Enlightenment/Romanticism Essay

The age of man is rife with varying motivations and personal reasoning. Over millions of years, life shifted from mere survival, with our minds drawn to food and shelter, into times of political intrigue and welfare reform. Buried in the layers, the Age of Enlightenment and the (difficult to define) Age of Romanticism are found. Within these two periods are some of our history’s most profound shifts in thinking. The Age of Enlightenment brought scientific reasoning to the forefront of everything. Life was distinct, understandable and predictable. Man contemplated his purpose empirically, studied methodically to come to a true conclusion. According to Anne Branham, the enlightenment allowed our founding fathers to question man’s natural rights in the world of the living. She uses Benjamin Franklin as the incomplete figure of true enlightenment. The one man who had his hands into all things scientific and technological fought actively for the â€Å"earthly rather than heavenly rewards† (55). Our most important living document, the American Constitution, finds its epicenter in the freedom to choose our own representation after careful contemplation and consensus-driven selection (59). Paintings reflected life as a physical entity. Portraits of people became the chosen artwork of the day, a marking of life in that moment. American History portraits painted by John Trumbull show the events in a concise manner, the emotions of the people stern and musing. Other artists, to include Anton Van Maron and Antonio Visentini, of this period (late Enlightenment) follow this same theme of capture rather than sensitize (GroveArt Online). Writers such as Locke, Paine, and Smith questioned preconceived beliefs, broke them down in their parts, studied them empirically, then transformed them into new ideals and theories; changing the way things were done for centuries. Their articulations of thought changed the way business and politics were conducted, a system we still hold to today. Burnham suggested when we take a good look at these writers (Locke in particular) we can see the seed of transformation that inspired Thomas Jefferson (58). The line between the Enlightenment and Romanticism appears quite blurred. It is not as though humankind stopped short all of a sudden and agreed to change their thinking. What is evident, however, is that change took place. Today, we are no longer as ideal in questioning what is right for man. This period began as a revolt of sorts against the aristocracy and their accepted norms. People began to concern themselves with emotions and the feelings of things. Psychologists such as Freud and Jung came into play. Not only what is wrong with you, but also why, and how does it feel to have that problem? Peckham questions the validity of an actual movement in that the need and subsequent fight for revolution does not in fact mean an actual change in thought amongst the world’s people. Was there in fact a change in mind away from the scientific and toward the ideal and the emotional (6). In terms of government, America found itself growing out of control. States began to fight over the issue of slavery and valuing one man’s right to property over another man’s right to dignity and the ‘pursuit of happiness’ as it were. Civil War breaks out, the basis set against the colder ideas of the Enlightenment. These ideas one can conceivably see as justifying slavery if numbers add up. Authorship offered a new selection during this era, the novel. Mary Shelley writes about the timeless battle of man versus nature with her creation of â€Å"Frankenstein.† Man’s emotional struggles in life marked the center of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven, Jane Austen’s Emma, and Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Peckham, writing in the time of Picasso, states: â€Å"Picasso has in his painting expressed profoundly the results of the freedom that romanticism has given to the creative imagination, but he is detested by most people who have seen his cubist or post-cubist painting – as well as by a great many who has not. He is at home in the universe, but not in his society† (21). This simple statement takes us back to a time when the questioning of fundamental things, like shapes and colors, was not appreciated. One forgets Picasso died in 1973 – only 33 years ago. Although these two distinct ages followed each other in general timeframe, there are some obvious similarities. In some ways, the transcendentalists, modernists and post-modernists, have all maintained the basic trend in life, which is to ask questions and present the answers in a way that society will gain from them as well. The questioning being the most serious of crimes against the calm nature of a society, with the actual answer following a close second. The difference lies in the questions asked, the answer given and the format preferred. For each successive generation, the questions drive a little deeper, the context of the situations a little more complicated. The answers are increasing more personal, much to the chagrin today of the older citizens. Art today is far racier and stressing in it nature. Artists have the freedom to push the observer to his or her max. Life seems to be struggling toward a certain height where all questions are ok, all answers accepted. Works Cited Branham, Anne K. â€Å"Teaching the Enlightenment in American Literature: Shedding Light on Faith and Reason.† The English Journal 87.3 (1998): 54-59. GroveArt Online. (18 Oct 2006). Peckham, Morse. â€Å"Toward a Theory of Romanticism.† PMLA 66.1 (1951): 5-23.

