Question Four
Eric Aboagye was a 29-year-old math teacher at Ako Basic School in Pru District. He empathized with his students and was devoted to their success. A colleague described Aboagye as a “star teacher” and a “very hard worker, who will go the extra mile.” Aboagye was a teacher when Mary Afenya was Pru District’s school superintendent. Afenya set accountability measures for the Pru District school district and created performance objectives for the schools. Teacher evaluations were linked to students’ performance on standardized tests. Schools whose students did not make appropriate progress toward the standardized test goals received escalating sanctions that culminated in replacement of teachers and other staff, and restructuring or closing of the school. Ako Basic School had been classified as “a school in need of improvement” for the previous five years. Unless 58 percent of students passed the math portion of the standardized test and 67 percent passed the language arts portion, Ako Basic School could be closed down. Its students would be separated and bussed across town to different schools. Aboagye pushed his students to work harder than they ever had in preparing for the test. But he knew that it would be very difficult for many of them to pass. Mr. Mensah, the new principal of Ako Basic School, had heard that teachers in the elementary schools that fed into Ako had changed their students’ answers on the standardized tests under the guise of erasing stray pencil marks. Mr. Mensah asked Aboagye and other teachers to do the same. Aboagye found the exams of students who needed to get a few more questions right in order to pass. He changed their answers. If he did not change their scores, Aboagye feared that his students would lapse into “why try” attitudes. They would lose their neighborhood school and the community that had developed within it. Thanks to Aboagye and other teachers, students of Ako did better than ever on the standardized tests. Salomey, a former student at Ako at the time, recalled, “Everyone was jumping up and down,” after a teacher announced the school had met the requirements. The same process of changing answers continued at Ako for about five years. In the fifth year, nine other teachers were helping Aboagye change answers. Later in that year, the investigation unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES) visited Ako and other Pru District schools. The results of the investigation showed that, teachers and administrators at 20 schools had cheated in the manner that Aboagye had. Also, 78 teachers who had confessed or been accused of cheating were placed on administrative leave, including Aboagye. Later, Aboagye’ employment was terminated. (All characters used in the case are hypothetical)
1. In this case study, indicate and explain two benefits and three disadvantages of falsifying the results (make reference to relevant ethical theories and/or approaches).
2. Do you think cheating can ever be ethically justifiable? Why or why not (Explain three reasons – make reference to relevant ethical approaches)?
In: Operations Management
Zynga, located in San Francisco, California, had become a dominant player in the online gaming field, almost entirely through the use of social media platforms. The company name was established by the founder and original CEO, Mark Pincus, to pay tribute to his late beloved pet bulldog, named Zinga. Although this seems whimsical, Zynga had quickly become a powerful company. To exemplify Zynga’s prominence, Facebook was reported to have earned roughly 12 percent of its 2011 revenue from the operations of Zynga’s virtual merchandise sales. On the basis of this success, Zynga had gone public in December of 2011.
Zynga had been a dominant force, but had lost market share in recent years due to the absence of a new and innovative product pipeline. Lack of new product-driven growth had led to uneven revenues, with significant losses – over $108 million in 2016. Even though Zynga had released some new mobile games, which accounted for 73 percent of the company’s revenue in 2015, this was not enough to reverse declines from the existing product lineup.
Zynga’s long term viability may be at risk because of questionable decision making. Many of Zynga’s competitors, and even some partners, had been displeased with the company’s actions and had shown it in the form of litigation. Agincourt, a plaintiff of a lawsuit brought against Zynga, was quoted as saying, “Zynga’s remarkable growth has not been driven by its own ingenuity. Rather it has been widely reported that Zynga’s business model is to copy creative ideas and game designs from other game developers and then use its market power to bulldoze the games’ originators.” Zynga had been accused of copyright infringement, breach of written contract, and, internally, had a reputation for a risk-averse company culture that failed to reward innovation and creativity. Regarding its users, complaint resolution consisted of email-only support, and there was concern that customer information was not being properly protected against unauthorized access.
