Modern Management – GE MFP Matrix vs. BCG Matrix

Business Portfolio Analysis is a type of a planning system adopted by the organization (organizational strategy), which is similar to the manner in which investment portfolios are managed.   According to the business portfolio analysis, an organization would have to perform only sound activities and discard the unsound ones.   Business portfolio instruments are of two types, namely, the Boston-Consulting Group (BCG) Growth-Share Matrix and General Electric (GE) Multifactor Portfolio Matrix. Boston-Consulting Group (BCG) Growth-Share Matrix was developed by a popular production unit known as the BCG group and was aimed at helping the managers follow the market by developing an organizational strategy.   The strategy also helps to develop the market where the business survives.   The GE Multifactor Portfolio Matrix was developed by McKinsley et al who were basically consultants to the GE Company.   This strategy is mainly based on the attractiveness present in the market and the strengths of the organization.   This strategy is more advantageous than the BCG strategy as it tries to compensate for the limitations. In the BCG strategy, the organization is broken into portions such that each portions can develop an organizational strategy which could generate revenue (known as ‘strategic business units’ or ‘SBU’s’).   These SBU’s could be a division of a company or a production unit of a particular product or service.   The SBU’s have their own competitors, a manager in charge of the unit, and the management of the unit has to be planned with a strategy. Each of the unit is then placed on one of the four boxes (namely stars, question marks, dogs or cash cows) according to their characteristics.   Stars have a high-growth rate but require huge amounts of investments.   Cash cows occupy a huge market share and grow much more slowly.   Question marks are those units which have a high-growth rate but doubts whether the management would invest in them, exist.   Dogs are those units which have a small market share and grow at a much slower rate. On the other hand, the GE analysis rates the SBU’s according to the market attractiveness and the strengths of the business.   The firm has to determine each of these criteria based on the situation that exists.   Based on these criteria, circles appear on a graph in which business strengths are plotted against the market attractiveness.   The size of the circle varies according to investment in the market. THE BCG strategy does not consider the risks involved in developing the products, factors such as inflation and the predictable economic situations, and the pressure that exist from the ecosystem, politics and society.   The GE strategy helps to cover some of these pitfalls.   Several factors such as presence of competitors, growth rate of the industry, weaknesses of the competitors, etc, are considered in the GE strategy. References: Cresto, S. C. and Cresto, S. T. (2006). Chapter 3: Planning, Modern Management, (10th ed), New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, pp. 188-191.

Philosophy Reflection Essay

This was my first major introduction into the study of philosophy, and I can honestly say that it has had a major impact on my belief system. Many of my views have been changed and my overall view on life is much different than it was five months ago. To me, the two most interesting works were the Tao and The Mind’s I. The Tao describes a really interesting way of life. Of all the philosophies we’ve read, it is the simplest and most beautiful. Instead of scanning for hidden meanings and analyzing all parts of life, Laozi just tells us to live life. Do no more than you have to do, but do everything you have to do. He tells us not to worry about death and just live life. I honestly think very simple and peaceful way of living can bring us much more happiness than we have now in our current society. However, the only way it can be implemented is if everyone follows the Tao, and that is nearly impossible in our current society. We should honestly try to live simpler lives and see the beauty of everyday things. The other work that really impacted me was The Mind’s I. I’m not sure if it qualifies as a single work, but there were several important themes that really interested me and changed some of my views. The section that really interested me the most was the section describing intelligent machines and animals, and their relationship to humans. I had always considered humans superior to animals due to their intelligence and ability to communicate. I never thought too much about the idea of intelligent animals and even machines and their relationship to humans. An intelligent machine or animal that can communicate definitely would be on the same evolutionary level as humans, and thus there could be no way to justify creating an intelligent robotic servant or helper without harkening back to the ideology that prompted slavery. Also, destruction of this machine or animal would be equivalent to murder. However, I still so no moral objection to creating an intelligent robot, as long as we give it its own freedom, just as we would to one of our children. Its may be considered playing God, but if we are his greatest creations, we should have the right to test our limits. Only through a recreation of consciousness done and understood by us can we begin to understand our own consciousness as well as ourselves. I had never really thought about technology in this way and never seriously questioned the origin of my consciousness, so the Mind’s I really forced me to think about life in a different way. Throughout the term, I not only changed and reconsidered many of my views; I discovered things that I subconsciously believed without really thinking about it. My beliefs not only changed, I discovered beliefs that I never knew I had. Some of these views surfaced when reading certain works like The Mysterious Stranger and Nietzsche. Although these two works didn’t change my deep-set views that much, it was interesting to see my instinctual beliefs get challenged. I discovered I was a pretty moderate thinker, but these readings caused many of my views on life to change. However, I still disagreed with many of the views expressed in class discussions with certain works, like the Tao. But then I realized that the Tao is designed to have different meanings to everyone who reads it so they could find their own way of life and thus doesn’t lend itself well to class discussions. I saw that the way philosophy has evolved over the years mirrors the way society has changed throughout history. The older philosophies that we’ve read, like the Tao and Plato’ work, seem to try to tell us how to live our lives to get the most happiness and satisfaction out of it, and how to find the way or see the light. The more modern philosophies seem to disregard the idea of a true path and tell us how to live in the best way, but they don’t guarantee happiness from it. The most interesting pieces for me were a mix of the modern and older philosophies, like Nietzsche and Socrates’ Apology (I guess because he lived in a ancient but modern society). Even though they were completely different and I completely disagreed with one of them, they were much more compelling to me. One important thing that I learned is that I hate reading about something that I agree on, I dislike having my views â€Å"proven†?by another writer and rather read new ideas and opinions. From all the texts read and discussions we’ve had this year, it’s hard to highlight just three things that I learned. One of the most stimulating texts to me was The Circular Ruins. Especially when read right after Is God a Taoist, this simple story made me reconsider all my beliefs on existence and God. Just like the main character was, we are kept in the dark about our condition, where we came from and how we exist. We claim an all-mighty God as our creator, and call ourselves superior beings in his image. However, whose to say that we are not just insignificant nothings, created by another being of no importance. Would that make us less real and important? From this story I learned to stop attaching importance and purpose to everything I do. Maybe there is a reason we don’t know where we come from; perhaps we don’t want to know. Another important lesson came from Reservation Blues. The main characters all had to deal with finding a cultural identity while trying to escape the trap of the white man. The only ones who made it out were the ones who had a strong cultural identity. They knew themselves and identified with their past before they attempted to escape the reservation. Victor and Junior either tried to ignore their past or couldn’t come to terms with their heritage. They tried to escape before they were ready, and couldn’t cope with the failure. The book’s point, despite the suicide and Victor’s destruction, was amazingly positive, it showed that if you come to terms with your past and yourself you can overcome any obstacle set against you, but you must have this understanding or you will destroy yourself. From The Razor’s Edge I learned a lot about the purpose of life from each of the vastly different characters. At first, it seems like the point of the story is that there is a difference between what we want and what makes us happy and fulfilled. Suzanne, Gray and Elliot all got what they wanted yet all seem to live unhappy, unfulfilled lives. Further inspection showed that they all are living the life that they fully wanted and expected to live, and they are perfectly content. Isabel wanted both Larry and high society type of life, and thus is disappointed with her life because she couldn’t have both. Larry didn’t know what he wanted out of life, so he took basically a timeout from the real world, went into seclusion and discovered what he wanted out of life. Now he, knowing full well what he wants, is the most satisfied of all the characters. The lesson to be learned is that happiness is completely relative, and thus you cannot call anyone a failure unless he considers himself one. Also, it’s all right to take some time out of the real world and relax, take a step back and see what you really want to do next. In the end, this class really has changed my views on the best kind of life. I still believe that you need to live the type of life that will make you the happiest and most satisfied, but I don’t think that most people know what type of life that is. If you don’t have a passion, don’t force yourself into any profession. Explore the world and find something that really interests you otherwise you will get forced into a miserable life that you hate. If you have a passion, you have to follow it. You have to come in terms with who you are; understand and remember your past and childhood. We have to examine our lives to discover what we really want, then try to find it. We must simplify our actions, and we have to stop overanalyzing other’s actions and words. We have to lose our ego and sense of shame, and stop caring what people think of you. This is the simplest way to live and live happily, without having to adjust your actions to fit what other people expect from you. We have to stop fearing death and keep on living life in the happiest possible way. This will be the happiest, simplest and best life for everyone.