Memory Organization

Memory Basics Memory is the workspace for the computers processor. It is a temporary storage area where the programs and data being operated on by the processor must reside. Memory storage is considered temporary because the data and programs will remain there only as long as the computer has electrical power or is not reset. Before being shut down or reset, any data that has been changed should be saved to a more permanent storage device of some type (usually a hard disk) so it can be reloaded into memory again in the future. We often call memory RAM, for Random Access Memory.Main memory is called RAM because you can randomly (and quickly) access any location in memory. When we talk about a computers memory, we usually mean the RAM in the system, meaning primarily the memory chips or modules that make up the primary active program and data storage used by the processor. This is often confused with the term storage, which should be used when referring to things such as disk and tape drives (although some people do consider them a form of memory). 2Types of Memory To better understand physical memory in a system, it is necessary to see where and how it fits into the system.Three main types of physical memory used in modern PCs are †¢ ROM: Read Only Memory †¢ DRAM: Dynamic Random Access Memory †¢ SRAM: Static RAM 2. 1ROM Read Only Memory, or ROM, is a type of memory that can permanently or semipermanently hold data. It is called read-only because it is either impossible or difficult to write to. ROM is also often referred to as non-volatile memory because any data stored in ROM will remain, even if the power is turned off. As such, ROM is an ideal place to put the PCs startup instructionsthat is, the software that boots the system.Note that ROM and RAM are not opposites, as some people seem to believe. In fact, ROM is technically a subset of the systems RAM. In other words, a portion of the systems Random Access Memory address space is mapped into one or more ROM chips. This is necessary to contain the software that enables the PC to boot up; otherwise, the proces- sor would have no program in memory to execute when it was powered on. For example, when a PC is turned on, the processor automatically jumps to address FFFF0h, expecting to find instructions to tell the processor what to do.This location is exactly 16 bytes from the end of the first megabyte of RAM space, and the end of the ROM. If this location was mapped into regular memory 1 chips, any data stored there would have disappeared when the power was turned off previously, and the processor would subsequently find no instructions to run the next time power was turned on. By placing a ROM chip at this address, a system startup program can be permanently loaded into the ROM and will be available every time the system is turned on. The motherboard ROM normally contains four main programs, including the following in most systems: †¢ POST: Power-On Self Test.A series of test routines that ensure the system components are operating properly. †¢ CMOS Setup: A menu-driven application that allows the user to set sys- tem configuration parameters, options, security settings, and preferences. †¢ Bootstrap Loader: The routine that first scans the floppy drive and then the hard disk, looking for an operating system to load. †¢ BIOS: Basic Input/Output System. A series of device driver programs designed to present a standard interface to the basic system hardware, especially hardware that must be active during the boot process. Four different types of ROM chips are ROM. Read Only Memory †¢ PROM. Programmable ROM †¢ EPROM. Erasable PROM †¢ EEPROM. Electrically Erasable PROM, also called a flash ROM No matter which type of ROM you use, the data stored in a ROM chip is non- volatile and will remain indefinitely unless intentionally erased or overwritten. 2. 1. 1PROM PROMs are a type of ROM that is blank when new and must be pr ogrammed with whatever data you want 2. 1. 2EPROM One variation of the PROM that has been very popular is the EPROM. An EPROM is a PROM that is erasable. EPROM is erased by exposure to intense UV light. 2. 1. 3 EEPROM/Flash ROMA newer type of ROM is the EEPROM, which stands for Electrically Erasable PROM. These chips are also called flash ROMs, and are characterized by their capability to be erased and reprogrammed directly in the circuit board in which they are installed, with no special equipment required. 2 2. 2DRAM Dynamic RAM is the type of memory chip used for most of the main memory in a modern PC. The main advantages of DRAM is that it is very dense, meaning you can pack a lot of bits into a very small chip, and it is very inexpensive, which makes it affordable for large amounts of memory.The memory cells in a DRAM chip are tiny capacitors that retain a charge to indicate a bit. The problem with DRAM is that it is dynamic, and because of the design must be constantly refresh ed or the electrical charges in the individual memory capacitors will drain and the data will be lost. Refresh occurs when the system memory controller takes a tiny break and accesses all the rows of data in the memory chips. DRAMs use only one transistor and capacitor pair per bit, which makes them very dense, offering a lot of memory capacity per chip than other types of memory. 2. 3 Cache MemorySRAMThere is another distinctly different type of memory that is significantly faster than most types of DRAM. SRAM stands for Static RAM, which is so named because it does not need the periodic refresh rates like DRAM (Dynamic RAM). Due to the design of SRAM, not only are refresh rates unnecessary, but SRAM is much faster than DRAM and is fully able to keep pace with modern processors. SRAM memory is available in access times of 2ns or less, which means it can keep pace with processors running 500MHz or faster! This is due to the SRAM design, which calls for a cluster of six transistors f or each bit of storage.The use of transistors but no capacitors means that refresh rates are not necessary because there are no capacitors to lose their charges over time. As long as there is power, SRAM will remember what is stored. Compared to DRAM, SRAM is much faster, but also much lower in density and much more expensive. The lower density means that SRAM chips are physically larger and store many less bits overall. The high number of transistors and the clustered design means that SRAM chips are both physically larger and much more expensive to produce than DRAM chips.Even though SRAM is too expensive for PC use as main memory, PC designers have found a way to use SRAM to dramatically improve PC performance. Rather than spend the money for all RAM to be SRAM memory, which can run fast enough to match the CPU, it is much more cost-effective to design in a small amount of high-speed SRAM memory, called cache memory. The cache runs at speeds close to or even equal to the processo r, and is the memory from which the processor normally directly reads from and writes to. During read operations, the data in the high-speed cache memory is resupplied from the lower-speed main memory or DRAM in advance. 3Memory Packaging Memory is made from tiny semiconductor chips and must be packaged into something less fragile and tiny in order to be integrated with the rest of the system Different types of memory paclages are †¢ Dual Inline Packages (DIPs) and Memory Modules †¢ Single Inline Memory Modules (SIMMs) †¢ Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs) 3. 1DIPS Most memory chips are packaged into small plastic or ceramic packages called dual inline packages or DIPs. A DIP is a rectangular package with rows of pins running along its two longer edges These are the small black boxes you see on SIMMs, DIMMs or other larger packaging styles . 2SIMMs SIMMs are available in two flavors: 30 pin and 72 pin. 30-pin SIMMs are the older standard, and were popular on third and fourth generation motherboards. 72-pin SIMMs are used on fourth, fifth and sixth generation PCs. SIMMs are placed into special sockets on the motherboard created to hold them. The sockets are specifically designed to ensure that once inserted, the SIMM will be held in place tightly 3. 3DIMMs DIMMs are 168 pins in size, and provide memory 64 bits in width. They are a newer form factor and are becoming the de facto standard for new PCs; they are not used on older motherboards motherboards.SIMMs have contacts on either side of the circuit board but they are tied together. So a 30-pin SIMM has 30 contacts on each side of the circuit board, but each pair is connected. DIMMs however have different connections on each side of the circuit board 4Memory Banks Memory chips (DIPs, SIMMs, SIPPs, and DIMMs) are organized in banks on motherboards and memory cards. The banks usually correspond to the data bus capacity of the system’s microprocessor. The number of bits for each bank can be made up of single chips, SIMMs, or DIMMs. 4 5Memory ReliabilityA part of the nature of memory is that it will inevitably fail. These failures are usually classified as two basic types: hard fails and soft errors. The most well understood are hard fails, in which the chip is working and then, due to some flaw, physical damage, or other event, becomes damaged and experiences a permanent failure. Fixing this type of failure normally requires replacement of some part of the memory hardware, such as the chip, SIMM, or DIMM. Hard error rates are known as HERs. The other more insidious type of failure is the soft error.A soft error is a nonpermanent failure that may never reoccur, or occur at infrequent intervals. (Soft fails are effectively â€Å"fixed† by powering the system off and back on. ) Soft error rates are known as SERs. There are basically three levels and techniques for fault tolerance used in modern PCs: †¢ Non-parity †¢ Parity †¢ ECC (Error Correcting Co de) Non-parity systems have no fault tolerance at all. The reason they are even used is because they have the lowest inherent cost. No additional memory is necessary as is the case with parity or ECC techniques. 6ParityTne standard IBM set for the industry is that the memory chips in a bank of nine each handle one bit of data: eight bits per character plus one extra bit called the parity bit. As the eight individual bits in a byte are stored in memory, a parity genera- tor/checker, which is either part of the CPU or located in a special chip on the motherboard, evaluates the data bits by counting the number of 1s in the byte. If an even number of 1s is in the byte, the parity generator/checker creates a 1 and stores it as the ninth bit (parity bit) in the parity memory chip.That makes the total sum for all nine bits an odd number. If the original sum of the eight data bits is an odd number, the parity bit created is 0, keeping the 9-bit sum an odd number. The value of the parity bit is always chosen so that the sum of all nine bits (eight data bits plus one parity bit) is an odd number. The following examples may make it easier to understand: Data bit number: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Data bit value:10110011 Parity bit:0 5 In this example, because the total number of data bits with a value of 1 is an odd number (5), the parity bit must have a value of 0 to ensure an odd sum for all nine bits.The following is another example: Data bit number: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Data bit value :00110011 Parity bit: 1 In this example, because the total number of data bits with a value of 1 is an even number (4), the parity bit must have a value of 1 to create an odd sum for all nine bits. When the system reads memory back from storage, it checks the parity information. If a (9-bit) byte has an even number of bits with a parity bit value of 1, that byte must have an error. The system cannot tell which bit has changed, or if only a single bit has changed.If three bits changed, for example, the byte still flags a parity-check error; if two bits changed, however, the bad byte may pass unnoticed. The following examples show parity-check messages for three types of systems: For the IBM PC: PARITY CHECK x For the IBM XT: PARITY CHECK x yyyyy (z) For the IBM AT and late model XT: PARITY CHECK x yyyyy Where x is 1 or 2: 1=Erroroccurredonthemotherboard 2=Erroroccurredinanexpansionslot yyyyy represents a number from 00000 through FFFFF that indicates, in hexadecimal notation, the byte in which the error has occurred. Where (z) is (S) or (E ): S) = Parity error occurred in the system unit (E ) = Parity error occurred in the expansion chassis When a parity-check error is detected, the motherboard parity-checking cir- cuits generate a non-maskable interrupt (NMI), which halts processing and di- 6 verts the systems attention to the error. The NMI causes a routine in the ROM to be executed. The routine clears the screen and then displays a message in the upper-left corner of the screen . The message differs depending on the type of computer system. 7 ECC (Error Correcting Code) ECC goes a big step beyond simple parity error detection.Rather than just detecting an error, ECC allows a single bit error to be corrected, which means the system can continue on without interruption and without corrupting data. ECC as implemented in most PCs can only detect and not correct double-bit errors. Because studies have indicated that approximately 98 percent of memory errors are single- bit variety, the most commonly used type of ECC is one in which the attendant memory controller detects and corrects single-bit errors in an accessed data word (double-bit errors can be detected, but not corrected).This type of ECC is known as SEC-DED and requires an additional seven check bits over 32 bits in a 4-byte system and eight check bits in an 8-byte system. ECC in a 4-byte system obviously costs more than non-parity or parity, but in an 8-byte system, ECC and parity costs are equal. ECC entails the memory controller calculating the check bits on a memory- write operation, performing a compare between the read and calculated check- bits on a read operation and, if necessary, correcting bad bit(s).The additional ECC logic in the memory controller is not very significant in this age of inex- pensive, high-performance VLSI logic, but ECC actually affects memory perfor- mance on writes. This is because the operation must be timed to wait for the calculation of check bits and, when the system waits for corrected data, reads. On a partial-word write, the entire word must first be read, the affected byte(s) rewritten, and then new check bits calculated. This turns partial-word write operations into slower read-modify writes. Most memory errors are of a single-bit nature, which are correctable by ECC.Incorporating this fault-tolerant technique provides high system reliability and attendant availability. An ECC-based system is a good choice for servers, workstations, or mis sion-critical applications in which the cost of a potential memory error outweighs the additional memory and system cost to correct it, along with ensuring that it does not detract from system reliability. 8 The System Logical Memory Layout The original PC had a total of 1M of addressable memory, and the top 384K of that was reserved for use by the system.Placing this reserved space at the top (between 640K and 1024K instead of at the bottom, between 0K and 640K) led to what today is often called the conventional memory barrier. The constant pressures on system and peripheral manufacturers to maintain compatibility by never breaking from the original memory scheme of the first PC has resulted in 7 a system memory structure that is (to put it kindly) a mess. Logical memory sections are given below †¢ Conventional (Base) memory †¢ Upper Memory Area (UMA) †¢ High Memory Area (HMA) †¢ Extended memory (XMS) †¢ Expanded memory (obsolete) Video RAM memory (part of UMA) †¢ Adapter ROM and Special Purpose RAM (part of UMA) †¢ Motherboard ROM BIOS (part of UMA) 8. 1 Conventional (Base) Memory The original PC/XT-type system was designed to use 1M of memory workspace, sometimes called RAM (random access memory). This 1M of RAM is divided into several sections, some of which have special uses. DOS can read and write to the entire megabyte, but can manage the loading of programs only in the portion of RAM space called conventional memory, which was 512K at the time the first PC was introduced.The other 512K was reserved for use by the system, including the motherboard and adapter boards plugged into the system slots. After introducing the system, IBM decided that only 384K was needed for these reserved uses, and the company began marketing PCs with 640K of user memory. Thus, 640K became the standard for memory that can be used by DOS for running programs, and is often termed the 640K memory barrier. The remaining memory after 640K was rese rved for use by the graphics boards, other adapters, and the motherboard ROM BIOS.This barrier largely affects 16-bit software such as DOS and Windows 3. 