Technology and Decision Making Essay Example for Free

Technology and Decision Making Essay The quality of patient care, communication between health care staff, and the safety of patients has greatly improved since the onset of technology. Through the improvement of information technology, the ability to collect data and manage the decisions based on the data collected has enhanced in the clinical setting as well as in the business portion. Health care informatics incorporates theories from informational science, computer science, and cognitive science (Englebardt Nelson, 2002). This information helps to gather and process it in order to make an informed decision. Important information could be missed if the data is ignored. Some of the most recent technology which includes the internet and cell phones has made it possible to access information quickly in order to make the best decision for the patient in order to provide good quality care. Technology changes every day and it is important to keep up with these changes that will help support clinical decisions made by the caregivers. This paper on informatics will show the systems and information theories, the DIK model, and the role of the expert system in nursing care and medicine. System and information theories System. â€Å"A system is a set of related interacting parts enclosed in a boundary† (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p.5). There are many types of systems which include but are not limited to: computer systems, school systems, health care systems, and people. Systems can be living or nonliving, open or closed. Closed systems do not act with the environment whereas open system have the ability to act with the environment. Open systems can be used to understand technology and those individuals associated with its use. This type of system takes input from the environment, processes it, and then returns it back to the environment as output, which serves as feedback. This theory can better help the individual understand the way people work with systems in the health care industry and allow for a visualization of the whole picture. A common term using in computer science is GIGO, â€Å"garbage in, garbage out†. This applies in the sense that a system is only as good as its user. If the user is inputting garbage, or poor quality data, the computer is likely to output the same. A system requires an accurate source in order for accurate material to be produced as a result. Open systems have three types of characteristics which include: purpose, functions, and structure (Englebardt Nelson, 2002). The purpose is the reason for the existence of the system or the program and is most often stated in the organization’s mission statement. This is true for health care organizations, churches, and schools. For example, the mission statement of the local public health department to promote health, prevent illness, and control communicable disease by providing quality services, health education, and environmental services for the community. Computer systems are often classified by their purpose and may have more than one purpose. By selecting a purpose that all individuals agree upon within the organization, a system can be chosen. It is important to take the time to identify the purpose with all those who will be using the system. Functions identify the methods in which the system will achieve its purpose. â€Å"Functions are activities that a system carries out to achieve its purpose† (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p.6). When a computer system is chosen a list of functional specification must be put in writing to identify each function and how it will be performed. Systems are structured to allow the functions to be carried out. Some examples of structured systems include the nursing department. The nurse in charge will assign patients to the staff nurses with the purpose to provide care. The charge nurse will ensure that the team is functioning with the ability to provide the care the patient needs and deserves. Two different models can be used to visualize the structure of a system: hierarchical and web. In the hierarchical model, each computer is a part of the local area network (LAN) which in turn is part of a wide area network (WAN) that is connected to the mainframe computer system. The mainframe is the leader of the system or lead part. The web model functions much like that of a spider-web. It has the capability to pass information to many departments that may use it for different purposes. For example,  laboratory results may be sent to the pharmacy to calculate a medication dosage and patient vitals may be sent to another department for review and use. â€Å"A system includes structural elements from both the web and hierarchical model† (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p.7). Everything living or nonliving are in a constant state of change. Six concepts are helpful in understanding the change process: 1)dynamic homeostasis, 2)entropy, 3)negentropy, 4) specialization, 5)reverberation, and 6)equifinality. Dynamic homeostasis consists of maintaining an equal balance within the system. At times, increased stress can throw off the balance and cause challenges to the organization. A health care informatics specialist’s job is to decrease the stress and restore the balance within the organization. Entropy can be best described as the tendency of the system to break down into parts. This can be the loss of some data when transmitted from one department to another. All systems, living or nonliving, reach a point where they are no longer repairable. When this point is reached, a system must be replaced. Negentropy is the opposite of entropy and is best described as the system’s ability to multiply and become more complex. As the size of the health car e industry grows, so do the health care information systems. Information technology. â€Å"Information technology has the potential to greatly streamline healthcare and greatly reduce the chance of human error. However, there is a growing literature indicating that if systems are not designed adequately they may actually increase the possibility of error in the complex interaction between clinician and machine in healthcare† (Borycki, E., Kushniruk, A., Brender, J., 2010, p. 714). The term information has more than one meaning and the term information theory refers to multiple theories. The two common theoretical theories of information theories are: Shannon and Weaver’s information-communication model and Blum’s model (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p. 10). The information theory was presented as a formal theory in 1948 with a publication by Claude Shannon titled â€Å"A Mathematical Theory of Communication†. In this theory, the sender is the originator of the message and then the encoder converts the message into a code. A code can be a number, symbol, letters, or words. The decoder then converts the message to a format that can be recognized by the receiver. Shannon was a telephone engineer and explained this theory in a way that the decoder was the  telephone converting sound waves into a message the receiver could understand. â€Å"Warren Weaver, from the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, provided the interpretation for understanding the semantic meaning of a message† (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p. 12). He used Shannon’s