Predjudice and Discrimination as a Part of Our Cognitive...

Predjudice and Discrimination as a Part of Our Cognitive Social Being Prejudice and Discrimination are an all to common part of our cognitive social being, but many social psychologists believe that it can be stopped, but only with the help of social conditioning. In this writing I hope to explain and point out some key terms and points made in my assigned chapter. Prejudice refers to a special type of attitude, usually something negative toward any group or ethnicity that is not of ones own social class. Attitude plays a very important role in ones cognitive framework, in that it forces our minds to process information on certain social groups differently making a cognitive earmark for that individual group†¦show more content†¦Everything in our society was segregated, every group had their own facilities and were not to be used by members of a different group. At this time people felt less remorse for expressing openly racist views. They would state that they were against school desegregation , that they viewed minority groups as inferior in various ways , and that they would consider moving away if persons belonging to these groups took up residence in their neighborhood(Ch.6 Pp.215, Sears 1988). These days many people wouldnt dare express these views because of the way social conditioning has made it so that the person would be looked down upon by his peers. New racism opposed to the old fashion kind is far more subtle these days because of the enlightenment of our time, yet it still exists. Some examples of this modern racism are that of Tokenism and reverse discrimination. Tokenism is the performance of trivial or small scale positive actions for people who are the target of prejudice (Ch.6 Pp.216) These are just ideological terms used today to explain social differences. One of the oldest explanations for prejudice in our society is that of the realistic conflict theory. According to this view, prejudice stems from competition among social groups over valued commodities or opportunities. In short, prejudice develops out of the struggle over jobs, adequate housing , good schools, and other desirable out comes

The Frontier Of American History - 1116 Words

In the Significance of the Frontier in American History, Frederick Jackson Turner discusses the understanding of the West as a concept. Turner’s claims included that the expansion into the frontier fueled individualism, stimulated democracy and nationalism, and widened the opportunity of advancement. In the census of 1890, the frontier no longer had a place in the report because the previously unsettled areas had been broken into areas of settlement. Turner uses the definition of two people per square mile of land as the frontier’s official closing, and no longer a point of historical relevance. In the essay, Turner points out the differences in America’s expansion with other nations. Other nations developed in a confined area, then†¦show more content†¦The problem developed from excess credit of one of the field’s founders, Frederick Jackson Turner. Although Turner’s writings left out large groups of people, many Americans viewed Turnerâ⠂¬â„¢s thesis as Western history. When Turner’s ideas began to be criticized, that something had gone wrong in Western history, not Turner’s thesis. The view of Western history slowly began to change. Turner recognized the national significance of the frontier, so abandoning him would threaten the place of the West in American history (Limerick). In 1984, American historian Patricia Limerick attended a history conference. All of the focus of the history of America was on the revolutionary war in the East. This inspired her to write Legacy of Conquest. Limerick wanted to reclaim what other historians have said, critique Turner, but not throw the idea of the west away. Her thesis argues the West as a place of property and cultural dominance. Limerick defines the West as a place of conquest and diversity. Limerick stresses the West as a place rather than a process, but didn’t draw exact borders of the region. Limerick deemphasizes the â€Å"end† of the frontier; she argues that the West was an important meeting ground for a diversity of languages, cultures, and religions, including minorities Turner left out. This blending of diversity in the West is anShow MoreRelatedThe Frontier Of American History1567 Words   |  7 PagesThe Frontier in American History was one of the most famous essays by Frederick Turner in the nineteenth century. In this essay, Turner expressed his thoughts about how the frontier set up and created unique American characteristics. He explained the idea of American exceptionalism, which states that America is different than other nations in the world. The development of America included many significant events, and our nation s identity was made up by many factors, not just only the frontierRead MoreThe Significance of the Frontier in American History1439 Words   |  6 Pagesalong the American frontier? What Turner wants to point out here is that the American West is the most important feature of American history, and of the development of its society. He refers several times to a process of â€Å"Americanization† and we will see that the definition he gives of it is a very peculiar one. He gives a definition of the frontier: â€Å"it lies at the hither edge of free land†, meaning that he considers the Indian territory to be free land. According to him the frontier is the â€Å"meetingRead MoreResponse to Turners Essay on The Significance of the Frontier in American History501 Words   |  3 PagesSignificance of the Frontier in American History Turners The Significance of the Frontier in American History essay presents the primary model for comprehending American history. Turner developed his notions on the uncovering of the 1890 census that the frontier was coming to an end, that the nation had occupied its continental borders. As Turner discusses in his essay, an extensive era of American development approached an ending, but left enduring marks on American societyRead MoreThe Frontiers of American History in Last Child of the Woods by Richard Louv 581 Words   |  3 PagesIn the second chapter of Last Child of the Woods, Richard Louv makes the claim that there have been three frontiers in the course of American history. The