Free Essays on DataBases

There are many faces of Databases, a large databases can contain hundreds of interrelated files. Fortunately a database management system can shield users from the inner workings of the system, providing them with only the information and commands they need to get their jobs done. In fact, a well-designed database puts on different faces for different classes of users. The earliest file management programs could only do batch processing, which required users to accumulate transactions and feed them into computers in large batches. These batch systems weren't able to provide the kind of immediate feedback we expect today. Today disk drives, inexpensive memory, and sophisticated software have allowed interactive processing to replace batch processing for most applications. Users can now interact with data through terminals, viewing and changing values in real time. Batch processing is still used for printing periodic bills, invoices, and reports and for making backup copies of data files. But for applications that demand immediacy, such as airline reservations, banking transactions, and the like, interactive, multi-user database systems have taken over. Until recently most databases were housed in mainframe computers. But for a growing number of organizations, the traditional database on a mainframe system is no longer the norm. Some companies use a client/server approach: Database software in client desktop computers works with files stored in central server databases on mainframes, minicomputers, or desktop computers. Other company's use distributed databases that use data strewn out across networks on several different computers. From the user's point of view, the differences between these approaches may not be apparent. Many computer scientists believe that the relational data model may be supplanted in the next decade by an object-oriented data model, and that most future databases will be object-oriented databases rat... Free Essays on DataBases Free Essays on DataBases There are many faces of Databases, a large databases can contain hundreds of interrelated files. Fortunately a database management system can shield users from the inner workings of the system, providing them with only the information and commands they need to get their jobs done. In fact, a well-designed database puts on different faces for different classes of users. The earliest file management programs could only do batch processing, which required users to accumulate transactions and feed them into computers in large batches. These batch systems weren't able to provide the kind of immediate feedback we expect today. Today disk drives, inexpensive memory, and sophisticated software have allowed interactive processing to replace batch processing for most applications. Users can now interact with data through terminals, viewing and changing values in real time. Batch processing is still used for printing periodic bills, invoices, and reports and for making backup copies of data files. But for applications that demand immediacy, such as airline reservations, banking transactions, and the like, interactive, multi-user database systems have taken over. Until recently most databases were housed in mainframe computers. But for a growing number of organizations, the traditional database on a mainframe system is no longer the norm. Some companies use a client/server approach: Database software in client desktop computers works with files stored in central server databases on mainframes, minicomputers, or desktop computers. Other company's use distributed databases that use data strewn out across networks on several different computers. From the user's point of view, the differences between these approaches may not be apparent. Many computer scientists believe that the relational data model may be supplanted in the next decade by an object-oriented data model, and that most future databases will be object-oriented databases rat...

