Wednesday, October 30, 2019

E-commerce Practice Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

E-commerce Practice - Personal Statement Example From the brainstorm for the website, I realized that there was a need to develop research about the industry, our product and potential clients. Though e-commerce provides an almost unlimited market, the main challenge is directing traffic to the site and translating this in turn to actual sales, a proposition that has become more challenging considering technical requirements and saturation of industries (Lefebvre & Lefebvre 30-31). Afterwards, I had to communicate the site's requirements to developers so that it can best reflect the product and performance objectives to maximize the productivity and effectivity of the site. Finally, there was a need to develop performance measures for performance and maintaining competitiveness. The entire process of setting up the company is time consuming and challenging. Often, I encountered tasks that were beyond my existing skills or competencies which challenged me to research and cultivate the means to augment my skills or competencies as necessary.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Discuss the role of demand Essay Example for Free

Discuss the role of demand Essay In this paper we discuss the role of demand and supply in determining equilibrium price and quantity in the market, in a free market the demand and supply determine the equilibrium price and demand, in this case we consider 2,500 apartments which are to be leased out at a rate of 1,100 per month. If we assume that this is the equilibrium price and quantity in the market we can derive our demand and supply curve to determine the various factors that will affect the equilibrium price and quantity. From the above diagram the intersection of the demand curve and supply curve give us the equilibrium quantity and the equilibrium price, if the price was to rise then the demand for the apartments would decline, if the price was to decline then demand would be high for these apartments. The adjustment of the free market is automatic because when the supply rises then prices decrease, when prices decrease then the demand increases forcing the prices to rise, therefore in the long run the free market is at equilibrium, the factors that affect this equilibrium therefore include demand, supply, prices and charges by other competitors. Change in demand: When demand increases there will be an increase in the level of prices, this is caused by the fact that as the demand increase then the demand curve shifts to the right as shown below, when the demand increases then the prices increase, when prices increase then more apartment builders will be encouraged to increase supply of apartments resulting into increased supply, increased supply will shift the supply curve to the left leading to a decline in prices, therefore in the long run the curves will adjust into a new equilibrium, this is shown in the diagram below: When the demand for houses increase then the demand curve shifts from demand curve 1 to demand curve 2, this increases the prices, as the price increase investors are encouraged to invest more and provide more apartments, this results into increasing supply, when supply increases due to the increased prices the supply curve shifts downwards from supply curve 1 to supply curve 2, the new equilibrium now is where demand curve 2 intersects with supply curve two. Our new equilibrium is at a lower price yet a higher quantity. This clearly shows how the market shifts as a result of change in the demand for apartments. Changes in supply and demand: Changes in the supply is caused by the price, when the price rise then the supply level increases, when the price declines then the supply level declines. On the other hand the demand is also affected by prices, when prices decline then the higher the demand and when the price rise then the lower is the demand. Shifts in the demand and supply curve will affect decision making, this is because as economists we will aim at producing at the most optimal position, the optimal point will be determined by the maount of revenue derived from the apartments, the higher the price the higher the revenue per aprtmetn yet the lower the revenue the lower the revenue per apartment, however total revene will be calculated by multiplying the demand with price. Four points emphasized: When demand increases prices will rise, When the prices rise then the higher the supply, The higher the supply the lower the price and The lower the price the higher the demand Application: This concept of demand and supply can be used to determine the result of an increase in the price of product or even a reduction in the price, however our above analysis is that of a normal good, therefore in the workplace we can determine what wll happen to the demand and revenue after an increase or decline in prices. Elasticity of demand: Price elasticity of demand is the responsiveness of demand to a change in prices, the hgher the price elasticity then the hgiehr the demand wil respoind to a change in prices, however the lower the price elasticity then the lower is the responsiveness to a change in price. Results: From the above discussion we have summarized the law odf demand and supply for a normal good, it is evident that for a normal good when demand increases prices will rise, when the prices rise then the higher the supply, the higher the supply the lower the price and finally the lower the price the higher the demand. References: Brian Snow (1997) Macroeconomics: Introduction to Macroeconomics, Rout ledge publishers, London Philip Hardwick (2004) Introduction to Modern Economics, Pearson Press, New York Stratton (1999) Economics: A New Introduction, McGraw Hill Publishers, New York

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Biodiversity and Land Quality Essay -- Infrastructure Biodiversity Ess

Biodiversity and Land Quality Human society's progression through time has resulted in many environment-altering effects, particularly those brought about by industrialization and rapid population growth. The combination of increased numbers of humans and improved technology has created the need for better management of resources and transportation across the globe. This need has produced great leaps in infrastructure, such as roads and dams. However, the introduction of this infrastructure into the natural world has adversely affected the environment. Biodiversity is often drastically altered, resulting in changes in breeding and predation patterns which, in turn, lead to species extinction and degradation of soil and vegetation. The complex intertwining of many facets of the environment create the potential for humans to have tremendous impact upon the world in which they live, and the effects of infrastructure upon biodiversity and land quality have a far-reaching influence on the environment that calls for cr itical evaluation. As global population increases, a more economically efficient use of resources is necessary to sustain demand for fuel, food, and water. Cities, and the huge populations that they contain, "are parasitic on the surrounding landscape," requiring large amounts of resources to be imported into them (Southwick 169). Thus, more reliance is being placed upon technological innovations and industrialization in order to efficiently support the world's growing numbers, and concentrations, of humans. As a result, infrastructure, particularly dams and roads, are becoming prominent features of the modern landscape. Natural ecosystems are often adversely affected by the environmental modification infrastructure ... ...if industrial activities are not kept at bay. Works Cited: Balmford, Andrew, Georgina M. Mace, and Joshua R. Ginsberg. "The challenges to conservation in a changing world: putting processes on the map," in Conservation in a Changing World, ed. Mace, Balmford, and Ginsberg. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998. GLOBIO. www.globio.info. UNEP 2001. Myers, Norman. "The Rich Diversity of Biodiversity Issues," in Biodiversity II: Understanding and Protecting Our Biological Resources, ed. Reaka-Kudla, Wilson, and Wilson. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press, 1997. Southwick, Charles. Global Ecology in Human Perspective. Oxford Univ. Press, 1996. Steadman, David W. "Human-Caused Extinction of Birds," in Biodiversity II: Understanding and Protecting Our Biological Resources, ed. Reaka-Kudla, Wilson, and Wilson. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press, 1997.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Science, Development and Humanity :: Science Scientific Papers

Science, Development and Humanity ABSTRACT: The formation of a new scientific picture of the world is connected with the necessity of subjectivity. This subjectivity posits no limits for the scientific aspects of cognitive processes, but embraces a comprehensive world of spiritual activity. To choose the most effective model of social behavior, it is important to have an adequate knowledge of reality (i.e., the objective regularities of the surrounding world). Modern science reflects the vagueness of reality and, in consequence, the impossibility of using classical approaches. Increasingly, the negative phenomena of the surrounding world reflects the complexity of natural and socio-natural systems, especially on the global scale. Restrictions of the classical approaches to this complexity can be overcome within the synergistic theories or hierarchical systems theory that are becoming more and more popular. The necessity of appeal to modern theories, initiated as the result of ecological crises, stimulates the process es of new paradigm formation in science, acting often in spite of the needs and motives of society. The role of scientific world cognition in the history of Humanity is not considered to be unequivocal. One must not overestimate it's significance in man's living being improvement, raising it's status, expansion of it's rights, but one should confirm the development of science only, and further more, the appearance of technical inventions completely changed the relations between the man and the world surrounding him, generating ecological crisis. On the other hand, the problem of Humanity future development is extremely complex, it's solving is only with the use of scientific potential. Attribute of Mind, giving a man the right to be crowning point of nature determined the direction of the Planet history development several centuries ahead. To great extend, rationality, as well as the science itself is the result of Age of Enlightenment and it caused upheavals in Europe and influenced further world development. The Picture of world during New Age was seen as if the event was determined exactly by the starting conditions. According to Laplas Principle of determination one could recall the past and predict future in details in case if one possessed the total combination of data at any moment of time. In scientific view of New Age laws of nature were given their own status, differed greatly comparing with the laws expressing models of relations between people, determined by the norms and values of religion and morals. Thus, Ch.Snow's mind, premises for existence of "two culture's conflicts" appeared.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Nutrition †Obesity Essay

