Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Microprocessors Essays - Microprocessors, Microcomputers

Microprocessors Essays - Microprocessors, Microcomputers Microprocessors Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. The Microprocessor has been around since 1971 years, but in the last few years it has changed the American calculators to video games and computers (Givone 1). Many microprocessors have been manufactured for all sorts of products; some have succeeded and some have not. This paper will discuss the evolution and history of the most prominent 16 and 32 bit microprocessors in the microcomputer and how they are similar to and different from each other. Because microprocessors are a subject that most people cannot relate to and do not know much about, this paragraph will introduce some of the terms that will be in- volved in the subsequent paragraphs. Throughout the paper the 16-bit and 32-bit mi- croprocessors are compared and contrasted. The number 16 in the 16-bit microproces- sor refers how many registers there are or how much storage is available for the mi- croprocessor (Aumiaux, 3). The microprocessor has a memory address such as A16, and at this address the specific commands to the microprocessor are stored in the memory of the computer (Aumiaux, 3). So with the 16-bit microprocessor there are 576 places to store data. With the 32-bit microprocessor there are twice as many places to store data making the microprocessor faster. Another common term which is mentioned frequently in the paper is the oscil- lator or the time at which the processors clock ticks. The oscillator is the pace maker for the microprocessor which tells what frequency the microprocessor can proc- ess information, this value is measured in Mega-hertz or MHz. A nanosecond is a measurement of time in a processor, or a billionth of a second. This is used to measure the time it takes for the computer to execute an instructions, other wise knows as a cy- cle. There are many different types of companies of which all have their own family of processors. Since the individual processors in the families were developed over a fairly long period of time, it is hard to distinguish which processors were introduced in order. This paper will mention the families of processors in no particular order. The first microprocessor that will be discussed is the family of microprocessors called the 9900 series manufactured by Texas Instruments during the mid-70s and was developed from the architecture of the 900 minicomputer series (Titus, 178). There were five dif- ferent actual microprocessors that were designed in this family, they were the TMS9900, TMS9980A, TMS9981, TMS9985, and the TMS9940. The TMS9900 was the first of these microprocessors so the next four of the microprocessors where simply variations of the TMS9900 (Titus, 178). The 9900 series microprocessors runs with 64K memory and besides the fact that the 9900 is a 16-bit microprocessor, only 15 of the address memory circuits are in use (Titus, 179). The 16th address is used for the computer to distinguish between word and data functions (Titus, 179. The 9900 series microprocessors runs from 300 nanoseconds to 500 ns from 2MHz to 3.3MHz and even some variations of the original microprocessor where made to go up to 4MHz (Avtar, 115). The next microprocessor that will be discussed is the LSI-11 which was pro- duced from the structural plans of the PDP-11 minicomputer family. There are three microprocessors in the LSI-11 family they are the LSI-11, LSI-11/2, and the much im- proved over the others is the LSI-11/32 (Titus, 131). The big difference between the LSI-11 family of microprocessors and other similar microprocessors of its kind is they have the instruction codes of a microcomputer but since the LSI-11 microprocessor originated from the PDP-11 family it is a multi-microprocessor (Avtar, 207). The fact that the LSI-11 microprocessor is a multi-microprocessor means that many other mi- croprocessors are used in conjunction with the LSI-11 to function properly (Avtar, 207). The LSI-11 microprocessor has a direct processing speed of 16-bit word and 7- bit data, however the improved LSI-11/22 can directly process 64-bit data (Titus, 131). The average time that the LSI-11 and LSI-11/2 process at are 380 nanoseconds, while the LSI-11/23 is clocked at 300 nanoseconds (Titus, 132). There are some

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Introduction to Electricity and Electronics

Introduction to Electricity and Electronics Electricity is a form of energy involving the flow of electrons.  All matter is made up of atoms, which has a center called a nucleus. The nucleus contains positively charged particles called protons and uncharged particles called neutrons. The nucleus of an atom is surrounded by negatively charged particles called electrons. The negative charge of an electron is equal to the positive charge of a proton, and the number of electrons in an atom is usually equal to the number of protons. When the balancing force between protons and electrons is upset by an outside force, an atom may gain or lose an electron. And when electrons are lost from an atom, the free movement of these electrons constitutes an electric current. Humans and electricity Electricity is a basic part of nature and it is one of our most widely used forms of energy. Humans get electricity, which is a secondary energy source, from the conversion of other sources of energy, like coal, natural gas, oil and nuclear power. The original natural sources of electricity are called primary sources. Many cities and towns were built alongside waterfalls (a primary source of mechanical energy) that turned  water wheels  to perform work. And before electricity generation began slightly over 100 years ago, houses were lit with kerosene lamps, food was cooled in iceboxes, and rooms were warmed by wood-burning or coal-burning stoves. Beginning with  Benjamin Franklins  experiment with a kite one stormy night in Philadelphia, the principles of electricity gradually became understood. In the mid-1800s, everyones life changed with the invention of the electric  light bulb. Prior to 1879, electricity had been used in arc lights for outdoor lighting. The lightbulbs invention used electricity to bring indoor lighting to our homes. Generating electricity An electric generator (Long ago, a machine that generated electricity was named dynamo todays preferred term is generator) is a device for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. The process is based on the relationship between magnetism and electricity. When a wire or any other electrically conductive material moves across a magnetic field, an electric current occurs in the wire. The large generators used by the electric utility industry have a stationary conductor. A magnet attached to the end of a rotating shaft is positioned inside a stationary conducting ring that is wrapped with a long, continuous piece of wire. When the magnet rotates, it induces a small electric current in each section of wire as it passes. Each section of wire constitutes a small, separate electric conductor. All the small currents of individual sections add up to one current of considerable size. This current is what is used for electric power. An electric utility power station uses either a turbine, engine, water wheel, or other similar machine to drive an electric generator or device that converts mechanical or chemical energy to electricity. Steam turbines, internal-combustion engines, gas combustion turbines, water turbines, and wind turbines are the most common methods to generate electricity.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