works to explain the interpretational aspects of communication as each individual perceives things different from the next. Different types of circumstances may occur causing a message to be interpreted wrong. For example, if a physician is using medical terminology that the patient cannot understand there is definitely a communication problem. If the patient cannot hear what is being said because the ear is not transmitting sound, then there is a different type of communication problem. The message must convey meaning and produce the intended result. Bruce L. Blum defined three types of health care computing applications called Blum’s Model. He grouped these applications in data, information, or knowledge. Data are those things such as height, weight, age, and name. Information is defined as data that has been processed. Knowledge is the relationship between data and information. Using these concepts, it is possible to identify different levels of computing and automated systems. Data, Information, and Knowledge (DIK) model Healthcare informatics can be explained using a model consisting of three parts: data, information, and knowledge (Georgiou, 2002). The three parts are demonstrated using a hierarchy pyramid. Data is the platform in the model, representing the foundation. Data is represented as facts and observations, but without supporting context, the data is irrelevant. Until the information is validated or manipulated the data is not significant, once it is manipulated, the data can provide value to the user. Information is the product of data once the data has been manipulated. The result of data and information is evidence-based knowledge. Evidence based knowledge can be used to support evidence based medicine. Some individuals feel that too much focus has been put on data, limiting the ability to practice medicine as a science. Instead, the use of data suggests that medicine is being practiced based on statistics instead of science. Yet, the same critics will use the same hierarchy of data, information and knowledge to treat a patient that develops a fever after hip surgery. The fever alone does not provide significant information but combined with information of a  recent surgery, a physician will test further for signs of infection. The end result is the knowledge of why the patient is feverish. Viewing informatics in the form of the decision-information-knowledge (DIK) model allows individuals to see the process as a whole. The data must be accurately representing what is occurring or the information will not be accurate. The statement, â€Å"dirty in, dirty out,† can be applied to the platform of the model. It is essential that clean data be entered into the system, allowing clean data and information to be produced. The product, knowledge, can then be substantiated through the evidence produced. Just as evidence is used to make clinical decisions, the DIK model is used, in conjunction with the scie ntific information, to build evidence based medicine. Health informatics involves spreading and distributing information as just one piece of the process of producing knowledge which is multifaceted (Georgiou, 2002). The role of expert system in nursing care and medicine Nurses and other health care professionals make decisions on a daily basis that affect patients’ care and treatment. Nurses and health care professionals are not expert in all areas of nursing care and medicine. Health care workers specialized in certain area or field of medicine or nursing are not always readily available to everyone. Expert systems have been developed to assist medical and health care providers with decisions about care and treatment of patient. An expert system is a knowledge-based computer program designed to â€Å"enhance the human ability to analyze, problem solve, treat, diagnose, and estimate prognosis of health-related conditions† (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p. 114). â€Å"Nursing expert systems can improve the overall quality of care when designed for the appropriate end-user group and based on a knowledge base reflecting nursing expertise† (Courtney, Alexander, and Demiris, 2008, P. 697). Examples of expert systems include MYCIN, a system that advise physicians about antimicrobial selection for patients with meningitis or bacteremia and INTERNIST-1, a system that assist with diagnosing complex problems in general internal medicine (Shortliffe, 1986). Health care workers may not always have the knowledge base to diagnose and treat every condition or situation encountered. Expert systems are used to close the gap in knowledge providing effective, efficient, and  accurate care. The concept of expert system is driven by the desire to improve patient care, reduce cost, and disseminate expert knowledge. Expert systems are used just as x-rays and lab values are obtained to improve the human understanding of a patient’s condition. The human memory has limitations. Expert systems can be the answer to eliminating a large number of preventable medical mistakes. This system can alert health care workers about drug interactions and allergies, and provide preferable form o f treatment. Expert systems can assist in diagnostic suggestions, testing prompts, therapeutic protocols, and practice guidelines. The utilization of expert systems has an impact on the quality of care, economy, and medical education of staff. Expert systems, when used effectively can improve patient outcomes and decrease health care costs. Fewer mistakes lead to lower financial expenditures and increased profits. Improved quality of care result in improved patient satisfaction that leads to increased reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. Expert systems can also decrease the variation in medical practice emphasizing standardized and evidence-based practice of care. Along with expert systems, decision aids and decision support systems are used to improve patient care. The use of decision aids and decision support systems Clinical decision aids help to identify solutions to clinical situations. Decision aids can be either paper-form or electronic. The electronic decision aids can be accessed via recorded media or the Internet. Decision aids are utilized to facilitate shared decisions between the patient and interdisciplinary team taking care of them. They help the patient to think about the multiple decisions they must make in the course of their treatment regimen. An example is the Ottawa Patient Decision Aid. This decision aid helps to determine whether or not patients should seek antibiotics for bronchitis. Another example is a decision aid about whether or not someone should place his or her family in a long-term care facility for Alzheimer’s disease (Englebardt Nelson, 2002). A decision support system (DSS) is an interactive, flexible, and adaptable computer-based information system (CBIS), which was made to support decision-making as it relates to the solution of an individual problem. â€Å"A clinical decision support system (CDSS) is an automated decision support system (DSS) that  mimics human decision making and can facilitate the clinical diagnostic process, promote the use of best practices, assist with the development and adherence of guidelines, facilitate processes for improvement of care, and prevent errors† (Englebardt and Nelson, 2002, p. 116). Decision support systems utilize data and provide easy user interface