Objective: To assess the association between the consumption of fast food (FF) and body mass index (BMI) of teenagers in a large UK birth cohort. Methods: A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was chosen to allow direct statistical testing of a theoretical model. SEM is a combination of confirmatory factor and path analysis, which allows for the inclusion of latent (unmeasured) variables. This approach was used to build two models: the effect of FF outlet visits and food choices and the effect of FF exposure on consumption and BMI. Results: A total of 3620 participants had data for height and weight from the age 13 clinic and the frequency of FF outlet visits, and so were included in these analyses. This SEM model of food choices showed that increased frequency of eating at FF outlets is positively associated with higher consumption of unhealthy foods (b ? 0. 29, Po0. 001) and negatively associated with the consumption of healthy foods (b ? A1. 02, Po0. 001). The SEM model of FF exposure and BMI showed that higher exposure to FF increases the frequency of visits to FF outlets (b ? 0. 61, Po0.001), which is associated with higher body mass index standard deviation score (BMISDS; b ? 0. 08, Po0. 001). Deprivation was the largest contributing variable to the exposure (b ? 9. 2, Po0. 001). Conclusions: The teenagers who ate at FF restaurants consumed more unhealthy foods and were more likely to have higher BMISDS than those teenagers who did not eat frequently at FF restaurants. Teenagers who were exposed to more takeaway foods at home ate more frequently at FF restaurants and eating at FF restaurants was also associated with lower intakes of vegetables and raw fruit in this cohort. International Journal of Obesity (2011) 35, 1325–1330; doi:10. 1038/ijo. 2011. 120; published online 28 June 2011 Keywords: fast food; overweight; ALSPAC Introduction Childhood obesity prevalence have risen dramatically in the last 30 years in the Western world with the most recent figures for England and Wales show that 17% of boys and 16% of girls are obese. 1 An increase in the availability of calorie dense foods is implicated as one of the factors in the aetiology of the obesity epidemic. Fast food (FF) is one section of the food market that has grown steadily over the last few decades and it was worth d8. 9 billion in the United Kingdom in 2005. 2 FF is typically quick, convenient, cheap and Correspondence: Dr LK Fraser, School of Geography, University of Leeds, University road, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. E-mail: l. k. fraser@leeds. ac. uk Received 6 February 2011; revised 21 April 2011; accepted 12 May 2011; published online 28 June 2011 uniform in its production,3 but FF is often high in saturated fats, energy dense and has low micronutrient content. 4–9 Studies from the United States of America have shown that children who consume FF (when compared with children who do not eat FF) have higher energy intake and higher fat intakes9,10 as well as lower vegetable and milk intake. 10,11 Therefore, the consumption of such foods could possibly result in a positive energy balance; and hence, weight gain. There is some evidence from longitudinal studies in the United States of America that consuming FF as a teenager can result in weight gain in both early12 and middle adulthood. 13 FF is often marketed to children and adolescents through television, internet and movie advertising,14–17 with brand recognition being present from an early age. 18 The addition of toys as gifts with FF meals also attracts children. There is growing body of literature that has assessed the location of FF outlets and has found that areas of higher deprivation Fast food and body mass index LK Fraser et al 1326 have more FF outlets19–21 and that FF outlets are often located close to schools. 22–24 The majority of research to date has been undertaken in the United States of America, but a study that analysed the fat content of a FF meal in McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets in 35 countries showed that the amount of fat varied considerably between countries, within the same FF outlet. 25 This means that results from studies in the United States of America may not be generalisable to other countries. This study aims to assess the cross-sectional association between the consumption of FF and the body mass index (BMI) of teenagers in a large UK birth cohort. Methods The data for this study were obtained from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC),26 which is a birth cohort study where pregnant mothers who lived in the old Avon County in the United Kingdom (the Bristol region) were recruited in the early 1990s. A total of 14 541 mothers completed recruitment. Because of retrospective recruitment the total sample size was 15 224 fetuses and 14 610 live births. This paper presents data on the teenagers who attended the year 13 clinic and completed the year 13 questionnaire. Variables The food frequency data were collected from the questionnaires completed by mother (or carer) and separate questionnaires completed by the teenagers themselves at age 13 years. The data used from the carer questionnaire (collected at the same time point) referred to the questions ‘How often does s/he eat in a FF restaurant? The responses to this question were collected as never/rarely, once a month, once every 2 weeks, once or twice per week, 3–4 times a week, 5 or more times a week. The carers were also asked ‘In total, how many portions of vegetables does s/he eat in a week (do not include potatoes)’, ‘In total, how many portions of raw fruit does s/he eat in a week? ’ These were free numerical responses, which were retained as a continuous variable for analyses. In the food frequency part of the teenager completed questionnaire the teenagers were asked ‘If you ever buy food yourself from outside school, or from school vending machines, how often do you buy and eat each of the following things (include after school and weekends): chips, burger, pizza, sandwich, pies or pasties, chocolate, crisps, fruit and other food. ’ The height and weight data were collected at clinic visits at B13 years. The exact age, sex, height and weight were used to calculate a BMI standard deviation score (BMISDS) for each participant (1990 UK reference dataset). 27 The teenagers International Journal of Obesity were classified as obese if their BMISDS was greater than the 95th percentile (BMISDS41. 64). The physical activity data were collected via accelerometry at the age 13 clinic visit. 28 The participants wore an accelerometer for seven consecutive days and the measure used from this is mean counts per minute, which is a continuous variable. A deprivation score was assigned to each participant by matching the coordinates of their residential address (when carer questionnaire was completed) to the appropriate lower super output area. Each lower super output area has an index of multiple deprivation score (Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007 (IMD))29 assigned from the local census data. This is a continuous variable in which a higher number indicates an area of higher deprivation. Ethnicity was assigned as per the child’s ethnicity into a binary variable of ‘white British’ and ‘other’ ethnicity. Statistical modelling Descriptive statistics were performed in STATA version 10 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA). A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was chosen to allow direct statistical testing of a theoretical model. SEM has many benefits over traditional regression techniques, which include the ability to model equations simultaneously and the incorporation of latent variables. 30 SEM is a combination of confirmatory factor and path analysis, which allows for the inclusion of latent (unmeasured) variables. 31 This approach was used to build two models: the effect of FF outlet visits and food choices and the effect of FF exposure on consumption and BMI. The SEM analyses were undertaken in AMOS version 17. 0 (IBM SPSS, USA). The hypothesised model for food choices is shown in the results section (Figure 2). The observed variables are displayed as boxes and latent variables as circles. Each observed variable has an associated random error term and each latent variable has an associated disturbance term, which represents the variance in the latent variable that has not been explained by the observed variables associated with that latent variable. Regression paths are shown by singleheaded arrows and covariances by double-headed curved arrows. The model fit was assessed by two indices; the comparative fit index (CFI) and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). The CFI is a comparison of the hypothesised model compared with an independence model where all parameters are assumed to be independent. The RMSEA gives an indication of ‘how well would the model, with unknown but optimally chosen values, fit the population covariance matrix if it were available’. 32 A combination of CFI40. 95 and a RMSEA of o0. 50 is a sign of good model fit. The w2-test of overall fit is very sensitive to large sample size so has not been used in these models. 30 The two models were constructed a priori using previous research. The nutritional content of chips, burgers, pizza and Fast food and body mass index LK Fraser et al 1327 pies are known to be high in saturated fat and energy and therefore are ‘unhealthy’,4–9,33 whereas fruit and vegetables are known to contain fibre and vitamins and so are classified as ‘healthy’. Exposure to FF outlets is known to be higher in areas of higher deprivation. 19–21 In the food choices model, unhealthy consumption (latent variable) was modelled from the frequency of consumption of chips, burger, pizza and pies (reported by the teenagers themselves), and the healthy consumption was modelled from the number of pieces of vegetables and raw fruit consumed by the teenager (maternal report). The number of times that the teenager visited a FF outlet (maternal report) was regressed on the unhealthy and healthy consumption variables. The model for the effect of FF exposure on consumption and BMISDS is shown in Figure 3. Here exposure is a latent variable modelled from maternal and paternal takeaway frequency and deprivation score. The exposure is regressed on the number of visits to FF outlet. The BMISDS at age 13 years is the main outcome of this model. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the ALSPAC Law and Ethics Committee and the local research ethics committees. Results A total of 3620 participants have data for height and weight from the age 13 clinic and the frequency of FF outlet visits, and were included in these analyses (SEM cannot use individuals with missing data). A total of 1711 (47. 3%) were boys and 456 (12.6%) obese. The descriptive statistics are shown in Table 1. Frequency of visiting FF outlets and food consumption frequencies are shown in Figure 1. The results of model 1 are shown in Figure 2 with regression weights shown in Table 2. This model showed that increased frequency of eating at FF outlets was positively associated with higher consumption of unhealthy foods (b ? 0. 29, Po0. 001) and negatively associated with the consumption of healthy foods (b ? A1. 02, Po0. 001). The CFI for model 1 was 0. 98 and the RMSEA was 0. 05 (90% confidence interval 0. 044, 0. 058). These represent good approximate model fit. Table 1. The results of model 2 are shown in Figure 3 with regression weight shown in Table 3. This model showed that increased exposure to FF increased the frequency of visits to FF outlets (b ? 0. 61, Po0. 001), which in turn was associated with higher BMISDS (b ? 0. 08, Po0. 001). Deprivation was the largest contributing variable to the exposure (b ? 9. 2, Po0. 001). The CFI for model 2 was 0. 98, and the RMSEA was 0. 021 (90% confidence interval 0. 009, 0. 033). These represent very good approximate model fit. Discussion This study shows that teenagers who are exposed to more unhealthy foods at home are more likely to eat at FF restaurants and have a higher BMISDS. The negative association of increased visits to FF outlets on consumption of healthy foods (fruit and vegetables) has also been demonstrated. The FF restaurant use in this analysis was reported by the mother or main carer of the teenager and showed that nearly 60% of all the teenagers ate at a FF restaurant at least once a month. This appears to be less frequently than in the United States of America, where studies showed that 60% of older children and adolescents ate FF more than once per week34 and that B30% of children ate at a FF restaurant on any typical day. 9. As one part of the SEM this study showed that eating at a FF outlet was associated with a higher BMISDS. There were no previous UK studies to compare these results with, but previous studies from the United States of America have not found consistent results. Boutelle et al. 11 found no association between frequency of FF consumption and adolescent BMI or weight status, and an Australian study Descriptive statistics Mean BMISDS Deprivation (IMD 2007)29 Physical activity (c. p. m. ) Raw fruit (portions per week) Vegetables (portions per week) s. d. Median IQR 0. 29 13. 7 541 9. 5 9. 5 1. 14 11. 4 190 7 7 0. 024 10. 6 511 8 8 A0. 47, 1. 06 5. 9, 17. 0 404, 653 5, 14 5, 12 Abbreviations: BMISDS, body mass index standard deviation score for age and sex; c. p. m. , cycles per minute; IMD 2007, Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007; IQR, interquartile range. Figure 1 Food frequency data. International Journal of Obesity Fast food and body mass index LK Fraser et al 1328 Figure 2 Results of SEM model of food choices. Table 2 Results of SEM model of food choices Regression weights a Unhealthy’fast food Healthy’fast food Chips’unhealthy Burger’unhealthy Fruit’healthy Vegetables’healthy Pizza’unhealthy Pies’unhealthy Estimate s. e. CR P 0. 285 A1. 023 1. 000 0. 732 1. 000 1. 157 0. 774 0. 530 0. 021 0. 124 13. 439 A8. 274 o0. 001 o0. 001 0. 016 45. 243 o0. 001 0. 148 0. 018 0. 016 7. 802 42. 483 32. 720 o0. 001 o0. 001 o0. 001 Abbreviations: CR, critical ratio; SEM, structural equation modeling. aAll consumption variables units: never/rarely, once a month, once every 2 weeks, once or twice per week, 3–4 times a week, 5 or more times a week. showed that FF eaten at home (but not away from home) was associated with higher BMI in adolescents (MacFarlane). Two longitudinal studies using data from the CARDIA study found that higher FF intake in adolescence was associated with higher BMI in young adulthood12 and those who ate FF more than twice a week had put on an extra 4. 5 kg of weight 15 years later. 13 The teenagers who ate more frequently at FF restaurants were more likely to eat less fruit and vegetables, as well as consume more unhealthy foods (chips, burger, pizza, pies) than those teenagers who ate at FF restaurants less frequently. This is an indication that the consumption of unhealthy foods may displace healthy food choices. This is similar to previous research in the United States of America, International Journal of Obesity which showed that children who ate FF consumed 45 g less vegetables per day than children who did not eat FF. 10 At age 13 years the food frequency data were a combination of maternal and self-report from the teenagers, but the total macro- and micronutrient values could not be assessed in this study as these data were not yet available at the time of writing. Deprivation was the largest contributor to the FF exposure variable. This could be explained by the fact that those of higher deprivation eat more FF because of the relative cheapness of FF. It has also been shown in many studies in the United Kingdom and the United States of America that areas of higher deprivation have more FF outlets than more affluent areas therefore, FF is more readily available. 35 An interesting economics paper from the United States of America showed that increasing the cost of FF by $1 could decrease BMI by 0. 78 units. 36 The increased consumption of unhealthy foods (chips, burger, pizzas and pies) by those teenagers who ate more frequently at FF outlets was not surprising, but the associated negative effect of the consumption of fruit and vegetables by these participants is important. These teenagers will not only be consuming more of the saturated fat and salt from the burgers, and so on, but at the same time they are not consuming important nutrients from fruit and vegetables. Although many FF outlets now offer more healthy alternatives such as fruit and vegetables, the consumers may still be choosing the unhealthy foods. Fast food and body mass index LK Fraser et al 1329 The FF question completed by the carer did not specify what constituted FF so some respondents may only count large franchises as FF whereas others may use a broader definition that includes independent takeaways. Although the frequency of eating at a FF restaurant was asked, the carers were not asked about the food eaten from these establishments and many FF restaurants now offer more ‘healthy’ alternatives. Although the majority of FF items do not meet the Food Standards Agency nutrient standards for total fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium there are wide variations in similar products from different FF outlets with sodium content varying by up to four times in fried chicken products. 37 Therefore, having data on which food items were consumed from which FF outlet would further enhance future studies. There was no information on why the teenagers ate at FF restaurants, and key questions for the future include; was there no alternative eating establishments in their neighbourhood? Did they prefer FF to other meals or was the cost of food important? Conclusions This study has shown that the teenagers who ate at FF restaurants consumed more unhealthy foods and were more likely to have higher BMISDS than those teenagers who did not eat frequently at FF restaurants. Teenagers who were exposed to more takeaway foods at home ate more frequently at FF restaurants. Eating at FF restaurants was also associated with lower intakes of vegetables and raw fruit in this cohort. Figure 3 The SEM model of FF exposure and BMI. Table 3 Results of SEM model of FF exposure and body mass index Regression weights Fast food ’exposure. Maternal fast food’exposure Deprivation’exposure Paternal fast food’exposure BMISDS’fast food BMISDS’c. p. m. a Estimate s. e. CR 0. 61 1. 000 9. 20 0. 66 0. 08 0. 00 0. 07 8. 654 1. 07 0. 08 0. 02 0. 00 8. 605 8. 680 3. 586 A3. 351 P o0. 001 o0. 001 o0. 001 o0. 001 o0. 001 Abbreviations: BMISDS, body mass index standard deviation score for age and sex; c. p. m. , cycles per minute; CR, critical ratio; FF, fast food; IMD 2007, Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007; SEM, structural equation modeling. a All consumption variables units: never/rarely, once a month, once every 2 weeks, once or twice per week, 3–4 times a week, 5 or more times a week. Strengths/limitations This is a large dataset with good-quality height and weight data taken at clinic visits by trained staff using validated equipment. There were food consumption data about the teenagers available from both the teenagers and their carers, but this is a cross-sectional study so causation cannot be implied from this data. As expected in a longitudinal study there is attrition and the subcohort used in this study may not be truly representative of the whole cohort. Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. Acknowledgements. We are extremely grateful to all the families who took part in this study, the midwives for their help in recruiting and the whole ALSPAC team, which include interviewers, computer and laboratory technicians, clerical workers, research scientists, volunteers, managers, receptionists and nurses. The UK Medical Research Council (grant ref: 74882), The Wellcome Trust (grant ref: 076467) and the University of Bristol provide core support for ALSPAC. LKF was funded by ESRC/MRC studentship. References 1 Craig RS. Health survey for England 2007, 2008. Available from http://www. natcen. ac. uk/study/health-survey-for-england-2007. 2 Keynote.UK fast food and home delivery outlets, 2006. International Journal of Obesity Fast food and body mass index LK Fraser et al 1330 3 DeMaria AN. Of fast food and franchises. J Am Coll Cardiol 2003; 41: 1227–1228. 4 Astrup A. Super-sized and diabetic by frequent fast-food consumption? Lancet 2005; 365: 4–5. 5 Brown K, McIlveen H, Strugnell C. Young consumers and the hospitality spectrum. Appetite 1998; 31: 403. 6 Harnack LJ, French SA, Oakes JM, Story MT, Jeffery RW, Rydell SA. Effects of calorie labeling and value size pricing on fast food meal choices: results from an experimental trial. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2008; 5: 63. 7 Lewis LB, Sloane DC, Nascimento LM, Diamant AL, Guinyard JJ, Yancey AK et al. African Americans’ access to healthy food options in South Los Angeles restaurants. Am J Public Health 2005; 95: 668–673. 8 Paeratakul S, Ferdinand DP, Champagne CM, Ryan DH, Bray GA. Fast-food consumption among US adults and children: dietary and nutrient intake profile. J Am Diet Assoc 2003; 103: 1332–1338. 9 Schmidt M, Affenito SG, Striegel-Moore R, Khoury PR, Barton B, Crawford P et al. Fast-food intake and diet quality in black and white girls – the national heart, lung, and blood institute growth and health study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2005; 159: 626–631. 10 Bowman SA, Gortmaker SL, Ebbeling CB, Pereira MA, Ludwig DS. Effects of fast-food consumption on energy intake and diet quality among children in a national household survey. Pediatrics 2004; 113: 112–118. 11 Boutelle KN, Fulkerson JA, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, French SA. Fast food for family meals: relationships with parent and adolescent food intake, home food availability and weight status. Public Health Nutr 2007; 10: 16–23. 12 Duffey KJ, Gordon-Larsen P, Jacobs DR, Williams OD, Popkin BM. Differential associations of fast food and restaurant food consumption with 3-y change in body mass index: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 85: 201–208. 13 Pereira MA, Kartashov AI, Ebbeling CB, Van Horn L, Slattery M, Jacobs DR et al. Fast-food habits, weight gain, and insulin resistance (the CARDIA study): 15-year prospective analysis. Lancet 2005; 365: 36–42. 14 Sutherland LA, MacKenzie T, Purvis LA, Dalton M. Prevalence of food and beverage brands in movies: 1996–2005. Pediatrics 2010; 125: 468–474. 15 Powell LM, Szczypka G, Chaloupka FJ. Trends in exposure to television food advertisements among children and adolescents in the United States. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2010; 164: 794–802. 16 Hillier A, Cole BL, Smith TE, Yancey AK, Williams JD, Grier SA et al. Clustering of unhealthy outdoor advertisements around child-serving institutions: a comparison of three cities. Health Place 2009; 15: 935–945. 17 Lingas EO, Dorfman L, Bukofzer E. Nutrition content of food and beverage products on Web sites popular with children. Am J Public Health 2009; 99(Suppl 3): S587–S592. 18 Robinson TN, Borzekowski DLG, Matheson DM, Kraemer HC. Effects of fast food branding on young children’s taste preferences. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2007; 161: 792–797. International Journal of Obesity. 19 Cummins SCJ, McKay L, MacIntyre S. McDonald’s restaurants and neighborhood deprivation in Scotland and England. Am J Prev Med 2005; 29: 308–310. 20 Fraser LK, Edwards KL. The association between the geography of fast food outlets and childhood obesity rates in Leeds, UK. Health Place 2010; 16: 1124–1128. 21 Macdonald L, Cummins S, Macintyre S. Neighbourhood fast food environment and area deprivation-substitution or concentration? Appetite 2007; 49: 251–254. 22 Neckerman KM, Bader MDM, Richards CA, Purciel M, Quinn JW, Thomas JS et al. Disparities in the food environments of New York City public schools. A J Prev Med 2010; 39: 195–202. 23 Davis B, Carpenter C. Proximity of fast-food restaurants to schools and adolescent obesity. Am J Public Health 2009; 99: 505–510. 24 Seliske LM, Pickett W, Boyce WF, Janssen I. Density and type of food retailers surrounding Canadian schools: variations across socioeconomic status. Health Place 2009; 15: 903–907. 25 Stender S, Dyerberg J, Astrup A. Fast food: unfriendly and unhealthy. Int J Obes 2007; 31: 887–890. 26 Golding J, Pembrey M, Jones R, Team AS. ALSPAC-The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children – I. Study methodology. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2001; 15: 74–87. 27 Cole TJ, Freeman JV, Preece MA. Body-mass index reference curves for the UK, 1990. Arch DisChild 1995; 73: 25–29. 28 Riddoch CJ, Leary SD, Ness AR, Blair SN, Deere K, Mattocks C et al. Prospective associations between objective measures of physical activity and fat mass in 12–14 year old children: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Br Med J 2009; 339: b4544. 29 Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007 (IMD 2007). 30 Kline R (ed) Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling. The Guildford Press: New York, 2005. 31 Tomarken AJ, Waller NG. Structural equation modeling: strengths, limitations, and misconceptions. Annu Rev Clinic. Psychol 2005; 1: 31–65. 32 Byrne BM (ed). Structural Equation Modelling with AMOS. Lawrence Erbaum Associates: London, 2001. 33 Astrup A, Dyerberg J, Selleck M, Stender S. Nutrition transition and its relationship to the development of obesity and related chronic diseases. Obes Rev 2008; 9: 48–52. 34 Taveras EM, Berkey CS, Rifas-Shiman SL, Ludwig DS, Rockett HRH, Field AE et al. Association of consumption of fried food away from home with body mass index and diet quality in older children and adolescents. Pediatrics 2005; 116: E518–E524. 35 Fraser LK, Edwards KL, Cade J, Clarke GP. The geography of fast food outlets: a review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2010; 7: 2290–2308. 36 Powell LM. Fast food costs and adolescent body mass index: evidence from panel data. J Health Econ 2009; 28: 963–970. 37 Dunford E, Webster J, Barzi F, Neal B. Nutrient content of products served by leading Australian fast food chains. Appetite 2010; 55: 484–489. Copyright of International Journal of Obesity is the property of Nature Publishing Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder’s express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Nucleosynthesis Essays - Nuclear Physics, Nuclear Chemistry

