Accounting report Essays

Accounting report Essays Accounting report Essay Accounting report Essay Thus, indicating an inefficient cost management and a weak pricing strategy adopted by Codex. Liquidity appears to be a challenging issue for Codex and Compass. Both companies, clearly, are undergoing a competition of growth through acquisition of subsidiaries which had a negative impact on the liquidity in both companies. Nevertheless, Codexs long trade receivables settlement period has even worsen the companys liquidity. Seeking a better image visit- ¤-visit its rival Compass, Codex has increased its dividends pay out on the account of its liquidity, thus, relying on borrowing rather than operating activities. This is explained by the high financial gearing ratio that has not en translated to an increase in the companys profitability, a short sighted strategy that should be reconsidered by the board. Recommendations: 1 . Focus on maximizing profit from operations, 2. Reevaluate the entire trade receivables strategy that appears to be performing inefficiently, 3. Maintain a correlation between the amount dividends pay out and the operating profit margin. This report compares Codexs performance to that of its peer Compass based on the financial ratios, profitability, efficiency, liquidity, financial gearing and investment. In addition to that, it emphasizes on the areas that appear to be in need of improvement. Appendix 1 gives an overview for all the ratios where Appendix 2 details all the ratio calculations in addition to the assumptions considered to calculate them with highlights on the most relevant ratios to the purpose of this analysis. The report assumes the validity and accuracy of all the financial figures offered in the annual reports offered by Codex and Compass. 3. ANALYSIS The financial ratios provide the evaluation and the quantification metrics to measure the performance of businesses. Codex and Compass are roughly the same size and eave roughly the same geographical split. In this competitive environment, Codex must consider its performance in relation to that of the other firms operating in the same industry where success depends on the ability to achieve a comparable level of performance. 3. 1 PROFITABILITY Codex announced sales revenues of  ¬mamma in the 12 months ended August 31 , profitability analysis revealed that this revenue has not been translated into real profit. The Return on Capital Employed ratio, that expresses the relationship between the operating profit and the long terms funds (equity and borrowings) invested in the equines, has declined for Codex from 13. 89% in 2009 to 12. 4% in 2010, whilst for Compass, the same ratio has increased from 19. 15% 2009 / 19. 6% 2010. Codex has reported a flat profit margin in 2009 and 2010 (5. 1%), a figure that is almost one-quarter lower than of Compass whose margin has grown from 6. 5% 2009 to 6. 8% 2010. The operating profit margin measures how much of a companys revenue is left over, before taxes and other indirect costs, for paying the variable costs of production. The low operating margin indicates an inefficient cost management and a weak pricing strategy adopted by Codex. Its operating expenses increased to  ¬14,mom in 2010, as compared to  ¬13,mom in 20093. Codex should definitely consider the improvement of its profitability figures in order not to lose investors to its rival Compass that enjoys a much more profitable image. 3. Efficiency The efficiency ratios measure the efficiency by which particular resources are used within the business. Codexs average settlement period for trade receivables has increased from 67. 82 days in 2009 to 74. 56 days in 2010 where the same figure for its rival Compass has slightly increased from 45. 16 days in 2009 to 46. 7 days 2010. Thus, Codexs average settlement period for trade receivables is almost 63% higher than that of its peer Comp ass. It is obvious from those figures that Codexs is being inefficient in its trade receivables management. A long trade receivable average settlement period would have a negative impact on the companys cash flow and decreases its profitability on the long run. The Sales Revenue to Capital Employed ratio that relates the sales revenue generated during a period to the capital employed in the business puts Compass (2. 96 times in 2009 / 2. 88 times in 2010) well ahead of Codex (2. 3 times in 2009 / 2. 52 times in 2010). Aligned with the Return on Capital Employed ratio mentioned in the section above, Codex appears to be less efficient. 3. LIQUIDITY The Acid Test ratio measures the ability of a company to use its available cash to retire its current liabilities. The higher the ratio the more the business is considered to be. Both Codex and Compass have maintained an acid test ratio below one in the past two years, thus, creating a worrying situation for their short term claimants. This liquidity problem could be explained by the fact that both companies have been The Cash Generated from Opera tions ratio, provides an indication of the ability of the business to meet its maturing obligations. The analysis of this ratio puts Compass in a better position ahead of Codex confirming an alarming decline in the Codexs ability to meet its obligations from its operating cash flow. 3. 4 FINANCIAL GEARING Codex appears to have a higher financial gearing ratio compared to that of Compass. 2010, Codex: 54% / Compass: 38. 72%. In effect, this shows that Codex is more dependent in its growth on borrowing than on its shareholders investments, unlike Compass that appears to favor a low leverage for growth. Some investors might, however, believe that Codex with its slightly higher leverage will benefit more from the global economic growth. Looking at the interest cover ratio, that determines how easily a company can pay interest on outstanding debt. It is quite obvious that Compass generates more operational profit to interest obligations than Codex. Codexs low interest cover ratio (5. 07 times in 2009 and 5. 47 times in 2010) compared to that of Compass (7. 84 times in 2009 and 13. 11 times in 2010). This gives Compass a more robust image, ND less burdened by debt expenses than does Codex. . 5 INVESTMENT Looking at the dividend yield ratio that compares the cash return from a stock to its current stock market value. Codexs dividend yield has significantly declined from 3. 26% in 2009 to 2. 57% in 2010 where that of Compass has slightly declined from 3. 45% in 2009 to 3. 3% in 2010 maintaining a higher value than that of Codex. Nevertheless, in order to satisfy its shareholders, Codex h as maintained a slightly higher dividend payout in the past 2 fiscal years, around 50%, than that of Compass, around 38% for the same period. CONCLUSION In the light of the analysis above, it is clear that Compass has a higher profitable image than Codex. It is also clear that Codex is less capable of generating cash from its operating activities would have negative consequences on the companys ability to pay back its shareholders on the long run. Clearly, both companies are undergoing a competition of organic growth through acquisition of subsidiaries which has created a liquidity problem in both companies, where Compass appears to be more capable of generated cash from its operations than does Codex. Codexs long settlement period for trade receivables even worsens its liquidity. Pay out on the account of liquidity by relying on borrowing rather than paying from its cash generated from operating activities. 5. RECOMMENDATIONS The analysis and the conclusions stated above require the board of Codex to consider the following recommendations: Operating Profit Margin efficiency of its cost management and the strength of its pricing strategy. Receivables Codexs notable long settlement period of the trade receivables requires its board to reconsider the companys overall receivables management strategy.

