Saturday, November 30, 2019

Solutions to Instruction Problems

Table of Contents Critical Review The Response System Technology Family School Partnerships Experiential Learning Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPCK) Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) References Learning and teaching are believed to be two sides of the same coin; the best accepted standard for gauging effective teaching is the extent of student learning that takes place. Most literatures on how to teach effectively are packed with thoroughly researched approaches through which teachers can offer both skills and content to ensure efficient student learning.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Solutions to Instruction Problems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, researchers in the field of education are yet to come up with a rule book regarding which teaching methods can complement the content and skills that are taught in schools. In light of this, the paper seeks to propose solutions to the in structional problem from five different perspectives including: the response system technology, experiential learning, family school partnerships, technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPCK), speech and language therapy (SLT), and the use of concept maps. Critical Review The majority of research findings show that whole-class teaching still has a significant role to play in the learning process. The concept of whole-class instruction offers teachers numerous prospects to provide feedback to students regarding their thinking pattern. More specifically, after the students have been exposed to a hands-on encounter with any new topic, they become more prepared for lectures about these concepts or for demonstrations, which involve addressing their pre-conceptions regarding particular units. The Response System Technology The response system technology is the most suitable approach teachers can use to instruct learners in the areas of mathematics and sciences. Research shows t hat most developments in the two subjects have been geared toward improving student work in laboratories and in small groups. Through this strategy, instructors are able to incorporate questions arising from students, together with wide-reaching and instant reactions from them, into their teaching instructions. Consequently, they are able to utilize the technology for various purposes such as provoking the initial ideas of students, constructive assessment, informed decision making, sampling students with regard to their areas of interest and preferences, and quizzing (William, Christy, Boscardin, Valerie, 2007). It has been established from previous research that the response system has mostly concentrated on the domains of engineering, computer science and physics, where the capacity to give distinctive and precise answers to abstract questions, is critical. Researchers argue that successful teaching is achieved by using a response system that incorporates other subjects such as social sciences among other humanities.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some scholars suggests that when the classroom network technology is combined with effectual questioning, debate, and feedback, the results obtained are an effective catalyst for conceptual transformation, intensified student engagement in class, and better equity in the instruction used in science related subjects (William, Christy, Boscardin, Valerie, 2007). Family School Partnerships Family-school partnerships provide a way for learning institutions to become accustomed to the socio-cultural and informed knowledge approaches to learning with regard to the students’ learning experience, and using them to reinforce learning at home. This socio-cultural view of studying informs a pedagogical learning mode of family-school partnerships where families are hypothesized to have an ongoing and vital ro le in their children, rather than as add-ons to the learning process (Graham, 2011). Bourdieu regarded the socio-culturally enlightened knowledge and systems of linking the globe as social and cultural capital, and characterized the manner in which they can operate to include or exclude persons from effective learning by engaging in other social worlds (Graham, 2011). In getting home and school together to form an effective learning environment for students, prospects are created for learners to engage more expressively regarding what Bourdieu calls social and cultural capital (Graham, 2011). By involving families in the process of learning, a more comfortable and supportive environment of learning is created where these socio-culturally knowledgeable connections with a student’s prevailing understandings are aided; this enables the learners to relate to original learning materials in more meaningful means (Graham, 2011). Experiential Learning Although most educators acknowle dge the importance of experiential learning in enabling the student learning process, lecturers do not frequently teach using a style that is conducive to experiential learning because of logistical constraints, for example, in large classes. This is ruinous, given that learners at the entry level of psychology courses are able to remember well, distinct events and deeds that take place during the course. Effective experiential learning addresses both logistical studying constraints and the requirement for a solid knowledge base in a given subject. In addition, supplemental student learning might be made more efficient and comprehensive by the role of the public (Gary Gretchen, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Solutions to Instruction Problems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The supplemental learning approach has been proven to promote several positive learning results, including enriched academ ic performance among undergraduates as well as an increased comprehension of the course content. Another merit of using this approach in the public model is that it exposes students in elementary schools to a sphere of science, which they would not have encountered until college (Gary Gretchen, 2009). Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPCK) The premeditated inclusion of instructive technologies into the class to boost learning and teaching experiences continues to be a key aspect of tutor education. Teachers incorporate technology into coaching and learning for numerous reasons including the promotion of student engagement, training modern proficiencies as best learning practices, to stay updated, for hands-on collaborating learning, to vary teaching methods, to perform experiments in the laboratory, and for exploration and communication. However, the various types of impediments that exist, including technological, philosophical and physical barriers, significantly obstruct the e fficient implementation of technology in teaching instructions (Richard, Lynette, Laurie, 2012). Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) This technology has characteristically been directed at small children experiencing challenges in communication, speech and language. The intervention is expected to improve long-term language and growth, in addition to reducing any negative effects. However, longitudinal studies report a range of enduring linguistic difficulties. Services that take into account learners of at least 11 years with speech and communication challenges are still finely spread or non-existent. Recently, the Bercow report indicated a shortage of SLT services to high schools. Ehren submits that the challenge to render language intervention significant becomes difficult at the level of secondary school learning given the diverse backdrop demands and the complex course content. Consequently, for the services to be viable, they must be specifically designed for secondary school s tudents and be applicable within a particular organizational structure. Hence, a suitable approach should simultaneously consider the point of interaction between language impediments and curriculum demands, in addition to responding to the prospect that SLT backing will facilitate inclusion and deliver effective management (Gemma, Marysia, Gill, 2010). While they may be helpful to some students, traditional simulations of service delivery that are fostered upon extraction and personal therapy may have some inadequacies as well. Learners may be unwilling to get withdrawn from their classrooms for candid therapy; adolescents have a tendency to be like their colleagues.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They prefer not to be the center of focus, as far as their needs are concerned. This technology may also be affected by the difficulties in time-tabling, consequently providing therapists with minimal opportunities to familiarize themselves with curriculum requirements. This may also offer limited chances for teachers to examine supportive practice or work in partnership with SLTs. It may impede the identification of proper and applicable content for therapy. Consequently, Larson et al. has had to contend with direct therapy given its lack of connection to academic coursework (Gemma, Marysia, Gill, 2010). References Gary, M. M., Gretchen, J. (2009). Students teaching students: An experiential learning opportunity for large introductory psychology classes in collaboration with local elementary schools. Teaching of Psychology, 36, 169–173. Gemma, W., Marysia, N., Gill, E. (2010).Supporting students with language learning difficulties in secondary schools through collaboratio n: The use of concept maps to investigate the impact on teachers’ knowledge of vocabulary teaching. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 26(2), 163–179. Graham, D. (2011). Family-school partnerships: Towards sustainable pedagogical practice. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 39(2), 165–176. Richard, P. H., Lynette, D. P., Laurie, A. V. (2012). Integrating technology in education: Moving the TPCK framework towards practical applications. Education Research and Perspectives, 39, 136-152. William, R. P., Christy, K., Boscardin, K., Valerie, C. (2007). Teaching with student response systems in elementary and secondary education settings: A survey study. Education Technology Research Development, 55, 315–346. This research paper on Solutions to Instruction Problems was written and submitted by user Kayden Roth to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Tet Offensive essays

Tet Offensive essays Vietnam was not only a war to the American people it was a massacre. The Tet Offensive was a Vietnamese lunar holiday, which celebrated the year of the monkey, which was usually a very peaceful and calm period but not at this time. This certain day was supposed to be a celebrated cease-fire holiday until the NLF(National Liberation Forces), NVA(North Vietnam Army), and the Vietcong forces unleashed the biggest surprise to the South Vietnamese and U.S. sources. Many historians thought it of as the turning point of the war but if not that it at least marked a crucial time in the Vietnam War. It was a great wake up call for the Southern Vietnamese and U.S. troops. The American intervention in Vietnam began in 1963 with the direct aim of stopping the South falling into 'communist' hands. In August of that year, Lyndon Johnson, who had taken over the American presidency in the wake of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, ordered the first air strikes on the North. Only 6 months later the rolling thunder air campaign was constructed. In just this campaign alone more bombs were dropped on North Vietnam than in all of World War two. Seven million tons of bombs and other hazardous weapons were dropped leaving an outstanding number of 2.6 million Vietnamese dead. On the night of January 31,1968 there were 70,000 Vietnamese soldiers launched as The Tet Offensive. It began so sudden that the allied forces, which were South Vietnam, and the US were left stunned and had to plan their revenge. All these 70,000 men were made up of mostly NLF (National Liberation Forces) and NVA( North Vietnamese Army) attacked the US and South Vietnamese military and government instillations throughout the country. It was a campaign that had been in preparation since a study carried out by General Giap in September 1967 had concluded that the war had reached a 'stalemate' situation and that something needed to be done. Out of this report ar...

