Human Factors in Technology Essay

Organizations now like never before can use innovation to have the option to one guarantee that the company’s qualities and morals are promptly accessible to their representatives and two advances give apparatuses to administrators to implement organization strategies comparable to morals. Organizations use devices, for example, Microsoft Share point just as an inner Intranet for posting its qualities and morals making them simple to discover just as devices for getting them. By doing so the organization would then be able to guarantee that there isn’t actually any reason that can be utilized for not monitoring the morals and subsequently make a zero capacity to bear moral infringement by its workers. Innovation gives a few apparatuses to chiefs to have the option to screen their representatives utilization of web; since numerous organizations are opening up the utilization of the web at work discovering an incentive in permitting their representatives to utilize the we b particularly online life while at work need to guarantee that the use is inside the consistence of the organizations esteems. A portion of these apparatuses go from having every worker consent to a client arrangement during the underlying employing process making it understood in advance what sort of use is fitting and explaining what are away from of the use strategy. IT divisions today can establish framework that will screen and alarm them to a client that may have either deliberately or accidentally have wound up at a site that would contain content that disregards the organizations moral principles. At the point when this happens normally the organizations observing programming will caution the person that this webpage isn't endorsed for use at fill in just as make an impression on their supervisor telling them there has been a site gotten to that isn’t fitting. This at that point offers the director the chance to chat with the representative and build up if the site is genuinely improper at work or if the client really didn't expect to get to that site. This sort of condition can be seen in two or three unique ways, one would be an older sibling approach that the organization is continually looking out for its representatives shoulder making a culture of doubt and question. Another view could be viewed as an organization assuming liability for the assets it gives to guarantee their representatives are one staying gainful, two expanding helps gave to the workers instead of burning through organization time and cost for the innovation and obviously guaranteeing that the action whether on break or during work hours doesn't abuse the organizations moral measures. Innovation gives important devices to HR experts today, for example, directing personal investigations, keeping up business records. There are a few significant regions where HR has been changed powerfully through the progression of innovation and the impact that it has on corporate culture. These zones are: Recruiting (picking the best qualified candidate for the activity), Evaluations (measurements or best practices for estimating execution, pay scales and support agreement), preparing inside HR developing vocation chiefs, staying up with the latest on work laws and guidelines and Retaining the ability pool (keeping a low turn-over) (ELLEN A. ENSHER, 2002). Enrolling has surely observed a move from promoting in the classifieds and employment sheets to web crawlers, for example, LINKDIN, usajobs.gov, monster.com, without a doubt just to give some examples these destinations permit work searchers to post their resumes and capabilities, and quest for openings with organizations everywhere throughout the world. These destinations additionally take into account enrollment specialists to lead scans for potential candidates who have the capabilities they are searching for. This has prompted a snappier pivot time to finding and filling positions with the best-qualified candidates, convenience for HR experts just as the cost investment funds for organizations that used to use head trackers and the time it took for enrollment specialists to screen candidates from everywhere throughout the nation. Another instrument that has set aside cash and included accommodation for both HR experts just as candidates is the capacity to send examiners, meet with candidates through programming, for example, SKYPE that using both video and sound versus travel costs and online evaluations, (for example, composing tests or call focus reproductions) (ELLEN A. ENSHER, 2002). Execution estimation apparatuses are making enhancements yet not as fast a few techniques that are accessible are devices that permit administrators to have the option to catch screen shots and track creation levels through programming. In consider focuses a supervisor can give channels to explicit kinds of calls to assess, for example, time boundaries or other rules when the consider meets the measures the screen records the whole exchange alongside the sound from the call for execution advising a short time later. Advantages taking care of has seen changes in the manner they are dealt with and handled through more current innovation. Workers are capable through the web or intranet to have the option to audit benefits, pursue advantages or make changes just as exploration contrasts between benefits bundles to guarantee the bundle is a solid match for their circumstance (ELLEN A. ENSHER, 2002). Preparing and Professional Development has consistently been crucial to guarantee that company’s representatives can have the correct preparing and information to give the most efficiency. A significant key to preparing is consistent update preparing as more up to date forms are actualized or innovation itself how to give the preparation rapidly to a consistent progress. Organizations can give bit by bit modules utilizing what gives off an impression of being live screen shots mimicked for the representative. The framework will give directions on the most proficient method to play out a capacity or assignment and afterward have the learner play out the undertaking, giving criticism if the client clicks in an inappropriate spot or picks an inappropriate order. This takes into consideration practically ongoing experience taking care of utilizing preparing accounts staying away from expensive mistakes. This works has demonstrated to be progressively helpful since the client is se eing a similar screen and orders, as they will when utilizing the real framework. End Innovation has given apparatuses in today’s work environment that permit company’s to help prepare and oversee moral rules, thusly molding the way of life and workplace for its representatives. Human Resource Management through inventive innovation is developing and setting aside company’s cash in utilizing more up to date strategies for enlisting, maintenance, preparing and benefits than at any other time. References Chapman, A. (n.d.). preparing and learning advancement. (Â © alan chapman 1995-2010 ) Retrieved December 01, 2012, from Business balls.com: http://www.businessballs.com/traindev.htm Elizabeth Regan, B. O. (2002). Executing Individual and Work Group Technologies. Recovered DEC 11, 2012, from University of Phoenix: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/TOC.aspx?assetdataid=0c85207c-4579-445d-b2e5-278c996a3835&assetmetaid=9f9341ec-776c-4a2c-8e8c-422fc4e5f1fe ELLEN A. ENSHER, T. R.- V. (2002). Impacts of the Internet and Technology on HR Processes. Recovered JAN 14, 2013, from Organizational Dynamics,: www.organizational-dynamics.com Lances, S. (2012, DEC 13). Execute a New Technology Plan. Recovered DEC 23, 2012, from University of Phoenix: https://classroom.phoenix.edu

Internal project management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Inner task the board - Coursework Example This exploration tries to investigate and investigate methods of molding a powerful technique for overseeing ventures inside IB - Wirth so it can perform better and produce ideal outcomes; and if fundamental, to fill in holes which exist and offer proposals for development. The hidden inspiration for picking this theme is the way that venture the board is a space that has been increasing increasingly more significance today. Such worth has been activated by moving monetary conditions like globalization, the raising serious soul among business undertakings, innovative advances and developing client requests and prerequisites - all these have prompted organizations completing tasks to achieve most extreme incentive in their items and yield better creation results. In this talk, it is trusted that the positive highlights of venture the executives will be amplified, explained and given the required worry with the expectation that such highlights will aid the upgrade of Wirth's strategic approaches, give ways that would improve the designing office' current dealings with its clients in this way giving more fulfillment and create to the fullest the organization's general main concern. Substance Section 1 - Introduction Case Company Background 5 Research Objectives 5 Importance of the Study 6 Blueprint of the Dissertation 6 Section 2 - Literature Review Definitions 7 Hazard Management and its Role 8 Job of Managers 10 Compelling Project Management/Strategies 12 PM Framework 15 PM Application/Issues 16 Part 3 - Methodology Research Design/Strategy 17 Technique for Data Collection 18 Legitimacy and Reliability 20 Appendices 22 Bibliography 30 Part 1 Presentation Regardless of whether in the midst of monetary difficulties and stagnation or during times of money related feasibility, it is consistently basic for business associations to take up some slack and spotlight on discerning and down to earth targets. Basically, business firms must yearn for monetary proficiency as their significant objective and make such target convincing and very much established. To get a handle on this objective, every single minor division of a business association should thusly be financially savvy. In this treatise, these minor divisions are viewed as ventures. To accomplish amicability and synchronization in these tasks, inside undertaking the board is important. Undertaking the executives has surfaced as a mighty control completed by very much prepared, experts as business firms have come to understand that they can't be a reasonable endeavor on the off chance that they can't deal with their tasks. In any case, numerous associations are as yet constraining the utilization of venture the board to the strategic level since it is basic to for the business' proceeded with presence to verify that items are effectively made, created and conveyed to inside and outside clients. In like manner, educated associations have since quite a while ago perceived the way that venture the executives