first phase was the original frontier, before the Industrial Revolution. This was the time of the prairie schooner, the cowboy, the herds of bison that were thousands strong. This was a rough, hard time, when man and nature were constantly thrown together. There was wilderness to spare, and people were willing to move West to get to it. Read MoreHistory Of The American Western Frontier Through Narratives, Testimonies, And Primary Documents1350 Words   |  6 Pageshistorical books, this book offers a different angle on viewing the history of the American western frontier—through narratives, testimonies, and primary documents that capture the true voices of the Native Americans. Spanning across the 1860s to the 1890s, Dee Brown tells the plight of the Native Americans after their contact with the American settlers and the United States government. The repetitive stories of the Native American groups during the second half of the nineteenth century— the welcomingRead MoreThe Significance Of The Frontier By Frederick Jackson Turner869 Words   |  4 Pages Frederick Jackson Turner s â€Å"The Significance of the Frontier† is, in his eyes, an accurate depiction of America s development since the Colonial Period. However, Turner s Frontier Thesis fails to discuss the involvement of two very specifi c groups of people, groups that certainly had too much of an effect on the progression of the country for him to safely leave out. Native Americans have a pivotal role in America s history, yet Turner s mentions of them in his thesis are extremely limitedRead MoreRediscovering The American Frontier Of The United States882 Words   |  4 PagesRediscovering the American Frontier Humans have always had a sense of curiosity for the unknown and a greedy fascination for individual growth without seeing the repercussions on others. The United States culminates these qualities not only as a first-world country but it can also be seen from the very beginnings of the nation’s history. The philosophies’ of early settlers in the United States was to have equality between the people, however Americans failed to incorporate this ideology of equalityRead MoreFrederick Turner Jackson: Frontier Thesis1136 Words   |  5 Pagesaround him, Turner chose to become a history professor, devoting his entire life to studying American culture/society while teaching at the University of Wisconsin and Harvard. Constantly having the opportunity to study and observe the development of the â€Å"American†, Turner wrote extensively, about which attributes composed and influenced American democracy, societal values, and image. He published an essay, â€Å"The Signi ficance of the Frontier in American History† about these topics in 1893, and presentedRead MoreEssay On Wilderness And The Frontier1421 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"wilderness† and the â€Å"frontier.† Concepts of wilderness and the frontier have greatly shaped the perception of the West. Perceptions of the frontier and wilderness have changed over time; first, Turner’s frontier thesis described the frontier and wilderness an uninhabited land of opportunity; second, new historians challenged Turner and claimed wilderness and the frontier were merely constructs of society; lastly, concepts of the frontier and wilderness expanded past the American West—into space andRead MoreEssay about Turner Thesis Summary653 Words   |  3 PagesTurner Thesis Summary Throughout history society has to go through many changes that not only affect many of the people but also the areas around the transformation. The main point of Fredrick Jackson Turner’s thesis is what the real essence of America is, and how we’re all influenced by the many changes we have to go through. He believes that American history should not be focused on the extension of European enterprise. The society will have to realize that America will have to be emancipated

Animal Rights vs. Human Health †Comparative Essay Free Essays

Jackie Dansky English 1A – 69 David Banuelos March 10, 2011 Animal Rights vs. Human Health Developments of cures, vaccines and treatments for human illnesses have been done through animal testing. Over 25 million animals are tested each year in the United States (Stephanie Ernst, 2008): â€Å"It’s impossible to know exactly how many animals are being used in research because U. We will write a custom essay sample on Animal Rights vs. Human Health – Comparative Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. laws do not require scientists to report how many mice, rats, or birds they use† (ASPCA). Animals are used to interpret what medicine effects will do to the human body; they will give the closest results. The real question when it comes to animal experimentation is not if it is wrong or right, but if it is for the better. Kristina Cook poses that animal testing has benefited medicine, while Natasha Bantwal presents that more harm is done than helped. Kristina Cook is an Oxford student in the department of chemistry, and wrote â€Å"Pro-Test: supporting animal testing,† arguments sustaining animal testing for medical uses. Natasha Bantwal is a basic writer and wrote â€Å"Arguments Against Animal Testing,† arguments opposing the usage of animals for experimentation. A very common argument is that animals are being ‘tortured’ when they are being tested on. Cook approaches the issue quickly stating that â€Å"animal rights activists often demonise scientists, pretending that they are sadists who enjoy torturing animals just for the sake of it. There are countless examples of the lengths to which scientists go to minimize the suffering of animals. But the simple point is that scientists are not sadists: they act in the way that they see fit. † (Cook, 2006) However, the arguments are beyond that. They share two common grounds: animal testing has helped scientifically and medically, and that animal testing has been erroneous. Although Cook and Bantwal agree that animal testing has been helpful, they have different approaches and viewpoints on how helpful it really has been. Cook declares that â€Å"vaccines, antibiotics, transplant surgeries, medical devices†¦ and other developments would not be here today if animal testing ad not been used. † (Cook, 2006) As a counterargument, Bantwal asserts â€Å"the most commonly help perception (or rather misconception) of animal testing is that