Executive Summary of Spritzer

This report will be based on the Spritzer Group, one of the largest bottled water producers in Malaysia (Spritzer, 2010). This report will contain an analysis and evaluation of Spritzer Group based on the annual reports which contains the financial statements of the last 5 years from 2007 to 2011. The methods of analysis will be categorized in the main four financial ratios of the company which is to measure the profitability, liquidity, efficiency and gearing. The profitability ratios will measure how efficiently the company manages its operations and uses its assets to generate net income.It consists of the profit margin, return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). The liquidity ratio which is also known as the short-term solvency focuses on the current assets and current liabilities, which is important to the short-term creditors, usually within a one year period. Hence, it comprises of the current ratio, quick ratio and cash ratio. The efficiency ratio is a measure of the asset management or turnover which is used to identify how the assets are used to generate sales.It includes the inventory turnover, days’ sales in inventory, receivables turnover, days’ sales in receivables, total asset turnover and capital intensity. The gearing ratio is also known as the long-term solvency which discusses on the company’s long-run ability in order to meet its requirements. It consists of the total debt ratio, debt-equity ratio, equity multiplier, times interest earned ratio and cash coverage ratio (Jordan, Westerfield and Ross, 2011).All of the calculations will be provided and can be found in this report. As follows, the results of the data analyzed shows that on a 5 year annualized basis, the ratios are most of the time in-line with the industry averages. In particular, some of the areas that have improved in comparative performance over the years are inventory turnover, profit margin, ROA and ROE. While the areas which are not performing t oo well are the liquidity and gearing.Hence, some recommendations will include: to reduce borrowings to improve the liquidity, to improve the days’ sales in receivable as it has been quite constant for the last 5 years and rely less on creditors and debt financing to improve the gearing. The report finds that the company’s future will be capable of being stable as over the 5 years, it has been performing satisfactorily despite certain downfall in a few areas. As for the limitations, it will be further discussed in the conclusion of the report.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Vocabulary List

The Picture of Dorian Gray Vocabulary List 1 (Q2) Precis (noun): Make summary of. â€Å"I know she goes in for giving a rapid precis of all her guests. † (Pg. 14) Ravelled (verb): To tangle or entangle. â€Å"†How horribly unjust of you! † cried Lord Henry, tilting his hat back and looking up at the little clouds that, like ravelled skeins of glossy white silk, were drifting across the hollowed turquoise of the summer sky. † (Pg. 15) Candour (noun): The state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression; candidness. All the candour of youth was there, as well as all youth's passionate purity. † (Pg. 26) Sovereignty (noun): Rightful status, independence, or prerogative. â€Å"It has its divine right of sovereignty. † (Pg. 35) Hedonism (noun): Doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good. â€Å"A new Hedonism–that is what our century wants. † (Pg. 36) Staccato (adjective): Shortened or detached when played or sung. â€Å"Suddenly the painter appeared at the door of the studio and made staccato signs for them to come in. † (Pg. 37) Caprice (noun): Sudden, unpredictable change, as of one's mind or the weather. The only difference between a caprice and a lifelong passion is that the caprice lasts a little longer. † (Pg. 38) Vermillion (noun): A bright red, to reddish-orange color. â€Å"†It is quite finished,† he cried at last, and stooping down he wrote his name in long vermilion letters on the left-hand corner of the canvas. † (Pg. 38) Panegyric (noun): Formal or elaborate praise. â€Å"Then had come Lord Henry Wotton with his strange panegyric on youth, his terrible warning of its brevity. † (Pg. 40) Wizen (verb): To wither; shrivel up; dry up. Yes, there would be a day when his face would be wrinkled and wizen, his eyes dim and colourless, the grace of his figure broken and deformed. † (Pg. 40) Divan (noun): A sofa or couch, with n o arms or back, often usable as a bed. â€Å"The hot tears welled into his eyes; he tore his hand away and, flinging himself on the divan, he buried his face in the cushions, as though he was praying. † (Pg. 42) Hansom (noun): A low-hung, two-wheeled, covered vehicle drawn by one horse, for two passengers, with the driver being mounted on an elevated seat behind and the reins running over the roof. â€Å"Come, Mr.Gray, my hansom is outside, and I can drop you at your own place. Good-bye, Basil. It has been a most interesting afternoon. † -Lord Henry (Pg. 48) Indolence (adjective): Disliking work or effort; lazy; idle. â€Å"His father had been our ambassador at Madrid when Isabella was young and Prim unthought of, but had retired from the diplomatic service in a capricious moment of annoyance on not being offered the Embassy at Paris, a post to which he considered that he was fully entitled by reason of his birth, his indolence, the good English of his dispatches, and his inordinate passion for pleasure. (Pg. 49) Collieries (noun): A coal mine, including all buildings and equipment. â€Å"He paid some attention to the management of his collieries in the Midland counties, excusing himself for this taint of industry on the ground that the one advantage of having coal was that it enabled a gentleman to afford the decency of burning wood on his own hearth. † (Pg. 49) Cheroot (noun): A cigar having open ends. â€Å"When Lord Henry entered the room, he found his uncle sitting in a rough shooting-coat, smoking a cheroot and grumbling over The Times. (Pg. 49) Facile (adjective): Moving, acting, working, proceeding, etc. , with ease, sometimes with superficiality. â€Å"He invented a facile excuse, and having taken the vacant seat next to her, looked round to see who was there. † (Pg. 57) Liveried (adjective): Clad in livery as servants. â€Å"At last, liveried in the costume of the age, reality entered the room in the shape of a servant to tell the duchess that her carriage was waiting. † (Pg. 65) Expound (verb): To explain; interpret. Some day, when you are tired of London, come down to Treadley and expound to me your philosophy of pleasure over some admirable Burgundy I am fortunate enough to possess. † (Pg. 67) Cosmopolitan (noun): A person who is free from local, provincial, or national bias or attachment; citizen of the world. â€Å"Makes it quite cosmopolitan, doesn't it? You have never been to any of my parties, have you, Mr. Gray? † (Pg. 71) Brocade (noun): Fabric woven with an elaborate design, esp. one having a raised overall pattern. â€Å"I went to look after a piece of old brocade in Wardour Street and had to bargain for hours for it. † (Pg. 72)

Risk Assessment

2. 1 Legislation The need for an employer to carry out risk assessment has been a requirement of health & safety legislation for many years. A summary of the risk assessment requirements is as follows: a) The Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Sec 2 – Requires an employer to ensure the health, safety and welfare of his employees so far as is reasonably practicable. The process of risk assessment has therefore to be applied to determine what is â€Å"reasonably practicable† action in controlling any particular hazard. ) Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 Reg 5 – Requires an employer to carry out an adequate assessment of the exposure of employees to working with asbestos. c) The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 & 1994 Reg 6 – Requires an employer not to carry out any work liable to expose any employee to any hazardous substance unless a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks created by that work has been undert aken and appropriate control measures are identified and implemented. ) The Noise at Work Regulations 1989 Reg 4 – Requires an employer to ensure that a competent person carries out a noise assessment when employees are exposed to noise levels above the action levels prescribed. Suitable control measures should be identified and implemented to reduce the risk of hearing damage. e) The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 – Require an employer to ensure that personal protective equipment (PPE) is suitable for its purpose (regulation 4), which implies that a risk assessment should be carried out to match the level of protection provided with the hazard present. Risk Assessment 2. 1 Legislation The need for an employer to carry out risk assessment has been a requirement of health & safety legislation for many years. A summary of the risk assessment requirements is as follows: a) The Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Sec 2 – Requires an employer to ensure the health, safety and welfare of his employees so far as is reasonably practicable. The process of risk assessment has therefore to be applied to determine what is â€Å"reasonably practicable† action in controlling any particular hazard. ) Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 Reg 5 – Requires an employer to carry out an adequate assessment of the exposure of employees to working with asbestos. c) The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 & 1994 Reg 6 – Requires an employer not to carry out any work liable to expose any employee to any hazardous substance unless a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks created by that work has been undert aken and appropriate control measures are identified and implemented. ) The Noise at Work Regulations 1989 Reg 4 – Requires an employer to ensure that a competent person carries out a noise assessment when employees are exposed to noise levels above the action levels prescribed. Suitable control measures should be identified and implemented to reduce the risk of hearing damage. e) The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 – Require an employer to ensure that personal protective equipment (PPE) is suitable for its purpose (regulation 4), which implies that a risk assessment should be carried out to match the level of protection provided with the hazard present. Risk Assessment 2. 1 Legislation The need for an employer to carry out risk assessment has been a requirement of health & safety legislation for many years. A summary of the risk assessment requirements is as follows: a) The Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Sec 2 – Requires an employer to ensure the health, safety and welfare of his employees so far as is reasonably practicable. The process of risk assessment has therefore to be applied to determine what is â€Å"reasonably practicable† action in controlling any particular hazard. ) Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 Reg 5 – Requires an employer to carry out an adequate assessment of the exposure of employees to working with asbestos. c) The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 & 1994 Reg 6 – Requires an employer not to carry out any work liable to expose any employee to any hazardous substance unless a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks created by that work has been undert aken and appropriate control measures are identified and implemented. ) The Noise at Work Regulations 1989 Reg 4 – Requires an employer to ensure that a competent person carries out a noise assessment when employees are exposed to noise levels above the action levels prescribed. Suitable control measures should be identified and implemented to reduce the risk of hearing damage. e) The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 – Require an employer to ensure that personal protective equipment (PPE) is suitable for its purpose (regulation 4), which implies that a risk assessment should be carried out to match the level of protection provided with the hazard present.