Nucleosynthesis Essays - Nuclear Physics, Nuclear Chemistry Nucleosynthesis The big bang which created the universe, only created the elements Hydrogen (H) and Helium (He) and possibly a very small amount of Lithium (Li). However, a glance at the periodic table of the elements shows that today (some 15 billion years after the big bang) there are at least 108 known elements. Every atom of every element heavier than Li has been produced since the big bang! The factories which make these elements are stars. Nucleosynthesis or the synthesis of nuclei, is the process by which stars (which start out consisting mostly of H and He) produce all other elements. The key is nuclear fusion, in which small nuclei are joined together to form a larger nucleus. (This contrasts with nuclear fission, in which a large nucleus breaks apart to form two smaller nuclei). Fusion requires an extremely large amount of energy (see fig. 1), and can typically only take place in the centers of stars. FIGURE 1 a) Low energy proton is strongly repelled by the 7Be nucleus.b) High energy proton moves so fast that it can strike the 7Be nucleus. Once the proton touches the nucleus, it has a chance to stick. If the proton sticks, the 7Be becomes a 8B nucleus.c) 8B is radioactive and changes into 8Be plus a positron (b+) and a neutrino (n). 8Be is itself radioactive, and almost immediately breaks into two 4He nuclei. Protons repel each other. This repulsion becomes stronger as the protons get closer together (just like when you try to stick two magnets together north to north, or south to south. Try this! As you push the magnets closer together, it becomes harder to do). However, if the protons can actually touch each other, they have a chance to stick together! This is because of the strong nuclear force which attracts nucleons (protons or neutrons) together, and is much stronger (at close range) than the electromagnetic force repulsion that makes protons repel other protons. (Magnets do not do this: two like poles will never stick together). In order to get a proton to strike another proton (or a nucleus that contains several protons) they must be traveling at high relative speeds; if their closing velocity is not great enough, they will never get close enough to stick together, because they strongly repel each other. But, just as you can make two of the same magnetic poles touch each other by providing sufficient force, so too can protons touch when they have sufficient relative speed. This can take place in the center of the sun, where the temperature is extremely high. Temperature is related to atomic motion: the hotter something is, the faster its atoms are moving [] see demo food coloring in water[]. Table 1 shows the nuclear reactions that are taking place in our sun, as well as nuclear reactions that take place in stars that are either older than our sun, or hotter than our sun. The reactions in columns 2 and 3 occur after a star has entered the red giant phase. How fast a star evolves to this point depends on its mass: stars heavier than the sun can reach this phase in less than 5 billion years (the age of the sun) whereas stars with about our sun's mass take about 10 billion years to get there. The particles you may be unfamiliar with are: n the neutrino, g a gamma ray (high energy light wave), and b+ the positron (the antimatter version of the electron). TABLE 1. NUCLEAR REACTIONS IN STARS OUR SUN NOW OLDER, OR HOTTER STARS p + p 2H + b+ + n 4He + 4He 8Be + g 12C + p 13N + g 2H + p 3He + g 8Be + 4He 12C + g 13N 13C + b+ + n 3He + 3He 4He + p + p 12C + 4He 16O + g T1/2 = 10 min 16O + 4He 20Ne + g 13C + p 14N + g 3He + 4He 7Be + g 20Ne + 4He 24Mg + g 14N + p 15O + g 7Be + p 8B + g 15O 15N + b+ + n 8B 8Be + b+ + n T1/2 = 120 ms 8Be 4He + 4He 15N + p 12C + 4He He burning (core) H

