Subiaco Centro Project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Subiaco Centro Project - Term Paper Example There are non-transportation objectives and they include provision of affordable and desirable housing choices, support revitalization or economic development, enhance quality of life and the sense of community, minimize infrastructure costs, shift the development from the sensitive areas, and reduce sprawl. The motivating factor for most of the stakeholders and in some cases the transit agencies is the financial return associated with TODs. For example, rents are a major supply of non-farebox revenue that is accrued from the development of system-owned land that is adjacent to the transit stations . Research conducted indicates that the number of the no-car households in regions where public transport is reducing and the high earning households who have cars is increasing. The trend undermines the same findings by Affleck and Haslam Mackenzie. They were able to find out that the TODs attracted the affluent population cohort and squeezed out the people who depended on the public transport and those who would benefit from living closer to the transit oriented development . Theories Relative to Subiaco TOD The success of Subiaco Centro Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is a factor of the the underlying TOD principles on which it was based. The structure of the project was modeled along a wide range of these principles among them the principle of Diversity of Use. This principle generally means that the program makes use of market synergy of balancing functions so that more people are attracted and retained within the structure of the TOD.... For example, rents are a major supply of non-farebox revenue that is accrued from the development of system-owned land that is adjacent to the transit stations4. Research conducted indicates that the number of the no-car households in regions where public transport is reducing and the high earning households who have cars is increasing. The trend undermines the same findings by Affleck and Haslam Mackenzie. They were able to find out that the TODs attracted the affluent population cohort and squeezed out the people who depended on the public transport and those who would benefit from living closer to the transit oriented development5. Theories Relative to Subiaco TOD The success of Subiaco Centro Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is a factor of the the underlying TOD principles on which it was based. The structure of the project was modeled along a wide range of these principles among them the principle of Diversity of Use. This principle generally means that the program makes use o f market synergy of balancing functions so that more people are attracted and retained within the structure of the TOD. In the Subiaco case, the implementers condensed a multiplicity of services from a wide range of sectors for the purposes of efficiency and harmony. Partnerships were created to enable the active participation of the public and the policy implementers to ease the disconnection that had existed before. The second principle on which this project was created was one of compactness. This principle as understood within the context of TOD basically means that the structure of the place is made in a walkable design. This means that the physical structure must be tight and precise to

A Single Needle; Single Handily Changing the Game Essay Example for Free

A Single Needle; Single Handily Changing the Game Essay Americas Pastime has been the true root of sports in the United States of America. Baseball blew up in the late 19th century towards the end of the American Civil War. Before there were TVs, internet, or DVDs, baseball is what kids did for fun. It became the thing to do if you were a white male going into the 20th century, and that was just the beginning of a long bittersweet road of the game of baseball. Up until the 1990s many greats had walked in between the lines showing off their pure god given talent, then an era came along that makes every baseball fan cringe, the Steroids Era. Steroids started to spread throughout the league like wildfire, and sadly no one was doing anything about it. The only thing administration, owners, authorities, and fans had were suspicion no one knew for sure if these record breaking seasons were real or all just a fluke. The greats like Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Lou Gehrig, and Ted Williams all have been being surpassed in the record books by Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Mark McGuire, and plenty more players due to the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs. The use of illegal Steroids in baseball has single handily degraded and disgraced the great game that once was proud to be known as Americas Pastime. The man who started it all and really brought Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) to the baseball scene in the late 1980s was Oakland Athletics outfielder, Jose Canseco. Once Canseco starting showing his teammates how influential these drugs were to their performance through his own personal achievements it wasnt long before a large amount of players were using PEDs. Canseco states in his book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big that, About 85% of Major Leaguers have used it (Canseco). The MLB rarely, if at all tested for steroids during this time of the Steroids Era and if they did there was no penalty for testing positive. At the time it was virtually a win win for the players, they could juice up, exceed the stats they could only dream about, and never get in trouble during the process. Performance Enhancing Drugs became an epidemic in the world of baseball, but not only was it enhancing players performance, it was enhancing every aspect of reve nue a ball club could ever imagine. The Record books were once again open and ready for business. Athletes such as Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Mark McGuire, and so forth were smashing homeruns and going up on the charts little by little for the all time homerun record holder, Hank Aaron. This excitement on the field attracted more fans through these steroid years than baseball had ever seen, and when there are fans there is money, and when there is money there is no concern. The Major League of Baseball had been oblivious to the illegal use of Steroids over the years. Until 2002 there were no penalties for testing positive for PEDs. The