Emerging Technology Case Studay Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emerging Technology Studay - Case Study Example Today, the major challenge of security officers is what to do with hypothetical attacks? Basically, these security attacks differ from using modern and innovative ways and tools of using standard weapons to making use of extraordinary technologies such as lasers to launch attacks. In this scenario, it is the responsibility of security planners to derive organized and justifiable ways to make a decision which hypothetical or unusual threats to worry about and how to prioritize among them (Jackson & Frelinger, 2009). This paper discusses some of the major security risks associated with cloud computing. This paper will also suggest the ways to deal with these issues. Cloud Computing Risks and Solutions Without a doubt, cloud computing is not only changing but also modernizing the way information technology (IT) is used in organizations today. Additionally, the acceptance and implementation of cloud computing are absolutely accelerating and much of this is being directed by always increa sing requirements for organizations to be more flexible and reliable in addressing varying IT needs (Cervone, 2010; Alter, & Harris). Thus, the idea of our medical organization to move its IT support functions to cloud computing is feasible and effective but there are certain risks associated with this transfer. In this scenario, the major problem that our medical organization can face is that clouds are hosted and maintained globally, hence, the tools, applications and data need to comply with the laws and regulations of the host country. For instance, a number of Canadian states have acknowledged it against the law for applications in their state to be hosted in the USA for the reason that the data would then put through laws of the Patriot Act. In the same way, many tools and applications in the USA cannot be hosted out of the country due to limitations in the export of computer system technology (Cervone, 2010; Alter, & Harris). In addition, due to this, the concern in which cou ntry the cloud is located and maintained is significant to take into consideration in the perspective of concerns associated with conformity, auditability, and eDiscovery. In view of the fact that the cloud computing is a distinction in computer outsourcing, our medical organization will need to have a high degree of self-assurance in the security actions, measures and protocols of their cloud computing supplier. Additionally, our medical organization can face a wide variety of issues related to HIPPA, FERPA, PCI, GLBA however it depends on the nature of the applications and hosted location of the cloud. In this scenario, technologists have already identified and categorized a wide variety of data protection and privacy risks that organizations face while using cloud computing. For instance, in case of our medical organization it is possible that its data can be accessed by hackers, released accidentally, mixed with data from their cloud suppliers’ other customers. Moreover, our medical organization must make sure that its cloud supplier can deal with any requests for information associated with authoritarian or constitutional issues (Cervone, 2010; Alter, & Harris). In order to deal with cloud computing risks our medical organ

HOW IS INTERNET RECRUITING IS CHANGING WORLD OF HIRING Research Paper

HOW IS INTERNET RECRUITING IS CHANGING WORLD OF HIRING - Research Paper Example Recruitment processes are no different. Internet recruitment or e-recruitment refers to the recruitment processes that take place on the web. The conventional modes of recruitment and job seeking have been substituted by internet recruitment; the online platform where job vacancies are uploaded by organizations and job seekers apply for the appropriate positions in the most reliable and fast-paced manner. Earlier, the technical concept was limited till the technologically savvy individuals but now, it has become one of the mainstay components of the modern recruitment activities. Internet Recruitment Internet recruitment industry is thriving year after year. Younger discussed the conclusions of a study; the annual revenues of the respective sector accumulated to more than $3 billion in 2003. This figure increased to $16 billion by the year 2007 and it was expected to reach $20 billion in 2008. Younger quoted some other results from a series of surveys that conducted studies on the nu mber of applicants and job seekers who use internet to search for jobs. In 2003, the number of such job seekers accumulated to 45 %. In 2006, the number had increased to almost 96%1. The two main actors in this domain are job seekers and organizations. There are different platforms on the web on which the recruitment processes take place; job portals, company’s websites under the ‘careers’ sections and professional networking sites. The advantages and disadvantages will be analyzed in this paper, with respect to both of the identified actors: Changes in Recruitment for Job Seekers Advantages of Internet Recruitment a. Time saving and cost effective Job seekers can upload their resumes on the online recruitment agencies’ websites where organizations can select most suitable candidates from the uploaded resumes. The resumes are uploaded instantaneously on the job portals’ websites in a reliable manner, rather than mailing the resumes through an unpred ictable and time consuming mode of postal system. This medium tends to be cost effective for the applicant, especially if the job application has to be sent across the border; international postal mail costs significantly more than the regional ones. b. Effective search options for suitable vacancies The search features of the job portals permit the job seekers to find jobs with specific requirements and experiences. Such search results can present suitable jobs for the job seeker and save time in browsing through hundreds of job advertisements. c. Detailed descriptions for available jobs Job seekers can benefit from detailed job descriptions of vacant positions that are posted on the web. The details can help the applicants judge their aptness for the position. The absence of details in other mediums gives the applicant counterfeit hopes about getting the position. On the contrary, the availability of the job descriptions gives him a pragmatic position of his chances of getting the job. Disadvantages of Inter

Attachment Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Attachment Disorder - Essay Example When we examine the word 'attachment', it provides us a vision in the realm of socio-emotional development and measures the security of infant-mother attachment that proves equally successful in documenting systematic associations between development at the end of the first year of life and subsequent functioning as late as the early school-age years (Belsky & Nezworski, 1988, p. 4). Attachment theory as defined by Bowlby from its beginning was concerned with the implications of atypical patterns of attachment as well as the formation and course of normal infant-parent relationships. In order to explain the theoretical part of attachment disorder, Bowlby formulated his ideas of personality development to explain the link between early emotional deprivation and later pathology as a guide for the diagnosis and treatment of emotionally disturbed children and families. Thus, 'attachment' acts as a tool that exists in between psychopathology and normal development. Investigations carried out in a number of laboratories suggests that infants whose relationships with their mothers can be characterized as secure as opposed to insecure using the Strange Situation paradigm generally look more competent as toddlers, preschoolers, and even as children beginning public school. This does not indicate that individual differences in the security of attachment are deterministic of later development, but rather that theoretically meaningful associations between development in infancy and later functioning have been repeatedly established in studies focusing upon socio-affective functioning. The meaning of attachment disorder associated on the basis of attachment theory stipulates that feelings of security and control when grow out of the infant-mother relationship contribute to the regulation of 'attachment affect' or 'disorder' where the establishment of other social relationships, and the child's negotiation of subsequent developmental tasks evaluate the extent to which the child is affected from the disorder. Many researchers argue that misconceptions attributed to attachment theory do not support the basic assumption of guiding attachment research in context with the relationship between mother and infant. Reactive Attachment Disorder The diagnosis of attachment disorder is based upon the scientific enquiry and is described as ICD-10, Reactive Attachment Disorder or RAD that marks the severe disorders of attachment affecting children. RAD takes place whenever the process of developing relationships starts perturbing, thereby finding it very difficult to maintain social relations. The RAD analyzes disorders that evolve from distortions in the adaptive functioning of anxiety in early development. Anxiety serves as indicator to this disorder that prompts infant distress signals and proximity-seeking behaviour that, in turn, elicits regulatory assistance from the caregiver, reducing the likelihood of harm. Thus in order to avoid RAD, separation distress may be adaptive in the context of responsive, sensitive care giving. Clinical implications of attachment disorder provide significant insight into the common foundations of typical and atypical development which can be described at multiple levels. On the

1. Describe briefly the roles of the different parts of the eukaryotic Essay

1. Describe briefly the roles of the different parts of the eukaryotic cells endomembrane system in the production and excretion of proteins - Essay Example The endoplasmic reticulum ensures quality control of the proteins and at the same time provides a point of accumulation of storage proteins. The reticulum is then mandated with the duty of transiting already made proteins to the Golgi apparatus (Gupta, 2009). The nuclear envelope also has some ribosomes and is responsible for newly made Glyco- proteins. The Golgi apparatus undertakes the function of making, modifying as well as binding proteins (Eroschenko & Fiore, 2013). This is due to the nature of its enzymes’ modification, hence known for carrying out for sulfation, glycosylation, and phosphorylation of the proteins (Karp, 2010). Some modification activities act as signals directing proteins to their respective locations, which are plasma membrane, lysosome, or for secretion (Eroschenko & Fiore, 2013). Lysosomes contain a variety of digestive enzymes and are responsible for digestion of proteins. In plants, vacuoles correspond to the lysosomes of animals (Karp, 2010). Prot eins that move to the plasma membrane form the lipid bilayer. They act as membrane proteins besides having varied roles in their respective locations in the cell (Eroschenko & Fiore, 2013). They regulate chemical reactions in the cell as well as uptake of molecules. They also act as carriers of molecules across the membrane and provide anchorage too. From the Golgi apparatus, there is a constitutive secretory pathway used to export the secretory proteins continuously to the extracellular matrix (Karp, 2010). Some cells however have a guarded secretory pathway. Some cells secrete regulatory proteins like hormones whereas others secrete digestive enzymes, anti -bodies or mucus (Karp,

Module one discussion board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Module one discussion board - Essay Example The research design and field work must be conducted properly so as to address the problems accurately. Hence, enforcing strict code of ethics becomes very important part of market research (Hunt and Vitell,1986). The companies can enforce ethics in market research by getting feedback directly from the participants and double check their responses to check the authenticity of data that is to be analyzed. Special precaution must be adhered so as not to influence respondents’ responses. The manipulated responses generate misleading results that could jeopardize the actions of the clients in addressing their problems (Sales and Folkman, 2000; Sparks and Hunt, 1998). The personal interview schedule is most susceptible to crossing ethical boundaries. The covert and overt dimension of the research is major element that blurs the distinction between the subjects’ right to privacy and the public’s right to know. As such mutual trust needs to be developed to elicit right responses which would accurately reflect respondents’ views. Stringent punishment must be enforced when trust is violated between respondents and researcher or between researcher and

Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

2 - Assignment Example uence on children could not meet the case to label the photograph as "obscene", as there is partial display of genital hair and the photograph was pasted in Oncore premises, where children do not go. The most imperative reason to pursue Kathys argument and to conclude that the photographs, the art work are not obscene encompasses its social rationale. The photograph had a purpose, a motive to generate civic awareness about the safe sex with an intention to avert the cases of AIDS, one of the most dreaded and incurable diseases of the present epoch. AIDS has emerged as the leading cause of death under forty in Seattle area, hence display of safety measures cannot be considered obscene, it is also in compliance with the definition of material being obscene as per Blacks Law Dictionary. The art work is aimed at homosexual community. "Community standards" involved are those of the gay community rather than city at large. However, Oncore possess clientele of such communities but awareness is equally imperative among general community as well. Kathy pin-pointed homosexuals as they are the frequent visitors at Oncore, but if the issue is related with generating awareness about the safe sex to combat AIDS, then engendering consciousness in the mass is of greater significance. Kathy has shaped her arguments in the most logical and methodological manner by integrating the facts from basic law dictionary to the Mass Media Laws and also incorporated "Contemporary community standards" to reflect on the trustworthiness of the argument. Katy has meticulously placed each and every fact in a practical and coherent manner which are enough to gain the support of readers and audience to a greater extent. Display of obscene photograph which does not abide by the rules and norms set by the "Washington State Liquor Control Board", is again a violation of rules. The photographs were rejected on the basis of "partially exposed private parts of male anatomy". The photograph could not

Adolescent Alcohol Abuse Essay Example for Free

Adolescent Alcohol Abuse Essay Over the years, many researchers have dedicated their time and energy to study adolescent alcohol abuse. They have found that there are many factors that contribute to adolescent alcohol abuse. These factors are psychological, environmental, social, and cultural. Not all of these factors play a part in every adolescent who abuses alcohol, but one of these factors is usually present. Psychological disorders have been found in both American, and Taiwan adolescents who abuse alcohol. The health risks of adolescent alcohol abuse are great. Alcohol affects the physiology of a young person. It disrupts the genetics and hormonal balances that are critical in the early development of youngsters. Treatment of alcohol abuse is a great state of change and development. Many therapists, doctors and counselors are trying to incorporate new treatment ideas and methods into the traditional techniques that have been used for years now. It is important to research the factors that contribute to adolescent alcohol abuse because if these factors are detected early, and an adolescent is put into a prevention program the likelihood that they will abuse alcohol will greatly decrease. Psychological Factors. See more:Â  Manifest Destiny essay According to the research, there have been many psychological problems found in adolescents who abuse alcohol. The majority of the research has been done in order to solve the question of whether or not these psychological factors are present before an adolescent abuses alcohol, or after the alcohol abuse has occurred. In the research done by Rhode, Lewinsohn, and Seeley (1996), they used a community sample of 1,507 adolescents between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. The adolescents were classified into the categories of abstainers, experimenters, social drinkers, problem drinkers, and abuse and/or dependent groups. In this study, 373 subjects met the criteria for depression, 15 were bipolar, 93 suffered from manic core symptoms, and 124 had an anxiety disorder (Rhode et al. , 1996). Furthermore, anxiety disorder and depression were psychological disorders that were more prevalent in female adolescents with alcohol abuse than their male counterparts. Males who abused alcohol tended to suffer from antisocial personality disorder. It is believed that females who suffer from anxiety disorder or depression use alcohol as a self-medication to make them feel better. According to Clark, and Bukstein (1998), one form of antisocial disorder known as conduct disorder lead adolescents to act out and seek out new experiences. This is probably the reason why adolescent males with an antisocial disorder turn to alcohol abuse. According to Rhode (et al. , 1996), More than 80% of adolescents with an alcohol use disorder had another psychiatric disorder. (p. 106). In his study, the alcohol abuse tended to follow rather than proceed the psychiatric disorder. From this, it can be concluded that certain psychological disorders such as antisocial disorder, and depression are a factor in adolescent alcohol abuse. Environmental Factors Many studies have focused on the environmental factors that adolescents are exposed to, and how these factors lead to alcohol abuse. The aim of a study performed by Clark, Lesnick, and Hegedus (1997), Was to examine trauma history and other adverse life events in adolescents with alcohol dependence or abuse and to compare them with a sample of community-dwelling adolescents without alcohol use disorder (p. 1746). This study included 256 adolescents between the ages of fourteen and eighteen (Clark et al. , 1997). Adolescents who abused, or were dependent on alcohol reported more traumas then those in the control group. The types of abuse experienced by males and females tended to differ. Females experienced more sexual abuse, and males tended to be victims of violent acts. Both sexual abuse victims, and victims of violent acts showed increased amounts of alcohol use than those adolescents who were not abused in any way. If subjects experienced a number of traumas, they tended to abuse alcohol more than those that experienced only one trauma or no trauma at all. From this study, it can be concluded that trauma and abuse leads to adolescent alcohol abuse. Social Factors A study done on Hispanic and Black adolescents in the New York inner cities concluded that there were indeed social factors that contributed to adolescent alcohol abuse. The study used a sample of 4,874 Hispanic and African American seventh graders. The purpose of the study was to identify the social risk factors that promote adolescent alcohol abuse in Hispanic and African American (Epstein, Botvin, Baker, Diaz, 1999). If an adolescents friends tended to drink on a consistent basis, he/she showed a greater amount of alcohol abuse than those who did not associate with friends who did drink alcohol. Also, family members play a major part in adolescent alcohol abuse. The family is another social factor that contributes to adolescent alcohol abuse. If an adolescent saw their parent consume alcohol, they also tended to abuse alcohol. Parents were not the only family members that influenced adolescent alcohol abuse; siblings also had an influence. If a sibling abused alcohol, the adolescent models this abuse. Their findings were present in both Hispanic and African American adolescents. Cultural factors. In the study done by Epstein and her collogues, cultural differences were also a factor in adolescent with alcohol abuse. According to Epstein (et al. , 1999), Hispanic adolescents consumed more alcohol per drinking occasion and had greater intention to drink in the future than black adolescents. This was true when the models were tested separately for girls and boys (p. 16). The use of alcohol among Hispanics could be due to the fact that it may be a cultural practice that allows an adolescent to identify with their culture. Religion is another cultural factor that plays a role in adolescent alcohol abuse. African American religions consider the consumption of alcohol a sin, so if an African American practices in their religion they are less likely to abuse alcohol than someone who does not practice their religion. However, this was not a factor for Hispanic adolescent alcohol abuse. A final cultural difference may be that more Hispanic adolescents have immigrated to this country in past years than black adolescents have. Therefore Hispanic adolescents have had the added stress of adapting to a new society. In turn Hispanic adolescents turn to alcohol abuse as a way of coping with their increased stress. Taiwan All of the studies mentioned above were performed in the United States. However, there have been studies done in other countries on adolescent alcohol abuse. One study was done on adolescents living in Taiwan. The results were very interesting. Many of the factors that are presents in American adolescents were also found in adolescents living in Taiwan. According to Chong, Chan, and Cheng (1999), Among those successfully interviewed, 411 were males and 363 were females. Their mean age was 15. 23 years (p. 1389). Like American adolescents who abused alcohol, Taiwan adolescents also had psychological factors presents. The most common psychological disorders found in Taiwan adolescents were disruptive behavior disorder, depression, and antisocial disorder. These disorders were also present in American adolescents. Alcoholism and Health Adolescent alcohol abuse is recognized as a major health concern in the United States. According to Arria and Tarter (1991), It is likely that an older adolescents who first consumed alcohol in the preteen years will experience greater alcohol-related medical complications than will an adolescent who has been drinking for a shorter period of time (p. 52). Although the length of time that an adolescent has been drinking is a major factor related to health, it is not the only one. Other factors may include how much alcohol is consumed at one sitting, and just what age the adolescent began to drink. Very heavy drinking may cause accidental injury. And, drinking at an early age may cause gross developmental complications. Arriea and Tarter (1991) noted that many adolescents also experiment with other drugs, while they are under the influence of alcohol. Other drugs may range from marijuana to crack cocaine and LSD. Using alcohol and other drugs combined can cause serious health risks and concerns. One major concern of adolescent alcohol abuse is the effects that abuse has on puberty. The results of the abuse may be most prevalent in the growth of the adolescent. It has been shown in both human and animal studies that alcohol consumption can stunt the physical growth of an adolescent approaching and during puberty. Arriea and Tarter (1991), stated that, normal physical growth is dependent on a complex interaction between genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences (P. 53). Alcohol severely effects this interaction. Treatment Whenever we talk about alcohol abuse with adolescents, we must talk about the treatment. Without proper treatment, the adolescent will end up in the same place over and over again. In the study done by Bukstein (1994), he stated that, treatment for adolescents currently are undergoing rapid changes,? , by reducing their costs and emphasizing less restrictive treatment modalities (p. 298). Many of the longer 28 or 38 day inpatient programs are being transformed into outpatient or partial hospitalization plans. Because these shorter programs have not been around long enough to gather information for testing, it is unable to tell if they are going to have any kind of affect on the adolescents rehabilitation. I feel that these cuts will have a negative effect on the treatment of youngsters. I think that these shorter programs may work for adults, but they will not work well with the adolescents because of the emotional immaturity present in young people. While many researchers believe that traditional treatment programs are the key, there has been some interest in alternative programs. According to Bukstein (1994), many programs are beginning to integrate an array of, family or behavioral treatments, health services, vocational and educational services, and recreational activities in addition to 12-step principles (p.299). This kind of treatment combines traditional 12-step programs with new innovative ideas of reaching the child through various activities. Once again, this kind of treatment is not yet able to be tested because of its immaturity. It will be very interesting to see what kind of affect this treatment will have. Conclusion There are many factors that contribute to adolescent alcohol abuse. These factors may be psychological, environmental, social, or cultural. If these factors were detected in an adolescent at an early age, it could prevent the adolescent form abusing alcohol. Health problems due to heavy alcohol abuse could also be prevented if these factors are detected early enough. Treatment is a crucial part of dealing with an adolescent that is suffering from alcohol abuse. I believe that much research must be done to ensure that methods are being executed properly. There has been some effort to combine new treatment with traditional ones. I believe that this is a good thing. It will be interesting to see if this new treatment will help. References Arria, Amelia M. , Tarter, Ralph E. (1991). The effects of alcohol abuse on the health of adolescents. Alcohol Health and Research World, 15 (1), 52-57. Bukstein, Oscar G. (1994). Treatment of adolescent alcohol abuse and dependence. Alcohol Health and Research World, 18 (4), 296-301. Chong, M. Y. , Chan, K. W. , Cheng, A. T. A. (1999). Substance use disorders among adolescents in Taiwan: Prevalence, sociodemeographic correlates and psychiatric co-morbidity. Psychological Medicine, 26 (6), 1387-1396. Clark, D. , Lesnick, L. , Hegedus, A. (1997). Traumas and Other adverse life events in adolescents with alcohol abuse and dependence. Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 36 (12), 1744-1751. Clark, D. , Bukstein, O. (1998). Psychopathology in adolescent alcohol abuse and dependence. Alcohol Health Research World 22 (2), 117-121. Epstein, J. , Botvin, G. , Diaz, T. (1999). Impact of social influences and problem behavior on alcohol use among inner-city hispanic and black adolescents. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 60 (5), 595-604. Rhode, P. , Lewinsohn, P. , Seeley, J. R. (1996). Psychiatric comoribidity with problematic alcohol use in high school students. Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry 35 (1), 101-109. Adolescent Alcohol Abuse Juvenile Delinquency.

