Strategic Information System †Current Issues

our site – CUSTOM ESSAY WRITING – PUBLIC HEALTH DISSERTATION TOPICS Expanding Access to Healthcare According to the World Health Organization (2011), the main challenges of health care systems are related to managing competing demands and multiple objectives. Building effective Strategic Information Systems can help health care providers expand coverage to rural areas, and overcome barriers of access through finding alternative methods of information exchange and delivery. Opportunities Ngafeeson (2014) lists the main opportunities of strategic information systems’ application in healthcare as follows: Biomedical research Developing prevention and treatment standards Care delivery Linking national and regional registries Decision-support Challenges Blumenthal (2009) states that the resistance in the profession is the main barrier of SIS integration. Further challenges listed by Ngafeeson (2014) are: Lack of integration among systems Confusing standards Lack of well-developed exchange systems Cost restraints Potential Benefits The main potential benefits of SIS on the health care system to successfully deal with demographic challenges are: Accessibility (rural residents’ access to care) Cost savings Improved quality of care Education opportunities remotely Collaboration among departments (Rudowski 2008). Emerging Themes Clinical decision support systems can support primary care providers (Berner 2009) Rural access improvement through â€Å"internet doctor† services (Wood 2004) Data mining capability building to develop knowledge about trends (Ngafeeson 2014) Instant collaboration methods development Current Initiatives Chronic Disease Management Program in New Zealand helped deliver adequate diabetes control (Rudowski 2008) transmission of ECG signal directly from the ambulance to invasive cardiology centre (Rudowski 2008) Teleradiology Application of SIS in Health Care Berner (2009) lists possible areas of adaptation as: Preventive care (identifying risk populations) Diagnosis (database updates) Treatment plans (guidelines, templates) Cost reduction (duplicate test alert, for example) Follow-up management (alerts) (Berner 2009). Future Outlook and Research Hoque, Hossin, and Khan (2016) states that Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) will benefit developing countries more. The authors also define different stages of SISP: Strategic awareness Situation analysis Strategy conception Strategy formulation Strategy implementation SIS Challenges Difficulty to secure commitment Need for training and development Lack of IT support Underdeveloped technological environment IT leader selection and recruitment Issues with implementation and project management (Hoque, Hossin, and Khan 2016) Conclusion Several opportunities exist in improving health care access, diagnosis accuracy, and information flow in the health care system, related to the development of SIS. The main barriers of implementation were found to be lack of training opportunity, personnel resistance, and lack of IT leadership. References Berner, E.S., 2009. Clinical decision support systems: state of the art. AHRQ publication, 90069. Hoque, M.R., Hossin, M.E. and Khan, W., 2016. Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) Practices In Health Care Sectors Of Bangladesh. European Scientific Journal, 12(6). Ngafeeson, M.N., 2015. Healthcare Information Systems Opportunities and Challenges. In Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Third Edition (pp. 3387-3395). IGI Global. Rudowski, R., 2008. Impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on Health Care. Department of Medical Informatics and Telemedicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. WHO. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2011. A System of Health Accounts 2011. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Wood, J., 2004. Rural health and healthcare: A north west perspective. Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University.

Cultural Values Essay

The world is changing politically, economically, technically, and collectively at a previously unthinkable rate. Both new and skilled multinational firms are stumbling and committing mistakes as they confront these recently emerging environmental forces. What is desired now is a new way of viewing both the global and foreign operations of multinational firms. To be as thriving as possible, these firms should be as culturally attuned to the world and to every foreign society in which they seek to work as they are to their own home society. The Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary (1980) defines culture as â€Å"the incorporated pattern of human behavior that includes thought, speech, action, and artifacts and depends on man’s competence for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations† and â€Å"the customary beliefs, social forms, and material behavior of a racial, religious, or social group.† These definitions point to numerous important aspects of culture. First, culture permeates all human behaviors and interactions. Second, culture is shared by members of a group. And third, it is handed down to newcomers and from one generation to the next. This description of culture is not aimed at organizations but is very appropriate to them (AAhad M. Osman-Gani & Zidan, S.S. 2001, pp.452-460). The prevailing trend in the international business environment in current decades has been greater directness in trade, investment, finance and technology resultant in increased international integration and interdependence in business and between states. What is also obvious is that large swathes of the world’s population are efficiently marginalized or barred from these trends. This segregation has been a major factor in modern anti-globalization campaigns and is often used to justify proposals to reform or even abolish international institutions and to invalidate policies that have contributed to international integration. Morrison (2006) characterized a global industry as having intense levels of international competition, competitors marketing a standardized product worldwide, industry competitors that have a presence in all key international markets and high levels of international trade. These definitions have the common thread of the need and opportunity to integrate strategy across countries. Though aspects of globalization and the guiding principles of the IMF and the World Bank have not always been affirmative for developing countries, it is a generalization to place all or most of the blame for the marginalization of developing countries onto these factors. Development is a multifaceted process but some countries have managed it successfully. Considerably, it is those countries that have affianced most intensively with the outside world (that is, in East Asia), that have been most successful in their development endeavors. Equally considerable has been the keenness of each state to take a central role in the development process, a role that assorted from country to country depending on its culture and early circumstances.

Company Analysis - Methanol Chemicals Company PLC Research Paper

Company Analysis - Methanol Chemicals Company PLC - Research Paper Example In general, the company is engaged mainly in the manufacture of methanol of premium grade like formaldehyde. The company has earned a reputation of being a world class company. It has also earned a reputation as dependable and a quality manufacturer that possess very sophisticated logistical support and marketing system. The company is committed to advance in its leading position in the manufacture of chemicals by the way it undertakes its investments and this will be achieved by intensified research and development and with the production of tailor made products which will be made to meet the specific needs of the customers. To remain competitive in the market, the company also plans to increase its methanol capacity to the production capacity of231,000 tons a year. Industry overview and competitive positioning Methanol Chemicals Company PLC operates in a manufacturing industry where it manufactures agricultural fertilizers, solvents, pharmaceuticals, laminates for the wood industry and various types of concrete admixtures. The company offers diversified products with 26 different products in more than 50 countries across the globe, which provides profitability and flexibility for the company. The company has performed well financially in the past years and this is provided by the sustained economic growth and profitable operations which have been experienced in the company. The company operates in a very competitive environment but it has been able to gain competitive advantage over all its competitors, making it a global leader in the industry. The existing economic environment had a huge impact on the performance of the industry. That is, the existing economic growth in Saudi Arabia has led to an increase in the company performance with high profits resulting from increased economies of scale. Investment summary The performance of the company has been increasing in terms of investment for the last five years. This is given by the increase in the amount of s hareholder value in the five year period. The company seems to have acquired investor confidence and this has made the company to be in a position of trading 2,116,530 shares in the last three months which were trading at a price of 2.43 per share. The company has also recorded an increase in shareholders’ equity, the share capital, share premium, statutory reserve and retained earnings for the last five years – a clear indication that the company has had high investor confidence which has made the investors heavily invest in the company (Brown and Reilly, 2012). Valuation The company uses market value as its valuation technique. This method is applicable for quoted companies only and is determined by multiplying the quoted share prices and the number of issued shares. This valuation method takes into consideration the perception of the investors on the performance of the company and the capabilities of the management in delivering a return on their investments. For ex ample, the market value of the company by the end of the first quarter of 2012 was 66,380,450 with a market capitalization of 2,116,530 – a clear indication that the company was performing better in the market (Pendlebury and Roger, 2004). Financial analysis There have been fluctuations of the performance of the company during the last five years. This is indicated by the fluctuations in the company’s current ratio, profit margin, solvency ratio, price earning ratio, return on assets and

Pre Calculus Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pre Calculus Questions - Assignment Example However, I later discovered that integration is the easier of the two concepts through practice. Using numerical data, differentiation proved to be the most difficult concept to use and in some case, I realized when doing trial questions that it was difficult to use differentiation. I realized that differentiation was only nice when using explicit formulae to solve functions. Integration seemed impossible explicitly but it was comfortable numerically. Natural exponential function can be used to estimate the size of a population with a constant relative growth rate. In estimating population growth, the formula P (t) = P (0) e kt where P is population after a period t, k denotes constant relative growth rate, and P (0) denotes the initial population size at t = 0. The measurement of time used in the formula is in most cases proportional to the life of the organisms under study. In the case of bacteria, hours or days are utilized while for human beings, t is normally in

Team communication in Ford and Toyota companies Case Study

Team communication in Ford and Toyota companies - Case Study Example Organizational climate and morale means good relations and positive atmosphere which supports workers. Thus critics admit that morale "has suffered in Ford for a long time" (Ettlie, 2002). The company tried to improve morale creating new culture and rules but was not successful in its efforts. Many project teams in Ford have excellent problem solving skills and communication. Many employees follow Henry Ford's statement: "Don't find fault. Find a remedy" (Ettlie 2002). Team members use participative and enthusiastic approach to solve current problems and finding new innovative solutions (www.ford.com). Organizational coaching is not just a single conversation or a scheduled meeting that is part of the performance-management process. It is a commitment that requires the coach to establish. The uniqueness of approach implemented by Ford is coaching for competencies. The coaching relationship has the potential for deepening an individual's understanding of his influence on the organizat ion and for strengthening the personal commitment to achieving that organization's goals and outcomes. Developed by Henry Ford, the company has 'lean enterprise system'. Further this system was adopted by Toyota (www.ford.com; Lothans, 2006). B. For Ford Company, team morale and climate become the main problem.