Friday, November 22, 2019

What Is a 529 Plan How Can It Help You

What Is a 529 Plan How Can It Help You SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you want to save in a smart way for college (either for yourself or your child), you’ll want to make the most of your money. One of the best savings plans meant specifically for growing a college fund is called a 529 plan, or a qualified tuition plan. But what is a 529 plan? Like any sort of investment plan, there are several types of 529s, all with their own benefits and drawbacks. In this post, I’ll talk about the basics of 529 plans, why they’re helpful, whether they affect financial aid, and where you can get one. What Is a 529 Plan? According to the IRS, a 529 plan is an investment savings plan with tax incentives (and sometimes other benefits) to make it easier to save for post-secondary education. It’s an account in which you contribute a portion of your income to save for future college expenses. They’re generally run by state governments or education institutions, not banks. A 529 is typically a â€Å"set and forget† sort of savings plan (although you have a few different options that I’ll get to shortly) - you decide to make whatever contributions you’d like and a fund manager makes investment choices for you. Some plans require you to purchase â€Å"packages† to cover future tuition costs, whereas others allow to contribute however much you want, however often you want. One of the things that makes it special is that it can only be used for education expenses in the future, and can be opened by anyone (the saver) for anyone (the beneficiary). The main advantage to having a 529 plan is that earnings (i.e. the money that the plan makes while your money is invested) are not subject to federal tax, and are generally not subject to state tax, when used for educational expenses. Eligible expenses usually include things like tuition, fees, books, room, and board. In sum: You contribute some amount of your post-tax income either on a regular or more flexible schedule. The money you contribute to the plan is invested, and will usually grow (or will be guaranteed to be worth a certain amount in the future). When the plan’s beneficiary wants to use the money for eligible educational expenses, the money can be withdrawn and you don’t have to pay taxes on any money that your plan makes (e.g. capital gains taxes). I’m Still Confused - Why Is a 529 Plan a Good Thing? 529 plans are similar to retirement savings plans in a few different ways. Because people are generally more familiar with the way retirement savings plans work, I’ll use them as an analogy. Just like with 529 plans, there are a few different retirement savings options (e.g. traditional IRA, Roth IRA, 401k), but the bottom line is that they’re all options with tax benefits and incentives to help you save. Depending on what plan you decide to go with, you may have more or less flexibility and/or opportunities for capital gains. As with retirement plans, time is your friend when it comes to 529s - more time means you can contribute more money to the plan, and your money has more time to grow on its own as an investment. You could just stash money away in a savings account, but you’ll probably see less growth due to low interest rates, and you’ll have to pay taxes on any earnings. Just like with any other investment, there is some risk involved in putting your money in some types of 529 plans (I’ll talk more about this shortly). You may not gain as much money as you anticipate, for example. Overall, though, 529 plans are pretty conservative and provide respectable earnings. Once again, time is your friend! This holds true for any investment or savings plan, really - if you give your money more time to earn, you’ll generally be happier with the outcome. Types of 529 Plans There are two main types of 529 plans: prepaid tuition plans and college savings plans. I’ll talk about both of these plans here. Prepaid Plans Prepaid plans are primarily sponsored by states. Investments are â€Å"guaranteed,† which means that your money is certain to be worth a certain amount in terms of tuition (and sometimes room and board) dollars when the beneficiary heads off to college. Ultimately, these plans â€Å"lock in† a certain rate of tuition. Savers purchase â€Å"units† or â€Å"credits† at participating schools (usually public, in-state schools) for future education expenses for a beneficiary. You usually have the option to choose from several available packages that lump units together (e.g. one year of tuition, two years of tuition, tuition plus housing, etc). It’s typical to have the option to pay with a lump sum or with monthly installments. The older the beneficiary is when you start purchasing credits, the more expensive these units become. These plans often have residency requirements, which means you have to live in the state that sponsors that particular plan. You should be able to transfer the value to private and out-of-state schools, but you may not get the full value of your plan (this varies widely by state). Ultimately, prepaid plans are fairly â€Å"safe† because of the guaranteed nature of the investment (although some argue that the deal isn’t as great as it’s made out to be). They are fairly inflexible, however - if the beneficiary chooses to attend a private or out-of-state school, you probably won’t be able to transfer the full value of the plan. Here’s an example of a prepaid plan in action: Let’s say you’re interested in the Florida state 529 prepaid plan for your newborn. There are different packages available, but you choose to buy the four-Year Florida University tuition package. This would cost you $28,888.39 in 2016. In 18 years when your newborn heads off to college, the money you spent in 2016 would cover all tuition expenses at an FL state university, no matter how high the costs are in 2038. College Savings Plans College savings plans are a bit easier to understand than prepaid plans. Simply, a college saver opens an account for a beneficiary (the student) to pay for the student’s eligible college expenses (room, board, tuition, fees). Tax-advantaged college savings plans are usually run by states themselves - some banks offer these plans, but they won’t come with the same advantages that you can get through your state plan. There are often many investment options to choose from, so the saver can freely customize his/her investment. Withdrawals from this type of plan can usually be used at any college or university, which offers a lot more flexibility for the beneficiary when it’s time to head off to college. Your rate of return on your investments will depend on your specific choice of plan, but some college savings plans may earn as much as 3 to 3.5%. The downside to college savings plans is that unlike prepaid plans, your investment is not guaranteed - they’re subject to market fluctuations, just like any other investment. The upside to these plans is the degree of flexibility they offer, both in the beneficiary’s choice of college and the amount the saver chooses to contribute. College savings plans are sort of like this gymnast - they’re flexible but also not afraid of a little risk. Here’s an example of a college savings plan in action: Let’s say you’re interested in a college savings plan for your 8-year-old. You’re not sure where he’ll want to go to school, so you prefer a college savings plan to a prepaid plan because it’s the more flexible option. Your son will be ready to head off to school in 10 years, so you start contributing $5,000 annually to the 529 plan of your choice. Your money is invested in a mutual fund, so you know a certain rate of return is not guaranteed. Your investment does well, however, and you see an annual rate of return at 3.5%. After 10 years you will have contributed $50,000 to the plan, but your ending balance will be $60,710 - you won’t have to pay any taxes on these gains. If you’d put away the same amount into a savings account with an interest rate of 3.5% over 10 years, your ending balance would come to $57,818 (assuming an annual tax rate of 25% on capital gains). Overview: The Main Differences Between Prepaid and College Savings Plans Prepaid Tuition Plan College Savings Plan Tuition Price Lock Locks in tuition prices at certain schools No lock on tuition costs Eligible Education-Related Expenses Generally just for tuition and mandatory fees For all college-related expenses, including tuition, room, board, fees, books, computer Investment Guarantee State plans are guaranteed or backed by the state No state guarantee; your investment is subject to risk just like any other investment (money could fail to grow, or you could even lose money) Age Limits Most plans have an age limit for the beneficiary (student) No age limits; open to adults and children Residency Requirements Most state plans require either the owner (saver) or beneficiary (student) to be a resident of that state No residency requirement, but there may be some limitations in how you can purchase the plan Enrollment Periods Most plans have limited enrollment periods (periods when you can start participating in the plans) Open enrollment; you can start participating whenever you’d like Should You Get a Prepaid or a College Savings Plan? Your choice of 529 plan will depend on a few different factors. First, how much flexibility in school choice are you looking for? Prepaid plans are less flexible, and as such are best for in-state public schools. You should be able to transfer credit from a prepaid plan to out-of-state and/or private schools, but you probably won’t get the full value of the plan. The actual amount that you’d be able to transfer depends on the individual plan. Bottom line: If flexibility is a priority, college savings plans may be the better option. If you’re confident that your child will attend an in-state public school, prepaid plans may be the best fit. Second, what’s your preferred level of risk? Prepaid plans are generally sponsored by the state - the investments, credits, units or whatever you purchase tend to be guaranteed by the state with these plans. College savings plans, on the other hand, don’t generally guarantee returns (unless, of course, they’re sponsored by the state). If the market performs very well your money could do better than you expected in a college savings plan, although the opposite is also true. Bottom line: If you’re particularly risk-averse, you may prefer a prepaid plan. If you value flexibility over the relative safety of a conservative investment, you might be happiest with a college savings plan. Will a 529 Plan Decrease Financial Aid Eligibility? You might worry that having an investment account earmarked for college expenses might decrease student aid eligibility. In reality, a 529 savings plan has little effect on how much money a student will receive in financial aid. 529 plans are considered parental assets. As such, they’re factored into federal financial aid formulas at a max rate of 5.6% - that means that 5.6% of your 529 savings are included in the â€Å"expected family contribution,† the figure that’s so important in the calculation of financial aid. Ultimately, family income is considered a much more important factor when it comes to determining aid eligibility. Learn more about calculating your financial aid eligibility. Where Can You Get a 529 Plan? Each state has its own sponsored 529 plans, but enrollment is sometimes limited based on the type of plan and your own (and/or the student’s) state of residency. You may be able to enroll directly in the plan, but in other cases you’ll have to enroll via a financial broker. To get information on state-specific plans, Google â€Å"[state] 529 plans.† Any page that talks about a state-sponsored plan will have more information about plan details and how to enroll. There are a lot of ads that come up with 529 plan searches, but the first non-ad result is your best bet, like in this example. Summary Hopefully you have a better idea of what 529 plans are and how they can be useful. There are a lot of different options depending on your savings goals, state of residency, and flexibility needs. I encourage you to look at your own state 529 options to see if particular plans appeal to you. If it’s an option, I also encourage you to talk to an expert or trusted financial advisor for advice and guidance! What’s Next? If you’re thinking about saving for college (for either yourself or a beneficiary), pat yourself on the back for being so proactive and forward-thinking. Something else you can do to prepare for the future is learn more about college expenses and how to minimize them. First, check out our complete guide to college costs - this outlines all the obvious and hidden expenses associated with going to college. If you’re surprised by how expensive college really is, you may want to read up on why college costs so much. Don’t get discouraged by these sticker prices, though! To figure out how to tackle these costs, check out our complete guide on how to pay for college (it may not be as daunting as you think). Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Writing Style Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing Style - Research Paper Example For me, the writing process involves several challenges. The first one is organizing ideas. I am lucky to have a teacher in my primary years who emphasized the importance of organization in writing. That teacher taught me that in every composition I make, I should take the initial step of organizing my ideas. I could still remember the exercises we had on outlining, with the main topics and subtopics organized under some roman numerals and letters. This training in writing has been very valuable to me because it makes writing easy. An organized essay is easier to read and understand. In addition, teachers appreciate an organized essay with the main ideas carefully laid out in separate paragraphs. As I move along in schooling, I learned about the challenge of composing a thesis statement. I believe that training students to make plausible thesis statements should be an important aim of Writing teachers. Teaching students to make thesis statements will enable them to achieve emphasis and organization. Identifying the thesis statement goes along with outlining. The thesis statement serves as the guide in expounding a topic and composing paragraphs to make up the essay. In my experience, establishing the thesis statement allows me to expound on the topic without going beyond it. Nevertheless, I still have to improve the way I construct a thesis statement and introduce it in the first part of my composition. The next challenge is expounding ideas. Some people find it easy to expound ideas on any topic. Maybe they are gifted with a lot of information to write about. In my case, I find expounding ideas easy when I am interested in the topic. Personal experience, home decorating, gardening, and entrepreneurship are some topics I find easier to write about, whereas sports, statistics, and environmental issues are some of my waterloos. Academic writing, unlike other forms of writing, also challenges me to use outside sources.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Planning A Vacation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Planning A Vacation - Essay Example Although nobody has enough time to plan for a vacation; it could be easy if you follow these simple steps. When you first begin planning your vacation get a folder and keep all your vacation plans in one place. This folder will have all the brochures from the sites you plan to visit. It will have information on airline flights and hotels. Make reservations and keep a detailed account in this folder of everyone you talk to. Get information from local restaurants and make a list of the ones you want to visit. With all the information in one place, you can then make a daily itinerary of your planned events. By looking through the folder at your leisure, ideas will bubble forth and in no time you will have a full schedule for your vacation plans. With the schedule in hand, it's time to pack. Pack a carry-on that is small enough to stay with you at all times. Include the necessary items that you must have in the event that you get separated from your other luggage for a day. If you need to take medication, be sure this is with you at all times and not in the checked baggage. Be sure to pack for the climate and the outings you have planned. Let the children pack their own bag with their own special take-alongs. This may include CDs, games, or magazines. Make sure that it is small enough to carry on the plane. Planning makes packing a breeze. T

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Evaluate the Foodservice Operation Essay Example for Free

Evaluate the Foodservice Operation Essay As time passes by, people were expecting also an improvement in the way cultural institutions would like to show what they got. If you have gone to a museum once, or other cultural institutions, you would probably go back some other time due to the liking in the place and its content. However, an expectation of seeking new experiences would probably be born onto you. Cultural institutions have been making many improvements and developments for the people visiting the place. Such improvements and developments are through exhibits, experiences, facilities, amenities, and many more. Together with the improvements is the food service. The fact that people are now becoming aware of the food trends which are probably seen in the television and the styles of serving and preparations of foods, the need for the improvement of the food service in this cultural institution is a must. Look at this; would anyone have much interest to go to the cafeteria in basement or in any place in the museum, having an old-fashioned theme, walking in a dark path? Someone might lose his/her appetite. Food service operations, such as having cafeterias, food courts and in any other form inside of the cultural institutions, enhance the satisfaction of the people who visits the place. In addition to that, it can also produce additional revenue for the institution and made the entire facility a place to go. Imagine, someone had to walk for a long time to see the cultural institutions have to show. Then the time he/she would be thinking of rest, he/she can then go to the cafeteria and have a rest while recharging his energy through eating. This is how Andy Zakrajsek explains how foodservice operations are important in such cultural institutions. He is the current director or retail businesses and the manager of the Brain Food Court together with the other operations regarding foodservice at the Museum of Science Industry (Levin, 2006). Food Service Mission A place to rest and unwind The main mission of having a food service operation in a cultural institution is to give time for the people visiting their place a time to recharge, say after an 8-hour tiring strolling looking on what the place have to offer . A need for nourishment can be given by these food service facilities. Another thing is to give time for the visitors to sit beside their friends and families, while enjoying the beautiful scene of the place. Through this, visitors then have the opportunity to unwind and take some rest for the next hour/s going back to see more of the exhibits present on the place. To generate additional revenues Not only on the outside or special occasions are catering on the play. At the Museum of Science Industry, there are also special events celebrated with which catering services held by the Brain Food Court under Andy Zakrajsek are on the roll. This catering on special events was considered to be one of the activities which generate a large amount of revenues. The museum and all other cultural institutions were designed to have a large area for special events and gathering such as large lobbies, atriums, amphitheaters, etc However, there is also a need for spacious places inside the cultural institutions; this is in addition to the accommodations needed for the gathering, but also the need for the foodservice preparations. Considering the costs of the foodservice preparations, having a place inside the cultural institution as the preparation area, will costs lesser than renting a place to takeover or a catering service outside, while earning greater profit. Must Adapt to Changes There are also called peak seasons and valley seasons on the museum. The number of visitors may vary from day-to-day or from season-to-season. For example, there can be thousands more of visitors which comes to visit the museum during summer, and by a hundred during winter (Johns, 2006). Due to this ‘seasons of change’, the foodservice must be adaptive to this kind of situation. The foodservice then must be flexible. Since there would be a large number to serve during warmer days, the foodservice operation must also consider the safety, but still must be in efficient manner. And in cold winter days, there must be an operation that shall consider the minimal staffing to lower the expenses. Andy Zakrajsek had thought of this problem and had also find solution to resolve this problem regarding the peaks and valleys. He said that having equipments and designs of the facilities which are flexible should be the best solution for a cafeteria and other foodservice facilities. The museum had undergone major renovations on their designs to adapt with the changes in numbers of guests that will arrive. Considering the case that occurs during cold winter days with which only a few numbers of guests arrives at the museum. The application of these flexible equipments and facilities can be seen; such as shutting down of some of the stations allocated for cooking. Doing this will lessen the costs for the amenities, and also to reduce some staffs. The need for an exceedingly flexible equipments and facilities is a must in order for the foodservice operations to handle the changes with regards to the numbers of crowds and the changing food trends. To Look Great while being Durable The food court and cafeterias are the one responsible for the foodservice operations. Together with other facilities and areas in the museum, the food court and cafeterias must also look really good as elaborated by Andy Zakrajsek. The museum’s food courts and cafeterias have been visited by a million and a half of visitors every year, many of them were kids. In addition to the foodservice operations, the manager of the foodservice operations had included in the food courts and cafeterias some carts, strollers and backpacks having buckles (Levin, 2006). This will make it easier for visitors to handle their kids, and for the place to be in control and in stillness. But these additional equipments must also be durable through time. There had been some changes together with the major renovations, on the floors and walls of the food courts and cafeterias. The food court and cafeteria’s floors were replaced by stain-proof and scratch-proof floorings while still having a nice design. As Andy Zakrajsek explained, they needed an industrial-level of surface materials while still giving an interesting look and designs. Educational Purpose One of the major purposes of the cultural institutions was to educate. Foodservice operations also included this purpose on their operations. There is a ledge purposely designed in front of the pizza and grill stations of the museum. This is made so that children can step onto it so that they can see and observe the cooks while working. The window protectors which divide the stations for cooking and the customer’s area were made of clear glasses which are in lower position relative to the customers view. This is an intended work so that the visitors can make a better look at the cooking and food preparation. Is it profitable? The manager of the Brain Food Court and the other foodservice operations of the Museum of Science Industry, Andy Zakrajsek, had focused on two things. They made critical and complete evaluations on the foodservice operations. They had evaluated the department for the special events of the museum. The first thing they evaluated are the following; how it functions; how the food courts, cafeterias and foodservice operations connected to the museum and how will it serve the guests; and had also evaluated the quality of the management used and the staffs of the foodservice operation. The second thing they did is reviewing the catering program. The purpose of this is a way easy, the optimization of the income that the museum can earn. After the evaluations and reviews done, they made improvement and developments regarding the concerns stated above. The result is that the net income of the museum had increased up to 250% within five years (Greenbaum, 2004). What makes foodservice profitable is that it enhances the cultural institutions overall purpose, having cafeterias and food courts, catering and other special events and foodservices, make the increase in the number of visitors in the museum, this is the main supporting evidence how foodservice operations make the institution more profitable. As stated by the by Andy Zakrajsek, the catering on the special events held at the museum was considered one of the activities which generates a large amount of revenues. Conclusion The importance of the foodservice operations in cultural institution is extremely high. Thus, this implies that the planning about the foodservice operations must be included on the design process of every cultural institution. Summing it up, there is a critical role played by the foodservice operations in a cultural institution, and planning it up early and having it is one of the measures of success of the institution. Foodservice operations are responsible for the enhancements of the institution, which controls the increases the number of visitors, in which it brings huge revenues to the institution.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Important Role of News Reporters Essay -- Exploratory Essays Resea

