THE EFFECT OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ON RURAL SETTLEMENTS IN MOUNTAINOUS Research Paper

THE EFFECT OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ON RURAL SETTLEMENTS IN MOUNTAINOUS REGION - Research Paper Example Nature also influences the activities of these people in that the major vocation is cattle rearing an agro-forestry. The attitudes of the people are also supposed to be affected by the natural surroundings as people have limited expectations from life, which imparts a slower pace to life. Last but not least, the cultural attributes of mountain people is also a reflection of their natural ambience, which imparts color to their visual arts and costumes, adds distinctness to their folk culture and food habits, and also make them a distinct ecologically sensitive civilization. But all these factors also have contributed to mountain people being more vulnerable to the exploitation attempts by outsiders. THE EFFECT OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ON RURAL SETTLEMENTS IN MOUNTAINOUS REGION Introduction Nature has a tendency to mold the life of the humans who inhabit it. In history, special traits have been attributed to specific groups of people inhabiting a specific geographical landscape. Natural surroundings of a people have been found to have an impact on their food, clothing, housing, social bonding, economy, culture and attitudes. Thus nature becomes an all-encompassing presence that gives meaning and definition to the lives of humans. It is in this context that the influence of nature on the rural settlements in mountainous regions is investigated here. Architecture It is observed that the typical character in the architecture of mountainous regions is that â€Å"the lack of technology is substituted by creativity and through trial and error in using available materials and basic building structures† (Habitat, 2001, pp.3). This is evident when we find that in mountain areas, people use stones more in constructing their houses because that is the most easily available material around (Habitat, 2001, pp.23). Another feature is that very little mortar is used in bonding the stones used to build the walls, which make them provide very good thermal control (Habitat, 2 001, pp.23). But a negative aspect of such stonewalls is that they prone to easy destruction by natural forces (Habitat, 2001, pp.23). To cope with the â€Å"contour layout† of the land, the houses in mountainous regions are usually arranged in a semicircular design (Habitat, 2001, pp.8). Mud brick or brick are used in construction because mud is the cheapest building material available (Habitat, 2001, pp.8). A house using these materials is also conducive for the cool climate of mountainous areas. By placing the houses along the valleys, the damage from wind is minimized and also more sunlight falls on the houses so that people can cope with the cool climate (Habitat, 2001, pp.10). In the study conducted by Habitat (2001) in Northern Iraq, it was found that houses were constructed facing southwards so that they get maximum sunlight (pp.10). The contour design is also useful in preventing landslides and allowing drainage of excess water during rains (Habitat, 2001, pp.12). Th is design, which is defined as â€Å"housing aggregation† becomes necessary also because such a structure is more convenient to defend, when there is an outside threat (Habitat, 2001, pp.10). The Kurdistan province of North West Iran is another example of a mountainous dwelling place (Bahrami,

Literature Review Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Literature Review - Coursework Example The current study aims to examine and evaluate various practices and policies on performance appraisal systems and procedures as revealed by diverse authors whose researches have been published in peer reviewed academic journals. This literature review hereby aims to proffer relevant issues that emerge in the subject of performance appraisal. The determination of organizational effectiveness which is the degree to which objectives of an organization are achieved is a cardinal task of management. The contribution of each employee in attaining these objectives is the extent to which one has achieved. Therefore, performance evaluation is the assessment of achievement of objectives. Longenecker and Nykodym (1996) examined the potential benefits of performance appraisals and revealed that the appraisal process serves as a communication tool, a means to increase motivation and productivity, an arena for discussion of future career prospects for growth and development, as a basis for wage a dministration, and as a framework for decision making process relative to human resources concerns. Brown, Hyatt and Benson (2010) likewise validated the ability of performance appraisals in increasing employee performance and productivity through â€Å"greater employee identification with the commitment to objectives of the organization (Brown, et.al, 2010, 377); financial incentives which are contingent on performance (ibid, 378) and through encouragement of retention. Likewise, Eremin, Wolf and Woodard (2010) acknowledged the critical role of performance appraisals in merit based pay system. While eminent advantages are presumed to be realized from performance appraisal systems, some research have divulged the presence of biases due to various factors, to wit: favoritism and politics (Heneman, 2003) and issue of fairness and equity, lack of trust in management, and lack of resources or money for rewards (Eremin, et.al, 2010). On the other hand, supervisors expressed difficulties in handling poor performers as revealed from appraisal reports due to the need to exercise objectivity in identifying performance problems (Daley, 2008). Management support was likewise another factor stated by Daley (2008) as precluding plans for performance improvement. Further, the time consumed to address performance problems tend to neglect other pressing responsibilities. The need for performance appraisals and evaluation, despite issues of biases and difficulties in application and in addressing poor performers, was deemed relevant and worthy by both managers and employees (Longenecker & Nykodym, 1996). The challenging issues that face organizations is designing an appropriate and effective performance appraisal system free from biases and serves clearly identified goals. Brown (et.al, 2010) is a function of both performance appraisal procedures and treatment focusing on four indicators: clarity of role and purpose, extent of communication and flow of information, level of t rust the employee has for their supervisor, and fairness throughout the process. As suggested by Eremin (et.al, 2010), biases could be addressed through a closer evaluation of current performance evaluation systems and by increasing the training of evaluators. Longenecker & Nykodym (1996) presented both managers’ views and subordinates’

