Common Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Common Law - Essay Example was extremely slow points towards false representation and it is arguable that this misrepresentation gives Abigail the right to repudiate the contract on the misrepresentation constituting a condition (Poole, 2006). The burden would be on Abigail to prove this, which may be difficult on grounds that there is no record of her telephone conversation with CableFast. Additionally, as the contract was for the supply of services, the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 implies terms into Abigail’s contract, which cannot be excluded and therefore enforceable against CableFast. The 1982 Act provides that in a contract for the supply of services and where the supplier acts in the course of a business, there will be an implied term that the supplier will exercise reasonable skill and care in delivering the services. The 1982 Act requires the services to be provided to a satisfactory quality and fit for the purpose intended. Therefore, if Abigail can establish breach of these implied terms she will have a claim for breach of contract. The fact that the broadband connection was very poor will operate in Abigail’s favour in establishing breach. Alternatively, as the contract is a business to consumer contract and was concluded via telephone, it will constitute a contract at a â€Å"distance† under Regulation 3 (1) of the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 (the Regulations). Most importantly for Abigail is the 7 day cooling off period provided by the Regulations, which enable consumers to cancel the contract during a seven day period. Whilst the Regulations permit businesses to stipulate the conditions and procedures for withdrawal, the right to cancel cannot be derogated from and information regarding the procedure for cancellation must be supplied to the consumer (Regulation 11). As Abigail’s contract was for the provision of services, Regulation 12 provides her with the right to cancel within 7 working days from when the order is

Development of Soil Nutrient Sensors

Development of Soil Nutrient Sensors The rising demand for food crops and the growing concern for environment have made it necessary to shift from traditional agricultural practices towards modern agricultural practices. Traditional agricultural practices are labor intensive, time consuming, expensive and also a cause of environment pollution. To achieve sustainable agriculture, it is necessary that the precision agriculture technologies and practices are integrated with the traditional practices, which will also help to deal with the spatial heterogeneity of the soil [1]. The biggest hurdle in the proper implementation of precision agriculture is the inability to generate information related to a particular site rapidly and at an acceptable cost using laboratory analysis and soil sampling methods. The nutrients required for the healthy growth of a crop are obtained from the soil. The quality of crop yield depends on the quality of soil in which it grows. Therefore, soil testing is an important aspect of precision agriculture. The proposed research work is an effort towards the design and development of a soil monitoring system that can be used to estimate the urea content in soil. The system makes use of Partial Least Squares Regression Technique (PLSR) for the estimation of urea. The system can be made portable, smart, low cost and user friendly through the use of embedded systems. With some modifications the system can be designed to estimate more than one soil component. The thesis is organized in the following chapters as described below. Chapter I (Introduction) â€Å"Agriculture not only gives riches to a nation, but the only riches she can call her own†[2]. The growth in the demand for food, feed and fiber globally is anticipated to grow by 70 percent. The demand for crops for industrial use and in the production of bio-energy is also expected to rise simultaneously. The increasing demand for agricultural goods will put huge pressure on the limited resources available. The increase in urban settlement areas will force agriculture to compete for land and water. Agriculture will therefore have to adapt itself to newer conditions and at the same time will have to address issues related to climate change, maintenance of biodiversity and preservation of natural habitats [3]. To meet these demands, farmers therefore need to equip themselves with new technologies so as to increase productivity with limited number of resources. Sustainable resource management is the need of the hour. Conservation of soil quality is crucial to sustainability in agriculture. This has led to a shift from the use of traditional agricultural practices to modern agricultural practices so that the available resources are utilized in a sustainable manner. The modern technique of farming known as precision farming is based on the concept of site specific crop management. This method takes into consideration variability exhibited by the soil and accordingly inputs are applied based on the local requirements within a field. Soil sensing plays an important role in precision farming. Large numbers of soil sensors are being developed all around the world to measure different soil properties. Some of which are still in the research and development stage and some of which are commercially available. Based on their principle of working these soil sensors can be classified as follows: