Author: chris

Although a stray away from the Benjamin Braddock written about in the novel The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman does an awesome job with this character on film. When you first meet Ben he is at a party that his parents are throwing in his academic honor upon his graduation from school and return home. The whole night, Hoffman stumbles though various conversations and tries to coyly escape from the festivities. Small things such as this Hoffman did a great job at, conveying the hesitance and crisis that Ben was going through as a graduate. There are multiple times in the movie he hardly expresses anything at all, yet it clearly shows you that Ben is having a very hard time internally with everything going on. Even through his

In this unit of the course, we move from critique to analysis, using many of the skills we’ve developed over the past few weeks in order to advance our own interpretations of a particular object (in this case, literature).  As you know, to analyze is, fundamentally, to explain, using specific elements of the object in question in order to arrive at an understanding of its meaning.  In other words, an analysis essay is one that explains to readers the meaning of a particular object, and close reads specific examples from the object in order to support that explanation.

 

For this assignment, you will write an analysis of one of the two Sherlock Holmes stories assigned during this unit: “The Red-Headed League” or “The Man with the Twisted Lip.”  Your paper should provide a specific, arguable thesis in which you advance your interpretation of the work you choose, and then support that thesis with textual evidence (i.e., quotations) and detailed analysis of it.  Remember that you will need to make sure that every paragraph connects to your thesis in some way, and that your conclusion should say something about the larger stakes, or significance, or your argument (that is, why it’s important to read Doyle’s text in the way you’ve described).

 

Things to Keep in Mind

 

When writing your analysis, try to follow the guidelines provided in our textbook (WRAC 181).  Every analysis should include the following:

 

• Introduction: Begin with an introduction to the text you’ve chosen.  This can be a short summary of the work itself – its author, title, central characters and plot – but it should only provide information that will be useful in understanding your argument.  Think of this introduction as a way of getting readers who aren’t familiar with the story you’ve chosen to understand its main points, so they can then understand why your argument is so important.  This can also be a good place to pose a question to answer or problem to consider (which your thesis will attempt to answer).

 

• Thesis: The thesis should come very early in the paper, probably in the first paragraph or the very beginning of the second.  Make your thesis clear, and consider framing it through a “they say / I say” perspective (e.g., “some say X about Doyle’s story, but actually, closer reading reveals that Y is the case”).

o NOTE: As we discussed in class, this is where the concept of the “analytical tool” (i.e., the concept you use to interpret the story) can come in.  Remember that your analytical tool can be a concept within the story itself (e.g., the archetype of the detective, the role of women, etc.).

 

• Close Reading: Each body paragraph should support the thesis by presenting evidence and analysis that demonstrates its validity.  In other words, your body paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence explaining the paragraph’s main idea (which connects to the thesis in some way), then provide quotations from the story that relate to that idea, and then analyze those quotes to demonstrate how they support the thesis.

 

• Conclusion: End the paper with a conclusion that explains the significance of your argument.  What have we gained by approaching Doyle’s story in this way?  How has this approach led to important readings of this story, or understandings of even bigger concepts (for instance, the concept of the detective in popular culture)?

 

All essays will do these things in different ways, but every essay should include them all in some form.

 

Use of Sources

 

Because this assignment is based on your own interpretation of the story you choose and your own close reading of that text, you may not use any outside sources.  Thus, the only source you consult should be the story itself.

 

Formal Requirements

 

Papers should be 4-5 full pages long (no less, and not significantly more), typed in 12-point, Times New Roman font, and double-spaced.  All papers must include a list of works cited, and all in-text citations should be provided in MLA format.

In 200 to 250 words, respond to this prompt from the course text: “Use a product of your choice and ship it from one country to another in a multimodal shipment.  What packaging methods would you use?  Why?” (David & Stewart, 2010, p. 360).

 

2.

