different. Nash did not go through the process of recognition. There was no survey of stakeholders. He did not even disclose the findings to his CEO. There was no chance to find out if withholding the toxicity information was something that would make other staff members uncomfortable. Nash did not engage in discovery. There was no attempt to build internal and external transparency. Fledgling did not have the opportunity to react to the information. There was a possibility that the sale would not have progressed if the information on toxic waste had been disclosed. It may have only delayed the sale, but there was no way to find that out. There was no cognition. No one in DAC management or any other DAC staff was presented with a â€Å"what would you do? scenario that would have spelled out company values. No policy or action was put into place to deal with the situation. The only action taken was that Nash consulted an attorney. Nash did reflect on the decision, but no one else in the company had the opportunity to do so. Due to the fact that there was no legal reason to disclose the information of toxic waste to Fledgling, and the fact that they failed to do their own due diligence, in this instance I would agree with Nash’s decision to proceed with the sale in order to help protect the financial position of DAC.

Digital Fortress Chapter 41

In a linen closet on the third floor of the Alfonso XIII, a maid lay unconscious on the floor. The man with wire-rim glasses was replacing a hotel master key in her pocket. He had not sensed her scream when he struck her, but he had no way of knowing for sure-he had been deaf since he was twelve. He reached to the battery pack on his belt with a certain kind of reverence; a gift from a client, the machine had given him new life. He could now receive his contracts anywhere in the world. All communications arrived instantaneously and untraceably. He was eager as he touched the switch. His glasses flickered to life. Once again his fingers carved into the empty air and began clicking together. As always, he had recorded the names of his victims-a simple matter of searching a wallet or purse. The contacts on his fingers connected, and the letters appeared in the lens of his glasses like ghosts in the air. SUBJECT: ROCIO EVA GRANADA-TERMINATED SUBJECT: HANS HUBER-TERMINATED Three stories below David Becker paid his tab and wandered across the lobby, his half-finished drink in hand. He headed toward the hotel's open terrace for some fresh air. In and out, he mused. Things hadn't panned out quite as he expected. He had a decision to make. Should he just give up and go back to the airport? A matter of national security. He swore under his breath. So why the hell had they sent a schoolteacher? Becker moved out of sight of the bartender and dumped the remaining drink in a potted jasmine. The vodka had made him light-headed. Cheapest drunk in history, Susan often called him. After refilling the heavy crystal glass from a water fountain, Becker took a long swallow. He stretched a few times trying to shake off the light haze that had settled over him. Then he set down his glass and walked across the lobby. As he passed the elevator, the doors slid opened. There was a man inside. All Becker saw were thick wire-rim glasses. The man raised a handkerchief to blow his nose. Becker smiled politely and moved on†¦ out into the stifling Sevillian night.

Free Essays on Julius Ceasar

Julius Caesar Julius Caesar was a strong leader for the Romans who changed the course of the history of the Greco - Roman world decisively and irreversibly. With his courage and strength he created a strong empire. What happened during his early political career? How did he become such a strong dictator of the Roman Empire? What events led up to the making of the first triumvirate? How did he rise over the other two in the triumvirate and why did he choose to take over? What happened during his reign as dictator of Rome? What events led up to the assassination of Caesar? What happened after he was killed? Caesar was a major part of the Roman Empire because of his strength and his strong war strategies. Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman whose dictatorship was pivotal in Rome’s transition from republic to empire. When he was young Caesar lived through one of the most horrifying decades in the history of the city of Rome. The city was assaulted twice and captured by Roman armies, first in 87 BC by the leaders of the populares, his uncle Marius and Cinna. Cinna was killed the year that Caesar had married Cinna’s daughter Cornelia. The second attack upon the city was carried our by Marius’ enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, in 82 BC on the latter’s return from the East. On each occasion the massacre of political opponents was followed by the confiscation of their property. The proscriptions of Sulla, which preceded the reactionary political legislation enacted during his dictatorship left a particularly bitter memory that long survived. Caesar left Rome for the province of Asia on the condition that he divorce his wife because Sulla would only allow him to leave on that condition. When he heard the news that Sulla had been killed he returned to Rome. He studied rhetoric under the distinguished teacher Molon. In the winter of 75-74 BC Caesar was captured by pirated and, while in their custody awaiting the arrival ... Free Essays on Julius Ceasar Free Essays on Julius Ceasar Julius Caesar Julius Caesar was a strong leader for the Romans who changed the course of the history of the Greco - Roman world decisively and irreversibly. With his courage and strength he created a strong empire. What happened during his early political career? How did he become such a strong dictator of the Roman Empire? What events led up to the making of the first triumvirate? How did he rise over the other two in the triumvirate and why did he choose to take over? What happened during his reign as dictator of Rome? What events led up to the assassination of Caesar? What happened after he was killed? Caesar was a major part of the Roman Empire because of his strength and his strong war strategies. Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman whose dictatorship was pivotal in Rome’s transition from republic to empire. When he was young Caesar lived through one of the most horrifying decades in the history of the city of Rome. The city was assaulted twice and captured by Roman armies, first in 87 BC by the leaders of the populares, his uncle Marius and Cinna. Cinna was killed the year that Caesar had married Cinna’s daughter Cornelia. The second attack upon the city was carried our by Marius’ enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, in 82 BC on the latter’s return from the East. On each occasion the massacre of political opponents was followed by the confiscation of their property. The proscriptions of Sulla, which preceded the reactionary political legislation enacted during his dictatorship left a particularly bitter memory that long survived. Caesar left Rome for the province of Asia on the condition that he divorce his wife because Sulla would only allow him to leave on that condition. When he heard the news that Sulla had been killed he returned to Rome. He studied rhetoric under the distinguished teacher Molon. In the winter of 75-74 BC Caesar was captured by pirated and, while in their custody awaiting the arrival ... Free Essays on Julius Ceasar Julius Caesar Julius Caesar was a strong leader for the Romans who changed the course of the history of the Greco - Roman world decisively and irreversibly. With his courage and strength he created a strong empire. What happened during his early political career? How did he become such a strong dictator of the Roman Empire? What events led up to the making of the first triumvirate? How did he rise over the other two in the triumvirate and why did he choose to take over? What happened during his reign as dictator of Rome? What events led up to the assassination of Caesar? What happened after he was killed? Caesar was a major part of the Roman Empire because of his strength and his strong war strategies. Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman whose dictatorship was pivotal in Rome’s transition from republic to empire. When he was young Caesar lived through one of the most horrifying decades in the history of the city of Rome. The city was assaulted twice and captured by Roman armies, first in 87 BC by the leaders of the populares, his uncle Marius and Cinna. Cinna was killed the year that Caesar had married Cinna’s daughter Cornelia. The second attack upon the city was carried our by Marius’ enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, in 82 BC on the latter’s return from the East. On each occasion the massacre of political opponents was followed by the confiscation of their property. The proscriptions of Sulla, which preceded the reactionary political legislation enacted during his dictatorship left a particularly bitter memory that long survived. Caesar left Rome for the province of Asia on the condition that he divorce his wife because Sulla would only allow him to leave on that condition. When he heard the news that Sulla had been killed he returned to Rome. He studied rhetoric under the distinguished teacher Molon. In the winter of 75-74 BC Caesar was captured by pirated and, while in their custody awaiting the arrival ...