Electrical and Electromagnetic sensors: Depending on the composition of soil under test, electrical capacitance or inductance, resistivity or conductivity of the soil is measured. The response time of these sensors is very fast, they have high durability and are of low cost. These sensors are commercially available. Optical and Radiometric sensors: These sensors, through the use of electromagnetic waves, measure the level of energy that is either absorbed or reflected by the soil particles depending on the soil composition. The properties of the soil are measured using visible and near-infrared wavelengths [4]. They can be used for the estimation of CEC, soil texture, moisture and other soil parameters with the help of appropriate data analysis techniques. Mechanical sensors: these sensors measure soil resistance with the help of a tool used in the soil. The measure of resistance offered by the soil has a relation with the compaction of the soil which is a spatially varying property of soil. Acoustic sensors and Pneumatic sensors: Though these are a class of mechanical sensors, they can be used as an alternative means for the differentiation of physical and mechanical characteristics of soil. Measurements taken using pneumatic and acoustic sensor have been used to correlate soil texture and compaction. The application of acoustic sensors in characterizing the physical state of soil is not very clear and requires more research work. Electrochemical sensors: These sensors produce an output voltage through the use of ion selective membranes, depending on the activity of ions under study such as H+, K+, NO3 −, Na+, etc. Soil pH sensors using this technique are already commercially available. The extraction of ions such as potassium in real time is still not possible even though the concept appears to be simple. There is a need to develop fast, real time and portable soil sensors which can generate soil report instantly. Thus, the problem of designing and developing a smart soil monitoring system was formulated using a reconfigurable embedded system platform. Chapter II (Literature Survey and Objectives) The conventional laboratory methods of soil testing have a number of limitations such as they are expensive, labor intensive and time consuming. As such new methods of soil testing are being developed across the globe. A number of soil nutrient sensing techniques are in the stage of development and testing. These sensors can be broadly classified into two types depending on the techniques of measurement being used. 1. Optical sensing uses reflectance spectroscopy technique wherein the light that is absorbed/reflected by soil particles is measured. Since optical sensing techniques have the advantage of being non-destructive they are more widely used as compared to electrochemical sensing techniques [5], [6]. Soil color analysis can be used for estimating soil organic matter content through the use of optical sensors [7]. The visual and near-infrared spectral reflectance in optical sensing can be used for estimating soil texture, moisture, CEC etc. [8]. 2. Electrochemical sensing is based on the measurement of current or voltage generated between the sensing electrode and the reference electrode. The amount of voltage or current measured is related to the concentration of the selected ions such as H+, K+, NO3-, etc. [8]. Ion selective electrodes made of glass or polymer membrane, or ion-selective field effect transistors are used for the measurement of soil fertility. Ion-selective membrane sensors have a huge potential in the development of on-the-go soil nutrient(s) and pH sensors [9]. Currently, the accuracy of the results using these sensors is low as compared to those using laboratory tests, but this can be taken care of by increasing the sampling density. Use of Spectroscopic techniques in the estimation of soil properties has been demonstrated since 1970’s [10]. Various methods using spectral analysis have been proposed for the measurement of the soil properties. Methods that are based on the physical and analytical characteristics of the signal and chemometric based empirical methods provide good effective predictability. Therefore, the relation between soil properties and soil absorption can be used to develop regressions using field and laboratory data for calibration. Spectroscopic techniques are found to be faster, can provide real time measurements and are of low cost, as compared to conventional methods and hence are found to be more suitable when there are more samples and analysis to be done. Also, unlike laboratory testing methods which require sample pre-processing and the use of chemical extractants, spectroscopic techniques can be used directly, thus saving on cost and time [11]. Thus, the problem of developing a soil nutrient sensor using RF spectroscopy based on the dielectric principle was formulated. The thesis emphasizes on the design and development of the sensor and the use of embedded platform to make it portable, real time and user friendly system through the use of DSP algorithms. Objectives: In order to meet the global requirements of increased crop productivity and sustainable agriculture, there is an urgent need of developing soil sensors which are fast, accurate and portable. Also, the problem was formulated keeping in mind the conditions of Indian farmers. Indian farmers are mainly small farmers who are poor, technically unfit and cannot afford modern tools. This research work is being