Final Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Last Project - Research Paper Example For instance, it is important to know why one needs to set up the division, what has changed all together for the organization to choose to set up the office, the capacities the organization wishes the office to do, and how the office will add to the accomplishment of the organization (Mathis and Jackson, 2011). On account of Wabash Box Company, I would initially consider recruiting workers with related knowledge in the assembling field. This is indispensable on the grounds that it would lessen cost of preparing required to prepare unpracticed workers. I would likewise consider examining classifications of occupations required by the organization so as to uniformly circulate the 150 workers. To set up human asset office, I would likewise be required to set up an enrollment and determination group that will be commanded to recruit new representatives. Choice rules will obviously be dictated by the workplace in Franklin, and this ought to go in accordance with the way of life of Tennes see. Since the organization needs to create and offer particular or quality folded compartments, I would likewise deliberately consider planning a profession improvement plan, which will among different capacities remember preparing of the workers for request to create and propel their abilities. This ought to likewise go connected at the hip with a system to keep up human asset. Question two: most engaging capacity of HR My most engaging HR the board is workers spurring. Getting representatives is a certain something, and holding them is an alternate thing all together. Maintenance of workers, be that as it may, requires a blend of various ideas. One and most clear is as the capacity states â€Å"motivating†. There are different impetuses and methodologies of spurring representatives. These should be paid attention to as they may prompt representatives leaving for another inspiring association or organization, in this way lose of trustworthy resource for the organization, wh ich means loss of business (Mathis and Jackson, 2011). The articles I chose includes workers propelling. The contention in articles is about how to address the issue of representatives when they tell their supervisors that they are leaving the association. Various issues are brought up in this contention, be that as it may, which all spin around the issue of workers spurring. The issue emerging is that these news might be astonishing to the supervisor since it implies losing that the worker would prompt lose of business. Somewhat, the issue could be identified with the supervisor refusal to propel their representatives, and most likely the explanation could be the association couldn't be in a situation to do as such. The key point is that tending to employee’s compensation ought to include guaranteeing that they are showcase worth. The issue of representatives rousing can be applied in scholarly and furthermore proficient vocation by a method for trying proportions of employe e’s maintenance. Research on representatives propelling can be vital to understudies, since this would assist them with diving somewhere down so as to have an inside and out comprehension of the marvels. Question three: 100 Best Companies to Work For Companies that I might want to work for: I. Google, The Boston Consulting Group, and SAS Institute a. Google’s mission is â€Å"to sort out the world’s data and make it all around open and useful† (Google Company, 2012, 1). Google has an immense of occupations to offer running from deals and record the executives, item and client support, regulatory and some more. As per what Google shows on its profession

Essay Writing Topics For Placement Test

Essay Writing Topics For Placement TestThere are several essay writing topics for placement test. Writing an essay does not have to be boring. The essay writing topics for placement test can vary depending on the knowledge level of the student, whether the essay is supposed to be serious or light-hearted, and what type of course the student wants to take.When an essay is being written, there are many different topics that can be explored. Many students believe that essays should be extremely serious because they believe that it is all about the learning process. However, while writing a personal essay about yourself can be very thoughtful, it is important to consider the style and content of the essay, and how it is to be presented. For example, a student may not want to include humor and discuss certain personal facts about them.A personal essay should be entertaining, informative, and to the point. It should have information on their personality, their history, and what they believ e in. The author should make a point to incorporate that information into the essay.There are many essay writing topics for placement test because this is one of the more common subjects for students to write about. Students should also think about how the information from the essay will relate to the class's goals. For example, an English essay will most likely be a class discussion, and therefore the interests of the essay will definitely involve classes. In fact, if it was written to support an elective course, it will most likely include classes that support that course.Other essay writing topics for placement test will include the person, nature, and original research papers. This is because they are all self-contained and do not require a teacher's advice, just experience. Students can find other ways to expand on the topics to write a deeper, more developed essay, but the choices are there. essay The focus of the essay should not only be on the content but also on how the con tent will be presented. Using a variety of styles of presentation to present the essay will help the essay writer get ideas across in a variety of ways. The style will be easy to understand and navigate. The presentation can even be altered at any time to suit the needs of the current class.The types of essays for placement test that are available should be viewed as opportunities for students to write something they love and someone else will be proud of. Even when a student has a student writing assignment or class project to do, the extra research and planning time can be used to create something that they can enjoy sharing with their peers.