Select a port of entry and investigate the specific security measures taken by that port. As an example, the text highlights Wilmington, Delaware as a major port of bananas and tropical fruits and their associated challenges. In 200 to 250 words, discuss the security measures taken by the port you choose

This week you will submit a description of your topic area and an outline for your Final Paper.  To begin, select a topic area from the Health and Human Services field.  Your topic should correspond to actual research studies that have been performed.  You may find it easier to locate peer-reviewed sources as you select your topic area, to ensure that there is research available in the area you choose.  Examples of possible topic areas include:

• Program effectiveness of community-based mental health treatment facilities.
• Perceptions of ethical competence among human service professionals working in long- term care.
• Treatment intervention outcomes for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Characteristics of successful job placement programs for special needs adults.
• Trends in health care legislation and impacts on health and human service delivery.

In the first part of your assignment this week, describe your selected topic area, including the problem or background issues that you would like to address in your Final Paper.  To do this, you will need to visit the Ashford University Library and locate at least eight peer-reviewed sources that pertain to your selected topic area.  Your sources must present actual research studies that correspond to the problem or background of your selected topic area

Summarize the components, attributes, and/or various segments of the topic area you have selected.

For example:

• What is the research problem or issue?
• Who or what is affected by this problem or issue?
• What are some specific examples of research studies, evaluations, reports, literature reviews, etc. that address it?
• What are the findings of these sources, and what are their implications on the health and human services field?

Then, create a detailed outline of your Final Paper.  Your outline should include at least headings and sub-headings, with at least a one- to two-sentence description for each.  Indicate within each section which of your sources will apply to that section.

The Final Paper Outline should be two to three pages total (excluding title and reference pages) in APA format.  One page will be the topic area description and summary and one to two pages will be the outline.  Utilize a minimum of eight peer-reviewed sources that were published within the last 10 years and that are cited according to APA format as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.  For assistance with formatting outlines, visit the Ashford Writing Center and the Ashford University Library.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
2. You should complete an environmental analysis. however, you should also provide a written analysis in your plan.
3. Do this for each of the forces listed in the marketing environment.

 

2. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
3. List the current competitors (if any) for your product or business

 

1. How will you differentiate your product or business from the competition?

 

 

Single space, 2 pages, Following the proposal information

 

A grade Guarantee and must submit on time.

Please do not use the solution manual to the book as  my professor is noticing this with previous assignments. Please use proper APA format for both in-text citation and reference page. Please see attached.

 

1. This week we begin to analyze special funds for special purposes.  The capital projects fund is one such fund.  For what is the fund used?

 

2. Why do you think the idea of “funds developed in the government and nonprofit sectors?  What does having separate funds add to the control process?  Could for-profit accounting benefit from using funds?

 

3. The auditing profession has struggled with the concept of materiality for a long time. Do you think that auditors would be better off if auditing standards set a specific percentage of a specific base (e.g., 1% of total assets) to provide auditors guidance on setting materiality for a specific audit or is it better to leave the determination to auditor judgment? Discuss the pros and cons of this policy change for both auditors and users.

 

4. Briefly describe how each of the following factors might affect the strength of an auditee’s control environment:
5. a) Perceived value of controls by management
6. b) Clearly defined lines of authority
7. c) Formal policies and procedures
8. d) Adequate personnel with proper incentives
9. e) Documentation
10. f) Adequacy of control procedures and control monitoring

 

Ben Davis had just completed an intensive course in Statistical Thinking for Business Improvement, which was offered to all employees of a large health maintenance organization. There was no time to celebrate, however, because he was already under a lot of pressure. Ben works as a pharmacist’s assistant in the HMO’s pharmacy, and his manager, Juan de Pacotilla, was about to be fired. Juan’s dismissal appeared to be imminent due to numerous complaints and even a few lawsuits over inaccurate prescriptions. Juan now was asking Ben for his assistance in trying to resolve the problem, preferably yesterday!

“Ben, I really need your help! If I can’t show some major improvement or at least a solid plan by next month, I’m history.”