that permit for the decision maker’s own insights. Four components of decision support systems are user interface, model library, model manager, and report writer. User interface makes communication between the executive and decision support system. Model library includes statistical, graphical, financial, and â€Å"what if† models. Model manager accesses available models. Report Writer generates written output (Englebardt Nelson, 2002). Four types of CDSS used in patient care decision-making are systems that use alerts to respond to clinical data, systems respond to decisions to alter care by critiquing decisions, systems suggest interventions at the request of care providers, and systems conduct retrospective quality assurance reviews. Examples of nursing-specific decision support systems are nursing diagnosis systems such as the Computer Aided Nursing Diagnosis and Intervention (CANDI) system, care planning systems such as the Urological Nursing Information System, symptom management systems such as the Cancer Pain Decision Support system, and nursing education systems such as the Creighton Online Multiple Modular Expert System (Courtney, Alexander, and Demiris, 2008). The uses of technology for patient and client management As Information Technology continues to have more presence in health care, patients, physicians, and staff are benefiting from on-demand access to information anyplace, anytime it is needed. Advances in technology provide healthcare organizations the ability to improve the quality of patient care. An ultimate goal of using technology is to improve the quality of care patients receive (Become a Meaningful User of Health IT, 2010). Technology can be found patient homes, clinics, extended care facilities, and hospitals, to name just a few. As the number of chronic diseases continues to increase technologies like telemedicine and video-conferencing can improve the quality of life of patients with chronic conditions, and reduce costs caused by these illnesses (Finkelstein Friedman, 2000). Improving quality, access, and client management is done by enhancing the  exchange of information between providers, institutions, and payers, allowing patients to receive uninterrupted continuity of care. For the people living in rural areas, the restrictions placed on services and specialists can be improved using technology (Smith, Bensink, Armfield, Stillman, Caffery, 2005). Telecommunications in the healthcare environment can provide patients and providers an opportunity to meet and even exceed expectations clients and the community have. A physician accessing a patients’ record from his home can provide treatment and develop a plan of care without sitting in his clinic to access the patients’ chart. Caregivers are no longer at the mercy of ongoing education provided at a variety of locations and cost. Learning management systems available via the Internet allow staff to review material and participate in competency testing. Tools are available through the advances in technology, which allow training by developing simulations of patients used for assessment training in virtual environments, assessing cognitive skills of providers (McGowan, 2008). As technologies in healthcare continue to improve, caregivers and patients will continue to experience changes in many areas.  Communication, teaching, and documenting will be affected, which change the way clinicians provide care and the way clients will receive it. Analysis of the effect of technology on health care and health status Prior to computers and digital equipment seen in today’s healthcare facilities, most of what was done for patients was done manually. Manual processes could be time consuming and the opportunity for human error, which could affect the quality of care a patient received, was real. In a recent report from the Institute of medical care, it was stated that humans are inherently imperfect, and error is frequent in medical car (Patton, 2001). Technologies affecting patient care and a person’s health status include improvements to imaging systems, documentation solutions, and scheduling systems. Modern medicine relies on technological systems coming together: the operating room, clinical laboratory, radiology department, and radiation oncology facility each incorporate interrelated networks of technologies (Patton, 2001). Surgeries that once required large incisions can be done through microscopic incisions resulting in shorter hospital stays. Early diagnosis and improved treatment plans have been inevitably affected by technology. Although technology allows healthcare to improve access to patient information allowing easier access that is current and up-to-date there are also disadvantages to this kind of access. Consumers and caregivers have large volumes of information, which can be accessed, not all of the information accessed will be understood or accurate. Society must be aware that not all sites will be able to monitor and ensure information being accessed is credible; it is inevitable some of the information provided and retrieved will be inaccurate. Worse yet information which are by law confidential, may also be accessed without the consent of the patient. In addition to the ability to monitor healthcare information, technology may also make it challenging for physicians to practice under complete autonomy. With the increase in the complexity of technology, physicians must agree on how components relate to one another, also known as standards (Patton, 2001). As a result, some physicians can be seen resisting the adoption of new processes, but with ongoing development of user-friendly systems, resistance can be overcome. References Become a Meaningful User of Health IT. (2010). HHN: Hospitals Health Networks, 84(12), 47. Borycki, E., Kushniruk, A., Brender, J. (2010). Theories, models and frameworks for diagnosing technology-induced error. Studies In Health Technology And Informatics, 160(Pt 1), 714-718. Finkelstein, J. J., Friedman, R. H. (2000). Potential Role of Telecommunication Technologies in the Management of Chronic Health Conditions. Disease Management Health Outcomes, 8(2), 57-63. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Courtney, K. L., Alexander, G. L., Demiris, G. (2008). Information technology from novice to expert: implementation implications. Journal of Nursing Management, 16(6), 692-699. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2834.2007.00829.x Englebardt, S. P. Nelson, R. (2002).Health care informatics. An interdisciplinary approach. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier. Georgiou, A. (2002). Data information and knowledge: the health informatics model and its role in evidence-based medicine. Journal Of Evaluation In Clinical Practice, 8(2), 127-130. McGowan, J. J. (2008). The Pervasiveness of Telemedicine: Adoption With or Without a Research Base. JGIM: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23(4), 505-507. doi:10.1007/s11606-008-0534-z Patton, G. (2001). The two-edged sword: how technology shapes medical practice. Physician Executive, 27(2), 42-49. Shortliffe, E. H. (1986). Medical Expert Systems- Knowledge Tool for Physicians. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1307157/?page=2 Smith, A., Bensink, M., Armfield, N., Stillman, J., Caffery, L. (2005, October-December). Telemedicine and rural health care applications. Journal of Postgraduate Medicine, 51(4), 286.