Application 1 & 2

Application 1 – Evaluation of Two New Assessment Methods for Selecting Telephone Customer Service Representatives 1. The reliability for both the clerical and the work samples are favorable. We see in the Clerical Test that the co-efficient alpha (at . 85 and . 86) and the test-retest (. 92) are both high so we have an acceptable degree of reliability for the test. For the Work Sample (T) & Work Sample (C) we find the inter-rater agreements to be high at with Work Sample (T) being T1=88% and T2=79% and Work Sample (C) T1=80% and T2=82%, both above the 75% normal requirement for a reliable measure.Since all three show a decent level of reliability, it would be safe for Phonemin to use them in selecting new job applicants. 2. The correlations between the tests show a low correlation between the Clerical Test and both of the Work Samples; however, there is a high correlation between the two Work Samples. The Work Samples produce very similar outcomes, with error rate and speed be ing non-significant and complaints significant.With the Work Samples producing similar results, those who were tactful also show concern for the customer, Phonemin should just choose one of the Work Samples along with the Clerical test to select the best applicants for new job applicants due to the similar results. 3. Current CSRs were chosen to participate in the study, since they are already in the job their effort on the test could be different than a new applicant and they most likely have gained some additional knowledge, especially when handling complaints, having been on the job for a period of time.Also, are the measures real indicators of performance? It was mentioned that the KSAOs chosen were â€Å"likely to be necessary for successful performance as a CSR† and they â€Å"their seemingly high impact on job performance† if they are not true indicator, then the test fails to predict the performance that Phonemin is looking for. Application 2 – Conductin g Empirical Validation 1. Is the PS score a valid predictor of performance as a store manager? Yes. A correlation (R-Value) of . 407 exceeds the statistical significance threshold of . 7 and indicates a moderately high correlation between the PS scores and performance as a store manager. The following scatter diagram illustrates this correlation visually. While there are 2 outliers, their presence is not significant enough to disprove the correlation and the use of the PS score as a valid predictor. 2. With a cut score of 7 on PS, would its use lead to adverse impact against women? Yes. A cut score of 7 leads to a selection rate in females of 53. 33% versus 56. 67% in the entire sample. Against minorities?No adverse impact to minorities. Selection rate of minorities is actually higher than non-minorities when a cut score of 7 is used. If there is adverse impact, does the validity evidence justify use of the PS anyway? Because the sample size is relatively small, the adverse impact t o women seems insignificant and not enough to justify discontinuation of using the PS scores as predictors of future performance. 3. There are several limitations of this study. The first one would be related to the correlation (R-value).The correlation does not equate to a percentage. The R-Value calculated above of . 407 does not equate to 40. 7% but rather it equates to 16. 56% (. 4072 X 100) common variation of the scores. A second limitation of the R-Value is that it is affected by the amount of variation in each set of scores. The less variation there is in one or both sets of scores then the smaller the calculated R-Value will be. When there is a lack of variation in scores this leads to what is known as the problem of restriction of range.A third problem that may arise is that the formula used to calculate correlation assumes a linear relationship between the two sets of scores; however, this assumption may not always be true. A relationship may exist other than a straight l ine that may capture the nature of the scores better. It is also important to remember that just because there is a correlation between two scores does not mean that there is a causation between them. The R-Value does give you an indication; owever, of the strength of the relationship between the PS score and the performance rating and the direction of the relationship. 4. It is recommend that Yellow Blaze use the PS score in making future promotion decisions. It does seem to be a valid predictor of performance based on the correlation (R-Value) and the scatter diagram. Also, based on the calculations performed using the PS score for making future promotion decisions would not lead to adverse impact on a widespread basis.

Fortune Global 500 Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fortune Global 500 Corporation - Case Study Example Samsung electronics started in 1969 manufacturing products such as Television sets, radios, computer accessories and security appliances. Mobile phones came later on in the 90’s. In the 90’s (Business Week, 2006), the company established factories in Britain, United States of America, Thailand, Mexico,china and Spain. South Korea is Samsung’s mother country but the company has opened up subsidiaries in many other countries, that total up to about 67. 2 In most countries where Samsung operates, the mixed economy market system is in place. The system blends free enterprise as well as elements of state control. Some resources are owned by the state and others are owned by private entities (Lindblom 2002). The other element of mixed economy system is that the state is most active in influencing tax regimes and laws. The private businesses are allowed to operate within these laws when making and implementing their in house decisions. Lawful systems that exist in count ries where Samsung operates in are based on religious law, civil law and common law or a blend of the three. Market systems and legal systems can affect a company’s operations, in this case, the Samsung Company. The type of the market system in a country of operation can either propel growth for the company or spell doom for the company in that particular country. For example, if a country subscribes to the planned economy, where the state decides everything as well as controlling all businesses, the company operating in that country is most likely to close shop since the business environment is not conducive. The same case applies to the legal systems. If a country has detrimental and rigid legal systems that do not favors business initiatives and ventures, companies operating in that particular country are bound to face numerous difficulties in there day to day operations (Kritzer and Silbey, 2003). Therefore, success of companies operating in various countries is dependent on favorable market and legal systems. 3 Political risk in this scenario can be described as the risk a host state will make as it formulates and implements political decisions and these decisions prove to have magnified effects on a multi-national company’s profits and/or objectives. Political risks can be immense property destruction brought about by conflicts or revolutions. Political risk can also be of financial nature, where a state introduces retrogressive laws and tax regimes that hinder capital movement and profit making (Kritzer and Silbey, 2003). Political risks can force a company to increase prices of their products due to the high cost of production. They can also force a company to close shop in that particular country if the investor climate in that particular country is not conducive. If I was a political consultant for a company, I would advice the company to first conduct research on the political risks in a country before venturing into the investments. T herefore, political risks can be related to the market and legal systems that countries have subscribed. 4 A company like Samsung must satisfy a number of stakeholders as it conducts its operations. First, it must satisfy the needs of its clients and learn effectively on how to cope with high demand for its products and services. The company must also take into consideration the welfare of its employees seriously in order to boost morale and Productivity. It is also feasible for the company to satisfy also the host

The Rise of cash crops in America due to the carribean Research Paper

The Rise of cash crops in America due to the carribean - Research Paper Example 4). The role of planting and the increasing demand for cash crops provided the impetus for increased labor requirements in American soil, supplied by slaves in the Caribbean. In return, cash crops traded for salves â€Å"where slaves were exchanged for sugar, rum, salt, and other island products. The ships returned home loaded with products popular with the European people, and ready to begin their journey again† (The Caribbean Education Online, 2006, par. 1). In this regard, the research aims to proffer issues that would examine the influence of the Caribbean on American cash crops. Many people from the Caribbean immigrated to the United States in the 1700s and 1800s and brought with them the popularity of the cash crop business. The discourse would initially delve into cash crops, in general; and cash crops in the United States in the 18th century. With its increasing demand, the route by which these crops were traded, known to be the triangular trade, would likewise be explained. The Caribbean’s role in the trade would also be presented prior to an analysis of the significant aspects or factors that led to the increased demand and production of cash crops in America during the period under study. As previously defined, cash crops are agricultural crops grown for the purpose of selling or trading them for money. This kind of crops was differentiated from subsistence crops which were defined as crops â€Å"fed to the producers own livestock or grown as food for the producers family. In earlier times cash crops were usually only a small (but vital) part of a farms total yield, while today, especially in the developed countries, almost all crops are mainly grown for cash. In non-developed nations, cash crops are usually crops which attract demand in more developed nations, and hence have some export value† (Webster, 2010, par. 3). During the 18th century, â€Å"the colonies of the

Lewin Theory Force-Field Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Lewin Theory Force-Field Model - Essay Example He also argued that in order to realize desired change, the change agents should suppress the restraining forces but promote the driving forces of change. This model has been widely used in the health sector to introduce and implement change. Developing nursing theory of change from Lewin (1951), Force-Field Model, and its application in the medical/surgical floor. Change is a common occurrence in our society and natural environment all over the world. It is a common saying that the only permanent phenomenon is change. Change generally means the alteration of something or an organism in any of its aspects. For example, when one alters his or her behavior for any reason, then that is change. Since change is a very important phenomenon in our society, there has been a lot of debate about it in political, social and economic spheres. IIes and Sutherland (2001), observe that change can either be planned or emergent; the former denotes conscious reasoning plan to attain desirable change d ue to the flaws of the status quo. In contrast, emergent change happens spontaneously without plan and this type of change is fueled by both external and internal forces in an organization. Numerous theories have been developed to explain change and to give room for empirical research. Before we proceed, it is important to know what a theory is. A theory is a formal set of ideas that are intended to explain why something happens or exists (Hornby 2003). Lewin (1951), developed force-field model of change. The force field model was a major development for nursing change theories since it has influenced many of them. The nursing force field theory is considered to be the mother of nursing theories. The paper will explore the force field theory, its applications, and how it has evolved in the medical sector. According to IIes and Sutherland (2001), there is need for change in the health service and this need has been expressed by professionals, governments and researchers. Lewin (1951) , developed force field theory and it has had a great influence on nursing change theories. He offered an elaborate explanation on the behavior human beings through his force-field model of change. In the theory, Lewin conceptualized three steps, unfreezing, moving and refreezing, when he described the process of change (Bozak 2003). At the unfreezing stage the problem is identified. There have been many problems that nurses encounter during their practice like data management, poor working conditions, poor relationship with the hospital administration, and exposure to health risks among others. At this stage, the particular problem is identified and brainstorming is done to determine the most appropriate way of solving it. Once the problem has been identified, its solution is required through change to avoid breakdown or deterioration of an organization. When solving a problem, there are often obstacles that are met. Many often resist change due to fear of the unknown and the desir e to maintain the status quo. At this stage strategies are put in place to ensure that the resistance is appropriately dealt with. Generally, people resist change when they feel that they have been left out of the process. Change agents at this stage are to make nurses own the change by involving them in the negotiations and receiving their feedbacks on the intended change. Lewin classified factors causing change into two categories, driving and restraining forces. Driving forces include the underlying