The Frequency Spectrum Allocated By Malaysian Communication Computer Science Essay

The Frequency Spectrum Allocated By Malaysian Communication Computer Science Essay International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000), also known as 3G or 3rd Generation, is the generation standard for mobile phones and telecommunication services. This generation is to meet specifications by the International Telecommunication Union. Various applications exist, including wide-area wireless voice phone, video calls, mobile, mobile TV Internet access and others. The details spectrum for IMT-2000 shows like below: International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT2000) Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) Upper band: 2110 to 2200 MHz Lower band: 1920 to 2010 MHz Time Division Duplex (TDD) Frequency: 1915 to 1920MHz Frequency: 2010 to 2025MHz Figure 1.1: Frequency spectrum IMT-2000.[2] Global system for mobile communications (GSM) is a second generation cellular telecommunications system was first designed in the 1980 [12]. Compared with the first generation, GSM is more advanced enhancements such as in security, quality, capacity, and the ability to support integrated services. For examples GSM services is GSM-900 and GSM-1800 in which used in the world like Europe, the Middle East, parts of Asia and others country. The details spectrum for GSM900 and GSM1800 shows like below; Global System for Mobile (GSM) in the 900 MHz Band Upper band: 925 to 960 MHz Lower band: 880 to 915 MHz Global System for Mobile System in the 1800 MHz Band Upper band: 1805 to 1880 MHz Lower band: 1710 to 1785 MHz Figure 1.2: Frequency spectrum GSM900.[2] Figure 1.3: Frequency spectrum GSM1800.[2] Summary for Service Operators [ Maxis, Celcom, Digi and U-Mobile]; Service Operator System Standard Frequency Spectrum (MHz) Access Code Commercial Name Service Offered Lower Band Upper Band Maxis Mobile Sdn Bhd GSM 900 GSM 1800 IMT-2000: FDD TDD 880-886, 905-915 1710-1735 1935-1950 2015-2020 925-93, 950-960 1805-1830 2125-2140 012 017 Maxis Voice call, SMS, MMS, data plans service, International roaming, WAP Celcom (Malaysia) Berhad GSM 900 GSM 1800 IMT-2000: FDD TDD 888-905 1735-1760 1950-1965 2020-2025 933-950 1830-1855 2140-2155 013 019 Celcom Voice call, SMS, MMS, data plans service, International roaming, WAP Digi Telecommunication Sdn Bhd GSM 900 GSM 1800 IMT-2000: FDD TDD 886-888 1760-1785 1965-1980 2010-2015 931-933 1855-1880 2155-2170 010 016 Digi Voice call, SMS, MMS, data plans service, International roaming, WAP U-Mobile Sdn Bhd IMT-2000: FDD TDD 1920-1935 1915-1920 2110-2125 018 U-mobile Voice call, SMS, MMS, WAP Question 2 The Fourth Generation (4G) technology candidates is foreseen most likely to be between Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-Advanced) proposed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and Mobile WiMAX using 802.16m standardised by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Distinguish the technical differences between these two technologies and give your opinion on the scenario and deployment of 4G in the near future. Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-Advanced) proposed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) is new standard in networking technology tree move what was once realize GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSxPA networking technologies. It is a project Generation Partnership Project third (3GPP), administered under one name trademark by one of associations in partnership, European Telecommunications Standards Institute. LTE Evolution Figure 2.1: Mobile Technologies Charging The first generation of cellular systems were based on analog standards and are introduced in 80s middle. This with quick to bring to one second generation digitals cellular standard that made use of digital modulation and signal processing. The second generation also led to a technology fragmentation. Once many standard contests exist, however what remains now are two main branches: referred to as GSM and CDMA branches or alternately referred as the 3GPP and 3GPP2 branches. These branches remained separate as they migrated to 3G systems focusing on more efficient voice transport as well providing data-services. LTE originated in the 3GPP standards organization, and a competing specification (EV-DO Rev C) started in the 3GPP2 body as the next evolutionary step. However, the support for EV-DO Rev C has waned and it has now become clear that the 3GPP2 radio interface evolution has effectively ceased, allowing a single cellular technology. Figure 2.2: LTE provides a smooth evolutionary path for operators deploying all 3GPP and non-3GPP technologies. Technology Summary of LTE FDMA on uplink Scale able OFDM on downlink, Single Carrier Variable Spectrum Width from 3 to 20 MHz Up to 64 QAM, MIMO, Spatial Multiplexing(SM), LTE- Advanced Will be an evolution of LTE. Therefore LTE-Advanced must be backward compatible with LTE Release 8. Requirements will meet or even exceed IMT-Advanced requirements following the ITU-R agenda. Should support significantly increased instantaneous peak data rates in order to reach ITU requirements. Primary focus should be on low mobility users. It is required a further improvement of cell edge data rates. Mobile WiMAX using 802.16m standardised by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 802.16 is a series of Wireless Broadband standards authored by the IEEE. The current version is IEEE 802.16-2009 amended by IEEE 802.16j-2009. IEEE 802.16 is written by a working group established by IEEE Standards Board in 1999 to develop standards for the global deployment of broadband Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks. The Workgroup is a unit of the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee [3]. WiMAX Evolution WiMAX grow almost independently (and in parallel) for cellular standard mentioned earlier. In late 90s, IEEE started a workgroup create one air interface to show multipoint wireless standard broadband. Working group lever DOCSIS (data on interface specification cable service) standard heavily especially in definition MACs layers. Original standard modified into 802.16d in 2004 introduce OFDM as transmission scheme. This standard intended at fixed applications and is sometimes referred to as fixed WiMAX. In 2005, 802.16d further improving to for support for mobility and provide OFDM delivery system scalable. This standard known as 802.16e/ mobile WiMAX. (It should be noted that products based on 802.16d and 802.16e inhering market and both classified as WiMAXs products lead to a few ambiguity on specific standard which is supported-802.16d or 802.16e.) Hope, 802.16e standard expanding to 802.16m which focusing on addition to ventilate interface specifications. This