Western Lowland Gorilla Facts

Western Lowland Gorilla Facts The western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) is one of two subspecies of western gorillas The other subspecies is the Cross River gorilla. Of the two subspecies, the western lowland gorilla is more numerous. Its also the only subspecies of gorilla kept in zoos, with few exceptions. Fast Facts: Western Lowland Gorilla Scientific Name: Gorilla gorilla gorillaDistinguishing Features: Relatively small gorilla with dark brownish black hair and large skull. Mature males have white hair on their backs.Average Size: 68 to 227 kg (150 to 500 lb); males about twice the size of femalesDiet: HerbivorousLife Span: 35 yearsHabitat: Western sub-Saharan AfricaConservation Status: Critically EndangeredKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: PrimatesFamily: HominidaeFun Fact: The western lowland gorilla is the only subspecies kept in zoos, with very rare exceptions. Description Gorillas are the largest apes, but western lowland gorillas are the smallest gorillas. Males are considerably larger than females. An adult male weighs between 136 and 227 kg (300 to 500 lbs) and stands up to 1.8 m (6 ft) tall. Females weigh between 68 and 90 kg (150 to 200 lb) and stand around 1.4 m (4.5 ft) tall. The western lowland gorilla has a larger, wider skull than a mountain gorilla and dark brownish black hair. Young gorillas have a small white rump patch until they are about four years old. Mature males are called silverback males because they have a saddle of white hair across their backs and extending onto the rump and thighs. Western lowland gorillas, like other primates, have unique fingerprints and nose prints. Distribution As their common name suggests, western lowland gorillas live in western Africa at low elevations ranging from sea level to 1300 meters. They inhabit rain forests and forested areas of swamps, rivers, and fields. Most of the population lives in the Republic of the Congo. The gorillas also occur in Cameroon, Angola, Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea. Gorilla species distribution. Fobos92 Diet and Predators Western lowland gorillas are herbivores. They preferentially select fruit that is high in sugar and fiber. However, when fruit is scarce, they eat leaves, shoots, herbs, and bark. An adult gorilla eats about 18 kg (40 lb) of food per day. The gorillas only natural predator is the leopard. Otherwise, only humans hunt gorillas. Social Structure The gorillas live in groups of one to 30 gorillas, usually averaging between 4 and 8 members. One or more adult males lead the group. A group stays within a home range of 8 to 45 square kilometers. Western lowland gorillas are not territorial and their ranges overlap. The lead silverback organizes eating, resting, and traveling. While a male may make an aggressive display when challenged, gorillas are generally nonaggressive. Females engage in sexual behavior even when they are non-fertile to compete with other females. Young gorillas spend their time playing, much like human children. Reproduction and Life Cycle The reproductive rate of western lowland gorillas is very low. In part, this is because females dont reach sexual maturity until age 8 or 9 and dont reproduce when caring for young. As in humans, gorilla gestation lasts about nine months. A female gives birth to one infant. An infant rides on its mothers back and depends on her until it is about five years old. Occasionally, a male commits infanticide to gain a opportunity to mate with its mother. In the wild, a western lowland gorilla may live 35 years. Females care for young until they are around five years of age. Willis Chung / Getty Images Conservation Status and Threats The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the western gorilla as critically endangered, which is the last category before global extinction in the wild. Only about 250 to 300 of the Cross River gorilla species are believed to remain, while estimates place the number of western lowland gorillas around 300,000 in 2018. While this may seem like a relatively large number of gorillas, the population size continues to dwindle and the animals face serious threats. Challenges facing the western lowland gorilla include deforestation; loss of habitat to human encroachment for settlements, farming, and grazing; climate change; slow reproductive rate coupled with infertility; and poaching for trophies, folk medicine, and bushmeat. Disease may pose an even greater threat to gorillas than other factors. Western lowland gorillas are one of the zoonotic origin of HIV/AIDs, which infects gorillas in a similar fashion as it does humans. Gorillas suffered over 90% mortality from an Ebola epizootic in 2003 to 2004 that killed two-thirds of the species population. Gorillas are also infected with malaria. While the outlook for wild western lowland gorillas appears grim, the species acts as a seed disperser, making it key to the survival of many other species in its habitat. Worldwide, zoos maintain a population of about 550 western lowland gorillas. Sources Darc, Mirela; Ayouba, Ahidjo; Esteban, Amandine; Learn, Gerald H.; Bouà ©, Vanina; Liegeois, Florian; Etienne, Lucie; Tagg, Nikki; Leendertz, Fabian H. (2015). Origin of the HIV-1 group O epidemic in western lowland gorillas. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (11): E1343–E1352. doi:10.1073/pnas.1502022112Haurez, B.; Petre, C. Doucet, J. (2013). Impacts of logging and hunting on western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) populations and consequences for forest regeneration. A review. Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Socià ©tà © et Environnement. 17 (2): 364–372.Mace, G.M. (1990). Birth Sex Ratio and Infant Mortality Rates in Captive Western Lowland Gorillas. Folia Primatologica. 55 (3–4): 156. doi:10.1159/000156511Maisels, F., Strindberg, S., Breuer, T., Greer, D., Jeffery, K. Stokes, E.  (2018).  Gorilla gorilla ssp. gorilla  (amended version of 2016 assessment).  The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  2018: e.T9406A136251508.   doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T9406A136251508.en Rogers, M. Elizabeth; Abernethy, Kate; Bermejo, Magdalena; Cipolletta, Chloe; Doran, Diane; Mcfarland, Kelley; Nishihara, Tomoaki; Remis, Melissa; Tutin, Caroline E.G. (2004). Western gorilla diet: A synthesis from six sites. American Journal of Primatology. 64 (2): 173–192. doi:10.1002/ajp.20071