it is necessary for the development of cures, vaccines, and other treatments for human illness. † (Bantwal) Animal rights activists are attempting to discontinue all animal testings. There have been alternatives reported, bu t none can match as much accuracy and precision as animals would. Bantwal uses cancer as an example of ridding animal testing: â€Å"with countless innocent animals, billions of dollars and more than 30 to 40 years being spent on the war against cancer, one would expect concrete results show up if animal experimentation was actually as effective as it is made out to be†¦ Many cancer funds and organizations have claimed that we are now losing the war against cancer because this animal-based cancer research is failing, and it just downright stinks. † (Bantwal) She implies that animals don’t need to be tested on if they can’t even help to find the cure of big illnesses. Cook, unlike Bantwal, looks at the glass half full. She considers all the drugs that have been animal tested in the past that have been successful, and looks forward to the more cures that will be discovered through this type of experimentation. All cures and vaccines are tested on animals, but are animals a reliable source when it comes to vaccines? Bantwal discusses about the undependable basis of animals’ effect on a particular drug compared to a human’s effect. For example, she pronounces that there has been no progress in the cure for AIDS because animals are incapable of getting the AIDS disease. Cook affirms that testing drugs in animal help researchers find the potential dangers and faults it will achieve, and to understand â€Å"the metabolism of drug compounds and consequent effects seen throughout the body. † (Cook, 2006) She states that the alternatives of animal testing, such as a computer generator, won’t be as sufficient. Bantwal states â€Å"[Pro-Animal Testing] believe that if animal experimentation is stopped, then it will be at the expense of life and the human health. (Bantwal) She tries to compensate that obliterating any and all animal testing will not have a big changed impact in the medical field. She then argues that â€Å"it is dangerous and fraudulent to apply data retrieved from one species to another entirely different species. † (Bantwal) Cook does admit that there have been errors in the field. Both Cook and Bantwal use the Thalidomide as an example of rebuttal. It came out in 1956 as a sedative for pregnant mothers to overcome m orning sickness. It was successful in animal testing, and spread around the world in a few years. Unfortunately, it caused birth defects in the womb. Bantwal quotes ‘safety testing’ and states, â€Å"tens of thousands of children who’s mothers had used this drug were born with severe deformities. † (Bantwal) Cook argues that if they had done more testings on animals, that the birth defect would have been detected. She understands that the scientists messed up because they forgot to test prenatal animals. She attacks the animal rights group with: â€Å"animal rights groups confuse an error resulting from an absence of testing with one resulting from conducting tests on animals. (Cook, 2006) Cook believes that they don’t understand what they are arguing. Their example of the Thalidomide is really suggesting to do more animal testing so then it will be more accurate and precise: â€Å"a few more animals, and countless human lives would have been saved. † (Cook, 2006) Overall, animals are continued being used as experiments for all humansâ₠¬â„¢ health. Whether for or against animal testing, everybody has to be appreciative and acknowledge the benefits scientists and animals have brought. It’s like a competition between animals and humans: which race should be protected more? Both Kristina Cook and Natasha Bantwal share their perspectives and only agree upon one thing: animal testing has helped scientists and the medical field. Now, which is more important to you: animal rights or human health? Work Cited: Bantwal, Natasha. â€Å"Arguments Against Animal Testing. † Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. ;http://www. buzzle. com/articles/argument-against-animal-testing. html;. Cook, Kristina. â€Å"Spiked-science | Article | Pro-Test: Supporting Animal Testing. † Spiked: Humanity Is Underrated. 23 Feb. 2006. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. ;http://www. spiked-online. om/articles/0000000CAF94. htm;. Ernst, Stephanie. â€Å"Animal Use and Abuse Statistics: The Shocking Numbers. † Change. org News. 5 Oct. 2008. Web. 05 Mar. 2011. ;http://news. change. org/stories/animal-use-and-abuse-statistics-the-shocking-numbers;. â€Å"11 Facts about Animal Testing | Do Something. † Volunteer | Do Something. ASPCA. Web. 05 Mar. 2 011. ;http://www. dosomething. org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-animal-testing;. Long, Tony. â€Å"Oct. 1, 1957: Thalidomide Cures Morning Sickness, But †¦ † Wired. com. 01 Oct. 2008. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. ;http://www. wired. com/science/discoveries/news/2008/09/dayintech_1001;. How to cite Animal Rights vs. Human Health – Comparative Essay, Essays

Gender Norm Violation free essay sample

Men have. For example, before receiving my pedicure I called a few friends and family member so, I could obtain their thoughts and views on the subject. I was shocked by the amount of negative criticism that I acquired. I was ridiculed by my closest friends whom I thought would be more accepting. The way that they tried to restore gender role normalcy was by asking if my girl friend was forcing me to attend. After denying the involvement of a woman I was back to square one trying to defend my sexuality. I preached that pedicures were more than Just listening to girl talk your bout what shade of pink to color their toe nails. I even informed, too my narrow minded friends, that pedicures releases stress, makes overall appearance look better, and adds softness to your feet. But the fact was I was fghting a battle that I could not win. We will write a custom essay sample on Gender Norm Violation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This culture of ours has such an influence on individuals that its tough to construct gender roles that are outside of normalcy. Besides all the criticisms and being called a fag the overall experience was very enjoyable. I did this gender