China's Stocks Head for Weekly Gain on Policy Outlook, Europe Article

China's Stocks Head for Weekly Gain on Policy Outlook, Europe - Article Example According to the article, the stocks experience the biggest gain during the week in question influenced by signs that the Greek debt problem will be resolved and speculation and rumors about expected policy changes by the government (Shidong, 2011). The European Union has been reeling under a string of debt crisis in several of its members the most notable being Greece, Portugal, Ireland and recently Italy. This crisis has had effect on stocks across the globe. Although Europe’s problems may seem less of a concern to China, the truth is that what happens in Europe affects China in a big way. This is because the EU is the largest export market for China’s goods. The EU accounts for 25% of China’s exports. In the first nine months of 2011, trade between China and Europe rose 21.8% year-on-year to stand at $372.12 billion according to statistics from Chinese authorities (Banerjee, 2011). The EU debt crisis has a direct bearing on China’s economy because a red uction in demand here means a reduction in China’s export. Since China’s economy is export-based (Czinkota, Ronkainen, & Moffett, 2011), any reductions in the amount of exports have the net effect of slowing down the country’s economic growth. This is exactly what the crisis in Greece, Spain, Portugal and most recent Italy has done. This paper is going to evaluate the relationship between the EU debt crisis and the performance of China’s stock exchanges. The paper will find that when there is a crisis in Europe, the demand of China’s goods in these region goes down which affects the performance of the exporting companies leading to lower export earnings. The lower earnings drive the prices of the stocks involved down. On the contrary, positive indicators on the EU economic performance drive up the value of the stock in the market as people become more optimistic. As per the article, the value of the stock of major companies in China rose after the recent progress on the Greek debt problems. This is because the said progress increases investors’ confidence in taking more risks. A solution to the debt crisis will also stabilize the EU which is the biggest export market for China. This stability increases the confidence of investors considering that a stable EU will buy more from China and therefore increase the earnings of Chinese companies. It is this expected increase that drives up the prices of stock as investors expect improved dividend payments. The stock increases were also supported by speculation that the Chinese authorities will undertake more measures to boost growth. For instance, the shares of China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation and of PetroChina Co. increased by at least 1.5% due to speculation that the government may give refiners the freedom of adjusting prices on their own (Shidong, 2011). The increase in the price of stock is also aided by the government’s announcement that it will step up m easures to help small business to have easier access to bank loans. The government is further expected to cut banks’ reserve requirements to boost manufacturing industry as reports of a slowdown in manufacturing emerge and inflation eases. The case highlights the challenges the Chinese face as they do business on the global scene. On one hand the Chinese economy is too dependent on exports. This means the economy is very much affected by what happens on the global sc

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The reality of the 1920s in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The reality of the 1920s in the US - Essay Example Advances in communication also signified this decade, as the radio was invented leading to establishment of radio stations and commercial radio networks. Coupled with introduction of long distance telephones, this led to opening up of the rural areas.1 Prior to this boom, there was a dark period at peaking in 1919, in the labor market. This was initiated by a universal strike of the entire workforce in the completely steel industry in America and all workers in Seattle. This crippled the economy as thousands of workers and consumers were affected. Employers were faced with the challenge of remaining firm against demands from the workers as a warfare based on class threatened to come up. Moreover, just two years earlier, in Russia, there had been a Communist revolution and this made employers threaten violence upon workers if they refused to return to normalcy. Nevertheless, the situation was salvaged by Hubert Hoover, then Commerce Secretary, who was able to talk industrial leaders i nto voluntarily raising production and wages in order to restore the economy. It is crucial to note that the strikes moved the American government to react strongly against such radical movements, since the Communist Revolution still lingered in people’s minds causing a certain intrigue, this came to be recognized as the Red Scare phase.2 On the political front, the decade featured three presidents Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. Its beginning was marked by elections that brought Harding into power with Coolidge as his running mate. World War 1 had just ended and people were rearing for a return to normalcy considering the labor problems, rise in immigration and racial strife that were rampant earlier on. The 1920s saw the final participation of U.S in the League of Nations, where President Wilson convened the Council as provided for in the League’s Act that the first assembly be summoned by the President of the United States. Notabl y also, the 18th Amendment of the U.S Constitution came into effect prohibiting the making, selling and possessing of alcohol. In 1924, the National Origins Act came into effect, reducing the number of immigrants to U.S to 150,000 per year with the aim of the legislation being to let the more desirable immigrants from western and northern Europe, into America, in larger numbers (â€Å"1920s Politics†). In addition, of significance through this decade as well, is the Harlem Renaissance that was the flowering of the African American culture through creative arts. It emerged from Harlem, a district within New York but grew to include other areas, where the blacks attempted to create a different perspective of their race through literary, theatrical, visual arts and musical works. This awakened a certain consciousness that led to redefinition of the white stereotypes, and rising of civil rights movements aimed at affording blacks new socio-economic opportunities and uplift the ra ce while developing their pride. Avant-garde artists from Europe experimented with African art, further giving esteem to the African Americans. Initially referred to as the New Negro Movement, the Harlem Renaissance saw African Americans migrating from the South to the northern areas where things were more prosperous.3 Within 1920, in August, came the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The dictionary & words Essay Example for Free

