Pinnacle case study part ii Essay

The company is privately held, but there is a large amount of debt, so the financial statement -may be used extensively. Also, management is considering selling the Machine-Tech division, which has the potential to result in extensive use of the statement by buyers. 2. Item 6 in the planning phase indicates plans for additional debt financing. Likelihood of financing difficulties: 1. The solar power engine business revolves around changing technology, therefore making it inherently more risky than other business, with a better chance of bankruptcy. The first item in the planning issues raises a concern about the viability of the division, but not the entire company. 2. Part 1 of the case was that the likelihood of financial failure is low, even with the issues of the company. 3. Item 9 in the planning phase requires a current ratio of 2.0 and if fall below that, this could result in the loan being called. Management integrity: No major issues exist that would cause the auditor to question the integrity of the management. However, auditor should have done client acceptance procedure before accepting the client. There are a few factors in which fraudulent financing reporting may occur. b. Acceptable audit risk is medium to low because of the factors listed in part (a) and the planned increase in financing and the potential violation of the debt covenant agreement. This might be low because this is the first year audit. c. 1. Inherent Risk: No effect on inherent risk 2. Inherent Risk: The primary concern is the possibility of obsolete inventory, which affects the valuation of inventory at the lower of cost or market. Account Affected: Inventory, cost of goods sold Audit Objectives: Transaction-related 3. Inherent Risk: There is potential related party transaction, which could  affect the valuation of the transaction, which could affect the valuation of the transaction and may require disclosure as a related party transaction. Account affected: Manufacturing equipment, footnote Audit objectives: Transaction-related, presentation and disclosure-related 4. Inherent Risk: This involves a nonroutine transaction where there is a risk that materials, labor, and overhead are incorrectly applied to the property accounts. Account affected: Property accounts, inventory, cost of good sold Audit objectives: balance-related 5. Inherent Risk: There may be a major collection problem with outstanding receivables of 15% from a customer for several months. This could result in an understatement of the allowance for uncollectible accounts. Account affected: Account receivable, bad debt expense, and allowance for uncollectible accounts. Audit objectives: balance-related 6. Inherent Risk: No effect on inherent risk 7. Inherent Risk: There may be a related party transaction, which could affect valuation of the transaction and may require disclosure. Account affected: Account payable, Repairs expense Audit objectives: Transaction-related 8. Inherent Risk: This does not affect inherent risk directly, but it is possible that the turnover of internal audit personnel could increase the risk of fraudulent financial reporting. The turnover may also affect the auditor’s assessment of control risk. Account affected: All accounts Audit objectives: transaction, balance, presentation and disclosure-related 9. Inherent Risk: In addition to affecting AAR, the auditor should be concerned about the risk of fraudulent financial reporting due to incentive to make certain that all debt covenants have been met. Account affected: All accounts Audit objectives: transaction, balance, presentation and disclosure-related 10. Inherent Risk: An ongoing dispute with the IRS might require adjustment to income tax liability or a disclosure in footnotes for a contingency, depending on the status of the dispute. Account affected: Income tax expense and income tax payable Audit objectives: balance-related 11. Inherent risk: This situation involves related party transaction because this transaction was not conducted with an outside party. It is possible that the related receivable and payable might not have been properly eliminated on Pinnacle’s consolidated financial statements. Account affected: Notes payable, notes receivable, interest expense, and interest income. Audit objectives: Transaction and balance-related

Compare Contrast Essay on the book Lizard

There are two types’ lovers-defeated lovers and victorious lovers. But the reality is there is neither victory nor defeat in love. Only permanent effort and loyalty is the basis of eternal love. Let me explain this with an example: The full moon is shining in the sky. It’s full-moon day. Seeing the beauty of the moon, a tempest rises in the ocean beneath. The ocean, in an effort to reach the moon, sends the roaring waves one after another. But alas, can the waves reach the moon, howsoever big they may be! Can the moon ever come down to the earth, whatever is the intensity of the wish! Seeing the plight of the ocean and the moon, a small twinkling star says to itself. Alas! I am but a little star. What can I do for the ocean and the moon? I shall only pray God–let the space in between the ocean and the moons unite them! –So, the waves continue to lash at the vacant space with the hope of reaching the moon. However, the reality is, the cosmos in which the moon and the ocean co-exist, is an integrated whole. So, what do the concepts like separation and distance mean? The ocean and the moon stand united as considered from a higher perspective. Their love stands fructified. You are the creator of your destiny related to your love-life, certainly not the victim. Love is to be lived and experienced in its trials, tribulations, duty and beauty and it is an import part of your self-discovery. Nevertheless, the ocean continues with its efforts to reach the moon. I have chosen the stories, â€Å"Newly Wed,† and â€Å"Lizard† for the purpose of this essay. The writings of Banana touch your heart and appeal to your emotions. Love is the subject that has enchanted and engulfed humanity since time immemorial. The mind-level problems related to love, either take you to the transcendental level, or to an emotional intrigue. For the desperate situation of the heart, one seeks desperate remedies. In the confused state of mind, one surrenders to magic-for example, the enigmatic healer Lizard. The sacred texts proclaim every action (good or bad) has a reaction and the intensity of the reaction is in proportion to the intensity of the action! Every thought, good or evil, is an action. Over this, there is no dispute between the spiritualists and the scientists. One of the rare agreements between the two contending forces; the two opposing forces! The forces that do not normally see eye to eye with each other! Love is not a homogenous force. The psychic circuit of each lover is different and special. The skill of the writer in the story Lizard is how the emotional complexities are tackled. Through the confusion, she strikes a reassuring clarity. Life hurts but her characters have the guts to accept that hurt with courage. In such situations they never tremble or tumble. They are able to find a solution through the medium of love coupled with spiritual solace. Lizard: This is a story from a male perspective. He calls his beloved a Lizard, for she has a small tattoo on her inner thigh. That the man has seen the tattoo in that part, speaks about the obvious relationship. The man is fascinated by the superlative talent the Lizard possesses. Some quotes to highlight her latent qualities and ingenuity: â€Å"I was reminded of her separateness, a being with different organs, bundled in a different sheath of skin, who has dreams at night that are nothing like my own.†Ã¢â‚¬â€the man explains how he sees the Lizard. â€Å"Her profile stood out in sharp relief against the white wall. She seemed like a creature of a different species, one who lives quietly in the dark†Ã¢â‚¬â€this is his observation about the Lizard. â€Å"Her every gesture, every move, brought life to me, a man who had been dormant for so long†.-the man shares his feelings how the Lizard has affected him. These are clearly the signs of man who is in deep love. Oh! Man-love once, before seeking liberation through spirituality! You are the part of the never ending long story through the ages-it is between him and her! The central character of the story is a doctor, who works with children who are emotionally disturbed.   Ã‚  He loves a young woman in whose reptile eyes â€Å"I see my own lonely face, peering down, looking for something to love and cherish. †As a child she had a bitter experience of witnessing a brutal attack. Rightly she becomes an acupuncture practitioner now dedicated to healing those in acute pain. But she can never forget her past. Her love tells her a similar experience, which reduces her mental anguish. He offers her the psychological support; otherwise she is a tough woman. Newlywed: This story has a strange history. It was serialized on posters on the railways around Japan. It makes the issue interesting.   It is about a strange woman that a newly married man meets in the train. This is also a story written from a male perspective. The man’s encounter on a train with a stranger who reveals to him a universal life force that encompasses even â€Å"the slight feeling of alienation he experiences in his marriage â€Å" That young man is reluctantly returning home on the subway to his new and frightening role as husband! Along the way, he meets a mysterious stranger who shows him that the role he has chosen is a positive one. â€Å"The prose is as clean and smooth as a lacquered teacup,† Geraldine Sherman claimed in the Toronto Globe and Mail, speaking about the quality of writing of Banana. That drunken man, discontented, on his way home sits fixed to his subway seat. He doesn’t wish to return to his silly and troublesome wife.   He's joined by a familiar Japanese character, The Trickster, an old man who transforms himself into a beautiful, wise woman â€Å"smelling like the scent of a place, before I was born, where all the primal emotions, love and hate, blended in the air.† This mysterious fellow-traveler understands the narrator's innermost thoughts and gives him the courage to carry out his duties. The undercurrent of both the above stories is love. â€Å"They (the scientists) may cross the moon, beat the stars, but probe they must the mystery of my eve’s gaze.† â€Å"Marriage is like a fort. Those who are within, wish to come out. (Newly Wed) Those who are out, wish to get in.† (Lizard) In both the stories, the human emotions are tackled at heir best. Conclusion: Love woks through different layers of an individual’s personality. Its intensity changes with the time and circumstances. Banana has ably pictured this dominant human emotion, appropriate to the situation. ‘Loving’ situations are gift of the God to the one who is experiencing them. Let it be a beautiful experience- Banana propounds this love-philosophy in her unique style. She is a capable narrator many dimensions of love. ============

Right action (Respect for others) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Right action (Respect for others) - Essay Example Successful society is impossible without productive and effective communication between its people, that’s why the main moral code people teach their children to bring them up adequate participants of society is based on respectful attitude to others. And even though different ethical concepts argue about their moral approaches, the aspect of respect towards others always stays in all of them in the same understanding of the notion of respect. To be respectful towards others means not to be selfish with people, but to pay attention on their personalities, to be interested in how their lives are going. There are many ways to show your interest to people. The most elementary rule is to listen to what people tell you. This sounds pretty simple, but we usually do not notice that while communicating we forget to listen, because it is more important for us to say something than to show your interest to your interlocutor by simple listening. We usually feel badly when somebody doesn’t listen to our speech, but frequently we treat people the same way. While communicating it is very important for people to be asked about something they are interested in; if you ask something, people feel that you are interested in them, so they start attracting you. The second way to behave respectfully is to be nice to people. It is even easily than listening. To be nice means to tell them something that shows that you adore them, or respe ct, or disposed towards them – depends on situation. But the main point is to be positively inclined towards them. For example, in formal communication we usually show our respect by following the rules of this kind of communication, in colloquial speech we use words of attraction, compliments (which in fact may be used in any situation, if appropriate), praises etc. But it is important to consider their relevance in particular situation, of course. Actually the easiest way to define how respect looks like is to pass different ways of

Gangs and the Violence They Create in the Prison System Research Paper

Gangs and the Violence They Create in the Prison System - Research Paper Example In the light of these studies, correctional officers can understand the mechanism of gangs in prison and take appropriate steps to deter violence in prisons. The existence of gangs in prison poses numerous challenges for the jail authorities because these gangs are involved in creating violence inside prison systems. Gangs in prison are formed usually be former street gangsters and as such, formation of gangs in prison is inevitable because gangsters prefer to associate themselves with gangs because it enables them to continue their illegal activities even inside the prison. Gangs within prison become a source of grouping such inmates that share the same ideas or philosophies; or that share common criminal background. However, the possibility cannot be ruled out that gangs forcibly involve such inmates that were not previously part of any gang. Being a part of prison gang is not a temporary connection. Gangsters must remain loyal to the gangs they join in prison. The reason why gangsters naturally become members of prison gangs is that individual gangsters cannot perform the same way, as they would in a gang. The network of gangs may be affiliated with other networks in and outside the prison. This facilitates their activities inside prison, as a result of which much of the violence is created in the prison systems. Prison gangs are off-shoots of street gangs; however, the working of prison gangs is entirely different from street gangs. In prison, the gangs must operate within the limits of the prison walls and they do not have the liberty to run away or escape. They do not have their secret hideouts to plan and execute their actions. Moreover, due to the strict surveillance in prisons, gangsters cannot communicate or transmit their messages as they would in an open environment. Thus, they need to develop their specific way of communication through various symbols and signs. Using symbolic language is much safer than verbal or other typical