Monday, October 21, 2019

HONDA Report Essays

HONDA Report Essays HONDA Report Essay HONDA Report Essay Introduction. Soichiro Honda was born on November 17, 1906, in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan. He was a racer, a businessman, and a manufacturer. He dreamed of a better way of making piston rings, founded a small company, and began production. He was also a Japanese engineer and industrialist, and founder of Honda Motor Company, Ltd, which is a Japanese multinational corporation primarily know as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. Headquartered in Japan, Honda Motor Company is one of the major producers of quality motor vehicles around the world. Honda Motor Company is by far the worlds biggest motorcycle maker since 1959. Hondas quality, innovation and reliability have made it one of the most sought after car brands in the world. Its major car models such as Accord have occupied the leadership position in global sales for years now. Honda cars are also renowned for their fuel efficiency and have a loyal customer following all around the world. Hondas leadership position is sustained due to its enormous focus on RD, quality and innovation. Along with Toyota, its major competitor, Honda has ruled the US markets with its uccessful models and captured market share of American manufacturers such as GM and Ford. This success turned Hondas focus to another dream, the American Dream, and the company also moved away from other companies who relied upon distributors to sell their bikes when the company set up its headquarters in the west coast of America. Company overview 0 Honda has grown to become the worlds largest motorcycle manufacturer and one of the leading automakers. Honda develops, manufactures and markets a wide variety of products ranging from small general-purpose engines and scooters to pecialty sports cars, to earn the Honda Motor Company an outstanding reputation from customers worldwide. The Companys business is carried out through four segments: The Two-Wheel segment manufactures two-wheel vehicles All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) Personal watercrafts And other related products. The Four-Wheel segment offers four-wheel vehicles and other related products. The first production automobile from Honda was the T360 mini pick-up truck, which went on sale in August 1963. He was produced as a conventional rear wheel drive pickup truck, a flatbed with folding sides, and as a covered van. But, Hondas major car models include its best selling Accord, Civic, CRV, Hybrid car Insight and its luxury range of cars under the Acura brand. The Accord automobile followed in 1976, the same year that American Honda released its first automatic transmission motorcycle, the CB750A. The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars. On the automotive side, Honda became the first manufacturer to finish first, second and third in the Motor Trend Import Cars of the Year selections. The word ? « civic ? » means of, or relating to a citizen, a city, citizenship or civil affairs. As its name suggests, the Civic incorporated Hondas wish to create a car for all people, a car for the world. The Financial segment in engaged in the provision of financial and insurance services. The General-purpose and Others segment is engaged in the manufacture of general-purpose products and its related products. Headquartered in Tokyo, the Company has over 400 subsidiaries and over 100 associated companies in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia and other districts. It is essential that Honda Motor Company focused on making its cars more fuel- efficient. To make this idea work, Honda will need to spend heavily on continuous research and development. Such R process is an on-going activity at progressive and innovative organizations like Honda. Hondas engineers will need to think out of the box and come up with innovative technologies that can really set apart Honda from its compet itors. Focusing on high HP-to-weight ratio engines and environment friendly hybrid vehicles will help the company to protect its market share in the future. For example, the two seated Insight model, which derived its power from a ombination of a 3-cylinder gasoline engine, and a large battery pack providing power-assist during acceleration was a good start. Another innovation is the use of ethanol as an efficient and more environment friendly gas substitute. Honda Motor Company needs to create new models or redesign existing models to be more friendly and geared for comfort of the older generations, such as the baby boomers. This comfort should be teamed with a fashionable look, as baby boomers dont want to be reminded of their aging bodies. To come up with this range of product mix, Honda will need to make significant capital expenditure. However, this strategy can be dangerous as Honda might lose its focus. In an effort to capture this segment of the marketplace, Honda might lose its quality and strategic focus. However, if this option is pursued, Honda will need to raise capital in the form of equity as well debt in a suitable combination to fund this capital expenditure. 0 Honda is already expanding their U. S. production, today, 80% of the 1. 3 million cars Honda sells in North America are made at North American factories, and the parts in Hondas American cars increasingly come from local suppliers. Honda plans to increase its production from the current 1. 4 million units a year to 1. 62 million units within a year. This new growth should be put in areas where the cost of living is relatively low. This will ensure that Honda can pay workers fair wages for the area. Creating a loyalty to American made products is no t the only reason that Honda needs to expand its local production levels. Since over 70% of revenue for Honda is gained in America, it is important to make the vehicles where or close to where they are sold. With the ever-changing exchange rate between the United States and Japan, local production gives Honda stability. This helps Honda to be much more resistant to exchange fluctuations, says Satoshi Aoki, senior managing director at Honda in To Conclusion Unlike other global businesses that see size as the key to survival, Honda embraces the ideal that even as Honda operations expand around the globe, they want to maintain the qualities of a small company that is close to its customers. The ability to produce a worthwhile product with the speed, flexibility and efficiency of a small company and the essential elements of a large company global reach and echnological strength, is what drives them into the future and will continue to help them strategize their global efforts. Hondas global strategy is very simple put cost-effective plants in areas that best meet the needs of local customers. They integrate plants into markets with a Small Born manufacturing strategy, starting small and then expanding as local demand increases. This thinking has helped them establish more than 100 factories in 33 countries, an approach that allows Honda to achieve efficiency and profitability, even at low production volumes.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Definition and Description of Geological Erosion