The dictionary words Essay The dictionary has been our help when the struggle of figuring out the meaning of difficult ad unusual words strikes us. For a word to become an entry in the dictionary, and widely used across the earth, it must also be used in a broad range over a period of time. English words have been known to this. Most of the selections of English words are based on how such word is used and is often not based on personal references. Oftentimes, English words are used by publications or by the majority in a particular region or country and even to those regions which use a different language as their medium of communication, like China. Nowadays, hundreds of English words are accepted specifically in hundreds of regions, too. These words have become common to both males and females. Amongst the many English words commonly used by men and women, articles â€Å"the, a, an† are just few of the most common. Without such words (article), the meaning from the noun being used will be hard to understand since they can also be thought as another special kind of adjective. You may notice a big difference of meaning when you make a sentence with and without the existence of â€Å"the†. For example, from the sentence, â€Å"Cat is eating the food,† the word â€Å"Cat† may be understood as the name of a person without the presence of the article, â€Å"the†. Meanwhile, if you modify the sentence to â€Å"The cat is eating the food† the meaning in it will also be reversed to the â€Å"cat† as an animal, instead of a person. This also holds true to other articles, â€Å"a† and â€Å"an† from the sentence, â€Å"A dolphin is a mammal† and â€Å"Dolphin is a mammal. † Similarly, â€Å"verb to be† words are the protean of English, especially created in order to formulate and express a certain thought that is grammatically correct. Common â€Å"verb to be’s† are â€Å"am†, â€Å"is†, and â€Å"are† together with its past and future tenses. These words are used as verbs that link the subject with its complement. Without these, the whole sentence or phrase will be ineffective. However, the use of words has to abide with the grammar rules. If used in a wrong way, the entire meaning will be spoiled. Pronouns namely: â€Å"I, you, he/she/it, we, they† are used as substitutes for nouns in order to avoid repetitive use of nouns. A sentence where the noun is frequently used may be inconvenient and a little complicated to understand. However, if nouns are being substituted by pronouns, the reader has greater chances to appreciate and understand a single or group of sentences. The following shows the differences of having too many nouns used from using pronouns. When Anne went home, Anne notice Anne’s mother preparing food for Anne. When Anne went home, she notice her mother preparing food for her. Apart from articles, verb to be’s, and pronouns, conjunctions, too, are widely used amongst men and women. Coordinating conjunctions â€Å"and,† â€Å"but,† â€Å"or,† â€Å"yet,† â€Å"for,† â€Å"nor,† and â€Å"or† are joiners – words that link parts of every sentence. They connect words, phrases, and clauses of equal importance. Meanwhile, Conjunctive adverbs, or transition words, can exist either in the beginning, middle or the latter part of either in the first or second clause of a compound sentence. Common conjunctive adverbs are â€Å"then,† â€Å"likewise,† â€Å"however,† and a lot more. With so many English words known and used widely, it’s safe to say that global English standards have penetrated all throughout the earth. True enough, they affect the mindset of every individual. So, it is normal for us to expect that many will become responsive upon learning to know and understand English words most especially among Chinese, Korean, and other races. Likewise, technology is not deteriorating. Cable television is not new and almost 99 % English-oriented programs are being aired on cable TVs. No wonder why a lot of non-English individuals become more oriented to the English language. In the flow of modernity, we see the influx of Hollywood movies aired in English language. These shows do not fail to catch the attention of its viewers, Americans and non-Americans alike. Globalization is it. And it has been accepted worldwide that English language is now being used as the medium of communication. They value the language same as they value their existence. Perhaps, English words send a strong message to many that gives them an option not to close their minds from learning the language. Reference List Discounttutor. com 2008. The Most Common Words in the English Language. Electronic document, http://discountutor.com/most_commonly_use_words. htm, accessed November 16, 2008. The SDSU Writing Center 2008. Conjunctions and Conjunctive Verbs. Electronic document, http://www. sdstate. edu/writingcenter/conjunctions_and_conjunctive_adv1. htm, accessed November 16, 2008. University of Ottawa 2008. What is a Pronoun. Electronic document, http://www. arts. uottawa. ca/writcent/hypergrammar/pronouns. html, accessed November 16, 2008. WhiteSmoke Inc. 2008 [2002] The Verb â€Å"To Be† in English. Electronic document, http://www. whitesmoke. com/verb-to-be. html, accessed November 16, 2008.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

john grisham :: essays research papers

John Grisham a graduate of Mississippi State University and Ole Miss Law School, he finished his law degree in 1981 and afterwards practiced law for about 10 years, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1983 and served until 1990. He began writing in 1984 and 3 years later finished hid first novel, A Time to Kill, published by Wynnewood Press in June 1988. John, Renee and their children now live in Charlottesville, Va.. Grisham, John. A Time to Kill. New York: Wynnewood Press, 1989.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Time to Kill† wrote by John Grisham was a riveting story of retribution and justice. In this searing courtroom drama, best-selling author John Grisham probes the savage depths of racial violence as he delivers a compelling tale of in certain justice in a small southern town in Clanton, Mississippi. In the end, Jake comes up with an outstanding closing argument, turning the story towards a different perspective for the white people of the jury and then turning it back to how it actually happen. Grisham, John. The Summons. New York: Doubleday, 2002.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ray Atlee is a professor of law at the University of Virginia. Ray is forty-three, newly single and still enduring the aftershocks of a surprise divorce. He has a younger brother, Forrest, who redefines the notion of a family’s black sheep and he has a father, know as Judge Atlee, a very sick old man who lives alone in the ancestral home in Clanton, Mississippi. With the end in sight, Judge Atlee issues a summons for both sons to return home to Clanton, to discuss the details of his estate. But the family meeting does not take place. The Judge dies too soon and in doing so leaves behind a shocking secret known only to Ray and perhaps someone else. Grisham, John. The Firm. New York: Doubleday, 1991.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Mitch McDeere signed on with Bendini, Lambert & Locke of Memphis, he thought him and his beautiful wife were on their way. The firm leased him a BMW, paid of his school loans, arranged him a mortgage and hired him a decorator. Mitch McDeere should have remembered what his brother Ray- doing fifteen years in a Tennessee jail- already knew. You never get anything for nothing. Now, the FBI has the lowdown on Mitch’s firm and needs his help. Mitch is caught between a rock and a hard place, with no choice, if he wants to live.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Corporate Governance Review of Vinashin Business Group

|ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET | |(to be completed by the student) | |AIB student ID number: |A12271 | | | | |Student name: |TRUONG PHUONG LY | | | | |Course name: |MBA Human Resource Management | | | | |Subject name: |Corporate Governance | | | | |Subject facilitator: |Ryan Galloway | | | | |Teaching Centre: |ERC Vietnam | | | | |No. f pages: |9 | | | | |Word count: |1721 words | | | | |DECLARATION | | | |I, the above named student, confirm that by submitting, or causing the attached assignment to be submitted, to AIB, I have not | |plagiarised any other person’s work in this assignment and except where appropriately acknowledged, this assignment is my own work,| |has been expressed in my own words, and has not previously been submitted for assessment. | ASSESSMENT SHEET | |(to be completed by the examiner) | |Student name: | | | | | |Course name: | | | | | |Subject name: | | | | | |Assessor/marker: | | | | | |COMMENTS | |Principles learnt (for example, number and understanding of principles referred to, their influence on the structure of this paper,| |number and correct citations of  references, use of appropriate jargon)      | | |/4 | | | | |Application of principles. That is, the  analysis and evaluation of the example problem based on the | | |principles, including the final recommendations and their justification | | | |/8 | | | |How well the example problem was described, including the extent and depth of information (including | | |the data) about it that was accessed | | | |/4 | | | | |Structure and presentation | | | |/2 | | | | |Style, grammar   and language | | | |/2 | | | | |Total | | |Less penalties | | |GRAND TOTAL |/20 | |General comments | | | | | | |FOR MODERATOR’S USE ONLY | | |/20 | |I agree with the assessor’s assessment | | |I disagree with the assessor’s assessment and the new mark is as follows for the following reasons: | | | | | | |Moderator: | | Title: Corporate Governan ce Review of VINASHIN Business Group Word count: 1721 words Executive Summary: VINASHIN is one of the biggest state-owned enterprises of Vietnam. This report conducts a review of the corporate governance of VINASHIN, including the analysis of its board structure and its board committees.There are three problems in VINASHIN governance: members of the board were not qualified enough for the scope of the company, Chairman and CEO was one single person (Mr Binh), audit committee was not effective. Therefore, VINASHIN should consider hiring more appropriately experienced directors, separating the role of Chairman and CEO, and improving the effectiveness of its audit committee. Table of Contents 1. Introduction5 2. Discussion5 2. 1. Board structure and its effectiveness5 2. 2. Board committee and their effectiveness6 2. 3. Recomendations7 3. Conclusion9 Reference9 1. Introduction VINASHIN Business Group (abbreviated as VINASHIN) is a Vietnamese state-owned enterprise specialized in shipbu ilding industry. Since it was found in 1996 based on the reorganization of Viet Nam Shipbuilding Corporation, VINASHIN had developed successfully.The annual growth rate in the period between 1996 and 2007 was 35%-40% and the net revenue of 2008 was 29 trillion VND (about $1. 4 billion). It was undoubtedly one of the biggest Vietnamese companies in terms of investment range and capability. However, at the beginning of 2010, VINASHIN was criticised publicly for bad business performance which caused the loss of 5 trillion VND (about $238 million). Even worse, this figure which was clarified by the state inspectors was three times bigger than the loss figure reported in 2009 annual financial statements by VINASHIN. Due to the world economic crisis, a series of shipbuilding contracts were cancelled.The company was then $4 billion in debt and sued by Elliot VIN (a Dutch hedge fund) for being unable to pay the $600 million debt. VINASHIN experienced the most difficult period of its history when the danger of debacle was very close and members of its board of directors were arrested and sued because of the severe damage they had made. The facts observed in the case of this company prove the seriously important role of corporate governance, especially in huge business corporation. This report conducts a review of the governance of VINASHIN including analysing its structure, process and effectiveness and making recommendations for appropriate improvements. 2. Discussion 1.The board structure and its effectiveness The Board of Structure of VINASHIN consisted of nine directors who were appointed by the Prime Minister. As the enterprise was found based on the shipbuilding company, most of the directors used to be the top managers of the old company. For example, the CEO – Mr Pham Thanh Binh was initially a shipbuilding engineer. After 17 years, he became the Deputy Director of Transport Design and Engineering Institute. He was then appointed to be the CEO of VINASHI N in 1996. It can be seen that the members of the Board of Directors were appointed basically because of their experience of working in the company or in the similar field.In one hand, they had the big advantage of the knowledge and networks in shipbuilding industry and they all had similar background and unique culture. This made strong connection among the board and lead to high agreement. In the other hand, they might not be able to manage the new company with a lot more capital and much bigger in investment range. According to Tricker (2009, pp. 122), â€Å"to formulate strategy effectively the strategic planners need to be, conceptually, above the enterprise looking down, able to see the enterprise in its strategic context†. Moreover, the strong connection might lead to the lack of objective assessment. The truth is that VINASHIN was very successful with its main function – building ship but then fell down because of 257 ineffective projects in other fields.The ne xt issue is that Mr Binh assumed the role of Chairman by 2008. He was then the Chief Executive and the Chairman of the company. Furthermore, he was also the Party Secretary of VINASHIN (the highest political position of the Party in a company). Some may say the combination has its advantage in the very distinctive leader and that it can avoid the conflicts due to spreading leadership between two people. However, this first violated Decree 101/2009/ND-CP of Vietnamese Government about state-owned business group. Second, the concentration of power in a single person would increases abuse potential and reduce the effectiveness of the only leader.In fact, Mr Binh made on his own many decision which then caused serious trouble for the company. For example, he decided to buy the Lotus Ship which cost 1. 3 trillion VND ($60 million) without calling any meeting or announcing for agreement of the board. The ship then did not work but the company had to pay $4 million interest each year for t he loan. 2. The Board Committees and their effectiveness: Another issue of VINASHIN governance is about its committees. All members of the board were appointed by the Prime Minister and their compensation was decided by the company policies which are also approved by the Prime Minister. As a result, there was no need for a nominating or remuneration committee.However, the existence of audit committee was compulsory and its formulation was regulated by the Decree of State-owned business group. The audit committee consisted of three to five members. They must be independent non-executive directors. They were required to make audit report about the company operation every month, quarter of year and year. These regulations seem very cautiously and able to ensure the independence of the audit committee. In fact, the board had strong enough power to influence the audit committee. In 2009, VINASHIN disclosed that it lost 1. 7 trillion VND ($81 million). After a lot of publicly criticism, t he state inspectors figured out that the true number was 5 trillion VND ($240 million).To explain about this issue, the chairman of VINASHIN audit committee said that the company did not have clear enough policies so he just did what the CEO (Mr Binh, also the Chairman of the Board) told him to do. The question is whether the audit committee really had no idea about their responsibility and who they are liable to and whether they were really independent. 3. Recommendations Based all these above discussions, there are three problems in VINASHIN governance: Board of Directors was not qualified for the scope of the company, Chairman and CEO was one single person (Mr Binh), audit committee was not effective. For the first issue, the company should consider to use more professional â€Å"not VINASHIN employee† directors with treasured experience from big business group.Although the current directors have advantage of the experience in shipbuilding industry and they have been worki ng for the company for many years, their capabilities are no longer enough for the new bigger enterprise. VINASHIN is no longer a simple shipbuilding company. It has became one of the biggest business group of Viet Nam with $ billion of capital. It has invested in hundred of projects in many business fields. VINASHIN really needs the board of directors who are able to â€Å"see the enterprise in its strategic context, including the industry, the market, customers and competitors, products and services, wherever the company operates and to identify the wider political, economic, social, and technological context† (Tricker, 2009).First, the â€Å"outside† directors would bring VINASHIN their broader knowledge about the big market and their experience in sufficient investment. This is what the current directors are lack of because their experience was only made in one industry. Second, the â€Å"outside† directors would challenge the board with their objective view about the company. They could push the board to improve the company under the consideration of different aspects. Finally, hiring â€Å"outsider† could help to prevent the board becoming a â€Å"cosy club† which only includes people who are well know to each other and share similar interest. Therefore, the board become more transparent and the decisions they make are less influenced by the interest of the board.For the second issue, there is no solution but separating the roles of Chairman and CEO in two persons. According to the example discussed above, there is one issue behind: the Chairman and the CEO has too much power toward the board and there are not enough control to prevent them from breaking the rules and making decision irresponsibly. VINASHIN should set up and apply more policies to ensure the Chairman or CEO to present the Duty of Trust and Duty of Care constantly. For instance, the CEO should be required to have discussion with all members of the board when he wants to set up new project. After reaching the agreement, he only can sign and stamp in the contract under observation of the majority of the board.Of course, the policies could reduce the potential of abusing power. However, the directors of companies, being managers of other people’s money, cannot be expected to watch over it with the same vigilance with which they watch over their own (Smith). Therefore, the policies can not control every issue in term of over use power, especially when the members of the board are very close to each other and having similar interest. In this case, the only shareholder, Government, should be able to audit the performance of the board and appropriately regulate the reward and punishment policies. For the last issue, VINASHIN needs to improve the effectiveness of its audit committee.First, the audit committee should consider carefully the qualification of its members. The mechanism should encourage the selection and retention of dil igent and knowledgeable committee members who are able to understand their important role in the board and willing to dedicate time and energy for their responsibility. Second, the audit committee should understand the role of each party participate in the auditing process, including the management, the internal auditors and external auditors, and the interaction among these parties. It should be able to communicate independently with each party and design the appropriate mechanism to ensure the accountability of these parties.Finally, it needs to have frank and candid discussion with all parties to provide the board greater insight, objective judgement and appropriate recommendation. An effective audit committee, which would strengthen the Board accountability, transparency, objectivity and effectiveness, has potential benefits: †¢ It improves the quality of financial reporting, by reviewing the financial statements on behalf of the Board; †¢ It creates a climate of disci pline, risk management awareness and control which will reduce the opportunity for fraud; †¢ It enables the non-executive directors sitting on the Audit Committee to contribute an independent judgement and play a positive role; †¢ It increases public confidence in the credibility and objectivity of financial statements and of the Board. 3. ConclusionFrom the discussion above, this report reviewed the corporate governance of VINASHIN Business Group in terms of its board structure and its board committees. Through the review, it figured out three problems: Board of Directors was not qualified for the scope of the company, Chairman and CEO was one single person (Mr Binh), audit committee was not effective. Based on this, some recommendations were given. Reference Hongkong Society of Accountant, 2001, A guide for effective audit committee, pp. 3-6 Tricker, B 2009, Corporate Governance: Principle, Policies and Practices, Oxford New York, the United State Vietnamese Government, 2009, Decree of Establishment, Organization, Operation and Management of State-owned Business Group