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Research Paper

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - Research Paper Example The last program evidently receives the most attention in terms of payment for grants, as in 2007 it reached $1.22 billion and accounted for 61% of all donations (Gates Foundation, Annual report, 2007). Additionally, the Gates Foundation works to improve economic conditions around the world through agricultural developments, financial services, and technology services. In the United States, the Gates Foundation focuses on community grants in the Northwest, technology services in libraries, and education across the country (Hill, 2006). From the critical perspective, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation represents the modern ideal of giving and philanthropy, of what Payton and Moody eloquently described as "[it] is about ideas and values as well as about actionis always an effort to blend the idea and the practical" (Payton and Moody, 4). In 2000, the leadership of the Gates Foundation Education Division was committed to being the most publicly scrutinized philanthropy in American history. The main philanthropic goal of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Education Program is to increase significantly the number of low-income minority students who graduate high school with academic skills needed for success in post secondary education and in the workplace (Smerdon and Means, 1). In February of 2005, Bill Gates spoke at a governor's conference in Washington, DC regarding the condition of American high schools (Hess, 2005). The 45 governors in attendance listened as Bill Gates declared America's high schools obsolete. He elaborated by saying, "By obsolete, I mean that our high schools - even when they're working exactly as designed - cannot teach our kids what they need to know today" (Rhodes et al, 7). Additionally, Gates reviewed some troubling evidence to support his comments regarding the lack of success in Ame rican high schools. Gates made his point with the nation's governors by stating that only 71% of students graduated high school in 2002, and only 34% were minimally prepared for college (Rhodes et al, 7). In addition to improving American high school system, the Gates Foundation actively seeks to change public policy regarding American schools, which include implementation of transparency in school finance, multiple independent school providers, and performance-based accountability (Hill, 2006). The Foundation's commitment to increasing the number of smaller, personalized high schools, and a knowledge base for success in these schools, has led to the National School District and Network Grants Program. This program is taking a twopronged approach with regard to grantee organizations: (a) grantee organizations are developing new, smaller high schools; and (b) grantee organizations are converting larger high schools into smaller learning communities. As a part of the new high school initiative, the foundation provides grants for Early College High Schools (ECHSs) (Smerdon and Means, 1). The Early College High School Initiative focuses specifically on increased academic rigor through blending high school and college education (Smerdon and Means, 1). The ECHSs are purposefully designed to provide students with a high school diploma and an associate's degree, or 2 years of

Organizational culture is fundamentally about symbolic meaning and as Essay - 5

Organizational culture is fundamentally about symbolic meaning and as such cannot be managed. Discuss - Essay Example Symbolism in the organisation refers to the wide variety of meaning and expression functions in the organisation. Organisational culture is a network of shared experiences and accepted reality through which tangible expressions are depicted in the symbols of the organisation. Symbolic organisational culture is displayed in the language, mode of dressing, rituals and routines that define the interactions among the stakeholders of the organisation (Brown 1998). Artifacts like pictures on the walls of the building, the smell and emotional overall feel of the organisation are used by the outsiders to gauge whether the company is bureaucratic or informal. For instance, a bouquet of flowers on the reception may be a symbol of stakeholders’ appreciation. The bouquet of flowers may have other associated elements such as the arrangement and texture that will indicate the historic experience of the stakeholders. According to prospective symbolization, artifacts in the organisation are n ot imitations but objects that portray the reality of organisational culture. According to Schein, the first level of organisational culture includes the artifacts that symbolize how employees interact in the organisation and guide the behaviour of employees (Schein 2009). ... The last level of the organisational culture is the assumptions that reflect the shared traditions and beliefs within the organisational culture (Schein 2009). Stories and myths also define the symbolic nature of organisational culture. Stories are used to highlight the past struggles and successes of the organisation. Stories and myths may either be written or oral and are used to orient the new employees to the organisation. Ordinary tells such as weekly sales levels or historic legends like the founders of the organisation help employees understand the strategic mission of the organisation. Effective stories will affirm the strategic and core values of organisation to employees. For instance, stories can be geared at enhancing creativity, professionalism, integrity and hard work thus facilitating the commitment to organisational objectives. The organisation can manage this symbolic element through having written core values that are displayed in walls and company websites. In addi tion, the beliefs are aimed at enhancing the job motivation and increased productivity, thus beliefs can be managed through expression of humor in the workplace (Daft 2010). Organisational routine actions and rituals such as ceremonies like the end of year parties, team retreats and company meetings add a symbolic value to the organisation. The leaders in the organisation should ensure regular performance reports, open performance discussions and board meetings in order to facilitate the evaluation of the past performance of the organisation (Nel 2009). Material objects such as corporate logos, company product designs and status symbols inspire or demoralize the employees. Symbols in the organisation justify

Financial Research Report for Ford Motor Company Paper

Financial Report for Ford Motor Company - Research Paper Example The company, at present, is one of the biggest producers of cars and trucks at a global level. The different brands of Ford Company vehicles include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and its redesigned Ford Mustang and the F-Series pickup which have been very successful. The company also possesses interest in Mazda and commands the Volvo nameplate. Ford Motor Company has 95 plants spread throughout the world with 41 distribution centers and warehouses. It also has 50 engineering, research and development centers. The company carries its operations under the two sections namely, Automotive and Financial Services. For the year ended on December 31, 2008, Ford traded the ACH glass business to Zeledyne, LLC. The Nashville, Tulsa, and VidrioCar plants were also included in this sale. In the year 2008, Ford and its subsidiary, the Volvo Car Corporation sold the Thai-Swedish Assembly Group to Volvo Holding Sverige, AB. The company was able to acquire 72.4% of the shares of S.C. Automobile Craiova SA in March 2008. The sale of the company's Jaguar and Land Rover operations to Tata Motors Limited took place in June 2008. The share value of Ford has reached $1.56. Steny Hoyer, the House Majority Leader told the Fox News Sunday that he expects that the plans of the companies will win governmental aid. However, its accountability and feasibility are yet to be seen in the long run. But the Republican leader Mr. John Boehner was sceptical about these plans. He remarked that it was a matter of convincing the American tax payers that the government was financing a viable corporation. The following is the stock activity of the company: Stock Activity Last Price 6.11 52 Week High 6.75 52 Week Low 1.01 Volume 54.58 Mil Average Daily Volume (13wk) 102.05 Mil 50 Day Moving Average 5.19 200 Day Moving Average 3.31 Volatility (beta) 2.55 F Intraday Chart 5d 1m 3m 1y 3y 5y 10y Beta 2.55 Dividend & Yield NA Earnings/Share -7.03 Forward P/E -15.28 Market Cap. 19.39 Bil P/E -0.86 Return on Equity NA Total Shares Out. 3.17 Bil Financial data in U.S. dollars (Source: http://moneycentral.msn.com /detail/stock_ quote'Symbol=F, retrieved on 14th June, 2009) Ford Motor must strive hard to find out new strategies to make the company progressive. That is what the Democrats told the executives of the major three companies last week, when they sought an emergency financial aid of $25 billion. They were told by the Democratic leaders to submit new proposals with bailout plans to Congress on 2nd December. On getting the proposals they would hold hearings for voting on it the next week. Stock Charts (2009-06-14) Ford Motor The companies have to prepare a plan as to how the governmental loans will be utilised and period for which the financial loans are required. In order to get these loans the companies must forego the payment of dividends and the huge amount of executive compensation. (http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/market- dispatches-112408.aspx, retrieved on 14th June, 2009) Ratio analysis Gross Profit Margin 19.4% EBIT Margin -5.1% EBITDA Margin 4.4% Pre-Tax Profit Margin -12.8% Current Ratio 2.4 Quick Ratio 1.9 Receivables Turnover 1.2 Inventory Turnover 11.2 Asset Turnover 0.5 Revenue to Assets

College admission - why my rank dropped (2 to 31) and my GPA dropped Essay

College admission - why my rank dropped (2 to 31) and my GPA dropped from 4.0+ to 3.7 - change of school - Essay Example ore, I learned advanced scientific concepts in "Evolution, Biodiversity, and Ecology†, â€Å"Scientific Inquiries - Chemistry", â€Å"Scientific Inquiries - Physics", â€Å"Methods in Scientific Inquiry†, and â€Å"Mathematical Investigations III & IV†. IMSA classes are rigorous college preparatory courses (AP), with all classes being taught at the honors level. Unfortunately, I had to transfer to my home school on Dec 5 2012, 5 days before the completion of first semester of junior year at IMSA due to health reasons. According to IMSA policy, I could not get credit for the rigorous college preparatory courses, since I did not complete the semester. Moreover, Glenbard South could not transfer credits for courses taken at IMSA during 3 months (Aug -Dec). I had to study the Glenbard South syllabus on my own and complete it in 3 weeks’ time, which was overwhelmingly challenging. I completed first semester syllabus in AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP English Literature, and Composition in record 3 weeks’ time. Self-study, limited time, and difficulty of curriculum limited my scoring in the subjects to B+. This affected my GPA such that I dropped from rank 3 to rank 31 in a batch of 317 students. Additionally, Glenbard South did not have the equivalent advanced curriculum course titles to match courses taken at IMSA in sophomore year, which affected my GPA further. Therefore, my class rank and GPA calculated is not the appropriate reflection of Honors Course Curriculum, I had taken at IMSA. However, I derive satisfaction from the fact that I secured admission in one of the most competitive public high school and studied advanced curriculum that helped me prepare for the college. My SAT scores reflect my great potential since I managed to score 730 in Chemistry, 800 in Mathematics and 700 in English. I therefore believe that I have a greater potential than my GPA reflects. Given the chance, I can demonstrate that I am indeed a perfect candidate for Ivy League

English Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English - Coursework Example view is able to lend a certain degree of integrity to the story’s content because in a way, all the characters were given equal levels of attention. This is quite important because the story emphasizes the different struggles that each character went through and the third-person omniscient point of view is able to provide the reader with the opportunity to pick his or her own side. The short story that I wish to analyze is Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour.† The overall theme of the story generally revolves around freedom, and, more specifically, women’s search for selfhood, for self-discovery or identity. This theme is aptly symbolized by the open window, out of which Mrs. Mallard could see patches of blue sky, the tops of trees that were signaling a new spring life, and the many other wonderful things outside of her window. All of these things represented a â€Å"new life† for Mrs. Mallard who has been under the clutches of her husband for a very long time. While Mrs. Mallard was stricken with grief at the initial news of her husband’s death, she was able to look at the situation at a whole new light upon looking out the window. Thus, the open window that presented a view into an entirely new life without her husband’s repression represented Mrs. Mallard’s supposedly new lease at life. The difference between a poem and a short story is that a poem is more imaginative, as it is driven with words that create more spontaneous, intuitive responses, while a short story oftentimes depends on descriptive language and logical structure. In addition, a poem adheres to rhythm while a short story can be a static flow of words. For example, the following lines from Alexander Pope’s â€Å"An Essay on Criticism† is very rich in imaginative, metaphoric, rhythmic language while the lines from â€Å"A Father’s Story† by Andre Dubus are very literal and static. Hearing the poem â€Å"We Real Cool† recited aloud by the author herself, Gwendolyn Brooks, provided

Kindergarten Education Act Essay Example for Free

Kindergarten Education Act Essay On January 20, 2012, Republic Act 10157 also known as Kindergar ten Education Act, was being approved. This Act is in relation with the Millennium Development Goals on achieving Education for All (EFA) by the year 2015. Wherein the policy provide an equal opportunities for all children to avail of accessible mandatory and compulsory kindergarten education that effectively promotes the physical, social, intellectual, emotional and skills stimulation and values formation to sufficiently prepare them for formal elementary schooling. It is prerequisite then, for the children that they will pass through kindergarten, the first stage of elementary education system before going to Grade 1. It is also stated in this Act that the Mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) will be implemented as the medium of instruction to kindergarten pupils. Reaction: Kindergarten before is somewhat optional to acquire. And not all have the privilege, the capacity, the money and the chances to take this formative stage in education. With or without it, when a child reaches the age of formal schooling, he can start his elementary education. The R.A.10157, Kindergarten Education Act, is a one good feat in bridging the gap of literacy and economic stability of our country. Though it is quite long way yet to see its effectiveness but what matters is a step forward has been made towards a better future. With this Act, every child of our country will have an equal right to be molded during his formative stage in life regardless of who or what he is in the society. Kindergarten is of great aid in shaping and building young ones a strong learning foundation in preparation for their next step to their formal education. With proper trainings and programs for teachers in honing their skills in teaching, right approaches such as using the MTB-MLE, and strategies and appropriate learning tools, kindergarten students would be much ready to take the challenge of leveling up to the next ladder of their formal elementary education. Being a language teacher myself, I personally experienced and still experiencing the effect of teaching many, but not all, fresh high school students with a meager elementary education foundation. No matter how much teachers will be pointing fingers to who’s who is to be blamed, it boils down to one factor inadequate knowledge foundation of students. With this R.A. 10157, I believe it is of great help in patching the hole of the crisis. With a good start having a strong foundation in education, the process would then continue as they level up their knowledge and eventually our country will produce more equipped, effective and productive men and women of the society. Recommendation: Whatever policies, programs and projects of our government such as this R.A. 10157 if it is closely monitored and supervised properly by the concern agencies and people behind it, nothing will put into waste and that the common goal will be achieved†¦to build a stronger and a more productive nation.