Discussion Of Accounting Policy And Its Implications Of Leases Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2621 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? ASL capitalized its finance leases at inception at the fair value of the leased asset or lower, at the present value of the minimum lease payments, when there is a transfer of substantially all risks and rewards incidental to ownership of the leased assets to the Group. Capitalized leased assets are depreciated over the shorter of the lease term and the estimated useful life if there is no reasonable certainty that the Group will obtain ownership by the end of the lease term. sj.tay.20092011-03-04T21:56:00 The accounting measures the firm uses (quite long) I was trying to use it to link to the point that depreciation may play a significant impactÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦Thus, the Groups depreciation policy of estimating the useful life would have a significant impact on the reported performance. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Discussion Of Accounting Policy And Its Implications Of Leases Finance Essay" essay for you Create order A longer estimated useful life delays expense recognition. It overstates income in early term and understates income later in the lease term. Compared to Jaya, ASL seems aggressiveGrace2011-03-05T14:45:00 Why aggressive? in determining the useful lives of leasehold property and buildings. (ASL: 20-30 years; Jaya: remaining 1-18 years) However, ASLs estimates are reasonable as they are the same as some of its competitors like Otto Marine Limited  [1]  and CIMC Raffles Offshore Singapore Limited  [2]  . The financing lease liabilities are stated on ASLs balance sheet under interest-bearing loans and borrowings. Such a classification is fine as it is still an on-balance sheet liability. Also, ASL has included the finance lease liability into its total debt when calculating its gearing ratio. Such an approach is uncommon as people usually only include all borrowings as total debt. Hence, the additional finance lease liability will be increase the total debt which will th en increase gearing ratio of debt-to-equity. A higher gearing ratio, at first sight, may not be desirable as it shows the Group poorer ability to cover its long-term obligations. However, there is tax deductibility on interest (including the finance lease interest) which will help to lower tax expense and increase profit after tax. On the other hand, ASL enters into operational leases on its vessels and commercial property. These leases are off-balance sheet liabilities. As lease interests are included with lease rental, it understates both ASLs operating income and interest expense. Thus, interest coverage ratio is inflated. Not only that, a higher lease expense and lower interest understates operating cash flow and overstates financing cash flow. In addition, operating leases understate liabilities and assets. Thus, solvency ratios and return on investment ratios are improved. If we were to compare to Jaya, the company only has operating leases. This is surprising given that the type of industry it is in, most marine companies would want to lease plant and machinery for a major part of the assets useful life and capitalized the large amount of lease as finance lease. Also, depreciation is usually accounted into the lease agreement which at the end of the finance lease, the lessee can pay no more than a fair market value to gain full ownership of the asset. Thus, Jaya seems to place all leases as operating so as to reduce the likelihood of debt covenant violation and improving financial performance ratios like ROA via financial distortions. (Adjustments)sj.tay.20092011-03-04T21:56:00 I dont know how to comment on the adjustments..If we were to capitalize operating leases back into the companys Grace2011-03-05T14:48:00 Which company?financial statements to get a more proper view of their true debt and related expenses (refer to appendix), there is no change in net income. Non-consolidated associates Jointly-controlled entities Even though proportionate consolidation is the benchmark method, ASL uses the equity method instead to consolidate its proportionate share of HKR-ASL Joint Venture Limited. By using such method, the joint ventures revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities are not consolidated with those of parent. The implication of doing so is that ASL may consciously manage their percentage shareholdings in their joint venture in order to influence how the financial performance is reported in their statement. The use of equity method implies that ASL may try to avoid the consolidation of the investees liabilities by taking the liabilities off balance sheet. However, at closer view, ASL only has one joint venture and it has disclosed the proportional share of the assets and liabilities in the notes just that it used the equity method to consolidate the statement. Not only that, the joint venture has high amount of assets and extraordinary little liabilities ($1,000) in FY2010, thus it is not a serious problem to not consolidate using proportionate method since it is not trying to hide any liabilities. (Adjustments for JV) Instead, if they were to consolidate the high asset to liabilities ratio from the joint venture, the high average total assets they get will lead to a lower return on assets (ROA). Thus, a lower overall profitability ratio would be achieved. Also, the higher assets will lower total asset turnover, hence reflecting badly on the groups efficiency at using its assets in generating revenue. The joint venture only has $1,000 liability and no turnover in FY2010 because it has been dormant since the completion of a ship-chartering project in FY2009. Initially, the joint venture was set up in 2005 to tap on the marine transportation business opportunities in China and the Board viewed it as an extension of the Groups existing core businesses  [3]  . Thus, the establishment of joint venture seems suspicious as it seems to suggest that the Group is usin g the joint venture just to complete on the project. Since they used the equity method, the large expenses and liabilities that may be associated to the building of the project would not need to be consolidated with the Groups financial statement. The group just has to reflect profit/loss from the joint venture. Hence, the cash flow from operating activities will appear to be rosy too. Jaya does not have joint venture. (Note that our group do not mention about associates as the method used by both groups is the same.) Provisions, contingent liabilities and assets Provisions Provision for warranty claims represents the best estimate of the Groups liability to repair vessels and replace affected parts during warranty period and is calculated based on past experience of the level of repairs and returns  [4]  . As the Groups offers general repair and maintenance services for vessels, the provision thus present a fair view of the liabilities the Group has to incur in the future. As the provision provided was based on an estimated figure, there is a possibility that management may underestimate the amount of provision. Thus, this decreases the Groups liabilities, especially during a bad year. Looking to the notes to the financial statement, it was unclear whether the provision was made for a particular job or a few jobs and how long the warranty period is. The provision charged during the past few years were always utilized instead of being reversed. This shows that (1) the Group has been fairly accurate in the estimation for provision (2) its shi prepair service needs improvement. In comparison, the provision for Jaya Holdings is made for the cancellation and deferment of certain committed purchase orders instead of warranty claims. Hence, the different purpose for which provision is provided for could reflect different amount of liabilities of the Group. In addition, the difference in reasons for provision made highlights the financials of the company. ASL did not provide for cancellation of orders as compared to Jaya probably reflects that ASL has better credibility among its shareholders. Therefore, the likelihood of cancellation of orders is low. It can be seen that provision covered under FRS 37 encompasses a wide area of issues. As long as it is more than 50% likelihood that a present obligation by the firm exists, the Group has to make a provision. Still, provision is an estimated amount and could be manipulated by management unless the firm is more forthcoming in its disclosure. Contingent liabilities The Group disclosed two contingent liabilities corporate guarantees (unsecured) and a legal claim for FY 2010. Corporate guarantees were given to the Groups subsidiaries in respect of bank loan agreements obtained. Provision should be made if it is likely that its subsidiaries default on these agreements. Items that are classified as contingent liabilities are not recognized on the balance sheet and therefore have no impact on the Groups financial figures. Therefore, this may be a blind spot to investors as management may choose not to recognise or account for provision despite the likelihood that its subsidiaries may default its payment. However, from FY 2006 to FY 2009, the Group has been maintaining an increasing net profit from long term chartering contracts and ship repair projects. Therefore, the chances of default by the Groups subsidiaries are considered to be low, no adjustment is required. The Group had also reported a legal claim as a contingent liability. In M ay 2009, two of its wholly-owned subsidiaries were involved in an incident, causing damage to an underwater pipeline. As a result, the subsidiaries were served with arbitration proceedings  [5]  by a customer for exposure to a third party claim for the damage caused. The claim could cost approximately USD 1.75 million if the subsidiaries were found liable. However, considering that the case is still in its early stages, it is uncertain how the case would proceed. It is not a matter that is wholly within the firms control as the case mainly depends on the customer to proceed with the claim. Therefore, it is justified for legal claim be classified under contingent liabilities. No adjustment is required. Similarly, Jaya Holdings disclosed the Groups financial guarantees as part of its contingent liabilities. But there is an incentive for management to recognise the guarantees under contingent liabilities instead of the balance sheet because it is not disclosed which company i n the Group the guarantee is for. In the event of a default, provision made would have prepared the management for unforeseen uncertainties. This allows for the flexibility to repay its liabilities and not being cash-strapped later. FRS 16: Property, Plant and Machinery Features: Both companies recognise fixed assets initially at cost if, and only if, the economic benefits flowing out from these assets to the entity are probable and can be measured reliably. They are then depreciated over their useful life on a straight line basis, less any impairment losses. Assets under construction or incomplete are recognised at cost but are not depreciated as they are not ready for use. Once the asset is held for disposal or when no future economic benefits are expected from its use, the assets are derecognized. Residual values and useful lives of the fixed assets are estimated based on the expected consumption pattern of future economic benefits. For ASL, the management estimation of useful lives range from 1 to 30 years. Changes in useful lives and hence, depreciation charges are primarily affected by the changes in expected utilization rate and technological developments. This would give the management more leeway as long as they can reasonable justify for any ch anges made. The useful lives of Jayas fixed asset are estimated to be from 12 to 15 years, which are based on past experience and industry trends. (Risks?) Accounting Flexibility: ASL: Annually, the management has the flexibility to change the depreciation policy, residual values and useful lives when deemed appropriate. Thus the depreciation policy is easily manipulated and can be adjusted to suit the quality of the firms earnings. Jaya: It is implicitly stated in the Notes that the residual values, useful lives and depreciation policy are reviewed annually to ensure consistency throughout the financial period. The management does not have significant control over the depreciation method and useful lives as these values need to be consistent with past estimates and industry trends. Thus, it is less likely to overstate its reported earnings. Accounting Strategy: Average useful life of fixed assets: As shown in tables above, the average useful lives of fixed assets are almost similar except for leasehold properties where ASL adopts a more aggressive approach in estimating its useful life. The straight-line basis adopted is simple as compared to accelerated depreciation as depreciation charges are allocated equally over the assets useful life. This would avoid big baths when using accelerated depreciation method. With reference to the Appendix, weighted average of useful life used is almost half of the weighted average of useful life remaining for ASL in FY 2009 and FY 2010. However, for Jaya, these weighted averages are almost equal to one another. One minor reason is the more aggressive approach taken by ASL. The average useful life of ASLs leasehold property is twice as much as that of Jaya. This causes the depreciation charges claimed over each financial year for ASL to be lower than Jaya. I believe the main reason is due to the compl etion of projects undertaken by ASL and the expansion of it Batam port operations. This causes the cost of ASLs fixed assets, excluding assets under construction, to increase substantially by 19% from FY 2009 to FY 2010. However, it is noted that the cost of Jayas fixed assets, excluding assets under construction, increased by 12%. The additions to Jayas fixed assets are partially set off by impairment losses incurred in FY2010. The total impairment loss recognised in Jayas financial reporting is $11m while ASL did not incur any impairment losses in FY 2010. FRS 23: Tangible Assets (Borrowing Costs) Features: Borrowing costs attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of a qualifying asset are capitalized. They define a qualifying asset that necessarily takes a substantial period of time to get ready for their intended use or sale. Thus, Jaya identified vessels under construction as qualifying assets. Whereas for ASL, the construction of vessels, plant and machinery and the development of yard facilities in China and Batam are assets under construction and hence, are classified under qualifying assets. Capitalization of qualifying assets commences when the activities to prepare assets for its intended use or sale are in progress. Capitalization ceases when assets are ready for their intended use. However the definition of substantial period of time defers for both companies. In ASLs balance sheet and notes, they disclosed interest expenses capitalized as part of the cost of property, plant and equipment, inferring that qualifying assets will take more than a year to b ring the assets to its intended use. But, this definition defers for Jaya where they defined qualifying assets as current assets- stocks and work-in-progress. Furthermore, the amount to be capitalized depends on the interest expense from funds borrowed generally. Both companies incur interest expenses from bank borrowings and finance leases which are then offset by the capitalized amount. We believe that this capitalized amount is identified as attributable to the qualifying assets. Accounting flexibility: ASL: The Group adopts an efficient and optimal interest cost structure to apply a mixture of fixed and variable interest rates on the borrowings. The interest rates applied increased from 3.65% in FY 2009 to 5.13% in FY 2010. Jaya: Adjusts interest rates to foreign currency exposure so as to minimise interest rate risks on borrowings. Only recently, the Group has restructured its bank borrowings into a 5-year USD denominated secured loans with a principal holiday for the first two years and quarterly repayment installments over the subsequent three years. Prior to the Scheme, the average interest rate was 6.05% in FY 2009 but fell to 2.84% in FY 2010. Accounting Strategy: The interest expense to be capitalized as part of the cost of the underlying assets forms an insignificant portion of the cost. Most of the acquisition costs of the qualifying assets are financed internally. In ASL FY 2010, about 3% of the cost of PPE is financed through borrowings whereas for Jaya, 23% of the cost of stocks and work-in-progress is financed via bank borrowings. Thus, ASLs management is more focused on financial risk then Jaya.