1, and is much less of a factor with 32-bit software and operating systems such as Windows 95/98, NT, and so on. 8. 2 Upper Memory Area (UMA) The term Upper Memory Area (UMA) describes the reserved 384K at the top of the first megabyte of system memory on a PC/XT and the first megabyte on an AT-type system. This memory has the addresses from A0000 through FFFFF. The way the 384K of upper memory is used breaks down as follows: †¢ The first 128K after conventional memory is called video RAM.It is re- served for use by video adapters. When text and graphics are displayed onscreen, the electronic impulses that contain their images reside in this space. Video RAM is allotted the address range from A0000-BFFFF. 8 †¢ The next 128K is reserved for the adapter BIOS that resides in read-only memory chips on some adapter boards plug ged into the bus slots. Most VGA-compatible video adapters use the first 32K of this area for their onboard BIOS. The rest can be used by any other adapters installed. Many network adapters also use this area for special-purpose RAM called Shared Memory.Adapter ROM and special-purpose RAM is allotted the address range from C0000-DFFFF. †¢ The last 128K of memory is reserved for motherboard BIOS (the basic input/output system, which is stored in read-only RAM chips or ROM). The POST (Power-On Self Test) and bootstrap loader, which handles your system at bootup until the operating system takes over, also reside in this space. Most systems only use the last 64K (or less) of this space, leaving the first 64K or more free for remapping with memory managers. Some systems also include the CMOS Setup program in this area.The motherboard BIOS is allotted the address range from E0000-FFFFF. 8. 3Extended Memory The memory map on a system based on the 286 or higher processor can extend bey ond the 1M boundary that exists when the processor is in real mode. On a 286 or 386SX system, the extended memory limit is 16M; on a 386DX, 486, Pentium, Pentium MMX, or Pentium Pro system, the extended memory limit is 4G (4,096M). Systems based on the Pentium II processor have a limit of 64G (65,536M). For a system to address memory beyond the first megabyte, the processor must be in protected modethe native mode of 286 and higher processors.On a 286, only programs designed to run in protected mode can take advantage of extended memory. 386 and higher processors offer another mode, called virtual real mode, which enables extended memory to be, in effect, chopped into 1M pieces (each its own real-mode session). Virtual real mode also allows for several of these sessions to be running simultaneously in protected areas of memory. The extended memory specification (XMS) was developed in 1987 by Mi- crosoft, Intel, AST Corp. , and Lotus Development to specify how programs would use exte nded memory.The XMS specification functions on systems based on the 286 or higher and allows real-mode programs (those designed to run in DOS) to use extended memory and another block of memory usually out of the reach of DOS. Before XMS, there was no way to ensure cooperation between programs that switched the processor into protected mode and used extended memory. There was also no way for one program to know what another had been doing with the extended memory because none of them could see that memory while in real mode. HIMEM.SYS becomes an arbitrator of sorts that first grabs all the extended memory for itself and then doles it out to programs that know the XMS protocols. In this manner, several programs that use XMS memory can operate together under DOS on the same system, switching the pro- cessor into 9 and out of protected mode to access the memory. Extended memory can be made to conform to the XMS specification by installing a de- vice driver in the CONFIG. SYS file. The most common XMS driver is HIMEM. SYS, which is included with Windows 3. x and later versions of DOS, starting with 4. and up. 8. 4 High Memory Area (HMA) The High Memory Area (HMA) is an area of memory 16 bytes short of 64K in size, starting at the beginning of the first megabyte of extended memory. It can be used to load device drivers and memory-resident programs to free up conventional memory for use by real-mode programs. Only one device driver or memory-resident program can be loaded into HMA at one time, no matter what its size. Originally, this could be any program, but Microsoft decided that DOS could get there first, and built capability into DOS 5 and newer versions.The HMA area is extremely important to those who use DOS 5 or higher because these DOS versions can move their own kernel (about 45K of program instructions) into this area. This is accomplished simply by first loading an XMS driver (such as HIMEM. SYS) and adding the line DOS=HIGH to your CONFIG. SYS file. Tak ing advantage of this DOS capability frees another 45K or so of conventional memory for use by real-mode programs by essentially mov- ing 45K of program code into the first segment of extended memory.Although this memory was supposed to be accessible in protected mode only, it turns out that a defect in the design of the original 286 (which, fortunately, has been propagated forward to the more recent processors as a feature) accidentally al- lows access to most of the first segment of extended memory while still in real mode. The use of the HMA is controlled by the HIMEM. SYS or equivalent driver. The origins of this memory usage are interesting because they are based on a bug in the original 286 processor carried forward through even the Pentium II. 8. 5 Expanded MemorySome older programs can use a type of memory called Expanded Memory Spec- ification or EMS memory. Unlike conventional (the first megabyte) or extended (the second through 16th or 4,096th megabytes) memory, expanded memory is not directly addressable by the processor. Instead, it can only be accessed through a 64K window and small 16K pages established in the UMA. Expanded memory is a segment or bank-switching scheme in which a custom memory adapter has a large number of 64K segments onboard, com- bined with special switching and mapping hardware. The system uses a free segment in the UMA as the home address for the EMS board.After this 64K is filled with data, the board rotates the filled segment out and a new, empty segment appears to take its place. In this fashion, you have a board that can keep on rotating in new segments to be filled with data. Because only one segment can be seen or oper- ated on at one time, EMS is very inefficient for program code and is normally 10 only used for data. 9Video Memory The video memory is such an important component of the video card, and indirectly the entire PC, that several new memory technologies have been created specifically for it.The goal: to impr ove the speed with which information can be pumped into and out of the video memory, to keep system performance high as the video system tries to do more and more. Various memory technologies now being used on video cards are explained below. 9. 1 Standard (Fast Page Mode) DRAM The oldest technology used in video card memory, fast page mode (FPM) memory is now considered â€Å"standard† DRAM as it has the fewest performanceenhancing capabilities of the different types of memory on the market. FPM DRAM is a technology used primarily for main system memories (even there, it is now considered a poor performer) and is not really ell-suited for highperformance video applications. 11 FPM is the least expensive type of memory available for video, and is used today mostly on low-end or generic cards (as well as older cards of course). For many applications they can be quite satisfactory; however, they reach their limits quickly when trying to use high resolution modes, especially in true color. The limitations of standard DRAM are due to two primary effects: it is single ported (which means it can only do one access at a time) and it runs at a relatively low speed and access width. 9. 2 Extended Data Out (EDO) DRAMEDO DRAM is the same as standard FPM DRAM except for a slight modification in the access cycle that gives it a small performance boost. With EDO DRAM, one read to memory can begin before the last one has completely finished; this yields a raw speed improvement of between 5 and 20 percent, depending on whom you ask. Originally used only for main system memory, EDO DRAM is becoming more popular on video cards because it provides slightly improved performance over standard DRAM at the same cost. (At one time EDO was more expensive than FPM but due to supply and demand effects now, EDO is actually the same cost or lower).EDO is still, however, a low-cost and low-performance solution compared to other types of video memory, and is not used on high-end card s. 9. 3 Video RAM (VRAM) The traditional, standard DRAM used for video cards typically does not have enough bandwidth to handle the demands of running a card at high resolution and color depths, with acceptable refresh rates. The main reason why is the two competing access factors for the video memory: the processor writing new information to the memory, and the RAMDAC reading it many times per second in order to send video signals to the monitor.To address this fundamental limitation, a new type of memory was created called video RAM or VRAM. As the name implies, this memory is specifically tailored for use in video systems. The fundamental difference between VRAM and standard DRAM is that VRAM is dual-ported. This means that it has two access paths, and can be written to and read from simultaneously. The advantages of this are of course enormous given what the video card does: many times per second a new screen image is calculated and written to the memory, and many times per seco nd this memory is read and sent to the monitor.Dual- porting allows these operations to occur without bumping into each other. VRAM provides substantially more bandwidth than either standard DRAM or EDO DRAM; double in many cases. It is more suited for use in systems requiring high resolution and color depth displays. The only reason that it hasn’t replaced standard DRAM entirely is of course: cost. VRAM is more complex and requires more silicon per bit than standard DRAM, which makes it cost more. 12 9. 4Window RAM (WRAM)Window RAM or WRAM is a modification of regular VRAM that both improves performance and reduces cost on a bit-for-bit basis. Designed specifically for use in graphics cards, WRAM is also dual-ported but has about 25% more bandwidth than VRAM, and also incorporates additional features to allow for higher performance memory transfers for commonly used graphical operations such as text drawing and block fills. Furthermore, WRAM is less expensive than VRAM to ma nufacture (although still more expensive than DRAM). 9. 5 Synchronous Graphics RAM (SGRAM)A relatively newer RAM technology, Synchronous Graphics RAM or SGRAM tackles the poor performance of regular DRAM by increasing greatly the speed at which memory transfers take place. SGRAM also incorporates specific per- formance enhancing features designed to work with acceleration features built into video cards, to greatly improve overall video processing speed. SGRAM is still single-ported, unlike VRAM or WRAM, but offers performance that is much closer to VRAM than DRAM due to its advanced design. 10 Flash Memory DevicesFlash memory has been around for several years as a main or an auxiliary storage medium for notebook computers. However, the rise of devices such as digital cameras and MP3 players and the presence of USB ports on practically all recent systems have transformed this technology from a niche product into a mainstream must-have storage technology. Flash memory is a type of no nvolatile memory that is divided into blocks rather than bytes, as with normal RAM memory modules. Flash memory, which also is used in most recent computers for BIOS chips, is changed by a process known as Fowler-Nordheim tunneling.This process removes the charge from the floating gate associated with each memory cell. Flash memory then must be erased before it can be charged with new data. The speed, low reprogramming current requirements, and compact size of recent flash memory devices have made flash memory a perfect counterpart for portable devices such as notebook computers and digital cameras, which often refer to flash memory devices as so-called â€Å"digital film†. Unlike real film, digital film can be erased and reshot.Ultra-compact, USB-based keychain drives that use flash memory are replacing both traditional floppy drives and Zip/SuperDisk drives for transporting data between systems. Diiferent types of flash memory devices are expained below. 10. 1Compact Flash CompactFlash was developed by SanDisk Corporation in 1994 and uses ATA architecture to emulate a disk drive; a CompactFlash device attached to a com- 13 puter has a disk drive letter just like your other drives. Later types of flash memory also use ATA architecture, either implemented in the device itself or in its controller. 0. 2MultiMedia Card The MultiMediaCard (MMC) was codeveloped by SanDisk and Infineon Tech- nologies AG (formerly Siemens AG) in November 1997 for use with smart phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, and camcorders. The MMC uses a simple 7-pin serial interface to devices and contains low-voltage flash memory. 10. 3Secure Digital (SD) A SecureDigital (SD) storage device is about the same size as MMC , but it’s a more sophisticated product. SD, which was codeveloped by Toshiba, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic), and SanDisk in 1999, gets its name from two special features.The first is encrypted storage of data for additional security, meeting current and fut ure Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) standards for portable devices. The second is a mechanical write-protection switch. 10. 4Pen Drive As an alternative to floppy and Zip/SuperDisk-class removable-media drives, USB-based flash memory devices are rapidly becoming the preferred way to move data between systems. The first successful drive of this type – Trek’s ThumbDrivewas – introduced in 2000 and has spawned many imitators, in- cluding many that incorporate a keychain or pocket clip to emphasize their portability.Unlike other types of flash memory, USB keychain drives don’t require a separate card reader; they can be plugged in to any USB port or hub. Al- though a driver is usually required for Windows 98 and Windows 98SE, most USB keychain drives can be read immediately by newer versions of Windows, particularly Windows XP. As with other types of flash memory, USB keychain drives are assigned a drive letter when connected to the computer. Most have capacities ranging from 128MB to 1GB, with some capacities as high as 2GB or more.However, typical read/write performance of USB 1. 1-compatible drives is about 1MBps. Hi-Speed USB keychain drives are much faster, providing read speeds ranging from 5MBps to 15MBps and write speeds ranging from 5MBps to 13MBps. 11Advanced Memory Technologies 11. 1RDRAM RDRAM is a proprietary technology made by Rambus Inc. for use exclusively in certain Intel compatible motherboards 14 RDRAM stands for Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory. It can access data anywhere on the chip; It requires power to hold its data; and it transfers data twice per clock signal.However, it uses a smaller pathway, or â€Å"system bus,† to send information. The Rambus system bus is 16-bits wide. Rambus transfers data at 800 megahertz (MHz) and faster. Rambus is the more expensive type of memory since its proprietary, royalty costs that manufacturers must pay to produce it tend to result in higher retail prices. Add itionally, Rambus compatible motherboards require that all of their RAM slots be occupied. Traditionally, a computer may contain anywhere from one to four ram slots. If a slot is unoccupied, the system still operates.Rambus requires that either a Rambus memory module or a kind of place holder known as a continuity module be in place to complete the memory path to the bus. 11. 2 DDR SDRAM (DDR) Double data rate (DDR) SDRAM memory is a JEDEC-created standard that is an evolutionary upgrade of standard SDRAM in which data is transferred twice as quickly. Instead of doubling the actual clock rate, DDR memory achieves the doubling in performance by transferring twice per transfer cycle: once at the leading (falling) edge and once at the trailing (rising) edge of the cycle.This effectively doubles the transfer rate, even though the same overall clock and timing signals are used. Since its inception, manufacturers have release new and faster versions of DDR. These are based on the use of p refetch buffers that access not only the memory, or â€Å"dataword,† requested by the processor but also the datawords adjacent to it on the chip. Thus DDR2 â€Å"fetches† four datawords per memory access, double the amount of DDR. DDR3, a more recent update, obtains eight datawords per access. 15