The Social Problem Of Homelessness

The Social Problem Of Homelessness In this essay, the social problems I have chosen to write about is Homelessness. I will also be exploring different perspective of Homelessness and the policy responses and the impact it have on the society. The groups I will focus my discussion on are young people and rough sleepers as the evidence indicates that young homeless people experience rough sleeping before securing temporary accommodation. There are wide ranges of definition Homelessness and it varies from country to country or among different institutions in the same country. According to |Liddiard, M (2001:119) the immediate sense of the term as regularly employed by the mass media and politicians, simplistically equates homelessness with rooflessness or literally sleeping rough on the street. This is can be a straightforward and easy to understand definition but this does not reflect the true scope of the problem so a broader definition of homeless peoples include those lacking permanent residence and living in a range of unsatisfactory housing conditions. They can include those living in temporary hostels, bed and breakfast, night shelters and squatters. However, the legal definition of someone homeless is if they do not have a legal right to occupy accommodation or if their accommodation is unsuitable to live in. They also include families and peoples who do not sleep rough and some are accommodated by friends and family on temporary basis. So from the above definition the social construction of homelessness are not the small amounts of individual that sleep on the street, looking dirty and smells of alcohol and drugs but comprises of all individual who do not have a permanent decent place of accommodation or without a regular dwelling and are on a waiting list or takes housing benefit and in temporary accommodations. (Giddens 2007) The cause of homelessness varies as many are of the view that homelessness is a result of personal failings and consider if the economy is going on well, there is no excuse to be homeless. Shelter (2007) is of the view that homelessness is cause by a complex interplay between a personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s individual circumstances and adverse structural factors outside their direct control. Among the individual factors include social exclusion, thus when a person lack of qualification because they did not have access to good education and decent job. Ones misuse of drugs and alcohol which result in lack of personal control, lack of social support and debts especially mortgage or rent arrears. Having mental health problems and getting involved in crime at an early age also contribute to homelessness. Family breakdown and unresolved disputes are a major factor of homelessness as a result of divorce and separation and a greater number of men and women are affected. People from institutiona l background like having been in care, the armed forces are likely to be affected. Ex-offenders who come out of prison and lose their friend and families can become homeless and the majority from ethnic minority or ex-asylum seekers who have the right to stay but have no accommodation. Structural causes of homelessness are mostly social and economical in nature often outside the control of individual or family concerned. These may include poverty, lack of affordable housing, unemployment and the structure and administration of housing benefit. According to the shelter (2007) the number of households found to be homeless by local authorities increased 31percent between 1997/98 and 2003/2004. Historically, homelessness had low publicity until the 1966 when the BBC screened Ken Loachà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s film about homelessness Cathy Come Home. This was watch by 12million people and the film alerted the public, the media and the government to the scale of the housing crises and then Shelter was formed. Another policy response was the 1977 Housing (Homeless Persons) Acts was the first measure to place responsibilities on local authorities to rehouse homeless families and individuals permanently. (Liddiard, M .2001) The 1977 legislation had Priority Need which included women with children or pregnant, vulnerable due to age, mental illness, disability, and loss of home by natural disasters. This did not cater for everyone who was homeless and the criteria by which local authorities accepted someone as homeless was complex and rest ricted. Hence the 1996 section 177 amended to include domestic violence as a priority need but strict eligibility remains (Hill, M: 2000). Young people were not covered under the existing legislation and the number of young homeless increased. Existing data on youth homelessness has significant limitation; in particular it is only possible to count young people who are in contact with services. According to ONS (2007) it can be estimated that at least 75,000 young people experienced homelessness in the UK in 2006-07. This included 43,075 aged 16-24 of which 8,337 were 16 -17 year old who were accepted as statutorily homeless in the UK and at least 31,000 non-statutorily homeless young people using supporting people services during 2006-2007. The Homelessness Act (2002) changes significantly the way in which homeless in England and Wales is tackled. The priority need categories was extended to includes 16/17 years rather those who social services are responsible for accommodating, care- leavers under the age of 21 who were looked after by social services when they were 16/17 and ex- prisoners, former soldiers and young p eople leaving care. This act also introduces greater flexibility with regards to social housing allocation giving more people the right to be considered for a council or housing home. The local authorities had a statutory duty to care for all the homeless people but no extra resources were added. This had a great impact on the number of homeless people who were able to relocate permanently at a given time and especially those under priority need. Young people experiencing disruption or trauma during childhood who may be from socio-economic background are at increased risk of homelessness. The main trigger for youth homelessness is relationship breakdown usually parents or step-parent. Among the impact of homeless on young people is poor health as they cannot take care of their health being. They lack basic food and shelter to help them grow to become healthy adults and they may suffer from depression. Homelessness can lead to increased levels of non- participation in formal education, training or employment. At times leaving school early without a qualification and a decent job may lead some young people into the misuse of drugs and some have mental health problems. Another homeless group of concern is the rough sleepers who were in temporary accommodation but some choose to roam the streets, sleeping rough free from the constraints of property and possessions. But a large majority has no such wish at all but they have been pushed over the edge into homelessness by factors beyond their control. Once they find themselves without a permanent dwelling, their lives sometimes deteriorate into a spiral of hardship and deprivation. ( Giddens 2009:503) The Homelessness Act 2002 extended the definition of the priority need to include new groups of vulnerable people, and requirement that all homeless people receive advice and assistance. In addition, Local Authorities are requires to periodically develop homeless strategies, including an assessment of levels of homelessness and conduct an audit of those sleeping rough. In 1998 there were around 1,850 people sleeping rough on the street of England on any one night. This follows on from the government drive to reduce rough sleeping by two-thirds in 2002. The Rough Sleeper Unit was set up in April 1999 to take the lead on delivering this challenging new target and help thousands of people to escape fro good from the humiliation and misery of life under a blanket in a shop doorway. One of the key principal of the strategy was to understand the cause of rough sleeping, why people end up on the street and what could be done to stop this from happing in the future. The strategy also place t he emphasis on encouraging rough sleepers to become active members of the community, to build self esteem and bring on talent as well as helping the individual to become prepared for the life away from the street. Positive result soon follows as reductions in rough sleeping were achieves around the country in December 2001 the target set by the government was met ahead of time. The target was met amid the controversy about how rough sleepers were counted and concern about the emphasis on street homelessness, which campaigners claimed was only tip of the homelessness iceberg. According to BBC New Magazine, housing minister Grant Shapps believes that the government figures on the count of rough sleeper is low and the system of counting is flawed. He argues that, under previous governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s system, councils with fewer than 10 rough sleepers were not obliged to count them, and that vagrants sitting up in sleeping bags were not counted as homeless. After Mr. Shapps insisted that councils provide estimates, the England wide figure rose to 1,247, this comprised 440 from 70 authorities that count and 807 from 256 authorities that provided estimates. Despite government investment in hostels to accommodate rough sleepers many are on waiting list as resources and financing is limited. Overcrowding, lack of bed space and sharing rooms or limited facili ties with others are also identified as a problem especially if you have a partner or a dog, your choices narrow considerably. Although the quality of hostels has improved considerably, hostels are often considered unsafe. Over 57 percent of those who stayed in hostels mentioned problems with other residents, including drug and alcohol use, violence, theft, bulling, noise and arguments. And some are of the view that it is not a place to go if you want to stay clean of drugs. People are under the same legislation and the local authorities are unable to permanently house all in priority need. In addition to the above, there are certain groups who are excluded from hostels, such as people from the EU and asylum seekers from non-EU countries who are homeless and destitute in the street of the UK. Their entitlement to benefits is restricted until they have lived and worked and paid into the UK system through national Insurance and tax for one year continuously. Such laws bring about social exclusion as street homeless people have reduced access to health care and dental services. They face discrimination and general rejection from other people and may have increased risk to suffering from violence and abuse. The impact of rough sleeping is limited access to education, not being seen as suitable for employment and loss of usual relationship with the mainstream. Most of all, living on the streets is dangerous as rough sleepers die young with the average life expectancy at 42. Inequalities among the population still remain one factor of homelessness. Privatisation and residualisation of the council housing meant that fewer houses are available for council tenant. This imposes greater long term risks on the former council tenants while also generating considerable costs for the taxpayer. The process also excludes the many tenants who either reject transfer or are not given the choice and therefore exacerbates inequalities. There are 1.4 million unfit home in England as the majority of homeowners are in the private sector. The increase of housing association rents and increases in house prices means most people cannot afford a decent accommodation. Low income families are the most affected as 4 million people receiving housing benefit. ( Quilgars D. et al 2008) In conclusion, the problem of homelessness has been tackled by the governments over the years through policies and legislation. However, the problem require long term policy solutions such as changes in the benefit system, the building of more affordable homes and ensuring that a wider cross- section of society benefits from the fruits of economic growth. For many people, there is no single event that results in sudden homelessness; instead homelessness is due to a number of unresolved problems outlined above building up over time. The achievement of one government policy on rough sleepers indicates much could be done to reduce the impact of homelessness as the number still rises. Ministers are now focusing on the prevention of rough sleeper and youth homelessness through a new government homelessness strategy.

Quantum Holism as Consequence of the Relativistic Approach to the Probl

Quantum Holism as Consequence of the Relativistic Approach to the Problem of Quantum Theory Interpretation ABSTRACT: In modern physics the common relational approach should be extended to the concepts of element and set. The relationalization of the concepts of element and set means that in the final analysis the World exists as an indivisible whole, not as a set (of one or another kind of elements). Therefore, we have to describe quantum systems in terms of potentialities and probabilities: since quantum systems cannot be analyzed completely into sets of elements, we can speak only of the potentialities of isolating elements and sets within their structure. On the other hand this quantum property of the world as an indivisible whole accounts for the astonishing logical properties of the structure of the potentialities of quantum systems which it brings forth. This has been confirmed by quantum-correlation experiments (A.Aspect and oth.). These effects have a relational nature, not a physical-causal or material one, and they are brought forth by the changes (resulting from measurement or physical interaction) in the structure of the relations of the mutually complementary sides of reality. One of these sides expresses an actually existing structure of the system as a real (and physically verifiable) but only relatively separable set, and the other expresses the sets of potentialities in it which arise from the astonishing property of finite non-analyzability of the system into elements and sets (i.e. by the quantum property of the world as an indivisible unit). Introduction Known physicist D.Bohm have successfully used the holistic idea in modern physics. (1) Besides that it is necessary to call reader's attention to the... ...system's wholeness and constitute the implicative-logical structure controlled by the wholeness phenomenon. The idea of the implicative-logical organization of the probability structure of a quantum system in the pure state and of the controlling role of the wholeness phenomenon (in the redistribution of probabilities depending on this or that real experiment) is confirmed by the results of quantum-correlation experiments (for example, A. Aspect's experiments). Notes (1) D.Bohm. Wholeness and the implicate order. L., 1984. (2) V.A.Fock. Uspekhi fizicheskikh nauk, , 66, 592 (1958) (foot-note on this page). (3). S. Kochen, Symposium of the Foundations of Modern Physics: 50 Years of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Gedankenexperiment, (World Scientific Publishing Co., Singapore, 1985), pp. 151-69. (4). A.A.Grib, "Uspekhi fizicheskikh nauk", 142, 621(1984).

mauryan empire :: essays research papers fc

The Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka, is famous for his Rock and Pillar edicts. But how much can we really know about Ashoka and his empire from these edicts, particularly as almost no other evidence exists for Ashoka’s reign? It is a fair assessment that up until the early part of the twentieth century, when the definitive link between Ashoka and that of the â€Å"Devanampiya Piyadassi (Beloved of the Gods Piyadassi)† character inscribed on the edicts was established, very little was either known about Ashoka or cared for by historians. However, it must be said that the Mauryan Empire itself was an era of significant historical value not without a good deal of historical and archaeological evidence to substantiate its importance. In addressing the issue of what the edicts in particular reveal to us about Ashoka and the period of his reign one needs to acknowledge undoubtedly what is being stated, but perhaps moreover one needs to pay attention to the inherent meanings, the intended meanings and the contextual meanings of the inscriptions themselves. The ultimate thematic concern of the edicts in general is that of the principle of Dhamma. A definition of Dhamma itself is given in the 2nd Pillar Edict as: â€Å"having few faults and many good deeds, mercy, charity, truthfulness and purity†. In this context one may deduce that the notion of Dhamma is a type of ethos for social morality or ethical behaviour. Furthermore, the term is said to be a fundamental philosophy of Buddhist doctrine, the practice of which leads to one’s advancement in both a spiritual and material sense. That Ashoka was a proclaimed Buddhist is evident from the edicts, â€Å"I have been a Buddhist layman for more than two and a half years, but for a year I did not make much progress. Now for more than a year I have drawn closer to the Order and become more ardent.† There are fewer examples of a more personal self-proclamation to be found and yet one cannot help but consider the motive behind it. Surely Ashoka, had taken seriously to Buddhism, he at least says so. However, he says so, publicly. This implies that he either was a firm believer who had a need to use his position as a platform to preach a doctrine which he had come to accept as the ultimate truth and as such, to share with and enlighten his people or he was a very sensible and intuitive leader who had a tremendous amount of foresight in adopting the principles of a profound philosophy that he saw could be used to strategically unify and mould his empire both socially and politically.