The Presidents and Congressional Committees Responsibilities Regarding National Security Policy

The Presidents and Congressional Committees Responsibilities Regarding National Security Policy The US constitutional principles determine procedures for separating powers for the purpose of avoiding the concentration of political power. Limiting the exercise of power by every branch is one of the central issues of the national security strategy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Presidents and Congressional Committees Responsibilities Regarding National Security Policy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The restraints of power have both positive and negative consequences on the US national security establishment, complicating the decision making as to the country’s involvement into Iraq, Iran and North Korea issues, causing the disagreements between the current president and the congressional committees. The National Security Act of 1947 has been the major document defining the national security policymaking model for more than 50 years. However, the events of 9/11 have demonstrated that the current sys tem is inconsistent and requires reformations. A number of political scientists point at the weak points of this model as the main preconditions of inability of the country to prevent the national tragedy. â€Å"bureaucratic turf battles prevented large parts of the national security bureaucracy (first created by the 1947 NSA) from preparing for the non-state actors who threatened the United States in the post-Cold War era† (Bolton 2008, 276). On the one hand, focused on exploring the state enemies, the system did not consider the danger of such non-state actors as al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. On the other hand, the inner governmental controversies became a hindrance for taking appropriate risk prevention measures after analyzing the available information. The 9/11 events reaffirmed the importance of standard procedures of reconsidering the country’s defense strategy before the beginning of each president’s administration when the US congressional committees re view the formulation of the national security strategy (NSS). (Murdock 2004). As it was mentioned in Freire’s interview by Kristine Frazao, the current president Obama seems to stay the course of his predecessor Bush, approaching the issues of national security.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, touching upon the issue of involvement into Afghanistan conflict, Obama noted that â€Å"We have supported the elections of the sovereign government, now we must strengthen its capacities†¦ I have no doubt that together with Afghanistan International partners we will succeed in Afghanistan† (â€Å"Could the creation of the X-51 be the next step in US domination†). The issue of national security and distribution of power between various branches remains rather debatable and controversial. For the purpose of ensuring the unbiased approach to develo pment of national security strategies, the intelligence agencies are separated from decision makers. However, this model causes certain problems with integrating and standardizing the procedures. â€Å"Intelligence officers who are dealing with policy makers are expected to maintain professional objectivity and not push specific policies. If intelligence officers have a strong preference for a specific policy outcome, their intelligence analysis may display a similar bias† (Lowenthal 2008, 4). At the same time, the coordination and effective collaboration between various branches is of crucial importance for responding to various challenges of present day criminological situation. The current procedures of establishing the national security strategies are inconsistent. â€Å"There is likely to be internal disagreement and debate within the national security establishment, between the establishment and other branches and agencies of government, and between all of these and th e public† (Sarkesian, Williams, and Cimbala 2008, p. 21). Appropriate measures need to be imposed for further analysis of the effectiveness of coordination between the current president and the congressional committees and improving the current model. Reference List Bolton, Kent. 2008. US national security and foreign policymaking after 9/11: Present at the recreation. Lanham: The Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Presidents and Congressional Committees Responsibilities Regarding National Security Policy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Freire, J. â€Å"Could the creation of the X-51 be the next step in US domination†. Interview by Kristine Frazao. Lowenthal, Mark. 2008. Intelligence: From secrets to policy. Washington: CQ Press. Murdock, Clark. 2004. Improving the practice of national security strategy: A new approach for the post-Cold War world. Sarkesian, Sam, Joh n Williams, and Stephen Cimbala. 2008. US national security: Policymakers, processes, and politics. Michigan: Lynne Rienner Publishers.

A Review of the White Houses Blog on Native Americans Essay

A Review of the White Houses Blog on Native Americans - Essay Example The White House has an official web site, and in it, one can find the blog on Native Americans. The blog is undoubtedly maintained by the government, thus its contents are expected to have been approved by the Palace. Indeed, when I visited the blog thrice on March 18, 20, and 22, I read articles that seemed like press releases by the government. The blog features articles on the protection of rights of Indian tribes in America. Maintained by the government, one can assume that the blog does not contain any taboo themes that can cause damage to the image of the White House. Rather, the blog helps project a reputable image of the President and his governance. The blog contains articles written by different people but most of them are employed under the government. One of the contributors is Milford Wayne Donaldson, the chairman of Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). On March 20, Donaldson wrote about the plan of the ACHP to adopt UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. This will benefit the indigenous people because the declaration gives right to indigenous people to protect their heritage places or sites. This means that if there are propositions to alter a heritage site, authorities will have to consult first with indigenous people before undergoing any action. An earlier post dated March 7 talks about the signing of the President of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. Jodie Gillette and Charlie Galbraith (2003) posted this article, complete with a video of the whole program. The video shows the people who attended the signing of the act and the speech of the President as regards the importance of women’s rights. The article also reports relevant information about violence done on Native American women. According to it, a recent study found out that 46% of Native American women suffered from violence such as rape, physical abuse and assault. With the approval of the act, the authors assume that Native American women will be more empowered to take on the challenge to report any violence they encounter. Another post by Jodie Gillette talks about the tribal leaders’ convention held on December 5, 2012. This rather late post was made on March 18 to report on the details of the long-finished convention. One good thing about the post is that it includes links to other posts such as Tribal Law and Order Act, Violence Against Women Act, and others. On one hand, the links help visitors to understand the related issues further. On the other, it helps students and authorities document reports with necessary information surrounding the issue. Clearly, the blog addresses the general public, including Americans and other nationalities who will be visiting the blog. In particular, students engaged in Native American research will benefit greatly from the important information offered in the blog. Native American s also benefit from it as they read about government programs to protect their rights and culture. Moreover, authorities will be kept updated on government actions for Native Americans and tribal people. Overall, the blog promotes the image of the White House as it features the good deeds of the government, especially the president. Specifically, the articles in the blog reflect the concern of the White House for the Native Americans. Given the topics in the blog and the organization it

Did slavery retard industrialization in the South Term Paper

Did slavery retard industrialization in the South - Term Paper Example , the value of slaves in the United States had escalated exceeding the invested values of all the nation’s factories, banks, and railroads combined (Morgan, 1983). This was such that, by the time the eve of the civil war came the prices of cotton had risen where the confederate leaders believed that necessity of cotton in the world market would assist the south with military and diplomatic support they required for victory. However, that was not the case because as they were trying to mobilize the important strengths and weakness slave labor and free market became clearer, especially in relation to supporting the economy. This essay will answer the question of whether slavery retarded the economy of the South. During the war, smaller industrial base did the mobilizing of the troops, an agricultural economy and fewer rail lines that were based on slave labor made mobilization of resources more difficult in the South. This resulted to the economy of the South to become shaky throughout the war (Smith & Economic History Society, 1998). The Emancipation Proclamation both enraged the South promising them freedom for their slaves threatening the existence of its primary labor source. This caused the economy of the South to suffer in 1864 as the Union Armies battered with the Confederate troops in the western and eastern theaters (Fearon & Laitin, 2003). This lowered the productivity of the South as the war slowed down the advantage of slavery that the North had over the South. Therefore, although slavery was established to be highly profitable it had a negative impact on the economy of the South because it impeded on the development of cities, industries. This in turn contributed to soil exhaustion, high debts and lack of technological innovation. According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, he states, â€Å"slavery is no scholar, no improver, it does not love the whistle of the railroad; it does not love the newspaper, the mail-bag, a college, a book or a preacher who