Cell Membrane Electron Transport Chain Biochemical

Cell Membrane/ Electron Transport Chain / Biochemical Pathway Essay, Research Paper 1. The cell membrane construction is critical to the life of the cell. The cell membrane is shaped as holding a phosphate caput at the really outer surface, and two fatty acid dress suits hanging from it. The membrane is dual, so at the tip of the fatty acid dress suits, there are two more fatty acid dress suits attached to another phosphate caput. This is what it looks like: The ground the cell membrane is shaped like this is chiefly to command the H2O flow in and out of the cell. Water is really of import to the cell: if excessively much H2O enters the cell, the cell will detonate, and if excessively much H2O leaves the cell, the cell will shrink up and decease. This is how the cell membrane controls H2O flow: the phosphate caputs are polar, and somewhat attract H2O. However, the fatty acid dress suits in between are non polar, and repel H2O, so the fatty acid dress suits prevent excessively much H2O from come ining or go forthing the cell. With this tough membrane, there has to be a manner for things to come in the cell. This is where the channel proteins come in. They act as gateways to the cell. There are many ways to come in the cell. Some ways require energy, while others don? T. The ways that require energy are put into a class called active conveyance, while the ways that don? T require energy are put into a class called inactive conveyance. An illustration of active conveyance is the proton pump. The proton pump is an built-in portion of chemiosmosis, and it pumps protons from an country of low concentration to an country of high concentration. This requires energy since things like to travel from an country of high concentration to an country of low concentration. An illustration of inactive conveyance is facilitated diffusion. This is r eally easy since the atom is traveling from an country of high concentration to an country of low concentration and through a channel protein made precisely for its size and s hape. 2. These membranes are really of import to the negatron conveyance concatenation. This is because they house the membrane proteins that make up the negatron conveyance concatenation. The two negatron conveyance ironss are similar in that they both make Adenosine triphosphate by chemiosmosis, and they are different in the fact that they pump protons in different waies: the negatron conveyance concatenation in the thylakoid bed pumps protons in the cell ( from an country of low concentration to an country of high concentration ) so the protons are forced out through the ATP synthetase channel. The negatron conveyance concatenation in the chondriosome membrane pumps protons out of the cell ( from an are of low concentration to an country of high concentration ) and so they are forced into the cell through the ATP synthetase channels. 3. Biochemical pathways play a really of import function in our organic structure. A biochemical tract is fundamentally a group of enzymes that all work on a substrate to turn it into the terminal merchandise. This is how it works: the reactant binds with the first enzyme to go reactant # 2, so reactant 2 binds with enzyme 2 to go reactant 3, and reactant 3 binds with enzyme 3 to go reactant 4, and so on. This goes on until the last reactant binds with the last enzyme organizing the terminal merchandise. When the cell has sufficiency of the terminal merchandise, the manner it shuts the biochemical tract is really interesting. The allosteric site of enzyme # 1 is shaped like the terminal merchandise, and when there is a high concentration of the terminal merchandise, it binds with the allosteric site of enzyme # 1, altering the form of the active site of enzyme # 1. Therefore, reactant # 1 can no longer adhere with enzyme # 1, efficaciously closing down the full procedure. When the ce ll needs more end-product, it removes the end-product from the allosteric site of enzyme # 1, and reactant # 1 can adhere with enzyme # 1 to organize reactant # 2, and so on. Thus, the biochemical tract is back in concern.

Leaderless Resistance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leaderless Resistance - Essay Example The concept of leaderless resistance is also based on the idea that the participants must individually acquire the skills and information required. Based on my understanding of resistance, I find this impossible. It is challenging for a large group of individuals each operating independently to have the same knowledge and information on a given issue. Whereas such persons might have a common goal and the same philosophy, the rate at which each acquires information and the quality of such information may differ, and this might compromise the operations of the group. As a result, it might be difficult for the members of such groups to react to situations in the same way. Finally, in my understanding of resistance, the need to have interpersonal contact allows the group to grow since new members can be recruited, and in some cases, incentives provided. However, with the concept of leaderless resistance, such contact does not take place. This is likely to make it difficult for the group to grow its numbers and enhance its presence in a given region. It is likely that at some point, the group will die due to lack of

I have dream speeh Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

I have dream speeh - Annotated Bibliography Example Mills gives an account of what really happened on that day that the speech was given in Washington. It is a useful source since it gives an account of the reaction of people and what actually transpired on the day of the speech (Mills, 2000) Johns gives a biography of Martin Luther Jr and his struggle for liberation of the black people. This source opens up the whole history of Martin Luther and will be able to give more comprehensive information necessary for your research (Jones, 1931) The sources selected will help you in the research since some of them are the actual speech specifically from the speaker himself. The video also provide a clear view of the speech hence avoiding any form of errors. The primary sources are very accurate and very useful in the initial stage while conducting a research. Other sources discuss the views of the speech hence this will help the researcher in articulating and getting various views and critiques of the speech, which will help, in conducting this

Establishing a continuing business model innovation process Essay

Establishing a continuing business model innovation process - Essay Example Nevertheless, before the hurricanes hit, the trends were rather positive and some economists argue that the economy will smooth into the recovery phase with growth of demand and overall production. The GDP growth is attributable mainly to the structural productivity growth though the employment rates were revealing job losses over the country. The main target of the national banks in different countries is to precisely monitor the affect of inflationary pressure and low interest rates on the employment and GDP development. Another point of concern in the longer term is the growing rate of federal expenditure on health and retirement programs and in case of larger debt service to GDP the economy will be hit tremendously. To summarize, the outlooks are positive in the short term for production companies not heavily dependant on oil and gas prices, and is more favorable in the long term with certain risks being in place nevertheless. Company managers should strive their best to implement energy saving strategies in order to cut down the value of this cost variable within their overall cost structure and should rush to invest as much as possible into new products which could be de livered to the market very soon. Alan Greesley decided not to give any precise outlook for the economy development in the long term due to increasing baby boomers retiring factor, huge oil and gas prices and no precise way to estimate the path through mechanism of higher interest rates and inflation. The policy makers should invest as much as possible now to implement technology innovations to provide cost reduction methodologies. Keeping the US quality, this will guarantee it competitive position in the markets. The economy must go through reformation which is happening now. The gross domestic product growth depends on the demand and the ability of consumers within the economy to realize their demand for specific products. The demand for the product depends on the utility function of this product and how much utility the product can provide to the customer. The utility of the product is the tradeoff of the qualities of the specific product in return of the quality and ability of this good to satisfy specific consumer needs. The demand of the product is the price sensitive and the good is considered normal if the demand for this product rises if the price falls. On the other hand, demand falls with rising price when the utility function is at its' break point and the utility provided to the customer from purchasing this product is less than the price to be paid for it. Price sensitivity of the product depends on the amount of substitutes available to the customers. In case of few substitutes available and the product being a normal product, the demand will grow with the falling price and visa versa. On the other hand, if the product is normal but there are several substitutes to this product, or the products different in some qualities but providing the same function to the customer, up to certain specific preference point, the customer will be choosing this product and then will switch to another one. For example, with the expectations of growing demand in the short term and falling in the long

Employees Motivation and Empowerment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Employees Motivation and Empowerment - Essay Example At the same time motivation has different facets that need to be analyzed for a better understanding over this concept. In the discussion, the role of motivation and empowerment, as important aspects of leadership has been underpinned in an illustrative and logical manner. The first part of the discussion highlights wide arrays of theories on motivation and empowerment along with understanding its positive and negative implications in the competitive business environment. It needs to be understood that every organization has different ways of empowering and motivating its employees based on organizational goals and objectives and understanding over the internal and external environment. The discussion encompasses these elements while defining the use, importance and relevance of the motivation and empowerment. The second part of the discussion highlights the motivation and empowerment practices prevailing in Google along with relating the discussed theories in the first part with the operational framework of Google. This has been done to understand the overall worthiness of these theories in one of the highly admired and desired organizations across the world. The second part of the discussion also relates the prevailing motivation and empowerment practices of Google with other organizations in order to analyze the global acceptance and appeal of these practices and theories in the global business environment. This will also help in understanding the overall importance of key concepts of employees motivation and empowerment. Employee’s Motivation â€Å"Academic theories about employee motivation, empowerment and performance are just that -theories. They are of little practical use to business leaders or their companies†. This sentence can be considered as quite true and practical in the context of the current business environment as leadership is intangible in nature with no clear definition. It is a quality that reflects in the behavior and attit ude of leaders along with affecting the behavior and attitude of others within the organization (Adams, 1997 p- 287). Moreover, this statement requires proper understanding and analysis to identify whether these are only theories or have some practical implication within the organization. It is important to assess whether organizations mould their culture and behavior as per the written theories or identify new ways by understanding their sources and resources. For this purpose, wide arrays of theories on motivation has been studied and analyzed. Motivation is one of the highly complex topics in the management studies with a number of theories defining the actual purpose and importance of motivation. These theories can be considered as of great importance for managers and leaders to identify ways of improving employee’s commitment level and performance at work. Motivation can be defined as the influences and processes that either increases or decreases an individual’s desire to achieve personal and organizational goals in the short as well as in the long run. On the other hand, performance can be defined as fulfillment of tasks and responsibilities in a desired manner affecting the operational framework of an organization. It can be assumed that there is a close relationship between motivation and performance. If the motivational processes and influences help in increasing an individual’s desire to achieve mutual goals, it will positively affect his performance by extracting the best out of him in any kind of situations. Empowerment can be considered

