Reaping What We Sow! Essay

Life’s measure of one’s experiences and blessings does not count to the mere fact of receiving it but, in the way how you have put on it or work hard on it. God’s blessing comes intentionally when you yourselves implant what God wants and follow his will unquestionably. It has been written on Galatians 6: 9 – 10 that â€Å" Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.Doing good to mankind is one way of our service to God. God has its own special way of intervening our inner being, yet we take hold of our own decisions and matter of facts. It has been said that Life transformations takes not an overnight snap of a finger, but a thorough process, slowly refining into an exemplar of becoming God’s ambassador in reaching out the non believers.. As I have quoted in the daily wisdom, there are two methods of planting. One is sowing seeds with meticulous care, making a hole in the ground for each little seed, or broadcasting the seeds, allowing them to till and land where they will. With Either of the method, if we sow the fruits of the Holy Spirit ( Galatians 5:22 ), then that is pleasant, good results will also come within us, However, I believe if we broadcast seeds of God’s love when we live the life He has planned for us. Inasmuch, we exhibit these seed all the time- especially in our homes and workplaces. Foremost, we must always ask the Holy Spirit to live through us, so that when we broadcast our seeds- they will be fruit bearing seeds- in the eyes of God and man. Remember, our spiritual crop will be faithful to our acts. We reap what we sow, God does not say we reap only when we sow a thousand acres of evil or good, but merely that whatever we sow, in whatever amount, will take root and grow. One single seed will sprout as surely as a million acres will. It just takes an ounce of effort and dedication to do God’s will.

Information Theory Essay

Information theory is a branch of applied mathematics and electrical engineering involving the quantification of information. Information theory was developed by Claude E. Shannon to find fundamental limits on signal processing operations such as compressing data and on reliably storing and communicating data. Since its inception it has broadened to find applications in many other areas, including statistical inference, natural language processing, cryptography generally, networks other than communication networks — as in neurobiology, the evolution and function of molecular codes, model selection in ecology, thermal physics, quantum computing, plagiarism detection and other forms of data analysis. A key measure of information is known as entropy, which is usually expressed by the average number of bits needed to store or communicate one symbol in a message. Entropy quantifies the uncertainty involved in predicting the value of a random variable. For example, specifying the outcome of a fair coin flip (two equally likely outcomes) provides less information (lower entropy) than specifying the outcome from a roll of a die (six equally likely outcomes). Hearst Tower (New York City) The six-story base of the headquarters building was commissioned by the founder, William Randolph Hearst and awarded to the architect Joseph Urban. The building was completed in 1928 at a cost of $2 million and contained 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2). The original cast stone facade has been preserved in the new design as a designated Landmark site. Originally built as the base for a proposed skyscraper, the construction of the tower was postponed due to the Great Depression. The new tower addition was completed nearly seventy years later, and 10,000 Hearst employees moved in on 26 June 2006. The tower – designed by the architect Norman Foster, structurally engineered by WSP Cantor Seinuk, and constructed by Turner construction – is 46 stories tall, standing 182 meters (597 ft) with 80,000 square metres (860,000 sq ft) of office space. The uncommon triangular framing pattern (also known as a diagrid) required 9,500 metric tons (10,480 tons) of structural steel – reportedly about 20% less than a conventional steel frame. Hearst Tower was the first skyscraper to break ground in New York City after September 11, 2001. The building received the 2006 Emporis Skyscraper Award. Citing it as the best skyscraper in the world completed that year. treehugger. com Processes In philosophy and systems theory, basic processes, or logical homologies as they were termed by Ludwig von Bertalanffy, are unifying principles which operate in many different systemic contexts. For example, feedback is a principle that figures prominently in the science of cybernetics. Natural and industrial processes utilize basic processes such as feedback. Turning torso HSB Turning Torso is the tallest skyscraper in Sweden and the Nordic countries, situated in Malmo, Sweden, located on the Swedish side of the Oresund strait. Upon completion, it was the tallest building in Scandinavia, the tallest residential building in the EU and the second tallest residential building in Europe, after the 264? etre (866 ft) Triumph Palace in Moscow. A similar, taller skyscraper featuring a 90Â ° twist is the Infinity Tower, currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Prior to the construction of Turning Torso, the 86? metre (282 ft) Kronprinsen had been the city’s tallest building. It was designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and officially opened on 27 August 2005. The tower reaches a height of 190 metres (623 feet) with 54 stories. The vision of HSB Turning Torso is based on a sculpture called Twisting Torso. The sculpture is a white marble piece based on the form of a twisting human being, created by Santiago Calatrava, a trained sculptor, architect and engineer. In 1999, HSB Malmo’s former Managing Director, Johnny Orback, saw the sculpture in a brochure which presented Calatrava in connection with his contribution to the architectural competition for the Oresund Bridge. It was on this occasion that Johnny Orback got the idea to build HSB Turning Torso. Shortly thereafter he traveled to Zurich to meet with Calatrava and ask him to design a residential building based on the idea of a structure of twisting cubes. The turning torso officially started to be built on Feb. 14, 2001. en. wikipedia. org Systems theory is the interdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research. The term does not yet have a well-established, precise meaning, but systems theory can reasonably be considered a specialization of systems thinking, a generalization of systems science, a systems approach. The term originates from Bertalanfy General System Theory (GST) and is used in later efforts in other fields, such as the action theory of Talcott Parsons and the system-theory of Niklas Luhmann. Arkit Eco studio Australian architecture studio Arkit will construct a full scale eco studio prefabricated house as part of Melbourne’s annual state of design festival. the home measures 50m square and will host different events during the festival. To begin, two people will be living in the eco studio full time, working from it in the day and sleeping there a night. Inside, the home has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living space and an adaptable services hub. On top a green roof provides insulation and greenery. Arkit constructs a variety of sustainable prefabricated homes using their modular system. All their structures feature multi compartmental wall panels that provide insulation and rigidity. Sustainably harvested western red cedar and hoop pine are used inside and out, while water-saving technologies help further reduce the home’s environmental impact. It took 6 years of internal r&d prototyping and 1 year of environmental analysis by ghd to create the eco studio.

Social Studies Curriculum Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Studies Curriculum - Research Paper Example A student at a lower level of school might not be able to understand these concepts, and on this basis, these children might be taught on the existence of various cultural groups, and where they are found. To effectively understand culture, a social science curriculum must also have the elements of continuity, change and time (Au, 2012). Culture changes over time, and it is not mandatory for a group to practice one tradition for eternity. This is because globalization and modernity plays a role in eroding some cultures, in exchange of a superior culture. For example, some people cannot speak their ethnic languages, but they can speak English in a very fluent manner. This is because English is a dominant language in the current century, thanks to globalization (Basit, 2012). Another important element in a social science curriculum is the existence of the thematic connotation of people, place and environment. It is impossible to learn about the culture of an individual, without knowing the place where these people come from, and their environments/surroundings. For instance, if we want to know about the cultural practices of the Latino Americans, we have to first identify where these people come from. The Latinos came from North America. After identifying this fact, that is when an individual can effectively learn on their cultural practices, and what shapes them. A social science curriculum must also explain the thematic connotations of governance, authority and power (Basit, 2012). In order to understand this element of governance, authority and power, students have to understand the different cultural values and its elements. This is because it is these cultural values that shape the system of governance within a state/ community. Take for example a society that believes in democracy, their system of governance will reflect democratic tendencies. It is also impossible to understand these thematic connotations of governance, authority and power, without underst anding how the various groups, individuals and institutions interact with each other within a community. On this basis therefore, a good social science curriculum must have an element of groups, individuals and institutions (Au, 2012). It is the various institutions within a country that shapes the governance structure of the same country. For example, a country with a strong judiciary will ensure that the leaders of the nation follow the law, without which there will be consequences. This concept therefore promotes the rule of the law. Implications of constructivist theory: Constructivism is a theory is a theory that denotes knowledge is a creation of people, and it is influenced by their cultural believes, and values. According to this theory, knowledge is constructed individually and bases itself on the student’s intellectual development as they experience reality that occurs during the process of social and physical activity. On this basis, constructivism theory can be us ed in the design and planning of a curriculum for the study of social sciences (DeVries and Zan, 2012). The use of constructivism theory, in the development of a social studies curriculum will center on the following four tenets. The first tenet is that the mind of an individual has the capability of representing issues through symbols. Language is an important symbol recognized by the mind, and it is an important element that contributes to the student’

Philosophy and Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Philosophy and Technology - Essay Example Given any circumstance he would avoid confrontation and any kind of collision with an opposing party. War or aggression is the last thing on the mind of a pacifist. The author through the above statement is trying to convey that if a person who possesses the characteristics of a pacifist is made to work in a bomb factory he would still come up with a new idea to make a bomb. No matter how opposed a person might be towards the concept of waging a war, if the mind is put to work on a task that needs to be done, the task takes precedence against the principles. The chief duty is to design a bomb, and no matter how opposed the principles of the person concerned are, he would eventually end up innovating and creating a new type of bomb. According to the author technology has shaped the human mind and has been much of a latent threat to the very existence of mankind as much as it has been a boon. The author through his interpretation of the human psychology and the constant struggle betwee n the opposing forces of principle/conscience and duty has tried to convey that the human mind and its intrinsic qualities are overpowered by practicality and the reality of life. In this case the reality is the surrounding, the environment, and the opportunity to design a new type of a bomb. Human beings are thinkers, innovators and are prone to ideate. A constant undercurrent of the urge to experiment and innovate prevails on the human mind. The human psyche by nature is inclined to improvise and invent things from what it sees around it and in this example provided by the writer, he may go against his pacifism to design a new bomb within weeks. Even if this means going against his very fundamentals he would still be drawn to live a life of intellectual prosperity and independence. We live in an age where man’s lust for power and technological superiority overshadows basic principles of humanity and life. Man’s greed for machines and mechanisation is to such an exten t that he would let the machines take over and in turn be reduces to a defunct and cold vestige of sorts. In our age mechanisation and scientific leapfrogging has finally triumphed to an extent that we can actually feel the tendency of the machine to make physically and intellectually challenging human life impossible. (Orwell 193) Building and developing on the central theme of intellectual proliferation, am individual if confined to a secluded environment with a nature work that is opposed to him, he would eventually begin to put his mind over the job and end up doing the task. All the steam in the world could not, like the virgin build Chartres The second phrase is by Mont Saint Michel and Chartres. It exalts the triumph of technology and its ushering through the Industrial Revolution in the Western World. The power of the mother is represented through the phrase given above. It talks about the benefit of technology to the western world and the power of the Lady who ultimately se cures â€Å"†¦the place of woman in the Church to be the guardian of the primacy of the contemplative over the active, of persons over ideas, and of family over economy† (Mary Victrix 1) According to the author the power of technology is immense. Technology is compared to the power of the Lady, Virgin Mary. It was her power, influence and inspiration that led to the construction of the cathedral in Chartres, France. Mary Victrix 1). Technology is viewed

Answer the following question after reading Heart of Darkness Is the Essay

Answer the following question after reading Heart of Darkness Is the quest for knowledge a destructive endeavor, why or why not - Essay Example The story is about the men's inner confusion when faced with compelling situations, cruelty towards other humans, and what they become after leaving civilization and humanitarian values. In the end Mr. Kurtz, a man with quest for knowledge ended up insane and worthless to his company, shows the paradox underlying Conrad's intention to question the purpose of his mission. Whether quest for knowledge is a destructive endeavor or not, main question that may arise in the story of "Heart of Darkness," is clearly emphasized through large number of resources by Conrad. We all know that quest for knowledge is not a waste of time, as knowledge could be applied to life both in learning about self and the world, and it is a way to make life productive and eventful. The "Heart of Darkness" carries story within the story, of which "the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale" (Conrad 2000. p.18). It gives a clear picture on the depth of knowledge Conrad has and forces the readers to search more and more sources to enrich their knowledge. "The basic narrative structure of Heart of Darkness is a frame-tale with inset stories, an experiment with 'oblique narration', a tale within a tale" (p.xxv). For any reader who is reading it for the first time, it will not be possible to understand the message or inner meaning of the novel completely. Subsequent reading will reveal that much of the meaning in "Heart of Darkness" is found in the periphery of the book, and not in the centre of the book or the heart of Africa. H eart of Darkness is a good example to cite the downfall of morality and withering away of a civilized man, Mr. Kurtz in the African Congo. Pursuit of knowledge is presented through the anecdotal narration of Mr. Marlow, a seaman. He begins his story sitting cross legged, resembling a "Buddha preaching", and ends it sitting 'indistinct and silent," "in the pose of a meditating Buddha" (ibid p.16,123). Mr. Marlow described as sitting "like a meditating Buddha' reveals he has achieved some sort of enlightenment. It symbolizes the preaching of an enlightened person and how he is going to deliver knowledge to his attentive disciples like the sermons of Lord Buddha. By following the words of Marlow, and the narrative style adopted by Conrad it is doubtful whether the ultimate goal of imparting knowledge was achieved or not. As the narrator is not maintaining continuity to his narration, and his audience is also inattentive, proves this symbolism failed to deliver any purpose. Another incidence that link to an effort to gather scientific knowledge comes from Marlow's visit to a doctor before his departure to African Congo and what transpired between them. It indicates another incidence of thirst for knowledge and its ultimate outcome. For Marlow's enquiry about the investigations carried out by the doctor and the reply he receives "this is my share in the advantages my country shall reap from the possession of such a magnificent dependency" has not been effectively established anywhere in the novel. To his further question, whether the doctor also measures the crania of those returning, the reply was he never sees them and "moreover the changes take place inside." It indirectly points out that the navigators to Africa are experimental pieces and majority lost their senses

