INFS6071: Individual Assignment Two Acknowledgement of AI If you use any AI tools, you need the following: 1. An acknowledgement: I acknowledge using [insert tool[s] name] to [what the tool did] on . With the . What then happened? For example, I acknowledge using ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) to refine the academic language of my own work. On 1 April 2025, I submitted my entire essay to refine the academic language of my own work. With the prompt: “For the following essay, can you improve the academic tone and accuracy of language, including grammatical structures, punctuation and vocabulary?”. 2. The output produced by AI tools is non-deterministic (i.e., another person cannot obtain the same information as you did); thus, citing AI tools is not a source and is inappropriate for an assignment. Executive Summary Introduction A brief overview, the importance in the context of project management and your research objective. Reflection on the MesoCYBER project (HarmonyHub) a discussion and self-reflection on how team/group work was used in your HarmonyHub project – this should be linked to relevant literature (both presented in the unit and through additional research). Literature Review and Analysis A critical summary of existing academic research on your chosen focus, with an analysis of the key findings and insights from previous studies. You should also identify gaps in the current body of knowledge. Impact on Project Management at MesoCYBER Solutions A discussion of aspects of project management in light of Industry 4.0 and this Program of Projects, the benefits and challenges associated with your role. An analysis of predictions on how MesoCYBER will evolve regarding the projects, and implications for all program/project managers in the organisation. Recommendations for integrating your discussed methods into the current project management practices. Conclusion Summary of key points discussed in the paper and final thoughts. References 10– 20 academic references (referencing is to be in APA7 format). These also must be cited in-text according to APA 7. – Use the References font style. for this section Author (year). Title. Journal, V(I), pp-pp. doi
COMP5349: Cloud Computing Sem. 1/2025 Assignment 2: AWS Project Individual Work: 20% Tasks In this assignment, you will deploy an enhanced image annotation application that inte- grates a serverless architecture for specific backend tasks. The application builds on the functionality explored in Assignment 1 and consists of two main components: 1. Web Application Component: A user-facing web application hosted on EC2 in- stance(s). It should provide a form to allow users to upload images and a page to display all previously uploaded images along with their captions/annotations. From an end user’s perspective, the interface and behavior will be similar to Assignment 1. 2. Serverless Component (AWS Lambda): Two Lambda functions automatically trig- gered by specific events to process uploaded images using generative AI services and to generate thumbnails. Detailed Requirements and Components • Web Application Component: Deploy a standard web application on an EC2 in- stance that is part of an Auto Scaling Group (ASG). You must configure the ASG to scale out based on traffic, with a maximum capacity greater than 1 instance. The instances should be fronted by an Application Load Balancer (ALB) to distribute in- coming traffic. This component must support the following: – Display an HTML form to upload images. On submission, the image should be stored in an AWS S3 bucket, and relevant metadata (such as filename and/or upload timestamp) saved to an RDS (MySQL) database. – Serve a page listing uploaded images and generated thumbnails, along with their captions/annotations retrieved from RDS and S3. • Serverless Component: Implement two AWS Lambda functions that are automati- cally triggered when a new image is uploaded to the designated S3 bucket: – Annotation Function: Retrieves the image from S3, invokes the Gemini API to generate a description, and stores the results in the RDS database. – Thumbnail Generator Function: Retrieves the image from S3, generates a thumbnail, and stores it in a separate thumbnails/ folder within the same S3 bucket. Auto Scaling Test To verify your Auto Scaling and Load Balancing setup, you must perform a load test by sending a large number of requests to the image listing page of your web application. You may use a tool such as ApacheBench or a Python-based concurrent request generator to simulate concurrent traffic. You must provide evidence (e.g., screenshots from the AWS EC2 Console, CloudWatch metrics, and Load Balancer monitoring tools) demonstrating the following: • EC2 Instances Scaling Out: Your Auto Scaling Group launches additional instances in response to increased CPU or memory utilization. • EC2 Instances Scaling In: Instances are automatically terminated as load decreases. • Load Distribution: Incoming requests are successfully distributed across multiple EC2 instances by the ALB. Deployment Environment and Requirements You are recommended to use AWS Learner’s lab for this assignment. The Learner Lab pro- vides a long-running environment with a $50.00 credit and access to all the AWS services covered in this unit. However, there are specific usage limits for each service. Please read the documentation carefully and ensure that you stay within these limits. Exceeding service limits, even if you remain within your credit balance, can result in your account being automatically deactivated. One commonly exceeded limit is the concurrent number of AWS Lambda functions, which is capped at 10. This limit can be easily breached if your trigger configuration is incorrect. If your account is deactivated, but still has credit remaining, it may be restored by AWS support, but the process could take several days. To avoid disruptions, plan carefully and monitor your usage. In addition to the main services mentioned in the previous sections, you will likely need to use additional AWS services. You must justify your use of each service and the configuration choices you make. These decisions will be considered in the marking of your assignment. Report Submission and Mark Distribution Your submission must include a deployment report documenting the architecture with details and justifications. The report will be assessed based on the following criteria: • Introduction A brief introduction that provides context for the assignment. Avoid repeating the as- signment specification verbatim. Instead, describe the overall purpose and highlight key architectural features in your own words. • Architecture Diagram (5 points) Provide two clearly labeled architecture diagrams: – Web Application Architecture: This diagram should show the key components involved in running the frontend application, including the EC2 Auto Scaling Group, Application Load Balancer (ALB), S3 for uploads, RDS for metadata stor- age, and any relevant networking/security layers (e.g., VPC, subnets, security groups, IAM roles, Bastion Host). – Serverless Architecture: This diagram should depict the AWS Lambda func- tions, their event source (e.g., S3), interactions with external APIs (e.g., Gem- ini), and downstream targets (e.g., RDS, S3 for thumbnails). Also include supporting services such as SNS, EvenBridge, VPC, Subnets or security groups whenever relevant. Integration Between Components: Clearly indicate the points of interaction be- tween the two architectures, such as: – How the web application triggers Lambda functions (e.g., uploading to an S3 bucket monitored by S3 events) – How both components access shared resources (e.g., the same RDS database or S3 bucket) Each diagram should follow AWS architectural styles similar to those used in AWS Academy labs. They should be cover similar details as those used in theAWS Academy labs. The diagram should be prepared using a drawing software, such as draw.io. Hand-drawn diagrams will not be marked. • Web Application Deployment (4 points) Provide a detailed description and justification of your web application deployment. This section should cover: - Compute Environment: Describe the use of EC2 within an Auto Scaling Group (ASG), and explain your configuration of: * Network settings (e.g., VPC, subnets) * Security configurations (e.g., security groups, IAM roles, Secrets Manager) * Administrative access (e.g., bastion host) * Load Balancer setup: Describe the use of an Application Load Balancer (ALB), including listener configuration, target groups, and health checks. Discuss how it ensures high availability and distributes traffic across EC2 instances. - Database Environment: Describe how the RDS (MySQL) database is provi- sioned, including its configuration, access policies, and integration with the ap- plication. - Storage Environment: Explain how the S3 bucket is configured for storing uploaded images, generated thumbnails and triggering the lambda functions. • Serverless Component Deployment (3 points) Describe the implementation and deployment of your serverless functions. This sec- tion should address: - Event-Driven Architecture: How the Lambda functions are triggered (e.g., S3 ObjectCreated events, usage of EventBridge, SNS if relevant), and which re- sources they interact with. - Annotation Function: Describe how the Lambda function is packaged (e.g. as a simple script, a zip file or a container image) and deployed (e.g. through management console, cli or cloudformation) and the settings to allow it interact with S3, RDS and GeminiAPI. - Thumbnail Generator: Describe how the Lambda function is packaged (e.g. as a simple script, a zip file or a container image) and deployed (e.g. through management console, cli or cloudformation) and the settings to allow it interact with S3. • Auto Scaling Test Observation (1 point) Include screenshots and a brief explanation showing evidence of auto scaling behav- ior, such as the number of EC2 instances increasing and decreasing, CPU/memory usage trends, and load distribution via the ALB. Be sure to explain how the test was performed (e.g., tool used and number of requests). • Summary and Lessons Learned Conclude your report with a concise summary of your key findings. We encourage you to reflect on any challenges you faced during the assignment and explain how you addressed them. • Report Style and Professionalism (1 point) Ensure your report is professionally written and well-organized. This includes us- ing clear section headings, numbered figures and tables, and consistent formatting throughout. All AWS resources and components must be correctly named and refer- enced. Demo Video Submission and Mark Distribution In addition to the deployment report, you must submit a short demonstration video (strictly no longer than 10 minutes) that showcases the functionality and behavior of your appli- cation. The video should provide clear visual evidence of the system working as intended and highlight key architectural features in action. The video must demonstrate the following: • Application Functionality (1 points): - Uploading an image using the web interface - Viewing the list of uploaded images, thumbnails and their annotations • Lambda Function Execution (2 points): - Triggering of the Lambda functions upon image upload - Evidence of successful execution: e.g., CloudWatch logs, S3 updates, or new entries in the RDS. • Infrastructure Configuration (3 points): - Application Load Balancer (ALB): Show listener configuration, routing rules, target groups, and health check setup - Auto Scaling Group (ASG): Show scaling policies, launch configuration/tem- plate, instance limits, and attached target groups - Lambda Functions: Show each function’s trigger configuration (e.g., S3 event), environment variables, VPC, subnet and relevent settings if the function is placed inside a VPC. - Include brief overviews of the RDS instance and EC2 instance together with their respective VPC/subnet, security groups, secrets managers if relevant. Submission Format: • The video must be submitted in MP4 format. • Ensure that AWS Console screens are clearly visible when demonstrating the infras- tructure. Your federated user information must be shown at some point during the video. Begin with a brief introduction displaying your student ID card, as done in Assignment 1. • Trimming is allowed to keep the video within the time limit. However, stitching clips recorded at different times is generally discouraged. Application Codebase Since the functionality of this application is very similar to that in Assignment 1, we will not provide a new codebase. You may choose to reuse the Assignment 1 code or develop a new codebase from scratch. The only new required feature is thumbnail generation, which is relatively simple to implement, and you can find sample code online. There is also no restriction on programming language; however, please note that support will be limited if you choose a language other than Python. You are not required to follow the same layout used in Assignment 1, you are free to design your own webpage with a different layout. Similarly, there is no strict require- ment for the database schema; you may design your own tables to support the required functionality. This assignment primarily assesses your ability to design and deploy a cloud-based application architecture. While code functionality is not the main focus, a certain level of coding is required to integrate services, decouple functionality into components, and make the system work end-to-end. Your solution should demonstrate good architectural decisions and proper use of AWS services.