undertaken with the main objective of developing a fast, portable, cost effective and user friendly soil monitoring system to analyze the fertility status of the soil. The objectives of the research work are the design of a dielectric cell to measure absorption loss at RF frequencies for various soil nutrients and to use this RF data to develop a FPGA based smart soil monitoring system for accurate prediction of soil content using PLSR technique. The system shall be user friendly as well as reprogrammable for changed environmental conditions. Chapter III (System Design for Soil Monitoring System) The block diagram of proposed design for Soil Monitoring System is as shown in Figure 1. The design consists of RF data obtained from Scalar Network Analyzer fed as input to Altera DE2 board with target as NIOS II FPGA. The RF data is obtained from the soil sensor connected between a tracking generator and a spectrum analyzer. A soil sensor based on the dielectric loss technique is designed and constructed to measure the RF responses of various soil nutrients. The cell is rectangular in shape with outer dimensions 13cmx2cmx2.5cm and is made up of PMMA sheets. The inside surface of the cell is lined with gold foil and the same is connected to the outer shield of the feed connectors so as to provide the necessary shielding effect. The outer surface of the cell is covered with a copper foil and is also provided with the necessary shielding effect. A wire made of gold is connected from the input feed connectors to the output feed connector at centre of the cell. The RF spectrum of a sample is measured by placing it in the cell. A tracking generator is used for injecting an RF signal into the sample through the central gold wire. Thus, a dielectric cell consisting of the central wire, the outer copper shield and the sample is formed. The signal strength starts reducing as it propagates through the central wire from the input end to the output end of the cell, due to the dielectric loss associated with the sample solution. Thus, an output signal proportional to the absorption loss of the sample solution is captured by the RF spectrum analyzer connected at the receiver end of the cell. Signal Hound USB-TG44A tracking generator and Signal Hound USB-SA44B spectrum analyzer are used with both the instruments working in the frequency range of 1Hz-4.4GHz. Figure 1: Block diagram of the Soil Monitoring System Figure 2 shows the RF spectra for urea in the range 10MHz to 4.4GHz. Figure 2: RF Spectra of urea. Figure 3: Section of urea spectra with varying concentrations Samples for obtaining the RF responses of various soil components are prepared by dissolving the required component in distilled water. The amount of the component to be added to water was calculated from the data obtained from agricultural department. This amount was taken as the normal concentration of a particular component found in the soil. Samples of varying concentrations of the soil components are prepared and denoted as 1 for normal, 0.5 for half the normal, 2 for twice and 3 for thrice. The soil components considered for the study are urea, potash, phosphate, calcium carbonate and sodium chloride. The frequency range of 10 MHz-4.4GHz is divided into smaller frequency ranges based on the unique frquencies at which the variation in the attenuation is found as per the change in the concentration of the soil component. A set of recorded spectra for various combinations of the five soil components with concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 are used in the calibration file. In order to predict the unknown concentration of urea in a sample, the detected spectra containing the urea signature along with the other components is passed through signal conditioning stage. The output from Spectrum Analyzer is stored in the computer. This data is then fed to a CYCLONE II device with Altera Nios II processor running on it. The recorded spectra are then passed through SIMPLS algorithm running on NIOS II processor. The algorithm predicts the concentration of unknown sample (Urea) and displays the result on LCD or a computer screen. The SNR of the detected spectra must be sufficiently high so a s to provide reliable urea specific information and therefore data processing is needed to identify spectral features of urea from the combination spectra originating from interfering matrix components like potash, phosphate, sodium chloride and calcium carbonate. We can extend the use of this system for the analysis of other soil components by modifying the processing algorithms required to analyze that component without changing the hardware. Chapter IV (Multivariate Data Analysis) It is a statistical analysis technique used in the case of data consisting of multiple variables. Due to the advancements in the field of information technology there is a huge amount of data being generated in various fields. Though the magnitude of data available is huge, it is still a challenge to derive useful information and knowledge from this data. Multivariate Analysis can be used to derive meaningful information for the improvement of process performance and product quality. Over the last decade, multivariate analysis is being successfully used to monitor and model chemical/biological processes [12]. Techniques using multivariate data analysis are widely used in the analysis of spectral data both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quick analysis of complex samples