Globalisation , the World Economy and MNE's mini essay

Globalisation , the World Economy and MNE's mini - Essay Example However, a host country needs to have a minimum absorptive capacity and the ability to link these investments with domestic enterprises (Ruane & Gorg, 1998). FDI policies affect both potential and existing foreign investments either directly or indirectly. The host country justifiably sets its policies based on information, business failure, and intervention (Lall, 2000; Moran, 1998). Some of the policies include: A government should efficiently analyse and evaluate international firms before they invest in the country. Screening aids in identifying the purpose of the firm and the validity of its actions. Secondly, in ownership restraints, the host state decides to exclude foreign investors from certain parts of the economy (Hill, 2011). Exclusion based on the grounds of healthy competition and national security. For example, India implemented certain foreign ownership policies, which governed the retail sector since foreign traders almost put local supermarkets out of business (Mukherjee, 2005). Finally, performance requirements enable a country to optimize FDI benefits and minimize on the costs employed to the host country. Operational policies assist in controlling the activities of foreign companies in the host country. Governments implement operational activities through site restrictions, export requirements and persistence on partial ‘local content.’ Based on location policies, the state needs foreign investors to lay foundation in regions where they provide labour market. Secondly, based on the industrial activities, firms should locate to regions where they will not disrupt other forms of infrastructure or cause harm to the inhabitants. Export policies aim at managing foreign company exports mainly to create a balance between it and the domestic export (Moran, 2005). States implement export regulations through taxation policies. It also permits the exportation of only a set

Will be provided Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Will be provided - Assignment Example The company provides services for offering CPR, which involves lifesaving techniques that are normally useful when it comes to emergencies. They also offer AED, which helps diagnose life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias in patients and through therapy and other treatments, can aid in stopping the disease. There is also the provision of First Aid, and this is usually given to people who suffer from injuries and also sudden illnesses. With all the above, the company is aimed at ensuring that the services it provides are aimed at satisfaction to the best of their ability. Though the sole purpose is to provide the best of services, there is also the possibility of certain problems always happening such as the loss of lives. The business also has its shortcomings that may be because there are certain unknown and natural factors that may occur which may be out of the control of the medical service provider (Foster 101). There is also the lack of proper equipment at times and also the growin g number of ailments of unknown origin that occur on a day to day basis. Though these may be problems and shortcomings, they do not hinder the capability of the company to ensure that they provide the best of what they can. They have a wide range of dedicated individuals who make up their staff, and they are all trained to ensure that they provide services that are satisfactory. They are experienced staffs who were chosen based on their education, experience and also social skills. The minimum education level accepted is a bachelor in the relevant field that ensures they have skills fit enough to help the medical service provider. Their experience is usually based on the years that they have been working, and all are given the proper training in order for them to provide the best of services. The staffs are also trained to bond together, and they are taught to treat each other as a family; thus,

Should Life Imprisonment Without The Possibility Of Parole Replace The Research Paper - 1

Should Life Imprisonment Without The Possibility Of Parole Replace The Death Penalty - Research Paper Example Capital punishment is carried forward in several countries to this day through different methods like hanging, gas chambers, torturing, electrocuting and giving lethal injections. Many states of the world practicing this form of justice and have been challenged by human rights organizations for a long time. Proponents of the Death penalty believe that people fear death and if death is the punishment for killing someone, they would refrain from it. They believe that in order to have a just system in place where the victim’s family is put to ease it is important to have an eye for the eye approach. The criminal is guilty of taking someone’s life so he is liable to give up his. If the person is mentally unstable to have done so it makes him more dangerous to the society’s well-being and putting him to death is the only way to ensure such crimes do not take place through his hands again. However, opponents of the death penalty have a strong viewpoint as well. They be lieve that every life is precious and shouldn’t be given up on. If a criminal is guilty committing capital offense he should be subjected to punishments that take away his life figuratively, not literally. Also, many believe that taking away a criminal’s life is too easy on him, the real punishment would be him leading a hard life that prolongs his sufferings for the crime he committed. Executing a death penalty is costly for the governments as such cases are tried for a long time resulting injury expenditures and security arrangements for the courts.  

Globalization and the gains from international trade Essay - 1

Globalization and the gains from international trade - Essay Example Using certain assumptions, Samuelson concluded that although it cannot be illustrated that everyone stands to gain under free trade, it can nevertheless, be proven that no one could be any less worse (Kemp 1995, pp. 3-4). According to him, in a free system, both production and consumption always end up higher than those in autarkic states. A free trade society is better off since the trade frontier rises high above the autarkic frontier on all aspects implying that it can obtain more all of such goods minus some of the tedious inputs (Samuelson 1962, pp. 820-821). Kemp believes that gains in free trade is evinced only if none of the countries within the globalised system is worse off than those in smaller customs unions. Free trade, according to him, is just one of the integral characteristics of globalisation that ultimately gives rise to more global development (Kemp1987). Kemp (1962) expanded on Samuelson’s theory by proving that GTIF is applicable to countries of whatever size under similar assumptions. Using the equation p1 z1 – w1 a1 ? p1 z0 - w1 a0, Kemp concluded that it is impossible to make everyone better off by a mere redistribution of goods under autarky and illustrated, using the same utility curves employed by Samuelson, that free trade is better than autarky (see Fig. 2). ... Point pp also passes below u1 because it operates under autarkic condition, but point RR, which operates under free-trade, can neither lie inside autarkic levels. In sum, the GFTIP has four core theories, assuming a fixed market with finite numbers of individuals and commodities: free trade is better than no trade, whether an economy is small or big; any improvement in trade is beneficial in the case of small open economies; trade in further products is likewise beneficial for small open economies, and; a relationship involving any trade agreement is mutually beneficial for any subset of trading countries (Kemp 1995, p. 105). ii) Carefully explain and annotate the proof of the classical GFITP provided by Grandmont and McFadden (1972). Why is this proof generally regarded as the first satisfactory proof of the classical gains from international trade proposition? The first satisfactory and complete proof of the classical GFITP is believed to be that propounded by Grandmont and McFadde n in 1972. The reason for the long lag of time between proposition and proof lies in technicality: the absence of a lump sum compensated world before World War II (Kemp and Wan 1972). Grandmont and McFadden proved that autarkic countries can subsequently evolve into free trade without harming their consumers through internal financing to ensure, at least, that consumers are not worse off than before. With the classical GFITP reduced into Propositions A and B, Grandmont and McFadden developed a model to prove their validity (1972, p. 110). In the Grandmont-McFadden model, both Propositions A and B assume decentralised and multiple-consumers nations with competitive domestic markets. Proposition A states that â€Å"Given a world competitive trade

Operations Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operations Strategy - Essay Example For instance, it is not only enough to focus the whole energy of an organization on production activities, but considering that there are existing processes in the business world as it continuously evolves, other aspects need to be substantially focused and even strategic actions have to be implemented. History The existence of business itself paves way to the formulation of operations strategy. Businesses ended up to the creation of business strategies. These led to the formulation of effective operations strategies (Waters, 1999). Businesses have to function efficiently and this is the reason why strategies are necessary to be integrated with the whole business operation. In fact, this is evident on how the United States’ business evolved over time. The evolution of business policy and management started between 1930 and 1960 as highly influenced by American dominance in the global market (Amatori & Jones, 2003). It is during this period that business was considered as an is olated American subdiscipline. During this time, the United States has become one of the leading countries that introduced business sophistication into the world. This resulted to significant innovation and major changes how the business including its operations was conducted. Throughout history, businesses evolved and primarily this is sped up by the onset of globalization in the modern business world. In globalization, there is increasing interdependence between national systems through different aspects including trade, military alliance, domination and cultural imperialism (Waters, 2001). It is not surprising therefore that the business world has significant changes over time due to the fact that interdependence between nations existed. This includes maximization of resources and operation. This is the very reason why business has become international and has turned into a good opportunity for international organizations to maximize their operations and resources. As the effect, each organization that tries to compete with each other is trying to create competitive strategies for their competitive advantage (Porter, 1990). For instance, marketing strategies existed and companies are after of stimulating needs not just relying purely on production oriented operation approach (Boone & Kurtz, 2006; Kotler et al., 1999). In short, the need for operations strategy is necessary in order to compete. The need for innovation is not just on producing new service or product offerings, but there is substantial consideration on business operation approach in which strategies are become its integral parts in the process. In other words, as business itself evolved, its corresponding operation which has been an integral part in its existence has also become so involved with business strategic formulation. This is in line with the creation of competitive advantage due to spiraling growth of competition everywhere most especially that the world has become so compressed when it comes to interdependence in trade. Thus, every organization is expected to formulate their very own operation strategies in order to sustain their ventures and even maximize their full advantage in their respective industries. Relevance It is important to understand that the relevance of operations strategy at present can be traced back to how business has substantially evolved. Operations element of a business