Monetary Policy and Economic Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Monetary Policy and Economic Crisis - Essay Example One of the most important responsibilities for the Fed is that of ensuring monetary stability in the economy, which can be achieved through a combination of stable prices of goods and services across the economy coupled with a low inflation level and level of confidence of the investors in the currency of the country. The Fed comes out with monetary policy in order to ensure a certain key objectives like delivering price stability with a low inflation level coupled with an objective to support the Government's economic objectives of growth and employment. To understand how the Fed monitors price related regulations to keep a check on inflation, we may consider a small example of the regulation of house and property prices. To take any decisions related to interest rates keeping in mind the ongoing inflation rate, the Fed must be thorough with the booming property prices and must take steps to ensure that the prices are not artificial. Government intervenes through its central bank to regulate the prices of many commodities, similarly it also regulates the prices of houses like any other important commodity. Fed has the responsibility to keep a check on asset prices including the prices of houses. ... (Demand and Supply for Housing).Other reasons behind a change in property prices can be Mortgages. A mortgage is the money borrowed to buy a house, as for most people buying a house is not easy. Over the years mortgage market has picked up greatly and the current scenario is totally different from the one that existed in the beginning. Mortgages were supplied only by the building societies. Building societies were non-profit institutions and encouraged only the members for the grant of loans, so the people who were members and had contributed to an extent for a considerable period of time got loans easily and account with building societies became the only means to get mortgages. Soon these societies had to compete with the banks and other financial institutions specialized in granting housing loans. This price war resulted in a greater demand for owner occupied houses and consequently the demand for houses grew stronger, resulting in a substantial increase in price. (The UK Housing Market - Factors Influencing the Housing Market: Mortgages) Besides the above-mentioned factor of mortgages there are other factors like stamp duty and planning that affect the market for housing. Mortgage interest relief at source (MIRAS) was a tax concession to owning a house. It reduced the house owner's liability to income tax as the money spent on the interest on mortgage was considered to be tax-free. This made borrowings cheaper and as a result there was a huge demand for housing and the prices shot up. With the introduction of MIRAS in 1990 many people were exempted from stamp duty. (The UK Housing Market - Factors Influencing the Housing Market: Stamp Duty and Planning) The central bank sets a fixed interest

Answer the question from the book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer the question from the book - Essay Example in other instances, most of the IT departments do not have budgets of their own. They, in most cases charge other departments for the services that they provide to them. As such, it becomes hard for the department to project its expenditure levels. Moreover, equipment keeps changing, with the increase in the level of technology and innovation. It makes it difficult to track this whole expenditure record, one that puts into consideration all the expenses including the miscellaneous. 2. To answer the question as to whether IT systems are an expense or an asset, first it is important to understand the difference between an asset and an expense. While an asset is an economic resource, an expense takes away economic resources. Initial investments in IT systems are an asset to an organization like IVK (Austin et al. 54). On the other hand, they are an expense if they became obsolete. It is unfair classifying the systems as expenses, despite their high initial costs. For instance, telephone s were an expense when every department required them. They made communication within the organization easy and simple, and more efficient. They simplified the mode of communication in the organization, and made the daily operations easy. Activities ran smoothly with improved communication. Their contribution to the overall out was overwhelming. These were assets to the organization. However, with the technological advancement in the organizations, there was the introduction of better communication methods such as e-mail. This made telephones obsolete, making them an expense, as the organization had to faze them out indefinitely. This makes them more an expense at the end. 3. IT as a department has little expenses. Because the department provides services to other departments, it is important for the organization to allocate the IT expenses to these departments. On its own, the IT department spends less, as it only require keeping its operations going. The main reason for the establ ishment of IT departments in organizations was to provide technology and communication services to the rest departments. This makes IT the biggest and most interactive department in an organization, as the organization entirely relies on it for these services. Choosing to allocate all IT related expenses to the IT department would leave it with a huge budget. Nonetheless, it is difficult to track all expenses of the IT department. Condensing all the organizational expenses on IT services under the IT department, there would be no track of organizational expenditure on the IT department, and thus poor track of the organizational expenses. 4. The IT should operate just like any other organizational department. Although, due to the sensitivity in operations of the IT department, in most cases, the department runs its operations independently, there should be a limit as to how far this freedom could go. As established by Reuben, it is hard to keep track of all the expenditures in the IT department (Austin et al. 61). On the other hand, there is the need for monitoring of its operations as well as regulation. Therefore, the department should not be independent altogether. There should be a framework regulating the amount IT spends, to make sure it does not overstate its budget. 5. Acquiring new systems is an expensive affair. Therefore, most of the organizations opt to maintain the existing systems, as long as their importance