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Graphene Replaced with Copper

Graphene replaced with copper Graphene nanoribbons have a current-carrying capacity two orders of magnitude higher than copper Recent research into the properties of graphene nanoribbons provides two new reasons for using the material for interconnects in future computer chips. In widths as narrow as 16 nm, graphene has a current-carrying capacity approximately a thousand times greater than copper while providing improved thermal conductivity. The current-carrying and heat-transfer measurements were reported by a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA). The same team had previously reported measurements of resistivity in graphene that suggest the material’s conductance would outperform that of copper in future generations of nanometer-scale interconnects. The graphene nanoribbons have a current-carrying capacity two orders of magnitude higher than copper at these size scales, according to Raghunath Murali, a senior research engineer at Georgia Tech. {draw:frame} Composed of thin layers of graphite, graphene has been studied by the Georgia Tech team as a potential replacement for copper in on-chip interconnects wires. The graphene nanoribbons have a current-carrying capacity of more than 108 A/cm2, which makes them very robust in resisting electromigration and should greatly improve chip reliability. This electromigration phenomenon causes transport of material, especially at high-current density and leads to a break in the wire and, consequently, chip failure. The research team also discovered that the graphene nanoribbons also have excellent thermal conductivity properties and can conduct heat away from devices. They found that graphene nanoribbons have a thermal conductivity of more than 1,000 W/m Kelvin for structures less than 20 nm wide. This will help the interconnects serve as heat spreaders in future generations of integrated circuits, according to Murali. They used electron beam lithography to construct four electrode contacts, then used lithography to fabricate devices consisting of parallel nanoribbons of widths ranging between 16 and 52 nm and lengths of between 0. 2 and 1  µm. The breakdown current density of the nanoribbons was then studied by slowly applying an increasing amount of current to the electrodes on either side of the parallel nanoribbons. A drop in current flow indicated the breakdown of one or more of the nanoribbons. In the study of 21 test devices, the researchers found that the breakdown current density of graphene nanoribbons has a reciprocal relationship to the resistivity. Because graphene can be patterned using conventional chip-making processes, manufacturers could make the transition from copper to graphene without a drastic change in chip fabrication. The data they developed so far look very promising for using this material as the basis for future on-chip interconnects. Visit www. youtube. com/watch? v=kd6zzwhfEqw to view a video explaining graphene’s thermal-conductivity capabilities. Though one of graphene’s key properties is reported to be ballistic transport—meaning electrons can flow through it without resistance—the material’s actual conductance is limited by factors that include scattering from impurities, line-edge roughness and from substrate phonons—vibrations in the substrate lattice. Use of graphene interconnects could help facilitate continuing increases in integrated circuit performance once features sizes drop to approximately 20 nanometers, which could happen in the next five years, researchers said. At that scale, the increased resistance of copper interconnects could offset performance increases, meaning that without other improvements, higher density wouldn’t produce faster integrated circuits. This is not a roadblock to achieving scaling from one generation to the next, but it is a roadblock to achieving increased performance. Dimensional scaling could continue, but because we would be giving up so much in terms of resistivity, we wouldn’t get a performance advantage from that. That’s the problem we hope to solve by switching to a different materials system for interconnects Survey in graphene replaced with copper PORTLAND, Ore. —Graphene will carry nearly 1,000-times more current and run over 10-times cooler than conventional copper interconnects below 22-nanometer line widths, according to researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). The speed (electron mobility) of graphene has already been touted as better than copper, but this Georgia Tech data on nanoribbons as small as 16-nanometers quantifies just how superior carbon is to copper. The graphene nanoribbons tested at Georgia Tech could carry as much as 10 billion amps per square centimeter—nearly a thousand times greater than copper. â€Å"No one had measured graphene's current carrying capacity before this,† said Raghunath Murali, a senior research engineer in Georgia Tech's Nanotechnology Research Center. One possible reason that this property of graphene was not touted before is that there were no experimental results until our work. † The superior current carrying capability of carbon formed into graphene nanoribbons is also combined with less heat build-up, since carbon's thermal conductivity is much higher than copper. Nanoribbons have a thermal conductivity of 1,000-to-5000 watts per meter Kelvin—ten times greater than copper . The Georgia Tech researchers also claim that graphene nanoribbons will mitigate electro-migration which is an increasing problem for copper as line widths descend to the nanoscale. If the current carried through a wire is close to the current-carrying capacity of the wire, then the chances of electromigration are greater than if the current in the wire is much smaller than the current-carrying capacity,† said Murali. â€Å"Graphene has over two orders of magnitude greater capacity than copper, thus if a graphene wire is compared to a copper wire carrying the same current, then the graphene wire will better resist electromigration. † Murali's team obtained their graphene samples by removing layers from a graphite block and depositing them on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. E-beam lithograhy was used to construct the metal contacts and cut the parallel lines of graphene into lines 16-to-52 nanometers wide and 200-to-1000 nanometers long. There are three hurdles remaining to commercialization of carbon interrconnects, according to the researchers at Georgia Tech: perfecting methods of growing monolayers of graphene over entire wafers (since today only small centimeter-sized areas can be easiliy grown in monolayers), fabricating vias to interrconnect graphene nanowires, and integration of carbon into the back-end of process on a CMOS line. Murali performed the work with fellow researchers Yinxiao Yang, Kevin Brenner, Thomas Beck and James Meindl. This research was funded by the Semiconductor Research Corporation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Interconnect Focus Center, the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative and the Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery and Exploration (INDEX). Replacing silicon {draw:frame} Silicon transisitors are approaching the point where further miniturization will no longer be possible. It is expected that once silicon transistors reach 16nm size, optical lithography will no longer be capable of making smaller images. Thus, unless all preogress in transistor size is terminated and performance improvements are limited to processor architecture alone, it is very likely that chip manufacturers will move to graphene as a way to get smaller transisitors. One example is that graphene transistors