evolution is shown in Figure 2.3. Figure 2.3: WiMAX Evolution Technology Summary of WiMAX Scale able OFDM on downlink and uplink Variable Spectrum Width from 1.25 to 10 MHz Up to 64 QAM, MIMO, Spatial Multiplexing, Beamforming Mobile WiMAX deployed since 2008 IEEE802.16m and Mobile WiMAX Release 2 Lower latency through faster MAC/signaling Higher spectrum efficiency through more advanced and higher order MIMO solutions, including multiuser MIMO as well as lower MAC and PHY overhead. Higher peak and user data rates using wide-band carriers (including 20 MHz) and multicarrier aggregation. Enhanced coverage in high interference environments with improved preamble and control channel. Support for higher mobility through a faster feedback mechanism and link adaption. Flexible spectrum deployments (both FDD and TDD support contiguous bands) The scenario and deployment of 4G in the near future 4G refers to the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards. It is a successor to 3G and 2G families of standards. The first was the move from 1981 analog (1G) to digital (2G) transmission in 1992. This was followed, in 2002, by 3G multi-media support, spread spectrum transmission and at least 200  kbit/s, soon expected to be followed by 4G, which refers to all-IP packet-switched networks, mobile ultra-broadband (gigabit speed) access and multi-carrier transmission. Pre-4G technologies such as mobile WiMAX and first-release 3G Long term evolution (LTE) have been available on the market since 2006 and 2009 respectively. According to the members of the 4G working group, the infrastructure and the terminals of 4G will have almost all the standards from 2G to 4G implemented. Although legacy systems are in place to adopt existing users, the infrastructure for 4G will be only packet-based (all-IP). Some proposals suggest having an open Internet platform. Technologies considered to be early 4G include: Flash-OFDM, the 802.16e mobile version of WiMax (also known as WiBro in South Korea), and HC-SDMA (see iBurst). Question 8 The public cellular service operator in Malaysia are subjected to mandatory standards for Quality of Service (QoS) or Grade of Service (GOS) by Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). List various parameters and schemes used for providing QoS/GOS in cellular network and discuss their advantages/disadvantages to the subscribers and operators. How can QoS provisioning be managed in the future 4G cellular network? There is two ways to measure the quality of voice services, Grade of Service (GoS) and the Quality of Service (QoS). GOS can be describe as a chances of a call in a circuit group being blocked or delayed for more than a specified interval and can be expressed as a vulgar fraction/decimal fraction. This is likely to happen to the busy hour when the traffic intensity is the greatest. Grade of service can viewed from the perspective of incoming versus outgoing calls, and is not necessarily equal in each direction or between different source-destination pairs. Quality of service (QOS) can also be called as voice grade or program grade which is a single circuit that is designed or conditioned to provide. Equalization for amplification over a specified band of frequency or for this case of digital data transported via analogue circuit can be one of the quality criteria for such circuit. One of the aspects for mobile quality of service in cellular telephone circuits is the probability of abnormal termination of the call. There is a lot of factor can affect the quality of service of the telecommunication network. From the customer`s point of view looking at this QoS can be describe as common phenomena and its judged by the user. However there is a standard metrics of QoS that can be used by the customer to measure the QoS. The coverage, accessibility and the audio quality is the indicator for this quality. For coverage, strength of the signal is measured using test equipment and this can be used to estimate the size of the cell. For accessibility its about determining the ability of the network to handle successful calls from mobile-fixed networks and from mobile-mobile networks. For audio quality it can be considers monitoring a successful for a period of time for the clarity of the communication channel. All these indicators are used by the telecommunications industry to judge the quality of service of the network. QoS provisioning be managed in the future 4G cellular network Nowadays, cellular network operators across the world have seen a rapid growth of mobile usage. Data usage per subscriber is increasing daily in particular and with the introduction of flat-rate tariffs and more advanced mobile devices. Services provider are moving from a single-service offering in the packet-switched domain to a multi-service offering by adding Value added services (VAS) that are also provided across the mobile broadband access. One of the examples of these Services is multimedia telephony and mobile-TV. These kind services have a different performance requirement in terms of the required bit rates and packet delays or any other examples. However solving these performance issues through over-provisioning typical is uneconomical due to the relatively high cost for transmission capacity in cellular access networks which includes radio spectrum and backhaul from the base stations. 4G broadband wireless technologies such as IEEE 802.16e/m and Third Generation Partnershi p Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) have been designed with different QoS (Quality of Service) frameworks and means to enable delivery of the evolving Internet applications. QoS specifically for evolving Internet applications is a fundamental requirement to provide satisfactory service delivery to users and also to manage network resources. QoS refers to the probability or ability of the network to provide a desired level of service for selected traffic on the network. Service levels are defined in terms of throughput, latency (delay), jitter (delay variation) and packet errors or loss. Different service levels are defined for different types or streams of traffic. To supply QoS, the network identifies different types or streams of traffic and processes these traffic classes differently to achieve (or attempt to achieve) the desired service level for each traffic class. The efficiency of any QoS scheme can be measured based on its ability to achieve the desired service levels for a typical combination of traffic classes. 