new rules stated, A first time offense would only result in treatment for the player (Baseball-Almanac). Not one player was sentenced to any suspensions for this crime, until the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO) steroid scandal came to light, and brought out many of the All-Stars of the MLB to the top of the list. Victor Cante the founder of BALCO was a god to the sports world. He was the guy that not only supplied athletes with their steroi ds, but also had ways to cheat the tests so they could come up clean. Testing companies such as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the U.S Anti Doping-Agency (USADA) are always trying to improve the efficiency of the tests to make cheating near impossible if not totally full proof, but as those agencies are working to stop the cheaters workers at BALCO labs are finding ways once again come up with a new way to slide by the new and improved tests on the market (Quinn). So in 2005 The MLB created a new testing policy that was accepted by the players and owners that said, The first positive test will result in a suspension of up to ten days. The second positive test will result in a suspension of thirty days. The third positive test will result in a suspension of sixty days. The fourth positive test will result in a suspension of one full year. Finally, the fifth positive test will result in a penalty at the discretion of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Players will be tested at least once per year, with a chance that several players can be tested numerous times per year (Baseball-Almanac). That wasnt the last adjustment Bud Selig, the Commissioner of the Major League of Baseball, was going to make to the steroid testing policy. On December 13, 2007, Greg Mitchell, an investigator who was appointed by Bud Selig in 2006 to investigate the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in the MLB, presented a 409 page report to Selig showing his investigation and revealing 89 alleged players who used steroids during their career (Healey). Once Bud Selig had been shown the report, his 3rd written drug testing policy came in to play which was known as the Three strikes and youre out approach (Verhaeghe). This final policy stated that, The first positive test would result in a fifty game suspension. The second positive test would result in a one-hundred game suspension. Finally, the third positive test would result in a lifetime suspension from Major League Baseball (Baseball Almanac). Bud Selig and the rest of the administration inside of the Major League of Baseball had finally seen the light, and properly taken action on how to cut down the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs throughout the MLB. Once the Mitchell Report was released many super stars and role models for fans all around the world were printed in black under the category of the illegal use of steroids throughout their career. The most popular player named in the Mitchell Report due to his court and trial issues would have to be 7 time Cy Young winner, Roger Clemens. Once he saw that his name had been brought to light in the report he went to Capitol Hill to clear his name off the list that he felt he didnt need to be on. Little did he know that when made the statement, I appreciate the opportunity to tell this Committee and the public-under oath-what I have been saying all along: I have never used steroids, human growth hormone [HGH], or any other type of illegal performance enhancing drugs. I think these types of drugs should play no role in athletics at any level, and I fully support Senator Mitchells conclusions that steroids have no place in baseball. However, I take great issue with the reports allegation that I used these substances. Let me be clear again: I did not. (Healey) That he was entering a world of charges when committing perjury in a court of law. Many of the players claimed their innocence like Clemens did, but in the end they all served the types of charges. The original group of all time Baseball greats like Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Cy young, etc. set a high standard for the Players after them to strive for and gave them something to achieve. Never in their minds would they of thought that the game of baseball would have turned out the way it is today. These modern day All-stars who cheated and used Performance Enhancing Drugs for a shortcut just to go ahead of someones hard work and love for the game as well to achieve their personal and selfish desires should be punished and have their awards and accolades stripped from them and taken out of the record books as if they were never there to begin with. The use of Performance Enhancing Drugs has put a permanent stain on the name of Baseball and what it is truly about. Bud Selig and the Major league of Baseball has come a long way regarding minimizing the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs by enforcing harsher penalties and consequences for testing Positive for steroids. As the years have gone by thanks to the leagues stricter policies on testing positive for PEDs the amount of players getting suspended for steroid use has decreased on a year to year basis. The Major League of Baseball will never be able to completely take Performance Enhancing Drugs out of the game, but with the right consequences, and appropriate policies they will be able continue to keep the use of Steroids at a very low rate and never re-enter the once dreaded time known as the Steroids Era ever again. Works Cited Healey, Daniel. FALL OF THE ROCKET: STEROIDS IN BASEBALL AND THE CASE AGAINEST ROGER CLEMENS. Marquette Sports Law Review 19.1 (September 2008): SPORTDiscus. Web. 8 November 2011. Roger The Rocket Clemens is known to be one of the best of all-time to step on the rubber in the game of Major League Baseball. The Seven-time Cy Young winner was ultimately unstoppable in the last half of his career. He was just another great phenom in the baseball world until December 13, 2007 when the Mitchell Report was released, revealing a 409-page report that was sent to the commissioner of baseball (Bud Selig) that investigated the illegal use of steroids and Performance Enhancing Drugs used by players in Major League Baseball. There were over 80 players put on this report, but the one who stood out the most was Roger Clemens himself. On February 13th 2008 he went to Capitol Hill to argue the allegations against him saying, I appreciate the opportunity to tell this