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example It is not necessarily the primary goal of the individual and can be adequate to avoid uncomfortable tension which can arise out of the absence of the primary goal. Deprivation of the primary goal generally results in the attainment of primary goal status of the substitute goal. This can be regarded as a defence mechanism for individuals in order to protect their ego. For example, an individual who cannot afford a very high priced and luxurious car may actually find contentment and satisfaction with less expensive car and consider its image as the one he clearly prefers (Schiffman, 1988, p.97). Defence mechanism is regarded as the way in which individuals cope with frustrations or a frustrating situation in order to protect their self esteem or self image. This can be explained by an example. When an individual cannot afford apparel that she craves for, she can satisfy her craving by a number of different ways. She might opt for less expensive apparel or she can also react to situatio n by showing anger and frustration towards her boss who does not provide her with the money she would like to have for buying the dress. The other alternative is that she could persuade herself to understand that that the dress does not look as good as it should be as per its price. The two cases can be regarded as aggression and rationalization respectively. These two are the defence mechanism which people adopt in order to protect their own ego from the feeling of failure when they are unable to accomplish their goals. The types of defence mechanisms that individuals undertake are numerous and far from being exhaustive. This is because of the fact that individuals generally develop their own ways of fighting frustrating situations to protect their self esteem arising from apprehensions and anxieties that result from the experience of failures. It is essential for marketers to consider these facts during constructing advertisements and selecting advertising appeals. In this markete rs can emphasize on the product in which they portray an individual resolving a specific frustrating situation by the use of the advertised product. Needs are considered one of the most crucial essence of marketing concepts. Marketers do not generally create the need in individuals but rather make consumers aware of the needs. Needs and goals constantly keep changing in response to the changing environment, physical conditions, and interactions with people around and experiences. With the attainment of a goal, consumers strive to attain a new goal and consequently develop new needs. In case they are unable to attain a particular goal they keep striving for old goals or develop substitute goals. It is crucial for marketers to identify the people’s needs while producing a product. Additionally, when they launch a particular product marketers also have the important responsibility of generating awareness among the consumers about their need for the product (Prakashan, 2006, p.7. 4). Types of motives of individuals, is an associated concept which marketers must understand along with needs. Motivation is the driving force within individuals which impels them to take a particular course of action. Many of the needs of individuals can remain dormant most of

