Causes and Limitations of Thrashing

In computer science, thrash is the term used to describe a degenerate situation on a computer where increasing resources are used to do a decreasing amount of work. Usually it refers to two or more processes accessing a shared resource repeatedly such that serious system performance degradation occurs because the system is spending a disproportionate amount of time just accessing the shared resource. Resource access time may generally be considered as wasted, since it does not contribute to the advancement of any process.

Cause of Thrashing
Thrashing results in several performance problems. Consider the following scenario, which is based on actual behavior of early paging systems.

The operating system monitors CPU utilization. If the CPU utilization is too low, we increase the degree of multiprogramming by introducing new processes to the system. A global page-replacement algorithm is used; it replaces pages without regard to the process that they belong. Now suppose that a process enters a new phase in its execution and needs more frames. It starts faulting and taking frames away from other processes. These processes need those pages, however, and so they also fault, taking frames away from other processes. These faulting processes must use the paging device to swap pages in and out. As they queue up for the paging device, the ready queue empties. As the processes wait for the paging device, CPU utilization decreases.

The CPU scheduler sees the decreasing CPU utilization and increases the degree of multiprogramming as a result. The new process tries to get started by taking frames from running processes, causing more page faults and a longer queue for the paging device. As a result CPU utilization drops even further, and CPU scheduler tries to increase the degree of multiprogramming even more. Thrashing has occurred, and system throughput plunges. The page fault rate increases tremendously. As a result, the effective memory-access time increases. No work is being done.

Limit the effect of Thrashing
The effect of thrashing can be limited by using a local replacement algorithm. With local replacement, if one process starts thrashing, it cannot steal frames from another process and cause the latter to thrash as well. However, the problem is not entirely solved. If the processes are thrashing they will be in the queue for the paging device. The average service time for a page fault will increase because of the longer average queue for the paging device. Thus, the effective access time will increase even for a process that is not thrashing.

To prevent thrashing we must provide a process with as many frames as it needs. But how do we know how many frames it “needs”?. There are several techniques. The working-set strategy is one such. This approach defines the locality model of process execution.

Sales Force Management System

Sales force management systems are information systems used in marketing and management that assist automate some sales and sales force management functions. They are often combined with a marketing information system, in which case they are often called Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. Sales Force Automation Systems (SFA), usually a part of a company’s customer relationship management system, is a system that automatically records all the stages in a sales process. SFA includes a contact management system which tracks all contact that has been made with a given customer, the purpose of the contact, and any follow up that might be required. This ensures that sales efforts won’t be duplicated eliminating the risk of irksome customers.

SFA also includes a sales lead tracking system, which lists possible customers through paid phone lists, or customers of associated products. Other elements of an SFA system can include sales forecasting, order management and product knowledge. More developed SFA systems have features where customers can really model the product to meet their required needs through online product building systems. This is becoming more and more accepted in the automobile industry, where patrons can customize various features such as color and interior features such as leather vs. upholstered seats. An integral part of any SFA system is company wide mixing among different departments. If SFA systems aren’t adopted and properly integrated to all departments, there might be a lack of communication which could result in dissimilar departments contacting the same customer for the same purpose. In order to alleviate this risk, SFA must be fully incorporated in all departments that deal with customer service management.

The Global Telecommunications System

The Global Telecommunications System (GTS) is a global network for the transmission of meteorological data from weather stations, satellites and numerical weather prediction centers.

The GTS consists of an integrated network of point-to-point circuits, and multi-point circuits, which interconnect meteorological telecommunication centers. The circuits of the GTS are composed of a combination of terrestrial and satellite telecommunication links. They comprise point-to-point circuits, point-to-multi-point circuits for data distribution, multi-point-to-point circuits for data collection, as well as two-way multi-point circuits. Meteorological Telecommunication Centers are responsible for receiving data and relaying it selectively on GTS circuits. The GTS is organized on a three level basis:

• The Main Telecommunication Network (MTN)
• The Regional Meteorological Telecommunication Networks (RMTNs)
• The National Meteorological Telecommunication Networks (NMTNs)

Satellite-based data collection and/or data distribution systems are integrated in the GTS as an essential element of the global, regional and national levels of the GTS. Data collection systems operated via geostationary or near-polar orbiting meteorological/environmental satellites, including the Argos System, are widely used for the collection of observational data from data collection platforms. Marine data are also collected through the International Maritime Mobile Service and Inmarsat satellites.