Answer 2 questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Answer 2 questions - Assignment Example In terms of morals, a lot has changed since today casual sex is allowed, and even preferred in some cases (Wells & Twenge). The last three decades have seen the face of family life change drastically. In the United States, for instance, only 25% of the population is in nuclear families (Wells & Twenge). A variety of stepfamilies has arisen due to the increased number of divorces and remarriages. This "new normal" in the universe is reflected and accepted in all aspects of our lives. The media, for instance, encourages this view through advertising, broadcasting and promoting movies and music. The idolized music and movies stars today can get divorces up to three times,. As such, divorce and remarriages have become the best way to move on. Such principles have been accepted, and people do not see any issue. For this reason, the number of stepfamilies will continue to shot up if this trend goes

Right to Vote 15th Amendment Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Right to Vote 15th Amendment - Research Proposal Example And that principle is the individual’s freedom from obligation and coercion by a governing body. It was from such a principle that America derived a system of capitalism which ensured each citizen could achieve—by his own hands—the so-called â€Å"American Dream†. Nevertheless, America has not always lived up to this standard; at times in history, it has seen the political philosophy of Jefferson’s magnum opus assaulted and tarnished with hypocrisy. The assault on individual rights—and the natural equality of man—took the form of rampant racism in Jim Crow laws for nearly a full century. But it was the Fifteenth Amendment which helped restore some loyalty to the principle of individual rights. Indeed, the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution secures a legal framework that is ultimately most consistent with the principles upon which the United States declared itself a free and sovereign nation. What, in detail, was the philosophical imperative for the Fifteenth Amendment? Such a question will receive its due attention later on; now, however, it would be useful to critically examine the history of the Amendment, and its practical necessity in the context of the political climate of its time. To examine its history, we must try to immerse ourselves in the type of culture which made it indispensable: a climate of racism and political instability. Indeed for much of the 19th century, the historiography for the period known as Reconstruction (1865-1877) in America was dominated by a traditional interpretation which held that the Radical Republicans enforced black supremacy in the defeated Rebel states, and that the Reconstruction period was an orgy of corruption instituted by carpetbaggers, scalawags, and freedmen. Nevertheless, by the end of the middle 20th century, this interpretation had been almost completely toppled: instead, the freedmen were

Standard financial investment information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Standard financial investment information - Essay Example Outsourcing can be defined as, "subcontracting a process, such as product design or manufacturing, to a third-party company. Outsourcing became part of the business lexicon during the 1980s. The purpose of this paper is to agree or disagree with the concept that standard financial investment information and criteria are all that is needed to effectively evaluate IT outsourcing definitions The decision to outsource is often made in the interest of lowering firm costs, redirecting or conserving energy directed at the competencies of a particular business, or to make more efficient use of labor, capital, technology and resources" (Wikipedia, 2008). Significant cost savings, cost restructuring, an improvement in overall quality, access to a greater pool of knowledge, the existence of a legally binding contract, operational expertise that would otherwise be too expensive, the solving of staffing issues such as a small and dependable internal talent pool, improved capacity management, prov iding a catalyst for major change, reducing the time it takes for a product to reach market, commoditization, improved risk management techniques, the ability to operate 24/7 because of various time zones, and the pressure that is being placed on a company by customers which may only be solved through outsourcing (Wikipedia, 2008).Provided that the best ethical practices are taken into consideration and implemented, it is not agreed that standard financial investment information is all that is needed to effectively evaluate IT outsourcing definitions ... as information risk management or integrity services, providing routine assistance to in-house auditing for operations and control evaluations in peak period activity and conduct special projects such as fraud investigation or plant investment appraisals" (Wikipedia, 2008). Before any decisions are made, however, it is important that a Return on Investment is conducted. Companies need to way the benefits and the savings against the drawbacks and the costs in order to determine whether they are doing the right thing. This task is accomplished through a Return on Investment. According to the article written by Cresswell, "The choice of how to conduct the analysis should be based on four critical principles pertaining to: the strategic objective(s) of the ROI analysis, the place (and importance) of the IT investment in the overall enterprise architecture, the type of analysis that should be conducted (i.e., what data and methods of analysis are best suited to those objectives), and how the ROI analysis fits in the overall decision context for IT investments" (2008) During the Return on Investment analysis, it is crucial for managers to determine who is going to be impacted by it, what the risk factors are, who will be affected, is it really necessary for the given project, and if it is even worth the cost of an ROI analysis. In addition, the overall technology infrastructure should be considered, along with business processes, the organizational environment, and external relationships (Cresswell, 2008). Although many firms have chosen to at least partially outsource their IT functions over the past several years, these decisions have not been made for cost reasoning alone. According to Graham and Harvey, who conducted a survey, "The results of our survey were

Halpern's View Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Halpern's View - Essay Example Through her article â€Å"Sex, Brains & Hands: Gender Differences in Cognitive Abilities,† she has explained how the sex differences in cognitive abilities are not just because of ‘sex,’ but are also due to the role of ‘preferred hand’ and socio-cultural factors in development of cognitive abilities. With the help of in depth look at different research studies in psychology, sociology, biology and culture, Halpern has done an excellent job in convincing the reader that the sex differences in cognitive abilities are more a part of social and cultural influence than the ‘sex’. The article is an eye opener as it gives an insight on the truth related to the gender studies and also makes the reader realize that accepting the differences as sex related can prove disastrous for healthy development and progress of females. Hence, it sends a strong message that one should keep away from conclusions based on half true stories in media, and should r emember that females can be trained to develop equal abilities as males if they are given equal support and opportunities as males are given in the society. Weaknesses of research studies In her article â€Å"Sex, Brains & Hands: Gender Differences in Cognitive Abilities,† Halpern has aimed to make the readers aware about the weaknesses in gender related research studies which try to send a wrong message that females are inferior to men in cognitive abilities. She has used different research studies, its results and its drawbacks, as evidence to explain her point of view. Different aspects of the gender studies which Halpern has used to prove her point are discussed below. Unreliability of tests Halpern has referred to the fact that even though there are various studies showing cognitive differences in males and females, there are also various studies which show no differences. According to Halpern, there are various â€Å"tests of verbal, visual-spatial and quantitative abi lities that show consistent sex differences† (Halpern 5). However, she also draws the reader’s attention to the fact that there are various other tests that fail to show these differences (Halpern 5). This proves that the sex differences in cognitive abilities are not a consistent. Unfortunately, only those studies which have shown sex differences in cognitive abilities are highlighted by the media for public attention. The studies which have proved that there is no difference were not given any space in media. This created a wrong notion that males are superior to females when it comes to cognitive abilities. Halpern later discusses the similar scenario observed in the field of mathematics. Differences in mathematical abilities To explain the sex differences found in mathematical abilities, Halpern has referred to study by Benbow and her colleagues. While referring to the results of this study, which showed great sex difference in ratios in high mathematics scores, she has highlighted the fact that it was not that â€Å"there were no girls in the group† who scored high (Halpern 5). It is just that girls were less in number than boys (Halpern 5). This proves that even girls can attain high scores in mathematics (Halpern 5). Sadly, as it happens always, even this study was highlighted in the media in wrong way. All kinds of media sent a wrong message that only boys are good at mathematics. However, Halpern has

The Fragmented Authoritarianism of the Chinese State Essay Example for Free

The Fragmented Authoritarianism of the Chinese State Essay Asoke Kumar Mehera ([emailprotected] com) (Ex-Teacher of La Mart College of Technology, Sydney) In post-reform period, Chinese state is creating and sponsoring NGOs in order to transfer to them certain functions that it used to perform itself under the command system of the socialist era. NGOs in reform-era China represent both challenge and continuity in state-society relations. It is easy to observe the semi-official nature of some NGOs and the state’s tight formal control of the sector demonstrates the evidence of continuity. The officially organized NGOs are comprehensively dependent on the state agencies that created them and behave more like subordinate units of the agencies than independent entities. Actually, Private entrepreneurs are depended on official patronage for access to bureaucratically allocated resources, political protection and socio-political legitimacy. On the other hand, It is also easy to notice a change in the predominantly popular culture of the other NGOs and a certain degree of autonomy (regarding marginalised interests like HIV, same-sex relationships etc. ). There are genuinely bottom up NGOs that set their own agenda and seek to influence government policies and try to bring important issues to public attention. The arbitrary use of administrative power by the state agents, bureaucratic control over the resources, constant fluctuation in government policies and an ineffective legal system, have all contributed to an uncertain environment for NGOs in China. Many popular NGOs have engaged in entrepreneurial activities with their contacts in the government. The state’s failure to discipline the agents and bureaucrats; whose protection and complicity enable NGOs to evade supervision and engage in inappropriate activities to generate finance. Actually, a vast majority of NGOs are interested mainly in finding ways to exploit state-controlled resources for their own benefit, rather than playing the political role conventionally ascribed to civil society. There are various ways for NGOs to advance their interests, such as forging patron-client ties with officials, operating through networks of personal relations that cut cross the state-society divide or providing political support to the state in exchange for its sponsorship. The self-serving entrepreneurialism of the NGOs (sometimes as part of sponsoring agencies) has apparently been a fairly common problem. Although scholars are still debating about the nature of the Chinese state entrepreneurialism and corporatist state control over NGOs in post-reform era; but the nature of state- civil society interaction can be summarized as â€Å"dependent autonomy†. As per â€Å"fragmented authoritarianism†, the state has retained its dominant role in socio-economic sphere and the authority below the very peak of the system has become more fragmented and disjointed as a result of economic reform. A research on the NGOs carried out in 2000 shows that popular NGOs active in the field of women’s rights, tries to hide the cases from mass media because it would directly criticize the local authorities and police, whose goodwill is important for their existence. Many NGOs consider their relationship with government agencies and officials as the most important of all their relationships. Many officially organized NGOs at local levels are simply tools for local government agencies to create agency slush funds. Various qualitative and quantitative studies of China’s political culture have identified a number of features that are not conducive to collective action and civil society activism. These include elitism, fatalism, and lack of cooperative spirit and group solidarity. Individual NGOs need to pool their resources and join hands with other likeminded people and organizations to challenge government policies which prioritize economic growth over environmental protection. It is not unjust to apply â€Å"macro† political theories such as civil society and corporatism for explaining the actual behaviour of NGOs. Actually, we need to relate NGO studies to such issues as state capacity, political culture, and the evolving state-society relations in China. The growth of autonomous NGOs in China will not necessarily result in the development of a thriving civil society, which needs a competent state structure and impartial legal system. The unethical alliance between local officials and entrepreneurs is basically for the mutual benefit and above all, at the expense of the policies of the central state and the interests of other social groups. Public interest has not been served properly as the state lacks the capacity to enforce rules within the welfare sector largely comprised by NGOs. Actually, the state apathy to civil welfare is depicted by the fact when the central government orders all state agencies to de-link themselves from the economic entities. It is not a good foundation for a healthy civil society. Dependent autonomy is not a type of state- society relations that favours the interest of the state (Yiyi Lu, 2012).