Finance and Accounting Assignment The WritePass Journal

Finance and Accounting Assignment Part A: Finance and Accounting Assignment ). The theory of constraints emphasizes that in order to optimize short-term decision making, a firm’s managers should find bottlenecks or problems in the managerial or operation process and attempt to remove them in order to increase efficiency (Bierman Schmidt, 2012). (B) (i) A bottleneck resource is an asset which slows down the production process and causes other processes to slow down as well. It is also the machine which is using the most capacity (Mason, 2007). The bottleneck resource in the situation described in this case may be machine 1 as it requires the most machine hours per unit and also spends the most machine hours on product C. Product C has the least demand yet machine 1 spends the most time on producing it which may be a cause for it to be termed as a bottleneck resource. (ii) Each machine has a limited capacity of 12,000 hours out of which it must produce products A, B, and C. Machine 1 requires 0.15 hours to produce product A, 0.20 hours to produce product B, and 0.20 hours to produce product C. With a 12,000 hours capacity, the machine can produce 12,000/0.55=21,818 products. Machine 2 requires 0.10 hours for product A, 0.18 hours for product B, and 0.15 hours for product C. Accordingly, the machine can produce 12,000/0.43= 27, 906 products.   Machine 3 requires 0.10 hours for Product A, 0.15 hours for Product B, and 0.10 hours for Product C. Accordingly, the machine can produce 12,000/0.35=34,285 products. So all three machines combined can produce 84,009 units. Thus, the company should produce 34,000 units of product A, 25,009 units of product B, and 25,000 units of product C. This will ensure that the company meets the demand for these products and uses all the capacity of the machines. (C) The percentage of demand that Product A occupies is 25,000/70,000=0.35%. The percentage of demand that Product B occupies is 24,000/70,000=0.34% and the percentage of demand that Product C occupies is 21,000/70,000=0.30 %. The breakeven point for product A: (x) (25) = (15) +70,000 25x=85,000 X=3,400 The margin of safety is 34,000-3,400=30,600 units The breakeven point for Product B: (x) (28) =15+68,000 28x=83,000 X= 2,964 The margin of safety is 25,009-2,964= 22,045 units The breakeven point for Product C: x32= 15+60,000 32x=75,000 X=2,344 units The margin of safety is 25,000-2,344=22,656 units Thus, the optimal mix for each of the products is well above the breakeven point which means that using all three machines will enable the firm to produce efficiently and effectively. Part C: There are various investment appraisal methods which allow a firm to assess whether an investment is optimal and will produce the required returns or not. One of the popular investment appraisal methods includes the Net Present Value Method. According to the Net Present Value Method, the cash flows expected from an investment are discounted back to assess their present value. Usually, the investment with the higher Net Present Value is selected as the most worthy or optimal investment (Isaac, Leary, Daley, 2010). According to the Net Present Value Method, Project B is most appropriate for Blue Plc as it has a higher Net Present Value than Project A which amounts to  £36 million. There are advantages and disadvantages involved in using the Net Present Value Method which include the fact that the Net Present Value method accounts for the time value of money and measures the effects of inflation and other similar factors which may affect the value of the cash flows that the business is likely to generate in the future.   Another advantage is that the cash flow before the beginning of the project and after the end of the project is considered in calculating the value of the Net Present Value. Measures such as the profitability of the projects and the risk involved in the project are both given high priority in the calculation of Net Present Value. Moreover, using this measure helps maximize a firm’s value (Isaac, Leary, Daley, 2010). There are also certain disadvantages of using the Net Present Value method, which include the fact that it is difficult to use and that the net present value cannot give an accurate assessment of which project would be a better investment if the projects are mutually exclusive or if they are not of equal value. Moreover, calculating the appropriate discount rate is rather difficult and may not be accurate. The discount rate is usually estimated which may mean that it may vary in actual terms. The Net Present Value may not give an accurate decision if the projects are of unequal duration and can thus not be used in all situations (Reilly Brown, 2011). However, in the case of Blue Plc, both projects A B are of equal duration measuring four years and both require an initial investment of  £20 million. Thus, in this case using the Net Present Value Method may be appropriate as both projects are of the same duration and require equal investment and the same cost of capital. The other investment appraisal method that can be used to assess the feasibility of investments is the payback period. As Project A and Project B are both of the same duration and both require four years for execution, the payback period for Project A is 4.5 years, which is longer than its execution. Comparatively, the payback period for Project B is 3.6 years, which is less than that required for the execution of the project and is less than that required in Project A.   Therefore, according to the payback period method, Project B is the optimal investment as it has a lower payback period. The advantage of using the payback period method is that it is simple to use and understand. This method enables a company to identify the project with the quickest return on investment, especially in the case when the company has limited cash and can only invest in a project which allows it to regain its money back as fast as possible. This is the case with Blue Plc as the company can only invest in one project and would require its money back as fast as possible (Bierman Schmidt, 2012). However, one of the problems with the use of the payback period method is that it completely ignores the time value of money and does not consider or evaluate the fact that cash flows may not be regular and may occur later on in the process of the project. There may also be some projects which have an acceptable rate of return but still do not meet the requirements for the payback period. This method also does not consider any cash flows that a project would generate after the initial investment has been recovered. Thus, it does not accurately give an assessment of the profitability of a project but only evaluates how long it will take to recover the initial investment of a project. Using this method may mean a company overlook many attractive projects only because the company is focusing upon short-term profitability alone (Bierman Schmidt, 2012). According to Blue Plc’s case, the payback period is lower which means that it is a feasible project with a higher rate of return. However, we must ideally combine this analysis with the analysis of other factors such as the Net Present Value to determine whether this project is the most optimum investment or not. Accordingly, the better investment appraisal method is using the Net Present Value method as it accounts for the time value of money and also measures subsequent cash flows that a project generates after the initial amount has been recovered. The payback period is simple but does not provide a fully accurate picture. Moreover, in the case of Blue Plc when the cost of capital, duration of the project, and the initial investment required in the project are the same for both projects, the Net Present Value is the most appropriate investment appraisal method to use in evaluating the feasibility of both projects (Kim, Shim, Reinschmidt, 2013). However, using either method has generated the same result as Project B seems to be the optimal choice regardless of whether the payback period is used as the investment appraisal method or whether the payback period is used as the investment appraisal method.   