The Important Role of News Reporters Every morning when I get up, the very first thing I do is turn on the TV--but not for cartoons or MTV. It has become a habit for me to watch the news in the morning. I feel the need to know what is going on because I know that no matter where the news happens, 99 percent of the time it will, directly or indirectly, affect me or people I care about. The broadcast media has become a part of my life and the lives of almost everyone in the Western world. We may not know the names of our senators, but Katie Couric or Tom Brokaw are familiar names in every American household. Not many of us realize, however, that the job of the news reporter is not as glorious as we imagine. This paper will offer you a closer look on what goes on behind the TV screen or radio microphone. Like all other discourse communities, news reporters have their own jargon. It consists mostly of technical terms describing different aspects of news production. In radio, there are voicers, readers, Q&A's, and packages--all of these are types of stories. Voicer is a news story voiced by a reporter; reader is a script of a news story read by a news anchor; Q&A is an interview; and package is a news story produced and read by a reporter that also includes parts of interviews or natural sound. A particular feature of a news reporter's jargon is that very often there are a couple of different terms for one concept. For example, other words for "package" are "wrap" and "feature"; "cut," "bite" (or "soundbite") and "actuality" all refer to a part of an interview. But in most cases, the jargon of the news reporters is much more understandable to an outsider than, for example, the specialized language of chemists. The goal of repo... ...oofness hurt press credibility, ABC's Cokie Roberts says." Freedom Forum Online News. http://www.freedomforum.org/freedomforum/news/971003ca.html (9 October 1997). Germer, Fawn. "How Do You Feel?" American Journalism Review June 1995: 36-42. Kemkes, Michelle. " 'If it bleeds it leads,' isn't the motto at KVUE-TV." Minnesota News Council Newsletter, Summer 1996. http://www.mtn.org/newscouncil/Summer96/KVUE.html (9 October 1997). Rather, Dan. "Journalism and the Public Trust." Humanist Nov./Dec. 1990: 5-8. Scanlan, Frank. Personal interview. 10 October, 1997. Shaw, David. "Beyond Skepticism: A Negative Spin on the News." Los Angeles Times 17 April 1996: Al. Shook, Frederick, et al. The Broadcast News Process. 5th ed. Englewood: Morton Publishing, 1996. Valente, Judith. "Do You Believe What Newspeople Tell You?" Parade 2 March 1997: 4-6.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Is Evil an intrinsic or extrinsic in Humans Essay

Evil: A noun meaning profound immortality, wickedness and depravity. It’s just a simple four letter word, full of darkness. There is a little bit of evil in everyone, varying in degree and severity, but it’s up to you whether you let it show or not According to Mr. Golding, evil is intrinsic in human beings. That means that evil is an instinct to humans, a part of them. Many people can deny that fact, however it is suppressed inside of humans and will come out in extreme situations or after traumatic experiences as a self-defense mechanism. However, what is evil? What defines evil? What can we compare evil to? Evil, to some people, are the acts that are against a certain religion, culture, society, etc. Many times, Again, evil is personified, and the most common evil known today that is personified is Satan, also known as Lucifer or the Devil. That includes the â€Å"goody two shoes† people, they have Evil Intents and thoughts, but they work well at suppressing i t. But evil isn’t something personified, if not, it is human nature. In â€Å"The Lord of the Flies†, all the boys are stuck on the island and are all in the same situation. However, the boys enjoy mocking Piggy because he is physically inferior. In the human mind, placing someone below themselves increases their self-confidence so that they feel superior and better about themselves. In many cases this appears in bullying. There are examples such as, â€Å"’You’re taking too much,’ said Jack Merridew. ‘Shut up, Fatty.’ Laughter arose. ‘He’s not Fatty,’ cried Ralph, ‘his real name’s Piggy!’†¦ a storm of laughter arose†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"’His specs – use them as burning glasses!’ Piggy was surrounded before he could back away. ‘Here – let me go!’†¦ ‘My specs!’ howled Piggy. ‘Give me my specs!’† In both these insta nces, the boys took advantage of his physical disadvantage due to his asthma and mocking him for his body image. Evil could also be portrayed as self-preservation and survival. Although Simon’s death is a blur and is hard to comprehend, the boys attacked Simon, thinking that he was the beast and also using the excuse that it was a mistake and that they did not know as an excuse to get carried away by the game and simply attacked him for pleasure. Anyhow, isn’t murder considered  evil? If this isn’t murder, what is this? And is this terrible act, or so to speak, evil? In other books like Battle Royale and the Hunger Games, Humans have defined and showed their evil psychological side as it has been released in the terms of a kill or be killed situation, or just for the fun of it as other people termed it, either it was issues with home, or hate for society Mr. Golding is saying that evil is intrinsic, but since human society thinks that they are so civilized, humans think that evil is extrinsic. But under the right circumstances, survival and self-preservation surface, something that â€Å"civilized humans† consider as savage, barbaric, and evil. In other words, Evil is Intrinsic, but learning how to suppress that evil is Extrinsic need for humans. And as I looked into some reports, some of the parents of famous serial killers were not very civil and trying to compress.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Datastream User Guide

INFOSTREAM MAY/JUNE 2008 IN THIS ISSUE GROWTH IN US CONTENT Negotiate the world’s â€Å"info-noise† with Datastream’s expansive and reliable US-focused content. NEW VALUATION RATIOS RELEASED 14 new Datastream valuation ratios have been released, giving you a detailed overview of markets and sectors as well as enabling you to compare company to industry ratios.CONTENTS FEATURES Introducing Intelligent Information from Thomson Reuters Regional Focus – Growth in US Content PRODUCT ENHANCEMENT Functions, Units and Country Datatype Enhancements New Interface for Datastream Custom User-Created Indices in Development Coming Soon – Interactive Charting 1. Datastream Extranet Samples CONTENT ENHANCEMENT Equities and Equity Indices Update †¢ Global Update †¢ USA Update †¢ Middle East Update †¢ Asia Update I/B/E/S Global Aggregates Content Enhancement – Release of Additional Monthly History for Five Asian Indices Datastream Delivers Sought-after Commodity Information from Platts Metals Expansion Coverage Economics Round-up †¢ New Series †¢ Revisions and Methodology Changes †¢ Key Indicator Changes †¢ Interest Rates New Valuation Ratios Released in March Company Additions to Worldscope CONTRIBUTORS 3 4 12 14 16 20 20 23 25 25 27 28 29 31 31 34 35 35 36 39 41 FEATURES INTRODUCING INTELLIGENT INFORMATION FROM THOMSON REUTERS THOMSON DATASTREAM IS NOW PART OF THOMSON REUTERS. With operations in 93 countries, a market capitalisation in excess of $30 billion and 50,000 employees, Thomson Reuters has the resources and experience to serve our customers in the financial, media, legal, tax and accounting, scientific and healthcare markets.We hope you will see many positive changes from Thomson Reuters, starting with our new brand. One thing we do not intend to change, however, is our commitment to speed, accuracy, independence and freedom from bias, and our commitment to our customers, employees, shar eholders and other stakeholders. We aim to deliver on our promise to bring you intelligent information that provides knowledge to act. REGIONAL FOCUS – GROWTH IN US CONTENT AMERICA’S DATA OBESITY PROBLEM: SOLUTION – GO ON A DATASTREAM DIETNegotiate the world’s â€Å"info-noise† with Thomson Datastream’s expansive and reliable US-focused content. The US investment management industry is estimated to be worth over $30 trillion*. To support this financial leviathan, there is data in abundance available through a host of sources, including the Internet and any number of financial solutions, reports and delivery vehicles, so much so that the result for the end-user is a cacophony of â€Å"infonoise†.The author Neal Stephenson wrote that, â€Å"All information looks like noise until you break the code. † With Thomson Datastream, the US asset management industry has the ultimate code breaker. A modern-day Enigma machine. Thomson Datas tream, although international in its scope, allows unparalleled access to a landscape of historically deep, cross-asset and US-focused data, which is being continually expanded to address client needs and market developments.Sourced from such trusted third-party suppliers as Frank Russell, The Conference Board, MSCI and The University of Michigan Consumer Surveys, to name but a few, this US-orientated data can be placed alongside Thomson Datastream’s robust time series content (100 million series, including exclusive proprietary content) to better understand the performance of the US markets and construct investment strategies accordingly.INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008  Current market conditions are forcing the US investment community to work harder to â€Å"crack the code† and generate alpha. Thomson Datastream is the â€Å"codec† that allows them to achieve this, with the continual addition of North American-focused content. Recent addition s in Q1 2008 include Platts commodity pricing (see page 29) and increased coverage of US Corporate and Sovereign bonds.The Platts database is now available as a pass-through content set, and this market-leading data provides a vital insight for commodity-oriented investors in the USA, giving granular detail on the energy markets, allowing analysts of the energy sector, risk managers, commodity traders, asset managers and anyone wishing to diversify into commodities, the ability to view this valuable data, overlay the information against other factors and manipulate it within Thomson Datastream’s powerful charting and analytical capabilities. Furthermore, the recent addition of 14,000 US bonds significantly increasesUS fixed-income coverage to 43,000 securities for Government, Agency and Corporate bond issues. Within the economic sphere, Thomson Datastream allows access to crucial US-oriented sources to enable the investment management industry to analyse macro factors. For ex ample, US House prices, always a â€Å"hot topic†, are under even more scrutiny when placed within the current subprime context and wider economic conditions. Sources including the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the Mortgage Bankers Association and the S&P Case-Shiller indicators all give greater visibility into US economic health and direction.The chart below uses Shiller state-level data and compares house sales by major US cities. We can see that only in Charlotte, North Carolina, have house sales remained positive year on year, in 2007 albeit at a low 1. 75% level. The continuing crisis, and in particular the example of Bear Stearns, has highlighted the importance of having comprehensive cross-asset coverage available to the asset manager, with credit default swaps often cited. The CDS market is worth approximately $47 trillion and is demanding constant attention. Thomson Datastream carries a range of US-oriented CDS content, including aluable benchmarks for the USA such as the CDX. This index comprises the most liquid CDS contracts of US-based companies and acts as an indicator of the credit markets. The chart below shows clear negative correlation between the CDX index (North American swaps for investment-grade bonds) and the S&P Composite. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008  These, and other CDX indices, measure debt-related derivatives, such as high-yield swaps, and enable US-focused asset managers to hedge their entire portfolios rather than trade each individual CDS per bond issue.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once had Sherlock Holmes remark that, â€Å"It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. † Recently launched proprietary global CDS sector indices and the US-orientated suite, exclusive to Thomson Datastream, allow for greater tactical asset allocations across a portfolio, since the CDS market often captures market information faster than the equity markets. On the inclusion of this content, one Direc tor of Research at a US asset management firm commented, â€Å"The CDS indices are a great innovation. Can you provide us with the full global range? No-one else has this data. † Elementary my dear financial markets!The following example compares the US CDS banking sector against two US interest rate futures indicators. This analysis illustrates that the movement in the US Banking CDS sector anticipated the credit crisis by a little under two weeks, and shows the strong correlations (nine and ten-day lag against the sector respectively) that the futures have, compared to the sector. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008  Other recently added proprietary Thomson Datastream content that lends itself to greater investigation and analysis of the US markets is the M&A series constructed from Thomson data.This content, overlaid against the CDS indices, can help give a clearer indication of the overall health of the M&A activity in the USA. With the credit crisis in Aug ust 2007, the number of completed deals that followed in September dropped and the spread in the CDX index correspondingly fell, as traders felt the deal market drying up. That relationship has broken down during the first quarter of 2008, which may be due to other economic factors. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008  Thomson Datastream’s US-focused content is continually expanding.Across all asset classes, data is being added to ensure that the solution fits the high demands of the North American market, be it through the addition of macroeconomic indicators from such sources as S&P Case-Shiller, or through the display and access of quarterly fundamentals. And this investment is ongoing with soon-to-beadded US option coverage for the USA (S&P 500 and the Nasdaq) and Canada. Access to timely, comprehensive and accurate data is ever more important in a world where decisions have to be made fast.Thomson Datastream’s deep US coverage, across multiple asset classes, allows the US financial industry to cut through the â€Å"infonoise†, access vital must-have information and manipulate it with flexible analytical tools. In these current uncertain times, Thomson Datastream’s blend of reliable, multiple-asset, US content enables investors to make better, more-informed decisions and help avoid the pitfalls best summed up by an old Chinese proverb, which states, â€Å"To guess is cheap. To guess wrongly is expensive. † *Thomson Sharewatch. Based on the AUM from more than 4,000 US companies. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008 THOMSON REUTERS 2008  PRODUCT ENHANCEMENT FUNCTIONS, UNITS AND COUNTRY DATATYPE ENHANCEMENTS The padding (PAD) function has been enhanced to enable values for missing intermediate data points to be derived via linear interpolation, so any missing (N/A) values within the time series will be calculated by linearly interpolating between the actual data values on either side. The format to use linear interpolatio n is PAD#(Expression, I). Example: To display the FTSE100 price high (PH) from December 2007 to January 2008 – there are N/A values for Christmas and New Year when the market is closed.Using the existing PAD function (without the I parameter) the N/A values are replaced by carrying forward the last actual value for the previous period. Whereas using the PAD function with the I parameter (last column below), the N/A values are replaced by values calculated by interpolating between the data either side, thereby producing a more uniform series. Code 20/12/2007 21/12/2007 24/12/2007 25/12/2007 26/12/2007 27/12/2007 28/12/2007 31/12/2007 01/01/2008 02/01/2008 03/01/2008 04/01/2008 07/01/2008 FTSE100(PH) 6367. 7 6451. 8 6485. 6 #N/A #N/A 6504. 1 6494 6480. #N/A 6512. 3 6487. 8 6534. 7 6376. 5 PAD#(FTSE100(PH)) 6367. 7 6451. 8 6485. 6 6485. 6 6485. 6 6504. 1 6494 6480. 2 6480. 2 6512. 3 6487. 8 6534. 7 6376. 5 PAD#(FTSE100(PH),I) 6367. 7 6451. 8 6485. 6 6491. 77 6497. 93 6504. 1 649 4 6480. 2 6496. 25 6512. 3 6487. 8 6534. 7 6376. 5 The continuous series (CSR) function has been enhanced, specifically for economic series, to allow quarterly series to be displayed at a monthly frequency using linear interpolated values, with a similar enhancement for annual series to be displayed at a quarterly or monthly frequency.The format to display interpolated values is CSR#(Series,M) or CSR#(Series,Q). Example: To display two quarterly series at a monthly frequency – United States GDP in real terms and the Eurozone 15 countries’ GDP in real terms. The actual quarterly data is: Code 15/05/2006 15/08/2006 15/11/2006 15/02/2007 15/05/2007 15/08/2007 15/11/2007 USGDP†¦D 11306. 7 11336. 7 11395. 5 11412. 6 11520. 1 11658. 9 11677. 1 EKGDP†¦D 1859. 84 1870. 18 1884. 62 1899. 5 1904. 74 1919. 03 1926. 38 Here, the US series is in billions of dollars at an annual rate, the Eurozone series is in billions of euros but not annualised.As the table below illustr ates, the CSR function without the M parameter simply repeats the quarterly value for each month of the quarter, but with the M parameter the data is presented in a more uniform way by interpolating between the quarterly numbers. For the United States series, the mid-quarter value of the monthly series is the same as the original quarterly series, whereas for the Eurozone series the mid-quarter value of the monthly series is one third of the original series. This is due to Eurozone GDP not being annualised, so the monthly numbers in the final column below represent the â€Å"best† estimate of actual GDP in that month.Code 15/07/2006 15/08/2006 15/09/2006 15/10/2006 15/11/2006 15/12/2006 15/01/2007 15/02/2007 15/03/2007 15/04/2007 15/05/2007 15/06/2007 15/07/2007 15/08/2007 15/09/2007 15/10/2007 15/11/2007 CSR#(USGDP†¦D) 11336. 7 11336. 7 11336. 7 11395. 5 11395. 5 11395. 5 11412. 6 11412. 6 11412. 6 11520. 1 11520. 1 11520. 1 11658. 9 11658. 9 11658. 9 11677. 1 11677. 1 CSR#(USGDP†¦D,M) CSR#(EKGDP†¦D) 11326. 7 11336. 7 11356. 3 11375. 9 11395. 5 11401. 2 11406. 9 11412. 6 11448. 4 11484. 3 11520. 1 11566. 4 11612. 6 11658. 9 11665 11671 11677. 1 1870. 18 1870. 18 1870. 18 1884. 62 1884. 2 1884. 62 1899. 5 1899. 5 1899. 5 1904. 74 1904. 74 1904. 74 1919. 03 1919. 03 1919. 03 1926. 38 1926. 38 CSR#(EKGDP†¦D,M) 622. 24 623. 39 625 626. 6 628. 21 629. 86 631. 52 633. 17 633. 75 634. 33 634. 91 636. 5 638. 09 639. 68 640. 49 641. 31 642. 13 The rules for calculating these values are as follows (these are dictated by the frequency conversion datatype (ECONV)): †¢ If ECONV = AVERAGE (example USGDP†¦D) – the actual quarterly number is placed in the mid-month of the quarter, and the intervening two months are linearly interpolated between the adjacent midquarter numbers. If ECONV = END POINT (example US64MGTLA – mortgage debt of the US financial sector), the actual quarterly number is placed in the last month of the qu arter, and then the intervening two months are linearly interpolated. †¢ If ECONV = SUM (example EKGDP†¦D), one third of the quarterly number is placed in the mid-month of each quarter, and the intervening two months are linearly interpolated between the mid-quarter numbers. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 0 Annual series can be similarly represented at either a monthly or quarterly frequency using CSR#(series,M) or CSR#(series,Q). This new function allows a closer analysis of quarterly series on a monthly basis. For example if we correlate European Union total GDP (EXGDP†¦D) against United States GDP (USGDP†¦D), over the last ten years using a range of monthly lags, we find that the highest correlation, of 0. 99707, is with an 11-month lag of the US series.Note: These new parameters will be fully supported in a later version of the Advance interface – but can be used now either directly in AFO, or in the expression builder (where the mes sage that the parameter is unknown can be ignored). The economics magnitude (ESMAG) datatype, which displays the magnitude of the data as a number, eg 1000 for thousand, 1000000 for million, etc, has been enhanced so that it is now supported in Datastream expressions.This is useful for displaying a set of economic series data in the same units. In the example below, the total exports of visible goods for a selection of countries are displayed in millions of dollars for the year 2007 total. This is achieved by using the calendar year sum function CYS, converting all series to dollars using the tilde, multiplying by ESMAG and dividing by 1,000,000. In the analysis below the top three countries are (in order) Germany, China and United States.EXPORTS IN CURRENT PRICES TYPE AGEXPGDSA AUEXPGDSA CNEXPGDSB CHEXPGDSA FREXPGDSB BDEXPGDSB HKEXPGDSA INEXPGDSA IDEXPGDSA IREXPGDSA ITEXPGDSB JPEXPGDSB KOEXPGDSA MYEXPGDSA MXEXPGDSA NLEXPGDSA NZEXPGDSA NWEXPGDSA RSEXPGDSA SPEXPGDSA SAEXPGDSA ESEXPGD SA SDEXPGDSB SWEXPGDSA TWEXPGDSA THEXPGDSA UKEXPGDSA USEXPGDSB ESUNT US $ MILLION AUST $ MILLION CAN $ MILLION 100 MLN US$ EURO MILLIONS EURO BILLIONS HONG KONG MN$ IND RUPEE BLN US $ MILLION EURO THOUSANDS EURO MILLIONS YEN BILLION US $ MILLION RINGGIT MLN US $ MILLION EURO MILLIONS NZ$ MLN NRWGN KR MLN US $ MILLION SINGAPORE $’000 RAND MILLION EURO THOUSANDS SWEDISH KR MLN SWISS FRANC MLN TAIWAN $ MLN US $ MILLION ?MILLION US $ MILLION GEOGN ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA CANADA CHINA FRANCE GERMANY HONG KONG INDIA INDONESIA IRELAND ITALY JAPAN KOREA MALAYSIA MEXICO NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND NORWAY RUSSIAN FEDERATION SINGAPORE SOUTH AFRICA SPAIN SWEDEN SWITZERLAND TAIWAN THAILAND UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES X(ESMAG) 1000000 1000000 1000000 100000000 1000000 1000000000 1000000 1000000000 1000000 1000 1000000 1000000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000 1000000 1000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 ESMAG EXPORTS-MILLIONS OF DOLLARS YEAR 200 CYS# (X~U$*XESMAG/1000)/1000 55933. 98 140975. 1 417035. 5 1217869 551328. 3 1330984 344676. 1 145260. 2 113953. 7 121504 491841 713111. 3 371489 176038. 3 272044 476323. 3 26946. 69 139232. 8 355176. 7 298876. 9 69661. 69 248555. 9 169700. 5 171465. 5 246181. 4 152480 436985. 3 1163314 INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 11Two new Country datatypes (GGISO and GGISN) have been introduced on Datastream: GGISO ISO Country Code GGISN ISIN Issuer Country The following table illustrates some examples: NAME ASM PACIFIC TECH C C LAND HOLDINGS CARNIVAL EADS (PAR) FRONTLINE GARMIN INVESCO MILLICOM INTL CELU SDB NWS HOLDINGS PARTNERRE PARTYGAMING QIAGEN (XET) RENAISSANCERE HDG ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES ROYAL DUTCH SHELL A(LON) MNEM K:ASMP K:QPAK U:CCL F:EADS N:FRON @GRMN U:IVZ W:MICB K:PAPO U:PRE PRTY D:QIAX U:RNR U:RCL RDSA GEOGN HONG KONG HONG KONG UNITED STATES FRANCE NORWAY UNITED STATES UNITED STATES LUXEMBOURG HONG KONG UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM GERMANY UNITED STATES UNITED ST ATES NETHERLANDS GGISO HK HK US FR NO US US LU HK US GB DE US US NL GGISN KY BM PA NL BM KY BM SE BM BM GI NL BM LR GBNEW INTERFACE FOR DATASTREAM CUSTOM USER-CREATED INDICES IN DEVELOPMENT Datastream has provided facilities for creating your own custom indices for a number of years, through an integrated interface in Advance and Advance for Office (AFO) and a more comprehensive terminal interface. These indices are used extensively for evaluating different investment strategies and for use as portfolio benchmarks. We currently have in development a new Advance/AFO interface, offering a range of exciting features. These include support for an extended set of weighting methods (in addition to the current market value weighting method) – such as equal weighting, local currency, free float and using your own weights (as either a factor or a number of shares). INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 12 Index creation interface currently in developmentThe new interface w ill also facilitate the building and configuration of indices with more complex changes to their history, so in addition to supporting the importing of a set of constituents for a single point in time (either to use for the full index history, or to use going forward), these facilities will allow changes to constituents and weights at different dates to be imported directly from Excel – enabling an Excel range containing the complete history of constituent changes, reflecting either an investment strategy or specific stock selection, to be easily set up on Datastream. Equally, for indices already set up, the constituent history can be exported to Excel, and any changes made before being imported back to Datastream.We are also working on extending the set of datatypes that can be calculated for indices beyond the current list (price index, return index, market value, dividend yield and price earnings) – this will include the 15 new valuation measures that have recently been introduced for equities and Datastream equity indices. These include key measures such as sales, profits, debt, and a set of ratios such as return on equity and profit margin. Finally, in addition to supporting equities, the new interface will also support using other indices, and unit trusts as constituents. So, for example, you will be able to create a market value weighted index using thirdparty indices, Datastream indices or other custom user-created indices as their constituents. Further information will be made available via the Datastream Extranet when this new interface becomes available. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 13 COMING SOON – INTERACTIVE CHARTING 1. 6The next release of Interactive Charting will be available soon to all users of Datastream Advance . 