“I’ll be glad to help, Juan, but what can I do? I’m just a pharmacist’s assistant.”

“I don’t care what your job title is; I think you’re just the person who can get this done. I realize I’ve been too far removed from day-to-day operations in the pharmacy, but you work there every day. You’re in a much better position to find out how to fix the problem. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

“But what about the statistical consultant you hired to analyze the data on inaccurate prescriptions?”

“Ben, to be honest, I’m really disappointed with that guy. He has spent two weeks trying to come up with a new modeling approach to predict weekly inaccurate prescriptions. I tried to explain to him that I don’t want to predict the mistakes, I want to eliminate them! I don’t think I got through, however, because he said we need a month of additional data to verify the model, and then he can apply a new method he just read about in a journal to identify ‘change points in the time series,’ whatever that means. But get this, he will only identify the change points and send me a list; he says it’s my job to figure out what they mean and how to respond. I don’t know much about statistics — the only thing I remember from my course in college is that it was the worst course I ever took– but I’m becoming convinced that it actually doesn’t have much to offer in solving real problems. You’ve just gone through this statistical thinking course, though, so maybe you can see something I can’t. To me, statistical thinking sounds like an oxymoron. I realize it’s a long shot, but I was hoping you could use this as the project you need to officially complete the course.”

“I see your point, Juan. I felt the same way, too. This course was interesting, though, because it didn’t focus on crunching numbers. I have some ideas about how we can approach making improvements in prescription accuracy, and I think this would be a great project. We may not be able to solve it ourselves, however. As you know, there is a lot of finger-pointing going on; the pharmacists blame sloppy handwriting and incomplete instructions from doctors for the problem; doctors blame pharmacy assistants like me who actually do most of the computer entry of the prescriptions, claiming that we are incompetent; and the assistants tend to blame the pharmacists for assuming too much about our knowledge of medical terminology, brand names, known drug interactions, and so on.”

“It sounds like there’s no hope, Ben!”

“I wouldn’t say that at all, Juan. It’s just that there may be no quick fix we can do by ourselves in the pharmacy. Let me explain how I’m thinking about this and how I would propose attacking the problem using what I just learned in the statistical thinking course.”

Source: G. C. Britz, D. W. Emerling, L. B. Hare, R. W. Hoerl, & J. E. Shade. “How to Teach Others to Apply Statistical Thinking.” Quality Progress (June 1997): 67–80.

Assuming the role of Ben Davis, write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you apply the approach discussed in the textbook to this problem. You’ll have to make some assumptions about the processes used by the HMO pharmacy. Also, please use the Internet and / or Strayer LRC to research articles on common problems or errors that pharmacies face. Your paper should address the following points:

1. Develop a process map about the prescription filling process for HMO’s pharmacy, in which you specify the key problems that the HMO’s pharmacy might be experiencing. Next, use the supplier, input, process steps, output, and customer (SIPOC) model to analyze the HMO pharmacy’s business process.
2. Analyze the process map and SIPOC model to identify possible main root causes of the problems. Next, categorize whether the main root causes of the problem are special causes or common causes. Provide a rationale for your response.
3. Suggest the main tools that you would use and the data that you would collect in order to analyze the business process and correct the problem. Justify your response.
4. Propose one (1) solution to the HMO pharmacy’s on-going problem(s) and propose one (1) strategy to measure the aforementioned solution. Provide a rationale for your response.
5. Use at least two (2) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Describe how organizations use statistical thinking to be more competitive.
• Apply the basic principles of statistical thinking to business processes.
• Apply the SIPOC model to identify OFIs in business processes.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in business process improvement.
• Write clearly and concisely about business process improvement using proper writing mechanics.

