Factors That Influence Obesity Rates Among Children Essay

This paper will describe the factors that influence obesity rates among children. It will review relevant literature concerning the bio-psychosocial facts and etiology involved in childhood obesity. This paper will discuss why this is a problem not only for the client system, but also a significant social problem. Multiple systems will be explored to support the continuation of the problem on a micro, mezzo and macro level. Some specific policies that exacerbate the problem will be looked at along with basic values embedded in the policy. Describe the problem: what are the bio-psychosocial facts and antecedents that contribute to the problems and how it manifested. Obesity has been recognized as a major public health problem that has reached pandemic levels worldwide (). This disease has flourished despite differences among countries and regions ( ). The prevalence of obesity is increasing among all ages and racial groups (). In many countries, Australia, Brazil, the united Kingdom, China and the United States obesity rates have skyrocketed (). The obesity phenomenon in children is increasing at an alarming rate. According to the focus of the socio- economic status (SES) is to show the association between children who are overweight and children who are obese (), almost 32% of children aged 2-19 years were overweight. Data also indicated that almost 17% of these children were obese. The report also aimed to determine whether socio- economic status is due to disparitiesShow MoreRelatedReduced Energy Expenditure And Prevalence Obesity Rates Among Children928 Words   |  4 Pageshas contributed to prevalence obesity rates among children. Demographic and epidemiologic analysis alone do not account for the high rates in childhood obesity. These analysis help provide a clearer understanding of why obesity is a national epidemic. It is significant as public health officials to know that there are substantial racial differences in obesity among young kids and teenagers in the United States. Among Hispanics for instance, the incidence of obesity was higher in 2011-2012 at 22Read MoreChildhood Obesity Is Becoming A Major Public Health Crisis Essay1375 Words   |  6 PagesChildhood obesity is becoming a major public health crisis in both children and adults. The American Heritage dictionary simply defines obesity as a condition of increased body weight that is due to excessive build up of fat in the body. The CDC (Center for Disease Control), use the BMI (Basal Metabolic Index) and CDC growth charts to determine obesity and overweight in adolescents and children. The BMI-for-age percentile is determined by plotting the BMI value. Using this chart, obesity is definedRead MoreThe Influence Of Obesity In America808 Words   |  4 Pages the rate of obesity has been increasing. In 2012, at least one-third of U.S. adults were obese.1 It is expected by 2018 that the number of obese adults increases to half of U.S. adults.2 The rates for children and adolescents are increasing as well. In 2012, about seventeen percent of children and adolescents were obese.2 However, the number of obese individuals vary throughout the U.S. The South and Midwest have a higher prevalence of obesity while the West and Northeast have lower rates.3 AmericaRead MoreChild Obesity As An Issue Of Public Health, The Socio Ecological Model1130 Words   |  5 PagesTo understand the phenomena behind child obesity as an issue of public health, the socio-ecological model should be considered. As seen in the Figure 1 below, the ecological model considers individual factors, relationship factors, community factors, and societal facto rs. Individual level (first level at the extreme right) includes biology and personal characteristics such as, knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, racial/ethnic identity, gender, age, and religious identity. Relationship level (secondRead MoreChildhood Obesity And Its Effects1551 Words   |  7 PagesChildhood obesity has become an epidemic in our nation. Currently, more than one in six American children is obese, which is three times the rate as that of the 1970s [1]. Obesity contributes significantly to cardiovascular disease, different types of cancers, as well as diabetes. About 70% of obese children/adolescents have at least one risk factor for heart disease, such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension, and almost 40% of obese youths have at least two additional risk factors. Increase in rates of childhoodRead MoreEssay On Obesity Among Children1435 Words   |  6 Pagessedentary behaviour, childhood obesity levels are on the rise as physical activity among children decreases. I n conjunction to this, unhealthy foods and beverages are much cheaper than healthy alternatives and advertising for them is heavily aimed at children. Therefore, my aim is to reduce the rates of obesity among children in New Zealand. Introduction Obesity among children is a growing problem within New Zealand and it needs to be addressed as around 80% of obese children will become obese adultsRead MoreFactors Contributing Factors That Causes Obesity Among Children Essay1369 Words   |  6 PagesChildhood obesity is a major health issue that takes place when a child is beyond the average weight for his or her age and height (Mayo Clinic, 2014). According to Sameera and Amar childhood obesity is a major public health crisis nationally and internationally, which arises because of the differences in lifestyle consequences among different cultural people in New Zealand (2012). This abnormality can cause various health risks such as diabetes and heart disease (World Health Organisation, 2014)Read MoreDefining Overweight And Obesity : Bmi Interpretation1475 Words   |  6 Pages†¢ Defining overweight and obesity – BMI interpretation is review. The Body Mass Index (BMI) formula is used to estimate the proportion of fat a person has based on their HEIGHT and WEIGHT. Adults with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 are considered to be at a normal or healthy weight, adults with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 are considered to be overweight, and adults with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese. †¢ What challenges do people face in trying to lose weight, even when they know the healthRead MoreEssay on Childhood Obesity1599 Words   |  7 PagesChildhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income families particularly in the United States. The socioeconomic status of these families contributes to the childhood obesity epidemic. Summary of Article 1 The article, â€Å"Beliefs about the Role of Parenting in Feeding and Childhood Obesity among Mothers of Lower Socioeconomic Status† is a study that was conducted by Alison KalinowskiRead MoreThe Correlation Between Television Advertising And Obesity1508 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION The increased prevalence of child obesity has served as momentum for research to determine the nature, dimensions and significance of the relationship between Television advertising and obesity. This issue has raised major debates among policy makers, academicians, the public and even marketers themselves. The most commonly used measure of obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI) and it is calculated by dividing the weight by the square of individual’s height. The Hasting’s review (2003)

Sexuality And Its Effect On Adolescent Life - 1601 Words

A. Introduction Understanding about sexuality is very important in maintaining healthy sexual behavior. Limited understanding about sexuality will give negative effects on young adolescent life. There are several implications that are related with low of sexuality comprehension among young adolescent (1). One of the most important implication is that risk of infected by sexual transmitted infection through a risky sexual behavior. Adolescent are considered as an innocent and curious phase of human life, a lot of things to do, explore and learn. This phase of life creates huge curiosity, especially on sexuality (2). Young adolescent have a tendency to absorb various information from anywhere to fulfill their gap in mind and if these†¦show more content†¦According to manual based evidence (4), relevancy is firstly about correlation between the questions and result of the study which should be coincide each other. Secondly, the research has to be about social phenomena and this study is about one of social phenomena that although very interesting but It is rarely touched by research(4,5). †¢ Moreover, this study yield some theories which also a vital point for qualitative research, one of the theories is about the sexuality education in family, which explain that family who have a habit of open discussion about sexuality are more likely to gain a good two way communication compare with those who do not. †¢ The setting is a bit different to my setting because the cultural and religion aspect is quite the opposite where sexuality is considered as taboo to be spoken on daily conversation even in the family (6). However, the problem of adolescent is quite similar where the phase of exploring sexuality causing a lot of problem to the adolescent and the relation between the family and their children (6). 2. Result presentation †¢ The result are clearly presented by the author. Using transcribe of discussion about parent’s idea, statement about parent’s value, concern, aspiration about the sexuality question prepared by the researcher or other topic that pop up during discussion. †¢ The key points of the study are

