Nineteen Eighty - Four TEST RESPONSE TOPIC THREE (3) Essays

"Nineteen Eighty - Four" ? TEST RESPONSE: TOPIC THREE (3) In the appendix of Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell warns against the enormous power a regime can hold once it has control of the language. Winston, on the other hand, believes he is free as long as he can hold on the mathematical axiom, 2+2=4. Unfortunately, Winston grossly underestimates the sheer power held be Oceania's totalitarian regime. With the Inner Party at the helm, Oceanian society has been deliberately drawn down to a deep, inescapable socioeconomic morass, with Party exercising its conscious aim of nurturing a state of "unfreedom and inequality". Having learnt a great deal from totalitarian regimes that had failed in the past, the Inner Party became a small ruling group that was determined to create a societal structure that would ensure the Party maintained a permanent stronghold over Oceania and its people. Unlike their predecessors, the Inner Party was comprised of people who were "less avaricious, less tempted by luxury, hungrier for pure power, and above all, more conscious of what they were doing and more intent on crushing opposition. From this steely resolve of the Inner Party to be the eternal guardians of power in Oceania stems the wide and varied sources of truth and power held be the totalitarian regime. Collectively, these sources present a frightening combination that, fundamentally, serves to destroy the essence of the human spirit and to ensure the ruling group an endless reign of power. As Orwell details in the appendix of the novel, control over language is one of the major sources of truth and power held by Oceania's totalitarian regime. The introduction and steady implementation of Newspeak as the language of choice for Party members, meant that the Party effectively assumed control of the boundaries of human expression and thought. The elimination of words and phrases considered unfavourable to the Party and its ideals made it extremely difficult to express conflicting or derogatory views towards the Party. And, with this suppression of free thought through language, the Party is also able to eliminate unwanted ideas, emotions, and ideals associated with those words. The embodiment of the slogan "Ignorance is Strength" is another source of power for the totalitarian regime in Oceania. The Party exploits the basic idea that ignorant people are content people; simply be

Study Distractions You Should Say Yes To

Study Distractions You Should Say Yes To Most students (and their professors) are assured that distractions is something you should avoid - they keep you away from getting your tasks done on time, listening carefully to your tutor in class, and studying for important exams. But you cannot help it! When you have to study for several hours straight, your mind gets tired and trivial little things seem to become incredibly important. You switch your attention to a TV show, updating your software, or flipping through Facebook news. Well, these distractions cannot help you be more productive especially when you have an exam tomorrow. However, there are distractions that can actually boost your energy and help you improve your studying results. There are right distractions, which give you a mental rest. A short rest can strengthen and consolidate your memory and improve later learning. Here are some beneficial distractions for studying you can use for better productivity. You can clean your room and update your Windows later Physical Exercises When the body gets sluggish, so does the mind! Keep up with physical training during midterm exams to stay bright eyed and bushy tailed. Attending gym lets you switch over to another wavelength. It is beneficial since you give your brain a break from studying while refreshing your body. Late Night Time with Friends Make it a routine to have late-night events with your friends. Invite your friends for a movie or get some snacks together. This will help you stay efficient when you have to complete a task late at night because of the burning deadline. Just dont forget to go back to studying when you have to! Naps Short power naps can improve your productivity and memory. Allow yourself to catch small periods of sleep, but keep them to less than half an hour, or else your head will experience something like heaviness and it will be difficult to come back to your work. Long nap will also steal your time, and you need to finish your project before the deadline! Something Funny Do something that will make you laugh: whether it is watching an episode of Friends or your favorite stand-up show. Laughter reduces stress and releases endorphin, your bodys natural hormone of happiness! So take your mind off your textbooks for at least 30 minutes, laugh hard, and then come back to studying. Meal Your body and mind need energy. Take a break for a nice meal to replenish your energy supplies. It is true that most people retain more information if their stomach is full. Also, allow yourself to have some snacks while studying, but make it healthy. Replace biscuits and potato chips with nuts and dried fruits. Music The right kind of music is perfect for studying. It works as a right distraction that cuts down on useless distractions and helps you relax your mind and focus on your homework. Classical music for better concentration is a traditional productivity advice. Teaching Yourself Something Interesting If you are interested in fine arts, cinema or quantum physics - make a pause to read a couple of articles or books on the topics of your interest. This will keep your mind active and efficient while taking a small break from a boring textbook. Its like continuing your studying while taking a rest from your studying! Double win! Games and Puzzles Small games really work for most people. They keep your mind in an active thinking mode so you dont have to go through engage/disengage process. Yet, small games provide refreshing break because they are sufficiently different from studying work. So, from a practical point of view, we suggest that when students are faced with complicated and long tasks, such as large writing projects or midterm exams, it is crucial for them to take small breaks on themselves. Small breaks will help you get more energy and stay focused on the task! Work hard, rest hard and good luck! What other distractions do you find helpful? Share your experience in the comments!