Part D: (A)There are various sources of finance that can be used by a business in order to finance its operations. However, the use of these sources of finance also involves various advantages and disadvantages. A privately owned business can use the owner’s savings and personal assets to finance business expansion or to finance the start of a business (Beck Demirgue-Kunt,2006). The advantages of using this source of finance are that the owner does not have to pay any interest or share any of the profits with investors or others as he/she is using their own money in the business venture. There are also no acquisition costs and no major hassle in raising or using this source of finance. However, there is also risk involved for the owner in using his/her own personal savings which includes the fact that he/she may lose all of this money if the business goes into a loss (Berger Udell, 1998). Another source of finance for a business is allowing investors to invest in the business. In the case of a sole trader or a private limited company, the owners can allow partners to join in the investment or can turn the company into a public limited company.In the case of a public limited company, the owners can sell shares on the stock exchange in order to gain more finance. However, this will also mean that the owners of the company will lose a substantial amount of control in the company once investors are allowed to invest in the company.   They will also be required to keep their investors happy and this can be a tiresome and pressurizing ordeal also resulting in conflicts. Profits will also have to be divided with the investors, meaning that the owners cannot keep all of the profits to themselves. On the other hand, the owners of the business will also be able to share the risk with other investors and will not be solely liable for all of the business losses (Mason, 2007). Another major source of business finance is bank loans. They can provide a quick and reliable source of funding which also enables businesses to keep their persona operating cash to themselves for emergency situations. A business may also be exempted from paying back their loan in full if they file for bankruptcy and provided that they do not have the required amount. However, in order to obtain a bank loan, a business may have to provide collateral which may be a hassle or it may be difficult for a firm to obtain a loan if they do not have the required collateral. Interest payments will also have to be made on the loan which will mean that the business has to return more than they actually borrowed. Payments on the loan will also be due at specific times regardless of whether the business is doing well or whether it is not doing well (Beck Demirgue-Kunt, 2006). Another source of finance for businesses is government grants and loans. Some governments provide start-up and expansion programs to facilitate their business sector and these can prove to be a highly valuable opportunity for businesses to receive free finance. The interest rates on these loans are also much lower than the rates on other loans and are usually provided without collateral. However, the problem with obtaining government loans and grants is that there is usually a lot of red tape that has to be surpassed before the loan can be granted and thus it is not available to all businesses. The loan or grant is still a loan or grant and eventually has to be repaid (Berger Udell, 1998). (B)   Break-even analysis uses a firm’s selling price of products against a firm’s fixed and variable costs in order to determine the quantity of products that a firm needs to sell in order to recover the costs it has incurred to produce those products. There are certain assumptions that the break-even analysis makes in order to calculate this quantity. First of all, the break-even analysis assumes that all costs can be categorized as either fixed costs or variable costs. However, on a practical basis, it is nearly impossible to accurately classify costs into these categories because some costs have both a variable and fixed proportion. Another assumption is that fixed costs remain constant at any level of activity, even when there is no production. However, this may also not pose a highly accurate picture and may not be able to accurately depict the true nature of fixed costs as some fixed costs may begin to vary with differing levels of output (Al-Habeeb, 2012). The break-even analysis also assumes that the unit selling price will remain constant. However, in the contemporary business environment, this is not practical as the unit selling price may vary with differing consumer tastes and purchasing habits. As competition increases, firms may be constantly changing their unit selling price which then makes the break-even analysis void and inaccurate. The breakeven analysis also keeps inventory levels, the design of the product, efficiency and productivity levels, and variable costs constant (Tsorokidis et al, 2011). The contemporary business environment involves high rates of competition, innovation, and varying productivity and efficiency levels. Moreover, other business problems and issues may also affect the rate of sales and the level of costs at various times in the production and selling process. Thus, in such cases, the break-even analysis is a highly limited model in assessing the number of units needed for sales to break-even (Berger Black, 2011). On the other hand, the break-even analysis is a simplistic model which can at least give a business a rough idea regarding how many units it needs to sell in order to recover its costs. It can be used in cases where selling prices and costs remain constant and perhaps in businesses where it is easy to categorize these costs into the separate categories of fixed and variable costs. Businesses should not completely rely upon the break-even analysis and may have to use other more thorough accounting methods in order to determine the optimum quantity to sell which would enable them to achieve a profit (Berger Black, 2011). Accounting and forecasting models are usually based upon assumptions and none of them exist without disadvantages. Thus, it is essential for a business to use all of these models with caution and only use them as a guideline in order to calculate various results for their business.   References Alhabeeb, M. J. (2012). â€Å"Break†Even Analysis.†Ã‚  Mathematical Finance. pp.247-273. Beck, T., Demirguc-Kunt, A. (2006). â€Å"Small and medium-size enterprises: Access to finance as a growth constraint.†Ã‚  Journal of Banking Finance, Vol.30(11) pp.2931-2943. Berger, A. N., Black, L. K. (2011). â€Å"Bank size, lending technologies, and small business finance.†Ã‚  Journal of Banking Finance. Vol.35(3) pp.724-735. Bierman Jr, H., Smidt, S. (2012).  The capital budgeting decision: economic analysis of investment projects. Routledge. Isaac, D., OLeary, J., Daley, M. (2010).  Property development: appraisal and finance. Palgrave Macmillan. Kim, B. C., Shim, E., Reinschmidt, K. F. (2013). Probability Distribution of the Project Payback Period Using the Equivalent Cash Flow Decomposition. The Engineering Economist. Vol.58(2), 112-136. Liesen, A., Figge, F., Hahn, T. (2013). â€Å"Net Present Sustainable Value: A New Approach to Sustainable Investment Appraisal.†Ã‚  Strategic Change. Vol.22 (3†4) pp.175-189. Mason, C. M. (2007). â€Å"Informal sources of venture finance.†   The life cycle of entrepreneurial ventures  .pp. 259-299. Springer US. Berger, N. Udell, G. (1998). â€Å"The economics of small business finance: The roles of private equity and debt markets in the financial growth cycle.† Journal of Banking Finance. Vol.22 (6), pp.613-673. Reilly, F. K., Brown, K. C. (2011).  Investment analysis and portfolio management. CengageBrain. com. Tsorakidis, N., Papadoulos, S., Zerres, M., Zerres, C. (2011).  Break-Even Analysis. Bookboon.

