Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Research On Destination Image And Perceived Expectation Tourism Essay

Exploration On Destination Image And Perceived Expectation Tourism Essay Presentation Back ground The travel industry can be characterize as the exercises of individuals going from their inhabitant nation to another not more than one moderate year in control for recreation, business, information and other reason. In the early timeframe when the travel industry was present, it was just the rich and scarcely any informed ones that adoration experience travel to investigate the other nation culture as a traveler, so the travel industry at that point isn't well known and can not create a lot of cash for a nation however as time go on the travel industry began to come into spotlight to the degree that it fill in as a significant area of pay to some nation. The travel industry is developing quick these days on the planet to the degree that the world gathering it as the second biggest segment of economy that produce pay for nation on the planet. As per (WTO) world the travel industry association, the part has become a serious area on the planet among various nation of the world. The travel industry business has developed to some level that some created and creating nations like Greece rely upon the travel industry as wellspring of salary for their nation. They rely exclusively upon it to build up the economy, make vocations, and diminish destitution line of the individuals. All nation currently structures their area, urban communities, and state to draw in traveler and vacationer speculator to their goal so as to contend in the travel industry businesses. Aside from building up the economy of a nation, the travel industry likewise give space for nation culture to come into spotlight. Voyagers being significant spotlight in goal have sway on the goal itself and the item in that goal. The voyagers nearness in that goal improved the consciousness of the spot picture. Goal picture, this has to do with the vacationers impression of items from a specific nation, on their view of the countrys creation and showcasing qualities and weaknesses.(Roth Romeo, 1992). Travelers are intended to assess a goal and in this procedure distinctive vacationer think of various data about that goal which is significant in improving or harming the picture of a goal. Traveler are bourn to surmise about a goal picture and their deduction about the estimation of a goal fill in as a quality pointer, the mix of the data or judgment lead to by and large assessment of the goal fulfillment which lead to client loyalty(Manrai, 1998,p.594). Besides, any visitor goal that had the option to pick up the unwaveringness of vacationer, the goal will be at the favorable position in light of the fact that the traveler will result to prescribing that goal to other. Fruitful the travel industry can build the receipt of the vacationer in a goal; it can likewise expand pay, government income, and business. Pulling in traveler to return to and suggest it for others is significant in the achievement of a goal. (Chen and Tsai,2007). Malaysia was effective in expanding the quantity of vacationer throughout the year among which is Nigeria visitor are incorporated with the recorded number by (WTO) world the travel industry association which rake Malaysia ninth situation with 23 .6m among the main ten most visited nation on the planet. These depended on the Malaysia achievement in picking up the dedication of the visitor and great goal picture they have with the traveler, that is the reason Malaysia had the option to accomplish this objective. Taking a gander at the figure a few years back the number isn't up to this however consistently the figure continue expanding, this likewise apply to Nigerian visitor in Malaysia, 2009 Malaysia recorded over10,000 Nigeria voyagers and ever year the number continues expanding. The examination is taking a gander at these expansion in number of Nigerian vacationer which is likely identified with the goal picture of Malaysia that has impact on see desire for the Nigerian visitor, proof from Chen Tsai, 2007.Destination picture have two significant effect on traveler conduct, the first is the ability to impact goal decision dynamic and the subsequent one is the after dynamic conduct of the visitor on the goal, experience, assessment and fulfillment which lead to return to and suggestion of the travel industry goal. Great impression of the goal picture achieves faithful visitor, proposal and returning to of the goal and it will decidedly build up the travel industry part. In this manner, the constructive experience the vacationer have on the item, administrations, food, inn, friendliness of the individuals and other will encourage the return to or proposal of the goal. Verbal data help colossally in building up the picture of a goal since it could deliver another visitor visit to that goal or return to. All together words, verbal exchange and proposal by the novice visit to a spot is the most solid wellspring of data of a goal. In any case, there is no exploration that have investigate picture goal with see desire, this examination is going to address how goal picture impact apparent desire for Nigerian vacationer and furthermore test if goal picture have effect on the expansion of Nigeria visitors throughout the years. 1.2 Purpose of the examination The point of this proposed examination is to distinguish the huge picture development and it sway on Nigerian vacationers fulfillment. Discover the connection between goal picture Nigerian traveler saw desire, see quality, visitors fulfillment and vacationer dependability. Utilizing auxiliary condition model (SEM) by experimentally seeing Nigeria instruction vacationer in Malaysia (Students) specifically as the significant respondent. 1.3 Problem explanation of the examination The current written works shows that travel industry scientists have customarily centered around issues that identify with the interest sides of the vacationer inspirations and hardly any personal conduct standards for the most part to find the reasons that made voyagers visit a specific goal (Chen and Tsai, 2007; Alcaniz et al., 2005). Taking a gander at the nonexistent picture of voyagers it requires the need to experimentally build up the real travel understanding of Nigerian sightseers in Malaysia. This is spin-off of different industry reports in Malaysia that have been reliably adversely painting Nigerian visitors on issues like tricks, dark cash, abducting, illegal tax avoidance and so forth (Romance trick, 2010; NOTE; (Ernest, 2009). Strikingly, in spite of these negative open pictures of Nigerian visitors in Malaysia, the nation has ceaselessly seen a sharp increment in Nigerian travelers to Malaysia (Sirat et al., 2010; Sirat, 2005). Picture as a unique idea has been contended as a powerful methods for looking at and examining chronicled and contemporary issues in movement writing, especially how changes in visitor appearances have decidedly or adversely affected the travel industry advancement of a general public (Turel and Serenko, 2006). Apparently, visitor specialists has found and underscored that the remarkable picture of any goal has been created as of late through the inventive utilization of symbolism (Andriotis et al., 2008; Meng et al., 2008; Bowen and Clarke, 2002). This is on the grounds that travel industry providers have been deliberately utilizing such symbolism in separating their items and conjuring existential wants in the psyches of their current and likely guests (Sirgy et al., 2010; Gil and Ritchie, 2008). (Hudman and Johnson1994) second release topography of movement and the travel industry. Consequently, the uniqueness and assorted variety of the travel industry items in the cutting edge e conomy for all intents and purposes request that goals ought to provide food for a more extensive cluster of vacationer interests, by continually repackaging their items and reimaging their goal along traveler request and practices (Chen and Tsai, 2007). Grounded in these territories of exploration is (Fornell et al1996). That have exactly tried and built up apparent desire, saw quality and saw an incentive as the precursors of consumer loyalty and client protests and client steadfastness as the results of consumer loyalty across industry. So also, Gil and Ritchie (2008), Chen and Tsai (2007) and Alcaniz et al (2005) have all independently underlined that the capacity of movement suppliers to proficiently coordinate vacationer discernments with their own recognitions would prompt a progressively successful and profitable buyer driven advertising and further affirms the pertinence of picture in giving the necessary legitimate guest encounters. Base on the handy and hypothetical holes referenced over, this investigation plans to look at Nigerian voyagers encounters, by relating the ideas of picture with the realness of their visits. This examination proposes to penetrate the hypothetical hole as stressed by Chen and Tsai (2007) that distinction among symbolism and experience could decidedly or contrarily sway voyagers fulfillment. 1.4 Research goals This examination will investigate on goal picture and saw desire that lead to see quality, travelers fulfillment which came about to client devotion. The examination target will be recorded underneath; To consider the goal picture, and visitor fulfillment To examine the vacationer see desire for the goal picture which lead to traveler faithfulness To investigate the connection between goal pictures, saw desire, see quality and fulfillment that help in picking up the visitor steadfastness. To prescribe and give recommendation on the best way to keep the achievement and improve the goal picture for the vacationer to continue being faithful to the goal. 1.5 Research questions This exploration will pose these inquiries What could be the view of Nigerian traveler on Malaysia as a goal, fulfillment and dedication of Nigerian vacationer? What is the apparent desire for Nigerian traveler on the goal picture? What are the connection between goal picture, seen desire, see quality, fulfillment and client steadfastness? What are the recommendations expected to continua