Managing human resource

Managing human resource Managing human resource Organizations and corporations are multifaceted. Such complexity within a business necessitates the need to strategic approach to the management of the employees, whose task is to enable the business to achieve its objectives. Human capital is an imperative asset of an organization and proper use of a potent assent can construct a successful and resourceful organization. In an organization, human capital can make or break an objective or a strategy. The human resource department is the most important departments of an organization. Almost all activities directed at attracting, developing, and maintaining effective workforce are implemented in this department. The functions of human resource management are, but are not limited to, hiring the right candidates, at the right time, and at the right price. It also involves training the existing employees, motivating them to give the best to the organization, resolving conflicts, discipline the employees who violate the organizations rules and regulation, as well as downsizing of the staff strength. Managing human resource is difficult as the job deals with solely installing the organizational culture into employees and keeping them happy in the work environment. In essence, this can be accomplished in theory, but is quite difficult in practice. The different aspects of human resource management can be broadly categorized into recruitment and selection, performance management, benefits and compensation, disciplinary and grievances, labor relation, and manpower planning. Recruitment involves the process of advertising job through magazines, newspaper, headhunting, employment agencies, internal sourcing, and organizations newsletter. The purpose of recruitment is to attract as many candidates as possible, to enable the organization pick the most talented and motivated workers. The aspect of recruitment should be taken serious by human resource managers as the employees have to be suitable for the job so that their contribution can earn the organization long-term security in a framework of maximized profit. A good way of managing human resources involves succession planning, making sure that the company never runs out of right persons for any position, should any position fall vacant. In addition, through a systematic training and development, a talented-lowly paid worker can reach a senior management level. Training of employees is a crucial task in an organization, to ensure that the workers can do their job effectively and efficiently. The employees salary and compensation schemes should be competitive in the industry to keep them motivated. In addition, the department provides advice to employees seeking information about insurance and other schemes. In an organization, the performance system appropriately reviews and rewards the employees accordingly. Human resource managers have to know how to reward the different staffs holding different position. Every organization has rules and regulations; it is the role of the human resource managers to ensure that employee knows when he goes wrong, and to punish him accordingly. The punishment administered may involve verbal warning, written warning, demotion, and dismissal. However, aggrieved cases should be handled in this department. Matters involving employees can also be addressed by the labor union. An organization should serve as a bridge between the union and its employees, and work toward resolving such conflicts to minimize strained labor relationship. The human resource team has to conduct the manpower planning for the future. If the company is suffering from excess manpower, the human resource department has to work with severance package, and conduct retrenchment exercise. Managing human resources is part of business management. It involves resources planning, strategic planning, and dealing with human emotion. Whilst there may be other roles included with the human resource management package, those outlined above are considered to include the most important aspects that serves the employees for the best outcome in the company.

