Mobile Application on Mindanao State University Essay

The proposed system entitled MSU Grade Module on Mobile using Android OS is a mobile version of the current Grade Module of Mindanao State University. This system enables the instructor to input grades and update INC grades at any location and at any time. Obtaining the Grade Module password is also done using mobile connection. Reasons: * With the convenience of an Android-powered mobile phone, the instructor does not need to physically go to the clerk to request for Grade Module password. * The Grade Module password is sent through email which is more secure than printed Grade Module stub. * The instructor does not need to be in their respective department or in the university to input and/or update grades. * The scarcity of available computers in the university is no longer a concern. * If the instructor is away for seminars, vacations, and other reasons, the instructor no longer needs to request favour from other instructors to input and/or update grades for them, thus the accountability of the grade resides only to the instructor in-charge and lessen bothering other instructors. * With this kind of application, an instructor can become invisible from students who keep following him/her because of various reasons. Possible Problem: * Not all instructors have an Android-powered mobile phone. * Not all instructors maintain an email address, especially those who are not technology-savvy. * Internet connection is not stable for instructors who want to input and/or update grades within the university. * The availability of online modules of the university is not stable.

I Disagree with School Uniforms Essay

I think school uniforms are a bad decision for S. S Seward. S. S Seward students should not be required to wear an official school uniform because it doesn’t give the students a chance to express themselves and make them feel happy and make them feel like they belong. I’m also disagreeing because it causes financial problems and bullying. Financial difficulties seem to be a problem with the school uniforms. Schools claim that school uniforms are less expensive for parents; however, school uniforms generally mean an additional cost for parents, who now have to purchase different types of clothing for their children to wear in and out of school. Additionally, since uniforms involve specific requirements, parents may not be able to find uniform options in discount or thrift stores as they could if they had more freedom to choose their children’s wardrobes. Most schools with uniform requirements do, however, provide free uniforms to needy families. Bullying and Violence seem to be another problem with the school uniforms. Some school administrators believe that enforcing a uniform policy will eliminate the problems of discrimination and bullying. But kids will find a way to hurt one another, regardless of what they wear. If they wear uniforms, some children will bully each other over hairstyles or jewelry or shoe choices. They will mock each other for their parents’ professions or their socioeconomic status, no matter what they wear to school. A uniform isn’t an absolute solution to problems of school bullying and negative behavior. It also seems that there is not individual expression involved with the school uniforms. Students in school need to learn to express themselves, and their wardrobe choices are one way of doing this. When every child is forced to dress just like all his peers, he loses his freedom to choose how he wants to represent himself through his clothing. Additionally, some uniforms may conflict with a student’s religious beliefs and practices regarding proper attire. Teachers, on the other hand, may appreciate restrictions of personal expression through clothing, because students dress inappropriately at times. Many people feel that uniforms are a method of reining in the creativity and freedom of expression of teens and kids, and passing on the message that conformity is important. Contrary to popular belief, even with uniforms on, certain children will get picked on by others. Cliques will still be formed and students will find ways such as weight, complexion, and financial status to pass judgment upon their peers. School uniforms are very often unflattering, and it can damage a child’s self-image.

Ethnocentrism, Geocentrism and Polycentrism Assignment

Ethnocentrism, Geocentrism and Polycentrism - Assignment Example   To begin with, it may be logical to present reasons that support the position in question. First of all, it must be noted that the use of land which once used to be a forest will significantly enhance food production which will benefit the entire mankind. Indeed, the new territories will be free of pollution and other negative impacts of the humanity which will contribute to the quality of food that is produced on it. Other than qualitative enhancement, one may also observe quantitative enhancement since people will have more soil to grow crops and this will boost the production of food making sure that there is enough for everyone and the people will no longer experience hunger.Another point that should be mentioned lies in the fact that by clearing the forests and using the territories as new farmlands people will connect urban and rural areas. Indeed, it often happens so that the former have excess of food resources, but there are few people to consume them; on the other hand, cities virtually have no farmlands per se, but they are inhabited by people who are willing to pay for food. Therefore, if the forests are cleared, the infrastructure that connects the two kinds of areas will improve and so will the quality of life of the people on the both sides. So, this will be an important strategic move. Finally, one should also note that by using the lands that are cleared from forests the people will reclaim certain territories that used to be outside the scope of agriculture.   

Describe how Management By Objective (MBO) can provide better Essay

Describe how Management By Objective (MBO) can provide better efficiency in setting, planning and accomplishing organizational goals - Essay Example The management by objective is a technique that is applied which is based on set objectives that are achievable by the company, the divisions and the employees. These objectives then are considered as a measurable contribution of the individuals in the company to the success in the achievement and completion of the goals of the whole organization (Drucker 121-30). Due to the fact that MBO is based on the aim to be a measurable management technique, the activities and job assignments are then gauged in measurable and numerable quantities. The number of activities done constitutes an important role in the assessment of performance of the employees. For that matter, the quantity of work done can be incorporated to the type and quality of activity that is undertaken (Drucker 121-30). The application of MBO can be on the different levels of the organizational system, thus, covering different forms of activities. Included in such activities are human resources, maintenance services, research and development, sales, finance and most importantly production. The said management technique became widely known as the setting up of quotas in different types of jobs and organizational roles. When the said term is heard, the vision of numerable work values is perceived (Deming 24, 54; Drucker 121-30). The MBO is focused on the establishment of specified objectives that can be achieved through the course of operation. In addition, the quality of the work undertaken in the process of achievement of such goals is also given high regard. The acknowledgement of the division or individual employee with the most commendable performance is practiced for motivation in the said system (Garrison and Raynes 121). There are different of advantages that can be associated with the MBO, thus, it is considered as one of the management techniques commonly applied.

To what extent has disintermediation helped decrease the transaction Essay

To what extent has disintermediation helped decrease the transaction risk of purchasing items by consumers - Essay Example Previously the facilitators and gatekeepers were known as knowledge brokers or intermediaries. Disintermediation has changed the role of historical knowledge brokers and the traditional knowledge. Companies can deal with the customers directly through online process instead of involving traditional intermediaries. This leads to the reduction of operation cost while serving customers. It can help companies to sell products directly to the customers in an economical way. The transaction risk of purchasing items can be decreased by the introduction of disintermediation. This essay highlights the application of disintermediation and its importance in reducing transaction risks. E-commerce can be considered as an essential mode of purchasing and selling of goods and services. In this modern era of globalisation and technological advancement, each and every multinational organisation is trying to purchase business resources and sell finished products to end-customers online in order to reduce business operation cost. Disintermediation can be defined as the elimination process of monetary intermediaries. In the 20th century, several organisations used to depend upon the activities of brokers and intermediaries in order to sell their products and services. Organisations had to pay a certain amount of commission to these brokers against the percentage of goods sold. It actually increased the business operation cost of the organisations. Slowly and gradually the management of several leading organisations introduced e-commerce business concept in order to communicate directly with their customers. It eliminated the necessity of brokers. Therefore, the organisations succeeded to reduce additional business operation cost. The involvement of several traditional intermediaries can create transaction risks as these brokers can do some wrong activities with the personal information of customers. Therefore, disintermediation can help

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 45

Assignment Example nserved proteins responsible for the maintenance of the conformational homeostasis of cellular proteins and RNAs† and are believed to be usually induced by environmental stress (Soti & Csermely, â€Å"Molecular Chaperones† 227). In short, as molecular chaperones are often associated with aging tissues and aging in general, these proteins are especially found in such situations. There is, however, a debate whether their presence in the aging tissue is merely induced or it is this presence that induces aging. Hsp60 is involved in protein folding and hsp70 has a role in the regulating the heat shock response as well as membrane translocation. While hsp60 are found in the mitochondria, hsp70 is found in the eukaryotic cytosol, ER and mitochondria. Both families of proteins actually function for protein translocation and transport as well as folding and assembly (â€Å"Molecular Chaperones†). In aging and diseased tissues, high amounts of hsp60 are found in people with atherosclerosis, acute coronary syndromes and angina, while hsp70 is found in those with peripheral as well as renal vascular diseases (Frostegard & Pockley 201-202). A number of experts and experiments in the field of molecular biology are pointing out that chaperones are the ones that bring about the aging process at the molecular level. Soti and Csermely, in their study entitled â€Å"Chaperones and aging: role in neurodegeneration and in other civilizational diseases, underlined the possibility that HSPs â€Å"might contribute to the onset of†¦atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes and several neurodegenerative diseases† (384). In an actual experimental study in Korea, it was confirmed that the HSPs â€Å"might be involved in tumorigenesis† as it did in patients with hepatocellular carcinomas (Lim et al. 2077). This is so because, as proven by rodent experiments, â€Å"HSPs are known to be essential for the survival of cancer cells in different cancers† (Lim et al. 2077). Moreover, one particular HSP, hsp90,