 

 

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

 

Points: 150	Case Study 1: Statistical Thinking in Health Care
Criteria	Unacceptable Below 70% F	Fair 70-79% C	Proficient 80-89% B	Exemplary 90-100% A
1. Develop a process map about the prescription filling process for HMO’s pharmacy, in which you specify the key problems that the HMO’s pharmacy might be experiencing. Next, use the supplier, input, process steps, output, and customer (SIPOC) model to analyze the HMO pharmacy’s business process. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely developed a process map about the prescription filling process for HMO’s pharmacy, in which you specify the key problems that the HMO’s pharmacy might be experiencing. Did not submit or incompletely used the supplier, input, process steps, output, and customer (SIPOC) model to analyze the HMO pharmacy’s business process.	Partially developed a process map about the prescription filling process for HMO’s pharmacy, in which you specify the key problems that the HMO’s pharmacy might be experiencing. Partially used the supplier, input, process steps, output, and customer (SIPOC) model to analyze the HMO pharmacy’s business process.	Satisfactorily developed a process map about the prescription filling process for HMO’s pharmacy, in which you specify the key problems that the HMO’s pharmacy might be experiencing. Satisfactorily used the supplier, input, process steps, output, and customer (SIPOC) model to analyze the HMO pharmacy’s business process.	Thoroughly developed a process map about the prescription filling process for HMO’s pharmacy, in which you specify the key problems that the HMO’s pharmacy might be experiencing. Thoroughly used the supplier, input, process steps, output, and customer (SIPOC) model to analyze the HMO pharmacy’s business process.
2. Analyze the process map and SIPOC model to identify possible main root causes of the problems. Next, categorize whether the main root causes of the problem are special causes or common causes. Provide a rationale for your response. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely analyzed the process map and SIPOC model to identify possible main root causes of the problems. Did not submit or incompletely categorized whether the main root causes of the problem are special causes or common causes. Did not submit or incompletely provided a rationale for your response.	Partially analyzed the process map and SIPOC model to identify possible main root causes of the problems. Partially categorized whether the main root causes of the problem are special causes or common causes. Partially provided a rationale for your response.	Satisfactorily analyzed the process map and SIPOC model to identify possible main root causes of the problems. Satisfactorily categorized whether the main root causes of the problem are special causes or common causes. Satisfactorily provided a rationale for your response.	Thoroughly analyzed the process map and SIPOC model to identify possible main root causes of the problems. Thoroughly categorized whether the main root causes of the problem are special causes or common causes. Thoroughly provided a rationale for your response.
3. Suggest the main tools that you would use in order to analyze the business process and solve the problem. Justify your response. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely suggested the main tools that you would use in order to analyze the business process and solve the problem. Did not submit or incompletely justified your response.	Partially suggested the main tools that you would use in order to analyze the business process and solve the problem. Partially justified your response.	Satisfactorilysuggested the main tools that you would use in order to analyze the business process and solve the problem. Satisfactorily justified your response.	Thoroughly suggested the main tools that you would use in order to analyze the business process and solve the problem. Thoroughly justified your response.
4. Propose one (1) solution to the HMO pharmacy’s on-going problem(s) and propose one (1) strategy to measure the aforementioned solution. Provide a rationale for your response. Weight: 20%	Did not submit or incompletely proposed one (1) solution to the HMO pharmacy’s on-going problem(s) and proposed one (1) strategy to measure the aforementioned solution. Did not submit or incompletely provided a rationale for your response.	Partially proposed one (1) solution to the HMO pharmacy’s on-going problem(s) and proposed one (1) strategy to measure the aforementioned solution. Partially provided a rationale for your response.	Satisfactorily proposed one (1) solution to the HMO pharmacy’s on-going problem(s)and proposed one (1) strategy to measure the aforementioned solution. Satisfactorily provided a rationale for your response.	Thoroughly proposed one (1) solution to the HMO pharmacy’s on-going problem(s) and proposed one (1) strategy to measure the aforementioned solution. Thoroughly provided a rationale for your response.
5. 2 references Weight: 5%	No references provided	Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices.	References are mostly relevant sources of fair quality	References are highly relevant, high quality sources
6. Integration of References Weight: 5%	Sources are rarely integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, or lack in-text citations.	Sources are partially integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, along with in-text citations.	Sources are mostly integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, along with in-text citations.	Sources are consistently integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, along with in-text citations
7. Writing / Support for ideas: Weight: 5%	Rarely uses reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.	Partially uses reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.	Mostly uses reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.	Consistently uses reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.
8. Writing / Grammar and mechanics Weight: 5%	Numerous errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.	Partially free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.	Mostly free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.	Free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