The Common Core A Disaster For American Education

The Common Core â€Å"The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A Disaster for Language Arts, A Disaster for American Education,† was written by Stephen Krashen and taken from Knowledge Quest January/February 2014 issue. Stephen Krashen is professor emeritus, University of Southern California. Krashen points out that the Common Core State Standards, or CCSS, is not relevant for students. He states there are other issues that should be addressed, such as food insecurity or lack of health care, before we put more finances into strict testing and more advanced technology. His thesis is that American Education is missing the real problems affecting education and that the Common Core will continue to turn schools into test centers. Stephen Krashen is extremely qualified to write an article on education, the CCSS, and how it affects Librarians and Language Arts. â€Å"He is an expert in the field of linguistics, specializing in theories of language acquisition and development. His research has focused on non-English and bilingual language acquisition and reading and its effects on language acquisition and academic success. (http://nepc.colorado.edu/author/krashen-stephen) He has written several books on Language, you can find a list of them on his website, http://www.sdkrashen.com. Understanding the time he has spent with language and education makes Krashen a reliable source of information regarding the Language Art portions of the Common Core StateShow MoreRelatedThe Common Core : A Disaster For American Education1020 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A Disaster for Language Arts, A Disaster for American Education,† was written by Stephen Krashen and taken from Knowledge Quest January/February 2014 issue. Stephen Krashen is professor emeritus, University of Southern California. Krashen points out that the Common Core State Standards, or CCSS, is not relevant for students. 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Shak bafaev Essay Example For Students

Shak bafaev Essay in the 1920s when people first got access to the Tutankhamuns tomb, it opens a door to ancient Egyptian art. River Nile, the longest river helped Egypt with agriculture. ancient Egypt had many symbols, For example different crowns on kings head represented different status. kings built templets to please the gods. some gods took human form while others were animals. ancient Egyptians were serious about afterlife, mummification or a sculpture would have been build for the royal. upper level society had Mastabas, a building burying the whole family the mastabas were later build into pyramidsAncient Egyptian art : sculptures , 2d stone painting , big scale mountain cave sculptures. relief pictures technique: the shadows did the work but sometimes they were painted Glassmaking: by mixing send and stones and heating it up Egyptians were able to make glass. Menkaure and a queenMade from stone. High detail on face a body. I like how queen is holding then king. Also the king is holding something in his arms. Seated ScribeThis sculpture is made with more advanced techniques. Painted limestone and crystals for eyes. The men is writing something which means that he is higher class. The fat on his body also indicates his higher class. Ti watching a hippopotamus huntThis artwork is different because its two dimensional. Shows somebody high rank watching over others while they hunt. Most of the ancient Egyptian two dimensional work, shows faces and bodies from the side. In this case, everyone is looking to the right. I like how we can see the animals under TIs boat in the water. What tools were used to make the reliefs on the stone?