Adaptation Of ERP System In Organisations †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About the Adaptation of ERP System in Organisations? Answer: Introduction Enterprise Resource planning [ERP] system is an information technology system package which can be configurable within the functions of the organisations incorporating the information based processes and other information (Hallikainen, et al., 2004). These information technological systems can be customised with the particular needs of the large, small and all kinds of small organization. The increasing use of ERP in the world is easing and facilitating flexible approach to operate the business activities. In the current time, ERP system is being implemented by the various industries and sectors irrespective of size of the organisation. Thus, it is becoming one of the most researched topics in the recent times (Miranda, et al., 2016). This research paper is focusing on the concept of Enterprise Resource Planning system and its significance in the present era. Moreover, the best industry which is appropriate for the implementation of ERP system is being explored for the business users significantly. The importance and specific reason behind the integration of ERP system in the organisation is also being investigated in the study. In addition to this, the regulation and rules like Sarbanes-Oxley Act have also been described with the suitable explanation behind its incorporation in the system with some case references. Furthermore, My SAP ERP has been illustrated with its prcised implications in this study. Lastly, the success or failure of the ERP integration in the organisations with the cause behind has also been detailed in the paper. Reasons for Adopting ERP Software In the recent few years, globalisation and liberalisation have changed the industrial scenario immensely (Light, 2004). The use of new technological tools in the organisation is not new now, along with this various methods that are being adopted by the organisations that minimises the manual work and helps the workers to do activities more accurately and promptly. Enterprise resource planning system is an information system package that is configured according to the specific functions and operations of the organisation and based on the information process to articulate the informations precisely. It is a very expensive yet very beneficial tool to handle the business operations and management quite effectively and efficiently (Light, 2004). It has been found in many of the researches that the information technology has benefited the organisations in many sectors but it has a significant effect in each of the business entity for two reasons basically. First, technological reason that emphasis on the maintenance and development of the platform to outsource software. Predominantly, it is used in supporting the traditional or previous versions of any software (Tortorella and Fries, 2015). The vendors can customise ERP software according to their requirement and acquired it for active operations. Moreover, any new development in the software can be integrated quite easily. The technology needs maintenance services time to time which is possible through ERP software. Moreover, one of the most important reasons for the adoption of ERP system is to apply a clean slate approach and improve the all over improvement in the software system. In the organisation, un-customised standards ERP packages are required to be attained. In old systems software, maintenance difficulties and no option further development are being faced by the organisation. Additionally, it facilitates a common platform for software as well as standardisation which is an essential need for the organisations (Tortorella and Fries, 2015). The groups can share the common information tech nology, integration of ERP system can be done with other systems, same network can be used by the groups of the companies, helps in changing the information system of the companies and ERP system is perfect solution of old systems that did not work in the needed manner. Besides that, ERP system is the perfect solution of resolution of the year 2000 issues and problem of euro conversion (Al-Jabri and Roztocki, 2014). ERP systems are preeminent choice to reduce IT costs as it helps in increasing the efficiency, to maintain more capacity with low cost investment and it also ensures support of low maintenance cost. Furthermore, the old IT structure and architecture is replaced with the modern and hi-tech technology, which is a crucial need of organisations to be competitive in the current time. Mainframe computers are old technology with old systems and obsolete technology, thus it needs to change with ERP models. It is a replacement investment as old investment has achieved its finished stage of development lifecycle (Al-Jabri and Roztocki, 2014). Not only this, second point in ERP model is need for the business reasons that entails want to standardized IT and organisational blueprint pressurised by the globalisation in the world. The global operations become easy in the ERP system plus any information can be transferred to any of the outlet/ system in the world in real time. It also enhanced the procurement of unified global system for whole the company and provides standards with suitable policies and practices (Ptak and Schragenheim, 2016). It is enable to satisfy the desires and needs of the group along with the attainment of developed objectives. Apart from this, companies desire for the newness an alternative methods and technology is being addressed by the ERP system. It supports the new processes and enhances the efficiency of embedded old processes (Rajan and Baral, 2015). It also looks out for the upcoming development and variable in business operations. The best part of incorporating the ERP is that it facilitates fast operating services and reliable for the decision makings. It is responsible for many beneficial improvements such as customer services, process control, project control, data visibility and managerial account reporting. Furthermore, it augments the reliability and credibility of the information plus the amount of information also increased through ERP models. Although it is an expensive affair yet it is conscientious for the information flow within the organisation and supports the operations of sales and marketing (Rajan and Baral, 2015). It helps in improving the incorporation of customer relationship m anagement and integration. ERP system is utilised by every sector and every industry as it enhances the operations and supports the functions of the organisation, while specifically there are many industries for business users integrating the ERP system gives the best results (Kapp, et al., 2016). The best industries that are suitable for adaptation of ERP system are manufacturing industry, consultancy industry, service industries, wholesale industry, retailing and logistics industry. Furthermore, the ERP system is very convenient for the large group of companies that worked for the same brand or managed by a single management team (Kapp, et al., 2016). Multinational and national chain stores/ companies are also requires these kind of ERP acquisition for comprehensive and easy operations management. Sarbanes-Oxley Act Business management includes the financial accounting and management accounting which is very essential part of the business (Badnaaz, 2003). Financial accounting is for external stakeholders, while management accounting is useful of the internal stakeholders of the organisation. Financial accounting is compulsory for the organisations as it has some statutory needs and over all reporting related to investments and financial activities of the organisation for the investors are being provided. My SAP is an ERP system that helps in effective and prompt operations of financial as well as management accounting of the organisations. However, in recent past years many irregularities and scandals have been revealed regarding the financial and managerial accounting that leads to imposing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 which is also known as SOX for comprehensive reforms of business activities (Badnaaz, 2003). It enables the organisations to implement a standard format and procedure for the reco rding of financial and managerial recording. The act also included mangers in the act and as they responsible for any irregularities which are being made in financial reporting. The Enron scandal which is an American company that deals in oil and gas products was the ultimate force for the government to pass this act for the financial management with certain policies and standards. The company had expanded its operations oil refineries, power plants, gas, electricity and community, pulp and papers and became one of the biggest and most financially sound company in America (Ferran and Carlos, 2008). Until it bankrupted in 2001, reason was cheating and fraudulent actions in the financial reporting when the government made the de-regularisation in the oil and gas industry. Several financial crimes and misdeeds were revealed in 2001 and the main reason behind that was misrepresentation and financial illegal manipulation of corporate funds in the energy market (Green, 2004). In the end c ompany suffered substantial losses and failed to operate further in the U.S. market. The above case of misleading information and fraud directed Michael Oxley and Paul Sarbanes to create a law called as Sarbanes-Oxley Act to protect the external stakeholders and improve the corporate disclosure by facilitating accurate and credible financial reporting (Green, 2004). It mainly helped in finishing the drawbacks in previous accounting practices and improves the corporate government rules and regulations. Furthermore, it ensured the credibility and reliability in the accounts disclosure with corporate accountants and executives (Panorama Consulting Solutions, 2015). The act has facilitated transparency in the accounts and declaration made in the financial transaction and shareholders reporting. All of these implications are also complied with the My SAP ERP system as well. It also helped the organisations and external stakeholders to supervise and monitor the corporate behaviour and accounting practices of public companies related to the financial accosting recoding and transactions (Panorama Consulting Solutions, 2015). My SAP enables an organisation with strong cash management and integration of good practices regarding tax regulations and SOX rules. It provides immense precision in good-in-transit orders plus quality control and assurance. My SAP ERP system embraces customised information technology system used for both financial and managerial accounting which maintains make-to-order processing easy and incorporates the retail module in the organisation. Lastly, it also helps in innovative functionality in the development and creation of products (Panorama Consulting Solutions, 2015). Success and failure of ERP implementations and reasons ERP system is the central backbone for the organisation in the information management that provide its support in all the operations and functions (Al-Mudimigh and Aldammas, 2011). It has been critically researched in the past cases that the failure and success of the company is depending on the information technology or software which is used by the organisation. On the other hand, the main reason of success and failure lies with the effective and poor implementation of the software in the integration of the management of the organization (Rodriguez, et al., 2014). There are various companies in the history that has proved the ERP system as successful investment in the management operations and decision making such as Daimler Chrysler, Colgate-palm Company, the first capital financial company, Germany BASF Company and the Aluminium company. The success factors that are explored in implementation success stories of these companies include emphasis on the process and requirement of th e business. Moreover, a healthy ERP system with the higher return on investment and which can be further developed or improved should be focused to attain. ERP system also needs to be addressed with fully committed resources and strong project management (Al-Mudimigh and Aldammas, 2011). Besides the top management and company executive commitment is also needed for the effective implementation of ERP system. The internal environment should be comprised with flexible and expedient change management plus adequate ERP training should be provided to the employees. On the contrary, there are several cases of failure in the implementation of the ERP systems that has devastating results in the growth of the organisations such as New York City, Hudson Bay, Hewlett Packard Co., Nike Co., Waste Management Co., and Saudi Telecom Company (Rodriguez, et al., 2014). The basic reasons behind the failure in its implementation are lack of support from the top level management, ineffective measures and inadequacy in the companys culture. Furthermore, ample of customisation in the system or software also leads to complexities and ultimately outcomes in failure. The relationship between the organisation and consulting partners are also a reason for the unsuccessful ERP implementation (Whanga, et al., 2003). It also directed because of poor consultant effectiveness and poor quality of business processes that does not fit in the ERP system. The poor management of projects also causes the implementation process of ERP unproductive. Additionally, skipping the imp ortant steps of implementation may also lead to the ERP system ineffectiveness which are documentation, redefining and integration stages. Sometime, company choose unusual ERP systems and does not consider vendors recommendation seriously which obscure the process and operation of the organisation. The seeded configurations also has a difference in the implementation of AS IS and TO BE requirements of the business (Whanga, et al., 2003). In the end, budget is another major concern while implementing ERP systems that facilitates the key performance indicators and implementation of healthy return on investment. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be inferred that the Enterprise resources planning is implementation of information technology in the operation of the organisation to make the functions more versatile and uncomplicated. The main reason for the adoption of the information technology is divided into two area that is technological and business reasons. The need for fast and speedy transaction and process information in the real time is the main motive of ERP system. However, there were some frauds and misrepresentation of financial accounting cases that lead to implement the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to protect the investors. In addition to this, My SAP is an ERP system that helps the organisation in implementing the rules and effective management in the organisation. Lastly these are various cases that provide the factors which direct an organisation in the success and failure in implementation of the ERP system. References Al-Jabri, I. M., and Roztocki, N. 2014. Adoption of ERP Systems: Does Information Transparency Matter? Telematics and Informatics 32(2), pp. 300-310. Al-Mudimigh, A. S., and Aldammas, A. 2011. Critical success and failure factors of ERP Implementations: two cases from kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology 28(2), pp. 73-82. Badnaaz, A. 2003. Vendors hawk Sarbanes-Oxley wares. Network World Magazine 20(45), pp. 12. Ferran and Carlos. 2008. Enterprise Resource Planning for Global Economies: Managerial Issues and Challenges: Managerial Issues and Challenges. IGI Global. Green, S. 2004. A Look at the Causes, Impact and Future of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Journal of International Business and Law 3(1), pp. 33-52. Hallikainen, P., et al. 2004. Reasons for ERP Acquisition. [Online] Available at: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.90.367rep=rep1type=pdf [Accessed at: 26 April 2017]. Kapp, K. M., et al. 2016. Integrated Learning for ERP Success: A Learning Requirements Planning Approach. CRC Press. Light, B. 2004. Reasons behind ERP package adoption: A diffusion of innovations perspective. [Online] Available at: https://usir.salford.ac.uk/17281/1/20040095.pdf [Accessed at: 26 April 2017]. Miranda, M. Q., et al. 2016. Technology adoption in diffusion of innovations perspective: introduction of an ERP system in a non-profit organization. Revista de Administrao e Inovao 13(1), pp. 4857. Panorama Consulting Solutions. 2015. Clash of the Titans 2016: An Independent Comparison of SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamic s and in for. [Online] Available at: https://go.panorama-consulting.com/rs/603-UJX-107/images/Clash-of-the-Titans-2016.pdf?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoluKrLZKXonjHpfsX57OwsWqO%2BlMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4CS8ZiI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFTLDGMbVqwrgMWxY%3D [Accessed at: 26 April 2017]. Ptak, C. A., and Schragenheim, E. 2016. ERP: Tools, Techniques, and Applications for Integrating the Supply Chain. 2nd ed. CRC Press. Rajan, C. A., and Baral, R. 2015. Adoption of ERP system: An empirical study of factors influencing the usage of ERP and its impact on end user. IIMB Management Review 27(2), pp. 105117. Rodriguez, E., et al. 2014. ICAS2014-International Conference on Analytics Driven Solutions: ICAS2014. Academic Conferences Limited. Tortorella, G. L., and Fries, C. E. 2015. Reasons for adopting an ERP system in a public University in Southern Brazil. Proceedings of the 2015 International Conference on Operations Excellence and Service Engineering Orlando, Florida, USA. Whanga, J., et al. 2003. A Case Study on the Successful Upgrade of ERP System. 7th Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems, Adelaide, South Australia.

