Stock Price Movement of McGraw-Hill Publishing Inc Research Paper

Stock Price Movement of McGraw-Hill Publishing Inc - Research Paper Example As a further proof, consider the profit or loss faced by an investor who invests $1000 in the stocks of the company on October 14, 2008 and sells those very stocks exactly 52 weeks later on October 15, 2009. For simplicity, the opening prices of the stocks have been taken into account. Profit/Loss after Investment On October 14, 2008, opening stock price of McGraw-Hill Publishing = $28.06 Hence, with $1000, number of stocks that the investor purchased = (1000/28.06) ≈ 35.64 However, since number of stocks cannot be in fractions, so, 35 stocks are being considered. So, the purchasing price of 35 stocks = $982.10. Again, on October 15, 2009, opening stock price of McGraw-Hill Publishing = $29.25 Hence, the gross return to the investor after selling 35 stocks = $(29.25 x 35) = $1023.75. Hence, net profit to the investor after 52-weeks = $ (1023.75 – 982.10) = + $41.65. Conclusion Although there had been a net profit in the long-run, but the company had been subject to a number of short-run losses mainly because of inconsistency surrounding some overhanging legal issues. However, Standard & Poor’s which also is owned by MHP and accounts for 75 percent of the company finances, made a huge profit by mid-October, 2009, due to a large number of bond issuance, that led the parent organisation to generate much higher proceeds and consequently, its share price rose to an amount, 25 percent more than what it was on the same day the previous year (Reuters, October 11, 2009).

Sexual Fetishes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sexual Fetishes - Research Paper Example They are difficult to treat, partially because the individual may not want to give up the fetish, partially because the fetish is becoming more socially acceptable and they do not really harm anybody, and partially because there has not been an adequate treatment created (Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders). However, sexual fetishism is only one type of fetish – the term fetishism can extend to any kind of object that is used for worship, such as religious objects or commodities (Dant, 1996, p. 5). According to Kafka (2009) the DSM-III does not account for individuals who have a fetish with certain body parts that are living, such as feet or hands. The hair and nails are considered to be non-living, which is why they were accorded a part of the DSM diagnosis for sexual fetishes and things like a fetish for hands and feet were not (Kafka, 2009). They were, however, later included in the DSM-III-R as being considered to be part of partialism, which was considered to be Paraphilia Not Otherwise Specified (Kafka, 2009). The DSM-III-R expanded the definition of sexual fetishism from the DSM-III, stating that sexual fetishism is defined as â€Å"a) over a period of at least six months, recurrent sexual urges and sexually arousing fantasies involving the use of nonliving objects by themselves; b) the person has acted on these urges, or is markedly distressed by them; and c) the fetishes are not only articles of clothing used in cross-dressing, or devices designed for the purpose of tactile genital stimulation† (DSM-III-R 302.81). However, the DSM-III-R no longer mentioned body parts or products, such as hair and nails, but, rather, common objects such as stockings, bras, women’s underpants, boots, shoes and other wearing apparel. These definitions, including classifying being sexually aroused by body parts such as feet and hands as partialism, or paraphilia not otherwise specified, have persisted in the DSM-IV and the DSM-IV TR (Kafka, 2009). Kafka (2009) discussed whether there should be a separate distinction between partialism and fetishism. Kafka concluded that the definition of fetishism be expanded to include partialism under the rubric of fetishism, as opposed to leaving the definition of partialism as being considered a paraphilia not otherwise specified (Kafka, 2009). One of the reasons why there is a separate category is that there is a necessity, for one to be diagnosed with any type of fetishism, that the individual cannot be sexually aroused unless he or she is in the presence of the particular inanimate object, or that this inanimate object is the primary way that the individual is sexually aroused. If the definition were expanded to include body parts, such as hands and feet, then fetishism loses its very definition, as the majority of people have hands and feet, so it goes without saying that hands and feet will be present in the vast majority of sexual situations(Kafka, 2009). Therefore, fetishism becomes blur red if hands and feet are included in the definition – if a person has a â€Å"fetish† with body parts that are present in most people, then that object will almost always be present, so there is no way of telling if the individual would be sexually aroused if the object such as the hands or feet are not present. On the other hand, when speaking of a true fetish, such as