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Alan Freed:History Of Rock Music Essay -- essays research papers

     Alan Freed      Alan Freed was conceived December 16, 1922 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He was considered the most the most popular Disk Jockey(DJ) in awesome 'history, notwithstanding, contention surrounded the man and he recieved loads of analysis particularly from white grown-ups during his profession. I imagine that Alan Freed extraordinarily helped shape the sound of music today and further propelled the movement of exciting music. He is the individual who begat the term "Rock & Roll" and furthermore set up with a great deal of hogwash in regards to the term. At the time "Rock & Roll" was a urban african american term for sex, I think Alan figured it out that the well known white culture would be killed by the term R&B, which was primarily related with dark craftsmen, so he chose to give it an alternate name and uncover that style of music to the overall population.      His radio name and moniker was "Moondog". These were additionally the names of his non-isolated shows in which highly contrasting adolescents came to tune in to great stone & move paying little heed to the artist's shading. Moondog Balls were famous and drew a lot analysis from white guardians. At the first Moondog Ball more than 25,000 children, for the most part white, appeared in the March of 1925 in Cleveland. I accept that what Freed did was acceptable as far as freeing individuals up to racially differing music and not so much tuning in to what the media ...

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Building 4 Odyssey

Building 4 Odyssey I very much agree with what Jess wrote about your comments on Stus entry this is a challenging time for the MIT admissions office, and hearing your thoughts, whether supportive or critical, is always enlightening. As I wrote back in February, Im reading three heavy-duty books in the class 21L.702 Studies in Fiction: James Joyce and the Legacy of Modernism. Joyces Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man were both difficult but possible to understand. I really enjoyed both of them, and am fairly confident that I knew what was going on in each book. I havent often feel this way at MIT, so I was enjoying it. Ulysses is something else. It is the most formidable piece of literature I have ever attempted, and, not gonna lie, its been rough. Between the changing narrative styles, extensive vocabulary (250,000 words from a vocabulary of 30,000 words), and hundreds of jokes/puns/foreign phrases that require 700 pages of annotations, it is a monster to read let alone understand. But enough complaining. I am in a superb lit class that is tackling this book, and I diligently take pages of notes each class to supplement my reading comprehension. All good, right? Not last Tuesday, when I left my copy of Ulysses, along with my awesome notebook of class notes from Dubliners, Portrait, and Ulysses in the Building 4 Athena Cluster. I rushed out of the cluster around 5:15 PM when I got an urgent email, and forgot to bring my books with me. When I went back around 8:00 PM to pick them up, they were gone. Yikes. On Wednesday morning, after a sleepless night (not kidding), I went to the undergraduate math office in the same hallway and asked if anyone had dropped off my books. Nope. I then left a short note in the unlucky terminal that said, If you found a brown notebook or the book Ulysses, please contact [email], thanks! By Thursday, I was pretty bummed, since I figured that if the person who took my books hadnt contacted me within a day, they were as good as gone. With my last drop of optimism, I turned to the Athena gods. My awesome friend Phil 07 taught me the useful Athena command last. I typed this in on the Athena computer I had used Tuesday and learned the names of the last ~40 people who had logged in on the same computer. I emailed the following message to the 3 users who were there between 5:15 PM and 8:00 PM Tuesday Hey [Name], I left my copy of Ulysses by James Joyce in the bldg 4 Athena cluster, and I see you logged on after me. Did you happen to pick my book and notebook? If so, I'd be happy to come get it from you Thanks, Mitra I got some very thoughtful responses, like Hi Mitra, I'm afraid I haven't seen it. Good luck and Hi Mitra, Sorry, I was actually in a rush to print something out, I didn't even notice anything on the table. Sorry again! I hope you find it At this point, I was beginning to lose all hope. Buying a new book wouldnt have been a huge deal, especially since I dont write much in my books, but the notebook was key. Then I miraculously received this email Yes, I did! Sorry, I picked up the book and notebook intending to find out who owned them, but I got distracted. I have a big thermodynamics test today which has left me scatterbrained. The test has got me jammed up today, and it would be hard for us to meet up. Can we meet Friday? Any time or place Friday is good for me. I'm sorry for the inconvenience I've caused; I should have just left the books there and in all likelihood you'd have recovered them by now. Anyway, email me back and let's find a time and place to meet up and get/give back your stuff. As you may have guessed, I was thrilled to get this email and am currently guarding my Ulysses book and notebook with my life. I am not sure what the moral of this story is, though I suppose it can be any one of the following: keep track of your stuff; learn your Athena commands; people at MIT can do great things for each other. Any others that Im missing? In any case, Im off to reread and Scylla and Charybdis to try and figure out what Stephen Dedaluss deal is.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Issues Affecting The Healthcare Sector - 1773 Words

There are many issues affecting the healthcare sector in this day and age. Some of these issues include the cost of healthcare and the rise of it, the quality or efficiency of healthcare, or the shortage of physicians. All of these issues directly affect patient care and can be avoided with proper standards and practice. However, in 2015, there is no other issue directly affecting patients, in terms of patient privacy and willingness to come back to a certain entity, more than identity theft. Background and Why Healthcare Records? Some do not understand the power a medical record can hold in the hands of criminals in the black market. Since credit card numbers can easily be shut off when it is identified as compromised, health care records†¦show more content†¦New York times state that around 4.5 million healthcare records were potentially compromised and occurred in April of 2014 (Perlroth, 2014). In terms of cyber-attacks, this is a fairly new subject area for healthcare. Now, there have been smaller attacks on healthcare due to their value, but in terms of large scale cyber-attacks, it is a fairly recent occurrence. However, it is important to note that massive healthcare breaches do not only come from the outside. There are healthcare employees involved in the stolen information as well. It is very easy for individuals with enough access to medical records to steal information or pass it on to someone else without being noticed because accessing data is seen to be in their job role. For instance, if a nurse accesses a patient record and writes down his or her social security number and date of birth, no one would think twice about it unless the nurse was seen. This is because the accessibility of the medical records was what her job entailed on a daily basis. Why don’t Healthcare Companies Simply Stop Criminals from Breaking into their Systems? Some of the reasons why these attacks occur is simply the lack of response from the healthcare entities. There are many things healthcare companies should be doing in terms of better security for their patients’ information. Some healthcare entities are not using certain security

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Schools and Nutrition Policy Essay - 1886 Words