The Super Rice Challenge Essays - Rice, Oryza Sativa, Paddy Field

The Super Rice Challenge Rice is the main food for about one-third to one-half of the world's population. A mature rice plant is usually two to six feet tall. In the beginning, one shoot appears. It is followed by one, two, or more offshoots developing. There are at least five or six hollow joints for each stalk, and a leaf for each joint. The leaf of the rice plant is long, pointed, flat, and stiff. The highest join of the rice plant is called the panicle. The rice grains develop from the panicles. (Jodon, 300) Rice is classified in the grass family Gramineae. Its genus is Oryza and species O. sativa. It is commonly cultivated for food in Asia. Some varieties of rice include red rice, glutinous rice, and wild rice. (Jodon, 303) The kernel within the grain contains most of the vitamins and minerals (298). The kernel contains thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin (299). Rice has many enemies that destroy a majority of the rice crops. The larvae of moth, stem borers, live in the stems of the rice plants. Some insects suck the plant juices or chew the leaves. Birds, such as bobolink, Java sparrow, or paddybird, would eat the seeds or grains. Disease causing factors such as fungi, roundworms, viruses, and bacteria also destroy the rice plants. Blast disease is caused by fungi which causes the panicles containing the grains to break. (Jodon, 300) There are various types of rice grown all over the world. A majority of rice grown is cultivated rice. When rice is grown with water standing on the fields, it is called lowland, wet, or irrigated rice. Rice plants grown in certain parts of Asia, South America, and Africa are called upland, hill, or dry rice because they are raised on elevated lands that cannot be flooded, but with plentiful rainfall. Wild rice is grown along lake shores of Canada and the Great Lakes. It is usually eaten by people in India. Scented rice is the most expensive because is has long grains and tastes like popcorn when cooked. Glutinous rice is waxy rice consumed by Asians. It is cooked to a sticky paste and is used for cakes and confections. (Jodon, 299) Rice was thought to have originated in southeast Asia when Alexander the Great invaded India in 326 B. C(Jodon, 303). Further research revealed that rice was cultivated around or at the Yangtze River in China, around 4000 to 11,500 years ago. One archaeologist, Toyama, surveyed data on 125 samples of rice grains, plant remains, husks, and other factors from numerous sites along the length of the Yangtze River. He reported that the oldest samples. . . are clustered along the middle Yangtze in Hubei and Hunan provinces. Samples from the upper and lower portions of the Yangtze River were found to be younger, around 4,000 to 10,000 years old. This pattern. . .suggests that rice cultivation originated in the middle Yangtze and spread from there. Archaeologists see more than a decade of excavation of the Yangtze River and nearby sites to confirm that the Yangtze River is where rice was first cultivated. (Normille, 309) The Greeks learned of rice when Alexander the Great invaded India around 326 B. C. Spain was introduced to rice when it was conquered by the Moors during the 700's A.D. Spain then introduced rice to Italy, around the 1400's. The Spanish also introduced rice to the West Indies and South America, around the 1600's. Rice was introduced to the United States when a Madagascar ship docked in the Charleston, South Carolina harbor. The ship captain presented the governor with a sack of seed rice. It was then grown in states south of the Ohio River and east of Mississippi. (Jodon, 303) Rice is usually grown in lowland fields divided by dirt walls (Jodon, 300) A majority of the rice crops are grown with water standing on the fields (Jodon, 299). On level land, these paddies and dirt walls are built in wavy or straight lines. On hill-like land, they follow the slopes and form paddies that rise like steps. The dirt walls are used to hold in water for the fields. (300) Cultivation of the rice plant requires controlling the water supply

How to Know If You Have PHP for Your Website

How to Know If You Have PHP for Your Website Most web servers nowadays support PHP and MySQL, but if you are having trouble running PHP code, theres an outside chance your web server doesnt support it. To execute PHP scripts on your website, your web host must support PHP/MySQL. If you are unsure whether you have PHP/MySQL support with your host, you can find out by running a test that involves uploading a simple program and trying to run it.   Testing for PHP Support Create a blank text file using NotePad or any other text editor and call it test.php. The .php extension at the end of the file name is critically important. It cannot be .php.html or .php.txt or anything other than .php.Put this PHP code in the text file: ?php phpinfo() ; ? Save the file and upload it to the root of your website on the web server using FTP. The folder may be called public_html or web root or some other name depending on your server, but it is the main folder for your website.In a browser, go to www.[yoursite].com/test.php. If you see the code as you entered it, then your website cannot run PHP with the current host. If your server supports PHP, you will see a list of all the PHP/SQL properties that are supported by the host. PHP Versions Among the supported properties listed should be the version of PHP the web server is running. PHP is updated occasionally and each new version typically has better security practices and new features you can take advantage of. If you and your host are not running recent, stable, compatible PHP versions, some problems might be the result. If you are running a more recent stable version that your web server, you may need to find a new web server.

Complete Listing of Retired Hurricane Names

Complete Listing of Retired Hurricane Names Anyone who watches the weather on TV has heard meteorologists  referring to tropical storms and hurricanes by peoples names, alternating male and female names, alphabetically. The names used each year for the storms in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean come from six lists of 21 names, established by the World  Meteorological  Society, that rotate in a cycle in a system that dates back to the 1950s, though the naming convention has evolved over time. For example, the six-year cycle of permanent lists began in 1979. Uncommon letters for first names, such as U, X, Y, Q, and Z, are skipped. Tropical Storm or a Hurricane? Hurricane season typically starts June 1 and ends Nov. 30. To become classified as a tropical storm, a tropical depression needs to graduate to having sustained winds of more than 39 miles per hour; after 79 mph, a storm becomes a hurricane. When there are more than 21 storms big enough to be named, like happened in 2005, Katrinas year, the Greek alphabet letters come into play for names.   When Are Names Retired? Usually, the six lists of names for tropical storms and hurricanes repeat. However, if there is an unusually large or damaging hurricane, the name is retired by the World Meteorological Organization’s hurricane committee because using it again could be considered insensitive and could also cause confusion. Then that name is replaced on its list with another short, distinctive name of the same letter as the name retired. The first hurricane name retired was Carol, a category 3 hurricane (up to 129 mph winds) at its worst when it hit landfall Aug. 31, 1954, in the Northeast. It caused more than 60 deaths and more than $460 million in damage. Storm surges in Providence, Rhode Island, reached 14.4 feet (4.4 m), and a quarter of the citys downtown ended up underneath 12 feet of water (3.7 m). Using the criteria of extensive damage and loss of life could lead Harvey, Irma, and Maria to be under consideration for retirement, after devastating Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, among other areas, in 2017.   Retired Hurricane Names, Alphabetically Agnes (1972)Alicia (1983)Allen (1980)Allison (tropical storm, 2001)Andrew (1992)Anita (1977)Audrey (1957)Betsy (1965)Beulah (1967)Bob (1991)Camille (1969)Carla (1961)Carmen (1974)Carol (1954)Celia (1970)Cesar (1996)Charley (2004)Cleo (1964)Connie (1955)David (1979)Dean (2007)Dennis (2005)Diana (1990)Diane (1955)Donna (1960)Dora (1964)Edna (1968)Elena (1985)Eloise (1975)Erika (2015)Fabian (2003)Felix (2007)Fifi (1974)Flora (1963)Floyd (1999)Fran (1996)Frances (2004)Frederic (1979)Georges (1998)Gilbert (1988)Gloria (1985)Gustav (2008)Hattie (1961)Hazel (1954)Hilda (1964)Hortense (1996)Hugo (1989)Igor (2010)Ike (2008)Inez (1966)Ingrid (2013)Ione (1955)Irene (2011)Iris (2001)Isabel (2003)Isidore (2002)Ivan (2004)Janet (1955)Jeanne (2004)Joan (1988)Joaquin (2015)Juan (2003)Katrina (2005)Keith (2000)Klaus (1990)Lenny (1999)Lili (2002)Luis (1995)Marilyn (1995)Matthew (2016)Michelle (2001)Mitch (1998)Noel (2007)Opal (1995)Otto (2016)Paloma (2008)Rita (2005)Roxanne (1995)Sandy (2012)Stan (200 5) Tomas (2010)Wilma (2005)