Energy Meter Reading Using Bluetooth Technology

Energy Meter Reading Using Bluetooth Technology This project is designed with microcontroller, Bluetooth transmitter Receiver, and data cable with PC. Bluetooth is an industrial specification for wireless personal area networks (PANs).Bluetooth provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, laptops, PCs, printers, digital cameras, and video game consoles over a secure, globally unlicensed short-range radio frequency. In microcontroller we can program the cost per unit. So it receives the pulse from signal conditioning unit and increments the count value. Corresponding unit and cost are displayed on the LCD display. In this project the energy meter will send the meter reading to the Bluetooth device via the microcontroller. The Bluetooth thus transmits the data and sends it to the receiving side which will be indicated on the computer screen. The reading can be sent back after sufficient calculation to the energy meter display via Bluetooth devices. Introduction: A huge manpower is arranged by electric power company to collect the electricity meter reading. It is a costly job and easily getting wrong readings. In some cases, the staff of electric power company is not able to enter the private house and hence needed to estimate the power usage. An innovative solution is created to simplify the job by using Bluetooth technology. Meter reading can be taken easily and efficiently by using a Bluetooth device connected to the electric power meters with Bluetooth module installed. By using this solution, it eliminates the human error and does not need to estimate the electricity usage anymore. As a result, electric power company can reduce the operation time dramatically. This project basically aims to provide a new wireless design for Energy Meter Reading using Bluetooth Technology. Traditional system: During a research at the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, a questionnaire was conducted about the traditional methods of Assessment of Meter Reading followed in Tamil Nadu and was found that few years ago there were readings taken manually and costs generated by manual calculation which has now been replaced by the project called BEST (Billing for Essential Services in TNEB) scheme which has two phases of implementation. With this project TNEB plans to computerize all their collection centers spread across Tamil Nadu. A handheld device is used by the assessor to generate the bill of the consumer based on the observed reading. The remote rural office of TNEB is being connected to a circle office and the circle office is being connected to the Regional office. Gemini Communication Ltd (GCL), a Chennai based leader in Communication Networking solutions did the first phase for about 456 Collection centers spread across 9 regions and deployed the servers and storage products for this network and hence the data that is being typed in at the remote rural office will automatically be saved in the server of the Regional office. In the second phase TNEB would implement the system in 8 regions catering to 1725 collection centers. This is the second phase of the project and will be used by 8 Chief Engineers and expected to benefit over 1.5 crore consumers. Proposed system: However in the existing system there is no solution provided for the misread meters and manual errors by the assessors. Also it does not provide a solution to reduce the manpower required as assessors. The proposed method is that of a wireless meter reading system. A mobile van or motorbike can be used by the staff to visit a street and it is required to enter only the building code to access all the meter readings of the building. The proposed design involves a microcontroller block that read up to 16 energy meters per building. Then the bill of the individual meter will be generated and displayed on the LCD screen of the microcontroller at the consumer end. This system will provide the readings of each and every meter in a building even if the staff is unable to enter the building. There are further uses of this system which are mentioned in the advantages section. Originality/value: This system has many significant excellences, such as wireless networking, low-workload, great quantity of data transmission, time- saving, security. It is an integrated system with complete hardware, software, and database implementation. Block diagram: Devices used and working: 1. Electricity meter The first block is an electric meter that is to be read. An Electric meter or energy meter is a device that measures the amount of electrical energy supplied to a residence or business. These are customers of an electric company. The most common type is more properly known as a (kilo) watt-hour meter or a joule meter. Utilities record the values measured by these meters to generate an invoice for the electricity. They may also record other variables including the time when the electricity was used. Fig.1: Energy Meter Typical Energy meter data 5-10 v 240 v 50 Hz 1200 revs/kwh 2. IR Transmitter and receiver For the microcontroller to understand the meter reading, we need an IR setup which consists of an IR transmitter and receiver. The transmitter transmits an IR ray via a hole made in the meter disc, and the receiver receives it whenever the hole comes right in straight line with the IR ray. This happens on completion of each revolution of the disc. So this ensures that the microcontroller has track of each revolution and the counter works accordingly. A typical Infrared diode emits a beam of light that reaches the device. A 940 nm wavelength LED is typical. This infrared light is invisible to the human eye but carries signals that are detected by the appliance, as well as by the sensor of a digital camera. The presence of a carrier signal can be used to trigger a function. After the demodulation of the received signal, the appropriate frequency filters are applied to separate the respective signals. Nowadays digital procedures are more commonly used. Fig.2: IR transmitter and receiver 3. Digital comparator The comparator shown in the block diagram is used to sense a high pulse each time the IR receiver receives an IR light. And the comparator compares the coming signal to previous signal. If they are different the output is given as high and if they are same the output is zero. This ensures that when the meter stops on one reading the microcontroller stops counting. A digital comparator is a hardware electronic device that compares two numbers in binary form and generates a one or a zero at its output depending on whether they are the same or not. A comparator can be simulated by subtracting the two values (A B) in question and checking if the result is zero. This works because if A = B then A B = 0. Comparator Operation Input Vs. Output Results Current WILL flow through the open collector when the voltage at the PLUS input is lower than the voltage at the MINUS input of the opamp. Current WILL NOT flow through the open collector when the voltage at the PLUS input is higher than the voltage at the MINUS input of the opamp. 