Living Building Challenge BREEAM: Non-Residential Building

Living Building Challenge BREEAM: Non-Residential Building Rethinking the Application of the Living Building Challenge BREEAM for Non-Residential Buildings in the UK Building certification and assessment has been in spotlight since the rise of the concept of sustainable development, the need to improve building performance and reduce our consumption. Growing from a shared ideology of Jason F.Mclennans team, to create a utopian idea, the Living Building. One that has high potential for low running costs, high performance and user comfort, the epitome of the definition of sustainability. The living building challenge (LBC) was initially assessed by BNIM against the LEED standard upon its design, to determine its environmental and impact worth in a sustainable matrix.   However, in this paper a cross case investigation between the LBC version 3.0 and BREEAMs code for non-residential buildings 2011, will be undertaken to highlight each certifications merits and shortages. Followed by a cross-case analysis of 2 case studies to reflect on the investigations results. This is in an attempt to highlight which of the assessment methods has more comprehensive and in-depth critical criteria, how its applied by drawing on lessons from the case studies available for study from the public domain, through the LBC and BREEAMs online portals. For years, the race to creating sustainable assessment tools has been on-going to counter a variety of challenges in peoples lives, countries resources and global wellbeing (Rees, 1999, Edwards et al., 2013). Problems in a national scale that include waste tackling, organic and non-organic, energy consumption, water both excess and depravity from it, Carbon Dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, all of which contribute to national pollution statistics, waste and water treatment expenses and energy production (DEFRA, 2012) . The increase in these costs furthermore continues the cycle to affect the primary user, by raising energy prices for electricity, heating and cooling, county and city taxes and other government or privately provided services (Manne et al., 1991, ASIF et al., 2007). While typical cities contributes to an average of 75% of greenhouse gas emissions according to United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP, 2014),   commercial structures and transportation account for 16.25% and 25% of the United Kingdoms (UK) energy consumption sectors(Department of Energy, 2014, p. 12) . In addition to 38% of the countrys overall energy sinks being accounted towards energy generation, 83% of which is generated through coal power plants, the primary electricity generation method in the UK (Department of Energy, 2014, p. 12), contributing a large emission rate of 0.507 kg CO2/kWh (DEFRA, 2008).   Whilst the housing sector remains the dominant sector, but commercial buildings have been on a rise, to accommodate for different functions, educational, retail, offices and learning institutions. (PMRecon, 2013). The construction sector is in a strong boom (Longworth, Kern and Marshall, 2014), along with construction emissions such as material sourcing, mate rial fabrication, and the buildings operation itself. This paper will be addressing two case studies from the commercial office buildings sector of the construction industry: The Bullitt Center (LBC) and the. Addressing the strategies implemented within each, how each criterion was addressed and the impact on overall performance of the building. In the United Kingdom, the Building Research Establishment (BRE), alongside its assessment tool, the BRE Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) have formulated a number of schemes to tackle different building types, including but not limited to, BREEAM, BREEAM for commercial buildings, and BREEAM for Sustainable Homes (EcoHomes previously). The Living building challenge is a rigorous assessment tool created and published by Jason F.Mc Lennan and his associates, a project started from the mid-1990s and first coming to light in August 2006. The Living Building Challenge adopts a restorative nature, one that aims to give back to the environment (Warner, 2015). This paper will approach one of the more rigorous certification tools claimed to be applicable to any building type,). By having a net positive strategy, the building creates an excess of its needs, for storage or if possible to be input into nature as a metaphorical tax for trespassing on it (Monbiot et al., 2007). Theres a range of a 100 or more full living certified buildings around the world, the larger percentage being in the USA where the certification resides (ILFI, 2015) . However public record only shows buildings classified as non-private so the numbers can easily be more than that. And theres even a larger amount of partially or petal certified buildings a nd projects (ILFI, 2015) . . Any one building can acquire a number of certifications, relevant to each individual petal. However if a building is certified within all criteria, it gains a Certified Living Building Certificate, considerably the highest award given by the LBC. Followed by individual petal certified buildings, these are structures that have satisfied one or more of the petals, and are most likely awaiting a final audit to be fully certified. The final certification is Net Positive Energy certification, requiring the building to have provide more electricity than calculatedly needed. To achieve net positive energy over course of the year, energy efficient features, electricity generation and passive design are employed. In each section, an analytical and comparative summary of both the LBC and BREEAM will display how each standard addresses the named criterion. It is notable that due to the highly comprehensive nature of the LBC, BREEAM will be compared against the LBCs petals and using the standards and descriptions provided under the LBCs handbook. With the end of each petal, and summarizing this section, the author will conduct a summary comparative analysis between both standards, listing in brief, how each addresses the topics and providing analytical insight into the results. The LBC uses a number of concepts to guide its users through the design and certification process, the terms are derived from various sources, references or the creators own research to construct a logic space through which this tool operates. Typology: Typology refers to the scope and type of project being conducted, this helps identify what imperatives are compatible and can be applied to the project. Renovation: This refers to any project that is not a complete building on its own, but part of a previous building as an addition or rehabilitation of historic or old structures. Infrastructure + Landscape: This refers to projects that operate on an open scale, such as parks, amphitheaters, or other civil projects such as public plazas, exercise fields, bridges and so on. Building: This refers to projects that involve whole buildings both ones already existing and to include renovations or new ones all together. Community: The community challenge applies to a number of structures that coexist together and operate as part of a neighbourhood, community, campus whilst sharing certain amenities such as, but not limited to, roads, green or community areas. Transect: The transect concept is an adaptation of the New Urbanism transect planning approach that was developed and published in the Smart Code manual (latest version 9.2) by the Center for Applied Transect Studies (CATS, 2010). The transect smart code benefits from and adapts Smart Growth and New Urbanism strategies into creating a well divided yet adequately mixed community that supports sustainable growth for community, nature and urban development (Duany, Plater-Zyberk and Company, 2009). In the living building challenge, adequate transects for each project must be identified according to footprint and site scale in order to adapt the appropriate imperatives to suit the site as such that it is developed to be a productive part of its context. Whilst that approach allows for a natural flow of urban development, imposing guidelines that regulate form without function on a city scale causes complications, specifically when applied on a regulatory scale, some documents might be too technical and complicated as to negate architectural design creativity and hinder functions that occupy these buildings. (Garnett, 2013, pp. 571 588). Fortunately within the Living Building Challenge, these concepts are not strictly applied, but are merely regulated in the latest addition in version 3.0 stating that buildings needs to adapt beauty and reflect on their context, but stated exceptions due to local regulations are allowed. Scale Jumping: In case the projects place petal amenities require space larger than required or there is potential for cooperation, it is possible to scale jump these areas as long as they serve more than one building or site, and as long as theyre off the main project zone. Colour coding in the next section will be used to mark the start of paragraphs marking ones that include Living Building Standard to differentiate them for the ones comparing with BREEAM. The Living Building Functions as a Certification, accompanied with a guidance manual, used to achieve named certification. It classifies the different categories within to a series of broad umbrellas, or Petals. Each petal is composed of a number of relevant criteria, named imperatives. The LBCs categories are divided into seven petals, which encompass a set of comprehensive criteria, the acceptable methods and parameters needed to achieve them.   The Petals summarized into the following table reflects the Living Building Institutes vision into the main categories that should be addressed to achieve a comprehensive regenerative design according to the LBCs vision: Place Net Positive Water Net Positive Energy Health Happiness Materials Equity Beauty Whilst the set of Petals assigned by the LBC might be considered of a wide scope, it is however a certification and not a technical standard, thus by comparison, BREEAM encompasses more sections, which are different arrange by marginally align with the components within the LBC. Management Health and Wellbeing Energy Transport Water Waste Land Use Ecology Pollution Innovation Despite the larger number of sections, items such as Land Use, Ecology and Transport are embodied within the Place Petal. Waste is segregated and included within the Water and Materials petals, pertaining to organic waste, food waste and construction components. Pollution is divided across all petals, and emphasized within Health Happiness, Place and Materials petals to regulate pollution within surrounding and indoor environments. Finally given the LBCs transparency policy, it sponsors a system of declaration and comprehensive calculation and checks regarding each Petal from design to end of life, thus concluding with the Equity and Beauty Petals which are no included within the BREEAM, yet left open ended within the LBC. I. Place Petal The place petal, formerly the Site petal, is the first of the set, it relates to the projects setting, its site, surroundings, ecology and is concerned with placing the building its appropriate surroundings. The petal addresses all projects despite scale, surroundings or function, the designer, or design team as stated must work into defining the site appropriately to understand how to protect the sites ecology and restore it post-construction. The Place petal is heavily affected by each sites Living Transect assigned to it, project area or scale jumping and thus the petal guidebook has been rigidly assigned to ensure that all calculations and certifications have been unified. The place petal includes 04 Imperatives, listed briefly; Limits to Growth Urban Agriculture Habitat Exchange Human-Powered Living The Imperatives within the Place Petal, as previously mentioned are comparable to some of the criteria listing under the Transport, Ecology and Site sections within the BREEAM documentation. Enforcing the regenerative nature of the LBC, this petal sponsors a strategy of ecological preservation and rehabilitation as a result of human activities. All of which is sponsored by BREEAM however not enforced as rigidly nor is it mandatory, except for the Habitat Exchange petal, reflected in LE 03, minimizing impact on existing ecology. However, it does not enforce a requirement for a net zero or net positive impact on the environment, but rewards based on reducing the negative impact on the environment between a negative to net zero range. Briefly summarized, the comparison between both sets of regulations takes a positive stand against ecological decay, requiring the maintenance of local ecology and further development, not simply the mitigation of any further damage or simply reducing the damage caused. Whilst on a small scale, it would benefit local ecology, this strategy has to be employed on a wider scale to start mitigating or reversing global decay of natural environments. However, the lack of exact calculations that would measure the effect of any construction in any existing ecosystem of high or low value, makes it essential that the LBC needs other regulatory systems and assessment tools to supplement and optimize its performance.   