Google's Mission, Ethical Principles and Involvement in China Case Study

Google's Mission, Ethical Principles and Involvement in China - Case Study Example all, referring to the censorship imposed by the Chinese authorities on Google search engine that were deemed subversive and politically sensitive particularly crackdown of demonstrators in Tiananmen Square (Levin, 2014). This mission has also influenced Google’s strategy to work against censorship and to obey the laws and regulations of the country they are operating in. Such that in 2010, Google became exasperated with China’s censorship policies that it pulled out its operation out of China (Goldman, 2015). Google’s co-founder Sergei Brin even announced that "our own websites and for the Internet as a whole we have worked tirelessly to combat internet censorship around the world"(Goldman, 2015). The Chinese market however just proved to be too important for Google to ignore that in May of 2012, the company announced â€Å"an anti-censorship feature – under the pretext of improving search quality† (Wright, 2013) which is an indication that the company is yielding to the censorship demands of the Chinese authority. During those times of censorship of the Chinese government against Google, the service of Google deteriorated that it preferred self-censorship over bad and no business and be able to provide more information than no information at all. Self-censorship is Google’s compromise to be able to operate in China that it would be â€Å"better to give Chinese users access to a limited amount of information, than to none at all†. This may not be the ideal way for Google to operate in China but it also has to follow the laws and regulation of the country that it is operating in. Self-censorship to follow the laws and regulations of the host country does not mean that Google is already being evil. It may be a compromise but it is still consistent with Google’s mission. The censorship in the Chinese market is no longer new to Google also. Google also had practiced self-censorship in France, Germany and Poland to ban pro-Nazi information as it is

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

Group paper - Essay Example The labor may also be induced, if the water has broken but the contractions have not started yet. The movement and the growth of the baby are monitored after certain intervals. If at any point the health care professionals figures out that the growth of the baby is not at the expected pace then false labor must be induced. Infection in the uterus may also be one of the reasons. If there is not enough amniotic fluid present around the baby or the placenta peels it from the uterus’ inner wall, then labor can be artificially induced by the healthcare professionals. If the mother has any medical condition that may put the baby’s health at risk like diabetes or blood pressure then it is better to induce labor. By doing this the period of the labor might shorten by an hour. This procedure helps in the examination of the amniotic fluid for the presence of meconium that is considered to be the sign for fetal distress. Baby’s scalp must be accessed directly for monitoring the heartbeat of the baby. Stimulating the nipples is considered to be one of the natural forms of labor induction and it can be performed manually or by the help of an electric breastfeeding pump. By doing so the natural production of oxytocin will take place in the female’s body causing contractions. Change theory can be linked to Lewis Theory in a way that it is about unfreezing all the previous information about labor induction and learning the changes imposed by advanced researches and studies. It is important to educate the health care professionals on the advantages and risks associated with induction because they are the ones who are responsible for the wellbeing of the mother and baby. It is important to educate the mother as well, so that she may be able to take informed decision regarding her baby’s health (Simpson & Thorman,

Human Development Essay Example for Free

Human Development Essay In this paper we will discuss the life span perspective of human development. Then we will summarize three theories related to human growth and development and identify at least one influential theorist for each. Then we will identify aspects of the life span perspective. Finally we will explain how heredity and the environment influence human development. There are six lifespan perspectives on human development the life expectancy (measured at birth) of American men and women, differentiated by race. For the 2005, the latest data available, the life expectancy for men of all races is 75. 2 years and 80. 4 years for women. Life-long which is no age period dominated development. Multi-dimensional that development is about biological, cognitive, socioemotional and spiritual dimensions. Multidirectional is some aspects of development increase while other decrease. Plastic is depending on one life conditions and what development paths our body takes. Historically-embedded is development influenced by historical conditions. Multidisciplinary is psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, neuroscientist and medical researchers all study human development and share different concerns. Contextual is the individual continually responds to and act on context. According to (Hernandez, 2008) â€Å"The lifespan perspective is about understanding that changes occur in every period of development and these changes must be looked at as a product of the culture and of the specific situation surrounding the change. † There are a lot of things that define lifespan but one perspective is life-long. Life is not dominated by one moment or period in your life. According to experts, the life span perspective of human development involves three key developmental domains (Hernandez, 2008). These are the physical domain, the cognitive domain, and the social domain. The physical domain deals with the physical changes that a person goes through. For example, height, shape changes, weight fluctuations, and puberty can all be described as changes that happen in the physical domain. Here are three theories: Freud’s psychosexual development theory, Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development and Havighurst’s developmental stage and tasks. * What influence me about Freud’s view is I believe there is some truth that in some way we all have sexual impulses repressed. But on the other hand I believe that Erikson view about we learn to be assertive and learn to be create is also true. Finally Havighurst of development tasks are based on personal independence stages. Lifespan perspective is contextual meaning the individual continually responds to and acts on contexts, which include a persons biological makeup, physical environment, and social, historical, and cultural contexts (Santrock, 1999). The heredity and the environment influence human development is how researchers tend to be interested in dimensions that determined by genetics. For example, Javier has two biological daughters who share the same biological mother. Both are tall, well mannered, and musically inclined. Despite these similarities, the older child appears socially reserved and quiet, while the younger one, who was born into the same family environment, seems more outgoing. In addition, one of his children has been diagnosed with a learning disability while the other seems exceptionally well-functioning cognitively. You must understand that nature versus nurture, heredity is in your genealogy their no way to change it accept your lifestyle choices-drinking-smoking and doing drugs will affect all organs muscles and brain functions leading down the path to cancer, heart attack, stroke, emphysema, hallucinations, depression, suicidal thoughts and so on, eat healthy exercise and get a genealogy test done of your immediately family to see what if any diseases carry over to your blood line. Grandparents-mother and father of both and siblings-slap stepmothers and stepchildren as well as aunts and uncles-with or without children. * In this paper we discussed the life span perspective of human development. Then we summarized three theories related to human growth and development and identify at least one influential theorist for each of them. Then we identify aspects of the life span perspective. Finally we explained how heredity and the environment influence human development. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reference 1. Bowen, J. R. (2011). Infant Social Development. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com 2. http://social. jrank. org/pages/300/Heredity-Versus-Environment. html#ixzz1HJ4qvhaS 3. Santrock, (1999). The Lifespan perspective on Human Development. Retrieved from http://www. sasked. gov 4. Hernandez, (2008). Heredity Versus Environment-The Nature-nurture controversy exploring heredity and environment: Research methods, beyond heritability. Retrieved from http://social. jrank. org 5. : Life Expectancy at Birth by Race and Sex, 1930–2005 — Infoplease. com http://www. infoplease. com/ipa/A0005148. html#ixzz1HMEhhXPX *.

Censorship In Radio Essay -- essays research papers

 Censorship in radio For the past several years Freedom of speech in America has had it’s meaning changed many times. Although the changes have gone unnoticed by most Americans, In the radio business they are felt day in and day out. radio personalities, programmers, and owners have to deal with this everyday but they too have no real idea what the Federal Communications Commission’s idea of free speech is. You see the rule seems to change depending on who you are. If you are tagged by the FCC anything the broadcaster does or says is monitored and picked over and fined.( Howard stern. King Of All Media.165-166 ) The FCC has been picking on Howard Stern for years, they singled Howard for doing â€Å"trash radio†. But according to Stern other programs are saying or doing the same if not worse things than he is. Stern tells of when Geraldo said (Stern Miss America. 526-530.) in a show about the Mennendez brothers being molested for doing something wrong. â€Å"Hel l, I’m not for child molestation, but if I knew anal sex . . . punishment, I’d keep my room clean.† Geraldo goes untouched. but Howard got fined for saying â€Å"lesbian’s filled with lust.† (Howard Stern. Miss America.519). That seems a bit more tame to me but since Stern is tagged he gets fined. The First Amendment states. â€Å"congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech.† This rule, over the years has changed to â€Å"congress shall make . . .† as interpreted by the FCC (king of all. 165) this makes no sense the word freedom, according to Webster’s Dictionary means the state of being free from constraints, possession of political and civil rights, unrestricted access or use yet, the FCC is in charge of what can and can’t be said over the airwaves. The FCC is the god of the broadcasting industry, they do not have to answer to anybody they have all the power to do whatever they want. The basic rule for a deejay is that he/she may not use the seven dirty words, all know them and understand they can not use them, But what nobody knows is, what else can’t a deejay say over the air. The rules are not documented. Most stations go by their own policy, And if their policy is wrong and something goes over the air that isn’t supposed to they can get pulled ( off the air) or fined. Martin Espada is a person who got pulled from the air and his poem censored. ( all things censored. 20-22 ) Espada says, he wr... ...finity finally just got tired of this and paying off the fines â€Å"and were talking millions† said Stern. (miss America.519.). There are ways to stop all the censorship in radio but it most likely wont ever be stopped completely. There are groups and political parties there to help the cause such as the ( Libertarian party ) Libertarian Party, and Freedom For Speech. But neither is very powerful so I propose some easy solutions. The Supreme Court must look over the First amendment remember what it stands for and limit the power of the FCC this organization has way too much power. There is checks and balance in all other government except for the FCC the Supreme Court should set up another origination to balance the power, like congress they would have to vote majority rules on every censorship issue and all other regulations that are set and regulations to be set. This way there would be no overwhelming power to decide what can tell them to do. But the easiest thing that can possibly be done the most simple solution that any one with arm’s can do is. See that dial on your radio? turn it. it really is that simple if you don’t like what you are hearing turn it off. Word Count: 1352