Committee and the public-under oath-what I have been saying all along: I have never used steroids, human growth hormone [HGH], or any other type of illegal performance enhancing drugs. I think these types of drugs should play no role in athletics at any level, and I fully support Senator Mitchells conclusions that Steroids have no place in baseball. However, I take great issue with the reports allegation that I used these substances. Let me be clear again: I did not. Once Clemens had stated that it put a rather large target on his back not only by investigators but also the judicial system. They were trying to get him to admit using illegal steroids, but now as well they were going after him on counts of perjury. After 2 years of gathering enough evidence and testimonies on August 19, 2010 a Federal Grand Jury Indicted Roger Clemens on six counts, one count of obstruction of congress, three counts of false statements, and two counts of perjury. On July 13, 2011 Clemens first trial began, but on the second day the judge ruled a mistrial due to prosecutorial misconduct. For now Roger Clemens is a free man, but legal sources say that he will be retried. I will be using the Mitchell Report and the Roger Clemens trial to portray that not only is the use of steroids extremely risky and unhealthy but also that its against the law and you will get caught one way or another. 1991 to 2002 was known as the Steroid Era in professional baseball. Over those years particularly in 1995 after the cancellation of the 1994 playoffs and World Series the statistics of a majority of the players skyrocketed, which in retrospect played a huge role in filling the empty seats back up after the 1994 strike. Ill be explaining that up until to this point in time the MLB did not have strict regulations on testing for the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) Kuenster, John. Major League Player Records Dishonored by Steroid Users. Baseball Digest. 62.2 (March 2008): SPORTDiscus. Web. 8 November 2011. John Kuenster touches on a very valuable subject when it comes to records, and honors given in the MLB. Back in early in mid 1900s the greats of the game like, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller, and Ernie Banks. They all set legitimate records that should never be shadowed by the players who eventually broke them. These few players all had something in common. That was hard work and love for the game. They didnt use PEDs to up there stats or to get to a higher number in a certain category. These historic greats earned their records off pure talent that was god given and worked hard to mature. The greats of our time such as, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, or Mark McGwire also hold records like men mentioned earlier. The only difference between the past greats and the current greats is that these new all-stars were accused of using Steroids to achieve their records. Not only are the players the ones to blame for the whole Steroid Era. Stricter steps should have been taken from the get go through the league to enforce steroid testing to ensure the safety and fair play in professional play of baseball before the use of steroids spread like wildfire through the MLB. Will records and awards be stripped from players whove been tested positive for performing enhancing drugs? We dont know for now, but who knows what the future holds. This article about dishonoring the awards given to players who have achieved them unfairly will allow me to voice my opinion on the topic of record breakers involving steroids. I personally am against the use of steroids solely because all it does it degrade the great game of baseball. Even though these cheaters didnt use PEDs their whole career and achieved some of their record off pure talent doesnt change the fact they broke the rules that is stated in the contract thats signed by every professional player. Its not fair that historys greatest baseball players prior to the steroid era should be passed up in the record books by players that made themselves better by an illegal drug. Not only is it a disgrace to the violators name, but more importantly its a disgrace to the game of baseball. Rutecki, Jared. A Study of Media Impact on Public Opinion Regarding Performance Enhancement in Major League Baseball. Open Sports Sciences Journal 3 (2010): SPORTSDiscus. Web. 8 November 2011. A chart in the article, A study of Media Impact on Public Opinion Regarding Performance Enhancement in Major League Baseball shows the percent of the coverage on specific sports and PEDs through 1968 to 2006 in Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, and Time. Baseball ranks number one in all 3 magazines with 43 percent, 39 percent, and 39 percent. Coming in second was football with a significant lower percent of 19, 14, and 15. Over the years magazine articles about PEDs have increased by a huge amount due to the popularity in steroid use among professional athletes. With the widespread use of steroids in sports particularly baseball, its apparent that the talk of it in magazines and media in general has shot up too. When something isnt a public issue the media obviously isnt interested in it which is why steroids in the earlier years werent written and talked about much. When the Steroid Era came into play thats when the number of articles in magazines skyrocketed year by year and it all of sudden became a huge topic in our society. I will also be touching on the fact that even when people knew that steroids were an issue media didnt start writing about it like crazy until the 104 MLB players tested positive for PEDs in 2003. From that year on the number of articles per year were above 49. The media writes what sells and in this day and age information and insider news about the world of baseball and steroids will always sell. Solberg, Joe. Performance-Enhancing Drug Use in Baseball: The Impact of Culture. Ethics and Behavior 21 (April 2011): 91-102. Philosophers Index. Web. 8 November 2011. Joe Solberg explains that once the steroid era of baseball blew up and became steady that it wasnt out of the norm anymore, it became part of the culture. Once everyone was doing it the person below them had to use PEDs in order to get to the next level. The use of Steroids is a ladder that started in the pros and worked its way down to the minors. Major League Contracts are more than less based off offensive performance rather than defensive performance. To be more specific on offensive performance