Theories and Approaches of Policy Evaluation Paper Essay

Theories and Approaches of Policy Evaluation Paper - Essay Example Proper process evaluation helps to ensure that the complete quality of a program is attained by ensuring that it is liable to multiple stakeholders such as the administrators, personnel and community among others. This evaluation helps to identify the process involved in decision making, resourced required in implementation of the technology, the unexpected inconsistencies or prospects while running the program and the legal, social and economic conditions in which the program is run. Process evaluation is a continuous monitoring process that should not interfere with the primary work of an organization. Instead, such information can be used to make the necessary amendments for top performance, especially in the preparation of financial audits (Casey, 2002). Outcome-based evaluation is a vital step when planning a project since it helps in the identification of the possible results of the technology. Outcome-based evaluation is a vital step when developing a new program or analyzing an existing one. This is because the product of the analysis provides good knowledge of the object’s target group and how it will influence the people it serves (Fasten,

Ideology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ideology - Essay Example On 1st September 1939, Germany (Nazis) under the rule of Hitler attacked and invaded Poland. This action is considered as the primary provocation that caused of the Second World War. Hitler used fear and propaganda to spread nationalism within Germany. It would later give rise to the Nazis who were at the forefront of accomplishing the goals set up by Hitler (Lynch, 2013, 20). An example of the propaganda he spread stated that the Jewish community was solely responsible for the problems that plagued Germany. Hitler and his supporters and sympathizers made it their mission to eradicate Jews from Germany. Benito Mussolini was the youngest prime minister in Italy. He served as Italian prime minister from 1922 to 1943 (Warf, 2012, 282). He was a person who loved his country very much and disliked anyone who did not. He was a close ally to Adolf Hitler and supported Germany’s invasion of Poland. He started out as a democratic leader until 1925 when he dropped democracy in favor of nationalism, and he was one of the key figures in the creation of the dictatorship. Mussolini ruled with an iron fist and dealt viciously with individuals who were considered traitors to his course. His involvement with Hitler did not sit well with some of Germany’s critics mostly France and the United Kingdom. He was arrested after his forces were defeated subsequently executed by Italian supporters of Victor Emmanuel III. He died in disgrace just as his friend Adolf Hitler. Mussolini used propaganda to further his nationalistic views, and he went further as to force teachers and other civil ser vants to take public oaths as a show of loyalty to him and to Italy. Liberalism advocates for individual freedom with the addition of other freedoms including speech and religion. It is a fundamental belief whereby people are free to chase their goals in their own way just as long as they do not violate

How to protect against 4 e-commerce security challenges Essay Example for Free

How to protect against 4 e-commerce security challenges Essay Introduction Nowadays is the trends that trust the Internet commerce application where it can cause business operators. Some people will revert back to using the traditional method of doing business. The trust can be lost due to the situation where the hacker attack on e-commerce sites. According to the study done by Hammonds (2014) state that full-scale identity theft to web profiling come with various issues that been disturbed the consumer and vendor itself. That why, E-commerce also known as a form of buying and selling of product and services for the business and for the customer through the internet According to research done by Mukherjee (2016) state that online sale increasing day by day because customer take advantage of the low price product that offered by the wholesaler or the manufacturer in the online mood. Besides that, e-commerce also helps the customer and the organization in term of gaining the information through the technology that has been provided. Under Industry 4.0 concept, outstanding growth in advance and the information technology in social media network has been increasingly influencing human perception. That small enterprise that adopts e-commerce performs better than those which fail to adopt because of the catalytic effect on business performance (Wanyoike, et al. , 2012). This is because e-commerce adoption is not automatic due to the weaknesses of resources, for example, financial with e-commerce skill where the small enterprise have done it on the daily basis. It is shown that small enterprise can influence people to the business by using e-commerce by increasing the information about the social media network. The scope of study that has been done by Mihyun Chung Jaehyoun (2014) Kim elaborate that the Industry 4.0 is the industrial revolution with the future of core technology trend is expected to result in an all-new era of automated industries. Furthermore, the internet devices significantly improve the quality o f lives and in result will have a large impact on society. This has been proved with the development of small industry where they can go far in business by using the internet and apply the e-commerce business. Implementation of e-commerce is required high cost and need a strong economy-justification (Valmohammadi et al., 2016). This is because, in order to get the internet connection, there are a lot of things need build and upgraded in order to get the best connection. A poor connection can give the bad perception of the customer to the country and the nation and the ever-increasing growth of e-commerce in develop countries must be followed by the business policy and strategies that have bee fundamentally reconsidered as in the developing country. Acting as online marketplaces, e-commerce websites and mobile applications that facilitate online commercial transactions allow manufacturers, merchants, retailers and service and content providers to list their products, services or content online (Yen et al.,2015). To get success in e-commerce, there is some business model of e-commerce which it is has been structured in order to plan the activities more thoroughly to gain profit for an organization. The table below shows the key elements of e-commerce business model. ELEMENT DESCRIPTION VALUE PROPOSITION How a company’s products or services fulfill its customers’ requirements [14]. REVENUE MODEL How a company generates revenue and creates profit. MARKET OPPORTUNITY The marketplace that a company intends to enter, as well as the company’s potential financial opportunities in that marketplace. Many small market segments constitute a marketplace. MARKET STRATEGY How a company plans to enter a new marketplace and attract new customers. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT Potential new entrants or other companies that offer similar products or services in the same marketplace. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE A company offers superior products or services at a lower price than its competitors do [23]. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT How a company organizes its work in a targeted, goal-oriented manner. MANAGEMENT TEAM. Leaders of a company’s business unit, responsible for the business model. Source: Adapted from Laudon, K.C., and Traver, C.G. E-commerce 2015: business. technology. society., 11th edition, pp58-68, Pearson [16]. Industry 4.0 is one of technology innovation after been through with the other three industry before. This industry is most modern where everything needs to use the internet in order to complete the task given. The information that available on the internet are not necessarily mean or lead to the success directly ( Kleindienst et al. , 2016). In contrast, the information usually gives some tools and methods and the right information is still needed in order to increase the effectiveness and lead the innovation. No wonder nowadays, it has been the topic that most frequent being discussed among the practitioners and academics in the German-speaking area (Dais, 2014, p. 625; Drath Horch, 2014, p. 56).In this industrial revolution, it provides various opportunities to the company, especially in e-commerce fields. According to Zhou (2015) article state that industry 4.0 system is complex and flexible where there are involving). This is due to challenges that the industry facing by dealin g with big data issue in order to make a decision rapidly for making an improvement. Big data becomes a buzzword for everyone because data mining already been since human-generated content has been a boost to the social network. The development of an Internet of Things (IoT) framework and the emergence of sensing technology have created unified information that will be connected with the systems and human together ( Jay Ley et al. , 2014). This is because nowadays only use a database in order to get and save the information into the system. When the internet has been well developing, it can help human to work more effectively with the system and can help the human to save time use the technology wisely.