Cognitive Interventions Essay

The only thing that tells everyone apart from everyone else is each person’s genetic make-up. And there is only one exception and that would identical twins, because no two people are the same. This can be said true about the way we all think. There is no one person that thinks the same as the next person. People believe that we are all born innocent and that we are pure in thoughts and in behavior. There are many different factors that can and sometimes do influence how a person is controlled by his/her cognitive ability to think before acting. There are people who do a better than others can. There are people who have certain psychological problems that seek out help from a therapist to get a handle on their problems. One of most popular therapy would be cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The base of this theory is that some of the behaviors are caused by a person’s inner thoughts or by mental inability to deal with problems or events in our lives. In this paper, I will summarize the article â€Å"Abuse-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Child Physical Abuse,† that describe Abuse-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) and the use of AF-CBT in adolescent anger management. Article Summary Childhood anger can be tiger by many different factors, thoughts or even events during a child early life. A young child is not able to express their feels in a correct way, so they have problems in dealing with their anger. This could also be that they were never taught by his/her parents how to handle their emotions. A good example would be a friend of mine that has a child with some deep rooted problems, When Sam get angry he will not able to express how he feels so he acts out towards anyone that is near him. At Christmas time I brought him a soccer ball that he wanted and when he opened it he just threw it to one side, so he was punishment, sent to his room, when he came out the looks in his eyes just plain scared me. I have seen that look in a person who just committed a murder. Cold and dark look is what this child has. Most children with this type of problems, it could be a result of abuse in the home by one or both parents, and the type of abuse could be physical or sexual. At the time of the abuse the child may feel that they could not fight off the person who is abusing him or they are so scared to tell anyone. When this time of situation has occurred the child is not able to handle so they will out and get into trouble. They may start getting into trouble at school, start handling out with the wrong crowds and getting into serious trouble with the law. The child may become involved with sex, alcohol and drugs, sometimes the child could turn out to be an abuser also. Children will do this to get away from their home life and the pain. If the abuse was discover at an early age, and then the child can be remove from the home and has a better chance to get therapy and could turn out to normal. This way the hate and anger can be redirected to a more positive avenue. It difficult for a child to understand why things happened to them and but to be able to speak to someone that can be able to help them understand that it was no their fault and help them heal their emotional wounds. Unfortunately, the affective of the abuse may follow the person throughout their life in many different forms. It can affect their children and even their partners. They may became have problems like becoming overweight so they will not be attractive to men. They also can be very sexually active. Being in therapy as a child they can be with other children that have been threw the same as the child and could help to release their anger, it could also help them from staying away from trouble and from hanging out with the wrong people. This would help the child to focus more on school and what is important to the child. The cognitive behavior theory is known to help child that are victims of abuse cases whether it is physical or sexual and the parents that are the abusers, that may help them to reestablish a relationship between parents and children. Abuse-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy  The main usage of the Abuse-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) is working with children and their families that have suffered sexual or physical abuse; the environment is very hostile, the child may be subject coercion and are aggression when the family is present. AF-CBT is also used for children with behavioral problems such as Conduct Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. AF-CBT is right for children who are the ages of 5-15, who exhibit some level of behavioral or emotional dysfunction and for parents or caregivers who may resort to uncomfortable or unsafe levels of physical punishment. The goal of this therapy is to reduce the level of physical abuse risk factors of the caregiver or family and to reduce the consequences of these experiences for the children. The primary focus is behavior management, social skills, training, cognitive restructuring, problem-solving skills, and communications skills for the caregiver’s level of anger and promote nonaggressive discipline strategies, to enhance a child’s coping skills, and encourage problem-solving and communication. There are three stages of AF-CBT process, each of the steps consisting in multiple steps that involve the child and the parent(s) separately and jointly. This type of treatment would be taken place as outpatient or in a setting that ongoing contact with the caregiver and the child. The treatment should take place twice a week for approximately three to six months. Abuse-Focus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in an Adolescent Anger-Management, the important part is to be able know how to control anger. Everyone can control their anger and being angry is a normal part of life. Just like everyone else, adolescent are no exception. The only exception is that adolescent can take their anger to the extreme and their action may not be called normal when angered. There is one way to help the adolescent to control their anger is by cognitive therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy can occur in many different ways, the most common is the one-to-one talk with the adolescents. Once the problem is out in the open, the therapist may give the adolescent advice and to show how to control or redirected their anger. It is a success when one discovers the problem using the cognitive behavioral therapy. Now that the adolescent is able to control their anger it more benefit for those who are around the adolescent, it does benefit both parties. With aggressive or violent behavior the AF-CBT will target in three ways in which people can deal with the situations: 1) Cognition (thinking), 2) Affect (feeling), and 3) Behavior (doing). AF-CBT use many different techniques that are used by practitioners, such as behavior and anger management, problem solving, social skills training, and cognitive restructuring. All programs require proper training in different areas, especially with psychological skills so that enhancing interpersonal effectiveness and self-control is maintained. Conclusion The article explains to us how to deal with child and adolescent in dealing with their anger due to physical or sexual abuse to them and to be able overcome their anger and to deal with feelings as well as their families. The primary goal of AF-CBT is to reduce other behavioral problems in children and adolescent when they grow-up.

Background Study

This project explains and explores the role that students in plays for, triggering, fostering and creating a more functional ,usability, Ideal and modern- kneeled Grading System which can be use mainly by the students and teachers for more organized ways of listing, adding, deleting, Inserting and on updating the grades of the students. In this part it is tackled the ways and procedures on how to plan the project, analyze the problems to be encountered, designing, and mostly coding which is very necessary to be done.Aside from that, the reject is useless without the GUI which serves as the foreground of the program. In addition, Database which serves alternately as the storage of every Information and data which you are going to add, delete or update if necessary. However, all these cannot be possible without the help of every members in the group, that Is why the potential for Interaction and MME- tings of the people involved In creating this said System Is highly recommended for th is to be done In time. Therefore established a functional, reliable, and user-friendly Online Grading System, cooperation and contributions areWhy use of Online Grading System? If we can still use instead of the traditional way of updating the grades? Simple, because it organizes one's work ,hassle free and can optimize and save more time. By combining all the procedures above and the qualitative knowledge of every group members in this task, the paper aims to provide and create a better and usable Online Grading System for the benefits of all the authorized people involved in here. This findings suggests that the role of the students in this said project is very necessary for making it work in the right direction to be done.

Eve, the Serpent, and Death Formal Analysis Essays

Eve, the Serpent, and Death Formal Analysis Essays Eve, the Serpent, and Death Formal Analysis Essay Eve, the Serpent, and Death Formal Analysis Essay The painting Eve, the Serpent, and Death by Hans Balding is a dark representation of the classic Bible story of Adam and Eve from the book of Genesis. Balding has clearly based most of the painting on themes from the Bible story. And the Lord God commanded the man, you are free to eat from any tree In the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from It you will certainly die. From this quote you can see where the death aspect In the title comes from, as the male character (Adam) is in a state of decomposition, with his skin ailing off of his body, muscle tissue and bare bones exposed. He appears to be bound to the tree by the serpent, who also has its mouth clenched on his arm. Grasping an apple in his hand, it implies he has eaten an apple from the tree, and has begun to die. When first glancing at the painting, most of the attention is grabbed by the fair composition of the character that is Eve. She appears to be glowing in contrast to the darkness of rest of the painting. It appears as though the light source Is shining from beyond the right side of the painting, as Eve, part of the tree in the foreground, ND the voluble parts of death, or Adam are Illuminated. The background, however Is shrouded with darker colors, only few shapes and lines are visible giving the representation of dense shrubbery occupying the background. There is some shading used on Eves body parts, but not as dramatic as the shading of the tree, which almost has a half-dark, half-light appearance. The organization of the painting is mainly constructed with use of long vertical lines, which creates a dominant foreground that uses dark, neutral colors. In the foreground you see the image of Eve, who is made up of deep curvy lines to monster the body of a naked woman in a standing pose, one leg in front of the other. The tall curvy lines clearly defining the shapes of the legs, torso, and arms. Standing next Eve Is the trunk of the famous forbidden tree from the story of Adam and Eve. It Is composed of long lines with varying points of curvature, giving the tree a twisted appearance. Running up and down the exterior of this tree, are long lines going in erratic directions, connecting with each other making up the bark of the tree. These lines help give the tree an image of texture and movement, by repeating the imposition of the bark. The lengthy, curvy, horizontal lines used for the body of the serpent, which is wrapped around the tree, help accentuate the twisted shape of the tree. There are tall, vertical lines that are used to form the appendages belonging to the figure of Death or Adam. These lines are used mainly for his visible arms and legs, which have deteriorated to the bone; the extended lines establishing the exterior of these appendages. His right leg, however appears to still be intact, but only the bottom half Is visible. Many short lines also contribute to the structure of the minting. There Is a series of closely grouped short, curved lines that constitute the muscle fiber of Death or Adams decaying flesh which Is seen as ripped, and falling from his body. Manifesting at the bottom of the tree is a collection of small, curved add to the trees wicked appearance. As a whole, the painting is a real attention grabber, and it provokes deeper thought through the use of its extreme color contrast and perplexing images. It is definitely a more disturbed imagining of Adam and Eve which accentuates the underlying dark side of bible stories.