Perspectives on Operation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Perspectives on Operation Management - Essay Example This paper intends to advise the independent retail outlets situated in Hartwell in Essex on some potential operations strategies in response to the recent opening of Asda/Walmart on the edge of town. Operations strategies While planning operations strategy redesign in response to the recent opening of Asda, the retail outlets must consider the position of the Asda in the UK market and its strengths. Statistical data indicate that Asda is the second largest chain in the UK in terms of market share (BBC News, 2011). The company’s UK grocery market share was 16.5% in 2010. Furthermore, it must be noted that Asda is the subsidiary of retail market giant Walmart, the largest retailer in the world. Low price offer is one of the major core competencies of the Walmart that assisted the corporation to grow up to the top of the world’s retail market. In addition, the company has good reputation across the UK market. Low inventory levels and short flow times are the major operati ons strategies of Walmart. This assists the corporation to maintain adequate levels of inventory all times and thereby keep more working capital with the firm. Hence, the operations strategies developed by the retail outlets must be comprehensive enough to confront with the Asda’s powerful marketing policies. ... Thirdly, each retail outlet has to clearly identify order winners and order qualifiers. More precisely, they have to recognise which elements are necessary to win an order and what makes an item attractive to customers. Finally, each retailer must evaluate its position in the Hartwell retail market. It is advisable for the retail outlets in Hartwell to adapt to the internet based operations strategies because Walmart is still at its early stages of researching internet opportunities. Internet can be effectively employed to strengthen the existing core competencies and by integrating recently developed and traditional supply chain activities. Market analysis reports show that retail firms nowadays raise major portion of their revenues from online sales. The Web based operations strategies aid retailers to significantly reduce operational costs and increase their efficiency in order processing, product delivery, and customer service. However, the retailers must be more innovative while deploying web based operations strategies since customers may be pulled towards the companies that present product displays more attractively to site visitors. It is also recommendable for the retail outlets to develop customised operations strategies as such a policy would better fit the needs and requirement of these retailers. Customised operations strategies may assist retailers to effectively meet the changing tastes and specifications of customers on time (Lowson, 2003). ‘Make to order and assemble to order’ would be the most recommendable production related operations strategies for the retail outlets. In the words of Dickersbach (2005, p. 27), under the make to order strategy, retailers can add customer specifications to a particular product after

International Organizations Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Organizations - Thesis Example To support the thesis, the following format will be implemented: Realism. Under this theory, A, B, C and so on does exist. They have properties of F-ness, G-ness, and H-ness. Such factors are different from the person’s individual beliefs, cultures, wants, needs, caprices, etc. According to Woods, Global politics must come to the rescue of Africa. The country’s poverty situation has brought the political leaders and international organizations to help alleviate the Africa’s famine situation. Neo-institutionalism. It focuses on describing the social theory of developing a sociological view of institutions. They way they react and affect society. This explains why so many businesses have similar organizational structures. Institutions operate within an environment composed of other institutions (institutional environment). In layman’s terms. Peer pressure affects the decisions of other organizations. Thus, organizations try to survive by establishing legitim acy in the world. Such organizations influence how a person behaves through rules, norms, and standards. According to Woods, The world bank is struggling to fund IDA (788) where the U.S. cut funding on IDA. Likewise, the HIPC situation indicated the United States Congress is funding its debt relief in 2000. Constructivism (ideas), theory that states knowledge is based on mental activity. Learners have to be active organisms seeking meaning. The learners are individuals or groups seeking for meaning. Here, individuals create their own reality.

Implementation of EMS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Implementation of EMS - Essay Example Christopher Sheldon & Mark Yoxon have made seminal contributions in this field and have laid down in a readily intelligible jargon-less manner all that a management needs to know and do to implement an effective EMS. (Sheldon, Christopher & Yoxon, Mark, 1999) International Standards Organisation had first put forward in 1996 ISO 14001 EMS standards which have been further updated in 2004. (International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), 1996) Though it is accepted worldwide to be the common standard, it has no legal mandate, that is, if a company does not implement these standards, ISO per se has no authority to force its implementation. But governments all over the world have passed laws and issued guidelines (Environmental Protection Department, 1995) urging and ensuring that refineries do indeed follow them. The consumers and end users too are favouring those companies who are actively trying to reduce environmental pollution, so it is becoming increasingly beneficial for oil refineries to implement EMS. But many of those who are actually working on the shop floor are not aware of the extent of pollution an oil refinery causes. The wastewater generated during the refining process teems with both organic and inorganic pollutants so much so that it cannot be directly released into a flowing river or sea without causing an environmental catastrophe of sorts. A lot has been written on how this wastewater needs to be treated and experts are of the opinion it requires both time and a lot of waste land to prepare a wetlands system which consistently reduces the level pollutants in the wastewater generated during refining. (Muhammad, 2006). Consultants the world over feel the entire rank and file of an organisation need to be involved in this process and for that there is the need of assigning this responsibility to a person belonging to senior management to ensure availability of unhindered co-operation from all departments and corporate funds. It is a common trend to call such a person "G reen Manager". (Corporate Environmental Management Section, 1996) . Dow Chemicals Pacific has its Environment, Health and Safety Director as its Green Manager. Marks and Spencer has appointed its Director of Corporate Affairs as its Green Manager. The basic responsibility of a Green Manager includes: Ensuring all employees receive adequate training to implement EMS guidelines at their workplaces Ensuring in gradual reduction of Environmental liability resulting in a better public image and, in some cases, reduced insurance premiums Ensuring cost savings through better monitored consumption of raw materials and power and properly harnessing the benefits of consequent reduced levels of waste management Remaining aware and taking benefit of all governmental incentives available for organisations conforming to environmental guidelines Opening and maintaining channels of communication with all levels of staff to inform the progress and status organisational complicity with environmental legislations and inviting suggestions from them (Welford, R. & Gouldson, A., 1993) The Green

Food security Essay Example for Free

Food security Essay All efforts to bridge the gap between government estimates and the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council over the Food Security Act are coming up against a central concern posed by the Congress chief: How can the selection criteria ensure the poor and deserving dont get left out? NAC members who interact with the government point out that Sonia repeatedly underlines her personal experience over the years during visits to deprived areas where she has found that the poor are simply not counted in any state survey and are denied any benefits. The Congress chiefs poser that the inability of the poor, particularly tribals and dalits, to access below poverty line cards needed to tap official welfare schemes will defeat the very objective of a law providing 35 kg food grain a month to the widest set of recipients is proving tough to answer. Here, even automatic inclusion parameters may not mean the severely disadvantaged groups will be assured a minimum level of food security, said sources familiar with the Congress supremos thinking. Sonia is keen the proposed law be effective in addressing needs of those who live on the brink and need state support and her conviction that exclusion criteria are applied in a bureaucratic manner and end up leaving the needy out in the cold tilts the scale towards universal eligibility which the government continues to baulk at. Several permutations have been considered including limiting universal public distribution system to districts with chronic poverty or looking for the right urban-rural ratios. But while some campaigners argue that governments fears of having to maintain large stocks are misplaced as universal PDS will be accessed only by those who need it, the government is not quite convinced. The government feels that legal provisions stating population percentages to be catered for will mean it has to provide for adequate food grain for all intended beneficiaries. A law is mandatory and the optimum values have to be factored in. The tussle over selection of beneficiaries has seen populist politics pushing for dilution of criteria like pucca houses or income levels. But the Congress presidents core concern that expanding the net still does not necessarily mean that obvious beneficiaries are being catered for being tossed up and down the table in both formal and informal consultations. Food security act pledge in Prezs address A national food security act to guarantee 25 kg of rice or wheat a month to BPL families, consolidation of rural employment and Bharat Nirman, a focus on terrorism and Indias neighbourhood, initiatives for urban employment and a promise to battle recessionary trends are likely to be part of Presidents address to Parliament. The first meeting of the Union Cabinet after the conclusion of government-formation, scheduled for Saturday morning, may consider President Pratibha Patils speech to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. The speech, to be delivered on June 4, has been extensively worked on by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Presidents address is expected to highlight areas outlined by the PM like infrastructure and security. High on the governments agenda are plans for a National Counter Terrorism Centre, modernisation of police forces through training and technology and diversified recruitment. It will also speak of pushing programmes like highways that have languished. Some legislations like the Unorganised workers social security bill and Right to Education Bill, National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, expansion of the Rashtriya Swathya Bima Yojana and the National Child Labour Project, integrated development of minority concentration districts and approval of a National Tribal Policy are initiatives the government would like to speeden up. With economy and job losses very much a concern, the address will look to stress development of social and physical infrastructure along with specific plans like an urban employment safety net. The government will work on a comprehensive overhaul of public healthcare, restructuring Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), strengthening implementation of 11th and 12th plan power projects and attention on employment-generating small sector enterprises. The government is planning major efforts to decrease infant and mother mortality rates, bring about accountability in Primary Health Centres, initiate a household survey of the National Rural Healthcare Mission, besides approving rigorous oversight in ensuring dispensation of medicines before expiry dates. In the education sector, the main focus is likely to be on quality education by restructuring SSA, seen as a success story, and on guaranteeing education for all. The government is expected to  restructure SSA into a Mission for Quality Elementary Education to deal effectively with teacher absenteeism and drop out rates. The government has set up a target of adding 78,577 Mw of power generation capacity in the current 11th five year plan which has been raised to 1 lakh MW during the 12th five year plan. A major thrust on the micro small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector hit badly by the global economic slowdown to protect workers and artisans can be expected. Government may insist on use of handlooms and handicrafts in decor for government offices as well as for venues for the forthcoming At the start of UPAs first term in office, the Presidents address had reflected the commitments made in the common minimum programme and this time around, Congresss manifesto is expected to be foundation of the speech. A nation-wide skill development programme and scholarship schemes for needy students and those from the minority communities are on the governments check list. The electoral success in attracting minority votes could see the President refer to Congresss poll promise of taking its minority reservation models in states like Andhra Pradesh, to the national level. The government feels that it has been the recipient of a rural feel-good with the agrarian economy benefitting from higher MPS, NREGA and the loan waiver. With an eye to consolidating its image as pro-farmer, the government is expected to work towards providing interest relief to all farmers who repay bank loans on schedule. The loan waiver has reached 3.68 crore families. In the power sector, operationalisation of the National Electricity Fund, infrastructure implementation in the north-east, faster implementation of flagship programmes and monitoring through third parties and capacity building are on the table. Sanghatana says Food Security Act will ruin farmers The Shetkari Sanghatana has come out strongly against the proposed Food Security Act of the UPA government terming it as anti-farmer and a measure that would fuel inflation, derail countrys economy and produce an army of lazy people who get food almost for free without need to work. The proposed law is aimed at only garnering votes in 2014 elections by the ruling parties at the Centre. Providing subsidized food to 67% of countrys population or 81 crore people would cost the country Rs1,25,000 crore. It would have far-reaching implications on productivity and economy of the country and destroy dignity of labour, said Ram Neole, spokesman of the Sanghatana. Providing cheap foodgrains to the disabled, needy people can be seen as a noble gesture of a caring government in a welfare state. But the Food Security ordinance brought in a haste without waiting for a parliamentary clearance to cover an overwhelming majority of population is a cheap political gimmick, said Neole. His Shetkari Sanghatana led by Sharad Joshi favoured free market economy with farmers getting adequate rates for their produce. The Food Act would mean that farmers producing paddy, wheat and coarse grains like jowar would never get the right price as the government that controls pricing and procurement would never allow a hike so as to contain the cost of the scheme, explained Neole. Under the new law those demanding the foodgrains would be given rice for Rs3, wheat for Rs2 and jowar for Rs1 a kg. Of course, when faced with huge budgetary deficit that is bound to happen, the government would increase taxes on traders and salaried classes and businessmen and professionals burdening them further, Neole apprehended. All this will lead to loss of income for farmers, more taxes and non-availability of labour force for productive work at farms and factories, he feared. Contradicting this viewpoint, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti president Kishore Tiwari has jumped in support of the law. In a statement here, he said: Only those ignorant of hunger and deprivation that kills lakhs of people in villages every year would oppose the law. Such political parties and people would be taught a lesson in 2014 elections for opposing a pro-poor policy, said Tiwari. The poor have a right to food and the proposed law is the first step to acknowledge it, he added. Food subsidy bill may touch Rs 75K cr on back of Food Security Act The proposed Food Security Act may not put additional burden on the government in the current fiscal year as the government can find the resources to fund the plan from the spending outlined for 2011-12, finance ministry officials said. However, the food subsidy bill could soar to as much as Rs 75,000 crore from the estimated Rs 60,572.98 crore for the 2011-12 fiscal year. Finance ministry officials said the government will provide the money for funding this exercise. The ministry has already asked various departments to  tighten their belts and not to undertake any new spending commitments as it sticks to its plan of meeting the fiscal deficit target of 4.6% of gross domestic product. The government is keen to stick to its deficit target as it has embarked on a drive to mend public finances. Earlier, the government had said it was ready to provide for any additional fuel subsidy as result of the spike in global crude oil prices and is confident of finding the resources from within the budget for the 2011-12 financial year. The government has an ambitious share sale programme in state run companies and plans to raise Rs 40,000 crore. Despite volatile stock market and global economic conditions, finance ministry officials are confident of achieving the target. It is also banking on other non-tax revenues to help it keep within it spending limits despite pressure points on the subsidy front. Sources said the ministry of food and consumer affairs was staring at a requirement of over 70 million tonnes of foodgrain to support the food security act. Given the trends in procurement and the need to maintain buffer stocks, it could pose a problem for the government and force it to import from the international market. Any plans to impose large quantities of grains could push up prices in the global market and widen the governments subsidy burden. Some analysts say the food subsidy could touch Rs 1 lakh crore in two years. It remains to be seen how the government balances the demand for the food security act against the backdrop of a tight fiscal situation. Analysts say importing costly food to run the Food Security Act could blow a hole in public finances and reverse the trend in fiscal consolidation. Congress hopes to get food bill passed Conscious that the window to secure passage of the food security bill is narrowing as the scheduled end of the monsoon session of parliament nears, the Congress on Sunday expressed the hope that the landmark measure will get approved during the coming week. We hope the food bill will be passed in parliament on Monday or Tuesday, Congress spokesperson PC Chacko told IANS. The ongoing monsoon session of parliament is scheduled to end on August 30. Though the lower house functioned on Saturday, in lieu of a holiday last week, the food bill was not listed as opposition parties wanted it to be  debated on Monday. The food bill will be taken up on Monday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath had told reporters on Friday. If it gets passed in the lower house on Monday, the bill can be taken up in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Politics scuttled Congress managers plans to get it passed for the entire week Aug 19-24 as the opposition did not let the house run over the issues of missing coal-block allocation files, statehood for Telangana and high prices of food items. The managers hope that Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs statement in the Rajya Sabha on Monday would end the controversy over missing coal-block files. The speakers suspension on Friday of 12 anti-Telangana members, who had been disrupting the lower house, has sought to address the issue of endorsement for a new state. The Lok Sabha functioned Saturday for the first time since the session began Aug 5 and passed three bills Governors (Emoluments, Allowances and Privileges) Amendment Bill, 2012, The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2012 and Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Bill, 2012.