 

Introduction to C Programming – COP 3223

Objectives
1. To learn how to use 2 dimensional arrays to store and retrieve data to help solving problems.

Introduction: Who doesn’t love dragons?
Movies about dragons and dragon training were very popular this summer. Your friend has not stopped talking about how awesome dragons are and how cool it would be to train them. To amuse your friend, you have decided to create a series of programs about dragons.

Problem: Race to Become the First Dragon Rider (dragonrider.c)
Now that your dragon has participated in the Celebration of the First Flight, they are a fully recognized dragon! You’ve just found out that several of your friends just had their dragons pass their Celebration too. Now it’s a race to see which of you will become the first dragon rider. To start riding a dragon, you need the following items:

Fleece Blanket
Saddle
Leather Jacket
Flight Harness
Goggles
Helmet

At night, you and your friends will try to sneak out and obtain these pieces from the Dragon Island equipment shed. Each of you will take turns trying to gain a piece of equipment, simulated by a randomly generated number from 0 to 6. Six of those numbers (0-5) correspond to the numbers above, while 6 corresponds to “You’ve been caught! Lost a piece of equipment”.

If you get a number that corresponds to an item you already have, nothing happens. If you get a saddle (item 1), you may only pick up the item if you already have a blanket (item 0). If you get a flight harness (item 3), you may only pick up the item if you already have a jacket (item 2). This is because you cannot put a saddle on your dragon without the blanket underneath and you cannot put a flight harness on yourself without a jacket underneath.

If you land on “You’ve been caught!”, then you must choose which piece of equipment to discard. If you have no pieces to begin with, then you don’t lose anything. If you have a saddle(1), then you cannot discard the blanket(0) and if you have a harness(3), then you cannot discard the jacket(2).

The first person to obtain all six items will become the first dragonrider!

Program Specification
You must use a 2D array to solve the problem.
There will be no more than 6 people trying to “borrow” equipment.

Sample Data Items
You may wish to use these data structures to help you solve the problem.

int cont = 1;
int riders[6][6];
char ITEMS[6][20] = {“BLANKET”, “SADDLE”, “JACKET”, “HARNESS”, “GOGGLES”, “HELMET”};

The values in “ITEMS” are strings and may be printed with %s. For example, to print “SADDLE” we could use printf(“%s”, ITEMS[1]);

Program Format

Beginning the program
Start by asking how many people will be trying to gain equipment from the equipment shed.

Beginning of Each Turn
Each turn should begin with a prompt with the following format:

Rider X, it is your turn. Enter 0 to look for an item.

where X is the number given to the current prospective dragon rider, starting at 1. (Note: Internally, the player numbers will start at 0, so when you print this out, just add 1 to the variable storing the player number.)

Finding an Item
After the random number is generated, check what it corresponds to. If a value other than 6 (“You’ve been caught!”) is generated, a statement of the following form should be printed:

Rider X, you found a S.

where S is the name of the item the number matches.

If the player does not yet have the item and is allowed to obtain it, follow this with a statement of the form:

Congrats, you now have a S.

If the player is not allowed to obtain the item because they don’t yet have another necessary item, print out a statement of the form:

Sorry, you can’t obtain S.

If the player lands on a square for a piece they already have, then print the following:

You already have that item.

Landing on “You’ve been caught!”
If the player gets this number they must choose a piece to lose. First print the warning:

You’ve been caught!