4. 8051 Microcontroller The microcontroller is used to count the pulses coming from the comparator output and to interface it to the Bluetooth device for Transmission and reception. It also interfaces to the LCD display so that the incoming Bill details can be displayed. The microcontroller consists of following sections: 4 Kb program memory. 128Kb RAM (including SFR(special function registers) as well) satisfies basic needs. 4 ports having in total of 32 input/output lines exist. Fig.3: 8051 Pinout and Basic Architecture The diagram above shows the 8051 pinout. The chip is a 40-pin package. Port 0 pins 32 to 39 make up the 8-bit I/O port 0. However, if external memory is used, these lines are used as a multiplexed address and data bus. Port 1 pins 1 to 8 make up the 8-bit I/O port 1. Port 2 pins 21 to 28 make up the 8-bit I/O port 2. However, if external memory is used, these lines make up the high-byte of the external address (A8 to A15). Port 3 pins 10 to 17 make up the 8-bit I/O port 3. However, each of these eight pins also has an alternate function, as detailed in the table below: External data memory read strobe RST the reset input is on pin 9. This pin is used for resetting the 8051 (i.e.; loading the PC with the correct startup value). EA-bar the external access, on pin 31, is used for enabling or disabling the on-chip ROM. When tied high (5V), the 8051 executes instructions in internal ROM when executing in the lower 4K (8K for the 8052) of memory. If tied low the 8051 will always execute instructions in external memory. The 8031 and 8032 should always have pin 31 tied low as there is no internal code memory. ALE the address latch enable is on pin 30. The ALE is used for latching the low byte of the address into an external register. PSEN-bar the program store enable is an output signal on pin 29. This signal is used for fetching instructions from external code memory. The microcontroller memory is divided into Program Memory and Data Memory. Program Memory (ROM) is used for permanent saving program being executed, while Data Memory (RAM) is used for temporarily storing and keeping intermediate results and variables. All 8051 microcontrollers have 16-bit addressing bus and can address 64 kb memory. 5. Bluetooth The Bluetooth device is used create the contact between the Consumerà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s meter and the Assessorà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s laptop or any Bluetooth enabled device which has the Billing Software in it. Bluetooth is the term used to describe the protocol of a short range (10 meter) frequency-hopping radio link between devices. Bluetooth is acceptable for situations when two or more devices are in proximity to each other and dont require high bandwidth. Bluetooth networking transmits data via low-power radio waves at frequency of 2.45 gigahertz (actually between 2.402 GHz and 2.480 GHz, to be exact). This frequency band has been set aside by international agreement for the use of industrial, scientific and medical devices (ISM). A personal computer must have a Bluetooth adapter in order to be able to communicate with other Bluetooth devices (such as mobile phones, mice and keyboards). 6. Visual Basic The software used to enter the received readings and generate the billing cost details is Visual Basic as the front-end software and SQL as the back-end software where the database of each consumer gets stored. Visual Basic is a Graphics User Interface (GUI). The main object in Visual Basic is called a form. Controls are things like text boxes, check boxes and command buttons. Controls are chosen from the Visual Basic à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"tool boxà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ . Once forms/controls are created, you can change the properties (appearance, structure etc.) related to those objects in that particular objects properties window. From this window, you choose the property you want to change from the list and change its corresponding setting. Once all your objects are created, you can combine them to form a single executable program that can be run outside of the Visual Basic environment, in Microsoft Windows as shown: Advantages: Issues with Stand-alone meter reading Highly Person dependant. Human errors cannot be avoided. Accessibility of meters in rural/ Agricultural zones. Energy Audits performed based on bill collection which is highly inaccurate. Billing done mainly on estimated/ monthly average basis Inability to monitor and control discrete loads Billing cycle requires excessive time. Electric company benefits Smart automated processes instead of manual work Accurate information from the network load to optimise maintenance and investments Customized rates and billing dates. Streamlined high bill investigations. Better network performance and cost efficiency. Demand and distribution management. More intelligence to business planning. Better company credibility. Customer benefits Precise consumption information Clear and accurate billing Better and faster customer service Disadvantages: Applying the system in large area with multiple subscribers is not a straightforward task; the system may need some modifications. Bluetooth device costs are affordable only by Apartment residents or residents of colonies but not independents. Future developments: In our project we have used the old fashion mechanically operating meters but they are easy to tamper with. In future digital meters can be used for this project once they become cheaper. The other proposed advancement that can be made is the use of other wireless communication devices. Bluetooth model was used by us essentially for lab testing purposes. The more favourable options could be Modems and Zigbee devices that provide both range and better security. They were not chosen for this project due to budget restrictions.