Salt Concentrations on Germination of Seeds

Salt Concentrations on Germination of Seeds Through my research, I decided to use rye, oats and barley seeds because due to the increasing salinity problems, there would be future food shortages due to global warming damaging crops and the increasing human population. The seeds were treated with different salt concentration solutions of sodium chloride, magnesium sulphate, calcium sulphates and bicarbonates. A Chi Squared test was done to find the relationship between each of the different salts concentrations and the germination rate. Experimental Hypothesis: Increasing the concentration of NaCl (sodium chloride) will have the biggest decrease in the number of germinations compared to increasing the other salt concentrations. Null Hypothesis: Increasing the salt concentration will have no effect on the germination of seeds. Dependent Variable: Seed germination rate Independent Variable: The salt solutions and salt concentration Through my intensive research I discovered there were currently major environmental factors regarding to the lack of plant productivity for crop production regions, but through this research I discovered one of the main factors was salinity in soil. Salinity in soil is a major issue for growing crops for most regions of the planet, especially the dry regions where the seed would lack water to grow. The farmers wont be able to cultivate their own crops due to seeds not being able to germinate as crop yield is decreased. However in some cases, if the seed does manage to germinate, the plant would often grow with many ion deficiencies. During my research I discovered a theory, which involved germinating a seed in seawater and it was told it had a huge effect on the seed. So I did research on seawater and compared and I discovered it had variety of different ions dissolved within the water. Furthermore, I also discovered that NaCl (sodium Chloride) was the most abundant ion dissolved in the seawater [6]. To test my hypothesis I will be using 3 types of cereal seeds, which are barley, oats, and rye seeds. Barley crops are very adaptable and can germinate very quickly between 1 to 3 days. Barley is normally grown in the temperate areas as a summer crop, but in the tropical regions its sown as a winter crop. However, Barley is more tolerant than other cereal seeds to soil salinity and also more susceptible to plant diseases [9]. Oats has may uses in food, so its vital to continue the supply for oats in the future, as global warming could affect the yield of oats produced, as oat seeds have greater tolerance of rain than any other cereal [8]. Furthermore, it has a lower summer heat requirement, which is why its more grown throughout the temperate zones, for example Northwest Europe and Iceland. Rye grows really well in much poorer soils than most necessary cereal grains, as its the most valuable crop in some regions. Rye withstands cold better than most grains, so farmers normally grow r ye in the winter, as in spring the crop finally develops [7]. During the 1800s, researchers discovered that plants absorb essential minerals as inorganic ions in water. So basically soil acts as a mineral nutrient reservoir, but the soil isnt essential for plant growth. The plant roots only absorb nutrients and minerals when the nutrient mineral in the soil has been dissolved in water, so its the same as a plant absorbing the mineral nutrients as inorganic ions. If the required mineral nutrients have been introduced artificially into the plants water supply, the soil isnt required any longer, this is called a Hydroponic. Most terrestrial plants (plants grown on land) can survive or grow using a hydroponic. [3] The advantages of using Hydroponics for food production are: no soil is required water stays within the system and can then be reused which will therefore lowering water costs Can be able to lower to control nutrition levels, which can also reduce nutrition costs Because of the controlled system, no nutrition pollution is released into the atmosphere Stable and high yields Pests and diseases are easier to get rid of because of the containers mobility Can be used in possible places where in-ground agriculture or gardening isnt possible [3] However there are disadvantages of using Hydroponics for food production such as: Since hydroponics conditions consists the presence of fertilisers and high humidity, it creates an environment that stimulates salmonella growth Pathogens attacks including damp-off due to Verticillium wilt caused by high moisture levels associated with hydroponics and overwatering of terrestrial plants. Many hydroponic plants requires different fertilisers and containment systems, which can be very time-consuming and expensive for someone thats setting the whole hydroponic [3] From my knowledge, I know that plant roots up take mineral nutrients by active transport. Active Transport is the movement of a substance against the concentration gradient using energy as ATP. Examples of substance which can also be taken up by active transport are ions, glucose and amino acids. Nonetheless, in my investigation I will also be looking at Osmosis and seeing so its affected throughout my investigation. Osmosis is the diffusion of water (movement of water) across a semi-permeable membrane from an area of a less negative water potential to an even more negative water potential area and this process a non-passive process (doesnt require energy in the form of ATP). The reason Im going to look at the effect of Osmosis throughout my investigation is because according to Muhammad Jamils journal Effect of salt stress on germination and early seedling growth of four vegetables species. It was stated in the journal that salt concentrations is a major contributor to the osmotic e ffect of ions on growth. Furthermore, it was also stated that high salt in the environment could lead to loss of water from cells which the cell undergoes plasmolysis, which even could lead to the death of the cell [5]. Seed Germination is the process in which the plant emerges from a seed or spore and begins growth. Seed germination depends on both internal and external conditions. The most important external factors include water (required for vigorous metabolism), temperature, oxygen and light or even darkness. The structure of the seed consists of a seed coat, which is the covering of the seed, which protects it from any kind of injury, and also the entry of parasites and prevents it from drying. Within the seed theres an endosperm, which is a temporary food supply thats packed around the embryo in the form of cotyledons or even seed leaves. Plants are classed as monocots or dicots depending on the number of cotyledons. The seeds which Im going to use (rye, oats and barley seeds) are monocotyledons. [2] Several factors which prevent the germination of seed include: Over watering can prevent the plant to get enough oxygen Dry conditions can prevent germination, as the seed wont get enough moisture If the seed has very hard coat not enough oxygen and water will be able to get through it Soil temperature can also effect the germination process, regardless of whether its too high or too low [2] Monocotyledon is one of the two major groups of the flowering plants, well other being dicotyledons. Heres a table comparing the two major groups of the flowering plants: Feature Monocotyledon Dicotyledons Number of parts of each flower In threes In four or fives Number of pores in pollen One Two Number of Cotyledons (leaves in the seed) One Two Arrangement of Vascular Bundles In The Stem Scattered Concentric Circles Roots Adventitious Develop from Radical Arrangement of major leaf veins Parrell Reticulate [10] [1] The steps of seed germination: Seed absorbs water and the seed coat bursts. Theres an activation of enzymes, increase in respiration and plant cells get duplicated. A chain of chemical changes starts, which leads to the development of the plant embryo. Chemical energy stored in the form of starch is converted to sugar, which is used during the later stages of the germination process. Soon the plant embryo gets enlarged and the seed coat bursts open. Growing plant emerges out. Tip of root first emerges and helps to anchor the seed in place. Also allows the plant embryo to absorb minerals and water from the soil. If a monocotyledon plant, the primary root emerges from the seed and fruit and grows down. The primary plants primary leaf grows up. Its protected by a cylindrical, hollow structure called coleoptiles. Once the seedlings have grown above the soil surface, the growth of coleoptiles is stopped and its pierced by a primary leaf. [2]