How to Explore the Great Barrier Reef 4 Best Bases

How to Explore the Great Barrier Reef 4 Best Bases SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Swimming through coral forests, coming face-to-face with a sea turtle, relaxing on powdery white beaches, being surrounded by schools of neon-colored fish: you can do all of these at the Great Barrier Reef, one of the great natural sites of the world. The awe-inspiring reef stretches roughly 1,250 miles from north to south, contains nearly 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of islands, is home to thousands of species of coral, plants, and animals, and covers an area roughly the size of Italy. With so much to see, where should you base yourself? There are numerous cities and towns along Australia’s northeastern coast that serve as jumping-off points for exploring the Great Barrier Reef, and each offers something different. This guide explains the pros and cons of four of the reef's best bases. For each base, tour prices, marine life, and options for other activities in the area are ranked from 1-3 stars. Tour Prices refer to what you can expect to pay for a reef tour, with three stars indicating the cheapest tours and one star indicating the most expensive (all prices mentioned below are in Australian dollars). Marine Life refers to how much coral and aquatic life you can expect to see under the water and how diverse it'll be. Bases with three stars generally have the most pristine and abundant marine life, while lower rankings indicate some degradation and/or sparseness of marine species. Don't think a low ranking means you'll be swimming through an underwater desert though; you'll see interesting things on any tour. Finally, it's also important to enjoy yourself before and after your reef tours, so Options for Other Activities are also ranked. More stars in this category means you have a wider variety of things to do nearby when you're not on the reef. Below the star rankings, the base itself, what reef tours generally offer and where they go, and options for nearby activities are explained in more detail. Knowing this information will help you choose a base that fits your interests and budget, helping you have the best Great Barrier Reef trip possible. At the end of this guide is additional logistical information to help you plan your trip after you've decided on a base. Cairns Tour Prices: Marine Life: Options for Other Activities: The Base The most popular base for visiting the Great Barrier Reef is the city of Cairns, and, as such, it’s here that you’ll find the widest variety of reef tours and tour operators. Cairns is a lively city that has decades of experience as a top tourist destination. Some visitors will appreciate all the amenities and activities Cairns has to offer, while others might be turned off by the proliferation of backpacker bars, tattoo parlors, and souvenir shops. Cairns is definitely a place that knows how to make the most out of its popularity with tourists. There’s a wide variety of accommodation here, ranging from hostels to exclusive resorts, but most places are moderately-priced hotels. Despite its commercialism, Cairns is still an enjoyable place to visit and offers travelers plenty to do both in and out of the water. The Reef and Reef Tours Cairns is the city closest to the reef, so trips out to the reef here are shorter than those from many other bases. Tours go to a variety of spots, but two of the reefs closest to Cairns are Arlington Reef and Sudbury Reef. Because Cairns is the most popular base for the Great Barrier Reef, many of the reefs around it are heavily visited, and some of the reefs, particularly those closest to the mainland, have suffered significant degradation as a result. There will still be things to see, but the coral may be sparse, and there may not be as much marine life as in other places. However, this depends significantly on which reef or reefs your tour visits. Because Cairns is the main jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef, there are tours catering to all budgets, and if you’re willing to spend the money, you can get high-end tour experiences similar to those at other bases in this guide. However, the majority of the Great Barrier Reef tours in Cairns cater to budget travelers and backpackers. This means you’ll find the cheapest reef tours here, starting at about $100. These tours often have larger groups and visit 1-2 reef sites during the day. Additional Activities As one of Australia’s top tourist destinations, there are lots of things to do in Cairns. The Cairns Lagoon, a pool and artificial beach close to the ocean, is a popular spot for all travelers, as are the lush Cairns Botanic Gardens and the Esplanade Boardwalk winding along the edge of the water. For families with children, Cairns has playgrounds, water parks, and nearby Trinity Beach to keep them occupied. You’ll also find bike tours, hiking, whale watching tours, jetskiing, waterfalls, rafting tours, markets and several museums and galleries nearby. Cairns has probably the best nightlife scene on the coast and numerous bars and restaurants that cater to all tastes and budgets. A popular day trip from Cairns is traveling to Kuranda. Visitors can take the spectacular Kuranda Scenic Railway over treetops and past waterfalls to reach Kuranda, a cute village in the rainforest. At Kuranda there are several animal parks, a butterfly sanctuary, hiking trails, shopping opportunities, riverboat tours, and numerous restaurants and ice cream shops. Port Douglas Tour Prices: Marine Life: Options for Other Activities: The Base Another popular base for the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas is like Cairn’s richer and more sophisticated cousin. There’s still fun both day and night to be had, but, in general, Port Douglas caters to a somewhat older and wealthier crowd than Cairns does, and it’s a favorite destination for celebrities. As a result, accommodation and dining prices are about 25%-50% higher than what you'll find in other areas. The vibe in Port Douglas is quieter and more relaxed than many other towns along the coast. The town has a few small museums and buildings of interest, an excellent market on Sunday mornings with homemade food and handicrafts, and is home to Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas where visitors can witness an alligator feeding show, view numerous Australian animals, and take a photo cuddling a koala. Four Mile Beach is the major beach in town, and it’ll do the job if you just need a place to splash around, but it’s definitely not one of the standout beaches in the area. The waves are often rough, the water is not very clear, and the sand is somewhat rocky and strewn with seaweed. The Reef and Reef Tours Day tours in Port Douglas tend to be more expensive than those in Cairns, Airlie Beach, and Townsville, but they are often higher-quality, going to the outer reef, visiting several reef sites, and having smaller boats with fewer people on board. Expect to pay over $200 for snorkeling and at least $300 for diving. Prices can be twice these amounts for the highest-end companies. A few of the biggest tour companies basing themselves in Port Douglas are Quicksilver, Wavelength, and Poseidon. Popular reef spots tours visit from Port Douglas include Agincourt Ribbon Reef, Opal Reef, St. Crispin Reef, and Tongue Reef, all located in the outer reef. While there is coral bleaching in this area, the coral is, generally still vibrant and diverse. Swimmers will often find themselves exploring massive coral forests while parrotfish, clownfish, damselfish swim nearby. This part of the reef also has some of the best opportunities for spotting mega fauna like sharks, rays, and sea turtles. Additional Activities While people who like to keep active may not find enough to do within Port Douglas, a short drive from town are some of Queensland’s most popular attractions including the Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation, and Mossman Gorge. These three sites are within Daintree National Park and can all be visited in a day (with a guide or on your own), although many people enjoy the seclusion and nature they offer and choose to stay longer. The Daintree Rainforest is one of the last homes of the massive cassowary, an endangered Australian bird related to the ostrich and emu. There’s a boardwalk through the forest and other walking trails. Cape Tribulation is a remote and attractive beach where Captain Cook once ran aground, while Mossman Gorge is an important Aboriginal site where visitors can explore the rainforest and wade in the Mossman River. There’s a huge amount of biodiversity in this part of Queensland, and spending the day in some of the area’s top natural spots on land can be a good change of pace from all the time you’ve spent in the water. Townsville Tour Prices: Marine Life: Options for Other Activities: The Base Townsville is one of the largest cities in the area, and it’s often considered the unofficial capital of North Queensland. Due to its size and the number of administrative buildings located within it, Townsville lacks a lot of the charm and atmosphere of other towns along the coast, and it can often feel like you're in any generic large city. However, Townsville’s not all business, and visitors to the city can still find hiking trails, animal sanctuaries, and museums to enjoy. These are discussed in more detail in the â€Å"Additional Activities† section. Also, Townsville’s size means it has numerous amenities for travelers, although the city is more focused on local business than catering to tourists. The Reef and Reef Tours While the other bases in this guide are equally suitable for both snorkelers and divers, Townsville is most popular for its Great Barrier Reef diving opportunities. The main reason people do reef tours from here is because of the wreck of the SS Yongala, a large passenger ship which sank off the coast in 19. Today the site, a three-hour boat ride from Townsville, is often described as the best wreck dive site in the world, and it is visited by over 10,000 divers each year. As one of the largest historic shipwrecks, there is a lot to explore here. Large species often frequent the site, including sharks, grouper, sea snakes, and barracuda. Because of potential dangers associated with wreck diving, only experienced divers can visit the Yongala site. However, Townsville has options novice divers and Great Barrier Reef snorkeling as well. Nearby are several reefs, including Lodestone Reef, Wheeler Reef, and Kelso Reef. These areas typically have numerous coral species and good visibility. Be aware that Townsville is farther from the Great Barrier Reef than both Cairns and Port Douglas, so it will take longer to get to the reefs, even those closest to shore. Magnetic Island is another popular place for diving from Townsville. There are day trips available, or you can choose to spend several days on the island. There are multiple dive sites around Magnetic Island, and because its waters