4G wireless communication systems feel the requirement of transparent and seamless user roaming with end-to-end connectivity. These systems also required higher data rate, higher mobility support and QoS guarantees due to rapid development of wireless and mobile networks. All this requirements is possible for the operators to increase their service portfolio and for the users to experience context-rich and personalized services. Advantages for Subscribers and Operators: Subscribers Know that when the call was busy Users may call for a long time without queuing Easier for users to choose the best mobile phone operator. So, they know which one the operators has the best coverage. Operators Will know when the time is busy and how to solve the problem faster. Always to take the opportunity to improve their network coverage. Disadvantages for Subscribers and Operators: Subscribers Cannot make a call especially during the emergency call. Operators Increase the cost in order to improve the network. Will increase the number of cell in order to handle the large amount of subscribers. SATELLITE COMMUNICATION QUESTION 10 The Very Small Aperture Terminal, VSAT service is becoming more popular in Malaysia. Obtain information on VSAT service operator in Malaysia including examples of application, network topology, user equipments, lease procedure and services offered and their data rate. How can a VSAT system accommodate subscriber that need higher data rate services. Introductions of VSAT A Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a two-way satellite ground station with a dish antenna that is smaller than 3 meters (most VSAT antennas range from 75 cm to 1.2 m). VSAT data rates typically range from narrowband up to 4 Mbit/s. VSATs access satellites in geosynchronous orbit to relay data from small remote earth stations (terminals) to other terminals (in mesh configurations) or master earth station hubs (in star configurations). VSAT can be used for data, voice, video or internet applications [10]. It is used to communicate with to link together locations using satellite connectivity. Figure 3.1: A typical VSAT network depicting two way communications from remote terminals through a VSAT satellite to a central hub. MAXIS VSAT VSATs are an ideal means of communication in areas where terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable or unreliable. As such VSAT services are able to bring distant or remote business communities closer by eliminating geographical barriers and challenges that previously existed. This in turn transfers to an increase in productivity and overall cost efficiency for such communities. In addition to providing communication to remote areas, VSATs are also suitable in providing private networks in urban areas for organizations with many geographically dispersed branches that require connectivity to their Headquarters. VSAT services generally offer service reliability and availability that is equal to or higher than terrestrial services. Below are examples of type Maxis VSAT Services that can be used depends on the complexity of the network and the communications requirements; SCPC (Single Carrier Per Channel) Satellite bandwidth is dedicated to a single source. SCPC based design provides a point-to-point technology making it the VSAT equivalent. Supports voice, data, video communications. Advantages; Simple and reliable technologies. Low-cost equipment. Figure 3.2: SkyLine (SCPC) Service hub to remote configuration TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) Is a channel access method for shared medium network. Allows several users to share the same frequency channel by dividing the signal into different time slots. In Figure 3 (d), all VSATs share satellite resource on a time-slot basis and the remote VSATs also use inroutes for communicating with the hub or TDMA channels. There could be several inroutes associated with one outroute. Several VSATs share one inroute, so it also sharing the bandwidth. Typical inroutes operate at 64 or 128 Kbit/s. Critical to all TDMA schemes is the function of clock synchronization what is performed by the TDMA hub or master earth station. The VSATs may also access the inroute on a fixed assigned TDMA mode, where in each VSAT is allocated a specific time slot or slots. Figure 3.3: Typical SkyNet (TDM/TDMA)-configuration supporting various interactive data applications. ; Summarization of Maxis VSAT Services [6]: Services Service Description Typical Users SkyWayTMVSAT Broadband data and Voice service. Corporations with many branches requiring Broadband Data and telephony. Corporations requiring Internet access. Corporations or communities in remotes areas without telephone connectivity, i.e. plantations, timber camps and remote villages. SkyLine VSAT Dedicated leased line for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connectivity. Corporations requiring dedicated links for communications between its HQ and branches. SkyLine-Plus VSAT Dedicated leased line with Frame Relay technology for mesh connectivity. Corporations requiring dedicated links for communications between sites within the VSAT network. Gyro-Stabilized VSAT Specialized VSAT service for maritime and offshore oil rigs. Upstream oil and gas corporations Shipping companies. The benefit of Maxis VSAT Services Uniform service quality All sites in the VSAT network receives the same high quality services, whether the location is urban or rural areas. Reach VSAT is a service that available anywhere no matter the place, whether in a remote area, forest or anywhere in the world. High relaibility availability VSAT networks offer high reliability as the points of failure are limited to two points means at any two locations in a communications link. This ensures minimal downtime while the service availability for VSAT networks. Question 11 Global Positioning System, GPS satellite is a navigation satellite that can offer services based on locations. Investigate among the service offered in Malaysia, user hardware and equipments, subscription (if any), and their limitation in term of accuracy. Identify similar service to complement GPS system particularly for mobile and handheld environment. The Global Positioning System (GPS), also known as Navstar, is a satellite based navigation system that can be used by anyone with appropriate receiver to pinpoint location on earth. The array of GPS satellites transmits highly accurate, time coded information that permits a receiver to calculate its exact location in terms of the latitude and longitude on earth as well as the altitude above the sea level [10]. GPS was developed by the U.S Air Force for the Department of Defense as a continuous global radio navigation system that all elements of the military services would use for precision navigation. GPS consists of three parts: the space segment, the control segment, and the user segment [10]. The space segment is composed of 24 to 32 satellites in medium Earth orbit and also includes the boosters required to launch them into orbit [10]. The space segment is the constellation of satellites orbiting above the earth. It contains transmitters which send highly accurate timing information to GPS receivers on earth. The receivers may be used on land, sea