The Definition and Description of Geological Erosion Erosion is the name for the processes that both break down rocks (weathering) and carry away the breakdown products (transportation). As a general rule, if rock is just broken down through mechanical or chemical means, then weathering has occurred. If that broken-down material gets moved at all by water, wind or ice, then erosion has occurred.   Erosion is different from  mass wasting, which refers to the downslope movement of rocks, dirt, and regolith primarily through gravity. Examples of mass wasting are  landslides, rockfalls,  slumps,  and soil creep. Erosion, mass wasting, and weathering are classified as separate actions and often discussed individually. In reality, they are overlapping processes that usually act together.   The physical processes of erosion are called corrasion or mechanical erosion, while the chemical processes are called corrosion or chemical erosion. Many examples of erosion include both corrasion and corrosion. Agents of Erosion The agents of erosion are ice, water, waves, and wind. As with any natural process that takes place on the Earths surface, gravity plays a major role as well. Water is perhaps the most important (or at least most visible) agent of erosion. Raindrops strike the surface of the Earth with enough force to break apart soil in a process known as splash erosion. Sheet erosion occurs as water collects on the surface and moves toward small streams and rivulets, removing a widespread, thin layer of soil along the way. Gully and rill erosion occurs as runoff becomes concentrated enough to remove and transport larger amounts of soil. Streams, depending on their size and speed, can erode away banks and bedrock and transport large pieces of sediment.   Glaciers erode through abrasion and plucking. Abrasion occurs as rocks and debris become embedded on the bottom and sides of a glacier. As the glacier moves, the rocks scour and scratch the surface of the Earth. Plucking takes place when meltwater enters cracks in the rock beneath a glacier. The water refreezes and breaks off large pieces of rock, which are then transported by glacial movement. U-shaped valleys  and  moraines  are visible reminders of the awesome erosive (and depositional) power of glaciers.   Waves cause erosion by cutting away at the shore. This process creates remarkable landforms like wave-cut platforms, sea arches,  sea stacks, and chimneys. Due to the constant battering of wave energy, these landforms are usually short-lived.   Wind affects the surface of the Earth through deflation and abrasion. Deflation refers to the removal and transport of fine-grained sediment from the winds turbulent flow. As the sediment is airborne, it may grind and wear away surfaces with which it comes in contact. Like with glacial erosion, this process is known as abrasion.  Wind erosion is most common in flat, arid areas with loose, sandy soils.   Human Impact on Erosion Although erosion is a natural process, human activities like agriculture, construction, deforestation, and grazing can greatly increase its impact. Agriculture is particularly notorious. Areas that are conventionally plowed experience upwards of 10 times more erosion than normal. Soil forms at about the same rate that it  naturally erodes, meaning that humans are currently stripping away the soil at a very unsustainable rate.   Providence Canyon, sometimes referred to as Georgias Little Grand Canyon, is a strong testament to the erosional effects of poor farming practices. The canyon began forming in the early 19th century as rainwater runoff from the fields caused gully erosion. Now, just 200 years later, guests can see 74 million years of beautifully layered sedimentary rock in the 150-foot canyon walls.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

World civilizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World civilizations - Essay Example The first crusade lasted between 1095 and 1291. Pope Urban officially launched the first crusade in France. The focus was to aid those Christians living in the East. Pope Urban II told the people in France that the Muslim Turks were torturing and oppressing Christian pilgrims visiting Jerusalem and other holy lands. As a result, he appealed to the Knights to fight for their religious city. During the crusade, the absolution of sin and eternal life was promised to the people who also hoped to attain wealth and land in the East. With the endorsement of the Byzantine emperor and guided by the Armenian Christians, the knights walked from Syria and Turkey to Jerusalem. The first crusade focused to retake and recapture Jerusalem. The Muslims had captured the city of Jerusalem in 1076. Muslim soldiers oppressed and tortured any Christian who wanted to go to Jerusalem. This cruel treatment angered Christian. This prompted Pope Urban II to declare war against Muslims (Pomeranz et al, 2010). Many Christians at that time were determined to reclaim Jerusalem because of their faith and drive Muslims out of the city with all means. Some Christians understood that they had sinned before God and therefore, going to war with Muslims, God would forgive their sins. Pope Urban II had informed Christians that in case they died in the war, they would go to heaven because they were struggling and fighting for God. Crusaders who went to Jerusalem were exempted from paying taxes; therefore, they were determined to go to war so that the church would guard them. In addition, Christians thought that by going to war to recapture Jerusalem, they would claim wealth that they thought existed in the city of Jerusalem. The Byzantine emperor appealed to the papacy and western Christendom to come to rescue of Constantinople by staging a revolt or crusade that would free the city of Jerusalem from the Muslims. In addition, Christians

Friday, October 18, 2019

Case 2; Atomic company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case 2; Atomic company - Essay Example In the case study there was internal conflict between Ramon Fernandez, VP finance, and the VP of sales Roger Post. â€Å"Conflict occurs when parties disagree over substantive issues or when emotional antagonisms create friction between them† (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2003, pg. 378). The changes in Atomic’s manufacturing methods since its inception in 1946 are not unusual. The textile and apparel industry used to generate thousands of jobs in the United States. This industry has always been a labor intensive industry (Bls, 2011). The spread of the globalization movement created new opportunities for corporations to establish operations in other foreign markets where labor and materials cost are lower. The firm selected China as its optimum location for manufacturing. Today China is the world’s largest exporter of goods (Thompson, 2010). The decision the company made to outsource its manufacturing function was the best alternative for the company. After reading the case study I came to the conclusion that the success of the Tiger Pants line was due to the strategy that Roger Post implemented of giving out clothes to celebrities. When consumer saw the Tiger Pants been used by famous people it gave them an extra incentive to purchase the pants. The strategy was very smart, but I cannot attribute the incredible success of the clothe line to just that factor. A lot of the credit of the clothes line goes to the designer of the pants. I also think that luck played a part in the success of the clothes lines because nobody expected the tremendous growth of Tiger Pants. In the case study the vice president of sales, Roger Post stipulated that it was going to be extremely difficult to generate an estimate of sales for 2003. His sales estimate was between $5 million and $20 million. I believe that the boom of the product was a fad, but due to the brand value the company established sales will be solid. My

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Business management - Essay Example China is one country which escaped from the current global financial crisis without much damage. As per economic gurus, China’s economy will surpass that of the US’s within 20 years of time. Earlier, China was reluctant in opening their economy, but at present their economy is more transparent than even Japan’s economy. Moreover, China’s trade in 2004 was equal to 70% of its GDP, while that of Japan was 24%. China received $60.6 billion of foreign direct investment in 2004, while Japan, received only $20.1 billion (Overholt, 2005, p.5). China has adopted an economic policy in which they were ready to open the unimportant sectors for the FDI whereas the critical sectors were kept under government control only. They have encouraged privatization in many small scale industries and less important industry sectors and that also in bulk. Xinhua, Chinese daily, has quoted the opinion of the World Bank chief economist, Deepak Bhattasalithe recently. He has told to the Chinese daily that, not only the Chinese Governments effective policies on taxation, but its long-term investment in infrastructure construction also contributed to a more pleasant investment climate (Xinhua, 2004). There is no second opinion about the immense economic developments happening in China. Economic growth of a nation is controlled by many parameters like, political stability, lack of agitations in the society or industrial sectors and also the country’s ability to mobilize the internal resources along with attracting foreign direct investments (FDI) in the country. The people’s living standards, unemployment problems, educational levels, infrastructure developments, overall domestic peace levels and also the relationships with the neighboring countries, all will reflect the economic growth of a nation. China has all the above qualities and hence corporate can think about investing in China. China is the number one country in the world as

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Normal Business Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Normal Business Operations - Essay Example Within this understanding and appreciation for the means by which key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats define the way in which this particular store will continue to integrate with customers in the near future, the following analysis will seek to provide something of a SWOT analysis with regards to this chain in the hopes that by understanding these key areas, the analyst will be able to define and appreciate the areas of opportunity and potential threats the firm faces both in the present and within the near future. Strengths: Firstly, with regards to the key strengths that Reeds grocers have within the current market, these can basically be understood with regards to the fact that they have established a resilient and well respected brand image among the client base and they also exhibit a resilient strength of the size and scope of their grocery store locations and offerings. Starting from a humble family owned beginning, Reeds transitioned over time, just as have so many other small firms, to encompass a great many stores and a wide variety of product and service offerings. Moreover, consumers of the firm have come to respect them within the world of grocers. This market presence along with a substantive level of respect and appreciation by a rather large client base is a net asset as well as a definitive strength upon which the firm can seek to leverage any further market growth or development within the near future. ... Another key weakness that the grocer faces is with regards to the fact that it cannot count on loyal consumers to carry it through economically difficult times. Whereas in the past grocers could count on loyal consumers to continue to derive a degree of revenue/sales, the current model indicates that less and less consumers are ultimately loyal to a single grocer and choose instead to shop many grocers in an attempt to maximize their savings. This represents an effective weakness that the firm is no longer able to attract and retain loyal consumers within a market that is more and more cut throat with regards to overall earnings and sales. Opportunities: Political/Legal With regards to the political/legal opportunities that the firm should seek to leverage, it is the understanding of this analysis that the firm, as well as any and all other firms within the system, should continue to engage with law makers and governments (at both the regional, state, and federal level) to continue t o lobby for tax breaks and business incentives so that they may continue to provide the most basic of goods to the consumers that they provide for; the need of sustenance. Economic Similarly, with regards to the economic opportunities that the firm is faced with, these can be understood with regards to seeking to model their business plan, at least in part, upon the runaway success that many of its greatest competitors have employed; i.e. offering at least a portion of overall goods to be sold as bargain buys and priced within the reach of a specific demographic of consumers that would otherwise be attracted to other stores instead. This serves as an economic opportunity that can be leveraged with very little overall cost to the firm and