7 Essential Checks to Make Before Ditching Your Old Phone

7 Essential Checks to Make Before Ditching Your Old Phone It’s the season for the giving and receiving of gifts, and whether someone else has generously bought you a smartphone or you’ve decided to treat yourself, it’s time to bid farewell to your old handset and face the future with your new one. But wait—we’ve got a few checks you need to make first. we’re not going to cover the entire procedure of exchanging telephones here, and fortunately it’s a considerable measure less demanding than it used to be because of the reinforcement includes now incorporated with Android and iOS, and applications, for example, Google Photos. Rather we will hail seven things you won’t not have acknowledged you have to consider. Your two-factor codes Two-factor verification is a standout amongst the most essential and viable safety efforts you can set up on your different records, yet it means you’re depending on your telephone to produce codes to sign in to applications, for example, Gmail on new gadgets. Now and then codes get sent by means of SMS and here and there you require a validation application, yet in either case, ensure you’re not depending on your old telephone when you dispose of it. On account of SMS that implies swapping your SIM card or refreshing your portable number in your different record pages. For code-creating applications, check the directions inside the application and inside your records for points of interest of how to get everything moved to another telephone. Your chat histories With such a large number of moment emissaries doing the rounds now, it can be anything but difficult to neglect to take the majority of your discussions with you when you switch telephones (in the event that you need to that is—perhaps you’d rather begin with a fresh start). For some applications, as Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct, everything basically returns when you sign into the significant application on your new telephone. For different applications, it’s not all that direct, so it’s worth twofold checking. In WhatsApp, for instance, you have to go to Chats and Chat reinforcement from the Settings passage in the application menu. Instant messages can be somewhat baffling to spare and reestablish. On iOS, They’re incorporated into the iCloud or iTunes reinforcement you should’ve set up; on Android, pretty much the best application we’ve found for the activity is SMS Backup+. In case you’re exchanging amongst Androi d and iOS, you can trade your writings to protect them for descendants, yet you there’s no real way to stack them move down on your new telephone. Your browser data You probably don’t give much thought to the stuff you’ve been doing in your browser on your smartphone—your new phone will come with one preinstalled, and installing third-party ones is straightforward—but you might just want to double-check that you are taking with you everything you need. For Android that includes files you might have downloaded to your device, which you can look up by loading up the Settings app then tapping Storage, Files, and Download(or by using the third-party file manager of your choice). Browsers on iOS can’t directly download files (except photos) to storage, so there’s nothing to worry about there. Make sure your browser is syncing all your data like passwords and browsing history too, if you want to bring this all up on your new phone: On Google Chrome find the Settings entry in the menu then tap your Google account at the top. On Firefox for mobile, again the sync and sign-in option is the top one on the Settings screen. Your local files Such an extensive amount our stuff sits in the cloud now thus numerous applications pull all that they require from the web that it’s anything but difficult to disregard the documents that may get left behind. Luckily both Android and iOS now incorporate restricted document chiefs of their own, however there’s no simple approach to check You’ve found everything before you wipe your telephone. On iOS, just tap the Files application, and on Android, go to Storage at that point Files from the Settings application. Search for envelopes made by applications that may not really be incorporated into reinforcements: Think about podcasts, for instance, or information spared by your wellness or rest following applications on your telephone. Photographs and recordings were presumably first at the forefront of your thoughts for what to exchange over to your new gadget, however is your photograph and video reinforcement device of decision finding everything? Consider screensh ots (on the off chance that you need them) and pictures sent to your moment errand person applications (on the off chance that you need them). Your gaming high scores With any favorable luck, the diversions you’re playing will shield your high scores and bring them back when you sign into similar applications on your new device, however this isn’t by and large the case, especially for entertainments that don’t use the structures gave by Apple and Google. All that you can really do in this condition is check with the fashioner or the diversion’s assistance pages to see what the situation is, and charge or extra your present progress and high scores if you need to. Again, you might be in a tight spot in the event that you’re trading among iOS and Android, and will probably need to buy the preoccupation again also, if it’s not free. A program like iExplorer ($39.99 for Mac or PC) or Helium (free for Android) may have the ability to help anyway it depends upon how the entertainment has been set up and how open its records are. The redirection planner may moreover have the ability to give you more information. Your registered devices Some applications, as Spotify and Google Play Music, put a farthest point on the quantity of gadgets you can use without a moment’s delay, or if nothing else download disconnected substance to on the double. Gone through the applications on your old telephone and check whether this could apply to anything you have. More often than not deactivating your old gadget won’t expect you to really have the gadget with you, however it’s smarter to be protected than too bad. In the event that you can sign out and uninstall the application at that point do as such. Truth be told, experiencing your applications one by one and uninstalling them is a decent method for checking you haven’t missed anything. Apple additionally prescribes you deregister iMessage in case you’re moving to an Android telephone to ensure you can get SMS and MMS messages on your new gadget. You would now be able to do this without your unique iPhone, yet the deactivation may be postponed. Your smart home controllers In case you’re utilizing your current telephone to deal with your shrewd home then you need to ensure control has been effectively exchanged to your new telephone before you discard your old one, else you could have your savvy lights driving you on a cheerful move each night with no real way to turn them off. Luckily, equipment creators realize that individuals change telephones every once in a while, and for the most part make the procedure entirely effortless, particularly in case you’re dealing with your gadgets through HomeKit or the Google Home application. Be that as it may, it’s as yet worth ensuring the pertinent applications are up and running on your new telephone while despite everything you approach similar settings on the old one. In case you’re confounded or something doesn’t exchange over appropriately, your best port of call is the producer

Front Line Innovations, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Front Line Innovations, Inc - Essay Example Front Line Innovations, Inc. (FLII) provides professional management and alternative and cost effective marketing concepts, programs, and systems requirements that address concerns on customer retention, operational solutions, increased sales productivity, and increase quality of services. Incorporated in 1999, FLII combines the managerial expertise and resources of its proprietors to produce a marketing and management company and an IT company as well that would set the trend in management consultancy and alternative marketing in the industry. Investments in additional capital expenditures and manpower are put up by the shareholders as required on a per project basis. Resource tie-ups such as that with Goldplus, Converge Systems Inc., and Smart Card Solutions Inc. provide the base requirements for one of FLII's major applications involving card-based programs such as co-branded credit cards and loyalty programs. Likewise, this allows FLII to structure marketing incentive programs 'tailor-fit' for its clients. The office software set-up as well the customized software systems required for clients have been developed by FLII's technical group. FLII's current manpower complement is composed of 30 sales and marketing, processing, encoding and admininstration personnel. Industry Background Smart Cards Though a relatively new technology, smart cards have become an increasingly popular solution around the globe. A smart card is a tiny integrated-circuit chip embedded in a credit card-sized piece of plastic. The chip is what makes the card "smart" as it allows a lot more information to be stored and carried in the card compared to the standard magnetic-stripe card (Verifone, 1996). Smart cards have been used to solve a variety of problems ranging from serving as a platform for frequent-shopper electronic loyalty programs, to providing a highly secure and convenient automated currency option, to enabling cost-effective healthcare and entitlement programs. Electronic Loyalty Programs With the intense competition that characterizes retailing worldwide, forward-looking retailers have been turning to card-based electronic loyalty programs to attract new customers and retain their current customer base. Smart cards have the opportunity to play a major role in electronic loyalty programs. Electronic loyalty programs use a retailer's POS system to track purchases made with credit, debit, smart cards or a retailer's proprietary card. Consumers can be rewarded for their continued patronage with discounts, free items, bonus points or other incentives. Experience has shown that such programs encourage repeat business and boost sales for the merchant (Verifone, 1996). The primary business of FLII is developing a loyalty program system integrator to enable the smart card to work with a retailer's POS or any other tracking system. With the system, they are able to capture customer information from pre to post sales operations. Thus, FLII's core value lies on its ability to develop this type of proprietary software which is tailored to the

As the population continues to grow the carrying capacity is reaching Research Paper

As the population continues to grow the carrying capacity is reaching unsustainble levels. Discuss the negative short and long t - Research Paper Example The rapid population growth in the U.S. has ultimately led to unsustainable levels of population (National Audubon Society, 2013). With the increase in population, the carrying capacity has reached unsustainable levels and is likely to cause immense negative consequences in the United States. This paper will discuss the negative long term and short term effects of unsustainable population growth in the United States. The negative short and long term impacts of an unsustainable population (in the US) The unsustainable level of population has both short term and long term negative effects. With the increase in population, the diminishing carrying capacity of the United States will affect the country, in the long term and short term. One short term effect of unsustainable population is that it will lead to poor economic growth. High population growth will hinder the economic growth of the United States. This is because the available resources are not likely to sustain the population. Th e government will have to deal with challenges regarding equal distribution of resources in the entire country. The rate of economic growth has to be high in order to sustain the population and ensure that all people have access to basic services. However, this will be in the short term since in the long run the government will come up with measures to ensure that the available resources are equally distributed throughout the country (National Audubon Society, 2013). Another negative impact of high population growth in the short term is that the U.S. government will be faced by the challenge of providing amenities. High population may exceed the number of facilities, which the government has set aside for the provision of basic amenities. High population also means that the number of facilities have to be increased. The burden to increase the facilities lies on the government. The provision of some services such as healthcare, education, as well as sanitation services largely depend s on the population. When the population is high, it becomes challenging to provide quality services to all people. Consequently, the quality of services provided may be poor because the human resources needed to provide such services may not match the needs of the entire population. This may hinder people’s access to some crucial services such as healthcare. Education may also be compromised since the teacher to student ration will be lower. As a result, the quality of U.S. education may become poor before the government rectifies the situation by employing more teachers. There will also be a shortage of some amenities such as water due to high population growth. This emanates from the fact that water sources can be depleted by high population. Scarcity of water will also emanate from the destruction of water sources due to human activity (Robertson, 2012). The other negative short term impact of high population growth is that the unsustainable population may lead to rural-u rban migration. This is also precipitated by the aspect of urbanisation, which motivates people to move to urban centres in search of jobs. As a result, the population of the rural areas will decrease while the urban population will undergo a dramatic increase. The overall impact is that there will be insecurity in urban centres due to the high population of unemployed youths. High population