are generally calm and shallow, it’s a popular place to take diving classes. Tour prices in Townsville are slightly higher than those in Cairns and about what you’d pay in Port Douglas. Additional Activities When you’re not on the water, Townsville has multiple attractions to fill your time. For those who want to see wildlife, the Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium and the Billabong Sanctuary are two top places to get up-close with animals. Townsville is home to numerous museums, including the Museum of Tropical Queensland, the Army Museum of North Queensland, and the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery. Townsville also has great walking and hiking opportunities, many of which include viewpoints over the town and coast. The Strand, Castle Hill, and Mount Stuart are some of the most popular. Airlie Beach Tour Prices: Marine Life: Options for Other Activities: The Base Little Airlie Beach, with a population of less than 10,00, is the most southerly base listed in this guide, about a seven-hour drive or a one-hour flight from Cairns. Airlie Beach has primarily been a backpackers’ destination with little more than a few hostels and beach bungalows. However, as its fame increases, the town has become home to more upscale cafes, shops, and hotels. Because it is not as heavily visited as Cairns or Port Douglas, Airlie Beach has a more laid-back atmosphere, with many people content to relax on the beach when they’re not touring the reef. The Reef and Reef Tours It’s possible to do traditional day tours to the reef from Airlie Beach, but most people who visit the Great Barrier Reef from here do so on a several day live-aboard tour of the gorgeous Whitsunday Islands. This collection of over 70 islands is covered with powdery sand and palm trees, and it has some of the most pristine coral in the Great Barrier Reef. The reefs surrounding the islands are called fringing reefs, and they are particularly known for their vibrant soft coral species. Turtles and whales are also frequent visitors to the reefs surrounding the islands. The best spots for diving are in the outer islands of the Whitsundays, particularly Hook, Hayman, and Langford islands. During these live-aboard trips, which are often 2-3 days but can be longer, guests will overnight in boat cabins or a room on one of the islands (you can also travel directly to the islands and stay there). During the day, there are typically several dives as well as time for exploring the islands. Some tours also include additional activities like sailing, which is a popular activity in the Whitsundays. Live-aboards also offer the chance for night dives. These dives can give you the chance to see a lot of marine life that isn’t active the day, including many types of sharks and other large fish species. However, be aware that, although you’ll have headlights, some people find swimming in near darkness to be disorienting and unsettling. Live-aboards are generally the most expensive reef tours; expect to pay at least $500 for a two-day trip, with some tours costing significantly more. Additional Activities Beyond reef tours you’ll find a couple other things to do in Airlie, such as helicopter tours, hiking (the town is close to jungly Conway National Park), and a water park, but, in general, Airlie is famous for one thing: the gorgeous beaches, considered some of the best in Australia. In town, manmade Airlie Beach Lagoon is a pretty stretch of sand, dotted with palm trees and grassy spots perfect for picnics or relaxing. On Whitsunday Island, Whitehaven Beach is a standout in a country known for its beaches. Almost all tours to the Whitsunday Islands visit this stunner, with gleaming white sand mingling with swirls of tropical blue water. Additionally, because Airlie Beach is still a popular spot for young backpackers, there’s always something going on in the evenings at the local bars and pubs. When's the Best Time to Visit the Great Barrier Reef? The Great Barrier Reef can be visited any time of the year. However, the weather is best between June and August, when it’s Australia’s winter. During these months the water is clearest and the chance of rain is lowest. Try to avoid Queensland’s rainy season from January to March when visibility is lower, the days can be gloomy, and the chances of cyclones are highest. Stinger season, when large numbers of jellyfish come to the waters around the reef, is typically from November through May. During this time, you’ll often have to wear a stinger suit to protect yourself from jellyfish tentacles. This is not a big deal, though; the stinger suit is a lot like a wetsuit and wearing it won’t be too cumbersome or uncomfortable. It’s also important to keep in mind that, even during the height of stinger season, the chances of getting stung are still low, and your tour operator will have supplies on board to treat any stings. How Do You Get to These Bases? Cairns and Port Douglas are closest to Cairns Airport. The city of Cairns is a short drive away, and Port Douglas can be reached by frequent buses and taxis that make the one-hour drive throughout the day. Townsville is served by Townsville Airport, a few miles from the city. Airlie Beach can be reached by Proserpine Airport or Hamilton Airport. From Proserpine, there are regular bus and taxi connections to Airlie Beach. From Hamilton Airport, which is on Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays, it’s a 50-minute ferry ride to Airlie. Because these are both smaller airports, flights can be less frequent and more expensive, so many people opt to drive or take a long-haul bus from Cairns or Brisbane to Airlie. Buses run daily, and the trip takes about hours from Cairns or 20 hours from Brisbane. Driving will likely get you there a few hours sooner because you won't be making as many stops as the buses. Once you get to your base, there are numerous buses and ferries to help you get around the area. Many tour companies offer hotel-pickup and drop-off on the day of your reef tour, although some charge extra for this service. How Can You Choose the Best Great Barrier Reef Tour? The Great Barrier Reef tourism market is saturated with tours, each of them claiming to be the best on the reef. Even after you’ve winnowed down your choice for a base, you’ll still have to choose between a multitude of tour operators. Ask these questions before you book a trip: What’s the Cost of the Tour? What Does That Include? For many Great Barrier Reef tours, you get what you pay for. Higher-priced tours will typically have fewer people and go to more distant parts of the reef, but it’s always smart to compare the cost of different tours with what you’ll be getting. Also make sure to ask what the price includes. Many things, like snorkel or dive gear, should be included, but you may have to pay extra for the Great Barrier Reef Tax ($6.50), extra food and beverages, seasickness pills, and photos from the day. How Many People Will Be on the Tour? How many people will you be sharing the boat and that part of the reef with? Great Barrier Reef tours typically range from 10 to over 100 people, but some especially large operators have a couple hundred people in the water at a time. Having a lot of people in the water with you can make it difficult to swim and scare away the marine life. Which Parts of the Reef Will You Visit? Tourism, development, and climate change have all taken a toll on the Great Barrier Reef, and some parts are in much better shape than others. The outer reef sites (those farthest from the coast) are often healthier, larger, and more vibrant because they see fewer tourists. Some heavily-visited reefs close to shore have suffered serious coral bleaching and death, and, unfortunately, aren’t very interesting to view. Many operators wait until the day of the tour to choose which exact sites they’ll be visiting based on the weather, but you should still be able to find out which reefs the company visits most often and where those reefs are. Additionally, if you’re prone to seasickness, you may want to visit a reef closer to shore to minimize travel time. There are numerous inner reef sites in good condition, so just make sure to do some online research on the health of the reefs after you get this information from the tour operator. How Many Other Tours Will Be There? Some of the higher-end operators have exclusive access to certain parts of the reef, while others share spots with many other tours. Ask how many other tours and people you can expect at the sites that tour will be visiting. How Many Dive Sites Will There Be? Many Great Barrier Reef tours will visit one site on the reef and spend the entire day there, while others will visit two or three sites, or even more if you’re doing an overnight tour. Some parts of the reef are large enough to justify spending an entire day at them, and you may prefer this option if you want to minimize travel time. However, if you want to see diverse parts of the reef, a tour that stops at several different places may be more enjoyable. How Long Will You Spend in the Water? The tour departure and return times may make it seem like you’re out on the water all day, but a lot of your time could be eaten up by traveling to the reef, going over safety information, getting people organized, and breaking for meals. Get specifics on how long you can expect to actually be in the water. 5 Things to Know Before You Visit the Great Barrier Reef While it’s possible to sign up for a reef tour heading out the next day, you’ll have more options and peace of mind if you book several weeks beforehand. The most popular operators can get booked well in advance, especially during Australian school holidays when Great Barrier Reef holidays are extremely popular. If you’re prone to seasickness (or think you might be), take sea sickness pills several hours before you get on the water. You can purchase medication before you leave for Australia, or you can purchase prescription or over-the-counter seasickness pills at any major pharmacy in Queensland. If you’d like pictures from your reef trip, you may want to purchase a disposable underwater camera. These are available at many tourist shops. There are also companies, mostly in Cairns, that rent underwater digital cameras by the day. Renting one costs about twice as much as buying a disposable camera, but they have higher image quality. You can also rent or buy a waterproof case for your own digital camera from many of these shops. If you don’t want to take pictures but still want some memories of what you saw in the reef, many reef companies have an employee taking pictures throughout the day. You can purchase a digital collection of these photos at the end of your trip. Always be aware of where your body is in relation to the reef. This is particularly true when you’re swimming in shallow water because the reef can be within a few inches (or less) of your kicking feet. Hitting the reef not only damages it, it can also be very painful and leave nasty cuts and bruises.