Art Analysis: Safely Contained :: Papers

Art Analysis: Safely Contained Image: Scarface Artist: Miles Donovan This image is one of a series of four other paintings, all of iconic people. The image I am analyzing is of Robert De Nero as Scarface, an example of another of the images is Stevie Wonder. The image I am studying of Scarface is a computer generated image which was produced in Photoshop, the photo from a real shot in the film. The theme that is carried through the images is that they are all placed on a red background. I think this helps to make the images more striking, which works extremely well. With most paintings, such a heavy coloured background would make the foreground image appear o recede; but the artist in this piece has reversed this, making the red compliment the subject. We could maybe say this image is a stem of the 'pop art' movement; although it contains the blocked and flat colour elements, it still remains to be painted in a lifelike colour and composition, and so does not possess the vibrant colours usually related with 'pop art.' The size of the image is unknown but I should imagine it would be on a fairly large scale for it to have an impact, I think at such a size, the red background would be very imposing and would set forward, Robert De Nero the subject of the image. [IMAGE] The form of the image is very simple, subject and background, both of which are easily distinguishable. The image of scarface has been created upon an existing image of which contained a background, this is not transferred to the artists' graphic interpretation. This is done with all the images in the series, the background being replaced with a shade of red. We see that the subject either appears to be standing or sitting, resting both of his arms on something that is not contained within the shot, it almost appears that he is leaning on the frame. This cropping of the subject works very well to avoid as

Still I Rise, by Maya Angelou :: Poem Poetry Poems

With the poem, Still I Rise, by Maya Angelou, she describes the basic feelings and descriptions of a person that does not need loathing or people to try and lift her up. She shows us that she and all those oppressed in general are strong. We are shown some of the thoughts and feelings people have displayed against her, but the reality is she won't let them get her down. Her moral opulence allows her to rise above where her ancestors fell to slavery, carrying herself as a strong woman. Her ancestors' dream was to have a life in society without fear of what might happen (to them). The author is portrayed as this dream - this gift - her ancestors imagined. Still I Rise is a sublime, straightforward poem that acknowledges that we need not depend upon anyone else's opinion but our own. Maya expresses not only her good qualities, but also her unfavourable ones, yet even these are turned into positive ideas. This poem can only be read by us now because she has confidence in herself, her writing, and can express it so freely. I believe this poem can be interpreted as a call to assertiveness and pride for coloured people. It is an outcry to the humiliation, prejudice, and constant drubbing this group was subjected to. Parallels can be seen between (black) slavery, drug addicts, racism and other groups that face constant thrashing by oppressors. Still I Rise has the uncanny ability to incite these groups to rise, and stop pining in sorrow while another tries to burry their soul. Literary devices such as similes frequent this poem, such as Maya rising like dust or " Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high " we are confirmed of the beauty and assurance of hope she has. Especially imaginative was the comparison of " shoulders falling down like teardrops",

Epicurean Ethics Essay -- Philosophy essays

Epicurean Ethics      Ã‚   In this paper I am going to deal with Epicurean ethics. More specifically, I am going to center around the nature of pleasure and its connection with desire-satisfaction. Throughout the paper I will argue, the only thing we desire for its own sake is pleasure. Thus it is best to keep our desires simple in order to achieve the greatest feeling of pleasure. I will accomplish this by first giving arguments for why the only thing we desire for its own sake is pleasure, as well as arguments for why it is best to keep our desires simple. I will then take a look at a number of objections and give some reasons as to why these objections are unconvincing.    Before I can begin with the argumentative side of the paper, it is necessary that some background information on Epicurus be given. Epicurus was both a hedonist as well as an egoist, and was very concerned with how people get happiness. He was a psychological hedonist because he argued that we aim only at pleasure for its own sake. He was an ethical hedonist because he believed that only pleasure has true value. Similarly, he was called both a psychological and ethical egoist because he claimed that what we are aiming for and what is valuable to each of us is our own pleasure. (Epicurus (1994) text 4) With this in mind, we are ready to move on to the arguments for why the only thing we desire for its own sake is pleasure, and why it is best to keep our desires simple.    First we will examine the thesis "The only thing we desire for its own sake is pleasure." As Epicurus argued in throughout his writings, "pleasure is the goal." (Epicurus (1994) text 1.11) It is also is "the starting point ... of living blessedly" (Epicurus (1994) text 4.128)... ...t you are feeling does not resemble anything of a corpse. In all reality this feeling of relaxation is a tremendous pleasure to you.    Indeed it is quite clear after the above arguments that pleasure is the only thing that we desire for its own sake. It is also clear that not every pleasure should be taken, nor every pain avoided. Instead we should focus on what will bring us pleasure in the long run. Secondly, it is important that we keep our desires simple in order to achieve the greatest feeling of pleasure. One should not wish for more of something, but rather reduce their desires. It is these two arguments that form one of the building blocks for Epicurus' ethics.    Works Cited Epicurus. The Epicurus Reader: Selected Writings and Testimonia. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1994. Translated and Edited by Brad Inwood and L.P. Gerson.   