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Causes and Symptoms

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Causes and Symptoms Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in the Reproductive Woman: An Epidemiological Approach Abstract One of the most prevalent disorders among women with reproductive age is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Though the etiology of this syndrome is unknown, it can be diagnosed on the basis of three cardinal characteristics. This paper defines the issue along with a brief background and its significance. It also explores the prevalence and incidence rate worldwide and especially in Pakistan. Moreover, it will enlighten the major risk factors and long term concerns which have made life of women miserable. A review of treatment which includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological ways that is diet and exercises will be highlighted. Furthermore, it provides recommendation at individual, community, institutional, national and government level. It also explores the need of future researches among women with PCOS. By approaching all these aspects, women can combat with PCOS and reduce forthcoming morbidities. Women of all ages experience multiple health issues. Particularly, women during her reproductive years encounter gynecological and endocrine disorders that exasperate their lives. Among all disorders, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy. PCOS was referred as Stein-Leventhal Syndrome after Irving Stein and Micheal Leventhal, who first described it in 1935 (KINZA). However, record of PCOS dates back from atavistic era. Hippocrates, Soranus of Ephesus and Moises Maimonides identified women with oligomenorrhea, sterile conditions, masculine and healthy appearance which suggests PCOS (Azziz, Dumessic, Goodarzi, 2011). According to National Institute of Health Conference (1990), â€Å"Women are defined to have PCOS if they have chronic anovulation and evidence of androgen excess for which there is no other cause† (Guzick, 2004, p. 181). The diagnostic criteria’s for PCOS are convened by the National Institute of Health in 1992, the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology/American Society for Reproductive Medicine i.e. Rotterdam criterion in 2004 and the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society in 2006. However, a Rotterdam criterion is widely used. According to Rotterdam criterion, presence of any two cardinal features is sufficient to diagnose a woman with PCOS. These features include oligomenorrhea or anovulation, clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovaries. This criterion also defines the morphology of polycystic ovaries i.e. â€Å"the presence of 12 or more follicles measuring between 2 and 9 mm in diameter and/or an increased ovarian volume of greater than 10 cm3† (Sirmans Pate, 2014, p. 3). PCOS has a high prevalence and incidences not only in western areas, but also in Eastern areas, specifically in Asia. Rehman, Salahuddin and Obaid-ur-Rehman (2005) estimated 20% women from the general population, and 10% women of reproductive age suffer from PCOS. A study conducted in UK reported that 20% 25% white women suffer from PCOS whereas the ratio was found to be much higher in South Asian women i.e. 52% (Karachi: Seminar told ovarian disease, 2010). A prospective study conducted in Greece, Spain and United States concluded that about 4% 8% of women were diagnosed with PCOS (Teed, Deeks Moran, 2010). In India, a cross-sectional study revealed that 51 out of 96 women have PCOS (Bhattacharya Jha, 2011). Furthermore, 20.7% women of reproductive age group are affected in Pakistan (Baqai, Khanam, Parveen, 2010). The morbidity rate of PCOS is expanding to a great momentum due to lack of awareness regarding preventive measures and inappropriate healthcare facilities. Its long t erm consequences do not limit to the reproductive axis; women with PCOS are at high risk for acquiring metabolic and cardiovascular illnesses (Avery Mayer, 2007). Inspite of its deleterious impacts PCOS has persisted for many years. It also remains a challenge for the clinician’s to diagnose and manage it. However, better understanding of the complexities of PCOS will ultimately lead to improved health outcomes and effective clinical care. This compelled us to converse over the epidemiology of PCOS. â€Å"PCOS has been identified as an area of clinical need and as a public health issue† (Hailes, 2011, p. 28). The exact etiology of PCOS is yet unknown, but several sufficient determinants are associated with its occurrence (Rehman et al., 2005). Insulin resistance is the major underlying factor. About 50-80% of the women with insulin resistance reported to have PCOS. Insulin plays both direct and indirect roles in the appearance of the disease. High levels of insulin work synergistically to the luteinizing hormone. Together they increase the androgen production of theca cells which lead to lipid abnormalities (Zacur, 2003). Moreover, elevated insulin level inhibits hepatic synthesis of sex hormone–binding globulin leading to increase amount of unbound or free testosterone (Ehrmann, 2005). Ahmed et al. (2008) highlighted genetics as an important risk factor for PCOS. Deregulation of the cytochrome P450c17 gene affects ovarian function which results in hyperandrogenism (Ahmed et al., 2008). Ehrmann (2005) reported that an abnormality in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis (HPOA) is associated with PCOS. Rojas et al. (2014) concluded that an increase impulse frequency of HPOA raises the production of luteinizing hormone (LH). This in turn increases the synthesis of androgens, suggestive of PCOS (Ehrmann, 2005). Other factors include altered steroid metabolism that is dysregulation of 11b-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase (Ahmed et al. 2008). In a retrospective study, women on antiepileptic drugs reported menstrual irregularities. Hence a positive relation between antiepileptic drugs and PCOS was found (Zacur, H., 2005; American Pregnancy Association, 2014). Vitamin D deficiency may place a woman to develop PCOS (Thys-Jacobs, Donovan, Papadopoulos, Sarrel, Bilezikian, 1999). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) decreases if women have higher body mass index (BMI), fat and insulin resistance. Hence, vitamin D deficiency alters intracellular calcium, which results in ovarian dysfunction (Khan et al., 2014). Untreated PCOS have various ramifications, including reproductive, metabolic, cardiovascular and psychological alterations. According to Legro et al. (2013), endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer may occur due to deficiency of progesterone. Moreover, women with PCOS are prone to develop Diabetes Mellitus (DM) type II in later life. A case control study revealed that 7.5% of women end up with DM type II (Legro, Kunselman, Dodson, Dunaif, 1999). In addition, PCOS can affect circulatory system in an indirect way as women develop dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases. Anxiety and depression are the most common psychological issues reported by women with PCOS (Way, 2013). Lifestyle modification should be adopted by women suffering from PCOS. These amendments include weight control, stress management and dietary modification. A small amount of weight loss as little as 5% can help a woman to regulate the menstrual cycle and ovulation. Weight control can be beneficial for a woman to sustain mental well-being, and enables her to partially culminate the risk of cardiac and metabolic disorders (Boyle Teede, 2012). Moreover, dietary management includes the consumption of low glycemic index, high fiber and low fat diet to reduce the associated symptoms of PCOS. No ideal pharmacological treatment has yet been found that completely treats PCOS. However, symptomatic treatment is usually preferred. Low dose of oral contraceptive pill, cyclic progestin and metformin are used as first line treatment for PCOS. These drugs help in treating ovarian dysfunction, menstrual irregularities and hyperandrogenism (Garad, Teede, Moran, 2011). Elter and colleagues concluded from their clinical trial that OCP in combination with metformin is more effective in suppressing the androgen level as compared to OCP alone (Ahmed, Qureshi, Anjum, Akhtar, Anhalt, 2008). In presence of hirsutism spironolactone (200mg/d) is commonly prescribed (Guzick, 2004). Clomiphene citrate is recommended to induce fertility in women with PCOS. It triggers FSH secretion and mature ovarian follicle. Herbal therapies are also used to cure PCOS which includes liquorice, kasip fatimah, spearmint tea, etc. All three herbs have anti-androgenic properties. In Turkey, RCT concluded that wo men who receive spearmint tea have decreased levels of free testosterone (Goswami, Khale, Ogale, 2012). Recommendation and future research PCOS is endemic in Pakistan, particularly in the reproductive women. To reduce the incidence rate following recommendation can be helpful. At an individual level, it is significant to provide psychological support to the women suffering from PCOS. This will enhance her self-confidence and enable her to cope effectively. Moreover, counseling services should be readily available for newly diagnosed women. These services should emphasize on weight management via diet and exercise. Proper instructions regarding drug dosage, side effects and the importance of compliance is crucial. The physical changes in the women with PCOS not only impact her well-being, but her family is equally affected. Therefore, family concerns should be addressed. Further, regular follow up should be stressed. It is estimated that 70% of women with PCOS remain undiagnosed in the community due to lack of awareness (March et al., 2010). Therefore, several screening programs should be organized to assess women’s physical, metabolic, and reproductive health. These programs help women to identify any alterations in their bodily functions. Further, it helps health care workers to plan effective need based interventions for them. Community health centers should arrange weekly monitoring of blood pressure, weight and BMI. Health institutions should initiate yearly screening programs for lipid profile, glucose levels (Boyle et al., 2012) and Vitamin D levels. Various mediums can be used to increase awareness in the population. Women should be educated to self-monitor the symptoms of PCOS. This could be achieved through the distribution of pamphlets, brochures, and flyers at institutional level. Similarly, at national level mass media like television shows and commercials, plays an important role. Awareness is an essential tool to save future daughters, wives and mothers from PCOS. Government in affiliation with health and education sectors should make policies to initiate awareness among school going girls, regarding menstrual irregularities and warning signs of PCOS. Also, the government should introduce free health services in district and tehsil hospitals to maintain sexual health of women (Beydoun et al., 2009). In collaboration with non-governmental organizations awareness sessions and support groups should be planned for high risk and previously diagnosed women to prevent them from complications. More parks and walking tracks should be made, and specific hours should be allocated for women. PCOS remains a debating issue for researchers as its causes and outcomes are emerging day by day. Matzke (2011) suggested that large sample studies in non-randomized clinical trials should be conducted. This would increase validity, reliability and applicability of the researches. Longitudinal studies should be conducted, and an individual should be followed for more than 5 years exactly after the diagnosis. The purpose of long term monitoring is to evaluate the significant changes that occur due to PCOS (Matzke, 2011). There is a need to modify the name of PCOS as this term only focuses on cyst and ovaries. Therefore, a name that defines its intricacy and reflects its characteristics in metabolic, hypothalamus, pituitary, ovarian, and adrenal interactions should be suggested (National Institute of Health, 2012). A few studies indicate that fertility drug such as clomiphene citrate may increase the risk of ovarian cyst if taken for a long period (American Pregnancy Association, 2014) . In this regard, further experimental researches should be performed to evaluate the evidence of PCOS in such women. A Chinese medicine cryptotanshinone is known for its significant effect in endocrine and metabolic disorders. However, this medicine is only tested on rats and showed a significant decrease in the symptoms of PCOS (Yu et al., 2014). Therefore, clinical trials of this drug are suggested. Ayurveda is a traditionally used treatment regimen. An experimental uncontrolled study was done to investigate the effectiveness of samprapti kriya and other herbs for curing sub-fertility in PCOS. Results showed that 85% of the women get cured and75% were able to conceive (Siriwardene, Karunathilaka, Kodituwakku, Karunarathne, 2010). About 70% of Pakistani people prefer alternative therapies over conventional medicines (Kokab Ahmad, 2011). Therefore, further research is required to validate the effectiveness of ayurveda treatment. In conclusion, PCOS have emerged as a devastating endocrine disorder among  women worldwide. The chief cause is unknown yet. This syndrome displays a variety of reproductive, metabolic, cardiovascular and psychological features. Management primarily focuses on lifestyle modification along with certain pharmacological medications for presenting symptoms. To eradicate this disorder, efforts are required at individual, community, institution and governmental level. Working on future research needs would help us to achieve better outcomes in upcoming years.

architecture :: essays research papers

1. Introduction. Northlands rapidly increasing growth in population over the last few years has put huge pressure on the building industry. Many of the building companies and businesses simply cannot find enough staff in order to meet the demand from the ever increasing client base the region is seeing. Due to this, the demand for civil engineers in Northland is very high thus there are a large number of small privately owned companies set up in the area. Richardson Stevens Consultants Ltd. is a privately owned company which is run by three directors. They specialise in structural engineering and their main cliental are a number of home building franchises. They employ structural engineers who have studied civil engineering at university and also draftsmen. Working as an engineer for such a company gives the employee a whole understanding of how the company is run and managed, how problems are dealt with and the rewards of finishing major assignments on time and to a professional standard. 2. Company Structure / Products and Services Richardson Stevens Consultants Ltd. (RSC) was founded in 1997, originally they had one director and employed three structural engineers and a draftsman. It now employs nine engineers, three draftsmen, two secretaries and is run by three directors. The company is based in Whangarei and their work comes from throughout the Northland region. 2.1 Products and Services The majority of the work that RSC perform is structural engineering, however they also do a small amount of geotechnical engineering. As there is no specialist geotech engineer in the office, they have to hand on a lot of their work to offices such as Tonkin Taylor who do have geotechnical engineers. The company does a lot of domestic work for home building franchises such as GJ Gardener homes and Golden homes. Typically this would involve a site investigation first to determine the ground conditions and then make calculations based on these conditions as to what foundations are required. The housing companies all have plans pre-drawn and they sell these to the client. However the clients always want to change something around a bit, so before the housing company can go ahead and build, they come to RSC who do structural calculations in order to determine if the change is ok. RSC also do a lot of work with subdivisions. These involve the civil engineers in the office rather than the structural engineers. Before building consent can be granted to a sub-divider, RSC has to design the roading, sewer, storm-water and the surface drainage.