Employer-sponsored Retirement Plans Research Paper

Employer-sponsored Retirement Plans - Research Paper Example The compensation issues will have been put to rest. As a human right policy, it means that every individual’s contribution to the national development is highly valued and that this valued contribution will be equitably compensated. Moreover, for workers in the same job family, there should never be a huge disparity in pay and compensation structure especially if workers are employed under the same skill qualification (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada). In the second question, analysis established that there is a violation of Equity Pay Act on policy-capturing. This is so because studies on the over three hundred job families, there was a disparity on the point-factor in the study found out that there exists disparity in jobs with similar job content features. Such features include the level and span of supervision, education level, analytic reasoning and experience. These features clusters job families into similar compensable factors that will be used in determining point-factor pay by use of relevant weight factors. Irrespective of this methodology, it was found that there is a disparity in pay and compensation in female and race-dominated classes. This creates biases that violate the Pay Equity Act as there is no structure that sets the maintenance of such envisioned internal equity. Even after employment there is no quantitative evaluation system of the job tied to a unified wage structure that will guard against subjective in equity from occurring. These include promotion and wage increment as gender and race-based prejudices sets in and prevent upward mobility of women and workers from other minority races (Chen, 98). Specifically, the law, Equity Pay Act 1963 prohibits any gender-based discrimination in a work establishment. This is so for men and women who are working on essentially similar skill and experience. Congress, in its wisdom, contemplated equity if the

Willow Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Willow - Movie Review Example A few years after he dies too and this is where he discovers the afterlife. It is this bereavement that makes the viewer question their own lives and what would happen if this happened to them. It makes the viewer reflect on the uncertainty of life and how life can turn around within a split moment. When Chris Nielson dies his wife is left behind to grieve not only for the children, but also for her husband. It is not surprising that her sanity is taxed as she finds herself alone in this life. The afterlife displayed in this film is a place where everything happens because of the imagination. This leaves one to question their own beliefs. William Blake offers this unique glimpse at the afterlife where the imagination is the real human truth. The film challenges a persons values when Annie Collins-Nielsen commits suicide after grieving her two children and husband. Before watching this film a person may have had no understanding of suicide, but after watching the film and seeing the very real loss that Annie Collins-Nielsen suffers values, beliefs and ideas about suicide are challenged. Had Chris Nielson not been in such a respectable career where people looked up to him there might not have been such great loss to the whole of the society. Those in lesser known jobs would probably not leave such a huge gap. The fact that Chris Nielson was also working with children will also affect the children in a deeper way. Suddenly the whole society was faced by this loss and parents would have to explain to their children about death and bereavement. After reading chapter 7, what do you think of the quote, "when the collective is hostile to a womans natural life, rather than accept the derogatory or disrespectful labels that are placed upon her, she can and must, like the ugly duckling, hold on, hold out, and search for that which she belongs to.... and preferably outlive,

United States And European Relations Research Paper

United States And European Relations - Research Paper Example They perceive that the source of terrorism lies in the economic, social and political discriminations that are prevalent on the southern seaside of the Mediterranean and as such can only be addressed through a broad structure that hits at the deepest causes of terrorism. During the time that the Soviet Union crumbled, the members of the European Union no longer saw possible North-South conflicts or nuclear threats. Instead, they saw various south-south conflicts and series of new transnational risks such as illegal trafficking of arms, drugs and even persons; terrorism connected to numerous religious issues; immigration. EU further believes that European security should be less focused on military conditions instead to social and political development of Mediterranean. In the United States, the FBI is a part of vast criminal justice machinery tasked with maintaining legal and political order. They deal with terrorism based on how they perceive acts related to it. According to the FBI , â€Å"Terrorist acts are intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping and occur primarily outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they accomplished, the persons they appear intended to intimidate or coerce, or the locale in which their perpetrators operate or seek asylum.†

Analyse an Advert and Prequel to it in Depth Essay Example for Free

Analyse an Advert and Prequel to it in Depth Essay Advertising is one of the worlds foremost businesses. Companies use this media to communicate their ideas, products and messages to the general public. This is one type of advert, which is used to draw people to donate to a cause. It is called an appeal. This appeal is from Help The Aged, a fairly large charity, dedicated to helping the older and less able people. This particular advert is for the SeniorLink pendant, a small telephone pendant that helps people when they get into trouble where they cant reach the phone, because they are immobilised. I will analyse this form of the appeal and elaborate the techniques and tricks used to convince people to part with their money. This form of the appeal is a leaflet. Leaflets can be specially designed to appeal to a particular audience or aspect of society; this leaflet is aimed at anyone who has money. The purpose of it is to convince these people that their product is: reliable; fast acting; state-of-the-art; easy-to-use and most of all, lifesaving. If it succeeds than Help The Aged will get their reward of a donation that, in theory, should then be spent on the pensioners. The advert uses several conventions to convey their tricks and tactics to the target audience. I will elaborate these as I examine the advert. On the first part of the leaflet (The Front) we see Vera alive and well, along with a caption to the picture that, arguably, could be seen as the title to the leaflet. The photograph of Vera depicts her as smiling, cheerful and in good health. From this, empathy is drawn from the audience, giving the advert a good note from which to begin with. It can also be seen as a pointer to what the outcome of the event is, in a similar way to the introduction to Romeo and Juliet. The caption or title of the leaflet is in large, white, bold, capitalised text, which is mapped on a black background. This is to make the text stand out considerably, as there is no bigger contrast than black and white. At the end of the text is an ellipsis. This adds to the beckoning feel of the text that makes the audience want to read on. The second part of the advert or Middle of the leaflet is a transcript of the conversation between Lyn, a SeniorLink operator, and Vera Smith, an old woman in distress. The sheet is in four parts: A quotation, used as a title An introduction to the transcript The telephone conversation, recorded as a transcript And an epilogue to the piece. The quotation to the page is in a similar style to the original caption, in the first part. It shares the same bold, white on black style, however it is not all in capitals. This is because it is a quotation from Vera, presumably from after her ordeal. This is to show again that she recovered and that she owes her life to the SeniorLink pendant. Next is an introduction to the transcript. It starts with an introductory sentence that uses simple adjectives and sentence structure to describe the characters. Next comes the setting of the scene, where Veras predicament takes shape. One sentence is underlined, this sentence: To her horror is highlighted to make it stand out more, as it is shocking and important. The intro ends with another ellipsis, opening the way for the transcript. Just before the transcript is a picture of both Lyn and Vera, depicted as happy, this is showing: how good the receiving staff is and how pleased Vera is to be alive. The transcript itself is 16 lines long, combining playscript style speech and bold typed event explanations. The playscript reads like normal speech, Vera pauses and the text is punctuated appropriately, Please Help me! The language is different for Vera and Lyn, Vera sounds helpless and afraid, while Lyn sounds calm and efficient. At three intervals the scripting cuts into a short explanatory line, distinguished by its bold enhancement. These explain what is happening, like directors notes. We are expected to give the appeal some trust and believe that the conversation really happened. Finally there is an epilogue where, using reassuring text, they bring this ordeal to an end. They finish this section by emphasising that the SeniorLink saves lives. The final part of the advert, the back, is the possibly the most important. It is the advert in full, the appeal or the explanation section. It is nine paragraphs that encompass all of the emotion, drawn from before and add to it, then channel it into giving a donation. The title of the piece is large, bold and eye-catching. It is presumably a joke to suggest that she could, hear voices as some old people develop insanity. Otherwise the comment that she is alive because she could hear voices is a stupid one and not thought out. The first paragraph is an assurance that Vera made a full recovery, thanks to the SeniorLink system. This is to put worried minds at rest. Then in clear bold text it says: But many other elderly people arent so lucky, This shows that next the appeal will give information, possibly facts on old people that didnt make it through their ordeals. Paragraph 2 is apparently a factual one, where they give you shocking statistics on how many people dont survive each week. This is supposed to appeal to your human nature and lull you into wanting to help decrease this statistic. Next comes another single line of text that prepares you for upcoming information. It is underlined and utilises an emphasising adverb, which is describing an adjective, tragic. This is used to change it from being tragic to really tragic, emphasis. The next two paragraphs are two cases, which are utilised to shock you further, and again to appeal to your Human side. The fifth paragraph is in bold text and is designed to be reliving after the heavy emotion carrying paragraphs. It is positive and righteous. It opens with a statement of good, Yet tragedy can be avoided This is showing the gold horizon, while saying that our cause is the most important cause. Then in the second sentence it uses the mysterious inference again: Hearing Voices In the sixth paragraph the appeal itself surfaces and they make their quick request for money, while surrounding it with ideas of stopping unnecessary deaths and the strange voice inference again. The donation request itself is only five words long, out of the whole advert. It is short and enveloped to try to mask their intentions, while making it stand out in your mind. Also in this paragraph two words are underlined to add emphasis on their aims. The next paragraph is a short direct paragraph and adds a little more emphasis on the pendant itself. Paragraph eight is the technical element, it explains exactly what the pendant is, wrapped in technical terms to show that this is cutting edge technology and is really effective. The text ends with a warm climax ands shows one last time that the pendant is an amazing thing. The logo of Help The Aged is a rising sun, symbolising that there is dawning hope and always a light for old people. In conclusion, the advert uses most of the persuasive techniques in the handbook, from simple adjectives and bold text to psychological hints and shocking facts. However I would say that the advert has been worked at: psychologically wise, everything is in the right place, and the things that should stand out do stand out. At every step of the way they have used persuasive writing, showing that: Vera survived because of the pendant, The pendant is efficient and will always work, Pensioners without a pendant die frequently, Preventing the deaths is easy: donate money. On a personal level I wasnt convinced, I saw the IT tricks and psychological hints as insults, and saw right through them. Perhaps Im wrong, and I just am not human enough to see that they really are doing good in the world. But, most people would or should give money as it is fairly well thought through and has pretty shocking facts, if theyre true. I have learned that advertising is a crooked business and has many ways of persuasion. It does take a lot of thought.