The Concept Of Sustainable Development Strategy Business Essay

The Concept Of Sustainable Development Strategy Business Essay The concept of sustainable development has received growing recognition, but it is a new era for many business executives. For most, the concept remains abstract and theoretical. Protecting an organizations capital base is a well-accepted business principle. Yet organizations do not generally recognize the possibility of extending this notion to the worlds natural and human resources. If sustainable development is to achieve its potential, it must be integrated into the planning and measurement systems of business enterprises. And for that to happen, the concept must be articulated in terms that are familiar to business leaders. The following definition is suggested: For the business enterprise, sustainable development means adopting business strategies and activities that meet the needs of the enterprise and its stakeholders today while protecting, sustaining and enhancing the human and natural resources that will be needed in the future. This definition captures the spirit of the concept as originally proposed by the World Commission on Environment and Development, and recognizes that economic development must meet the needs of a business enterprise and its stakeholders. The latter include shareholders, lenders, customers, employees, suppliers and communities who are affected by the organizations activities. It also highlights businesss dependence on human and natural resources, in addition to physical and financial capital. It emphasizes that economic activity must not irreparably degrade or destroy these natural and human resources. This definition is intended to help business directors apply the concept of sustainable development to their own organizations. However, it is important to emphasize that sustainable development cannot be achieved by a single enterprise (or, for that matter, by the entire business community) in isolation. Sustainable development is a pervasive philosophy to which every participant in the global economy (including consumers and government) must subscribe, if we are to meet todays needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. Implications for business It has become a clichà © that environmental problems are substantial, and that economic growth contributes to them. A common response is stricter environmental regulation, which often inhibits growth. The result can be a trade-off between a healthy environment on the one hand and healthy growth on the other. As a consequence, opportunities for business may be constrained. However, there are some forms of development that are both environmentally and socially sustainable. They lead not to a trade-off but to an improved environment, together with development that does not draw down our environmental capital. This is what sustainable development is all about a revolutionary change in the way we approach these issues. Businesses and societies can find approaches that will move towards all three goals environmental protection, social wellbeing and economic development at the same time. Sustainable development is good business in itself. It creates opportunities for suppliers of green consumers, developers of environmentally safer materials and processes, firms that invest in eco-efficiency, and those that engage themselves in social well-being. These enterprises will generally have a competitive advantage. They will earn their local communitys goodwill and see their efforts reflected in the bottom line. Practical considerations While business traditionally seeks precision and practicality as the basis for its planning efforts, sustainable development is a concept that is not amenable to simple and universal definition. It is fluid, and changes over time in response to increased information and societys evolving priorities. The role of business in contributing to sustainable development remains indefinite. While all business enterprises can make a contribution towards its attainment, the ability to make a difference varies by sector and organization size. Some executives consider the principal objective of business to be making money. Others recognize a broader social role. There is no consensus among business leaders as to the best balance between narrow self-interest and actions taken for the good of society. Companies continually face the need to trade off what they would like to do and what they must do in pursuit of financial survival. Businesses also face trade-offs when dealing with the transition to sustainable practices. For example, a chemical company whose plant has excessive effluent discharges might decide to replace it with a more effective treatment facility. But should the company close the existing plant during the two or three-year construction period and risk losing market share? Or should it continue to operate the polluting plant despite the cost of fines and adverse public relations? Which is the better course of action in terms of economy, social wellbeing and the environment? Moreover, many areas of sustainable development remain technically ambiguous, making it difficult to plan an effective course of action. For example, the forestry industry has had difficulty defining what constitutes sustainable forest management. Some critics believe that simply replacing trees is not enough, because harvesting destroys the biodiversity of the forest. Clearly, more research will be needed to resolve such technical issues. From a broader perspective, however, it is clearly in the interest of business to operate within a healthy environment and economy. It is equally plain that, on a global basis, growing and sustainable economies in the developing countries will provide the best opportunities for expanding markets. To some, sustainable development and environmental stewardship are synonymous. In the short term, sound environmental performance is probably a reasonable objective for most businesses, with sustainable development as a longer term goal. However, this can lead to confusion. In the developed world, the focus is on environmental management, while in developing countries, rapid and sustainable development is paramount. The global economy is coming under growing pressure to pay for the restoration of damaged environments. But this economic engine is being asked to help solve other pressing problems at the same time. The challenge is to solve all of these problems in a sustainable manner, so as to generate continuing development. Despite ambiguities about definitions, there is now widespread support for sustainable development principles within the business community. However, for that support to grow, it will be important to recognize and reward initiatives that are being taken to turn the concept into reality. Positive signs of change William Mulligan, environmental affairs manager at Chevron Corporation, reflects the view of many in the business community who believe that the environment is now a major issue one which presents both challenges and opportunities. Over the last decade, we have seen many polls confirming the importance of the environment to Americans, he says. Only an irresponsible company would dismiss this trend as a passing fad or fail to recognize the need to integrate environmental considerations into every aspect of its business. Environmental excellence has to become part of strategic thinking. It is in our best economic interests to do so. In fact, whenever we are forced to change, we often find opportunities. This positive change in attitudes and practices is echoed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which says: There is now a realistic prospect of harmonizing environmental and economic considerations, and thus of gradually incorporating these objectives in policy. Many executives have demonstrated that pursuing sustainable development strategies makes good business sense. For example, a 3M manufacturing plant scaled down a wastewater treatment operation by half, simply by running cooling water through its factories repeatedly instead of discharging it after a single use. Meanwhile Dows Waste Reduction Always Pays programme, which began in 1986, has fostered more than 700 projects, and saved millions of dollars a year. And in a Westinghouse metal finishing factory in Puerto Rico, the company reduced dragout the contamination accidentally carried from one tank to another by 75% simply by shaking the tank to remove solids before releasing the chemical to the next tank. Pacific Gas and Electric decided that energy conservation was a more profitable investment than nuclear power, and McDonalds made its well-publicized move from plastics to paper the cornerstone of a much broader, but less visible, waste reduction strategy. The managers of these businesses clearly believe that environmentalism has something to offer business. In an interview with Tomorrow magazine, John Elkington of environmental consultancy SustainAbility says: We are seeing the birth of corporate environmentalism. In fact the main impetus for sustainable development in the future will probably come from business. There are other significant developments too, Elkington points out. Many consumers are now prepared to pay more for environmentally responsible products. And the emergence of ethical investment funds has thrown the spotlight onto corporate environmental performance. Also significant, says Elkington, is that companies are changing from within, rather than simply responding to external pressure from consumers and environmentalists. Enhancing management systems The concept of sustainable development needs to be incorporated into the policies and processes of a business if it is to follow sustainable development principles. This does not mean that new management methods need to be invented. Rather, it requires a new cultural orientation and extensive refinements to systems, practices and procedures. The two main areas of the management system that must be changed are those concerned with: †¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  A greater accountability to non-traditional stakeholders; †¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Continuous improvement of reporting practices. Developing an effective management framework for sustainable development requires addressing both decision-making and governance. The concept of sustainable development must be integrated both into business planning and into management information and control systems. Senior management must provide reports that measure performance against these strategies. Governance is increasingly important because of the growing accountability of the corporation and its senior management. Information and reporting systems must support this need. Decision-making at all levels must become more responsive to the issues arising from sustainable development. Seven steps are required for managing an enterprise according to sustainable development principles. These are set out below.

Essays --

To first understand a black hole, you must understand how it is created. Most black holes are produced by dying stars that have a mass twenty times greater than our sun. A star eventually becomes a black hole because the energy and pressure pushing outward is overcome by gravity that pushes inward. For big stars the gravity force causes a star to collapse under its own weight. The star then will explode as a supernova and some outer parts of the star are sent out into space. The core is still intact, and if it has collapsed under its own weight, it will have formed a star. This core is said to have nearly zero volume, but with infinite density, known as a singularity. These black holes that have now been created start to grow. But how do they grow? They start absorbing mass from materials that are close to them. If a material is said to enter a black holes event horizon, a point at which nothing can escape a black hole’s gravity, the object would became absorbed and would be part of the black hole. Most black holes consume large amounts of gas and dust as their primary source of â€Å"f...

Cost Management Essay -- Accounting Finance Business Essays

Cost Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On page 92 of our text it says that committed costs are costs arising from the possession of facilities, equipment, and a basic organization. Discretionary costs are determined by management as part of the periodic planning process in order to meet the organization’s goals. They have no obvious relationship with levels of capacity or output activity. Therefore my assumptions of Committed and Discretionary costs are as follows. Committed Costs  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discretionary Costs  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Administrator  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $60,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Assistant  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $35,000 Accounting and Billing  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $15,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two Secretaries  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $42,000 Consulting  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $10,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Supplies  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $35,000 Salaries  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $46,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advertising and Promotion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $9,000 Transportation  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $10,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Professional Meetings and Dues  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $14,000 Security  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $12,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two Social Workers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $70,000 Custodial  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $13,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Totals  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $166,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Totals  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $205,000 When I first took a look at this assignment, I thought it would be a bit difficult to prove my point by using the text as a reference guide. I did that my citing the definition, but I am going to rely on what I know as a manager of a business to answer these questions and I was told that real world experiences are sometimes better that citing them from a text. Therefore, I am going to take a stab at this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I feel that Dr. White needs to take a look at theses areas- * Salaries (for assistant and two secretaries and for two social workers) * Supplies * Advertising and Promotion * Professional Meetings and Dues   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My first question as I was reading this assignment was: What do they need with an Assistant and two secretaries? Where do they hold their meetings? What do they need two social workers in each of the two areas for? Why are they spending $35,000 in supplies? I also referred back to my previous classes in team work and producing a greater output in half the time. This is not needed here. This is a mental health facility and as hard as it might be at times, they can cut the two secretaries to the administrator. I believe that one would suffice and the administrator has an assistant. They can also cut the social workers down to one per shift area, or one for community health and one for mental health. This outpatient clinic has operational costs of $371,000 with $205,000 being what I ... ...clinic’s long-run prospects. (Managerial Accounting pg 93) I am simply recommending a reduction in certain areas of the clinic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In any business, when one becomes accustomed to functioning in a certain manner; it is difficult to identify and separate what is costing you money, particularly if it is personnel. I am very familiar with this as this is one area where I am forced to make a lot of cuts. A lot of times it is like cutting your nose off to spite your face. I will honestly admit that this is one area that is the absolute hardest for me, as these people become like family. Advertising and promotional items are essential to any business but when you spend more money to promote a company, than what you are bringing in, you have a serious problem. Therefore, with this said, I would advise Dr. White to prepare for a reduced budget by analyzing what is costing her the most money, and make a decision in those areas as to how to scale them back. It will not be an easy task, but I feel that I have offered her some viable alternatives. Works Cited www.nationalpen.com Horngren/Sundem/Stratton-Introduction to Management Accounting, 2005, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

The Anti-Slavery Effort :: Slavery Essays

The Anti-Slavery Effort Slavery in America can be traced as far back as when Europeans began settling the North American continent. The first town established in the New Worlrd was Jamestown in 1607, and the first slave arrived on the continent in 1619. European pioneers that colonized North America brought slaves with them to help settle the new land, work their plantations growing valuable cash crops such as tobacco and sugar, and to cook and clean in their homes. Most people didn't see slavery as a problem at this time because it was quite rare in the New World with only a few wealthy landowners who owned slaves, however, public opinion would be swayed. Abolitionists first started appearing in America at about the time of the American revolution. Opponents of slavery included some of our distinguished Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Paine, and Benjamin Rush, who felt that slavery infringed on the concepts of the Declaration of Independence. Most northern abolitionists were religiiously inspired, such as the Quakers, and felt that slavery was a sin that must rectified immediately. The abolitionist cause was one a moral argument. They felt that the majority of slaves were being treated inhumanely and tortured. This disgust of southern slave-owners compelled a few abolitionists to act out in extreme measures, but the majority used peaceful protest methods. They used different methods to fight for their cause; fanatics went to the utmost of their power in killing the opposition, while others pacively handed out pamphlets and flyers in protest, or participated in the Underground Railroad. One fanatic abolitionist who, in this writer's opinion, just went too far is a man named John Brown. Brown's anti-slavery efforts are most well-known for his raid on the Us weapons arsenal in Harper's Ferry, Virginia, 1859. Brown was born on May 9th 1800 in Torrington, Connecticut, and grew up in Ohio. During his adult life Brown had trouble holding down a steady job due to business reverses and and charges of illegal practices which followed him from the 1820's and on, but by the 1850's he became deeply intertested in the slavery issue. Brown and five of his sons became embroiled in the struggle between proslavery and anti-slavery forces for control of the territorial government in Kansas. By the spring of 1855, Brown had assumed command of local Free-Soil militia. Within a year, proslavery forces had sacked the Free-Soil town of Lawrence, an event that triggered a bloody retaliation by Brown.