are very â€Å"leaky† compared to those made of silicon- that is, more charge can escape from them. This means that graphene chips are likely to run much hotter than silicon chips. Graphene has several very appealing traits. Electrons meet much less resistance from graphene than they do from silicon, traveling through it more than 100 times as easily. And because graphene is essentially a two-dimensional material, building smaller devices with it and controlling the flow of electricity within them are easier than with three-dimensional alternatives like silicon transistors. The finding underscores graphene's potential for serving as an excellent electronic material, such as silicon, that can be used to develop new kinds of transistors based on quantum physics. Because they encounter no obstacles, the electrons in graphene roam freely across the sheet of carbon, conducting electric charge with extremely low resistance. The research team, led by Chun Ning (Jeanie) Lau, found that the electrons in graphene are reflected back by the only obstacle they meet: graphene's boundaries. â€Å"These electrons meet no other obstacles and behave like quantum billiard balls. â€Å"They display properties that resemble both particles and waves. † when the electrons are reflected from one of the boundaries of graphene, the original and reflected components of the electron can interfere with each other, the way outgoing ripples in a pond might interfere with ripples reflected back from the banks. he â€Å"electronic interference† by measuring graphene's electrical conductivity at extremely low (0. 26 Kelvin) temperatures. She explained that at such low temperatures the quantum properties of electrons can be studied more easily. The electrons in graphene can display wave-like properties, which could lead to interesting applications such as ballistic transistors, which is a new type of transistor, as w ell as resonant cavities for electrons, that a resonant cavity is a chamber, like a kitchen microwave, in which waves can bounce back and forth. Scientifically, it has become a new odel system for condensed-matter physics, the branch of physics that deals with the physical properties of solid materials. Graphene enables table-top experimental tests of a number of phenomena in physics involving quantum mechanics and relativity. Bearing excellent material properties, such as high current-carrying capacity and thermal conductivity, graphene ideally is suited for creating components for semiconductor circuits and computers comparing with silicon. Its planar geometry allows the fabrication of electronic devices and the tailoring of a variety of electrical properties. Because it is only one-atom thick, it can potentially be used to make ultra-small devices and further miniaturize electronics. Image shows graphene, which can act as an atomic-scale billiard table, with electric charges acting as billiard balls. (Credit: Lau lab, UC-Riverside) Silicon has been the main ingredient in microchips since they replaced vacuum tubes in electronics. But the common element graphene, found in pencils, may one day supplant silicon on the billion-dollar foundries of IBM, Intel and AMD. Graphene shares the characteristics that make silicon so ubiquitous, not just in computers and cell phones, but in such applications as medical and aviation sensors, ultrahigh-frequency analog electronics for preparing signals for fiber-optic transmission or for radars. Graphene can do what silicon can, only better. Graphene has extraordinary electron-transport properties; its monolayer thickness yields exquisite sensitivity to changes in environment, and its mechanical and thermal properties equal or exceed those of the best conventional materials. The superior properties of graphene and graphene-related materials present an extraordinary opportunity for enabling new classes of electronic, optoelectronic and electromechanical devices and sensors The first commercial use for graphene may be as an electrical coating for LCD screens, solar cells, and touch screens. Thin, transparent, extremely conductive, and strong, it seems ideal for the job. ONE OF THE APPLICATION Graphene Quilts to Keep Things Cool December 21, 2009 {draw:frame} Graphene University of California, Riverside (UCR) Professor of Electrical Engineering and Chair of Materials Science and Engineering Alexander Balandin is leading several projects to explore ways to use the unique capabilities of graphene â€Å"quilts† as heat conductors in high-power electronics. Graphene is a recently discovered single-atom-thick carbon crystal, which reveals many unique properties. In Balandin’s designs, graphene â€Å"quilts† (large-area overlapping networks of graphene flakes) will play quite an opposite role of your grandma’s quilts. They will remove heat instead of retaining it. His work on graphene heat-conducting coats for heat removal from high-power gallium-nitride transistors is being funded by a recently awarded $420,000 grant from U. S. Office of Naval Research (ONR). It aims at an experimental proof-of-concept demonstration to be conducted in Balandin’s Nano-Device Laboratory (NDL). In addition to the ONR grant, Balandin received a new three-year subcontract with the Interconnect Focus Center (IFC), based at the Georgia Institute of Technology, that deals with graphene interconnects and heat spreaders for three-dimensional (3-D) electronics. According to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, in the next five years, up to 80 percent of microprocessor power will be consumed by the interconnect wiring—a driver for the search for new interconnect materials and innovative methods of heat removal. Another recent subcontract awarded to Balandin is with the Functional Engineered Nano Architectonics (FENA) center based at UCLA. In this center, he investigates the problems of energy dissipation in graphene nanostructures and nanodevices. Combined new funding secured by Balandin this month for the three projects exceeds $1 million. The centers’ funding comes from the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) and Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). Because graphene is only one molecule thick, it didn’t lend itself to traditional methods of thermal conductivity measurement. Balandin led a team of researchers that first measured it using an original non-conventional technique in 2008. The procedure involved a non-contact approach on the basis of Raman spectroscopy utilizing the inelastic scattering of photons (light) by phonons (crystal vibrations). The power dissipated in graphene and corresponding temperature rise were detected by extremely small shifts in the wavelength of the light scattered from graphene. That was sufficient to extract the values of the thermal conductivity through an elaborate mathematical procedure. Balandin’s research group discovered that the thermal conductivity of large suspended graphene sheets varies in the range from about 3000 to 5300 W/mK (watts per meter per degree Kelvin) near room temperature. These are very high values, which exceed those of carbon nanotubes (3,000-3,500 W/mK) and diamond (1,000-2,200 W/mK). As a result of his findings, Balandin has proposed several innovative graphene-based approaches for thermal management , which might lead to creation of a new technology for local cooling and hot-spot spreading in the high-power-density and ultra-fast chips. A detailed description of Balandin’s graphene and thermal management research can be found in his invited popular science article, â€Å"Chill Out,† in the October 2009 issue of IEEE Spectrum, the magazine of the The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Essay evaluating use of speculators and arbitrageurs to a treasury.