Sim 336 Essay Example

Sim 336 Essay Figure 1: Porter’s Five Forces Applying the Porter’s Five Forces model to the industry is not an easy task provided that FedEx Corporation provides various shipping services. In FedEx, these two sectors are represented by FedEx Express and FedEx Ground. FedEx Express is the world’s largest express transportation company. FedEx Ground, on the other hand, is the North America’s second largest provider of small-package ground delivery service, following the lead of United Parcel Service (UPS). 1. Risk of new entry by potential competitors The barriers to entry are very high. One of the reasons there is a high entry barriers is the high fixed cost associated with the establishing the international transportation network. This includes hubs, ground transportation vehicles, air fleet, etc. Additionally, existing companies can take advantage of the absolute cost advantage achieved by large volume of shipment and economies of scale. 2. Extent of rivalry between established firms Established players in shipping service industry complete rigorously for a market share, as demonstrated by the constant battle between FedEx and UPS, the company who responses first to the constantly changing environment wins. Established companies have to strive continuous improvement in quality, lowering price, and innovation. There is very low switching cost for consumers in this industry making rivalry even more intense. In addition, intense rivalry is also due to the fact that maintaining; the infrastructure of an express delivery company presents an exit barrier due to high fixed costs. 3. Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of large buyers in shipping service industry is high. Cost associated with switching from one shipping service to another is very low. We will write a custom essay sample on Sim 336 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sim 336 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sim 336 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Therefore, buyers can turn to a shipping provider that offer faster service, lower price, or service innovation with ease. This is especially true for large corporations, like IBM, which ships in large volumes and can bargain quantity discounts. 4. Bargaining power of suppliers The supplier power within this industry is fairly low. Large shipping service provider can affect prices of supplies, like packaging materials. This is because they buy in large quantities and can turn to different suppliers easily. 5. Threat of substitute products There are not many substitutes to shipping. In this day and age where many businesses have strong online presence and a small physical presence, it would be difficult to find a substitute in delivering their products. Shipping services are very much similar to a commodity, in that it is not easily replaced with another service or even a similar service. [pic] Figure 2: Porter’s Five Forces model ? FedEx Corporation. [pic] Figure 3: Porter’s Value Chain techniques. The value chain for FedEx Express can be seen as starting with the pick-up of the packages. FedEx employees gather the packages from various locations such as drop boxes, businesses and residences. Value is created for the customers by making package pick-ups possible just about anywhere or anytime. FedEx has a money back guarantee for those people, whose packages do not arrive on time, therefore creating value by assuring timely delivery of the packages. After the packages are initially picked up, they must then be transported to a hub. The hub is a central location where packages are sorted according to their destinations. The packages will likely pass through many hands before reaching their final destination. The packages stay at the hub until they are picked up and shipped either by truck or plane. The package delivery is probably the greatest value creation activity for FedEx Express. The drivers of the planes and trucks must perform their activities efficiently to increase the perceived value of the service. The drivers must absolutely no matter what, get the packages to their destinations on time, and they do a good job in doing so. By meeting and exceeding the customers’ expectations value is increased with each positive result. The final primary activity is customer service. This function is to provide after sales service and support, however, FedEx provides customer service during the use of the service by letting customers track their package while it’s in route. This creates extreme value for customers because they are able to check the status of their package at any given moment for an increased sense of security. b) The visionary behind the business Since 1973 FedEx had won over 194 awards for operational excellence. Fundamental to success of FedEx business was the vision of its founder. Fred Smith, Chairman, President and CEO of FedEx Corporation, invented the xpress distribution industry in March 1973. The success of FedEx’s distribution business in those early days rested on Smith’s commitment to his belief that the opportunities open to a company that would provide reliable overnight delivery of time-sensitive documents and packages were excellent. In 1980s, FedEx gave away more than 100,000 sets of PCs loaded with FedEx sof tware, designed to link and log customers into FedEx’s ordering and tracking systems. In 1994, FedEx became the first big transportation company to launch a Website that included tracking and tracing capabilities. By applying IT to business, FedEx leapfrogged the rest of the industry. Smith was the visionary who forced his company and offer companies to think outside of the proverbial one. The core of FedEx’s corporate strategy was to†use IT to help customers take advantage of international markets† (1). By 1998, FedEx was a US$10 billion company spending US$1 billion annually on IT developments plus millions more on capital expenditure. It had an IT workforce of 5000 people. Building the Transportation and logistics infrastructure FedEx was quoted as being the inventor of customer logistics management (2). As early as 1974, FedEx started logistics operations with the Parts Bank. FedEx built a small warehouse on the end of its sorting facilities at Memphis. This was FedEx’s first attempt at multiple-client warehousing. As of January 2000 FedEx served 210 countries (making up more than 90 per cent of the world’s GDP), operated 34,000 drop-off locations and managed over 10 million square feet of warehouse space worldwide. It had a fleet of 648 aircraft and more than 60,000 vehicles, with a staff of nearly 200,000. It was the world’s largest overnight package carrier, with about 30 percent of the market share. Building the Virtual information infrastructure Even as early as 1979, a centralised computer system-Customer, Operations, Service, Master On-line System (COSMOS)-kept track of all packages handled by the Company. This computer network relayed data on package movement, pickup, invoicing and delivery to a central database at Memphis headquarters. In 1984, FedEx started to launch a series of technological systems, the PowerShip programme, aimed at improving efficiency and control, which provided the most active customers (over 100,000) with proprietary on-line services. In 1998, FedEx decided to overhaul its internal IT infrastructure under Project GRID (Global Resources for Information Distribution). In 1999, FedEx signed an agreement with Netscape to adopt Netscape software as the primary technology for accessing its corporate intranet sites. FedEx Marketplace launches on fedex. com, providing easy access to online merchants that offer fast, reliable FedEx express shipping. c) Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages |Disadvantages | | | | |- The cost of infrastructure of express delivery companies are a |- Maintaining the infrastructure of an express delivery company is an | |barrier of entry to new comers |exit barrier because of high fixed costs | |- FedEx leadership in global express delivery As long as the nature|- Capitol is acquired through the volume of sales, so the high fixed | |of our socioeconomic environment exists, there will always be a need |costs can hurt when times are slow | |for express delivery |- Due to the nature of the indu stry, it is nearly impossible to become | |- E-commerce is creating an increased need for express delivery |the clear industry leader | |- Globalization offers opportunities for expansion |- The nature of the industry shows very low returns on invested capitol | | | | | |- The E-tailing industry demands ower shipping rates and charges to | | |pull customers from the retailing industries | | |- Major competitors: UPS, the airborne DHL | Figure 4: Opportunities and threats – FedEx Corporation Question 2 a) [pic] Figure 5: Whittington’s Generic Perspective on Strategy (2000). In his â€Å"What is Strategy And Does It Matter? â€Å"(Thomson Learning, 2000), Richard Whittington identifies four main approaches: The Classical approach the oldest and still the most influential relies on the rational planning method dominant in the textbooks. The Evolutionary approach draws on the fatalistic metaphor of biological evolution, but substitutes the discipline of the market fo r the law of the jungle. The Processualist approach emphasizes the sticky imperfect nature of all human life, pragmatically accommodating strategy to the fallible processes of both organizations and markets. The Systemic approach relativistic, regarding the ends and means of strategy as inescapably linked to the cultures and powers of the local systems in which it takes place. Whittington (3) argues that these approaches differ in terms of the outcomes of strategy and the processes by which they are constructed. In terms of outcomes, the Classical and Evolutionary approaches view the maximization of profit as the outcome of strategy, whereas the other two approaches allow for additional outcomes other than profit. In terms of process, the pairings are different with Classical and Systemic approaches agreeing that strategy may be deliberate while Evolutionary and Processualist theorists see strategy as emerging from processes governed by chance, confusion and conservatism. ? The Classical school of thought †¢ Classical approaches strategists would include Ansoff (1968) and Porter (1980). †¢ The underlying idea of the classical school is that the ultimate goal of business is return on investment (ROI). †¢ This end can be achieved through rational planning. †¢ It relies on notions of organizations operating as machines using idea of cause as visualize by Morgan (1997) †¢ This view of the firm echoes back to Taylorism. †¢ One can perceive the firm being broken down into different perceived constituent parts so that they can be studied using a scientific approach (Taylor, 1947). ? The Evolutionary school of thought Evolutionists include Hannan and Freeman (1977, 1989) , and Willianson (1984) do not accept the notion of rational planning. †¢ They believe that market forces will ensure profit maximization and survival of fittest. †¢ The idea here is that organizations are merely fighting for their own survival. †¢ Darwin’s theories of natural selection offer an organic metaphor as an alternative to the machine metaphor of classical thinking. †¢ Evolutionists do not suggest in implementing managerial strategy. †¢ They favor the environmental fit, as markets rather than managers determine the most appropriate strategy. b) Base on figure 5, FedEx Corporation’s strategy will be seen as horizontal integration and vertical integration: Classical school of thought Horizontal integration is a way of trying to increase the profitability of a company by reducing costs, increasing the value of a product offering, managing industry rivalry’s, or increasing the bargaining power of a company. These economic benefits are usually the rewards of company mergers and acquisitions in an industry. Horizontal integration is predominately characterized by similar companies merging together or acquisitions sought by the industry leaders. FedEx has carried out horizontal integration for many years, from as early as the mid 1980’s with their acquisition of the Flying Tiger air fleet to one of their most recent acquisitions of American Freightways in 2001. The FedEx acquisition of American Freightways was the most recent effort of significant size toward horizontal integration. FedEx completed its purchase of American Freightways in February 2001 for $ 1. 2 billion. Since FedEx had already acquired Viking freight in the late 1990’s, Viking freight and American Freightways, both independent operating companies under the FedEx corp. umbrella, will now be known as FedEx Freight. â€Å"To address geographical issues, American Freightways will be known as FedEx Freight East while Viking Freight will be called FedEx Freight West. † (CMP Media) With a singular brand name, Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Corp. s chairman, president and chief executive officer, said, FedEx will boost its sales and marketing capabilities in the growing LTL (less-than-truckload) market. (Scripps Howard Inc. ) While American Freightways and Viking have excellent reputations in their market segments, by joining their sister FedEx companies to compete collectively with the transportation industrys most diverse portfolio of shipping services, FedEx may gain a competitive advantage in the less-than-truckload shipping market. Evolutionary school of thought On the vertical side of integrating the strategy of attack by FedEx is very aggressive. Due to the enormous amount of infrastructure FedEx has, like cargo planes, delivery trucks, and holding hubs, they have a strong competitive position in the shipping services industry. FedEx seems to have tapered integration because although they control most of the distribution channels for their services, they still buy from independent suppliers in addition to company owned suppliers. Most of the independent suppliers provide maintenance services to FedEx, like aircraft maintenance and repair, facilities maintenance, and ground vehicle support equipment; however, some independent suppliers also provide some packaging supplies as well. Most of the vertical integration carried out by FedEx looks to be in the downstream direction, therefore, FedEx has great control over the distribution channels, but it lacks in some upstream activities, such as raw materials and some component part manufacturing. However, with FedEx being largely a services industry it would be very difficult to see if the upstream vertical integration would pay off considering the bureaucratic costs, as well as all of the other implementation costs. It is obvious at this point that FedEx neither has the capability or the need to begin manufacturing their own truck or airplanes. While FedEx has moved in a very aggressive manner to build up its international infrastructure of planes, shipping hubs, and services we thought of a couple of industries and directions that FedEx could follow to further expand. We will examine this according to opportunities presented by looking at the entire FedEx Corporation as a portfolio of competencies. Currently FedEx has its own large fleet of aircraft, extremely efficient storage and packaging capabilities, and tracking functions. This allows FedEx to follow through with its guarantee to customers that their packages will get where they need to go in the time promised. FedEx has a strong commitment to its customers and is constantly working on being able to meet a variety of needs through technology. FedEx also has a competency in technology and innovation. They have a global mindset are presently seeking to grab a global market share. This wouldn’t be possible without a constant push to improve upon and develop new technologies to improve their service. Question 3 [pic] Figure 6: Stacey’s integrated model of decision-making and control (1996). The rational loop The rational loop of discover-choose-act is the classical starting point of strategic management of Stacey, though the strategic manager takes an international approach. The ‘discoveries’ about the organization in relation in its environment generate the necessity to ‘choose’ from many possible courses of action. When choice is decided, the decision-makers ‘act’, and in the effects of their actions, new discoveries are made about state of the organization in its environment, and so on. The rational loop is essentially ‘unitary’: †¢ Is bounded by â€Å"rationality†. †¢ The choices and actions are those which can be supported by logical argument and evidence, and reference to the state goals, norms and values of the organization. †¢ Dissenting views are ‘irrational’, and need not be considered. The overt politics loop The ration loop can be subverted when the time comes to choose between courses of action, all of which are feasible and acceptable in organization terms. People may exert their power individually to influence events, or groups might form. These could be coalitions of like-minded people; or people who, although they do not share the same interests, are willing to act together at least in the short term to oppose others. The political process is ‘overt’, in that it is part of the inevitable bargaining for resources that takes place in any organization that aims to achieve its goals through different functional activities, because the arguments, in public at least, are based on differing ‘rational’ perceptions of the organization in its environment. Strong groups with strong leaders can, however, use their power to impose their preferred ‘rationality’ and so choose the way forward for the organization. The culture and cognition loop ‘The culture and cognition loop’ sustains the unitary organization in its ‘shared mental models’. AS long as everyone subscribes to the organizational culture, and the world does not produce any major surprises, then what is ‘discovered’ over time is likely to fit in with the agreed ‘rationality’ of the organization. If, however, changes in the environment or the effects of earlier organizational actions produce consequences that are very far from those expected, then the stability of the culture is shaken. It is equally disturbed when individuals, possibly from a different profession or maybe newly appointed, challenge the culture or approach issues with different models of how the world works. In this way contradictions and conflict are introduced, and the unitary organization begins to fragment into pluralism. The covert politics loop The new and threatening situation provokes anxiety, and responses are made to that in a way that is largely unconscious. The differences between individuals give rise to different ‘coping’ mechanisms. Some people deal with the fear of failure and the challenge that arises from change by retreating into the ways that they know best (basic assumption behavior) and refusing to deal with the new ‘reality’. If these individuals form a group, then it is possible to see the potential within the organization for ignoring contradiction, and to some extent eliminating the conflict by forcing out those elements that are believed to be the source of it. Stacey (4) has talked of ‘organizational defense routines’ in ‘the covert politics loop’, where people covertly (that is, without being able to admit to the basic fear which is driving their actions) form alliances and take action to make themselves feel safe again. The types of action taken will be explained rationally, but they are the result of unconscious mental processes. References 1. Garten, 1998. 2. Bruner, R. F and Bulkley, D. , â€Å"The Battle for Value: Federal Express Corporation versus United Parcel Service of America, Inc. (Abridged)†, University Darden School Foundation, 1995. 3. Whittington, R. (2000) What is Strategy and does it matter? Thompson Learning. 4. Stacey, R. D (1996) Strategic Management and Organizational Dynamics, Second edition, Pitman, London. Words Counted: 3000 words. 1