Work Experience Essay -- Papers

Work Experience Work experience. The first time those words were mentioned I felt a cold shiver slowly descend down my back. Images of spending a week with unknown people in dead-end jobs flooded into my head. It was obviously going to be far too much effort for what it was worth. Yet, another side of me said do I want to be watching paint dry, or even watching grass grow.’ This is not where I want to be. I want to be out, I want to be experiencing, living, running, jumping, eating, playing, screaming, laughing, anything. I had to apply to a company for a two week placement, and this had to be done through proper procedures, so I had to make sure my curriculum vitae was up to date and well presented. I first began to think what type of work experience would I most enjoy and benefit from. I thought I would like to work in a computer related placement since I am doing IT as a GCSE and I have a keen interest in it. I went along to the careers office and talked to the careers teacher but he didn’t quite have what I wanted so I went home and done some research on the internet and found a contact number and e-mail, I phoned the number and asked about any work experience opportunities and they said the best thing was to e-mail my queries to a certain e-mail address. I e-mailed this person and they replied wanting to know what was the exact specification of this work experience. After several e-mails, they told me to send my CV along with a letter of application and so I did. A few weeks later I received a e-mail saying they do not do work experience for GCSE students, but added by saying they were planning to launch such opportunities... ...ing and informative week, I enjoyed every part of it as most of the tasks I comprehended them as challenging. I was made to feel extremely welcome by all of the members of the staff. I found the week very informative because I found out that it is definitely the sort of business I would like to do when I leave school/university. By taking up this work, it had made me feel differently about my career plan as how crucial it really is before this work experience. When I look back at my work experience in about five years time I would like to think of it as â€Å"It was worth every penny†. Also how a great deal it was influential in playing a crucial part in my life when I reflect back! I walked to the train station feeling satisfied with myself. I arrived home feeling rather cheerful and surprisingly looking forward to school.

The Prime Instigator of Conflict Is Fear

When we people feel frightened, it is often that the fright itself is the point when conflict is build. It is not wrong if we say that conflict is not only triggered by fear. There are many things that could cause a conflict, but when you think a bit further, these things are caused none other but by fear. Hatred of one person to the other is generally caused by fear that also brings up anger and envy. Fears of the uncertain future and death also provoke conflict. When people is scared of what others might do to them, they will make the first move and strike without realizing or trying to understand them first which caused a misunderstanding that will again root to conflict. A Moslem, sometimes has a false interpretation when trying to understand their religion. They were trying to fulfill their belief needs, and yet their fear of the American society leads them to terrorize U. S and so started the war between them. The same thing could be applied to the protest against the authority. In ‘The Crucible’, Abigail Williams is the one who initiate conflict in Salem, which results in the death of many innocent people who are falsely accused of witchcraft. Abigail started her lies due to save her name in the village that already blackened, and as the story goes on, to save her life as well. With the arrival of Reverend Hale, the simple matter of ‘dancing in the wood’ could no longer be put behind. Abigail has no other choice but to keep lying, a lie that was once only to save her life is now threatening the whole village and people who are initially not involved in it. She does not hesitate on telling lies, and her true motive is now colored with her fear of losing her former lover. This fear is far greater than her conscience, and eventually devours it. Reverend Paris as a minister has a fright on his own that makes him not doing his job rightfully as the enforcement of justice. For the sake of his name, his family and his occupation, he turned his back on people who need justice. The fear of losing greatly consumes his mind that he willing to sacrifice other people rather than losing his pride, similar to what Abigail does. Judge Danforth is also one who is consumed by fear and would not let go of it. He has seen it that Abigail was a fraud, but he could not admit his wrong doing by hanging those innocent people, instead he declares that John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey need to be hanged by the next day to save his name. He is terrified of what people might think and do if they knew the truth that there is no witchcraft. These personal conflict which actually happened in their own mind, become a significant global conflict that involved a lot of people when a person with authority possessed it and take action to save themselves. War and terrorism that happened between Iraq and USA is none other created by one simple thing, fear. The reason that based these extremists on 9/11 tragedy is actually the same reason that is used when US had their attack on Iraq. We first thought that it is only natural that US would come with an attack of revenge, but US knew that Iraq is not the place where the bombing on 9/11 came from. Why do people attack one another? What causes human to kill? The answer is always clear, fear. We would not kill, attack, shoot and blow up other people if we weren’t afraid of them. It is true that conflict is generated from fears. This fear devours all conscience and common sense of human that brings out the inner conflict in ourselves. Nonetheless, conflict is our everyday meal for us human. Without conflict, not to mention fear, there will be no development or revolution in human life. But, it is always good to keep our fear and sense in control not letting fear taking charge in our mind. Democracy which arose from conflict, is also originated from the fear of the false-authority or tyranny. This shows that a controlled fear could brings up social justice and goodness in people.

Legal and Ethico Moral Practice of Nurses

Nurses are facing many legal or ethical dilemmas in their career. It is very essential to know what kind of dilemmas nurses may face during their profession and how they have been dealt with in the past. Nurses should combine knowledge of ethical and legal aspects of health care and professional values into nursing practice. It is very essential for the nurses to know the difference between law and ethics.Ethics observes the values and actions of people. On the other hand, laws are necessary rules of conduct. A nurse may be faced with an act that may be ethical but not legal. The purpose of this study was to look into the level of compliance to the Legal and Ethico-Moral responsibilities of Staff Nurses of Selected Tertiary Hospitals in Lucena City and the assessment of their head nurses.To achieve this purpose, the researcher determined the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of age, gender, employment status, educational attainment and length of service; the analysis of the level of compliance in terms to the legal responsibilities and ethico-moral responsibilities and in determining the significant difference between the head nurse assessment of their staff nurse followed and then the significant relationship between the demographic profile and the assessment made by the staff nurses.Using the descriptive correlational and descriptive comparative method of research, the study presented the demographic profile on the level of compliance of staff nurses and head nurses based on the gathered data. The study adapted the questionnaire utilizing the Core Competency Standards for Nursing Practice in the Philippines, PRC-BON Resolution No. 112, s. 2005 and the National Competencies in the Context Entry-Level Registered Nurse by the College of Nurses of Ontario.Simple percentage, weighted mean, t-test and chi-square, and were used in the treatment of the data. The findings of the study revealed that on the profile of respondents, most of the staff nurses belong to 21-30 years old age range, majority were female who were regular or permanent, Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree holder with more than two years of working experience. It was found out that staff nurses complied at all times to the legal responsibility and ethico-moral responsibility.Furthermore, it was drawn that there is significant relationship between the demographic profile of the staff nurse (age, gender, employment status, educational attainment and length of service) and the Level of Compliance to the Legal and Ethico-Moral responsibility. The researcher recommends to the hospital administrator that the result of this study be used to support the conduct of professional and continuing education for staff nurses and to provide adequate, resources, training and development and a more supportive work environment.To the Head Nurses that they do strict monitoring on the clinical area to ensure the compliance of staff nurses to the legal and ethico – moral res ponsibilities. That the staff nurse should be encouraged to continue their nursing education and by participates in the research team of the hospital. . For future researcher, it is recommended to conduct or replicate this study on a larger scale in the public/private tertiary hospitals in other regions of the country, considering the eleven (11) competency standards.