To make matters worse, Zynga had had four CEO changes since 2013, with the most recent one, Frank Gibeau from Electronic Arts, installed in March of 2016, now expected to turn the company around. Although Zynga had once been a dominant force on Facebook, by 2016 it had failed to surface in the top 5 virtual-gaming rankings, with users increasingly choosing to play King Company’s Candy Crush Saga and others.
As Zynga looks to the future, where will its next big hit come from? With all the criticism aimed at Zynga’s past behavior, will the company continue on the path it has become notorious for and reap further accusations of imitating its competitors’ games and putting customers potentially at risk? Or will Zynga change its approach, gain a reputation for intellectual integrity and begin creating true one-of-a-kind games—showing its capabilities as a leader in the industry rather than a follower?
In: Accounting
Question-Case Study:
Read the following case study carefully and answer the questions given at the END.
.
Playing Monopoly: Microsoft
The success of Bill Gates together with his company Microsoft and the most favors Windows computer operating systems that are still dominating the PC operating system market has always been an excellent example stimulating the youths in the It industry to follow. But the business success and seemingly amazing technology innovation should not be very strong reasons why the ethical issues related to Microsoft and its co-founder Bill Gates could be rationalized and tolerated. Since the company’s first operating system, MS-DOS (the prototype of which was brought from Gate’s friend without notifying his friend about the later usage of the system), the company been involved in a number of issues from which some of the business practices and some decisions are criticized in term of breaking the moral rules and create unfairness in the industry. For example, after the release of the first Windows
.
system, many Macintosh (an Apple personal computer) users complained Microsoft had “stolen” the look and feel of the and Apple by developing a similar operating system following Apple in term of similar pull-down menus and icons and usage of mouse. And similar victims also include the famous browser developer, Netscape and the Sun Microsystems, the Java language developer.
In the year 1981, Bill Gates purchased an operating system written by his friend for $60,000. But he sold it to IBM without informing his friend. After that IBM licensed it as MS-DOS. Though the deal became profitable but Gates failed if ethical values of him are evaluated. Microsoft at that time was owned by him and his friend, so any decision taken by either of them before implementation should be well acknowledged by both of them. Gates didn’t think of it and without informing his friend about the meeting offered that operating system to IBM.
.
In the year 1984, Apple launched a new operating system for its computers which have advanced graphics aiding users to select icons and pull down menus on the screen with mouse. This operating system outperformed MS-DOS which uses characters to issue commands to the computers to perform the task but now commands can be issued by selecting icons. Then in 1987, Microsoft released a new operating system with IBM machine which copied the advanced graphics idea of Apple and named it Windows. On ethical terms, this was totally wrong on part of Microsoft copying the concept of Operating System of Apple which was all copyrighted.
.
In 1990, Netscape emerged as a new competitor for Microsoft in network market and launched in Dec, 1994, a new advanced web browser called Navigator. People started feeling lack of importance of Operating System and in their eyes browser became dominant. Netscape sales increased creating a threat to Microsoft. With response to the same Microsoft introduced its web browser called Internet Explorer by copying all the features of Netscape’s web browser. Internet Explore was also first licensed by Spyglass Inc. to Microsoft. The chairman gave taunting comments
.
on Microsoft that this company can build itself the software you have developed and have licensed to them and then issue it in its OS and is put to use. Ethically again, copying features of Netscape was not a step to be taken.
.
In the year 1995, Microsoft saw the threat arising from navigator; a web browser by Netscape and Java by Sun Microsystems and therefore arranged a meeting with Netscape executives and proposed them to serve its browser to the users not using windows only i.e. 10 percent of the computers that run on Apple’s OS/2, remaining using Windows will be served by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and later after refusal by Netscape on this deal, Microsoft refused to even share the codes of Windows 95. By 1995, Microsoft had built Internet Explorer so as to compete with Navigator and the monopoly they thought was incorporating Internet Explorer in Windows. Windows incorporated a copy of Internet Explorer with its operating system which was the default browser for the computer and users were unable to remove its icon. Thus ethically Microsoft didn’t think about the consumers.