Compare and contrast Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories of the Essay - 1

Compare and contrast Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories of the competitive process - Essay Example By removing barriers to trade, globalization aims to make business people in developed countries able to maximize cheaper human and non-human resources in developing countries. As a result of globalization, the modern business society changes in such a way that it establishes new business conditions and challenges in exchange of the previous ones. In general, the presence of market failure could adversely affect the socio-economic well-being of each individual. To avoid going through the socio-economic consequences associated with market failure, professional economists are continuously searching for effective economic strategy that could minimize the risk of developing a market failure. Competitive process is an integral part of economics. In line with this, the act of stabilizing an unstable economic condition is possible through the use of micro- and macro-economic policies. In relation to the importance of analyzing competition in the market, this study will compare and contrast the Austrian and post-Keynesian theories of competitive process. Upon reflecting the current market competition as a result of globalization, the advantages and disadvantages of the Austrian and post-Keynesian theories of competitive process will be tackled in details as part of the study conclusion. Both the post-Keynesian and Austrian economics have some argument or complaints with regards to the economic ideas presented by the neoclassical economic theories (Kirzner, 1997; Boettke, 1994, p. 220). In line with this, the post-Keynesians theory of competitive process does not accept the idea of neoclassical’s general equilibrium. It means that general equilibrium is not possible due to the fact that the market changes constantly and is often uncertain because of a lot of internal and external business factors (Brothwell, 1992, p. 193). Similar to the stand of post-Keynesian with regards to the theory of equilibrium as proposed by the neoclassical theory particularly with

LOGISTIC MANAGEMENT 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

LOGISTIC MANAGEMENT 3 - Essay Example Firstly, companies examine the flow of value throughout the production down to the customer. Then they classify the processes that need improvement by using nonperforming functional metrics. Additionally, they use other elements of the model like the fishbone structure to explain the cause and influence of the people, resources, systems, equipments and the environment on the improvement of their products and services (Cole, 2011). With this knowledge, companies hence focus on costs reduction by optimizing their processes while controlling the production inputs to eliminate defects. Additionally, they focus on error reduction by strengthening and automating procedures for completing the production. Lastly, management of the model entails frequent inspections and auditing to ensure that the scheme maintains high performances (Cole, 2011). JIT concept facilitates the LSS management scheme by helping the company minimize their in-process inventories. JIT provides a cycle of signals, which informs the production line hence the system is able to identify the appropriate time of initiating each specific stage of production (Cole, 2011). The model uses ordinary indicators mainly the visual signals like the deficiency or presence of a piece that is essential for the production

Language Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Language Acquisition - Essay Example From the essay it is clear that infants have an innate capacity to learn the grammar of a specific language as all intelligible languages are based on grammatical rules that are common and corresponds to the ability of the human brain. The stages of acquisition of the native language are measured by originality and increasing complexity of children utterance. At first, infants overgeneralize grammatical rules. For example, they may say â€Å"goed† trying to mean went, a form infants are unlikely to have perceived, suggesting that they have deduced or intuited complex grammatical rules and failed to apprehend exceptions that cannot be anticipated from a grammatical knowledge. According to the study findings an applied linguist studies acquisition of foreign or second language. Learning a second or foreign language involves passing through some stages. These include the overgeneralization stage similar to infants learning their mother language. According to researcher Haynes, learning the second language involves passing through some stages such as early production, preproduction, speech emergence, advanced fluency and intermediate fluency. About preproduction stage, learners are yet to converse with their second language. In the second stage, learners speak in short phrases. In the emergence speech stage, learners increase their vocabulary and can converse with simple phrases or questions.

Compare and contrast Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories of the Essay - 1

Compare and contrast Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories of the competitive process - Essay Example By removing barriers to trade, globalization aims to make business people in developed countries able to maximize cheaper human and non-human resources in developing countries. As a result of globalization, the modern business society changes in such a way that it establishes new business conditions and challenges in exchange of the previous ones. In general, the presence of market failure could adversely affect the socio-economic well-being of each individual. To avoid going through the socio-economic consequences associated with market failure, professional economists are continuously searching for effective economic strategy that could minimize the risk of developing a market failure. Competitive process is an integral part of economics. In line with this, the act of stabilizing an unstable economic condition is possible through the use of micro- and macro-economic policies. In relation to the importance of analyzing competition in the market, this study will compare and contrast the Austrian and post-Keynesian theories of competitive process. Upon reflecting the current market competition as a result of globalization, the advantages and disadvantages of the Austrian and post-Keynesian theories of competitive process will be tackled in details as part of the study conclusion. Both the post-Keynesian and Austrian economics have some argument or complaints with regards to the economic ideas presented by the neoclassical economic theories (Kirzner, 1997; Boettke, 1994, p. 220). In line with this, the post-Keynesians theory of competitive process does not accept the idea of neoclassical’s general equilibrium. It means that general equilibrium is not possible due to the fact that the market changes constantly and is often uncertain because of a lot of internal and external business factors (Brothwell, 1992, p. 193). Similar to the stand of post-Keynesian with regards to the theory of equilibrium as proposed by the neoclassical theory particularly with

Language Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Language Acquisition - Essay Example From the essay it is clear that infants have an innate capacity to learn the grammar of a specific language as all intelligible languages are based on grammatical rules that are common and corresponds to the ability of the human brain. The stages of acquisition of the native language are measured by originality and increasing complexity of children utterance. At first, infants overgeneralize grammatical rules. For example, they may say â€Å"goed† trying to mean went, a form infants are unlikely to have perceived, suggesting that they have deduced or intuited complex grammatical rules and failed to apprehend exceptions that cannot be anticipated from a grammatical knowledge. According to the study findings an applied linguist studies acquisition of foreign or second language. Learning a second or foreign language involves passing through some stages. These include the overgeneralization stage similar to infants learning their mother language. According to researcher Haynes, learning the second language involves passing through some stages such as early production, preproduction, speech emergence, advanced fluency and intermediate fluency. About preproduction stage, learners are yet to converse with their second language. In the second stage, learners speak in short phrases. In the emergence speech stage, learners increase their vocabulary and can converse with simple phrases or questions.