Diversity in Gender and Governance

Diversity in Gender and Governance Tuan Pham   Anh Quynh Nguyen INTRODUCTION In the past, women could only be at home and do the household chores while the majority of men went to work. They did not have the rights to work. However, this orthodox view has been changed. In todays society, more and more women are going to work than ever before. The figures from Statistics Canada (2017) show that more than 9 million women in Canada have jobs at the end of 2016. As it can be seen, the number of females in the labor force increased substantially. Not only do women work as employees but they are also employers as well. They hold many important positions in companies such as chiefs, managers, members or the chairman of boards. In Canada, women hold 21.6% of board seats in the Financial Post 500 in 2016 (Catalyst, 2017). According to Catalysts research, it shows that the percentage of women directors in many developed countries has been increasing significantly. For example, in Australia, it represents 23.4% of women on boards in June 2016, which almost tripled than that of 2009. Growth in the number of women allows companies to grow faster and become more successful. As a business student, we are interested in the contributions of women to the economy. They play an important role in developing the firm values. Dr. Mijntje Lu ¨ckerath-Rovers (2011) has investigated that enterprises with female managers run better than those with men only. Moreover, women can bring their unique skills, which male counterparts cannot, to diversify a wide range of the boards expertise (Kim and Starks, 2016, p. 270). They suggest that diversity in gender enhance higher firm values. Even though society makes an endeavor to fight for gender equality, there is no sign that this controversial issue will disappear. In this paper, we provide more in-depth evidence that the presence of women on boards develops companies performance actively and effectively based on personal research and surveys. We will also answer one of the fundamental questions: Will gender dive rsity be encouraged in the future? How would it change: in a good way or bad way? DEFINITION The Dictionary of Business in 1996 (as cited in Walt and Ingley, 2003, p. 219) indicates that diversity in boards is a mix of human capital, where human capital is represented as the skills and knowledge absorbed by a person through the process of learning and experience. In the context of governance, diversity is described as the composition of the board and the combination of the different qualities, characteristics and expertise of the individual members in relation to decision-making and other processes within the board (Là ¼ckerath-Rovers, 2011, p. 493). Therefore, one of the aspects of diversity is gender on boards. This paper only focuses on gender diversity for several factors. First, gender diversity is one of the major topics which has been fiercely debated for a long time. Secondly, gender is the most easy distinguished demographic characteristic compared with age, nationality, education or cultural background (Là ¼ckerath-Rovers, 2011, p. 493). Eventually, our research aims to show that diversity in gender makes all the difference in firm performance. BACKGROUND According to a 2017 statistical analysis conducted by Statistics Canada, among women in the labour force, approximately 94% of them are employed (full-time and part-time). This proves that the labour force changed rapidly and there are more rights for women than ever before. European countries now appear to take the lead in the number of women directors (Catalyst, 2017). This survey also shows that many countries, such as Norway, Iceland, Finland and Sweden, are using quotas and setting targets to expanding the number of women on boards. However, in some Asian countries, there are only a tiny number of female directors. Catalysts research series, The Bottom Line, indicates that the more women on boards a company has, the better financial results they receive.   For example, Companies with the most women board directors had 16% higher Return on Sales (ROS) than those with the least, and 26% higher Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) (Catalyst, 2017). WOMENS CONTRIBUTIONS TO CORPORATE BOARDS According to the research in 2013 on gender diversity in SP 1500, which is a stock market index of US stocks made by Standard Poors, about a quarter of its firms still have no female directors. With data from the ISS RiskMetrics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, other smaller firms include SP 600 SmallCap, SP 400 MidCap, and SP 500 indices, the proportion of women on their boards just makes up by a small percentage (only 37%, 21% and 7% respectively have no women on their boards). However, surveys report that women are rated higher than men on the emerging leadership qualities of many aspects. As reported by the 2009 SEC Final Rule No. 33-9089 Proxy Disclosure Enhancements, there are in total 16 functional types recommended as critical skills: Financial, Mergers and Acquisitions, Accounting, International, Operations Technology, Marketing, Risk Management, Human Resources, Research and Development, Sustainability, Corporate Governance, Regulatory/Legal/Compliance, Political/Govern ment, Strategy and Leadership. Results show that adding women directors can enlarge diversity in corporate boards. Women are found to possess more uncommon expertise than men, which are four out of five least reported board skills (Research and Development, Human Resources, Risk Management, Sustainability, and Political Government). This shows that female directors can contribute both unique skills and expertise that are currently in distinction in the corporate boards, which can develop the heterogeneity of board skills. As a result, women directors can increase the value in corporate boards and enhance boards advisory effectiveness by adding these skills. Gender diversity is therefore related to higher firm value, and better director heterogeneity of expertise can increase the development in corporate boards.    DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN AS DIRECTORS Although some studies have found that men and women as directors and leaders do not differ in the way of thinking, orienting tasks and other people, women actually learn how to be a leader more easily than men. The reason for which is that girls are likely to be raised with a more egalitarian way than boys, this could affect the way they participate in their life. Also, as stated above, women have more unique skills than men, which translates into their relatively greater use of participative leader style. Another reason could be that gender stereotypes have somewhat affect female leaders to be more competitive in firms. They would care more about follower expectations and be more interested in complying with it. There are differences between men and women as both board directors and top leaders. As top leaders, men and women tend to have no difference in ages and qualifications. Nevertheless, female directors are more independent due to their better multi-directorships. According to research in Norway, 45% of female directors and 37% of male directors are outsiders. While female directors with an average age of 47.16 years and an average of 1.63 qualifications, male directors hold only average 52.7 years have 1.18 qualifications (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 456). The result shows that women are not only younger but also more educated than their male colleagues. It also reports that one female director in firm has 10 qualifications in average, while that number of other directors is just 3. Men as directors do not have as many resources through serving multiple boards as women, and are less likely to be outsiders than women. Female directors are reported to be younger and have more qualification s than male directors, while there is no significant difference between male and female as CEOs in some specific aspects such as age, qualifications and experience within the boardrooms and the corporations. The gender gaps and the differences between female and male leaders and directors are also affected by gender quota. As stated in www.wikigender.org, gender quotas are used to create equal representation among gender within legislation contribute to the promotion of gender equality, and ease the access of women into positions of government. Gender quotas were first introduced in some public sector entities in the 1980s and were extended in 2003 under legislation requiring at least 40% of women on boards of public limited companies (known as ASA), inter-municipal and state-owned enterprises (Sorsa, 2016). The enactment of the mandatory gender quota became one of the researchers studies since its introduction in Norway in 2005 (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 451). According to Ahern and Dittmars report in 2011, even though the increasing number of women was found to boost the boards strategy and effectiveness, this has led to the surge in the number of inexperienced women in corporate boards , which could damage the firms performance. However, Matsa and Miller (2011) found that there are positive effects of gender quota on firms, especially on the reductions of workforce and the rise in relative labor costs, compared with a matched sample in Scandinavia countries without gender quotas. The outcome shows that the gender quota in Norway created only a few experienced women as top leaders on their boards based on a number of proxies for influence, such as leadership and multi directorships, though this country has been increasing a large number of women in their firms (Seierstad and Opsahl, 2011). Despite the fact that there are no specific differences between the way women and men lead, gender diversity is still an important factor on boards and it may influence female directors contributions to board decision-making processes (Nielsenand and Huse, 2010). At the same time while having a female leader in the boardroom can make female directors easier to feel comfortable about expressing their opinions, male leaders show respect and openness towards views raised by women (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 451). They also report that female leaders not only enhance the effectiveness of board decision making but also benefit the operation of the organization. Female board chairs had more qualifications than their male counterparts during the pre-quota period, but this difference vanished after the gender quota had been enacted. This shows that female and male board chairs have similar levels of interlocks and are equally like to be foreigners (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 451) during the post -quota period. However, compared the pre- with the post-quota period, female board chairs seem to be more likely to have independent qualifications, more experience and less board interlocks, while male board chairs are older and more experienced after the full compliance of the gender quota in 2008. The average tenure of female board chairs in the pre-quota period, which is 2.04, is significantly lower than the one in the post-quota period (2.98), and female board chairs are more likely to be foreigners in both periods (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 451). This shows that Norwegian firms have talented female top leaders locally, not importing them from other countries. Results shown in these tables indicate that female directors are likely to be more independent and younger and have more qualifications than their male counterparts. Differences in independence status, age and qualifications between men and women as directors did not change after the full compliance in Norway in 2008. Women in the post-quota period are more experienced, have more board interlocks and are more likely to be foreigners than those in the pre-quota period, while male directors seem to be more independent in the pre-quota period than in the post-quota period. The differences between male and female directors also result from gender quota. After the legislation for gender quota in Norway was enacted in December 2005, the Norwegian seemed to be under the pressure of hiring more female directors and therefore it resulted in the large number of inexperienced and low-educated female directors in corporate boards. Figures in Table 2 indicate that the average number of females qualifications decreased than that of male directors. This means that the female directors in sample firms need to have a wider range of qualifications to achieve the fixed gender quota. The effects of gender quota on characteristics of directors in Norwegian firms have reflected that there was no difference between male and female directors, with respect to independence, age and qualification in 2001 and in 2010 (which was 5 years before and after the enforcement of gender quota). However, the differences in age and qualifications seemed to have widened over the period fr om 2003 to 2005, while that in independence seemed to be narrowed over the same period. Firms may have recruited younger but less independent female directors with more qualifications when they had the choice of voluntarily increasing the number of female directors on their boards. Therefore, age and qualifications somewhat have contributed to help corporate governance because the newly nominated female directors would have lacked the experience and independence to monitor firm management well (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 460). CONCLUSION With gender equality, having females on boards is an indisputable fact. The heterogeneity among companies is related to higher firm value. The profits women can make for companies are much higher than those without women on boards. We can see that the relationship between gender diversity and governance are likely to be positive. There are several journals, articles and research that show the contributions of women to developing firm value. However, diversity in gender on boards has both positive and negative effects on governance. The question of the relationship between gender diverse boards and firm value has generated considerable debate as well as analyses with conflicting findings and conclusions (Kim and Starks, 2016, p. 270). For example, the impact on decision-making and financial performance related to gender diversity is complex because there are other factors that affect the firms conduct. Moreover, getting companies to commit and change their perceptions would be no easy task. In many countries, their thoughts have not changed since feudalism. For instance, it is difficult to put up with the presence of female directors in Asian companies. They think that having women on boards can waste their money, which leads to a reduction of their productivity because of several reasons: maternity leave, lower retirement age, etc. From our study, we emphasize the mechanism through which director heterogeneity improves firm performance. More female directors on boards can make female employees dedicate themselves to work and improve the performance of the firms (Là ¼ckerath-Rovers, 2011, p. 507). She also proves that companies are more successful in making use of the whole talent pool for competent directors instead of only half of the talent pool. As a consequence, the increase or decrease in the firm value depends on companies choices. REFERENCES Adams, R. B., Ferreira, D. (2009). Women in the Boardroom and Their Impact on Governance and Performance. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1107721 Ahern, K. R., Dittmar, A. K. (2011). The Changing of the Boards: The Impact on Firm Valuation of Mandated Female Board Representation. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1364470 Catalyst (2017). Quick Take: Women on Corporate Boards Globally. Retrieved from http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/women-corporate-boards-globally Kim, D., Starks, L. T. (2016). Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards: Do Women Contribute Unique Skills? American Economic Review, 106(5), 267-271. doi:10.1257/aer.p20161032 Là ¼ckerath-Rovers, M. (2011). Women on boards and firm performance. Journal of Management Governance, 17(2), 491-509. doi:10.1007/s10997-011-9186-1 Matsa, D. A., Miller, A. R. (2011). A Female Style in Corporate Leadership? Evidence from Quotas. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1636047 Sorsa, P. (2016). Gender quotas for corporate boards do they work? Lessons from Norway. Retrieved from https://oecdecoscope.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/gender-quotas-for-corporate-boards-do-they-work-lessons-from-norway/ Statistics Canada (2017). Full-time and part-time employment by sex and age group. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/labor05-eng.htm Statistics Canada (2017). Labour force characteristics by sex and age group. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/labor05-eng.htm Walt, N., Ingley, C. (2003). Board Dynamics and the Influence of Professional Background, Gender and Ethnic Diversity of Directors. Corporate Governance, 11(3), 218-234. doi:10.1111/1467-8683.00320 Wang, M., Kelan, E. (2012). The Gender Quota and Female Leadership: Effects of the Norwegian Gender Quota on Board Chairs and CEOs. Journal of Business Ethics, 117(3), 449-466. doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1546-5 Wikigender. (n.d.). Debate on Gender Quotas. Retrieved from http://www.wikigender.org/wiki/debate-on-gender-quotas/

Joan of Arc :: essays research papers

Joan of Arc   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joan of Arc by Nancy Wilson Ross in nineteen-hundred and fifty-three and published by Random House. Nancy Wilson Ross was born in Olympia Washington; she wrote many books on the early fifteenth century including Joan of Arc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nancy Wilson Ross wrote of that Joan of Arc was a simple girl taken advantage of by a wimp of a prince/king who left her to be used and abandoned at the first sign of trouble; by those that she had helped the most. That Joan was divinely guided by her voices and manipulated by many to fit their will.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mrs. Ross starts off by showing the extreme challenge of getting to see the Prince Dauphin. In the beginning she was laughed at and told to go back to her family farm, as a mere girl they had no need of her. But Joan did not give up and she waited till the war had gone on for awhile and was not going well and then she tried again. Joan was finally allowed to go to see her Prince and tell him of her voices, but first she had to endure a verification of the origin of her voices and of her that took quite a while longer. Joan in the mean time grew anxious for the Prince and for France as her voices were urging her to hurry and help Prince Dauphin get crowned King of France and save her country from the English.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Joan is proven fit, she is finally allowed to meet her Prince and finds that he is a weak-willed individual that is not inclined to make any decisions, least of all to put forth the effort to go to Reims and be crowned the King of France. Joan does convince him into letting her go out into the battle fields and help lead the soldiers to a victory. Joan was fulfilling a prophecy that said that â€Å"having been through a woman (the wicked plots of Dauphin’s Mother), would be restored by a girl from Lorraine.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In battle Joan was smart and brave and gave the men hope that they could turn the war around. Joan dictated letters to the English generals that she did not want to hurt them and that they should go home, but they ignored her and she fought them till they turned and ran. Joan helped turn the tide to Frances advantage and then returned to Prince Dauphin to try to convince him to go to Reims and be crowned.