Local Authority Housing in Ireland Essay Example for Free

Local Authority Housing in Ireland Essay Local authority housing plays a vital role in Ireland housing system. Without it many people would find themselves on the streets without a roof over their heads. However it is not a solution to all problems we are experiencing in this country today. In fact while local authority housing solves many problems it can also be the cause of some problems too. In this paper I will look at and evaluate the strengths and the weaknesses of local authority housing in Ireland today. I will also look at prime examples of these strengths and weaknesses, using a number of local authority housing estates throughout the country. Firstly I feel it is imperative to briefly describe the housing system Ireland as a whole, in order to gain a clearer perspective on the status of local authority housing in the country. In Ireland we have a dual housing system. This means we have a mix of both private and social housing and public tenures. State owned and social housing accounts for 19% of the housing market. The government enforced policies to ensure that a percentage of newly constructed houses were to be kept and dedicated to the local authority housing scheme. Local authority housing caters for poor and low income households, who may otherwise not be able to afford housing. It is accessed by means testing and also by special needs qualification. The rent for these houses are determined by the income of the household occupying them. The landlords are generally the local authorities. Some examples of well known local authority housing estates are: Moyross estate in Limerick City, Fatima Mansions in Dublin and Knocknaheeny in Cork. Unfortunately over the years these local authority housing estates have built up a bad reputation, negative images and negative stigmas. A few different factors play a role in this. I will be looking into these factors in more detail, as I speak later, about the weaknesses of local authority housing. An example of this would be the former Ballymun high rise flats which were renowned for appearing on the news linked with stories of crime and violence. In order to combat this problem and create less of a bad image for these problem estates, the government set out a ten year plan to regenerate 7 local authority housing estates throughout Ireland. They aimed to do this by means of policy changes and state funding. These estates are : â€Å"Fatima Mansions and Finglas South in Dublin City, Fettercairn, Tallaght, in South County Dublin; Deanrock estate in Togher, Cork City; Moyross in Limerick City, Muirhevnamor in Dundalk and Cranmore in Sligo town.† (Norris, M and OConnell, C. 201 0) Strengths of local authority housing: Local authority housing provides affordable homes for those who would not otherwise be able to afford housing and this is a much needed and great service provided by our local authorities here in Ireland. Local authority housing has a number of benefits to both its tenants and to the community as a whole. It has many strengths. Good quality houses: As stated above the government as part of the local authority housing scheme set out a number of newly built houses during the construction boom, and dedicated them to the local authority housing scheme. This was a very clever tactic by the government as it meant that these local authority houses were newly built good quality housing, moving away from the previous opinion that local authority houses were often undesirable and of poor quality. The most typical form of these houses were â€Å"cottage type or terrace housing in low density estates† (Fahey 1999. Pg. 236) Cheaper, affordable rent: Because local authority housing is accessed via means testing and rent payment is determined by household income it means that lower income households can afford to live more comfortably and ensures that they have a roof over their heads. Without this scheme homelessness rates would undoubtedly be a lot higher in Ireland. More owner occupation: A lot of people renting local authority housing as a long term arrangement often eventually come to own their houses. This instills a level of independence which they could never have achieved otherwise. Happier tenants: For the most part, people in local authority housing have reported that they are â€Å"happy with their overall housing experience† (Fahey 1999. Pg. 236) Community Development Programmes: Often in areas of local authority housing local authorities dedicate themselves to the provision of facilities and programmes to improve living conditions, social condition, education and employment conditions for those living there. Community employment schemes are just one example of this. This is a great benefit to both the residents and the community as a whole as it leads to a higher standard of living for the individuals and also helps reduce rates of unemployment in the area, which in turn leads to a reduction in other social problems in the area such as crime. (Fahey, T., Norris, M., McCafferty, D. Humphreys, E. 2011 Pg. 24) Preventative Interventions: Local authority housing can also act as a means of protection and prevention for many people. Local services provided within these local authority estates provide â€Å"support for families and individuals who would otherwise have negative outcomes†(Fahey, T., Norris, M., McCafferty, D. Humphreys, E. 2011 Pg. 24) Previously at risk people have more chance of being safe from abuse and crime etc. in these local authority housing estates. An example of the strengths within a local housing estate: Dean Rock estate, situated in Togher in Cork city, is a prime example of the many strengths of local housing estates in Ireland. This estate is in high demand with a very low turnover, long waiting lists to get in and very settled conditions. Dean Rock is now home to a voluntary, community based family support centre and also to social workers too. The estate has flourished over the years and is now a highly popular local authority housing estate with low levels of crime, delinquency, unemployment and enjoys a high status in terms of its visual appearance, absence of litter and graffiti and upholds high levels of planting and public green areas. It has become a very desirable place to live with good quality neighbors, ridding it of any stigmas which had previously applied to local authority housing estates. (Fahey, T. 1999. Pg. 238-239) Weaknesses of local authority housing estates: The fundamental aim of local authority housing that is, to help those who cannot otherwise afford housing, means that local authority housing should be a very positive and problem free area. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Because these estates are linked with poor and low income families it often means there are high levels of unemployment, low levels of education and thus resulting in high levels of delinquency and crime. (Fahey, T. 1999. Pg. 238) These factors all cause great social problems within these estates. Also high levels of diversity within the estates lead to a hierarchy within them. Higher and lower status areas emerge within the estates, causing a lack of social cohesion. â€Å"Appearances of houses, presence/ absence of litter and graffiti, and vandalism†(Fahey, T. 1999. Pg. 239) can often result in conflict between neighbors and thus lead to poor quality neighborhoods. Failure of the government to integrate with local authorities to improve provide vital amenities and service to the local authority housing estates also creates a huge problem in these estates. It creates a great level of social exclusion between those living in these estates and those that dont. (Fahey, T., Norris, M., McCafferty, D. Humphreys, E. 2011 Pg. 31) An example of the weaknesses within a local housing estate: Fatima Mansions is a local authority housing estate in Dublin. Unlike Dean Rock estate in Cork, Fatima Mansions has been described as â€Å"troubled and difficult to let†(Fahey, T. 1999. Pg. 238) Over 15% of the premises are vacant and some are derelict. There is no waiting list to get in to this estate. There is a severe lack of social cohesion and this causes other social problems. Heroin usage is high in the area and this has knock on effects to the levels of crime and violence in the area two. It is in stark contrast to Dean Rock estate and highlights the diversity between local authority estates. Conclusion: While it is evident, from the information in this paper, that local authority housing has huge and undeniable benefits to the lower income population of society I think that many improvements can still be made to these schemes. I feel the government needs to take more responsibility perhaps in funding local authorities and enabling them to better facilities and services available to these estates. This would bring about a major difference in the areas for the better and hopefully result in all the local authority estates being as successful as Dean Rock estate in Cork. Bibliography: Cowan, D. and McDermont, M. (2006) Regulating Social Housing: Governing Decline, Routledge, London. Fahey, T. (1999) (ed.) Social Housing in Ireland: A study of success, failures and lessons learned. Oak Tree Press, Dublin. Fahey, T., Norris, M., McCafferty, D. Humphreys, E. (2011) Combating Social Disadvantage in Social Housing Estates: The policy implications of a ten-year follow-up study. Combat Poverty Agency. National Economic and Social Forum (1999), Local Development Issues, Dublin: National Economic and Social Forum. Norris, M and OConnell, C (2002), ‘Local Authority Housing Management Reform in the Republic of Ireland: progress to date impediments to further progress’, European Journal of Housing Policy. Norris, M and OConnell, C (2010) Social Housing Management, Governance and Delivery in Ireland: Ten Years of Reform on Seven Estates. O’Connell, C and Fahey, T. (1999), ‘Local Authority Housing in Ireland’, Fahey, T. (eds.), Social Housing in Ireland: A study of success, failure and lessons learned, Oak Tree Press, Dublin.