Healthcare System in Cuba

8)  Sources †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16 )  HISTORY Modern Western medicine has been practiced in Cuba by formally trained  doctors  since at least the beginning of the 19th century and the first surgical clinic was established in 1823. Cuba has had many world class doctors, including  Carlos Finlay, whose mosquito-based theory of  yellow fever  transmission was given its final proof under the direction of  Walter Reed,  James Carroll, and  Aristides Agramonte. During the period of U. S presence (1898–1902) yellow fever was essentially eliminated due to the efforts of  Clara Maass  and surgeon Jesse W. Lazear.In 1976, Cuba's healthcare program was enshrined in Article 50 of the revised  Cuban constitution  which states â€Å"Everyone has the right to health protection and care. The state guarantees this righ t by providing free medical and hospital care by means of the installations of the rural medical service network, polyclinics, hospitals, preventative and specialized treatment centers; by providing free dental care; by promoting the health publicity campaigns, health education, regular medical examinations, general vaccinations and other measures to prevent the outbreak of disease.All the population cooperates in these activities and plans through the social and mass organizations. Cuba's doctor to patient ratio grew significantly in the latter half of the 20th century, from 9. 2 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants in 1958, to 58. 2 per 10,000 in 1999. In the 1960s the government implemented a program of almost universal  vaccinations. This helped eradicate many contagious diseases including  polio  and  rubella, though some diseases increased during the period of economic hardship of the 1990s, such as  tuberculosis,  hepatitis  and  chicken pox.Other campaigns included a program to reduce the infant mortality rate in 1970 directed at maternal and prenatal care. 1. POST-SOVIET UNION The loss of Soviet subsidies brought famine to Cuba in the early 1990s. In 2007, Cuba announced that it has undertaken computerizing and creating national networks in Blood Banks, Nephrology and Medical Images. Cuba is the second country in the world with such a product, only preceded by France.Cuba is preparing a Computerized Health Register, Hospital Management System, Primary Health Care, Academic Affairs, Medical Genetic Projects, Neurosciences, and Educational Software. The aim is to maintain quality health service free for the Cuban people, increase exchange among experts and boost research-development projects. An important link in wiring process is to guarantee access to Cuba's Data Transmission Network and Health Website (INFOMED) to all units and workers of the national health ystem. 2)  PRESENT | | | | |WHO  health statistics for Cuba | |[Source:  WHO country page on Cuba] | |Life expectancy at birth m/f: |76. 0/80. (years) | |Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f: |67. 1/69. 5 (years) | |Child mortality m/f: |8/7 (per 1000) | |Adult mortality m/f: |131/85 (per 1000) | |Total health expenditure per capita: |$251 | |Total health expenditure as  % of GDP: |7. 3 | Rank |Countries | |Statistic |Date of | | |surveyed | | |Information | |125 |167 |HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate |0. 10% |2003 est. | |162 |175 |Fertility rate |1. 66 (children/woman) |2006. | |153 |224 |Birth rate |11. 9 (births/1,000 population) |2006 est. | |168 |226 |Infant mortality rate |6. 04 (deaths/1,000 live births) |2006. | |129 |224 |Death rate |6. 33 (deaths/1,000 population) |2005. | |37 |225 |Life expectancy at birth |77. 23 (years) |2006. est | |17 |99 |Suicide rate |18. 3 per 100,000 people per year |1996. | 3)  COMPARISON OF PRE- AND POST-REVOLUTIONARY INDICES |Cuba: Public health 1950-2005 | |   |Years | | | 1. HEALTH INDICATORS AND ISSUES Cuba bega n a food rationing program in 1962 to guarantee all citizens a low-priced basket of basic foods.As of 2007, the government was spending about $1 billion annually to subsidise the food ration. The ration would cost about $50 at an average grocery store in the United States, but the Cuban citizen pays only $1. 20 for it. The ration includes rice, legumes, potatoes, bread, eggs, and a small amount of meat. It provides about 30 to 70 percent of the 3,300 kilocalories that the average Cuban consumes daily. The people obtain the rest of their food from government stores (Tiendas), free market stores and cooperatives, barter, their own gardens, and the black market.According to the Pan American Health Organization, daily caloric intake per person in various places in 2003 were as follows (unit is kilocalories): Cuba, 3,286; America, 3,205; Latin America and the Caribbean, 2,875; Latin Caribbean countries, 2,593; United States, 3,754. The table below shows the relative seriousness of commun icable diseases, non-communicable diseases (e. g. , heart disease and cancer) and injuries, in various parts of the world. Data is from the World Health Organisation and is for year 2004. Distribution of years of life lost by cause (%) | |Place |Communicable |Non-communicable |Injuries | |Cuba |9 |75 |16 | |World |51 |34 |14 | |High income countries |8 |77 |15 | |United States |9 |73 |18 | |Low income countries |68 |21 |10 | | | |Source: World Health Organisation. World Health Statistics 2009, Table 2, â€Å"Cause-specific | |mortality and morbidity†. | Like the rest of the  Cuban economy, numerous reports have shown that Cuban medical care has long suffered from severe material shortages caused by the  US embargo. The ending of Soviet subsidies in the early 1990s has also affected it. While  preventive medical care,  diagnostic tests  and  medication  for hospitalized patients are free, some aspects of healthcare are paid for by the patient.Items which are paid by patients who can afford it are: drugs prescribed on an  outpatient  basis, hearing,  dental, and  orthopedic  processes,  wheelchairs  and  crutches. When a patient can obtain these items at state stores, prices tend to be low as these items are subsidized by the state. For patients on a low-income, these items are free of charge. 2. SEXUAL HEALTH †¢ According to the  UNAIDS  report of 2003 there were an estimated 3,300 Cubans living with  HIV/AIDS  (approx 0. 05% of the population). In the mid-1980s, when little was known about the virus, Cuba compulsorily tested thousands of its citizens for  HIV. Those who tested positive were taken toLos Cocos and were not allowed to leave. The policy drew criticism from the United Nations  and was discontinued in the 1990s. Since 1996 Cuba began the production of generic  anti-retroviral  drugs reducing the costs to well below that of developing countries. This has been made possible through the substant ial government subsidies to treatment. †¢ In 2003 Cuba had the lowest HIV prevalence in the Americas and one of the lowest in the world. The  UNAIDS  reported that HIV infection rates for Cuba were 0. 1%, and for other countries in the Caribbean between 1 – 4%. Education in Cuba concerning issues of HIV infection and AIDS is implemented by the  Cuban National Center for Sex Education. According to  Avert, an international  AIDS  charity, â€Å"Cuba’s epidemic remains by far the smallest in the Caribbean. †Ã‚  They add however that †¦ new HIV infections are on the rise, and Cuba’s preventive measures appear not to be keeping pace with conditions that favour the spread of HIV, including widening income inequalities and a growing sex industry. At the same time, Cuba’s prevention of mother-to-child transmission programme remains highly effective. All pregnant women are tested for HIV, and those testing positive receive antiretrovi ral drugs. †¢ In recent years because of the rise in  prostitution  due to  tourism,  STDs  have increased. 3. 3 EMBARGODuring the 90s the ongoing  United States embargo against Cuba  caused problems due to restrictions on the export of medicines from the US to Cuba. In 1992 the US embargo was made more stringent with the passage of the  Cuban Democracy Act  resulting in all U. S. subsidiary trade, including trade in food and medicines, being prohibited. The legislation did not state that Cuba cannot purchase medicines from U. S. companies or their foreign subsidiaries; however, such license requests have been routinely denied. In 1995 the  Inter-American Commission on Human Rights  of the Organization of American States informed the U. S. Government that such activities violate international law and has requested that the U. S. ake immediate steps to exempt medicine from the embargo. The Lancet  and the  British Medical Journal  also condemned the e mbargo in the 90s. A 1997 report prepared by  Oxfam  America and the  Washington Office on Latin America,  Myths And Facts About The U. S. Embargo On Medicine And Medical Supplies, concluded that the embargo forced Cuba to use more of its limited resources on medical imports, both because equipment and drugs from foreign subsidiaries of U. S. firms or from non-U. S. sources tend to be higher priced and because shipping costs are greater. The Democracy Act of 1992 further exacerbated the problems in Cuba's medical system. It prohibited foreign subsidiaries of U. S. orporations from selling to Cuba, thus further limiting Cuba's access to medicine and equipment, and raising prices. In addition, the act forbids ships that dock in Cuban ports from docking in U. S. ports for six months. This drastically restricts shipping, and increases shipping cost some 30%. 3. 4 MEDICAL STAFF IN CUBA According to the World Health Organization, Cuba provides a doctor for every 170 residents, and has the second highest doctor to patient ratio in the world after Italy. Medical professionals are not paid high salaries by international standards. In 2002 the mean monthly salary was 261 pesos, 1. 5 times the national mean. A doctor’s salary in the late 1990s was equivalent to about US$15–20 per month in purchasing power.Therefore, some prefer to work in different occupations, for example in the lucrative tourist industry where earnings can be much higher. The  San Francisco Chronicle, the  Washington Post, and  National Public Radio  have all reported on Cuban doctors defecting to other countries. 3. 5  BLACK MARKET HEALTHCARE The difficulty in gaining access to certain medicines and treatments has led to healthcare playing an increasing role in Cuba's burgeoning  black market  economy, sometimes termed â€Å"sociolismo†. According to former leading Cuban  neurosurgeon  and  dissident  Dr  Hilda Molina, â€Å"The doctors in the hosp itals are charging patients under the table for better or quicker service. † Prices for out-of-surgery X-rays have been quoted at $50 to $60.Such â€Å"under-the-table payments† reportedly date back to the 1970s, when Cubans used gifts and tips in order to get health benefits. The harsh economic downturn known as the â€Å"Special Period† in the 1990s aggravated these payments. The advent of the â€Å"dollar economy†, a temporary legalization of the dollar which led some Cubans to receive dollars from their relatives outside of Cuba, meant that a class of Cubans was able to obtain medications and health services that would not be available to them otherwise. 