Ap Economics Study Questions

AP Economics Final Exam Study Sheet v2010 (Mankiw) 1. Economics deals primarily with the concept of? 2. Economists use the word equity to describe†¦? 3. What you give up to obtain an item is called your 4. A furniture maker currently produces 100 tables per week and sells them for a profit. She is considering expanding her operation in order to make more tables. Should she expand? 5. Rational people make decisions at the margin by†¦? 6. The term market failure refers to†¦? 7. An example of an externality? 8. Productivity is defined as? 9. An increase in the overall level of prices in an economy is referred to as? 10. Which of the following items is not a factor of production? 11. Which markets are represented in the simple circular-flow diagram? 12. Production is efficient if the economy is producing at a point†¦.? 13. (Production Possibilities Graph). The economy has the ability to produce at which point or points? 14. A production possibilities frontier shifts outward when†¦? 15. Trade can make everybody better off because it†¦? 6. For each good produced in a market economy, the interaction of demand and supply determines†¦? 17. A competitive market is a market in which†¦? 18. A monopoly is†¦? 19. A likely example of complementary goods for most people would be†¦? 20. A likely example of substitute goods for most people would be†¦? 21. The law of demand says†¦? 22. (Demand Graph) The movement from point A to point B on the graph would be cau sed by†¦? 23. An increase in demand is represented by†¦? 24. According to the law of supply†¦? 25. If the number of sellers in a market increases, what conditions would you expect? 26. (Supply Graph) The movement from S to S1 is called? 27. (Supply Graph) The movement from S to S1 could be caused by? 28. The unique point at which the supply and demand curves intersect is called†¦? 29. (Supply and Demand Graph) Equilibrium price and quantity are? 30. (Supply and Demand Graph) Determine price and quantity 31. (Four different Supply and Demand Graphs) Which of the four graphs represent the market for peanut butter after a major hurricane hits the peanut-growing south? 32. Four different Supply and Demand Graphs) Which of the four graphs represents the market for winter coats as we progress from winter to spring? 33. (Four different Supply and Demand Graphs) Which of the four graphs illustrates an increase in quantity supplied? 34. During the last few decades in the United States, health officials have argued that eating too much beef might be harmful to human health. As a result , there has been a significant decrease in the amount of beef produced. Which of the following best explains the decrease in production? 35. In general, elasticity is a measure of†¦?

Countries such as Italy and India Essay

Youth is wasted on the young. † We all stereotype, and we can all be prejudice. The elderly sometimes see a teenager and automatically assume they are troublemakers who hang around the streets at night, which is not always the case. Most teenagers perception of the elderly is that they ramble in their talk get in the way and are rather helpless. When can you really class yourself as old though? To me I would say it’s when you retire. Your life changes completely, you have a lot more spare time since you’re not working. Life becomes relaxing and care free. Although old age can be relaxing, I personally am not looking forward to it, I prefer to be young. It seems life will become harder, forgetfulness, your body is weaker, and therefore it’s harder to move about. Also in this country the elderly are not treated as well as in others, Countries such as Italy and India. There the elderly are looked up to and treated with utmost respect. When they grow old and become incapable of doing certain things they are taken care of and are looked after by their younger generations. In the U. K grandparents are often just sent away to a retirement center, because their own family cannot be bothered to look after them. In the poem â€Å"Warning† she chooses to exploit her freedom in her old age, be wild and â€Å"make up for the sobriety of her youth†. Whereas in â€Å"Old man Old man† which is the poem I will be comparing against â€Å"Warning† in this essay, he does the opposite, he draws back in seclusion. Unhappy in his old age. The narrative of â€Å"Old man Old man† and â€Å"Warning† differ greatly. â€Å"Old man Old man† focuses on the negativity of old age. How in his old age he has become even more obstinate in his â€Å"contracted world†. The poem describes how he used to be independent, â€Å"lord once of shed, garage and garden†. Although now he cannot accept he has become helpless, â€Å"you who hate being helpless†. Now he is â€Å"self-demoted in his nineties to washing up†, and yet still â€Å"missing crusted streaks† Fanthorpe, who we assume is a daughter, describes the old man in a very desolate tone. It seems as though she has always tried to help him, but he’s always believed he’s a â€Å"world authority†. Now the old man has become surly in his old age, and helpless. Despite this, he still refuses help from his daughter. Towards the end of the poem, she offers her aid, â€Å"let me walk with you to Drury lane†. Whereas in â€Å"Warning† Jenny Joseph talks about how she will enjoy her liberation in old age. She tells us how she what she wants to do when she grows old. She wants to act like a child and â€Å"wear purple†. Throughout the poem she only talks about herself no one else is mentioned. For her old age represents the liberations. She talks about the restrictions that are imposed on her now, and how she will do differently when she grows old, like eat â€Å"only bread and pickle for a week†. Another way we can compare two poems is from the persona. In ‘Old man Old man†, there are two personas. The old man himself, and the poet. We assume the poet is a daughter, as they are very pessimistic towards the old man, this could be from the way she was treated by him â€Å"not good with daughters†. She describes her father in quite a negative manner, and at times nearly mocks him. She speaks about how old age affects their relationship. She describes the things he is no longer capable of doing. She moans about him and is very cynical about him. Towards the end she mimics him, â€Å"you said to me, but only as a cloud†. Throughout the poem the weakness of the old man is repetitively mentioned. Showing now how he has become weak and incapable in his old age. The persona in â€Å"Warning† is just one woman talking about herself. She is a strong willed and independent woman. She wants to â€Å"make up for the sobriety of her youth. She will act reasonably for now, to â€Å"set a good example for the children†, but when she becomes old, that will be her rebeliion. She is very positive about old age, and focuses on all the good points of old age, like the freedom. Jenny Joseph has self-determination, whereas the â€Å"Old man in Old man† seem to have nearly given up in his weakness. The poets use language in contrasting ways to express their ideas and opinions of old age. â€Å"Old man Old man† begins with a stanza in the past tense. Describing the way he lives and is. The direct speech in italic, in the second stanza, its â€Å"I’ve lost the hammer† which the old man would be saying, but towards the end, the direct speech is from the poet to the old man â€Å"Let me find your hammer†. This is to evoke bathos in the reader. The poet expresses her words in a tender way, showing how she does care for her father but nee s him to let her help him. She begins to lightly mock him in the third stanza, calling him a â€Å"world authority†. A Wife is mentioned later on in the poem, and instead of the poet calling the old man’s wife ‘mum’; she refers to him as â€Å"your wife. † This could be showing that he was re-married, and the daughter was not with her mum anymore, therefore she cares a great deal about her father, and when he refuses to help her and shuts her out, it hurts her even further. The semi-colon after â€Å"your surliness† splits up the pitiable image of the old man, and halts the rhythm of the poem. Here we stop and remember the man who no longer â€Å"tells jokes†. Verbs are taken out of the poem to help the flow of it. Whereas in â€Å"Warning† the sentences are complex, with two or more verbs in them. The stanzas are groups of three, to remember them and separate it clearly. The stanzas in â€Å"Warning† are not separated equally. Although there is a circular structure, â€Å"wear purple† is repeated at the beginning and end of the poem. â€Å"Old man old man† is in a disheartened tone. â€Å"Warning† is in a childish tone, for example she wants to â€Å"grow more fat†. This could be because the things she wants to do a re also quite childish like â€Å"learn to spit†. Which is quite un-lady like but simply expresses her desire for freedom. Also the title â€Å"Old man, Old man† is repeated throughout he poem, this seems to emphasize his old age. The first stanza is â€Å"Warning† is free verse, she creates a list of short sentences, all the things she wants to do when she grows old. â€Å"Youth is wasted on the young†. After analyzing both poems â€Å"Old man, Old man,† and â€Å"Warning†. I think that â€Å"Warning,† argues this title more than â€Å"Old man Old man†. As she speaks of how she will do youthful things when she grows old, so it is not wasted on the young. I myself preferred â€Å"Old man old man†. I preferred the seriousness of it, as â€Å"Warning† was in quite a childish tone. I found it interesting to see the relationship of the father and daughter, and her mocking of him was quite humorous. â€Å"Warning† was more like a big list of juvenile things she wanted to do when she was old. The two personas are at crossroads in their life, the turning point of becoming old. â€Å"Old man Old man† is how becoming old is a negative thing, how you become incapable of certain things. â€Å"Warning† is how she will enjoy her liberation of old age. I contend that â€Å"Old man, Old man† is a more accurate description of how life will be when old age attacks. I would prefer for it to be how jenny josephs perception of old age is, but as you grow old, as I said earlier, you become incapable of things. Like memory loss and moving about. â€Å"Old man, Old man† shows this. In â€Å"Warning† she is still young and does not know how it really is to be elderly.