Consumers now were bounded to use Internet Explorer only as Windows didn’t allow any other browser to get installed. Moreover Windows also incorporated a copy of digital media player with its operating system. Windows 98 also contained some codes for Internet Explorer but was made slow in functioning by the company so that user couldn’t even think of removing embedded software within Windows as it now became risky and slow.
In early 1998, Microsoft polluted the Java’s market by introducing Microsoft’s Java which was basically the property of SUN. It has removed Java’s platform independent feature and made it by default available with its operating system. Microsoft entered into an agreement with Sun Microsystems for giving it right to license and to distribute Java with Windows. Later Microsoft changed Java and embedded it with Windows and was called Microsoft’s java.
It is very much clear about incidences that Microsoft has been unethical in its approaches. Rather that applying their own thoughts, most of the products they
have released by copying ideas unethically from other competitor’s products. Rather than having the fair competition in the market Gates always tried to monopolize the market. Though all the monopoly has brought him profit but ethically Microsoft didn’t’
.
Answer Both Questions:
Question 01. With reference to the case suggest how the Microsoft might differ if this had been a (monopolistic) competitive environment.
In: Economics
Question-2:
Playing Monopoly: Microsoft
The success of Bill Gates together with his company Microsoft and the most favors Windows computer operating systems that are still dominating the PC operating system market has always been an excellent example stimulating the youths in the It industry to follow. But the business success and seemingly amazing technology innovation should not be very strong reasons why the ethical issues related to Microsoft and its co-founder Bill Gates could be rationalized and tolerated. Since the company’s first operating system, MS-DOS (the prototype of which was brought from Gate’s friend without notifying his friend about the later usage of the system), the company been involved in a number of issues from which some of the business practices and some decisions are criticized in term of breaking the moral rules and create unfairness in the industry. For example, after the release of the first Windows
system, many Macintosh (an Apple personal computer) users complained Microsoft had “stolen” the look and feel of the and Apple by developing a similar operating system following Apple in term of similar pull-down menus and icons and usage of mouse. And similar victims also include the famous browser developer, Netscape and the Sun Microsystems, the Java language developer.
In the year 1981, Bill Gates purchased an operating system written by his friend for $60,000. But he sold it to IBM without informing his friend. After that IBM licensed it as MS-DOS. Though the deal became profitable but Gates failed if ethical values of him are evaluated. Microsoft at that time was owned by him and his friend, so any decision taken by either of them before implementation should be well acknowledged by both of them. Gates didn’t think of it and without informing his friend about the meeting offered that operating system to IBM.
In the year 1984, Apple launched a new operating system for its computers which have advanced graphics aiding users to select icons and pull down menus on the screen with mouse. This operating system outperformed MS-DOS which uses characters to issue commands to the computers to perform the task but now commands can be issued by selecting icons. Then in 1987, Microsoft released a new operating system with IBM machine which copied the advanced graphics idea of Apple and named it Windows. On ethical terms, this was totally wrong on part of Microsoft copying the concept of Operating System of Apple which was all copyrighted.
In 1990, Netscape emerged as a new competitor for Microsoft in network market and launched in Dec, 1994, a new advanced web browser called Navigator. People started feeling lack of importance of Operating System and in their eyes browser became dominant. Netscape sales increased creating a threat to Microsoft. With response to the same Microsoft introduced its web browser called Internet Explorer by copying all the features of Netscape’s web browser. Internet Explore was also first licensed by Spyglass Inc. to Microsoft. The chairman gave taunting comments
on Microsoft that this company can build itself the software you have developed and have licensed to them and then issue it in its OS and is put to use. Ethically again, copying features of Netscape was not a step to be taken.