Melissa Rossiter, currently an Assistant Professor in Applied Human Nutrition at Mount Saint Vincent University and a Registered Dietician, conducted a descriptive study through the means of a questionnaire in 2007. This questionnaire, distributed to 130 prospective teachers, was intended to measured their â€Å"eating patterns†, â€Å"nutrition knowledge† and â€Å"personal health beliefs† as well as the â€Å"school’s food environment†, and the contribution these measures had on intended food practices in the classroom. The title of the paper is concise and easy to understand, however it fails to mention the relationship with the four aspects mentioned above. The abstract is a brief summary of the intentions behind of the research and explains the†¦show more content†¦Opinions, beliefs and values are open to change. The author noted this, explaining that the current views of prospective teachers may not be representative of them once beco ming a working teacher.. The associations identified can be difficult to predict because one cannot determine causality using a cross-sectional design. To determine causation of classroom food practices, a longitudinal study is more appropriate. The most relevant finding is that the lower the prospective teacher’s beliefs that the schools food environment is responsible for promoting healthy foods, the higher the likelihood of them to use rewards such as candy in the classroom. This finding does not reply to the objective of this research. The author’s intention is to determine whether the schools food environment (atmosphere, attitudes towards food, and types of food available) will influence the prospective teacher’s classroom food practices. This particular finding explores the effect on the prospective teacher’s classroom food practices, contingent of their high or low opinion of the obligations schools have to encourage healthy food choices. The stud y had two prominent strengths. First, this particular study uses a questionnaire derived from a previous similar study, so it has been â€Å"verified†. Additionally, a pilot study is conducted to determine the suitability of her questionnaire on 25Show MoreRelatedIs School Nutrition A Contributor? Childhood Obesity?1619 Words   |  7 Pages Methods Question: Is school nutrition a major contributor to childhood obesity? Date of Literature Review: October 2014 Inclusion Criteria †¢ Age: school aged children (4-18 years old) †¢ Setting: Public and private school systems in the US. †¢ Health Status: Any †¢ Nutrition-Related Problem or Condition: Obese or overweight and consuming at least lunch in a school setting. †¢ Study Design Preference: Cross-sectional studies, large randomized observational studies, time series studies. †¢ Size of StudyRead MorePolicy Priority Issue : The Childhood Obesity Essay1614 Words   |  7 PagesPolicy priority issue: The childhood obesity Childhood obesity is one of the major public health challenges of the 21st century. The prevalence of obesity is increasing globally. In 2013, the number of overweight children under the age of five was estimated over 42 million. Childhood obesity can cause premature death and disability in adulthood. Overweight and obese children will grow up to become obese adults and are more likely to develop diseases like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes at aRead MorePaper On Type 2 Diabetes754 Words   |  4 Pagesfor participants to utilize as well. Going together, policy that influence nutrition and physical activity lend a hand in type diabetes management. In 2004, congress passed the Child Nutrition and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act which creates policy and requirements that promote student health in schools (â€Å"Team Nutrition,† 2017). Requirements include specific goals for nutrition promotion and education and physical activity. AdditionallyRead MoreImproving Competitive Foods Schools For Creating A Healthy School Environment1182 Words   |  5 PagesImproving Competitive Foods in Schools to create a healthy school environment To: School Districts and School Administrators Seeing Spots: Addressing Competitive Foods Competitive foods are foods that are available in schools to purchase through venues such as a la carte lines, vending machines, snack bars, school stores and other fundraises.1 It has been estimated that nearly 30-50% of all school students consume their total calories at school.2 School lunch and breakfast programs meet the requirementsRead MoreObesity Is Defined As Excess Body Weight That Has A Negative Impact On Self Esteem943 Words   |  4 Pagesamong children to be accomplished by the year 2020. Programs and Policies In a strive for better health among our children, the CDC has published guidelines for school programs which promote physical activity and healthy eating.The guidelines that were published, are for healthy eating programs which include recommendations on school policies, instructions to students, curriculums, integration of school food services and nutrition education. The guidelines also target improvements in staff trainingRead MoreSchool Lunch And Breakfast Programs Essay1157 Words   |  5 Pagesprevent disease with nutrition† (Norton). While medicines and antibiotics can be very useful in certain situations, nutrition is key in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, many students cannot maintain a healthy lifestyle due to a lack of nutrition in school foods. In order to solve this problem, stricter standards must be implemented into school lunch and breakfast programs. To effectively improve the nutritional value of foods offered by both primary and secondary schools, stricter legislationRead MoreThe Nutrition Improvement Of Childhood Obesity And China, Calls For Quick And Effective Interventions Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pagesshould focus on taking measures to improve dietary patterns in children’s lives. The Chinese government has decided to take action and started by changing policies and creating programs that can tackle this disease. In the Nutrition Improvement Work manager approach approved by the Chinese government, nutrition interventions include nutrition education, and guidance (Huijun Fengying, 2013). In 2009, National fitness model regulations increased the physical activity in the country (Huijun FengyingRead MoreNew School Nutrition: A Dictatorship Essay705 Words   |  3 Pagesdisappointing celebration is the result of the new school nutrition policy that dictates what can and cannot be offered in schools (Beard). With over one third of the nation’s children and adolescents obese or overweight in 2010, something must be done about the health of our kids (Childhood). But this new policy has gone too far and limits many aspects of school life. The policy is too severe and needs to be revised because it over regulates fundraisers many school organizations rely upon for funding, it addsRead MoreThe On The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act1554 Words   |  7 Pagesanalysis and comparison of the two policies on the criteria. It provides information on likelihood of decreasing rate of childhood obesity as well as alternative policy. Reinforcing NSLP in every school in our nation to adhere to dietary guidelines set forth by USDA. In addition, focusing on education and raising awareness among children and their parents even if our nation is on financial crisis especially budgetary and spending issues. Improving child nutrition is everyone responsibility includingRead MoreHealth Promotion For Combating Obesity973 Words   |  4 Pagespublic health policies. Policy experts have argued that significant health promotion could be achieved by involving all levels in the society including those within and those outside the health sector schools (Hendricks, Jansen, Gubbels, De Vries, Paulussen, Kremers, 2013). Integrated health promotion activities and policies that are characterized by coordinated interventions by different players should be considered. Some of these health promotion activities include school nutrition and education

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Fact Sheet on Effects of Marijuana on the Body Free Essays