Symmetry and Group Theory in Relation to Wallpaper Groups

Symmetry and Group Theory in Relation to Wallpaper Groups Mark Anderson 1.1 Group Theory Group Theory was derived from three other areas of mathematics, number theory, the theory of algebraic equations and geometry. The first prominent mathematicians credited with studying group theory were A-L.Cauchy, E.Galois and J-L.Lagrange. Although Lagranges work with groups is probably the earliest research into groups, in the 18th century, his work was rather isolated and the mid-19th century works of Cauchy and Galois are often considered to be the origin of the study of group theory. In his 1770 paper, Lagrange was the first mathematician to study permutations. His objective for the study was to discover why cubic and quartic equations could be solved using the theory of algebra. During his work, while evident permutation group theory is being used in his work, the permutations are never composed and he never discusses groups themselves. Cauchy published his first paper on the topic of permutations in 1815, however, it was not until his work in 1844 that permutations were considered a subject in its own right by introducing many of the key aspects of permutation groups including the notation of positive and negative powers of groups, identifying the power 0 being the identity, the cycle and permutation notation of a group and the order of a permutation. He also proved the conjugacy of permutations if the permutations have the same cycle structure and Cauchys theorem If a prime divides the order of a group, that group has a subgroup of order . Galois had papers published posthumously in 1846 by Liouville after Liouville saw a connection between Galois work and the permutation work of Cauchy from 1844. This work showed that Galois understood the relationship between the structure of a group of permutations related to the equation and the algebraic solution of an equation. To fully show this he created the notion of a normal subgroup. This was the first time the term group had been used in a technical sense. 1.2 Wallpaper Groups The origins of the study of wallpaper groups began as the study of crystallography which was to determine the structure of crystalline solids at the atomic level. It was from this study that many of the proofs for symmetry were discovered and set the foundations for more advanced symmetry groups such as space group which led to the proof of wallpaper groups.          In 1830, J.F.C Hessel discovered the maximum unique combinations of reflections and rotations of a crystal around a fixed point such that the image created is symmetrical to be 32. He proves this using the law of indices which states that the intercepts, OP, OQ, OR, of the natural faces of a crystal form with the unit-cell axes a, b, c are inversely proportional to prime integers, h, k, l. (IUCR, 2016). This is illustrated in the image below. All 32 combinations with crystallographic symmetry were then found geometrically in 1835 by M.L Frankenheim. Using the theory of crystal classes discovered by Hessel, A. Bravais systemized the theory and classified the 14 spacial lattices, which we now know as Bravais Lattices. These lattices are defined as infinite arrays of discrete points in a 3-Dimensional plane created by a set of operations described by Using both Hessels and Bravais work E. Fedorov and A.M Schà ¶nflies proved the existence of the 230 space groups in 1891. These space groups are Bravais lattices that have been reflected or rotated in any of the 32 unique point groups discovered by Hessel. These space groups within a 2-dimensional plane are the 17 wallpaper groups, which although known for centuries was only proved after the proof of space groups was already completed. A group is defined as a non-empty set under a binary operation, i.e. addition, multiplication etc. In order to be classified as a group, it must maintain four conditions: closure, associativity, identity and inverse. Let be a group with a binary operation Closure: For every element belonging to the group , the result of every two elements under the binary operation on the group is equal to another element of the group. i.e. then . Associativity: If three elements belong to the group then the order the operation is performed on the three elements will not affect the outcome. i.e. If the . Identity: There exists an element in the group such that when the binary operation is applied to it and any other element in the group, the outcome is equal to the other element. i.e. such that . Inverse: For every element in the group there is another element in such that when the two elements are under the operation the outcome is equal to the identity. i.e. such that A simple example of a group is the group of integers under the operation of addition (. This can be proved by showing the group satisfies the four axioms as stated above. Any integer added to any other is another integer, so the group is closed. Addition is associative, the identity of the group is 0 as any , and the inverse of any integer is as . A basic symmetry group to understand how symmetry is related to group theory is the symmetries of the rectangle. This group contains the linear transformations that leave the rectangles origin in place i.e. rotations and reflections. This shows there are 4 symmetries of the rectangle as shown in Figure 2. This can be displayed in multiple ways including Cayley tables, matrices and as permutations References International Union of Crystallography, 2016. Law of Rational Indices. [Online] Available at: http://reference.iucr.org/dictionary/Law_of_rational_indices[Accessed 26 February 2017]. Kleiner, I., 2004. The Evolution of Group Theory: A Brief Survey. [Online] Available at: https://www.math.lsu.edu/~adkins/m7200/GroupHistory.pdf[Accessed 24 February 2017]. OConnor, J. J. Robertson, E. F., 1996. The Development of Group Theory. [Online] Available at: http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/history/HistTopics/Development_group_theory.html[Accessed 24 February 2017].

Mrs. Turpin in Flannery O’Connor’s Revelation Essay -- O’Connor’s shor

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mrs. Turpin in Flannery O’Connor’s short story Revelation, is a prejudice and judgmental woman who spends most of her life prying in the lives of everyone around her. She looks at people not for who they are, but for their race or social standing. In fact, Mrs. Turpin is concerned with race and status so much that it seems to take over her life. Although she seems to disapprove of people of different race or social class, Mrs. Turpin seems to be content and appreciative with her own life. It is not until Mrs. Turpin’s Revelation that she discovers that her ways of life are no better then those she looks down upon and they will not assure her a place in Heaven.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mrs. Turpin shows prejudice in several different aspects of her life. Her prejudice is first seen when she is in the doctor’s waiting room. The story states that â€Å"her little black eyes took in all the patients as she sized up the seating situation.† (339) While in the waiting room, Mrs. Turpin is surrounded by people of many different cultural and social backgrounds. As she gazes around the room Mrs. Turpin immediately begins putting the people into categories. Some she called â€Å"white trash†, others were wealthy and pleasant, and the remainder such as Mary Grace, were ugly. Most of Mrs. Turpin’s free time is also filled with prejudice thoughts. The story states that â€Å"Mrs. Turpin occupied herself at night naming the classes of people.†(341) She spends so much of her life judging other’s lives that she does...

As I Grow Older I Pay Less Attention to What Men Say :: Teaching Education School Essays

As I Grow Older I Pay Less Attention to What Men Say During our careers as students, many professors, many peers, and many mentors will try to tell us the many different ways that we â€Å"should† teach. One person is going to tell us how some thing should be done, while someone else is going to insist that it be done differently. However, if you just sit back and actually watch these professors and these mentors, you are going to find that they sometimes forget to head the words of Jesus and practice what they preach. Through out my career as a student I have came across teachers who make learning fun and have a genuine love for teaching. However, I have also encountered those teachers who make you want to pull the fire alarm, just so you can avoid their endless ramblings. It is a teacher’s responsibility to keep students interested and eager to learn. If a subject intrigues a child they will want to learn more about it, and what they learn will stay with them for a life time. Sadker and Sadker (2003) identify Idealists as teachers who: know the content very well, view teachers as role models, values each student as an individual, and who have very few discipline problems that result in trips to the principals office. The above are reasons that I would like to take and Idealist approach to teaching. I want to become a teacher because I want to be able to turn on CNN one day and say, â€Å"you see that young man boarding Apollo 45, I showed him that science could be fun.† Being a teacher is comprised of many duties and responsibilities. From day one we must take into account all of the things necessary for becoming a good teacher. The various components of an organized classroom, the different ways of motivating our students, the appropriate ways of disciplining our students, the different styles we will incorporate into the way we teach and the leadership styles necessary for being an effective mentor. First of all the organization of ones classroom is one of the most important factors that we must take into account. We must plan exactly how we want the room to look, and more importantly how we want it ran. A classroom for an elementary teacher needs to be bright and cheerful.