In the year 1995, Microsoft saw the threat arising from navigator; a web browser by Netscape and Java by Sun Microsystems and therefore arranged a meeting with Netscape executives and proposed them to serve its browser to the users not using windows only i.e. 10 percent of the computers that run on Apple’s OS/2, remaining using Windows will be served by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and later after refusal by Netscape on this deal, Microsoft refused to even share the codes of Windows 95. By 1995, Microsoft had built Internet Explorer so as to compete with Navigator and the monopoly they thought was incorporating Internet Explorer in Windows. Windows incorporated a copy of Internet Explorer with its operating system which was the default browser for the computer and users were unable to remove its icon. Thus ethically Microsoft didn’t think about the consumers. Consumers now were bounded to use Internet Explorer only as Windows didn’t allow any other browser to get installed. Moreover Windows also incorporated a copy of digital media player with its operating system. Windows 98 also contained some codes for Internet Explorer but was made slow in functioning by the company so that user couldn’t even think of removing embedded software within Windows as it now became risky and slow.
In early 1998, Microsoft polluted the Java’s market by introducing Microsoft’s Java which was basically the property of SUN. It has removed Java’s platform independent feature and made it by default available with its operating system. Microsoft entered into an agreement with Sun Microsystems for giving it right to license and to distribute Java with Windows. Later Microsoft changed Java and embedded it with Windows and was called Microsoft’s java.
It is very much clear about incidences that Microsoft has been unethical in its approaches. Rather that applying their own thoughts, most of the products they
have released by copying ideas unethically from other competitor’s products. Rather than having the fair competition in the market Gates always tried to monopolize the market. Though all the monopoly has brought him profit but ethically Microsoft didn’t’
Answer Both Questions:
A. What characteristics of the market of systems do you think created monopoly market that Microsoft’s operating system enjoyed? (500 words)
B. With reference to the case suggest how the Microsoft might differ if this had been a (monopolistic) competitive environment. (500 words)
In: Economics
| Date |
|---|
| - month: int - day: int - year: int |
| +Date() +Date(month: int, day: int, year: int) +setDate(month: int, day: int, year: int): void -setDay(day: int): void -setMonth(month: int): void -setYear(year: int): void +getMonth():int +getDay():int +getYear():int +isLeapYear(): boolean +determineSeason(): string +printDate():void |
Create the class
Once the Date class is complete, Create a Main class and copy the main given below into it.
Follow the directions in the main method. There is one method you have to write
Put your statements below the comments, so you know what the directions are for that particular section
import java.util.Scanner;
public class Main
{
public static Scanner kb = new Scanner(System.in);
public static void main(String [] args)
{
Date birth;
String again;
// Refer to format for all formatting
// Ask the user to type in if they want to enter their birthday
// make a loop that will allow them to continue entering dates
// until the don't answer with a y - you are just adding the boolean expression
while(...)
{
// call the enterDate method to allow user to enter the date
System.out.println();
// Call method to print date
//Using method in class print out if it is a leapyear or not
//Using method in class print out the season
// Ask the user to type in if they want to enter their birthday
// This is basically asking if they want to do it again
System.out.println();
}
}
// Method: enterDate
// This method asks the user to enter the month, day, and year
// It then creates an object and returns the object
}
Sample Output
Do you want information about your birthday Y/N? Y Enter the month: 3 Enter the day: 20 Enter the year: 2000 Date entered: 03/20/2000 You were born in a leap year You were born in the Spring Do you want information about your birthday Y/N? y Enter the month: 12 Enter the day: 21 Enter the year: 1998 Date entered: 12/21/1998 You were not born in a leap year You were born in the Winter Do you want information about your birthday Y/N? y Enter the month: 2 Enter the day: 29 Enter the year: 1995 29 is an invalid day. Day will be set to 1. Date entered: 02/01/1995 You were not born in a leap year You were born in the Winter Do you want information about your birthday Y/N? y Enter the month: 2 Enter the day: 29 Enter the year: 2008 Date entered: 02/29/2008 You were born in a leap year You were born in the Winter Do you want