role violation experiment at the nail salon that is located in the Cherry Valley mall. When I as at the nail salon I did not feel as if I was violating any gender role as a man. The employees treated me with a professional attitude that didnt seem to change when confronted by different sexes. While waiting for the cosmetologist to prepare the massage chair and adjust the water temperature. I was able to view the large variety of different colors of nail polish. At this point in time I started to feel uncomfortable about painting my toes any shade of pink. T hats when it hit me, consciously I was aware that I was doing this experiment, basically for a grade. But something inside e said there is no way in hell Im going to walk out of here wearing bitch flops with pink toes. That voice that came deep within me was not a natural instinct. I was not born with this idea that pink toes should only be on the foot of a women. This idea was socially constructed so we can have a fine line between men and women. I believe men and women are more comfortable interacting with each other when this distinction is clearer. In the end, that socially constructed male dominate voice talked me out of the pink and poke-a-doted design and went with a standard clear coat; that nly added a mere shine to my nail. To wrap the pedicure up she ended with a very nice massage that even the manly-est. man would enjoy. To conclude my pedicure, as with most services, was at the cash register. To my knowledge a pedicure was twenty five dollars. Which was the same price listed on the sign behind the register. Come to find out that pedicures for men were five dollars more than for a woman. Struggling to understand what this little Chinese women, which barely spoke any English, was try to explain. What I comprehended was that a mans foot demands more labor then he average female. This was very shocking to me. The fact being, that the only reason I was there was to better understand stereotypes against gender. When I was being victimized by these same sexist stereotypes. In conclusion I believe people need to get past this idea of gender roles giving to us by society. In my opinion people need to develop their own gender identity depending on how they feel not anyone else. Adaption to this idea wont be easy, but I believe that its now In progress. In the past homosexuality wasnt as acceptable as it is today.

Fraud Detection in Banking Transactions free essay sample

The purpose of this document is to detail the description of the Real Time (Active) Fraud Detection in Banking Transactions (FDBT) Project. This document is a key project artifact and is used during the design, construction, and rollout phases. Scope The objective of this project report is to capture the functional and non-functional requirements for the Real Time FDBT project. This report lists out the complete system requirements and design architecture of the project. The requirements contained herein will include, but not be limited to: Capabilities or system functionality – What a system does, to include, but not be limited to: Interfaces (internal and external hardware) Business Rules Data source and destination Exact sequence of operations and the algorithms used in those operations Triggers or stimuli to initiate operations or to force a change in state Error handling, recovery and responses to abnormal situations Validity checks Input/output sequences and conversion algorithms Frequency of use and update Constraints- Limitation imposed on the solution by circumstance, force or compulsion to include, but not be limited to: Design constraints based on TrinucInc IT Standards Control and Governance constraints (internal and external) Non-functional requirements to include, but not be limited to: Performance Requirements, Usability Quality Requirements (audibility, reliability, maintainability, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Fraud Detection in Banking Transactions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ) Business Continuity, Operational Support Security and Control and Training Introduction Background According to the National Check Fraud Center in Charleston, South Carolina, bank fraud alone is a $10 billion a year problem. This is nearly 15 times the $65 million taken in bank robberies annually. The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines fraud as ‘criminal deception; the use of false representations to gain an unjust advantage. Fraud is as old as humanity itself, and can take an unlimited variety of different forms. However, in recent years, the development of new technologies (which have made it easier for us to communicate and helped increase our spending power) has also provided yet further ways in which criminals may commit fraud. As fraud attempts grow in both number and variety, financial institutions are challenged with the need for comprehensive, yet cost effective, risk management solutions. It is our belief that these fraudulent or suspicious financial transactions can be identified, characterized and red-flagged in real-time providing vital information to reduce their occurrences. For e. g. a check deposit followed almost immediately by a cash withdrawal would be a suspicious activity and warrant a red flag to check the customer’s motives. Banking databases with all the transaction information is readily available. We use this information coupled with our business logic to detect fraud and to develop the real time fault detector. Types of bank/financial frauds Check fraud New Account fraud Identity fraud Credit/Debit card fraud ATM transaction fraud Wire fraud Loan fraud Research The research regarding the project was done two fold – Business Issues and Technical research. First step was to identify the various ways in which bank fraud occurs and come up with common sense solutions to them based on our technical knowledge base. Next was to come up with the software architecture with technical decisions on choice of RDBMS, ETL tool and OLAP tool. Business Issues Detailed list of ways fraud occurs and activities that could red flag the transaction as suspicious are (Note: Activities generally pertain to personal banking and not corporate accounts): If check deposit is closely followed by cash withdrawal within say 10 hrs. If transaction type is above a specified number in 48 hours. If active