Balanced Reading Program Part 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Balanced Reading Program Part 3 - Essay Example Description of the balance literacy program, basic components, analysis of linguistic articles to supplement the strategy, design of comprehensive framework components, and metrics to assess the activities and timeline of strategies are the key points of the paper to achieve the desired improvement in the children. Many children struggle to achieve the academic competency despite existence of various viewpoints regarding the approach to teaching children how to read. â€Å"Read to Succeed† program creates the design of comprehensive framework for assisting children in reading and writing. Teachers and academicians faces dilemma regarding the choice of methodology that can serve as model of excellence for teaching and reading in classrooms. For instance, the skills based phonics process that stresses on the breaking down of individual word into several component sounds, or the relatively easier and child-centric approach that emphasizes on the reading of texts and simultaneously deciphering its meaning through fun-filled shared readings in classrooms strengthens the value of the program. Balanced literacy program addresses these issues. The balanced reading approach offers effective techniques for enhancing reading, writing, listening, viewing and speaking skills. Cohen and Cowen (2007) observes the inculcation of right aptitude and attitude in the student in which â€Å""The primary goal of a balanced literacy program is to teach reading, not as a skill broken into isolated steps, but as a lifelong learning process that promotes higher order thinking, problem solving and reasoning† (pp. 37). The basic components of a Balanced Literacy Program include Reading and Writing that can be divided into various sub-components such as ‘Reading Aloud’, ‘Shared Reading’, ‘Guided Reading’, ‘Independent Reading’, ‘Modeled/Shared Writing’, ‘Interactive Writing’, and ‘Independent Writing’.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Normal Business Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Normal Business Operations - Essay Example Within this understanding and appreciation for the means by which key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats define the way in which this particular store will continue to integrate with customers in the near future, the following analysis will seek to provide something of a SWOT analysis with regards to this chain in the hopes that by understanding these key areas, the analyst will be able to define and appreciate the areas of opportunity and potential threats the firm faces both in the present and within the near future. Strengths: Firstly, with regards to the key strengths that Reeds grocers have within the current market, these can basically be understood with regards to the fact that they have established a resilient and well respected brand image among the client base and they also exhibit a resilient strength of the size and scope of their grocery store locations and offerings. Starting from a humble family owned beginning, Reeds transitioned over time, just as have so many other small firms, to encompass a great many stores and a wide variety of product and service offerings. Moreover, consumers of the firm have come to respect them within the world of grocers. This market presence along with a substantive level of respect and appreciation by a rather large client base is a net asset as well as a definitive strength upon which the firm can seek to leverage any further market growth or development within the near future. ... Another key weakness that the grocer faces is with regards to the fact that it cannot count on loyal consumers to carry it through economically difficult times. Whereas in the past grocers could count on loyal consumers to continue to derive a degree of revenue/sales, the current model indicates that less and less consumers are ultimately loyal to a single grocer and choose instead to shop many grocers in an attempt to maximize their savings. This represents an effective weakness that the firm is no longer able to attract and retain loyal consumers within a market that is more and more cut throat with regards to overall earnings and sales. Opportunities: Political/Legal With regards to the political/legal opportunities that the firm should seek to leverage, it is the understanding of this analysis that the firm, as well as any and all other firms within the system, should continue to engage with law makers and governments (at both the regional, state, and federal level) to continue t o lobby for tax breaks and business incentives so that they may continue to provide the most basic of goods to the consumers that they provide for; the need of sustenance. Economic Similarly, with regards to the economic opportunities that the firm is faced with, these can be understood with regards to seeking to model their business plan, at least in part, upon the runaway success that many of its greatest competitors have employed; i.e. offering at least a portion of overall goods to be sold as bargain buys and priced within the reach of a specific demographic of consumers that would otherwise be attracted to other stores instead. This serves as an economic opportunity that can be leveraged with very little overall cost to the firm and

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Industrial Hygiene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Industrial Hygiene - Essay Example Also, the United States Code defines toxin as a deadly and poisonous substance that is either produced by plants, animals, or by artificial processes (US Code, 18, 2008). Toxins are classified into two main groups: bio-toxins and environmental toxins. Bio-toxins are toxic materials that unequivocally substantiate biological origin. Common types of bio-toxins are systemic toxins, neurotoxin, cytotoxin, and hemotoxin. On the other hand, environmental toxins are those that include man-made poisons. Most common types of environmental toxins are neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, and toxic triggers like pesticides and monosodium glutamate. Exposure to toxins does not necessarily cause disease. The amount or dose of the toxic material and length of time at which a person is exposed to the toxin determine the risk of developing serious diseases (CCOHS, 2009). Parkinson’s disease is considered to be caused by exposure to toxins. However, case studies show that there is no direct correlation between developing the disease and exposure to chemicals. In fact, it â€Å"involves combination of genetic and environmental risk factors, which include exposure to manganese, lead, etc. (Schmidt,

Dickens writes Oliver Twist Essay Example for Free

Dickens writes Oliver Twist Essay Dickens creates sympathy for Oliver and the other orphans throughout the first four chapters of the book. He does this by describing in depth the neglect, mistreatment and emotions of the children. There is a strong example of this at the end of the first chapter when Dickens writes Oliver cried lustily. If he could have known that he was an orphan, left to the tender mercies of church-wardens and overseers, perhaps he would have cried the louder. Oliver suffers dearly while living in the workhouse; he is quite regularly made an example of. One of the occasions he is made an example of is when he is forced to ask for more gruel by the other orphans. For doing this he is harshly beaten by cane in front of the other children and is then imprisoned. Oliver and the other orphans were beaten both mentally and physically, neglected and starved from birth, until either leaving the workhouse as slave laborers or dieing. Oliver is terrified of Mr.Gamfield he openly shows his emotion to the whole board of the workhouse when in chapter three he falls to his knees, praying that they would order him back the room, that they would starve him, beat him, kill him. He prays for all of this rather than them send him away with Mr. Gamfield In the time of workhouses the standard of living was near to none. The unwealthy basically had no choice to but to enter a workhouse. They would work for a roof and little food. All of the people in the workhouse had to sleep on the hard floor and receive poor medical attention. Overall the living condition were appalling, Charles Dickens uses irony to create a feeling of how bad the conditions where, a good example of this is that nearly every member of staff is overweight even them giving out the tiny amount of gruel to the orphans. Dickens attempts to create a feeling of pity for the orphans, by doing this we can see that he is trying to relive poverty, stop other people from going through what he went through. Dickens somehow manages to take a subject as important as poverty and put it across by using humor, and at the same time still manages to keep that feeling of seriousness.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Techniques for Extraction of Impacted Lower Third Molars