information about your birthday Y/N? Y Enter the month: 6 Enter the day: 20 Enter the year: 1999 Date entered: 06/20/1999 You were not born in a leap year You were born in the Spring Do you want information about your birthday Y/N? y Enter the month: 9 Enter the day: 22 Enter the year: -5 -5 is an invalid year. Year will be set to 1900. Date entered: 09/22/1900 You were not born in a leap year You were born in the Autumn Do you want information about your birthday Y/N? Y Enter the month: 13 Enter the day: 15 Enter the year: 2000 13 is an invalid month. Month will be set to 1. Date entered: 01/15/2000 You were born in a leap year You were born in the Winter Do you want information about your birthday Y/N? y Enter the month: 9 Enter the day: 31 Enter the year: 1984 31 is an invalid day. Day will be set to 1. Date entered: 09/01/1984 You were born in a leap year You were born in the Summer Do you want information about your birthday Y/N? n
In: Computer Science
The DeBourgh Manufacturing Company was founded in 1909 as a metal-fabricating company in Minnesota by the four Berg brothers. In the 1980s, the company ran into hard times, as did the rest of the metal-fabricating industry. Among the problems that DeBourgh faced were declining sales, deteriorating labor relations, and increasing costs. Labour unions had resisted cost-cutting measures. Losses were piling up in the heavy job-shop fabrication division, which was the largest of the company’s three divisions. A division that made pedestrian steel bridges closed in 1990. The remaining company division, producer of All-American lockers, had to move to a lower-cost environment.
In 1990, with the company’s survival at stake, the firm made a risky decision and moved everything from its high-cost location in Minnesota to a lower-cost area in La Junta, Colorado. Eighty semi-trailer trucks were used to move equipment and inventory 1,000 miles at a cost of $1.2 million. The company was relocated to a building in La Junta that had stood vacant for three years. Only 10 of the Minnesota workers transferred with the company, which quickly hired and trained 80 more workers in La Junta. By moving to La Junta, the company was able to go nonunion.
DeBourgh also faced a financial crisis. A bank that had been loaning the company money for 35 years would no longer do so. In addition, a costly severance package was worked out with Minnesota workers to keep production going during the move. An internal stock-purchase “earnout” was arranged between company president Steven C. Berg and his three aunts, who were the other principal owners.
The roof of the building that was to be the new home of DeBourgh Manufacturing in La Junta was badly in need of repair. During the first few weeks of production, heavy rains fell on the area and production was all but halted. However, DeBourgh was able to overcome these obstacles. One year later, locker sales achieved record-high sales levels each month. The company is now more profitable than ever with sales topping $6 million. Much credit has been given to the positive spirit of teamwork fostered among its approximately 80 employees. Emphasis shifted to employee involvement in decision making, quality, teamwork, employee participation in compensation action, and shared profits. In addition, DeBourgh became a more socially responsible company by doing more for the town in which it is located and by using paints that are more environmentally friendly.
After its move in 1990 to La Junta, Colorado, and its new initiatives, the DeBourgh Manufacturing Company began an upward climb of record sales. Table 1 shows the DeBourgh monthly sales figures from January 1993 through December 2001 (in $1,000s).
DeBourgh accountants computed a per-unit cost of lockers for each year since 1988, as shown in Table 2. Management has provided you with this data in the form of an Excel workbook.
Source: Adapted from “DeBourgh Manufacturing Company: A Move That Saved a Company,” Real-World Lessons for America’s Small Businesses: Insights from the Blue Chip Enterprise Initiative. Published by Nation’s Business magazine on behalf of Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in association with the Blue Chip Enterprise Initiative, 1992. See also DeBourgh, available at htt;://www.debourgh.com: and the Web site containing Colorado Springs top business stories, available at http://www.csbj.com/1998/981113/top_stor.htm.
The Assignment:
This assignment may be completed in groups of up to 4 students. Your task is to provide Steven Berg with a forecast of sales and per-unit labour costs for 2002.
For each data set:
Plot the data as a function of time.
Select an approach you believe will be effective in forecasting this data set.
?
Write a brief (no more than ½ page) explanation of why you chose the method you did – observations about the data and characteristics of the chosen methodology.
?