or air. Figure 4.1: GPS mapping aids are small enough to be mounted on a dashboard or stashed in a backpackers pack. They are popular with boaters too. Figure 4.2: The GPS space segment Figure 4.2 shows the fully implemented GPS consists of 24 main operational satellites plus 3 active space satellites. The satellites are arranged in six orbits, each orbit containing 3 or 4 satellites. User hardware and equipments GPS satellites circle the earth twice a day in a very precise orbit and transmit signal information to earth. GPS receivers take this information and use triangulation to calculate the users exact location. Essentially, the GPS receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite with the time it was received. The time difference tells the GPS receiver how far away the satellite is. Now, with distance measurements from a few more satellites, the receiver can determine the users position and display it on the units electronic map [13]. f A GPS receiver must be locked on to the signal of at least three satellites to calculate a 2D position (latitude and longitude) and track movement. With four or more satellites in view, the receiver can determine the users 3D position (latitude, longitude and altitude). Once the users position has been determined, the GPS unit can calculate other information, such as speed, bearing, track, trip distance, distance to destination, sunrise and sunset time and more[13]. The GPS receivers are extremely accurate, thanks to their parallel multi-channel design. Garmins 12 parallel channel receivers are quick to lock onto satellites when first turned on and they maintain strong locks, even in dense foliage or urban settings with tall buildings. Certain atmospheric factors and other sources of error can affect the accuracy of GPS receivers. Garmin ® GPS receivers are accurate to within 15 meters on average [13]. Newer Garmin GPS receivers with WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) capability can improve accuracy to less than three meters on average. No additional equipment or fees are required to take advantage of WAAS. Users can also get better accuracy with Differential GPS (DGPS), which corrects GPS signals to within an average of three to five meters. The U.S. Coast Guard operates the most common DGPS correction service. This system consists of a network of towers that receive GPS signals and transmit a corrected signal by beacon transmitters. In order to get the corrected signal, users must have a differential beacon receiver and beacon antenna in addition to their GPS [13]. GPS satellites transmit two low power radio signals, designated L1 and L2. Civilian GPS uses the L1 frequency of 1575.42 MHz in the UHF band. The signals travel by line of sight, meaning they will pass through clouds, glass and plastic but will not go through most solid objects such as buildings and mountains. A GPS signal contains three different bits of information a pseudorandom code, ephemeris data and almanac data. The pseudorandom code is simply an I.D. code that identifies which satellite is transmitting information. You can view this number on your Garmin GPS units satellite page, as it identifies which satellites its receiving [13]. Ephemeris data, which is constantly transmitted by each satellite, contains important information about the status of the satellite (healthy or unhealthy), current date and time. This part of the signal is essential for determining a position. The almanac data tells the GPS receiver where each GPS satellite should be at any time throughout the day. Each satellite transmits almanac data showing the orbital information for that satellite and for every other satellite in the system [13]. The service offered in Malaysia /GPS Applications The primary application of the GPS is military and related navigation. GPS is used by all services for ships, aircraft of all sort, and group troops. Civilian uses have also increased dramatically because of the availability of many low-cost portable receivers. Most cavitations applications involve navigation, which is usually marine or aviation- related. Hikers and campers and other outdoors sports enthusiasts also use GPS. Commercial applications include surveying, mapmaking and construction. Vehicle location is a growing application for trucking and delivery companies, taxi, bus and train transportation. Police, fire, ambulance and forest services also use GPS. GPS based navigation systems are now widely available as accessories in cars to provide a continuous readout of current vehicle location. GPS is finding new applications every day. For instance, it is used to keep track of fleets of trunks. A GPS receiver in each trunk transmits its position data by way of a wireless connection, such as a wireless local- area network or cell phone. Many new cell phones contain a GPs receiver that automatically reports the location of the user people makes a 999 call. Most location based services will be used for 999 calls, eventually other location services may be developed for cell phones. Not all cell phones use GPS. Some use a unique triangulation method based on the cell phone being able to be in touch with at least three call sites. Finally, GPS receivers are so inexpensive an accurate that they have led to a new hobby called geocaching. In this sport, one team hides an item or treasure and then gives the other team coordinates to follow to find the treasure within a given time. Limitation in term of accuracy Factors that can degrade the GPS signal and thus affect accuracy include the following: Ionosphere and troposphere delays The satellite signal slows as it passes through the atmosphere. The GPS system uses a built-in model that calculates an average amount of delay to partially correct for this type of error. Signal multipath This occurs when the GPS signal is reflected off objects such as tall buildings or large rock surfaces before it reaches the receiver. This increases the travel time of the signal, thereby causing errors. Receiver clock errors A receivers built-in clock is not as accurate as the atomic clocks onboard the GPS satellites. Therefore, it may have very slight timing errors. Orbital errors Also known as ephemeris errors, these are inaccuracies of the satellites reported location. Number of satellites visible The more satellites a GPS receiver can see, the better the accuracy. Buildings, terrain, electronic interference, or sometimes even dense foliage can block signal reception, causing position errors or possibly no position reading at all. GPS units typically will not work indoors, underwater or underground. Satellite geometry/shading This refers to the relative position of the satellites at any given time. Ideal satellite geometry exists when the satellites are located at wide angles relative to each other. Poor geometry results when the satellites are located in a