It is apparent that the application of this section requires the expertise of an ecological specialist for both systems, and would be high in cost. Ultimately as the LBC is a restorative system, it remains important to perform this task as part of the metaphorical price of intruding on nature. In addition, addressing the Transport section of BREEAM, reflected within Human powered living and the Transects concept of the LBC. The LBC encourages walkable communities, the use of bicycles and non-engine operated modes of transportation with the more populated transects, restricting use of cars to commute in and out of these zones. In addition, it requires estimating the need for storages and car parks based on demand, providing accessibility for mobility and the use of human powered transport and finally. Apart from the effect of that policy on pollution, it does reduce the carbon and energy cost of transportation, such as commute and food miles and ultimately promotes awareness and healthy lifestyles. BREEAM while advocating similar requirements, also adds the needs for compact urban design, to reduce the need for modes of transportation, rather than regulating these modes of transportation. In summary, the need to address users needs for storage, distances and methods of comm ute is imperative to reducing the overall pollution and energy impacts of the residing community. Finally, and exclusively required by the LBC, enforcing a policy of urban agriculture, reducing food miles and a policy to encourage food storage within households sets the LBC apart. One can criticize however that the requirements of farmable land per building footprint are disproportionate to the density of users occupying it and would need to be rectified to meet realistic expectations. II. Water Petal The water petal governs the production, use and disposal of all fluid and water based materials on site, including potable water, grey water, black water, storm and rainwater harvesting, managing it, storage and disposing of the excess. The water petal only contains one imperative, which is an update from net zero water in version 2.1 to be Imperative 05. Net Positive Water in version 3.0 (LBI, 2015g). In brief, the Net positive water imperative advocates the compatibility between water systems on site and natural water systems depending on site and climate. It states that any water used on site must be part of a closed loop system where all used water must be captured on site by means of precipitation, rain or storm water collection, grey water treatment or ground water supply if possible. Of course exceptions are made in case of extreme climatic conditions where it is not feasible or where the natural supply cannot satisfy consumption due to user capacity, where an appeal can be made given proper support. In comparison, BREEAM has Wat01-Wat04 criteria (BRE, 2014),, only Wat01 that specifies water consumption is mandatory, with a minimum performance of providing 12.5% of water consumption within the building throug h closed loop methods and a maximum five credit score for providing 55% or more of consumed water in the building. Similar to BREEAM Wat02 criterion (BRE, 2014), the LBC Water Petal requires monitoring of use constantly over the year, month by month and in detail. Unlike and in a stricter approach than BREEAM however, the water monitoring process is rigid and highly detailed, requires documentation of all production, use and sinks of water in the structure (LBI, 2015g). It also promotes the jump scaling of this imperative to benefit the community, where a cistern or a unified water storage can be shared between multiple sites, the community, ecosystem or agricultural land. Concluding the   water petal, due to Englands Koepen-Geiger climate zone being Cfb, one that has an average of 800mm annual rainfall during the whole year (World Maps of Kà ¶ppen-Geiger climate classification, 2010, Kottek et al., 2006, pp. 259-263), applying an efficient water harvesting strategy would not be a difficult challenge, the problem would arise with treatment and storage specially on smaller sites, which in turn creates opportunities for jump scaling and providing neighbourhood benefit. III. Energy petal Just like the Water Petal, managing resources in the Living Building Standard have taking a developmental step towards net positive, thus as an upgrade from v2.1 of the Energy Petal that advocated Net Zero energy to the new Energy Imperative 06. Net Positive Energy (LBI, 2015a). In summary, the new Net Positive imperative calls for the production of one hundred and five percent (105%) of the projects energy requirement are satisfied on site by sustainable and renewable energy methods on a net annual basis. What adds to this petals challenge, is the need for resilience, the requirement to store energy for emergency in addition to night-time use. The resilience component requires a minimum of 10% of essential lighting load and refrigerator operation for up to a week (LBI, 2015a). A formidable challenge in England; due to the low number of sunny hours annually, reaching an average of 1493 hours of sun per year (Current Results Weather, 2015) making the return to solar origins concept adopted by LBC a solution that might not be entirely financially viable. What sets this strategy apart from other assessment methodologies is the prohibiting of combustion, burning of any material, biomass, biofuels, alternative or conventional fuels due to the possibility of harmful gas emissions, as well as the release of greenhouse gases despite how efficient the combustion module is (McLennan, 2010). On the other hand, BREEAM does not ban the use of combustion energy sources, but relies on the relationship between energy use and Carbon Dioxide emissions, which release nitrates and carbon compounds that account for global warming (Johnson, 2009, pp. 165-168). BREEAM aims for a zero carbon approach, with potential for Carbon Negative buildings acting as sinks. Both systems require a twelve-month monitoring period to determine the buildings efficiency when occupied. However, given the authors current research, it is likely a performance gap may be observed due to human use discrepancies that were not accounted for using Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), and are not adequately measured using the LBCs online calculators. IV. Materials Petal The materials petal aims to create a future of materials economy that is non-toxic, regenerative and avoid any negative effects on occupants health, the material petal aims to use materials that can be re-used while eliminating the concept of construction waste while staying financially viable, functionally efficient and aesthetically pleasing (LBI, 2015c). Due to production costs, sourcing, transportation distance and the general economy, sourcing these materials remain to be a challenge, but the LBC attempts to counter that challenge by creating a guideline to follow that will allow achieving its targets without any negative impacts. The materials petal has been put ahead of the Health Happiness Petal since the outcome of an adequate material petal certification will lead to the final outcome of Health and Happiness. The Material petal is composed of five imperatives that will be briefly discussed and critically compared to the BREEAMs six material criteria and six waste criteria, both of which are grouped under the Materials Petal in a brief yet comprehensive guideline. The five imperatives are listed as follows, Red List Embodied Carbon Footprint Net Positive Waste Responsible Industry Living Economy Sourcing Imperative 10. Red List advocated the elimination of worst-in-class materials and chemicals as it dictates, ones with the greatest negative impact to occupant and ecological health. The list includes a large number of petroleum products, polymers and compounds that contribute to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) spreading in construction as well as other harmful chemicals that lead to a number of physiopathological mechanisms, respiratory diseases and disorders they might cause to occupants (Fernà ¡ndez et al., 2013, pp. 22-27) including but not limited to symptoms such as irritations, coughing and respiratory symptoms, nervous symptoms such as headaches and fatigue, dry skin and other symptoms users might take for granted or under-estimate to be prompt yet prove even more harmful on the long run (Wolkoff, 2013, pp. 371-394). BREEAM recognizes the dangers of these materials, and allows their use under certain conditions according to its own tables and conditions under its health and wellbeing section HEA02- Indoor air quality. BREEAM tackles the problem of VOCs (BRE, 2014) by running a pre-occupancy test after end of construction to determine the concentration of contaminants in the structure, and if found within the appointed limits, it grants the points. The C2C methodology is ambition, but calculation methodology does not include energy that goes into rehabilitating that product for reuse, neither does it account for the quality of the product and ability to function adequately (Bakker et al., 2010). Energy input into the different stages of product development, such as transportation which accounts for 90% of some appliances (Llorach-Massana et al., 2015). It is however calculable and would allow for a deeper understanding of the buildings energy and carbon impact by calculating a complete building life cycle from cradle to cradle (Braungart, McDonough and Bollinger, 2007, pp. 1337-1348).This would assess the carbon impact of the building from inception to deconstruction and potential reuse. (Kneifel, 2010, pp. 333-340, Bribià ¡n, Capilla and Usà ³n, 2011, pp. 1133-1140). Imperative 12. Responsible Industry and Imperative 13 Living Economy Sourcing and Net Positive Waste are related when it comes to the overall concept, both imperatives call for sustainable, local or national and proper sourcing of materials. Processing has to be transparent and declared, sources from sustainable or renewable sources dedicated for farming or reclaimed through cradle to cradle or recyclable schemes in addition to some materials also known as Carbon Leaks and Carbon Exports (Davis and Caldeira, 2010, pp. 5687-5692, Kuik and Hofkes, 2010, pp. 1741-1748). However, the use of this concept in the UK might be hindered due to limited resources and would extend to the European Economic Area alongside consideration for the expenses and emissions produced by importing. V. Health and Happiness Petal The last of the published petal handbooks set in version 3.0, containing imperatives 07 to 09, listed as follows Civilized Environment BioPhillic Environment Healthy Interior Environment (LBI, 2015f) This set of imperatives work to provide a psychologically and physically healthy environment for occupants and owners, by creating connections to the surrounding environment (Coon et al., 2011, pp. 1761-1772) and designing and specifying healthy indoor materials. Imperative 07. Civilized Environment and Imperative 09. Biophillic Environments both share common grounds that contribute to psychological and physical health (LBI, 2015f). Both imperatives aim to create a direct connection between indoors and outdoors, a feeling of visual and a level of physical continuity to provide a feeling of joy and freedom (Ching, 1995). Achieving these targets; by performing adequate daylight calculations to identify any glare spots and daylight distribution without spaces, allowing sufficient daylight factors within the building (Roche, Dewey and Littlefair, 2000, pp. 119-126), in addition to accounting for thermal and visual comfort (Greenup, Bell and Moore, 2001, pp. 45-52), creating connections with the outdoors is an essential requirement in imperative 07 without any possible appeals except for areas of special use or areas that are not frequently occupied. BREEAM had managed to shed a stronger light when it comes to health and wellbeing criteria, by setting rigorous standards for ventilation, daylight factors and ratios and indoor quality (BRE, 2014). It also adopted criteria to provide comfortable acoustic and thermal environments as well as security for its occupants (Novak, Treytl and Palensky, 2007), despite not being mandatory, these criteria do improve user comfort and satisfying them contributes to outstanding credits. VI. Equity Petal The Equity petal (LBI, 2015f), introduced in version 3.0 has limited literature, only introduced in the standard guidebook summarizing the latest version, it includes a table of design guidelines needed to be met or complimented to provide a sense of equality and justice between all users of the project, at any scale, but mostly focused towards the public and living community challenges. This petal is divided into four imperatives and will be briefly described, since they are still under development with no comprehensive guidebooks and are still quite subjective in approach, they will not be given great focus. The petal guidelines tackle issues such as areas, distances, landscape and urban design to give users and pedestrians a sense of worth in surroundings modelled after the human scale and dimensions (Ching, 1995)/ Access to place allows general public usage of spaces created within projects to spread the benefit and eventually awareness to the project and value. Both advocate facilitated access to impaired users, allowing equal opportunities for all users (Thapar et al., 2004, pp. 280-289), Imperative 17. Equitable Investment and Imperative 18. JUST Organizations, both of these imperatives tackle the humane side of building occupancy and donation towards charitable causes. It also includes the need for consideration of users, their needs and humane treatment. VII. Beauty Petal Last of the version 3.0 newly added petals, contains two imperatives; Imperative 19. Beauty + Spirit and Imperative 20. Inspiration + Education, both of which cannot be empirically calculated and proven (LBI, 2015f), thus documentation of design literature and efforts made to raise awareness of technologies have been, which reflects on the innovation standard in the BREEAM. However aesthetic value has not been regarded in BREEAM leaving that particular point out, which could be implied given that it is a technical tool for building performance not architectural design. This section will discuss a cross case analysis between two case studies. Each reflecting one of the discussed assessment systems, the LBC and BREEAM. The author found it fitting that due to the main showcase of the LBC reflected in educational buildings, ones that have been developed to be a display and case study for LBC teams, that the cross case analysis would be best done across educational buildings of a similar scale. The LBC case study is an office and commercial complex, commissioned by the environmental protection foundation, the Bullit Foundation. The BREEAM case study is a building of a similar typology, a commercial and office complex, slightly larger in area and a BREEAM Excellence building, the Exchange in  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   street. Commissioned by the Bullit foundation, an environmental agency with a mission to safeguard the Pacific North Wests ecology from non-sustainable and invasive human activity and raise awareness to the ecological issues that surround the regions urban sprawl. The building was commissioned under what they believe is the most rigourous standard, that would stand to raise awareness and work as a teaching experience for designers, professionals of the built environment and researchers. Its a commercial office building, with space for various office tenants and a commercial space. The Living Building Challenge is a powerful tool that might hold a number of innovative and important keys towards true sustainability. But due to the vast number of topics covered by it, the LBC requires supporting technical regulations created by local authorities to be applied to differ