Assignment of Priciples and practices of management Essay

Assignment of Priciples and practices of management - Essay Example (A) Organizational behavior 2 5 During his first year of working at a law firm, Danny earned the respect of his supervisors by consistently producing very high quality work. Though the quality of Dannys work declined in his second year of employment, his supervisors continued to view his work very positively. This is an example of the (B) primacy affect. 6 A celebrity has fired several of her personal assistants because each time she asks them a question about her appearance or how her performance was, they always tell her how great and wonderful she is. She is looking for a more honest personal assistant. What should be a quality she looks for in her next employee? (D) Low on self monitoring 7 Revlon was once the worlds biggest cosmetics company. But over the past few years, its brands have lost sales and struggled through a series of management setbacks, but still it was reluctant to give up divisions that were no longer profitable. Which grand strategy does Revlon need to implement if it is to stay in business? (C) Retrenchment3 8 Players in the cosmetics industry include Procter & Gamble, which owns Cover Girl and Max Factor brands, LOreal, which owns LOreal and Maybelline brands, Revlon, which owns Revlon and Almay brands, and Està ©e Lauder. According to Porter, (C) threat of substitute products4 has the most influence on these companys profits. 10 Herman is the coach of the city football team. As a successful coach, he has to schedule structured practices, emphasize careful planning, and assign tasks. He also has to show the players that he genuinely cares about them as people. According to the Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid, Herman would be characterized as: D team management a Planning is one of the four management functions, and it is often called the primary management function because it establishes the basis for all the other things that managers do. What types

2. Critically examine the benefits that effective HR practices can Coursework

2. Critically examine the benefits that effective HR practices can bring to an organisation - Coursework Example all of them is human resource, that provides the organisation with continued competitive advantage (Inyang,2011).Thus there is a rising consensus that efficient management of an organisation’s human resources is important to its success (Inyang, 2011).Effective management of individuals as organisational assets as well as the adoption of suitable HR practices, strategies and policies greatly enhance the profitability and performance of an organisation. A rising number of researchers have studied the effect of particular HR practices on organizational performance .Even though there exists several HR best practices capable of affecting both collectively or independently on the performance of an organization; results are usually difficult to interpret. For the purposes of this paper we shall discuss 7 HR practices that were originally put forth by Pfeffer in 1998 and which can be anticipated to greatly benefit the performance of any organisation. In his influential research, Pfeffer compiled the following 7 HR best practices; firstly, employment security, secondly selective hiring, thirdly teams that are self-managed and decentralization in making of decisions, fourthly moderately high compensation subject to organizational performance, fifthly extensive training, sixthly minimised status barriers and distinctions including language, dress, office arrangements, differences in wages across ranks and finally widespread sharing of both performance and financial information through the entire organisation(Pfeffer,1998). The above HR best practices will be discussed below in detail together with the benefits that they can bring to the organisation. Through compensation policy as HR practice, the employees efforts will be evaluated and rewarded which will in turn impact positively both employee as well as organizational performance(Cardon & Stevens,2004).Employee incentives usually differentiates the rapid-growth firms from the slow growth ones. Organisations that are

Acc 422 final exams Essay Example for Free

Acc 422 final exams Essay 1) Which of the following is NOT considered cash for financial reporting purposes? 2) What is the preferable presentation of accounts receivable from officers, employees, or affiliated companies on a balance sheet? 3) Which of the following is considered cash? 4) If a company employs the gross method of recording accounts receivable from customers, then sales discounts taken should be reported as 5) Assuming that the ideal measure of short-term receivables in the balance sheet is the discounted value of the cash to be received in the future, failure to follow this practice usually does NOT make the balance sheet misleading because 6) Which of the following methods of determining annual bad debt expense best achieves the matching concept? 7) The accountant for the Orion Sales Company is preparing the income statement for 2007 and the balance sheet at December 31, 2007. Orion uses the periodic inventory system. The January 1, 2007 merchandise inventory balance will appear 8) Eller Co. received merchandise on consignment. As of January 31, Eller included the goods in inventory, but did NOT record the transaction. The effect of this on its financial statements for January 31 would be 9. If the beginning inventory for 2006 is overstated, the effects of this error on cost of goods sold for 2006, net income for 2006, and assets at December 31, 2007, respectively, are 10) Assuming no beginning inventory, what can be said about the trend of inventory prices if cost of goods sold computed when inventory is valued using the FIFO method exceeds cost of goods sold when inventory is valued using the LIFO method? 11) Which method of inventory pricing best approximates specific identification of the actual flow of costs and units in most manufacturing situations? 12) All of the following costs should be charged against revenue in the period in which costs are incurred EXCEPT for 13) In no case can market in the lower-of-cost-or-market rule be more than 14) When the direct method is used to record inventory at market 15) An item of inventory purchased this period for $15.00 has been incorrectly written down to its current replacement cost of $10.00. It sells during the following period for $30.00, its normal selling price, with disposal costs of $3.00 and normal profit of $12.00. Which of the following statements is NOT true? 16) The retail inventory method is based on the assumption that the 17) A major advantage of the retail inventory method is that it 18) In 2006, Lucas Manufacturing signed a contract with a supplier to purchase raw materials in 2007 for $700,000. Before the December 31, 2006 balance sheet date, the market price for these materials dropped to $510,000. The journal entry to record this situation at December 31, 2006 will result in a credit that should be reported 19) The cost of land typically includes the purchase price and all of the following costs EXCEPT 20) Cotton Hotel Corporation recently purchased Holiday Hotel and the land on which it is located with the plan to tear down the Holiday Hotel and build a new luxury hotel on the site. The cost of the Holiday Hotel should be 21) If a corporation purchases a lot and building and subsequently tears down the building and uses the property as a parking lot, the proper accounting treatment of the cost of the building would depend on 22) The period of time during which interest must be capitalized ends w hen 23) Which of the following assets do NOT qualify for capitalization of interest costs incurred during construction of the assets? 24) When computing the amount of interest cost to be capitalized, the concept of avoidable interest refers to 25) The King-Kong Corporation exchanges one plant asset for a similar plant asset and gives cash in the exchange. The exchange is NOT expected to cause a material change in the future cash flows for either entity. If a gain on the disposal of the old asset is indicated, the gain will 26) When a plant asset is acquired by issuance of common stock, the cost of the plant asset is properly measured by the 27) The cost of a nonmonetary asset acquired in exchange for another nonmonetary asset and the exchange has commercial substance is usually recorded at 28) Which of the following principles best describes the conceptual rationale for the methods of matching depreciation expense with revenues? 29) If an industrial firm uses the units-of-production method for computing depreciation on its only plant asset, factory machinery, the credit to accumulated depreciation from period to pe riod during the life of the firm will 30) Which of the following most accurately reflects the concept of depreciation as used in accounting? 31) Prentice Company purchased a depreciable asset for $200,000. The estimated salvage value is $20,000, and the estimated useful life is 10 years. The straight-line method will be used for depreciation. What is the depreciation base of this asset? 32) Harrison Company purchased a depreciable asset for $100,000. The estimated salvage value is $10,000, and the estimated useful life is 10 years. The straight-line method will be used for depreciation. What is the depreciation base of this asset? 33) Starr Company purchased a depreciable asset for $150,000. The estimated salvage value is $10,000, and the estimated useful life is 8 years. The double-declining balance method will be used for depreciation. What is the depreciation expense for the second year on this asset? 34) Costs incurred internally to create intangibles are 35) Factors considered in determining an intangible asset’s useful life include all of the following EXCEPT 36) The cost of purchasing patent rights for a product that might otherwise have seriously competed with one of the purchasers patented products should be 37) Malrom Manufacturing Company acquired a patent on a manufacturing process on January 1, 2006 for $10,000,000. It was expected to have a 10 year life and no residual value. Malrom uses straight-line amortization for patents. On December 31, 2007, the expected future cash flows expected from the patent were expected to be $800,000 per year for the next eight years. The present value of these cash flows, discounted at Malrom’s market interest rate, is $4,800,000. At what amount should the patent be carried on the December 31, 2007 balance sheet? 38) Mining Company acquired a patent on an oil extraction technique on January 1, 2006 for $5,000,000. It was expected to have a 10 year life and no residual value. Min ing uses straight-line amortization for patents. On December 31, 2007, the expected future cash flows expected from the patent were expected to be $600,000 per year for the next eight years. The present value of these cash flows, discounted at Mining’s market interest rate, is $2,800,000. At what amount should the patent be carried on the December 31, 2007 balance sheet? 39) General Products Company bought Special Products Division in 2006 and appropriately booked $250,000 of goodwill related to the purchase. On December 31, 2007, the fair value of Special Products Division is $2,000,000 and it is carried on General Product’s books for a total of $1,700,000, including the goodwill. An analysis of Special Products Division’s assets indicates that goodwill of $200,000 exists on December 31, 2007. What goodwill impairment should be recognized by General Products in 2007? 40) The intangible asset goodwill may be 41) The reason goodwill is sometimes referred to as a master valuation account is because 42) Goodwill 43) If a short-term obligation is excluded from current liabilities because of refinancing, the footnote to the financial statements describing this event should include all of the following information EXCEPT 44) Stock dividends distributable should be classified on the 45) Which of the following items is a current liability? 46) A company offers a cash rebate of $1 on each $4 package of light bulbs sold during 2007. Historically, 10% of customers mail in the rebate form. During 2007, 4,000,000 packages of light bulbs are sold, and 140,000 $1 rebates are mailed to customers. What is the rebate expense and liability, respectively, shown on the 2007 financial statements dated December 31? 47) A company offers a cash rebate of $1 on each $4 package of batteries sold during 2007. Historically, 10% of customers mail in the rebate form. During 2007, 6,000,000 packages of batteries are sold, and 210,000 $1 rebates are mailed to customers. What is the rebate expense and liability, respectively, shown on the 2007 financial statements dated December 31? 48) A company buys an oil rig for $1,000,000 on January 1, 2007. The life of the rig is 10 years and the expected cost to dismantle the rig at the end of 10 years is $200,000 (present value at 10% is $77,110). 10% is an appropriate interest rate for this company. What expense should be recorded for 2007 as a result of these events? 49) A contingency can be accrued when 50) Mark Ward is a farmer who owns land which borders on the right-of-way of the Northern Railroad. On August 10, 2007, due to the admitted negligence of the Railroad, hay on the farm was set on fire and burned. Ward had had a dispute with the Railroad for several years concerning the ownership of a small parcel of land. The representative of the Railroad has offered to assign any rights which the Railroad may have in the land to Ward in exchange for a release of his right to reimbursement for the loss he has sustained from the fire. Ward appears inclined to accept the Railroads offer. The Railroads 2007 financial statements should include the following related to the incident: 51) Which of the following contingencies need NOT be disclosed in the financial statements or the notes thereto? 52) The covenants and other terms of the agreement between the issuer of bonds and the lender are set forth in the 53) If bonds are issued initially at a premium and the effective-interest method of amortization is used, interest expense in the earlier years will be 54) Bonds that pay no interest unless the issuing company is profitable are called 55) Minimum lease payments may include a 56) An essential element of a lease conveyance is that the 57) While only certain leases are currently accounted for as a sale or purchase, there is theoretic justification for considering all leases to be sales or purchases. The principal reason that supports this idea is that 58) In the earlier years of a lease, from the lessees perspective, the use of the 59) In a lease that is appropriately recorded as a direct-financing lease by the lessor, unearned income 60) In order to properly record a direct-financing lease, the lessor needs to know how to calculate the lease receivable. The lease receivable in a direct-financing lease is best defined as