Strip Malls: Causes of Failure and Success

DNSI 375 DESIGN THEORY AND RESEARCH Introduction and Literature Review You have a great start on the literature review. I would spend a little bit more time on the introduction and conclusion. The introduction should be more persuasive and can be referenced (see my comments below). 17/20 Strip Malls: Causes of Failure and Success Introduction With the economic downturn, businesses are suffering greatly and closing rapidly; because of this it is important to figure out ways to reduce these closings and help companies prosper. One business type that has seen drastic closings is the strip mall.While research suggests that location, facade design, greenery, anchor stores, store offerings and other attractions pull in much more foot traffic than malls who are missing these features (source), strip mall abandonment is still a huge problem in the United States. We have to wonder why so much new strip mall construction is occurring without the implementation of these features, or if they are why are they still failing? The purpose of this research study is to determine how facade design, location, and store offerings in strip malls affect customer shopping behaviors.This study is important to determine how society as a whole can become more sustainable by keeping new construction down and reviving failed strip malls and making them a success. Literature Review Location and Attraction to Strip Malls **(Anchor store information can be added here as an attraction) When it comes to strip malls, location is a key factor in determining where someone chooses to shop, and often distance alone is not enough to determine the success of a strip mall. Though location plays a key role in terms of proximity to its customers, e. . , nearness to main roads, travel time, and population congestion, customer psychology plays a key role in determining whether the trip is â€Å"worth it† (Rajagpal, 2009). The distance a customer is willing to travel is determined by several factors of the shopping experience: customer loyalty, ergonomics, expected/post-buying satisfaction, and multichannel retail strategies (Rajagpal 2009). Customer loyalty is built primarily through a store’s overall business model, and is expressed in strip malls by those individual stores upholding those values.If a customer finds the goods and services provided to be what they expected, they will continue to shop at that store with distance and location being a minimal factor. The ergonomics of a store refers to one’s ability to move around; a store with pleasing ergonomics will enhance the customer’s experience and encourage them to return. Expected/post-buying satisfaction refers to the discrepancies between a person’s perceived experience when shopping before they go into the store and the actual experience as they leave.Expected satisfaction can be a strong motivator for someone to visit a certain strip: if they’ve heard the way their friends ranted a nd raved about the experience, they will be more likely to visit, but if their post-buying satisfaction is not what is expected, they may not return. A multichannel retail strategy is the way that a store, or strip mall, chooses to route a customer to make the most of their spending habits. In individual stores this may mean strategically placing â€Å"impulse buys† along a customer’s path of travel (Rajagpal 2009).When applied to the strip, it refers to the way the architect has chosen to route the shopper through the center. Of the four factors listed, this is easily the biggest design factor determining the distance customers are willing to travel because it affects the overall experience that the customer will have. For example, a strip in a square or â€Å"L† shape encourages people to walk along the length of the strip, backtracking to stores they saw before, where a simple line offers fewer options and ends abruptly.Customers are naturally attracted to st rips that they have easy access to, but their social environments determine the ease of access. The early development of strip malls came about in the 19th century with the idea of a main street as a shopping destination; along main street shops were placed within walking distance of each other. However, this model has not changed or adapted very well over time and while this design is poor in suburban strip malls, where the linear progression takes you in a single direction rather than encouraging a casual hopper to explore, it is detrimental in urban areas where the original strips existed. For example, the Los Angeles urban strips are close to and have easy access to a potential shopping base, but the social environment discourages shopping. As the city expanded, the area around these strips became home to low-income housing, and the public areas were quickly taken over. The population of the area that was surveyed showed a strong desire to use the space, but noted such hazards a s gang activity and a distinct lack of comfort for pedestrians (Loukaiton-Staris, 1997).Largely the people in Loukaiton-Staris’s study wanted a place that was pedestrian friendly, incorporating things such as seating and greenery, in addition to larger walkways and space for foot traffic. Pedestrian-friendly strips serve as a major attraction to customers, and the design of these heavily influence consumers in their shopping choice. Referring to a strip as â€Å"pedestrian-friendly† typically referes to (Loukaiton-Staris, 1997): * Allowances for adequate foot traffic * Allowances for seating Greenery and other visual attractions Strips that incorporate these things, particularly greenery are given a better chance of financial survival with the attraction of more customers and businesses; strips with greater greenery were able to charge higher rent, and shoppers indicated that they would be willing to pay more at these more attractive strip malls (Wolf, 2009). From the customer’s standpoint, greenery poses more interest in a pedestrian area rather than a strip mall dominated by the parking lot due to wayfinding (Wolf, 2009).A shopper who’s allowed to take their time and wander through a strip is allowed a certain amount of interaction with their surroundings whereas a strip without this aspect can find itself hindered by greenery obscuring the signs. In addition, the amount of greenery affects the amount of time a person is willing to spend in a strip mall, as is indicated on the chart below taken from â€Å"Strip Malls, City Trees, and Community Values,† where people were shown pictures and asked to predict their behavior based on the strip malls shown. Location is and store choice is a complex marketing decision; however, the istance a customer is willing to travel to the strip is influences in no small part by its design. This is a factor of ergonomics, multichannel research strategies, pedestrian-friendly travel and greene ry. All of these contribute to the attractiveness of the strip mall and so its success. **(Discuss greenery research to follow into – Exterior Facade)** Exterior Facade The exterior facade of a store is another very important aspect of a strip mall’s attractiveness and is important to consider when determining what influences consumer’s behaviors.The facade of a store is the first thing a customer see’s and generates the first impression of the store (Yuksel, 2009). First impressions are as important to the experience as the store’s reputation to the success or failure of a store. A survey conducted by Retail Consumer Experience reveal some of the views that consumers have on building facades. In the survey it was found that 96% of people consider the businesses appearance somewhat or extremely important (Retail Consumer Experience, 2011).In addition, it was also found that 52% of people decided not to enter a store because it looked dirty from the outside and 11% because it looked outdated or old from the outside (Retail Consumer Experience, 2011). It is also found that color of the facade can determine the consumer’s experience. When examining if colors have an effect on behaviors it was found that even though the crowd level was the same, customers perceived that the blue exterior building had less crowding than the orange exterior building (Yuksel, 2009).While the colors of individual facades is often a matter of the store’s personal brand, the color of the building could potentially have an effect on consumer behavior. Although some research has been done on facade design we need to get a better understanding of how much it affects the consumers experience and what about the exterior facade is pleasing or unpleasing. Community Engagement *(It might be nice to go into detail about what went wrong with the public housing incident to help show exactly why lack of community engagement is an issue)Instead of add ing density to existing environments, contemporary cities have a decentralized pattern of growth (Rowe, 1991). Most new growth occurs in the next layer of undeveloped land outside of the existing suburbs. Because of this continuous development, there are more and more paved areas like highways and parking lots and less and less untouched countryside. Suburban sprawl leads to all kinds of unintended environmental consequences, mostly related to the lack of â€Å"walkability†. Life in sprawl developments demands up to three times as much driving as in high-density urban areas (Surface, 2000).This means that there is more air pollution in sprawl areas. Pollutants in the air, including nitrates and sulphates emitted from road traffic, construction, and industry, is linked to health problems such as stroke, cognitive decline, and heart attack (Devi, 2012). Road runoff of automobile oils and battery metals and road salt contribute to water pollution and may affect public health (Su rface, 2000). Shopping centers in suburban areas are not as conducive to pedestrians as they are to automobiles, which means that for pedestrians there is little sense of safety when walking to and from different stores.In addition, when stores go out of business and buildings are abandoned, they become a hotspot for squatters and vandals, bringing crime into the community. A study conducted by John Dimitriou (2001), states that the quality of place in American suburbs inhibits peoples’ ability to have a sense of ownership and connection to the place they live because the physical design of the environment has â€Å"repellant and disengaging characteristics† (Dimitriou, 2001, p. 7). The â€Å"confused organization and ugliness† of the built environment pushes people away and makes them feel like outsiders in their own towns (Dimitriou, 2001, p. 6). This results in a sense of isolation and lack of community engagement. Suburban settlement is driven by a popular d esire to live on the countryside to satisfy a person’s affinity for natural open spaces, fresh air, and lower populations. But people also want to have access to the culture and opportunity provided by a city. The suburban ideal is to have the best of both worlds by unifying town and country (Dimitriou, 2001, p. 10). However, as more and more people move to the suburbs, the country-living characteristics fade and the area becomes more like a city in terms of services and social problems.This leads to a continuous outward spread of housing developments in search of natural open spaces. The housing developments are followed by shopping centers dispersed throughout the area. These shopping centers are characterized by sprawling parking lots and bland, repetitive architecture. The utilitarian design of strip malls does not encourage people in the community to cultivate a sense of connection or engagement with the shopping center. The dispersed locations of the buildings are disor ienting, and foster a dependence on automobiles. Why would anyone want to feel connected to something confusing and ugly?Good design can enhance a person’s sense of belonging to a community by creating a place that they are proud to be associated with. Dimitriou suggests that if new development is focused on existing suburban centers we can improve the quality of place and reduce dependence on private automobiles. This study focuses on densification of suburban commercial centers. Dimitriou proposes broad planning solutions so that whole communities served by a particular strip center could potentially be unified through their attachment to a place. A great way to foster attachment to a place is by enhancing its sense of history.This can be accomplished by adding to the existing built environment, rather than demolishing structures, to preserve remnants of old buildings that give clues to the former life of a place (Dimitriou, 2001, p. 27). He also proposes to reorganize stri p malls to include more pedestrian friendly elements and public spaces. For example, he suggests forming continuities and connections between specific places to give the area more unity and accessibility and establishing focal points in the form of public spaces or specific buildings to organize navigation (Dimitriou, 2001, p. 27). (Along with attractions: I found a study on how actual attractions, movie theaters, restaurants, roller coasters, etc. Also bring in more foot traffic helping out store sales) LET’S TALK ABOUT PARKING. The most common argument in opposition to a more â€Å"downtown – like† pedestrian friendly atmosphere is the relative lack of parking. Parking lots are also what make strip malls so unengaging and ugly. People complain about parking a couple of blocks away from a downtown store but will walk across a huge parking lot (not to mention the size of the mall) to get to their desired destination in the mall.Conclusion Our research will focus on four specific areas related to strip mall design: facade design, greenery, pedestrian-friendliness, and entertainment attractions such as movie theaters, restaurants, and public gathering spaces. We will look at how each of these factors affects the success of strip malls. Our goal is to come up with design solutions that will help existing strip malls attract and retain customers. These solutions will aim at improving upon the existing built environment instead of demolishing structures and building new ones.This â€Å"suburban renewal† concept is more environmentally friendly and will hopefully engender a sense of history, community and pride in suburban shopping centers. **We also need to add pictures and/or graphs from previous studies REFERENCES Rowe, P. (1991). Making a middle landscape. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. Surface Transportation Policy Project (2000). Mean streets 2000: Pedestrian, health, and federal transportation spending. Washington, DC: Au thor. Devi, S. (2012). New studies cast dark cloud over air pollution. The Lancet 379. 9817 697. : The Lancet. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . Dimitriou, George John. Suburban Revisions: Redesigning Suburban Strip Malls. 2001. Print. Roajagopal. (2011). Determinants of shopping behavior of urban consumers. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 23 (2), 83-104. Loukaitou-Sidiris, A. (1997). Inner-City commercial strips: Evolutioin, decay: retrofit? Town Planning Review, 68 (1), 1-29. Wolf, K. (2009). Strip malls, city trees, and community values. Aboriculture and Urban Forestry, 35 (1): 33-40. Irwin, Elana. â€Å"Study Shows Urban Sprawl Continues To Gobble Up Land. OSU Research News Index Page. Ohio State University, 17 Dec. 2007. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. . * * Alternate Introduction * Suburban sprawl has long since taken over much of America’s scenic countryside and continues to spread further and further from center cities. More people have jobs in suburban areas, or are telecommutin g, and no longer have the need or desire to live close to the major cities (Irwin, 2007). People are also being drawn further away from cities by natural amenities in rural areas such as lakes, oceans, forests or mountains (Irwin, 2007).This desire to be closer to nature, however, does not supersede the desire to have easy access to man-made amenities such as restaurants, movie theaters, and shopping centers. The commercial sprawl that follows the residential sprawl often comes in the form of blandly designed strip malls with massive desert-like parking lots. Aside from the store selection, there is nothing to attract customers and encourage them to spend more time in the shopping center. When stores go out of business or move to a more attractive location, the strip malls often remain vacant and become not only eyesores but burdens on the community.Although strip mall abandonment is a known problem in the United States, more strip malls are being constructed all the time and the cy cle continues repeating itself. This study seeks to discover how suburban society can become more sustainable by keeping new construction down and reviving failed strip malls and making them a success. Research suggests that location, facade design, greenery, anchor stores, store offerings and other attractions are all factors that draw in customers. The purpose of this research study is to determine how these factors affect customer shopping behavior. *