Facilitating Learning And Assessment In Practice

Introduction I am a registered nurse based in a ward that manages spinal and orthopaedic conditions among patients. Currently, I am finalising my training as a qualified mentor. This paper presents a reflective account of my experiences in facilitating, teaching, and assessing student learning during their learning practice. It also highlights the learning outcomes drawn from the experience. Due to ethical considerations of any academic publication, which demands confidentiality, and anonymity of the persons that were actively involved in my encounter, this paper omitted names or used pseudonyms in the development of the account (Polit & Beck, 2008). Practice-based learning provides the students with needed experience, which is an essential aspect of skill development that enhances their ability to effectively interact with clients as well as their families by developing the student’s communication, interpersonal, psychomotor, and technical skills (Myall et al., 2008). Practice-based learning is also an effective opportunity that allows the learners to link theory and practice, which are vital in the learner’s professional development (Zachary, 2011). Furthermore, practice-based learning is essential in a nursing career due to its vocational nature as well as its role in determining the learner’s clinical competency and hence protecting the public from instances of incompetency in nursing practice (NMC, 2008). Through demanding and instilling high standards of professionalism during assessments, practice-based learning makes sure that nursing students are able to effectively practice before they are registere d as nurses (Myall et al., 2008). This demonstration of my eligibility to assess and supervise nursing students in practice coupled with successful completion of this training will allow me to be an effective mentor in nursing (Price, 2007). Therefore, I will be able to actively participate in the development of future nurses that will meet the needs of patients, which are increasing in diversity and complexity (Polit & Beck, 2008). Nursing Standards In order to promote adherence to specific attributes that support assessment and learning in practice, the nursing standards offers specific guidelines that must be met by teachers, practice teachers and mentors (NMC, 2008). Specifically, the fixed requirements cover standards, frameworks, and information on the approaches for assessment in nursing practice. There standards are defined by eight domains including: leadership, evidence-based practice, context of practice, creating a learning environment, learning evaluation, assessment and accountability, learning facilitation, and establishment of valuable working relationships (NMC, 2009). Linking these domains to my own practice, I hold high regard for leadership and formation of useful working relationships. Establishment of good working relationships is essential in nursing as a nurse works together with the patients family in ensuring the best nursing care is provided for the patient (Polit & Beck, 2008; Appendix 1) enhancing the standards of care. Good working relationship is also important in minimizing the negative student experiences building on the student’s competency in practice (NMC, 2008). Consideration of the imperativeness of family-centred approach to nursing care and the promotion of good working relationships demands effective leadership. To be specific, leadership in my case involves influencing others, improving nursing care, and role modelling (NMC, 2009). This demands application of a situational approach to leadership when handling different leadership situations at work. In my work setting, leadership is broad ranging from handling the pa tient’s family issues, which requires participative leadership, or directing a practicing student, which demands assertiveness. However, it is imperative for a nurse to act in the best interest of the patient (Price, 2007) which can best be achieved through autocratic approach to leadership. Consequently, establishment of effective leadership and relationships require knowledge, skill, and experience and are vital in the provision of high-quality nursing care (Myall et al., 2008). There are several professional challenges that I encountered during the assessment which emanated from the complexities related to staffing levels and hastiness in the ward that negatively influence the quality of practice assessment (Polit & Beck, 2008). The sustained pressure from clinical commitments and the limited time availability affects the process of student supervision and assessment during practice-based learning (NMC, 2009). More so, there may be inconsistency in achievement, which affects the process of student assessment with regard to their fitness to practice (NMC, 2008). In other cases, some students in practice-based learning do not conform to the existing support systems for instances of failure limiting their learning and effectiveness of the assessment. In addition, the supervisor may be reluctant to fail an incompetent learner due to perception that he process is too complex or general poor assessment, this also posed a challenge in my practice. The existing nursing standards that guide learning and assessment of students in practice offer frameworks for nursing mentors. However, the document is limited, as it does not consider all competence assessment aspects (Myall et al., 2008). Therefore, some forms of assessment are subjective as much as the framework for assessment is provided due to the intrinsic nature of the nursing profession and the variations in nursing skill-set to be assessed. It is challenging to establish a comprehensive assessment of competency especially due to learners’ spontaneous action to utilise their skills, knowledge, and attitude from an emotional intelligence perspective (Bradshaw & Merriman, 2008). These issues are enhanced in situations where a mentor fails to fail instances of incompetency among learners (Myall et al., 2008). These problems are resolved through the use of sign-off mentors that offer final evaluation of the students before being accredited to be effective to service as pr ofessional nurses at the end of nursing training program (NMC, 2009). Consequently, more support to the nursing standards is needed to promote effectiveness of learning assessment for practice-based learning. This support is provided various nursing documents such as nursing guides, which offer strategies and support for practitioners in the nursing profession. Facilitating Learning and Assessment This is an important approach for assessing skills, knowledge and attitudes among nursing students (Price, 2007) and is complex in nature with the focus of promoting objectivity in the assessments (Bradshaw & Merriman, 2008). The ensure the diversity of the nursing settings are accommodated during the assessments, there are several assessment approaches that can be used in student mentorship programs including mini clinical assessment exercise, direct observation, case-based discussion, and mini peer assessments (Myall et al., 2008). Mini clinical assessment exercise offers an overview of student performance of key clinical skills. This assessment approach works both in routine patient encounter as well as ward environment. Direct observation of procedural skills involves observing a nursing student which conducting a clinical procedure where the observer provides necessary feedback at the end of the procedure. A good example of a clinical procedure that can be observed is preparatio n of a dressing trolley by a student. Case-based discussion, on the other hand, involves an interview aimed at exploring judgment and behaviour such as asking the student to list what he/she observed during a specific patient care program. Finally, mini peer assessments encompass a team of qualified professionals that offer feedback on the performance of an individual. The process of selecting the method of assessment should consider its cost effectiveness, educational impact, acceptability, validity, and reliability (Bradshaw & Merriman, 2008). Assessing a student’s craft knowledge helps the student to reflect and develop based on experiential learning (NMC, 2009). Effective assessment should focus on developing insights into a student’s craft and formal knowledge in order to understand the student’s ability to assess risks and utilise learned knowledge in meeting practice requirements (Price, 2007). There are four vital areas that cover student assessment, namely motivation, performance, skill, and knowledge. Even though continuous assessment is known to promote effective positioning of a student’s performance, it has limitations with regard to reliability and validity. Therefore, successful implementation of student assessment require coordination between service providers and educators to ensure the assessment approach is appropriate in terms of its summative and formative perspectives which are imperative in promoting a working linkage between theory and practice (Myall et al, 2008). Mentorship program in clinical setting is complex due to the pressure emanating from the need of sustained student assessment in front of the patients and their family as well as other professionals, which may raise anxiety among the students as well as assessors, which may negatively impact on the assessment process (Bradshaw & Merriman, 2008). Anxiety may be caused by a variety of reasons including curriculum changes, which may undermine the assessor’s competency, the student’s readi ness during assessment, and the assessors feeling of competency with regard to the assessment process. This portfolio outlines an assessment of the competency of a nursing student with regard to the appropriate use of pain assessment tools. I considered this to be vital in the profession of nursing due to the importance of pain assessment skills in nursing care as it is classified as the fifth vital sign in nursing (Murray et al., 2008). Considering the requirement that nursing students should actively participate in vital signs, developing this competency is vital for patient safety (Price, 2007). Further, I considered this assessment to be a direct observation of a procedural skill where I was available during the whole process while offering feedbacks and assessments on the process (NMC, 2009). To ensure the assessment was a success, I developed a plan that included a criterion for implementing the process as well as questions that were used for testing the levels of understanding exhibited by the learner. Furthermore, the assessment plan was developed with the consideration for th e student’s level of practical and theoretical learning (Myall et al., 2008). The questioned used in the assessment were open-ended to allow the student to offer the rationale behind their action path. This was important in developing deeper insight into the leaner’s competency, as well as promotes appreciation of diverse approaches to skills application (Murray et al., 2008). The assessment was initiated after ensuring the ward was quiet enough to minimise the effects of a noisy setting on the assessment program. The process commenced with an official introduction between me and the student as an approach to familiarization between me and the student to minimise instances of anxiety (Price, 2007). After that, I proceeded by informing the student my expectations, the timeline, and offered my reassurance that the process was not formal as I was just interested in observing the process and offering my feedback at the end of the process (Murray et al., 2008). As much as I managed to develop effective background information needed to establish an effective assessment void of anxiety, I did not inquire about the learner’s previous experience, which could have assisted in the assessment process. As much as I had previous encounter with the student, lack of enough background information hampered my effective participation in the growth of the student durin g the practice-based learning. Furthermore, I did not clearly identify the outcomes of the assessment at the beginning of the assessment. As much as appropriate information was provided and the environment was conducive, developing a summary of discussion could have enhanced the levels of student conceptualization of the expectations as well as minimize anxiety and confusion (NMC, 2009). When the student completed the first process, I asked the student several questions. These questions were established to evaluate the student’s communication skills, their understanding of the problem at hand, and general nursing skills (Murray et al., 2008). From the assessment, I observed that the student effectively communicated with the patient as well as the patient’s family a clear illustration of practical application of family-centred approach to nursing (Price, 2007). The student also effectively addressed the nursing situation at hand, as he utilised Wong-Baker pain rating to stabling the pain situation by the patient (Wong et al., 2001). After the student had gained an appropriate pain score, I asked the student a question regarding the appropriate frequency for observing pain, in which the response of the student was appropriate (Bradshaw & Merriman, 2008). From the case, it was evident that I had a problem with my communication skills as I had to repeat mys elf severally before the student could understand what I was addressing. Lowering my communication speed is necessary to enhance the student’s ability to comprehend the information given to them during assessment and minimise on instances where students are overwhelmed by information that is faster than their processing rates. I offered the student a feedback session with the aim of promoting proactive learning relation with the student (Murray et al., 2008). This feedback included active involvement of the student in the development of an action plan for dealing with the identified inconsistencies during the assessment. Considering that the student demonstrated competency in the skill that I was assessing, the action plan was centered on increasing the number of alternative approaches that can be used in applying the skill with the focus on increasing the student’s reflexive skill and hence a holistic competency (Zachary, 2011). The process of provision of the feedback considered developing a positive and constructive impact on the student to assist the student in building self-esteem, cultivating a positive working relationship as well as a supportive learning environment which are important aspects that reduces anxiety during nursing practice (Myall et al, 2008). Research has demonstrated that st udent-mentor relationship influences the student’s learning experience (Price, 2007) and therefore, effective communication between the mentor and the learner can illicit competency concerns at early stages to minimise instances of failure (Zachary, 2011). Even though the student and the mentor may feel sad due to a failed assessment, it is vital for the mentor to appreciate failure as avoiding to report of failure may have an adverse effect on the progression of the student (Bradshaw & Merriman, 2008). This feedback was provided immediately after the assessment session as an approach to providing the student with prompt support and offer immediate corrective measure for any unpleasant conduct exhibited by the student during the session (Zachary, 2011). Based on the assessment and my individual reflections on the outcomes, I identified various areas of my practice that require improvement. Specifically, my feedback on the assessment was limited and did not offer the student a wider scope on improvement. Furthermore, my speaking speeds need to be slowed to ensure effective communication. I also need to focus on developing in-depth background information about the student before the assessment as well as offering the student the expected outcomes of the assessment. In addition, asking the patient about the service will also enhance the determination of the performance of the student as well as development of an effective feedback. Reflective Commentary Mentorship is an important leadership characteristic (Zachary, 2011). Transformational leadership is founded on the ability of an individual to influence others through affecting their thinking. Adoption of this approach of leadership in nursing promotes autonomy as well as enabling the students to realise their full potential. It is also central to encouraging the development of excellent Interprofessional rapport (Myall et al., 2008). By becoming a role model at work through formulating solutions to problems that exist within nursing mentorship, I will be able to benefit myself as well as the student. This influence can also be transferred to other situations in the nursing environment, which will culminate to a better outcome in my nursing practice (Price, 2007). Common obstacles to mentorship such as staffing issues, hectic hospital environment, and clinical commitments influence my ability to perform as a mentor and hence the development of an effective relation with the student is essential (Price, 2007; Appendix 2). Due to the hectic nature of the nursing environment it is challenging to get time for developing a written feedback for the student however to enhance by mentorship capability I need to establish relationship with other mentors that is founded on sharing evaluation feedback as an approach to building my scope with regard to student evaluation. Being able to share with other mentors about feedback can also expand my evaluation to the benefit of the student. As much as this approach is effective in enhancing a student mentorship program in hospital settings, it is challenging especially in cases where other mentors are not interested in sharing their experiences and work limiting its usability. Promoting teamwork in mentorship can be an effective approach to overcoming this obstacle. Dealing with the problem of anxiety requires innate understanding of the student, which implies discussing with the student the most appropriate way for implementing the assessment. This is effective as it encourages the student to be actively engaged in the assessment program and also creating a better relationship between the mentor and the student (Zachary, 2011). Conclusion The process of student assessment is only successful if it is administered objectively and fairly. As much as this approach may result to some emotional distresses by both the assessor and the student, it is imperative for the success of a mentorship program and prevention of negative implications on the student’s advancement. It is also necessary for ensuring approved nurses are competent enough to guarantee patient safety. Therefore, I am determined to ensure that students that I mentor, assess and approve and fit and competent to service as nurses in their respective fields. To achieve this, I will focus on developing a closer working relationship with the students to ensure all competency issues are identified and addressed timely. This is important in ensuring the students that I encounter do not face surprises later during their summative assessment or even when practicing as registered nurses. Furthermore, involvement of the patients and their families in the assessment of my students will be a major trademark of my mentorship and assessment program as I regard inputs by the patient vital to determining the competency of the student nurse. Consequently, as much as the practice of assessment and mentorship is challenging and compound in nature, I believe that effective application of relevant knowledge and skills while focusing on the expected outcomes, it is possible to deliver efficiently in this function. This reflection process has enriched my understanding on the concept of mentorship and its significance in the nursing profession. It has also enhanced my perception of the concept of professional and personal development. I believe that if I eliminate the few areas of weakness that I have identified in the reflection, I will be able to offer effective mentorship and assessment for nursing students in clinical practice. References Bradshaw, A., & Merriman, C. (2008). ‘Nursing competence 10 years on: fit for practice and purpose yet?’ Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(10): 1263-1269. Murray, C., Grant, MJ., Howarth, ML., & Leigh, J. (2008). ‘The use of simulation as a teaching and learning approach to support practice learning.’ Nurse Education in Practice, 8(1): 5-8. Myall, M., Levett?Jones, T., & Lathlean, J. (2008). ‘Mentorship in contemporary practice: the experiences of nursing students and practice mentors.’ Journal of clinical nursing, 17(14): 1834-1842. Nursing and Midwifery Council, NMC. (2009). Additional information to support implementation of NMC Standards to support learning and assessment in practice. London, UK : Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Nursing and Midwifery Council, NMC. (2008). The Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London: NMC. Retrieved from http://www.nmc-uk.org/aArticle.Aspx Price B. (2007). ‘Practice-based assessment: strategies for mentors.’ Nursing Standard, 21 (36), pp. 49-56. Polit, DF., & Beck, CT. (2008). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Zachary, LJ. (2011). The mentor’s guide: Facilitating effective learning relationships. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Appendices Appendix 1: Critical thinking competency standards Source: http://www.drake.edu/media/collegesschools/soe/images/msld/competency_model.png Appendix 2: Essential competencies for an effective mentor