Cognitive Psychology False Memory Essay

Theoretical and Applied/Practical Perspective of False Memory The human memory is subject to a multitude of errors, including source misattributions, distortion and creation of false memories. In order to do justice to this paper one must first determine what is â€Å"False memory†? False memory is memory for an event that did not occur or distorted memory of actual events (Gleaves, Smith, Butler, & Spiegel, 2004). This type of memory has been an area of intense research interest for both theoretical and practical reasons and psychologists have long been interested in memory illusions and distortions, as such errors can inform theories of how the memory works (Hunt & Ellis, 2004). From a theoretical perspective, false memories have been the subject of intense debates about the nature of human memory and a focal point for old and new memory theories. Memories are not simply stored and retrieved, information is encoded and memories are reconstructed using previous knowledge to p iece together the situation as one thinks it occurred (Loftus & Ketchan, 1994). Therefore perception and comprehension of ongoing events always brings related information to mind. For example, an individual mentions that he/she had a great trip to the beach over the weekend. In comprehending what the individual is saying; one may imagine their last visit to Miami Beach. Later one remembers that the said individual mentioned his/her visit to Miami Beach when, in fact, the individual said nothing about which beach he/she visited. This example illustrates how frequently one might remember information related to ones ongoing perception and comprehension, even though the events represented by that information never occurred (Hunt & Ellis, 2004). One of the most common ways that false memories have been studied is through the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) effect. This list learning paradigm provided a traceable means by which false memories can be created and studied in the laboratory. Gallo, McDermott, Percer & Roediger III (2001) explained that the DRM paradigm was a method of using converging semantic associates to induce false memories. It basically referred to the high confidence false recall or recognition of the critical lure. Within the study subjects were given a list of words for immediate free recall. These words were all associated semantically with a critical lure which itself was not presented. For example, if the critical lure was sleep the list would have consisted of fifteen words most highly associated with sleep such as bed to the least highly associated which would be drowsy on free association norms. Even though the critical lure was not on the list, subjects often falsely reported it and on recognition tests, these individuals often â€Å"remember† these words with a high degree of confidence (Surgrue & Hayne, 2006). False memories arising from phonologically associated lists may indeed be enhanced by phonological encoding in comparison with semantic encoding. False memories therefore can be elicited by presenting lists of phonologically related words in both recognition and recall tasks (Chan, McDermott, Watson & Gallo, 2005). According to the fuzzy traced theory (as cited in Howe, 2008), subjects encode both verbatim information about the experience to gist information about the experience. Applied to the DRM paradigm gist information represents the semantic commonalities among lure’s studied associates, which lead the fuzzy trace theory to propose that lure errors are familiarity based (Arndt, 2010). Memory errors to unstudied items arise from how well they match gist traces and that memory errors are limited by the extent to which unstudied items produce retrieval of verbatim traces. Therefore lure errors increase when they match the gists representation of their studied associates but decrease when retrieval is inspired of the verbatim traces of their studied associates (Howe, 2008). Once the gist representation is reasonably strong it can produce an illusory subjective experience of its actual presentation, this is known as phantom recollection (Gallo, McDermott, Percer & Roediger III, 2001). When this phenomenon occurs an individual may confuse the gist trace strength with the psychological experience of recollecting, which is normally mediated by retrieving verbatim traces of studied items. As lure items tend to match very strong gist traces in memory individuals believe they can recollect DRM lures. According to Arndt, (2010), â€Å"this theory proposes that although these errors are often phenomenologically similar to items that were episodically experienced, lures’ recollection phenomenology is representationally distinct from that of study items† (p.67). There is evidence however that false memory can be based largely on automatic processing and is amenable to only limited conscious control. For example, Dodd and MacLeod (2004), showed that mere exposure to DRM lists was sufficient to create a false memory: They presented DRM lists as coloured words in a Stroop test. Naming colours reduced accurate memory for list words as compared to reading coloured words, but false memory remained high for critical words. Furthermore, the elimination of false memory is difficult in that certain â€Å"encoding manipulations may lead to reductions in false memories through metamemorial processes occurring at retrieval† (Gallo, McDermott, Percer & Roediger III, 2001, p.339). For example slowing presentation rate decreases the probability of false remembering, but may not eliminate it (Gallo, McDermott, Percer & Roediger III, 2001). False memories are remarkably persistent. For example, Toglia, Neuschatz and Goodwin (1999) found that false recall rates remained high over a three-week period, whereas recall of studied words revealed the typical decrement. In short, the DRM paradigm allows for the easy and reliable elicitation of false memories in the laboratory. From a practical perspective, false memories are a threat to the validity of eyewitness testimony, a misleading source of autobiographical information in psychotherapy, and a biased representation of lessons taught in educational settings. For this assignment the validity of eyewitness testimony only, will be discussed (Hunt & Ellis, 2004). According to Greene (as cited in Loftus, 1995, p.720), â€Å"memories do not exist in a vacuum. Rather, they continually disrupt each other through a mechanism that we call â€Å"interference†. For instance, memories can be disrupted by things that an individual experienced earlier, this is known as proactive interference or situations that one may experience later, which is known as retroactive interference. Based on the interference theory from a retroactive interference perspective, when new information is received that is mislea ding in some ways individuals make errors when they report what they saw. The reason for this is that new information often becomes incorporated into the recollection, supplementing or altering it in a significant way (Porter, Bellhouse, McDougall, Brinke & Wilson, 2010). Elizabeth Loftus (as cited in Hunt & Ellis, 2004), pioneered laboratory research modeled on eyewitness situation demonstrating the intervening events that occur between witnessing an event and subsequent testimony in court. The paradigm for this research was simple, participants witnesses a simulated violent crime of an automobile accident half of the participants received new misleading information about the event and the other half did not received any misinformation. The participants in this experiment were influenced by presuppositions invoked by the verbs smashed and hit based on the question asked, which was â€Å"About how fast the car was going when they hit, smashed each other †. Smashed presupposes a more violent collision a fact that influences both estimates of speed an d amount of damage. Therefore individuals who stated that there was broken glass saw the word â€Å"smashed†, but no broken glass was actually depicted in the film. The presupposition dramatically, but subtly influenced memory for the actual event (Loftus, 1995). What was being remembered was the integrated memory of the two events, memory for the original film, plus memory for the additional information that was inherent in the question asked later. As the two memories blended over time the end result would be a single blended memory that is a distortion of the original event (Hunt & Ellis, 2004). Higham (1998), showed that the latency between exposure to misinformation and time recall also influenced the misinformation effect, such that recent exposure to recent information was associated with greater recall of false details. Therefore both the response bias and memory change accounts have important implications for how one might regard the reliability of eyewitness testimony. According to Loftus & Pickrell (1995), false memories can be implanted as was demonstrated in the â€Å"Lost-in-a-shopping-mall† study. It suggested that memory of an entire mildly traumatic event can be created and that further questions may be asked, such as, is it possible to implant a memory of abuse. For example one of the most dramatic cases of false memory of abuse ever to be documented was the case of Paul Ingram from Olympia, Washington (Ofshe, 1992; Watters, 1991). This individual was arrested for child abuse in 1988 at the time he was chair of the county Republican committee. From the outset he denied everything, but after five months of interrogation, suggestions from a psychologist and continuing pressure from detectives and advisors, Ingram began to confess to rapes, assaults, child sexual abuse, and participation in a Satan-worshiping cult alleged to have murdered 25 babies (Loftus, 1993). Ofshe (1989) noted that this was not the first time that a vulnerable individual had been made to believe that he had committed a crime for which he originally had no memory and which evidence proved he could not have committed. What is crucial about the Ingram case is that some of the same methods that are used in repressed memory cases were used with Ingram. This case also provides further insights into the malleable nature of memory. They suggest that memories for personally traumatic events can be altered by new experiences. Moreover, they reveal that entire events that never happened can be injected into memory. Therefore false memories range from the relatively trivial (e.g., remembering voting) to the bizarre (e.g., remembering forcing one’s daughter and son to have sex) (Loftus, 1993). These false memories, with more or less detail, of course, do not prove that repressed memories of abuse that return are false. They do demonstrate a mechanism by which false memories can be created, by a small suggestion from a trusted family member, by hearing someone lie, by suggestion from a psychologist, or by incorporation of the experiences of others into one’s own autobiography planted (Loftus, 1993). Although false memories of ones childhood can be implanted, it does not imply that all memories that arise after suggestion are necessarily false, although the experimental work on false memory creation raises doubt about the validity of long buried memories such as repeated trauma, but it in no way disproves them. Even with the most experienced evaluator, it is difficult to differentiate true memories from ones that are suggestively planted (Loftus, 1997). True memories represent events as they really occurred, whereas false memories shade, distort or entirely misrepresent events as they really happened. Research on memory distortion indicates that memory is not at all like a mechanical recording device. The original experience is not stored as some veridical trace of what was out there but, rather, is the result of interpretive processes of perception and comprehension. The intriguing picture of memory that emerges is one of a powerful, adaptively important and usually reliable psychological process that sometimes is completely wrong (Hunt & Ellis, 2004). References Arndt, J. (2010). The role of memory activation in creating false memories of encoding context. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 36(1), 66-79. Chan, C. K. J., McDermott, B. K., Watson, M. J., & Gallo, A. D. ( 2005). The importance of material-processing interactions in inducing false memories. Journal of Memory & Cognition, 33 (3) 389-395. Dodd, M. D., & MacLeod, C. M. (2004). False recognition without intentional learning. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 11, 137-142. Gallo, A. D., McDermott, B. K., Percer, M. J., & Roediger, L. H. III. (2001). Modality Effects in False Recall and False Recognition. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 27 (2) 339-353 Gleaves, D. H., Smith, S. M., Butler, L. D., & Spiegel, D. (2004). False and recovered memories in the laboratory and clinic: A review of experimental and clinic evidence. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11 3-28. Higham, P. A. (1998). Believing details known to have been suggested. British Journal of Psychology, 89, 920-930. Howe, L. M. (2008). What is false memory development and the development of comment on Brainerd, Reyna and Ceci (2008), Psychological Bullentin, 134 (5), 768-772. Hunt, R. R., & Ellis, C. H. (2004). Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology (7th Ed). McGraw Hill. Loftus, E., & Ketcham, K. (1994). False memories and allegations of sexual abuse: The myth of repressed memory. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Loftus, E.F. (1997). Creating false memories. Scientific American, 277, 70-75. Loftus, E.F. (1993). The reality of repressed memories. American Psychologist, 48, 518-537. Loftus, E.F., & Pickrell, E. J. (1995). The formation of false memories. Psychiatric Annals , 25, 720-725. Ofshe, R. J. (1992). Inadvertent hypnosis during interrogation: False confession due to dissociative state, misidentified multiple personality and the satanic cult hypothesis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 40, 125-156. Ofshe, R. J. (1989). Coerced confessions: The logic of seemingly irrational action. Cultic Studies Journal, 6, 1-15 Porter, S., Bellhouse, S., McDougall, A., Brinke, T. L., & Wilson, K. (2010). A prospective investigation of the vulnerability of memory for positive and negative emotional scenes to the misinformation effect. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 42 (1) 55-61. Surgrue, K., & Hayne, H. (2006). False Memories produced by children and Adults in the DRM Paradigm. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 20, 625-631. Toglia, M. P., Neuschatz, J. S., & Goodwin, K. (1999). Recall accuracy and illusory memories: When more is less. Memory, 7, 233-256. Watters, E. (1991). The devil in Mr. Ingram. Mother Jones, 65-68.