Television Drama :: essays research papers

The viewer positioning in television dramas play a very important and critical part in how the drama is portrayed to the audience, and hence this gives an idea on how successful the show will be. Dawson’s Creek is a relatively new TV drama aimed at teenagers and the issues they face and have to deal with in society today. The viewer positioning, in relation to the show’s themes, construction and values will be discussed and analysed. The â€Å"Pilot† episode (first episode of Dawson’s Creek) will be referred back to in this essay, as this episode was what propelled Dawson’s Creek into becoming the most watched teen show around the world and what made the actors/ actresses into instant stars. Dawson's Creek is about one boy's coming of age journey and his lifelong friendship with a girl from a vastly different home life. The vivid and absorbing relationship between Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes) is at the core of the series. Best friends since they were small children, the two are faced with many new challenges ahead of them in their teenage years, ones that would not have arisen in their childhood days. One is sustaining their close friendship in spite of their budding romantic relationship, their emotional, physical and intellectual growth and the changing world around them. Other than Dawson and Joey, the show also revolves around two other central characters, Jen and Pacey. Jen (Michelle Williams) has mysteriously come from New York to stay with her grandparents, but she clearly has an air of mystery surrounding her as she harbours a dark secret from her past. Dawson clearly lusts for her, but when Jen unveils some of her teenage experiences to Dawson, his feelings for her clearly change. Pacey (Joshua Jackson) has been Dawson’s best friend, along with Joey, for some time. Pacey lives life fearlessly, and he is eager to discovery what life has laid out for him. His gift for sarcasm is matched only by knack for stumbling awkwardly and unprepared into adult situations. The four are engaged in an intriguing relationship, and are forced to deal with their feelings towards each other. Dawson’s Creek is about their journey through life. The show was conceived, developed and written by Kevin Williamson, who continues to serve as executive producer of the series. Dawson's Creek presents a somewhat autobiographical and almost shockingly honest portrayal of teenage characters dealing with real-life issues.