The STOP ERA Campaign Against Womens Equality

The STOP ERA Campaign Against Women's Equality STOP  ERA was the name of conservative activist Phyllis Schlaflys campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) which she founded after Congress passed the proposed amendment in 1972. Her campaign played a significant role in the fight to prevent ERA from being ratified in the 1970s. The Origins of STOP ERA The name of STOP ERA is based on an acronym for Stop Taking Our Privileges.  The campaign argued that women were already protected under the laws of the time and making ERA gender neutral would somehow deprive women of their special protections and privileges. STOP ERAs major supporters were already supporters of Schlaflys conservative group, Eagle Forum, and came from the right wing of the Republican Party. Christian conservatives also organized for STOP ERA and used their churches to provide meeting spaces for events and network with legislators who were valuable to the strategic approach of the movement. Though STOP ERA included people from a wide variety of existing groups, Phyllis Schlafly led the effort and hand-picked state directors to steer the campaign as well. The state organizations raised funds and decided on a strategy for the initiative. The 10-Year Campaign and Beyond The STOP  ERA campaign fought against the amendment from the time it was sent to the states for ratification in 1972 until the final ERA deadline in 1982. Ultimately, ratification of the ERA fell three states short of the number needed to add it to the Constitution. Many organizations, including the National Organization for Women (NOW), continue to work for an amendment guaranteeing equal rights for women. In response, Phyllis Schlafly continued her STOP  ERA campaign through her Eagle Forum organization, which warned that radical feminists and â€Å"activist judges† still want to pass the amendment. Schlafly, however, died in 2016. The Anti-Feminist Philosophy Phyllis Schlafly was so well known for her antagonism to gender equality that the Eagle Forum described her as the â€Å"most articulate and successful opponent of the radical feminist movement.† An advocate for honoring the â€Å"dignityâ€Å" of the role of homemaker, Schlafly called the women’s liberation movement highly detrimental to families and the U.S. as a whole. Reasons to Stop the ERA Phyllis Schlafly traveled across the U.S. throughout the 1970s calling for opposition to the ERA because it would supposedly lead to a reversal in gender roles, same-sex marriages, and women in combat, which would weaken the militarys combat strength. Opponents of the amendment also speculated that it would result in taxpayer-funded abortions, unisex bathrooms, and remove laws that depend on gender to define a sex crime. Perhaps most of all, Schalfy feared that ERA would hurt families and eliminate Social Security benefits for widows and homemakers. Although she had earned a salary, Schalfy did not believe women should be in the paid workforce, especially if they had young children. If women were to stay home and raise families, earning no benefits of their own, Social Security was a necessity. Another concern was that ERA would abolish a husbands legal responsibility to support his wife and family and would alter child support and alimony laws to make them gender neutral. Overall, conservatives worried that the amendment would undermine the authority of men over women, which they saw as the proper power relationship for well-functioning families.   Many of these claims about ERA have been disputed by legal scholars. Still, the STOP  ERA campaign continues to generate news whenever the ERA is reintroduced in national or state legislative sessions. Edited and updated with additional information by Jone Johnson Lewis.

Organizational Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Organizational Behavior - Essay Example In order to answer the objectives previously mentioned, the study reviewed job satisfaction-related literature in defining what job satisfaction is, its intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and other elements that can either increase or decrease it. The study used published peer-reviewed articles in scholarly journals from year 2000 and onwards. All articles included in the study are empirical and have used questionnaires as methodological approach. Job satisfaction has been the topic of various researches for the past few decades, focusing on the factors that affect job satisfaction, how it can be achieved, and how it can be enhanced (Hoppock, 1935). It has also been said that job satisfaction can determine the quality of performance and productivity of an individual (Patterson, et al 2004). By definition, job satisfaction can be feelings, attitudes and emotions that employees feel towards work-related aspects (Lock, 1976). These can be their relationships with their co-workers, wages, workload, and working environment (Jackson and Corr, 2002). This implies that if an individual employee is satisfied with his/her working environment of the amount of salary and compensation that he/she receives, his level of job satisfaction will correspondingly increase. However, if an individual suffers from over workload or stressful environment, it can contribute to his/her dissatisfaction. It also implies that job dissatisfaction can lead to poor level of performance and absenteeism of an employee. Job satisfaction also consists of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors are an individual evaluation of the quality of work performed; how the work was handled professionally; individual development of skills and expansion of horizon; and intellectual growth and maturity. Extrinsic factors, on the other hand, include the kind of work environment; salary provided and bonuses; rewards and promotions in return for excellent performance;

Human resource management. Training and development Essay

Human resource management. Training and development - Essay Example It increases the level of individual and organisational competence and helps to reconcile the gap between what should happen, and desired targets and standards of performance; and what is happening and actual levels of work performance. According to Armstrong (2001): "training needs analysis is partly concerned with defining the gap between what is happanng and what should happen. However, it is necessary to avoid falling into the trap of adopting the "deficiency model" approach, which implies that training is only about putting things rights that have gone wrong" (Armstrong, 2001, p. 551-552). Training needs assessment is necessary to ensure an adequate supply of staff who are technically and socially competent, and capable of career advancement into specialist departments or management positions. There is, therefore, a continual need for the process of staff development, and training fulfils an important part of this process. Training should be viewed, therefore, as an integral part of the process of total quality management. Armstrong divides training needs assessment into three levels: corporate, group and individual level (Armstrong, 2001). A large number of organisations make some use of separate training needs analysis, although this is usually a periodic rather than a regular activity. There are many different ways of conducting such assessments, but they usually involve some form of survey, either by discussion or questionnaire, with managers. This does not automatically remove the problem of a failure to perceive the real needs, which occurs with annual appraisals (Beardwell, Holden, 2004). The same people are involved, and unless they are provoked by the approach into a different way of thinking, the probability is that their response will be the same as in the appraisal. One approach, which is somewhat broader than an assessment of training needs is to design a workshop for senior managers to work through what is needed to implement some of the strategic decisions the company has made (Reed, 2001). Part of this workshop would involve a consideration of the skills required against what they feel exists within the company. This can help managers to perceive needs which may otherwise be hidden to them, such as the many capabilities needed to manage strategic alliances, and the degree to which the managers who report to them have experience or knowledge that is relevant. Another approach is bottom-up feedback. This approach can be used in performance management processes, as a basis for personal improvement, and in order to gain a more objective view of company capabilities and areas of management weakness. They are particularly useful for measuring capabilities in management and interpersonal skills, aspects of a manager's behaviour which are experienced by others besides a manager's boss, peers and subordinates, and in some cases customers and suppliers. All the methods take readings from one or all of these groups of people, as well as requiring the manager to undertake a

The demographic imbalance in the UAE and Security Threats Research Paper

The demographic imbalance in the UAE and Security Threats - Research Paper Example The paper first looks at the demographic data with regard to nationalities, then proceeds to analyse how the demographic imbalance threatens local community identity, social structure, economic and political future of the UAE. Demographic data with regard to nationalities and gender Since 1975, the UAE population composition has experienced rapid transitions. The population has grown more than 10 times over this period with the greatest population growth being that of foreign nationals (Al-Suwaidi, 2011). At 12% of the total population (Al-Khouri, 2010), the number of nationals is extremely low compared to that of expatriates, and certain nationalities are predominant within the demographic structure. Analysing the most recent estimated data for 2010 over a five year period, UAE population was estimated to be 8.5 million in 2010 of which only 950,000 were national citizens while 7.3 million were accounted for by non national residents. In 2005, the nationals were estimated to be around 818,000, which implies that the national population growth was at a 3% growth rate. On the other hand, the foreign nationals who were 3.3 million in 2005, more than doubled over the five year period to 7.3 million (National Bureau of Statistics, 2012; UAE Defence & Security Report , 2011). Table 1: UAE Population data 2005-2010 Â   2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 UAE Nationals 0.82 million 0.85 million 0.88 million 0.9 million 0.93 million 0.95 million Foreign Nationals 3.3 million 4.2 million 5.3 million 7.17 million 7.2 million 7.3 million Figure 1: UAE Citizens versus Foreign citizens Figure 2: Population growth trends 2005-2010; UAE nationals versus foreign nationals (data in millions) It has been predicted that if appropriate correctional measures and policies are not taken to address the trend effectively, then UAE national population is further projected to fall relative to the foreign nationals, grossly impacting the demographic imbalance (Al-Khouri, 2010). With the Economist Intelligence unit (EIU, 2010) having forecasted that the population in the Gulf region will be growing by a third over the next eight years till 2020, this poses a serious challenge to the development of the region in the future and requires strong policies to address the imbalances. Analy sing the population composition based on nationalities as presented by Randeree (2009), it can be noted that certain foreign nationals are more predominant than others. The leading nationals are Indians at approximately 36.5% of the population, while the Arabs from other regions and Pakistani nationals follow at 12.7% each. UAE also exhibits a unique structure in its demography with respect to gender - unlike most countries, Emirati male population exceeds the female population, thus by 2010 population estimates there were 479,109 males, while females stood at 468,888 (Randeree, 2012; National Bureau of Statistics, 2012). This implies that ratio of male to female is 1.02 males for every female. The Emirati male to female ratio has been

Introduction to Gene Therapy Research

Introduction to Gene Therapy Research Gene therapy is a type of treatment that occurs at the molecular level in which defective genes are replaced by normal genes in an attempt to correct genetic disorders. The development of gene therapy which started in the early 1990s has brought hope for thousands of people with life threatening genetic disorders. Disorders that were once thought incurable are now being cured due to advanced research in gene therapy. Gene therapy allows for the treatment of numerous disorders and even genetic diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. An example, a type of Lebers congenital amaurosis (LCA), an inherited eye disease, can only be cured using gene therapy. (ASGCT, 2000) LCA is an inherited degenerative eye disease that targets the retinal area typically causing congenital blindness in early infancy that usually lasts an entire lifespan. The retinas purpose is to receive light, convert it into neural signals, and send those neural signals to the brain for visual recognition (Healthline Medical Team, 2015). Since LCA targets the retinal area, patients with this disorder are completely unresponsive to light and cannot see. Occurring in around 2 to 3 per 100,000 newborns, LCA is not only very rare but also one of the leading causes in early child blindness. LCA most commonly has an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance meaning that both copies of the allele in each cell from both parents have mutations. In this case, both parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance carry one copy of the mutated allele without showing any signs and symptoms of the actual condition. So there is only a 25% chance that the child will hav e the disease, showing how rare LCA really is. There are 14-17 known genes which all have different functions and are all equally necessary for vision that have the possibility of carrying mutations responsible for LCA. Mutations in the CEP290, CRB1, GUCY2D, and RPE65 genes are the most common causes while mutations in the other genes are rare. So far LCA is only treatable with gene therapy if the mutation occurs to the RPE65 gene, whose role is to produce a type of vitamin A needed to keep light-sensing photoreceptor cells fully functional. Otherwise the disease is untreatable and gets worse as a child gets older to a point of complete blindness with no hope of ever being able to see again. (Manning, 2016), (AAPOS, 2014), (National Eye Institute, 2017)Using gene therapy, experts are able to replace the mutated RPE65 gene with a healthy RPE65 gene restoring its original function. This is done by retinal injection, a method in which modified viruses carrying a normal copy of the huma n RPE65 gene are injected beneath the retina. Restoring the genes original function gives the retina the special kind of Vitamin A it needs and allows it to absorb light in order for visual recognition. This process was mastered through a series of trials done by scientists. Initially tested on animals such as dogs, the procedure restored vision for blind dogs. Then after years of research and dedication, the process began being tested on humans after being deemed successful on animals. In 2007, the first successful human clinical trial treating Leber congenital amaurosis was reported at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. Although, the process hasnt been 100 percent successful, it has worked repeatedly and has been proven to be efficient. (Fighting Blindness, 2016)In conclusion, gene therapy is a work in progress. So far gene therapy has been developed to treat numerous disorders and diseases but research is being done to increase this number. LCA is an example where gene therapy has shown great success. Although, it can only be used to treat one type of LCA causing gene mutation, scientists are continuously working on ways to treat other mutations and also increase the success rate. As technology improves daily, gene therapy will be the staple of the 21st century medicine saving millions of lives. Citations/References: American society of gene cell therapy (2000) Available at: http://www.asgct.org/about_gene_therapy/diseases.php (Accessed: 12 January 2017). LCA Gene Therapy trial (2016) Available at: http://www.rpfightingblindness.org.uk/index.php?tln=researchpageid=17 (Accessed: 12 January 2017). Media, 2017 H. (2015) Available at:http://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/retina (Accessed: 12 January 2017).Reference, G.H. (2017) Leber congenital amaurosis. Available at: https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/leber-congenital-amaurosis#inheritance (Accessed: 12 January 2017). Reserved, A.A.R. (2014) Lebers congenital Amaurosis AAPOS. Available at: https://www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/66 (Accessed: 12 January 2017). The Gene Therapy journey: From bench to bedside (2016) Available at: https://nei.nih.gov/lca/blindness (Accessed: 12 January 2017).