A Solution to E-Waste Essays -- Recycling Electronics

Over the past decade there was a profound development achieved in the sphere of high technologies production. Now the scale of electronics market becomes wider and spins up day by day with a cyclic launch of new electronic appliances with enhanced features. â€Å"According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), consumers were expected to purchase 500 million units of consumer electronics in the US in 2008.† (Electronics Takeback coalition, 2010) Consequently, a clear tendency toward rapid substitution of electronic appliances can be observed. A high rate in electronics upgrading shortens their lifespan and results in following stockpiling of needless gadgets, which become a part of municipal waste. These end-of-life electronic devices are often called â€Å"electronic waste, or e-waste†. As Brett H. Robinson (2009) claims, now worldwide production of e-waste reaches approximately 20-25 million tons being discarded every year with the largest proportion in Europ e, the United States and Australasia. Hence, the problem of e-waste disposal management grows into a serious global challenge. As it was reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2.6 million tons of electronic waste were generated in 2005 and only estimated 330,000 tons were recycled. (Kim A. O'Connell, 2007) Thereby a very small percentage of electronic waste undergoes recycling process, as a considerable part is stockpiled in landfills or incinerated with the rest of solid municipal waste. This essay will present main points of e-waste management issue, analyze possible approaches to the problem, such as export to developing countries for re-use, takeback and recycling programs, or so-called extended producer responsibility. Finally, the essay will sum up w... ... Waste Age 88-92 Robinson, B.H. 2009. E-waste: an assessment of global production and environmental impacts. Science for the total environment 408(2): 183-191. http://www.kiwiscience.com/JournalArticles/STOTEN2009.pdf (accessed January 4, 2011) Stephenson, J.B. 2008. Electronic Waste: Harmful U.S. exports flow virtually unrestricted because of minimal EPA enforcement and narrow regulation. United States Government Accountability Office, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d081166t.pdf (accessed October 28, 2010) Umesi, N.O. and S. Onyia. 2008. Disposal of –ewastes in Nigeria: an appraisal of regulations and current practices. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology 15(6): 565-573. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=22&sid=33791215-436d-410f-a19b-47492b147141%40sessionmgr14&vid=7 (accessed January 4, 2011)