Employee Portal System

INTRODUCTION The changes and improvement of technology in the community is not unfamiliar to us. Every day there is an innovation of advance technology to improve the performance of work and lifestyle of the humanity. It is most beneficial for companies with large amounts of clients and employees using their services or products. One of these is a City hall that caters service to their clients.The proposed study aims to design and develop a web based employee portal for the city hall of Paranaque which is a public sector of the government that deals with the city ordinance, city facilities, city government, and city projects this public sector helps the people by providing their needs such as jobs, health, education and peace and order of the city. Purpose and Description The chosen client for the proposed project is the Municipal of Paranaque which is located at San Antonio Ave, Paranaque City.It is an Establishment in 1888 that started operating because of the people who needs serv ices from the government. Also for the city ordinance, city facilities, city government and city projects this public sector helps the people by provides the needs such as jobs, health, education, peace and order of the city. Even though Paranaque City hall is a building housing of the administrative offices of a municipal government, its officials considered as a group.Since the city hall was established, it still has manual processes of gathering information of every employee that consume time instead of using it to a more productive work. Based on the interviews conducted by the group with the City hall of Paranaque, the process of gathering and updating information of employee consumed more time due to the manual process of storing information. The estimated beneficiaries of the employee portal is about 5. 000 to 10,000 The Employee portal of Paranaque city hall was Web Based employee portal.The system doesn’t only helped the said city hall manage the records of each conc erned personnel related to them but could also help them improve the quality of service they are currently giving for the employee’s. Anyone who has applied for viewing records knows the frustration of form-filling – and waiting as the hard copy travels up and down the approval hierarchy. This Employee portal with its powerful features cuts out the physical movements and enables HR to have a bird’s eye view of the employee situation and status in the company.The group has decided to choice this topic to help our client to save time in looking for their employee’s record. Maintaining the services that provide by the employees of the city hall of Paranaque should come up with the used of the modern technology by the access through internet that will give the people fulfilment when it comes in their satisfaction provided by the employee portal and when it comes in the services provided by the city hall of Paranaque for their employee. Project contextSince th e Paranaque city hall has a manual process and slow the entire organization down data being rearranged and kept by hand the time allotted of the other task will be used in manipulating the data particularly when making some changes and error is encountered the longer the time will be consume the greater amount of effort will be lost during the process of looking the information that needed. With the information that the proponents have gathered upon doing researches, studies and interviews with the client representative, the idea of automating the old process of the city hall have been discussed.The proposed Web Based Employee Portal for the said city hall is greatly necessary to lessen heavy works in compiling large number of files of all the clients and other staffs in the city hall. The system doesn’t only focused in dealing with the employees’ information alone but it also caters the management of other staffs that could be related in creating an employee account. Basically, even if the system is web based, only authorized personnel of the city hall will be allowed to access it, but this doesn’t limit its use to the employees and other individuals concerning the city hall’s transactions.Objectives The general objective of this study is to develop an Employee Portal for Paranaque City Hall that will give them hassle free transaction. The reason for writing this report is to analyse the existing system of Municipal of Paranaque which is the Employee portal. The group’s objective is to be familiarized to the concepts and principles use to develop the system and does the system help to improve the quality service of each employee’s. The group wants to know the process on how the system works/function.The group wants to learn the benefits of the system and also its disadvantage. Specific Objectives a. To design an Employee Portal for Paranaque City Hall using GUI features. b. To provide user account for all system entit y. c. To provide employee’s attendance with their available leave. d. To provide health reports of the employees such as health issues and previous health record. e. To provide the salary of the employees with/without overtime. f. To create a Login/Logout module for the Administrator and the employees. g. To gather records of the employees in fast and easy way.Scope and limitation The study will focus on the development of the employee’s portal of city hall of Paranaque this will include the employee’s information where they can view and update their information or background, health records to trace their health status, employee’s attendance to view the number of absences and employee’s status, salary for the month with or without the overtime pay, available leave for the whole annual year the employee must create their account to get access to the system to avail the system features.Some features of the system are viewing the available leave, mon itoring of tardiness or absences of the employee, viewing the salary for the month and checking up their health issue. The system will be accessible and available through the use of internet the coverage of the study is entire record keeping of the employee’s information however errors may encounter on the process of making accounts for every employee due to some of the employee may not be computer literate or don’t have internet access specially to the older employee in the city hall of Paranaque. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATUREThis chapter discusses the main points of other written works and reports on research that were deemed as essential to this study due to their association to one another. Moreover, these related literature and studies were able to aid the researchers of this study to progress in developing the system with various existing systems. RELATED LITERATURE The proposed system concentrates on the development of an employee portal of city hall of Paranaque . In the book entitled International Encyclopaedia of Business and Management, it was noted that different systems are used these days to manage and complete transaction necessary.This goes beyond the very definition of electronic commerce that generally refers to the use of tools related to telecommunication. As more and more people are becoming used to the innovation of technology, there is a growing demand to secured use of the internet. According to the Internet System Handbook (Lynch & Rose, 2005), the realms of the internet stretches to every continent, the exact size of the cyber world can only be approximated. All the same, its growth is very dependent to the needs of the online community. The InternetThe internet generally consists of various routes of connections which accommodate delivery of information. Even if the closest path or way is out, the travel of the information to it destination still pushes through provided that there are alternative routes. Users who have th e connection may be affected by the bandwidth and the power of the server. The World Wide Web The World Wide Web consists of many web pages. Data is the core element of these web pages. This includes text data, interactive data, and the likes, which are only available for the viewing of the surfers.Web programming works hand in hand with the essentials of the World Wide Web as this is the foundation of the practice of researchers. Using PHP Programming Language PHP is typically defined as pre-processor due to the fact that the server calls the software installed in the server when opening the page. The installed PHP software operated by means of interpreting the scripting and nothing else. Consequently, all other processes are ignored to give way to the execution of the PHP processes. Scripts written in PHP can be edited and uploaded in a convenient manner. Regular text tools such as Notepad can be used to write PHP scripting.A file that will be executed as PHP scripting must have a n extension name of â€Å"php†. Using MySQL There are three different ways by which MySQL database system can be accessed. First is the local accessing which necessitates the programmer to utilize particular packages equipped towards tendering a complete and functioning system. The second way is through the use of the MySQL command line software that can be opened over the internet. The last means if through a running web interface. PhpMyAdmin As a set of PHP scripts, PHPMyAdmin works by providing access to MySQL database through installation and via web pages.A number of facilities will then utilize to have this kind of application operate. These include modules for logging in, maintenance, query, and testing of database. Content Management System A content management system is a kind of system that generally organizes contents that can be placed in the web pages. Likewise, it provides a collection of procedures that are used to supervise the work flow in a collaborative env ironment. By organization, it pertains to the addition, deletion, and editing or modification of contents published in web pages. There are different content management systems that can be found over the internet these days.One of the most popular examples is the one used in web logs or simply called blogs. Content management systems are typical for blogging platforms such as Blogger, Word Press and Live Journal. Foreign Literature A  web portal  is a  website  that brings information together from diverse sources in a uniform way. Usually, each information source gets its dedicated area on the page for displaying information (a  portlet); often, the user can configure which ones to display. Apart from the standard  search engines  feature, web portals offer other services such as  e-mail, news, stock prices, information, databases and entertainment.Portals provide a way for enterprises to provide a consistent  look and feel  with access control and procedures fo r multiple applications and databases, which otherwise would have been different entities altogether. What is a portal? â€Å"Portal† has been the buzzword of the networked age since 1997. Portals were so popular in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumers (B2C) applications that the business world borrowed an old jingle: â€Å"I'm a portal, he's a portal, she's a portal, we're a portal, wouldn't you like to be a portal, too? † Portal derives from the medieval Latin word portale, meaning â€Å"city gate. American Heritage Dictionary defines a portal as â€Å"a doorway or an entrance, or a gate, especially one that is large and imposing. † New definitions for portals in the networked environment can be found on many Web sites. A synthesis of these new definitions is as follows: a Web portal is a doorway that can be customized by individual users to automatically filter information from the Web. It typically offers a search engine and links to useful pages, such as news, weather, travel, and stock quotes. A portal can also be defined as a customizable Web search engine to reflect the MY trend in current Web development.The platform for a portal Web site is a search engine, but a portal is different from a general search engine in that it can be customized by individuals for automatic, constant search for specific information, and it can deliver the results to individuals in a predefined way. A customizable search engine is unique to the user; it is different from anyone else's. References (1. ) Jian-zhong Zhou, â€Å"The Evolution of Journals and Early Scholarly Publications from Ancient China to the Twentyfirst Century,† Journal of Information, Communication, and Library Science 7, no. 3 (Mar. 2001): 1-11. 2. ) Hadley Reynolds and Tom Koulopoulos, â€Å"Enterprise Knowledge Has a Face,† Intelligent Enterprise 2, no. 5 (Man 30, 1999): 28. Local Literature WikiPilipinas is an online, free content encyclopedia on the Philippines. WikiPilipinas features encyclopedic articles covering its 12 Main Portals, namely; Government and Politics, Philippine History, Media and Entertainment, Culture and Arts, People and Society, Business and Economy, Geography and Travel, Philippine Communities, Religion and Beliefs, Science and Technology, and Sports and Leisure. In addition, the encyclopedia also as portals on special topics such as Philippine Music, Native Cuisine, Traditional Filipino Games, and many more. The name WikiPilipinas is a portmanteau of the words wiki (a type of collaborative website) and Pilipinas, the Filipino term for Philippines. The project was conceptualized in February 2007 by the editors of Filipiniana. net. Together, Filipiniana. net and WikiPilipinas. org aim to become the two primary portals to Philippine knowledge. WikiPilipinas is an ongoing project written collaboratively by volunteers around the world in an effort to build the largest Philippine knowledgebase.With few excepti ons, the contents of WikiPilipinas can be edited at any time, by anyone with access to the Internet, but contributions should be guided by the policies and guidelines that WikiPilipinas editors have identified. WikiPilipinas is building the Philippine Websites portal to provide a comprehensive scope of knowledge on Philippine Websites. Our pool of editors are presenting this content outline as we build the best of what WikiPilipinas can offer for the Filipino people. The major topics divided into several categories provide the organizational framework for this Philippine Websites portal.The outline and its contents will also showcase the collaborative efforts that we can start within WikiPilipinas. This content outline will undergo a thorough review process to ensure that it meets the highest standards that WikiPilipinas upholds. http://en. wikipilipinas. org/index. php? title=Portal:Philippine_Websites METHODOLOGY We conduct a survey for our system implementation of organization po rtal system and we came up developing the system for the city hall of Paranaque due to lack of systematically process of employee’s background checking and checking of available leave, the total salary for the month, and health reports.This section presents the requirements specification, analysis, project design which includes the context diagram, data flow diagram and the system flow chart, the software development tool and the software testing. Requirements Specification Conceptual framework is used to give the readers visualization and some understanding of how the proposed system works and will develop. With the aid of this diagram, readers would find it easy to understand the existing and the proposed software. It describes what the software will do and how it will be expected to perform. Fishbone Diagram Shows the requirements to develop a Employee Portal.One requirement is that the design must be extensible, consistent and have a good concept and standard techniques. The researchers must have the determination and dedication to finish a good project, effort, Cooperation, Time Management and must have knowledge in programming. Another is the client will help the researchers in developing the system by discussing the current system of the company by giving their business rules, Analysis and company information. And in order to finish the project, the researchers must have a good project management by having develop the schedule and estimate time and cost for activities.The Materials needed of the system consists of a computer, browser. The hardware component of the system consists of a computer and Web server. These two components are needed together with the system applications to meet the required specifications. In order to maximize the performance of the system, it is recommended to at least exceed the minimum requirements. Materials: Computer System: a. ) Monitor b. ) Mouse c. ) Keyboard d. ) CPU e. ) Database of the system The Employee porta l of Paranaque city hall was developed under the following specifications: Operating System: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7Processor: Intel Pentium Memory: 2 GB Video card: 1 GB On the basis of foregoing concepts, findings and theories, here is an insight of conceptual model shown below. Employee Portal of Paranaque City hall 1. Analysis a. System Requirements b. System Definitions 2. Design a. Data Flow Diagram b. Design for the system 3. Development a. Program Coding b. Database validation c. System test and improvement 1. Knowledge Requirements a. PHP web programming b. Reservation System and Database 2. Software Requirements a. OS (Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, etc. ) b. My SQL database c. XAMPP Control Panel . Internet Browser – INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT Analysis Operational Feasibility Since the process of gathering information of the employee we proposed this employee portal system for Paranaque city hall to lessen the cost of time or delaying the pressures fo r the employee. They can check and update their information through the use of the internet and the website we provide to check their salary for the month with or without the overtime pay, available leave, health issue and attendance report. Technical FeasibilityAs our research go further we learn that the city hall of Paranaque have already developed their system, the difference between their system and our proposed system is that the website is dynamic and we include Database, CCS/JavaScript, PHP, HTML, My SQL and it is more accessible, available, reliable, user friendly and visible for every employee We create the system using the My SQL, CSS/ JavaScript for the inscription of the website for the city hall of Paranaque, PHP for developing the accessibility and availability of the website through the use of internet and Database for gathering and updating the information of each employee Schedule feasibility Economic feasibility Design In order to carry out the objectives of the s tudy in regards to the development of the system. A system design is conceptualized with respect to the features and functionalities of the said system. Context Diagram of Employee portal Development & TestingThe system can be developed for a variety of purposes, one is to meet specific needs of a specific client/business, and it includes sets of tasks and deliverables needed to develop the system. The proponents used the scrum wherein it follows the project from the concept made by the group, by creating product backlog, sprint backlog. Scrum The scrum model includes the following stages: product backlog, and sprint backlog. In which the product backlog is a prioritized list of what is required for the project while the sprint backlog is the list of tasks that committing that they will complete in the current sprint. Product backlog Product Backlog is the core list of all functionality desired in the product to be done.It includes functional requirements and non-functional requirem ents. It utilizes the simplest and the most effective way for prioritizing a simple list. The product actually makes decisions about features priorities. Items with the highest priority are completed first. Items may be deleted or added at any time during the project. Sprint backlog The sprint backlog is a simple list of the tasks that must executed by the team in order to turn a selected set of product backlog items into a deliverable increment of functionality. Software Testing The used of positive and negative testing of the system will have to go through different tests to determine the system functionality and reliability.It is essential to test the system for the proponents not to miss any error of the software. Alpha testing The Alpha testing used for white box and black box testing techniques, the focus is on simulating real users by using these techniques and carrying out tasks and operations that a typical user might perform. Once these techniques have been satisfactory co mpleted, the Alpha testing is considered to be completed. White box testing White box testing is a method of tests structures or working of an application with the knowledge of the internal working of the code base. * Control Structure Testing – The control structure testing has three types of techniques: a. Condition testing – test the logical conditions contained in a procedural specification. b. ) Looping Testing – is a method that focuses exclusively on the validity of iterative constructs or repetition. c. ) Data Flow Testing – method selects test paths of a program according to the locations of the definitions and uses of variables in the program. Black box testing Black box testing is a software testing techniques in which functionality of the system is under tested without looking at the internal code structure. Beta Testing Beta testing can be considered a form of external user acceptance testing. The system is released to groups of people so tha t further testing can ensure the product has error or bugs.