more than one session at the same time. If trying to withdraw more money than the limit in credit. If trying to withdraw more money than the amount in debit. If trying to log on for more than 3 times at once. If any transaction is more than 80% credit limit in 48 hours (one transaction or sum or transactions in the 48 hour period). Deposit activity out of the normal range for any account Invalid Routing Transit numbers Excessive numbers of deposited items Total deposit amounts greater than average Large deposited items masked by smaller deposit transactions The amount xceeds the historical average deposit amount by more than a specified percentage A duplicate deposit is detected Deposited checks contain invalid routing or transit numbers The level of risk can be managed based on the age of the account (closed account getting lot of transactions suddenly). The number of deposits exceed the normal activity by the customer Consider the proximity of the customer’s residence or place of business Wire transfers, letters o f credit, and non-customer transactions, such as funds transfers, should be compared with the OFAC lists before being conducted. A customer’s home/business telephone is disconnected. A customer makes frequent or large transactions and has no record of past or present employment experience. A customer uses the automated teller machine to make several bank deposits below a specified threshold. Wire transfer activity to/from a financial secrecy haven, or high-risk geographic location without an apparent business reason, or when it is inconsistent with the customer’s business or history. Many small, incoming wire transfers of funds received, or deposits made using checks and money orders. Almost immediately, all or most are wired to another city or country in a manner inconsistent with the customer’s business or history. Large incoming wire transfers on behalf of a foreign client with little or no explicit reason. Wire activity that is unexplained, repetitive, or shows unusual patterns. Payments or receipts with no apparent links to legitimate contracts, goods, or services. A customer who purchases a number of cashier’s checks, money orders, or traveler’s checks for large amounts under a specified threshold. Money orders deposited by mail, which are numbered sequentially or have unusual symbols or stamps on them. Suspicious movements of funds from one bank into another, then back into the first bank: 1) purchasing cashier’s checks from bank A; 2) opening up a checking account at bank B; 3) depositing the cashier’s checks into a checking account at bank B; and, 4) wire transferring the funds from the checking account at bank B into an account at bank A. A rapid increase in the size and frequency of cash deposits with no corresponding increase in non-cash deposits Significant turnover in large denomination bills that would appear uncharacteristic given the bank’s location Different banks take different actions when confronted by a fraudulent transaction. The following table describes some of the actions taken by the bank and an ID no. is assigned to each: Bank Action Identification Number Freeze Account – No future transactions 8 Deny transaction 7 Teller warning – confirmed fraud, call security e. g. blacklisted check 6 Teller warning – double check ID, customer has bad history 5 Teller warning – call person from whom check originated. (Large check amt. †¦) 4 Deny ATM/online banking access 3 Reduce line of credit 2 Report to collection agency 1 We further generate a table to assign risk ranks for the various fraud detection rules along with the various dependant transaction parameters: Fraud Activity Description Dependant Parameters Business/Detection Rule Activity scale No. If any transaction(s) is more than 80% credit limit in 48 hours Old amount, requested amount(sum of amounts) Requested amount ? 0. 8 old amount 4 If transaction type is more than †¦types in 48 hours Type of transaction Count of number of similar transaction in specified time span 4 If active more than one session at the same time Transaction time Same transaction times 6 If trying to withdraw more money than the limit in credit Line of credit, requested amount Difference of LOC – Requested amt ? 0 7 If trying to log on for more than 3 times at once. Transaction time Same transaction times 6 Check deposit closely followed by cash withdrawal Transaction time, transaction type Transaction times of deposit and withdrawal ? 10 hrs 6 . . . This transaction data provided by Teradata acts the input to Ab-Initio where we apply our business rules in the transformation stage and obtain our output, which here would be to red flag the fraudulent transactions. Technical Research Relational Data Base Management System TERADATA Teradata data warehouse brings together all of the obtained data into a single repository for a completely integrated, 360-degree view of the truth. The Teradata Warehouse is a powerful, complete solution that combines Teradatas high-performance parallel database technology, a full suite of data access and management tools, and robust data mining capabilities, world-class scalable hardware, and the most experienced data warehousing consultants. With the Teradata RDBMS, you can access, store, and operate on data using Teradata Structured Query Language (Teradata SQL). Teradata SQL is broadly compatible with IBM and ANSI SQL. The Teradata RDBMS provides†¦ Capacity to hold Terabytes of data. Parallel processing which makes it faster than other relational DB. Parallel Data Extensions (PDE) a software interface layer on top of the operating system that enables RDBMS to operate in parallel env) Single data store and can be accessed from anywhere else. Fault tolerance – automatically detects and corrects any hardware failures. Data integrity –completes the transaction or rolls back to a stable state if a fault occurs. The architecture includes both Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) and Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) systems. They communicate thru fast interconnect. BYNET for MPP systems and board less BYNET (Virtual ByNet) for SMP systems. Users of the client system send requests to the Teradata RDBMS through a choice of various supported utilities and interfaces, which are listed below: BTEQ, Teradata SQL Assistant, Teradata WinDDI, Teradata