MEMORY/PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR 1. Attention, memory and learning are impaired among heavy marijuana users, even after users discontinued its use for at least 24 hours. Heavy marijuana use is associated with residual neuropsychological effects even after a day of supervised abstinence from the drug. We will write a custom essay sample on Fact Sheet on Effects of Marijuana on the Body or any similar topic only for you Order Now Heavy users displayed significantly greater impairment than light users on attention/executive functions, as evidenced particularly by greater preservations on card sorting and reduced learning of word lists. These differences remained after controlling for potential confounding variables, such as estimated levels of premorbid cognitive functioning, and for use of alcohol and other substances in the two groups. However, the question remains open as to whether this impairment is due to a residue of drug in the brain, a withdrawal effect from the drug, or a frank neurotoxic effect of the drug. (â€Å"The Residual Cognitive Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use in College Students,† Pope, HG Jr. , Yurgelun-Todd, D. , Biological Psychiatry Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, JAMA February 21, 1996. 2. Impaired memory for recent events, difficulty concentrating, dreamlike states, impaired motor coordination, impaired driving and other psychomotor skills, slowed reaction time, impaired goal-directed mental activity, and altered peripheral vision are common associated effects. (Adams and Martin 1996; Fehr and Kalant 1983; Hollister 1988a; Institute of Medicine 1982; Tart 1971) 3. A roadsid e study of reckless drivers who were not impaired by alcohol, showed that 45% of these drivers tested positive for marijuana. Dr. Dan Brookoff, published in the New England Journal of Medicine) 4. Marijuana smoking affects the brain and leads to impaired short-term memory, perception, judgment and motor skills. (Marijuana Facts: Parents Need to Know, National Institute on Drug Abuse ) 5. In a survey of 150 marijuana using students, 59% surveyed report they sometimes forget what a conversation is about before it has ended. 41% report if they read while stoned they remembered less of what they had read hours later. (Dr. Richard Schwartz, Vienna Pediatric Associates in Psychiatric Annals as reported in NIDA Capsules) NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS 6. Marijuana activates the same pleasure centers in the brain that are targeted by heroin, cocaine and alcohol. (Dr. Gaetano Di Chiara, University of Caligari, Italy) CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS 7. Physiological effects of marijuana include an alteration of heart rate. Use of marijuana may result in intense anxiety, panic attacks or paranoia. (National Institute of Drug Abuse) CHRONIC EFFECTS RESPIRATORY SYSTEM EFFECTS . The daily use of 1 to 3 marijuana joints appears to produce approximately the same lung damage and potential cancer risk as smoking 5 times as many cigarettes. (UCLA) The study results suggest that the way smokers inhale marijuana, in addition to its chemical composition, increases the adverse physical effects. The same lung cancer risks associated with tobacco also apply to marijuana users, even though they smoke far less. (reported in NIDA Capsules) 9. Benzopyrene is the chemical in tobacco that causes lung cancer. An average marijuana cigarette contains nearly 50% more benzopyrene than a tobacco cigarette. An average marijuana cigarette contains 30 nanograms of this carcinogen compared to 21 nanograms in an average tobacco cigarette (Marijuana and Health, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine Report, 1982) Benzopyrene suppresses a gene that controls growth of cells. When this gene is damaged the body becomes more susceptible to cancer. This gene is related to half of all human cancers and as many as 70% of lung cancers. 10. Marijuana users may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have, such as chronic bronchitis and inflamed sinuses. (Marijuana Facts: Parents Need to Know, National Institute on Drug Abuse ) 11. Marijuana smokers, when compared to non marijuana smokers, have more respiratory illness. (Polen et al. 1993). 12. Marijuana smoke produces airway injury, acute and chronic bronchitis, lung inflammation, and decreased pulmonary defenses against infection. Smoking one marijuana cigarette leads to air deposition of four times as much cancer-causing tar as does tobacco smoke (Dr. D. Tashkin, Western Journal of Medicine) ENDOCRINE SYSTEM EFFECTS 13. Heavy marijuana use can affect hormones in both males and females. Heavy doses of the drugs may delay the onset of puberty in young men. Marijuana also can have adverse effects on sperm production. Among women, regular marijuana use can disrupt the normal monthly menstrual cycle and inhibit the discharge of eggs from the ovaries. (Marijuana Facts: Parents Need to know, National Institute on Drug Abuse) ADVERSE MENTAL EFFECTS 14. An â€Å"amotivational syndrome† can develop in heavy, chronic marijuana users. It is characterized by decreased drive and ambition, shortened attention span, poor judgment, high distractibility, impaired communication skills, and diminished effectiveness in interpersonal situations. (National Institute of Drug Abuse) 15. Adults who smoked marijuana daily believed it helped them function better, improved self-awareness and improved relationships with others. However, researchers found that users were more willing to tolerate problems, suggesting that the drug served as a buffer for those who would rather avoid confronting problems than make changes that might increase their satisfaction with life. The study indicated that these subjects used marijuana to avoid dealing with their difficulties and the avoidance inevitably made their problems worse. Although users believed the drug enhanced understanding of themselves, it actually served as a barrier against self-awareness. (case studies by research team from Center for Psychosocial Studies in New York. ) IMMUNE SYSTEM EFFECTS 16. Marijuana and some of its compounds influence the immune system and affect the body’s ability to resist viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa, and decreases the body’s anti tumor activities. Marijuana has the potential to alter the backup safeguards of the immune system because it affects diverse types of cells in the body. This could compromise the immune system’s ability to screen out cancer cells and eliminate infection. (Dr. Guy A. Cabral, Professor, Medical College of Virginia, speaking at NlDA’s National Conference on Marijuana Use: Prevention, Treatment and Research. ) Limitations of Marijuana Research â€Å"Unfortunately, much of what is known about the human pharmacology of smoked marijuana comes from experiments with plant material containing about 2% THC or less, or occasionally up to 4% THC. In addition, human experiments typically are done in laboratory settings where only one or two smoked doses were administered to relatively young, medically screened, healthy male volunteers well experienced with the effects of marijuana. Females rarely participated in past marijuana research because of prohibitions (now removed) against their inclusion. Thus the clinical pharmacology of single or repeated smoked marijuana doses given to older people or to people with serious diseases has hardly been researched at all in a controlled laboratory or clinic setting. Some of the very few reports of experiments that have included older or sicker people, particularly patients less experienced in using marijuana suggest the profile of adverse effects may differ from healthy student volunteers smoking in a laboratory experiment (Hollister, 1986a, 1988a) THC administered alone in its pure form is the most thoroughly research cannabinoid. Much of what has been written has been inferred from the results of experiments using only pure THC. Generally, in experiments actually using marijuana, the assumed dose of marijuana was based only on the concentration of THC in the plant material. The amounts of cannabidiol and other cannabinoids in the plant also vary so that pharmacological interactions modifying the effects THC may occur when marijuana is used instead of pure THC. The result of this research strategy is that a good deal is known about the pharmacology of THC, but experimental confirmation that the pharmacology of a marijuana cigarette is indeed entirely or mainly determined by the amount of THC it contains remains to be completed. The scientific literature contains occasional hints that the pharmacology of pure THC, although similar, is not always the same as the clinical pharmacology of smoked marijuana containing the same amount of THC (Graham 1976, Harvey 1985, Institute of Medicine 1982)† (Report to the Director, National Institutes of Health, by the Ad-Hoc Group of Experts, â€Å"Workshop on the Medical Utility of Marijuana. â€Å") How to cite Fact Sheet on Effects of Marijuana on the Body, Essay examples

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Why American Veterans Should Be Honored free essay sample

WarI think American veterans should be honored for several key reasons. The first and foremost reason is that these brave men and women risked ther lives for the freedom of the United States, or even for the freedom of a country half way around the world, which they knew nothing about. Either way these soilders fought for freedom, and each one should be honored one way or another. Another reason veterans should be commended is because we never want to repeat the time when Vietnam war veterans came back to the states. They were treated terribly. They were spit on, objects were thrown at them, they were denied of jobs by people who resented the war, etc. Yet another reason is that these people fight so the rest of us dont have to. These people also keep the wars over seas, so us citizens can sleep safely at night. Also, some soilders see some really traumatizing things. We will write a custom essay sample on Why American Veterans Should Be Honored or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Either seeing their buddies die right in front of them. Anyone who has seen Saving Private Ryan has a pretty good idea of what some soilders witness. As mentioned before, every single veteran should be honored, no matter how little or how much he or she has done. This means that the United States Marine Corp. Commandant should have the same honor as a Navy Engineer who has never seen a day of fighting. Here are a few ways that us Americans can honor those who serve our country. One way is to find a veteran in your community, and listen to their war time stories. Youll never know if a great American hero lives in your neighborhood if you dont ask. Another way, although less likely to happen nowadays, is if you ever see a homeless person with a sign saying that he or she was a veteran of some sort, go ahead and drop some loose change into their Spaghetti-Os can. One last way is to just send a simple letter to a soilder currently in Iraq or Afghanistan, to get the spirits up. And that is why I think American Veterans should be honored. No matter if they fought in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, or even the current War on Terror, these soilders deserve the respect of each and every American citizen.