Exposition

Expository plan must be built for completeness Information must be valuable and complete. The point of the topic must be specific enough to explain the subject and it seeks to answer what, why, and how. Expository plan must be built for progress Writing must have unity, from old to new or from simple to complex or known to unknown or specific to general or general from to specific or less important to more important. Expository plan must be built for Adaptation In order to be clear, explanation must be clear for suitable audience.The Exposition of an Abstract Term or concept Anything that has no pictorial representation that we know are true; but exist only in our mind. Abstract term begin with a definition. It consist of the term, Genus, and Differentiation. Writing a good exposition of an abstract term must be: 1. Be sure you are explaining the subject not talking about it. 2. Use the simplest and most familiar diction possible, especially if your exposition is more formal sort. 3. Study various methods of exposition, select the best one suitable for you.Elimination – explaining a thing by telling what is not. Analysis – dividing the subject into its feature. Comparison and Contrast -? defining words which have a tendency to occur with or to be confused with certain companion words. Illustration – the easiest and natural method of exposition. Giving example of illustration of object to be defined. A serious problem in the abstract term or concept is that length. It may be full length or full length composition or in which the subject is amplified by various methods or by one developed to its utmost.It may be a paragraph developed by concentrating on the main features of the subject and relying for effect upon wise selection and presentation. Most frequently it is a paragraph or page in longer essay. The exposition of a process Sequential operation and action by which something is done or made. Whenever you are trying to tell a person how to do something or how other people do something. Followed by a time pattern sometimes w/o conscious planning or explaining events in order. James M. Micron gives four common types of exposition process: â€Å"how-to-do-it† process, give direction. How-it-works† process, shows a n operation (often mechanical). Usually follows a time order and resembles narration. â€Å"how-it-is-organized† process, show complexity in organization function by breaking into department and it is functional rather than chronological. â€Å"how-did-it-happen† process, seek to cause for a known effect such as why or how the event occurred. Exposition of a process has two different aims. First, try to give the reader an understanding of the process without assuming that he/she will undertake itself. Second, give the reader a direction. Planning and organizing depend on the subject.If the process is informal, your readers is to follow directions himself. Whether if it is formal or informal, unity is required in the process if you wish to emphasize. Comparison and Contrast Comparison meant to show likeness and Contrast shows differences between two subject areas. For example, A is better than B or more interesting than B, or more useful than B. The two statements need strong control and organization. Character Sketch Process of writing individual trait to set forth idea or detailing of a characteristics of some personified animal or thing. Enhanced by the use of incidental description.To sketch a character is essentially explaining that character. It is not describing a person physically but present to his character. Two kind of character sketch are individual concerns particular person and type characteristic common to a group. Ways to develop character sketch. A) Leading characteristics of the subject are enumerated and each one is taken up for discussion. B) Development may be anecdotal; it may relate a story illustrate particular trait in a person. C) Pro minent characteristic may be emphasized and the other characteristic placed in subsidiary relationship .The Essay is an exposition of author's thought or reflection on some subject of human interest. Two kinds of essay: Formal Essay -? main purpose is to give information and instruction. Brief in scope, usually impersonal in tone, it addressed primarily intellect, may deal with variety of subject. Great structure, method of development and manner of expression Informal Essay – frankly and mainly to entertain. Observed in a free method way and does not attempt to discuss subject exhaustively , nor does it deal with subjects that call for elaborate explanation.Personal in tone and point of view written in natural conversation. Comment or Criticism Review and criticism are forms of exposition. Usually published in periodicals, magazine, and written in a large variety of subjects. Anything that evokes opinion or judgment. Three kinds of criticisms: Criticism by use of standard â €“ assume that certain qualities tend to appear n all great literature. Historical Criticism -? evaluating influence of a writer or his work upon writers who followed him. Impressionistic or personal criticism – by telling what you think or feel, more Objective standards , narrow or superficial.Practical suggestions for your criticism: 1. Have background of knowledge 2. Have prejudice from training, race, religion, politics, occupation, and localities 3. Analyze a piece of writing 4. Choose something of your own interest as well as your own knowledge 5. Select a definite, limited central idea 6. Test your opinions carefully Us Mary Exposition Exposition that states and explains briefly the subject Of any spoken or written composition of considerable length. CLASSIFICATION AS A TECHNIQUE OF EXPOSITION Classification is a significant and informative grouping of things, activities, and ideas.Ruling principle is to unite idea or point of view use in the art of classifying. â €Å"A classification is useless it leads somewhere†. Suggestion for meaning classification: 1. Make clear what is being classified 2. Choose (and state) a significant, useful basis or guiding principle for the classification 3. Take care to limit yourself one basis at a time in listing members of class 4. Name the species according to given basis 5. Make sure that each species is separate and distinct that there is no overlapping 6.Help readers understand the distinct between two species 7. Make certain that in a classification (where a species listed in accordance with the major basis becomes a genus) Partition in Exposition Partition is the act of dividing a unit into its component part and does not necessarily have anything in common beyond the fact that they belong to the same unit. Hammers may be logically divided according to its physical characteristics. Classification always deals with several units while partition eels only part of a unit. A hammer head w/o handle is hammer.The head and the handle are component parts of only one unit. Suggestion for clear and meaningful partition: 1 . â€Å"Any breakdown of a subject for purposes of discussion should be done in accordance consistent point of view, or basis, and basis must adhered throughout any single phase of the discussion†.

SF-9 Lepidopteran Cells Essays - Benzofurans, Biochemistry Methods

SF-9 Lepidopteran Cells Essays - Benzofurans, Biochemistry Methods SF-9 Lepidopteran Cells PHM499 Research Project Supervisors: Dr. P. S. Pennefather, Dr. S. M. Ross Calcium transport study of SF-9 lepidopteran cells and bull frog sympathetic ganglion cells Kenny Yu Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 19 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S2 ABSTRACT The intracellular calcium level and the calcium efflux of the bull-frog sympathetic ganglion cells (BSG) and the SF-9 lepidopteran ovarian cells were investigated using a calcium-sensitive fluorescence probe fura-2. It was found that the intracellular calcium levels were 58.2 and 44.7 nM for the BSG cells and SF-9 cells respectively. The calcium effluxes following zero calcium solution were 2.02 and 1.33 fmolecm-2s-1 for the BSG cells and SF-9 cells. The calcium effluxes following sodium orthovanadate (Na2VO4) in zero calcium solution were 6.00 and 0.80 fmolecm-2s-1 for the BSG cells and the SF-9 cells. The SF-9 cells also lost the ability to extrude intracellular calcium after 2-3 applications of Na2VO4 while the BSG cells showed no apparent lost of calcium extruding abilities for up to 4 applications of Na2VO4. INTRODUCTION Spodoptera frugiperda clone 9 (SF-9) cells are a cultured insect cell line derived from the butterfly ovarian tissue. SF-9 cells are used by molecular biologists for the studies of gene expression and protein processing (Luckow and Summers, 1988). However, there is not much known about these cells' basic biophysiology. Since calcium is involved in many cells' activities such as acting as a secondary messenger, it is important for cells to control their intracellular calcium level. This study was aimed toward looking at the some of the basic properties of the SF-9 cells such as resting calcium concentration and rate of calcium extrusion after being calcium level being raised by an ionophore 4-bromo-A23187. The effect of sodium orthovanadate (an active transport inhibitor) on calcium extrusion was also looked at. Microspectrofluorescence techniques and the calcium-sensitive probe fura-2 were used to measure the intracellular calcium concentration of these cells. In addition, the BSG ce lls were used to compare with the SF-9 cells for the parameters that were studied. It was found that the SF-9 cells appeared to have a calcium concentration similar to the BSG cells. Moreover, the calcium extrusion rates of both cell types with no Na2VO4 added seemed to the same. However, due to insufficient data, the effects of Na2VO4 could not be statistically analyzed. From the data available, it suggested that the BSG cells' rate of calcium extrusion was enhanced by the Na2VO4 and was greater than the SF-9 cells. It was more important to note that the calcium extruding capabilities of the SF-9 cell seemed to impaired after two to three applications of Na2VO4 but it had apparent effects on the BSG cells even up to 4 applications. After obtaining these basic parameters, many questions raised such as how does the SF-9 cells extrude their calcium and why the Na2VO4 affected the calcium efflux for the SF-9 cells but not the BSG cells? The SF-9 cells may have a calcium pump or exchanger to extrude their calcium and they may be very sensitive to the ATP (adenosine 3'-triphosphate) supply. This was apparently different from the BSG cells' since their calcium extrusion were not affected by the Na2VO4.. It may be useful to find the mechanism(s) of the actions of Na2VO4 on the SF-9 cells because it may find possible applications in agriculture such as pest control. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chemicals and solutions 4-bromo-A23187 and Fura-2/AM were purchased from Molecular Probes (Eugene, OR). Na2VO4 was purchased from Alomone Lab (Jerusalem, Israel). Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was obtained from J. T. Baker Inc. (Phillipsburg, NJ). All other reagents were obtained from Sigma (St. Louis, MO). The normal Ringer's solution (NRS) contained (mM): 125 NaCl, 5.0 KCl, 2.0 CaCl2, 1.0 MgSO4, 10.0 glucose, 10.0 N-[2-hydroxyethyl] piperazine-N'-[2-ethanesulfonic acid] (HEPES). The calcium free Ringer solution (0CaNRS) is the same as the NRS except CaCl2 was substituted with 2.0 mM ethylene glycol-bis(b-aminoehtyl) ether N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). Fura-2/AM solution was prepared as follows: a stock solution of 1mM fura-2/AM in DMSO was diluted 1:500 in NRS containing 2% bovine albumin. It was then sonicated for 10 minutes. It was then kept frozen until the day of the experiment. 20 SYMBOL 109 f "Symbol"M 4-bromo-A23187 solution was prepared by diluting a stock of 5mM 4-bromo-A23187 in DMSO 1:250 with NRS. Na2VO4 solution