The Character of Ophelia in Shakespeares Hamlet :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Character of Ophelia in Hamlet      Ã‚   Of all the pivotal characters in Hamlet, Ophelia is the most static and one-dimensional. She has the potential to become a tragic heroine; to overcome the adversities inflicted upon her, but she instead crumbles into insanity, becoming merely tragic. This is because Ophelia herself is not as important as her representation of the duel nature of women in the play. Ophelia serves a distinct purpose: to show at once Hamlet's warped view of women as callous sexual predators, and the innocence and virtue of women.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The extent to which Hamlet feels betrayed by Gertrude is far more apparent with the addition of Ophelia to the play. Hamlet's feelings of rage against his mother can be directed toward Ophelia, who is, in his estimation, hiding her base nature behind a guise of impeccability. Through Ophelia we witness Hamlet's evolution, or de-evolution into a man convinced that all women are whores; that the women who seem most pure are inside black with corruption and sexual desire. And if women are harlots, then they must have their procurers. Gertrude has been made a whore by Claudius, and Ophelia has been made a whore by her father. In Act II, Polonius makes arrangements to use the alluring Ophelia to discover why Hamlet is behaving so curiously. Hamlet is not in the room but it seems obvious from the following lines that he has overheard Polonius trying to use his daughter's charms to suit his underhanded purposes. In Hamlet's distraught mind, there is no gray area: Polonius prostitutes his daughter. And Hamlet tells him so to his face, labeling him a "fishmonger", even if Polonius cannot decipher the meaning behind Hamlet's words. As Kay Stanton argues in her essay Hamlet's Whores:    Perhaps it may be granted...that what makes a woman a whore in the Hamlets' estimation is her sexual use by not one man but by more than one man.... what seems to enrage [Hamlet] in the 'nunnery' interlude is that Ophelia has put her sense of love and duty for another man above her sense of love and duty for him, just as Gertrude put her sense of love and duty for her new husband above her sense of love and duty for her old. Gertrude chose a brother over a dead Hamlet; Ophelia chooses a father over a living Hamlet: both choices can be read as additionally sexually perverse in being, to Hamlet, 'incestuous'.

Gamer: violent video games Essay

Everyone nowadays plays video games. From kids to adults, we all go through the phase of video games. Some are violent others aren’t. So which ones are good for you and which aren’t? Well I believe that video games in general are just games. They do not harm anything or anyone. Violent video games do not cause violent behavior. Just because you go around shooting people on a television doesn’t mean your going to run around the street killing people. This misconception is often misunderstood. It’s just a game. Your sitting next to your television pushing buttons on a controller. Let’s say your playing a violent war game like Medal Of Honor. This game is based off of World War One and World War Two. Of course there is a lot of killing involved, but during a war isn’t that what you expect? Besides the whole killing factor I personally believe that these kinds of games are benefitial. You get to learn what weapons were using during that time period, you learn key events, and most of all you get a historical background of the time period covered. To me this is a unique way of learning. The younger generation tend to play war-like games, which in my opinion is really good. Young kids like shooting and action, but what they don’t know is that they are actually getting more than just that. They are learning what made the United States today. People often look past all those details and just argue that violent video games cause violent behavior, but I am at disbelief. Another reason why I think violent video games don’t contribute to violent behavior is because there is actually no scientific proof. There is no proof out there that violent games cause violent behavior. So what’s wrong with a little bit of machine gun action? Nothing. Nothing at all. In fact some studies show that violent video games actually help with stress and help you relax. Lets say your coming home from work and you had a miserable day. Your boss made you angry because he made you stay late. So you turn on your video game system when you get home ,and decide to shoot some people in the game to help you deal with your stupid boss. So instead of fighting your boss you get to take it out in the video game. It helps you meditate and get your feelings out in an unrealistic envirnment. It’s just too much fun. Who wouldn’t want to run around in a game and blow stuff up? I mean it’s not like I can just go down the street to the store and ask if I could purchase an rpg. Violent video games don’t affect people that way. Ask someone next time, what is the difference between a violent video game and a violent movie? There is none. Only difference is in a video game you have more control than a movie. More control is more fun, and more fun is always good. Just think about how many people just purchased the new GTA 5. That game is probably the most violent game ever produced, and yet people are still staying sane. In my opinion, violent video games have nothing to contribute to violent behavior. Violent behavior is adopted from real violent experiences or encounters. If someone wants to go run down a street and kill someone they will. A video game does not determine that, and never will. We have plenty of pshycos in this world to worry about some video games. Let the people who want to play them. play them. Violent or not at the end of the day it’s just a game.

Infectious Diseases: HIV /AIDS

According to UNAIDS. com â€Å"new HIV infections were reduced by 21% since 1997, and deaths from AIDS-related illnesses decreased by 21% since 2005†(â€Å"Unaids. org†, n. d. ). AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) was first discovered in the early 1980s. It was first found only among homosexual men and drug users that shared needles. AIDS is an immune deficiency disease that is caused by a virus known as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). It is transmitted through contaminated body fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk ( ). The virus attacks the CD4 T lymphocytes killing them and while continuing to spread and kill others. This process cripples the immune system making the body susceptible to infections and illnesses that a healthy immune system would be able to control. With a weakened immune system, the body is left open to infections. Since the body’s reactions to an infection results in inflammation, HIV/AIDS patients usually experience chronic inflammation that usually occurs in the lymph nodes and stomach. Patients that receive Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) are able to receive some relief from inflammation but are not able to eliminate inflammation completely (â€Å"Thebodypro. com†, 2010). When HIV/AIDS was first discovered in the early 1980s there was no treatment and no cure. Someone that was diagnosed as HIV positive knew that when AIDS set in they were facing a painful death. As research has progressed through the year’s treatments have been recognized that help to slow down the reproduction of the virus. According to â€Å"Epigee. org† these are known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors. AZT (Azidothymidine), ddC (zalcitabine), ddl (dideoxyinosine), d4T (stavudine), and Abacavir, are just a few nucleoside RT inhibitors used to treat HIV. Non-nucleoside RT inhibitors such as Delavridine (Rescriptor, Nevirapine (Viramune), and Efravirenz (Sutiva), are also medications used to slow down the virus. Protease inhibitors are used to interrupt the reproduction of the virus in the later stages. This group of medications includes Ritonavir (Norvir), Saquinivir (Invirase), and Amprenivir (Agenerase) (2012). The fourth and final group of medications currently only has one drug approved for proof. This drug is known as Fuzeon and is a fusion inhibitor that stops the virus from entering the CD4 cells. This action keeps the virus from combining with the cell membranes, but should be used with another form of treatment (2012). Currently there is no cure available to HIV/AIDS patients. The spread of HIV/AIDS has decreased drastically since the beginning. For the first 15-20 years it was considered an epidemic. By educating people about how the virus is contracted the number of people diagnosed has been on a rapid decline since the early 2000s. The number of AIDS related deaths has also rapidly declined in this time. In this authors opinion the best way to control the spread of this deadly virus is through continuing education of how the disease is spread. Safe sex is a must. People that are promiscuous are at a higher risk of becoming victims of HIV. State Health Departments throughout the U. S. offer educating pamphlets, and in some instances classes that help to educate people on how to avoid contracting and spreading HIV. Abstinence is the only thing that offers 100% protection from sexually transmitted HIV. Monogamy is the second best way to avoid the spread of HIV. If you have never been infected with HIV and remain faithful to one partner, and your partner has never been infected and remains faithful, there is no chance that you will contract the virus through sexual intercourse. If you are sexually active with more than one partner, protected sex is the best way to improve your chances of remaining HIV negative. Condoms, though not 100% sure, are the best way to protect someone from being infected with the virus through sexual intercourse. Traditional condoms are used on the penis and protect the participants from contaminated fluids. A new type of condom is currently on the market that is inserted directly into the vagina or rectum. Spermicidal contraceptives protect against pregnancy but not HIV (â€Å"Aids. org†, 2012). Intravenous drug users are also at risk of being infected with HIV. Of course the obvious way to keep from being infected is not to use self administered, illegal, intravenous drugs. Making sure that clean hypodermic needles are used and not shared among other users is imperative for those than continue to use self administered, illegal, intravenous drugs. If only one hypodermic needle is available and you must share this needle with others, using bleach and water to clean both the needle and the syringe is the best way to guard against becoming infected with HIV/AIDS (â€Å"Aids. org†, 2012).