from their spectral signatures can be done using standard tools like Partial Least Squares (PLS), Principal Component Regression (PCR), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Multivariate Curve Resolution (MCR) and discriminant analysis based on chemometric techniques [13]. Partial least squares (PLS) isone of the recent multivariate data analysis technique particularly useful in situations where there is a large set of independent variables (i.e., predictors). A set of dependent variables can be predicted from this set of independent variables by using PLS. Partial Least Squares (PLS) can be an effective tool for the analysis of data as it has minimum constraints on scales of measurement, size of sample, and residual distributions. It consists of methods for regression and classification, and techniques for reducing dimens ion and tools for modeling. The basic assumption on which the PLS methods work is that a small number of latent variables that are not directly observed or measured are used to drive the observed data from a process or a system. The technique of PLS for projecting the observed data to its latent structure was developed by Herman Wold and coworkers. PLS is now being used as a standard tool in the analysis of a wide spectrum of chemical data problems in chemometrics. The successful data analysis of PLS in chemometrics has led to its increase use in other scientific fields such as bioinformatics, food research, medicine, pharmacology, social sciences, physiology etc. PLS is a multivariate technique that transforms the input-output data onto a smaller latent space, by extracting a small number of principal factors having an orthogonal structure. The extraction of the factors is done in such a way that it provides maximum correlation with the dependent variable [14]. To model linear relations between multivariate measurements, PLS is used as a standard tool. Multivariate Calibration Model for Soil Monitoring System: Multivariate spectroscopic data can be analyzed using the PLSR model. PLSR is one of the techniques of multiple linear regressions and is probably the least restrictive of the various multivariate techniques used in multiple linear regression models. This feature of PLSR makes it possible to be used in situations when there are limitations on the use of other multivariate methods, for example, when the predictor variables are many as compared to number of observations.PLSR can be used as an elementary analysis tool for the selection of suitable predictor variables and in the identification of outliers. PLSR model based on SIMPLS algorithm using C language is developed and ported on NIOS II platform to estimate the urea concentration. The PLSR model is validated for the following cases: Case 1: Changing urea concentrations from below normal to above normal i.e. from 0.5 to 2 and keeping other components at their normal concentration value i.e. 1. Case 2: Changing the concentration of each of the other soil component from 0.5 to 2 and keeping urea constant in all the cases. Chapter V (Design of FPGA Soft Cores for Soil Monitoring System) DSP functions can be implemented using two different types of programming platforms: digital signal processors (DSP) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Digital signal processors are microprocessors specifically designed for handling DSP tasks, while FPGAs are reconfigurable signal processors. The factors that make FPGAs more suitable, particularly for high performance computing applications are: (i) Huge potential for implementation of parallelism (ii) The control logic is embedded (iii) On-board memory in FPGA helps to overcome the limitation set by number of I/O pins on processor logics memory access bandwidth and hence results into significant performance benefits (iv) A higher capacity FPGA can be used on the same board as an older device, to support performance upgrades. DSP Implementation on Embedded system The implementation of DSP algorithms is done on Altera platform. A Nios II system is designed to measure the concentration of urea in soil. The Nios II system is the heart of the instrument which controls the various modules of the system like interacting with 12 bit ADC and performing the SIMPLS algorithms on the spectral data to estimate the concentration of urea. The whole interface and algorithms are implemented using 32-bit NIOS II soft-core ported on CYCLONE II FPGA. Chapter VI (Analysis, Results and Conclusion) The thesis covers the design and development of soil sensor based on the dielectric technique. The technique proposed the use of RF signals in the range of 10MHz-4.4GHz and analyzing the detected spectra in the soil sample for urea signature. In this thesis a novel Soil Monitoring System is developed using RF spectroscopy based on embedded technology. An Altera DE2 board based on NIOS II soft-core platform and having target as CYCLONE II (EP2C6) is used to estimate the urea content in soil in the RF range of 10MHz-4.4GHz. SIMPLS algorithm for PLSR model is developed using C language and embedded on the NIOS II platform for the estimation of urea concentration. The designed sensor was tested for its precision by recording the spectra of a particular component over a number of times. The PLSR model was validated by calculating percentage error under various conditions. It was found that the predicted urea values showed percentage error which was within the acceptable levels required fo r device development.