Friday, March 6, 2020

How did Africans preserve and affirm their way of life and use their i

How did Africans preserve and affirm their way of life and use their i Chinara Ume Intro to African American Studies 2nd Framing Question Dr. Carr February 18, 2016 How did Africans preserve and affirm their way of life and use their identities as a means to resist enslavement? Abstract: At the time of the eighteenth and ninth century, most Africans were learning how to resist slavery and how to form in unity in their actions and thoughts. Africans back then were forced, as soon as they came to America, to lose their traditions and adopt the American way. However, they eventually learned the techniques of resistance from white people in the United States and Western Hemisphere. And the techniques they learned they used against the white people who enslaved them. Although when they tried to resist, there were serious against repercussions Africans, sometimes resulting in death. Critical Review of Scholarship: In the novel, The Eloquence of the Scribes, Ayi Kwei Armah explains the importance of knowing your African history. He also talks about how, in terms of literacy, of passing knowledge down to younger generations. Armah said, Textual references to this aspect of mass identity are therefore scare, but that is not to say they are absent (Armah). He used to use literature as a way of better understanding where he cam from and his culture. His discussions points made it clearer to me to realize where I came from. In order to know where I came from, I have to make use of the resources that are given to me. If I do not use what is around me, I will not know where I came from. Discussion: In order to answer the framing question, I begin to address some of the topics presented by Dr. Carr in his lecture. He makes it a point to discuss what it means being African. Usually, when thinking of being African not many things come to mind; however, Dr. Carr stressed the importance of being African. When the majority people think of Africans, they think of slaves, but that is certainly not the only thing that Africans are. There are many advantages of being African. Africans are very intelligent, intelligent enough as they can seriously contribute to global advancement. During the enslavement period, Africans affirmed their way of living in different ways. Firstly, Africans never gave up their names and never succumbed to the white names their masters tried to give them. This helped them to sometimes keep their culture, however, it also resulted in punishment because it was a form of rebellion. They also tried to keep their traditions to preserve their culture. They passed down stories and the stories described a sense of confidence of Africans and reminded them that they were always great. Further Questions: 1.Where do African names stem from? 2.Is it possible to find what part of Africa you are from through DNA testing?

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

The Making of a Minority President Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Making of a Minority President - Essay Example John Edwards is the only Democratic white male that has a realistic opportunity of getting the nomination. The coming primary is a storm of historic proportions looming on the electoral landscape that could become a world-changing event. Democrats will have to decide whether to run for high ground, seek shelter, or weather the storm and face the adverse winds of political change. In many ways the events and polls leading up to the Democratic primaries have been a study in contradiction. In a Gallup Poll in the summer of 2007, Blacks selected Clinton as more favorable than Barak Obama. Hispanics favored Clinton ahead of the Latino Richardson. However, white voters see her as a liability and give her an unfavorable rating (Jones). While she leads in the national polling among all voters, nearly one-third of those polled said they would be less likely to vote for her because of her gender (Seelye and Sussman). Clinton's race and gender have been no friend to her in the polls and much of her support comes from Black and Hispanic males. Governor Bill Richardson is probably the most qualified candidate to deal with the benchmark issues of foreign policy, energy, and immigration ("The Man from New Mexico"). Yet, he is like an undiscovered treasure at a yard sale. He is unnoticed, unappreciated, and his low price tag offers no hint to the value contained within. Des pite the high profile positions that he has held with state and federal administrations, he is one of the least recognizable candidates. All these counter-intuitive poll numbers may add up to the possibility of a much stronger coalition when the candidate is selected, and a greater chance of a minority candidate winning the White House. However, the nominee will need to be careful to keep race, ethnicity, and gender out of the spotlight. The race will need to remain focused on the issues and the candidate's qualifications. Bringing attention to the minority status may uncover the prejudice and bias that lies beneath a thin veil of justice. America has had a dismal track record of minorities in presidential elections. While diversity is like a ray of hope on the landscape of equality, the light may also awaken old fears. These fears have the potential to tear holes in the coalition and leave the Democratic Party in disarray. The biases that bubble beneath America's ideal of equality can be seen in Richardson's candidacy. He is a centrist on immigration policy and favors tough border enforcement, fines for illegal entry, mandatory English, and a strict process to citizenship (Richardson). However, the opposition may spread panic among the electorate by negative ads that promote his ties to the Hispanic community and the myth of lost jobs and depressed wages for White and Black American workers. Richardson could find himself defending a policy that is unknown to most voters. The time and money spent defending himself against these racially based charges would detract from the more important issue of Iraq where Democrats have an advantage. It is likely that any minority candidate will be able to garner a majority of the traditional Democratic base. There are indications of much greater interest in the election among all the minority camps than in years past. Though Clinton currently is more favored than Richardson in the Hispanic comm

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

White Blood Cells (WBC) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

White Blood Cells (WBC) - Research Paper Example Bone marrow is the producer of White Blood Cells. The major function of Hematopoietic stem cells, found in bone marrow, is the production of WBC. Hematopoietic stem cells have a life span of only three to four days and therefore, any deficiencies in the production of this stem cell may affect the production of WBC also. â€Å"The white blood cells have a short life cycle, living from a few days to a few weeks. A drop of blood can contain anywhere from 7,000 to 25,000 white blood cells at a time†(White Blood Cells: Battling Blood Cells, 2012). This paper analyses various features of WBC. WBC’s are found throughout our body even though it is produced in bone marrow only. In other words, WBC produced from the bone marrow, is distributed all over the body to prevent the attack of foreign materials into the body. However, WBC density in bone marrow is more than that in any other parts of the body. There are six major types of white blood cells: Basophils, Bands, Eosinophils, Lymphocytes (T cells and B cells), Monocytes and Neutrophils. The average percentage of each type in the blood is as follows: Neutrophils - 58 percent; Eosinophils - 2 percent; Basophils - 1 percent; Bands - 3 percent; Monocytes - 4 percent; Lymphocytes - 4 percent and Neutrophils - 58 percent (Bianco, 2012). Each of these WBC’s has specific functions. Neutrophils defend against bacterial infection whereas Eosinophils prevent parasitic infections. Basophils are dealing with allergic infections whereas the duty of Monocytes is to clean neutrophils. Lymphocytes play a major role in defending the body against various diseases including cancer. The number of WBC’s in blood is the indicator of whether a person has some diseases or not. In other words, if the count of WBC shows an abnormal value (more or less than the normal value), that means the person has some kind of diseases. The normal count of WBC in one liter blood is between 4?109 and 1.1?1010. â€Å"A consistentl y high number of white blood cells is a symptom of Leukemia, a cancer of the blood. A Leukemia patient may have as many as 50,000 white blood cells in a single drop of blood†. (White Blood Cells: Battling Blood Cells, 2012). â€Å"In diseases such as measles, pertussis and sepsis, the increase in white blood cells is so dramatic that the picture resembles leukemia† (White Blood Cell Count (WBC) and Differential, 2006) Whenever a germ or infection enters the body, the white blood cells snap to attention and race toward the scene of the crime. The white blood cells are continually on the lookout for signs of disease. When a germ does appear, the white blood cells have a variety of ways by which they can attack. Some will produce protective antibodies that will overpower the germ. Others will surround and devour the bacteria (White Blood Cells: Battling Blood Cells, 2012). Neutrophils and monocytes use several mechanisms in their fight against the intrusion of foreign bodi es in our body. â€Å"They kill bacteria by a process called phagocytosis, in which they completely surround the bacteria and digest them with digestive enzymes. They can phagocytize five to 20 bacteria in their lifetime†(Bianco, 2012). Stroncek et al. (2011) pointed out that â€Å"White blood cells (WBCs) collected from hematopoietic stem cell are often given to patients who has problems in maintaining the normal WBC count in blood† (Stroncek et al., 2011, p.2647). It should be noted that bone marrow transplant is the most effective option in fighting against blood cancer. Stem cell research is one of the most rapidly developing fields in medical science and many people believe that the