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Status of Internet addiction disorder (IAD)

Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is a theorized disorder originally made as a satirical hoax by Ivan Goldberg, M.D., in 1995. He took pathological gambling as diagnosed by the DSM-IV as his model for the spoofed description.

Although IAD was meant to be a hoax, some supporters promote it as a real condition. Supporters often divide IAD into subtypes by activity, such as immoderate gaming, inappropriate involvement in online social networking sites or blogging, and Internet shopping addiction. Activities that, if done in person, would normally be considered troublesome, such as compulsive gambling or shopping, are called net compulsions. Others, such as reading or playing computer games, are troubling only to the extent that these activities interfere with normal life.

In many cases, though not all, the problem corrects itself. “It was Professor Kiesler who called Internet addiction a fad illness. In her view, she said, television addiction is worse. She added that she was completing a study of heavy Internet users, which showed the majority had sharply reduced their time on the computer over the course of a year, indicating that even problematic use was self-corrective.” Researcher Kimberly Young, Psy. D. Is lobbying for the inclusion of IAD into the DSM-V, the next edition of the DSM. Some proponents believe that its inclusion would open the doors for private insurance companies to pay for Internet addiction counseling. However, many others argue that IAD is neither a true addiction nor a specific disorder and should not be classified as a mental disorder in DSM-V. Furthermore, there is no evidence that people needing treatment are being denied it; instead, their situations are coded under other labels, such as ADD or depression, according to the underlying situation.

In June 2007, the American Medical Association declined to recommend to the American Psychiatric Association that they include IAD as a formal diagnosis in the 2012 edition of the DSM. Instead, their toned-down response recommended further research of “video game overuse.” Members of the American Society of Addiction Medicine opposed calling Internet overuse and video games a true addiction. Among the necessary research is a way to define “overuse” and a way to differentiate an “internet addiction” from obsession, self-medication for depression or other disorders, and compulsion.

While there is mixed agreement about whether Internet Addiction is a legitimate, simultaneously, self-proclaimed sufferers are resorting to the courts for redress. In one recent American case, the plaintiff argued he was illegally terminated in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act owing to his Internet Addiction triggered by Vietnam War-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The case is pending before the court in the Southern District of New York

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Identifying A Workaholic

Colloquially, a workaholic is a person who is addicted to work. This phrase does not always imply that the person actually enjoys their work, but rather simply feels compelled to do it. There is no generally accepted medical definition of such a condition, although some forms of stress, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder can be work-related. Although the term “workaholic” usually has a negative connotation, people wishing to express their devotion to one’s career in positive terms sometimes use it. The “work” in question is usually associated with a paying job, but it may also refer to independent pursuits such as sports, music and art. A “workaholic” in the negative sense is popularly characterized by a neglect of family and other social relations. The term has no clinical definition, however.

Workaholism in Japan is considered a serious social problem leading to early death, often on the job, a phenomenon dubbed karōshi. Overwork was popularly blamed for the fatal stroke of Prime Minister of Japan Keizo Obuchi, in the year 2000.

The word itself is a play on “alcoholic”. Psychologist Richard I. Evans, currently distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Houston apparently coined the term. Dr. Evans may have originated the term workaholic in an interview with him, published in the house publication for oil company Esso, in the 1960’s, and widely distributed throughout the world. In response to a question by the Esso interviewer regarding the concern by the corporation for workers who were often overworked, Evans replied that such individuals can almost be likened to alcoholics and might be described as “workaholics”. James J. Kilpatrick, a nationally syndicated columnist, read the interview and referred to Evans and his creation of the term workaholic in his column, which Kirkpatrick described as a useful new term. It should be noted that “workaholic” is often also attributed to psychologist Wayne Oates because of his 1971 book, “Confessions of a Workaholic.” It gained more widespread use in the 1990s, as the result of a wave of the self-help movement that centered on addiction, forming an analogy between harmful social behaviors such as over-work and drug addiction, including addiction to alcohol. Although “workaholic” is not an official medical or psychological term, it remains in widespread usage to refer to those whose expenditure of time on work and work-related issues leads to the detriment of their bodily health, social lives, family and domestic life, or leisure time.