line or in a tight grouping. Similar service to complement GPS system particularly for mobile and handheld environment. GPS-enabled Cell Phones Motorola and Blackberry were the first GPS-enable phones to proliferate the United States. Initially, MotorolaiDEN phones were commonly used for employee tracking on the business-oriented Nextel network. Then GPS enabled Blackberry phones, once used almost exclusively by corporate and government VIPs, began to penetrate the consumer market stimulated by the demand for phones with advanced messaging capability. Next came specialty devices produced under the names of Disney Mobile and Wherify Wireless targeting use by children and elderly. Now in 2009, a variety of GPS-enabled phones and tracking services are available, as you can see from the ads on this page. Locating People in an Emergency Stimulated by the events of 11 September 2001, the demand for enhanced 911 (e911) emergency calling capabilities pushed forward GPS tracking technology in cell phones. At the end of 2005, all cell phone carriers were required to provide the ability to trace cell phone calls to a location within 100 meters or less. Wireless Networks Your phone may have GPS and know exactly where it is, but it cant tell anyone else where you are unless you are connected to a wireless network. Here in the United States, the wireless networks used for GPS tracking are primarily those operated by cell phone carriers. It is not likely that you as an individual will negotiate network access with a carrier. It is more likely that you will select a solution including a cell phone provisioned to communicate in a certain way on a specific wireless network. List below are some carriers recommended for use with GPS cell phones and services. T-Mobile / Cingular / ATT The Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications as adopted by these carriers represents the network with the largest coverage footprint. Roaming agreements between these carriers provide end users with service throughout the country. GSM is also the prominent cellular network abroad. Sprint / Nextel, not so much because of coverage, but because of their emphasis on data. Nextel has created their own data formats and communication protocols for high bandwidth mobile electronics applications. This company, who gave new meaning to the term walkie-talkie, provides the most flexibility for the communication of GPS data between cell phones and location-based service pro

Concepts Of Lifetime Fitness :: essays research papers

Concepts of Lifetime Fitness Homeostasis is the state of equilibrium in which the internal environment of the human body remains relatively constant.   Two excellent examples of homeostasis are how the body maintains a constant temperature and blood pressure during strenuous physical activity or exercise.   Although there are many other activities in the body that display homeostasis, I will only discuss these two.    Temperature in the human body is usually kept at approximately 37 degrees Celsius.   To maintain such a strict temperature, the body has a few functions to combat the outside elements.   People cannot make themselves cold as readily as make themselves hot, however I will mention both homeostasis functions.   When the external temperature decreases, a portion of the brain called the hypothalamus detects the drop by means of the blood.   To compensate, the brain sends chemical and electrical impulses to the muscles.   These impulses tell the muscles to begin to contract and relax at very high intervals.   This is commonly known as shivering.   The production of Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP in the mitochondria of the muscles produces heat.   If the body temperature does not rise immediately after this, then a second function begins. The brain will signal the blood vessels near the skin to constrict or narrow in diameter.   This occurs so the heat deep in the muscles is conserved.   Since the vessels are now smaller in diameter, less blood is needed to fill them.   Since less blood is needed through the vessels, the heart begins to slow.   If the body remains in this slowed state, hypothermia could result.   Hypothermia is the condition in which metabolic processes are inhibited.   The medical world has taken advantage of this by inducing hypothermia in patients that are undergoing organ transplants. To fight temperatures higher than normal, as in exercise or on hot days, the body reacts in the opposite way than with cold.   Again, the hypothalamus detects the change of temperature in the blood.   The brain signals blood vessels not to constrict, but to dilate.   This increases the diameter of the vessels, and results in the need for more blood. Since more blood is needed to fill the vessels, the heart pumps faster and that causes respiration to increase.   The increased respiration will make the body exhale some of the internal heat, like placing a fan in a window to cool a room.   The blood vessels are dilated so the heat deep in the muscles is easily released.   Another commonly known mechanism to fight heat is sweating.   Sweat glands found throughout the body are stimulated by the hypothalamus to excrete sweat and when the sweat evaporates,

Adam Smith: Of the Wages of Labour Essay

Adam Smith spoke about the existing relationship between wages and labor and compared it to how it is observed in other countries like North America, India and China. In this section of his book, he had described how things would have been like if laborers had managed and owned their produce. Smith had stated that in the original state of things, the finished product simply belongs to the laborer. Things would have gradually become cheaper since almost everyone with a backbone could rely on their own work produce. Even if the produce is made by a small number of laborers, the commodities produced would most likely be of equal standards compared to other laborers since it is not marked by profit for others but for oneself. In reality, the concept of ownership and private properties has long been the determinants of people’s places. Smith has said that in every business undertaking, every laborer depends upon a master or owner to obtain the necessary materials they need for work and for their survival needs. The master shares in the produce of a laborer through profit, which is the value that is placed for the work produced. Whatever contract the laborer and master agrees upon the end result determines the wage received by the laborer. Most often, the interests of the masters and laborers are in conflict, which creates tension and dilemma in the relationship. The laborers desire to get as much from their produce as they can but their masters would only offer them a minimal amount than their asking price. Smith also noted that most masters merge to contain or maintain low wages since