MultiTool, FastExport, FastLoad, MultiLoad, Tpump, Teradata Visual Explain. These benefits have resulted in many Oracle Customers shifting their data warehouses from Oracle to Teradata in the past 3 years. Added to this Teradata provides the ability to Establish a single, centralized data warehouse with direct access by hundreds or even thousands of users across the organization. Integrate data from multiple sources and functional areas using one data model. Handle large and growing data volumes, complexity and number of users without any restructuring and reorganizations. Allow ad hoc, complex queries at any time with no scheduling necessary. The technical prowess has won Teradata, a division of NCR, a customer list of about 650 large companies and government agencies, including Albertsons, FedEx, Ford, the U. S. Postal Service and Wal-Mart. Characteristics of Teradata RDBMS that endeared us to use it in our project are: Extensive customer references. Time to solution is enhanced by Teradata’s flexibility that can be used for rapid initial implementation and ongoing extensions. Teradata can significantly lower total cost of ownership. Teradata Database is supported by an infrastructure of support 24/7/365. As data volume grows so will the system, but the growth is relatively effortless from a hardware and software point of view. More and more users will need access to the data warehouse, but adding them will not impact performance. Teradata’s performance with complex and ad hoc queries is unequaled. Loading and reloading the database is fast and fail safe with Teradata. If the warehouse needs to interface with the mainframe, Teradata offers seamless interoperability. Teradata Database is a mature product first released in 1984 Extraction, Transformation and Loading tool Ab Initio software is an ETL tool for enterprise class, mission critical applications such as data warehousing, batch processing, data movement, data analysis and analytics. Ab Initio helps to build large-scale data processing applications and run them in parallel environments. Ab Initio software consists of two main programs: Co-Operating System, which the system administrator installs on a host UNIX or Windows NT Server, as well as on processing nodes. (The host is also referred to as the control node. ) Graphical Development Environment (GDE) uses graphical components to build applications that transform large amounts of data. Business rules are applied to the datasets in the data transformation step by using the filter by expression component. Characteristics of Ab Initio ETL tool needed for the project are: Parallel data cleansing and validation. Parallel data transformation and filtering. Real time, parallel data capture. High performance analytics. Integration with Teradata RDBMS Integration and parallel execution of fraud detection custom codes. Has volume of 30 terabytes of data. Online Application Processing Tool Erwin is used in the design, generation and maintenance of high-quality, high-performance databases, data warehouses and final reports and graphs. From a logical model of the information requirements and business rules that define the database to a physical model optimized for the specific characteristics of your target database, Erwin helps to visually determine the proper structure, key elements and optimal design for the database. Its breakthrough Complete-Compare technology allows iterative development—keeping the model synchronized with the database at all times. Erwin Data Modeler scales across the enterprise by seamlessly integrating with CA’s Model Manager. This powerful model management system provides an important solution to the security management requirement. By dividing, sharing and reusing designs across different development efforts, modeling productivity can be maximized and corporate standards can be easily established and enforced. System Design and Architecture The data warehouse functional architecture as well as the technical architecture serves as a blueprint for the data warehousing effort. Throughout the project along with the architectural details various issues of fraud detection and some solutions to them with technical details have been discussed. The functional requirements express how the system behaves, focusing on the inputs, outputs and processing details of the system. The technical architecture centralizes the information and proposes how to integrate it. The technical architecture model depicts the overall framework and displays physical and logical interconnections. The technical architecture plan provides further insight on details dictated by the model, some of which were not apparent during previous project phases. The plan shows not only what has to be done, but also gives some indication as to why by its placement in the overall architecture model. The technical architecture model and plan provide two key benefits to the data warehouse project: improved communications and enhanced adaptability. Furthermore, by keeping these documentation items synchronized with project modifications, one has a ready, reliable data warehouse reference source. The data obtained by different financial institutions may vary in their formats and information provided. For the sake of generality and flexibility we use data generated according to the official data architecture standards as presented in the Center for Information Management website. (www. cimu. gov. mt) We will start the description of system design by showing the steps involved in the creation of datasets in Teradata. In our project we use the 6. 1 demo version of Teradata. 1. Start the Teradata Instance from the Windows START menu and selecting the Teradata Service Control icon. Minimize the screen after it says â€Å" Teradata Running† 2. Now Start Teradata SQL Assistant also from the Windows START menu. The above screen pops up. It has Query and History windows that pop up by default. In Query Window, we can write all the queries that we want to run. History Window keeps track of all the queries that we run. 3. Click on the top left most Connect button to connect to an old or create a new database. Fig. 1 Selection of database menu. Here financial database is being selected. We can click on the new button and create a new database too. Fig. The above screen shot is an instance of retrieving the Teradata database. Database specifications are entered. It will then ask for the names of database to be filled and some fields where we can specify the username and password for that particular database that we are about to create. Thus a Teradata database is created. 