Michelangelos David :: Arts Paintings Art History

Michelangelo's David Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was a Florentine Sculptor, painter, poet, and architect. Based in Florence he started out as painter at the age of thirteen, apprenticed to Domenico Ghirlandaio, the leading fresco wall painter in Florence. But eventually his ambitions led to sculpture. Michelangelo had an ideal based on the physical expressiveness of the male nude.[1] Michelangelo sculpted in a Naturalistic style, its main characteristic being the depiction of subjects in a realistic manner. His sculptures, like David, often depict the mastery of anatomy; this can be shown by the structure of every muscle and sinew in the sculptures. For David, Michelangelo had taken up the theme Donatello and Andrea del Verrocchio had used successfully in their David sculptures; Michelangelo’s version was from a political point of view.[2] David is the largest free standing marble statue since classical times. The narrative derived about this sculpture speaks of the shepherd boy who defeated the giant Goliath. Michelangelo has transformed David into an ancient hero of unrivaled grace and beauty. Interestingly David’s sling is barely visible which may tell us his strength is derived from his moral courage. The hands of David also are shown exceptionally large signifying a sense of power. David stood as a symbol of Florence’s supremacy. [3] David was constructed in 1501 but not completed until 1504, and towered over the people at the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio. Now it stands at the Galleria dell’ Accademia, Florence. This sculpture was an influence to other sculptor’s of the Renaissance because of how Michelangelo pushed the boundaries and artistic ideals of his generation to their physical and stylistic extremes. David is a large sculpture, measuring 13’ 5† high, and is a sculpture of marble. Michelangelo’s sculptures were often larger than life.[4] --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Alison Cole.

A Poet’s Mindset on War and Its Consequences Essay

In this essay the two poems being discussed are hawk roosting and charge of the light brigade, their outlook on war and conflict will be analysed with contrasts and similarities studied. Hawk Roosting is a very powerful poem the title suggests that the hawk is very comfortable in its position at the ‘top of the world’ and there is more to the poem then first meets the eye. Ted Hughes writes the poem putting himself into the body and mind of a hawk. The hawk is portrayed as an arrogant power hungry being and Hughes is very good at showing the way the hawks mind works in a number of different situations and in different places. The themes throughout most of the poem revolve around power, ignorance and self-indulgence much like many powerful people of the world today as this poem compares the mind-set of a hawk to a modern day dictator. The hawk itself represents power and ignorance at the same time because he thinks that he is the most important animal in the woods and he is ignorant to the fact that he cannot have everything, in the poem Hughes shows this very well by using lots of emotive language and description about how the hawk thinks. The opening line, I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed, is referring to the hierarchy of the wood. The hawk thinks of itself as the king of the woods, he is unchallenged and fearless. Hughes goes on to say that the hawk wants or needs nothing, no falsifying dream, his dreams are not something that he wants he already has everything he wants his dreams are his reality. Hughes mentions the hawks hooked head and hooked feet next, Hughes is describing these because they are his weapons, his tools for killing, he is proud of them because they have helped him into the position