homeruns are what really can land you a big money contract. Over the years the biggest category that PEDs have helped is homeruns. Of course players want a lot of money, and in order to get that money is to hit homeruns, and in order to increase the amount of homeruns is to take performance enhancing drugs. Players will do what they have to do in order to make the money that they are satisfied with, and as a result for most players it is to partake in using steroids to increase their status as an all-star. The information I gathered in this article will help me explain the players motives for wanting to use PEDs. Its not only used just to break records and be known as an all-star even though that is a plus that comes with it, but its the fact that if the person above you is using these substances then in order for you to excel above him and potentially take his spot you almost feel obligated to take PEDs as well. It was once a bad thing to be associated with the group known to take steroids back when it was a rare thing to do. Now days its such a common thing to partake in its part of the culture, its fairly normal in the MLB now to use PEDs. Sommers, Paul. The Changing Hitting Performance Profile in Major League Baseball, 1966-2006. Journal of Sports Economics 9.4 (August 2008) SPORTSDiscus. Web. 8 November 2011. Paul Sommers showed charts over the decades of average years played by an average starter in the pros. It went from 5.2 years in the 60s to 6 in a half years in 2006. That shows that the use of steroids in the MLB increased a players career by almost 2 years. He also explains that the use of PEDs in baseball lets you peak at a higher level of skill. A persons overall skill level will increase by a big number while using steroids. Someone hitting .267 without the use of steroids could jump anywhere from a .324 to .378 average depending on the person. With all the statistics shown throughout the article its proven that Performance enhancing drugs increase a players batting average, peak, years played, MPH, and overall skill level. Before the 1960s after a players peak their batting average tended to decline steadily due to falling off from their prime, but after the 1960s a large amount of players started to excel past their peak year and raise their batting averages past their prime which was unusual. As we know now the reason for that was the use of PEDs. After 2004 the statistics seemed to start trending again like the 1960s due to the random and mandatory drug tests which disabled the players to partake in using Anabolic Steroids of HGH. I will be using this information to show how all PEDs have been proven in many to not only better athletes, but make them more durable and tack on extra years of successful productivity past their prime. PEDs arent physically making them younger, but they sure are making them produce younger aged stats in a past prime aged body. Stone, Brad. Another Poison Pill Newsweek 146.7 (August 15 2005): Academic Search Complete. Web. 8 November 2011. The MLB is by far the top sport when it comes to the abuse of Performance Enhancing Drugs, but yet it holds the weakest punishment in the sports world for testing positive. Rafael Palmeiro in 2008 tested positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs in early August of 2008 just months after he testified before a U.S congressional committee stating that he had never used PEDs in his life. Not only did he test positive for steroids, he failed the test after lying under oath in a court of law, and all he was punished with through the MLB was a 10-day suspension and a $164,000 fine. Due to the particular steroid Palmeiro took, Stanozonol, which travels through your digestive system within 2 weeks, makes it hard for the court to prove that Palmeiro was lying when he testified. Baseball wants to stop the abuse of Steroids, but at the same time it seems like all these players that test positive these substances just get slaps on the wrist and are told not to do it again. If you want a problem to come to a halt you have to go the extra distance in order to get the results youre looking for. PEDs have been persistent in the MLB for decades now; telling a player to stop will ultimately not stop them. There needs to be an ultimatum put into action to make the abusers consider that these PEDs arent worth the loss of their career. Every other sport that has extremely harsh penalties if tested positive for PEDs dont have a very high percent of positive tests because the players dont want to take the risk to put their career on the line. In the MLBs case they arent putting a severe enough consequence for the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs. My main point Ill be using from this article is that if you want the use of PEDs to lower then you have to put consequences that the players dont want to deal with out there in order to produce more negative resulting drug tests. Quinn, Tom BASEBALLS STEROID ERA. Mens Fitness 23. (August 2007): SPORTSDiscus. Web. 8 November 2011 Throughout the history of baseball testing for either steroids or street drugs really hasnt been a big part of the games policy. Players played the game and what they did off the field was their own business. Once the early 80s hit, and PEDs came on the scene the use of them among players got out of hand. It became an almost regular regime for a majority of the MLB. Tests were eventually being given, but that didnt stop the players. When theres motive to do illegal substances theres always the backup plan to keep these athletes out of trouble. There were plenty of ways to come up clean on a test, and when the testers would find a way to stop it, Victor Cante and his crew at BALCO labs would just simply find another way to cheat. Even when the few unlucky players get caught all they have to do is admit it and simply explain they were told it was something else. For Example, Barry Bonds, when he spoke in front of the BALCO grand jury he came clean about all the PEDs he had taken, but the catch was he stated that he was oblivious to what he was actually using. People of this stature will make their illegal decisions, but dont think they dont have all the answers for when the going gets tough. Ill be using Quinns article BASEBALL STEROIDS ERA to inform how little baseball can really do to not only catch these users, but to actually put a stop to the Performance Enhancing Drugs. If not cheating tests to save their own ass these professional athletes will just find a perfect window of time to where they know they wont be tested in the offseason to fit in a couple cycles here and there to maintain the gains through using PEDs. Testing companies such as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the U.S Anti Doping-Agency (USADA) will never stop trying to improve the efficiency of the tests to make cheating near impossible if not totally full proof, but as those agencies are working to stop the cheaters dont think the cheaters at BALCO labs arent finding ways to break through and find loop holes in their tests. Verhaeghe, Dan. Bud Selig Lays Down the Hammer on Performance Enhancing Drugs. Bleacher Report. (January 2008): Web. 30 November 2011