Free Essays on Violets Are Blue

A combination of circumstance and circumstances put me in New Orleans on Halloween night in 1999. It was a memorable night for many reasons - the cross-dresser blocking traffic at the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann's will never fade from memory - but one memory came rushing back, over and over, as I read VIOLETS ARE BLUE by James Patterson. It is the memory of two men walking down Bourbon Street, both blond, apparently twins, tall and buff, dressed only in bib overalls, striding through the crowds like bronzed gods slumming. The most striking thing about these gentlemen were their eyes: blue, hollow, and without palpable emotion. It was interesting to watch the reaction of those who encountered them. People of both sexes didn't make way for this couple; they actually appeared to recoil from them. My reaction, then and now, was "Those guys are vampires." A good portion of the latter half of VIOLETS ARE BLUE takes place in New Orleans, and most of it involves a hunt for a serial killer - or killers - who rend their victims during ritual murder and drink their blood. We learn fairly early on who the killers are. They are brothers named William and Michael Alexander and they stride through Patterson's world just as confidently and with the same aloofness as did the gentlemen I saw in New Orleans that night. Alex Cross is brought into the investigation by Kyle Craig, the FBI agent revealed in last year's ROSES ARE RED as the brilliant, maniacal Mastermind. Cross, accordingly, must pursue the Alexanders while dealing with the anonymous taunts and threats of The Mastermind - who knows his every move and location - and attempting to fulfill the role of single parent that fate has thrust upon him. Patterson, as he has done before, adroitly presents the various professional and personal roles that Cross plays among the people in his life and how those roles overlap, often inconveniently. Patterson's writing style lends itself to... Free Essays on Violets Are Blue Free Essays on Violets Are Blue A combination of circumstance and circumstances put me in New Orleans on Halloween night in 1999. It was a memorable night for many reasons - the cross-dresser blocking traffic at the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann's will never fade from memory - but one memory came rushing back, over and over, as I read VIOLETS ARE BLUE by James Patterson. It is the memory of two men walking down Bourbon Street, both blond, apparently twins, tall and buff, dressed only in bib overalls, striding through the crowds like bronzed gods slumming. The most striking thing about these gentlemen were their eyes: blue, hollow, and without palpable emotion. It was interesting to watch the reaction of those who encountered them. People of both sexes didn't make way for this couple; they actually appeared to recoil from them. My reaction, then and now, was "Those guys are vampires." A good portion of the latter half of VIOLETS ARE BLUE takes place in New Orleans, and most of it involves a hunt for a serial killer - or killers - who rend their victims during ritual murder and drink their blood. We learn fairly early on who the killers are. They are brothers named William and Michael Alexander and they stride through Patterson's world just as confidently and with the same aloofness as did the gentlemen I saw in New Orleans that night. Alex Cross is brought into the investigation by Kyle Craig, the FBI agent revealed in last year's ROSES ARE RED as the brilliant, maniacal Mastermind. Cross, accordingly, must pursue the Alexanders while dealing with the anonymous taunts and threats of The Mastermind - who knows his every move and location - and attempting to fulfill the role of single parent that fate has thrust upon him. Patterson, as he has done before, adroitly presents the various professional and personal roles that Cross plays among the people in his life and how those roles overlap, often inconveniently. Patterson's writing style lends itself to...

Maintaining the pH in Its Normal Levels Prevents the Growth of Research Paper

Maintaining the pH in Its Normal Levels Prevents the Growth of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus - Research Paper Example Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), just like other S. aureus strains avoids such immune response through catalase, which efficiently breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. This activity of the catalase in the escape of the host’s immune reaction has been shown in a murine animal model (Das and Bishayi, 2009). What was not mentioned in the primary reference is that what is so distinct about MRSA is the fact that the bacteria cannot be killed by the most common antibiotics, penicillin and cephalosporin groups, characterized by their beta-lactam ring. Briefly, these antibiotics prevent the production of the bacteria’s peptidoglycan-rich cell wall by inhibiting transpeptidation. MRSA contains beta-lactamases that bind to beta-lactams, and render these bactericides inactive (Agrawal, n. d.). Effectiveness of alkaline solution against MRSA infection It has been proposed by Shannon Brown (2010), in his article, â€Å"End of MRSA-How?†, prevention of M RSA infection simply involves avoiding acidic food products and stress, which increases the acid in the digestive tract. According to Brown, the acidic environment allows the normal flora of the gut to die and the acidophilic MRSA to thrive. The solution to a potential MRSA infection is said to lie on increasing the pH of the environment to which it is exposed to. Despite the seemingly simple solution to the problem of MRSA infection, prevention still poses a great challenge as the current food products available in the market are cultivated using acidic fertilizers and pesticides. Many people also enjoy drinking coffee, tea, wine and alcohol, all of which make the gut more acidic. As such, the article suggests that alkaline solutions can prevent uncontrolled MRSA growth in the body. Specifically, taking in pHenomenal, an alkaline water concentrate, as food supplement is said to potentially increase the pH of the digestive tract, and to subsequently prevent MRSA infection. Such acti vity has been shown through an in vitro pH neutralization test, whereby lactic acid was neutralized by pHenomenal at approximately 1:22 acid-to-pHenomenal ratio. Another alkaline product suggested to prevent MRSA infection is B-pHree, which can be applied on the skin, where MRSA normally resides. In an antibacterial efficacy assay done on this substance, it was found that it effectively inhibited the growth (100% growth reduction) of Staphylococcus aureus inoculated in Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) incubated for 24 hours. Despite the promise of MRSA prevention and the availability of prophylactic measures, there are potential problems regarding the claims of preventing bacterial infection by increasing the pH in the gut. Literature review Normally, the stomach is highly acidic, with pH of approximately 2. This acidity is a strategy to control the activity of pepsin, which catalyzes the breakdown of proteins into organic compounds that can be used by the body in its various physiologic proc esses. In addition, the highly acidic environment of the stomach prevents the growth of most pathogens that cannot thrive in such extreme conditions. In fact, it has been shown by Suzuki (1994) that the low pH of gastric pH is directly related to decreased amounts of pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus and MRSA in the gut. In addition, it was found that cancer patients before and after operation, who have high levels of gastric pH are more likely to have Staphylococcus and MRSA in the gut. Although the in vitro experiments have both supported