A Man Defined by War Essay Example for Free

A Man Defined by War Essay Similar to many authors during the early part of the 20th century, Ernest Hemingway uses his first hand experience to write meticulous novels conveying his struggles. Hemingways efforts are recorded using new techniques not yet seen before. Hemingway, the author of the celebrated A Farwell To Arms, incorporates meaningful diction, imagery, and syntax in Book 1 to convey his detached tone towards the Great War. Book 1 of A Farewell To Arms sets the groundwork for one of the most influential novels of all time. Lieutenant Frederick Henry, an American ambulance driver for the Italian army, seems stoic about his situation. Henry meets a British nurse, Catherine Barkley. After an evening with Catherine, he says to himself, I had treated seeing Catherine very lightly, I had gotten somewhat drunk and had nearly forgotten to come but when I could not see her there I was feeling lonely and hollow. (41). This is the first time Henry fully recognizes that he loves Catherine. His body drained of guilt, Henry utter, when I could not see her.I was feeling hollow. A lover without a clue, Henry lays his problems, the war, his love life, and his friends on the table. While away from Catherine, he feels he goes through the motions needed to live but can not actually be attached to the world. Catherine completes him. Just after the priest discusses God, Henry walks through Abruzzi. He thinks to himself, lovely was the fall to go hunting through the chestnut woods. The birds were all good because they fed on grapes and you never took a lunch because the peasants were always honored if you would eat with them at their houses.(73). Henrys thoughts are obviously disconnected from his main problems. Pondering the birds, Henry detaches himself from the rest of the war. Hemingways personal issues regarding the war are exemplified in Henrys speech. Vibrant, vivid imagery became one of Hemingways favorite structural devices. In the early stages of the tale, Henry, still getting accustomed to his surroundings, finds time to observe the less important items of his experience. While viewing the scenery around him, Henry observes, snow slanted across the wind, the bare ground was covered, the stumps of trees projected, there was snow on the guns and there was paths in the snow going back to the latrines behind trenches. (6). His world completely changed, Henry resorts to crafting detached images for himself from his surroundings. Snow generates a sense of permanence, just as the war itself has produced. With the same disinterest as he has in the war, Henry continues to show a lack of concern on his job and sometimes with his friends. Hemingway wants the reader to reconsider their opinion of the Great War and contemplate the lesser things in the world such as nature. While driving an ambulance to Pavla, Henrys car is demolished by a trench mortar. A general without his authority, Henry struggled through this tragedy using his unbelievable willpower and audacity. Just before the attack, Henry, ate the end of my piece of cheese and took a swallow of winethen there was a flash, as when a blast-furnace door is swung open, and a roar that started white and went red and on and on in a rushing wind. (54). The mortar blast that attacks Henrys ambulance furthers his dismal attitude towards the war. Hemingway knows that innocent men such as Henry have been injured and killed throughout this war and he knows this is not fair. Above all, he further detaches Henry from the world and the war for the readers own thoughts to form about the evilness of guiltless casualties. Syntactical devices are one of literatures most important and practical modes to get a point across in an exciting and interesting manner. Authors utilize such tools to get deeper meanings across to the reader. A variety of syntax Hemingway utilizes is known as subject. Additionally, while he is illustrating one of those most impressing scenes of Book 1, Henry must deal with other feelings and sights. Henry observes, The dead were off to one side. The doctors were working with their sleeves up to their shoulders and were red as butchers. There were not enough stretchers. Some of the wounded were noisy but most were quiet (56-57). To cope with his negative opinions towards the war, Henry draws up his inner strength to battle them. With the same resolve that drove him to the war, Henry eliminates feelings of sorrow and shows a lack of interest on the front. Another syntactical device utilizes repetition. To prepare the reader for the upcoming idea, Hemingway creates a brilliant structural masterpiece. During a mess hall scene in Book 1, Henry narrates, Yes, father. That is true, father. Perhaps, father. No, father. Well, maybe yes, father. You know more about it than I do father. (38). By repeating the same father over and over again, Hemmingway initiates a serious, monotonous tone to this excerpt. The repetition alone is a cautious statement bending the limits of literature itself. Dr. Robert Lamb believes repetition is key to creating great literature, but the author must know how to apply it. He states, the most remarkable aspect of the passage is Hemingwaysemployment of repetition. The repetition of key words like want and perfectlyare used [to] keep the dialogues relevant. (Hemingway and the Creation17). Hemingway effectively displays repetition demonstrating Henrys disinterest and detachment from the war and all of its horrors. The everlasting war establishes Henrys dismal tone as he struggles to survive the war. Out of Henrys struggles emerged his strengths. In conclusion, Ernest Hemingways innovative techniques in the fields of diction, imagery, and syntax generate the protagonists detachment from World War I in Book 1. Deriving from his disinterest comes his affection for a young British nurse. Hemingways own conflicts in World War I blend with his views from that war and congregate in this masterpiece.