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Communication Importance In Relationships

Any relationship can exists depends on communications between both parties. If both have the good communication, then the opposite person easily know what your are thinking. But this is untrue and a definite recipe for disaster. Understanding the importance of communication is essential. Generally we have the three types of communications they are:

• Verbal communication: verbal communication is most general to express our communication but some time it can be very difficult to find the right words to express the thoughts a person has. Words can be very destructive if they are not chosen carefully. So without verbal communication we are not aware of partner’s likes and dislikes, their wants, needs or desires.
• Non-verbal communication: like the proverb that actions speak louder than words is very true. Some times non verbal communication can act more useful than verbal communication. In some cases the words say one thing, but the actions say more.
• Written communication: it is a very useful form of communication for centuries. This is the most extensively used form of communication. Now the most written communication is done more by the use of email, letters are still used.

So, without any of these forms of communications that relationships must be fail. So every time the partners get the feedback from each other.

Important Specifications when evaluating an LCD monitor

LCD monitor is a flat panel display, which uses liquid crystals. Although laptops have used LCD’s as their flat panel technology almost exclusively, LCD is also the most popular for flat panel desktop monitors. Toward the end of 2003, sales of LCD displays for desktops overtook CRTs for the first time.

Important Specifications
The following are the important factors to consider when evaluating an LCD monitor:

Resolution:
The horizontal and vertical size expressed in pixels (e.g., 1024×768). Unlike CRT monitors, LCD monitors have a native-supported resolution for best display effect.

Dot pitch:
Dot pitch is the distance between the centers of two adjacent pixels. The smaller the dot pitch size, the less granularity is present, resulting in a sharper image. Dot pitch may be the same both vertically and horizontally, or different.

Viewable size:
The size of an LCD panel measured on the diagonal and more specifically known as active display area.

Response time:
Response time is the minimum time necessary to change a pixel’s color or brightness. Response time is also divided into rise and fall time. For LCD Monitors, this is measured in BTB (black to black) or GTG (gray to gray). These different types of measurements make comparison difficult.

Refresh rate:
The number of times per second in which the monitor draws the data it is being given. A refresh rate that is too low can cause flickering and will be more noticeable on larger monitors. Many high-end LCD televisions now have a 120 Hz refresh rate current and former NTSC countries only. This allows for less distortion when movies filmed at 24 frames per second (fps) are viewed due to the elimination of telecine. The rate of 120 was chosen as the least common multiple of 24 fps (cinema) and 30 fps (TV).

Viewing angle, Brightness and Color support:
How many types of colors are supported? The amount of light emitted from the display

Contrast ratio:
Contrast ratio is the ratio of the intensity of the brightest bright to the darkest dark.

Aspect ratio:
The ratio of the width to the height Input ports (e.g., DVI, VGA, LVDS, or even S-Video and HDMI).

How To Budget And Finance Your Home Improvement Project

You should start off by having some home improvement companies come out to your house to inspect and evaluate what home renovations you want done before you undertake any home improvement project, then have them present you with the home improvement estimates.

If you only rely on one or two quotes you risk paying too much for the job. You should get some home improvement estimates from several companies to get a feel for how much you should be paying for the home improvement job. You will also get a good idea of what to budget for the home improvement job. It is important to keep a budget, as it keeps you from overspending and within budget.

If your home improvement is a big project, you should consider getting a loan from loan companies to finance your home renovation project. This type of financing is now easier than ever to apply for. If you are working then obtaining financing should not be too difficult as long as you can afford the repayments on the loan. Before approving the loan, loan companies usually need to check your credit and see if there are any defaults or non-payment in your credit report.

The easiest way to search for home improvement loans is to have a broker search for the best possible deals and loan providers. Ask the broker to seek out which loan companies’ offer the best deal on the amount you would like to borrow. Of course, you should select the loan company that offers the lowest APR.

No matter what type of renovation you want to do, most loans can cover it. Loan companies do ask you to specify the type of improvement you want to do to make sure you are not over borrowing. Loan companies usually give out secured loans, which are loans secured on your house. However, if you have an excellent credit score, you are qualified to apply for unsecured loans.

Entering into any loan agreement with a loan company is a serious responsibility and you have to make sure you are on time with your payments and do not fall behind, or your house is in jeopardy.

Taking out a loan is a serious decision and something you should give serious thought to. Once you decide to apply, your improvement project will be underway, and you will have a beautiful home to look forward to.

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