CSSE3100/7100 Reasoning about Programs Week 2 Exercises Exercise 2.1. Determine how the following pairs of predicates are related, that is, which of the predicates is the weakest or strongest or if they are equivalent or if they are unrelated. a) x 0 and x > 0 c) x > 0 || y >0 and x > 0 d) x >= 0 and x*x + y*y == 9 e) x >= 1 ==> x >= 0 and x >= 1 f ) (exists i :: i >= 0 && x == i ) and x >= 1 g) (exists i :: P && Q) and (forall i :: P ==> Q) Exercise 2.2. For each of the following triples, find initial values of x and y that demonstrate that the triple does not hold. a) {true} x := 2*y {y = 0} x := x - 1 {x >= 0} Exercise 2.3. Compute the weakest precondition of the following statements with respect to the postcondition x + y < 100. a) x := 32; y := 40 b) x := x + 2; y := y - 3*x c) x, y := x + 2, y - 3*x Exercise 2.4. Verify that the following program correctly swaps x and y, where ^ denotes bitwise xor. x := x ^ y; y := x ^ y; x := x ^ y; Recall that the bitwise xor of a number with itself is 0, i.e., x ^ x = 0, and the bitwise xor of a number with zero is the number, i.e., x ^ 0 = 0 ^ x = x. Exercise 2.5. Suppose you want x + y == 22 to hold after the statement if x < 20 { y := 3; } else { y := 2; } then in which states can you start the statement? In other words, compute the weakest precondition of the statement with respect to x + y == 22. Simplify the condition after you have computed it. Exercise 2.6. Compute the weakest precondition for the following statement with respect to y < 10. Simplify the condition. if x < 8 { if x == 5 { y := 10; } else { y := 2; } } else { y := 0; } Exercise 2.7. Compute the weakest precondition for the following statement with respect to y % 2 == 0 (that is, "y is even"). Simplify the condition. if x < 10 { if x < 20 { y := 1; } else { y := 2; } } else { y := 4; } Exercise 2.8. Determine under which circumstances the following program establishes 0
ACCT6003 Fundamental Analysis for Equity Investment Week 12 Assignment on Financial distress Marks: 6/100 Deadline for submission: Before the lecture of Week 13. In April 2020, Virgin Australia, one of Australia’s two major airlines filed for voluntary administration. Its major competitor and industry leader, Qantas, also experienced financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 crisis. This exercise seeks to explore whether the problems that led to Virgin’s demise were specific to the pandemic crisis and the restrictions to movement imposed by world governments, or they were a result of past problems leading to the COVID-19. We also seek to understand the financial health of Qantas during the same period given that it was the key competitor to Virgin and was impacted in a similar manner by the COVID-19 crisis. You are required to use the provided Excel spreadsheet template to perform credit analysis using the Altman (2000) z-score model and fundamental analysis using the Piotroski (2002) F-score. In the lecture of Week 11 we briefly presented the Altman z-score, and at the end of this assignment, you are provided with a summary of both the Altman z-score and the Piotroski F-score models. You are required to self-learn more about both models by reading the articles by Altman (2000) and Piotroski (2002) that are available on Canvas under the Week 11 Readings. You will be judged on your ability to read and apply the knowledge and instructions from these two articles. In the Week 12 Canvas webpage, you are also provided with the annual reports of Qantas and Virgin. Required Using the provided Excel template, for both Virgin Australia and Qantas and for all years from 2016 to 2019 inclusive, you are required to: (1) Discover information from annual reports to calculate the annual Altman z-scores using the template provided the worksheet ‘Q1. Altman z-score ’. [1 mark] (2) In the worksheet named ‘Q2. Atlman discussion ’ and in no more than 150 words, explain the usefulness or the limitations of the Altman z-score in helping predict financial distress for Virgin and Qantas. [1.5 marks] (3) Discover information from annual reports to calculate the annual Piotroski F-scores using the template provided the worksheet ‘Q3. Piotroski F-score ’. [2 marks] (4) In the worksheet named ‘Q4. Piotroski discussion ’ and in no more than 150 words, explain the usefulness or the limitations of the Piotroski F-score in helping predict financial distress for Virgin and Qantas. [1.5 mark] Altman Z-score formula with time indices To calculate the Altman Z-scores use this formula: Piotroski’s F-score summary Joseph Piotroski’s F-score is a composite measure of the firm’s credit risk and fundamental performance. It is calculated as the sum of nine binary variables on profitability, financial leverage/liquidity, and operating efficiency. The nine binary variables are defined as follows: Profitability variables • 1 if the return on total assets is positive. • 1 if the reported cash flow from operations is positive. • 1 if the current year’s return on assets is greater than the prior-year’s return on assets. • 1 if the reported cash flow from operations is greater than net income. Credit risk and source of funds variables • 1 if total debt is lower than the previous year’s total debt. • 1 if the current-year current ratio is higher than its previous year’s current ratio. • 1 if the firm has not issued new common stock to the market in the current year. Operating efficiency variables • 1 if the gross profit margin is higher than the previous year’s gross profit margin. • 1 if the asset turnover ratio is higher than the previous year’s asset turnover. In the end, add up the binary indicators to a total score of 0 to 9; the closer to 9 the better the company’s fundamental performance. Note that Piotroski’s definition of ratios, such as “return on total assets” or “asset turnover ratio”, might be different from what you have been taught in ACCT6003. You are required to learn how these variables must be computed in accordance to Piotroski’s instructions.
MUSC7470 Counterpoint Assignment 2, Due 4 April 2025, 2.00 pm Answer all five (5) questions Question 1 Invertible Counterpoint at the Fifteenth Part a): Complete this original two-part piece in free style (fifth species counterpoint). Make sure that it will work when inverted in invertible counterpoint at the fifteenth. Part b): Write the second (derivative) version of this piece that works in invertible counterpoint at the fifteenth. a) Original version b) Derivative version Question 2 Invertible Counterpoint at the Twelfth Part a): Complete this original two-part piece in free style. (fifth species counterpoint). Part b): Complete the second (derivative) version that works in invertible counterpoint at the twelfth. a) Original version b) Derivative version. Observe the clefs and do not change any of the given notes: Question 3 Example a) is an example in a first species version (apart from the fourth species suspension at the cadence). Use this version as the basis for completing example b) in fifth species counterpoint. Do not change any of the given notes in example b). a) First species b) Fifth species Question 4 Solve this puzzle canon (Zarlino 1573, adapted): Question 5 Composing a canon: On the following staves, complete each of the following versions ofa canon at the 5th below. The opening notes of each version are provided (you should not change any of these notes). a) First version: complete the first species version of a canon at the 5th below after a semibreve. This version should be 8-12 bars in length, including the opening bars. b) Second version: complete the fifth species version of this canon at the 5th below. This version should have the same number of bars as your first species version of this canon. Use as many of the following staves as you need to complete this question. Alternatively, you can write your answer in a music notation software program (such as Sibelius or MuseScore) and insert your answer into the single file with all of your responses for this assessment that you submit to Blackboard. a) First version. Use this opening to complete your first species version of a canon at the 5th below. Do not change the opening notes. b) Second version: Use this opening to complete your fifth species version of your canon at the 5th below. Do not change any of the opening notes.