Tragedies While Climbing Mount Everest Are Caused by Human Error Essay

Tragedies While Climbing Mount Everest Are Caused by Human Error Especially in terrible weather, every second counts while nearing the top of Mount Everest on an expedition. A step in the wrong place or a rope hooked to the wrong crag may send a climber falling thousands of feet into a deep crevasse. Turning an oxygen level the wrong way may leave the air non-breathable to a climber after a few short minutes. These errors happen every season on Everest, no matter what the conditions are. Whether errors in judgement or just simple mistakes, accidents on Mount Everest are caused by human error. During pushes up the mountain, it is easy for climbers to make subtle decisions that may have grave consequences later on the hike. The climb in May 1996 provides a good example of an accumulation of such mistakes. The most obvious lapse in judgement appeared when the guides of the Adventure Consultants and Mountain Madness expeditions, Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, respectively, did not force climbers who had not reached the summit to turn around at the designated time. Fischer passed a few of his clients while descending but allowed them to continue to the top. The final client reached the summit at 4:00 P.M., a full two hours after the designated turn-around time. Unfortunately for those climbers who kept pressing for the peak, a storm arrived around 4:30 P.M. and caused blizzard conditions. If climbers had retreated by 2:00 P.M., they may have had a much better chance to survive. Other climbers later speculated that the two guides wanted to give those who had previously climbed to just short of the summit time to reach the top on the 1996 attempt; unfortunately, the reinforced push cost those clients their lives. Even the Sherpas, who were renowned for their experience and knowledge of climbing Everest, made costly errors that led to even more tragedy in the spring of 1996. During the morning of the ascent, sirdar Ang Dorje refused to fix the ropes for the other climbers because Sherpas from the Mountain Madness team were not willing to help and "apparently, he was tired of doing more than his fair share." (ITA, 183-4) Ultimately, four climbers had to advance in front of the groups and create paths, resulting in the loss of valuable time for all parties involved. Meanwhile, at Camp Four the Sherpas designated by Rob Hall to help in the case of any emergen... ... because he believed Scott Fischer would have benefited from the publicity of getting such a celebrity to the top of the peak. Lopsang reasoned, "Scott wants all members to go to summit, and I am thinking Sandy will be weakest member...so I will take her first" (qtd. in ITA, 178). The task left Lopsang visibly exhausted for the majority of the climb after that point. Without exerting that much physical effort, Lopsang may have been able to help other climbers during the tragedy. He could have shown his devotion to Fischer by escorting him down the mountain when the guide became too weak to move on his own. Because of his inability to help on the descent, Lopsang contributed to the amount of human error that occurred on the peak. Human error, including lapses of judgement and simple physical mistakes, causes the tragedies on Mount Everest to occur. The horrible timing of the blizzard in 1996 took many of the climbers in the Mountain Madness and Adventure Consultants expeditions by surprise. Unfortunately, the climbers would have had a much better chance of being safe at Camp Four during the blizzard if they had followed their own predetermined plans while ascending the mountain.