4)  CUBA AND INTERNATIONAL HEALTHCARE In the 1970s, the Cuban state initiated bilateral service contracts and various money-making strategies.Cuba has entered into agreements with  United Nations  agencies specializing in health:  PAHO/WHO,  UNICEF, the  United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization  (FAO), the  United Nations Population Fund  (UNFPA), and the  United Nations Development Fund (UNDP). Since 1989, this collaboration has played a very important role in that Cuba, in addition to obtaining the benefits of being a member country, has strengthened its relations with institutions of excellence and has been able to disseminate some of its own advances and technologies Cuba currently exports considerable health services and personnel to Venezuela in exchange for subsidized  oil. Cuban doctors play a primary role in the  Mission Barrio Adentro (Spanish: â€Å"Mission Into the Neighborhood†) social welfare program established in Venezuela under current Venezuelan president  Hugo Chavez.The program, which is popular among Venezuela's poor and is intended to bring doctors and other medical services to the most remote slums of Venezuela,  has not been without its detractors. Operacion Milagro (Operation Miracle) is a joint health program be tween Cuba and Venezuela, set up in 2005. Human Rights Watch  complains that the government â€Å"bars citizens engaged in authorized travel from taking their children with them overseas, essentially holding the children hostage to guarantee the parents' return. Given the widespread fear of forced family separation, these travel restrictions provide the Cuban government with a powerful tool for punishing defectors and silencing critics. †Ã‚  Doctors are reported to be monitored by â€Å"minders† and subject to curfew.The Cuban government uses relatives as hostages to prevent doctors from defecting. According to a paper published in  The Lancet  medical journal, â€Å"growing numbers of Cuban doctors sent overseas to work are defecting to the USA†, some via Colombia, where they have sought temporary asylum. Cuban doctors have been part of a large-scale plan by the Cuban state to provide free medical aid and services to the international community (especiall y third world countries) following natural disasters. Currently dozens of American medical students are trained to assist in these donations at the Escuela Latino Americana de Medecina (ELAM) in Cuba. 4. 1  HEALTH TOURISM AND PHARMACEUTICSCuba attracts about 20,000  paying  health tourists, generating revenues of around $40 million a year for the Cuban economy. Cuba has been serving health tourists from around the world for more than 20 years. The country operates a special division of hospitals specifically for the treatment of foreigners and diplomats. Foreign patients travel to Cuba for a wide range of treatments including  eye-surgery,  neurological  disorders such as  multiple sclerosis  and  Parkinson’s disease,  cosmetic surgery, addictions treatment,  retinitis pigmentosa  and orthopaedics. Most patients are from Latin America, Europe and Canada, and a growing number of Americans also are coming.Cuba also successfully exports many medical produ cts, such as  vaccines. By 1998, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Cuban health sector had risen to occupy around two percent of total tourism. Some of these revenues are in turn transferred to health care for ordinary Cubans, although the size and importance of these transfers is both unknown and controversial. At one nationally prominent hospital/research institute, hard currency payments by foreigners have financed the construction of a new bathroom in the splanic surgery wing; anecdotal evidence suggests that this pattern is common in Cuban hospitals. 5)  ALTERNATIVE HEALTHCAREEconomic constraints and restrictions on medicines have forced the Cuban health system to incorporate  alternative  and  herbal  solutions to healthcare issues, which can be more accessible and affordable to a broader population. In the 1990s, the Cuban Ministry of Public Health officially recognized natural and  traditional medicine  and began it s integration into the already well established Western medicine model. Examples of alternative techniques used by the clinics and hospitals include:  flower essence, neural and hydromineral therapies,  homeopathy,  traditional Chinese medicine  (i. e. acupunctural  anesthesia for surgery), natural dietary supplements,  yoga, electromagnetic and laser devices.Cuban biochemists have produced a number of new alternative medicines, including PPG (policosanol), a natural product derived from sugarcane wax that is effective at reducing total cholesterol and LDL levels, and Vimang a natural product derived from the bark of  mango trees. 6)  MEDICAL RESEARCH IN CUBA The Cuban Ministry of Health produces a number of  medical journals  including the  ACIMED, the  Cuban Journal of Surgery  and the  Cuban Journal of Tropical Medicine. Because the U. S. government restricts investments in Cuba by U. S. companies and their affiliates, Cuban institutions have been limi ted in their ability to enter into research and development partnerships, although exceptions have been made for significant drugs. In April 2007, the Cuba IPV Study Collaborative Group reported in the  NewEngland Journal of Medicine  that inactivated (killed) poliovirus vaccine was effective in vaccinating children in tropical conditions. The Collaborative Group consisted of the Cuban Ministry of Public Health, Kouri Institute, U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pan American Health Organization, and the World Health Organization. This is important because countries with high incidence of polio are now using live oral poliovirus vaccine. When polio is eliminated in a country, they must stop using the live vaccine, because it has a slight risk of reverting to the dangerous form of polio. The collaborative group found that when polio is eliminated in a population, they could safely switch to killed vaccine and be protected from recurrent epidemics.Cuba has been free of polio since 1963, but continues with mass immunization campaigns. In the 1980s, Cuban scientists developed a vaccine against a strain of bacterial meningitis B, which eliminated what had been a serious disease on the island. The Cuban vaccine is used throughout Latin America. After outbreaks of meningitis B in the United States, the U. S. Treasury Department granted a license in 1999 to an American subsidiary of the pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham to enter into a deal to develop the vaccine for use in the U. S. and elsewhere. 7)  ANALYSIS In 2006,  BBC  flagship news programme  Newsnight  featured Cuba's Healthcare system as part of a series identifying â€Å"the world's best public services†.The report noted that â€Å"Thanks chiefly to the American economic blockade, but partly also to the web of strange rules and regulations that constrict Cuban life, the economy is in a terrible mess: national income per head is minuscule, and resources are amazin gly tight. Healthcare, however, is a top national priority† The report stated that life expectancy and infant mortality rates are nearly the same as the USA's. Its doctor-to-patient ratios stand comparison to any country in Western Europe. Its annual total health spend per head, however, comes in at $251; just over a tenth of the UK's. The report concluded that the population's admirable health is one of the key reasons why Castro is still in power.A 2006 poll carried out by  the Gallup Organization's Costa Rican affiliate — Consultoria Interdisciplinaria en Desarrollo (CID) — found that about three-quarters of urban Cubans responded positively to the question â€Å"do you have confidence to your country's health care system†. In 2001, members of the  UK  House of Commons  Health  Select Committee  travelled to Cuba and issued a report that paid tribute to â€Å"the success of the Cuban healthcare system†, based on its â€Å"strong emph asis on disease prevention† and â€Å"commitment to the practice of medicine in a community†. CUBA’S COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH PROGRAM: 1. Confronting the Real Disaster †¢ Direct long-term medical care †¢ Applying lessons from Cuban experience On-the-ground training of local personnel †¢ Development and sharing of research †¢ Academic training for Cubans at international sites †¢ Trilateral cooperation †¢ Scholarships for medical education †¢ 29 countries involved (21 in Africa) 2. Direct Medical Services – Strengthening Health Systems †¢ Bilateral government accords, identify needs †¢ Bolster public health infrastructure, capabilities †¢ Shared financial responsibility †¢ Mainly remote, rural postings †¢ Individual commitment/institutional commitment †¢ Numbers of professionals enough to make a difference 3. Challenges and Opportunities – Bolstering Local Public Health Systems Opportunitie sChallenges ___________________________________________________________________ SustainabilityFrustration with local infrastructure Increase understanding locallyBend to local opinions Long-range perspective, understandingVulnerable to govt changes, political will Horizontal model, broad presenceIntegrate vertical programs Increase staffing for health systemCreate felt need in population Broad skill setMismatched, narrow skill set 4. Training Professionals for Global Health †¢ At least 100,000 new doctors by 2015 †¢ Second Latin American Medical School †¢ Cuba has founded 11 medical schools and 2 nursing schools abroad †¢ Cuban professors teach in a dozen others 5. Health Equity & Cooperation: Challenges They Face $$ Resources |Lacking |Wise use (still lacking†¦) | |Goals |Disease driven |Healthy people driven | |Programs |Silos |Blankets | |Models |Stand-alone |Building health systems | |Priorities |Donor driven |Effective local leadership | |Investments |I n buildings |In people | |Reach |Pilot programs |Scaling Up | |Way |Independent |Real cooperation | |Movement |Band aids |Change | 8)  SOURCES †¢ The World Health Organisation, and its regional branch, the Pan American Health Organization, publish regular reports as well as making data available on the web. †¢ World Health Organisation,  World Health Statistics 2009  consists mostly of tables (. df format) of health indicators, for most countries, for selected years between 1990 and 2008. World Health Organisation,  National Accounts Series  consists of statistics on the financing of health care in various countries. Cuba tables covers years 1995-2007. †¢ Pan American Health Organisation,  Health situation in the Americas: Basic Indicators 2008. Table of health indicators for countries, one datum from a recent year (2000-2008) for each indicator. Pan American Health Organisation,  Health in the Americas 2007  is primarily a text report; also contains t ables. First section is on the region as a whole, second section is reports on individual countries, including Cuba.