Effects of coffee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effects of coffee - Essay Example Coffee contains caffeine which is considered a Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulant (Lovett 2005). Accordingly, â€Å"caffeine is the worlds most widely consumed psychoactive substance†. Balentine, Harbowy & Graham (1998) stipulated that â€Å"many natural sources of caffeine also contain widely varying mixtures of other xanthine alkaloids, including the cardiac stimulants theophylline and theobromine and other substances such as polyphenols which can form insoluble complexes with caffeine†. In the Science of Cooking, the article on caffeine exhibited its following properties, to wit: â€Å"soluble in ethyl acetate, chloroform, pyrimidine, pyrrole, tetrahydrofuran solution; moderately soluble in alcohol, acetone; slightly soluble in petroleum ether, ether, benzene†. In another study made specifically on Caffeine, it is found that â€Å"caffeine is metabolized in the liver by the cytochrome P450 oxidase enzyme system (specifically, the 1A2 isozyme) into three metabolic dimethylxanthines, which each have their own effects on the body: Theophylline (4%) Relaxes smooth muscles of the bronchi, and is used to treat asthma. The therapeutic dose of theophylline, however, is many times greater than the levels attained from caffeine metabolism.† (The Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base) According to Bolton & Null (1981), the â€Å"precise amount of caffeine necessary to produce effects varies from person to person depending on body size and degree of tolerance to caffeine. It takes less than an hour for caffeine to begin affecting the body and a mild dose wears off in three to four hours. Consumption of caffeine does not eliminate the need for sleep: it only temporarily reduces the sensation of being tired. The International Coffee Organization presented that â€Å"of all the physiological effects of coffee, the best known is that it is a stimulant to the nervous system. One or two cups of

Crime and Punishment in Ancient Greece Essay Example for Free

Crime and Punishment in Ancient Greece Essay Today, criminals are punished for their crimes by going to jail or prison or being on probation. But what was it like in Ancient Greece? After the Dark Ages, about 1200-900 BC, the Ancient Greeks had no official laws or punishments. Murders were settled by the victims family killing the murderer, but this was difficult if they were elderly or female. This often began endless blood feuds. It was not until the seventh century BC that the Greeks began to establish laws. Around 620 BC, Draco wrote the first law for Greece. This law said that exile was the penalty for murder and was the only one of Dracos laws that Solon kept when he became law giver in 594 BC. Foreign slaves were often employed as police men and women in Ancient Greece. After somebody reported a crime, if somebody was arrested, an informant would receive half of fine charged to the criminal. In Athens, criminals were tried before a jury of 200 or more citizens picked at random. Going to prison was not an usual punishment for the people of Greece. In cases involving rape, theft, adultery, and murder, the accused got a written summons that told them when they had to appear before the magistrate. Athenian law was divided into two things, public and private action. Public actions included the entire community. Private actions included an individual. In cases of murder, the victims family was required to prosecute the killer. Even though magistrates were at the trial, they werent judges. They neither gave advice nor did they convict the felon. They just supervised the hearing. The jury in a trial was made up of 200-600 members over the age of thirty to make sure there was no risk or bribery. After the speeches had been delivered by the prosecution and the defense, the jurors voted without deliberation. In the 5th century BC, jurors cast their vote in secret. Each juror was provided with two tokens, one for conviction and the other for acquittal. The juror put one of these in a wooden urn whose tokens were disregarded, and the other in a bronze urn whose votes were counted. Judgement was passed on a majority verdict. In the 5th century B. C. , a tie meant an acquittal. In the following century, old-numbered juries were the norm and that is the custom today. In Ancient Rome the slaves had no rights at all. They were thought of and treated like merchandise. However, slaves did cost money to buy so many of the punishments did not inflict lasting damage. The lash was the most common punishment. When slaves were beaten, they were suspended with a weight tied to their feet, so they wouldnt be able to move them. Another punishment was to be branded in the forehead. An alternative punishment included the slave being forced to carry a piece of wood around their necks wherever they went. This was called furca; and whichever slave had had been punish with this was called furcifer all the time after that. Slaves were also, by way of punishment, often kept in a work-house, or house of correction, where they had to turn a mill for grinding corn. When punished for any capital offense, they were commonly crucified; but this was eventually prohibited under the rule of the Emperor Constantine. In Rome, the punishments for death are beheading, strangling in prison, throwing a criminal from the Tarpeian rock, crucifixion, burying a person alive, or throwing a criminal in the river (patricide). Throwing a criminal in the river was inflicted for killing your father. The criminal was immediately blindfolded as unworthy of the light, and in the next place the person were taken to the field of Mars outside Rome, stripped of everything then whipped with rods. He was then sewed up in a sack, and thrown into the sea. Later in time, to add to the punishment for patricide, a serpent was put in the sack; and still later, an ape, a dog and a cock. The sack which held the criminal was called Culeus, on which account the punishment itself is often signified by the same name. There are eight kinds of punishments, fine, fetters, flogging, retaliation of kind, civil disgrace, banishment, slavery, and death. Punishments in Ancient Rome were very harsh and violent and they are unlike the laws today.

Human Beings and Nature: The Scientific Revolution Essay -- Essays Pa

Human Beings and Nature: The Scientific Revolution The Scientific Revolution, perhaps one of the most significant examples of human beingsà ­ relationship with the natural world, changed the way seventeenth and eighteenth century society operated. The power of human knowledge has enabled intellectual, economical, and social advances seen in the modern world. The Scientific Revolution which included the development of scientific attitudes and skepticism of old views on nature and humanity was a slow process that spanned over a two century period. During the Scientific Revolution, scientific knowledge enabled humans to control nature in order to improve society. With leaders such as Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton, and Rene Descartes, the Scientific Revolution proves to be a crucial piece to the puzzle of understanding the effects of humansà ­ interactions with the natural world. The changes produced during the Scientific Revolution were not rapid but developed slowly and in an experimental way. Although its effects were highly influential, the forerunners Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, and Rene Descartes only had a few hundred followers. Each pioneered unique ideas that challenged the current views of human beingsà ­ relationship with nature. With the backing of empirical observation and mathematical proof, these ideas slowly gained acceptance. As a result, the operation of society, along with prior grounds for faith were reconsidered. Their ideas promoted change and reform for humansà ­ well-being on earth. The Scientific Revolution was sparked through Nicolaus Copernicusà ­ unique use of mathematics. His methods developed from Greek astr... ...rn Heritage Brief Edition Volume II: Since 1648 (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall 1996), 342. 4. Rogers, 7. 5. Rogers, 18. 6. Rogers, 16. 7. Rogers, 11. ADDITIONAL SOURCE: - Steven Shapin, "The Scientific Revolution," Library Journal, Aug. 1996, 63-67. This article offers a different approach to analyzing the impact of the Scientific Revolution. He discusses the "birth" of modern science which occurred between Copernicus and Newton's time. However, he also gives equal credit to Bacon, Descartes, Galileo for the development of the naturalistic philosophy we still use today. This article is an excellent source of furthering one's knowledge on the topic of human beings interactions with the natural world and how the efforts made during the scientific revolution still impact us today.

