Question-Case Study:                                                                               

Read the following case study carefully and answer the questions given at the END.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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’

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Answer Both Questions:

Question 01. With reference to the case suggest how the Microsoft might differ if this had been a (monopolistic) competitive environment.

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)

Create the class

• Constructor with no arguments
  • sets the date to be January 1, 1900
• Constructor with arguments
  • CALLS THE SET FUNCTIONS to set the Month, then set the Year, and then set the Day - IN THAT ORDER
• Get methods (accessors) return the field that the get refers to
• setDate - CALLS THE SET FUNCTIONS to set the Month, then set the Year, and then set the Day - IN THAT ORDER
• setMonth - checks to see if it is a valid month, if it isn't valid, it prints a message and sets the month to 1
• setYear - checks to see if it is a valid year, if it isn't valid (negative is invalid), it prints a message and sets the year to 1900
• setDay - checks to see if it is a valid day for the month that was entered. It also check for leap year (using the method isLeapYear), If the day is not valid, it prints a message and sets the day to 1
• isLeapYear- returns true if it is a leap year and false if it is not
• determineSeason - returns the season. The seasons are Winter, Spring, Autumn, or Summer The dates for each season are:
  Spring: March 20 - June 20
  Summer: June 21 - September 21
  Autumn: September 22 - December 20
  Winter: December 21 - March 19
• printDate- prints the date in the following format: XX/XX/XXXX it does not have a new line at the end.

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

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.

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?

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).

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.

1. What additional data has significance to you? Be sure to explain why/how it is significant.

1. Based on your data collection, what dilemma is this client facing?

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.

1. What is the nursing PRIORITY? What nursing diagnosis would you use for this priority?

2. What are the PRIORITY nursing interventions?

3. What is the expected response of the patient that indicates nursing interventions were effective?

Do you agree or disagree with this text?

Why?

According to the Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen said at a press conference after the central bank’s two-day policy meeting, “at the moment the U.S. economy is performing well, the growth that we are seeing, it’s not based on, for example, an unsustainable buildup of debt, and the global economy is doing well. We’re in a synchronized expansion. This is the first time in many years we’ve seen this.[1]” It is obvious that the United States has a good economy foundation to support the increase of fed rates. Therefore, I recommend that the Federal Reserve should continue to raise the target on the federal funds rate.

As expected, the Federal Reserve raised its bench market interest rate a range between 1.5 percent and 1.75 percent on last Wednesday. Although the Fed began rising rates, the economy still has continually improved. In addition, the economy has added 197,000 jobs a month on average since the Fed began raising rates at the end of 2015. The unemployment rate has held at 4.1 percent for five months, and it is the lowest level since 2001[2].

Because of the increase Fed rates, the economy keeps growing, yet there are some concerns about low inflation persist. Nowadays, the economy has expanded at a fairly steady speed after the financial crisis, and the Fed expects to continue the growth. However, we found that the seventh straight year in which inflation has remained below the 2 percent annual pace that the Fed regards as healthy. In addition, the policymakers have continued to raise Fed rates because most of them are confident that inflation will increase as the economy to grow[3].

According to Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, “The Fed forecasts an endless expansion, with minimal inflation pressure, despite unemployment well below their Nairu estimate, forever and interest rates peaking at 3.1 percent.[4]” Therefore, I agree with that Federal Reserve should continue to raise the target on the federal funds rate, and it brings a lot of benefits to the United States.

The following extract is taken from an announcement released to the Australian Securities Exchange by the Australian Agricultural Company:

AACo announced today its trading results for the three months to 30 September 2003 (Q1 FY04) in which unaudited revenue was $22.1 million from cattle sales equivalent to 12.6 million kilograms. Compared to the same period in 2002, revenue decreased 14%, while sales volume increased 21%. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) for the three months to 30 September 2003 was ($3.2) million and compares with $7.7 million in the previous corresponding period.
The decrease in earnings was primarily due to there being no mark-to- market cattle value appreciation during the quarter compared to the previous corresponding period which saw a mark to market increase to trading cattle of 7.5%.
The lack of early spring rain saw many Queensland producers increase supplies of cattle to market during the quarter with the resulting downward pressure on prices as at 30 September 2003 impacting on the valuation of AACo cattle at that date. This trend has reversed in October, with prices rising in some categories in the order of 10%. Chief Executive Officer of AACO, Mr Peter Holmes à Court said 'We sold a high volume of cattle during the quarter, although the impact of last year's drought meant that they were generally at lighter weights. Prices, however, have subsequently risen due to the short supply of quality, finished cattle.'

Source: ASX Press Release, 30 October 2003, AACo First Quarter FY04 Briefing.
Required
(a) Explain what is meant by 'mark-to-market cattle value appreciation' in the context of AASB 141 'Agriculture'.

(b) Explain why no appreciation in the market value of cattle for the quarter ending 30 September 2003 resulted in a loss of $3.2 million compared to a profit of $7.7 million in the previous corresponding period.

(c) The volatile market conditions which had an impact on the Australian Agricultural Company serve to illustrate the principal difficulty of using fair value less costs to sell for biological assets.' Critically evaluate this comment.