Real World Distributed Applications

Real World Distributed Applications Topic 1: Give two examples of real world distributed applications that were not discussed in the class slides (Hospital Management system, Airline reservation system, Banking system). You should not only specify what the application does, but also provide at least 3 features of the system (hardware technology, software technology, integration features, number of nodes, network characteristics, etc.) Answer: Example 1: Immigrant VISA information System (IVIS)   Ã‚   This is a computerized Management information system. It is used by the National VISA Center (NVC) to manage the processing of immigrant visa petitions received from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regional service centers and district offices. The information shared by IVIS is used for processing; auditing and tracking of individual immigration visa applications as well as tracking the number of immigrant visas assigned that are subject to numerical limitations based upon the visa classification and country of chargeability. Only internal organization that has access to IVIS data is the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA). IVIS System is used by CA for issuing visas to foreign nationals and passports to U.S. citizens. IVIS results are used as a data source for this assessment at Posts abroad and domestic passport agencies. Specifically, data is shared among the following CA applications: DataShare/Interagency Data Exchange Application (IDEA) This provides application case data from the petition. This data arrives daily and is manually loaded into IVIS. This data is automatically populated in IVIS when creating a new case. Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) Conduit for data exchange between IVIS and DataShare / IDEA. Immigrant Visa Allocation Management System (IVAMS) The Case Number, FSC, Post Code, and Visa Class were loaded into IVAMS for the purpose of immigrant visa tracking and reporting. Diversity Visa Information System (DVIS) Alien Numbers generated in IVIS are transferred to DVIS and the DV post systems. Immigrant Visa Overseas (IVO) data on immigrant visas, petitions, and allocations is sent to a post location and loaded into their IVO systems. SharePoint data and images on immigrant visas, petitions, and appointment information is shared with a post through a secure site. Worldwide Refugee Admission Program System (WRAPS) data on immigrant visa petitions is sent to the Refugee Processing Centers WRAPS system. Features of the VISA Information System (VIS): Hardware: Mainframe systems. Government-operated computing platforms not shared by other business applications or technologies. Finger print recognition, biometrics technology and , intrusion detection systems. Software: DataShare is used to move the data from the Consular Consolidated Database (CCD). That allows text files to be converted into Interagency Data Exchange Application (IDEA) format and transferred to USCIS. Encryption technology is used during all communications shared with external agencies. Finger print reader / recognition. Firewalls. eDP (Electronic Data Processing) Web Data Replication technology Networking : This mainframe system has Networking z/OS network capability which includes a fully -featured communications server with integration of SNA (System Network Architecture) and TCP/IP protocols, making it a large server capable of serving a large number of worldwide clients simultaneously Example 2: Retail Management Information System at GS-Retail, South Korea. GS-Retail is a largest retailer in South Korea. They are using Retail management information system (RMIS) to support their distributed stores by linking them together using distributed applications. Below are the features of this GS-Retails RMIS: Information is exchanged instantly; store managers stays in contact to more effectively control profits for the whole company. This system supports product management and also enabled ability to do CRM (Customer Relationship Management) analysis. Allowed managers to set prices for variable time periods based on the store location and to meet the needs of sales and inventory managers. , Provided flexibility to make use of a mobile user interface. Its an integrated platform end-to-end solution (Appliance), which has below components Application Module, IBM Smart Analytic Solution (Admin nodes, and Data Nodes with Standby nodes). Hardware Stack: with IBM System x3650 M3 servers, Storage servers (DS3400) with SSDs (Solid State Drives), SAN Switches. This integrated platform (hardware, software with functional procedures) which provides an ability to replace superannuated servers and have a single Implementation of the integrated Enterprise Data Warehouse Environment Software Stack: DB2 Enterprise server edition, IBM Tivoli System Automation for multi-platforms (TSA) with RSCT (Reliable Scalable Cluster Technology), IBM Cognos 8 Business Intelligence, IBM Cognos 8 Business Intelligence, IBM Systems Director, DS Storage Manager, IBM Remote Support Manager (RSM) for Linux Integration features: Easily scalable and expandable solution where data nodes can be added to the existing cluster solution to expand the capacity of the system. Number of nodes: 2 Application Nodes, 1 Management node, 1 Administration node, 4 Data Nodes and 1 Standby node Network characteristics: Network is fault- tolerant and resilient. This system has two networks Public (for external client communication) and Private FCM Network which is used by the system for internal communication between the data nodes. For public network, two HBA adapters were provided which were bonded together. Network and switch failures are protected by H/W redundancy. For example: Single Network port failures using Bonded