0 and will allow users to save their own user-created â€Å"styles† for charts. Preferences for fonts, colours, chart background and line styles can be defined, stored as a style a nd then applied to any chart in the user’s library. In addition, it will now be possible to set up custom colours and store these as part of your style. Set text style for your chart title, subtitle and legend: Set colour, thickness and style of the chart lines: Custom colours can also be defined: INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 1 Save the settings with a name of your choice: INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 1 DATASTREAM EXTRANET SAMPLESThe Datastream Samples page on the Extranet is a valuable source of content and functionality-related AFO tearsheets, that highlight the breadth and depth of content within the Datastream mainframe. Over the last few months, more models have been added, making access to existing and new content sets even easier. Some of the new sheets are detailed below, visit the Extranet site at: http://extranet. datastream. com/Free_Reports/AFO_SAMPLES. htm and look for the icon for more. Indices – Worldscope Inde x Valuations This new model displays a unique set of valuation datatypes for Datastream Global Equity Indices. Sourced from Worldscope and based on a trailing 12-month period if applicable, the datatypes include such popular items as EBITDA, Enterprise Value and CAPEX. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 1Economics – Recession Bands Using the academic, two quarters of successive negative QOQ GDP growth, calculation of recession, this model allows users to select a country and overlay one of several pre-defined series such as Consumer Spending, Industrial Production and Unemployment rate figures. The chart period can be customised and a user-defined overlay series can also be utilised. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 1 Options – Implied Volatility Surface Using Datastream’s extensive Options database, this model plots the implied volatility as a function of both the strike price and time to maturity. The resulting graph shows the implied volatility for all the options on a particular underlying series. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 1Equities – Key Performance Indicators from Worldscope Effective 15 November 2007, Thomson Financial added Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the Hotel, Airline and Retail sectors. Initially for the Russell 3000 Index constituents, this model displays the current indicators for all qualifying constituents. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 19 CONTENT ENHANCEMENT EQUITIES AND EQUITY INDICES UPDATE This month sees the release of additional valuation datatypes for the Russell indices. Changes to the way S&P constituent data is provided are effective from 1 June 2008 and customers are advised to read this carefully and take action if required. New Shariah indices are also available from S&P and FTSE.Read on for all the details. Global Update S&P Constituent Data – End-User Agreement Now Required for Access to Constituent-Level Dat a With effect from 1 June 2008, there is a change to the way constituent data for a number of S&P constituent families is provided on a number of Thomson products, such as Datastream, DDL, Datastream Advance in T1IM. From 1 June 2008, customers wishing to continue to access constituent datatypes such as constituent weights, number of shares and free-float data are required to have a direct end-user agreement with S&P. For each index family impacted by this change, a new module is available that provides access to the restricted datatypes.The names and identifiers of each security within each constituent list are not impacted by these changes and will remain unrestricted. This change is a result of S&P no longer licensing constituent-level index data for wholesale distribution through vendors to their clients. New modules created for each of the following index families impacted by this change: S&P US indices This includes the S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400, S&P SmallCap 600, S&P Composite 1500, S&P 1000, S&P 900, S&P 100, S&P REIT Composite, S&P Citigroup Style and all underlying sector, industry and style indices. S&P Australia This includes the S&P/ASX 50, S&P/ASX 100, S&P/ASX 200, S&P/ASX 300 and All Ordinaries Indices and all underlying sector, industry and style indices.S&P Global 1200 This includes the S&P Global 1200, S&P Europe 350, S&P/Topix 150, S&P/TSX60, S&P Asia 50 and S&P Latin America 40 and all underlying sector and industry indices. S&P/MIB This includes the S&P/MIB index. S&P/HKEx This includes the S&P/HKEx Hong Kong indices including the S&P/HKEx Composite index. S&P/Japan This includes the S&P Topix 150 index. Restricted Constituent List Datatypes From 1 June 200, the following datatypes are available only in the new modules. The restrictions also apply to these constituent datatypes provided for S&P historical constituent lists. Please note that not all datatypes are available or valid for all the S&P index families detailed above.A more detaile d list, along with all the constituent list mnemonics, is provided on the Datastream Extranet. The names and identifiers of each security within each constituent list are not impacted by these changes and remain unrestricted. DATATYPE WTIDX PIDX NSIDX FFIDX MVIDX CFIDX AFIDX CLS1 CLS1N CLS2 CLS2N CLS3 CLS3N CLS4 CLS4N DESCRIPTION CONSTITUENT WEIGHT PRICE OF EACH CONSTITUENT IN THE INDEX NUMBER OF SHARES INCLUDED IN THE INDEX FREE-FLOAT FACTOR OF EACH CONSTITUENT IN THE INDEX MARKET VALUE OF EACH CONSTITUENT IN THE INDEX CAPPING FACTOR ADJUSTMENT FACTOR GICS SECTOR CODE GICS SECTOR NAME GICS INDUSTRY GROUP CODE GICS INDUSTRY GROUP NAME GICS INDUSTRY CODE GICS INDUSTRY NAME GICS SUB-INDUSTRY CODE GICS SUB-INDUSTRY NAMEACTION REQUIRED In order to minimise the impact of these changes, it is advisable that you review as soon as possible if you wish to continue to access the above constituent list datatypes. If you do, you should contact S&P to discuss this or complete the form in the att ached notification and send it to S&P: http://extranet. datastream. com/data/Equity%20indices/ If you wish to discuss this directly with S&P, please contact one of the following: Americas: Maureen O’Shea EMEA: John Davies Asia: Angeline Choo ANZ: Guy Maguire Japan: Uchi Seiichiro Shariah Indices maureen_o’[email  protected] com +212 438 6174 [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7176 8456 [email  protected] com +65 6239 6318 [email  protected] com +61 292 559 822 [email  protected] com +813 4550 8568 INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 21 A number of new Shariah indices are now available on Datastream. S&P Pan-Asia Shariah index The stocks for this index are drawn from the Asian country indices in the S&P/Citigroup Global Equity Index series, excluding Australia, Japan and New Zealand. Stocks for the universe must have at least US$ 1 billion in float-adjusted market capitalisation. The number of stocks, for Shariah screening purposes, is limited to t he top 15 from each country that exceeds the US$1 billion market capitalisation threshold.Each month a universe of stocks conforming to these criteria, selected once a year on 31 March, is screened for Shariah compliance to form this index. The countries eligible for inclusion in this index are China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. S&P Global and World Property Shariah index The S&P/Citigroup Global Property index represents and measures the investable universe of publicly traded property companies from developed and emerging markets. The constituents are companies engaged in a wide range of real estate related activities, such as property management, development, rental and investment.The component REIT stocks, in particular, include property trusts that invest in physical real estate assets and other pass-through vehicles. The S&P/Citigroup World Property Index is a subset of the Global Property Index and includes companies fr om the developed markets only. Each month a universe of stocks conforming to these criteria, selected once a year on 31 March, is screened for Shariah compliance to form these indices. INDEX NAME S&P PAN-ASIA SHARIAH $ S&P PAN-ASIA SHARIAH E S&P WORLD PROPERTY SHARIAH $ S&P WORLD PROPERTY SHARIAH E S&P GLOBAL PROPERTY SHARIAH $ S&P GLOBAL PROPERTY SHARIAH E MNEMONIC SPSHPA$ SPSHPAE SPWPRS$ SPWPRSE SPGPRS$ SPGPRSEDATATYPE PI, RI, NR, MV PI, RI, NR, MV PI, RI, NR, MV PI, RI, NR, MV PI, RI, NR, MV PI, RI, NR, MV START DATE 29/12/06 29/12/06 29/12/06 29/12/06 29/12/06 29/12/06 INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 22 FTSE Shariah Japan 100 $ index FTSE extended its FTSE Shariah Global Equity index family on 3 March 2008 with the release of the FTSE Shariah Japan 100 $ index. This index represents the performance of the 100 biggest Shariah-compliant companies by full market capitalisation, that are included in FTSE Japan index. The index is calculated in USD and history is av ailable from 3 March 2008. The index mnemonic is FSJP10$. Further information can be found on: http://www. ftse. om/Indices/FTSE_Shariah_Global_Equity_Index_Series/ Downloads/FTSE_Shariah_Japan_100_USD_Valuation. pdf USA Update Russell – Additional Datatypes for Benchmark Indices Thomson Reuters has released new datatypes for the Russell Benchmark indices. The new datatypes include price to book value (BP), price to cash flow (PC), price to sales (PS), return on equity (RE) and return on assets (AR), and complement the existing coverage of price earnings ratio (PE), dividend yield (DY) and market value (MY) for the same indices. Customers who have access to the existing Russell Standard or Russell Premier pass-through modules will be able to access the new datatypes. Click on this link for more details: http://extranet. datastream. om/data/Equity%20indices/documents/Russellreleasemessagev2. doc The valuation ratios are updated at approximately 09:00 GMT on every sixth busines s day of the following month. INDEX DESCRIPTION RUSSELL TOP 50 RUSSELL TOP 200 RUSSELL TOP 200 GROWTH RUSSELL TOP 200 VALUE RUSSELL 1000 RUSSELL 1000 GROWTH RUSSELL 1000 VALUE RUSSELL 2000 RUSSELL 2000 GROWTH RUSSELL 2000 VALUE RUSSELL 2500 INDEX MNEMONIC RRUST50 RRUS200 RRUS20G RRUS20V RRUSS1L RRUS1GR RRUS1VA RRUSS2L RRUS2GR RRUS2VA RRUS250 DATATYPES PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PCBASE DATE 30/01/1998 31/01/2002 29/12/1978 31/01/2002 31/03/1986 31/01/2002 31/03/1986 31/01/2002 29/12/1978 31/01/2002 29/12/1978 31/01/2002 29/12/1978 31/01/2002 29/12/1978 31/01/2002 29/12/1978 31/01/2002 29/12/1978 31/01/2002 29/12/1978 31/01/2002 INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 23 RUSSELL 2500 GROWTH RUSSELL 2500 VALUE RUSSELL 3000 RUSSELL 3000 GROWTH RUSSELL 3000 VALUE RUSSELL 3000E RUSSELL 3000E GROWTH RUSSELL 3000E V ALUE RUSSELL SMALL CAP COMPLETENESS RUSSELL SMALL CAP COMPLETENESS GROWTH RUSSELL SMALL CAP COMPLETENESS VALUE RUSSELL MIDCAP RUSSELL MIDCAP GROWTH RUSSELL MIDCAP VALUE RUSSELL MICROCAP RUSSELL MICROCAP GROWTH RUSSELL MICROCAP VALUE RRUS25G RRUS25V RRUSS3L RRUS3GR RRUS3VA RR3000E RR30GRE RR30VAE RRS3XSD RRS3GXD RRS3VXD RRUSMID RRUSMIG RRUSMIV RRUSMIC RRUSMGR RRUSMVAPS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC PS, RE, BP, AR PC 31/03/1986 31/01/2002 31/03/1986 31/01/2002 29/12/1978 31/01/2002 30/03/1979 31/01/2002 30/03/1979 31/01/2002 30/06/2005 30/06/2005 30/06/2006 30/06/2006 30/06/2006 30/06/2006 31/12/1979 31/01/2002 31/12/1979 31/01/2002 31/12/1979 31/01/2002 29/12/1978 31/01/2002 31/03/1986 31/01/2002 31/03/1986 31/01/2002 30/06/2005 30/0 6/2005 30/06/2006 30/06/2006 30/06/2006 30/06/2006Global Property Research Two new indices from Global Property Research are now available on Datastream. History is available from 28 March 2008. INDEX NAME GPR 250 PSI CHINA GPR 250 PSI CHINA E GPR 250 PSI CHINA $ GPR 250 REIT CHINA GPR 250 REIT CHINA E GPR 250 REIT CHINA $ MNEMONIC GPR2CHL GPR2CHE GPR2CH$ GPRRCHL GPRRCHE GPRRCH$ DATATYPE PI, RI, MV, DY, NE PI, RI, MV, DY, NE PI, RI, MV, DY, NE PI, RI, MV, DY, NE PI, RI, MV, DY, NE PI, RI, MV, DY, NE INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 2 Middle East Update Jordan – Additional Equity Datatypes Thomson Reuters has released additional Jordan unadjusted price datatypes on Datastream from 18 March 2008.The additional equity datatypes are: †¢ Unadjusted price ask (UPA) †¢ Unadjusted price bid (UPB) †¢ Unadjusted price high (UPH) †¢ Unadjusted price low (UPL) †¢ Unadjusted price open (UPO) †¢ Unadjusted trade volume (UVO) The Jordan stocks currently covered on Datastream can be found in the list FJORD. The prices are updated at approximately 12:30 GMT. Asia Update Thailand – Additional Datatypes Market value (MV) is now available for all Thailand Stock Exchange indices. History is available from 25 December 2007. In addition to the MV data, other datatypes are also now available for the Thai Industry Group Indices – these are: PE, BP, DY, MV, VO and VA. History is available from 25 December 2007.Thailand Benchmark and Sector Indices INDEX NAME BANGKOK SET BANGKOK SET 50 BANGKOK SET 100 THAILAND MAI THAILAND SE AGRIBUSINESS THAILAND SE FOOD AND BEVERAGE THAILAND SE FASHION THAILAND SE HOME & OFFICE PRODUCTS THAILAND SE PERSONAL PRODUCTS & PHARMACEUTICALS THAILAND SE BANKING THAILAND SE FINANCE AND SECURITIES THAILAND SE INSURANCE THAILAND SE AUTOMOTIVE THAILAND SE INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS & MACHINERY THAILAND SE PACKAGING THAILAND SE PAPER & PRINTING MATERIALS THAILAND SE PETROCHEMICALS & CHEMICALS THAILAND SE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS THAILAND SE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT THAILAND SE ENERGY & UTILITIES THAILAND SE MINING THAILAND SE COMMERCE