Analysis of Fences by August Wilson Essay -- Fences Plays Slavery Raci

Troy Maxson is a man who thinks he is a failure but finds it hard to admit. Troy is a middle age black garbage man who feels held back by the â€Å"white man†. â€Å"Why you got the white men driving and colored lifting?† (p.9). the quotation mentioned is an example of how Troy feels he will never amount to anything because he is a black man in the â€Å"white man’s world†. Therefore, Troy limits his goals in life. Maintaining a job, having a roof over his head, and food on the table is Troy’s idea of success. This is his idea of success because he has accomplished this while having a hard life. Troy fences himself into his own little world where there is no room for anyone to question or judge him. Meanwhile Troy’s bitterness towards the â€Å"white man† creates callousness towards his son Cory....

Firefighter Employment Scenario Essay

Although it’s not clear in the story whether an associates degree is a precondition for taking the exam, in your opinion, should a degree be a requirement to sit for the exam? Yes Why or why not? A Fire science degree should be a requirement to take the test. It shows that the fire fighter it trying to improve him or her self and become more knowledgeable of their craft. It also shows that they are committed to their career. Working and going to school is not an easy thing to do. Like the question states we do not know if the degree is required to sit the exam, if not stated as a requirements, then the degree should not be a factor in the selection process. Based on the fact that Doug and Sam earned the first and second highest test scores, is it a reasonable assumption that the city of Davis will add Doug and Sam to the certification list? Yes Why or why not? According to what we know of the information provided they should both be on the list. They have both meet the requirements to sit for the exam and scored the two best scores. Can the City successfully defend itself on the basis of â€Å"disparate impact?† Yes Why or why not? The city did will not effect anyone of a protected class, under Title VII Once disparate impact is established, the employer must justify the continued use of the procedure or procedures causing the adverse impact as a â€Å"business necessity.† Under what circumstances may racial discrimination be proved by â€Å"disparate impact?† One does not need to be direct about the discrimination. Example would be â€Å"Whites only need to apply†.

The Animal Kingdom Animals

In the animal kingdom there are so many different types of species. Every animal in the animal kingdom are a part of the animalia kingdom. Some of the different species that can be found in the animalia kingdom are insects, birds, echinoderms, and mammal. Out of all these different species that belong to the animalia kingdom they all have many traits and adaptations that are either very similar or very different that the other. Mammals-There are as many as 5000 mammal species in the animal kingdom.Some very important details to know about mammals is that they have some unique qualities and characteristics that differ from other animals in the animal kingdom such as their hair and fur and the fact that mammals birth full babies rather than eggs and the produce milk to feed their offspring. An example of two mammals is deer and cheetahs. Cheetah-There is a rough estimate that there is about 100,000 cheetahs out there. The cheetah is a mammal that can be found in a savannah of in a mild ly open area.The mother land to the cheetah is Africa, but these days they can be found all across the eastern parts such as Iran. There was a time the there was a cheetah were located in more today. The cheetah is a carnivore, meaning they are meant eaters. They main prey that the cheetah hunts is gazelles, wildebeest calves, impalas and smaller hoofed animals. Talking prey, the cheetah does not just hunt prey, but are prey themselves against animal like the lions and hyenas, as well as failing victim to poachers and hunters. A fey factor and strength of the cheetah is its speed, a cheetah can reach ranges up to 70 mph.Whitetail deer- This mammal lives in habitats that have deep woods and grassy brush areas. They are best found in southern Canada and all over the United States. The white tailed deer is said to one of the smallest members in the deer family in North America. They are located in many different parts that range in area from Central America to Bolivia. Some interesting traits that the Whitetail deer has are their scent glands on all four feet, metatarsal glands on all their hind legs, and the tarsal gland on their hind legs.The male deer known as the buck has big long antlers that are pointy and sharp. These are used in mating season for territory and fighting matches. The Female deer known as does. The white tailed deer is a part of the order Artiodactyls family. The white tailed deer are herbivores and eat mostly leaves, twigs, fruits and nuts, grass, corn, alfalfa, and even lichens and other fungi. Both the Cheetah and the deer are both four legged mammals and they both have fur short fur coat. The white tailed deer is herbivores were as the cheetah is a carnivore.Some traits that the impala and white tailed deer have in common are they both have scent glands and the males have horns, females do not. The different characteristics would be that the male white tail sheds its horns. Insects-Mountain pine beetle-The mountain pine beetle is an inse ct that reside in areas like the forests of western North America. The mountain pine beetle is said to be mainly located in the Colorado pine forest. The beetle lives on and eats through wood, and lumber that is found in the forest.Honey Bees- If there is one insect that is most common to everyone, it is the honey bee. The honey bee belongs to the hymenoptera family and is a huge recourse to humans and the natural world we live in. Bees refine and concentrate nectar to produce honey. Bees are known as social insects and live in hives. Each bee hive can contain anywhere from 20,000 to 80,000 bees. The bees work together in strong structured social order, giving them the name, the social insect. These social groups are referred to as castes. There are three castes which are the queens, drones, and workers.Another very important role that bees play is pollination. As pollen sticks to the bee it rubs off as it makes it way from flower to flower know as pollination. Although the beetle a nd the honey bee are two separate insects they have many characteristics in common. Both the beetle and the honey bee have wing and can fly, and most all honey bees as well as beetles are similar in size, shape and color. Although they are similar in many ways they are also very different. The roles these two insects play in our natural would could not be more different.Birds- Some characteristics that most all birds share is there feathers, ability to fly, they have no teeth, have two limbs and lay eggs. Adelie penguins- A penguin is a very unique kind of bird in the bird family. Penguins live in colonies. The Adelie penguin can be found primarily in Antarctica in the cold ice oceans or along the freezing shores. An Adelie penguin’s diet consists of shrimp-like krill, fish and squid. They get they prey by diving below the surface of the waters. A Adelie penguin can dive as far as 575 feet (175 meters) to hunt for its prey.The Adelie penguin nest on land and are also very goo d swimmers. Andean condors- another very unique bird is the Andean condors. The Andean condor is a very large bird with a Body of, 4 ft (1. 2 m); wingspan, up to 10. 5 ft. It is one of the world’s largest birds that have the ability to fly. They weigh about 33lbs and has the largest wingspan of any other bird in the world. The Andean condor is known to hibernate near oceans, mountains and near deserts. They feed on carcasses of large wild or domestic animals. These birds are considered to be a very endangered species.

Ratio Analysis †Yum! Brands Essay

Yum! Brands’ consolidated net profit margin lies within the industry average and for 2 years have shown slow yet steady growth. While sales from US operations declined by 5%, the company continued to gain momentum in China, where operating profit increased at an average of 26% year-on-year. Meanwhile, their Return on Assets fairs better than competitors such as McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza, showing that management efficiently manages its asset base. The company’s efficiency can be seen in its Cash Conversion Cycle, with -49. 2 in 2009. This number is much lower from its competitors, which suggests a liquid working capital position. Yum generates sales from its inventory and cash from its sales at a faster rate than the time its pays its suppliers. This means that it utilizes the average 60-day period before it has to fully purchases with suppliers, giving them â€Å"free cash† in principle. However, while this suggests less need to borrow, the comp any still received cash by issuing long-term debt in 2008 and 2009. Due to the nature of the business, on average, 56% of its total assets are fixed. And as Yum ventures into Asian countries, especially China and India, it allocates part of its cash to capital spending. However, in utilizing its fixed assets to generate sales, Yum scores lower compared to Wendy’s and McDonald’s. This may be due to its focus on aggressively adding new stores, with 2008 and 2009 serving as introduction years, before sales can fully pick up. One could also note, however, that sales in the US and International Divisions (ex-China) have decreased from 2007 to 2009. The company’s solvency, however, provides another story. As mentioned, Yum reported negative equity in 2008 mainly due to repurchase of sales. The company used its cash surplus to repurchase sales at a time when its stock price decreased, making it gain economic profits. This may also show the company’s belief and commitment that the stock price will increase again, especially because of the surge in opportunities in China. In addition, it reported accumulated other comprehensive loss in 2008 and 2009. As stated in its 2008 annual report, this loss was attributable to a decline in the â€Å"unrecognized funded status† of U. S. pension plans and foreign currency translation adjustments brought by the strengthened position of the U. S. Dollar. What is alarming in this situation is that the company is riding on a debt level that is 30% higher than its competitors. Majority of its liabilities are long-term debt, with some maturing in 30 years. Moreover, its current ratio appears to be very much lower than its peers, due to its massive use of cash for buybacks, and which suggests increasing risks to the company. It is hence surprising to note that despite this, the company still continues to distribute dividends with an average payout ratio of 36% year-on-year. This then hints at a possibility that Yum is inflating its dividends to continue attracting investors, at the expense of paying their debt position. Source: YUM! Brands Annual Report 2008 & 2009

Balloon Car

Jesse Pinkman Balloon Car Project DESIGN COMPANY INFORMATION Well our business company is comprised of Nick Wilson and I, Thomas Kinley. Our Company’s name is That Company ®. I am the President, The CFO, and the Director of all Operations of That Company. My engineering experience will really enhance our chances of winning this and making even more cars. I’ve worked for many toy companies to get cars running. I think our idea will help Iowa’s kid have fun and save the world because of the recycled materials. This will benefit students by giving them something to play within their free time instead of watching TV. PROJECT STATEMENT The project that is at hand is very simple it is making a balloon powered car out of simply recycled materials. This will help kids of Iowa learn about wheels and axles. It will also teach them how to make the most out of materials that could be recycled. This will also teach the kids about the Laws of Motion, friction, and acceleration. Basically our project will be distributed to teach kids about many different things in science. PRELIMINARY DESIGN My design will start with an empty pop can, and then I will screw holes for the axles (pencils) to go into. Then I will shave the pencils for the least amount friction, and then I will stick the milk carton caps on as my wheels. I will spray WD-40 on to really loosen up the axle. I am going to cut some of the can off for aerodynamics. My car will win because it will be aerodynamic, little friction, but still a lot of acceleration.