If they have any items, prompt them with the question:

Which piece would you like to lose?

Follow this with a numbered list of items that are valid for the player to discard. (Namely, this list will NOT contain the blanket if the rider has a saddle and it will not contain the jacket if the rider has a harness) The numbering of the list should correspond to the numbering of each item listed on page 1. Thus, the numbering won’t necessarily be sequential. For example, if the possible pieces a player can lose are the blanket, harness, and a helmet, the print out would appear as follows:

0. BLANKET
3. HARNESS
5. HELMET

You may assume the user will select a valid item. Then, print out a message of the following format:

You have selected the S to discard.

where S is the item to discard.

If the player has no pieces to lose, then print the following:

There is no equipment for you to lose. Lucky you, sort of.

Final Printout for Each Turn
At the end of each person’s turn, print out a complete list of their items. The first line will be:

Rider X, here is what you currently have:

Follow this with a blank line and then a numbered list (as previously described), with each item the player currently has.

End of the Game
The game ends when one person has all the items. If you are using the sample data structure cont, then you can use this as a flag for continuing the game or not. The default is 1 for continuing the game. When a person has all the items, change the flag to 0.

At the end of the game, simply print a message with the following format:

Congratulations Rider X, you are the first dragon rider!

Output Sample
Sample outputs will be provided on the webcourse.
Optional Modification
If you prefer, you can use the names of you and your friends instead of “Rider X” by storing names in an array of strings. You can either ask the user to enter these names or hardcode them (but you must still ask how many potential riders are participating at the beginning of the program).

Deliverables
One source file: dragonrider.c for your solution to the given problem submitted over WebCourses.

Restrictions
Although you may use other compilers, your program must compile and run using Code::Blocks. Your program should include a header comment with the following information: your name, course number, section number, assignment title, and date. Also, make sure you include comments throughout your code describing the major steps in solving the problem.

Grading Details
Your programs will be graded upon the following criteria:

1) Your correctness

2) Your programming style and use of white space. Even if you have a plan and your program works perfectly, if your programming style is poor or your use of white space is poor, you could get 10% or 15% deducted from your grade.

3) Compatibility – You must submit C source files that can be compiled and executed in a standard C Development Environment. If your program does not compile, you will get a sizable deduction from your grade.

Define each part of a financial plan and discuss the importance of these components in managerial decision making.

 

Construct a pro forma income statement for the first year and second year for the following assumptions:

• Units of Sales in Year 1: 100,000
• Price per Unit: $10
• Variable cost per unit: 30%
• Fixed Costs: $120,000
• Income taxes: 15%
• Interest Expense: $200,000
• In year 2, Price per unit increases to $11.50, and unit of sales increases by 3%, all other assumptions remain the same.

 

 

Calculate the sustainable growth based on the following information:

• D= 30%
• ROE = 25%

 

 

Calculate a table of interest rates for 5 years based on the following information:

• The pure interest rate is 2%
• Inflation expectations for year 1 = 3%, year 2 =4%, years 3-5 =5%
• The default risk is .1% for year one and increases by .1% over each year
• Liquidity premium is 0 for year 1 and increases by .2% each year
• Maturity risk premium is 0 for years 1 and 2 and .3% for years 3-5

Discuss the differences among the three major components of statistical methodology (descriptive statistics, statistical inference, and predictive statistics). Why might these distinctions be important to a manager? Refer to this week’s lecture before crafting your post. 150 words

 

In 1995 Jack Welch sent a memo to his senior managers telling them that they would have to require every employee to have started Six Sigma training to be promoted. Furthermore, 40 percent of the manager’s bonuses were to be tied to the successful introduction of  Six Sigma. Do you believe that this directive was a motivational action, or did it violate W. Edwards Deming’s maxim that managers and leaders must “cast out fear”? Why or why not? Refer to this week’s lecture before crafting your post.150 word