Venezuela’s Culture Essay Example for Free

Venezuela’s Culture Essay The culture of Venezuela is primarily a mixture of Spaniard, African and Indian traditions which was common known as criollo (Creole) (Palmerlee, 825). Their culture also has a strong influence coming from the United States appearing in the middle of the twentieth century. But the influences coming from the original Indian inhabitants were neglected because of the long Spanish colonization. The principal Venezuelan folk type is the llanero, or plainsman, which is similar to the gaucho of Argentina, the cowboy of the United States, and the vaquero of Mexico. The llanero’s folklore, songs, dances and legends are popularized throughout the country. Venezuela’s national song and dance is the joropo, a gay and syncopated invention of the llaneros, danced with a lively, jig-like movement (Kohnstamm, 230). It employs such native instruments as the maraca, a rattle made of dried gourd shells; a small harp; and the cuatro, a small, four-string guitar. The tono llanero, or melody of the plains, is a folk dance which embodies Venezuelan popular feeling at its purest. Other popular dances include the pasillo, similar to the pasillo of Columbia; the merenque, which came from Santo Domingo; and the corrido, from Mexico. The tanquito, a Venezuelan version of the Argentine tango, is also very popular in the country. As of this date, Venezuela has no traditional dress mainly because of the different cultures they inherited from the numerous races they had in the country. But some of them use the dresses that the indigenous people (like the tribes who lives in the Amazon areas) used along time ago. A good example of this is the Liqui-liqui this is usually worn by Venezuelan men. A traditional Liqui liqui is made up of white linen cloth, it has a full length trousers and a long sleeve jacket with a rounded Nehru-style collar, which is fastened and decorated by a junta, it also has around 5-6 buttons. It can also have a pocket. This dress is traditionally worn with an alpargata (it is an open-toed kind of sandal) and can be accessorized with a llanero hat. According to some stories, Liqui liqui was also worn by the rich and famous of Venezuela. A good example of this is the mayor of the Caracas district of Chacao, Leopoldo Lopez which he wore Liqui-liqui in wedding celebration last March 2007. This can also be worn by the women but instead of pants they use a skirt. A joropo dress is also used by the women of Venezuela; it has a very colourful skirt that they used to wave back to their partners during the dance ball. The Roman Catholicism is the predominant faith in the country. It is estimated that 95 percent of their present population adheres to the Roman Catholic faith (Dydynski, 376). However, religious freedom is guaranteed to all faiths, and no mention of the Roman Catholic Church is made in the constitution. In 1980’s the Protestants catches the attentions of a few Venezuelan but the Evangelist and Adventist has more followers than the Protestant. There were also few Mormons and Jewish. But most of the indigenous religion practices were vanished because they were introduce and converted to Catholicism. Although there were some of it survived and still active in their culture society, one good example of this is the culto of Maria Lonza. According to their stories and legends, Maria is a witch or healer which was born with an Indian father and a Spanish mother. She symbolizes the other two figures, black henchman, el Negro Felipe, and of an Indian cacique (chief), Guaicapuro which makes them the Tres Poderes or the Three Powers. Though the country is composed of different races and ethic groups, majority of Venezuelans practices the Catholicism, which they owed from their Spanish colonial heritage. They held mass everyday but has an obligatory worship day which is every Sunday, it was said that in this ritual they believe that the simple bread and wine will be turning into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. They believed in the sacrament of baptism and confirmation, most of the Venezuelan children carries a name of a saint and celebrates their saint’s day and their own birthdates separately. They practice a straight nine days prayer for their beloved who had just passed away; this was usually attended by the immediate family members and close friends of the deceased person. Every December 25th they celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ which was commonly known as Christmas. They also commemorate Ash Wednesday were in they put ashes in form of a crucifix in their forehead in preparation for the Holy Week. One of their famous rituals is the Devil Dance (Baynham, 378). They celebrate this annually during the Corpus Christi. They do this by dancing in a drumbeat along the streets of Venezuela with a bloody red costume and a devilish mask. In this said rituals the devil or the evil spirit fights back against the good spirit and he also visit the graves of their ancestors, but of course the good spirit will won the battle after an exhausting antagonism on the part of Satans henchmen for the whole day. It usually run 35 miles of dancing before it will end up at the foot doors of the church to hear mass. According to the people of Venezuela this rituals attracted many tourists all over the world and sometimes they would participate during the dance. In 1999, the Constitution of Venezuela declared that the Spanish and other 25 surviving indigenous languages belonging to three linguistic families: Caribans, Arawak, and Chibcha as the official languages of Venezuela. Wagyuu, Piaroa, Panare and Nhengtu are some of the 25 surviving indigenous languages. They also consider English as their second language since this is now widely used in their culture promotions and business negotiations particularly in their Oil and Petroleum Industry. Arabic, Chinese, Italian, and Portuguese are also commonly spoken foreign languages in Venezuela. Summary Venezuela is composed of different races and ethnic groups; this is very evident in their culture. Joropo is their national song and dance, according to historians they got this from the llaneros or the plainsman (the cowboy version of Venezuelans). Other popular dances include the pasillo, similar to the pasillo of Columbia; the merenque, which came from Santo Domingo; and the corrido, from Mexico. The tanquito, a Venezuelan version of the Argentine tango, is also very popular in the country. As of this date Venezuela has no national costume, instead they use the different dresses coming from the indigenous people in Venezuela. A good example of this is the Liqui liqui, this is fondly worn by the Venezuelan men with alpargata (an open-toed kind of sandal). Most of the women wear a joropo dress but others also wears the liqui liqui but instead of the pants they traded it with a layered skirt. Taking from their Spaniard colonial heritage; Roman Catholic dominates the population of Venezuela although there were no restrictions from their constitution with regards in choosing their religion. One of the popular rituals they have in Venezuela is the Devil Dance, where in the evil spirit fights over the good spirit. It is a 35 miles of dancing and ending the day with a mass this is celebrated during the Corpus Christi. Most of their traditions and rituals are coming from the Catholic doctrines. In their 1999 constitution it was clearly stated that Spanish is their national language together with the other 25 surviving indigenous languages. They also consider English as their second language. They use this language to communicate with their investors and tourist visitors. Works Cited Baynham, Angela. Insight Guides Venezuela. 4th Upd Sub Edition. Insight Guides, 2003 Dydynski, Krzysztof. Lonely Planet Venezuela. 4th edition. Lonely Planet Publications, 2004 Kohnstamm, Thomas. Venezuela. 5th edition. Lonely Planet, 2007 Palmerlee, Danny. South America. 10th Edition. Lonely Planet, 2007