Techniques for Extraction of Impacted Lower Third Molars Abstract Objectives: Many series of side effects will be produced with the extraction of impacted lower third molar which including pain, swelling, inflammation, and trismus. Flap design is important to allow good visibility, reach to the impacted tooth, and for healing of the surgically created defect. This study aims at the evaluation and comparison of standard flap design with comma type of flap design used in the surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molar and to objectively evaluate the merits and demerits of individual flap design. Study Design: In this study 200 patient with bilateral mandibular third molars impaction of age group of 18-30yrs were selected for the study, To reflect the mucoperiosteal flap On one side standard incision and on other side comma incision were used and , after which the steps are common in the removal of impacted third molars. Immediately on the post –operative days 1, 3 and 7 the post– operative parameters (pain, swelling and mouth opening were recorded. And periodontal status were recorded pre operatively, 1st month and 2nd month respectively. Results Conclusion: The pain and swelling scores were found to be significantly lower in the surgical area with comma incisions which was recorded on days 1, 3 and 7 as compared to the the area where standard incisions were made. In mouth opening There was a sufficiently great difference seen between the two incisions on 1 post-operative day, but though there was clinical difference between the two incisions on day 3 and 7 there was no statistical significance. The results of the study shows no lingual nerve paresthesia or any other morbidity, hence the new incision design should probably be made the conventional method, considering the less degree of post operative complications encountered. although it may require some practice initially. Key words: Standard Incision, Comma Incision, Mandibular Impaction, disimpaction,Visual Analog Scale Clinical Implications:-third molar impactions are common and usually associated with postoperative complications like pain, swelling, trismus and pocket formation. Incision and flap design is important in healing wound and minimizing post-operative complications. Comma incision design has shown less post-operative complication in compare to standard incision Introduction: Impaction is defined as cessation of the eruption of a tooth caused by a clinically or radio graphically detectable physical barrier in the eruption path or by ectopic position of the tooth. at least one impacted third molar will be present in 33% of the population which requires surgical removal of impacted third molar hence disimpaction is the one of the most frequently performed procedure.1 Lower third molars constitute a major bulk of teeth that are impacted in the oral cavity2. Many series of side effects will produced with the extraction of impacted lower third molar which including pain, swelling, inflammation, and trismus 3. Flap design is important to allow good visibility, reach to the impacted tooth, and for healing of the surgically created defect. Many different incisions have been used to raise the flap, like Wards Incision, modified ward’s incision, envelope, ‘S’ shaped incision [Bould Henry] etc4. Ward’s and modified ward’s incision are more commonly used and it was observed that Wards and modified Wards incision provide excellent visual and mechanical access and can be closed by means of a suture inserted between the buccal and lingual soft tissues alone5 , However when a releasing incision is made a small buccal artery is sometimes encountered and this may be mildly bothersome during the early portion of surgery, and also the suture is usually placed on a bone defect and not on healthy bone this may cause additionally pain, delayed healing are also seen.6 Nageshwar has tried a new type of incision- comma shaped incision and has compared it with the modified wards technique (Figure 1). However the number of cases in his study were very less [n=15], hence this study was undertaken to compare this new comma shaped incision with wards incision using more objective and subjective parameters with a larger sample size. Material and Methods: 200 patients between the age group of 18-30yrs, having completely impacted bilateral mandibular third molars or partially erupted third molar, with good oral hygiene, without any symptoms of pain or swelling were included for the study. Patient on any medication, pregnancy, severe Pericoronitis, soft tissue impaction, medically compromised, Missing mandibular second molars was the exclusion criteria for the study and were excluded from the study. The instruments used to compare two flap designs were Williams probe to measure pocket depth. Visual analog scale of 0 to 10 was used to estimate pain by subjectively asking the patient to rate the nocioceptive experience7. Swelling was assessed by measuring by the distance between the: Tragus notch and a reproducible soft tissue pogonion a long the skin surface. Tragus notch to angle of mouth Tragus notch to ala base Tragus notch to outer surface on lateral wall of eye Angle of mandible to outer surface of lateral wall of eye The percentage difference between the postoperative and preoperative measurements was calculated. Mouth opening was evaluated by measuring the maximum inter incisal distance. After obtaining ethical clearance from the hospital ethical committee, written consent was obtained from all the patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria. Preoperative radiographs were taken to assess the position, depth and angulation of the third molars and to exclude any local pathosis such as a cyst, tumor etc. pain, swelling, mouth opening and pocket depth were recorded Preoperatively . One side of impacted mandibular molar is surgically removed under local anesthesia Using standard flap (figure 2). pain, swelling and mouth opening were measured Postoperative on day 1, 3 and 7 respectively. The extraction on the opposite side was done with the alternate flap design-Comma incision (figure 3). The follow up and postoperative complications of patients on day 1, 3 and 7 were recorded for the parameters studied. After flap reflection standard procedural steps were followed. Flap was sutured with 30 Braided silk sutures. Post operative instructions were given and patients with a standard antibiotic regimen of Cap. Amoxicillin 500mg TDS* 5days Tab. Ibuprofen 400mg TDS* 5 days Tab. Metronidazole 400mg TDS* 5 days Bilateral The pocket depth is recorded after month. Data management and Analysis The post-operative complications for each subject for both incisions were recorded and all data was entered in Microsoft Excel. Data was analyzed using computer software, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 10. Data are expressed in its frequency and percentage as well as mean and standard deviation. To elucidate the associations and comparisons between different parameters, Chi square (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ £2) test was used as nonparametric test. Student’s t test was used to compare mean values between two groups. For all statistical evaluations, a two-tailed probability of value, Results: Out of 200 extractions done using ward’s incision 107 were non erupted and 93 were partially erupted, Out of 200 extractions done using comma incision 111 were non erupted and 89 were partially erupted, {table 1} In extractions done with standard incision 26.67%of subjects had severe pain on day 1 where as only 13.33% of subjects had severe pain on the exaction side done by comma incision. There is a high statistically significant difference between the two type of incision on day 1 in comparing the pain. (Chi -Square=15.627, P=0.0062) similarly the pain was severe for 6.67% of the patients extracted with ward’s incision and there was no pain on other side where comma incision was used on the 7th post operative day (Chi -Square=28.799, P=0.000) {Table 2} In extractions done with standard incision 46.47%of subjects had severe swelling on day 1 whereas only 33.33% of subjects had severe swelling on the exaction side done by comma incision. But the difference seen was statistically significant difference between the two type of incision on day 1 in comparing the swelling, (Chi -Square=2.4762, P=0.2889). the swelling was sever for 20% of the patient extracted with ward’s incision and there were no patient with sever swelling on comma incision side, (Chi -Square=8.6872, P=0.0365). on 7th day there were no patient with severe swelling in both the groups but 40%of the patients experienced moderate pain in ward’s incision group where as only 13.33% had moderate swelling in comma croup. There is a statistically significant difference between the two groups on day 7 (Chi -Square=18.879, P=0.0158).{Table 3} The mouth opening on day 1 in ward’s incision side is between 29-25mm where 33.33% where as only 13.33% of the patients in comma group. There was highly statistical significant difference between the inter incisal measurements to check for mouth opening on day 1 (Chi -Square=24.658, P=0.000). but though there was clinical difference between the two incisions on day 3 and 7 there was no statistical significance.{Table 4 } There is significant statistical difference between wards and comma incision in relation to pocket depth recorded after first month and the second month in first month is (t=2.684, P=0.025), and in second month is (t=4.937, P=0.000). and even when ward’s and comma incision are compared separately over time there was statistical significance between the pocket depth in first and the second month was seen, I’e (wards incision t=5.176, P=0.000) and (comma incision t=6.812, P=0.000) in second month. {Table 5} Discussion: Third molar surgery has been associated with a variety of complications, flap design is one important factor influencing the severity of these complications . The incisions used in surgical treatments of impacted 3rd molars can be grouped in to envelop and triangular varients.all incisions irrespective of there variations, were extended from the distal aspect of second molar towards ramus. These standerd incisions have been modified by many surgeons.the incision modified by Groves and Moore started distal to the distobuccal line angle of the second molar to conserve the periodonsium8. Berwick designed a lingually based flap using an incision line that was tongue shaped and did not lie over the bony defect.9. Comma shaped incision was designed by Nageshwar to limit the post operative pain and swelling. Post operative pain of moderate to severe intensity is usually noticed after third molar surgery, the pain usually begins as the effect of local anesthesia fades off. The peak intensity of pain is noticed after about 6 hours. The pain then disappears slowly within a few days if it heals normally.10 In our study, pain was assessed by using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) as it takes little time to describe to the patient and it is easily understood by the patient. The results showed less pain scores on comma incision side as compared to ward’s incision side which is similar to that of the study of Nageshwar. (This may be because small mucoperiosteal flap was elevated during comma incision, the drainage in comma incision is good and this is single flap hence it will give a tight closure on occlusal surface distal to second molar.) This result is not in correlation with the results of Gool et al as they have seen that severity in pain is not related to the type of incision.11 trauma and infection are the main cause for postoperative swelling. The truma to the tissues associated with oral surgical procedures is the usual cause of early postoperative swelling. It is most marked after 19-24 hrs and then diminishes after about seven days.12 Swelling in cases with comma incision was comparatively lees than cases with standard incision was done. This study results compliments the study by Nageshwar.1 but the method of measuring swelling was not satisfactory in that study because the swelling is three dimensional hence it is measured by marking on 6 different points on the face as described earlier. Salata L.A et al and Szmyd et al reported that restricted mouth opening peaks on the day of surgery. This study is in agreement to this statement too13. The comma incision encountered less number of subjects with limited mouth opening when compared with the standard incision side which is in agreement with the study of Nageshwar’s result The inter relation between trismus and pain have been reported in many studies. It might therefore be expected that mouth opening after the removal of impacted mandibular third molars is painful and consequently reduced to its full extent. The hypothesis has been confirmed by an electromyographic study which proved that restricted mouth opening is a voluntary action to avoid pain.14 There was a statistical difference in the postoperative probing depth between the two types of incision after the first and second months. These results are contradictory with many studies, by Rosa et al, Quee et al and Schofield et al which show no differences in pocket depth related to flap designs15. But A.A. Krausz, E.E.Machtei,M.Peled suggest that increased second molar pocket may be related to osteotomy16. However others believe that the flap design and the patients age might have an effect on second molar periodontal status. When removal of impacted molars was done during developmental stage of the tooth faster regrowth of the alveolar bone crest . However as all our subjects were in the age group of 18 -30 we feel that age was not a major factor and the difference in pocket depth is related to the type of flap. Conclusion: The results of the study shows that none of the patients in the study developed lingual nerve paresthesia or any other morbidity, hence the new incision design should probably be made the conventional method, considering the less degree of post-operative complications encountered. although it may require some practice initially. Further research with newer flap designs like the comma design, which will minimize the post operative complications, should be considered in the extraction of impacted third molar surgery.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Marijuana for Medical Use Essay examples -- Papers Weed Cannabis Medic

Marijuana for Medical Use For many years the United States government has prohibited some drugs, such as marijuana, from being sold in the marketplace. Yet, even with prohibition, marijuana use has only decreased minimally. Because of its illegality, only the bad aspects of marijuana use have been made known. However, there are many positive aspects of marijuana legalization, including its application concerning medical cures. As of today, in most of the states, marijuana is classified as an illegal drug. However, due to its proven medicinal purposes, the drug should be made available for sick people to use. Marijuana has been used for multiple purposes prior to the birth of Christ. Marijuana originated in the Middle East. China played an important part in marijuana's history. ?Hoatho, the first Chinese physician, used cannabis for medical purposes as a painkiller and as an anesthetic for surgery? stated Morgan (5). China was not the only country that used marijuana as a medicine. For example, in Thailand it was used to stimulate the appetite of people who were ill. ?It would make them sleep, and counteract diarrhea,? states Thompson (10). Clearly, we can see that the use of marijuana began as a medicine, and with more research we can find better uses of marijuana as for medicinal purposes. Marijuana is very helpful in easing the suffering of the sick but it also creates side effects. The scientific eviden ce published to date indicates that marijuana has a broad range of psychological and biological effects, some of which are harmful to human health. Marijuana has different effects on the nervous system and on behavior. Marijuana impairs motor coordination and affects tracking ability and sensory and perceptual functio... ...work. It is easier to administer and the results are often much faster. It would be a tremendous advantage if patients were allowed to smoke marijuana. Marijuana should not be an illicit drug; it should be legalized for medical purposes only. Bibliography: Berger, Philip A. ?Marijuana.? Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Microsoft Corporation. 1997. Morgan, John P. and Zimmer, Lynn. Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts. Sarasota: Book World Services, Inc. 1997. The Science of Medical Marijuana. 21 May 1999. . Thompson, Stephen P., ed. The War on Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1998. Webster, Maddy. ?Legalizing Pot: What You Can Do.? High Times. Jan 1999: 30. Weed Wars: Facts and Stats. CNNInteractive. 1997. You Dealing with Chemotherapy. National Cancer Institute, Institute of Health. 28 Jan. 1999. .