Marketing Environment the marketing environment MACRO ENVIRONMENT MICRO ENVIRONMENT FIRM Decreasing Control The Marketing Environment is a set of forces, some controllable and some uncontrollable, that influence the ability of a business to create value and attract and serve customers. marketing environment: SWOT analysis helpful harmful internal strengths weaknesses external opportunities threats marketing environment Environmental scanning The process of collecting information about forces in the marketing environment Methods: Observation Secondary sources Market research environmental scanning environmental analysis responding to environmental forces Environmental analysis The process of assessing and interpreting information gathered through environmental scanning Is the information accurate? Is the information consistent? Is the information significant? Is the information relevant? environmental scanning environmental analysis responding to environmental forces Responding to Environmental Forces Reactive approach Passive view of environment as uncontrollable Current strategy is cautiously adjusted to accommodate environmental changes Proactive approach Actively attempts to shape and influence environment Strategies are constructed to overcome market challenges and take advantage of opportunities environmental scanning environmental analysis responding to environmental forces marketing environment competitive forces economic forces political forces legal forces technological forces sociocultural forces
ECOP3613 / ECOP6613 Global Capitalism: Uneven Development This unit examines the uneven development of global capitalism. You will analyse the explanations offered by different theoretical perspectives of the long-term emergence of uneven development within the global political economy. To understand the dimensions, scale and implications of the uneven development of global capitalism, you will consider: the conditions of uneven development and the prospects for state developmental catch-up; the international monetary system’s formation during the era of “embedded liberalism”; the post-World War II long boom; contentions over modernisation and dependency; the era of mid-twentieth century Import Substitution Industrialisation, notably in Latin America; structural adjustment under neoliberalism; and contemporary themes related to spaces of resistance against global capitalism, the drug wars, and conditions shaping the uneven development of state capitalism today. The unit concludes with a set of reflections on the possibilities for spaces of non-capitalist development. Week 1: (Lecture: 27 February) Introduction: Uneven Development Week 2: (Lecture: 6 March) Embedded Liberalism Week 3: (Lecture: 13 March) Essays, Ideas + Early Feedback Task Week 4: (Lecture: 20 March) Long Boom Week 5: (Lecture: 27 March) Dependency and Development Week 6: (Lecture: 3 April) Primitive Accumulation Week 7: (Lecture: 10 April) Import Substitution Industrialisation (ISI) Week 8: (Lecture: 17 April) Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) Mid-semester break Week 9: (Lecture: 1 May) Spaces of Resistance (EZLN) Week 10: (Lecture: 8 May) Drug War Capitalism Week 11: (Lecture: 15 May) State Capitalism Week 12: (Lecture: 22 May) Post-capitalism: taking back the economy? Week 13: (Lecture: 29 May) Conclusion and Overview TUTORIAL GUIDE Learning Structure Classes consist of 1 x one-hour lectures and a one-hour tutorial per week, which immediately follows the lecture in the same room. You must attend at least 80% of tutorials. Lectures introduce you to key concepts and debates about the uneven development of global capitalism. They help frame. and contextualise information and serve as the starting point for your investigations. Although attendance is voluntary, it is strongly recommended. Power-point slides will primarily be used in lectures to highlight key points rather than to summarise the lecture content. Because this is a senior unit of study, it is expected that you are familiar with the basic skills of note taking. The sparse use of text in power point slides in this unit of study should encourage you to develop further your independent note-taking skills. This will require you to be discerning in your note taking and to develop the ability to identify and summarise key arguments. Tutorials provide a forum for you to develop, articulate and test your ideas about the uneven development of global capitalism, with prompts from the set readings, written questions and guidance from your tutor. You are encouraged to express your own views on the set topics, but please try and support all of your contentions with logically consistent argument and evidence. You are expected to have read the required readings before each tutorial, and to come to class prepared to discuss them with your fellow students. Assessment Criteria ASSESSMENT TASK DESCRIPTION WEIGHTING DEADLINE Tutorial Participation In class participation. 15% N/A Essay 1 2500 words. 35% 23:59, 7 April Essay 2 3500 words. 50% 23:39, 30 May All assessment tasks are compulsory and must be attempted for a student to be eligible to pass. Tutorial participation (10%) You are required to participate in tutorials, ask questions, shape ideas and build up your knowledge based on completing the readings. Your mark for this assessment will be based upon your involvement in the discussions AND how well you stimulate and guide in-class discussion during the tutorial. Essay 1 (35%) You must write a 2500-word essay on the following topic. Question: What specific political economy patterns and processes characterise the uneven development of capitalist accumulation? This essay encourages you to engage critically with the concepts introduced in the first few weeks of lectures and tutorials, notably led by Niel Smith and David Harvey who have both fashioned a historical geographical materialist approach to uneven development. The essay provides a chance for early feedback on your writing style, your ability to construct an argument and your understanding of key concepts. If you submit your essay by the due date, then you will receive your mark and written feedback in sufficient time to enable you to reflect upon the feedback before you submit your major essay. It is hoped that this will provide guidance as to what areas of your writing and understanding of key concepts might be improved. Your essay will be marked against the following criteria: § Clarity of expression § Development of an argument and use of supporting evidence to address the set topic § Understanding of relevant concepts § Correct use of citations Essay 2 (50%) You must write a 3500-word essay on one of the following topics: Choose one from the following questions: 1. With reference to competing theories, to what extent has there been the “lock-in” of uneven development or developmental “catch-up” within the post-1945 global political economy? 2. Assess the view that embedded liberalism is better understood in terms of the regulation and protection of the market economy, rather than a re-embedding of the market economy itself. 3. How accurate is Jamie Morgan’s assessment that ‘despite Piketty’s stated sympathy for political economy, his work is economics with some discussion of politics, and it is not political economy’? 4. To what extent did certain strands of dependency theory play a role in the construction of an alternative political economy, contesting Western notions of modernisation? 5. Assess the historical conditions of primitive accumulation and the extent to which such factors of dispossession are present today within the political economy of global capitalism. 6. Debating new state capitalism, Toby Carroll and Daryll Jarvis argue that there is ‘significant eliding of signature political economy debates [that] over time leads to an inaccurate, inchoate and unnecessarily complicated reading’. Discuss. 7. Assess David Ruccio’s claim in relation to Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) that ‘what are often seen as development failures may, in fact, be part of a more general process of the successful emergence and strengthening of capitalist class processes in Latin America and the rest of the developing world’. 8. J.K. Gibson-Graham have argued that ‘All over the world people are taking back the economy as a site of politics and negotiation of the everyday’. Critically assess the Rethinking Marxism approach to political economy. 9. ‘The drug war . . . combines terror with policy making in a neoliberal mix, cracking open social worlds and territories previously unavailable to globalised capitalism’ [Dawn Paley]. Discuss. **** The essay encourages you reflect upon the capitalist economy’s uneven development through critical engagement with the literature and concepts examined across the bulk of the lectures (and the corresponding tutorials). There is no single correct answer that the markers will be looking for. Rather you should use the recommended readings and engage independent research to construct an argument, supported by evidence, which addresses the set topic. Your essay will be marked according to: § Clarity of expression § Development of an argument and use of supporting evidence to address the set topic § Understanding of relevant concepts § Correct use of citations TUTORIAL SCHEDULE Tutorial 1 (Week 2): Introduction: Uneven Development 6 March This topic introduces the cohort to the theory (rather than ‘law’) of uneven development, recovering its principle aspects from Leon Trotsky and how it has been utilised to understand the spatial organisation and geographical expansion of global capitalism. § Neil Smith, ‘On the Necessity of Uneven Development’, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 10:1 (1986): 87-104. § David Harvey, ‘The Geography of Capitalist Accumulation: A Reconstruction of the Marxian Theory’, Antipode, 7:2 (1975): 9-21. Key question: What does it mean to argue that it is inevitable that uneven development results from capitalism [Harvey] or that uneven geographical development is a necessity of capital accumulation [Smith]? Tutorial 2 (Week 3): Embedded Liberalism 13 March This week deliberately juxtaposes the content of the course’s Introduction and its emphasis on uneven development with the liberal focus on the architecture of the international financial system, which is known as “embedded liberalism”. § John G. Ruggie, ‘International Regimes, Transactions and Change: Embedded Liberalism in the Postwar Economic Order’, International Organization, 36:2 (1982): 379-415. § Hannes Lacher, ‘Embedded Liberalism, Disembedded Markets: Reconceptualising the Pax Americana’, New Political Economy, 4:3 (1999): 343-60. Key question: What is meant by the ‘embedded liberalism compromise’ [Ruggie] and whose interests has this normative framework benefitted [Lacher]? Tutorial 3 (Week 4): Essays, Ideas and Early Feedback Task 20 March By introducing a pause in the lecture delivery and tutorial discussion, this week we create some space to raise any questions from the cohort about essay design, content, and organisation ahead of the first assignment submission date. § Adam David Morton, ’10 Things to Look Out for About Essay Writing’, Progress in Political Economy (PPE), available at: https://www.ppesydney.net/10-things-to-look-out-for-about-essay-writing/. Key question: What is meant by an ‘interpretation by proxy’ and can you recognise this in your previous writing practice? Tutorial 4 (Week 4): Long Boom 27 March Continuing with the theme of the architecture of the Post-World War II world economy, this week the focus is on the “long boom” of twentieth-century also known as the ‘Trente Glorieuses’, or thirty-year period of economic growth after 1945. § Thomas Piketty, ‘Putting Distribution Back at the Centre of Economics: Reflections on Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 29:1 (2015): 67-88. § Jamie Morgan, ‘Piketty’s Calibration Economics: Inequality and the Dissolution of Solutions?’, Globalizations, 12:5 (2015): 803-23. Key question: What is Thomas Piketty’s historical and political economy approach to income and wealth in the twentieth-century [Piketty] and to what extent would you accord with the argument that it is ‘a palatable form. of radicalism’ [Morgan]? Key resource: Adam David Morton, “Piketty Digests”, Progress in Political Economy (PPE) blog that offers a week-by-week summary of every chapter in Thomas Piketty’s book Capital in the 21st Century, starting from #1 to #18. See: https://www.ppesydney.net/piketty-forum/. Tutorial 5 (Week 5): Dependency and Development 3 April Although neglected in recent years, there is somewhat of a renaissance at present in the return to dependency theory as a radical political economy approach to understanding uneven development. This week we recover aspects of dependentista thought focusing on some of the classic theorists, including Ruy Marini and Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Enzo Faletto. § Ruy Mauro Marini, ‘Brazilian “Interdependence” and Imperialist Integration’, Monthly Review, 17:7 (1965). § Fernando Henrique Cardoso, ‘Dependent Capitalist Development in Latin America’, New Left Review I, No. 74 (1972): 83-95. § Felipe Antunes de Oliveira, Dependency and Crisis in Brazil and Argentina (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2024), Chapter 1: ‘Neoliberalism, neodevelopmentalism and uneven and combined dependency’. Key question: What is meant by ‘super-exploitation’ [Marini] and what are forms of ‘dependent development’ existed in Latin America during the mid-twentieth century era of era of Import Substitution Industrialisation (ISI) [Cardoso + Faletto]? Key resource: Adam David Morton, Review of Dependency and Development in Latin America, by Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Enzo Faletto, Progress in Political Economy (PPE) blog. See: https://www.ppesydney.net/fernando-enrique-cardoso-and-enzo-faletto-dependency-and-development-in-latin-america/. Tutorial 6 (Week 6): Primitive Accumulation 10 April The monstrous horror of capitalism is often associated with a social hell where capital comes into being, citing Marx in Capital, Volume 1, ‘dripping from head to toe, from every pore, with blood and dirt’. § Andreas Bieler et al., ‘The Enduring Relevance of Rosa Luxemburg’s The Accumulation of Capital’, Journal of International Relations and Development, 19:3 (2016): 420-47. § Silvia Federici, ‘The Great Caliban: The Struggle Against the Rebel Body’, Capitalism, Nature, Socialism, 15:2 (2004): 7-16. § William Clare Roberts, ‘What Was Primitive Accumulation? Reconstructing the Origin of a Critical Concept’, European Journal of Political Theory, 19:4 (2020): 532-552. Key question: What are some of the historical features of primitive accumulation [Luxemburg] and in what ways is the violence of primitive accumulation still ongoing in the present [Bieler et al.]