National Diabetes Fact

A Health Problem The diabetes is a disease which is characterized by the absence of insulin properly on the body. Also, the name diabetes has its origin in ancient Greece and Rome, and diabetes means â€Å"sweet†. In addition, this disease has been around the history of human beings for thousands of years. For example, there are manuscripts in Egyptian before of Christ that described to people to urinate frequently, and in Asia some doctors described people who suffered tiredness, skin boils and thirst.Recently, the diabetes has been grouped into three types which are type1 occurs when pancreas produces little or no insulin , type 2 is when the body becomes resistant to insulin or produces not enough blood sugar level, and gestational is in women who develop high blood sugar during pregnancy. Meanwhile, according to National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), in Its National Diabetes Fact Sheet 2011 (NDFS), based on data released by The Depar tment of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in year 2011, diabetes affects 25. million people 8. 3% of the U. S population and this disease has became in the seventh cause of death in the United States. Moreover, based on information from National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) , in its Action Brief (AB) on February 2012, the diabetes expenses were of 174 billion annually in direct medical and indirect costs which had estimated for year 2007 in the United States.In simpler terms, the diabetes has became in serious health problem that produces diverse expenses to diabetics ,so an away to avoid expenses derived of this disease is research what factors can produce diabetes?. Finally, the diabetes produces high medical expenditures for hospital, physician, and prescription medicines to treat diabetes which is a disease caused for three serious disorders are related to obesity, genetic, and stress.First, the most common cause of diabetes is obesity which is related to physical inactiv ity, eating disorders, and genetic. Next, obesity is excess body fat which is commonly measured through mass index which is a ratio of body weight to height, so people are considered obese when their mass index is of 30 or higher ( based on information from National Institutes of Health (NIH), in its Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults ( CGIETOOA) in year 1998) .Also, obesity is serious factor of risk for people because they are more susceptible to develop type 2 diabetes in which the body produces some but not enough insulin or is resistant to insulin; therefore, type 2 diabetes is associated to lack of physical activity. In other words, physical actives produce general health benefits such as blood sugar and pressure properly for adults and children because it is any form of exercise or movement such as household chores, yard work, walking, running, basketballs, or other sports.Moreover, insulin resistance has ob served metabolic abnormalities which are produced for morbidity, so obese subjects have this characteristic of insulin resistance because they lack of physical activities. In the second place, obesity is connect to diet improperly that has high levels of calories more than the body can metabolize, and this type of eating disorders has been result of fast food. In particular, people who eat more calories which are acquired through fast food or unhealthy food suffer of overweight.Too, overweight is characterized for abdominal fat that people can observe in increasing size of waist, hips, and deformation the body in specific areas. Due to, eating disorders produce overweight the metabolic body start to suffer changes that affected to insulin production because overeating produces a fighting into insulin production, so the body does not use insulin well and the result is unbalance in blood sugar level and people become in diabetics. Third, genetic frequently produce obesity that develop s diabetes.In this case, genetic is derived from parents or close relatives, so children are who suffers lineal consequences from obesity because it generally occurs in first year of life. Mainly, children are diagnostic diabetics because their bodies develop an insulin resistance or the pancreas does not produce insulin. As well, rare illnesses produce obesity as hypothyroidism which is disease produced abnormality of thyroid gland that does not produce quantities of hormone properly, among others.Finally, obesity is a cause of diabetes, but obesity generally develops type 2 diabetes which has a treatment through pills, diet and exercise, and this type of diabetes produce a codependency to pills. Typically, codependency to medicaments has raised abruptly, so this produce high expenditure in prescription medicines. Moreover, if population does not deplete the tendency of this disease, the expenses for effects of diabetes as hospital and physician too could continue incrementing. In effect, prescription medicines to treat diabetes increased 85. percent in the period of 1996 to 2003 (Olin, Gary 2006). To conclude, obesity that is risk factor for diabetes can avoid it through little changes in diet and style life more dynamic, so these little changes give positive effect economic and healthy. Second, the production of blood sugar levels is produced for genetic which is linked to factors as family history, racial and ethnic groups, metabolic reaction on diet , and rare gene. In addition, family history has an important connection with diabetes because this disease can be transmitted through of genes.In other words, diabetes has produced for a genetically disorder, so children born with diabetes because they have first degree relatives which are diabetics. Moreover, this characteristic is type1 diabetes in where the pancreas produces little or no insulin, so type 1 diabetics are insulin dependent and they daily need insulin shots to live. Furthermore, this type dia betes occurs in children, adolescents and adults, and type 1 diabetes is the most severe form of this disease in which people suffer serious complications of health as amputations, dialysis, diabetic comas, among others.Consequently, diabetics who suffer type 1 have more expenditure of hospital and treatment because their body develops complex situations of health. Next, racial and ethnic groups has a genetic predisposition diabetes, so natives and diverse tribes as American and Australian have people who suffer of diabetes. For example, some investigation have find that tribes in Arizona Pima and Papago their ethnic populations have the highest incidence of diabetes in the world, Seri a tribe in Mexico has suffered diabetes, and the Aborigines in Australia have developed diabetes (Nabhan, Gary Paul, 2004).In particular, ethnic groups , indigenous, native Americans, aborigines have involved diabetes (Nabhan, Gary Paul, 2004). Besides, the relation between racial and ethnic groups wh o has developed diabetes is caused for metabolic reaction on diet that has changed abruptly because their native food was plants which slow sugar and water loss qualities, so their metabolisms have adapted over time to the presence desert food.As a result, racial and ethic groups have changed native food by fast food, so the incidence of diabetes skyrocketed with heart disease and high cholesterol due to the metabolic reaction of these racial groups is different genetically. Another, factor is linked to appear of diabetes is particular gene called thrifty gene that indigenous hunter and gatherers have presumed to maintain as an adaptation to a feast –famine existence, so this thrifty gene has attributed the difference in blood insulin (Originally hypothesized by Neel, James in 1962).Subsequently, syndrome X (Nabhan, Gary Paul, 2004). has linked to genetic as responsible of appears diabetes, so racial and ethnic groups has increased risk of diabetes because they have access to groceries, alcohol and cigarettes and these groups expressed a cluster of conditions as high blood pressure, high triglycerides, cholesterol and obesity. Finally, ethnic groups have increased their predisposition of diabetes, and this produce more medical expenses to families who have relatives with diabetes.Finally, levels of blood sugar are lead to stress that is related to endocrine system, psychological aspects, and socioeconomic aspects. First, stress which is the state manifested by reaction that induced changes in biological system produces blood sugar improperly, and the endocrine system includes the master glands which are part of pancreas concerned with sugar metabolism. Second, an important part is the reaction of hypothalamus that is part of brain, so when a person is under physical or emotional stress its cerebral cortex sends messages at the hypothalamus.Then, hypothalamus produces releasing factors and these stimulate a part called the pituitary that secrete Adrenoco rticotropic hormones (ACTH) outer part of adrenal gland, in turn releases the glucocorticoid hormones that is blood and sugar raising, and TTH the thyroid gland secrete other substances. Consequently, ACTH and TTH thus cooperate in preparing the body to meet challenge of stress by making sugar available for cellular metabolism by increasing the metabolic rate of the cells.Moreover, a person that exposed a serious levels of stress repeats this process before mentioned sometimes, and this subject is exposed high blood sugar during this time so this person can develop diabetes, occasionally. Another aspect that is linked to stress is psychological that occurs when people are exposed to emotional circumstances, so diabetes appears when significant changes occurred in a person’s life .For example, adolescents who have attitudes and patterns of life adjustment, so they acquired the diabetes in middle age because a prominent though often suppressed of repressed conviction of having been starved of maternal love; in some cases caused for death of mother or a divorce. Inevitably, adolescents substitute calories for emotional nourishment, and teenagers with this emotional deprivation acquire a simulation of starvation that contributes a process of diabetes.Clearly, adolescents disturb their metabolism, so they involve in problem of obesity because adolescents suffer of night eating that only is one expression of emotional state; in these cases (Wolff, Harol G. in 1968) the therapy of obesity with problems of life adjustment is needed for releasing of depression. As well, socioeconomic aspects of stress have been incidents of diabetes, and people, who are involved in stressed situation because their low income and economic insecurity, are more predispose to illness.To illustrate, people that cope with urban poverty their life expectancy is less because they suffer chronic illness as heart, asthma, and diabetes. Furthermore, urban poverty is linked to inferior educ ation, racial discrimination, overcrowding, and crimes, among others; all these are factors stressors that affect the emotional balance of body, and these stressors become a chronic condition for residents. Consequently, stress is reaction of body when residents are exposed or involved to abnormal conditions which are ecological, psychological, social, biological, socioeconomics, genetic, among others.As a result, illnesses that are caused by stress as diabetes have incremented expenditure attributable to prescription medicines, hospitalization, medical appointments, and virtually diabetes caused for stress require a complex treatment physical and psychological for its management properly. On the whole, families could suffer financial problems by diabetes because this disease produces medical events. In short, diabetes is a chronic disease that affects insulin production of body, and the most common causes of this illness are obesity, predisposition genetic, and high or abnormal lev els of stress.Also, statistical data show high expenditures attributable to diabetes in United States mainly for hospitalization, medication, and physician support in managing this disease. In addition, obesity and the stress that are two of the three most common causes of diabetes will avoid through simple methods or routine that residents add to style life. For example, residents will avoid eating fast food and replace for health food, or they will try to practice sports. Moreover, citizens will look for method or technique that combats to stress properly.On the other hand, predisposition genetic that is one cause of diabetes will result complex situation, but this risk factor will be managing through of diagnostic pre-diabetes. In other words, financial costs will be regularized or controlled when communities and residents join and realize health programs about prevention and control of diabetes. Inevitably, this problematic situation requires of teamwork, and control of diabetes will reflect in billon dollars. Finally, population will be awareness that serious disease called diabetes has preventable.Work Cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. â€Å"National diabetes fact sheet: national estimates andgeneral information on diabetes and prediabetes in the United States, 2011†. Atlanta, GA: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011. â€Å"Economic Costs Of Diabetes In The U. S. In 2007. † Diabetes Care 31. 3 (2008): 596-615. MEDLINE. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. Gordo, James S. Stress Management. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001. pp. 13-52 Leahy Jack L. , Nathaniel G. Clark, and William T. Cefalu.Medical Management Of Diabetes Mellitus. M. Dekker, 2000. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 1 Apr. 2012. Liberatore, Stephanie. †Q: what causes diabetes, and how does it affect a person’s health? † The Science teacher 76. 6 (2009):68. General OneFile. Web. 27 Mar. 201 2. Nabhan, Gary Paul. Why Some Like It Hot: food, genes, and cultural diversity. United Stated of America: Island Press, 2004. pp. 163-185 Olin, G. Proportion and Medical Expenditures of Adults Being Treated for Diabetes, 1996 and 2003.Statistical Brief #146. October 2006. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,Rockville, Md. http:/www. meps. ahrq. gov/mepsweb/data-files/publications/st146. pdf Paul, Tim Dall, and Plamen Nikolov. â€Å"Economic Costs Of Diabetes In The US In 2002. † Diabetes Care 26. 3 (2003): 917-932. MEDLINE. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. Peacock, Judith. â€Å"Chapter #1: What Is Diabetes?. † Diabetes (0-7368-0277-0). 4. Capstone Press, 2000. Health Source – Consumer Edition. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. Wollff, Harold G. Stress and Disease. Washington: Charles C Thomas, 1968. pp. 92-97