Differences Between Linear Block And Convolutional Codes Computer Science Essay

Differences Between Linear Block And Convolutional Codes Computer Science Essay Generally the coding theory is the detailed analysis of the properties of the codes and their suitable quality for the identified application. Codes are mainly used in cryptography, error correction , data compression and now a days it is also used for the network coding.this coding generally involves with the linear block codes, convolutional codes, turbo codes respectively. LINEAR BLOCK CODES: In coding theory, the linear block code generally referred as a error correcting code for which the obtained resultant codeword is the linear combination of any two codewords. In simple words, the linear block code possesss the linearity property that is the sum of any two codewords is also a codeword. These linear block codes are divided in to the block odes and convolutional codes, eventhough turbo codes is the combination of these two types. More efficient encoding and decodig algorithms are provided by the linear codes when compared with the other codes. (http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/linear codes). CONVOLUTIONAL CODES The main principle involved in the convolutional code is the weighted sum of the various input message symbols is the resultant codeword symbol. This resemblance the convolution used in the LTI systems where we find the output of a syatem by knowing the impulse response and the respective input. So hence the output of a convolutional encoder can be obtained by the convolution of the input bits with the states of the convolution encoder registers.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/convolutional codes). TURBO CODES In 1993, turbo codes are developed which are the class of high performance forward error correction codes and they are also the first practical codes to come nearer to the chgannel capacity for the code rate at which reliable communication is still possible while a specific identified noise level is given. Berrou glavieux and thitimajshima introduced these turbo codes in 1993 in their paper named near Shannon limit error correcting and decoding : turbo codes. Once after the introduction of these parallel turbo codes many other types are discovered which mainly includes repeat accumulate codes, serial versions. Even the conventional FEC systems are also been applied by the iterative turbo decoding methods. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/turbo ) 2. CORE OF THE PAPER 1. PRINCIPLES OF THE LINEAR BLOCK CODES A block code of length n and codewors is said to be a linear(n, k) code if and only if the k dimensional subspace of the vector space is formed by all the codewords of all the n- tuples over GF(2). A linear code of length n and rank K is the linear subspace C with dimension K of the vector space where is the finite field consisting of the q elements. Such tytpe of a code with parameter q is called a q ary code. The code is said to be as binary code or ternary code if and only if q =2 or q=3 respectively. Linear block codes are briefly described by their symbol alphabets (example: binary, ternary) and with parameters (n,m, ) where n is the codeword length in symbols. m is the total number of source symbols which are used for encoding. is the codes minimum hamming distance. Linear block codes are of many types they are: Cyclic codes Repetition codes Parity codes Polynomial codes Reed Solomon codes Algebraic geometric codes Reed muller codes Perfect codes. A. GENERATOR MATRIX AND PARITY CHECK MATRIX Since the linear codes could be considered as a linear subspace C of , so any codeword C can be represented as a linear combination of a set of basis vectors such that , C= ++.= mG Where G is the generator matrix and m is the message. B. THEORITICAL CONCEPTS: As linear subspace of , the span of the minimal set of codewords can be represented by the entire code word C. These obtained codewords are collected and combined in the rows of the matrix G known as generator matrix for the code C. Theoretically, it is the standard form of is given as G=(/A), where is the kk identity matrix and A is k(n-k) matrix. A check matrix is defined as the matrix which represents the linear function H: whose kernel is C. The generating matrix G in standard form, G=(/A), with C as a code then H=(/) is a check matrix for C. C .HAMMING CODES Hamming codes are the first codes developed for the purpose of the error correction. These are widely used in digital communication systems. For any positive integer r>=2, there exists a [-r-1,3] hamming code. Example: given the following generator matrix and parity check matrix, the linear block code is [7,4,3] hamming code. G= , D. HADAMARD CODE Hadamard codes is capable of correcting many errors and is a [, r,] linear code. Hadamard code has minimum distance and therefore can correct -1 errors. Example  : The linear block code with the following generator matrix is a [8,3,4]2 Hadamard code: E..MERITS: Linear codes are the very prominent calss of the error correcting codes. It generally includes the simple description, easy procedure for encoding, nice properties, conceptually easy decoding. If C is a linear code then the minimum distance d(c) is easy to compute. Linear codes possesss simple specifications. To specify the (n,k) linear code it is sufficient to list K linearly independent codewords where as for the non linear code words generally we have to represent with all the code words. The most important linear block codes are: Hamming codes, cyclic codes, reed Solomon codes, BCH codes, LDPC codes, turbo codes respectively. F. DEMERITS: The main drawback of the hamming code is that it has the fixed hamming distance and also it is very difficult to implement coders for large block. The detection of two error bits and ability to correct the single errored bit can be obtained from the fixed hamming distance.if we choose a code which generally allows the implementor to select the desired hamming distance will be useful or beneficial. Hammer coder practical largest possible allows for codewords of nearly 31bits only. G. APPLICATIONS (1) These linear block properties are used in many applications. Trellis shaping is generated by using the syndrome coset uniqueness property of linear block codes. (2) these are also used in sensor networks for distributed sourcecoding. (3)by using these codes phase shift can be easily corrected and detected and also multiple signals can be easily sent from onechannel. (4) some other applications include mobile phone systems which are used in CDMA. (references: William E.ryan and shu lin(2009) channel codes: classical and modern, Cambridge university press.,Thomas M. corer and joy A. Thomas(1991) elements of information theory john wiley and sons). 2.PRINCIPLES OF CONVOLUTIONAL CODES Convolutional codes comes under a category of error correction codes in which an n bit symbol consists of each m bit information symbol to be encoded where coderate is m/n (n>=m) and the transformation acts as a function of the last K information symbols, here the constraint lenghht of the code is denoted by K. A. .Convolutional encoder To encode data convolutinoally, we begin with K memory reegisters holding one input bit each. Until other value specified , the 0 is the initial value af all memory registers. The encoder includes n-modulo 2 adders( it can be put effort with single Boolean XOR gate ) and n generator polynomials- each adder has one of them. The left most register is feded with the an input bit m. By using those existing values in the remaining registers and the respective generatot polynomials the n bits are the encoder outputs. By bit shifting all register values to their right and have to wait for its next input input bit. The encoder continues output until all registers have returned to the zero state if there are no remaining input bits. The below figure shows the rate 1/3 of the encoder with k value (constraint length) of 3. And also the generator polynomials are =(1,1,1), =(0,1,1) and =(1,0,1) The calculation of the output bits are as follows n1 = m1 + m0 + m-1 n2 = m0 + m-1 n3 = m1 + m-1. Img.1. Rate 1/3 non-recursive, non-systematic convolutional encoder with constraint length 3. B. RECURSIVE AND NON RECURSIVE CODES The above figure shows the encoder where as the below one shows the recursive one respectively, Rate 1/2 recursive, systematic convolutional encoder with constraint length 4. It can be easily observed that the input which is encoded is included in the output sequence also. These codes are generally called as systematic. The another type of codes are generally called as non systematic codes. Generally the systematic codes are always recursive codes where as the non systematic codes are always non recursive codes. The name convolutional encoder came for it because it carry out a convolution of the input stream with the encoders impulse responses. = Where x is an input sequence, is an output sequence from output j and which is the impulse response of the output j. The discrete lineaqr time invariant system is also called as a convolutional encoder. The own transfer function itself describes the output of an encoder. The transfer function is connected by the impulse response through z transform. + (Z)= +, (Z)=1+. The second order transfer functions are: (z)= We Define m by Where for any rational functional, we define it as Where m is the maximum polynomial degrees of the . And the constraint length is defined as . C.TRELLIS DIAGRAM A convolutional encoder is also referred as finite state machine. An encoder with n binary cells produce states. Just imagine the encoder which is shown in figure 1 has 1 in left memory cell(m0) in right one. We will refer such a stete as 10. By considering input bit the encoder at the next turn can convert either to 11 state or 01 state or 01 state. from the below figure we get rhe idea of decoding if the received sequence doesnot suit this graph then it errors can be obtained and we should select closest correct sequence. All transitions which are possible are shown as below: The red line is the path of the trellis. The lines their indicate transitions where the dotted lines are 1 input and the proper lines rae 0 input. The path here represents an actual encoded sequence. One of the path is shown in red colour as an example. The figure provides an idea about the decoding. D.FREE DISTANCE AND THE ERROR DISTANCE The minimum distance between the different encoded sequences is called as the free distance. The number of errors that can be corrected by code is given as correcting capability. It is given as correcting capability. It is given as, F. DECODING CONVOLUTIONAL CODES Decoding the convolutional codes can be done by several algorithms . thye vviterbi algorithm is universally used for relatively small values of K as it is highly parallelizable and it also provides maximum likelihood performance. By using SIMD instruction set the viterbi decoders are easy to implement the software on cpu and also in VLSI hardware. Fano algorithm is the best one among the several sequential decoding algorithms through which the longer constraint lenght codes re more practically decoded. Unlike viterbi decoding sequential decoding is not have maximum probability but there will be the slight incresase in the complexity with their constraint lengfht. Giving the chance to us the long , short constraint Length codes. In early 1970s these codes are used in the pionner program in Jupiter and Saturn but made it shorter, these viterbi decoded codes, often connecyed with large reed Solomon error correction codes which generally steeps the complete bit error rate curve and it also produces the very low residual undetected error rates. These both sequential and viterbi decoding algorithm gives the hard decisions..The codeword which is most likely formed by the bits.by using the soft output viterbi algorithm an appropriate confidence measure can be added to each bit in use with the BCJR algorithm the maximum a posterior(MAP ) Soft decisions can be obtained. G. POPULAR CONVOLUTIONAL CODES The viterbi decoded convolutiona;l codes is used for the voyagev program which has a constraint length of K=7, and also rate=1/2. The more powerful codes are produced by the longer constraint lengths but the viterbi algorithm complexity increases exponentially with respect to the constraint lengths , controlling these more powerful codes to deep space machines where the extra performance increases decoder complexity. Cassine probe, mars path finder, mars exploration rover to Saturn use of K=15 AND RATE OF 1/6, 2DB Bbetter than the simplex k=7, code at a rate of 256* in decoding complexity iss performed by this code. H. MERITS To correct the errors in noisy channels these convolutional codes are frequently used. These convolutional codes perform well on very bad conditions also. These convolutional codes are generally used often in satellite communications, mobile telephony and also in voice band modems. Convolutional codes generally gives good results in lower noise environments. Convolutional codes are also used in the voice band modems( v.,32, v.17, v.34) and also in the GSM mobile phones. I. DEMERITS Even though the convolutional encoder has the simplest procedure, decoding of it is very complex task. Convolutional codes cannot provide more protection against noise. J. APPLICATIONS Convolutional codes are used in the number of the applications which aims to achieve reliable data transfer, including radio, mobile communications, digital video communications, satellite communications. By using hard decision code, these codes are implemented in concatenation( example: reed Solomon). These are more efficient. (references: tutorial on convolutional coding and decoding, the online text book: IT, inference and leaving algorithms by david J.C.Mackay). 