Prefect Letter

I am writing to yourslef to express my enthusiasm for the position of a year 11 prefect. The role as prefect as i can see, is an (essential) part of representing the school which acts to help the schools community and becoming a model of the school’s junior pupils, but more over, I can see the role of prefect as a leading demonstration of the school to the outside world as prefects are thee best pupils in the school, therefore, a prefect has to be an all-round friendly person.Being an ell-round friendly prefect, would mean prefects would have to have great communication skills in which they wouldn’t loose their temper whilst discussing a certain matter and would be able to listen to what other prefects might want them to do. Being a good listener is vital because prefects need to listen to teachers who set them tasks, and they must always follow it. Prefects would have to listen to any concerns by pupils or teachers that are put forward when in the role as a prefect. Al so, prefects need to be a good all-round representative.This would mean having emaculkate unform and have manners when addressing teacher, pupils and visiors. Being a prefect would mean always addressing in a graceful manner. I have represented the school many of times duing my five years that i have attended St. Thomas Aquinas. I have helped at Open Evenings where i have had to represent a subject. I remember reprsenting science and i had to show children the experiment that i was in charge of and i had to be friendly towards them and approach them with an informative manner.I was once in the school dance club that takes place after school on Fridays and i have been able to show pupils and counsillors in our school that we have an excellent dance group. One dance i was involved in was, Chicago which featured ex-teachers Miss Garner and Miss Barnet. With an input from all dancers, the show turned out to be a success. I ahve also been in the school choir which involved performing in masses, performing in a place where old people meet regularly and i have sung alongside Mr Weekes at the Atrix Theatre in which i had to wear school uniform to represent the school.I was on my best behaviour and feel that i represented the school well. When ever i had to perform and represent the school, i always helped people out and i always co-operated with enthusiasm. There are many other ways i have been part of a team, for instance: doing group work is lessons in which i have had to co-operate and having to put forward any opinions which i would discuss further with my group. I feel that i would make a good refect because my communication skills have developed since working with BPM Media for my work experience. I’ve learnt to be independent and to try everything that is put in front of me and to never say ‘I CANT. ’ I am also a very good listener because i am able to follow the rules at school and i have used my skill in my work experience placement and it has gone down as a great skill to have, especially in being a prefect.I have been classed as an ‘ambassador’ of the school which is featurd in a praise log i got for ebglish for completing coursework before the deadline because i was able to knuckle down to the work. I think it is important to uphold school rules because school rules are important to all of us because they tell us how to act, give us directions, set stabdards for everyone and provide a safe climate. Every rule has a reason for being and should be followed consistently.For instance, all pupils have to have emaculate unform, with emaculate unform, it means out school is well represented and shows everyone outside of school the expectations of all pupils who attend. By applying for the position of prefect, i am looking to acquire responsibilities of level which i have never had, and so to constantly challenge myself to a higher level is what brings one true joy. I am, as you can see, raring to go, ready t o offer my service to the school with the utmost of my abilities and in order awards that i will treasure.

Why Shift Attention To Second Generation Biofuels Environmental Sciences Essay

Second coevals biofuels are made from biomass-to-liquid engineerings, specifically cellulosic ethyl alcohol and Fischer-Tropsch gasification, and are intended to utilize lignocellulosic biomass. These engineerings are non by now commercially accessible. A figure of companies submit to some agro-fuel engineerings utilizing already bing provender stocks like palm oil or rapeseed oil as ‘second coevals ‘ like Neste Oil ‘s NExBTL Diesel, that consumes hard-hitting hydrogenation of fatty acids.Shift FROM FIRST GENERATION TO SECOND GENERATION BIO FUELSMany of the issues linked with 1st-generation biofuels can be sought out by the devising of biofuels which are manufactured from agricultural and forest left over ‘s and besides from non-food harvest provender stocks. Ligno-cellulosic feedstock is formed from specializer energy harvests grown on cultivable land, and at that place rather a few apprehensivenesss remain over viing land usage, although energy end products are expected to be high than if harvests grown for 1st-generation biofuels are produced on the same dirt. Additionally hapless quality land could besides possibly be utilized by the usage of 2nd coevals bio fuels.FEED STOCK YIELD AND ESTIMATION OF LAND AREA NEEDED[ 3 ] As we can see the tabular array gives us informations of the output of provender stock that is used for the production of 2nd coevals bio fuels, and besides the land that might be required for the sum of output. These 2nd-generation biofuels are relatively immature so they must hold all right potency for cost decreases and greater than before production efficiency degrees as more clip is base on ballss and research is done. Having an influence slightly from the future oil monetary values, they are likely to go an component of the solution to the job of traveling conveyance sector to the side of more sustainable energy resources. However, cardinal proficient and economic obstructions have still to come before they can be widely deployed. [ 4 ] Feedstock used by 2nd coevals engineerings include and their output is besides shown in the undermentioned tabular array: Dedicated agricultural production ( miscanthus, grass, etc. ) Agricultural production wastes ( straw, leaves, chaffs, etc. ) Dedicated forestry production ( wood ) A forestry and wood industry wastes ( subdivisions, sawdust, etc. ) Other wood residues, green wastes, portion of family waste, etc. Low-cost harvests, forest residues, wood procedure wastes, and organic fraction of the municipal solid wastes may all be utilized as ligno-cellulosic provender stocks. In the topographic points where these stuffs are gettable, production of biofuels should be made possible with practically no auxiliary land demands or consequence on nutrient and fibre harvest production. Though in a batch of parts these sorts of remains and waste provender stocks might hold unequal handiness, and therefore turning of vegetive grasses will be indispensable as options.BIO FUEL PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERISTICSHarvesting, treating, and presenting large volumes of biomass feedstock, with a needful quality, for whole of the twelvemonth, to a biofuels production works needs cautious logistical survey predating the investing in the works and its building. The program must be to cut down production cost, the cost of reaping and the cost of conveyance. Besides it should guarantee the economic feasibleness of the undertaking. This job is often insufficiently thought of when sing 2nd-generation options. The devising of biofuels utilizing ligno-cellulosic provender stocks may be done through 2 wholly separate fabrication paths. They include the undermentioned. biochemical – where enzymes and other micro-organisms convert cellulose and hemicelluloses mechanism of the provender stocks to sugars earlier to their agitation to do ethyl alcohol Thermo-chemical – for which gasification engineerings result in a synthesis gas ( CO + H2 ) through which a immense assortment of long C concatenation biofuels can be made. For illustration man-made Diesel The mentioned are non merely types or waies to the production of 2nd coevals biofuels, assorted researches are traveling on for others and betterments. They can do biofuels points like those which are produced via the cardinal waies or others which include di-methyl quintessence, methyl alcohol, etc.ECONIMICS OF BIO FUELSOn the footing of programs of assorted organisations the development of 2nd coevals biofuels initial full commercial-scale operation will likely get down by 2012. A little piece of informations demoing figures related to production of 2nd coevals can be seen in table 1. [ 1 ] Another major difference among biochemical and thermo-chemical paths comes to be that lignin constituent is a remnant of the enzymatic hydrolysis and therefore may be utilized for power coevals or possibly warming every bit good.BIO FUEL ENERGY BALANCENormally enzyme hydrolysis can be predictable to do up to 300 cubic decimeter ethyl alcohol / dry metric ton of biomass whereas the other path could bring forth like 200 cubic decimeter of man-made Diesel as shown in Table 2 [ 1 ] . There is an about same output in footings of the energy which is approx 6.5 GJ/t biofuels is since man-made Diesel has a larger value of energy denseness in comparative to volume than ethyl alcohol. Another chief thing that is different comes to be that biochemical waies produce ethyl alcohol in comparing to the thermo-chemical way which may be used to do a assortment of longer-chain hydrocarbons utilizing the synthesis gas.Technologies USEDCellulosic ethyl alcohol: This technique uses more energy than it really intends to do. Thus, sing usage and the end product consequences of energy it performs worse than 1st coevals maize ethyl alcohol. The undermentioned diagram gives the schematic of such a production [ 5 ] . A PRACTICAL PROCESS BY WHICH CELLULOSE ETHANOL IS PRODUCED Fischer-Tropsch gasification: Fischer-Tropsch gasification is utilized largely to bring forth Diesel from coal. It is a highly energy thorough process that is at the minute non at all commercially executable. It is of inquiry that use of Fischer-Tropsch gasification on a bigger graduated table may raise dodo fuel emanations. Following is an image of first bio-refinery ( a ) that was setup [ 6 ] and a Fischer Tropsch Section in China ( B ) [ 6 ] . ( a ) Image of the 1st Bio-Refinery ( B ) Fischer Tropsch Section in China [ 7 ] Above is shown the schematic of a Fischer-Tropsch gasification procedure. This is non a concluding version of the procedure as new betterments are being done to this new engineering every twenty-four hours. But however a basic thought can be interpreted from this scheme.Outputs of Bio Fuel in FutureTo bring forth 2nd coevals biofuels a broad scope of feedstock might be utilized. In add-on, the energy required for the intent of agribusiness and feedstock production can be reduced to a great extent. In immense transition services 2nd coevals provender stocks are predictable to be aptly transformed to biofuels. But, even though a high hereafter prospective may be present, at the minute it is non up till now confirmed that 2nd coevals biofuels will be improved in public presentation energy-wise, economically and with regard to carbon. Following is an extract from the European enchiridion to which presents the use of 2nd coevals bio fuels over the coming old ages as expected [ 2 ] . SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS AND CO2 EMISSIONSAlternatively of utilizing dearly-won nutrient harvests to do the bio-crude, second-generation biofuels for illustration agricultural waste are used. Second-generation biofuels processs do n't hold any consequence on supplies of nutrients. But one positive point is that they are decidedly environmentally much better and sustainable than the 1st coevals biofuels. If they are wholly made commercial, these advanced biofuels engineering can easy reconstruct fossil fuels with locally made biofuels which can in bend have positive effects like: Decreasing the demand for crude oil that is imported Lowering the emanation of nursery gases therefore diminishing of CO2A content per twelvemonth Opening new occupations, countries of research and skills peculiarly on rural sides Second coevalss biofuels are non at the minute commercial because of their production engineerings being in the research and development stairss. Assortment of feed stocks may be utilized to bring forth biofuels including lignocelluloses. Second coevals biofuels are for illustration bioethanol coming from cellulosic stuff. The ‘Technology Roadmap ‘ given in the ‘Vision Report ‘ explains coming up of these biofuels in 3 stairss which are, bettering the engineerings that exist, research and development of 2nd coevals biofuels and research and development of bio-refinery thoughts.REFRENCES[ 1 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.iea.org/papers/2008/2nd_Biofuel_Gen_Exec_Sum.pdf [ 2 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.compete-bioafrica.net/publications/publ/Biofuel_Technology_Handbook_version2_D5.pdf [ 3 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //ucanr.org/repository/cao/landingpage.cfm? article=ca.v063n04p191 & A ; fulltext=yes [ 4 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.etha-plus.ch/en/technique.html [ 5 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.frost.com/prod/servlet/market-insight-top.pag? docid=145254590 [ 6 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //newenergyandfuel.com/http: /newenergyandfuel/com/2009/04/16/exploring-a-new-gasification-process/ [ 7 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //coalgasificationnews.com/tag/sasol/