it will affect their share of the profit while laborers unite to raise the stakes. In the long-run, the laborer may be a necessity to his master as the master is to the laborer but the relationship is not that compulsory on the part of the master. This is due to the fact that laborers live by their work, which should be sufficient enough to maintain a decent living. Smith went on to express what he had observed from the lowest species of common laborers in Europe who have a difficulty in sustaining a large family. Most often, the wages of common laborers are not enough to feed their children of four. The amount that a laborer usually gets is sufficient enough for only one person. Herein lies the sentiments of the common laborers who do heavy menial work yet are not paid sufficiently for their dues. Smith goes on to compare the high wages in North America for the common laborers to those of European countries. According to him, England is a much wealthier country than North America but in relation to the wages it gives to laborers, the latter gains the upper hand. In Great Britain and most other European countries, it was said that wages were not expected to be doubled in less than five hundred years. Labor is so well rewarded in North America, China and India that families with numerous children are a source of opulence and prosperity to the parents since they contribute more income to the family. The demand for those who live by wages is said to increase in proportion to the increase of the funds. According to Smith, these funds are of two kinds. First is the concept of revenue, which is what is necessary for the maintenance of the business and second is the stock which is needed for the employment of the masters. Smith has asserted that if there is an increase in the revenue and stock of a business, then there is an increase in a nation’s wealth and this is what he has observed in the countries he mentioned in the text. Adam Smith had made good observations regarding his view of wages and labor in contemporary modern times and he had been able to clearly define what ails the relationship between laborers and it masters. Reference: Smith, A. (1994). Of the Wages of Labour. The Wealth of Nations. Modern Library. New York: Random House.

Emergence Of The Buddha Essay

A). Outline the social, political and religious background from which Buddhism emerged. (10) Buddhism is one of the major religious traditions of the human race today. Buddhism was influenced by many different cultures over the thousands of years. This essay will outline the social, political and religious issues surrounding the background and the emergence of Buddhism in Indian Society. â€Å"In the 1920’s archaeological excavations of the ancient cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa in North West India revealed the existence of an urban civilisation. This is called the Indus Valley Civilisation.† (Buddhism Dominique Side) The background from which the Buddha emerged from stretched as far back as C2700 in a place called the Indus Valley. This was the first sign of civilisation to live on the Indian subcontinent. People were attracted to the Indus Valley because of the of the River Indus. The River provided a good source of vegetation; there was also flat land, stones and trees. The Indus Valley was an Egalitarian society, which meant that everybody living inside the society were all equal and they worshipped both Gods and Goddesses. They believed and worshiped in Brahman, who they believed was the most looked up to and modest God. Archaeologists found statues with engraved scriptures of Gods and Goddesses on; the finding of these pots is where it is believed that the Religion began, although there were never any findings of temples to prove this. â€Å"Artefacts show it’s Religion to be related to the forces of nature†¦ the worship of a mother Goddess, sacred trees and fertility symbols.† (Buddhism Dominique Side) The valley was believed to have been a strong central government and to have two main political centres, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. The Indus Valley civilisation began to move out, many people today still believe this was because of a natural migration. After the civilisation of the Indus Valley had left, Aryans then began to set up home on their land. Aryans were nomadic; they travelled around a lot, never staying in one place for very long. They brought animals with them and built up a strong military. They were thought to be good at building and carpentry. The official religion of the Aryan conquerors of India is referred to as the Vedic religion after their holy books or Vedas (knowledge). The priests of this religion were known as Brahmans or Brahmins and are often mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures. The Aryans were unquestionably tough people, military strong, and they were fierce and war like. Their culture was oriented around warfare, and they were very good at it. The Aryans were a new start in the Indian culture; they adopted almost nothing of Harappan culture. They built no cities, no states, no granaries, and used no writing. â€Å"†¦They worshipped a pantheon of gods and were mostly connected with forces of the natural world, especially those powers on which humans were dependent.† (Buddhism Denise Cush) The Indian caste system began to develop and the civilisations were placed into the category that they belonged too. â€Å"Each mans duty was to follow the profession suitable for his social class.† (Buddhism Dominique Side) Even today the values of the caste system are held strongly, it has kept a sense of order and peace among the people. The caste consists of six different levels, and as a pyramid starting from the highest and working down. The highest being the Brahman, then Kshatriya, Valishya, Shudra, Harijans and the Untouchables. Within each of these levels are the actual â€Å"castes† within which people are born, married and die into. They all have their own place among each other and accept that it is the way to keep society from disintegrating to chaos. The system has worked well for Indian people and still has a major role in modern India. The Aryan society was patrocol, which means it was all male. It was now no longer an egalitarian society. Indus Valley people and Aryans began to mix, which is how the Indo-Aryans were formed, this was the beginning of Hinduism, which was a mixture of Indo and Aryan beliefs and practices. From these two religions they made a relationship and formed the Indo- Aryan people. â€Å"Like a mighty river, created from mainly tributaries that fed it, Hinduism is an amalgamation of the beliefs of the many people who settled in India in ancient times.