at the top of the food chain and, as the hawk thinks, to the top of the world. The hawk is remembering his perfect kills and rehearsing for the next time he needs to eat, or just wants to kill. Hughes writes kills before eats suggesting that to the hawk, killing is more important than eating. Even if the hawk did not have to eat to survive he would kill, just for the fun and thrill, almost as if it was his duty, it was what he was made for. The hawks perspective then shifts to his domain, the convenience of the high trees, he sits at the top of the wood using the high trees as an advantage to him so that he can see everything that is going on beneath him, he is like a manager watching all his employees from a distance. The last line in this stanza shows that the hawk thinks it is more important than the Earth itself, the hawk seems to think that the Earth is subservient to him. This entire poem represents a dictator or tyrant, they believe they are a the highest power or in relation to the poem, top of the food chain, they are untouchable for if anyone was out of line then there would be no problem taking care of it with the arms at the tyrants disposal much like the claws and beak of the hawk overpowering prey and relentlessly ripping it apart. The whole effect of the poem on the reader almost makes the reader feel somewhat insignificant, vulnerable and even threatened, as the hawk tells of how it, like a juggernaut, crushes all in his path with ease and without hesitation. During parts of the poem where the hawk boasts of its power the structure of the sentences emphasis its authority, yet in sentences where the hawk glides over the woodland and all in it the sentences flow into each other. Whereas charge of in the light brigade the theme of the poem is associated with pride in battle, selflessness, and true bravery. The soldiers in Charge of the Light Brigade have obviously fell victim to a tragic mistake from their lieutenant to ride into battle against thousands although they had only six hundred brave men The poem is very regular in it structure, with several examples of repetition. The Charge of the Light Brigade is a narrative poem, with each of the stanzas intensifying the story of the attack. The rhythm of the opening lines creates a relentless beat which is continued throughout the poem, reflecting the riding of the Light Brigade into battle on horseback. Tennyson’s heavy use of repetition in the poem is perhaps intended to communicate the relentlessness of the charge, and of the dangers faced by the Brigade. These dangers are presented as being unavoidable, with death inevitable â€Å"Cannon to the right of them, Cannon to the left of them, Cannon in front of them† — â€Å"Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell† The final two lines of the first three stanzas act as a refrain, depicting realization of the inevitability of death regardless of the blind valor projected. Tennyson’s use of alliteration creates a more visceral effect, that is, it helps to create a realistic and powerful description. Tennyson uses a rhetorical question at the beginning of the final stanza: â€Å"When can their glory fade?† After the five previous stanzas the answer to this question is clear: their glory should not fade, as their sacrifice is symbolic of all those who sacrifice their lives for the country. The poem offers a balance of glorious language, which celebrates the Brigade, and graphic description of the danger they faced. In conclusion, these poets’ attitude to conflict is very different, Ted Hughes sees the power behind war and concentrates on the behavior of leaders and their control over their followers, however Alfred Tennyson concentrates on the soldiers patriotism and heroism in battle this Is influenced in no small part I imagine because he was poet laureate of the Crown.