THAILAND SE HEALTH CARE SERVICES THAILAND SE MEDIA & PUBLISHING THAILAND SE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THAILAND SE TOURISM & LEISURE THAILAND SE TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS THAILAND SE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS THAILAND SE INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY MNEMONIC BNGKSET BNGKS50 BNGK100 BNGKMAI BNGKAGR BNGKFDI BNGKFHN BNGKHHG BNGKPPH BNGKBNK BNGKFIN BNGKINS BNGKAUT BNGKIMM BNGKPAK BNGKPPM BNGKPET BNGKCTR BNGKPDV BNGKENG BNGKMIN BNGKCOM BNGKHCS BNGKENR BNGKPFS BNGKHOT BNGKTLO BNGKELC BNGKCMM DATATYPE MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV MV INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 2 Thailand Industry Group IndicesINDEX NAME THAILAND SE AGRO & FOOD INDUSTRY THAILAND SE CONSUMER PRODUCTS THAILAND SE FINANCIALS THAILAND SE INDUSTRIALS THAILAND SE PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION THAILAND SE RESOURCES THAILAND SE SER VICES THAILAND SE TECHNOLOGY MNEMONIC BNGKAGF BNGKCON BNGKFNI BNGKIND BNGKPRO BNGKRES BNGKSER BNGKTEK DATATYPE PE, BP, DY, MV, VO, VA PE, BP, DY, MV, VO, VA PE, BP, DY, MV, VO, VA PE, BP, DY, MV, VO, VA PE, BP, DY, MV, VO, VA PE, BP, DY, MV, VO, VA PE, BP, DY, MV, VO, VA PE, BP, DY, MV, VO, VA INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 2 I/B/E/S GLOBAL AGGREGATES CONTENT ENHANCEMENT – RELEASE OF ADDITIONAL MONTHLY HISTORY FOR FIVE ASIAN INDICES Thomson Reuters has released additional monthly history for five major indices in Asia to I/B/E/S Global Aggregates.Previously going back only one year, monthly history for these indices now goes as far back as January 2005, with weekly history back to January 2006 – providing even more value-added content. The five series are: COUNTRY TAIWAN TAIWAN TAIWAN MALAYSIA MALAYSIA IGA INDEX NAME TAIWAN SE WEIGHTED TAIEX TSEC TAIWAN 50 TSEC TAIWAN MIDCAP 100 KUALA LUMPUR COMPOSITE INDEX (KLCI) KUALA LUMPUR SE EMAS IGA IDENTIFIER TAIEX TSEC50 TSECMID KLCI KLEMAS DATASTREAM MNEMONIC @:TAIEX @:TASEC5 @:TAMID1 @:MYKLCI @:MYEMAS This additional history was made available with the March 2008 monthly run. For further information or assistance, please contact content. [email  protected] com or your local Thomson Datastream customer service or account team. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 2DATASTREAM DELIVERS SOUGHT-AFTER COMMODITY INFORMATION FROM PLATTS Market watchers know that commodities are now in their fifth year of a bull run, with many hitting their all-time high price over the last year or so and drawing the attention of hedge funds, investment houses and others looking to increase their portfolio weightings in this asset class. Now Thomson Datastream clients can access end-of-day commodity price assessments by way of the industry-leading Platts Dispatch product, to help them reduce risk as they make key trading decisions, value positions and analyse data. †¢ Platts, a division o f McGraw-Hill, provides industry-standard commodity price assessments that are critical elements used to settle short- and long-term OTC contracts worldwide. Renowned for their energy commodity coverage, Platts pricings help industry specialists understand commodity price trends and developments. Available on a pass-through basis, Platts Dispatch over Thomson Datastream delivers end-of-day price assessments, third-party data, and an historical database of more than 25,000 commodity time series, many with several decades of data. †¢ Platts commodities data spans: oil and shipping; petrochemicals; metals; electricity and gas; coal and emissions; data via American Petroleum Institute Statistics; and Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts’ prices. †¢ Overall, the content is available through 129 data categories, which can be chosen individually or grouped into packages, and may contain one or more of the following data attributes: high, low, bid, ask, mid-price, close and volume.Frequency of series ranges from daily, weekly, monthly or infrequently – priced when an event occurs. †¢ Clients subscribing to Platts content through Thomson Datastream will be able to use its existing functionality and integrate this content with other available leading Thomson Datastream content sets. All clients must maintain a direct agreement, which must be in place with Platts prior to the client being entitled to its data. More information on the data and how clients can obtain an agreement for it can be found on: http://extranet. datastream. com/data/Commodities/Index. htm INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 2 METALS EXPANSION COVERAGEThomson Reuters has expanded Datastream’s metal coverage with an additional 00 new time series, covering Asian metal spot prices with a distinct focus on the Chinese market and the inclusion of steel price indices and other steel-related products. Customers can now access CRU Steel price ind ices for semi-finished and finished carbon steel products, known to be the most widely used benchmarks in the world steel industry. Complementing these indices are SteelHome’s China Steel price indices. In additional to steel indices, Chinese metal prices from local steelmakers with the following characteristics are now available: †¢ Stainless steel †¢ Coke/coal †¢ Iron ore †¢ Pig iron/scrap †¢ Wire rod/rebar †¢ Medium plates †¢ CR/HR †¢ Section †¢ Ferro-alloy/non-ferrous INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 29Further expansion with a focus on Asian metal prices is now available for the following categories: †¢ Base metals †¢ Minor metals †¢ Rare earths †¢ Ferro-alloys †¢ Refractories †¢ Iron and steel Chinese Base Metals Comparison INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 30 ECONOMICS ROUND-UP New Series More than 3,000 series have recently been added to the Economics database, w ith particular emphasis on more detail in key coverage areas such as international trade. Some of the highlights are summarised below, with links given to the relevant Content Updates on the Datastream Extranet, where more information and series listings are available. Trade Detail for Turkey More than 300 commodity trade series are now available for Turkey, as sourced from the Turkish Statistical Institute.Import and export coverage is given by three different classification schemes: Broad Economic Categories, International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) and Standard International Trade Classification (SITC). Also added were trade by country series. All data is monthly, most with start dates from January 1996. (See Content Updates #2780, 2791, 2794 and 2819. ) Trade detail has also been recently added for France and Brazil. See the table below. Confidence Surveys for Indonesia Series from the Bank of Indonesia’s surveys on business and consumer expectations have b een released on Thomson Datastream. The new data includes information about business conditions during the current quarter, as well as expectations for the following quarter, by industry. Concepts covered are business activities, selling prices and usage of labour. 2772) The consumer survey is headlined with three indices – Consumer Confidence Index (CCI), Current Economic Condition Index (CECI) and the Consumer Expectation Index (CEI). Also available are price expectations of major commodities in three and six months’ time, consumption plans and appraisal of economic conditions. (2769) In the News †¢ US Housing House purchase price indices, produced by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), are now available. Data is reported for the US total and nine Census divisions on a quarterly basis. (2824) †¢ Energy in China Series detailing consumption of energy fuels and electricity by industry have been added.The statistics are annual, as repor ted by National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS). (2775) The table overleaf itemises the new data releases that have been made over the last two months. The table provides access links to the original Content Update announcements on the Research Extranet, where more information is given, including series lists – just click on the description in the first column, which is a hyperlink. Also provided are Navigator citations and links – referring to locations in Thomson Datastream Navigator, Explorer for Economics, where the relevant series are shown. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 31 New Series by Region # Series Content Navigator Location Added Update #See Explorer for Economics> National Sources 129 6 7 18 7 16 5 15 54 40 2867 2880 2847 2837 2833 2835 2853 2879 2796 2824 Brazil > External Sector > Imports and Exports > Trade by Commodity Brazil > External Sector > International Reserves Brazil > Money and Finance > Money Supply Chile > Key Indicato rs Chile > External Sector > External Investment & Debt Chile > Government Sector > Government Surplus/Deficit Chile > External Sector > International Reserves Colombia > Industry Sector > Housing and Construction Detail United States > Money & Finance > Banking (MFIs) > FDIC Quarterly Banking Profile United States > Industry Sector > Housing & Construction Detail > OFHEO House Price Index AmericasBrazilian External Trade by Commodity Brazilian International Reserve Assets Brazilian Money Supply Components Chilean Consumer Credit and Bank Lending Chilean External Debt Chilean Government Accounts Chilean Official Reserves Colombian Housing Construction by Cities US FDIC Quarterly Banking Profile US OFHEO Purchase-Only House Price Indices Asia Chinese Energy Series Indonesian Business Survey series Indonesian Consumer Confidence Survey Indonesian Retail Sales Survey series Japanese Lease Series 73 104 83 16 15 2775 2772 2769 2774 2844 See Explorer for Economics > National Sources Chin a > Industry Sector > Other Industry detail > Energy Indonesia > Surveys & Cyclical Indexes > Business Surveys Indonesia > Surveys & Cyclical Indexes > Consumer Surveys Indonesia > Surveys & Cyclical Indexes > Retail Sales Survey Japan – Premium Service > Industry Sector > Other Industry Detail > Machinery & Equipment > Equipment Leasing & PurchasesJapanese Motor Vehicle Imports Japanese Treasury Funds Receipts & Payments Balances with the Private Sector Malaysian Bank Lending Malaysian Foreign Reserves Malaysian Manufacturing Sales Value New Zealand Manufacturing Survey series Thailand Non-Performing Loans 11 29 2763 2770 Japan – Premium Service > Industry Sector > Automobiles & Transport Detail > Vehicle Imports Japan – Premium Service > Government Sector > Treasury Funds Balance of Receipts & Payments with the Private Sector 25 6 1 48 16 2825 2797 2839 2785 2832 Malaysia > Money & Finance > Banking (MFIs) Malaysia > Money & Finance > International Reserves > Monthly series Malaysia > Industry Sector> Industrial Production > Manufacturing Production and Sales New Zealand > Industry Sector > Sales, Orders, Inventories Thailand > Money & Finance > Banking (MFIs) > Non-Performing Loans EuropeAustria Producer Price Index Austrian Labour Market Austrian Wholesale, Retail Trade and Services Bulgarian National Accounts Danish Gross Fixed Capital Formation Finnish Gross Fixed Capital Formation – Construction French External Trade Statistics by Commodity & Area Netherlands Government Sector series Netherlands Seasonally Adjusted Quarterly Industrial Production Series Portuguese Employment and Industrial Sales Turnover Portuguese Government Revenue and Expenditure Romanian Consumer Price Index Romanian Wages and Earnings Slovak National Accounts Spanish International Reserves United Kingdom Detailed Index of Production 63 23 14 315 49 6 165 2873 2802 2852 2779 2789 2877 2857 35 39 90 8 12 20 298 35 12 2812 2868 2850 2859 2818 2826 2861 2810 2790See Explorer for Economics > National Sources Austria > Prices > Producer Prices Austria > Labour Market > Employment & Hours Austria > Industry Sector > Sales, Orders, Inventories > Retail Sales and other lists Bulgaria > National Accounts > GDP by industry Denmark > National Accounts > Investment/Capital Formation various lists Finland > National Accounts > Investment/Capital Formation France > External Sector > Imports & Exports > Trade by Commodity various lists Netherlands > Government Sector Netherlands > Industry Sector > Industrial Production & Utilisation > Production Indices SA Portugal > Labour Market > Employment & Hours and Wages & Earnings Portugal > Industry Sector > Sales, Orders, Inventories Portugal > Government Sector > Government Surplus/Deficit Romania > Prices > Consumer Prices Romania > Labour Market > Wages & Earnings Slovakia > National Accounts > GDP by Expenditure Spain > External Sector > International Reserves United Kingdom > Industry Sector > Indu strial Production & Utilisation > Main Indicators > Seasonally Adjusted and Not Seasonally Adjusted INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 32 New Series by Region # Series Content Navigator Location Added Update #See Explorer for Economics > International Sources – History 230 2754 European Commission > Business and Consumer Surveys various lists Eurozone European Commission Aggregate Series for Eurozone 15 #5 – Business & Consumer Surveys ECB Aggregate Series for Eurozone 15 #6 – Prices and Labour Market ECB Aggregate Series for Eurozone 15 #7 – Retail Sales 10 2855 15 2845 European Central Bank > ECB Monthly Bulletin > Prices, Output, Demand and Labour Markets > Labour Market and HICP, Other Prices and Costs European Central Bank > ECB Monthly Bulletin > Prices, Output, Demand and Labour Markets > Output and Demand Middle East & AfricaEgyptian Foreign Direct Investment by Area Egyptian Remittances Israel Wages and Employee Posts Israeli Natio nal Accounts South Africa Energy Statistics Turkish Foreign Trade by Commodity (Broad Economic Categories) Turkish Foreign Trade by Commodity (ISIC Classification) Turkish Foreign Trade by Commodity (SITC) Turkish Foreign Trade by Country 77 152 45 2791 2794 2819 31 21 99 198 10 42 2860 2838 2764 2752 2854 2780 See Explorer for Economics > National Sources Egypt > External Sector > External Investment & Debt Egypt > Labour Market > Wages and Earnings Israel > Labour Market > Employment & Hours and Wages & Warnings Israel > National Accounts > GDP by Expenditure South Africa > Industry Sector > Other Industry Detail Turkey > External Sector > Imports & Exports > Trade by Commodity > Imports and ExportsTurkey > External Sector > Imports & Exports > Trade by Commodity > Imports and Exports Turkey > External Sector > Imports & Exports > Trade by Commodity > Imports and Exports Turkey > External Sector > Imports & Exports > Trade by Country International OECD Main Economic Indicators â⠂¬â€œ February 2008 24 2768 See Explorer for Economics > International Sources – History OECD Main Economic Indicators > Indicators for OECD Zones and Indicators for OECD NonMember Countries various lists OECD Main Economic Indicators – March 2008 8 2834 OECD Main Economic Indicators > Indicators for OECD Member Countries and Indicators for OECD Non-Member Countries various lists INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 33Revisions and Methodology Changes It has been a busy period, with revisions to US seasonally adjusted data and index rebasings in a number of markets. Other more substantive changes have been made to balance of payments and the trade-weighted exchange rate for Euroland, household interest rates for the UK, Flow of Funds and Household Economy Survey for Japan, and unemployment statistics for Denmark. The following table summarises the revisions that have taken place in the last two months. Please refer to the Content Update itself (hyperlinked from the table) for further information and mnemonics of affected series. Country Revised Data Content Update # Changes to Economic SeriesAustralia Austria Denmark Euroland Israel Italy Japan Australian Construction Work Done Revised Australian Labour Force Survey Revised Austrian Wages Rebased Danish Unemployment Methodology Changed ECB Effective Exchange Rates Redefined Eurozone Monthly Balance of Payments Changed Israeli Wages and Employment Data Revised Italian External Trade Index Rebased Japan Electronic Equipment Market Size and Demand Forecasts Changed Japan Flow of Funds Accounts Series Methodology Changed Rebased Japanese Household Economy Survey Partly Discontinued Japan Real & Nominal Effective Exchange Rates Redefined Philippines South Korea Philippine Industrial Production Indices Rebased Philippine Producer Price Indices Rebased South Korean Business Indicator Composite Indices Rebased South Korean Housing Purchase Price Index Rebased South Korean Industrial Producti on Rebased South Korean Manufacturing Production Rebased & Changed South Korean Retail Sales Rebased South Korean Service Industry Index Rebased Sweden Taiwan Thailand Turkey UK USA Swedish Retail Sales Index Rebased Taiwanese Price Indices Rebased Thai External Trade & Terms of Trade Index Rebased Turkish National Accounts Rebased UK Bank of England Household Interest Rates Changed US Industrial Production & Capacity Utilization Revised US Seasonally Adjusted Consumer Price Indices Revised US Seasonally Adjusted Existing Home Sales Revised US Seasonally Adjusted Pending Home Sales Revised US Seasonally Adjusted Producer Price Indices Revised US Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Insurance Claims Revised US Wholesale Trade: Sales and Inventories Revised 2792 2848 2827 2842 2760 2820 2759 2858 2849 2869 2878 2846 2757 2876 2821 2805 2799 2811 2813 2809 2806 2800 2767 2828 2836 2864 2882 2762 2784 2804 2781 2871 2872 INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 3 Key Indicator Cha nges The Economics team continues to review Key Indicator selections for each market, in order to add more, ensure the best selection and bring more consistency across countries. See below for recent additions and hyperlinks to relevant Content Updates, where more information is given. Key Indicator ChangeAustria Consumer Credit Added Austria International Reserves Selection Changed Austria Producer Prices Selection Changed Chilean Consumer Credit and Bank Lending Added Israeli Employment and Wages Selection Changed Polish Producer Price Index Resourced Romanian Producer Price Index Now on Fixed Base Swedish Business Confidence Indicators Selection Changed Thai Bank Loans Series Added Mnemonics OECRDCONA OERESERVA OEPROPRCF CLCRDCONA & CLBANKLPA POPROPRCF RMPROPRCF SDCNFBUSR & SDCNFBUSQ THBNKLONA Content Update # 2822 2807 2843 2837 2766 2793 2798 2773 ISWAGES. E, ISWAGMANF & ISEMPALLG 2758 Interest Rates Repo Rates for Thailand Four bilateral repurchase rates, as released by the Ba nk of Thailand, are now available. The series are weighted average rates with 1, 7, 14 and 30-day terms.The Bilateral Repurchase Operation is conducted through appointed Bilateral Primary Dealers and helps in stimulating the private repurchase market. Repurchase transactions are used by the bank to temporarily add or drain reserves available in the banking system. Mnemonics are as follows: Description THAILAND BILATERAL REPO RATE 1 DAY THAILAND BILATERAL REPO RATE 7 DAY THAILAND BILATERAL REPO RATE 14 DAY THAILAND BILATERAL REPO RATE 30 DAY DS Mnemonic THBRP1D THBRP7D THBRP2W THBRP1M Datatype IR IR IR IR INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 3 NEW VALUATION RATIOS RELEASED IN MARCH March saw the release of 1 new valuation ratios on Thomson Datastream.These ratios are calculated on the equity level as well as the industry, sector, country and regional levels of the Datastream Indices, and allow a great number of data comparisons to highlight trends which previously woul d have needed compilation of data before use. In brief, these ratios are based on the Worldscope database items and using wherever possible the latest interim data on a 12-month trailing basis. The full methodology is described in the following link on the Extranet: http://extranet. datastream. com/data/Equities/documents/DatastreamGlobalEquityIndicesvaluationdatatypes-rulesvs4final. pdf INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 3 So what can we do with these ratios?You can compare a company to its industry, locally and regionally, as is illustrated here using Return on Equity. About Martek Biosciences Corporation Founded in 1985, the group’s principal activity is to develop, manufacture and sell naturally produced products derived from micro-algae, fungi and other microbes. The group’s products and services include speciality, nutritional oils for infant formula, nutritional supplements and food ingredients to promote mental and cardiovascular health, fluores cent markers for diagnostics, rapid miniaturised screening and gene and protein detection. Its ROE is compared here with the US Food & the World Food industries.You can also †¦make sector comparisons across different regions of the world using the regional-level aggregates Here we have compared the Capital Expenditure of the Pharmaceutical industry in various regions: Europe, USA, Far East and World. Capital expenditure for USA and Europe represents almost 90% of the capex spent in that industry worldwide, and it’s interesting to see how the drop in US relative capex has been totally mirrored by an increase in Europe’s importance in this domain. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 3 †¦or look at a particular sector in a different light, using here the Interest coverage ratio to illustrate the Turkish Telecom Sector and its ability to repay debt Interest charge coverage, also called interest coverage ratio, is defined by EBIT divided by the inte rest expense for each period.It indicates the ability of the company (or in this case the sector) to repay its debt using the income generated by the business. Levels above 3 are considered having a strong ability to repay debt, while businesses whose ratio drops below 1. 5 (red line on the chart) are considered risky. It’s interesting to show how the sector market index started picking up once the interest coverage ratio moved above 3 towards the end of 2004. This is also when the sector was open to competition. New licences were granted to 16 suppliers of data transmission services in fixed telephony. Further steps towards liberalisation and breaking up of the monopoly were taken in 2005/06 by the sale of Turk Telekom.Vodafone repurchased Telsim, the second largest mobile phone operator. The Turkish telecommunications network continued to grow, currently ranked the 13th largest market in the world and fifth in Europe. INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 3 COM PANY ADDITIONS TO WORLDSCOPE During February and March over 00 companies were added to the Worldscope Database. These additions included 112 US Companies and a continuing expansion of coverage of Middle Eastern markets. Also, Nigeria was added to our country coverage. Worldscope’s total coverage at 8th April 2008 consisted of 56,448 companies, 36,508 of which were active companies. 10,172 of these companies are Limited data set companies (8,064 active).COUNTRY ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA AUSTRIA BAHRAIN BELGIUM BERMUDA BRAZIL CANADA CAYMAN ISLANDS CHILE CHINA COLOMBIA CZECH REPUBLIC DENMARK EGYPT ESTONIA FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY GREECE HONG KONG HUNGARY ICELAND INDIA INDONESIA IRELAND ISRAEL ITALY JAPAN JORDAN KOREA (SOUTH) KUWAIT LITHUANIA LUXEMBOURG MALAYSIA MEXICO MOROCCO NETHERLANDS TOTAL 0 FEB 200 113 2490 203 35 286 82 602 2524 28 261 1903 54 82 330 59 7 238 1657 1550 401 1168 46 19 2102 401 158 225 525 4816 30 1154 87 3 68 1208 227 26 408 COMPANIES ADDED FEB-MAR 200 5 25 1 5 5 1 2 15 2 3 50 0 1 0 3 0 0 13 4 0 4 5 0 26 8 0 2 6 37 5 17 9 0 0 4 2 0 1 ACTIVE  APR 200 86 1912 105 40 148 76 386 1598 22 218 1895 35 20 170 55 7 138 866 1052 288 1022 29 17 2023 359 79 186 295 3971 35 974 96 3 46 1002 132 24 212 INACTIVE  APR 200 32 603 99 0 143 7 218 941 8 46 58 19 63 160 7 0 100 804 502 113 150 22 2 105 50 79 41 236 882 0 197 0 0 22 210 97 2 197 TOTAL  APR 200 118 2515 204 40 291 83 604 2539 30 264 1953 54 83 330 62 7 238 1670 1554 401 1172 51 19 2128 409 158 227 531 4853 35 1171 96 3 68 1212 229 26 409 INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 39NEW ZEALAND NIGERIA NORWAY PAKISTAN PERU PHILIPPINES POLAND PORTUGAL QATAR RUSSIAN FEDERATION SAUDI ARABIA SINGAPORE SLOVAKIA SLOVENIA SOUTH AFRICA SPAIN SRI LANKA SWEDEN SWITZERLAND TAIWAN THAILAND TURKEY UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES VENEZUELA VIRGIN ISLANDS (BRITISH ZIMBABWE OVERALL TOTALS 202 0 409 152 103 263 263 144 35 123 55 772 25 11 843 316 34 607 437 1685 639 263 36 4563 181 92 50 13 30 1 3 5 5 2 13 2 21 1 1 33 24 9 0 1 20 5 2 6 1 35 5 0 13 23 112 0 0 4 0 114 5 193 130 86 241 246 60 36 141 79 647 10 12 370 150 32 330 275 1500 535 230 48 2298 9039 35 12 32 30 91 0 221 24 30 24 38 85 0 15 0 134 15 0 493 171 4 283 163 220 109 33 1 2288 9265 15 1 2 1990 205 5 414 154 116 265 284 145 36 156 79 781 25 12 863 321 36 613 438 1720 644 263 49 4586 18304 50 13 34  INFOSTREAM MAY/JUN 2008  © THOMSON REUTERS 2008 0 CONTRIBUTORS PRODUCT MANAGEMENT PAUL BACON DATAFEEDS paul. [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7324 6873 JULIAN RICKARDS DATASTREAM ADVANCE, DSWINDOWS, DSDDE julian. [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7336 1944 CASEY PEARCE DATASTREAM INTERACTIVE CHARTING casey. [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7324 9359 IAN BROCKLEHURST THOMSON ONE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS ian. [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7324 8890 DAVID BERNARD THOMSON ONE INVESTMENT BANKING SOLUTIONS david. [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7336 1930 STEVE KELLY THOMSON EXTEL SURVEYS steve. [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7324 9200 CONTENT MANAGEMENTNICOLAS DE LAURENS CASTELET GLOBAL CONTENT SOLUTIONS nicolas. [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7336 1950 STEPHEN CARTER COMPANY ACCOUNTS stephen. [email  protected] com +44 (0)29 2063 1943 ANNE SIEBER EQUITIES, EQUITY INDICES, FUNDS & 3RD-PARTY DATA anne. [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7324 9741 JAMES BRIGHT I/B/E/S GLOBAL AGGREGATES ESTIMATES DATA james. [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7324 9600 NELSON SALSINHA DERIVATIVES & COMMODITIES nelson. [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7324 9455 MADELEINE DISARIO ECONOMICS madeleine. [email  protected] com +1 301 545 4255 TONY MCCORMACK FIXED INCOME tony. [email  protected] com +44 (0)20 7014 1232