† (A beginners guide to Buddhism, Gillian Strokes) People now did not sacrifice animals for their religion but would now give gifts to their God called offerings; these would consist of flowers and vegetables. The Indo Aryans did not have or worship a holy scripture, however they did have Vedic hymns that were sang and collected, and which were later written down in the â€Å"Veda†. This means they have a cultural importance. They also worshipped a pantheon of gods. They believed in the highest form of God, the Brahman who was the highest level of the caste system. There was an amalgamation of Indo and Aryans that became the religion Hinduism. Women now did not have any power; men now did everything, women were now considered inferior to men. As a belief in the caste system, you were only allowed to marry within your level of the caste system. The political organisation was hierarchical and centralised. Kingdoms varied in size and kings were no more than village leaders. Some people believe that Hinduism began with the Indo-Aryans, while others believe that it began with the Indus population. Hinduism has no founder and no single moment of beginning. The emergence of Buddhism was now falling into place. Hinduism is the largest religion of India. The religion is based on prayers and believes in many gods and goddesses. However, one God named Brahman was more significant than the others. There were special priests known as Brahmin who were used to help you worship this special God, they helped to channel people’s faith. Asceticism defined as the practice of self-disciple, voluntary undertaken, in order to achieve a higher or spiritual ideal began. People didn’t agree with Brahman priests, they wanted to live a simple life in the forest. Hinduism also believes in reincarnation, this is rebirth – the cycle of life. It consists of Birth, Life, Death and Rebirth; you undergo the cycle over and over again. It is thought that if you live a good life you will be born into a better caste in your next life. You will achieve good karma if you do your duty well which is determined by the caste you are born into. Good karma means a good next life and bad karma means a bad next life. The only way to get out of the cycle is to have continuous good rebirths, which means you will enter Nirvana. All these backgrounds lead to the emergence of Buddhism in some way. Ascetics would move away to the forests and leave all their family and objects behind, even the idea of the caste system. They wanted peace of mind and to achieve enlightenment. The best way to do this was to meditate. They also wanted to get out of the life cycle and achieve Nirvana. Siddhartha Gautama was an ascetic, he was born a Hindu but wanted to escape the life cycle. He emerged as the Buddha after achieving enlightenment and people began to follow his way of life. Political aspects were that people did not use the caste system and also rejected social and political values. They wanted an egalitarian society where everyone was equal and treated with the same amount of respect. â€Å"One of the effects of these changes was the creation of new professions, such as state officials and traders, which had no place in ancient caste system.† (Buddhism Dominique Side) Therefore in conclusion I can see how Buddhism has emerged over thousands of years and that Buddhism now does not have any thing in common with the earliest religion found. Buddhism needed the other religions to be in place in order for it to exist and without the other religions; it might not have existed today. I think Buddhism has become the fairest religion, as it believes in equality. Therefore it has adapted out of the many religions that came before it. B). â€Å"The Buddha turned his back on all the Religious teaching of his age.† Assess this view (10) Buddhism is an Eastern Religion that is over two thousand years old. Buddhism as a religion was influenced by this historical context. The origins of Buddhism are closely connected with the origins of Hinduism. Buddhists don’t believe in a God they just worship the highest in the caste system, the Brahmin. The Buddha is a highly respected person in the Buddhists Society. Buddhism is an amalgamation, an adaptation of Religions over time. This part of the essay requires assessing the view of how the Buddha turned or didn’t turn his back on the religious teachings of his age. The Buddha lived and taught in the Northeast India about 2,500 years ago and the development of the Religion was influenced by this historical context. He lived for around eighty years, somewhere between the 4th and 6th centuries BCE. Siddhartha Gautama developed most of his ideas for Buddhism from Hinduism. He changed and developed them to suit his new religion. He took some but changed them. He was born a Hindu and born into the Kshatriya Caste. He became an ascetic. I believe that the Buddha turned his back on his religious teachings for an important reason; therefore I believe this is because he wanted to get himself out of the life cycle. The Buddha wanted to go to the forests to meditate and reach Nirvana. The Buddha did not want his teachings to be taken as something sacred in itself, but as a means to an end. He made it clear that any teachings, including his own were not to be accepted without noticing but with faith and reverence, but should not be tested out in experience. The Buddhism religion was not just something to believe in or discuss, but something to try out to see if it worked. When you have tried it out it could make you a better person or takes you nearer to your spiritual goal. Siddhartha Gautama did turn his back on the previous teachings are the Caste system; the Caste system was a very important part of the social and religious life within India and Hinduism. When Prince Siddhartha went to find enlightenment he forgot all about the ideas of the caste system even though he was born into a good Varna. The Buddha’s invitation was to come and see for yourself, join him in his meditation to reach Nirvana. The Buddha wanted to get out of the cycle of; life, death and rebirth and be enlightened to discover a new life. He didn’t completely want to get rid of rebirth; he wanted to incorporate it into Buddhism. He believed in renunciation, which is what the ascetics believed in. They renounced with the Buddha to the forest. They gave up there existence. The Buddha did not want to pray to Brahman anymore, he wanted to break away from the priestly religion and become personal. Men and women both did this. Personal is being spiritual instead of Religious. The Buddha also incorporated Karma into Buddhism because it’s still the action needed for rebirth. He couldn’t change that. He did turn his back on the caste system though as it was seen as a social class factor and not needed for the religion, as everyone was equal for him. The economic developments destabilised the Brahminical order. Prince Siddhartha still believed in the ideas of rebirth and the cycle of life, but came up with a way of escaping the circle.