Culture of India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Culture of India - Essay Example Religion plays a major role in the way of life of a people. In addition to the fact that it is the second most populous country in the world brings with it a number of challenges when it comes to intercultural communication (Samovar, Porter and McDaniel 13). Cultures have individual perceptions of society, and norms and values affect the manner in which people of varying cultures communicate and understand the world. Inability to understand the difference in culture may cause misunderstanding or hinder communication between people of varying culture. The culture of India is one of the most unique since there is cultural diversity throughout the country. The North, south, and Northeast have unique cultures and their combination has led to development of the Indian culture. It is vital to note that tourism is the most apparent method of intercultural meetings since people of diverse cultures travel to far away lands such as India to learn different cultures. There is normally a difficulty in intercultural communication not only because of the difference in language but also because of the varying attitudes of people of varying culture (Chen and Starosta 9). Through speech humans are able to communicate with each other and to do so they use language. Humans use systems of symbolic communication to pass across messages and the variety in language makes human communication very complex. Language is the most important tool for the transmission of various cultures. It is also the greatest barrier of communication between individuals of different cultures. In India, different states have various official languages identified by the central government. For example east India speaks Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali. India has a wide variety of language but the Central government decided that Hindi was the official language. English is considered globally as the language most understood. However, different cultures speak the language

Business Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Business Proposal - Essay Example SCM ensures effective and efficient integration of the several supply chains; for example, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers, and customers. CRM enables businesses to practice proper relationships with stakeholders in sales, marketing and service; for instance proper communication with current or potential clients. KMS ensures effective and efficient collection, organizing and dissemination of business information; for instance, end year financial statements. The MIS has several importances. Firstly, the technology ensures businesses achieve competitive advantage. This enables the organization to perform operations better, cheaper, uniquely and faster; in comparison to competitors. Secondly, MIS enables the companies to analyze their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). This is because of adequate financial reports, and also employee performance trends (O’Brien, 2009). This analysis ensures that the organization improves the processes or operations of the business. Systems development is applied in creating information systems that address business problems. System development includes several processes; system analysis, design, implementation, production, and maintenance (Joshi, 2009). System conversion entails changing old information system, to current information

First semester essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

First semester - Essay Example In other words, whether the reports are prepared in conformity to all the material respects or not. The information is considered material if it has significant impact on the decision making process. If the omission of the information from the financial report can influence economic decision then the information is believed to be material (Williams, 2002). Materiality in auditing is the key concept to understand and evaluate for all the auditors. The job of auditors, whether internal or external, is to identify the materiality while making the audit report of the company. Materiality can be determined using qualitative aspects of the business. The qualitative aspect refers to the significance of a particular transaction which may not look big in size but may have importance because of the nature of the transaction (Zadek & Merme, 2003). There are various qualitative factors that are approached by the auditors to make realistic and authentic decisions. Some of the factors are (1) Likelihood of earning management, (2) Misstatement of share price, (3) Misstatement on projected earnings, (4) Likelihood of financial statement fraud, (5) Ineffective audit control culture, (6) Litigation risk, (7) Fraud detection or its symptoms etc. (Zabihollah & Riley, 2009) The nature of transaction can also be explained in terms of the disclosure regarding the financial transaction, which may not be significant in terms of size but lack of proper disclosure may have significant impact on the presentation of the business structure (Gupta, 2004). Now the question arises, how much the concept of materiality is important in audit process? The answer is explained using the literature review on materiality. The increase in requirement of information in more civilized financial market requires that more stringent audit process must be conducted to identify the facts on which the quality of the business process can be judged (Puncel, 2007). Therefore,

Giving birth control devices to teenagers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Giving birth control devices to teenagers - Essay Example Birth control devices â€Å"could potentially make teenagers to think that they can have sex with anyone at any time and not have any consequences, but a lot of teenagers are uneducated about contraception and will misuse it, making it pointless† (What are the pros of giving free birth control to teens?). On the other hand, many people question the logic of providing birth control devices to teenagers. They are of the view that the easy accessibility of birth control devices may motivate teenagers further and further to engage in sexual activities. In their opinion, the fear of pregnancy is the only thing which prevents majority of teenagers from sexual activities. The availability of contraception or birth control devices will remove such fears from the minds of teenagers and they may increase their sexual activities beyond the limits. Teenage is a period during which the education of a person is taking place. Education is the most important thing in the life of a teenager. F ailure to complete the school or college life with flying colors may prevent the teenagers from getting better employment in future. In other words, security and safety of future life of a teenager are mostly depending on the academic qualifications. The availability of birth control devices may force the teenagers to shift their main focus from education to sexual activities. Such people will realize the consequences of their activities in future and they will not get any second opportunity to revert their future.

Anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon (1964) writes of the Yanomamo of Coursework

Anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon (1964) writes of the Yanomamo of Venezuela as fierce people - Coursework Example The Yanomamo tribe of Venezuela lives in relatively small villages of around 40 to 250 people. For Chagnon, the Yanomamos are a â€Å"fierce people† because of their cultural practices. This particular group of people would usually express ferocity in several ways. First of all, the ferocious and violent tendencies of the Yanomamos are reflected in their decisions to initiate intervillage warfare in order to prevent another tribe to attack them in the future or perhaps simply in order to demonstrate their ferocity. Secondly, the Yanomamos would usually beat their wives when they want to vent their anger. Nevertheless, the unreasonableness of this act is no match for the fact that men would sometimes engage in a chest-pounding duel and take part in free-for-all club fights in order to settle disputes of insults and excessive demands. Lastly and certainly not the least, the Yanomamos prove themselves as truly a â€Å"fierce people† when they force their sons to fight each other in public duels while they parents rejoice in their fights. Thus, there is no way to diffuse the warlike image for this is inculcated in the Yanomamo even at a young age. All these violent and ferocious acts indeed somehow define the Yanomamos as a â€Å"fierce people.† The Yanomamos themselves have both a practical and a traditional or mythological origin for such ferocity that they demonstrate. The practical side to it is the idea that their ferocity is a â€Å"way of protecting valuable resources† and also a way of considering women and children as â€Å"valuable resources† (Robins, 2009). This means that the intervillage wars and the warlike predisposition of the Yanomamos serve either as a way to demonstrate superiority as well as to protect the tribe from attacks waged by other tribes. If the Yanomamos were not a â€Å"fierce people,† they would stand no chance against other tribes who would attack them at any time. Another justification of the Yanomamos for their being a â€Å"fierce† is mythological in origin. These people believe that people were â€Å"created from the blood of the moon† (Robins, 200 9). According to this origin myth, the moon was believed by the ancients to have devoured the souls of their children. Because of this, the human beings shot the moon with an arrow and from the blood that flowed out of this wound, the Yanomamos were born. The fact that the birth of the Yanomamos was one of blood and revenge in a way paved the way for them to believe that they are indeed a â€Å"fierce people† and in many ways they demonstrated and perpetuated this image. Question 3: In your own words, review the characteristics of peaceful societies and link these characteristics to two of the following five societies: the Ju/Wasi, the Semain of West Malaysia, the Inuit, the Xinguano of the Amazon region in South America, and the Buid of the Philippines. Peaceful societies maintain their peace by constantly aiming for a number of things. Firstly, these societies place a high value on developing the values of sharing and cooperation. This is to alleviate and avoid conflicts ov er material resources. Somehow, peaceful societies believe that if there is one thing that would disturb the peace among the members of the community, it would be the selfishness, greed and the refusal to share possessions. Thus, these characteristics are absent in a peaceful society. The Ju/wasi and the Buid of the Philippines are two examples of societies that exemplify peace. These two societies share similar qualities, all of which are focused upon the good of the community as a whole, and not over material things or the benefit of the individual. Another characteristic of a peaceful society is the condemnation of those who boast about their accomplishments, especially if this would most likely trigger hatred, envy or

Innovation and New Ventures Business Plan and Investor Presentation Coursework

Innovation and New Ventures Business Plan and Investor Presentation (Product) - Coursework Example Market Size / Growth Research Apart from United Kingdom(UK) being the sixth largest economy in the whole world, its automotive industry employs more than 800, 000 people and United Kingdom has more than 20 cities with London carrying the largest population of about 7,172,091. Additionally, United Kingdom is recognized as the first industrialized place with England being the most densely populated country in the world. UK has the top world universities; University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. Many people are well educated in UK and a huge number have attended college and hence belong to the middle class level. With this in mind, UK makes a huge market for the product (muting sensor) device. Targeting London as a major market city and the greatest economy, the city has many middle class families who afford television sets and pay televisions like DSTV Pay TV (OmeSteps Introduces National Summer Sales Promotion, 2011, p 1). Moreover, technological awareness in UK is on the increase and it is spreading dynamically with good roots from its industrialization in the early 19th and 20th C. In this case, many people in London have the ability to purchase our product, especially the people with more than thirty years and have children who are chronic television addicts. It has also been noted that UK has a very rapid rate of increase of population which in this case dictates the ease of growth of our market in the near future. In this case, England has one of the fastest population growth rates in the world earning it recognition of being a country with the highest population per area. Statistics show that UK is an attractive place for muting sensor device, considering the many cities that have highly established businesses like hotels, lodgings, restaurants, nightclubs, healthcare centre and institutions which require television sets (OmeSteps Introduces National Summer Sales Promotion,  2011, p 1). These c enters are potential buyers of our product. The many families also described above treat a television set as a basic need for a home and therefore many homes will be willing to buy our product. It is also stated that UK has the top known universities which have attracted many people from all over the world to go to UK to further their studies. These students make our market size larger having in mind that many students in general have a wide interest in watching movies, series and programs in television sets. Technology is not only spreading widely and earning recognition in UK but also in almost other parts of the world including the developing world. Various countries are catching up with technological improvement and as a growth strategy, we are planning that we are going to introduce this sensor device to other developing countries where we can be exporting this device and earn the country foreign exchange (OmeSteps Introduces National Summer Sales Promotion,  2011, p 1). Mark et segmentation The New sensor technology Company has categorized its market in the city

Scientific Management And Its Relevance Today Essay - 7

Scientific Management And Its Relevance Today - Essay Example Those who hold such views think that scientific management was not effective then and cannot be in the present days. This essay argues that Taylor’s scientific management system had its weaknesses, but the weakness can guide research towards making the theory more relevant to the current management realities. Scientific Management and its Relevance Today The result of years of experimentation and research that Taylor and his colleagues conducted in the scientific management theory.  The following four principles anchor the theory: Establishment of a science that would increase production; selection and training of personnel that will improve efficiency and increase production; application of the science established to tasks designed; and building of teamwork between personnel and management to realise the set targets (Cannon, 2009). These principles have continued to inform management practices since the 19th century to the modern days. There are many areas within management , industrial and organizational psychology that scientific management principles are applicable today. Scientific management principles has had the greatest impact in two management subfields of human resource and accounting management. Many organizations have implemented these ideas to cost?accounting and management of personnel (Wren, 2005). Areas were these principles are in operation today includes job design, selection, group processes, job performance criteria, organizational change and development, motivation and incentive systems, worker’s attitude and performance appraisal (Payne, et al. 2006). Examination of some general business practices and techniques is one of the means to prove this (Haden, Humphreys, Cooke & Penland, 2012). According to Wren (2011), studies conducted in recent years have shown that Taylor is the leading contributor to theoretical and practical approaches in management. Management researchers like Heames & Breland (2010) found Taylor at the top in their studies. Bedeian and Wren list Taylor’s book, The Principles of Scientific Management as the number one among the 25 most significant management books since the turn of 20th century. These studies were conducted decades after Taylor made the introduction of scientific management to the world. The result of these studies shows that scientific management principles have become an essential human resource tool for many managers. Application scientific management is apparent, for example, when a customer support representative picks a call under pressure from the 90/10 practice (regulations demanding customer support representatives to pick 90 percentage of calls and assist customers within 10 seconds). This regulation has its roots in scientific management as it is about efficiency and productiveness of personnel. Thus, scientific management is evident in such situations were machine-like accuracy is required for improved profitability (Bell & Martin, 2011). Taylorâ₠¬â„¢s experimentation on time and motion provides guidelines of how long it should take workers to perform a task. Time study reduces wasted motions and set a suitable standard of task performance (Wren, 2011). The study helps in the elimination of motions that do not add value to the organization’s production process. Time and motion sensors also assist employers to make decisions on strategies and techniques needed for efficient specialization.  