Crossing the Rubicon Essay

Crossing the Rubicon By: Emalie Von Douche In Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at he End of the Age of Oil, there are three main points where Mr. Ruppert tries to blame the entire tradjety of September 11, 2001, better known as 9/11, on the acting Vice President at the time, Dick Cheney. At first glance this seems to be a bold if not insane accusation against the Vice President of the United States of America, but Ruppert does make a few points that will make you think. The first point of Ruppert is Dick Cheney had the Ability to pull off this plan if he wanted to. According to Ruppert, Cheney was acting as Commander in Chief on 9/11 due to the terrible threat on the United States. This means he was in control and was calling the shots. Ruppert also has reason to believe that Cheney was leading a â€Å"completely separate chain of Command & Control via the Secret Service, assuring the paralysis of Air Force response on 9/11. The Secret Service has the technology to see the same radar screens the FAA sees in real time. (Kane) Ruppert claims that President Bush was kept out of a leadership position on purpose by the Secret Service men around him as he was reading to school children the morning of 9/11. He also claims that the Secret Service, acting through Cheney, had control over the FAA, Airforce (including the Fighter Jets), and President Bush. One question I would ask Ruppert is â€Å"Why? † Why would Cheney and the Secret Service go throu gh all of this trouble to attack his own country? The answer, according to Ruppert, is simply Oil. Cheney’s plan was to start a never-ending war to take control of the Middle Eastern oil and use it for American purposes. Ruppert claims that there was a peak in the oil reserves around the world from 2000-2007. After 2007, oil will become more rare and extremely more expensive. â€Å"By way of confirmation, people in and close to the oil industry are reporting that increased drilling is not resulting as yet in significantly increased supply. † (Ruppert) Upon hearing of this news, Cheney had to go into action. He just needed the right time to plan his so called â€Å"Attack†. According to Ruppert, the â€Å"right time† was any time that Cheney chose because as of May 8, 2001, Dick Cheney was put into control of all training exercises of all branches of military and government. This means he could set up â€Å"fake† hijackings by calling them training situations just in case anyone would ever want to hijack airplanes and fly them into buildings. Cheney did call for these training simulations, except he did it on the morning of 9/11. Also, Cheney called for another training simulation that send all the fighters from D. C. into Canada and Alaska to train just incase an attack came from Russia. This meant that the Air Force could not do anything to prevent the hijacked airplanes from crashing into anything they pleased. Also, the Secret Service had control over the FAA flight path screens and put fake hijacked airplanes in the air to confuse air traffic control. At one point the FAA thought there was 11 hijacked airplanes. All of this was put into motion by Dick Cheney and people taking orders from Cheney. He is guilty for singlehandedly putting this plan into motion and being successful. The scary part if these accusations by Ruppert are true, is that Bush and Cheney were re-elected the following term.