Book Review on Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat

James R. McDonough once stated that his story is not a comprehensive documentation of the Vietnam War, but a mere account of an American platoon leader in battle. Lt. McDonough had, for a year after West Point, been situated in specialized training bases to be part of an airborne brigade. And as he was readily equipped, he was brought to the Strategic Hamlet Program – formed by the US armed forces in the 1960s to weaken the Viet Cong through civilian control, which, failed in the 1970s. Nevertheless, the US armed forces have not dissolved this program yet. 2nd Lieutenant McDonough found himself commanding a platoon led by a non-commissioned officer. Everyone was in low morale and inefficient as the lieutenant McDonough was replacing refused to wage war – all the time keeping the platoon from being harmed. Setting his goals straight, McDonough looked forward to gain the loyalty of his platoon, as well as, completing the mission with minimal or no casualties on their part. Mc Donough journeyed through a difficult period of founding leadership. He practiced careful observation and frequent combats with the enemy to lay out plans that would ensure an accomplished mission. An air of loneliness have also been created throughout the whole story as platoon men shared their piece of sufferings, fears and yearnings both in their military and personal lives. The novel provided a realistic point of view to both sides of the war – good and bad, the thoughts that prevail to each character in the story and the choices each one of them has to make in the line of duty (Hopkins). The three things this memoir might embed in the reader’s mind might include: Doing the right thing – in the right time and with the right reasons; There is a given responsibility each soldier has to his fellow comrades – it is to protect them at all costs; and Tiny mischiefs might ignite large conflicts – this should teach vigilance in discipline (Jacobs). These are just three of three of the important points presented in this memoir. But, among the most significant to note is leadership. He has set goals for a demoralized group of men, has aided each one of them to brave in realizing these goals, and ensuring that each of his men savor the success of these goals. McDonough made a comparison between good and bad leadership through the two lieutenants – the non-commissioned officer who refuses to fight, and he who wishes to be a real leader. Vivid details in the memoir bring the setting come to life along with the compelling set of characters. McDonough seemingly did not find it necessary to delve much in the morbid images of the war, rather, on the relationships that developed throughout the story. It was reflected in moments of irony and humor – an indication of the need to be resilient. He also enumerated different strategies and tactics that had been formulated during the war. These relationships were part of the humanizing aspects of the story, including issues that involve latrines. McDonough filled his memoir with discovering varied kinds of relationships with different men – from high-ranking men to allies and enemies, and civilians. It was a compilation of the view and experiences of war by different people. The Platoon Leader also indicated the ethics and morals of the war, the dehumanizing possibility a soldier might come across in the cruelty of the war. McDonough’s instrument character in this memoir is his being a leader – it enabled him to explore relationships, establish a set of war ethics and morals, a progression into a real leader. He portrayed a wise, humane, tough and firm leader, under the most difficult circumstances. The novel is a profound documentation on wartime virtues – making it a very important piece in American literature (Mazza). References: Hopkins, Martha. â€Å"Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat.† 2003.25 May 2007 . Jacobs. â€Å"Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat : Review.† 2007. 25 May 2007 . Mazza, Michael. â€Å"Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat: Review.† 2004. 25 May 2007