Communicable Disease

Communicable Disease HCS 457 September 24, 2012 Heather Steiner Communicable Disease Tuberculosis is a communicable disease that affects a person’s lungs. Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium. Untreated TB can be fatal, in the past TB was the leading cause of death in the United States. There are two TB related conditions that exit: latent TB infection and Active TB infection. TB can be transmitted to others when an infected person coughs or sneezes. According to the â€Å"Center for Disease Control† (2010), â€Å"TB disease is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal† (CDC, 2010, para. 3). Much like the common cold, TB is spread by an infected person breathing, coughing, speaking, or sneezing into the air; however, not everyone who acquires TB has symptoms. Latent TB infection occurs when one breathes in the bacteria can fight off the infection. Persons with latent TB have no symptoms and are not contagious unless the bacterium becomes active in one’s body.Once the illness is active it becomes active TB, and the person will become sick. People who have weakened immune systems because of other illness are more susceptible to contracting active TB. According to the â€Å"CDC† (2010), â€Å"The general symptoms of TB disease include feelings of sickness or weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. The symptoms of TB disease of the lungs also include coughing, chest pain, and the coughing up of blood. Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected† (CDC, 2010, para. ). According to U. S. National Library of Medicine (2011), † The following factors may increase the rate of TB infection in a population: Increase in HIV infections, Increase in number of homeless people (poor environment and nutrition). In the United States, there are approximately 10 cases of TB per 100,000 people. However, rates vary dramatically by area of residence and socioeconomic status. † (2011). A gap in care concerning TB patients is directly related to cultural beliefs and perceptions concerning disease.Cultural beliefs have a significant effect on the spread of disease and treatment options. For example, the Hmong in the United States represent a Southeast Asian minority group who immigrated to the United States. Many of the Hmong have settled in the Minneapolis metro area. The Hmong people experience an especially high rate of Tuberculosis (TB). Cultural influences play a significant part in diagnosing and controlling the spread of TB among the Hmong population. The language barrier is just one issue that health care workers have trouble with.According to â€Å"Culture Care Connection† (2010), â€Å"One persistent programmatic implication is that because the Hmong language lacks words for many biomedical or physiological concepts, communication requires proxy words to convey these ideas. New Hmong words may even need to be created in order to convey Western terms or concepts† (Culture Care, 2010 para. 6). To close the gap the Minnesota Department of Health needs to educate minority groups and health care providers about how to effectively communicate with one another.The study conducted by the CDC determined that although the Hmong were familiar with some TB symptoms the lack of education concerning the disease is a major roadblock to treatment. The study found that many Hmong believed that TB could not be transmitted through the air and that it could only be contracted by associating with â€Å"unclean† people. According to the â€Å"CDC† (2010), â€Å"Common misconceptions included that TB was transmitted by sharing eating utensils, through body fluids, or by kissing. Some participants believed TB was caused by unhygienic conditions† (CDC, 2010, para. 7).Many respondents said that TB is a source of shame in the community and that shame would prevent many from seeking out treatment. The Minnesota Department of Health has initiated a TB prevention and control program collaborates with local public health departments statewide. The program collects and analyzes surveillance data to monitor epidemiologic trends and provides consultation to clinicians and local public health departments to assure appropriate clinical management and adequate therapy for TB patients and persons exposed to TB disease† (2012). In conclusion, Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium.Untreated TB can be fatal. People who have weakened immune systems because of other illness are more susceptible to contracting active TB. A gap in care concerning TB patients is directly related to cultural beliefs and perceptions concerning disease. Cultural beliefs have a signific ant effect on the spread of disease and treatment options. To close the gap the Minnesota Department of Health needs to educate minority groups and health care providers about how to effectively communicate with one another. References CDC (2010). Common Perceptions, Attitudes, and Beliefs about Tuberculosis among the Lao Hmong. ttp://www. cdc. gov/tb/publications/guidestoolkits/EthnographicGuides/Hmong Culture Care Connection. (2010). Retrieved from http://www. culturecareconnection. org/matters/diversity/hmong. html McArdle, M. (2011, October). Resistance Is Futile.. The Atlantic, (), . doi:galegroup. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/ Minnesota Department of Health. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. health. state. mn. us/divs/idepc/diseases/tb/program. html U. S. National Library of Medicine . (2011). Pulmonary tuberculosis. Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001141/

Symptoms And Treatment Of Xeroderma Pigmentosum - 1191 Words

Xeroderma Pigmentosum is also known as XP and is a disease where the skin of a person is sensitive to UV light. The biological process that isn’t functioning correctly in XP is the ability of cells to repair damage to DNA caused by the sun and UV radiation. UV damage to DNA of cells must be removed during DNA repair. Patients with XP have a mutation to a gene that is required in DNA excision. It is this mutation that leads to clinical symptoms observed in patients. The clinical symptoms of Xeroderma Pigmentosum include skin lesions and pigementation. In addition, many patients also show symptoms of ocular manifestations and mental diseases. Nucleotide excision repair genes are related to Xeroderma Pigmentosum. These are the genes that repair DNA damage caused by mutagenic agents such as UV. Previous studies have shown that mutations to these specific set of genes are highly related to clinical symptoms in XP patients. These genes are: DDB2, ERCC2, ERCC3, ERCC4, ERCC5, POLH, XPA and XPC. One of the genes that causes the most severe cases of the disease Xeroderma Pigmentosum is the XPA gene. Previous studies have shown that mutations in this gene cause clinical symptoms of Xeroderma Pigmentosum predominantly in the Japanese population where 1 in every 40,000 people have XP1. These studies showed that there is a possibility of 25 mutations that can occur to the XPA gene to cause XP. Experiments2 previously carried out involved the cloning of the XPAC gene from a mouse andShow MoreRelatedA Brief Look at Xeroderma Pigmentosum or XP550 Words   |  2 PagesMedical condition I will talk about today is Xeroderma Pigmentosum or XP for short. XP is commonly known for its ‘Vampire’ characteristics. This is a rare medical condition which basically involves a person being exceptionally sun sensitive from UV rays of sunlight. This certain condition affects the eyes but can also be holistic if exposed to sun light. Within saying that there is also 8 different types which can vary from the asperity, to the signs or symptoms. This disease usually begins in infancyRead MoreEssay about Inherited Diseases: Xeroderma Pigmentosum927 Words   |  4 PagesThis is how children live who suffer from the inherited disease, Xeroderma Pigmentosum, otherwise known as XP. It’s a rare disease that causes extreme levels of sensitivity to UV light. The human skin is normally able to repair the skin damage, but children living with XP cannot. Its strikes one in one million born in the U.S. and Europe but is more commonly found in Japan, North Africa, and the Middle East. Xeroderma Pigmentosum is a difficult disease to live with and takes a toll on the lifeRead MoreNeoplasia10526 Words   |  43 PagesDefective DNA repair syndromes - a group of cancerpredisposing conditions is collectively characterized by defects in DNA repair and resultant DNA instability. These are generally having an Autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance e.g. a) xeroderma pigmentosum, b) ataxia- telangectasia; c) Bloom syndrome, d) Fancon i anaemia, and occasionally e) HNPCC, which is an Autosomal dominant disorder and is the most common cancer syndrome, increasing the susceptibility to cancer in the colon (esp), small intestineRead MoreCancer : A Common Misconception About Cancer5956 Words   |  24 Pagestoo. SECTION 1: TRADITIONAL CANCER TREATMENTS Cancer has been around for a long time and is treatable. The traditional treatments were used when our knowledge of cancer was limited. However as we start to learn more about cancer, different and more effective treatments emerge. This section gives a brief introduction into the more basic and traditional treatments of cancer. 1.1- Surgery Surgery is one of the main treatments for cancer. It is a local treatment which means it only affects the part