Changing Roles of Women Essay -- Sociology

Since the beginning of the 1800's, women had been fighting for the rights that they wanted. Women should be able to vote, control their own property and income, and they should have access to higher education and professional jobs. Women also had many roles in society. Women had very important parts in jobs as they took up more responsibilities. Girls, young ladies, and women of all ages were working harder to bring home income. Most women thought the pay and the conditions were unfair. These arguments grew as women fought more and more for social equality. Women found jobs wherever they could. Women's work on farms and at home was essential but the younger women moved from rural areas to cities to work in factories. Immigrant women also turned to the factories for work. While some women were working hard in factories, other women were building volunteer organizations that took roles in rapidly reforming education, labor relations, public health, and other areas of society. Women that did neither of these jobs still worked in the home cleaning. More urban women made their own brea...

The Ashinabe Culture

The research is focused on one of the Indian tribes of Canada called the Ashinabe. Their culture and social customs are investigated, its importance determined and put into context within the contemporary culture. The Ashinabe of the Great Lakes tribes settled in Turtle Island in Canada before the arrival of the Europeans or the â€Å"light-skinned race â€Å"as the Ashinabe called them.They were a member of the group called the First Nations consisting of native â€Å"Indian† inhabitants of Canada. The Ashinabe had close family ties and kin communities.However, like other natives of modern times, the Ashinabe had to fight for their rights to their land and culture. As inherent to the natives who first inhabit the Continents of America, the Ashinabe are rich in social custom. The meaning and practices of these customs are handed down from generation to generation by the respected Elders through stories that are often identified as myths and legends. The Ashinabe had clear di vision of what does a woman and man do in society. The women were in-charge of household chores while the men go out to hunt for food.The Ashinabe males take pride in their hunting skills. Another particular example of Ashinabe social custom is the telling of stories, of which the prominent one is the foretelling of the future through the Seven prophecies of Fire that represents seven different eras. It is interesting to note that in these fourth through sixth prophecies, it tells of the coming of the â€Å"light-skinned people† and how they will influence the Ashinabe people and this is validated by history when the Europeans came and took over the land and introduce their own teachings and way of life.The Ashinabe people love to hold ceremonies which is often a reflection of their religious beliefs (in spirits of nature). In conducting their ceremonies the Ashinabe had the social custom of gathering together in circles. They have a ceremony called the sharing circle where a facilitator encourages the members of the circle to share their feelings or their views concerning a problem or solution.If it is a healing circle, facilitated by experienced healers, the members are asked of their desire to begin the healing process and this could be an emotional activity for the participants hence emotional supports are provided during and after the circle. For doctoring ailments, the medicine man consults the spirits for remedies. In both circles, a stick, or stone or feather is passed around to make the sharing easier and focused. In ceremonies, sacred fires are lit and tobacco offerings are offered to the Creator, Kitchi- Manitou.The most well known ceremony of the Ashinabe is the Pow Wow (feast of the pipes) with its activity of following a Pow Wow trail all summer. Unfortunately, because of commercialization and as an attraction to tourist, people forget that Pow Wow is indeed a serious ceremony for peace and giving gratitude and appreciation for the spirits of nature, with each song and dance offered as prayers to their Creator. The participants wore colorful regalia, jingle dress that is full of symbolic meaning but unfortunately recognized by most as just a costume.Feasts are then held after the Pow Wow ceremony where squash, corn and beans (the Three Sisters that sustained their ancestors) are always included to feed the people. A spirit plate, containing a sample of every dish, is made before any one partakes of the food and it is passed around for the guest. Feasts are also held for other occasions like weddings or when naming a child. The Ashinabe also practice the giving away of gifts in their ceremonies and feasts to honor someone and this gifts should be meaningful to the giver and to the one with whom the gift is given.The social custom of the Ashinabe people is very important as it reflect the way of life of the past and hence, the history of the early inhabitants of Canada. Although their ceremonies are considered now as o ne of the main tourist attractions and their ritual object as souvenirs, to the Ashinabe it held a deep symbolic meaning and tells so much of who they are as a person and people. Moreover, the social custom of the Ashinabe tells so much of how they view life and understanding these social customs is the key to understanding the Ashinabe mind and culture.The Ashinabe culture in some ways contradicts the contemporary culture which can be a source of conflict and tension, like for example in contemporary culture, tobacco is not used as an offering and women seeks fulfillment outside the home. However, one can observed that Ashinabe culture is similar to the contemporary culture like having a feast and ceremony for special occasions. Moreover, as the Ashinabe culture gets intermingled in the mainstream culture they help enrich and give color to the culture of the whites.For example, the Pow Wow had become a good attraction for business, the arts and objects of the Ashinabe people had be come favorite souvenirs and home decorations. However, the Ashinabe also adopted the culture of the whites, making them lose their own culture and hence their leadership and confidence in themselves. At present, Ashinabe people are trying to revive their culture but the problem however is with the Cultural Appropriation that takes place when the dominant whites claim as their own the culture (their arts and literature, for example) of the minorities like the Ashinabe.The whites gain profit by selling the arts of the Ashinabe. Moreover, the most painful is the taking of the Ashinabe historical lands (without their consent and often through a betrayal of trust and promises) which had played a major role in their cultural history. This has been one of the sources of contention and conflict between the government and the Ashinabe people at present.