Strengths And The Weaknesses Of The Companys Approach Marketing Essay

Strengths And The Weaknesses Of The Companys Approach Marketing Essay The emergence of environmental awareness has necessitated businesses to change their practices with regards to environmental issues. Businesses have adopted different strategies to comply with government policies and to maintain market share. Wm Morrison started life in 1899 as an egg and butter merchant and has grown to become the UKs fourth largest supermarket chain. Morrisons corporate responsibility reports identify improvements in Morrisons environmental strategy in terms of reducing their overall impact on the environment; however, several targets have not been met, leading us to question the companys efforts in implementing changes. Morrisons is influenced by stakeholders who influence the policies implemented by businesses. RECOMMENDATION. The United Kingdom was late to effect environmental legislation, only bringing in its Environmental Protection Act in 1990, thus suggesting why policies may not be completely implemented across businesses (BGM.) Corporate environmental management will increasingly be seen as an incentive of doing business (cem.) In recent years there has been a progressive change in the production and consumption of food products in terms of sourcing products from local sources or abroad. Approximately  £70 billion pounds is spent on the food market with roughly 80% going to supermarkets, Morrisons market share of this has fallen to 11.8% from 12.2% over the past year. Morrisons once an independent small high street shop expanded to become a national corporation and subsequently impacting the environment at local, national and global levels. Morrisons use the phrase Different and Better than Ever in order to signal to customers that they are offering something unique in the competitive market; therefore much competition is dependent upon price. The implementation of corporate social responsibility can be used not only to attract ethical customers but attempt to differentiate and develop a unique selling point. Morrisons is a Public Liability Company therefore aims is to maximize shareholder wealth however; the needs of other stakeholders, customers, suppliers and governments must also be considered. Integrating the companies vision to be the food specialist for everyone, Morrisons environmental goals include taking care of the planet mainly focusing upon climate change, waste and sustainability which address the growing interest in the environment (cem.) Morrisons have improved the energy efficiency of stores, limited carbon emissions in the distribution process, reduced packaging and sourced products locally from sustainable sources. The company has invested heavily in its distribution, IT and logistics and now owns its own supply chain, manufacturing site and Market Street. The in-house structure ensures processes have little impact upon the environment, by reducing transportation costs if ownership is in close geographic proximity. Negatively vertical integration can potentially lead to higher costs due to low efficiencies resulting from lack of supplier competition. Morrisons 2011 Corporate Responsibility review highlighted almost 35,000 tonnes of waste was sent to landfill in 2010/11 and their carbon footprint in 2010 was, 1,417,376 tonnes CO2e. In comparison to 2005, recycling increased by 72% and there was a 12% reduction in Morrisons carbon footprint. Cleaner fridge cooling systems in stores resulted in a 40% reduction in refrigeration gas emissions. Morrisons aim to reduce carbon used by stores, offices, food manufacturing, packing facilities and distribution centres. Morrisons are successfully reducing their environmental impact and aim to reduce operational emissions by 30% by 2020. All of these strategies will positively influence the environment. Morrisons 2007 Corporate Responsibility review stated by 2010 there would be a 10% increase in renewable usage, a 15% reduction in water and a 36% reduction in their carbon foot print. All of these targets have not being achieved by the supermarket and the achieve by date has been extended. This illustrates poor implementation of policies and targets across the company. Compared to other supermarket chains Morrisons is not highly rated for producing, implementing and achieving environmental targets. Although Morrisons say they are improving their environmental strategy by making more of a conscious effort into achieving goals, these results identify that plans and targets may not be taken as seriously as necessary. Although Morrisons state they are reducing the environmental impact on products produced through their own manufacturing sites, other suppliers and their impact upon the environment are not mentioned. Thus indicating little or no effort is being made in terms of reducing all manufacturing sites to improve their impact on the environment. The impact of unmonitored suppliers will negatively influence the environment. It can be questioned whether Morrisons practices are markedly different than other companies in regards to improving their impact upon the environment. The production, packaging and distribution of food products impacts negatively upon the environment increasing the atmospheric pollution and its direct costs on human health, damage to crops and causing deaths to animals. On average packaging makes up nearly a quarter of household waste and 70% of that is food related. As climate change becomes an increasing concern, major supermarkets have seen the opportunity to improve their reputations with high-profile green initiatives. Morrisons have used the reduce, reuse or recycle mantra to urge consumers to use alternatives to plastic bags. Government reports have encouraged the change in everyday habits so environmental concerns are at the forefront of consumers minds. Supermarkets have adopted this strategy by promoting the bag for life, Morrisons have invested in using recycled material and have increased the durability, allowing them to be reused. Policies are likely to be further integrated in the future (cem.) For example, the Welsh government imposed a ban on free carrier bags in supermarkets, thus positively implementing strategies for the better of the environment. Morrisons sends large amounts of waste to landfill, but now they have set their target to send zero waste to landfill by 2013. This would be a positive strategy to improving their impacts towards the environment. Landfills can affect human health with cancers and respiratory illnesses. Morrisons supply directs to its stored through twelve distributing facilities and using its own fleet which works around the clock to deliver fresh foods. Although Morrisons say they are improving their distribution facilities, it is questionable whether their management of collecting products from suppliers is in fact environmentally friendly. Morrisons target is to improve the customers experience and they achieve this by providing fresh produce daily however; this negatively impacts the environment as some air pollutants and particulate matter can be deposited in waters and soils where they enter the food chain; consequently impacting animals health. 