3. PRINCIPLES OF TURBO CODES By using the block code with convolutional code and also withthe longer constraint length and large block length it is theortically possible to approach the Shannon limit. But this approach became impractical due to the processing power required to decode. By using the recursive coders and iterative soft decoders the turbo codes overcome this drawback. The main aim of the recursive coder is to make the convolutional codes with shorter constraint lengths which appears as a large constraint length of a block codes and iterative soft decoder efficiently improves the estimation of the obtained message. The below shown figure generally gives the encoder for implementation which describes a clasiical encoder which provides the general design of the turbo codes. The 3 bits of the subblock can be sended by using this encoder implementation. The m-bit block of payload data is in the first subblock. The n/2 parity bits for a well known permutation includes in the 3rd subblock which is once aga in computed with the RSC code. The total number of bits in the code are . Interleaver is a device which generally carry outb the permutation of the payload data. This turbo code encoder includes two RSC codes (identical) , , as shown in the figure. By using the concatenation scheme these are connected to each othere which is reffered as parallel concatenation. Here M acts as a memory register. The input bits are forced to appear in different sequences by the dealy line and interleaver. The input sequence appears at both outputs after completion of first iteration [, , ] because of the encoders systematic nature. = = DECODER The serial connection of two elementary decoders is said to be a decoder. Generally decoder only operates on the lower speed( ) , thus it is planned for the encoder and is for encoder. The produces delays and also hold a soft decision. Where as produces delay respectively. The error bursts which are coming from the output are scattered by the interleaver whicvh is installed between between the two decoders. Here DI refers to demultiplexing and insertion module here it acts as a switch, it generally redirects input bits to once and to at another. It feeds both , inputs with padding bits( zeroes) in off state. While considering a memory less AWGN channel and assumption is made that at the iteration, the decoder receives a pair of random variables. =(-1)+, =2(-1)+ . Here is a bit from output of encoder and , are independent noise components consists of same produces a soft decision ie; ) = and pass it to the . generally referred as logarithm of likelihood ratio. The posterior probability (APP) of bit data is defined as which shows the probability of explaining a received bit as i. But where as produces a hard decision which is a decoded bit. Viterbi algorithm is unappropiate to calculate APP, it is not used in a BCJR algorithm is used but where as for viterbi algorithm is an appropriate one. MERITS Up to now, we know so many practical error correction methods but turbo codes and low density parity check codes come very close to approach the Shannon limit , which is the theoretical limit of maximum transfer reate of information over a noisy channel. Turbo codes increases data rate with out increasing the transmitted power, or to transmit at a certain data rate they are used to decrease the amount of the power. It generally produces the best performance results pof the throughput and latency. DEMERITS Its main disadavantage is the complexity of the relative high decoding. It also has relatively high latency, which is not suitable for some applications. It is also not verymuch useful for the satellites why because the latency is produced by the transmission distance due to the limited speed of the light. These algorithms are complex in nature. APPLICATIONS 3G and 4G mobile telephony standards uses turbo codes widely. Examples: HSPA and LTE . Used in media FLO and QUALCOMM Turbo codes are also useful in NASA missions such as mars re connaissance orbiter which is another option to RS- viterbi codes. IEEE802.16 generally uses the block turbo coding and CTC(WIMAX) a wireless metropolitan standard. Turbo codes are used in the designs of the digital communication systems and also in detection, demodulation. Turbo codes in the field of the error correcting codes represents a significant development. The cable transmission, short distance communications or data storage are the future applications of the turbo codes. (references: Berrou, claude; glavieux, alian , punva, near Shannon limit error- correcting, Berrou, claude, the ten years old turbo codes are entering in to the service, france). 4. CRITICAL COMPARISION LINEAR BLOCK CODES AND CONVOLUTIONAL CODES: Convolutional codes have a regular, natural, trellis structure which are useful in the implementation of the viterbi algorithm. Where as the linear block codes have a natural but it has minimal trellis structure. In both convolutional codes and linear block codes, the estimation of viterbi algorithm can be done by number of trellis edge symbol per encoded bit. Generally convolutional codes does not provide more protection against noise than the linear block codes. Convolutional codes offers greater simplicity of implementation over a linear block codes in many cases. Convolutional codes may not have minimal trellis representation but where as the linear block codes has the minimal trellis structure. The main differences between the linear block codes and convolutional codes is that a system which is using the block codes will transmits the k data bits and then transmits the n-k reductant bits. Where as the system which uses the convolutionla codes produces n coded bits from k data bits and the codeword need not contain unaltered k data bits. The main difference between the convolutional encoder and the block encoder is that the block code related not only to the current , but also on the previous (u) number of fixed information blocks ,, That is given as, =++.. With out the memory a linear block code is merely a convolutional code. The theory of the linear block codes seems to be degenerate of the theory of the convolutional codes, the usual approach of the convolutional codes is to note the small and fixed values of n and k and also the varying values of . TURBO CODES V/S CONVOLUTIONAL CODES: There are some differences between the behaviour of turbo codes and the convolutional codes. As we know that the performance of the convolutional codes imcreases with the increasing constraint length( code complexity). This is not for the turbo codes where the best codes of the turbo codes have the small constraint lengths . With decreasing code rate the performance of the convolutional codes doesnot improve significantly. Where as for the turbo codes even for the lower coding rates it achieves a very significant coding gain. While seeing from the implementation point of view, soft output encoders and recursive decoders are essential in turbo code schemes, where as they are not that much essential in convolutional codes excluding the concatenated configuration. Criteria Convolutional codes turbo codes Larger constraint length good bad Lower coding rate indifferent good Larger free distance good indifferent Soft output decoders indiffernt good Recursive encoders Indifferent good Both the linear block codes and convolutional codes are most frequently used type codes in the practice of enginnering for the designing of the most useful codes. TURBO VS LINEAR BLOCK CODES: The turbo codes are the hybrid model of the both the linear block codes and the convolutional codes respectively. The linear block codes used in the turbo codes instead of the convolutional codes to form a turbo product code(TPC). Two hamming codes are concatenated serially with the absence of an interleaver in between them. They can perfoem well in low SNR and can be formed by any block code. The convolutional codes used in the turbo codes usually forms a parallel concatenated convolutional code(PCCC) which have the small constraint length. They are systematic. 5. SIMULATION RESULTS The simulation results of linear block codes are as follows : The dual adaptive importance sampling (DAIS) technique evaluates the word and bit error rates of linear block codes down to extreme low values. (reference: Slin and D. Costello, error correction coding : fundamentals and applications). T,he simulation of the convolutional codes are as follows: Simulations with two recursive , equal convolutional codes with an interleaver whose length is 400 and k=50, this generally provides manufacturer interoperability, because this technique achieves the improvements which is over 3.5 dB respectively over the trellis codification modulation. (reference:Concatened trellis/reed Solomon coding in DMT systems- Kschischarg). The simulation results of the turbo codes are as follows: At a rate of R=1/2 the simulation results of the turbo codes are obtained. Here length of the data block is 400 bits( assumption) and also a MAP decoder used in the simulation. From the results it is observed that for the first few iterations yield the most significant improvements in BER for any given value of . After that the results appear to converge on to a BER for each value of . ( reference: Andersen JD and zyablov vv, interleaver design for turbo coding). 6. CONCLUSION So, hence in this research paper we have discussed the principles, applications, merits and demerits of the linear block codes, convolutional codes, turbo codes respectively. We also discussed the main differences between the block codes, convolutional codes, turbo codes and presented their respective simulation results. Personally, by doing this research i learned a lot on this coding theory and also came to know the importance of these codes in the present world. The future applications of these codes are to provide the substantial improvements in communication for the satellites. 7. REFERNCES (1) code tables: bounds on the parameters of various types of the codes. (2) q- ary code generator program. (3) error correcting codes (ECC) page (4) Wikipedia articles in corporating text from the federal standarad convolutional codes with a 1037c. (5) turbo decoding as an instance of pearls belief propogation algorithm,. (6) IEEE journal on selected areas in communication- Robert J Mackay, David J.C. (7) Turbo equalisation : principles and new results an IEEE paper on communications.