? Tutorial 7 (Week 7): Import Substitution Industrialisation (ISI) 17 April Picking up on the themes of primitive accumulation, dependency and uneven development, this tutorial looks at such issues through the prism of Import Substitution Industrialisation in Mexico during the mid-twentieth century. The focus is on the achievements of the “Mexican miracle” of developmental catch-up as well as the pitfalls it faced leading to the debt crisis of the 1970s and the subsequent “lost decade” of development in the 1980s. § Adam David Morton, Revolution and State in Modern Mexico (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013), Chapter 3 ‘Capital Accumulation, State Formation and Import Substitution Industrialisation’. § Sylvia Maxfield and James H. Nolt, ‘Protectionism and the Internationalisation of Capital’, International Studies Quarterly, 34 (1990): 49-81. Key question: How successful was ISI as a strategy of developmental catch-up and what key national or transnational class forces were important in its design and implementation? Tutorial 8 (Week 8): Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) 1 May After the binge (ISI) comes the hangover (SAPs). Following the debt burden of ISI in Latin America many states were confronted with the IMF and World Bank conditionality of SAPs based on debt rescheduling through a reduction in government deficits, limits to money supply growth, and currency devaluations. These “Bretton Woods” institutions from the era of embedded liberalism were emboldened with a new Washington Consensus to usher in the dominance of transnational capital. § Adam David Morton, Revolution and State in Modern Mexico (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013), Chapter 4 ‘Neoliberalism and Structural Change within the Global Political Economy of Uneven Development’. § David F. Ruccio, ‘When Failure Becomes Success: Class and the Debate over Stabilisation and Adjustment’, World Development, 19:10 (1991): 1315-1334. Key question: Was structural adjustment imposed on states in the global south and was it a success or a failure? Tutorial 9 (Week 9): Spaces of Resistance (EZLN) 8 May The struggle-driven process of capitalism always entails resistance and class war. This was no more so than in the movement of the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN: Zapatista Army of National Liberation) that stepped into the public imagination on 1 January 1994 in Chiapas with its rebellion against the Mexico state. The EZLN declared to a group of tourists ‘Disculpen las molestias, pero esto es una revolución’ [Sorry for the inconvenience, but this is a revolution]. This tutorial will deliberate the novel tactics of the EZLN and its attempt to enact a small ‘r’ revolution, rather than the singular big ‘R’ revolution of the past. § Adam David Morton, Revolution and State in Modern Mexico (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013), Chapter 7 ‘Uneven Agrarian Development and the Resistance of the EZLN’. § Chris Hesketh, ‘Producing State Space in Chiapas: Passive Revolution and Everyday Life’, Critical Sociology, 42:2 (2014): 211-28. Key question: Discuss the extent to which revolutions are not simply the occasional punctuation marks, but the very grammar of modern world history. Tutorial 10 (Week 10): Drug War Capitalism 15 May The geography of uneven development within the global political economy has also been a world the criminal economy has been paramount. This is especially so with drug trafficking and its associated economic practices that can range, of course, from human trafficking to money laundering to avocado production. In 2005 narcotics production was valued at $13 billion, the wholesale industry was a priced at $94 billion and retail estimated at $332 billion. $1.6 trillion is the amount of money laundered in the global financial system through transnational organised crime (TOC) according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Research Report in 2011. So, this week we will be deliberating whether the drug wars are good for business. § Dawn Paley, ‘Drug War as Neoliberal Trojan Horse’, Latin American Perspectives, 42:5 (2015): 109-32. § Alexander Aviña, ‘Mexico’s Long Dirty War’, NACLA: Report on the Americas, 48:2 (2016): 144-56. Key question: To what extent do you agree with the assessment that the drug wars have bolstered a strategy of dispossession and terror in order to expand neoliberalism? Tutorial 11 (Week 11): State Capitalism 22 May Since the 2000s, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have experienced an expansion with so-called state-capital hybrids reëmerging from the era of ISI to become increasingly relevant. Some have called this the ‘new state capitalism’ of uneven development. In 2020, the share of state-owned enterprises among the world’s 2000 largest firms doubled to 20 percent with assets worth $45 trillion (equivalent to half of global GDP) up from $13 trillion in 2000. This session will put the spotlight on the ‘new state capitalism’ and question its growth within the current era of uneven development. § Ilias Alami and Adam Dixon, ‘Uneven and Combined State Capitalism’, Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 55:1 (2023): 72-99. § Toby Carroll and Daryll Jarvis, ‘Understanding the State in Relation to Late Capitalism: A Response to “New” State Capitalism Contributions’, Antipode, 54:6 (2022): 1715-37. Key question: To what extent are state-capital hybrids such as state-owned enterprises, sovereign wealth funds, or national development banks now the new major engines of global capitalism? Tutorial 12 (Week 12): Post-capitalism: taking back the economy? 29 May A major feminist critique of political economy has highlighted how capitalocentrism pervades analysis of the uneven development of global capitalism, referring to the penetration of capital into all modes of life and social spaces including the colonies of capitalism. How is it possible to focus on economic activity that is noncapitalist? What forms of alternative economy organising might be envisaged so that we can inhabit noncapitalist economic spaces? § J.K. Gibson-Graham (2014) ‘Rethinking the Economy with Thick Description and Weak Theory’, Current Anthropology, 55(S9): pp. 147-53. § Chris Hesketh, ‘The Survival of Noncapitalism’, Environment and Planning D, 34:5 (2016): 877-94. Key question: How do we become not merely opponents of capitalism but subjects who can create “noncapitalism”?
Case Study 4 - BU618 Pt 1 Problem Statement Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) reports are commonly produced by Human Resources (HR) or a Management Information (MI) function in collaboration with HR. These reports typically provide descriptive statistics on various diversity metrics within organizations. However, there is a critical question regarding the extent to which descriptive reports can offer meaningful insights into D&I issues. The analysis presented in these reports can be significantly enhanced by incorporating predictive statistical methods, which can increase the rigor and relevance of the findings for corporate strategy formulation. In this context, we examine diversity at SlidesRUs, which employs 1,493 individuals. The gender distribution appears balanced at first glance, with 746 females, 745 males, and two individuals who did not declare their gender. However, a deeper analysis reveals significant disparities in gender representation across different job grades within the organization. The expectation of an equal proportion of men and women in each of the eight job grades is not met. Instead, there are noticeable gender imbalances, particularly with a higher concentration of women in lower job grades and men in higher job grades. This discrepancy suggests potential issues related to glass ceilings, discrimination, or unconscious bias, which necessitates a more rigorous statistical examination to inform corporate strategies effectively. A full analysis is provided below. Data Description The dataset used in this analysis is derived from a diversity case study within the management consulting firm SlidesRUs. The dataset, available in the files Chapter4Diversity1.xls and Chapter4Diversity1.sav, comprises data on 1,493 employees. Among these employees, 746 are female, 745 are male, and 2 individuals did not declare their gender. The relevant variables in this dataset include: • Gender: Categorical variable indicating the gender of the employee (female, male, or undeclared). • Job Grade: Categorical variable representing the employee’s job grade, ranging from Administra- tor/Assistant to Managing Consultant, with a total of eight different job grades. • Employee ID: Unique identifier for each employee. The data collection method is not explicitly stated, but it is assumed to be extracted from the company’s HR records, ensuring a comprehensive representation of the current employee distribution. Data trimming and processing steps included: • Validation of Gender Data: Ensuring the accuracy of gender information by cross-referencing with HR records. • Factorization of Job Grades and Gender: Standardizing job titles into the eight defined job levels, and Gender into two defined levels, to maintain consistency in analysis. • Handling Missing Data: Employees with undeclared gender were noted but not excluded from the analysis to preserve the integrity of the dataset. The choice of this dataset is justified by its comprehensive coverage of the entire employee population within SlidesRUs, allowing for a detailed examination of gender distribution across different job grades. This level of detail is essential for identifying potential issues related to glass ceilings, discrimination, or unconscious bias, thereby providing valuable insights for improving corporate D&I strategies. A visual breakdown displaying the number of employees by job grade and gender is provided below: Results, Interpretation and Conclusion To assess the gender distribution across different job grades within SlidesRUs, a Chi-Square analysis was performed. This statistical test was chosen to evaluate whether there is a significant association between employee gender and job grade. The dataset comprises eight job grade levels and two gender categories (male and female). To quantify the strength of the association, Cramér’s V was calculated as an effect size measure. The Chi-Square analysis revealed a highly significant association between job grade and employee gender (X2 = 164.7, df = 7, p
Assignment 3b: Group Report and final code Assignment Overview Assignment 3 consists of two main deliverables: runnable code and the report. 1) Part 3a: Individual Code weight: 5% (of course total) due: end of (week 11) mode: individual 2) Part 3b: Group Report weight: 25% (of course total) due: end of (week 12) mode: group To successfully accomplish this task, you need to demonstrate good coding and analytical skills as well as professional communication and writing skills. You will work in groups of three. Equal contribution and engagement of each group member is expected. Business Scenario Your work on this task is based on the following scenario: You are working in a team of developers for a grocery store. The store manager noticed that some items are often bought together. The manager wants to find out exactly what items customers buy most often together in one basket (we call them itemsets). This information will be used to place itemsets close together, so that customers can find them quickly, which in turn may increase sales. After analysing the problem, your team has discovered that once frequent itemsets are identified, it is also possible to recommend products from these itemsets to customers on the store website. Your team, being knowledgeable of both frequent itemsets mining and recommendation systems, wants to go even further: you want to test other well-known recommendation methods, such as collaborative filtering, to see which recommendation method works better. The store collects details about customers’ buying habits through a loyalty programme and your team is given access to the representative dataset. The system you build, however, should scale to around one million customer transactions. The project has been approved by the store management, so you are ready to start building the system which can help to significantly increase sales. Weighting, Report size & Due Dates This assessment is worth 25% of your overall grade. The report should be limited to 12 A4 pages including references. The submissions are due Sunday Night, 23:59 (end of week 12). Note: 1. The work you did for Assignment 3a (https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/courses/101178/assignments/424671) is the basis for Assignment 3b. High-quality work you did individually will help you achieve the best results as a group! This is a group task, each group member gets the same mark for the report. 2. You final code submitted here is the whole system that you used to produce the results for the report. The code includes individual parts integrated into one system. Course Learning Outcomes CLO 2: Apply suitable algorithms for particular data mining problems. CLO 3: Design and develop processes and products to solve business problems related to data mining. CLO 4: Resolve data mining problems in collaboration with others. CLO 5: Communicate effectively in a variety of forms using appropriate terminology. Task Description Purpose: To practice of using association rule mining and recommender system methods and to apply pattern mining and recommendation system methods to solve a practical problem. Instructions As a group you will work together to produce a report of no more than approx. 12 pages including references. Your work on Assignment 3a and the results you obtained are the basis for your report. Task 1, 2, 3 See Assignment 3a: Individual code (https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/courses/101178/assignments/424670) for detailed instructions of the individual tasks. Part B: Report 1. The report should be limited to 12 A4 pages including references, noting that including necessary contents has a priority over page limit. The report should contain: 1. Title page: title of the project, names and ids of group members. 2. Executive summary (non-technical, =80%, for patterns: support >=5% (these numbers are indicative only, you will need to work out your own values for confidence and support which result in good or 'the best' recommendations) Choose your own thresholds to maximise benefit/profit for the company, justify your choice. Tip: make as parameters, as they affect the timing. 6. Collaborative filtering recommendation method. Brief description of the method. Metrics used for evaluation on test dataset. 7. Recommendation method from frequent patterns. Brief description of the method. How this method is planned to work with patters/association rules as an input, and what will the output of this method. 8. Discussion of results. 1. How the results were obtained, what metrics were used for evaluation. How the patterns and recommendations were ranked. 2. Five examples of frequent patterns with their confidence and support on both training and test sets. 3. 10 examples of recommendations from these patterns, two examples from each of the above patterns. 4. Table or chart of metrics with discussion, showing results of testing frequent patterns on the test set. 5. Table or chart of metrics with brief discussion, showing results of recommendations on training and test sets, with and without frequent patterns used. 6. Estimation of timing of the system if the dataset is scaled up to one million transactions. 9. Conclusion and Recommendations: which method do you recommend to use and why (recommendation from frequent patterns or directly from the dataset). Include scaling up consideration and benefits for the company. Include recommendations for future improvements. 10. Reflection: what is one main thing you have learned through this project and what would you do better next time. 11. References (Harvard) 12. Contribution Appendices 1. This section does not count towards the 12-page limit. Instead, this section should summarise the work each group member was responsible for. This includes sections of code, proto-figures etc. There is no limit to how long this section is. It should instead represent what each member contributed even if it didn't go into the final report etc.