Coffee Growers

1. Coffee growers in poor rural areas are paid very little for their crop. What strategies are proposed in this clip for changing that situation?The strategies that are proposed in this clip for changing this situation are for coffee growers to adapt to the fair-trade market. Under the fair-trade market coffee growers will have the chance to a decent market price that will help increase their production. 2. Now that you know something about the â€Å"sociology of coffee† and globalization, will your own consumption habits change at all? Explain why you would change or not your consumption habits.I prefer not to drink coffee as a result my consumption will not change. 3. In what ways is the â€Å"coffee-go-round† an example of what Mills called â€Å"public issues† and â€Å"private troubles?†The public issues are coffee growers in poor rural area are not paid reasonably for their crops. The private troubles are coffee growers are trapped to sell only coca because of the competitive markets and expensive expenses.1. C. Wright Mills said that the sociological imagination comes from our ability to see the connection between â€Å"public issues† and â€Å"private troubles.† How does the narrator of this film make such a connection in his life? What are the â€Å"public issues† and the â€Å"private troubles?† The narrator of this film makes such a connection in his life by connecting his relationship with his brother through his childhood experiences and a tragic accident which created and caused a decision for his brother to go to West Point University and become a Black Hawk pilot for the army that as a result change the narrator’s connection between him and his brother through his childhood. Now having to send American troops to Iraq is a public problem and worrying to have to hear from a love one or relative going to war and not returning back to his family and tragically changing his family’ s life is a private trouble.Article Questions Article 141. How do the authors define â€Å"early adulthood†? How do they explain the incidence of prolonged early adulthood in the United States? Early adulthood is a time of struggle to gain the skills and credentials required for a job that can support the family they wish to start and a struggle to feel in control of their lives or is when people figure out when they want to do and how best to realize their goals. The primary reason for a prolonged early adulthood is that it now takes much longer to secure a full-time job that pays enough to support a family.2. Examine figure 2. How are the lives of young people in 2000 different from those in 1960? What do you think accounts for these differences? The lives of young people in 2000 are less successful completing the transition to adulthood than the lives from those in 1960. Young adults not finding a full-time job that pays enough to support a family.3. Discuss positive and n egative effects of postponing adulthood on parenting. How do you suspect this changes childrearing practices? How does having children change the careers of middle-aged workers? The positive effects of waiting to become a parent while in your adulthood are more likely to leave home, be financially independent, and completed schooling. The negative effects of postponing adulthood on parenting are not likely to be financially independent and completing schooling. Parents who postpone adulthood on parenting are likely to show care and loving towards their children than parents who are trying to complete their adulthood. Having children change the careers of middle aged Article 591. What is the Gautreaux program in Chicago and how is it departure from previous policy? The Gautreaux program in Chicago is an experiment in public housing. Such policies assume that to depopulate the ghetto, gentrify it, or blow it up is effective solution to the problems concentrated in it instead Gautreaux program try to improve the lifestyles and environment around the less unfortunate.2. What is the relationship between the â€Å"quality of life† in neighborhoods and their crime rates (as suggested by the work of Clifford Shaw and Henry  McKay)? The relationship between the â€Å"quality of life† in neighborhoods and their crime rates are lacked to control the behavior of local youth as a result traditions of delinquency are passed on by neighborhood youth.3. Logan refers to studies that used census data to understand variations in crime rates between neighborhoods and the demographic characteristics of their residents. Why is census data a valuable resource in this case? Can you think of ways in which the use of census data in social research might lead to questionable findings? Census data is a valuable resource in this case because it shows the average rates of juvenile delinquency in Chicago tracts that makes some neighborhoods unsafe. We can find out basic info rmation about the size of the population, and its composition by age, gender, race and ethnicity. The use of census data in social research might lead to questionable findings as to understand what are the causes and problems that each individual face.4. To explain the conditions in a neighborhood, Logan suggest we must answer two questions. What are these questions, and how do they differ from the approach of most studies of neighborhood inequalities? First, what happened to these places to create their conditions? Second, how and why do certain kinds of people come to live in places with such problems? The two questions are different from most studies of neighborhood inequalities because most studies of neighborhood inequalities strongly focused on race and education. Coffee growers Coffee growers in poor rural areas are paid very little for their crop. What strategies are proposed in this clip for changing that situation?The strategies that are proposed in this clip for changing this situation are for coffee growers to adapt to the fair-trade market. Under the fair-trade market coffee growers will have the chance to a decent market price that will help increase their production. 2. Now that you know something about the â€Å"sociology of coffee† and globalization, will your own consumption habits change at all? Explain why you would change or not your consumption habits.I prefer not to drink coffee as a result my consumption will not change. 3. In what ways is the â€Å"coffee-go-round† an example of what Mills called â€Å"public issues† and â€Å"private troubles?†The public issues are coffee growers in poor rural area are not paid reasonably for their crops. The private troubles are coffee growers are trapped to sell only coca bec ause of the competitive markets and expensive expenses.1. C. Wright Mills said that the sociological imagination comes from our ability to see the connection between â€Å"public issues† and â€Å"private troubles.† How does the narrator of this film make such a connection in his life? What are the â€Å"public issues† and the â€Å"private troubles?† The narrator of this film makes such a connection in his life by connecting his relationship with his brother through his childhood experiences and a tragic accident which created and caused a decision for his brother to go to West Point University and become a Black Hawk pilot for the army that as a result change the narrator’s connection between him and his brother through his childhood.Now having to send American troops to Iraq is a public problem and worrying to have to hear from a love one or relative going to war and not returning back to his family and tragically changing his family’s li fe is a private trouble.Article Questions Article 141. How do the authors define â€Å"early adulthood†? How do they explain the incidence of prolonged early adulthood in the United States? Early adulthood is a time of struggle to gain the skills and credentials required for a job that can support the family they wish to start and a struggle to feel in control of their lives or is when people figure out when they want to do and how best to realize their goals. The primary reason for a prolonged early adulthood is that it now takes much longer to secure a full-time job that pays enough to support a family.2. Examine figure 2. How are the lives of young people in 2000 different from those in 1960? What do you think accounts for these differences? The lives of young people in 2000 are less successful completing the transition to adulthood than the lives from those in 1960. Young adults not finding a full-time job that pays enough to support a family.3. Discuss positive and negat ive effects of postponing adulthood on parenting. How do you suspect this changes childrearing practices? How does having children change the careers of middle-aged workers? The positive effects of waiting to become a parent while in your adulthood are more likely to leave home, be financially independent, and completed schooling. The negative effects of postponing adulthood on parenting are not likely to be financially independent and completing schooling. Parents who postpone adulthood on parenting are likely to show care and loving towards their children than parents who are trying to complete their adulthood. Having children change the careers of middle aged Article 591. What is the Gautreaux program in Chicago and how is it departure from previous policy? The Gautreaux program in Chicago is an experiment in public housing. Such policies assume that to depopulate the ghetto, gentrify it, or blow it up is effective solution to the problems concentrated in it instead Gautreaux pro gram try to improve the lifestyles and environment around the less unfortunate.2. What is the relationship between the â€Å"quality of life† in neighborhoods and their crime rates (as suggested by the work of Clifford Shaw and Henry  McKay)? The relationship between the â€Å"quality of life† in neighborhoods and their crime rates are lacked to control the behavior of local youth as a result traditions of delinquency are passed on by neighborhood youth.3. Logan refers to studies that used census data to understand variations in crime rates between neighborhoods and the demographic characteristics of their residents. Why is census data a valuable resource in this case? Can you think of ways in which the use of census data in social research might lead to questionable findings?Census data is a valuable resource in this case because it shows the average rates of juvenile delinquency in Chicago tracts that makes some neighborhoods unsafe. We can find out basic informati on about the size of the population, and its composition by age, gender, race and ethnicity. The use of census data in social research might lead to questionable findings as to understand what are the causes and problems that each individual face.4. To explain the conditions in a neighborhood, Logan suggest we must answer two questions. What are these questions, and how do they differ from the approach of most studies of neighborhood inequalities? First, what happened to these places to create their conditions? Second, how and why do certain kinds of people come to live in places with such problems? The two questions are different from most studies of neighborhood inequalities because most studies of neighborhood inequalities strongly focused on race and education.

Common Stereotypes in Society Essay

As a society, we tend to stereotype. Whether our presumption is right or wrong, some common stereotypes are still accepted as truth no matter how much evidence there is proving another point of view. Three common stereotypes I see are those that involve abused women, Blacks and their love of fried chicken and the ability of older people learning foreign languages. Many of these stereotypes are reinforced by cultures and what is commonly seen within their culture. These stereotypes can have a long lasting effect on the people that are judged by the stereotype and a long lasting effect on the perception of those people. When most people think about an abused woman, many see the woman with a black eye not realizing that abuse is more than physical. Verbal and mental abuse are also used to control the victim. In many cases, physical abuse is the latter and verbal and mental abuse is the first type introduced. Although there are many shelters and agencies available to abused women, many believe that these women are too afraid to leave the relationship and are blamed for any further abuse they suffer because they didn’t leave or call the police. On the contrary, â€Å"more than 77 percent of them had self-reported to the police. (Barrett, B. , Nov 2011). In the cases when the women have children, many think that they stay because they do not have the means to provide for their family if they leave the home. Based on a handbook by the Santa Clara Probation department, â€Å"victims of domestic violence leave their abuser seven times on average before they are able to stay on their own† (Prophet, T. , 2006). Many of the abused women are presumed as weak and people in general, do not want to assist a weak person because they will more than likely go back to the situation they were just helped out of. There are many shelters available but the funding needed is scarce due to the previous mentioned fear. The second common stereotype is that all Black people like fried chicken. I was taught in school that any statement that expresses that â€Å"all† of anything is definitely a false statement. This stereotype was started a long time ago, and is probably associated with situations related to slavery. â€Å"The most obvious explanation derives from the historical fact that fried chicken dishes were popular in slave homes on Southern plantations. In many cases, chickens were the only livestock animals that slaves were permitted to raise on their own† (Bering, J. (2011). This just proves that the reason fried chicken is associated with African Americans is not because they enjoy the food so much but it was the only choice they had when it came to what was availbe to them. The other reason there is such a negative connotation associated with fried chicken is because the slavery era itself was not a good time for African Americans (Bering, J. 2011). As an unhealthy and inexpensive food, fried chicken invokes images of poverty, ignorance, sloth, and other racist associations† (Bering, J. 2011). Not only is the mention of fried chicken and African Americans considered negative, it has also been viewed as racist. Advertisers seem to gear their commercials towards the African American community when advertising for fried chicken. Mary J. Blige received a lot of flack for being in a Burger King commercial advertising their New Crispy Strips Tortilla Wraps. The commercial was eventually pulled from rotation due to the backlash received. Other high profile individuals have also been targeted by the chicken industry, including President Obama. Although it’s no secret that these people do enjoy fried chicken, associating these people with the food generated a negative or racial tone. There is nothing wrong with these people liking fried chicken, as there are many other racial groups that also enjoy this cuisine. The third common stereotype would be the idea that older adults will have a harder time learning foreign languages when compared to younger children. One of the reasons for this stereotype can be attributed to the older adult and the teacher, they have doubts about their ability to learn a foreign language. Although most people have accepted the generalization of learning as â€Å"the younger the better† (Schleppegrell, M. , 1987), this is not the case when it comes to learning language. There have been studies that have determined that aging does not decline a person’s learning ability. The way older adults learn a new skill is the only adjustments that need to be made. These studies also show that older adults learn at a more rapid rate than children (Krashen, Long, and Scarcella, 1979). There are two reasons why being a poor language learner is attributed to adults, and those are â€Å"a theory of the brain and how it matures, and classroom practices that discriminate against the older learner† (Schleppegrell, M. , 1987). The â€Å"critical period† hypothesis that was put forth in the 1960’s was based on then-current theories of brain development, and argued that the brain lost â€Å"cerebral plasticity† after puberty, making second language acquisition more difficult as an adult than as a child (Lenneberg, 1967). Due to advances in the study of neurology, it has been determined that adults have superior language learning capabilities. These studies and facts should dispel any accepted stereotypes related to older adults and their ability to learn foreign languages. One thing that is common amongst all of these stereotypes is that the â€Å"victim† has accepted these stereotypes to be true and doesn’t challenge any of the information that would affirm or deny such claims. This could also be the first step into getting some of these stereotypes removed from our culture so that people are able to benefit positively and not have to worry about any negative impacts from doing activities that are natural.