Acid and magnesium Essay Example for Free

Acid and magnesium Essay B unit for rate constant is not definite, because I am not certain what order the reaction is So Rate = 0. 0490 [HCl] 1. 90 This shows the rate is very dependent on the [HCl], the concentration against time is illustrated in graph 8. The reaction for H2SO4 is: H2SO4(aq) + Mg(s) H2(g) + Mg SO4 (aq) Graph 4 is Rate against [H2SO4]. I found the line of best fit is roughly a straight line. Graph 5, I plot Rage against [H2SO4] 2 and found the line of best fit is a curve. N. B the error bars shows the uncertainty is higher than I purposed Using the log method again, I found the line is y = 1. 33x 0. 889 So overall order is 1. 33 and k is 0. 129 So Rate = 0. 129 [H2SO4] 1. 33 However, the order of a reaction must be a integer, because number of particles are discrete. So the order I obtain must be an average order of the reaction. From graph 3 and 6, the points are not fitted with the line of best fit that means the gradient is not constant, hence the order is not constant throughout the reaction. The gradient of the first few points is big and decrease hence the order is high at the beginning, and decrease as the reaction proceeds. Integrated Rate Laws. Using the integrated Rate Laws, I can see how [acid] varies with time. I assume [HCl] is second order and [H2SO4] is first order. F According to the graph, the reactions seems stop after 50seconds, which is the same results in table 4. However, these two graphs are only estimations, because I have to assume the order of the reaction in the first place. For Experiment 2: HCL and Mg Using table 6, I plotted graph   and Mg Using table 7, I plotted graph 8, do some calculation as above, line of best fit is y = -1800x + 1. 71 EA= 18008. 31=15000j=+15kJ According to the rate equation, Rate = k[Acid] a, a would affect the rate, and I used Ln K for the calculation above, where I assume a is a constant. My results from experiment 1 shows that the order may have changed as concentration changes , according to graph 1 and 2, because the rate slowing down. Just look at the last two results on graph 1 and 2, it seems the order has decrease to zero, because the line of best fit is a horizontal line. This can due to the experiment error I described in page 12. Same case applied sulphuric acid, the order may has slow down as concentration increases. For experiment 3 Enthalpy HCl and Mg Q=cmT = specific heat capacity of solution x mass of the solution x temperature change. Having work out the enthalpy change for the whole reaction, the energy liberated during 20% of the reaction can be calculated. Table 11 Change of temperature during the 20% of the reaction for HCl and Mg Concentration/ moldm-3 Volume/ cm3 Mole Energy liberated during the 20% reaction/j Change in Temp/ Table 12 Change of temperature during the 20% of the reaction for H2SO4 and Mg Concentration/ moldm-3 Volume/ cm3 Mole Energy liberated during the 20% reaction/j Change in Temp/ oThe material below is reference to Chemistry in Context, it talks about the effect of temperature rise(below). From the kinetic theory, we can predict the relative increase in number of collisions when the temperature rises by 10K. The kinetic energy of a particle is proportional to its absolute temperature: 1/2mvi ? T But the mass of a given particle remains constant Vi ? T Therefore Vi 1 = T1 Vi 2 T2 Where V1 is the velocity at temperature T1, and V2 is the velocity at temperature T2. Now, suppose that the average speed of a particle is V at 300K. We can work the average speed at 310K by using the equation. This therefore shows that the average speed at 310K is only 1. 016 times greater than that at 300K i. e. it has only increased by 1. 6%. So as the calculation above, I can work out the increase in speed of particles, using the temperature change in table 12 and 13. Temperature in the solution is 24 oc, as I measured. Table 14 % increase in velocity of the particles during the reaction for HCl and Mg Concentration/ moldm-3 Temp before(T1)/ oc Temp after(T2)/ oc T2/T1 % increase in V. Table 15 % increase in velocity of the particles during the reaction for H2SO4 and Mg, Concentration/ moldm-3 Temp before(T1)/ oc Temp after(T2)/ oc T2/T1 % increase in V Entropy. The entropy of this reaction also tell us how likely the reaction would occur. HCl and Mg 2HCl(aq) + Mg(s) H2(g) + MgCl2 (aq) ?Stotal=? Ssurrouding+ ? Ssystem ?Ssurrouding= -? H/T, (T=298K, room temp) and we worked out ? H before, -1. 17kJ, Ssurr = +3. 93 Jmol-1K-1 ?Ssystem=Product Reactant , values are obtained from the databook, H2 (65. 32)+MgCl2 (89. 6)- 2(H+(0)+Cl-(56. 5))-Mg(32. 7)=+74. 5 Jmol-1K-1 ?Stotal= +78. 43 Jmol-1K-1 We can deduced that the reaction would happen spontaneously in 298K H2SO4 and Mg, H2SO4 (aq) + Mg(s) H2(g) + Mg SO4(aq) Same calculation as above, ? Stotal=? Ssurrouding+ ? Ssystem ?Ssurr=+3. 79 Jmol-1K-1 ?Ssys= Mg SO4 (91. 6) + H2 (65. 32) Mg(32. 7) H2SO4 (0+ 20. 1)=+169. 2 Jmol-1K-1 ?Stotal= +173 Jmol-1K-1 Confidently, we can deduced that the two reaction would happen spontaneously in 298K So far, for HCl and Mg, I have found Rate = 0. 0490 [HCl] 1. 90 EA =+16. 6kJ ?H= 1. 17kJ per mole ?Stotal= +78. 43 Jmol-1K-1 For H2SO4 and Mg, Rate = 0. 129 [H2SO4] 1. 33 EA= +15kJ ?H= 1. 30kJ per mole ?Stotal= +173 Jmol-1K-1 The likelihood of the reaction The reaction is very likely to happen. This is because ? Stotal is positive, suggest spontaneous reaction and its =+16. 6kJ is not very high. When the concentration increases, the temperature increases as in graph 10, hence a increase in speed of particles (graph 12), and 0. 5xMxv2 is KE, so KE increase by the square of v, which is a big gain in energy, so the activation energy curve is shifted to the right hand said and more particles has the KE to go over the energy barrier. This means the higher the concentration the higher increase in temperature, so higher velocity of particles, higher KE, hence more particles have enough energy to complete the reaction, so more likely the reaction would happen. Difference in rate. Two acids are ionic Ionic equation for acid and Mg: 2H+(aq) + Mg(s) H2(g) + Mg2+(aq) H2SO4 is dibasic and HCl is monobasic. They are all strong acid, means the H+ would dissociated fully. H2SO4 has 2 acid protons and HCl only has 1 acid proton. So 0. 1mol wrt [HCl], is 0. 1mol wrt [H+], and 0. 1mol wrt [H2SO4] and 0. 2mol wrt [H+]. The rate for sulphuric acid ought to be higher than hydrochloric acid, because the more the acid proton, the quicker the acid proton dissociate. However, when we consider about the spectator ions, SO42+ and Cl-, there is a significant difference in size, Cl- has ionic radius of 0. 180nm, S8+ has ionic radius of 0. 102nm, covalent radius of 0. 102nm, and O2+ has ionic radius of 0. 140nm and covalent radius 0. 073nm. For SO42+ overall is roughly about 0. 140 0. 103 0. 101 0. 140 the length of SO42+ is about 0. 140 + 0. 102 + 0. 102 = 0. 344 is about 2 times bigger the Cl ions. The atomic weight of SO4 is 32 + 164 = 96, and Cl is 35. SO4 is 2. 7 times heavier. From these evidence, I can suggest that during the collision, the spectator ions SO4 and Cl affect the rate of reaction as well. The SO4 ion is bigger than the Cl, so the sulphuric acid reaction, the SO4 slows down the rate of collision because of its size. But for hydrochloric aicd reaction, the Cl is relatively small and lighter, so the collision is easier to happen, hence a quicker rate of reaction.   Keith Li 111 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

Nuclear Fusion as Energy Provider Essay Example for Free

Nuclear Fusion as Energy Provider Essay Fission reactions differ from radioactive decay both in the way that the reaction must be started and in the type of products that are formed [1]. Radioactive decay is a passive action, while fission is active. For radioactive decay, the atom is unstable; while the nuclei in the process of fission absorb a neutron, then oscillate to become unstable. Moreover, the product of radioactive decay is only an atom of other element; while the products of fission are 3 neutrons and 2 different elements. Hydrogen and helium are by far the most abundant element, which is 89% and 11% respectively [1]. The process of making the simple elements (like lithium, etc.) is called nucleogenesis. Hydrogen acts as a producer, which is the start of the nucleogenesis. It converts to helium in nuclear fusion. When hydrogen is used up to produce helium, fusion of helium with other elements occurs. Helium nuclei react to form beryllium, carbon, oxygen, neon and magnesium [1]: If helium is used up to produce the elements mentioned above, carbon nuclei combine to produce elements: Although the production of hydrogen and helium is small, it is still possible for the star to produce other elements. There are 2 routes to generate lithium: Route 1 Route 2 The first route shows the simple rule of fusion, while the second route shows the changes of the nucleus by the collision between an atom and an electron. The proton number and the structure of the nucleus are changed when the electron reacts with it. [1] An unstable nucleus may become more stable through radioactive decay. Some heavy nuclei can also become more stable when they split into two smaller parts. This is called nuclear fission. For example, when a uranium-235 nucleus is bombarded by a neutron, it splits into two smaller nuclei. Two or three neutrons and a large amount of energy are released. Energy is released when light nuclei fuse together to form a heavier nucleus. This process is called nuclear fusion. For example, a deuterium nucleus ( H) can fuse with a tritium ( H) nucleus to form a helium-4 nucleus ( He), releasing a neutron and a large amount of energy. The following shows the concept of fusion. For nuclear fission, each fission reaction release 200 million eV (where 1 eV= 1.602?10-19J) [3]. By calculation, 200?106?1.602?10-19 =3.204?10-10 J For nuclear fusion, there are many combinations of fusion, while only 1 type of fusion will be considered, the typical fusion deuterium nucleus ( H) and tritium ( H) nucleus. This shows the fusion reaction of deuterium and tritium. The energy of the helium is 3.5MeV and the energy of the neutron is 14.1MeV, which give the total of 17.6MeV of energy[3]. By calculation, 17.6?106?1.602?10-19 =2.81952?10-12 J The figure below shows a schematic diagram of nuclear power plant. The nuclear fuel used, uranium(U), is contained in fuel rods. There is only 0.7% of naturally occurring uranium is the fissionable U-235, where the rest is U-238. Because of this, the fuel used is first enriched by increasing the proportion of U-235 to about 3%. [2] The neutrons released during fission often travel too fast to trigger further fissions. The fuel rods are surrounded by a moderator, which may be water or graphite. The neutrons are slowed down when they collide with the nuclei in the moderator. The rate of reaction is controlled by control rods that can be moved in and out of the reactor. They are made of materials like boron or cadmium, which can absorb neutrons. When the control rods are moved in, the rate of chain reaction decreases. When they are moved out, the reaction is speeded up. In case of emergency, all control rods are moved in to shut the reactor. Fission Fusion Advantage Disadvantage Advantage Disadvantage -chain reaction can take place -highly radioactive used fuel -unlimited supply of fuel -uncontrollable -can be controlled -long half-lives -product of fusion is stable -requires high temperature -2 loops to avoid radioactive substances reach the turbine -formation of bi-products -product is non-radioactive -product with short half-lives Nuclear Fusion can be a good energy supply, however, there are some challenges that scientists are facing. Firstly, nuclear fusion is uncontrollable, once it is out of control, explosion of hydrogen bomb would occur. Secondly, it requires high and sustainable temperature to generate electricity or energy, it costs so much. Lastly, the fusion power station will be occupied for military use, which may lead a catastrophic war. Reference: 1. Articles(given) Lise Meitner Fusion Powering the future? 2. Physics in Life Electricity, Magnetism and Atomic Physics Longman S.S. Tong, K.S. Lam, S.C. Chiu P.176 range in air P.177 penetrating power P.178 deflection of nuclear radiation in electric and magnetic field P.221-225 Nuclear energy 3. Wikipedia Fusion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion Fission http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fission Power Plant http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Fossil_fuel_power_plant 4. Advancing Physics AS P.172 eV 5. Salters Chemical Ideas P.20 properties of ?,? and ? emission