35% of Britons live fifteen and more minutes away from the closest Morrisons shop, this therefore increases the amount of traffic on the road, resulting in harmful gases being emitted into the environment directly affecting human health, damage to buildings and crop production (BGM.) Morrisons state they provide local people with jobs however; recruiting staff from remote areas or from a large distance from stores will negatively influencing the environment as increased transport is needed. Morrisons business ethics have become a higher priority as peoples actions and opinions have changed with an increased concern for the environment. Implementing an environmental action plan strengthens Morrisons public relations enticing customers and investors. For example, Morrisons pride themselves on providing locally grown produce from sustainable resources alongside 100% British meat and milk. The ownership of production helps secure continuity in the supply chain. Research identified ethical spending and investment has increased dramatically as customers are more willing to pay higher prices for ethical produce. Ethical behaviour adds value, alongside giving the company a competitive advantage. Consumers also want retailers to provide them with environmentally friendly products that are convenient and affordable. The growing importance of environmentally friendly products allows retailers to exploit the opportunity to satisfy customer needs and positively impact the environment (Bgm.) Other strategies adopted by Morrisons were to alter the buying habits of consumers such as providing more information about the origin of products and promoting local food products (cem.) Shoppers like to purchase green food and as people are becoming more aware about waste and environmental matters, the ethically friendly image of companies is welcome by consumers (BGM.) As a result of consumer awareness, government policies and changing technologies Morrisons have adapted their environmental strategy to incorporate these factors. Morrisons has spent thousands of pounds enhancing their companies technology in order to decrease their environmental output. Positively technology can help develop and produce new materials and technologies that are sustainable and do not harm the environment. Retailers are proclaiming their commitment to, and achievements in, sustainability. The satisfaction of customer needs with regards to sustainability allows Morrisons to develop a good brand image and retain customers. Morrisons was the first supermarket to be awarded the Carbon Trust Standard highlighting there are successfully increasing their energy awareness through improving technology and their vertically integrated business model. Environmental management looks at the interaction and impact of human societies on the environment. Morrisons have used energy monitoring equipment to identify consumption trends in its stores and factories, looking for ways both to save money and to improve their impact upon the environment. Several of the environmental strategies used have positively reduced the impact upon the environment, for example altering a new lighting control system in stores has reduced electricity consumption by approximately 66%. Also, replacing HCFs with HFCs has improved the refrigeration system, alongside answering to governmental policies. Discussions about environmental strategy have increased substantially over the last years, influencing business reactions. Alongside this, Morrisons is influenced by government policy and consumer pressure groups meaning they are likely to ensure that firms which do not take action on the environmental front will lose market share (cem.) Morrisons state they are committed to improving the environment and have reporting structures in place, such as the corporate responsibility review, to demonstrate their targets to improving their business in regards to the environment. Another reasons as to why environmental management is implemented within Morrisons is to provide assurance to stakeholders regarding compliance to environmental regulations. The use of environmental management strategies enables us to be reassured that resources and necessary amenities humans need to function are available for future generations. Environmental management increases the value of the company as investors are more likely to invest if the company is seen to be answering governmental policies. Also the company are a competitive advantage and is a potential source of productivity improvement. Environmental considerations are likely to form an integral part of commercial normality and indeed competitive in the future (cem.) Weakness in regards to Morrisons environmental management can include the extension of achieve by dates, this negatively reinforces a wrong image about the company, consequently leading to market shares depleting. The collection and distribution of goods, impacts the environment negatively in regards to inefficient strategies. Morrisons do not have an online market for groceries, this both decreases the convenience of shopping which other supermarkets offer but also the amount of pollution is not saved when people are traveling to the stores. Implementing in an online business would improve their environmental management. Delivery vans could deliver services with a decreased amount of environmental impact. Although Morrisons are seen to be heading in the right direction, regarding acting green, they stop at dramatically changing their business overall. Stopping the use of plastic bags or stocking only in season fruit and vegetables could impact upon the choice and convenience of consumers; however this would improve its environmental performance. Rather than producing environmental policy aims, it would be better to see whether Morrisons could act to save the environment rather than just pleasing the customer. Another recommendation regard how Morrisons could exploit additional opportunities to improve its environmental performance is to improve their policy on renewable sources of energy. Currently Morrisons have only produced a report how renewable energy can improve savings in regards to dairy farming.

Multiply and Accumulate Unit using Vedic Multiplier

Multiply and Accumulate Unit using Vedic Multiplier Design  and  Implementation  of  FPGA  based  64  bit  MA Cunitusing  VEDIC  Multiplier  and  Reversible  Logic  gates ABSTRACT: Now a days in VLSI technology size, power, and speed are the main constraints to design any circuits. In normal multipliers delay will be more and the number of computations also will be more. Because of that speed of the circuits designed with the normal multipliers will be low and it will consume more power. This paper describes Multiply and Accumulate Unit using Vedic Multiplier and DKG reversible logic gates. The Vedic multiplier is designed by using Urdhava Triyagbhayam sutra and the adder design is done by using reversible logic to perform high  speed operations. Reversible logic gates are also the  essential constraint for the promising field of Quantum computing. The Urdhava Triyagbhayam multiplier is used for the multiplication function to reduce partial products in the multiplication process and to get high concert and less area .The reversible logic is used to get less power. The MAC is designed using Verilog code, simulation,synthesis is done in both RTL compiler using Xilinx and implemented on Spartan 3e FPGA Board. KeyWords:MAC, Vedic multiplier, Reversible Gates I. INTRODUCTION Multiplication is the key in arithmetic operation and multiplier plays an important role in digital signal Processing. Unfortunately, the major source of power dissipation in digital signal processors is multipliers. In the past decade researchers developed multipliers with the help of CMOS logic which has all the disadvantages as discussed earlier. Therefore multipliers design for digital signal processing applications should be competent. So the proposed method is designed using pass logic principles, which shows improvements over CMOS designs. Pass logic principle based circuits are capable to accomplish superior performance in power, speed and area when implemented in VLSI[1]. Several case studies show that pass logic principle based design implements most functions with fewer transistors which reduces the overall capacitance than static CMOS; thus, resulting in low power and fast switching time. The Pass logic  standard based design is a capable, due to its better performance in power consumption, area and speed. thirty percent of the multiplier space is taken by the Booth encoder and selector logic [1-3]. So a