Friday, October 11, 2019

Book Report on Little Women by Louisa May Alcott :: Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

In 1868, Louisa May Alcott wrote the book Little Women in "response to a publisher's request for a 'girl's book'". Louisa wrote this book by calling upon her own memories of her childhood and putting them down on paper. This is the story of four young girls, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, and how they endure all the trouble and hardships that come along during their lives. They are raised by their mother and by their father, and many interesting characters pop up along the way, such as Laurie, their good-natured next-door neighbor; Laurie later falls in love with Jo but ends up marrying Amy. In the beginning of the story they are all fairly young, the youngest being twelve years old, and their mother, whom they call Marmee, is left to guide them while their father is away fighting in the war. As they grow and mature, they learn many hard lessons about life. For instance, there was the time when Amy, the youngest, suffered her first punishment in school. She carries that anger, humility, and embarrassment with her for the rest of her life. There were also more serious lessons to be learned, like when one of the sisters, Beth, dies. By the end of the book, they really have turned from little women into real women. Jo was the second oldest of the four sisters. Her birth name was Josephine, but she always thought that it sounded too feminine, so she shortened it to Jo. Clearly, Jo was one of the main characters of the story because many of the events centered on her and the audience learned more about who she was. She was a tomboy at heart and hated all the prim and proper ways of the ladies in those days. Jo was very blunt in her speaking and always said exactly what was on her mind. However, most people felt right at ease speaking with her because she had a way of making them feel comfortable, despite her frankness. Jo was the one who first had enough courage to go over to the frightening house next door and talk with the Laurence Boy, whom they knew as Laurie after that, and became the best of friends with him. Despite that one good trait, Jo has an uncontrollable temper that can erupt at any time. This is quite evident one day when Amy burns one of Jo's most precious items-a book that she wrote stories in and had for years.

Eco&Finance Essay

There were lots of environmental resources at hand that will economic maturity. Protected areas in a specific realm are essential and could be a great source of fundamental strategy in order to achieve proliferation in the system. In accordance to this, there were several contributions for the said matter, some of them would be beneficial to take into account and others may not – it practically depends on how an individual perceived it and how would be able to contribute in a certain territory. It has been said that there were tons of means in order to generate funds for protected areas. It is beneficial that there are consistent adherent for a certain project to be able to maintain the productivity and efficiency of the protected areas. Considering government funding to generate income, through this, those in authority has allotted budget for the nourishment of the areas. Private sector funding also contributes to the increasing support for the said areas, which in turn will brought additional incentives for the land. Lockwoods, Worboys and Kothari (2006) exemplifies that â€Å"a growing number of business sectors are seeing opportunities in partnmership with protected areas and with the communities who surround them† (p. 332). Another imperative provider of the protected areas are the foundations and individual donors who identify such as beneficial not only for the community but also to the people. It was ellicidated that there are lots of benefits on investing in protected areas. Lockwoods, Worboys and Kothari (2006) connotes that â€Å"demand for the benefits afforded by protected areas is likely to continue to rise particularly with respect to recreation demand such as resource demand, enhanced information availability about the attraction of protected areas, etc. † (p. 340). As we maintain the stability of this matter, in return the investment that we make will proliferate. It is important to note also on how an individual will benefit and what particular privileges a person could get in maintaining their protected areas. It has been said that somehow, there were discrimination that occurs. Lockwoods, Worboys and Kothari (2006) said that â€Å"there must be clear definition of revenue-raising objectives and charges must be presented as a fee for services provided not a fee for entry or access rights† (p. 348). To wrap it all, it has been epitomized that in one way or the other, it is beneficial to consider the capabilities of protected areas considering how it will contribute to the growth and stability of a certain place. Lockwoods, Worboys and Kothari (2006) explains that â€Å"economic valuation techniques are directed towards estimating the impacts that in particular protected area or policy proposal has on economic welfare as well as to assess the contribution that protected areas makes to an economy† (p. 354). Parallel to this, contributions from different sectors should always be on top priority since it has a huge impact for the development and maintenance of the matter and which will stabilize the economy.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Massey-Fergusion Case Study Essay

1. Net sales for Massey-Ferguson actually increased between 1979 and 1980. Despite this, net  income and income from continuing operations both dropped sharply in 1980. Which item  on the income statement was most responsible for this drop in income? The item on the income statement most responsible for this drop in income was the rise in cost  of goods sold due to currency risk exposure. The pound appreciated strongly against currencies  that Massey sold its products. Especially since engine production was highly concentrated in the  United Kingdom. Cost of goods sold rose from $238.18 million to $2568.5 million from 1979 to  1980 because of the rise in strength of the British pound. 2. Why would the Canadian government have any interest in helping Massey-Ferguson  refinance its debt? A bulk of Massey’s operations were centralized in Canada which meant that a large portionof Canada was employed by Massey (6,700 in Ontario) and without the help of  the Canadian  government these jobs would be loss and they would need to pay out unemployment. Also,  Argus Corporation, a stock holding company in Canada, had a 16.5% stake in Massey and was a  conservative supporter who wanted more support for Massey. 3. Why would it be difficult for Massey-Ferguson to conduct an equity issue to pay down its  debt?   It would be difficult for Massey to conduct an equity issue to pay down its debt because of how  much debt Massey accrued and their consistent inability to pay it. Also, Argus refused to take  a block of preferred share issues Massey intended to issue in 1980. Since Argus was Massey’s  largest shareholder, if they lacked confidence in Massey it shows a lot. Massey also fell behind  with dividends to both preferred and common shares due to covenants on their outstanding loans.  So equity capital was out of the question.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Best Candidate to be U.S. President Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Best Candidate to be U.S. President - Essay Example The US presidential elections have called upon the people to elect a futurist and visionary leader. These elections are very important for the people of the United States as well as the rest of the world. This is due to the fact that people are living amidst great danger and challenges, which have proved to be of greater complexity than the problems of the past. At present, there are weapons of mass destruction, which can eradicate a nation’s people in one go. Terrorism has become globalized, and is increasing tremendously, due to the sophistication of communications and weapons. Democracy has been degraded, across the world, by some rogue nations, which also sponsor terrorism. A number of new health hazards are anticipated, as a result of the increase in global warming, which could lead to the outbreak of new diseases (Council on Foreign Affairs). These threats and risks cannot be addressed by the present leadership. What is required is a totally new vision, in respect of leadership, which is beyond Bush and his cronies at the White House. The need of the hour is visionary leadership that is based on the past experiences. It should not be bound by outdated and obsolete thinking. This was evident in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the US. The Bush administration responded by adopting traditional thinking. This thinking was confined to the conventional thinking of the past; and this inept government viewed terrorism as a state – oriented problem rather than a problem with international ramifications. Consequently, the Bush administration adopted military solutions rather than initiating international action. This conventional thinking led the US to wage a war against Iraq, which resulted in international opprobrium and hostility toward the US. The new visionary leadership has to perforce end this ethically unjustifi ed war and thereby pacify the comity of nations. The war in Iraq has to be ended in a responsible

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Individual Critique Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Individual Critique - Literature review Example 2.0- SYNOPSIS FROM THE ARTCILE The article pointed to the importance of following factors behind the economies resisting growth: The recovery from recession receive great impact from the social factors Exports of a country has a great role to play in the recovery specifically in the net exports Role of debts and foreign direct investment is also critical. Impact of united currency in the overall recovery of countries (Walker, 2013). 3.0- ACADEMIC ALLIGMENT The article asserting the agreed upon definition of recession that paved way for the economy resisting to recovery. Among large number of factors with economic and financial strategies that play role in the economic recovery, the article highlights the dominant impact of social factor. The importance of the social factor is insisted with fact that despite the high public debt levels of Germany beyond the agreed 3% of GDP (BBC, 2012); the market considers Germany as safe heaven for investment while considering Spain and Italy in tro uble. Exploration of working conditions behind provided evidence that Spain, Italy and France had heightened the private debt (as shown in figure below) during economic growth boom to increase investments and resultantly raised the wages. (BBC, 2012) In the similar duration Germany has maintained the wages level and has developed greater export base. Hence, despite being hit by recession Germany has a positive outlook while consumers in mentioned countries are concerned with paying up debts and increased competitive wage rate has low spending sentiment thereby resisting recovery with social factors (Economou at el., 2012). Moreover, the increased resistance of French economy to recover can also be traced to have a greater contribution from similar factors as given below: (BBC, 2012) Hence unlike the dominant economic notion of high negative impact, public debt only on economic recovery is contrasted with current situation. Moreover, the increased pressure of controlling the public d ebt is also countered with continuing positive outlook of German economy. Strategy of German economy is to increase export with control wage rate developed trade surplus and hence the economy is in better position to attract foreign direct investment while the economies in trouble, in contrast, are facing trouble of huge trade deficit with piled up imports as referred below: (BBC, 2012) The current conditions of France to revisit its growth estimates along with relaxing labor laws also assert the realization of over burdened economy. While deteriorating condition points to the piling up of all factors of trade deficit, extensive government borrowing along with private borrowing as well as the labor law problems. Hence, assessment highlights reasons for controlling the debt in all in a broader context of all mentioned factors; unlike traditional theories that posed all pressure on public spending only. However, this does not refer any relaxation for public debt going beyond the set l imits and due importance of controlled public debt still retains the elementary position in economic betterment. The other highlighted factor that is making exports expensive and costing the economic recovery of countries in trouble is the increased attention to strengthen the united currency. In contrary to foundation stones for Euro that promised growth in jobs and exports, the strengthening Euro has started