Monday, January 27, 2020

Financial Statements Analysis of Competitors

Financial Statements Analysis of Competitors The two U.S. companies Lowes and Home Depot are two leading competitors on the DYI market who are both listed on the U.S. stock market. You are to carry out a financial statement analysis of these two companies covering the period 2002 to 2006. Specifically, you are to: 1. Analyze and evaluate the balance sheet for assets and liabilities that are not recorded. Kohlbeck (2004) argues that, using the case of banks, few firms disclose the value of their intangible assets, and few provide any information enabling investors to make an informed judgement as to the value of these assets. As such, given that companies will tend to categorise and record the value of all their tangible assets, actually quantifying the value of any assets that are not recorded on the balance sheet is likely to be very difficult. Bodenhorn (1984) argues that non recorded assets can have a value assigned to them from the future value of the cash flows that they will generate. However, again companies rarely assign cash flows to intangible assets, such as branding, further making this difficult. As such, the analysis and evaluation will need to take on a qualitative nature. Both Lowe’s (Shareholder.com, 2008) and Home Depot (SEC, 2008) provide details of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, and inventory in their current assets, and land, buildings, equipment, leasehold improvements and construction in progress in their fixed assets. However, Lowe’s does not include any trade receivables in their current assets. This could mean that the company does not have any trade receivables, or it could imply that the company is being prudent, and not recognising these receivables until they have been paid. In addition, Lowe’s does not record any goodwill, which could mean that the company has either not made any acquisitions, that it has only paid market value for them, or that it is not recording the goodwill as it does not see it as a reasonable asset: maybe the value of the goodwill will need to be downgraded. Neither company has recorded any asset value for brand value, employee skills and knowledge, or customer loyalty. Whi lst this is in accordance with international accounting standards, it nevertheless fails to acknowledge what could be a significant source of value for the companies (Quick, 2002). In terms of liabilities that are not recorded, the only potential items which may not have been recorded are pension liabilities, with neither company including them as an item of their annual reports. Whilst the FASB issues Statement No 158 in 2007, which made it a requirement for employers to move pension liabilities onto the balance sheet (Miller and Bahnson, 2007a), this requirement may not yet have impacted on these accounts. Other than this, modern accounting standards generally require that all liabilities be kept on balance sheet, hence there are unlikely to be any other liabilities which are not recorded by the balance sheets. 2. Analyze and evaluate the balance sheet for the current value of assets and liabilities. When determining the current value of assets and liabilities, it is necessary to consider both their balance sheet value and their liquidity (Allen and Carletti, 2006). For example, if inventory has to be sold off quickly, it will rarely achieve its full valuation, and items such as goodwill will have no immediate current value. In contrast, banks can often call in loans and other liabilities at their full value. Applying this to the two balance sheets: Cash and cash equivalents can be counted at full value Short-term investments will be counted at 80% of value, to reflect losses and penalties on disposal Receivables will be counted at 90%, as bad debts will likely increase in the event of a quick sale Merchandise inventories will be counted at 20% to reflect the difficulty in disposing of them Other current assets, deferred income taxes, and goodwill will be excluded, as they have no tangible saleable value. Property and associated fixed assets will be counted at 50%. Long term investments and notes will not be counted, as it may not be possible to recover this money in short order. Lowe’s: ItemBook valueCurrent value Cash and cash equivalents281281 Short-term investments249200 Merchandise inventory7,6111522 Deferred income taxes2470 Other current assets2980 Property, less accumulated depreciation21,36110,681 Long-term investments5090 Other assets3130 Total assets30,86912,684 Total liabilities14,77114,771 Net value16,098(2,087) Home Depot ItemBook valueCurrent value Cash and Cash Equivalents445445 Short-Term Investments129 Receivables, net1,2591,133 Merchandise Inventories11,7312,346 Other Current Assets1,2270 Net Property and Equipment27,47613,738 Notes Receivable3420 Goodwill1,2090 Other Assets6230 Total assets44,32417,671 Total liabilities26,61026,610 Net value17,714(8,939) Whilst this analysis is somewhat basic, and the assumptions contained within it have not been rigorously tested, it demonstrates that, in the event that either company’s full liabilities became payable at short notice, both companies could have difficulty raising enough money to cover them. However, this is unlikely as both companies have a significant amount of their liabilities in the form of long term loans, which are unlikely to become due immediately. 3. Analyze and interpret the effect on financial results and ratios of the companies choices of accounting methods and assumptions made under these accounting methods. In accordance with the US GAAP, both companies declare that they use estimates for determining the carrying value of assets and liabilities which cannot be otherwise determined (Miller and Bahnson, 2007b). As such, both companies acknowledge that the value they have applied to some of their assets and liabilities may be different from their actual value, which would depend on the circumstances in which these items were valued. This has had an effect on the financial results because, if the estimated value is incorrect, it will potentially have an impact on profits and net asset values, and hence affect all ratios which depend on these items. Furthermore, the companies have both declared cash and cash equivalents to be made up of actual cash, cash in deposit accounts, and investments with maturity dates of less than three months from the date of purchase. In addition, they have classified payments made by credit or debit card around the time of preparation of the accounts as being cash equivalents, as they will generally be paid within two or three business days. This has impacted on the value of cash and cash equivalents, and also on the value of trade receivables and short term investments. As such, whilst it will not have affected the value of current assets, choosing different criteria would have led to a different value for cash and cash equivalents, and would thus have affected the quick ratio. When recording merchandise inventory, both companies record the value of their inventory at the lower value of the cost to purchase or the market value, based on the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method of inventory accounting. As such, and as demonstrated by Bruns and Harmeling (1991), the value of inventory recorded in the financial accounts will be different than in another method, such as LIFO, was used to calculate the value of the inventory. This will affect the value of current assets, and also of total and net assets, thus affecting the majority of ratios related to the balance sheet. Lowe’s also records an inventory reserve, which is to be used to cover any loss associated with selling off inventory at less than its book value. This reserve will affect the value of inventory, and will also presumably affect the value of cash and cash equivalents if it is made up of liquid investments which are not held as such. As such, this may further affect several of the company†™s ratios. Finally, both companies use the straight line method to depreciate assets over their useful economic lives. As such, they will produce different values for fixed, total and net assets than they would under different methods of depreciation accounting, which will affect most ratios based on these values. 4. Interpret indicators and determine the companies earnings quality. According to Richardson (2003) some of the primary indicators of a poor earnings quality include an increase in trade receivables; a link between growth in earnings and a reduction in the effective tax rate; capitalising interest payments; and a large number of significant one off items. In addition, an positive correlation between cash flow and earnings, as well as a higher gross margin, indicate a high quality of earnings (Bao and Bao, 2004). Applying this to Lowe’s, there are no figures given for trade receivables in either of the past years. This can be taken to indicate that the company is not owed any significant receivables, thus implying a high quality of earnings. Over the past three years, there has been no noticeable change in the tax rate experienced, however, whilst post tax earnings grew from 2006 to 2007, they fell from 2007 to 2008, which may indicate further future falls in earnings. There is no evidence of a capitalisation in interest payments by the company, and nor are there any major one off items, with the profit and loss account remaining fairly consistent from year to year. Gross margin has also consistently increased, going from 34.2% to 34.64%. However, there has been a larger increase in general expenses, which has caused a fall in overall earnings. There has also been an increase in cash flow over the three years, further indicating high earnings quality. Home Depot has experienced a significant fall in trade receivables over the past two years, and has had no significant change in its tax rate. However, its revenues have decreased over the past three years to a much greater degree than Lowe’s. Whilst part of this can be attributed to a fall in sales over the past two years, it is also due to a significant increase in selling and general expenses, which may also threaten earnings quality. Again, there is no evidence of capitalisation of interest payments or of major one off items. However, whilst Lowe’s has grown its gross margin, Home Depot has experienced no changes in margins, and its cash flows from operating have fallen more significantly than its earnings over the past two years. As such, Home Depot appears to have a much lower quality of earnings when compared to Lowe’s. 5. Discuss which of the two companies think produce more reliable financial reporting and discuss which of them you would choose to invest in. You have to use many ratios (the most common ratios), you have not a limited number of ratios to use in your analysis. From the examination of the financial statements discussed above, there does not appear to be much difference between the reliability of the financial reporting methods of both companies. Both companies follow US GAAP regulations and standards, and both appear to interpret the rules in the same way. Both are publicly listed companies, and both sets of accounts include statements that they have followed accounting standards, been audited, and are Sarbanes-Oxley compliant. As such, the main differentiator between the two companies will need to be the ratio analysis of their financial accounts. The ratio analysis, detailed in the appendix below, reveals that both of the companies are very similar in their financial performance, which is probably largely due to the fact that they operate in the same industry and very similar markets. In terms of liquidity, Home Depot has a better current ratio and quick ratio, due to its trade payables. However, Lowe’s has a better operating cash flow, a fact which was commented on in the previous section regarding earnings quality. Home Depot has a higher rate of turnover for all five ratios, indicating that it is better at using its inventory and assets to generate sales, however Lowe’s higher gross margin and net margin (return on sales) indicates that Lowe’s is better at generating profits from these sales. In addition, Lowe’s has a lower debt to equity and debt ratio, as well as higher interest cover, which indicates that Lowe’s is better placed to withstand any falls in revenue and profit, which were also remarked on in the earnings quality section. As such, in conclusion, I would avoid investing in either of these companies based on the current falls in their earnings and the concerns about the wider performance of the US economy (Emerging Markets Monitor, 2008). However, if I were forced to choose between the two companies I would choose to invest in Lowe’s. This is because Lowe’s has shown itself to have better quality earnings, higher margins and lower debt ratios that Home Depot. As such, Lowe’s looks better placed to withstand any earnings shocks or economic issues in the US market and provide sustained long term value. In addition, Lowe’s is not carrying any goodwill or trade receivables on its balance sheet, which makes it less vulnerable to defaults from its debtors and enforced goodwill writedowns. References Allen, F. and Carletti, E. (2006) Mark-to-Market Accounting and Liquidity Pricing. Working Papers Financial Institutions Center at The Wharton School; Preceding p. 1-31. Bao, B. H. and Bao, D. H. (2004) Income Smoothing, Earnings Quality and Firm Valuation. Journal of Business Finance Accounting; Vol. 31, Issue 9/10, p. 1525-1557. Bodenhorn, D. (1984) Balance Sheet Items As The Present Value Of Future Cash Flows. Journal of Business Finance Accounting; Vol. 11, Issue 4, p. 493-510. Bruns, Jr., W. J. and Harmeling, S. S. (1991) LIFO or FIFO? That Is the Question. Harvard Business School Cases; p. 1. Emerging Markets Monitor (2008) US: A Recession In All But Name. Datamonitor Emerging Markets Monitor; Vol. 14, Issue 5, p. 1-2. Higgins, R. C. (1997) Analysis for Financial Management: 5th Edition. Irwin / McGraw Hill. Kohlbeck, M. (2004) Investor Valuations and Measuring Bank Intangible Assets. Journal of Accounting, Auditing Finance; Vol. 19, Issue 1, p. 29-60. Miller, P. B. W. and Bahnson, P. R. (2007a) Pension Accounting. Journal of Accountancy; Vol. 203, Issue 5, p. 36-42. Miller, P. B. W. and Bahnson, P. R. (2007b) Refining Fair Value Measurement. Journal of Accountancy; Vol. 204, Issue 5, p. 30-36. Quick, C. (2002) Can You See The Value? Accountancy; Vol. 130, Issue 1308, p. 47-48. Richardson, S. (2003) Earnings Quality and Short Sellers. Accounting Horizons; 2003 Supplement, Vol. 17, p. 49-61. Shareholder.com (2008) Lowe’s Investor Relations. http://www.shareholder.com/lowes/edgar.cfm?DocType=AnnualYear= Accessed 15th June 2008. SEC (2008) Home Depot Incorporated: HD. http://secure.secfilings.com/company/checkout.php?step=2_offer_id=1CIK=354950fid=50002 Accessed 15th June 2008. Appendix Ratio Analysis (Higgins, 1997) RatioCalculation methodLowe’sHome Depot Current RatioCurrent Assets1.121.15 Current Liabilities Quick RatioCash + S/T Inv + Receivables0.070.14 Current Liabilities Operating Cash FlowCash Flows from Operations0.560.45 Current Liabilities Inventory TurnoverCost of Goods Sold / Inventory4.154.38 Receivables Turnover Sales / Accounts ReceivablesN/A61.44 Payables TurnoverSales / Accounts Payables13.0014.40 Fixed Asset TurnoverSales / Fixed Assets2.172.61 Total Asset TurnoverSales / Total Assets1.561.75 Debt to EquityTotal Liabilities0.921.50 Shareholders’ Equity Debt RatioTotal Liabilities / Total Assets0.480.60 Interest CoverageProfit before income and tax63.9710.41 Interest Expense Gross Margin(Sales – COGS) / Sales34.64%33.61% Return on SalesNet Income / Sales5.82%5.68% Return on AssetsNet Income / Total Assets9.10%9.92%