Series Pass Voltage Regulator From Discrete Electronic Engineering Essay

Series Pass Voltage Regulator From Discrete Electronic Engineering Essay The objective of this project was to construct and design a 9V  ± 0.3V, 1A series pass voltage regulator from discrete electronic parts. The voltage regulator must exhibit a voltage regulation of 5% or better and should be supplied with a dc input voltage. The regulator circuit was required to include a way to disconnect the load from the regulator if the load current exceeded 1A or if the temperature of the series pass element exceeded 40 °C. It was necessary to measure each parameter of the circuit and convert it from an analog to a digital signal. This signal would provide data necessary to display the values on the Spartan III FPGA Development Board. The numerical display was not to have any zeros leading a number, unless it affected the value. Also, the display was to be cyclic, alternating at 5 second intervals. The circuit was designed, built and tested. It produced 9.03V output and 1.02A through a 9à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ load. The cut-off protection worked as well as the variable sensing circuitry. The linkage of the analog and the digital components, however, remain incomplete. Contents LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS Symbol Description ADC Analog to Digital Converter Op-amp Operational Amplifier V Voltage/Volts I Current R Resistance A Ampere à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ Ohm  °C Degree Celsius F Farad IC Collector Current IB Base Current VBE Base-Emitter Voltage LUT Look Up Table BCD Binary Coded Decimal MUX Multiplexer CLK Clock DPDT Double Pole Double Throw FPGA Field Programmable Gate Array Table : List of Abbreviations Contained in this Report INTRODUCTION Commercial power is usually distributed with an AC supply. An unregulated voltage such as this could cause damage to many household appliances and electronic devices. Therefore it is a safety hazard. A voltage regulator is a device that maintains a relatively constant output voltage for a varied input voltage. It functions by comparing the output voltage to a fixed reference and minimizing this difference with a negative feedback loop. The aim of this project to design a series pass voltage regulator with an output of 9  ± 0.3V and regulation of at least 5%. It should be able to disconnect the load from the regulator for temperatures exceeding 40à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C and a current greater than 1A. Using A/D converters, these values (output regulator voltage and current, temperature of the series pass transistor) were converted to digital format and displayed on the Spartan III FPGA Development Board. Each value received from the analog component should be displayed with no unnecessary leading zeroes. The display had to alternate between different variables of voltage, current and temperature. The Digital Component of this project was designed in Xilinx ISE 7.1i, and the necessary tests were carried out. A User Constraints file was created, which allowed for the programming of the FPGA Board. BACKGROUND THEORY AND LITERATURE REVIEW Using an unregulated power supply is unfeasible for most tasks. This is because as the load current increases, the ripple voltage increases and the DC output voltage decreases. The voltage regulator greatly reduces ripple and produces a steady output voltage for a range of input voltages. Different types of voltage regulators have different functions. There are two main types, shunt and series voltage regulators. Shunt Voltage Regulator For a shunt voltage regulator, the regulating device is placed in parallel with the load. A resistor is placed in series with the load and the unregulated supply. The current is varied through the control element depending on the load current. This causes a voltage drop across the resistor in series, maintaining a constant load voltage. (Prof. Gift, 2012) Figure : Shunt Voltage Regulator Shunt Voltage Regulator Example: Zener Diode Regulator Figure : Zener Diode Voltage Regulator The zener diode is a semi-conductor diode designed to operate in the reverse-biased region. In forward bias, it functions as a normal diode but when in reverse bias, it breaks down for voltages exceeding the breakdown voltage, or zener voltage. For operation in this region a current Iz is required where the limits being the minimum and maximum current for the diode to operate without breaking down. (Prof. Gift, 2012) Series Voltage Regulator For a series voltage regulator, the regulating device is placed in series with the load and the unregulated supply. (Prof. Gift, 2012) The output voltage is sampled by a circuit that provides a feedback voltage to be compared to a reference voltage. If the output voltage increases, the comparator circuit provides a control signal to cause the series control element to decrease the amount of the output voltage, thereby maintaining the output voltage. If the output voltage decreases, the comparator circuit provides a control signal to cause the series control element to increase the amount of the output voltage. (Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory 7th Ed.) Figure : Series Voltage Regulator There are different circuit topologies for the series voltage regulator. These will be examined next. Simple Series Transistor Regulator To improve the current capacity of the zener diode regulator, a transistor is used in the emitter follower configuration. This acts as the series control element. The collector is supplied by the regulated voltage. The transistor reduces the load current capacity of the zener by a factor of the transistor current gain. The zener voltage is therefore produced at the emitter. The equation IC = ÃŽÂ ²IB is used to link the collector current and the base current. Due to high current gain, even very large changes in IC result in only small changes in IB. This means IZ is mostly stable. The input voltage must be greater than the diode voltage to ensued proper transistor bias. (Prof. Gift, 2012) Figure : Simple Series Transistor Voltage Regulator IZ current through the zener diode IC collector current IB base current Discrete Voltage Regulator A transistor Tr2 is connected as the series pass transistor and another one Tr1 acts as the error amplifier. In the single transistor regulator output ripple voltage is low, but the output voltage still varies. This is due to the VBE/IC characteristic of the transistor. Feedback is used to correct the output. This amplifier compares the sampled voltage with a reference voltage in order to generate a signal proportional to the difference. This is used to drive the series pass element, which then varies the output voltage such that the error is reduced and the output voltage regulated. Figure : Discrete Transistor Voltage Regulator The voltage across the series element is (Vin Vout). The input voltage to the error amplifier is ÃŽÂ ²Vout Vref, where . The output voltage across the series element is an amplified version of the input voltage, . If Vref is constant, . This is the stability factor. This means that the ripple voltage is reduced by a factor of . The higher the loop gain, AÃŽÂ ², the better the regulator performance. A is gain of error amplifier. The resistor R can be connected to the regulated side of the circuit to improve the design and decrease ripple voltage. Also, a capacitor may be placed in parallel to the Zener diode. Another capacitor can be placed across the output removing output noise and input impedance at high frequencies. A Darlington Pair may be used as the series element. This has two transistors in a single package. The Darlington Pair increases the current gain of the series element, making it able to supply a larger load current if required. (Prof. Gift, 2012) Operational Amplifier Series Voltage Regulator In order to improve the regulator performance, the loop gain A is increased. A simple method of doing this is to replace the transistor error amplifier with an operational amplifier as shown in figure 6. The operational amplifier compares the reference voltage of the zener with the feedback voltage sampled by resistors R1 and R2. The Darlington Pair design is used here and R3 connected to the regulated supply to reduce the ripple voltage. The operational amplifier (op amp) must be supplied by the unregulated input voltage. (Prof. Gift, 2012) Figure : Operational Amplifier Series Voltage Regulator STANDARDS Certain standards were considered in the undertaking of this project. These are: ISO 9001:1994 Quality Systems Model for Quality Assurance in Design, Development, Production, Installation and Servicing (http://www.ttbs.org.tt/) TTS 620 2008 Occupational Safety and Health Risk Assessment Requirements(http://www.ttbs.org.tt/) BS QC 790304:1994 Specification for harmonized system of quality assessment for electronic components. (http://www.standardsuk.com) RISK ASSESSMENT Possible Hazards: 15V supply voltage. Risk of electrical shock, burns and death. Solder fumes present. Dangerous if inhaled. The heat generated by the power resistor could cause burns. The tip of the soldering gets very hot and could cause severe burns or start a fire. Clipping wires and leads may cause them to be projected into eyes and face. Steps Taken to Avoid Risk: Ensured that student was properly grounded. Proper clothing and footwear were worn. No long hanging jewellery or hair. Before energising a circuit, it was checked by a technician. Tested conductors before handling them. Exhaust fan present in lab. Regularly stepped outside for fresh air. Clipped wires away from face of anyone present. DESIGN APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY Project Requirements: Design and build a 9V  ± 0.3V, 1A Series Pass Voltage Regulator using discrete electronic components. Regulator must have a voltage regulation or 5% or better and must be fed by a dc input voltage from a laboratory power supply. In addition, the regulator must incorporate temperature and over current sensing circuits which would disconnect the load from the regulator, for temperatures and currents exceeding 40 degrees centigrade and 1 A respectively. The output regulator voltage and current, together with the temperature of the series pass transistor must be converted to digital format using A/D converters and displayed on the Spartan 111 FPGA Development Board when selected. The following specifications must be met for the display of the variables: 1. The units of all variables are to be displayed along with the respective reading. 2. The voltage is to be displayed to 1 decimal point. 3. The current is to be displayed to 2 decimal points. 4. The temperature is to be displayed as a whole number. 5. The display of the readings for voltage, current and temperature are to automatically appear in a cyclic manner, with each reading being displayed for 5 seconds. 6. All leading zeros are to be suppressed. (ECNG 2004 Design Project Description) This design had both an analog and a digital component. ANALOG COMPONENT This component involved the design and construction of the Series Pass Voltage Regulator and the sensing circuitry to detect current, voltage and temperature. These sensors were constructed to relay the values necessary for the digital component. Analog to Digital Converters were designed to convert the analog output from the current, voltage and temperature sensing circuits to digital format so as to be to be read by the Spartan FPGA Board. Design of the Operational Amplifier Series Voltage Regulator Figure : Circuit Diagram of the Operational Amplifier Series Voltage Regulator The regulator was powered by a DC input voltage from a laboratory power supply. The voltage used in the design process for the purpose of calculation was 15 volts. Choosing the Zener Voltage and Zener Current The Zener Voltage, Vz was supplied by the Zener Diode, D1 as shown in Figure 7 above. The Zener Voltage was used as a reference voltage by the Operational Amplifier. The op amp is functioning as a differential amplifier in this situation. The difference between the inputs at the inverting and non-inverting terminals is amplified. Gain, The output voltage, VZ zener voltage Vz should be high enough so that gain would not decrease to achieve the required output. If Vz was too high, i.e. the output voltage, no current would flow through D1. An appropriate value between 0V and 9V was chosen, VZ = 4.8V. The IN4732 Zener Diode was chosen and the specification sheet for this model was obtained. The specified test current was 53mA, and the chosen value was 40mA. This was chosen to ensure proper bias. Calculating Resistor R3 The resistor R3 was in series with the Zener Diode. Therefore, the current through them is the same. A 100 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ resistor was chosen as it was the closest one in value available in stores. R3 = 100à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ Calculating Resistors R1 and R2 Resistors R1 and R2 formed a potential divider providing the inverting input of the op amp. This sampled the output and sent it to the error amplifier. If the value of the output changed from the designed, the voltage drop across the resistors would change and the op amp input voltage would change, producing an error voltage at the output of the op amp. This error voltage will either turn on more or turn off more Transistor Tr1 and effectively Tr2 as well. The output voltage, Vo is related to the Zener Voltage by the equation below. Substituting Vo = 9V and Vz = 4.8V, Therefore, If R2 chosen to be 10kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦, then Therefore, R1 = 8.8kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ and R2 = 10kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦. Choosing an Operational Amplifier The LF351 op-amp was chosen for this design. It only needed to function as a differential amplifier. Choosing the Series Pass Transistor The required output current was 1 Ampere. Therefore the maximum collector current of the series pass transistor had to be greater than 1 A. high power transistor was needed, but the current gain of power amplifiers is low (approximately 40). The base current and collector current for a transistor are related by the following expression. Substituting Current gain, hfe = 40 and Ic = 1 A, The LF351 op amp could not supply this base current. A Darlington Pair arrangement was used instead. Darlington Pairs have high current gain. The high power transistor chosen was TIP31C, packaged in a TO-220 Case. The current gain, hfe1 of this transistor was specified to be between 10 and 50, so a value of 30 was used. An NPN medium power transistor, BFY51 in a TO-39 metal package, was chosen for Tr2 in Figure 6. The current gain, hfe2 was found to be 123. Hence, total current gain of the Darlington Pair: hfe1 ÃÆ'- hfe2, i.e. 30 ÃÆ'- 123 = 3690. Substituting Current gain, hfetotal = 3690 and Ic = 1 A, Design of the Voltage Sensing Circuit The purpose of the Voltage Sensing Circuit was to determine the output voltage of the regulator and relay this voltage to the Analog to Digital Converter input. The Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) chip (ADC08040 IC) had a reference voltage of 4.5V. The maximum voltage