Central Processing Unit CPU Computer Science Essay

Central Processing Unit CPU Computer Science Essay CPU is the abbreviation for Central Processing Unit. The CPU is known as brain of the computers. It is sometimes referred as the central processor but most commonly known as processor. CPUs are typically differentiated based in their respective specification. The most relevant information to differentiate one processor from another is firstly its core architecture. The core architecture determines whether the CPU is a 32 bit or 64 bit variant. It will encompass specifications such as clock frequency, cache levels, respective sizes, stepping version and fabrication process size. The two major superpowers in the market of computer CPUs is Intel corporation which has led the market with powerful, cutting edge design and innovation, pushing faster clock speeds and integrating cutting- edge materials and its Hafnium- based silicon CPU. Thus equating to more powerful computing experiences and greater flexibility of design. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is the second largest global supplier of microprocessors. AMD is focusing more on producing powerful processors at low cost. There are two typical components of CPU: The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) performs arithmetic and logical operations. The Control Unit (CU) extracts instructions from memory, decodes and executes them. There are set of steps a CPU performs to execute a command. Each command is individually handled and a CPU can process multiple commands in seconds. More powerful the CPU is the faster the commands are processed. The functions performed by the CPU (Processor) are explained below: Lets assume when the system user issues a command using the input device such as a mouse or keyboard. The command is received to the memory before it is actually processed. The unit uses the preloaded CPU memory to identify the command and sends it over to the command unit. The command unit firmly decides what functions next. The data is passed over to the decode unit. The decoded unit passes the data into binary code and sends it to ALU ALU changes the raw data into a command. The copy of the command is sent to the RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory) by ALU. The command unit sends the code to the part of the system where the actual actions are performed. The result is sent back to user after the actions are executed. Factors affecting the Processors Performance is listed below: Math Coprocessors: The math coprocessors are used to improve the processors number crunching speed. These processors allow the computer to perform mathematical calculations more efficiently, faster and increase the overall speed of the computer Front Side Bus (FSB) Speed: This is the interface between the processor and the system memory. The FSB limits the rate at which the data can get into the processor. This limits the rate at which the CPU can process the data. The CPUs FSB speed causes the maximum speed at which the data will be transferred to rest of the system. There are other factors affecting the data transfer which includes system clock speed, motherboard chipset and the RAM speed. Computer Internal Cache: This is the storage area which store the frequently used data and instructions. This processor contains internal cache controllers which integrates the cache with the Central Processing Unit. This controller stores frequently used RAM locations to provide faster execution of data and therefore a larger cache leads to the process of faster processor. Computer BUS: This carry data words in parallel on multiple wires or serial buses which carry data in bit-serial form. This refers to system board underlying circuit. This processor has the ability to communicate with rest of the systems components. Computer data bus indicates how much data can be passed through the bus at once. This indicates how much memory chip can handle. Computer Memory: The higher the capacity of the computer memory is installed the faster It will operate. This refers to the state information of the computing system. The term memory is used for the information in physical systems which are fast this refers to physical device which stores data or programs on the temporary or permanent basis for use in an electronic digital computer. Clock Rate is the rate in bits per second which is measured in Hertz. The frequency of the clock is the CPU. A single clock cycle toggles between logical zero and a one state. The logical state zero of a clock cycle is prolonged than a logical one state due to thermal and electrical specification constraints. The clock rates are determined at the manufacturing process through the actual testing of each CPU. Processors which are tested as rule with given standards will be labelled with a higher clock rate e.g. 2.4GHz. While those that fail the standards of the higher clock rate will yet pass the standards of a lesser clock rate and will be labelled with the lesser clock rate e.g. 1.33GHz TASK 2 According to Parklands Garden Supplies (PGS) which grows plants and supplies them to shops. Plants are grown in greenhouses. The administrative manager maintains records of orders and of stock. We are recommending a high end information system to help the administrative staff with the maintenance of order and stock control records. There are a lot of plant species which has a number of varieties. As this PGS has allocated each plant with a common name and details together with a description. We recommend a HP Pavilion Elite HPE-480t customisable Desktop PC information system which is designed for high end performance. It has an unbelievable performance and power of Intel Core quad core i7 processors which can maximize application speed with Intel Turbo Boost, which accelerates performance to match the PGS workload. It has a Powerful 64 bit performance with 8GB DDR3 system memory, fast data transfer and reduced power consumption. An option to add up to 24GB DDR3 memory. The main advantage of DDR3 has an higher bandwidth which increased the performance at low power. Massive storage with large hard drive options including RAID-enabled for data mirroring (backup and security) or high performance. Optional USB wireless LAN for connecting a wireless printer and accessories. Features and Benefits is listed down below. Intel Turbo Boost Technology maximizes speed for all the demanding applications, dynamically accelerating performance to match the management workload. Intel Hyper Threading Technology enables highly threaded applications to get more work done in parallel. With 8 threads available to the operating system, multitasking becomes easier. Intel Smart Cache supplies a higher performance more efficient cache subsystems. Intel QuickPath Interconnect is designed to increase bandwidth and low latency. It can achieve data transfer speeds as high as 25.6 GB/sec with the extreme edition processor. Integrated Memory Controller enables three channels of DDR3 1066 MHz memory, resulting in up to 25.6 GB/sec memory bandwidth. This memory controllers lower latency and higher memory bandwidth delivers amazing performance for data- intensive applications. Intel HD Boost significantly improves a broad range of multimedia and compute- intensive applications. The 128-bit Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE) instructions are issued at a throughput rate of one per clock cycle, allowing a new label of processing efficiency with SSE4 optimized applications. Task 3 An operating system is software which consists of programs and data that runs on computers. Its used to manage the computers hardware and provides common services for execution of other application softwares. After operating system is initially installed on the computer by a boot program. The application programmes uses the operating system it requests the services through an application program interface. The users will be able to interact with the operating system through a user interface such as a graphical user interface. Operating system performs services for applications. The major computer platforms requires and include an operating systems like GNU/Linux, Mac OS, and Microsoft Windows (NT, 2000, 2003, XP, Vista and 7) are used commonly. Multitasking operating system supports multiple programs to run at the same time. It determines which applications should be executed first. Internal memory is managed to share among multiple applications. Inputs and outputs from hard disks, printers and dial-up ports are managed The errors and status of each application will be sent to the interactive user. Functions of Operating System (OS): Linux: Its designed for servers and desktops it is used for computer architecture support, embedded systems, stability, security, localization to a specific use. It supports real times applications to a given desktop environment. It uses widely ported operating system kernel. The Linux kernel runs on highly diverse range of computer architectures. It has an good networking facilities it allows to share CPUs. This has an ideal environment to run servers like web server or FTP server. It has an ability to execute more than program at a time. It supports multiple processors as standard. Mac OS: It is the trademark of graphical user interface based operating systems it is developed by Apple for their Macintosh line of computer systems. This OS is more user friendly and is different from other operating systems. The advanced technologies in OS has the full advantage of the 64-bit. Multi core processors and GPUs to deliver the greatest possible performance. The most striking feature of Mac OS is it has an elegant user interface. It has an variety of sophisticated technologies that helps keeps us safe from online threats. It has an versatility and power of Mac OS x makes it compactable in almost all the environment including windows networks. Microsoft Windows: It is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces, TBA TASK 4 Proprietary operating systems are which a company designs, develops and markets the products as their own system. Windows OS is one example and Mac OS is another. If we want to use windows OS or Mac OS we have to purchase it through them or resellers. We have Linux is one of the open source OS which can be downloaded through internet and can be used to do things what we want to do. Proprietary OS are developed by a specific company for a specific purpose. Comparisons between the Microsoft Windows and Linux computer operating systems. Windows has kept an large retail sales majority among OS for personal desktop. Linux has sustained its status as the most noticed free software OS. Both OS has user base of the personal computer market and share on a variety of other devices with offering for the servers, embedded systems and mobile internet access. Linux and Microsoft differ in philosophy, cost, versatility and stability with each seeking to improve on their weakness. Comparisons on the two OS tend to reflect their origins, historic user bases and distribution models. Weakness regularly cited has included poor consumer familiarity with Linux and Microsoft windows susceptibility to viruses and malware. The default windows file system NTFS works causes files to defragment, degrading the performance of the system significantly overtime and require regular defragmenting. Whereas Linux file systems do not require defragmenting. A Bus Architecture is a subsystem which transfers data between computer components in a computer or between computers. It handles data transmission in a computer system or network in which components are all linked to a common bus. It can be parallel buses which carries data words in parallel on multiple wire or serial buses which carries data in bit serial form. Secondary storage devices are which can store data permanently. This is used to store programs and data that are not in current use its contents must not be erased when the power supply is disconnected from the computer. Secondary storage typically consists of storage on the hard disk and on any other removable media such as CD, DVD, Magnetic tapes and USB flash drive. Compact Disc (CD) and Digital Versitile Disc (DVD) comes in different types. Read only Memory ROMs can never be written or erased. It is used to store software or files that never want to be changed. Softwares are normally brought on ROM discs. Recordable discs can be written once and ReWritable disk can be written and erased multiple times. External Hard disk are replacing DAT tapes is mostly used for backing up computer systems this is due to direct access and larger capacity. Magnetic Tape is used for data storage tape formulation; packaging and data density have been made. The device performs actual writing or reading of data is a tape drive. When storing large amount of data tape can be substantially less expensive than disk or other data storage options. USB Flash Drive consists of flash memory data storage device integrate with Universal Serial Bus (USB). USB flash drives are typically removable and rewritable and physically smaller than a floppy disk. The most appropriate device for the scenario is external hard disk and CD or DVD. The reason for the selection is because we can store backups on the external hard disk and on the CD or DVD we can burn the backup files and the most important assets like softwares and data. The reason we have recommended two devices is because in case of any disaster in business place all the assets will be lost or corrupted. If we the second backup device we can restore the assets and resume the business. Computer Peripheral Devices is an external object that provides input and output for the computer. The common input and output peripheral devices are keyboard, mouse, scanner, monitor, projector, speaker. The general description of the peripheral devices is as follows Keyboard is a set of typewriter that enables you to enter data into a computer these are similar to electric typewriter keyboards and contains additional keys. Keys on computer keyboards are classified as alphanumeric keys, special keys and punctuation keys. Mouse is a device used in computer by users on desk surface in order to point to a place on a display screen and to select one or more actions to take from that position. Scanner is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwritten or an object and converts it to a digital image. Monitor displays the computer user interface and opens programs allowing the user to interact with the computer typically using keyboard and mouse Projector is used for projecting an image onto a screen or other devices. Speakers are an electro acoustic transducer which converts electrical signals into sounds loud enough to be heard a t a distance. Printer which produces a text of documents stores in electronic form usually on physical print media such as paper or transparencies. Many printers are primarily used as local peripherals and are attached by a printer cable, Some printers are known as network printers. Networking hardware Devices refers to equipment facilitating the use of computer network. It handles an interface to a computer network and allows a network cable devices to access the network .This includes network interface cards, networking cables, routers and switches. Task 5 Designing Computer System We are using Intel Core i7 processor as they are the high end Desktop Processors which produces faster, intelligent, multicourse technology this delivers an incredible breakthrough in PC performance. We can multitask applications faster and unleash incredible creation. We can experience an maximum performance for all the management workloads. This has an combination of Intel Turbo Boost Technology and Intel Hyper Threading technology this helps to maximize the work load. This includes 8GB memory with 2 TB hard disk storage devices. We strongly recommend 17 inch LCD monitors for display. We include printers, keyboards, mouse, monitors, scanners, speakers and projectors to display the flowers. ATI graphic card HD 5830 is used to bring the huge enthusiast-level performance. PGM can be demonstrated Flowers by using video sound cards will be used. PCI Bus architecture is an essential feature for todays mobile computing. Productivity and stock management softwares will be used for maintaining and stock controlling records Task 6 As for the current computer system specifications designed for PGS estimated budget would approximately be around 10000 dollars. The productivity software will be used to track and maintain the order, stock records and the customers profile database. Some particular requirements should be provided to execute the current specified specifications such as power, internet connection, and furnitures, internet connection, routers, modems, LAN cables and special needs like Uninterruptible power storage is needed to continue the production from power cuts. Task 7 Computer System investigation will be done to provide stakeholders with the information about the quality of the product or the service under test. Hardware or Software testing provides an objective and independent view of the product to allow the business to appreciate and understand the risks at the implementation of the hardware and software. The process of executing a program or application with the intent of findings software bugs. Software testing will be stated as the process of validating and verifying that software meets the business and technical requirements, works as expected with the same characteristics. Test methods are used to verify hardware design requirements. Test responsibilities include what the organizations will perform this allows the organizations to plan, acquire or develop test equipment and other resources necessary to implant the test methods for which they are responsible. Testing process tasks are specified for different integrity levels for appropriat e breadth and depth of test documentation. The scope of the testing encompasses software based systems, hardware and their interfaces the standard applies to both software and hardware which includes firmware, microcode and documentation it may also include inspection, analysis, demonstration, verification and validation. IEEE standard for software and system test documentation should be used to document the tests. Task 8 User supporting planning needs trainings like using softwares, hardwares. Printers and scanners. Training need a printed outlet and two individual basic system for trainers. We have to provide and Helpdesk for maintaining the systems, software and other peripherals. Proper user support should be documented and should be submitted to the administrators for their personal use. Remote access software should be installed to support the user systems remotely. This remote access software helps the users to solve the problem immediately. Task 9 Logical Security should be installed to safeguard the organizations systems which includes passwords access, authentication, access rights and authority levels. These measures are implemented to ensure that only authorised users are able to perform actions or access information in a network or workstation. Elements of logical security includes User Ids, authentications, biometrics, token authentication, two way authentication, password authentication should be implemented. Physical Security includes environments design, mechanical, electronic and procedural access control. Intrusion detection, firewall, honey pots, Intrusion prevention system, antivirus,CCTV, personnel identification should be installed. This helps us to know if any hackers are trying to enter the network. User rights should be limited so that they cant install, delete or copy data from the office systems to their flash drives or other media. Backup and recovery are primarily for two purposes it is used to restore from disaster and from accidentally deleted data. Data loss is very common. A full backup should be created and should be made multiple copies in different locations to restore the data in case of any disasters. As when the new full backup is created it should be replaced with the old back files. This helps us to save space in media. Advanced Encryption should be used to for email, hard disk and data. All the outgoing data should be encrypted so that when the packets are sniffed by the hackers they should be able to decrypt the data. Encryptions like symmetric, asymmetric, secure encryption algorithms should be implemented. The entire files included backup file should be hashed and the hash value should be saved in a secure place so that no one can access it.