networks. Dual HBAs adapters to take care of HBA failures and Stacked switch configuration for FCM (Fiber Optic Communication Management network) Network to take care of FCM network switch failure. Topic 2: Describe two similarities between road/highway networks and packet switching networks Packet switching network is a network which routes digital data in small pieces called packets, each of which proceeds through the network independently. This digital data is nothing but a bit stream with encoded information. Packet is not really a physical thing. Thus, packets switched networks transport packets. This network is in many ways similar to the transportation network of roads, highways and intersections which transports vehicles that carries people and goods. For Example when a factory needs to move a large amount of cargo to some destination warehouse located thousands of miles away. At factory, first the cargo is segmented and loaded into a fleet of trucks. Each of trucks then independently travels through the network of intersections, roads and highways and to the destination warehouse. At destination warehouse, the cargo is unloaded and grouped with the rest of cargo arriving from same shipment. Below are some similarities between packet switching network and road/highway transportation network: Packets are similar to trucks Communication links are similar to highways and roads Packet switches are similar to intersections End systems are similar to buildings Trucks take path through transportation network, packets takes path through computer network Retail management means running a store where merchandise is sold and Retail Management Information Systems include using hardware, software and procedures to manage activities like planning, inventory control, financial management, logistics and point of sale transactions. Distributed application Name: CLAIMS 3 i.e Computer Linked Application Information Management System and Associated Systems. CLAIMS 3 is the case management system used by USCIS that supports and maintains officer casework documentation and tracking for most benefit requests. USCIS oversees lawful immigration to the United States. It receives and adjudicates petitions, applications, and other requests for immigration benefits. ICMS is a web based front-end to CLAIMS 3. ICMS can be used to review, modify, and track the adjudication performed by USCIS personnel of benefit request forms. CLAIMS 3 functionalities include tracking the adjudication performed by USCIS personnel, archiving, card production, case history, case transfer, on-demand reports, electronic file tracking, image capture, production statistics, and status update and electronic ingestion of benefit request form data captured through the Lockbox. USCIS uses the Computer Linked Application Information Management System (CLAIMS 3) and associated systems to manage the adjudication process for most domestically filed, paper-based, immigration benefit filings with the exception of naturalization, intercountry adoption, and certain requests for asylum and refugee status. USCIS uses different data systems to capture and store information provided by benefit requestors, including the Computer Linked Application Information Management System (CLAIMS 3), the Interim Case Management System (ICMS), and Marriagee Fraud Amendment System (MFAS), collectively referred to as CLAIMS 3 and associated systems. 3 features of the system (hardware technology, software technology, integration features, number of nodes, network characteristics, etc.) :CLAIMS 3 and associated systems are old, legacy, mainframe systems that do not have the capability to interface in real-time with other systems or to generate reports, metrics, or aggregated statistics. CLAIMS 3, includes the Mainframe, Local Application Network (LAN), ICMS, and MFAS. But CLAIMS 3 still serves as the authoritative source case management system for certain benefit requests because so many other tools and systems point to it. Software technology : Data Replication technology is used to replicate data from CLAIMS 3 across many systems and tools within USCIS due to the technical limitations of CLAIMS 3 itself. Integration features : This system stores the information related to: Petitioner and Beneficiary data Processing of cases based on priority and the cut-off dates, Creation and recording of correspondence with the beneficiary, petitioner and/or agent and the transmittal of data to the Immigrant Visa Overseas (IVO) system at post for final processing. IVIS applications assists NVC in tracking and processing immigration visa petitions based on local necessities and requirements established by the State Department. The immigrant visa issuance process begins with the submission of a petition for immigration to the USCIS. USCIS reviews and adjudicates the petition and forwards approved petitions to the State Department for visa processing. The NVC performs several visa processing activities that track petitions requesting immigration services from initial NVC receipt from USCIS through transfer to the posts. NVC processing includes: Telecom Industry fraud management Reference : http://searchitoperations.techtarget.com/definition/distributed-applications-distributed-apps Distributed apps can communicate with multiple servers or devices on the same network from any geographical location. The distributed nature of the applications refers to data being spread out over more than one computer in a network. Distributed applications are broken up into two separate programs: the client software and the server software. The client software or computer accesses the data from the server or cloud environment, while the server or cloud processes the data. Cloud computing can be used instead of servers or hardware to process a distributed applications data or programs. If a distributed application component goes down, it can failover to another component to continue running. Distributed applications allow multiple users to access the apps at once. Many developers, IT professionals or enterprises choose to store distributed apps in the cloud because ofclouds elasticity and scalability, as well as its ability to handle large applications or workloads. Enterprises can choose to use container technology, such as Docker, to package and deploy distributed applications. The containers can build and run distributed applications, as well as separate distributed apps from other applications in a cloud or shared infrastructure.