Chekhov Setting Analysis The Lady with the Dog Essay

In Anton Chekhov’s story â€Å"The Lady with the Dog. † the main characters Dmitry Gurov and Anna Sergeyevna partake in an affair while in Yalta. Chekhov creates this with words that capture a place and time, the movements between two people and emotions of love discovered but contained in secrecy. The central idea of this story is that in reality everything in this world is truly beautiful when on reflects on it, except when we forget our dignity and our higher aim in our mere human existence. The setting in this story helps us understand the central idea by throwing in the stepping stones for these two people to sit back and look at their surroundings each time they meet. With every meeting comes a deeper understanding of the feelings being felt. In the first passage there is a lot of people gathered on a pier, everyone seems to be waiting on someone therefore not putting much attention or thought to the young lovers. This gives them that ability to sneak without much detection from anyone that may recognize them. The tone seems light but still prominent. The author writes, â€Å"In the evening, when the wind had dropped, they walked to the pier to see the steamer come in. There were a great many people strolling about the harbour; they had gathered to welcome someone, bringing bouquets. And two peculiarities of a well-dressed Yalta crowd were very conspicuous: the elderly ladies were dressed like young ones, and there were great numbers of generals. † The â€Å"great many people strolling about the harbor† make it easier for the pair to be part of the rea; world but still only really existing in their own realm without fear of being caught. Also the â€Å"well-dressed Yalta crowd were very conspicuous† so all the notice and attention would be on the â€Å"elderly ladies dressed like young ones† and on the â€Å"great numbers of generals. † The setting helps communicate the central idea, Chekhov did not look for a moral solution but instead hangs Gurov and Anna in a state of having no end that allows them to speak of what is real. As soon as Anna leaves, Gurov does not feel at home in Yalta anymore. In the story the author writes â€Å"The train moved off rapidly, its lights soon vanished from sight, and a minute later there was no sound of it, as though everything has conspired together to end as quickly as possible that sweet delirium, that madness. Left alone on the platform, and gazing into the dark distance, Gurov listened to the shrilling of the grasshoppers and the hum of the telegrap wires, feeling as though he had only just awakened. † When Anna leaves Yalta, it signals a shift in atmosphere and mood â€Å"as though everything had conspired together to end as quickly as possible. Gurov had a â€Å"feeling as though he had only just awakened. † And at that moment quickly decides it’s time for him to go north as well. The passage reveals how out of place and uncomfortable he feels with Anna gone â€Å"standing alone on the platform and gazing into the dark distance, listened to the shrilling of the grasshoppers and the humming of the telegraph wires. † Each of these an example of something unpleasant reflecting the emotions continuing to develop in Gurov. Anna brought about a softening of his heart, allowing him to love for the first time in his life.

Analysis Of International Expansion Samples

International expansion of organizations provides them with opportunities to increase their revenues and profitability. The organizations however need to analyse the external environment where they are planning to expand so that they can decide upon the ways by which they set up their business. The organization that is taken into consideration for expansion is Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. The area where the company is planning to expand its operations is India and the city is Mumbai (Ang, Benischke & Hooi, 2018). Marina Bay is a resort which is located in Marina Bay, Singapore. The resort started its operations in the year 2010 and was named as the most expensive casino in the world. The Marina Bay resort consists of 2561 hotel rooms and many facilities within its premises (Singapore, 2018). The target market of the company will be India. The huge population and developing economy of the country will facilitate the operations of the organization in the country. The service sector of the country acts as the major driver of growth of its economy. Almost 28.6% of the entire population of India is employed in the service sector. The service sector of the country mainly comprises of the hotels and restaurants. India has been named as the most advanced traveller nations related to the usage of digital tools for the purpose of planning, then booking and further experiencing a particular journey (Papadopoulos, Gulanowski & Plante, 2018). The hospitality and tourism sector is considered to be a part of the top 10 sectors which are able to attract foreign investment. The government has also been taking many initiatives related to the promotion of the tourism and hospitality sector of the country. The hospitality and tourism industry of India has huge potential related to growth in the future. These qualities of the hotel industry of India will help in the growth and will further increase the revenues of the Marina Bay Sands resort (Yoder, Visich & Rustambekov, 2016). Marina Bay Sands can however face challenges related to various factors in the country which are as discussed below, Marina Bay Sands will face many challenges in the new area of their operations in Mumbai, India. However, the organization has to device strategies so that they can combat these challenges and set up a successful business in the country. The organization needs to conduct extensive research in the Indian hospitality sector before entering and investing in the market. The organization can take the help of promotions and advertising to promote their services and offerings in the country. The promotions can be done with the help of digital media and the with the help of social media   marketing as well. Marina Bay needs to a build a competitive edge so that they can differentiate themselves in the market. The shopping experience that the organization provides to the guests is a new concept and can help them in creating a different position in the market. Marina Bay will be able to create a different market for their offerings by introducing this new concept in the market. A wholly owned subsidiary mainly refers to the type of company which is totally owned by another company. The organization which owns the other company is known as the parent company or the holding company. The stocks of the subsidiary company are totally owned by the parent company. The market entry strategy that can be undertaken by the organization is a wholly-owned subsidiary. The wholly owned subsidiaries will be able to take control of the entire supply chain and will be able to control them totally (Santos, Brochado & Esperanà §a, 2016). The suppliers of the organization are under total control of the owners in this case. This means that an entirely different organization will be opened in India which will be a part of the Marina Bay Resorts Group. The organization needs to make a huge investment in this case, however, the growth levels of the Indian market will be suitable for the fast pace growth of the resort. The development of the organization will be facilitated by the increased number of foreign tourists in the city. The investment needs to be made by the organization as the facilities need to be built in such a manner so that it can accommodate the services that are provided by the resort in Singapore. The brand value of the organization will also help them attracting guests and setting up the business in a profitable manner (Andreu, Claver & Quer, 2017). Andreu, R., Claver, E., & Quer, D. (2017). Foreign market entry mode choice of hotel companies: Determining factors.  International Journal of Hospitality Management,  62, 111-119. Ang, S. H., Benischke, M. H., & Hooi, A. W. L. (2018). Frequency of international expansion through high control market expansion modes and interlocked directorships.  Journal of World Business. Doyle, G. (2015). Brands in international and multi-platform expansion strategies: Economic and management issues. In  Handbook of Media Branding  (pp. 53-64). Springer, Cham. Leonidou, L. C., Leonidou, C. N., Fotiadis, T. A., & Aykol, B. (2015). Dynamic capabilities driving an eco-based advantage and performance in global hotel chains: The moderating effect of international strategy.  Tourism Management,  50, 268-280. Papadopoulos, N., Gulanowski, D., & Plante, L. (2018). The Role of Knowledge in International Expansion: Toward an Integration of Competing Models of Internationalization.  Review of International Business and Strategy, (just-accepted), 00-00. Santos, M., Brochado, A., & Esperanà §a, J. (2016). Foreign direct investment patterns of global hotel chains.  Journal of Business Research,  69(11), 5235-5240. Singapore, 5. (2018).  Singapore Luxury Hotel.  Marinabaysands.com. Retrieved 16 March2018,fromhttps://www.marinabaysands.com/hotel.html#osSwY5SPJvKoE5Yx.97 Yoder, S., Visich, J. K., & Rustambekov, E. (2016). Lessons learned from international expansion failures and successes.  Business Horizons,  59(2), 233-243.

Effects Of Violence And Disease On The Kenyan Economy Research Paper

Effects Of Violence And Disease On The Kenyan Economy - Research Paper Example There is the element of that aspect of ethnic violence that is due to numerous disputes over land and the distribution of power and wealth, stemming from disputes that first arose during the time of the colonial masters, and taking deeper root from the time of independence in 1963 moving forward. The Rift Valley and Nairobi slums have been targeted as the areas with the most profound violence in the country, even as violence is not isolated in that region, but spread over along ethnic lines. The Kikuyu tribe, making up about 20 percent of the population, and politically and economically influential, has had clashes with competing for ethnic groups such as the Luo, among the most prominent of which is the violence that erupted in 2008, tied to the elections. It is hard to quantify the economic impacts of such violence, and the number of casualties seems to pale in comparison to the dead in such places as Rwanda, but the consensus is that violence in some form or other has had some imp act on the development of the Kenyan economy through the years. The effects of disease and poor health on the economy, in particular, are dire, pervasive, and chronic, affecting longevity and workforce numbers and quality, and affecting the ability of the Kenyan economy to fund growth and other drivers of long-term economic wellness, such as education, and threatening to pull the country into a vicious cycle where the continued deterioration of the health of the Kenyan population translates to poorer and poorer economic outcomes.... face a growing list of persistent and chronic health crises that crippled the country's ability to adequately address all of these health problems and grow the economy. It is a chicken and egg affair. As more Kenyans meet with devastating health afflictions, such as tuberculosis malaria, and AIDS, the greater their burden on the nation's coffers, which in turn caused the country to suffer reversals versus its economic goals. Moreover, the impaired health and longevity of its citizens translated to a less capable workforce, which also had the effect of stunting overall economic growth. Indeed, at present, about half of the Kenyan population lives in poverty, while the longevity rates have gone down from a peak of 62 years in the late 1980's to just 53 years twenty years hence (Center for Strategic & International Studies). Data from UNICEF largely corroborate the steep plunge in expected longevity rates for the country, dropping to just 44 years according to UNICEF largely due to the outbreak and chronically high levels of the incidence of AIDS/HIV in the country (UNICEF). The numbers relating to the incidence of crippling diseases, including malaria, AIDS, other infectious illnesses, and tuberculosis, have remained at chronic high levels since that time. To add to this, recent trends are that the country is facing an epidemic of other chronic ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, and different kinds of cancers, further adding to the national burden, increasing the financial requirements to meet health care needs, and further stressing the national economy. The health care burden is huge relative to the capacity of the Kenyan national government's ability to meet it financially, and is the starting point of a vicious circle that threatens to keep the Kenyan