4. The next step would be to create some tables into this database. We can write a query in the Query Window to create a table. Click on the execute button to run any query. Fig. 3 This screen shot shows how a test table is created with two columns. 5. To see the newly created table click on the top left disconnect button and click the connect button again. Similarly, data can be inserted into in using insert query. Note: If we do right click on the query window, we can see Query Builder. We can use the Query Builder to build all sorts of Queries. Query Builder can be used to extract information from the table. The tables created for this project. They are: customer (customer details) cc_acct (Credit Card Account Details) credit_tran (Credit Card Transaction Details) checking_acct (Checking’s Account Details) checking_tran (Checking’s Transaction Details) avings_acct (Savings Account Details) savings_tran (Savings Transaction Details) accts (Account Types) These tables with the columns are listed below: Fig. 4 Customer details table Fig. 5 Credit card account details table Fig. 6 Credit card transaction details table Fig. 7 Checking account details table Fig. 8 Checking account transaction details table Fig. 9 Savings account details table Fig. 10 Savings account transaction details table Fig. 11 Account details table . . Teradata is also used to further provide the following data (but we do not show their creation or use in this project report): Customer information such as full name, address, SSN, number and types of accounts, credit limit, contact phone numbers etc†¦ Bank information such as bank branches, branch locations, sales representatives etc†¦ 6. Our table creation process in Teradata is now over. We now use the ETL tool Ab-Initio to create the graph implementing our business rules. For the sake of presentation simplicity and project confidentiality, we concentrate only on the following fraud detection rules: Customer transaction is not part of the bank (fake transaction). Customer withdrawals are more than 80% of his balance in the span of 24 hrs. There are basically three components for the creation of graphs in Ab-Initio: Input Component Transform Component Output Component. The next step involves specifying the input component in Ab-Initio. We do this by double clicking the input component and entering the URL path of the input file location and also the record format of the file. Fig. 12 Screen shot of the input component step of the graph creation process. Fig. 13 Screen shot with the view of the record format step. The file what we have used in this example is of size 9,649 KB. 8. We can view the data of the input file by right clicking on the component and selecting the view data option. There are almost 112000 records in this file but for simplicity only 100 records are being viewed. Fig. 14 View of our inputted table 9. Now, we join the input port to the reformat component and the output port of the reformat component to the output port. We can now apply transform on the input file by either selecting the transform option in the parameters tab of the reformat component or by entering the record format in the output component. Fig. 15 Reformatting of input components Fig. 6 Applying transform option in the reformat component In this example the tran_time, channel, tran_code has not been provided to the output port. As a result, the output file won’t have these fields in it after the graph is executed. 10. The next step is to build the graph. Fig. 17 Screen shot of the graph building process 11. Upon successful completion of the graph building process, we can view our output file by opening it in any editor like the Note Pad. Fig. 18 The output file of the Ab-Initio Graph as viewed in Note Pad Fig. 19 Full view of all the datasets in the output file The output file is 8,650 KB. 2. Similarly, a Flat file (any database table) can be read and written or loaded into a Teradata table by following the above-mentioned steps. The config dbc file and the path of the output with the file name is specified. Fig. 20 Transforming of flat file data Thus, data can be loaded to any database table using Ab-Initio. 13. The next step would be to sort the data obtained in the order we want and according to the variable we want and storing them as flat files. This step is basic in most data warehousing steps. We then apply our business rules to the data and obtain our output, which here are the red flags. A detailed description of the steps involved is as follows: F E D C B A Fig. 14: This figure shows how a red flag can be triggered if any customer crosses 80% of its limit in any type of account. Ab-Initio Component to sort the input data on the basis of Cust_ID. This join component joins the sorted inputs of the customer details and it’s account types that he/she has according to the Cust_ID. The customer_details_summary is taken as the normal output from the output port and the unmatched_customer_details and the unmatched_customer_accounts are outputted from the first and second output port. This join function takes care of the business rule to check if the customer really exists or not. This join component has three input ports. The number of input ports can be specified in the count of the parameter tab in the join component. FD file used is a lookup file. IT has weight specified for fraud. With the help of this component, the customer_detailed_summary, unmatched_customer_accounts and the fd file are joined on the basis of Cust_ID. It is a reformat component, which is one of the forms of, transform component. The business rule of putting a red flag for the customers who have crossed their account limit with more than 80% is applied here in the transform function. In this example total of 16 records. The one with flagged is given a weight of 1 and the one without flag as 0. The details of the customers with the fraud detection. FD file is a lookup file that has a column with 1 and 0 which when combined with the customer_detailed_summary on the basis of cust_id helps flagging the customer who crosses more than 80% of their limit. 