Module Title Data Analytics and Decision Science Assignment Mode Individual Assignment Word Count Limit 400-500 words Citation Format APA Marks 20 marks Assignment Brief Individual Reflective Essay (20 marks) Write a reflective essay of 400-500 words (do not exceed) focusing on your experience and development through the Data Analytics and Decision Science module. Address the following points: . Insights Gained: Discuss one key insight from the group project that significantly enriched your understanding of data analytics and decision science. . Skills Developed: Identify and elaborate on a critical skill you developed or enhanced through this module. Explain how this skill impacts your approach to data and analysis. . Challenges and Solutions: Reflect on a major challenge you encountered during the module and how you addressed it. Consider how overcoming this challenge has influenced your learning process and teamwork skills.
BIOLOGY 9700/32 Paper 3 Advanced Practical Skills 2 May/June 2024 1 Some fruits contain protease enzymes.These enzymes can denature the proteins in milk,causing the milk to clot. You will investigate the effect of protease concentration on the time taken for milk to clot. You will use your results to estimate the concentration of protease in a fruit extract. You are provided with the materials shown in Table 1.1. Table 1.1 labelled contents hazard volume/cm³ P 100%protease solution none 50 M milk none 30 W distilled water none 100 U fruit extract containing unknown protease concentration none 20 If any solution comes into contact with your skin,wash off immediately under cold water. It is recommended that you wear suitable eye protection. You will need to make different concentrations of protease solution,using proportional dilution of the 100%protease solution,P. You will need to prepare 10cm³of each concentration,using P and W. Table 1.2 shows how to prepare one of the concentrations of protease you will use. Decide which other concentrations of protease you will use. (a)(i) Complete Table 1.2 to show how you will prepare the concentrations of protease you will use. Table 1.2 percentage concentration of protease volume of P /cm³ volume of W Icm³ 100 10.0 0.0 Carry out step 1 to step 8. step 1 Stir the 100%protease solution,P.In the beakers provided,prepare the concentrations of protease as shown in Table 1.2. step 2 Label test-tubes with the concentrations of protease stated in Table 1.2. step 3 Put 2cm³of milk,M,into each labelled test-tube. step 4 Put 1cm³of the 100%protease solution,P,into the appropriately labelled test-tube Start timing. step 5 Hold the test-tube at an angle and slowly rotate the test-tube as shown in Fig.1.1. Hold a piece of black card behind the test-tube and observe the thin layer of milk on the side of the test-tube. step 6 As soon as a number of small clots appear,stop timing and record the value in(a)(ii). If there are no clots after 180 seconds,stop timing and record as 'more than 180'. Fig.1.1 step 7 Repeat step 4 to step 6 with each of the other concentrations of protease you prepared in step 1.Record your results in (a)(ii). step 8 Repeat step 2 to step 7 using clean test-tubes. (ii)Record the two sets of results in an appropriate table. (iii) Suggest one source of error in the procedure described in step 6 of this investigation. (iv) Suggest why the procedure was repeated. (v) To estimate the concentration of proteasein fruit extract U, you willneed to test a sample of the extract. State the volume of fruit extract U that you will use. volume = cm3 (vi) Record the time taken for clots to appear using fruit extract U. time taken = (vii) Use your results from (a)(ii) and (a)(vi) to estimate the concentration of protease in fruit extract U. (viii ) With reference to your estimate in(a )(vii ), suggest how you would modify this procedure to obtain a more accurate value forthe concentration of protease in fruit extract U. (b)The effect of pH on the activity of the protease enzyme actinidin in fruit extract was investigated. Table 1.3 shows the results of the investigation. Table 1.3 pH protease activity /μmolmin-¹mg-1 1.8 0.00 4.0 20.25 5.1 24.00 6.1 28.25 7.4 22.50 8.5 6.75 (i)Plot a graph of the data shown in Table 1.3 on the grid in Fig.1.2. (ii) Use the data in Table 1.3 and your graph in Fig.1.2 to explain theeffect of pH onthe activity of protease. 2 K1 is a slide of a stained transverse section through a plant leaf. (a) (i) Draw a large plan diagram of the region of the leaf on K1 indicated by the shaded area in Fig.2.1.Use a sharp pencil. Use one ruled label line and label to identify a vascular bundle. Fig.2.1 (ii)Observe the trichomes on the leaf on K1. Select a group of four adjacent cells that includes three epidermal cells and one trichome. Each cell must touch at least one other cell. · Make a large drawing of this group of four cells. · Use one ruled label line and label to identify the cell wall of the trichome. (iii)The presence of trichomes on K1 suggests the leaf is from a plant that is a xerophyte. State one other observable feature that suggests the leaf is from a plant that is a xerophyte. (b)(i)Fig.2.2 is a scanning electron micrograph of an open stoma. Fig.2.2 Line P-Q represents the width of the paired guard cells that form the stoma. Line R-S represents the width of the stoma. Calculate the width of the stoma as a percentage of the width of line P-Q. Show your working and give your answer to two significant figures. (ii)Fig.2.3 and Fig.2.4 are photomicrographs of the leaf surface from different plants. Fig.2.3 Fig.2.4 Identify three observable features that are different between the leaf surface in Fig.2.3 and the leaf surface in Fig.2.4. Record these three observable features in Table 2.1. Table 2.1 feature Fig.2.3 Fig.2.4 1 2 3
INFS6071: Individual Assignment Two Due: 10 June 2025, 2359hrs Background (Assesses: LO1, LO2, LO3) “Artificial intelligence is reshaping the kinds of projects organizations pursue, and the skills project managers need to deliver them successfully.” (Schmelzer & Walch, 2025) Task: Individual Reflection and Research Paper - Project Management You have just completed a major group simulation project, which involved working continuously with AI Agents to gather project planning requirements, create system interface designs, and respond to changes. In this simulation, the feedback from students highlighted that you were not expecting the changes that occurred throughout the project (need for continuous engagement, taking ownership of your schedules and internal deadlines, changes to requirements, a company acquisition). Each of the tasks in the group project was designed to be centred around the key aspects of a project: Initiation → Planning → Execution → Monitoring and Controlling → Closure Your assignment concluded with the submission of a report to MesoCYBER Solutions, which provided designs for the interfaces of an innovative application to share best practices in team and group work, as well as a presentation at SydDevCon 2025. You are to use the group assignment as a case example for your final project. From your interactions with FUTRE from MesoCYBER, your group should have identified the following final requirement for HarmonyHub: Group Project - Functional Requirements 1. Framework Development: o Comprehensive Framework: Develop a detailed structure for capturing and documenting best practices in team and group work. This framework should include guidelines, templates, and workflows to ensure consistency. o Links to Literature: Integrate references to relevant literature and research to validate and support the documented practices. This could involve creating a database of sources and linking them to specific practices. 2. User Interface: o User-Friendly Design: Create an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface that allows team members to input and access best practices effortlessly. The design should minimise the learning curve and enhance user experience. o Material Design Theme/Style.: Utilise a Material Design theme to ensure a modern and responsive interface. Adhere to MesoCYBER Solutions, colour scheme as specified in the MesoCYBER Solutions, Style. Guide to maintain brand consistency. o Input Forms: Design input forms that are both simple and comprehensive, allowing users to provide detailed information about best practices, including descriptions, steps, benefits, and relevant literature. o Complies with WCG 2.1 Guidelines. 3. AI Chatbot: o Develop an AI agent (UI-only) that functions as a chatbot to propose solutions to group challenges. 4. Categorisation and Search (UI only): o Categorisation: Design a robust categorisation system that allows users to classify best practices into relevant categories. This could include tags, labels, and hierarchical categories. o Tagging: Enable users to tag best practices with keywords to facilitate easier searching and filtering. o Advanced Search: Develop an advanced search functionality that allows users to search for best practices using various criteria such as keywords, categories, tags, and associated literature. The search results should be relevant and quickly accessible. Group Project - Non-Functional Requirements 1. Performance: o Scalability: Ensure the system can scale to accommodate a growing number of users and best practices without performance degradation. o Response Time: Optimise the system to provide quick response times for all user interactions, including inputting, searching, and accessing best practices. o Ensure the AI tools respond quickly and accurately to user inputs. 2. Usability: o Intuitive Navigation: Design the interface to be intuitive, with clear navigation paths and user-friendly elements. Conduct usability testing to identify and address any pain points. o Accessibility: Ensure the system is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Follow accessibility standards and guidelines to make the system inclusive. o The AI chatbot should be easy to interact with and provide straightforward, actionable suggestions. 3. Reliability: o Uptime: Aim for high availability with minimal downtime. Implement robust infrastructure and backup systems to ensure the system is reliable and always available when needed. o Error Handling: Develop comprehensive error handling mechanisms to manage and resolve any issues that arise during system use. 4. Security: o Data Protection: Implement strong security measures to protect sensitive data. This includes encryption, secure authentication, and regular security audits. o User Privacy: Adhere to data protection regulations and best practices to ensure user privacy. Provide clear privacy policies and obtain user consent where necessary. 5. Compliance: o Regulatory Compliance: Ensure the system complies with relevant data protection regulations and industry standards, including GDPR and any other applicable regulations. o Audit Trails: Maintain detailed audit trails to track changes and access best practices. This helps maintain accountability and transparency. The presentation at SydDevCon2025 was a huge success, and MesoCYBER Solutions will now initiate a new program of projects under the ‘MesoInnovate 4.0’ portfolio. The first project will be to develop the actual HarmonyHub system, along with a suite of complementary applications from the perspective of Industry 4.0 that will be created as future projects. You have been promoted to Program Manager in MesoCYBER’s PMO, overseeing projects in this new program (sub- task: compare the skills required to be a program manager,SFIA, to those of a project manager,SFIA). Your task is to conduct independent research and write a report on your plans for the ‘MesoInnovate 4.0’ portfolio of works , which will be tabled at the next C-Suite meeting run by FUTRE. This assessment encourages you to explore and analyse recent academic literature (peer-reviewed and published within the last 5 years) on emerging practices in project management (with a particular focus on the portfolio’s mission) and relate it to the MesoCYBER case study. This will help you stay updated with the latest advancements and prepare you to apply innovative practices in your future career. It will enhance your research and analytical skills , contributing to your career development. What is Industry 4.0 – the concepts behind the Portfolio? Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, refers to the ongoing transformation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practices through the integration of smart technologies. It builds on the digital revolution by combining cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create intelligent, interconnected, and automated business environments. Industry 4.0 is reshaping teamwork by facilitating more intelligent, interconnected, and adaptable collaboration. The emergence of digital tools, cloud platforms, and real-time data sharing allows teams to operate seamlessly across different locations and time zones, thereby supporting remote and hybrid work models. Decision-making is increasingly data-driven, with analytics and dashboards offering shared insights that enhance collaborative problem-solving. As roles evolve, team members are required to develop new digital and analytical skills, fostering more agile and cross-functional team structures. Furthermore, collaboration between humans and machines is increasingly prevalent, necessitating teams to adjust to working alongside AI systems and autonomous technologies. Although these advancements enhance efficiency and innovation, they also pose challenges , such as digital fatigue, cybersecurity risks, and the need to maintain strong interpersonal relationships in virtual settings. To accomplish this: You must consider how you will define your role as ‘MesoInnovate 4.0’ Program Manager and what aspects of Project Management your role will focus on. Remember, you are conducting a detailed analysis and presenting your findings in a written report. The report should cover the following aspects: • Executive Summary • Introduction: A brief overview, the importance in the context of project management, and your research objective. • Reflection on the MesoCYBER project: a discussion and self-reflection on how team/group work was used in your HarmonyHub project - this should be linked to relevant literature (both presented in the unit and through additional research). • Literature Review and Analysis: A critical summary of existing academic research on your chosen focus, with an analysis of the key findings and insights from previous studies. You should also identify gaps in the current body of knowledge. • Impact on Project Management at MesoCYBER: A discussion of aspects of project management in light of Industry 4.0 and this Program of Projects, the benefits and challenges associated with your role. An analysis of predictions on how MesoCYBER will evolve regarding the projects, and implications for all program/project managers in the organisation. Recommendations for integrating your discussed methods into the current project management practices. • Conclusion: Summary of key points discussed in the paper and final thoughts. • References: A minimum of ten (10) and an upper limit of twenty (20) academic references correctly used and referenced in the report (APA7).
ACTL 30001 Actuarial Modeling I Assignment 2 • Due date: By 5:00PM on Friday, May 23 2025 • This is an individual assignment and you have to sign the cover sheet. • Assignment 2 will be worth 15%. • Assignments do not have to be typed; nevertheless, handwriting that is very dif-ficult to read may not be marked. Please refrain from using a red pen anywhere in the assignment. • Submission: Please submit your typed or scanned answers in PDF format to-gether with your R markdown file and/or Excel spreadsheet to LMS by the due date. • Please name your files using your student ID number, e.g., idnumber.pdf and idnumber.xlsx • Solution will be posted on LMS after the submission date 1. (15 marks) The Qu1-data-Assignment2.xlsx dataset contains data from an ex-perimental study of recidivism of 411 male prisoners, who were observed for a year after being released from prison. The researchers now want to under-stand what factors affect the likelihood of those prisoners being rearrested. The following variables are included in the dataset: • week: weeks of first arrest after release. • arrest: the event indicator, equal to 1 for those arrested during the period of the study and 0 for those who were not arrested, or right censored at one year or within one year. • fin: a dummy variable, equal to 1 if the individual received financial aid after release from prison, and 0 if he did not • prio: number of prior convictions. Consider a proportional hazards model under which prisoners with no prior con-victions and did not receive financial aid after release from prison, are subject to the baseline hazard. (a) Write down a formula for the hazard rate at time t for a prisoner with the two covariates (risk factors): fin and prio. Specify all quantities/variables used in this PH model, and in particular specify the random variable for which the hazard rate is modeled. (b) Let L(β1, β2 ) be the partial likelihood function, where β1 and β2 are two regression coefficients to be estimated. Plot the natural log of the partial likelihood lnL(β1, β2), for −1 < β1, β2 < 1, using R or Excel. (c) Find ˆβ1 ∈ [−1, 1] and ˆβ2 ∈ [−1, 1] to maximizes lnL(β1, β2). 2. (20 marks) In a mortality study, N independent lives are observed between age x and x + 1. For the i-th life, observation starts at age x + ai and ends at age x + bi, or ealier if this life dies, where 0 ≤ ai < bi ≤ 1. For 20 lives observed at age 80, the following data were collected: In Unit 3, x + bi is the age when our observation of life i must cease and it is either x + 1 or the age at the end of the observation period. ‘Withdrawal’ in the table above means that this life withdrew from our obser-vation prior to the end of the observation period or prior to age 81. For such a life with mode of exit ‘withdrawal, the waiting time is Vi = bi − ai and Di = 0. In what follows, you calculate each estimated probability to 5 decimal places. (a) Under the binomial model of mortality, use Excel Solver, or Excel Goal Seek, or a numerical method such as Newton method, or otherwise, to find i. the maximum likelihood estimate of q80, under UDD, CFM, and the Balducci assumptions on the fractional age, respectively. ii. the moment estimate of q80 under UDD, CFM, and the Balducci as-sumptions on the fractional age, respectively. (b) In the binomial model, calculate the moment estimate of q80, under UDD assumption, by using (c) In the binomial model, calculate the moment estimate of q80, under Bal-ducci assumption, by using (d) Under the binomial model, calculate the modified moment estimate of q80. (e) If the age at death for the first death (the one on the fifth row of the left column) is 80.7, the age at death for the second death (the one on the second last row of the left column) is 80.5, and the age at death for the second death (the one on the right column) is 80.3, calculate • the actuarial estimate of q80; • The MLE and ME of q80 under the two-state Markov mortality model. 3. (12 marks) In the two-state Markov model, if Balducci assumption is made, (a) Write down the likelihood function L as a function of qx. (b) Write down the log-likelihood function lnL(qx). (c) Find the equation satisfied by the MLE of qx. (d) Calculate ˆqx for the data set in the Table for Question 2 and the death ages for Question 2(e), by using Excel Solver or R. 4. (25 marks) An insurance company sells a disability income insurance policy which also provides a death benefit. If the policyholder dies as a result of an accident, the amount of the death benefit is doubled. In order to price this policy, the insurer constructs the multiple state model shown below. The arrows indicate the possible transitions. Let Zx be the state of a life at age x and let denote the transition intensity from state i to state j at age x, and let denote the probability that a life currently in state i is in state j in t years’ time. (a) Let = min{t ≥ 0 : Zx+t = j|Zx = i}, for i = 0, 1 and j = 2, 3. Write down the pdf of and , respectively. (b) A whole life insurance is issued to a life currently aged x and in state 0: a death benefit of $ 10,000 payable immediately at death if the death is not caused by an accident, while the death benefit will be doubled if death is caused by an accident. i. Find an integral expression for the expected present value (EPV) of the death benefits. The force of interest for calculating EPV is assumed to be δ > 0. ii. Find the probability that the insured received a benefit of $20,000. (c) An insured aged x (currently in state 0 at time 0) receives a continuous disability benefit at annual rate 10, 000 while the insured is in state 1, and pays a premium continuously at an annual rate P while the insured is in state 0. i. Find an expression for the expected total disability benefit (without accumulation). ii. Assume that = 0. Find an integral expression for the expected present value of premium payments if the force of interest is assumed to be δ > 0. (The assumption of = 0 only applies to c(ii)) (d) Write down a pair of differential equations satisfied by and . (e) Suppose that the transition intensities are constant, so that for all x. Find a second order differential equation for . (f) Suppose that µij = 0.01 for all possible transitions. i. Find an expression for by solving the 2nd order ODE. ii. Find an expression for . iii. Find an expression for and , by using the results in Question 4 of Tutorial 8. (g) Again suppose that the transition intensities µ ij x = µ ij are constant. Write down expressions for the likelihood associated with two individuals (i) an individual A who is in state 0 at time 0, remains in state 0 until transferring to state 1 at time t1, and remains in state 1 until trans-ferring to state 3 at time t1 + t2, and (ii) another individual B who is in state 1 at time 0, remains in state 1 until transferring to state 0 at time t3 and remains there till time t3+t4 and transfers to state 2 instantly at t3 + t4. 5. (18 marks) Let {Mt ;t ≥ 0} be a continuous-time MC with n states labeled as 1, 2, . . . , n. The intensity from i to j (≠ i) is given by for i = 1, 2, . . . , n − 1. Define Let and be the transition probability matrix and intensity matrix, respectively. (a) Write down the intensity matrix µ. (b) Write down the Kolmogorov’s forward DE for p 1 j (t), j = 1, 2, . . . , n. (c) Find an explicit expression for p 1 j (t), for j = 1, 2, . . . , n. (d) Find an expression for pij(t), for i ≤ j. (e) Define T(i) = min{t ≥ 0 : Mt ≠ i|M0 = i}, i = 1, 2, . . . , n. Identify the distribution of T (i) . (f) Define Ti,j = min{t ≥ 0 : Mt = j|M0 = i}, 1 ≤ i < j ≤ n. Identify the distribution of T1,n. 6. (10 marks) Suppose that you are a tutor for ACTL30001 and were asked by the subject coordinator to set one final exam question worth of 10 marks. Please (a) set the question (may or may not include several small parts) related to content upto Unit 4; (b) provide detailed solution to your question in (a).