Nike Web Page essays

Nike Web Page essays Companies and other organizations use internet/web sites for different purposes. In general, a web site provides an interface while the Internet provides cost-effective communication capabilities. For this project assignment, the Nike Corporation was chosen and will be dissected for information technology analysis. The Nike Corporation is engaged in the design, development, and worldwide marketing of high quality footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products. It is the largest seller of athletic footwear and athletic apparel in the world. The web site that will be examined will be that of www.nike.com. This analysis will be construed into five separate sections that are chronologically as follows: Company Information, Web Site Description, Web Site Analysis, Completing A System, Web Site/Internet Expansion. Searching and finding company information on the web-site was quite easy and user friendly (as will be discussed later). Nikes mission statement reads as follows: Nikes mission for corporate responsibility is to lead in corporate citizenship through programs that reflect caring for the world family of Nike, our teammates, our consumers, and those who provide services to Nike. Nike has more than 500 contract factories around the world in about 45 countries. Their factories are spread across Europe, Asia, North, Central, and South America, and just recently, Australia. In fact, this area of the web site goes into very thorough detail as Nike deliberates on what exactly it is doing to further achieve its mission statement up to the current day. They address current problems such as age limits in factories, environmental health and safety, independent monitoring, education, research, and community affairs and discuss the new changes that they have implemented to further achieve t heir mission statement and please all of their current and potential customers. Although outside informati...

Financial Modelling Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Modelling Report - Essay Example In addition, regression analysis will be conducted to especially find out the patterns of the regression equations and the p-value. This will help support the null hypothesis that the predictors play some role in the stock return. A number of theories will be put forward to try and explain the results of the study. MN7024-Financial Modelling Introduction Return on stock is influenced by various factors, among them including the size of a firm, book-to-market ratio, and beta. In addition, different regions of the world have exhibited different patterns in regards to stock return depending on the prevailing market conditions during a particular time (Zhang, Shu and Brenner, 2010). In this project, it will be hypothesized that return on stock is subject to the size of the firm, the book-to-market ratio as well as beta; and that different regions of the world have different impacts on the stock returns, among them including America, Asia and Europe. Owing to the strong impact that 2008 f inancial crisis caused in the financial markets especially by exacerbating market volatility; this project will also compare the variable relationships before the crisis and after the crisis with the aim of finding out whether the crisis had caused any significant changes in the stock market dynamics. The analysis will primarily involve generation of line graphs, scatter plots, relationship tables, and use of regression analysis to compare the relationship between various variables. Analysis of regression statistics and scatter plots will be generated by SPSS while charts will be generated by Microsoft excel worksheets. The output generated from SPSS will be synthesized and presented in tables in a manner that is easy to read and understand. The dependent variable will be the return and the independent variables will include size of firm, book-to-market ratio, beta and three geographical regions including America, Asia and Europe. The three variables will be presented as dummy varia bles to enable multi-regression analysis. Consequently, number 1 will be assigned to the region that the sample has been obtained; and 0 will be assigned to the other regions that the sample has not been obtained. Graphical representation of data Beta and stock return Beta is used in CAPM to measure systematic risk or volatility of a particular security relative to the market as a whole (Zhang, Shu and Brenner, 2010). Therefore, the securities with higher beta have more risk than the market and many investors would not want to invest in them. However, it is widely accepted that the securities that have high return will also have a high risk. As such, from the figure 1 and 2 below, the beta is directly proportional to the stock return, meaning that as the beta increases, the return on stocks will also increase and vice versa. The essence of a higher return in the stocks with a higher beta is to compensate the investors for the higher risk they are exposed to. This relationship is not very strong where beta is very high because investors tend to accept low return from high beta considering that low beta securities require the use of leverage. From figure 2 below, the positive relationship between these two variables appears to be maintained. Figure 1: Return vs. beta before 2008 Figure 2: return vs. beta after 2008 The Book-to-market ratio versus Stock Returns Figure 3 and 4 below shows the return of stock compared with book-to-market. Studies undertaken by Fama and French (1992)

Trainspotting by Danny Boyle, 1996 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Trainspotting by Danny Boyle, 1996 - Essay Example This paper will discuss Boyle’s use of parallel editing. According to visual arts and film studies, parallel editing is a technique whereby two or more scenes happen simultaneously, but in different locations co-currently (Smith 6). In some cases, this technique is also known as cross-cutting. In most cases, when the scenes are simultaneous, they culminate in a single area whereby the parties are involved in a confrontation. Cross or parallel editing is used to create suspense hence, adding interest and excitement to a film scene. In this case, Masahiro Hirakubo was responsible for editing this film. Boyle employed the parallel editing technique in several scenes, in the film. Trainspotting the film captures the insolent and amoral intelligence of Welsh as portrayed in the cult novel by Irvine Welsh. The beginning of the film contains severe editing hence; the audience notices that the film significantly affected Britain and it did not dent America. The most probable reason why the movie did not affect America was that it was too apparent for those conservatives. The scenes in the film clearly assert that Trainspotting is the most liberal film that is connected to drug-related issues. Boyle juggles parallel character strands and juxtaposes several images (Smith 23). The film centres on the youthful disaffection with the verve of an exemplary pop culture. According to the events presented in Trainspotting, Boyle developed the technique of using cross editing to provoke suspense. In the introductory section, McGregor and Bremner were running down Princes Street after they were being pursued by security guards. However, after being sober from the induced state, McGregor decides to quit heroin (Smith 34). Later on, he decides to buy opium rectal suppositories and decides to undergo withdrawal in a small hotel. However, when he is close to his friends in a sober state he feels like an outcast. He later goes to the bar and has sex with a woman called Diane (Macdonald) who later refuses to let him sleep in his house.