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Developments in reproductive technology Essay

With reference to relevant ethical theories, explain the arguments used to support developments in reproductive technology. [35] Reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilisation, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection have undoubtedly brought much joy to many people, and therefore many ethical systems support its development. A good place to start when considering the benefits of these technologies is the utilitarian view. Utilitarians believe that man has a natural desire to reproduce based in human biology. Patrick Steptoe is quoted as stating that â€Å"It is a fact that there is a biological desire to reproduce†. Likewise, Peter Singer, famous utilitarian writer, in his defence of IVF refers to the desire for a child as being a very basic desire. If there is such a desire then there does seem to be a strong argument in favour of developing techniques to overcome infertility. Such an argument might be based on the utilitarian principle of `maximising happiness’. This theory claims that where there is a moral choice to make the right thing to do is the action which is likely to produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. This theory starts with the happiness involved in a situation, takes into account the wider happiness of anyone else involved and takes the action that will produce this result of happiness. This theory looks at the consequences and takes the actio n that will bring about the desired results. The Utilitarian wishes to maximise happiness and minimise the pain of infertility. When considering issues such as infertility we must not look at it in impersonal, philosophical terms. It is a problem that can only be truly understood at human level. Those that have never suffered infertility will not know the true pain of being unable to conceive. Since successful IVF treatment will bring an enormous amount of happiness these theorists are in agreement with such treatments. In the case of an infertile couple the utilitarian will look at the options available and strive towards to goal of conception. To quote Laura Bush, â€Å"For those who deeply want children and are denied them, those missing babies hover like silent ephemeral shadows over their lives.† Moving on to situation ethics, this theory is in favour of reproductive technology if it is the most loving course of action in the particular situation. It is not absolutist. This theory says that individual situations are different. This theory believes that there is only one underlying principle: you do whatever is the most loving thing to do in a situation. Ethical rules are secondary. In the circumstances of an infertile couple you take the line of action which will be the most loving thing for a couple in their unique circumstances. There are many circumstances in which the use of reproductive technology would be the most loving course of action, such as when a same sex couple wish to experience parenthood. Techniques such as IVF using donor sperm/eggs can bring the joy of a child when they cannot conceive one naturally. Another more controversial scenario when a couple may benefit from reproductive technology would be when they desire a certain sex of child. Reproductive technology can accommodate consumerist type choices such as this. Using technologies to determine a child’s gender before it is born could be considered loving because in certain countries, such as India and China, boys are more desired and therefore the child and family will have a higher quality of life overall. Personal autonomy and choice is key to this debate. Personal autonomy is the capacity to decide for oneself and pursue a course of action in one’s life, often regardless of any particular moral content. Whether or not reproductive technologies are moral should be down to the couple to decide, not the government, because it is a highly personal choice. Finally, natural law is an ethical theory that is typically opposed to reproductive technology, because it is interfering with natural conception. However, there are some Christians who believe that natural law can be reconciled with reproductive technologies. If God has said that the final end of sex is procreation, then the use of technology is instrumental to the pursuit of the natural ends, which have already been stipulated in doctrine. Thus, for example, IVF treatment allows us to pursue the natural end of reproduction through technological processes. After all, the Bible never directly mentions reproductive technologies. Nonetheless, this is still a minority view amongst proponents of natural law. Protestant churches tend to take a more lenient view. For example, the Free Presbyterian Church accepts IVF provided that the couple are married, spare embryos are not created and no donors are used. Both the Methodist Church and the Church of England are quite positive about all forms of IVF and even permit research on spare embryos up to 14 days old because it can be of great help to doctors researching genetic diseases, although embryos should not be created solely for this purpose. Ultimately, reproductive technology causes us to rethink our views on family, marriage, sex and what makes a mother. Regardless of our views, we should be compassionate towards those suffering from the effects of infertility. You cannot understand their situation unless you have experienced it personally.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Marketing Audit Analysis of Bmw