improved design of Booth encoder and selector is essential. The main objective of this work is to design and implement new Booth encoders and selector logics which are hardware efficient and consequently power- aware.Various designs of these logic units are proposed in this work where the number of transistors needed are less when compared to previously designed units.The gate level implementations of these designs were tested for functionality using LoKon software gates (XNOR, XOR , NAND,NOR,AND,XOR-XNOR combination gate) and MUX used in these circuits were simulated and verified for functionality using TopSPICE. Due to the limitation in the numbers of transistor count in the TopSPICE, it was not capable to simulate the entire circuit in the transistor level. Further, these designs were used to build multiplier[2]. Multiplier is the need for higher word width for signal process applications. This design is scalable without any loss of merits. All the pass transistor circuits have been tested for fully restored voltage at the output[3]. Therefore, when these circuits are combined to form the whole multiplier voltage drop will not cause a problem. II. LITERATURE REVIEW Nareshnaik, SivaNagendra Reddy proposed Design of Vedic Multiplier for Digital Signal Processing Applications[1] .In this method design of adders is difficult and design may be complex and also its require more power. Anitha, Sarath Kumar proposed A 32 BIT MAC Unit Design Using Vedic Multiplier and Reversible Logic Gate design.In this paper they designed for 32 bit Multiplier.But most of the multipliers used in Digital signal processing applications 64 bit multipliers. So many researchers proposed many methods to design multipliers and adders.Among all the methods multiplier design with reversible logic gate design is the efficient method.In reversible gates also different reversible gate are available[4].Some researchers used Kogge stone Adders,some one used Toffiligates[5].DKG is the one of the gate used in the MAC design.This proposed method represents 64 bit MAC design using reversible logic gates. III. PROPOSEDMETHOD Multiply Accumulate (MAC) unit is designed by using Multipliers and adders both will be joined by an accumulate unit. The applications of MAC unit are Digital Signal Processors, microprocessors, and logic units and.MAC determines the speed and improves the performance of the entire system[6]. The proficient designs by MAC unit are Fast Fourier Transform(FFT/IFFT) ,Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT). Since, they are normally executed by inflexible application of multiplication and addition, the total system speed and performance depends on the speed of the addition and multiplication process speed in the system[7]. In most cases the delay in the architecture is due to the addition in parallel stages which we have to concentrate more to improve the speed. Finally we are going to compare our Vedic MAC unit with the Conventional MAC unit based on the parameters like Speed,area and power consumption[8]. A multiplying blockfunction can be conceded in threedifferent ways: conventional addition, partial product addition (PPA) and finally partial product Generation (PPG). The two bud vase materials that must be considered are raising the speed of MAC which is accumulator block partial and product reduction[9]. The 64 bit MAC design which will make use of Vedic multiplier and reversible logic gate can be accomplished in two stages. Firstly, multiplier stage, where a usual multiplier is replaced by Vedic multiplier using UrdhavaTriyagbhayam sutra from Vedic Mathematics.Multiplication is the primary operation of MAC unit. Speed, area, Power dissipation, consumptionand latency are the major concerns in the multiplier stage. So, to evade them, we will go for fast multipliers in different applications of DSP, networking, etc. There are mostly two major criterions that can possibly improve speed of the MAC units are sinking the partial products and because of that accumulator yoke is getting d ecreased. To perform the multiplication of N*N it requires approximately 2N-1 cross products of different widths and (log2N + 1) partial products. The partial products are obtained from Urdhava sutra is by Criss Cross Method. The maximum number of bits in partial products will lead to Critical path. The second part of MAC is Reversible logic gate. Loss of every bit of information in the computations that are not reversible is kT*log2 joules of heat energy are generated, where k is Boltzmanns constant and T the absolute temperature at which computation is performed. IV. DESIGN OF MAC ARCHITECTURE Fig 1: MAC Architecture The design of MAC architecture consists of 3 sub designs. Design of 64 X 64 bit Vedic Multiplier. Design of 128 bit DKG adder Design of Accumulator which integrates both multiplier and adder stages. Vedic Multiplier Vedic Mathematics is part of four Vedas  (books of wisdom). It is part of Sthapatya- Veda (book on civil engineering and architecture), which is an upa- veda (supplement) of Atharva Veda. Vedic Mathematics existed in ancient India and was revived by a popular mathematician, Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji. He divided Vedic mathematics into sixteen formulae(sutras). These formulae deal with Algebra, Analytical Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry etc. The ease in the Vedic mathematics sutras covers way for its application in several prominent domains of engineering like Signal Processing, VLSI and Control Engineering . 1) (Anurupye) Shunyamanyat 2) ChalanaKalanabyham 3) EkadhikinaPurvena 4) EkanyunenaPurvena 5) Gunakasamuchyah 6) Gunitasamuchyah 7) NikhilamNavatashcaramamDashatah 8) ParaavartyaYojayet 9) Puranapuranabyham 10) Sankalana- vyavakalanabhyam 11) ShesanyankenaCharamena 12) ShunyamSaamyasamuccaye 13) Sopaantyadvayamantyam 14) Urdhva-tiryakbhyam 15) Vyashtisamanstih 16) Yaavadunam Vedic Maths can be divided into sixteen different sutras to perform mathematical operations. Among these surtras the Urdhwa Tiryakbhyam Sutra is one of the most highly preferred algorithms for performing multiplication[11-14]. The algorithm is competent enough to be employed for the multiplication of integers as well as binary numbers. The term UrdhwaTiryakbhyam originated from 2 Sanskrit words Urdhwa and Tiryakbhyam which mean vertically and crosswise respectively.The mainadvantage of utilizing this algorithm in comparison with the existing multiplication techniques, is the fact that it utilizes only logical AND operations, half adders and full adders to complete the multiplication operation. Also, the partial products required for multiplication are generated in parallel and apriority to the actual addition thus saving a lot of processing time[15-17]. UrdhwaTiryakbhyam Algorithm Let us consider two eight bit numbers X(7:0) and Y(7:0) , where 7 signify Most Significant Bit and 0 represent Least Significant Bit. P0 to P15 signify each bit of the final computed product. It can be seen from equation (1) to (15), that P0 to P15 are calculated by adding partial products, which are calculated previously using the logical AND operation. The individual bits obtained from equations (1) to equation (15), in turn when concatenated produce the final product of multiplication which is represented in equation (16).The carry bits generated during the computation of the individual bits of the final product are represented from C(1) to C(30). The carry bits generated in (14) and (15) are ignored since they are redundant. Fig 2 : Pictorial Illustration of UrdhwaTiryakbhyam Sutra Graphically exemplifies the step by step procedure of multiplying two eight bit numbers using the Urdhwa Tiryakbyam Vedic Multiplication Sutra[20]. The black circles specify the bits of the multiplier and multiplicand, and the two-way arrows specify the bits to be multiplied in order to arrive at the individual bits of the final product. The hardware architecture of the 88 Urdhwa multiplier has been designed and shown in Fig 2. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Lowest quantum cost DKG Gate A 4 X 4 reversible DKG gate that preserve work singly as a reversible full adder and parallel adder is shown in below fig 5. If input A is zero, the DKG gate performed Full adder operation, and if input A is 1 then reversible logic gate performed Full subtractor operation. It has been confirmed that a reversible full- adder circuit requires at least two or three garbage outputs to make the distinctive[10][19]. output combinations Fig 3: 32 ÃÆ'-32 Vedic multiplier using 16 ÃÆ'- 16 Vedic multiplier Fig 4: 64ÃÆ'- 64 Vedic multiplier using 32x32Vedic multiplier V. DESIGN OF ADDERUSING Fig. 5a DKG gate Fig. 5b Parallel adder using DKG gate AccumulatorStage: Accumulator has an significant role in the DSP applications in different ranges. The register designed REVERSIBLE LOGICDKGGATE in the accumulator is used to add the multiplied Reversible logic is a distinct method diverse from other logic). Loss of information is not probable numbers. Multiplier, adder and an accumulator are forming the vital establishment for the MAC unit. The conventional MAC unit has a multiplic and and here. In this logic, the numbers of outputs are identical multiplier to do the basic multiplication and some to the number of inputs. General consideration for reversible logicgate parallel adders to add the partial products generated in  the previous step. To get the final multiplication output A Boolean function is reversible if and only if  we add the partial product to these results. Vedic all the values in the input set can be mapped with a single value in the output position. Landauer and Multiplier has put forward to intensify the action of the MAC Unit. Bennet both demonstrated that conventional irreversible circuits will  the usage of construct us to VI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION power dissipation a circuit consisting of only reversible gates does not dissipate power. The following points necessity be reserved in mind to realize an optimized circuit: à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Loops are not authorized à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Minimum delay à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Zero energy dissipation Fig 6: RTL Schematic of MAC Unit à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Fan-out is not authorized The modified 64 bit  multiplier using Vedic à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Garbage outputs must be small  multiplier and DKG adder is fast and design of MAC done using Xilinx. The above fig 7shows comparison between Verilog code using Xilinx. The below fig 6 shows the RTL Schematic of the proposed design. Logic Utilization 70000 No.of Slice FlipFlops 60000 No.of 4 input LUTs 50000 MAC design unit using different Adders. The number of LUTs and utilization of logic blocks in MAC design using CSA, RCA, KSA will be greater than DKG and speed is also more in MAC design using DKG. But it will take more area. Compare to array multipliers, baugh wooley multipliers and booths multipliers Vedic multipliers requires less area and performs operations at high speed. The below fig 8 shows the statistics results of MAC design Vedic Multiplier with different adders. In which DKG Adders has moderate delay. But it consumes very less power and it can be designed in small area. 40000 Number of occupied Slices Number of Slices containing only related logic 1000 900 800 30000 20000 10000 Number of Slices containing unrelated logic Total Number of 4 input LUTs Number used as logic Number used as Shift Registers 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 MAC Design using RCA MAC Design using CSA MAC Design using KSA MAC Design using DKG 0 Number of nonded 0 IOBs Number of BUFGMUXs Average Fanout of non-Clock Nets Fig7: Synthesis report of 64-bit MAC using Vedic Multiplier using RCA,DKG and KSA Reversible logic gates Fig8: Delay Analysis report of 64-bit MAC using Vedic Multiplier using RCA,DKG and KSA Reversible logic gates in table 2. By Combining the Vedic and reversible logic will direct to new and competent attainments in developing various fields of digital signal processing Applications. Fig 9: Simulation result of Adder The above fig 9 shows that simulation result of DKG adder. It is a 32 bit adder. In this design we used two 64 bit adders. This adder has two inputs a and b ,two outputs sum and carry. For adder a =19997091 and b= 0001fffdapplied.Which results sum is 0199b708e and carry is 0. Fig 10: Vedic Multiplier result of 64 bit MAC unit The above fig 10 shows the simulation result of 64 bit MAC design unit. For this design we applied two inputs. In which values are a=12345678 and b=78945612 and it will give result of 55bed11b057ec60. Fig 11: Vedic Multiplier result of 64 bit MAC unit on FPGA CONCLUSION AND FUTURE SCOPE The results of this proposed 64 bit Urdhava Triyagbhayam Vedic multiplier with DKG adder are quite good. Design of MAC unit structure and its performance has been scrutinize for all the blocks. Therefore, the 64-bit Urdhava Triyagbhayam sutra Multiplier and reversible logic is the best in all aspects like speed power product ,delay, area and complication as compared to all other architectures which are shown

The Human Mating Game :: essays research papers

Human Mating Game   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It's a dance as old as the human race. At cocktail lounges and church socials, during office coffee breaks and dinner parties-- most blatantly, perhaps, in the personal ads in newspapers and magazines-- men and women participate in a ritual that has been embedded in our existence since the dawn of man. Beginning at young ages, humans start learning to master the art of attracting someone of the opposite sex, one day hoping to find the perfect mate. Whether it was the physical aspect, personality aspect, or the chemical aspect of attraction, there is something that attracts mankind to members of the other sex. The question is, 'How do you interpret these signals and how do you respond to them?';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Researchers and educators are beginning to observe that the age that children start to take notice of the opposite sex. As early as the pre-teen years children start 'going out.'; Many parents fear that their kids are being pushed into adulthood too quickly. Yet, they recognize that pre-teen relationships often resemble child's play more than teenage romance. Pre-teens pair up to impress their friends. Within a group of pre-teens, they might constantly trade boyfriends and girlfriends because it doesn't really matter as long as each other has someone. These couples traditionally would not go out for more than a month and they may do little more than talk a few times on the phone. Fortunately, pre-teens take break-ups in stride which later prepares one for the possibility of hurting and being hurt by someone in one's future teenage and adult years (Hoose 56-63).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The early teenage years are when young adolescents begin to learn the basics of the 'Flirting Game,' especially the girls. There are 52 different nonverbal courtship behaviors used by women. 31 of these 52 flirtations were exhibited by 13-16 year old girls in a study that included going to shopping malls, ice skating rinks, and other places that adolescents congregate. The only signals missing were those at the more overt end of the spectrum, such as actual caressing. Not only were some of the signs missing, but the teens' gestures looked less natural than ones that would be made by more mature females; They laughed much louder, stared more obviously, and their moves were overall much sloppier. If there was a leader among the group, the followers usually modeled their behavior on the leader of the pack.