Essay evaluating use of speculators and arbitrageurs to a treasury. "Essay evaluating use of speculators and arbitrageurs to a treasury"A multinational corporation is a business firm that operates in more than one country. An example of a multinational corporation could be an electronics company producing televisions. They may be designed in the UK, parts bought from Korea, China and Estonia and then assembled in Taiwan. These types of firms move a good bit of financial capital around the world.Financial managers in the multinational corporations treasury department have the task of moving capital among nations. Treasuries look after the liquid resources of an organisation. This duty must be efficient and involve financial analysts working in international commercial banks, investment banks, pension fund, life insurance companies and mutual funds.The management of liquid resources has become a very complex task. Multinational corporations treasuries require a wide range of methods to minimise foreign exchange risk. Treasuries need good relations with all types of financial institutions to borrow funds directly and to maintain confidence amongst current and potential investors.Ø §Ã™â€žÃ˜ ¹Ã˜ ±Ã˜ ¨Ã™Å Ã˜ ©: Ø ­Ã˜ ±Ã™Æ'Ø © Ø §Ã™â€žÃ˜ £Ã˜ ³Ã™â€¡Ã™â€¦ Ù Ã™Å  Ø ³Ã™Ë†Ã™â€š ...Multinational corporations engage in foreign exchange transactions and are exposed to transaction exposure. For example, a firm in Vietnam wishes to import instant noodles form China. The firm in Vietnam may be expected to pay in Yuan. The problem is that, as the Vietnese company has agreed to the price in Yuan, there is a chance that the Dong will weaken against the Yuan in the intervening time between signing the contract, receiving the goods and paying the invoice. This would mean that the Vietnese company would have paid more for the Chinese goods in terms of Dong than they had envisaged when they had signed the contract. This would lead to a reduction in anticipated profits or possibly a loss on the transaction. The use of speculators or arbitrageurs could avoid this...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Normality and Normalcy