14. New graph with intention to apply a second business rule: 4 3 1 Fig. 15 This graph shows how the detailed checking transactions of a customer performed within 24 hours can be found out Ab-Initio Component to sort the input data on the basis of Cust_ID. The join component joins the sorted checking_account of customers with the sorted_checking_transactions on the basis of cust_id to get the checking_account_transactions in the normal output port, unused checking_ accounts in the first unused port and the unused_checking_transactions in the second unused port. This join function takes care of the business rule to check if the customer is valid or not. It sorts the output on the basis of the customer_id which is then, Rolled up on the basis of the day to get the transactions performed within 24hours. The reject_rollup_checking is also sent to a reject output port. Thus, all the checking transactions of a customer within 24 hours are calculated. Logical Model – 1 (Erwin) Conclusion In this project we have concentrated on the financial fraud detection in banking transactions. But the generic nature of the project architecture would enable us to use the same software with minor changes to input data, business rules etc. o satisfy the fraud detection in other areas such as company financial bookkeeping, telemarketing, pay-per-calls scam etc. Also in there is a wealth of information that can be inferred form the output of our project. The following are some points for the further scope of our project: How this architecture could be used not only to detect fraud but also to identify target customer groups for marketing. We can als o provide monthly or weekly reports of sensitive and high-risk customers and even ATM and banking locations, which are fraud prone. Improve the overall security standards of the company. Develop a progress report for individual bank branches and identify their individual areas of improvement. References Kimball, R. , Reeves, L. , Ross, M. and Thornthwaite, W. (1998). The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit, John Wiley Sons, Inc. Silverston, L. , Inmon, W. H. and Graziano, K. (1997). The Data Model Resource Book, John Wiley Sons, Inc. www. teradata. com www. abinitio. com www. ca. com/db www. fraud. org http://teradata. uark. edu/research/

Sample Query Letters

Sample Query Letters Sample Query Letters Sample Query Letters By Maeve Maddox Reader Blaine asks Does anyone out there know of a website or a book with a lot of sample query letters? The question comes just as Im studying this guide to marketing a novel: The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit: Everything You Need to Know About Queries, Synopses, Marketing, and Breaking In by Elizabeth Lyon. The book was recommended to me by a colleague for the very reason that it contains numerous sample fiction queries. Chapter Six defines the query and offers step-by-step instructions for writing one: Queries Defined Lead Model Query Letter Body Closing Style Types and Uses Chapter Seven provides 15 examples of actual letters. Several genres are represented, including Literary Historical Christian Adventure Mystery Suspense Fantasy Romance Childrens 9-12 So far Im finding Lyons book extremely helpful as I prepare to market a mystery novel of my own. When Im ready to do something with one of my non-fiction projects, Ill have a look at her other guide: Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Farther vs. FurtherBetween vs. In BetweenDozen: Singular or Plural?

RyanAir Strategic Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

RyanAir Strategic Management - Assignment Example After the September 11th (9-11) terrorists' attacks on the world trade centre the airline industry has been trying to draw back its customer base. It has slowly regained its pre 9-11 customer levels. Some airlines are recovering from bankruptcies and lay offs within the industry. The airline industry has regained its consideration as the main way of travel for the tourism and business industries. Economic recovery in other industries such as tourism and conference hosting could benefit the airline industry if the industry responds with a marketing campaign promoting air travel to destinations that are popular for tourism and business industries. Post 9-11 the American airline industries recovery was assisted by special payments (bail-outs) from the U.S. government. This greatly affected European Union (EU) airlines. The lowering of ticket prices by the American carriers also affected the EU airline industry. A trans-Atlantic airline pricing agreement helped keep the EU airlines in business. In addition the EU agreed to allow European governments to provide payouts to their airlines (much as the American government did) to help them recover from the 9-11 related industry slowdown (World Airline News, 1). Although the airline industry may have recovered from its 9-11 reaction to the World Trade Centre attacks it is still affected by the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Security within the industry is much higher than pre 9-11 but there still remains the possible threat of another attack using the airlines as a target or tool of the attack. European Union airlines continue to compete with trans-Atlantic airlines from the United States and other North and South American airlines. Tourists are choosing to visit countries they believe "safe" such as England and Ireland rather than Middle Eastern or South West Asian countries. This is good for EU air carriers who benefit greatly by the increase in business. RyanAir's Development (History). Ryanair is an airline that continues to exploit the low cost air industry by providing some of the lowest fares in the industry. Ryanair is purposely modelled after the American airline South West Airlines and uses the no frills approach to providing air transportation. This means no in flight meals or snacks or such (for free). The airline provides basically a seat (or ride) only. Ryanair is headquartered in Dublin Ireland at the Dublin airport. It's only Irish competitor is Aer Lingus which is Ireland's national airline. Ryanair holds a 25% stake in Aer Lingus and makes no secrets about its interest in acquiring Aer Lingus. Ryanair currently has 232 low cost routes across 24 countries. Its reputation in the European Union is as the EU's first