Essay --

According to the oxford dictionary, the definition of women’s rights is â€Å"rights possessed by women, esp. as considered to be equal with those of men† ("Women’s rights"). Ever since women have existed, they have been stereotypically been looked at as weaker than men because of society’s typical gender roles. Women have fought for equal rights although out Americas’ history and because of their determination, the women of today’s society can now vote in presidential elections, serve in congress alongside men, and obtain jobs that were labeled as jobs that only men could do. The women that got the ball rolling when it came to getting equal rights were Elizabeth Sady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. They came up with the idea to hold a convention, which would later be coined the Seneca Falls convention, to advocate about the equal rights that women should have. They got the idea from there experience at the World Anti-Slavery meeting ("S eneca Falls Convention"). During the meeting, they were denied the opportunity to speak from the floor or to be seated as delegates just because they were women ("Seneca Falls Convention"). Mott and Stanton left the hall in disappointment and began discussing ways in which they could change the discrimination that they and many other women encountered throughout their lives ("Seneca Falls Convention"). Furthermore, in July of 1848 The Seneca Falls Convention, which was organized by Staton, Mott and three other women named Martha Coffin Wright, Jane Hunt and Mary Ann McClintock, was held in Seneca Falls, New York in Wesleyan Church chapel and lasted two days. On the first day although originally planned for women only, saw the arrival of approximately 100 to 300 men and women; and even though ... ...me thing. That is why after almost twenty years of rivalry they decided to end their differences and merge together to form the National American Women Suffrage Association and further strengthen the fight for women to vote by focusing on the state level (â€Å"Women’s Suffrage†). The efforts of the association and of all the women who had fought for women’s rights since the Seneca falls convention because on May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and 2 weeks later, the Senate also passed it. After Tennessee became the 36th state to pass the amendment on August 18, 1920, the amendment passed its final test winning with an agreement of three-fourths of the states; and lastly, on august 26, 1920, the Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification. The way women were treated in the United States would dramatically change forever. Essay -- According to the oxford dictionary, the definition of women’s rights is â€Å"rights possessed by women, esp. as considered to be equal with those of men† ("Women’s rights"). Ever since women have existed, they have been stereotypically been looked at as weaker than men because of society’s typical gender roles. Women have fought for equal rights although out Americas’ history and because of their determination, the women of today’s society can now vote in presidential elections, serve in congress alongside men, and obtain jobs that were labeled as jobs that only men could do. The women that got the ball rolling when it came to getting equal rights were Elizabeth Sady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. They came up with the idea to hold a convention, which would later be coined the Seneca Falls convention, to advocate about the equal rights that women should have. They got the idea from there experience at the World Anti-Slavery meeting ("S eneca Falls Convention"). During the meeting, they were denied the opportunity to speak from the floor or to be seated as delegates just because they were women ("Seneca Falls Convention"). Mott and Stanton left the hall in disappointment and began discussing ways in which they could change the discrimination that they and many other women encountered throughout their lives ("Seneca Falls Convention"). Furthermore, in July of 1848 The Seneca Falls Convention, which was organized by Staton, Mott and three other women named Martha Coffin Wright, Jane Hunt and Mary Ann McClintock, was held in Seneca Falls, New York in Wesleyan Church chapel and lasted two days. On the first day although originally planned for women only, saw the arrival of approximately 100 to 300 men and women; and even though ... ...me thing. That is why after almost twenty years of rivalry they decided to end their differences and merge together to form the National American Women Suffrage Association and further strengthen the fight for women to vote by focusing on the state level (â€Å"Women’s Suffrage†). The efforts of the association and of all the women who had fought for women’s rights since the Seneca falls convention because on May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and 2 weeks later, the Senate also passed it. After Tennessee became the 36th state to pass the amendment on August 18, 1920, the amendment passed its final test winning with an agreement of three-fourths of the states; and lastly, on august 26, 1920, the Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification. The way women were treated in the United States would dramatically change forever.

Prejudice in To Kill A Mockingbird & Telephone Conversation Essay

The dictionary defines prejudice as a learned, preformed, and unsubstantiated judgment or opinion about an individual or a group, either favorable or unfavorable in nature. Through the study of the book, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and the poem Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka, ones understanding of prejudice and what makes up prejudice changes considerably for what could be perceived as for the better or for the worse. Being ignorant of what is happening or not knowing and properly understanding what prejudice is can make it easy to turn a blind eye to what is happening around you. Learning what prejudice is makes one more conscious of what is happening right next to you in everyday life. Being educated about prejudice is one step closer to a more peaceful life but prejudice will likely never completely disappear, like George Aiken says, â€Å"If we were to wake up some morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed and color, we would find some other cause for prejudice by noon.† Ones perception of the concept of prejudice is primarily determined by the environment in which one grew up. As Sydney Smith said, â€Å"Never try to reason the prejudice out with a man. It was not reasoned into him, and therefore cannot be reasoned out.† It is evident that ones opinion of other people reflects back to the ethics that they were brought up with. From the eyes of the young and innocent Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch, we follow the story of Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley and Tom Robinson in the deceivingly quaint town of Maycomb where these two innocent men’s lives are ruined by the evil of other men and women. The two men are the ‘mockingbirds’ of the story, good, innocent people, hurt by the injustice, hatred and prejudice of a small town... .... Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered Omnibus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Like Tom Robinson in To Kill A Mockingbird, the West African man is unjustly discriminated against because of his race and the colour of his skin. In comparing and analyzing these two texts, one gains a better understanding of the concept of prejudice. There is no logic or reasoning behind prejudice, which is why it is hard to stop it. We all like to think that one day the world will be free of prejudice and everyone will be considered equal and we hang on to that hope as in the words of Martin Luther King Jr, â€Å"Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.†

Story-telling in Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club and Mother Journeys :: comparison compare contrast essays

Story-telling in The Joy Luck Club and Mother Journeys      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Beginning with Gussie," Maxine Kumin's short story from the anthology Mother Journeys, has a central issue similar to that in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club: the need for transference of stories from mother to daughter. These two works have quite a few similarities, despite the fact that they are tales about very different cultural traditions. Is the cultural difference important? Or do these works reflect a universal truth about story-telling between mothers and daughters?    First of all, what are some of the similarities and differences between these works? Like Jing-mei Woo, Rebecca does not learn the full story of her mother's past until her mother has died. The past of both mothers involves children born before the daughter to whom the story is told; these earlier children were left behind because of the circumstances in which the mother found herself at that time. In both these instances, the stories are told by others who wish the daughter to understand the mother more fully; both stories seem to give the daughter a better understanding of herself as well as of her mother.    Story-telling may be even more central in The Joy Luck Club, with the stories told as lessons throughout the daughters' young lives. But "Beginning with Gussie" also demonstrates that the daughters know about their mothers' past experiences: Tweedie knows the story of the romance between her mother and father; Rebecca knows her parents' story though she doesn't learn the whole of her mother's story until her mother's death.    Another similarity is that Gussie's reason for telling her story to her granddaughter Tweedie is akin to the reason Ying-Ying decides she must tell her story to her daughter Lena: both are concerned about the choices being made by the daughter/granddaughter, choices that they see as too similar to their own past mistakes. Gussie ends her story to granddaughter with "And thus, Tweedie, while I cannot applaud your reliving my history, I am deeply happy to think that my genes are being handed on. Modified, broadened, no doubt improved upon." (Mother   274, in Mother Journeys) Ying-Ying thinks to herself, as she determines to tell the story of her past to Lena, "How can I leave this world without leaving her my spirit? So this is what I will do. .