The task: Narrative enquiry – Collecting and analysing personal narratives about language, identity and culture Word limit: 2,500 words (+/-10%) Worth: 60% of your total grade for the subject Purpose: With your tutorial partner, collect and analyse spoken narrative data by interviewing another student from your LING10002 Intercultural Communication tutorial group (this person will henceforth be referred to as “the interviewee”). We will make time in your tutorials for you to find an interviewee. You can also do this in your own time, but remember that the interviewee must be from your tutorial group. If you are having trouble finding an interviewee, get in touch with your tutor immediately. With your partner, jointly design and conduct a semi-structured interview of approximately 30-40 minutes (~15 interview questions), which elicits one or more personal narratives about one or more critical incidents in your interviewee’s life. Your questions should focus on exploring your interviewee’s descriptions of the role played by language, identity and culture in the events that they describe. The interviewee should sign the following consent statement before being recorded: I agree that [student interviewer names] can collect and analyse the data I provide in this interview for an Intercultural Communication class assignment at the University of Melbourne. I understand that the interview will be filmed, but that my name and the video will only be known and shared with my interviewers, and teaching staff of the Intercultural Communication class in semester 1 2025. I, ______________________, (insert interviewee name) give consent to use my data as described above. The consent form. can be on pen and paper or in digital format. You should submit a copy of the consent form. in the appendix to your assignment and keep a copy for your own records. Video record your interview (with your phone or on Zoom is fine; do a test run first!) and, with your partner, jointly analyse your findings with reference to scholarly concepts and theories about personal narratives, language, identity and culture that we have covered in LING10002 during the semester. You will write this assignment together as a pair. Include a copy of the video recording with your assignment (by uploading a video file, or providing a link to a shared file or a video platform. such as YouTube or Vimeo, where access can be via a password you share in your assignment) and refer to detailed excerpts from the recording throughout your paper, by using verbatim transcripts and providing timestamps, as you did for Assignment 1. You MUST provide the video recording, or your assignment will not be graded. Your video recording must be provided in its unedited form, and should not be edited or amended in any way (apart from converting/compressing the file type or changing the file size). A marking rubric is provided below. Structure Your assignment should be structured around the following headings: Introduction and background (~500 words) Cite and summarize the use of narrative inquiry as a means of eliciting data about language, identity and culture (remember the Big Mac method as discussed in Week 8 Lecture 2 – use your own voice to present the work of others). Cite and summarize earlier studies on identity and define your terms (e.g. your definition of narrative, critical event, identity, etc.). You should include relevant theoretical concepts, such as e.g. dialogism or gaze. The introduction and background are important for contextualizing your own study. Critically, your engagement with this existing literature should directly inform. and shape the specific aim you set for your own narrative analysis. Use these sources to start building your arguments. State the aim of your paper, e.g. “This paper will present a video-recorded interview conducted with Student X (you can use their real name!) about language, identity and culture. The focus of the interview was to elicit narratives with a focus on critical events. The paper will explore the experiences of Student X, an international student, during their first semester at the University of Melbourne”. Include one or more research questions, e.g. “We pose the following research questions: How has moving to Melbourne from X country changed Student X’s perception of their avowed and ascribed identities? How did the critical event of X act as a catalyst for Student X to re-evaluate their sense of culture?” Note: we strongly suggest meeting with your interviewee before the actual interview to get a sense of them and their experiences before deciding on your research aim, research questions, and interview questions! Method (~500 words) Describe how you prepared for and collected your interview data. You should detail how you collaborated on all aspects of the project. Explain how you, as a pair, co-designed the interview questions in response to your research aim (as above). Include details such as whether you planned to stick strictly to the questions, or whether deviations were permitted. You should provide a rationale for the kinds of questions asked (citing relevant literature on interviewing where appropriate) and also for the roles you adopted – were both of you the interviewer or just one? (we recommend you both give it a try!) Who designed which questions? Please provide a numbered list of the interview questions in an appendix at the end of your assignment, rather than listing them all in the Method section (you can include some examples of questions in the Methods section if they are particularly relevant). Provide basic biographical information about the interviewee (e.g. their age, their language, cultural and educational backgrounds—especially anything that is relevant to the research aim) Briefly describe how you transcribed the data and how you chose the excerpts to be included in your assignment. Discuss how many narratives and critical events emerged and how you chose to analyse them. Discuss your approach to data analysis, drawing on relevant concepts from the subject (e.g. Labov and Waletzky’s framework, Webster and Mertova’s critical events in narrative approach, etc.) Analysis, findings and discussion (~1,300 words – you may wish to separate this part into two or three separate sections) Your recorded interview will have parts that are narratives and parts that are not. We suggest you isolate the narrative(s) and make them the focus of your analysis. However, you can also refer to other parts of the interview where relevant. In this section, you can discuss, for example, how the interviewee: organises their narrative (e.g. what is the temporal structure or what are the stages of the narrative as it unfolds) uses particular aspects of language as part of their narratives (this could be anything from the use of address terms or pronouns, to how they refer to particular identity groups, e.g. “international student” or “local student”, to how they use reported speech, etc.) brings up issues relating to language, identity and culture through their narrative; in particular, how the narrative makes different kinds of identities salient (e.g. language identity, ethnic identity, religious identity, etc.) You should also discuss: the co-constructed nature of the narratives or the interview in general. What kind of language do the interviewers use (e.g. backchannels, collaborative completions, etc.)? Are there long pauses or silences? (hint: you can draw on Conversation Analysis transcription to make your points here) The influence of the interviewers on the interview, e.g. do the interviewers ask questions in such a way that particular kinds of identities are assumed/ascribed? Do they laugh about funny stories or commiserate with sad ones? Reflect on how this could influence how a narrative is told. How aspects such as the relationship between the interviewee and interviewers could influence the course of the interview and the narratives that emerge. What kinds of knowledge are already shared (if any?) What kinds of knowledge are assumed? Have the interviewers heard this story before? Etc. When you discuss your findings, you should: Compare them with some of the studies you reported on in your introduction and other readings covered in class. Remember to make these links explicit using citations. Explain what you think the reasons are for the similarities and/or differences you found with previous studies. You can use sub-headings to show specific themes that emerge from your data analysis. • You can also comment on what you think the strengths and weaknesses are of conducting a narrative enquiry based on interview data. Conclusion (~200 words) Summarize your key findings concisely and relate them back to the research questions and aim. Evaluate how effective your study was in examining this question/issue. Would you do it differently if given another opportunity? What have you learned from this experience? Provide some suggestions for further research. References (not counted towards word limit) You will need to draw on scholarly literature to support and augment your arguments. Please draw on a minimum of eight scholarly references (you can have more than eight references if you like!) and cite them using the APA7 referencing style. Include a reference list at the end of your assignment. At least three of your references cannot be from any of the set readings for the Intercultural Communication subject (they must be ones you have found yourselves through your own library/database searches). Since we have set this minimum quite low, we insist that your references be relevant to your analysis and be well-integrated throughout the paper. Marks will be deducted for incorrect and/or inconsistent citation and referencing. Appendix (not counted towards word limit): Attach a copy of your interview questions and the signed consent statement by your interviewee. AI declaration You can use AI only for the following reasons: As a ‘personal tutor’ to check key concepts as you prepare your assignment (e.g. what is pragmatics in linguistics?) To proofread your work for spelling and grammatical errors You must include an AI declaration at the end of your assignment (it does not count towards the word limit), even if you are declaring that you did not use it – see example declarations here.