The Purpose of School Essay Example for Free

The Purpose of School Essay In my opinion, the purpose of school is to educate, not teach, students in certain areas of knowledge chosen by those of the Board of Education in order to create ‘functioning’ members of ‘normal’ society. The difference between to educate and to teach is how the knowledge is presented. To educate is ‘to bring up (a child, physically or mentally), rear, nourish, support, or produce (plants or animals’ basically to use verbal methods such as lectures in a class setting, or praise for young child to create a specific skill set embedded in a person, be it information or behavior patterns. To teach is ‘to show, declare, demonstrate; teach, instruct, train; assign, prescribe, direct’ basically to use physical means to create an understanding of how something is performed. A common example of the two would be university and college. University is known for its textbooks and very written/audible learning styles whereas college is known as being more hands on. An even more common example would be a child’s journey to come to understand to stay away from a hot stove. A parent could verbally warn them of the dangers, but only once the child has learned through physical interaction does the warning remain in his mind. With these definitions, the title ‘teacher’ is misleading because those at the front of the room are not using methods to involve the students in learning, they are simply showing a PowerPoint and having the students write it in their note book; ‘Educator’ would be a more appropriate term to define those who are hired to only relay thoughtless knowledge because unless there is a physical aspect, it is harder to learn. One example would be sports. Watching Gretzky play hockey day in and day out does not mean that you will be able to skate like him if you have never skated before. Only by training your muscles and learning by acting will anyone begin to skate like a professional. Another example would be learning to play an instrument or learning to speak a language. Simply watching videos or taking notes on other peoples learning does not constitute you learning those skills because there are no sensory attachments. In History class, what is stopping a teacher from throwing out the PowerPoint’s, and having students act out a revolutionary battle? Old videos with droning old voices are not involving students in what the video is presenting. Naming their classmates after leaders of opposing sides, and acting out the battle would be both interactive, and create a better visual for what really happened during that battle. These tactics are not available to the students because ‘teachers’ do not make them available. Field trips, science experiments and interactive group projects are some examples of potential teaching strategies that are used sparingly. My own science teacher set the ceiling on fire during an experiment and we had to evacuate the room. While we all had a good laugh, we all remembered for a long time what chemicals not to mix if we did not want to scorch our ceilings. Out of three and a half years of schooling, not much will be retained over the long periods of time, let alone the 5 months to exams. What is remembered is the centrifugal force explained while on a trip to Canada’s Wonderland, and experiencing it on a roller coaster. Field trips are memorable and educational, and they teach students what educators cannot. Experience has always been an advantage of human nature and will always be a part of human nature. Sitting in a desk writing words not our own is not how we as people are supposed to learn. In the past, apprenticeships were how people learned, by physically performing the task over and over, allowing not only the brain to learn, but the muscles. By testing students on their ability to learn the same way as everyone else takes away the freedom and excitement of knowledge, transforming what could have been an eager mind starving for knowledge, into a box filled with what a group of individuals determined the majority of people should know. In my opinion, school is not a place for learning; it is a place for education. School is a confined space in which students are expected to conform to one set standards. The school building is a house that its residents despise, yet continue to walk the narrow hallways like mice in a cheese maze while others ‘guide’ us to where we should end up.