Why People Gamble Essays -- Gambling Addiction Money Essays

Why People Gamble For centuries, people have indulged in different types of gambling: poker, horse races, bingo, lottery, and slot machines. Gambling has seduced any and almost everyone between the ages of sixteen and ninety years old. Before turning eighteen, the legal age of casino and horse race admittance, those younger make monetary bets on football and high school stunts. Gambling is even more prevalent today than it was yesterday with the added attraction of on-line casinos, offering jackpot equivalent to twenty years salary in exchange for a credit card / debit card number. Gambling was suppressed in the 1920's as a result of Prohibition and because of this will forever lure people into its taboo trap. Gambling as sport is hard to resist because it offers immediate gratification. Not only is there a chance that you may quadruple the amount of money that you lay down, a literal payoff, but there is also a feeling of hope, an alternate limbo between reality and fantasy that can be translated int o a sort of mental payoff. The question is: is it all about the money? It couldn't be all about the money, unless the general public was extremely stupid. The odds of winning the lottery are lesser than the odds of someone being struck by lightning (1 in 649,739) or than someone being killed by a terrorist attack abroad (1 in 650,000). (7). It has been said, "If you bought 100 tickets a week your entire adult life, from the age of 18 to 75, you'd have a 1 percent chance of winning the lottery". (7) Now, a number of psychological studies have been done which indicate that the desire to play the lottery has more to do with the inability or unconcern of a person to calculate the total sum of their own money over time spent of th... ...ody responds well to their desire to gamble, to diversify, to extend their minds and risk. Whether it be monetary, behavioral or just plain desire to risk, humans are drawn towards the new and the chancy. It is the danger of loss and the thrill of life that keeps us breathing. Works Consulted: 1)Alvarez,A. The Biggest Game in Town. New York: Chronicle Books, 2002. 2)Brunson,Doyle. Doyle Brunson's Super System. Cardoza Pub, 1979. 3)Dostoeyevsky,Fyodor. The Gambler. New York: Viking Press, 1966. Sources Consulted: 4)http://www.norc.uchicago.edu/new/gamb-fin.htm 5)http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010524062100.htm 6)http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0004400A-E6F5-1C5E-B882809EC588ED9F 7)http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001309.html 8)http://www.reflection-idea.com/psychics.html 9)http://hanson.gmu.edu/gamble.html Why People Gamble Essays -- Gambling Addiction Money Essays Why People Gamble For centuries, people have indulged in different types of gambling: poker, horse races, bingo, lottery, and slot machines. Gambling has seduced any and almost everyone between the ages of sixteen and ninety years old. Before turning eighteen, the legal age of casino and horse race admittance, those younger make monetary bets on football and high school stunts. Gambling is even more prevalent today than it was yesterday with the added attraction of on-line casinos, offering jackpot equivalent to twenty years salary in exchange for a credit card / debit card number. Gambling was suppressed in the 1920's as a result of Prohibition and because of this will forever lure people into its taboo trap. Gambling as sport is hard to resist because it offers immediate gratification. Not only is there a chance that you may quadruple the amount of money that you lay down, a literal payoff, but there is also a feeling of hope, an alternate limbo between reality and fantasy that can be translated int o a sort of mental payoff. The question is: is it all about the money? It couldn't be all about the money, unless the general public was extremely stupid. The odds of winning the lottery are lesser than the odds of someone being struck by lightning (1 in 649,739) or than someone being killed by a terrorist attack abroad (1 in 650,000). (7). It has been said, "If you bought 100 tickets a week your entire adult life, from the age of 18 to 75, you'd have a 1 percent chance of winning the lottery". (7) Now, a number of psychological studies have been done which indicate that the desire to play the lottery has more to do with the inability or unconcern of a person to calculate the total sum of their own money over time spent of th... ...ody responds well to their desire to gamble, to diversify, to extend their minds and risk. Whether it be monetary, behavioral or just plain desire to risk, humans are drawn towards the new and the chancy. It is the danger of loss and the thrill of life that keeps us breathing. Works Consulted: 1)Alvarez,A. The Biggest Game in Town. New York: Chronicle Books, 2002. 2)Brunson,Doyle. Doyle Brunson's Super System. Cardoza Pub, 1979. 3)Dostoeyevsky,Fyodor. The Gambler. New York: Viking Press, 1966. Sources Consulted: 4)http://www.norc.uchicago.edu/new/gamb-fin.htm 5)http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010524062100.htm 6)http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0004400A-E6F5-1C5E-B882809EC588ED9F 7)http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001309.html 8)http://www.reflection-idea.com/psychics.html 9)http://hanson.gmu.edu/gamble.html

Harmonium: Acidic Soil Essay

The poem harmonium examines the relationship of a father and son. I think Armitage has written this poem for parents and children as they would be able to relate to the emotions in the poem. The Author uses the Farrand Chappelette which is a type of Harmonium or small organ to help him reflect the love that he has for his father. In the first stanza the poet talks about the Farrand Chappelette which was â€Å"gathering dust† telling us that it is getting old and it was due to be taken to the skip if Armitage had not wanted it. In the final line of the first stanza Armitage declare that he could have it for a â€Å"song â€Å" an idiom which means that he could have had it very cheap. In the second stanza the poet talks about the sunlight through the glass which could â€Å"beatify saints† in other words bless them and make them more god like and above normal people. Armitage the contrasts this positive statement by saying it had â€Å"aged† the harmoniums case and â€Å"yellowed the fingernails of its keys†. I the last few lines Armitage tells us how the harmonium is played by telling us the organist plays it by continuously pedalling the pedals. In the 3rd stanza the poet talks about the age of the organ and how he and his father had sung there and were good singers. The 4th stanza is the most powerful one as he talks about his father coming to help pick up the harmonium and his father jokes saying that one day he will â€Å"shoulder† his father’s â€Å"dead weight meaning his coffin when he dies. Armitage finds it hard to reply to