Changing Landscape of Health Care Essay

â€Å"We do not have a health care crisis in this country – we have a health crisis with a health care system incapable of dealing with it.† ~ Mike Huckabee, Former Governor of Arkansas â€Å"We have to move from illness to wellness. Businesses will have to invest in wellness. There is no choice. It’s not philanthropy. It’s enlightened self-interest.† ~ Shrinivas M. Shanbhag, Medical Adviser, Reliance Industries, India â€Å"Our vision should be to have the healthiest people, not just the best health care, in the world. With prevention and wellness as the cornerstone of our health policy, we can be number one in both.† ~ Newt Gingrich â€Å" Shifts taking place The healthcare industry is approaching an exciting model shift in patient engagement as we move away from being a mostly provider driven industry to a consumer driven one. Much like the financial, music, and publishing industries in the past, healthcare is becoming a mobile, consumer -driven industry. In this consumer driven model, patients drive healthcare industry spending and can receive and transmit health-related data in real-time. The main causes for this shift are the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and changing health insurance coverage. These changes have allowed for greater access to, and demand for, health information through smartphones and patient portals. The use of mobile medical devices and technology also empowers patients to take on and share responsibility for recording and transmitting their own health-related data. Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurance exchanges now give patients the option to shop and compare plans in order to determine which has the best value for their individual needs. Being able to compare plans metrics such as premiums, copays, and direct payments side-by-side creates greater cost transparency than ever before in healthcare. These cost transparency and the ability to ultimately determine  which coverage is right for them gives patients the power to become active healthcare consumers, rather than passive participants in the current system. As healthcare consumers, they expect to have the best quality of care and value the customer experience above all else. Under this new model, patients are empowered to closely monitor their healthcare spending and their own health, interact with the healthcare system outside the hospital walls, and employ the use of technology to improve their conditions. Current and potential challenges Americans have seen a raise in health care expenses during the 1980s, the results were extensive; managed care were assumed by employer-sponsored health plans. To a certain extent, managed care methodologies were implemented for some Medicaid and Medicare enrollees. During the 1990s, new Medicare reimbursement policies and the well-known acceptance of managed care plans had noticeably reduced the growth rate of health care expensive. All available studies show that Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and other managed care plans have provided health care of equal or better medical quality to out-of-date covered insurance plans at a lower cost. While the country’s economy grow stronger during the late 1990s, anxieties about overall health care costs diminished, â€Å"and the public became less willing to accept restrictions on the enrollee’s choice of physician and the physician’s treatment choices† (Luke, 2001). Health care recipient’s outlook à ¢â‚¬Å"turned against the concept of managed care as a result of backlash from both physicians and consumers.† (Luke, 2001) How health care is handling challenges. Many of the challenges Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) face in the current environment are well understood and widely recognized even if the solutions are not. Faster provider consolidation, both horizontally and vertically, over the past several years is reshaping the competitive landscape. Community-based providers are gaining the size and strength to drive market dynamics and negotiate on equal or better footing with payers. Competitors are also gaining new competencies, keeping and caring for more patients themselves. This has begun to impact AMCs’ referral streams and their ability to maintain market share. There are already a growing number of markets across the country where AMCs are experiencing flat-to-declining inpatient volume growth and losing their dominant market position to large,  evolving systems. Government and commercial payers are aggressively advancing value-based payment methodologies and steering patients to lower cost providers. AMCs which tend to have higher costs-to-serve than their community-based counterparts will face difficulty competing for services others also provide at acceptable levels. AMCs looki ng to thrive in this environment need to find ways to coordinate with other types of providers across the continuum to reorient the site of care to more cost effective settings and control quality, variation and outcomes. AMCs also need partners along the continuum to position themselves as primary contracting entities under population health or risk becoming â€Å"commodity† providers in their markets. AMCs must contend with unprecedented financial pressures as healthcare reform rolls out over the next several years. Conclusion Today, health care costs are on the rise. The US spends considerably more on each person for health care than are other developed countries, there are no obvious progress in the healthcare outcomes. Assessments show that in the next 30 years, health care costs will again rise at a rate faster than that of the economy. The impact of an aging population will further reflect the rising cost of health care, by the year 2030, more than 20 percent of individuals 65 years or older. At that time we will be headed for another crisis. â€Å"However, the environment has changed: As a result of the experience of the last 10 years, the public is now less willing to accept changes to the health care system, and the concept of managed care has negative connotations. Consequently, the crisis may potentially be even worse than that we experienced a decade ago if we are unable to find ways to control health care expenditures†.(Luke, 2001) References Khan, F. (2014). The Shift to Consumer Driven Healthcare. The future of patient engagement. Retrieved from: http://healthcare-executive-insight.advanceweb.com Luke, R. T. (2001). Health care in the United States: current and future challenges. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11729444 Peterson, H. (2014). Becker’s Hospital Review. Challenging Healthcare Landscape Fertile Ground for Academic Medical Centers. Retrieved from: http://www.beckershospital review.com/strategic-planning