The Gothic Features of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Essay -- Charlott

The Gothic Features of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte A Gothic novel is a type of literature, which became very popular in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In this time, society was governed by strict moral codes. The "Gothics" would escape into a world of dark, supernatural and wild passions. The word 'Gothic' meant barbarous and wild and many writers liked to involve these elements in their novels. Gothic novels were usually set in foreign countries, particularly in Catholic countries in Southern Europe, and usually set in the past, in the Middle Ages. Many Gothic novels took place in castles, dungeons and monasteries, and were supernatural and mysterious, involving ghosts and monsters. Gothic novels often follow this pattern: a young beautiful girl who is rather helpless with no family, is abducted by a rough, dark villain who imprisons her in his castle. After much danger and possible exploitation, she is rescued by a good, pleasant young man who falls in love with her. Gothic novels are always very dramatic and mysterious, with a great deal of detailed description and suspense and tension. Charlotte Bronte did not perhaps aim to write a Gothic novel, but she was perhaps influenced by the books and materials she had read as a child. Throughout 'Jane Eyre', the location and setting are very important. Jane begins at Gateshead with the Reed family, where she is very excluded and isolated. Sympathy is created for Jane as she is thought of as a weak and vulnerable heroine. This I consider to be very Gothic. "I was a discord in Gateshead Hall: I was like nobody there". The house is very grand and elaborate w... ...eates, using similes, metaphors and symbolism. However, there are parts where Bronte has changed the typical 'Gothic novel' around. For example, at the meeting of Jane and Mr Rochester. Here it seems that Jane is the hero, and Mr Rochester is the heroine. This adds contrast and makes it seem more interesting for the reader, as they would it expect Jane to be the heroine, and Mr Rochester the hero. The ending is not to be considered Gothic either, because, although they fall in love at the end, Mr Rochester's mansion is burnt down and he is blind. This would normally contradict a normal Gothic novel, where everything would end happily. Charlotte Bronte has not completely written a Gothic novel, however 'Jane Eyre' does have many features which could be considered Gothic. Works Cited: Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: New American Library, 1997.

United States Attack And Ballistic Nuclear Submarines :: essays papers

United States Attack And Ballistic Nuclear Submarines The United States Navy has developed over the years to form one of the world's most powerful forces. The nuclear submarine is one of the major components responsible for achieving this status. The nuclear submarines have evolved over time in: design, construction, and weapons to become the most feared deterrence force ever. Tom Clancy, a well-known author and naval expert describes nuclear attack submarines (SSN&rsquos) in an excellent fashion by commenting: The modern SSN is a stealth platform with 70 percent of the worlds surface under which to hide, its endurance determined not by fuel but by the amount of food that may be crammed into the hull, and its operational limitations determined more by the skill of the commander and crew than by external factors. (XIX) Clancy also gives the complete story of nuclear submarines from the beginning. The idea of nuclear energy to power navy submarines came from an improbable origin; a United States naval officer named Hyman G. Rickover. After World War II, Rickover was transferred to the engineering department of the United States Navy. While there, he was responsible for envisioning the idea of placing small nuclear reactors in submarines and surface ships. With these reactors, vessels could travel great distances without having to replenish the their fuel supply. Most importantly for submarines, it would now allow them to stay submerged for longer periods of times instead of having to come to the surface to give air to then diesel engines (Clancy 10). According to Clancy, Rickover&rsquos main focus was submarines. In the early 1950&rsquos, a contract was signed for the production of the first nuclear submarine in the world. The boat was to be named the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) and built by Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics. The nuclear reactor in the Nautilus generated steam for the turbines as a result of pressurized water. This development was far more promising than the now Admiral Rickover and the Navy had ever dreamed (Clancy 10-11). Dalgleish and Schweikart include that when the boat was launched in 1954, it passed both performance and technological barriers. Being similar to submarines developed after 1944, the boat&rsquos speed was greater underwater than above, it did not have surface often to replenish batteries, and could remain underwater for a length of sixty days. The Nautilus became the first ever vessel to travel the Arctic from the Pacific to the Atlantic. While initiating an entirely new dimension for submarine operations, it was the first submarine to arrive at the North Pole (Dalgleish and Schweikart 6). A web site dedicated to United States submarines gives statistics about

ISO 9000 and SEARS Quality Management System Essay

What issues do you think that a large company such as sears had to face in implementing ISO 9000 across its vast organization? Implementing ISO 9000 is not an easy task. The ISO 9000 standards originally were intended to be advisory in nature and to be used for two-party contractual situations and for internal auditing. Rather than a supplier being audited for compliance to the standards by each customer, the registrar certifies the company, and this certification is accepted by all of the supplier’s customers. Using ISO 9000 as a basis for a quality system can improve productivity, decrease costs, and increase customer satisfaction. It also have resulted in increased use of data as a business management tool, increased management commitment. As Sears is concerned after an eight year effort, the company registered its product repairs centers and in-home services quality management system to ISO 9001. The original ISO 9000:1994 only required that the organization have a documented, verifiable process in place to ensure that it consistently produces what it says it will. ISO 9000- focuses on Fundamental and vocabulary. This document provides fundamental background information and establishes definition of key terms used in the standards. How are the ISO 9000:2000 Quality management principles reflected in this example? How might these principles have helped sears address the issues you identified in the first question? Is a response to the widespread dissatisfaction that resulted from the old standards. The new standards have a completely new structure, based on eight principles – â€Å"comprehensive and fundamental rules or beliefs for leading and operating an organization† that reflect the basic principles of total quality. These eight principles were voted on, and overwhelmingly approved, at a conference in 1997 attended by 36 representatives of countries that have delegates in the TC 176 committee, charged with the responsibilities of revising the ISO 9000 standards. The eight principles consisted: customer focus, leadership, involvement of people, process approach, system approach to management, continual improvement, factual approach to decision making, mutually beneficial supplier relationships. This standard focuses on developing, documenting,  and implementing procedures to ensure consistency of operations and performance in production and service delivery processes, with the aim of continual improvement, and supported by fundamental principles of total quality.