gatdream Blurry Dreams in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Blurry Dreams in The Great Gatsby The American Dream is a path people set out upon in order to achieve a goal, usually pertaining to the acquirement of stability and security. The dreams of these people were followed through with strong hope and perseverance. Yet, during the period of the 1920's, this dream was obstructed by the need for materialistic power. Scott Fitzgerald portrays this destruction of the American Dream through the main character, Jay Gatsby, in his novel The Great Gatsby. Gatsby longs to rekindle a past romance with his love Daisy Buchanan, but this dream is obliterated by his greed of wanting more of something he never could have. Jay Gatsby destroys the chance of living a normal, healthy life when he decides that he must reach an unattainable goal, having Daisy as his wife. Yet, Gatsby hadn't always lived his life as a man in search of an abundance of what was presented to him. This is made apparent in the end of the novel at his own funeral, when Gatsby's father, Mr.Gatz, presents Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel with a keepsake from Gatsby's childhood. The object is a journal of resolves that Gatsby had listed for himself to accomplish. Most of these goals were in reach of accomplishment, making it very capable of Gatsby to achieve his aspirations without fail. Mr. Gatz, marveling at the ambition Gatsby held for himself, "read each item aloud and then look[ed] eagerly at me. I think he rather expected me to copy down the list for my own use" (182). This statement shows how Mr. Gatz does believe in his son's old dreams of trying to better himself as a person. This goal, with work, see med attainable and most likely to happen, but a stronger outside force of money pushed Gatsby in another direction. Gatsby's early goals of manner and such seemed picayune in a society run by wealth and materialistic power. Therefore, in order to survive in this society, he changed himself from a man born under the poor family name James Gatz, to the falsely commended Jay Gatsby. His drive to succeed in the world was so strong that Gatsby went through illegal measures of bootlegging.

Bacteriophages Vs Antibiotics

Bacteriophages are actually viruses highly specialized to attack bacterial cells while doing no harm to animal cells. When a phage discovers a bacterium to which it possesses the correct key—that is, suitable receptors on the bacterial cell to which the phage can attach its tentacle-like extensions—then the phage will inject its hereditary DNA into the bacteria cell. Taking over the bacterial cell's biochemical apparatus, the phage produces hundreds of phage copies, rupturing the cell. As the victim cell dies, the released phage copies attack any remaining bacterial cells like a pack of hungry wolves (Reidel).Advantages The advantages of the therapy are obvious. Bacteriophages are very specific parasites and, unlike antibiotics, do not damage the useful bacteria that live in and on the body. Phages are â€Å"intelligent† medicine: They increase just where they are needed, while antibiotics often do not get to where they are needed. Once all phage-susceptible bact eria have been killed, phages are eliminated from the body. The most apparent benefit of phage therapy is that although bacteria are able to develop resistance to phages the resistance is much easier to overcome.The reason behind this is that phages replicate and undergo natural selection and have probably been infecting bacteria since the beginning of life on this planet. Although bacteria evolve at a fast rate, so too will phages. Bacteria are most likely to modify the molecule that the phage targets, which is usually a bacterial receptor. In response to this modification phages will evolve in such a way that counteracts this change, thus allowing them to continue targeting bacteria and causing cell lysis.As a consequence phage therapy is likely to be devoid of the problems similar to antibiotic resistance. Increasing evidence shows the ability of phages to travel to a required site — including the brain, where the blood brain barrier can be crossed — and multiply in the presence of an appropriate bacterial host, to combat problems such as meningitis. However the patient's immune system can, in some cases mount an immune response to the phage (2 out of 44 patients in a Polish trial (Carson)).Development and production is faster than antibiotics, on condition that the required recognition molecules are known. Disadvantages According to Reidel, the phages' high specificity, with which they look for their bacterial victims, is at the same time also their therapeutic Achilles' heel. Therefore, either a cocktail containing many different types of phages must be developed by the infection control specialist, or a phage effective against the specific pathogen of each patient must be custom-made through detailed microbiological analytical work.Western regulatory authorities tend to loathe recognizing such manually manufactured anti-infective agents as medicines, which explains why currently phage therapy is routinely only available at phage therapy cen ters in Georgia (part of former Russia), Europe and Poland. However, the Wound Care Center in Lubbock, Texas, has started to treat patients. For chronic infections due to multi-resistant pathogens, phage therapy could become a kind of miracle medicine. Wikipedia condends that Bacteriophage therapy is generally very safe; however fevers can occur with phage treatment.This is thought to be caused by endotoxins released by the bacteria within the patient after they have been lysed by the phage (Herxheimer Reaction), of course this can happen with antibiotics also. Additionally care has to be performed in manufacture that the phage medium isn't contaminated with bacterial fragments and endotoxins from the production process. It is beneficial if testing on animals is performed to ensure safety. Lysogenic bacteriophages are also thought to be risky, and are now seldom used therapeutically.These viruses can act as a way for bacteria to exchange DNA, and this can help spread antibiotic resi stance or even, theoretically, can make the bacteria pathogenic. To work, the virus has to reach the site of the bacteria, and unlike antibiotics, viruses do not necessarily reach the same places that bacteria can reach. Finally, some non therapeutic (lysogenic) phages transfer genes between bacteria that code for pathogenicity, notable in cholera. This makes it important to identify the phages being used to show that they are not harmful ones. What are ANTIBIOTICS?An antibiotic, according to Wikipedia, is a drug that kills or prevents the growth of bacteria. They have no effect against viruses or fungal infections. Antibiotics are one class of antimicrobials, a larger group which also includes anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic drugs. They are relatively harmless to the host, and therefore can be used to treat infections. The term, coined by Selman Waksman, originally described only those formulations derived from living organisms, in contrast to â€Å"chemotherapeutic ag ents†, which are purely synthetic.Nowadays the term â€Å"antibiotic† is also applied to synthetic antimicrobials, such as the sulfa drugs. Antibiotics are generally small molecules with a molecular weight less than 2000 Da. They are not enzymes. Some antibiotics have been derived from mold, for example the penicillin class. Volume 4 of How Products Are Made says that antibiotics differ chemically so it is understandable that they also differ in the types of infections they cure and the ways in which they cure them. Certain antibiotics destroy bacteria by affecting the structure of their cells. This can occur in one of two ways.First, the antibiotic can weaken the cell walls of the infectious bacteria, which causes them to burst. Second, antibiotics can cause the contents of the bacterial cells to leak out by damaging the cell membranes. One other way in which antibiotics function is to interfere with the bacteria's metabolism. Some antibiotics such as tetracycline and erythromycin interfere with protein synthesis. Antibiotics like rifampicin inhibit nucleic acid biosynthesis. Still other antibiotics, such as sulfonamide or trimethoprim have a general blocking effect on cell metabolism. AdvantagesIt is estimated that the average duration of many infectious diseases and the severity of certain others have decreased significantly since the introduction of antibiotic therapy. The dramatic drop in mortality rates for such dreaded diseases as meningitis, tuberculosis, and septicemia offers striking evidence of the effectiveness of these agents. Bacterial pneumonia, bacterial endocarditis, typhoid fever, and certain sexually transmitted diseases are also amenable to treatment with antibiotics. So are infections that often follow viral or neoplastic diseases, even though the original illness may not respond to antibiotic therapy.Antibiotics in small amounts are widely used as feed supplements to stimulate growth of livestock and poultry. They probably ac t by inhibiting organisms responsible for low-grade infections and by reducing intestinal epithelial inflammation. In cattle, sheep, and swine, antibiotics are effective against economically important diseases. The use of antibiotics in dogs and cats closely resembles their use in human medical practice. In fish farms, antibiotics are usually added to the food or applied to the fish by bathing.The incidence of infections in fish, and animals in general, may be reduced by the use of disease-resistant stock, better hygiene, and better diet. Although effective against many microorganisms causing disease in plants, antibiotics are not widely used to control crop and plant diseases. Some of the limiting factors are instability of the antibiotic under field conditions, the possibility of harmful residues, and expense. Nevertheless, antibiotic control of some crop pathogens is being practiced, as is true of the rice blast in Japan, for example (Science and Tech). DisadvantagesSome individu als may have allergic reactions to antibiotics. If symptoms of an allergic reaction (such as rash, shortness of breath, swelling of the face and neck), severe diarrhea, or abdominal cramping occur, the antibiotic should be stopped and the individual should seek medical advice. Because antibiotics can affect bacteria that are beneficial, as well as those that are harmful, women may become susceptible to infections by fungi when taking antibiotics. Vaginal itching or discharge may be symptoms of such infections. All patients may develop oral fungal infections of the mouth, indicated by white plaques in the mouth.Injected antibiotics may result in irritation, pain, tenderness, or swelling in the vein used for injection. It is a common assertion that some antibiotics can interfere with the efficiency of birth control pills. Although there remain few known cases of complication, the majority of antibiotics do not interfere with contraception, despite widespread misinformation to the cont rary (Gale). And there’s also what is known as Antibiotic Resistance. Wikipedia says that Antibiotic Resistance is the ability of a micro-organism to withstand the effects of an antibiotic. It is a specific type of drug resistance.Antibiotic resistance evolves naturally via natural selection through random mutation, but it could also be engineered for the purpose of creating bio-weapons. SOS response of low-fidelity polymerases can also cause mutation via a process known as programmed evolution. Once such a gene is generated, bacteria can then transfer the genetic information in a horizontal fashion (between individuals) by plasmid exchange. If a bacterium carries several resistance genes, it is called multiresistant or, informally, a superbug. Antibiotic resistance can also be introduced artificially into a micro-organism through transformation protocols.This can be a useful way of implanting artificial genes into the micro-organism. Phages Vs Antibiotics (A Summary) Bacteri ophages are great because: †¢ Bacteria evolve at a fast rate, but so do phages. This makes Bacteriophages devoid of problems similar to antibiotic resistance. †¢ Bacteriophages are very specific parasites and, unlike antibiotics, do not damage the useful bacteria that live in and on the body. Phages are â€Å"intelligent† medicine: They increase just where they are needed, while antibiotics often do not get to where they are needed.†¢ Development and production is faster than antibiotics. †¢ The recovery rate was discovered to be faster in some cases—a tribute to the speed with which the phage multiplied and overcame its host bacteria. †¢ Incidents of misuse are relatively unknown. Antibiotics are great because: †¢ The use of antibiotics on domesticated animals, closely resemble its use in human medicine thus greatly benefiting them. †¢ Phages work best when in direct contact with the infection, so they are best applied directly to an open wound.This is rarely applicable in the current clinical setting where infections occur systemically. †¢ Unlike Phages, which are hardly ever used for therapeutic reasons, antibiotics reduce the incidence of both suppurative and non-suppurative complications of sore throat. A new study from Holland has confirmed that antibiotics protect against quinsy. †¢ Lysogenic bacteriophages are thought to be risky. These viruses can act as a way for bacteria to exchange DNA, and this can help spread antibiotic resistance or even, theoretically, can make the bacteria pathogenic.To work, the virus has to reach the site of the bacteria, and unlike antibiotics, viruses do not necessarily reach the same places that bacteria can reach. †¢ Antibiotics are more readily available because phages have high specifity and require detailed microbiological analytical work. Conclusion The research is still ongoing. Though the odds are in favor of Bacteriophages becoming more common, there have been no large clinical trials to test their efficacy. This therapy today essentially exists only in some Eastern European countries, including Georgia and Poland.But largely because of the growing concern over antibiotic resistance, a lot more people in the medical field are interested in pursuing bacteriophages as an alternative to antibiotics on a large scale. W O R K S C I T E D 1. Reidel, William. â€Å"Book Review: Viruses vs. Superbugs: A Solution to the Antibiotics Crisis? † Epoch Times. (6 May, 2006). 14 April, 2007. http://en. epochtimes. com/news/6-5-6/41280. html 2. Carson, Christine, and Thomas Riley. â€Å"Non-Antibiotic Therapies for Infectious Diseases. † Communicable Diseases Intelligence Supplement on Antimicrobial Resistance 27 (2003): pages not given3. â€Å"Phage therapy. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 4 Apr 2007, 00:38 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 14 Apr 2007 . 4. â€Å"Antibiotic. † How Products Are Made. 2006. 14 April 2007 http://www. madehow. com/Volume-4/Antibiotic. html 5. Science and Technology Encyclopedia. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007 6. Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer. Michigan: Thomson Gale, 2005 7. â€Å"Antibiotic Resistance. † Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2007. Answers. com 14 Apr. 2007. http://www. answers. com/topic/antibiotic-resistance