Generate a forecast for 2002. Show the spreadsheet(s) you used to build the model. Annotate briefly to explain your methodology.
|
TABLE 1 |
SALES FIGURES |
||||||||
|
Month |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
January |
139.7 |
165.1 |
177.8 |
228.6 |
266.7 |
431.8 |
381 |
431.8 |
495.3 |
|
February |
114.3 |
177.8 |
203.2 |
254 |
317.5 |
457.2 |
406.4 |
444.5 |
533.4 |
|
March |
101.6 |
177.8 |
228.6 |
266.7 |
368.3 |
457.2 |
431.8 |
495.3 |
635 |
|
April |
152.4 |
203.2 |
279.4 |
342.9 |
431.8 |
482.6 |
457.2 |
533.4 |
673.1 |
|
May |
215.9 |
241.3 |
317.5 |
355.6 |
457.2 |
533.4 |
495.3 |
558.8 |
749.3 |
|
June |
228.6 |
279.4 |
330.2 |
406.4 |
571.5 |
622.3 |
584.2 |
647.7 |
812.8 |
|
July |
215.9 |
292.1 |
368.3 |
444.5 |
546.1 |
660.4 |
609.6 |
673.1 |
800.1 |
|
August |
190.5 |
317.5 |
355.6 |
431.8 |
482.6 |
520.7 |
558.8 |
660.4 |
736.6 |
|
September |
177.8 |
203.2 |
241.3 |
330.2 |
431.8 |
508 |
508 |
609.6 |
685.8 |
|
October |
139.7 |
177.8 |
215.9 |
330.2 |
406.4 |
482.6 |
495.3 |
584.2 |
635 |
|
November |
139.7 |
165.1 |
215.9 |
304.8 |
393.7 |
457.2 |
444.5 |
520.7 |
622.3 |
|
December |
152.4 |
177.8 |
203.2 |
292.1 |
406.4 |
431.8 |
419.1 |
482.6 |
622.3 |
|
TABLE 2 |
COST OF LOCKERS |
|
Year |
Per-Unit Labor Cost |
|
1988 |
$80.15 |
|
1989 |
85.29 |
|
1990 |
85.75 |
|
1991 |
64.23 |
|
1992 |
63.70 |
|
1993 |
62.54 |
|
1994 |
60.19 |
|
1995 |
59.84 |
|
1996 |
57.29 |
|
1997 |
58.74 |
|
1998 |
55.01 |
|
1999 |
56.20 |
|
2000 |
55.93 |
|
2001 |
55.60 |
In: Operations Management
Canadian Wildfires Choke Lumber Supply to U.S. Home Builders
Blazes and trade spat fuel surge in prices
Wildfires in Canada are pushing up the price of lumber, threatening the supply to U.S. home builders. Lumber futures have soared in July as blazes spread across the province of British Columbia, leaving many U.S. wholesalers short-handed. Lumber dealers ran down their inventories this year as a trade spat between the administration of President Donald Trump and Canadian officials sparked wild price swings. Then Canada’s wildfires, a threat every summer, turned out to be the hardest on the lumber industry in more than a decade. Now home builders in the U.S., which gets around a third of its lumber from Canada, fear prices might climb even higher as wholesalers try to restock amid the price surge. British Columbia produces nearly half of all Canadian lumber, according to Statistics Canada. “People need wood now,” said Paul Harder, a timber trader at wholesaler Dakeryn Industries in North Vancouver, which sells to U.S. lumber yards. “Little lumber is being offered out there.” Lumber futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, an indicator of price expectations for the months ahead, rose above $400 per 1,000 board feet in mid-July. That was near a 12-year high reached in April before the Trump administration accused Canada of unfairly subsidizing its forestry industry and started slapping tariffs as high as 30% on some timber imports to the U.S. Canadian officials deny the allegations The tariffs, which are preliminary and could be rolled back this year, add an estimated $1,700 to the price of a typical home, said the National Association of Home Builders. Average new, single family-home prices rose to a record $406,400 in May, according to the Commerce Department. A fifth of U.S. home builders reported a shortage of framing lumber in May, according to a survey by the association and Wells Fargo . Confidence among home builders fell to an eight-month low in July amid concerns over rising lumber costs, the association said last week. “You can’t budget for unforeseen lumber costs,” said Brett Boyce, owner of Split Rock Fine Homes in St. George, Utah, and president of the state’s home builders’ association. He said the cost of lumber for recent jobs has risen about 20%. “It does end up getting passed along to the consumer,” he said. David Goodwin Jr. , a home builder in Memphis, Tenn., has already raised prices about 5% since the lumber tariffs took effect. He said he worries the wildfires could stoke further lumber price increases. A stronger