such a poignant remark because of the emotion of he feels at the thought of his father’s death. I think the poem has a mixture of moods from the first verse to the last and moods that are very contrasting such as the first 2 stanzas are quite happy emotions about how the sun gleams through the glass and the last verse is about the emotions of his father dying. The poet uses many techniques in the poem such as metaphors for example â€Å"fingernails† describing how the sun has ruined the keys of the organ. Also the poet uses personification saying that one of the notes has â€Å"lost its tongue. In the 3rd stanza Armitage uses alliteration twice in the same line, the â€Å"hummed harmonics still struck a chord†. I think this the poet is trying to tell us that the harmonium is close to his heart even though it is old and aged and i think that â€Å"struck a chord† has a double meaning that it also triggered a memory of him singing in church which the verse then goes onto say. I think the message of the poem is that one day your parents will die and the thought of that is not very comforting but remembering the good and bad times can help you get through this. The poem for me is written from the heart and is emotionally very overpowering and the last verse is so powerful that it makes me understand that someone close to me will die one day and I will be too shocked and late to prevent it. When the unfortnate event of acidic soil strike some farms, plants are unable to grow. Using slakes of lime which is a base cancels out the acid in the soil. You need to check the righ amount of acidity in the soil in order to put the same amount of base so that you do not over do it and keep it neutral. This process is called NEUTRALISATION. After the lime is inserted the acidity will fade away and the plants will grow. Farmers add lime, calcium oxide, to soil to help neutralise the soil as most plants grow best in neutral or slightly alkali soil. The lime can cancel out the acidity caused by acid rain. In agriculture, calcium carbonate may be added to acidic soil. The calcium carbonate enters into a neutralization reaction with some of the acid in the soil water, and the soil pH becomes more basic. In farming nitrogen oxide reacts with OH from the rain to form nitric acid which then acidifies the soil making it hard for the plants to grow. The acid stops the growth of the roots therefore the plant cannot absorb enough nutrients which makes the plant grow very slowly and sometimes turn a yellow colour due to the large amounts of acid. N02 + OH = HNO3 This is a huge problem for farmers so they spray calcium carbonate onto the acidic soil to neutralize the soil so that the pants can grow better and faster which is needed for farmers to make a better profit it and the reaction produces produces the calcium nitrate. CaCO3 + HNO3 = Ca(NO3)2 + H2O + CO2 The plants can then use these nitrate ions in the soil and combine them with glucose to make amino acids which the plant the uses for proteins which help it grow and turns the acidic soil into more nutrients for the plant which it needs to grow.

Fraternity Violence in Higher Education

Fraternity Violence in Higher Education Fraternity-Related Violence and Deaths Statistics of deaths in U.S. school campuses suggest that there are more than 60 fraternity-related deaths since 2005. The common causes of deaths are fraternity hazing and pledge-related activities, clashes between fraternities, and gang rape. Moreover, these deadly fraternal activities occurred in fraternity houses on college campuses around the world. In Istanbul for instance, members of rival fraternity brutally stabbed a student of Ege University who later died in the hospital. Neophytes of school fraternity have to undergo physically demanding rites and rituals to become a full member of the group. However, some initiation rites are so violent and deadly such as the hazing incident that killed Michael Davis, a junior journalism student at Missouri State University in 1994. VIOLENCE AGAINST FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS The hallmark of all hazing deaths according to one study is the failure of fraternity members to recognize the severity of hazing situation while the common cause of student death is severe injuries from brutal beatings. Other fraternity-related injuries and deaths include clashes between rival fraternities, fires in fraternity houses, and binge drinking. Fraternity violence is a campus safety issue and poses ethical problems which violate  rules and honor codes. Why fraternities still exist? Fraternity and Academic Institutions’ Civil and Criminal Liability In defense of fraternities, fraternity leaders argue that they are student organization symbolizing the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity in school. Moreover, although they did cause some serious problems in the past, they did a number of good things like charity and community service. In other words, the â€Å"good outweighs the harms†. Under the law, schools have duties of care to keep students safe and therefore legally liable for injuries and deaths caused by fraternity violence. For instance, in Furek v. The university of Delaware, the trial court awarded Jeffrey Furek damages for fraternity hazing injuries. The University provided 93% of this damage award while the remaining 7% came from Joseph Donchez, the fraternity member directly responsible for the injuries. The national fraternity, on the other hand, was free of any liability. The court announced that the duty of reasonable care was breached when the university, despite its knowledge of ongoing hazing activities inside the campus, failed to protect Furek from harm. VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES AND SCHOOL VIOLENCE There is clearly a good reason why some universities banned and refused to recognize any fraternity. In 1983 for instance, Princeton University, after banning three fraternities for over a century, announced that it would continue to deny fraternities and sororities of school’s recognition. Similarly, responding to fraternity violence and incident of gang rape on campus, the University of Pennsylvania successfully disbanded a fraternity through a court order. In reality, fraternities can have unrecognized chapters in any school thus colleges and universities must be ready to defend themselves against potential liability associated with a duty of care. Since liability is highly dependent on school officials’ reaction to knowledge of hazing activities and performance of their duty to care, the best defense probably is to create and enforced an anti-hazing policy. The reason is the fact that school officials primarily need to convince the court that they are against hazing. Second, the court cannot use the reaction to knowledge of hazing as infringement, as hazing activities outside school premises is difficult to detect and clearly outside an officials’ assumed duty of care.