Critical Appraisal The WritePass Journal

Critical Appraisal Introduction Critical Appraisal ). This was a cohort study that used the data from a sample of 91,843 Danish mothers. It was found that 55% of the cohort abstained completely during pregnancy, whilst the rest of the cohort reported consuming alcoholic drinks during this time. The authors reported that there was a substantially increased risk of either spontaneous abortion or stillbirth in women who consumed even moderately low amounts of alcohol (2-3.5 drinks per week) before their 16th week of pregnancy. However, alcohol consumption after 16 weeks appeared not to have an effect. The introduction of this paper is extremely short, although it does manage to summarise why the study was conducted and the aim of the research is clear. The authors highlight that previous research into the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on foetal death have produced conflicting results and that there appear to be geographical trends in the outcome of such studies. Although a lack of conclusive evidence is a solid basis on which to conduct a new study, the authors do not explicitly detail why the current study will be any different and how it will seek to overcome the limitations of previous research. The Critical Appraisal Skills Progamme (CASP, www.casp-uk.net) recommends approaching critical appraisals using three steps. The first step is to assess whether the study is valid by evaluating the methodological quality. The methodology of the current study is clearly laid out and replicable. Despite this, one criticism of the methodology is the use of self-reported alcohol consumption data. Self-reported data is vulnerable to social desirability bias by which participants may withhold or fabricate certain behaviours in order to fit in to what others expectations of them. Social desirability has been found to confound reports of other health related behaviours, such as diet (Klesges et al., 2004) and physical activity (Adams et al., 2005). Using the levels of evidence hierarchy (Foster, 2011), cohort studies lay below systematic reviews and randomised control studies in their ability to avoid bias. Therefore, the study’s design helps reduce the risk of other biases that could confound the results. The statistical analysis used was the hazard ratio. This analysis calculates the ratio of the hazard rate corresponding to the two conditions of an explanatory variable (Spruance et al., 2004). In the current study, it was found that women who drank even just low levels of alcohol during pregnancy had higher hazard rates of early foetal death than those women who abstained. This is a suitable statistical analysis that answers the research question at hand. The second step in the CASP recommendations for appraising evidence is to examine the results. It is important to consider how clinically important the results are and how much uncertainty surround them. Potentially, the current study has excellent clinical utility. Firstly, the sample size was large and as a result, the findings are likely to be very representative of the population as a whole. There is some cultural bias to be aware of as the sample was collected exclusively from a Danish sample. Therefore, the results may not be generalisble to women in other countries. For example, in the UK, alcohol consumption has been found to be much higher, especially among females in their teen years (Mukherjee et al., 2005). The last step suggested by CASP is to assess whether the results are useful. The current results may certainly be useful in the area of health policy development. The knowledge that even low alcohol consumption within the first trimester of pregnancy can increase the risk of foetal death strengthens current Government guidelines that recommend that women abstain completely from alcohol during pregnancy. In the United Kingdom, the Chief Medical Officer currently advises that women should avoid alcohol altogether but that if they must drink, to consume no more than 1-2 units once or twice a week. However, the current paper suggests that just two drinks per week could increase a woman’s risk of losing the baby. Nevertheless, the conclusions drawn by the study are based on the assumption that alcohol consumption contributed to the increased risk of foetal death and should be interpreted with caution. The study did not collect data on various other variables that may have contribut ed to the increased risk, such as illegal drug use during pregnancy has been associated with foetal death (Wolfe et al., 2005). Furthermore, consumption of large quantities of caffeine (Wisborg et al., 2003) has been found to be associated with a higher risk of early foetal death. The current study collected information on coffee consumption and it was found that 32.6% of women consumed between one and seven cups of coffee during their pregnancy. Therefore, coffee consumption and not just alcohol may have had an impact on the results. In the discussion, the authors acknowledge the large number of confounding variables that may have impacted upon the study. The discussion of the study does discuss the potential usefulness of the results. However, the authors state in the introduction that discrepancy amongst previous research was a driving force behind the study but fail to discuss why or how the current study may have alleviated this issue. In conclusion, this is a reasonably strong piece of research that could contribute considerably to health policy. However, it is flawed in some key areas and so the results should be interpreted with caution. For example, if the study is to be replicated, future researchers may consider additional outcome measures that could identify participants at risk of social desirability bias. Nevertheless, the finding that even very low consumption of alcohol before the 16th week of pregnancy may contribute to early foetal death suggests that this should be further investigated as health policy may subsequently consider recommending women abstain completely from alcohol until after their 16th week. References Adams, S.A., Matthews, C.E., Ebbeling, C.B., Moore, C.G., Cunningham, J.E., Fulton, J. and Herbert, J.R. (2005) The effect of social desirability and social approval on self reports of physical activity. American Journal of Epidemiology, 161(4), pp. 389-398. Andersen, A.N., Andersen, P.K., Olsen, J., Gronbaek, M. and Strandberg-Larsen, K. (2012) Moderate alcohol intake during pregnancy and risk of fetal death. International Journal of Epidemiology, 41, pp. 405-413. Foster, N. (2011) Making sense of the evidential hierarchy. In: Carmen, A. (Ed), Assessing Evidence to Improve Population Health and Wellbeing. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Klesges, L.M., Baranowski, T., Beech, B., Cullen, K., Murray, D.M., Rochon, J. and Pratt, C. (2004) Social desirability bias in self-reported dietary, physical activity and weight concerns measures in 8-to-10-year-old African-American girls: results from the Girls health Enrichment Multisite Studies (GEMS). Preventative Medicine, 38, pp. 78-87. Mukherjee, R.A.S., Hollins, S., Abou-Saleh, M.T. and Turk, J. (2005) Low level alcohol consumption and the fetus. British Medical Journal, 330(7488), pp. 375-376. Spruance, L.S., Reid, J.E., Grace, M. and Samore, M. (2004) Hazard ratio in clinical trials. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 48(8), pp. 2787-2792. Wisborg, K., Kesmodel, U., Bech, B.H., Hedegaard, M. and Henriksen, T.B. (2003) Maternal consumption of coffee during pregnancy and stillbirth and infant death in first year of life: prospective study. British Medical Journal, 326, pp. 420. Wolfe, E.L., Davis, T., Guydish, J. and Delucchi, K.L. (2005) Mortality risk associated with perinatal drug and alcohol use in California. Journal of Perinatlogy, 25, pp. 93-100.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors and How They Work