NATS 1870A: Understanding Colour SU 2025 Research Project: Science Reported in Media vs. Scholarly Sources Goals of the Report - to demonstrate that you are able to research diverse scientific aspects of the topics covered in the course - to research material at a sufficient depth - to compare the quantity and quality of research as reported in popular media sources versus original scholarly research findings - to communicate your research in a clear and concise manner, with proper English language grammar, demonstrating that you understand the topics presented Topics of Research Since this is a very interdisciplinary course, a wide variety of topics are suitable for this research project. The only topic-suitability requirement is that the scientific research in question is on a topic related to any of these three major scientific units of our course: physics of light and/or matter, physiology of human colour vision, and chemistry of surface colorants. The other requirement is that the research is of an observational nature (i.e. where quantifiable observations/measurements were taken), rather than of theoretical nature (i.e. where only computer models and/or simulations were studied, without observational measurements taken). These are very broad topic categories, to allow you the greatest flexibility in finding a suitable research article. What to Submit (homepage in eClass): • Academic Integrity Quiz • Research Project Report in Word or PDF format IMPORTANT DEADLINES: . 20, 2025 - 27, 2025Project Due Date:May 27, 2025Media ArticleResearch ArticleTitleofArticleSourceofArticle(Publication Name)Date ofPublicationURL to thearticleWas the research do theauthorofthearticle ( available)?Give the name andlocationoftheirplaceof Note: the contents of this table do NOT count toward the final word count limit on your report. 2. Provide a précis (short summary) of each article in your own words. A good way to make sure you write the précis in your own words is to read the article a few times until you feel you understand its content as much as possible, and then put the article away and write the précis without looking at the article. Don’t forget to articulate the significance of this particular discovery/experiment/study to the broader field of science it is contributing to. Once you have written the précis, reread it and the article together to make sure you have not missed any important points. If your words seem much simpler than those of the article, so much the better! 3. Describe the structure or format of the article — how is the information presented to the reader? Is the article divided up into sections, and if so what are they? (This applies to both media and scholarly articles). 4. For the media article, how are the experimental results presented? (For example, is itjust a general written description, are actual numbers reported, are there tables, graphs, statistics?) 5. Compare the general conclusions ofthe media article with the general conclusions ofthe research paper. Do they differ in any way, and if so, how? 6. Does either of the articles criticize the data, criticize the conclusions, provide alternate hypotheses or conclusions to explain the data? If so provide details. 7. Does one article provide criticism or alternate viewpoints that the other article fails to mention? If so, what are they? (For example, do the authors of the research article mention limitations of their research and conclusions that are left out of the media article?) 8. Does the title of the media article accurately reflect the content of both the media article and the research article? (Explain why or why not.) 9. Has this exercise given you any insights into how scientific research is done and reported, or into how the media covers such research? What do you think is the main advantage and disadvantage of new scientific research being presented in media and scholarly articles? (Discuss at least 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage for each media and scholarly article.) Format and Expectations of the Report • This is NOT AN ESSAY; therefore, you do not need to have a thesis, or try to ‘prove’ or ‘disprove’ any argument(s). Instead, you are asked to report on the differences between science research as presented in popular media versus scholarly journals. Your report can simply answer each of the numbered items as they are presented above, in a numbered sequence. Do NOT include the text of the questions in your report; simply label each answer with the corresponding question number only. • The report should be about 1,500 – 2,000 words, of standard font 12 text, single-spaced. • Use the APA style for references and citations. (You will use only 2 sources in your report, so citation of them should be quite straightforward.) • Quoting of the articles themselves should be kept to a minimum, and is NOT to be used as ‘content substitute’ of your report (even if it is cited). Your report should consist mostly of your own writing. • The report should be written with proper English grammar; have your report proofread by someone else who is not in your class (such as your family or friends), especially if English is not your first language. TurnItIn Submission Note that your report will be submitted through the Turnitin assignment tool in eClass, to review it for any instances of possible plagiarism. In order to help you learn from such situations first, the originality report on your submission will be made available to you also, after your first submission, and remain available to you up to the project’s deadline. You may re-write and re-submit your report as many times as needed, up to the project’s deadline, ensuring that your own original written work is the final version submitted for formal evaluation.
CSSE3100/7100 Reasoning about Programs Week 4 Exercises Exercise 4.1. For each of the following uses of loop specifications, indicate whether or not the loop's initial proof obligation is met and whether or not the postcondition following the loop can be proved to hold. a) x := 0; while x != 100 invariant true { x == 100 } b) x := 20; while 10 < x invariant x%2 == 0 { x == 10 } c) x := 20; while x < 20 invariant x%2 == 0 { x == 20 } d) x := 3; while x < 2 invariant x%2 == 0 { x%2 == 0 } e) x := 0; while x < 100 invariant 0 0 { i := i - 1; } } Let Power be defined as ghost function Power(n: nat): nat { if n == 0 then 1 else 2*Power(n - 1) } and ComputePower be the method method ComputePower(N: int) returns (y: nat) requires N >= 0 ensures y == Power(N) { y := 1; var x := 0; while x != N invariant 0
Data visualization project using Circuit 25 points total (how project will be scaled after review taken into account) See the course schedule (in Introductory Materials and Full Course Schedule Module) for due dates. In this project, you will get the opportunity to play around with some more advanced data visualization tools so that you can practice explaining what trends the data is describing. Your answers and work should be uniquely your own. You will submit this project in Circuit. Instructions for using Circuit can be found in Brightspace. After the submission deadline passes, you will be asked to go back into Circuit to perform. 3 peer reviews and a self-review using a grading rubric. In each of your peer reviews, you are required to write in the “Overall Feedback of Submission” section the following: 1) something you enjoyed about the submission 2) a strength in the student’s submission 3) a general comment about what the student could improve 4) reasons for deductions of any points. Be thoughtful about your reviews. The goals of peer review assignments are to practice becoming a critical evaluator of information and how others explain statistics, practice giving quality constructive feedback, and learning from the feedback you receive. These are important skills that will serve you well in life. You will be graded on your original project submission and the quality of your reviews. Do not put your name on the project —Circuit will keep track of who you are. Instructions: Go to the Gapminder website: https://www.gapminder.org/tools/#$chart-type=bubbles&url=v1 On this website you will create a bubble scatterplot graph to help you understand important trends over time and over locations for variables that are interesting to you. You will need to use pictures and words to convey information. You have many options for how to adjust your graph and choose your variables of interest. Do not use the default settings! Take some time to play around with the settings. Do not use both of the same x-axis and y-axis variables that Hans Rosling uses in his video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8t4k0Q8e8Y) that we show with the lecture (income and life-expectancy), but you can use one of these with another variable. Be sure to check out the How to Use page found in the top tool bar for more information about how to use this tool. For ease of reviewing, please paste each question in bold into your project followed by your answer in plain text. Answer the following seven questions: 1. Tell your reviewer to go to this website: https://www.gapminder.org/tools/#$chart-type=bubbles&url=v1, and then explain what variables to select for the x-axis, y-axis, dot color, and dot size. Be sure to abide by the following restrictions: a. Do not use time for any of the 4 variables b. Do not repeat the same variable for any of the options. c. Do not use all four of the variables from the default settings. d. Do not use both of the same x-axis and y-axis variables that Hans Rosling uses in his video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8t4k0Q8e8Y) that we show with the lecture (income and life-expectancy), but you can use one of these with another variable. Be clear with your instructions so your reviewer can see the visualization as you did. Include an image of your visualization for greater clarity. 2. For each of the 4 different variables above, state which ones are categorical and which are quantitative. You may need to do a little research to figure out what exactly your variable is measuring and how it was acquired in order to make a determination. It would be good to include details about the variable, if it’s not obvious. 3. Why are these variables interesting to you? (Don’t say “they’re not” or “they were the first option”. Your answer must be meaningful to the context.) 4. Press “play” at the bottom left-hand corner of your graph. Talk about important trends you notice in your x- and y-variables as time progresses. Include enough details that your reviewer will be able to quickly see what you see. 5. If you focus on just the color of the dots, what trend(s) do you notice based on the variable you chose for the color of your dots? Be sure to choose a variable that gives you at least 2 colors otherwise you won’t have much to talk about. Include enough details that your reviewer will be able to quickly see what you see. 6. If you focus on just the size of the dots, what trend(s) do you notice based on the variable you chose for the size of your dots? Include enough details that your reviewer will be able to quickly see what you see. 7. For whatever trend you found most interesting, do some research using other resources to figure out what might have been going on in the world at that time to explain why you are seeing that trend. Use APA format for your references. (For example, was there a war or a famine? Was there a contagious, deadly disease spreading? Was there a change in policy by people running the country? Or perhaps a medical breakthrough or new invention like birth control?) (1 paragraph answer) It may be helpful to include images in your answers to show your reviewer exactly what you’re talking about. Remember that you have to insert your images into Circuit, you cannot just paste them in. Use correct spelling, grammar, and professional presentation.
Assignment 5 1. In experimental tests of the ultimatum game, the offerer rarely offer a near-zero share of the surplus. Furthermore, responders sometimes reject positive offers. Many scholars conclude that the payoffs specified in the basic model do not represent the actual preferences of the people who participate in the game. In reality, people care about more than their own monetary rewards. For example, people also care about fairness. Suppose that in the ultimatum game the offerer (O) can make any offer m between 0 and 100 to the responder (R). If the offer is accepted, O’s payoff is 100 – m and R’s is m + c(m – (100-m)) where c is some positive real number. If the offer is rejected, both their payoffs are zero. a. (5 pts) Find the sub game perfect Nash equilibrium. b. (5 pts) Describe how the SPNE depends on c and explain why. 2. Suppose the CEO of a company and a union leader will bargain about the worker’s salaries. There are a set of outcomes that are acceptable to both sides. The CEO makes a take-it-or-leave-it offer between 0 and 1 where 0 represents the CEO’s most preferred outcome and 1 represents the union’s most preferred outcome. If the offer is accepted, it is executed. If it rejected, they both receive a payoff of zero. a. (5 pts) Find the subgame perfect Nash equilibrium. b. (10 pts) Suppose that, before the union leader hears the CEO’s offer, she makes a statement to the members of the union that she will not accept an offer less than some number z < 1. If the union leader accepts an offer less than z, she will lose her position and also feel bad. The total cost, in terms of utility, is C < 1. Find the SPNE of this new game. c. (5 pts) Given your answer to part (b), what statement should the union leader make to the members of the union? That is, what is her optimal choice of z? 3. (10 pts) There are two players bargaining over a pie worth 100 utils. In period 1, Player 1 proposes a split. If it is rejected, then in period 2, Player 1 again proposes a split. If it is rejected, then in period 3, Player 2 proposes a split. If it is rejected, then both players receive zero. The discount factor is δ . What is the subgame perfect Nash equilibrium? 4. (10 pts) Ashely and her perspective employer, the YMCA, are negotiating her contract, which will stipulate her title (tennis instructor or swim instructor) and salary (s). If she teaches tennis, her payoff is s – 10,000 and the YMCA’s payoff is 60,000 – s. If she teaches swimming, her payoff is s – 20,000 and the YMCA’s payoff is 65,000 – s. If they don’t reach an agreement, her payoff is 20,000 and the YMCA’s payoff is 10,000. Suppose their bargaining weights are ¾ and ¼. What is the Nash bargaining solution? 5. (10 pts) For what values of the discount factor, δ, is “cooperation” (i.e. (C, C) is played every period) possible? 6. Consider the normal-form game below. a. (5 pts) What are the pure-strategy Nash equilibria? b. (10 pts) If this game is repeated twice and there is no time discounting (i.e. δ = 1), is there a SPNE in which (A, X) is played in the first period? If so, fully describe it. If not, explain why not. 7. A seller and a buyer will interact in an infinite number of periods. In each period, the seller chooses a quality level, q from [0,5] at a personal cost of q, and the buyer chooses whether or not to accept the seller’s product. If the buyer accepts, the seller’s payoff is 6 – q and the buyer’s payoff is 2q - 6. If the buyer rejects, the seller’s payoff is -q and the buyer’s payoff is 0. a. (5 pts) What is the most efficient outcome, in a period, in terms of total utility? b. (10 pts) If the discount factor, δ, is sufficiently big, is there an SPNE in which the most efficient outcome occurs every period?