Nipah Virus and the Potential for Bioterrorism

Nipah Virus and the Potential for Bioterrorism Nipah Virus and the Potential for Bioterrorism Introduction Bioterrorism is considered to be one of the most talked about issues with regard to national security since the inception of the new millennium. On September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorism struck the United States with the crashing and attempted crashing of airplanes into significant economic and political buildings. This act of terror was a significant beginning to fears of what was next from terrorist groups. Even though this was not the first, and definitely not the last, terrorist threat or attempt it was definitely the most profound and unquestionably caused fear, panic and social disruption much less economic issues globally. Within days of the 9/11 attacks the awareness of American vulnerability became more evident with the media publicity of the Anthrax scares. This brought about international concerns with bioterrorism as envelopes that were filled with anthrax spores were sent to political and media sources throughout the United States and twenty-two people were infected and five deaths occurred (Ryan Glarum, 2008). Nipah is just one of many viruses that are available to terrorist groups for development as a bioweapon. In 1999 this virus was first found and noted to be very easily disseminated to humans through inhalation and ingestion. Even though there are many potential pathogens available, the Nipah virus has proven itself to be one of the most dangerous and advantageous . As the Nipah virus progressed there was fear noted by workers, families and healthcare providers in southern Asia. With a mortality rate of 40% to 100% (Lam, 2002; World Health Organization [WHO], 2009) in infected areas, and an economic impact that cost several millions to Malaysias economy, this virus has potential for significant bioterrorism. Natural History The Nipah Virus (NiV), family paramyxoviridae, was first recognized in Malaysia, South Asia in late 1998 into Spring 1999. This disease was recognized when an outbreak of sickness and death occurred among pig farmers, it infected 265 people, with 105 deaths, a mortality rate of approximately 40% (Lam, 2002). This virus was new to the scientific community and first thought to be Japanese Encephalitis (JE) which had occurred in approximately the same location years earlier. JE was also noted to infect people that were around domesticated pigs, just like the currently identified Nipah Virus (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2001). The Nipah virus was found to also have similar symptoms as those of the Hendra Virus which caused respiratory disease and encephalitis in Australia in 1994 (Fraser, 2009). The Nipah virus is considered by the CDC as a newly emerging pathogen that could be engineered for mass dissemination (Ryan Glarum, 2008; Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], n.d.). Since the onset of the Nipah virus in 1999, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been twelve significant outbreaks since the initial, with 202 persons infected and a loss of life of 146 individuals, mortality of over 72%. Two of these outbreaks, one in India in 2007 and one in Bangladesh in 2008 had mortality rates of 100%, showing the devastating effects of this virus (WHO, 2009). The initial investigation of the Nipah virus found that abattoir workers who dealt with pigs daily and those that were exposed through farming and transporting pigs were getting ill. As the investigation continued it found that the pigs were infecting the workers (zoonotic disease). After discovery, subsequently over 1.1 million pigs were disposed of to quell the transmission of the virus. This destruction of pigs was significantly devastating to the economy of Malaysia noting an estimated loss of $217 million dollars (Ryan Glarum, 2008, p. 104). Virus Transference The Nipah virus host was found to be pteropid bats (flying foxes), located in Australia and the southern areas of Asia. During expansion of farms toward the rainforests and the destruction of the rainforest for manufacturing and industry, many animals including bats had to relocate to survive. Many pig farmers in Malaysia also had large fruit orchards situated next to the pig enclosures, as growth of pig farming continued and the loss of habitat for bats persisted to change bats started to forage the nearby orchards for food. As this progression continued there was an increased chance of disease contamination to domestic animals from wildlife, and as such a significant increase in contact between pigs and bats. Therefore, greater opportunity for transmission of the Nipah virus (â€Å"Dr. Jonathan Epstein Returnsâ€Å", 2005). As the Nipah virus was investigated it was believed to have been transmitted to pigs from bats through the saliva, urine and feces of the bats which feed and nest in local orchards (â€Å"Dr. Jonathan Epstein Returnsâ€Å", 2005), near pig pens. This potential transmission probably occurred when bat secretions fell into the pig pens and were ingested by these domesticated animals. The initial human virus outbreak in Malaysia and Singapore was believed to have been from direct contact with sick pigs or their meat products, and possibly could have come from the consumption of contaminated fruit or juices from the orchards. As the virus progressed and research was done there was an established link noting person-to-person contamination through close contact (World Health Organization [WHO], 2009) Physiology of Exposure The Nipah virus seems to have many different clinical manifestations in individual animals and humans. There is a broad range of clinic signs that can point to virus infection that cause researchers and healthcare providers to not recognize patterns of initial infection, therefore not recognizing potential disease outbreaks. According to the WHO (2009), the incubation period (interval from infection to onset of symptoms) varies from four to 45 days. This significant range makes it incredibly hard to follow the virus between initial exposure and medical treatment. Recognizing that the person is showing signs of a virus, and narrowing down the specific virus, then treating it appropriately for an individual is a challenge but feasible. But with such a wide incubation period there is a possibility that viable information could be lost or not noticed. The physiological symptoms of this virus in humans is characterized by non-specific signs and symptoms to include severe headache, fever, vomiting, myalgia (muscular pain) disorientation, respiratory diseases, neurological deficits and encephalitis and in many cases may cause coma or death (Center for Infectious Disease Research Policy [CIDRAP], 2009). In pigs there is characterization of signs and symptoms depending on the age of the animal. The basic signs noted are fever, shortness of breath, muscle twitching, trembling, rear leg weakness, severe coughing, open-mouth breathing, abnormal posturing and convulsions (CIDRAP, 2009). After initial exposure and treatment follow-up research was done and in this study it was noted that there were relapses in clinic symptoms to include encephalitis up to twenty-two months later, without re-exposure. The research and that an estimated 160 patients who recovered from acute encephalitis and 89 patients who experienced asymptomatic infection received follow-up care for ‘late-onset encephalitis (neurological manifestations occurring for the first time at ten or more weeks after initial infection) or ‘relapsed encephalitis (neurological manifestations after recovery from acute encephalitis) (Halpin Mungall, 2007, p. 290). Host Sources The Nipah Virus source comes from Pteropus fruit bats (AKA: Flying Foxes), which are found in Southern Asia and Australia. In 1997 fruit bats were noted to begin foraging on flowers and nectar in trees located near orchards contiguous to infected areas (Cobey, 2005). Fruit bats were found to be the natural source of this virus and caused the transfer of the virus to pigs and human beings. As domesticated pigs were sold for breeding and transferred to other farms the virus was quickly disseminated further throughout southern Asia (Cobey, 2005). Possible Use in Biowarfare Biowarfare, and in this day and age bioterrorism, is a threat that began before the birth of Christ. According to Dr. Michael D. Phillips, M.D. one of the first recorded incidents [of bioterrorism]was in Mesopotamia. The Assyrians employed rye ergot, an element of the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which contains mycotoxins. Rye ergot was used by Assyria to poison the wells of their enemies, with limited success (Phillips, 2005, p. 32). Use of pathogens to induce sickness, death or terror has continued until present time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has listed the Nipah virus as a critical biological agent, Category C. Category C agents are emerging pathogens that could be engineered for mass dissemination in the future because of: * Availability * Ease of production and dissemination * Potential for high morbidity and mortality rates and major health impact (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], n.d.,  ¶ 3; (Ryan Glarum, 2008, p. 105)) With this categorization the virus is a living pathogen that can be developed as a bioweapon with the right knowledge, and equipment. For the virus to be weaponized it needs to be purified, stabilized and properly sized. Since this is a living virus the bioterrorist agent can be replicated once disseminated (Ryan Glarum, 2008). At this time, there is no information about how this virus could be manufactured to become a bioterrorist agent, but with the right knowledge the potential is there. Production Methods Since the Nipah virus has proven to be disseminated through secretions from bats and pigs, and shown to cause severe infection and death it can potentially be used as a bioterrorist agent with little changes in its basic state. If the excretions from infected bats in palm juice can cause infection and death then there is ease in distribution with a significant amount of virus. Even with these basic distribution methods there is information about the Nipah virus and its compounds being published. As knowledge continues be found about the virus and information availability of the compounds there is potential for virus manipulation for maximum threat to animals and humans to induce fear and panic. Information such as this is noted in an article by Medical News Today, (2005). This article states that UCLA scientists have revealed how the Nipah virus infiltrates human cells. The article further states the virus exploits a protein that is essential to embryonic development to enter cells and attack. The virus must infect a cell by binding to a viral-specific receptor and once that is done penetrates the cell. The article actually gives the receptor name as Ephrin-B2, and is found to be the key to unlocking these dangerous cells. If this information is so easily accessible and is available it allows terrorists groups with the knowledge and expertise to manipulate the virus for dissemination and extreme virulence. The Nipah virus is still a relatively new virus and steps are slowly being made in understanding this infant virus. As of this time there is very little knowledge about how effective this virus would be or what would be needed