Amazing Grace Film

The movie Amazing Grace tells the enthralling story of the life of William Wilberforce, an enthusiastic abolitionist. His lifelong struggle to end British slave trade inspired the hymn that most everyone is familiar with. Driven by the belief that God’s grace is sufficient for anyone to be saved, Wilberforce devotes his life to a noble cause with the assurance that grace will â€Å"lead us home† in the end as is written in the hymn. The characters and the universal, hope-inspiring themes create an exciting, successful film that leaves the viewer feeling rejuvenated. William Wilberforce is a kind-hearted person with a love for providing humanitarian aid. In the movie, he feeds poor people and encourages people to treat animals with kindness and respect. From his attitude and his actions, Wilberforce introduces the theme that a passionate individual can, with God’s help, change the world if he or she is willing to persevere. Wilberforce emphatically insists that God created all men as equals and as such, he made it his life’s work to convince the Parliament to get rid of slavery. During the time period in which the film takes place, millions of African-Americans were taken and forcefully put into slave labor on sugarcane plantations. The conditions were inhumane and most died during the sea passage before ever reaching land. It is striking to think that one brave man, upheld by moral integrity, was able to stop this cruelty and change the course of history. At the young age of twenty-one, Wilberforce is elected into the House of Commons with goals that he believes can be achieved. His primary goal is to get the institution of slavery abolished. He is old enough to know what he wants done, yet still young enough to believe that he can do it. John Newton, William’s childhood friend, acts as a mentor to him and is the primary reason that he puts his convictions into action to abolish slavery. The relationship between them in the movie is stirring as their scenes together include grappling with the dynamic between faith and action as well as social responsibility. The Prime Minister is also an important character who introduces the theme of political survival versus doing what is right for a great cause. The most inspiring part of this movie is the eventual success in ending slave trafficking and slavery itself. Wilberforce ended up being the person to drive abolitionist legislation into play. Luckily, Wilberforce lives to see the day that his is legislation passed and legalized just days before he passes away. Wilberforce was so devoted to the cause that he sacrificed his personal health. Amazing Grace is an excellent film that restores a little bit of faith in humanity. With its positive themes and remarkable characters, the viewer is inspired by the encouraging message of persistence, faith, and the ability of an individual to change a nation through the grace of God.