possible was 9.5V. Hence if the voltage output was 9.5V, the ADC08040 input voltage should be 4.5V. VO had to be stepped down by a potential divider before it could be sent to the ADC08040. It was stepped down by a factor of . Let R1 = 1kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦, then R2 = 1kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ This voltage was sent to a Unity Gain Voltage Follower (Figure 8) and was input to the ADC circuit. (Prof. Gift, 2012) Voltage Sensor.bmp Figure : Voltage Sensing Circuit Design of the Current Protection Circuit The purpose of this was to disconnect the load from the regulator when the current flowing through the load surpassed 1A. The protection circuit monitored the load current and sent a signal to a device to disconnect the load, when the current rose to over 1A. A 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ shunt was used in series with the 9à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ load resistor. The shunt voltage was used to determine cut-off. An instrumentation amplifier was chosen (INA114AP) to compare the temperature sensor voltage and a potential divider voltage. The shunt voltage was amplified to increase chances of accurate determination of when to disconnect the load. A potential divider was constructed to deliver a4V, and the shunt voltage was also amplified to 4V. Potential Divider: Which gives: Let R1 = 20kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ The voltage from the shunt was amplified to 4V as well, and this was done by an op-amp and two resistors set up in the non-inverting amplification configuration shown below. The reference used to be amplified was 0.9V from the shunt, as this was the value which, if exceeded, cut-off and disconnection of the load was supposed to occur. For an non inverting amplifier, Vo = 4V, Vi = 0.4V, And Let R1 = 2.4kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦, R2 = 8.2kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ .Temperature Amp Input to INA.bmp Figure : Circuit for Comparison and Determination of Cut-off When both inputs have the same voltage across them, the instrumentation amplifier would have an output of zero. The transistor in Figure 10 would be turned off and the base would be at 0V. The transistor used was a 2N3904 (Ic = 200mA). If the output is non-zero, the base would be driven by a voltage and the transistor will be ON. When the output is zero (same inputs) the transistor would be OFF and the relay coil would be grounded through the transistor. Current would flow through the coil, producing a magnetic field, and the relay would latch. When the instrumentation amp inputs are different, the output would saturate at +Vcc, i.e. 9V. The coil would an equal voltage at either end and so would have no voltage drop across it, meaning no current flowing through it. The relay is effectively OFF. There is a Normally Open (N.O.) Switch between pins 2 3, and 7 5 of the relay as well as Normally Closed (N.C.) Switches across pins 2 3 and 7 6. The N.O. switches close and the N.C. switches open when the relay latches. The load was connected across the N.C. pins. When the instrumentation amp has the same inputs, (zero output), and there is a voltage drop across the coil, current flows and the relay latches, disconnecting the load from the circuit. The relay had a rated voltage of 6V and the coil had a measured resistance of 70.5à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦. The relays, however, were actually found to latch at a voltage of 3.2V. Therefore for calculation purposes 3.5V is used = 49.6mA was needed to latch the relay. A potential divider was used to provide the required voltage for the relay. For a resistor R3, This caused a voltage drop across the coil, larger enough to activate the coil when necessary. The voltage across resistor R3 is given by, For Ic = 49.6mA, The Base Current of the transistor is given by For Ic = 49.6mA, and hfe = 100, To bias the base of the transistor for the 9V output of the op-amp, A 16kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ resistor was used. This would change VBE of the transistor. The new VBE was well within the operating range required for the resistor. Temperature Cutoff.bmp Figure : Current Protection Circuit Design of the Current Sensing Circuit The Current Sensing Circuit determined the voltage regulator output load. This value of current would be received by the ADC input. The ADC chip (ADC08040 IC ) was 4.5V. The Current LUT could convert a maximum of 1.29A. This means when the regulator reaches 1.29A, the ADC will be at 4.5V. A 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ shunt resistor was placed in series with the load. The 9V regulated output would now be applied to a combined load of 10à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦. Voltage drop across the shunt: Therefore: The output voltage across the shunt is 0.9V. This will correspond with the maximum voltage which will give all 1s at the ADC output. Thus the voltage must be stepped up using a non-inverting op-amp. The voltage of 0.9V was stepped up to 4.5V. This means the gain is = 5 Let R1 = 2k à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦. Therefore, R2 = 8kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ The potential divider voltage was passed through the amplifier and then input into the ADC. Current Sensing Circuit.bmp Figure : Current Sensing Circuit Design of the Temperature Protection Circuit This disconnects the load from the regulator when the temperature of the Power Transistor (TIP31C) reached 40 °C. The Power Transistor temperature was monitored and at 40 °C, a signal would be sent from the circuit to a device, disconnecting the load. The LM35DZ was chosen. Its sensitivity was 10mV/ °C. At 40 °C, the temperature sensor output would be 0.4V. An instrumentation amplifier (INA114AP) was chosen to compare the temperature sensor voltage and the potential divider voltage. For a more accurate determination of the load, the temperature sensor output voltage was amplified. The potential divider delivered a voltage of 4V, and the sensor output voltage was also amplified to 4V. Therefore: Let R1 = 20kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ An op amp and two resistors were used to build a non-inverting amplifier in order to set the temperature sensor voltage to 4V. The reference voltage was 0.4V, since it is at this point cut-off should take place. For a non-inverting amplifier: , , Let R1=1kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ and R2=9kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦, Temperature Amp Input to INA.bmp Figure : Amplifier Circuit for Comparison and Determination of Cut-off . When both input voltages are the same, the amplifier output would be 0V, turning off the transistor. (No VBE present). A 2N3904 transistor was used (Ic = 200mA), so the current would be large enough to latch the relay. If the amplifier output is not 0V, there would be a voltage drop across the base and the transistor would be ON. When the amplifier output is 0V, the transistor would be OFF, grounding the relay, causing current flow in the coil, latching the relay. When the amplifier inputs are at different levels, the output saturates at +Vcc = 9V. Equal voltages exist at both ends of the coil, so no current flows hence the relay is OFF. A Normally Open (N.O.) Switch exists across pins 2 3, and 7 5 of the relay. Normally Closed (N.C.) Switches exist across pins 2 3 and 7 6. The N.O. switches close and the N.C. switches open upon latching. Consider this load connected across the N.C pins and the amplifier has equal inputs. The amplifier output is 0V, causing a voltage drop across the relay coil, causing current flow and latching of the relay. It follows then that the load is disconnected from the circuit. For a resistor R3, R3 was used to activate the coil by creating a voltage drop across it. For Ic = 49.6mA, For biasing, A 16kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ resistor was used instead. Temperature Cutoff.bmp Figure : Temperature Protection Circuit This circuit was designed to relay the temperature of the power (TIP31C) to the ADC input. The ADC chip (ADC08040 IC ) reference voltage was 4.5V. The Temperature LUT could convert up to 129à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C. At this temperature, the ADC should be 4.5V. A Temperature Sensor (LM35DZ) in a TO-92 package used to determine the temperature. This had a sensitivity of 10mV/ °C. At 129 °C, VO = 1.29V. Sensor output voltage was stepped up using a non-inverting op amp by a factor of , Let R1 = 1k à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦. R2 = 2.49kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€  2.5kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ The sensor voltage was amplified and input into the ADC. Temperature Sensing Circuit.bmp Figure : Temperature Sensing Circuit A copper strip board was used to build the voltage regulator circuit since the solderless breadboard could only take up to 0.5A. Inputs: Voltage Supply of 15V Outputs: Voltage Sensing Output OV Ground Regulated 9V Output Temperature Sensing Voltage A voltage follower was used to buffer the output. The circuit was constructed as seen in figure 15: Figure : Complete Sensing and Cut-off Circuit DESIGN OF THE ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERSION CIRCUIT An 8 bit representation was used with reference to the 4.5V signal. The analog signal was converted to a digital signal from the 3 sensing circuits using the schematic shown below. Analog to digital conversion was done using the. A resistor pack was used to provide over current protection. This circuit was built and tested for each of the three sensing circuits. A combination of LEDs was used for the input of the analog voltage. AD Converter Circuit.bmp Figure : Schematic for ADC control configuration Op amps were used to buffer the inputs. The outputs were mapped onto the respective pins of the 40-pin IDE cable used to interface with the Spartan III Board. Figure : 40 Pin Expansion Connector (Spartan III Toolkit Datasheet) Data was transmitted using these pins to the ADC. DIGITAL COMPONENT The FPGA board was programmed so as to use the Seven Segment Display. Xilinx ISE 7.1i was used to design and construct the display for all the variables. Design of the Basic Display Unit Multiplexers, Frequency Dividers, a Look up Table Device and a Binary Coded Decimal to 7-Segment Converter were used to create the Display Unit. The 16-bit 31 Multiplexer Multiplexers may have more than one input but usually have one output. A combination of numbers is assigned to each input pin. Using these combinations, the respective input data is sent to the output pin. Therefore the bits that are chosen which input data set to display. In this design, two multiplexers were used, a 4-bit 41 and a 16-bit 31 multiplexer. 31 means 3 data inputs, 16- bit means each input is of 16 bit capacity. 16bit3to1muxschem.bmp Figure : Schematic Diagram of a 16-bit 3 to 1-line Multiplexer The 4-bit 41 Multiplexer The 4-bit 41 multiplexer can handle up to four combinations of inputs. To select which input is displayed, two bits are necessary. The output was a bus of width 4 bits. It split the 16 bit output into four sets of 4 bits. The 4-bit 41 multiplexer is shown in figure 19. 4bit4to1mux.bmp Figure : Schematic Diagram of a 4-bit 4 to 1-line Multiplexer Binary Coded Decimal (BCD) to 7-Segment Display Unit The BCD unit accepts four bits of data, e.g. D3D2D1D0, and determines which segments of the 7-segment display to turn on and off so as to represent the value of the input data. Figure 20 shows a 7-segment display. This type of display is common in electronic equipment e.g. calculators, microwaves, digital clocks. The Minimum Expressions for the BCD are: Seg_a = D3D2D1D0 + D2D1D0 + D3D2 + D3D1 Seg_b = D2D1D0 + D2D1D0 + D3D2 + D3D1 Seg_c = D2D1D0 + D3D2 + D3D1 Seg_d = D2D1D0 + D2D1D0 + D2D1D0 + D3D1 + D3D2 Seg_e = D0 + D2D1 + D3D1 Seg_f = D3D2 + D2D1 + D1D0 + D3D2D0 Seg_g = D3D2 + D3D1 + D2D1D0 + D3D2D1 For each expression, logic gate circuits were created. Each segment was then used to build the final BCD to 7-Segment Converter. The combinations of segments that would form the values were organised. The Look-Up-Table (LUT) This was used to determine which display unit anodes were to be turned on and off. There were four individual 7-segment displays. Each one had its own anode and as such could be controlled by choosing the anode of the respective display. lut.bmp Figure : Schematic Diagram of a Look-Up-Table (LUT) Modulo 4 Counter The Modulo 4 counter was used to perform automatic cycling of the anodes to be displayed. Only one anode was on at a time for each different combination. Moduloo4counter.bmp Figure : Schematic Diagram of a Modulo 4 Counter For multiplexed displays, the entire display is not lit up as the same time. The characters are made up of segments which, under certain conditions, become active. Each character is displayed one at a time. Switching of characters takes place so fast it appears that all the displays are on at the same time. The speed of switching is called the frequency divider (in this case 1kHz). This activates the modulo 4 counter which causes the LUT to choose one of four inputs to be chosen from the 4-bit 4 to 1 multiplexer to send to the 7 segment display. The Combined Display Unit Data Unit.bmp Figure :Schematic Diagram of the Display Unit Upgrade of the Display Unit to display the Decimal Point The LUT controls the switching of the anodes on the four 7 segment displays. Each 7 Segment Display has a decimal point that can be turned on or off if necessary. This was necessary in this project when displaying voltage and current. For a voltage, the decimal point is on the 3rd anode, a2. 0 9. 0 V For a current, the decimal point is on the 4th anode, a3. 0. 9 9 A This means that the point will only be on when S0 and S1 select to display voltage or current, and when the third or fourth anodes are on respectively. The Essential Prime Implicants were chosen from a truth table and the minimized expression was produced as follows: The Logic Gate circuit was constructed as shown below and implemented in Xilinx ISE 7.1i. A Macro was then created and connected appropriately in the Updated Display Unit Schematic. Decimal Point Upgrade.bmp Figure : Logic Gate Circuit for Decimal Point Upgrade Upgrade of the Display Unit to display the Units for each Variable The Display Unit was upgraded a second time in order to allow the units of each parameter to show Parameter Unit Symbol for Unit Voltage Volts V Current Amperes A Temperature Degrees Celsius à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C Table : Parameters to be Displayed and their Respective Units The BCD Converter had to be updated to ensure when certain select bits were chosen, the segments would align to form the unit symbol on the first anode. Since there are four select inputs, D3D2D1D0 , there are 16 possible combinations of these bits forming different outputs. 0000 to 1001 in binary form represents 0 to 9 in decimal form. This means that there are combinations 1010 to 1111 to choose from to display a unit. 1101 was chosen for voltage, 1110 for current and 1111 for temperature. Figure : Common