to make it infective. With bioterrorist there is always a concern with the storage and stability of the virus for development and weaponization. As developments are made and intelligence is gathered with regard to potential agents there will be a concern with any viral pathogen. Transmissibility Animal-to-human Animal (pig) to human transmissibility was the first noted issue with regard to the detection of the Nipah virus in 1999. As stated earlier the virus spread rapidly and was found to have started with pig farmers and abattoir workers that worked closely and handled these animals. As the virus progressed and workers died it was found that pigs in these farms had been coughing loudly (bark type of cough), and nerve damage was becoming prevalent. In a short amount of time approximately five percent of these animals died and the illness was spreading significantly (Pearl, 2006). Also transmissibility has been noted from non-specific animal contact put through the ingestion of date palm juice taken from the trees that bats nest and feed. As the fruit tree workers and farmers gather the palm juice through clay pots bats drink from the pots and transfer saliva to the nectar (Pearl, 2006). Person-to-person Many of the articles written on the Nipah virus states that there is no evidence that there is transmissibility of the virus from person-to-person. In contrast, according to a research investigation done during a Bangladeshi outbreak in 2004, there is definitive evidence that the Nipah virus can be transmitted from person-to-person (Gurley et al., July 2007). According to the research, subsequent investigations in India and Bangladesh have suggested that Nipah virus may have been transmitted from person-to-person. During an outbreak in 2001in India, 75% of the patients, including fourteen healthcare workers, had a history of hospital exposure to patients infected with Nipah virus (Gurley et al., July 2007), with no other exposure risks noted. The exposure, and subsequent virus, occurred with persons who lived with or cared for the patients, and persons who were in close contact for a significant amount of time. According to a research article published by the CDC, the Nipah virus can be transmitted from person-to-person. The article states, in a densely populated area a lethal virus could rapidly spread before effective interventions are implemented. This spread would provide the seed for a substantial regional or global public health problem (Gurley et al., 2007, p. 1036). According to Gurley et al., 2007 there is significant evidence that person-to-person contact will cause infection. The person-to-person transmissibility factors include having (1) touched or received a cough or sneeze in the face, (2) any contact with someone who later died, was febrile, unconscious, or had respiratory difficulty, and (3) visited the home, and possibly, the village an infected person. The most significant evidence of person-to-person infections was with a religious leader where twenty-two persons who had became infected after close contact. The religious leader was moved to his home and eight members of his household became infected. Two brothers who lived a significant distance away were infected after only a six hour visitation, son-in-law and daughter who lived only about one hour away and eleven other followers of the leader contracted the disease after contact (Gurley et al., 2007) with no noted other infection means. Surface-to-person To this date there is no evidence of any transfer of the virus to persons from surface contact, in fact how long the virus remains infectious on environmental surfaces is not known. In an article written by (Gurley et al., 2007) collection of 468 environmental specimens were gathered through swabbing of potential surfaces that included walls, bed frames, mattresses, floors and utensils in hospital rooms and residences of infected individuals. Also collected were swabs from trees, fruits, excrement and other surfaces around possible bat foraging sites. With all of this gathered specimens the only information obtained was that the infected individuals shed the virus into the environment, showing potential for transmission, but no evidence was found that surfaces caused any positive infection to another person. Potential for contagion and considerations relative to Biodefense The Nipah virus has the potential to be a very detrimental bioweapon of choice for domestic or international terrorists. With the virus being zoonotic (disease which can be transmitted to humans from animals, [â€Å"Zoonosisâ€Å", 2009]), which effects animals and humans, and the ease of transmission from the saliva and urine of fruit bats to these two groups the potential for a Potential for contagion and considerations relative to biodefense According to Kortepeter and Parker (Kortepeter Parker, 1999), for a biological agent to be used for a greatest plausible occurrence, an agent must have specific properties: * the agent should be highly lethal and easily produced in large quantities * Given that the aerosol route is the most likely for a large-scale attack, stability in aerosol and capability to be dispersed (17,000 to 5,000 nanometers (nm) particle size) are necessary * being communicable from person-to-person, and * having no treatment or vaccine In using the above criteria the Nipah virus would make a credible biological threat for a domestic or international terrorist group. Host bats being plentiful in Australia and southern Asia would make it easy to obtain the saliva, feces or urine of these hosts for initial development of the virus. The Nipah virus being 150 to 200 nm in diameter and 10,000 to 10,040 nm long (CIDRAP, 2009,  ¶ 3), it could be used in an aerosol form for dispersement. According to Gurley et al., there is significant evidence that there is person-to-person communicability and according to the WHO, there are currently no drugs or vaccines available to treat Nipah virus infection. Intensive supportive care with treatment of symptoms is the main approach to managing the infection in people (2009,  ¶8 ). Conclusion The Nipah virus should be a concern for any government as a potential for a bioterrorist attack. As with the 9/11 and the anthrax attacks in 2001 there could be significant fear, panic, economic issues and social disruption if this virus was used. With a mortality rate of 40% to 100% (Lam, 2002; WHO, 2009), and an incubation period of up to 45 days (WHO, 2009), this could definitely be a pathogen of choice for terrorists. The ease of access to the virus itself from fruit bats, to pigs and to humans, not to mention the transmissibility ease through inhalation and ingestion, makes this the perfect biological weapon. The disease this virus manifests, from flu type symptoms to severe encephalitis, will cause significant fear to the public and will stress healthcare facilities if a large outbreak occurs. This virus also has no known cure as of this date, even though there are developments in that direction. The Nipah virus needs to continue to be monitored and treatment options along with vaccine development needs to be continuous until this threat is diminished. References Biological Warfare. (2009). In Wikipedia. Retrieved December 25, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_warfare Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2001). Japanese Encephalitis. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/jencephalitis/qa.htm Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Emergency Preparedness and Response: Bioterrorism; Category C Agents. Retrieved from http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/agentlist-category.asp Center for Infectious Disease Research Policy. (2009). Nipah Virus. Retrieved December 25, 2009, from http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/biosecurity/ag-biosec/anim-disease/nipah.html Cobey, S. (2005). Nipah Virus: Natural History. Retrieved from The Henipavirus Ecology Collaborative Research Group: http://www.henipavirus.org/virus_and_host_info/nipah_virus_natural_history.htm Dr. Jonathan Epstein Returns from Studies of Nipah Virus in Malaysia. (2005). Retrieved from http://www.wildlifetrust.org/news/66-dr_jonathan_epstein_returns_from_studies_of_nipah_virus_in_malaysia Enserink, M. (2004, February 20). Nipah virus (or a cousin) strikes again. Science, 303.5661, 1121. Retrieved from Academic OneFile. Web. 24 Dec. 2009. . Field, H., Young, P., Yob, J. M., Mills, J., Hall, L., Mackenzie, J. (2001). The natural history of Hendra and Nipah viruses. Microbes and Infection, 3, 307-314. doi: 10.1016/S1286-4579(01)01384-3 Fraser, L. (2009, November 16, 2009). Is Hendra and Hipah a threat to US?. Ticker. Retrieved from http://www.theticker.org/about/2.8220/is-hendra-and-nipah-a-threat-to-us-1.2085160 Gurley, E. S., Montgomery, J. M., Hossain, M. J., Bell, M., Azad, A. K., Islam, M. R., Rahim Molla, M. A., Breiman, R. F. (July 2007). Person-toperson transmission of Nipah virus in a Bangladeshi Community. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/7/1031.htm Gurley, E. S., Montgomery, J. M., Hossain, M. J., Bell, M., Azad, A. K., Rota, P. A., Lowe, L., Breiman, R. F. (2007). Person-to-person transmission of Nipah Virus in the Banglashi Community. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/eid Halpin, K., Mungall, B. A. (2007). Recent progress in henipavirus research. Science Direct; Com ¶tive Immunology, Microbiology Infectious Diseases, 30, 287-307. Kortepeter, M. G., Parker, G. W. (1999). Potential biological weapons and threats. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol5no4/kortepeter.htm Lam, S. (2002). Nipah virus A potential agent of bioterrorism? (Antiviral research 57). Retrieved from Science Direct: http://www.sciencedirect.com.lib-proxy.jsu.edu/science?_ob=MImg_imagekey=B6T2H-47MJ4XH-3-1_cdi=4919_user=446480_orig=search_coverDate=01%2F31%2F2003_sk=999429998view=cwchp=dGLbVtb-zSkzSmd5=464c2420befda40589fa6aef4b45cc20ie=/sdarticle.pdf Lowrey, C. H. (2010, February 10, 2010). Application of Gene Therapy Strategies to Offensive and Defensive Biowarfare (White Paper). Retrieved from Dartmouth Medical School: http://engineering.dartmouth.edu/ethreats/whitepapers/Lowery.html Medical News Today. (2005). UCLS scientists reveal how Nipah virus infects cells. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/27038.php Pearl, M. C. (2006, September 2006). The potential pandemic youve never heard of. Discover, 27 (9), 26-27. Phillips, M. B. (2005). Bioterrorism: A Brief History. Northeast Florida Medicine, 32-35. Retrieved from www.dcmsonline.org/jax-medicine/2005journals/bioterrorism/bioterrorism_history.pdf Ryan, J. R., Glarum, J. F. (2008). Biosecurity and Bioterrorism. Burlington, MA: Elsevier, Inc.. Wong, K. T., Shieh, W., Abdullah, W., Guarner, J., Goldsmith, C. S., Chua, K. B., Lam, S. K., Zaki, S. R. (2002, December). Nipah virus infection: Pathology and pathogenesis of an emerging paramyxoviral zoonosis. American Journal of Pathology, 161 (6), 2153-2167. doi: Retrieved from World Health Organization. (2009). Chronology of Nipah virus outbreaks. Retrieved from World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/nipah_chronology_en.pdf World Health Organization. (2009). Nipah Virus. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs262/en/ Zoonosis. (2009). In Zoonosis. Retrieved from http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?lextype=3search=zoonosis