Case 15: Teletech Corporation, 2005 Essay

Case Study 3: Estimating the Cost of Capital 1. Currently Teletech Corporation (TC) uses a single hurdle rate for both their Telecommunications Services (TS) and Products and Services (P&S) divisions. This hurdle rate obtained by an estimate of TC Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), which is calculated at 9.3%. When analyzing critically at this point, TS is underperforming with a return on capital (ROC) of 9.1%, whereas, P&S segment is well over the required rate of return as it is gaining a ROC of 11.0%. As a result, the firm’ share price is inactive. Their price-to-earning is far below investor’s expectation in comparison to the firm’s risk. The use of a single constant hurdle rate brings about an uncorrelation between risk and return. With an approx. $2 billion being invested in the upcoming years, the discount rate is significantly important in order to make investment decision on profitable projects, that will increase shareholder’s value. 2. Estimate the segment WACCs for Teletech: Corporate TS P&S Explanation MV asset weights 100% 75% 25.00% Bond rating A-/BBB+ A BB Pretax cost of debt (Kd) 5.88% 5.74% 7.47% Tax rate (t) 40% 40% 40% After-tax cost of debt 3.53% 3.44% 4.48% Kd(1-t) Equity beta (ÃŽ ²) 1.15 1.04 1.36 Industry Average Rf 4.62% 4.62% 4.62% 30-year U.S Treasury Securities RM 10.12% 10.12% 10.12% Source: Bloomberg RM-Rf 5.50% 5.50% 5.50% Cost of equity (Ke) 10.95% 10.34% 12.11% Ke=Rf + ÃŽ ²(RM-Rf) Weight of debt 22.19% 22.19% 22.19% Assume that it stays the same as Weight of equity 77.81% 77.81% 77.81% Teletech WACC 9.30% 8.81% 10.41% WACC=Wd *Kd(1-t) + We*Ke 3. It seems that TS is actually profitable on a risk-adjusted basic, even though it is underperforming compared with the firm hurdle rate. The reason behind is the current use of constant hurdle rate does not mirror the higher cost of debt required for P&S, and shows that the cost of equity required for TS will not have sufficient capital in the future but P&S will be given more than enough because TS’ return is less than P&S. It also indicates that TS certainly is less risky than the company and therefore it should be provided adequate funds in the long run. 4. In term of â€Å"economic value†, all money is green. Teletech having a book value of $16 million, they would fit the profile no matter it is under two segments its return on capital is viewed as one whole part. Investors are only concerned with the company as the whole, rather than its individual segments. The implication of that view is to let investors deeply understand that Teletech will still have return at the hurdle rate despite the fact that P&S is less profitable than TS. The return is being produced for shareholders are clearly dependent on where Teletech invests its fund. The argument in favor is that the returns on  capital of the two segments complied into Teletech hence, it is practical to keep all capital contributions at the firm should be treated individually. The argument against this statement is that the decision might be wrong if the use of strategic consideration is not included. The use of single hurdle rate will make the NPV results consistent but the NPV as well as the economic profit estimations would lose their meaning and comparability across TS and P&S. The separation of using different hurdle rates will make Teletech’s return higher. 5. If all the firm’s assets were invested only in the telecommunication segment the firm would increase the total risk as the lack of diversification on multiple investments. From another point of view, currently Teletech is using a constant rate to determine the projects and this rate is used as the discount rate. If the hurdle rate is set constantly at 9.3%, return on capital of TS (8.5%) is far lower than the hurdle, it seems like TS will reduce the firm’s value. While the return on capital of P&S (11.4%) exceeds the hurdle, it means P&S will enhance the firm’s value. TS P&S Explanation Return on Capital (%) 9.10% 11.00% NOPAT (million) $1,180.00 $480.00 Capital (million) $12,967.03 $4,363.64 Capital=ROC*NOPAT Economic Profit (million) -$25.98 $74.17 Use of a constant hurdle rate EP=(ROC-Hurdle Rate)*Capital $37.66 $25.54 Use of individual hurdle rates Where: The constant hurdle rate = WACCfirm = 9.3% The individual hurdle rates: Used for TS = WACCTS = 8.81% Used for P&S = WACCP&S = 10.41% From the table above, obviously observed that the use of the constant hurdle rate will mislead investment decisions, as it probably will result in negative economic profit from TS (-$25.98 million) as it does not take into account any additional risk associated with each segment. In fact if the use of individual hurdle rates applied, it will generate a large positive economic profit from TS ($37.66 million), PS still remains profitable but it is far below the original economic profit that calculated by using the constant hurdle rate. 6. From the calculations above in part 5, P&S will contribute extra value ($25.54 million) to Teletech as the term â€Å"all money is green† because P&S’ actual return is up to 11%, which is, lightly exceeded the hurdle rate of 10.41%. 7. There is no conflict with holding two seats on Teletech’s board of directors as he demanded, but the initial purpose of business is to provide firm’s customers the best goods and services, that will make Teletech to become the best telecommunication service. The firm will have to generate the best possible return, maximize the shareholder’s wealth, maintain the heavy development in both expansions of range as well as increase in customer’ satisfaction. So far, each segment has shown clear evidences and signs that they have been being brought value to Teletech, therefore Teletech have to decide to treat both TS and P&S like individual firms in the uses of equity and debt for a long run benefit.