Poverty in Appalachia Essay

The people of the Appalachian Mountains have been impoverished for years. They are all settling for a lot less then they should be. Most people in the mountains see that their parents did not graduate from high school so they feel that they don’t need to. They see their families struggling with paying bills so they feel like they should not finish school and help out by getting a low paying job and settling with working at Burger King or Walmart. They lack motivation to strive for excellence and overcome the obstacles of living in the mountains and maybe someday moving out. One of the major problems of the majority of the people who reside in the mountains is drug addiction. Families are broken up by drug addictions. It is an epidemic throughout the mountain. There are more drug busts in the mountain then in any major city such as Los Angeles or New York. This is another reason that people are very poor; they spend all their money on drugs and not enough for the bills, food, or water. One main job that a lot of people have in the mountains is working in the coalmines. Working in the coalmines pays a starting salary of $60,000, but is very dangerous. Coalmining can destroy your lungs and if there is an accident in the mines, you can be stuck down there for days at a time. In the Appalachian Mountains, they have about 100 open jobs for coalminers. The only problem is that either nobody wants to work in the mines, or they cannot pass the required drug test to get the job. The Appalachian Mountains is a place where there is much poverty and hardship. It is a town where many people do not finish high school and there is an excessive drug problem. Although it is a place of all these hardships, it is also a place where families stick together and help each other out when times get rough.

Questions on Economic Principles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Questions on Economic Principles - Assignment Example The concept of Own Price Elasticity of Demand revolves around the formula of % change in the quantity demanded over a % change in the price (Sloman, 2009). Price Elasticity of Demand (Formula) = %?Qd/%?P The determinants for the Price Elasticity of Demand are the number of close substitutes available, the proportion of income spent and the time period. In this case the cabbages have a number of close substitutes; hence it will be more elastic in terms of the variation in price. The cross elasticity of demand is the reaction of the demand for product A to a variation in price of product B (Sloman, 2009). The formula will be as follows: Cross Elasticity of Demand (AB) = %?QDa/%?Pb In this case the major determinant is the intimacy of the substitute or the complementary good. If good A is a substitute to good B, then a price rise in good B will result in the rise in demand of good A. However, if good B is a complementary good to A, than an increase in price of B will decrease the demand for Good A. Income Elasticity of demand (IED) is the other concept which considers the income of any given individual and the relative reaction of a change in that income to that of the quantity demanded. The determinant of the IED is the necessity of the good. For developed countries, the demand for luxury goods rises quickly with an increase in the consumer income in respect to the demand of basic goods (Sloman, 2009). The formula is as follows: Yed= %?Qd/%?Y The high positive value of the Cross Price Elasticity of Demand (CED) for Magpie against Eagle shows that the two products are very close substitutes of each other. This value of Cross Price Elasticity shows that the two companies are constantly competing with each other. A slight decrease in the price of Eagle products will hugely decrease the Quantity Demanded of Magpie. The concept of advertising and marketing can be related with the Cross Price Elasticity of Demand. The concept of branding and consumer loyalty can be cre ated for any company with intelligent marketing and heavy advertisements. Consumers have a choice when there are competitors competing to win them with the same products. Such a high cross price elasticity of demand for Magpie against Eagle shows that they have not been able to create brand loyalty for its customers. They do not have the market power to reduce the substitution effect i.e. by creating brand loyalty and attracting customers. First let us take the situation of Magpie and the Eagle, with a cross price elasticity of +3.2. It can be interpreted with the formula. CED is the sensitivity of demand for Magpie to an alteration in the respective price of Eagle. The major determining factor for cross elasticity is the extra intimacy of the product to Magpie. The positive value shows that an enhancement in the price of Eagle will escalate the demand for Magpie and vice versa. The large value of a positive 3.2 shows that a 1% increase in the price of Eagle will result in a massive 3.2% increase in the quantity demanded for Magpie. Hence and change in the price of the competitor will be closely monitored by Magpie. This high positive relation shows that consumers are very sensitive to price changes and will shift their interest to Eagle if Magpie increases its prices. There is also a positive relationship between the Quantity Demanded of Magpie and the change in the consumer

Process-analysis paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Process-analysis paper - Essay Example The parts can be small or larger depending on the stylist or individual receiving the hairstyle. oilier. This makes the dreads come untwisted. Braiding, ratting, flat ironing, and using a towel with beeswax can achieve dreads. Sometimes if this does not work, hair extensions can be braided into the hair. Dread hair extensions can also be sewn into shorter hair to make the hair style. Dreads to not have to be created through neglect or not washing the hair. In fact, today dreads need to be cared for more than other hairstyles. Dreads can be washed frequently by pouring shampoo onto the dreads and letting them soak. Then water can be used to rinse out the dreads. Towels will be used to squeeze the water out of each individual dread. This can be done every other day, weekly, or even monthly. It is important to use conditioners on dreads so the hair will not break off. Most individuals chose to go to a professional to have their hair done. The process is done first and then followed up monthly. The monthly treatments are when the dreads are ratted or twisted again. It takes about two hours initially and an hour for the monthly touchups. Another way to protect dreads from untwisting or coming out is to wear a scarf to bed. This helps protect the dreads from tossing and turning at night. A scarf will also allow the dreads to remain twisted longer. It is important that dreads are totally dry before putting a scarf on or going to bed. Dreadlocks are easy to complete at home or at a professional shop. They are no longer the dirty or unkempt hairstyle of the 70’s. All hairstyles can be shaped into dreads. Boys and girls of all colors now wear this popular style. If done right, dreadlocks are a clean and attractive

General concept of Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

General concept of Human Rights - Essay Example Both the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998 have as subjects human rights and fundamental freedoms. Human rights and freedoms are necessary and basic components of man's existence. It is not therefore an overstatement if one says that if he cannot have liberty, he will better have death. Life without freedom or life without human rights is not life at all. History is full of tales against suppression of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Hence, we have the story of the Israelites fleeing in exodus in the belief of savoring freedom in the end. We have the Tiananmen Square. We have the demolition of the Apartheid. Slavery has become a thing of the past. Servitude must always be voluntary. The concept of forced labor had long vanished in all civilized countries. Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights very correctly stresses the affirmation that all human beings are born free. All the people of the world are equal in dignity and rights. Endowed with reason and conscience, men should act towards one and the other as brothers. Before putting forward the arguments and discussions which respectively pertain to the two commandment pillars of human rights and fundamental freedoms, it is logical, necessary and highly advisable that the underlying premises are first laid down. This methodology will lead all and sundry to have a better understanding of the basic fundamentals that gave rise to these historical enactments. In 1950,1 through the initiatives of the Council of Europe, the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms was adopted with the end in view of giving protection to human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. It is also called the European Convention on Human Rights, referred to here as the Convention for brevity. The United Kingdom is a member state. As a necessary element and complement in order to establish the enforcement mechanisms of the Convention, the European Commission on Human Rights was created in 1954. This evolved into the European Court of Human Rights beginning 1959. The latter was put in place as a permanent tribunal on November 1, 1998 with full-fledged judges. It has its building and offices at Strasbourg, France.2 The Convention is effective in all states or territories which are members thereof or signatories thereto. The Convention therefore has a multi-national coverage or jurisdiction over those sovereignties and the individual citizens or residents thereof as far as concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms. States who are members of or signatories to the Convention have to go in line with the policies that it develops and promotes. In the case of the protocol on the death penalty, for instance, each member or signatory state has to abolish the capital punishment.3 Upon the other hand, the Human Rights Act 1998 is a law passed by the United Kingdom (UK) legislature in 1998. What is it about The prefatory of this legislation says, among others, that it is an act to give further effect to the rights and freedoms set forth in the Convention. Is not the Human Rights Act 1998 (or Act for short) a duplication of the Convention or an encroachment upon the latter Definitely, it

Finance accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance accounting - Essay Example Lastly, the reserves of the company is estimated and their modes of utilization so that the write-down of the company can be avoided. Impact of Australian Accounting Standards When the net realizable value for all of the subsequent period. Due to a certain circumstances the inventories of the company needs to be written down below the cost that no longer exists or with the evidence related to the net realizable value caused as a result of the changed economic circumstances (Walton & Aerts, 2006, p.120). This leads to the reversing of the write-down where the amount if restricted to original write-down, so much so, the new carrying amount of the company will be lower than the revised net realizable value along with its associated cost. With the selling of the inventories the carrying cost of the inventories is treated as the expense in the period in which the revenue is recognized. This result in the written down value of the inventory is considered as the cost or occurrence of losses . The concept of reversal write-down value generally occurs from the increase in the net realizable value of the concerned company; which is recognized as a fall in the amount of inventory as an expense in the period of reversal write-down occurrence (Johnston & Johnston, 2005, pp.62-63). Reversal write-down The concepts of the reversal write-down under the Australian Accounting Standards will have a great impact on the current situation of BHP Billiton’s US Shale Gas assets related to the financial statements of the company. The inventory cost of the company will reduce thus reducing the carrying cost of the Shale Gas assets to a remarkable extent. Thus the increase in the net realizable value of the company will be projected at a low rate than now. This in turn will lower the intrinsic value of the company resulting in the valuation of the company being similar to the market value of the company or lower than the market value. Hence the company will be in the condition to r evive of the present condition to a certain extent (Australian Government, 2009, p.17). Current and non-current assets and methods of valuation Yes, the current and non-current assets of the company, BHP Billiton’s have been valued in the financial statements of the company. The income and the deferred tax of the company accounted under the head of other assets of the company has taken the deductible temporary differences resulting in the deferred tax of the company amounting to US$3119 million as against US$2195 million in 2010. These amounts have not been recognized due to the probable future taxable profits as the deductible temporary differences do not expire under the tax legislation. The trade receivable of the company is the considered as the impaired assets of the company. All the financial assets of the company are computed at the fair value price under the consideration of payment and receipt. The fair value method is the not a completely independent process. It is based on the results of weighted average value of the items of the company. In spite of providing a balanced figure of valuation yet its limitation the valuation of the business model still persists. However, the fair value accounting process conveys important information related to