Normality and Normalcy Normality and Normalcy Normality and Normalcy By Maeve Maddox Audrey Bennett asks: Can normalcy and normality be used interchangeably? Both nouns derive from the adjective normal. normal: conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected. The adverb is normally. According to some speakers, normalcy is an abominable neologism to be avoided at all costs. This attitude is illustrated by this comment praising a writer for preferring normality over normalcy: A Nobel in Literature to you for writing â€Å"return to normality† instead of the ugly neologism â€Å"normalcy,† first popularized by Warren G. Harding. Actually, according to the OED, this particular neologism was around as early as 1857, nearly half a century before Harding used it in his campaign in 1920 when he promised a return to normalcy. The following examples are all from U.S. publications: After Opener, Giants Hoping for Normalcy For a man doing time on the yard, sports offer a touch of normality and tangible contact with his life outside. Pasternack hoping to bring normalcy to New Orleans Seventeen years later, my quest for normality had taken me through a career in journalism†¦ AFTER THE STORM; South Florida Staggers to Normality Evacuees Worry and Hope for Return to Normalcy Normalcy is not interchangeable with normality in some contexts. For example, in comparing an untypical condition to a typical condition, one would want to pair abnormality with normality and not normalcy. Although the form abnormalcy is showing up on the web and even in some dictionaries, its not in the OED, and it is not standard in American speech. Bottom line: Normalcy is well established and acceptable in standard American speech, although it is not interchangeable with normality in some contexts. Normality, on the other hand, suits every context in which the sense the state or condition of being normal is intended. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Bare or Bear With Me?How to Pronounce MobileNominalized Verbs

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Measurements of Unemployment and Inflation Essay

Measurements of Unemployment and Inflation - Essay Example The output and the productivity of a business organization are significantly dependent on the employment as well as unemployment rates. This is because of Productivity = Output/Employment and therefore, Employment = Output/Productivity. Hence, it can be stated that the productivity of a business organization is directly proportional to employment. Therefore, it is quite important for the organizations to measure the unemployment rates in order to determine their productivity. These measurements further facilitate the organizations to prepare for the fluctuations that generally take place in the economy (Blanchard, Solow, & Wilson, 2012). Apart from unemployment, the business organizations need to measure the inflation as well. This is because of the reason that consumers’ spending and investment activities are chiefly dependent upon the rate of inflation. A high inflation rate discourages the investors and consequently reduces the amount of investment in the economy. Moreover, high inflation rates are likely to reduce the return on investment and further can result in a downfall in terms of demand in the economy. These reasons make it quite imperative for the management of an organization to carry out timely measurements of the inflation rates (National Grid for Learning, 2009). Furthermore, it is quite essential for business organizations to manipulate the price of their goods which is likely to be valuable when there is a high inflation rate in the economy. Re-pricing is a quite expensive process and in order to avoid frequent re-pricing of the products, the management of the organizations needs to measure the inflation rates. In addition, inflation causes the prices of the raw materials to grow high as well as the prices of other components to rise. These factors compel the business organizations to explore for contemptible raw materials and subsequently increase the cost for the organization. Owing to this, the management of the business needs to mea sure the inflation rate to minimize these costs. Moreover, with an increase in inflation rates, the business organizations face the demands for increasing the wage rates. This further leads to negotiation activities with the employees as well as the labor unions causing chaos in the management system. Therefore, in order to mitigate these threats, the management of the organizations are required to measure the inflation rates (National Grid for Learning, 2009). 2. What Analyses Might A Manager Do To Learn More About A Specific Company Or Industry? In order to learn more about a specific company or industry, a manager can carry out various analysis strategies such as the value chain analysis, Porter’s five forces’ model analysis, and SWOT analysis among others.