Adolescent Rebellion Essay

Adolescents go to extreme measures to find their identity, often times rebelling to prove that they are their own people. Rebelling is a way for the adolescent to prove their independence, which makes sense in Huck’s case. Rebelling can range from not obeying parents to making friends with undesirable characters to completely going against the norms of the society. Huck’s home life and upbringing fuel his desire to rebel especially since he has trouble adapting to society, similar to Holden Caulfield, always looking for ways to be different and often times difficult and unreasonable. The adolescent years are marked by the search for personal identity and finally experiencing the real world as a maturing adult. With this being said, the reason adolescents such as Huck rebel is because they have trouble accepting the norms of society and refuse to conform. In the first novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Author Mark Twain uses this story to show the immorality of society in the 1800’s. To convey this message, he uses his main character, a rebellious adolescent named Huck Finn. Huck has a very difficult time accepting the ways of society and refuses to let his guardians, The Widow Douglas, Miss Watson, as well as many other characters attempt to civilize him. Huck rebels against many things such as religion, education, cleanliness, and mannerisms. He even rebels against the main principle of society at the time which is slavery. He befriends a slave named Jim and is given the choice of following society’s rules and turning him in or treating him as an equal and assisting him to freedom. Mark Twain uses this novel to address many issues in society in the 1800’s, but mainly slavery and prejudice. I believe this novel teaches morals and lessons involving children and racial discrimination today. In the essay titled, The Controversy over Race: Does Huckleberry Finn Combat or Reinforce Racism, critic Julius Lester goes to the extent of saying that Mark Twain’s writings are â€Å"ethically dangerous† and claims that the author is in fact somewhat racist. He believes that Mark Twain does not take slavery seriously and therefore African Americans. He explains how Twain makes a mockery of Jim, degrading him throughout the novel through the use of Huck Finn. (356) Many critics like Lester, imply many negative claims against Twain but I believe this accusation is irrelevant because Twain is not using Huck Finn to degrade Jim, he is in fact using him as a symbol of innocence to the immorality of society. Huck is at that age where he is unaware of the difference between right and wrong but when he is faced with a matter as complex as discrimination; he takes his own path instead of following society’s regulations. Like a toddler at the playground, when a child of different color or race approaches them to play, they don’t discriminate; they sense a friendly individual and befriend them. Twain allows his character to rebel against the prejudice society, in order to raise awareness and address the issue of racism. The other criticisms we have read and discussed this semester, critique and pin point any flaw possible of criticism in each of the novels. Some criticisms aimed towards one novel can even apply to others. In Brivic’s The Disjunctive Structure of Joyce’s Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, the author states, â€Å"Psychoanalysis shows how the images that weave through Portrait are linked by unconscious motivation to form a dynamic structure. Within this structure Stephen Dedalus develops his thinking around a central principle of connection with the world through alienation. And the conflicts and transformations in the structure enact opposing views by which Joyce both supports and condemns Stephen (279). This quote is interesting because it applies to two of the novels characters we have been introduced to, both Portrait’s alter ego,Stephen Dedalus, and The Catcher in the Rye’s Holden Caulfield, the society outcast looking for a path in life. Stephen and Holden both encounter many similar situations, where they find themselves in search of happiness and comfort. J. D Salinger puppets the protagonist of Holden Caulfield to verbally assault almost every in stitution and character he encounters during his transition from childhood to adulthood. Deeply mentally and emotionally disturbed, Holden resists conformity to every vice, failing out of four preparatory schools, lying about countless details to add excitement to his anticlimactic life, and stereotyping every individual he encounters and labeling them â€Å"phony†, proving Holden to be the most superficial of all the characters. Holden’s opinionated personality allows him to openly pass judgment and portray the kind of behavior he thinks contributes toward the corrupted, indecent world he is apart of. Holden believes he must be a protector of innocence; he must protect Phobe and all hildren from the cruel reality of how the world operates. He is â€Å"The Catcher in the Rye†, based off a poem, where he will catch the children and protect them as they fall off the cliff of childhood into the reality of adulthood, it is possible Holden Caulfield is consumed by the idea of sex, Holden engages in several contradicting actions, he solicits a prostitute b ut refuses to sleep with her, yearns for the affection or companionship of another girl but distances and degrades himself when he feels exposed, and repeatedly calls â€Å"Jane† but hangs up before speaking with her. J. D Salinger uses Holden to raise the issues of sexuality, sexual promiscuity, and homosexuality several times throughout the novel. In Daisy Miller, Author Henry James discusses the morals between the Americans and the Europeans and the involvement of women in the time setting of the novel. Daisy Miller, the main character, is one of the main mysteries throughout the novel as the author causes the reader to wonder whether she is really a â€Å"nice† girl or not. Daisy is young, wealthy, attractive American girl who travels through Europe with her family. With a strange mixture of personality traits ranging from high spirited and independent to ignorant and shallow, Daisy goes on an adventure that is illustrated to clarify the subtext involving the differences in American and European values. The author directs the audience towards the gender roles in society and how women of this time setting were at a much higher social standard. Women at this time were controlled with a sexist set of rules appointed by government officials according to gender. As you get deeper into the novel, you find out that Daisy is not as innocent as she seems she is very rebellious. Through this rebellion, the author addresses sexist tendencies and the pride of American womanhood and freedom despite social constraints. The reasons why adolescents rebel vary from person to person yet they hold one thing in common. It is to prove their independence as they disagree with how they should conform to society. Whether people are â€Å"fake† or the norms of the society, like slavery and racism, are wrong, adolescents find a way to be difficult in a sense to prove they have their own identity and they are independent. Each of the authors we have read over the course of the semester, Twain, Joyce, Salinger, and James took the risk of breaking the rules with their words in order to convey their messages to a large-scale audience. The adolescent years are marked by the search for personal identity and finally experiencing the real world as a maturing adult. With this being said, the reason adolescents such as Huck rebel is because they have trouble accepting the norms of society and refuse to conform.

They Are More Complex Than You Think

Case Corporate Bonds – They are More Complex Than You Think 1. How should Jill go about explaining the relationship between coupon rates and bond prices? Why do the coupon rates for the various bonds vary so much? Jill should explain the relationship between coupon rates and bond prices by calculating the price of the bonds, which have similar features except coupon rate. Let’s compare ABC Energy issuer with the coupon rate 5% and 0% (the same with rating and YTM) IssuerMaturityFace ValueCoupon RateRatingYieldPrice% Change ABC Energy2010005%AAA2%$1,490. 54 49. 05% ABC Energy2010005%AAA3%$1,297. 55 29. 5% ABC Energy2010005%AAA5%$1,000. 00 0. 00% ABC Energy2010005%AAA6%$885. 30 -11. 47% ABC Energy2010000%AAA2%$672. 97 -32. 70% ABC Energy2010000%AAA3%$553. 68 -44. 63% ABC Energy2010000%AAA5%$376. 89 -62. 31% ABC Energy2010000%AAA6%$311. 80 -68. 82% The table shows that the 5% coupon bond has a wider fluctuation in price than the zero coupon bond for equivalent changes in y ield. 2. How are the ratings of these bonds determined? What happens when the bond ratings get adjusted downwards? The ratings of these bonds are determined by two professional bond-rating firms: Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s (S&P).Each of these bond-rating firms has a committee that evaluates the risk level of the company’s bond issue. It assigns a rating ranging from AAA or Aaa (best rating) down to D (default). The ratings are periodically re-evaluated whenever there is a significant development in a company’s structure or earning performance. When the ratings get adjusted downward, the bond becomes less attractive. Hence, the rate of return goes up to reduce its price. 3. During the presentation one of the clients is puzzled why some bonds sell for less than their face value while others sell for premium.She asks whether the discount bonds are a bargain. How should Jill respond? Bonds can be issued at a discount, at par, or even at premium from face v alue. The majority of bonds are sold at par ($1,000) with the coupon rate being set equal to the yield that proportional with its rating and maturity. After it is being issued, the yields demanded by investors will change, but the coupon rate still stays the same. If the yield exceeds the coupon rate, investors are demanding a higher rate of return than what the company is currently paying via the coupon payment, which leads the price drops and vice versa.As long as the yields are a true reflection of the risk level of the bond, there would not be any a bargain for the bond price, whether at a discount or premium from face value. 4. What does the term â€Å"yield to maturity† mean and how is it to be calculated? The â€Å"yield to maturity† (YTM) of a bond is the rate of return that an investor expects to earn when he or she buys the bond at its current price, receive the face value when it matures. The YTM is considered a long-term bond yield expressed as an annual ra te. The YTM of a bond is also known as its promised yield.To calculate a bond’s YTM, we must use the following inputs: For example: ABC Energy, 5%, 20 years, face value $1,000, price $703. 1 (semi-annual coupons) PV= -703. 1, N=40, PMT = 25, FV = 1000 => I = 4 (semi-annual) Interest annual = 4%*2 = 8 % 5. What is the difference between the â€Å"nominal† and effective yields to maturity for each bond listed in Table 1? Which one should the investor use when deciding between corporate bonds and other securities of similar risk? Please explain. IssuerFace ValueCoupon Rate Rating Quote PriceYTM Sinking FundCall Period YTM (semi-annual)Nominal YTMEffective YTM ABC Energy 10005%AAA703. 20yes34. 0001%8. 0001%8. 1601% ABC Energy 10000%AAA208. 320yesn/a3. 9999%7. 9997%8. 1597% TransPower100010%AA109220yes54. 5000%9. 0001%9. 2026% Telco Utilities100011%AA1206. 430no54. 4999%8. 9998%9. 2023% The nominal yield to maturity on the bond is calculated by multiplying the semi-annual y ield by two. The effective YTM is calculated by compounding the semi-annual yield for two periods. For example, on the ABC Energy 5%, 20 year bond, the semi-annual YTM is 4%. The effective annual YTM would be calculated [(1+0. 4)^2]-1 = 0. 0816 or 8. 16%.Since the YTM is a promise yield with the actual yield being dependent on the reinvestment rate that each investor is able to earn, it is best to compare similar risk bonds on the basis of their nominal YTMs. 6. Jill knows that the call period and its implications will be of particular concern to the audience. How should she go about explaining the effects of the call provision on bond risk and return potential. Call provisions are attached to bonds so that it allows companies to refinance their debt at lower rates when interest rates drop.The existence of a call provision presents a risk to the bond investor that their investment horizon on that bond may be prematurely ended. Moreover, there is reinvestment risk associated with cal lable bonds, since the bonds are called when rates are low. The company does pay a premium when the bond is called. Furthermore, there is a deferred call period for five years, which the bond can’t be called. In the case of callable bonds, investors should calculate the yield to the first call of the bonds to decide.For this calculate, the future value is set to equal to $1,000 + 1 year coupon, the maturity is assumed to be the number of years until the bond become callable. 7. How should Jill go about explaining the riskiness of each bond? Rank the bonds in terms of their relative riskiness. IssuerFace ValueCoupon Rate Rating Quote PriceYTM Sinking FundCall Period YTM (semi-annual)Nominal YTMEffective YTMRisk Rank (1=low) ABC Energy 10005%AAA703. 120yes34. 0001%8. 0001%8. 1601%1 ABC Energy 10000%AAA208. 320yesn/a3. 9999%7. 9997%8. 1597%2 TransPower100010%AA109220yes54. 5000%9. 001%9. 2026%3 Telco Utilities100011%AA120630no54. 4999%8. 9998%9. 2023%4 The bond ratings provide a general guide as to the credit risk associated with each bond. Within it ratings, investors need to be aware of call risk, reinvestment risk, maturity, and the sinking fund provision’s effect on risk. Callability makes a bond have a higher reinvestment risk. Among the AAA bonds, the zero coupon bond has no call risk, no reinvestment risk, but the higher price risk. Among the AA bonds, Telco Utilities has a longer maturity and no sinking fund making it the riskiest. . One of Jill’s best clients poses the following questions, â€Å"If I buy 10 of each of these bonds, reinvest any coupons received at the rate of these bonds, reinvest any coupons received at the rate of 5% per year and hold them until they mature, what will my realized return be on each bond investment? † How should Jill respond? IssuerFace ValueCoupon Rate Quote PriceYTM Sinking FundCall Period YTM (semi-annual)Nominal YTMEffective YTMFV of couponFV of coupon + FVRealized Return (Semi-Annual)Reali zed Return ABC Energy 10005%703. 120yes34. 0001%8. 001%8. 1601%$1,685. 06 $2,685. 06 3. 41%6. 81% ABC Energy 10000%208. 320yesn/a3. 9999%7. 9997%8. 1597%$0. 00 $1,000. 00 4. 00%8. 00% TransPower100010%109220yes54. 5000%9. 0001%9. 2026%$3,370. 13 $4,370. 13 3. 53%7. 06% Telco Utilities100011%120630no54. 4999%8. 9998%9. 2023%$7,479. 54 $8,479. 54 5. 00%9. 99% In the case of the ABC Energy, 5% coupon bond, the realized return is calculated as follows: Future value of reinvested coupon N=40, I = 2. 5, PV=0, PMT=25 => FV= 1685. 06 Realized return = [(1685. 06+1000)/703. 1]^(1/40) -1 = 3. 41% *2 = 6. 82%

Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Investment - Essay Example It has often been said that some investment types such as unit trusts are more profitable as compared others such as open ended investment companies (Atrill & Elliot 2005). In this paper we critically review this assertion by looking at literature on the subject of different investment types. The paper begins by providing an overview on the various investment types and afterwards concentrates on evaluating which one is a better investment vehicle by weighing their advantages and disadvantages with respect to their various tax implications. The rest of the paper is organised as follows: section 2 presents an overview of the various investment types focusing on their advantages and disadvantages as an investment vehicle; section 3 provides an overview of these same investment types but this time paying attention on their various tax implication, section 4 presents a brief summary of both investment vehicles as well as some empirical evidence on the performance of some of these investme nts; while the last section presents some concluding remarks. In finance, Investors typically faced two challenging questions. How much to invest? And where to invest (Berlin & Lexa 2005, Brealey & Myers 2005). These are some of the pertinent issues this paper seeks to address. By examining the various investment options available to potential investors. By the end of this paper, we intend to make important conclusion and recommendation as to the best investment option. 2.0 Types of investment products with advantages and disadvantages Globalisation, the new information technology, and deregulation of financial markets have eased not only the provision and search of finance but investment opportunities open to investors. Millions of shares are traded every day on the world's stock markets. (Penman, 2003). Investors who trade on these stocks are often forced to ask themselves whether they are buying or selling at the right price. (Penman, 2003). They often attempt to provide answers to these questions by turning to various media including internet chat rooms, printed press, "talking heads" on television and financial networks, who often voice opinions on what they feel the stock prices should be. (Penman, 2003). In addition, investors consult investment analysts who provide an almost endless stream of information and recommendations investment options opened to them to sort out. There are often claims that some shares are undervalued and vice versa. (Penman, 2003, Shapiro 2003, Ross et al. 1999). This information pertaining to the various investment options at times becomes confusing leaving the investor with no clear indication of what the

US-EU Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

US-EU Relations - Essay Example Except for the wars after the separation of Yugoslavia, a spot removed from the concerns of most Europeans, arrangements and bargain have determined all intra-European question for more than 50 years. The nations of Europe have lost the propensity of considering war. The United States, by complexity, is a worldwide force. It works in parts of the world, strikingly the Mideast, where arrangement, bargain, and peace do not predominate. America need to play by the nearby governs to secure its diversions in spots like the Mideast, along these lines discovers war a more conceivable strategy than the Europeans do. Since the Europeans see no compelling reason to go to war to secure their premiums, they have not put resources into the intends to do so (Michael Mandelbaum 2). Furthermore, because they need usable military strengths, they do not need critical worldwide issues to be settled by the utilization of power, for that would lessen their impact. While the hesitance to go to war influences European nations overall, France and Germany have their specific purposes behind restricting an American-headed war against Iraq. French resistance is focused around patriotism. The German position on the war originates from a strain of pacifism in German popular assessment, itself a legacy of the heartbreakingly forceful German outside arrangements in the first 50% of the twentieth century. Ending up in an unstable political position before a year ago general race, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder turned out contrary to the war against Iraq. It was a method for assembling radical notion for the benefit of his constituent prospects (Michael Mandelbaum 3). The strategy succeeded, he was re-chosen, and he repeated his hostile to war stance in reckoning of provincial races held a weekend ago, in which his gathering did gravely. In the impending weeks, France, at any rate, cannot drift closer to the US position on Iraq. The

Medical Legal Aspects Of Medical Records Term Paper

Medical Legal Aspects Of Medical Records - Term Paper Example The book brings one to the recognition of the changes in the documentation process that was caused by changes in technology. The book clearly talked about the disadvantages of implementing electronic medical records in the documentation of medical records. It raises the issues that are faced with the electronic medical records and also talked about the privacy, security and confidentiality issues that the electronic medical records have. It also talked about the forensic issues that the electronic system has, explaining that the failure to authenticate the data is a common problem with the electronic medical system. There are also some operational issues with the system as the authors made this very clear in the book. Electronic medical records can create problems for an attorney as they can easily spread information about controversies surrounding a particular patient. The strengths of the book are that it does not only cover medical issues, but goes a step further in highlighting t he forensic issues in the documentation of medical records. The authors took a critical look at the examination of medical records that were found as a result of forensic examination. The weakness of the book is that there is no real or central focus as the authors talked about many issues leaving the reader confused about what the real issue is.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION - Essay Example These two areas are very important because the front office provide the first impression that guest have about a hotel. The front office agents must therefore exhibit high standards of mannerism in greeting guests, welcoming them; smiling and having guests feel at home. The root cause of negative mannerism and knowledge at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis hotels front desk services can be categorized as inadequacies in personnel, procedures, policies and equipment. The weaknesses on the blueprint are on the physical evidence and the onstage employee action areas since they affect customers’ actions. In the blueprint for the Marriott Marquis Hotel, front office is physical evidence. Physical evidence in this case is the environment and people within the front office area. For every moment of truth and each action taken by the customer, the physical evidence that customers come into contact with is critical (Baum & Odgers, 2001). Front office consists of tangibles, that customer come into contact with that are likely to influence how business customers perceive quality at the Marriott Marquis Hotel’s front desk. Poorly arranged front office will deter business customers from booking the hotel. Onstage employee action is the second area on the blueprint that is affected by the weaknesses mentioned above. Front office are onstage employees and are actively involved in making reservations, giving suggestions, phone calls receiving, manage registration process, fulfilling guest needs/delivering bags, solve their problems, and process the registrations of their business customers. There is high degree of interaction with business customers in the blueprint thus the type of interaction influences their action. Poor manners and knowledge by front office agents will definitely results into poor guest experience and impression of the hotel. In this respect, personnel attributes such as poor training, attitude, poor communication etiquette, bad customer

How the USA Patriot Act Effect Law Enforcement Research Paper

How the USA Patriot Act Effect Law Enforcement - Research Paper Example This illustrates that the USA Patriot Act is aimed at enforcing the law enforcement agencies by enabling them to be in a position to competently deal with terrorism attempts. However, enormous debate has revolved as pertains to whether the USA Patriot Act positively or negatively effects the law enforcement. It is with this regard that the thesis statement that this paper seeks to affirm is that the Patriot Act is designed to offer positive benefits to the goals of law enforcement and federal intelligence agencies that protect the American populations (Van Cleef 73). Topic sentence 1: Withstanding the presumed negatives that have come with intelligence investigation after the passing of the Patriot Act, surveillance strategies are actually necessary for securing the public welfare. The patriot Act is mainly aimed at protecting the nationals of the United States against terrorist attacks and surveillance form the enforcement agencies. Surveillance intelligence has widely been reviewed in the case of Mayfield following the terrorist Act and was typically depicted as Patriot Act on trial in the Nation Newspaper. This was a case that took shape in March 2004 where intelligence surveillance after conducting investigations, the FBI concluded that following the cross matching of partial finger prints in one of the bomb detonator bags, it matched that of Mayfield and he was arrested. His arrest was affirmed by in depth investigations that revealed that he was a Muslim convert and had been involved in a movement of Taliban’s that had wanted to go to Afghanistan to fight against the United States (Sarasohn 1). However, Mayfield being an attorney knew that the United States had no charges against him and being a citizen of the United States, challenged his arrest and conviction on the wake of the Patriot Act. This led to his release following additional surveillance that revealed that he was not the perpetrator behind the terrorism attack. This led Mayfield to chal lenge the protection assured by the Patriot Act since he affirmed that his protection, safety and privacy had been violated by the enforcement agencies during the investigations. The Mayfield trial is a clear indication of the effect the Patriot Act has on law enforcement especially with reference to intelligence investigations. Consequently, surveillance strategies depicted in the Patriot Act and Mayfield trial, affirm that the Patriot Act is indeed aimed at securing the public welfare. This therefore affirms the thesis statement that the Patriot Act is designed to offer positive benefits to the goals of law enforcement and federal intelligence agencies that protect the American populations (Sarasohn 1). Topic sentence 2: Patriot Act makes it possible for law officers to conduct search and seizure procedures without first notifying the individuals involved. Patriot Act of the United States gives law enforcement officers the mandate to seizure and act without warning in terrorist at tempts. This gives the law enforcement officers an upper hand in the investigations and especially in the financial sector which has become a major terrorist avenue. The Patriot Act has provisions that enable the treasury to secure its finances by implementing anti-money launder mechanisms. These are