Marketing audit analysis of BMW. The marketing audit has certain similarities to a financial audit in that it is a review of your existing marketing activities. Carrying out the marketing audit provides the opportunity to review and appraise your whole marketing activity, enabling you to assess past and present performance as well as to provide the basis for evaluating possible future courses of action. Because the business environment is constantly changing, the marketing audit should be used as a reference tool, with constant updates reflecting changes in the external environment and your own internal business experiences. Internal Marketing Audit Internal auditing, as defined by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), is â€Å"an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes. † Independence is established by the organizational and reporting structure. Objectivity is achieved by an appropriate mind-set. The internal audit activity evaluates risk exposures relating to the organization's governance, operations and information systems, in relation to: * Effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Reliability and integrity of financial and operational information. * Safeguarding of assets. * Compliance with laws, regulations, and contracts. Based on the results of the risk assessment, the internal auditors evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of how risks are identified and managed in the above areas. They also assess other aspects such as ethics and values within the organization, performance management, communication of risk and control information within th e organization in order to facilitate a good governance process.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

A Rumor Of War By Philip Caputo And Young - 1849 Words

The Vietnam War was largely considered a failure, a waste of resources, time and precious lives. It was simply a war that did not need to be fought. But in order to combat the ever prevailing communist forces; the capitalists and in particular, America, decided that Vietnam would be the land where these differences would be disputed. Men were sent in to fight in this war and they came back with very different experiences. As seen in both perspectives held in â€Å"A Rumor of War† by Philip Caputo and in â€Å"We were soldiers once... and young† by Hal Moore and Joseph Galloway; they explore the varying perspectives and experienced seen and learnt within war. Whereas in â€Å"A Rumor of War†, it tackles the consequences of being sent into such harsh warfare, only because Philip Caputo saw the harsh reality firsthand as he was a soldier in the war. The former, â€Å"We were soldiers once... and young† tackles the glorification of war because it’s no t solely a soldier’s account. A journalist was in company of these men and as such details get skewed for the public’s perception. Regardless, both these books share a telling tale of the war in Vietnam through their radically different views. Firstly, it is important to establish the historical contexts of these two books. â€Å"A Rumor of War† was published in 1977, two years after the end of the Vietnam War. It was written by a soldier who served in the war. The period this describes is immediately the post war era and the fallout faced by soldiersShow MoreRelatedA Rumor Of War By Philip Caputo1388 Words   |  6 Pagesof going to war excites many young men that have not experienced or have been a part of one. Individuals want to find a way out of the routine, mundane lifestyle that plagues many suburban households. People that just want some excitement enlist in a military branch that will not benefit them or anyone for that matter. 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They especially thought they could endRead MoreEssay on Shattered Youth: How the Vietnam War Changed a Generation1591 Words   |  7 PagesThe Vietnam War is a conflict that was extremely polarizing to people in the United States and words such as ‘wasted’ or ‘quagmire’ are negative words associated with the war. In his book A Rumor of War, Philip Caputo provides a personal account of events that he experienced leading up to and during the war as a soldier in the United States Marine Corps. Caputo’s experiences transform his idealistic views of war when he is faced with the realities of combat, and ultimately the events cause him toRead More Analysis of Philip Caputos A Rumor of War Essay1896 Words   |  8 PagesAnalysis of Philip Caputos A Rumor of War A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo, is an exceptional autobiography on a mans first-hand experiences during the Vietnam War. Philip Caputo is a Lieutenant during the Vietnam War and illustrates the harsh reality of what war really is. Caputos in-depth details of his experience during the war are enough to make one cringe, and the eventual mental despair often experienced by soldiers (including Caputo) really makes you feel for participants takingRead MoreThe Vietnam War Was Like No War Before1292 Words   |  6 PagesThe Vietnam War was like no war before. America got involved in Vietnam to preserve a non-communist South Vietnam, but in the end, the government and the country fell to communist North Vietnam. The US had never experienced such a military defeat in its history. The causes of this monumental defeat may not have been clear at first, but through memoirs such as Philip Caputo s Rumor of War and other historical accounts of the war, we now have a better sense of what truly led to America s loss. AsRead MoreIn Hiroshima, John Hersey Focuses On The Survivors Of The2045 Words   |  9 Pageson the survivors of the atomic bomb that is dropped on the city of Hiroshima at the end of World War II. Instead of focusing on one individual, Hersey decides to report on six that survive the blast. The survivors came from many different walks of life and were all affected by the coming of the nuclear age. Mrs. Hatsayo Nakamura was a widow raising three young children. Dr. Terufumi Sasaki was a young surgeon unhurt during the explosion, leaving him to care for thousands of Hiroshima’s wounded. FatherRead MoreRumor of War Book Review1614 Words   |  7 PagesA Rumor of War Book Review â€Å" ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, see that ye be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet†¦he that shall endure unto the end, he shall be saved† Matthew 24:6 Philip Caputo’s relationship with the Vietnam War is depicted in a disturbingly beautiful way in the memoir â€Å"A Rumor of War.† Throughout the course of the book, approximately 16 months, we observe a young, ambitious boy ready to prove his manhood, in search of adventureRead MoreA Rumor Of War : Character Analysis Essay1819 Words   |  8 PagesA Rumor of War: Character Analysis A Rumor of War details the experiences of Philip Caputo, a Vietnam veteran, as he struggles with the reality and cruelty of war. The story is divided into three sections which each highlight the hardships Caputo and how they cause his physical and mental breakdown. Caputo begins the story as a youthful twenty year old who craves excitement and adventure, and like any person his age, wants to discover himself and find a way to stand out from others. Swept up by patriotismRead MoreThe Movie Born on the Fourth of July Tells Much About The Vietnam War and the Cold War2764 Words   |  12 PagesMassapequa, Long Island that fought in the Vietnam War, who is played by Tom Cruise. It also stars Kyra Segwick, Raymond J. Barry, William Dafoe, and Frank Whaley. This film accurately illustrates not only what went on for the soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War and the effects that the war had at home, but also the social attitudes throughout the country during the 1950s and other major movement s during the time of the war, that like the anti-war sentiment, were largely a response to the pressuresRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder: Post Vietnam War1945 Words   |  8 Pagesthat with every war, there always comes casualties. Soldiers can lose an arm or a leg, or even their life when they go to war. Unfortunately soldiers can even lose their minds because of war. Specifically, this research paper will focus on PTSD, or in other words: post traumatic stress disorder. PTSD has shown up as a factor from many wars, but for some reason, one war in particular stands out from all others regarding the the PTSD numbers. It is called the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War (1956-1975) was