Carbon Monoxide Detectors and How They Work According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America. Carbon monoxide detectors are available, but you need to understand how they work and what their limitations are in order to decide whether or not you need a detector and, if you purchase a detector, how to use it to get the best protection. What is Carbon Monoxide? Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, invisible gas. Each carbon monoxide molecule is composed of a single carbon atom bonded to a single oxygen atom. Carbon monoxide results from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, such as wood, kerosene, gasoline, charcoal, propane, natural gas, and oil. Where is Carbon Monoxide Found? Carbon monoxide is present in low levels in the air. In the home, it is formed from incomplete combustion from any flame-fueled (i.e., not electric) device, including ranges, ovens, clothes dryers, furnaces, fireplaces, grills, space heaters, vehicles, and water heaters. Furnaces and water heaters may be sources of carbon monoxide, but if they are vented properly the carbon monoxide will escape to the outside. Open flames, such as from ovens and ranges, are the most common source of carbon monoxide. Vehicles are the most common cause of carbon monoxide poisoning. How Do Carbon Monoxide Detectors Work? Carbon monoxide detectors trigger an alarm based on an accumulation of carbon monoxide over time. Detectors may be based on a chemical reaction causing a color change, an electrochemical reaction that produces current to trigger an alarm or a semiconductor sensor that changes its electrical resistance in the presence of CO. Most carbon monoxide detectors require a continuous power supply, so if the power cuts off then the alarm becomes ineffective. Models are available that offer back-up battery power. Carbon monoxide can harm you if you are exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide in a short period of time, or to lower levels of carbon monoxide over a long period of time, so there are different types of detectors depending on how the level of carbon monoxide is measured. Why is Carbon Monoxide Dangerous? When carbon monoxide is inhaled, it passes from the lungs into the hemoglobin molecules of red blood cells. Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin at the same site as and preferentially to oxygen, forming carboxyhemoglobin. Carboxyhemoglobin interferes with the oxygen transport and gas exchange abilities of red blood cells. The result is that the body becomes oxygen-starved, which can result in tissue damage and death. Low levels of carbon monoxide poisoning cause symptoms similar to those of the flu or a cold, including shortness of breath on mild exertion, mild headaches, and nausea. Higher levels of poisoning lead to dizziness, mental confusion, severe headaches, nausea, and fainting on mild exertion. Ultimately, carbon monoxide poisoning can result in unconsciousness, permanent brain damage, and death. Carbon monoxide detectors are set to sound an alarm before the exposure to carbon monoxide would present a hazard to a healthy adult. Babies, children, pregnant women, people with cir culatory or respiratory ailments, and the elderly are more sensitive to carbon monoxide than healthy adults. Where Should I Place a Carbon Monoxide Detector? Because carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air and also because it may be found with warm, rising air, detectors should be placed on a wall about 5 feet above the floor. The detector may be placed on the ceiling. Do not place the detector right next to or over a fireplace or flame-producing appliance. Keep the detector out of the way of pets and children. Each floor needs a separate detector. If you are getting a single carbon monoxide detector, place it near the sleeping area and make certain the alarm is loud enough to wake you up. What Do I Do if the Alarm Sounds? Dont ignore the alarm! It is intended to go off before you are experiencing symptoms. Silence the alarm, get all members of the household to fresh air, and ask whether anyone is experiencing any of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. If anyone is experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, call 911. If no one has symptoms, ventilate the building, identify and remedy the source of the carbon monoxide before returning inside, and have appliances or chimneys checked by a professional as soon as possible. Additional Carbon Monoxide Concerns and Information Dont automatically assume that you need or dont need a carbon monoxide detector. Also, dont assume that you are safe from carbon monoxide poisoning just because you have a detector installed. Carbon monoxide detectors are intended to protect healthy adults, so take the ages and health of family members into account when assessing the effectiveness of a detector. Also, be aware that the average life span of many carbon monoxide detectors is about 2 years. The test feature on many detectors checks the functioning of the alarm and not the status of the detector. There are detectors that last longer, indicate when they need to be replaced, and have power supply backups you need to check to see whether a particular model has the features you require. When deciding whether or not to purchase a carbon monoxide detector, you need to consider not only the number and type of carbon monoxide sources but also the construction of the building. A newer building may have more airtight construction and may be better insulated, which make it easier for carbon monoxide to accumulate.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT - TASK 2 Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

PROJECT MANAGEMENT - TASK 2 Summary - Essay Example The roles of the team manager and those of the team tend to be different in each project, especially so in creative projects like this one. The current level of engagement with projects has fuelled concerns that Project Management (PM) is becoming an increasingly complex discipline. Lack of clarity is probably among the major causes why projects fail. This vagueness ultimately results in missed deadlines, confusion among team members and costs going way over the top. It was my job as team manager to confront and eliminate them. The problems were partly due to an improper understanding of what projects were. A project is a series of tasks executed as part of a temporary undertaking to help create a service or product, which is unique in nature. The endeavour is temporary owing to the fact that the team members will disperse and then be involved in other projects. The time bound nature of the project made it very critical that we had no cost overruns and I had to have an ongoing perspective on the planning and implementation. Any spillage of resources would have diluted the objective. This time around, I felt that the event we were involved with was vital in its outcome. The funds raised were to be directed for the construction of orphanages. Moreover, the project was our responsibility till the end. The connections to be made on the way were several in numbers making it necessary for us to be in control of the project from the beginning. Eventually these techniques, which I considered appropriate to the outcome, were accepted by a senior management team. The idea was to smoothly control the three elements of tasks, resources, and time. (Turner, 2000) The following sections are a critical look at the tools used: Value Tree or Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) In discussions with team members, I noticed that WBS as a monitoring tool was not taken seriously enough by those entrusted with project execution. However, I can confidently claim now that WBS aligned with Value Tree has contributed tremendously to our recent fundraiser music show staged for a charity. However, initially there were difficulties in perception and the following is a note on the progress to final adoption of this analytical process culminating in our huge success. (Stainton, 1999) The Problem Value Management was perceived by my team to be peripheral to the core activity. The technique is actually employed in the early stages of a project so that preparations lead to the proper