Canadian dollar also has weighed on lumber shipments. The currency has gained nearly 10% against the U.S. dollar since May. Now U.S. home builders say Canada’s raging wildfires are threatening to push prices even higher at the peak of the summer construction season. “A lot of guys had their hands in their pockets waiting for some lower prices in August,” said Brian Leonard, a lumber analyst at the Chicago Board of Trade. “It’s the perfect storm.” Not all are seeing the impact yet. Alan Laing, executive vice president of home building operations for Taylor Morrison Inc., said it is “business as usual” for the Arizona-based home builder, which operates in eight states and had 2016 revenue of $3.6 billion. The prices Taylor Morrison obtains from lumber distributors is a 90-day blended average that doesn’t take into account the recent increase seen on the futures market, he said. “We expect pricing to be flat over the next two to three months,” he said. Additionally, Mr. Laing said he hasn’t heard from suppliers about a potential shortage of lumber, although if wildfires continue, that could lead to an increase in prices of oriented strand board, a type of particle board lumber produced in British Columbia that is used for roof and wall sheeting. Canadian officials said Sunday that some 150 fires were still burning in British Columbia, where about 30,000 people have been evacuated. More than a half-dozen lumber mills, which produce about 14% of the province’s timber and 3% of North American output, according to industry newsletter Random Lengths, have closed. Forest fires haven’t affected prices so dramatically since 2003, said Jon Anderson, the newsletter’s publisher. About 913,000 acres have burned, an area the size of Rhode Island. British Columbia Premier John Horgan on Wednesday extended a state of emergency in the province for an additional two weeks. Meanwhile, U.S. lumber merchants say their stocks are running low. “I wish I had more, but I don’t,” said Stinson Dean, a lumber wholesaler in Kansas City, Mo. “People were gearing up to restock and then the forest fires happen.” Write to Benjamin Parkin at [email protected] and David George-Cosh at [email protected] Appeared in the July 24, 2017, print edition as 'Wildfires Choke Lumber Supply.' SUMMARY: Lumber prices from Canada are being pushed up by a trade dispute with the United States, by wildfires in British Columbia, and by a stronger Canadian dollar. The price increases are creating challenges for U.S. home builders and increasing the costs of new homes in the U.S. The Trump administration has accused Canada of unfairly subsidizing its forestry industry and in April imposed tariffs as high as 30% on some timber imports to the U.S. Any further price increases as a result of the 150 Canadian wildfires that have burned more than 913,000 acres could create unforeseen lumber costs at the peak of the summer construction season. CLASSROOM APPLICATION: This article can be used to highlight the challenges with having a global supply chain and to discuss how tariffs can create difficulties for industries.
QUESTIONS: - 20 pts.
1. Why are prices for Canadian lumber increasing?
2. What are the risks of having a global supply chain that is dependent on one nation for key inputs?
3. How can U.S. construction companies best respond to the increasing prices for Canadian lumber?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages to the United States of imposing tariffs on imports of Canadian lumber?
In: Economics
Using Ruby
Your extended Text Based Music Application must add the following functionality:
Display a menu that offers the user the following options:
1. Read in Albums
2. Display Albums
3. Select an Album to play
4. Update an existing Album
5. Exit the application
Menu option 1 should prompt the user to enter a filename of a file that contains the following information:
·The number of albums
·The first album name
·The first artist name
·The genre of the album
·The number of tracks (up to a maximum of 15)
·The name and file location (path) of each track.
·The album information for the remaining albums.