Final Exam

Answer four of the following seven essay questions. Essay answers should be in paragraph form using complete sentences. (No bullet points) Use PAPA style for citations as needed. Exams may be subject to student submission using Turning at the professor's discretion. Your answers should be submitted as a Word file attached to an email sent to me by the start of class on March 5th. While brevity Is the soul of wit, essay answers should err on the side of completeness versus brevity.That said, I don't want to see the answer to any question go beyond two single-spaced hypocrites pages using a font size of 10-12 points. 1. Congratulations! You have Just been elected ruler off small OLD. What steps will you take to manage the country's balance of trade, and Its currency? Name and use an actual country don't make one up. Sierra Leone is a country that is rich in agricultural and mining resources, yet the great majority (over 70%) of the country still lives in poverty. Economic growth is hin dered by disadvantageous exchange rates and government budget deficits.As the recently elected President of Sierra Leone, I will take any and all necessary steps o bring this beautiful country out of poverty (www. Henbane. Org, 2014). Sierra Leone Is currently working with the International Monetary Fund (MIFF) to implement changes and improvements in our country's economic system. Sierra Leone has made important strides in economic reconstruction and macroeconomic as well as political stability since the end of the civil conflict in 2002. Economic growth has strengthened in the last two years with a stream of iron ore production and increased Infrastructure Investment.As the new president, I will continue working with the MIFF to manage the balance of trade and stabilize our currency (www. MFC. Org, 2013). In regards to Sierra Lens's currency, the exchange rate system is classified as floating, with the value of the Leone (currency) determined by the market. Currently, the central banks interventions are limited and aimed at smoothing volatility in the market. In order to stabilize the currency, I will diligently work with the Bank of Sierra Leone (BOSS) and with the MIFF to Introduce a stringent stabilization policy and reduce our country's debt.This policy will be aimed at first and foremost at tightening monetary regulations and reducing government borrowing. I will encourage the BOSS o move from a wholesale foreign exchange auction system to a retail auction system available to importers. This will enhance the currency's stability in the market as well as improve competitiveness. I will also work with the BOSS to improve monetary policy signaling, address remaining gaps In banking supervision, monetary and foreign exchange operations. I initiatives to encourage the development of micromanage in rural areas.Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I will continue to work with the MIFF and the BOSS to develop a financial literacy campaign that will help to spr ead knowledge and titivation to continue efforts to stabilize the currency (www. Miff. Org, 2013) As president, I have also been charged with stabilizing trade in Sierra Leone. One of the biggest challenges in trade in Sierra Leone is that of smuggling and illicit trading activities. Sierra Leone is known for mining, especially diamonds, but poor regulation and policy enforcement, and high levels of corruption that lead to considerable levels of money laundering activities.As president, I will establish stricter controls and taxes around the mining trade, and crack down on corrupt government officials. I will continue to work with the government-created mining community development fund (DACCA), created to raise local communities' stake in the legal diamond trade, which returns a portion of diamond export taxes to diamond mining communities (www. Heritage. Org, 2014). Throughout my term as president, I hope to create a great economic turnaround for Sierra Leone, not only through bal ancing the currency and trade in the country, but through many more positive changes.I hope that by reducing budget deficits and improving the fiscal position of the government, I will be able to rehabilitate our social and economic infrastructure, stabilize the economy and provide a better life for Sierra Lens's people. 2. Compare and contrast the different methods of hedging transaction exposure. Include both derivative and non-derivative solutions. Transaction exposure is one of three types of foreign currency exposure. It is a type of risk that companies involved in international trade will face when entering fixed-price financial contracts.The risk occurs after the financial contract is made, and the subsequent fluctuations in currency exchange rates occur randomly and unpredictably. Although transaction exposure is considered short-term economic exposure, these changes in exchange rates can still affect the contract negatively, resulting in significant losses for the firm. The refore, companies participate in various hedging activities to avoid losses from transaction exposure (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). In transaction hedging, there are both derivative as well as non-derivative solutions. Derivatives are simply a contract between two parties.One of the ways which firms hedge transaction exposure is through the use of derivatives such as options contacts. Options are contracts used to reduce the risk of transactions by sing calls (sell) or puts (buy) on a financial asset at an agreed-upon price at some time in the future, which is known as exercising the option. Options also have a maturity or expiration date. In Europe, options can only be exercised at their maturity date, whereas in the United States, options can be exercised any time during the contract (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). Another derivative solution is a futures contract.Futures contracts are an agreement to buy or sell an asset at an agreed-upon price in the future. Unlike options, futures contracts ar e standardized for an amount of the asset, and are usually transacted to exit the market. Hedgers avoid price variation in the market by and pass off risk to a speculator who will take a long or short position in the futures contract. The speculator is considered to be more willing to take on the price risk variation. Futures contracts are short-term and profits and losses are realized on a daily basis (Nun & Arsenic, 2012).Somewhat similar to a futures contract is a forward contract. Forwards are also a contract to buy or sell an asset at an agreed-upon price in the future, however, forward contracts have a specific maturity date unlike the daily settlements used in uterus contracts. Rather than being a standardized contract, forwards are tailor made to the needs of the participants. Also different than futures is that when trading forwards, forwards are often settled through the delivery of goods or cash (Nun & Arsenic, 2012).There are numerous other types of derivatives used to m itigate foreign exchange risk, but the most common are forward and futures contracts, futures options, and swaps which will be discussed later in this exam (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). Many Macs also participate in non-derivative methods for hedging transaction risk. These are often used if a firm has positions in less liquid currencies. In order to mitigate risk in these cases, cross-hedging is a common technique in which a firm will hedge a position in one asset by taking a position in another asset.Effectiveness of cross-hedging is highly dependable on the strength of the relationship between the commodity futures prices and the exchange rate (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). Another non-derivative method to avoid transaction exposure is hedging via lead and lag. A company can lead, to pay or collect on an invoice early, or lag, which means to pay or collect late. By timing the lead and lag strategy correctly, the firm can protect themselves against depreciation or appreciation of the foreign cur rency they are dealing in (Nun & Arsenic, 2012).Hedging through invoice currency can help firms diversify exchange exposure by using currency basket units. A currency basket is a selected group of currencies in which the weighted average is used as a measure of the value of a contract or obligation. It functions as a benchmark for regional currency movements. Because it is a portfolio of currencies, its value is more stable and can be useful as a hedging LOL, especially for long-term contracts where there are no forward or options contracts available (Nun & Arsenic, 2012).The last non-derivative form of transaction hedging that we will discuss is that of exposure netting. Exposure netting helps to centralize a firm's exchange exposure management function in one location, typically in a reinforce center. All invoices from nitrating transactions are sent here, where overall exposure is analyzed and determined. Foreign exchange experts can then determine the optimal hedging methods for the portfolio of transactions and move forward to implement them (Nun Arsenic, 2012). Overall, we have seen that there are numerous options to hedge transaction exposure.There are some similarities among them, but they differ from each other and are applicable to different needs. Derivative forms of hedging are typically contractual, relatively short term solutions to transaction exposure, whereas non- lifestyle. No matter what the case, however, it is prudent for any NC to determine a strategy for transaction hedging before going into significant overseas contracts. 3. Compare and contrast a plain vanilla currency swap with a plain vanilla interest rate swap. Describe and Justify a situation where a NC would use each type of swap.As discussed briefly above, swap transactions are a type of derivative used to mitigate currency exposure in forward trades. A swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange a sequence of cash flows over a period of time- a simultaneous sale of spot foreign exchange against a forward purchase of an equal amount of foreign currency (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). A plain vanilla interest rate swap is the most common and simplest type of swap. They are customized contracts that can be paid monthly, quarterly, yearly, or on a basis decided on by the firms involved.In a plain vanilla interest rate swap, one part agrees to pay the contract at a fixed interest rate, while the other party agrees to pay at a floating interest rate, and the two cash flows are paid in the same currency. The swap typically has a set date of maturity set at some point in the future (MacAfee, 2012). A plain vanilla currency swap, unlike the plain vanilla interest swap, interest and principal payments on a loan are exchanged in 2 currencies. In the plain vanilla currency swap, the two parties exchange payments at the beginning and end of the swap, which also differs from interest rate swaps (MacAfee, 2012).In the case of plain vanilla interest rate swaps, Macs or Mi ff would use these when they are paying a floating rate of interest on liabilities and earning a fixed rate of interest on assets. It can be highly risky for a firm to have such a mismatch between assets and liabilities. Therefore, the firm could use a plain vanilla interest rate swap to rectify the imbalance in their interest payments (MacAfee, 2012). For the case of the plain vanilla currency swap, a firm would be interested in conducting this type of swap when the firm wants to expand operations into another country, but has comparative advantage in its home country.The firm will likely have more favorable financing in its home country, and therefore could perform a currency swap with the country it is expanding into, and gain the necessary funds in the new currency to finance its startup and operations (MacAfee, 2012). 4. Discuss the issues and potential solutions for a NC contemplating foreign direct investment in a OLD. By definition, a NC or Multinational Corporation, is regi stered and/or has operations in more than one country. These types of firms engage in FED, or Foreign Direct Investment.FED is an investment made by a company based in one country onto a company or entity based in another country. Macs making direct investments typically have a significant degree of influence and control over the company into which the investment is made. Open economies with skilled workforces and good growth prospects tend to attract larger amounts of foreign direct investment than closed, highly regulated economies (www. Investigated. Com, 2014). FED can have numerous risks and obstacles for the NC involved. Olds, or Less Foreign direct investment can be an important source of employment opportunities for developing countries.However, anti-corporate advocates criticize Macs for entering Olds that have low human rights or environmental standards. They claim that multinationals give rise to large merged conglomerations that reduce competition and free enterprise, ra ise capital in host countries but export the profits, exploit countries for their natural resources, limit workers' wages, erode traditional cultures, and challenge national sovereignty. However, they remain attractive to investors due to low costs of labor, poorly enforced environmental and economic regulations, and inexpensive resources (www. Investigated. Com, 2014). Economic risk depends on the foreign country's financial state. A country with stable finances and a sound economy will be more attractive to foreign investors than one that has currency fluctuations and difficulty paying debt. Trade barriers and shareholder diversification issues can all be part of the economic risks taken on by a NC that is contemplating FED (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). Trade barriers can often be overcome by moving trade through other countries without trade restrictions.In the case of physical trade barriers, such as poor transportation, FED can be put into place to improve infrastructure and reduce tr ansportation costs (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). Political risk emerges when the political climate in a foreign country becomes unfriendly to investors. Political risk can be classified into three types: transfer risk, operational risk, and control risk. Transfer risk arises from uncertainty about cross border flows of capital and payments. Operational risk arises when the host country's policies affect the NC.Lastly, control risk is caused by uncertainty about the host country's policies regarding ownership and control of local operations (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). When contemplating investing in a OLD, the NC should take care to meticulously search and define the level of risk for doing business with the OLD they are considering, and also outline possible solutions in case of risk exposure. For example, those seeking more in-depth coverage of a particular country or region, two excellent sources of objective, comprehensive country information are the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Centr al Intelligence Agency World Fastback.Either of these resources provides an investor with a broad overview of the economic, political, demographic and social climate of a country. The Ell-J also provides ratings for most of the world's countries. These ratings can supplement those issued by Moody's, S and the other â€Å"traditional† ratings agencies (www. Investigated. Com, 2014). After completing the country analysis, the investing NC will have to decide on a sound investment approach. One of the recommended approaches is for the NC to invest in a broad international portfolio.Diversification is a fundamental principle of domestic investing, and is even more important when investing internationally. Even in a more concentrated portfolio, investments should be spread among several countries to maximize diversification and minimize risk (www. Investigated. Com, 2014). After deciding where to invest, an investor must decide which type of investment to enter. The choice of inve stment vehicle depends on each investor's individual knowledge, experience, risk profile and return objectives. When in doubt, it may make later.In addition to thoroughly researching prospective investments, an international investor also needs to monitor his or her portfolio and adjust holdings as conditions dictate. As in the U. S. , economic conditions overseas are constantly evolving, and political situations abroad can change quickly, particularly in emerging r frontier markets. Situations that once seemed promising may no longer be so, and countries that once seemed too risky might now be viable investment candidates (www. Investigated. Com, 2014). Final Exam Answer four of the following seven essay questions. Essay answers should be in paragraph form using complete sentences. (No bullet points) Use PAPA style for citations as needed. Exams may be subject to student submission using Turning at the professor's discretion. Your answers should be submitted as a Word file attached to an email sent to me by the start of class on March 5th. While brevity Is the soul of wit, essay answers should err on the side of completeness versus brevity.That said, I don't want to see the answer to any question go beyond two single-spaced hypocrites pages using a font size of 10-12 points. 1. Congratulations! You have Just been elected ruler off small OLD. What steps will you take to manage the country's balance of trade, and Its currency? Name and use an actual country don't make one up. Sierra Leone is a country that is rich in agricultural and mining resources, yet the great majority (over 70%) of the country still lives in poverty. Economic growth is hin dered by disadvantageous exchange rates and government budget deficits.As the recently elected President of Sierra Leone, I will take any and all necessary steps o bring this beautiful country out of poverty (www. Henbane. Org, 2014). Sierra Leone Is currently working with the International Monetary Fund (MIFF) to implement changes and improvements in our country's economic system. Sierra Leone has made important strides in economic reconstruction and macroeconomic as well as political stability since the end of the civil conflict in 2002. Economic growth has strengthened in the last two years with a stream of iron ore production and increased Infrastructure Investment.As the new president, I will continue working with the MIFF to manage the balance of trade and stabilize our currency (www. MFC. Org, 2013). In regards to Sierra Lens's currency, the exchange rate system is classified as floating, with the value of the Leone (currency) determined by the market. Currently, the central banks interventions are limited and aimed at smoothing volatility in the market. In order to stabilize the currency, I will diligently work with the Bank of Sierra Leone (BOSS) and with the MIFF to Introduce a stringent stabilization policy and reduce our country's debt.This policy will be aimed at first and foremost at tightening monetary regulations and reducing government borrowing. I will encourage the BOSS o move from a wholesale foreign exchange auction system to a retail auction system available to importers. This will enhance the currency's stability in the market as well as improve competitiveness. I will also work with the BOSS to improve monetary policy signaling, address remaining gaps In banking supervision, monetary and foreign exchange operations. I initiatives to encourage the development of micromanage in rural areas.Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I will continue to work with the MIFF and the BOSS to develop a financial literacy campaign that will help to spr ead knowledge and titivation to continue efforts to stabilize the currency (www. Miff. Org, 2013) As president, I have also been charged with stabilizing trade in Sierra Leone. One of the biggest challenges in trade in Sierra Leone is that of smuggling and illicit trading activities. Sierra Leone is known for mining, especially diamonds, but poor regulation and policy enforcement, and high levels of corruption that lead to considerable levels of money laundering activities.As president, I will establish stricter controls and taxes around the mining trade, and crack down on corrupt government officials. I will continue to work with the government-created mining community development fund (DACCA), created to raise local communities' stake in the legal diamond trade, which returns a portion of diamond export taxes to diamond mining communities (www. Heritage. Org, 2014). Throughout my term as president, I hope to create a great economic turnaround for Sierra Leone, not only through bal ancing the currency and trade in the country, but through many more positive changes.I hope that by reducing budget deficits and improving the fiscal position of the government, I will be able to rehabilitate our social and economic infrastructure, stabilize the economy and provide a better life for Sierra Lens's people. 2. Compare and contrast the different methods of hedging transaction exposure. Include both derivative and non-derivative solutions. Transaction exposure is one of three types of foreign currency exposure. It is a type of risk that companies involved in international trade will face when entering fixed-price financial contracts.The risk occurs after the financial contract is made, and the subsequent fluctuations in currency exchange rates occur randomly and unpredictably. Although transaction exposure is considered short-term economic exposure, these changes in exchange rates can still affect the contract negatively, resulting in significant losses for the firm. The refore, companies participate in various hedging activities to avoid losses from transaction exposure (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). In transaction hedging, there are both derivative as well as non-derivative solutions. Derivatives are simply a contract between two parties.One of the ways which firms hedge transaction exposure is through the use of derivatives such as options contacts. Options are contracts used to reduce the risk of transactions by sing calls (sell) or puts (buy) on a financial asset at an agreed-upon price at some time in the future, which is known as exercising the option. Options also have a maturity or expiration date. In Europe, options can only be exercised at their maturity date, whereas in the United States, options can be exercised any time during the contract (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). Another derivative solution is a futures contract.Futures contracts are an agreement to buy or sell an asset at an agreed-upon price in the future. Unlike options, futures contracts ar e standardized for an amount of the asset, and are usually transacted to exit the market. Hedgers avoid price variation in the market by and pass off risk to a speculator who will take a long or short position in the futures contract. The speculator is considered to be more willing to take on the price risk variation. Futures contracts are short-term and profits and losses are realized on a daily basis (Nun & Arsenic, 2012).Somewhat similar to a futures contract is a forward contract. Forwards are also a contract to buy or sell an asset at an agreed-upon price in the future, however, forward contracts have a specific maturity date unlike the daily settlements used in uterus contracts. Rather than being a standardized contract, forwards are tailor made to the needs of the participants. Also different than futures is that when trading forwards, forwards are often settled through the delivery of goods or cash (Nun & Arsenic, 2012).There are numerous other types of derivatives used to m itigate foreign exchange risk, but the most common are forward and futures contracts, futures options, and swaps which will be discussed later in this exam (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). Many Macs also participate in non-derivative methods for hedging transaction risk. These are often used if a firm has positions in less liquid currencies. In order to mitigate risk in these cases, cross-hedging is a common technique in which a firm will hedge a position in one asset by taking a position in another asset.Effectiveness of cross-hedging is highly dependable on the strength of the relationship between the commodity futures prices and the exchange rate (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). Another non-derivative method to avoid transaction exposure is hedging via lead and lag. A company can lead, to pay or collect on an invoice early, or lag, which means to pay or collect late. By timing the lead and lag strategy correctly, the firm can protect themselves against depreciation or appreciation of the foreign cur rency they are dealing in (Nun & Arsenic, 2012).Hedging through invoice currency can help firms diversify exchange exposure by using currency basket units. A currency basket is a selected group of currencies in which the weighted average is used as a measure of the value of a contract or obligation. It functions as a benchmark for regional currency movements. Because it is a portfolio of currencies, its value is more stable and can be useful as a hedging LOL, especially for long-term contracts where there are no forward or options contracts available (Nun & Arsenic, 2012).The last non-derivative form of transaction hedging that we will discuss is that of exposure netting. Exposure netting helps to centralize a firm's exchange exposure management function in one location, typically in a reinforce center. All invoices from nitrating transactions are sent here, where overall exposure is analyzed and determined. Foreign exchange experts can then determine the optimal hedging methods for the portfolio of transactions and move forward to implement them (Nun Arsenic, 2012). Overall, we have seen that there are numerous options to hedge transaction exposure.There are some similarities among them, but they differ from each other and are applicable to different needs. Derivative forms of hedging are typically contractual, relatively short term solutions to transaction exposure, whereas non- lifestyle. No matter what the case, however, it is prudent for any NC to determine a strategy for transaction hedging before going into significant overseas contracts. 3. Compare and contrast a plain vanilla currency swap with a plain vanilla interest rate swap. Describe and Justify a situation where a NC would use each type of swap.As discussed briefly above, swap transactions are a type of derivative used to mitigate currency exposure in forward trades. A swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange a sequence of cash flows over a period of time- a simultaneous sale of spot foreign exchange against a forward purchase of an equal amount of foreign currency (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). A plain vanilla interest rate swap is the most common and simplest type of swap. They are customized contracts that can be paid monthly, quarterly, yearly, or on a basis decided on by the firms involved.In a plain vanilla interest rate swap, one part agrees to pay the contract at a fixed interest rate, while the other party agrees to pay at a floating interest rate, and the two cash flows are paid in the same currency. The swap typically has a set date of maturity set at some point in the future (MacAfee, 2012). A plain vanilla currency swap, unlike the plain vanilla interest swap, interest and principal payments on a loan are exchanged in 2 currencies. In the plain vanilla currency swap, the two parties exchange payments at the beginning and end of the swap, which also differs from interest rate swaps (MacAfee, 2012).In the case of plain vanilla interest rate swaps, Macs or Mi ff would use these when they are paying a floating rate of interest on liabilities and earning a fixed rate of interest on assets. It can be highly risky for a firm to have such a mismatch between assets and liabilities. Therefore, the firm could use a plain vanilla interest rate swap to rectify the imbalance in their interest payments (MacAfee, 2012). For the case of the plain vanilla currency swap, a firm would be interested in conducting this type of swap when the firm wants to expand operations into another country, but has comparative advantage in its home country.The firm will likely have more favorable financing in its home country, and therefore could perform a currency swap with the country it is expanding into, and gain the necessary funds in the new currency to finance its startup and operations (MacAfee, 2012). 4. Discuss the issues and potential solutions for a NC contemplating foreign direct investment in a OLD. By definition, a NC or Multinational Corporation, is regi stered and/or has operations in more than one country. These types of firms engage in FED, or Foreign Direct Investment.FED is an investment made by a company based in one country onto a company or entity based in another country. Macs making direct investments typically have a significant degree of influence and control over the company into which the investment is made. Open economies with skilled workforces and good growth prospects tend to attract larger amounts of foreign direct investment than closed, highly regulated economies (www. Investigated. Com, 2014). FED can have numerous risks and obstacles for the NC involved. Olds, or Less Foreign direct investment can be an important source of employment opportunities for developing countries.However, anti-corporate advocates criticize Macs for entering Olds that have low human rights or environmental standards. They claim that multinationals give rise to large merged conglomerations that reduce competition and free enterprise, ra ise capital in host countries but export the profits, exploit countries for their natural resources, limit workers' wages, erode traditional cultures, and challenge national sovereignty. However, they remain attractive to investors due to low costs of labor, poorly enforced environmental and economic regulations, and inexpensive resources (www. Investigated. Com, 2014). Economic risk depends on the foreign country's financial state. A country with stable finances and a sound economy will be more attractive to foreign investors than one that has currency fluctuations and difficulty paying debt. Trade barriers and shareholder diversification issues can all be part of the economic risks taken on by a NC that is contemplating FED (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). Trade barriers can often be overcome by moving trade through other countries without trade restrictions.In the case of physical trade barriers, such as poor transportation, FED can be put into place to improve infrastructure and reduce tr ansportation costs (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). Political risk emerges when the political climate in a foreign country becomes unfriendly to investors. Political risk can be classified into three types: transfer risk, operational risk, and control risk. Transfer risk arises from uncertainty about cross border flows of capital and payments. Operational risk arises when the host country's policies affect the NC.Lastly, control risk is caused by uncertainty about the host country's policies regarding ownership and control of local operations (Nun & Arsenic, 2012). When contemplating investing in a OLD, the NC should take care to meticulously search and define the level of risk for doing business with the OLD they are considering, and also outline possible solutions in case of risk exposure. For example, those seeking more in-depth coverage of a particular country or region, two excellent sources of objective, comprehensive country information are the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Centr al Intelligence Agency World Fastback.Either of these resources provides an investor with a broad overview of the economic, political, demographic and social climate of a country. The Ell-J also provides ratings for most of the world's countries. These ratings can supplement those issued by Moody's, S and the other â€Å"traditional† ratings agencies (www. Investigated. Com, 2014). After completing the country analysis, the investing NC will have to decide on a sound investment approach. One of the recommended approaches is for the NC to invest in a broad international portfolio.Diversification is a fundamental principle of domestic investing, and is even more important when investing internationally. Even in a more concentrated portfolio, investments should be spread among several countries to maximize diversification and minimize risk (www. Investigated. Com, 2014). After deciding where to invest, an investor must decide which type of investment to enter. The choice of inve stment vehicle depends on each investor's individual knowledge, experience, risk profile and return objectives. When in doubt, it may make later.In addition to thoroughly researching prospective investments, an international investor also needs to monitor his or her portfolio and adjust holdings as conditions dictate. As in the U. S. , economic conditions overseas are constantly evolving, and political situations abroad can change quickly, particularly in emerging r frontier markets. Situations that once seemed promising may no longer be so, and countries that once seemed too risky might now be viable investment candidates (www. Investigated. Com, 2014). Final Exam The response to each question or statement is either True or False. 1. A business organized as a separate legal entity owned by stockholders is a partnership. 2. External users of accounting information are managers who plan, organize, and run a business. 3. Two primary external users of accounting information are investors and creditors. 4. Financing activities for corporations include borrowing money and selling shares of their own stock. 5.Income will always be greater under the cash basis of accounting than under the accrual basis of accounting. 6. The difference between unearned revenue and accrued revenue is that accrued revenue has been recorded and needs adjusting and unearned revenue has never been recorded. 7. Cash is a temporary account. 8. Bonding means insuring a company against theft by employees. 9. The treasurer should prepare and sign a check only after authorization to issue a check has been provided. 10. Using borrowed money to increase the rate of return on common stockholders' equity is called â€Å"trading on the equity.The extent of internal control features adopted by a company must be evaluated in terms of cost-benefit. 11. A good system of internal control will safeguard its assets and enhance the accuracy and reliability of its accounting records. 12. All reconciling items in determining the adjusted cash balance per books require the depositor to make adjusting Journal entries to the Cash account. 13. Cash equivalents include money market accounts, commercial paper, and U. S. Treasury bills held for ninety days or less. 14. A basic principle of cash management is to increase the speed of paying liabilities. 5.A cash budget contributes to more effective cash management. 16. A change in accounting principle occurs when the principle used in the current year is different from the one used by competitors in the current year. 17. If a company has sales of $110 in 2007 and $154 in 2006, the percentage decrease in sales from 2006 to 2007 i s 140%. 18. In a common size income statement, each item is expressed as a percentage of net income. 19. Profitability ratios are frequently used as a basis for evaluating management's operating effectiveness 20. Inventory turnover is a measure of equity that focuses on efficient use of inventory. 1 . The current ratio is a measure of all the ratios calculated for the current year. 22. From a creditor's point of view, the higher the total debt to total assets ratio, the lower the risk that the company may be unable to pay its obligations. 23. Alternative accounting methods affect the quality of earnings 24. Because pro formal earnings are based on specific rules, these amounts are highly reliable. Section II: Multiple Choice Choose your response from one of the possible answers provided. 26. A business organized as a corporation ). Is not a separate legal entity in most states. ). Requires that stockholders be personally liable for the debts of the business. C). Is owned by its stoc kholders. D). Has tax advantages over a proprietorship or partnership. 27. Which of the following is not one of the three forms of business organization? A). Corporations. B). Partnerships. C). Proprietorships. D). Investors. 28. An advantage of the corporate form of business is that a). It has limited life. B). Its owner's personal resources are at stake. C). Its ownership is easily transferable via the sale of shares of stock. ). It is simple to establish. 29.The group of users of accounting information charged with achieving the goals of the business is its a). Auditors. B). Investors. C). Managers. D). Creditors. 30. Which of the following is a primary user of accounting information with a direct financial interest in the business? A). Taxing authority b). Creditor c). Regulatory agency d). Labor union 31 . An income statement a). Summarizes the changes in retained earnings for a specific period of time. B). Reports the changes in assets, liabilities, and stockholders' equity ov er a period of time. C). Ports the assets, liabilities, and stockholders' equity at a specific date. ). Presents the revenues and expenses for a specific period of time. 32. Which financial statement is prepared first? A). Balance sheet b). Lonesome statement c). Retained earnings statement d). Statement of cash flows 33. Which one of the following is not a Justification for adjusting entries? A). AdJusting entries are necessary to ensure that revenue recognition principles are followed. B). AdJusting entries are necessary to ensure that the matching principle is followed. C). AdJusting entries are necessary to enable financial statements to be in conformity tit GAP. D).AdJusting entries are necessary to bring the general ledger accounts in line with the budget. 34. If a resource has been consumed but a bill has not been received at the end of the accounting period, then a). An expense should be recorded when the bill is received. B). An expense should be recorded when the cash is p aid out. C). An adjusting entry should be made recognizing the expense. D). It is optional whether to record the expense before the bill is received. 35. An adjusting entry would not include which of the following accounts? A). Cash b). Lintiest Receivable ).Property Tax Payable d). Unearned Revenue 36. At December 31, 2007, before any year-end adjustments, Boils Company's Prepaid Insurance account had a balance of $2,700. It was determined that $1,500 of the Prepaid Insurance had expired. The adjusted balance for Insurance Expense for the year would be a). $l ,500. 0. $2,700. D). $1,900. 37. Which one of the following is not an objective of a system of internal controls? A). Safeguard company assets b). Overstate liabilities in order to be conservative c). Enhance the accuracy and reliability of accounting records d).Reduce the risks of errors 38. Which one of the following would be considered a long-term solvency ratio? A). Receivables turnover b). Return on total assets c). Curre nt cash debt coverage ratio.