Menu option 2 should allow the user to either display all albums or all albums for a particular genre. The albums should be listed with a unique album number which can be used in Option 3 to select an album to play. The album number should serve the role of a ‘primary key’ for locating an album. But it is allocated internally by your program, not by the user.
Menu option 3 should prompt the user to enter the primary key (or album number) for an album as listed using Menu option 2.If the album is found the program should list all the tracks for the album, along with track numbers. The user should then be prompted to enter a track number. If the track number exists, then the system should display the message “Playing track ” then the track name, “ from album ” then the album name. You may or may not call an external program to play the track, but if not the system should delay for several seconds before returning to the main menu.
Menu option 4 should allow the user to enter a unique album number and change its title or genre. The updated album should then be displayed to the user and the user prompted to press enter to return to the main menu (you do not need to update the file at this level)..
At this level minimum validation is required. Just make sure your program does not crash if incorrect values are entered and that all fields have an expected value (eg: perhaps have a default genre of “unknown” in case the user enters and incorrect value for genre).
In: Computer Science
Jody Foster is a 28-year-old Caucasian woman who presents to the emergency department complaining of right-sided rib pain, neck pain, and headache after being physically assaulted by her husband. Last evening her husband came home intoxicated and became angry when their 12-month-old son began to cry. He punched her in the face, chest, then began to choke her by squeezing her neck for about a minute. She began to feel dizzy, but did not lose consciousness. She admits that this is not the first time she has been assaulted by her husband, but acknowledges that it has gotten worse lately.
Her right cheek is swollen with a large abrasion. She has left lateral neck pain, but no cervical spine tenderness. Her headache is on the left side of her head that has been continuous since she was assaulted. She rates it as a 9/10 and a “throbbing” sensation. She has increased pain in her right chest when she takes a deep breath. She has no other neurologic complaints. The CT of her head is normal, and x-rays revealed no facial or rib fractures.
Jody has no family in the community and no close friends who can assist her. She refuses to press charges against her husband, therefore she does not want the police to be notified. Information regarding shelters for women are given to her but Jody wants to go back home because, “My husband left the house to cool off after I left and said he would go to a friend’s house for the night.” Despite the primary care provider communicating that her life is possibly in danger if she returns home, Jody states that she has no place to go. She relates that she does not want to go to a woman’s shelter with her baby because everything is going to be OK and this time, he is really sorry.
What additional data has significance to you? Be sure to explain why/how it is significant.
Based on your data collection, what dilemma is this client facing?
In: Nursing
Jody Foster is a 28-year-old Caucasian woman who presents to the emergency department complaining of right-sided rib pain, neck pain, and headache after being physically assaulted by her husband. Last evening her husband came home intoxicated and became angry when their 12-month-old son began to cry. He punched her in the face, chest, then began to choke her by squeezing her neck for about a minute. She began to feel dizzy, but did not lose consciousness. She admits that this is not the first time she has been assaulted by her husband, but acknowledges that it has gotten worse lately.
Her right cheek is swollen with a large abrasion. She has left lateral neck pain, but no cervical spine tenderness. Her headache is on the left side of her head that has been continuous since she was assaulted. She rates it as a 9/10 and a “throbbing” sensation. She has increased pain in her right chest when she takes a deep breath. She has no other neurologic complaints. The CT of her head is normal, and x-rays revealed no facial or rib fractures.
Jody has no family in the community and no close friends who can assist her. She refuses to press charges against her husband, therefore she does not want the police to be notified. Information regarding shelters for women are given to her but Jody wants to go back home because, “My husband left the house to cool off after I left and said he would go to a friend’s house for the night.” Despite the primary care provider communicating that her life is possibly in danger if she returns home, Jody states that she has no place to go. She relates that she does not want to go to a woman’s shelter with her baby because everything is going to be OK and this time, he is really sorry.
What is the nursing PRIORITY? What nursing diagnosis would you use for this priority?
What are the PRIORITY nursing interventions?
What is the expected response of the patient that indicates nursing interventions were effective?
In: Nursing